It had been three days since their arrival to their homeland, and he was
still cautious of Ryou. The poor boy was still not used to the dramatic
climate change and had nearly passed out from walking to their home. (a/n:
in situations like this it is very believable! Ryou *did* come from a
tropical island and now he's living in a dry desert.) He, along with his
friend were very worried that time, and he was guilty to admit that they
had been watching over him like a vulture.
"Malik, I appreciate what you are doing for me, but trust me I am fine now." Ryou said laughing gently.
He felt his heart melt at the sound but obeyed the small boys request; he made sure that there was still plenty of water left for Ryou in case he became thirsty and left to check his ship once more.
Hearing the swish of the cloth, Ryou sat up from the rather luscious looking bed, and rested his chin in his hand that was supported by his right knee. He felt. disappointed with himself; he couldn't shake off the feeling that Bakura was hiding something from him, when they were unloading their stuff he could have sworn he saw a very strange looking case Bakura had seemed paranoid and nearly jumped like a cornered cat when he called out his name. Though he did sneak up on him, and he could have just been startled.
But then why.
Why did he feel chills race down his spine whenever he walked pass Bakura's treasury? Why did his stomach knot and his throat contract and the sudden overwhelming urge to vomit creep upon him? Why has Bakura suddenly distanced himself from him with his eyes, almost as if he was afraid Ryou would see something he could not hide?
Too many questions pounded through his mind like a rushing ocean current, but answers to the questions were scarce. He could only rely on his hope, and somehow he felt cheated for having to.
"Ryou!" Bakura's worried tone snapped him out of his depressive thoughts, "Malik has told me you were attempting to raise this morning. You know you are much too sick for such exertion on your body, you must take the time to rest."
"Bakura-love, I am not made of glass! I will not break so easily, and besides I feel fine, a little light-headed but fine." Ryou pouted.
Bakura was at his side in three long strides and gently laid him upon the soft silk sheets, stolen from the pharaoh's chambers himself. "Forgive me Ryou, I know you are not glass and I feel ashamed for treating you so, but you have not grown used to the sands of Kehmet-"
"And I never will if I do not leave this bedroom and step outside this hideaway." Ryou interrupted. "I feel sometimes that it is not you fear me to be frail but you fear me to be seen." He sighed sadly.
His love's wine red eyes widened in surprise, "That is not how I feel Ryou, not at all!" He protested, but seeing Ryou's pained face seemed to force him to sigh, "I will not lie to you, I do fear you to be seen. I'm afraid someone might spot you and attempt to claim you as their own, I am afraid you might happen upon someone else and find you love them and your affection for me will fade to nothing."
"I would never do such a thing to you." Ryou murmured. He heard a soft; 'I know.' And shifted his petite form towards his lover, "Why have you been avoiding me?" He asked softly.
Bakura's hand reached up and sought out the boy's soft white hair, he marveled at the texture before sighing, "I do not try to avoid you, in all honesty I thought you were angered with me for keeping you here. But if you so desperately wish to visit the city I cannot deny you such a request. I shall bring you tomorrow if that is what you would like."
Ryou smiled a sweet smile and rested his head upon Bakura's shoulder, "I would love that very much."
'Maybe I am overreacting, Bakura would do nothing to upset me.' Ryou thought to himself with a smile, and with that lingering thought and Bakura's soothing words washing over him, he relaxed, feeling content.
*~*~*~*~*~
"Bakura, my friend, when you said you attained something extraordinary I didn't think it to be something like this!" Malik exclaimed in a hush tone his pale violet eyes swept over the black stone, but he dared not touch it. He could feel the dark aura surrounding it already.
"I found it in an underground tomb located on Ryou's island." Bakura answered.
Malik lifted his head, his eyes narrowing in agitation. "If what you say is true then you must have heard the legend straight from the boy's mouth!" He voice gradually raising.
Bakura nodded his head, "Yes, Ryou told me of the tale, and it is a tragic one-"
"It is more then tragic!" Malik interrupted, "This sword was forged by demons, welded together in the deepest depths of the shadow realm. Those demons sold their souls to complete it and after years of hard work it was nearly complete, but it was missing one thing." Malik whispered softly, "Because this sword was so important to them, and had gladly given their souls for the power to complete it their souls were trapped in that black rock. Churning, were their thoughts and their desires. They needed a heart," Malik stated, looking deeply into his friends wine eyes, "A human heart corrupted by evil and greed. The demons had almost given up all hope until they heard the call of such a heart. They traveled across sea and land searching, hunting for such a person.
