Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seth's Magical Adventure! ❯ Enter Cydandilus, the Esper Pilot! ( Chapter 6 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and I think he should win a Nobel prize for it, too.

 

Bursting out of the royal stables on his white mare, Atemu urged his horse forward, leaping past the frightened guards that were inadvertently in his way. Bakura had simply jumped off the palace balcony onto his horse, and was bounding to catch up. At this point, most of the guards simply ran away, either jumping into whatever would hide them or running into a tower or the palace itself as the two sped out of the courtyard and into the city. They didn't slow as they ran through the streets, causing many of the townsfolk to run screaming into houses, whether it was their own or someone else's.

 

“Pharaoh, maybe we should slow down,” Bakura shouted, as Atemu dashed ahead, “I can't keep up!” Atemu slowed a little, but not much as he turned around to look back at the flustered thief.

 

“Sith's in danger! I can't let her die!” Atemu called back, as his horse suddenly whinnied angrily, throwing him off. He crashed ungracefully into the ground, and Bakura pulled to a stop next to him. Atemu got himself up as he asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

 

“We're sorry, sir, but no one is allowed through this gate until the half point of day,” said one of the watchmen from before, “Not even you, sir. For your protection.” The guard glanced to his friend, who was polishing a spear. He nodded, and the guard turned back to Atemu.

 

“Let me pass,” Atemu said sternly, “That is a direct order.” The guards blinked, unsure of what to do now. Outside, it was dangerous. Monsters roamed through the desert and now with the gates to Nesce thrown open, a soft snow was beginning to drift. Could they really let their own king out there?

 

“Sir, we… we can't!” the second guard cried, setting his spear down, “It's too dangerous!” Atemu dusted his robe off, and adjusted his tiara before climbing onto his horse.

 

“I said to let me pass,” Atemu said again, his frown deepening, “I know what I've decided. Now please, stand aside.” The two guards were worried, but did as they were told. Atemu nodded and thanked them, then went through the gates. They also allowed Bakura to pass, and then shut the gates tightly when they were through. Atemu shivered as he came into the lone desert. The snow was falling, and though it wasn't sticking, Atemu knew it was colder than it should be.

 

“Looks like what Sith said was true,” Bakura commented, as he came up behind Atemu, “Even if the gate was opened, snow shouldn't be reaching here.”

 

“What could cause their magic to die like this?” Atemu asked, though it was more to himself than to Bakura. He looked around his kingdom, trying to keep himself warm. He could see patches where snow was collecting. Even the Nile was beginning to freeze up. His horse kicked the ground unhappily, as did Bakura's.

 

“Looks like whoever is attacking the Espers is trying to take us down with them,” Bakura said quietly, “It'll be hard for the guards to patrol with this weather, which means security will be a problem. They'll exploit that. Did Sith say anything more to you about what she's fighting?” Atemu thought about it, then sighed heavily and shook his head. He realized that although she asked his permission to leave for Nesce, she actually spoke very little about the matter to him.

 

“No, nothing at all,” Atemu admitted regretfully, “But they're who my father hired her to help us stop. I don't remember much, I was kept away from that war, but Sith was involved in it.” Bakura glanced over, noting that Atemu seemed to be feeling guiltier the more they spoke about it. He actually felt bad. It technically wasn't really Atemu's fault that this was happening, that most of his court was turned upside-down, or that there was a war at all.

 

“We should ask her… if we can find her,” Bakura said quietly, and then spoke up, “Either way, we need to get going. This weather isn't likely to let up. All we need to do is follow the air currents that carry the snow here, and they should lead us right to the gate.” Atemu nodded, but remained silent. Bakura glanced at him again quickly, then led him along. This would be a long, silent trip for both of them.

 

---

 

As the three priests continued to plunge toward the ground, Seth noticed that he no longer felt anything. His body was numb from the cold, which he almost took as comforting. At least he wouldn't feel the pain of slamming into the ground, to his doom. But even with that small bit of comfort, he didn't stop screaming. At least, not until Karim got his attention.

 

“Seth,” he said firmly, “Seth, stop! Look.” Seth, who'd had his eyes closed, refused to open them. He shook his head.

