Episode 6

Ancient Egypt

A child with long white hair and dark tanned skin lay silent upon the road, each passerby not paying him any mind as they went about their way. No one had stopped to help him since he had fallen into the dirt from exhaustion, the blazing sun above causing his vision to warp and twist in sync with his empty stomach. He didn't have the strength to stand, to move into the shade, and even if he had there would be no stopping the nearby stall owners from jumping him since he had stolen several of their merchandise not too long ago. He had lost count of the days that passed in the same way that he no longer paid any attention to the people who did little to dodge his limp body in the street. He didn't even have the strength to blink as a small shadow fell over him.

"Hey," a light voice came, an equally small hand brushing the top of his head as a presence drew closer. "No sleeping in road." Even he had to slightly cringe at the broken speech. His eyes finally blinked as a blurred mass entered his vision and found himself looking into a pair of oceanic eyes that twinkled. The girl couldn't have been more than two summers old, where were her parents? Not that he should care, his own had died from hunger and disease when he was little older than she was. The movement of his eyes earned him a bright smile though that made his mind momentarily forget about the gut wrenching hunger. "Come!" Her little hands wrapped around his wrist and gave it a mighty tug.

She wanted him, a lowly nobody, to follow? He snatched his hand away with a low growl. "Leave." Her hands instantly appeared again around his wrist. A tick mark appeared upon his brow as she attempted to pull him to his feet. "I said, leave me be!" His eyes rose as a much larger shadow covered them both, a lump forming in his throat when he recognized the master who had "graciously" bought him in exchange for work. He hadn't been able to procure enough gold to satisfy the greedy man despite his best efforts and it was only a matter of time until the man would sell him off or worse.

The large overweight man's sausage like fingers brushed the coiled whip that hung at his waist. "So this is where you've been, Bakura," he snarled, the gritty voice coming from between his lips nearly twin to the sand of the deserts. His hand lashed out and grabbed the young boy by the front of his tattered tunic. "Why are you wasting time playing in the dirt when you should be earning your keep?" His eyes fell to the little child as she stumbled slightly, falling from the sudden motions. The boy roughly bit the finger closest when the master sized her up. "You brat!"

Her cerulean eyes widened as the boy she had found in the street was thrown against the nearby alley wall, a crack coming from him as he crumpled into a heap. Bakura couldn't care less though. He was all too familiar with the master's antics and various forms of punishment. What he was more concerned was why the strange girl that was still here. Why didn't she run away? "I'm ten summers, old man, people do not have sympathy towards me anymore." he called, effectively earning his attention as well as a strike to the face. "You'll have to find another puppet to use."

"Perhaps you are right." The coldness that entered his tone caused Bakura's eyes to narrow before they locked on the young girl when she made to approach. He quickly mustered the strength he could and stood between them. "You said it yourself, brat, I have no more use for you. Now you can go die within the gutters like the rat you are. I will take the one good thing you have provided," a wicked sneer lifted his lips as the whip appeared within his hands and his gaze raked over the young girl. "Your replacement."

The whip's forked end arched in the air in slow motion, its target clear as the sky above as the boy's gaze followed it carefully. So the girl was to be his next puppet. He should be relieved, happy even, but there was a growing sense of dread that filled his chest. The world was not kind to children like himself so why was it bothering him more and more as the whip reached for her? His body moved without conscious thought and a hiss slipped between his lips as the familiar bite of the whip seared across his face. Anger filled him when the man reeled the whip back, again aiming for the girl, and bit back a snarl when the braided rope struck him several more times in succession. It was just like a snake in that matter; quick, inescapable, deadly. There were droplets of crimson decorating the dirt beneath their feet when it finally stopped, his breathing ragged and uneven as he fought to stay conscious through the pain. "Is that all you got?"

Large hands fell upon his shoulders. "It is alright. I shall take over from here." He looked up in time to meet cold sapphire, his raised hand bearing a strange red design as a fair woman with long silver hair materialized as if from nowhere.

"Teanna, you must be gentle." The woman with silver hair appeared behind her, gently scolding her for being so rough as he glared when the girl used her own clothing to wipe at his face then accepting a small cloth by the woman offered. "Forgive my daughter, she can be a bit eccentric at times."

