Chapter 5
Seto pulled back on the reins, settling his horse down. He forced himself to keep a stoic face and not throw a small fit when he realized that once again, for the fifth time, Queen Azula had stopped at another shop.
"Will we ever get home?" He said to no one in particular.
"Not at this rate." Mahod gave his comrade a smirk, turning his own horse around to the royal twins. Seto huffed, following his lead. "I do not understand why you volunteered on this outing."
"I did not volunteer." The priest corrected. "I just happened to be the only one that had nothing important to do. Isis did not either."
"Queen Azula would pour boiling oil on Isis and set her on fire before she allowed her to accompany us."
"This…this is true."
"I am still at a lost as to why the Queen does not care for Isis."
"…" Seto looked in any direction but at Mahod who gave him a look as if he suspected something. There was no way he wanted to be bothered with another one of Mahod's lectures. The two High Priests led their great stallions through the semi-crowded market, finding the twins easily.
The Pharaoh remained on his horse, keeping the reins tightly in his hand while he sat comfortably with his arms crossed. He remained silently, watching his sister coo over the exotic animals and creatures as the merchant coaxed her in different directions; explaining to her which animal was which and why she should have it.
"Please, My Queen. Take your time. These creatures aren't something to take to mistreat. So choose wisely."
"Is Kuriboh not enough?" Mahod grimaced when the merchant handed Azula a creature that was a cross between a huge rat and a rabbit. He prayed to the gods that she was not considering that…thing.
"That is exactly what I said." Atem expression mirrored his protector when a large white…he was going to deduce what was a bird…was perched on his sister's arm.
"Kuriboh is enough. But he's lonely. He needs someone to play with." Azula eased her companions' minds when she handed the animals back, searching the various cages and crates for the perfect friend for her Kuriboh,
She ignored her male counterparts as they heaved and huffed; she was not going to be swayed by the fact that they did not like to shop and she was taking her time in choosing a creature.
"What is this?" The curious woman pulled a cage that was hidden behind the others, away from eyesight.
"Be careful!" The merchant warned. "That one has a nasty temper." Azula could see blue scales coiled in the corner of the small cage. A lizard of some sort she could tell, but she wanted to see more.
"Why is this one locked?"
"As I said before, My Queen, that one has a bad temper. It is known to bite and claw at my customers." As he spoke, Azula tapped the bars of the cage to wake it.
"If it is uncontrollable, why not get rid of it?" Atem asked, watching with caution as the woman continued to wake the unknown creature.
"Because it is a rare fine, this dragon. I wouldn't dare throw it away without at least finding a proper home for it."
"My Queen…" Mahod stepped next to her. "Please, there are other creatures I am sure you will be happy with."
"But, I feel something about this one." She said, smiling when the blue dragon finally started to move. "Hi." She whispered when it started to uncoil itself. Azula was greeted with a brilliant blue eyes.
"Oh, you are adorable." She cooed when it finally stretched out as best as possible in the small confinement. Bravely, she reached a few fingers inside the openings as the creature came near.
"Did he not say it bites!?" Atem barked, in fear that she would lose her fingers in a matter of seconds. Mahod snatched her hand away before its head reached her.
"She is not going to bite me." Azula said confidently, taking her hand back. She knelt in the sand so she was eye to eye with the creature. It didn't thrash about; it didn't bare its teeth and growl. It just looked at her with such lost and loneliness. She was compelled by its gaze to place her hand just in front of the cage to allow it to catch her scent. It recoiled slightly by the gesture, and then slowly moved back; taking her smell in short intakes of breath.
"Unlock it."
"No!" All three of the men rejected her request.
"I said, unlock it." She said to the merchant.
"I said no!" The three men barked in unison again. The merchant looked between them, frightened and conflicted, he didn't make a move.
"Azula, it is dangerous." Atem started.
"It is not. It is scared and looking for a master. I think I could be its master."
"You know nothing about it." Seto commented, siding with Atem. "How will you tend to it?"
