Part Two

The years spent with Itja were the most hectic of Ryou's life. Being an apprentice in thieving and tomb robbing certainly wasn't what he foresaw himself doing during his years as a youth. He foresaw himself preparing to leave his parents and go out into the world, to find a wife and start a family on his own land... and yet who he turned out to be was vastly different. He always thought it to be sort of funny.

He had long since learned out to effectively steal from a market vendor, using his innocent doe eyes and soft facial features as an effortless facade. Itja had told him long ago to use his child-like face and body structure as an advantage, so he did. It took months of near-death experiences with guards and angry merchants to gain the skill needed to learn how to effectively steal his meals.

Within those months, he learned not to feel bad that he was stealing. Most merchants were cruel, heartless men, willing to throw a newborn infant into the crocodile pit just for a few jewels. Though some were very gullible. Back when he was a rookie, they fell for his 'I'm shopping for my sick mother' act nearly every time. Sometimes Ryou would feel bad taking from these merchants more gullible; they actually seemed like good people. Whenever they returned to their hideout and Ryou expressed his guilt, Bakura thought him to be a fool.

His brother was always far more unsympathetic than him, and this attitude didn't improve over the years. In fact, it got worse. He had taken on a cynical view of the world, soaking up every negative word out of their mentor's mouth and amplifying it. Over the years they spent with Itja, Bakura showed skills Ryou did not; he could move as silently as a cat on the prowl. He knew how to assess a situation and come up with a solution within moments. His skills with weapons were impressive as well, almost scarily so.

Ryou's skill with weapons was minuscule; cutting a fruit open was the extent of his abilities. He could hardly be sneaky either; he moved like a pregnant cow[1]. His footfall always managed to be loud, no matter how delicately he stepped. He would trip over anything, even open air. How he hadn't been caught and executed by now was an enigma; the brothers had many near-death experiences when it came to angry merchants and guards. Countless times they found themselves running through the streets, sometimes being chased as far as the desert and beyond. It had been exhausting, but it taught them to become flawless with their technique.

"Mistakes are the best teachers, but are also the greatest enemies. Learn to not make them." Itja would say if they failed.

When they had become experts at stealing from vendors, Itja taught them how to rob from people's homes. They begun with the poor, though neither brother stole anything of value. It was merely practice. Bakura never stole anything because there was nothing worth stealing, while Ryou and his ever-present conscious couldn't allow him to steal from people that were so poor.

Sneaking through the small huts proved easy for his brother, but Ryou struggled. He alerted the owners of the homes many times, though his swift legs allowed him to flee before they could even register there was an intruder. He may have been clumsy, but he was also quick. It took months to perfect the art of stealth, and eventually, Itja moved them to the houses of wealthier people.

The folk of the upper class were far more difficult to steal from. They hid their jewels away, and sometimes even had guards around their large homes. As expected, Bakura broke into these homes with ease, found their most valued gems, then left without even alerting the guards. Meanwhile, Ryou often got the guard's attention before even entering the property. His only skill was his innocent manipulation, which could only get him so far. Guards almost never fell for this act, if only because they were too heartless.

At first, he was guilty stealing gems and gold from people, until Itja dragged him to a public execution hosted by a man they had robbed only a few nights before.

"I gave this women everything, and she stole from me!" he was shouting to a cheering crowd as he hung her over a crocodile pit. From then, Ryou understood how corrupt the rich could be. They didn't deserve what they had. Whenever Ryou took a priceless gem, or a bundle of fresh meat, he remembered that man, how he riled up the crowd to the point of cheering as his own wife was held over a crocodile pit. Disgusted, all guilt drained from his body, and he had been able to steal anything.

When they had become experts on thieving from homes, Itja had taken them into their first real tomb raid. It was of an old noble that had died a decade prior. Itja kept an eye on it, finding that no relatives visiting the tomb, Itja had taken them into its depths. There had been few traps, which Itja had shown them how to avoid or deactivate. Traps in tombs that didn't belong to Pharaohs were rare, but it had been a good opportunity for the twins.

Soon after, the two brothers began following Itja on tomb raids. They stole all of the gold, silver, and whatever else had been given for offerings. Bakura and Itja often wore these jewels all over their persons, though Ryou chose not to. He had a few bracelets remained hidden under his robes, and two golden anklets, but that was it. He felt no need to flaunt their vast wealth, especially since if somebody chose to rob him, he wouldn't be able to defend himself.

