author's note: all disclaimers apply as usual.
Yami and Seto raced across the open field careful to remain in the darkest portions of the shadows. Once at the wall, they stopped. It was time to change. The prince quickly removed the servent girl's clothing and placed it in the sack he was carrying. He removed the peasant's robe and placed it over himself. Unlike last time, there was nothing under it aside from his loin covering.
"If anyone finds us out, busting a mostly naked royal prince is going to be most amusing. Your only other clothing is that of a lowly servent girl. Explain all that to your father."
"What? You plan on turning us in?"
"No, I was just stating a possibility. You have a knack for finding trouble. And, I have a very strange feeling about tonight."
"You always have strange feelings. It's probably the bad combination of foods you choose."
"Say what you will." Seto replied as he slid his own peasant's robe over his clothing.
"I believe you'll want this?" Yami teased as he revealed the Millenium Rod.
"What? You want me to get down on my knees and beg for it like a dog to a bone?" Seto spit, completely insulted.
"Geesh, I was going to say of course not, but if you're going to get all cranky on me then, yes." Yami teased as he pulled the Rod out of the young priest's reach.
"Then I do not require it. Perhaps I should just return to my chambers for some much wanted sleep."
"You're such a sore loser Seto. Here, take it then." Yami said as he tossed the Rod to his cranky friend and began to feel the various blocks of the wall. He knew of several secret exits thorugh the wall.They existed in case of necessary evacuation from the palace. One was at their location...somewhere. As the two boys found it and left the security of the Palace, other beings were also moving about within the shadows.
The tomb robber, Bakura was returning from one of his latest raids on the tombs that resided in the Valley of the Kings. He was amassing a great deal of wealth as a result, though none of it mattered to him. His plundering and defiling of the resting places of royalty was out of revenge and hatred for those of royal status. After burying their spoils in a remote natural labyrinth of caverns undiscovered by anyone but himself and Paneb, Bakura and Paneb headed to one of the village pubs to celebrate and party. Unfortunately, only part of the plan was successful. They were ambushed halfway to the village by some of the Pharaoh's 'special' forces, a group of highly trained military elite who operated only at night. Operating in small bands of only two to four individuals, the elite forces were everywhere and yet nobody ever knew exactly where. This particular band happened to be returning from a covert mission beyond the borders of Egypt itself. They just happened to notice the tomb robbers' escape as they graced a high point of the Valley of the Kings.
In the resulting struggle, Paneb was killed and their horses and cargo donkeys taken. Bakura barely escaped, but paid a high price for it. A large gash from a dagger ripped open his upper left leg. It bled profusely. If he couldn't stop long enough to bind it, he would bleed to death. Worse yet, he was leaving a nice little blood trail for anyone to follow. With a devillish smirk of intent, Bakura would do the unthinkable. He couldn't be predictable at a time like this! Once a 'safe' distance away from his pursuers, he ripped a part of his robe and wrapped the wound. Eventually he'd have to clean and rebandage it, but stopping the blood trail was his top priority.
His pursuers were weary from their mission and long travel. They had killed one and wounded the other. Stopping just short of discovering the resting thief, they turned their horses and returned to their journey back to the palace. They dragged Paneb's body along. Sure enough, the pharaoh would be awakened upon the return of this particular group of his troops. Once a certain distance away, but keeping the troops within visual range, Bakura stood from his hiding place and followed. The hunters had just become the hunted. His safety and sure escape would take him straight to the palace itself! No one would expect one eluding capture to go reside right under their noses! He also sought revenge for killing his only 'trusted' partner and once again wandering the desert sands alone.
Just as Yami and Seto were halfway to the village, they heard the sound of pounding hoofbeats. They quickly dashed into some shrubbery.
"Who is it?" Seto impatiently asked. His view wasn't quite as good as the prince's, whose small frame allowed him better vision through small holes in the branches.
"Some of my father's elite troops. They must be returning from some secret mission. Noth--hey wait, they're dragging a body along!"
"A body?"
"Yes. They're too far away to tell who or what it is."
Seto listened to the hoofbeats. "They're making haste. They must have some urgent and important news. They will awaken the pharaoh!"
"Yes, they probably will."
Seto slapped the prince in the back of the head for not thinking about an important fact.
"Ouch! What was THAT for?!"
"Your father will be awake."
"So!?"
"His Puzzle is about your neck, not his?"
The young prince rattled off a slew of curse words under his breath as he frantically thought about his options. There was no way he and Seto could return to the palace before the elite troops did. In fact, the troops were already within the palace walls. There was even less chance of getting the Millenium Items back to their resting places! This time, trouble found them.
"I KNEW I had a bad feeling about this!" Seto yelled. "I warned you, but nooooo, off to adventures in the night! We're so screwed!"
"Hey, this IS an adventure! Look at it optimistically. If you give up now, we will surely face defeat. Never accept odds against yourself!"
"Well then ol' wise one...I'm listening...where's this great plan of victory of yours hmm?"
Before Yami could respond, a large form came crashing into their shrub, knocking the two boys flat into the dirt.
"HEY! GET YOUR OWN BUSH! THIS ONE'S OCCUPIED!" Yami screamed. The weight of Seto and the intruder was shoving his entire body firmly into the dirt with much pain. A jagged branch had already left a large scratch across Yami's handsome face. It would do no harm to his dashing face, but it was yet another item he'd have to do some explaining for.Seto did not go unblemished either. Someone's elbow had slammed into his right eye on impact. It was already showing the characteristic 'black eye' bruising pattern.
All three occupants of the small bush scrambled off each other and tried to see who was who. Once each was settled in their own little 'corner' of the shrub, they took tabs on the situation. The first thing all three did was peer out of the shrub to make sure nobody else had noticed their little 'incident.' All was clear. Next, was each other.
