Atemu carefully rolled up the papyrus and put it back in its small, clay container. The last notes and diary entries of his father still puzzled him; he was sure that a lot of answers were hidden in Akunamukanon's writings, but he just couldn't find them, nor figure out the cryptic references. He refused to believe his father was insane or impaired in any other way when writing this down. Atemu had intensively studied the notes, comparing them to Akunadin's writings and his own discoveries concerning the "Shadow Realm", again and again. Someone coughing politely next to him interrupted his train of thoughts. It was a servant.
"Pharaoh, Shimon Muran and priest Mahaado are here to see you."
"Finally!" Atemu almost spat into the face of the poor servant, who shrunk back from his Pharaoh. "Send them in!"
"We're already here," Shimon said and motioned the servant to leave. The elder advisor sat down in a teak chair, fanning himself, while the priest remained standing. Atemu wasn't used to see a pained and distressed look on the face of his most loyal priest. Mahaado was, as one of a very select few, intensively trained and skilled in wielding magic; pure, unaltered magic, the same magic that enabled him to deal with the current influx of monsters. He was also very convinced of the existence of a Shadow Realm, as soon as he heard Shimon’s theories and speculations about it- Mahaado had always believed in the presence of multiple realms or 'planes', some visible and some invisible to the human eye. It was suffice to say that Seto wasn't that fond of Mahaado and his realms either.
"You look tired, Mahaado," Atemu tried to break the ice.
The Priest nodded. "My Pharaoh, sightings and reports of the monsters are increasing at an alarming rate. The streets are filled with more and more panicked rumors, upsetting and confusing the people. I can't deal with all these monsters myself; it drains too much of my magic."
"Shadi and Karim are assisting you wherever they can, aren't they?" Atemy asked.
"Yes, my Pharaoh. Together with their Items, they're of invaluable help," Shimon answered. "With his Ankh, Shadi can stabilize the monster and with his Scales, Karim can determine whether it's a good or a bad monster."
Atemu snorted. It was only recently that Shimon had told him about his theory that, even in the ominous Shadow Realm, there were good monsters and bad monsters. Atemu had chosen not to react, as the idea of a war among those monsters was really too much for him to comprehend. Still, Shimon had been very adamant about it.
"Mahaado is the only one with effective power and magic to put a stop at these creatures. If only we had the other Items, or knew of a way to connect them..." Atemu mused.
"I'm sorry I can't help you with that," Shimon said, low in his throat.
"It's not your fault, Shimon. My father didn't involve you in the process, though I'd give up half of my Kingdom for the other Items, or at least for the proper knowledge how to stop this threat."
"My Pharaoh, I've been sensing these strong currents lately," Mahaado said, in his usual, calm voice. "Bad currents. Something is shifting in the magical plane, like the Scales going out of balance. There are so many powers in this world that we don't understand, Pharaoh. Some of these powers are manifested in the monsters we've seen lately...and I think there's more to come. Some of these powers is heading towards us, one way or the other."
"Can you...probe or something, if this magic is good or bad?"
"From what I sense, my Pharaoh, this power is divided into multiple torrents. I can't really express what I'm feeling. From what I've gathered, it feels like strong pride, determination and hatred; a very bizarre mix of emotions. All I know is that it doesn't feel right."
"Hatred? That reminds me of what Aishizu said:"We're in for a very tough time, Pharaoh. A tough time that's going to demand sacrifices from us, and giving nothing but sadness and torture in return. I've seen blue skies, red blood and golden hate. I'm sorry, so sorry.""
"Blue skies, red blood and golden hate?" Mahaado repeated the words. "I don't get it..." He shifted from one foot to the other. "Why would there be so much hate?"
"May I remind you that Aishizu's Tauk has always worked perfectly, and that we have to take this vision of her very seriously?" Shimon mentioned. As the eldest advisor, his word held much power, much to Seto's infuriation. The tall High Priest had an unhealthy dose of aversion to anything the elder man said, certainly if it pertained to the monster sightings and the Shadow Realm.
"How serious can we take a vision of blue skies, red blood and golden hate, and feelings of anxiety and danger? There's something coming our way, and there's nothing we can do! I want to protect my people, and I don't know what from! From those monsters, that keep appearing and disappearing, from that Shadow Realm of yours that somehow seems to exist. How serious do you want me to be when talking about beating something that I can't see?"
