(Fourth installment. Definitely the longest part. Ancient Egypt setting, same disclaimers as previously..)

IV

How many more of our children have to fall?

And just how high do we have to build these walls?

In fighting there's no dignity, it's such a waste of time

Take my hand,

I don't think God will mind.

Seth was furious. Perhaps even beyond furious. There might not be a word strong enough to describe his present state of emotion. In the simplest terms, at the most basic level, he was not happy.

For one, the Pharaoh was insisting on carrying out this ridiculous holy war, to purge the land of all those not worthy to be or serve Egyptians, and saying it was god-willed. Even with the offensive and defensive developments Atemu had acquired, there was little to no point in going through with it. The nations nearest to them were already cowed, and those further away would not feel threatened. Surely their enemies would see the wisdom in joining together, even briefly, to crush a common enemy?

Of course, he'd pointed these reasonings out to his dear Pharaoh, but the man refused to listen, even consider what he'd said. He was only the High Priest, only important in manners of ritual and the gods. Wars were not his concern; there couldn't possibly be a tactical bone in his body. No, even with all his years as High Priest, he was just a fool. So off they were venturing on a holy war; a pointless, futile, 'god-willed' war.

Then there was the matter of Bakura. The damned thief hadn't been around for nearly two months now, not only contributing to unwanted sexual frustration, but also causing there to be a severe lack of anyone to argue with. Seth couldn't really argue with other people around the palace, for the word would get back to the Pharaoh, and consequences of that would not be very pretty.

Then again, arguing with Bakura tended to be rather ugly. He had an excuse for everything and a counter-argument for everything else, even if it involved siding with the Pharaoh's mindset. Seth was positive he did it merely to be annoying, and it most certainly was! Being agreed with once in a while was just too much to ask, wasn't it? Seth was always wrong, could never ever be right…

He sighed aloud, glancing out the window with dismay at all the fortification that were going on. Hundreds upon hundreds of slaves were out heaving and hauling stone to bring better defense to the Pharaoh's palace; the stronghold had to be well protected. Yes, there were other methods he could defend himself and his abode, but Pharaoh planned to be with his troops, thus focusing on offense abroad and not defense on the home front. Granted, that choice was unusual but…

Seth refused to try and fathom the Pharaoh's mind. It was one of those things you just didn't try to do, because if you did find out, you'd never be able to see in the same light again.

So Seth fumed quietly to himself for two weeks, allowing the rage to simmer and thicken, taking advantage of when some of the younger new recruits for the army were killed in practice sessions to argue his side. "You are killing your own people, Pharaoh! The ones who revere you as if you are their own father! Why do you insist on continuing with this?" He'd demanded, with all the hot emotion he'd been holding back colouring his words.

"Priest," The Pharaoh had replied in a calm but dangerous tone that brooked no argument, "Some sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

And that was when Seth gave up on trying to convince him otherwise and decided to have as little as possible to do with this war.

It came as a shock when Bakura finally showed up, looking the most ragged Seth had ever seen him. His voice too, seemed lackluster and even hoarse from neglect of use, "Aren't we a sight for sore eyes?" He was probably referring to himself, Seth decided, but really didn't care.

"Where the hell have you been?" He demanded coldly, glaring at the thief with repressed frustration, among other things.

Bakura fixed him with a odd look and replied shortly, "Cursing doesn't suit you Seth. Very pleasant welcome, I'm ever so pleased I came back."

"Never mind that, where have you been?"

Bakura ignored the question, saying instead in a conversational tone, "I see the Pharaoh has been busy while I've been away. Why are we involved in a holy war, now? That's the rumour going around."

"I'm not associated with it." Seth stated bitterly, but it didn't seem Bakura would give up that easily.

"The words 'Pharaoh' and 'holy' associate you with it."

"Damn it Bakura, I want nothing to do with the stupid thing! It's an entire waste of human life and resources and time!" The words burst out, shaking with the anger Seth had been forced to hold in for too long.

Bakura took it mildly, "Of course it is. All wars are. But what can you tell me about it?"

"Where have you been this whole time? Answer me and I'll answer you." Seth countered; just because he hadn't seen Bakura in three months didn't mean he was about to surrender information with ease.

Now Bakura bristled. "It's none of your business where I've been."

"And it's not your concern what the Pharaoh thinks of this war."

"It is." Bakura snarled, "Anything the Pharaoh does is my concern."

"As it is mine." Seth returned in an equally dark tone, "It is also my duty to keep anything that might endanger him from his antagonists."

"You know I'm not considered that anymore."

"I also know how foolish it is of them to trust you."

Bakura chuckled in a sinister way, "They don't. We used one another, there was never mutual trust involved."

"How surprising." Seth said sardonically, crossing his arms over his chest.

