Chapter Text
Five millennia ago at the end of the Tutankamun dynasty....
He raced through the halls to his Per’ah’ah’s side. How could he have allowed himself to be distracted by mere grunt soldiers of the Usurper?! He let his rage out as he cut down another enemy. His focus was sharp. His actions sure. He was getting to Per’ah’ah. He was getting to his heart.
“Yayah!” His Per’ah’ah was thankfully unharmed. He smiled at Yayah, coming over to embrace him tightly, “I am glad you are safe, Imi-ib. I did my very best to stay here. I should be fighting too.”
“No, Meri-I,” He replied, pressing Per’ah’ah’s hand to his face, “I swore at your father’s temple I would always protect you.”
Per’ah’ah sighs, but places something around his neck, “Yayah, you have to promise me something, Ibib. I free you from service to me, to Khemet. Run, Imi-ib. Leave this land and go. It is my time, and I must meet my fate. Never let this necklace leave you, it has my name,” Per’ah’ah pulled him close, “Goodbye, Ibib, my eternal light.”
He wobbled, something sickly sweet in the air making him light headed. He fell as the world went dark around him.
“You promised me, Uncle,” He turned to his uncle, “Yayah will be long out of Khemet come the rebirth of Ra," He believed his uncle was acting for the good of the people. He would not let himself believe otherwise. He would willingly sacrifice himself, if it meant the gods would be appeased and bring back peace to his people.
“It will be done,” With a waive of his uncle’s hand, his beloved was whisked away, “For the good of the people, this must be done,” His hard voice began to weave magics around him.
He screamed; his last memory was of pain as all memory of his name was stripped from him, and a black, red veined dagger stabbed into his chest. His body collapsed to the floor as his uncle stood over him.
He cackled, “Now I will have what was meant to be mine! My brother took it from me. I know not how, but he cheated me of the favor of the gods! Now his line ends, and mine continues on!” Akandin kicked his nephew’s corpse, “Not even a shred of your name will live on. You’ll just become one of the lost, wandering spirits of the desert. That damned captain of yours will never see the land of Khemet alive again.”
There was a rumble in the room. Akanadin looked down to his nephew’s corpse. Black smoke billowed from the wound that had been bleeding. The blood swirled and became intricate tattoos on the dead skin. He looked up with even brighter red eyes, boring into his uncle’s soul. This thing was not his nephew. Akanadin screamed in terror as shadows swirled around him, wanting the blood price for completely erasing their new king’s name.
He raised his hand and made a fist. Blood rained over the room as the smoke tightened, and turned Akanadin into a ball of flesh, guts, and shattered bone. His eyes looked around and he began to stalk the halls, killing any who raised a blade against him. There was a blood price to be paid for what had been done, and he had been reborn to collect it.
He was finally sealed as Ra died into the golden box that had housed the pieces of the sacred puzzle. Several of his priests had fainted after the ordeal, completely drained of magical strength. There had been nothing on his face as he was sealed, no sign their once loving Per’ah’ah knew them, knew who they were.
“Make sure no one knows of this place save you and me, Jono,” Seti murmured softly, turning away from what he knew was to become a blood bath, “He deserves a peaceful sleep after my father cursed him, at least until we can find Yayah, and free him again.”
Jono gave a nod, “I’ll make sure of it, and this captain thing is only until Yayah comes back. ...Are you even sure he could tame what he’s become? That thing we saw killing your father was not the Per’ah’ah I remember. He was a demon of revenge. He looked like...those lost to the desert. The ones without name.”
“I know my cousin. He would have made sure that my father’s curse would not touch Yayah, and then given him the means to break it,” Seti was firm. He had no idea where his father had Yayah spirited away to, but he would find him. He had to for his cousin’s sake. He walked over to the horses, going to get the last piece of this place. It broke his heart he had to place the last member of his family so far away from the valley, but he couldn’t take the chance of the curse disturbing their ancestors and the mighty Per’ah’ahs before them, “I will find him,” He vowed softly as he carried the golden box into the black stone temple, careful of the blood on the stones.
Seti placed the box into a hidden recess in the black granite altar, and closed it. He placed seals around the altar so no evil spirit would get the idea to come and disturb his cousin, “This is all I can do for now. I wished we could have known we were family before this. Perhaps things would have been different. ...Do you think your father would have doted on his nephew like he did with you?” He asked softly, wishing he could have heard the answer. Seti pressed his head to the altar before leaving.
Jono waited for him at the entrance, becoming a silent presence at his side. He didn’t remark on the tears he saw quietly falling, only passing a clean cloth over once they drew near to the city, “I’ve got the men who spirited Yayah from Khemet. We will find him. If he has passed on, then he at least deserves to be properly honored and buried.”
Jono bowed his head as his men brought Yayah home. They had been too late, reporting that the former Captain had heard of what had happened. He had been taken south, to Nubia, and was being given shelter in one of the temples. There he had been given the news by an unknowing merchant. His Per’ah’ah had been assassinated, then cursed into a demon. He had taken what had happened as a personal failure. Jono knew different. Yayah knew he couldn’t save him, or at least knew he would be living life without him. Yayah had been Jono’s mentor and friend. He was the keeper of Yayah’s secrets. He knew he had been the former Per’ah’ah’s lover.
“Sir, Captain Yayah left a note. He asked that no matter what, the necklace on his body not be taken away. He said he would need it for his next life. We’re not too sure what the necklace says. No one can remove it. It’s become part of his body by some magic.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re under orders to respect all his wishes, and to give him an honorable burial. Per’ah’ah has already selected a place.”
“It’s where our previous Per’ah’ah is sealed away, isn’t it? So were the rumors true, Sir?”
“It no longer matters if they were or they weren’t. I know Yayah well enough to know he wants to be buried with his Per’ah’ah. He was loyal to him alone,”Jono replied sternly, “I would like a moment alone,” He gently peeled back the white sheet once the men had left. Yayah was cold and far paler than he had ever been. Jono smiled, happy that at least the poison he had given himself had not caused him any pain. He saw the simple chain, but knew it was not a cheaply made one, “Seti was right. He did give you what you needed, but why Yayah? Did you know you wouldn’t be able to use it? Is the curse too new, too fresh?”
