Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Dragonheart; they both belong to their respective owners. I do, however own bits of the plot.
Warning: Lemon. Not only that but a first attempt at a lemon.
Chapter Ten: Mates
A man by noble name and not by birth right'
Did burn in the flames that night.
It was probably a bad idea to have come down to the village. Ryou flinched as another person walked close to him, pressing his sweating palms back against the shack. He closed his brown eyes and took a deep breath before leaning forward to peer around the corner. No matter how stupid the impulse bad been to come down here, Ryou was still glad that he had done so.
Soldiers mounted on horses herded the villagers into the center of the village, making them stand in front of Gozaburo and the priest who held a flaming torch in his hand. The king's cold blue eyes scanned over the peasants before staring directly at one. He motioned the priest forward as the soldiers forced a young man out of the crowd. Ryou got a glimpse of green eyes before the man was forced to his knees, the soldiers binding his arms behind his back. Ryou shrank back to his hiding place as the priest looked up, spreading his arms as he spoke. "You are in danger of losing your immortal souls, my children! You allowed yourselves to be ruled over by a man under the enchantment of a witch! You allowed the son of the witch to grow into adulthood and sire a child of his own! Not only that, but you allowed the child to escape. I urge you to tell us where the mother is heading so that the proper actions can be taken!"
There was silence following the announcement, the villagers looking around themselves. Ryou gripped the side of the building tighter; trembling as a few of the villagers appeared like they were going to talk, holding their tongues at the last minute. As the moments passed, Gozaburo became more restless and Ryou relaxed. As much as these people feared for their souls, the admonishing of one priest was not going to turn them against the child that they had placed their hopes and dreams on. Now the girl and her child would have the time to get to Mahad, this action by Gozaburo showing that he had already lost them.
"Burn this one, that blonde and the red head." Ryou stiffened at the cruel order, stepping away from the shack. Gozaburo yanked his horse around, obviously tired of dealing with the peasants. "They are the ones who protected her."
The soldiers acted on their king's orders, shoving through the crowd towards the victims. The villagers reacted by pushing the two victims toward the back, closer to Ryou. The poet hesitated for a moment before lunging forward and elbowing his way through the crowd. He reached out to grab the blonde's shoulder, dodging a punch thrown by the young man. He gave a smile of apology to the startled young man before tugging them away from the crowd. "Come on."
The blonde paused long enough to scoop the red head into his arms before racing after Ryou. The poet glanced over his shoulder once to see if they were coming before dodging the soldiers that were coming after them. He pulled his bow from where it was slung over his shoulder to use against swords, catching attacks and shoving them away. Since they had been in the back of the group and away from the main body of soldiers, Ryou and the blonde hit open ground quickly, Ryou keeping a tight hold on his bow as they raced for the forest. Behind them, the cheers started as the villagers realized what was happening. Feeling good, Ryou gave a final wave before pushing through the forest. The two young men exchanged weak smiles, slowing under the cover of the trees. Hopefully they could lose their pursuers in the forest.
Their euphoria disappeared at the pained scream that came from the village, the wind shifting to bring the scent of smoke and burning flesh to them. Ryou choked on air as the circumstances added up in his mind. That first young man must have not been taken away from his captors, and now there were burning him, as ordered. The poet held a hand up to him mouth as he struggled to suppress his gag reflex at the smell, stepping away from the blonde in case he did lose control. He looked up abruptly as the blonde jerked forward. "Duke!"
"No!" Ryou winced as the blonde glared at him. "We have to get out of here before they do that to us!"
The blonde hesitated for a moment, looking down at the girl he held in his arms before finally nodding. Ryou pulled him in the right direction, letting go as they both settled into a jog. The poet looked over at the girl, his heart sinking as she realized that, even though she was blind, she knew exactly what was going on. She had her head tucked into the blonde's chest, whimpering. His decision to keep going, although it was the right one, still felt wrong. It was not in his nature to leave another behind. He was still suffering guilt from allowing Yugi to run off to slay the dragon on his own.
He jumped at the sound of hoof beats, quickly pulling the blonde onto the rocky path that led to their hideout. But, if the soldiers were still after them, then they couldn't stop for long; long enough for him to grab the things that had been left behind by Bakura. Then they would have to hope for the best. Ryou could only hope that they would find Bakura before he messed up their chances, because the thief would be better at finding them a place to hide. But Bakura had said that no one would find them while they were up at the waterfall. Ryou shook his head to clear it of thoughts, nearly falling on the treacherous path.
