Mokuba was shaking and tightened his grip on Seto's arm. "W-what n-now, Seto?"
"Well first things first we have to get out of here and find someplace to hide. I can't run so we may just need to find someplace in the woods to hide you till he's past. It won't matter if he sees me. I'm just out for a walk."
"B-but your-your leg. W-won't he think it-it's odd for you to be w-walking on it?"
"Hmmm…maybe but there'd be no reason why he'd suspect you're with me. Now can you open the door?"
Mokuba nodded he removed the wooden bar and it took a couple of tugs but he finally got it open.
Once they got out, they heard the basement door open.
"Mokuba grab the bar."
"W-what good is it?"
"I'll show you." Seto said slamming the door shut. "Do you have any rope?"
Mokuba thought for a minute then quickly ran to the front of the house and pulled down the clothesline and took it back and handed it to Seto.
Seto ruffled his hair. "Well it's not what I had in mind but it'll work. Now while I'm doing this do you think you could find something heavy and put over the door of the basement?"
Mokuba nodded.
"Good boy, now go do that while I finish up here."
"Okay." Mokuba said running off into the house. He remembered the chest in the room above the basement had a chest they kept for souvenirs and things. He pushed it in front of the door leading down into the basement then quickly ran back out to Seto.
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While Mokuba was gone, Seto had put the bar against the wall in front of the door. Then he wrapped the string around it then tied the string to the door. "There that should keep him out of the way for at least a little while."
"Y-you sure that'll hold him in Seto?"
"Well nothings certain kiddo, but it'll buy some time come on." Seto told him taking his hand. As they got to the woods Seto looked around and had no clue how to get home. He'd been out riding lots of times but it'd been a long time since he'd been in this area and plus he'd always been on horse back at the time. Things looked different from the ground. He had no clue how to get back to the castle. Then a thought stuck him, Mokuba said the family went to town maybe at least with a direction to go it'd be a starting point. "Mokuba do you know where the castle is?"
Mokuba shook his head no. 'Why do suppose he wants to go to the castle?'
"Well how about the town? At least a direction."
Mokuba nodded and just pointed straight ahead.
Seto sighed. "Well come on then, it's going to be a long walk and slow one at that with my knee hurting." They started off towards the direction Mokuba knew the family went all the time.
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Mokuba felt bad about Seto's knee hurting and tried to think of someway to help. Then it hit him! Mokuba smiled thinking, 'Seto's horse! Why didn't I think of it sooner! Seto could get home faster if he had his horse.' With that thought in mind Mokuba soon started to try to pull Seto more to the left rather than straight. He knew Seto would be happy to see how good of care he knew Ryo had probably done on his horse.
Seto however was confused by the boy's actions. 'Why does suddenly want to go that direction? He indicated that town was straight ahead.' "What are you doing kiddo, you did say the town was straight ahead didn't you?"
Mokuba's face fell and just nodded. 'I guess Seto doesn't trust me, enough to believe I know what I'm doing.' Mokuba thought. He never said a word and had learned when he was able, he could control when he cried. Now that didn't always hold true but a lot of times he could control it and sometimes like now keep his face from showing it. So, he stopped pulling, let go of Seto's hand and started to walk ahead of him in the only direction he knew. He didn't know how far the town was or even if you had to turn somewhere so he kept going.
Seto was confused but even though the kid tried to hide it, Seto could tell he was sad and upset. 'Well whatever it was he wanted in that direction must have been important. I hate it when he's upset. The poor kid doesn't smile enough as it is and I just tend to make it worse.' "Mokuba."
Mokuba stopped but didn't look back.
'Great now he's mad at me.' Seto thought
'What now, he said he wanted to go to town I told him how to get there. Where does he want to go now?' Mokuba wondered.
Seto could see the kid wasn't coming back to him and walked over to a bolder and sat down on it. "Mokuba, please I don't like it when you're mad at me."
Mokuba looked up. 'What makes him think, I'm mad. Upset yeah but not mad.' Mokuba felt bad that Seto thought he was mad and walked over and put his arms around his neck.
Seto smiled and lightly rubbed his back. "Thanks kiddo, this is just what I needed." 'Well, I'm assuming from this comforting hug he's not mad. Could it have been maybe the kid was just testing me, to see if I trusted him? If it was I failed for sure.'
Mokuba was still tired from being woken from his nap so suddenly and quickly pulled away rubbing his eyes. He knew if he stayed like that next to Seto's shoulder too long he'd end up going to sleep.
Seto smiled seeing the kid rub his eyes and understanding why he pulled away. 'It'll take the rest of the day and probably all night to get to the castle in my condition and I doubt the kid can stay awake that long. I think he feared that if he stayed on my shoulder too much longer he'd end up going to sleep. Which defiantly tells me he needs a nap, I knew he hadn't slept very long and he'd be tired and sleepy I guess I just didn't realize exactly how far away from home I really was. Poor kid he's practically going to sleep now. Maybe we should go to where ever it was he wanted to show me. Perhaps there'll even be a place he can lay down and I can keep him safe from Noah. In my condition there's no way I can carry him, especially not knowing how far from home I am!' "Mokuba." Seto said holding out his hand.
