Cat-Star - I'm so glad you like Naeem!
High Priestess Ente - *all give respectful applause* ^_^ heehee, that'll neve die! Anyway, questions will be answered in this chapter, I think. Oh, and here. *hands her Kleenex*
digigirl - Bakura will play a very key role in YLPII, so he's got to be mentioned a bit here. And yeah, both Yugi and Yami are clueless.
Yugi/Yami: HEY!!
Strawberrylover - You ain't the only one who didn't get it!
jessejames - Love Shaman King, ne? You and Keiko have much in common then!
Shibby-One - I'm trying! I'm trying!!
Serafina - Always a great pleasure! *hug* Glad you had a good retreat.
FW: *sings* You deserve a break today!
KYamiYugi - Computers are out in a conspiracy to drive their owners insane, didn't you know? My old computer was the former president of the campeign, until I smasked its mainbrain with a hammer.
Bardock: o.o And this is Una without sugar in her system!
Yugi: *sips tea calmly* When she is left to her own, she's sadistic. When she has sugar, she's sadistic and hyper. *nod nod*
Kyoko - Um, she added Amidamaru. And where did you get lost? E-mail and explain, and I'll help you! Need your attention!
Yami: *whispers* And reviews!
*Yami gets smashed in the head by jessejames*
SilverWolfe - *squeals* I've converted one!! Yataze!! and Nam? .......... I may be creative, but not that creative! Although the thought of a YGO/DBZ crossover is alluring.....
Bardock/Yami: FOR GODDESS'/RA'S SAKE NO!!!
~~~~
Oh, and the winners of the cookies.... Serafina and Cat-Star!!
Jabari is Jonouchi (same number of syllables, first and last letters, and the name means "bravery"). You see, I said he was not hott for two reasons: #1: His hair is hidden under the turban, and it simply completes his look, ne? and #2: Keiko has the 'Jonouchi/Joey-hater-virus'.
FW: *evil scientist / Invader Zim voice* I must infect the WO~ORLLLD!!!!
I, personally, love the guy!
~~~~
Bardock: Can I ask a dumb question?
Yami: Better than anyone I know.
FW: LOL Good one!
Una: -_-' What's the question, Bardock?
Bardock: Why do you have so much time to update this fic, YLPII, and not mine?
Una: I have too much school work and regular-paying work. And don't nag; I was inspired this weekend when I watched some action movies, so there will be an update in the near future. I also want to finish this fic, which has only, I think three more chapters. Once this is knocked off my list, I'll be more dedicated to yours and YLPII.
Bardock: About time!! I'll finally be the center of attention!!
Yami: What? She'll have one of each! 50-50!
Bardock: Brain-dead mummy! Everyone knows DBZ is still Una's fav anime!
Yami: My fic's more interesting.
Bardock: Mine's got more fighting!
Yami: Mine has characters with IQs in the triple digits!
*Bardock and Yami continue to fight. Yugi and Amidamaru have been sitting on the sidelines sipping tea calmly.*
Amidamaru: Let's just move on to the chapter, shall we?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/Naeem's thought-speak./
//Atem's thought-speak.//
///Shukura's thought-speak.///
=Kei's thought-speak.=
Chapter 11
A Prince's Worth
That night, Naeem relayed all of his stories in great detail to the court. Atem hardly touched his food, staring at him in a sort of sickened shock. All he could think about was the horrible things Naeem had faced: disease, near-starvation, brigands, wild boars, the heat of the desert sand… And all without his help! How could his little brother put himself in such danger and say he had the time of his life?
Shimon applauded the loudest when Naeem finished his tale about the giant fish he had encountered near Cyrenaica. "Amazing! To think fish so large can survive, and be neither magical nor monsters!" [1]
"They were very gentle," Naeem admitted. "One let me pet it."
Karim chuckled and elbowed Mahado and Isis winking. "To think our 'little prince' went through all of this by himself!" The three chuckled. Jabari glared at the mockery, but Naeem did not notice the tone and grinned innocently.
Shukura set her head on her hand wistfully. "Ah, Lower Kemet must be pretty near where the Nile ends. I only got as far north as Ausim." [2]
"That's pretty close to where it splits into The Great River and The Waters of Rei," Jabari said. [3] "Hey Naeem! Maybe we can see them again if we go back!"
"Sure!"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!" Pharaoh Atem stood up and banged his goblet down angrily. "The Young Prince's duty is to Thebes, not to a group of fish! He is to never leave the city walls again!"
There was silence as everyone stared at him. Shukura put her hand on Atem's arm. "Dearest, please calm yourself. I'm sure Naeem didn't mean it."
"Oh, let him go," said Seto in a derisive tone. "Maybe he'll bring home missing pieces of Osiris next time he goes!"
There were several scattered laughs and whoops among the crowd. Kei, however, was not one of them. She stood up and glared at the courtiers. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Naeem tried to share his wonderful experiences with us, and here you all start laughing at him?! Its disgusting!"
"Here here," added Atem. "Seto, keep derogatory co-"
"Who are you to talk, Pharaoh," snapped Jabari. "Condemning him to a life in one place when his heart is out in the open air, ready for adventure! You're gonna suffocate him! What kind of brother does that?"
Atem growled at being spoken back to. "One who wants to protect him."
"He ain't no clay pot, you-"
"That's enough, Jabari!"
All eyes turned to Naeem. Since the start of the argument, Naeem acted as he'd always done when people talked about him: remained quiet and observed. He had been in the center of the room, eyes to the floor, and fists clenched tightly at his sides as those around laughed at him or made decisions about him. He finally spoke up, for the first time, only because he didn't want the arguing to continue. He raised his head again, with a forced smile, eyes closed. "Its okay, Jabari! He's is only doing what he thinks is best to protect me."
Jabari gawked at his friend. "Naeem…"
Naeem turned to his brother, who looked both angry and very confused. The younger's smile widened, and he bowed. "Thank you for your judgment, Pharaoh. Excuse me, but I am tired, and it is past me bedtime." He added the words "Pharaoh" and "bedtime" with unmasked resentment. "Good night." He turned to walk away.
Atem leaned forward. "Little Brother, wait!"
Naeem paused, then kept going. Jabari gave Atem one last glare before following his friend out the doors.
.
.
None of the members of court could remember a time when Atem and Naeem stayed angry at each other for so long. In fact, none could remember them getting into a fight! The two had always been close. Naeem rarely stood up for himself, and Atem (stubborn as he often was) kept a soft spot for his brother. Now, even at meal times, they did not give so much as a passing glance to each other. Worse yet, there mind-link remained unused. But they acted normally (in an eerie way) with everyone else they spoke to.
