all disclaimers apply

' = Yugi speaking in soul room

/ = Yami speaking in soul room

As they snaked along unmarked pathways and drew ever closer to their destination, Yami could feel the unmistakable presence of magic. As a magic user himself, though not fully aware of all of it, he could sense other magic in the environment around him. His gaze racked from side to side, upward at the sheer walls surrounding them. There were some powerful essences within these walls and Yami wasn't entirely sure they were all a good thing.

"Here. We'll set the supplies and equipment here. The pathway we will use to the chamber is too narrow for anything other than our own bodies to slide through." Marik said as he urged the entire group to halt.

Yami scanned the surrounding area. Something bothered him about it. Something familiar yet foreign at the same time. Gently placing a hand upon one of the shadow cooled cliffs, he listened for its pulses in a manner no normal human could.

Ishizu watched with interest, Yami's activity. While he bore no recollection of his past, he was instinctively utilizing bits and pieces of his abilities likely acquired during his past. No modern human would know how to read and understand nature, geography, nor magic in a way that an ancient or a modern trained in ancient would.

Yami's eyes closed to nearly slits before snapping fully alert once again. "Marik, wait! Something isn't right."

"What could be wrong? I've entered these chambers many times and have not had nor felt any wrongs."

"Perhaps it is me. Maybe I am not meant to be here, or at the very least, not meant to enter."

"What are you saying? It is you that this chamber pertains to...or at least from what I gather from the information within." Marik continued, confused at the sudden hesitation by the pharaoh.

"Perhaps pharaoh, there is a way around this possible issue. Enter as Yugi. Let Yugi experience the inner chambers with you safely within the Puzzle. If you feel all is well, perhaps you will exchange places with Yugi then. And if not, Yugi can still share the information with you through your inner bond." Ishizu suggested.

Yami slowly gave a soft grin to Ishizu and nodded before closing his eyes and concentrating within.

/Yugi?/

'Yes Yami.'

/Did you hear? I get a weird feeling of presence here. Perhaps it is best you enter the chamber with them...until I can figure out what is bothering me so?/

'Ghosts Yami?'

/You're teasing me now aren't you aibou?/

'I'm trying to lighten the mood a little.'

/I know. I'm sorry. It's just...I wish I could REMEMBER! These feelings seem so normal and natural yet entirely new at the same time. It's rather unnerving./

'Well, that's what we're here to find out. To hopefully shed some light on your past.'

/Yes, but this feeling of presence I have. It's almost like I'm not meant to know. Almost as if...I don't know aibou, maybe I'm thinking too much into it. It might be nothing and I'm merely trying to make it something./

'We won't know unless we find out, right?'

/Guess so. Thanks aibou./

At that, Yugi and Yami switched places. Yugi immediately flung off his jacket. "EEeeesh! It's HOT out here!"

"Well, hello Yugi. Let me guess...air conditioned soul rooms?" Marik teased.

"Something like that. Anyway, let's get going." Yugi suggested as he made motion to head for the chambers.

In the past...

A few days safely passed without any danger from the palace. Qeb and Kashir nursed Anhur in shifts, constantly cleansing the wounds. They could not wrap them in fear of more infection. The wounds had to breathe. Nightly, Qeb would transform into his leopard form and patrol the outer fringes of their hidden location. He wanted to have ample warning if any palace beings or their Nubian trackers entered their domain and endangered them.

Stalking silently through the underbrush on paws of stealth, Qeb suddenly heard voices. He halted immediately, crouched low and listened.

"Sire, leopard prints indicate that this has to at least be a part of that beast's territory. And he's been around here recently." a heavily accented Nubian spoke in Egyptian.

Then a sound that caused Qeb's eyes to go wide. The barking of hounds!

"Release the dogs. If that cat is nearby, the dogs will flush it out." Sethos replied. The prince was known thorughout the lands to be one of the finest hunters alive. He had already scored beasts that nobody thought still existed within the lands of Egypt. The prince's dogs were likely well trained for the hunt.

