Disclaimer: This girl here *points at herself* doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh...*shakes her head*
The Legend of the three souls
Chapter VIII - Playing games
-by Alena S. Anigor
A few curious heads were peeping out of their windows, and a crowd was slowly starting to form in front of the Museum of ancient artifacts. The ambulance vehicle was parked just below the stone steps and a few medics were carrying an injured old man on the flat bed covered with sheets, while a pair of other medics was carrying a young boy who was also lying unconscious on the bed. They put them inside the vehicle carefully, ordering the driver to get ready.
The crowd around them started to whisper when two young men stepped inside the vehicle as well, one of them being recognized as Seto Kaiba.
The other young man stepped behind him, casting a worried glance towards Ishizu and the others who were staying at the entrance, watching the scene with equally worried and frightened expressions.
Yuugi promised Mai and Ishizu to call them as soon as possible, and he and Kaiba also had to give their words to the mysterious man with a turban who practically ordered them to get back to the museum when they were sure that their close ones were all right. He said they had much to learn.
The doors closed, and the ambulance moved slowly out of the parking place in front of the museum, making the crowd of people step aside. They were still murmuring among themselves, casting curious glances towards the, now completely shocked leader of the museum.
Ishizu let out a shaky breath, clasping her hand across her mouth, her eyes falling downwards. How could all that happen, was beyond her. She already had some allusions that this was all somehow connected to the busts and the legend: the theft, Tea's kidnapping, the mysterious men in cloaks and now her best colleague and an innocent boy getting hurt by those same men, who disappeared without a clue when their leader disappeared as well. Only their cloaks that were now in possession of Shadi's hands remained from them. Joey hugged his sister closer, trying to comfort her with words that everything would be okay. Mai was standing stiffly on the top of the stairs, her back rigid and her eyes still wide. She simply couldn't comprehend how fast everything happened and how incredible and unbelievable everything looked like. She felt like she just entered some bad horror movie.
Tristan snapped them all out of their turmoil when he suggested that they should go back to the museum; Shadi was waiting for them.
When they turned around to go inside, Tristan had to wave his hand in front of Ishizu's eyes to see if she had heard him at all. She simply shook her head, whispering how it was all her fault, and it took Tristan some time until he convinced her that Solomon and Mokuba weren't injured that badly and that they'd probably be with them soon enough. But that didn't stop the young woman from flipping all the images in her head all over again, blaming herself not only for Solomon and Mokuba's injuries, not only for Tea's kidnapping, but also for starting the diggings, trying to reveal the legend and clear it out. She felt responsible, realizing that it was her very own ambition and curiosity that brought them into this, that caused so much trouble and so many problems in the first place. She cursed her fascination with the legend, repeating her grief silently in her mind like a mantra.
It's my fault...
Tea was tired, scared, shocked, and she had an immense headache on top of it all. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like her head would explode...and the thief, who was currently dragging her behind him wasn't making the situation any easier. They were walking down the deserted alley, darkness consuming every corner and making the street look like a big giant dark hole they were walking trough. She was stumbling every now and then, trying to catch up with the pace the white haired man was holding. They have been walking for a while, now already far away from the alley where those creepy men attacked them, and haven't spoken a word ever since. The thief seemed to know the path pretty well, because he wasn't stumbling as much as she was, and he knew exactly where to go when they reached the end of the alley and she could see two separate alleys ahead. He turned left, still pulling her behind him like he was dragging a stubborn camel on a leash. Her feet started to ache badly, and her shock subsided slowly, making her aware of the fact just how much tired and exhausted she was. She's been thinking for a while now, trying to come up with good excuse to say something, anything as foolish as it sounded. Her headache gave her just the idea, and she coughed slightly, gathering her courage and hoping her voice wouldn't let her down.
"Uhm...hey, you..." she started, not knowing how to address him since she wasn't quite sure what his name was. The thief showed no sign that he had heard her, so she had to raise her voice a bit.
"Hey!" She half - yelled, and couldn't get any further because the next second, he turned around, pressing his hand across her mouth and glaring at her sinisterly. Tea's eyes widened in fear again, and he leaned in closer, dark orbs glistening threateningly in the almost pitch black alley.
"Silence", he hissed sharply, startling her for a second, before he removed his hand, but didn't let her go. Tea stared at him for a moment, before swallowing hard the lump that climbed suddenly up her throat.
"Sorry", she whispered apologetically and then dared to look at him again, although she could only see his eyes and the edges of his features. His hair was the only thing she managed to see completely since it was light, almost whitish.
He was observing her now, too, watching her in the eyes intently, and she could see the fury still burning in his dark orbs, the hatred and the annoyance she was responsible for when she interrupted him from his wandering trough the alleys.
