Chapter Twenty-Two
Samira had said they would leave the next day for the Gate of Worlds, wherever that was. Seto hoped it wasn't too far out in the desert.
He got up early and made sure all of his things were packed. He felt a little weird in these Egyptian clothes, but they were comfortable at least.
The Millennium Rod in his belt, he strode down the hall, which was still dim in the early morning light. Seto had a mind to go get some breakfast; he wondered what they ate here.
And then he heard voices. Hushed. Secretive. Worried.
One was Samira's. The other was Marik's.
"-ask if anyone has word of him," Marik was saying quietly.
"He couldn't have gone far. He's on the very edge, the rim of my conscience, brushing it. It's so maddening! He's such a coward… he's teasing me, Marik."
Seto heard the rustle of clothing, and Samira sigh softly. Contentedly. Curiously, he peeked around the corner.
Samira was leaning into Marik's arms, relaxed, her eyes closed. The way they were standing, so familiarly… it was like they were just meeting after a very long time apart. So Samira must know Marik from the Time Before…
He turned this thought over in his mind, and it scared him deeply. And at the same time there was revulsion as he looked at the two, as he wondered, why would anybody want to do that?
Besides, whom were they talking about? Somebody… a coward… Seto hated cowards. They were worse than backstabbers.
Deep in thought, he didn't notices that Marik had left, and Samira was lingering in the hall by herself. She smiled knowingly and looked around, right at Seto. "You can come out now."
He blinked, a little embarrassed. He didn't bother asking how she knew he was there. "Who were you talking about?" he asked her instead.
Her face clouded. Samira shook her head fiercely. "I… don't want to talk about it." She turned and abruptly rushed down the hall, and out of sight.
Chapter Eleven
Ramla and Asim came back from the market that morning with a small caravan of camels. Yugi and Seto, who both happened to be standing on the porch of Mendu's, gaped in sheer surprise, as the train of animals lined up before them.
One of the camels made a disagreeable noise and spit a large gob of saliva, dangerously close to where Seto was standing on the porch. He swore softly and stepped quickly away. "Do they do that all the time?" asked Yugi uncertainly.
Asim laughed heartily, slapping the spitting camel lightly on the rump. "This one's my favorite," he told them. "He's got an attitude. He seems to be the only one that spits, luckily, or we'd be soaked by the time we got to Suresh."
"Where's Suresh?" Yugi asked, at the same as Seto asked, "Aren't camels kind of slow?"
Asim grinned. "To get to Suresh in three days, we need the fastest transportation possible. We can't use horses, because they don't travel well in the desert. You can't get to Suresh in an airplane because of the sandstorms. They can blow up at anytime, unexpected."
"Suresh is the Akanep capital," explained Ramla. "The Akanep people are a native tribe whose ancestry go all the way back to ancient Egypt. They were loyal to Pharaoh Atem during the Shadow war." She looked pointedly at Yugi, who nodded, deep in thought. "They were red," he said suddenly.
Seto gave him a strange look.
Yugi shook his head slowly. "I'm remembering… the Scorpion people; red hair, red eyes, and fierce warriors."
No one said anything for a moment.
"Did I just say that?" asked Yugi.
Seto would have made a rude remark about how Yugi was going crazy, except that these strange rememberings were happening to him too. He just looked at the floor, scuffing his boot against the wooden planks of the porch. The city was still waking up, but already the shouts of street vendors and the obnoxious vroom-vroom of car engines could be heard.
"It's because you've met them before," said Ramla, securing a pack on one of the camels. She fixed Yugi with her silver stare. "Who knows? We might even meet someone on this trip that triggers total recall."
"And who would that be?" said Yugi.
Ramla shrugged. "I have no idea," she said unhelpfully.
Seto went back inside. There was nothing for him out there. He didn't want to be anywhere with Yugi, anyway.
So they were bound for Suresh. Wherever that was, it must be near the Gate of Worlds. Oh joy, more people to meet, he thought cynically. A whole tribe of them. They'll all be fawning over Yugi like he's the best thing that ever happened to them…
The anger simmered inside him for a while. He trudged up onto the roof to cool off. But whom should he find up there but the little screeching menace, none other than Suzuko herself?
"You look angry today, human!" she said, skipping after him. "What happen to you for angry face?"
He couldn't help himself. He smiled, a secretive, small smile, but a smile nonetheless.
"Aha!" exclaimed Suzuko, grinning like a Jack-o-lantern. "I make the happy come to your face! I must be the happy maker!"
He snorted, suppressing a laugh. "What is so funny?" Suzuko demanded suspiciously.
"It's just… the way you talk…"
Suzuko cackled, reminiscent of the wicked witch of the west. "I talk the most best of all you humans. You just jealous."