They sprinted from the path to the small bit of forest that boarded the bank of the river, the thunder of the waterfall masking the sound of hoof beats. Ryou dashed out into the open, hurriedly gathering up the few belongings he had, not hearing the blonde until he rested a hand on Ryou's shoulder, shouting to be heard over the waterfall. "What are you doing?! There's a dragon here!"
"Not anymore!" Ryou bit his lip at the mention of the dragon. It had disappeared with Yugi three months earlier like Mahad had done, leaving them alone without a protector. The poet shook his head, carelessly slinging his bow over his shoulder and holding the pack over his head, not wanting any of his work to get wet. Although, he was sure that he could rewrite it if any damage was sustained. It was better to be safe in the end. He walked to the bank of the river, stepping into the frigid water before looking at the blonde. "Come on!"
The blonde followed him, whispering something to the girl that he held before jumping into the water and wading through it. Ryou stumbled along behind the blonde, his shorter stature making it difficult to keep up. He began to shiver, holding the pack of his chest as he stepped up onto the opposite bank, nodding at the blonde before jogging off. The two easily lost themselves among the trees, ducking behind trunks as the soldiers rode up to the opposite side of the river, talking amongst themselves in low voices. Ryou watched them and mentally cursed the fact that they were not leaving.
"Why are they just standing there?" Ryou glanced over at the blonde as he muttered to himself, leaning out from behind his hiding place. "There's a dragon here. It must have heard us already."
The poet opened his mouth to correct the blonde when something dropped from the sky with a roar. Ryou fell to one knee as the blonde curled himself around the girl. The dragon circled low over the open space before dropping into the river with a splash. The soldiers scattered, sending their horses racing back into the trees as the dragon stood up from its crouch, sniffing the air before turning its head to look directly at them. It gave a laugh, stepping partially out of the water. "You humans are so easy to scare." The dragon's tail twitched in its mirth, matching the smile that was on its face. "You can come out, I won't eat you. Nasty little things. Humans are very bad for me, you make my stomach complain."
Ryou was the first to step out, drawn by the resemblance of this dragon to Yugi's dragon, the same configuration of the horns and body type. But this one's scales were gold, shading lighter into an almost silver color on the underside of the dragon. And this dragon had lavender eyes, much friendlier than the crimson eyes that Yugi's dragon had. The scales around this dragon's eyes were black, outlining the edges of the eyes. The dragon gave a snort, reminding Ryou that he was openly staring. He ducked his head, making the dragon laugh again. "Why would armed soldiers chase after you? You aren't anybody important to the humans."
"We just need to get out of Gozaburo's kingdom."
The dragon nodded, casting a look over his shoulder. "I don't blame you. I've been staying up north, but the dragon-slayer settled up there and I thought that it was time to return south. Hopefully, I've missed all that mating season nonsense." He clambered all the way onto the bank before stretching out on the ground, pushing one foreleg out further than the other. "Get on. I might as well take you along."
"Why? Isn't it beneath you?"
The dragon snorted, rolling his eyes. "You must have been talking to Atem. They way I see it; I'm doing us both a favor. I still go south but I have a reason to explain my absence and you get away. Plus, I don't want to have to save all of you again." Ryou hesitated, plucking nervously at the sleeve of his shirt as he stared at the dragon. The creature finally growled, sticking its neck out so it was nearly nose-to-nose with Ryou. "Listen, human, don't look for an ulterior motive because there isn't one. It's simply that we are going the same way. We'll save energy and help each other, like it used to be." The dragon pulled back with a huff. "I swear, you humans get stupider with each generation."
"How can we trust you?" The blonde stepped out the trees, now holding the red head's hand, still keeping her close. The dragon tilted its head to look at the two, its gaze continually sliding over the girl. "Dragons have caused nothing but problems for people, always stealing our animals to fill their bellies."
The dragon shrugged. "One must eat. Is she blind?"
The blonde pushed the girl behind him. "What if she is?"
"I have someone who might be able to cure her."
"Her eyes were burned out."
The dragon winced. "Then it might take a little longer, and probably a favor from Atem. But it could happen, only if you will come with me."
Ryou scrambled up onto the dragon, too intrigued by the promise to even consider listening to his fear. He had never seen real magic before, only heard the condemnations of the priests and the older stories that told of times when all could do magic. The poet reached down to help the girl up, holding her tightly as she nearly overbalanced. He gave her a smile before looking down at her protector, who was glaring up at the two of them. The dragon shook its head, lowering his head to return the glare to the blonde. "Tell me why I would harm humans who have done nothing to harm me? It makes no sense; except, apparently, in your human logic."
