Mamono: *hides*
Seto: -__- Here we go again...
Mamono: I am sorry! I updated late again! . Shoot! Well, no sense in babbling! ^^ Since I'm on a major time crunch I'll thank each of the reviewers with very brief comments!! ^~ And some responses will be in Germanglish(English/German mixture!) just because.... I feel like it!
Thanks go out to:
Dragontamer101(Nein, ich liebe meine Cliffhangers! ^~)
tea/anzufan(^^; You'll find out!)
Malik Fan 03(Like I said, you'll find out *some* of those answers... The others I'm gonna leave you hangin'! ^~)
Just this once(Did your review get cut off? Cause that's happening to me alot and '(' looked a little odd...)
Azurite(Happy Birthday! ^~ I think I answered most of your questions earlier, but just to recap: Yugi will be coming... quite soon actually! The names some are actual Egyptian words and others are random mixtures of letters on my part! ^~ And if you ask the Odion Fangirl of Fluff(aka DSF!) she'll tell you all about Odion's bishieness!(LOL! I made up a word!))_
rlenavampyre14(o.O Or maybe because it's full of Seto goodness? ^^;;;;;;)
Chaotic-Freakatroid(^^; I'm the authoress so I'll win no matter what! ^~ And I think you'll notice something with Ishizu's weapon choice...)
MOG(Pweeh! Hugs! ^___^)
Nari-chan SND(How's the homework storm? ^^; I think it's blowing my way now... oO)
Hikari Kitten(Hmmm all those questions have crossed my mind-- You'll find out about Marik though later!)
Kaoaniz(^^ Thanks! I'm going for originality here!)
Aura Black Chan(^^ Yeah, it's something I would've done... ^^;; Guess we'll let Aura give Tea lessons eh?)
Hioga-chan(^^ Odion=Zorro, huh? DSF would agree! ^^ And your questions(some of em!) Shall be answered!)
HieilovesBotan(^~ Guess you'll find out now, eh?)
Ana(Well, guess what? Flashback! ^^)
Rimal(^^; Well, I guess she was a bit clumsy, but I bet she was nervous with SK around! ^^)
BlackfiredragonK(Oh yeah! ^^)
Lynderia(^^ Well as for Seto und(I'm forgetting my Germanglish!) Tea, we'll find out later! But you will find out who took her this one! Sorta...)
dbz422(Updated!)
Yami's Wife Ryoko(^^ Danke!)
Sorceress of Midnight Skies(*squeals* ^^ I'm glad you liked it! ^^ And like I said before P.Seto will be in this one! And the next and the next! LOL! Isn't No Reply a good song? ^^)
Estelgirl(^^; She *does* get kidnapped a lot doesn't she? ^^;;; I didn't think about that! LOL!)
Mamono: ^_____^ Danke, Alles! Ich liebt ihr! ^_~
Seto: -____- On with the chapter....
~In the Sands of Egypt~
Chapter 7
The Rescue Part 1: Betray...
"Seto! Help me!"
The shrill cry echoed through the halls. It wasn't just an ordinary cry; the aura it gave off was like that of a canary, locked in a cage with a ferocious, bloodthirsty tiger. It soared into Seto's head, fluttering around frantically before gliding back into silence. The brunette boy, being thrown off-guard, let his breath, which had been trapped in his throat, shakily exit through his mouth and into the musty air of the Tomb Keeper's home. Snapping himself out of his stupor, he dashed off in the direction in which his name had been called.
Seto couldn't quite place a finger on why he was running so fast. The mysterious carvings on the walls were nothing but blurs before his eyes. Téa had called for his help and he, like some 'valiant prince', was rushing to her rescue. Since when did he care for anyone other than his brother? Why did the thought of losing Téa bother him so much? Did it have something to do with the dreams he had been having? Or was it really because he cared? Seto brushed these questions aside. Right now there was someplace that he needed to be and all this thinking wasn't going to help him get there.
Just as he had darted around a corner, Seto slammed into another being. In a twisted mass lay the body of Marik, glaring up at him from the floor. "Watch where you're going, Kaiba," he spat. The sandy haired teen recollected himself and stood up. "I heard a scream."
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," Seto growled. He didn't have time to be trifling with Marik right now. "Do you know where it came from?"
"No, I don't."
"Then move aside," Seto muttered and brushed past Marik. As soon as he was out of the Tomb Keeper's sight he quickened his stride until he was running once again.
Marik watched as the tips of Seto's cloak blended in with the shadows. He shuffled over to the cold stone wall and leaned up against it. Letting out a huge sigh, he placed his hand across his face so that his sandy bangs grazed the tips of his fingers.
