Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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Bowing and backing away was typical of being approached by a High Priest, the respect was only natural to give one of the ruling class. In Set's heart he had dreamed of this, the lowered heads, the shuffle back a few steps. He would pass by leaving the servants to gaze up with reverence and respect. He, the General of the Pharaoh's army, rising up from an orphan to one of the most powerful men in the country.

Instead he was stalking back to his room in the first emotion he had felt since receiving the Sennen Rod.

Outrage.

It was all he could do to hold back when the other priests were around, far beneath him to express such emotion in the presence of them. Granted he wasn't the leader, his lack of experience 'as' a General made that something to look forward 'to'. He needed to be steady and calm for the rest of the Priests. Yet despite that, the bastard thief had desecrated the Pharaoh's father's tomb, dragged the body back to the palace then put his filthy feet upon the sarcophagus!

And SET WAS HELPLESS!

For all his training, for all his education, he couldn't defeat that thrice damned thief on his own, or even 'with' the other priests! More over his fury was clearly visible even to his moderately distracted gaze. For the servants didn't look in humble awe as much as muted fear and apprehension! Rage burned through out his body, his blood fairly felt as though it was burning.

Yet the thief was a victim twice over.

He could almost see the red rivers that Great Sekhmet must have become drunk upon from how outraged he felt.

Only the Rod was good at that... Just draw upon its 'calming' influence and suddenly it wasn't so bad. It subdued those emotions, freed me to think clearly...

Once he reached his room, he could drop his tense posture and relax into a muted rage. He placed the Rod on his desk, and dropped into his seat so he could stare out into the city. His room that he had only a passing familiarity, until recently, was at least non judgmental about his presence.

Wait...

It was a white dragon.

It didn't have scales, rather it had metal bands that wrapped around from the neck down, while the head was a smooth mound style shape. Seemingly forged from metal as pure as anything the Gods could create, with eyes that were flat pieces of sky. Bright blue with nothing to indicate where it was looking at any given time.

Even at night, when the only bright light near by was the golden and red hue of fire, this dragon retained its pure white color. Despite its light it materialized out of nowhere, with a wingspan that had covered the sky. Its roar shook the ground below, and the lightning it spewed was large enough to dwarf a pillar.

A dragon he had not seen since the night his village was slaughtered.

Now it was back, out of the blue. But not alone, no. Now with the knowledge he had gained through his time serving the royal family, he understood. It was no true 'dragon' rather it was the Ka beast of that girl, Kisara. The self same girl that he had rescued the night his village was destroyed. Yet why she had returned to Kemet? He couldn't tell.

She had been recognized as having a powerful Ka and brought to the lower prison areas. Well, until he found her. Now she was in a private room in the barracks away from the royal palace so Set could think. His own Ka was nothing compared to her, and the rest of the circle was nothing against the Thief King who had disrupted the ceremonies with his blasphemous presence.

Madness certainly. What else could draw a man to assault the royal palace during the ascension of a new Pharaoh? When the Circle of High Priests was at its very strongest, as they were all gathered within the palace? Yet was it madness? A full Circle and they had failed to protect the Pharaoh, instead he had to call forth the Gods, his very own Ka to defend himself.

Six High Priests and not enough power among them to repel this unwelcomed intruder. It was disgraceful and disgusting, the failure leaving a bitter bile at the back of his throat. 'The first time I stand as General and I am beaten by a thief, 'with' the other priests by my side.'

Set glared at the horizon out of his window with the intensity of the very sun itself. Off into the distance he could see the city sprawling ahead of him. Commoners going about their lives, but the rumor mill must have been starting to set tongues wagging. 'Even my own Ka is broken. How could it have manifested an ability to grow stronger only after sacrificing another? What good am I as a General if my only strength comes from discarding the very army I lead?'

Yet that dragon didn't need to be sacrificed or have something sacrificed to it. When it manifested it was already god like in power and majesty. 'Only apparently it manifests when I am in danger... How can I even use such a dragon in that case? Keeping her close is one thing, but she is untrained and I can see it in her eyes. She lacks the spirit to fight to defend herself, bringing her into combat areas just for her dragon to appear is heartless.'

This happened the next day...

