Ok, originally I didn't plan to upload this story until it was completely finished but the I thought 1) it'd probably be hard to read this story like that since I'm expecting it to be quite long and 2) if I find out no one likes this then the time I spent writing it would feel kind of wasted so I'm going to upload it in parts like normal. So far I've only written two chapters so I guess it's kind of a taster of things to come so I know continuing this is worth it. So, enough background information, on with the story.
Edit For Reviewer George: Thanks for letting me know about that problem, the format didn't look so bad on my word document since its much more condensed than on fanfiction. You were right it looked terrible and must have been hard to read. Thank you again for letting me know about the problem.
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Chapter 1 Familiar
Yami's POV
The familiar musky scent filled my senses sending me into a light daze, the smell of the differing aromas used in the ritual always made me a little light headed and sick but I never complained, it was something I had gotten used to over the years, like my usual routine. The black stone covered the walls and floor of the shrine making the room seem much darker than necessary, in the middle between four red columns stood the statues of various women and men only about three foot tall, our Gods with fake glass veins running through the statues. I kneeled down on the ground the soft silk of my robes doing nothing to save my knees from the cold yet smooth stone beneath me as he leaned forward resting my forehead against the black stone my hands coming forward to rest on the ground in front of me slightly inwards the tips of my fingers lightly touching each other as I had been taught. The words I knew off by heart slipped from my lips automatically
"Great Gods I beg of thee, I ask you to give this world your protection and love. We ask you to grow our crops to feed ourselves, give us healthy children, bring us healthy animals, give us water and sunlight, we beg of you. We give you our trust and love and for your sympathy, I thank thee." I repeated the words as the women lit more of the sickly incense on small golden plates walking around the oil lamp lit shrine filling the shrine with the scent and smoke.
Men and women surrounded us holding oil lamps on long smooth sticks engraved with holy symbols forward barely enough light emitting from them chanted as well though different words to encourage the Gods to listen. The women gently rested the golden plates on the table in front of me as well as three of the oil lamps from the surrounding people. I opened my strangely coloured crimson eyes and sat up my lips still spilling the same words as I moved forward. I finally fell silent after a few moments in turn picking up a small bronze, silver and golden engraved bowls from in front of me each holding the blood, the bronze filled with a man's blood, the silver filled with woman's blood and the gold filled with a child's blood.
I poured the contents of each of the bowls onto each of the oil lamps extinguishing the flames the shrine becoming darker as I did so. I rose to my feet as the men and women continued to chant pushing back the fabric that covered my pale hands revealing a familiar circle scar on the palm on each hand resting them on a sharp spikes of the statue before me and pushed down the sharp marble piercing my skin. I didn't wince or make any expression, the pain and action was second nature to me though I could still recall the first time I did this clear as day when I was five years old; my father had forced the palms of hands through the spikes, I screamed and cried that day though my father ignored it and did so every day I was to do this ritual my father having to force me each time until I finally blocked out the pain, I was so used to it the action no longer bothered me anymore.
The blood poured from my hands and down the spikes, I stayed silent and stoic waiting until my blood filled the artificial glass veins of the statue. I finally moved my hands back and bowed once again repeating the words once more. The men and women stopped chanting and used a small circular lid on the oil lamp to douse the fire as silence fell in the shrine. It was over. I sat up and rose to my feet leaving the shrine, the blood would last 24 hours and I would have to repeat the ritual again tomorrow morning at 6am as usual.
The men and women followed escorting me back into the Atemu manor as I automatically walked to my room to change for breakfast, as my routine stated. It was the same every day, I was awoken at 5am by one of the family servants, I would dress in my sacred clothes, 6.00am do the morning ritual, return to my room to change for breakfast, 7am have breakfast with my father, 7.30am study, 12.30pm have lunch with my father, 1.00pm self reflection, 6.00pm an hour of free time, 7.30pm the night ritual, 8.30pm have dinner with my father then 9.00pm sleep until the next morning.
This was my daily routine, I had followed this routine each day for the last eleven years with the occasional changes for particular holidays or events though these were rare. It was the routine my father had set our for me and it was the routine I followed by the letter each and every day. I dressed myself in the expensive intricately designed aqua blue Yukata someone had put out for me as ordered by my father and bandaged my hands then made my way to the dining room.
