Hello everyone; welcome to my latest story of the new year. Like I mentioned on my profile these next few stories you see will be relatively short , you will find this most recent one entertaining and unique. With introductions out of the way, onto the story.
I. HATE. SAND. Anakin Skywalker really was justified in his stance on the irritating granular substance. It only took me being reborn in a place that was eighty percent desert to fully understand his distaste for it. Each coarse, rough, and irritating step outside my home feels like a constant pebble in my shoe. And it really does get everywhere.
I used to hate the lifeless concrete environment of New York City, with its constant plumes of smog and endless streets. Now, after being reborn into an era where an indoor toilet was the stuff of dreams, I couldn't pray for anything more.
As I tried to get the sand out of my sandals, a man walked through my door. He was dressed in dirty, tattered robes more suited for even a beggar than a commoner. If most people saw him, they would most likely turn their gazes away to avoid any interaction. Even at this time, most people tried to steer clear of the homeless. Although, for Qar, his appearance was exactly the point. "Bakura, I just heard from one of the men. The wizards have almost finished their work."
"Then I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting," I sighed. And I had just gotten most of the sand out from between my toes. I shrugged before following Qar out of my small home.
It's funny; I'm fairly sure when the Buddhists came up with the idea of reincarnation, they didn't warn about the possibility of being reborn into a life that I had only seen in an anime. I hadn't even realized where I was until after my first seven years of life in this world. A newborn's eyes and ears take time to develop, and Bakura's past was never fully explored in the show or the manga. Even when I began to suspect what happened to me, I didn't truly believe it. A guy gets sick and dies in the hospital, and then a few minutes later, he finds himself regressed into a fetus in his new mother's womb. Something that crazy should only happen in a cheesy anime. In fact, it was one specific event that turned me into a believer.
The massacre of Kul Elna.
My parents barely had enough time to hide me away when the screaming started. I could only watch as armed men in dark cloaks went door to door, dragging out anyone they could find before cutting them down without mercy. It wasn't long before it was my parents' turn.
My father was a peaceful man; despite the notoriety, our village had as a home for thieves and murderers, he always tried to live an honest life and tried to instill those same values into me as well. As I peeked through the crack in the door, I could see him trying to pacify the intruders. He offered them gold and all the riches the village had acquired in exchange for leaving the village in peace.
But there was something strange about the soldiers, something odd. There was an emptiness in their eyes as my father tried to negotiate with them. It was as if they weren't even fully comprehending what was being said. After my father finished his offer, the only thing the soldiers did was casually, as if going through a simple drill, put their spears through my parents' hearts.
Before the light even fully faded from their eyes, a pair of soldiers were already dragging their bodies over to join the bodies of the others that had been slaughtered tonight. It took hours for all of the bodies to be moved. And it was only when the footsteps of the departing men were almost out of earshot that I dared to leave my hiding place and quietly follow behind them.
I hid myself in a dark corner and watched as the soldiers took the bodies of their victims and splayed them out before a group of men dressed in fine silks and jewelry. Even in the darkness, I knew immediately who they were: men trained to harness the dark arts in service to the royal family. The pharaoh's magicians. With nothing but a nod from the magician at the front, the soldiers took their blades and began systematically dismembering the bodies. For the first time, I was glad that I could barely see anything. At least it spared me from being able to recognize which of the bodies being desecrated used to be my parents. Once they finished their bloody task, the soldiers gathered back up the dismembered corpses and placed them into a cauldron that they carried down into an underground temple.
Even when the priests and a majority of the soldiers disappeared down into the depths of the temple, I didn't dare draw closer. Despite my distance, I could still see a malevolent light emanating from the temple. The shadows seem to circle and dance around the entrance to the temple as if attracted to the forbidden act being committed.
Nearly an hour passed before the magicians reemerged from the temple. Illuminated by the torchlight, I was finally able to see the face of the man responsible for the slaughter of my people. A face I recognized. His face was younger than depicted in the anime, lacking wrinkles with color could still be found in his hair. Blood dripped down his face, and his newly acquired Millenium Eye shown ominously in the firelight: Aknadin, the Pharaoh's brother and the creator of the millennium items.
After seeing him, I could no longer deny where I had been reincarnated. Nor what I should do with this second chance at life that fate had gifted me.