Mokuba looked up at him and smiled. He walked over, took his hand and soon found himself between Seto's legs, leaning against one and Seto moved his hand that still clutched the boy's and wrapped it around him. "Okay kiddo, you're going to end up asleep on me before we get to where were going. So, let's go wherever it was you were wanting to go."
Mokuba looked at him surprised.
Seto then released his hand and pushed him away a little, then stood up and offered his hand. "You still want to go don't you?"
Mokuba smiled and nodded his head and lead Seto towards Ryo's house.
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Finally, they made it to a fairly large house. Seto was surprise at how fancy it seemed. Mokuba then dragged Seto to the barn. Seto couldn't understand why he was taking him to the barn rather than the house. Mokuba opened the barn door then dragged Seto over and pointed inside.
Seto looked in and was shocked. "That-that looks like m-my horse." Seto walked over to it and started to look it over.
Mokuba smiled when he noticed Ryo's horse was still there. He turned and ran to the house.
"Mokuba, Where did you find my horse?" When no answer came, he turned and didn't see Mokuba. "Mokuba?" Seto went outside and saw Mokuba knocking on the door as he got closer he saw the boy jump into the arms of the person who opened the door. He walked over and was surprised to see Ryo.
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Ryo was surprised to hear someone knocking on his door. He couldn't imagine who it could be. Bakura never came to the house and even if he did he wouldn't have knocked he would have just come in. He walked over, opened it and was surprised to see Mokuba jump into his arms. He put his arms around the kid not sure what else to do.
"Mokuba? What-what are you doing here kiddo? How did you get here?"
"Ryo?" Seto asked.
"Seto? What happened? What are you doing here?"
"Well it was Mokuba's idea. He never told me where we were going."
"Oh, I see. Well please come in and sit down." Ryo said leading Seto into the living room with Mokuba still attached to his waist.
"Where'd my horse come from?" Seto asked sitting down on the couch.
"I s-saw him after I f-found you. Ryo said to g-get him. He brought him here." Mokuba said yawning.
"Well its seems someone needs a nap." Ryo said stroking his hair.
"Yeah I gave him a sleeping pill so that I could treat his back, then half an hour later Noah came pounding on the door. So, I woke him up and we left." Seto decided not to go into detail at that moment.
"But why would you chose that moment to leave?" Ryo asked confused.
"Well it's a long story. If you have a place to put him to let him sleep I'll explain." Seto told him.
"Oh sure. He can take my bed." Ryo said picking the kid up and taking him into his room and laid him down. He then tucked the kid in and went back to Seto. He sat down in a chair next to the couch facing Seto. "Well the kid's out like a light. Now you wish to explain this to me? How and why did you take him, when Noah was calling for him at all times?"
Seto sighed. He decided to tell Ryo what he knew, what he suspected, what he was sure of. He also explained how he convinced Mokuba to go away with him and why he chose now to do that.
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While Seto continued to tell Ryo all that happened after he left, Yami was about to learn Seto's accident wasn't an accident.
Yami was walking down the hall when he heard voices coming from a corner of the throne room. He thought it was odd since no one was allowed in there. He moved closer trying not to be scene. He got close enough to hear the conversation but not see their faces.
"I've heard rumors that the king's expected back anytime now. You know what you have to do."
"Yes, I am well aware of that. I'll take care of it. The king shall not step foot inside the castle."
"If you wish the rest of your payment then he'd better not. I don't want another foul up! I hired you to take him out, not just shoot and assume he's dead. I don't appreciate the fact that you're still sitting here with the king still alive out there."
"Are you certain he's alive?"
"Can I prove it no. But it's rumored the Master Yami received an anonymous letter that some believed was from the king. It's said that he'll be back anytime now. I don't want that to happen."
"Stop you're worrying for nothing, I promise to get it done."
"You'd better."
Yami tried to move a little close to see who was talking. One of the voices sounded oddly familiar but he couldn't place it. But as he moved forward, voices from the hallway distracted him and as he looked back, realized they had also scared them into leaving. Yami wasn't please with this news.
Yami was passing the official royal chamber, when he heard a noise. The royal chamber is a room in which the family spends time in when entertaining other royal families. It also contained a large portrait of the Dark Magician riding on the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Yami knew a little about the story that went behind that painting, but rarely paid it any mind. It was just an old folk tale a story told to children. The painting had been changed a lot over the years though the various kings. Seto had had that painting changed from a portrait of his father who had an ego and liked the self-portrait to this. He had always had a fascination with the story. Few people with in the city of Draglor believed the story. They believed the sprits of the dragons are real only for fear if they didn't a mighty evil will befall them. At one point, the people did stop believing and that was the year of natural disasters and bad crops. They prayed to the great dragon spirits and soon things returned too normal. The people learned a valuable lesson about upsetting the dragon sprits. Though there are still a few that believe it was nothing more than just bad karma than angry spirits. Behind the portrait though was a large wall safe in which the real millennium rod, not just the duplicate used. It was felt that the real one contained too much power and was extremely dangerous to be used on a daily basis. So, some powerful magicians got together and made an exact duplicate that took a small amount of the rods power. It was the only one ever used except in extreme emergencies. Otherwise it was kept in the royal vault in which only the king and his advisor and confidant should know the combination to the safe in which that item along with other sensitive items and important documents were kept.
Yami was just about to keep going ignoring the noise thinking it was nothing when he heard cussing. He walked in to find Johnson standing there holding the millennium rod.