Fanfic100 Claim
Fandom: Yugioh
Characters: Yami Bakura/Malik Ishtar
Prompt: # 86: Choices.
Word Count: 1, 742
Rating: M for safety.

Warning(s): Au. Yaoi. No spoilers here.

Summary: Malik seeks the help from the King of Thieves, only to be given choices on payment.

Chapters: 12/100

Chapter 12: Choices.

Malik pulled the hood over his head, his body covered by a dark cloak. A bag held tightly in his hand and close to his body. It was sad to know that everything that his family owned, that was of value sat in this small bag. He grabbed at the reins of a random horse. "Malik," his name called out from within the shadows of the stable.

Malik whipped around and instantly his dagger was drawn, holding it tightly in his hand ready to kill whoever saw him. "Come out." He hissed the order.

A young girl was suddenly before him, clutching her hands in his cloak, giving him a pleading look. "Please don't go, Malik." She begged breaking into tears, resting her head against his chest. "It's so dangerous. I fear that you'll never came back."

Malik placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mana, I'll be back before Ra has awakened." His cousin was the only one that knew what he had done.

Mana pulled back and shook her head, "If the Pharaoh knew..."

"Please," Malik snorted. "The Pharaoh is most likely drunk and consorting with his harem for night." Malik put away his dagger. "He's the only one that can help me."

"Don't you listen to the stories?" Mana pulled back wiping at her eyes. "There is a demon that kills everyone that comes asking for his help, leaving the bodies for the buzzards to pick at, taking their gold and awaiting his next foolish victims." Mana grabbed at his arm. "You're that foolish victim Malik. Monsters prey on such people like yourself."

Malik knew she was only trying to frighten him out of what he was doing. "I'll return unharmed." Malik muttered as he grabbed at the reins again and pulled himself up. The horse stopped its front hooves and gnawed on the bit in its mouth, wanting to get out of its confined stall.

"Don't go!" Mana cried out going for her cousin to pull him off the horse. "You won't find the help you seek. It's your own death that awaits you in the desert!"

"I have to try." The horse reared up at the firm kick to his side's and the shouting from the girl, Malik gave a second kick and he was lunched forward as the beast took off out of the stables and into the night.

Malik had gathered what little money he had and headed for the most dangerous of taverns where murders and thieves hang out. He had to find anyone that could help him get back what had been taken from him.

A man had sat down at his table, knowing of someone who could help at the right price. They both talked long into the night. The man got up to leave taking what gold Malik had on him at the time with a promise that someone would contact him.

Malik had just about lost hope when days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Until last night, a small note stuck to the wall of his bed chamber with a knife.

Malik had a meeting place and time.

He glanced back over his shoulder, the glowing lights of the town was now far behind him. His mind wavered on second thoughts.... Malik shook his mind clear and gathered up his courage and forced the horse to speed up.

"Here she is!" A woman, bound hand and food, hit the desert ground with a thud. The group of men laughed from their mounted positions on horseback.

An older man cried out as he made to dive for the woman to help her or to soften her fall. He stopped, falling to the sand on his hands and knees as a tall dark figure of the Thief King loomed over the woman, his foot on her back two scimitars in each hand.

The Thief King lacked to see the humour of the fallen woman like his men did. His interests lay on a more important matter that was yet to be 'given' over. "I got your wife just as you asked." The Thief King growled.

The man trembled as he fumbled about his robes. The Thief King watched, with eager anticipation for the gold that would soon be in his hands.

"My King." One of his men approached and bowed down on one knee at his side. "The boy is here."

"Well then, don't leave our guest waiting. Bring him." The man rose swiftly to his feet at the order and walked away. He returned moments later with the guest.

"My payment," The sound of coins hitting the sand filled the area and brought everyone's attention back to the older man and his wife.

The Thief King's brows furrowed at the bag, he sliced it open with his sword, spiling gold and silver coins onto the sand. "What is this?!" The Thief growled unpleased. "There was a price for me getting your wife back."

