Yugi had to stop walking. For the past two days, he had done almost nothing but walk, from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until the moment he lay down to sleep that night. He had even eaten while walking, sometimes, chewing on a loaf of bread or piece of smoked meat as he trudged endlessly onward. It was a lucky thing for him that he was used to walking for long stretches, or he never would have been able to make it, even with Yami's encouragement. Even now, that wasn't the reason why he had to stop. They had come within sight of the city.
It has grown since my time, said Yami, looking over the cluster of lights on the hill. I hope I can still find my way around. We will have to be cautious.
Yugi nodded silently, staring at the lights. In his own home town, nearly everything was centered around a single main street; even from afar, he could count the lights from their windows and know how many buildings were down there. From where he stood now, it looked like there were as many lights as there were bees in a beehive, and he had just as good a chance of counting them all. He could only imagine how many people must be in there. He had never in his life seen a building bigger than the windmill, but even from here, he could make out a massive structure that his old home would have fit into many times over.
Don't be worried, said Yami. I've been in cities bigger than this one. We'll be all right.
Yugi nodded and began trudging down the road again, urging himself into the city. If Yami promised it would be all right, it would be.
He did finally reach the city just as the last wisps of sunset had faded into true darkness. It was not as grand as he'd imagined it would be when he was seeing it from a distance, and he was a bit ashamed to find himself wishing that he could go back out and sleep under the clean trees on a patch of turf somewhere. Yami explained to him that in cities like these, the outskirts often housed the poorest people, while the richest arrayed themselves close to the home of the Baron himself, or the marketplaces near the center of town. They could have seen a better view, he said, if they had taken the main entrance, but Yami had chosen to sneak in through a side passage in hopes of not drawing attention to himself. Tomorrow they would see a better part of town. Yugi agreed with him, but expressed a wish that they not stay there any longer than they had to. All he could tell of the city by this light was that it was abominably crowded, and also stunk of every kind of refuse imaginable, and that he had to walk carefully to avoid stepping in the trash and general filth on the streets.
"What are we going to do here?" Yugi asked his companion. It was night, after all, and he wasn't used to places where people would walk the streets after dark.
Look for work, Yami replied. We have very little money, not even enough to stay in a boarding-house tonight. Money is everything, in the city.
"I'm not sure what we'll do for that," said Yugi thoughtfully. "Normally I'd offer to cut some firewood or something, but I don't think that will work around here."
I have some skills that will get us by, if necessary, answered Yami, but that must wait until morning. No one will be hiring, this time of day. For tonight, we need to find a sheltered place to sleep, away from prying eyes.
They wandered a while, seeking a spot where they could camp out for a while. Yami didn't seem particular, but Yugi was not eager to bed down in the filthy alleyways or squalid streets. While they were still trying to work out an acceptable compromise, they were accosted by a woman.
"Hey, fella," she said. "Lookin' for a place to sleep tonight?"
Yugi looked at her, and then looked away quickly, and then looked back. He had never seen a woman dressed like this before - or not dressed, as it might have been more accurate to say, because the garment she wore was barely enough to cover her decently. He wasn't sure if he was expected to look at her or not. Despite the provocative way she dressed, there was something washed-out about her that dimmed her allure somewhat. Still, if she was willing to offer them a safe resting-place...
Yugi was about to accept the woman's kind offer, when Yami abruptly cut him off.
"Thank you, but no," he said curtly. "We don't have any money to pay you with."
"That's all right," she drawled. "I don't have any other, hm, boarders tonight, and I like the look of you. I'll let you stay with me for free, just for tonight. Maybe I can even get a pretty boy like you a job. Easy work, good pay. You'll like it there."
Yugi belatedly realized just what it was that this woman was offering, and was suddenly very glad that Yami had chosen to intervene.
"I'm afraid I must refuse," said Yami.
"Aw, c'mon, don't be shy," said the woman. "You don't have to make up your mind so fast. Let me give you a little sample."
She managed to latch hold of him, and leaned forward to bestow a kiss. She never found her mark, for Yami twisted quickly away, dancing out of her reach. Then he reached for the pendant and said something in a language Yugi didn't understand. Whatever it was, it made something happen, which Yugi couldn't see, but the woman obviously could. Her sultry expression shifted to one of horror, and she ran into the night, shrieking as if her life was in danger.
