Bound
Chapter Five
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Yes!" Mahalah exclaimed happily. "He and the Lady Shizuka have moved up their wedding date to today! Apparently they moved it up a few weeks ago, but of course us slaves don't know that stuff, you know."
Anzu smiled slightly as her friend chatted happily about her former master's wedding. Anzu mused that she must have really liked Lord Otogi; he must have treated her well. She always spoke fondly of him and his fiancee. Anzu had found out about the wedding just earlier in the day, herself, because she had been told that she was to dance at the celebration afterwards.
"You know what else? In a few weeks, the maintenance guards will come around and do the redistribution."
Anzu averted her gaze to focus on Mahalah. "Redistribution?"
Her friend nodded and resituated herself on her velvet red pillow before answering. "Yes, it's where they move older ladies to other serf positions throughout the Palace. Like me maybe," she finished with a large smile gracing her features. Anzu grinned widely, sharing in her friend's happiness. Inside she felt slightly sad at losing her one friend in this place, but she had to be happy for Mahalah. Anzu knew that she would like her friend to be happy for her should the same fate fall upon her.
Which it wouldn't. She wasn't that lucky.
~*~*~
Yuugi motioned for a servant to situate pillows appropriately on the small couch for Jounouchi. The slave did so silently, then left the room. Both men sat down, Jounouchi looking amused and Yuugi looking a mix between anxious and excited. Jounouchi knew that Yuugi was dying of curiosity, so he took his time looking around Yuugi's extravagant living quarters. His restroom quarters, cooking area and bedroom were in rooms out of view, but Jounouchi stared around at the meeting room which they were currently situated in.
"Jou! You've seen my chambers hundreds of times!" Yuugi said impatiently. Jounouchi chuckled.
"Okay, okay," he conceded. "Her name is Anzu and she's seventeen. She says that she's half Egyptian, half Hebrew. Ah, she likes men that are understanding, but have an arrogant side at appropriate times, and men that are lenient and don't try to control her." Jounouchi blushed slightly.
Yuugi's face took on a look of expectance. "...And?!"
"Oh, and she has a male cousin, Honda, who is working out in the fields," Jounouchi finished, slouching back and crossing his arms as he did so.
Yuugi looked irritated if anything. "That's all you found out?"
Jounouchi shifted slightly and ran a hand through his silky, blond hair. "Come on, Yuugi! If you want to know more about Anzu, why don't you just talk to her yourself? Nobody has to know if you're worried about saving face."
Yuugi had begun shaking his head before his friend had even finished speaking. "No way, Jou. She's a slave and I'm the Pharaoh!"
Jounouchi shrugged. "Fine then, don't talk to her. She's really charming, but yeah, you're right." He stood abruptly and left the chambers without so much as even a goodbye. Yuugi's eyes widened in surprise and curiosity about what had upset his friend. Then he crossed his arms and stared at the wooden table in front of him. "I could have men killed for walking away from me." He smirked to himself, for he knew that he would never intentionally harm his best friend since childhood.
~*~*~
Bakura crossed his arms casually as he leaned against a stone pillar. He had received a note from Malik that said only, "Meet me" and had a small map drawn for him. He had been directed to some sort of abandoned temple which stood in the middle of the desert with nothing else around. It seemed, to him at least, to be virtually impossible to find unless you knew where it was.
He was more curious about the meeting, in all actuality. He hadn't spoken nor seen Malik since their brief discussion a few days prior. He admired the boy's cunning and witty ambition. He didn't care to have the Pharaoh's power, himself. He hated the Pharaoh and despised anything to do with him. He reminisced about his village being slaughtered before his very young eyes almost ten years before. He figured that he was a sweet, loving boy before that time, but had hardened, expectantly, after the massacre. As a young child, he really hadn't understood what had happened, only that his parents wouldn't wake up when he shook them and called their names.
No, he didn't desire the Pharaoh's power for then he, too, would have guards which would slaughter villages, leaving more young children to fend for themselves. Although he didn't want power, he still wanted that sennen ring, as Malik had called it. Thinking about it formed a special kind of need deep within himself and he longed to run his pale fingers over its golden texture. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled; he wondered why he felt so drawn to the item.
"You're here," came a voice from behind him, causing him to jump slightly. He regained his composure and turned around slowly.
"Hello, Malik," he greeted, not bothering to hide the distaste in his voice. Malik either didn't notice or didn't care, for he said nothing, but rather just looked around.
"Quite a chilly night, isn't it? It has been a while since I've been here."
Bakura snorted. "I don't get cold."
