Anaya's Creator: Grüβ dich jeder! Noch ein!

Yami Marik: She means: Hello everyone! Another update!

Kaiba: Hey the psychoneurotic is actually right for once!

Yami Marik: What's that supposed to mean?

Anaya's Creator: Okay children; that's enough. Do I have to separate you two?

Kaiba and Yami Marik: No ma'am

Mokuba: Anaya's Creator does not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Freedom?

Romantic tension now killed Akina and Marik got off the ground and ran towards the other side of palace, their mounts cantering behind them.

"Marik...what in the worlds is that thing?" Akina shouted, when they had reached the other side. There was a long snake-like bodied creature heading towards the palace.

Its body was long and a bright red color. The diamond-shaped eyes were like raging blue fire and the skull they were put into looked almost too big for its body. It had one small jaw and a huge second jaw each equipped with several sharp pointy teeth and along its back were scarelet rigid spines. The creature also had two very skinny arms with small, but treacherous looking claws and enormous leather wings. (A/N: Ya'll know who I'm talking about: Slifer the Sky Dragon)

"Aki, that's what we call a dragon. And it's the only one I've ever seen alive," he answered.

"We don't get those in Canaan," Her eyes were now as wide as dinner plates, from trying to see exactly how big the dragon was.

"Come on," Marik grabbed her hand and ran to the crowd of gathering men trying to fight the dragon. Before they reached the men he pushed her into a corner. "Stay here until Seth, Yami, or I come to fetch you. I'll tell them you're safe and where you are." And with that he left her.

Marik levitated himself to the ledge where his brother and Yami were.

"Where have you been?" Seth asked as Marik reached them.

"Riding,"

"Where's Akina? I couldn't find her?" Yami asked.

"Just worry about the dragon, Lady Akina's safe," Marik answered. You should keep better watch over those dear to you, he added mentally and sent a spell of purple light at the dragon.

"Where is Akina?" Kesi demanded when a servant told her to stay in her room because of the dragon.

"I don't know!" a servant argued.

"I'll go find her then," Terentina said as she was pushed in by another servant.

"You will stay here," he said. "The prince has ordered that all the girls he brought back with him from Canaan are to stay in one room of the palace and not make noise or to wander off."

"No Asim," yelled Sharon's voice from the hall. "I is going to look for Aki."

"Sorry sis. There's a dragon out there, and the last thing I want is you getting hurt." Asim said.

Kesi and Akina's mother watched in amusement as Asim tried to carry his sister inside by an arm around her shoulders and the other around her middle. Meanwhile Sharon was kicking and fighting to get away. Finally, he was able to drop her in the room. "I've forgotten how your stubborn ness annoys me sister."

Sharon gave him a small impish smile.

"You two stand guard, make sure they don't escape." Asim ordered pointing at the two servants.

"Yes sir," they replied and Asim left without another word.

"We need to think of a plan." Terentina said. "We've got to find Akina before that dragon does."

I wonder if Musud has anything to do with this... Kesi thought.

Back on the roof:

"Why are you aiming at the skull?" Seth asked, as Marik's spell hit the dragon near the eye.

"I wasn't aiming for the skull in general; I was going for the eyes." He shot another purple spell at the dragon and this time it hit.

The dragon roared and writhed in pain as the spell took out its left eye, making the palace tremble as if there were an earthquake. Yami slipped and nearly fell off the roof, but Seth and Marik grabbed him by the upper arms.

"Thank you,"

"Don't mention it," Marik muttered. I just saved my romantic rival, he thought. What other senseless thing I do today?

Suddenly the dragon began to crawl up the wall towards them.

From where she was Akina had a full view of what was going on. The men shot arrows at the dragon, all the good that did they bounced right off the armor. Mages were trying different spells, but none prevailed.

If you're smart, you'll remember that Akina had never seen a dragon before; however that didn't mean she hadn't met people that had. She remembered sitting around the fire years earlier listening to a stranger tell the people about these fearsome creatures.

"Some are over one hundred cubits long," the stranger had said. "Some have a wingspan as large as the city of Thebes. Yet one thing is the same about all dragons, their eyes are their weakest point."

At this point the thief had turned to her mother. "And my guess it with your daughter's voice and gift, she would have no trouble taming one."

Akina came back to reality; she saw the dragon climb quickly up the palace walls towards where Yami and the others were.

All rational thinking left Akina as she left the safety of her hiding place. There's no way any spell of mine will get there in time, she thought. But perhaps... Slowly, she began to sing, swaying slightly on the spot.

"Creature of might, come to me

Creature that inspires fear, come to me

Come and hear this song."

This was more than just her usual song she was singing. It was also a chant to bring the dragon under her control.

The dragon stopped and turned its great had to the sound of her voice. Its right eye saw Akina and it left the wall soaring in her direction.

What is Aki thinking? Marik thought furiously, spotting Akina's silhouette in the distance. I told her to stay hidden.

Soon, it was so close it could have engulfed her, had it been big enough. As the gigantic dragon had flown to her no one had noticed it was slowly getting smaller. By the time it had reached her, it could just long enough to circle her arm. In a puff of smoke it became a gold dragon armlet and fell into the sand.

Yami, Seth, and Marik levitated themselves down from the roof and ran over to Akina.

"That was amazing Aki!" Marik told her, giving her a slap on the back.

"You saved our live," Yami said.

Seth merely nodded at her.

"How'd you do that?" Marik asked.

Akina muttered something and fell back against him, fast asleep.

When Akina awoke, she was in a bed surrounded by curtains. Despite the fact that she was exhausted, she found the strength to pull them back. As she did, she was greeted by Marik staring at her.

"Good you're awake," he said. "What is it that you were trying to tell me after that race before we were interrupted?"

Akina thought for a moment. "I can't remember," she concluded.

Marik crawled on top of her and placed his hands on either side of her cheeks. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" She could tell he was being completely serious. His face was an inch away from hers, his breath alighted several nerves on her face.

"I'll think about it; then I'll tell you."

Marik moved to kiss her, but Akina hastily pushed him off of her. "Someone's coming," she explained, seeing his confused look.

It was Yami. "You saved my life out there. How can I repay you?"

Mokuba: Anothercliff-hanger!

Anaya's Creator: Yep! Also, could you please still vote on whether you want this fic to end: Akina x Yami or Akina x Marik? I'm still curious. Please and thank you! REVIEW! I want more reviews please!

Kaiba: Jeez, you sound desperate.

Anaya's Creator: I just love reading them. They're funny. Plus...

Malik: She needs more votes.

Anaya's Creator: I was just going to say that.

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