Sorry for any typos. I wanted to get this chapter out as fast as I could, so I didn't have a lot of time to proof it. This is a long chapter, lots of stuff going on. Like usual, I hope I don't disappoint you. Please, enjoy.
The Gods' Grace
Chapter 24
Malachi stood and watched as the determined blonde had finally made up his mind. Jounouchi had waited long enough for Bakura to return. He had, in fact, for the second night in a row stood by the window all night until the first golden hews of the sun could be seen over the roof tops of the Theban homes. Bakura had not returned, and therefore, it was his time to go. He was not going to let his sister be held captive by that evil Pharaoh any longer. There were many reasons that he could think of as to why he shouldn't go, but none of them were persuasive enough to make him change his mind.
"I'm leaving now." Jounouchi said as he looked over to where Malachi was standing, with his arms crossed and an amused look on his face
Malachi grunted in response, raising his shoulders slightly as if to wordlessly say 'and your point is?'. What was he telling him for? Like he gave a rats ass where Jounouchi was going. All he was worried about was that Jounouchi would somehow end up having Malik's guards follow him back here and then Malachi would be screwed.
"Have fun getting yourself killed." Malachi said to him as he watched the boy make his way to the door.
Jounouchi made a fist as he turned around to face Malachi.
"You really have a lot of confidence in me don't you?" He snapped.
"No, actually, I really don't." Malachi replied, chuckling slightly before he walked over to his couch and flopped down on it, resting his feat on the arm.
"You think he can kill me that easily?" Jounouchi asked, sounding a little more serious. But Malachi still could care less.
"He'd probably kill you quicker than I'd give him credit for, after all, he managed to kill Bakura, so he's-"
"Don't say that!" Jounouchi bellowed walking over to Malachi and raising his hand, however, having no intention to strike. "How can you say such things? Just because Bakura isn't back doesn't mean that he's dead!"
"Well, evidently you feel the same way or else you wouldn't be going now would you?" Malachi asked casually raising his eyebrows. "It's either that or you just don't trust Bakura to bring back your sister."
Jounouchi stood silent and blinked a few times. If he didn't think Bakura to be dead, then why was he going?
"I just have to be sure that he got her, ok?!"
"Fine, I'm not stopping you, there's the door." He pointed as he laughed again.
In a huff, Jounouchi turned around and walked out of the door, not even stopping to look back as he rounded the corner and walked out into the empty streets of Thebes.
0 0 0
Dawn had arrived, and the dark black sky soon turned into a deep shade of purple as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Mariku had already packed the things that he needed and tied them to the back of his jet black Arabian, and he was now sitting in his living room, waiting for Isis to wake up before he took off.
It wasn't long before he heard the rustle of clothing behind his bedroom door, and finally, Isis opened the door and stepped out. She glanced up at him, not really expecting him to be up so soon.
He gave her a fake smile as he stood up and walked over to the table, pouring her some wine.
"I see someone likes to sleep late." He commented, handing her the chalice. She looked down at it before taking a sip. Isis didn't really like to drink wine, but there was obviously nothing else around.
"I didn't sleep much last night." She said back, trying not to put on too much of a sour face after having drank some of the strongest wine she ever remembered consuming.
"I'm sorry that my accommodations are not up to par, but I make due with what I've got." He said angrily.
Isis's cheeks immediately flushed red as she choked a little on the sip of wine that she just took.
"N-no I didn't mean...your bed was fine. It's just that...I had another vision last night. A-and it slightly alters our plans. But hopefully it will work out for our benefit."
"Is that so?" He asked as he leaned against the table, crossing his arms in a 'this better be good' sort of way. "Lemme guess, now you want me to kiss and make up with Malik, is that it?"
"Of course not. My necklace showed me a boy, tied to the stakes in the valley of the dead. You remember how to get there right?"
"Sure I do, but why would I want to go there?" He asked curiously.
"Because that boy, Bakura is his name, is the crux of this whole operation." She could see that Mariku was ready to ask her a boatload of questions but she immediately stopped him by raising her hand. "Please don't ask me why, because I have no idea why my sennen necklace chose to reveal this to me. I just choose not to second guess it."
Mariku hesitated for a moment before pushing himself away from the table and slowly pacing back and forth. "So lemme get this straight. You want me to go into the valley of the dead, get this boy, and then he's going to help me...steal the rod?"
Isis nodded and she began to explain to him what Bakura looked like so that Mariku could easily find him. "And you've got to hurry because he's dying even as we speak."
"Fine, I get your point." Mariku reached over to the wall and pulled down his black cloak. Raising his arms he flung the garment around until it rest on his shoulders. He stepped out of the house to where his horse was waiting. Isis followed him and watched as her brother mounted the horse and pulled the hood of the cloak over his head.
Without so much as a goodbye, Mariku kicked the horse and sped off down the main road of Goshen.
She stood and watched him until she could see nothing but the dust settling back onto the ground. With him went everything that she had been planning for. He just rode away with her last hope for ever being able to save Malik. If this didn't work, nothing would.
Sighing, she went back into Mariku's house and walked into his bedroom. Between the mixture of the wine she drank and her nerves, her body felt strangely distant, and she had to lie down, before she fell down, that is. Closing her eyes, she tried to let her mind wander, so that she would be less focused on the things that were causing her to be so unnerved. It was an old trick that she learned that helped to keep her so calm even in the most stressing of matters. Most people would try to clear their minds, but Isis knew that that never worked because it only caused you to think more intensely on the thing that you were trying to block out. What she liked to do was to try and think about so many other things that whatever was worrying her was simply pushed out of her mind. It usually worked, but for some reason, her mind was not wandering like it should have been. The image of Malik was imprinted on her brain, and no amount of introspection was going to change that.