Another surprise was the fact that Atem had pardoned Jabari's outburst the night of his brother's return. The normal punishment was to have the offender's tongue removed for talking back to the pharaoh.
Shimon suggested that perhaps Atem felt guilty about his rash words, and left Naeem's best friend around as a first step to repentance. To strengthen the visiting nomad's resolve, he and Naeem began teaching him how to use kaa monsters. Sadly, Jabari could not get a strong hold on the game, even in practice runs.
To Kei and Seto, however, Jabari turned out to be a complete, utter, annoying burden. Jabari claimed that his nomadic tribe "shared their women," and hit on Kei every chance he got. This became a source of entertainment for those around them at the time, to see Jabari's action, Kei's reaction, and often Seto's reaction. It was only when Seto began carrying around a small device farmers used to castrate sheep that Jabari cooled down from his attempts to seduce Kei.
All in all, Jabari's flirting did little more than annoy, and it was apparent that Jabari didn't plan on going much farther than that. Kei knew she had many admirers, as did Isis and Shukura, but one day she found out about one that surprised her.
Every morning, Atem gave the morning prayers (even though most of the time he was half asleep [4]) in the temple to Osiris that his father built. Kei was always granted permission to sleep in, since she could not be woken up anyway. After breakfast one morning, about two or three weeks after Naeem's return, Kei wandered to the temple to offer prayers of her own to the gods.
When she arrived, Shadi, who watched over the temple, stopped her from entering. "The Young Prince has asked for a private time of reflection. No one is allowed inside until he gives me word."
Never tell Kei what not to do, because she'll do it anyway! Kei managed to climb the side of the wall, leap onto a statue of the goddess Isis, and into the temple on her own accord. 'Naeem won't mind,' she thought.
Kei strolled through the main doors. The temple's main prayer room was large and grand, with thick, gleaming pillars of carved stone depicting the first plants that sprouted from chaos. The lush, green carpet stretched down the center to a small box, inside of which sat a statue of Osiris, lord of the underworld. Only officials were allowed so far into the chambers, because according their beliefs the god Osiris and their past pharaohs frequently visited this area. An alter baring the day's offerings and incense stood to one side. At the foot of the sanctuary at present was Naeem, his head bowed to the ground and hands clasped together in prayer. [5]
Kei was about to open her mouth when Naeem spoke. "Father, I'm begging you, please answer me!"
Kei froze. 'Why would Naeem expect an answer? He can't hear the dead like I can.' She stayed put to see where this took her.
Naeem waited again for another minute, then slammed his fists against the carpet. "Father, I need to speak with you! Please, I can't deal with this burden anymore! Its too much to ask of me!" He stood up, talking upward to the statue. "I've made sure the Puzzle stayed in pieces, and that my brother took the throne and the wife he chose, but must I continue to hold back?"
'Hold back? Burdens? Puzzle in pieces? What?' [6]
Naeem, whose voice cracked with atypical rage, held up the Shen. "I don't ask for much in return. Just let me leave this place! There's too much of a load for me to carry here. [6] I need to have a purpose for my life for myself! What's my purpose supposed to be? As a common ass to carry this weight? I can't accept that!!" His shoulders slumped, and his voice wavered, as if he held back sobs. "I have the memories of when life seemed far simpler, and we could dream about reaching our potential to be happy. I never had much of a dream, just to help people. And when I could play with all of them, Atem, Shukura, Seto, Kei, Mahado, Shimon... I knew I was loved back then! Now... I'm not so sure anymore..."
Kei almost spoke there to contradict him, when she heard him mutter her name. "Kei... Its not right..." He looked to the statue box. "Just when I think the gods give me a break and free her from Atem's obligation, she goes to another man." He sunk back down to his knees. "I see her with Seto all the time. I know she's happy, and that's what I want for her, but..." He gripped the cloth on the alter. "It still pains me to watch them! It should have been me!"
That was that! "Naeem?"
Naeem gasped, jumped up and around, and his hair stood on end, like he'd received an electric shock. "K-K-Kei!! I - uh - well - I thought - and then -" He turned tomato red. "How long have you - Did you hear - I mean -"
"Naeem, I had no idea you felt that way! You should have said something, and I could have told you about me and Seto before!" She walked quickly towards him. "You shouldn't pine for me like this! You're still young! You'll find someone!"
"You're the only woman who treats me like a regular person," Naeem said softly.
"You mean, instead of a prince?"
"I mean like a man!" Naeem suddenly exploded, wanting to vent his frustration for years. "You treat everyone just the same way you want to be treated! You're nice and smart and funny! You don't care about age or position! You're just yourself! You talk to me the same way you talk to Brother or Seto or Shukura!" He balled up his fists, still not making eye contact with Kei. "Everyone still treats me like a little kid! But I'm almost fourteen years old, no matter how I look! And if I act immature, so freakin' what? I act how I want to act! That's my business, whether people like it or not!"
Kei listened carefully. She decided he should let all of this out if he needed to.
"I hate everything that's been happening! Brother's so damn stubborn about his traditions and positions he must honor! Now he hates me! And since Shukura's married Honored Brother, she's gotta learn all the stuff that took us a lifetime! She can't even go out to be with her own friends anymore!!
"Its not fair!! I'm no good as a doctor! I wanna just leave the House of Life forever! [7] I keep messing everything up!" Naeem gritted his teeth. "Sometimes I sneak off to my room and light up some lotus and foreign leaves to get away from this Ra forsaken place!"
Kei gaped. "Drugs? That's not like you!"
"I gotta get away," Naeem said softly but still with much anger in his voice. "I should never have come back! I don't wanna leave Honored Brother or anybody forever, but I can't stand what's happening to my life here! Jabari has to go back to his tribe soon. The only friend I have left is going, and I can't follow. Brother hates me now! I'm trapped! I need to get away!"
Kei frowned. She understood completely. She hated being forced to act like a woman, and Naeem still remained in his brother's shadow. "Atem doesn't hate you. None of us do! He can only do so much. He risked a lot just to marry Shukura and let me marry Seto-"
"Why," Naeem whispered harshly. "Why Seto?!" He glared up at her, a circle glowing slightly on his forehead in anger. "He's always such a bastard!"
"Not to me! He's a wonderful man when it comes down to it. I love him, Naeem. I always have, but we kept it secret. I… You should have said something. I would've told you if you had. You and I have always been close, but I don't love you in that special way."