 

“No! I'm not going to watch our plunge into death!” Seth cried, until Mahaado tapped his shoulder. In shock, Seth's eyes sprung open, and then he saw what Karim was alerting him to. They were in mid-air, floating very gently to the ground down below. Frantic, Seth looked around everywhere, trying to find an explanation as to what was happening. Neither Mahaado nor Karim had a scroll with them, so they couldn't have cast a spell.

 

“What's going on?” Seth asked slowly, feeling very weak as his body stopped freezing itself up, “Why are we floating!?” He looked at Karim, but he didn't have an answer as he kept Mahaado from falling over. Mahaado looked incredibly sick now that Seth got a good look at him. And his voice sounded strained as he spoke.

 

“An Esper must've seen us,” Mahaado croaked, “I saw a faint light down below, so they must've helped us somehow…” Seth looked down, and he could see a dim light as well, but it was fading rapidly. Then, he saw that they were going to land in a very impoverished city, but there were very few Espers outside. Slowly, but surely, they landed gracefully and in one piece. As Karim helped Mahaado stay up, Seth looked around. There were almost no Espers out. The ones he did see were guards of some sort, and like Sith, they had large cat ears and black tails. They glanced at him, but said nothing to him as they urged him to keep moving.

 

“Wow, these people are friendly,” Seth muttered, taking his helmet off and wiping the snow off, “Are you positive that we're allies with them?” Karim let one of the guards take Mahaado to a bench and crossed his arms, obviously upset with something Seth had said.

 

“We are, but Espers are distrustful by nature,” Karim replied, a deep frown set into his face, “But we need to know where we are, and without a translator, we might not be able to speak to them. I don't know if they speak our language or not.” Seth was about to say something when he saw someone behind Karim. And he recognized the harsh voice when it spoke.

 

“We know many languages,” Sith's angry voice came, and Karim turned to face her. She was furious to see him, and it was made quite apparent with how stiff her small wings were and how far back her ears went. Seth almost felt she was intimidating.

 

“Sith? Was that…” Karim nearly choked in surprise at seeing the young knight again, “Were you the one who helped us fly down here?” Sith narrowed her eyes, but nodded all the same. She had a firm grip on her sword, Seth noted, but she didn't raise it to strike.

 

“Of course it was I. But why did you follow me!?” she demanded sternly, “I told you to leave. This is a problem for the Espers. You were not to get involved.” Karim looked down, knowing that he'd made her very angry. Seth decided to match her frustration with his own.

 

“How about because the pharaoh's a complete wreck because you're gone and because everything's in a panic,” Seth growled, “Face it, Sith. Everyone in the palace probably knows there's a war. Especially with that moronic thief having gone back to get the pharaoh.” Sith didn't give a response until she heard the last sentence. Her eyes widened with worry.

 

“What!?” she asked, unable to believe what Seth had just said to her, “Atemu is coming here!?” Karim shrugged.

 

“We don't know,” he admitted, “But Bakura went back to tell him your message. We're not sure what he decided, if anything at all.” Sith stepped back, nearly stumbling. Of everything she'd encountered, this was obviously the worst she'd heard.

 

“Why!? Why would you get Atemu involved!?” Sith asked, both concerned, angry, scared, and confused, “And why would you think to send Bakura!? He's the worst choice you could've made! Anyone, even a slave living in the sewers, but him!” Seth and Mahaado both backed away, as Sith sounded very angry now. Karim bit his lower lip, and Sith looked at him, asking, “Who decided on his help?”

 

“I did,” Karim replied, trying to remain firm. Sith blinked, then muttered something that sounded strangely like “I should've known.”

 

“We had to find you! What other choice did we have!?” Seth yelled defensively, though he wasn't actually meaning to defend Karim at all, “It's not like we had much of a choice anyway. He was going to attack unless we brought him with us!” Sith, however, still didn't seem convinced that they made a good choice. She gripped her sword even harder.

 

“All the more reason not to send him to Atemu,” Sith sighed, finally getting tired enough to not yell, “Regardless of your excuse, it was a stupid decision to make. As was coming to Nesce. Why did you follow me, and why did you land here of all places?” Karim and Mahaado looked at each other, but both were wondering how they were supposed to answer without getting her even more upset. Seth took care of that.

