Ahh, thank you all for the amazing reviews last chapter! I really do appreciate them. And, I know I keep saying this but, I really am sorry for updating so slowly. Writing this story is tough and it takes a while for me to get back into the 'zone' to write it. Really sorry. I will try harder next time. :) Also, I keep forgetting to reply to the reviews, so I will do anonymous ones here and I will message the rest of you the next day, for both chapters! Sorry!

REVIEWS~

i – Thank you for your wonderful words of wisdom. Of course, the things you said made sense, and I have fixed my errors and redid the scene with the cow. I think it's even better than before… xD And, I took off all of the unnecessary bits and pieces that didn't work out so well, or all that I found. You are very welcome to re-read it and tell me your thoughts. You are too kind. I hope you continue to have an interest with this fanfic as we move further along. :)

Loverofhell – Of course I will be writing more chapters! It will take some time, but the story isn't complete yet. Thank you!

FicReader – Yay! Happy to see a new reader and reviewer! My, your thoughts are wonderful to read. But, let me clear this up. There are no pairings in this story, so don't think that Yugi and the Pharaoh are going to hook up. xD. They will be close, but not THAT close. This is definitely very different, and the clichés are what I wanted to keep the story away from. So, I'm glad that my goal has been accomplished. I'm also glad that you find the pacing alright. Some likes it, some doesn't, but you know, that's how it is. Things should heat up when they finally meet (Ch. 18), but until then… As for the little bit about the present and the evil... Wait and see! :D Thank you so much for your words, and I'm glad that you're liking it so far. Thanks a lot!

Meh – First and foremost, love the name. Hehe. And as for your question, no. There is no romance or yaoi. Sorry! But, I'm glad you're liking the story so far. Thank you! :)

Okay, so… I looked over at all my author notes, and I was surprised to see that I actually didn't say it before. That, in this story, there is NO ROMANCE, NO YAOI, etc. Yeah, absolutely none. I should have made this clearer at the beginning. My bad~

Enjoy!

Secrets Underground

Chapter 13

As I laid on the cot with my arms folded under my head, I stared up at the ceiling, my eyes following the odd lines and cracks before my gaze eventually reached the edge where the walls met the roof. There were a few small holes in the angled creases, but none looked too severe that would cause a person to worry and fear if the house was going to come down on them. Besides, through those holes I could see the dark tint of blue that the sky made, a sign that told me the sun was nearing the horizon, ready to rise and wake the people of Egypt up from their night of slumber and to get started for the new day ahead. I sighed deeply, scratching my ankle with the nails of my toes as I turned towards Merimose who was sleeping soundly. A hand was under his head, the other laying comfortably beside him as he slept on his side, facing towards me. I looked back up to the ceiling, listening to the soft beat of my heart and his quiet breaths that were heard through the silence of the darkened room.

Last night I had turned in quite early after eating lunch, a few grapes and dates that didn't do much to fill my stomach that was so used to eating more, curling up after the shower in hopes of taking a quick nap. In the end I found myself, eighteen hours later, right here. Maybe I hadn't gotten enough sleep the other night as I thought I did. Oh well, atleast now I was wide awake, feeling more refreshed than I had felt for the past two days. And because of that, I found myself pondering over the things that had transpired yesterday.

The Sed Festival was all that ran through my mind as soon as Ramose told it to me. It was still so surreal, the thought of being able to witness a great Pharaoh's first Sed festival. Not to mention a great opportunity to, hopefully, see the Nameless Pharaoh, the one I was dragged through time to help. I sighed, my eyes slipping closed. Ramose was going to visit the palace today, stocking up on goods, or, that's what I believed he said he was going to be doing. In the end though he was going to enter the palace, and desperately I hoped that if I asked, he would take me with him. It was a long shot, not only because I wasn't sure the man fully trusted me as yet, but because I was a foreigner. I looked like a foreigner and surely the palace guards would berate me on where I'm from, who I am, what I'm doing there, etc. etc. etc. It was all too bothersome, but what can I do? I had to meet the Nameless Pharaoh somehow.

