As the Pharaoh, Queen, and princess of Egypt ran to the room many were staring horrified into it. Their hearts raced, their breathing laboured, their minds each trying to conclude what could have possibly caused such a rise from the people and as they pushed past the crowd, trying to get into the room, apologizing and asking to get by when they bumped into someone, but their trepidation hit its fever pitch when they caught a glimpse of what was inside.

Blood splatter.

Atem was he first to get free of the crowd and into the room, expecting that perhaps someone's soul monster had come springing forth and had alarmed the people. Expecting someone in need of medical care who may have been hurt on the way to the palace to escape the sand storm. Had expected perhaps even a woman giving birth and causing a commotion within which scared the village people to retreat into the halls after hearing the screaming, but he could never be prepared for what met his eyes.

Bodies of both men and women alike, even children lay mangled on the floor, some bleeding profusely, others not bleeding at all in spite of the ripped off limbs of their body that was obviously a contributing factor to their death. Each one of the victims lay face up, those with their eyes still in their sockets staring with misted over, blank eyes up at the cieling, mouths hanging open in a silent scream, their faces frozen in a state of terror in death.

Atem didn't even hear or sense when his queen joined him in the room or when his sister closed the door and came to stand beside him, his eyes were trained on the gruesome sight before him, he wasn't alone in that however as Heba and Shaiya both stood frozen in place, each of their eyes wide in shock and horror, one of Shaiya's hands going to her mouth that had popped open in aghast shock.

The Pharaoh walked almost tentatively towards the deceased, his eyes jerking up now and scanning the room carefully, precisely, trying to find what sort of thing could have done this to his people. It went without saying they hadn't died naturally, they were attacked, by what would have been an animal if it were possible, but no living thing could get in or out without he or his guards knowing. Which meant that they were attacked by someone within the palace.

He nearly fell to the floor as continued to scan the room, but regained his balance and turned quickly to see what could have done such a thing, surprise to the point of gasping, unusual for him when he seen what looked like nothing, but a mere shadow slink away like a snake, that alone was baffling, but what held him speechless was what he saw that the shadow had slithered away from.

A young woman, and a child right beside her still form lay there, both bodies had their eyes missing from their sockets, several fingers gone, leaving only a pinky and ring finger on each hand one foot was ripped off the woman, while the child's kneecaps were busted open, possibly broken when the tike undoubtedly tried to escape.

To his right, was a young man, in a simular condition to the other two, only difference being his throat was ripped out on one side, a wound that should have the body spouting blood like a morbid fountain long before this point, but there was none and upon closer inspection the Pharaoh found there was no blood on the floor near him either. Where then had it gone?

The Pharaoh rose from where he had kneeled to look over the bodies of his subjects, fury burning bright in his crimson eyes as his stomach rebeled and twisted at what he had just witnessed, one tanned hand covering his mouth as his stomach arched and he gagged quietly before turning to the other victims.

"My brother."

Atem turned at the sound of his sister's voice, eyes still burning in rage, which made Shaiya start, but relax quickly, knowing it wasn't directed at her, she was about to elaborate, but stopped when Atem chose that moment to speak in a rough, but clearly hurting tone.

"I ask of you to tell the guards to make post outside the rest of the rooms, three the minimum, if there are not enough guards then have those which guard the royal chambers go as well. I will protect myself and Heba if need be, I am more than capable."

"But Atem what of.." Heba started, but Atem interrupted.

"Have Isis come up here as well as soon as she can along with her apprentices and start to make these people ready for a proper burial. I will have the maids brought in shortly to start cleansing this place for I want the preparations for burial done here there is no need to cause more alarm than there already is and seeing bodies carried out will only cause more discord."

"Yes, my brother," Shaiya replied with a slight bow before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her, leaving Atem and Heba alone.

Heba pulled his eyes from the door once it was closed again and looked back to Atem who was back to scanning the room before his own eyes scanned the bodies laying mangled before them. Sighing sadly with more than a little disgust at whoever had done such a thing, he walked to his husband, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind to stop him, smiling sadly when he felt the warm hands of his love squeezing gently on his arms. Atem was trying to comfort him again, regardless of how much the monarch had to be hurting at this moment, he put Heba's needs before his own, just like always.

"Do not worry Ate, we will find the one who did this."

"I know we will and when we do he will be slaughtered like the animal he is."

Heba nodded against the Pharaoh's back, pulling back and allowing his arms to fall back to his sides when Atem nudged gently, signaling that he wished to move. Heba stared at Atem's back as he continued the sweep of the room until he had covered every inch of the space of how someone could have gotten in, but found nothing. The only way was the door, but if the murderer had used the door to get in and it was the only way in, that would have meant that, that was the only way out too and he would have been seen.

Plus with as mutilated as the victims of the slaughter were, there would have been blood staining the murderer's garments which someone would have had to see even in the commotion..

Atem stopped, his eyes growing wide once more as another thought only then occured to him, a thought he should have had long before now.

There was a murderer loose in the palace, his people were guarded as his guards had swarmed into the halls as soon as it had began, but his sister, was she? Surely she would be, being the princess of Egypt, but he had no room for assumptions at the moment.

"Heba, quick go get the maids to have them begin cleaning this area, but make certain you have a guard escort with you when you do, I need to find Shaiya!"

TBC...

ED: Welp, there it is. Chapter 5 for you lovely bunch of people.

Atem: -Brow tweaks, finger tapping his arm impatiently.- You made them wait all this time for this?!

Heba and Yugi: EVIL!

ED: Oh, cool your jets there, I'm only keeping it here for a little while. I'm estimating that chapter 6 will either be up tonight or tomorrow or maybe if my creative mojo keeps flowing the way it is now, within the hour. -Winks at readers.- You know what to do, please review!