Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seth's Magical Adventure! ❯ A Day late and Four Lords Short ( Chapter 25 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and he thinks Seth makes a decent ninja.

 

No one even noticed Seth had left. They were too focused on trying to bring the wall down, but everything they were trying was failing miserably. Not that they expected anything different, but surely, something had to work soon. The Incubus had given up using magic, for his power was becoming more and more strained from using it; that, and Sith had told them to save their strength for Rath. A few of the werewolves had been stubborn, but for the most part, Sith's voice was enough for them to stop trying. Still, it would've been nice for the wall to break sometime soon. They all knew Rath was lurking around. It'd be just a matter of time until she realized her trap actually worked. And then, no one wanted to know what would happen then.

 

---

 

Seth knew this was a bad idea. He knew he had decided on a bad idea, and he went with it anyway. Leaving his friends, his comrades, his companions to try and stop Rath was one of the stupidest things he could've done, but he had to do something for them. He wasn't exactly a good priest, but he was excellent with deception. And this seemed like the perfect situation for him. But it was just too damn dangerous. Mystics were starting to show up as soon as he hit the upper floor. He guessed no one felt the need to go down below; he had overheard that the outer perimeter was used mainly for storage. There were cells, which he guessed Rath trapped Sith and Sceppiro into, but hardly anyone in Nesce would use them. Espers had no need for prisoners. Obviously, Espers didn't think of Rath as one of their own.

 

Despite being on the upper floor, where the walls were painted golden with a red stripe, where the floors were polished, and where he could hear noise, Seth found himself even more scared than when he'd been down below. Every noise could've indicated that he'd been caught. He knew he wasn't as crafty or quick as Bakura. He really could be caught, very easily. Deciding caution was the best route, he did what he could to soften his footsteps, even to the point of taking off and carrying his sandals. The marble felt cold underneath his feet. Shuffling slowly, he came from the stairwell into a large hallway, with two staircases leading up to another floor, and a large fountain of a wolf in the center. He realized this was the entrance hall. He could throw the doors open and allow the dragons in, if he wanted. Except that he wasn't strong enough. And there were still Espers that wanted Sith dead. He sighed, and dove for a pillar as he heard two such Espers walk down the stairs.

 

“Are you quite certain that Lady Sith is trapped down there?” came the voice of one of the women who'd been with Rath when Seth had come to rescue Bakura. The man she was with, slightly taller and in blue silk, nodded as they rushed past toward the stairs leading downward.

 

“Yes. I have seen it on the cameras! They're trapped!” he exclaimed, but to Seth's surprise, he seemed worried, not happy, to hear such news. Likewise, the woman seemed equally as scared. Seth blinked slowly. Something about this just didn't seem quite right. He took out his Millennium Rod. It didn't matter how they sounded; it could've been a ruse. He aimed, and blasted both of them with light. It dazed the man, who fell down the stairs. The woman slammed into the pillar and slid down. She didn't move. Seth winced as he watched them both. He hadn't meant to hurt them. He merely wanted to knock them out for the time being.

 

“…oh well. Sith will thank me when they don't come bearing axes,” he told himself, and quickly ran to disarm the woman. She had no weapons on her, which Seth found equally as suspicious. But he had other things to attend to, and he left her alone, running to the fountain. He gazed up at the wolf. It looked distantly at the far wall, water spouting from its mouth. Seth drew a deep breath. He'd have to go upstairs, he knew. He wanted to keep searching, but he had been to the first floor of the castle before; all that sat there was the study, the dining hall, the kitchens, and the inner court. He highly doubted Rath was in any of them, or that there was anything to help him free his friends. Making sure the pathway was clear, he darted for the staircases, and hid between when he heard another Esper coming down.

 

“Damn it, Scias! Katsaiga! Where are you both!?” he demanded in a sharp hiss, “Stop leaving me to cover for you! I want to see Sith, too! Assholes!” He dashed down the stairs and toward the basement without even noticing that Seth was there. Seth just snorted, wondering who the hell that man was. Obviously, none of them were going down to harm Sith. They must've just wanted to confirm the rumors. Seth shrugged, stepped out of the shadows, and continued on up the stairs. He didn't even flinch as the Esper screamed, having seen the woman, Katsaiga, in such disarray.

