And we've finally reached the much-anticipated milestone for this, or any other story - ten chapters! With a little over 50k words, that's nothing to scoff at, and I for one feel very accomplished. So for now, I'll ignore the fact that it took me over two years to get to this point, seeing as I'm still working on my first independent novel after seven years, and instead focus on the positives.
To start, I want to personally thank everyone who reviewed so far, especially last chapter. I feel as though many of those were the result of my pathetic self pity party, but they were appreciated just as much, if not more-so! So, a big thank you to Spearshake, The Duelist's Heiress, Alyssa A, Aqua girl 007, Thasiloron, and XxB-ChanxX. I hope that I can make the rest of this story just as review worthy for you! The support means so much!
I've read everyone's reviews word-for-word, and I'm taking all questions, comments and critiques into account. However, in case I did overlook a question you may have had, then feel free to either ask again, or continue reading to find the answers in the story. For the most part, everything should explain itself, but if something is really nagging you, I'll try to give an informative answer without revealing too much. I'll also answer questions that have nothing to do with the story if you like. Heck, I'll spend years of intense research and meditation if you ask me what the meaning of life is in a review! I'm just exaggerating, of course, but you get what I mean.
As for this chapter, I use a lot of my OCs again, in terms of time, not quantity. To my knowledge, all the OCs I am using have already been presented. So far, I've decided that Yamaht's family will not make any appearance in this story, and Nephthys's younger brother, Satoshet, will only make minor appearances when needed. Yamaht will only play minor roles as well, and Nephthys is important to the story's development, which I'll go more into this chapter. Hopefully I didn't overdo it.
Well then, with nothing more I can think of to say, onto the much-anticipated chapter 10! Enjoy!
"Do you believe me, Isis?" Mana asked as the two continued walking to the guardians' living chambers. Seeing as Mana was the younger sister of one of the guardians, she had a room nearby the other priests. It was a long walk from where they had been, and an even longer walk to the throne room from there. Fortunately, Mana was not the kind to remain quiet and idle, so Isis had her voice to focus on. At least for the moment. Perhaps if she was lucky, she could find someone she enjoyed talking to for when she went to the throne room; in the very least someone who like to run their mouth off. Yamaht quickly came to mind...
"I know that you weren't responsible for that column collapsing, Mana." Isis assured her.
"Yeah, but the part about the Thief King... do you...?"
"Well, you saw something." Isis stated matter-of-factly, "But what makes you think what you saw was the palace phantom? No one has ever seen him face-to-face."
"He looked the way that most people describe him: white hair; red robes..." Mana stated before trailing off. "And Nephthys found that note, like the ones that he's been leaving at the other accidents."
"It's convincing, I agree with that." Isis responded, shivering as she remembered the contents of the note, as well as the tone of Nephthys's voice while reading it. "However, I don't believe that we're dealing with a spirit."
"Why not?" Mana asked with a tilt of her head.
Isis turned to the girl. "Because ghosts don't leave blackmail notes. I think someone inside the palace is doing all this, and in some ways that's actually more terrifying than a ghost. Especially if they've evaded the detection of the Millennium Items for as long as these accidents have been occurring."
Mana paled. "Yeah, that is scary!" she agreed. "What if he comes again?"
"Then we'll be prepared." Isis said with a smile. They had stopped outside of Mana's room, and as Isis looked around, she noticed that there were no servants to be seen. Mana noticed the emptiness as well, and looked nervous about it. Isis quickly caught onto this, and put her hands on the teenage girl's shoulders, gently squeezing them.
"I'm confident that everything will be fine, Mana." she said, never losing her smile. "The cause of these misdoings will be caught; the Pharaoh shall see to that. And remember, Mahad is coming back today along with the rest of the soldiers, so now all of the Millennium Item holders will be together. What power could possibly stand against all eight of the Items together?"
Mana's eyes widened. "Wait; that's today?!" she asked incredulously. Isis's smile widened; she must have forgotten.
"Yes, they'll be returning today. So you'll be able to tell him that you were well taken care of in his absence."
A huge grin formed on Mana's face, and she began to jump up and down in place. "YAY! Mahad is coming back! Mahad is coming back! Mahad is coming back!" she chanted, as she started to jump and dance around a chuckling Isis. Though the moment lasted briefly, as Mana stopped and gasped, her eyes going wide again, this time in panic.
"Oh no! What if the Thief King decides to target the returning soldiers! Mahad is in danger! We need to warn the Pharaoh!"
Isis groaned, before grabbing Mana's arm to keep her from running off. "Calm down; I'm sure he'll be fine. And even if that was the case, I wouldn't let you go running off on your own anyway. The Pharaoh told me to take you to your room." She said sternly.