"Fine!" The blonde threw up his hands and stormed over the dragon, clambering up onto the dragon's back and giving a very unmanly yelp as the dragon stood up and flapped its wings a couple of times. It turned its head and gave them a slightly manic smile before launching itself into the air. Ryou pitched forward, clinging to the girl in front of him as they rose into the air. The dragon circled a few times before turning south with quick wing beats. It tipped its head to look back at them. "We'll be arriving at our destination late tonight. No sense in enjoying the flight down there with humans inclined to complain."
The blonde huffed and looked away while the red head laughed. She reached out to pet the dragon, letting out a gasp at the texture of the scales. "So soft and warm."
The dragon laughed, lowering its head to scan the forest below them as it flew, probably still on the look out for Gozaburo's soldiers. Ryou reached up with one hand to hold his bow, looking down at well. It was probably best to have two pairs of eyes searching the ground.
Bakura shook his drenched hair out of his face, glancing through the trees. The short rainstorm had caught him by surprise, leaving him soaked and annoyed. The thief tugged on the reins, the mule following his master happily. Bakura glanced back at Thoth, giving the reins a shake to get the animal's attention. "You're a mule, act stubborn for once instead of prancing!"
Thoth ducked his head and looked at Bakura with wide brown eyes. The thief groaned and pushed the mule away. "You've been spending too much time with Ryou."
He sobered at the reminder of his lover, stroking the mule's muzzle absently before moving forward. He had to keep moving to find a place where he and Ryou could safely hide. Gozaburo would be searching the hills once that girl gave him the slip, which would be bad news for him and the poet. The soldiers' fear of their king was greater than the fear of the dragon. Bakura rubbed his face, turning to tie Thoth to a tree before scrambling up the trunk. From a higher vantage point he would be able to see where he was going, as well as pin pointing possible places for them to hide. He yelped as he slipped on the tree, clinging to the wet bark until he regained his balance. Cursing the rest of the way up, Bakura pushed his head out of the evergreen's needles, carefully planting his feet so he wouldn't fall over. He began to scare the area, praying that he would see something.
The forest rolled on around him, the seemingly unending sea of branches taunting him. He bit back another curse as he punched the branch he was on. Soon the snows would be worse and they would lose their chance to run. He shifted, squinted as something caught his eye. The forest gave way to flat land in the distance, the change barely visible to him. Bakura's eyes widened as he stared in that direction, mentally estimating the length of time it would take Ryou and him to get there. He shook his head before scrambling back down the tree and dropping to the ground. He reached out to calm Thoth out of habit as he thought over the plan that was forming.
There had always been stories about the clans who lived in the south, but he had thought that the previous king had destroyed all of them; which would be perfect for them because Gozaburo wouldn't follow them. But he had thought that about the last place. That would teach him to do a good deed again. And there was a chance that there would be people instead of the empty plains that he was expecting, people who were less inclined to turn them over to the king. Bakura nodded to himself before swinging up onto Thoth and giving the mule a kick, pulling on Thoth until they were heading back to where Ryou was waiting for him. Bakura smile as the mule lurched into a gallop, surprised at the speed the animal was going at.
If his estimation was right, it would only take a week to reach the end of the forest, if they kept up a good pace. It was a good amount of time to get away from Gozaburo, considering that Bakura had managed about a day of travel before he had come to this plan. He became lost in his thoughts, not noticing when Thoth gave a frightened bray and tried to run away, Bakura simply pulling on the reins to slow the mule. He scowled as Thoth began to attempt to dart off to the sides, leaning forward to glare at the creature. "What is wrong with you?"
The thief looked up at the sound of wing beats, pushing the almost familiar sound of his mind until Thoth began to buck in an attempt to ease the hold that Bakura had. He growled as he pulled the mule's head back up, tipped his head back in time to see a set of claws close around him and the mule. There was a grunt as the dragon pushed off the ground and took off. Bakura clung to Thoth as the ground dropped away beneath him, cursing and glancing up. His mouth dropped open as he saw Ryou waving at him from the dragon's back, the poet entirely too cheery for the situation. The thief sat up on the squirming mule, shaking his head as the poet laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Getting a ride to safety."
Safety? "What did you do?!"
Leave it to Ryou to attract trouble while he was gone. Bakura looked up at the dragon before glancing back at Ryou, raising an eyebrow in a demand for an answer.
