Author's Note: Told ya I'd be back soon! Well, here's chapter thirty! (Can you believe I actually have thirty chapters?) Keep in mind that we're still in Marik's flashback, so the beginning is in the past. (Wow, what a redundant statement.)
Here's hoping you don't want to destroy me for the end!
Chapter 30
"We're here," Bakura informed grudgingly, immediately slumping into a seat and shielding his eyes from any excess sunlight. It had taken three hours to walk back all the way to the Thief King's hideout in the Valley of the Kings, and Marik had whined and complained the entire time. It had taken every once of his strength not to strangle the boy from the palace, and Bakura had been left with a horrible headache because of it.
"Honestly, we could have died out in that heat!" Marik exclaimed, helping himself to seat as well. "You could have died; I could have died! And then you would have been left out there in the desert all alone!"
"It would have been a welcome relief," Bakura mumbled hoarsely, running a hand through his hair.
Marik growled but didn't respond. Soon I'll be gone anyway, he thought, smiling. No need to drive him completely insane before I leave.
"Kid, could you do me a favor?"
Marik leaned off his perch, intrigued Bakura was asking such a thing. The Thief King was lying on his side now, facing away from Marik. After a pause, he inquired, "What is it?"
"You gave me a damn headache. I'll need to be thoughly intoxicated in order for it to go away." Without turning to Marik or sitting up, Bakura pointed lazily behind and muttered, "There's a small bottle of alcohol stashed away under the table over there; could you fetch it for me?"
"Er… sure, I guess." Marik stood up to retrieve it despite himself being tired as well.
"And put it in a cup, would you?" Bakura added, sounding disturbingly weak.
Marik nodded, although Bakura's back was still turned and could therefore not see the gesture.
"So…" Marik sunk to one knee and felt the under side of the table for the alcohol bottle Bakura requested. "… Where is everyone else? Don't you have a whole group of criminals who cater to your every whim?"
"Usually, but I sent the majority of them off to get us more… funding."
"What do you mean?"
Marik sensed Bakura's mouth pull into a crescent-shaped smirk. "Let's just say we're not a non-profit organization."
Marik felt a shiver spiderweb up his spine but ignored it upon finally finding the bottle Bakura had mentioned and retrieving it. "I found it," he alerted, getting back up on his feet.
"I'm so very proud," Bakura muttered sardonically. "Just pour it in a cup. Like I said, they're everywhere."
And they were. In fact, a lot of random objects were scattered all over the floor: gold jewelry, coins, silverware, loose jewels, coins, and anything else small enough to pickpocket off of a wealthy merchant or noble.
"All right," the blonde mumbled, placing the bottle on the table and picking up a cup off the floor. It seemed less than the ideal amount of sanitation to Marik, but it wasn't him who was going to drink it anyway… "All of it?" Marik asked as he began to pour the alcohol into the cup.
"What do you think?"
The scorn in his voice was answer enough.
When the last drop was poured, Marik placed the now empty bottle back down on the table. Curiously, there was a metallic grey powder in the shape of a handprint on it. Marik immediately suspected his own hands had looked down at them, seeing that his suspicions were correct. His hands were coated in thick grey dust.
It must have been from the ground… Marik rubbed his hands together, wondering, But what is it?
Marik brought his hands up to his face and smelled it inquisitively.
No smell. Not even a muggy dust smell. It was a bad sign.
Without warning, a rat raced across the floor, as quickly as it had shown up disappearing through a crack in the abandoned tomb's wall. And, immediately, Marik knew what the mysterious powder was.
Arsenic.
They use it in the palace as well… to get rid of rodents… But mostly they use a weaker toxin, one that couldn't kill a human if ingested. Marik thought cautiously.These thieves must be poor if they are using such a strong poison just to get rid of a few rats… They must not prepare food down here.
Suddenly, Marik got a disturbing idea.
No, I can't! He stole a glance at Bakura; he was still turned away and oblivious. How can I even think of-?
"What's taking so long, kid?"
Marik jumped and then froze, his breath becoming scarce. "I… I'm going to bring you it in a moment!" he forced out.
