Tale 7. The crisis of the mismatched slaves
This story was actually told by my sister (Tokuan) and me before except this is a shortened toned down version.
The original took several days to tell and was a lot goofier.
Note: The lavender shampoo has nothing to do with Yaoi. It's supposed to be funny.
The POVs are mostly going to be Yugi and Ryoo since those are me and my sister's favorite characters.
Maadrath, Beneset, Ryoo and I were in a tomb. We had just finished taking what we could, when we heard footsteps.
"Oh, great!" I muttered.
"C'mon!" Maadrath yelled. "Split up! We'll meet at the eastern entrance."
Ryoo and I ran like mad.
"There they are!" A bunch of guards yelled, "Get them. We reached a fork.
"Ryoo, you ready?" I asked.
"Aye."
"Do your stuff!" I ran down one tunnel as Ryoo turned around. The guards wouldn't kill him I assured myself. He was just a boy after all.
Ryoo POV
One of the guards grabbed me and I bit him. He let go, yowling.
I kicked the next on in the stomach. Nahkti's rather painful training had some use after all. Maybe I could get away. Just then, two of them jumped me and it was too much. I screamed and when they finally finished tying my up the stood up. The lead guard who had a weird shock of yellow hair looked at me.
"Hey!" he said, "You can't be the King of Thieves."
"Yes I am!" I insisted, trying to stall.
"He's just a little boy," one of the others said.
"What are we going to do with him?" another asked.
"I don't know," the former replied, "Maybe he knows something. Let's take him back with us. Get up, boy!"
At the Pharaoh's court…
"All that work and all you have to show for it is this little kid!" Atemu yelled, irritated at the guard's idiocy.
"But, we thought he was Nahkti…"
"Of course he's not Nahkti! Don't you get it? He was a decoy. The real Nahkti escaped. You should be more observant!"
The guards stared at the floor, embarrassed.
"You may go…" the Pharaoh said, plopping back down on the too-big throne and waving them away.
"Come here, boy," He said to me.
I stumbled up the steps to where he sat and bowed low to the ground before his feet.
"Get up." This was the first time I had ever seen him so close. It was scary… it… it… it smelled good. I sniffed. The Pharaoh used lavender shampoo?
He grabbed me by the chin and pulled me close to his face. His purple eyes studied my own brown ones… then, after what felt like hours, he released me.
"What were you doing in that tomb anyway?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, Pharaoh-sama," I amended, "But while I would never hurt you or anyone you care about my stronger loyalty lies with my thief-sama and I can't tell you." I bowed again.
"I see…" he said, glaring at me. What was he going to do to me?
"Yugi-chan," he called and I was surprised to see a boy about my age peek out from behind the throne.
"Hello," he said.
"Yugi, this boy was found with the thieves. Take care of him and see what information you get out of him." Then the Pharaoh got up and left.
"My name's Yugi!" he said brightly to me, "What's yours?"
"Um… Ryoo."
"I'm the Pharaoh's personal slave! Come with me! You are going to live with us now."
"But I don't…" I quickly protested but he had already grabbed my wrist and was trying to show me the palace.
Evening…
At the end of all that I could have robbed the entire palace and gotten away with it. Did Yugi really trust me? That's right. I was their prisoner now. Nahkti would come for me though, I knew it.
"Aren't you going to eat your soup?" Yugi asked. He was sitting on the floor in the corner of the kitchen next to me.
"Oh, yes," I replied and drank it quickly.
"It's time for bed. C'mon!" Yugi said. When we reached our destination, we were at Yugi's room (the Pharaoh's room).
"I can't stay here! I'm a prisoner!" I exclaimed, finding myself in the place that only the Pharaoh and his personal servants went.
"Of course you can! You're going to stay with me!" Yugi said.
I felt bad. They were accepting me while I didn't even trust them.
I laid on the bed next to Yugi.
"So, where do you live?" Yugi asked.
