Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seth's Magical Adventure! ❯ Briefings and Preparations ( Chapter 12 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he'll never convince me that Atemu isn't wearing a dress.

 

Racing through the desert with nothing more than her sword at her hip, Knight Sith was determined to make it toward the ruined city of Kul Elna as soon as her body would let her. Her heart pounded like clockwork, and each beat felt like an eternity to her. Her mind constantly wandered to Bakura's fate, and if he was even still alive at that moment. She had no answer, nor did she know how to get one quickly enough to put her at ease. All she knew was that she needed Diabound to find the thief. But she was tiring quickly, and without a companion by her side, it wasn't safe to simply rest.

 

“Confound this desert,” she finally forced herself to stop, leaning on her sword. She had been traveling along for only an hour at the most, but it felt so much longer as she said, “By the gods, I pray that I'm close to Kul Elna.” And yet, she couldn't feel any magic, positive or negative, anywhere close by. She began to regret leaving Atemu and the others, but she felt she had no choice. Seth was unwilling to go to the ruins to save an ally. No, a friend. Whether anyone else would admit it, Bakura was their friend, at least for now. Despairing again on his fate, Sith forced herself up, and walked forward. No longer having the strength to run, she had to do with a walk.

 

“This desert is endless,” Sith said to herself, frowning, “And Rath somehow disabled my senses. I can't even begin to tell where in Egypt I am…” Sith continued wandering, looking closely for anything that could alert her to the village. She doubted she could miss it, but she had never actually been there before, and had no idea what to look for. For all she knew, Bakura could've been living among pebbles. Finally, though, she felt a terrible rift of dark energy, and stopped again. There were more than two traces. One felt familiar, and it was a low pulse. That was the one she wanted, she knew, as it felt almost exactly as Bakura's energy felt. But the other two were much different. One was more fear than power, but she knew it wasn't hers. The other, she knew to be Rath's. But what was the unknown one?

 

“Am I near?” she asked, and realized she had stepped into a deep fog, obscuring her view or masking it to simply look darker than it should've been, “…hello?” Closing her eyes, she cast a spell that evaporated the mist, and when she looked on, the sight was almost as breathtaking for her as Nesce had been for Atemu. Nothing whole was in sight, but many buildings had been crumbled to amazing pieces of what Sith thought of as art. Taller buildings had been worn into spires that poked into the dark sky, and some smaller huts had a wall torn to resemble mushrooms. Magic seeped through everything, coloring the walls such brilliant hues of purple and green, Sith no longer thought she was even in Egypt. But Bakura's energy was everywhere, and it comforted her.

 

“Bakura?” she called, but received no answer. Looking down sadly, she continued forward, sword drawn. Though she hadn't been here before, she knew fully of the incident of the undead, for she had been forced to revive many of the priests before they were harnessed for evil. Stopping again, hey eyes gravely swept the abandoned city. She didn't know which house belonged to Bakura, or where Diabound's tablet would be held, and her thought was interrupted by a rustle. Quickly, she turned around and called, “What!?”

 

Nothing stirred. Sith's shoulder tensed up as she took another step, but another rustle stopped her again. This time, she caught movement. Something much bigger than she was in the overgrown grass that managed to grow, and silently preparing her sword, she lunged at the grass, hacking it to bits. But nothing was hiding. Frustrated, she sighed, until something grabbed her neck, causing her to yelp. A slap on her face silenced her, and she hung her head in dizziness. She couldn't see as well, as the blow struck her eyes. But she heard voices.

 

“Look at this, boys! We got ourselves the Pharaoh's Knight!” boomed her captive, a large, brutish man in a dirty tunic that smelled strongly of alcohol. Sith barely moved as he held her up to look into his red, drunken eyes. She was forced to smell his putrid breath as he asked, “What's the pharaoh's slave doing here?”

 

“Let me go or you will die,” Sith growled, growing stiff. The man raised an amused eyebrow, and he laughed, as many more laughed with him. Then he threw her on the ground, and she slowly got up, getting quickly disoriented. She couldn't find her sword.

 

“I'd love to see you kill me, but it's not happening, cutie pie,” the man bellowed, and when Sith went to protest, another man kicked her in the stomach, knocking her across the sand. It was all she could do to stay awake as she listened to them advance.