"Whatever you say, kid." He hurriedly conjured up the mask he usually wore of stubborn sullenness.
"Do not start that with me, human. It is good to be happy! If are always mooching around the tree, then never see the sky and the air, never be a free bird. So be happy, friend Seto!" And to his complete surprise, she hugged him tightly around the middle.
He made a noise a cross between an "Ugh!" and an "Oof!" Hastily he tried to peel her off of him, uncomfortable and embarrassed. But she wouldn't let go. Finally he gave it up as a lost cause and let her hug him for a while longer. "See?" said Suzuko, smiling up at him. "I can be friend of you, so you can be happy." And she skipped away, humming off-key.
Seto was left with a funny feeling inside.
"That was so cute I think I'm going to cry," said a snide voice from under the potted palms.
A boy stepped out from the shade. It was one of Yugi's friends, the big blonde lunkhead with an even bigger mouth.
Well, he thought decisively; that little street rat would leave with two black eyes. He had taken on more than two at a time before, when bullies had been attacking Mokuba.
"Don't you have somebody else to annoy?" he said dismissively, turning to go.
"I challenge you to a duel, rich boy!" Joey shouted.
Seto laughed bitterly. "Sorry, Wheeler, I don't duel amateurs."
"You've been a little to cocky lately since you've had the Millennium Rod in your belt," said Joey accusatorially, pointing an ominous finger at him.
Seto whipped around, holding the Millennium Rod out toward his attacker. Joey stepped back, clearly afraid. "You want to try me, Wheeler?" he said dangerously.
"Kaiba! No!" came a frantic voice from the stairs. Yugi, closely followed by the rest of the nerd herd, stampeded up onto the roof. Oh great, Seto thought exasperatedly.
"If you use the Millennium Rod against Joey I'll-"
"I wasn't going to use it, Yugi," Seto said coolly. He tucked it back in his belt and turned back to the now much braver-looking Joey. "So it was a duel, wasn't it?"
"That's right, you billionaire brat, and this time, you're going down!" said Joey with great bravado. Seto rolled his eyes.
"I highly doubt that," he snorted. Joey replied by attaching his duel disk to his arm and setting it to duel mode. "We'll see, Kaiba," was all he said.
"I'm sorry, but your testosterone-fueled, highly overblown egos are going to have to wait until after we get to Suresh to duel," said an icy voice.
"Su-what?" said Joey confusedly.
"It's the city where we're going, Joey," said Téa exasperatedly. "Don't you ever listen?"
"Nope," said Tristan wisely.
Ramla glared at them. "The camels are ready. Make sure all of your things are packed.
Joey freaked out. "What? I can't ride a camel!"
Ramla eyed him beadily. "If you want to follow your pharaoh, a camel you shall ride."
The conversation was over. She beckoned them down the stairs. Mendu met them out by the camels. He seemed strangely familiar, in the way he walked, stooped-like, eyes black and wise, head shiny and bare. He shook Asim's hand with both of his and said, "Have a safe trip, my lord. Good luck, and may the gods be with you."
Asim bowed and returned the wish. He handed a pouch that jingled with the promise of coins. Mendu took it gingerly and tucked it in his belt.
Seto was still seething from the run-in with Joey. He wanted to kick something really bad.
A soft weight settled on his shoulder. "I'll ride with you, if you like," the falcon offered softly.
"But please stay a bird."
"Fine, Mr. Ornery."
Getting on the camel was half the challenge. It seemed a lot higher up when you were closer. The camel eyed Seto sullenly as he approached it. He stood next to the camel uncertainly. For once, he was glad that the falcon was on his shoulder. "What do I do?" he whispered.
Ramla and Asim were helping Yugi and Joey onto a camel. "Serenity, I don't think you should come," Joey said. "If it gets too dangerous, I don't want you to get hurt."
Serenity smiled at her brother. "Are you sure? I don't want anything to happen to you, either."
Joey shrugged. "I'll be okay," he assured her. "You'll be safer here."
"Téa," Yugi began.
"I don't think so," said Téa fiercely. "I'm, coming with you, Yugi, and don't even try to stop me."
Yugi smiled weakly. Seto barely restrained a sneer. It must be hard, always having a fan club following you around.
"Joey, I'll stay with Serenity," Tristan volunteered.
The nerd herd twittered on. Seto tuned out. He looked up at the camel's towering hump and wondered… how would he get up there? And where the heck would he sit?
The falcon clicked her tongue and said something in Arabic. The camel grunted and reluctantly sank onto its knees. Now it was a lot shorter.
Seto settled into the saddle, which was more like a blanket. His bags were tied on behind him; the falcon was on his shoulder. She clicked her tongue again and whistled, and the camel rose to its feet.