 

“We followed you so you wouldn't die in the middle of nowhere,” Seth replied simply, making Sith shake her head with disapproval, “And it's not like we meant to land here. It was Karim's dumb idea. Where are we, anyway?” Sith looked at Karim again, but said nothing to him. She merely perked an eyebrow before answering Seth's question.

 

“Right now, we're in the old part of Aeroglyph,” Sith said, waving her arm to point to everything at once, “Or as you might call it, the slums.” Finally, they all took a good look and realized just how poor the city looked. Every building was decrepit, uninhabitable. Mud and snow had mixed and was thickly coating the streets, or what was left of them. And now that they weren't about to die, Seth could smell the sewage from down below, and it threatened to choke him.

 

“And you lived here?” Karim asked, though not unkindly, “Sith, what happened?” Sith sat down on a bench and beckoned for the others to sit with her. Mahaado stayed as he was on his own bench, but Karim and Seth walked over and joined her.

 

“They've already ransacked this part of the capital,” Sith said, sadly, “It wasn't like this last time I was here.” Seth felt another pang of guilt, as he realized that Sith wasn't lying about the urgency of the matter. Karim patted Sith's back, but she didn't smile.

 

“I came here to find someone who could tell me what happened, but the Espers living here either escaped or were killed,” Sith continued quietly, “I can't get into the kingdom's castle, and everywhere is similar to this. I've tried contacting my brother with magic, but he won't open his mind up.” Mahaado struggled to stand, but the guard helped him and walked him over to Sith.

 

“What if the pharaoh tried to write to him?” he asked, but Sith shook her head.

 

“No good. All forms of mail, that is, communication, have been shut down because of the attack,” Sith said, and then slammed her sword into the ground, “Damn it. If only I'd gotten here earlier, I might've been able to do something.” Mahaado and Karim looked down, and Seth actually looked away. He couldn't meet Sith's eyes. This was partly his fault, and he couldn't imagine what would've happened if he just went with her like he was supposed to. The kingdom would've been saved, or at least someone would've been spared.

 

“It's not your fault, Sith,” Karim assured, but whatever comfort he tried to give wasn't met. Sith simply got up, picking up her sword.

 

“Well, there's not much we can do. You can't go back to Egypt,” Sith told them, “When my brother heard I was coming, he ordered the gates to be shut as soon as I passed through. He doesn't want humans getting through. That's why I'm surprised you sent Bakura to tell Atemu where I was. It'd do no good, since he can't reach us.”

 

“Wait, what!?” Seth exclaimed, jumping up, “They've closed the gates!? Sith, why!?” Sith glanced at him regretfully, almost afraid to answer. But she pulled herself through and answered anyway, though she sounded very cautious of something.

 

“My brother… he's not like my father,” Sith said, looking toward the large crystal castle looming in the distance, “My father trusted the people of Egypt, but my brother doesn't. He's a good man, but… he can't accept human help. Not after what happened before, with the last war between Nesce and… well, everyone.” Mahaado looked over at Sith, and Seth noticed the color was coming back in Mahaado's cheeks.

 

“Another war? When was this?” Mahaado asked, but Sith didn't answer. At least, not right away. Seth could see tears welling up in Sith's eyes, but she wiped them away when she noticed his stare.

 

“It was about 18 years ago,” Sith explained, “It was a horrible war. Word of our power got out, and an empire from some other continent… I'm not sure which… came and just slaughtered everyone who went against them. They kidnapped anyone they could, and they poisoned the air with some kind of weapon. They're… the reason my mother is dead. And they're the reason my father was so sick.” Sith was about to cry, but stopped herself. She didn't want anyone to see that she was still upset about it. But it left Mahaado speechless.

 

“We're sorry for your loss,” Karim said, in almost a whisper, but Sith shrugged.

 

“If it weren't for that war, Egypt wouldn't have come to our aid,” Sith replied simply, “That's what forged the alliance in the first place. But when my father died, and left the throne to my brother, he completely shut down nearly all forms of alliance with you. The only one he left was me.”

