Due to the small plot twist, it's taken a little longer to get posted, but I'm rather happy with the outcome, enjoy.

Warning(s): M. Yaoi. Spoilers of names. Disclaimer see first chapter.

Chapter 5: Raid the Thief King.

Malik was surprised that Bakura hadn't placed him in chains or locked him away somewhere under watchful eyes of one of his men. Instead the thief did something much worse; he made sure Malik knew his place. He stripped away all of Malik's privileges in teaching the children and moving about the village freely, Malik was constantly flanked by Ryuji. Malik's food was cut back to almost crumbs that weren't even fit for a mouse. The thief's men made sure Malik kept his distance from the thief at all times and it was breaking Malik down. The bastard thief had taken everything from him that he ever knew and threw him into a world he had never known existed... sure he knew of thieves and criminals and Malik on an occasion laid eyes on them a few times by chance in passing as they were marched to the execution chamber and never seen again.

Now, Malik was eating with them, raided tombs, tombs of all places, with them, and he had even befriended a few of them. The gods damn him for all eternity, he even bedded himself with the worst of them, the most wanted, the most skilled, the thief King himself, no doubt the title given by his own ego, it was so like him.

Malik felt awkward sharing a tent with Ryuji and sleeping on his own after having spent so many nights in the thief's bed, warm and comfortable... Malik now lay on the hard ground with nothing but rags to cover himself with while Ryuji slept in a bed on the other side of the tent. Ryuji for the most part was the silent kind and offered no real conversation as the two settled in for the night... Malik now felt used, unwanted and useless and good for one thing, but even that felt he wasn't even capable of doing right, no matter how unexperienced he was and still is.

Malik waited until Ryuji fell asleep before he slipped silently out and made his way towards Bakura's tent... all of Malik's rational thoughts screamed at him that he was now free of being forced into the thief's bed, that if given enough time Bakura just may forget about him and Malik could simply slip into the night and return home and Bakura would be none the wiser. Malik's insides twisted up hurtfully at the thought of being used for such a short time and then thrown away as if he was nothing... a twisted, darker, unspoken part of him missed whatever twisted relationship they had between them and yearned for it back rather strongly.

He slipped inside the tent in what he thought was silent enough not to be noticed... but standing on the other side was the thief undressing himself and his reflection was caught in a mirror. Before the thief could turn around, "Bakura." Malik rushed across the area and threw his arms about the thief and buried his face into the other's back. "I'm so sorry... forgive me." Malik was begging, he didn't think he could take much more of Bakura's cold ways towards him.

"Malik." The thief sighed and didn't move, he simply allowed Malik to hug him.

"There is nothing more you can take from me and if you no longer want me." Malik mumbled trying to hold back his tears, because that was one thing the thief wouldn't get from him. "Allow me to return home to my sister... I'll never speak of you or give any information that would lead to your capture." The thief turned about and placed his hands on Malik's shoulders. "I'm begging you." Malik was in tears, he failed at keeping them at bay, but the thought of his sister and how much he missed her had brought them forth, they rolled uncontrollably down his cheeks and he clutched at Bakura. Ryuji and few of the other's said that the thief King did not let go of his anger easily and Malik did fear the thief may never forgive him and just deicide to end his life. "I want to go home."

Bakura silently watched and listened as Malik gave his heart wrenching sobs and pleas to return home and it pulled at the thief's emotions like nothing else before and he felt his hard exterior melt. Malik had never asked to be let go until now, sure he tried to escape once before, but nothing ever came of it again.

Rishid had spoken to him a few days ago and mentioned in a subtle way that someone of Malik's nature could be crushed rather easily if under the wrong circumstances that would have two outcomes.

One: If Bakura continued on the path of treating the boy like he was, Malik would completely hate him, which the outcome would be another dead boy to add to the already long list of dead bed-warmers.

Two: Malik would spiral into depression and Bakura would have to end up killing him... just like the others.

Three: Malik was unlike anyone Bakura had 'kept' before. Malik didn't cry all the time, didn't try to escape even when surrounded by so many, didn't scream or recoiled whenever Bakura came near him or then touched him and he didn't stop eating. The boy was so willing to even raid with them and Malik didn't have to do much to fit in with everyone around him.

Bakura did take it all into consideration and he really, really didn't want neither one or two to happen; he lifted Malik's chin up, "You would leave me?" Malik gave off a small hiccup out of shock of what the thief said.

"But I thought." Malik was so confused. "You are so angry at me."

"I am angry at you for what you did." Bakura was honest and the way he had been treating Malik showed all that even though the boy took place in his bed, Malik would be treated no differently from anyone else in the village. "It doesn't mean I am willing to be rid of you so easily."

