Sorry for the long absence. health issues and overtime has made things dificult.
enjoy :)
Chapter 64
News of Mahad's mission spread through the palace and made their way to Yami. Esset was reclusive the rest of the day and wasn't seen by anyone for the rest of the day. Yami tried to ease her fears but the nagging fact was that he had approved Mahad to go to face Akefia.
None of the other priests, except Isis seemed worried about him. Mahad could take care of himself, Yami told himself. Then why did he have a feeling of dread.
The rest of that day he didn't see much of his family. More requests for the pharaoh's help came in from outside the city. He didn't know how any of the priests kept their heads with all this. The Seth priest was one of the most helpful. It felt really ironic to think of him as helpful without challenging him for a duel.
The other problem he had was getting lost. He'd been running into dead ends and felt stupid asking the guards for help around his house. Word must have gotten around because near the middle of the day Geb appeared and began walking beside him and making subtle corrections when Yami was supposed to turn down a specific hallway. It was relief, and Yami tried to thank him, but he didn't seem to think it was anything more than his duty.
Later that evening Yami walked around the courtyard followed by Geb. Yami had discovered that the slave answered questions without looking confused or making Yami feel like an idiot. Also, Yami knew Mahad wouldn't be around to find him if he got lost. Having a personal information center follow him around was reassuring.
He made his way to his chambers, but changed his direction and made his way towards the queen's chambers. At least he could see how she was doing.
Two guards stood in the hallway connecting the two wings of the palace.
"The queen is not in."
"Where is she?" Yami asked.
"I do not know, my pharaoh. She has not come back to her chambers all evening."
Yami headed back up the top of the hall. Instead of turning towards his chambers, he continued down the passageway. Where would Esset go? If it was Airi she'd be somewhere she could help her brother. But Esset was still recovering and she didn't seem as reckless as Airi.
A sound behind him reminded him he had a companion.
"Geb, where would Esset go?"
The slave thought for a moment. "She is probably in Mahad's spirit shrine."
"What is that?" Yami said.
"The place where the spirit's he has extracted from criminals and his own spirit monsters."
"Lead me there, please?"
Yami and Geb entered the courtyard. The slave lead the way towards a guarded part of the courtyard Yami hadn't noticed before. Guards stood at the entrance at the walled courtyard leading to the tablet shrines. Realizing who was coming they stepped out of the way to let Geb and Yami pass.
A collection of small pyramid structures stood before them. They all looked alike to Yami. Geb kept walking towards a specific pyramid situated in the middle of the cluster. The door was opened. Geb stepped aside to allow Yami to enter first.
The room was dark with shadows flickering in the light of a single flame resting in the middle of the room. The shadows made the stone tablets along the walls seem to shift as Yami continued to the middle of the space.
Esset sat alone on the ground with the lamp beside her. The diadem was in her lap and her fingers traced the look of the ankh. There was something about the headpiece that seemed different but Yami couldn't place what had changed. Beside the queen was a large tablet of what appeared to be the Dark Magician.
She looked up as they approached. She managed half a smile. "I thought you'd find me sooner."
"Sorry," Yami sat next to her. "I was pretty busy."
She nodded and turned back to look at the stone tablet.
"Are you waiting for something?" Yami asked.
Esset motioned to the image of the dark magician.
"This monster, his Illusion Magician, is his spirit monster. Knowing my brother he is going to use all of his power in one battle to fight Akefia. He can be reckless." She leaded side ways slightly, then jerked herself back up.
"Are you feeling alright?" Yami asked. "You look sick."
"I'm fine"
Yami scooted closer and motioned to his shoulder. Esset leaned against him and closed her eyes. Yam thought he heard a sigh, but wasn't sure.
Geb approached, "Pharaoh." He fell silent as he noticed the queen sleeping.
Yami motioned him to continue.
"I request permission to leave." He stared intently at the stone slab.
Yami's lip twitched. "Meeting someone?"
Geb's face went beet red.
"You better hurry up. She might attack someone else who passes that pot."
Geb smiled. "She would probably do that again." He bowed. "Thank you Pharaoh."
Geb slipped out of the chamber and the royal couple was left alone. After a while Yami's arm fell asleep. The tingle grew more and more but he didn't want to disturb the resting queen. He tried to distract himself by looking at the different tablets around the shrine. Seeing the different versions of what will become duel monsters was fascinating. However not fascinating enough to distract him from his arm. He tried flex his arm without moving it. Impossible.
Esset stirred. "Are you getting stiff?"
"It's not bad."
She looked up at him, expression unconvinced. "You need some proper sleep."
"So do you."
She looked around at the tablets, expression indecisive.
"Come on." Yami urged. "If something changes, I'm sure someone will inform us."
She finally relented. the two exited the shrine in silence. He caught her glancing back several times even the doors were closed.