“Perhaps,” Came the soft voice of Lady Isis, “I think he understood the moment he heard of the curse. The tribe Yayah came to us from knows more about those without name than we do. They are always under threat from them,” She came and knelt by Jono, “I spoke to a priest from the temple he was taken to. He was in no pain. They said he simply gave himself the poison in his wine, and retired for the night. He went to sleep and passed. I hope he will return to us soon.”
“I do too,” Jono replied, joining her in a soft prayer for Yayah’s soul. Soon he would be the only company for his body as he took him to the temple of black stone. Seti had already had a burial chamber made for Yayah, a place where he could rest for eternity beside his Per’ah’ah.
Present day Egypt in an unknown region of the desert...
Yugi wiped sweat from his brow as he looked over the natural mummies they had found. Someone had just come across them, a tourist, as locals stayed clear of this place. He was sure it was due to an old myth or superstition. He couldn’t deny there was an eerie feeling to this part of the desert. He had already almost destroyed two burial pits from his eternal clumsiness. Ryou and Jou had to ban him from the physical part of archeology on the site.
He had to admit this was so strange as he cataloged each find in the tent around him. Each mummy they had found had no grave goods, no wrappings, no ceremony. All they really had was the bodies, and small metal artifacts like thin bangles or preserved leather necklaces. They all had khopesh wounds, and seemed to have been caught unaware. This was a slaughter of workmen, that much was true from the bodies. ‘Why?’ Yugi thought to himself. ‘Are we close to something the ancients wanted to be lost forever, or that only a few should know of?’
“Yug, you need to see this!” Jou called. He and Ryou were looking at each other before giving wary glances to the black stone slab the diggers they hired from Cairo were uncovering. Something made them both shiver in the hot desert air. There was something Not Right here, but they could have been influenced by the general air of finding so many corpses. Jou could feel in his gut there was something they weren’t ever supposed to see here. He knelt down, “Ryou, I can’t read like you and Yugi, but those don’t look friendly.”
“I’m afraid you’re right, Jou. Those are not friendly. They are a decree from Pharaoh Seti the first. It says here entombed is the body of my cousin’s personal guard and lover. May he rest in eternal sleep beside the curse my father placed on my cousin. Any who disturb this rest will be cursed to die a thousand deaths.”
“Yeah...Can we just cover it back up?” Jou asked, even going so far as to grab a woven basket full of sand, “I don’t want to go messin with something that he had people killed to keep secret.”
“I don’t either,” Ryou replied, wrapping his arms around himself, suddenly wishing he had his husband’s arms around him, “I can’t tell you how much I really want to be cat napping with Ake right now,” He shivered again, "Preferably out in our sunroom."
“Come on, you two!” Yugi chided as he got closer, “There’s nothing here. Curses and magic don’t exist, and we’re just getting the willies from the obvious slaughter we’ve found. Besides, if this is what I think it is, we’ve hit a real treasure! Grandpa used to tell me about this dynasty before Seti the first’s. Grandpa even found ancient text showing Seti himself was actually part of the dynasty!”
“Why are you so excited, Yug?”
“This could be the Nameless Pharaoh’s tomb with his lover!” Yugi exclaimed in his excitement. He grabbed a shovel and began to help move sand, “Come on! I want to see if it is! Don’t you guys think it would be so fitting? Grandpa found his father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon’s tomb with his Great Royal Wife. He only had one wife, and he never took another after she died. Romantic, right?”
Ryou and Jou shot each other worrying looks, but they had promised Yugi would come back from this dig in one piece. They grabbed shovels and began to help reveal more of what was becoming an ominous doorway against their better judgement. When it was uncovered, the trio and the workmen looked into the darkness. It seemed to be alive, almost looking to be swirling around within.
Yugi pulled his flashlight from his belt, “Well?” He asked before carefully pulling on a small ventilator mask clipped to his belt, “Let’s see what this place has,” He took a careful step after having gently tapped on the stone to test for a trap.
Jou pulled on his mask too, and watched the beam of his flashlight get eaten by the darkness in the tomb entrance. He gulped before taking a shaky footstep into the ancient site. He instantly was hit with coldness, and gasped loudly, “Why is it so cold?”
“I don’t know,” Ryou replied, shivering lightly, despite the warmth of the desert sun on his back, “I don’t think it’s possible for it to be this cold.”
“It’s not cold,” Yugi frowned behind his mask, “At least, I don’t feel cold," He mumbled to himself, "Ah, maybe I should go first, yeah? You know, so Jou can catch me, when I trip something," He moved slowly into the tomb proper, looking around. There had to be some kind of lighting system here somewhere.
Jou grabbed onto Yugi's belt, and took Ryou's hand. He was not getting lost in the darkness and cold, nor was he letting either of them become lost too. He had clipped a battery powered lantern to his belt before grasping hold of his friends.
Yugi charged forward, looking for anything that he could probably light. He found nothing, but was thankful for the light of the desert sun at the entrance. The room came to a large sealed door, with a smaller door off to the side. Yugi was drawn to the smaller door, noting the wooden door was very well preserved. He gently opened it, light from his flashlight illuminating a face exactly like his own.
He gasped softly, "A mummy! But why does the face look just like mine?" He moved further into the room, lifting his flashlight to look at the walls, "Look at how beautiful!"
Ryou also looked around the room, gently brushing his fingers over the hieroglyphs, "Yugi, are you reading these? There's so much information here."
"I am! This is such a sad story," Yugi sighed softly, "Man, I wish had all these accomplishments."
"Guys," Jou pointed to himself, "Stupid pleb who knows no ancient Egyptian. I need a play by play."
"So this ancient look a like of me was a complete badass," Yugi pointed up at a wall, depicting battles, "Like getting into the army at like ten and becoming a general at thirteen," He paused before reading aloud, "As a general, Yayah was the most strategic of the entire group. He often found ways for small units to over come larger groups. It was his preferred way of fighting, as it was the tradition of his tribe.