"Later!" Bakura gave a huff at the casual brush off of his question. He cursed and sat back, staring down at Thoth as the mule's struggling slowed, the animal quickly exhausting himself. Bakura waited until Thoth went limp in the dragon's hold before he stroked the mule's neck, trying to comfort them both as he seethed internally. He hated not being in control and having information withheld; it usually meant that he was in danger. He hated the feeling of being helpless; it brought up too many bad memories. He tangled his fingers into Thoth's short mane and took a deep breath to calm himself before glancing around. At least they were heading in the right direction.
Tèa was shaken from her sleep, wincing at the stiffness in her neck and back from her cramped position against Tristan. She rubbed her eyes, realizing that the horse had stopped moving. She blinked and looked down the hill that they were halfway down, her eyes following the pine forest until it became fields, grass just beginning to yellow around the edges and dark clouds threatening rain above them. Tèa tipped her head to the side, enjoying her first glimpse of a new country. She continued to stare as Tristan urged the palomino forward, the horse stumbling it its exhaustion. She patted the horse's neck, speaking more to it than to Tristan. "At least we got away from Gozaburo."
"Yes, but now we have to find this Mahad. And who knows how long that will take." Tristan looked resolutely ahead, keeping one arm around her waist to steady her as the horse tripped again. "In the meantime, it would be best to pretend that we were married around everyone but Mahad."
"But-"
"I know you want to remain loyal to the prince, but it is for your own good. You won't be treated like a whore while you are here, I won't let that happen. Besides, it would be safer if no rumor spreads this time. Perhaps we can even give this kid the start of a normal life."
Tèa smiled fondly, resting one hand on her stomach. Soon they would all be safe from Gozaburo; the king was too cowardly to attack a neighboring kingdom. He was more inclined to wallow in his riches and pretend that she no longer existed, probably breaking the spirit of the people. But she wasn't going to let that happen. They had been too long under the control of Gozaburo. Tèa jolted out of her thoughts as Tristan turned the horse to the side as the palomino let out a whinny. There was a response from the small town at the base of the hill, from a brown horse by the fields. The man astride it looked up abruptly, hesitating before kicking his horse into a canter towards them.
Tristan tensed, getting ready to move when Tèa placed a hand on his arm. The man didn't draw the sword that was resting against his side, so he was not coming to harm them. She was curious as to why he had even come to investigate them, another pair of people running from Gozaburo. They couldn't have been the only ones desperate enough to flee from the harsh rule and certainly not interesting enough to draw the attention of a rich man, as the horse and sword marked him to be.
The man pulled his horse to a halt, the two animals trying to touch noses as their riders pulled them back. The man stared at the palomino horse before glancing up at the two riders. Tèa was surprised to see open shock on his face as he looked at them, one hand reaching up to brace on the neck of his horse. "Please, tell me where you got this horse."
"Is it yours?" Tristan nudged the palomino over, placing Tèa out of reach as the man continued to stare intently at them. Both of the peasants relaxed as the man shook his head.
"No, but I would recognize it anywhere. It belonged to the prince."
"Are you Mahad?" Tèa clamped her hands over her mouth as she blurted the question out, drawing the man's attention to her. She ducked to avoid Tristan's glare, sure that she had spoiled everything when she caught the end of the nod that the man gave. She sat up straight, staring directly at him. "You are Mahad."
"Yes." He gave a short bow with a sharp laugh. "Former protector to the prince of the kingdom below, but no more. Now, I merely help my father oversee those under his care. And what are you two doing here?"
"The king ordered her death," Tristan nodded toward Tèa, "so we escaped while we could. The man who gave us this horse told us to find you."
Mahad shifted on his horse, looking down at the ground. "I don't know what I can do for the two of you, but I do commend you for getting your wife out of danger."
"I'm not his wife." Tèa saw Mahad look up in confusion, probably noting the careful way that Tristan held her. She gave the knight a smile, wanting to be sure that he was looking at her when she spoke. "I've seen you before, Mahad. I was at the village where you and the prince stopped before you attacked the castle and I was at the village where you rode from to come here. And I need your protection now, because the prince's child is in danger."
"Yugi's…" Mahad stared at her for a long time, his mouth open in shock. Tèa sat back, stroking the palomino's neck as she waited for the announcement to sink in. The former protector of the prince rocked back in his saddle, nearly falling off his horse as his eyes widened. He sat back up, staring at Tèa. "If this is a lie, you will not be able to stop me from killing you."
"It's not a lie, Mahad." Tèa kept her smile, feeling Tristan grip her tighter with the threat that the knight has issued. "I promise that. We had to run to keep it safe from Gozaburo. But all the villagers were willing to support this child when he grows. This is their one hope and they will fight so it can have a place on the throne."
