Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, never did and never will. Though I love it so much that I maybe I should… ah, forget it, you get the point. It all belongs to that brilliant genius, Kazuki Takahashi.
Author's Note: The reviews I've been getting back our fantastic! You guys make my day—now let's restart the process again with this brandy new chapter from yours truly!
First let me thank Elfbrat18, Maridel, BlackRoseTenshi, spirit fire, cheeky-eyes, fan, feyannabellee, unseenwater, Isis the Sphinx, Masami Mistress of Fire, and SeleneXAngel.
You are all awesome! Thankies mucho! Oh, and no, the person we were all waiting for is NOT in this chappie—wait til the next one. Sorry!
#2 Author's Note:
The Prince of the Orichalcos
By: Angel's Nocturne
Chapter 10: Foreign Enchantment….
It wasn't a far travel—the two princes made their way up the main street for another few minutes, prior to arriving before the royal palace of Onimod. Though Yami had his cloak covering his eyes, he did try to take a look at what this modern fortress appeared as up close; however, it was too dark to see so he kept his head down as they rode up to another set of marble gates, where two guardsmen dressed in caramel colored kilts, shawls over their heads, and holding wooden spears waited.
"Good evening, Your Majesty" the guard to their left said; though he was much older than Yugi was, he spoke his name with obvious respect for his title. "Returning from your latest adventure, sire?"
"Yes, and it was the best one yet!" Yugi replied cheerfully, feigning his giddy personality quite well from what Yami could hear. He kept his head down so that the guards could not see his face at all, but in return he couldn't see what was going on at all. He could only listen to the present conversation.
"Good, Your Highness. You may pass—" the first guard was about to open up the gates but the second guard brought forth his spear and pointed it at Yami.
"Halt!" he shouted. "Who is this who rides with you, Your Highness?"
Yami, though he could not see the spear directed at him, could feel how tense Yugi got at the question and could assume that this might end badly, if Yugi didn't think of something soon. Without a bit of nervousness being depicted by his face Yugi looked at the second guard as though nothing was out of the ordinary and addressed him with a calm voice.
"He's, um, a new servant of mine… yes, that's all! A new servant! I brought him along with me on my journey for possible protection." Both princes waited uneasily for the guards to respond. They both smiled.
"Well, in that case, continue on." The gates were pushed open, and with a rough creak they were wide enough for the camel and its riders to enter. With a large grin Yugi thanked the sentinels and Namu proceeded forward, onto the palace grounds and into the courtyard.
"Your servant?" Yami hissed once they were out of earshot of the guards. "Since when did I become YOUR slave?"
"I just said that to keep the guards off of you", Yugi replied. "After all, they wouldn't believe me if I said that you were a five thousand prince who I woke up in the castle we read in fairy tales?"
"Hmm, you have a point."
"Exactly. Listen, while you're here, I can't let anyone see you—because of how alike we look, you know?" Yami did know, and he nodded to show that he understood. Just being in the marketplace for a few moments was enough attention to last him a while, and the last thing he needed was for some servant at the palace to see the two of them together and their whole plan would be ruined. "It would probably be for the best that you stay out of sight, that way there won't be any problems."
"I agree with you" he said quietly. "I mean, you wouldn't be able to explain to your people about my appearance due to my… history. But where will I hide?"
"My room of course." Yugi smirked while Yami blinked.
"And… that would be?" Yugi answered the other's question by pointing up at the large temple-like palace, gesturing to one of the upper levels.
"Up there. My quarters up close to the top." Yami gave his friend a puzzled look before shaking his head.
"How are we going to get up there without being seen?" he asked, curious as he knew that there had to be millions of servants crawling around the many floors that led to Yugi's.
"What?" Yugi said, his voice sounding like he had been painfully insulted. "You don't think I have a plan?"
"Actually, no."
"Well, I do!" Yugi announced in a whisper, eyeing Yami. "I have a secret passage that leads up to my room in the palace. That's where we're going!"
"Oh." Yami looked at Yugi, and though it was really too dark for him to see his companion he knew the boy was smiling at his new idea. "We never had a secret passage in our castle, or at least none that I knew about. I always got out of my room by crawling down some rope that I had in Sen Real just in case. That's pretty much the same, though." Yugi nodded.
"I guess so. Okay, I'm going to direct Namu to go through the royal gardens. There might be some guards out so keep quiet."
They rode past a couple of monument-like statues that lined the main pathway before entering what Yami thought were probably the royal gardens. He looked up at one of the statues, squinting to try and see what they were like only to be startled as the eyes of the sculpture seemed to follow him. Holding his breath in shock, he eventually let out a long sigh when they were a far distance from that particular decoration. In his attempts to forget the strange eyes of the monument, Yami forced his gaze away from the side of the path and onto what lay ahead.
The gardens surprised Yami more than the creepy statue; for some reason he had expected the courtyard to be sandy and somewhat similar to the desert motif of the markets and towns, however they were the exact opposite.