He bit back a retort as his gaze met cerulean. Most of the people in Egypt were tanned, dark hair that closely matched their eyes. The exceptions were the foreigners who occasionally visited the palace but these two were fair beyond any female he had seen before. There were several stories of how beautiful the women were of other countries and providences. Were they Nubian, possible Mesopotamian? The young girl invaded his personal space even farther, her nose nearly brushing his own as she called his name. "What do you want from me?" His body flinched as the cloth in her hand met the side of his face that had been introduced to the whip. "I don't have money."

She shook her head, causing her chocolate hair to swish slightly. "Be friend!" Her lips fell into a frown as he snorted. "If you not friend, then be brother."

He and the young woman chorused in a sound of surprise. "You saved her, so I'm not surprised that she's grown attached," she knelt besides the bed as her hand patted the top of the girl's head. "But you can't just tell someone to be your friend, or your brother, you have to earn their respect and trust before one can form a friendship."

"But like him, why no like me?" She climbed up onto the wooden box that he had found himself upon, leaning against the wall as she sat cross legged next to him. Her little hand still holding the cloth rubbed against his skin as he narrowed his gaze.

"Brat, quit that this instant!" He spat, snatching the cloth and tossing it. "I am not some stray puppy that you can coddle! I am nothing, a nobody, yet here you sit and treat me as though I'm some doll that you play with! I don't have money so don't think that I'm going to pay you back for this…this…service I never asked for!" Not once did he look towards either of them as he stood. "Charity is not exactly welcomed to people like myself so don't waste your breath or medicine or false words and promises!" His breath caught as small fingers wrapped around his wrist. Against his better judgement, he glanced over his shoulder and found wide cerulean eyes looking up at him. They were filled with a fire he had never seen before and though he tried he couldn't look away. Were they witches, sorcerers that could cast spells over their unsuspecting prey? He swallowed the lump in his throat as the idea of them possibly eating him like the cannibals in the stories he had heard from other slaves crossed his mind. "I would taste terrible."

A harsh laugh came ahead, bringing his attention to a man who watched from a short distance away. That wasn't right though. He looked to be early middle age, maybe even a handful of summers older than himself, yet there was something different. The chubby man was nowhere in sight now but his focus returned to the young man as he approached. This man was tall and carried himself with an air of importance as he knelt so they were eye level. "I must repay you somehow for saving my daughter. Allow us to heal your wounds then you may leave."

. . . .

Kirei's brow furrowed in concentration as he carefully monitored the mana he allowed to pass between himself and his unconscious Avenger. The servant had grinned in a wicked matter shortly after the departure of Rider and his master, saying that he would be busy for the next several hours if not the entire next day, and had settled into a half crouched position within the summoning circle. That was yesterday evening and the sun had just set; its been a total of thirteen hours, four minutes, thirty-seven seconds since his servant had fallen unconscious. If it weren't for the threat at hand he wouldn't have honestly cared. He had more pressing matters at hand. The ceremony had been interrupted, annoyingly, but it was enough. Foreign emotions had slowly but surely penetrated every fiber of his being as time wore on. Happiness, joy, anything would have been better than what he was feeling now. The very blood in his veins felt as though they were boiling with anger as his memories replayed within his mind. Then it would turn to ice as other emotions took root. They were so distracting that he had called in a substitute preacher to face the congregation and announce that the church would be undergoing repairs. "Damn it all," he muttered, a shiver passing over his body as another emotion wrecked havoc upon his body. "Servant, you best be prepared to receive punishment for this later."

. . . .

The young girl's face was so close to his own that he nearly startled as she grinned, but she had grown. That's right, her hair was about touching her shoulders when she was approaching her ninth summer, meaning that he was in his fifteenth. "Bakura, are you even listening to me? Were you daydreaming again?" Her smile was almost blinding as she reached up and tousled his hair. "I was asking about your recent antics. You have been gone for several weeks now, can you not tell me what you were up to?"