"Oh, I live with thief-sama in Ku…" I stopped, "I can't tell you."
"Oh…"
"Well, who…"
I cut him off, "You won't get any information out me. I'm sorry but I can't tell you!" I said… and really, I was sorry but I couldn't. I owed Nahkti my life.
Yugi stared at me uneasily.
"I'm not going to murder you in your sleep. Please stop staring at me like that Yugi-sama."
"Sorry, was I doing that? If you don't want to tell me it's okay. Oh, and just Yugi is fine. I'm not the Pharaoh, y'know. Just a slave just a common human like yourself, Ryoo."
The next morning, I went over all the information I knew:
"Yugi posed no immediate threat while the Pharaoh was another matter. The courtiers could be deceived until it was safe…" I laughed at myself inwardly. I sounded like Nahkti. Maybe he was rubbing off on me or something…
"Hey, Ryoo," Yugi said, "The cook's got an errand we can run! Pharaoh-sama says I can go! Want to come along?"
"Sure," I replied.
"We have to buy, 5 handfuls of leeks, 3 chickens, and a sack of bread… and, if we have extra coppers left over, the cook says we can buy treats with them."
I smiled back. Yugi was so fun. If I could choose anywhere, I'd live with him here. It was much more relaxing than always on the run or hiding with the thieves.
I got tied to Yugi. I supposed it was for safety but I didn't like it.
"C'mon! Lets go this way!" Yugi said. We had already bought all the leeks. Yugi was a great bargainer. At this rate, we'd be able to buy enough treats to last us for days.
"Psst!" A voice from the shadows called and a finger jerked toward the direction of some run-down houses.
"Yugi, I have to see someone," I said.
"But the cook said we shouldn't be running off."
"Please… Yugi."
"Well… will it be quick?"
"Yes, just let me off this rope for a few moments."
"You're not thinking of running off are you?"
"No… I mean I won't!"
"How can I trust you?"
"Please, you have to. I swear by Maat I'll return and Ra strike me dead if I don't!"
"Yeah… Ra strike him dead…" Yugi muttered as I ran off.
An arm shot out and grabbed me as I ran past an alley.
"Thief-sama!" I rejoiced.
"C'mon, we're going back!" He replied.
"Wait, no, I can't I promised Yugi…"
"What does it matter? Yugi doesn't care!"
"I have to go… but please, come back for me. I don't want to stay there forever. I can't look suspicious."
"You sure act like you do…" Nahkti muttered as I ran away.
"Hey! I'm back!" I said to Yugi cheerfully.
"Who was that anyway."
"Erm," I drew a finger across my throat and coughed a couple times to make a point.
"You don't say…"
Yugi and I sat upstairs laughing, honey coated our hands.
"Wow Yugi! This is really good!"
"Yeah, I'm really great at bargaining aren't I? I think that's why cook always tries to send me even though it's not really my job. The kitchen boy is really bad at it. It's not really like I have a lot to do, though. The Pharaoh really doesn't need me when he's doing his work."
"M…" I agreed, smiling. Yugi had a really easy….not to mention not dangerous job.
After we ate dinner Yugi asked me if I wanted to go on the roof.
"Sure, why not."
When we got there, an amazing site greeted me. "Oh, Yugi, it's beautiful!" The sunset had had painted all of Memphis a glowing orange. The sky itself was a neon pink, blue, and orange.
I leaned against the smaller boy as the sunset faded. "I could do this every night, Yugi-kun."
"But you can!" Yugi replied.
If only I could agree with you. I thought inside. It would be easy to just stay here forever with Yugi but part of me still longed to go back to my real home. I didn't have one until Nahkti took me in. No matter how wonderful it was here, in the palace, my place was with Nahkti, Maadrath, and the others.
I didn't hear from Nahkti for many days and I wondered if he had forgotten about me or I had made him mad but that night…
I heard a clink on the windowsill waking me instantly. I peered around the room to see if anyone else had heard. I guess it was just me because I had always been a light sleeper and the Pharaoh was probably too exhausted and stressed to be waken by that.
