Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Daughters of Egypt ❯ Rivers of Blood ( Chapter 16 )

Sarah looked to her left and saw a woman with long black hair and blue eyes wearing the robes of a priestess. "Who are you?"

"My name is Isis," said the woman. "I am a priestess to the goddess Isis."

"Where are we?"

"At the temple of Isis. You found your way here and we took care of you."

"Why?"

"You needed our help."

"What about Nichol? Is she alright?"

Before Isis could answer a priestess walked into the room carrying a small scroll.

"Priestess this came from the palace."

Isis nodded and took the scroll she read it quickly before closing it and tossing it onto the fire.

"Well we are about to find out I have just been summon by his highness to the Temple of Bast. We will take a sedan chair and go there at once."

"But," began Sarah.

"You want to find out how your friend is and there is no time like the present."

Isis quickly set about setting up arrangements to get them to the Temple of Bast.
_____________________________________________________________
By the time Isis, Sarah, and one of the guards at the temple, Rashid, arrived at the Temple of Bast; Yami and the other priests were already waiting for them. They had gathered in the healing room with Bastista and Isis and her duo were meet by Bakura.

"Where the hell were you?!" shouted Bakura at Sarah as Isis walked passed them and into the healing room.

"That's enough," said Rashid placing a calming hand on the other male's shoulder. "She as been through enough. We will explain later. Right now all you need to know is that she was not in the right mind at the time it happened."

"How is she?" asked Sarah softly.

"I don't know," said Bakura flatly still glaring at Sarah. "We managed to heal her external wounds; but with her mind locked in the Shadow Realm there is no telling how she really is." He then turned his attention to Rashid. "Any idea when we will find out?"

"They will let us know," said Rashid as Bastista stepped out of the Healing Rooms.

"They will do what they can," said Bastista calmly.

"Momma," said Sarah running forward. "I am sorry."

"I know," said Bastista kindly. "I know it was not your fault. Don't worry everything will be fine."

Meanwhile inside the healing rooms Yami and his six priests stared down at the motionless body of the former priestess. The young woman's face was devoid of emotion and she didn't seem to be responding to anything, a sure sign her mind was trapped in the Shadow Realm.

"Who could have done this?" asked Isis her gentle heart moved with pity.

"I don't know," said Yami. "Bakura found her half dead unresponsive."

"Do you think that someone outside of the Royal Priesthood could know about how to use Shadow Powers?" asked Madado.

"That is the only thing I can think of," said Yami. "Since I know none of you would betray me. Right?"

The six priests all nodded their heads.

"Perhaps it was a Priest of Set?" said Seto flatly.

"Or a Priestess of Sakhmet," said Isis. "The Priestesses of Bast and Sakhmet never did get along well."

"Indeed," said Karim. "Do we know how deep her mind is trapped in the Shadow Realm."

"Her mind is enclosed in the Shadow Realm completely," said Yami. "The only thing we can do now is convince her to come out on her own by going in."

"I will go," said Seto.

"No!" said Yami glaring at the priest. "I will go!"

Yami and Seto glared at each other for several minutes with the other priests fearing they would come to blows. Then finally Seto looked away snorting. Yami smirked and took a seat next to Nichol and gathered her into his arms before turning to lock eyes with each of the priests individually.

"No matter what don't break the trance," said Yami firmly. "Is that clear?"

The priests all nodded and finally Yami closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Nichol's then with a rush of cold air he found himself in a dark desert air that was filled with mist.

"Nichol?" he whispered taking a few steps across the deserted waste land.

He heard the sound of muffled weeping to his left and headed in that direction. When he saw her he felt his heart twist as he took in her appearance: her once beautiful and luxurious golden skin was now so pale it was nearly translucent and her once silky black and gold hair was brittle and thin.

"Just disappear and fade away. Be forgotten and be no more," she chanted over and over again. "Just disappear and fade away. Be forgotten and be no more."