0 0 0
Malik found himself wandering pointlessly around his palace. Somehow he knew that no matter where he hid, or how much he kept moving, it was only a matter of time before Yami would find him and start bugging him about when he was going to kill Ryou.
'If you don't do it today, then you'll never do it.' He told himself, and that was probably right. Hell, he didn't even know if Ryou was still alive after what he had done to him last night. Malik didn't know what came over him. He just couldn't help himself when he took in the sight of his precious angel, behind bars, in a place where he could never escape. It brought out something in him that didn't care how much he hurt Ryou. All this time he would have never touched Ryou like that, or forced him into something that he damn well knew the boy wasn't ready for. Even that first night, as he recalled, he did not continue on after Ryou begged him to stop, never did he go against Ryou's wishes, even though every time he was with the boy he longed to do what he had finally done last night, he had held back, not wanting to damage their delicate relationship.
'Why are you so worried about last night? He already hates you! And you're going to kill him anyway so just forget about it!' Yes, this was true he thought. But still...that did not dismiss the fact that he had purposely and ruthlessly forced himself upon the boy, when he had always told himself, and Ryou for that matter, that he would never hurt him. Man if only he could go back, he had really fucked up this time. He would never stop wanting Ryou, and...caring for him, but is it truly possible to love someone to death? The more Malik thought about it, the more he believed that the old adage was not just a mere saying. He did love Ryou, and he did not want anybody else to hurt him, or even so much as look at him. He wanted Ryou all for himself, forever. And if that meant killing him, then so be it. Demented, twisted reasoning like this is what enabled Malik to carry on. Without justifying his reason for killing Ryou, he knew that he wouldn't be able to do it at all. He needed some sort of excuse, and what he came up with suited him just fine. He really did love Ryou, to the point of ending his life. He loved that boy to death... literally.
'Damn, you really have become good at convincing yourself that you're always right in what you do.' He told himself, but it was more of a put down than anything. Not really paying attention to where he was going, Malik suddenly found himself at the end of the hallway, and directly in front of him was the palace's shrine to Mut. Sighing, he looked down the left corridor as he recalled yesterday's events with vivid detail. Everything about it haunted him. Of all the emotions that he remembered about yesterday, one stuck out most in his mind. The fact that he was so pleased with himself for causing Ryou to become so terrified of him. He thought back to the look on Ryou's face when the boy ran into him. It was if he had seen a ghost.
"I see someone's deep in thought."
Malik snapped his head up. He knew this encounter was inevitable, but why did it have to come so soon? He had planned on having at least half the day to be lost in his misery. But no, he had the rest of the day to be lost in his misery while Yami laughed about it.
"Yes, maybe I was, so why don't you leave me alone so that I can continue." He said halfheartedly. He didn't feel like dealing with Yami, and he didn't even feel like snapping back at him just to make himself come out on top. For once, he was above the petty arguing.
"Well, don't think too hard, you might end up hurting yourself." Yami smiled and put his arm around Malik's shoulder. "I know you hate me, but I'm only trying to cheer you up. You've been moping around all day. It's so not like you."
Malik took a step to the side and slipped out of Yami's embrace as he started walking down the corridor. But that would not be enough to get rid of the determined boy.
"You know what I think would cheer you up?" Yami asked as he caught up with his cousin. Malik's only response was to grunt and turn his head in another direction as he continued walking.
"Another bed slave." Yami continued, completely un phased by Malik's lack of interest.
"I don't want another bed slave." Malik said so quietly that he almost couldn't hear himself.
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
With his hands balled into tight fists Malik abruptly stopped and turned on Yami. "I said, I don't want another bed slave!" He bellowed, causing Yami to step back slightly and wave his hands defensively.
"Ok, ok, I get it. I just thought that it would take your mind off of that pathetic little-"
"Watch your tongue you stupid shit before I cut it off." Malik spat before continuing to walk. He didn't appreciate the fact that his cousin was trying to replace Ryou. That and the fact that he was about to insult the boy...
"Whoa...somebody's a little protective." Yami narrowed his eyes. "Wait, I thought you said you didn't care about him?"
"I don't. What's you point?" Malik asked not even bothering to look over at Yami.
"Well I don't know. I just assumed that, you know...If you stick up for the little twit that you most care some about him."
"Yea well your assumption is wrong."
"Oh, well in that case, could I pay him a little visit down in the dungeon before you have to kill him? I'd like to have some fun, if you know what I mean." Yami raised his eyebrows as he elbowed his cousin. He had no intention on doing any such thing; he just wanted to see Malik's reaction.
"You most certainly may not." Malik said, thus silencing the issue with simply the tone of his voice.
Yami kept his facial expressions to a minimum, but inside, he was smiling from ear to proverbial ear. Of course Malik cared about the boy, that was so obvious, which meant that seeing Malik kill him was going to be all the more fun.
"You're right. He's not mine to play with. Too bad you don't have more time to play with him though." Yami shook his head, trying to look sympathetic, but it turned out too gleeful. The two continued to walk down the seemingly endless hallway while Yami was quick to come up with different ways to stab Malik in his already severely wounded heart.
"Can you tell me how you're going to do it?" He asked curiously, thinking that this would make Malik feel particularly bad, seeing as he obviously cared for the boy so deeply.
"Do what?" Malik responded as if he didn't know what Yami was referring to. But he knew exactly what Yami was asking, he just didn't want to talk about it...although, he knew he couldn't avoid it, or else Yami would think that he was backing out.
"C'mon Malik, snap out of it. You know what I'm talking about. How are you going to kill him? I'm just curious. After all, you've killed so many, and you have killed in just about every manner there is. Surely you've got something special planned for your favorite bed slave?"
