Age of Majesty

Chapter 14

" What do you want?" Kisara demanded. " By Ra, I thought I got rid of you."

" You did not keep your end of the bargain." Akenadon accused. " Where is my son?"

Kisara knew already, but she still exclaimed, " You lost him again. Are you the world's greatest idiot, or am I simply just that unlucky?"

" Where is he, witch?!" Akenadon threw his palm out, and Kisara blocked instantly with her white magic. " Where is my son?" He repeated.

" Now now," A new voice interrupted, " That will not do, my friend. Killing her is not in your best interests, I assure you."

Both alarmed, the ex-priest and the white witch whirled around to face the intruder. It was a hooded figure, face indiscernible, but pulsing with shadow magic. He was a powerful being.

" And who are you?" Akenadon demanded. " To make this business yours?"

" I see you have already forgotten me." The man replied, taking his hood off. Akenadon gasped.

" Siamun?" He exclaimed. " Siamun? You are alive?"

Siamun looked at him. " Very much so, Akenadon. I see you are very much alive yourself."

Kisara glanced from one man to the other, feeling very much outnumbered. " Listen, Akenadon." She snapped, " You and I are finished. I told you what was wrong with your son, I led you to him, I left it up to you to do your own blasted job by yourself. We are done here."

" No, you did not tell him what was wrong with his son, my dear girl." Siamun disagreed. " I was there when you paid your visit to Mahaado."

Kisara stepped back a little, uncomfortable. Akenadon glared at her, suspicion rising.

" What were you doing with Mahaado?" He asked.

" Telling him something fairly important about your son, I must say." Siamun stepped between them. " Come now, Light Witch. You need fear no harm here. So long as I am here I will defend you from any shadow attacks."

" We shall see." Kisara replied. " Do not believe I cannot hold my own against the likes of you."

" We are not the enemy, light Witch, and she is not the enemy either, Akenadon." The old man turned around, looking sternly at the distraught father.

" What do you want." Kisara asked. " Who are you and what are you doing here?"

" I am Siamun Muran." Siamun replied. " I am the guardian of the late Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen and the current Pharaoh Atemu's vizier."

Kisara felt her stomach drop. " You know," She said blandly, " I have had enough of you royalty."

" Yes, there are many of us, are there not." Siamun smiled good-naturedly, but then he was serious again. " Kisara, Akenadon, there is something I must tell you. It concerns the Millennium Items."

" What?" Akenadon blinked. " Is something wrong?"

" Current events are clarifying many things that happened in the past." Siamun replied. " Let us find a place, comfortable, and private. It is a long story, I am afraid."

oO

" Seto?"

" Seto where are you?"

" My lord?"

Ignoring the voices calling for him, Seto waited until the servants and priests passed before making his way silently down the hallway. Gut instinct, or perhaps latent memory, guided him, told him when to wait as guards would be nearby, or where to trust there would be a wall to hide behind. At length, he dodged some of the guards by climbing into a hidden pathway constructed in the palace as a means of escape. He did not realize that the only people who knew about this pathway were his cousin and himself, but as he had ducked in without being noticed, this was not a problem. Through this pathway he crawled, hoping that he would end up somewhere. He was lost in the palace anyway, and he was not against searching the entire grounds to look for his caretaker.

Luck was with him, or some god, for as he crawled through the pathway, eventually he saw, through the dusty holes beneath him, the shimmering white hair of Bakura.

" Wati!" Seto whispered. He saw Bakura flinch, then look around, as if uncertain he actually heard it.

" Wati!" He repeated.

Bakura looked up in surprise.

" Adjo?"

He stood, and Seto saw he was chained to the wall.

A little priesthood magic would be nice. Seto thought wistfully. The inner walls of the cell blocked shadow magic, so it would not have worked anyway. He felt around the bottom and realized someone had managed to carve a hole to slip through, perhaps an earlier convict. Scooting back, he lifted the cover, opening up the ceiling.