 

“Why?” Seth asked, sitting back down, “Couldn't he call you back?” Sith laughed, and shook her head. Seth was interested in hearing her response.

 

“He could try, but I was adamant in staying with you all,” Sith said, chuckling, “It was my father's wish that I remain in Egypt unless I needed to come back. Nesce isn't a safe place, and though my brother's the king, I'm the actual heiress because of the deal my father made.” Karim and Seth both looked at Sith quickly, eyebrows raised in skeptical interest. Sith looked nervous about something, and whatever that deal was made her flushed with red.

 

“What is the deal?” Seth asked.

 

“Was the deal,” Sith corrected, and then threw up her hands, “It's a silly one, though, and it's not in effect anymore. But the deal was that, if I stayed in Egypt, and if your former pharaoh allowed it, I'd marry Atemu to strengthen the alliance even more. But that was only to happen before our fathers died, or the deal in question would be nulled. It's complicated, and I don't understand some parts of it, but that's basically how it works. That's why I haven't left Egypt, and that's why I act so… informal… in your standards, Seth.” Karim held in a snort of laughter, as did Mahaado, as Seth's face turned red with embarrassment. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How did no one know of this?

 

“So, then… the deal's off?” Seth asked, “But then why stay? If the deal's off, what's the point in staying if you know your brother needs you here?”

 

“My brother wouldn't admit needing my help,” Sith replied bitterly, crossing her arms, “He'd tell me I should've stayed in Egypt, where it was safe, though he wouldn't admit that, either.”

 

“Are you on bad terms with him?” Mahaado asked. Sith uncrossed her arms and nodded slowly.

 

“Yes,” Sith replied, “I didn't agree with how he handled relations, or how he handled battling in general. He's powerful, but careless. I told him I wasn't coming back unless he restored communications. Why should I? Atemu is kinder than he is by far, sometimes. Needless to say, he was furious with me. He didn't kick me out, but he told me to not expect any welcoming, regardless of if I'm part of his family or not.” Sith's voice trailed off, leaving an awkward silence as the three priests stared at her. Sith looked at the snowy ground as the wind swirled the snow around in intricate patterns. The Esper guards grunted softly, trying to get Sith's attention. She finally looked at them.

 

“Sorry to disturb your story, my lady,” one of them growled deeply, “But you do remember your appointment?” Sith's frown deepened and she nodded grimly.

 

“How can I forget?” she asked bitterly, then turned to Karim, “I have to get going. I expect you three to leave immediately. Nesce is no place for humans…” Sith seemed distant again before she added, “And tell Atemu to turn back.” Then turning to the two guards again, who saluted before her, she was about to walk away. Seth stood up.

 

“Sith, wait!” he called, and Sith obeyed as she stopped walking, “We're not leaving without you. So cut the heroism and tell us what's going on.” Sith glanced back, as the wind whipped harshly, spraying snow everywhere. Mahaado knew this wasn't a coincidence as it died down again.

 

“That's funny, coming from you,” Sith replied sarcastically, “If you're going to be stubborn, then I won't stop you. But if you expect me to be happy, I won't be. Especially since you dragged Atemu into this.” Taking this to mean that they could follow her, Seth rushed after her. Karim helped Mahaado up, and they quickly followed. The Esper guards grunted unhappily, but didn't object to them tagging along. Seth had to jog to keep up with Sith, and he noticed how stern her expression was. Wherever they were going, it was obvious that Sith didn't want to head there. Seth looked up, and realized they were actually heading deeper into the slums, rather than toward the palace. What appointment would take place here?

 

“Who're we meeting?” Seth asked, as they weaved through ruins of old houses, “And why here?” Sith blasted a large pile of a putrid substance, but didn't flinch as she continued on.

 

“We're meeting my uncle, Cydandilus,” Sith replied, stepping over a rag and what appeared to be a broken furnace, “And we need to meet him here because I'm not allowed in the castle. It was his suggestion, though I know he regrets what happened between my brother and I.” Seth kept quiet, unable to find anything to say. Sith's life was too complicated for him. So, for a few minutes, the walk was silent. It seemed to drag on forever, though. Seth could feel the annoyance pouring off of Sith. Finally, someone had to break the silence.

