Hi everybody!

Note: At last I'm back for the second part of Golden Chains and Sand of Crown! It took a while, but I finally found the time to write this new fanfiction and post it. Of course, since I post it fully rather than a chapter per week, it also took me some time to correct it and upload it on the site, including the chapter explanations and the layout. Anyway, I wanted to thank you all very much for your patience/waiting. This fiction WILL BE finished, don't worry, I just need time. As heartbreaking as it may be, COVID forced me to work at home and now I have more time to focus on my fictions... Above all, be careful and follow the health instructions! I apologise in advance for this loooooooong intro that will follow, you're the best! XOXO

One small thing before you start reading:

I'd like to clarify a few things first. So, my fiction using elements from both the manga and the anime, it's not always easy to realise who is who, or what the function of that specific character is etc., and I personally have even more difficulties due to having to change character names and other stuff from their English version to their French version. Thus, I've decided to make a little sum-up, so you know who / what I'm talking about.

• First of all, for most of the characters, I use the version of their names that were used in the anime. Firstly, because most people have never read the manga and therefore might have difficulty with the manga versions, and also because it's a bloody pain to write them in their manga versions, and that's already complicated enough for me.

• Second, some of the Sacred Guardians are named after Egyptian gods like Isis or Seto. For some reason, the English version (manga and anime) did not always change their Japanese names to that of their Western counterpart. For example, the name of the priestess Isis is spelt the same as the Egyptian goddess (the Japanese pronunciation of her name being Aisis), which is a good thing, but strangely enough, the name of the priest Seto has been kept as this instead of being changed to the spelling Set (whose Japanese pronunciation is the same as Seto). It just doesn't make sense, especially to me who read the original manga. So, I decided to keep the name of the gods for the Sacred Guardians as they are spelt in their western form.

However, you may have noticed that I write Priest Set's name as Seth (the same thing when I talk about the Egyptian god), it's because I use the Greek form which is probably used less by people and more known to scholars. The reason is that the Greek form of Egyptian names is much closer to the French form, which is easier for me when writing.

The Seto case being a bit complicated, I summarise here: Seto Kaiba = Priest Seto, but should have been spelt Set since named after the Egyptian God (Greek form of Set = Seth).

Thanks for your understanding.

• Now let's talk about the case of Shadi / Shada / Hasan. For me, it has always been obvious that Shadi and Shada are the same person. As Yugi is the modern counterpart of Atem, Shadi is the modern counterpart of Shada. However, Shadi was born much earlier and since he possessed the millennium Key, he already knew about his ancestral connection to Shada and his fate as the protector of the pharaoh. Also, the Arabic name Shadi is an archaic form of the name Shada, so there is no point in denying that the two are related.

Regarding Hasan, it's a bit more complex. Hasan is the Spirit of the Millennium Stone coupled with a part of the soul of the late Pharaoh Akhnamkanon, the father of Atem. In the anime/manga, after dying while protecting Pharaoh Atem, his body was used by Shadi (who, a little reminder, is a ghost because he was killed by Yami Bakura 5 years prior to the start of YuGiOh) to protect Atem a deadly energy blast. As such, neither Hasan nor Shadi were alive at the time. The first was just a spirit whose body was left behind after his death and therefore was used to protect Atem, and the second was simply a ghost who couldn't move in the millennium World without a suitable form belonging to it, and therefore must have take possession of Hasan's body.

I do have mentioned Hasan in the previous fiction, and while in the anime most of the priests and Hasan died fighting Zorc, in my fiction they are obviously all alive. I intend to explain all the events leading up to a different ending than the anime (or manga), but until then you need to understand that any character who was supposed to be dead in the anime/manga might not be so in my fiction. Additionally, Hasan's identity is only partially known to Atem and the others, and I intend to focus more on him being the Spirit of the Millennium Stone rather than a part of the soul of Pharaoh Akhnamkanon.

Once again, thank you for your understanding.

That's all, I'll leave you with the explanations of this first chapter, and the story itself.

Chapter Explanations:

-Abydos was a city and place of worship in ancient Egypt located in the south of the country, 91 km northwest of Luxor.

-Nabta Playa is an archaeological site in Egypt where several stone monuments are assembled and where a Neolithic population lived.

-The white desert designates the Libyan desert. It's so-called because of a part of its surface which is made up of limestone. It should not be confused with the White Desert National Park in Egypt which designates a site of large white chalk rock formations in the Farafra Depression.

-The Shat was the currency used from the Old Kingdom for trades and was equivalent to 7.5 grams of gold. The Deben was the smallest currency and was equivalent to 90 grams of gold or 12 shats.

Here I wish you a very happy reading! As usual, if you have any questions, leave me a review!

Disclaimers: YuGiOh! is the property of Kazuki Takahashi and Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories of Konami. The rest of the characters introduced into this fanfic come straight out of my imagination, thanks to asking me before reintroducing them.

