The Eye of Horus
Neferi: New chapter! Sorry to keep you waiting for so long.
Tara: Disclaimer: NeferNeferi doesn't own YGO but she does own the Horus Items and me.
Chapter eighteen: The Temple
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"We're almost there!" Tara announced, running in front of Yami towards the second shrine of the left.
It was hidden from view since the first shrine was blocking it. Yami wondered just why she was taking him there and not inside the Temple… But then again, she remembered every single corner of the Temple and he did not so there had to be something there, on that shrine.
"Here we are" she said, stopping and trying to catch her breath.
Yami watched her as she quieted her breathing and turned to face the shrine. A smile was drawn on her lips and she proceeded towards it. Yami followed.
"Tara, what are we looking for?" he questioned as she read the hieroglyphics on the walls.
"You'll soon know when I show it to you" the priestess answered, placing a hand on one of the many ankhs drawn on the wall.
She seemed to count them to the right and then smiled. Tara turned to look at Yami and motioned him to approach.
"Place your hand on the ankh at my left, right next to my hand" she smiled as she did the same in one of the last ankhs at the right of the wall.
Yami studied the face of the girl for a minute and then did as told. He noticed the wall glowed in a pattern around both of their hands and then a trap door at his left opened on the floor.
"Very well, we must hurry, Yami Marik will be here any minute now" Tara said, walking away from the wall and towards the trap door "You go first".
"I don't know the way" Yami answered, looking at the trap door.
Nothing could be seen at the other side of the trap door, just darkness.
"You just get inside, step aside and let me land" Tara answered "It's quite simple".
"Very well" Yami said, approaching the door.
Let's do it partnerhe heard Yugi say through their mind link.
He nodded to his hikari and then jumped down the trap door. Yami landed in a good position on a ground that was full of sand, still accompanied by the light of the day. He looked up and saw Tara looking down at him, smiling lightly.
"It's not as profound as it seems at the first time, is it?" she said, smiling.
"Yes" he replied "Are you coming down now?".
"Of course, I have to or you will never find your way down there" the priestess answered "Step aside".
The former Pharaoh stepped aside and saw his friend land on the ground. As she incorporated the trap door closed a few feet above their heads, leaving them in darkness.
"What now? We cannot see" Yami said.
"Perhaps not at the moment" he heard her say "But soon we will".
He felt her hand take his and lead him further into what he had noticed before was a long corridor. Suddenly torches along the corridor started to burn and the pleasant presence of light was felt.
Tara turned to Yami and smiled "Welcome to one of the secret entrances to the Temple of the Horus Items".
"I see…" Yami said as he let go of Tara's hand "Lead the way into the complex".
"We're already inside the Temple, just in one of it's underground passages" the priestess answered, proceeding further "Follow me and don't lose me, you might end up lost or even worst".
"Why end up worst? Lost is bad enough Tara" Yami questioned "Besides, the traps set here must be ones you can find or figure out with not much problem".
"Perhaps but those are not the problem, the incantations are" the girl answered, stopping in a bifurcation "There are many of those around here and if you don't know how to counter them then consider yourself dead".
"So the Temple is safely guarded" Yami said "Are those the only defenses?".
"No, there is one more" Tara said, closely examining the two ways "There are tests you must pass in the bigger chambers, the ones before the main one where the Items are hidden".
"So that's why we took this entrance, to avoid some of the tests" Yami said.
"Exactly, besides, it will give us a bigger advantage since we won't be slowed down like Yami Marik will. We will get to the main chamber before he does, hopefully" Tara answered, still examining the two ways.
Yami let her think in silence, observing the hieroglyphics in the walls around him. His attention was driven away from them when Tara announced she had found the correct way.
"The paths change in a specific amount of years and one has to find the correct one" Tara explained as she proceeded into the path at the right.
Yami followed her silently, studying the writings on the walls around him.
"Tara, I have a question concerning the construction of this Temple" Yami said after a while as they began to descend in a flight of stairs.
"Yes?" she said, taking a turn to the right and ascending some flight of stairs.
"Who helped in the construction? I mean, who designed everything?" he asked as they stopped in a circular chamber with three paths to choose.
"You of course, the Priests in your court, the Queen and a pair of sorcerers" Tara answered "And I designed some of the traps with help from the High Priest".
"I see…"Yami said, somehow sad that he couldn't remember his past.
Tara observed the three paths carefully, smiling. One had a flight of stairs going down, another had a flight of stairs going up and the last one had a straight path. The girl didn't hesitate when she took the straight path, remembering how she and her superior had made the labyrinth concerning the stairs.
"You can really get lost here" Tara heard a voice behind her, recognizing it as Yugi's voice.
"If you think three ways is a pain then go to one of those flight of stairs we left behind and when you reach their ends you'll find yourself with four paths and so on" Tara said. "And when you reach to six paths, the end of each of those is a trap where you will end up badly injured, dead or you'll find an incantation that's not too pleasant".
"You really put yourselves to work on the security of the Temple" Yugi commented.
"We couldn't afford to have someone entering the Temple and getting the Items just like that" Tara replied "The one who gets to the Items has to have a nice mind, one that can analyze the situations he/she is put through and one that's careful and patient".
"Do you think Yami Marik will get to the Items?" Yugi asked.
