The cool breeze blowing outside made him smile and he closed his eyes, enjoying its touch against his burning hot face. Leaning against the stone ledge of the balcony, he gazed down at the royal gardens just below him. Several hundreds of fig trees, date palms, and pomegranates being wisely lined up all over the field, encircled by vines and melons with tempting colours.

The hustle and bustle of the city caught his attention again and he narrowed his eyes as he tried to see something from where he was. The market seemed to be in full swing, filling up in a flash, a dense crowd being created at its centre.

A voice he knew well sounded from the gate of the gardens leading to the city, and he smiled again, listening carefully.

"But why?! "

"Because Mana! I don't want you to accompany me during my inspection, but on the contrary, that you take advantage of my absence to work on your spells book. "

"But I spent the morning studying! Mahad... please... "

"I already told you no, Mana. "

His pupils became suddenly animated at this conversion, and returning to his apartments, he quickly descended the stairs, taking the direct path that would allow him to join the young girl.

The magician and his student exchanged one last argument before the latter took off, leaving Mana on the spot, sulking childishly. Once certain that no one would surprise him, Atem ventured out of his hiding place, heading for the little priestess in the making.

"Mana? "

"Pharaoh! "

Straightening up suddenly, the coffee-haired girl with cinnamon-coloured eyes smiled at the young man, throwing herself close to his chest, letting out a few false tears as she complained without embarrassment.

"I'm sure you heard everything! Besides, the whole palace must have heard him scold me this way! "

"You're the one who made the most noise, Mana... "

"That's not very nice! "

Hitting the young king's shoulder in a friendly tone and bursting into laughter, Mana shared a knowing smile with him before they decided to settle against the surrounding wall, directly on the floor. Surrounding her raised knees from her arms, the apprentice magician rested her head against the boy's arm, and asked, still with a bit of mischief in her voice:

"Haven't you, I don't know, some royal obligations? "

"No... for the moment I'm free to listen to your complaints... " Atem responded in the same way, avoiding just in time another blow of his childhood friend.

"Hey! How does he want me to replace him one day if he shows me only half of what he does! "

"If you started off being an as good magician as him, I'm sure he'd be more inclined to let you go with him. "

"I'm doing my best! " exclaimed the young girl with a bored pout.

Getting up, the Pharaoh held out a hand for her to rise in her turn, declaring mysteriously when she faced him:

"Who said you couldn't do your own inspections? "

"Huh? "

Frowning, Mana prepared to ask for more explanations before suddenly opening her eyes wide, extending her arms, taking a step back.

"Oh, I know what you're up to! No way! "

"Why not?! " the young king vehemently shouted as he approached the girl, who stepped back a step further.

"Come on, Mana, I'm begging you! Just once! One, tiny, little one time! "

"No! No! And no! What if the guards saw us?! Worst! What if Mahad saw us?! I don't intend to meet Anubis yet! "

"Please... " Atem murmured, nibbling his bottom lip before finally winking at his friend, stating underhandedly:

"Imagine the number of things you could learn from spying on Mahad... "

"But... "

"All right. If you want to stay a pitiful, low-level magician... " retorted the Pharaoh, turning around, crossing his arms over his chest and concealing a mischievous grin.

"Rhaaaa! Fine! It's okay, we go! "

Putting a hand on her forehead in shaking her head, Mana grabbed the wrist of the laughing sovereign, dragging him into a remote corner of the gardens.

"Shhhhhh... if you really want me to take you with me, you better keep quiet. Today, it's me who gives the orders! "

"Understood, O great Dark Magician Girl. "

Rolling her eyes, the little priestess smiled, and revealing her wand, waved it in the air, the wall in front of which they were standing suddenly becoming translucent.

"Ah, no, that's not good at all! " the young girl was indignant, placing a hand on her mouth.

"What's the matter? " asked the Pharaoh, tilting his head to one side.

"You can't walk in this outfit in town, everyone will recognise you! "

"Are you kidding me? The king of Egypt wandering in Khemet without his royal guard and no means of transport? No, believe me, there's no need to worry. At best, I'm just someone who looks a lot like him. "

"Yeah, and the millennium puzzle? "

"Hmm? "

Looking at the inverted pyramid-shaped object hanging from his neck, Atem sighed and, after a long moment of hesitation, put a trembling hand on it, gently pulling it away.

"Oh no! No! No! You're immediately going to put that back around your neck and forget about the city break trip! "

"Absolutely not! " the young king rebuked, frowning, handing the golden pyramid to his friend. "Just tell me you can keep it in a safe place? "

"I... Yes, of course... "

The millennium puzzle disappeared in a cloud of white smoke between the palms of the sovereign and interlacing the fingers of their joined hands, the two teenagers engaged in the magical passage opened by the girl, walking along the path connecting the palace to the city while the blowing wind was lifting fine waves of sand.

##########

Not enough air. This is the first correct thought that came into his mind as the market was now looking like a huge sea of villagers. Inhabitants squeezing against each other, buying, selling, and arguing with each other.

Packed with people, Khemet's main square was noisy like he had never experienced before. Trying vaguely to hold on his two feet, he breathed faster and faster, his aching chest stabbing at every breath.

