A/N: I do not own YGO. This chapter's main focus is on Ishizhu, Marik, Ryou, and Mokuba. This is what happens to them for now. The next chapter will focus on the rest of the characters, and what happened do them during the events of this chapter.
Ishizhu hoisted herself up onto the brown mare with great difficulty, although she chose to keep it secret from the many watching eyes, including the King, who was still in a trance. He would be out of it in a few minutes however and she had to hurry. The young woman clung to the reins and directed the horse forward, all but quickly. She kept her dark hood over her face and the mare steadily rode over the hardened ground, making its way south. Marik would meet her at the base of the mountains and then together they would ride into freedom.
The air was no longer thick and smoky. The Relorian army must've succeeded in extinguishing the fire. A small feeling of satisfaction rose within her, as she had been none too pleased at the thought of destroying a beautiful forest. Nevertheless, she hadn't been able to do anything about it; it was the King's orders and she didn't dare disobey him, at least not until the right moment came. Ishizhu figured it wouldn't take the Delyan King Bakura long to notice he had been duped and that one of his soldiers, and the Delyan sorceress, had escaped. He would be furious and would no doubt send some troops after them, soldiers who would be quick to kill the traitors. Then he would lead the others in the Capital and take control of Relor from there.
Some branches hit her shoulders, one of them leaving a scrape on her right cheekbone, causing her hood to fall back, leaving her long raven hair free to fly. She winced at the small sting but willed herself to ignore it and keep going. The horse snorted once or twice but it was a good horse, bred and trained for long distances, running at it's full speed. Ishizhu knew she was fortunate to have such an obedient and strong horse. At least one of them was strong for the journey.
Ishizhu desperately needed to rest. The magic she had used to prey on the King's mind had left her exhausted but she knew great powers did not come without a price. Hopefully after she and her brother passed the Southern Mountains and entered the last of the evergreen landscape, they would be free to go without the burden of someone trailing them. 'Maybe they will become lost in the forests since Delyan is made of only rock and stone with barely any trees. They might be overwhelmed with the amount of forest and give up on finding us.' She thought as the two living beings rode on.
The sun was almost completely gone and the sky was turning from a pink and red to a soft purple and darkened blue. Soon it would become navy and midnight black, and the entire kingdom of Relor would come to be very dangerous and decieving. The soldiers would not be able to tell whether the person in front was friend or foe without a torch. And a torch would give their position away and run the risk of setting fire to yet another forest.
The Knights and soldiers of Relor were on home territory and that gave them an edge, an advantage, a chance for victory in the coming battle. 'Delyan may have won the battle,' Ishizhu thought, referring to the forest fire, 'But they haven't won the war yet.'
Meanwhile, the brother of the enchantress, Marik, was covering a lot of ground and was nearing the base of the mountains. 'So far, so good, I've not come across any great peril.' The young man thought as he passed a small stream. The minutes flew by and Marik found himself at the Southern Mountains. They were a glorious and wonderful sight to look upon and filled the young man with awe and amazement. Snow was visible to the naked eye on the peaks with dark green colors and gray, indicating even more pine trees, and more cold rock. Mountains were truly a wondrous landform, with striking beauty and an impressive state. 'It reminds me of home.' Marik himself believed home was far more splendid but Relor would have to do for now.
Coming towards the south from the west, Ryou and Mokuba were riding at a great speed in hopes of finding the Dragon Knight and bringing him and his kin back to Relor to help them with the war. Mokuba sat in front of Ryou, keeping to himself, being mostly quiet. There really was not much he could do at the moment. Instead he busied himself with the scenery although it was not much different that what he was used to. The wind whipped at his clothing and face, a slight chill on his skin. Sitting close behind, Ryou urged the horse on, his deep brown eyes serious and focused, intent on bringing honor back to the Knights. If the whole city heard about his arrest, they would surely doubt the rest of the Knights. He prayed they hadn't found out yet or to discover it at all.
In the east a pale moon rose casting its eerie glow upon the land but it was not enough to aid the Knights themselves in finding the Delyan soldiers. Ryou grimaced at the thought of battle. He hated to kill but would do so if it meant keeping the King and his daughter safe. He preferred defending rather than going on the offense. Ryou left that to Joey, Duke, Tristan, and Yami, and of course, Seto, who had usually been the leader with Yami as the second in command.