Bakura did not appreciate this. "No changing the subject anymore. What is the cause of this war?"

"Why are you so interested?" Seth was suspicious – Bakura was not behaving in anything even remotely similar to a trustworthy manner. His reaction made Seth even more skeptical.

"It doesn't matter why!" Bakura nearly yelled, keeping his voice down only because it cracked oddly from disuse halfway up, "Just tell me!"

"And if I don't?" Seth knew he was baiting Bakura and that wasn't exactly smart, but he wanted answers.

"Damn it, I'll go straight back out that window and across the desert to the very people you're planning to attack and offer them my head!" There was a moment of complete silence, then Bakura looked as if he'd said something he really hadn't meant to reveal.

Seth went from ghost white to livid in a matter of milliseconds and seized Bakura by the shoulders, shoving him against the wall next to the window. "What the hell are you doing talking to them?"

Bakura just glared angrily at him and muttered in a death-dark tone, "Let go of me."

"If I let go of you, it's out the window and you're falling to a painful death. And if you don't die from the fall, the Pharaoh will have immense pleasure killing you when your legs don't work." Seth growled harshly, "Now tell me what you were doing with them."

"Do it." The words were resigned.

Seth was not distracted, but blinked once. "Do what?"

"Throw me out the window. Bash my head in the wall a few times too. Go ahead. Do it."

That was not a reaction Seth had expected at all. He released Bakura's shoulders, backed up a step and asked, "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Bakura muttered entirely too quickly.

"Bakura, what is it?"

"Nothing." Bakura returned forcefully.

"There's obviously something."

"It's not important."

"If you're asking me to kill you, it's pretty important."

"Death is inevitable, why should I fight it?"

Seth thought about that for a moment, trying to read Bakura's meaning. The thief was trying to dodge letting him know something important, that much was plainly obvious. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

Bakura didn't reply, and Seth took that as a bad thing. "What did you tell them?" He asked, trying to sound neither angry nor coddling but stern enough that Bakura would know he seriously wanted an answer.

"I told them I'd done work for the Pharaoh." Bakura muttered bitterly, sliding down the wall so he was sitting, a hand on his forehead.

Seth swayed on the spot, shocked. Bakura wasn't proud of that, why would he tell them?

"I didn't detail as to what." Bakura continued, still sounding unhappy, "I didn't tell them anything important."

Seth reacted before he thought about it. "Not to you, maybe –"

"Not to anyone." Bakura cut him off, "I told them false truths about our army and fighting style. They didn't know any better than to believe me. In return for telling them I wanted to kill the Pharaoh, they told me some of their plans. They believed I was on their side, wanted to work with them. I may have mentioned something of trying plans similar to theirs and failing… but somehow they commissioned me to kill the Pharaoh so they could invade while we were in turmoil." Bakura shook his head, as if he still didn't believe it or understand how it had happened, "They really believe me a traitor and for all my trying to escape, they wouldn't let me until I'd promised them the Pharaoh's head – or my own."

"I don't see the problem." Well, that wasn't exactly true, Seth did see one or two, but if Bakura already wanted to kill the Pharaoh…

"I don't want to kill the Pharaoh for someone else. It's always been for me." Bakura clenched his fist, "No one else. And an invasion… you already said wars are a waste."

"They are."

"So if I kill the Pharaoh now, essentially I cause that waste."

"Never thought you'd be one to take the whole kingdom into your consideration."

"That isn't it." Bakura sighed, "It's all the matter of the Pharaoh."

Silence fell between them. Seth was thinking and Bakura seemed tired. He must have been; he'd travelled across the desert and he wasn't the best person at sharing his problems. In fact, this was probably the most he'd ever confided in Seth since they'd first met.

Finally, Seth spoke softly, "There has to be some way we can get you out of this."

"Yes, kill me and get it over with."

"Do you have any idea why I love you?" Seth demanded suddenly, turning to face Bakura with his arms akimbo.

Bakura stared at him. Those weren't the type of words they typically exchanged; never before now and especially not in this type of conversation.

"It's because you don't quit," Seth went on, "Because you go against the odds with all the confidence in the world… the world can kneel at you feet, you think, you act like. You're greater than it, aren't you? You can defeat anything that comes your way. You're the great and indomitable Thief King, and no one will ever stand in your way. No one will best you. Isn't that how it is?"

"Guess not."

Seth sighed exasperatedly, extending a hand to Bakura, "Come. I daresay the gods won't begrudge my helping you one more time."

Bakura looked at him for a moment, head cocked slightly to one side.

"I have a plan. Trust me, this once?" Seth sounded nearly pleading; their trust had all but dissolved as they'd grown older and more shrewd, both.

Bakura glanced at Seth's hand, then took it and pulled himself to his feet. "No quitting yet." He agreed.