 

“What do we do with her, boss?” one man asked, “We could get a pretty penny for her.” Sith had to control the urge to attack, for without her sword, she stood very little chance of winning.

 

“Ransom's no good. Besides, she's probably been exiled. Why else is she here?” another man suggested. There was a moment of hesitance among them, which Sith prayed would continue for some time. But it didn't, and the leader snapped his fingers.

 

“I have a better idea. Let's keep her,” the leader said, grinning, “I have a few uses for her. I say we get to introduce ourselves to her. What do you all think?” Cheers and roars of laughter erupted, and Sith had to strongly resist the urge to retch. She could barely believe this was happening, and it was all she could do not to scream. But she had to keep quiet. And she had to find her sword. But she could hear the leader, and he grabbed her hair, pulling her towards him. This time, she let out a terrible cry, but it only resulted in laughs of delight. Until one man screamed in agony and fell down, dead. The leader dropped Sith, and turned around as many more screams filled the air.

 

“You realize I've made it clear that no one is to trespass into my home, haven't you?” came a voice, and Sith recognized it to be Bakura's. She scrambled up, feeling incredibly weak, but still able to walk. The leader ignored her, frantically looking to where the voice had come from as his underlings died one by one as their bodies were cut to pieces from an unknown force.

 

“W-what!? Who are you!?” the leader cried, “Where are you!?” Bakura's voice simply laughed, and soon the leader began to scream in more pain than Sith could've ever imagined. She watched as his limbs fell from his body, and then his head was sliced off, and blood spilled in the sand. But it didn't touch her, and as she looked on, she saw Bakura standing there, looking at the dismembered bodies with not a smile, but a frown. He didn't want to kill them.

 

“Bakura!” Sith called, running over, “Bakura!” Bakura looked over at her, and smiled weakly. She couldn't control her relief, and ran to hug him tightly, glad to see he was fine. But as she reached him, he vanished into the sand, and she fell to her knees in pure shock. Bakura was gone, only an illusion. But how did he help her? How was he able to stop those thieves? She had no answers, but she didn't care. He had saved her life three times now.

 

“Bakura… I promise, I will find you,” she said, standing up again. But as she looked on at the ruins as the bodies began to disintegrate, she realized with controlled fear that she was in a place seething with dark energy. And she was alone.

 

---

 

Atemu stopped in his tacks, clutching his chest. He had a shock of terrible, excruciating pain and terror coursing through his body, making him want to strike himself down, but it vanished within the moment. Cyd stopped and looked back with worry.

 

“You all right, boy?” he asked, a slight tone of concern in his voice. Atemu looked up and nodded, but his skin had paled and it was clear something had happened. Cyd looked at him skeptically and said, “Tell me the truth.”

 

“I think… Sith is… was in danger,” Atemu strained, and Sceppiro ran to him, helping him. He looked down at the ground, cursing himself for allowing her to leave alone once again.

 

“My sister!? What happened? What's wrong?” Sceppiro asked frantically as they continued, “Atemu, tell me!” Atemu glanced over, unable to provide anything other than the fact that he felt her energy respond to danger. Cyd sighed, and gestured for Sceppiro to let Atemu go. Sceppiro obeyed, but looked down angrily, still not knowing what was wrong with Sith.

 

“He can't tell you, Sceppiro,” Cyd replied when the king posed the question, “He ain't no mindreader. All he knows is Sithy's hurt. You still feelin' the pain, boy?” He directed the last part to Atemu, who shook his head, still shivering as he recalled the horror he did feel.

 

“No… but she's sad,” Atemu replied, as he began to receive more of her feelings, “Wait… sad… and angry… she wants me to know something, but I can't understand her feelings. She's really mixed up.” Sceppiro bit his lip, and then closed his eyes, asking Sith to relay what had happened to him rather than to Atemu. She did so, and Sceppiro opened his eyes, tears welling up. The pictures she had given him were… traumatizing to him. To think it happened to her was too much.

 

“She was attacked by men,” Sceppiro said shakily, and Atemu gasped, “They… they almost… she's sure they would've… raped her if Bakura hadn't shown up.” Atemu's eyes widened. Bakura had come back! And, to both his relief and dismay, the thief had helped Sith again.

