A/N: I made a minor edit to the last paragraph of the previous chapter which will lead to something later.
*Words* - Creatures of Shadow
"Words" – Language of the Irakihonimay
"Words" – Language of the Sennen
"Critias! Critias wait!" Kisara yelled after her husband who was storming to the exit of the grand mansion they called home. A letter from his older step-brother Dartz had arrived this morning and the contents had sent him into a rage. The blond haired, grey eyed man wasn't listening to her. His long, angry strides made it difficult for her to catch up with. Kisara managed to get close enough to Critias to grab his wrist. He snapped his head to look at her. "Don't do this." Kisara begged.
"Give me one good reason!" he snapped "Give me one good reason that I shouldn't fly over and snap Dartz's neck right now!"
Kisara's lips thinned in displeasure knowing she couldn't do that. She wanted to do the same thing, but no matter how good it would feel in the moment it would get them killed. Worse it would get their son Seto killed.
"Five years, Kisara!" Critias continued "We've had to put up with that man using our son as leverage against us for five! Years! Three of which we haven't even been allowed to see him! Just one excuse after another and now he is making demands?! I'm-"
"You don't think I don't understand?!" Kisara finally spat "Everytime I see that bastard I want to let my dragon rip him to shreds beneath her claws! But right now moving against Dartz will only do more harm than good! Take a moment to think Critias."
They stood there glaring at each other. The servants turned away or ducked around and simply avoided looking at the normally cool headed couple arguing in the middle of the hallway. Kisara and Critias were both trying to reign in their tempers. Both knew that taking out their anger on the only other person who understood their pain and anger was unfair.
They both knew that if Critias flew off the handle and attacked Dartz, King Ironheart would banish him or worse. The older man had lost Critias and Hermos's mother to the results of a blood feud. He feared starting another between his remaining step-son and his blood sons. Critias and Hermos argued that Dartz shared no blood with them but Ironheart would not be moved on the matter. As long as there was no proof that Dartz himself was breaking the law Ironheart would not condone any act of violence between his children.
Their staring contest was interrupted by Hermos clearing his throat. The two turned to see him standing awkwardly with a pair of children by his side. The blonde boy's striking resemblance to Hermos broke the spell on the couple. The boy had an arm around the shoulders of a young red haired girl
"Finally get confronted with a love child?" Kisara asked sardonically. Her red-haired, gold eyed brother in law was well known for never having the same partner in his bed more than four or five times. The comment earned her a snort from Critias.
"Ha-ha." Hermos shot back sarcastically. His eyes where more narrowed and serious than either of the two infront of him were used to seeing from the normally carefree soul. "Critias, Kisara I'd like you to meet Joey and Serenity. Brother and sister that, until recently, were "guests" of Grandmaster Dartz."
Critias and Kisara stiffened and blinked, then shifted their gazes to take a good look at the two children before them. They looked clean but both were clearly underfed. Fading bruises could been seen under the collar of the boy's shirt. There was a fierce suspicion in his shifting blue eyed gaze. He was watching the movements of everyone around them and looked ready to bolt at the first provocation. He hand his arms around his little sister who clung to him in a near desperate manor. It was an awkward positioning and Kisara vaguely wondered how he walked without tripping over her.
Hermos regained their attention by announcing "A friend of mine who lives near the Temple saw them running from the grounds and took them in. Hid them till he could get them to me. I brought them to you first cause you hold more influence with father than I. Besides there uh….are a few things you should know first…" Hermos told them hesitantly.
Critias cocked his head to the side slightly and Hermos took a steadying breath before continuing.
"Dartz has started experimenting again." He saw the couple freeze. "The same kind of experiments that father expressly forbid after Timaeus...disappeared…"
Hermos had been expecting an explosion but from his brother. Dartz's younger brother Timaeus was a touchy subject with Critias. Especially when Dartz was part of the same conversation. However, all Critias did was tense up.
The surprise came from Kisara who growled in growing fury. The young woman was normally the more even tempered of the two and it took alot to rile her up. Even more so to make her call up her dragon. Hermos watched his sister in law's eyes fill in with a deep blue color leaving only a black slit in the middle. You could hear the crackling of power the radiating from her.
Serenity whimpered and tightened her grip on her brother who was curling around her as though readying himself to pick her up and run.
"Excuse me while I make arrangements for our trip." She gritted out, obviously fighting her instincts to cause havoc in her rage. "We will bring this before King Ironheart and move him to allow us to take care of the man who plagues our existence."