"What was that?" Yugi exclaimed.
Nothing, said Yami. You know this charm is magical, don't you? I used it to frighten her a bit, so she would leave us alone. Now perhaps she'll learn to take no for an answer. Come. Let us find safer lodgings.
The prostitute forgotten, they continued scouring the area, until they finally found an alley which held, among other odds and ends, an abandoned crate. It could not have been there long, for it was comparatively clean and sound, and large enough that a boy like Yugi could curl up inside it if he wanted to. He did, and tugged the lid halfway over it to hide him from view. It was stuffy inside, and more warm than was comfortable. He dozed anyway.
"Well, this is great, huh? This is just wonderful."
"Aw, what are you complaining about?"
"Hey, you don't want to leave town, either! You don't want to go stomping around the middle of nowhere and leave the city girls behind."
The dark-haired monster hunter blushed and subsided.
"That's better," said his fair-haired companion. "We're monster hunters, right? And if Kaiba says we gotta go to this village and catch a monster, that's what we do. The sooner we get done, the sooner we get back, the sooner we get paid, and we can ditch this deal. I tell you one thing, though - I won't be sorry to see the last of that guy. He gives me the creeps, you know?"
"Yeah, no kidding," his friend agreed. He sighed. "If the money wasn't so good, I'd quit right now. There's got to be a better job for a monster hunter around here somewhere."
As if on cue, there was a distant scream - one that drew rapidly nearer. Before the two young men could react, a woman ran up the road, shrieking in terror. As soon as she caught sight of these two armed and dangerous characters, she flung herself at them and began to cry.
"Save me! I implore you, good men, save me!" she wailed.
"Save you from what?" said the blonde hunter.
"A horrible monster! It attacked me back there in the alley - a horrible thing with glowing red eyes and fangs and claws! It must have been some kind of demon!"
"Did it hurt you?" asked the other hunter, who was the one being cried on the most.
She shook her head. "The creature took the form of a handsome young man first, to lure me close, and then he tried to force himself on me against my will. When I refused his advances, he showed his true form, and I ran away in fright. Please, find this creature and kill it before it attacks some other innocent woman!"
The monster hunters looked at her as if doubting she was anything like innocent, but it was obvious that she was terrified of something.
"What do you think?" asked the blonde. "Go have a quick look?"
"Might as well," the other replied. "Kaiba might be steamed if we just walked off and left a monster in his city."
"He hired us to catch Halves," the first one said. "He didn't say anything about anything else."
"Maybe he'll pay us extra!"
"Point." The blonde turned back to the young woman. "Looks like you're in luck, lady. It just so happens we're Jonouchi and Honda, expert monster hunters to the Baron himself. If anyone can get rid of this demon of yours, we can. So you just go on home and don't worry about it, okay?"
The young woman was volubly grateful, and they had a time convincing her that they didn't need any reward other than her thanks. They finally managed to extricate themselves from her grasp and set out to do their job. They trudged off in the direction they'd seen her coming from, keeping their swords loose in their sheathes and their eyes peeled for trouble.
Meanwhile, Yugi had actually managed to nod off inside his box. He was having a peculiar dream: someone he couldn't see clearly kept asking him what shape something should be. Yugi kept saying that he didn't know what shape it would be, to ask someone else, but the voice kept pleading that he must know, it was important. When Yugi continued to protest that he didn't know the answer, the person rushed at him and began shaking him angrily. Yugi gave a squeal, and toppled over. He opened his eyes to see that someone had tripped over the lid of his box in the dark and fallen. Yugi froze as he realized that there was a pair of feet only a few inches away from him, and they furthermore belonged to someone carrying weapons.
"Honda, you klutz! Some monster hunter you are," said a voice out of Yugi's range of vision. "Some hunter you turned out to be!"
"It's dark back here," the one called Honda complained lamely.
The other man came and knelt next to his companion, preparing to help him to his feet. Then he stopped. He looked directly at Yugi.
"Hey!" he said. "What are you doing there?"
"I was sleeping, until people started tripping over me," Yugi replied.
"You haven't seen a monster around anywhere, have you? Or a woman?" the hunter replied.
"I haven't spoken to anyone all night," said Yugi truthfully. After all, he'd let Yami do all the talking for him. "I've just been sitting here, minding my own business."