 

“Not my problem,” Seth whispered, even though he knew he'd been the one that knocked them both over the heads. In his mind, he had to. They were potential threats. As he continued up the stairs, he pondered how badly it would've gone if he hadn't hurt them. The woman had been unarmed. Considering that she had fought alongside Rath, that had to mean something. But she hadn't attacked them then, either. Was it possible that perhaps, she wasn't actually working with Rath? Seth didn't know. It was an interesting thing to question. Then, he shook his head.

 

“No. I can worry about that later. I need to keep going, and I can't let those three distract me! There are even more people here that need to be either rescued or killed,” Seth said to himself, unable to decide which one would happen more, “Besides, Bakura's down there. He'll kill them if he thinks they'd hurt them.” Seth nodded firmly, and continued on. No Espers came to greet him as he made it to the second floor. The stairs ended in a wide hallway that eventually split in two, after leading to a set of double doors. Seth narrowed his eyes. The hall was empty, but whatever that room was, he felt something. He silently ran to it, and tried the handle. It was locked. He wasn't so sure he was surprised to find that, either. Pressing his ears to the door, he listened for voices on the other side.

 

“We have to try and get out, Geus!” came a young voice from within, and then the clinking of metal upon metal, “Damn it, Lady Sith's in danger! Didn't you hear Katsaiga!? Are you even listening!? Geus, pretend to be interested, will you!?”

 

“Rett, shut up!” came a deeper voice, gruff like a werewolf's, “I hear ya, you stupid idiot! If Rath hears you, we're all dead! Stop fooling around and listen to me. We're coming up with an idea to bust out.” Seth stepped back. There were people locked in there! And, they were against Rath as well! That was good news. The only problem was getting them out of there. He guessed he needed a key, and he guessed Rath had that key. Biting his lip, he crept even closer to the door. He couldn't decide if he wanted to make his presence known or not. Just because they were against Rath didn't quite mean they were on his side, either. Especially since he'd caused Sith so much strain in the first place. But then he decided he should risk it. They might still give him information even if they weren't on his side. The key here was knowing they opposed Rath.

 

“I might be able to help you,” he called through the door, and the voices all dropped. He must've scared them, or perhaps they just didn't trust him. He heard very faint footsteps coming toward the door.

 

“Who are you?” came the gruff voice again, “Are you a friend of Rath's?”

 

“No. I work with Sith,” Seth replied, and immediately he heard the murmuring of other voices, “I'm trying to find Rath so I can lower the wall that's trapping Sith. And now so I can help you all, too.” The murmuring stopped, and now he wondered if they even believed him. Quietly, he added, “I'm not asking you to trust me. But if you could tell me where Rath is, I can help Sith.” The silence continued on until the gruff voice spoke again.

 

“You alone can't do shit to Rath. That's why we're speechless. No one's dumb enough to try,” the voice said bluntly, and Seth felt his eye twitch, “Well, no Esper, anyway.” Seth growled in annoyance. Here he was trying to help these Espers out, and they were mocking him for doing something crazy! He stuffed his hands in his pockets and huffed.

 

“Fine, then maybe I won't help you,” he grumbled, and began to walk away, “Hope you assholes like fire, because Rath'll send you to hell now.” Of course, he was joking, but he really didn't appreciate being insulted like that. He waited just long enough to warrant a response from them. And he wasn't disappointed.

 

“Wait! Stop! We'll help, just don't leave us here!” came the younger voice, and Seth snorted as he exclaimed, “OUCH! Damn it, Geus, why did you hit me!?”

 

“You're too soft, do you know that!? We're locked in a little room and you're already throwing yourself down to a human who might be lying to us!” the gruff voice replied in annoyance. Seth hummed slowly, his eyes narrowing again. He tapped his foot.

 

“I'm not lying. I really do work with Sith,” he stated calmly, though every fiber inside him told him he'd do better with screaming, “Look, either you help me or you don't. Even if I do find Rath, you aren't out anything. Either way, I'm going on ahead, so you have five minutes, or I leave without you.” Silence reigned again, and Seth hoped they were using that time to make a crucial decision. The minutes passed slowly, as though elongated to give them the time they truly needed. Seth was sure magic really had been used for that, but as he turned, the younger voice spoke again.

 

“He's right, Geus. We don't have anything to lose here,” he said. The gruff voice sighed, and finally seemed to agree. Seth heard more footsteps approach the door.

 

“Fine. But I want to know what business you have with Lady Sith,” he stated firmly, “Who are you, and how do you know our lady?”

