"What was that? I don't remember any night shifts going off at seven at night." Seth pointed out.
"Neither do I." Yami blinked. "YUKAI!" Yami ran out of the temple and down the halls before Seth could say anything to stop him. He made his way through the passages and to the banquet hall, which was about a dozen feet from the front doors. He ran through the mint incense and right to the open area of the statues and looked out over the dunes. Since this part of the Pharaoh led right to the desert he saw a person running in the sand, tripping every few seconds but quickly regaining their feet. "YUKAI!" He ran after the person, hoping to not lose them in the on-coming sandstorm.
The person didn't slow, but as he grew closer over the dunes he saw it was Yukai running right to the south, never slowing even when she fell. Yami called out to her but the wind silenced his voice. He gained speed as best he could, he was almost right behind her now.
"Yukai, stop running!" He called out. His voice was barely heard to himself over the roar of the wind.
The sand began to pile up and made it harder to breathe. Yami tripped into the sand, becoming buried almost instantly. Yukai also lost her footing a few feet ahead of him and went tumbling in, but since she was on the edge of a high dune she went tumbling down the slope, getting covered in more sand. Her screams snapped Yami up. He groaned as he pulled himself out of the sand and ran to the dune where she fell.
The wind pulled the sand beneath his sandals away so that he, too, fell down the slope. He fell almost past where Yukai had been stopped by the churning sands. She was already unconscious and almost buried to her waist. As Yami almost passed her, he desperately grabbed onto the sand and stopped himself. He pulled himself out and then picked her up in his arms.
"Yukai? Yukai! Please, wake up!" Yami's face became harsh. Before Yami could think he had pulled her well out of the sand and into his arms. A reaction of being held, Yukai wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his bare chest. Yami looked into her hair, and sighed, glad that she was all right enough to still move without pain.
As soon as Yami had pulled her into the Pharaoh he closed the front doors with his foot and walked down the dark halls. His sandals echoed on the stone, the paintings on the walls pulled themselves out as if to strike him down. Yami noticed the ghastly haunting shape of the shadows and then a slightly dim light. He ran to it. He looked around the edge of the walls and saw Slysheen, lord of magic, High Priest of the Pharaoh.
Yami lowered his eyes, not impressed by the man. Then he walked out of the shadows and into the light from Slysheen's torch. Slysheen heard the footsteps of the now Pharaoh and turned to him, being drawn from the wall he had been reading. "Pharaoh!"
Yami nodded, not having enough energy to correct him that he wasn't pure Pharaoh until his father's ceremonies, but he – in a way – didn't care. Yami then looked to Yukai, her face was peaceful and calm, a sweet angel. Yami sighed, glad that he didn't reveal his mighty strong, pearl-white wings out on the sands.
Slysheen noticed the slave in Yami's arms. "Pharaoh, you mustn't carry a slave!" Yami looked to him, a fierce glare of hate lay on his face, directed at the Priest. Slysheen ignored this, "Pharaoh, put her down!"
Yami's glare remained but his mouth curved into a frightful smirk, "You dare order a Pharaoh?" Slysheen blinked, astonished that Yami for the first time would ever use the law to his own advantage (especially when his motto was "Rules-smoules!"). Yami rested his case with an evil smile, "This person is not a slave! This person is not a servant! She is as equal as I!" Slysheen gaped.
Slysheen then swallowed this and walked up to Yami and forced Yukai out of his arms and into his own. "I will care for her wounds, Pharaoh. No need to remain up late for someone on an equal stand as ye." Yami's glare and smirk diminished to a hauntingly dreadful threat.
To Slysheen's relief the tutor, mentor and high priest inside the Pharaoh came walking in. "What 'tis this? A Pharaoh still up at this hour? D'tis ye have so much energy perhaps ye wishes to continue today's lesson?"
Yami grew nervous; he had already had over ten scrolls to read for homework and had read twenty earlier that day from Paradox. Slysheen himself wasn't fond of Paradox either, this man gave out punishments in forms of education; Slysheen knew Paradox well for he had taught him everything he knew as a young lad. Though Paradox was a few years less of age then Slysheen he was much more wise and humble, yet frightening evil when he wants and needs to be. The staff with a curled end told that he had been chosen by the Gods, and the staff that he held with a sharp point like a dagger showed that he was a formidable opponent, surely someone Slysheen would not want to do battle with.
Slysheen nodded, "Then I'll just take this gruff out to the desert and deposit her in the barren lands of the storm?"
Paradox grew on a mean face, the light dimmed and it seemed all so frightening. Yami took a step back; the only thing holding him from running to his room was Yukai. His feelings for her every second would be telling him not to fear anything and that if anything went wrong she'd be there for him, it was a strong feeling he couldn't understand but one he had no other choice but to trust.
Paradox glared at Slysheen, who took a step back. "Release thy child! D'tis she hold a threat to ye, Slysheen?" Slysheen looked at the girl, how could someone so pure of heart hold such a tremendous pull on Slysheen? Slysheen looked to Paradox and silently shook his head. Paradox waited, "What are you waiting for! Release her!"
Yami walked up to Slysheen, holding out his arms for Yukai. Slysheen glowered at the Pharaoh, and then still with Yukai he turned to leave. Paradox interrupted his movements. "Slysheen…the girl?"
Slysheen stopped, in his mind he was hitting a doll of Paradox, but out of his mind he turned around and faced Paradox. He walked up to the man and gave Yukai to Paradox's open arms. Paradox took her without care and yelled a sharp order to Slysheen not in Egyptian so Yami couldn't understand it, but whatever it had been it made Slysheen turn and walk away.
Paradox smiled, satisfied. He then set Yukai carefully in a small pot with green plant leaves spouting out. Paradox looked to Yami, "Tis want to finish thy's lesson?" Yami shook his head drastically. Paradox laughed, "Very well, then I bid you good-night, sire!" Paradox turned and began to walk away.
Yami stopped and thought for a second, then opened his mouth and spoke. "Para?" Paradox stopped and looked at Yami. "Why do people wage hate to others, even if there is no real reason to them doing so?"
Paradox sighed. "Sire, the death of your father came from Livi and his men in the war, you know that well. People direct hate to others why, because that is a sign of jealousy, love, or fondness."
Yami blinked. "Are you saying that that old grump Slysheen hates me because he cares for me!"
Paradox laughed and Yami became more confused. "No, lord! He hates you because you are Pharaoh, a position higher then his own and lower then mine. He hates me because years ago I had to kill his father to save your father, my allegiance to the royal family is strong but the hate he wields sometimes will be stronger."
Yukai stirred and awoke, she jumped out of the pot and dusted herself off, then she noticed Paradox and Yami, and she froze. "Sire! Priest!" She then noticed that she was inside the Pharaoh and that her tries for escape had gone in vain.
Paradox turned to her, "Don't let ye mind run without a heart to guide it, young-in." Yukai blinked and watched Paradox walk down the halls and out of sight.