A/N: Pew! Finally updated! I apologise for the delay, I was suffering from writers block at many moments and couldn't continue until I worked everything out. Thank-you to my reviewers and readers for your support!
Well anyway! Here's the next chapter!
Info:
Marik= Hikari Marik
Malik= Yami Marik
The City Of the Dead
It was early morning when our four adventurers wandered into an unknown, quaint village. Both sets of siblings needed food, clothing and transportation in order to make it to Kul Elna, and hopefully win the bet Bakura made with the millionaires. Easier said than done for the albino twins as they were currently short changed and Ryou wouldn't let Bakura scab off the Egyptians as it was 'impolite' and 'rude'. As expected, the thief scoffed at his brothers' love for all that was 'holy' and 'just' in the world, stating that it was essential they arrive in Kul Elna before the other team or else they'd be in even more 'shit' with their parents, not just the rogue twin this time. So, it was safe to say that Ryou finally relented and gave his brother permission, only if he didn't threaten them in the process.
Unfortunately for the young Englishmen, the Egyptians were in short supply of cash as well. Only having enough for clothes and food when they needed armour and a way to be taken that won't end in disaster like the last transportation device chosen. The wild-haired twin growled in frustration at that, hating the idea of coming to a dead end. Luckily, he managed to spot a shed that held a few camels, just enough for the group to use. The only problem was that the animals themselves would've cost them an arm and a leg to buy (in the literal sense). However, being a notorious thief and all, Bakura merely sat down under a tree and thought up a plan to steal said camels. Marik was off buying clothes and gear with his brother while Malik was 'stuck' with the rude man, a remark Bakura scoffed at once again, in order to not get into any trouble and stay out of Mariks hair.
The dishevelled white-haired man was staring at the leaves on the branches above them, formulating a plan when an annoying scraping sound interrupted. He let his mahogany eyes glare daggers into the Egyptians face, hopefully drawing the annoying mans attention away from the horrible drawings he was trying to etch into the sand with a stick. Malik didn't seem to notice the growing annoyance in the other man and continued to scrap more crappy sketches. Sighing angrily to himself, Bakura tried to tune out the consistent noise, turning his attention back to the landscape above him. It worked for a while as Malik softened his pressure on the stick, but it only lasted a glorious two minutes before Bakura finally snapped.
"Oh will you shut that bloody racked up?" He leaned in with a feral snarl in place. Malik spared a glance in the Brits direction before grinning mischievously to himself at his accomplishment to get under the thief's skin. He continued with his drawing, the grin never leaving his face and shrugged.
"I would…..but really, what else is there to do in this place?" He stopped his movements for a bit to eye the man next to him suspiciously. "Anyway, it's not like you're doing anything."
Bakura tilted his head to the opposite side and crossed his arms, eyes turning from daggers into razors.
"If you must know, idiot. I'm trying to figure out how to steal a bunch of camels without Ryou or anyone else knowing." He turned his gaze upward once again in thought. Malik blinked back his surprise at that random answer, not really understanding. He gave Bakura a confused look, furrowing his eyebrows.
"And you'll accomplish this how exactly?" He asked. He understood the reason for wanting camels, but to steal them without anyone noticing? That'd be hard to do. Bakura leaned back against the tree, folding his hands behind his head, successfully hiding his sneaky eyes from the Egyptian. He grinned cheekily while Malik gazed at him, waiting for him to continue. Sure, Malik had stolen many trinkets and thingamabobs on his quest to get back in his families good books, but he'd never think to steal something as trivial as a camel. Though, he supposed, they were desperate enough to. Suddenly, Bakura jumped up from where he'd been sitting and let out a bark of laughter, seeming to have realised something. Malik, once again, was completely confused by Bakuras' behaviour, finding it extremely difficult to keep up with the mans' mood swings.
"Uhhh….Where's the fire?" He questioned meekly. He wasn't sure why Bakura intimidated him the way he did. It could be the information given to him by Ryou the previous night, or the fact that the man was so spontaneous that he wasn't sure he could handle it if he suddenly decided to vent his anger out on him. Bakura turned to grin at the confused, wild-haired man with his hands behind his back. He looked a lot like a child trying not to get caught doing something wrong.
"Oh, nothing. I just need your help with something." For some odd reason, Malik didn't like the look on the thief's face at all.
/000\\\
"You have got to be kidding me." He eyed the smelly looking man with disgust. The man crouching next to him only smirked back.
