Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh but I did create a number of the cards that appear in this story.
Ryu: With my novel seeming postponed indefinitely and my mind dry as far as other fics I'm going to go ahead and add another chapter of this story. Sadly I'm passed the beginning, which is always easiest for me. From here I'm gonna have to actually think a little. Still, I've gotten good reviews so far so I'll keep trying. And now for the shout outs to my new readers.
16forever: Thank you for the complement. It's a shame you haven't read my others but then maybe they aren't your style so that's okay. The point is you like this one and, apparently, like it very much.
Novalee Phoenix: Yay, a long review. I'm both happy and relieve that you like my writing style. I don't think I'm very good but everyone says I am so maybe there's some hope for me. And I'm glad you enjoy the story too. I thought for a long time about doing a cliché like this so its really an experiment on my part and I'm happy you like it. I hope you will continue to take joy in reading it.
Ryu: /sigh/ Only two reviews. Well, maybe if I add more chapters it'll attract more people. I'm really more worried about making this chapter and all the following ones live up to the first. I guess only time will tell. Well, here goes.
Chapter 2: Pot of GenerosityA pair of burgundy-brown eyes opened slightly and tried to adjust to the dim light of the room. The girl that was the owner of the eyes rubbed them and rolled over in bed, pulling the blanket closer around herself.
"It was just a dream," she sighed, somewhat sadly, closing her eyes again. It had seemed like a nice place that she could've enjoyed being it. And the little Gremlin that had saved her; it had been so cute and part of her missed it. But that's what dreams were she reminded herself, things and places that you could want and love but ever quite have. Atem had been a dream.
She shifted somewhat uncomfortable in bed. Had the sheets always been this rough? She opened her eyes and looked down at the bed. It wasn't her bed at all and she sat up instantly. She looked around herself and realized this wasn't her bedroom. She was sitting in what appeared to be the only room of a small hut. The walls were made of wood and the roof was made of sticks that held up a clustering of large leaves. Under her was another cluster of leaves grouped into what she guessed was supposed to be a bed, a large one at that, and she was covered with a, somewhat rough-feeling, greenish-tan colored blanket.
She also noticed that she was still only wearing her white towel, though now it was home to a few brown dirt-smudges, and the pendant that she had gotten from her parents. She pulled the blanket loser around herself while taking in the rest of the hut. The floor was only earth and there was a fire burning in the center that was the only source of light, emitting a thin line of smoke that rose to the roof and seeped out between the leaves. There was no furniture in the hut, not nearly enough room, but one area on the opposite was had a small stack of bowls, some eating utensils, and a couple of goblets. Next to the dishes was what the girl guessed was meat and a small pile of fruit, although she questioned whether or not it was any good.
Against another wall there was a basin that had a cloth and a bar of soap resting on its edge, a washbasin. There was also a kettle, a pitcher, and a wooden bucket sitting next to it for transporting water. There were no windows or decorations on the walls, but there were three sets of robes hanging on pegs and a few clothes folded under that sitting on top of an ornately carved travel chest that seemed out of place in the gruff surroundings. And next to that chest was…
"Oh, it's you," she gasped, getting from the primitive bed and crossing the room to where the little green creature that had saved her before was laying asleep, a bandage wrapped around its wounded stomach. "It's so cute," she said with a tender smile, stroking one of its furry cheeks and remembering the fearsome expression it had worn when it had attack the silver wolf back in the woods. "That's right," she thought aloud. "What happened? The last thing I remember was… I was wondering how I got here, and the wolves were getting closer." She took the pendant into her hand and looked at it. "I looked down at my pendant… and then I heard a voice… and that was all. I must have passed out."
"You did."
Anzu jumped at the sound of a deep, masculine voice and turned to the door of the hut, clutching the towel close to her chest. There stood a man looking to be about twenty with tanned skin and long black hair that was tied back and fell to the small of his back. He was dressed a pair of dark blue pants, a cream colored shirt, and a dark indigo travel cloak around his shoulders.
"I said are you okay?" the man said, causing Anzu to shake her head. She had been so lost in his handsome looks that she hadn't realized he was talking to her.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said with a faint blush touching her cheeks. "Um… are you the one that saved me?"
"I am," he said simply. He sounded upset.
"Well, thank you very much," she said. She wanted to stand up and bow as well but didn't want to risk dropping her towel. "My name is Anzu Mazaki."
The man raised a brow. "I've never heard of such a name," he commented. He walked into the hut now, closing the door and blocking out the night air.
