Over the next day or so, Jet and I prepared ourselves for the worst with friendly practice-dueling. Other times Joey would teach us his 'much needed camping skills' would we ever needed. Either way I highly doubted wild bears would attack us in the Dominion of the Beasts as Joey warns.
As of now I was at home, packing a small bag for the soon-to be trip... to another world... Yeah that doesn't sound weird at all.
'So, I gave some kind of connection to that Princess. And that boy...' Immediately I thought back to the face of that little boy, Prince Noles. 'He did look a bit like Jet...' With that in mind I shook my head. I've got to stop thinking about that suggestion. It gives me a headache just trying to figure it out.
"Still getting ready?" knocked my dad. He stepped up to my door, already open.
"Yeah. Almost done. I'll be meeting Jet out by the park afterwards."
"So. What world are you traveling to now?" he asked curiously, walking up to me at my desk where my small bag was. It was funny how casual he sounded about the topic.
"According to Atem, the Dominion of the Beasts," I replied, not entirely sure whether to look forward to the trip. Looking back, traveling to another world doesn't sound as exotic as it seems to be. Nonetheless I was very excited about the whole ordeal. "Where's Mom?"
"Still resting," dad replied with a small smile. "We got the results of the ultrasound. You've got a brother."
"Brother. Figures it's be a boy," I acknowledged as I buckled and closed my bag. Yugi chuckled at my response. "I'll be home soon."
"I know you will," my father nodded.
With a smile I and threw on my bag, rushing out of the house. "Bye, dad! I'll see you later!"
As I disappeared, Yugi wondered, why him? It's always his family that has the abnormal experiences. His grandfather an archaeologist who 'miraculously' finds things relating to the past entirely too much. Then Yugi himself who shared a mind with a Pharaoh of Egypt. And now, his teenage daughter. She doesn't hang out at the mall or play duel monsters at the local dueling tournament like normal kids. No she raises herself most of the time while traveling various dimensions. Yeah.
And now he's having another child, and a Mutou at that. The forthcoming thoughts sent a sigh through the spikey-haired man.
Peddling as fast as I could on my bike, I kept my grin on as I dodged cars and walking bystanders. I didn't know why, but I felt so excited! To be finally seeing a world that interested my dad so much - a world of duel monsters. It also struck my nervous points, but the day looked too nice for me to feel otherwise. I suppose this is what it's like to have a 'teenage girl moodswing'. Yeah, that works. I'll just blame puberty.
I passed through the park entrance and biked up the road to the center and the highest point of the park. On the grass hills stood a tall Sakura Tree. They were just blooming. A true sign of spring. Though the gentle pink color didn't last long, they were nice to have around. And right under it stood Jet, waiting patiently for me. I smiled and biked up to the hill. "Hey Jet!" I called, walking up the hill, having left my bike at the bottom.
The blond looked up. A teasing smirk appeared. "Amet. About time you got here."
"My Dad and I were talking," I said with crossed arms. "Do you parents know?"
"Unusually yes. For once I actually told them that I was gonna do something totally abnormal and outrageous. Mom went a bit ballistic but my Dad let me go, thank heavens."
"So, we have our duel disks, our deck, and a bag for provisions," I said, looking at my backpack. Jet, too, wore one of his own. "I feel like I'm moving again."
"Eh you'll be fine. Like you said, we'll be back home soon. All we're doing is just getting a few facts straight, that's all."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Actually, I'm not. Just tryin' to make you feel more assured."
I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, in order to get to the Dominion of the Beats, Atem said we have to meditate and be in a subconscious state."
"Meaning we have to be asleep..." Jet said slowly, putting this all together.
"Um, yeah, sure," I said, taking out the Millennium Shard from my pocket. Looking down at it and into my reflection, I grasped the mirror tighter. With that I turned my head and out to the skies. I took a mental picture of the city buildings that lined the horizon. "Well, let's do this." I sat down under the shade of the tree, crossing my legs. It was then I found Jet lay his head in my lap. I arched my eyebrows down towards him in question. "Can I help you?"
"What? You said we have to meditate. I don't do that," Jet explained with his hands up, well, sideways, whatever. "I need to fall asleep. And apparently I don't have a pillow."