Bakura simply grunted, appearing not to give much thought to Marik's rushed reply (probably on account of his headache.)
Since no one is here… I could poison Bakura and make it a safe distance away before anyone took notice! I could be on my way to Alexandria in mere moments without any trouble at all, and no one would know I was ever here! And killing off Egypt's most dangerous criminal? Nearly everyone would regard me as a hero. Hell, I could even use the accomplishment to get a become a spy for the Pharaoh just like Ryou…
Marik felt something slide around his conscience and constrict it, a spasm of feelings waving through him.
But killing is still killing! Even if I were dubbed Egypt's greatest hero, I would still be a murderer! A… murderer…
Marik swallowed several times, trying to regain moisture in his throat and mouth.
Slowly, Marik reached down to the floor and scraped up a pile of the deadly powder.
I need to do this, he thought, confidence in his decision steadily growing. I'll be keeping my family and friends safe as well as granting myself freedom. I have to do this before I change my mind or lose the opportunity.
Marik's hands parted over the cup, the silver arsenic diffusing into the alcohol. He picked up the drink and crept over to where Bakura was, biting his lip to keep himself quiet.
"Here," Marik whispered through barely parted lips, offering the cup to Bakura. He prayed the Thief King wouldn't take notice of his shaking hands or tone.
"Good Ra, it took long enough!" Bakura snarled, swiping the alcohol from the blonde's tan hands.
Marik felt some feeling return to him with Bakura's last action. Bakura's short and unpredictable temper was already common to him, and the familiarity helped drown out his frayed nerves.
Bakura brought the cup to his mouth gradually, tilting his head back so that the drink could slip down into his system more efficiently.
Marik's eyes widened, feeling some kind of emotion scratch at his ribcage. Whether it be guilt or apprehension or fear or anxiety, he didn't know. All he was sure of was that, whatever it was, it was occupying every corner of his body and making him sick to his stomach.
So it didn't even register when a hand clenched his wrist.
"You really thought you could poison me?"
True terror. Marik felt it. He didn't think it possible to be so afraid. He had been scared as a child by stories of the Thief King, stories told to get Marik to eat his vegetables or go to bed on time. But those weren't real. This was real. This was painfully, painfully real.
Bakura grinned, but it was nowhere near friendly. Every fiber of his being screamed at Marik to run, but his legs wouldn't listen to him. The Thief King's smile had him in a sinister trance. It was the kind of thing you would imagine seeing just before your death as flashbacks of your life frantically raced back and forth in front of your eyes.
"No answer? Where did the uppity kid who tried to kill me go, hmm? He was here just a second ago…" Bakura tightened the grip he had on Marik's arm.
Dizziness caused Marik to fall onto his knees and then onto his hands, a vile liquid trying to force his way up his throat. The blonde saw dark shapes enter his vision; they seemed so warm and inviting.
Bakura knelt down beside Marik, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Well done, kid," he congratulated. "I gave you the resources, but you performed the task. You've proven yourself."
"I… have? I… have."
"You have," Bakura confirmed, holding out his hands and catching the boy before he fell limp on the floor.
-transition-
"Isis, you are jumpy."
"Am I?" Isis folded another article of clothing, placing it down next to all the others. "I apologize."
Yugi's lips pulled into a straight line. "Something on your mind?" she described more than asked.
Isis hummed her question over, thinking carefully how she would respond. She was currently helping Yugi pack so that the youngest Motou and Prince Atem could go back to Yugi's home village to retrieve her possessions and have her move into the palace permanently.
But the couple was forced to wait until the Thief King's men left their posts surrounding the palace. Normally, they would send out an army to oust the criminals or at least drive them away, but the Pharaoh did not want a full-scale slaughter of a group of lower class citizens who had not made any real illegal moves yet on their record. Also, Yami swore to the Pharaoh that he would in every way try to eliminate Bakura with his own hands, taking the blame for the infamous thief's death. Therefore, if Akunumkanon sent out his army to eradicate the group, they may inadvertently harm or even kill Yami. Also, the older Motou and Bakura might not even be near the palace anymore, which meant they would have the blood of an entire faction on their hands with no real beneficial result.