In the firelight Anzu could make out his eyes. They were sharp and a violet-red color; the same eyes as someone special to her. He had Atem's eyes and they took her breath away.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, sounding annoyed, hanging his cloak on one of the pegs.
"Yes… I'm fine," she said shyly. Why did he seem mad? Well, before she asked that, she wanted to know who he was. "So, what's you're name?"
"I'm Madoc," he replied, walking over to the pile of food and beginning to unwrap some.
Anzu nodded, though he didn't see. There was a moment of awkward silence before Anzu asked, "So, did you bandage this little thing up too?"
"I did," he replied. "It's called a Gremlin and, the way you held it, I thought it was your pet. Though I'm surprised there's a Gremlin out there that's tame enough to be a pet. They're mostly a bunch of feral imps."
"So I've heard," she said before the silence settled in for another brief stay.
"Where did you get that pendant?" Madoc asked her.
Anzu blinked at the question. "My parents gave it to me," she replied.
"And where did they get it?" he asked, cutting a piece of meat into smaller pieces and putting them into a bowl.
"I don't know," she admitted. "They just left it out as a gift for me."
The man nodded and kept on cutting the meat. They were both silent again for a while longer.
Finally, Anzu asked him, "Where am I? I know this is a dream but I still want to know."
At these words Madoc stopped his cutting, his eyes widening. But he quickly shook his head ad answered, trying to act as if it meant nothing to him. "You're in Felse," he told her, cutting more quickly. "It's a small village southeast of the capital."
"The capital of what?" the girl pressed.
Madoc put his knife down and turned to her. "Where are you from?" he asked abruptly.
"I asked first," Anzu countered, annoyed that he had answered her question with a question.
Madoc sighed out of frustration, running a hand over the top of his hair. "This is the village of Felse, located on the edge of Hamongrog Forest and south of Palis, capital of the Lilose Kingdom. The Lilose Kingdom has governed over the island continent of Kingrod for six centuries and is currently under the rule of King Pegasus."
'Pegasus?' Anzu thought with shock. But it couldn't be the same guy.
"Now tell me where you are from," Madoc practically ordered her." And how you came to this land."
"I don't know how I got here," Anzu told him. "I came home from hanging out with my fiends, took a shower, got a pop, and found this gift from my parents on the counter. Then I went up to my bed and fell asleep and now I'm dreaming."
Madoc looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he got up and walked to the pegs to retrieve his cloak. "I beg your pardon but I need to see the chieftain," he said, throwing the cloak about his shoulders. "Feel free to help yourself to food. I don't think I'll be long. And please don't leave the hut," he instructed, his hand on the door.
"Wait," Anzu asked of him.
He stopped and glanced over at her.
"Um… do you have anything I could wear?" she asked shyly.
It only now sunk in to Madoc that she wasn't wearing much. If she wasn't embarrassed then she'd definitely be cold. He crossed back to the stack of clothes and sorted through them, pulling out a deep blue and a pink garment.
"You look about my sister's size," he said, giving her the clothes and then walking quickly to the door. "Remember, don't leave," he said again before exiting the hut.
Anzu stared after him a moment. Why hadn't he wanted her to leave the hut? How come he seemed so mad? What kind of weird dream was this turning out to be and why had she still not woken up yet? Sighing, she stood up and unwrapped her towel from he body, dropping it to the floor. She shivered and her nipples hardened at the sudden chill air.
"Maybe he's mad because I'm imposing on him," she guessed, trying to dress quickly. The pink garb had been cotton under tunic and the blue was a wool tunic dress and she tied them at the waist with a length of golden robe. Once dressed she began to look amongst the clothes until she came across a pair of stockings that she pulled over her bare feet. She felt bad for doing so without permission but her feet were very cold.
"I'll definitely be warm," she faked a laugh, running a hand though her hair and pulling her pendant out from her clothes. She had never wanted a brush more than now and, after a moment of searching and exploring the nearly empty hut, she found one. "With hair as long as his I knew he'd have one," she said to herself proudly. "I hope he won't mind if I borrow it."
She began to stroke the object through her hair. Next to dancing this was the thing that calmed her the most. Just like the teeth of the brush undid the tangles in the strands the motion undid the confusion in her mind. She was in a dream. She was in the house of a very handsome man, in the middle of a village she'd never heard of, and on a continent se had never heard of. She had been attacked by monsters and saved by another. Nope, not one bit of it made a lick of sense.
A sound like a tiny meow from a kitten caught her ear and she turned her attention back to the spot next to the chest where the little Gremlin was stirring. She set the brush down and crossed the room to the little beast.
"How are you feeling?" she asked it, putting her hand on its head.