"As if you would be entertained by my tales of gore and gold," he huffed, turning his head away so that his gaze was upon the barren landscape of sand that stretched to the horizon. They were sitting upon the roof of her family's dwelling, neither her mother or father were around, which made him slightly glad. He was tired of being in the company of others at the moment. Alarm filled him as his red striped coat was removed, anger filling his veins momentarily before being replaced by disgust. "Every time I come back, you have to see for yourself that I am in one piece."

She raised an eyebrow but continued her examination. "Someone must." Her shoulders rose and fell in a sigh as she discovered fresh new scars that now decorated his lower abdomen with lingering scabs that had yet to be scratched off. "Why do you do this to yourself?" Smooth fingers gently brushed against each one, tracing their lengths with feather-like touches of her fingertips. "Why not just stay here?"

"Birdcages are only for the beautiful, the flawless, the blessed. I do not belong within the same one as you." His being froze as she raised her head, those eyes that he would readily drown within meeting his own, and felt his gut twist when he found them holding the telltale glisten of tears. That was one of the things he hated most about her, about every female in existence: the way they could weep without warning. A quick glance about the rooftop ensured that they were truly alone, no one to witness, and moved with practiced precision he collected her within his arms. His plans were working perfectly; he had a fully functioning network amongst the criminal underground as well as the merchants. That was just the beginning though. The thought of her, nestled within the elaborate and decorative lifestyle that was her birdcage, managed to set his mind at ease but then it was overshadowed when he was faced with the worry and care that she always showered him with upon his return. "Do not waste your tears for me, Teanna, I am not worth any of them…" '…not yet,' he internally finished.

She pulled away after a few moments, the tears gone as she gazed up at him. He would never tell her where he had been, what he had been up to, or where the new scars came from no matter how hard she pressed him for answers. "You are dear to me, Bakura," she whispered, one of her hands cupping the cheek that had been scarred when they had first met. "I wish that you would stay close by and not put yourself in harms way."

Warmth filled him at her words, the longing he had been swallowing for several years now growing tenfold as she grasped one of his hands and brought it to her own cheek. He had important work to do before he could confess his innermost feelings to her though. "Be patient," his fingertip met her nose as she blinked. "Perhaps next time I will bring you a gift." This earned a twinkle within her eyes as a smile lifted her lips. Yes, this is how she should always be.

. . . .

The Overseer snarled as a wave of paralyzing fear pierced his body. Never had he felt so powerless, vulnerable, minuscule. He had trained his entire life, his physical body and mind were perfect. The heart within his chest though felt more fragile than a glass sculpture within a museum. One wrong move and it would crack but it only caused the feeling to grow. Every sound, unfamiliar person that crossed his path, even the very benign foods that fueled his body caused him to second guess their purity. What if someone was following him as he walked back towards the church? What if the food he had purchased was poisoned or possibly expired? Could it be possible that those of the congregation who were currently working on the repairs know of what he truly was, a mage, or of the true cause behind the church's sudden remodel? He swallowed the near choking lump within his throat as he entered the finished sanctuary, bowing his head slightly as a few of the members called out to him in greeting, all the while ensuring that none noticed the beads of sweat that formed across his body in response to the hammering of the heart within his chest.

. . (A/N: The dress worn in this next segment is inspired by "Alexa" from "Maggie Sottero") . .

It felt as though his breath was being stolen from his very lungs as she hurried through the crowded street to stand before him. Her hair was styled into a pair of braids that formed an elegant bun on the right side of her head that was held together by a golden comb bearing glittering stones in a flower shaped setting that perfectly matched her eyes as they glittered. Not only that but the dress she was wearing brought a few things to his attention that he had never noticed. She was no longer the little girl who found him on the street. Her figure had matured into a lovely young woman's that would make even the goddesses of foreign religions jealous with the way the soft white chiffon fabric was wrapped around her in the perfect areas, as white as the clouds that lazily drifted across the sky above them, with a split skirt that reached her mid thigh that revealed skin that grew more fair as it reached her torso. The necklace holding the upper portion together looked incredibly expensive, judging from the way it shone brightly while tiny rainbows danced across her skin as she moved. He managed to find his voice as she smiled up at him. "T-Teanna, I have returned."

She grinned. "Yes, I can see that. Your letter said that you might not make it in time but I am so glad to see that you did."