"So you think you can use me as one," I assumed with a look.
"Please?"
Rolling my eyes upward for a moment, I let out a silent breath. "Fine." We both closed our eyes and tried to loose ourselves into the darkness of our closed eyes. For once it was actually easier. Aside us, the light from the Millennium Shard began to glow, and the image of a foreign land in the glass appeared.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
My voice moaned as I turned my head. Tiredly I re-opened my eyes, finding myself laying on my stomach on grass. Using my arms I sat back up and shook my head, looking to the side. I noticed Jet laying on the grass in a sleeping position. He looked quite comfortable to say the least.
"Jet, wake up. I think we're here," I announced tiredly, shaking him. And of course, Jet being Jet, he ignored my attempt at waking him up and turned to his other side, facing his back towards me. At that I pushed him and turned him over on his back. With an 'ack' he finally opened his eyes. A dazed look remained on his face as he starred at me. "Am I dead?"
"You wish," I said, pulling him up. Finally noticing our complete surroundings, I realized we were in a small open plain on high ground. All around us were grass, trees, and ruins of stone. It's almost how I pictured ancient Rome from our history text books. The air seemed to much more fresh and a gentle breeze remained in this land. "Wow," I said first, looking around in disbelief. "It's so beautiful." I bent down at felt the grass. It was so soft I wanted to just lay in it again. That's how good it was. "So this is the Dominion of the Beasts... It's almost exactly how I remember it from my dreams but... everything is crumbled to ruin on the outskirts."
"And where is everyone?" Jet noticed, looking for any signs of life. Aside from the remarkable land, no one was here to claim it. This fantasy realm was supposed to be inhabited by monsters. Where were they?
"Come on. We better head somewhere. We shouldn't waste time just gawking."
"Right." Walking in some random direction, we set off for civilization. I followed the eventual sounds of voices, the familiar sound of the city. It sounded like busy markets or something. Finding ourselves in a rual medieval town we finally heard the sound of someone coming. Instantly Jet pulled me behind a stone brick building and we hid in the shadows of it. Two knights, assumingly duel monsters, walked past us. We peeked out, making sure they had left.
"I don't know whether to say that was totally cool or just too plain close," Jet muttered, the two of us starring in the direction of the disappearing monsters.
"Come on, we should try and blend in," I advised, Jet nodding in approval. Coming out of hiding, we snagged two long robes from a merchant's store near by. A duel monster was selling it. As humans we'd be easily recognizable, but we were incredibly small compared to most everything else, so it was easy to get away with certain things. That must be our only good quality at this point.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Jet whispered, his eyes shining through his hood.
I let out an aggrivated breath. "Honestly, I don't really know."
The crack of a whip sounded off in my ears. "Faster!" shouted the strong voice of a duel monster, whom I recognized as the Mystic Horseman. Looking to the side we saw the said monster ordering around other beings as they pushed wooden planks on a giant spinning wooden wheel, all chained up in the ankles and sweating and dirty like slaves. And all Jet and I could do was look on.
"This isn't supposed to be happening," I said regretfully. "Why is this place like this?"
"Remember, everything youknow about the Dominion of the Beasts is from the past. Atem said we had to see the present, and well..." The Mystic Horseman whipped one of the weak monsters, knocking him over in agony. "This must be the now."
"And I haven't seen those two kids around, either," I recalled. Noles and Valkyria. They shouldn't be kids now, if I'm right. Then again, do duel monsters grow up? "Let's get out of here. Maybe there's another city in this place that isn't as bad."
Jet scoffed. "Yeah right."
"Ahhhh!"
Jet and I turned swiftly at the sound of a male's scream. It was then we saw the dashing of a young girl duel monster. Harpie Girl, I think. She was small in height, maybe as tall as we were, and she had straight yellow hair with pink harpie wings. In her claws was a sack of food, one or two pieces of vegetables falling out on her run. "Get back here ya little thief!" shouted the male voice in a distance, shaking his fist.
"I've gotta get out of here," I heard Harpie Girl say under her breath.