Mana pouted. "He never said I had to stay there." she noted.
Isis's face tensed. "I'm not giving you any flexibility this time, Mana. If someone with the intent to kill is hiding in the palace, then I don't want you wandering alone. So promise me that you will stay in your chambers until I or another of the guardians comes to get you. I do not want to hear that you snuck out for any reason, and I do intend to inform the servants and the guards to be on the lookout for you, along with that assassin on the loose."
Mana looked disappointed, but sighed and nodded. "Okay, I promise." she agreed. "Just as long as I get to see Mahad when he comes in."
"Of course." Isis said with a smile, taking the girl into her arms, partly for comfort, and partly as an apology for keeping her locked up. "You should be the first person to welcome him back."
Mana smiled. "Just promise me I won't have to watch you two kiss in front of me."
Isis blushed at that, gently pushing away from Mana. "Wh-wh-why would I kiss him?!" she asked, her voice just as flustered as her face. "We're only friends!"
Mana frowned at that. "I'm not a little kid, Isis!" she said dejectedly, "You don't have to pretend that you and Mahad aren't a couple."
Her blush deepened. "First Yamaht, now you, Mana?! Why is it that everyone assumes that we were together romantically?"
"Because you are." Mana stated simply, though her brow furrowed in concern. Isis had never spoken about Mahad ever since he had left to fight in the war. Mana had assumed it was because she didn't want her to become upset about his absence, or because she didn't want to be reminded of it herself. This was strange, however, that she didn't want to accept her relationship with her brother. Was Isis worried that she wouldn't approve? No, that couldn't be the reason. Mana loved Isis like an older sister, if not more-so. Maybe it was because Mahad had been gone for so long, that she was afraid he no longer loved her, so she was trying to pretend she felt that way, too. There had to be some other reason she was denying it, because there was no way she could have just...forgotten Mahad.
"Wait..." Mana queried, "Is this one of those things where you're trying to keep your relationship a secret to make it seem more exciting?"
Isis's eyes widened, looking more than a bit affronted by that idea. "Where did you hear of such things?" she demanded.
Mana smiled. "So I'm right?" she wondered.
"No!" Isis exclaimed, "But who filled your head with such things as secret relationships?!"
"Uhh... I might have heard Yamaht say something about those kinds of things. I think it was her."
"Why am I not surprised?" Isis thought out loud before directing herself back to Mana. "Listen, I don't want you taking advice on relationships from anyone but myself, you understand? If you hear anything about men that doesn't come from my mouth, ignore it."
"Okay." Mana said uncertainly, "Does that include Mahad, too?"
Isis thought about it a moment. "Well... I suppose that Mahad would be fine. He is your older brother, after all. I doubt that he would try to give you misleading advice."
"And Atem?"
"ESPECIALLY NOT Atem...er, the Pharaoh!" Isis exclaimed.
"But we're friends..." Mana reasoned.
"You don't take advice from men about men if they're not related to you, and even then you shouldn't!" Isis stated, leaving no room for further debate. Not that she didn't trust the Pharaoh, but she certainly questioned his relationship with Mana. She didn't need Mana thinking that it was acceptable to be with him in such an intimate way without the knowledge of others. Because it certainly wasn't!
"Okay..." Mana agreed, though she was still a little confused as to why she couldn't ask Atem about other boys.
"Good." Isis sighed, not for the first time flustered by a conversation she had to have with Mana. "Now please, stay in your room for a while. If for no other reason than to calm my nerves.
Mana nodded. "I promise." she said.
"Thank you." Isis sighed gratefully. "Don't worry, I'll try to come for you later, rather than send someone else." she stated, before walking away."
"Okay." Mana said, before a thought crossed her mind. "Oh, Isis!" she called.
Isis paused, turning back to the younger girl. "Yes?"
"Pharaoh told you not to go back alone!"
Isis smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I have a guardian of my own watching over me."
~Q.N~
The walk back had been uneventful, save for the voice that had been following her to the throne room. The meeting had been even less eventful. Save for the Pharaoh ordering the guards to remain on the lookout for any suspicious activity, no plans had been decided in how to deal with the mystery assailant. Seto and Master Akhenaden had immediately stated that every servant be brought before the court for questioning, a feat that could take days to accomplish. Karim and Shada had managed to talk them out of this clearly unreasonable measure, and Nephthys had given her say on the matter as well.
"I think that the wisest course of action for the moment would be to keep the soldiers on guard for any suspicious activity, and dismiss as much of these rumors regarding a thief king as we can among the residents of the palace." she stated.