Trees—both palm trees and woodland trees—were everywhere in the lush, green gardens. Flower beds were set up in various spots all over the area, and the walkways were paved with brick and slate. The path Yami and Yugi came from extended into an intersection, where in the center a large water fountain stood. It was still working, and even in the dark Yami could see the crystal liquid flow like blue ribbons in the wind from the mouths of carved fish and mermaids' urns. All was quiet, save the gurgling of the moving water in the fountain, and it would have been completely dark had it not been for paper lanterns that were strung on a thin wire from tree to tree.
"Amazing…" Yami exclaimed in awe as his violet orbs shifted from one decoration to the next, admiring all the beauty and richness. Yugi continued to command Namu forward, guiding the camel around the fountain and closer to the palace. As they past it Yami peered at the dark pool of water, and thought he saw a glint of red and gold swim about. He gasped, but smiled at the wonders that the garden seemed to behold all around, with surprises on every turn.
"You like it?" Yami heard Yugi whisper to him as they neared the side of the fortress, with Namu moving close to the wall and hidden in the shadow of it.
"It's incredible" Yami replied, his eyes still trained to stare about in case another miracle appeared. He was so intent on this that he failed to notice that Namu had stopped and that Yugi was leaping off the camel until the prince had to tap his friend on the shoulder to gain his attention. "Hmm?"
"This is it—come on, I'll show you this stuff tomorrow." Yami hopped off the camel slowly, as he could feel his weariness in his every movement. While Yugi gave Namu a thank you—which happened to be a sugar cube—for the long journey they just endured, he tried to look for the secret passage Yugi had mentioned earlier—all he saw was a blank wall.
"Yugi, where's that passage you were talking about? I see nothing here…." Yugi looked up at him from where he was affectionately scratching Namu behind the ears, and then walked up to the bare wall, placing a hand on the stone.
"Right here." Out of nowhere the Onimodian prince began to mutter odd words in a language that Yami could hardly comprehend. With this chanting came a creaking sound, and then a groan as the area where Yugi's hand was suddenly fell away from the rest of the wall, sinking into it in a rectangular mass that was about the size of a doorway. Yami watched with incredulous wonder at the new passage that appeared before them like magic. Perhaps that's what it is—magic. How else can he open a secret door like that? Yami thought, as the piece of the wall that had sunk in then slid off to the side, revealing a dark hallway that had stairs leading downward into it like a basement cellar. Yugi then looked around to make sure that no one was around to see them and then slipped inside quietly. Yami was still staring at the door when Yugi poked his head back out of the darkness.
"Well, aren't you coming?" the Onimodian prince asked impatiently.
"Um, what about your—"
"Namu will be fine—he roams around the gardens all the time, one of the servants will eventually put him away" Yugi reassured him, and as Yami took a kind-hearted glance at Namu he rubbed the camel's neck before finally following Yugi into the dark tunnel.
It was so pitch-black that Yami couldn't see his hand in front of his own face, much less Yugi; all he heard was the boy's footsteps as they trudged down the steps in front of him. Then Yami heard Yugi chanting again in a low voice, and in a second there was light throughout the stairway, nearly startling yami. He could now see that Yugi had a torch in his hand that he had removed from the wall, and with his incantation he made it glow with a small firelight. Yami watched it amazed.
"So, you know magic?" Yami asked. Yugi nodded and smiled.
"Yes—as a prince I'm being trained in not just the art of warfare but of some mage skills as well. My grandfather thinks it will be important for me to know magic, so I've been training under the best white mage that we have here in Onimod. I'm somewhat good, but war and magic aren't my main concerns." He looked back at Yami, his amethyst eyes made even more translucent by the flickering flame, as he proceeded to turn around and continue down the steps with Yami close behind. With a half-hearted laugh he said, "Personally I hate it. I'm not really the tough type, and I hate the sight of blood and gore. I want to rule my country peacefully, but I guess peace isn't always possible. I can always hope for that though—maybe I'll get my wish and my country will stay out of war and conflict for as long as my reign resides."
"It will only be that way if you make it so, Yugi" Yami said as they walked on, their footsteps the only sound echoing through the passage. "I was more for the art of war, but if you are not then you need not choose that path. Stay true to yourself, and your country will rightly follow."
Yugi was quiet for a second. "Thank you, Yami. That means a lot."
They continued down in silence, the flame on the torch making their shadows flicker in the halo of light it emitted. The stairway seemed to lead on forever, and just when Yami thought he had gone so far below that they would see the gates of Hell, they hit a wall. At first Yami assumed that they had gone the wrong way and was about to inform Yugi of this, until he saw the youth pull on a rope ladder that had been casually hidden in a crevice by the wall. It led up into the dark abyss above their heads like a chimney—in an instant Yugi put his torch in a holder on the wall nearby, grabbed hold of some of the lower rungs and began his steady climb to the top. Yami was about to follow suit when he remembered that he was still carrying the golden box of the Millennium Puzzle.
He hesitated. "Yugi, I can't climb this." The younger prince looked down.
"Why not, Yami? You scared of heights?" Though Yugi had said this in an innocent tone free of sarcasm Yami still gave him a slight glare as he sweatdropped.
