WHEN MEMORIES WOULD NEVER BE ENOUGH
Chapter Sixteen - Matters Fall According to Planned
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To The Reader
This chapter contains spoilers from the Yu-Gi-Oh manga series.
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Everyone's mind was filled with a sense of urgency and a state of confusion.
Atemu coordinated with everyone as he solidified a strategy for a possible invasion, massacre, or both against Egypt. Each hour that he had left proved crucial, as he oversaw each individual's plan and pondered on the positives and negatives of each option available to Egypt.
Shimon and Set oversaw the sentry commanders in implementing a defense plan for the palace, as well as kept tabs with Atemu regarding their progress. Most of the known passageways were blocked, so that invaders would have no choice but to use the front entrance to the palace.
Unfortunately, the blocked passageways did not include the one that Thief Bakura planned to use tomorrow night - per Akunadin's advice.
Shadah, Isis, Karim, and Akunadin were each delegated a district to supervise the protection of the citizens. Each high priest had rallied up troops - scattering them to serve as sentries within each home. The high priests, as well as the troops, wondered as to the identity of the rumored outside forces that would supposedly aid them in that critical moment. They were given strict and specific instructions to have the troops and citizens run and stay inside in case of an invasion or massacre - not to leave until all the commotion outside had died down.
Xandra, whose work was only known to Atemu alone, continued her feverish work to summon and control the Sparti at will. Although she honed her mystical skills over the years, the spell required the mage's expertise in the craft as well as a rich amount of psychic power. She knew that any failure on her part would be disastrous, since the Sparti might turn against the villagers they should be protecting. As tempted as she was to tap into the powers of the Pentagram Medallion, she considered doing so as the last resort.
Up to now, however, she still had to perfect the spell....
As to Atemu, he had to face three challenges as he planned for an overall strategy: keeping the covenant that he and Xandra made with the gods a secret even though he made everyone aware that outside forces might assist Egypt in defending the villages; maintaining everyone's optimism for victory even though three Millennium Items were stolen by Thief Bakura; and reviving his hopes while the odds seem to be against his land - especially since the thief had his Puzzle.
For the amethyst-eyed Pharaoh, and for Egypt, time was running out....
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"We have already made a covenant with each other!"
"That may be, dark one, but I do not wish my son to be corrupted...."
A towering shadow separated from Akunadin, as it became visible against the wall of his bedchambers. The flickering flames from the torches, as well as the glowing red eyes reflected on the wall, made the demon more frightening. With a booming voice that only the elderly priest could hear, the demon hissed, "The only involvement that your son will have in our covenant is the reward of becoming the next Pharaoh. Why would you deprive your own flesh and blood that wonderful opportunity?"
Akunadin remained speechless for minutes, until he gathered up the courage to mentally say, "I do not wish him to follow my footsteps...."
"If you break away from our covenant, then Set will follow your footsteps and a coward and a failure - gifted by the gods with insight and courage, but doomed to remain as a pathetic and cowardly follower."
The elderly high priest's eyes momentarily flashed, as he retorted, "My son is not a coward!"
Sensing that Akunadin was confused but still easily swayed, Zork then asked, "Have you suddenly grown soft, Akunadin? What is it that bothers you? Set is leeching out the prisoners' ka and converting them into monsters. After all, he is only getting rid of the filth of this land - just as much as you did when you ordered the massacre of Kuru Eruna. It is only a matter of time when he ascends the throne - marking the beginning of a more glorious Egypt under his rule."
The one-eyed priest looked sideways and murmured, "I almost lost my son in that pit this morning. I do not wish for him to be evil, just like his father."
As the demon snickered, he then said, "The foreigner with the White Dragon God's ka saved him. Your son is walking the right path. Serving the purpose of the greater good, no matter what the deed may be, is not evil. So what if lives are lost or killed, or an incompetent ruler be betrayed? If it serves the greater good, then why should one condemn himself to failure or allow such unsatisfactory conditions to continue? Do you not think that those scoundrels deserve their fate?"
