all disclaimers apply

Author's note: I don't usually get a chance to update this frequently, but since I had the weekend off from work and the weather's crapped out on me, I figured why not? But, please, don't expect this to become consistent. This is a rarity for me.

For those of you seeking out more confrontation between Anhur and the prince...well, your wait is over. Of course they're gonna face each other again! It's just...well...I had to get the other stuff accomplished first. But, this chapter should begin to satisfy that little desire...note I said begin. ;P

Also, there is a side story I just started called, "Nobody's Son." It deals with Anhur as well and will give a more in-depth look at Atemu and Anhur's life. But, please note, if you do read this one and that one...the two are NOT linked. Events in this story may not show in that one. They are two separate stories not spin-offs of one another. It is also here at ff.net. Just hit the search area of ff.net. It's easiest to see all my stories, but searching for author by name then typing in "Dragoness of Fire." The link to my name usually comes up half way down the page in that search.

"Yes, hello Mr. Motou. Is Yugi available to come to the phone?"

"YUGI! PHONE!" Grandpa Motou yelled up the stairway. Shortly after, Yugi came tearing down the stairway.

"Who is it grandpa?"

"Don't ask, just answer."

Yugi nodded and took the offered phone in his hands. "H-hello?"

"Yugi, it is nice to hear your voice again."

"Isis. Wow, why are you calling me? Oh wait, do you want me to put Yami on?"

"No need to bother the pharaoh. You can tell him yourself. Yugi, I have some strange and wonderful news. Would it be possible that you and your grandfather could travel to Egypt. It is best shown as it is told than spoken over the phone. We have tickets for you for a couple weeks from now."

"Uhm, hang on, let me ask."

Moments later.

"Isis? Yes, we will come."

"I will mail the tickets to you today. Marik and I will meet you two at the airport."

"Thank you."

"And forewarn the pharaoh to be prepared for some shocking and rather revealing news. He may not expect all this, especially without his memories."

"Will do. Take care and say hi to Marik for me."

"I will."

Later that night, alone in his bedroom with Yami now awake and present, Yugi broke the news to him.

"So we will be going to Egypt. Hmm, perhaps this will shed light on those dreams afterall."

"Yami, she said you should be prepared for the unexpected."

"Everything I'm experiencing since I've awakened is unexpected. Until I have my memories back, surprises seem quite normal."

"I noticed...that little incident with the can opener was rather amusing." Yugi joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Damn thing was made to piss me off. No troubles though, I've properly banished the thing to the shadows."

"And I'm still working it off in my allowance money."

"Sorry aibou. My temper got the best of me."

"And what of that incident with the plunger, hmm?...or the vacuum cleaner?"

"When you lose your memories and awaken 3000 years later, I'd like to see you handle life's progresses. I'd like to think I'm doing rather well considering."

"I suppose whatever beings are in the shadow realm will enjoy your little gifts. You just made life for them a little more convenient."

"Hardly. No electricity in that realm unless you count beasts that can create their own."

"Must you always be so technical Yami! It's rather dull and so not funny."

"Not funny...hmm, be careful what you say aibou." Yami replied with a amused wink. If it was humor Yugi wanted, Yami could dish out plenty of that in pranks, games, and other methods of amusement.

"Well, if you and I are gonna go down as geeks, at least we're doing it in style." Yugi replied as he began removing the studded collar, wrist bands, boots, and so forth as he prepared to put pajamas on and go to bed.

"Geek? Oh aibou, I'm afraid only you could have that distinction...but again, doesn't one have to be smart to be a geek? Wouldn't you qualify more as a dork?" Yami teased as he tested out his knowledge of modern slang terms.

"YAMI!" Yugi replied as he threw a pillow at the semi-transparent form.

"See, dork. If you were smart, you'd know that pillows are harmless to spirits."

"OH YOU!" Yugi replied half angry, half frustrated, and totally laughing.

Yami chuckled. "See, humor. I'm not dull."

"I didn't say dull, I had said geek...and heheh, if you say one has to be smart to qualify...then if I'm a dork, you're a geek."

Yami thought about it a moment. "I'm not a geek."

"Geek, geek, geek!"

"Keep doing that and your grandfather will think there's some deranged chicken in here."

"One of these days Yami, one of these days."

"Sure aibou, sure."

Ancient Egypt...

Anhur easily slid past guards and around other security obstacles of the palace. What he didn't know is that many years prior to him, his late father often used the same exact routes in and out of the palace unnoticed.

Once within the palace, Anhur hesitated, but not for lack of knowing his way around, but rather for whom he should grace his presence with. One way led to the prince's chambers. But, at night, the concubines and other females retired to another wing of the palace. He slunk into a shadowy crevice as he pondered his dilemma. The woman? Or the prince? Then a smirk developed upon his face. The answer was so simple! BOTH!

*Well, ladies first however. Oh wait, the prince 'could' be the lady in his relationship. Probably needs a REAL man. Technicality Anhur, technicality.* Anhur thought to himself with a smile as he stalked his way towards the females' wing of the palace. Having no idea once in the wing as to which chambers was hers, Anhur followed gut instinct. As he slinked along the corridors, slipping in and out of shadows as necessary, he would often close his eyes and imagine her face. Then, he'd see a pathway towards a more certain door. He was about to slip into an anti-chamber when suddenly he saw her. She was awake and strolling along a walkway that led to the palace gardens. Paralleling her path, Anhur took the low road and set out a rendevous point at the garden fountain. He didn't know if that was her true destination, but his heart felt it as such.

In moments, he was near the fountain, crouching within some shrubbery. She slowly came into view, with a lotus flower in hand, sniffing it on occasion. She sat along the marble edges of the fountain, enjoying the whisps of spray from the waterfall.