The little creature looked up at her, and the pendant she word, and seemed to smile.
"You really saved me back there," she told it tenderly. "Thank you so much."
The little creature made another meowing sound and licked her hand before curling into itself and going back to sleep.
Anzu continued to stroke its green fur a moment; it was so soft. When the creature was dozing she sighed and realized she was hungry.
"He did say I could help myself to the food," she remembered, leaving the Gremlin's side and walking back over to where the food was. "And maybe he won't be so bitter if I cook something for him."
It was all raw food and she took over the knife and continued to cut the meat Madoc had started. When she thought she had enough she wrapped the remainder and then searched amongst the vegetables until she came across an onion, a red and green pepper, a clove of garlic, and a couple stocks of broccoli. She chopped them all quickly on a cutting board and then searched through the food and dishes until she came across a bottle that appeared to be oil, a contained that had a mix of salt and pepper in it, and what looked like a primitive version of a frying pan.
She poured some oil into the pan and held it over the fire, waiting until it was hot before adding the meat and vegetables. She stirred them with a wooden spoon she found, every now and then sprinkling some of the salt/pepper mixture over it. When the meat was cooked and the vegetables had a nice color she took the pan away from the flame and set it on the ground, waiting or the oil to stop popping.
Something furry landed on her shoulder and she looked over to see the little Gremlin perched there.
"Hey there," she giggled. "Are you hungry?"
The creature made a purring noise and nodded, saliva somewhat dripping from its little mouth. She smiled at it and stuck a fork into one of the pieces of meet, handing the utensil to the creature, which took it and bit down on the morsel. It jumped down off her shoulder and began to wrestle with the meat while Anzu pulled out a loaf of bread and block of cheese she had noticed. She cut off a couple pieces of both, throwing one of each to the Gremlin, and placed them on two plates. Then she spooned some of the meat and vegetables onto the plates as well and set them out near the fire.
"No, no, you can have the rest in here," she said when she noticed the Gremlin going after the plates. She scooped the remainder of the food into a bowl and set it out for the little guy. She set two of the goblets out by the plates but the only thing she could find to drink was a bottle of wine. Anzu had never had alcohol but then there was nothing else but water, and who knew how clean that was, and this was a dream anyway. So she shrugged and poured two goblets of wine, then re-corked the bottle and put it away just as the door to the shack opened.
Madoc stood there, looking somewhat dumbfounded, as he gawked at the girl.
"Welcome back," Anzu said, trying to sound cheerful.
"You… did all this?" he asked.
"Yeah," Anzu said, blushing a little. "You seemed mad earlier, and I thought maybe it was because you had to put up with me, so I thought I'd try to repay you by cooking dinner."
Madoc stared at her a moment longer, his own tanned cheeks stained a light pink, and then shook his head. "What are you, my wife now?" he joked, going over to the chest.
Anzu's face scrunched into a scowl and she rose to her feet, placing her hands on her hips. "How dare you?" she scolded. "I worked hard to make this for you and all you can do is make jokes."
Madoc laughed a little, but went about what he was doing; packing his clothes into the trunk. "I was just playing with you," he laughed. "But the with an attitude like that maybe you wouldn't be such a bad companion. You're not bad looking either."
Anzu's blush deepened and she looked away from him.
"And I'd love to eat but there's not a lot of time, we need to go now," he said more seriously. "If we leave tonight we can get there before dawn."
Anzu's embarrassment vanished and she looked at him curiously. "Where are we going?" she asked. "And is there any point? I could wake up at any time."
Madoc closed the chest and stood, turning to look at her. His face was looked positively serious. "Anzu Mazaki, this is no dream."
Anzu's eyes widened and she took a step back.
"I know this may be hard to take in," Madoc went on, "But you're no longer in your world. That necklace is the Black Pendant, an ancient charm that brings power to its wearer. It was banished from our world long ago, but was said to return when it fell into the right hands."
Anzu gasped. She had thought back in the forest that maybe this was real, that magic existed outside of just Egypt and the Sennen Items, but she hadn't been serious. Had se really been brought into a different world?
"Who are you?" she asked. "Who are you really?"
Madoc sighed deeply. "I am Madoc Powlyn, a mage serving King Pegasus. I'm also Colonel in the King's Army. I was stationed I this village with my sister, First Lieutenant Mana Powlyn, and her fiancée, Colonel Mahaado Aplyn."
'Mahaado and Mana?' Anzu thought. Those were the Pharaoh's best friends back then. If this was another world could they possibly be different versions of those two; same for King Pegasus. And was there another her here; or another Yugi, another Atem even?