The beautiful woman whirled around and stormed off. Hermos almost felt sorry for Dartz in that moment for incurring the hell that Kisara would unleash upon him.
Almost.
Mai knelt just behind the door of the room they'd ducked into. The small knife she'd been able to steal clutched tightly in one of her hands. The other hand held a bag of a few supplies she'd been able to grab from the pantry up the hall. Behind her a young woman with long black hair and worried blue eyes held her unconcious brother on her back. They listened to the rush of boots on the stone floor run past them. The owners of said boots were shouting about having found one of the escaped slaves. Mai heard Ishizu stifle a whimper.
Mai bit her lip and hoped that those on the other side of the door hadn't heard her or were too distracted to notice. Mai gave a little bit of her hope to Rishid and that he wouldn't suffer too much after being recaptured.
After silence descended Mai gathered herself up and peaked out the door. She didn't see anyone so she motioned to Ishizu who stood and adjusted her grip on her brother before they began to make a run for it.
They stopped at a corner and Mai heard a twittering noise. She looked up to see the glowing spectral image of a young blonde girl with pink winged arms beckoning her forward with her claw like hands. An outraged cry from behind them made the two women turn to see a man pulling a knife from his belt and running towards them. Having already been caught Mai grabbed Ishizu's hand and raced forward to follow the Harpy as more voices joined the first.
Mai looked up as she heard the twittering again. She saw the Harpie Girl turn a corner and Mai instinctively followed her. Her harpies had never led her wrong before and she had no reason to doubt them now. Mai ignored Ishizu calling out to her. She simply continued to barrel forwards.
The Harpie girl led them to a set of double doors and Mai crashed right through them. The doors swung shut behind them and the girls stared around. They were in what looked to be some sort of a shrine. In the middle of the room surrounding a crystal statue of a dragon were three huge egg shaped orbs in stone basins they were each a different color and had the image of a beast on each. Red with a dragon, blue with an ogre and gold with a bird.
The girls were snapped out of their awe by the voices crowding behind the door.
"You're sure they went in there?"
"Yes I'm sure!"
"Crap. No one is allowed in there without Master Dartz's permission!"
"Then go and get him!"
They listened to the argument go on and on like that. The girls decided that they were safe for now and retreated further into the room. At least the statues would make for good cover should their "Masters" decide to raid the place with their Familiars. Ishizu collapsed next to the crystal dragon, gasping for breath. Marik fell off her back. Mai looked up to the Harpie Girl who was perched on top of the red orb.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she snapped "You were supposed to lead us out of here! Not trap us!"
The Harpie girl looked down at her indignantly, with her arms folded across her chest.. She and Mai locked glares, until Ishizu started coughing. Mai was instantly by her side rubbing her back, trying to help her catch her breath. As Ishizu's breathing evened out Mai sat down next to her and offered her some of the water, which Ishizu gladly took.
Mai leaned back to look up into the angry narrowed eyes of the dragon. It was too bad the creature wasn't real. Mai bet that he could protect them if he wanted to. Neither she nor Ishizu were proficient enough with their familiars to channel them for very long. The prolonged escape and physical exhaustion made it near impossible anyways.
Ishizu brought her hands together and started to pray softly. Mai huffed irritably. Praying wasn't going to get them anywhere. Ishizu had told her that she'd prayed that she and her siblings would stay together when they'd all been given to the slave market. That request had been granted only for them to end up here and subjected to some psycho's experiment's!
Besides them and Ishizu's older brother Rishid there had been two others. Another sibling set. Joey and Serenity. They had come here just before the Ishtars. Serenity had gone blind from the experiments done on her. Joey, Rishid and Marik had all been sent off to "train as guards". If the girls didn't do what they were told the boys would be tortured in front of them.
Then Joey and Serenity had disappeared. Rishid and Marik had been tortured to try and make Ishizu use her gift of foresight to find them. Seeing her brothers like that had only made her unable to concentrate and therefore unable to find out where the missing siblings were.
Even though it pissed Mai off she decided to let Ishizu have her comfort. It may not do them any good but if it gave Ishizu something to hold onto then who was she to deny her that? Especially when this could very well be their last day on-
The room around them began to shake. Shining from the chest of the dragon was a small star that began to shift and grow. The crystal began to crack and Ishizu grabbed Marik to drag her little brother away. Mai picked him up in her arms and the three of them ran to huddle against a far wall as the statue exploded, releasing the light and sending shards of shrapnel everywhere.
