Anaya's Creator: Another update!

Mokuba: This one's kinda short.

Anaya's Creator: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Kaiba: Hi people!

Malik: We're back.

Anaya's Creator: How'd you get in here? I locked the door.

Malik: (holds up a hairpin) Picked it.

Kaiba: On with the chapter!

Akina's Flight

Back in the desert, just as the sun began to set, Terentina, Serenity, Marik, and Akina reached the oasis.

"Mama," Serenity called to a woman who was at the well.

There was a loud splash of a clay pot hitting water as the woman let go of the rope she was pulling and ran towards the group of travelers. "Daughter, you're finally home," the woman said helping Serenity down from her mount.

Serenity hugged her mother tightly as Terentina, Marik, and Akina dismounted. When her mother saw that there were more people she ran over with Serenity and had her introduce them. "You have all had a long day, if you wish you may spend the night at my oasis," she suggested.

"That would be wonderful," Terentina said.

Later, after a delicious supper Serenity and her mother had prepared everyone was sitting down and talking.

"If you don't travel through the night it will take another day and a half to reach the Rogue's Village from here. My daughter and I can lend you tents for the nights." Serenity's mother informed them.

"Thank you again." Terentina stated. "Your generosity means a great deal to us."

"However, about your village, I had some travelers that had passed that way about two days ago; they told me something about the village being destroyed."

"No," Akina exclaimed as she stood up abruptly. "That's not true; it just can't be."

"I heard it straight from the mouths of some travelers." Serenity's mother told her.

"I need to see this for myself," Akina said, walking towards where she had memorized the door was. Before she could get out however, Marik leapt in front of her and grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to block her way.

"Aki, I know this is shocking news for you, but you mustn't do anything rash," he chastised.

At first, Akina's head dropped a little and she seemed to understand. Her hands reached up to his face and she gave him a gentle kiss. "Forgive me," she begged, grabbing hold of him and shoving him aside as she ran out the door.

"Aki no," Marik shouted, but Akina barely heard him as she whistled for Joshua. She felt her way onto her unicorn and rode towards Canaan. Had her village really been destroyed? She had to know for certain. There was a screech of a hawk from above her and moments later Aden had landed on her shoulder.

With only the gentle pounding of hooves as the only sound made in their wake, the hawk, blind girl, and unicorn cantered through the night, alone.

Back at the oasis Marik was over by one of the horses, saddling it up. "Marik, what are you doing?" Terentina's voice asked from behind him.

"I'm going after Akina, and don't try to stop me," he retorted.

"I won't, but feed my curiosity, what makes you think you're going to catch her? Joshua, at top speed, is impossible to catch up to."

"I've got to try; I can't afford letting something awful happening to her."

At this pronouncement, Akina's mother chuckled slightly. "Something awful, like what?"

"Anything, she could get lost, or thieves might rob her or something far worse. I need to find and protect her from that."

Again Terentina chuckled. "You remind me of me while Akina was growing up." She sighed at the thought of these memories. "She was always wild, unpredictable child, always wanting to make her own waves in the world. A woman like that is not easily kept at home sitting quietly. Joshua knows the way to the Rogues Village better than any human traveler I ever met, she won't get lost, and I pity the man who tries to rob or rape her while she's with her animals. They'll protect her. Don't be anxious about her, even though she's blind, she can still take care of herself."

"I just can't take that risk... I love her."

A sympathetic look lingered in Terentina's eyes. She went over and put her hands on Marik's shoulders. "If it'll help you feel better, we'll ride through the night and hopefully we'll catch up with my daughter by tomorrow night."

"You'd do that?" he asked, taking her hands off her shoulders and turning to face her.

Terentina walked over to the horse Serenity had ridden (Marik was by the other one). "As much as I hate to admit it, I still worry about her as much as you are now. Besides, if you're going to become my son-in-law, I should start treating you more like family."

The two of them mounted the horses, now saddled up, and galloped into the night.

