Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 16

“You will return to the palace to stand trial, Bakura!” Mahad was snarling, his Magus of Illusion locked in battle with the thief mage’s Diabound.

“Return to the palace?” Bakura demanded, with a bitter laugh which made the messenger that the Pharaoh had sent flinch, “For a trial? What trial? The Pharaoh has already decided I should die, has she not?”

‘She?’ The messenger couldn’t help but wonder as Diabound loosed an attack that tore up the ground and nearly blew Mahad and his mage away. As it was the pair had to pick themselves out of the sand.

“If I had my way, you would die for your crime, right here and now!” Mahad snapped at her, his Magus covering for him as he got up.

“My crime?!” Bakura stared, in furious disbelief, “My only crime was to trust the Pharaoh! That treacherous, backstabbing witch! I should have outted her secret to the rabble years ago and watched them tear her apart! Diabound!”

Another blast flew through the air. This time Mahad and his Ka beast managed to dodge it and it struck one of the nearby buildings.

“You betrayed her!” Mahad seemed to be considering something as he stepped back, moving away from the battle slightly, “She trusted you and your men nearly killed her!”

“I have done nothing to her! Not yet!” Bakura retorted, her eyes narrowing, “And she’s the one who ordered my execution! She wasn’t even noble enough to see the sentence through herself!”

Mahad paused, confusion obvious on his features and Bakura took the opportunity it presented. Her Ka beast vanished for a moment before appearing behind Mahad. The High Priest had just enough time to half turn to see what was happening before he was blasted at point blank range.

The messenger watched in horror as Mahad screamed in agony as the beam of light struck, consuming the High Priest, whose cry died as he did. Then he had to shield his eyes from the sand and dust that had been kicked up by the attack.

When he could look again, when everything had died down, he saw the Magus of Illusion warp and shift, taking on a new form, one that looked a lot like the newly deceased Priest, before fading away entirely.

Bakura moved towards the crater where the High Priest had once stood, a look on her face that spoke of an odd mix or shame, victory, delight and disgust. She picked up all the remained of the High Priest, the golden treasure that had been entrusted to him when he had joined the upper echelon of the court and stared at it for a moment before looking around at the few remaining men who had come with Mahad.

As one they turned and ran. She didn’t let them get far before she destroyed them and turned to the messenger’s hiding place.

Having seen what had happened to the High Priest, he didn’t even bother trying to run. Instead he bowed at her feet, hoping that begging would make her spare him.

“Please.” He tried, “Please, I have a wife and child. I’m not a warrior, or a mage, I’m just a messenger.”

“Oh?” Bakura growled at him, “Look at me.” The messenger did just that, willing to follow her orders if she would spare him. “I think your message is for the dead. Should I send you to give it to them?”

“No!” The messenger backed up, “No, it’s for you. Only for you. From the Pharaoh.” And he didn’t care that the Pharaoh was a woman, or that Bakura had been helping her lie to the people, he just wanted to live.

“I don’t want to hear anything from her.” Bakura snarled, pointing the blade she had been wielding against Mahad at him.

“Please…” The messenger begged, terrified now, “Please don’t kill me.”

“Leave.” Bakura growled at him, lowering her weapon, “Now. And you can pass a message onto her majesty for me.”

“S…sure, whatever you want.” He nodded.

“Tell her that for breaking her word and attempting to bury the truth, I pass judgement on her. When next we meet, she dies.”

Author Note: Ancient Bits for Ennead

Today's midday update will quite possibly be one of the last 'Ennead: Ancient Bit' updates. This is because I'm beginning to tread into the territory of what I plan to cover when I reach 'Ennead: To Know One's Past,' the final book of that series, when Oneesan gets her memories back and I don't want to write the huge blow up between Oneesan and Bakura that causes the future events without planning it out carefully.

Where as everything so far has been easy to write, everything past this point doesn't want to come so easily, so I'll post it as I manage to write it well, but it won't be a coherent story, just bits and pieces. I don't want to do that to you guys without knowing how the story's going to play out so I don't confuse you by retconning things.

This doesn't mean I won't continue to update daily. There are plenty of other things in my brain that need to be put to pen and interwebs, but the backstory for Ennead will not be a regular thing any more I'm afraid.Sorry about that.

Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 15

Mana was nervous as she entered the Pharaoh’s bedchambers. Not because of where she was, or who she was talking to. The Pharaoh had been her friend since childhood and though she had to show the ‘proper’ respect in front of everyone else, when it was them alone, they could be more themselves.

