Chapter 20:

Life and Death

I'm baccccccckkkkk and lets finish this baby!

Akila stared at the mysterious woman as the dagger was placed in the palm of her hand. She took the cup lying on the table and let her blood drip slowly into the silver rimmed chalice. "What are you doing?" Sagira snapped angrily before Akila grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the marble slab, She paused for a moment to think a way out of this.

"I have enough of this Sagira, enough with your games. I'm not getting any younger. You lover doesn't look like he has that much time either." Lady Ebonny licked Akila's cheek and traced her fingers along Akila's jaw line. "Such perfection . . . such a youthful glow, I have other plans for you my darling little Akila." A painful slap resonated within the grand room; Ebonny tongue darted out and licked any blood that was drawn. A deep gash on Akila's shoulders as Ebonny's nails dug into her skin, "So this is what a beast's blood tastes like, such . . . fire. I must make you mine." Pulling a hidden blade out of her sleeve and with hopes of striking the wounded girl, Akila was any to block the fatal blow only to see the dagger rip through her forearm and the disgusting bone breaking crunch left a bitter taste in Akila's mouth. "I see you still have some fire left in you. Very well my little play toy, I still have a lot left for you." With a swift kick Akila laid on the ground her blood caressing her body.

Ebonny tore out the dagger, tossing it next to Akila and watched as her blood pour down on to the ground like an angry waterfall. She grabbed the chalice and placed Akila's arm over the cup, watching the blood fill up to the rim and tossed her arm away carelessly. Sagira stood in shock her hand covering her mouth and was unable to move, Ebonny took her steps carefully as if Sagira was her prey. Throwing the blood on to Sagira and stabbing her in the hand with the ceremonial dagger. "I will not let a pair of pesky unwedded little girls ruin my chance of immortality. Even if I have to dirty my hands, so be it! Little girl if you dare move and this ceremony is ruined! I have a fate worse than death that lies in your wake!" Ebonny hissed at the frighten girl, squeezing her palm for blood as if she was squeezing the juice of a lime. As the last bit of the chalice was filled, Ebonny threw her head back letting out a cruel and dark laugh. "It is finally time!"

"Priest Seto it is only a bit further!" An army of the pharaoh's knights charged out into the desert and have been traveling for hours until they reach the desolated town. Where the high priest's prized awaited him. He hated doing his little cousin bidden for him but who is he to question the ruler of this land. At least in the end he'll have her by his side, to him that will make this morbid journey worth it in the end. In the far distance he could make out the shadows to be buildings to what he hoped was the damned town. Gripping the reins tighter he raced to the town, no one will stop him.

The symbols glowed on the statues and floated around in the air making a circle around the temptress, two more verse of the chant and the world would fall into her hands and crumble at her fingertips. Sagira laid next to marbled slab, Akila on the steps to the altar, and Bakura laid against the wall. He twitched his arm his eyelids felt heavy, the poison was wearing off all he could do however was sit and listen to what was happening around him.

One by one the symbols flew into the cup making it glow a brilliant crimson, the warm liquid pouring down Ebonny's throat. "I'm not dead yet!" Akila jumped on her back, out of surprise she threw the chalice up and watched as the chalice rolled away leaving a pool of blood in its place. "Fucking witch! How dare you mess with me! I AM AKILA THE FUCKING NIGHT!" With the same dagger she pierced through Ebonny's breast plate and repeatedly stabbed her.

"You wench! I'll kill you for this!" Roaring with anger and frustration, throwing Akila off her back, Ebonny marched over to Akila and held a dagger against her neck. The blade cutting into her delicate skin, "Death is too easy for you! Instead you'll spend the rest of eternity watching him suffer!" A horrible roar emitted from the woman's throat, a red light shot out of her chest and the once beautiful woman was replaced with a spider/human hybrid. The beast eight legs works together to crawl up to Akila, picking up the limp girl, Ebonny snarled and threw her against the wall. Two sharp fangs protruded from her mouth and an acid like venom seeped from the fangs to the floor. A loud and burning hiss followed each drop of venom as it landed on the floor. Ebonny scurried over to Akila snarling, her teeth were ready to rip into Akila's flesh. "Do you love him?"

She pinned Akila into the wall knocking the wind out of her and left her on the floor. Ebonny rushed over to Bakura, "n-no don't hurt him!" Akila tried to yell out but only fell into the seeping darkness that surrounded her.