Before I return to Akina or Marik and her mother, I would like to take this opportunity to return to Kesi and Bakura...

"Sir, I would like to take your daughter as my wife."

Kesi's father's face darkened, he had been dreading this. "My daughter is in your debt, it is ultimately her decision to fulfill your request or not." He was hoping Kesi would deny this 'thief suitor'.

"I will," Kesi said.

Her father bowed his head at her statement. "Kesi, you have loved your life here. Do you really want to give it all up?"

"For him, I will."

"Very well, you may leave whenever you wish. We will miss you. Good-bye my daughter," Kesi's father turned on his heel and returned to his consumers in the tavern.

"The life I live is a dangerous one; you truly want to give your safe home up?" Bakura asked Kesi seriously taking her hands in his.

"For you, I'd give all I have." Her arms moved around him and she kissed him.

As the kiss broke, Bakura saw Kesi's little brother and sister watching them. "Kesi, you are aware there are little kids watching us, aren't you?"

Kesi turned and saw Atsu and Kakra turn to each other and shout "EWW!" then ran as fast as their little legs could carry them out of the room. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Bakura.

Much apologies everyone, but I must now return to Akina.

It was the next morning Akina could see flares form on the inside of her eyelids as the sun rose. She had ridden Joshua all night, and had reached the place where her village stood; however, no sound of children's laughter met her ears. No shouts of sellers or drivers of livestock reached her; nothing, but silence met her trained ears. All that met her was the abnormal overwhelming smell of ashes.

Joshua was moving much slower now. He could barely manage to lift his hooves off the soot filled sand that was now underfoot.

Akina dismounted and walked around, but ended up tripping over something hard, but she felt it crumble as she fell on top of it. She reached in front of her and pulled up some sand. It smelled of ashes and burnt sand, as she lifted it to her face. As she sifted it through her fingers she felt smooth ash crumble and sand particles stick to her fingers. Sharon's mother was right about the Rogue's Village... it had been destroyed. Not bothering to get up, she remained on the ground, pulled her arms under her face and sobbed over the loss of her home.

As night fell, Terentina and Marik drew close to the village's ruins. "Are you sure we're at the right place?" he asked her, bemused.

"I'm positive. Those travelers must have been right, the village has been destroyed." She looked around the brunt ruins that was once was the Rogue Village.

All the sand brick homes had been turned to mounds of ashes. The tents that had been standing had also been reduced to charred rubble. After looking around very closely for a while in the slowly growing darkness, Marik spotted Akina. Akina's mother followed him as he ran to her.

"Aki," he called as he dismounted and ran towards her. She sat up on her knees as she heard him make his way towards her. He reached her and put his arms around her.

"It's all my fault," she sobbed.

"No, it's not Aki," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair.

"Raiders destroyed our village; you had nothing to do with this." Terentina said, also wrapping her arms around Akina.

"Don't be a fool, Mother. Anyone can see this was no raid. There is a magic aura lingering here, this was sorcery."

"But that still has nothing to do with you."

"Yes it does, there's also the scent of the Dragon Realm in the ashes. The only sorcerer near here that could possibly do that is the High Priest, who I sent into the desert."

"But Aki, it's still not your fault." Marik argued. "We don't even know if you sent him here."

"Who else could have done it?"

"Well, whoever it was, they're gone now." Terentina said standing up. She looked up and saw Aden soaring overhead. "I'll go gather some fire wood so we can have some warmth and not freeze our butts off in the night. Akina, seeing that Aden's here with you, ask him to track down some rabbits for supper or anything of the sort."

"Is there anything I can do?" Marik interjected.

"Stick with my daughter, and if you want you could help her put up the tents." Terentina turned on her heel and walked off.

Anaya's Creator: This was a longer chapter.

Mokuba: Don't cry Aki. :-(

Anaya's Creator: (Turns to Malik and Kaiba) Would you like to do the honors boys?

Kaiba: Review folks!

Malik: That's a wrap!

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