Under the Egyptian Moon
Written by Silver Sage
Summary: Thousands of years ago, during a dynasty long forgotten, there lived eight souls different from those of the human race. Eight individuals that lived apart from everyone else in a class all their own. Each had been given a gift by the gods themselves and they were all very different, but one thread of magic was slowly bringing them together.
They had been pulled to the center of one of the most powerful countries of the world, Egypt. A mysterious force had slowly guided them across desert and water alike, to a city at the center of a great circle of magic. Eight different hearts and minds had been drawn there, and were all unknowingly about to collide, clash and, if the gods had their way, bond with one another. The evil of the world was growing stronger and these eight had been chosen to stop it.
-'-,-'-,-'-,---
Jouno, Yuugi, and Ryou had been lined up one right behind the other with ropes connecting their ankles. Yuugi was the one who stumbled the most out of the three, each time tugging painfully at the bonds therefore creating the beginnings of ugly bruised ankles. Ropes bit into tied wrists viciously. Whimpers, whines and the crack of whips were heard occasionally, but ignored by most. Nothing could be seen around them except for the sandstone walls of whatever hall they were in, the flickering torches and the heads off whatever captive was before them. All else was dark and forbidding.
The forty prisoners did not stop until they reached a grand wooden door at the end of a particularly painful climb of stairs. They were ordered to keep their mouths shut and remain still. For an hour or more they waited there. Their ankles ached and itched, their wrist started to bleed and their resolves leaving them. It was at the peak of their immense fright that the door before them swung open to pour almost blinding light on their eyes.
-'-,-'-,-'-,---
The Pharaoh was bored.
Not a good thing considering Pharaoh Atemu was notorious for impatience, and on top of that, a short-temper. And though he sat perfectly erect during the ceremony, his face pulled into a trade-mark scowl as he watched dancers, musicians, and all other matter of performers, underneath he was screaming for the torture to stop so he could finally go to sleep after such a long day.
But he was Pharaoh; Pharaoh did not beg for release, no matter how arduous the task. Though he would admit, almost any other man would have broken down by this time. He couldn't help but think back bitterly to the morning where he had gotten news that the countries across the Red sea were on the brink of declaring war (as if Atemu would let those amateur magic users get their hands on his empire); another tomb of one of the richest queens to ever grace Kemet was robbed; six of the tomb-keeper clan were killed; and a student mage had blown up half of the west quarters.
Now, after straightening out each mess and seeing off the princess of a neighboring country after having dealt with her constant fawning and cooing over him for a month, he had to sit through this tedious celebration (of what he couldn't quite remember) for another hour at the least.
Sometimes he really hated life.
"You look positively ecstatic to be here my Pharaoh," A smooth, sharp-as-ice voice noted from his left. He didn't blink, not at all surprised at Set's sudden appearance from the shadows. After all, he had known his high priest and half-cousin all his life.
"Oh I am," He responded confidently, albeit sarcastically, his face remaining impassive, "and when is this event supposed to end?"
The priest took to leaning against the throne, idly tapping a glinting golden rod against his thigh. He closed his eyes, no doubt trying to recall information on the end of this ceremony.
"One more task left, Pharaoh," He opened his eyes to look down at his cousin. "It seems they're giving away more slaves as gifts for the flooding of the Nile." His tone was amused, Atemu was just annoyed.
"Slaves?" The Pharaoh balked, unsuccessfully holding back a sigh, "As if we don't already have enough in the palace. . .Don't you think they could just kill the miserable rats?" All he received for this questions was a short nod because, just then, the white-haired guard of the Pharaoh's kingdom joined them accompanied by one of the tomb-robber clan that was in the palace on a. . .particularly long break.
"I've just gotten word that the slaves are about to be let in," He said curtly with a triumphant grin from Marik.
"Then let's get this over with already shall we?" The Pharaoh drawled, "Marik, if you'd do the honors?"
With a small, happy growl, and a flick of Marik's wrist, the large wooden doors were flung open fluidly, thanks to Marik's powerful telekinesis.
-'-,-'-,-'-,---
There were only two events in Yuugi's life that had ever made the boy so afraid of dying. The first had been the great fire of his village a year ago. He had never been so sure that he would die than when he had felt his flesh scorched by the licking flames that had engulfed his home as he tried to find his grandfather through the suffocating smoke. To this day his back held scars to remind him of how close he had come to death . . .
The second time, Yuugi was sure of, was when the wooden door before him had flown open with no help of guard or servant. It was then and there that the boy was sure he, and the only two people he had left, would die, horrible, torturous deaths. And as his mind was filled with morbid thoughts, he and his friends were, at last, yanked forward and into the all-too-bright room before them, hoping for the best, expecting the worst.
But where did they arrive? The royal court. And before them sat the Pharaoh, looking for all the world to Yuugi like he. . .
