Angel of the Night
Chapter three: Settling Differences
Disclaimer: see first and/or second chapters.
Composing herself as the sun set, Safiya stood and straightened out her dress. Gazing towards the palace, she began the seemingly long walk toward it. Out of the shadows of the palace wall, came two men. One blonde, the other pale.
Safiya gasped. "Pharaoh Malik?" she asked curiously, they had met once before at a party her father hosted and she recognized him.
Yami Malik smirked. "No, I'm sorry, but you'll be seeing him soon enough," Yami Malik grinned savagely.
Bakura chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure he's very anxious to meet you."
Safiya backed away from the two men advancing on her. "Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, half-frightened.
"We are here on strict orders to take one beautiful Princess and deliver her to the harem of the gracious Pharaoh Malik," Bakura explained, as if it were nothing.
Safiya's eyes widened with horror. "No!" she exclaimed and dashed for the palace.
"Not so fast," Yami Malik drawled, catching her by the arm as she ran by.
A piercing shriek of terror cut through the night.
"Now look here, shut up or we'll have to kill you and give your corpse to my brother, you wouldn't like that would you?" asked Yami Malik.
Safiya shook her head, to terrified to speak.
"Good, now come on."
Near the palace, Yami's ears perked up. He heard something. Tapping Seto on the shoulder, he spoke to the taller man. "Did you hear that?"
Seto shook his head, "What?"
"I heard a scream, but it was faint." Yami turned back to the men in front of them, they were getting ready to go out and look for Safiya. "I want you there to go search the servant's quarters. You search the garden. You others search the courtyards. We'll take the front gate."
"My lord, why the front gate?" asked Seto, usually Yami would opt for the gardens.
"I think I heard Safiya scream. It came from there," Yami gestured vaguely at the front gate.
Seto nodded, having the Millennium Rod dagger out and ready. Yami held a scimitar close by, just in case.
Splitting up, Yami took the east wall, Seto taking the west. They would eventually meet up in the middle. At the very end of the east wall, Yami saw a small figure struggling against two larger ones. He turned his brisk walk into a quick jog. The two bigger men, Yami could now see they were men, were dragging the smaller person away. Yami began to run.
Getting closer, Yami could make out Safiya's form. He dashed to her. "Safiya!" he called. Yami Malik and Bakura looked up.
"It's the confounded Pharaoh," Bakura hissed.
"Take the girl, I shall deal with him," Yami Malik shoved Safiya into Bakura's arms.
Yami looked Yami Malik over. It was quite odd, seeing someone who looked like your enemy, and who was another enemy, but who also looked quite different at the same time. He then turned his gaze to Bakura. That was even stranger. To see someone who looked like one of your trusted friends and generals holding a guest in your house captive against you.
"Let her go," Yami requested politely, yet a hint of malice resided in his voice. Yami meant business.
"No, I don't think I will," Bakura smiled venomously at Yami.
Yami growled, a rumble deep in his throat. "Let. Her. Go," emphasis on each word.
"No," Bakura seethed.
Yami Malik stepped up towards Yami. "How shall we settle this...argument?" he asked, twiddling the end of a sword between his fingers.
A flicker of fear in Yami's eyes, he was no swordsman, and then a look of grim determination, but he was not one to give up either.
Yami Malik began to circle around Yami. Safiya struggled helplessly against Bakura. "Let me go! Let me help him! Yami!" she cried in frustration.
Yami looked at Yami Malik cautiously. This adversary looked like he was handy with a sword, the way he swooped it around every few seconds, trying to look intimidating.
"How good are you in close combat?" questioned Yami Malik.
Yami smirked, hoping to bluff his way out. "Good enough."
"We'll see."
Lunging at Yami, Yami Malik slashed at his opponent's forearm. Yami jerked out of the way just in time. Yami then drew a smaller dagger from his side and aimed vaguely at Yami Malik. By sheer luck, the knife embedded itself deep in Yami Malik's right calf. Enraged, Yami Malik swung at Yami again. This time, he succeeded in piercing the flesh of Yami's left forearm.
Safiya looked away. She had not been brought up to see this!
Motioning to Bakura, Yami Malik took hold of Safiya while his partner fought the wounded Yami in his place.
Bakura circled Yami much in the form Yami Malik had done before striking.
With a yell, Bakura pounced upon Yami, drawing a long gash along the Pharaoh's chest. Safiya screamed.
Snarling, Yami leapt at Bakura. He managed to swipe his sword along his enemy's side, drawing blood. Bakura glared at Yami.
"So the Pharaoh can fight," Bakura sneered. "Let's see how long he'll last."
Yami lunged at his opponent. Parry, thrust, parry, and thrust. The shadows of the sun disappeared and the moon came out. Both men were soon bleeding badly. But it looked like Yami was gaining the upper hand.