My eyes opened quickly when the sound of clay pots grinding against each other, and then the sound of wheat being ruffled reached my ears. Senisonbe was up already, so Ramose was going to wake up soon also. I took a deep breath to grab my courage that was slipping away. Yes, I should ask. I will ask him to go with. For now though I'll just continue to lay on the cot. Ramose wasn't up yet and I don't think he would appreciate me being out there alone with his wife. I would have to stay put.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I turned on to my right side and held the sheet close to my face. Feeling the slight breeze and hearing the comforting silence, I breathed deeply and exhaled. It was so weird… Pharaoh Aknamkanon was celebrating his first Sed Festival, but according to Shadi, I would be here until the Nameless Pharaoh became Pharaoh. So, that meant King Aknamkanon would die soon. I was also going to be here to witness his death. Should I be happy that I was going to see the process, or sad? I sure did feel sad, and the heavy heart in my chest told me that. Pharaoh Aknamkanon was a great King, while his heir…

I never really got to finish my train of thought because once again, I had fallen asleep against my will.

I don't know how long I had been sleeping for this time because when I stepped out into the living area of the home, rubbing my eye, hurriedly scanning the place for any signs of Ramose, all I was met with was sun pouring in from the opened doorway, and the ever so quiet Merimose crouched down on the floor in the kitchen, packing away the wheat.

"Did Ramose leave for the palace already?" I asked him, but by then I could have already predicted his answer. Merimose glanced over at me, and after a while of studying me, he nodded twice.

I couldn't explain the disappointment I felt after that. I could hear my mental groan that echoed in my head, and after a moment of sulking, I gave up and turned towards the washroom, stepping in to wash my face and mouth off to the best of my ability. I just couldn't understand it. I slept for hours, and woke up ahead of schedule only to fall asleep again, missing my chance to go to the palace. Who does that?! How could that happen to me? Drying my hands off, my lips twisted into an annoyed frown, I stepped out again. As I looked around, quickly it became clear to me that it was just Merimose who was home. Ramose was obviously at the palace, and Senisonbe most likely went off to the merchants. It was just us now.

Walking over and taking a seat on the mat, crossing my legs, I looked up just in time to see Merimose put a plate of fruits infront of me before heading back into the kitchen, and that was when I noticed the cloth that was wrapped around his upper, left arm. Was that from yesterday? How come I didn't notice that he had gotten injured? It didn't look like it was bothering him too much, but I couldn't just let the kid do all of the work while I sat and ate.

"Do you need some help?" I asked quietly, watching as he crouched back down and continued to diligently pack the wheat into small bundles, perhaps preparing them to be turned into flour by his mother when she returned. However, Merimose shook his head at my offer and said nothing more. His silence made me sigh, and I looked down at the plate of fruits and a piece of bread with disinterest. When would the boy warm up to me? He barely says a word.

"Thank you."

My head snapped up to the kitchen when I heard the soft whisper, and I suddenly felt my heart pounding inside my chest with shock. I got goosebumps for unknown reasons, but I just stared at Merimose who turned away after the second-long glance. He spoke, okay, but why a thank you? As I stared at him for another moment, the answer dawned on me. Duh, it was because of yesterday. Smiling, I inhaled deeply and replied.

"It's alright," I said, the words struggling to come out of my mouth due to how nervous I was. "Is your arm okay?" I went on, and I noticed how loud the silence had become, excluding the grazes the wheat made with each other as Merimose unloosed them from their knots. He paused and gave another nod, and I relaxed visibly, allowing my eyes to drop back down to the plate.

"Okay, so now we're getting somewhere," I thought, and I slowly picked up a grape and popped it into my mouth. He was finally getting used to me, and at the moment nothing made me feel more relaxed. It was unnerving to have everyone be weary around me all the time.

Looking up at him, I watched as he stood and dusted his hands off on his tunic before leaving, walking into one of the rooms and leaving me alone. So, this was how it was going to be, huh? What was I going to do all day now? Explore again? I gazed at the opened door, and I could practically see the smoking rays of the sun burning everything it touched. No, I didn't want to go through that again any time soon. Then what? Stay inside all day?

