A Monopoly Of Blue Eyes

by FeistyFox

He had refused to believe in his past, refused to be sucked into the fairytale that had been hurled at him again and again. But it appeared that his past had found him whether he wanted it or not. She was here… sitting right here in his class, this ghost from the ancient past, looking exactly as he remembered, exactly how she did in his dreams and the visions he had been shown.

22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Knowledge Spillover

The hooded man drew his own set of six cards and began to place them at once. "I'll place two cards face down." He told Mokuba, not sounding at all worried. "Do you really think this was wise? Not that you have a choice now. But you always have lacked the more impressive talents your brother possess all the way around, and even he's lost shadow games before."

Mokuba drew a card before speaking, refusing to be baited. "Pegasus cheated Seto in that duel." He replied as the name hung in her hazy mind. "And that item can't read my mind, even if I don't know what it does, only the millennium eye can do that. I will beat you." He set his own cards. "I'll place one card face down and summon the Six Samurai Nisashi in attack mode." A samurai with dark hair and glowing black armor appeared in front of Mokuba in a swirl of lights, holding a sword ready to attack. "That ends my turn."

"That's right, it was Pegasus that sent you here the first time wasn't it? How was that trip?" He asked, cruelly. "I imagine this place is interesting to say the least to a nine year old."

Mokuba clenched his jaw, but once again ignored the taunting. "Make a move."

"If you insist." He agreed. Drawing another card he placed it face up and a large, scaled demon shimmered into existence. "I summon Des Feral Imp in attack mode and activate my spell card, Black Pendant, which increases my beasts power." He flicked his hand forward at the large green and black monster. "Destroy his samurai."

The demon raced forward with a snarl and slashed the warrior apart. The boy let out a cry of pain, flinching backward, and she began to struggle again at his distress. "Stop it!" She cried angrily, upset more than she could say that he had been hurt, although she didn't know why it upset her, or even how it had hurt him as the monster hadn't touched him.

Neither of them took notice of her and she was surprised when Mokuba recovered and smirked. "You activated my trap."

"Of course." The man replied, sounding bored. "Which one?"

Mokuba's confident smile fell a bit as he flipped the card. "Shien's Scheme." He replied and a card flew up and revealed itself. "Since you destroyed my samurai I can summon two more from my hand." He threw two cards down quickly. "I'll play the Legendary Six Samurai Kageki and Kanji." Two new warriors appeared on the field, both ready to fight. "And since I have two samurai cards on the field both of their special effects activate." As she watched on one of the warriors became remarkably strong, and the other made a slashing motion with his staff. "Destroy his Imp, Kageki!"

"Well done." The other man congratulated condescendingly as his beast vanished. "It seems your brother managed to teach you something."

Snarling, she wiggled harder, trying to free herself, and the hooded man cast a glance her way. "Do be patient. I've no doubt you'll have your own duel to deal with soon enough." Rage was rapidly replacing any fear of this person she had ever had and she lashed her foot out in frustration and spat a curse out at him. In response he raised the scale in his hand and it glowed gold. The chains wrapped around her more tightly and she let out a grunt as air was forced out of her lungs.

"That's enough!" Mokuba snapped at him. "It's me you're dealing with now!"

The man turned back to him. "Tell me, boy, do you even know what it is you're risking your soul for?"

"I know who Sarah is."

"Sarah Drake." He laughed. "What a lovely moniker she's given herself this time around." She lay on the ground trying to get air into her lungs, forced into stillness in order to breathe. "Not as lovely as her last name in my opinion, but well enough all around."

Mokuba wasn't moved. "I know she changed her identity when she came to Japan. Do you think that would get me to turn on her?"

"Her identity?" The man remarked. "You've not a clue what she is." Mokuba frowned in confusion. "But look at you, full of youthful chivalry and ready to save a woman you view as what?" The scale in his hand glittered. "A friend? An older sister? The maternal figure you've longed for with such fervent desperation all these years? Do you think she resembles your real mother?" He asked. "Or can you even remember what she looks like?"