"I never kid mate. If you want to walk to Kul Elna that's fine with me, but I'd rather not. Just think about how pissed off your little brother will be, coming up short handed and all if we don't." Bakura's grin widened. Seeing the fearful look on the mans face made him believe he'd won this game; Malik was tossing up either choices. On one hand, he'd get to go home and forget about having to stay dirty for an excess amount of time. Not to mention the joy of not having to hang around the thief anymore. But, there was still the treasure. Although he might be driven into another dead end, he would still be known for someone who had made it to the city of the dead and lived to tell the tale. It would also keep Marik happy. The older Egyptian whined.
"But he probably smells like rat foetuses." He sounded like a two year old and Bakura had to resist slapping him.
"Stop acting like a pansy and hop to it, will you?" The thief grounded out through clenched teeth. However, Malik didn't take his warning tone into consideration and instead of jumping up like the Brit expected, he stayed exactly where he was. Growling, Bakura decided to use the only other method of persuasion available, threatening.
Reaching into his back pocket, the thief grabbed a swiz army knife and slowly unfolded it so the noise wouldn't attract the attention of the other male. He grabbed a large chunk of the Egyptians hair and yanked him down by it so that his head was inline with his own, said Egyptian making a sound of startlement in the process. Placing the knife against Maliks neck he leaned in so his lips were next to his ear.
"If you don't hurry up and do as I say, I may do something I'll regret but enjoy immensely." He whispered in the wild-haired mans earring studded ear, threateningly. Malik on the other hand, wasn't very fazed as he'd been in that particular position before. He grinned sheepishly, darting his eyes to his captive before chuckling nervously.
"Now now, there's no reason to resort to violence thief. I was just about to head off." He drummed his fingers against one another for a moment until Bakura loosened his hold on his hair, sliding the knife away. Once he was completely free, Malik bolted out of their hiding spot towards the man who supposedly smelt like rat foetuses.
"Don't you dare keep me there for long now Mr Touzoku!" He shouted, turning his head to give Bakura a smirk. Said man merely face-palmed himself at the other mans stupidity.
Now, he thought to himself, to steal the camels. He silently stood from his crouched position and tiptoed around the gate to the entrance. Careful to make sure Malik had the owner distracted, he carefully opened the latch and ran inside the stables. Relaxing a bit once inside, the thief walked calmly down the isle with his hands behind his back, eyeing all the camels inside.
Hmm…what to choose, what to choose. He studied each animal with care, hoping to pick four fast ones. He knew it didn't really matter anyway, he just felt like being an arsehole to Malik who had to occupy his time talking with the smelly owner out front. Chuckling to himself, Bakura quickly unlatched one of the stables containing two fine camels that he'd taken an interest in. Grabbing both of their reins, he softly pulled them forward so they weren't distressed and quietly made his way out into the isle where he tied them to a nearby post in order to attain two more.
Getting his hands on two more, the thief dragged all four to the entrance and carefully peeked outside to see if the coast was clear. The owner had his back to the stables and was talking to Malik about the price of his camels in Arabic. Malik didn't look very happy in the position he was in and spotted a flash of white peek out of the shed. Grinning that his job was almost over, the Egyptian kept debating with the man and how 'friggen expensive' his camels were. Giving the white-haired man a stare that simply said, 'hurry the fuck up!' he continued, trying to pull the owners attention as much as he could on himself which proved to be easy once he got the man angry enough.
While Malik was keeping the man preoccupied, Bakura slowly opened the stable door as wide as he could without creaking and carefully lead all four camels out, one by one. Malik was about to say goodbye to the smelly man when the door suddenly caught a gust of wind and swung closed with a Bang! Bakura cringed while the owner spun around to see what the problem was.
Note to self: Close doors after you use them, the thief chastised himself as the smelly man realised exactly what the problem was. His dull grey eyes widened at the sight of someone taking off with his camels.
"Hey! What do you think you're trying to do, thief?" The man shouted, throwing his arms in the air in panic. Bakura, seeing that escaping was pointless, decided to act innocently for once, adopting an almost 'Ryou' look.
"Who, me?" He questioned with wide eyes. Malik tilted his head in confusion at the Brits change in character, not understanding his motives. The innocent question didn't seem to impress the owner though, as he sneered at the white-haired man in fury.
"Yes, you moron," He jabbed a finger towards Bakura, "why do you feel that it's fine to just take whatever you like? These camels are the top of the range!" Bakura pursed his lips in thought; the idea of bribing the man might be a wonderful choice, given the situation his was in now. He gave the man a fake gentle smile.
