"Efendim, where are we going?"
"It's not important."
Ryou sighed internally and meandered back to the rock where he had been sheltering.
The four of them – including Ma'at – had spent the whole night traveling. It seemed to be an unspoken agreement that, for now, the twins would be going with him. Ryou wished he knew his name, but he seemed reluctant to share that information, so he let it be.
They had found a small area to rest for the day. It wasn't too far from a farming village where the elder had disappeared to in the early hours of the morning. He had returned around noon with a whole collection of food, though he ate most of it. When Bakura demanded some, the man scoffed and instead gave a couple of onions to Ryou, who hadn't gave any inclination he wanted food.
He looked sheepish as Bakura threw a glare at his brother. Ryou didn't make eye contact as he rolled an onion to Bakura, who of course stubbornly declined it and went away to sulk. Ryou sighed and tucked into the sweet onion, enjoying the flavors that blanketed his pallet. After the scare form the previous night, his appetite was fervent.
As Bakura left, he heard him mutter, "Damned itja(1)," causing Ryou glare in his direction. It was an incredibly rude insult to somebody that had saved their life. Though he would find that over the course of their travels, itja eventually became a common title for their savior.
When the man finished his meal, he retreated to a separate rock and leaned against it. In that moment, the man looked incredibly careless. His head was leaned against his intertwined arms and his eyes were sealed shut. Ryou glanced over to see his brother resting on the ground in the shade of a different rock, his back to both of them.
The sun beat overhead, making him feel faint. He crawled over to his brother and curled up in the shade next to him, thankful for the slight degree change. His brother always begrudgingly let Ryou cuddle up to him, which he deeply appreciated. He enjoyed touching people; he always felt safe, even if the contact was brief. It reminded him of the hugs he would receive from mut.
The rest of the afternoon consisted of all four of them resting. As soon as it was dusk, they began traveling once more. He was thankfulMa'at was a hefty horse that could hold three bodies (even if two of them were very small and light). There was nothing but sand as far as he could see; it grew to be a very boring sight as Ryou stared absently.
Bakura seemed just as bored, but he stayed his tongue and didn't make a brash comment like he was prone to do.
Days past, and they kept up this drab routine. Few words were swapped between any of them, the most being the occasional argument or Ryou begging Bakura to play a game (he was usually denied).
"You always played games with me before!" Ryou had whined.
"Yeah well, back then our family wasn't dead and we weren't traveling through a desert with a bastard."
Ryou had lowered his head and stopped asking after that. He then turned his attention to Ma'at. Though their host hadn't told Ryou to keep up his care of the horse, he still did. He did his best to brush the beast with his curled fingers, and he guided the horse away from their temporary camp sites to relieve itself.
He found comfort in talking with Ma'at, though he normally got blank stares and occasional snorts in response. He was sure his brother thought he was crazy for it, but it brought him relief. And during such times, Ryou could use any relief from the lingering heartache and trauma that nested in his chest cavity.
…
When a city appeared on the horizon, both twins were happy, though Bakura wasn't as vocal about it as Ryou; he showed his excitement through a slight lighting of the eyes and eager prick of the head. Ryou was tempted to jump off the horse and run the rest of the way; if he had to continue sitting on that jostling horse any longer, he was sure his rear was going to be numb forever.
The last leg of through journey seemed to be the longest; dawn seemed to take forever to arrive. As the beginning of the sun rose on the horizon, the man had walked Ma'at into the city. Before they entered however, the man tossed a couple of headdresses to Ryou and his brother, similar to the one he wore.
"Put them on. Without complaint."
He added the latter statement because Bakura had furrowed his brows and opened his mouth in an attempt to argue. Ryou put the headdress on, effectively hiding his bleached locks. The piece of cloth wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as the wig Ryou had to wear before he lost it.
As they entered the city, people were starting to awaken by now. They milled around on their rooftops, or walked along the street, paying the newcomers no mind.
Ma'atcame to a halt. The man slid off of him, tied him to a post, and headed inside the building they stopped in front of. It was a pretty large, three level building. Ryou looked to Bakura hesitantly before following the elder inside, who was standing in front of a man and speaking in quick, hushed tones.
He turned to meet the two boys. "After today, you two won't accompanying me any longer."
Ryou's eyes widened and he squeaked, "What?! B-but efendim!"
He rose his hand to hush Ryou from speaking. His eyes were as cold and hard as chips of ice as he turned back to the stranger. He reached into his bag and fished out a glistening red gem, which he dropped into the stranger's hand.
"I expect this will pay for two rooms for a full day and night."
"O-of course! You may stay as long as you like!" The stranger said, eying his new treasure greedily. "Em heset net Ra."
