Chapter Thirteen: Ponderings
Bakura walked through the bustling streets of central Thebes, thoughts of Yami running across his mind.
'Now that he's king, does he really need me? He could forget about me and move on to someone higher in society. Like Set,' the thief pondered bitterly. "But can I forget about him?"
The people around him gave him strange looks, thinking he was on the edge of sanity. Bakura stopped in front of a familiar store. It was the store he had visited a couple days earlier.
"Back so soon Bakura? I expected you to loot the entire palace. Or were you thrown out?" Khanut suggested casually.
"No," Bakura snapped in reply. "I left on my own accord. I'm going back tomorrow."
"Whatever you say. Did you manage to get me any gold?" Khanut asked eagerly.
Bakura tossed a simple gold armband from under his cloak onto the table. The short storekeeper dove for it, quickly inspected the gold and tucked it into one of his many pockets. He was obviously pleased with what Bakura had given him.
"Say, Khanut, would it be alright if I stayed here for the night? I'd get you some more gold," Bakura asked.
"If the piece of gold is bigger than what you just gave me, or more elaborate, be my guest. Literally," he replied. Bakura's mind flashed back to the golden cat statue he had seen in Yami's room.
"It's a deal then. And if I can, I'll bring that friend with me."
Khanut looked a little afraid at the thought o possibly having two thieves in the same place at the same time, even if they were friends. His discomfort vanished after a while, as he showed Bakura where he was to stay.
The attic was dark and sweltering hot. In the corner there was a well worn reed mat, obviously used by other tenants who had stayed here before. There was a small lamp with a small amount of oil in it sitting in the opposite corner; right beside a folded blanket, also worn down.
Bakura inspected his temporary housing and went back downstairs. There was another tomb robber in the store at that moment, one Bakura knew very well. This thief looked more Egyptian than Bakura himself, despite the fact that he was a Hittite.
"So, Jei, how's business going on your end?" Bakura asked casually, approaching his distant friend.
"Bakura! I haven't seen you since they caught you in that temple and had you whipped! Business is going well, even with the chaos; how 'bout you?" he replied, the two of them embracing in a rough hug.
"Not too bad, I've got a regular route into the palace established. Man, what a month I've been having. I found this boy in the torn down buildings, then because of him, I was almost hung in Syria. I'll tell you more about that later," Bakura said, fixing his cloak. It had been shoved off to the side during their hug.
"The palace!? No way! I've got a job there tonight. My boss wanted the High Priest on the throne, not this boy. He had been hoping that they would never find him. I'm being paid to assassinate him."
Bakura's happiness suddenly disappeared, replaced by a cling terror that clutched to his insides. The blood rushed out of his face.
"Bakura" Are you alright? You look paler than usual," Jei inquired.
"Can I talk to you upstairs? Alone?" Bakura stuttered. Jei looked at him weirdly, but followed the ale haired thief up the flight of stairs.
"So, Bakura, what's wrong? You've never reacted that way to a killing before," Jei asked, sitting down on the mat beside Bakura.
"It's about your distinct job. The assassination. I'm, I'm.....rather close.....to the king. He's a friend of mine." Bakura blushed at the last words. Jei pondered over this for a while, then looked up.
"You're in love with the Pharaoh!? Bakura, you idiot! You know how risky that is!" Jei shouted, jumping from the mat. Bakura let his head drop.
"The Pharaoh...he's the boy I found after the defeat. I didn't know it then. He was so kind...," Bakura muttered. "I called him Yami, because he didn't know his own name. I guess once you give something a name, you become emotionally attached to it." Bakura continued and explained all the other events that had happened.
Jei just stared at the depressed thief. He was going to say something, but he couldn't form the words. His mouth hung open oddly.
"Just please don't kill him. Capture him and send him away, but don't kill him," Bakura whispered softly, using his cloak to brush away the tears that rolled down his pale cheeks.
Trying his best to comfort his sobbing friend, Jei patted him on the back gently.
"I don't know what I can do, friend. My job is to kill the king, not kidnap him. I'm sorry Bakura," he said sympathetically.
Bakura's exterior went rigid. He turned to Jei, his eyes hardened with hatred for the tall Hittite.
"Then I'll have to kill you. Not here; that would attract to much attention. No, if you show up near Yami, I'll put a knife through your heart," he cackled, no hint of sarcasm hanging in his voice. His words were pure venom, dripping from his tongue in solid threats.
