"You have nice manners for a thief - and a liar."

- Smaug, The Hobbit (1977)

The day was quiet enough, even with the ceremony coming later on, during the twilight time. The atmosphere is not tense in the morning at least, though Seth is stiffer than he normally is, and the other one who is also establishing his connection to the Item is just as obviously worried. It's not the first time he's seen the man, or seen the attitude that Siamun and Akhenaden gave the man for his 'low birth' and former job. The Pharaoh remembers the day he was caught and brought before them, defiant and angry and able to not only fight back, but also gaining the gift of the Millennium Item that now tied him to the group. Mahaad had not been happy, as his role had been caring for the tombs, but he'd taken on the talented thief easily and taught him various tricks. That the two were friends only showed the thief's ability to change and reform, no matter what Siamun said.

"Bakura," he said as the man himself approached, the scar on his eye seeming to stand out in the same way as the ones that Sakhmet had, "I congratulate you on getting this far and showing your ability."

"You mean despite the issues your father's former advisors brought up?" Bakura asked, glancing over at Siamun and Akhenaden as Seth's mentor glared at them, while Siamun instead attempted to speak to Mahaad, though his eyes were now darting over towards the two. "I will admit, at least you're not ignoring us in exchange for your protector and the one who gained the Rod."

"Seth and I have known each other for a long while, and Sakhmet has protected me since I was a child. That is why they stand where they do, though you have shown a great deal of promise to gain the power of the Ring, and the trust and understanding of the others." He motioned to the few others who stood nearby, all of them smiling and friendly, open in a way that Father's advisors had never been.

"We only need for someone to accept the Eye then," Bakura said, turning to look at the other advisors whose ranks he would officially join in a few hours - even if one was accepted by the Items, it could take years of study and training before someone fully gained the power over the Shadows that would not drive them to darkness or madness. "I don't think Akhenaden will give it up so easily, though. I've never known someone to cling to power and life."

The Pharaoh didn't argue with Bakura - he knew that the two oldest advisors had worked to try to get him thrown out, despite the way the Ring had reacted to any other that attempted to touch it, and despite the fact that Bakura's predecessor had ended up burning alive when he attempted something with the Ring. None of the new group knew what happened - even Sakhment and her swt were confused as to what it was that happened - and the Pharaoh attributed Akhenaden and Siamun's annoyance and worry to the fate of their companion who'd wielded the power before. The Ring, after all, was held over the same area as the Pendant, and it was rumored to hold onto darker powers than the Pendant. In their minds, continuing to allow it to be held by a former thief, one that possibly even robbed tombs or lived near the cursed village of Kul Edna. The Pharaoh had seen a man who had taken up the Ring and, though prone to using it for dangerous means, has never gone too far away from ma'at. His former work had only been due to his need to live and survive, and he never took more than he or those relying on him needed from the tomb. Though such things meant he disturbed the dead, Bakura had managed to also repent for what he'd done as well, and returned some of the things before sealing the tombs again with help from Mahaad.

Besides, as the Bearer of the Key, Mahaad knew more about the inner workings of the reformed Thief, and the two were at least colleagues. Not quite the same level of friends as himself as Seth, but friends none the less, and it helped to at least gave Bakura someone to talk to, and gave Mahaad someone else besides Mana to help train and teach.

"You seem worried," Mahaad himself said as he walked up, giving the thief a smile that Bakura easily returned, "don't be. The test is daunting, yes, but many of us have passed it, and any who hold an Item for so long have the mental and spiritual power to contend with the darkness that can sometimes hide within the Shadows."

"I've seen my fair share of darkness. What appears in the Shadows is simply the echo of that which was in people's hearts," Bakura muttered as he accepted a glass of chilled juice, "That doesn't bother me about this test. The malice I know I will have to endure is what worries me."

"We will protect you for as long as you need it, Bakura," the Pharaoh told him with a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You are one of my advisors, and respected by the others as well. If even Seth has good things to say about you, then his mentor and my father's advisor have no say in the manner."


Sakhmet watches her sebah closely, trailing after him as he speaks to everyone slowly. He spends most of the time with the reformed thief, but Sakhmet is not surprised at that. She feels a kindred spirit with the thief, though she is not sure why. She supposes it is the scar on his face, which oddly enough feels like her own, self-inflicted ones.

Sakhmet touches the scarred flesh briefly before glancing over to see Siamun motioning to her, as if to speak. The man was the vizier of the former Pharaoh, and had passed down the Key to Mahaad when the time came. He was also one who, while mistrustful of her at first, had finally accepted her into the group after years of work and after she'd saved her sebah from at least one attack. Even if she is one of the hands of the Pharaoh, he is still a man with years experience, and who remembers when the Items first came to them.

"You need to relax, have your swt watch over him. This is a time of celebration."

"I thought you didn't like Bakura," she muttered, looking back over to where the thief stood with Mahaad and his overly-enthusiastic protege, Mana.

"I was unhappy at first, and I agree that there are too few things we know of his past, but he has gained a place with the Pharaoh and with the others. I can only protest for so long before I see that this is ma'at, and that he is meant to help the Pharaoh."