 

“I am Seth, High Priest and councilman of the court of the Pharaoh. I reside in Egypt, where Sith has been residing, in the guise of a powerful knight to the court,” Seth replied sternly, hoping his tone portrayed what his expression could not, “My current job is to aid in the destruction of the wall that separates us from her in the outer perimeter, but no one knows I am here.” More silence followed, and Seth felt his impatience rise. These Espers took too damn long for everything. It was no wonder Sceppiro had gone crazy after Sith left. He probably figured it'd take millennia before he ever saw her again.

 

“So the rumors were true,” the gruff voice stated thoughtfully. Seth heard himself growl. Was this Esper an idiot? The younger voice laughed.

 

“I told you it was true!” he declared, and Seth heard a snap, and then, “OUCH! Damn it, stop that!”

 

“Then shut your pie hole,” the gruff voice replied, and to Seth said, “Your answer's good enough for me. We don't know where Rath is, but we know that she's using the Observatory on the fourth floor as her chambers. She's turned all of our surveying equipment into a full-scale security system. Probably to catch you guys. If you're going to disarm it, start there.” Seth thought on that carefully. At least these Espers were good for something, even if it was given in a half-assed way. The only problem was, he had no idea what a security system was. Egypt wasn't as advanced as Aeroglyph was in terms of technology.

 

“When you say `security system,' what exactly am I dealing with here?” the priest asked them, “Are you talking traps and spears? I'm efficient with those.” The gruff voice snorted in amusement, and though Seth couldn't see, he imagined the man behind the door was shaking his head.

 

“No. We're talking alarms, bombs, and sirens,” the gruff voice spoke, “Stuff that'll definitely let Rath know that you're here. Stuff that was set off when that thief was brought here.” Seth grumbled. He remembered how their escape from Nesce the first time went. He just hoped this time would bring the kingdom back to its original form: not scattered all across Egypt's empire. He took a deep breath. This was going to require a bit more stealth and logic than he was used to using. He began to regret not taking Bakura again, though he was sure Bakura would have an episode if he were reminded of his treatment here. As strong as Bakura was, torture changed people. Torture was what made him so damn evil in the first place. Even if it was emotional.

 

“All right. I'll go see what I can do about getting that wall down, and if I find any keys, I'll break the lock for you,” Seth told them, “That's assuming you won't get out before then.”

 

“Chances are, we won't with Geus in charge!” the younger voice chirped, and then that all-too-familiar snapping noise sounded again, with the familiar, “OUCH!” afterwards. Seth snorted, and began down the left hallway, where he knew the stairs had been. He didn't want to assume Rath kept the castle exactly the same, but he also didn't want to assume she changed it, either. Hell, he didn't want to assume anything. Assumptions are what kicked his ass so badly to begin with. Luckily, his light assumption of her not changing the castle was what won the battle; the stairs were still where they had been before. Seth just grinned. It could've pointed to danger, but right then, he was glad that there was something to make this easier. He dashed lightly to the stairs, deciding that enough of the Espers here seemed to be on his side and that he could wear his sandals again.

 

“I'm almost surprised,” he whispered to himself, as he came to a stop in front of the staircase, “There would've been more of them here, I'd thought. How many were simply waiting for a chance to change sides?” He considered that Sith had probably brought back most of the best legions Aeroglyph had. And if she did, the others would follow, knowing that their best warriors sided with her. It made him question what Rath had used to actually take control of Aeroglyph at all. And it also made him miss Sith, just for a second. He'd have loved to see her expression when she realized how many of her cousin's forces actually chose her. But a sudden noise popped him out of those thoughts. He blinked, becoming very alert. That noise was close. It sounded again, closer to the stairs, on the third floor. He bit his lip and slid into the shadows behind the stairwell. It was then that he realized someone was coming down. He was glad he'd hid.

 

“Damn it, can't she do anything right!?” came a shrill voice, “We send her to investigate and see if our little vermin were caught, and she decides to take three hours! Rath should just send her to Oblivion and be done with her!” Seth's mind raced as he saw who the speaker was. It was the second woman that had appeared with Rath. And she looked indefinitely angry with something. Seth's skin paled. Maybe what he had done did have more repercussions than he thought. Now he felt bad. But only because if the trail led back to him, he'd be killed. He waited silently for the woman to pass, and then slipped out behind her. He'd have to take care of her before she reached the first floor.

 

“I mean, honestly, I'm the only one here loyal to her majesty, Lord Rath!” the woman declared, “These filthy ingrates are just waiting until news of their beloved scum of a king and his equally disgusting sister float up! UGH! How dare they even think they could get away with it! How dare they unify with Egypt and attempt to overthrow us!”