The priest sighed. "Those prisoners deserve their fate. I would have no qualms, if I was doing it by my own hand. However, my son is a different story. There is good within him, and I wish for it to stay that way."
After minutes of silence, Zork then told Akunadin with a sense of urgency, "Then be ready to take matters within your own hands. You are not the only one who is having a change of heart.... Go to him, before he nullifies all the sacrifices that you have done for him...."
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Deep within the dungeons, Set sat in silence inside Kisara's cell. Since this morning, he intermittently checked on her condition as he carried out his duties. However, as the night grew deep, he decided to stay inside the cell - his mind filled with matters such as Egypt's safety from the Sparti, Thief Bakura's possession of the three Millennium Items, the change he noticed within Akunadin's behavior, and other pressing concerns.
As he stared at the unconscious young lady, his mind shifted on the harrowing experience they had within the pits of the dungeon. As one of his ka experiments had gone wrong, he jumped after Kisara in an effort to save her. However, the other prisoner's ka was relentless in making sure that they were killed.
To make matters worse, she fainted - making Set's effort of saving them, as they hang on a single branch, become a more impossible task for each passing second.
Set shuddered, as he remembered the White Dragon's ka within Kisara awakened, killed the other monster, and saved both of them from the seemingly endless abyss. His gaze on her deepened, as he mused, "If it were not for you, we would have been dead..."
He was then startled from his deep thought, as Kisara stirred from unconsciousness. As he stood up and sat by the foot of her cot, he murmured, "You are safe now...."
Kisara's mere reply was a weak smile, as she sat up on the cot.
As the curiosity within him became unbearable, he then asked her, "In spite of everything, why do you remain kind towards me?"
Her crystal blue eyes glistened, as she replied, "Would it be too surprising for my Lord if one should repay his kindness? If it were not for your intervention, I would have been stoned to death by the villagers."
With a strained voice, he quipped, "Are you aware of the power that sits within your very being? If it were not for your ka, we would have been both dead."
The prisoner remained silent, making each second within the dungeon more unbearable for him as he struggled to make his decision. The azure-eyed priest then looked away from her as he said, "I am not as kind as you think I am, Kisara. I have locked you in this dungeon, in hopes of gaining your ka. Do you even have the slightest notion what I have planned for you?"
Without any hesitation, the dainty prisoner responded, "I will leave it up to your discretion."
He shot back, asking, "Even if it means your death?"
"The gods have already charted my fate, Lord Set. Whatever that might be, I gladly accept it. However, I will always remember your kindness towards me and will remain indebted to you."
The high priest then stood up, knocked on the door, and swung the cell door open. "We are now even, Kisara. You must go, before it is too late!"
A startled Kisara asked, "Where should I go?"
"To safety - anywhere but here. Now, go!"
With tears in her eyes, she then hugged a stunned Set as she said, "Thank you, my Lord! I will never forget you!"
Set then sadly looked as Kisara ran out. Before this last descent to the dungeon, he had already instructed the sentries to allow her to leave if they see her. Since the cell now remained unoccupied, he then ordered the two guards to report to their commander for another assignment.
He sat inside the cell while filtering out his mixed feelings - constantly asking himself on whether he made the right decision to release Kisara. After many painstaking minutes, a bittersweet smirk crept on his face as he confirmed that he had made the right move. He then walked out of the cell - with each step becoming more confident and burden-free.
"Where ever you may be, Kisara, may the gods that you firmly believe in be with you always...."
Before he took his first ascending step, he heard the heaving grunt of men, an intermittent struggle, and a series of piecing screams. His azure eyes widened, as the flames from the torch reveal the source....
Akunadin, accompanied with a handful of guards, had Kisara under custody.
Set's eyes narrowed and his breathing became heavy - not only from seeing the elder high priest and the guards, but also seeing the blood trail from the corner of Kisara's lip. "Let her go!"