"Shortly before his death, Yahya was promoted to Royal Captain of the Guard and given the royal house to protect. He was sixteen. Until the Usurper, no one, not even the incarnation of Apep himself, has gotten past the outer walls of the palace. Yahya ran a tight and loyal guard, with fair punishment for any neglect of duty or person," Yugi huffed, "Well, I guess I had the clumsy coming then."
"I know you believe in reincarnation, Yug, but how do you know you and this guy are the same person, just different periods in history?"
"You're right. I don't have any of the typical signs," Yugi moved around to Ryou, "Besides, I'd never be able to forget someone like him," He murmured as he studied the walls, "Though it looks like there was a lot of hope placed on him being reborn. Something about removing a curse."
"Curse?! Yug, I hate curses!" Jou replied with a whimper, "I already dislike being here, with the other curse on the front door. The people here already avoid this place like the plague," He paused, "Also mummies are creepy. Why did I go into this field again?"
"Because I can't keep Yugi from being clumsy, and we need someone with better reaction times to catch him before he falls into the spike pits. Why do they even still work?!" Ryou replied.
"Gee, guys, thanks for the vote of confidence," Yugi grumbled, "I didn't find any light sources, so we'll need to go out and get the portable lamps and such."
"Oh, good! A chance to leave! What are we waiting for?" Jou happily began to hustle Yugi and Ryou out. As he fell into line behind them, Yugi got farther ahead. He stepped on a block, which sank. Jou pulled Ryou back. Two deep pits opened on either side of them. They looked up at Yugi.
"Sorry, Ryou, Jou. I swear it wasn't on purpose. I could have sworn I stepped on that block earlier," Yugi wisely stayed put until his friends made it over to him. He apologized all the way out of the temple, and was forgiven once they had packed up and headed back to the nearest town for the night.
Yugi pouted as he was made to stay out of the tomb, while Jou and the workers stabilized the walls and roof. They also found and were able to disable the traps as they installed the lights. He also wasn't allowed to supervise the gentle and careful removal of the coffin they had found. Ryou had promised to bring the coffin to the tent, so Yugi could oversee the cataloging.
"Yugi, here it is," He gently led the crew into the tent. They sat it down gently, and carefully took off the lid. The mummy inside was very obviously not as well preserved as the rest of the artifacts in the sarcophagus, "Oh, dear. That's not good."
"Not good at all," Yugi replied, picking up the camera gently. He took pictures of everything, gently holding items in his gloved hands. He handed the amulets that poked out of decayed wrappings over to Ryou for cataloging, "That's strange. There's a necklace here, but they never had necklace charms," Yugi gently took hold of the necklace, carefully searching for a clasp.
He found the pendant, reading the writing on it as clear as day. Yugi murmured the name softly to himself, and frowned. He didn't recognize the name. It wasn't the name of a God, and he had never heard of it being used as the name for a Pharaoh. Then again...it couldn't be, could it?
"Yugi!" Ryou shrieked, watching the mummy disintegrate into particles of dust or light. He watched the particles surround Yugi, who seemed so lost in thought that he didn't hear Ryou. His body absorbed the particles and he promptly passed out, "Yugi!" He screamed in panic, the sound sending someone off into the tomb for Jou.
Jou raced back, a golden box in his hands, which he sat aside hastily in the tent, "What happened?!" He asked, looking over his friends, "Where's the mummy?!"
"It just turned into dust or bits of light! And then it fused with Yugi!" Ryou rushed out as he tried to get Yugi to wake up, "I think we need to get help."
"I'll get a jeep ready!" Jou rushed out of the tent to the cars. The site Forman appeared at his side, and helped, suggesting a local doctor, Ishizu Ishtar, "Thanks! We'll take him there."
Ryou came to the car, one of the workers beside him with Yugi, a chain dangling from his hand, "He won't let that thing go."
"Just get in and let's get him to a doctor!" Jou nodded to the Forman before taking off for town with his friends. It had been easy to find the Ishtar clinic, since it was right at the edge of town.
Ishizu herself met them, commanding with her regal presence, and quick issuing of orders for items she'd need. She got the three into a room and began to examine Yugi with fast, meticulous care. After some time, she pulled away, placing her stethoscope around her neck, "Physically, your friend is fine. I've got my younger brother coming into town, so he can do a spiritual check over. Even if you don't believe in it, it will put the workers at ease. How did this happen to him?"
Ryou began to explain, his voice shaking with the relief he felt knowing at least physically his friend was fine. He detailed as much as he could remember, even mentioning the necklace, "He said something, but I couldn't make it out. It was like he was reading it."
She nodded, "This was at the forbidden temple, wasn't it?"
"It has a name?" Ryou asked.
"It's forbidden?!" Jou shrieked.
Yugi groaned softly, starting to come around slowly. He blinked open his eyes, wondering where he was. He could hear Ryou's voice begin to murmur softly to him, "What happened?"
"You had a fainting spell, and you're fine, physically," Ishizu replied, "My brother is a faith healer of sorts, so I suggest you rest while he gets here. It's more for your crew's comfort, so they know that place hasn't affected you."
"Alright," Yugi settled back, resting. He felt the necklace in his hand, and slid it into his pocket. He couldn’t shake the feeling that it was immensely important to the mystery of his dig site. He didn't want to lose it, didn't really want it leaving his person.
Marik came in a few minutes later, looking nothing like what any of the three thought a faith healer or shaman should look like. He was dressed like a normal person, in linen pants and shirt. Sure, he wore an ankh on a black leather choker, and an evil eye on a chain, but most of their men wore similar clothing.
"Ah, you're Yugi, then," He came over, swirling his hands about, just over Yugi. Marik didn't touch him, "Oh, he's fine. Just a past life or a missing piece rejoining the present. Did you have any dreams, or feel anything while you were passed out?"
"No dreams, but I felt really horribly sad. Like someone died, but no one I know has passed recently. My grandpa is fine, my friends back home make sure of that when I'm away for the season," Yugi replied, "But I could use a rest day."
"I think we all could," Jou said, "I'll go back to the site and send the crew home. Paid half day leave sounds good."