Mahad sighed, rubbing his temples before jerking his head down toward the village. "Come, I will take you back to my father's lands, but you will stay in the village. I'll make up a story so that you can stay there and in my sight. I will do my best to keep you safe, but don't take that as support for your cause. I have no reason to keep fighting anymore."
"Would you fight for Yugi's child?"
The knight paused, in the middle of asking his horse to turn around. His hands tightened on the reins, the motion almost unnoticeable. Mahad glanced back at Tèa, seeming to think it over before giving a curt nod. "I owe it to Yugi. I carelessly wasted his own life. I will make sure that his child has a better life than his father."
Tèa returned the nod, Tristan urging the palomino after the knight. She watched the knight for a while before looking back around at the country that they were in. It seemed to be a nice place to be, even though she was still worried about her friends back in the village. What plans would Gozaburo have for them? She shook her head, refocusing her gaze on the road ahead. All she could do was look ahead and hope for the best.
Yugi leaned back onto his hands, looking up to watch as a few dragons wheeled on the early morning thermals. He restlessly drummed fingers on the ground as he waited, looking around at the others of the clan who had gathered to watch the dragons perform their courtship dances. A few of the mated pairs were sprawled out in the open space, talking to human friends or conversing with some of the older dragons. Yugi jumped as Hermos wandered over to stretch out by him, eyes not leaving the sharp horn that was on the tip of the dragon's muzzle. His eyes traveled over the spikes that decorated the back of the red dragon, forcing a smile on his face when Hermos looked over at him.
To his surprise, the red dragon chuckled, giving himself a shake, the motion making the spikes on his back rattle together. "Don't worry; I'm not plotting to kill you. You just picked out the best place to watch this. Besides, Atem would attempt to murder me if I touched you."
"A…" Yugi cleared his throat as his voice cracked. "He would?"
Hermos gave a short laugh, abruptly cutting off the sound as he stared at the human. Yugi shifted nervously under the calculating gaze of the dragon, glancing down at his pants until Hermos had looked away, listening to the dragon sigh. The prince looked up through his bangs, watching Hermos stare up at the sky. The dragon sensed his gaze and looked at Yugi out of the corner of his eye. "Atem suffered abuse from humans for four years and then he gives up half his heart to save you. You must mean something special to him if he is willing to risk his own health for that."
"I saved his life before." Yugi was trying to steer away from the conversation, the confusion that had bugged him most of the night. He remembered faking sleep to wait until Atem had fallen asleep and then had spent the rest of the night watching the dragon, occasionally reaching out to soothe him when Atem seemed to be suffering from bad dreams. But it had given him time to think over everything that he had heard. The purple and brown dragon, Rex, had accused Atem of loving him, not knowing that Yugi was human. And Atem hadn't denied any of the claims, but he hadn't spoken about it. Yugi preferred not to think about his relationship with the dragon, the conversation with Bakura from what seemed like lifetimes ago still running through his head. Even the thief had been able to see that there was something more between him and the dragon that the fascination that they both used as an excuse. And there was no reason that Yugi should have enjoyed the dragon's touch as much as he had. Yugi shrugged, his thoughts scattering. "It was merely returning the favor."
"Yugi," the prince jumped at the use of his name having thought that the dragon didn't know it, "Atem cares about you. He's warned off all the females to be able to stay close to you."
"He said-"
Hermos snorted, stretching out one hind leg. "He says many things. But, his reaction when we told him what we had done to him and he was coherent enough to understand was to curse us for putting you in danger. He ranted for about an hour before Timaeus managed to calm him down. And it took everything we had to keep him there instead of flying back to you as soon as he thought he was ready."
"Nobody could possibly want Atem with me." Yugi chewed on his bottom lip. "He's important to all of you. Rex said that his job was to produce chicks and then die for your cause. With me…he can't do that."
"Ah, the cause." Hermos sighed, his eyes raking over the few dragons that were still posturing on the ground. Yugi found his gaze focused on Atem, staring at the black and red dragon as he scanned the crowd. Their eyes met and held, Yugi suddenly reluctant to look away from Atem. The prince was aware of the females who were circling in the sky, jealous of them. They were the ones who got to fly with Atem, the ones who got to hold his attention for brief moments while he was stuck on the ground. Atem would be kept away with him until night fell, meaning that Yugi would have to stay on the sidelines all day. It wasn't fair.
