A New Life
A Yu-Gi-Oh! fic.
By CrazyHorseNinja
Taimat slowly blinked open her eyes. The sun was brightly shining and birds were chirping. The sound of the Nile roared faintly in the distance. The dragon stretched her limbs with a grunt and rolled onto her back, wings spread wide to absorb the warm rays of the sun. She lazily closed her eyes and rested. From his balcony in the palace Atem watched the black beast lay in the sun. His sunset eyes glistened with happiness. Peace was finally restored to Egypt. The young Pharaoh smiled and rested his elbows on the balcony ledge.
There were footsteps coming down the corridor. Atem lifted his head and turned around. Seto turned into Atem's room and bowed. "My apologies for intruding, my Pharaoh."
"What seems to be the problem?"
"There has been news of a drought in the southern region of the kingdom. The wells have dried up and plants refuse to grow. The people have requested to see you."
Atem nodded. "Send word to the stables to ready my horse. I will leave in two hours. First I need to consult with Taimat."
Seto bowed again and quickly left the room. Atem looked back out at Taimat. The black dragon had rolled back onto her belly and fell asleep in the midmorning heat. Her sides expanded and contracted with quick, even breaths. Atem sighed.
"Taimat!"
The dragon lifted her head when she heard her name called. She sniffed and spat out a shed tooth before looking over her shoulder at the Pharaoh. "Is there a problem in the kingdom? Something is amiss."
"That's just why I want to speak with you." Atem jumped from his balcony onto the high wall then to the ground. "The southern region has been experiencing a drought apparently and the people have requested an audience with me. I'll be leaving in an hour and I want you to come with me."
"Well, it's a good chance to get these old bones moving." Taimat stretched and yawned. She shook her head and kneaded the ground with her forepaws. "Are you going to fly or ride this time?"
"I'm riding. Dunehoof needs his exercise as much as any of us. You know how he gets when he's cooped up for a long time. And having all those foals to keep track of doesn't make it any better."
Taimat laughed. "I was hoping you would ride. My wing isn't as bad as it was but it still bothers me. Go fetch your horse. I will join you in a few minutes."
The dragon watched the young man run off to the stables. She sighed happily and flapped her wings a few times before folding them and climbing the wall. She padded through the busy streets and took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the town. People were talking about different things while children laughed and played. Parents called and venders advertised their wares. Taimat was glad to see the people finally at peace after the chaos of the war.
She approached the stables and whistled quietly. Atem came out of the barn leading his white stallion Dunehoof. The horse calmly followed his rider and lazily drooped his eyelids over his dark blue eyes.
"Come on Dunehoof," Atem said quietly. "Let's get going." He motioned for the horse to kneel, swung himself onto the animal's back, and tapped Doonhoof with his heels to signal to the horse to start walking. "Let's go Taimat."
"Okay. Let's set a good pace so we can get there before sunset. I don't like traveling through the desert in the dark. You never know what might jump out at you." Taimat walked next to Dunehoof and remained alert as they trotted over the sand.
Remember, this is a follow-up story to Of Love and Betrayal. I promised to do this when I finished OLB, so here it is! Keep reading and comment please. ; - )