"Ryoo-chan!" Nahkti whispered as he climbed in.
"Nahkti-sama, I thought you had forgotten me!"
"Naw, I was just letting you have a few more days in the palace."
I grinned back.
"Stop!" it was Yugi. "Don't move, or I'll scream and wake the Pharaoh," he whispered.
"Sorry kid," Maadrath stepped out from behind a vase and grabbed Yugi's mouth. I wondered just how long she'd been hiding there.
"Let's go!" Nahkti said. "Hold on tight!" he warned as he climbed down the rope. Maadrath soon followed.
Nahkti Normal POV
"Stop!" Yugi yelled as we rode away. "Don't you know kidnapping is against the law?"
"You actually think I care about the law?" I retorted.
"Now be quiet, kid, and nobody gets hurt," Maadrath added.
Ryoo was clinging happily to me. It was rather pathetic that he could actually miss someone that much.
Back at the hideout, we still had the problem of what to do with the Pharaoh's favorite slave. We couldn't just keep him. He could be a pretty useful tool, though. I tied him to Ryoo and told Ryoo to make sure he wouldn't run away.
Yugi POV
"Tied to me again, huh?" Ryoo commented.
"Yeah…"
"Sorry Thief-sama had to do this but it's to keep you from running away."
"Ryoo, don't you go and start acting like that! I was serious when I said that about Pharaoh-sama but this is different. I've been captured and take to this, this… where are we anyway?"
"I can't tell you."
"… shoulda known. Why are you so loyal to that thief anyway?"
"It's a long story."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Ryoo then started a story of how he was orphaned and how Nahkti had picked him off the street.
"Wow, that's quite a story!" I said to Ryoo.
"Yeah," he agreed.
"So, what are the thieves planning to do with us… I mean me."
"I'm not sure yet. You are a precious game piece, though, so I'm sure they won't kill you."
"Game piece?"
"Yeah, you can be very useful, considering how much the Pharaoh cares about you… but, isn't that how you at the palace thought of me?"
"Of course not!" I replied, shocked. The Pharaoh had always taught me that no matter who a person was, they had the same red blood flowing in their veins as myself. "I really did mean it when I said you were supposed to live with us."
Ryoo looked surprised. I suppose he had thought he was only a prisoner.
The next day at breakfast I was sitting next to Maadrath watching Ryoo. He was carrying
some water to Nahkti but he must have gotten mixed up because he handed it to Maadrath who already had a cup.
"Hey! That's my water Ryoo!" Nahkti said, hitting him carelessly with his hand.
"Sorry," Ryoo amended but the slap had made him a little off balance and some of the water splashed on Nahkti.
"What was that for?" He asked which eventually started an all out tussle.
What was Nahkti doing! I wondered. Was he hurting Ryoo? I stood up and ran over.
"Hey! Come back!" Maadrath grabbed at me but I was too quick for her.
"What are you doing to him?" I demanded.
"Huh?" they both stopped instantly. I observed that Nahkti's hand was in mid-strike and Ryoo had an arm up to block it.
"What?" Nahkti asked.
"Nothing…" Ryoo said, "Doesn't your Pharaoh do this to you too?"
"What?" I asked. Ryoo had a bleeding scrape on his forehead and a few bruises scattered over his body and limbs. Did they think my master was some sort of heartless jerk?
"We do this all the time…" Ryoo stared at me strangely and Nahkti got off of him, seeing there was nothing else fun to do and proceeded to refill the cup of water which had gotten spilled.
'We do this all the time…' what had Ryoo meant by that I wondered as I sat back down next to Maadrath. After a while, I simply concluded they had been playing. It was rather crude, but, then, everything around here was.