Malik laughed, a deep and sexy sound. "Well, forgive me; I'm but a mere mortal," he retorted sarcastically.
"Can we get to the point before I get old?" Bakura asked impatiently.
Malik nodded. "Alright, but only because I have a chill."
Bakura rolled his eyes and ripped off his robe, tossing it to Malik and feeling extremely embarassed as he did so. Malik caught it awkwardly. Bakura groaned inwardly when he realized his embarassment was due to him doing something nice for the man he hated.
"Ah... thank you," Malik murmured hesitantly, slowly wrapping the cloak about his shoulders. He relished in the warmth it provided and could smell Bakura's masculine scent on it.
Bakura raised an eyebrow skeptically as the boy before him took on a naive, innocent look. However, it was soon replaced by his regular arrogant facade, and Malik's eyes roamed over the older man's bare chest appreciatively.
"Aren't you going to rate me on a scale?" Bakura snapped sarcastically.
"Oh, speaking of scales! What I was going to tell you about was the sennen items... and show you something," he waited for Bakura's nod before continuing, "As I've already said, there are seven items total. They all have their own special abilities and are powerful in different ways. There's the sennen ring, your obsession, which has the power to locate other sennen items and send people to the Shadow Realm. The necklace can see the future. The scale weighs a person's soul for good or bad. The rod can control minds, but it also doubles as a real dagger. The ankh has a lot of capabilities, some of which are unknown except for by the Pharaoh himself, but it can keep a person alive for long periods of time, and it can see people as they really are. The eye can read minds. And lastly, the most powerful is the puzzle pyramid. It's powers are also a secret, but it's capable of destroying or saving, depending on whomever holds it in their possession.
"Most of the items have owners who were specially chosen, but some still don't. The necklace is my sister, Isis's. The rod is the High Priest Seto's. The scale belongs to a priest. The ankh belongs to Shaadi whom is also a priest and council member. The ring and eye don't have owners yet, and the puzzle is the Pharaoh, himself's.
"Shadow Games have been popular for a long time, but a few years ago, they were especially so. People played them daily and there were contests held at the Great Palace. The strongest monsters they controlled in the games began to get out of control and were rampaging villages. Our priests couldn't stop them, so the Pharaoh locked the monsters away into stone tablets, so that they could only be called upon when there was a game. He also had the sennen items constructed for seven wearers which would be able to help stop the monsters when they rose again one day, as they were prophetized to do. So far this hasn't happened, however," Malik ended with a shrug.
"Well," Bakura began with a look of insane glee on his face, "the ring may not have an owner yet, but it will soon enough when I take it back!"
Malik said nothing to this, only motioned for Bakura to follow him. As they entered the temple, the darkness ensnared them like a trap and Bakura shuddered against his will.
"Look there," Malik instructed, pointing to a stone tablet with... the sennen items.
"But how? I saw them at the main temple before I left to come here," Bakura exclaimed in surprise.
"The ones you saw at the main temple are fakes. The real ones were moved here a few days ago. They were afraid someone would steal them," Malik said, adding a great undertone to the word 'someone.'
Bakura smirked. "They have cause to worry."
"Anyway, look over there, too."
Bakura's deep, brown eyes followed Malik's direction of pointing and his gaze stopped on the stone tablets Malik had described. Each had a picture of a different Shadow Game monster on it.
"By Ra..." Bakura murmured, his senses imprisoned for the moment as he stared at each tablet in a mesmerized state. He hadn't played a Shadow Game in a year or so, but he was good enough to remember about each monster he looked at.
His senses returned immediately when he felt Malik's arms go around his waist from behind. "Don't you feel at home here?" he heard the blond say. Bakura spun out of arm's reach.
"Woah there!"
Malik pouted. "Don't you find me attractive?"
Bakura's eyes widened in shock and he stuttered, "I... damn! Look, can we leave now?"
The younger man's face was once again a mask of stone as he nodded and turned away. They said not a word to each other as they made their journey back to the main temple.
~*~*~
"Anzu, are you ready, hun?" one of the older dancing ladies asked from the other side of the large clothing room (AN: modern-day closet).
"Yes!" she yelled back to be heard. Both girls stepped out to examine each other and the other two ladies which would be joining them for dancing at the wedding celebration.
One lady gasped. "Anzu, you look like an angel in all of that white!"
Anzu smiled and complimented her in turn.
"Alright, alright, we all look good!" one joked, earning a laugh from everyone. The four dancing ladies exited their quarters and sauntered their way towards the Great Hall.