Marik… Isis felt heartache in her chest at the thought of him. The priestess had argued furiously on the issue of what to do about the Thief King's troops. Isis had been one of the only ones to side with the Pharaoh, wanting to leave the group alone and let them leave on their own. But she fought for different reasons than the Pharaoh; all she wanted was for her younger brother to be safe.
Marik was out there somewhere… Isis could feel it. The rumors of him siding with the Thief King were never confirmed per se, but Isis knew it was true.
She had once written to Ryou, asking the spy if he knew Marik's whereabouts. Surprisingly, he informed her that he was just as unaware as everyone else.
"Shame too; he and I were such good friends as children," Ryou had told her in his reply letter. "Although, he always seemed a little bit unhappy. Onto what you told me about the rumors, I looked into it, and I cannot locate any records that have reported any new members of the Thief King's party. Unfortunately, Marik has fallen off the map in all of our investigations… I will inform you if this changes. I wouldn't worry, though, Priestess Isis. Marik must have left for a logical reason; he is almost too clever for his own good… Accordingly, I think most of his reasons aren't obvious and that we need to trust that he is doing what he deems is best. Happiness is relevant to our human desires, and if what he wants to do is stay away from his friends and family and forge a different path, we will just have to accept that and support his decision. Sincerest regards, Ryou."
Isis had been distraught about Ryou not knowing anything either, but what he said at the end of his letter angered her more than anything. As much as she wanted to burn that letter as soon as she had been done reading it, the priestess instead kept it and thought about what the spy had said. For some reason, Marik wanted to stay away, and even though she did not fully understand it—or even slightly understand it—she did eventually accept it… as difficult as it was.
"Isis, are you crying?"
"What? No, of course not," Isis denied, pinching the top of her nose to stop the tears.
Yugi unexpectedly did not press the subject further but instead climbed up onto her bed, sighing.
"I remember you telling me about your brother… when I first arrived," Yugi declared, catching Isis off guard. "You said you thought he was with the Thief King… It must be so hard for you, knowing he is so close but refuses to be a part of your life."
Isis said nothing in reply.
"You know," Yugi thought aloud, "we're a lot alike, Isis. The only difference is that my brother cannot be with me because of shame and guilt and the blood of so many men on his hands… Your brother cannot be with you because of a mysterious reason, one he doesn't tell you but hopes you'll understand."
Isis began to accumulate tears again, but this time, she made no attempt to stop them.
"I know the reason my brother avoids me… but you do not. For this reason, I think you have it harder than me."
"Lady Yugi, you can't think—"
"But I do," Yugi interrupted her, looking the priestess straight in the eyes. "I was kept remotely innocent of it all for a long time, so I know what the pain of the unknown is like. But now that I know for sure… There is something freeing about it. I hope your brother will tell you why he does what he does. Because when you know the truth, you finally feel at peace."
Isis swallowed down a portion of her emotions. "Lady Yugi…"
Yugi descended from the bed and approached the woman. She held out her arms and waited. It only took a second before Isis fell into them, her head falling onto the shorter girl's shoulders. Yugi closed her eyes and sighed a sorrowful sigh, her last for a while. She leaned her own head on Isis's, wishing both her brother and the priestess's the best of luck.
-transition-
"Are you sure we can't just play a friendly game?" Bakura gibed. "I would hate to see your life end in such a pitiful state of confusion."
"I don't care if it does," Yami retorted, placing a hand on his sword's handle. "Just as long as I take you with me."
"So violent," Bakura commented, an eyebrow rising amusedly. "You really want to end violence with violence? Doesn't that seem a little hypocritical?"
"Not how I see it." Yami confessed, "I have sworn my loyalty to Egypt as long as Yugi may help to rule it, and the first assignment I was given is to finish you."
"So you're going to resolve an entire life of violence… with violence." Bakura drummed his chin nonchalantly. "Still seems like you contradict yourself."
