Vampire Yami Ch 29

Where the city's north side was finishing, a bushing forest was starting. A forest of black pines and firs. At night, when sometimes wind was howling, the rustling of the leaves and the gigantic branches seemed with thousands of whispers in the darkness while from time to time some wolf was heard in the moonlight. In some parts bunches were so entangled with each other that the sunlight couldn't break through. Times like that, late in the afternoon, sunlight was barely penetrating the leafages. Yami, sometimes jumping from bunch to bunch, sometimes walking, he was mounting on a small hill. The piece of paper in his hand had a small map drawn on it that was showing him the way through the thick forest. He reached a part where the trees were a bit sparser. Something like a small glade. A gargle brook was passing among the trees' stumps. Yami stopped for a little to smell the beautifully smelling air. This place seemed like…or it was…the place where they found him! He closed his eyes while he was feeling the soft breeze waving his hair. He was remembering…He turned his gaze towards the uphill path that was ahead. Now he could distinguish something else among the tall trees' tops. Something that seemed like tiles up on the hill's top.
"Tell me, do you believe in destiny, Yami?" he remembered Ishizu's words.
"Destiny…" he murmured.
He drew a deep breath and next, determined as ever, he started to run at his full speed as a vampire, towards the path's top. He was running…Sometimes on earth, sometimes on the trees…


Once he reached the top he remained staring with his mouth wide open. He was standing in front of a huge, medieval castle. The high towers seemed to be scraping the sky among the trees. He stood out of the heavy, wooden door looking at the heavy bronze knocker.


Somewhere deep inside the castle a raven-haired woman, dressed in white raised her head.
"He's here." She whispered in the penumbra.