"Sure,” Yugi nodded, I’m sure they’d appreciate it after the scare I gave everyone today.”
“You can stay and rest. Marik, will you stay with them, just in case?”
“Yeah. I’m sure they have questions for me and how I picked up on what I did,” Marik hopped up onto a free spot on the counter to sit. He waived as his sister and Jou left, “Ok, who woke his ass up?” He asked, dead serious as he looked at Yugi and Ryou.
“Who woke who up?”
“The altar. Who opened it?”
“We didn’t open an altar. Yugi opened a coffin, so we could check the state of the mummy, and arrange for preservation,” Ryou replied as he frowned and looked warily at Marik.
“So, no ancient kinds popping up and threatening you?”
“Da faq?” Yugi blinked as he spoke, “Are you serious?”
“Deadly. We take resurrecting pharaohs very seriously, especially demonic resurrecting pharaohs.”
Yugi closed his eyes, “I refuse to deal with this shit.”
Ryou looked up from his phone, “Mood. Same.”
Marik just looked at them. What was the outside world coming to? No one believed in the spirits in the sand anymore and the pharaoh who had come to rule them any more. He sighed and shook his head. Well, at least they hadn’t freed the main demon pharaoh again. Marik really hoped they wouldn’t. He didn’t want to deal with the war, plague, or whatever natural disaster he’d bring with him this time.
Akefia stretched after texting his better half and looked out towards the twin temples. It would soon be night, the domain of the god he had always favored. He watched black shapes move about the sands, more than he had seen before around Luxor. He could feel the curse placed on him by Ra, feel the tie to his once sworn brother. His head lowered in shame as he could no longer say his name. He knew it in his heart, knew the shapes of the letters as well as he knew everything about his Ryou.
“So soon,” Akefia murmured, “I don’t think Yugi’s even ready yet,” He said up to the sky, knowing someone had to be watching and could hear, "Why force something like that on him in this life? Hasn't he endured enough this time? Hasn't he paid enough yet?"
He returned back inside, going into the basement. Akefia stood before the door he had long asked Ryou to never enter. He'd made the promise to show it to his husband one day, he just had hoped it wouldn't be this way. He packed what he needed, what would show him as family to what was coming.
Yugi huffed as he looked at Akefia, who was carefully documenting and cataloging everything under his supervision. After his fainting spell, Akefia had shown up with the excuse of having one of his notorious bad feelings. He’d been promptly given the task of being supervised by Yugi, which was actually code for Akefia babysitting Yugi while giving him some sense of independence. It really chaffed Yugi that this happened more than it normally did. He loved his friends, really, but he was fine. He could do this work on his own!
“Yugi, where did this box come from?” Akefia asked, as he held up a golden puzzle box, “Who brought this up here?”
“I’m not sure,” Yugi moved closer to take a look at it, “What a strange box. I’ve never seen an ancient box like this. I’ve never seen one with the eye of Osirus used instead of the eye of Horus. There’s no writing on this too. How strange!”
“Yugi, don’t touch it,” Akefia moved the box away as he spoke in a warning tone. He suspected this was the box Seti and the other priests had sealed his brother in. He was not going to leave Yugi alone with it or give him the chance to touch it.
“I wasn’t,” Yugi mumbled, staring at his outstretched hand with a frown.
“I’m going to go ask who brought this up,” Akefia stood, taking the box with him. He left the tent and went to find Ryou and Jou.
Yugi huffed again, but grinned as he took the chance to do some work himself. He hummed as he began to write notes about a piece Akefia had taken a picture of, before putting it into careful storage. He reached to touch the necklace hidden under his clothes. He still had it, and felt guilty that he did, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with it. While he was deep in his thoughts, he heard the rustle of the tent as someone entered. He didn’t hear a voice, so he figured it was one of the workers, come to bring a new object in.
It was in fact an intruder of sorts. The intruder crept up behind Yugi, sensing something its master wanted. A black cloak covered it, cold smoke flowing down where a face should be. A skeletal hand reached out to Yugi, grabbing his shoulder.
Yugi screamed as he turned when his shoulder was grabbed. What was this thing?! It was freezing cold and reaching for his neck. It was after the necklace! He screamed again, and backed away. It was getting so cold in the tent though! Why was it suddenly so cold?! Where was this cold coming from?! The thing reached out again, long fingers reaching and reaching.
He could see a skull in the black smoke. The eye sockets glowed with a black evil light. Something in him made him reach out. His hand met an ancient khopesh blade. He grabbed hold of it, instinct taking hold. Yugi swung the blade with an ease he had never had before. It made the thing back up. It spoke lowly in a garbled voice. He stood up, shoulders squared.
A moment of stillness. Stares exchanged between the two. The thing lunged. Yugi doged, and moved into a spinning strike. The thing screamed in agony. He fell into a defensive stance. Another lunge and dodge. Another strike and scream.
Akefia rushed into the tent, blinking his eyes. Yugi held a khopesh like he’d been doing so his whole life. He watched as his friend danced around the nameless shade. Perhaps he had been wrong? Was Yugi truly ready at this time? Or was this a case of old instincts rising for protection.
Whatever the case, Yugi finished off the shade in seconds. He shook his head, looking at his hand and the blade in it. His face was awash in confusion. How had he done that? It had come so naturally, and yet, he knew he had never held a khopesh, never fought like he just had. He didn’t even know how to wield a katana, but where had he gotten these skills? Yugi turned, seeing Akefia. He frowned more at the look on his face, “What was that thing?!”
“You know what that is, Yugi. Your grandpa told you all the stories. What creature looks like that?” Akefia replied, skillfully replacing the dagger he had drawn before entering. He remembered how wary and quick to draw Yugi had been as Yahya.
“But the stories of the nameless ones are just that. Stories.”
“All stories are based on some grain of truth, Yugi.”
Yugi looked at Akefia again. Something in the way he had said that was wrong. It wasn’t the Akefia he had come to know. This was the secret side Ryou had sometimes spoken to him and Jou about, “You know more about this than you let on.”