 

“Yes, how dare we win while we're at it, too,” Seth commented smugly. He was glad the woman was too into her inner ravings to notice him. She gave a curt nod.

 

“I know! Trust me, when we find you bastards, you're going down!” she yelled back, and then stopped when it finally registered that she was speaking to someone else, “…what!?” She went to turn, but Seth was much faster. He slammed her right in the face with the rod before she even saw him, and he heard a crack as her nose began to bleed. He must've broken it. But he shrugged. If she was loyal to Rath, it didn't matter what he did, so long as he didn't actually kill her. So far, he had knocked her down. But that wasn't enough. If she woke up, he was dead. So, he took her arms and dragged her to the stairway leading back to the first floor. Taking a deep breath, he heaved her down them, wincing when she thumped three times before crashing onto the floor below. He was surprised she didn't break anything else, nor was there any blood to show for it. But that was a good thing; again, if he managed to kill her, he was down for murder.

 

“Nice shot,” came another voice behind him, “I'd have thrown her off the roof, but you get marks for aiming. Nice.” Seth turned quickly, and his mouth dropped. He saw one of the men from earlier. His green hair shimmered as it hung down his back, framing his purple coat. His eyes were a deep crimson, and they sparkled underneath that amused grin. Seth's brows creased as he evaluated this man; he could've been friend or foe. Or even both.

 

“Who the hell are you!?” Seth demanded, his hand flying to the Millennium Rod. The man held up his hands in mock surrender, one slender eyebrow going up at the same time as his movement.

 

“Relax. I'm on your side,” he replied, “My name's Gilden Lancaster. I'm a friend of Sith's.” Seth lowered his item only fractionally. If that were so, what the hell was he doing here? Seth asked him that, and he snorted as he said, “Some of us have to keep an eye on her supreme bitchiness, Rath.”

 

“Sith has spies?” Seth asked him incredulously. Gilden chuckled again and shook his head.

 

“No. She doesn't know we're even here. We work in secret, and we were in the process of putting together a real cozy report for her when this shit happened,” Gilden told him, crossing his arms lazily, “I have to say, it helps when half of Rath's lords actually work against her.” Seth's eyes widened. Half of Rath's LORDS were on their side!? It was no wonder they had so much support! Then he realized just what he'd done. He managed to actually smash two of their allies in one move. They could've helped him, too.

 

“…oops,” he mumbled, his face beginning to streak with crimson. Gilden looked at him for another second, and then laughed heartily until tears began to form in his eyes. He wiped them away and shook his head.

 

“Gods wallop, that was you!?” the Esper inquired, and Seth reluctantly nodded his head, “Damn it, you're really bent on creating some hell for us, aren't you?”

 

“It'd have been nice to know that you guys were actually on our side first,” Seth mumbled in response, “Wait… so you wanting to see Sith… you were going to help her? Help us?” Gilden nodded.

 

“Hell, yes. Anything to get Sceppiro's ass back on the throne,” the Esper replied enthusiastically, “With him and his sister working together to unite our two worlds, you can only imagine the possibilities this could have on everyone. Trust us, Rath is screwing what their family's worked for about thirty years now.” Seth thought carefully on that. He could see the benefits of keeping the Espers as allies. It'd make protecting both kingdoms so much easier. But then, something else caught Seth's attention, something this Esper just said.

 

“Wait… thirty years!?” Seth repeated, and Gilden nodded, “But… but… Bahamut said… that Claude, that Sith's father, was working to bring this…” He stopped. He remembered what Bahamut said. If he was speaking the truth, Sith really was over a thousand years old already. Gilden's smile grew as he realized this, and Seth said, “So all that crap about Sith and Sceppiro… it wasn't a lie!”

 

“Bahamut doesn't lie for the hell of it, moron,” Gilden said flatly, his grin fading only a little, “Sith's old as hell. Sure, I'm older, but she's not far behind me. And Sceppiro's even older. What!? You don't believe me!?” Seth had begun to look at Gilden as though he were absolutely crazy, and considering what Gilden was implying, he technically could've been. Except that Seth knew too well that magic worked wonders on people. He remembered seeing Sith when they were smaller, though. What did that mean? He looked back at Gilden, who seemed pretty annoyed to know that Seth didn't believe him.