"We can't do that, Nephthys. The people need to be aware that there is a killer on the loose, and that he's most likely still hiding in the palace." Shada reasoned with her.
"But we also cannot risk any panic obstructing our chances of finding this man." Nephthys responded. "If we invite these tales, then there will no doubt be servants crying wolf all over the palace. We can't have that."
"We certainly cannot." The Pharaoh agreed. "However, I can't let the people be left ignorant of such blatant danger. We will have the head guards inform the servants to report any suspicious movements of any servants or guards to them. Make sure they do not make any mention of the thief king, palace ghosts, or any other such comments. We must instate as little panic as possible."
"And regarding the note addressed to you, my king..." Nephthys began.
"Ignore it for the time being." Atem answered. "I refuse to be intimidated by a coward who won't even show his face to me."
"Of course." Nephthys agreed. "However, perhaps it would be in our interest to send a group of guards to investigate that vacant room in the royal wing."
"I agree. Send some of the guards close to the royal wing to investigate, but no more than five. Our main focus is to remain on the most populated areas of the palace."
For the time being, little else could be done. Within the hour, the soldiers were set to return, though Isis had noticed some activity at the front gates of the city, which likely meant that some had arrived before the others and were being greeted by their families. The grand celebration would not be until later in the evening, though, and would be opened to the vast majority of the public. Before all of that, Isis had decided that she go to the Temple where she would converse with the Messenger of Osiris before preparing for the festivities. Nephthys was accompanying her, mostly because the Pharaoh had still advised the priests, or anyone for that matter, to not travel the palace alone. And walking beside Nephthys was her ever-faithful feline companion, Pharaoh. To Isis, it was almost reminiscent of something from her past, her going to the temple, finding Nephthys and her cat along the way, music, ghosts...
"Having trouble keeping a clear mind?" Nephthys asked suddenly, breaking her older companion's train of thought.
"...What?" she asked, startled by the sudden interruption. For a moment, she had forgotten that Nephthys was even there.
Nephthys smiled. "The Millennium Headdress." she explained, "It's giving me some insight to your thoughts and feelings right now. They're a bit... scrambled. Like you're trying to put an image together, but you don't have all the pieces to do so."
Isis sighed. "I know; it has been that way since this morning."
"Actually, you mind has been that way for a while now." Nephthys stated. "Whenever we've been together, I can feel your thoughts. They have been scrambled for a long time."
Isis was interested at that. "How long?"
Nephthys shook her head. "Since you inherited the Millennium Necklace. Actually, no; just a bit longer than that."
"Then perhaps it's the Necklace's doing?"
"Mm. Maybe." Nephthys shrugged, looking away. They remained quiet for awhile, before Nephthys decided to speak again. "Do you know why I love animals?"
Isis blinked, not certain where this seemingly random change of subject came from. "...Because ...they are cute?"
Nephthys chuckled. "Besides that." she corrected, "They are so blissfully single-minded. All Pharaoh ever thinks of is eating fish, taking naps and chasing birds. Humans were not made to have that sort of simplicity within them."
Isis smiled in understanding. "It doesn't take so much of a toll on you."
"I dislike knowing other people's secrets." Nephthys stated, "Especially on such trivial matters. It wastes my energy. And Father worries, you know."
So that was what it was about. She should have known. Even as a young woman, Nephthys would always be a daughter before anything else.
"Do my thoughts distract you too much?" Isis asked.
Nephthys shook her head. "Not at all. It's easy to ignore repeated images. When you start thinking about different things, that's when it takes more energy from me. Similar to staring at the same wall for a long time, and then being told to look somewhere else. Suddenly, the mind has to focus on so many new things it becomes overwhelming. But to keep staring at the same wall requires no real effort."
Isis smiled. "What do I think about?" she wondered.
"The Messenger." Nephthys stated, "Your parents, Mana. And Mahad, especially today."
Isis looked away at the mention of Mahad's name, a light blush forming on her face. Nephthys looked at the gesture, and her smile faded, knowing the truth of it. Isis thought of Mahad frequently, but she didn't know it. His was the image in her mind that she didn't have the pieces to form. What pieces she did have were so rearranged that it was impossible to discern their true form. What remained instead was a well woven string of haunting lullabies and a face beyond recognition.
"You don't remember him, do you?" she asked.
Isis gasped at the gentle accusation, and turned back to the girl. "I remember him." she said automatically, not realizing the lack of truth in her words.
"If you did, you wouldn't be here right now." Nephthys said, gesturing to the Temple of Horus before she began to climb the steps up.
