Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Yu gi oh is the property of its copyright holders Kazuki Takahashi Etc.
"Not all treasure is sliver and gold, mate."
-Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean
Once You Speak my Name: Searching
The weeks began to pass by and new pieces of the puzzle about the pharaoh's tomb were slowly unearthed. More pieces to the tablet Adam had been reading at the start of the dig had been recovered, but still not enough to know the entire message. Two small sharp objects that resembled needles, and one person had been caught trying to make off with the jewelled eyes of two snake statures. Now Yugi and his team were left to piece together the puzzle with the pieces they had.
"This just doesn't make sense. How could there not be any tombs or pathways connecting to his? He should have been married, but we haven't found any evidence of a wife or even a concubine."
"Unless there was a reason for him to not be married."
"Yes, but what could have been so important to bypass something like that?"
"I don't know."
"It would help if we knew where he fell in the established timeline. If we knew who ruled before him we could figure out the circumstances of his reign and why nothing about him seems to fit our known historic mould."
Yugi was about to speak up when a voice suddenly flashed through his mind. I am the son of king Aknamkanon my name is Atemu! His hands clenched in his lap. What the hell was that?
"What do you think we should do?"
Yugi didn't say anything, he continued to stare at the tabletop trying to process whatever memory or vision he had just had.
"Dr. Mutou? Yugi?"
Finally getting himself back to reality he stood up from the table. "I think we need to go back in for a more detailed search."
"You want to go into the tomb again?"
"Yes."
"Have you been given clearance?"
"No and the rate they are going we never will be."
"Everybody keeps getting all freaked over some weird maze or statue and comes running out looking like they seen the bogey monster or something."
"All the more reason for us to go in isn't it?"
"Maybe, I mean we haven't even figured out what's missing from that one room."
"How do we know anything even is missing?"
"Why would you build a room with a pedestal as the centre piece and then leave it empty? No there was something there the questions are what was it, and where is it now?"
"Why indeed and one thing is for sure we aren't getting any answers standing around in here. We will discuss this further in the morning."
The meeting adjourned and the members began to clean up and turn in for the night, never realising that they were being watched.
Adam not having hit it off with the others had taken up residency in the far corner of the tent closest to the door. He peeked through the flap again to try and see what the others were doing. He watched the lamplight slowly flicker in the largest tent before two people emerged and the light died out for the night. However, the tent's occupant didn't turn in instead he too left the tent and began walking towards the edge of camp. Adam hesitated for a moment before crawling out of his sleeping bag and walking after him.
"You'll catch your death of cold out here you know."
Yugi turned around and smiled at him.
"And you will catch yourself a healthy dose of sleep deprivation if you don't get some rest."
"Sleep is for young people."
"Funny I didn't think you considered yourself old."
"I have an old soul."
"Aren't you poetic."
"Have you found out anything new?"
"No."
"So, why the midnight stroll?"
He sighed. "I want to back into the tomb. Surveying the area around it can't help us anymore. To go back in now though would be breaking protocol."
"So, you've come across a crossroads so to speak."
Yugi nodded and looked out towards the horizon in deep thought.
Adam simply let him think for moment he knew what it was like, he was standing at one too it seemed. He wished to confess everything to Yugi if he knew who he was he wouldn't have to work so hard and lose so much sleep to solve the mystery of the pharaoh. Still he knew that if he revealed that he was the pharaoh they were studying back from the dead Yugi would waste no time in carting him off to the loony bin. However, he thought if he went with him, the tomb no doubt had his image all over it, if he just hinted at the connection and allowed Yugi to make his own conclusions then he wouldn't be labelled as insane and perhaps he could even persuade Yugi to help him figure out his own problems. There was some big piece of the picture that he was missing he was sure of it. He was very comfortable around Yugi, being able to be alone with him in the middle of the night was proof enough of that, yet they weren't even really friends just a boss and an employee who happened to be able to have a couple of civil conversations that was all. Still he knew there was something there he just needed help figuring out what it was.
"If you do go in, may I accompany you?"
Yugi nodded. "Of course I would be happy to have you with us."
&&&
When morning came it was decided that it would be too risky to have everyone of the advanced members go down and possible forfeit their jobs and maybe their lives, so Yugi agreed to into the tomb with anyone else who volunteered.
Standing at the entrance with Adam he tapped his foot impatiently waiting for the other two men two join them. Of all the people why did it have to be them? Oh, well at least I am not the only one who has to suffer. He thought sparing a look over at Adam who seemed to be just as pissed off as he was. He sighed and took off his hat and fanned his face feeling the cool air rush through his bangs that were becoming just long enough to be in his eyes and thus a real bother.
"I'd recommend a hair gel to keep those back."
"Would you happen to have any on you?"
Adam pulled out a small tube and handed it to Yugi.
"Thank you," He said putting in on and then trying to give it back.
"Keep it, it was free sample and I have two more just like it."
"That you stole from your neighbours no doubt."
"Both of my neighbours are bald what use would they have had for it?"
He noticed the strange looks Tom and Gerry were giving him, having finally made it to the door.
