Chapter One…Chained
The hall glowed with the soft light of flames as Yami was forced to walk along it. Beside the steady footsteps of the guards, there was absolute silence. Yami stared at the ground as he walked, fumbling with the restraints that bound him. He was naked except for a single tattered cloth that clung stubbornly to his shoulders and hips despite its frail condition. The long and intense silence was broken only when they reached the tall double doors that led to the throne room. A guard stood on either side and Yami watched quietly as they exchanged a few soft words with the ones escorting him, and then proceeded to pull the heavy doors apart, revealing a much more magnificent room.
Tall, white pillars were aligned on each side, there were so many candles to light the atmosphere that Yami had to blink to adjust. There was a long, velvet carpet that stretched from the doors to a high, golden throne that sat at the top of a long flight of steps. In which sat the stiffest man Yami had ever laid eyes on. He had a very pale complexion, with rich brown hair that swept to the side and sharp, intimidating features that were only matched by his icy, hawk-like eyes. He was dressed in the most eloquent of jewelry, and a crown of silver was fitted upon his head. A guard stood on either side of him and scantily dressed women attended to him where he sat.
Yami was marched forward without a word, he looked up into the eyes of the man scornfully, showing not the slightest sign of weakness. The man did nothing but stare down at Yami as he was brought toward him. He waved away the woman servants and stood from his seat, crossing his arms with an air of absolute authority.
"Hello, brother." Yami said softly, his intense gaze unwavering as they reached the foot of the throne. There was a clattering of chains and Yami was pushed to his knees. The man stared down at him, his icy blue eyes seeming to suck very life of the room itself. Very slowly, a tiny grin made it's way onto the man's face, and his eyes showed just the slightest hint of satisfaction.
"Greetings, Yami. It's been so long." The man finally replied, his grin widening every so slightly "You know, we should try to talk more. It's so in-polite not to keep in touch with family members."
Yami said nothing, and the man sat back in his chair and crossed his legs with an air of absolute smugness then continued "So tell me, where are your loyal followers now? Your cities, your kingdom, your wealth…all of it has fallen to me. Your people are now my slaves, and your wife Tea is now a part of my harem." The man leaned forward and widened his grin "Everything you once possessed now belongs to me. And here you are, kneeling at my feet. Tell me, Yami, who do you think has won?"
Yami's gaze averted from the man, wandering instead to the floor below him. He closed his eyes, and his lips spread into a wide smile. Slowly, he started to laugh. It was just a soft chuckle at first, but it grew into deep, roaring laughter that spread all throughout the room, as if he were outright mocking his captor, who's face had turned a very bright red.
"What? What is it you're laughing at? Are you so blind that you cannot comprehend that I am the one who now holds all the power?" the man said, clenching his white hands into fists and grinding his teeth in frustration.
At the man's words, Yami's laugh slowly began to die down. It fell once again into a small chuckle and then diminished completely. But a wide smile remained on Yami's face and a sparkle of amusement still glinted in Yami's deep red eyes as he looked up at the man and said "Seto, it is you who is blind. You hold all this power, all this wealth…you even own me. And yet you continue to obsess over who is better? As if we were small children competing for the attention of our parents? You are so petty that you cannot even see how very amusing you are."
At Yami's words, Seto had begun to shake with anger. The guards on either side of him shrank away in fear, and the two harem girls were standing to the side, attempting to look small so as not to be noticed. "I'll have no more of this! Guards, take him to the dungeon. Administer the worst torture you can upon this man. Do it now!" Seto screamed as the guards hauled Yami to his feet and began to drag him toward the door.
"Torturing the powerless does not make you big, Seto. It only makes you a coward." Yami said loudly right as he was pulled from the room. Seto stared after him, a vicious glint in his eyes. He stood up and called the nearest guard to him, who's face showed nothing short of pure terror "Supervise the torture, make absolutely sure they use every ounce of strength they have into making him suffer. Don't hold back in the slightest and don't stop until he's seconds before death. I'll be in my chambers." He said before storming off down one of the many branching halls.
That was chapter one, chapter two will be up either later today or tomorrow. And yes, Seto and Yami are brothers. Thought I'd change up the character relationships a little.