Bakura snorted and mumbled something about not needing charity from a itja before he grabbed Ryou's hand and dragged him over to the stairs. They headed up to the third level, where the entire floor had been separated into rooms.
His brother dragged him into the one at the end of the hall. The ceiling was low, and there was a tiny gap in the wall that served as a window. It was a measly room with a single, cushioned mat on the floor. There were a couple of scratchy looking blankets as well, which Bakura laid down on the mat before draping himself across it and rolling over to face the wall. Ryou sighed at his brother's behavior before he slipped onto the mat, leaning against his brother's form and closing his eyes.
His attempt to sleep was futile. Instead, he kept thinking of what would happen to him and his brother now that their savior and temporary caregiver (of sorts). Especially since they were, yet again, in a strange territory. He wasn't even sure what city they were in, and he was sure his brother didn't know either. How were they expected to take care of themselves?
Ryou yearned to share his fears with his brother, but he already knew that he wouldn't take his worries seriously. He would brush it off with a haughty comment and turn away.
He fidgeted with the strands of his hair underneath his headdress and decided he would take his chances. But then Bakura spoke, answering his unspoken worries.
"We don't need that damned itja."
Ryou frowned and looked towards his brother's form, which was still facing away. He bit his chapped lip and began to speak, "But..."
" – No buts! We don't need him. I don't want to hear anymore of your annoying begging or complaining either."
All went silent on Bakura's side of the mat, so Ryou decided not to speak any longer. He remained quiet as he laid there, and eventually he managed to fall into a light sleep.
…
Ryou was awakened by Bakura prodding at him. His eyes peeled open, and a yawn escaped him.
"...What is it?" He mumbled as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"We're leaving. Now." Bakura's icy eyes left no room for argument. Ryou nodded obediently and stood up.
"Remain silent." He warned as he stood as well and began stepping lightly over the cold floor. Ryou didn't understand why he had to be quiet, but like usual he followed directions without complaint and fell into step behind his brother.
Bakura moved slowly out of the room. Down the hall, and into the next one. A familiar man was laying across the mat, his arms crossed and his form rigid. Ryou would have thought he was awake if it wasn't for the deep rise and dip of his broad chest. His bag laid against the wall across from him.
Bakura signaled for Ryou to stay in the doorway before he inched in. The youth was confused until he saw his brother approach the bag. It was a tense moment, and Ryou sucked in a startled breathe as Bakura accidentally killed the smallest of pebbles. Both boys froze and stared at the sleeping man, though he didn't rouse form his slumber.
Without disturbing the sleeping man, he slipped a tiny hand into the opening of the bad and pulled out a small golden bangle, which he slid onto his wrist underneath the torn sleeve of his tunic.
The man seemingly stirred, and just like that, Bakura darted for the door, shoving Ryou to go. A panicked look behind him proved that the man was still sound asleep.
Bakura took him by the wrist and dragged him through the hall, down both stairs, and out the front door of the building. Outside, the afternoon sun was scorching. Bakura sent a panicked look right and left down the streets before he dragged Ryou into an alleyway.
He then burst out laughing, "I can't believe it was that easy!"
Ryou, still frightened of being caught, stared at his brother wide-eyed. "What?! Why did you steal from that man!"
"Tch. He was a thief, Ryou, an itja. It doesn't matter if you steal from a thief."
"How do you know he's a thief?"
Ryou feigned to be ignorant, but he knew the truth. He knew no man with that many treasures would live like peasant. He would have massive palaces with servants and huge meals and a whole plethora of horses, not living underground. The man's wealth had to come from some kind of thieving, or he truly enjoyed living modestly... which was unlikely.
"Don't be stupid, Ryou!" Bakura growled, obviously unamused with Ryou's naivety.
"So... why did you steal from him?"
"He doesn't need that much gold and jewels!" Bakura hissed, crossing his arms, the bangle jingling underneath his sleeve. "He has enough of them."
From deep within the darkness of the alleyway, there was a deep cackle. It echoed throughout the narrow passage, making Ryou inch closer to Bakura, who was suddenly alert.
There was a flash of crimson before the man appeared behind Bakura, the familiar garnet-encrusted dagger pressed against his jugular, applying just enough pressure to cause the slightest trickle of blood to flow out from the wound. Ryou cried out, but he made no move to help his brother; there was nothing he could do.
"I believe you have something that belongs to me...?" The man asked, his voice as deeper and more threatening than Ryou was used to.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Bakura argued, though for the first time Ryou heard his voice waver fearfully. He was attempting to cringe away from the blade pressed against his neck.