That evening, I had gotten away from Maadrath and was looking for Ryoo. At the edge of the town, sitting on a sand dune was Nahkti and Ryoo watching the sunset. Not wanting to disturb them, I hid behind some rubble and watched.
Nahkti and Ryoo were laughing. Sometimes, Nahkti would punch Ryoo or call him a name but I saw that it wasn't cruelty. All that was happening was being done good naturedly. All the things Nahkti did that appeared to be hurting Ryoo was done affectionately. In fact, Nahkti and Ryoo shared a relationship that mirrored the one that I had with my Pharaoh-sama… in a rougher way to be sure but they sincerely cared about each other. I smiled.
"Those boys…" a female voice said behind me.
"Huh? Maadrath-san?" I said looking up.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to punish you for running away. I find it vaguely amusing to watch them, myself. It's funny how guys show their affection to each other isn't it."
"Yeah…"
"I wonder what your thieves are up to," I asked Ryoo one evening.
"They aren't my thieves they're Nahkti-sama's thieves. Do you really want to know what they're talking about."
"I got nothing better to do," I replied.
"Shh, come with me," Ryoo said. He led me to a place near the middle of the run down town we were in and wiped away the dust. There, on the ground, was a wooden trap door. Ryoo motioned me to press my ear to it. What I heard was a real shocker.
"What! What did you hear?" Ryoo asked, seeing my appalled face.
"They're going to attack the palace tomorrow! And they're going to use me to get in!" I shouted, forgetting everything around me. "I have to warn the Pharaoh!" I shot up, only to be pulled back down by the rope tied to Ryoo.
"Please Ryoo, let me go! I have to warn him!"
"B-but, I can't. I'll be in trouble."
"Then tell them I got away, but please, I have to warn him!"
"Well…. Look, nighttime is a bad time to travel anyway and things will be too suspicious. How about if I let you get away on the way there. No one will notice. Besides, you have to eat something. You'll be able to have breakfast before you leave."
"Oh, alright…" I replied, hoping Ryoo wasn't tricking me.
The next morning, Ryoo gave me his breakfast despite my refusals.
"You'll need all the food you can get!" he had insisted.
Soon afterwards, we started off.
Ryoo pushed some more food on me during lunch then gave me a water bottle.
Ryoo POV
"Here, Yugi, you'll need this," I said, handing Yugi my water. Then I dug a knife out of my shirt. After quickly cutting the rope I handed it to Yugi as well.
"Now?" Yugi asked.
"Yes! Make a run for it! It's your only chance!"
Yugi looked around worriedly but seeing the thieves were currently occupied with eating, got up. "Thanks, Ryoo-kun," he said and ran off.
I was in real trouble. Nahkti wasn't going to be happy when he found out Yugi was gone.
Later that evening…
We hid in some bushes near the palace.
"Give me Yugi now," he said.
"I…I…"
"Well!"
"I don't have him."
"What!" Nahkti nearly yelled, outraged.
"I let him go."
"How could you do that?" The thief yelled loudly, shaking me by the shoulders.
"Who's there!" A young guard yelled. Nahkti quickly dropped me and tackled the guard. He gave him a good whack on the head, knocking him out cold.
"Now say that again. I dare you to!"
I gritted my teeth. It wasn't a pretty site when Nahkti lost his temper.
"Wait, Nahkti!" Maadrath said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Since the guard's out cold, we can get in. We can probably do some considerable damage even without him."
Nahkti lowered his fist and turned back around.
Yugi POV sometime right after his former POV ended
I ran. I just ran and ran. I had to get ahead of Nahkti and his thieves. I had to warn Atemu-sama.
I just kept running stopping only to take a few sips from the water bottle Ryoo had given me now and then.
It was nearly sunset when I reached the palace gates.
"Yugi!" The surprised guards exclaimed.
"Are you alright?" one of them asked.
"Hurry, get him inside!" the first replied.
The two guards burst into the throne room, carrying me.
"Pharaoh-sama! We found Yugi!"
