Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters (unless otherwise stated) Kazuki Takahashi does, nor do I make any money from these stories.

15

Aknamkanon and the four remaining priests walked towards the dungeons when suddenly the pharaoh stopped and turned to Isis, "I think under the circumstances Isis it might be better if you did not join us this time."

"My pharaoh?" she asked

"It is just that I am determined to get answers Isis and I will stop at nothing to get them."

Isis looked at her pharaoh and found no pity in his eyes just anger, pure anger, and hatred towards Akhenaden. She bowed, "As you wish my pharaoh." She turned to leave before she stopped again and without turning back to look at him she said "Pharaoh?"

"Yes Isis?"

"I wish you every success in your endeavour today." She walked away

"Thank you Isis." The pharaoh said quietly.

Aknamkanon and the three priests walked into the dungeon, their noses wrinkling at the smell of the fresh blood, walking to the interrogation room they saw that indeed Akhenaden had been strung up, the guards had wound rope tightly round his wrists and raised him from the ground, his feet a scant inch away but still too far to be able to stand and alleviate the pain in his wrists. He had been stripped down to the loincloth he usually wore under his priest's robes. Blood and sweat ran the length of his body and pooled beneath his feet, they noticed it was still dripping.

Aknamkanon turned to the guards "Has he said anything?"

"No pharaoh not even to beg us to stop."

"Wake him!" the pharaoh ordered.

Water was thrown into Akhenaden's face, he woke with a start and saw the pharaoh standing before him, he said nothing.

Aknamkanon looked at him "Are you going to tell me the names I seek"

Again Akhenaden said nothing; the pharaoh nodded to the guard

"Let his feet touch the ground."

The guard bowed then let the prisoner down about an inch, just enough for him to stand but still keep him arms taut above him.

"I will ask you one again, will you name names?"

Still Akhenaden was silent. Although impressed with his loyalty, he was angry that his loyalty was not with the pharaoh as it should have been, but with those who would hurt the people of Egypt and not to those that would help them, all in the name of greed.

Aknamkanon stood before his brother and sighed "You have bought this upon yourself, if you will not answer my questions…" he turned to the guard "25 more lashes!" he commanded

He watched as Akhenaden screamed and writhed as the whip bit into the cuts already on his body. After the whip-master had finished the pharaoh walked up to the man he no longer classed as family "Now will you speak?"

Akhenaden laughed, his mind beginning to break

"Chain him to the wall." The pharaoh growled

"Standing pharaoh?"

"No you may let him sit."

Two guards untied Akhenaden and none to gently lowered him to the floor where they promptly re-chained him to the wall.

"Blindfold him!" the pharaoh then ordered. Once the blindfold was in place the pharaoh motioned to the guard to bring in the large crate.

Akhenaden was waiting for the pharaoh to say something, but he didn't, unknown to him the guard had been given his instructions outside of the chamber. The five men left closing the door loud enough for Akhenaden to know he was alone. He leaned his head against the wall, he let out a derisory laugh "If you think this will make me talk you are sadly mistaken!" he yelled into the empty room, he tensed when he heard the writhing of several snakes on the bare sandstone floor. Snakes, the one thing that Akhenaden feared the most …

Taking one last look through the cell door Aknamkanon was satisfied when he noticed that Akhenaden tensed as he heard the movements of the snakes, he smirked he knew with the blindfold on Akhenaden would not know where the snakes were or that they were in a large cage. Sensory deprivation was a slow method of torture but nevertheless an extremely effective one, especially when the victim is already weakened.

Aknamkanon had also called on his shadow magic to give the illusion that the snakes were moving, slithering along Akhenaden's almost nude form, he could almost feel the snakes tongues as they darted out seeming to taste the blood that still flowed from his wounds, without the eye he had no way of knowing that what he was feeling was in no way real. He tried to fight, tried to kick the snakes from him but he couldn't… suddenly after what appeared as hours later but was in reality only one, the cell door opened "Ready to talk?" Aknamkanon's angry voice reverberated round the almost empty room.

Akhenaden nodded "Just get these things off me!" he cried weakly

Aknamkanon removed the illusion from Akhenaden's mind then nodded at the guards who then removed the still crated snakes from the room as another removed his blindfold. Akhenaden blinked as his eye again adjusted to the dim light. "Do not forget I will know if you lie to me, he pointed to Shada who was holding both the scales and key extended away from him and out towards Akhenaden.

"Where is the street rat?" he panted

"That is no concern of yours." He walked towards Akhenaden and stood directly in front of him "Now, I want those names or do I have to let Shada enter your mind to get my answers?"

Knowing he was beaten he nodded again "You can have your names, but first I would like a drink."

"You may eat and drink when I know the information you give me is genuine."

Akhenaden sighed, "Very well they are as follows."

Akhenaden called a scribe forward "Make a note of these names." He ordered, the scribe nodded and sat down cross-legged and made ready to write.

"Those you seek are Chisisi, Iabi, Kamenwati, Odji, Sokkwi and Shushu." Akhenaden bowed his head.

Aknamkanon looked across at the scribe "Did you get all that?"

"Yes pharaoh." The scribe answered, then the pharaoh looked at Shada in question.

"He speaks the truth my pharaoh."

"Good, you may both leave us now, wait for me in the throne room."

Shada and the scribe bowed and left.

Aknamkanon turned back to his brother "Is there a leader?"

"Yes, when I am not present, Kamenwati."

"You!" the pharaoh yelled beside himself with fury

Akhenaden looked up at him and somehow gaining a little defiance sneered, "I formed the baby brokers and I was the one who changed the way they operated."

"Why?"

"Because I knew it was against everything you stood for, you who had everything yet I couldn't even acknowledge my own son at court! I hated you and that bastard son of yours, Seto would make a far better pharaoh than he ever could!"

"Why do you think this?" Aknamkanon demanded

"Atemu is weak!"

"He is stronger than any of us in shadow magic even without a millennium item you know this!"

"Yes he is strong in magic, but like you he is weak in heart, imagine what he could do with such power! He could rule the known world! What does he do instead? He falls in love with a worthless street-rat when he should have just taken him and forced his will on him like a true leader!"

"ENOUGH!" Aknamkanon roared as he backhanded Akhenaden

"I will hear no more of this filth!" he turned to the guard "Feed him and let him drink, then I want him chained and gagged at all times until further notice!" he strode to the cell door then turned back to the guards "Anyone who fails in their duty will be put to death!"

The guards bowed and as Aknamkanon left they looked at each other, they knew that the pharaoh was angry enough to mean what he said and they were a little afraid, it wasn't often they saw the pharaoh act like this.

As they walked toward the throne room Aknamkanon's thoughts were broken when Shada spoke to him, "My pharaoh may I ask you something?"

The pharaoh looked at his priest and from the look in his eyes he knew it was a question that shouldn't really be asked but the pharaoh decided he would allow it "Ask your question Shada."

"It's just I was wondering how could you be so, so…" Shada couldn't find the word he needed so the pharaoh finished the question for him

"You want to know how can I be so cruel and unfeeling towards my own brother?" Shada nodded, "All I had to do is remember the deaths of all the innocents killed because they might get in the way later on in life." The pharaoh shook his head "So many young lives destroyed all in the name of greed."

He left a thoughtful Shada standing there and continued walking away from the cells.