His purple eyes softened and he moved forward slowly before crouching next to her and pulling her shaking body into his arms.

"Sssshhhh," whispered Yami running his hands through her brittle and tangled hair. "I'm here, I won't let them hurt you anymore."

He hadn't been expecting the slap that came from his kitten but it came none the less and he rocked back slightly blood coming from his lip. He looked at the woman in shock her beautiful red eyes were wild and hurt, very hurt.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed hysterically breaking down into more sobs. "Don't fucking touch me!"

Yami stared at her in shock for several minutes he couldn't believe that she had struck him. It was then that one thought entered his mind.

`What sort of Shadow Game had she been forced to play? Had she lost? And if so what had been the penalty for loosing?'

Meanwhile back in the healing room the priests watched in shock and horror as a bruise appeared on Yami's cheek and blood trickled down the side of his mouth.

Upon walking into the Healing room Sarah took in the forms Nichol the one she considered her sister and the form of the Pharaoh she so despised what was shocking other than Nichol's deathly appearance and under normal circumstances she would have laughed at the bruise forming on Yami's face.

Turning to the chanting high priests frowning slightly she spoke telepathically, `Please do everything you can right now it's important that the others do not know of this until it's been figured out; but try if it's possible to relay this information to the Pharaoh. The Shadow Game that was played was a Heart Manipulation. Somehow I was the one who did this to her, one minute I was trying to talk some sense into her and then I froze and was trapped within my own mind a man he looked like a priest of sorts and a powerful one at that he had sea foam green hair and crimson eyes he somehow gained complete control of me against my will and forced her into a shadow game.

`From what I could see there was an image of the Pharaoh and the concubine Tea doing things I'd rather not think about and she just sank deeper into depression. She saw this because there were odd questions asked and she answered falsely and was forced into a Penalty Game. Once it got to the Penalty Game I was not allowed to see or hear more.'

Tears fell from the lavender haired girl's golden eyes speaking aloud she turned away from the priests.

"There was nothing I could do!" a deep shuddering breath. "I tried so hard to escape and I could not!"

Wrapping her arms around herself the thief sank to the floor sobbing uncontrollably. The priests though still chanting their eyes took on a sadden look though the High Priests took on a look of rage. Rashid slipped into the room and gently pressed a pressure point in the back of Sarah's neck allowing the young female to sleep. He then carried her from the healing room. Bakura glared as they passed still not ready to forgive Sarah for her absence in Nichol's time of need and angry for not knowing what was going on.

Back in Nichol's soul room Yami moved back towards Nichol again.

"Come on Nichol we are going home," Yami grabbing her by her upper arm and pulling her to her feet.

"I am home," said Nichol jerking out of his grip.
"No, you aren't," said Yami firmly reaching for her again. "Now you are coming home with me."

Nichol pulled a dagger out of thin air and slashed down on his arm forming a deep gash in his skin. Yami hissed and jerked back staring down at the cut and then looking back up at her.

"Kitten," said Yami slowly moving towards her.

"Don't call me that!"

"Whatever you saw," said Yami standing before her. "It wasn't real."

"How would you know?"

"That is the entire point of the Penalty Game," roared Yami. "To bring the victim to insanity in whatever way possible, now come on we are going home."

Nichol lunged again intending to kill him, Yami grasped her wrists smoothly and twisted her wrist slightly causing her to drop the knife.

"I don't know what you saw," said Yami pulling her against him. "But I guarantee that whatever it was, it wasn't real."

Nichol struggled to get out of his grasp with tears streaming down her face but Yami held on tight and kissed away her tears.

"I promise," whispered Yami kissing her mouth gently. "There was nothing truthful about whatever you saw."

Then Yami latched onto her lips again and after a short moment of struggling she gave in and her soul room reverted back to the garden utopia it once was.

Walking back towards the sleeping quarters Rashid noticed the deeply troubled expression on Bastista's face.