 

“…Gilden, if Sith really is over a thousand, how the hell did she age so quickly?” he asked, “Atemu… the pharaoh and I, we grew up with her! Hell, even Bakura saw her when she was younger. What are you trying to say?” Gilden's lips thinned, and Seth noted that he now seemed full-out furious with something. He looked down toward the entrance hall, toward the statue of Claude Winchester in its niche. His eyes narrowed.

 

“Rest assured that Sith hasn't truly aged in about two hundred years,” he replied solemnly, “That was entirely her father's fault. He used magic to mask her age. He wasn't sure how the pharaoh's father would feel about his son possibly being wed to a woman older than his palace. It'd last for about twelve hours before he had to recast it, but that's why she `grew up' with you. Her father wanted her to understand a normal human life span if she was going to live here.”

 

“So she was a pawn in her father's plans,” Seth concluded, and his brows creased, “Damn, that's incredibly low. I didn't want to believe it the first time, but he didn't even think! What, did he expect us to never find out? Or did he just want a strong kingdom?”

 

“Claude loved his children. He wanted them to have what they deserved,” Gilden told him sternly, “He's not a bad man, and he certainly didn't think he was doing this for himself. Sith was sheltered when she was young, because she's of Esper nobility, and he wanted her to learn more about living amongst humans. Especially now that he learned the kingdom he was negotiating with had a prince. It wasn't about strengthening himself or Nesce. It was about making sure his children would be safe here.”

 

“Then why not just send Rath to Oblivion directly? Wouldn't that destroy her?” Seth asked him. Gilden fell silent now. That was true. Oblivion would kill anyone who entered; it literally was a huge void of space, with only a few bits that could be passed through safely. But there were laws regarding it, laws that obviously this world just didn't know of. Not that he blamed its inhabitants. Many worlds never knew Oblivion existed. Still, finally, Gilden shook his head.

 

“It's not that simple, priest,” he replied casually, shrugging his shoulders, “There be laws regarding how we can and can't handle Oblivion. Which kind of sucks, since Espers are the ones who created those laws. Technically, Rath should be sentenced, but because she's already opened up Oblivion, we're screwed unless we can kill her without using Oblivion.” Seth's eyes narrowed again. He didn't like all of this talk of Oblivion. He hated being confused, and that was what was happening; Oblivion was confusing him, and chances are, it was probably confusing Gilden, too.

 

“Then let's get going with that,” Seth replied, and changed the subject just slightly, “We've got other Espers who'll help us if we can get them out. We need the key to the audience chamber. I think that's where they're being kept.” Gilden just tilted his head, his smug grin returning. For a moment, Seth wondered if he'd actually help him, or if he was just trying to confuse Seth. Then, Gilden turned and began walking down the hall, Seth deciding to follow him shortly afterwards.

 

“Our best bet's to break into Rath's office and see if she's kept it there,” Gilden told him, as they passed the audience chamber and went toward the stairs leading to the third floor, “I doubt she's that dumb, but with her, you never know. Picking a war with Sith was pretty dumb, and she definitely did that, as you can see.” Seth hid a snort. As much as he disliked the knight in question, he had to admit that anyone who ended up in a fight against her usually wound up dead. And if they didn't, they died later that night if they were lucky. They climbed the stairs leading up, Seth becoming aware that there were still more voices as they went along. He hesitated, as did Gilden, and for a moment, they stood on the stairs, waiting. The voices seemed oblivious to their approach.

 

“Who is that?” Seth asked him quietly, when they let another minute pass anxiously.

 

“Falnika and Martus,” Gilden growled lowly, “Two Espers we need to be wary of. They're both on Rath's side.” Seth just gulped. The voices sounded uncomfortably close to them. Then, suddenly, the voices just dropped. Seth blinked, waiting a few more seconds in case they came back. But they didn't. He looked up at Gilden questioningly, but the Esper just tapped his chin and said, “They left.”

 

“Just like that?” Seth breathed, and Gilden nodded.

 

“They probably don't know you all are in the castle yet. Hell knows I certainly didn't,” Gilden told him, “Anyway, this'll make getting to her office a little easier. Let's go.” He led Seth up the rest of the stairs and into a long, quiet hallway that seemed to span around the entire castle. Closed doors sat on either side all along the hall, and Seth didn't dare to open even one. Just because it was silent didn't mean there weren't people lurking behind the doors. They passed without a word, turning the corner. That's when Seth noticed the destruction on the castle. The wall had been torn apart, bricks and stone lying in heaps that nearly blockaded the entire passage. Seth's eye twitched. He had a feeling he knew what had caused it, but just to be sure, he asked anyway.