Naeem's eyes went down to the floor. "We have been close," he said. He paused and stared at the ground. "I should have said something. But… I figured you'd tease me about it, since we used to think you were a boy…" His fists shook, and he glanced at the wall. "I'm such a fucking COWARD!!" Out of almost nowhere, Naeem spun around and slammed his right fist into the stone wall.
A web of cracks ripped from the force, and he held it there for a moment before pulling it back, wincing. Blood lay in the creases, and Kei noticed that Naeem covered up his hand tenderly.
"How often have you done that," Kei asked.
Naeem made no eye contact with Kei. "Once or twice before," he admitted.
Kei shook her head. "First off, you are not a coward, just very shy. Second, no more hitting things or smoking. Finally… you gotta talk to your brother."
"He won't talk to me anymore!"
"He still loves you."
"He has enough on his mind with worries for his country!"
"You still need to."
"I don't want to burden him with my problems too! I shouldn't have told you!"
"You just said you can't deal with this on your own! Maybe your father sent me here to help."
"I don't want to trouble him!"
"Quit making excuses!"
"No!"
"Naeem!" She put her hand on the one over his bloody knuckles. "Don't be afraid of being who you are."
Naeem looked down at her hand on his. "I promise, by the pain of my hand, that I will no longer be afraid," he vowed.
Kei smiled. "Good. Now, go wash up. Its almost dinnertime."
"How do you know?"
"Because I'm starving!"
"With you, that only means you're breathing!" Naeem gave a weak laugh. "Uh, Kei?"
"Yeah?"
"Um, we're still friends, right?"
She ruffled his hair. "Always!"
.
.
Kei waited for Naeem during the meal, but he didn't show up. As the sun set and dinner was almost over, she stopped eating and scanned the room for the hundredth time looking for him. 'I hope Naeem didn't stay away because of me,' she thought. [8]
"Something wrong," asked Seto.
Kei snapped back facing him, a nervous grin on her face. "Wrong?"
"You're not eating. And if you're not eating, something is wrong."
"I just noticed Naeem didn't come for dinner."
"Maybe he's eating with friends from the village again." Seto took another drink of his mild wine. "He's such a weird kid."
"He's thirteen, Seto. He's not a kid anymore."
Seto smirked. "He likes you, huh?"
"What?"
"I can read you like a book, my little Kei," he said putting his arm around her. "He likes you, and you're worried about him."
Kei stared at her food, shockingly without an appetite for it. "It's a lot more then that. He promised he'd talk to Atem tonight…"
"About time he caved in. Pharaoh has considered talking to him, too. He told me he's thinking about making the kid his steward."
Kei's face brightened. The royal steward was a very highly respected official who was given the responsibilities of running the palace as a head official. And when pharaoh went out off to visit other places in the kingdom, the steward took over for a while. "That'll make him feel better!" She looked back down at her plate, appetite returning in full.
Seto rolled his eyes as Kei began scarfing down her dinner, not always bothering to chew. "The whole royal family can be such a nuisance. Pharaoh has enough on his mind without having to deal with the prince!"
"Oh," said Kei, mouth full of food. "And if I had a problem, would you ignore me?"
Seto stopped raising his cup and set it back down. "Alright, I can see your point, but he's just so-"
They were interrupted when a servant ran over from the main door to Atem. He bowed deeply, and whispered something urgently into the ruler's ear. Atem's expression grew from puzzled to annoyed. "Now," he asked.
The servant nodded. "They said they requested for an audience now."
"Request denied! I'm not interrupting my priests' meal for some damned foreign traders!" He took a drink. "If they so desire, they can wait a while for the meal to end."
"Begging Your Highness' pardon," said the servant meekly, "but they threatened to slaughter some villagers if you denied them."
Atem's eyes narrowed. Interrupting a meal was one thing; threatening his people was another. He nodded at the servant. "Tell them I'll meet with them in the east hall in five minutes."
The servant bowed and departed. Mahado leaned over from his place next to Shukura on Atem's left. "What was that about?"
"Hostile foreigners demanding an audience with me and my priests."
Seto sat beside Atem on his direct right. "Anything else?"
"No, but if they jeopardize the well being of my people and catch me unprepared like this, they want something big. I'll bet my crown it's the Items."
"Do we all go," asked Isis, on Kei's right.
"Yes," responded Atem. "But first follow me, all of you."
"I'll come, too," said Shukura. "I need to be prepared for hostilities like this."
"So be it," Atem agreed, and motioned for the others to follow him. Along the way, they passed by a small room where Atem used study history. He beckoned them inside, took out a loose brick in the wall, and placed the Puzzle inside. "This is to be kept here until my return. Understood?"
They nodded. A servant brought the pharaoh his sword, and they made their way to the east hall. Normally guests were met in the main throne room in order to impress. However, when Atem spoke to people in secret, he met them in the rather plain-looking east hall, which was one of the few room in the palace that had no windows and three doors (one of them only Atem, Naeem, Seto, Kei, Shukura, Shadi, and Shimon knew about).
Waiting there was the messenger boy, along with a small army of soldiers. They stood rather shakily, so the priests assumed they were normally sailors. They wore loose tunics of white and red, each with helmets and spears baring a special insignia. Atem's eyes narrowed. He recognized it from somewhere...
One of them, a particularly hairy man and most decorated, stepped forward and bowed. "I am in offer of great humility in your presence, great Pharaoh," the man said in broken Egyptian. Obviously, it was not his native tongue. "Myself is Captain Acamus."
Fuck formalities. "What was so urgent you threatened my people," demanded Atem.
"Ah, yes yes. To business. I here to... er..." He looked helplessly to his men, said a few words to them in his own tongue, then back at the pharaoh. "Your language... I can no speak good. My sorrys."
Shukura stepped forward. "I know his language, my pharaoh. I'll interpret." Atem raised an eyebrow, and Shukura added, "I lived in Lower Egypt for the first few years of my life, and learned the language from the harbor workers." She walked closer to the man, smiled kindly, and said in his language, "Please, do not be alarmed by the Pharaoh's temper. I will help translate your words."
He gave a relaxed, crooked grin back, and responded, "You are a very kind woman, miss. I will tell you all. I am here representing my master and employer, who at present is on my ship. He wished that the pharaoh come as their prisoner, and I'd rather do this without a fight."
When Shukura translated this, Atem smirked, slightly amused. "Is that a fact? Who is this employer, and why does he want me?"