Bakura tried to dodge to the side as dust scattered over him, though the chains restricted his movements. He grabbed Seto's arms as the boy jumped down.

" Careful!" Bakura hissed. " The guards!"

" They did not hear anything." Seto said confidently. " Are you alright?" He stared in the darkness at several cuts on Bakura's temple.

" I've been better." Bakura mused. " You should not be here."

" You're hurt." Seto stared at the swelling on the thief's head.

" Not very." Bakura ignored the pounding headache, which had gone only during his moment of surprise. " Adjo, how did you find me?"

" I don't know." Adjo replied blankly. " Random luck."

Bakura stared at him for a moment. " Alright. Get me out of these." He held up the cuffs. Why stay and suffer, after all? Perhaps they could both escape the palace and pursue that dream of a new life.

" How?"

" I need a thin stick, iron. See if you can find any."

Adjo would not have hesitated, but his memories were returning a little and all of the sudden he was not sure setting Bakura free was a good idea. But the memories of Bakura taking care of him were too strong. He glanced up.

" I need a lift."

" Alright." Bakura went on one knee so Seto could get more height. There were scattered pins in the pathway; Seto quickly came back. Bakura skillfully opened the locks on the cuffs.

" Alright. Let's go." The thief said.

Shada and Isis were beside themselves with worry. It was to their fortune that the Pharaoh did not know about his disappearance yet, but it was only a matter of time before Atemu discovered Seto is missing, unless they find him soon. No doubt, the boy simply had gotten lost, but they did not wish to risk him encountering anyone who might hurt him, or even wander out of the palace by mistake. The guards had all been notified, but Seto escaped them nevertheless.

" What if Bakura tried to turn Seto into a thief?"

" Certainly seemed to lead an honest enough life."

" That was according to him."

" And according to Seto. No doubt Seto is just lost." Isis insisted.

Bakura and Seto, nearly an hour later, made it out of the palace, but because of the guards were forced to double back over it.

" Good Ra," Bakura breathed, " They warded this place even tighter than when I was here last time."

" You were here last time?" Seto blinked. " When?"

Bakura debated how to tell him. " Long ago.

Seto paused, feeling the thief was lying to him. Sensing the other stop moving, Bakura turned around. " Adjo?"

" Who are you?" Seto asked. " Who are you, really? Why did they lock you up back there?"

Why did you let me go if you did not know? Bakura wanted to comment, but refrained. He knew why Seto helped free him. It was the same reason he could never bring himself to hurt Seto.

" I am everything they said I was."

" They never said anything about you." Seto told him. Bakura blinked in shock.

" Is your real name Bakura?" Seto asked after a pause.

" Yes."

Seto hesitated. " Why didn't you tell me?"

Bakura sensed guards coming around and pulled Seto behind a building. Once hidden, he let the boy go.

" I wanted you to trust me." Bakura admitted, and he tried to come up with something to boost his case, but came up with nothing.

But just as Seto's blind affection for Bakura had dissipated, his keen perception had returned. " You wanted to start over." He noted.

Bakura looked at Seto, not sure how to respond, and settled for a solemn nod.

There was a sense of gravity now. Seto knew he had to make a choice. There was something about the palace that repelled him, yet there was something about all the people here, its buildings and walls, his room, that made him realize he had to stay. He was not sure why.

" Let's get you out of here." He said at last.

" Are you coming?" Bakura asked, alarmed at his choice of words.

Seto did not say. He merely started leading the way, guided by the latent memory beginning to surface.

oO

Night was beginning to fall. As the sun set, Pharaoh Atemu looked out over the garden, deep in thought. Seto and Bakura stopped at the sight of him, but he did not see them. He was too focused on the water in the pond, the fishes swimming back and forth, and what he was about to do.

" I can release him from duty." He said to Mahaado. " As an alternative."

As Seto moved, Bakura grabbed his arm to pull him back. Seto turned to listen as well.

