Author's Note; Hiya peoples, chapter 10...that REALLY means a lot; it means you have sat and let ur arse get numb for ten chapters cos u like my story; it brings tears to my eyes...(all together now; "Awwwwww...":-) Anywho, in case anyone was wondering, Saheed and Daknar are based loosely around "Fred and George" from the "Harry Potter" series, I'm a twin nd I think my race is cool! Sori bout the cliff-hanger on the last chapter, but it was running way too long and I wnated to keep some aspects for this chppie ppls!! XxxxxxxX
Isis…Isis…Isis… Why was that name so familiar to her? Why had he called her that, and who in the world was Mahad? She shook her head, at a loss, as these thoughts swirled about. As she watched him stir slightly, Ishizu couldn't help but admire Denian's appearance; he had dark, near-hazel hair and deeply tanned skin…it was hard to think he was the same lad who had killed so many of her family. His parents had been nothing special; two average Aralanti by anyone's standards…but apparently the clan of assassins had known Denian would amount to great things; when he was three they began his magical training, whereas the normal age for such practices amidst the clan was ten or eleven, but it's reputed that the near-infant took to the teachings like a duck to water; in the history of the clan, he was the only member who had learned to use magic in Egyptian, as he couldn't speak a word of English at three years of age…yet, for one so prodigious, why had she never heard of him being betrothed or married?
When he was thirteen, his parents had headed an assassination attempt on herself, knowing the little girl would grow to be leader of the Tombkeepers…that assassination went wrong when the Tombkeepers awaited and tried to ambush the Aralanti…she had been twelve at the time and could remember people shouting and running…an aunt grabbed her, Marik and Odion and moved them to a safe area of their underground base whilst the battle raged…it was hard to imagine how much the Tombkeepers and the Aralanti had in common really; both were native to Egypt, both sworn to millennia-old rites and both hating the other…but it seemed things were possibly capable of turning around with this small group of renegade Aralanti…though, if everything fell through, at least the members and the twins could always re-join forces with the majority of their family and claim they were led astray…but Denian could never go back. The young man must have known the dangers involved when he decided to organize against Bakura and strike an alliance with her family; as a result he was now labelled as a 'blood traitor' and, if ever to return to the clan, would be punished by death.
"Why does that always fucking happen?"
The twenty-two year old sat up, unaware of her presence, and absently scratched the side of his head, blinking in the light.
"Your brother said it has to do with your Ka being so powerful."
As she answered his question, Denian's head snapped round instantly, only now realizing he wasn't alone in the vast living room, he then smirked slightly, sitting properly on the sofa.
"Yeah, I knew that…I wasn't expecting anyone to answer me, Ishtar."
"My name is not 'Ishtar', it's Ishizu."
At this comment, the young man only smirked all the wider, seemingly amused by her retaliation.
"You think I don't know your first name? I've had to study your family, you in particular since I was a kid…so don't contradict me."
"I will correct you as long as you call me by my surname…"
"Okay then, Ishizu, where's everyone else and why're you here?"
He gestured to the otherwise empty sitting room, with the air of one who was one step ahead, the young woman cast a glance around, before sighing lightly and looking to him.
"Your brothers and other family members have been escorted to the base I mentioned earlier…"
As he looked around, mildly interested in his surroundings, Ishizu spoke again.
"Why did you call me "Isis" when you passed out?"
Judging by the look Denian gave her, this information was new to him aswell.
"I called you what?"
"Isis…"
"Listen up, Ishtar, I've got plenty of choice names for you and "Isis" isn't one of them, trust me!"
At this, Ishizu frowned and looked him in those hauntingly unusual hued eyes of his, accusation shimmering within her own.
"Why do you persist to insult me, when you and your family are being housed by me?"
Denian laughed, and Ishizu felt as though she were missing out on a private joke of some sort…she raised an elegant eyebrow in his direction, to which the young man smirked enigmatically.
"My family might be staying at your base, but I'm not."
He stood and walked for the door of the living room, raising a hand with a dark window materializing in return. She couldn't believe the air of uncaring and disregard he was displaying; he was the one who had organized the Aralanti break-up and now he refused to share a base with them.
"How can you walk out on your family like that?"
Denian looked over his shoulder as he walked towards the portal.
"I'm not; I hate Bakura, and after that stunt I pulled with Dark Magician, I don't think he's my best friend right now. I'm a blood traitor, Ishtar; he's gonna come after me and if I'm staying in the same place as my family and yours, then there's gonna be a lot more dead than need be."
So that was it; he did have a conscience…but one thing still bothered the young leader of the Tombkeepers…
"Mahad?"
As this name reverberated around the silent room, Denian froze; his mind was filled with glimpses of someone else's life; his hands were on the hips of a naked woman…in an elaborate chamber, lit with many candles and draped with curtains of the finest silk…golden ornaments and jewellery littered the smooth sandstone floor as the woman laid her head upon his sweat-drenched and panting chest. He could feel himself lifting her with every deep, needy breath…the air was humid and he immediately recognised the climate temperature as that of his homeland; Egypt. The young man, whose eyes through which he was seeing, absently raised a hand and ran it through the ebony locks of his lover, whose brow he kissed lightly, tasting the hint of salted sweat that bathed her sun-kissed skin…it was only when the emerald eyes looked up that Denian recognised the woman as Ishizu, or as the name was now in his head, it seemingly befitted her; Isis.
Coming back to his senses, Denian felt a sharp stabbing sensation in his heart at the thought of coveting the Tombkeeper; Sheejahri…
"Quit screwing with my head, Ishtar!"
With that angered snap, the twenty-two year old walked through the portal and disappeared, leaving a still slightly confused Ishizu Ishtar in the living room.