"Uh..." Isis stalled, not sure how to respond to that. Nephthys didn't stop to wait for a response, and continued on her way, Pharaoh at her heels. After a moment's hesitation, Isis finally realized that Nephthys was heading into the Temple herself, and this broke the seer from her stupor.
"Nephthys." she called, and the other priestess paused and turned to look down at her. No response was given, so Isis continued. "Were you... planning on seeing him? Now?" she asked hesitantly, trying to hide her disappointment.
But Nephthys's quick mind allowed her to catch onto Isis's hidden desires, though it didn't matter to her. While she wished that she could tell Isis to leave, to stay away from Him altogether, she knew that would only cause more problems than just letting them see one another. Until she could come up with another plan, the safest thing to do was to let him assume control.
"No. I just planned to lend myself some peaceful meditation before tonight's festivities. The temples are usually less populated than the palace this time of day." Isis's shoulders dropped a bit, a sign of ease. Nephthys smiled. "How many times have I told you, he does not speak to me."
Isis reddened again, realizing her mistake. "My apologies, Nephty. I just..."
"Don't apologize." the girl assured her as she bent down to pick up Pharaoh. "Humans may not be as simple-minded as animals, but that does not mean they are any harder to understand." Her eyes gleamed for a moment "Just don't spend all night down there. I'll be looking for you at the banquet tonight."
Isis shook her head. "I would not miss it for anything."
"I hope not." Nephthys responded, before turning and continuing on her way up. She heard Isis walking behind her quickly, though no more conversation was made until the two exchanged farewells before parting down opposite hallways. Nephthys clutched Pharaoh closer to her, hoping to gain some comfort from the gesture. She wasn't scared, mind you. There was little that scared her. But she was stressed. She needed a plan to deal with this before it got too out of control, if it had not already. Isis would be safe for now, but she had to worry about the others. Her Father, the Pharaoh, her brother, Her Father! If they were in any danger, she needed to figure things out as quickly as possible before...
A shadow caught the corner of her eye as she passed by an empty tributary room. She turned swiftly to watch as a flash of white just dashed behind a statue. He was here? After such a stunt, he was wandering around the temple?
"I would like a word, if it is convenient for you." a voice whispered behind the statue.
Nephthys considered the invitation briefly, mapping out the layout of the temple in her mind to determine just what treasures, if any, he had placed in this room. A secret corridor behind the statue, and that was all she knew of. The traps were closer to his 'throne room', and in the labyrinth. She sighed, showing more weariness than anger. Though she was a bit angry with him, she'd ignore it for favor of a more patient approach. That was the wisest course to take.
"...Coincidentally, I would care to have a word with you as well." she agreed, walking into the room. She stopped in front of the statue, opting to not go around to face him. That would accomplish nothing. She needed answers quickly.
"Regarding the 'accident'?" he asked. He sounded innocent and sincere. She knew better.
"I do not wish to pass judgment. I only want to know that it will not happen again."
"That is up to the guardians."
"You forget that I am one of them." she stated. "Am I to be involved in such an 'accident' should I refuse to relinquish my Item to you?"
This time no answer came. But he was still there. So she waited. Still, he did not speak. Her patience ended.
"I will stop you if it has to come to that." she said, still calm, still collected. "I'd rather you let me help you find a peaceful way to deal with this, though. I do not condone the use of violence, least of all against my family. And as a Guardian, I am sworn to-" She stopped, and turned back towards the door. Someone was approaching.
"Don't you leave yet." she requested, her eyes focused on the door. A woman entered not two seconds later, blinking into the dark room as to adjust her eyes to the lack of light. Nephthys tensed slightly. It was Yamaht.
"Nephthys?" she asked, still squinting into the darkness.
"Yes, it is I." the high priestess responded simply, curtly. Anything to get her out of here as quickly as possible.
Yamaht shoulders could be seen slouching as she came further into the room. "Of course; who else would be talking to herself alone in the dark?" she muttered rhetorically.
Nephthys wasn't fazed by the comment. "I was meditating." she said. "What is your reason for wandering the corridors?"
Yamaht shrugged. "My father will be present for the festivities, along with my brother, so I'm looking for a safe place to hide while they're here. With any luck, they will decide to leave without trying to find me."
Nephthys furrowed her brow. "Your brother has been to war. Don't you want to welcome him back?"
"Not in the slightest." Yamaht declared, scrunching up her nose as though disgusted by the very idea. "Not everyone has the perfect family you claim to have."
"So I have been told." the priestess replied. "There's a secret passage in the back of the temple, inside the fountain room. Try your luck with that hideaway if you like."