The chains at their feet had been removed, quickly replaced by others linking his hands to his neck, the metal collar clasping around his throat.

Unable to move, Heba desperately sought a way to know the condition of Teana that he could no longer see, the sale of slaves attracting several people who had gathered around them like a flock of hungry animals.

Fortunately, Jouno still stood by his side, his face bitter, jaw clenched.

"I swear teh yeh! What we're, Western pottery?! Back off, heartless leeches! "

Shouting so hard that he could lose his voice at any moment, the blond was pushing back, with his words only, the few individuals who were approaching too close to him and Heba. But his little defence system did not go unnoticed despite the hubbub, which earned him many corrections from their tormentors. That, however, did not seem to stop the young man who was getting up each time from the ground on which he was thrown, his nose bleeding, yelling his insignificant threats again and again.

Heba sighed. It was a hell from which they could not escape, so what was the point of delaying it?

"Don' lose hope. "

"Huh? "

Turning his head sharply, the boy looked at his childhood friend with wide eyes, misunderstanding being easily reading in his amethyst pupils.

"C'mon, Heba. We'll get out o' this! Look, no more chains on our feet, we can move freely. All we need is a long enough distraction and tha's it! Freedom's for us! "

Smiling gently, Heba leaned slightly against his friend's shoulder, letting a few tears bead in the corner of his eyes.

"Yes... to us freedom! "

Feeling the boy about to fall asleep, Jouno shook himself to make him react, panicking at the idea that he could never wake up again.

"C'mon! Cheer up, big boy! "

"All right. All right. "

Standing up again, Heba focused on the distant horizon, imagining himself, Jouno and Teana running away through the desert, finding back the path that would bring them home. His mother must surely believe he was already dead. She certainly would not believes her eyes when she will see them back safe and sound.

His vision becomes blurred and he shook his head to chase those images out of his mind. It was then that he met a look that comforted him, the garnet pupils full of sadness of Teana clinging to his owns, stealthily.

"Teana! " he exclaimed as the figure of the young girl disappeared into the crowd, following the shadow of an unknown man.

"Teana! " he shouted out again, moving forward to join her, but seeing himself being stopped by Jouno's arms, who held him firmly in place.

"It's too late, Heba! It's too late! "

"No! No! "

"Stop! Stop! She's gone, Heba. She's gone... "

Collapsing on the ground, unable to hold himself back any longer, the boy began to cry for a long time, screaming his rage. Then, feeling passing out, he closed his eyes, black enveloping him slowly while his body hit hard the ground without him being able to react.

"Heba! "

It's a weight against his chest that made him suddenly regain consciousness. The most massive of the torturers resting unrestrainedly his foot against his rib cage, preventing him from breathing.

"Yeh wanker! Release him! Release him now! "

Jouno's twitchy voice echoed throughout the market as he plunged his tear-drenched eyes into the ones of their executioner, the latter stretching his lips in a carnivorous grin.

"This one is alive! Still good for sale! " he shouted to his colleague, who pushed him away forcefully, looking furious.

"In that case, don't bother to kill him, fool! Do you think we can maybe afford the loss of any one of them?! "

Gripping the boy by his metal collar, he lifted him with a quick gesture, forcing him to stay up on both feet.

"Heba?! Heba, answer me! You're alright?! "

The incessant questions of Jouno remained unanswered, the teenager now resembling nothing more but a simple rag doll.

"Oh! This one seems keen to me! How much for it? "

"Huh? It!? "

Heba absently turned his head to the dark-skinned man standing in front of the blond-haired young man, haggling him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"This one causes us a lot of trouble. Your price will be ours, my friend. "

"That's perfect! "

"What?! Bugger off! Get yer hands off o' me, bastard. I swear yeh'll regret it! I'm the worst choice e'er! "

"He's yours, my friend. Don't let his ridiculous attitude discourage you. He's like a wild dog. Nothin' the right method can't fix, right? "

"Yeah, tha's what yeh'd like! The right method? Ha, I can stand much more than yeh think! "

Observing the exchange without making any movement, Heba wanted to ignore the feeling of terror that was oppressing him from the inside. He was going to turn his head away when he intercepted the look of his friend, the latter seeming to tell him to flee without delay.

He frowned. It was out of the question to run away without him. But the blond looked resigned, almost praying to the boy with his hazel eyes; so that at least one of them survives free.

Heartbroken, half-eaten up by the guilt, Heba closed his eyelids as if to answer in the affirmative to the silent request of his childhood friend.

Smiling, Jouno shifted to one side, so the two tormentors and their client faced him, turning their backs to the teenager. Then, swinging his head forcefully against the nose of one of his torturers, who screamed furiously at this gesture, he yelled to attract the attention of the crowd:

"So?! Still want me, bastard?! I can do much worse than tha'! Jus' wait fer me hands to be free! "

It was the signal. The villagers gathered around the slave stall and Heba took the opportunity to escape through the crowd, running as fast as his tired legs would allow him to.

Thanks, Jouno! Sorry!

Unfortunately, his getaway was quickly noticed, shouts of anger resonating throughout the market.

"Catch him! Do not let him escape! Catch me that brat! "