"Timaeus, sir, um," and my head turned at the sound of Merimose's voice. I eyed him curiously as he walked out of Ramose's room, holding what seemed to be a small table. However, as he neared me, I watched in astonishment as he set the thing on the floor and turned back to me. "Sir, my father told me to keep you company if you had nothing to do. So, I was wondering if you would like to play a game."

He wanted me to play a game?

I sat there in shock, my eyes locked on the wooden, rectangular box that stood up with the help of four animal legs. Immediately, I knew what it was, and I felt as if I was floating on air. This was a very popular board game that was played amongst the Ancient Egyptians. We had found many of these board games in tombs, but not only in Ancient Egypt. The game was also found in Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Assyria. The rules of the game was lost through time, but some archaeologists stepped forward and proposed an idea as to how it was played. Grandpa and I spent a lot of time buying the new versions, and we would play for hours together. So right now, staring at the actual game board, I couldn't stop my fingers from reaching out to graze against the wood, feeling one of the fifty eight holes that surrounded the palm tree in the middle, starting from the top where the leaves were, down to the bottom of the board with the stump. I eyed it with hunger. It was gorgeous, better than I had expected it to look in its actual form.

"Do you want to play?" Merimose asked again, and I pulled my hand back to look up at him.

"Of course," I said quickly. "I love games, especially board games," I explained, and my eyes went back to look at it as Merimose pushed it closer to me so that it was directly between the two of us, him sitting on the other side.

"Have you heard of this game before?" he questioned, and as he pulled out the long pieces that were hidden away in a small drawer in the table, I nodded excitedly.

"Yes. It's called Dog's and Jackals. Quite a popular game in Egypt, I've learned," I answered, and Merimose nodded.

"Do you know how to play?"

At that question, I found myself biting my lip. Sure, I had an idea, but he was an actual Egyptian who grew up with the game. If I said something, and got it wrong, I would just look like a fool. Besides, we really didn't know how it was played exactly. We just assumed, so it would be terrific to learn the actual rules from Merimose.

"Um, I'm have an idea, but I'm not sure if it's correct. Can you explain it to me, just to see if I do understand?" I asked, and Merimose nodded yet again, crossing his legs to get more comfortable before explaining. I listened closely as he did.

"Alright, so, we both have five pieces," he started, and on the table he sat the ten pieces down and separated them into their groups. "Five pieces for the Jackals, and five pieces for the dogs." I watched intently. "Which one do you want to be?" he asked, and he looked up at me.

"It doesn't really matter," I answered, and he observed me hesitantly before sliding the Jackal pieces over, keeping the Dogs for himself. As he did, I gently picked up one of the pawns. It was a short stick, carved with the head of a Jackal, or a Dog. The same was for all of the others. Short sticks with the assigned head. Sometimes they were painted, but this one was simple, just a few colours to outline the palm tree and the holes, along with the numbers that were written next to the holes.

"Usually we put up a stake, but since we're playing for fun, I don't think we really need to bet on anything," Merimose clarified, and I nodded in agreement.

"Yes, that's fine," and I put the piece that I had on the corner of the table and looked closely at the board game.

"Okay, so since the bottom of the board is on your side, and you know where the bottom is because it's the base of the palm tree, my side is your right, and your side is on you left. Okay? Your right side belongs to the Dogs, and the left is for the Jackals."

"Got it," I said, and I focused on the left side. So far, it seemed to be similar as to how we thought it was played.

"Alright, so how we play is that we both start at the top, at this brown circle at the top of the palm tree. See it?" he asked, and I looked up to gaze at the hole he was pointing at, right there in the middle of the top end. I nodded. "When we start to move, you start here and follow the numbers down on your side, and I will follow the numbers down on my side," he went on, and I nodded again.

"Okay," and I glanced up when Merimose let out a sigh before continuing.

"To win, our aim is to reach the top of the palm tree. Whoever can get their five pawns into the five holes at the top, numbers twenty five to twenty nine, wins the game. However," Merimose paused to give me a look, "You have to get the exact number of throws to reach those final positions."