Tara paused, stopping at the end of the corridor before answering "Unfortunately, I believe he will find his way into the chamber that holds them".
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Yami Marik entered the main court of the vast Temple, looking around silently as the Rare Hunters followed him inside carefully. He was surprised to find out that the complex didn't have a garden just like the other Temples did, it was all linked and made into a whole place.
"Master Marik, what should we do now?" Odion asked, kneeling in front of him.
"We shall proceed" Yami Marik answered "And pass the tests that await us".
"The Temple has tests, Master?" asked a Rare Hunter, addressing the yami.
Yami Marik looked at him, furious at such a dumb question "Of course it has you insolent fool! Do you think a Temple such as this one would have no means of security?".
"I-I'm sorry Master Marik…" the Rare Hunter said, kneeling "Please forgive me…"
"Speak no more" Yami Marik said, smiling evilly "I have a way in which you can earn my forgiveness".
The Rare Hunter looked up at him "Really Master? Please tell me, I will do anything to earn it, anything!".
"Anything?" Yami Marik smirked evilly "Very well, you will walk towards the doors at the end of the court".
"Your wish is my command, Master Marik" the Rare Hunter nodded, rising to his feet.
He then walked towards the doors, scared as to what might appear before him while he drew closer to his destined point. Behind him, all his companions watched in complete silent, waiting for something to happen. Surprisingly, the Hunter reached the end of the court without having a problem. He even placed a hand on the set of doors without being harmed.
'Strange, he should have been harmed or detained by something' Odion thought, watching as the Hunter returned.
"Let's go" Yami Marik ordered, advancing.
His Rare Hunters followed him but soon all stopped on their tracks, apprehensive as to what was in front of them. Around five lions had appeared from behind the columns of the court, some roaring fiercely and others advancing slowly towards the intruders, menacingly.
"Look, lions!" yelled one, pointing at the nearest to him.
The pack of lions slowly dispersed around the humans, forming a circle around them and leaving them with no means to escape. They all observed the fright visible on their faces and then roared again, causing some of the Hunters to quiver in fear.
"Don't be frightened, they're just illusions you cowards!" Yami Marik said, glaring at his Hunters "Now prove that you are all worthy of being Rare Hunters and advance towards them, they won't harm you!".
One of the Rare Hunters walked slowly towards the two lions blocking the set of doors and soon met his doom when one of the creatures jumped on him and attacked, leaving the Rare Hunters frightened.
"Master Marik, what do we do now?" Odion asked, watching as the lions slowly approached them.
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"Tara, how many tests are there?" Yugi asked as the girl helped him out of the passage they had been walking through.
"There are four" the priestess answered as the trap door on the floor of the Temple they had entered through was closed.
"What's the first one?" he asked curiously as both rose to their feet.
"The Test of Fear" answered Tara "It involves a very real illusion. There's a pack of lions that will attack any person that comes near them and is afraid".
"But how can it be? They're illusions" Yugi said, looking up at the girl with interest.
"Illusions created from the Millenium Chain" the girl smiled "You know the main power of the Item, Mara has used it limited times because she's not too fond of it".
"I know" Yugi said "So they will die because of fright, their souls will be taken away and if you show no fright then you will pass".
"That's right, though I believe that if Yami Marik passes the test there won't be much Rare Hunters left, I daresay they're all cowards when dealing with nature" Tara said. "Being in the desert is not a great deal to them but being in front of creatures that might attack you is another thing".
"So what are the next tests?" Yugi asked as the girl proceeded towards a door at the other side of the small chamber they were in.
"The Test of Battle, the Test of Senses and the Test of Decisions" Tara answered, approaching the door "I mentioned them in no particular order".
"What do each of them contain?" he asked curiously as the girl opened the door.
"That" smiled Tara "Will have to wait, I will tell you in due time".
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"This can't be happening!" Yami Marik said, narrowing his eyes as the lions walked closer to them.
The lions jumped to some of the Hunters that were nearest and after finishing them off they went back to the positions they had been standing on. Around ten Hunters were left standing.
"This is ridiculous" Yami Marik said, pushing aside the Hunters in front of him "I will prove to you that these are only just illusions and not what they appear to be".
He walked towards the lions blocking the doors without hesitating. The lions roared, trying to intimidate him but making no effect on the yami, who simply kept on walking. To everyone's surprise, Yami Marik passed right through the lions and stood behind them. He turned around and looked at his Rare Hunters smirking evilly.
"I told you they were just an illusion, now come forth without fearing them" he stated.
The Hunters walked towards their Master, passing right through the illusion and making it vanish. They reunited with him and then proceeded to the set of doors, which were opening slowly. As soon as they entered the chamber, the doors closed behind them, leaving them in pitch-black darkness.
"I felt something cold brush against my hand" one of them commented, almost out of voice.
A sound started to be heard, that of something shaking. It wasn't very pleasant. As seconds passed, the sound grew stronger and everyone felt something moving about them. No one made a move. Then the torches on the walls started to burn and everyone looked around, narrowing their eyes at what was in front of them.
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Neferi: End of chapter and a nice cliffie! I enjoyed writing this chapter.
Tara: I can see that, you were grinning all the way when you started it.
Neferi: Yup, what test do you think it's next and what do you think the Rare Hunters and Yami Marik saw?
Tara: Please tell us in a review! Please review and keep reading!