"To be honest, I don't think anyone knows what the cause actually is." Yugi quickly looked back at Hermos, blushing as the dragon gave him a smug look. "There are those who think that we should kill all humans while there are those who believe that we should try to reinstate our friendship with humans. Neither is going to happen on the scale that we want it. Humans in the kingdoms don't understand the old ways like the humans do here. They are scared of change and resist it by hiding behind their stone castles. To kill humans would lead to useless slaughter that would end the dragons. As for Atem's place in this," Hermos shook his head, "that title is empty and useless. Atem was just born in a time when the humans were starting to turn against us and we panicked. That's how a chick, got chosen for the task of sacrificing himself for the sake of all dragons."
"Does he know this?"
"Atem was probably the first to figure the title out. As for the rest of the dragons, they still cling to the hope that Atem will do as he is destined, even though it goes against all instincts. They threaten that they will take the title away from him, which is more of a blessing than a threat." Hermos paused for a minute, tapping a claw against the ground. "But I do think that dragon who gave Atem the title was right about one thing."
"What?" Yugi turned to look at Hermos, surprised to find the dragon studying him closely.
"The Morningstar is supposed to lead the dragons by example, show them how to live their lives. And Atem is doing just that, if they only knew how to look." The last word was nearly drowned out by the cheer that the observers gave as the male dragons launched themselves into the air.
Yugi joined in the shout as he saw that Atem was the first off the ground, easily beating Rex and the others as he sought out a thermal and began to rise on it. A female from the outside of the group hesitated for a moment before shyly joining him. Yugi raised a hand to block the sun, smiling as he watched Atem give a nod of his head before beginning to circle around the female, careful not to touch her. Their dance had barely begun when another male shot from the group of males who were scanning the flying females, pulling her away. Atem quickly switched directions, using the thermal to rise up into the air and observe the dragons from above. Yugi smiled to himself, letting his eyes drop to the other dragons, noticing the series of acrobatics that the males put on to attract the females to them. Atem only dove back into the mass a couple more times, rising twice with another female. The longest one lasted was three minutes before a male stole her away.
The prince let his eyes drop from the antics in the sky when Atem had been hovering above the group for five minutes. He tangled one hand in the short blades of grass, eyes becoming unfocused as he thought. It was obvious that Atem was going to keep himself unattached for as long as Yugi lived, no matter what happened. That kind of devotion was new to the prince, being much more used to the girls who flirted with him on a temporary basis until another noble became more attractive to them. Yugi had always seen himself as one who would only love one person, wincing at the memory of the girl in the village before his stabbing. That had been a mistake, the one time his judgment had slipped and he was not about to do that again. He learned from his mistake. And the only time anything had seemed right in the past four years was when he was with Atem. The dragon was the one that Yugi found always on his mind.
Was that was love really was? An extended fascination with someone?
Yugi flopped backwards onto the ground with a sigh, closing his eyes as he wracked his brain for the answer. The bards and poets that he had listened to had always made love seem like a whirlwind of untamable, violent emotions that took control of a person. But Yugi had never felt more in control than now. It was nothing like the stories, nothing that he had ever experienced. And that was what confused him. How was he supposed to know what it was when he had never experienced love before? He guessed he had experienced lust with that girl in the village, but never love. Yugi sighed and ran a hand through his hair, resisted the urge to groan in confusion.
"Don't bother, you'll never figure it out." Yugi looked up as Hermos spoke, the red dragon smiling down at him before returning his gaze to the dragons in the sky. "I still haven't figured it out, even after those wonderful years with my mate."
"I'm sorry." Yugi saw Hermos nod, acknowledging the apology. The red dragon's tail twitched before he spoke again.
"All I know is that it's different for everyone but just as confusing. And I don't think anyone has ever figured it out. So, I just gave up and enjoyed it. I advise you to do the same."
Yugi reached up and rested a hand over the scar on his chest, rubbing the area through the rough fabric of his shirt as he thought things over. Something nagged at the back of his mind, slowly unfolding as he watched Atem pull out of his hover and lazily circle over the flying dragons, sometimes executing a loop or two on his own. The poets had always said that you gave your heart to the one you loved, and Atem had literally done that. Somehow, the simple thought banished all of Yugi's confusion, leaving him with clear thoughts. He sat up and looked over at Hermos. "Can dragons do magic?"
The question earned a scoff as the red dragon rolled his eyes. "Can dragons do magic? Of course we can! We are about the only creatures left who can."
"Then, could you turn me into a dragon, just for a little bit." Yugi looked up, his hand clenching in the fabric of his shirt. Atem had been showing his love to Yugi for a while now, and it was Yugi's turn to respond. He shifted to face Hermos. "I want to be able to fly with him, to show that I love him too."