-Akila's Pov—

'Bakura . . .' The shadows creeping onto me was cold and lifeless, I couldn't move or even budge an inch. I could feel my life being drained out of me every second seemed like an eternity of pain, my body ached painfully. I couldn't do anything to save him, I couldn't . . . I was useless. 'I'm sorry I was useless to you to the end Bakura.'

"My my, the great Akila grew feelings for this worthless thief, how cute." A deep and scratchy voice entered my ears. It was bright and all I could see was the golden light that illuminated my sight. There was a man or beast standing in front of me wearing a cocky smile, "Too bad there is more pain and suffering for you in the future. Sleep my dear child and when you wake up it will be all over." I felt someone's warm hand over my eyes and whatever control I had left in my body disappeared. I could see everything and hear it but I couldn't feel it. I wanted to touch Bakura at least one last time before I died.

~ End of POV~

Akila's body shined with a brilliant gold light the bracelet she had on emitted a crimson glow. Smirking at the raging Spider queen she floated towards her. "So, we meet again Ebonny." The voice that came out didn't belong to Akila, it was deeper like a man's voice.

Ebony let out a laugh and growled through her teeth, "It seems we have. Tell me old friend, how is it like to live in a young girl's body?"

"I'll only answer if you tell me how it feels to live in a wrinkling decay body Ebonny?" She screamed and charged towards Akila's body, Ebonny produced a sword out of spider webs and sand while Akila's bracelet became a sword as well. They moved quicker than any human could to a normal eye all they would see was a spark that flew everywhere in the room with the sound of clashing swords in the background. "I see I'm not the only one out of practice, you still want eternal youth I presume."

"Enough with the chitchat you worthless demigod! Be prepared to get absorbed" Ebonny shouted in a rage and blindly attacking Akila, with ease she seemed to deflect each of the attack and was able to land a slash on Ebonny's waist. The blood dripping from the golden blade in Akila's hand, her tongue darted out and licked it off of the blade. "You disgusting-"

"Now now, what's with the name calling my friend? It's just a friendly spar isn't it? Then again, whoever loses this time dies isn't that right?" He taunted her by dangling the tip of the blade over her body, "Whoops, my bad." Akila thrust the sword into Ebonny's abdomen and watched her trying to wiggle free of being pinned. "I shall call my victory now." Holding the sword in place firmly and slashing out a thick trail of blood followed the blade. Ebonny screamed in agony and took a few steps back, Akila followed her. "Listen to me clearly, I did not bow down to my father and I was casted aside on to this disgusting planet my father loved so dearly. I became a beast and lived within the souls of humans. I gain my power from the pain and anger of broken souls. I am invincible and I shall not be overcome so easier and not by a spider hag like yourself! Farewell my dear sister."

Akila sent the blade through Ebonny's heart, craving a hole around it and was able to tear it out of Ebonny's chest cavity. The soft beating of Ebonny's heart vibrated within her hands, a smirk graces her face as she sank her teeth into the heart. Licking her lips feeling satisfied and feeling the power coursing through her vein like hot lava, "I'll leave the rest up to you now Akila. However I have a feeling you should watch your back. I gave you enough strength to make it out of here and back to your hideout, if you can make it that is."

The light slowly disappeared and Akila fell on the floor with a hard thud. Pushing herself off of the ground slowly with her back hand was wiped off any blood on her face, her and Ebony's blood. She hurried to Bakura's side; he was starting to stir back into reality. "Bakura!" She could feel the warm tears rushing out of the corner of her eyes and landed on the ground. Bakura opened one eye and paced his hand on her face, wiping any tears that were there. She placed her hand over his and rubbed her face into his rough hands, he smiled at her touch. "You're awake!"

"Where am I?" He looked passed her and stared at all the blood and back to Akila. "What the hell happen to you!" Her clothes were torn from head to toe and she was covered in blood from the neck down.

Akila shook her head "That's not important, you're safe now that's all that matters." Without thinking she threw her arms under his neck and held him close to her. He just responded by holding her by the waist, "I was so worried for you. I mean you were passed out for the longest time! I didn't know if you were going to wake up or-" She was hysterically and kept shouting at him, he did the only thing he knew how to make her shut up and he smacked her lips on to her.

"Just shut up." He stood up with Akila's supporting him, "Sagira is here too?" The whole time Ebonny changed into her true form Sagira was hiding behind one of the pillars. She popped out her head and ran towards them, "Are you hurt?" She shook her head no. "Mmm good. Let's get out of here." An hour passed as they tried to figure out the path, "I remember this place. Isn't this-"

"Where we first met?" Akila finished his sentence as she laughed to herself "I'm surprise you remember Baku~"

"Don't call me that Wrench!" He shouted at her as they neared the entrance they continued to bicker all the way to the horses in the middle of their bickering Akila told him what had happened while he was fainted.