There was another intimidating laugh. The man's free hand reached down to run along Bakura's sleeve where the bangle was hidden.
"Nobody steals from the Thief King," he growled into Bakura's ear. "Especially not a brat of a child."
"Let me go!" Bakura snarled, though he made no move to struggle.
"B-bakura! Give back what you took!" Ryou wailed, "It's not worth your life!"
But instead of taking Ryou's advice, Bakura suddenly threw his head back, bashing it against the man's broad chest, taking him by surprise. He then whipped around on his toes and threw his fist right at the man's jaw. Of course his fist was met easily with an outstretched palm, and within a matter of seconds, the elder had Bakura pinned on the ground, the dagger against his throat once again.
Ryou was frozen in place, "B-bakura!" He cried out, trying desperately to move forward, but instead just sliding to the ground in desperation. "P-please don't kill h-him!"
"You steal from me, then you try to lay your grubby fingers on me," The man was snarling at the boy, shoving him into the dust. "I don't tolerate that kind of behavior from anybody."
Bakura grunted and wriggled, unable to speak due to his face planted in the ground. Even in the face of death he remained defiant, his body struggling against the far stronger being.
"P-please! He didn't mean any disrespect!" Ryou pleaded, his tears straining the dirt. "Don't kill him! Please don't kill him! P-p-please..." he trailed away into a mess of sobs as he stared up at the man, his eyes wide and blurry.
The man didn't move, which made Ryou cry harder. He wasn't getting through to him...
Ryou scrambled a little closer, remaining on his hands and knees. "P-please... he's all I have left. Don't take him away from me..."
He continued to cry and weep, desperately hoping to get through to this man. He had managed to once, perhaps he could again. Perhaps if he begged enough... if he could get through to this man's heart, then he would release his (stupid, stupid) brother and let them go.
There was a scuffle, followed by a cough. Ryou peered up at them, seeing that the man had lifted his blade away from Bakura and was to his feet. Bakura was still on the ground, coughing harshly and trying to catch his breath. The man reached down and plucked up up by the collar of the tunic, reached up his sleeve, and retrieved his bangle.
Much to Ryou's shock, the man slid a hand down under his collar and pulled a necklace off of him as well before he discarded the boy to the ground, not batting a second glance as Ryou scrambled forward an grabbed his brother, giving his shoulders a shake.
"B-bakura! Are you okay?"
Bakura ceased coughing and held his neck before he glared up at Ryou. "What were you thinking!" He snarled, "Begging like a coward!"
Ryou winced, then cried indignantly, "I was trying to help! A-and it worked; you're alive!"
Bakura scoffed and looked away, swatting Ryou's hand away when he tried to check the neck wound. The man gazed down at them with a scrutinizing gaze, which made the hairs on the back of Ryou's neck prickle with unease. He didn't like that intense, chrome gaze that the two of them were getting, so he shuffled closer to Bakura and murmured quietly "T-thank you for sparing him, efendim."
The man continued to stare, giving no sign that he had heard Ryou.
"Your footing was sloppy."
The twins were quiet. Bakura glared up, though his gaze hinted confusion as well.
"Your footing was sloppy. A half-deaf elder from across the city could have heard you." The man said, crossing his arm. "Your body was too stiff, you didn't distribute your weight evenly, you didn't control your breathing. It was a pathetic display, really. The only thing you did somewhat correctly was that you kept a good eye on your surroundings, but even then, you tripped over a pebble."
While the man had spoken, Bakura had slowly risen to his feet, staring up at him, listening to every word intently. Ryou continued to cling to his brother, his fists knotted in his sleeve.
"Even if you stealing this gold bangle was a pathetic display, you did have the guts to steal from me. Had you properly controlled your breathing, I might have not woken so quickly." The man smirked and said, "You make a pitiful thief."
Bakura's eyes blazed and he puffed out his chest. "I am a good thief!" He hissed, "I took care of both my brother and I by stealing."
"What?" The man asked dangerously, cocking his head to one side. "You think taking a couple pieces of rotten fruit from a market vendor is being a thief? It makes you a street rat." His voice rise, "You're no thief."
"I am!" Bakura clenched his fists, glaring daggers at the man who had just threatened his life.
Ryou tugged at Bakura's sleeve, trying to warn him against angering the man further, but it was too late.
"You are not a thief. I am a thief. I am the King of Thieves." He stated, uncrossing his arms and holding them out from his sides, making his form look far larger. "I have stolen gold and silver from the tombs of nobles. I have stolen gems from the very pockets of the rich. I have stolen entire banquets from the most glorious and wealthy palaces!" He then gave Bakura a rough poke in the chest. "You are not a thief. You are a street rat. Nothing more than a begging orphan."