Shimon looked defeated. Mahaado clenched his fists.
"My Pharaoh, you have my word that I'll do everything in my power to help you and to put an end to this!"
Atemu pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know, Mahaado, I know. It's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault." He looked up. "Shimon, you must tell me everything that you can remember from what my father told you about the Items."
"I already told you everything I know, my Pharaoh. Your father mostly spoke with priest Akunadin. I was only an advisor, and my advice wasn't requested for this issue. He took this matter in his own hand, decreasing the number of people involved; probably to prevent the news from leaking out or arousing panic or suspicion. I don't even know where the rest of the Items are and how they work. We miss the Rod, the Ring, and the Eye- the most powerful ones, besides the Puzzle -, and we haven’t succeeded in tracking them down, even with the help of Aishizu's Tauk. It really is a shame. I'm sorry Pharaoh, but-"
"'I'm sorry" doesn't help me!" Atemu raised his voice. "Call the Priests together. We're going to look for those Items and figure out how they work ourselves. If need be, we test them out and learn from our mistakes. If this Shadow Realm needs to be contained, than contain it we will."
Mahaado looked shocked at the outburst, but changed his expression to one of determination. "I will warn the others."
"Aishizu is not here at the moment," Shimon said tentatively, eyeing Atemu. "She went out...to..."
"Visit her younger brother," the Pharaoh filled in. He knew about the unwritten tradition of severing family ties after the initial vocation, and couldn't blame his only female advisor to get family sick. He decided to let it slide. It was a dumb tradition to him anyway; one of the many he wanted to adjust or abolish. It were moments like these he wished he wasn't surrounded by elder advisors or priests, but with friends he could count on no matter what, or a younger brother himself, for talking to. If only father and mother hadn’t died so young and left him with this nation to reign- he put an end to these thoughts and shifted in his chair.
"You're excused, Mahaado. Shimon, stay a while."
The priest took a bow, his headpiece slightly revealing some strands of his long, chestnut hair, and turned around to leave the room. Shimon made himself comfortable in the chair, digging up papers from his robe and putting them on the desk. Atemu bit his lip, took a deep sigh, and helped the elder man spreading out the papers.
It was silent in the bedroom. Akeifa traced lazily circles on Mariku’s chest. Even in sleep, his Egyptian friend seemed tensed and plagued by the anger and hate he'd felt his entire life; Akeifa couldn't remember for the life of him if he'd ever seen Mariku really relaxed or free from any worries. The cotton curtains moved in the faint early evening breeze, filtering the setting sunlight to an impressive palette of golden and orange colors. Clothing was strewn all over the marble floor, and one particular item caught a glimpse of the golden light. The peculiar rod with the sphere and the tipped wing blades caught the thief's attention. This item was a part of the infamous Millennium Items.
Seven Items, and he already had one- the Ring. The thief wondered what was so important about the Items. Mariku had mentioned opening the Gates of Hell, and that something called the Shadow Realm didn't settle with him well either. On the other hand, that much money would settle him for the rest of his life, a comfortable, luxurious life. Akeifa had been fleeing and running his entire life, and a mansion and settling down sounded nice to him. If he asked Mariku for advice, maybe he could set up a business like him. The idea of the King of Thieves becoming a 'honest' tradesman made him snort. So many gold for the Items.
They were obviously important, not to mention the Gates of Hell and that Shadow Realm thing... Akeifa grinned. Maybe he could use the Items for himself. Knowledge was power, and half of Mariku's empire was built on exclusive knowledge, available to the highest bidder. Mariku shifted and moved his head a bit to the left. Absent mindedly, Akeifa played with the long strands of sun bleached hair. For some reason, Mariku's thick hair never felt smooth, but always coarse and unkempt, even more so than his own. Akeifa buried his hands in the hair and tugged a little, but didn't get a reaction.
The one thing Akeifa appreciated most about Mariku was that he never asked questions, never whined and never moped about being alone or being left out. Akeifa knew that they didn't share much but the occasional night together and he sure as hell didn't feel anything for Mariku in terms of love or commitment. Still, he owed the Egyptian much. After the destruction of his birth village Kuru Eruna, and walking around with much hate and anger on his own, Akeifa had nowhere to go and nothing to eat or to live for until Mariku found him and took him to his own house, underground.