After their first major tomb, Bakura convinced him to wear his jewels to the market. He had been cackling and staring at his reflection, ogling the many pieces of jewelry that covered his neck, wrists, fingers, and ankles. Ryou sheepishly put on a few necklaces and rings, smiling at how they glinted in the sun. After he trekked to the market, he had separated himself from Bakura for better thieving. However, as he stood at the entrance of an alleyway, nonchalantly surveying the merchants, a hand had clamped over his mouth, dragging him into the gloom.

A couple of greasy, nasty looking man stared him down. They held knives to his neck and gut as they demanded all of his valuables. He had nodded shakily in agreement, rapidly pulling off every piece of jewelry he had and handing it over to them with quivering hands. They snatched the gold and silver, then with cruel smirks, they shoved him to the ground and had given him a few rough kicks, leaving him injured in the dust.

Ryou had dragged himself back to the hideout, his body battered and bruised. Itja took one look at him and demanded what happened. The second Ryou finished his story, Itja vanished. Ryou woke the next morning to see all his jewelry in a pile next to his mat, all spattered crimson with blood. From then Ryou didn't wear jewels.

Bakura, naturally, had mocked him for being weak. He had dealt with this quite often, but he took the words to heart that time. He knew he couldn't rely on Itja's protection; he was thirteen, a thief in the making. Itja taught him the skills to be a good thief and a smart thinker. He had to learn to use them.

…

"Come on. You're moving as slow as a newborn," hissed a voice from the darkness ahead.

"Well, if you didn't insist on moving so quickly..." he grumbled under his breath, though he moved a bit quicker to avoid an argument, or the risk of angering his brother.

Bakura had heard him unfortunately. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you want a guard to find us here?"

Abashed, he shrunk back. "No."

"Then hurry up." He spun around and stalked into the darkness again.

Ryou sighed and followed, this time trying to move at the speed of his brother. The two were on their first solo mission into a tomb, and so far, it went smoothly. They found the outer entrance quite easily and promptly headed inside. The tomb was dank; the torches were unlit and the light from the stars had been long lost. Ryou and his brother had little problems with the dark, since that's how they mostly operated, but it tended to bring out Ryou's lack of grace.

He tripped for the umpteenth time, sending a small stone flying ahead. There was am angry curse, followed by a demanding hiss from his brother, "Stop making noise!"

Ryou huffed. It wasn't like there was anybody in this tomb, but one could never be too careful. He did his best to take delicate steps, not wanting to disturb any loose stones. Among the two of then, Ryou was by far the less reckless, but despite his efforts, he often found himself getting into unfortunate and awkward situations. More than a few times he had almost gotten bit by a snake or slide off the side of a cliff.

He grunted when he ran straight into his brother. He hadn't detected that the other twin had stopped walking. Bakura shoved him away (Ryou couldn't see his brother's glare, but he could sense it) and whispered, "I think I've found the second entrance. The room containing the sarcophagus has to be on the other side."

"How do we get in?"

Bakura didn't reply. Ryou wasn't surprised, though he was still frustrated. He took a step back and listened to Bakura tap at the door, trying to find a way in. He wondered if they should light the torch they had brought, but of course Bakura would claim they wouldn't need it. He was always too proud to admit he required aid from even inanimate objects. Ryou wondered why he even bothered to come. He wanted to prove himself to their mentor, sure, but how was he supposed to do that when Bakura always did everything by himself? Honestly, Ryou was just a liability at this point.

"Come over here. I think the door needs two people to open it," hissed Bakura.

Ryou slid over obediently, putting his hands to the surface. Just as Bakura began telling Ryou his instructions, he stopped. Ryou was confused as to why, but then he heard it.

Footsteps!

Ryou sent his brother a panicked look. Neither of them were expecting visitors; Itja told them this tomb seemed to be abandoned. Bakura whispered quietly not to make a noise. The two of them then backtracked to a hallway that went off to a separate chamber (likely a trap) and crouched there. They shrunk back against the wall, into the shadows, as the stranger passed the hallway opening.

He seemed to be a man, though a young one. He held his chin high, his chest puffed out and his back straight. Ryou processed this information; this man was confident in his steps, so he had likely been here many times. He also maintained a posture that certainly wasn't found in thieves nor slaves. No, he was from a wealthy family, possibility royalty.

Through his training, Ryou was taught to be very observant. Evaluating others was one of his only strong points, and he used it well. Due to circumstance though, he couldn't verbally share his information with his brother, so he remained quiet and waited for the nameless man to pass. Once he was heading in the direction of the door they had been stuck trying to open, Bakura nudged him and they exited their hiding place.