Bakura snarled and slapped his hand away. "I am no beggar, nor a rat! I could be a better thief than you!"
Ryou shook from their argument. He was deathly frightened that this man would slash them both in the throat with his dagger and meander away like nothing happened.
However, instead, there was a loud, ringing laughter that came from deep within the man's chest. He glared wildly down at Bakura, "You?! You think you could be a better thief than the Thief King?"
Bakura, looking as determined as ever, nodded furiously. "I will be! I'll – I'll steal the Pharaoh himself! And keep him prisoner!"
The man continued to laugh, though Bakura looked very serious in his resolve.
"You think you could steal the Pharaoh? Do you understand what you just said, boy?" The man looked almost insane as he crouched in front of him, his eyes blazing. "Pharaoh Atem comes from a ruthless line. He has a full army of thousands of men ready to die for him, and you, a little brat whose nothing but skin and bone, will take him prisoner?"
"That's what I said! I'll take him prisoner!"
"You would die before you could even make the journey to Thebes."
"No!"
"You would die before even making it out of this city."
Bakura bristled further, looking absolutely enraged at the way he was being talked down to. He stopped his feet stubbornly into the dust. "No! I will do it! I will take the Pharaoh prisoner and... and kill him!" He spat.
Ryou paled at his threat and looked around before he quickly whispered in his ear, "Bakura, no! Don't say things like that!"
The Thief King even looked a little surprised to hear this, though he didn't look displeased. "Kill him? Now why would you kill somebody as almighty and wise as the Pharaoh, a man chosen by the Gods themselves to rule over the entirety of Egypt?"
Bakura shook, "I'm not stupid! I know those were the Pharaoh's men who killed... them. For no reason! What kind of Pharaoh allows the death of innocents?! He let my little sister die! She was only six! What excuse could justify that?"
This was the first Ryou had been hearing of any hate directed towards the Pharaoh from his brother. Although, now that Ryou had a moment to reflect, his brother had become far more bitter... could it be that his brother had been harboring this burning hatred ever since the night they had lost their family?
Ryou had never considered this. He would have never thought Pharaoh Atem to be responsible for the death of their family...
"B-bakura...?' Ryou whispered, his voice coming out as a quiet croak, though it went ignored.
"I hate him! I hate the Pharaoh!" Bakura snarled, stopping a foot like the child he was. "He let my family die for absolutely no reason! He killed my mother, my father, and even my kid sister! What wrongs could a young girl cause?!" He was practically frothing from the mouth due to the malice in his tone. "His men would have killed Ryou and I too if I hadn't gotten us out of there."
The man seemed to consider this, his face serious. "It's high treason to speak against the Pharaoh, boy." The thief warned, his eyes narrowing, the scar making the expression look more threatening. "You would be publicly executed on the spot."
Bakura clenched his fists tighter and looked down, his eyes smoldering. "I know that; I'm not a fool. That's why I haven't said anything about it up until now. Not even to Ryou."
All was quiet except for the dulled noises of the nearby market and Bakura's heavy breathing. Ryou was dumbstruck at Bakura's outburst, his fists loosening from his sleeve. He couldn't believe what he had just heard...
Before he could speak, the man rose to full height.
"Come with me. We're going to attract too much attention if we remain out here any longer." The man then turned and disappeared down the alley. They entered the inn through the back door and retreated back to their room.
"We leave at dusk." He said as he slid back down onto the mat flippantly, as if nothing happened.
"W-we?" Ryou questioned, fiddling with the bottom of his tunic. Was this man letting the two of them travel with him? The man didn't answer, so Bakura spoke up, his voice firm.
"I want to know your name."
Again, the man didn't answer, so Bakura bristled and rose his voice. "I want to know your name! You know ours, it's only fair we know yours."
The Thief King turned away, letting out the smallest of scoffs. "I do not have a name, boy."
Bakura looked taken back. Ryou felt surprised; everybody had a name. How could somebody not?
His brother then smirked in a mischievous manner.
"Fine. I'll just call you Itja."
...
The night, unfortunately for Ryou's sore legs, began with walking.
"What about Ma'at?" Ryou asked quietly, only to be cut off by a shhhh!
"He'll attract too much attention. I'll return later for him."
Itja guided them away from the inn at dusk, and since then, the three of them had been walking through the dark streets. It was exhausting because, unlike the grand nothingness of the desert, here there were guards.
"Stay silent. If you have something to say, whisper it," he warned them as they slipped out into the streets. Most folk had gone to bed by now, or were in their huts eating supper. Ryou's stomach growled at the thought of food – they hadn't eaten since before they got into the city.