"You know, I can hear you think."
"At least I'm thinking."
"Ha ha." Mariku turned around to face him. Bland violet eyes rested upon the King of Thieves. "Something the matter? You look worried."
"No, not worried."
Akeifa forced himself to look Mariku straight in the eyes. That was the one thing he appreciated the least about him- his eyes. Mariku's lavender eyes bore no pupils, and always wore the same lifeless expression. It made it very difficult to read his expression, and dangerous to boot for the thief, who judged his predicament by the look of one another's eyes. He believed that anger and pain had burned out every single emotion in Mariku's eyes, about the same time the young Egyptian had to undergo his Tomb Keeper initiation.
"Not worried," Mariku repeated. He darted with his tongue over his lips. "Why the worried look, then?"
"Those Items… they weren't forged from only gold, now were they?"
"No. They needed another sacrifice to make them work. The same sacrifice that's going to work against them."
Kuru Eruna. A whole village was slaughtered and sacrificed to forge golden Items no one knew even the purpose of. Akeifa looked at Mariku, who just stared back at him.
"The bastards."
A small smile showed itself on Mariku's face, before he promptly got up and moved so quickly out of the bed he matched Akeifa's speedy skills. He picked up a robe from the floor and threw it around him. No matter what position, Mariku never showed anyone his back or allowed touching it. Akeifa was aware of the heavy scars, carved into the tender flesh at a young age. He moved out of the bed on his own, looking for his sandals.
"Your father was really weird, you know that?"
"I'm well aware of that. Why else did you think I killed him?" Mariku's smile was nothing short of outright creepy. Akeifa shuddered. He prided himself in being one of the greatest thieves- he didn't wear the title of King of Thieves for nothing- but he never killed before. Threatened to kill, knocked some people unconscious, broke a few limbs of those standing in his way- but never killed in cold blood.
"I'll do it."
"I knew you'd do it."
"One gold bag per item, one extra for the Pharaoh's Item."
"Deal," Mariku said. Akeifa grimaced. His suspicions were confirmed. If even Mariku agreed with the insane amount of gold for those Items, there was much more going on than he imagined. The thief started to dress himself- skirt, hooded robe, maroon cloak, and sandals- and started donning his jewelry.
"I need some time to prepare. One does not walk into the Royal Palace at night."
"Ask Bobasa for supplies. We have everything you need, and if we don't, I'll make sure we get it."
"I'll see him right away."
"Won't you join me for dinner?"
"Sure." Akeifa turned around. Mariku only wore the robe, hardly covering his body. "Dinner and more."
The satisfactory smile on Mariku’s face pleased him somehow and he left the room in search for Bobasa. He felt those violet eyes bore into his back, for a long time to come.
Dinner was ready, and Ryou pulled his wooden chair close to the table. Yugi hopped on the chair opposite of him and started serving the dish.
"How's grandfather?" Even though Ryou wasn't directly related, the elderly man had insisted that Ryou should call him grandfather as well. Through the years, they had all become so close that they considered each other family.
"The incense worked, but it only alleviates the pain and the coughing. I wish we could do more for him..." Yugi trailed off. Ryou put his spoon down.
"Sooner or later, you have to face that your grandfather won't be around anymore," Ryou said softly.
Yugi crumbled some of his bread. "I know, I know. I just... don't want him to go."
"Me neither," Ryou said, feeling slightly miserable. He'd lost so many relatives already; his father, mother, younger sister… feeling Yugi's pain as well, he tried to enlighten the conversation. "Malik's going to ask his sister to pray for grandfather."
"He is?" Yugi's eyes became wide. "That's great!"
"Malik's really nice when you get to know him," Ryou said. "It may take a while to get through to him, but in the end, he's a good friend."
"I know," Yugi said and broke off a piece of bread. "Sometimes he scares me a little; he can be so...menacing somehow and he gets upset pretty easily."
"Only when you talk about his family," Ryou answered. "The Ishtars bear a rich, albeit difficult past, filled with ancient old traditions and rituals. It's not easy severing those family ties."
