AN:::: Hi everyone, sorry for the wait.
Chapter 5:
POV:: Mai, Ryou, Yugi.:::
Mai threw up her hands, "You mean you don't have a plan? Well, you better think of one, because I'm not doing it". Ryou glared at her, his eyes icy as the floor, "Where all in this together Mai, get used to it". A chill quickly went up Yugi's spine he shivered and rubbed his arms. Then he heard a small whisper behind him. Ryou and Mai grew quiet too hearing the soft voice. The lost souls around the tall water fountain evaporated into mist and the voice grew loader saying their names, "Rryyoouu. Yuuuugi. Maiiiii". The voice came from the open hallway doors, Mai moved quickly behind Yugi. Ryou made a move and advanced toward the door. The voice called their names again, louder but soft all the same. Ryou looked down each of the ending hallways, then something behind him giggled. Ryou spun around and noticed a picture on the wall, the one Mai saw, of the beautiful young woman. Ryou cautiously approached the painting; he gazed into the eyes of the woman. She smiled back at him, frozen in time. Suddenly the woman's grin widened and placed a hand over her mouth as she giggled. Ryou jumped back and slammed into Yugi. Yugi helped him up as Ryou's eyes were fixed on the painting, "Ryou are you alright? You look like you saw a ghost". Ryou gently pushed Yugi away and walked up to the painting, he studied it for a few moments then yelled, "I know you moved. I saw you move! Don't give me this bullshit about staying still!". The three of them focused on the painting, then slowly the grin on the woman faded she lowered her head her black hair falling around her, "I'm sorry I angered you, Ryou. I just haven't seen a person in such a long time. How can I make it up to you? Oh! I know, I can tell you how to free the ice souls! Would that be good Ryou?" Ryou gave Yugi a look then nodded to the painting, "Telling us how to free the souls would be fitting I think". P.O.V.::::::Isis. Yami. Kiotia.
The nighttime wind slashed against the trees, making some fall over. Kiotia's hair wiped around her head, she moaned as she noticed the tangles forming. Isis rolled her eyes and watched the ground making sure she didn't trip. Yami looked on ahead of him, his eyes shifted, unsure. Something was wrong; wasn't that the same tree? Yami continued and stepped on something hard, he glanced down and froze. It was a bone, like a leg bone or arm bone. All three of them jumped as they heard something beyond the trees, a wining voice of pain and loss. Slowly they crept toward it; they came closer and peeked from behind a tree. There sat a man or it looked like a man. He wore several layers of human skin and the bones were piled high next to a tall gate. He moaned they said something strange, "If I don't find it, the it, the boss, that fellow with the whip, he'll get me. I have to find it, that thing, the thing I'm missing". He rubbed a piece of skin between his fingers, with a loving look, "Got to find it. Or the boss will take you away, but, but were to begin? What? WHAT? I lost it! The thing! Skin". Isis came from behind the shadows, Yami tried to grab her hand but she yanked it away. She stepped close to the man and spoke quietly so not to frighten him, "Sir, Perhaps you can give us a clue as to what happened to this palace?". The man jumped and swayed on bent legs looking Isis over, "Persons? How? But for so long! How? Wait, have you seen the thing, the thing I lost?". Yami and Kiotia emerged from the tree. The man seemed taken aback but recovered quickly. Yami repeated the question, "Can you give us any clues? Why did everyone die?". The man gazed at the bones and turned back to them, "100 Years ago to this very day, we all died. Only the one, the boss, knows why. No, no I don't know where the boss is. I am the gatekeeper. Anyone that tried to enter the house I killed and staked them high, and where their skins. But I can't kill you; you are blessed by the boss. If you'll excuse me, I have to find the thing, that thing, the one that was here". With that he turned around and spoke no more. Yami turned to the girls, "We have to find the Boss" . Kiotia twirled her hair, "How? Were could he be?". Isis rubbed her arm, "My guess is inside the palace, the man said he never say him so he must be inside". Yami nodded and they all ran to the palace.