"Not really." Malik replied slowly, trying to close this conversation. But Yami had not gotten the effect that he was looking for yet, and so he pressed matters on.
"Now, I know you can do better than that Malik Ishtar, the fabled "Evil One". Don't you want to live up to your name? Or is that all it is is a name? Is there nothing to back it up anymore like there used to be?" Yami paused, waiting for a response. But when Malik pretended to ignore him, he knew that he hadn't gone far enough. Yami shook his head disapprovingly as he continued on. "What happened to you? I remember when your favorite past time was devising new and innovative ways to torture your victims...although, if I recall correctly, your favorite has always been the simplicity of the bow. It's quite beautiful really. You, the murderous mastermind who has all the resources that Egypt has to offer, yet you thrive off of doing it the old fashioned way. And you're quite good with a bow if I must say so myself."
Malik quickly caught on to Yami's drift, and a sudden revelation hit him. 'This just might work.'
"I'm not that good with a bow..." He started, but Yami quickly interjected.
"I beg to differ. I've never seen you miss anything that you've aimed for."
"Well then, that's how I'll do it." Malik paused and slowed down his pace, turning to Yami. "And if I'm really as good as you think I am, then I can kill Ryou with one shot right?"
Yami hesitated; this sudden change in Malik had caught him off guard. "Yes, I...suppose." He looked at Malik awkwardly.
"Ok, so I've made up my mind. I'll kill him today, right at sun down, and I'll use my favorite weapon." Malik put a smirk on his face as he realized that Yami looked oddly confused.
"Today? You'll kill him today?" 'What the hell is going on here?' Yami thought inwardly.
"Yes. And since I have such a good aim, only one arrow will be needed, and so that is all I will take." Malik paused for a moment. "The execution will take place in the public square in front of the palace incase you want to come and see the show."
Yami thought for a moment and then he stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"You're only going to take one arrow with you? W-what if you miss?"
Malik shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if I'm as good as you say I am, then we won't have that problem will we?" At that, he began to walk off, only to have Yami yell after him.
"Wait a minute! How do I know that you wont miss on purpose?!"
Malik turned around and shot him a look that spoke of death as he talked in a mere growl.
"Whatever happens will happen, you got that?" He narrowed his eyes threateningly, daring Yami to add anything to that.
When Yami was about to say something, he quickly changed his mind when Malik walked up to him and was only inches from his face. "You got that?" He repeated again to drive his point home that he was not about to take any rebukes from Yami. But Yami didn't know when to quit.
"I know you'll miss on purpose because you don't want him dead." Yami said as he looked Malik right in the eyes.
Malik took a fist full of Yami's hair and pulled on it until the boy found himself down on his knees screaming slightly at how hard Malik was pulling on his hair. He twisted his body trying to get away from the Pharaoh. It was amazing how many times he allowed himself to push Malik this far.
"I will not miss on purpose." Malik said casually before throwing Yami out of his way and continuing to walk down the hallway.
Yami landed on the ground and stared at his cousin as Malik began to walk away. But he had no intention of going after him. His work was done. 'But I know you will, my pathetic cousin.'
0 0 0
Mariku did not even slow down his horse until Thebes was just visible in the distant horizon. He had been traveling the whole day, causing his steed, and himself to become terribly fatigued. More for the benefit of the horse than himself, he slowed down and gazed out in the distance to where he saw Thebes rising out of the desert, resembling an oasis, lost in a sea of sand. The only thing different about this oasis was that it lie right on the east bank of the fertile Nile. The river that breathed life into all of Egypt. Without it, there would be no Egypt.
He pushed the horse into a steady trot, the sooner he arrived, the sooner his horse could have water and adequate rest. Slowly the Theban necropolis grew in size until Mariku was almost at the edge of the city. His eyes took in the sight with bitterness and a hatred that which words alone could not express. From the looks of things, nothing had changed much since he had left, but he knew that once he managed to get inside the city, he would notice many differences. Malik wasn't fit to rule, and because of that, Mariku knew that there would be scores of bitter people inside that city.
Being in Goshen, Mariku met his share of foreigners, and he had noticed over the years that whenever one of them would talk about Thebes, they would always refer to it as the city of a hundred gates. To Mariku, that seemed quite strange, because, as he looked around, he didn't notice any gates, in fact, there weren't really any walls for that matter, save for the few that had been built to keep the wild animals out. And as for what he could remember there never were any gates there. The only thing that was of any significance was the great Pylons that rose up from the center of the city, announcing the presence of the temple of Amun. Maybe that's what they were referring to?
Oh well, no time to think about useless things like that, he could see that he was approaching the outskirts of the city, which meant that he would find himself in the valley of the dead in no time. And sure enough, he found it, it was about a hundred yards in front of him, but the stench was all around him. He paid it no mind though, a minor inconvenience. He spurred the horse on, for the beast was becoming spooked, and Mariku could tell. The horse's steps were cautious, like he knew something that Mariku didn't.
"Come on, move." He ordered with a tone that even the horse was not willing to disobey. His steps became more pronounced as he trotted up to pass the first stake. As Mariku forced the horse deeper into the hallow grounds, the stench became more intense, as did the density of the stakes.
"Man, there must be hundreds of them out here." He said casually as he pulled on the reins, making sure that his horse just missed a decaying body that was sprawled out in between two occupied stakes. 'Heh, you almost made it.' He said inwardly, noting the fact that the man was not tied down by anything. Steadily he maneuvered his way around the numerous stakes, some with bodies, some without, and kept his eyes pealed for a white haired boy. It shouldn't be hard for him to find that boy, after all, it wasn't every day that you found someone with white hair in Egypt. Even Mariku's own hair color was a bit strange.
He was becoming impatient with how long it was taking him to find a boy who should stick out like a sore thumb.