"Oh," said the hunter. He peeled his friend off the ground. "Well, sorry for bothering... hey!" he said suddenly, his expression turning calculating. "Hey, I think I've seen your face before. Hang on a minute."
He rummaged in one of his pockets and pulled out a scrap of paper with a picture drawn on it. Yugi was startled to see that it was a slightly inaccurate (not especially flattering), but recognizable image of himself.
"What the...?" he said. "Where did you get that?"
"From the Baron," answered the hunter. "Seems somebody sent a report up from the country, saying that a Half was causing trouble down there a couple days ago. That wouldn't be you, would it?"
"Ah, well, I wasn't causing trouble, exactly..." Yugi stammered.
He tried to back into the far corner of his box, even though he knew it was a futile effort. The hunters had him cornered, boxed up neatly to be carried away as they pleased.
I'll give them a fight, anyway, said Yami.
He shifted, tensed, and finally lunged, making a desperate dive for safety. The monster hunters hadn't been expecting that move, and it startled them for a moment - but not for very long. They pounced on him and began trying to wrestle him into submission. Yami put up a terrific fight, but he was up against two competent fighters who had him boxed into a narrow alley, and they were both armed. When the swords came out, he knew he had lost. He slumped in defeat and allowed his captors to lead him away.
What are we going to do now? Yugi asked silently.
Yami smiled wryly. It looks like we pay a visit to the Baron.
Never in his life had Yugi thought he would be granted a face-to-face visit with the Baron himself. Now that it was happening, he didn't like it. That fact probably had something to do with the fact that he was still being held tightly by the two monster hunters, one on each arm, both of whom had been explaining to him exactly what they'd do if he tried to fight them off again. The three of them stood in the center of what appeared to be an audience hall of some sort; Yugi could imagine the peasants coming here to air their grievances to their lord, or trials being held here. There were even rows of benches along the wall. All of those were empty, though. The only person seated in the room was the young Baron himself.
There was someone else, though. Standing behind the proud man on the throne was another person, a child. He was dressed as richly as the baron himself was, and wore a thin gold circlet on his brow to hold his shaggy hair out of his face, but the eyes that peered out at Yugi were sad, even pitying. Yugi found himself wondering who the boy was, and what he was doing here. No sooner had he started wondering, when the boy ducked behind the throne and hid.
"Well," said the Baron, "that was quick, wasn't it? I had expected it to take days, and you bring me the culprit in a matter of hours."
"He practically walked right up to us," the blonde guard (Yugi had heard his friend call him Jonouchi) declared proudly. "He must have been heading this way ever since that dustup back where he came from."
"Humph," said the Baron. "Well, boy? What do you have to say for yourself? Were you thinking you could hide from Baron Kaiba in his own city?"
"I wasn't thinking I could hide from you at all," said Yugi. He felt a bit annoyed at being called "boy" by someone who couldn't have been much older than he was, even if he was a Baron. "Was I supposed to?"
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing I'm not hunting you for your intelligence." He sighed. "Well, let's have a look at you and make certain you're the genuine article."
He got up from his throne and strode briskly over to Yugi. He looked him over from top to bottom, and then slipped a little knife out of a sheath and casually applied its blade to the back of Yugi's arm. Yugi gave a yelp of pain and outrage - Kaiba hadn't bothered with just nicking the skin. Even now, blood was dripping unchecked down his arm and onto the floor. Kaiba eyed the peculiar pink fluid with satisfaction.
"What did you do that for?" Yugi complained. He hardly noticed as the sad eyed boy slipped out from nowhere again and began to bandage his arm.
"I had to make sure you were really a Half," Kaiba answered complacently.
"Couldn't you have just taken my pulse or something?"
"I could, but this is an unmistakable sign. There is nothing else in the world like the blood of a Half." He turned his attention to the hunters. "Throw him in the cellar with the other one. They can keep each other company while they wait for the end to come."
"What about our reward?" Honda blurted.
"You will get it after this boy is safely behind bars," Kaiba snapped. "Go!"
They went, dragging poor Yugi between them. He managed one last look over his shoulder at the Baron, with the shadowy boy standing beside him and watching sadly. Then he was jerked into a hallway and lost all sight of both of them.