"Téa, please... Forgive me..."
* * * * *
Upon hearing Téa's scream, Odion had begun searching the corridors of their home. In his hands he held a large wooden club. Sure, it was primitive, but with his strength it was more than a suitable weapon. Ishizu, clutching a long leather whip, trailed silently behind him. The two Tomb Keepers walked into a large room where several men, obviously Uraeus, were waiting for them. Odion stepped in front of his sister and glared fiercely at the men before them. "I'll handle this." He carefully approached the group and prepared his assault.
* * * * *
Seto cascaded through the halls until a red flash caught his eye. He skidded to a halt and examined the "thing" further. It was a man clad in crimson attire from head to toe with only his eyes left uncovered; a long silver sword was attached to a belt on his waist; over his shoulder he held an unconscious girl and was now running out of sight.
"Téa?!" Seto gasped as the crimson figure disappeared into the shadows. He dashed after them and soon was at the entrance of the intricate labyrinth. He bounded up the stairs and out into the barren desert. "What?" He gazed across the midnight sands only to find nothing. This wasn't right! He knew he saw them come out here.
Suddenly he could hear a soft beating noise; at first it was soft, but it was becoming increasingly louder. The brunette turned around just as a sandy stallion rushed past him; the crimson thief rode on top with Téa wrapped in his arms. Instantly, Seto placed two fingers at the edge of his lips and let out a long, piercing whistle.
In long, majestic strides, the ebony horse, Ezra came racing towards his master. In the absence of a saddle and reins, Seto grabbed hold of the mighty beast's neck and, with a forceful leap, climbed atop the moving horse. Together the two began their pursuit of the crimson rider.
* * * * *
Odion launched his club high in the air and brought it down upon one of the Uraeus' heads heavily, causing the dark garbed fighter to fall listlessly to the ground. The olive-eyed man wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead as he launched another Uraeus into the wall. "Miss Ishizu," he called out. "Find the others and make sure they're safe!" Ishizu nodded gravely and hurried back into the halls.
* * * * *
Marik slunk through the dark passageways and into his own quarters. He was trying his best to ignore the sounds of battle that lurked just rooms away. He quickly stepped over to a large trunk; opening it, he pulled out a short metal blade about the size of his hand. He carefully placed the blade so that the sharpened point grazed his bare skin. Hastily, he sank the blade into his flesh, letting a fresh trail of crimson drip onto the floor.
"What I won't do..." he muttered and began smearing the blood onto the rest of his body. Glancing down at his newly stained clothes, the sandy haired teen nodded in approval and glided out of the room.
* * * * *
The moon gleamed brilliantly; its light reflected brightly against the mirror-like sand making it easy for Seto to pick out the scarlet clothing of the Uraeus rider. Seto momentarily increased the pressure on his horse's sides, urging the beast to pick up speed. Sand flew in every direction, being launched by the horse's hooves. Seto's sapphire eyes flashed fervently and he couldn't help but smirk as they began to gain ground on the crimson rider.
Moments later the two stallions were riding side by side, neither one able to elude the other. Seto was about to launch himself onto the other rider, but the sight of Téa's unmoving form stopped him. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the crimson rider cradling the brunette girl in his arms. He couldn't knock over the other rider's horse or he'd risk Téa's safety. And it wasn't like the other man was just going to give up and stop - what was he going to do?
Though as his stepfather had once warned him: Hesitation was a sign of weakness. As Seto contemplated over his next move, the crimson rider took the opportunity to strike. If he wasn't wearing bindings around his mouth you could see the malicious smirk upon his face as he reached into his shirt and pulled out a long golden dagger.
A pair of sapphire eyes watched in horror as a hand raised the golden dagger into the air. Téa, who had just recently regained consciousness, glanced up to see Seto Kaiba looking straight into her eyes; his own full of fear and uncertainty, something she had never seen before. In that brief moment as she watched Seto riding alongside her, Téa felt like everything would be all right, that everything would work out. Then she remembered the dagger. "Look out!" She clenched her eyes shut and prayed that everything would be all right.
Seto's eyes darted upward, catching sight of the golden dagger that was now approaching him. The next few moments were all a blur to him. He felt Ezra leap backward, thrusting his own body into the air, and the sand rushing up to meet him. The last thing that he saw was the sandy horse of the crimson rider gallop off and out of sight.