Mai ended up curled around Ishizu and Marik. As the girls raised their head they didn't have time to realize that they were relatively uninjured. Their attention was captivated by the green dragon that took up most of the space in the huge room. Its eyes were completely white and unseeing. It stood with an angry growl and stared straight at the huddled escapees. Mai watched as three other transparent harpies joined the young blond one to glare back at him.
In that silent moment their pursuers that had been on the other side of the doors decided to barge in. The dragon took one look at them and opened its mouth to shoot bright blue flames at them. Many were able to jump out of the way. Others weren't so fortunate and were instantly incinerated. The dragon lifted its head towards the ceiling and sent another burst of flame upwards to make a hole that it began to climb up through.
As the creatures angry roars grew distant the sound was replaced by a dark chuckle. Those left turned their heads to see a young man with long light brown hair standing up from the shattered remains of the golden orb. His eyes were a dull violet color and he stared looked at them with an insane grin pulling up the corners of his lips.
He said something in a language that none of the watchers understood and dozens of small balls of green-blue-purple fire appeared through the room. Mai watched the Harpies grimace as the flames drew near to them but otherwise stood firm. The man moved forward and the flames moved to gather around him to dance in circles around him. One of the more stoute guards moved into his line of vision and called out a challenge to him. The man merely whispered and held out a hand to the man. One of the balls of flame made its way to the guards to tap him on the chest.
In the blink of an eye the guards body was consumed by the little flame. He didn't even get the chance to scream the fire faded. Two balls of flame floated where there had only been one before. Both moved to rejoin the ones shifting around the young man.
This made all the others toss their courage to the wind and flee. The man's grin merely widened and he waited until they had all left the room before rushing after them.
Like he had deliberately given them a head start…
He made it to the door before the sounds of coughing and gasping echoed around them made him stop. All eyes turned to see a young man sitting the in the remains of the red orb that had been split clean in half by its impact with the floor. He was clutching at his chest as his lungs tried to expel the water he'd accidentally inhaled.
Mahad hesitated for a moment. The whispers of the flames calling to him to being the hunt he had started. Those whispers were slowly being drowned out by the call in his blood to go to Atem's side.
"Atem…" Mahad whispered. It filled him with calm and he was able to dismiss the Spirit Flames with more ease than ever before and run to his lovers side. He pulled Atem out of the water that was left in the half he'd been left in and helped him get into a position where he put his head between his knees. He held Atem's hand while the other recovered enough to breathe easier.
Ishizu and Mai watched in amazement as the man when from an insane hunter to a gentle caregiver. Mai looked up to the Harpies to see them smiling softly at the pair. Like a group of older sisters watching their younger brother with his lover in what he thought was a private moment.
Ishizu looked from the lovers to the rest of the room. The last orb was the blue one. It was still barely holding onto its shape but was so covered in cracks that it looked as though if you breathed on it wrong it would shatter like the golden one had. Her eyes turned to her brother. Even with his infection she was surprised he'd stayed so still.
That was when she noticed he wasn't breathing.
"Marik!" she screamed as she began to shake him. Mai turned to her at first in confusion then moved to pull Marik into her arms and press her head to his chest to check his heartbeat. Ishizu watched and begged the gods to let her brother live. Mai sat up and Ishizu could tell from the look on her face that what Mai was about to tell her wasn't going to be what she wanted to hear. Tears burned at her eyes.
Both girls were surprised when Mahad was by their side and pulling the boy into his arms. Ishizu tried to shove him back but the other man grabbed her. Mai went after him but he managed to get both of them in his arms in a way that, while they could struggle, they couldn't hit anyone. Mai yelled at her Harpies, who hadn't moved to help, to do something! They ignored her and kept their gazes trained on Mahad.
Mahad checked Marik's pulse and when he couldn't feel one he tilted the boy's chin up and opened his mouth. He pinched his nose shut and sealed their mouths together to fill the younger males lungs with two puffs of air. Then pulled away to fold his hands over the middle of his chest and drive the heel of his hand down in fast, hard compressions. He repeated this process several more times until Marik gasped gently.
Mahad looked up to Atem who let the girls go and waved his hand over his shadow. Mai's eyes widened to a ridiculous level when a woman with blue skin and blonde hair rose from it. She was completely solid and when she smiled gently at the man who had summoned her and caressed his face before turning to Marik, Mai knew that the man wasn't channeling her.
The woman laid her hands over Marik's eyes and heart and began to chant her healing spell. She and Marik were encased in a silvery white glow.