"At least he has family, and he choose to leave them," Yugi said, voice muffled by the bread. "I'd die to have more family..."
"Yugi, the circumstances are different." Ryou dipped a bit of bread in a little bowl with honey. "I don't think you'd be thrilled with a family who wants to carve ancient old scriptures on your back either."
From the sudden silence and the devastated look on Yugi's face, Ryou knew he blabbed too much. Malik hardly talked about his family- once, when he was feeling really upset about it, he told Ryou all about the ancient traditions and rules of the Ishtars, the once sacred Tomb Keepers clan. He'd made Ryou promise not to talk about it- and now Ryou felt terrible, breaking his promise and spilling his friend's secrets.
"You're kidding, right?" Yugi asked, spoon halfway to his mouth, slightly quivering.
"I wish I wasn't," Ryou sighed. "I'm sorry Yugi, I shouldn't have told you that. I had no right...I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Yugi mumbled. "I gathered from what he said before that his family was a touchy subject, but I never could've guessed it was this bad. Carving scriptures in one's back...how did the family come up with that tradition?"
"As far as I know, it has to do with the preservation of the Pharaoh's memories," Ryou said. "It can't be written down on paper, for fear of getting lost. I guess they chose to do it like this to keep the memory alive, literally."
"Malik must be pretty glad that he hadn't had to go through that ritual."
Ryou put his piece of bread away. "The eldest son has to bear the carving ritual...and in the family, Malik was too far acquainted, so he didn't qualify for it."
Yugi hung onto every word Ryou said. "Though from what I've heard, the eldest son has broken with the clan and is nothing short of a criminal."
"Fascinating," Yugi finally said.
"Fascinating?"
"All I'm doing is sitting inside and waiting for you to come home. I can't walk around freely because of my resemblance to the Pharaoh, and I want to hear the news, see the people, taste life! I feel so stuffed up inside, it almost makes me want to take a risk and go searching for those monsters you keep telling me about!"
"Yugi!" Ryou spoke harshly. "I also told you that half of these monsters sightings aren't true. People tend to exaggerate, and create their own legends when there have been accidents, or difficult to explain events. Everything is fine, and even if those monsters do exist, the Pharaoh and his Priests will do everything to stop it, should they pose a threat."
"You understand me, Ryou," Yugi said, sounding bitter. "I only have games I made up myself to occupy my time. I want to go outside too, to learn and to see, to make friends..."
Ryou reached over the table to get a grip on Yugi’s wrist. "I know, Yugi, and..." He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Who's there?"
"It's me, Malik," came the muffled voice.
"Malik?" Yugi’s eyes lit up wide. It pained Ryou to see him so excited about something as simple as receiving a visitor- but this was Yugi, and he hadn't much to be excited about. Ryou left the table and went to the front door, pulling away the thick curtain to reach for the lock.
"Come in!"
"Thanks," Malik mumbled when he passed Ryou and went straight into the living room.
"Yugi! How are you?" They embraced each other shortly.
"I'm doing fine, what about you?"
"I'm interrupting your dinner," Malik said when seeing the half-full dishes on the table.
"Have a seat. Did you have dinner already?"
"I wasn't in the mood for eating," Malik answered, though he picked up a piece of bread and started crumbling it.
"Something the matter?" Yugi listened intently.
"Aishizu visited us," Malik said, shrugging.
"Your sister? Did she leave the Palace to visit you?" Ryou exchanged glances with Yugi. He had taken up Yugi's education as his responsibility; everything Ryou learned he passed on to the smaller boy. Yugi was aware of the unwritten, deep-rooted tradition of severing family ties when one had received his or her vocation for Priest- so he knew about the great risks.
"Why did she come to visit you?"
"You know my sister has visions?" Malik asked, ignoring Yugi’s question. Both Ryou and Yugi nodded.
"It's not entirely true," he sighed. Malik wasn't supposed to talk about the Items, as the Ishtars were supposed to guard them in secrecy, but since he had broken with his family, he didn't feel himself bound to this secrecy- which didn't mean that he talked to everyone about it.
"What do you mean?"
