Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Trust Me ❯ Nahkti and Namu ( Chapter 1 )

Priestess: Well, like Rulers of the Heavens, this story started with my reading two pages of a doujinshi.

This will have something special about it-my other stories had something special about them: a song at the beginning of each chapter, a poem, a few paragraphs from a past life, or even just a few characters giving commentary. This special thing is called, for lack of better name, Fun Fact. Just a little something you probably never knew about Yu-Gi-Oh. Like that it was never called Yu-Gi-Oh, or that Shadi had three forms, or that Zork/Zoku Necrophidius/Necrophadisu was a yami to two people.

Fun Fact: Yu-Gi-Oh was never supposed to be called Yu-Gi-Oh. For some inexplicable reason they never translated that. The name of the show is King of Games. Think back on the series. Now, doesn't King of Games make so much more sense than two meaningless two-letter Japanese syllables? I thought so, too!

***

A rare storm raged across the blackened sky in the land of the Pharaohs, splitting the night with brilliant lightning. The air vibrated with crisp electricity, thunder bellowing at the land below. It would be an unintelligent, even stupid thing to walk around in this weather. Yet one man did.

He was tanned only slightly, dark by our standards but fairer than to be expected from the sizzling Egyptian climate.

He had on a white robe, and over it a royal blue cloth was draped around him and over one shoulder. A scarlet cloth was wrapped around his shoulders and raised over his head to make a hood, and his only jewelry was a belt and two bracelets of intricate gold studded with sapphires. His white fingers gripped a knife with a long blood-stained silver blade, and there was more blood on his cheek and lips. Long white bangs hung over one sky blue eye, but the other eye was focused and determined as he bared his teeth.

"Soon, Pharaoh." His voice was a hiss. "Soon Kuru Eruna will be avenged, and you...and all of Egypt...will pay."

***

A young boy's slim, tan fingers were running gently over rows of bricks. "Sister, do you think we'll really find Akunamukanon's tomb?" a cheerful, childish voice inquired.

"Namu, this isn't a good idea!" a graceful girl teenage replied, turning her head and pinning her sapphire blue eyes to her brother's clear lilac ones.

The boy bowed his head, his silky sun-kissed hair hiding said eyes. "I know," he said, too quietly to hear.

His sister Isis evidently didn't hear, because she continued. "We'll be punished. In a month, you'll be Initiated, then you can spend all the time you want there."

Namu nodded sadly. He knew it was futile-and incredibly stupid-to tell his beautiful sister he didn't want to be a Tomb Keeper, that he was willing to break his family's ancient traditions just so he could go out in the sun for once. He knew it was selfish, but it made no difference. To put it simply, he was terrified by the thought of it.

***

Namu's beautiful light purple eyes fluttered open tiredly and he rubbed them as he turned back to the scriptures he had to study all the time. The place was way too quiet. It sounded like everybody was dead.

He continued studying, but about thirty seconds later the quiet made him uneasy again. Lighting a small oil lamp, he pushed aside the curtain to his room. "Dad? Rishid? Isis?"

No reply.

As he walked down the hall, he started trembling. The servants who ate in the hall were all lying limp, and he stepped over them carefully. It seemed like they had all fallen asleep. Their heads had fallen into their bowls of gruel. That was just weird.

After he passed the 92,740,518th servant with his face in gruel, he knew something had to be wrong. Getting onto his knees, Namu sniffed the gruel and reeled back. It was poisoned.

"Dad? Rishid?" He was now officially becoming panicked as he entered the dining room. "Isis!"

His father's head was in his meal too, and his back had been slashed so violently that it seemed as if somebody had skinned him alive. From the doorway, Malik could smell the drugs in the meal. Whoever had done this must have run out of poison. Unless they were after the Pharaoh's treasures, in which case they would need the chosen one alive. Rishid slumped unmoving against the wall, a bowl of the gruel in front of her. His sister's white-draped body lay on the ground, her strait long hair fanning out around her.

Tears streaming from his light purple eyes, Namu shook his sister by the shoulders. Her flawless face didn't stir, her graceful figure remained limp, her thick lashes curling against her cheeks. He continued shaking her, and her beautiful hair fell away from her swanlike neck to reveal a tiny incision-just enough to kill.

Shuddering in despair and shock and anguish, Namu buried his head into his sister's neck and sobbed.

