It did not take that long for the two teens to find the castle in which Lord Kaiba resided, from the townspeople that feared him. I can definitely admire someone that wields this much power over his people, Malik thought, this is the way people will one day will look upon Bakura and I. With this golden rod, I can control anyone and make them do my bidding, he thought. The only thing that keeps me from using it on Kaiba himself is because I trust BakuraÕs instincts to lead us to even greater power.

This Lord Kaiba did not look like much. He was barely older than either of them, barely eighteen, tall and slender with neatly groomed shoulder length chestnut hair and piercing blue eyes. He was always followed by a procession of mages that hung on his every command. He stood to greet his two new slaves as they bowed to him.

ÒThe two of you learn fast, I like that. I have a private room prepared for you and my guards are ready to prepare for the temple tomorrow morning.Ó Kaiba told them.

ÒPrepare for what? It should be simple to retrieve the Ring. All we have to do is go in and take it.Ó Malik said.

ÒNo. Because of the theft of the Rod and the Tauk, the Pharoh has set up security at all of the remaining temples. To retrieve the Ring, you will have to destroy itÕs guardian first.Ó Kaiba said.

Malik frowned. ÒWe were not told that the Ring was being guarded by one of the PharohÕs guards.Ó he said.

Bakura smiled wickedly. ÒIt matters not. I will retrieve the Ring myself. I have tasted the blood of the members of the royal army and I am willing to do so once again. I consider them among some of my worse enemies.Ó he told Malik.

ÒI trust you when you say that you will return. I believe in your strength as a warrior.Ó Malik said.

ÒThank you, master. It seems as though we have earned Lord KaibaÕs respect as well, to allow us a room to ourselves in his castle.Ó Bakura said.

Malik smiled. ÒPerhaps his real reason for that was that he would not have to witness us express our feelings for each other where he could see us.Ó he told him.

ÒPity. I rather enjoy putting on a show. It excites me greatly when I know we are being watched or could be caught in the act.Ó Bakura said.

Malik smiled again. ÒWell then, it seems pointless to wield the power of the staff without using it to control the minds of others. Wait for me here, Bakura. I shall return within a moment.Ó he told him.

Bakura was not sure what his master was up to, but was curious to find out. This was their last night to be together, for he was to venture into the mountains to retrieve the Ring the next morning. Bakura's eyes widened as he watched Malik return with a young woman in tow. It was obvious that she was under his control from the blank look in her eyes. She was tall, slender and curvy with long wavy black hair.

"What do you think of her, slave? Quite a feast for the eyes, yes?" he asked him.

"I have to agree, master. She is very beautiful, yet I do not understand why you have taken her mind hostage. Are you going to force this girl to watch us together?" he asked.

Malik smiled. "I thought about that, but I decided she would participate instead. She is completely under my control. She will do whatever I tell her to do. The possibilities are endless." Malik said.

Bakura smiled and walked up behind the young woman, taking in all of her at once. Sharing a smile between them, Bakura pulled her hard up against him as Malik's hand moved to touch her full, heavy breasts over her robes.

He smiled to himself as her body responded to his touch, her nipples rising to meet his fingers. She let out a muffled cry as Malik grinned and pinched her nipples hard through her robes. Behind her, Bakura was exploring her nubile young body with his hands.

He felt her body weaken in his arms, allowing Malik to transform the staff into a dagger in which to rid her of her confining robes. Forcing her down on their bed, she screamed again as Bakura ripped into her neck to taste of her as Malik touched her naked breasts, kneading the sensitive flesh with his lips and tongue.

Reviling in her pained moans, Malik only intensified that by penetrating her femininity with his fingers. He could see Bakura's excitement growing as he lapped up her blood that was flowing freely from the wound, allowing his master to pin her wrists over her head as he took off his robes.

Feeling her wet desire for him, Malik grinned again as he released her wrists and forced her onto her stomach, forcing himself into her roughly. Bakura kept her from screaming by making her take him into her mouth. For such a young woman, she learned quickly as he held her to him, increasing his grip in her hair as she brought him close to the edge. He smiled as he watched his partner have his way with the girl, wanting to be the one instead.

"Now you get the privilege of watching us together." Malik told her.

Calling out the power of the staff, she found that she could not move as she was forced to watch the two lovers come together to share a heated, passionate kiss. Malik was already undressed and Bakura was quickly stripping off the rest of his robes.

She watched with widened eyes as Malik knelt before his slave and continued what she had started. This time she could see Bakura's face as his master pleasured him, his head falling back and his eyes closing with a loud sigh as he found his release.