"I...I really can't go on anymore, my head hurts and my feet-"
"Well too bad for you, because we're continuing," he interrupted her with another hiss, and not wasting any moment, turned around and pulled her by the hand again. This time more violently and Tea had to yelp slightly, gritting her teeth. She didn't dare to provoke him any further, already imaging the things he could do to her in his angry state. So she decided to keep her mouth shut, and try to stay sane until he'd finally stop dragging her.
The alley was narrow, and with Tea's constant stumbling on every rock that found its way under her feet, Bakura couldn't wait to finally reach his hideout and take some time off to think about the events that happened a few hours ago. His plan was almost ingenious - kidnap the leader of the museum, and then hold her captive. Then he would ask for the bust in exchange for the life of the woman...but, things didn't turn out as he planned - first, he had to act quickly and since the woman named Ishizu wasn't there, he had to take the closest to her - the other girl who, as he hoped, wouldn't turn out to be completely useless. Then, he would demand an exchange for the bust and he would go to pick up the bust, while Marik would keep an eye on the girl. Well, now he had neither - he had no bust, and he lost Marik to a bunch of weirdoes in cloaks who on top of all that, simply disappeared after that.
Oh yes, the night was definitely and completely screwed up now, and his ingenious plan was totally ruined. And the annoying girl still dared to ask dumb questions if they were 'there yet'. He couldn't take it anymore, this whole thing was slowly starting to eat at his nerves so without a warning, he turned around and pushed the girl towards the wall, silencing her immediately, and she was again, left with mouth open, now scared and frightened of him again. He reached for his knife, and it glistened in the dark for a second, before he leaned it against the girl's neck. She let out a gasp, staring widely at him, eyes pleading him not to do anything to her. But he already lost his patience and his composure and he wanted nothing more than to rip something or someone apart, and the girl was a perfect opportunity to let his anger and fury out on her.
Tea started to panic now; she was very well aware of the cold metal pressed against her skin for the second time that night, and she was also aware that she managed to piss the thief off, who now looked so frightening that she started to shake involuntarily. His eyes narrowed into tiny slits, as he glared daggers at her, the blade also shaking slightly under his pressure.
"P-please," Tea whispered, not knowing what else to do than to beg for mercy, "I'm sorry, I-I won't say a word again, p-please..." her voice was barely audible now, two streaks of tears falling from her eyes. She closed them, not wanting to look at the face of her kidnaper anymore, and more tears fell down her, now already pale face.
Bakura was breathing deeply, thinking almost madly about what would happen if he would simply let the blade slide across her neck and put her out of her misery. A few crystal drops that fell out of her eyes stopped him suddenly, snapped him out of his moment of insanity and temptation, and he remembered again that he took her for a reason, that she could still be useful to him.
Slowly, he stepped away slightly, retrieving the knife back to his robes again. He was still trying to compose himself, breathing deeply. All the happenings tonight managed to make him flip out, something he rarely did, only when it came to something really important. And his best friend's disappearance seemed bloody important to him. Never the less, he decided to spare the girls' life. She was still shaking uncontrollably, squeezing her eyes shut, already prepared to die. When she felt something touching her face, she jerked so suddenly that the thief quickly pulled his hand away. She opened her eyes slowly, breathing deeply, and then realized that the blade was no longer pressed against her neck and that the white haired man was standing in front of her, with his hand half raised in the air. She wondered briefly what just happened, before his eyes vanished under the whitish bangs, and he sighed deeply.
Tea was staring at him now in some sort of disbelief and surprise; she expected him to slaughter her or stab her, but when he raised his head again, his eyes hard and serious again like before and grabbed her hand not so violently, she let out a breath she was holding for a while.
He still warned her to keep her mouth shut, and follow him. She nodded mutely, a sudden feeling of relief and something similar to joy washing over her.
Maybe because I'm still alive, she thought, keeping a steady pace behind the thief and trying not to stumble too much.
After another half an hour of walking, she was curiously watching the scenery around her; the houses were rare here, the alley wasn't covered with stone but with the soft sand now, and the only light was coming from the half moon that shone in the middle of the clear sky. She let out a breath when he finally stopped and looked around. She also turned around to see what he was looking at but saw no one.
When she turned around, he was watching her intently and she swallowed again, raising one hand in defense.
"I was quiet, wasn't I?" she asked quietly, slightly becoming afraid again; the way he was looking at her was just...disturbing.
"Yes, yes you were," he replied slowly, still keeping his eyes on her.
Bakura almost chuckled and smirked, noticing the fear in her eyes again which were now brilliant, the moonlight illuminating the blue color of her eyes and her almost porcelain like skin. She was looking at him apprehensively, and he smirked for real this time, earning a slight movement of her hand inside his from her. He tightened his grip slightly then decided to turn around.