"I-"

"But no, it's more than that. It's so much more perverse isn't it? To lust after the mother you've always wanted. How frustrating it has to be to want the same woman your brother already has. She's just one more thing he's outdone you in."

"It is not like that." Mokuba snapped. "And she would never pick one of us over the other."

"She already has." He told Mokuba. "You never had a chance, not even for the least of her affections. There's no room for you between them and I assure you your brother will pick her every time if forced. He can't help himself."

"Seto will never betray me." Mokuba stated, his eyes going cold. "Never."

"You are an afterthought, Mokuba Kaiba, to everyone you've ever known. You always have been and you always will be."

Mokuba's jaw clenched, as the words started to stick into him, and she strained toward him. "Stop listening to him!" She wheezed, seeing that somehow the object Mokuba's opponent was holding was allowing him to see the teenagers deepest fears. "The scale is-"

"Do I need to break your ribs to get you to hold your tongue?" The man asked as the chains tightened further. She whined as her body was compressed to a near breaking point, and she knew that wasn't an idle threat.

"Stop it!" The teenager snarled. "I told you it's me you're dealing with! So either duel me or explain yourself." Mokuba told him. "I didn't come here for riddles."

"It hardly matters what I mean. I'll have both of you soon enough." He flicked his hand and his second card came up. "I'll play cost down to reduce the level of all the monsters in my hand by two. That lets me play Caius the Shadow Monarch with no need to sacrifice another monster." A darkly cloaked fiend appeared, his cape billowing around him as an odd tug started in her chest that had nothing to do with the tethers. "Now-"

All at once she felt searing pain rip through her entire body, and despite having the chains constricting the air out of her she let out a keening, agonized scream. "Sarah!" Mokuba called as she began to convulse. "What are you doing to her?"

"Nothing at all." The man replied. "You have your brother to thank-"

Just as the pain reached a point where she was sure she would have to pass out or perish there was a blinding flash of white light. She continued to scream, but all at once it was no longer her voice, only an echoing, terrifying roar. As the sound died away it was replaced with a deafening peal of enthusiastic cheering. Her sight returned as her thoughts faded back to an endless expanse of grey nothingness, tinged with only feral rage and hate. She found herself in a crowded, brightly lit amphitheater. All around her were masses of noisy human's and she could smell their bloodlust, their thirst for barbaric entertainment, in her nostrils. Snaking her head around she roared at them savagely, livid, livid that any of them would dare to come before her and expect to live. The reaction had half the stadium of them falling back over themselves in surprise, with many of them appearing as frightened as they should be.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon!" A voice called behind her, which had her head swiveling back around as someone, some brave fool, addressed her by name. Behind her on the open field a navy eyed young man stood staring at her with smug confidence. She bared her teeth as a savage hiss escaped her throat. The young man was not at all intimidated, instead he smirked, clearly pleased. Throwing his arm out he pointed across the space. "Destroy his Jinzo Lord!" He ordered.

She was about to lash out at him instead, more than ready to destroy him for his impudence, when a golden eye glimmered to existence on his forehead. She paused, and he frowned at the half second hesitation, but she saw his magic and recognized the danger and power he held. Those that wielded such magic could kill her kind if pushed, even if it was no small feat, even if the gods themselves were wary to cross her path. Deciding to bide her time she turned her head and let loose a blast of all consuming power at her shadow kin, having no real loyalty to the beast, and the lightning vaporizing it before it could put up a fight. It fell before her, as they all did, and the man that had been controlling the vanquished beast, who was not a magic weirder at all, growled in anger. "Not bad, Kaiba, but I won't go down that fast." She snarled again as something prodded at her thoughts, and she disliked it. Her only goal now was to appease this mage behind her until he was done with his foe so she could escape, or dropped his guard so she could kill him. No matter what kind of power he had he couldn't hold onto her forever, not once the shadow duel was over. She was too strong for that, and she wondered how he had managed to call her here to begin with.