When they found him he was too far gone in his hatred, weakened by his emotions, the demons called to him and told him of the great power he could receive with such a sword. They told him to give up his heart and it would be his, talking about it like it was nothing important to loose. But the man could not see the danger in their soothing words and agreed. The ripped out his heart tainted black by his anger and placed it in the hilt of their treasure. But something went terribly wrong, the demon souls and horrid heart merged and became one."
"Became. one?" Bakura repeated softly.
Malik's eyes flicked over to his own, annoyance and disgust showing clearly, "The sword developed its own mind, it hungered for blood and with the man's body it slaughtered hundreds, and yet it hungered for more. Such a dark sword. should never be seen again." Malik finished.
Bakura's eyes flashed guilt, but soon resumed their hard look, "I don't believe that to be true."
"What?" Malik hissed.
"I have handled that sword many a times and have not heard or felt anything remotely alive coming from this weapon." He lied.
Malik stared in shock and then stared at the sword warily, "It could be possible, that another replica was created out of a master's fascination for the design."
Bakura nodded his head in agreement, "That has to be it, and the heart located in the hilt may very well be an old pig's heart."
//A very greedy pig's heart.// A dark voice chuckled in the corners of his mind. The voice caused him to shudder and flinch; luckily for him Malik had not paid him any attention.
"I shall get someone to clean this up then so we can take it to the market to sell." The darkly tanned Egyptian murmured.
"You do that then." Bakura replied. Yet deep inside of him anger sparked, he would not loose such a glorious treasure to some merchant!
//Then keep it.//
/How?/
//The violet one does not have to go to the market.//
Bakura cleared his throat and once again had the attention of his friend, "On second thought, I shall take it to the market place tomorrow. I know Ryou has been getting restless and desires to see the people." He finished with a laugh.
Malik smiled and nodded his head, "That's an excellent idea Bakura! Ryou has been very impatient with us for a while, I think some fresh air would be good for him." His face quickly became more serious and with a nagging tone he continued, "Just be sure to keep a close eye on him. He may say he's well but he's still not used to these weather conditions, plus if he were to catch the fancy of a certain person."
Bakura growled dangerously at that, but his anger was not directed to his friend, for if anyone were to even so much as *dare* touch his lover he would be sure to give them a painful and slow death.
But alas he was not aware that this was exactly what a certain spirit wanted.
*~*~*~*~*~
And chapter eight is done!
To those who are asking, no, the tales are not real. I made the legend up. Pretty good for my first try though ne? I fooled ten people! They were asking me where they could find more information on it!
*wipes a tear* It made me so happy.
"Malik, I appreciate what you are doing for me, but trust me I am fine now." Ryou said laughing gently.
He felt his heart melt at the sound but obeyed the small boys request; he made sure that there was still plenty of water left for Ryou in case he became thirsty and left to check his ship once more.
Hearing the swish of the cloth, Ryou sat up from the rather luscious looking bed, and rested his chin in his hand that was supported by his right knee. He felt. disappointed with himself; he couldn't shake off the feeling that Bakura was hiding something from him, when they were unloading their stuff he could have sworn he saw a very strange looking case Bakura had seemed paranoid and nearly jumped like a cornered cat when he called out his name. Though he did sneak up on him, and he could have just been startled.
But then why.
Why did he feel chills race down his spine whenever he walked pass Bakura's treasury? Why did his stomach knot and his throat contract and the sudden overwhelming urge to vomit creep upon him? Why has Bakura suddenly distanced himself from him with his eyes, almost as if he was afraid Ryou would see something he could not hide?
Too many questions pounded through his mind like a rushing ocean current, but answers to the questions were scarce. He could only rely on his hope, and somehow he felt cheated for having to.
"Ryou!" Bakura's worried tone snapped him out of his depressive thoughts, "Malik has told me you were attempting to raise this morning. You know you are much too sick for such exertion on your body, you must take the time to rest."
"Bakura-love, I am not made of glass! I will not break so easily, and besides I feel fine, a little light-headed but fine." Ryou pouted.
Bakura was at his side in three long strides and gently laid him upon the soft silk sheets, stolen from the pharaoh's chambers himself. "Forgive me Ryou, I know you are not glass and I feel ashamed for treating you so, but you have not grown used to the sands of Kehmet-"
"And I never will if I do not leave this bedroom and step outside this hideaway." Ryou interrupted. "I feel sometimes that it is not you fear me to be frail but you fear me to be seen." He sighed sadly.
His love's wine red eyes widened in surprise, "That is not how I feel Ryou, not at all!" He protested, but seeing Ryou's pained face seemed to force him to sigh, "I will not lie to you, I do fear you to be seen. I'm afraid someone might spot you and attempt to claim you as their own, I am afraid you might happen upon someone else and find you love them and your affection for me will fade to nothing."