Malik pressed himself up against the thief. "I do not wish to leave you." The thief smirk it was one of confidence and accomplishment in just a twitch of lips. Malik gasped as the thief King pulled him close and Malik could feel the other's hardness that was also now pressed against him.

"Milord!" Ryuji entered the tent looking as if death was at his heels and gasping out of breath. "Malik's gone he ran..." He froze on the spot his words dying in his throat upon seeing the boy wrapped in the thief King's arms, not sure what to do Ryuji bowed. "My mistake, I found him." He backed out; muttering his apology and prayed that he hadn't interrupted anything important.

Ryuji in his haste to get some distance from the tent had missed the dark figure moving about the thief King's tent. The figure moved to the back of the tent and cut a slit in the material to see what was going on inside. Mahado had to make sure the thief wouldn't kill his mission's target.

The wraps of material about Malik's shoulders and torso and the wrap about his waist was easily removed, his hand stopped at the trinket that hung about Malik's neck. "You're so fixated with treasure." Malik removed the cloak from the thief's shoulders and down his arms.

"You are my treasure, Malik." Thief gently pushed the boy towards his bed and laid him back upon it. Malik bit his lip and moaned at the firm caresses to his body and soft lips that kissed their way down, until Bakura's hot mouth engulfed his length.

Malik arched his back and bent his knees up and curled his fingers in... that damn hood! He pulled it from the thief's head and tossed it aside and then ran his fingers through soft spiked white hair. Bakura growled at having lost his small bottle of oil, but his mind didn't linger on it for too long. "It's going to be a little rough."Malik grabbed the thief's hand and placed three of his fingers in his mouth and sucked on them, slicking them up.

Bakura smirked at the whimper when he pulled them from Malik's mouth, the boy gasped as one of the digits pressed into his body and Bakura couldn't wait to have Malik writhe against him and moaning his name.

Bakura pulled back and watched as Malik sat up and lent over, taking the thief's hardness into mouth. "Malik." Bakura breathed out closing his eyes; it had been too long since he had been in this situation with the boy and not doing it for his own reasons of satisfying his lust or getting information, but simply wanting, Malik. He made sure to leave a good amount of saliva behind, Malik sat back wiping at his mouth with the back of hand with a good blush on his cheeks.

Bakura's wine red eyes were smouldering with barely contained ravenous desire, he gave a ferial growl and pulled Malik onto his lap and entered him in one move. Malik threw his head back and cried out at the ceiling, arms wrapped about the thief's shoulder and head, his knees pressed to the thief's sides.

The thief King almost instantly created a pleasing rhythm, one hand sneaking down and wrapping around Malik's length, stroking it in time with his thrusts. Malik panted out gasping when the thrusts came harder and Bakura hit that spot that had Malik gripping at his body and thrusting his hips down to met Bakura's upwards thrusts.

It amazed the thief how Malik's tan skin had a sheen of perspire and glowed in the candle light, he couldn't tear his eyes away at the sight of how Malik's sweat damn hair stuck to his face... yes, Malik was indeed a rare treasure that he was willing to keep at all costs.

"Malik," Bakura gritted his teeth together; he wasn't going to last long the way he was watching the boy and how Malik moved with and against him.

"I can't!" Malik cried out as he came in Bakura's hand and the thief King so willingly followed in his own personal rapture, grinning as Malik slumped against the thief King in exhaustion and panting heavily to get his breath back.

Bakura had no time to react as Malik suddenly moved so fast, twisting backwards his leg's tightened about the thief King for balance, his hand drove under the pillows and pulled out the sword Bakura always kept there. Malik twisted back around and he lunged his body, arm and the sword forward. Bakura's eyes widened and the air rushed from his lungs instantly at hearing the blade slice through flesh and bone and the warmth that now ran down his side.

Malik's eyes were wide with shock and filled with tears as they were deadlocked with Bakura's as he pulled the sword from the body and gasped at seeing the blade covered in blood. Painless, the thief felt nothing when there should have been excruciating pain.

The intruder gasped and stumbled away holding his side and dropped a dagger and fell to the ground on his hand and knees. Bakura was off the bed, taking the sword from Malik's shaking hand. "I killed him, he was... he was going to kill you." Malik muttered thickly in tears, the thief King caressed Malik's cheek before turning and kicking the man over and was surprised to find it was a guard from the palace; Bakura looked upon the man with no other emotion but anger. "We're under attack! The Pharaoh's guards are attacking!" Calls rang out all over the village.