~Vision~
The young priest staggered into the large temple at the center of Kuru Ena clutching his bleeding wound; his will to live seemed to be the only thing that kept him breathing. As he stared into the depths of the temple only one word came to his mind - Hell. Flames engulfed most of the room; they seemed to come from a large pit constructed in the very center of the building. At the edge of the roaring fire stood many of the Pharaoh's guards; their built muscles and golden armor gleamed in the malicious flame. Next to them, in a frightened huddled mass, stood the villagers of Kuru Ena; a lucky few were dead, but most of them were crouched over in fear, wishing for the same fate.
The blue eyed priest watched in horror as the Pharaoh's warriors, people who he had known and trusted, dragged the innocent bodies of the villagers towards the immense fire. Seto wanted to help them, but his body was frozen in pure disbelief. How could they even think of doing this? Weren't they the noble guard of the Pharaoh? He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head in contemplation. "Don't just stand there!" he scolded himself.
Just as he had struggled to his feet a chorus of blood curdling screams pierced through the air. A surge of feelings rushed into the priest's mind. Anger, fear, regret - you could seem them raging about in his wide sapphire eyes.
Unable to watch the horrifying scene any longer, Seto turned away from the fire. He lurched over to the nearest wall and leaned up against it. The strain on his legs became overwhelming and he let himself slide down the tepid stone onto the coarse ground.
Like a scared child, he cradled his head in his knees and wept. It wasn't right - they couldn't murder innocent people like that - it just wasn't right. How could the Pharaoh order such a punishment for something like petty thievery? Of course, this was more than just a punishment; somehow this senseless slaughter would grant power to the Pharaoh... What kind of power can you get by killing the blameless? He felt so betrayed; betrayed by the one person to whom he had held the highest respect.
The priest's eyes narrowed to a deathly level; he let one last tear spill before creating a frigid barrier over his heart. Never again would he be hurt so badly - be so betrayed. He lifted his head to see a man walking toward him and not just any man - Akunadin. On his ragged features seemed to be a look of pity, but it was quickly replaced with the well-known look of malice. He raised a worn hand; in his leathery grasp he held a sleek golden object; its glossy surface gleamed dangerously in the light of the fire.
"The Millennium Rod."
~End Vision~
Seto slowly awoke and began coughing wildly; if he didn't know any better, he would've sworn to be made out of sand. He managed to brush most of the sand off of himself and decided not to get to his feet quite yet. Although he hated being on his knees, it seemed better than lying on the ground; he didn't have the strength (or the senses) to get to his feet anyway. He looked around at his surroundings; Ezra was lying quietly behind him and something golden rested at the horse's feet. Seto crawled over and started wiping the sand away from the shiny object. Seconds later the mysterious Eye of Horus was gazing back up at him.
"The Millennium Rod?" Seto questioned. What were the chances of running into that in the middle of the desert? Wasn't Yugi supposed to have it? How did it get here? Questions similar to those raced through the blue eyed boy's head, many of them unaccompanied by answers. "It seems 'Destiny' is playing games with me again."
Feeling strong enough to stand, Seto slipped the golden rod into an open knife holder and started towards his horse. As long as he found it he might as well keep it. Ishizu had mentioned that the Uraeus had wanted all the Items so having the Rod would most likely put a dent in their plans at the very least. As he climbed back onto the midnight horse, he swore not to use the 'powers' that it supposedly contained - it wasn't like he believed it did have powers, but it was better to be safe than sorry... All that mattered to him now was rescuing Téa. His midnight-blue eyes scanned the ground, finally catching sight of footprints from the crimson rider's horse. He motioned Ezra forward and the two resumed their chase, galloping off into the misty blue sands of the nocturnal desert.
* * * * *
Mamono: Die Ende!
Seto: Speak English...
Mamono: Fine... Anyway. here's some questions I have for you all!
1) Do you know the next phrase that will be in part 2? Betray _____? Finish the sentence!
2) I've been messing around with color symbolization---Notice any and what does it mean?
3) What do you think of Marik so far? (Where do you think his loyalties lie?)
Mamono: ^__^ Seto, guess what?
Seto: No.
Mamono: It's my Birthday tomorrow!
Seto: And?
Mamono: And *I* have a date!
Seto: Oh?
Mamono: With you and ISE! ^~
Seto: ...
Mamono: Anyway some last comments!
I don't own Yugioh! I do own Ezra and the Uraeus, though... The story too of course...
DSF is an awesome Beta! Thankies! Everyone go read her story A Wheeler Wedding! It's fun!
I think I'll be cutting chapter length to update quicker... I think.
Um.... Have a wonderful day and review!