No, the nervousness came from the Pharaoh, who was still recovering from the poison, which had taken three more doses of the antidote to leave her system entirely, asking for her to come alone to discuss recent events.

If the Pharaoh wanted to discuss what had happened with her and only her, Mana couldn’t help but worry that the Pharaoh had somehow learned about the lessons Ba-Khu-Ra had been giving her before she had left for Kul Elna and wanted to confront her before bringing the guards down on her head.

She knew she was being paranoid, but Mahad’s constant ranting about the ‘traitor,’ and how anyone who had associated with her and aided in the attempted assassination would lose their heads if he had his way was making her nervous.

She stepped into the bedchambers to find the Pharaoh was on her balcony, the one that overlooked the courtyard where the fight had taken place. As Mana stepped up cautiously, shutting the door most of the way behind her, the Pharaoh spoke up, her voice a little unsteady.

“Do you believe Ba-Khu-Ra is a traitor too?”

Mana paused to consider the question, wondering if she was expected to actually speak her mind, or just agree with the crowd.

“A simple yes or no would suffice.” The Pharaoh continued as she leaned against the railing, using it to support her weight instead of her still unsteady legs.

“May I speak my mind?” Mana asked her ruler, hoping for a positive answer.

“I would welcome it.” The Pharaoh snorted in reply, half turning to look at her.

“I think,” Mana started as she moved to her Pharaoh’s side, “That if Ba-Khu-Ra wanted you dead, she wouldn’t waste her time hiring mercenaries to kill you.”

“Finally.” The Pharaoh breathed, relief obvious, “Someone that agrees with me.”

“My Pharaoh?” Mana asked, confused.

“Everyone’s so focused on what the mercenary said, despite him admitting he never saw the face of the woman who hired him, that they’re blocking out any other options.” The Pharaoh pointed out, “I don’t believe she hired them for one simple reason.”

“Oh?” Mana asked, wondering if it was the same reason she could think of.

“If Ba-Khu-Ra wanted me dead, she wouldn’t hire someone to take me out with a quick acting poison.” The Pharaoh shrugged, “She’d do the deed herself, make it slow and painful and she would ensure that I knew every excruciating detail of why.”

“You are far too calm about that.” Mana wondered at the older teen.

“Sometimes it’s nice to know where the danger lies.” The Pharaoh explained, “At least with Ba-Khu-Ra I never had to worry about getting a dagger in the back. At least not after the first couple of months.” The Pharaoh sighed, “And if she wanted my demise, she had plenty of opportunities before she and Akhenaden went to Kul Elna. I was even alone with her the morning she left. Why not kill me then?”

“You believe someone’s making Ba-Khu-Ra the scapegoat.” Mana realized.

“Indeed.” The Pharaoh turned to look at her properly, “I’m no fool, Mana. I know what you and Ba-Khu-Ra were up to in your spare time and don’t bother lying about it.”

Mana, who had been about to try and cover her tracks closed her mouth.

“I want you to use those skills to find out who really hired those men and help me bring them to justice.” And clear Ba-Khu-Ra’s name was left unsaid but clear enough.

“My Pharaoh, what if it’s someone within the palace?” Mana asked, “Or one of your High Priests?”

“I highly suspect it is.” The Pharaoh grimaced, “Though once again I have no proof.”

“Akhenaden?” Mana yelped, before glancing around, double checking they couldn’t be overheard before continuing, “He wouldn’t be so foolish, surely? He’s already in disgrace.”

“My uncle stands to gain everything if I die.” The Pharaoh pointed out, “And by getting Ba-Khu-Ra blamed for the attempt, he removed a thorn from his side.”

“How do you want me to proceed?” Mana asked cautiously, well aware that Akhenaden could read minds, which made sneaking around him difficult at best.

“Carefully.” The Pharaoh’s reply made her smile slightly, “In the mean time I’m going to send a runner with a message for Ba-Khu-Ra. She needs to be made aware of the current situation. Preferably before Mahad arrives to arrest her.”

Ennead: Ancient Bits: Part 13

Ba-Khu-Ra glowered at the pile of bodies that she had left behind. The guards that had attacked her hadn't stood a chance of actually killing her after she had called forth Diabound and now there was just one guard still breathing.

"Who ordered you to attack me?" Ba-Khu-Ra demanded with a scowl, Diabound squeezing the man in his grip, causing a pained cry to escape the royal guard.