"You're a brave human, Yugi." Hermos stood up, stretching as he did so. "There is a chance that you could be stuck like that."
Yugi shrugged and rose to his feet. "I have nothing waiting for me back home. Everything that I want is here."
Hermos glanced over his shoulders before walking off, Yugi jogging to keep up with the dragon. He glanced once over his shoulder at Atem, a smile crossing his face. He wasn't hesitant about this decision, like almost all the others he had made in his life, except when he had decided to save Atem. It wasn't like he was going to lose anything. In fact, he would gain someone who saw him as Yugi instead of the prince, someone to use to get rid of their problems. Yugi was reluctant to try and fight against Gozaburo again; if he lost then he would be dead. If he won then he would be ruling a kingdom, and he knew that he was unfit for that job. Seto was much better than he was, his cousin being able to handle the nobles and large crowds of people vying for attention. Those situations just made Yugi want to find a corner to hide in. He would abdicate the first chance he got. Anything to be able to stay out here with Atem in this little corner of peace.
He nearly ran into Hermos as the dragon stopped, motioning for Yugi to stand in front of him. The dragon briefly circled Yugi before sitting back on his haunches, tapping the ground with one claw. "As a warning, this may hurt. Just close your eyes a picture a dragon in your mind to help guide the magic."
He was about to do so when Hermos gave a trill, the red dragon seeming confused about something. Yugi opened his eyes, seeing Hermos tip his head to the side. "You may want to remove your clothes." Yugi immediately blushed, the dragon still too lost in contemplation to notice. "I'm not sure how the magic will affect clothing, especially during a change like this."
Yugi followed Hermos' orders, hastily taking off his clothes before shutting his eyes and picturing a dragon in his mind's eye. At first, it was a carbon copy of Atem, but Yugi flinched and began editing the mental image. First, the black scales had a hit of purple at the edges instead of red. The wings shaded from black to red to yellow as they reached the ends and the basic body shape was more delicate than Atem's. Yugi was holding the picture in his mind when the first tendrils of magic brushed against him, the cold sensation making him open one eye and stare at the red flames that licked at him. A snort from Hermos made his eyes snap shut again, concentrating on the dragon that he held in his mind and praying that this would work.
He didn't feel the change, just an odd stretching sensation and a shift in his mind. Suddenly, some matters were no longer important, fading into the backdrop of his mind as another thought was imposed on him. Atem was still unclaimed, but how long would that last. Yugi reeled with the strength of the thought, opening his eyes as he stumbled over his legs. He titled his head to the side and looked down at his four legs, flexing his claws experimentally in the dirt before unfolding his wings and looking back at them, smiling as the sun brought out the colors in them. Yugi folded them neatly against his sides and looked over at Hermos, bowing his head in thanks. The red dragon returned the motion. "Rest for a while, just to let the magic settle, before you try anything. They will be up there all day."
Yugi settled himself on the ground, turning his head to look at the soaring dragons, surprised that he could still see them at this distance; they were indistinct, but still visible to him. He gave a happy coo before resting his head on the ground, purple eyes falling halfway closed and tail twitching occasionally as he sunbathed.
Atem smiled at the fourth female that he had flown with, watching as her green eyes sparkled as she was led off by a jealous male. They would be happy together. Atem regained the altitude he had lost, glancing quickly back to where he had seen Yugi sitting, worry beginning to tug at his mind as he realized that the human was no longer there. He shook his head to dismiss the worry. Yugi could have just been called to help his grandfather or gotten hungry. He was sure to be back. Atem swallowed and looked up at the sun, his crimson eyes flickering closed. His moment of relaxation was broken as something brushed past him. He opened his eyes, backing away from the thing that had moved in on his personal space. He caught a glimpse of brown eyes before he felt something wrap around him, the dragon very careful to keep out of the way of his flapping wings. Atem turned his head with a snarl, glaring at the dragon who had dared be this forward with him. "Vivian!"
The female dragon giggled, bobbing her head in greeting, which made the sunlight glisten off her yellow and back scales. Vivian had managed to wrap her snake-like body around Atem, her small forelegs resting comfortably against his side as her head was lying partially on his neck. Her own wings where folded as she let Atem carry the both of them, the extra weight making him struggle to keep up in the air.
Atem turned away from her, gritting his teeth as he focused on flying, finally breaking out of his hover as the strain on his wings became too much. With a snarl, he flipped over onto his back, the sudden movement throwing Vivian from him. The serpentine dragon gave a hiss of displeasure before making her way back to him, her body moving sinuously as she flew. The black and red dragon backed away, baring his teeth as a warning for her to keep away. To his relief, Vivian listened to this warning, staying a good distance from him but making a slow circle around him. "Why are you resisting me, Atem?"
