The Thief
Chapter 6
Disclaimer: Must you really make me say it? Fine. Don't own, don't sure, thank you. There, that was short.
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Kura woke the next morning when Ryou shook him, saying something about breakfast. Kura rolled off his bed and to his feet, following his nose to the morning meal. Everyone else was already seated at the table and Kura wondered if it had been one of the pieces covered in the white cloths.
Kura drummed his hands impatiently while his porridge was doled out and attacked the bowl the second it was placed in front of him, stuffing overflowing spoonful into his mouth.
"Would you please try not to chew with your mouth open?" Kura said to Kura, no longer able to stay quiet about the thief's terrible table habits. "Maybe you could pick up a few manners during your time with us."
Kura scowled at the magus, but did make a visible effort to eat with his mouth closed.
"We're just lucky he didn't get sick while in prison," Kaiba said to Odion as they filled the backpacks that they would carry (except for Kura). "Or it would have taken more than three days of food and rest to get him moving again.
Kaiba looked over to where Kura, who was indeed looking better than he had at the start of the trip, was trying to show Ryou how to do a backbend from a standing position. The smaller boy always got half way there and then tumbled to the ground.
"Quit fooling around," Kaiba snapped at his two apprentices and the thief, earning a 'what did I do?' look from Malik. "Let's go."
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It was official. Next to horses, the next thing Kura hated the most was nature. The mountain they were now climbing (as in actually climbing with the horses left back at the house) was covered in steep slopes, rocks, and trees. Other than the person-wide path they were on, there were cannons, gullies, and other natural death traps all over. It was the perfect defense for the Eddis, the country hidden in the valleys near the mountain's summit.
The going was rough and hard, Ryou slipped on loose rock several times and scrapped his hands. Odion bandaged them with long strips of white cloth while Kura looked on, adding his own comments about the uselessness of well bred children until Kaiba bopped him on the head. Even Malik, the most athletic of their group, suffered from the trail was too busy concentrating on the path to bother Kura much.
When they finally stopped for lunch, Kura was pleased to notice that while he was grateful to stop, he wasn't dead on his feet for once. As he took his share of the meal set out for them, he looked around at all the trees and wondered where they were.
"Where are we?" Malik asked, saving Kura from having to ask.
"Eddis, since that last climb." Kaiba answered as he took his journal out of his pack to jot something down.
"Eddis?" Ryou repeated, looking around as if the Eddisian Guard was about to come charging out of the trees. He hadn't realized that they had crossed the Sounis boarder. "Why?"
Kura looked up from his food in surprise. He hadn't thought that Kaiba wouldn't even tell his apprentices where they were going or what their mission was. Well, there went Plan A: Ask Ryou, as well as Plan B: Beat it Out of Malik. He wondered if Kaiba had even told Odion. Not that he'd be stupid enough to ask Odion.
"What do you know about Eddis?" Kaiba asked Ryou, snapping the journal shut, and Kura recognized it as another one of Kaiba's quizzes for his students.
"Eddis is ruled by a Queen," Ryou said, folding his hands on his lap, "And a court of eleven ministers, one of which is their Prime Minster. Their main exports are lumber and silver from the mines. The country is narrow and runs along the top of the mountains to the north and northeast of Sounis. They don't have a lot of open land and so have to import most of their grain, olives, and wine."
"It sounds like you're reciting something out of a book called 'All Our Neighbors' or something equally simpleminded," Kura complained with a note of disgust.
But Ryou only laughed. "Actually," he said, "It was called 'All Our Modern Neighbors.'"
"I should have guessed," Kura said rolling his eyes and ducking a cuff from Kaiba.
"Now, Malik," Kabia turned to his senior apprentice, "What do you think are the most significant facts about Eddis?"
Malik rolled over onto his stomach and propped up his head with his hands, idly swinging his feet back and forth. "Eddis controls the only easily transversable pass through the mountains between Sounis and Attolia, which are the two wealthiest countries in this part of the world. Eddis has the only remaining timber industry on this coast, since all our forests have been logged.
Because Eddis doesn't have many natural resources up in the mountains, they rely on trade. They tax the caravans that go through the mountains and sell lumber for ships to both Sounis and Attolia. Eddis depends on trade, so in times of war she is always neutral and tries to keep peace between Sounis and Attolia. In the past, after we drove the Invaders out of Sounis, we would have invaded Attolia, but the Eddisians wouldn't let us."