He didn't answer, instead he focused on trying to struggle free of the naga like, stone skinned creature's grip. Ba-Khu-Ra let out a frustrated growl and gestured to Diabound who tightened his crushing grip enough for Ba-Khu-Ra to hear a crack and the guard to screech.

"Now, as I was saying, who's orders were you acting on?"

"The Pharaoh's!" The guard yelped, "It was Pharaoh's orders."

"What?" That Ba-Khu-Ra hadn't expected. Akhenaden's probably, Shada's maybe, hell even Mahad was a possibility, but the Pharaoh herself? Why would the Pharaoh, who had been her friend for years, order her death now? It didn't make any sense, especially after the Pharaoh had supported her in court and promised to ensure that she got her revenge on the man who had murdered her people.

"The Pharaoh ordered us to kill you." The guard gasped, his breath short and pained before he paused to cough up blood, causing Ba-Khu-Ra to grimace as she realized she had punctured one of his lungs and he probably wouldn't be able to talk too much longer. "And bury the evidence Kul Elna ever existed."

Ba-Khu-Ra froze. She wouldn't. The Pharaoh couldn't. She had promised! Promised! That the people of Kul Elna would get justice and the afterlife they deserved. There was no way...

‘Except the Pharaoh had lived a lie her entire life. What was this in comparison to pulling the wool over the eyes of all of Egypt?’

No, the Pharaoh wasn't like that. They were friends. The Pharaoh had tried to help her get justice for years. There was no way that she would suddenly turn on her like this. There had to be a good reason for it.

"When did he give you those orders?" Ba-Khu-Ra demanded, glowering at the man, even now keeping her friend's secret from the dying Guard, hoping to get something out of the man that would give lie to his belief.

"Our commander met with the Pharaoh and he ordered your death." The Guard replied, "Along with the destruction of what was left of the village. He didn't want the truth of the Millennium Items getting out."

‘Of course the Pharaoh wouldn't. She lived her entire life under the creed 'what's best for the people.' She was pretending to be her brother in order to prevent chaos and rioting amongst the rabble. Imagine the nightmare that admitting how the Millennium Items were created would cause amongst the commoners.’

Except the Pharaoh had shown no signs of wanting to kill her when they had left the palace to come here.

‘Had she not? She sent you out into the desert with a man who hated her and a group of guards who had been sent to aid him. If it hadn't been for us,’ The voices reminded her, ‘You would have been killed.’

"You lie." The Pharaoh had supported her, upheld her side, argued with her High Priests about what should be done about the problem Akhenaden had caused and now needed to fix.

"No, I don't." The guard replied, "After all, why would a low life piece of scum ever think the Pharaoh would truly turn against his family and High Priests? He was never on your side. He just played you."

Ba-Khu-Ra's anger flared at that and she made a gesture to Diabound that had the creature crush the guard, killing him slowly and painfully as she stalked away, looking for any other targets she could annihilate.

‘The Pharaoh supported you.’ The voices agreed, ‘But that support was in a closed court where the only people who had heard what had happened to Kul Elna were the High Priests, you and Pharaoh herself. She had practically ordered you to keep what had happened to yourself and hasn’t told Seth or Mana, despite the fact that both were High Priests in training.

There was no way someone who lived a lie in order to prevent the country descending into chaos would want this secret free amongst the rabble. It made sense that she would try to get rid of the evidence and the only person who knew the truth outside of her court.’

Ba-Khu-Ra didn’t want to agree, but she could see the truth behind the voices.

’The Pharaoh is just as bad as her uncle. She would take away our only chance of moving on. Would keep the truth a secret and allow us to wander Duat for eternity in order to keep her power.’ The voices continued, weaving around Ba-Khu-Ra as they did so, ‘She betrayed you. Wants you dead. Broke her promise. She will send more men to finish the job when she hears you survived. We could destroy her. We SHOULD destroy her. Alongside everyone else who dares to use the items that we paid with our blood and souls to create. We can give you that power. All you have to do in exchange is gather the Millennium Items so we can be free. Free from our slavery and imprisonment. Free to move on.’

She knew she shouldn’t listen. Mahad had tried to teach her to block them out so she didn’t have to, but they made too much sense and they wanted to help her. Wanted to give her the power to take down the entire rotten court.

And she would do it. She had only stayed her hand this long because she thought that by working within the palace she could help the Pharaoh make things better and get her revenge on the men who had ruined her home and her life.

But the Pharaoh was a liar and a backstabber. She was as bad as the rest of her family and she should pay, just like the others. In fact Ba-Khu-Ra would make her suffer first…

‘Well?’The voices asked, ‘Will you accept our power?’