Clearing his throat, he turned his back and offered her a sideways smile. "Why, I feel wounded. When have I ever missed your celebration of birth?" He bit his bottom lip to prevent a sneer as she retaliated with sputters. "I only jest." Her cheeks dusted with pink for a moment at his teasing tone then stepped into his personal space as her small arms rose to wrap around him. That troublesome feeling wormed in his chest again as her embrace tightened, his own slowly rising to return it as she said she was happy to see him. "Walk with me."

Her brows furrowed but nodded, so long as he promised to return her home around sunset, and fell into step next to him as they made their way north. "You were away for much longer this time."

"I had many things to do," he shrugged, eyes narrowing when a few of the town's younger male members eyed her in a way he didn't approve when they passed. "But you know that I will always return to you no matter where I go." The slight hitch of her breath and near misstep were not missed by him as they walked past the very spot where they first met. He directed her towards the nearby alley that led towards one of the center squares that held a well known by the youth for granting wishes. The look on her face told him that she was well aware of it and she blinked as he procured a single gold coin. "Your wish, now is the time to make it."

Confusion filled her eyes as she looked from him to the coin he held out, brows furrowing in a way that threatened to disturb the delicate makeup she wore. Her head tilted to the right as he repeated his words and he swore that the very sun paled as her eyes shone with understanding. She carefully took the coin, briefly pressed it against her lips, then tossed it. "I wish to hear about what you have been up to. Please tell me why you left all of those times."

"I shall grant it, but not here." For the first time in his life, an affectionate smile lifted his lips as she grasped his hand with her own. There would be no lies today, no false leads, no side stories to divert her; he would fulfill her wish for the truth. All of his hard work these last several years were about to be brought to light and for the second time in his life he prayed to the Egyptian gods in hopes that she would receive everything he was about to convey.

. . . .

Kirei writhed as the heat and pressure within his chest threatened to crush the hammering heart attempting to burst from its confinement. Nervousness and anticipation were flooding him in waves that attempted to drown him as the basement swam into view when he hurriedly blinked away the sweat in his eyes. "Servant, how long am I supposed to be subjected to seeing your life story?" No answer came as his clenched fist met the cold stone that was the floor. He honestly did not expect one, that blasted Servant of his was still unconscious even after three days, but the situation at hand was greatly hindering his duties. "If this lasts longer than two more sunrises I will be sure to take our all of my frustrations upon you even if you are not awake to feel them."

. . . .

"Alright, this should be good enough." He raised an eyebrow when she gave a heavy sigh and settled upon one of the stone blocks that had yet to be used for anything. She had kept up with him despite his quick pace, her current outfit, and his long strides. Impressive. This was the perfect place to expose the truth he had been concealing: the highest point of the village that could see from the entrance of the town all the way to the palace gates. It was breathtaking, the view, and the expression of awe upon her face told him that she too appreciated its location. "Are you prepared, Teanna? I am about to reveal many truths to you yet you aren't even looking my way."

She stiffened, guiltily shifting her body away from the beautiful landscape to face him fully. "Enough teasing," her eyes grew serious. "I am ready." They widened as he suddenly crossed the space, one of his hands cupping her chin as he tilted her head upwards as his breath gently wafted his face. He never liked it when she had invaded his own personal space and yet here he was so close that their noses were nearly touching. There was a strange look in his eye as well, one of gentleness, that she had never seen. Her body instinctively made to retreat but it was hindered as his other hand gently freed her hair from its pin, causing her long hair to cascade in soft waves past her shoulders as he still came closer.

He paused his advance when he saw fear within her cerulean eyes and quickly released her. She had never shown hesitation or shyness in front of him, so why was she now? Perhaps he was being a bit bold so he pulled away fully and took a full step back so as to provide her with enough space to see he being relax slightly. "Apologies, let me try again." With a bow, he straightened his red striped coat and offered her the signature sneer he had developed. "I am pleased to meet the acquaintance of one with such beauty as yours, Teanna, I am known as the King of Thieves." A twinge of pain seared across his chest when the fear returned within her eyes, one of her hands rising to cover her parted lips. He held out his hand to her, palm facing upward, and winked. "You need not be afraid, for you alone this wild beast will happily settle at your feet." Little did he know of the thoughts racing through her mind as he went on to explain how over the years he had gained power by learning magecraft, creating an network of followers who were constantly on the lookout for opportunities that would help the scales of fortune tilt in favor of the unfortunate. "Now do you see why I could not tell you when you first asked?" He came closer, his still extended hand meeting her cheek. "I cannot repay the debt owed to you without ensuring that I had stable foundations, especially when I care so much for you."