"If I may speak?" he asked and continued at her nod. "Is she really the one? The one we have been foretold would come to us in her time of need?" he said looking down at the unconscious girl in his arms.

"I believe she may be," she finished with a frown.

Rashid furrowed his brow stopped before a door to the guest priestess' chambers where to younger priestesses opened the doors for him and Bastista. Walking into the room he placed her upon the bed and removing her cloak he looked away as the site of the bandages and wounds no longer covered by the dark folds of the cloak. It is a painful site Rashid but we should be thankful it wasn't worse. Bastista sighed deeply while filling a basin with warm water and headed over to cabinet pulling out various oils and herbs.

"We need to re-dress her wounds the bandages are filthy with sand," she said walking back to the bed pulling out a dagger and began cutting the bandages.

Rashid walked back over to the cabinet and came back with the basin and some clean bandages placed them down on the table closest to the bed then went back and collected the herbs and oils. Placing the remaining items on the table the chamber doors banged open and an irate Bakura stood in their wake.

The white haired thief entered and saw the how bad a condition Sarah was in Bakura gasped taking in the brutal site of the once unmarred skin of his partner Sarah.

"What the HELL is going on here?!" shouted Bakura. He had seen that his partner had gotten the crap kicked outta her but didn't know it was this bad.

"There is something dark brewing in Egypt," said Bastista.

"What else is new?" snorted Bakura.

"Bakura," said Bastista calmly. "Whatever happened to Nichol it was not Sarah's fault."

"She was supposed to be watching her!"

"You will not raise your voice to a Priestess!" shouted Rashid.

"Do NOT tell me when and when NOT to RAISE my voice!" shouted Bakura whirling on the Temple Guard.

"You will treat a priestess with respect!" roared Rashid.

"I thought I heard your voice," said Malik walking into the room. "So Rashid what is all the yelling about?"

"Malik you know this asshole?" hissed Bakura glaring at the taller male.

"Of course," said Malik smirking. "He taught me everything I know."

Bakura turned to give Malik a look.

"Not THAT! I meant he taught me everything I know about fighting. He was offered a high position in the military but turned it down to guard Isis, my older sister. Speaking of Isis where is she?"

"I am here," said Isis walking into the room she nodded at Bastista who nodded back and went back to fixing Sarah's bandages.

Malik frowned when he noticed how Rashid was watching his sister, he was missing something and he knew it. His frown deepened when he noticed that Isis blushed when she locked eyes with Rashid. It took a few seconds for what was going on to sink in.

"Oh, hell no!" he shouted. "Hell no! YOU! Can not be SERIOUS!"

"What is all this yelling about!" roared Seto storming into the room. "This is a temple damn it not a damn bar!"

"Look who's talking," muttered Malik.

"Oh, calm down Seto," said Isis waving her hand as she went to join Bastista in taking care of Sarah. "Malik just found out about me and Rashid."

"He did," said Karim joining them. "I thought you already told him about that."

"I was going to, I just never got around to it." Said Isis.

"How many people know about you and Rashid!" shouted Malik.

"Almost everyone," said Shadah frowning at the blonde guard.

"Isis!" shouted Malik.

"Calm down," said Madado walking into the room. "Pharaoh just got Nichol settled for the night. We are staying here to make sure nothing happens during the night. All we need is for her to have another relapse."

"How is she?" asked Bakura flatly.

"She'll survive," said Madado.

"What about her mind?"

"Her mind is slightly unstable but, with time and effort that will change. How is the girl?"

"She is fine," said Bastista gathering up the dirty bandages and handing them to a junior priestess to take care of. "Bakura I want you to take shifts with the junior priestesses to make sure she doesn't catch a fever. High Priests and Priestess, if you will follow me I will show you to your rooms. Rashid I assume you would prefer to be near Isis."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" muttered Malik following them out of the room, leaving Bakura alone with the motionless Sarah.