Qeb remained deathly still. He heard the barking of two dogs. Only two. It wasn't an entire hunting pack. The gods or at least luck was on his side this night! Silently, he heeled and began stalking the beasts that were hunting him. Using all the traits of a true leopard, Qeb found an ideal spot and waited in ambush.

As the lead dog drew near, Qeb launched, his teeth sinking deep into the dog's nose, his front claws tore into the vulnerable flesh of the neck, and his hind claws ripped the dog's underside. With its air supply cut off, its jungulars torn open, and its gut gaping out, the dog succumbed to death quickly and with only a partial surprised yelp. Leaving the bloody corpse where it fell, Qeb quickly returned to the brush and awaited the next dog who wasn't far behind and had heard the scuffle. Within seconds the other dog arrived. It halted and silenced itself, sniffing its fallen brother. It let out a mournful howl before sniffing the area surrounding the dead dog. Qeb watched with interest. This other dog must be a female. It wasn't as anxious for the kill as the other and was definitely more cautious, especially after seeing its dead partner. Still, the dog had to die. Other lives hung in the balance and could not be discovered at any cost. Shifting ever so slightly, Qeb shifted his weight to his haunches and prepared his attack. He waited patiently for the dog to enter into an ideal position and location then surged out of the brush, this time tackling the dog broadside. With teeth, claws, and his full weight upon the dog's neck, one contorted twist was all it took to snap the dog's neck. The dog collapsed dead without a single sound.

Qeb ran silently away from the dead dogs and used the darkness and heavy brush to disappear into the night. Some distance away, Qeb launched himself into the dense heights of a tree and watched. He could see the prince and his Nubian tracker as well as several military guards. They seemed agitated now that the dogs' barking had ceased. The prince made a motion that indicated for the Nubian and two guards to enter the brush, but all hesitated. Hunting dogs don't just stop barking unless something had happened to them. Sethos cursed and wheeled his horse around. The others followed some distance away. All were retreating back to the palace once again.

It was nearly dawn when Qeb returned to Kashir and Anhur.

"You're hurt?!" Kashir gasped as she saw all the blood upon the now human form Qeb.

"No, it's not my blood. It's that of the prince's hunting dogs. He only had two this night, but I have a feeling he'll be back with an entire pack this next night. We must move today."

"But Anhur is---"

Anhur moaned at the sound of his name.

"Ahh, so you are gaining your strength. You're awake enough to know your name. Well, Anhur, save it because this journey will not be an easy one for you." Qeb said as he wiped himself off with a cloth. "Kashir, pack for you and Anhur, but pack lightly. We need as much water as possible. We'll live off the land for the rest. I will pack the necessary items needed for Anhur's recovery."

"Yes Qeb."

"And if the gods are with us, the son of Atemu will survive this ordeal...and us with him."

A few hours later, Qeb and Kashir loaded a mule with their supplies. With two donkeys, Qeb devised a stretcher between them and a covering that would shade Anhur's laying form from sun and from prying eyes.

"Put these on." Qeb said as he tossed some raggedy garmets towards Kashir. She did as told. Now they looked like vagabonds and really scruffy ones at that. They would blend in with others and would probably be avoided. Anhur remained completely undressed aside from a few small coverings. Qeb dressed himself more as a leper with a few dangling, dirty, bloody, smelly old bandages of Anhur's. This would further keep any curious beings away from getting too close to them.

For many days the trio trekked along the fertile lands of the Nile herself, following a little known trade route. At night, Qeb would convert to his leopard form and hunt, bringing vital food for all to eat. Along the trek, Anhur actually grew in strength with each passing day. His wounds were now out of danger of infection and closing with rapid speed. But he was still very weak and it would take months for him to attain the peak form that his young, masculine body had prior to injury. Soon they broke from the Nile and trekked along endless expanses of bone dry desert. It was here where their stored water and dried, salted excess meat from Qeb's hunts came into play. There was no life among the endless scorching sand fields that burned and blistered their feet. Just as their food and water supply was about to run out, an enormous vast expanse of blue filled their vision. It was the mighty Red Sea. From here, they would barter their way onto a sailing ship and head south...to a land beyond Egypt.

to be continued...