"Surrender!" Yami ordered as he disarmed Bakura with a flick of the wrist.
"Never," Bakura spat at Yami's feet.
"Then you die," Yami hissed.
"Wait," Yami Malik drawled.
Yami looked up. "What?"
"Let's trade, my friend for the girl."
Yami looked suspiciously at Yami Malik. Then, deciding he had no choice and knowing he would have to fight Yami Malik as well afterwards of he did not agree, he nodded. He didn't have much fight left in him as it was.
Yami Malik let Safiya go and went to help his fallen companion. They walked off in the direction of Eastern Egypt.
After watching them leave, Yami felt the remainder of his strength drain out of him. The amount of blood lost was overwhelming him and he collapsed as Safiya reached him.
Screaming frantically, Safiya shook the fallen Pharaoh, trying to wake him. Luckily, at that moment, Yami's three generals were returning from a victorious battle. They saw a young girl panicking while a young man's body lay beside her.
Being chivalric, Jou, Honda, and Ryou ran to her. They stopped short when they saw that the young man was their Pharaoh.
"Thank Ra, you have to help him! It's all my fault!" Safiya cried, collapsing into Ryou's arms, sobbing.
While Ryou calmed the miserable princess, Jou and Honda gingerly lifted Yami up and carried him back to the palace where a very worried Seto greeted them.
"By Ra! What happened?" asked Seto when he saw Yami. "Get the healers, now!" he yelled to some slaves as they hurried off.
After Yami had been taken care of, Seto took Safiya aside and asked her how Yami came to be in such a state.
Safiya broke down, "I'm sorry! It's my entire fault! I ran away and he came looking for me. These men, they tried to capture me, and... And he tried to save me! They fought him, a swordfight. Ra, if he doesn't get better I'll never forgive myself." She sniffled. "He fought them BOTH off...to save me! ME! When just this morning he told me that if the palace were to be attacked no one would come to save me."
Later that night, Safiya crept into the room Yami had been resting in. Kneeling by his bed, she took his pale hand in hers.
"By Ra, I'm sorry. When you wake up...I...you...you were so brave, you didn't have to save me. You could have let them take me; you should have let them take me. I'm none of your concern... Please...be all right," Safiya sobbed silently.
That is the end of chapter three, I probably can't post any more for a week or two because I'm going on a vacation so I won't be by a computer. I'll probably try to write on my vacation so I can type it up when I get back though. Thanks, and please R&R!!!
Chapter three: Settling Differences
Disclaimer: see first and/or second chapters.
Composing herself as the sun set, Safiya stood and straightened out her dress. Gazing towards the palace, she began the seemingly long walk toward it. Out of the shadows of the palace wall, came two men. One blonde, the other pale.
Safiya gasped. "Pharaoh Malik?" she asked curiously, they had met once before at a party her father hosted and she recognized him.
Yami Malik smirked. "No, I'm sorry, but you'll be seeing him soon enough," Yami Malik grinned savagely.
Bakura chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure he's very anxious to meet you."
Safiya backed away from the two men advancing on her. "Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, half-frightened.
"We are here on strict orders to take one beautiful Princess and deliver her to the harem of the gracious Pharaoh Malik," Bakura explained, as if it were nothing.
Safiya's eyes widened with horror. "No!" she exclaimed and dashed for the palace.
"Not so fast," Yami Malik drawled, catching her by the arm as she ran by.
A piercing shriek of terror cut through the night.
"Now look here, shut up or we'll have to kill you and give your corpse to my brother, you wouldn't like that would you?" asked Yami Malik.
Safiya shook her head, to terrified to speak.
"Good, now come on."
Near the palace, Yami's ears perked up. He heard something. Tapping Seto on the shoulder, he spoke to the taller man. "Did you hear that?"
Seto shook his head, "What?"
"I heard a scream, but it was faint." Yami turned back to the men in front of them, they were getting ready to go out and look for Safiya. "I want you there to go search the servant's quarters. You search the garden. You others search the courtyards. We'll take the front gate."
"My lord, why the front gate?" asked Seto, usually Yami would opt for the gardens.
"I think I heard Safiya scream. It came from there," Yami gestured vaguely at the front gate.
Seto nodded, having the Millennium Rod dagger out and ready. Yami held a scimitar close by, just in case.
Splitting up, Yami took the east wall, Seto taking the west. They would eventually meet up in the middle. At the very end of the east wall, Yami saw a small figure struggling against two larger ones. He turned his brisk walk into a quick jog. The two bigger men, Yami could now see they were men, were dragging the smaller person away. Yami began to run.
Getting closer, Yami could make out Safiya's form. He dashed to her. "Safiya!" he called. Yami Malik and Bakura looked up.
"It's the confounded Pharaoh," Bakura hissed.
"Take the girl, I shall deal with him," Yami Malik shoved Safiya into Bakura's arms.