" He certainly did not seem to suffer much when there is no shadow magic present." Mahaado agreed. " Even if he were with a shadow user, so long as no one casts any spells, he is as healthy as one could expect."

" Purging his light magic would be painful. Purging his shadow magic is out of question. It would defy the god's will."

" And what of Light Magic?" Mahaado pointed out. " Light Magic came to earth under the same means."

" Akhenadon, siring a Light Mage." Pharaoh shook his head. " I still cannot believe it."

Bakura felt like something just clamped around his heart.

" What is it?" Seto asked. " I do not understand what they are saying."

" Hush." Bakura whispered.

" Sire, preparations are ready." Mahaado said after a long moment of silence. " All that remains is for him to remember everything and we can begin."

" Do you think he knew all along?" Atemu suddenly asked. " He always seemed...nervous, around me. Like he was afraid of doing something wrong."

" I think he knew he rejected Shadow Magic. Light Magic is not something he would have detected if he were not exposed to Light Mages. He has never left the palace until now. No doubt, he only knew something was wrong with him, nothing else."

Atemu sighed. " Hopefully this answers our prayers and he will get better." He turned to Mahaado. " We will pray to the gods for their blessings." He sighed again. " I wish to see Seto now."

Bakura turned to Seto in shock.

" What?" Seto blinked, getting uneasy.

" Light Mage!" Bakura whispered, horror mixing with his utter distaste for the folk. " No wonder."

" What?" Seto repeated, getting more unnerved now. " What about a Light Mage? What?"

" Light and Shadow." Bakura replied grimly. " The difference is that Shadow Magic draws its power from the castor's body. It can crush souls, extinguish them, but the source of that power comes from living flesh. Light Magic stems from the castor's very soul. It is very easy to make a fatal mistake. Many Light Mages went made and unleashed unspeakable chaos into the world, sacrificing their souls in the process. Promise me you will not dapple in such arts, Adjo."

" Why would I practice any art?" Seto asked, eyes narrowing. " I don't know any Light Magic, Wati."

Bakura turned around. What preparations was Mahaado talking about? Were they going to kill Seto? Atemu mentioned purging. Purging Seto's Light Magic?

Bakura had witnessed such things. In the past, as a thief, he had snuck around and dealt with Light Mages, despite their mutual distaste for each other. He had seen both mages getting purged and mages getting executed. Both entailed shattering of souls. The screams had unnerved his cold, bitter heart even then. When purged, the wretches were nothing more than mumbling fools, dumb and out of touch with all that was around them. Even if they recover, which was very rare, they were crippled mentally and emotionally for life.

Granted, they were not exactly coddled during recovery. Bakura thought. But he had a low enough opinion of Atemu not to trust the Pharaoh.

" We have to get you out of here."

" Why?"

" Because they're going to hurt you and I won't let that happen." Bakura replied. " Come."

Seto would have refused. Except Seto had been terrified of the same thing, long ago, so even as his memories resurfaced, he did not question Bakura's decision. All this time they spent together, Bakura had done nothing but protect him. It was enough to earn his trust. Without a word, he followed the expert thief in escaping the palace walls.

oO

" The whore you speak of would have died before the child was born, taking the baby with her." Kisara told Akenadon dryly. " And while it may bring us, especially me, great pleasure to pain you in any way possible, there is no way any Light Mage, even the crazy ones, would try to hurt you by making your son one of our own. First of all, I have no idea what kind of magic that would be, but it would not be Light Magic. So you can forget about that idea."

" Well, if your kind did not curse him or his mother, and my wife was not a Light Mage, where did Seto's magic come from?"

" As if I would know." Kisara folded her arms. " You are the father, after all. Siamun, or whoever you are, why am I putting up with this?"

" Because this does involve you." Siamun replied.