Suddenly the child lifted his head and blinked, letting go of his sister's corpse. He had heard something-he was sure he had heard something.

Holding up his lamp, he crept furtively through the hall, his back pressed up against the wall cautiously. A spark of hope flamed in his chest. Maybe there was still somebody there...somebody still alive...maybe he wouldn't be completely alone.

Namu gasped. Something had just brushed against his hair...he stiffened as he felt the cold touch of metal against his neck.

"Hold still."

A strong arm gripped his arm, and Namu stifled a shriek. There was a man right behind him, his face almost touching Namu's head. "If you want to live, I suggest you hold still."

Namu felt the sky blue eyes on his cheek. "You're just a boy. I guess you didn't have much appetite for poison, huh?

Now listen here, child," the man continued, his voice suddenly a snarl. "You're going to tell me where the former Pharaoh's tomb is, and you're going to tell me-" Namu flinched as the edge of the knife bit into his neck, nearly cutting the skin. The man behind him smirked, amused by his fear. "-now."

Quivering, Namu reached out and felt the bricks. 'Please,' he thought, as if the former Pharaoh could make the door open by himself. 'Please help.'

The brick his hand was on gave way to his fingers. Both he and the man watched as the bricks moved aside, making a door.

Keeping the knife at Namu's neck, the man entered.

Slowly, taking in the sight of the tomb and the inscriptions, a smile slipped over his face. "Well, you've been very helpful, little boy. I'm letting you live-for now." Namu's eyes widened fearfully as the knife moved again, but he was just removing it. He tucked the knife back Ma'at-knows-where as he walked towards the tomb.

As he started to lift the lid, he glanced at Namu as if he'd forgotten he was there. "Still here? I said I was letting you live. Go."

He started to remove valuables-gold, silver, gems, jewelry. "Y-You shouldn't do that," whispered Namu, though he doubted the man cared. "You can't take those."

The man lifted an eyebrow, plainly amused. "Oh? And just who's going to stop me? You? You're just a boy. And everybody else is dead."

"No..." Namu's voice was almost a whisper, tears coursing freely. "Y-You're lying...they can't be dead."

"They are," he replied callously, seeming to delight in his anguish, still filling his sacks with treasure. "Deal with it. You're alone...all alone."

Namu stared at him, terrified and angry, wondering how anyone could possibly be this cruel, his tears falling on the ground. "You're a monster."

"I'm well aware of that," he snarled, glaring at Namu. Namu stepped back, startled by his sudden change in temper. "Now get the fuck out of my sight right this minute, before I change my mind about sparing you."

Tears streaming from his stunning lavender eyes, Namu sprinted away, running up the steps to the exit. Only when he reached the exit did he hesitate, glancing back. The man's cruel words rang through his head.

"You're just a boy." "Everybody else is dead." "Deal with it." "You're all alone."

He was all alone...'and it's his fault...all his fault.'

His surge of sudden, uncharacteristic fury gave him courage. Wiping tears from his tanned cheeks, he pushed up the door and entered the night.

***

Nahkti glanced up again, having filled three large trunks, two smaller chests, and four sacks with treasures-including the mummy himself. 'That will show him...stupid Pharaoh. He destroys my village...I destroy him.'

The boy...

He chuckled softly, both amused and bemused that he could compare that beautiful creature to himself. But he doubted there would be any Necrophadisu to come help him. What would happen?

With a snarl, Nahkti got up and gathered his treasures. He knew what he had to do. It didn't seem likely that the child would someday enact a terrible revenge, but it hadn't seemed likely that a near-insane eight-year-old boy would become the Thief King, either.

***

Namu gazed out into the night, filled with wonder and disbelief.

"It's so beautiful..." his voice was a whisper, his breath making white steam. With a sudden shudder, he hugged himself. "But cold...so cold..."

"I suppose you've never been above ground before."

Namu gasped in surprise as he felt the man touch his shoulder. Whirling around to face him, he ripped away with surprising strength. "Get away from me!" he shouted, his tears beginning again. "Haven't you done enough already?"

The man's lips curved up slightly, a very strange expression in his beautiful blue eyes. Namu had never seen such eyes. They were the loveliest shade, but there was something haunted about them. Empty. "Not yet."

Removing the scarlet cloth from his head and shoulders, Nahkti gently wrapped it around Namu's shoulders like a shawl. "You have no where to go, do you?"