"Atemu is here?" Malik gasped getting off the bed, what was his cousin doing all the way out here when it was the Pharaoh himself who had cast Malik aside and into the arms of the thief King to save himself... and the Pharaoh was here to rescue him.

"Atemu isn't here, the coward." Bakura hissed. Malik was relieved that the man was only wounded and he hadn't been responsible for someone's death, though the guard coughed up blood and gagged, he also laughed at them from the flat of his back which shocked Malik.

"My men will have this little camp wiped out within an..." He didn't get to finish as Bakura drove his sword through his chest and moved on to get dressed. The thief King truly held no mercy for the enemy, Malik shuddered to think what Bakura would do once he caught up with his cousin.

"Bakura, there are about twenty or so guards attacking the village." Rishid and Ryuji entered the tent, armed with all kinds of weapons. Malik dove for his closes to cover himself. Bakura dressed within moments, ordered his men to kill every guard. The thief followed his men into the battle to save innocent people that lived within his man-made village.

Malik dressed and rushed outside and saw most of the tents already engulfed by flames, people were running about trying to get away and very few were trying to put the flames out; some were already dead that Malik had come to know over his time. He tore his eyes away from the chaos before him, trying not to see as Bakura so mercilessly cut down guards as if they were nothing.

Malik moved forward to help in getting whoever he could out of the village and away to a safe distance, mostly the elderly and the small children were the first he could think of... everyone else seemed to handle themselves just fine.

Suddenly something stung Malik in the neck, he brought his hand up and pulled it down to find a small dart in his fingers, warmth flooded his body and he felt so tried, his legs gave out. "Bakura!" His call only seemed to fill the area around him, before he hit the ground arms wrapped about him and he was caught safely.

"I don't wish you to be too damaged for when I present you to the Pharaoh. Don't worry about your thief; he'll be dead by morning." Mahado muttered watching as Malik helplessly struggled to stay conscious long enough to get the thief's attention who was still in Malik's line of sight and seemed only feet away.

Before drawn every guard that wasn't dead would wish they were, the thief King would keep them for questioning before killing them. The fires were put out and the dead were being gathered outside the village. It was too much damage and it would take months get this place back to how it was, he was thankful that a few of the tents were untouched, they still had food and water, a few horses had escaped and a few of the young ones had ran out into the desert for safety and most likely got themselves lost.

Bakura sent out scout groups to bring them all back before trouble found them. He ordered who was left alive and uninjured to salvage what they could and pack it up for moving.

The thief King knew it could have been so much worse when what it was, he could have lost everyone. "Your injuries must be looked at." The physician rushed after the thief King.

"Nothing but scratches," Bakura mounted his horse which the beast was so worked up that it just wanted to go and the thief needed it's speed, for whoever took Malik had a good head start, but not for long.

Bakura turned the horse about and fled out into the darkness at full speed. Rishid, Mai and Ryuji followed right after. Katsuya however was left in charge to round up any guards that had survived.

Mahadowhipped hishorse to move faster. Malik was still unconscious slumped over the saddle gagged and bound by hand and foot. The city's walls were now in view by the light of a new day and Mahado could taste his reword. Lucky for him he didn't have to confront the thief King in battle to obtain the boy. Though deep down he did feel sorry for Malik, for it seemed that he was in love with the thief, who was no doubt dead laying among his crumbled little kingdom and dead subjects.

Malik moaned groggily from behind him and the assassin hastened his horse to move faster, he wanted the boy before the Pharaoh before the drug wore off. Suddenly out of nowhere the thief King stood mounted on his horse blocking his path and the woman aimed a bow and arrow at him. Mahado pulled on the reins so hard that the horse slid in the sand, threw its head up and let out a cry, Malik almost rolled from off the back of the horse if it wasn't for the assassin grabbing onto him.

Mai raised the bow and the arrow shot out. "NOOOO!" Mahado cried out a soon as he realized who she was aiming for, his hawk was shot down out of the sky. "BASTARDS!" He yelled pulling out his sword and placed the blade under Malik's head and against his throat.

"The next one goes through your head!" Bakura yelled at him as Mai aimed the bow and a new arrow at him.

"I'll kill him, let me pass!" Mahado had to marvel at what gave this man such unnatural speed. He had never been caught like this before... he had never been caught before.

"I want the boy." The thief King got down from his horse, pulled out his swords, one in each hand and slowly walked towards Mahado.

"Then came clam him!" Mahado removed the blade from the boy's throat and charged towards the thief. Suddenly he was attacked from both sides and pulled down onto the sand with such force that it knocked the air out of him as he rolled, the horse galloped off, bucking and kicking purely out of fright. Rishid and Ryuji were on him and were about to kill him.