"Oh bugger. I didn't realise that, my good man and I'm sorry to have troubled you. The reason why I need these camels is because my friend, who happens to be behind you, and I are travelling to Kul Elna, the city of the dead and we have no form of transportation." Malik blinked back his surprise at the thiefs acting skills and stepped forward to make his presence known. The owners eyes widened at the name, then narrowed again in suspicion. What was this man playing at?
"And that should interest me, how?" He asked, crossing his arms and tilted his head, signalling Bakura to continue. The thief smirked internally; the man would be too easy to please.
"Well, Sir. I'd like to put forth a proposition if you will. If you lend me and my friend here some camels, then we'll give you a fair share of the treasure we find." He spoke out confidently, British accent ringing strong. Malik glanced back and forth between the two men, seeing the indecisiveness in the mans grey eyes and the glee in Bakuras mahogany ones.
It was the owners turn to purse his lips as he weighed his options. When it seemed like an hour had gone past for Malik and Bakura, the man finally nodded.
"Alright, you have yourselves a deal," he stuck a pointer finger in the air, "However; I must ask that I accompany you on this quest to ensure your part of the bargain is followed through." He finished. Malik was silently fuming behind the smelly man they now had to drag along while Bakura shrugged.
"Seems fair I guess." He smirked when he saw the outraged look on the wild-haired mans face.
/000\\\
"I hate you!" Malik hissed at the older English twin in anger. They were currently making their way back to the meet up point so they could wait for Marik and Ryou to return. The camel owner was currently setting up the camels they were taking and packing some extra stuff. Bakura grinned at the enraged Egyptian.
"The feelings mutual, Bum." Malik continued to fume silently next to his while the thief chuckled.
They made their way back to the tree and sat down, both not bothering to glance at each other. Malik, seeming annoyed by the silence, decided to speak up.
"Quick question. What the hell does 'bum' mean besides the thing I'm sitting on?" He asked, gesturing to his butt. Bakura was extremely amused by this and let out a howl of laughter at the look on the blondes face. It was a dark, gravelly sound and seemed somewhat evil to Malik. Though, he supposed, he couldn't talk. His laugh was just as, if not more evil sounding than Bakuras. He glared despite this though, not really seeing the point in laughing as it was a pretty good question. For himself that is. Bakura, who by this stage was having trouble breathing, let out a loud gasp.
"Well, it's certainly good to see you two are getting along."
A voice suddenly called from above them. Bakura and Malik turned their heads to see Marik and Ryou standing in front of them, Ryou wearing a pleasant smile and Marik a somewhat irked cock of an eye-brow. Malik regarded his brothers' attire with a pensive gaze.
"Err, Marik. What on earth are you wearing?" This seemed to draw the now breathing correctly twins attention.
Bakura would describe the outfit as too formal, but exceptionally nice on the young Egyptian. He had on a light purple shirt, folded the same as his own with a deeper purple vest over the top. He had some simple, yet elegant black slacks on and a tie that matched. It seemed to bring out his extremely violet eyes and hung off him smartly. All in all, Bakura believed that Mariks choice of dress was way too impractical for what they were about to do, but he certainly looked pretty. Marik gave his older brother and questioning gaze.
"And what exactly is wrong with it?" He asked, placing his hands on his hips like a mother would when chastising her children for doing something naughty. Malik gave him an exasperated glance.
"Well, it's a little….impractical….isn't it?" He questioned softly. Marik scoffed at him, about to reply when the thief jumped in.
"Now, ladies. If we're done fighting over dresses, let's get going shall we?" Thankfully, it seemed to distract the squabbling siblings and they shut up, but not without shooting matching glares at Bakuras statement. Ryou exclaimed a gentle "oh!" and gestured to the items he had in his hands.
"I almost forgot! Here are some new clothes. We're probably going to need them where we're going." He said as he passed each article of clothing to the two older siblings. Malik checked his clothes out while Bakura merely folded them over his arm, otherwise forgotten. Walking slowly towards the stables, the thief glanced back at his companions.
"Come on, we need to make good time." Marik was about to question him about the problem of transportation when Malik shook his head mouthing, you'll see when we get there, and grinned.
About an hour later, the group had assembled just outside the village, choosing their camels from the group the smelly man had chosen. Ryou was impressed with his brothers' efforts; even if he had the suspicious thought that he'd been caught trying to steal them. At least it taught him a lesson anyhow. The only problem was that his own twin didn't believe he knew how to use a weapon and so entrusted Marik and Malik with the entire armoury. He did, however, manage to sneak some of his knives and a rifle from Malik though, for protection sake. Said man was currently eying his camel with distaste.
"I hate camels…" He said, once again whiningly while taking a seat on its back. Ryou was already on his camel and smiled at the Egyptian.