"Please," The man cried throwing himself at the Thief's feet, grabbing at his long red cloak. "It's all I own. I sold everything, my home, my...." He yelped when the Thief King kicked him away, his gagged wife cried out as well, helpless to do anything. "I have nothing else." The older man said getting to his knees again.

"You have three daughters. If you had brought them along with your payment your wife would still be with us in the land of the living."

"What?!" The older man called out in confusion. The Thief King turned as all his men dismounted from their horses.

"Kill the woman; gather the coins, round up his daughters. I don't run a charity." The Thief King ordered.

"Please don't." The man had gotten up and lunged at the Thief grabbing him about the waist and fell to his knees. "You would take everything from me. I'd have nothing to live for." The older man was sobbing.

"Then you shouldn't have asked for my help if you couldn't pay me!" The Thief growled back, knocking the man onto his back.

"Now." The Thief King stood before his new guest as if nothing had happened. "You are Ishtar, am I correct?" Malik didn't answer him as he watched the men surround the woman; her muffled scream rang out for a second before it stopped. The only sound was the crying of the man as he gathered his now dead wife in his arms. He however dropped her, leaving her in the sand as he raced after the men on horseback to save his draughters. "Answer me!"

"M-Malik Ishtar." He trembled clutching at the bad in his arms, wondering if he had the right amount. Mana was right, death awaited him out here, that poor man had paid and he still lost everything to this monster.

"Ah yes, the boy who's looking for his sister," The Thief moved in a little closer, removing the hood Malik wore on his head and titled his chin up, the Thief gave a predatory grin. "Information is what you are after, right?"

Malik nodded his head staring into dark brown eyes, "Yes." A chill ran through his body as he realized they were all alone and that grin held other intentions then what they were talking about. "Do, do you know where she is?"

"I do. Black hair, blue eyes, tattoo on her left shoulder blade, around the age of twenty, Ishizu Ishtar." Tears gathered in Malik's eyes at the news that his sister had been found. He knew because he never gave them the tattoo or her name. "The slave traders picked her up just outside of Thebes, took her to Cairo and then up to Alexandria, where they sold her off in the slave traders market." The Thief King circled Malik a moment, taking in every inch of the boy.

Tears ran down Malik's face, he'd never get her back now since he would have to give everything he owned to this Thief. A man on a horse rode up to them and dropped someone onto the sand. "I bought your sister." The Thief grinned.

"Ishizu!" Malik called out and rushed forward; she lifted her head at his voice and tried to call back, but unable due to the gag in her mouth. He fell to his knees before her and helped her to sit up, he removed the gag. "I thought I would never see you again!" He hugged her tightly trying to free her hands. "Are you hurt? Are you well?"

"I don't understand." She was grabbed from Malik's arms and the gag put back into her mouth and she was thrown onto the back of the horse.

"What are you doing?" Malik got to his feet and threw the bag at the Thief's feet. "I've paid you, now let her go!" He demanded. Coins and gems spilled out over the sand. The Thief let out a low whistle. "It's all there." Malik turned to the man on the horse's back. "Let her go!"

"I changed my mind about the payment." The King of Thieves muttered, ignoring the gold and gems, this was something that he hadn't had in such a long time... He couldn't even remember the last time someone warmed his bed. To pass on anything that appealed to him wasn't something he was known for doing.

"It's what the agreement was. I have nothing else..." Malik paled, these were the same words the other man had said and he still lost everything. How could this lowly Thief be so damn picky?

"That's not true." The King of Thieves said as Malik turned back around and came face to face with him, a feral grin stretched over the Thief's lips and Malik recoiled and all his insides froze up. "I'll give you a choice... I'll take the gold and kill your sister." He shrugged. "Or, you willingly spend the night with me and your sister arrives in your home town unharmed." The Thief tilted Malik's chin up. "By the way, the names Bakura, you'll need to know it since you'll need something to scream later." With that same grin Bakura turned away and mounted his horse and waited. "The choice isn't going to be on offer for long." He held out his hand.

They weren't really choices he could pick from. Malik had to force himself to approach that horse and take the others hand, "You'll return me home unharmed?"

"Promise."

TBC.

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