“I do, but not in the open, and not without Ryou and Jou. They need to hear this too,” Akefia sighed, defeated, “It is time to come fully clean, and try to do my best by my brother.”
“Your brother?” Yugi asked, confused.
He just nodded and waited for Ryou and Jou to come. When they were there, Akefia sat the three down, and sealed the tent. He remembered his spells well, never wanting to disappoint his second father, “You are all going to listen, and not say anything until I’m done. I will show proof of what I say,” He took a deep breath, “I am Akefia, spymaster and adopted brother of the Nameless Pharaoh. I was taken in by Aknamkanon when he found out I was the sole survivor of a massacre he had inadvertently ordered. He raised me alongside his heir.”
“I learned my lessons well, and loved my second father and brother dearly. I know he worked tirelessly to find out who ordered the massacre. When I came of age, and my brother on the throne, I began my work. I was not at his side when the Traitor attacked the palace. I rushed to my brother’s side as fast as I could, but I was far too late. He had already been cursed, which itself was a botched attempt to assassinate him and use magic to erase him completely from history.
“Because someone needed to watch history move, I allowed myself to be cursed with immortality. We had hoped to find my brother’s lover, Yayah. He had been given the only thing with his name on it. It was a necklace. It is warded by my brother’s eternal love for him, and only his reincarnation can take it from his mummy,” Akefia paused and looked at Yugi, “That’s you, by the way. I’ve been trying to watch over you, praying to Khonsu you wouldn’t find this place.”
“But you have Seti’s personal guard and my husband beside you. I should have known it wouldn’t be long until you found this place,” He sighed, “The golden box was where Seti and the others sealed my brother,” He pulled his pack over to them, taking three items from it. One was a khopesh blade of his own, but it didn’t quite look like the one Yugi had welded. The metal was polished, and the light glinted on the sharp edge.
“I was given this when I became part of Khonsu’s worship,” He took out a signet ring in immaculate condition, “My second father gave me this so I could help my brother with important state matters,” The final item was a circlet not unlike ones found with other royal Egyptian princes.
The trio had been around Egyptian artifacts to know an imitation from authentic. Ryou looked at his husband, frowning, “Where do I fit in? You said Yugi was Yayah and Jou once was the personal guard for Seti the First.”
Akefia smiled, “We first met in Rome, during a dark time for me. Someone had thought it funny to invoke and temporarily release my brother from his seal. Only his body is sealed permanently. His spirit can be called forth, and it has every few centuries or so. Pompeii, the Black Death, any large catastrophe is probably someone stupid enough to summon him. Brother is always angry and vengeful. He rules over the nameless.
“It was Pompeii where we met. I was head over heels immediately, and I did my damndest to save you,” He looked down, “This is the first life I’ve actually gotten to marry you. Brother likes to…” He trailed off, “He blames my absence from his side for everything.”
Ryou moved over to Akefia, wrapping his arms around him tightly, “So you look for me?” He asked softly.
“Yeah, because I can’t keep doing this, if I don’t have you to look forward to in each new century,” Akefia pressed his head into Ryou’s shoulders as he hugged him tightly back, “You make this immortality thing worth it and keep me human. I swear Khonsu had Thoth make and place you on Earth just to keep me sane. To help me always remember why I chose this path.”
“Hey, I don’t want to interrupt, but what am I to do? I don’t know how to fight. I have no clue what I’m doing.”
“Yugi, that I can’t answer. I’m here to protect you, and guide you, but I don’t have the answers. I don’t know what your path is to be. I just know Brother made you the one to save him from this. I was never told how, but I...hope that it would be with the love you once shared,” Akefia held Ryou tighter, “You were the best personal guard to have ever served. You trained Jou in his past life, and he’s the only one who comes close. I really want to just get you three away from here, go to the temple to Khonsu I know still stands.”
"Then let's go!" Jou urged, leaping up and bounding to the entrance, "We only have a few weeks left in the season, and we don't have to actually be here. We can come up with some kind of excuse and see if someone will take over for us."
"That's a good idea! I'll start the request. Yugi, is it ok?" Ryou turned to him.
"Yeah," He nodded and turned to get his things ready. While he did that, everyone left to do the same and get things in order. He was so confused, but he knew deep down Akefia was right. He looked at the box and walked over to it. Maybe he could just end things now?
He placed his hands on the golden lid, and debated it. Yugi made his choice, and left the tent. He knew where he was going to go.
Akefia was the first to realize Yugi and the box were missing. He almost had a heart attack, but then remembered he would have felt if his brother had been released. At least Yugi hadn’t been that stupid… He searched for some clue as to where Yugi might have gone. Was there some place in all of Egypt that he would have felt safe enough to go to? It couldn’t have been a city space, no. Yugi wouldn’t jeopardize innocent people, or give his brother hostages to use.
He let out a sound of frustration as he couldn’t find anything. Akefia marched out to Jou and Ryou, “Yugi’s gone and took the box. Is there somewhere he’d go? Somewhere safe to him?” He asked as he hoofed closer to them. They looked at each other for a moment, thinking.
“Ah, maybe the Osirion? His grandparents drained and helped with the conservation of it. Not many people go there, since it’s small and right behind Luxor temple,” Jou replied, “Yugi told me about it our first dig season here. He wanted to go see it, since he hadn’t been there since before his grams passed. He said it felt like a safe place to him, like a second home. He felt his grams there, protecting him. He did this trance thing while we were there. It was weird, but I didn’t feel like I should worry.”
“Trance? I haven’t heard of that being done in the Osirion for millennia. Priestess of Isis used to do that to have her possess them or pass on messages to them. …Yugi’s grandmother was Egyptian, wasn’t she?”
“Actually, yes! She was from a small Bedouin tribe that worshipped in the old ways,” Ryou answered, “How did you know she was from Egypt?”
“I took a guess from what I remembered. The concubine who raised me and my brother could go into trance at will, but she was a devotee of Thoth. Father made sure we were both versed in the worship of all the gods. The Osirion, or the chapel known as that today isn’t a chapel to Osirus. It’s a chapel to Isis,” Akefia grabbed Ryou’s bag, loading it into a jeep with his own, “Osirion it is. I should have just stayed home then.”