Beautifully polished furniture was dotted around the room, chairs, a long sixty foot table covered in a spotless white cloth with expensive plates, cutlery and glasses adorning it the red carpet with gold marking looked right and cream coloured walls and roof lightened the room. I entered and made my way to the long table in the middle of the room bowing respectfully to my father as I always did. My father nodded and motioned for me to sit, I did as I was told.
My father was forty five years old with grey spiky hair not unlike my own with deep dark green eyes, his face was wrinkled though they seemed to make him look more distinguished and wise rather than old, he wore one of his usual light grey yukatas. My only other living relative was my younger brother Karou, however he was taken from the manor when I was eight years old and I barely remember him. I would never see him again since he would only return to the manor after I died so that his eldest child could take over my job as the shrine priest. The same actions were repeated with each generation. The eldest child would remain at the manor and dedicate their heart, soul, life and body to the Gods and would not marry while the second eldest would marry whomever their parents chose for them and have at least two children. When their elder brother or sister died they would return to the manor and their eldest child would take over as priest or priestess of the shrine and the second eldest would marry who their parents chose for them, and so the cycle continued as it had done for the last eighteen generations.
My meal was already set out in front of me, a glass of water, boiled rice, egg and shrimp as my father had ordered for me, my father always ordered my breakfast for me and I ate all of whatever he provided, as he ordered me to do. The room was silent as we ate the occasional sound of chopsticks lightly clattering against expensive china, we never spoke during meals, actually we very rarely spoke to each other at all, there was no need, anything I did or said was reported back to my father from the servants and workers. I ate my meal barely tasting the food, it wasn't meant to be enjoyed, it was provided for energy and life, that was what my father stated, and if that was what my father stated that was what it was for. It was my father's command and my father's word was law in this house. When I finished I sat in continued silence my eyes emotionlessly staring at nothing in particular as I waited for my father's permission to leave.
He finally spoke, "alright Yami, you may leave."
I rose to my feet nodding to my father and bowing once again, "thank you father."
My father didn't reply, simply ignoring my reply as I turned and left the room walking the familiar route to the library where my tutor was waiting for me not paying any attention to the other servants around me going about their own daily tasks. I opened the familiar oak door and entered the library sitting behind the same desk I did everyday as my tutor, a sixty year old man with dark cerulean eyes and greased back grey hair wearing a swallow tailed black coat with matching trousers and shoes and white shirt neatly pressed, approached my desk placing a book in front of me and ordering me to open to a particular page to begin studying. I did as I was ordered and began following my tutors words in the book writing notes as I did so. I sat in silence for the next few hours doing whatever my tutor ordered me until all of the clocks in the library began to chime informing us that it was noon.
"Alright Yami, you may leave." My tutor stated closing his book.
I rose to my feet and bowed respectfully to him picking up my notes and walking to my room, my father was expecting me in the dining room at 12.30pm for lunch. I softly closed the oak door looking around my familiar room. A polished four poster bed sat in the corner of the room adorned with silk white curtains tied back with gold rope and similarly coloured sheets rested perfectly on the bed not a single crease or blemish could be found, the cleaners had been in while I was out as always. My room didn't have a lock and anyone could enter at any time if they wished. My pristine desk stood proudly against the polished oak walls almost blending in as a result of the colour with a similarly coloured chair and wardrobe and a cream carpet spread across the floor beneath my feet. Currently the only source of light in the room spilled in from the window on the left of the room filling the room with warm sunlight and giving a view of the manor's large garden filled with Sakura trees and various types of flowers and bushes. I walked automatically toward my desk opening one of the larger cabinet draws and sorting my notes into their respectful areas then sat silently on my bed waiting patiently. The all too familiar sound of clicking caught my attention and I turned my head to see one of the manor's servants entering the room and bowing to me.
"Master Atemu, you father Lord Atemu is in the dining room for lunch." She stated.