Yamaht eyed the younger girl suspiciously. "Really? You're not going to impart some sort of philosophy on family to me?"
"The strength of words can only be determined by the strength of the ears and mind that hears them."
Yamaht rolled her eyes. "Sorry I asked." she groaned, "So, what's in the secret passage if you are letting me use it? Spiders? Beetles?"
"I was not aware that you were afraid of insects." Nephthys wondered.
"I'm not. But I am used to your pranks."
At this, Nephthys's eyes widened, and she had to suppress the urge to smile, even though she doubted that the woman would see it in the dim light of the room. "P-pranks?" she asked innocently. "Whatever are you referring to?"
Yamaht scowled. "Oh, my mistake. You probably prefer to think of them as, 'life lessons'."
Nephthys let the smile come at that. "Why? Do you learn something from your constant humiliations?"
"Yes: never trust a girl with black-and-brown striped hair!" she exclaimed.
Nephthys giggled. "You are paranoid."
"Is there any other way to be?"
Nephthys calmed down. "Isis is in the back of the temple at the moment. Perhaps you will bump into her if you head that way?"
Yamaht perked up at that. "You know, that's all you had to say in the first place. We were having a conversation earlier in the day that I would like to get back to."
"Strange, that's what you say every time you are apart from her." Nephthys replied with a smile.
Yamaht returned it. "The conversation that never ends." she stated jovially. "In that case, I'd best be on my way so I don't end up missing her."
Nephthys nodded. "Then may I trust you to get her to the throne room before the night is out?" she asked.
"I don't think that will be a task; she's sure to be at the celebration to welcome back Priest Mahad."
"I wonder about that." Nephthys mumbled so that Yamaht couldn't hear it. But she was already gone without another word.
Rude, but at least she's gone. she thought, exhaling a sigh of relief. Though she wondered if he had stayed for that whole thing, or if he had left to pursue Isis knowing that she was in the temple.
"I will spare you and your family." he spoke up. Well, that answers that. "But I cannot be held responsible if they choose to come after me. If you want to lessen the bloodshed, I suggest you do your part to keep it from happening."
"I am not a puppet. Please, I know who you are, and I know that you are a good person. Do not let your heart be consumed by evil."
Her words held no sway on him, however, for he was gone. He hadn't even stayed to hear a response. Well, so much for talking to him. Maybe it wasn't too late to resolve this peacefully, but now she needed to be clever, seeing as he won't give any leeway on his part. The first thing that she needed to do was to block off as many of his passages as possible, so to restrict his movement through the temple and palace. Maybe she could start by blocking off the one connecting the two locations together; then he would be chained to only one place. Of the two, the temple would be the most ideal. Could she trust him enough to not come after her for it, though? She wasn't sure, especially not in his current mentality. Best to go small and slow. If she began with the passages that he uses the least, suspicion could be drawn from her long enough to really cripple him. For now, she needed to keep a constant eye on him. She quickly exited the temple, and went into the open courtyard outside. No walls, no rooms, and no hidden corridors behind them. She set Pharaoh down, and kneeled to his height in front of him, stroking his head with her palm. This elicited a sweet purr from the white feline.
"Keep a constant eye on him." she said in a low voice. "Only return to me when danger is forthcoming. I leave the rest to you." she said. A responding mewl answered her, and the cat ran back into the temple, ready to locate its target. Nephthys sighed again. He only knew Pharaoh to be an ordinary cat, so there shouldn't be any much trouble in the event that he was discovered. And anyone nearby would also have protection if they needed it. She paused. That was also something that she had yet to consider: his ka. If he unleashed that monster on any of the guardians, they might not be able to stand up to it. Her own ka had a way to counter the tremendous might of his, but it would do no good if she wasn't around to use it. More planning had to be done, that much she knew in certain. But for now, she just hoped that the measurements she had in place were at least enough to slow him down.
She had doubts.
On the other side of the palace, Isis was kneeling before the shrine to the Messenger of Osiris. She lit a candle before the shrine, and waited for him to speak to her as he usually did. Yet even after several minutes went by, she still did not hear his voice resonate within the walls. Had he ever not spoken to her when she summoned him before? She couldn't recall a time when she could not hear him singing to her. Had he forgotten her? She waited a bit longer, until she finally decided that he would not answer. She sighed. Well... as long as she was still in his shrine, he would hear her prayers.