Yami sat back and was wiping the blood from the scratch upon his face. It stung and burned. The shrub they were sitting in likely had toxic thorns. Seto was trying to brush off every bit of dirt he could find. The intruder was staring at the two boys in complete shock. He simply could not believe that his masterful plan might be foiled by a couple of naughty boys!
Then as if something invisible smacked all three to their senses, they realized something. They had all met before!
"YOU!!!" the intruder hissed.
"It's HIM!!! The theif, Bakura!" Yami and Seto replied in unison.
The intruder's quick eye for all things of value discovered the Millenium Rod and Puzzle almost immediately.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" he said with the slickness of a snake. He was in total control of this situation. "Let's see, we have a naughty prince and his penis-less priest friend hidden all alone in some shrubbery outside of the palace." Bakura said as he rubbed his chain in mock thought."So, what are you two boys up to eh?" Then the spilled contents of Yami's sack caught his eye. "Oh my, are we boys playing a little game of hanky panky tonight? Perhaps the pharaoh's heir to the throne isn't much of an heir at all. Maybe he's an heiress? Won't the mighty, masculine king love to hear about his fairy of a son and the future high pries--"
His words were cut off by a dagger to his throat. Seto had unsheathed the Millenium Rod to expose the deadly point at its handle. He had launched onto the intruder with the fury of a bull gone mad. He was about to slice the intruder's vocal cords out when Yami stopped him. In an instant, control shifted to the two high status boys.
"Seto, don't. Not yet. He's our ticket out of our 'most recent' situation. Told you. Optimism rewards in victory." Yami said, alluding to their problem of explaining why they were out of the palace and with stolen Millenium Items at that. Both boys had totally ignored the words spoken by their unwanted guest. As a team, the prince and young priest were unstoppable, in ANY situation. It was only when the two refused to work together when defeat was very possible.
"So let's hear this great plan then?" Seto mocked. He still wasn't sure what the prince was up to and he wasn't about to lower his guard on this intruder either. He kept the dagger in position, ready to slash at vital veins and arteries in the neck, just in case.
"Just go along with me on this." Yami replied. He wasn't about to reveal a detailed plan in front of the likes of a thief and tomb robber like Bakura.
"Bah!" Seto spat. He hated giving complete trust and control over to his 'superior.' Seto was more comfortable controlling the entire situation on his own. "Mark my words prince. Don't think for an instant that if you plan slips just once that I won't deal with this matter my own way."
"Ahh, just stuff it Seto! You're actually going to LIKE this plan for once!"
As the two boys argued, a sly grin formed upon Bakura's lips. He could now confirm the weakness these two future rulers had. Together, a force to be reckoned with and respected. Apart, nothing but flesh on bones, no different from any other human. He would remember this if all escaped with their lives. If the option presented itself, Bakura would not hesitate to kill these two and prevent them from ever reaching a position of ruling power. It would be sweet revenge against the detestable pharaoh and his minions of priests!
Yami suddenly removed the robe from his body, revealing his almost complete nudity. Though just entering adolescence, his body was already showing a beauty of developing muscles about a strong, masculine frame. Once mature, he would indeed suit the role of a 'god' in appearance.
"Oh, now we have a strip show? Sorry prince, but I don't swing that way." Bakura mocked. Seto pricked the theif's neck for the outburst.
"And you're stripping for?" Seto asked. He too, was curious about this odd behavior most unbecoming of a royal member of Egypt.
"You'll see." was all Yami said. He then placed the Millenium Puzzle about the thief's neck.
"Have you lost your mind prince?!" Seto shouted in disbelief.
"Nope. Part of the plan. Must have evidence." The prince said as he then spit upon himself and proceeded to smear himself with dirt and sand. Grabbing a few branches with thorns, he then inflicted several more scratches about his body.
Both Seto and Bakura were wide-eyed with disbelief. No royal member of such status as heir to the throne would disgrace themselves in such a manner!
"Are you sure you're feeling all right? Maybe you're having an adverse reaction to the toxin in the thorns?" Seto exclaimed. He was beginning to worry about his friend's sanity now.
"More evidence." Yami simply stated and winced in pain as he slashed himself with the thorns.
"You boys must be in some deep shit to go through all this trouble." Bakura said.
"You! Shut up!" Seto commanded as he continued to physically roughen the thief.
Once Yami was content that everything was in place and ready, he stood. "Seto,discard your peasant's robe then hand me your cape."
"Why do you need my cape! There's two perfectly good commoners' robes and a heheh, servent girl's outfit right there!"
Yami shook his head. He had to explain more of the plan. He maneuvered close to one of Seto's ears and whispered, "Look, thiefy here broke into the palace. He kidnapped me and couldn't resist stealing the pretty Puzzle too. You heard the commotion, followed, grabbing the Millenium Rod in process, and rescued me, the Puzzle, and took him as captive."
Seto grinned. Perhaps this plan wasn't so bad afterall. He'd be a hero! Without a word, Seto removed his cape and allowed the prince to drape it about himself. They then used strands of the robes to bind the thief.
"Now, onto the palace via the main gate. I'm sure the pharaoh is up by now." Seto commanded in full heoric fashion. Yami rolled his eyes. There were some things one shouldn't do with Seto and one was to boost this guy's ego with a plan that made him the hero. But, extreme situations required extreme plans. The prince would simply have to put up with his friend's raving and boasting for a few days or weeks to come.
Bakura seethed inside. He had skillfully alluded the king's most advanced troops only to stumble into and be taken captive by two mere boys! He was NOT having a good day...and tomorrow didn't look good either.
to be continued...