There had never been a dungeon in the Baron's manor. Kaiba was currently making do by tossing his prisoners in an old and empty wine cellar, which was secure enough to hold Yugi in place, at least. He came to it expecting to be unceremoniously tossed down the stairs, so he was surprised when the guards stopped, opened the door, and gestured him inside.
"Sorry we have to do this to you," said Jonouchi. "It's nothing personal."
"Yeah," Honda agreed. "We didn't think when we took this job that it would be people... well, kind of people... You know what I mean."
"Wouldn't bother me a bit if you escaped as soon as we got paid," said Jonouchi. He shrugged. "Well, good luck, I guess. See ya."
He gave Yugi a gentle shove and closed the door behind him. Yugi watched as the two of them ambled back up the hallway.
"It's like everyone around here feels sorry for me but the Baron," he said aloud.
"It's possible," said a soft voice.
Yugi jumped. He looked wildly around the dark room, until his eyes finally adjusted enough to pick out a pale shape against the gloom. It was a boy, roughly the same age as Yugi. His clothes looked like they had seen better days, but his face and eyes were gentle, and he gave Yugi a soft smile as their gazes met.
"Hello," he said. "Did I startle you? I didn't mean to."
"It's okay," said Yugi. "I did hear the Baron say something about 'the other one'. That's you, I guess."
"Yes. My name is Ryou."
"I'm Yugi. Nice to meet you. It's not nice to meet you down here, but..."
"But we are here," said Ryou, "so we might as well be friendly to each other while we can. We may not have a lot of time, I'm afraid. At least, I'm assuming you're a Half?"
Yugi nodded.
"So am I," Ryou continued. "I thought I would be getting company, before long. He collects them, you know."
"Collects Halves?" Yugi repeated. "Why?"
"I don't know," answered Ryou, frowning a bit. "It's been going on for years, now. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it, though. I only know because I used to live in the Count's city, a long way from here. The Count has declared a bounty on Halves of all kinds - young or old, rich or poor, it doesn't matter! He wants them all."
"Why?" asked Yugi.
Ryou shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not sure anyone does. I finally had to get out of the city, before they came to take me, as well. He's cleaned them out entirely, from what I hear, and now he's beginning to look into other cities and towns."
"And this has been going on for years?" Yugi repeated. "It's a wonder we weren't caught before!"
"Not really. Most people are afraid of Halves, you know. They would rather just leave them alone, unless they're paid monster hunters like those two that brought you here. They didn't catch me, though. Baron Kaiba took me out of the city jail."
Yugi looked at his new friend, and thought he'd never seen anyone less likely to be thrown in a jail for any reason. Ryou smiled at him.
"I know, I know. I don't look like a criminal, do I?" he said. "I couldn't tell you why they put me there. To this day, I have no idea. Perhaps Kaiba was behind that, as well. He's the only one I know who has been actively enforcing the laws about Halves. Every few months, he sends a group of them to the Count's palace - and as far as I know, they never come back."
"That's odd," said Yugi. "I don't know much about the Count or the Baron, but I always heard they didn't like each other. Why is he being so cooperative about this?"
"I don't know. I keep thinking there must be some ulterior motive - though it isn't as if we're in a position to find out," Ryou replied. He sighed. "I am sorry you're here, Yugi. Now we're both doomed together. I'd rather go alone than have to watch you go through this with me. Now we're both doomed."
"I wouldn't give up hope just yet," said Yami. "There may still be a way out of this."
Ryou boggled. "What in the world...?"
Yugi sighed. "It's a long story. Got a minute?"
Meanwhile, the two monster hunters had returned to their employer, and were waiting eagerly for their just rewards.
"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay longer?" asked Kaiba, as if he really didn't mind either way.
"Nah, this job ain't really our thing," said Jonouchi. "We'll just take our payment and go, if that's okay with you."
"I couldn't care less," said Kaiba. "You monster hunters come cheaply enough. Mokuba, bring them their money and let them go on their way."
The boy next to him nodded silently and walked out of the room.
"Cute kid," said Honda, by way of being friendly. "What is he, your personal servant?"
"He's my brother," Kaiba snapped, "and you don't need to talk about him."
"All right, all right, I get it!" said Honda. He grinned sheepishly and shot a look at his partner as if to say, I didn't know he had a brother! Jonouchi looked back and shrugged a little to indicate that he hadn't, either.
