Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Tamer of Beasts ❯ Chapter 4 Beauty and the Thief ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer- Yeah, still don't own Yugioh...
any of it.
A/n- Seriously? Mediaminer ppl out there refuse to review or somthing? It's really a bit harsh, I'm happy for those that bother to review ^_^ thank you for any who did so far!
cookies to you!
plz dont forget to review this chapter, I'd like to know what you think.
Summery- Bakura has stolen twice from Atem now, guess who and what he took?

Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Romance / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.23.2009 | Pages: 10 | Words: 10.3K | Visits: 461 | Status: Work In Progress

Chapter Four Beauty and the Thief

`You are very much different than I thought you would be Anzu,' Jazzel admitted, butting her black tipped muzzle to Anzu's chest while the girl scratched her dark-tipped ears (think of Spirit from DreamWorks).

“What did you think I would be?” Anzu asked while her nimble fingers found a sensitive spot just under Jazzels left ear. The mare groaned blissfully and leaned her delicate head into Anzu's expert fingers gratefully.

`For one, I'm glad you're a woman. Males have big heads around here about being the CHOSEN ones to do everything.' Jazzel admitted, `Having a woman Tamer might humble them a bit now.' The horse nickered a laugh.

Anzu grinned, she had become really taken with the charming mare. Jazzel was the first person… well being that Anzu felt she could completely relax around. She had nothing to prove or defend against the mare and they easily got along like old friends. It was refreshing to find someone like her after all the chaos and confusion that had gone on only just that morning. Jazzel allowed her to unwind before she exploded from mental overload!

“I would have given anything to have this gift back home.” Anzu sighed, “I've always loved animal's sooo much, but they always seemed terrified or avoided me at all costs. Only my gold fish seemed to like me, and they'll probably die with out me there to feed them now.” Anzu leaned away from rubbing Jazzels ears and rest her back against the fence post behind her, slowly sinking down in the to the sand and embracing her knees to her chest, “Then there's school work and work and the bills and the laundry and Hana and -,”

“You miss your life very much? You said you weren't from here. Are you really from the future?” Jazzel interrupted.

“Probably.” Anzu shrugged, “We don't use horses for a mode of transportation anymore where I am from. Or should I say In My Time..,”

“No horses? Do you humans just walk everywhere then?” Jazzel tilted her head curiously, her pale blue eyes the color of cornflower ribbons.

Anzu snorted disdainfully, “Hardly. We have machines and technology to do all our traveling for us while we hitch a ride on them.” At Jazzels confused look she elaborated, “A metal horse created from man, if you will. Just much faster, stronger and longer lasting… mostly. They break down a lot if you don't take care of them properly, and they run on gases and oil.”

“Gasses?” one of Jazzels ears drifted back while the other stood erect confused.

“Never mind,” Anzu shook her head, not wanting to go in depth and just confusing the mare even more.

“Don't you miss these machines of your time? What about family? You never mentioned a family at your home time.” Jazzel pressed, wanting to learn more about her new friend.

Anzu looked up to the sky with a distant face, “I have no family any longer waiting for me. Mom and Dad died not so long ago and left me with no relatives or god-parents to care for me. The officials couldn't take me in to adoption because I am already eighteen.”

“You're alone…?” Jazzel lowered her head and layed her ears down forlornly, “I am sorry, Anzu, I didn't know. It must have been painful. I know what its like to be abandoned. Master Atem found me near the Nile when I was very young after my mother and heard abandoned me to cross the great river.”

“It was and it still is painful, but I try not to think too much about it. If I do that, I don't feel so bad.” Anzu replied.

“You can just stay here and have a new family,” Jazzel offered.

Anzu gave the mare a `get-real' look, “I don't belong in this time, Jazzel. I have to get back to my own time,”

“To what? You said so yourself you have nothing tying you down there other than a friend and some goldfish.” The mare protested, “I could be part of your new family.”

“That's very sweet, Jazzel,” Anzu smiled, reaching up to the Mares' soft muzzle and petting it, “but I- what is it?”