"How can I?" Namu murmured resentfully as he starting walking away, though fingering the delicate crimson fabric as if in awe. "I mean, after all, you did just slaughter everybody who knows that I even exist."

"Then I guess there's just one solution." Namu was too surprised to even react-much less retaliate-as Nahkti grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around so they were facing each other again.

Namu stared as Nahkti dropped the two smaller chests into his arms. "You'll just have to come with me."

"Come with you?" Namu repeated incredulously as Nahkti started walking away. A chest started tipping, and he caught it with his chin. "What do you mean?"

Nahkti tilted his head back to stare at Namu. "What's your name?"

"N-Namu," he whispered, feeling a little embarrassed. I'm sure you must understand that it felt weird to have a thief who'd murdered his family ask his name.

"Namu." Nahkti tried the sound of the word on his tongue. Nice name, though it didn't suit him. He deserved the name of some god, probably a sun god. "So you have no living relatives?"

"My mom."

Namu spoke so softly he could hardly be heard, but Nahkti heard and whirled around. "Where's your mom?" he demanded, and Namu took a deep breath.

My mom was raped when she was 11 and had Isis. Then she met my father, adopted Rishid, and had me. But she was the Pharaoh's betrothed when she had Isis and a slave when she had me, and way too young to have children both times. So she left me, Isis, and Rishid with my father but because of you they're all dead!" he finished angrily.

Nahkti was staring at him as if he had sprouted a tail. "Your. Mother. Is High Priestess Aishisu."

Malik nodded, glaring at him stubbornly. "Then the counsel was afraid of my mother and sentenced her to death, but when the Pharaoh refused they decided to give her a worse punishment-betroth her to High Priest Seth. Then of course she managed to get the Pharaoh and Seth together-Isis must have gotten her mind-and they rewarded her by making her a High Priestess, especially since she had more powers than all the ordinary Priests put together. So since she's a High Priestess, and wiser and mightier than most High Priests, the former Pharaoh-you know, the mummy-said she should have a Millennium Item, and I guess since she's a woman they just immediately assumed she'd be in the most need of protection; so she's the current owner of the Millennium Necklace. That's all I know."

Nahkti chuckled softly, half in disbelief, half in disdain. "'All'? That's all? That's more than I knew!" Namu scowled, not at all appreciating being laughed at. "You aren't related to her. Anyway, you still haven't answered my question."

"You realize you're practically royalty?"

"I don't care. Anyway, I'm considered a disgrace: being illegitimate and being born when my mom was betrothed-to the Pharaoh!-doesn't exactly look good on my personal record. Besides, I should be dead."

"If you don't go to the palace, where will you go?"

"I-" Namu faltered. "Thanks to you, I have no where."

"Exactly. It's my fault you have no where to go, so it's only right that I give you somewhere. So you're coming with me."

"I-" Namu's voice quivered with fear and disbelief, his fury-induced courage from just a few moments before forgotten. "I-I don't want to..."

It seemed Nahkti's gaze darkened slightly, though it may have just been a trick of the shadows. It was nighttime after all. "Do you have a better idea? You'll come with me or you'll die." He smirked. "Once word of this comes out, if you're found here, they'll ask you who plundered the Pharaoh's tomb, and I'd like it if you didn't ruin the surprise."

"I won't tell anybody! I'll go as far away as I can-They'll never find me, I promise!"

Nahkti's smirk widened. "Well, I can't truly trust that, can I, Namu?" His voice was low, intimidating, the threat behind them plain.

"The current Pharaoh is very attached to his daddy's precious tomb, he'll have the entire country searched. Even if you were in another continent, their powers would find you-and it's quite obvious I have no reason to believe you will not tell my secret. Having you with me is the only way to ensure you'll keep my secret. Besides, I've taken a liking to you. It would be a shame if I had to kill you."

That said, he turned and continued walking.

"Wait!" Namu called.

Rolling his eyes impatiently, Nahkti turned his head. "What now?"

"I-I don't even know your name."

"Is there no pleasing you?" He snapped, though somehow Namu could tell he wasn't truly angry. "Well, if it's that important to you, my name is Nahkti. Now hurry up, we need to cover a lot of ground by sunup."

Nodding, Namu shifted the small chests so he could balance them, and followed after Nahkti.