Sagira was acting unusual as she kept shooting dirty looks towards Akila. She stopped dead in her tracks and hangs her head low. She held a knife in her hands caressing it delicately; Akila noticed her behavior and helped Bakura get on the horse. "Sagira," she called out to Akila her voice was dripping with hate and disgust "I'll kill you for everything!" The quiet and meek girl shoved the knife into Akila's back, She walked backwards and started laughing to herself. "Sagira or better known as Akila, I got my revenge on my mother! The woman who you just slaughtered! You ruin my chance at being an immortal and now I'll kill you!" Akila covered the wound as best as she could well Sagira kept talking. "All I ever heard growing up was Sagira this or Sagira that, it drove my mother into this obsession with you. I changed my name so she would pay attention to me more but that did nothing but add to it. She plotted every step you were going to take and planted me as a decoy. As long as you die Sagira, my mother death will not be in vain!"

"Disgusting," The fake Sagira fell on to ground on her knees then her body laid in a bloody puddle under her. Standing behind her was no one other then Priest Seto, he drew his sword from her back and seethed it. "Guards arrest that man on the horse and take to girl to a medic when we're in town."

"Bakura." She held on to his hand tightly as the guards were trying to rip them apart. Two guard were holding her shoulders firmly as the others had Bakura, pulling him away from her. "Bakura!" They broke her hold and bounded Bakura's arms and legs', tying him to Seto's the horse's reigns. "Ba. . .kura . . ." She was falling face first into the sands, nothing moving or making any sounds.

"Damn, quickly get her back to town. She lost a lot of blood and she might die if we don't rush things. Let's go."

Bakura gritted his teeth and mutter under her breath, "I'll give myself up but you must make sure you save that girl. Do everything in your power to or you shall pay in hell."

"I wouldn't be making treats in your positions. I will be sure you rot in prison while the pharaoh's takes his thrown for the first time."

-Akila's Pov-

"You're back so soon? I guess you didn't make it out." He was a emitting a golden light and had the shape of a god. Crossing his arms he flew towards me, thinking quietly to himself and smiled. "I have an idea! If you make a deal with me, you will be able to carry out with you were suppose to do originally. Then again I don't know if you're up for it. Well Sagira?"

"It's been almost 9 years since everyone has called me that name. Now it seems everyone is calling me that." I took his hand he stuck out to me, I felt like my soul was being pulled out of my body. Then everything went back to being black and cold. I was alone again.

I heard the soft beeping of the heart pace machine as well as the oxygen machine next to my bed. I tried so hard to move my fingers and open my eyes, it was bright. The light was hurting my eyes, what the hell was on my face. Everything was blurry I heard someone gasp and turned towards the sound, there was this black figure, a woman? No it was too built to be a woman maybe it was a guy, standing by the doorway, I blinked a few times to make the blurriness go away but when everything was focusing he left with his hands digging into his pockets. "Ah…"

"Asa? You're awake! Doctor! She is awake!" Someone yelled wildly as they flew out of the door, a doctor calmly walked in placing a cold stethoscope on my chest. He was old and had gray hairs, a pair of glasses sat firmly on the bridge of his nose. He took a clipboard out of the side of the bed and glanced down at it. He wrapped a rubber thing on my arm tightly and placed the stethoscope on my wrist, focusing on his watch.

He wrote down all of my health reports and smiled to me, "You're one lucky girl. We were all surprised to find you awake today; actually we're surprised you even made it out alive. All you're vital signs are well and running Miss Masanari. It will take some time but you will be able to walk and talk again. For now take it easy and get some energy, it has been two years since you slipped into a coma. I'll leave you with your brother; he has been waiting here every day for you to wake up. Come to think of it, one of our patience shows interest in you and watches you while you were sleeping. If you see him you should thank him for saving your life."

Finally it's the end and I can breathe easy again. I apologize for not updating sooner but I couldn't decide on how I wanted it to end and then a bunch of problems came up but anyways, here is the ending. I think that's mediocre enough, I'm sorry if the ending wasn't as good as your hope. You can say I'm a little out of touch, ummmh. Right! Thank you to all my readers who stuck with me to the end silent or not and I'm sorry that I kept you guys waiting. If you guys liked it you should click over to the squeal to Written in, called Once Upon A Dream. Hopefully it will be better with updating and what not. It's been almost a year since I start Written in, I'm happy I saw it to the end.