She had dark brown hair held in a high ponytail with a golden clip. A lock of hair fell to the left side of her face. This lock was bleached almost white due to exposure to the sun. Her eyes were that of a cat�s. Thin irises and elongated pupils made them different from those of other Egyptians. However, her eyes were an odd color as well. They were a deep rich forest green.
She wore a cropped off white tank top and long baggy white pants over her slender figure. Her brown sandals crisscrossed up her calves to her knees and a golden band with a jewel hanging from it said that she was a servant.
She came to the entrance to the gardens and was about to go in, when spears suddenly blocked her way. Two muscled guards appeared behind them and pushed her back into the hall.
�No one is to come in here!� one of them boomed.
�Especially no servants!� cried the other.
Kelah opened her mouth to speak, but a deep rich voice coming from the garden cut her off. �Leave her alone. Let her enter.�
The two guards looked at each other, then glared at her before harumphing out of the way. Kelah stepped cautiously into the colorful gardens, her eyes roaming the grounds. She finally spotted the subject of her visit kneeling down in front of a tombstone. She walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. �I came as soon as I heard. I am so sorry, my Pharaoh.� She said quietly.
Kelah was not only a servant of the Pharaoh�s palace, she was also a dear friend of the Pharaoh�s. When the young heir was a small boy, he had wandered off into the servants� quarters, even though he was told not to. There he had become good friends with all of the servants, especially Kelah. Everyday, he would sneak off to the servants area and play with them. Kelah believed that this held an important part in his rule of Egypt. He was unlike any Pharaoh that had ever ruled. He was a young teenager who had an understanding of what the servants had to go through on a daily basis, and changed that when he became Pharaoh. No longer were people killed for looking the Pharaoh in the eyes. No longer were people killed for calling the Pharaoh by his informal name, (though they face severe punishment) and no longer were people killed just because the Pharaoh was angered. People were still killed, but the number had dropped drastically. It was unheard of for a Pharaoh to be kind and gentle, and many kingdoms rose against them, thinking them weak, but all were crushed. However, more and more kingdoms now came against them. The kingdom wasn�t able to support all of the battles and was now failing. Just when the kingdom had begun to thrive in agriculture, way of life and rule, it was falling, due to vengeful kingdoms. The Pharaoh was being attacked over and over again, however, not physically. He was losing everything precious to him, and it was taking its toll on him.
�Thank you for coming, Kelah.� He said slowly. He looked down at the gravestone amongst the flowers.
�It is nothing, my Pharaoh.� She paused. �I am sure that Liamah would be pleased to had been laid to rest in such a beautiful place.�
The Pharaoh stood and turned to face her. He had jagged blonde bangs and the rest of his red outlined black hair stood out from behind his head. His amber eyes seemed heavy with the burden of his country and weary with the death of so many of his loved ones. He wore no shirt, showing his bare muscular chest, over which hung a solid gold Ankh, and a pure white cape billowed behind him. A golden Egyptian eye sat under his bangs on his forehead as a crown. His dark skin gave him a strong look, and the jewelry made him look like the royalty that he was. Yes, a Pharaoh all the way. �My wife loved this garden. I felt it only appropriate that she should be laid here.� He said slowly, looking into Kelah�s cat eyes.
Kelah stepped foreward and wrapped the ruler in a comforting embrace. A few seconds later, Pharaoh Bel Um Fa returned it.
�My kingdom is collapsing, Kelah. Why do you still stay by my side?� he wondered over her shoulder.
�My Pharaoh, when we first met those many years ago, I swore to stay by your side until the day we pass on. Not because you are Pharaoh, but because you are my friend.�
�And you, mine, Kelah.� He answered, pulling apart from their embrace. His eye suddenly got a serious look in them. �I swear that Epuyo will pay for murdering the wife of the Pharaoh. I will kill him for taking Liamah�s life.�
�Ask of me anything, my Pharaoh. I will help in anyway I can. And I believe that your powers will save all of the world from the shadow games.� Kelah smiled weakly.
Bel Um Fa�s eye�s narrowed at her mention of the dreaded shadow games. He himself had played it a few times, but he did not have the addiction to them as his father had. His father had died trying to win at a shadow game. However, the whole concept disgusted the young Pharaoh. Men were willing to bet everything they owned and even things they didn�t to win these games. Bel Um Fa, himself had once been captivated by the complexities of this game. However, once he saw the darker side, he stopped returning to the shadow realm. This Shadi man that he first met the first time he had entered the shadow realm, he never fully understood who he was. His eyes were blank. As if he didn�t have a soul. Bel Um Fa often wondered if he had at one time lost his soul to the shadow games. Yet another victim of its evil. More and more kings and even normal people with the abilities to pass into the shadow realm were being drawn to its evil temptation and many of them do not survive the first encounter. Bel Um Fa had survived many encounters. He was a master at all the shadow realm had to offer. Shadi had often asked him to remain and face challenge after challenge, but after his father had died, Bel Um Fa had separated himself from that pull. Bel Um Fa was the only one with the power to seal the shadow games away for good, however that wasn�t enough. He needed to know how to do it. Which he didn�t. He constantly searched for a way to destroy the games, but no opportunities had presented themselves yet. He looked back at Kelah after a long silence.
�Thank you, beloved friend.� The Pharaoh put a hand on her shoulder.
