Ah! I'm so happy that I've uploaded again. I'm glad to see that you all are enjoying this story, so please continue to shower your support. I thank you all for the reviews you have sent, and now that I'm out of my writer's block, I hope the updates will be more consistent. I begin writing the next chapter for the next story as soon as I update. Or, I will try to do so. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, and don't worry. You will get to see the process of Yugi's training throughout this chapter and possibly the next.

Enjoy!

A Vampire's Kill

Chapter 4

"No, no, I don't want to do it!" Yugi cried, sitting on the log in the familiar clearing of the three vampires. As the small campfire cackled in the dark, Kaiba and Bakura stood and watched the scene as it unfolded with concern. With his hands in his lap, tears ran down Yugi's face while Atem kneeled in front of him, a cup filled with blood held before the boy.

"Yugi, please, you need to drink this. You will get sicker if you do not feed," Atem desperately tried to explain, but the boy refused to listen.

"I don't want to," Yugi said once more, and through his watery eyes he glanced at Atem who had nothing but worry on his face.

"Atem," Kaiba said, and he stepped forward to grab Atem's attention by putting a hand on his shoulder. When Atem looked at him, he continued. "He is new at this. Giving him a big dose of blood like that and putting it in front of his face is not going to do him any good. He is scared."

"Then what do you want me to do?!" Atem snapped, and at that Kaiba quickly responded.

"I think smaller doses should be less intimidating."

Sighing, Atem looked down at the cup and then back at Yugi who had begun to shake with fear. It had been two days since he had turned the boy, and so far he had not taken a single sip. He needed the blood to survive, and since he had only recently been turned, he was supposed to be giving in to his urges. However, Yugi was resisting, and the resistance was now bringing about dire consequences. Looking at the boy's deathly pale skin, Atem put down the cup and took Yugi's hand after pulling off his gloves. He got closer to the boy, sitting on the log as well, and wrapping an arm around the boy he ushered Kaiba to pour some of the blood into his palm. Now that it was much smaller and less fearful looking, Atem brushed away Yugi's hands that covered his face and put his palm closer to the boy's lips. Yugi looked up at him, the fear still there in his eyes.

"Drink," Atem said softly, and when Yugi tried to squirm away, he tightened his hold around his body and drained the blood in his palm against the boy's lips. All he had to do was make Yugi come into contact with the liquid, and after that, he would be drinking on his own. Too bad that he had to force it into the boy.

With a shout coming from Yugi, Atem finally pulled away as the boy spat the blood out of his mouth, but the deed had been done. One lick was all it took to get Yugi's eyes glowing brightly again, and like an addict Yugi licked the rest on his face before dashing towards Atem to have more of the taste. Once he had cleaned Atem's hand, Bakura promptly handed Yugi the cup with a blank look, and they all watched as the boy scarfed it all down.

He was going to be fine now.

"Careful," Bakura said sharply as Yugi stumbled as they walked through the forest, the harsh movement causing Atem to jerk sideways. Atem groaned in pain, and anxiously Bakura held on to him, trying to keep him upright while Yugi tried his best to keep him standing.

They had started off running a few hours ago to get home, but as Atem's condition continued to deteriorate, they had to slow down. His body was not healing fast enough to fight off the attacks of the poison that had infected the blade which stabbed him, and with the sun only an hour or two away from rising, they had to move as fast as they could. The sun did not kill them, but it did leave a nasty burn on their body the longer they remained under it.

"Here, Yugi, let me carry him," Marik said, and they stopped once more to allow him to exchange spots with the odd man who had chosen to follow them back home. As Yugi shadowed them, he looked up ahead in search of Kaiba who had ran up in a fit of anger.

Kaiba was, and still was, completely against the idea of Marik going with them because he thought that he was not to be trusted so easily. They were taking him to their hideout that kept them away from the eyes of other vamps for hundreds of years! That was also a reason as to why they were running so short on time. Marik and Kaiba had argued for a very long time until Atem gave another order, one that Kaiba had no choice but to obey. Marik would go with them. With the excuse of preparing medications to heal Atem, Kaiba left, hopefully to cool down.

They were already nearing their bunker so they no longer rushed to get away from the sun's rays. Staring up as the clearing came into view, Yugi felt at peace once he saw Kaiba. The blue eyed vampire was standing above the trap door that was hidden underneath the large boulder he liked occupying when they were out during the day. The door was swung open, and he gave them a single glance before heading into the darkness.

"Watch the steps, Marik. They are quite narrow," Atem said quietly as they began to step down into the earth with his head resting against Bakura's shoulders, and Yugi jumped slightly when Bakura turned to him to give him an order.

"Close the latch," Bakura said, and after entering, Yugi turned around and pulled the trap door closed. He turned to the wall and twisted the lever which dragged the rock back into its spot, hiding the trap door from any wanderers above. Hearing the stone dragging across the earth before stopping directly above them, Yugi tested the door by pushing again it, and when it did not move, he knew they were good to go.