 

“Bakura's alive!?” Karim asked, shocked, “Is he with her!?”

 

“No…” Sceppiro replied sadly, “He vanished when she went near him… she thinks it's an illusion, but he saved her somehow. She's sad because she's alone, and she's terrified for the moment.” Atemu closed his eyes and looked away. He wanted to hate himself for letting her leave alone, but it was her choice as well. And yet that did little to dispel his anger at himself. Sith was hurt, and alone in the ruins of an unsafe village, and there was nothing he could do. He could look for her, but it'd take days without a proper guide. Sighing, he looked down.

 

“Does she want me to find her?” Atemu asked, “I'll be there in an instant if that's the case.” Sceppiro tried to relay the question, sending Sith what he could of Atemu's reaction, but Sith's response was almost impossible to decipher, even with Sceppiro being an Esper. He opened his eyes and shook his head sadly.

 

“I can't tell, but I don't think she does,” Sceppiro replied, and Atemu hung his head, “She's fine. She's not hurt, and she says that's what matters. But she wants you to get to the palace.” Atemu glared at the sand. Sith was always stubborn when it came to her own health, and at times like these, it was a serious worry for him. But he had to accept her choice.

 

“Tell her to come back if anyone else attacks her,” Atemu finally said, forcing himself to move on, “I can't… lose her.” Sceppiro sighed at the tone of desperation in Atemu's voice. As he led the way, everyone else slowly followed. Seth glanced over at Atemu, but his mind was obviously on the state of his knight. For over an hour, the group traveled in complete silence, save for Cyd commenting on various plants in the desert.

 

“Think there's anything we can do about this?” Karim asked quietly when Cyd began to ask Atemu about what they should expect to see at the palace, “The pharaoh is truly bothered by what happened to Knight Sith.”

 

“There's little we can do, Karim,” Mahaado said regretfully, “She's too far away for any retrieval spell to get her, and only the gods are strong enough to venture into Kul Elna.” Seth looked over at his fellow priests and snorted.

 

“I say we do nothing,” he replied, crossing his arms, “It's her choice to leave our safety. If she's hurt, it's her own fault.” Mahaado's eyes widened in shock, and Karim reeled back, blown away by Seth's uncaring response. Sith could be dying for all they know, and Seth would do nothing to help.

 

“How can you say that!? She is our friend and one of our strongest allies!” Mahaado gasped, and that caught Atemu's attention. The young king stopped and looked back, giving Seth a daring look, guessing that whatever Mahaado was upset about was indeed caused by the priest. Seth returned the king's stare with an equally undaunted one.

 

“But she's stubborn and doesn't take any consequence into her actions,” Seth reminded Mahaado, his frown deepening, “If she dies, it's her own fault.” Mahaado was about to open his mouth, but when he saw Atemu behind him, he stopped himself. Atemu crossed his arms, sighed, and gave Seth the sternest look the priest had ever remembered seeing on his face. In honesty, it made Seth shiver.

 

“And you would let my knight die because you decided not to help her?” Atemu asked, and when Seth perked an eyebrow, Atemu said, “This is not an `eye-for-an-eye' world. Sith didn't hesitate to help you when you needed it. I expect the same to apply to every member of my court, and if you think me a fool for such a request, then I'll have you dismissed. There is no room for selfishness in my court.” Seth simply rolled his eyes as Atemu dismissed the matter and continued leading the way to his palace. He'd been threatened of dismissal many times at this point, and he seriously began to doubt the pharaoh would follow through on his word. Mahaado gave Seth a sharp glare as he stormed forward, and Karim simply shook his head, running to keep up with his angry friend. Atemu didn't look back to make sure Seth was following, and it was only when Cyd spoke that he finally forced himself to actually focus on something instead of walking blindly.

 

“What happened back there?” Cyd asked, casting a skeptical glance back, “Is everything okay, boy?” Atemu looked at Cyd angrily, but when he realized Cyd wasn't Seth, he calmed down and shook his head.

 

“I just had to remind one of my priests that selfishness is not tolerated in my court,” Atemu explained. Cyd nodded, and grinned.