"I am scared." she said aloud. "Seto could have been killed today by this criminal. And had I not stopped when I had seen Mana, I fear that I may have been at risk as well. The Millennium Necklace is growing more and more silent each day that this Thief King remains uncaptured. I worry that when I finally gain my Sight back, it will be too late, and someone will die. The other guardians are the only family I have left in this world. Should any of them die, I could not forgive myself knowing my visions could have prevented it. Please, my most beloved protector, I ask that you show me the way to protect my family."
"I~I siiiiiiiisss!" a voice suddenly called to her, seemingly from nowhere.
Gasping, Isis stood from her genuflect. He was here! Only, this voice did not sound like his. It sounded more... female? Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion.
"This is the voice of your subcooonscioooouuss!" the voice continued. Her confusion melted into angered annoyance. It wasn't him. Well, it could only be one of two people she knew, and she prayed that out of those two, it was Mana and not...
"I~I am here to answer your praaaayers!" the voice said.
Isis rolled her eyes. Ra, why couldn't it have been Mana? She couldn't bring herself to beat Mana over the head! "The only thing I pray for is that you shut up and get over here so I can hit you over the head, Yamaht!" she shouted back.
She turned around to watch as the other priestess came down the steps, looking annoyed herself. "You can't go along with a joke." she stated with a deadpan voice.
Isis scowled. "What are you doing down here? I had the entrance closed behind me."
Yamaht walked over to her and looked around the small room, barely big enough for one person, let alone two. "A little bird mentioned this place to me just now. To be more specific, a little cat."
Isis perked up at that. "Nephthys?"
Yamaht looked away from the other's face and held a hand up between them. "I'm not giving any names." she responded simply. "Not when they can be used as leverage later if necessary."
Isis shook her head. "If it is Nephthys, then don't bother. She can't be bribed or blackmailed."
"Why not?"
"Because she is honest, a trait you could stand to learn from her."
Yamaht scoffed. "I'd rather not be subject to her so-called virtues." she stated, still glancing at the shrine around them. "So, this is where you run off to when no one can find you."
Isis glared. "Yes." she answered with some reluctance. Not that it mattered anymore, though, seeing as her secret hideaway was already discovered. "I'd prefer to keep it that way, but knowing you..."
"What does that mean?" Yamaht demanded, turning back to the seer with an open scowl. "Are you implying that I cannot keep a secret?!"
"Well, you have yet to prove otherwise to me." she replied.
Yamaht's frowned turned into a confident smirk. "Then allow me to prove otherwise now. It's not like you really have any other option, short of me telling the rest of the Temple staff, not to mention the Pharaoh- which I would never do to you!" Yamaht added quickly, seeing the other woman pale at what she assumed had sounded threatening. "I promise, if it means that much to you, I'll not tell a soul."
Isis breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." she exhaled, placing a hand over her heart to calm the throbbing in her chest. Yamaht noticed the tension collapse, and raised a brow in suspicion. Just why was this place so special to her, though?
She cleared her throat. "Well, if it's all the same, I wouldn't mind knowing just what I'm keeping secret for you." she remarked. "Just was is all of this for? You didn't make up a shrine for your Mahad, did you?"
Isis turned deep red at the mention of Mahad again. "It's nothing like that! And all of this was here before I even discovered it!" she exclaimed, before turning back to the statue of the Messenger and lowering her voice back to normal. "It is a shrine to the Messenger of Osiris."
"Who?" Yamaht asked.
Isis looked at her, stunned. "You never heard of him? Mother told me stories of him all the time."
Yamaht raised an eyebrow again. "Perhaps it was a story from her city of birth. You mentioned that neither of your parents were originally from the capital city."
Isis thought about that; Yamaht was right, actually. That was probably the case. "I suppose it is." she agreed, "Well then, he is the spirit who watches over those who have lost their loved ones to a tragic death. He is a connection between the living and the dead, who helps to keep them united across the two planes." She paused a moment, waiting for an inevitable question to be asked.
"Interesting story..." Yamaht commented, recalling her former teacher, the late Lady Nephthys, in her mind. Although she had not approved of her father sending her to train to be a priestess, she had adored her teacher to no end. When she had died, it had been a tragic loss on her part. She'd dare say she mourned for her teacher's death more than she had for her own mother's, which wasn't much in itself. Yamaht wasn't the kind to mourn. Even so, she knew that the toll on Isis had been much worse. Isis had loved her mother just as much as the younger Nephthys adored her own father. The blow was very hard, and the same could be said for when Master Seth died as well. Isis had taken it badly, and it had no doubt scarred her. The lesser priestess wondered if this was connected to said scars.