�My Pharaoh! My Pharaoh!� called a familiar panicked female voice.
The two people turned to the entrance of the garden to see two familiar faces dash into the garden. �Isis! Maliku! What�s happening?� the Pharaoh wondered, he and Kelah running to meet them.
�An intruder has just entered the throne room! He demands to see you!� Maliku cried.
�Who is it?� Bel Um Fa wondered, an edge in his voice.
�It�s Epuyo! He�s returned.� Isis exclaimed.
Bel Um Fa clenched his fists and the four Egyptians took off toward the main room. �Seal off the exits! I don�t want him leaving the palace!� the Pharaoh shouted.
Maliku and Isis disappeared to perform their tasks. Kelah and the Pharaoh continued to head for the throne room. Bel Um Fa turned to the servant.
�You do not have to follow me. This could be dangerous!�
�I swore!� she cried, a warm smile on her face.
The Pharaoh also smiled faintly and turned his head forward once again. The two appeared in the throne room, and met an astonishing and unwelcome sight. All of the dancers, spectators, and guards were strewn all over the floor, bleeding, dead, or unconscious. In the center of the destruction stood a lone man. A man that caused Bel Um Fa�s eyes to narrow, his fists to clench, and his blood to boil. The murderer of his beloved Liamah, Epuyo.
The man was dark and had black eyes matching his mass of unkempt back hair. He wore a red and black sorcerer�s robe and stood before the enraged monarch with a sense of superiority and pride. He looked up at the two and smiled sinisterly.
�So, Pharaoh, are you ready to die?� he asked snidely.
�I can�t die until I see you so first, Epuyo.� The Pharaoh�s hate for the man came out plainly in his voice.
�Then you have a problem. With my new weapon, you shall be the only one who passes to the next world.� Epuyo laughed and plunged his hand into the folds of his robe, and held up two metal bands, each about � of a foot long.
�What are those?� the Pharaoh snorted.
�These are what I call the spirit manacles. These will latch onto the wrists of anyone it hits and the evil spirit, which I have trapped inside, will fuse with the person�s soul, ripping it apart and ending their life. So prepare yourself, Pharaoh Bel Um Fa!�
The Pharaoh�s blood boiled. He has the disrespect to call me by my name! He will pay for all that he�s done to this kingdom!!
Epuyo, instead of throwing the golden bands at him, pointed at the Pharaoh. A blue light surrounded the ruler and his arms snapped to his sides.
�I... can�t... move!� he cried helplesly.
Epuyo laughed briefly before hurling the manacles at the Pharaoh. Bel Um Fa braced himself for the soul-shattering impact.
For you my Pharaoh. My friend. Kelah jumped into action. She threw herself into the path of the manacles. They slammed into her side before snapping onto her wrists. She froze as an icy chill, colder than she had ever felt before, engulfed her body. As soon as it had filled her entire body, an enormous pain like electrocution wracked her slender figure. She screamed in pain and crumpled to the ground.
Bel Um Fa stared in horror at his fallen friend. She sacrificed her life for him! Epuyo will pay!!
Epuyo stared at the fallen figure in surprise. Why would a servant do that for her master? It didn�t make any sense.
Bel Um Fa looked at Epuyo, an unrivaled hatred burning in his amber eyes. He realized that Epuyo�s freeze spell had come undone, and took advantage of the opportunity. He pointed an open palm at the distracted priest. �Epuyo!!� he shouted, gathering energy into his palm. The priest looked at him. �This is for Liamah and Kelah!!... OBILIVIAN!!�
Epuyo screamed as he flew back and hit the far wall, landing in a heap on the hard stone floor. The Pharaoh darted to Kelah�s side and sat her up. �Kelah! Kelah, can you hear me, friend?� he cried desperately.
Kelah�s eyes opened slowly. She finally forced her eyes to focus on the ruler before her. �M-My Pharaoh.� She stammered weakly.
�Kelah! Why did you...? What were...?� he stuttered through tears.
�You are my friend. I... I swore.� She said slowly. She could feel death beckoning her body, and she was ready to respond.
�Kelah. Why?� he simply asked.
�Because you must live. You are the only one who can save the world from the shadow games. My life isn�t as important as yours. I believe in you, my Pharaoh.� Kelah sighed as she gave into the welcoming embrace of death.
The Pharaoh clenched his free fist as tears flowed freely down his cheeks...
Yami sat straight up in his bed, a slight layer of sweat covering his forehead and chest. What was that?
What was what? Came the mind voice of Yugi Moto. Apparently, the young vessel in which the ancient pharaoh dwelt in had been awakened by his double�s disturbance.
This weird dream I had. He answered, putting a ghostly hand to his forehead.
Another one? Well, I wanna hear about it, but can it wait �till tomorrow? It�s late. Yugi wondered dazily.
Yeah, I�ll tell you about it tomorrow if you want.
I want to hear it. I know that you can get freaked sometimes, too. You�re human after all.
Well, I was at one point. Yami thought, a bit wistfully.
You still are. But anyway, goodnight, Yami. We can talk tomorrow. Yugi departed to his own soul room to sleep.
Goodnight Aibou. Yami once again rested his head and tried to slip back into blissful sleep. Little result came from this. He wouldn�t get much sleep tonight. Not with these creepy dreams haunting his subconscious.