"Control your stomach," Bakura demanded under his breath. "We'll eat soon."
He clenched his belly and thought, I can't control when it's hungry. He kept the thought to himself and merely nodded, not wanting to irritate his brother at the moment. He had been on edge since his fight with Itja earlier that day, so Ryou went out of his way to make sure he didn't enrage him further.
The twins followed Itja through the streets, avoiding guards every so often. Itja was very adamant about not confronting them whatsoever, and Ryou had to wonder why. Surely he wasn't so well known as a thief that they would recognize him on sight? Perhaps it was merely a precaution?
Well, he did title himself the King of Thieves, Ryou reasoned. That title wasn't put upon him lightly, he supposed. It was probably best for them to go unseen by guards anyway; after what happened to he and his brother, he wasn't so sure they were around to keep people safe...
Itja lead them down another alleyway and stopped, peering around the edge. He made a scoffing sound and looked to them. "We'll have to take to the roofs."
Ryou didn't like the sound of that; going on people's roofs would be trespassing. But before he could speak against it, Itja suddenly turned and began climbing up the wall, easily using ledges and footholds to make it to the top. Both twins gaped at his feline-like skills, though Bakura followed quickly. It took a few tries, but his brother managed to climb the wall. Both males peered over the edge.
"Come on, boy. Time's wasting."
Ryou shivered at Itja's warning; suddenly, he felt afraid. He reached a soft palm out and put it to the side of the house, the stone cool against his skin. He then gripped the small ledge and pulled himself up with all his might, using his feet to push himself off the ground. As he rose, he swung a hand up to grab another hold, his skin scrapping against the rough stone. He pressed his pair feet to the wall and scrambled upwards, desperately trying not to fall.
Once he made it to the roof, he was a panting mess, and both males looked irritated he had taken so long.
Itja was suddenly racing away, leaving the brothers to follow.
"Come on," Bakura snapped before he began following at a quick pace. Ryou sighed, heaved upwards, and trailed after his brother.
Many of the buildings were connected, so racing over them was a fairly easy task, but sometimes they would have to jump gaps, which scared Ryou. Even if they were only a few feet wide, and the ground only ten feet below, he still felt frozen in fear. It took a lot of angry coaxing from Bakura to get him to jump the first gap. He sprung forward and landed clumsily onto the other side.
"How long do we have to do this...?" Ryou asked quietly, standing up and rubbing at a scrap on his elbow from his rough landing.
He was ignored by both his brother and Itja, causing him to sigh and trail after them. They traversed the roofs for only a little longer before Itja guided them down a ladder, back to the ground. He carefully peered around them, making sure the coast was clear before he slipped out onto the street. Ryou noticed that they had been heading towards the outskirts of the city, where there were less guards. They could travel somewhat more safely as Itja continued guiding them away from civilization, towards the desert.
Ryou was exhausted, and the prospect of traversing across the desert for days again wasn't appealing. He knew by now that most questions and complaints went unanswered, so he remained quiet and grabbed his brother's hand for comfort, who, as usual, accepted it begrudgingly.
Ryou's mind began to blank as he walked, his feet sluggishly shuffling through the dust. He began moving on autopilot, not bothering with using the mental capacity to pay attention to where he was walking. The pace they were going at became numbing. He only stopped when he bumped into Bakura's still body.
Itja had stopped as well and Ryou saw why. He hadn't noticed that they had been heading towards a fairly large stone building, which looked to be an entrance to a tomb. Itja wasted no time pressing on, heading towards the building. It wasn't very impressive, so Ryou figured it was simply for a noble.
It was an old tomb that had been long since abandoned and likely broken into, which made Ryou sick. He used to hear tales from his father about how men would raid tombs to steal the dead's treasures, which was the ultimate disrespect.
"Stay here," Itja commanded before he slipped forward to the entrance of the tomb, disappearing into the shadows. Ryou crouched in the sand.
"What do you think he's doing?" Ryou asked frightfully. "Is he paying respects to family?"
Bakura made a scoffing sound, "Doubt it."
He didn't provide insight or opinion, so Ryou continued to sit, resting his aching limbs. Eventually Itja returned, his body draped in dust and cobwebs.
"Come on. There are no guards or thieves inside."
Ryou got up and followed Itja into the tomb with great trepidation. The man had lit a torch, guiding their way through the darkness. Ryou peered around the walls, seeing etchings of drawings and hieroglyphs strewn across the stone. He had always heard that the process of making a tomb was careful and precise work, but the pictures were incredible!
Ryou wished he could read better, so he could understand the writing on the walls.