"Why does there have to be so many damn dead people here?" He thought out loud. Malik's playful pass time of killing people was making his job that much harder.
He shielded his eyes as he stopped the horse and looked behind him where the sun was setting, to look at the stakes that were closer to the city. 'It's about damn time.'
Squinting against the light, just to be sure that he hadn't mistaken what he had seen, he confirmed that the young man tied to the stake way in front of him was indeed Bakura.
"Lets go." He ordered, digging his heel into the horse's rib cage. The horse trotted off, and stopped in front of the tomb robber when Mariku had pulled on the reins.
"What have we here?" Mariku questioned curiously as he hopped off the horse and knelt down to the white haired boy, who was currently unconscious, or dead, Mariku couldn't really tell. "You look like you've been through hell." He said, noting the wounds on Bakura's body, and his dry, cracked and bloody lips. If it was true, as he had been told, that this boy was necessary for his plans to be carried out successfully, then Mariku had absolutely no problem with healing him so that he could perform at his peak ability. But bringing him back from the dead? Well...that was on a whole different level. But of course, there was nothing that Mariku couldn't do. No matter what it took, this man would be up and on his feet by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Without hesitation Mariku reached for the dagger that was tucked away under his robes and proceeded to cut Bakura loose from the stake. And once Mariku had removed the boy from the tangle of rope he placed him carefully on the horse and then hopped on himself. He put Bakura in an upright position and situated him between his legs. He could not risk having him fall off and thereby rendering him useless. Not to mention that Mariku didn't feel like stopping to pick him up if he did manage to fall off.
"Let's go!" He shouted, exciting the horse into a gallop, making his way straight into the heart of Thebes.
0 0 0
Locked in his room, Malik managed to find refuge from Yami. However, there was no place with enough locks to save him from himself. For the first time in his life, Malik was scared. He was scared, and incredibly nervous.
Glancing out to his balcony, he realized that the sun had begun to make it's descent into the underworld. It was time. So he slowly walked over to the corner where he kept his prize possession and picked it up, along with a single arrow. The execution was to take place in the public square where all could see. Usually the Pharaohs would use these public executions to let the masses know that they meant business, sort of like a warning... 'if you get in trouble, this is what will happen to you.' But for Malik, he liked to use it to strike fear into the hearts of his people. Either that, or to remind them that he didn't care how miniscule your crime was; if you messed up, you got shot. But this time he needed it to serve as a message. He wanted to let them know that he was still the same old evil one that he had always been. It had been a while since he had killed anyone publicly, and he didn't want the people to think that he was getting lenient. Ryou was the perfect candidate for his renewed campaign. He was pure, and perfectly innocent; never having committed a crime in his life. Merely a young peasant boy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Malik wanted to make an example out of him. His message now was that he didn't care if you were guilty or not, if he was in the mood, he'd kill you.
Taking a few deep breaths he left his room to retrieve Ryou from the dungeon.
Malik hated himself more and more with every step that he took. The closer he came to the dungeon, the more he just wanted to drop his bow and run away. He couldn't believe that after all Ryou had done for him, he was about to kill the boy, simply to reclaim the title of 'evil one.'
The journey from his room to the dungeon felt like it took no time at all. Before he knew it he was rounding the corner at the bottom of the stone steps, making his way to the cell that Ryou was being held in. He had left two guards at the top of the stairs, just to be safe.
Coming to a halt right next to Ryou's cell, he closed his eyes and hung his head slightly, with the bow clutched tightly in his right hand. He didn't even know if he could look at the boy after what he had done to him last night. But...he had no choice. Slowly Malik opened his eyes and looked down to his left. Beyond the bars and against the prison wall lie his beautiful angel; scarred and bloody, with his eyes closed and the most sorrowful look etched on his face. Malik took careful notice of Ryou's chest, rising and falling ever so slightly. He could tell that Ryou was in great pain, most likely having suffered immensely all night. 'What the hell have I done to him?'
Malik could not believe that the gods had blessed him with such a perfect gift, and he had the audacity to go and break him as if he were nothing but a mere toy. Seeing Ryou in this state, Malik couldn't help but think that maybe death was the best thing for Ryou. At least then Malik wouldn't be allowed to hurt him anymore...
Clearing his throat, Malik shook his head, trying to erase his thoughts as he fumbled with the lock. 'Why is my damn hand shaking so much?!' Finally able to get the key in the hole, Malik pushed the gate open with a creak, and stepped in.
Ryou was not unconscious...he was not even asleep. He just kept his eyes shut tightly as he heard the Pharaoh entering his cell. He did not want to look at Malik, and he did not want Malik to speak to him. So it came as quite a shock when he felt Malik's hand on his shoulder, he couldn't help but peek one eye open to see what Malik was up to. Ryou felt his entire body go rigid when he saw what Malik was holding. 'No...please...' He felt Malik start to pick him up... 'Ra, no!'
Malik slung the bow around him so that he was free to carry the unconscious Ryou with both arms. Maybe it was better this way. Then Ryou wouldn't struggle. Somberly he began to carry Ryou out of the cell when...
"NO!" The younger boy cried, forcing his way out of the Pharaoh's hold. Ryou fell to the ground and landed hard on his back. But he didn't care; he needed to get away from Malik. Malik had that bow in his hands, and Ryou knew that that meant bad news for him. Malik was going to kill him!
"Ryou!" Malik yelled, as he dropped to his knees right where Ryou had fallen.
Ryou responded by sitting up and pushing Malik away, with all of his might.
"No! Stay away from me!" He screamed, franticly trying to move away from Malik.
"Calm down! I'm not here to hurt you." Malik paused as he mentally kicked himself for lying like that to Ryou.
Ryou paused as he gave a sideways glance to Malik's bow. Malik noticed this and quickly came up with another lie.