“Yes.” Ba-Khu-Ra nodded, “Yes, I will.”

  

Ennead: Ancient Bits: Part 12

Returning to Kul Elna was a lot harder than she had thought it would be and she couldn’t decide if it was because she had been away for so long, or whether it was because her mage training was making her sensitive to things she had missed when she had left.

On the plus side the voices were leaving her alone. Instead they had joined forces with the spirits trapped within the village boundaries to torment Akhenaden and his group of men. While she felt slightly sorry for the men who had done nothing wrong, it did give her some much needed respite from the voices.

As she stalked around the remains of the village, haunting it like any other ghost that hadn’t been laid to rest, she came across a building she recognised far too well. She slipped inside the mostly collapsed shell and moved towards the more unstable back of the building. When she had left Kul Elna, she had hidden away what little she had left along with the giant stone tablet they had used to create the Millennium Items, down in the cellar of this building.

The former tavern’s spacious basement had been specifically dug to be difficult to access from the surface and its entrance had been deliberately hidden even before she had gotten Diabound to put a giant stone in front of it.

She was much stronger now, mentally, magically and physically and still she required a hand from her Ka beast to move the massive boulder. The pair of them rolled it aside and Ba-Khu-Ra slipped inside, carefully making her way down the sand coated stone stairwell.

The dark atmosphere was thicker at the bottom of the stairs, the power within the air almost thick enough to cut with a knife. The spirits guarding the stuff she had left behind, swarmed forward only to part before her, bowing slightly as she passed.

She was almost a queen amongst the ghosts of Kul Elna. They looked to her to get revenge for them and help them move on. She was just pleased that she could finally fulfil part of the oath she had taken to do just that.

“Don’t break the Guards too badly.” She spoke to the spirits that seemed to ‘lead’ the ghosts of her people, “Feel free to torment Akhenaden as much as you like, as long as he can still function. He’s been sent here to ensure you lot get to move on.” She could feel the shock in the air as the spirits nodded and the small pack of ghosts in the basement faded away, the power in the air mostly fading away with them.

She set up her sleeping gear near the tablet, certain that no one else would bother venturing down here unless they were suicidal. Unlike the guards and Akhenaden, she knew what the bandits were like in the local area.

She would be much safer underground than she would in their camps. They were more than welcome to join her down here if they found it and could survive the spirits, but for now she would stay safe and they could deal with the local trouble makers.

Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 10

If there was one good thing to have come out of the former Pharaoh’s demise, it was that Akhenaden had been the last person to see him alive before he had suddenly sickened and died. This meant that the Pharaoh could openly have him investigated and finally confront him about the truth of the items directly.

“My Pharaoh,” Akhenaden sounded panicked more than anything as he was confronted in a closed court that involved just the High Priests, Ba-Khu-Ra, representing the wronged parties, and the Pharaoh herself, “I have only ever done what is best for Egypt!”

“Then explain yourself.” The Pharaoh demanded coldly from her throne, “Explain what it was you did without holding anything back. The Scales will tell us if you’re lying.”

He didn’t. Not one word he uttered was a falsehood. He didn’t keep back how he had picked Kul Elna, the village of thieves, to be the tribute needed to save the country. Nor did he lie about how he had to brainwash some, but not all, of the men he had taken with him to make them follow his directions.

Ba-Khu-Ra listened, trembling with rage, as he spoke about slaughtering her people, using their blood to power the ritual to create the Millennium Items that had saved Egypt during the last great war. She even just about managed to keep herself in check as he described sending his men to wipe out every last man, woman and child.

It wasn’t until he admitted to burning down the entire village to destroy every last piece of evidence, including the bodies of her entire village, dooming them to an eternity in Duat, that she snapped, Diabound appearing and only not killing the man because the Pharaoh’s own summoned monster got between Diabound and its target.

“Ba-Khu-Ra!” The Pharaoh’s tone was sharp, echoing the pain the former thief’s Ka beast had inflicted on her summoned creature, “Stay your hand.”

“You heard him. He deserves death!” The girl snarled, her naga like creature snarling at the Pharaoh’s warrior on horseback.

“Death may well still be the sentence.” The Pharaoh informed her, glowering at her uncle who trembled under her gaze, “But I have a task for him first.”

“But I have waited years for retribution!” Ba-Khu-Ra protested, causing the Priests to murmur angrily about her disrespect.

“And you will have it.” The Pharaoh swore, causing her uncle to pale, “But not until he’s ensured that your people will get their chance at journeying through the afterlife.”