"I want him alive!" The thief King called out, Rishid and Ryuji didn't question as they moved about and tied Mahado up and gagged him before throwing him onto the back of a horse.

The thief King rushed over to where Malik had fallen off the horse and lay in the sand unmoving. "Malik?" Bakura lifted him up and removed the gag and cut away the rope that bound him, he lifted Malik up by his back and pressed his ear to the boy's chest. "He's alive. Let's go back, before we are noticed." Mounting his horse and Malik resting against his chest, he rushed off across the desert with his men close behind with their new prisoner.

Malik woke with a start remembering instantly what happened before passing out. He glanced about and noticed he hadn't woken up in the palace's dungeons or clapped in iron, but a tomb. "Finally." Mai muttered pushing off the stone wall. "Thought you'd never wake up."

"Bakura?" Malik shakily got to his feet.

"Waiting for you, kind of." She turned and walked down a dark tunnel, Malik rushed after her the best he could. An abnormal moan bounced off the walls and Malik leapt forward grabbing onto Mai's arm.

"What was that!" He was soon answered as they entered a well lit area and Mahado was on his side, covered in blood and all kinds of wounds. Up ahead, Bakura sat on a sarcophagus his eyes though slightly hidden by the white hood, held a twisted glee to them while watching his prisoner writhe in pain before him. Whatever happened to the man, Bakura had done it before he had woken up and Malik was thankful that he had missed the screaming.

It was obvious to the thief King on who hired the assassin due to Malik being kidnapped, it was Atemu's plains that Bakura was after and Mahado was rather tight lipped about it. Bakura rose to his feet gracefully and strode forward. "Last time... what has Atemu planed for Malik once he returns?" Taking out his sword, the thief King drove the blade through the assassin's hand to the ground and left it there. Mahado screamed and Malik turned away, Bakura was never a man who got other's to do such things for him, oh no, the thief King was a 'self doer.' This was also the thief Kings other method of abstracting information from anyone that Malik was more than happy didn't wittiness first hand.

"I don't know!" Mahado panted his eyes on the blade through his hand; he'd never throw a knife or properly hold a sword again. The thief King growled as he moved the sword's blade side to side. "The Pharaoh said if I didn't return with Malik in a few weeks, he would hire another assassin and march his army across the desert and wipe everyone out."

"Atemu has no army." The thief King and the other laughed, having constantly killed guards over the years, there was no way Atemu could replace his man that fast or in such great numbers.

"Yes, yes he does." Malik paled and Atemu did have the numbers now.

"What?" Bakura was before Malik staring him down, his eyes now burned with a contained anger, how did such information slip by him? He was always so observant and paid damn well for this kind of thing... he's spies were getting slack. Malik licked his lips dry, he didn't want to say it, didn't want to crush the thief's hope that he could fight his way out of this one. "Malik." Bakura growled.

"Atemu has allied himself with the PersiaEmpire through an arranged marriage." Malik's insides twisted up on his thoughts and what he was about to say. "My cousin will march that army across the span of Egypt if it meant the outcome would be possession of your head."

"Why does he want you back so badly?" The thief King moved forward his look suspicious, forcing Malik to back up. "What have you kept from me?" He shoved Malik to the hard stone wall.

"Nothing!" Malik shot back out of the slight pain that ran up his back. "I've kept nothing from you! Gods, I couldn't keep anything from you." It was true Bakura did things to him and he had lost control over his own mind, mouth and body, the thief King had opened him up all like he did with the tombs and Malik was laid out bare before him. "Atemu is using me as an excuse." It hit them both at that exact moment.

The real reason Atemu had thrown Malik at him and how stupid he had been in taking the bait, the Pharaoh had played him to his advantage and in turn would give a sob story to his new allied court about his kidnapped beloved cousin and he would be dead in a matter of time, with so many looking out for him, there would be nowhere to hide, no one to trade with, food and supplies would become hard to obtain. There would be no way he could keep his village or the people he considered his family.

"You're out of time thief." Mahado chuckled at finding the situation rather humours. The thief King turned and in a few short few steps he kicked the assassin in the face, knocking him out.

"Bakura, what are we going to do?" Mai worriedly asked.

"What do you wish us to do?" Rishid muttered.

The thief King slumped down against the sarcophagus, silent and deep in thought, before his eyes turned on Malik and he gave his order. "You're getting your wish, Malik. You will be returning home."

TBC.

Not much left to go now, R&R (Love and Cookies)