Qar guided me to a cave dug into the face of a mountain only a few miles away from the village. Even from outside, we could hear the faint sound of chanting from inside. At the mouth of the cave were ten cloaked figures, their features obscured by dark hoods. When they noticed my arrival, they halted their vigil and bowed.
"We have been standing watch over the cave since sunrise, Lord Bakura. Only ten sorcerers are inside, and no one has left." The lead figure spoke his tone neutral, giving nothing away. I sighed as I fought down the urge to scratch the back of my head awkwardly. An old habit from my previous life. I was never one who enjoyed being overly glorified, not to mention being called 'lord'. Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped; I had built up a bit of a reputation in this desert.
"I'll head inside alone. If I need any of you, I will signal you."
"Please, allow at least a few of us to-" Qar's pacifying hand was enough to quiet the bandit's protest. I sent him a grateful nod before I explained.
"It will be easier if I go alone. I don't want any of you to get caught in the fighting." Hopefully, they would overlook the hidden meaning behind those words. If they came with me, they would most likely only get in the way. "I'll signal for you if I need you."
"How will we know what the signal is?" One of them asked.
"Simple, I'll be screaming." Having said all that needed to be said I disappeared into the mouth of the cave.
I ran my hand over the cave wall and used it to guide my way. The only clue I had that I was going in the right direction was the faint chanting that echoed off the walls. I couldn't risk a torch, they might have sentries hiding in wait somewhere. It wouldn't do for someone to interrupt their special little ritual.
As I dove deeper into the depths of the mountain, I noticed a faint light at the end of the tunnel and the closer I got to it, the louder the chanting became. As I drew closer, I noticed two figures acting as sentries armed with spears. Luckily for me, they haven't noticed me yet. Unlucky for them, that made this next part all the easier for me. The two guards were slammed into the opposing walls with barely a thought from me. I watched with grim satisfaction as their unconscious bodies slid to the floor.
With that small issue taken care of, I continued on my way. The tunnel opening led me to a large chamber illuminated by torchlight; the occupants' chanting reverberated off the cave wall. Surrounding all sides were numerous cloaked figures. Their heads bowed almost as if in prayer, their attention fixed on the man in the center and the object in his hands.
No one knew his real name nor where he came from. The only thing anyone knew him by was the name he chose for himself. The name he used in honor of the god of the underworld. Anubis.
He appeared less than a year ago but quickly gathered a large following of acolytes through his words and actions. He was said to be able to conjure massive sandstorms with a wave of his hand and even to command the dead. He preached about the coming of a new dynasty where those in power served at the feet of those willing to follow his word.
I have been searching for Anubis since he first began to gather a following. As a former Yu-Gi-Oh fan, I knew exactly who he was when I heard his name. After getting over my surprise at the appearance of a character that only appeared in one of the spinoff movies, I realized that I could use his unexpected arrival to my advantage.
I watched as Anubis raised the object in his hand high for all of his followers to see. It was a small pyramid made from a strange glass-like material with a red eye at the center.
"Behold, the Pyramid of Light the tool of our deliverance," Anubis's voice echoed throughout the chamber. "With this, we will no longer be forced to grovel at the feet of the pharaoh and his servants. With this, we will be the masters and they will be the slaves. With the Pyramid of Light, we will rule all of Egypt." His men cheered and the pyramid seemed to absorb the cries of adulation, the red eye glowing bright.
"Forgive me for interrupting, but you will have to put those plans on hold." Every pair of eyes in the chamber turn to me. Without a hint of unease, I made my way to the center of the chamber. The surrounding eyes tracked every step I took, but my focus was solely on Anubis.
He's even bigger up close. Anubis was a mountain of a man, well over six feet tall, with a mane of dirty blonde hair and muscles larger than my head. In addition to the pair of red eyes boring into me, the sorcerer made for an imposing figure.
"Who are you to interrupt this sacred ritual?" Alright, time to channel my inner Gregory House.
"I'm just a concerned citizen. My neighbors have been complaining to me about strange sounds they have been hearing at night. I'm not judging, but if you are all planning to have another orgy, I would be grateful if you give the rest of us a little bit of warning."
I had to give the guy credit, he had an amazing poker face. Unfortunately, he gave himself away with the slight twitch of his brow and the way he was gritting his teeth behind his closed mouth. I could also see him clenching his hands like he was imagining wrapping his hands around my throat.