In front of them was a little house, not much larger than what Tea would consider a shed, and a few feet away stood another house, that was the last one in row. Bakura stepped forward, wanting to knock at the doors, but the doors crept open with a squeak, and he quickly stepped away, almost stepping on her feet. Tea craned her neck aside to see what happened, but she could only see the half open doors and the darkness inside the house.
"Something's not right," Bakura mumbled, and ordered Tea to stay put in a threatening tone. She just nodded, her eyes scanning her surroundings. She almost snorted; even if she tried to run away, he would catch her because the street was small and straight, and besides that - they were already so far away from the museum that she highly doubted that she could even find her way back.
Bakura's robe swooshed slightly when he pulled out his knife and Marik's dagger, just in case. He turned around to look at Tea one more time who only stared at the dark space between the doors and the muddy wall. Slowly, he used his leg to open the doors completely and they squeaked even louder this time and then on Tea's surprise fell down with a soft thud. She almost screamed, expecting a herd of cloaked monsters jumping at them, but Bakura ran into the house and vanished in the darkness. Tea could hear a rustle coming from inside and wondered what happened. The doors were lying uselessly across the entrance, Tea's eyes following the odd textures on them. It looked like someone used claws on them. A moment later, she snapped out of her observations to see a candle being lit in the house. She could see a shadow dancing across the wall and knew it was the thief, judging by the sharp bangs that covered his face. He came out hastily and found her standing there; she wrapped her hands around her protectively. It was getting pretty cold and she wished she had that long sleeved shirt with her now.
Without a single word, Bakura pulled her inside the house and she yelped again. He grabbed the doors and restored them again. He closed them and let one heavy looking piece of wood fall across them. He practically sealed them inside the house, but Tea wondered if that would do them any good if the men in cloaks decided to come back.
"Sit," he ordered her, and she looked around for a second. There was only one table in one single room, and that table was occupied by a candle. There were no chairs so Tea didn't know where to sit. Everywhere she looked, she couldn't find a decent spot to sit on. In the end, she gave up and simply plopped down on the floor, made of solid mud.
Bakura was fidgeting with something in front of the candle before he turned around and threw something to her. A slightly torn reddish blanket fell on her head, and she mumbled something under her breath before pulling it off her head and eyeing it with a disgusted expression.
Bakura observed the girl and the way she looked at the blanket. He frowned, already assuming that she would act like that. He already imagined her throwing the blanket away and saying she would rather sleep outside.
Tea sniffed the blanket a bit; it smelled like a sweatshirt of a jogger who didn't take a shower, and she grimaced again. However, she was cold so she wrapped the blanket around her, slightly content that it was at least warm. That gesture surprised the thief a bit, but he didn't say anything. She wiped her eyes and her face, still sticky from all the crying and then looked up. She saw the thief looking at her oddly again, but this time he seemed surprised. She didn't know what to say or how to act so she lowered her head down, staring at her shoes that were peeping out below the blanket.
"What is your name?" The thief asked suddenly and she raised her head to look at him. He was observing her with a mixture of curiosity and something else she couldn't define.
"Tea," she replied quietly, "and yours?"
Bakura eyed her for a moment, before turning around to put the dagger on the table. He stared at it for a while, wondering where Marik was at the moment, before he turned around again.
"Bakura," he replied and heard a low giggle coming from the girl. He frowned. "What?"
Tea shook her head, smiling slightly at him. "Nothing."
Bakura's frown deepened and Tea stopped smiling; somehow having the strange impression that she offended him or something similar to that. She just thought his name was kind of funny, but dismissed the thought to say it out loud now.
"Sorry," she muttered quietly, lowering her head again. She could hear a mutiny in her stomach and cringed inwardly when the sound of her stomach churning broke the silence in the small shed. She blushed a little, gritting her teeth.
Bakura raised an eyebrow, looking around the shed, but found nothing to eat. He was used to that already; that's why he was so skinny, but the girl...he frowned - she would simply have to endure her hunger for tonight. After all, she wasn't in her own country anymore, and now she would have the opportunity to see how he had to live here. And if she wanted to survive, she would have to fight for everything she wanted, just like him. It was a basic survivor instinct and Bakura wondered, amused by the thought, just how long could she survive here, in his world.
Tea raised her head hearing the swooshing sounds again, hoping that he managed to find an apple or anything at all to eat, but her eyes almost widened drastically when she saw him taking his robes off of him. He was now standing in his pants only, his torso completely exposed to her. He smirked slightly, hearing her taking a sharp breath. He turned around to look at her baffled expression and she blushed beat red, quickly turning her head to look at the doors. There were scars across his chest, but they were barely visible under the faint light of the candle.