There was a scream. Kaiba went pale and leaped from his seat, running in the direction the sound had come from - the direction his brother had gone. After a split second of hesitation, the monster hunters ran after him.
In the hallway, they found Mokuba, and he was not alone. Standing over him was a was a man in a dark cloak, whose face was concealed by his hood. Only a few strands of pale hair fell into view. He was clutching Mokuba tightly with one hand, while the other held a hefty sack that rattled and clinked like something valuable.
"Here's a nice prize," he said gloatingly. "I can't decide which is more valuable - the boy, or the gold. What do you think?"
"Give him back!" Kaiba demanded. "Give him back, or I'll...!"
"What will you do?" asked the thief. "What will you be able to do before I break his neck?"
He tightened his grip. Mokuba's face was beginning to go purple, and he tugged futilely at his captor's arm as he struggled to breathe.
Kaiba backed off a step. "Take the money. Just let him go. Let him go, and you have my word I won't have you followed."
"Oh, is that so?" asked the thief. "Do you think you could follow me even if you tried? Luckily, I'm more interested in gold than children, so you can have this one back."
He gave Mokuba a shove, and the boy ran over to his brother's side. Kaiba lay a hand on Mokuba's shoulder, but his gaze never strayed from the thief.
"Thank you for the gift," said the thief, giving a covetous glance to the sack he was carrying. "I'll think of you as I melt it all down."
"You won't have a chance," Kaiba snapped back. "Guards, kill him! Now!"
The two hunters hesitated.
"You know, we're monster hunters, not guards," said Jounouchi.
"Never mind that! Get him!"
The thief laughed. "Oh, am I bothering you? I don't need their help to find my way out, thank you very much. You may see me again someday, Baron. Be sure you have more treasure waiting when I come."
He threw back his head and laughed, and the hood that had hidden his features fell away. There was a moment of blank silence as everyone suddenly recognized what they were seeing. A moment later, the monster hunters sprang forward with cries of shock and anger, but they were already too late. In that split second of hesitation, the thief did something complicated with one hand. A pendant that hung around his neck flashed, and then he was suddenly and silently not there. The monster hunters were just barely able to react in time to save themselves from crashing straight into the wall. Kaiba barely noticed them. He was staring, wild-eyed, at the place where the thief had been.
"How did he get out?" he shouted. "You fools - you let him escape!"
Meanwhile, Yugi was doing the best he could to deal with this new situation. He had managed to take his new friend's mind off of his troubles by describing the interesting history of his other soul. Ryou seemed fascinated by the whole thing. Yugi got the impression that he had not, before now, had much contact with other Halves, and he was enjoying the chance to talk with someone who understood what it was like, having to live each day hoping no one would notice anything odd, and having to be so studiously careful not to injure himself. It seemed that he, like Yugi, had taken an interest in games as an alternative to the rougher modes of entertainment. He still had a deck of cards in his pocket, and it wasn't long before Yugi and he had started a game. It was as good a way as any to take their minds off the fact that they seemed to be destined for a one-way trip to the Count's castle to meet an unknown fate.
They were surprised to hear a soft rattle at the door to their makeshift prison. Both of them looked to the door, but the difference in lighting was such that all they could see was a silhouette standing in the doorway. It crossed Yugi's mind to wonder if yet another unfortunate soul was being brought to join them. Then he realized that the newcomer was neither Baron Kaiba nor one of the monster hunters. This person wore a cloak, with the hood pulled up to cover his head. He spoke.
"So, there you are, my little friend. It was very careless of you to come here."
"We aren't your friends," said Yugi.
"I wasn't talking to you," the stranger snapped. "Ryou, Ryou, I thought you were more considerate than this! Why must you make life so difficult for me?"
The words were spoken in an almost soothing tone, but Yugi could see a wicked glimmer of eyes beneath the shadow of the hood.
"I'm sorry," said Ryou politely, "but I think there must be some mistake. I have no idea who you are. I certainly didn't mean to cause anyone any inconvenience, though I can't see how I'm inconveniencing you by being shut in a wine cellar."
"Haven't you figured it out already? No wonder they finally caught you."
He raised his hand and pushed the hood back, revealing his face. The hair was a bit more untidy than Ryou's, and the eyes had a calculating glint to them, but other than a faint scar along one cheek, his face was a perfect match for Ryou's.
"Now do you see?" he asked. "Or is it still more than your feeble intellect can handle?"