 

“What the hell happened!?” he blurted out. Gilden regarded the mess with only a little interest, and shrugged as he began to climb over the bricks.

 

“Something decided to take a chunk out of the castle,” he replied easily, sliding down one pile, “Sounded like a cannon, but the only one crazy enough to employ those would be Sith's crazy uncle.” Seth didn't feel the need to tell him that Cyd did fire cannons at the castle. He clambered over the bricks, wincing as he felt his robe catching on one of them. Gilden was already over all of the mess; Seth needed a little more help to get through. And unfortunately, the Esper wasn't even aware that Seth needed it. Seth just grumbled as he stumbled through. There'd be no point in calling the green-haired man back anyway. Eventually, Seth managed to tumble down the last pile, landing in a heap right behind Gilden, who was looking around vigilantly in case they were being watched. He looked over his shoulder at the heap, and grinned as he said, “I think it's clear.” Seth just snorted.

 

“Right. `I think' sounds so promising right now,” he said sarcastically, “Why don't you chalk it up next to `We might be in danger' while you're at it.”

 

“You don't need to be bitchy about it,” Gilden grumbled crossly, as he stepped out into a brighter hall that, once again crossed both ways, “In any case, I really can't be sure. We have the power to teleport where and when we need to at any given rate. Even if it looks clear, it never truly means it is.” Seth was about to argue, and then he shut his mouth. There really was no reason to try; Espers were a difficult race to predict at best. For all they knew, they were being followed. But if that was so, would they really be allowed to get this far?

 

“Do all Espers possess this ability?” Seth asked him, as they shuffled down silently, their footsteps only making the meekest of sound. Gilden hummed and shook his head slowly as they turned a sharp corner that dipped just ever so slightly. From the slits built into the wall, Seth could see that storm clouds had begun to set in.

 

“No, not all of us,” he replied, “Espers that live in other worlds tend to lose this ability. Some worlds interpret magic differently than others, and some abilities get lost in the throng of constant energy. But if you're wondering, yes, all of the Espers living in Aeroglyph can teleport.” That answered Seth's unasked question. Until they reached the stair to the last floor, the walk continued on in silence. Seth took the time to familiarize himself with the scenery. He'd be coming back soon with Atemu and their own army, and he wanted to report everything he could if there was any opposition. But nothing seemed even remotely out of place. The carpet was cleaned, the air was fresh, and the torches providing the light were bright with fire, throwing a harsh, orange glow against the stone walls. If he hadn't known who lived here, Seth would've actually felt bad for vandalizing such a nice place.

 

“So, why did Rath want the throne, anyway?” Seth asked him, as the hall widened even further as it opened into a round court. The stairway to the upper floor stood to the right; another set of double doors graced the left. Gilden veered toward the stairs.

 

“Who wouldn't? Whoever controls the throne pretty much controls all magic in Oblivion,” he answered simply, “Rath's ambitious and she doesn't feel it's fair that we need to share our magic with every other world in Oblivion. My guess is that she assumes that once she takes the throne, she can just seal off our magic and keep it for Espers only.” Seth just nodded, trying to remember Bahamut's words concerning Rath's sanity. He had made her out to be insane, but what if that wasn't so? What if it really was as simple as not wanting to share magic? Then there was Oblivion itself. Such a shift could destroy worlds in an instant. Seth knew that much, as well. Saimun had told all of the priests about that at one point.

 

“Can she truly do that?” Seth asked, his voice barely a whisper, “Seal off magic from everyone else?”

 

“No. That's the problem. There's always a certain level of magic in any given world, and if you try to change that, shit's going to happen to that world,” the Esper replied, “And Rath wants to do this on a large scale. You know what happens. It'll be one huge chain reaction, and nothing's going to stop it if she succeeds.” Seth shivered. Maybe this was what Bahamut actually meant. Oblivion might not be controlling her, but it would decimate them all if she did anything. No wonder Sith had wanted to do this alone. If this information was leaked, Egypt would have a widespread panic.

 

“Then… if she manages it… will this world really blow up?” Seth asked him, and Gilden noted the tone of terror in the priest's voice. Gilden gave him a weak smile.

 

“It'll be worse than that, my friend. Any world that's had even an ounce of influence from us will fall apart,” he replied honestly, “And seeing as how our race is already thousands of years old, that's going to be one hell of a chain reaction she'll start. I'd be surprised if even one-one thousandth of Oblivion was left standing.” Seth's eyes widened in horror. That sounded like such a small part! Who knew Rath had so much power in her hands now? Now it made sense, why this battle was so important. If they didn't stop her, the world really was doomed.