"Kill him." Like a pack of trained hounds, the surrounding sorcerers descended on me ready to execute me in the name of their god. Sadly for them, I wasn't quite as unarmed as I appeared. With a wave of my hand, the mad disciples were sent flying, their bodies crashing into the chamber walls leaving behind red stains as they fell to the ground.
Anubis didn't even flinch at the decimation of his closest followers; on the contrary, he looked at me with renewed interest. "It seems that I might have misjudged you. I first took you for a fool who simply wandered into my domain. Now I see you are far more. However, it doesn't matter, you will still die here." Suddenly, his shadow sprung from the floor and erupted behind him. As his shadow grew, it warped into a different shape. The monster had the head of a lion with the upper body of a man attached to the body of of lion where its head would be. Finishing the horrible display was a pair of wings on the creature's leonine body. "Theinen the Great Sphinx, bring me his head." At its master's words, the great beast brought its clawed fist down intending to crush me.
Before the sphinx's attack could reach me, a scaled hand came out of my shadow to intercept it. That scaled hand belonged to a chimera of my own. He was a goliath just as large as Theinen with a human man's head and upper body with a pair of wings on his back. A person might even mistake the creature for an angel, except for the giant snake making up his lower body. Watching Anubis's expression shift from relaxed confidence to one of abject shock. I suppose I couldn't blame him for his surprise.
Having a ka isn't that different from having a stand like in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Anyone can have a stand under the right circumstances, but only a few people manifest one. Similarly, everyone has a ka, a ka is just a reflection of the soul. Turning that ka into a tangible form for battle is the hard part. For some, like Anubis and the pharaoh's priests, it comes from magic. For others, it can come from trauma. For example, watching everyone you have ever known being slaughtered in cold blood.
"Diabound, make a rug out of that overgrown cat." At my word, Diabound slammed his fist into the monster's feline face. Theinen, staggered by the blow retreated to get his bearings before charging back into the fray. For the next few minutes, Anubis and I watched the titanic battle taking place before us. Neither of us dared to make a move at the risk of being caught in the middle of our kas' conflict.
Eventually, Theinen managed to gain the upper hand and pin Diabound under his four legs. The sight was reminiscent of a lion pinning some poor farmer who had the misfortune of crossing its path. Unfortunately, there was one thing that the sphinx forgot to account for. Diabound has more than one head.
I watched victoriously as Diabound's serpent head reached around and bit deep into Theinen's neck. As my ka's fangs dug deeper, the sphinx dropped to the floor shaking the entire chamber with its descent. The creature faded away as Diabound released it from his jaws. I then turned to Anubis who had fallen to his knees due to the mental and spiritual backlash from the death of his ka. His eyes widened in terror as he saw me approach.
"Please spare me," the sorcerer begged. "I didn't mean to trespass in your domain, Bakura." He knows who I am? Didn't expect that. "If I knew who you were I would never have attacked you." I was silent as I got closer. We both knew he was lying. He shut his eyes preparing for his impending death as my hand came down towards his throat. I ripped the Pyramid of Light from around his neck. With my prize in hand, I turned and made my way towards the exit.
"Wait, I can help you," I stopped. "I can teach you to master the powers of the pyramid. I can help you steal the millennium items. I can help you kill the pharaoh." I could hear the desperation in his voice. When I turned around, I could see the hope return to his eyes.
"You, misunderstand me," I said as I retied the cord holding the pyramid around my neck. "I have no interest in killing the pharaoh." At those words, the hope died. "Diabound." His screams filled my ears as I left the chambers.
"Welcome back, milord," Qar greeted me as I exited the cave. The others were lying about around the mouth of the cave. Some were sharpening their swords while others were asleep under the shade. His eyes trailed down to the pyramid around my neck. "I see you were successful."
"I was." Even now, I could feel the powers of the pyramid coursing through me. It would take some time to fully master, but I was a quick study. "Send the word out to all our people throughout the cities near the capitol. I want them all in Kul Elna by the next week."
"As you wish," Azad bowed. "What are we preparing for?" I smirked as the shadow of the mountain stretched across the horizon.
"The pharaoh's funeral of course. It would be rude of us not to attend."
And that ends the first chapter. As far as I am aware, I am the first person to write a Yu-Gi-Oh story quite like this. I am looking forward to the feedback and criticism I get for it. As the story continues, I hope to hear everyones commentary about the direction it takes. I'm hoping to upload at least one chapter every week. Until next week, follow, favorite, and review.