"I care for you too, but you make it sound strange." Her brows furrowed.

A harsh chuckle slipped from between his lips. "Must I spell it out for you?" He came closer as her gaze fell to the ground, eyes darting every which way as though she was attempting to physically find the answer written upon the stone. "Then allow me to show you instead." It was as his lips brushed her other cheek that her being stiffened and he was internally pleased when he found her cheeks burning as he pulled away. The message was received loud and clear. "You do not need to give me an answer right away. I have waited all of these years to ensure that I would be capable of providing you with the things that would create a better birdcage than your father could ever hope to." Several emotions flashed within her eyes in that moment, too quick for him to pinpoint, but she offered a shaky smile as she thanked him for the truth then took note of the hour. She slipped past him as the weight upon his shoulders dissipated and disappeared back down into the busy street.

Never would he imagine that revealing all to her would cause his being to feel so light but then again he had also spilled his most treasured secret of how he felt for her. Surprise was to be expected, causing her to be speechless, there hadn't been any sign that she was going to reject him though. He felt as though he could take on the pharaoh's army single handedly as he walked through the streets. The ones he had appointed to keep an eye on things tonight were instructed to approach him later in the evening to discuss the happenings during his absence so he felt confident as he walked with the coat's hood drawn far enough over his face that none who passed by could distinguish his features. His feet came to a screeching halt as he spotted her figure ahead of him in the crowd and it felt as though his heart was being crushed when he spotted her being allowed entrance within the palace gates. Had she been called to the pharaoh's court? Only criminals were allowed through those doors and seeing her being escorted was causing unease to fill him. There was no choice, he had to find out why she was there.

Slipping past the guards was almost too easy as he quickly made his way to the north rend of the palace here her voice was coming from. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined what was waiting for him upon the balcony he stumbled upon. She was sobbing, large crystalline tears spilling down her cheeks as she clung to non other than the Prince of Egypt himself! The young monarch wore an expression of worry and concern but there was no mistaking the uncertainty within his amethyst eyes when Teanna began to sob louder. No words could be distinguished but the tears were enough for him to guess. Had his words upset her? Anger and fierce jealousy boiled within his veins as the prince's arms rose to wrap around her as if attempting to console. He inhaled deeply through his nose as she slowly pulled away, her tears now gone but makeup throughly ruined, and turned away from the prince as he was called back into the palace. Like the shadow he had become he slipped back out of the palace and waited upon the rooftop of his designated headquarters. We was none too surprised when figures began to emerge from the darkness that had closed in when the sun had set and his eyes expertly found each as they knelt. "I have a job for you."

. . . .

"Yes, woe was you that the girl you cared for wanted another," Kirei growled, his fingernails scraping across his forearm as he attempted to keep a level head as the emotions within him grew sour. What had started sweet like chocolate was now bitter upon his tongue as he watched the shadows infiltrate the palace under the cloak of night then dissipate as the alarms sounded within his ears. "I cannot sympathize, Servant, so why do I continue to see these things?" A growl wrestled its way up his throat as heat sears across his body.

. . . .

His eyes remained closed as a series of knocks sounded upon his door before it was thrown open. "It is a bit late to be visiting others." Hands found his cheeks as fingers rubbed against his eyes, causing them to open and grow wide when he found Teanna's fear filled cerulean pools. "What has happened?"

"I've been accused of treason…" her voice shook as he drew her close against his chest with one arm. "The Millennium Court has declared that I be brought before them to undergo judgement. Bakura, what am I to do? I have brought shame upon my family…"

He softly shushed her, his other hand rising to the back of her head as she clung to him. "Why would they charge you so, my desert flower?" She went on to explain that she had been the only visitor allowed within the palace and the last to have encountered the prince. His jaw grew tight when she revealed that the king, the mighty untouchable pharaoh himself, had succumbed to a sudden illness. Punishment awaits his followers, their target was the prince, but perhaps this could still benefit him. "Oh?"