"Let's follow her. She's leaving the town so maybe we can find a way out of this place," I told Jet. Nodding, we ran after her, careful to make sure we were still in hiding under our robes. Harpie Girl ran through the market place dodging various karts and merchants and monsters, panting in breath from the tiresome running.
"Oh how I wish I could fly," she said panting. Eventually she arrive din the outskirts of the town, thankfully still carrying her sack of presumed food, and Jet and I were still in hot pursuit. She smiled and looked at the bag in her possession. "This should be enough for the others." Suddenly she picked her head up and stared into space. Turning around she saw us, the two mysterious hooded figures. She narrowed her eyes in our direction. "Hey who are you! If you want food get it somewhere else!"
"Look we don't want your food, okay?" Jet said in our defence.
"Wow I never thought I'd ever hear you say that," I said astonishingly to the teen.
"Oh would you be serious please!" Jet retorted under his hood.
The Harpie girl narrowed her eyes in our direction and snarled at us, showing she had fangs. "Humans," she mumbled. Raising one of her claws she used the wing on her arm to launch an attack at us. A huge gust of wind blew at us, knowing off our hoods as we tried to stand our ground. "Aha! I knew you two were humans. I could smell you a mile away." She squinted her eyes at one of us. I couldn't tell. "And you."
"Please tell me she's glaring at you and not me," Jet said.
"Either way it looks like she's willing to fight," I said, reaching for my bag so I could get my cards. However with incredible speed Harpie Girl dropped her sack and came at me, clawing the sleeve of my robe. Luckily she didn't hurt me but her claws were at my neck. "... Okay maybe I miscalculated a few things."
"Amet," Jet said, frozen. He was afraid the harpie would behead me if he were to reach for his own deck.
Her eyes looked at Jet, a shining glint appearing in them, like an eagle's. "You don't want the girl to get hurt, do you?" she said. "So I suggest you two come quietly with me."
Upon doing that Harpie had the both of us as her hostages. Our hands were tied behind our backs and she tied our upper arms against our bodies and led us forward with a rope, like a dog on a leash. Now I know how they feel. How degrading. Beaten by a mere pink-feathered bird girl.
"Where are we goin', anyhow?" Jet spoke up broadly, following the harpie in ropes.
"None of your business, human," she said sternly.
I arched my eyebrows. "What do you have against humans?" Unless all monsters had that kind of grudge against humans.
She didn't answer and instead we arrived outside a cave in a desolate wasteland, away from any sign of civilization. She brutally led us forward and into the dark, until we reached a point where lanterns shined through. I could hear the faint echoing sound of water dripping. Drip. Drip. I suddenly had the urge to go to the bathroom. As if my situation couldn't get any worse.
Harpie Girl stopped. "Come out! I've returned!" she called into the cave. Out of tunnels, came out more winged children. And eventually, more bird monsters with large wings on their arms, and long claws like that of a true duel monster. Mummers were heard upon seeing Jet and me. And somehow I could tell we weren't exactly receiving a normal welcome.
"Am I the only one with the urge to pretend to act dead?" Jet whispered to me.
"I have the urge to go to the bathroom but you don't hear me saying it out loud while people stare at you."
"Quiet, you two!" Harpie Girl repeated, tugging on the rope in an attempt to silence us.
"Did you bring food," asked one of the older harpies, kind of like the ones Mai had now that I thought about it.
"Um, not exactly," Harpie Girl replied, somewhat hessitently.
"Oh yeah you forgot them while you were capturing us," I reminded with a smile.
"Shut it!" she said, tugging on my rope before turning back to the crowd of Harpies. "But as you can see I've found us two visitors. Humans, at that." Once again whispers started among the clan. I began to worry about what they would do to us? Eat us? sacrifice us? Battle us? Anything worse I'm missing just let me know.
"What is with all this commotion?" said an authority-like figure. His voice sound strong yet young. Firm yet calm. Seeing a parting in the crowd, the monsters made way for who appeared to be their leader, the one and only Harpie's Brother.
"No way," I uttered, Jet's eyes too gaping at the scene.
"Brother, I found two humans wandering town," Harpie Girl said up to the taller duel monster. "They could be with the Lower Dominians."