 

“Was it that bastard, Seth?” he asked, and Atemu laughed, nodding his head, “I don't like him. Want me to hurt him?” Atemu calmed his laughter so Seth didn't hear, and shook his head. As much as he himself wanted to hit Seth for his behavior, it wasn't in anyone's best interest to do so. They needed as many healers as possible for the battle later, and though Atemu shuddered to admit it, Seth was a healer.

 

“No. I won't set a terrible example for my people,” Atemu replied, a small smile breaking through, “Besides, I'm sure Sith will want to give him her own form of punishment later. And I don't want to disrupt that.” Cyd laughed, imagining Sith chasing a priest around the palace with her sword drawn, its purple aura dancing up and down the slender blade. All the while, Seth would simply try to evade her. Cyd shook his head in amusement, forcing the thought away as Sceppiro let out a gasp of awe. Seth, Mahaado, and Karim all stopped, looking up as they stepped into the shadows of the city, its large, impenetrable wall protecting the inner sanctums. Atemu's smile widened as he looked on at the city.

 

“Is this where the palace is?” Sceppiro asked, breathlessly taking in the beauty, “It's… it's amazing. So vastly different from my own kingdom.” Atemu nodded, and turned to face both Cyd and Sceppiro.

 

“My dear ally, king Sceppiro Winchester, I welcome you to Egypt,” Atemu said proudly. Sceppiro bowed gracefully, and Cyd simply gave the thumbs up. Seth rolled his eyes and walked over to the gate, where two guards sat on the other side. He cleared his throat loudly, and they both nearly toppled over.

 

“L-lord Seth! You're back!” one guard yipped, scrambling up. But as he looked at the group, of which he could only see the three priests, he asked, “Where is Knight Sith, and the Great Pharaoh?”

 

“The great pharaoh is with us,” Mahaado said calmly, and then looked down, “Knight Sith… she is…”

 

“She has gone to the ruins of Kul Elna to find the thief, Bakura,” Atemu finished, walking up to the gate, “Please, allow us in.” Both guards blinked, and one scrambled for the switch as the other yelled, “Yes, sir!” Immediately, the gates were raised, and Mahaado escorted Atemu through them as Karim and Seth followed closer behind. But as Sceppiro and Cyd went to pass, both guards crossed their spears to prevent passage.

 

“HEY!” Cyd yelled angrily, gritting his teeth, “Why ain't you lettin' us pass!?”

 

“You are not of royal or noble blood, nor are you from this city. We cannot permit passage without permission from our king,” one of the guards stated. Sceppiro's ears lowered while Cyd's stiffened, but Atemu turned around.

 

“It is all right,” Atemu said calmly, “That is king Sceppiro of Nesce and his uncle, Cydandilus. They are our allies and Knight Sith's family.” The guards blinked, unable to believe they were standing in front of two more Espers.

 

“T-the king of Nesce!?” one guard piped, and when Sceppiro nodded with slight amusement, he said, “I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to halt you. Please, by all means, enter.” Sceppiro smiled kindly and walked through as Cyd simply mumbled something unheard. Atemu chuckled as the gates slid closed, and led his party through the streets. Many people had come out to see who was entering, and upon seeing not only the priests, but Atemu as well, cheers erupted from the houses, stalls, and cantons around the area. Atemu just smiled, acknowledging the attention as Seth simply rolled his eyes, bored with the laughter and delight emitted from the townspeople.

 

“I'm sure your departure from the city scared everyone,” Sceppiro said as he noticed how joyous everyone had become, “Perhaps you can rest easier with your kingdom at such ease?” Atemu sighed, his smile weakening. He was glad his city was calming down, but he couldn't rest. Not knowing that Sith and Bakura were gone. And he promised Sith he would prepare for battle, even if it meant fighting without her. He couldn't break that promise.

 

“I would like to, but my promise to Sith must be filled,” Atemu said, frowning slightly, “I'm worried for her, Sceppiro. I truly worry she might be hurt, and simply unwilling to let me know.” Sceppiro patted Atemu's back. He felt sympathetic for the man, even if he felt protective of his sister.

