Illusions…. I hope Mahaado uses some soon!

Disclaimer: Yu-gi-Oh! Belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I make no profit off this fanfiction, and it belongs to me under international copyright laws. Don’t steal and don’t sue. Thank you, *Phantomness bows*

Chapter 6

“We cannot continue this, Master.” Maha said. Most of the villages had turned out badly. Yami did not even have a chance to try and Heal, and their supplies were running low. She could not remember enough magic to cast illusions, though they both felt as though she had been very capable with them.

Also, summoning monsters took energy. Maha had passed out while the dragon was in mid-flight, and it had vanished. Luckily, the sand below them was soft, but it had taken her several days to recover.

“I understand, Maha. We may have to resort to… less desirable occupations.”

“There is no need to mince words, master.” Maha said calmly. “If that is the way that remains open, we will take it.”

He looked uncomfortable, but he nodded.

They both watched as the Ring lit up on her chest and shared a smile. It was excellent for detecting objects.

“Shall we, my Prince?”

Yami froze. “What did you just call me?”

Maha paled. She had been trying to hide the fact that she wished to call him Prince, but it had finally slipped out.

“Prince…”

“Prince? Maha, you’re saying that I was a Prince? Oh Ra…”

Their memories had still not returned. Their skills had, to some small extent, as evidenced by their magic, but not their memories. Maha did not think they would return for some time.

She tapped the Necklace at her throat. Only once, it had given her a vision, but she had not understood it. She had seen a man and a woman, nobility obviously, wearing the very Items she and Yami had now. They had been speaking, but she could not understand what they spoke of.

Something about the Sennen Items, and the Pharaoh.

She knew of the Items – they had them, so there must be the Sennen Items. That was the tricky part.

The Items belonged to the Royal Court – the Six Elected Priests and the Pharaoh. That much she understood from scattered conversations in taverns and markets.

But things got convoluted after that.

The Pharaoh had died. The new Pharaoh Akunadin was quite universally despised. Apparently he sent the Priests out to hunt for people with strong Ka – strong monsters in their hearts.

That was why she and Master Yami avoided villages as much as possible. But they had to eat, so they ventured out to buy food, and almost invariably, a mob would form and try to drive them out.

What was so bad about red eyes?

It had to be important.

But even though the Necklace and Scales had come from the dragon, what of the Ring? Had she stolen it?

Had Master Yami?

Was that why they could not go to Court?

“Maha.”

She jumped guiltily, startled. Master Yami was speaking now, his voice strong and calm. She could drown in his voice.

“We have already paid the price. It matters little what happens now.”

She understood.

If they had to resort to that, they would.

May the Gods forgive them their trespasses…

They crept through the maze of traps. Stealing from villages was out – their horses were strong but not especially fast, and they were too distinctive. Yami might be able to make the Items invisible, but he was unable to make them invisible.

Now, they made their way stealthily through the darkness of the Valley of the Kings. Maha was a bit disconcerted that she knew this area very well, and even how to avoid all of the guards.

Yami was quite impressed, and wondered if they’d done this before. Maha must have, though he himself was far from as steady.

They saw a stone slab in front of a tomb and Maha froze.

“What is it?”

“I have a bad feeling about this, my Pharaoh…”

This time, it was Yami who froze.

Maha looked as startled as he was.

Prince, Yami could understand, but Pharaoh? Impossible!

Maha seemed to come to this conclusion as well, and neither of them said anything for a few moments as the silence stretched on.

Perhaps it was just one of their bedroom quirks. He could believe that.

However, the Ring continued to emit a steady glow as they neared the tomb, so with a sigh, they stood in front of the tomb.

Amazingly, the slab slid open obligingly.

Why were there no guards here? Ah, it mattered little…

They walked in, and on the fourth stone across the bridge; Maha carefully chanted a string of hieratic. There was a crash sound as several very large, suspended blades fell from their hangings and into the bottomless pit below.

She had done this before.

“Careful, don’t step on any stone not marked with the eye of Ra. Otherwise the floor will open and we’ll fall into a pit of vipers.”

That was not reassuring!

In the next room, he had to crawl behind her to avoid the arrows that shot overhead as soon as they entered, and in the room after that, they had to actually summon a monster to get past the pit of acid.

This was an Egyptian tomb after all…

However, innumerable traps later, they made it to the tomb, only to discover that they were not the first ones there!

The white-haired tomb thief froze as he saw them. Then, he relaxed, seeing the sacks they had brought.

“Ah, well met, fellow thieves.”

“Indeed.” Maha said with a slight nod of her head. The thief seemed to be particularly busy with the sarcophagus. She ignored them and stopped Yami for reaching for the canopic jars.

She was sure those would set off more traps if he touched them.

The other thief gave her an appraising look, before he stuck out his hand. “I’m Bakura, Thief King Bakura. Though I have never met a woman of your beauty before.”

She ignored his flattery. “I am Maha, and this is my Master, Yami.”

“Well, it’s always nice to meet someone else in the profession.”

Not much more was spoken as they collected gold and jewels, and headed out. Bakura seemed rather impressed when he saw the gutted remains of several traps, and said as much. Maha accepted the praise modestly.

Yami was quiet as they walked; he was quite sure Maha had no interest in Bakura, and the thief seemed to be taking the hint.

Still, as they followed Bakura back to the stronghold of Kuru Eruna, he decided that this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

End Chapter

Completed 5/18/06

So whose tomb is it? *Ominous music*

Hahaha, the Tomb Keeper and the Pharaoh robbing tombs! How ironic! Ah, I love the irony…