Age of Majesty

Chapter 12

Gahiji was frustrated.

Seto was reputed to have great power, but so far he had not displayed any of that famed magic, other than the unexpected arrival of his Blue Eyes White Dragon.

He passed through the market thus preoccupied, wondering how each time he could have failed to capture the ailing priest. It was unbelievable. The gods must be working against him.

He burst into laughter. Of course the gods are. He was a brute, and he did not deny it. But then, the gods do not always favor the good and kind. They have their humor. Perhaps Seto really is the gift of gods.

" This is real gold!" He heard a man say. " Believe me, or Ra can cut my throat open tonight, this is real gold."

Absentmindedly, Gahiji drew near. He looked at the pieces on the display platform. What a load of junk. He picked up a nugget, weighing the metal in his hand, dropped in on the table to pick up another.

Ah. A shadow user.

Gahiji dropped the item.

" Sir, be careful with those! These are priceless artifacts!"

" Indeed." Gahiji glared at the seller, stooping down to pick up the rough gold. That was bizarre.

So the wait was not in vain after all. Gahiji heard the voice muse. Will do, will do.

Gahiji looked at the gold skeptically. " How much is this for?" He asked.

oO

No major wounds; Seto was merely fatigued and dehydrated, which sleep and water could easily rectify. Pharaoh Atemu had raced into the chamber after Seto had fallen asleep, and his panicked shock and discomposure as he arrived at the door was not enough to rouse the young priest.

He had stopped at the doorway, completely still, letting Shada and Isis catch up to him. He had frozen there, unmoving, for a whole three minutes, before slowly approaching the bed. Seto's chest rose and fell with his soft breathing, leaving no doubt that he was alive. He stroked Seto's cheek, amazed that it was real, realizing it was darker than he had remembered. He stood there staring at Seto again and remained there, his mind completely overwhelmed.

" He will be fine, Your Majesty." Shada told Atemu. " He is home."

" I cannot believe he is really alive." Atemu whispered. " Why is he so still?"

" He is tired, my lord."

" I need to talk to him."

" He remembers nothing, Sire."

" What?" Atemu whirled on Isis. " What do you mean?"

" He has amnesia." Shada told Atemu.

" How did—how did you find him then?" The king asked shakily.

Shada and Isis exchanged a look.

" What?" The Pharaoh grew apprehensive again. " How did you find him?"

" He…he was with the Tomb Robber Bakura."

" What?!"

This woke Seto up. Startled by the ruckus, he scooted back on the bed as a strange man whirled around to look at Seto.

Even Adjo knew it was the Pharaoh.

" How was this possible?" The Pharaoh cried.

Equally horrified, Seto raised his hand in a defensive gesture. Atemu looked at him, as if hardly believing Seto could still be whole and unharmed.

" Sire," Shada called Atemu's attention, as Isis sat by Seto's side.

" There dear," Isis took Seto's hand, " Adjo, is it? You have been sleeping for a while, but you will be alright. You're safe now."

" Where am I?" Seto asked shakily.

" You're home." Isis told him.

" No." Seto shook his head. " This is not home. What—" He froze again, staring at Atemu.

As the truth dawned on the Pharaoh, he slowly walked forward, his expression adjusting into the regal look he usually wore, though he made sure to keep his voice gentle. " Adjo, correct?"

Seto nodded, eyes wide.

" Adjo, tell me something." Isis had backed away when Atemu approached. " I want you to tell me everything you remember."

" I…I don't remember much but…"

" Just relax," The King said, " And tell me everything you know. This is important."

Recognizing the crown, and fearing for his life, Seto obeyed.

oO

" You expect me to believe that this lawless, conniving, out-of-control bandit had been taking care of my cousin all this time when not too long ago he attacked him?" The Pharaoh hissed angrily when he left the chamber. " Do you have him under custody?"

Knowing who he meant, Shada answered, " We arrested Bakura when we found Priest Seto, Sire."

" Good. Have him interrogated."

" He has been." Isis told him. " It was the same story."

" Of course it is." The ruler spat impatiently. " I want to know his motives."

" As far as we know, there were no motives." Isis informed him. " He has not reported to his band, had kept both his and Seto's identities secret, and made no requests for ransom. The only thing he did was have Seto work as a scribe for Lord Akil."

" He was trying to lay low." Atemu realized. He paused to consider this. " What could be his reason?"

" It sounded like he wants to escape his thieving past."

" It certainly does." Atemu agreed, " Though he could have just as easily tried to use Seto as leverage. And another thing—just because Seto does not remember how to use spells does not mean he would lose his magic, but I sensed very little shadow magic in him."

" He has it somehow." Shada agreed. " When he was attacked the Blue Eyes White Dragon sailed by us in the Shadow Realm."

" While he was unconscious?"

"…Yes." Isis looked uncomfortable. " Sire?"

" Bakura must have stolen Seto's Shadow Magic."

" If he did, we would not be able to catch him."

" Where is he?"

" He is in the dungeons, my lord."

" Take me to him. Now."

oO

Seeing Bakura chained and confined to a cell gave Atemu less pleasure than he had hoped. The thief was relatively clean, sitting on the hay, eyes cast blankly past the iron bars. He looked up a little when the Pharaoh came, but did not react in any fashion.