Legend: Italics - Thoughts

Align centre - Dreams

"Italics" - Flashbacks/Flashforwards

"Dust of the desert rising above the heads, blades of broadswords, gladiator swords and sabres clashing in the noise of strident metal as the horses of the charioteers and other cavalrymen neighed incessantly at the sound of the arrows of the archers which were ripping through the air, passing close, sometimes even too close, tearing their flesh and staining their coats of a dying red colour.

The weapons were swirling without stopping, brandished by soldiers with armours soaked in blood and whose viciousness and fatigue pushed them to the worst atrocities, a trail of corpses clumping at their feet while they were killing, amputating, severing, decapitating everything their veiled glances were glimpsing.

A cacophony of noises, a tumult of cries, and the blue sky slowly darkening as the sun God was disappearing behind the plain, the fights not ending as long as the enemy army would still give signs of life.

Infantrymen counting by thousands, for the glory of Pharaoh and sacred Egypt were fighting. But they did not have anything human anymore. Ridiculous puppets whose will had extinguished, they were now only motivated by the agitation on the battlefield, obeying orders whose meaning they no longer understood, advancing like a herd of empty-headed beasts towards the possible slaughterhouse that would be their destiny.

Barbary and cruelty now symbolised this war of doomed. And at a single stroke of the stirrup, the destriers were flying to crash against the infantry already wounded and exhausted, trampling with their shod hoofs their bruised bodies, continuing the massacres while the amber sand dust was raising a little more.

And beyond the cliffs guarded by the camouflaged sentries, in a village abandoned of its population the second the trumpets of war had sounded, several tents placed next to each other were standing in what appeared to be a huge military camp.

In one of them, two, three soldiers in light clothing surrounded a table covered with cards and small stones signed with hieroglyphs. Seated in front of it, a man with mid-length-hazel hair seemed to be absorbed in his thoughts, no longer worrying about the screams or the disturbances that resonated all around him.

A second man, all dressed in blue, crossed the entrance of the tent, projecting his shadow on the papyri which the light of day could not already allow anymore to perceive, the soldiers bowing in a greeting way as the first man was raising his eyes towards the newcomer. The latter, however, did not utter the slightest word at this gesture, simply crossing his arms over his chest while turning to lean against one of the wooden pillars used to maintain the fabric habitat.

"Seth. "

"Mahad. "

A sigh escaped from the lips of the millennium ring possessor as he stood up to rejoin his companion at the entrance to the shelter, his violet eyes being inevitably attracted by the fights taking place in the distance.

"You should have stayed at the palace to watch over the Pharaoh. " he said directly, a feeling of dread running through his spine at the vision of the indiscernible throes of death.

"Shimon can take on this role without me. " Seth simply declared, turning his gaze towards the battlefield as well. "Moreover, who would ensure the smooth operation of this army with a chief of the guard as incompetent as you and a general more preoccupied with the honours and the glory? "

Mahad smiled at these words without giving any answer, aware of what they really meant. By staying here despite the risks, the bearer of the millennium rod was just making sure that nothing happens to the magician.

After all, the gods alone knew what would happen to this battle. In the midst of this bloody war where any form of magic related to the Shadow Game was forbidden, no one was ever safe..."

Today…

Sand dunes with rounded summits were going along by dozens the bank of the Nile as to delimit the side, serving as a surrounding wall to the stone edifice facing the black river. Having collapsed for centuries, it had lost none of its usefulness, often used as temporary makeshift shelters by travellers from the east before they crossed the deep waters of the canal to join the vivid city of Khemet.

Thus surrounded by its half-collapsed monoliths and protected from the weather by the single arch of clay still standing, they could quietly regain strength, feeding on date palms nearby and quenching their thirst with the help of an underground well left abandoned. However, even though the place was supposed to be only a stop for all these nomads, a man with the appearance of a noble of the court was coming back there every day, as if on pilgrimage, to face a blue-lapis-lazuli-coloured stele with gold scriptures.

And before Khepri offered his light to this mortal world, from the rosy dawn to the reddening daybreak, he was remaining perfectly motionless in front of it, his azure eyes still scrutinising the same golden hieroglyphs he had himself make engraved. When the sun was finally making its appearance, he was leaving slowly, retracing his steps towards the city while getting lost in his darkest thoughts.

Today was no exception.

And while the sky was shrouded in shades of fire, the strange nobleman was browsing the stele, constantly re-reading, with certain stubbornness, the same tragic story that was being described.

"Seth. " a voice called behind him, and he merely nodded to signify that he had heard.

Slightly advancing forward, the Pharaoh settled next to his cousin and looking on the lines of symbols in his turn, decreed:

"Aknadin demands for you. " then, letting a sigh escape to him, he turned to the latter, hands on his hips, adding, "If he knew you were here... "

"Well, what? " snapped the bearer of the millennium rod, turning to his interlocutor, annoyed.