"I think they're wonderful. Did you know they travel a lot faster than horses in the desert?" He patted his own animal softly. Malik gazed at him for a moment and shook his head at the weird mans calm nature and random knowledge.
Bakura pushed his own camel to the front of the group and turned around to speak.
"Ok, we've got until sunrise tomorrow to make it to Kul Elna or else I loose my bet. Now, come on!" He called to all four men. Marik grinned despite himself and quickly trotted after the thief. Malik, screwing his nose up at the smelly man while walking past him, went next. The owner followed, then Ryou soon after.
/000\\\
The sun was about to set over the ongoing desert, almost shrouding the group in darkness. Bakura continued to keep a watchful eye out, leading them up and down the large sand dunes. Everyone was asleep except the two Touzoku twins as it was important they stayed on course, both at the front, and at the back.
Bakura, not realising the change in travelling pattern, rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up more and suddenly felt a light weight being pressed against his shoulder. Looking to see the source of the peculiar feeling, he found Marik, softly leaning his peaceful head on him. Quirking an eye-brow at the blonde, the thief raised an arm to lightly push Marik upright. The sleeping Egyptians camel growled out and Bakura put a finger to his lips, gesturing for it to be quiet.
Ryou watched his brothers' innocent behaviour for once with a slight smile on his face, proud he didn't do something rude for once. A loud snore alerted him to the smelly man who had his mouth hanging open, fast asleep. It was unfortunate for Malik, having to ride beside him because he was startled awake from the obnoxious noise. Glaring at the offending man, the half awake blonde took out his camel whip. Slapping the annoying man across the face with it, he then turned to act like he was actually still asleep. Ryou chuckled at the look on the mans' face when he woke with a start, trying to figure out who had committed the act. Not being able to, he then shrugged to himself and fell back to sleep.
Other than these two little moments of interaction, the group had otherwise remained silent the rest of the way. It was almost sunrise when Bakura came to a halt near some tall canyons, turning to look toward the horizon. He rolled his eyes at the constant yelling from behind him coming from Malik and the owner.
"And you snore!"
"I do not snore!"
"All night you snored!"
"I have never snored!"
Ignoring the arguing men, Bakura turned to gaze at Marik with a tilt of his head.
"We're almost there." He said, gesturing towards the horizon with a wave of his hand. Marik gave him an straight look, squinting one of his eyes at the thief.
"Are you sure?" He questioned, giving Bakura a hard gaze. The thief huffed out an angry sigh.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure." He said, gesturing to the ground below them. The others followed his train of vision to see dozens of skeletons sticking out of the ground, bleached and eaten away. Some of them looked like they were trying to crawl up out of the desert floor. Maliks eyes widened at the sight.
"What the hell is all this?" He asked to no one in particular.
The smelly man shivered. "Other seekers of Kul Elna."
As Malik was about to question further, the group noticed the company of millionaires making their way towards them. They were followed by two dozen native diggers, while Joey led the group. Seeing Bakura atop his camel, the American grinned widely at his 'supposed' friend.
"G'd morning, my friend!" Bakura merely nodded at the coward, not seeing the point in small talk. The group of millionaires stopped right next to the smaller one and turned to gaze confusingly at the horizon in front of them.
"What the hell are we doing?" The long, blue-haired man asked. Joey turned to grin at him.
"Patience man, patience." The dirty blonde chastised. The raven haired man, otherwise known as Duke Devlin, fixed Bakura with an adventurous grin.
"First one to the city, Touzoku! Five hundred bucks!" He exclaimed. The thief ignored him and continued to stare out at the horizon in concentration. Marik and Malik shared a questioning look and follow Bakuras example.
The sun suddenly started to rise over the hilltops in the distance and the thief smirked in anticipation.
"Get ready." Marik, feeling excited all of a sudden, tilted his head to the older twin.
"For what?" He asked. Bakuras smirk widened into a grin and he turned his head to glance at the younger blonde.
"We're about to be shown the way."
Far off in front of them, a huge shape began to rise with the sun. The millionaires, the Ishtars and Ryou could only stare, amazed at the sight before them. Suddenly, the image shifted into a crumbled-like city, rising and falling with each mirage image, taking the form of the famous 'city of the dead'. Bakura turned to grin at his companions.
"That, my dear men, is Kul Elna."
A/N: There we have it! Probably my longest chapter yet and I even snuck a bit of thiefshipping in for ya! I also found out I love making Bakura more British because it gives me a chance at the different type of slang.
R&R please! =D
~Grace