"Don't worry about that. I'm only going hunting. I...I came down here to..." Malik breathed in deeply before he told the ultimate lie. "To let you go." He finished, looking Ryou right in the eyes. 'You really are evil, you know that?'
Ryou glanced over Malik's expression. He doubted that Malik was telling the truth, but what other choice did he have?
Malik stood up and offered Ryou his hand. Ryou, however unwilling, reached out and allowed himself to be pulled up, because he was still too weak to do much on his own.
Malik heaved a guilty sigh before leading Ryou down the hallway and up the steps, all the while holding the boy up for support, knowing all too well why the boy was hardly able to walk in the first place. His heart was pounding faster and faster when he thought about what stood waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Two of Malik's guards were standing at the entrance waiting for the Pharaoh to return with the slave boy. When that time came, their orders were to grab the boy and lead him to the execution platform. They were to have him tied up and ready by the time Malik had reached the public square.
Slowly he and Ryou reached the end of the short incline, with Ryou reluctantly clinging to Malik for support. As they crossed the threshold, the bright light of the sun that streamed into the palace quickly caught Ryou off guard. It was quite a change from the dark and wet dungeon. But before he knew what hit him, he felt Malik quickly back away as two other pairs of hands immediately took hold of him. Looking up he saw who had grabbed him. It was two of Malik's guards.
"No! You lied to me! Malik!" Ryou yelled at Malik when he saw the boy turning to walk away, without even acknowledging his voice. He felt the guards pull on him, and he found it useless to struggle. After all, if he couldn't even manage to escape Malik, there was no way on earth that he'd ever be able to break free of these guys.
Malik slowly walked away as the guards led Ryou in the other direction. The boy's voice echoed in his ear.
"You lied to me!" He screamed. But Malik continued to walk. If he lingered a moment longer he would have ripped Ryou from their arms; and he most certainly could not let that happen. So instead, he let them take him, while he tried his hardest to ignore the cries coming from Ryou.
Soon they would meet again. Very soon. Dusk was upon Egypt, and the sun was also setting on Ryou's life. Malik felt nauseous just thinking about it. 'Walk it off.' He told himself. He most assuredly didn't want to break down in front of the hundreds of people that would show up for this execution. So he had to do something to calm his nerves. But the only thing he could think of was simply taking a long detour out to the execution platform, where Ryou would be waiting for him. So that was exactly what he did; heading in the opposite direction of the exit, with his bow slung behind him, and a single arrow held loosely in between his fingers.
He walked on and on, and with each passing minute his world became more real. He was going to kill Ryou. 'Just keep walking!' His mind screamed, as if walking would somehow make him feel better. Of course, it didn't so he knew that he couldn't waist anymore time trying to get a hold of himself. Yami was probably already out there wondering why he was late. Most likely Yami would assume that he had in fact chickened out like he predicted. Well, that just wasn't the case...
Malik spun himself around and strode confidently down the corridor, deciding that he had better show up soon, or he just might not show up at all.
It took him the whole length of the hallway before he had finally forced himself to breathe normally. There was no way that he was going to walk out in front of all those people looking like a scared little child. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes as he approached the mahogany doors that led from his throne room to the outside world.
Nodding to his guards, they answered with a low bow before they opened the double doors in unison. Malik stepped outside and took notice of the rather large crowd that was starting to form down in the main square. Evidently people were curious to see who this evil Pharaoh's next victim would be.
Malik waited until his two guards had shut the door before he continued on. It was standard protocol to have a few guards accompany a Pharaoh anytime he decided to step out of the protection of the palace. As soon as they arrived at the platform, his escorts would disperse amongst the other guards to keep the crowd in check. No one was allowed on the execution platform except for Malik and his victim. That was one of the first rules that Malik had established as Pharaoh. There was to be nothing that came between him and the hunt.
It was a rather short walk from the palace to the public square, and upon arrival, everything went according to plan. The two guards went off to the side and Malik, who now had a hardened expression on his face that he was determined to keep, slowly walked up the wooden steps. The platform was raised, so that all could have a clear view.
Malik managed to glance at the crowd and noticed that they looked unusually displeased with this particular execution. He also happened to notice Yami, standing right in the front between two guards with his arms crossed and an almost cynical grin on his face.
'Stay calm.' He ordered himself. But all of his years of discipline seemed to disappear when he climbed the last step and took in the sight that was before him.
There was the most pitiful, yet at the same time, most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Ryou stood straight up, his weight being supported by the pole that he was tied to. Malik could see clearly now the aftermath of what his actions had caused. Ryou's body was covered in bruises and deep scratches.
It took all of the strength he could muster to keep a stone cold expression, when all he really wanted to do was cry. But that was unthinkable.
Ryou said nothing, and he made no attempt to free himself from the rope that tied his hands behind the pole. He knew it would come to this. And this is what he deserved. After all, this was how Bakura had to die, tied to a stake, because of him. It only seemed fitting that he go down in the same manner. Yet, he was still terrified. He could feel his body shaking immensely, and he wasn't sure if that was caused entirely by fear, or if it was still because he was going though intense pain. It was most certainly not comfortable being forced into this position, especially when only a night ago, he had been severely raped.
When Malik could finally feel his hands he pulled his bow from around his body and positioned it in front of him. He could delay no longer without calling the whole thing off. If he looked at Ryou for even a second more....
There was nothing but the sound of his own heart beating like madly in his ear as he placed the back of the arrow onto the string. It felt like time was standing still when he pulled the string back as far as he possibly could. 'It'll all be over soon Ryou.'
He hesitated, standing as still as death as his eyes wandered over to where Yami was positioned in the crowd. This was all because of him...Malik could feel his eye start to twitch...that ass.