 

“So how do we stop her?” he asked, as Gilden looked up the stairs to make sure it was safe to proceed, “Do we kill her?”

 

“Killing isn't my style, but that's definitely the fastest way to stop her,” Gilden agreed with amusement, “My guess is, though, Bahamut will just plug her power for a few thousand years. Much less bloody, and we won't need to slaughter other Espers. If Sith's smart, though, she'll move for a death sentence. Rath deserves it after the shit we've been through.” As much as Seth was opposed to bloodying his hands, he had to agree with that, too. Rath really was putting everyone in the universe in danger, and the only way to make sure that never happened again was to silence her forever. He found himself speechless as Gilden glanced back only a second longer before climbing one stair. They walked up in silence, Gilden making it a deliberate effort to lessen the sound of their shoes. The stairs felt narrow with each step they took, and Seth's eyes began to feel warm inside their sockets, as though he were getting a fever. He looked back down again. There was nothing down there behind them.

 

“Is it me… or do you feel ill?” Seth inquired, looking up to see that Gilden had already made it to the top of the stairs. Seth came up shortly after and watched as Gilden bent over a lock to pick it. His expression looked grim for once.

 

“I do feel funny, but not ill,” Gilden replied, and cursed, “Damn it, what the hell's wrong with this lock!?” He tried shooting lightning into it, and it did nothing. Seth just watched blankly, wishing that his vision would stop swimming. Whatever was happening, he knew it wasn't natural. He felt perfectly fine until they came toward the stairs. He felt his legs wobble a bit.

 

“I have a friend that can pick that,” he said quietly, laying a hand on the wall in an attempt to steady himself. Gilden looked at him, and then snorted, turning back to the lock to try breaking it again.

 

“If it's that thief, Bakura, don't even bother,” he stated firmly, with just a tone of laughter, “Rath's got this place safeguarded from you guys. He'd be as effective as a wet napkin.” Seth blinked, not knowing what exactly a napkin was, but he just shrugged. Gilden had a point; Bakura was downright useless sometimes. A noise behind him caused him to turn around toward the stairs. It was then that Gilden heard Seth scream. He stood up straight, eyes wide, but he didn't turn around. He didn't need to. He knew who was there, and his face contorted in pain as he heard her voice.

 

“What the hell are you doing, Gilden!?” demanded a shrill voice. Gilden finally turned to see Falnika and Martus again. Martus looked absolutely dumbstruck, but Falnika looked ready to pop; her face was red, her hands on her hips. Seth was frozen in terror, and Gilden seemed just a bit disturbed to see them both there. But he wasn't terrified in the least. He seemed to be expecting them, at least at some point. His sly grin returned again, filling Seth with a sense of utter dread. If he did anything stupid, they were dead.

 

“Just looking for keys,” Gilden stated, “We have a prisoner we need to lock up. I found him sneaking in through the roof.” Seth glanced at Gilden accusingly, and Gilden simply mouthed `play along.' Seth gave the slightest of nods, and turned back to the Espers in question. Falnika eyed him suspiciously.

 

“The roof, eh? Rath didn't think anyone would be dumb enough to try that,” she mused, and narrowed her eyes as she came closer, “…haven't I seen you before?” Seth's eyes widened in horror again, and he wanted nothing more than to shove her away and run. The only thing stopping him was Gilden. And Martus, too. But Falnika caught the look. She grinned wickedly and said, “I remember you now.” Gilden now looked a little worried as he glanced at Seth. Seth's lips went thin, and he took out his rod. Before she could respond, Falnika was smashed over the head with it and sent flying down the stairs. Martus finally looked up as he realized they were being assaulted. He pointed one gauntleted finger at Gilden, his brows creased in frustration.

 

“Hey! You can't…” Gilden rushed down and kicked him down after Falnika before he finished. They both landed with a mighty crash that sent a small tremor through the castle. Seth winced. That really shouldn't have been possible. Martus must've weighed seven or eight hundred pounds to cause that. And it all landed right on top of Falnika. Hopefully, she'd been crushed to death. Gilden rushed back to the lock and took out a sword, slamming it into the metal ruthlessly. Seth turned, but Gilden spoke before he even got the question formed.