Yami looked Yami Malik over. It was quite odd, seeing someone who looked like your enemy, and who was another enemy, but who also looked quite different at the same time. He then turned his gaze to Bakura. That was even stranger. To see someone who looked like one of your trusted friends and generals holding a guest in your house captive against you.
"Let her go," Yami requested politely, yet a hint of malice resided in his voice. Yami meant business.
"No, I don't think I will," Bakura smiled venomously at Yami.
Yami growled, a rumble deep in his throat. "Let. Her. Go," emphasis on each word.
"No," Bakura seethed.
Yami Malik stepped up towards Yami. "How shall we settle this...argument?" he asked, twiddling the end of a sword between his fingers.
A flicker of fear in Yami's eyes, he was no swordsman, and then a look of grim determination, but he was not one to give up either.
Yami Malik began to circle around Yami. Safiya struggled helplessly against Bakura. "Let me go! Let me help him! Yami!" she cried in frustration.
Yami looked at Yami Malik cautiously. This adversary looked like he was handy with a sword, the way he swooped it around every few seconds, trying to look intimidating.
"How good are you in close combat?" questioned Yami Malik.
Yami smirked, hoping to bluff his way out. "Good enough."
"We'll see."
Lunging at Yami, Yami Malik slashed at his opponent's forearm. Yami jerked out of the way just in time. Yami then drew a smaller dagger from his side and aimed vaguely at Yami Malik. By sheer luck, the knife embedded itself deep in Yami Malik's right calf. Enraged, Yami Malik swung at Yami again. This time, he succeeded in piercing the flesh of Yami's left forearm.
Safiya looked away. She had not been brought up to see this!
Motioning to Bakura, Yami Malik took hold of Safiya while his partner fought the wounded Yami in his place.
Bakura circled Yami much in the form Yami Malik had done before striking.
With a yell, Bakura pounced upon Yami, drawing a long gash along the Pharaoh's chest. Safiya screamed.
Snarling, Yami leapt at Bakura. He managed to swipe his sword along his enemy's side, drawing blood. Bakura glared at Yami.
"So the Pharaoh can fight," Bakura sneered. "Let's see how long he'll last."
Yami lunged at his opponent. Parry, thrust, parry, and thrust. The shadows of the sun disappeared and the moon came out. Both men were soon bleeding badly. But it looked like Yami was gaining the upper hand.
"Surrender!" Yami ordered as he disarmed Bakura with a flick of the wrist.
"Never," Bakura spat at Yami's feet.
"Then you die," Yami hissed.
"Wait," Yami Malik drawled.
Yami looked up. "What?"
"Let's trade, my friend for the girl."
Yami looked suspiciously at Yami Malik. Then, deciding he had no choice and knowing he would have to fight Yami Malik as well afterwards of he did not agree, he nodded. He didn't have much fight left in him as it was.
Yami Malik let Safiya go and went to help his fallen companion. They walked off in the direction of Eastern Egypt.
After watching them leave, Yami felt the remainder of his strength drain out of him. The amount of blood lost was overwhelming him and he collapsed as Safiya reached him.
Screaming frantically, Safiya shook the fallen Pharaoh, trying to wake him. Luckily, at that moment, Yami's three generals were returning from a victorious battle. They saw a young girl panicking while a young man's body lay beside her.
Being chivalric, Jou, Honda, and Ryou ran to her. They stopped short when they saw that the young man was their Pharaoh.
"Thank Ra, you have to help him! It's all my fault!" Safiya cried, collapsing into Ryou's arms, sobbing.
While Ryou calmed the miserable princess, Jou and Honda gingerly lifted Yami up and carried him back to the palace where a very worried Seto greeted them.
"By Ra! What happened?" asked Seto when he saw Yami. "Get the healers, now!" he yelled to some slaves as they hurried off.
After Yami had been taken care of, Seto took Safiya aside and asked her how Yami came to be in such a state.
Safiya broke down, "I'm sorry! It's my entire fault! I ran away and he came looking for me. These men, they tried to capture me, and... And he tried to save me! They fought him, a swordfight. Ra, if he doesn't get better I'll never forgive myself." She sniffled. "He fought them BOTH off...to save me! ME! When just this morning he told me that if the palace were to be attacked no one would come to save me."
Later that night, Safiya crept into the room Yami had been resting in. Kneeling by his bed, she took his pale hand in hers.
"By Ra, I'm sorry. When you wake up...I...you...you were so brave, you didn't have to save me. You could have let them take me; you should have let them take me. I'm none of your concern... Please...be all right," Safiya sobbed silently.
That is the end of chapter three, I probably can't post any more for a week or two because I'm going on a vacation so I won't be by a computer. I'll probably try to write on my vacation so I can type it up when I get back though. Thanks, and please R&R!!!