"You... exactly like me..." said Ryou weakly. "You're a Half, aren't you? My other Half..."
"If it comforts you to think of it in those terms. I prefer to think of you as mine. Come now; we're wasting time. I've come to get you out of here."
Yugi and Ryou exchanged glances, but both of them seemed to have the same idea.
There is no safety to be found here, said Yami. We can escape him more easily than this room. I don't even believe he's armed.
"I'm for it," said Yugi. "What about you, Ryou?"
"I'm not leaving without him," said the other Half. "He doesn't get a choice. Come!"
Ryou got to his feet and began gathering up his cards, looking slightly dazed. He and Yugi followed the man out of the room and let him lead them down the labyrinthine passages that made up the Baron's home.
"Why are you doing this?" Ryou asked.
"Shh," was all his rescuer said. "They'll hear us."
He led them to a small gap, hardly big enough to be called a door, which led to a narrow passage. It was the kind of thing that had become popular some years ago among the architecture of the homes of nobles: a narrow hallway hidden behind the walls, where servants could come and go unseen, without bothering their employers when they weren't needed. The entrance to this servants' passage was cunningly hidden, but the cloaked man seemed to know exactly what he was looking for, and made directly for it. It was very dark and dusty inside, but he seemed to think it was a safe place. Still, he led his charges a good distance before he risked any conversation.
"Kaiba doesn't use these anymore," he murmured. "He doesn't trust anyone. He wants his servants out where he can see them. I doubt anyone here remembers these passages."
"Who are you?" Ryou blurted out.
"Hm. My name is Bakura. I am a thief," the hooded man replied. "Jailbreaks are usually not my line of work, but you are a special case, young Ryou. You were just lucky," he added, with a sharp glance in Yugi's direction.
"So why rescue Ryou, then?" Yugi asked. "Is it because he's your other Half?"
"Not exactly," said Bakura casually. "He's just useful to me. I've been living a good life, up until now, because of him, and I don't intend to just hand him over to the Count. He's more useful to me."
"Useful? What on earth for?" Ryou replied.
"For stealing! What else?"
Ryou shook his head. "You must have the wrong person. I've never helped anyone steal anything. I've never even seen you before today."
"I'm not wrong. I've been following you around for years. I know you very well by now. I know you used to live with your parents and a sister named Amane, until accusations began cropping up that you were committing crimes and putting magic on people, so you struck out on your own. You could never get rid of those accusations, though, could you? They followed you around wherever you went."
Bakura's eyes widened as the realization sunk in. "It was you! You were doing it all! They saw you and thought you were me!"
"Why do you look so shocked? I took care of you, didn't I? You never got caught, until now. I always made sure you had a waterproof alibi. Wasn't that nice of me?"
"You just didn't want anyone to realize there were two of you," Yugi accused.
"And I am only rescuing you two because I don't want to lose my cover. That doesn't change the fact that I am helping you. If you don't like it, you can go back to that cell and wait to be taken to the Count. Do you want to go see the Count? I've been there. I've seen what becomes of the Halves who fall into his clutches. I'm much safer than the Count is. At least I have an interest in keeping you alive and more-or-less sane."
"Don't worry about it," said Yugi, seeing Ryou looking doubtful. "It doesn't matter why he's helping you now. Let's get out of danger first, and then worry what to do about him."
Ryou considered that, and finally nodded grudgingly.
"It's true I'm better off alive than dead," he said.
"You could always take up thieving," said Bakura, giving him a sly look. "I used to have quite a fine little gang, before the Count started meddling in my life. I can't risk taking on too much help when anyone could turn me in for the bounty, but you'll never let him know about me. You'd run the risk of the Count and the Baron capturing you again, too."
"I don't want to be a thief," said Ryou flatly.
Bakura shrugged. "Suit yourself." His gaze strayed over to Yugi. "And you? You move like someone who's at home in the dark. Do you have any interest in thieving?"
Yugi wanted to say that he only moved that way because he was letting Yami help him pick his way through the shadows, but he held his tongue. Yami wasn't the kind of thing he could tell just anyone about.
"I don't want to be a thief, either," he said.
"I see. Already have all the treasure you want?"
Yugi saw where the thief was looking, and clutched at his amulet. "You can't have this! It's special."
Bakura smiled cryptically. "I know. Bought with blood, I'm sure."
