Chapter 22

With the axe held between both hands, she turned her gaze towards the darkening horizon. The challengers had barely begun, but already things were starting to get interesting. A small, satisfied little smile curled at her lips as the redhead took up a spot beside her. She knew the other girl had been made for the Master's use, but somehow it felt more like she'd been made just for her.

'When this is over we should celebrate,' she turned her gaze towards the redhead.

'When this is over I'll no longer have a purpose,' the redhead's voice was calm and level, 'I won't exist anymore.'

'I thought that was for the Master to decide.'

'It is.'

'So then maybe he'll decide to let you stay.'

'I'll have no purpose,' the redhead shook her head.

'I didn't think dreams needed to have a purpose.'

'You're right, they don't, but we both know I am more than just a dream. I'm an Unrealm, created to bridge the gap between imagination and reality. I was created for this time and this place. Unrealms who have lost their purpose lose their reason to exist. Unless the Master gives me a new purpose once all this is over, I will have no choice in the matter. My existence will come to an end.'

'I see.'

'This place bridges the same gap I do; it was what inspired the Master to create me.'

'But I thought... You mean the Master didn't create this place himself?'

'No, someone else did, a long time ago when everything was new. It was created as a playground, but the child it was intended for never knew it existed. Not till they were too old and jaded to truly enjoy it. So this whole place had just been sat lost, lonely and forgotten until the Master came along and breathed a whole new life into it. And from that life he created this game and me.'

'I hope he finds a reason to keep you in existence,' she thoughtfully turned her gaze back towards the horizon, 'because I value friendship and I'd like to consider you a friend.'

'Jay's not back yet,' Catilin's eyes stared out into the rain, 'he should be back by now, shouldn't he?'

'Yeah...' Ahna's gaze followed her friend's, 'but I wouldn't worry too much, knowing him he's probably found shelter somewhere.'

'Mm,' she didn't sound too convinced.

'Do you think it's more than that?'

'I don't know,' she shrugged, 'the airs not telling me anything, remember? I know only what you know.'

'You make it sound like a bad thing.'

'It is for me,' Catilin pulled a face, 'don't you see, without my Calicaccu senses telling me stuff I'm not good for anything.'

'That's not true Cat.'

'Isn't it?

'You managed to work out a possible meaning to that inscription by yourself, didn't you?' Ahna forced a smile.

'Mm, I guess.'

'Look, I don't know about you, but right now I'm cold and tired, so I'm going to try and get some sleep,' Ahna deliberately changed the topic of conversation. 'Maybe you should do the same.'

'But Jay isn't back yet.'

'I know, but like I said, he's probably found shelter somewhere, no doubt somewhere a lot warmer and more inviting than this place. In fact, I bet you anything he'll be back tomorrow morning with a smug little grin on his face because he had a better night sleep than we did.'

'That sounds like him,' Catilin giggled.

'So you'll try to get some sleep with me then, hmm?'

'Mm-hmm,' she nodded, 'I'll try.'

It was almost pitch black now and the rain beating against them felt hard enough to pierce the skin. If it were up to him, they would have taken shelter in any one of the caves they'd passed in what felt like a never ending cliff walk. But it wasn't up to him, it was up to Mai and she wasn't ready to quit just yet. As they continued to walk the strength of the rain increased and a part of him felt more than grateful Nethher Herin weren't easily bruised.

The rain was so thick and heavy he had to seriously wince against it in order to make Mai out. She couldn't have been more than half a meter ahead of him, but visibility was so low it might as well have been miles. A part of him couldn't help but wonder how she was able to cope with the extreme conditions they were walking in. Then, without warning, she completely disappeared from his sight.

'Mai,' panic filled him as the rain drowned out his voice. 'Mai!'

From out of nowhere, a hand grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him roughly into the shelter of a small cave.

'Alright, you win,' Mai's voice was as miserable as her expression, 'I'm so cold even my eyelashes feel numb. I can't do this; I can't go on anymore,' tears began to roll down her cheeks. 'I tried, I tried, I just want her back so bad, but I can't go on, I can't, it just hurts too much.'

'It's okay,' his face pulled with a look he hoped was sympathetic, 'we'll stay here tonight, you'll warm up again and then we'll go on looking, okay?'

'Okay,' her voice was wearily quiet.

'It's a shame we can't build a fire, or something,' SK found himself glancing around the cave.