 

“We need to get in before someone else alerts Rath,” he hissed, and finally succeeded in smashing the lock into submission. It fell with a quiet clang, and Gilden threw the door open. The Observatory was exactly as it had been when Seth rescued Bakura; cold, gray, and silent. It was also very dim. Gilden glanced around before lifting a hand to create a small flame on his finger. Soft light was thrown all around him, revealing the pristine, white flooring. Gilden looked absolutely disgusted as he stepped further inside, not caring that his boots dragged dirt into the room.

 

“I hope Sith remodels when we get her back here,” he grumbled flatly, “This space-age theme Rath seems to like is an abomination to my damn eyes.” Seth just laughed. The Observatory looked much better when they'd met Sceppiro; dark, dank, but full of beautiful artifacts and equipment, and comfortable furniture, too. The place looked lived-in. Seth had liked that. Unconsciously, he kicked a box aside as Gilden went toward a metal desk, shoving open the drawers and rummaging messily through the contents. He sighed in frustration, and went to the bookcase instead, pulling out and dropping anything within the shelves. Seth watched in utter disbelief. Back in Egypt, he'd have been whipped for destroying the pharaoh's property like that. Then again, this was Rath. No one appeared to respect her too much.

 

“What the hell are you looking for?” he finally asked, as Gilden growled again and pulled a cabinet open, “You're making a mess.” Gilden stopped pulling stuff out and looked up at Seth. Indeed, he was trashing the room a grand deal, but that didn't matter to him. Unless this was Sith's or Sceppiro's room, he just didn't care what he destroyed. And it was neither of their rooms any longer. He shrugged and went back to pulling out papers and tablets scrawled with runes.

 

“You act like I care,” the Esper said, equally as flat, “I'm looking for her keys so we can help Sith. Now, are you going to nag, or are you going to help me?” Seth sighed. He didn't like being ordered around, but he might as well do something useful. He walked to another desk and ripped the drawers out. He went just a step ahead of Gilden and dumped the drawers over, spilling their contents carelessly. Paper flew, along with rubber bands and clips. But no keys existed there. Gilden moved onto the rack of weapons on the wall. He tore them down, throwing them shamelessly on the linoleum floor, not caring how loud they were being. They now had weapons on their side, and if Rath did show up, Gilden must've felt he could just take the battleaxe he'd dumped and chop her down with it. Seth doubted it was that simple, but Gilden was the one risking his life, not Seth.

 

“Did you find it?” he asked, moving to a potted plant by the corner and kicking the large urn over. Soil and roots spilled onto the floor, but there was no key within, even as Seth bent down and scrambled through the dirt. Gilden snorted as he removed the last dagger from the wall, looking down at his pile of medieval torture tools. He grinned.

 

“Not yet. She hid them well,” the Esper replied, knocking a portrait off and smiling as the glass case it was in shattered, “How about you?”

 

“I've found dirt, and paper, and bugs, but no key,” Seth said, and stopped suddenly, “…should we really be destroying this room, though? Wouldn't that make it more work for Sceppiro later?” Gilden's ever-present grin broadened as he continued to dump everything onto the floor. He tramped through the dirt triumphantly.

 

“So what? Asshole deserves it for what he did, too,” Gilden reasoned easily, “Anyway, I found the keys. She hid it in the portrait of herself, egotistical maniac. Should we go?” Seth's initial reaction was to nod, and then he stopped himself. Gilden was still defiling the room even after he knocked over the portrait. Seth looked at him suspiciously, and Gilden's grin grew even more. There was no mistake; the damage was done on purpose.

 

“…if you had the key, why'd you keep scattering everything?” the priest asked him suspiciously. Gilden raised an amused brow.

 

“Because Sceppiro's a jerk,” he said simply, “Now come on. Time's a-wasting, buddy.” Seth didn't argue. They walked out of the now-disastrous office, Gilden making sure to extinguish the light before closing the door. Seth simply took one last look at what had once been a royal observatory. It was a pig sty now. Just like the rest of his life. Just like Oblivion would be if they didn't succeed. They'd just have to succeed then. And that meant freeing the other Espers first.

 

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

 

And so, after sneaking off and inadvertently harming some of Sith's spies, Seth finally finds hope in the form of a wiseass of an Esper named Gilden. Together, they managed to ransack Rath's study while finding the key to free everyone imprisoned in the castle. But will it help them save Sith and Sceppiro? What of Bakura and the others in the basement, trying valiantly to break down the stone wall? And has Rath been alerted? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!