"I would never do such a thing to you." Ryou murmured. He heard a soft; 'I know.' And shifted his petite form towards his lover, "Why have you been avoiding me?" He asked softly.
Bakura's hand reached up and sought out the boy's soft white hair, he marveled at the texture before sighing, "I do not try to avoid you, in all honesty I thought you were angered with me for keeping you here. But if you so desperately wish to visit the city I cannot deny you such a request. I shall bring you tomorrow if that is what you would like."
Ryou smiled a sweet smile and rested his head upon Bakura's shoulder, "I would love that very much."
'Maybe I am overreacting, Bakura would do nothing to upset me.' Ryou thought to himself with a smile, and with that lingering thought and Bakura's soothing words washing over him, he relaxed, feeling content.
*~*~*~*~*~
"Bakura, my friend, when you said you attained something extraordinary I didn't think it to be something like this!" Malik exclaimed in a hush tone his pale violet eyes swept over the black stone, but he dared not touch it. He could feel the dark aura surrounding it already.
"I found it in an underground tomb located on Ryou's island." Bakura answered.
Malik lifted his head, his eyes narrowing in agitation. "If what you say is true then you must have heard the legend straight from the boy's mouth!" He voice gradually raising.
Bakura nodded his head, "Yes, Ryou told me of the tale, and it is a tragic one-"
"It is more then tragic!" Malik interrupted, "This sword was forged by demons, welded together in the deepest depths of the shadow realm. Those demons sold their souls to complete it and after years of hard work it was nearly complete, but it was missing one thing." Malik whispered softly, "Because this sword was so important to them, and had gladly given their souls for the power to complete it their souls were trapped in that black rock. Churning, were their thoughts and their desires. They needed a heart," Malik stated, looking deeply into his friends wine eyes, "A human heart corrupted by evil and greed. The demons had almost given up all hope until they heard the call of such a heart. They traveled across sea and land searching, hunting for such a person.
When they found him he was too far gone in his hatred, weakened by his emotions, the demons called to him and told him of the great power he could receive with such a sword. They told him to give up his heart and it would be his, talking about it like it was nothing important to loose. But the man could not see the danger in their soothing words and agreed. The ripped out his heart tainted black by his anger and placed it in the hilt of their treasure. But something went terribly wrong, the demon souls and horrid heart merged and became one."
"Became. one?" Bakura repeated softly.
Malik's eyes flicked over to his own, annoyance and disgust showing clearly, "The sword developed its own mind, it hungered for blood and with the man's body it slaughtered hundreds, and yet it hungered for more. Such a dark sword. should never be seen again." Malik finished.
Bakura's eyes flashed guilt, but soon resumed their hard look, "I don't believe that to be true."
"What?" Malik hissed.
"I have handled that sword many a times and have not heard or felt anything remotely alive coming from this weapon." He lied.
Malik stared in shock and then stared at the sword warily, "It could be possible, that another replica was created out of a master's fascination for the design."
Bakura nodded his head in agreement, "That has to be it, and the heart located in the hilt may very well be an old pig's heart."
//A very greedy pig's heart.// A dark voice chuckled in the corners of his mind. The voice caused him to shudder and flinch; luckily for him Malik had not paid him any attention.
"I shall get someone to clean this up then so we can take it to the market to sell." The darkly tanned Egyptian murmured.
"You do that then." Bakura replied. Yet deep inside of him anger sparked, he would not loose such a glorious treasure to some merchant!
//Then keep it.//
/How?/
//The violet one does not have to go to the market.//
Bakura cleared his throat and once again had the attention of his friend, "On second thought, I shall take it to the market place tomorrow. I know Ryou has been getting restless and desires to see the people." He finished with a laugh.
Malik smiled and nodded his head, "That's an excellent idea Bakura! Ryou has been very impatient with us for a while, I think some fresh air would be good for him." His face quickly became more serious and with a nagging tone he continued, "Just be sure to keep a close eye on him. He may say he's well but he's still not used to these weather conditions, plus if he were to catch the fancy of a certain person."
Bakura growled dangerously at that, but his anger was not directed to his friend, for if anyone were to even so much as *dare* touch his lover he would be sure to give them a painful and slow death.
But alas he was not aware that this was exactly what a certain spirit wanted.
*~*~*~*~*~
And chapter eight is done!
To those who are asking, no, the tales are not real. I made the legend up. Pretty good for my first try though ne? I fooled ten people! They were asking me where they could find more information on it!
*wipes a tear* It made me so happy.