"Stop doing that!" Yami finally snapped.
"Doing what?" Bakura inquired innocently with a deceiving smile.
"Trying to confuse me about my motives; you are not going to change my mind about killing you!" Yami screeched, his expression flickering from confusion to anger to confrontation and then back to blood lust.
Bakura pouted. "I was just trying to have some fun… There is no need to yell at me…"
"There's perfect need to yell at you!" Yami roared, finally pulling his sword out from its sheath.
"My, I've certainly gotten you angry…" Bakura snickered. "You're so sensitive, Yami, honestly! Especially when it comes to that sister of yours…"
Yami swiped the air out in front of him with his blade as if to give Bakura a warning. As intimidating as it was meant to be, it looked less like a threat and more like the beginning of a child's temper tantrum.
Bakura chuckled but grasped his own sword, asking, "Are you certain you want to fight me? I have faced more competent than you and have always won."
"That ends here," Yami stated. "In fact, your entire life ends here."
The older Motou made a lunge at Bakura, and the Thief King's blade combated Yami's. A sharp scraping sound was the result, echoing across the desert.
"You're not going to speak?" Yami inquired over the clashing of metal, finding Bakura's silence unusual.
Bakura said nothing for once, putting his weight into his sword and forcing Yami back.
Yami retaliated, the two men's swords colliding yet again. And also again, Yami felt it was peculiar that Bakura was remaining silent. "You don't want to throw more irritating banter at me?" he questioned, his sword passing Bakura's for a split second, his shoulder being the victim in the exchange. Bakura backed up, breathing heavily. The damage done on his shoulder couldn't be seen externally through his red robe, but Yami knew it had weakened him sufficiently by the way he exchanged his sword to his opposite hand.
Yami should have felt victorious at injuring the notorious thief, but instead he only felt angrier.
"No more insults to give me? Care to point out flaws in my plans?" Yami asked pointedly, his sword going at work once more. "Wish to anger me further?"
Yami's sword evaded Bakura's a second time, the blade cutting into his chest. It wasn't a deep slice, but this time the affect was very apparent, blood seeping out onto the white part of his apparel. Bakura placed a hand on his chest and then brought it back into his sight to inspect the damage, scowling with disdain.
The older Motou did not feel any better by injuring Bakura another time. He only felt his anger spike up more, and it was aimed at the fact that the other was still refusing to speak.
"Say something!" Yami ordered, his jaw tightening. "Say something now!"
Bakura didn't seem to hear Yami at all, throwing himself into an attack, his sword starting behind him and then finally coming forward. Yami evaded the assault by holding out his blade and blocking the near hazardous strike.
Their noses only inches apart, Yami commanded with a fierce expression, "Acknowledge me! Answer me! Say something!"
"Do not feel like you can order me around, Yami! I am your superior and always will be!" Bakura suddenly shouted, astonishing the Motou.
Yami pulled back, not surprised because Bakura had spoken but because of the strong scent of alcohol he detected from the Thief King's breath.
When he pulled away, Bakura lost balance a fell backward onto the ground, his sword falling out of his reach. Bakura was suddenly aware of the amount of blood he was losing, watching it leak out onto the sand from his chest and shoulder. The proud king of thieves convulsed in response to his blood loss, feeling a warm darkness crouched in the corners of the scene, prepared to steal him away forever.
Yami stood over his opponent, his eyes wide and his hands shaking. I… can't. I can't take Bakura's life. As much as he deserves it, I can't start over my new life by taking his when knowing I had an unfair advantage. I… I have to let him go.
"Yami."
Said man gasped at the hoarseness in the man's voice and the sight of him leaning his head back and looking up to the sky.
"Finish me now," Bakura requested. "I want to die at the hands of a worthy opponent, and you are one. Don't be a weakling, Yami. Do it."
Yami clenched his weapon, Bakura's blood dripping off of it at a steady pace.
I…
Author's Note: Cliffhanger queen is back~!
What do you think Yami will do? Place your bets.
Have a good weekend, and don't forget to review!