“My Pharaoh?” Ba-Khu-Ra asked, startled. Was she seriously promising to ensure that the people of Kul Elna weren’t left as wandering spirits for the rest of eternity? Was that even possible when the bodies were no longer available for burial?

“I swear, Ba-Khu-Ra, that the people of your village will get justice.” The Pharaoh promised, “And their eternal rest, as is their due. However,” Ba-Khu-Ra grimaced as the Pharaoh turned to her uncle, the God King’s tone softening slightly, “He was doing what he thought was best for Egypt and it is true the country would have fallen without the Millennium Items. It is because of this that I must allow him this chance to atone for his crimes, by making him set the wrongs right with his own hands.” She looked at the former thief, something in her gaze asking the other girl to understand, “Under your supervision, of course.”

The thief turned mage smirked at that announcement. The Pharaoh was trusting her to judge when Akhenaden had atoned? Then he would be working for the rest of his natural life for there was nothing he could possibly do that would make up for his crimes. It wasn’t as satisfying as killing him but she would enjoy watching him try even if the voices that had haunted her since the destruction of her village screamed for his blood.

“Th...Thank you, my Pharaoh.” Akhenaden stammered, bowing low to Egypt’s ruler. “Thank you for this chance.”

“Just don’t make me regret it.”

Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 9

“Go away!”

Mahad let out a sigh. As a first order went, that was pretty clear, however... “I’m sorry, my Pharaoh, but I can’t follow that order.”

“Don’t...” A half sob emerged from the room he was trying to enter, a stifled, half hidden sound that spoke of someone attempting to deny grief, attempting to stand strong when all that was wanted was time and solitude so that their collapse into misery went unnoticed. “Just go away, Mahad.”

Despite her words he couldn’t let his friend bare this alone. Though Mahad could not have known that her father would sicken and die within a day of learning the truth of the Millennium Items and confronting his brother, he could not help but feel responsible for the former Pharaoh’s death.   

The priest took a deep breath, well aware that, should she desire, the newly crowned Pharaoh could have him killed without a moment’s notice. Then he pushed open the door and stepped into the darkened chamber within. The sun had long set, but none of the torches within had been lit. The inhabitant of the room, who had fled there the moment her duties had been done, didn’t want the light.

It took Mahad’s eyes a few moments to adjust and he left the door ajar to allow some of the light from the hallway into the room.

Once he could make out outlines in the darkness, he moved towards the lump on the bed, avoiding the discarded regalia as he did so. He sat next to the lump, which was facing away from the door.

“My Pharaoh.” Mahad put his hand on her shoulder gently, aware that he had already crossed the line and that this was sacrilege. Touching the Pharaoh without their permission was punishable by death but he had already refused to follow orders and entered the Pharaoh’s bedchambers without permission. At this point he was already risking death. “I’m sorry...”

A loud sob escaped the girl on the bed. That was the only warning he got before she wheeled around and latched onto him, sobbing into his chest. Mahad hesitated for just a moment before wrapping his arms around her, letting the distraught ruler cry herself out.

“It’ll be okay.” He murmured, rubbing her back, “It’ll all be okay.”

He stayed there, holding the sobbing Pharaoh until she cried herself to sleep, and then laid her down gently and moved away from the bed, pausing by the shadows near the door, where a figure was hiding.

“I’ll look after her.” Ba-Khu-Ra promised from her hiding place, “Go settle the morons. I won’t let anyone disturb her until she’s ready to deal with them.”

“Thank you.” Mahad was surprised by her willingness to do this for the Pharaoh.

“I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing this for her.” Ba-Khu-Ra snapped. “Now go.”

For once Mahad didn’t object to the former thief trying to order him around. Instead he went to deal with the fallout and left the slumbering Pharaoh in the care of the one person in the entire palace that he could actually trust not to bend to the other High Priests.

Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 8

She had expected Mahad to be insufferable when he had finally taken his place amongst the High Priests of the Pharaoh and took on a Millennium Item.

She hadn’t expected him to enter her room in the palace, pale and wide eyed, trembling like a leaf, and sit down on her chair, his voice trembling as he spoke, “Ba-Khu-Ra... I...”

“So you finally believe me?” The thief turned temporary ‘servant to the Crown Prince’ so she could be around for the investigation the Princess was pushing, asked as she took in Mahad’s demeanour.

“Y...Yes.” Mahad’s tone echoed his disgust and disbelief as he stared at the Millennium Item in his hand. “How could the Pharaoh do something like that?” He asked, staring at her, eyes still wide, “How could he...?”