 

“Well, my sister's pretty stubborn about some things,” Sceppiro admitted, looking up and adjusting his glasses, “But if she was truly in mortal danger, she wouldn't get herself killed. She doesn't want you suffering any more than you are.” Atemu's smile returned, and he closed his eyes. He wanted to read Sith's thoughts, to know for certain she was all right, but all he could do was feel her emotions. Right now, she was confused, unable to locate Bakura anywhere, or the tablet, for that matter. But there was no pain in her emotions. Terror had faded, leaving just caution and determination. Atemu opened his eyes, satisfied with what he felt. At least she was physically healthy. That was enough for him. Finally, as he hadn't realized during his focus, the group stood outside of the palace gates. Guards were already in the process of opening them, and they passed into the courtyard.

 

“Oh my lord! This is magnificent!” Sceppiro exclaimed, looking at the fountain as it reflected flowers in its water, sending rainbows of color across the court as it fell in an arc, “No wonder Sith preferred this.” Atemu laughed.

 

“Actually, your father enchanted the water to do that when Sith and I were really little,” Atemu explained, “You probably don't remember, as you usually stayed in the palace, in your room. But Sith loved the colors, and I liked the flowers. She'd always laugh when I'd try and catch one, only to fall into the water.” Atemu's cheeks flushed crimson a bit as he recalled the memory, his smile growing. Sceppiro snorted with disapproval, but said nothing.

 

“So, boy, what do we do now?” Cyd asked, not wanting to waste too much time, “What weapons do you got to battle Rath?” Atemu blinked, raising an eyebrow. All he had were swords, spears, and possibly catapults, and when he relayed this to Cyd, the old pilot snorted and asked, “You ain't got any cannons!?”

 

“…what are cannons?” Seth asked, crossing his arms. Cyd looked from Atemu to Seth, wondering how none of them even knew what a cannon was. He explained it to them quickly just as they saw Shaddah, Isis, and Malik running out of the palace. Catching the movement, Atemu turned to face the two priests and the young boy, raising a concerned eyebrow. They skidded to a halt upon seeing his gaze.

 

“T-the pharaoh!” Shaddah exclaimed, bowing at once, “Sir! You've returned! We were just about to find you!” Isis glanced down at Shaddah, and Atemu simply smiled.

 

“Thank you, but I'm unharmed,” Atemu replied, and then his tone became much more serious, “But now isn't the time for casualties. We must prepare for battle at once.” Shaddah blinked, and then stood up. He exchanged another nervous glance with Isis, neither one knowing how they could've gotten involved in a battle. Malik tilted his head, his hood nearly flopping over.

 

“Why're we going to battle?” he asked, “And with who?”

 

“A dark Esper named Rath attacked us while we were escaping Nesce to bring king Sceppiro and his uncle Cydandilus here for safety,” Mahaado explained briefly, and then added with a gloomy tone, “Because of her, we lost Bakura.”

 

“But where is Knight Sith?” Isis asked, realizing that Sith wasn't among them.

 

“She is searching the ruins of Kul Elna for any sign of the thief, and for his spirit, Diabound,” Seth replied disapprovingly, “Though why she bothers with him is a mystery. He's nothing important.” Karim shot an angry glare at Seth as they all headed into the palace. The guards outside must've heard the briefing about Rath, as many of them scrambled to get to the armories.

 

“Without him, we wouldn't have found Sith at all,” Karim said furiously, “And the pharaoh wouldn't have come to speak with the Esper king.” Seth's lips tightened. Karim had a point, but Seth still thought Bakura to be absolutely useless. They quickly walked through the hallway, making sure to dodge the frenzied soldiers as word of battle quickly spread through the palace. Atemu didn't stop them as three guards whizzed past him toward one of the many vaults holding their weapons. He simply continued walking toward the throne room, with Sceppiro and Cyd both by his side. When he finally reached the room, he was surprised to find only Siamun there, standing faithfully by the throne. A pang of worry hit him when he saw that Sith's usual place would again be unoccupied.

 

“Great pharaoh, you're alive!” Siamun exclaimed, hobbling down the steps of the large pedestal where the throne sat, “Thank the gods! When word reached out that you had left, everyone was in a panic! But what's going on, my king? It's snowing, and…”

 

“I know, I know. We're in a lot of trouble,” Atemu said quickly when Siamun reached him, “We were attacked by a Dark Esper while we attempted to escape from Nesce.” Siamun raised a concerned eyebrow as he looked at Cyd, who nodded grimly.

