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(.........) Yami's thinking
/........./ Hikari's thinking
"........." Normal speech
'.........' Normal thoughts
(A/N: .........) Author's Note
Normal Writing: Common Time
Italic Writing: Dream/memory.
Chapter Eight
"Pharaoh's guards!"
"Get the gold, let's get out of here!"
Whispers in the night.
People Shouting.
Bakura ran.
- - - - - -
Ryou was let out of the hospital a few days later, and was called "a marvel" by more than one doctor on his quick recovery.
Yami Bakura was silent for the most part. Ryou had tried talking to him, but it was like talking to a wall.
Yeah, a wall is the perfect thing to use in that sentence. Yami Bakura had put up a wall between Ryou and him, and wasn't taking it down.
/Bakura?/
No answer.
/Bakura, please answer me!/
Nothing but silence inside his head.
/Please, Bakura! I'm sorry that I couldn't defend myself and had to have you do it!/
Was that a little waver in the dark silence?
/Bakura, I'll fend for myself now!/
No, it stopped.
/I know we already discussed this, but please! I need to talk!/
Utter quiet. Dark shadows swirling.
/Bakura............/
- - - - -
(Another Dream.)
Time.
Time destroys all things.
But time would not have destroyed the village of Kuru Eruna.
The Pharaoh did that.
And he will pay.
Bakura and Mariku made him pay. They had risen in power and status in the Bandits' Lair. They were now high in the rankings, considered powerful and dangerous Tomb Robbers.
Mariku lived a double life. He had a cousin who he had went to after his father's large house was burned.
No one knew that the Mariku who lived with the Ishtar Family was the same Mariku that robbed the wealthy tombs of the rich.
Bakura was clearly on his way to becoming one of the greatest thieves to ever live. He was even raiding the Pharaoh's palace now.
Tonight, the Ishtar family was being honored by the Pharaoh for their loyalty and hard work, a rare honor. The family had protected the secrets of Pharaohs and their tombs for centuries, and now they were finally being repaid for that work. Mariku was attending as well, to avoid any suspicion.
Bakura decided that since tonight was a special night for his friend, he would lay off tonight's palace raid and go on a more simple raid of the merchant tombs.
They always had good stuff there.
Slipping through the desert sand and reaching the place where the rich nobles were buried, Bakura dodged the guards that were lazily standing about and entered one that he had been eyeing for the past couple of days.
Picking the lock was simple. The locks were not hard at all and after the merchant had been entombed no one bothers to clean them, so they're rusty and old as well.
Entering, he cautiously put one foot in front of the other. Just because they were only merchants didn't mean they didn't have traps and false ends like the tombs of the royals. Just not so many. Soon, Bakura will rob the tomb of a royal person. A Pharaoh, or some other high and mighty lord. Maybe a priest. That might be fun.
Wrenching his thoughts to the situation at hand, he padded forwards, avoiding one stone in the floor that was a different hue of brown than its brothers. It might be a false alarm, but better safe than sorry.
The walls were dark, no torches lit, but Bakura could navigate pretty good in the dark, so he only lit a small candle, enough to see by without letting out too much light.
He paused before a door. Most tombs had false doors, with the real tomb farther back. But some switched the custom just to be difficult.
He had to check all the doors.
He opened one and watched the darkness carefully. The stone door was heavy and wanted to shut, but Bakura was not entering until he figured out if there were any traps around.
He shone the small candle in, the dim light flickering upon close stonewalls and the dank floor. How nice and cool it was down here compared to the blazing heat above. Bakura liked the tombs. They represented many things: cool shelter, a place rich in valuables, and, most of all: a challenge.
And that is what Bakura wanted.
He wanted a challenge.
Ryou shifted in his sleep, waking up enough to go get a drink of water. The thoughts of Yami Bakura's raid still in his mind as he walked quietly down the hall.
Drinking the water and replacing the glass, and sleepily wandering over back to his bed, he plopped down and went back to sleep.
Oddly enough, his dream started where it had left off.
The corridor seemed clear of any dangers, but Bakura held the candle out farther, examining every crack in the stone of the walls and floor and ceiling. Looking for a trigger, a area wide enough to shoot a poisoned dart out of, to start a blaze of fire that filled the corridor, to release a large boulder, or any of the other numerous dangers of tomb robbing.
Seeing none, he walked cautiously in, stepping carefully and lightly, balancing on his toes and ready to bolt if anything should happen.
He reached the end with no trouble, only to find a dead end.
He frowned in disappointment, and walked back, walking just as carefully as before.
He searched the entire tomb, twice avoiding traps that would have ended his young life rather quickly.
But he had not found the true tomb.
Unless.............
That may be. Bakura whirled and went back to the first dead end he had run into, and went down it, being just as cautious as the first time.
He reached the end, and examined that wall carefully. Some people were rich and smart enough to have a false wall constructed in front of their tombs, to foil thieves.
Yes........right there. A hairline crack between the joining of the two stonewalls. Bakura flipped one of his knives out and edged the blade into the wall. He applied leverage, hoping that the merchant didn't have it sealed as well. Most merchants wanted their loyal family to keep dropping off offerings while they rested in the After Life. To do so, they would have to keep the wall moveable.
To his luck, the wall moved minutely, so he applied more pressure.
With a sharp CRACK the blade broke.
Bakura stared in dismay at the worthless knife.
Cursing, he drew another one. This time the false wall opened and he was able to enter.
Before his eyes lay riches.
Gold, ceramic vases, blades of different sizes, rich food and wine, and other such valuables.
Bakura removed a satchel that he had brought for this moment. He would only take the best of the lot. Enough for him to carry without impeding his movement should he have to run.
Scooping up the best-made gold, he placed it in. Then he bypassed the other golden items and collected silver.
No matter what people will think, silver was better to steal than gold. Gold was heavier, bulkier, and more obvious.
Silver, on the other hand, was easier to melt down (and sell), was slimmer, less weight to carry, and a lot more silver can be carried at once than gold.
Slinging the pack over his shoulder, he left the tomb and wandered onto the sands of the desert. No one would know he had stolen anything until later.
The challenges of life.
So much fun.
(End Dream.)
Ryou woke up the next morning due to his alarm clock, and still no answer from Yami Bakura.
Ryou was starting to get worried.
(End Chapter.)
Thanks to all reviewers!
Anime Crazed: Thanks a lot! I try.
Telly: Yeah.......I like it when Yami Bakura humbles Yami. Thanks for your review.
IMPROVED Uber Rei Model 06: Sorry it's not yaoi, but I don't like to write it, even if I will read some. Thank for your review and I'm glad you still like my story!
Han Futsu: Anti Normal: Wow, thanks a lot!
Lilmatchgirl007: I know he's a bit OOC here, but I wouldn't go too far off his original character. But some people wanted a bit of fluff, so I gave it to them. Thanks for your review!
Fast-Talking Johnny: lol, thanks a lot!
Daisaigai 697832: Thanks a lot for your review! Yeah, Yami Bakura could be noble every once in a while, I guess.