Eventually the hall opened out into a room. Ryou gasped; it was entirely in shambles. Elaborately painted pots and jugs had been broken, carefully woven baskets had been smashed. Ryou knew this was the room where offerings for the dead had been left, but there was nothing to offer except for discarded remains...
"What happened here...?" Ryou gaped, peering up at Itja for answers.
"Inexperienced tomb robbers," Itja's voice came out as a scornful scoff as he dropped his bag onto the ground and began lighting the scones hanging from the walls.
Ryou felt sick as he looked around the room. Disrespecting the dead was an awful crime, completely taboo. He could hardly believe somebody would do such a thing... he thought they were of only tales.
As he continued to look, he found that there were a couple of hallways veering off from the main room, presumably leading to the rooms for the sarcophagus. He decided not to find out; he had no interest in seeing what kinds of things the "tomb robbers" had done to disrespect the dead further.
"You two start cleaning up this damn mess," Itja commanded once all the torches were lit.
Bakura bristled and turned to him, "Why us?!"
"Do it, or I won't bring you anything to eat."
Those were his parting words as he left the brothers alone. Bakura scoffed and cursed after him, while Ryou sighed and got to work. He didn't mind cleaning; he figured he was doing the dead a favor by cleaning up the mess. He managed to find a rotting basket that was otherwise unharmed and began filling it with shards of clay and stone.
Bakura, of course, just stormed over and sat against the wall, not even lifting a finger to help Ryou clean. Despite his aching body, Ryou diligently worked to clean the room, though he wasn't entirely sure why he had to. Perhaps this was Itja's family grave, and he wanted it to be clean?
But if that was the case, why wasn't Itja doing it himself?
He sighed to himself. Most of his questions went unanswered by his two companions, so he didn't bother asking, he just silently cleaned until most of the shards and bit of basket had been put in a pile in the corner. With an exhausted sigh, he plopped down next to his brother.
"...You shouldn't let him order you around."
"What?"
"That bastard. Itja." Bakura barked, turning his garnet gaze to Ryou. "You shouldn't let him order you around like that. It isn't your job to clean this place, and he's in no damn position to be making commands."
"He's older, Bakura."
"So?! That means nothing! The man could be a hundred years old and he would still be a bastard. And I certainly wouldn't let him order me around, even then."
"You should treat your elders with respect. That's what Mut taught us –"
" – shut your mouth!" Bakura snarled, cutting Ryou off with the sudden vicious tone. "Don't bring her up anymore, Ryou. It doesn't matter what she taught us. She isn't here to regulate what we say, what we do."
Ryou looked crestfallen. He wanted to argue, but at the mention of her being deceased, he deflated and brought his knees to his chest, and buried his face in them. A silence drifted over the abandoned tomb, and eventually he fell into a very shallow slumber, slipping in and out of consciousness every so often.
He roused when Itja returned and tossed something at them. Ryou barely had time to catch what it was – cooked meat. Not just jerky, but a slab of meat! The scent made his stomach growl.
"Thank you!" He said as he dug his teeth into the slab, enjoying the salty flavors that coated his tongue. He glanced over to see Bakura digging into his own meat. Neither of them showed any signs of manners as they devoured the food within moments.
"So. Did you rob this tomb?"
Ryou choked at Bakura's question. He turned to look at him, abashed he would ask such a bold and rude thing to the man who had just given them a meal – a meal of meat.
Itja looked offended, but he scoffed and said, "Do you think I would be this sloppy?"
It was Itja's turn to get a startled stare from Ryou. As the boy stared at the man, gears clicked in his head and he suddenly asked, "Are you a tomb robber?"
He immediately regretted the question, but Itja didn't seem bothered. His lips twitched upwards in a smirk, and he stared at Ryou.
"Did you just now figure that out, boy?"
Ashamed, Ryou looked down at the floor. Had he been missing obvious signs? Was he really so ignorant that he couldn't notice an obvious tomb robber?
"He's not the brightest grape in the bunch," Bakura scoffed under his breath, licking the leftover flavor from his fingers.
"I-I didn't think tomb robbers were actually real."
Bakura looked to him scornfully. "You're far too naïve, Ryou."
Itja cackled, the sound resonating through the tomb. "Of course they're real, boy! We aren't just some myth that mothers use to scare their children. No, we exist, though there are few of us that actually get away with it."
"B-but it's wrong! It's disrespectful to the dead..."
Itja snarled, suddenly angry. "The dead are dead. They don't need food or jewels or clothes or gold. It's a waste of time and resources."
"They need those things in the a-afterlife!" Ryou squeaked, trying to summon the girth to speak his opinion.
