Chapter 6

Dais sighed as he leaned up against the frame of the Commons Room and watched Mercedes and Pepita play with the little girl's new dolls. The ex-Warlord of Illusion still could not see Anubis as the type of person who would give a child a doll. On the other hand, the Warrior of Summer was a totally different story. When Dais was growing up, he had two little sisters who always wanted him to play dolls with them. It wasn't that playing with dolls was a problem; it was the fact that Mercedes and Pepita playing with the little girl's dolls reminded him of what little memories he had of his two younger sisters.

Maybe it could be considered something the mortals call "blackmail material", an ex-Warlord who used to play dolls with his little sisters. Despite this, Dais was not ashamed of the fact that he used to play with dolls in the company of his sisters. But now, 400 years later, he had very few, if any memories of them. 'It's funny,' Dais thought as he laughed mentally, 'Talpa tries to wipe my memories clean, but he doesn't do a very good job of it. I'm amazed that Talpa was so careless.'

Dais looked at the two girls playing with the dolls, when he noticed them for the first time. One of the dolls was dressed up in a white dress and veil, 'The way western mortals believe a bride should dress,' Dais thought.

The doll next to the "bride" wore a black tux and a top hat, 'The way western mortals believe a bridegroom should dress up,' Dais thought again.

But as he looked harder, the Warrior of Summer realized that the two dolls were chalk white, whiter than the "bride" doll's dress. As Dais was about to ask Pepita about her dolls, the little girl turned around and looked at Dais. "You know, if you want to play, you can always ask."

The ex-Warlord of Illusion walked over to the two Spanish girls, "Do you need me to play the groom?" Dais asked, smiling and blushing at the same time.

"Yes," Pepita grinned as she handed Dais the "groom" doll.

The minute Dais took the doll into his hands; he shuddered and jerked his head towards the "bride" doll. The dolls were of a bride and groom, there was no mistaking that, but the "groom" and "bride" were nothing more than skeletons. Dais' eye went wide as he look at Mercedes for some reasonable explanation as to why a child would be playing with two skeleton dolls.

"In Aztec culture," Mercedes smiled, "death was not seen as the end, but as a continuation of nature, order, renewal, and time. Skulls and/or skeletons were considered signs of renewal and life."

Dais stopped shuddering.

Pepita looked at Dais and then looked at Mercedes, "Do you think it would be a good idea to show him the doll Anubis gave me?"

"You can show me," Dais smiled, "I used to have two sisters who wanted me to play dolls with them."

Pepita nodded as she pulled out a tan-colored box. She opened the box, took the doll out, and handed it to Dais. When Dais accepted the doll, he took one look at it and cringed. Much to Mercedes surprise, the ex-Warlord of Illusion began to shake violently. The next thing Pepita heard was Dais making a sound like he was about ready to vomit and cry at the same time. "I…I…I…I…I…need to leave," Dais shuddered as he handed the doll back to Pepita and quickly left the room.

Mercedes looked at her baby sister, "I should probably go see what's wrong with him."

Pepita nodded as Mercedes stood up and followed Dais out of the room.

Pepita shook her head, "You know." She sighed as she talked to the doll that Dais had just handed back to her, "Anubis really does have funny friends. Don't you agree, Shuten?"

Of course, "Shuten", the doll Pepita had shown Dais, could not answer. "Shuten" was another Skeleton doll with its arms in an "X" position over its chest. In the doll's arms was a plastic Kusari-gama and it wore no helmet. The doll was also wearing a sewn version of the Armor of Cruelty.