'A towel and a dry set of clothes would be nice,' Mai shivered, 'I'm soaked through.'

'Think its worth taking our things off to dry?'

'Yeah, Joey would just love that,' she rolled her eyes. 'I think he'd kill you, if you weren't already dead.'

'Probably,' SK gave a half laugh which didn't quite sound like his own, 'but the alternative is allowing you to catch pneumonia and I think he'd want to kill me for that too.'

'I'd still rather not.'

'Fair enough,' he shrugged, 'I'm not going to force you.'

There were a few long moments of silence.

'SK,' Mai lowered her head, 'do you think I was stupid for making you come out here like this?'

'I don't think you're stupid Mai; I think you're grieving over the loss of your daughter.'

'Loss of my daughter...' her voice sounded pained. 'You... you don't think I'm going to get her back?'

'I...' he hesitated. 'Honestly, I don't know. I want to believe you'll get her back somehow, but right now...'

There was a long muted silence.

'Maybe we should try going back for Covo and Mokuba tomorrow,' Mai's voice was more than dull, 'we shouldn't have split up like that.'

He was just about to agree with her when a bright flash of lightning streaked across the sky. Almost as soon as they heard the crack of thunder, she appeared before them. Her sea blue eyes sparkled in the dim light of the cave, her thick blonde hair rolled in effortless waves down her back and when she moved her Grecian blue tunic rustle majestically.

'Piida,' SK took a wary step backwards.

'You... you know what happened to my baby, don't you,' Mai half leapt towards the goddess. 'Please... please give her back to me.'

'Uncle was right in his prediction of your reaction to me,' Piida lowered her head slightly. 'For now all I can tell you is that your daughter is safe and you do not need to worry about her.'

'Don't you dare tell me that,' Mai glared. 'She's my daughter, she's supposed to be here,' she pressed her hands against her stomach, 'and she's not. How... how can you tell me not to worry about her? I'm her mother for god sake.'

'Right now, all you are is a player in my uncle's game,' she waved a hand in front of her, causing a glass case holding two duel monsters cards to rise up from the ground. 'If you ever want to see your daughter again, then you'll have to win one of these. Refusing to play means you forfeit and trust me you don't want to live with the consequences of that. So accept my challenge and I will explain the rules.'

'I almost feel sorry for him,' Fray sighed as he stared down at the card in his hand, 'but rules are rules. One down, two to go.'

Shivering, Mokuba began rubbing his arms for warmth. The weather was horrible, the forest miserable, he was cold, he was wet and, if it wasn't for Covo, he'd be completely on his own. It was that last thought which made him sigh heavily. There wasn't anything wrong with Covo, of course and considering his current hang-ups he was grateful of anybody's company. The problem was he was worried about his brother and Tristan. What if they were out there somewhere like he was? Or worse, what if they weren't and instead they were at home going out of their minds with worry.

'Are you okay?' Covo frowned at him. 'You're looking a little... pensive?'

'I'm just worried about my brother and Tristan,' he turned his gaze away, 'they have no idea I'm here.'

'Well considering the fact we don't really know where here is, we don't really know we're here right now,' Covo gave an awkward laugh.

'Was that supposed to be some kind of joke?' Mokuba cocked an eyebrow at him.

'Yeah, sorry,' he shifted his gaze away, 'Ahna's always said I have a weird sense of humour. So if you were home right now, what would you be doing?'

'Are you trying to take my mind off of the situation?'

'Am I that transparent?' Covo gave another awkward laugh.

'Just a little bit, yeah.'

'Sorry, but... transparent all I really know how to be right now. I don't really know you well enough for anything else.'

'It's okay; you don't have to try so hard with me.'

'No, see that's where you're wrong,' Covo folded his arms, 'I have to try hard with everybody, because right now I'm the group's one and only outsider. Ahna's fine, she's friends with Catilin and Jay, not to mention the mother of Veronie's son. Okay, things can be a little awkward for her, but she's one of the group. I don't have any of those connections, not yet, so I'm still the outsider. And because of that I have to try hard. I want to be a part of this group, not just because of Ahna but because... because you're all such amazing people and I want to be a part of this exciting little world you all inhabit. I know, selfish or what, right?'

'No, I understand,' Mokuba shifted his gaze away. 'I used to feel that way about Yugi and his friends before I really became a part of their group.'

'So... you'll let me try hard then?'

'Yeah, sure, why not?'