"And what do we use to throw?" I asked, and at my question Merimose produced three, silver coins on to the board.

"We use these," he said, and he started to explain. "We throw the coins, and depending on what we get, that is by how much we'll move. For example, if you throw and get one head, you move one hole forward. If you get two heads, you move two holes forward. And if you get three heads, you move three holes forward. However, if you get three tails, you move five holes forward and you get an extra turn!"

"Oh, awesome," I said, and I cheered mentally. It was very similar to the way Grandpa and I would play it.

"Yes, but you can, and should, use your three tails to introduce another one of your pawns into the game. After all, you do need all of them in the right spots to win," Merimose said, and I sat back, bobbing my head twice.

"Got it."

"And there are a few more rules," he went on, and I listened, my eyes running across the board again with much enthusiasm. "There are two short cuts that we can use to move ahead of the game, getting us closer to victory. One of those short cuts is number twenty. If we happen to land on that hole, we get to skip number twenty one and go straight on to number twenty two. The other short cut…" and as Merimose trailed off, I looked up to see him grinning as he pointed to the board. "If you're lucky enough to land on number ten, you get to move all the way to number twenty four. And as you can see, the paths here shows you where to go if you happen to land on them."

"Ah, I see," and scanning the numbers, my sharp eyes quickly fell on a thin line that sat next to number fifteen. How Grandpa and I would play it, that line usually meant that whoever got to or past that number first, they won the bet. Surely it meant the same thing, right?

"What's with the line at number fifteen," I asked, and Merimose answered quickly.

"If we had a stake, whoever passed that hole first, won whatever was put up."

"Knew it."

"Anything else?" I asked, and I watched as Merimose thought for a moment before replying.

"Yes. You can't have two pawns on the same hole. If you can't move at all, your throw is lost." He looked up after mulling to himself for a while, probably thinking if there was anything else that I should know. "Those are all of the rules. Do you understand them?" he finally said, and I nodded. I practically played this game many times, so it shouldn't be too hard.

"I understand… except for one thing," I said, and I eyed Merimose as he glanced at me.

"What's that?" he asked carefully, and I smiled.

"Please don't call me Sir. It's too formal. Just call me Y- Timaeus. Alright?" I said, and I saw Merimose's cheeks redden, but he nodded.

"Say it," I said teasingly, and Merimose's head dipped as he bit back a shy smile before saying it.

"Alright, Timaeus."

"Good. Now, shall we start?" and at that he sat up straighter, shaking his head.

"You can have first throw," he offered, and I nodded, sitting up as well to face the board properly.

"Alright," and picking up the three coins, I shook them around twice in my palm before dropping them on to the table. Two heads.

"Good start," Merimose said, and I took my first piece and stuck it into the second hole.

"Your turn," I said, and giving Merimose the coins, I watched as he shook them around for a moment before dropping them, revealing a very envious throw that got him three heads.

"A very good start for the both of us," I said, and Merimose grinned as he handed me the coins. He was really starting to warm up to me. Perhaps all he needed was a reason to start talking, and explaining the game to me helped him with that. Shaking the coins, I dropped them down to see that I got another two heads.

"I move up to number four now," I murmured quietly, and taking the coins from me, Merimose got one head. As he moved his pieces, I took the coins and threw them again, moving my pieces accordingly.

This continued on for quite a few hours. Before we knew it, the one o'clock sun was upon us, but Merimose and I didn't care. We were both leaning forward on the board, foreheads sweating and hearts pumping as we watched each other throw again. As of now, all of our pieces were on the board, each of them close to the top five. Numbers eighteen and up, we were at, and so far, Merimose was in the lead. However, he wasn't having much luck getting those exact numbers that he needed to get his pieces in the holes. Three of his pieces were already in their holes, the other two very close behind them. My pieces though were the ones at the number eighteen and early twenties, only two of my pieces in their holes.

"Three tails," Merimose grumbled, and quickly he threw again for his free turn. "One head," and using that he moved the piece that was already at the top, leaving it to take up the last hole.