“Uh, maybe?” Jou replied, placing his bag in, “We got things squared here, at least until someone comes in to take over the dig in a few days,” He climbed up into the back seat, “Let’s go.”
“Up front, Jou. I gotta have a heard with a few gods,” Akefia jerked his thumb to the front passenger seat, “I can do that trance thing too,” He laid out in the seat, getting comfortable, and slowed his breathing. He chanted the mantra he’d been taught so very long ago. One last slow breath, and he was under. Akefia opened his eyes on a boat in the Duat.
Ra sat center of the boat, Isis at his side as she healed his wounds from his nightly battle with Apep. Khonsu was there too, and smiled warmly to Akefia, “My son,” He greeted, “To what pleasure is this visit?”
“Father Khonsu, Father Ra, Lady Isis,” Akefia greeted each in turn with a bow, “I have lost my ward, but I am following a lead on where he might be. Lady Isis, I believe one of yours was his grandmother.”
Isis laughed and came closer to Akefia, “Ake, I am here alone,” Her violet eyes, eyes to much like Yugi’s sparkled, “My Osirus is on Earth still, guiding our grandson. I taught Yugi the trance as a means of protection. If he rises, and he will rise, then if Yugi goes into trance or a coma, Ra’s light will protect him from your brother’s darkness,” She put her hands together, “How is my Yugi? I’ve been unable to see him for some time. I miss him and Ibib so much.”
“He’s doing the best he can,” Akefia frowned, “Why is Yugi such a clutz? Did you have something to do with that?”
“No. Your brother lashed out ferociously when his soul was first let lose. He was all anger and raw pain,” Ra answered as he stiffly rose from his seat, “He was supposed to be my champion, my vessel on Earth, as you were meant to be my brother’s,” The eagle-man shook his head sadly, golden brown feathers rustling softly, “He found a way to use his powers as the Nameless King to curse Yugi. He read what was written. In the fury and agony of feeling abandoned by the one he’d trusted his last hope in, he cursed him to forever be the exact opposite.”
Akefia clenched his fists, looking pained as he heard what Ra said. He looked up as a hand clasped his shoulder, “Is there any way to stop him without using Yugi?”
“No, Moonchild,” Ra replied softly, “You can slow him. He draws power from shadows, which can only be made by my light or my brother’s. That light can also take power from him.”
“You remember your lessons, the ones related to me?” Khonsu asked, smiling proudly when Akefia nodded, “Then you have the way. Once he has been weakened, go to the desert. Set’s storms will protect you, and there you will find someone who can help Yugi train and learn. There is an underground temple to Set, with a family who still practice a few of his less widely known ways.”
“I understand. …Will I regret bringing Ryou into this?”
“I speak for us all when I say we sincerely hope not, my son. Now go back home,” Khonsu kissed Akefia’s third eye, sending him back to his body. He blinked as he saw the starry dress of Nut above him, and Khonsu’s gentle light spreading over them.
“We almost there?” He asked softly as he sat up in the back seat. Akefia gave Jou a grateful nod when he passed back some food for him to eat. He was going to need it for what he needed to do. He could feel his brother in the world. He must have been freed during his talk with the gods. He bit into the food, before scarfing it down. It was always hungry work when he went into trance. He wondered if it was the same for Yugi, but doubted it.
“The fuck is that around Luxor?!” Jou yelled as he saw black wisps of something swirling about the temple complex.
Akefia groaned, “He has to be a dramatic diva bitch, doesn’t he?” He said to himself, “I’m going to knock him on his ass for this. That is my city,” He growled, reaching for his bag. He got out his Khopesh, belting it as best he could to his waist. He also got out a few daggers, and flash bangs.
“Ake, we’ll get Yugi from the Osiron. You just do what you have to do and do it one piece. I’ll kick your ass myself if you don’t,” Ryou said sternly, or as sternly as he could muster as he drove toward the temple.
“Don’t worry, Ry. I’m a highly trained spy master and thief. I was trained by royal guards, vagabonds, assassins, and pirates. Just get in, get Yugi, and book it out into the desert. Set should whip up a storm to cover our escape.”
“You sound so sure.”
“Ra himself told me that. If it comes from Ra’s beak, it’s law.”
The trio fell quiet as they pulled to a park near the temple, but not too close. Akefia took point, leading them through the hypostyle hall. The stars twinkled above them; Khonsu’s light still getting into the temple. He took a breath and got ready for what was coming.
Yugi was quiet as he slipped through the empty open halls of Luxor to the very back of the complex. He had the box wrapped securely in layers of cloth and tucked into his backpack. He smiled softly as he saw the Osirion. It was a safe place to him, where his story began.
His grandpa and grandma had met here, in this small ruined chapel. His grams had been the one to drain the chapel, and his grandpa had been allowed to examine it. There was even a tiny little plaque with their names on it.
Yugi felt so much safer when he was in the ruined, once submerged halls. He closed his eyes, letting his feet lead him automatically to the well preserved altar. He placed his bag aside and climbed up on it. Eyes still closed, he could feel the mystic past of his second home country.
When she was still alive, Grams had brought him here, taught him about this place. He let himself breathe deeply, going into a trance like state on the altar.
Shadows crept in, taking advantage of Yugi's trance to pull and open the golden box. Their master sprang forth in waves of smoke and shadow, taking form in the darkness. He took time to just breathe in and out after being physically imprisoned for so damn long.
He stretched before opening his eyes, and looking around. Ah. The chapel to Osirus. Now what human did he have to thank… He turned to a shadow, listening to the language of hisses and clicking, "Ah, thank you, my loyal shadows, shades, and nameless."
They turned his attention to the human in a trance on the altar. He stepped forward, tattered shenti nothing more than a loincloth. He gasped softly, expression softening as he realized who the human was, "Imi-ib," He murmured, trying to move closer.
Bright light, bright burning light shot down around his lover. He screamed, leaping away from the altar. He growled, forming shadows into a barrier around the chapel, "How dare you!" He raged toward the ceiling, knowing the light had come from Ra himself. He screamed again in frustration, but decided to head outside with his entourage of shadows and nameless souls.