Captain Acamus thought for a minute, then responded. Shukura's face paled, and she said, "Their employer is Lord Minkabh of their emperor's court. Minkabh told the emperor that you are planning on using 'great, big demon spirits' to take control of their kingdom. I think he means Duel Monsters."
"In other words, Minkabh lied to get his revenge." Atem scratched his chin. "On the ship, you say? Son-of-a-bitch managed a way around mine and my father's punishment." Atem stepped forward. "Captain Acamus, I shall accept your invitation, but only if you can defeat me in a Shadow Game."
The priests shifted their weight. The captain seemed far too calm.
"Kindly Miss," said Acamus to Shukura directly, "avert your innocent eyes once you relay this message: Minkabh has informed us of your pharoah's reputation for games. He also tells us that he cheats."
"He does not," said Shukura.
"Regardless, I do not wish to endanger my men more than they are already in the midst of such powerful priests. I will not play his game, nor will I allow a possible threat to my people go free. We almost killed that imposter he set up for us to find in the washing area-"
"What imposter?"
"What's wrong," asked Mahado to Shukura.
"The one with so many guards, we assumed he was the pharaoh," the captain explained. "He looked like him, too. I asked him to come with us. The guards attacked, so we killed most of them. He agreed to come along quietly, saying that he was the pharaoh, but Lord Minkabh saw through him and told us the truth."
Shukura's face turned a light shade of green. She could imagine Naeem posing as his brother, trying to keep the dangerous sailors away. He would have trusted them not be figure out the truth until they were far away. "What... What did you do to him?"
"He is right behind me," said the captain. "Best to tell pharaoh what I've told you, then look away. A woman so sweet as yourself must not see blood."
Atem was getting impatient. He did not like the fear in his wife's eyes. "Dearest, what is wrong," he demanded.
Shukura turned to the others, swaying slightly. "They... They have Naeem... as their hostage..."
The captain and a couple other sailors parted to reveal Naeem. The boy was unconscious, held up with the rope tied around his neck, sustained many cuts and bruises from an obvious struggle, and wore nothing but his casual skirt. [9]
Atem's eyes reddened with fury, and the Eye of Horus glowed on his forehead. Acamus swiftly took out a concealed dagger from his glove and pressed it lightly against Naeem's throat. "Tell Pharaoh to cool his powers now!"
Shukura did so. Atem closed his eyes, trying his best to calm down. "What," he growled softly, "does the captain want exactly?"
Acamus said, "My instructions are for the pharaoh, his wife, brother, and High Priest to join us to my country." He pressed the blade a bit more, and a thin trail of blood lined Naeem's neck. Naeem awoke, gasped, and gritted his teeth in pain.
"Let the prince go," said Atem, as calmly as he could manage.
/Honored Brother! Don't go with these guys! Minkabh's on their ship, and he looks pissed!!/
//I'm not letting you get killed, Little Brother.// He unsheathed his sword and placed it hilt toward Acamus in a symbolic gesture of surrender.
"Why Priest Seto," exclaimed Akunadean. "The pharaoh should be enough for the brat!"
Seto said cooly, "He remembers me from our battle a year ago. That's fine. I'd rather not leave Pharaoh out of my sight anyway." Seto followed Atem's example and set down the Rod.
Shukura was about to turn around, when a hand touched her shoulder. Kei stepped forward. "Let's get going then," said the blonde warrior.
The priests gave no sign to give away that Kei was not the queen, as she apparently was posing to be. Shukura's eyes flashed with fear towards her friend. ///Kei!///
=I'm responsible for you, Shukura. We've become like sisters over the past few months, and I'm not letting you get taken.= She smirked. =ou couldn't handle 'em anyway! I'm made of tougher stuff then you! Besides… I won't leave Seto to the wolves.=
Shukura nodded in understanding. ///I'll get you guys out of this. I promise!///
[1] - Dolphins - I kid you not, they were in the Mediterranean back then. I have research!!!
[2] - Ausim and Lower/Upper Kemet - Ausim is not too far from where the Nile parts. And, as this confused me to no end until I figured it out, "Lower" Egypt is really Northern Egypt.
[3] - The Great River and The Waters of Rei - two of the secs the Nile splits into.
[4] - Kei and Atem's habit - I mention it off-hand in the other fics that both Kei [Keiko] and Atem [Yami] are not morning people. They sleep in a lot!
[5] - temple's description - Ah, thank you Discovery Channel! This IS in fact what temples looked like!
[6] - Naeem's prayer - Remember kids, a hell-of-a-lot is going on behind the scenes that YOU will not find out until many chapters into YLPII. If you are confused, good! ^_^ Oh, and how come nobody, not a character OR reviewer, even questioned as to WHY Naeem left the Puzzle in three pieces?!?! Does NOBODY find that strange? Or did you all think my mind is finally turning into glue?
Yugi: Don't ask us to answer that, Una-san.
[7] - House of Life - Interesting ancient Egypt trivia I'm throwing in to show off. This was a place where doctors, usually priests, would take care of the sick. This was often done by prayer and surprisingly advanced medicines.
[8] - mealtime - More useless trivia! There were two times to eat, sunrise and sunset.
[9] - Casual skirt - It is clled a skirt, not shorts, not lower tunic, its a skirt! Anyway, upper class Egyptians wore different kinds of skirts fo different occasions. Since Naeem is a prince, he'd have the largest variety. But since he had on such a plain one, he was definitly caught while he was washing up for dinner. Talk about humiliating!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naeem here. The ship is huge, but Minkabh casted a cloaking spell to make us invisible so Shukura and Jabari can't find us!! Time's running out! Honored Brother is being tortured! Kei, Seto, and I are tied up! Everything seems hopeless! But I vowed I'd never be a coward again, and I meant it!
.
.
Yami: A ship?
Una: Yeah.
Yami: *alarms flashing in the back of his mind* I... don't think I want.... to read the next chapter....
Bardock: *knocks on Yami's head* Someone waking up in there? Hello~o! *no response from Yami* Okay, now I fuckin' spooked!
FW: SUSPENSE!!!
Una: Hey, readers!!! I have a few scenes I cut out for time purposes! Should I add a chapter at the end entitled "Deleted Scenes" or something? Should I put them up on my site? Whaddaya think?
FW: Like what?
Una: Like... a cut scene with Shukura and Atem about Naeem, and actual stunt Jabari pulls with Kei, how Naeem and Jabari met- *chuckles nervously at the look on her face* Or I could put that last one as a short, separate story!
FW: Better.