"The Lower Dominians?" repeated Harpie's Brother, glancing over at us. He stood with his arms crossed, his red wings faced downwards just like he appeared on the card. Narrowing his glaring eyes, he looked at us sternly. "What business do you have here. Otherwise we will be forced to dispose of you."
"But we're not with any whatever dominian you say we are!" I shouted back, trying to shake out of my tied up wrists. "So let us go! We've done nothing wrong here!"
"I highly doubt that," Harpie's Brother stated sourly.
"Hold on a sec!" Jet spoke up, coming up in front of me. His hands too were still tied behind him, but he still stood his ground. "You're Harpie's Brother! Surely you know who I am at least!"
"Yeah we do. You're that horible dictator Noles!" Harpie Girl shouted, tugging the rope in a way so that Jet fell to his knees.
"Jet!" I cried, running to is side and kneeling down. I'd try to help him back up if I had my arms freed. But if my mind at the moment weren't consumed with worry for my friend, I'd be questioning myself as to why Harpie Girl referred to him as 'dictator Noles'. Noles, that name...
Unknownst to us Harpie's Brother focused on the two of us on the cave ground. He couldn't help but feel a familiar sense of the two children in front of him in captive. Finally it hit him, but his expression only changed slightly, if not at all. "... Release them," he ordered suddenly.
"What?" said harpie girl in surprise. "But Brother-"
"It's fine, Sister," disclosed the monster, walking forward. Harpie's Brother starred down at us, judgingly. I couldn't help but gulp. Made me wonder how Jet felt. This washis monster after all. At that, Harpie's Brother smiled. "These two are guests to our home. Prepare a banquet! These two weary travelers have come a long way." He turned to face the other harpies. "Tonight we celebrate!" he announced strongly, earning anticipated cheers from the clan.
"Huh?" Harpie Girl and I said in disbelief.
"What, just happened?" Jet blinked with a lost expression on his face.
That night, all of the harpies gathered into one big cavern with tables and food and drink. Very few choice but it was still food. Quite simple, really. Bowls of soup with a small slice of bread spread among all in the room, including to Jet and I. Earlier the two of us had rid ourselves of those disguising robes. As of now Jet, Harpie's Brother, Harpie Girl, and I were seated at what appeared to be the main table at the front of the room.
I inhaled the scent of the soup, smiling in delight. "This smells delicious. What is it?"
"It's nothing much. Simple tomato soup, I'm afraid," answered Harpie's Brother, seated across from Jet and me. "If we had more to offer as a banquet then believe me we would share all we had with you."
"No really it's fine," I beamed with a trying smile as I hend my hands up. I looked among the room to the small families of Harpies, sharing and rationing their food slowly.
Harpie's Brother looked at his bowl. "As of now the land is in famine. We try our best to ration our food, and find whatever we can get from distant towns."
"So that explains why you were outside in town with us," Jet lamented, looking to the non-social Harpie Girl.
"I still don't get why we're celebrating," she said in a stuborn manner. "They're humans. Their kind are cruel to ours. Just look at what we have been reduced to. What good are more of them to come here to our realm? They don't belong here." Her brutal speech of her output on humans only heightened my curiosity.
'What'd we do?'
"Sister you do not understand. The boy you see before you is not Noles, that I can assure you," Harpie's Brother inclined.
"You mean me?" Jet asked, pointing at himself.
"Yes," Harpie's Brother nodded. "I know you two, from the human realm. You are Jesset Wheeler, my master."
"So you do remember me," Jet grinned.
"And you are Amunet Mutou, my master's close friend," Harpie's brother continued. "Also known as the daughter of the Chosen Duelist of Timaeus, Yugi Mutou."
My head rose in curiosity, as did Harpie Girl's eyes. "You know my father?"
"Everyone in this realm knows of him and his good deeds to our people many years ago," Harpie's brother told. "Of course that is a story for another time."
"So you're the famous child of Yugi Mutou," Harpie Girl realized, leaning over the table to look closer at me. "Wow. Who would've thought?" She sat back down and smiled. "Forgive me. I have been born into our current war so it's all I've ever known. I noticed that your friend Jet resembled Prince Noles and I thought you two were the enemy."