"I knew nothing about Kuriboh and look how he turned out." She defended, opening her hand as she motioned for the key. Mahod said nothing, just watched with caution preparing himself to defend his Queen from the beast if need be.
She unlocked the cage, opening the small door and waited patiently for the creature to emerge. It took several anxious moments before the dragon poked its head out.
Azula watched the blue scales on its body glimmer silver in the sunlight. The small creature stretched its limbs out more, being trapped for so long. It spread its wings, flapping them a few times. It finally settled, perching itself on top of its prison.
Azula was beyond fascinated with the dragon. She had heard of them, read about them in books, but she had never dreamed of actually seeing one. Even if the dragon was not meant to be hers, she was going to buy it no matter the cost. And then set it free. A creature this grand, this beautiful, was not meant to be held in captivity.
The men watched as the two exchanged looks, oblivious of the world around them. The merchant didn't want to say no to the Queen, but feared that if the creature lashed out and harmed her, it would be his head.
Everyone was silent, their breath caught in the back of their throats, as the Queen held out her hand once more. The dragon cried out once, stretching out its wings as it lifted itself to hover in midair.
Azula remained calm; the dragon wrapped its tail around the full length of her arm, two sets of clawed feet clasped together around her wrist. Transparent wings folded back as it let out one more cry before resting comfortably in her hand. It never took its sapphire eyes off its new master; purring in contentment.
"I will take her." Azula smiled, knowing full well that they belonged together.
"How do you know it is a female?" Mahod was shocked that the creature took to his Queen so fast, as if it had been waiting for her to free it from its prison.
"I just know." Azula lifted it above her head; the sun's light reflected from its body causing it so simmer between blue and silver. "She is so beautiful. So magnificent." She giggled, bringing her dragon to her face. Immediately it purred, rubbing her head against her master's cheek.
"And just wait until she grows bigger than the moon itself. I will love her and train her to be a strong and loyal beast to all of us." She rose from the dirt, never taking her magenta eyes away from the blue eyed dragon. "You, Kisara, will be an ultimate protector."
The room was filled with the evening glow of the setting sunlight. Everyone, now fully rested and fed, the gathered back in the room to start what they set out to do early this morning.
"I've gone over this multiple times." Solomon began. "There is nothing that we've missed. Everything that you're supposed to use to free her is all here. I don't know what else to tell you."
"No." Atem shook his head. "You both did a fantastic job." He praised Solomon and Ishizu. He knew that they had stayed to examine the carvings by themselves. Finding nothing new, they were afraid that they were failing the group. Unfortunately, the duo did all that they could. It was now up to them to figure out the riddle.
"I think I figured out something." Everyone looked on in confusion as Seto walked over to stand next to Atem. They were shocked to say the least that he even considered participating in this.
He went into his pocket and pulled out his deck. He pulled the top card, revealing the rare Blue Eyes White Dragon.
"What does Blue Eyes have to do with this?" Joey was more confused now than he ever was.
Seto, of course, ignored the blonde. He knew he wouldn't understand. Hell, he wasn't sure if he understood. But he had to go with his instincts.
"Kisara. Does that help?" He asked the former king. It was a long pause between them before the name finally stuck.
"My gods! How could I have forgotten that?!" Atem was not thinking, not at all. This whole time he believed that the protectors and guardians had to be physical beings. But that wasn't the case.
"Yugi! Hand me Dark Magician Girl." The Pharaoh ordered as he dug out his own out his own deck.
Though they had a small falling out about it, Yugi had given the Dark Magician to have in his deck. Every now and again they would swap out cards for the others; considering that their decks were identical for the exception of the Egyptian god cards that were in Pharaoh's deck.
"Wait!...Wait! What does the duel monsters have to do with anything?"
