He opened his eyes and blinked. He stared at the lit, intricate oil lamp hanging from the ceiling - this was his own room. For a second, he thought that Diabound's coil was still wrapped around his neck and he gasped, bringing up his hands to feel for himself that nothing or no one was choking him.
"Easy, Karim," a stern voice told him. He recognized Set's voice. Karim turned his head and saw the tall High Priest, as usual with his Item firmly tucked in the crook of his elbow.
"Set! You have to be careful!" He immediately dissolved into a coughing fit. A servant brought him a large mug and Karim drank greedily, the fresh, cold water a delicious balm to his sore, rough throat. "Bakura," he said as soon as he was done. "He's stealing the Items!"
"We figured that one out after he took the Ankh and the Tauk," Set snapped back. "And now he has the Scales as well!"
"Set, stop it."
Karim hadn't noticed Atemu until now, standing behind the tall High Priest. He lowered his eyes in embarrassment. He was supposed to be the strongest, but he hadn't been able to fend off Bakura! It all happened so fast, that he hadn't even been able to summon his kaa... And now he had lost his Item as well. Grunting, Set took a step to the side, revealing both Atemu and Mahaado. Their Items, the Puzzle and the Ring, hung in plain sight from their neck, as if inviting Bakura to come over and take them, right now.
"Great Pharaoh, you shouldn't be here." Karim spoke quickly. "You have to be somewhere safe, not here at the Palace!"
"Nonsense, Karim." Atemu shook his head. "My place is right here, as Pharaoh and as ruler. I will not allow a thief to scare me away from my rightful place."
"You don't understand, Great Pharaoh." It took Karim great effort to sit up straight, and he brusquely swatted a servant who wanted to help him, away. "This isn't only about Bakura."
"King of Thieves... why, in my days no one even dared to proclaim himself a thief, let alone a King!" Shimon protested. "It's unheard of!" The elderly vizier looked annoyed. Karim had overlooked the short man, and all the people in his bedroom started to suffocate him.
"Unheard of, but Bakura has done so... and he is taking great pride in it. Set, I want all the personnel in the Palace questioned once again," Atemu said. The High Priest looked quizzically at him.
"Great Pharaoh?"
"Bakura might have planted his people here. As long as we do not know who is who, we have to be extra careful."
"People at the Palace, working for him?" Set looked incredulous. He tightened his grip on his Sennen Item. "Impossible! I made sure that everyone was trustworthy!"
"I do not doubt your work, Set. At this moment, we just can not be certain enough," Atemu answered him.
"When I find one of Bakura's people, I will have my way to make him talk. We will search out this thief and confront him!"
"No, no, Pharaoh! Please!" Karim swung his legs over the edge of his bed and straightened himself, a little too fast and he swayed. This time he accepted the help of the servant, grateful for his support. "You misinterpreted my words." He would never think of correcting his Pharaoh, but this was important to think of proper manners or conduct. Set arched an eyebrow, surprised at Karim's ferocity.
"Pray tell me, what does the Great Pharaoh misinterpret?" he said, disdainfully.
"Bakura isn't the greatest danger. It's his Diabound!" Karim waved with his arms to stress the size of the monster. "Now I understand what Shaadah told me when he saw the thief's kaa. It's a horrible creature, lurking in the shadows. It can't be seen until Bakura shows himself."
"Invisibility," Atemu said. A collective gasp went through the room.
"No wonder he could get in and out unnoticed." Set clenched his teeth. "If his kaa provides him with invisibility..."
"His monster is extremely powerful. I don't think we have seen half of what it can do." Subconscious, Karim's hand went up to touch his neck again. The pattern of Diabond's scales had been etched into his skin and damaged his broad, golden collar. His eyes darted over to Atemu, immediately latching onto his proximity to Mahaado - their arms all but touched. To make matters worse, Mahaado leaned into Atemu, whispering something to him, too soft for Karim to overhear. Shimon was pacing back and forth, muttering about the 'good old days' and how 'people were modest and respectful towards each other'. Set mulled over Karim's revelation.
"At least now we know how he gets into the Palace," the High Priest repeated. "That does not make Diabound any less dangerous."
"It feeds on his anger and hatred," Karim said, his eyes still on Atemu and Mahaado. "And his hatred is mostly concentrated on you, Great Pharaoh."
"I do not even know Bakura or what I have done to him to make him feel all this hatred," Atemu sighed.
"We will ask him as soon as I have thrown him into the deepest dungeon," Set all but growled. "Do not worry, Great Pharaoh. He will be apprehended!"
"And how do you suggest apprehending him, High Priest?" Shimon said. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards him. Set snorted and grabbed his Item, the Sennen Rod, and waved it in front of the vizier's face.