 

“It's true, Siamun,” Cyd said, and all of the other priests looked at him, shocked that he knew the elder's name, “Nesce's in ruins now because of those damned Dark Espers. An' my niece is trying to find some monster that can help rip them all to shreds.” Siamun sighed, and nodded, rubbing his forehead as though he had been completely exhausted.

 

“I'm sorry you've had to visit on such terrible conditions, Cydandilus,” Siamun replied, looking down, “But what's happening? Why are they attacking a fellow Esper kingdom?”

 

“We believe Sceppiro was the intended target when they attacked us,” Karim explained, “It was either him or Sith, but both were put into incredible danger. Their leader, Rath, is Sceppiro's older cousin.” Siamun's eyes widened.

 

“What!?” he exclaimed, his shock echoing off of the walls, “Rath is… she is a relative of yours?” He looked at Sceppiro, who looked away and nodded, hoping his distaste and regret was portrayed in his posture. Cyd's lips thinned and he glared at the floor.

 

“As much as the Winchester family is loathe to admit it, Rath is our cousin,” Sceppiro said quietly, “It was because of her that we lost our mother, not because of Sith.” Siamun gave Sceppiro a sympathetic look. Seth, however, had many questions for Siamun, and decided that before anymore time was wasted, he would have them answered.

 

“Lord Siamun, how do you know the Winchesters so well?” Seth asked, “And what connection does Rath's current attack have on Egypt in the past?” Siamun sighed, and closed his eyes. It was a long time ago, possibly fifteen years since he had seen Rath, but he remembered everything.

 

“Long ago, when the pharaoh was a prince, and Sith was a princess, both barely four years old, Rath attacked us in the hopes of breaking the alliance made between Claude Winchester and pharaoh Ahkenumkanon and seizing the throne of the Espers,” Siamun explained, “As per our alliance, Nesce and Egypt banded together, and with a combination of our powerful binds and their powerful magic, we were able to seal Rath onto one of the four magnetized islands that help keep Nesce in the sky.”

 

“So then it looks like she's back to her old plans again,” Shaddah commented grimly. Atemu looked down. He had only known of one battle between Egypt and the Dark Espers, but Sith had been in that battle, and she had been the cause of victory. He relayed this to Siamun, who chuckled.

 

“That battle was simply their attempt to stake a piece of our land for their own,” Siamun replied calmly, “My pharaoh, Dark Espers themselves are simply Espers created from Hell or cast away from their tribes due to serious and often unforgivable crimes. They are not evil, and at that time, Rath was not in control. That is why we won so quickly. Their numbers were miniscule, and they simply wanted a place to call home. But neither Sith, Claude, nor your father wanted to risk them bringing a new leader into power so close to either of our defenses.” Atemu nodded, but one thing didn't make sense to him. Why would Rath continue her attempt after nearly fifteen years of seclusion?

 

“Siamun, Sith is much more powerful than I,” Atemu stated, “Why would she attack the Espers first? Is it something to do with my father's alliance?” Siamun nodded.

 

“Yes. She knew that if she launched an attack on Egypt, Sith would stop her in an instant. At least, that would be my guess,” Siamun replied, and Atemu looked down, “If she were to separate you and Sith, neither of you would be able to help the other, considerably weakening both countries' defenses. In that way, Egypt and Nesce would have no doubt turned on each other, thinking the other responsible for the attack. That would give Rath the opening she needed to kill you, and in turn, kill Sith and Sceppiro later.” Atemu's eyes narrowed as he stared at the floor. He realized that the incident at the Lion's gate was simply a ruse to lure Sith away, and like a fool, he had allowed that ruse to grow. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He looked back at Siamun.

 

“…did Sith know this?” he whispered, shivering. Siamun nodded grimly, and Atemu feared he'd lose control.

 

“I believe she suspected,” Siamun replied, “But I didn't think her disappearance was connected to that. Now her departure makes more sense. She must've sensed something was wrong.” Seth perked a skeptical brow and snorted, causing everyone to turn their attention to him. Siamun glanced at the impatient priest and asked, “You would like to state something, Priest Seth?”