"They were once our protectors when they were human." Atem explained, showing the Dark Magician card. "This was Mahod, one of the High Priests, and close friend of mine. He was also the Queen's mentor in sorcery." He gazed at the card, remembering that he fought to protect his father's tomb for a thief and paid the ultimate price for it. "He fulfills his duty to protect us even in death. His spirit is what we know now as the Dark Magician."
"And the Dark Magician Girl was a protector as well." Yugi was now following the plan now.
"Yes, Mana was a dear friend of ours and stayed by the Queen's side. The duel monsters have the spirits of those who have fallen to protect us. They will be the ones that will find her soul and bring it back to her body. We…" He looked at Seto and then Yugi. "…we are the ones that will open the gates and guide them."
"That's only three protectors." Mokuba pointed out. "Who's the fourth?"
"Damn."
"There isn't another card that holds a spirit?"
"No. There's no one…" He trailed off; shuffling through his deck, trying to find the one that may be the final piece to the puzzle.
"Kuriboh." Seto said out loud.
"Yes! But how…how did you know that's the card I'm looking for?" Seto didn't answer because if he did, that meant he would be believing more of this nonsense than what he prepared to do.
"Kuriboh?" Tristen spoke. "As in the little fuzzball?"
"When the Queen was practicing her summoning skills, she tried to imagine the most terrifying, ferocious beast in the world."
"And that was Kuriboh?!" Joey and Tristen laughed until they fell on the ground.
"I said tried." Atem smirked; He and Mahod had laughed as well. But Azula was proud of herself so much that she kept him. Kuriboh was the one that started it all. He placed the card with the others on the table.
"Ok, phase one is finally over. Now we have to place ourselves accordingly." Yugi walked over to his grandfather, looking at the notes he had written down. "The protectors are at the North, South, East, and West points. The blood runs cool…a steady heart beats… so that is referring to her body being in the sarcophagus, but the spirit is still alive." He read on. 'guardians stand at the corners of the dwelling. The ones that bound her…sets her free.' Dwelling? Is it talking about the coffin, because that doesn't have corners?"
"Yes, I've thought about that as well."
"Or.." Tea cleared her throat. "…maybe it means where the coffin dwelled, which would be the Pharaoh's family tomb."
"The pyramids!" The original quartet sang together.
"So we position ourselves to form a triangle."
We're finally getting somewhere. Atem thought as he moved back to the screen, analyzing the coffin and the glass case that protected it. They would have to practice in the library. Exactly how they would have to position themselves and the cards. He was sure that Ishizu could request another visit to the exhibit, hopefully convince the one in charge that it was ok to bring her entourage for more "research" but they would have to move quickly after that.
"The third piece of this puzzle says that the three that are close holds the power of the bloodline. The one that bound her will set her free."
"That would be the Millennium Items." Pharaoh said confidently.
"Yes, but which ones?" Ishizu asked. More excited now that they finally understood the riddle,
"The Millennium Puzzle, Eye, and Rod." He turned to Marik. "Do you mind if we use it, Marik?"
"Sure."
"Where do you put that thing?" Tristan asked as the Ishtar brother pulled the rod from out of thin air. "I mean, do you keep up your shirt or in your pants? I'm curious."
"Shut up!" Despite his tan, Marik's cheeks darken. He handed the rod to the Pharaoh.
"Kaiba, do you still have the Millennium Eye? We're going to need it as well."
"Yeah, I still have it." Atem raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. No scoffing? No rolling of the eyes? No belittling comment? Kaiba must be turning a new leaf. He would've tease him, but he'd wait until their mission was over.
"Ishizu, can you call the manager of the museum. Let them know that your team needs one more look at the sarcophagus after hours." They were gonna do this tomorrow. There was no more waiting.
"What about the security cameras?" Tristan had a point. "I don't think we can just preform some magic show for the guards to see. They'll put us out on our asses before we finish."
"Leave that to me." All Mokuba could do was smile innocently. Not sparring any details.
Atem nodded, looking at his group of friends. He could feel that he would be reunited with the last piece of his family very soon.