"Three more turns." The mage goaded. "I'll have you down to nothing in three turns, so I suggest you make them count."

The other man stuck his nose out, huffing out a snub. "Confident are we? I wouldn't be, not with me having three face down spell and trap cards on the field."

The mage laughed softly, cruelly. "It's too bad you didn't have more." He replied. "Not that any of them will help you." He flicked his hand and an enchantment went off beside her. "I activate A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon! Return to me Blue Eyes so I can destroy his spells!"

She felt a sharp tug and roared in rage as she was yanked backward against her will, as if a giant hand had grabbed her and tossed her like a loose stone across a pond. The arena vanished and all at once there was more pain and she gasped sharply as her body jerked hard. Forcing her eyes open she moaned as the chains dug into her sore ribs and she found herself back on the sand strewn rocks. "Sarah!" The boy called, and she saw there were different armed men in front of him, one that looked oddly like a monkey in ancient armor. "Sarah! Are you alright?"

Her head lolled. "Who's…. Sarah?" She managed, wondering where the arena had gone, or why the mage had seemed familiar, or why she wasn't the way she should be.

"You're Sarah!" He yelled, fear in his voice. "What's the matter with you?"

"Her mind is opening." The hooded man informed him matter of factly.

"What the hell does that mean?" Mokuba snarled.

"She's caught between worlds." The man replied. "Torn between her fanatic loyalty to her priest and the physical manifestation of her soul."

"You mean her body?" Mokuba asked, alarmed. "Are you saying her soul just got ripped out of her body?"

"It's not a pleasant experience." The man told him with a shrug. "You should know that better than nearly anyone."

Distantly she heard a barked order from the arena mage inside her head and tried to twist frantically, torn between staying with Mokuba and the irresistible pulling that caught her up, no matter how badly it hurt. The decision was made for her in moments as the pain returned, ripping a rasping scream out of her before she was engulfed in the light. In front of her in the stadium a giant machine was powering up and the mage's opponent was all but rolling in self satisfaction. "You're dragon can't stop my trumped up Perfect Machine King. With two other machine monsters on the field he gets a thousand point power boost. That brings his total to thirty-seven hundred. Even your blue eyes can't match that." He threw his arm forward in a command. "Take out the dragon! Now!"

"Mistake." The mage made a harsh slicing motion and conjured another spell behind her. "I activate the trap card Castle of Dragon Souls. I'll banish my Dimension Dragon from my graveyard to increase my Blue Eyes attack by seven hundred points. White Lightning Attack!"

Seeing that the other monster was about to take her down she obeyed, if only because there was no other option except to fight. As she released a ball of lightning the man yelled in rage. "No!" He snarled. "That mean's they'll destroy one another!"

Unfortunately, she found that was true and was blasted backward as green energy overtook her, sending pain radiating out along her back and wings. The sensation, while uncomfortably intense, was brief as she was jolted back to the plaza. Blinking slowly she saw that Mokuba was looking the worse for wear. He was panting and sweat was beading on his forehead. In front of him a samurai was on one knee, ready to defend him, and she tried to gather her thoughts, which seemed to be just out of reach. "Sarah, dear." The man called tauntingly. "Yes, that's you down there." She forced her head to the side so she could see him. "Are you watching? I do need you to pay attention while you're with us. Observe." She frowned, not understanding, until the man flicked his fingers at a monster before him. "Did I mention this card can bypass all your defenses? Attack his life points directly." Her head jerked around as the beast flashed forward and Mokuba was thrown backward. He let out a pained shout as he hit the ground and his samurai let out a wordless shout of rage as his master was attacked. "Give up now, Kaiba, you can't win. Make it easy for all of us."

Turning himself over with obvious difficulty the boy shoved himself up, swaying as he gasped. "Never. I'm not leaving without her."

"You're not leaving at all." The man said.