"The dead do not need those things," Itja said dryly. "It's a waste. They could be used on the living, but no, ignorant people are so wrapped up in lies fabricated by the Pharaoh that they would willingly give up their last remaining scraps of food and treasure, just to be buried and never used again."
Ryou couldn't believe what he was hearing. Such an opinion was treachery. This man would be executed on the spot if he shared these thoughts in public. He might have lived isolated with only his family, but his father always shared what was right and what was wrong, and disrespecting the dead was definitely wrong, as was stealing.
...Itja had done both.
What had he and his brother gotten into?
…
The two brothers weren't given another meal. The hours ticked into a full day, then two, and Ryou's stomach was about to cave in. When Itja arrived back at the tomb in the early hours of the morning at the start of the third day, Bakura practically jumped him as he demanded, "We're hungry."
The elder threw him a flippant look before bypassing him and flopping down on the mat. "Then go get some food. I'm not keeping you prisoner."
Bakura bristled but huffed a "fine", grabbed Ryou by the hand and dragged him from the flickering darkness. Since they had arrived at the tomb, neither of them really leaved, so the sunrise was harsh on his sensitive eyes. Bakura didn't give him to to adjust as he released his arm and stormed in the direction of the city. Ryou rushed on clumsy feet to catch up with him.
"Where are we going?"
"The market." Bakura's answer was terse, making Ryou frown.
"Are you going to steal?"
"How else are we going to get something to eat?" His brother scoffed, "Since the bastard doesn't seem bothered to give us his food."
Ryou looked down and mumbled, "He has no obligation to feed us."
"We don't need his help anyway."
Ryou decided not to say that they really did, that they didn't know how to survive on the streets, but he remained quiet. The two trekked through the desert, making it to the city within an hour. There was a large market heading into the city, where merchants had their tables set up already.
Bakura guided Ryou to a pile of crates, where both of them hid. Bakura surveyed the vast market, his eyes searching the best stand to rob.
"We could grab some pomegranates from that table," Bakura offered as he pointed towards a vendor. Ryou followed his finger, gazing at the intimidating merchant.
"The man looks scary," Ryou fretted, remembering what happened the last time they tried to steal from a merchant.
"Stop being such a girl." Bakura tsked, throwing his brother a glare. "We'll never get anything to eat if you complain."
"...Your brother has a point."
Both twins jumped and threw horrified gazes behind them. Itja crouched there, looking almost bored.
"Where did you come from?" Bakura barked, getting defensive; he had obviously been taken off guard.
Itja didn't answer him and instead continued with what he had begun to explain prior. "Your brother has a point. That merchant is intimidating and probably is violent. If you steal from him, he could have a blade on him, or give chase." His eyes swept fluidly over the market before he continued, "Look over there, that merchant is obviously overweight. He probably lives well, eats well, and doesn't care as much as the other."
Bakura scowled, hating being shown up. "But all he has is dried fruit!"
"Dried fruit is easier to smuggle away from the table without being noticed."
Bakura looked angry, but Ryou looked curious. "Efendim, why are you helping us?"
"So I don't have to feed you. You two aren't babies, you don't need to be coddled, your meals don't need to be put in front of your mouths." Itja told him, his voice harsh. "You need to learn to get your food on your own."
"We can do just fine on our own!" Bakura snapped before he was smacked on the shoulder.
"Don't be an idiot, boy. You have no idea what you're doing."
"Then you do it. You go and steal something!"
Itja scoffed and rose. "Stealing from a commoner market is like stealing sugar from a baby."
He slipped away into the ground. Despite his crimson cloak, his fluid movements made him melt into the swarm of people. Ryou watched with awe as he slipped by the table right as the merchant turned to answer a customer's question. He didn't even seem to move his hand out to grab anything as he slid away, soon returning to the two boys. From out of his cloak sleeve, he pulled out an entire handful of dried fruit.
"That was amazing!" Ryou praised, despite the fact that Itja had just broken the law.
"Anybody could do that," Bakura growled stubbornly, standing up to do just what Itja had done.
As the twin stormed off, the older man shook his head, popped a piece of dried fruit in his mouth. "That boy is going to get himself killed."
This comment of course scared Ryou to absolute bits. "If he gets in trouble, you'll save him right?" Ryou asked, tugging at Itja's long cloak.
"If the mood strikes me," He answered simply, slipping another piece of fruit into his mouth. Ryou let out a strangled whine and turned to see if he could spy his brother somewhere in the market.
After several gut-wrenching minutes, Bakura returned, a wide smirk on his face. "I told you I could do it!" He barked at Itja, holding up his spoils.
"Oh, excuse me," Itja scoffed. "I'm sure that single raisin will be enough to feed you and your brother."
