Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh isn't mine. If it was, I'd be as rich as Seto Kaiba himself. (Well, probably not, but you get the idea…)

Author's Note: I have removed all references to Dia Dianks and am keeping more along the lines of the manga in regards to Ka summoning. For your information, a Dia Diank is used in the anime. It's a gauntlet that is worn by the priests and those who can control Ka. Those who do not have an item can control Ka if they have one of these, as seen when Bakura invades the palace. I hope you enjoy the fic, and please leave me feedback and any thoughts you may have about my work.

-o-

Chapter 2: Gathering

-o-

Three years ago…

The thought of being introduced to all these priests and their understudies was making Neith feel excited as her father escorted her into the royal palace. She was feeling nervous, to tell the truth. Great freedom came with exactly that; freedom. Not meetings. Though the young girl did look forward to learning magic. Anyone would be, especially when it was the Per A'a's Hem Ntjr conducting the lessons. It was an honour.

That was when Neith felt her father wiping away something from her forehead with a cloth. It was like she was a baby.

"Father, let me go! I'm thirteen years old!" she protested.

Pillars lined the passageway and the stone floor echoed lightly beneath Neith's heel as she acted the part of the perfect daughter. There was no point in being rude and being forced to go back home. She was soon brought before a set of stone steps leading upwards. The young girl walked up the steps behind her father, his robes drifting slightly.

This is going to be so much fun, Neith thought. At least I'm finally going to learn some real magic!

Neith's father then led the two of them to the top of the stairs and waited, getting ready to move as a servant of the priest who would teach his daughter approached them and bowed. Neith herself felt interested by the thought of learning new things; it enticed her mind as her father then escorted her down the hall.

And Neith did want to remain in the royal palace and learn everything she could. She would stay and learn and improve herself, thereby proving herself worthy to take over the temple, even though she was a woman. It was possible; after all, that long-necked Priestess who held the Tauk still served the Per A'a, Akunumkanon. The young girl was determined that she would get to where she wanted. It was one of the things her and father had in common, like the time he had told her to stay at home, but she had created that trap hole and –

Well, she had been severely chastised for it to say the least. Per-Bast was her hometown, after all, and she felt that she had the right to play pranks on those who dared to venture into her backyard. Though now that Neith thought about it, she knew that playing that 'friendly' joke on the young prince and his entourage of apprentice priests had not been a good idea.

At least it had been a learning experience, one that she would never repeat.

-o-

Soon after, Neith looked up as her father came to a stop, seeing a tall, thin man dressed in white linen emerging from the room just behind him. An old man whose left eye had been replaced by one of gold, whose robes practically hung off him.

"Welcome, Fenyang. Ah, I see this is your daughter." Neith looked up curiously as the old priest gazed down at her. "Hm hm hm, I see. Little one; I suggest that you don't play such tricks on the prince again, lest you desire to find yourself in trouble."

The thirteen-year-old gazed curiously up at the priest and cocked her head. How had he known what she was thinking? The old priest's face remained unreadable; was it because of that Sennen Eye? Would all her thoughts be open like a book?

"Well, I leave her in your care, old friend. I trust that you will be able to handle her. She's a well-behaved girl, usually," Neith heard her father comment.

The young girl then stared up at her father and grimaced, knowing what to expect as he looked at her with something akin to exaggerated fondness, his head cocked to one side.

"I'm going to miss you so much, my little Neith! Even though you'll be away for a while, always remember that your Daddy is thinking of you!" Neith choked as her Father hugged her close to his chest and rocked her, crying as he stroked her hair. "You're so cute, yes you are!"

"Father, please!" she protested.

Akunadin merely looked at the father and his child with a strange gaze as Neith pulled herself out of her father's bear-like hug. Why did he always have to get so emotional when they were to spend time apart? The young girl smiled, thanking the fact that she took after her mother in terms of maturity. Father was mature, but not when it came to his 'little baby'. She would never get over the fact that he had called her that in front of the Per A'a and the blue-eyed boy that day in Per-Bast.

-o-

"This is where you shall be studying for the next several months. I trust that you will behave yourself whilst in the company of your fellow students, least you desire to be punished," Akunadin told Neith, the two of them having left Fenyang behind at last and entered a room.

The old man indeed was as clever as he appeared, Neith cursed. But at least she would soon learn Ka summoning and magic.

"However, seeing as all of you still have to inherit an Item, you shall be training regularly in the controlling and summoning of Ka as well as magic. The others know about theirs already. You shall have your first lesson soon," Akunadin told Neith, who gazed at those few here who were around her age and felt relieved she would not be alone.

So, she was going to learn all about Ka summoning? Neith was happy enough when she had something to engage herself with. It made life interesting. She still had to perfect her writing skills, but she would get the drift eventually. At least she was getting the chance to learn.

Looking forward to the lesson, the young girl stepped forward, her eyes flitting about the room as she sensed everyone's gaze upon her. Her cheeks reddened as she looked down at the floor and away from the prince. There was a familiar boy with brown hair standing by the balcony and he was the last person she wanted to see, she noted. She knew that this boy could make things very difficult for her. Yet, she knew he was not that kind of person.

He's only my age, anyway, Neith thought.