Running down the cobbled steps, the torches on the gray stone wall coming alive as he set them ablaze with a lighter, he reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped for a second before rushing through the living area that had nothing but a vintage looking couch, a few chairs, and a small table. A red, tattered carpet covered part of the floor, and it slid across the stone as he dashed over it and into the hallway on his left that led to the bedrooms. There were six, dark, wooden doors in the gray hallways with another long, red runner flowing through the hallway. One of the doors were open, the last one on the right, and Kaiba was the one who stood at its entrance, just about to step in. He stopped and waited once he saw Yugi approaching. He looked a lot calmer, Yugi noticed.

"Is he going to be okay?" Yugi asked as he walked past him and into the room, and he heard Kaiba give a withering sigh before responding.

"He should be fine. Once we clean out the poison, he should begin healing faster. An hour or two at most should do the trick," Kaiba explained, and Yugi looked on as Kaiba walked forward and seated himself behind Atem after Bakura and Marik sat him down, facing the door. Yugi remained still and quiet as Atem looked up at him, giving a tiny, reassuring smile.

"Do not worry, Yugi. I will be fine," Atem said, and Yugi flinched when Atem groaned sharply as Kaiba forced him to sit up straighter.

"Careful," Atem said quickly once Kaiba began pulling off his jacket and shirt, and Yugi found himself drawn to the blood that littered the man's skin. Atem noticed this and continued to stare at him with the same smile on his face as Kaiba began the process of cleaning his wound with the tools he produced from the bag he had brought in. Breaking his gaze away from the blood, Yugi sunk down on the wooden chair next to the door and willed his eyes to stare at his hands.

The King could be so creepy sometimes, but yet he was the one who had become the addict. He could not deny it any longer. He loved the taste of blood running down his throat, just like a true vampire. Although it pained him, as soon as he bit into an animal, his guilt was gone and replaced with a feeling akin to euphoria. How would he be, when he would finally take his first sip of human blood?

Staring at his shoes, Yugi allowed his eyes to wander and remove his thoughts from the way he was thinking. He would have to wait another year, so it was alright, for now. Taking a deep breath, he trailed his eyes across the rest of the bunker. This place was their home, and now his new one. Raggedy mats covered the floors with only a few furniture filling the space up. The carpet in Atem's room was a cream coloured one with red roses and golden vines decorating it. The carpet was set halfway underneath the iron framed, queen sized bed, and at its foot was a trunk that remained sealed with a big lock. It was rare for him to enter the King's room. He had only done so two times before throughout the year, and this would be the third. Nothing changed. Two wooden, square nightstands, each plain. A worn out looking work table, and a big cupboard that held his clothes. No doubt there were just more jackets and shirts, and whatever other jewellery the King had an interest in. Shoes included.

"What are you thinking about, little one?" a voice said quietly from beside him, and he looked up to see Marik. The long, bleach hair coloured man dragged up a stool and sat down on it before turning his eyes towards the three surrounding the bed. Atem was looking at Bakura with a teasing expression on his face, while Bakura just glared at him, refusing to break his stance. Kaiba however glanced at the two for a second before scowling to himself, and then evilly nicking a part of Atem's skin which caused him to cry out. Bakura finally let out a smirk.

"Did Atem really have a brother?" Yugi whispered, the words barely slipping past his lips, and slowly he turned his head towards Marik. He could see Marik's jaw clenching, and he looked on as his violet eyes closed then opened before turning to his direction. Marik gave a small smile after another, self-reassuring blink.

"I don't think I'm supposed to talk about that," Marik said lowly, trying to not let the others hear, so Yugi paid full attention whilst keeping an eye on the other three who were apparently supposed to be oblivious of them sharing this information. "If the King finds out that I said anything, especially since I just came here and he's taken me under his wing for now, he's going to kick my ass- I mean, butt, right back to wherever I came from. Or," Marik shrugged, "he might slaughter me. I don't know. He probably got more creative over the years, though-"

"What are you doing?!"

Just like that, Yugi and Marik both jumped out of their skins and spun their heads back around after hearing the tone of Kaiba's voice. Busted, they thought, only to relax when they saw that Bakura had his arms crossed, an angry frown on his face, while Atem looked to the ground with a disgusted expression on his own features. Kaiba stared at the two warningly, his actions stilled to deal with the two who were seemingly being too immature for such a time. Seeing as they were finally going to be quiet, Kaiba resumed cleaning up the blood from Atem's skin, and the King hissed from pain but grounded his teeth together.

"They're still like that, huh?" Marik whispered to him with a smile on his face, and Yugi shrugged in response. He wasn't sure if they were always like that with each other, but from what he had seen during the year, they had always been close like that, fighting and arguing playfully before getting into terrible brawls.

"He did have a brother," Marik suddenly said, and Yugi turned back to stare at him. "But, you didn't hear it from me. If you want to know more, try wiggling it out of those two," and he gestured towards Bakura and Kaiba with a nod of his head. "They can tell you everything you want to know about the King, and they won't get killed for it."