"Stop hurting him." She cried, right before that horrible pain hit her again and she began screaming. This time she knew what was going to happen, and tried desperately to hold onto her thoughts, but when she found herself back in the arena she bellowed in frustration and lashed her tail out, only aware now that she should be elsewhere. Around her people were chanting and she coiled about herself in agitation, knowing that she needed to go. As she did she saw the navy eyed mage again, and he was fully at ease, his self-assurance palpable.

"I did say three turns." He goaded.

The crowd roared in approval as the other man stood defiantly before them, a name rocking around the arena. "Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba!"

She shook her head hard, the name pounding at her, undulating over her scales and having her digging her claws into the smooth floor below her as she fought to remember whatever felt so important. "Do it then." The man before her said.

The name kept pounding into her from all sides, and all at once she remembered the boy… Kaiba, Kaiba was his name, and he was trying to help her. She let out another roar, this one of fear, and launched herself up into the sky, desperate to escape this shadow duel so she could get to him, knowing his opponent was too powerful for him alone, but finding her way blocked by a dome of golden light no doubt put in place by the mage that was bossing her about so irritatingly. "Blue Eyes White Dragon!" The man called up to her, and she beat her wings, twisting sinuously in the air and turning to look at him, knowing only that she would be forced to obey as his magic was the strongest she had ever seen. As she did she let out an ear splitting keen of despair, meeting his familiar seeming eyes, and the man faltered. He turned his head sharply, looking into the crowd. His eyes quickly became frantic, but his face was impassive as he turned back to her. She roared again, hampered by his will, and he made a harsh motion. "White lightning attack!" Turning her head she let loose with all her power, hitting the other man and sending him staggering backward. The crowd roared and she saw the magic around her shatter, freeing her from the constraints. But before she could flee to find the boy she was simply back in the other place, her awareness slamming into her other body. Gasping she lay limply, unable to fight any longer. Utterly exhausted her head lolled to the left and her tired gaze fell directly on Mokuba.

He was barely able to keep himself up now, his shoulders slumping as he panted harshly. He was soaked through with sweat, his shirt all but dripping, and his face was ashen. But despite that he was still up and ready to fight, defiance etched into every line of him. "This is the end, boy." The hooded man told him. "No card you draw can save you from my Dark Ruler Ha Des, not with the spell card on it, and you only have fifty life points left. Surrender."

The boy staggered, gasping, but managed to plant his feet. "And you only have a hundred and twenty-five. This isn't over." Turning, he caught her gaze and she watched him silently, so tired she could barely keep her eyes open now. "It'll be alright, Sarah." He assured her. "I'll think of something and then we'll go home, okay? Don't worry."

Her breathing began to slow dramatically as she watched him, and her mind connected with the dragon. She felt it's anger, which was her own, and saw clearly for the first time how to be what she was meant to be, what she had always been. Gathering the last of her energy, she let herself relax all over as a strange wave of peace washed over her. She sent him a tired, encouraging smile. "Draw."

Mokuba nodded sharply and pulled a card out of his deck. His face filled with confusion and he stared down at the card with wide eyes, freezing all over. "I'm growing impatient!" The cloaked man snapped.

Mokuba's face cleared and he looked up, conviction. Overhead the darkness began to grow and lightning flashed through the haze as thunder rolled over the endless expanse of sand. "You were wrong." Lifting the card he snapped. "I sacrifice my Six Samurai Kamon and my Hand of the Six Samurai to summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

For the fourth time a blast of agony hit her. Too tired to scream she simply went limp before she was suddenly towering before Mokuba as lighting slammed into the ground around them, blasting chunks of stone out of the blocks. Her fury knew no bounds and she roared so loudly that the stone below her paws shook. The cloaked man took an involuntary step back before catching himself. "Oh, well done, Kaiba!" The man called, truly pleased. "You've summoned her! You've done it!"