Anhur felt his heart skip a beat or two or three as he watched her beauty, radiated by the moonlight. Should he make his presence known or simply bask in her beauty unnoticed? That would be peeping he thought to himself as the answer came into play. He'd have to approach her. Listening to croaking frogs, he opted to try and mimic them so as to alert her to his presence without startling her.

She turned in the direction of the human sounding frog. Anhur remained in cover until he felt the conditions right and little chance of being noticed by anyone other than her.

"You?!" she replied, half shocked, half delighted.

Anhur slowly crept out of the shadows. "Yes, me. Beautiful night isn't it?" he replied softly as he pulled his hood off his head.

"You have got to be either the smartest boy around...or the dumbest. How did you get in here? And how did you know I was here?"

"Perhaps I'm both. And I got in here easily enough. The palace really oughta hire me as security general, but then again, I wouldn't accept so the point is mute. As for that last question, I didn't until I saw you in another corridor. Destiny may have led us to meet this night."

"It's not safe for you here."

"It's not safe for me anywhere."

"You're incorrigable you know that."

"It's the blood in me. Can't be helped." Anhur said as he looked around, taking in his surroundings. "Call me nuts, but this place feels like home."

"Okay. You're nuts, but your blood belongs here." Kashir teased. "I suppose if you have come all this way, I should not disappoint you."

Anhur raised an eyebrow. What did she mean? Yes, there were still some subjects even the mighty Jackal was naive on.

Kashir made a slight advance before picking up on Anhur's ignorance as he shied away, putting a little more distance between them. "My, my, this is sweet. You are still pure aren't you?"

Anhur wasn't entirely sure what she meant, but nodded an affirmative anyway. It seemed like the proper answer.

"Well, I must not spoil such a rarity. Keep that Anhur. Perhaps destiny will reveal to whom that gift should be offered to, but I don't feel it is tonight nor me."

"Fate has a habit of turning destiny. The stars can change for you and I. We may not be meant to be as we are today."

"You are that falling star, Anhur. The one that will leave its position thereby changing the stars. I've seen it...in my dreams. I've heard it...in the prophecies. It is your destiny. Your true father will rise again one day, but Anhur, you will rise now...in the living. The pharaoh fears it and the prince loathes it. "

"Perhaps Kashir, but my heart also tells me you have a part to play alongside me. You're not meant for such a meaningless existence either." Anhur replied as he placed a hand upon her cheek and then, gently grasping her hand, placed a golden amulet within her palm. It was a golden jackal sitting in the position like that of the mighty Sphinx. "I will return Kashir, but for now, I must bid you farewell. I have more prowling to do."

"Be careful. You prowl in a territory that isn't yours. Its owners will tear you to shreds if they discover this."

"Tis true their bite is lethal. But...my bite is fatal. They would be the wiser to never cross my path. But, destiny has decreed that I shall cross theirs." Anhur replied as he slid his black hood back over his head and slipped silently into the shadows leaving Kashir to gaze upon the moon and wonder what the night sky held in their future and that of the kingdom's.

Not long after, Anhur found himself alongside the prince's royal bedchamber. He listened carefully and heard nothing but silence. The two guards outside the chamber were slightly slumped, indicating both had dozed off due to intense boredom and night's grasp upon their natural instinct to sleep by night. Anhur, with the silence of a snake, slithered between them and into the chambers within.

The prince was asleep, nestled comfortably within his blankets. The torches were blown out indicating the prince had indeed retired for the evening. Anhur quickly noted that on this night, the prince slept alone. Adding a black cloth mask to hide all his face of which he could see through, but others could not, he approached the prince.

"Wake my prince." he said softly as he tapped the prince's shoulder with the sharp, cold metal of the prince's own blade.

Feeling the cold metal upon his warm skin, the prince jolted awake, but Anhur slipped a cloaked hand around the prince's mouth before the prince could utter even a yelp.

"No need to tremble prince. Death does not visit you upon this night. But could it be true that the jackal you say you don't fear is actually a leopard as black as night? If that be the case, that would be a fatal mistake on your part no?"

The prince, helpless, ceased to struggle. There was little he could do...except...

With the slight clang of metal unfurling, a bright flash zipped through the night and into the chambers. Anhur quickly released the prince and stepped back, putting some distance between the prince and the creature that stood protectively behind the prince. The prince had used shadow magic and summoned a being from a stone tablet!

"Even leopards are mortal and can be declawed." the prince seethed as he stood and revealed a Dia Diank, the ancient duel disk, upon his wrist. "Do you think a prince sleeps unarmed? Fatal mistake for you, no." thr prince continued, using some of Anhur's own words against him.

"If it's a dark game you want, then allow me the courtesy of being your opponent."

The prince's eyes, mere slits, reached over to the table and tossed the spare Dia Diank towards the black cloaked figure. "Let's see if your dueling skills are any better than your mouth, assuming you can even participate in the dark games...commoner."

Anhur caught the Dia Diank effortlessly and slipped it over his wrist. Using his kaa, he immediatly opened it and thought of a creature. He did not know of many since he had only been within one of the temples once, but it was that of the previous king's. Inwardly, he wondered if the beasts upon the tablets would listen and obey him seeing how he was not a palace royal or noble...at least not outwardly. But, he believed in his blood. Atemu's monsters should answer his summons.

And with that, Anhur focused his kaa, a mental image of a beast formulating within his mind. With a bright flash, a creature answered his hail and came forth, standing in front of him. The prince's creature responded by stepping forward of the prince. A dark game was about to begin...but in such close quarters, would it do both duelists in?

to be continued...