The young girl knew the prince was an affable boy, unlike the other one she had seen, the one who had 'deigned' himself to save her when she had fallen from the building. And Neith couldn't stand him; he was so stuck up and arrogant! And she had to act respectfully to him!

"Well, well, well. I see they've let the Terror of Per-Bast in to study Ka summoning. I guess anything goes these days," the boy by the balcony, Set, said derisively. "First women and now you. Tell me; how is daddy's 'little baby'?"

Neith hatefully glared at Set as the brunette smirked and folded his arms, the same happening on her side. The room had fallen silent as the two of them proceeded to glare at each other. She then looked away; knowing that staring was a sign of disrespect.

The prince's eyes were wide as the blue-eyed boy continued to smirk smugly at Neith, who remained quiet as she turned and thought of drowning the condescending boy beneath the waters of the great river that flowed near her home.

"Now that isn't very nice, is it? Apologise to him," Neith heard someone tell her.

Akunadin. She had almost forgotten about the old priest.

She nodded solemnly, turning around to face Set.

"I'm sorry," Neith mumbled.

Yes, I'm really sorry. You stuck up, arrogant, pompous…the young girl thought inwardly.

Neith then felt Akunadin's gaze upon her, its hidden warning clear as she bowed respectfully to her elder, walked past Set and seated herself in one of the chairs. It was strange; she had never really been this far from home without her parents, but she would adapt. She had to adapt. If that boy could do it than so could she.

Set murmured something at Neith, and Neith tensed her shoulders in an attempt to ignore him.

"Is poor Neith lonely without her daddy to protect her? I'll get you back for that trick of yours, girl, mark my words," the young boy threatened.

-o-

Three years later…

Neith remembered the time she had been introduced to her class with a strange fondness.

"And so do you see? My claim that you are arrogant was proven right in that very first day! Really, Set. I hope you don't see this as an insult, but you didn't make it hard for me to disprove my argument," the young woman pressed.

Neith then gazed disapprovingly at Set, and as he coolly gazed back at her she stared away from him. Gazing at the tall reeds as they swayed in the breeze, Neith smiled.

"What is the great Hem Ntjr doing here, anyway?"

"You know full well why I'm here; don't flatter yourself, woman. Even though you have blossomed into a flower of beauty, your mind still appears to need to do the same. Also…" Set reached for Neith with his hand, and she felt it touch her lightly on the shoulder. "I thought I might pay you a little visit."

Neith was then pulled up close to him, and she did not like it.

Why did he have to be so haughty, even if he was technically her superior in rank? And what was with all this touching and walking in on her? Neith glanced down at the hand on her right shoulder, her left hand rising to flick it off. The deep chuckling coming from behind her was no comfort as she pulled away, making sure she seemed respectful at all times. He was her superior, after all.

"You're not afraid of me, are you?" Set asked her, amusedly. "Or are you afraid I'll take advantage of you?"

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of snakes that slither beneath the waters and bite you before you have a chance to react, Hem Ntjr," Neith replied pleasantly.

Set seemed to get the message. But he also had an annoying habit of only hearing what he desired.

"I can guarantee you that I have more important things to do than walk in on naked women, even if they are beautiful. I just enjoy getting under people's skin," Set replied.

Neith saw Set smirking at her over his shoulder. So, he liked to annoy her? Well, he was going the right way about it! She hated it when this blue-eyed peacock strutted around like everyone else was inferior. Set was even worse now than he had been three years ago. He may have matured, but his maturity only served to bolster his arrogance. How was she expected to put up with that?

Because I have to, that's why, Neith thought regretfully.

"Please excuse me, Hem Ntjr. I must be going," she then announced.

Not desiring to remain, Neith respectfully bowed her head and took a step sideways, trying to manoeuvre her out of the pool without exposing herself anymore than she had. Set looked nonplussed and not caring whether she came or went, she noted. She cut a half-circle through the pool, the water lapping at her legs as Set murmured to himself.

"I've always found your past fascinating. Why and how you took the path you did. Perhaps you can enlighten me to that, and to your father," the young man thought aloud.

Neith swirled around, anger written in her face.

"Excuse me for saying this, but that is a private matter!" she snapped.

The young priestess then realised Set was smirking at her, or rather something else, his head leaning to one side. It hit her right then what he had been up to. Her cheeks puffed up and she found her contempt for this arrogant man falling to a new level.

"Very admirable, lotus," Set commented with a self-satisfied smile.

Neith felt anger rise within her and she barely managed to quell it down so as not to make a scene. It was fortunate that she had not tried to slap him; he would surely make her regret that. She walked past the Hem Ntjr, who glanced back at her as she passed.

"You know what, lotus? I like them feisty," Set commented, causing Neith to roll her eyes.

"My, my. I did not think you liked anyone, Set," she commented.

You hate everyone, Neith then mused quietly, a smile slipping onto her face. She could feel his eyes on her back as she rose from the pool, the water cascading off her and to the cold ground beneath, splashing against the stone.

"As much of a displeasure as this was, I really must go; some of us have work to do. Please excuse my rudeness," the young priestess then said, sounding apologetic.

"At least allow me to escort the lady to her quarters," Set replied. "It would be the polite thing to do."

Neith nodded silently, hearing Set rise out of the pool as she picked up her dress and began to get changed, her skin still burning with embarrassment.

-o-