 

“Sith appeared to know absolutely nothing when we found her!” Seth cried angrily, “You honestly expect me to believe she would hide this valuable information from the pharaoh?” Siamun's eyes widened, and Karim glared again. Mahaado looked down, and Cyd surely seemed ready to attack Seth. Only Sceppiro and Atemu remained calm.

 

“If my sister thought it would put you all in grave danger, she would avoid talking about her suspicion,” Sceppiro replied, smiling sadly, “She knew something was wrong in Nesce, that much I know. She was willing to risk having to fight me to get me to listen to her, despite our being apart for nearly seven years. But I doubt she truly understood until after we spoke, and after we found the chancellor dead.” Everyone remained silent, unable to add to what Sceppiro had said. Atemu felt terrible for being so unknowing, but he understood Sith kept it that way for his protection. He sighed, wishing that Sith would simply come back, would tell him everything that was going on so that he could help her even more than he was now. But that wouldn't happen. Sith wouldn't simply come back because he wanted her to, and it was hard for him to accept that, even though he told himself and everyone around him he could never control her. Just as he closed his eyes to try once more to relay his worry to Sith, a guard burst into the throne room, skin paled and sweat dripping off of him. Atemu's eyes flew open, and he looked at the guard with worry.

 

“Sir! There's a huge disturbance near the Nile river! People living near the area are requesting passage!” the guard cried, and everyone felt the urgency in his voice, “What do we do?” Atemu clenched his fists. The battle was now starting. He knew it, he knew that whatever was happening by the large river was because of magic.

 

“Let the innocents inside,” Atemu commanded, “But do not go out there. Everyone is to stay within the wall until I give the order.” The guard nodded and left at once. Atemu closed his eyes, wondering how much damage he would take from the attack as Siamun cleared his throat, catching his attention again.

 

“My pharaoh, what do we do about this?” Siamun asked, “Surely, this is an attack.” Atemu agreed, crossing his arms and thinking carefully. There had been no casualties, which he was grateful for, but he had no idea what he was going after. He looked to Seth, who seemed to understand what was coming.

 

“I don't know what we're facing yet, so to plan an attack blind would be suicide,” Atemu said grimly, “We must know what it is we're planning to attack. I don't think it's Rath herself. Priest Seth, I would like you to go to the Nile and see what it is that's causing such dischord within my kingdom.” Seth sighed and hung his head, but forced himself to agree. He hated reconnaissance work, he truly did, but he knew he was on very thin ice, and the last thing he wanted was to be dismissed.

 

“Yes, my king,” Seth said reluctantly, “I will leave immediately.” He expected some sort of response, but what he didn't expect were Mahaado and Karim to stand next to him and agree to leave with him.

 

“We would like to accompany Priest Seth to the riverbed,” Karim said sternly, and when Atemu placed no objection, he added, “It'll be safer with three of us, and we're formidable when we work as a team.” Mahaado nodded, and even Seth had to chuckle. That much was true. They had gotten through several obstacles simply by combining their ideas. Bidding farewell, the three priests left, and Atemu watched through the window as they walked toward the courtyard and toward the stables. Deciding to help the guards prepare for defense, Isis, Shaddah, and Malik all left, leaving Cyd, Sceppiro, and Siamun with Atemu. Cyd and Siamun were discussing something, but Sceppiro simply stood at the doorway, looking down. Atemu sensed he was worried for Sith as well. Deciding it best not to engage Sceppiro about it, Atemu simply walked onto the balcony, looking down into the fountain. Soon, everything would be set for battle, but it made him uneasy to think of fighting without his knight. He closed his eyes, trying just once more to speak to Sith through her mind.

 

“Sith, please hurry. The battle is already beginning.”

 

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

 

And so, Atemu finally returns to the palace and enlists all of his priests to brief them in on Rath's inevitable attack. But to his shock, Siamun already knew of the oncoming danger, and by the explanation he gives, Sith knew as well. But just as things become slightly more clear, a new disturbance is attacking near the Nile. Can Seth and his fellows make it before someone gets killed? And will Sith return to the palace with Diabound? Will Rath strike in her absence? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!