POV:: Mai, Ryou, Yugi.:::
Mai threw up her hands, "You mean you don't have a plan? Well, you better think of one, because I'm not doing it". Ryou glared at her, his eyes icy as the floor, "Where all in this together Mai, get used to it". A chill quickly went up Yugi's spine he shivered and rubbed his arms. Then he heard a small whisper behind him. Ryou and Mai grew quiet too hearing the soft voice. The lost souls around the tall water fountain evaporated into mist and the voice grew loader saying their names, "Rryyoouu. Yuuuugi. Maiiiii". The voice came from the open hallway doors, Mai moved quickly behind Yugi. Ryou made a move and advanced toward the door. The voice called their names again, louder but soft all the same. Ryou looked down each of the ending hallways, then something behind him giggled. Ryou spun around and noticed a picture on the wall, the one Mai saw, of the beautiful young woman. Ryou cautiously approached the painting; he gazed into the eyes of the woman. She smiled back at him, frozen in time. Suddenly the woman's grin widened and placed a hand over her mouth as she giggled. Ryou jumped back and slammed into Yugi. Yugi helped him up as Ryou's eyes were fixed on the painting, "Ryou are you alright? You look like you saw a ghost". Ryou gently pushed Yugi away and walked up to the painting, he studied it for a few moments then yelled, "I know you moved. I saw you move! Don't give me this bullshit about staying still!". The three of them focused on the painting, then slowly the grin on the woman faded she lowered her head her black hair falling around her, "I'm sorry I angered you, Ryou. I just haven't seen a person in such a long time. How can I make it up to you? Oh! I know, I can tell you how to free the ice souls! Would that be good Ryou?" Ryou gave Yugi a look then nodded to the painting, "Telling us how to free the souls would be fitting I think". P.O.V.::::::Isis. Yami. Kiotia.
The nighttime wind slashed against the trees, making some fall over. Kiotia's hair wiped around her head, she moaned as she noticed the tangles forming. Isis rolled her eyes and watched the ground making sure she didn't trip. Yami looked on ahead of him, his eyes shifted, unsure. Something was wrong; wasn't that the same tree? Yami continued and stepped on something hard, he glanced down and froze. It was a bone, like a leg bone or arm bone. All three of them jumped as they heard something beyond the trees, a wining voice of pain and loss. Slowly they crept toward it; they came closer and peeked from behind a tree. There sat a man or it looked like a man. He wore several layers of human skin and the bones were piled high next to a tall gate. He moaned they said something strange, "If I don't find it, the it, the boss, that fellow with the whip, he'll get me. I have to find it, that thing, the thing I'm missing". He rubbed a piece of skin between his fingers, with a loving look, "Got to find it. Or the boss will take you away, but, but were to begin? What? WHAT? I lost it! The thing! Skin". Isis came from behind the shadows, Yami tried to grab her hand but she yanked it away. She stepped close to the man and spoke quietly so not to frighten him, "Sir, Perhaps you can give us a clue as to what happened to this palace?". The man jumped and swayed on bent legs looking Isis over, "Persons? How? But for so long! How? Wait, have you seen the thing, the thing I lost?". Yami and Kiotia emerged from the tree. The man seemed taken aback but recovered quickly. Yami repeated the question, "Can you give us any clues? Why did everyone die?". The man gazed at the bones and turned back to them, "100 Years ago to this very day, we all died. Only the one, the boss, knows why. No, no I don't know where the boss is. I am the gatekeeper. Anyone that tried to enter the house I killed and staked them high, and where their skins. But I can't kill you; you are blessed by the boss. If you'll excuse me, I have to find the thing, that thing, the one that was here". With that he turned around and spoke no more. Yami turned to the girls, "We have to find the Boss" . Kiotia twirled her hair, "How? Were could he be?". Isis rubbed her arm, "My guess is inside the palace, the man said he never say him so he must be inside". Yami nodded and they all ran to the palace.