She bellowed and the teenager caught his second wind, bolstered by her appearance. "Blue Eyes White Dragon, white lightning attack!" Turning her head she spotted him and roared, refusing to be dominated. She lashed her tail out at the boy and he let out a shout, tumbling backward as she nearly sliced him in half.

Across from them the other man chuckled. "You can't control her, you fool, not here in the shadow realm at the heart of her power. You've no magic to even attempt it." She whipped her tail down and the teenager rolled to the left hard before scrambling up and dodging behind a pillar. Having dealt with that small annoyance she turned her attention to the other monster and breathed lightning in rage, decimating it. The man that had been controlling it stumbled back, but with a smidgeon of power left he raised his scale up to her and it began to glow. Unafraid she launched herself into the air and roared as lightning continued to rain down, toppling columns and leaving craters and burn marks everywhere. Unappeased by the destruction she began to breathe lighting, knocking over another five pillars with a single blast.

As she circled back around she saw the boy that had dared to call her racing out among the bolts to an unconscious human laying in the center of the square. The boy hurled himself over her, trying to shield her, and she was about to finish him when a blast of golden light smashed her out of the sky. She slammed into the rough stones at an angle, toppling another three columns as she did. Shaking her head she screech as she snaked back up, more angry than hurt. Searching for the source of the magic she saw the cloaked man holding up the scale as the eye on it glowed. Seeing a much more powerful enemy she spread her wings and roared again, advancing on him.

The man stood his ground and when she drew breath to finish him he held a card up, releasing a spell. A large, upright pot appeared before him, embossed with the face of a dragon. "Dragon capture jar, take her!" She began to be drawn forward and snarled in shock, trying to dig her paws into the stone. "There's no escape now." The man told her. "You will be mine."

"Trap jammer!" A new voice yelled.

A blast of orange light hit the jar and it exploded, releasing her from it's grip. "No!" Her enemy yelled as she opened her maw and spewed a stream of lightning at him. There was a scream of pain and then a golden flash. When it faded there was nothing in the place her foe had been and she knew he had escaped. Infuriated by the get away she whirled around, intent on taking her frustration out on someone, on one of these wretched humans that kept interfering with her. Gathering her power around her had bolts of energy lancing off her and she saw the boy that had summoned her crouched down by the other one. Spreading her wings she launched herself at him, and suddenly the powerful mage from the arena had thrown himself bodily between her and her intended victim. She beat her wings hard, landing before him and roaring at him as loudly as she could, her teeth bared in contempt.

"Stop this!" He commanded forcefully and the eye appeared on his forehead again. Hissing in rage she stood there, her head swaying back and forth as she looked for a way to break past his magic. Seeing that she was still intent on killing him he reached into his long coat and pulled out a golden rod with two wings fringing either side of the top of it. It was radiating magic in soft pulses hypnotically. He held it straight out before him, meeting her eyes. "I said stop." He said, his voice level, but firm. "That's enough, Sarah." She hissed softly as her head rocked to and fro, the name catching hold of her and sending her anger down to a low simmer.

"Sarah?" Mokuba breathed behind him. "She's-"

"Be quiet, Mokuba!" He ordered, glancing back at the boy briefly. He returned his attention back to her at once. "You're safe now." She snarled at him, very sure that wasn't true and he pressed his lips together. "You know me! If I'm telling you that you're safe then you are! Look at me and remember!" The staff pulsed again, the light hitting her eyes at the command and a torrent of memories flooded into her mind. Shuddering all over she backed up, cowering away from the magic that was giving her these visions and keening at him pitifully. "It's alright." He said gently. "Calm down and go back now." He made a motion with his free hand toward the white human. "Go back, Sarah, you're hurt and I need to stop the bleeding." Letting out a low rumble she obeyed, closing her eyes and letting his magic guide her back.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

When she woke up all she knew was that she hurt all over and felt very ill. Not remembering why she would be in this condition she could only assume her self-restraint had broken again and she had done the unthinkable. Forcing her eyes open it took her several moments to understand what she was seeing. Above her the ceiling was as white as a cloud and she frowned, having only ever seen such a color adorning the great tombs of the pharaohs. Turning her head she saw she was in a small room like nothing she had ever seen before. There was a strange silver chair sitting empty beside her and glowing boxes attached to the wall and sitting on poles. The floor had a strange pattern and shone as if it were made of wet ink and water. The bed she was on was high above the floor, resting precariously on wheels, which made no sense to her. Other items she had no name for lined the walls, beeping and humming, and a strange, sickly smell permitted the entire area.