*Amidamaru and Yugi continue keeping well away from the conversations and tensions.*
High Priestess Ente - *all give respectful applause* ^_^ heehee, that'll neve die! Anyway, questions will be answered in this chapter, I think. Oh, and here. *hands her Kleenex*
digigirl - Bakura will play a very key role in YLPII, so he's got to be mentioned a bit here. And yeah, both Yugi and Yami are clueless.
Yugi/Yami: HEY!!
Strawberrylover - You ain't the only one who didn't get it!
jessejames - Love Shaman King, ne? You and Keiko have much in common then!
Shibby-One - I'm trying! I'm trying!!
Serafina - Always a great pleasure! *hug* Glad you had a good retreat.
FW: *sings* You deserve a break today!
KYamiYugi - Computers are out in a conspiracy to drive their owners insane, didn't you know? My old computer was the former president of the campeign, until I smasked its mainbrain with a hammer.
Bardock: o.o And this is Una without sugar in her system!
Yugi: *sips tea calmly* When she is left to her own, she's sadistic. When she has sugar, she's sadistic and hyper. *nod nod*
Kyoko - Um, she added Amidamaru. And where did you get lost? E-mail and explain, and I'll help you! Need your attention!
Yami: *whispers* And reviews!
*Yami gets smashed in the head by jessejames*
SilverWolfe - *squeals* I've converted one!! Yataze!! and Nam? .......... I may be creative, but not that creative! Although the thought of a YGO/DBZ crossover is alluring.....
Bardock/Yami: FOR GODDESS'/RA'S SAKE NO!!!
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Oh, and the winners of the cookies.... Serafina and Cat-Star!!
Jabari is Jonouchi (same number of syllables, first and last letters, and the name means "bravery"). You see, I said he was not hott for two reasons: #1: His hair is hidden under the turban, and it simply completes his look, ne? and #2: Keiko has the 'Jonouchi/Joey-hater-virus'.
FW: *evil scientist / Invader Zim voice* I must infect the WO~ORLLLD!!!!
I, personally, love the guy!
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Bardock: Can I ask a dumb question?
Yami: Better than anyone I know.
FW: LOL Good one!
Una: -_-' What's the question, Bardock?
Bardock: Why do you have so much time to update this fic, YLPII, and not mine?
Una: I have too much school work and regular-paying work. And don't nag; I was inspired this weekend when I watched some action movies, so there will be an update in the near future. I also want to finish this fic, which has only, I think three more chapters. Once this is knocked off my list, I'll be more dedicated to yours and YLPII.
Bardock: About time!! I'll finally be the center of attention!!
Yami: What? She'll have one of each! 50-50!
Bardock: Brain-dead mummy! Everyone knows DBZ is still Una's fav anime!
Yami: My fic's more interesting.
Bardock: Mine's got more fighting!
Yami: Mine has characters with IQs in the triple digits!
*Bardock and Yami continue to fight. Yugi and Amidamaru have been sitting on the sidelines sipping tea calmly.*
Amidamaru: Let's just move on to the chapter, shall we?
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/Naeem's thought-speak./
//Atem's thought-speak.//
///Shukura's thought-speak.///
=Kei's thought-speak.=
Chapter 11
A Prince's Worth
That night, Naeem relayed all of his stories in great detail to the court. Atem hardly touched his food, staring at him in a sort of sickened shock. All he could think about was the horrible things Naeem had faced: disease, near-starvation, brigands, wild boars, the heat of the desert sand… And all without his help! How could his little brother put himself in such danger and say he had the time of his life?
Shimon applauded the loudest when Naeem finished his tale about the giant fish he had encountered near Cyrenaica. "Amazing! To think fish so large can survive, and be neither magical nor monsters!" [1]
"They were very gentle," Naeem admitted. "One let me pet it."
Karim chuckled and elbowed Mahado and Isis winking. "To think our 'little prince' went through all of this by himself!" The three chuckled. Jabari glared at the mockery, but Naeem did not notice the tone and grinned innocently.
Shukura set her head on her hand wistfully. "Ah, Lower Kemet must be pretty near where the Nile ends. I only got as far north as Ausim." [2]
"That's pretty close to where it splits into The Great River and The Waters of Rei," Jabari said. [3] "Hey Naeem! Maybe we can see them again if we go back!"
"Sure!"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!" Pharaoh Atem stood up and banged his goblet down angrily. "The Young Prince's duty is to Thebes, not to a group of fish! He is to never leave the city walls again!"
There was silence as everyone stared at him. Shukura put her hand on Atem's arm. "Dearest, please calm yourself. I'm sure Naeem didn't mean it."
"Oh, let him go," said Seto in a derisive tone. "Maybe he'll bring home missing pieces of Osiris next time he goes!"
There were several scattered laughs and whoops among the crowd. Kei, however, was not one of them. She stood up and glared at the courtiers. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Naeem tried to share his wonderful experiences with us, and here you all start laughing at him?! Its disgusting!"
"Here here," added Atem. "Seto, keep derogatory co-"
"Who are you to talk, Pharaoh," snapped Jabari. "Condemning him to a life in one place when his heart is out in the open air, ready for adventure! You're gonna suffocate him! What kind of brother does that?"
Atem growled at being spoken back to. "One who wants to protect him."
"He ain't no clay pot, you-"
"That's enough, Jabari!"
All eyes turned to Naeem. Since the start of the argument, Naeem acted as he'd always done when people talked about him: remained quiet and observed. He had been in the center of the room, eyes to the floor, and fists clenched tightly at his sides as those around laughed at him or made decisions about him. He finally spoke up, for the first time, only because he didn't want the arguing to continue. He raised his head again, with a forced smile, eyes closed. "Its okay, Jabari! He's is only doing what he thinks is best to protect me."
Jabari gawked at his friend. "Naeem…"
Naeem turned to his brother, who looked both angry and very confused. The younger's smile widened, and he bowed. "Thank you for your judgment, Pharaoh. Excuse me, but I am tired, and it is past me bedtime." He added the words "Pharaoh" and "bedtime" with unmasked resentment. "Good night." He turned to walk away.
Atem leaned forward. "Little Brother, wait!"
Naeem paused, then kept going. Jabari gave Atem one last glare before following his friend out the doors.
.
.
None of the members of court could remember a time when Atem and Naeem stayed angry at each other for so long. In fact, none could remember them getting into a fight! The two had always been close. Naeem rarely stood up for himself, and Atem (stubborn as he often was) kept a soft spot for his brother. Now, even at meal times, they did not give so much as a passing glance to each other. Worse yet, there mind-link remained unused. But they acted normally (in an eerie way) with everyone else they spoke to.