Jazzel suddenly jerked her head up and stood tall and alert over Anzu. Her pale blue eyes locked on an intruder on the other side of the fence.

“Well looky here,” a man's voice chuckled while Anzu struggled to stand up again and dust her self off of the sand that clung to her, “I come here to retrieve a pharaoh's broad and get not one, but two. Two for the price of one.” Anzu looked up to see a man dressed in ragged clothing of a lower-class citizen strolling toward them with an arrogant stride in his step. His red eyes looked down upon her from under silvery-snow colored bangs with a leer that made her feet back up a few steps behind Jazzels protective body while he stopped just on the other side of the fence behind them, leaning on his elbows against the top of the fence with a smirk, “Must be my lucky day, eh?”

“Some how I doubt you're one of the royal stable hands…” Anzu said, working to keep her voice strong, though her heart pounded in fear and she knew she was breaking into a light sweat that wasn't from the sun.

“That you're correct, love,” Bakura grinned, “I would rather die than work for the royal family.” He shrugged, “I've found a much more…. Productive way of life.”

“A homeless harasser of women?” Anzu bit back with out even thinking. This man made the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. The last thing she should want to do was agitate him. She didn't think that scar on his check was just for show. He seemed like the type of man that earned their scars…

“The King of Thieves, love.” He corrected. At her blank look his smirk faltered, “Bakura, the King of Thieves? The infamous thief who steals from the pharaoh in an endless war of vengeance?”

“Never heard of you…” Anzu said quietly.

Bakura's smirk fell from his tanned face abruptly in shock, but he quickly recovered his wits, “Well, I suppose there really is a first time for everything.” He grumbled.

“What are you doing here, again..?” Anzu demanded, “If you've come to gloat that you've successfully stolen some of the pharaoh's treasure to me you're wasting your time. You should leave- NOW.” Anzu pointedly jerked her head towards the desert so he would leave that way.

“Oh, I've stolen from the pharaoh's treasure alright, but it's no gold or rubies.” Bakura grinned savagely. Every bit the predatory cat playing with his prey just before pouncing on it.

And Anzu seemed like his perfect prey at the moment. She looked delicious enough to eat.

“Steal some relic or something than?” Anzu turned away from him, towards Jazzel, who jerked away suddenly in surprise, startling Anzu to nearly falling back, but two strong arms wrapped around her middle and held her against a solid, well toned chest while sensual lips tickled her ear lobe as Bakura's voice whispered into her ear.

“The new pharaoh's concubine and prized mare are more than enough treasure to satisfy any dark king of thieves.” He said sinisterly seductive in her ear in a breathy whisper as he nipped her lobe and tied her wrists behind her back tightly and pulled her over his shoulder.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU BRUTE! I. AM. NOT! HIS. CONCUBINE!!!” she shouted and kicked at him, lashing down at the man as best she could with her being thrown over his shoulder like a pack of potatoes and hands tied behind her back, “PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT YOU BASTARD!”

Bakura growled a warning at her as he jerked his shoulder into her abdomen to threaten her into being calm, but Anzu just flailed about even more in her struggle to get away, “Cut it out, woman or I'll drop you!” Bakura snapped.

“THEN DROP ME! DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID? I SAID PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!” Anzu roared back into his ear.

Bakura winced and glared back at her in the corner of his eye. He then smirked and smacked her ass with the palm of his hand. She stilled instantly in shock- no one's ever touched her like that before and no one was EVER allowed to either! Not with out her permission and he certainly didn't get that from her! It angered her all the more that it had sent a zing of excitement through her.

“HH-HOW-DARE-YOU-YOU-…YOU PIG!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Bakura stopped at the opposite end of the paddock, Jazzel trailing behind them cautiously and worried for Anzu. He tossed Anzu over the fence and then jumped it himself while she landed with a THUMP next to his camel, Ahmed, who seemed not at all surprised to find a kicking and spitting, riled woman struggling at his side from being tossed like fish on deck.

