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.

20

The sandstorm had pinned Bomani and his men down for a day and a half before it finally broke and after clearing the sand from the makeshift shelter they had built, they surveyed the damage and were relieved and thankful that they had only lost one of the pack animals everything else came out of it in one piece.

After they had washed the sand from their lungs and eaten a hearty meal they loaded up the remaining horses and started back out to resume their search for the fugitives.

As they rode further into the desert and nearer to Nubia they found the six men they were looking for, being out in the open they had not fared too well in the sandstorm, they had lost two of their members and the remaining four were too weak to put up a fight, much to the dismay of the palace guards, they had secretly hoped they would have gotten an excuse to at least beat them a little, but Bomani had made it clear that the pharaoh wanted nothing done to them until they were back in the palace.

Begrudgingly they gave the men a little food and water then waited until they were fit enough to travel.

"Should we bury the dead?" One soldier asked

"No." Bomani replied "We'll take them back with us then the pharaoh can be certain that all those responsible have been captured."

They had decided to wait until morning to return to the palace, they set their tents and, after securing the prisoners they tried to sleep.

The following morning and once the four survivors had recovered sufficiently enough to travel their hands were chained then they were chained to one of the horses, a second chain being held by the rider, there were two men to one prisoner the others walked behind should any of them try to topple the rider then make a break for it. When they were ready they headed back towards the palace.

The four prisoners didn't even think about escaping, they knew they were far too weak to survive the desert, especially as they had lost their own supplies and horses in the sandstorm.

It took them the best part of three quarters of a day before they reached the town of Abydos, where they found themselves having to protect their prisoners from the angry townspeople. Bomani stood on a 'speakers block' "Do you want to go against your pharaoh?" he shouted

"Why would we be doing that by dealing with these bastards ourselves!" one angry man cried out

"Because even we have been forbidden from harming them." Bomani paused "The pharaoh wants to deal with them himself!"

Although the townspeople were still angered they did not want to go against their pharaoh, they liked him, they trusted him, they knew he would see that justice was done, and swiftly.

A secure building was made available to hold the prisoners, giving the palace guards a chance to relax. As they slept a shadowy figure moved towards the makeshift cell, "How much would you give me if I let you go?"

"Go away boy we have more sense than to try to escape." One of the men growled

"Let him speak." Kamenwati the leader commanded

"I can get you out and give you horses."

"What do we do about food boy?" Odji asked

"You can take what the towns people have prepared for the soldiers."

"Alright." Kamenwati said "Free us and I will make sure you get your reward."

In the shadows Minkah looked saddened as he watched the youth, when he moved away from the cell door to retrieve the key from the room Bomani was in, Minkah followed him.

The youth walked into the room and walked over to the table and reached for the key "I wouldn't do that if I were you." An angry voice said

The youth turned round wide-eyed at the figure stood in the doorway leaning against the frame with his arms folded.

Minkah walked into the room and closed the door behind him. "Why would you help those lowlifes?" he asked angrily

The youth glared at him "They offered me a reward."

Minkah was even angrier now "Do not lie to me!" he yelled "I overheard everything! You offered to free them! Now I want to know why?"

Minkah's yelling had woken Bomani; he stood up and placed a hand on Minkah's shoulder "Calm yourself my friend, what is going on here?"

"This…this child." He spat "Came in here so he could get the key so he could free the prisoners!"

Bomani looked at the youth "Is this true?"

He could tell it was by the fact that the youth had not answered him, just lowered his eyes. "Do you know what your reward would have been?"

The youth shook his head "No, they didn't say."

"Well I'll tell you." Minkah glared at him "A sword in the stomach would have been your reward and as far as I'm concerned it would have been fitting." He looked at Bomani "I'm going outside the stench in here." He looked at the youth "Is making me sick."

He turned and left the room slamming the door behind him.

"What's his problem?" the youth asked

"His problem, is that his one-year-old daughter was taken by the very men you were going to free."