"We were stationed in this village because a pack of Silver Fang have been terrorizing it," Madoc went on. "But, since the Bearer of the Black Pendant has stumbled into my care, I'll have to return to Palis with you and turn you over to the king."
"What do you mean turn me over?" Anzu squeaked.
Madoc chuckled. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble," he assured her. "But if you have that item then the king needs to know. You could be the one."
"The one what?" Anzu asked.
"I don't know enough to really tell you, only the king and his right hand know the legend fully," the mage told her. "That and our foe. That's why we have to move, before the foe shows up."
"Who's the foe?" she asked.
"I can't say anymore, they have great hearing and they're everywhere," Madoc cautioned. "Our kingdom is at war with our foe."
"War?" Anzu gasped.
"If I speak their name they attack. We have to go now," Madoc repeated.
"But the food, you must be hungry," Anzu whined. "And I'm so confused by all this."
Madoc crossed to her and put her hands on her shoulders. "I understand your confusion," he said to her. "But I can't say anymore. Once we're in the safety of Palis and in the king's court all will be answered. Please now, we have to go."
Anzu sighed and nodded. She didn't know whether or not to believe this was real. It could still be just a dream but her past made her want to believe him; her past and his eyes. They were so familiar and so beautiful; so much like his. "Okay, I'll play along," she said.
Madoc nodded. He scribbled something down on a piece of paper and set it by the plates where it could be seen. Then he took another cloak from the hook, a dark pink one, and handed it to Anzu, along with a pair of brown travel slippers. "My sister's," he said.
"Won't she want these?" Anzu asked, stepping into the shoes and pulling the cloak around her shoulders.
"She'll just apperate another later, I explained in the note," he waved off. There was a knock at the door. "That must be our carriage," he said. He muttered a few words and the chest lifted itself from the floor. He walked to the door and opened it, letting the chest float out to the waiting cabby, an old man with little hair and teeth and wearing a long nightgown under his jacket. "Are you bringing the Gremlin?" Madoc asked, giving the hut a final once over for anything he might have forgotten.
Anzu looked over at the little creature that had gone back to sleep. "Yeah, I think I will," she said while pulling her hood up. She walked to the sleeping imp and carefully lifted it up into her arms.
Madoc smiled at the motherly way she held the creature. He also took time to closely admire her beauty. Her hair barely reached her shoulders and was a light brown. Her eyes were the color of chestnuts a they were wide, caring, and loving. Her figure as trim but fit and developed and she walked very gracefully.
He followed her out of the hut and helped her to climb into the carriage. The inside was spacious with velvet benches on either side and two oil lamps burning near the roof. They sat across from one another and Anzu set the Gremlin down next to her.
"I still can't believe one could be tame enough to be a pet," he said thought aloud. "Are you going to name it?"
Anzu took in a deep breath and sighed loudly. "I don't know if I should," she admitted, staring at her hands folded in her lap. "I'm still debating with myself whether this is a dream or real. I don't want to name him and get attached only to wake up and miss him."
"I suppose that make sense," he said, seeming down all of a sudden. "Still, I can assure you this place is indeed very real."
"If it is then what will I do about getting home?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I don't know what I'll do if I can't see my friends or my parents again. Not to mention I don't know anything about this world."
"You could learn," Madoc offered. "I mean; would it really be so bad staying here?"
Anzu rested her hand in her chin and stared out the window. "I don't know if it would be bad or not," she said truthfully. "All I know is that it's not home."
Madoc looked away from her sadly.
Anzu caught his look and tried to lighten the mood. "You know, you're a lot nicer than when I met you."
He glanced at her with a raised brow. "How so?"
"Well, before you were kind of, well, mean to me," she told him. "It seemed like you were mad that I was around. But then, when you came back from where you went, you seemed almost like you liked me. As a friend I mean," she added quickly.
Madoc laughed a little and looked out the window. "I'm ashamed to admit that I wasn't too thrilled with you," he said, "Mostly because I had been patrolling for Silver Fang all day an thought I was done when heard more. And then I found out someone had stumbled into the wood even though it was known throughout the village that the forest as off limits. Plus I was kind of nervous about that pendant. An evil sorcerer forged it long ago and it's unsure what kind of power it holds. But after things started to piece together I calmed down and noticed," he paused now and looked at her, "that you're really very kind and beautiful."
Anzu blushed deeply at the complement and looked away from him. 'Oh my god,' she thought. 'A really good-looking guy thinks I'm beautiful. I don't think I care if it's a dream anymore.'