"My Item has the power to seal kaa away. No matter how powerful that monster is, my Item will best it. It has never failed me!"
"Set, listen to me! Diabound is too powerful to be contained, we should..."
"Nonsense," Set cut Karim off. "I would like to see the bastard try!"
"He will, soon enough," Karim snapped. "Like you said, he has the Ankh, the Tauk, and now my Scales. He's not going to stop! He can't be stopped!"
"He can be stopped," Shimon spoke up.
"How?"
"The only ones that are able to stop him, to stop anyone, are the Gods. Like the late Pharaoh Akunamukanon said, 'justice is with the Gods'."
Silence. All eyes shifted towards Atemu again. He remembered those words; it had been his father's strong belief, his personal rule to live by, and he had repeated those words to his son time and time again. The emotions connected to those words all but overwhelmed Atemu. It was Set who found his voice first.
"We cannot ask the Pharaoh to summon the Gods."
"You do not have to smooth over your words, my friend," Atemu said. "I know I am not strong enough."
"It's not only a matter of strength," Shimon spoke up. "It's a complicated mixture of strength of the heart, the mind, and faith, courage, and hope. Not even your father could summon a God. A Pharaoh is supposed to wield the Gods - not one, but all three - but unfortunately, no one ever has been powerful enough... or perhaps, worthy enough."
Atemu brought his arm up, staring at the dia d'ankh on his lower arm. As a young kid, he had believed that summoning a kaa was done by exercising heka like Mahaado or Mana. It had taken him some time to understand that it had to do with willpower and emotional strength. Was he strong enough to call for a God?
"This conversation is moot," Set said. "Summoning the Gods, anyone of them, is not an option. We will concentrate on defending ourselves and prevent the rest of our Items to fall into Bakura's hands."
"That reminds me," Shimon said casually, "does anyone know where Akunadin is? I haven't seen him in a while."
"We have to find him," Atemu said, simultaneously with Set. "We have to know he is all right." Neither one spoke out loud what everyone was thinking. We have to know if we lost the Eye too.
Accompanied by at least four guards, Atemu was escorted back to his private quarters. Mahaado walked next to him, his stride tall, but his movements slightly nervous. As soon as they were safe inside, the guards took their posts at the door, spears in hand to restrain anyone who wanted to enter without permission. Atemu turned towards the Priest.
"Mahaado, you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes, Great Pharaoh. I am sorry to cause any grief like this, but I did not want to discuss this in front of the other Priests, certainly not after the attack on Karim."
"Go on."
Mahaado's hand went to the Ring and he lifted the Item up a little, causing the prongs to rattle slightly. "I know where Bakura's hate comes from," he said. "And unlike what Karim thinks, it is not aimed at you, Great Pharaoh, but at your father."
"My father? But why?"
"When I inherited the Ring from my predecessor, I found out how the Items came into existence," Mahaado elaborated. "The creation of the Items is the source of Bakura's anger and hatred. It feeds his Diabound and his hatred knows no end."
"Tell me about the creation of the Items," Atemu all but commanded him. Mahaado lowered his head and sunk to his knees.
"Forgive me, Great Pharaoh. I had hoped until the end, that your father would disclose it to you... it is not my place to tell."
"Stand up, please. Please, Mahaado."
"No, Great Pharaoh. I am your servant. I have to follow the rules and traditions of my vocation. Believe me, I have... very little choice."
"I believe you." Atemu reached for Mahaado and to his relief, the other accepted his hand and rose to his feet again. "You know I always believe you, Mahaado."
"Forgive me, Great Pharaoh, but you are in grave danger. Please leave the Palace and move to somewhere safe. We cannot afford to lose you."
"Mahaado, you cannot send me away from my own Palace."
"I know, but we are facing a great crisis. I fear it is not only Bakura we have to fight."
"What do you mean?"
"Bakura is a man who likes confrontation," Mahaado said. "He attacked our Priests without fear, he likes to steal our Items in plain sight. He likes to taunt us, to rub it in... I believe that poisoning Shaadah and the disappearance of Akunadin is not his style. Someone else is working with him."
"If what you say is true, then we are under attack from more than one side," Atemu said. He sat down on the sofa, the Puzzle suddenly weighing heavy against his chest. Who knew that these Items could be such a burden, instead of the symbol of power and peace they were supposed to be?
"That is why you need to be safe. I even fear that your father was the first victim in all of this, Great Pharaoh. I suspect the same poison was used on him as with Shaadah."
"What?" Atemu widened his eyes. "Are you sure?"