"Remember," the dancer in front said as they approached the great golden doors, "it is forbidden to dance for Lord Otogi for an entire week." Each girl nodded. Although it was only Anzu's second time to dance, she didn't feel nervous. Teneia was along tonight to dance, as well, but she hadn't said a word since they had left. Anzu silently wondered what was wrong with her. She glanced behind her at the newest girl to the Pleasure Ladies'. She was as young as Anzu with flowing red hair and deep green eyes. The young girl's eyes were wide with anxiousness and Anzu smiled reassuringly.
"I was nervous my first time, too. Just follow our lead; that's what I did," she whispered and the new girl seemed to relax somewhat.
The guards opened the large doors and the girls immediately began their dancing as they entered the Great Hall. Anzu half-noted that the new girl was doing quite well. As Anzu made her way around the room, she noticed Jounouchi wave to her from his seat one step below the throne. She smiled and slightly waved back.
~*~*~
"Why does she wave to you?" Yuugi asked Jounouchi, trying to supress the small amount of jealousy that came over him.
"Because I waved to her first," Jounouchi answered simply. Yuugi looked appalled.
"I forbid you to wave to her!"
Jounouchi snorted and struggled not to laugh. "Fine, Yuugi, I won't wave."
"We're fighting over waving to a dancer girl?" Mai asked skeptically. Yuugi rolled his eyes as Jounouchi gazed open-mouthed at the blonde woman.
"Stupid, I know," he answered quietly, still staring crudely.
"Thank you for giving us the honor of having our wedding celebration in your Great Hall, my Pharaoh," Shizuka said with a deep bow as her and her husband approached the throne. Yuugi nodded.
"Anything for my cousin and his wife."
"That dancer girl, Teneia, looks down tonight, cousin," Otogi commented.
Yuugi shifted his focus to the raven-haired dancer who was staring fixedly at him. He averted his gaze to Anzu who had her back to him. His eyes glazed over when she slowly turned around and returned his gaze. She raised an eyebrow questioningly before turning away again.
Jounouchi followed his friend's gaze and asked, "Ah, and wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have so much pride?" No answer came.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NEXT CHAPTER: Yuugi finally decides to talk to Anzu. Jounouchi gets up the nerve to tell Mai how he feels. Malik and Bakura develop a plan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hope you all liked this chapter! The next one may not be very long, but I'll do my best. Please review and let me know what you think so far and thanks for reading! ^^
Chapter Five
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Yes!" Mahalah exclaimed happily. "He and the Lady Shizuka have moved up their wedding date to today! Apparently they moved it up a few weeks ago, but of course us slaves don't know that stuff, you know."
Anzu smiled slightly as her friend chatted happily about her former master's wedding. Anzu mused that she must have really liked Lord Otogi; he must have treated her well. She always spoke fondly of him and his fiancee. Anzu had found out about the wedding just earlier in the day, herself, because she had been told that she was to dance at the celebration afterwards.
"You know what else? In a few weeks, the maintenance guards will come around and do the redistribution."
Anzu averted her gaze to focus on Mahalah. "Redistribution?"
Her friend nodded and resituated herself on her velvet red pillow before answering. "Yes, it's where they move older ladies to other serf positions throughout the Palace. Like me maybe," she finished with a large smile gracing her features. Anzu grinned widely, sharing in her friend's happiness. Inside she felt slightly sad at losing her one friend in this place, but she had to be happy for Mahalah. Anzu knew that she would like her friend to be happy for her should the same fate fall upon her.
Which it wouldn't. She wasn't that lucky.
~*~*~
Yuugi motioned for a servant to situate pillows appropriately on the small couch for Jounouchi. The slave did so silently, then left the room. Both men sat down, Jounouchi looking amused and Yuugi looking a mix between anxious and excited. Jounouchi knew that Yuugi was dying of curiosity, so he took his time looking around Yuugi's extravagant living quarters. His restroom quarters, cooking area and bedroom were in rooms out of view, but Jounouchi stared around at the meeting room which they were currently situated in.
"Jou! You've seen my chambers hundreds of times!" Yuugi said impatiently. Jounouchi chuckled.
"Okay, okay," he conceded. "Her name is Anzu and she's seventeen. She says that she's half Egyptian, half Hebrew. Ah, she likes men that are understanding, but have an arrogant side at appropriate times, and men that are lenient and don't try to control her." Jounouchi blushed slightly.
Yuugi's face took on a look of expectance. "...And?!"
"Oh, and she has a male cousin, Honda, who is working out in the fields," Jounouchi finished, slouching back and crossing his arms as he did so.
Yuugi looked irritated if anything. "That's all you found out?"