"My sister wields the Millennium Tauk, a golden necklace that grants her visions into the future, or past... these visions are never clear, and it's up to her to interpret them the right way."
"That's awfully difficult," Yugi mused. "What if your sister misinterpreted a vision?"
Malik ignored him again. "There are seven of those Millennium Items, and a holder for each and every Item. My sister favors the theory that the holders are destined for their Item, and that nothing can come between the holder and the Item- they have a bond that goes beyond blood and belief."
"Malik, you're a bit upset," Ryou suddenly said. "Is this because of your sister's visit?"
"She told me she's seen me in one of her visions," Malik answered, looking terrified and irritated at the same time. "She also said that the Ishtars are going to play an important role in the future, and that I have to find the other half of my soul."
Yugi's eyes became wide again with the promise of adventure.
He didn't see Malik's sullen attitude or his slouching shoulders and asked: "Where did she say you could find that other half?"
"Aishizu never mentioned where I could find it- I think it"s all a bunch of nonsense. No one is half a soul, so why should I go look for something that doesn't exist?"
"Maybe your sister misinterpreted the vision..." Ryou trailed off, knowing he was walking a thin line. Malik looked up to him, face determined.
"My sister has never misinterpreted a vision before. She's been mentioning this dark halves theory to me a lot of times before, and she certainly believes it."
"Dark half?"
"All things are connected- the Millennium Items to their holders, and the holders to each other. The dark halves hold the most powerful Items, but they need their light halves to wield them in the proper way."
"What are you talking about? Malik..."
He leaned forward and blew out the only candle on the table, rendering the small living room in complete darkness. "Ever heard of the Shadow Realm?"
"Ana laa afham (1),"Atemu muttered, leafing through the scrolls. "Can't you be more specific, Shimon? You're talking about God Monsters- what exactly do you mean?"
The elderly man tapped on the papyri in the Pharaoh's right hand. "The Shadow Realm has a hierarchy on its own; there are many types of monsters. Judging from the reports, there are at least water-type, fire-type, dragon-type and beast-type monsters. I also tend them to separate in the 'good' or 'bad' category."
"Have you ever seen a 'good' monster, Shimon?" Atemu interrupted him. He really wished he could take a nap. All this talk about monsters and their attributes gave him a headache.
"My Pharaoh, the Shadow Realm is far more complex than you could ever imagine," the advisor answered. "Look at your father's notes- even he states that it's far beyond his comprehension. He just started to grasp the implications of the Shadow Realm before...well, before he died."
"Why is this Shadow Realm so threatening to us? Who makes these monsters appear and disappear? How can we end this, with or without the help of the Items?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that, my Pharaoh. I wasn't involved when the Items were forged, how regrettable it might be. I wish that Akunamukanon had asked for my assistance, but I guess he didn't expect to die so young, before he could explain it all to you. A severe, huge task has been stored on your shoulders, my Pharaoh. I believe firmly that Aishizu was right when she said that we’re in for a tough time. If all this with the Shadow Realm is true and the God Monsters roam free, than not even the Almighty Ra may not be able to help us."
Atemu grabbed the golden chain of his puzzle. "We will fight and win, Shimon. We will!" The elder man nodded.
"Your father passed his determination onto you. I'm sure we will find a way to stop this and to protect our people. The God Monsters will prove to be very difficult to defeat, I think. If they were locked up into the Shadow Realm for a reason, than I doubt they'll be on our side."
"If only my father hadn't died so young," Atemu folded his hands, "then we could ask him what he was thinking, was he was envisioning when forging the Items..."
"I'm afraid that only one of the Ishtar family could help you."
"Who else from the Tomb keepers clan knows about the Shadow Realm?" Atemu looked up. "Aishizu, her younger brother, anyone else from the Ishtars?"
Shimon shook his head. "Aishizu knows of the Shadow Realm, but not much about it. I doubt that her younger brother knows anything about it, as they were both too far down in the line of direct descendants. You know who holds the most knowledge on this subject."
Atemu sighed. "It seems that I have no other choice but to fall on my knees and beg for some information."
"You want to invite him over to the Royal Palace?"
"Never!" The young Pharaoh spat out. "As long as I live, the murderer of his own father won't set a foot in my home."