She nodded, burying her face within his coat. "None but the prince believed my words, though I could see he held the hints of doubt and anger." Teanna pulled away and looked up at him with those wide fearful eyes.

The jealousy rose within him as she begged him to tell her what to do. "This is the first I have heard of you befriending the prince," he fought to keep his tone indifferent as his fingers combed through her chocolate locks absentmindedly. "You speak as though you are close with him." The anger morphed into something darker as she revealed that they had met as small children, about the same time they themselves had met, and that she'd never seen an opportunity to properly introduce either of them since he was away for long periods of time or that the prince was simply too busy. His gaze slid down her being, taking note of the disheveled appearance of her once elegant gown and lingering makeup that clung around her eyes. One of his fingers deftly brushed against her cheek in time to catch a tear. "How could your so called 'friend' allow the court to point their fingers at one who is innocent?"His arm that was around her slid down to her waist, pulling her close enough as the hand behind her head carefully pulled her head back far enough that he could rest his forehead against her own, his gaze burning as she attempted to look away but in a similar way that a prey would succumb to the predator her gaze returned to his own as he whispered her name. "You have nothing left here. I can take you away from this pain," he breath wafted her face as his low voice filled the tiny room that was his secret hiding place. Torchlight approached, causing her to stiffen and whimper with fear as the air filled with clanks of metal and footfalls. "I can take you somewhere that none could ever hope to find you." Her wide eyes made to look towards the window above them but his gaze intensified, drawing her even father into the spell he was casting. "No more fear, no more pain," he whispered, his nose brushing against her own. "You won't have to worry or want for nothing, for I can give you everything that the world has to offer. You don't have to stay here, trapped within this birdcage that only promises political nonsense. Choose me, Teanna, and I will save you."

She blinked, the growing haze that had been attempting to cover her eyes clearing. "No…tell me you did not…Bakura, please tell me you were not the once responsible…" The tears returned as his hand appeared against her mouth, muffling the sob that wracked her body.

"You have two choices," he growled within her ear as she writhed against him. "Option one: you can remain here, undergo the trial in hopes that they find you innocent and live with the knowledge that your beloved prince doubted you." The fight within her eyes died at his words as he slowly stood and pinned her against the wall with his body. "Option two: you promise me your love and I will take you away, save you now and cherish you for the rest of your days in the ways you deserve." The warmth she gave off and the softness of her body was unlike anything he had imagined, the longing and lust within his heart manifesting as she softly gasped when his lips met her neck and slowly ground his body against her own. "Please, Teanna, swear that you will be mine and I can save you."

A broken sob slipped from between her lips as he released her, nearly stumbling as his being that had been supporting her own retreated. The pharaoh's soldiers had passed by now but she looked as though she would disappear like a ghost if the wind chose to brush her. Her lips parted then closed like that of a fish for several seconds, the racing thoughts within her mind reflected within her eyes as she fell to her knees.

"Time is of the essence, my desert flower, you must decide soon if I am to save you." He knelt and cupped her cheek. "For now you must return home and gather your things. I shall visit you shortly when I have the preparations in order. I will return for your answer in two days." She stood shakily, flinching away from his hands as he made to steady her, and disappeared into the night outside without a word. If she had bothered to look back she would have seen his satisfied smirk and victorious glint within his eyes.

. . . .

Never had Kirei Kotomine known lust, even when he had married and the woman he bedded bore a child, but the sheer thirst and hunger that wracked his body was near blissful. The fine hairs upon his being stood upright as the hardness hidden within his clothes gave a series of twitches. It was so engorged that it was nearly painful but the images and fantasies that came from his servant's memories earned several sounds from the mage that he hadn't thought possible, his mind filled with nothing but the consuming lust that caused him to quake and writhe upon the floor. It lasted for several hours and left him limp as a doll upon the cold stone floor but his mind was too far drowned within the bliss that had fallen over him like a curtain. The unconscious Servant's lips lifted into a sneer as his Master softly cried not in pain or anger but in satisfaction.

. . . .