She smiled at the revelation, glancing to Akhenaden and letting out a sigh. "If only the last one of the former Pharaoh would accept him as well."

"Akhenaden has his reasons for it, Sakhmet. He will accept him, or he will find a replacement and they will accept him. Either way, it will be a good change in things."

She nods in agreement, looking around again, not really able to relax. She'd protected her sebah and the others from dangers for years, and even if this was only a gathering of the priests and those who had been chosen by the Items, she couldn't shake a feeling of dread that had been at the back of her mind since that morning.

She watched as her sebah continued to speak with others, any signs of the odd headache he'd had earlier no longer there. It didn't stop her from worrying that this would mean the Shadows or something was calling to him, or that the sign of something bad to come was about to start.


It was odd, the strange feeling that something was going to happen or that something was trying to warn him about what would happen, even if it didn't know for sure what was warning about. He knows that Sakhmet is feeling the same, unable to shake the dread that seems to be building up and has been building for a while now. It's odd, heavy in the air, and feels the same as some event he can't quite name, an event he witnessed but had no reference for or any idea of where to start as far as the mystery was concerned. Though he has every confidence in Seth and Bakura, the strange voice and dream, not to mention the odd feeling of something about to go wrong has him on edge.

The group waited in the Throne Room, where the two who took the test would emerge and bow before him, showing their loyalty to the Pharaoh and to the other priests. He remembers the first time this occurred, with Isis and Shada, then again with Mahaad. It might be a while before another bowed before him, accepting the Millennium Eye, but he hoped that day would not be filled with the same tension as today. He knows it's not just that Bakura is a thief taking this test either - he has passed others to gain more power over the Shadows and the Ring.

Seth is the first to stumble out of the doorway, tired and pale but his eyes shining in triumph as he walked the rest of the way to where he was to stand, kneeling and breathing heavily before drawing in a deep breath and saying, "I am now the Master of the Millennium Rod, the holder of one with the power to sway minds and that will aid the Pharaoh as your heka, your crook, through all matters. I will show myself worthy of the sekham given to me by the Rod, and by your divine will."

"I accept you as my heka, and my advisor in this role. With that power, our sekham will help to keep ma'at in this world, and the next, and through this, the next Millennium will pass with ease and peace."

Seth slowly stood, straightening and putting a hand over his heart, the Rod's Eye looking to the Pharaoh before he started to walk up to take his place besides the smiling Sekhmet. Everything froze, though, as a voice rang out just as they saw Bakura stumble out, his fingers seeming to be stuck in the shape of claws as he looked up at them, his eyes that were normally clear looking mad with pain and rage.

"Hypocrites! Liars! You will pay for what you did!"

The guards moved to intercept him as he moved towards the group, Seth turning quickly and swaying as he did right before there was a sudden, dangerous roar and the nearest guard was suddenly attacked, two large holes opening up as the form of what appeared to be a snake wrapped around him and squeezed. The sound of the sickening crunch and the sight of blood was enough to make the Pharaoh gasp in horror as Bakura's anger-filled eyes found his, then moved over to one side, to where Akhenaden stood with his hand raised, already chanting. If anything, the anger that the Pharaoh saw only doubled before the outline of the snake speed towards the older priest, jaw opening-

A roar filled the room, all but shaking the stone pillars at their foundation, as Sakhmet lept forward, her sword free and the three massive Shadows stood before and flanking the snake, the distinctive monsters snarling as the snake hissed and reared, as if preparing to strike.

"Don't get in my way," Bakura growled out, the Ring now visible and, for the first time, the Pharaoh saw that the prongs of it has imbedded itself into Bakura's skin, shallow enough that their outline still showed. "You are my kin in this pain, Red Lady. You will allow me this revenge!"

"You are not making sense, and therefore I will not," she growled out, her voice as low and threatening as a lioness about to strike, "You are mad, and I make allowance for the pain you are in. But if you attack again, I will end you."

If anything, this only caused Bakura to glare at her even more, his hands twitching but not losing the claw-like shape, as the snake hisses and spits at the lions, a hood unfolding as Mahaad spoke up, not bothering to hold onto the Key or even call up his power as Akhenaden had been attempting to do, stopped only by Shada and Isis as they waited, Isis looking worried as she held out a hand towards the eldest of the priests, stopping all of his movements. It doesn't stop Bakura's glare as Mahaad said, "Bakura, please…calm down. Tell us what happened. Tell us what is going on."

"No. You are all hypocrites and liars. I will not allow this to continue," Bakura all but hissed out as the snake hissed at the chimera Merew, the snake tail returning the hiss while Bakura continued, "I won't. I can't forgive you all for your blindness and using these to have peace when you harbor one who brought darkness and chaos here just for his own power." He glared back at Akhenaden. "Do you deny what you did? Do you deny that power and evil you set upon my village? Say its name, and I will stand down, if only to tell them of what evils you wrought to bring forth the Items."

The Pharaoh waits for an answer, prays to all the gods that Akhenaden will end this insanity, will stop what is going on so they can calm down Bakura, stop all of this, have the seven here and whole. Something about what Bakura has said and implied only makes him think of his father, of the last sight he saw of him, kneeling before the shrine in the inner temple here and speaking quietly, his focus so intent on the prayers that he didn't realize his son was behind him.