He scrambled for a handhold as the ground rushed away from him, all too fast. Things looked a lot different higher up. He found the reins and gripped them tightly, in case the camel suddenly decided to take off.
Behind him was another camel, tied to his, with more baggage tethered to it. It occurred to Seto how hard it must be to be a camel, always having to carry people's stuff around, and clomp across the desert with men on their backs.
He gave the camel a little nod, as if to say thanks.
It winked.
Seto stared at it, feeling hollow. Had that camel just…?
"Yes," breathed the falcon in his ear. "Animals are more than they seem at first glance."
He felt strange… floaty-like. Transported to a different world, lighter somehow, free of a burden.
"Why do I feel so… different?" he asked quietly, tentatively.
The falcon blinked at him contentedly. "You're changing, Seto."
With a sudden, heart-stopping lurch, the camel began to rock back and forth, trotting recklessly with Seto hanging on for dear life on the back. It was a bit like being on the deck of a ship in a storm. He would think he was finally stable when another rolling wave would come and he would have to scramble to stay on top of the camel.
The train of camels set off down the street, out of the city. The houses became farther apart, until the trees and buildings faded to miles and miles of sand, an immense ocean that seemed illimitable.
And then the city was behind them, getting smaller and smaller, until it was no more than a dark smudge on the horizon, and then disappeared altogether.
Seto found a burnoose in his bag and put it on to shield himself from the blistering sun beating down upon his neck. The falcon curled up underneath the cloth, her soft feathers tickling his cheek a bit. "The sun will set soon," she whispered. "It will be much cooler. Soon you will have the burnoose on for warmth."
He nodded grimly, and wondered why anyone would want to live in the desert.
All too soon, the vast sea of sand swallowed the sun, and the earth was plunged into a darkness and coldness that Seto had never known before. It was so quiet and deep… this sand that the camels' hooves trod on was the same sand that people ten thousand years ago had traversed across. The silence was absolute, the infinity of the desert night was staggering.
Shivering, he pulled the burnoose closer about him. The heat had left almost as quickly as you would turn out the light. He squinted through the blackness, making out the shape of the rider of the camel in front of him. It was Marik. "Ishtar," he hissed. Marik looked about, then turned.
"Hm?"
"When are we stopping?"
"There's an oasis about a half mile from here. We're almost there. We'll camp there until tomorrow evening, which is when we set off for the Ashbaúdi Hills, the second campsite. Third night is Hemeget."
"But there's been fighting there," came the sleepy murmur of the falcon, tucked beneath Seto's cloak.
Marik looked around for a moment for the voice's source, then saw the two golden eyes and sharp, hooked beak; the speckled feathers, concealed under Seto's hood. "We'll have to hope things have gotten under control. If not-" he shrugged. "We might have to skip it and do a suicide run to Suresh. I don't know if that will work."
"What kind of fighting?" Seto asked.
"Seems two mages rebelled against their superior and took over the village," replied Marik. "There's been a lot of turmoil. Many of the people there have been possessed."
Seto stared at him.
If it were not dark, he would have seen Marik's furious blush. Marik muttered something indistinctly and turned to face the front. He didn't look back again.
"What did I do?" said Seto.
"You are so clueless," said the falcon exasperatedly. "You just insulted him when you look at him like that, when he was talking about possessed people. His past isn't any better than yours, you know."
"Shut up," said Seto through clenched teeth, feeling the heat rise in his face.
"Oh look, we're here," said the falcon airily, and she transformed.
"Aghh!" Seto said frantically, trying to put as much space as possible between him and the girl in front of him.
"Grow up, Seto, I don't have cooties." She gave him an alarmingly coy look and leapt gracefully down from the camel, which had come to a halt.
Through the pink-purple dawn, Seto could make out a small stand of palm trees and a pile of rocks. He could hear the faint trickle of water somewhere close. Voices were filling the cool night air as the rest of the caravan began to stir and unpack themselves.
And then Seto had a sudden, panicky thought:
Where was Mokuba?
He had seen him just last night… he had wanted Mokuba to stay behind… If Mokuba had stowed away again, Seto was going to kill him…
In the flurry of activity around him, he stood still, searching for a face…
Someone tugged at his cape. Seto whipped around.
Mokuba stood, looking hesitantly up at his brother. Seto was so relieved he almost hugged him.
Mokuba opened his mouth and began, "I know you didn't want me to come, but-"
Seto shook his head fiercely. He bent down so that he was eye to eye with Mokuba. "I would rather have you with me any day," he said softly, and gave Mokuba's hands a little squeeze.
He abruptly straightened and hurried away, but that couldn't banish the warm feeling Mokuba felt. Mokuba smiled to himself, and held that light inside him, to save it for days when there was no light on the outside.