Don't correct him, said Yami.
Yugi was puzzled. You don't mean you really...?
Just don't correct him. Let him think what he wants to think.
Yugi met Bakura's eye and nodded slightly. That seemed to say something to the thief, because his expression turned serious, and he looked away.
"Fine," said Bakura. "I got a tidy haul from the Baron's treasury already. I don't need your soiled trinkets."
That was all the conversation they could get out of him. After a few more minutes of bumping blindly through the passageway, it finally opened up to a kitchen. Since it was late at night, there wasn't so much as a scullery maid cleaning up. They were able to slip out into the kitchen gardens, and from there, they escaped back into the town's empty streets.
"Here is where I leave you," said Bakura. "You'll probably see me again. It's not like me to do favors without expecting something in return. Until then, try not to get captured anymore. I can't bail you out all the time."
With that, he gave a flick of the wrist, and the pendant flashed once more. Then there was nothing left but a small breeze left by his passage. Ryou stared.
"He can do magic!" he said, plainly impressed.
Yugi shrugged. He'd seen his grandfather do magic too many times for it to amaze him much. Still, to vanish without even saying a word... that was strong magic, much stronger than Yugi would have expected from a simple thief. Even his grandfather, a mage by profession, couldn't do it anymore, now that age was getting into his bones.
"Let's get out of here," he said, "before the Baron's hunters come looking for us."
They fled together towards the far end of town, right out to the city limits. They saw few people, and passed fewer - everyone they met seemed to be going the same direction as Ryou and Yugi. Yugi wondered about this, but Yami assured him that they were less likely to be found and attacked by the hunters if they blended in with a crowd. Still, it was a question what anyone was doing out at this time of night.
It wasn't long before they learned the answer. Beyond the city limits flickered the lights of fires, just barely illuminating a cluster of tents and wagons patterned in every color of the rainbow. The sound of music drifted up from it, both from instruments and human voices, all of it mixing with the sound of laughter and cries of amazement. That could mean only one thing: Wind People. Despite his predicament, Yugi felt his spirits lift a little. He had been only a small child the last time he had seen any Wind People, and they had only stayed in his village long enough to buy a few supplies. He had been so young then, it had been difficult to stay awake long enough to see them properly.
"Should we go over there?" he suggested to Ryou.
"I'd like that," Ryou replied. "I've never been to a Wind People's camp. I always thought it was too risky to be in such crowds, but if we don't have anything to lose anyway, I'd like to have a look at them before I go." He laughed a little. "Maybe they'll take pity on me. I'm practically a Wind Person myself, I've moved around so much."
That was all the encouragement Yugi needed. He picked up his pace, making a beeline towards the encampment.
He had to slow down as he came nearer to the site of the excitement, and Ryou caught up with him, panting a little from the brisk pace. There were a large number of people gathered here, more than Yugi would have imagined from seeing the nearly empty city streets, but of course everyone who could be here had come to see the legendary performers. Wind People were an entire society of performers, who traveled from place to place showing off their skills. Everywhere Yugi looked, he saw them in their brightly colored clothes, each doing his or her utmost to draw the attention of the crowds. Acrobats tumbled, jugglers threw knives or flaming torches high into the night sky, singers and musicians poured out their melodies, illusionists conjured of scenes of beauty and wonder. Not all the entertainment was so tame: there were knife throwers and sword swallowers, and strong young men who would fight with each other in intense competition, either with swords or with their bare hands.
"Amazing," Ryou murmured, staring at a magician who was pulling flowers and live birds out of nowhere.
Yugi nodded, not paying attention. His gaze had been caught by a girl, who was raised on a pedestal nearby, dancing for the coins the crowd threw to her. Yugi was familiar with the country dances his fellow villagers did during the town festivals and at weddings, but he'd never seen anyone dance like this. It didn't seem to have any kind of pattern to it, but there was a rhythm, a motion as free and natural as the flight of a bird. She dipped and twirled, her hands tracing arcs across the sky, her hair floating around her face as she spun. The dance itself may have been wild, but her movements were perfectly controlled; she never looked down, and yet she could dance within a hair's breadth of the stage's edge without so much as losing her balance. Her dance was one of freedom, pure unbridled joy of movement. At any moment, Yugi half expected she would turn into music itself and float away on the wind, she was so at one with the song. He stared at her, unabashed, jaw hanging open, until Yami gently nudged him away.