“You're getting so hurtful with your petty insults..,” sarcasm dripped from Bakura's voice as he took some cloth from his saddle pack and shoved it in Anzu's mouth when she opened it to start another round of roaring in his ear, “But I grow rather irritated with your scratching at me like a coyote on the verge of death.” He tied another leather tether from her linked wrists to Ahmeds saddle horn and then took some more rope and went to fetch Jazzel, not wanting to forget his original target in favor for the spiting cobra he'd found as well.

To Anzu's surprise and frustration, Jazzel put up no fight when Bakura made a make-shift halter over the mare's head and used the extra rope as a lead rope and lead her out the gate and back to the camel with no problem, “You see? Why can't you be more like the filly? She's not trying to rip my head off.” Bakura rolled his eyes as he led the mare to the other side of Ahmed to tie off her lead rope to the saddle.

“MMMmmm mmmphh mu phuumph!” Anzu growled through her muffled mouth.

“Not sure I want to hear that or if I really deserved what ever you probably called me..,” Bakura glanced at Anzu suspiciously.

Anzu jerked her eyes away, not wanting to look at him, stubbornly. It only made Bakura laugh heartily, “Well this should be an interesting trip home to say the least.”

“HHhmmph-phuumph??” Anzu yelped when Bakura's arm wrapped around her thy and lifted her across Ahmeds back. She looked like the kill of a hunt the way she was laying astride his shoulders. Bakura took seat in the saddle behind her and jerked on the reins for the beast to rise.

`Not like weight on shoulders…,' the camel groaned.

Anzu rolled her eyes.

`Are you alright Anzu?' Jazzel nickered softly. Anzu glared at her and the mare fell silent.

Anzu's eyes crossed when Bakura once again reached over her back and wrapped an arm around her waist as best he could in their awkward position on the camels back, “Ahmed doesn't seem to like you putting so much weight on his shoulders.” He dragged her back to sitting up right in the saddle in front of him, practically in his lap. She glared back at him, but kept her back stiff as an ironing board and leaned away as much as the high saddle would allow, but Bakura's arms wrapped around her and jerked her back, “You're throwing him off balance leaning forward like that.” He spoke in her ear with an admonishing tone.

Anzu stayed very still and refused to move other than what the motions of the camel made her do. Unfortunately, that happened to be that her butt continually stroked against his lap with every lurching sway of Ahmeds step. She looked to the blue heavens above and sent a silent prayer- this was going to be a LOOONG ride.

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“The raiders are becoming an increasing risk the longer we hold out on a full fledged attack!” a muscular general barked in the royal court room, “I say we cease this waiting and strike back! Annihilate the threat while it's still small!”

“These people are not an enemy. The raiders now are our own people along the destroyed villages of the boarder where the REAL threat is. Rome has done little to aid us from the Mongol invaders. We should pay only minimal attention to the glory-seeking raiders and let them blow themselves out. Send our troops to the eastern borders, my liege.” Another advisor countered. Unlike the burly soldier that spoke in a snappish tone before him, this advisor was leaner and looked more like a pampered noble than a war advisor, “Prepare for the Mongols while there's still time! Our scouts have already reported that the Mongols are recruiting our enemies to band together against us!”

“You're going to believe that pampered ass's crap?” the general growled, “A kingdom cannot fight off enemies if they have enemies within their own BOARDERS! Send the troops to stop the raids!”

“You fool, do you always seek to put peasants in their place? If we over react to a few rebels that are only striking back in frustration of circumstances we could not help, the whole country will label the new pharaoh cold and uncaring! There'd be more than just a few frustrated rebels to deal with then AND the Mongol threat!”

“Atem already has the favor of the people!” the general spat.

The two squabbled at the floor of the conference while Atem sat upon his deceased fathers' throne. The young royal could almost feel his blood boiling with irritation of the petty fighting the two opposing advisors always seemed to do. He often wandered why his father had allowed them both in the same room at the same time. He mentally made a note to get one, the other or both out of his advisors council once his coronation as the Pharaoh was complete.