Yami grabbed the knocker and knocked the door. The massive door opened with a heavy sound. In the small opening appeared a tall man that was wearing a long, dark purple cloth with a hood that was covering his face.
"Come in Yami… Lady Ishizu is waiting for you" he said with a deep voice, hoarse but yet calm.
Yami looked at him for an instant and then stepped into. The man close the door behind them. The castle from inside was kind of dark because only torches illuminated it. The strange part was that although the castle looked medieval from outside, inside (besides the red carpet on the long hallway) it reminded you ancient Egypt. The stone walls were decorated with parts from the Book of the Dead while instead of armors here and there were statues of different Pharaohs'. Next to the walls instead of having thrones or armchairs, there were diverse ancient couches or pots. Yami was looking around while walking. All those hieroglyphics, the gods and the colors were magnetizing him.
"I'm really delighted you decided to come" he heard Ishizu's deep voice.
He turned around and saw her approaching followed by two vampires. The one was dressed in a broad, white cloth and a turban on his head. His dull, blue eyes seemed as if made of glass. His skin was tanned as well and was emphasizing his appearance with two golden earrings on his earlobes and a big golden ankh-key hanging from his neck. The other one was exactly the opposite. He was tall with long, black hair that had caught them on a ponytail that was holding them in place with a red band on his forehead. He was wearing long, black, leather pants, black sleeveless vest and a red waistcoat. From his left ear was hanging a dice while his bright, green eyes were examining the new arrival. Unlike the other, serious, vampire he had a smug smirk on his lips. The vampire behind Yami bowed his head in respect as Ishizu approached them.
"We were expecting you" Ishizu said again with her slight Arabic pronunciation in her voice.
"I suppose you know why I am here!"
Ishizu nodded.
"What do you think about my home?"
"Impressive…I like the decoration" Yami replied.
Even though he was honest, there was a slight sarcasm in his voice. Ishizu smiled a small smile for an instant.
"My family has a unique duty, which passed from generation to generation. We are Tomb Keepers. My family guarded incredible secrets about ancient Egypt and its kings and had as a duty to protect them along with their tombs"
"Interesting"
Ishizu looked at him directly to eye.
"In the end you accepted your fate and came."
Yami didn't answer. He kept staring her expressionless.
"I'd better introduce you all of our members"
The echo of her words had barely settled down when vampires started to come out from every corner till in the room gathered half dozen of them.
"Yami allow me to introduce you. This is Odion" she said signaling towards the vampire that had opened the door to him.
Odion took his hood off to reveal his face. He was tanned too. His eyes had the color of olive oil and were looking at Yami with extreme attention. The left side of his face was covered in hieroglyphics. His head was bald except one plait black hair, hairdo prices in ancient Egypt used to have.
"Odion is my brother from Egypt."
"Pleasure to meet you" Yami said extending his hand.
He on the other hand bowed his head saying:
"In reality I'm an orphan. Ishtar family accepted me when I was a baby. My duty was to protect my Lady when she was born" and they shook hands.
Yami looked at the tall vampire for a little.
"He's a Perennial one too even though he's a vampire for eight hundred and eighty-five years"
He seemed to be around thirty-five therefore older than Ishizu for then years.
"And this is Shadi" she continued showing the white dressed one with the turban.
"He's a vampire for eight hundred and fifty years. He worked in many researches with us, back in hometown."
Shadi, serious, nodded his head. Next Ishizu pointed one tall dark-haired woman with yellow skin and slit, almond-shaped black eyes who was wearing a short, yellow Chinese dress.
"This is Vivian Wong, vampire for six hundred years from China."
"How's it going?" she winked playfully blowing him a kiss with her finger.
She too seemed around twenty-five years old or maybe a bit older. Next was the dark-haired male with the green eyes.
"One of the youngest here is Duke Devlin. He's a vampire for five hundred years, passion with dice!"
Duke winked.
"I think we'll go well! Welcome!"
Yami smiled faintly.
"Last but not least, let me introduce you Kisara. She is a vampire for the last four hundred years and has the rare characteristic to be pureblood. She is coming from a big family of vampires before she was turned into."
Yami turned his gaze to see one not so tall but very delicate and pretty girl. She was a pure albino. Her skin was so pale that was almost completely white. Her hair was straight and long till low to her hips and was pure-white like snow. Her eyes were crystal-blue and were perfectly framed by her hair that was falling freely over her face. She was wearing a simple, brown dress without any jewelry. She bowed to Yami.
"Nice to meet you Yami!" she said in a sweet voice.
"Likewise" Yami smiled.
She seemed so young that Yami would say that she wasn't more than fourteen years old.
"There is one more member" Ishizu said, "that is absent at the moment but I think that you already know her very well"
Yami almost blushed and lowered his head. Yes. He knew her really well.
"Yes. Tea is missing. She's hunting" Kisara said.
The vampires surrounded Yami.  
"Cool hair, dude!" Duke said
"He's cute!" Vivian commented while leaning over Duke's shoulder.
"You have beautiful eyes!" Kisara whispered
"I agree! And nice name!… 'Yami'…Here's a suitable name!" Vivian said again.
Yami was looking at them for a minute and then he turned towards Ishizu.
"I'm here for business"
Ishizu smiled.
"But of course. Allow me to tell you your mission"
"Right now?"
"Of course. Why should we delay it?"
"I'm listening"
"Like I told you my family used to be Tomb Keepers for many generations…However it is a duty that, like the scepters of royalty, passes from father to son. Daughters take education but males always performed the tasks and guarded the ultimate secrets. My mother didn't have children so one day she found Odion out of our home. She raised him as a son. But when she pleaded my father to let him take the ritual of his tenth birthday he totally refused. He wanted the descendant to be his own blood only! Ten years later my mother gave birth to a child. Then I was born. However I was a girl, therefore I couldn't inherit the duty. My mother begged him again but he refused again. He was treating Odion with great cruelty and me with disdain. He loved me and he took care of me but the fact that I wasn't a boy, was filling him with disappointment" she paused to take a deep breath.
Yami could sense that she was struggling with herself to keep her composure under control. Ishizu went on.
"Years passed and I was growing up with Odion. Even though my father's cruelty, Odion still respected him and called him 'master'. He always called us this way all of us. Even though he treated him worse than a dog he still saw him like a savior! Five years after my birth, one night with full moon, my mother brought in this world her second child. This time it was a boy. I had never seen my father smiling like this before! He took the newly born infant in his hands as if holding god Ra himself! However my mother died exhausted by the agony of childbirth leaving, as her last wish, my brother under Odion's protection. My father decided to give to the baby the name that means 'king': Marik!" she emphasized every syllabi of the name.
"As you can imagine Marik was written to continue our family's duty and become Tomb Keeper, while Odion was protecting him. He was for him brother, father and friend"
Odion bowed his head humbly hearing his sister.
"When he became ten years old Marik, just like his father before him, went through the Ritual of the Gravekeeper and on his back was engraved the ultimate secret. The secret that was the main reason of our family's existence. He was Tomb Keeper now. However Marik never wanted it! He didn't want to pass his life technically locked in a tomb detached by the entire world and he was afraid of the ritual. Odion made an attempt to bare his brother's weight himself but he faced father's violent character. So not knowing what else to do he decided to share his pain and did his own ritual and engraved his own hieroglyphics on his face. Like this –he said- they were brothers now"
Yami looked at the symbols on Odion's face. Next he turned back to Ishizu who continued her story.
"Our life was difficult, already. When I became a vampire it became even worse. My father got even more away from me and this continued feeding the hatred inside my brother's heart. Not even the Ability that appeared I had, didn't bring him close to me. Eight hundred and ninety years my brother got hit by a terrible disease. I didn't have another choice and in order to save him I turned him into a vampire. When my father found out we went berserk and blamed Odion because he wasn't able –he said- to stop my bloodthirsty instincts. By the time we reached the room he had already almost flagellated him to death. My brother was always spiteful and when his rage took control of him, especially as a vampire, not even Odion could stop him. Therefore he bit father and killed him. Next to save Odion he turned him into a vampire"
"And what exactly has this story to do with me?"
"I will explain you right away. As you can see Marik isn't among us and that because he has allied with Bakura"
By hearing his name Yami took a surprised expression.
"The fact that Marik doesn't have Abilities, drove his hate to reach till me and because Odion tried to support me to avoid the worst, Marik started not to care about him either. Bakura moved extremely fast and took him with his part"
"I don't understand…" Yami said, "If he's not a Rare one too then why does Bakura want him?"
"Because I was the one who turned him into a vampire and now he's connected with me with a blood bond. The same bond that connects you and Yugi. So now he can share my visions at times. If a vision is extremely intense and I think of him perhaps he will be able to feel it as well, therefore Bakura…"
"…Is always a step ahead. I got it!" Yami finished her sentence.
"Precisely" Ishizu nodded, "And the fact I can't see Bakura's future makes this advantage dangerous!"
"I still can't see where do I fit!"
"Exactly here. You see we can't leave such an advantage to Bakura any longer. We need Marik back. They know the rest of us so they're going to be prepared while you…"
"So you're telling me, you're asking me to jump right into wolf's mouth, straight into Bakura's hideout to bring your brother back?"
"Exactly and in return we will protect your brother till you come back"
Yami seemed thoughtful.
"Very well!" he said, "If I must I'll do it!"
"Excellent. So whenever you are ready you can bring us Yugi"
Yami looked at them determined.
"I'll bring him here…tonight!"