 

“You never told us you had family,” Mahaado braved shyly. Sith sighed heavily, but didn't slow down as they entered into a derelict building, where the roof seemed to be caving in.

 

“It was none of your business,” Sith replied shortly, as the snow swirled inside the building. There was enough light inside to see, but the sight was gloomy and dour. What little furniture had been left was rotten and molding horribly. The ground had been generally untouched, but there was a deep crater in the center, and the smell of rotten garbage spewed from it. Everyone covered their mouths, choking and sputtering on the foul odors.

 

“I ask again, why here!?” Seth coughed out angrily, “This place is worse than the lowest levels of the palace!”

 

“No kidding,” Sith replied, sneezing, “My uncle is a bit… odd in the head. But he has his reasons. We just need to find him.” Everyone except Sith stopped to rest. Sith continued forward, occasionally calling, “Uncle Cyd?” Seth glanced at Karim and Mahaado, but they shrugged, unable to see what was happening, either.

 

“So, you finally made it to my place, eh?” came a gravelly, deep voice, “Sure took you long enough, Sithy.” Sith blinked, obviously recognizing the voice. She dropped her sword gently.

 

“Uncle Cyd!” she exclaimed, and hugged the man the voice had come from. He stepped out, carrying her slightly. Seth gasped. Cydandilus was rugged, obviously a very strong man. His blonde hair was uncombed, and looked as though he'd never used a brush in his life. His denim jacket was stained with mud and grime, as were his pants. His boots had many years of hiking experience, and strapped to his back was a large gun, unique to the Nesce region. On his head sat a cap with goggles, one of which was broken. The little bit of stubble on his chin only added to his appearance. Sith let go of him, smiling.

 

“Sorry it took me so long, uncle,” she explained, and then turned to Seth, “We've had an incident. I thought I was alone, but it seems some royal fools decided to follow me.” Mahaado hid a snort of laughter, knowing full well that Sith referred to Seth. Cydandilus glared at the three priests, obviously sizing them up for something. He didn't like the look of any of them, and the harsh expression on his face told them that. Finally, he sighed, sat down, and unstrapped his gun.

 

“Which one o' you is that prince, Atemu?” he asked, stretching his neck a bit until it gave an eerie crack, “I got a few words for you, boy.” Sith couldn't help but giggle a little, having a feeling that Atemu would be scared to death if he ever met her family. Or what was left of it. Seth glanced around in disbelief. Not one of them were dressed like royalty, and he couldn't understand how Cydandilus thought they were.

 

“None of us are the pharaoh,” Seth corrected sarcastically, “He's not here.” Sith tried to hold in a burst of hysterical laughter at seeing the look her uncle gave when Seth spoke to him. His eyes narrowed.

 

“Don't talk to me that way, boy,” Cyd growled, standing up, “So, I take it that little prince o' yours didn't like my precious niece enough to accompany her to war, eh? I told my brother-in-law that making that stupid deal was a bad idea. But did he listen? Nope.” Mahaado and Karim looked at each other, both afraid of Cydandilus and wondering who should speak next. Sith took care of that problem as she gently took her uncle's arm.

 

“It's not like that, uncle. Atemu couldn't come just yet,” Sith said, helping Cyd back into the chair, “But he's on his way. These royal dimwits sent message to him, and apparently he felt I needed help.” Cyd glared at Seth, somehow knowing that whatever mess was going on, it was automatically Seth's fault.

 

“Ah, whatever. He can take his sweet time for all I care,” Cyd replied, still glaring at Seth, “My words can wait for him. Not like they're goin' anywhere, eh?” Seth's mouth slanted into an odd-looking frown as Cyd continued to glare him down. No one spoke, either too afraid of Cyd or just being respectful until Cyd slammed his fist into the table and said, “Why don't you sit your asses down? Or ain't my place good enough for royal folk?” Mahaado and Karim practically dropped to the floor, dragging Seth down with them. Sith snickered, and remained standing. She looked out the window, half paying attention to everyone, half watching for Atemu's arrival. Finally, it was Mahaado who spoke.