"My turn," I said, or thought, I wasn't paying attention, and I just took the coins and threw. "Three tails!" I exclaimed, and quickly I moved my furthest piece five holes closer to victory. Using my free turn I threw again and got one head, and I smirked, moving the same piece up another one. Now all of my pieces were in the twenty row. Merimose though seemed anxious as I got nearer to him.

"I'll beat you," he assured, and he threw. Two heads. "No one in the village has been able to beat me at this game," he boasted, and I rose an eyebrow as his little spark of competitiveness began to show. He smirked, and moved his farthest piece up twice. From the looks of it though he really needed to strategize now. All of his pieces were close together, and two of them needed to get on those empty holes at the top before he could win.

"Well," I started, shaking the coins. "Back where I'm from, my friends would call me the King of Games, luck and belief sort of by two best friends. I strongly believe that I'll take your crown today as well," and dropping them, I moved my piece up by two, leaving Merimose to gape in shock as I nailed my third piece into hole number twenty six.

"Let's see you try," he said firmly, regathering himself, and I grinned. He was definitely a tough player, and I haven't had this much fun in quite a while. I couldn't wait to see who would win, and with his fire, that would be a sight that I wouldn't want to miss. All he had shown me for the past two days was his quiet self, but just like me, a good game had him forgetting all about that introverted part of himself.

"Yes! Three heads!" he exclaimed, and he moved his piece on to the fourth hole at the top, leaving one piece left. "All I need now is another three, and I win," and he shot me a triumphant look. I bit my lip as I took the coins, gazing at my own pieces.

"Good, but I can still win," I said, and throwing the coins, I continued to move my pieces forward. They were now very close to getting to the top, so it was my turn to get those exact numbers before it really got difficult.

"Two heads," Merimose mumbled, and he passed me the coins. Immediately I shook and dropped them, revealing two lovely heads of my own. I moved my piece up by two, leaving it at number twenty four.

"Now I just need three heads and or three tails to win," I explained, but Merimose just continued to study the board.

"Good luck with that," he said, and I laughed.

"You too."

As he rolled, yet again he was unable to get three heads, and so now he was flopped down on his back, groaning.

"I hate this part of the game. It takes forever," he grumbled, and I shook my head, throwing the coins only to get two heads.

"Your turn," and he sat up and threw again, only to flop back down when he got one head.

"I just need three heads! How hard is it to ask? Please, Ra, give it to me," he prayed up at the ceiling, and I rolled my eyes with amusement, just about to throw for my turn when someone stepped through the door.

"Merimose! Why are you speaking so loudly? I could hear you outside," Ramose scolded as he walked in, and promptly Merimose sat up to look at his father who entered with Senisonbe at his side. He had a few sacks over his shoulder filled with things that he dropped in the corner. And as Ramose dusted his feet off, he stepped forward and looked at the game.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and Merimose quickly explained. I found myself falling quiet after he entered for reasons I still didn't know how to explain. He was just so confident and stern that it reminded me of the times my own father would step into my room after hearing a ton of unnecessary racket.

"We've been playing Dogs and Jackals since this morning. We're almost neck and neck together, and it's started to get annoying, waiting to get the number we need to win."

"Which one are you?" Ramose asked, and he stood above us, watching.

"I'm the Dogs, Timaeus is the Jackals."

"It is a close one," Ramose muttered, and he sat down next to us, watching us as he ate after Senisonbe handed him a plate filled with food.

"Whose turn is it?" Merimose wondered, turning back to the game, and I held up the coins.

"Mine," and I threw the coins, only to purse my lips together to see that I was unable to move again.

"You were saying that you were going to win?" Merimose teased, looking at my two pieces that still didn't reach the top, and I scowled playfully as he threw, only to chuckle to myself when he moaned once more. "Argh, one head. You go," and he handed me the coins. When I threw another blank, he let out a deep sigh.

"This is never going to end. So you know what, our next throw will be our last. If neither of us can move, that's it. It's a draw," Merimose stated, and he crossed his arms. I had to agree with him on that one. I was starting to get tired from sitting in one spot also.