He was so irritated with their squabbles that had been going on for … four hours, his fingers drummed on the armrest of his golden throne seat. He couldn't help fidgeting in his seat ever so slightly, holding back the urge to behead the quarreling duo. He felt restless and very irate ever since he and Katsuya had left Anzu in the cell that morning. He'd been easy to infuriate, though his self control kept him from lashing out, it didn't keep him from having violent thoughts…

Such violent thoughts were not like him. Atem was a rather calm and solemn spirit. He wasn't quick to anger and didn't have violent thoughts unless he was in battle.

`What did that woman do to me?' He thought as he shifted in his seat, resting his chin on his left knuckles while his right hand now thrummed irately on the armrest of the throne. He rolled his eyes when he realized the two opposing advisors were still going at it and sighed to try and vent his frustrations.

`Beheading them sounds really good right now…' there they were again, violent thoughts….

Seto stood dutifully at Atem's right. His blue eyes watching his new lord from the corner of his eyes and a slight frown tugged at the edges of his mouth. The priest had always felt first hand Atem's frustrations and anger, but the young prince was usually well reserved and never openly showed irritation like this in public. The violet eyed young royal seemed like he was ready to send heads rolling if the two imbeciles didn't shut up- what was bothering Atem? Seto was only half-surprised when he realized that Katsuya was also watching their prince suspiciously.

`If an idiot can pick up on it, something must really be wrong with the little bastard…' Seto thought and turned back to the advisors, silently waiting to see if Atem would actually snap and lash out at them.

He didn't have to wait long.

“HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET ALL OF OUR ROYAL TROOPS OUT TO THE BOARDERS IN THREE DAYS? THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS WORK OUT IN THE FIELD DUMBASS, THESE THINGS TAKE TIME!” the burly one raged.

“IT'S BETTER THAN SENDING THEM AT ONCE TO SLAUGHTER OUR OWN COUNTRY MEN!” the other willowy one towered over the stocky muscled one.

“SILENCE!” Atem snapped in a rare roar. Every one turned to see their new king with blazing irritated violet orbs full of violence in their depths. No one had ever seen him so riled!

“M-Milord?” the willowy advisor gulped.

“We will NOT be sending our troops anywhere! The rebels are a mere FOURTY-ONE thieves led by a psychopath!” Atem hissed, “And the MONGOLS have targeted Babylonia! Not Egypt- they're by-passing us. It's the Babylonians we need to keep an eye out for, or the Turks, but the MONGOLS have nothing to do with us! You're both fighting over NOTHING!” his voice echoed in the silent hall with all awed and startled attention on himself.

When no one responded as their leader huffed for infuriated breath, Seto stepped up, giving Katsuya a pointed look to tend to their new king, “My brethren, let us all take a break from this… discussion. This time, gather all information you can of the Babylonian army activities. We will regroup three days from now!” he ordered.

The advisors had no qualms for the request and so nodded and were on their way, not wanting to risk becoming the agitated king's venting-target. As the hall emptied, Seto turned sharply on Atem with a raised brow, “Well that went well.” He snorted.

“What got you so worked up?” Katsuya approached the young pharaoh to be, “Man, I ain't ever seen you lash out at the old coots like that!”

“I didn't mean to…I-I…,” Atem suddenly seemed confused, “I didn't feel like myself just now. Everything seemed to agitate me, and I felt so violent,” he confessed, holding up his palm to his forehead and plopping back down unceremoniously back to the cushions on the throne, “Like someone else was feeling that restlessness… it didn't feel like me at all.”

Seto's brow rose unconvinced, “Is there something you're not telling us?”

Atem shook his head no, “The only thing I can think of is that woman.”

“Woman? What woman? I was under the impression that you didn't take women in your harem. Never seen such an empty harem..,” Seto retorted with a snort.

“Not in my HAREM you idiot!” Atem snapped with out thinking, his violet eyes seemed to get a bit lighter, a swirl of gold colored them while the pupils seemed to slit before they widened and returned back to alarmed purple shades, “You see? It just happened again! That wasn't me!”

“Your eyes just turned colors!” Katsuya yelped.

“Has this happened before?” Seto was all seriousness now.

“No, not before today.” Atem shook his head, “Not before that woman anyways.”

