Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Stealing My Heart ❯ Life's Purpose ( Chapter 3 )

—Yay, another chapter of Stealing My Heart. I think I do better with the “ancient Egypt” setting. Anyways, I still don't know how old Bakura is gonna be, but you readers can decide for yourselves what age you want him to be. I won't be picky about it. Heh…

 

Chapter 3 - Life's Purpose

 

Ryou found Bakura sitting with a couple of men. Each of the men wore a black shenti similar to Bakura's. Both men however, wore no shirts or had no hair. Ryou stood patiently at the other side of the room and waited for Bakura to spot him.

 

The Thief King looked up and beckoned impatiently to Ryou. He walked over and stood behind Bakura. Bakura turned to the men and said, “This boy is going to help steal food.”

 

“He used to be one of them.” said one man.

 

The other man—whom Ryou recognized as Striker—replied, “He knows his way around the city. He's small and can go to places we can't.”

 

Bakura nodded. “Maybe we'll use him in my biggest plan.”

 

“Probably.” said Striker, looking at Ryou with cold, gray eyes.

 

Ryou said nothing, pretending that his mind was somewhere else. What was this `biggest plan' Bakura was talking about? It's probably in my best interest if I don't ask, he thought.

 

Striker stood and pointed to Ryou. “Stay here, boy. I'll come get you when we're ready to leave.”

 

“Yessir.” Ryou said as Striker and the other man left. He was alone with Bakura.

 

Bakura stood and leaned close to Ryou's body. The young one's face turned red as Bakura took hold of his chin and forced his head up to look into his eyes. “You now have a purpose, Ryou.”

 

“Th-Thank you, sir. I'm glad.”

 

“You have nothing to worry about. Soon, we will punish those who've hurt you.” Bakura said, quietly. He ran a hand through Ryou's white hair, but stepped away when Striker came back to get Ryou.

 

———————

 

Ryou didn't have his own horse. He had to share with Striker. The sun was peeking over the horizon far beyond the city. The morning breeze brushed over the sand with no more than a silent swish. Ryou didn't even realize morning had come. I did wait for a long time in that prison cell, he thought. The night seemed so much longer in those caves. The men halted their horses when they neared the city. Striker gave orders to the men as Ryou hid his hair the way Bakura had shown him. He packed his hair up into a bun and then fashioned a turban around it. He made sure the turban was secure so it wouldn't fall off if he had to flee.

 

Striker turned to Ryou as the young man was finishing his turban. “Listen, boy. You're on your own for now. We're going to go to our job. But you take this.” He held out a small sack. “And put food in it, understand? Once you've got it full, you come straight back to the horses. I'll be here, standing guard. Make sure nobody follows you.”

 

“Yessir.” Ryou said once he'd wrapped his turban. He took the sack and added, “Thank you for saving my life back at the river, sir.”

 

“Get moving, boy!” Striker snapped harshly. Ryou didn't waste time. He walked into the city with the empty sack tucked under his tunic. Nobody seemed to notice him as he headed through the alleys and shadows between the houses. The men had brought him here at a lousy time of day. The stalls and shops were just opening and crowds of people were starting to flock the streets. If he started stealing now, then somebody would eventually spot him.

 

I have to pick my moment and my target even more carefully than before, Ryou thought as he ducked behind a crate to avoid the eyes of a passer-by. He saw the melon stand was open and the vendor was flirting with a lady customer. Ryou knelt near the stand and reached out, took a melon and ducked behind his crate. He fished the sack from his tunic and put the melon in.

 

Ryou succeeded in getting two more melons and a few springs of grapes from a new cart that had come from the Delta region of the Nile. He also managed to get a few loaves of bread, some onions, two handfuls of dates, and a dead quail, although the quail's owner chased after Ryou. Fortunately, the quail man lost Ryou in the mingle of houses and alleys.

 

He got back to Striker and saw that the other men. The other men also had sacks like Ryou's. They must have gotten food too. When he came closer, he heard the ping and clang of…it sounded like gold. Had they raided somebody's home?! Probably a wealthy Egyptian's house.

 

Ryou came forward and opened his sack like the other men were doing. Striker was inspecting the sacks and praising the contents. He didn't bother looking in Ryou's sack. He said, “Mount up, men.” Finally he looked at Ryou with his sack still open. “Get on the horse, boy.” Striker mounted his horse and waited for Ryou.

 

Ryou closed his sack and climbed up on the horse's back, behind Striker. They rode back to the hideout. The sentry signaled them from a ridge far away. Striker signaled back and rode on.

 

Bakura laughed with wicked glee as the men dumped gold and valuables that sparkled like Ryou had never seen. His eyes widened at all the things the men had brought. Gold coins, little statues, some jewelry, etc. Bakura praised the men and then ordered them to go away.

 

When he was alone with Bakura, Ryou opened his sack, ready to dump it out, but Bakura stopped him. “The food doesn't belong in the treasure room, Ryou.”

 

“Oh.” Ryou looked around at the statues and treasures of all varieties. There wasn't as much of it as Ryou had thought. “Where would you like me to take it? I got a quail for you, sir.”

 

“Call me `Bakura' and set it down.” Bakura said. Once Ryou had done so, a woman appeared as if by magic and took the sack. She bowed to Bakura and left.

 

Ryou watched her go. He turned to Bakura to find the Thief King looking at him. Ryou shifted his weight from one foot to the other while he waited for Bakura to speak.

 

The Thief King was in deep thought. This one boy had made him feel an emotion he had long since locked away. “Sit down, Ryou.” he said.

 

Ryou sat down beside him. “Yes si—I mean, Bakura.”

 

“Are you content to stay here?”

 

“Oh yes!” Ryou said happily. “I like it here. And today, when I stole all that food. I didn't feel guilty or worried. I probably should have, but—”

 

“This is your life's purpose, Ryou. To be here with us. To be one of us. I see it in your eyes. You want to enjoy this, but you're afraid.”

 

“Because I know that my parents wouldn't have approved.” Ryou said sadly.

 

“Where are your parents?” Bakura asked, curiously.

 

Ryou shrugged. “My mother hated me and ran away. My father stayed with me and taught me all sorts of things. He taught me just basic things like how to ride a camel and a horse, how to track things in the desert, how to fish.”

 

“I see. What happened to your father?”

 

“I don't know. He left with some men and I never saw him again.”

 

“Where did he go?”

 

“I don't know.” Ryou said. “I miss my father.” He wiped at his eyes, trying not to cry.

 

“My parents were slaughtered.”

 

Ryou looked up at Bakura. “Sl-Slaughtered?! That's horrible!”

 

“They along with 97 other people were slaughtered so the Pharaoh and his damned priests could obtain great power.” Bakura's voice had turned angry and bitter.

 

Ryou's face softened. “How awful…you saw this happened, huh?”

 

“That I did. Those bastards will pay for killing my people.” Bakura snapped. His body trembled with the anger and sadness he felt. He stopped when a hand fell on his shoulder. Ryou was touching him. Bakura watched in surprise as the boy laid his head on the Thief King's arm and said nothing.

 

They stayed like that until someone called for Bakura. The Thief King rose, knocking Ryou over. Ryou watched as he left the room. He didn't follow at first, but knelt down and took a gold coin from the treasure pile and tucked it into his tunic. He would use it later for a good purpose.

 

—Another chapter finished. More shall come later. Yes I'm not very talkative right now. Scary, isn't it? But before I go, let me say that I won't be able to update for a while. My mother and I are going on vacation. So I'll update when I return. Bye until May 25th!