“Apparently he couldn’t. He had to send his brother to do it for him, remember?” Ba-Khu-Ra growled, pacing the room.

“I’m going to demand an audience with the Pharaoh.” Mahad decided, “He needs to be told if he doesn’t know already.”

“Why not let her highness confront him? She’s less likely to get the...” Ba-Khu-Ra drew her hand across her throat. “Not that I mind if you want to put your head on the chopping block, but I have plans to fulfil before I die.”

“Because I don’t want the Princess involved.” Mahad shook his head, “Considering the lengths they went to bury this information, I doubt even she would be safe and Egypt needs her.”

“Huh.” Ba-Khu-Ra supposed that made some kind of sense. As much as she wanted the Pharaoh and his brother to pay for their crimes, the anarchy that would befall Egypt if there was no heir when the Pharaoh died wasn’t worth it.

“I’ll go.” Mahad straightened himself out, “I can show him the proof using the Millennium Ring and he’ll have to atone for what he has done.”

“I’ll come with you.” Ba-Khu-Ra surprised Mahad by deciding. “I’ve been waiting for years for someone to confront the Pharaoh with proof and I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Besides someone has got to watch your back. I can’t be bothered to break in a new minion at this point.”

“I am not your minion.” Mahad scowled at her.

“No,” Ba-Khu-Ra allowed, “But you are her highness’s and between the pair of us, we’ve got you well trained.”

Mahad just stared at her for a moment longer before a small smile settled on his features, “Alright, but I’m not sure you’ll want to see the illusion when I show him...”

“The illusion would be nothing compared to living it and I’ve done that already.” The former thief shrugged, “Let’s go.”

Ennead: Ancient Bit: Part 4

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

“So...” Ba-Khu-Ra asked as she hovered around the Princess’s bed, unwilling to go too far while everyone was watching her carefully. “Does this mean I won?”

“No.” The girl shook her head, winced and brought a hand to the back of her head where it had hit the marble floor, “We got caught.”

“We were in the treasury.” Ba-Khu-Ra hissed, irritated despite the bag of gold and jewels hidden in her tunic. “I won.”

“No, we were in the doorway so technically neither of us won.” The Princess hissed back, “And I just saved your life, so a little gratitude would be nice.”

“Gratitude?” Ba-Khu-Ra snapped back, keeping her tone low, “When you’re trying to screw me out of my treasure?”

“Look,” The Princess glowered at her, her own voice barely above a whisper, “I’ve just gotten you permission to study magic with MY teacher. And I can see that full bag, the guards might have missed the extra lump in your clothes but I haven’t. You’re not as hard done by as you’re making...”

The thief scowled and moved away as the physician darted into the room and came straight over to their patient. He was closely followed by Mahad, who, though Abasi called him over, first darted over to the Princess’s side where he got into a very quiet but very intense conversation before he was politely shooed away by the healer.

“Outside.” Mahad growled at her, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her out. When Ba-Khu-Ra dug her heels in, he leaned in and whispered, “Unless you want me to tell the guards your secret.”

“I’ll tell them hers if you do.” Ba-Khu-Ra subtly gestured towards the bed.

Realisation settled on Mahad’s face, then anger. “Outside now.” He snapped, one hand reaching for the bronze dagger at his belt, the other still wrapped around her arm.

She was pretty sure she could take him in a fight. He was softer than her, more spoilt from the life inside the palace and while he had obviously been trained to defend himself and his charge, she was pretty sure that he would fight fair while she never had.

She followed him out of the room and down the corridor. Amusingly in the time it took them to find an out of the way corner, she had already worked out six different escape routes, none of which required magic to use.

“I should kill you.” Mahad snapped at her the instant they were alone and could not be overheard, drawing his dagger.

Bakura responded by stamping on his foot, forcing him to let her go. She slipped straight into the darkness, vanishing with practised ease but sticking close enough for him to hear her voice. “If your Princess wanted me dead, she could have had me killed already. But perhaps I’m not the one you should contemplate ending.” She moved around the room, circling him, keeping him off balance, “There’s far worse than me within your walls. But then I’m the only one who knows the evil for what it is.”

“What do you mean?” Mahad demanded, concerned and confused and still angry.

“Look into your priests and your precious golden treasures. And try asking about a village called Kul Elna.” Ba-Khu-Ra taunted, “Perhaps you’ll know what I know by the time I come back for my magic lessons. Or maybe not. Perhaps you’re just as blind as the rest of them.” With that she was gone, slipping into the darkness with practised ease and escaping out of the nearest window.