"What? You've never seen a guy with blond hair before?"
"I just noticed that you guy's look alike are you brothers or something?"
"No."
With that blunt answer the team of four made their way down the steps and began sweeping their lights across the walls.
"Creepy this is just creepy."
In his head Adam had to agree with Tom much as he despised the man there was something in the air that sent shivers down his spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Probably because I am not supposed to be wandering around in my own tomb, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
Making there way into the first room they made their way into the maze one by one everyone aware that one miss-step and they'd have a long time to say goodbye. Suddenly the statues creaking and groaning started to swing their swords, ready to cut down anyone or anything in their paths.
"This didn't happen the first time!"
"Then there must be a solution!"
Yugi thought hard what had done differently the first time? He remembered they had shuffled their way across to spread out their weight in case any of the rock was loose. He stepped forward on his right foot, and narrowly missed being hit be the board side of one of the swords. Okay so it's not the right foot! Quickly he thrust his left foot forward as the statue prepared to swing again and then it abruptly stopped.
"Walk with your left foot forward!"
"Why!?"
"Well you can trust him or you can become Julian fries take your pick!" Adam yelled re-adjusting his own stance.
The remaining two shut up and did as they were told. Slowly each person made it across and breathed a sigh of relief. Slightly shaken, but still determined they pressed on to the next room.
Both Adam and Yugi made it across the bridge with ease, taking notes of the carvings for further investigation, but the others were not so lucky. Focused only on their desires of fame for being brave enough to come down here and the riches they were sure to find in some secret room they'd read so much about they didn't notice the black curls of smoke rising up from the stone carvings. The creature from the stone grabbed them with no effort at all and held them both tightly within its claws and began to squeeze. Gerry and Tom began screaming terror.
Yugi and Adam whirled around and called out to them.
"You can't show fear!"
"Your heart has to be pure!"
Their cries went unheeded as the men just kept screaming.
Now worried for their own safety both of them stepped back and as they did Yugi brushed against Adam's shoulder. Somehow and he wasn't sure how with that touch Adam felt the familiar surge of magical energy begin to course through his veins, and the prickly sensation of the eye on his forehead. On instinct he closed his eyes and began to focus his power hoping he could find some way to help. He heard the others gasp and looked up at as the blue ball of light burst to reveal his creature. Mahad! Impossible! He did not have the puzzle and the tablets no doubt lay miles underground. He should not have been able to summon anything! Least of all a monster so strong! Yet there he was solid as stone and the connection was so strong that he didn't even need to voice his commands as the magician unleashed his attack on the other monster.
The ball of dark magic struck its target and the beast vanished in haze of smoke. The two men fell to the stone and wasted no time getting out of the tomb as if their pants were on fire. Adam collapsed to the floor, hitting the stone pedestal on his way down, and Yugi soon joined him.
"What just happened?" Yugi asked.
"Something that wasn't supposed to happen."
"I gathered that."
"So what do we do now?"
"We go back up there and try to piece together what we have just seen."
"You're not at all worried about what those two will say about what went on here."
"People may be superstitious but they are not stupid two young kids try to tell people they were attacked by a monster and no one is going to believe them."
"You know kids today really have no backbones."
"I know. You'd think they've never stared death in the face before."
"Indeed."
Yugi looked at Adam fully and noticed the sheen of sweat on his face and his laboured breathing.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine."
Yugi looked down. "Yeah, cause fine people always have blood running down their arm."
Adam followed his gaze and took notice of the small river of red snaking its way down from a cut near his shoulder.
"Okay so I'm not so fine."
"Come on let's get it cleaned up."
&&&
Taking him to the first aid tent and assuring the attendant that it wasn't a serious injury and she could continue to treat the others who were curled up in a corner spouting gibberish. Yugi carefully began to clean the wound, Adam flinched under his touch.
"Sorry! I've worked too hard with my hands. I know they're very rough."
"No it's really fine I'm just not use to touch that's all." Especially your touch.
When the wound was dressed, Yugi stood at the tent entrance and watched Adam leave after promising to discuss the day's events with him later. Feeling another's eyes on him he turned to see the attendant looking at him.
"I know that look, Afya, what is on your mind?"
"He is just another guy on this dig and you treat him like the crown jewels. Why do you care about him so much?"
"I don't know. He just does something to me."
"So you love him then?"
He let out a small laugh. "No that's not it, you read too many romance novels." Yugi sighed. "He seems familiar to me that's all. It's as if I know him from somewhere I just can't figure out where."
It would have been normal to assume that he simply didn't remember Adam because of the accident, but Yugi knew that wasn't the case. If they had known each other in Yugi's past he would have said something. Still it didn't change the fact that he felt really good when he was with Adam. It wasn't that heart pumping weak at the knees feeling, but it seemed really…right. As if he should, no must be with him as much as humanly possible, and Yugi wasn't about to fight that urge. So he simply filed his questions of Adam away in his head in the growing pile that he had affectionately titled: What the hell is going on here?
(End chapter 4)