Another surprise was the fact that Atem had pardoned Jabari's outburst the night of his brother's return. The normal punishment was to have the offender's tongue removed for talking back to the pharaoh.
Shimon suggested that perhaps Atem felt guilty about his rash words, and left Naeem's best friend around as a first step to repentance. To strengthen the visiting nomad's resolve, he and Naeem began teaching him how to use kaa monsters. Sadly, Jabari could not get a strong hold on the game, even in practice runs.
To Kei and Seto, however, Jabari turned out to be a complete, utter, annoying burden. Jabari claimed that his nomadic tribe "shared their women," and hit on Kei every chance he got. This became a source of entertainment for those around them at the time, to see Jabari's action, Kei's reaction, and often Seto's reaction. It was only when Seto began carrying around a small device farmers used to castrate sheep that Jabari cooled down from his attempts to seduce Kei.
All in all, Jabari's flirting did little more than annoy, and it was apparent that Jabari didn't plan on going much farther than that. Kei knew she had many admirers, as did Isis and Shukura, but one day she found out about one that surprised her.
Every morning, Atem gave the morning prayers (even though most of the time he was half asleep [4]) in the temple to Osiris that his father built. Kei was always granted permission to sleep in, since she could not be woken up anyway. After breakfast one morning, about two or three weeks after Naeem's return, Kei wandered to the temple to offer prayers of her own to the gods.
When she arrived, Shadi, who watched over the temple, stopped her from entering. "The Young Prince has asked for a private time of reflection. No one is allowed inside until he gives me word."
Never tell Kei what not to do, because she'll do it anyway! Kei managed to climb the side of the wall, leap onto a statue of the goddess Isis, and into the temple on her own accord. 'Naeem won't mind,' she thought.
Kei strolled through the main doors. The temple's main prayer room was large and grand, with thick, gleaming pillars of carved stone depicting the first plants that sprouted from chaos. The lush, green carpet stretched down the center to a small box, inside of which sat a statue of Osiris, lord of the underworld. Only officials were allowed so far into the chambers, because according their beliefs the god Osiris and their past pharaohs frequently visited this area. An alter baring the day's offerings and incense stood to one side. At the foot of the sanctuary at present was Naeem, his head bowed to the ground and hands clasped together in prayer. [5]
Kei was about to open her mouth when Naeem spoke. "Father, I'm begging you, please answer me!"
Kei froze. 'Why would Naeem expect an answer? He can't hear the dead like I can.' She stayed put to see where this took her.
Naeem waited again for another minute, then slammed his fists against the carpet. "Father, I need to speak with you! Please, I can't deal with this burden anymore! Its too much to ask of me!" He stood up, talking upward to the statue. "I've made sure the Puzzle stayed in pieces, and that my brother took the throne and the wife he chose, but must I continue to hold back?"
'Hold back? Burdens? Puzzle in pieces? What?' [6]
Naeem, whose voice cracked with atypical rage, held up the Shen. "I don't ask for much in return. Just let me leave this place! There's too much of a load for me to carry here. [6] I need to have a purpose for my life for myself! What's my purpose supposed to be? As a common ass to carry this weight? I can't accept that!!" His shoulders slumped, and his voice wavered, as if he held back sobs. "I have the memories of when life seemed far simpler, and we could dream about reaching our potential to be happy. I never had much of a dream, just to help people. And when I could play with all of them, Atem, Shukura, Seto, Kei, Mahado, Shimon... I knew I was loved back then! Now... I'm not so sure anymore..."
Kei almost spoke there to contradict him, when she heard him mutter her name. "Kei... Its not right..." He looked to the statue box. "Just when I think the gods give me a break and free her from Atem's obligation, she goes to another man." He sunk back down to his knees. "I see her with Seto all the time. I know she's happy, and that's what I want for her, but..." He gripped the cloth on the alter. "It still pains me to watch them! It should have been me!"
That was that! "Naeem?"
Naeem gasped, jumped up and around, and his hair stood on end, like he'd received an electric shock. "K-K-Kei!! I - uh - well - I thought - and then -" He turned tomato red. "How long have you - Did you hear - I mean -"
"Naeem, I had no idea you felt that way! You should have said something, and I could have told you about me and Seto before!" She walked quickly towards him. "You shouldn't pine for me like this! You're still young! You'll find someone!"
"You're the only woman who treats me like a regular person," Naeem said softly.
"You mean, instead of a prince?"
"I mean like a man!" Naeem suddenly exploded, wanting to vent his frustration for years. "You treat everyone just the same way you want to be treated! You're nice and smart and funny! You don't care about age or position! You're just yourself! You talk to me the same way you talk to Brother or Seto or Shukura!" He balled up his fists, still not making eye contact with Kei. "Everyone still treats me like a little kid! But I'm almost fourteen years old, no matter how I look! And if I act immature, so freakin' what? I act how I want to act! That's my business, whether people like it or not!"
Kei listened carefully. She decided he should let all of this out if he needed to.
"I hate everything that's been happening! Brother's so damn stubborn about his traditions and positions he must honor! Now he hates me! And since Shukura's married Honored Brother, she's gotta learn all the stuff that took us a lifetime! She can't even go out to be with her own friends anymore!!
"Its not fair!! I'm no good as a doctor! I wanna just leave the House of Life forever! [7] I keep messing everything up!" Naeem gritted his teeth. "Sometimes I sneak off to my room and light up some lotus and foreign leaves to get away from this Ra forsaken place!"
Kei gaped. "Drugs? That's not like you!"
"I gotta get away," Naeem said softly but still with much anger in his voice. "I should never have come back! I don't wanna leave Honored Brother or anybody forever, but I can't stand what's happening to my life here! Jabari has to go back to his tribe soon. The only friend I have left is going, and I can't follow. Brother hates me now! I'm trapped! I need to get away!"
Kei frowned. She understood completely. She hated being forced to act like a woman, and Naeem still remained in his brother's shadow. "Atem doesn't hate you. None of us do! He can only do so much. He risked a lot just to marry Shukura and let me marry Seto-"
"Why," Naeem whispered harshly. "Why Seto?!" He glared up at her, a circle glowing slightly on his forehead in anger. "He's always such a bastard!"
"Not to me! He's a wonderful man when it comes down to it. I love him, Naeem. I always have, but we kept it secret. I… You should have said something. I would've told you if you had. You and I have always been close, but I don't love you in that special way."