"We have a lot to do," he spoke, slowly and almost whispering. It sent shivers down her spine, and she redirected her eyes to the floor, not knowing what to say. She only hoped he had no intentions to rape her or something, and she almost gasped when he approached her, holding his robes in his hand, watching her with that scrutinizing eyes. He scanned her face and chuckled lightly, seeing her frightened again. She clutched the blanket tighter to herself, almost involuntarily and he smirked, already knowing what she might be thinking.
He turned around again, and licking his fingers slightly, pressed the faint flame of the candle, leaving only smoke and sheer darkness around.
There was only one small window and it was set high on the muddy wall. One silvery beam managed to squeeze trough, illuminating the shed slightly.
Tea started shivering again, praying deep down inside. She could hear his footsteps and almost gasped when he stood exactly in front of her, the beam illuminating the dark fabric of his pants. She could make out his figure faintly, and when he leaned down towards her, she leaned back as much as she could against the wall. His face now reached the beam, tiny specks of dust flying trough it, and there was his face, or the half of it. She could only see his bangs and his eyes, glistening, amused. She let out a strangled noise, already fearing the worst, but then he suddenly knelt by her side, letting his robes fly in the air for a bit, before covering himself with them.
"Sweet dreams," he murmured softly, with a sarcasm evident in his voice.
And for the first time in her life, Tea was sure she wasn't going to sleep tonight.
The room was full of cloaked figures, golden statues shining under the faint light, and the throne was currently occupied by the cloaked person, who was resting his hands on each side of the throne, slightly clutching the red silky material.
The three of the cloaked figures stepped out, bowing in front of the throne. No one spoke, and the silence was almost touchable. A pair of emerald eyes narrowed dangerously, making the figures shift uncomfortably. He leaned backwards, crossing his long legs, waiting for an explanation.
"So?"
The figures squirmed slightly under their hoods, looking at each other, almost accusingly.
"Ancient One," the left one started, his voice wavering slightly, but when he wanted to continue, the man on the throne stopped him with one single movement of his hand. The figure halted, taking a deep and shaky breath.
"Let me guess," a deep voice echoed trough the large room, emerald eyes becoming tiny slits now, "you failed to destroy them?"
Silence followed in which no one dared to answer the question. The silence itself was an answer enough for the man on the throne and he lowered his head, an almost evil chuckle escaping his lips.
"But, Ancient One," the right one dared to speak, letting someone fall to the carpeted floor. The body of a young man was lying on the red carpet, not moving. His sandy hair covered his face and the man on the throne couldn't see who it was.
"We could use him to get to the one of them," the cloaked figure continued, "I'm sure you can-"
In that moment, the large double doors opened, and one cloaked figure entered the room, carrying something between his hands. The figure bowed in front of the throne, and raised his hands high. The man on the throne got up so quickly that the three who were standing backed away in panic.
"Excellent!" The man whispered in awe. His eyes widened and he stretched his hands forward. The object in the figure's hand slipped away from his hands and flew directly into the hands of the man on the throne. He grabbed the smaller object, observing it and turning it in his hands. Emerald eyes narrowed, but a wicked smile followed this time, and the man started laughing almost maniacally, others simply staring at him.
"Finally! The First Soul, the soul of Horus is mine!" He yelled in some sort of ecstasy and then sat down on the throne again, eyeing the bust greedily.
"Now..." he started, his voice full of excitement, raw and loud, "nothing won't stop me again."
He admired the bust for a while, before he noticed the young man stirring on the carpet. He lowered the bust, watching the boy shaking his head and trying to come to his senses. The man on the throne let out a chuckle again, levitating to the boy and holding the bust tightly.
"You say he..." he started, looking at the cloaked figure who flinched visibly at the question directed to him.
"Is a friend of...Bakura's, how he calls himself today," the figure filled in the information and the levitating tall man smiled wickedly again.
"Well, since I'm in a such a good mood, I'll spare your pathetic lives today," he announced, and all the figures sighed inwardly in the room, "and you will get up."
Marik was forced to get up, his head still cloudy and his vision blurry, but he could feel his body rising suddenly without an explanation and then he was forced to look into a pair of sinister emerald eyes. Something about them mesmerized him and he let his thoughts wander with no real purpose in his head.
"Your name," the man demanded, holding him like a puppeteer on a string.
"Marik," he mumbled, slightly aware of his response. Everything was a mess in his head and he couldn't clear it out no matter how much he tried.
"And you know...Bakura?" the man asked again and Marik nodded faintly. The man let out one of his evil chuckles and smirked, satisfied.
"Well then Marik," he said, leaning him closer to his face, and forcing him to look him straight in the eye, "I've got a job for you." He added, smiling wickedly.
It took some time before Marik registered the words of the man in front of him, but even then, he sounded like he was talking to him from a barrel.
"Yes..." was the last thing he heard himself say, before he let himself go to a whirl of emptiness and darkness, consuming his thoughts and emotions, and Marik's eyes went blank.