Ryou moved with great care as they silently followed the man. Luckily, the man was shuffling along like a herd of cattle, so he and his brother's steps were drowned out. The stranger stopped at the door and hooked his torch onto a wall scone. He then began running his lithe fingers across the surface, knowing exactly what to do. Ryou would have preferred just leaving right there and then, but Bakura obviously had other plans. He had his hands up as he crept closer. Ryou knew he had every intention of capturing the other man.

Ryou followed, knowing that the stranger was notably stronger and Bakura would likely need help, but his bare foot scuffled clumsily across the stoned floor, small pebbles rolling everywhere. He sucked in his breath, but he knew he had been heard. The stranger whipped around and let out a startled yell upon seeing them. He had a long dagger out within moments, slashing it at the two brothers.

Bakura was swift, but Ryou wasn't a fortunate. He screamed as the blade cut into the flesh and muscle of his upper arm. He stumbled back, slipping onto the floor, his hand around the now gushing wound.

The man had the dagger up as he panted and stared down at Ryou in horror.

"Y-you're just a kid...!" He yelped, his dagger lowering a bit.

Bakura was at his side, growling curses as he checked the wound. "Damn it! You're bleeding like a damned waterfall!"

"It hurts..." Ryou muttered, staring down in horror at the open wound. The sight and stench of blood was making him ill.

"Who are you two?!" The stranger demanded, his voice booming with authority.

"None of your business," Bakura shot back, getting to his feet. "You better lower that weapon before I take it and shove it into your throat!"

There was a scoff. "I'm not afraid of you."

"T-there's so much blood..." Ryou whimpered, lifting his hand from the cut to see it was covered in sticky crimson. "B-bakura...!"

"It's your own fault!" Bakura barked at his brother, though he leaned down anyway and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, trying to get him to his feet. "Stop being such a wimp."

The amount of blood was absolutely dizzying. While the wound itself could have been far worse, the blood that streamed down his arm and onto the floor made his legs weak. He slithered back to the ground, his mind slipping in and out of awareness.

He could hear a string of angry curses from his brother. "Stay awake, damn it! This isn't the time to be going to sleep."

"Seems like your friend is in a bit of a rough spot. I could probably help him, if you tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

"Like you could help. Lower that damned dagger already!"

"I'm not putting down my only weapon with you glaring at me like that."

"You...!"

The spots in his vision got bigger, consuming everything in sight. The stench of thick copper filled his nose, flooding his mind with visions of rushing blood rivers and a headless Amane. He quickly faded into unconsciousness, his body hitting the floor with an echoing thump.

…

"You need to work on your stealth. This level of clumsiness will get you killed, not to mention the fact you faint when you see even a little bit of blood."

Itja's voice was stern as he spoke to Ryou, who was only ten at the time. During a training session, he had fallen and gotten a bad cut on his knee. A trail of blood followed them all the way back to the hideout; young Ryou had to be carried back after he had momentarily lost consciousness.

"I'm sorry, efendim..." Ryou hung his head, a deep frown taking his lips. "I try and try, but it's so hard."

"Then try harder."

Ryou winced as Itja poured water onto the wound to wash the bits out. It stung, but Ryou suffered through it, even when he poured beer onto it as well to keep the infection away. Tears threatened to prick the corners of his eyes, but he desperately tried to remain strong.

He then took one of Ryou's tunics and ripped off a sleeve, wrapping it securely around the wound. Ryou tried moving his leg. It hurt, but at least the wound wasn't bleeding anymore.

"There. Good as new. Now get back out there and work on not falling on your ass."

He smiled up at his mentor, his cheeks brushed with red. "Thank you, efendim."

…

Ryou woke to the scent of herbs mixed with copper. He groaned, peeling open his eyes. He laid against a wall, the only light a flickering flame above him. His brother was standing nearby, leaning against the wall, his expression aloof, his position stiff.

"Ah, good, you're awake."

He glanced over, now seeing the stranger up close. His hair was a pale gold that looked vibrant in the flickering light. He had a strong nose, a long jaw and a sharp, intelligent pair of eyes with swerves of kohl beneath them. He blinked, his mind processing what had happened prior to his blackout.

"You...!" Ryou started, trying to move. He then winced at the spark of pain that jolted through his arm.

"Hey, take it easy," the man said, raising his hands innocently. "I just patched you up, so you probably shouldn't be moving so rashly."

"You're the one who injured him in the first place," Bakura suddenly spat.

"You two crept up on me. What was I supposed to do?"

"Stand there and take the beating I was about to give you."

Ryou reached up and rubbed his sore arm. Half of his robe had been removed so his arm could be patched up. Fresh linen wrap, that had begun to speckle red from the wound underneath, was securely wrapped around one arm.

"Thank you," He said suddenly, cutting into the two's argument.