"What? Yugi!" He ran down the steps to me and took me from the guards.
"Someone get some water!" he ordered.
"Yugi. Yugi-chan, are you alright? Please tell me you're alright!"
"Nahkti… thieves… attack," I grunted out before I blacked out.
Ryoo POV
The thieves quickly began looting the palace and destroying what couldn't be taken with them. It was pure confusion. Suddenly, I lost Nahkti. In the dark, I couldn't find him. Most of the torches had been put out in the mayhem. I ran around, crashing into random guards and occasionally some of the busy thieves. A vase fell and crashed near my feet, just barely missing my head. It was scary. I was afraid. I screamed and ran.
Yugi POV
I woke to the sound of crashing and havoc. I sat up. I was in Atemu-sama's bed and he was sitting next to me.
"Ah! Was I too late?" I asked.
"Shh, Shh, it'll be okay, Yugi-chan. If you hadn't warned us the damage would be worse. Here, drink this," he said, handing me a cup of water which I received gratefully.
Suddenly, there was a scream and Ryoo came stumbling into the room
"Ah!" Pharaoh said and unsheathed his knife.
"No! He's the one who let me go. I wouldn't be here… at least not in this way… if it wasn't for him."
"Oh, deeply sorry, Pharaoh-sama!" Ryoo said quickly, realizing where he had just stumbled upon and touched his head to the ground.
Nahkti Normal POV
"Alright!" I shouted triumphantly. We had done all the damage we could (omitting some rather difficult places which had an unusual number of guards), "Lets go! All accounted for? Maadrath, Beneset, Houresus, Nephertys, Hequeth, Sebnekt, Sashi, Karia, Isrosis, and Ryoo?"
"All here," Maadrath replied.
"Okay, let's go Ryoo…" I said. "Ryoo?" I asked, when there was no reply. "Darn it! Where's Ryoo!" I demanded of Maadrath.
"He's not here!" Maadrath exclaimed.
"Set take it all! You guys go on, I'll find Ryoo. He must have gotten lost in all that chaos."
I sighed as the others headed for doors and windows.
"Ryoo! Ryoo-chan!" I called, as I wandered through the palace. Finding that he wasn't downstairs, I climbed the stairs to the upper level. I opened a door… the door to what happened to the Pharaohs room. Ryoo, Yugi and the Pharaoh were sitting there.
"You!" The Pharaoh shouted and attacked me with a knife.
"Ahh!" I shouted, unprepared. I threw myself to one side in an effort to dodge. The Pharaoh missed and stumbled. I swung around and kicked him.
"Atemu-sama!" Little Yugi shouted, alarmed. This surprised me and taking advantage of my distraction, the Pharaoh tackled me. I shoved him off and blindly grabbed a small arm, thinking it was Ryoo's. Grabbing the boy's body to mine I leapt out of the window. I heard the Pharaoh cursing as I got away.
Back in Kuru Eruna the next morning…
When I woke, I found the boy next to me was not Ryoo, but Yugi. Yugi screamed when I woke up.
"Why'd you kidnap me again?" He demanded.
"I wasn't trying to kidnap you! I thought you were Ryoo!"
Maadrath yawned as she walked past us, "Good morning, boys…Wait… Yugi, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"That's what I was just asking him!" The irritated boy shouted.
"Well, Yugi," I said, "We've got some bargaining to do…"
The next afternoon, the Pharaoh showed up with a considerable amount of soldiers to get his Yugi back. Of course there was no need for the soldiers and I was happy to trade Yugi for Ryoo.
"Y'know something, Nahkti-sama," Ryoo asked as the procession rode away.
"What Ryoo?"
"The Pharaoh uses lavender shampoo!"
"Hahaha! What a wuss!"
"Can I have some?…"
"Haha… wait… what?"
"Hmhmhmhm… Why don't you go steal him some Nahkti, or are you too embarrassed to go steal soap!"