It was hard to believe it was actually the same girl as his cobalt gaze stared at the resting figure. Seto took note of her split lip, broken left arm, numerous vivid bruises and cuts…but most of all, he paid attention to the large, obvious bump that swelled just above her waist line. My child…he was twenty…a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, a big brother to Mokuba, secret ruler of Egypt and target for a grudge-holding band of assassins…and now Seto Kaiba was also a father. He looked down at this stranger that lay in one of his guest bedrooms, she looked absolutely nothing like she had those six months ago; no captivating smile, no twinkle in her hazel irises…just this gaunt, beaten, pitiful young woman. Despite himself, he smiled slightly; recalling the face on Mokuba when he'd informed the fourteen-year-old he was about to become an uncle…the youth had laughed straight for ten minutes before realizing his older brother was serious.
Kisara…what was to become of her? Though she had duped him, played him and ultimately betrayed him…looking at her now, nobody deserved the punishment she'd been put through time after time. (No pun intended...:-) But now, as he gazed at her, it annoyed, yet relieved him at the same time that he could detect a hint of his feelings for her beginning to return…The tall young man walked over to an armchair that adorned the corner of the room and sat…his eyelids were heavy and his eyes stung and watered when he blinked…maybe he'd just rest them for a minute or two…
Strange room…strange environment…bright light shining through a window…but the cell had no window; where the hell was she? Breathing was heard and she instinctively closed her eyes…but Bakura's strike never came. With a severe case of disorientation, Kisara opened her eyes and sat up, albeit with pained effort, then glanced round the room…she began to recognise some of the aspects; stylish décor, huge bed, large space, walk-in wardrobe, large desk with a customary laptop- she was in Seto's mansion! And then she saw him; asleep in an armchair against the wall…had he spent the night there? As she sat up further, the corner of the duvet knocked the lamp off of the bedside locker…
"No, no…shit, no!"
As she exclaimed this in a hushed whisper, the lamp hit the carpeted ground with an audible 'thud', the result being that Seto's eyes flickered open and, after a second or two of focusing, their cobalt depths came to rest on her. As the duo stared at one another, the room lapsed into an awkward silence, and then the girl called Kisara spoke in a voice that seemed so small.
"I'm sorry…"
"Sorry? Is that all you can say after bringing the very people who want to kill me to my company's building?"
With a slight cringe, the girl closed her eyes and opened one of them a fraction, looking back up at him with bemused hope.
"I'm very sorry?"
He stood from the armchair and looked down at her; his feelings of attraction were still so strong for her, tinted with protectiveness…but she'd played him once before.
"All those weeks you spent here…"
"Seto, it was never meant to go that far…"
"How far was it meant to go then, huh?"
"I was supposed to find where you lived, memorize your everyday routine and then head back to Egypt…but…"
"What about the orphanage, when we were little kids? Was that just another mission aswell?"
At this, her brown eyes flashed with the defiance he knew as Kari…no, as Kisara.
"No! When my parents were killed, I slipped through the cracks and ended up in that orphanage…that little kid I was back then was me; no Aralanti involved."
"How do I know if I can trust you?"
"You did once…"
"And look where that got me."
He sat on the edge of the bed and looked to the floor, silently debating with himself. She hung her head and let a sorrowful tear fall.
"I…I thought he loved me…but…"
"He was playing you?"
As he said this, Kisara became aware of the hint of slight emphasis in his voice, she smirked ever so lightly as she responded.
"Ooooh, stab in the back?"
Seto laughed lightly and, for that blissful second or two, it was as like none of the events had transpired at all…and then it was like magic…all the pain, the betrayal, and the hurt seemingly disappeared, enabling the two to talk normally.
"Who brought me here?"
"Your cousins; Denian organized everything…the twins got you while he fought with Bakura-"
"Is he okay?"
"He's fine, he's fine…though Roland did tell me he blacked out afterwards…"
She nodded her head, knowing this was the norm when he summoned his Ka.
"Did the twins behave?"
At this comment, she was met only by a smirk as he recalled their visit; though annoying at the time, now that he thought back over it, the two really had been quite an amusing aspect of the otherwise stern Aralanti.
"Ishtar and the rest of the Tombkeepers are housing your family in a small base here in Domino…c'mon there's a whole load of people downstairs…"
Though not as close as in their relationship…this civil nature was one she would gladly settle for in comparison to Bakura's cruel, sexist and sadistic treatment. As they walked through the corridors, albeit her a bit more slowly, Seto spoke again.
"So…I'm gonna be a dad?"
It was only then that the baby moved within her stomach and forcefully kicked her, as though wondering why it hadn't been introduced before this. With a slight pained grimace at the kick, Kisara smiled.
"Well, he's definitely yours anyway…you were my first…"
At this he blinked, not out of surprise, but out of confusion as he heard the "he" in that statement.
"How d'you know it'll be a boy?"
"I was the only girl born in like five thousand years…somehow, I don't think this baby's gonna break that tradition so easily."
"Cus!"
Saheed and Daknar looked around and called her name in unison; eyes alight with joy and unspoken smart comments as they then ran towards her. As the small band of renegade Aralanti looked at her, happily, she sensed a portal being summoned amidst them.
"You're awake…"
"Denian!"
Kisara, despite herself, ran to her older brother figure and hugged him; it was thanks to him she was out of that cell and away from Bakura. Denian blinked with surprise; Kisara hadn't hugged him since before she was like eleven or so, but he hugged her back nonetheless, glad to have saved her…after Sheejahri had died he'd sworn never to lose any of his family againand that was a promise he would keep till the bitter end.
a/n- did u like dis chptr? I', sorta focusing on Denian's character more, as I needed something to work with on a sideline plot in this story, but I think it adds to the context of the fic...if your don't, then let me know ppls!! XxxxxxX