She didn't say anything else to this, so Isis continued. "It is more than a story, Yamaht, believe me. You see... when mother had died, I began to notice a presence around me at all times. It was strong and gentle, and it kept me safe wherever I was. A voice filled my mind with beautiful, heavenly song, and that very voice led me to this place. And here, I would always come, every day, to light a candle for my mother, then two candles, when my father died. And he would come to me, in voice, and sing to me. Even in my dreams he comes, and fills them with beautiful song. It is him, Yamaht. It is the Messenger of Osiris who sings to me, and keeps me safe."
Yamaht tuned out most of what her friend was saying, only hearing the gist of it. Master Karim's daughter had told her about things like this before, although she didn't pay the girl any mind. It seemed too unbelievable, the things she spoke of. That the mind was capable of creating visions or fantasies without the consent of the person. Humans were in control of their minds, and humans were able to discern between what is and what isn't. However, if anyone had the potential to lose control of their mind, Isis was a fair contender. With the powers of the Millennium Necklace, the constant melding of past, present and future, naturally it could be difficult for Isis to discern between what was real and what was not. Yamaht wouldn't lie; she had no precognitive abilities to boast for herself. The only thing she had was a few little known tricks her father had taught her in order to get her into the palace. But Lady Nephthys had taught her some true magic since her acceptance as an apprentice, and she had since seen things that she could not explain through any logic. So she had a general conception of what sort of things a true clairvoyant like Isis could see. It could make any person a little mad, perhaps even delusional. Her closeness to her deceased parents did not help matters, either.
"Isis." she asked her, gently. She was madly curious now. "Do you believe... do you think that your parents sent this spirit to watch over you while they cannot?"
"Of course." Isis whispered, smiling fondly. "What else could it be?" she looked back at the shrine in wonder, her eyes dazed and flickering with the light of the candles. "Mother once spoke of a guardian. I used to dream he'd appear. Now in her death I can sense him, and I know he's here. Here in this room, he calls me softly. Somewhere inside, hiding. Somehow, I know he's always with me. He, the unseen genius."
"Isis, you must be mistaken." Yamaht stated, looking at her friend with worry now, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Stories like this can't come true. Isis, you're talking of madness, and it's not like you."
Isis sighed, ignoring the words of doubt, looking around the room. "Messenger of Osiris, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory!" She called into the room, hoping he would answer her back, but only her own voice echoed back to her.
"Who is this spirit?" Yamaht wondered, watching Isis call out to the wind.
"Messenger of Osiris, hide no longer!" Isis continued, not even fully aware that she was doing it, much less that her words were leaving her in song. "Secret and strange spirit. He's with me even now."
Yamaht reached for Isis's hands as a gesture of comfort, as well as to supply some comfort for herself. Isis was beginning to really scare her. She was shocked when she touched the other woman's hands, however. "Your hands are cold." She whispered, looking back up at her with worry. How long had she been down in this cold, dark passageway?
"All around me." Isis muttered, not even hearing her companion's concerns. Her face fell, and the feelings of unrest took over her once again. The longer she thought about him, the less benevolent he became.
"Your face, Isis, it's white!" Yamaht told her. She looked ill; she needed to get back into the sunlight. This darkness couldn't be doing any good for her. Had she really been coming down here every day for four years? That couldn't be doing any good for her health, especially if she spent long hours within this passage. That might also have something to do with these delusions she was talking about.
"It frightens me." Isis admitted. She wasn't sure where those words had come from, but she didn't take them back. She was scared, but of what, she did not know.
Yamaht smiled warmly, and hugged her, rubbing the girl's freezing arms with her hands. "Don't be frightened." she said calmly, before breaking the embrace and leading Isis to the stairs to leave. She needed rest before the celebration tonight. She couldn't be there the way that she was now. "Come on, let's go to your room and start where we left off this afternoon. Hopefully, Seto won't be bothering us this time."
Isis nodded, and began to walk on her own without Yamaht guiding her. Once they were out of the shrine, she began to feel a bit better. Her mind didn't feel as fogged as it had before, and her body felt warmer. "That sounds good." she replied, her tone betraying no emotion either way. She didn't know how to feel now. She felt better, but even so, a part of her still wanted to be back in front of the shrine, waiting for the Messenger to appear to her.
She didn't want him to sing to her through the walls and haunt her dreams, but even so, she still hoped that he would come to her later when Yamaht had left her, and fill her mind with beautiful song again.
And with that, I move onto the next leg of my story. Hopefully, the next ten chapters won't be so far and few apart. With any luck I can finish this up within the year and move on to another story on my to-do list.