I nodded and silently and rose to my feet walking the usual route to the dining room. My room had no lock as it wasn't necessary, 'locks are only used if you have something to hide' my father once stated, and no one ever knocked before entering my room either, what was the need? I entered the dining room bowing to my father once again as I had done this morning and every other day of my life going through the same actions I had this morning. When my father allowed me to leave at the usual 1.00pm I walked to my room and began thinking, my self reflection time was spent thinking and writing about my recent actions, what I have done wrong, what I could have done better, what I will do in the future, what I can do to make better use of myself to the Gods etc… Feeling too hot in my room due to the hot summer sun filling my room I opened the window and sat on the windowsill as I usually did in summer to try and cool myself and the room down. I continued my self reflection period as usual.
The clock in my room chimed 6pm, I placed my writings into my desk drawer and looked around the room. I hated my hour free time, I never knew what to do with myself, all of my actions were set out by my father or ordered from others, I disliked not having direction or an obvious order to follow making my daily hour free time the most annoying and confusing time of the day since I had no idea what to do with myself at this point.
I opened one of the desk drawers reading over my notes from today's study period and familiarising myself with any new material sitting on the open windowsill. My eyes flitted over to the wall that surrounded the Atemu manor and to the buildings passed it though they were far away, the Atemu manor was quite far from the main city and rather secluded. I had never left the Atemu manor even once in my life, when I was born the family doctor was called from the city to the Manor. Whenever I was ill the doctor was called to the house though we had a nurse in the Manor at all times for any minor illnesses. There was no need for me to leave the Manor, I have never set one foot outside the Atemu Manor, every second of my life have been spent within these walls and so will my future, I was born in the Manor and I will die in this Manor just like all the shrine priests and priestesses before me.
I felt relief wash over me at the sound of the next chiming from the clock in my room signalling 7pm, the hour free time period was over, I replaced the notes back into my desk. I changed my yukata to sacred robes again ready for the night ritual.
At the usual 7.30pm a servant entered my room stating it was time for the night ritual, I automatically nodded once again and rose to my feet walking outside to the black and red shrine in the back gardens pressed firmly against the walls surrounding the Atemu manor sealing it off from the rest of the world. I entered the shrine once again the same men and women entering the shrine as this morning though now each held a candle in their hands rather than an oil lamp like this morning. I whispered more words of prayer just like this morning this time however begging the Gods to make the sun rise as they had done this morning.
I kneeled once again my bright yellow and orange robes representing the sun covering the black stone floor bowing to the statues just as I had done this morning however this time when I rose I reached forward taking a small pile of black gritty powder from a golden bowl in front of the statues into the palm of each hand, a man and woman walked forward as I closed my eyes still whispering the same words as they lowered the candles to the black powder in my hands the flames striking the powder there was a loud hiss and bang with a sudden flash of light and smoke from each palm as the gunpowder in each hand was ignited. There was only a small pile in each hand about the size of a small jewel, nowhere near enough to cause much damage to my body other than a black patch of burnt bubbling melted skin on each palm. I felt the sharp burning and pain though, as with the morning ritual, I was used to the pain involved with this ritual and was able to block out the pain. I took the candle from the woman beside be and placed the candle upside down into the bowl of gunpowder igniting it. There was a much louder hiss and bang just like before with a flash that filled the shrine with a burst of sudden though short lasting light again, nowhere near enough to cause any harm to the surrounding people or the shrine. I whispered the prayer once more and the night ritual was over.
I walked out of the shrine once again escorted by the other men and women and made the familiar walk back to my room bandaging my hands to cover the still black bubbling skin on my palms as a result of the gunpowder. I changed once again getting ready for dinner with my father dressing in a simple green yukata. As I had done the other two times today I entered the dining room after a servant had come to escort me, I bowed to my father, ate, waited for my father's permission to leave, said good night to my father and returned to my room dressing for bed and lying down onto the familiar crisp white sheets and falling asleep ready to repeat the same routine when I was awoken at 5am, like usual.
This was the routine my life had been based for the past eleven years, the same routine each and every day followed by the letter as my father had ordered of me. It was what was expected of me and so I would follow my father's orders. I liked the routine, my father assured me this is what I was born for and what my life was destined to be and, as I had been raised, I believed him; my father stated it and my father's word was law. It never crossed my mind that what my father said wasn't right. My daily routine was so familiar to me, but maybe familiar isn't always what's best. Isn't it strange how one encounter can shake your very life's beliefs and existence?
This is what my life is destined for, the Gods and this familiar routine…. right?