Do not visit such a fate upon them…let them know peace…

The spell that Akhenaden throws is huge and encompassing, causing Merew to shriek in pain as Sakhmet falls down in pain, the other two Shadows letting out roars of frustration while the huge cobra that is Bakura's swt spits venom in its pain. Mahaad is barely able to throw up a shield around them before Bakura glare turns murderous and he disappears from sight. Everyone is quiet Akhenaden yells, "Quickly, we must follow him, before he escapes! He'll only cause more deaths!"

Seth looked at the area near the Pharaoh, where he'd nearly been hit by the acidic venom, before saying, "Mahaad, Shada, with me! Isis, take the Pharaoh and Sakhmet into-."

"No," the growl is guttural, primal, and it freezes everyone in their place as the three swt, the three Shadows that Sakhmet commands, become visible, the Griffin spreading it's wings wide in a mix of an eagle's cry and a lion's roar, the Sphinx opening the too-human mouth and showing the large, lioness teeth, as Sakhmet and her first swt stand slowly. Merew is hurt but healing, and the golden handle of one of her Items is now red with blood, almost an extension of her hand as her skin seems fused to it, the hand and handle almost one as the curved blade almost hums as it darkens, the usual white-gold color now almost a sickly green-red.

"He is ours," she rasps out, and the thing in the back of his head, the odd thing that is not himself but himself, is terrified and awed. All the Pharaoh can think is that she looks like the legend, of when her protector-goddess roamed the land and killed everyone, drinking their blood to the point of becoming intoxicated by it. The Sphinx glared at Akhenaden and stalked him briefly before instead racing off, the Griffin taking flight and getting out the high window as Sakhmet and Merew ran, following Bakura out and into the darkening hallway.

No one spoke for a long minute, until the Pharaoh let out a breath and looked to Akhenaden. "You will retreat to the inner temple, and pray that your hatred and inability to control yourself does not result in more deaths."

"My Pharaoh, you must-."

"You attacked another priest, another protector of the Pharaoh!" Mahaad yelled at him, the normally calm man showing his own anger as the agitated Shadows moved, as if waiting to latch onto another. "He exited the room and showed himself in possession of a swt, and a powerful one. You forced Sakhmet away from her post and you sabotaged our chances of calming him down and stopping the darker Shadows to take him! Pray all you like for forgiveness, Akhenaden, you will never receive it from me."

"ENOUGH!" Seth's voice boomed, dispelling the Shadows and stopping everyone as he said, "I will act as both crook and flail, heka and nekhakha, until Sakhmet returns. We will deal with what happened after Bakura is brought back to us and this crisis has passed." He glanced at Akhenaden. "You were given an order by the Living Horus. Have you no shame that you would dare question him?"

Akhenaden looked surprised, angry, then finally he lowered his head. "Forgive me. I was-."

"Your excuse was not asked for, and you are to leave our sight, Akhenaden," the Pharaoh finally commanded, feeling odd. He always treated everyone with respect, but this event had shaken him, as had Akhenaden's lashing out at the accusation. It made no sense that he would do such a thing, not when admitting it, or showing his innocence, might have only calmed Bakura enough to have Mahaad speak to him.

Akhenaden stiffens but remains bowed, turning to leave as the Pharaoh said, "Mahaad, go back to your own workshop and pray for a solution to this."

"But I should-."

"Am I surrounded by those who are so disrespectful you don't understand when I give an order and not a request? You may have worked to calm Bakura but you also worked to anger Akhenaden, your senior. If this continues, you will not be advised of the situation until after Bakura is returned and questioned."

He knows he's never been so short with them, but all that has happened today – the headaches, the sense of dread, what Bakura hinted at, Sakhmet's anger and transformation – has left him unwilling to listen to any of his advisors until this matter was dealt with, or until they knew that Bakura had escaped or that Sakhmet had found him.

Mahaad bowed as well and left, with no further word, as the Pharaoh let out a breath. Why was this happening now? What was the reason for this?

He called us liars, said it had to do with the ritual to bring about the Items, the village he was in…the voice that was not his own, that seemed to know other things, spoke quietly, contemplating and causing his head to pound. He called her a 'kindred'.

"Pharaoh, what is it?" Isis is close, and he slowly shakes his head.

"We must find Bakura and know what made him go mad, what brought out Sakhmet's anger and wildness. I do not like that we don't know anything about this."


So that is why I am the Thief to the Keeper.

"shut up," Bakura growled to the voice in his mind, his swt having taken him out of the city already and further away, towards the tombs he once robbed.

Specifically, to one tomb that had only recently been closed.

He would take their anger and hatred of them. He will show them what became those who dabbled in such power and never paid the price for it. He would throw the Pharaoh's willful ignorance back in his face, and raze the temple and sacred grounds down, and let the desert take them.

As the desert took my home, as the sands swallowed up the remains of that massacred village…I will make their peace that stands on bloodshed and fear fall into darkness.