He looked surprised with being thanked. "...No problem. You know, you have way better manners than your friend."

"I don't need to have manners!"

"But you know? It would never hurt to have some."

Ryou chuckled weakly, leaning his head against the wall. "My brother lacks any and all manners, so on behalf of him, I'm sorry."

"Ryou –! You idiot! Don't apologize to the enemy!" Bakura fumed, making the stranger smirk victoriously over at him.

"Well this "enemy" did bandage my wound up."

"He gave you the wound in the first place."

"He could have left me with it." He looked to the stranger now. "Lucky you have healing supplies. Where did you learn to care for wounds so well?"

"I'm a priest in training." As he said this, he cocked his chin upwards and a smug look came across his handsome features. "I have knowledge of such things."

Bakura sputtered and Ryou looked surprised to hear this. He had never met a priest before, and he certainly wasn't expecting to run into one in a random tomb.

"You don't look like a priest, and even if you are, what the hell are you doing here?" Bakura grunted, looking as suspicious as ever.

"I could ask you the same thing." His guard had gone up again as he switched his gaze between the two brothers. "What are you two doing in here?"

"None of your business."

"If you say that, I'll assume you two are grave robbers." A tan hand flickered back to the hilt of his dagger which stuck out from his satchel. "I'll assume you know how illegal it is to rob tombs."

"We're not tomb robbers!" Ryou lied quickly, drawing the stranger's attention from his brother (who was quickly losing patience). "We were traveling and we heard it would be a cold night, so we found shelter."

"You could have found an inn. Or maybe some kind strangers could have given you a couple of blankets and a bed." The stranger narrowed his eyes, "A tomb is a funny place to be sheltering."

"We didn't have any alternatives." He decided to tell the truth to get some sympathy from the man. "We're traveling because we lost our family... We have no home currently."

The man stared for a moment, then grunted, seeming to believe him. "Well… even if that's true, I don't feel comfort you two staying here. I want you to leave."

"Like hell you can tell us what to do!" Bakura growled, now storming over to the man and shoving a finger against his front. "I don't care you're a "priest in training", we don't have to listen to you."

The stranger looked flabbergasted to be told such a thing. "You know I could have you punished for not listening to me," he growled.

"I don't care. We're leaving on our own accord."

"Then I'll get the guards."

"Oh, I'm so scared. Is the spoiled priest brat going to run away for help like a little bitch?"

"You better be scared. They'll throw your damned ass into the crocodile pit."

Ryou pushed out a tired sigh as the two of them bickered back and forth. Not even his brother fought with Itja this much. Worried a physical fight would break out, he slowly pushed himself into a standing position, wincing each time his arm shifted beneath the linen.

"Does this mean you're done sitting around?" Bakura snapped, looking to Ryou.

"I feel better now that I can't see or smell the blood. Come on Bakura, we should go."

Bakura hissed, turned on heel and began stalking down the dark corridor. The stranger glanced at Ryou, "Charming, isn't he?"

Ryou pushed out a sigh and nodded in an exasperated manner. "I'm sorry for his behavior. And I'm sorry for intruding – we won't do it again."

"Yes, well, if you don't mind, I'm going to follow you two and make sure you leave."

Ryou nodded and began following his brother, the tanner man at his side. As they walked, he kept stealing quick glances over in the other man's direction. Each time, he was able to pick up a new exotic detail, such as the lavender glint of his eyes, and how his skin was darker than he and his brother's, but not as dark as a typical Egyptian's. He had a strong build, though not in a way that made his muscles overbearing. They were subtle curves along his skin, only barely defined by the flicker of the torch.

However, Ryou found it curious that he wasn't adorned by gold like most wealthy people were. In fact, all he had were a pair of earrings, which he found to be strange since only children and women wore them.

"My name's Malik, by the way."

Ryou blinked, surfacing back to reality. He wasn't expecting to receive a name. Itja always told him to never give out his name, but his manners and the stranger's stunning gaze prompted the answer from him. "I'm Ryou, and my delightful brother is Bakura."

"Ryou? Bakura? Those names are quiet strange. They're befitting to your skin and hair color."

Ryou panicked, suddenly remembering Malik had seen what he and his brother tried to keep hidden. Malik noticed the horrified expression on Ryou's face and chuckled. "I won't tell anybody. Who am I to judge? My hair is light gold, and my eyes are the color of an amethyst. I am different as well."

"I think they make you look exotic." Ryou couldn't keep the compliment from flying out of his mouth.

"...I never thought they were a bad thing. A few people have thought me strange for it, but I've also received a lot of admirers."

"The color of our hair and skin makes us far less desirable in the eyes of the public," Ryou sighed regretfully, pushing a stray lock under his hood. "We've been chased and beat for it."

