I deeply regret saying this, but I will not be updating from Sunday the 24th of July to Sunday the 7th of August. I am going where no internet is available. There maybe more updates before then. Please enjoy the updates until that time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 8- A New Student

Selket sat on a table, swinging her feet slightly as she waited. After her incident in the throne room, she had been led by a man with pitch black hair covering his eyes back through the hallways and into another room. The strange thing about it were the books, piled high from floor to ceiling, quantities covering the floor with the exception of the table Selket was sitting on. Her escort told her to wait there as he closed the door behind him.

Perhaps she was waiting for Mahaado, and truthfully she didn't think she'd mind if she was. Much. She had to admit, he was a very interesting character indeed. That still didn't change the fact that Selket hated waiting.

She looked up sharply as she heard the door open with a creak. A girl walked in, one who looked familiar. Did she always look that happy? The chirpiness was to the point of annoying. Blue eyes among spiky blond bangs met Selket's gaze. /The girl from my room earlier! Oh Gods, spare me./

"Ah, you passed!" exclaimed the girl. Then she smiled. "Of course you did, that is. By the way, my name is Mana. What's yours?"

Selket was slightly taken aback. It occurred to her that no one in the palace had yet asked her her name. How trusting could fools be? "Selket," she answered. "Pleased to meet you again, Mana." /under a great big rock, that is./

"Now that we know each other, Selket, is it true you insulted Seto? Everyone's talking about it! I mean, its really amazing for someone to insult a Priest, especially the meanie Seto, without…you know, 'punishment'. Did you really do it?"

/It appears I have already made an impression here. I should really keep my head down…but where was the fun in that? I bow to no one! Eat my dust, damn royals!/

Selket laughed. Mana must have thought was her response, because she didn't ask again. Instead, she came to sit by Selket on the table. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Did they explain anything to you?" Mana asked suddenly.

Selket truthfully shook her head. "I was about to ask you about that. Why am I here?"

Mana looked at Selket questioningly. "They really haven't told you anything? Wow. Anyway, you know there are six Priests, right?"

Mana waited for Selket's nod before continuing. "Each Priest has their own job, aside from protecting the honored Pharaoh, right? Well, Mahaado is both the protector of the sacred tombs and the palace sorcerer." Mana paused. "You do believe in magic, don't you?"

"I…have come across magic many times," Selket responded, choosing her words carefully.

Mana smiled again. "Good," she said, "because that is what you're here for. As the sorcerer, Mahaado chooses two pupils to pass his magic skills onto. I think we're one of the first women to do this- with the exception of Isis, of course. She has the Millennium Tauk. But since you're here we can get the real training! We're really very lucky. I can't wait!"

Maybe Mana's excitement was rubbing off on her, but Selket was interested to say the least. But she felt a twinge of something similar to worry. What was she getting herself into? She shouldn't dig herself in too deep. Holes make good covers, but, if dug too deep, they became ruts that could not easily be climbed out of.

Somewhere she noticed many was still talking to her. Some useless information about what it was like outside or something like that. Selket looked directly into Mana's eyes. "You really like to talk, don't you?" she muttered.

"Huh?"

Before Selket had to come up with an explanation, another person entered the room. It was the man who had led her to the room. Selket got a better look at him this time. He wore a long black cloak, as opposed the Priests white ones. He was brushing his pitch black hair into his eyes with long, slender fingers. He was also rather tall, even for a man. He practically towered over Selket, who wasn't exactly short. Other then that, she couldn't tell what he looked like because the cloak covered nearly his entire body.

The man turned his body to face the two girls, so Selket assumed he was looking at them. "Mana!" he exclaimed, "Long time no see. What're you doing here?" He spoke loudly and excitedly, his voice sounding younger then Selket expected it to be. Judging from his voice, he was about as old as Selket, if not younger.

Mana giggled. "Silly, you're supposed to see to the new student today. Her name's Selket," she said, jabbing her thumb in Selket's direction. /I am surrounded by idiots./

The young man seemed to just notice Selket was in the room, for he fell silent at her mentioning. Selket smiled at him in a silent greeting. He smiled back, but remained quiet. The silence hung in the air for a few moments. Mana broke it saying, "It's alright, Deshret. She hasn't learned anything yet." Selket was confused. Learned what? Lessons?

"Yeah, I'm Deshret. Like Mana just said. Uh…Great to meet you an' all, Ket." He spoke slowly, as though he was unsure of what to say next. He had a sense of anxiety this time when he spoke, unlike what he had been when he talked to Mana. /Wait…Ket? Only Bakura calls me that! How dare he!/

"I'm supposed to teach you what you are potential of…yeah. Are you ready to learn, 'Ket?" /Not from him I'm not. (mental snort) Did Mana not say our teacher was that priest Mahaado?/ "Excuse me," said Selket to Deshret, keeping her tone polite, "but isn't Mahaado our teacher?"

Deshret scratched his dark head. "Well…yeah. I help him out when he's busy though."

"Should he not be here then? I mean, it is my first day of being a student of his. I think it would be fair of him to introduce me to this new way of learning first. He isthe real sorcerer, after all."

Deshret flinched. The words seemed to have struck him somewhere. However, Selket knew he would never guess she had done it intentionally because the sentence seemed so innocent. Mana didn't seem to notice it either. She was already preoccupied with a book she had picked up, so Selket doubted she had heard at all.

She saw it had worked when Deshret nodded his head in agreement. "You're right," he said, "I'll see if I can get Master Mahaado to teach you today." With that, he turned his back to the girls. As he was leaving, Selket noticed a large lump that was covered beneath the cloak. It looked very strange, but Selket dismissed it as a hunchback. /It sure would explain his shyness, though./

When the door closed, Mana dropped her book. "Wow, Ket. Deshret must like you. Usually when he meets someone new, especially someone with a high ranking, he goes completely silent in their presence for weeks."

Selket laughed. "Maybe I am special."

"Yeah, Maybe you have a gift or something. You seem to bring out a new side of people. You're totally honest, that's why."

Selket had nothing to say to that.

I was so angry. Deshret returned ours later without Mahaado. They both had been delayed, he had said, and Mahaado couldn't see us until tomorrow. Deshret let us go back to our rooms for the night, but not before giving me a book. He said Mahaado wanted me to read it. Truthfully, the book is amazing. Not really about magic itself, but interesting just the same. I could get used to learning about this sort of thing, as long as that girl Mana stays out of my way. I will enjoy this to the fullest while I am here. Until then.

Hope the chapter didn't bore anybody to death. If I haven't updated by Sunday afternoon, I'll see ya in two weeks!

My thanks to the following:

My PenName is …- Thanks …! Was that part really that odd? That's good actually. Good you picked up on it.

Silver Fantasy- I probably deserved that. Sorry. In anycase, thank you for the review!

Leona Saclat- Wow, I'm glad somebody else has an interest in mythology. You're right. The "devourer Apep" has many names and forms, depending on the place and time period in ancient Egypt. Thank you very much for the review!

Yami-AJ Yu-Yu-InuCapter- Lol! Yeah, Seto isn't the nicest person, but Mahaado is. No wonder they fight. Thank you!