If You Feel Better

Chapter 59

The streets of Nekfu had become tumultuous, never a dull moment to be found anymore. The royals versus the seedy underbelly conflicted constantly, much to the perplexity of its population. They were used to it being a relatively uneventful city until recently. The collision of the two sides were causing chaos among the masses, many of whom now stayed within their houses to escape the entropy that could erupt at any time.

Many citizens now stood in the street, frozen, exchanging worried whispers under their breaths. They gathered on one side, clustered together for safety, watching with frightened gazes at the man on the other side.

Bakura ransacked an empty booth, all stalls on his side of the street abandoned immediately upon his presence. All of the items and coins left unattended for his picking, tossing aside anything he deemed worthless and shoveling money and valuables into a sack. He was well aware of his audience, paying no mind to the gaping faces watching him steal in broad daylight. He wanted them to see that the pharaoh had no place there, that he was in charge and no one, not even the official guard, dared to openly defy him. This city was his.

News had spread like wildfire of the royal guard and innocent man he had slaughtered in front of the public. His face, already plastered on wanted posters all over city, was easily recognizable as well as his burgundy cloak that he didn't try to hide.

The city, formerly crawling with palace guards, was now taken over by Bakura and his men, proving no match for the pharaoh's royal forces when threatened. It stirred unrest in the people, posing questions in their mind of the king's leadership and ability to protect them when needed. Bakura could feel that unrest, quite familiar with the notion of distrust for the pharaoh. He fed upon it. It was what gathered his army and made it strong. That fear for safety and anger toward their leader gave him power and he would be a fool not to utilize it.

"Is that the man?" a woman asked another with a quiet, raspy breath.

"Yes, that's him!" the other answered, terror lacing her panicked voice. "I saw it myself! The way he killed that guard and that man . . . there wasn't a thing the pharaoh's priest could do about it! And he was standing right there!"

"How're they supposed to protect us when they can't even stop someone from killing them?!" a man asked to the general group.

"Where even are the guards?! The murderer is right there! He's standing in front of all of us right now and there isn't a single authority figure around! How can we trust them with our safety?!"

The murmuring grew louder and more unruly as widespread alarm raced throughout the crowd, becoming worse every second. Bakura grinned sadistically at their chatter, feeling their fear feeding his body and stimulating his soul.

He jumped on the stall table he had just finished thieving and addressed the throng of people directly. "People of Nekfu, hear me!" he cried, a hush instantly overtaking the crowd to listen closely. "I am taking your hard-earned livings right out from under you! You just watched me do it ten times over right in front of you!" He held out his burlap sack in front of him for all to view. "This bag is filled with your money and your wares that I have taken! Where are the officials to take it back for you?!" The people muttered the answer quietly to each other, wondering the same. "Many of you have seen me kill one of your people! I cut his throat in the middle of the street and yet, here I stand, unencumbered by chains!" The people mumbled some more, talking of how unfair it was. "I slit the throat of a royal guard, his blood leaching into the streets! And yet I am here, free as a bird among the rest of you!" The people huddled closer together, some holding onto each other for dear life as he continued to talk. "Where is the justice from the government?! This is the weakness of your king! And I bet all of you have had grievances about his leadership during your lifetimes, have you not?!" The people discussed amongst themselves again, many agreeing that they had not been fully pleased with the pharaoh in one way or another. "What if I told you that you can have all the riches you want?! What if I told you that you don't need to live these impoverished lives?! For anyone willing, I offer a way out!" People gasped and gossiped about what he could possibly be talking out. A way out? They weren't stuck living this way? "Pledge your allegiance to me, and you will be free from the pharaoh's rule! You will have the weapons you need to protect yourselves! Your stomachs will never be empty again! And you will see money you've never dreamed of! For those that are tired of being let down by the pharaoh, join me and talk control of your life for yourself!"