"No… I just can't grip the rungs when I have this to hold." He showed Yugi the metallic box, and the other boy took a moment to ponder what they would do about it.
Finally he said, his voice bouncing off the narrow walls of the pit they were in, "Yami, take off your cloak and wrap the box in it—then you can carry the edges of cloth in one hand and you'll be free to climb up, so long as you don't let go."
"Hmm, okay I can do that." Just as he was told Yami removed his cloak from around his body and placed it flat on the ground; then he situated the puzzle box in the center of it before taking up the edges and bundling them together in his hand so that the load resembled a knapsack.
With this done, both of the teens progressed up the rope ladder, with Yami holding the cloth sack in his left hand careful not to let go. Again the climbing felt like forever, and just when he thought his arms would give out from exhaustion he saw Yugi climb up onto a ledge that was above them. Yami threw the sack over onto the ledge before climbing up himself. The ledge was a confined, cut-out space in the wall, and Yami had to be on his hands and knees to fit in it comfortably. He saw Yugi up ahead of him, crawling into the tunnel like a gopher, and had no choice but to tag along into the cubby hole.
Up ahead of him, in the darkness he heard a soft click, like a door opening. Yugi blocked the way at first, but then he was gone as he vanished into an opening straight ahead. Yami pursued, and found himself squirming out through a small metal doorway that moved him into a large walk-in closet. He inched out, landing on his hands and knees, before getting up and watching as Yugi closed the small door behind them.
"What now?" Yami asked, but Yugi put a hand to his mouth.
"Shh!" he hissed, "Or the servants might hear you." Cautiously the Onimodian prince removed his hand from Yami's lips and crept over to a door that was barely visible in the blackness on the opposite wall. He gripped the metal handle on it and turned it slightly, peeking out to see what was in the room adjacent to this one. Yami watched silently as Yugi made a gesture for him to stay, and then the boy slipped into the other room to scout for servants.
A second later he returned, and signaled for the other to come out—Yami did so on his tip-toes, as he felt like any sudden move would result in a booming sound in response. Yugi opened the closet door wide for his companion, and as he did so Yami stepped out of the closet, and into Yugi's bedroom.
The room was quite large; though it was nearly too dark to see Yami could tell that it was almost as big as his old room once was. The floor was a cold, slick stone with a decorative carpet covering the majority of it, and various pieces of lavish furniture were set up so it was almost like a parlor as well. A chandelier of iron and candles hung from a chain linked to the ceiling, and at the moment the candles were without their flames. A few big, half-oval windows flanked the walls to his right, looking over the grand city in its nightly luminescence. Wit its headboard up against the wall opposite the closet, the giant bed was the most magnificent piece of furnishings there. The blankest and covers were a deep crimson and gold color, and the pillows resembled fluffy marshmallows; above the bed was a giant canopy surrounding the bed like a tent, and four giant bed post legs extended from the corners of it ten feet up, holding the canopy in place.
"So, this is your room then?" Yami said, trying to act unimpressed but was a bit jealous that his room was not nearly as well furnished.
"Yeah, it's mine. I designed it myself… with help of course. I'm not really an artist." Yugi blushed a little in embarrassment. "Never was." Yami stalked the room for a bit, looking at all the exquisite things that were housed in it even if he could only see half of them in the darkness.
"So", he asked absently, his violet eyes traveling around the bedroom, "where do I sleep?" Yugi had a puzzled look on his face for an answer, and his head then wheeled about as he gazed at all his furniture.
"Well, um, you could…" he said, trying to think of a place quick. "You can sleep… no, not there… how about… naw, that wouldn't work… um…." He placed his fingers to his chin, pondering vaguely. Then his eyes felt to one of his huge lounging sofas and he pointed to it for Yami to see. "You can sleep there. It's really quite cozy, and it should do until I can find you a proper bed. Is that alright, Prince Yami?" The youth looked to the other prince for an answer.
Yami was looking over the large, cushy sofa and he felt his eyelids droop reluctantly. Though he had been asleep for over five thousand years, all of the recent excitement had zapped him of his energy completely, and the strange encounter with that beggar woman still hung over him like a cloud. He yawned dramatically before answering in a tired tone, "Sure. I'll sleep anywhere right about now…."
"Okay, great!" Yugi went over to his own bed and yanked off one of his many pillows along with a silky comforter. He threw them over to Yami, who barely caught them his arms. "Here, use these."
"Thanks" Yami mumbled, and with that he trudged over to the couch, set up the pillow and blanket, and then fell onto the sofa already halfway into dreamland. He could feel his eyelids fall over his eyes and the world growing very quiet….
"There's so much stuff we should do tomorrow—don't you think so, Yami?" Yugi asked as he went to change into his pajamas, but Yami was already out like a light.
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Author's Note: Okay, so again, we will meet the person in the NEXT chappie, I PROMISE! Yes, I mean it—you'll see. And still, thanks for all the wondrous feedback! I love you guys! Remember to R x R!