Chapter 3

New Home

He has been running through the forest for a few minutes but now he is walking, feeling very tired and becoming weak from the running. Yugi had just learned that his stepfather King Dartz wants him dead, and he tried to use one of his friends to have the deed carried out. To know that he can never return to the castle that was his home ever since he was born, Yugi thought that he must leave everyone and everything behind and start a new life, safe from Dartz' desire to kill him.

Feeling too weak as he walked into a small clearing, Yugi's knees gave way as he collapsed onto the soft grass and immediately fell asleep. Not sure of how long he was asleep, because some time after he had fallen asleep, Yugi felt a clawed paw on his head.

Waking up slowly, Yugi sat up a little and looking up he was surrounded by so many spirits, including the winged Kuriboh that he met and comforted until his family came for him. Sitting up on his knees, the prince looked around the clearing, and then he noticed a worried Mystical Elf running over to him.

When she was right next to him, Mystical Elf fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Yugi and then he saw that the Celtic Guardian was close behind her and he also knelt on one knee. When she looked him in the eye, Mystical Elf said, "What are you doing in the middle of the woods, my prince?"

"I learned the truth why my stepfather wanted me to go to the glade; he wanted Honda to kill me." With shocked expressions on all their faces, even the other spirits that had surrounded him, Yugi continued, "But Honda couldn't get himself to carry out the order. He told me that my stepfather was threatening him and his family of what would happen if he failed. So he let me escape."

"Well, you're lucky you came into this part of the woods. Otherwise, a Man Eater could have gotten you."

As Mystical Elf give him a nasty glare, Yugi said, "How did you know I was here?"

"Iru, who was one of the first spirits to see you enter this clearing, immediately flew to our village and informed me and Celtic Guardian that you were in the woods. She was worried about why you had wondered into the woods."

To hear that the spirits were worried about him, Yugi's cheeks warmed with blush as the blue and yellow fairy sat on his shoulder and winged Kuriboh cuddled in his arms. "Now that you can never go back to the castle, we need to figure out where you'll need to stay from now on." said Mystical Elf as she thought of a place for Yugi to stay at.

"We better come up with something fast. If the Man Eaters learn that the prince is in the woods, who knows what they'll do to him."

An idea popping in her little head, Iru flew from Yugi's shoulder to Mystical Elf and whispered something in her ear. Agreeing with the fairy, Mystical Elf turned her attention back to the young Prince and said, "Since humans are not allowed in our village, Iru has thought that maybe you could stay in a mansion deeper in the woods and close to the desert."

Curious about the place that he could possibly stay at, Yugi said, "Is there anyone living there?"

Before Celtic Guardian could answer his question, Mystical Elf shot him a look, keeping him from saying a word. With Yugi curious about why she had kept Celtic Guardian from answering, his thoughts were interrupted by Mystical Elf's voice, "Five Egyptians live in the mansion. They work in a gold mine not too far from the woods but the mine is in the desert."

Really liking the idea that he might be able to stay with some Egyptians, Yugi's face beamed and said, "Will you take me there?"

Smiling in reply, Mystical Elf took his hand into hers and once they were on their feet, the other spirits happily lead the way to the mansion. By mid afternoon, looking from behind a few trees, Yugi was amazed of the mansion. "That's amazing! It's like an Egyptian noble home."

More excited than ever, Yugi and a few spirits hurried over to the mansion with Mystical Elf and Celtic Guardian taking the rear of the group. Standing so close to the mansion, Yugi turned toward the tall elves and said with a huge smile, "I like this place." Taking a peak inside a window, Yugi was able to see the inside thanks to the sunlight; everywhere he looked in the main hall of the mansion were diligent golden furniture. Going to the front door, Yugi gently opened the door and saw that there was no one inside the mansion. "You think the Egyptians are still out in the gold mine, Mystical Elf?" Yugi asked when he turned toward her.

"They work all day and won't come home until the sun sets." As Yugi started to walk inside the mansion, he noticed Mystical Elf and Celtic Guardian didn't make a move to enter the mansion. "We need to get back to the village, my prince. But we will come back from time to time to check on you." After Mystical Elf gave him a motherly kiss on his forehead, she and Celtic Guardian took their leave, leaving Yugi alone with the other spirits that found him in the clearing.

Closing the door behind him, Yugi walked around the first floor of the mansion. Noticing there was quite a mess in some parts of the first floor, Yugi sighed and said to his spirit friends with Iru on his shoulder and Kuriboh in his arms, "Well, if I'm going to ensure that the Egyptians will let me stay here with them, then maybe I should do them a favor and make this place spik and span."

And so, with his friends' help, Yugi went straight to working on cleaning the mansion for when the people that live here returns for the night. If the mansion was going to be his home from now on, Yugi would need to make a good first impression.