" Kamenwati." The Pharaoh enunciated, when he gestured the guards to leave them. " A little obvious. Why did you choose that name?"

" I slipped." Bakura replied dryly, though truthfully. " What do you want to know?"

" Why did you take him, Tomb Robber?" The Pharaoh asked. " If you didn't use him, which you did not seem to."

" I love him." Bakura replied quietly.

Atemu paused at this. Part of him wanted to disregard that answer completely, but something made him hesitate. This man had no prospects left. There was no reason for him to lie. Lying would not help his case. He decided to point this out to Bakura.

" I know." Bakura answered, and said no more.

Atemu considered this. Bakura had made no requests for clemency, or any request at all. It was the first time he met Bakura, face to face, and it was hard to believe this was the Tomb Robber that had been causing all this mayhem all these years. He said so.

Bakura smirked bitterly. " How can I help you, your Majesty?" He asked sarcastically. " What do you wish for me to steal?"

Deciding to get to the point, Atemu replied, " I want to know what happened to Seto's magic."

" Got knocked in the head. Gahiji." Bakura replied. " He wanted Seto for his own. Seto hurt his head when struggling against him."

" Gahiji?"

" Yes." Bakura glared at the Pharaoh." Though you are not entitled to believe me."

" No. Continue."

Bakura paused. " I don't know what happened to his powers." He said. " I do know he certainly did not need that triple medicine combo you've been giving him. Never coughed blood once under my care." Here he glared at the Pharaoh arrogantly. " What say you to that?"

" Did you bind his powers?"

" I told you. I don't know what happened to his powers." Bakura folded his arms, the chains clanging. " It certainly did not seem to trouble him, however."

Atemu paused. " Why a scribe?"

Bakura did not speak.

" Answer me, Tomb Robber!"

" We needed money."

" Could have stolen some."

" Could have." Bakura agreed. He said no more.

The Pharaoh considered him again, wondering what to think. He turned around and headed out without another word.

oO

" Why should I believe the likes of you?" Mahaado asked, asking more out of dismay than from suspicion.

" I have nothing to gain by harming you." Kisara pointed out. " You have been stripped of your rank. I am not interested in anything you could offer me."

" That I know." Mahaado replied. " But I still fail to see how you concluded that Seto is a Light Mage."

" You know we sense each other as you sense your kin." Kisara replied coldly. She was edgy, and treading dangerous ground. Shadow magic was not stronger than Light Magic, but it held more destructive power, and Kisara was not one of the best. " The same pertains to us. Seto is half Light. It was the reason for his illness. It was the reason for his Blue Eyes White Dragons. It will be the reason for his death, if you do not help."

" How do you know it was not his Light Magic?" Mahaado asked. " Perhaps it was all his Light Magic."

" I do not know. All I know is, the use of Shadow Magic made him sick."

Mahaado rubbed his eyes. " What do you want me to do?"

" The High Priests have taken him to the Pharaoh." Kisara replied. " He is proof that you have not committed any crime. You and the Pharaoh have enough history that you can speak with him, or, if need be, take Seto out of there."

" Atemu loves him too much." Mahaado said confidently. " Even if we end up having to purge his Shadow Magic in favor of the Light, he will not abandon his cousin."

" That is for you to gauge." Kisara inclined her head. " His life depends on you now. My work is done. Oh, and if you can find that old fool, Akhenaden, he is still at large and inflicting pain on himself. I would recommend guiding him. Farewell, Priest Mahaado."

" I am no longer priest." Mahaado answered, but Kisara had withdrawn.

Outside, however, Mahaado caught sight of a figure he never thought he would see again.

" Siamun?" Mahaado whispered. But it could not be, for Old Siamun was dead. Or was he?

oO

I am Zorc Necrophades, lord of freedom. The powerful and mighty owe allegiance to me. My blood and flesh made the land of Shadow and fed what dwells within. Against the greedy gods I offered liberty.

Long ago I blessed this Great Egypt with seven keys. In answer to prayers of those forsaken by the gods, I offered salvation and a second way. I gave the people the key to a world of servants. I gave each mortal a group of minions for them to control. I blessed those loyal to me with the power to have no fear nor want. I promised them a living Field of Reeds as well as the dead.

The gods were afraid, and sent message to their priests, and the foolish mortals rebelled against me, stealing what was mine and locking me in this worthless golden prison. I have languished all these years while the humans took my gifts. They abandoned me, when they were nothing without me. Fools! But the time has come. I will return now into the land of Ra. I will have my revenge. I will right the wrongs.

Free me, Gahiji. You wish to remove the Blessed Priest from his temple. I wish to remove the blessed Pharaoh from his throne. When the line of Kings is broken, I will take back what is mine, and you can have your beauty to claim. We will free ourselves from Ra's hold and make this land as it ought to be: a world where all can practice magic to their hearts desire, and their hearts desire is not something we must restrain. After all, what is a good life, when we are refused the very things we want most?

Free me, Gahiji. Free me from this prison. Join me. Break the line of Kings, and you will take part in a new, grander world, where you never will have to refuse yourself anything!