Jei slowly stood up and backed away from the insane thief. Bakura rose as Jei turned and hurled himself down the stairs. The thief followed more casually, reaching the bottom of the flight of stairs in time to see Jei dash out the door.
Khanut's face whipped from Jei's fleeing form to Bakura's pissed of glare and back to Jei.
"I have a new knife, if you're interested. By the look on your face, I'd say someone's going to die," Khanut advertised.
"I'll have a look, I might want to stick to a blunt one though. I want him to die a very painful death..."
Yami woke in the serenity of the afternoon, the sun past its high point in the sky. Swinging his feet out from under the covers, he bent over to peak underneath the bed. Bakura wasn't there.
He breathed a sigh, not necessarily of relief, yet not quite of anxiety. Letting himself fall backwards into the blankets, Yami closed his eyes.
As he though about various things, the large wooden door was shoved open. It banged against the wall loudly. Yami's eyes snapped open again as a large, unkempt man bustled into his room.
From his various studies, he recognized the man as a Hittite. Leaping to his feet, Yami tried to get to his balcony. He was blocked by the Hittite.
The man pulled a sharp dagger from the front of his robes. Stabbing it in Yami's direction, the young king agilely dodged the dagger. The man was about to take another attack when the priests arrived in the room.
Set was in front, his own dagger being flourished in his hand. Yami felt a small spark of hope rise in his heart. In this stationary moment, the Hittite threw his arms around Yami and pressed the blade of his dagger to Yami's throat. The king uttered a strangled cry and struggled against the burly man. The Hittite pushed the blade into Yami's soft tanned skin. The dagger cut the surface and plunged beneath it. Taking most of the pressure off the knife, the man let out a chuckle.
Yami could feel a small trickle of blood drip from the slashed skin. He held still and stopped resisting the arms that held him. He knew full well that if the Hittite wanted to, he could shoved the dagger right through his throat, killing him instantly. He shuttered at the thought.
Cao: So, how's everyone liking it so far?
Dark: I think they'll tell you in a review if they liked it or not.
Cao: Whatever. But please review!
Bakura walked through the bustling streets of central Thebes, thoughts of Yami running across his mind.
'Now that he's king, does he really need me? He could forget about me and move on to someone higher in society. Like Set,' the thief pondered bitterly. "But can I forget about him?"
The people around him gave him strange looks, thinking he was on the edge of sanity. Bakura stopped in front of a familiar store. It was the store he had visited a couple days earlier.
"Back so soon Bakura? I expected you to loot the entire palace. Or were you thrown out?" Khanut suggested casually.
"No," Bakura snapped in reply. "I left on my own accord. I'm going back tomorrow."
"Whatever you say. Did you manage to get me any gold?" Khanut asked eagerly.
Bakura tossed a simple gold armband from under his cloak onto the table. The short storekeeper dove for it, quickly inspected the gold and tucked it into one of his many pockets. He was obviously pleased with what Bakura had given him.
"Say, Khanut, would it be alright if I stayed here for the night? I'd get you some more gold," Bakura asked.
"If the piece of gold is bigger than what you just gave me, or more elaborate, be my guest. Literally," he replied. Bakura's mind flashed back to the golden cat statue he had seen in Yami's room.
"It's a deal then. And if I can, I'll bring that friend with me."
Khanut looked a little afraid at the thought o possibly having two thieves in the same place at the same time, even if they were friends. His discomfort vanished after a while, as he showed Bakura where he was to stay.
The attic was dark and sweltering hot. In the corner there was a well worn reed mat, obviously used by other tenants who had stayed here before. There was a small lamp with a small amount of oil in it sitting in the opposite corner; right beside a folded blanket, also worn down.
Bakura inspected his temporary housing and went back downstairs. There was another tomb robber in the store at that moment, one Bakura knew very well. This thief looked more Egyptian than Bakura himself, despite the fact that he was a Hittite.
"So, Jei, how's business going on your end?" Bakura asked casually, approaching his distant friend.
"Bakura! I haven't seen you since they caught you in that temple and had you whipped! Business is going well, even with the chaos; how 'bout you?" he replied, the two of them embracing in a rough hug.