Beyond confused she sat up, her head spinning, and hissed when a hot sting radiated up her arm. Looking down she saw there was a strange tube pressed against the crook of her elbow with some sort of bandage holding it down. Below that was another bandage that wrapped all the way around her arm from her wrist to just below the tube. Reaching down she clawed the sticky thing off and saw a glint of metal. Bitting her lip she tugged it out and was horrified to find that a long metal pin had been placed under her skin. Throwing it to the side violently she kicked the smooth blanket that had been placed on her off and tumbled out of the bed. Her bare feet slid on the strange floor and she fell, sprawling out on the slick ground. The jarring impact had a sharp throb roll over her and she grunted softly, trying to muffle the noise behind her lips. Feeling as if something was wrong with her sides she grabbed at the edge of the bed, which had strange silver arms, and hauled herself up with no little effort. The move pulled painfully at her side and she silently confirmed that she had at least one broken rib.

When she was up on her feet she went to inspect herself, her eyes darting around, and found that she was in a crudely made white gown that stopped just above her knees. Not recognizing the fabric or knowing where it came from she frowned. As she tried to work out what was happening she heard a low murmur of voices beyond the closed door, which was made with remarkable craftsmanship out of a wood she had never seen before. The voices were barely audible, but even so she couldn't understand what they were saying. Whatever it was it was in an odd dialect or language she had never encountered before. The voices got closer and she tensed, but then they began to fade and she could only assume that the people had walked by the door. After several seconds she crept forward, disliking this room and fully unsettled by her surroundings. Reaching out she slowly opened the door, pushing the metal handle down, and peeked outside.

What she found was an equally strange hallway filled with equally bizarre things. Every few feet was another well crafted door that lead she knew not where. Far down the passage she saw two people turning a corner, wearing white cloaks that stopped at their knees with dark pants below them. At a little alcove in the opposite direction a woman in a very strange hat with a red cross on it was sitting, looking down at something under her hands and paying no attention to her. She wondered what kind of slavers these were, but had no idea. Seeing no one else she eased out of the room, intent on leaving. Going away from the woman she moved silently, afraid someone would come after her. When she got to the corner where the two people had gone she craned her neck around it and saw another long hall and a different colored door with a window cut into it a few feet away. Moving to it she darted a glance inside and saw a stairway. It was the strangest set of stairs she had ever seen, but it did lead out of this place. Grabbing the handle she opened the heavy door and went through, pausing on the landing.

The stairs went both up and down, and were fenced in on one side by a wall and the other with several metal poles. Having never seen that much metal in one place she could only assume these people were wealthy indeed and gazed about, undecided on her directions. Down seemed the easiest, as she felt incredibly weak, but it was also likely that there were more people in that direction. Her hesitation decided for her, as a few moments later she heard a squeak below her and then more unrecognizable words. Afraid she would be captured she began going up fast, pushing the pain aside as she found her freedom far more important. She went up and around several times, wondering how far up this could go, or who could build like this. After several minutes she got to another door as the stairs stopped before it. Seeing no other way to go she pushed it open, noting the writing on it and wondering what it said. It didn't look familiar, but she had never learned to read, as that was something only great mages and the nobility were taught. She supposed it could be in Egyptian for all she knew, but doubted it greatly after hearing these people talk.