Malik frowned. "That is unfortunate. I think they make you unique, and I don't mean that in a bad way."

Ryou glanced over to Malik with a sweet smile. He was very rarely ever complimented, especially for his looks; he was always seen as some sort of demon or threatening foreigner. It was refreshing to have someone appreciate his obscure hair and skin color.

They found themselves outside the tomb once more. The sky was still dark and the night air was cool against his skin. He gave a shiver.

"If you're done communicating with the enemy," Bakura began with a grunt, "Then we're taking our leave."

Ryou glanced at Marik. "Goodbye. And don't worry, we won't come back."

Malik nodded in response. Ryou then turned and rushed off after his brother. As they walked along the road, Ryou reflected in their failed mission. He could only imagine how Itja would react.

"...He'll be disappointed in us."

"He'll be disappointed in me, but he won't find fault in what you did." He flashed his brother a glare. "Even though it was your fault we failed."

"How was it my fault? Tripping over that stone was an accident."

Bakura just snorted and picked up his pace until he was several strides ahead of Ryou. He hung his head and stared at the ground as he walked, feeling stung by his brother's retort. Even with four years of thieving under his metaphorical belt, he still couldn't do anything right.

…

"You failed, didn't you?"

Neither Ryou nor Bakura had tell Itja that they were unsuccessful in their mission. He could tell from the moment they walked into their hideout.

Both of them were exhausted from traveling all night and day to get back to the series of caves in which they lived. The caves certainly weren't drab or unwelcoming since they had filled it with treasures. There was a natural pool of water in the center of one of the larger rooms, which Itja currently sat next to, his position relaxed. The expression his face held was far different however; it was hardened and angry.

"We did," Bakura finally said with a grunt. "We were discovered."

"What? That's bullshit. I watched that tomb, nobody was going to it for weeks."

"Yeah, well, we were caught anyway. An annoying brat came into the tomb after us, so we hid. I was going to knock him out, but your star pupil over here kicked a rock and alerted him that we were there."

Ryou looked down sheepishly, while Itja growled and looked at him.

"We've been through practice after practice. Why are you still tripping?"

"I... didn't see it. I'm sorry, efendim." Ryou hung his head shamefully, knowing he had let his mentor down. The two of them had been working on his stealth for years, and yet he seemed to never improve.

Itja shook his head before gesturing Ryou to come closer. He complied, approaching his mentor, fearing he might be struck for his stupidity. Itja grabbed his arm and yanked him into a sitting position before tugging off his robe. Ryou sat wordlessly as Itja looked over the wound on his arm.

"The man that discovered you caused this wound?"

"Yes... we startled him, so he attacked. B-but he healed me, and he let us go..."

Itja stared closely at the bandaged wound, running his fingers along the clean linen. "This is dealt with almost expertly."

"That's because he was a priest in training. He had knowledge of healing." Bakura answered, stepping a bit closer to the two of them. This caught Itja's attention.

"A priest? Interesting..." Itja narrowed his eyes. "What did he look like?"

"He was really strange looking," Bakura answered. "He had bright purple eyes and hair the color of the sun."

Itja processed this information before he said, "He could be from Thebes..."

"Thebes? But that's a several day journey. Why would he travel all the way out here?" Ryou wondered quietly, edging towards the pool so he could clean the wound. "He would probably be from the local city."

"I said he could be." Itja answered. "But I know all of the local city's priests, and there are only two in training, none of them looking like who you just described."

"Why does it matter?" Bakura growled, suddenly looking angry again. "He was just some spoiled brat. Who cares who he is?"

"That spoiled brat could be a link to Pharaoh Atem," the older man explained with a hiss. "Use your damn brain, Bakura."

Suddenly, the two were pulled into an argument, which was nothing new. Ryou pursed his lips as he dipped a cloth into the pool of water and began dabbing his wound. He hissed and winced in pain, but continued running the cloth along the open gash. Once he was done, he abandoned the quarreling pair and went to his bed. He curled up on the mat and faced away from the other two, feeling the exhaustion blanket over him.

Late update and a shorter chapter than usual. I started a new quarter of school and adjusting to classes has been difficult. After playing some of Yugioh: Forbidden Memories I suddenly got inspired to work and finish this chapter... the background of the town square is actually good inspiration for one of the future scenes I have planned.

[1] I was watching my best friend play Oblivion when a Khajiit bandit attacked his character and said "you move like a pregnant cow!". For some reason we laughed really hard and my friend jokingly said "put it in one of your yugioh fics"

...so I did. Anyways yeah that line is from Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

R&R?