"Report to me instantly if anything changes." Yami told the guards as they left. This seemed to reassure Esset.
It was easier to navigate the palace after all his wandering earlier in the day. He was able to find the passage which split off to the different bed chambers. Esset didn't turn to go to her chambers but instead headed towards the pharaoh's chambers. Yami blinked, feeling his face turning red.
Both of them passed through the guarded doors. He let her presided him, taking his time removing the piles of gold collars and jewelry he was expected to wear. He left Airi's pendent under his tunic, checking to make sure it was hidden. He hadn't assessed if anyone in the shadow game could see it, but right now he figure was not a good time for his past wife to notice.
Esset was already in the bed when he got there, curled up and asleep under the blankets. Face growing steadily redder he slipped in beside her. He lay on his back like a plank, not sure what to do next. The answer came when Esset, eyes still closed, scooted over and slid her arm around his middle. Her head rested on his shoulder. Yami's face was burning by this point. He didn't dare move until he heard her even breathing. His left arm was pinned to his side but the other felt awkward.
A sound came from a darkness. He stiffened. Was it another assassin? The right side of the bed creaked and something small slipped into the gap between his arm and side.
"Kana?"
His daughter looked up at him. "Night, Abba." She pulled the blanket over her head and curled back up against his side.
Completely surrounded, all Yami could do was wait for sleep.
Airi hated waiting. The stone was getting harder to sit on. Ryu and Nasira were passing the time mostly from talking to each other and talking about odd topics. Airi mainly tuned out. Thinking about Yugi and Yami stuck in a shadow game and she had no safe way to get to them if there was a problem. The chamber, though deep underground felt like it was getting warmer and the walls seemed to be creeping in closer. Maybe this is what going crazy was like.
"Airi." Ryu said. "May i ask you something?"
"Huh, oh yeah sure."
"Why do you call Kaiba by his first name?" Ryu said. "I thought you'd stop using it since, from what i heard, you had a bad break up."
"Really?" Nasira said. "Why bring that up?"
Ryu shrugged. "Not much else to talk about?"
"It's ok. I don't mind." Airi considered the question. "I guess it started out of habit. Mostly I wanted to tell him I was still a friend, but I don't think he sees it that way."
"So, does he still think you have a chance together." Ryu said.
"What do you mean?" Airi felt her face heat up.
"I haven't exactly been completely out of my mind when I'm with your friends. From what I know about him, Kaiba doesn't seem like the kind of person to associate with a wash out girl, even if the brother was a new rival. He probably still likes you." he suddenly learned back against the wall with his eyes closed as if it took too much energy. "Sorry, it really is none of my business."
"It's fine." Airi lied.
Nasira felt Bakura's forehead and frowned. "We'll need to get out soon. You're feeling really warm."
"So I'm hot?" Ryu cringed at his own joke. "I should just pass out."
"Might conserve your energy."
He cracked an eye open to look at her. "May I use your shoulder?"
Nasira scooted in closer so they were shoulder to shoulder. He leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder.
The image was odd, but cute. Airi smiled. They had a better chance of getting together than her options. Either one.
Airi stared down at the sandstone floor, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Ryu's question about Seto had struck hard. She wanted to deny it, but in her mind she could see Seto leaning in close and hear his request of her being his girlfriend again. It was too real. Maybe when all of this would be over all these crazy emotions would make sense.
Her eyes strayed to the motionless forms of her brother and his friends on the floor. Should she worry if this was starting to get second nature? Her gaze stopped on the Millennium Puzzle. If Shadi was able to get them into the game, maybe she could. But then she would risk death. Screw it. She was bored enough to risk it. She inwardly slapped herself. That was being stupid. Shadi probably wasn't just talking out the back of his turban and knew what he talking about.
She turned her head and stared at the stone carving of past Yami and Seto dueling. The stone eyes seemed to be glancing towards her.
'I wish you were here.' she thought.
"Pharaoh!"
Yami sat up in bed, shaking off the sleep. Beside him Esset also rose. Kana remained asleep.
"Let me pass." Mana's voice sounded from the other side of the door. " need to see the pharaoh."
Yami hurried to the doors and pushed them open. Both guards had stepped in front of the teen to keep her from entering. The guards backed away to bow. Mana pushed passed him into the room. Esset was up and Mana grabbed her hand and led her to the balcony.
"Mana, what is wrong?" Yami asked.
Mana turned to him and pointed at the sky. "You need to see this."
Yami walked onto the balcony. Both girls were looking a strange flashing light in the sky. Looking down in the courtyard he saw the light was coming from spirit shrines. From the look on Esset's face he could guess who's shrine was lighting up.
Yami turned and found the two guards looking through the door.
"Saddle my horse." Yami ordered.
