Author's Notes: I know it's been a while since the last chapter but I've been rather inept at managing my time. Alas! This is a short chapter but it should tide you all over for a bit. Last time Amunet had gotten away from the camp but Akefia was hot on her trail? Will he find her? Will she be punished? The sun peeks its head...

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Dawn had already broken and the sun was now glaring at the desert to which Amunet found herself completely lost in. Having not eaten for two days, nor remembering when she last had any water, she was delirious with exhaustion. Completely drained of any strength or stamina, Amunet finally fell to her knees after hours of wandering in the desert. She felt the red hot beads of sand dig roughly into her skin, while her eyes fluttered to stay open. Succumbing to her body's need to lose consciousness, she wondered if this would be the end to a very long struggle she had had with the Gods. Please, take me quickly. If he finds me…I just can't go back, she thought just as her vision went dark. Falling forward, Amunet's face smacked the sand with such force, the impact formed a semi-circle around her head. Almost as if she had an aura radiating from her, the wind blew and lightly dusted her body with sand.

Akefia and Marik were prepared for a long ride, but they had not foreseen just how far a distance Amunet had managed to make. Akefia tracked her foot prints for some time, but as they went on, he couldn't make out the difference between all of the patterns on the ground. They stopped for a moment, looking at their surroundings and taking note of the sun for direction. Marik threw a canteen to the man who was doing his best to remain calm, despite the burning need in his stomach to whip her senselessly the moment he found her. Catching it without even opening his eyes, he opened it and drank enough to quench his thirst without finishing it. He threw the canteen back, and looked at the landscape ahead of him, "We're not losing her Marik," he said, turning to the Blonde blankly.

"There's no way she could have gotten much farther from here, I don't even know how she made it past the first two miles," Marik said, laughing slightly, only until he saw the scowl that was now plastered across Akefia's face.

Akefia kicked his horse while turning it to his left, as it began to run he scanned the high ridges he was approaching. I just need higher ground, there's no way she could survive out here…he thought to himself. He already begun to feel uneasy at the prospect of her actually escaping but now he was getting more upset with the very good possibility that she could be dead. After a few moments, Akefia pulled his horse to a stop and waited for Marik to catch up, his dark eyes squinting in the waves of heat radiating off the ground.

"I hate to say it but I think she's gone, who could survive out here with only a knife?" Marik asked exasperated.

Akefia paused for a few seconds before turning to Marik with the most deranged look in his face, "If nothing else, I will get my knife back," he said, grinning.

Marik exhaled and tried his best not to look annoyed, when he heard his fearless leader take off again. "We're gonna get lost you know!" he shouted as he followed Akefia down the ridge that they had just climbed. "It's pointless-" he stopped shouting just as he saw the black form that Akefia was now approaching.

As he dismounted his horse, he looked at Amunet laid on her stomach, arms folded awkwardly at her sides with one hand still clutching his knife. Her hair, slightly damp from clinging to the sweat on her back, covered most of her small frame. Akefia crouched down and put his hand on her face, which was searing hot and extremely moist. "Damn you Amunet, why do you make everything so much more difficult than need be? Huh?" he asked as he nudged her as if she were awake and scowling at him. How he enjoyed that look, he thought, scooping her up in his arms and cradling her like a baby. He smoothed his fingers down her forearm, prying the knife out of her hand, with some difficulty before returning it to its proper place on his belt.

"Marik, water," he said rather aggressively.

Marik dismounted his own horse and walked over with the canteen, handing it over almost reluctantly.

Akefia opened it and slowly began to pour some water into her open mouth, before pausing to see if she was choking. When she began to sputter some of it back up, he poured a good amount of the remaining water onto her face, letting it drip into her scalp and down her neck. He licked his lips as he watched the water cascade down her chest, where her sheer top stuck to her skin and formed tightly around her breasts. Sputtering again, her eyes remained closed as Akefia stood up with her still in his arms. Marik couldn't keep his eyes off of her saturated top, earning a angry look from Akefia once he noticed this, who turned around and thrust her onto his horse before joining her. Pulling her up so she was again sitting side saddle while resting back on her master's chest, he snaked one hand around her waist, with the other grabbing the reigns.

"Me, get lost?" he grinned at the blonde who had yet to mount his own horse. With that, he took off, although at a much slower pace than before.