Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Title: Rise of the King: Chapter 4: Refuge
Characters: Yubel, Juudai, Brron
Word Count: chapter: 1,617||story: 6,517
Genre: Drama, Angst||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Advent Calendar Challenge, Day #17 & Diversity Challenge, section H, #22, fic that is T rated
Notes: This takes place in an AU. In fact, this is the same AU as Dangers of Silence. Kinda spoilers for that?
Summary: [4/6 chapters, Juudai & Yubel, Advent Calendar Challenge Day #17 & Diversity Challenge, au: other] A burglar. A break-in. A bad bit of timing. And Yubel does what Yubel must do, for Yubel will protect Juudai, no matter what.

Yubel cursed quietly. Juudai hearing what was said wasn't an issue, but it would be better if those coming near to their hiding place didn't have more to guide them. What did bring them there?

Do they have a seer among them? There were plenty of spirits who had such gifts, and the arrival of Juudai would be something to spark visions and warnings. And in all truth, awe and reverence if one asked Yubel's opinion on the matter.

Until they were properly aware of who now walked among them, Yubel would see to it that Juudai wasn't harmed. Food and shelter were of the utmost priorities, and with further consideration on the matter, Yubel thought it might be possible that these spirits could provide that. The issue would be presenting to them in such a manner that they would want to do so.

For now, Yubel decided, the truth would have to suffice. But perhaps carefully shaded truth. No one needed to know that the Herald of the Gentle Darkness now walked in mortal form. So far as Yubel was aware, the Light of Ruin had no minions in this world, but they could appear anywhere. It would be best to be cautious.

Juudai crouched in the back of the cave, and while he tried to put on a brave face, and did a very good job of doing so, Yubel knew his innermost heart. He was scared. Yubel didn't blame him. For all of his power, he was still a child. This was part of the reason that Yubel existed in the first place, to deal with situations like this.

The figures moved closer, and Yubel made a decision. Gesturing to Juudai to remain where he was, Yubel moved forward to the mouth of the cave.

"Who are you?" Yubel declared, for all the world if this were the entryway to the royal hall of their past. "What do you want with us?"

The one in the front, a warrior, took up a protective stance. "We would ask you the same question. Who are you?"

"I am Yubel." Yubel chose not to mention Juudai yet. "Are visitors not allowed in your land?"

The warrior, whom she recognized as Freed the Brave Wanderer, did not move from his guard stance. "They are. But we aren't used to ones as powerful as yourself. What else do you mean here besides visiting?"

In the cave depths, Juudai twitched a fraction, and a small pebble rolled down, bouncing outward. Yubel's attention flicked back out of concern. Freed's gaze also followed, until he looked for a moment toward the Ancient Sorcerer who stood next to him.

"What of your companion?" Ancient Sorcerer asked, taking a careful stop forward. "Two such powerful spirits as yourselves are rare visitors indeed."

Yubel cursed more intently, this time in the silence of thought. Of course in this world of spirits, Juudai's power would shine all the more brightly. That should've been a consideration. Nothing to do about it now but work with it.

"His parents died in the world we lived in before," Yubel told them. "Those who took care of him weren't suitable guardians, so I managed to gather enough energy to bring us both here."

Ancient Sorcerer and Freed exchange another glance. "A strange choice of worlds," Freed said. "Especially for a child."

"He is no ordinary child." Yubel could not help the hints of pride there. "But regardless, we are here."

Someone else moved from the group behind Freed and Ancient Sorcerer. "Does he need any help? Is he injured in any way?" This was a Holy Elf who spoke, her eyes tender and concerned.

"No." Yubel hesitated for a beat. "But he is in need of shelter and food." If they refused him, then Yubel would set off in search of others who would share what they had. For all that these were warriors and magicians, Yubel did not trust them to be generous.

Holy Elf moved up closer. "Then he can come with us. We have empty rooms and enough food to spare." She turned toward Freed, her voice hardening a fraction in a manner Yubel approved of. "Isn't that right?"

Freed cast his eyes to the farther corners of the cave. "Of course. Both of you are welcome to stay with us."