More over Aknadin's 'suggestion' of just ripping her Ka out of her and sealing it in a Tablet was just as heartless. True the Pharaoh had come around the way Maha-ado had, but they were unique cases. Not the norm, for he had seen many glassy eyed people who had their Ka's taken from them. Merely a stroll by the cells showed him what 'normally' happened to such people. Nothing quite matched large rooms with superfluous metal bars to hold criminals in. Yet not a single person moving for any reason, just vacant gazes and slack jaws.

'There must be something I can do that can keep her close but not given to the Pharaoh. As powerful as he already is, there is nothing wrong with spreading the power of the kingdom to defend him. What good am I as a General if he has to do everything himself?' Set thought sourly as he watched the soft blue of the sky and a lone bird flying through out the air.

His desk was cluttered with scrolls and notes regarding everything the that happened when the thief attacked. Mahaado was the Guardian of the Tombs, and it was unheard of for the mage to not perform his tasks to the utmost. So how could the thief get in, remove the body, and drag it all the way back to the palace without being caught? Why hadn't he or Isis have seen or told anything?

You know why.

Bothersome as it was, it was almost compacted by Kisara. While she had this incredibly strong Ka, she was incapable of summoning it at will. More over her grasp of Kemets' language was poor, she understood basic words and followed commands simply enough. So she was clearly not one of any noble birth or she would know their language a little better. More over Kisara's skin was so pale she couldn't be from Kemet.

While her hair was also incredibly bizarre for such a region. She had to be from somewhere else and as such a position in the palace wasn't possible. 'But killing her is not an option, I could understand if she was a criminal. But she's innocent and I will not sully my hands with the blood of an innocent woman. No, I just need to teach her how to summon the Dragon on her own without putting either of us in life or death situations.'

So new to the title of General there was no way for him to be able to take in an apprentice so soon. Mahaado had, but he had been a master long before his own master died, it was mere formality that he was just an 'apprentice' until now. All the while Kisara lacked every single sign she would be even a good soldier.

Thinking on the strength of her dragon as it rose from her form. Mighty and with its tail curled around them, as powerful and great a Ka made all the more impressive when compared to the timid woman it rose from. If Ka were based on the soul of the person, she was the living embodiment of contradictions. Demure and submissive yet with a heart as great as any God.

And loyal only to him.

With that much power, he wanted to believe that they could defeat the thief on their own.

'What is the threshold though, it absorbs and channels back attacks sent against it.' He brooded as he stared down at nothing really. In his mind he could remember being pelted by pillows from Mahaado and it bopped its way to the front of his mind. That Ka could absorb energy and redirect it, but Mahaado could pick up things and throw them. Why hadn't the magician done so? True ripping a pillar out of the palace to use was a bad idea... But...

'No no, I can't recall anything of value that could have been used. Its not as though Mahaado would have flung people at the pair.' He realized as he shook his head of the thought, unless they went outside for the battle he would need a place to employ that skill. Thus Set sat there trying to formulate plans and areas where they could face the Thief.

'Have... have I seen Mahaado use magic?' He pondered when he heard a knock at the door.

Glancing at the door, Set turned slightly before calling out to see who his visitor was.

"Aknadin; I would speak with you," the older man called out.

Set frowned slightly. The older priest was knowledgeable, had been able to find Kisara with the use of his Sennen Eye. But to suddenly, and rather out of character, suggest killing her to take her Ka? It was a loss of morality that he found bothersome, though it was probably on par with Heisheen.

"Very well," he called out, resulting in the door opening and the older man stepping in.

Aknadin was still dressed in his travel robes, his hood drawn up over his head revealing mostly his white beard. Yet it was strange to see a High Priest dressed so incredibly modestly, during a celebration. 'I thought that he just wanted to protect his proper robes,' Set thought to himself. Even Shimon wore more richer clothes and he had stepped down as a High Priest. Now with Shada serving as his replacement.

"How are you?" Aknadin asked as he moved about to an extra chair in the room. "When Aknamkanon was crowned, his coronation was very mundane we got to celebrate long into the nights. This... Well is more exciting I suppose, but I could do with just celebrations," the priest asked as he got comfortable in the seat. His golden eye glinting in what light it could catch from its place under the hood.