Akunadin abruptly approached Set. Grabbing the younger priest by the arm, his eyes flashed in anger as he demanded, "Do you know what you are doing? She holds the ka of the White Dragon god that only you could command!"
Brushing off the wrinkled hand, Set defiantly replied, "I do not care about her ka! She does not deserve to be here! Let her go!"
The elderly priest gave a wicked smile that froze Set's blood, as he threateningly murmured, "Oh, I will let her go, Set...."
In a flash, Akunadin used some of Zork's power to repel his son - tossing the latter far and hard against the wall, and pinning him down with an unseen force. His eyes glinted, as he pulled out the blade from within his robes.
The young priest cried out, as he struggled to break free, "No! Let her go!"
Before his very eyes, Akunadin mystically pinned Kisara against the wall and repeatedly stabbed her in the heart. He saw everything - from the way that the elderly man's eyes glinted more malevolently for each subsequent stabbing, all the way to how the young lady's eyes widened in horror and helplessness.
After the deed, the elderly high priest wiped the blade against Kisara's garments before placing it within his robes. He stared long and hard into her sallow eyes before tossing her aside beside a mystically-pinned Set.
Set's heart froze from hearing the loud thud of Kisara's body.
"I am just insuring your destiny. You will thank me for this, my son," intently said a tightlipped Akunadin.
In the middle of held-back tears and bubbling hatred, Set said through piercing eyes and clenched teeth, "You are not my father! My father is a brave commander, and a protector of lives - not a butcher such as you!"
An unfazed Akunadin retorted, "My blood runs in your veins, Set. I am your father, which means that you have a claim to the throne. Do you not see what I am doing for you?"
The young priest's eyes burned further, as he was unable to speak from the shock and anger within him.
"You will wake up from your foolishness soon, and realize that you are capable of the same things as well....all in the name of the greater good," said the elderly priest, as he turned around and ascended the stairs. As soon as he was nowhere in sight, he then released Set from his mystical hold.
Set crawled towards Kisara as the latter said in between labored gasps of breath, "Thank you, my Lord, for setting me free...."
"I failed...." was all that he could say while silent tears flowed from the corner of his eyes. He then carried Kisara away - hoping that he could get help for her. After walking for a couple of feet leading towards the stairs, a towering rectangular blank stone mystically appeared before them - making him kneel in awe, and transporting them to another plane of existence.
By this time, she took her last breath and died.
Shortly thereafter, the rectangular stone glowed - shining its radiant light on Kisara. As her soul lifted from her body, it then merged with the blank stone slab.
Set gasped and gaped at the sight before him: the rectangular stone now bore the image of the Blue Eyes White Dragon - Kisara's ka. Once the image imprinted itself on stone, it then glowed once more - releasing the dragon from the slab.
The Blue Eyes White Dragon - in all its splendor and ferocity - let out a mighty roar before Set as it flapped its silver wings. The dragon's sapphire blue eyes glinted, as it gazed deeply into the high priest's azure eyes.
Silence permeated, as master and servant stared at each other - feeling a complete connection with each other. As the bright light shone and temporarily blinded him, the dragon returned to the stone whence it once came.
Still within that strange plane of existence, Set then stared at Kisara's bloody body - feeling overwhelming sadness and burning anger for losing her, as well as suffocating confusion from Akunadin's revelation. With silent tears now flowing more freely from the corner of his eyes, the azure-eyed high priest muttered as his gaze traveled towards the colossal stone before him, "If the gods fated your ka to serve me, then my destiny is to avenge your death, Kisara. You will be the very instrument to carry out my vengeance, I swear to you...."
End of Chapter Sixteen
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Author's Notes
Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi. Emrys / Xandra, Hyperion, the Orichalchos Medallion, the Mages' Council, and this fanfic are the author's property.
This fanfiction was written for entertainment purposes only, thereby releasing the author from all liabilities.