By the time Yami got down the courtyard a small crowd had gathered. Mostly made of priests. Seth and Shada stood by their horses behind the horse
Esset appeared next to his horse a cloak over her shoulders. In her hand was a sheathed sword. "I'm coming with you."
"Esset, you-"
"I'm well enough to ride."
"We can't wait for your horse."
She held out a hand. "Then move up."
Yami took her hand and pulled her up behind him. The horses left the courtyard. Yami's stomach churned. Please let them not be too late.
It took what seemed like an age to reach the valley of the kings. Seth sent guards ahead to make sure the area was safe for the rest to approach. They entered one of the sandstone canyons.
The clash of swords and shouts rang through the air. On a ledge before them soldiers and priests were in conflict with black cloaked figures. A group of the dark cloth headed towards the pharaoh's horse.
"Here." Esset handed him the sword.
He took it, the metal feeling heavy and unnatural. Cloaked figures came closer their swords glinting in the moonlight. Yami raised the sword. The blades connected with a clash, nearly knocking Yami over. An unknown instinct caused him the slip the blade out and stab the attacker in the chest. The horse moved forward, pulling the sword out and the cloaked man fell off. Another attacker came, then another. Yami deflected and dismounted all who came at him.
More priests came to their aid intercepting the hooded figures, driving them away.
"You're majesty." Shada reined his horse beside Yami's. "We have not found Akefia."
"And Mahad?" Yami said.
"Not yet." Shada glanced at Esset. "But we haven't searched the tomb yet."
Seth also brought his horse up. "My queen, you're hurt."
Yami turned. Esset's arm had blood sliding down her arm he realized he hadn't blocked all of the blades.
"It's nothing." Esset said.
"Seth, take the queen back to the palace." Yami ordered.
Ignoring her protests, Seth pulled her onto the front of his horse. Yami watched them go. He wasn't going to risk anything else happening to her. For both girls' sakes.
"Pharaoh!" someone called from the top of the hill. Spurring the horse forward, they galloped up the stone to the top of the ledge to the tomb.
A group of priests were crowded around what looked like a slab of stone to hold monsters. Yami dismounted. The priests parted to let him through. He reached the slab, and froze when he noticed what was on it.
Before him was the magician he had seen in Mahad's spirit sanctuary. What was it doing here? He then noticed the face had changed. Before it was hidden behind parts of the hat. Now it was clear to see. It was a silhouette of Mahad to every detail. It also looked exactly like the image in his deck in the future. This was the origin of Yugi's dark magician.
What was he going to tell Esset?
The search party returned to the palace late the next day. The stone slab was rolled into the courtyard.
Priests crowded around. Isis looked like she'd hadn't slept in days and looked about to collapse on Karim standing beside her. Seth and the other priests dismounted and approached the rest of the guardians.
Geb ran up to the pharaoh's horse. "Pharaoh, you, you, look awful."
"Thanks." Yami slid off the horse and almost fell on the dirt. Geb held him up.
Mana ran passed. "Where is master Mahad?" she ran through the priests trying to find her teacher.
Shinon ran after his grand daughter trying to catch up.
She stopped in front of the tablet. Shinon almost ran into her. Mana's hands covered her mouth. She crumpled in the dirt.
Yami noticed Geb watching the two.
"Go." Yami urged.
"It's improper." Geb looked at the ground. Yami saw him glance toward the priests.
"You have my permission."
"Thank you my pharaoh." he hurried over where Shinon was trying to comfort his crying granddaughter.
"Abba!" Kana ran towards him.
Yami intercepted her before she reached the tablet and scooped her up in his arm.
"What's going on?" Kana asked. "Why is Mani crying?"
A murmur passed through the crowd. Yami looked up and his heart sank. Esset was coming towards them through a parting wave of priests and servants. Yami approached, not knowing what to do. He didn't want her to see it.
She saw him and hurried over. "Where is Mahad?"
Yami tried to speak but nothing came out.
"I heard Mana, is he alright?"
Yami finally made himself speak. "He, Esset I'm sorry."
She looked over his shoulder. "Where is . . ." her voice faded when she saw her friends in front of the stone slab. She approached the slab, eyes fixed on the figure on the stone. She passed Mana still clinging on to Geb. Shinon approached the queen, but stepped away when she didn't respond to his voice.
Esset came to the stone. Her hand reached up and her fingers lightly touched the hand holding out the staff. Yami felt sick. It looked like when Yugi was taken by the orichalcos and Airi seeing him in Dartz temple. Another sister and brother separated by stone. How much more was he going to have to relive?
Esset suddenly turned. Her face uncharacteristically blank and expressionless. She walked passed everyone without seeing them. She disappeared around the corner of the palace and Yami could hear her sandals on the stone floor. The steps quickened until they faded away in a full run.
A/N: Man that was painful. hope to update soon. please review. thank you so much for reading. God bless. :)