Naeem's eyes went down to the floor. "We have been close," he said. He paused and stared at the ground. "I should have said something. But… I figured you'd tease me about it, since we used to think you were a boy…" His fists shook, and he glanced at the wall. "I'm such a fucking COWARD!!" Out of almost nowhere, Naeem spun around and slammed his right fist into the stone wall.
A web of cracks ripped from the force, and he held it there for a moment before pulling it back, wincing. Blood lay in the creases, and Kei noticed that Naeem covered up his hand tenderly.
"How often have you done that," Kei asked.
Naeem made no eye contact with Kei. "Once or twice before," he admitted.
Kei shook her head. "First off, you are not a coward, just very shy. Second, no more hitting things or smoking. Finally… you gotta talk to your brother."
"He won't talk to me anymore!"
"He still loves you."
"He has enough on his mind with worries for his country!"
"You still need to."
"I don't want to burden him with my problems too! I shouldn't have told you!"
"You just said you can't deal with this on your own! Maybe your father sent me here to help."
"I don't want to trouble him!"
"Quit making excuses!"
"No!"
"Naeem!" She put her hand on the one over his bloody knuckles. "Don't be afraid of being who you are."
Naeem looked down at her hand on his. "I promise, by the pain of my hand, that I will no longer be afraid," he vowed.
Kei smiled. "Good. Now, go wash up. Its almost dinnertime."
"How do you know?"
"Because I'm starving!"
"With you, that only means you're breathing!" Naeem gave a weak laugh. "Uh, Kei?"
"Yeah?"
"Um, we're still friends, right?"
She ruffled his hair. "Always!"
.
.
Kei waited for Naeem during the meal, but he didn't show up. As the sun set and dinner was almost over, she stopped eating and scanned the room for the hundredth time looking for him. 'I hope Naeem didn't stay away because of me,' she thought. [8]
"Something wrong," asked Seto.
Kei snapped back facing him, a nervous grin on her face. "Wrong?"
"You're not eating. And if you're not eating, something is wrong."
"I just noticed Naeem didn't come for dinner."
"Maybe he's eating with friends from the village again." Seto took another drink of his mild wine. "He's such a weird kid."
"He's thirteen, Seto. He's not a kid anymore."
Seto smirked. "He likes you, huh?"
"What?"
"I can read you like a book, my little Kei," he said putting his arm around her. "He likes you, and you're worried about him."
Kei stared at her food, shockingly without an appetite for it. "It's a lot more then that. He promised he'd talk to Atem tonight…"
"About time he caved in. Pharaoh has considered talking to him, too. He told me he's thinking about making the kid his steward."
Kei's face brightened. The royal steward was a very highly respected official who was given the responsibilities of running the palace as a head official. And when pharaoh went out off to visit other places in the kingdom, the steward took over for a while. "That'll make him feel better!" She looked back down at her plate, appetite returning in full.
Seto rolled his eyes as Kei began scarfing down her dinner, not always bothering to chew. "The whole royal family can be such a nuisance. Pharaoh has enough on his mind without having to deal with the prince!"
"Oh," said Kei, mouth full of food. "And if I had a problem, would you ignore me?"
Seto stopped raising his cup and set it back down. "Alright, I can see your point, but he's just so-"
They were interrupted when a servant ran over from the main door to Atem. He bowed deeply, and whispered something urgently into the ruler's ear. Atem's expression grew from puzzled to annoyed. "Now," he asked.
The servant nodded. "They said they requested for an audience now."
"Request denied! I'm not interrupting my priests' meal for some damned foreign traders!" He took a drink. "If they so desire, they can wait a while for the meal to end."
"Begging Your Highness' pardon," said the servant meekly, "but they threatened to slaughter some villagers if you denied them."
Atem's eyes narrowed. Interrupting a meal was one thing; threatening his people was another. He nodded at the servant. "Tell them I'll meet with them in the east hall in five minutes."
The servant bowed and departed. Mahado leaned over from his place next to Shukura on Atem's left. "What was that about?"
"Hostile foreigners demanding an audience with me and my priests."
Seto sat beside Atem on his direct right. "Anything else?"
"No, but if they jeopardize the well being of my people and catch me unprepared like this, they want something big. I'll bet my crown it's the Items."
"Do we all go," asked Isis, on Kei's right.
"Yes," responded Atem. "But first follow me, all of you."
"I'll come, too," said Shukura. "I need to be prepared for hostilities like this."
"So be it," Atem agreed, and motioned for the others to follow him. Along the way, they passed by a small room where Atem used study history. He beckoned them inside, took out a loose brick in the wall, and placed the Puzzle inside. "This is to be kept here until my return. Understood?"
They nodded. A servant brought the pharaoh his sword, and they made their way to the east hall. Normally guests were met in the main throne room in order to impress. However, when Atem spoke to people in secret, he met them in the rather plain-looking east hall, which was one of the few room in the palace that had no windows and three doors (one of them only Atem, Naeem, Seto, Kei, Shukura, Shadi, and Shimon knew about).
Waiting there was the messenger boy, along with a small army of soldiers. They stood rather shakily, so the priests assumed they were normally sailors. They wore loose tunics of white and red, each with helmets and spears baring a special insignia. Atem's eyes narrowed. He recognized it from somewhere...
One of them, a particularly hairy man and most decorated, stepped forward and bowed. "I am in offer of great humility in your presence, great Pharaoh," the man said in broken Egyptian. Obviously, it was not his native tongue. "Myself is Captain Acamus."
Fuck formalities. "What was so urgent you threatened my people," demanded Atem.
"Ah, yes yes. To business. I here to... er..." He looked helplessly to his men, said a few words to them in his own tongue, then back at the pharaoh. "Your language... I can no speak good. My sorrys."
Shukura stepped forward. "I know his language, my pharaoh. I'll interpret." Atem raised an eyebrow, and Shukura added, "I lived in Lower Egypt for the first few years of my life, and learned the language from the harbor workers." She walked closer to the man, smiled kindly, and said in his language, "Please, do not be alarmed by the Pharaoh's temper. I will help translate your words."
He gave a relaxed, crooked grin back, and responded, "You are a very kind woman, miss. I will tell you all. I am here representing my master and employer, who at present is on my ship. He wished that the pharaoh come as their prisoner, and I'd rather do this without a fight."
When Shukura translated this, Atem smirked, slightly amused. "Is that a fact? Who is this employer, and why does he want me?"