“You keep saying that woman. What woman??” Seto pursued.

“HIS EYES JUST CHANGED!” Katsuya squeaked.

Atem and Seto ignored the blond idiot, “Anzu. Donatello called her the Tamer.” Atem replied, “That was the same woman Katsuya took me to judge in the dudgeons this morning. When I left her presence, I felt restless inside.”

Seto's eyes narrowed, “You're SURE she's the Tamer?”

“I don't know yet. We're holding her under house arrest until tomorrow morning. We're to question her then.”

“What's wrong with now?” Seto retorted with a glare.

“Her arrival here was under strange and stressing circumstances. She's exhausted and is in need of a rest before we put a third-degree investigation on her.” Atem defended, feeling more than a little offended at how Seto seemed angered that they hadn't forced Anzu for more information immediately.

`OFF WITH HIS HEAD!' and there were the violent thoughts again…

“She's a suspicious character that could very well be a criminal or an ENEMY spy and you invite her into your home like a guest and procrastinate her evaluation?” Seto spat back.

“You will cease talking about Anzu in that way!” Atem barked vehemently, Seto noticed that his dark pupils started to slit predatorily again and the color bled from violet purples to golden yellows again.

“What has she done to you…?” Seto replied in an almost whispered voice.

“He kissed her.” Katsuya shrugged.

“He WHAT?” Seto turned to Katsuya while Atem's eyes returned full violet again and widened in alarm.

“KATSUYA!” Atem snapped.

“What?” Katsuya blinked, “You did, didn't you? Donatello said it was to help her understand our language and she did!” Katsuya defended himself.

“She didn't understand our language?” Seto turned back to Atem, the white granite floors reflecting his stiff stance.

“She spoke a different language when we first saw her.” Atem admitted.

“Gibberish or somthin.” Katsuya chimed in.

“Then Donatello said that her power is the ability of a thousand tongues.” Atem continued, “She can talk to animals, Saladin seems very taken with her.”

“And she can only understand animals once they instinctively recognize her for what she is. To understand human languages, hers or their lips have to touch one another- Donatello said it didn't matter where or which one of them does it, but so long as there's that intimate contact, then she's able to talk to them fluently.” Katsuya once again butted in.

Seto's eyes narrowed, “Is that all the Roman Seer told you?” he inquired.

Atem and Katsuya turned to one another then back to Seto, each nodding their head in affirmatives.

“You're both fools!” Seto slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead, “Complete and utter fools!”

“What? What is it?” Katsuya quickly asked, “Hey! I'M NO FOOL!”

“More a fool now than ever!” Seto retorted.

“You know, this is why you never have any REAL friends,” Katsuya barked back.

“If this woman really is the Tamer and Atem is having this kind of reaction to the loss of her presence, Atem is possessed by a great beast spirit- someone has released the three beast gods of the Temple of Beasts and one of the spirits has taken residence with in Atem.” Seto growled in frustration, “That Tamer was sent here by the gods to ensure that the beasts that have been released would stay sane and not go on a rampage from being locked up for thousands of years!”

“You're saying that a pissed off god is inside of Atem..?” Katsuya looked Atem over, “Have you been sniffing that powder we confiscated from prisoners of war or somethin?” he sputtered as if it were all a joke, “ATEM? Possessed by a DEMON GOD?”

“Beast God” Atem corrected with a gulp of realization.

“What ever! Doesn't make it any more believable. Who would set free the three Beast Gods?” Katsuya harked.

“…..Yes, whom indeed.” Seto mused, “It seems that we have found our center to our inner-and-possibly-outer boarder problems. Whoever released the beast's must have known that one of them must take the body of a royal- Atem is the only surviving Royal.”

“Where are the other two?” Katsuya's golden brows rose.

“One seeks out power and the other seeks out lust.” Seto said.

“Oh, well that narrows it down to ALL OF EGYPT!” Katsuya snapped, “WHAT THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?”

“Use that Tamer woman to track them down and keep them and Atem nearby her until we can prepare the ceremony to reseal the beasts away.”