Bakura threw the raisin to the ground and looked frustrated. "It's all I could get. The merchant kept looking over at me."
"Because you look like an obvious street rat ready to steal his next meal. You have to look like you belong."
"In case you didn't notice, neither of us look like we belong. Our skin is pale, our hair is white, it would be impossible not to draw attention."
Itja simply scoffed and shook his head. "You're a lost cause. With that attitude, you're going to starve within a week."
Ryou looked down at his feet, wishing he an his brother weren't so pale. It was the first time he had ever felt genuinely sorry for himself regarding his skin tone.
…
It was the next day when Itja came back with the tomb bearing new outfits for them. Plain robes with red and gold stitching. Bakura shed his dirty tunic that their father gave him and pulled on the robe. Ryou was more hesitant as he toyed with the hem of his own tunic; he didn't want to give up his last remaining connection to their father so quickly.
Eventually he did. He tucked the tunic neatly at the edge of his mat before he pulled the robe on. It hung loosely over his scrawny frame.
"Now you look like you belong to a wealthier family," Itja observed. "And those robes hide most of your white skin. You have no excuse, now."
And so they followed the older man to the markets. Ryou stayed close to Bakura side as they moved through the markets. As stubborn as his brother was, Ryou could tell he was taking Itja's advice. His eyes scanned each merchant and what they had to offer. Finally, he picked a more elderly vendor selling some fruits.
"Look like you belong," Bakura hissed at him. He nodded and tried to not look so ridiculously nervous as they walked to the stand. A few people milled around, looking over the different fruits. The merchant gave them a glance.
"Are you two here to buy something?" The merchant asked, his voice scrutinizing and suspicious.
Bakura stumbled for a moment, and so Ryou shifted in place and murmured, "W-we're doing shopping for our mother. She's ill."
The merchant nodded, though he didn't look convinced. He then tended to some other customers, keeping a wary eye on the twins. Ryou and his brother continued to appear as if they were browsing, and the second the merchant wasn't looking, his hand flashed out and grabbed a small bundle of grapes. They began to slide away, and Ryou thought he could breath easy, but then...
"Thieves!"
Bakura wasted no time grabbing onto Ryou's sleeve and fleeing away from the stand.
"They stole from this man!" A deep voice was howling. Everybody in the market turned to look at the running boys. A few made a grab for them, excited at the prospect of an entertaining execution. Ryou whimpered and clenched onto his brother as hands reached for him.
The whole situation was deja vu. Running through the streets for their lives, all because they stole something that was completely necessary for their survival. Bakura swung around a tight corner, and suddenly a pair of hands grabbed them, pulling them into a narrow alleyway.
For a split, panicked moment, Ryou swore they had been caught, but a glance backwards clarified it was merely Itja. He dragged them deeper into the alley, while a small crowd of men raced by, not seeing them in the gloom.
Itja released them. Ryou then fell to his feet, panting heavily, sweat dripping off of him. He couldn't believe they had almost been caught again, that those people were prepared to catch them and likely kill them for thieving. And why? Because he and his brother stole a couple of grapes?
Ryou began to weep helplessly. He punched the sandy earth beneath him in frustration. It wasn't fair. It wasn't their fault that their parents died, that they couldn't provide for themselves. It wasn't their fault that the only way they could get food was by stealing. Why were they being punished more, when they had already been punished enough? They had lost their home, their farm, their family...
And now they were being deprived of basic living necessities. Where was the justice in that? Why were he and his brother being forced to live on the edge of existence, teetering over the brink of starvation? It wasn't fair. It didn't make sense.
Why is the world so cruel to us?
His brother said something, his voice angry, but he paid no mind. His mind raced as he slowly rose to his feet and looked to Itja.
"Teach us!" He cried out, his voice wavering, his knee shaking. "Teach us how to steal, efendim. Please, we can't live like this! We're going to get caught, and we're going to get killed. We need your help, efendim." His whole body shook as the tears streamed down his puffy cheeks. "We don't know how to live out here. We don't know how to get food, where to shelter, we have nothing. P-please, teach us..."
He had to take a deep breath before he managed to continue.
"...Teach us how to survive."
End of Part One
It hurts writing Ryou being so weak and feeble. Anyway, hopefully the next chapter will be on time next Thursday... but it might not be. I planned part one very well, but not part two, so I'll have some thinking to do.
(1) Itja means thief in Ancient Egyptian, or so says Google. I was having a real struggle on whether I should call him Akefia or Touzoko, but I decided to go with something unique. I also like to headcanon that Thief King wouldn't have needed a name after Kul Elna, and would have eventually forgotten it.
Review?