He breathed in, and then out. Turning his gaze back to Ryou, his hands immediately started to shake.
'No...I....'
The crowd watched on intensely, not even seeming to blink.
'Only one arrow...but...' His heart grew louder, the stares from the masses becoming more emanate.
'I can't!'
He released the arrow, sending it soaring through the air. Only one arrow. With no margin for error. In a split second the sound of the arrow smacking right into wood echoed throughout the square. Gasps were released from the crowd. Malik was breathing deeply. He turned his face up and looked at Ryou, who had his eyes shut tightly, with an arrow lodged in the pole right over his head.
Immediately there was an uproar that spread throughout the crowd, and before Malik even knew what hit him, he felt a sharp pain right under his heart.
"A-ah!" He cried out as he fell to his knees. The only thing he could hear were loud screams and vaguely he saw his soldiers rushing up onto the platform.
'What...happened...' He cringed again as he brought his hand up to where the pain was centered. He pressed on it tightly only to feel something warm and wet. Malik looked at his hand, which was now covered in blood. But that was the last thing he saw...
0 0 0
After having left Malachi's house early that morning, Jounouchi had become aware of the fact that there was to be an execution in the public square. Upon receiving this news, his plans to get into the palace had altered a bit. He lingered around the square all day, until finally there was a large crowd starting to form. His new plan—to catch the Pharaoh off guard while he was doing his dirty work.
He was going to wait until he saw the Pharaoh up on the platform, then he was going to sneak his way into the palace to save his sister, and, if Bakura had indeed failed, Ryou as well.
Finally it was time. The sun was setting and a line of guards formed around both sides of the platform. Jounouchi was too far back to see who they were bringing out, and so, curiosity getting the best of him, he decided to push through the crowd in order to get a better view.
By the time he was half way there, he could tell that the Pharaoh had made his appearance by the sudden hush that washed over the crowd. Jounouchi felt compelled to hurry. He briskly squeezed his way around people and continued to look up. He saw Malik standing on the platform with his bow raised. It was only a few moments later, with his eyes still fixated on the Pharaoh that he somehow managed to reach the front of the assembly.
And it was just in time too. He saw Malik pull the string back. Jounouchi was finally able to see the young boy on the other end of the platform. 'Oh my gods!'
But there was nothing he could do. Helplessly he watched as Malik fired the arrow at Ryou.
"No!" He screamed. Jounouchi couldn't help himself. Before any of the guards could get to him he raced onto the platform and quickly grabbed his dagger. Lifting it, he held it in the air for a brief moment before plunging it into Malik's chest. But no sooner had he stabbed the Pharaoh than the guards were upon him. That was the last thing Jounouchi ever did, for the guards were on a no tolerance policy. They had beaten Jounouchi to death within moments. Jounouchi was able to do nothing in protest, there were too many guards holding him down.
Ryou stood and watched on in horror as the guards relentlessly beat the blonde; not really paying attention to the fact that he was still alive and that the arrow was nestled snugly in the wood right above his head. He was too horrified by the scene that was taking place in front of him. Jounouchi fell to his knees as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
"No!" He cried. But he was unable to do anything. Once the guards were sure that Jounouchi was dead, they simply threw his lifeless body off the platform and left it to be dealt with by city clean up.
Meanwhile hundreds watched on in sheer amazement as the Pharaoh fell to his knees and clutched his bleeding chest. Ryou saw Malik look up at him before the blonde boy fell all the way down, with his blood slowly oozing out from under him.
Ryou watched on as Malik's guards quickly came to his aid, picking up the Pharaoh, and rushing his limp body back up to the palace, leaving Ryou still tied to the stake.
0 0 0
It took only a few minutes for Mariku to ride his way into town after having picked up his unconscious cargo. His next step was to find a place to stay, and since it had been years since he had stepped foot in Thebes, he knew of only one place. That was, of course, the tavern. He knew no one that lived in the city, and he was not about to risk it all by doing something rash, so he decided upon the most inconspicuous option, and that was, to rent a room.
He had little trouble finding the place, even in the dark. However, he couldn't help but notice the curious stares from the town's people as he passed them on his jet black horse with an unconscious boy propped up between his legs. Mariku had been forced to slow down the horse for fear of Bakura slipping off, and that did not do anything to help the situation, it just gave the people more time to gawk. And he knew what they were staring at; after all, how many people did they see that looked almost exactly like the Pharaoh? He was sure none of them knew that Malik even had a brother, but his looks did nothing to help quell the curiosity.
Without too much searching, Mariku managed to find the inn. Tying his horse up outside he proceeded to drag Bakura down. Against his better judgment, he decided to take the tomb robber in with him, knowing that it would only heighten his conspicuousness, but then again, leaving an unconscious boy outside alone in a place like this wasn't a very good idea either; thus weighing his options, bringing Bakura in seemed a more plausible idea.
He took note of the place, glancing around the empty mead hall, thankful for the lack of people. With his arm wrapped around the white haired boy, Mariku walked up to the only man that was in the place, figuring that he must be the innkeeper. The plump man had his back to them and was busy doing something behind a wooden table.
"Do you own this place?" Mariku asked impatiently as he shifted Bakura in his arm. The man took no notice of him as he simply replied with an 'mm' and continued with whatever he was doing. Mariku did not take kindly to the discourtesy and he walked closer to the man and tapped him on the shoulder as he narrowed his eyes.
The innkeeper took a moment before he turned around. His eyes shot wide open when he saw who was behind him.
"What did you do to him?!" He shouted.
Mariku looked slightly confused, but then he noticed that the man was staring at the boy in his arms. He gave a slight chuckle as he watched the man's distressed appearance.
"Don't worry about it." He said with a smirk.