“How long is that exactly?” Atem demanded.

“…Five years.” Seto sighed.

“FIVE YEARS???” Katsuya rolled his eyes to the heavens, “We're dead. We're sooo dead! We can't keep three BEAST GODS calmed down and sane for five freakn years!”

“With the presence of the Tamer we can.” Seto retorted, “We can't start preparations for the ceremony until all three Gods are safely under taps of the Beast Tamer herself,”

“Then we'll gather the others immediately.” Atem said determinedly and turned to a guard posted at the doorway, “Bring me Anzu at once.” He ordered.

“You highness,” the soldier bowed and was about to leave when Shizuka burst into the doorway.

“KATSUYA!! OH, BIG BROTHER, IT'S HORRIBLE!” she cried out as she ran into her elder brother's arms. Katsuya was taken aback- he thought his little sister was with Anzu again, since she calmed down Mai enough from their fight that he was able to make up with his fiancé he had sent his baby sister on her way, but now she was back with out Anzu??

“What's wrong sis?” Katsuya's hands grasped her shoulders and held her away from him so he could see her face, “Did some dumbass try and feel you up again? If someone did, tell me who the bastard is so I can kick his little-,”

“It's Anzu! She's gone!” Shizuka sniveled, “I searched everywhere for her, but she's gone!”

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“Is this really necessary?” Anzu huffed on the back of the camel's hump. Ahmed was inclined in the sand with Anzu sitting upon his back sideways. Her hands were still bound behind her, but she was now wrapped around in itchy-camel fur clocks that made her want to bite her arms off because the non-stop itching sensation it caused when it rubbed against her exposed skin.

Bakura had made sure to hide all parts of her body other than her eyes so she could see. She could barely breathe as it was! The fur was suffocating and irritating! Who wore this in the middle of the desert?!

“More than necessary.” Bakura quipped, “Now quit your fidgeting, your hair keeps escaping the wrap.” He moved behind her to tuck in the stray hairs while she fumed.

“And WHY do I need this?” She snarled back, wriggling on purpose to make more strands of her brown chestnut hair slip free from its confines of the brown camel-hair wrap.

Bakura's jaw twitched in irritation until finally he had had enough. Quicker than Anzu could anticipate, Bakura's hand latched on to the back of her throat from where he stood behind her. His fingers lightly securing themselves on her neck around the nape, holding gently, but with enough force that threatened to contract if she struggled. Anzu instinctively sat very still on Ahmeds back while the camel chewed something she didn't even want to know that was in his mouth as nonchalant or oblivious as ever.

Bakura lightly guided Anzu by her neck to lean back a little while he leaned forward, letting his lips edge near her right ear while his other free hand ran his fingers through her now freed hair and combed it back behind her ear before he spoke in a low whisper that shot warning signals up her spine with electric spurts.

“Because, love.” He smirked, “We're going into a camp of Forty-one Thieves. There are women and children there, mind you, but the men would not think twice about ravishing an exotically rare woman if she waltzed in dressed in the Pharaoh's harem attire.” His smirk broadened as he felt her spine stiffen under his grip, “Still not wanting to use the wrap as a cover?” he taunted.

Anzu shoved him off her and snatched the excess head wrap that had fallen from her when she wriggled it off. She then re-wrapped herself with jerky movements, doing only half-as-well a job as Bakura had done covering her.

He chuckled at the sight of her. Only one eye was visible, her nose poked out and her hair looked like it was growing from inside the wrap. It stuck out in small crevices in puffs of brown, making her look more like a covered up leper than what he was aiming for.

“Not quite what I had in mind…,” Bakura leaned over her again and rewrapped her head wrap properly, concealing all but her eyes on her face. He then tugged the camel cloak's deep hood over her head and stepped back to look at her, “Better. Now you don't look like a leper.”

“Then what do I look like?” her voice was slightly muffled under the wrap that lightly covered her mouth. He made sure to make it looser there so air could get in to her.

Bakura smirked, “You'll see soon enough. Just follow my lead and nothing should go wrong.”