The youth paled "I didn't know."

They sat in silence until Bomani asked, "What is your name?"

"My name is Kasiya."

"Well Kasiya, you do realise that for this you will have to come with us?"

"You mean I get to go to the palace!" Kasiya asked excitedly

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you."

"Why not?"

"You will be going in chains, as a traitor to Egypt."

"What! I am no traitor! I haven't done anything wrong!" the youth cried

"But if Minkah had not stopped you, you would have freed those men, men who have taken or killed hundreds of Egyptian babies." Bomani sat down "The pharaoh will not be lenient either."

Bomani watched as the misguided youth sat there and paled he sighed "Get some sleep we have a long journey tomorrow."

Knowing he had no choice he lay down, Bomani watched as the boy fell asleep.

Come the morning the palace guards and the prisoners ate a hearty breakfast, while they did so Bomani spoke quietly to Minkah "You did not sleep much last night." It was a statement, not a question.

"No I did not, I could not help but think that soon I will have some closure regarding Banafrit, when these men are sentenced then I will have a sort of peace at last." He was silent for a while "What do you think the pharaoh will do with the boy?"

"I don't know old friend we will have to wait and see."

As they made ready to leave the townspeople were surprised to see one of their own boys in chains "Why have you chained this boy?" one of the elders asked angrily.

"He is to go before the pharaoh as a traitor."

"What did he do?" The elder asked suspiciously.

''He tried to help the prisoners escape but was stopped before he could." Bomani said patiently

The elder looked at Kasiya "Is this true?"

"Yes." The boy muttered

"Why Kasiya? Why did you do it?" the elder demanded

The youth looked at him "For money." He said simply

Everyone gathered was shocked, he knew that the town had also lost its fair share of babies one way or another, the elder looked at him "I hope the pharaoh is tough on you, but should you be released at any time do not return here you will not be welcome."

"But my family is here." He said as he looked to his family hoping they would come to his aid, he was shocked when they all turned their backs on him, he watched sadly as the rest of the crowd followed suit, even his friends wanted nothing more to do with him. He held his head down as they left town.

They had been travelling in silence for at last half a day when Kamenwati suddenly shouted "Hey you!"

Bomani turned his horse and rode up to him and walked his horse alongside him "What is it?"

The man sneered "You won't keep us locked up for long, it won't be long before our boss sets us free."

Bomani chuckled "I wouldn't be too sure of that."

"Why the hell not!" Kamenwati snapped

"The former high priest Seto has left Egypt with his male lover and the former priest and your boss Akhenaden is being dealt

with as we speak."

"What?" the man asked shocked

"The pharaoh knows everything, it was quite amazing what the former high priest Seto told the pharaoh just to save his own skin."

"Where is he?" The prisoner snarled

"They were last seen walking towards Nubia." With that said Bomani rode back to the front of the group and took up his position beside Minkah.

"What did he want?"

"He tried to tell me that his boss would soon free them." Bomani chuckled "But I gave him something else to think about."

"What?"

"Like how the former high priest told us everything to save his own skin."

Minkah turned to look at the gang's leader "He looks angry."

"Angry?" Bomani laughed, "He's downright pissed."

Bomani raised his hand in signal for the group to stop; he turned to face them, "when we reach el-Amarna we will set up camp outside its walls."

He turned back and signalled for the group to start moving again.

The men would be glad to finally dismount their horses. To make good time they had eaten a light lunch while still on the move, they were also sure the horses could use a break.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. By the time they reached the town of el-Amarna they were tired and sore but they still found enough energy to set up their camp just outside the towns walls, they didn't want to take the chance that someone else might have a mind to try and free the prisoners and this time they might not be so lucky in keeping it from happening.

After a good meal and plenty of water, they secured the prisoners before they all settled down to sleep.

I just thought it might be nice to see what Bomani and co were up too...