"He'll have to work for his food, like the rest of us," another voice rose up from the back. This one came from a warrior, one that Yubel did not recognize right away, but a frown touched pale lips regardless.

"He's a child."

The other warrior only shrugged. "We all have to contribute something. He can wash dishes or sweep until he's old enough to do something else."

"Yubel?" Juudai crept forward, as nervous as a wild deer. "It's all right. I don't mind. I can do it."

Freed cleared his throat in a way meant to bring some sort of peace, or at least agreement. "We can discuss that later. And you are?" He bent a quiet look onto Juudai, who smiled up at him, a sweet expression that no one could resist.

"I'm Juudai." He hesitated for a moment or two, then continued. "Yuuki Juudai. And you're Freed, the Brave Wanderer, aren't you? I've seen your card before."

Freed blinked a few times, a look crossing his face that clearly said he'd never encountered someone who said anything like that to him. Before he could answer, the one who'd spoken before chimed in again.

"So you're a duelist in your world?" A slight sneer hovered over his lips. "I've heard about worlds where no one dies from a duel. Where it's nothing but a game that children can play."

Juudai tilted his head a little. "What do you mean, die?"

"Just what I said. In this world, when you duel, whoever loses dies."

Holy Elf swatted him, a look of displeasure on her face. "Neo, that's enough. He's only a child. He won't be dueling any time soon."

"I like dueling," Juudai murmured, eyes going from one of them to the other. "You mean I can't duel here?"

"Of course you can. You just have to remember that whoever loses a duel dies," Neo the warrior said. "If you can't remember that, then don't duel. Dueling is for warriors, not children."

Holy Elf cleared her throat in such a way that brought instant silence. "Later. Let's go."

Yubel thought Holy Elf might well be an ally worth developing. Juudai still looked upset, but not to the point of tears, and he needed rest and food more than anything else. The matter of dueling could be settled another time.

"I agree." Yubel rested one hand on Juudai's shoulder, urging him to come along. He did so, though he didn't look very happy at the moment. That would have to be dealt with later.

Freed gave Neo some of his most severe looks. There were few children in their establishment, and most of those were older than they looked anyway, clearly aware of the dangers of dueling, and knowing better than to engage in it recklessly. But just because this newcomer didn't yet know that was no reason to harass him about it.

Neo only shrugged at the look as they headed on their way to the hidden base. "He has to learn sooner or later. Especially if he's going to be a warrior."

"We don't know what he'll be, or if he'll be anything at all," Freed pointed out. This world was a harsh one, and not suited for everyone. If Yubel could cross dimensions, then who could say how long Juudai would remain among them? Yubel could even decide to take him back to their own world. He knew of no others where dueling was a child's pasttime.

Neo hmphed and turned away, his eyes brushing past Yubel as he did. Neo seldom showed any emotion beyond scathing sarcasm, but Freed saw concern there now. This wasn't surprising; Yubel represented a kind of power they'd never seen in this world before. To be able to cross dimensions wasn't easy, unless one were one of the Different Dimension monsters. So far as any of them could tell, Yubel did not have that distinction.

Which raised the question of exactly who and what Yubel was, and by extension, who and what Juudai was. Such a spirit would not take care of a simple human child.

But Freed chose not to raise those questions as of yet. Perhaps once they grew to know each other better, if that happened. He would not yet rule out that they might leave. What he could best hope for was that Brron and his Dark World army would not realize that such a pair of power had arrived there at all.

Scarr, Scout of Dark World, clung to the top of a tree, watching as Freed and his men headed away, likely back to their base. No one knew the exact location of the site, and they were on guard too much, even now, for him to follow and find it. Besides, there was something far more interesting that he wanted to let his master know about.

A spirit and a human boy, both with unimaginable power. He hadn't heard much of the conversation; if he got too close, he knew Ancient Sorcerer would notice his presence, and he was not ready for that at all.

As soon as Freed's patrol vanished from sight, Scarr leaped down from the tree and hurried along his own trail, back to Brron's castle. The Mad King would love to know about this, and the sooner he was able to let him know, the better.

To Be Continued