As she pushed the door open a blast of fresh, cool night air hit her and she went through eagerly, thinking she had found a way to escape. As she stepped out of the strange structure she had woken up in foreign, muffled sounds met her ears, and an unbelievable sight had her stopping dead. She had come out on the roof of the building, which she could only assume was built on the side of a hill. Beyond the edge of it, spread out below, was a dark, massive village, if that was what it could be called. Great buildings rose up into the dark sky, hundreds of feet high and crammed next to one another so closely she didn't know how they weren't blown against one another in the wind. A million lights shone out of them, lighting the night up as if it was predawn and driving the stars back into the heavens. The massive structures went on forever, the lights twinkling on far away mountains in the distance.

Her jaw dropped at the tableau, and when the door closed behind her with a heavy thud she jumped, startled. After several long moments she moved forward cautiously as she tried to understand what she was seeing. As she got to the lip of the building, a ten inch expanse of smoothed stone that was a foot or so higher than the ground, she stepped up onto it and gazed out, swaying slightly as her legs shook at the strain of keeping her up after going up all the stairs. Below her a sudden loud blast of sound erupted and she jumped again, her gaze flying toward the sound. She saw a flashing red light on top of the strangest chariot she had ever seen. Large and white it glowed with red magic as it was pulled by nothing, racing toward the building she was on and vanishing under it mysteriously. Just beyond the base of this structure was a vast black lake that held many more of the chariots, these dark and still. Frowning, she turned her attention upward again and stared out, trying to understand any of this.

Her mind felt foggy, as if she had slept far too long, and and she was trying to recall the last thing that had happened to her. She felt sick, her stomach aching and her head pounding, and she was overly warm, which wasn't helping her focus. Forcing the physical feelings away she thought back and recalled clearly being at the palace. She had been there for several weeks in the care of the high priest and she shifted, wondering where he was. Pushing her feelings for him back, if that were possible, she thought harder. She recalled being in an alley and meeting another man who looked like her priest, but wasn't, and then running across the desert. Then… she sucked in a sharp breath and set her hand on her chest. She had been hurt, badly, and then… then she had died. Not understanding at all she felt the spot where she had been mortally wounded and found nothing there but smooth skin. There was no trace of injury, or even scaring. Slowly, she lowered her hand, letting it hang next to her and went back to staring, unable to comprehend any of this and wondering what sort of after life this was.

She wasn't there long, barely long enough to start getting cold, when someone spoke behind her. She didn't understand the words, but turned her head at the sound, exhausted and thinking she was too tired to keep up her running. Who she saw had her mind reeling and an odd array of emotions hitting her all at once. Ten feet from her, with his hands held up in a peaceful, calming gesture was her priest. He was dressed oddly, in dark clothing rather than his symbolic white and royal blue. He was wearing a blue cape that wrapped around his arms and fell past his knees, much like the other two people she had seen here. When she met his eyes she saw the worry and concern in them, and also something else. They stood staring at one another for a long time as she wondered what miracle had brought him back to her. "Seto?" She asked, her voice breaking.

Relief filled his face when she said his name and he gestured for her to come to him, speaking in that same odd language. At her baffled look he frowned and she hesitated, unsure. He said something else, which she also didn't understand and when she didn't respond to him he edged a foot closer to her, his eyes darting over the edge of the building and then back to her with real concern. She realized he was afraid she was going to fall. "Where is this place?" She asked him, and he stopped moving as she searched his face for answers. "Is this the shadow realm or the next life, my priest?" He said nothing, his breath catching in his throat, and she put her hand on her heart, looking truly baffled. "There was pain." She told him. "And you were crying for me to stay." He sucked in a sharp breath. "And then I could only come to you in another way." Shaking her head she pressed her hands to her forehead, covering her face. "I've heard your endless call into the void, my priest, but where have you brought me this time? This is not Egypt."

"Kisara." He replied, this time speaking in a language she understood, his voice tight and stained. "Kisara, you're safe. Please, please come here. I don't want to lose you again. Please, love, come to me, come down now. You could fall."

