Chapter Seven- The Attack
Bakura stood several yards from the city gates. He could see several glints along the inside of the gates and smirked. Silver. They've employed the obvious weakness of a werewolf. Bakura glanced back to see five werewolves milling about, some shifting restlessly on their paws. They're restless but we need to wait for my scout to return.
"Boss!" came the voice of his scout and second-in-command and he faced him as he knelt before Bakura. "Boss, digging our way in is no good. There are spears planted upside down."
"I see. All right, I had thought they would do that. Well, if they want a face-to-face confrontation, then that's what they'll get." He turned to the werewolves. "Now is the time to attack. Engage the guards so that I can slip past and head for the palace. You are free to kill or turn the guards."
The pack howled at hearing Bakura's declaration to attack. They raced toward the city, the scout having transformed and in the lead. Bakura ran after them, slowing as he approached the gates. He saw the guards jabbing and stabbing with the spears but the injuries healed instantly. The werewolves either disarmed the guards, killed them, or bit them. Bakura slipped past along the perimeter of the fight, noting that only three were bitten. Three more werewolves with the pharaoh to be one too as I don't expect him to step down. Hmm….I think I'll bite a couple of guards myself. Bakura slid into an alley, became a wolf, and slunk to the gate, sticking to the alleys as the guards retreated toward the palace, including the bitten ones with his pack herding them to the gates; exactly as Bakura had planned.
Isis inwardly winced. Each of her fellow court members had a silver-headed spear and their proximity was painful. She couldn't ask them to take them away as they didn't know she was a wifewolf and also the spears were there to protect Atem from a werewolf attack. Even though it hurts, if it keeps the pharaoh safe, I will endure it.
Seto, who was beside her, glanced over at her before saying, "Isis, are you ill? You seem a little pale."
"I am fine," she lied. Seto held the spear in his right hand which was close to her. Its nearness was unbearable and it took all her discipline to make her stay put.
Atem glanced sideways at Isis. He knew the silver was painful to her but he had only seen what brief exposure had done. Now, he was seeing what prolonged exposure did. Isis did seem a little pale and the closeness of Seto's spear was likely making her nervous. No doubt the tightness in her chest is very painful.
Snarls, howls, and cries of alarm suddenly rent the air and the five men moved closer to the sounds and Isis felt the pain in her chest ease a little as she slowly moved closer to the throne's steps. Two guards stumbled and fell into the room, weaponless and each sporting a bite mark to the arm.
Mahad gasped at the marks. Two of his men had been bitten and would transform into werewolves tonight which was a full moon! Six wolves stalked into the room and headed toward the court. A seventh one came in and stood at the entrance, watching his pack surround the spear-wielding court members.
Seto tried to stab one from one side while Mahad came from the opposite side, but another wolf lashed out with razor-sharp claws and sliced the spear shafts in half before knocking the head halves out of range.
"No!" Atem cried as he came down the steps, his heart pounding at seeing his court disarmed and surrounded. Isis blocked Atem from getting closer to the wolves.
"Oh, don't worry," said the seventh wolf as he padded toward Isis and Atem. "They won't be bitten, unlike the five guards that were bitten."
"Bakura!?" Atem gasped, recognizing the voice.
"Very good, pharaoh," Bakura drawled. "I was bitten on the last full moon cycle. My sire left me to learn what I could and could not do on my own. I then bit my band of thieves, finding I could bite whenever I want." Bakura flashed a wolf's grin. "So, am I correct in saying that you will not step down as pharaoh?"
"That's right. I would never surrender the throne to someone like you."
"Someone like me? Well, since you refuse to step down, I will bite you and you will be like me."
"No. You will not," Isis said, stepping in front of Atem. "My job is to stop you."
Bakura laughed. "You? A mere woman?"
"I am not a mere woman." Isis willed the change and she growled once she had changed. She heard gasps from the court but she kept her focus on Bakura who had stepped back.
"You're…like me?"
"Not quite but that doesn't matter. You're not getting to the pharaoh." Isis charged at Bakura, plowing into him and the two rolled across the floor, biting and slashing.
They separated with no sign of their injuries. Isis' fur on her spine stood on end as she growled angrily. She felt a kind of thrill well up inside her at being a protective wolf. Bakura moved to her left and she matched it. He took two steps to the right and she matched it again. "Leave and take your pack with you," she ordered.
"Not until I've fulfilled the threat I sent," he snapped. He then charged at Isis and head-butted her in the chest. She landed on her side but popped to her feet quickly, only it wasn't fast enough, despite it looking fast to the humans. Bakura acted once he had knocked Isis aside. He sped toward Atem and lunged, his teeth finding their target. Atem cried out as the teeth sank into his arm.
"No!" Isis howled. She snarled as she ran toward Bakura who had backed away with satisfaction. He turned and ran for the entrance calling, "We're done here!" The pack ran after Bakura and Isis was about to follow when Atem called, "Isis, stop!"
She halted, changed back to human, and rushed to Atem before going to one knee. "I'm sorry, my pharaoh. I failed you."
"You tried and did the best that you could," he whispered as he knelt before her. "We both knew this was a possibility. Now that it has happened, I will need your assistance tonight as will the five others who were bitten."
"I will also have some explaining to do," she said as she glanced back at the court and the injured guards.
Atem also looked at them before standing and heading over to them. He could see that they were focusing on the bite mark on his arm and he knew they were aware of its significance.
"Mahad. Seto. Find the other three bitten guards and bring them here. Everything will be explained then."
"Yes, my pharaoh." The two of them left the room. Atem headed back to the throne, pulling Isis up the steps so that she stood beside him. He sat and gestured for the others to come closer and then they waited for Mahad, Seto, and the guards.