Yugi sighed, and he bit the inside of his mouth as his eyes fell back to stare at his hands. Marik was right, about Atem not killing those two. But, most importantly, the King did have a brother. He wasn't mistaken at all. Though, what did Kaiba mean when he said that Atem couldn't save everyone? Did something happen to his brother to make the King the way he was? And when Atem rescued him earlier… was he making up for something he couldn't do in the past? That had to be it. It wasn't uncommon or hard to understand. Even humans did it. Yugi's eyes widened when another thought crossed his mind. He looked up at Atem to see him putting another black shirt on before getting to his feet. A glance was thrown towards him as Atem shoved his hands through the sleeves, and this time Yugi couldn't pull away from the gaze.

Did Atem turn him because he reminded him of his brother?

As Atem stepped towards him, Yugi found himself standing unconsciously as the King put his hands on both his shoulders and steered him towards the door. Silently the others followed, and it did not take another moment before Yugi found his hand clasped in the King's own hand.

"Were you worried about me, Yugi?" Atem asked, looking down at him, and once more Yugi turned away to stare at the floor. He never did speak with Atem much throughout the year either, even though Atem spoke nonstop to him. Atem though never seemed bothered with his lack of words.

"See, I'm fine!" Atem went on happily, and he turned to the right, the opposite side of the living area to step into the kitchen. "All I need to do is feed, and I will be good as new. Okay?" and he playfully ruffled his hair.

"Just take it easy, alright?" Kaiba said, and he walked past them to open the cellar-like door that was in the corner. "You are still not fully healed. The poison is out, but it will take a while for your healing system to kick back in."

Yugi watched as Kaiba reached down into the cellar and pulled out a few clear containers, and from the red liquid that swished inside, it was obvious that it was blood.

He had also come to learn throughout the years that their home did not use a single smidge of electricity. Everything was natural, the proof that these three were still living in the old ages. They lit their home using flames, got fresh air during the night when they would go out, and candles were used in their bedrooms and were blown out as they went to sleep. Kaiba loved collecting candles. He would especially go out on rainy days when the sun was not out and go shopping. He still was not sure where they got the money from, but it was Kaiba's way of accessorising the home they lived in. But together, they despised the smell of rotting carcasses when it was left too long in the bunker. So, instead of allowing the dead animals to spread their decaying stench in their natural refrigerator, they began using containers and would store the blood like that, quickly burying the bodies in odd places around the forest so no one could track them down.

"I can't believe we didn't get to feed tonight," Bakura grumbled, and he flopped down on one of the wooden chairs at the table and stared with disdain at the container Kaiba slid towards him. "I wanted human blood tonight. Not animal ones, again!" he shouted, and he crossed his arms and folded his legs.

"There is nothing we can do about it now," Atem said softly as he took a seat at the head of the long, polished, dark wooded table. He still held on to Yugi's hand, and as he sat, Yugi saw him grab a nearby chair and pull it a bit closer before moving him towards it and letting him sit on the red cushion. "We would have to feed next year-"

"Why can't we do it tomorrow?!" Bakura shouted from beside him, so Yugi was startled by the outburst. Kaiba growled at the whitehaired man, and turning towards him Yugi noticed the spilt blood around the elegant teacup he was pouring it into. Wiping it off as Bakura huffed some more, he passed it over to Atem who leaned back, crossed his legs, and took a delicate sip.

"Here, Yugi," Kaiba said, and he too was handed a cup, one with soft roses and gold designs. As he stared down at the blood before him, he could not help but feel nostalgic about the whole scene. Unable to see what the contents of the small cups were, it looked as if they were just having tea together. Not blood.

Marik sat on the opposite side next to Kaiba who had then taken a seat after serving everyone, and without hesitating he took a big gulp. Marik quickly followed in his steps, a happy smile on his face as he did so.

"What kind of blood is it?" Marik asked, licking his lips, and as he turned to Kaiba for an answer, he pouted when he was ignored, Kaiba moving away from him to sit next to Bakura.

"Goat blood," Atem said, and looking up Yugi could see him giving Marik a knowing look. "It is thick and pretty dark. It also has a bitter smell and taste to it, so it has to be goat."

"You really do know your blood, my King," Marik said in awe, and at that Yugi looked back at his cup as Atem chuckled.

Wrapping his hand around the glass, his heart speeding up the longer he stared down into the pool of red, Yugi leaned down and took a whiff before downing the blood. In one go the cup was empty, and he didn't put it back down until he was done, the last bits being licked away from his lip.

"Goat blood, is also our Yugi's favourite, isn't it?" Atem said with a proud smile, and as their eyes locked, Yugi could feel all of the others staring straight at him. He gave a single nod before turning away, his eyes glowing with hunger as Atem grabbed the container and refilled his glass.

"You are doing well, Yugi," Atem whispered, and grabbing the cup Yugi brought it to his lips once more as Atem leaned away from him. It was all wrong, but in the end, it never felt more right to him. Sneaking another look at the King who was laughing, prodding Bakura to take a sip and finally grinning in triumph when he managed to get the man to drink, Yugi breathed out deeply as he set the empty glass back down. This was his life now, and he could not run away from it, no matter what the reason for him being this way was.

I hope you all liked this chapter. It gives you a little more insight as to how they live and what they're characters are like.

Please review, and thank you for reading. :)