"I cannot be sure until I..." Mahaado turned red in embarrassment. Atemu quickly understood what he was thinking of. He would need to examine the body of the late Pharaoh to be really sure. "Great Pharaoh, I will set things right. I should have spoken up sooner."
"If you are bound by any oaths, Mahaado, I will discharge you from..."
"No, it is not like that. The Ring... I felt an evil presence in it as soon as I received the Item. I used a lot of heka to seal it away and keep it under control. I did not understand until I learned the truth behind the creation of the Items... I will make things right."
"Mahaado..? Why are you saying that? What are you going to do?"
"You want to stop me," Mahaado said, a wistful smile on his face. As he raised his hand, the unmistakable glow of heka reflected in Atemu's golden crown, and the young Pharaoh was rooted to his spot. He couldn't move and with his mouth agape, he stared at Mahaado. "I understand, but I cannot allow you to get yourself into more danger, so you will have to stay here. I am so sorry, Great Pharaoh..." his voice was tender, regretful and soft. "I will send Mana over as soon as possible to undo the spell. But for now, you will have to let me do what I should have done a long time ago."
"Mahaado!" Atemu sounded horrified. "Mahaado!" But the magician-Priest refused to listen to his plea, and saddened, yet determined, he left the Pharaoh's quarters.
Set wasn't used to visitors. The only reason why he shared his study with Akunadin was because he respected the man for his wisdom and insight. For the rest, Set preferred silence and solitude - that was, until Kisara came into his life. Her voice, her face, her presence; she had enriched his life, lifting up his mood and encouraging and supporting him in these dark times. As it was better for her safety not to wander around the Palace alone, she waited for him patiently, counting the minutes until his return.
"Set," she called his name when he entered the room.
"Is it wise for you to be up?" he inquired. "You should be resting." Kisara's health was fragile; she had been nearly dehydrated when she arrived at the Palace.
"I feel stronger each day," she answered. Her tattered dress had been replaced by an elegant robe that reached a little above her ankles. Her long silver-white hair was combed neatly, all strands disentangled and draped over her shoulders. "You're worrying too much, Set."
"There are big problems at hand." He didn't want to involve her in state affairs, but it wasn't fair to keep her in the dark either. "It is not safe, not even in the Palace."
"Oh no! The Pharaoh?"
"He is fine, but he foolishly wants to stay here, instead of moving to a more secure place."
"He's the Pharaoh, I suppose he knows best." She smiled at Set. "But that's not all you're worrying about, is it?"
"I worry about your safety as well," he admitted. "Kisara, someone's on the loose in this Palace, attacking the Priests and stealing the Items. I am afraid that..."
"Bakura. I heard about him" Kisara shook her head, looking downtrodden. "The rumors are increasing every day."
"Yes, and now that Akunadin has been gone..." Set's voice drifted off. A shadow had appeared behind Kisara. The young woman shifted towards him, expecting him to continue his sentence.
"Set?"
Lightning fast, Set reached for her and grabbed her at the upper arm, rudely pulling her away from the increasing shadow. Kisara yelped, arms flailing. Set increased his grip and unceremoniously, he all but flung her inside the adjacent room and closed the door. Not a moment later, the shadows enveloped the entire room, wrapping it in an eerie silence, except for Kisara's desperate knocking on the other side of the door.
"I am not afraid of you, Bakura," Set said out loud.
"The other Priest said the same." The voice of the thief reached his ears, but he didn't show himself yet. "I was right to target you one by one. At first, I wanted to attack you all at once, but this is so much more fun!"
Set took his Item, the Sennen Rod, out of his belt. Even if the Item should fail to capture Diabond, it held a trump card: a concealed dagger, and Set was convinced that Bakura had no knowledge of the blade. Should the opportunity arise, he could always stab the thief, surprising him with a physical attack: without physical strength, the kaa would disappear.
"What did you do to Akunadin?" he barked.
"What, that old fool? Nothing, honestly!" Bakura stepped forward from the shadows, amused. His face showed some of the bruising he received during the fight with Karim; a satisfying sight. Seto smirked. "Don't think you'll get the same chance to land a hit," the thief immediately threatened.
"I do not believe any of your words. Well? Show your monster, so I can seal it!"
"You really think you can contain my Diabound?" Bakura cackled. "I hate to disappoint you, but you asked for it! Come forth, Diabond!"
Confident, Set raised the Sennen Rod. But nothing could ever prepare him for the sight of Diabound, having grown grotesquely in size, its body a veritable mass of unstoppable hatred. It roared with a ferocity that chilled the High Priest to his very core, and its large, claw-like hands looked like it could shred him effortlessly. Steeling himself, Set pointed the Rod at him.
"Mighty Item, seal this monster!"