Well, I showcased a little bit more of Isis's detachment from reality, and a glimpse into Nephthys's mind as well. I meant to get more in detail with her this chapter, but while writing, I was worried that her confrontation with the Messenger revealed too much. I tried to keep that scene as brief as possible, so to keep from exposing a very crucial point to the plotline, but I'm still nervous about it. It was a necessary scene in this chapter to keep things moving along, but I hope some things will still be left a mystery.
Mahad is set to return next chapter, and I'm a little antsy about it. I'm not sure how I plan to write his reunion with Isis, but I'll have some time to think about it. I'll be focusing on my drawings for a while, so it will give me ample time to consider the dialogue and Isis's feelings when she sees him again for the first time in four years.
Before I sign out on this chapter, I'd like to answer to a few reviews that I thought garnered a response, so check for your name below:
Spearshake: Thank you for being the first to review my story way back when I started it. I give credit to that!
Aqua girl 007: Thank you very much for the lengthy review. I appreciated the assessment on my character and plot development, as well as the little ditty on my OCs. And I'm also happy for the kinship on my opinion of Mana and Mahad's relationship being simply platonic. You read my bio page! Thank you, that means a lot to me. It lets me know that I didn't waste hours writing all of that stuff for nothing! Also, I know the fic you're talking about, and the authoress who writes it. I read her stories for Yu-gi-oh whenever she updates. She's got great skills with plot development, so her stories are always good to read.
Thasiloron: Thank you for reviewing every chapter, and giving such honest, intelligent assessments of each one as well. I'd be a real jerk if I didn't respond, so here goes! I loved what you said about Mahad pretending to be a bush; that would have been great, if not incredibly awkward! Hehe. Mana isn't a part of Mahad's 'pansiness', though. A small part of it is due to his lack of control over his magic, but mostly he's just the shy type. But I do love the psychological evaluation; it tells me that you pay attention to the details of the story, which I really appreciate in a reader. The ending of chapter three was just a last minute idea on my part, and I added it in for some comedic effect. Love the philosophy on OCs as well; I'll be sure to remember that in the future. Moving on to Nephthys and her Millennium Headdress, yeah, I know adding an Item breaks canon in a bad way, but the Item came with the idea for Nephthys from the get-go, so I don't really acknowledge it so much as a plot point than an accessory to my character's own personality. The Headdress cites Nephthys's wisdom and insight, and also, it means that I don't have to draw her forehead when I sketch her character design, which is a pet peeve of mine along with hands and feet! A fellow Hetalia fan, eh? In that case, sorry for the historical inaccuracy; I don't consider it nitpicky at all. Yu-gi-oh had a lot of cultural references to ancient Egypt throughout the series, yet they never really did much with its history. It's a little up in the air to me as to when Atem was even ruling Egypt. In the Japanese text, they give a 3000 year time period for how long Atem was trapped in the Puzzle, and in the English dub, it's 5000 years, so that just mind-crushes me. So, when writing Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics, when it comes to any historical factors, I just wing it. I'm much more thorough when writing for the Hetalia fandom. I've got a oneshot on here right now for Hetalia about Austria and Hungary's 'divorce' if you're interested in the historical side of things. I made sure to research as much as I could about the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to make the historical references as accurate as possible. I've also got another one about Germany and Italy that's just for laughs too if you like. Getting back to this fic, though, Isis's father isn't one for rules or obligations, and he trusts his daughter's intuition. Also, if Mahad did anything to hurt her, rest assured he would chop his head off and hang it over his mantle (well, the ancient Egyptian equivalent of a mantle, anyway :3) without hesitation! I appreciate the support, but don't worry, that was just one of my lows. I'm back on top again for now, so it's all good. I get what you mean about not outrightly saying that Isis forgot Mahad, but I just wanted to assure people that is an actual part of the story, and that I didn't just switch gears with no apparent reason for it, to avoid confusion. I've read stories where authors write things without rhyme or reason, and the end product deters from any consistency in a storyline, so I want to avoid doing that myself. And I'm glad you like Nephthys's sarcastic side, because it's quite a step above the usual cut of sarcasm. Very clean, crisp and intelligent, with a hint of earnest to really make it hurt if you're on the receiving end! Thanks again for the reviews, as well as for being a Pleashipper; we need more of those! Hope to hear from you in the future.
XxB-ChanxX: Gee, thank you SO much for those words of encouragement! It's good to know I have your support. Thanks for the uplifting review!
That's all for now. I'll be focusing on some other projects for a while, so I'm gonna have a legit reason for not updating this for a while. But if I do update quickly, it's likely because I reached a road block on those other projects. So if you like where I'm going with this, hope for a roadblock! :)
r&r at your leisure!