“Says the thief taking me to Fort-one thieves in their layer. You're tossing a lamb to the wolves, you know.” She retorted.

“Yes, but one wolf will snap at the others to keep their distance from the lamb.” He replied, gathering up Jazel's lead from where he had let the mare wander off to pick at what little vegetation she could find in the desert. He then tied her lead off on Ahmed again, swung his leg over the camels back to mount his animal and slid the sideways sitting Anzu into his lap with a grin of triumph. In this position, Anzu couldn't lean forward to stay off his lap. The saddle just wasn't built for two people riding like this with out one sitting on the other.

“And which wolf would that be?” her voice seemed a bit smaller he noted.

“Yours truly,” he replied, glancing down at himself to emphasize as his arms wrapped around her to steer Ahmed and tugged her back into him more, “Comfortable?” he taunted, not missing the way her pale skin blossomed a pretty cherry color. He had seen many women blush, but with pale skin it seemed to contrast more and became even more fascinating to him every time he managed to get that kind of reaction out of Anzu. It just made him want to do it more!

“Like you don't know.” She grunted back.

“I'm not complaining.” He shrugged, “What man would complain to having a soft woman sitting on his lap during a grinding camel ride?” he grinned perversely at his own pun.

Anzu scoffed, “You impudent pig!” she yelped, smacking his shoulder while he laughed it up. Tears nearly fell from his eyes he was laughing so hard while he continued to tease her.

`Anzu? Are you alright?' Jazzel whinnied from Ahmed's side where she trotted along side them. Her strides were much smaller than Ahmed's long-legged steps so the mare had to work a bit harder to keep up, especially in the sands, `Your face is turning colors. That usually means a human is sick. Are you sick, Anzu?' the worried mare inquired anxiously.

“I'm fine…,” Anzu huffed.

“S'cuse me?” Bakura looked down at her with a raised brow.

“Wasn't talk'n to you.” she growled and forcefully jerked her face away from him so she didn't have to see him… didn't have to smell him…. or feel him or-

`Damn it! First that infuriating Princey-guy, now this stupid perverted Thief! What's gotten into me lately? A slut's brain??' she mentally chastised herself.

Bakura's brown-autumn-reddish eyes watched over the girl curiously. She had said she wasn't talking to him, but who else could she have spoken to? The only others with them were a camel and a mare.

`Schizophrenic maybe?' he thought.

Ra forbid that he found another psychotic woman. He'd had enough of those. They were nothing but trouble and tended to be clingy, needy, whiny and just about every other unpleasant adjective he could think of. The only thing they were god for was a good fuck session to get stress off Bakura's back. Stress and the life of thief didn't mix well. It brought down confidence and confidence was the main component to the success of notorious thief.

So far, Anzu had proven to be more than her fair share of infuriating flame of rebellion- which was rare in women, but she wasn't anything like the whores he tended to fall in bed with every night. She was more… more…

Bakura couldn't decide on a word- there were too many and yet too little words to describe her. She was Anzu and that was all he could describe her as with words. He knew that she made him feel relaxed and calm again like he once was. She didn't pressure him to impress her, nor did she have a sword at his throat demanding his life- more or less. She was easy to be near and enjoy her presence. That was Anzu.

Bakura had to admit, he was a bit selfish when he decided to cover the girl in his lap up. He knew that if he was this well taken with her just by sight, his men would be scrambling over one another just too look at her. The thought that so many men would be vying after her attention didn't sit well with him. She would also be distracted from him too, and that was simply unacceptable. Bakura was very possessive with his treasures and while he did split his pillages evenly with his men when he had a successful raid with them- Anzu wouldn't be shared. Not at all if he could help it.

His arms tightened around Anzu's waist a bit, unconsciously moving higher on her abdomen until the tops of his forearms brushed the undersides of her breasts. Anzu stiffened.

“Do.. Do you need to guide your camel so accurately?” she stammered.

“He'll wander off the path if I don't.” he replied half-heartedly. His mind off in a different place.

`What path?!' all Anzu saw was miles and miles of sand… sand, sand, sand, and even more sand. It was literally a sea… no an OCEAN of sand.