Atem looked up at Kujaku, Wong, Mazaki and their youngest sister (whom he'd never been told what to call) and asked "I don't suppose any of you ladies can tell me what the hell is going on?"
Mai was struck speechless with this. It was beyond rare for anyone to be able to see the familiar spirits of another unless that person was channeling them. Now here was this guy who not only could see her harpies but was talking to them? Mai hadn't understood a word he'd said but it sounded like he genuinely thought that they would answer him.
*If we had the answer, dear one, we would tell you.* Mai heard her red-haired Harpie tell him in a tone like an adult who was dealing with an exasperating child. Her voice filled with regret when she continued with *If only you could hear my voice...*
Both Atem and Mai froze. Him because the harpies had never spoken before and her because the Harpies had never spoken to someone else before.
It was that moment that a rock from the hole in the roof that the dragons rampage had left behind fell and hit the blue orb. It disintegrated and flooded the floor with more of the green water and blue shards joined the gold. The stream of water brought the figure of a young man in loose blue and white robe towards them. Mai tensed while Mahad and Atem rushed to his side.
Even at a distance Atem recognized him as the dragon heart man. He grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him over. Dark blue eyes fluttered open and locked with Atem's. A name echoed through Atem and reached over to Mahad. The two men whispered "Seto…"
At the same time Seto whispered "Atem…" before passing out again. Atem blinked and shook his head but could not tear his eyes away from the man whose skin was a dark bronze color and brown hair that had been darkened because of the water he'd been submerged in.
The spell was broken when pain lance through both men's left eye. In that moment both were struck with the knowledge that something was wrong with Timaeus. A pain filled cry echoed through them.
Atem simply reached out and opened the door to the Shadow Realm. His eyes went black but he still had control. Kujaku and the other Harpies became flesh. A red and black dragon appeared and Kujaku rose to pet it's head. THe creature lowered itself to allow Atem and Mahad to climb onto it's back. The Shadow Ghoul made Atem aware of its presence with a loving mental nudge as the dragon launched itself into the air to follow Timaeus's path.
Dartz grinned as he watched the dragon that had once been his brother Timaeus squirm beneath the iron hooks that had been embedded in his flesh to hold him still. The green creature took up half of the room. Dartz's own sword was embedded into his left dragon was still up and growling despite its limited mobility.
When word had gotten to him about King Ironhearts trip towards his temple Dartz had decided that since his brother was worthless without the children he would use him to get him out of the mess his step-brothers had put him in. The spell to make Timaeus nothing but a mindless raging beast was all too easy. All it took for it to activate was for Critias to walk into the greeting room of the temple. Dartz was fully aware of the secret the two of them had tried so very hard to hide.
That the two of them had an unconsummated soul recognition. In essence they were soulmates but due to their relationship and positions they had denied their connection. However, because of that connection Critias make the perfect key to wake Timaeus. Dartz had added a glamour to disguise the dragon's familiarity and repressed as much of the soul of Timaeus as much as he could so that there would be little that stood in the way of anyone taking action to attack him.
When Ironheart and his two sons had met him in the room with Critias's wife, the White Dragon wielder, Kisara, Timaeus had been woken to attack. His little brother blasting his way through the floor had surprised even Dartz. That had only added to the act, especially when Timaeus had gone after King Ironheart. Most of the guards the group had brought with them had been taken care of with Timaeus's grand entrance. Only Critias had hesitated to move. That had ended in Kisara taking a blow that had been meant for him. Timaeus had gotten Hermos in his mouth for a moment which had ended with Hermos being thrown at the king and the loss of one of his fingers. Critias had been unable to strike a harsh blow to the dragon. One of Dartz's men had managed to hit him with a crossbow bolt in the leg in a way that could be blamed on the chaos.
Dartz was now poised to claim victory and with it the glory of saving the king. It should counterbalance the accusations of treason. That would give him time to recapture the two children who'd escaped and find the others who were still wondering the underground levels of the temple. Then he would used them to draw out the child of Shadows.
Another dragon rose from the hole in the floor. Dartz recognized the Child of Shadow and his lifemate sitting on it's back.
The Child called out "Shadow Ghoul!" and a horrifying insect looking creature rose from the shadows and knocked him back away from Timaeus.
The red dragon landed and Atem raced forward to Timaeus's side. The normally docile dragon was four times his normal size and thrashing about and screaming his displeasure out to the world. Atem didn't know anything more than Timaeus was like him or Mahad when they lost control. So Atem and Mahad merely did the only thing they knew to do.