"I don't need to tell you. You know as well as I do what he thinks of your little morning getaways. "

Narrowing his eyes, the sacred guardian huffed tiredly before taking his face between his hands, looking completely downcast:

"This might be one of the last times… one of the last times I saw her… I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to her. "

"I'm far from judging you, Seth. " indicated Atem, putting a comforting hand on the priest's shoulder. "I understand very well this need to act as you do. But don't forget that she watches over you. The strength of the blue-eyes white dragon lies in her and will protect you no matter what. "

Nodding his head again, Seth took a last look at the stele shining under the rays of the star of the day, and murmured in a soft voice before heading toward the shore to return to the palace:

"Kisara, I'm counting on you. "

City of the gods with simple angular curves whose white and linen colours deprived it of all flourishes. A lower town was stretching for miles along the Libyan sands of Upper Egypt while its citadel skirted the shores of the West Nile filled with its merchant boats. Osiris, seated on his mortuary throne, was watching over Abydos from the two statues guarding the entrance to the town gates, granite obelisks running along the stone paths that surrounded the whole metropolis dotted with palm trees, fruit trees and other various vegetations.

A mythical site with a unique symbolism, where, at the dawn of time, the God Seth, mad with jealousy, had massacred his brother, scattering his body to the four corners of the country. Divine or funeral temples, royal tombs, cenotaphs and chapels per hundred, buildings at each intersection in the titles of different Pharaohs, the urban core of ancient vestiges, a necropolis with thousands of names...

They did not know where to gaze at, the stupefaction freezing them on the spot as they crossed the city wall. They, who had not once left their small village that even the regulars of the oasis of Kharga had never heard of, could now be counted among the billions of tourists visiting it to pray, pay tribute to divinities or simply to trade there.

Three areas of housing as large as two hectares could be distinguished in the lower town, markets stretching along the gates leading to the inside of the citadel where seven neighbourhoods surrounded with some complexity a central white marble building.

It was a strange sensation that reigned there, as something occult, oppressive... Of course, the fact that the God of the Afterlife was laying down the law on this city was not for nothing, and the echoes of the war about to break out near Nabta Playa were not far away, but it was still a very different feeling that was gripping their hearts right now.

And while waiting for them to reach their destination, they could do nothing but to disregard it, if only they could reach their destination. The waves of peoples dispersing across the white desert at the news of clashes with Nubia had caused unprecedented chaos, from men fleeing compulsory recruitment to residents too close fearing for their lives.

"You will rest here for a few days. Meanwhile, we will take care of the preparations to continue the journey by boat. "

Tiye nodded without replying to the words spoken by the man in front of her, mimicking her comrades as intimidated as her. After all, despite the last five days they had spent together, facing one of the divisions of the royal guard and an emissary of the Pharaoh was no less complicated.

"When we'll arrive at Khemet? " asked one of her compatriots, and she immediately rested her amethyst pupils so similar to those of her son, on the messenger dressed in a long vanilla cotton tunic wrapped up by a strip of cloth olive-green-coloured and knotted in the manner of a sari.

"Well, it will depend on the number of ships heading toward the capital and their availability, there may be delays. " replied the latter, triturating the gold bracelets on his wrists. "Probably in about ten days. "

"Ten days?! You're jokin', right?! "

Suddenly rushing to the man having exclaimed in this way, the young woman grabbed his shoulder delicately, intimating him to keep quiet with a knowing look, as trying to appease the invisible tensions that were rising in the air.

"Please forgive him. " she apologized instead of her compatriot while bowing forward respectfully, a slightly embarrassed smile on her lips. "Our children have been taken from us so violently... I beg you to understand our wish to get them back as soon as possible. "

"I understand very well. " declared the emissary, crossing his arms over his chest, more annoyed than he wanted to show. "But I cannot do anything more than what I already do. The boat is still the fastest means of transport, so bear it. "

Leaving the inhabitants of the Aldawminu village on the threshold of a somewhat gloomy inn in the heart of the lower town, the messenger took the direction of the port, quickly followed by the soldiers supposed to watch over them. Tiye huffed as she turned towards the building, considering it with dubitation.

"At least they didn't make us sleep outside. " exclaimed her companion beside her, making her smile with a real smile of joy for the first time in weeks.

Since the disappearance of her son...

Yes, since that cursed day, neither she, nor Rana, Jonou's mother, or Teana's parents, Khaba and Shani, had been able to do anything but worry and imagine the worst. So, when the royal guard had burst into their village lost in the middle of the desert to inform them of the news of their fate, they had felt reassured, even though their ordeal must have been horrible. However, this temporary relief was now slowly giving way to an obvious impatience. An impatience that was useless to reproach to them.

Putting a lock of her burgundy hair behind her ear, Tiye finally decided to enter into the infrastructure invaded by the sardonic laughter and husky bawling of a clearly ill-famed clientele of tavern. As she made her way to the bar counter also serving as a reception desk, she drew the innkeeper's attention with a quick wave of her hand, taking care not to notice the languishing glances she felt behind her back and that made her shudder.

If only her husband had accompanied her...

The old innkeeper stared at the young woman for a few seconds, almost suspicious, before finally indicating the upper floor to her in a disdainful manner, seizing abruptly the purse of Shat she held in her hands. Biting the inside of her cheek apprehensively, she eventually began to climb the steps of the building, not without reluctance, her fellows following her closely.