" So Zorc Necrophades is prophesized to return." Kisara threw her arms up in the air. " So High Priest Seto is the prophesized Chosen One, destined to bring our lovely Pharaoh the power to vanquish this evil once and for all. While I'd be happy to participate in a fairy tale, old man, I do so on my own terms, one of which being I do not put up with this fool over there."

" Indeed!" Akenadon roared, " If my son dies it will be your head I am having!"

" Never mind fool!" Kisara spat back, " An outright raving lunatic! I am leaving. Gentlemen, good evening."

" Wait." Siamun called as the woman began to bow. " As it stands, High Priest Seto is powerless. You are the only Light Mage who knows of his true nature. it would be in the best interests of Egypt for you to teach him."

" I care little for the best interests of Egypt." Kisara replied bitterly. " Egypt, in any case, never cared much for my best interests, thank you. And if he really is such a genius, he can figure out how to use them himself."

" Perhaps this country was unkind to you." Siamun answered. " Nevertheless, in this day and age, the people serve their country. The country is not obligated to serve her people. You may harbor any ill will towards Egypt, but when Egypt falls she will bring about your ruin as well. Think carefully, Kisara. Bitterness leads to hatred."

" Ah yes." Kisara folded her arms disdainfully. " My country needs me. Tears and sighs. Praise the gods! They send down another one of you preachers to torment me. First this old fool here, the hallmark of loyalty to both the crown and his family. Then you, another hallmark of loyalty to the crown, at the very least. If you really love Egypt so much, how come I have never heard of any vizier? It has been nearly two decades, old man, since I was born. One would think someone would mention your name."

Siamun smiled humorlessly. He was shorter than Kisara, his face wrinkled but holding a wise, benevolent air. As Akenadon bristled, he did not take much offense to Kisara's accusations. They were perfectly reasonable, from her point of view, and he could see that.

" Kisara, please be patient." He besought, " There is more to this story than you know."

" I am listening." Kisara replied simply.

" Shadow Magic," Siamun took a deep breath, " Shadow Magic is not the magic of the gods. It is the magic of the demon Zorc Necrophades."

There was a heavy pause to this.

" Now, that is something I did not expect to hear from a shadow user." Kisara glanced at Akenadon, who stared back speechlessly.

" Light Magic was the magic of the gods." Siamun replied. " Necrophades passed as a god to trick the Egyptian nobles. Because there was no way to see past his lies, the gods forgave us under the condition that we destroy Necrophades. Thus, the seven Millennium Items were created. They function as the tools with which the shadow user can utilize the full force of the Shadow Realm, previously Zorc's domain, against him. However, because they link to the Shadow Realm, Zorc could use these items to wreck destruction in this realm, so they also functioned as keys with which Zorc could enter our world. The ancient sorcerers were not able to destroy Zorc, therefore they settled for the next best thing: locking him away, by creating a lock where all seven Millennium Items just come together to form a key. The gods, seeing we needed help, allowed us to use shadow magic to train and promised us a Chosen One who would be the Key to destroying Necrophades forever. As the years passed, people misinterpreted the historical scripts to mean the gods themselves bestowed the gift of shadow to us. The Millennium Items were given to the Pharaoh's Council to ensure when the Chosen One arrives, these same items could be used to destroy him, or, if Necrophades comes before the Chosen One is ready, to lock him into the Shadow Realm again."

" And this lock?" Kisara asked.

Siamun smiled in approval. This woman was sharp. " This lock took the form of a simple piece of gold."

" You want me to find it." Kisara glanced at Siamun sharply. " You lost it."

Siamun shrugged. " I am afraid my old age has caught up with me. Yes, I was charged with the lock to the Shadow Realm. And indeed, I did lose it."

" Where?"

" I do not know."

" I am not working with the witch." Akenadon spat.

" You have to." Siamun replied. " It is your son's only hope. Because High Priest Seto can destroy Necrophades a number of ways; the prophecy does not specify. Nor does the prophecy say the Chosen One will survive the battle."