"Not too bad, I've got a regular route into the palace established. Man, what a month I've been having. I found this boy in the torn down buildings, then because of him, I was almost hung in Syria. I'll tell you more about that later," Bakura said, fixing his cloak. It had been shoved off to the side during their hug.
"The palace!? No way! I've got a job there tonight. My boss wanted the High Priest on the throne, not this boy. He had been hoping that they would never find him. I'm being paid to assassinate him."
Bakura's happiness suddenly disappeared, replaced by a cling terror that clutched to his insides. The blood rushed out of his face.
"Bakura" Are you alright? You look paler than usual," Jei inquired.
"Can I talk to you upstairs? Alone?" Bakura stuttered. Jei looked at him weirdly, but followed the ale haired thief up the flight of stairs.
"So, Bakura, what's wrong? You've never reacted that way to a killing before," Jei asked, sitting down on the mat beside Bakura.
"It's about your distinct job. The assassination. I'm, I'm.....rather close.....to the king. He's a friend of mine." Bakura blushed at the last words. Jei pondered over this for a while, then looked up.
"You're in love with the Pharaoh!? Bakura, you idiot! You know how risky that is!" Jei shouted, jumping from the mat. Bakura let his head drop.
"The Pharaoh...he's the boy I found after the defeat. I didn't know it then. He was so kind...," Bakura muttered. "I called him Yami, because he didn't know his own name. I guess once you give something a name, you become emotionally attached to it." Bakura continued and explained all the other events that had happened.
Jei just stared at the depressed thief. He was going to say something, but he couldn't form the words. His mouth hung open oddly.
"Just please don't kill him. Capture him and send him away, but don't kill him," Bakura whispered softly, using his cloak to brush away the tears that rolled down his pale cheeks.
Trying his best to comfort his sobbing friend, Jei patted him on the back gently.
"I don't know what I can do, friend. My job is to kill the king, not kidnap him. I'm sorry Bakura," he said sympathetically.
Bakura's exterior went rigid. He turned to Jei, his eyes hardened with hatred for the tall Hittite.
"Then I'll have to kill you. Not here; that would attract to much attention. No, if you show up near Yami, I'll put a knife through your heart," he cackled, no hint of sarcasm hanging in his voice. His words were pure venom, dripping from his tongue in solid threats.
Jei slowly stood up and backed away from the insane thief. Bakura rose as Jei turned and hurled himself down the stairs. The thief followed more casually, reaching the bottom of the flight of stairs in time to see Jei dash out the door.
Khanut's face whipped from Jei's fleeing form to Bakura's pissed of glare and back to Jei.
"I have a new knife, if you're interested. By the look on your face, I'd say someone's going to die," Khanut advertised.
"I'll have a look, I might want to stick to a blunt one though. I want him to die a very painful death..."
Yami woke in the serenity of the afternoon, the sun past its high point in the sky. Swinging his feet out from under the covers, he bent over to peak underneath the bed. Bakura wasn't there.
He breathed a sigh, not necessarily of relief, yet not quite of anxiety. Letting himself fall backwards into the blankets, Yami closed his eyes.
As he though about various things, the large wooden door was shoved open. It banged against the wall loudly. Yami's eyes snapped open again as a large, unkempt man bustled into his room.
From his various studies, he recognized the man as a Hittite. Leaping to his feet, Yami tried to get to his balcony. He was blocked by the Hittite.
The man pulled a sharp dagger from the front of his robes. Stabbing it in Yami's direction, the young king agilely dodged the dagger. The man was about to take another attack when the priests arrived in the room.
Set was in front, his own dagger being flourished in his hand. Yami felt a small spark of hope rise in his heart. In this stationary moment, the Hittite threw his arms around Yami and pressed the blade of his dagger to Yami's throat. The king uttered a strangled cry and struggled against the burly man. The Hittite pushed the blade into Yami's soft tanned skin. The dagger cut the surface and plunged beneath it. Taking most of the pressure off the knife, the man let out a chuckle.
Yami could feel a small trickle of blood drip from the slashed skin. He held still and stopped resisting the arms that held him. He knew full well that if the Hittite wanted to, he could shoved the dagger right through his throat, killing him instantly. He shuttered at the thought.
Cao: So, how's everyone liking it so far?
Dark: I think they'll tell you in a review if they liked it or not.
Cao: Whatever. But please review!