Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.

" It began on a road leading into a deep forest…"

Chapter 1: Traveling

-/-

"Marik you idiot! You have gotten us lost again." Bakura shouted at the top of his lungs as two massive veins on forehead bulged out for they were pulsing from stress. "How? No better yet! Why did I let you pick the mission?" He asks himself as Marik continues to figure out where they are.

"I think we go this way." Marik said suddenly pointing in the direction of a dense forest full of trees, every shade of green, yellow, brown and red. The trees blew softly in the wind and the high grass was broken enough for it to be a trail or old road.

"Why don't we go the other way?" Bakura asks kicking up some dirt. "The road is newer and there are no trees. Plus a sign!"

"I wanna go this way." Marik said pointing to the forest. His eyes watered up and he gave his partner of nearly six years irresistible puppy eyes. "Marik that's not gonna work-"

Some time later

"How in The Seven Hells did you get me to go down this old, forgotten road?" Bakura asked his friend but got no reply. He knew Marik was just excited to be in the woods after all they had not been near one since their home was destroyed in an angry spirits demise. He sighed when a sudden cry for help caught his attention. Marik's head as well was up in the air now listening. It came again from somewhere to their left, a loud pulsing scream. They nodded to each other and despite not knowing the area took off after the person calling for assistance.

They came to the edge of a river where a young man was lying underneath a now seriously wounded horse being crushed to death. He wore the armor of a noble with the symbol of the local family. As they approached they were stopped when out of the forest came two wolves and a young man.

This man was about slightly above average height with very bright alert green eyes and a slim yet muscular body covered in pale skin. He wore a simple cloth gown, commonly worn by villagers, and two pairs of earrings, the lower pair were spiral and made of solid gold while the higher pair were simple silver arrows which dwindled down to mix with the golden spirals. His hair was long white and surprisingly well kept. The bangs were held back by a simple golden crown, which he wore around his head.

A wolf stood on either side of the teen. They were three times the size of any wolf they had ever seen with their long muzzles big enough to swallow Bakura's entire arm and half of his chest in one bite. The one to the left of the teen was pure ivory, except for the single black paw on its back left leg and it's ear tips, colored with flaming golden eyes. While the one to the right was ebony from end to end minus the two white tips of his ears and paws. They growled low as the horse neighed and flailed its hooves. The teen walked among the wolves easily. He spoke to the boy saying words that caused the man to attempt an escape even quicker from the struggling stallion.

"Please, Prince of Wolves, forgive me. I meant no disrespect." The boy pleaded. The boy continued to advance. Slowly with graceful steps until he stopped and his earrings let out a low chime sound that echoed through the forest. Slowly he approached the horse while the wolves waited behind him bearing fangs. He placed a hand tenderly upon the stallion's fine brow, stroking it as he cooed him to stand. Once he was up his back leg collapsed. He was about to fall upon the Prince when the two wolves launched and balanced themselves around it.

The Prince spoke in a cruel tongue. "Tell your Lord, the Forest Spirits are watching closely." The man whimpered as the Prince walked away and six average sized wolves appeared from the brush and began to encircle him. He drew his sword but his legs were still reasonably broken.

Bakura and Marik hurried from their hidden spot in the trees to help. The wolves bore vicious fangs and disturbed growls. They seemed almost afraid to move but were going to stand there ground and kill the injured boy. Marik slowly moved forward and pulled a flash bomb from his pocket. He pulled the fuse causing the inner wiring to activate. He then threw it through the wolves so it sloped just short behind them. The wolves' eyes followed it. Suddenly a howl sounded through the forest and the wolves ran from the blaring glare that came from the bomb. The man too shielded his eyes.

"Ha. The flash bomb gets them every time." Marik said with a smile as he walked towards the wounded man. As he got closer he realized the person looked somewhat familiar. "Hey, Bakura," He said catching his guarding comrade's attention. "Yes." "It's Soku." "Really?" "Yeah."

The boy looked at them again before his realize them. "Oh Gods. You have no idea how happy I am to see you. Those wolves would have devoured me alive. Looks like I owe you again." He said with a small smile. His short black hair still clang to his body in a frightful manner, as his deep green eyes were hollowed out as the fearful expression still haunted his face.

"That's the Damn Truth. If I knew it was you I wouldn't have saved you." Marik said crossing his chest. "What the hell are you doing out in the woods alone? And who was that boy you were talking with?"

The hurried expression over came Soku's face. Then he tried to stand but failed miserably. As Marik lifted him onto his back he explained. He was out looking for a lost war hound, code name for Pegasus' hired mercenaries, who disappeared into the forest just days after meeting the Prince. The Prince of the Wolves was nothing more then a legend until the day he appeared. He recalled that day to us as if it had happened yesterday.

He appeared in the middle of the square standing upon the high post of the clock tower. He wore the hide of a wolf upon his head and a mask that resembles that of a wolf. He had three wolves circling the tower watching for insures as he told us to stop interfering with the forest or it would die. And as the forest dies so do the spirits the people fear even though most of the spirits minus the carnivorous ones are normally peaceful. He also said the Guardian of the Forest is watching our movements and if we disrespect the forest in anyway and one of the spirits find out we will be killed. We though he was crazy at first until he made that strange chime sound and all the wolves ran back into the forest with him riding on the largest one's back.

"Really." Marik said looking over at Bakura. "And this is the boy they want us to hunt down?" Bakura shrugged.

"What?" Soku asked nearly falling off Marik's back.

"Calm down we're almost at your home and left the forest." Marik said when he froze in his tracks. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes but keep walking." Bakura said and they did just that until they were more then halfway thought the plains to reach the City of Domino and the drawbridge was open. The men welcomed Soku back and Marik and Bakura on a job well done.

"So there's your story." Bakura said as he dropped his dishes in the sink. "Now if you don't mind I am going to be at Temple so don't bother me until Dinner."

"But Daddy. What about the story and the Prince and Uncle and You?" Faith asked.

"In time. You too are so much alike. Never wanting to wait for anything. Always acting before thinking."

"Dinner then." She waved good-bye to her father as he walked away still smirking.

-/-

Hope you enjoyed R&R. Reviews will be taken to heart to tell me what you think.

Goddess