The innkeeper never forgot a face, especially a face that belonged to a person that threatened him. And the boy in this man's arms was most certainly the boy that had crossed him a while ago. But another thing...The fat man looked closely at the darker boy, with his light hair, and his stormy violet eyes. This boy looked so familiar, he looked like the... 'Holy Ra...'
"Stop gawking old man. I want a room." Mariku snapped. The man jumped at his harsh tone and bowed his head slightly. "Y-yesser...p-please, come this way."
The innkeeper grabbed a candle and led Mariku through a door in the back that led into a dark hallway. Mariku followed him up some stairs and at the top the man walked a little bit and stopped at the third door on the left.
"This...i-it is my only vacant room sir." He trembled, causing the candle light to flicker, casting ghostly shadows across Mariku's face, only serving to scare the man even more. 'T-this can't be him...why would he be here?'
"This will do." Mariku stated, pushing the door open. He turned back to the man. "Get my stuff and take my horse to the stables, make sure he has food and water."
The innkeeper bowed his head and hurried off to do as he was told. Mariku walked to the other end of the small room and unceremoniously dropped Bakura down on the bed. Sitting down on the edge, he waited for the man to bring up his supplies, because he could do nothing for Bakura until he had them.
A few moments later there was a knock on the door, and when Mariku opened it, sure enough, there was the man, laden with Mariku's black bags. Hastily he took them from him and slammed the door, eager to get to work. It was going to take a hell of a lot of herbal magick to get Bakura back in top shape; a feat which Mariku looked forward to. He loved to show himself that he could do anything with his powers, heal, hurt...kill. Each day met him with a new challenge that he swore he would overcome, and sure enough, the end of each day came with a new victory. Come morning, there would be another victory to add to his long list. Saving a man who was on the brink of death.
Carefully he placed his bags down beside the bed and pulled out all the necessary items, placing them on the table. He looked at Bakura for a while, intensely studying his wounds and analyzing his condition so that he would know exactly what he needed. That was one of the first things that Isis had taught him as a child, always know what you are dealing with so that you don't over do it...or under do it. Watching the boy lying on the bed, Mariku took note of his uneven, seeming to be difficult breaths. Mariku could tell that, had he been awake right now, Bakura would be going through immense pain. 'Lucky bastard.' Mariku chuckled, realizing that Bakura was better off unconscious...unfortunately, that was not an option. Mariku had to bring him to before he could perform the spells.
Mariku grabbed his small vile of smelling salts and pulled it open, being careful not to inhale any of it, he didn't want to knock himself out in the process. Slowly he waved it back and forth under Bakura's nose. This little trick required no incantation, in the vile was nothing more than a strong smelling salt mixture that he had created while in Goshen. He had...a lot of time on his hands. He could see the salt starting to take effect of Bakura. The boy's chest heaved painfully as if he were taking in deeps gulps of water instead of air. Immediately Mariku pulled the vile away from Bakura's nose and corked it, placing it back on the table.
While Bakura continued to suck in air, Mariku took his wooden bowl and poured some water in it. Dipping a rag in the water, he moved to Bakura's cracked and blistered lips, gently patting them with the moist rag. No matter how vicious a man Mariku could be, there were times when his touch could be as soothing as a mother's. In a moment's time, Bakura's breathing became more regular, and this, Mariku knew, was a sign that Bakura was no longer unconscious, even if the boy didn't open his eyes. Knowing that Bakura was awake, Mariku found it only appropriate that he should say something.
"You're one lucky bastard, you know that?" He sighed, not really expecting a reply. He then discarded the rag and looked at the rest of Bakura's body. 'Malik, you are more foolish than I thought.' He mused, noticing Bakura's perfectly sculpted body. How could Malik have ever thrown this boy away like that? A harsh cough from Bakura jolted Mariku back into focus. He shook his head and continued on with the task at hand. He looked at Bakura's face and saw that the boy was trying to open his eyes. Mariku reached over to the table and picked up a larger vile. He dipped his fingers into it and then ran them across Bakura's eyelids. This was to put moisture back into Bakura's eyes so that it wouldn't burn so much when he was finally able to open them.
Mariku spent the next few minutes carefully studying each bruise, scrape, cut and deep gash that was on Bakura's body...on Bakura's beautiful body...
The more time Mariku spent looking at him, the more disgusted he became. The fact that his brother could just ruin a perfect specimen like this simply blew his mind. Bakura must have done something that really pissed his brother off, because Mariku knew Malik well enough to know that he would have bedded this boy as soon as he could. Well...maybe he was speaking on personal opinion...
'Concentrate!' He scolded himself. This was not the way that he was supposed to go about this. Physical attraction or no, he was to heal Bakura and brief him of the plans, and that was all. Angrily he picked up the bowl of water and added a creamy whitish liquid to it. He sloshed it around three times clockwise and then dipped his fingers into it and swiped them across Bakura's lips. This would heal his cracked lips in minutes.
While that was taking place, Mariku proceeded to create other mixtures to treat everything from sunburn, to wounds from arrows, which Mariku noticed were slashed across Bakura's arm.
"Malik sure did do a number on you." He whispered quietly while unraveling some bandages that he would use once proper medication had been applied. Mariku tended to Bakura with such gentleness, as if the boy were a broken porcelain doll, sometimes too scared to do more than simply evaluate the wound. But Bakura was not going to heal simply by being looked at. But after cleansing the wounds and saying a few chants to Bast while applying the medicines, Mariku had forced himself to wrap the linen bandages tautly around the boy's arm and torso. He could vaguely hear Bakura moan as he sat him up so that he could reach around the boy's back.
