Alright... here's chapter fourteen!! Please R&R!!!
Seto sat at Jenna's bedside, deep in thought. Jenna had lost nearly everything... her family, friends, her world her time. And now, thanks to Bakura's cruelty, she had lost even her innocence. She now hung on the brink of this life and the next, and her survival depended upon her will to live. He somehow had to give her comfort and encouragement.
His Rod enabled him to directly connect his mind to another persons. And he knew when people experienced traumatic events, such as she had just experienced, their souls folded in on themselves, retreating to a place in their memories where they had felt the most safe and secure. He had no idea what her place was or what it looked like at all, but he knew he had to do something, or she may not live to see the sun rise.
Nodding, he held up his Millennium Rod. "Millennium Rod! Penetrate the shadows and bring me into the confines of this woman's soul!"
His item reacted to his command immediately, flaring brightly, and his surroundings shattered as he entered her soul.
He found himself in the room of a small dwelling, surrounded by objects and devices the likes of which he had never seen before in his life. As odd as the items seemed, he also saw the room itself was in shambles and cloaked in shadows. To one side of the room were several shelves, many items having been strewn from them, including works of art, the likes of which were so lifelike he was almost stunned at their quality. There was a desk in one corner, and several items hanging askew off the walls. A large white box was to his left, and another white box with black spirals upon it's top right beside it. To his right was a table made of smooth wood, and behind it another shelf with strange devices and books. Turning, he saw a basin built into a counter, and a hallway leading further on into the building. Right before the start of the hall, he saw a door leading to the outside.
Knowing Jenna was within the building itself somewhere, he ignored the door, shoving aside his curiosity as to what might be on the other side. He slowly started down the hall, sidestepping rubbage that was strewn across it. He briefly poke his head into a tiny room that contained two basins... one obviously meant for bathing, and the other for washing smaller items, and another white device in the far corner. Seeing Jenna was not hiding in there, he slowly continued on his way.
Then he heard something and stopped in his tracks, listening and trying to identify the sound. It was low muttering and uneven breathing. He passed by another closed door, following the sound now and paused before stepping into the doorway where he found Jenna.
The woman was curled into a fetal position in the far corner of the room, holding herself close and rocking back and forth on her haunches. He now heart the words she was uttering and could clearly see now that she was struggling to keep her tears at bay, the reason for the uneven breathing.
"No more... please, no more... someone make it stop... make the pain stop... no more... no more pain, please..."
The Priest slowly came forward, the woman not seeing him. He stopped in front of her, kneeling down to her level, and very gently reached out a hand, touching her shoulder.
Her response was immediate. She let out a scream, and tried to scramble away from him.
He quickly gripped her shoulders. "JENNA!! It's all right!! It's me, Seto!!!"
She stopped struggling and looked up hesitantly. "S... Se...to?" she asked in a small voice, filled with terror and just now the tiniest bit of hope.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes. It's me. Bakura returned you to us. You're in the palace now and..."
"SETO!!!!" she cried out in relief, and launched herself at him. Before the Priest knew what was happening, he had Jenna in his arms and sobbing uncontrollably and holding onto him for dear life. He held her back immediately and rocked her gently, holding her in his lap and ran his hands up and down her back as gently as he could.
"It's all right, Jenna. You're safe now." He sighed in relief. "Gods, we were all out of our minds with worry. Especially the Pharaoh."
Jenna pulled away a little, hearing this. "The Pharaoh! Where is he?"
Seto looked at her and gently brushed her hair out of her face and wiped away some of her tears. "The Pharaoh refused to sleep while you were gone. He never stopped searching for you. He only went to bed after I told him I would remain with you. He does not want you to be alone from this moment on."
She nodded and then leaned against the Priest again. "Please... Just stay with me for a while, Seto."
He wrapped his arms around her again and nodded. "I will. But you must listen to me, Jenna. You are in serious condition right now. You must be strong, at least until morning when the healers have regained their strength."
She nodded into his shoulder. Then he heard her voice, muffled slightly by his robes. "Could you just... hold me for a while, please?"
He nodded in turn and tightened his hold on her, stroking her hair and letting his other hand trail up and down her back. "Just relax... I have you. You're safe now." She was still trembling and crying, but slowly calmed down until she was just filled with an immense relief at having someone hold her. It wasn't the Pharaoh, but to her mind, one of the Priests was definitely the next best thing. Seto seemed a little cold at first glance, but he also had compassion and mercy within him as well. And with what she had just been through, she would have been happy even if it was Siamun holding her, so long as she wasn't alone.
Seto stayed with her for most of the night, until Shada poked his head into the room and saw him with his Rod activated. Seto told the Palace Judge what was going on, and he, in turn, offered to take over for the remainder of the night so Seto could get some sleep. Jenna had no problem with it, just relieved that someone was going to be with her... someone who could keep her calm.
So Seto left to retire for a few hours, and Shada took over until the morning came and the healers quickly got her out of the danger zone.
-------------------------------------------
Jenna pretty much slept the next twenty four hours, until she woke up with a moan, to find Karim seated in the chair at her side. She felt the pain immediately, letting out another moan and gritting her teeth, trying to fight off the unbearable aching in her ribs and the indescribably pain coming from her right knee and her left arm.
The Priest blinked, and then broke out into a smile. "Jenna! You have awakened!" He turned to a guard standing by the door. "Inform the Pharaoh!"
The man nodded immediately and rushed out of the room.
Karim turned to her, his expression concerned now. "How do you feel?"
She sighed and winced when a pain shot through her ribs. "I'm hurting," she said, her voice scratchy from her dry throat. "I'm also very thirsty and hungry."
Upon learning of her thirst, he took a mug from the table and lifted her head, bringing some water to her lips. She drank thirstily for a long moment and then sighed in relief.
She shifted slightly in the bed and took in a sharp breath. "Ooooohhh... I feel like I was just trampled by a herd of stampeding horses..."
He looked at her in concern. "We will have a healer bring you some pain relieving medicine..."
The door opened and the Pharaoh rushed in. His features turned from concerned to immensely relieved when he saw Jenna looking back at him from her bed. Karim moved aside as the Pharaoh quickly seated himself beside her.
"Jenna... I was... so worried... I was afraid that Bakura had..." He sighed and reached out, taking one of her hands in his own. "I am so sorry, Jenna," he said, and she was surprised to see tears starting to briim in his eyes.
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and tried to give him a smile, but could only wince when her face protested. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Pharaoh. You couldn't have known this was going to happen. The only one to blame is Bakura."
"That's right," Seto said, entering the room, the other priests right behind him. "And it is imperative that we find his hideout as quickly as possible before he starts wreaking havoc once more! This time he has gone too far!"
Isis looked at him. "But no one knows where his hideout is. Jenna herself was unconscious both when he captured her and when he returned her to us.""
"He's hiding in a temple hidden beneath the ruins of an old village," Jenna said. "A village that used to be inhabited by people like thieves and murderers. All that's left of them now is Bakura himself and a whole bunch of spirits who like to suck out your soul and life blood. I think he called it... Kul Elna...?"
Akhnaden's eyes went huge... something that only Jenna noticed, but she made no comment about it.
The Pharaoh looked at her. "Did he say anything else to you, Jenna?"
She sighed. "He had lots to say. And you're not going to like hearing a lot of it."
He nodded. "Please, tell us what he told you."
Hmmm... what all did Bakura tell Jenna? She was with him for three days, and you can be sure he had more than a few things to say!! Next chapter you find out what Jenna was told!! R&R please!!!!