Jounouchi shifted slightly and ran a hand through his silky, blond hair. "Come on, Yuugi! If you want to know more about Anzu, why don't you just talk to her yourself? Nobody has to know if you're worried about saving face."
Yuugi had begun shaking his head before his friend had even finished speaking. "No way, Jou. She's a slave and I'm the Pharaoh!"
Jounouchi shrugged. "Fine then, don't talk to her. She's really charming, but yeah, you're right." He stood abruptly and left the chambers without so much as even a goodbye. Yuugi's eyes widened in surprise and curiosity about what had upset his friend. Then he crossed his arms and stared at the wooden table in front of him. "I could have men killed for walking away from me." He smirked to himself, for he knew that he would never intentionally harm his best friend since childhood.
~*~*~
Bakura crossed his arms casually as he leaned against a stone pillar. He had received a note from Malik that said only, "Meet me" and had a small map drawn for him. He had been directed to some sort of abandoned temple which stood in the middle of the desert with nothing else around. It seemed, to him at least, to be virtually impossible to find unless you knew where it was.
He was more curious about the meeting, in all actuality. He hadn't spoken nor seen Malik since their brief discussion a few days prior. He admired the boy's cunning and witty ambition. He didn't care to have the Pharaoh's power, himself. He hated the Pharaoh and despised anything to do with him. He reminisced about his village being slaughtered before his very young eyes almost ten years before. He figured that he was a sweet, loving boy before that time, but had hardened, expectantly, after the massacre. As a young child, he really hadn't understood what had happened, only that his parents wouldn't wake up when he shook them and called their names.
No, he didn't desire the Pharaoh's power for then he, too, would have guards which would slaughter villages, leaving more young children to fend for themselves. Although he didn't want power, he still wanted that sennen ring, as Malik had called it. Thinking about it formed a special kind of need deep within himself and he longed to run his pale fingers over its golden texture. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled; he wondered why he felt so drawn to the item.
"You're here," came a voice from behind him, causing him to jump slightly. He regained his composure and turned around slowly.
"Hello, Malik," he greeted, not bothering to hide the distaste in his voice. Malik either didn't notice or didn't care, for he said nothing, but rather just looked around.
"Quite a chilly night, isn't it? It has been a while since I've been here."
Bakura snorted. "I don't get cold."
Malik laughed, a deep and sexy sound. "Well, forgive me; I'm but a mere mortal," he retorted sarcastically.
"Can we get to the point before I get old?" Bakura asked impatiently.
Malik nodded. "Alright, but only because I have a chill."
Bakura rolled his eyes and ripped off his robe, tossing it to Malik and feeling extremely embarassed as he did so. Malik caught it awkwardly. Bakura groaned inwardly when he realized his embarassment was due to him doing something nice for the man he hated.
"Ah... thank you," Malik murmured hesitantly, slowly wrapping the cloak about his shoulders. He relished in the warmth it provided and could smell Bakura's masculine scent on it.
Bakura raised an eyebrow skeptically as the boy before him took on a naive, innocent look. However, it was soon replaced by his regular arrogant facade, and Malik's eyes roamed over the older man's bare chest appreciatively.
"Aren't you going to rate me on a scale?" Bakura snapped sarcastically.
"Oh, speaking of scales! What I was going to tell you about was the sennen items... and show you something," he waited for Bakura's nod before continuing, "As I've already said, there are seven items total. They all have their own special abilities and are powerful in different ways. There's the sennen ring, your obsession, which has the power to locate other sennen items and send people to the Shadow Realm. The necklace can see the future. The scale weighs a person's soul for good or bad. The rod can control minds, but it also doubles as a real dagger. The ankh has a lot of capabilities, some of which are unknown except for by the Pharaoh himself, but it can keep a person alive for long periods of time, and it can see people as they really are. The eye can read minds. And lastly, the most powerful is the puzzle pyramid. It's powers are also a secret, but it's capable of destroying or saving, depending on whomever holds it in their possession.
"Most of the items have owners who were specially chosen, but some still don't. The necklace is my sister, Isis's. The rod is the High Priest Seto's. The scale belongs to a priest. The ankh belongs to Shaadi whom is also a priest and council member. The ring and eye don't have owners yet, and the puzzle is the Pharaoh, himself's.
"Shadow Games have been popular for a long time, but a few years ago, they were especially so. People played them daily and there were contests held at the Great Palace. The strongest monsters they controlled in the games began to get out of control and were rampaging villages. Our priests couldn't stop them, so the Pharaoh locked the monsters away into stone tablets, so that they could only be called upon when there was a game. He also had the sennen items constructed for seven wearers which would be able to help stop the monsters when they rose again one day, as they were prophetized to do. So far this hasn't happened, however," Malik ended with a shrug.