In his trance state, Yugi was unaware of the nameless Pharaoh's rising. He was in a dream state, where he was dreaming about his parents and Grandma. He was safe here with them. No golden boxes. No Nameless demon pharaohs. No words. It was just a place where he could disconnect from reality and reset his mind peacefully.
The calm peaceful place in his dream faded quickly into ruin. He bolted awake in shock, and looked around. Fearfully he looked around out at the darkness. Where had the light around him come from?
He turned as he sensed someone coming up behind him. The man coming forward seemed familiar, but he couldn’t remember anyone looking like this one. Then again, he had been losing his memory more and more with each passing age. He scratched his head, turning to a shadow, and listening to what it told him. He frowned, feeling no rage toward this man, even with what his shadow had told him.
“Brother,” Akefia greeted, stance wary and ready for a fight, “Where is Yugi, Yahya in this age?”
Oh! Was he the guide picked by the gods to help his light? He turned and pointed toward the entrance to the chapel, “He’s in there. He went to sleep and Ra’s light surrounded him. I can’t touch him,” He pouted, watching the shadows, “We were going to make it safe for him to sleep. Ah, you called me brother. …I don’t remember…” He frowned and looked down as he thought, “Why don’t I feel angry right now?”
“…I was cursed for not being at your side, but you had sent me away,” Akefia replied softly, “I protested, feeling something was going on, but I follow my brother’s orders because he was right. I’m sorry I wasn’t with you. I’m sorry we didn’t find Yahya in time. We tried.”
“And he left me alone!” He shot back, heartbreak and anger in his voice. The shadows twisted around him, feeding off the anger. They were hungry and they wanted to eat. He kept them back, along with the angry souls of his nameless ones.
Akefia closed his eyes, calling on the light of the moon to surround them and bless him. He hoped this would give Ryou and Jou time to get to Yugi, or at least join him under the protective light of Ra. He knew he’d done his best. He’d told Ryou the location of every tribe that would take them in. He’d done his best to make Ryou self-sufficient in his world of gods and demons.
He leapt toward the shadows. A beam of moonlight blasted them away. Akefia turned toward his brother, “Forgive me, but I do what I must,” He swiped his unsheathed Khopesh at his brother. Heart pounding loudly in his ears as he moved. He kept striking, even though there were shadows and nameless parrying his blows. Akefia concentrated on the battle, giving little room for a counter.
He began to tire, and his brother took a chance opening. One moment, Akefia saw a bolt of black heading for him, and the next, his Ryou, his wonderful, beautiful Ryou in front of him. He screamed out in agony as he watched his husband drop in slow motion. He didn’t realize he had dropped his sword until the only thing in his arms was Ryou.
“Ibib…” He shook him gently, trying to get some kind of sign. Ryou’s eyes gazed out listlessly, lifeless. He turned to his brother, “What did you do to my Ryou?!” Akefia hissed, gazing angrily at his brother for the first time in their lives together. The gaze and words seemed to shock him, “What did you do to him?!” He cried louder, carrying Ryou out of the way of the fight.
As Akefia placed Ryou down out of the way, he felt a different power flow in his veins. The darkness, no the chaos the he had once been destined to wield came from the part he had locked away. He lifted a hand, calling his sword to him. His blade glowed with moonlight as chaos wrapped itself around his hand and hilt, “You took him from me.”
“No, he is alive! I just…” He began as the shadows crowded around him. He uttered a word and up the one called Ryou stood, “See! He’s ok!” He tried, backing away as he felt…something that frightened him to the core. The shadows and nameless hissed. Snake! They all hissed. Moon and Snake! Danger! He put his hands to his ears as their voices became too much. He hissed himself, letting loose a spell in frightened defense.
Akefia batted the strike of magic away with a flick of his wrist. Nameless began to crowd around him, forming a wall between he and his brother. His eyes narrowed, ready to strike, until he heard Yugi’s voice.
He heard fighting coming from outside the Osirion, and bolted outside. He saw Akefia fighting, something? Shadows moved around, keeping the being Akefia was fighting hidden. Yugi looked around and saw his friends, rushing to them. Ryou was oddly standing still, with wide blank eyes, "What happened?!" Yugi asked Jou.
"Akefia said he felt something was wrong and we came here. This mostly naked guy came out of the Osirion, and just shot this blast of some black shit at Akefia. Ryou leapt in the way, and he's not dead, but I can't get him to respond. That guy said some kind of word, but I couldn’t hear it, and Ryou stood up."
"I don't see a mostly naked guy?"
"He's in those shadows," Jou pointed to where a figure could be seen, “They and those wisp things have been freaking out since Ryou went down. Akefia started to glow, but there’s these red marks on him, like snake scales.”
“Like snake scales?” Yugi mumbled to himself as he looked at Akefia. The once prince was standing in front of them, khopesh ready, but one arm was now covered in a scale like, red, tattoo of sorts, “There’s two beings I can think of, but only one would have red used. Red was the color of evil, of chaos, of Apep the chaos snake… Jou, we gotta get out of here.”
“I can’t get Ryou to move!”
Yugi looked at the situation, “Akefia will bring Ryou. We have to go. It’s too dangerous!” He pulled Jou away, a tear dripping down his face as he left Ryou behind. He was very sure his friend didn’t even know he was being left.
He spoke a word, making Ryou move like a puppet farther away from the fight. Since the one calling himself his brother had connections to Apep, he dug deep for his true darkness. It swirled around, unleashing a truly demonic form. Long gone was most of his former human form, only his face was human like. Once unruly hair was twisted up into sickly red, curved horns that bent and tangled together as they pleased. Richly tanned skin turned black like a diseased corpse, along with long jagged talons where there had been well cared for nails. Feet that had graced the halls of the most celebrated temples and the palace had long turned into hooves.
Akefia was horrified, but steeled himself. He had one thing on his mind: revenge for doing whatever he had done to Ryou. He took a breath and raced toward the demon in front of him.