She let out an odd sound and lowered her arms, unafraid of the possibility, unafraid of falling when everything else was so unsettling and painful. "Where have we been?" A tear tracked down her cheek. "Why couldn't I hear you for so very long? Why are we in this strange place when I can see this is not the next world of rest and peace that we were promised?" Her breath hitched. "I waited for you, waited for you to follow me, and yet we are here."

"Trust me." He said, turning so he had one hand outstretched to her, palm up. "Trust that this time I will keep you safe." Stepping down she reached out she slipped her hand into his bigger one. He drew her to him quickly, and away from the edge of the roof. She let out a strangled sigh as his arms folded around her and pressed fully against him, her body molding against his even as he backed them up so they were well away from the danger of falling. He made a shushing sound when he felt her shaking and lowered his head, burying his face into her hair. "It's alright." He breathed. "It's alright, I promise." He assured her. "Nothing will hurt you here. Is that why you left your room?"

She clutched at him. "I didn't know where I was." She whispered. "None of it is right."

He nodded into her hair. "Come inside where it's warm." He whispered, carefully shrugging out of his cloak one arm at a time so he could keep hold of her. When it was off he wrapped her up in it as he backed them up toward the stairs. "It's too cold up here for you in nothing but that gown."

She followed him, staying in the circle of his arms and looking up at his face, tracing it with her eyes. When he had her back inside on the landing he brushed her hair back and smiled at her softly. Something about him, about his eyes, wasn't quite right. He tilted his head a little as she studied him critically, seeing what she was doing and not trying to hide anything. "You're different." She said at last, reaching up and catching his hand again. "You're older."

"We both are." He replied, not bothered. "How do you feel?"

"Strange, as if I know things I can't remember. I know this you." She told him, watching him closely as she reached up and touched his face, recognizing what she was seeing now. "You're the one I met in the city while I was looking for my priest, but you are my priest." He let her turn that over in her head and carefully put his hand over hers, searching her eyes for something. "But I know you more as well. I feel as if I should be… more than I am now." Relief filled his face and she realized all at once that her not remembering had him worried. For a moment she couldn't understand why, but then a thought occurred to her. He said they were both older, but she had been killed. There was only one explanation. "We've been reborn."

"Yes." He agreed.

She frowned. "Why don't I remember this life?"

"I don't know." He told her honestly. "But it took me a long time to remember my last one with you."

She smiled at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "The high priest forgetting himself? What will people say?"

He rolled his eyes, something she had never seen him do before. "I can see your sorry sense of humor is the same no matter how many times you pop back to life."

"I pleased to hear that."

He huffed, eyeing her in amusement. "Let's get you back now. We can talk in your room."

"I don't like that place." She informed him, not wanting to go back. "Take me somewhere else."

"I'll be happy to after the doctor assures me that all the poison is out of your system, you bossy thing." He began to lead her down the stairs. "But you're too sick to leave now."

"Sick?"

He hummed under his breath as they went down the stairs. "You've had at least three seizures since yesterday."

She didn't understand that at all, as one of the words wasn't in their language. "What?"

"A-" He frowned, realizing what had happened. "You're sick." He repeated again, unable to find the correct word.

"How was I poisoned?" She asked, thinking that explained why she felt so very bad. It wan't like her to get sick, even when others around her fell to disease.

"I don't know." He told her. "I'll find out soon." There was danger in his voice, suppressed fury, and she was very sure he wasn't pleased this had happened to her. "But one thing at a time."

She opened her mouth to reply, wondering many things, when she swayed hard. He held her up, shifting his grip to her waist when she faltered on the stair right above the next landing. "Kisara?" He asked sharply.

She put her hand back to her head. "Forgive me. I don't feel-" Out of nowhere she lost control of her body and began to spasm uncontrollably. He let out a shout of fear as she convulsed and quickly laid her on the landing, trying to hold her head down so she didn't hit it.

"Kisara!" She couldn't answer, couldn't make herself stop, and as her back arched everything went black and there was nothing left but the sound of him calling to her in the darkness.