Gently laying the boy back down he began to wonder what had caused the sudden change in him. From the time he had released Bakura from the stake, until he dropped him like baggage on the bed, Mariku had treated him with as much care as a hunter would a gazelle he had managed to snag during the hunt. Glancing at Bakura's lips, he saw that they were completely healed, restored to their full softness. 'My magick works wonders.' He smiled inwardly, wondering just how satisfactory his magick was...
'Maybe I should find out...' With a smirk, he found himself being pulled down by some invisible force, drawn to Bakura's newly restored lips. Mariku gently brushed his lips against Bakura's. 'Oh yes...I have done well...' He had most certainly done well, and now he was reaping the benefits. Bakura's lips were perfect...oh if only the boy weren't injured. 'Isis never told me he was so damn good looking...'
Realizing where his train of thought was taking him, Mariku quickly pulled away. 'Damn you...what the hell are you doing!' He glanced back down at Bakura and noticed and almost, placid smile on his face. Yes...the boy was awake, and fully receptive.
"Open your eyes you bastard." Mariku snapped, feeling highly embarrassed that he allowed himself to slip up like that.
Slowly, teasingly, Bakura slid his eyes open, the figure above him coming into hazy view. He wasn't sure where he was or how he got there, but he remembered where he had been, and how much pain he had been in. Now, it seemed as though the pain had stayed behind in the valley of the dead. He knew that this man had something to do with it...this man had saved him. His vision was slowly becoming clearer...wait, this man looked strangely familiar...
"Malik you fucking ass!" Bakura coughed as he struggled to rise. How dare Malik kiss him...again. 'I can't believe I let him!'
"Cool your jets, I'm not Malik."
Bakura sat stunned for a minute, but quickly regained his composure; something about the stranger's voice told him that he was speaking the truth. But...who was he?
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make my presence known to someone." Mariku turned and reached to the floor. Rummaging through his bag he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.
Bakura watched the man with curiosity, his vision still slightly blurred. He couldn't believe that he was able to sit up, not to mention the fact that he was still alive. What did this guy do to him? He continued to watch as the dark boy began to write something on the parchment.
"Has anyone ever told you that you look like the Pharaoh?" Bakura asked.
Mariku didn't even bother to look up, continuing to write he replied sarcastically, "Yea, I get that all the time."
Bakura looked at his bandaged arm as he lay back down on the bed. What in the name of Ra was going on here? Why was he lying in a bed, all bandaged up, after having been saved by a man that he had never met? Not to mention that the man had an uncanny resemblance to a certain Pharaoh who currently was on his hit list.
But enough of that...his heart suddenly did a back flip when he remembered...Ryou. Ryou was still at the palace. Ra knows what Malik has done to him by now. Bakura needed to get back up there. He didn't care how injured he was; he needed to get to Ryou. So he rose from the bed and stood up, his legs were shaking profoundly and he needed to lean on the wall for support, but that was not going to stop him. Nothing was. The Gods had spared him, and he was not going to let their grace go unappreciated.
After finishing with the letter Mariku looked over to find a vacant bed and an extremely weak looking Bakura inching his way over to him.
"Where in the hell do you think you're going?" Mariku asked nastily.
"Nowhere that concerns you." Bakura snapped back.
"Is that anyway to talk to the guy that just saved your life?" Mariku crossed his arms and stood from the chair, blocking Bakura's way.
"I have to get to him!" Bakura shouted desperately trying to move away from the wall, but that was his only means of support.
"You're not going anywhere, look at you, you can't even stand!"
Bakura didn't pay attention to him; no one was going to stop him from getting to Ryou. As long as he still had air in his lungs his one and only goal was to make sure that Ryou was safe and away from that bastard Malik.
"I said, you're not going anywhere!" Mariku shouted, pulling Bakura away from the wall and pushing him back down on the bed. Bakura was too weak to fight back, and he did not like that feeling one bit. "You won't be better until morning, so until then, I suggest you lie down and shut up, or you won't be getting up at all."
As much as Bakura wanted to get back up and punch this guy right square in the jaw, he knew that he was right. Bakura had to be in the best condition possible if he even wanted to stand a chance against Malik this time.
"Fine." Bakura mumbled crossing his arms and flopping back down, hardly able to believe that he was taking orders from a goddamn smart ass stranger. He felt almost no pain, yet he was too weak to stand, he knew was in no position to be saving anyone at the moment.
"Can I ask who you are?" Bakura looked over at the tan boy.
"Mariku."
"You really do look like Malik, you know." Bakura scanned him up and down a few times. 'A bit more attractive though...'
"Yes, so you've told me." Mariku was beginning to wish that he never waved that smelling salt under Bakura's nose. This boy was more trouble than he was worth.
There was a long silence that fell over the room before Bakura spoke up again.
"So do you mind telling me what I'm doing here, and why you bothered to save me?"
Mariku rolled his eyes. 'Does this guy ever shut up?' Mariku was enjoying the lack of noise, but then Bakura had to go and ruin it.
"All of this will make sense in due time. I'll..." Mariku trailed off when he heard a sudden knock on the door. "Finally."
Bakura immediately shot up when he heard the knock and looked somewhat nervous.
"Shit, what if that's one of his guards?" He asked Mariku, after all, no one else knew that they were even here.
"Don't worry about it, this person didn't come without an invitation" Mariku reached the door and turned the knob, opening it slowly. Bakura watched, sitting on the edge of the bed, thinking that it was all going to be over for him.
Mariku put on a smile when he looked out into the hallway. "It's about damn time you got here."
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
That was long, like I said before, a lot happened in this chapter. I just want to warn you, this story will be ending sooner than you think and I promise you, you have no idea what's going to happen! I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally, but alas, that is not possible, so I would like to take this time to express my utmost gratitude to you all. Thank you so very very much for helping me realize that this story was not a total flop (or a waist of my time...really, I actually enjoyed writing it). Thank you!