"So you're in war?" I asked confused.
"For a while now, yes," Harpie's Brother answered. "As you can see this Realm of Monsters isn't the paradise it once was in our glory days. The realm is divided into the High Dominion and the Low Dominion." I remember that part. From the dreams. "Long ago, the High Dominion region was ruled by the Magician Monsters, while the Low Dominion was ruled by Warrior Monsters. The two lands were always at war with each other for as long as I can remember."
"What side are you guys on?" Jet asked curiously.
"As winged beast monsters, the Low Dominians persecute our kind, and so we remain here in hiding," said Harpie's Brother, meaning they were of the High Dominians. "We try to survive as a family. We manage, finding food and water whenever possible."
"Sounds tough," I commented.
"But you two, I would have never expected to see you here of all places," Harpie's Brother said wondrously. "How did you manage to come across this place?"
"We got help from my father," I smiled, remembering him. Would it be smart to say we just slept and arrived here out of nowhere? "We came to find out the conditions of the Dominion of the Beats."
"Dominion of the Beasts?" Harpie Girl repeated with an odd stare.
"That's what our realm is called as a whole.,undivided. It's been a while since I've heard that term," Harpie's Brother said, smiling surprisingly. "There are some areas in the High Dominion's territory that had been left unfound by the enemy, so living in peace they probably still refer to this place as such." He stood up, all of us looked at him. "You both are welcome to stay with us however long as you like. It's not the fanciest but it's safe. Were the Lower Dominians to find you, two humans, you'd be put to death immediately."
"Um, thanks for the warning," Jet thanked unsure. Not exactly the safest terms to live under? You stay or die.
"Thank you very much," I spoke up, bowing my head in gratitude.
He nodded. "Sister attend to them if they need help. I've some unfinished work to do in the other caves."
"Fine," she sighed as her brother walked off.
I found us three teens at another silence. Wanting to break that I said something. "Your brother seems nice," I spoke to the girl.
"I guess," Harpie Girl said. "He's the leader of our clan here. Our parents used to be until they were found out by the Lower Dominians. My big brother and I were left orphaned to watch over everyone else."
"That's tough," Jet said out of sympathy.
"Yeah," Harpie girl frowned, looking down. "It's kinda depressing being a kid and being forced to live under war conditions, but my brother has always said it's not worth whining over. So that's why I do what I do."
"Then I guess I don't blame you for thinking we were the bad guys," I half-smiled with a slight laugh.
She smiled, too. "Thanks." She looked down at our bowls. All three had only a bit of soup left. "How about I escort you two to your room. Living in these caverns we have limited space. I hope you don't mind sharing a room together."
"Uh-"
"It's fine!" I grinned, being totally oblivious to Jet's awkward thoughts. At the moment the last thing I wanted to do was oppose on such nice strangers. How often do you find people like this in the real world? "Thank you for your hospitality."
Okay, so we have a place to stay, and we know some back story to this whole big problem that's now a WAR. I admit it didn't surprise me, this kinda thing happening now. Question is, what else is there? And how am i supposed t correct this anyhow?
Next Chapter's up! Sorry it's been a while. The heat's getting to me. But it rained today so I'm a little happier. Anywhooo, Amet and Jet are finally in the Dominion of the Beasts. Low Dominion weakened by the war against the Highers.
I'll be sure to publish the next chapter quicker this time I hope.
On a side note, I'm making 'official' drawings of Amet and Jet and the whole story. They're still in my drawing book though. Once I outline them I'll upoad them on my deviant art account. My point of mentioning the whole drawing thing is that if there's anything anyone wants me to draw concerning Amet and Jet, you can mention the idea to me and I'll try to draw it if anything comes to mind, or if I'm not lazy. Can't garuntee anything really, or anything good at that. I'm a horrble artist, so I'll try my best. XP
I'm even working on a manga version of the story, but don't expect to much of that idea. I'm geting lazy and I'm still drawing chapter one.
Well, that's all I have to say for now. Review please! I like those :3
Until next chapter!
Have a great August!