Smiling as he crawled over her, Bakura smiled as he watched her reaction to Malik crawling over him and taking him from behind. The rush of her watching them in such a way brought back Bakura's arousal in force and he forced her up by her hair to do what she had done earlier.

Reaching down behind him to touch his lover intimately, that was all that Malik needed as he went over the edge. Bakura followed a second time soon after, making the young woman swallow all he had. Sighing as he slumped down next to her, Bakura watched Malik's reaction as he tore into her raw flesh again, savoring the once again flowing blood.

"Seems as though you did not quite satisfy my partner's need, wench. Figures that a woman would not be able to. What are you going to do about it?" Malik asked her.

"I will do whatever you bid me to do." she whimpered.

Malik smiled then. "I did not give you permission to speak! I will admit that you are an incredibly beautiful young woman, but even beauty has it's uses. You have displeased us, wench. If you plead to us to spare your life, I may decide to do so." he laughed.

"Maybe we should allow her to live, master. She might be useful to us, plus I rather like her many talents and her assets as well." Bakura said, grabbing her breasts roughly, casing her to moan.

Malik grinned. "The little bitch likes the rough treatment. Yes, I can see what you mean. She may be useful after all...if you can manage to pleasure both my partner and I to full completion, I will allow my slave to keep you as a pet." Malik said.

She nodded in agreement, falling to her knees to bring her new master back to the height of his desire. Bakura grinned as he grabbed her breasts from behind, causing her to arch towards him as he grunted from thrusting deep inside her. Malik made her scream as he took her from the front, the boys making full use of the young woman's body before slicing her throat afterwards...

When I think of all of those I miss, I think I miss my sister the most, the young man thought. It had been months since the pharoh had sent him to protect the temple, and it was hard for him to wake up in the morning without the shrill shriek of his sister's voice.

It was hard to tell they were related, with her having long blonde hair and blue eyes and he being very tall and slender, almost imposing in his height, with blue eyes and waist length dark purple hair. He did not consider himself to be a powerful warrior, but he had powers of his own that allowed him to be a suitable candidate for the job.

"Are you sure you have to do this, Mahando? I'm sure Pharoh Yama will not punish you is you refuse to accept." his sister had told him.

He embraced her tenderly. "It is my duty to obey the pharoh, Mana, and I have never done anything but. I promise I will return to you, sister. You and I shall never be parted." he told her.

"Yes. I draw strength from you, brother. I guess you've already made up your mind. Just remember that the pharoh and I will always be here for you." she told him.

"I have no doubts about your loyalty, and he knows how loyal I am to him. When it is time to be with you again, we will be together, I promise." he said.

Out of his desire to show the pharoh how loyal he was to him, he had been standing guard within the temple for as long as he could remember. Feeling his resolve and inner strength begin to weaken, Mahando got down on his knees and prayed to the goddesses.

"Forgive me for asking for your help, because I would lose faith in you. I am just afraid that I will eventually die in here without ever having to deal with the thief I have been sent here to defeat. If this is so, I will not be able to return to my family or show the pharoh my ultimate loyalty to him. Please...I need an answer to my pleas." he begged.

"Fear not, magician. Your place with the pharoh and your sister are secure." a voice said.

Mahando stood and looked around him. "Who said that? Who goes there? Come out and face me." he told the disembodied voice.

He gasped as he heard the intruder chuckle.

"Fear not. I am not the one you seek to destroy. I have come t tell you that your duty has not been in vain. The thief you were told of is coming, but it is not me. He carries a item of his own that wields much power and he shall give the answers you seek. I am here to tell you that he is coming and that in death, you will be forever with the pharoh as his guardian." the voice said.

Mahando's eyes widened as he recognized his visitor.

"I know you! You are the one that stole the other two items, to put them in the hands of the chosen ones according to the legend." he said.

"Yes. This is true, but my presence here is not important. If I had not done so, lives would have been sacrificed. Take care, magician, and never forget your heart. It will show you the truth always." the voice said.

Yes, Mahando thought, I remember now. his name was Shadi...

He barely had time to think as the quiet was pierced by yet another voice. It was a menacing laugh, and the look on the intruder's face was filled with malice. The young man himself did not look like much of a threat. He had no weapon except for the golden staff of the goddess. He was shorter than him and slender, dressed in elaborate robes with gold ornaments decorating his neck and ankles. His hair was of the most pale white and he looked like he was ready for battle.

"You must be the thief I have been warned against. I will not allow you to steal yet another item of the goddess!" Mahando shouted.