"Do you think we will find him?" Mokuba suddenly asked.
Ryou let out a small sigh, not wanting to give the boy a false answer to rid him of the doubting feelings. "I don't know, Mokuba. I really don't know. We will just have to hope for the best, won't we?"
"Yes." Mokuba agreed. "Thank you for coming, Ryou. It means a lot to me. I mean, Seto is like my big brother...my family." The boy was then silent after that.
They rode on.
Ishizhu was nearing Marik and coincidentally, so was Mokuba and Ryou.
They would soon meet.
The young woman sensed she was coming closer but felt an uneasy notion rise in inside of her. Danger was at hand! "No..." She whispered.
Marik heard the distant pounding of hooves but they were coming from two different directions. Fear struck his heart and it seemed his horse was tense as well. It began to whine and move about and Marik had to steady it to keep it from running away. Just in case it wasn't his sister, he pulled out his sword and held it at the side, wishing he hadn't forgotten his shield but at least he had his armor on. But the helmet was not present and that would definitely protect him even more.
Mokuba squinted his eyes, seeing something in the distance. What was it? Another horse perhaps? 'What if it's the enemy?' He thought worriedly, biting his lip.
Ryou saw it too and narrowed his eyes in a suspicious manner. "Mokuba...take the shield and hold it." Mokuba did as he was told and Ryou took it out his sword, preparing to defend the both of them. "If it's more than one," He began, assuming it was a Delyan solider. "I want you to stay on the horse. If it's just one man, jump off and run into the forest, and hide! Run far away if you wish-just stay out his sight!" He warned in a low voice. Grim determination took over and Ryou mentally and physically readied himself for coming confrontation.
Ishizhu was not as close as the Relorians were and she feared her brother would be attacked. "Hurry!" She called to the horse, issuing a command.
Marik's horse turned to the west, sensing, or rather smelling, the presence of another horse. The young man clamped his teeth together and got ready. "Please, sister, let it be you!" He murmured softly.
Mokuba was near tears. He did not want to die, he didn't want Ryou to die, he wanted both of them to live! They had to! They were the only ones who were embarking on a quest to bring back Relor's last hope. No one else did or would and believed the worst of the Dragons. "Oh Seto..." He said in an undertone. "Help us."
They were getting closer and closer...
Ryou saw him and anger flashed in his eyes. He quickly searched the area for more soldiers but could see none. If they were hiding...well he would just have to take his chances. The Knight with the white hair let out a battle cry and charged head on to Marik.
Mokuba ducked his head and held on tight to the saddle itself, wishing he had sat behind Ryou instead of in front of him. His hand had a tight grip on the shield and he cowered in fear behind it.
Marik was nearly caught off guard and realized at once that it was a soldier of Relor. Marik brought his sword up, clashing with Ryou's. The former Delyan soldier brought his horse back towards a small Cliffside and decided to use that to his advantage. As long as he stayed near it, the enemy soldier could not attack him from behind and he wouldn't have to turn his horse several times to meet up with an onslaught of Relorian sword.
Ryou grunted and brought the sword swinging from the left side only to have it meet again with Marik's sword. He backed off, allowing Mokuba to jump from the horse and onto the ground. Mokuba did just that and ran off with the shield to a nearby bush. He was able to move around more freely and proceeded forward with a vicious circle of attacks.
The Knight thrust the sword forward but Marik brought his own weapon against it, forcing it to the side. Having expecting such a move, Ryou brought the blade back to him and quick as a flash, slashed at Mairk's thigh leaving a thin line of blood visible. Marik swore and backed off swiftly, wincing at the pain but Ryou would not let him leave so suddenly. No, he rode forward and kept up his offensive fight and Marik was left only to defend.
'He's a Knight!' Marik realized, judging by the sophistication of the armor and dazzling show of swordplay. He had heard of the Knights and knew of their skill and bravery. There were none in Delyan and all their soldiers were at almost equal strength, using aggressive combat. Relor's soldiers were the best at defending but a Knight prided himself on knowing both ways and learning new strategies. 'This is not good. Looks like I'm not going to get a chance to explain. I must concentrate on staying alive.' Marik was good but not good enough. Perhaps maybe good enough to hold on for a bit longer but not forever. Ryou would have him sooner or later.