He waited until nearly sunrise two days later, travel to the secret abode he had established far within the desert's core secured and his minimal belongings packed within a small leather pouch that was slung onto his back. There she would become his Queen of Thieves, a beauty worthy of his follower's devotion, and would share untold pleasures of the flesh every night for as long as they lived. Never had he wanted something so much than for her to agree to be his forever more. For years he had swallowed the longing, the lust, the adoration he had felt for her…now his innermost dreams and fantasies were about to come true. Getting to her dwelling was easy for one such as himself, despite the guards that were surrounding the premises, and was smirking at his successful infiltration as he approached her bed. Shock filled him when he pulled back the cover and found the bed filled with clumps of straw. He searched her entire room, finding no sign that she had packed a thing, and felt loathe fill him when he overheard one of the guards outside mention that the prince had been absent since the day before last. Rage erupted across his body, flooding his vision with crimson as he was discovered by a guard. The walls became painted in red as his mana caused his shadows to warp then lash out, instantly killing each of the guards who were stationed there, until only one remained. His hand grabbed a fistful of the man's hair as he knocked out their legs. "Where has our little prince wandered off to?"

"As if I would tell you-" The man sputtered as Bakura tightened his grip. "The t-temple where k-k-kings pray to the g-gods!"

"The Sacred Chamber of the Gods? Why would he go there since he is not pharaoh?" His eyes narrowed in doubt then closed as he focused his mana that he had placed within each of his followers. One of them had to be close to that wretched place. A sickening crack sounded as the man's windpipe was crushed as he could see the entrance to the cavern, a familiar figure moving near its entrance as though wanting to enter. He released the now dead soldier as his shadow rose to form a dome around him, a spell slipping from between his lips as he allowed his mana to swirl and form a vortex.

It vanished not a second later as a scream reached his ears. The blood within his veins boiled as he peered into the darkness below and spotted her hurriedly making her way up the stairs. She must have caught sight of him, judging from the flash of surprise, but then it turned into agony as she openly wept. He bit back a growl when she spoke of how she had followed the prince across the desert on her own then of her discovery of him collapsed and nearly torn apart by the Egyptian Gods's wrath. His bangs fell to cover his eyes as she begged that he let her by, to help her return to the capital city so as to get a healer before it was too late, but fell silent when his cold eyes stared down upon her. "If I save him, then will you become mine?"

"Bakura, I-"

"Say it!" He shouted, his hands roughly grabbing her shoulders and forcing her against the outside entrance pillar. The impact earned a cry from between her lips as he gathered both of her wrists within one of his hands then pinned them above her head. "Say that you will be mine then I will do anything that you ask!" She shook her head, causing the fire within his veins to grow and the feelings he had been suppressing to darken. "I'm offering you the world on a golden platter, Teanna," he whispered, his head bending down so that their gazes met. "Yet you refuse."

Her eyes, those beautiful oceanic eyes of hers, gazed up at him with defeat and sadness within their depths. "I cannot betray the feelings I have," she whispered. "Bakura, I have thought of you fondly as a friend, a brother, ever since our meeting. Fate brought us together so why can you not accept that I do not see you in the same way you see me?"

The King of Thieves was dumbstruck. She was rejecting him, his feelings, all of the hard work he had undergone for the last several years…it was all for nothing! Pain accompanied the storm of rage and sorrow within his chest but there was one last glimmer of hope that whispered within his ear as her eyes widened when he shook his head. "Then I will force your view of me to change!"

. . . .

Silence rang loudly within his ears as Kirei shuddered, the horror that played out within his mind filling him with untold fear and leaving him feeling raw as though he himself had been deconstructed by the very servant who finally stirred. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he forced the now simmering pot of emotions towards the farthest corner of his mind in hopes that his cold passive exterior would shield his beaten spirit as he rose to his feet. "Avenger," he called, staring down at the white haired man. "Are you conscious?"

"Y-yes, indeed I am." Bakura's voice was rough but it grew steady with each syllable that passed between his chapped lips. "The mana you supplied me was barely enough for healing my wounds as well as finishing my Noble Phantasm upon you. Tell me, Master," his eyes narrowed with malice and curiosity. "Is having emotions as wonderful as you thought?"

See you next time!