Malik finished speaking and then screwed up his face like he had tasted something bitter. "They were cowards and knew that they'd be safe up in their mountains."
Kura rolled his eyes in annoyance at this. It was opinion held by most Sounisians, and it ticked him off. "Why should the Eddisians have let Sounis through if war would hurt trade and their way of life?" Kura challenged, not caring if he hadn't been 'directly addressed.'
Ryou surprised Kura by answering the question himself. "Because, Kura," Ryou said softly, "The Attolians had lied. Eddis let the Attolians bring an army through the pass when the Invaders came because they were supposed to help us. Instead, they joined the Invaders in taking up arms against us."
"So all this time Sounis has been out for revenge?" Kura asked in disgust. "Several hundred years seems like an awful long time to nurse a grudge."
"Most people find it unacceptable to lose their freedom," Kaiba replied dryly.
"What's your point?" Kura challenged, "Eddis didn't have a motive to get involved in a fight because Eddis never got overrun. The Invaders never conquered them. It wasn't their fight."
"The Invaders eventually took over Attolia as well as Sounis," Kaiba said, "And yes, the rule of Eddis never changed hands at the invasion of an outside force. Eddis just sat back and watched everything happen, never lifting a finger to help either of her neighbors that were invaded."
Kura snorted but had no reply and the rest of lunch was finished in silence.
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The group had stopped for the evening and were huddled around the fire when Ryou shifted his weight and looked up at the trees overhead, so thick that he wasn't able to see the stars. "Why are we in Eddis?" he asked again.
"What do you know about the rule of succession in Eddis," Kaiba said instead.
It frustrated Kura how Kaiba answered questions by asking a question of his own, but Ryou and Malik seemed used to it.
"They have a queen, like Attolia,"
Ryou said, "So I suppose the throne is just passed
from parent to child regardless of gender."
"And has this always been true?" Kaiba asked, folding his hands on his knee.
Ryou looked uncertain.
"Since the Invaders," Malik supplied for Ryou.
"And before?" Kaiba asked and Kura noticed how his voice had dropped to a low, secretive tone.
"Are you talking about Horus's Gift?" Malik asked, catching on quickly.
"Yes," Kaiba said before turning to Ryou, who looked confused and trying to hide it. "Do you know about the Gift?"
Ryou paused for a second, trying to remember if he had ever heard about it, and then shook his head in defeat, embarrassed at his ignorance.
"It's not surprising, not many do," Kaiba said, "But to make a long story short, according to old legend the country of Eddis began when the god Horus, who governs all other gods except for the Earth and Sky, gave a stone dipped into the water of immortality to Eddis's first king Shadi. The stone kept the bearer from death until the end of their natural life and then it was passed to their child who would be the next ruler. The possession of Horus's Gift became synonymous with the right to rule the country. The stone can not be stolen and used, it must be given to the bearer. A person can steal the stone, give it to their chosen candidate for the throne, and in that way make him the rightful king."
"But it's just a myth," Ryou whispered, though still fascinated. Kura silently agreed with him.
"It's hard to say what's myth and what's real," Kaiba replied. "There may have been a king named Shadi and he may have started the tradition. But we do know that there was an actual stone called Horus's Gift. When the Invaders came, the king of Eddis hid the stone to keep it out of Invader hands. Then he died without passing it to his son and revealing its hiding place."
"Wow," Kura said unenthusiastically.
"Do you think it could ever be found?" Ryou asked.
Kaiba nodded solemnly and a short silence followed.
"Do you think you can find it?" Malik asked, his mind working fast to put together pieces of clues.
Kaiba nodded again, smirking a little.
"What?" Kura squawked, making everyone turn and look at him. "Do you mean to tell me that we're out here looking for something from a fairy tale?"
"Reliable documents mentioning the stone did survive the Invaders," Kaiba said with a scowl. Kura put it down as his not ignoring conversation not meant for him.
"Do you think you know where the stone is?" Malik asked Kaiba excitedly, drawing the conversation and attention away from Kura.
"Yes," Kaiba said, practically oozing confidence.
"If it really exists," Kura butt in loudly, not liking to be ignored when he had something to say, or something ask. Hell, he just disliked being ignored unless it was to his benefit. "Why are you the first one to locate it in a hundred years?"