Captain Acamus thought for a minute, then responded. Shukura's face paled, and she said, "Their employer is Lord Minkabh of their emperor's court. Minkabh told the emperor that you are planning on using 'great, big demon spirits' to take control of their kingdom. I think he means Duel Monsters."
"In other words, Minkabh lied to get his revenge." Atem scratched his chin. "On the ship, you say? Son-of-a-bitch managed a way around mine and my father's punishment." Atem stepped forward. "Captain Acamus, I shall accept your invitation, but only if you can defeat me in a Shadow Game."
The priests shifted their weight. The captain seemed far too calm.
"Kindly Miss," said Acamus to Shukura directly, "avert your innocent eyes once you relay this message: Minkabh has informed us of your pharoah's reputation for games. He also tells us that he cheats."
"He does not," said Shukura.
"Regardless, I do not wish to endanger my men more than they are already in the midst of such powerful priests. I will not play his game, nor will I allow a possible threat to my people go free. We almost killed that imposter he set up for us to find in the washing area-"
"What imposter?"
"What's wrong," asked Mahado to Shukura.
"The one with so many guards, we assumed he was the pharaoh," the captain explained. "He looked like him, too. I asked him to come with us. The guards attacked, so we killed most of them. He agreed to come along quietly, saying that he was the pharaoh, but Lord Minkabh saw through him and told us the truth."
Shukura's face turned a light shade of green. She could imagine Naeem posing as his brother, trying to keep the dangerous sailors away. He would have trusted them not be figure out the truth until they were far away. "What... What did you do to him?"
"He is right behind me," said the captain. "Best to tell pharaoh what I've told you, then look away. A woman so sweet as yourself must not see blood."
Atem was getting impatient. He did not like the fear in his wife's eyes. "Dearest, what is wrong," he demanded.
Shukura turned to the others, swaying slightly. "They... They have Naeem... as their hostage..."
The captain and a couple other sailors parted to reveal Naeem. The boy was unconscious, held up with the rope tied around his neck, sustained many cuts and bruises from an obvious struggle, and wore nothing but his casual skirt. [9]
Atem's eyes reddened with fury, and the Eye of Horus glowed on his forehead. Acamus swiftly took out a concealed dagger from his glove and pressed it lightly against Naeem's throat. "Tell Pharaoh to cool his powers now!"
Shukura did so. Atem closed his eyes, trying his best to calm down. "What," he growled softly, "does the captain want exactly?"
Acamus said, "My instructions are for the pharaoh, his wife, brother, and High Priest to join us to my country." He pressed the blade a bit more, and a thin trail of blood lined Naeem's neck. Naeem awoke, gasped, and gritted his teeth in pain.
"Let the prince go," said Atem, as calmly as he could manage.
/Honored Brother! Don't go with these guys! Minkabh's on their ship, and he looks pissed!!/
//I'm not letting you get killed, Little Brother.// He unsheathed his sword and placed it hilt toward Acamus in a symbolic gesture of surrender.
"Why Priest Seto," exclaimed Akunadean. "The pharaoh should be enough for the brat!"
Seto said cooly, "He remembers me from our battle a year ago. That's fine. I'd rather not leave Pharaoh out of my sight anyway." Seto followed Atem's example and set down the Rod.
Shukura was about to turn around, when a hand touched her shoulder. Kei stepped forward. "Let's get going then," said the blonde warrior.
The priests gave no sign to give away that Kei was not the queen, as she apparently was posing to be. Shukura's eyes flashed with fear towards her friend. ///Kei!///
=I'm responsible for you, Shukura. We've become like sisters over the past few months, and I'm not letting you get taken.= She smirked. =ou couldn't handle 'em anyway! I'm made of tougher stuff then you! Besides… I won't leave Seto to the wolves.=
Shukura nodded in understanding. ///I'll get you guys out of this. I promise!///
[1] - Dolphins - I kid you not, they were in the Mediterranean back then. I have research!!!
[2] - Ausim and Lower/Upper Kemet - Ausim is not too far from where the Nile parts. And, as this confused me to no end until I figured it out, "Lower" Egypt is really Northern Egypt.
[3] - The Great River and The Waters of Rei - two of the secs the Nile splits into.
[4] - Kei and Atem's habit - I mention it off-hand in the other fics that both Kei [Keiko] and Atem [Yami] are not morning people. They sleep in a lot!
[5] - temple's description - Ah, thank you Discovery Channel! This IS in fact what temples looked like!
[6] - Naeem's prayer - Remember kids, a hell-of-a-lot is going on behind the scenes that YOU will not find out until many chapters into YLPII. If you are confused, good! ^_^ Oh, and how come nobody, not a character OR reviewer, even questioned as to WHY Naeem left the Puzzle in three pieces?!?! Does NOBODY find that strange? Or did you all think my mind is finally turning into glue?
Yugi: Don't ask us to answer that, Una-san.
[7] - House of Life - Interesting ancient Egypt trivia I'm throwing in to show off. This was a place where doctors, usually priests, would take care of the sick. This was often done by prayer and surprisingly advanced medicines.
[8] - mealtime - More useless trivia! There were two times to eat, sunrise and sunset.
[9] - Casual skirt - It is clled a skirt, not shorts, not lower tunic, its a skirt! Anyway, upper class Egyptians wore different kinds of skirts fo different occasions. Since Naeem is a prince, he'd have the largest variety. But since he had on such a plain one, he was definitly caught while he was washing up for dinner. Talk about humiliating!!
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Naeem here. The ship is huge, but Minkabh casted a cloaking spell to make us invisible so Shukura and Jabari can't find us!! Time's running out! Honored Brother is being tortured! Kei, Seto, and I are tied up! Everything seems hopeless! But I vowed I'd never be a coward again, and I meant it!
.
.
Yami: A ship?
Una: Yeah.
Yami: *alarms flashing in the back of his mind* I... don't think I want.... to read the next chapter....
Bardock: *knocks on Yami's head* Someone waking up in there? Hello~o! *no response from Yami* Okay, now I fuckin' spooked!
FW: SUSPENSE!!!
Una: Hey, readers!!! I have a few scenes I cut out for time purposes! Should I add a chapter at the end entitled "Deleted Scenes" or something? Should I put them up on my site? Whaddaya think?
FW: Like what?
Una: Like... a cut scene with Shukura and Atem about Naeem, and actual stunt Jabari pulls with Kei, how Naeem and Jabari met- *chuckles nervously at the look on her face* Or I could put that last one as a short, separate story!
FW: Better.
*Amidamaru and Yugi continue keeping well away from the conversations and tensions.*