Ennead: Ancient Bit 3

Part 1
Part 2

“What’re you going to do now, brat?”

Ba-Khu-Ra tried to twist free of the man holding her, only to stop when his blade bit into her throat and her right arm was twisted further up her back, causing her shoulder to ache. A grimace worked its way across her features as her Ka beast stopped, mid-attack and turned to glower at her captor.

“You thought you’d finished me off, didn’t you?” The man sounded like he was smirking as he forced her to move forward, towards his boss who was watching her like she was a puzzle. “This is what you get,” He twisted her arm further, forcing a hiss of pain out of her as her shoulder went from aching to screaming, “For being such a smug...”

“Menes.” His boss snapped at him, “Don’t taunt the mage brat.” The woman came forward, one eye on Diabound, who was hesitant to try anything with his summoner held hostage, and one eye on the thief girl who had wiped out six of her seven goons.

“So, who are you kid?” She asked, looking Ba-Khu-Ra over, “One of the priest spawn? An illegitimate brat of the Pharaoh’s?”

“Don’t insult me.” Ba-Khu-Ra snapped at her, pain mingling with disgust at the suggestion to make her voice sharp and her eyes narrow. “I’m not related to any of these assholes.” Especially not the blasted Princess, who had fled at the first opportunity.

“So who are you?” The woman asked again, amused by the vehemence shown by the kid, “Because I’d like to know your name before I kill you for ruining my heist.”

“Me?” Ba-Khu-Ra let out a bark of laughter despite her irritation, “Ruined your job? You have any idea how long I planned this job? You’re the one who ruined mine!”

“You’re a thief?” The woman seemed to do a double take, “A mage brat? I don’t...”

The woman was cut off by an agonised bellow from Menes. He dropped the knife, allowing Ba-Khu-Ra to pull free and turn to find out what had happened.

To her shock Menes had a dagger sticking out of his side and the Princess, who she had thought long gone, was stood there, anger obvious on her features.

Menes, when he realised what had happened, lashed out, punching the Princess in the face, causing her to go crashing to the floor where she slammed her head against the marble stones and blacked out. Before he could advance on the unconscious girl, Diabound had picked him up and chucked him into the huge stone doors, which he hit with a crack.

The woman thief who had ruined Ba-Khu-Ra’s plans backed up, suddenly looking rather worried as she stared at the huge, grey skinned naga like creature.

“I’m not only a thief.” Ba-Khu-Ra informed her, smirking despite her plans having gone completely to pot, “I’m the best there is. Now, Diabound!” She gestured forward and the woman had time to let out a shriek before Diabound blew her away.

“Damn it.” Ba-Khu-Ra grumbled as the smoke from the blast dissipated, revealing all that was left was some ash, “She made me melt some of the treasure.” She knelt down by some of the melted gold and grimaced at the mess that was left as she collected a small bag of gold and jewels that she hid in her tunic, planning on coming back for more later.

“Wake up.” Ba-Khu-Ra nudged the Princess with her foot, wanting to rub in the fact that they had gotten into the treasury without getting caught by the guards. “Oi!”

“Halt!” Ba-Khu-Ra scowled as the guards finally arrived, having missed the action but in plenty of time to still catch her. She looked around for her Ka beast only to find it had dismissed itself and she didn’t have the energy left to call it up a third time this evening.

There was a pack of them at the door, headed by one of the Priests, a short, broad man with hair in three shades of grey that seemed to fly out in almost every direction under the headpiece, Millennium Rod in hand. Two of them checked over the mook that had crashed into the door as the rest entered the room, swords pointed at Ba-Khu-Ra.

It was the priest who reacted the most though as he spotted the form collapsed on the floor. “My Prince!” He shoved Ba-Khu-Ra aside, into the waiting arms of the guards and knelt by the girl, checking her over carefully and shaking her to try and get a response, “Wake up! Please!”

A pained groan emerged from the false Prince, causing relief to cross the priest’s features. The elderly man turned to glower at Ba-Khu-Ra as one of the guards scooped up the girl on the ground. “Who’re you?”

The girl glared back. The man before her held a Millennium Item, that meant he was one of those who were benefiting from what had happened to her home and her family. If he wanted to take her in, or take her down, she wasn’t going to let him do so easily. Tired or not, she would summon Diabound again and destroy herself to kill him if she had to.

“Abasi...” The priest paused, half turning to the dazed looking ‘Prince’ whose eyes were half open, unfocused and staring at him. “She’s one of the magic students.”