With the Harpie's dragon and the Shadow Ghoul guarding their backs Atem allowed Mahad to take the lead and slowly made his way up to Timaeus. The bespelled dragon snapped his jaws at him. Atem watched worriedly as Mahad straighten up curled his hands into fists and stomped his foot on the ground like a child.
"Don't you start with me scales for brains!" Mahad snapped. He and Timaeus stared at each other while Atem repressed the urge to snort in amusement as Mahad softened his stance and held out his arms to the weary dragon. As the occupants of the room watched Timaeus began to shrink, the hooks fell from his body and the sword lost its place. When he was his normal size he dropped his head against Mahad's shoulder. Mahad smoothed his hand along the dragon's scales and whispered "It's ok Timaeus. We'll get you all fixed up soon."
The tense silence that descended onto the room went unnoticed by the two young men and the dragon. Mahad placed Timaeus's head onto the ground.
It was finally broken when Critias whispered "What did he just call him…?"
Dartz growled. When the lifemate had called out his brothers name the glamour had fallen. He turned to the closest guard with a crossbow and nodded his head. The guard notched an iron bolt and took aim at Timaeus. Critias saw this and cried out a warning. Atem turned and moved just as the guard pulled the trigger. The Shadows rose to protect him but the bolt tore through them and embedded itself into Atem's lower back.
Atem fell onto Mahad's back then slipped down to the ground and curled around his wound. Mahad pulled his lover into his arms and held him close. Atem felt engulfed by the firey pain emanating from the iron. In the next heartbeat power pulsed through them and replaced the pain. The strength of it locked the two men in place. It flowed between them and then flowed out in a rush. Atem's shadow rose like a black flame to take on his silhouette. Spaces of whiteness stood where his eyes were, and a golden third eye gleamed from his forehead.. "Osiris." the shadow image of a sinuous red dragon twisting through the air began to develop above his head. Many of it's massive coils passed through the walls of the room.
The Spirit Familiars of all those present rose and began to physically manifest themselves and turn their heads to look up entranced at the red dragon. Their power fed his and more power given to him the more solid he became. Atem wrapped his hand around Mahad's wrist and Mahad did the same as they tried to fight the dragon back. He was too big for the room they were in, but it was like being caught in the rapid currents of a river without a boat or anyway to steer themselves. There was just too much power coursing through them and they couldn't stop it.
Critias watched enthralled by the sight that surely meant their doom. Kisara, Hermos, and Ironheart were drawn into consciousness by their connection to their dragons and also held in thrall. With each passing heartbeat the red dragon became just that much more solid. A flash of light made him turn his head to see his son Seto rising with the form of his familiar, a white dragon like his mothers, imposed over his own body. Behind him the four Harpie Ladies rose, each with a body in their arms. The Harpies soon became as enthralled as the rest of the creatures in the room.
Seto's dragon was spared that fate as his mind was connected with Seto's. They were both caught in both this world and the dragons. Seto used it to his advantage and locked his gaze onto Atem and sped to the other man's side. He kept his connection and reached out to cupped Atem's face in his hands without being subjected to the power attempting to take him through the bond they shared.
Atem's vision was dominated by dark blue eyes. No words were exchanged. Mahad's hand tightened its grip around his wrist. Bonds old and new pulled his mind from the thrall which in turned release everyone else. Atem passed out and Mahad collapsed forward into Seto's arms with Atem still in his. Atem's grip on Mahad didn't lessen. The unwillingly summoned familiars faded back to their realm. The Harpy sisters deposited their charges safely onto the floor before three of them followed suit. Kujaku laid a kiss on Mai's forehead to assure her of her safety before joining her sisters.
All eyes were fixed on the prince and the young men in his arms as an oppressive silence engulfed the room. All too afraid to break it lest they wake the two strangers and start the terrifying ordeal all over again.
King Ironheart was the first to recover and start barking orders. Those loyal to him snapped to follow him and Dartz was arrested. Doctors were called and the wounded were tended to. Seto ignored them and focused on the feeling of rightness that holding Atem in his arms filled him with. It was everything he'd always prayed for and he was unwilling to relinquish it, even for a reunion with his parents who had thought they'd never see him again. It didn't matter that Atem was wrapped in the arms of another. It didn't matter that Atem still held onto the other man tightly even in his sleep.
Nothing mattered in that moment except that Atem was here.