 

“Good sir, why is it that you called a meeting with Sith here?” he asked politely, “This place is hazardous, and…” Mahaado's voice dropped. Cyd looked at him skeptically, and then he smiled.

 

“You're a polite boy,” he commented, and then laughed, “So I'll tell you. Sith's brother, King Sceppio Winchester, is planning on fightin' this war without help from you all. But what he don't realize is that we're losing, and we're losing badly.” Sith turned from the window as the news struck a blow to her. Her ears lowered.

 

“What!? The war's begun!?” Sith exclaimed, her expression mortified. Cyd nodded grimly.

 

“Yup. There've been skirmishes and battles, and we're losing,” Cyd replied, “We already lost the Behemoth fleet in the mountains, and the Straes here won't hold up any longer.” Sith cursed angrily. She couldn't understand why her brother was allowing this.

 

“My brother is insane,” Sith growled, “We need Egypt to back us up. Why can't he accept that!?”

 

“Your brother's a proud man, Sith,” Cyd replied calmly, “Proud, but reckless. He don't wanna accept Egypt, because that'd mean handing the throne to you. That'd be putting you in a lot of danger, and he don't want that, even if he won't admit it.”

 

“ATEMU WOULD HELP ME!” Sith yelled, thrusting her own sword into the table, scaring everyone, even the two Esper guards, “We need help. The fact is clear, neither Nesce nor Egypt can survive war without each other. If my brother doesn't accept this, he'll doom both our countries.” Seth shivered, hearing how angry Sith was. Even Cyd was slightly shaken with his niece, but he shrugged it off.

 

“I know that, and you know that. Hell, everyone knows it,” Cyd stated, waving his arm frantically, “But unless someone's brave enough to go against him, this war's a doomed one.” The three priests looked around, but didn't speak. None of them could go into the palace. They would be killed on sight. Sith crossed her arms, her expression was outrage.

 

“I demand to see my brother,” she stated firmly. Cyd snapped around and looked at her, tilting his head in a warning.

 

“Sith, I wouldn't do that,” he said, “He don't want Egypt involved, and whether you like it or not, he considers you part of Egypt.”

 

“I don't care,” Sith replied adamantly, “This is my home, too, and I won't let it be destroyed over one idiot's drive for power. If Sceppio wants to see us all die, that's not my problem, but I won't put Atemu or his country in danger because of us. Now let me see him.” Everyone looked at Sith, unsure of what they could do. Only Cyd seemed to be able to take her on if she became aggressive, but even he was hesitant. Sith grabbed her sword.

 

“If you all refuse, then I'll go alone,” she stated grimly, “And if you stop me, I'll kill you. This is important, and no matter what happens to me, you all don't deserve this. My brother… he should've never received the throne if this is what he does with it.” With that, she left the building. The guards went to stop her, but one low growl told them that she'd rip them apart as well. They remained with Cyd. Silence fell across the room for a while, no one knowing what to say. Finally, Seth broke it.

 

“What do we do now?” he asked quietly. Cyd sighed, getting out of his chair once again. He strapped his gun back.

 

“It's obvious, ain't it?” he asked, perking an eyebrow, “We go after her. Or rather, you three go after her.”

 

“What of you, then?” Karim asked, getting up. Cyd looked at him, nodded respectfully, and shrugged.

 

“If that boy's coming here to find my niece, I wanna talk to him,” Cyd replied, “You know, tell him what's what. Now, she's getting away fast, so you might want to move.” Karim nodded, and with a wave to the guards, led Seth and Mahaado back outside. The snow stopped falling, but it was only temporary. He could just barely see Sith in the far distance, her golden shoulder-pads gleaming and her sword pulsing with a luminous glow.

 

“We need to catch up to her. I just hope the pharaoh can get here. We'll need him.”

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

Well, Seth may be in Nesce, with a new ally, but that certainly doesn't make things any brighter as Sith makes her way into the palace of the Espers, ready to take down her brother. But why is he willing to battle when he knows he's losing? What grudge does he have against Atemu and his father? Meanwhile, can Atemu and Bakura get into Nesce in time to speak to Cyd and stop Sith? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!