"You are no threat to me, peasant. Obviously you have no concept of the extent of what I am willing to do to achieve my goals. To claim the Ring as my own, I will kill you without a second thought and force you to watch yourself die by my hand." Bakura told him.

"I am not a peasant or a weakling. I am the sorcerer Mahando, of Pharoh Yama's royal army. I will do everything in my power to defeat you if it is a battle that you seek." he told him.

Bakura smiled. "i admire your spirit as a warrior. It seems almost a shame to have to end your life." Bakura said.

The two men looked at each other for a moment, sizing up each other's strengths and weaknesses. Bakura smiled wickedly as the presence of his partner's golden staff activated the power of Mahando's golden ring, the two items responding to each other. Raising his hands before him, Mahando made appear before him a large green staff in which he pointed menacingly at Bakura.

"Pay for your crimes, heathen. Dark Magic attack!" he shouted.

Bakura cried out in pain as he was forced to his knees by the force of the magician's attack. Mahando's eyes widened as he heard Bakura laugh.

"I like it when my prey puts up a fight before I devour them body and soul. It just makes for a more delicious end afterwards." he told him.

"If I am to die this day, I will give my life for the pharoh with honor." Mahando said.

"then I guess these words I say to you will be the last ones you will hear me speak to you, dark magician. In this battle, there shall only be one of us left standing and I have no intention of losing." Bakura said.

"So be it, I accept your challenge." Mahando said.

Raising the golden staff into the air, Mahando looked around him as their surroundings suddenly turned pitch black, sending both of them into the shadow realm. Mahando readied himself for Bakura's attack as Bakura revealed before him the image of a young woman.

She seemed to be young and innocent, holding a heart within her open palms. Her widespread wings told him something completely different, one side of her massive wings snow white, the other side cast in shadows, the color of midnight.

"What is that?" Mahando asked.

"She is called the Change Of Heart, one of the most powerful spirits in the game of Duel Monsters. Because she is a part of my deck, I can command her this lovely creature to activate her special power." Bakura said.

"Special power?" Mahando asked.

"Yes. Her special power allows me to control any opponent that is in battle with me. Since you have pledged your mortal life to the pharoh, I shall allow you to take your own life in his name!" Bakura shouted.

Mahando cried out as he was overpowered by the magic of the spirit, his golden item glowing threateningly against his chest. Smiling as the small golden ornaments that hung from the Ring began to ring with an ominous tone, Bakura's laughter chorused through the chamber as the objects suddenly turned on their owner and plunged backwards into his chest.

Mahando gasped as he fell to the ground, clutching his wounded chest. Smiling over him, Bakura ripped the Ring from around his enemy's neck, watching Mahando's blood stain the ground beneath him.

"Mana...Pharoh Yama...I fought the thief with everything that I had. My heart will be both of you always." Mahando whispered.

Bakura grinned at him. "Proud warrior, let me congratulate you on your efforts to try to stop me this day. It was obvious you were no match for me from the start. This Ring belongs to me now. I can only hope that your precious honor serves in death as well as my disregard for life has served me in life. Farewell, dark magician!" Bakura shouted.

And so it was done, Bakura thought, as he licked the blood clean from the staff he had used to retrieve the Ring for his new master. Along with the staff, he felt invincible with their destructive powers and he knew now, as he always had, that doing so would only strength the commitment that he and Malik had made to each other.

"My master is the only one that means anything to me. for him, I would die a thousand times to pledge to him my heart eternal." Bakura said aloud to himself.

"Only one that is pure of heart will truly achieve what he desires. Until you find the goodness that lies within you, you and your lover will never be together in the way that you want." a voice said.

"I know that voice! Show yourself, Shadi, unless you are afraid to face me...I am more than willing to add you to my list of obstacles." Bakura told him.

Shadi appeared before him, his demeanor calm. "No. Neither you nor I shall die this day. I have only come to tell you that I would advise you and your lover to enjoy the time you have left together before your greed for power seperates you both for many lifetimes to come. You have achieved what is to be your destiny quite succesfully and will be punished for your crimes by your foolishness." Shadi told him.

'Torment me no longer! Your words mean nothing to me. As long as Malik and I are together, that is all that counts." Bakura told him.

Shadi sighed. "I bid you farewell this day, fair Bakura." he told him.

Looking down at the Ring that hung from his neck, he could feel its power surge through him as his mind concentrated on thoughts of Malik. Despite the hatred and spite in his heart for those that opposed him, he knew inside that he and Malik were meant to be together for all eternity no matter what. They had made a promsie to each other, a blood red promse, that even death could not seperate.

THE END