Was going to die of utter boredom.
The small boy gasped, dropping to his knees like every other slave in the room was commanded to, and started shaking with unadulterated fear and intimidation of being before royalty of all people. Yuugi gulped.
Yes, he was going to die.
-'-,-'-,-'-,---
Atemu had been through this sort of ceremony three times since the last flood, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall what happened in any of them. It was such a mundane and pointless task to choose a servant personally. A slave was a slave, it didn't matter who chose it, as long as it was chosen.
So, the Pharaoh was torn between killing each little urchin on the spot, because the gods knew that no noble needed another slave after having so many. Or he could be the polite host and wait patiently for all of it to end.
In the end, the sane portion of his mind won him over. He would not kill them today, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do everything in his power to keep this as brief as possible. The Pharaoh had first choice, along with his priest, head-guard, and best tomb-keeper. He would make his get away when the other nobles were to choose.
It was announced why the slaves were to be given as gifts and Atemu stood before the court, his closest subjects just behind him like always. He gave one last annoyed glance over his shoulder at Set, then turned and swept forward
-'-,-'-,-'-,---
If there was one thing Jouno was good at, it was hiding his fear. The blond was usually the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but when it came to something the scared him, or anyone around him, he kept his face solemn and his movements careful.
That was why, to any untrained eye, Jouno looked like he may fall asleep from boredom rather than die of fright like every other child there. And to every other child there, Jouno was crazy to be brave around anyone the least bit more superior than them. But Jouno didn't see any of these people as superior.
When the blond was younger -thirteen floods or less- he had lived in a village far away from the Nile delta. In his village, Jouno had known what freedom and equality was. He had never met a soul who thought they were better than the rest in his small village. But as the honey-eyed boy turned from an innocent child to a self-confident, egotistical teenager, his village became more and more of a cage to him.
Jouno loved his life, his family, his friends, however, he craved for more. So he left his village, where everyone was equal and life was good.
And now, there he was, kneeling before a group of pompous, stuck-up bastards who never thought any man was equal, keeping an ever watchful eye on his two friends.
It was getting harder and harder for the blond to hide his nervousness as he spotted several nobles eyeing Yuugi. He tried his hardest to get his small friend's attention without catching those of the slave guards, each holding a whip, to no avail.
It was then that someone in a billowing purple cloak stepped before him. Jouno tried to force his eyes to stay on the floor, just before the mans feet, but he couldn't as his hair was grabbed harshly and jerked up to look into the lilac eyes of. . .
The guard!
A feral growl erupted from his throat before he could stop it and, much to the blonds distaste, the tomb-keeper chuckled.
"What a pretty doggy you make," He commented snidely, "I like that in a slave."
The blond came very close to biting back a retort, but before the words could leave his mouth, he caught sight of a man clad in gold, running his hand down Yuugi's face. No one touched Yuugi.
Ever.
He tore himself from his captor's grasp, shoving past the surprised, albeit strangely amused guard. There were several gasps from all around him and the thumping of boots against the marble floor as Jouno knocked the man's arm away from Yuugi's terrified face and dragged his friend to his chest protectively.
It wasn't until the whips hit his back that he realized whom he had just touched.
The Pharaoh.
And, Re, he was mad.
-'-,-'-,-'-,-
It was true that Atemu couldn't remember most of the slave choosing ceremonies from his past, but what he could be sure of was that no one had ever touched him without his permission.
So when that blond boy appeared from behind his tomb-keeper to knock his hand away from a potential slave, he was more than a little outraged.
It took him all of twenty lashes for the Pharaoh to force his face to become impassive again. And as the whip was raised to come crashing down on the trembling body of the blond boy once again, two words rang clearly from his throat.
"Kill him."
An anguished scream of, "No!" bounced off the walls of the court, originating from the amethyst-eyed boy he had touch, and for the first time in four floods, Atemu flinched.
-,-'-,-'-,-'-,-
Author's notes:
And here we are, chapter three : ) Oh I'm so sad. I had a spot of writers block about tiny issues in the middle of this chapter so the writing was delayed and when I finally finished it and got ready to hand it off to my beta, (Lethe Seraph-sama! Love her!) something came up and she couldn't do it ;;
So erm, I'm looking for a new beta until September ()
A couple of things about the new characters! As you can tell, I'm using Yami and Seto's Egyptian names (Atemu and Set, sometimes dubbed as Seth) To go along with Jouno ; ) Four of the character's histories have been revealed so far, can't wait for the next six!
One last note. .for all of you Malik fans, there's a good chance he shall be introduced next chapter, but that's all I'm going to say about anything. Spoilers are bad! X3
Oh yes, and I wish to thank all my lovely reviewers You guys are great! Thank you so much!
Until next time. .
What if the Hokey Pokey IS what its all about?