The Rod started to glow and Diabound was enveloped with the same, golden glow. The monster was rendered immobile, howling in frustration. Set's smirk widened. He had ultimate faith in his Item, and this was going to work! Diabound fought against his restraints, the monster trembling and shivering. His dark green skin started to color grey, as if turning into stone. The only unnerving thing was Bakura; the thief didn't look impressed at all. More so, he looked rather bored.
"Are you done?" he asked.
Set grunted. He could feel the tug of war between the power of his Item and Diabound resisting being sealed. To make matters worse, it felt like Diabound wasn't putting up that much of a resistance. The High Priest frowned and grumbled at the thought the monster was toying with him, as if amused that he wanted to seal it. The thought just crossed his mind when Diabound broke the Rod's hold and Set was flung back, hitting the door behind him hard. The wind was knocked out of him and as he slid to the floor, he almost lost his grip on the Item. Behind him, he could hear a strange sound, some kind of wailing, but Set discarded it immediately. He didn't have time for strange noises, he desperately tried to gather his bearing as quick as possible.
Bakura strolled towards him. "I'd love to stick around and play games with you, but unfortunately, time is a pressing matter. So hurry up and give me the Rod; I'll spare you your life."
Set didn't need to pretend he had difficulties getting back up again. Diabound's power was massive and impressive; by breaking the Rod's hold he had weakened its wielder, Set himself. But the High Priest wasn't about to let himself be done in by Bakura. While getting back up, he hid the Rod from view, so Bakura couldn't see that he unscrewed the cap at the same time, exposing the blade. The thief was as foolish as to wear his cloak open, displaying his bare stomach. Just one stab... Set hunched over. Bakura approached him, his hand greedily reaching for the Item.
"Give it to me." Bakura licked his lips. One step closer... Set clutched the Rod to his chest, trying to look as defeated and scared as possible.
"Foul creature," he hissed.
"You have seen nothing yet," Bakura answered, grinning wildly, and leaned into the High Priest. Now! Set unsheathed the dagger and he swiped at Bakura. The thief howled in pain, pressing his hands against his abdomen as he swayed. He bumped into the wall, using it as support as blood spilled through his fingers.
"You...!"
"This ends here, Bakura!" Set lifted up the Rod, breathing heavily and moving on sheer willpower. What Karim had started, he would finish - killing the thief right here!
"Diabound..!" Bakura's knees trembled, his voice was shaky. Diabound reacted immediately, raising its claw-like hands. An orb of pure, concentrated energy started to materialize, the atmosphere crackling with pure power. Bakura leaned against the wall, a maniacal expression on his face. "This is the end of you!"
Set mustered up all his strength to lunge at Bakura, dagger raised. For a split second, he thought he saw fear in the thief's eyes; but then Diabound launched its attack. The bright light blinded the High Priest and he intuitively brought up his hands to shield himself. He could hear Bakura cackle, a cacophony of sounds as Diabound's attack obliterated everything in its path. Kisara. This is the end after all. More light, the intensity all but blinding him, but this was different. Something broke through the wall behind him - Set was disorientated, and a strange mass went by, pushing him against the wall. A loud wail, the same he had heard before, announced the presence of another monster - but this one didn't have anything to do with Diabound. The light from this monster was different, and Set knew where it came from. He turned to look over his shoulder.
"Kisara?"
The young woman stood in the door opening, or what was left of it, with an intense expression on her face, her eyes glowing with the same light that surrounded the monster.
"Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Was there a little awe in his voice? "I can't believe you allow a woman to defend yourself, Priest!"
"Shut your mouth!" Set's attention was captivated by the kaa that Kisara had unleashed; a white dragon with blue eyes indeed, magnificent and majestic as it hovered in the air, powerful enough to deflect Diabound's attack. More so, Diabound cowered from the dragon's presence; it shrunk a little. Bakura hoisted his red cloak over his shoulder, undisturbed by the blood on his fingers and his abdomen, though his breathing was elaborated. Nobody moved.
"This is not a standstill," Bakura snarled. "You managed to surprise me, but this is nothing! Do you really think that a cut and another monster is enough to stop me?"
"Maybe yet another monster will help," a familiar voice rang out. Set snapped his head to the right, he hadn't heard Mahaado arriving at all. The Priest was accompanied by his kaa, his Magus of Fantasy Illusion, and for the second time this day, Set was stupefied. First the Blue Eyes White Dragon, now the Magus who was brimming with power, so strong, nothing like Set had ever seen before. Where did all that power come from? Now even Bakura seemed to cower. "This is the end for you, King of Thieves. For what you have done to our Pharaoh, to the Priests, to all the sorrow and grief you caused. Prepare to meet your demise!"
Chapter 10 | Chapter 12 |