Glancing over at Merimose who stole a bite of bread from Ramose, who in turn swatted him playfully, I looked away and stared at the board, at my pieces. I also wanted to win though. This was the best game of Dogs and Jackals I've ever played, and to not even try to win would go against everything I stood for. I never just accepted defeat without a good reason. So to do that now… No. I had to get this throw right. Three tails, and use my extra turn to get three heads. I've gotten out of tougher positions before, so I just had to have the same belief. And with that in my head, I threw.

"No way, three tails!" Merimose shouted, startling me, and looking down my eyes widened to see that I had indeed threw three tails. Grinning, my hands shaking slightly, I moved my first piece into position.

"All you also need now is three heads to win," Ramose said, looking at my side of the board, and I nodded.

"There's no way you can get that," Merimose said, but I just picked up the coins, my heart thudding. I clutched them tightly, stilled my heart by closing my eyes, and threw once more.

There was silence after the sound of the coins spinning on the wooden surface, came to a stop. After a while of that did my eyes slowly peeked open as well, only to shoot open when I saw what laid before me on the table.

Three heads!

I felt my mouth making an 'O' shape as I continued to stare at the coins, and from the thud on the other side of the table, I knew what was coming.

"How did you get that!? There's no way a person can have that much luck. And, and you beat me?!" Merimose screeched on the floor, while Ramose just looked at me, just as surprised as I was.

"Well, congratulations, Timaeus," he said. "I never would have thought someone would actually win against Merimose."

"You really are the King of Luck," Merimose said, looking back up at me, and his pout eventually turned into a smile, putting my last piece into my final hole. "Even though I lost, that was so much fun. You're very good for your first time. It's like you were playing it for years. You didn't even forget the rules."

"Well, I…" I started, only to have Merimose latch on to my side.

"You have to show me your trick. How did you pull that off?" he asked excitedly, and I sighed, smiling, a little bit relieved and or more at ease now that the intense game was over before turning to Merimose who was looking up at me with sparkling eyes.

"I just believed I could, and I did," I answered quietly, and Merimose 'oohed' in response.

"That's it?"

"Mmhm."

"Wow."

"Yeah…"

"Alright, enough of this," Ramose said, and he stood up, handing Senisonbe his plate. Anxiously I watched as he looked at Merimose, and then towards me.

"You two do know what's coming up next week, right?" he asked, and to that we both nodded. It was the Sed Festival. How can we forget, especially me? Ramose continued.

"That means that there is a lot of work to be done. We can't afford to waste so much time right now. We need to get to work. So, Timaeus." Hearing my name, I looked up at him. "Since you're very eager to help, I created a list of a few things that needs to get done. Together, both of you and Merimose will complete it, understand?" and hearing that he was going to actually give me something to do around the house, I stood up, a wide grin on my face as I shoved back the instant ache that I felt after having been sitting down for so long.

"Thank you, sir! I won't let you down."

"I know, and to help you, Merimose is there, right, son?" and Merimose nodded furiously.

"Yes, father."

"Alright, get on with it!" Ramose said, waving his hand at us as he turned away to start opening the sacks he had come into the house with. "We need to get dinner on the table in a few hours, so hurry."

"C'mon," Merimose said, and looking up from the list, I quickly followed him outside, holding the little basket in my hands that he had given me just as we stepped out. As he stood next to me, giving me a reassuring smile, a feeling of accomplishment washed over me. For once, it finally felt as if things were going to start working out for me in the end. I just hoped this trail led me towards uncovering the secrets behind the Nameless Pharaoh, and a proper, clearer reason as to why I was here.

Would you believe it if I said I finished the entire chapter in one night? Well, I did. I just got right back into the zone and everything started to make sense to me. I think I did well this time around, though my only concern, other than the repeats I must have missed, is Merimose's character in this chapter. Did I write him too relaxed around Yugi, more than I should have? I thought that since they were playing a game, and he had to speak more to Yugi, that would have brought out his personality more, especially when the game got intense. So, was it alright? Please tell me! And, I hope that reading them play the game was entertaining, and not boring. Thank you for reading and please review. I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. I feel horrible every time I leave it hanging for so long…

Anyways, thanks once again!

Bye~