From the bushes, Mokuba watched the battle and knew he would not have to worry about Ryou. However, he couldn't help but feel pity for the opposing soldier. All of a sudden, another horse burst through the trees, bearing a female rider. "Ryou, look out!" He shouted and watched as the woman came to a halt.
Ishizhu gasped. "Stop!" She cried but neither heard her. Using her last bit of strength, she called upon her powers and was able to stop both swords in mid air catching both by surprise. The blades would be there for a few short minutes. She sighed in relief and then leaned off towards the side, and was unhorsed by fatigue.
"Ishizhu!" Marik cried and leapt off of his horse and dashed toward his sister's side. Ignoring everything around him, he brought her head onto his lap. "Oh sister, please be all right!" He murmured. He had no powers of his own and could only sit helplessly.
Ryou, unsure of their intentions, took a long knife out of its sheath on his armor. He dropped from his own horse and stepped forward to the two siblings. He held it out in front of him and Marik looked up in horror as he edged closer. Not one to kill without mercy, especially if the person was defenseless, Ryou stopped and spoke coolly to them, his expression blank. "Do you surrender?" He demanded and released his guard when Marik nodded wildly. "State your business here in the forest of the King." He ordered.
Mokuba raised his eyebrows at the formal and regal tone. Never before had he witnessed the warrior side of Ryou, who had always been at first sight, a shy and well-mannered young man. Slowly, he rose from his hiding place, the shield hanging at his side. Ryou looked up quickly and then looked back to the two siblings once he confirmed it was only Mokuba.
"Please, Sir..." Marik begged. "My sister and I...we mean you no harm! I was only defending myself! Yes I am a soldier of Delyan and she is its sorceress but we have left King Bakura-for good!"
"We have..." Ishizhu clarified and leaned against her brother for support. "Spare our lives and let us go."
They both hadn't quite noticed the similarities between their King and this Knight.
"So...you have betrayed your King?" Ryou asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
Ishizhu nodded and gazed upon him and she gasped once more. "You are his brother!" She blurted out. Marik too looked up at him in shock. "Yet you are a Knight of Relor."
Ryou nodded, suddenly looking embarrassed.
Ishizhu's eyes clouded over and she saw events of the past. "I see...you are an honorable man but you have been taken prisoner because of your relation to him." She pointed out and then she was silent.
"Tell me...why have you left?" Ryou questioned.
"Our King whom we no longer serve, is a terrible leader! He is a dictator, a cruel and sadistic man!" Marik began to explain his wretched deeds.
Mokuba came up behind Ryou and listened carefully. "That's horrible." He said and the Knight nodded in agreement.
"We were hoping to head south and start a new life." Marik finished quietly. "That is, if you will let us go."
Ishizhu then spoke up. "We are not the only ones in pursuit of hope." She whispered and Marik decided it was their turn to ask the questions.
"What about you? If what my sister says is correct, you were a prisoner. How did you escape? And why?" He demanded, wondering if they had an evil ruler as well.
"My escape is thanks to this little boy." Ryou looked down at Mokuba with a faint smile. Mokuba inclined his head, indicating he too trusted them now. "We are on a journey to find the Blue Eyes White Dragon and his kindred. My King and Princess are in dire need of their help-"
"Yet you drove them away with your doubt and insults." Ishizhu cut him off with a look of disapproval.
Ryou breathed in deeply, ashamed. "I know, and for that, I am sorry."
"We have to find him soon or we're doomed!" Mokuba added.
Marik was silent for a few moments and awkwardness settled in the air. "Well, if you don't mind, just to prove our loyalties...we could help you...find the Dragons. Ishizhu here can greatly aid you in your search."
"Yes she can." Mokuba affirmed and looked up at the Knight with the white hair. His eyes went past Ryou for a second and he saw a sight that shocked him. "Ryou, look!" He shouted and pointed to the mountains.
Ryou followed his gaze and finger and his jaw dropped open. "Oh..."
