Atem rubbed at his side every now and then as they walked down the road. The other man who attacked him had dealt some hard blows to his sides, which he knew were going to bruise soon. It disgusted him to think why that man had wanted to make him his servant which was a nice way of putting it, definitely not his type. He preferred relationships that were open and true, not with a sick power complex.

"This place looks nice. We won't have to worry about price since you won so much money with all those betting games you were playing," Yugi chuckled and had them stop in front of an extravagant inn.

Atem's lips curled into a mischievous smirk as he could recognize something like this anywhere, and of course, it was the most luxurious one. They always were.

"You have a keen eye, Yugi. I'm sure their amenities are the best, but you do realize what this inn also is, yes? If so, you're more adventurous than I originally thought." Atem glanced down at Yugi, his eyes meeting Atem's brazen ones.

"What do you mean? It's just a nice inn…" Yugi squinted his eyes, trying to see anything to understand what Atem was talking about.

"Hm, well, I wouldn't expect you to recognize a brothel when you see one. There are hints on the building even if the sign doesn't say it outright. Come, you'll see." Atem led Yugi along with a hand on his back, pushing him forward.

"A br-brothel? Are you sure?"

"You'll see soon enough."

It appeared as a normal tavern once they entered with a bar and various tables and chairs. A few nodded to them as a sign of greeting. Once spotting them, an older woman came out of a far hallway, enthusiastically greeting them. She wore a simple top that showed off a generous amount of cleavage. Face completely red, Yugi shrank back to take refuge behind Atem, knowing he'd just be a stuttering mess.

"Welcome, gentleman. You look tired and weary from travelling I presume. I invite you into the back areas here. We run one of the best brothels here. I'm sure you'll find something to your liking.

"Well, I am interested, but I think my friend here would just like a room for us to stay in for the night," Atem said, following her into the hallway trailed by Yugi.

Atem took care of the transaction for the room, arranging for one with two beds. He couldn't help but smirk at the seemingly permanent blush on Yugi's face from just being here.

"You can go ahead up to the room," he said, handing the key to Yugi.

"It's the first one on your left up the stairs," the woman said, gesturing to the flight of stairs leading upwards.

"You better not take too long," Yugi said, puffing his cheeks out in a pout. He took the key from Atem and made his way up there.

"I promise I won't, but you can't blame me for wanting to indulge. It's been awhile for myself."

"Yeah, yeah."

Atem was lead through another hallway. There were many doors lining it that he guessed were different rooms, most likely where the entertainers stayed.

"If I may ask, what are your tastes? We always want to provide our guests with the best experience possible."

"Well, my tastes are a bit more..masculine, if you catch my drift," Atem said with his usual smirk on his face.

The woman thought for a moment before nodding with a knowing smile.

"You're in luck. I have a few men here as well. I'll show you to the lounge."

About an hour or so later, Atem was making his way back to the room Yugi was in. His legs felt like jelly, wobbling as he walked due to the amount of wine he had just drank. There was a smirk on his face from thoroughly indulging himself, the taste of the wine along with the various men he kissed on his lips. His eyes were hazy and dilated, sated and ready to sleep for a long while. It had been a while for him and was indeed an enjoyable experience. Being on the run, he had been deprived of his usual pleasures at the palace. With each step, he felt like he was going to collapse and fall asleep right there, but through sheer willpower of wanting a nice bed, he managed to get to the right door and knocked, resting his forehead against the door. Waiting for Yugi to open the door, he was already nodding off. When Yugi opened the door, he fell forward and would've fallen onto the floor if Yugi hadn't caught him.

"Geez, looks like you had a fun time," Yugi said, struggling as he dragged Atem over to the other bed and heaved him up and onto it.

"This place is the best, Yugi. Thanks for picking it out," he muttered through a few hiccups before finally falling into a deep sleep.

The room was still hazy as Atem woke up a few hours later. Judging from the darkness from the window, it must be dark out. This would surely mess with his sleep schedule, but it was well worth it. Atem groaned as he managed to sit up, feeling his head pound painfully from drinking all that wine. The good news was he didn't feel nauseous at least.

"Looks like you're finally up. How much did you even drink?"

He heard Yugi before he saw him. His eyes eventually adjusted, and he saw the shorter boy sitting on the other bed as if he had been waiting for him to wake up. There were a few scrolls strewn about the bed.

"While you were sleeping, I was reading up on where we should go next. If we go by land, we'll have to make a journey through the rest of Canaan and into Egypt. It might be difficult since Egypt is a dangerous place for you to just walk into, but there's another way that might work out better for us. If we go to Gaza, we can hop onto a ship that's going to a port in Egypt. That way, we can sneak in through a port, and we'll be there right away. The donkey has done well for us so far, but I'm not sure if it could make a long journey by land."

It took Atem a moment to process everything Yugi was saying, the alcohol still slowing him. No matter, he had drunk way more before and still was able to perform his duties as pharaoh.

"Gaza sounds like our best bet then, but we're far from danger. Seto is probably hot on our trail, and who knows who else has been set against me that I once called friend. We can't trust anyone. However, one thing I know for sure is that I trust you. I know this plan will work." Atem rolled on his side slightly and flinched as the millennium puzzle in his pouch poked against him. "Oh, and we have this now." He pulled the puzzle out, admiring the familiar golden glint it had to it. "My power rests in this."

"You call it your millennium puzzle..so what does it do?" Yugi asked curiously, glancing up from one of the scrolls.

"With it, I have the power of the gods on my side or our side I should say. It carries my power as pharaoh, and it'll help us with taking back my throne. I'm lucky I had it with me that day, and it wasn't taken by whoever has dethroned me."

"Well, if it'll help us," Yugi said, sighing as he rolled the scroll back up. "Anyways, did you enjoy your little 'indulgence time?'"

Atem wore an amused smile, moving to lie on his stomach. He hadn't expected him to ask, figuring he'd be too shy or polite.

"I did. Luckily, they had a few that were of my tastes. I drank wine and had a good time. You should've joined in. I'm sure you would've had fun as well." One thing Atem had always gotten scolded for as a child was teasing and toying with others. It wasn't out of malice but curiosity. From a young age, he noticed the many masks people put on according to different situations. People talked to him a certain way as pharaoh but entirely different as a friend or behind his back. Atem found an interest in trying to get past the masks and finding the true person within. Yugi came off as quiet at first, but from their travelling together, Atem was starting to see glimpses into the true Yugi. He had a passionate fire within.

"W-well, of course not! This isn't some leisure vacation. We're basically on the run and being hunted down," Yugi stammered. He tore his gaze away to look down towards the floor, a light blush on his cheeks.

"Doesn't mean we can't make some parts of it fun," Atem chuckled. His amused smile only grew at seeing the reaction. "But don't worry. I won't press you further."

"Hey, Atem," Yugi started after a few minutes of silence.

"What is it?"

"I watched that game you played with that creep in the alley. You played an Egyptian game, right? Would..you mind teaching me how to play? It'd be something to pass the time. I'm not tired enough yet to sleep."

"You mean, Senet? Sure, we can play that. We'll have to make up our own board since I doubt there's one around here."

Atem felt his heart flutter a bit in joy. Besides befriending Yugi and his grandpa, he still felt so isolated from his home in Egypt. He couldn't even speak Egyptian for fear of being found out. He had been mainly speaking Aramaic in order to communicate. Playing Senet with Yugi was the perfect way to connect back with his home and learn new things about his new friend as well. Sometimes a game was the best way to truly see into someone else's heart.