"Well," Bakura began with a look of insane glee on his face, "the ring may not have an owner yet, but it will soon enough when I take it back!"
Malik said nothing to this, only motioned for Bakura to follow him. As they entered the temple, the darkness ensnared them like a trap and Bakura shuddered against his will.
"Look there," Malik instructed, pointing to a stone tablet with... the sennen items.
"But how? I saw them at the main temple before I left to come here," Bakura exclaimed in surprise.
"The ones you saw at the main temple are fakes. The real ones were moved here a few days ago. They were afraid someone would steal them," Malik said, adding a great undertone to the word 'someone.'
Bakura smirked. "They have cause to worry."
"Anyway, look over there, too."
Bakura's deep, brown eyes followed Malik's direction of pointing and his gaze stopped on the stone tablets Malik had described. Each had a picture of a different Shadow Game monster on it.
"By Ra..." Bakura murmured, his senses imprisoned for the moment as he stared at each tablet in a mesmerized state. He hadn't played a Shadow Game in a year or so, but he was good enough to remember about each monster he looked at.
His senses returned immediately when he felt Malik's arms go around his waist from behind. "Don't you feel at home here?" he heard the blond say. Bakura spun out of arm's reach.
"Woah there!"
Malik pouted. "Don't you find me attractive?"
Bakura's eyes widened in shock and he stuttered, "I... damn! Look, can we leave now?"
The younger man's face was once again a mask of stone as he nodded and turned away. They said not a word to each other as they made their journey back to the main temple.
~*~*~
"Anzu, are you ready, hun?" one of the older dancing ladies asked from the other side of the large clothing room (AN: modern-day closet).
"Yes!" she yelled back to be heard. Both girls stepped out to examine each other and the other two ladies which would be joining them for dancing at the wedding celebration.
One lady gasped. "Anzu, you look like an angel in all of that white!"
Anzu smiled and complimented her in turn.
"Alright, alright, we all look good!" one joked, earning a laugh from everyone. The four dancing ladies exited their quarters and sauntered their way towards the Great Hall.
"Remember," the dancer in front said as they approached the great golden doors, "it is forbidden to dance for Lord Otogi for an entire week." Each girl nodded. Although it was only Anzu's second time to dance, she didn't feel nervous. Teneia was along tonight to dance, as well, but she hadn't said a word since they had left. Anzu silently wondered what was wrong with her. She glanced behind her at the newest girl to the Pleasure Ladies'. She was as young as Anzu with flowing red hair and deep green eyes. The young girl's eyes were wide with anxiousness and Anzu smiled reassuringly.
"I was nervous my first time, too. Just follow our lead; that's what I did," she whispered and the new girl seemed to relax somewhat.
The guards opened the large doors and the girls immediately began their dancing as they entered the Great Hall. Anzu half-noted that the new girl was doing quite well. As Anzu made her way around the room, she noticed Jounouchi wave to her from his seat one step below the throne. She smiled and slightly waved back.
~*~*~
"Why does she wave to you?" Yuugi asked Jounouchi, trying to supress the small amount of jealousy that came over him.
"Because I waved to her first," Jounouchi answered simply. Yuugi looked appalled.
"I forbid you to wave to her!"
Jounouchi snorted and struggled not to laugh. "Fine, Yuugi, I won't wave."
"We're fighting over waving to a dancer girl?" Mai asked skeptically. Yuugi rolled his eyes as Jounouchi gazed open-mouthed at the blonde woman.
"Stupid, I know," he answered quietly, still staring crudely.
"Thank you for giving us the honor of having our wedding celebration in your Great Hall, my Pharaoh," Shizuka said with a deep bow as her and her husband approached the throne. Yuugi nodded.
"Anything for my cousin and his wife."
"That dancer girl, Teneia, looks down tonight, cousin," Otogi commented.
Yuugi shifted his focus to the raven-haired dancer who was staring fixedly at him. He averted his gaze to Anzu who had her back to him. His eyes glazed over when she slowly turned around and returned his gaze. She raised an eyebrow questioningly before turning away again.
Jounouchi followed his friend's gaze and asked, "Ah, and wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have so much pride?" No answer came.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NEXT CHAPTER: Yuugi finally decides to talk to Anzu. Jounouchi gets up the nerve to tell Mai how he feels. Malik and Bakura develop a plan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hope you all liked this chapter! The next one may not be very long, but I'll do my best. Please review and let me know what you think so far and thanks for reading! ^^