“My Prince?” Abasi asked, confused, “I don’t believe...”

“Are you questioning me?” The ‘Prince’ snapped, regal authority in her tone despite her current position. “I know who I study with. She IS one of Mahad’s students.”

“I understand, my Prince.” Abasi nodded, herding Ba-Khu-Ra out of the treasury, the guard carrying the Princess following, “Though you might want to inform Mahad of that fact.”

Podium of Seasons: Original Fiction: Writing Up Some History

Jack had known Twi for years, since long before she had actually been known as Twilight, when she had been twelve and had just gotten into a fight with one of her classmates over the existence of Santa Claus. He hadn’t expected her to see him, after all no one else had ever been able to, no mortals at least, but he had not been able to let the bruised girl sit and mope about the trouble she was in for fighting back when she had tried to stop the kids in her class pushing her around.

Aella, which was her real name, had been a tiny child back then, with wide brown eyes and straight, chestnut brown hair that reached halfway down her back. All of her classmates had towered over her and while Aella had been top of her class material, she had never allowed herself to get there, if only so she could fit in better with the others and try and make friends even if it never seemed to work.

It was Aella’s need for friendship that had made Jack take the risk and try and cheer up the small twelve year old, creating creatures out of the ice he had formed on the windows and letting the girl play with them before they exploded into snow. Unlike other children her age, who seemed to grow up too fast these days, Aella had been delighted rather than freaked out by the icy critters and it had been about when the ice cat she had been playing with had exploded into snowflakes which had drifted around her hiding place when she had finally seen him properly.

That had been the start of a long lasting friendship that had lasted through more than a decade, long past the Age of Disbelief, when almost all children stopped believing and as such, seeing the spirits in the world around them, and not changed when Twi had gotten herself a job and joined the ‘adult world.’

Other than Jack, Aella had not had many friends until she had started at university, just Keighley, who unlike Aella had stopped believing years and years ago but was willing to let her friend live in her fantasy world if she wanted to as long Aella kept up with her school work. And between Kei and Jack, Aella had started pushing herself again, not fearing the reactions of her classmates and pushing herself to get the grades she knew she could achieve.

By the time Twi had reached University, she had already worked out a way around the problem of no one but her being able to see Jack, a small, wireless earpiece that was supposedly connected to her phone, but had never actually received a phone call in its entire life, lived on her ear, allowing her to talk to Jack without seeming like a crazy person. Not that Jack was around the entire year. He had duties to do after all and even if he hadn’t, he was too much of a free spirit to want to stay in one place the entire year, not to mention when Spring hadn’t been able to shift him, Summer had chased him away with brilliantly sunny skies and swelteringly hot days.

It had been disconcerting for Jack the first year Aella had gone to university, when he had been chased away by Summer only to come back that Winter to find that Aella had not only moved cities, which he had been expecting since she had warned him about university, but that she had finally managed to find other friends. Friends who didn’t call her Aella, but Twilight instead.

His book nerd of a friend hadn’t changed other than her suddenly increased collection of friends. Twilight, nicknamed after a certain book obsessed pony in what Jack had thought was a cartoon for little girls, had welcomed him back with open arms. Though none of her friends had been able to see him either, they had just assumed that since she was ‘on the phone’ with him a lot of the time, he was just some boyfriend from back home (a fact that had embarrassed Twi to no end), they had been the ones to encourage her to write a book using her ‘rather vivid imagination.’

She had not managed to write that book before graduation, but she had at least earned her honours degree in her chosen subject, something that was rather impressive considering that her final term had fallen in the Spring she and Jack had run into Bloody Bones, aka ‘Tommy Rawhead,’ one of the Bogeymen who hunted children for sport. It had cost Twi her 2:1 but they had saved several kidnapped children, something Twi reassured Jack, was much better than any degree classification she could have gotten.

Without a high classification Twi had moved back home, looking for a job related to her degree in Creative Writing and Journalism, even as she returned to her part time job in the local library, sorting books and helping the school groups when they came every week. It was a job she loved but one that gave her plenty of time to work on her book since most people didn’t bother going to the library any more.

Earning just enough to move out of her parents’ house and into a place of her own, which she got at a reduced rent in exchange for doing the place up, Twi slowly let it fill with books, until she had to move some of her bookcases down to her basement. Helpfully the attic had a skylight, which was always left open to allow Jack free access to the house, and Twi put boards down before putting a camp bed up there. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but it was somewhere extra for Jack to go when he needed to crash.