……………
Bakura stumbled up the steps to the temple weighed down by the weight of Joey who was now conscious but not making things easy for him.
"OK, you two make sure he stays here," Bakura ordered pointing to Malik and Ryou before slinking back outside to check that they hadn't been followed by anyone.
After finding a secure room to lock Joey in until Marik's probable return Bakura told Ryou to take a seat before sitting beside him and emptying out one of his bags of loot and sorting through all the stuff he had nicked. Malik, however paced up and down the floor as he waited for Marik to come back.
"Marik wont die unless he's killed the Pharaoh and since the Pharaoh wasn't present I doubt he's dead yet," Bakura muttered glaring up at Malik, the pacing getting on his nerves, "Now sit down and be still," he added as he began to count the many coins he had also acquired.
…
Malik jumped up off of the seat he had been sitting on as the sound of something being broken down reached his ears; Bakura had heard it too and joined him rushing into the next room as they followed the sounds of cold maniac like laughter. Marik was there leaning against what remained of the smashed up door covered in many bloods however Bakura's eyes registered the deep gash in Marik's side and knew that a lot of that blood would be his also. Bakura and Malik followed as Marik walked into the other room starling Ryou who probably hadn't ever seen so much blood.
"Marik what happened!" Malik gasped,
"He was saving your life you idiot," Bakura responded.
"If he hadn't knocked me unconscious then I could have protected myself," Malik retorted,
"You don't understand do you idiot?" Bakura replied seeing how it agitated Malik to be called an idiot, "if you had of fought they would have known you had betrayed the Pharaoh but now they think your merely a hostage or something like that," Bakura pointed out and Malik fell silent, watching as Marik peeled of his cloak and top.
The wound across his side was a deep looking bloody mess, the one on his arm cleaner and shallower but it didn't stop it from bleeding a decent amount of Mariks blood. Malik watched shocked and surprised as Marik removed the remainder of the daggers and knives he had and then what was left of his clothes before turning and walking out the back of the temple.
"It will take more than that if the Pharaoh wants to get rid of me," Marik sneered, "I'm not my parents, I'm not my sister; I wont die for his benefit," he added.
"Malik! Where do you think you're going!" Bakura called out as he watched Malik run out after Marik, sighing he picked up the rest of his takings before heading towards the room he had claimed as his bedroom.
"Ryou come!" he ordered, "you'll be staying with me, Marik's going to have his hands full if Malik has anything to do with it but then you wouldn't want to stay near him anyway though you could always sleep out here if you must," Bakura added ignoring the protests from Joey still looked in the room they just passed; Ryou shook his head vigorously and followed Bakura promptly.
……………
Malik walked out into the central courtyard and garden area before looking to his left and right wondering which way Marik had gone. It was late in the night and the moon was nearly at its highest and with the aid of its silvery light he spotted the odd spots of spilt blood on the ground and occasional plant leaf.
Following the trail Malik soon found him self on a finely decorated path that lead to what he figured was an outdoor purification bath, though unlike most that he had seen this was quite large in comparison. The blood trail ended here so he looked around for Marik but some of the plant life blocked his view of the bathing area so he began his walk along the edge admiring its beauty as he kept searching.
Then he saw him a few metres away resting soundlessly against the edge of the pool, half in half out of the water that lapped slightly against his toned chest, cleaning away the blood that seeped steadily out of the wound across his side as he gazed up at the moon. Malik watched surprised at how peaceful Marik looked in the silvery light of the moon; he started to creep closer. Two metres away, crouching silently on the smooth rock edge he watched now able to see the contemplating looking in Marik;s eyes, the blood as it seeped out into the water and glimpses of other things that made his face heat.
"What do you want?"
Malik startled at the sudden sound of Marik's voice as it sliced through the silent night air; he'd been caught.