You've seen girls before, said the spirit, with a touch of humor.
Not like that one, Yugi replied.
Yugi didn't have a lot of money, but nevertheless, he fumbled in his pouch and found a few coppers. He took one out, stared at it a moment, and then took out another. He wished he could give more for the beautiful dancer - she deserved more, he thought - but it was all he could spare. He tossed the coins to her, and she whipped around and caught them both without missing a beat. Then she spun away again. Her movements were almost too quick to follow, but Yugi could have sworn she'd smiled straight at him.
"Yugi!" Ryou called. "Yugi, what are you doing over here? I thought you were following me!"
"I just wanted to watch the show for a minute," said Yugi. He waved his hand vaguely, in a way that could have indicated the dancing girl, a juggler, or three young men performing feats of acrobatics.
Ryou looked sympathetic. "I want to see the show, too, but I thought we were trying to find a place to hide. Or at least trying to sneak out of town without being noticed. What are we going to do?"
"I'm not entirely sure," said Yugi. "I haven't given it much thought. I guess we could split up here, if we want to."
"Not really," Ryou said. "It's been such a long time since I've had someone like myself to talk to. I was hoping... we could stay together?"
"Of course we can," said Yugi, smiling reassuringly. "I just don't know where I'm going, yet. How are you at living on the land?"
"Not very. I've always lived in towns, and I usually traveled on the main road, with a traders' caravan if I could."
"Hmm," said Yugi. He racked his brain for some way to get himself and a city-bred boy to safety, when he didn't even know where safety might be. "Let's at least get out of sight a little more, for the time being."
They slipped cautiously through the crowd. Anyone watching the way they stared all around them would have thought they were eagerly taking in the sights - and they were, but they were also keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of monster hunters. At last, they reached the very edge of the camp, and found themselves standing behind two of the wagons. There was a jumble of trunks and crates piled up there, providing plenty of shadowy nooks for a pair of boys to hide. They ducked into this scanty shelter and sat down to rest and recover themselves after their adventures. It was lucky they did so, because a moment later, a pair of men dressed in the motley garb of the Wind People walked by. They seemed to be taking stock of their supplies.
"Think we've got enough to last us a week or so?" one was asking.
"I should say we have more than enough. I'm not looking forward to packing all this up again, and that's no lie," said one.
"Don't complain. We all have to take our turn."
"So, how many more days are we going to be here?"
"Haven't you heard? The leader says he's got a new venue picked out. We're leaving tomorrow."
"That early? I guess we had better get started."
"Not yet. Word is we're to wait until the crowd breaks up a bit more. Wait an hour or two."
"You're right. Well, let's see about making a few more coins, then!"
The pair strolled off again in the direction of the festivities.
"That was close!" Ryou whispered.
"Maybe so," said Yugi, "but it also gave me an idea."
"Oh?"
"Well, I'm not very big," said Yugi, "and you're not exactly huge yourself. What if we were to crawl into some of these boxes? We could ride off with the Wind People, and no one would ever suspect. We can slip out again when they get wherever they're going, and we'll be gone without a trace."
Well thought, said Yami. Not even a magician could follow us, if we leave no footprints.
Ryou's eyes lit up. "That would work! Let's find a place to hide."
They made a search. Thankfully, much of the luggage the Wind People used appeared to have seen better days; the boxes and trunks were rickety, with plenty of air holes. Yugi found a trunk that appeared to be full of the finery worn by the dancers. It would be comfortably padded, and there was plenty of room for a small person to tuck himself neatly inside. Ryou secured himself in a box with some old shoes and other odds and ends. There, they waited out the night, until they finally dozed off.
Some hours later, Yugi was wakened by a jolt, and was just barely able to restrain himself from crying out. From the sound of it, his trunk was being picked up (with the accompaniment of much grunting and swearing) by two men and tossed into the back of a wagon. He landed with a bump that made his teeth rattle and knocked his head against the side of the trunk hard enough to make him see stars, but he managed not to cry out. He could only hope that Ryou was getting gentler treatment than he was. There was no way to ask him, right now. For better or for worse, he was shut up in a trunk, piled amidst a heap of other luggage, and he was about to become the only outsider he knew of to ever travel with the elusive Wind People.