"He never had a chance, my Pharaoh. The name Ishtar has brought a lot of sorrow and grief on..."
"Enough!" Atemu barked. "He killed his father in cold blood and broke every tradition of his sacred family! He'll be the last resort in this matter- the ultimate last resort. Continue your research and let me know if you discovered something new. Tell Aishizu to report to me as soon as she returns!"
"Yes, my Pharaoh," Shimon said and bowed, before leaving the room quite hastily.
Alone in his room and preparing for the night, Akeifa took the pendant out of his backpack and eyed it, tracing with his fingers the outlines of the golden artifact. So it was an Item… the Millennium Ring. A part of a greater whole, the seven Millennium Items, forged by the late Pharaoh Akunamukanon. Akeifa knew that the Ring wasn’t made of only gold. On a whim, he held the Item close to his ear. It was like he could hear the souls screaming; screaming from agony when their bodies were slaughtered. Kuru Eruna. His hometown. His people, who were sacrificed for these Items… Akeifa slipped the cord over his neck and grimaced. The Ring was pretty heavy, and it made him wonder about the weight of the Puzzle the Pharaoh was known for carrying around. He brought up his hands to stroke the prongs of the Ring absentmindedly, when he suddenly gasped. The Ring flared to life, emitting a bright, blue glow.
The prongs stood right up and buried themselves in his chest. He almost choked on the pain that raged through his body and he tried to remove the Ring, to no avail. Akeifa fell to his knees, the pain too much to bear. He fought for gulps of air, trying not to scream from pain. His vision started to blur and blood ran over his chest. Giving in to the pain, Akeifa lost consciousness and slumped to the floor. He woke up hours later, lying on the carpet. Groaning, he tried to stand up, feeling around for support. His hands were coated with dried blood- his blood. Akeifa waited until his eyes were used to the dark, before carefully walking over to his bed and the nightstand. He yanked his robe open- in the moonlight, he could clearly distinct the five entry wounds of the prongs, all coated blood red. The Ring itself hung lifelessly on its chord, cool to the touch. He urged himself to touch them, but nothing happened. Akeifa noticed his hand was shaking, and that his teeth were chattering from cold- from the Ring's cold presence or from the cooled down night, he didn't know. He didn't know what happened and was shaken out of his thoughts when there was a knock on the door.
"Effendi Akeifa!"
"Just a moment!" Akeifa looked around and put on a sleeveless shirt before closing the maroon red robe. Only a few seconds later, Bobasa entered the room.
"Effendi? There's no light?"
"Too little oil in the lamp," Akeifa snarled. "Next time, have your servants check the lamps before passing them out. I was taking a nap."
"Yes, effendi," Bobasa answered him. "We have everything ready, as you requested."
"Time to leave, then." Akeifa jumped off the bed and quickly searched for his backpack. Bobasa lit the oil lamp with his own, silently.
"Let me carry it for you."
"Thank you," Akeifa said and left the room with Bobasa in tow. The hallway was dead silent and without exchanging a word, both men walked to the outer gate of the Ishtar residence. For some reason, Akeifa couldn't wait to leave the Ersh'Alaam oasis.
"I'm counting on you," he heard Mariku's voice behind him and he almost jumped. He should've known Mariku would oversee his departure- Akeifa forced himself to grin.
"For that much gold, you better be."
Mariku didn't comment about the shirt he wore and Akeifa had no doubt he'd noticed. The thief didn't want him to see the Ring and answer the unavoidable questions. He watched Bobasa strapping the backpack on the horse and turned to Mariku.
"I'll return with the first Item as soon as possible."
He nodded. "You know our contacts in the city. Make use of them if they can help you in any way. Should you run into trouble, you know what happens."
"I know," Akeifa answered sourly. "Have a little faith in me."
Mariku didn't answer, but grinned slightly. The thief slung himself onto the horse and gave the animal the command to gallop. He left the oasis in the night, focused on retrieving the Millennium Items. Bobasa waited until the sand and dust had settled and Akeifa was way out of sight, then he turned towards his master.
"Have our contacts keep a close eye on him," Mariku said, hugging his dark purple cloak closer. "When he has all the Items, kill him."
Footnotes:
1) Ana laa afham : I don't understand
Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 (not up yet)