"You also seem to be well versed in the arts of wives," he went on. "At least those in the kitchen. In the bedroom I cannot be certain," he laughed.
Anzu went impossibly redder. "How dare you?" she shouted. "I thought you were a nice guy but you're really just a pervert."
Madoc only laughed at her. "You're a cute one," he said.
Anzu huffed angrily at him and turned away, looking out the window. 'So rude. Here I thought he was the perfect guy.' Then her anger subsided a little. 'Then again, that is a couple thing. It's only logical that he would think about that, especially when saying how good a wife I appear to be.' Then she realized what she was thinking and what he had said. 'He complemented me on being a wife. But why am I thinking like this when I don't even know if any of it's real? Maybe I'm just creating all this in my head for some reason. I mean, can you even feel this way in dreams?'
"I hope I didn't offend you," he said honestly. "You look so natural in those clothes that I forgot you're from another world where those things might not be talked about in the same manner."
Anzu laugh a little. "You only made me a little mad," she told him. "But if you're going to flatter me all the way to… Palis, was it? If so then I think I can forgive you."
"I take joy in flattering you," he told her. "And there's not much else I can do."
"Well you could tell me more about this war," she offered.
The light drained from Madoc's face. He'd had a feeling she'd be curious but had hoped that she would not bring it up until he told her it was safe to do so. "It really is best not to discuss it out in the open like this."
"Can't you just be really quiet about it?" she pressed.
Before Madoc could answer the carriage jerked forward and came to a halt, sending Anzu flying into his arms. She looked up at him and for a moment they became entranced by their meeting one another's eyes. It was as if looking into them was to look into all the truth of the world and of their hearts. It was at that moment that Anzu knew.
"This is real…" she whispered.
Madoc nodded, careful not to break the eye contact. Outside the carriage came the sound of a scream that woke the imp now on the floor.
"Stay here with him," Madoc instructed. He settled her back in her seat and then reached for the door, saying, "I'm going to see what's going on."
"Wait," she cried, grapping onto his cloak.
He looked back at her, surprised with the sound of concern in her voice.
"Be careful," she said meekly.
Madoc smiled and nodded to her. He even went as far as to blow her a kiss, which made her blush darkly again, and climbed out of the cabin. Anzu scooted to the window to try and see what was happening but it as dark.
"You think he'll be okay?" she asked the little imp that had climbed up on her shoulder.
The imp shrugged and then suddenly put on the fierce face it had worn before as a bright blue light shone from outside.
"It's okay, he'll protect us," she tried to soothe it.
The creature's face returned to its cute shape but its fur was still ruffled as if it was ready to fight. Anzu turned back to the window and tried to look at it but she couldn't see. All she saw was the light radiating from a point about eight feet off the ground. The light was reflecting off of something, a person, but Anzu couldn't make them out. She only assumed it was Madoc.
"He did say he was a mage," she reminded herself. "But, even though I can't see him in this light, he feels even more familiar now than he did before. It's not just his eyes anymore, it's him."
The light suddenly released itself in waves of light fired in all directions and cut through anything they touched.
"I know that attack," she gasped.
All became calm and the light faded down to a soft blue aura that hung close to the figure's body. She could make out the person's shape now. He was thin with long hair and was holding a long staff. When he turned around Anzu could, despite the distance, make out the face. He wore a horned headdress and his skin had turned a pale blue. The white part of the figure's eyes was a pale yellow but the eyes themselves were the same violet-red as before.
Anzu stared out in awe. Suddenly it made sense and she knew who he was. She recognized the outfit, the staff, the attack; she knew it all. But it wasn't just the familiarities; something about him as a person touched her.
"Madoc…"
Ryu: Another chapter done. Nothing to do but sit back and wait for the reviews. I hope I wasn't too straightforward about things in the chapter, particularly about who Madoc really is. But I think the clues are all pretty obvious. Still, I really hope this chapter lived up to its predecessor.
I leave for WV tomorrow night to visit my grandparents for the weekend so I'll try hard to have a new chapter up by tomorrow but if not then expect it and possibly chapter 4 on Sunday or Monday. Sorry but my stories are on my laptop and I only know how to work the wireless on it in my house, not the wire-thingy. Plus it's my grandpa's birthday Saturday and we'll be celebrating mine too and going to the mall (hooray -,-) so I probably won't have time. After that I'm free until I finally manage to get a job (like that'll happen). Long story short, I'll try to update again before I leave but if I don't then I will when I get back.
Until then, please do review if you got this far. And please continue to comment on my writing style along with my story, to make sure I'm not starting at the bottom of the hill and tumbling down. Bye, bye for now.