Yugi woke with a start as the jeep began to shake. His eyes were still swollen from crying himself to sleep after leaving Ryou and Akefia. He had hoped they would meet up with them, but no luck so far. He turned toward Jou as he cursed loudly, “We’ll be ok.”
“Yug, we’re in the desert, and the sun’s starting to come up. I don’t know how much water we have. I don’t know where this tribe is or the temple Akefia wanted you to go to,” Jou leaned his head on the steering wheel, “We should have never opened that hell hole of a temple.”
“We did. We gotta fix it somehow,” He turned to look at the supplies, frowning as he heard the sound of a motorcycle, “Jou?”
“Who’s driving a bike out in the desert?!” He cried as they found said bike blowing up a sand cloud as it got ever closer to them, “It can’t be!” He laughed as he recognized the biker as the spiritualist they’d met when Yugi had fainted, “I remember you.”
“Well, hello again, Yugi, Jou,” Marik greeted, “My sister is behind me with the rest of our tribe. We’ll be your escort to Set’s temple for Yugi’s training. Though it’ll be more like reliving your past lives. It won’t be fun either,” He turned off his bike, parking it next to their empty jeep. He pulled two water bottles out of a saddle bag for them, along with some light food for breakfast, “Where’s the prince and your other friend?”
“We don’t know. Akefia started fighting the nameless pharaoh, and Jou said Ryou got hit with something black.”
Marik fell quiet, “The prince will find his way to the temple, but I’m afraid your friend is lost for the moment. He was hit by the demon’s mind crush. His mind was blasted to pieces, and until the demon is defeated, he will be nothing more than a living puppet. I am sorry.”
Yugi sobbed again, but no fresh tears came. He had already cried all he could. He wrapped his arms around Jou, seeking comfort in the friend he still had, “Akefia knew...he had to with how he was fighting.”
“Agreed, Yug. Ryou’s his everything.”
Marik’s eyes widened, “I didn’t know… Oh, this is not good…” He fretted, “Akefia’s the only one who can go into trance and talk to the gods. I can’t even do that. I can interpret signs, but no one in my tribe can go into trance. We’re blind.”
“Yugi can go into trance. Akefia said your grams came from a line of priestesses and the way she taught you was used by the ones that belonged to Isis,” Jou said, “We talked about it on the way to get you.”
“Wait, no. Grandma taught me that as a way to relieve my stress for a little bit.”
“Yugi,” Marik looked at him, “Where do you go when you do?”
“Ah, it’s a very pretty garden. Grandma loved the plans for ancient gardens. She said her favorite one belonged to a temple. She showed it to me when I was little. She’s there with Mom and Dad...Oh! This symbol is on the walls around the garden,” Yugi got down and drew the symbol in the sand.
Marik began to laugh as his tribe with Ishizu caught up, “Shi! Look! He’s got Isis’ protecting him!” He pointed to the knot of Isis Yugi had drawn in the sand.
Ishizu came over, “That’s the knot, but look, it’s different,” She bent down, “That’s the spine of Osirus that’s supporting the knot,” Her eyes looked over it as two more men came over, “Rashid, look. It’s the spine and knot together.”
“Yes,” Rashid answered in a soothing, deep voice, “Our seer saw this sign when he saw Yahya reborn here. I read in Father’s books that the gods come to our world sometimes. They come when the world needs a hero, who will then come from their bloodline.”
Yugi got up and backed away. He didn’t like what Ishizu’s older brother was implying. His body sagged, until he was kneeling in the sands, facing away from them. He could hear them going on, but it was just something from his grandma. She hadn’t ever meant anything more than just seeing a symbol she liked. She’d always favored Isis, just like his grandpa favored Osirus. It was one of the reasons they’d fallen for each other.
He curled into a ball, and rocked. This was too much too soon for him to totally process everything. He could hear a new voice, but it wasn’t until a hand landed on his shoulder that he looked up. Akefia’s grim, heartbroken face met his as he sat down beside Yugi. The pair said nothing to each other or to Jou as he sat down on Yugi’s other side. They gazed out over the desert, almost waiting for a sign.
One of the sibling’s tribe walked out in front of them, barefeet unbothered by the warming sand. Their head was covered to shield from blowing sand. They seemed to be looking for something in the far sand dunes, but Yugi and his friends couldn’t make out anything. The tribesman turned to show that yes this one was male. He peered out from under his hood at them, and wordlessly pulled said hood off.
Yugi gasped softly, blushing as he saw the most beautiful human being he had ever seen. The man was just slightly taller than he, with warm dark red-brown eyes. They sparkled in the rising sun as they gazed back at Yugi. His mouth lifted into a slight smile, as he ruffled his bright sun blonde hair. He gestured to the dunes with his hands and made a sign with them. Yugi had never seen the hand sign before.
Akefia looked at the man and blinked, “Who are you?!” He asked, standing up, startling the man. The jump he made alerted Rashid and Marik, who rushed over, “Who is he?! What magic is this?! My brother can’t be in two places!”
“Jabari is mute, and we do not know why he looks like the demon. I can assure you he was born twenty-five years ago to a woman in my tribe. Her husband was killed shortly after conception,” Rashid replied.
Yugi looked back at Jabari as he gently took his hand, “Is that the way?”
Jabari nodded and made the sign again.
“Then let’s go,” Yugi began to follow Jabari, forcing Akefia and Jou to catch up. In turn that made the entire tribe follow them for about an hour. Yugi stopped with Jabari at an entrance that had been hidden by the dunes.
Jabari began to sign, which Akefia began to translate, “He says this is Set’s temple and you have to go in alone. Once inside, You’ll go under and Set will come to you. Set’s storm will protect us while you’re there.”
“Ok. See you soon,” Yugi gave Akefia and Jou’s hands a squeeze and went into the darkness. It closed in on him and he began to go through his mantra. The darkness swallowed him before he could even finish and he was gone.
Akefia felt when Yugi fell into the depths of Set’s domain, and took up guard to wait for him to return. Jou and the tribe settled in the dunes to wait for Yugi to emerge. It was going to be a long wait.