She felt stupid for when she used to play in the sand box as a child in the park. It seemed so meaningless after coming into a desert.

“H-How much longer until we reach the camp?” she bit her lip and struggled to stay still, but the light brush of his arms under her breasts were starting to forge foreign sensations in her lower stomach.

“Not much longer. You should be seeing it soon as we crest the top of this dune.” He answered her. His voice still holding the far off tone, but this time it was tinged with a negative emotion. Something akin to irritation.

What was he irritated about? Did he lie to her when he said her body was soft to sit against? Was he uncomfortable from her weight sitting on his lap for so long in a tiny camel's saddle?

`That's his problem!' she thought with a huff.

Soon as they crested the dune, Anzu could see a setup of many tents- she guessed around fifty to one-hundred- they were seemingly strategically placed in circle. She could see women and children in the middle of the set up while rougher looking men sat outside of their tents in the outer circle in the setting sunlight. Twilight had begun and the moon shared the sky with the sun in a mysterious way it did during twilight. She noticed that there were only a few camels like the one Bakura had kidnapped her with, but many horses were tethered to in-ground posts that held them securely outside of tents- probably their owners tents.

She wasn't expecting something so… human. The lair of forty-one thieves had laughter in the air, children's squeals of delight and barking dogs all around. It felt like a happy atmosphere here, not hostile at all. Anzu's head pivoted all around to take in the sights while Bakura guided Ahmed and Jazzel through the many tents of his caravan.

Maybe being kidnapped and held ransom by this thief wouldn't be so bad. Anzu could only hope his leader was as… well yes, as generous as Bakura had been.

`Though he can hardly be described as generous.' Anzu thought.

“Lord Bakura! You have returned!” an elderly woman greeted them with a wave of her hand as Bakura's camel passed.

“Aijasah,” Bakura called out with a nod to the elder woman.

“Master Bakura!” some young men called, waving enthusiastically to the white haired man, “Were you successful against the Pharaoh?”

Anzu looked over shoulder suspiciously at Bakura. Apparently the head honcho around here WAS Bakura. He didn't have to answer to anybody, but ran this place. He HAD said that he was the Thief KING before, hadn't he? She should have known that he was the leader of this caravan as well, if it weren't for the way they all fawned over him as he seemed to `return from a good raid'.

Bakura smirked, “I am always successful against the bastard. You can see the slave and the mare, right?”

“Is that the pharaohs favored mare? The one they call Jazzel?” another middle aged man stepped out of his tent to watch in wander as the mare passed by, being lead behind Ahmed's right flank.

“Of course she is.” Bakura seemed to preen in the wondered awe of the people that started to crowd around. He tugged Anzu against him unexpectedly, “And I've got the new pharaohs slave as well for a bit of a ransom price.” He grinned.

“We're going to be rich!” a young boy jumped in the air excitedly as he and many other children started to clamor about Ahmed's feet. Still the camel didn't seem to care as he walked on through the city of tents.

“Master Bakura, are you going to be visiting tonight?” a sultry woman dressed in such a revealing outfit, Anzu turned away with a blush, “We've been so lonely with out you these past few days. Hasamu told us that you fell ill after your last raid and couldn't have company, are you feeling any better?”

“Can we do anything to make you feel better?” another sultry vixen woman husked as she leaned against Bakura's leg on Ahmeds side.

Anzu felt a sting of anger suddenly, but kicked it down. There was no need to get jealous over her captor…. Especially a womanizer like this particular captor seemed to be judging from the way the young women crowded at their tent doors, calling out to him with love-sick words and sultry requests for another nightly visit tonight. It was enough to make Anzu regret thinking that being held captive here wouldn't be so bad.

“I'll see to you, my ladies, soon enough.” Bakura promised coolly, “However I have a new puppy to break in and tent-train before I can play tonight.” He said, flexing his arm around Anzu tauntingly.

Anzu stubbornly kept her mouth shut, refusing to make a sound while Bakura guided Ahmed to head for a much larger tent that was set apart from the rest.