"How did the Thief get into the palace? The ability to hide from the sight of everyone, absorbs and redirects the attacks of other Ka... Where did he even come from?" Set grumbled, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, remember that the ability to summon and use our Ka is still relatively new, something that only began in my time. We don't yet know the full extent of powers or abilities a Ka can manifest yet. That girls' dragon for example, more over the very fact that it reflects her physical attributes. Compared to our new Pharaoh and his appearance, it begs a question of if anyone different from us also bears these unique types of Ka?" The priest noted patiently, which given he was the one with the Item that gifted him the ability to see a person's Ka, was important.

"So when does a Ka evolve from looking like the Kurrs to their true forms?" Set asked, 'perhaps getting a base line might help...? Or at least get me a start.'

"Kurrs? Oh, the Pharaoh's little friends, those... are interesting really. I have seen them and they are more evolved than the average person. Normally, a Ka appears more faded to my sight, the stronger the Ka the more visible it is." He began, earning a surprise from Set who lifted his head up a bit as he took in that bit of news.

"So all those children had predisposed Ka that were more solid than people twice their ages?" Set asked, getting clarification via a nod from the older priest. "So age and experience means nothing really, there must be another factor that goes into the appearance and strength of a Ka."

But that would have meant that Aknadin's experiments on Ka were unnecessary. He would have known that when he was told about the children.

"My concern then is how do we stop this thief? His presence can not be tolerated or given the chance that one of our enemies brings him to their side." Set asked more to himself than to his guest, looking off back outside as he began brooding. "I don't suppose you know anything about him?"

"No, we have interrogated the local thieves that we have arrested of course. But none know this self stylized 'King of Thieves' as he calls himself." Aknadin reported with the soft sound of his robes rustling as he shrugged.

"But how recent were those arrests? If he's a new king, they might not know," Set pointed out glancing over at the man.

Who was eerily enough smiling at him, with this strange glint in his eye that Set couldn't place. But apparently that expression was not intended to be seen for the man quickly lowered his head again and gave a polite cough. "That is most certainly true, I need to see to that when we're done," Aknadin admitted.

"So how could he have resisted the sealing process as well? If it was just random chance, I could understand, but he was confident that our Items can do nothing to him. You created these Items as I've been told. Could you have met him at some point during the process?" Set asked thoughtfully, looking over at the man.

YES.

Aknadin tilted his head down as he thought about it, slowly shaking his head 'no', "I would recall a boy with hair that white," he finally answered after careful deliberation. "Nor did any of my men who aided me bear a resemblance to that man.."

Set looked away in disappointment, "I lead the army not the personal guard. I suppose I could go and give Mahaado a time for how 'his' part of the guard clearly can not do their duties. Yet this 'Bakura' clearly has his own forces and I won't have much room to talk if my own troops are that useless." He grumbled before pushing himself to his feet. "I'm going to see to the troops, put them on alert," he finally stated before he picked up the smooth, cool metal of the Sennen Rod. Somehow, just holding it helped push away the conflicted thoughts in his mind.

"Of course, I'll work on changing the manner to how I have been checking the criminals and see if there's anything more I can find. If I find anything, well Shada is often the easiest to find when he's in the palace. I'll have him send you a report," the older man offered.

Set nodded as he waited and watched as the older man left the room, yet as Aknadin walked he suddenly paused, as though a thought struck him. "Set? Whatever happened to your parents? The other priests I know of, everyone except you."

Taken by surprise by the question, Set blinked before giving a slight shrug. "My father died serving the pharaoh's army. My mother was killed when bandits that dealt in the slave trade stormed the village," he answered simply. "Its actually how I first met Kisara, they were traveling with her in a cage. When I freed her, they assumed I would take her back to my village I suppose, because they put torch to it looking for her."

"I see," Aknadin answered, "though it's clearly been a long time, you have my condolences over the death of your mother." He turned around and bowed in sympathy, earning a shrug from the new General.

"Thank you. A harsh trade perhaps, I had always wanted to join the army, to serve under the pharaoh. It was just blind luck how I ended up meeting the prince and he brought me into the palace by his own decree." Once upon a time, recounting their meeting brought a smile to Set's face, yet he could no longer smile.

A part of him remembered and snarled at the lack of reaction.

"Ahh well you serve in the army! So you have succeeded in your goal," Aknadin noted with some cheer to his tone. While Set gave a slight shrug.

"Every day the Pharaoh lives with me as his General shall be a success," Set stated with pride. Earning an encouraging smile from the older man before he left the room, allowing Set to be alone for a bit once more.

There were thieves to hunt.