"I'm not," Kaiba said calmly, "According to the records I found, a number of people have gone looking for the stone, but those who came closest to where I believe it is never returned." Kaiba almost smiled at Kura across the fire. "That's why you are here. Traditionally it took an exceptionally talented thief to bring away the stone."
"What happened to the old records?" Ryou asked suddenly. "I'd love to read them."
"Sorry, Ryou," Kaiba said, "But I destroyed them after I memorized the information I needed."
Kura winced. "It would have been better if they were never found at all," he groused. Then louder, "What is all this for? So that you can be king of Eddis? A hopelessly backward country full of woodcutters?" It was the kindest description of Eddisians that Kura could remember hearing in the city. Most were not so kind.
"I will give the stone to Yami," Kaiba said, starring into the fire. "He will be King of Eddis and I will be the King's Thief."
Kura's eyes flashed and he grit his teeth together. "I will be doing the stealing," he hissed, "That makes me the King's Thief. Or do you expect me to hand over the stone and then get knifed in the back? Is that why you brought Odion with you?"
To Kura's further irritation, Kaiba didn't rise to his bait and Odion didn't so much as shift his weight.
"As if it would be necessary," Kaiba said coolly. "You're the tool, Kura. If a sword is well made, the credit goes to the blacksmith, not the hammer. And how much smarter than a hammer can you be if you flaunt the proof of your crimes in a wineshop?"
Kura clenched his hands and his nails bit into his skin, leaving white crescents on his palms. It was all he could do to keep from saying a whole lot he shouldn't.
"And what would you do if you were the King's Thief, Kura?" Kaiba asked, not realizing that he had subconsciously adopted Ryou's habit of calling the thief by name. "Chew with your mouth open in the presence of royalty? Chat with ladies of the court, dropping the h's at the beginning of your words and garbling the ends of most of them? Everything about you reveals your low birth. You'd never be comfortable at court."
Kura knew he was flushing as badly as Ryou usually did, but out of anger. "I'd be famous," Kura hissed.
"Oh, you already are, Kura," Kaiba said pityingly.
"And Yami trusts you to bring the stone back to him?" Kura challenged, changing tactics.
"Of course," Kaiba snapped and Kura knew that he had hit a sore spot. Kaiba had made sure that Yami had to trust him when he destroyed the information so that no one else could try to locate the stone.
"Are you so sure?" Kura taunted.
"Don't be stupid," Kaiba said, his eyes growing darker than storm clouds, and Kura knew he had made him angry. Well good!
"And why should Yami by king of Eddis? He already has a country," Kura continued to rant. "All they have up here," he gestured around, "Is a lot of trees. Does he want to take up carpentry or something? Is he in need of a new hobby?"
"No," Kiba said, trying to remember that the thief wasn't worth getting angry at, "He wants the Queen."
Kura's mouth dropped open in shock. "Do you mean to tell me," he sputtered, "We're going through all this trouble so he can get-"
"Married," Kaiba interrupted before Kura could finish his sentence. "The Queen of Eddis has refused him so far, but she won't be able to if he can show that he is the rightful ruler of her country. We've promised to bring her Horus's Gift on his next proposal."
"So," Kura said slowly, making sure he understood what Kaiba was telling him, "We're out here looking for something Yami's already promised to deliver?" When Kaiba nodded, Kura couldn't hold back his outburst. "What if no one believes that stupid story anymore? What if you do manage to find Horus's Gift and everyone shrugs and says, 'So what?'"
"No woman can be so secure on her throne that she can risk offending her people's gods," Kaiba said calmly. "She will bend to our will, or risk civil war amongst her people."
Kura shook his head and glared into the fire and for awhile it was quiet. Then he spoke again, softer. "He doesn't want the Queen. He doesn't even want the country." Kura remembered his earlier thought, of how Yami wanting to finish what his father started. "He wants the pass through the mountains so that he can invade Attolia."
Odion and Malik nodded. To anyone who understood Yami, this made more sense than what Kaiba told them. Yami loved a challenge. He loved to achieve what others said impossible. He loved to accomplish the dreams of others that they had never been strong enough to complete.
Kaiba shrugged. "It doesn't really matter why. We just have to get it. Now, I think it's best that you get some rest."
Kura growled, but, like a good little tool, perhaps a very well behaved hammer, he lay down by the fire and went to sleep.
~TBC