"I told you I wasn't interested." Atem snapped the words out, looking for a way out. He stiffened as he heard a laugh from beside him, turning his head to see Rex rising towards him. The black and red dragon groaned, he thought that Rex had attracted a mate. Apparently he had sent her away as quickly as he had found her. Atem snarled at the newcomer before folding his wings to his sides and allowing himself to drop below the two dragons. Vivian immediately followed, Rex right behind her at a slower pace. Atem looked at her before snorting and turning his head away. "Did you hear what I said?"
"But that was for the common riffraff, not for me." She gave him a sultry smile, the expression making him shudder. "I'm much better than the other dragons, I promise. A fitting mate for the Morningstar."
"Don't waste you time, Vivian." Rex cooed at her, the female dragon looking at the other male with some interest. "He's been corrupted by the humans. He only has eyes for his Yugi."
"Yugi?"
"His lover." Rex gave Atem a wink, ignoring the growl that the dragon gave him. "You should have heard Atem calling for him last night, moaning his name until I came along." Rex paused, staring at Atem as if he were daring the black and red dragon to push him farther. Atem bared his teeth, the move earning a smirk from Rex. "Then he was begging me to fuck him."
Atem roared and slammed into Rex, holding the purple and brown dragon's wings down. Rex gave a squawk of surprise as the two plummeted to the ground, Atem slowing their fall quickly. He glared at the dragon, digging his claws into him as Rex wiggled. The black and red dragon attempted to keep a hold on his temper. If he got into a fight, then his injuries would also transfer Yugi. For the human, he could stand more blows to his pride. While Atem struggled to bring himself back under control, Rex whimpered and opened his eyes. Atem glanced down at the dragon as he gave a chuckle. "So, you really do like that Atem. Want some-"
The black and red dragon lost what little control he had gathered back. He raked his claws down Rex's stomach before letting the dragon drop. Rex screamed before he opened his wings. But Atem wasn't going to let him off. He dove and pushed Rex to the ground, pressing the purple and brown dragon into the dirt. Before Rex could react, Atem placed one hand on Rex's neck and the other between his shoulders, digging his claws in before leaning over the other dragon. He could hear the other dragons and humans running over to see if they could break up the fight before one of them was injured. Atem turned his head to snarl at the watchers; he didn't want to be pulled away, he wanted this dominance issue to be solved now. He had once been on the top and it chafed him to sit at the bottom. When he was sure that the others would not interfere, Atem leaned over to growl at Rex. "You will be silent."
"Why?" Rex's voice shook, making Atem smile. Finally the purple and brown dragon was scared of him, which was the first step to earning Rex's respect. Atem jerked out of his thoughts as Rex attempted to gain control of the situation. "Am I right?"
Atem gave a little bounce, hearing the bones creak dangerously under him. Rex screamed and writhing, stopping when Atem laughed. "You know what, I think I like this; you under me, screaming, and begging for mercy."
"But I wasn't-" Rex screamed as Atem bit his neck, the black and red dragon shaking his head to rip some of the scales away. Rex scrambled at the ground, nearly sobbing as Atem pulled back, tipping his head to one side before shifting so one of his hind feet had the spur pressed to Rex's side; compensating for the shift by moving the hand between Rex's shoulders to his wings. He smirked and dug his claws back into the dragon. "Now beg."
"Please Atem…" Rex cried out in pain as the claws dug into him, writhing as he tried to get himself away.
"Please what, Rex?" Atem was nearly cooing now, tail twitching as he fought against the laugh that was bubbling in his throat. "You know I love to hear you beg. Tell me what you want."
"Please stop. Just stop!"
"Good boy." Atem let off and backed away, smirking as Rex made no movement. He had reclaimed his status without a fight and Rex was sure to never bother him again. Better yet, Rex's little group of followers would leave him be. Atem turned to look at Vivian, the yellow and black dragon hesitating before taking a step forward. Atem snarled at her, causing the female to startle and take off with a look of shock on her face. She had probably never been rejected before, at least not by a male she had truly desired. Atem followed her flight path with his eyes, watching her fly towards the dragons closer to the human camp. She would probably be back out tomorrow, eventually bothering him again. Hopefully another dragon would attract her attention and she would leave him alone, as slim as that chance was. Atem growled to himself and shook out his wings, the muscles sore from the long bouts of hovering. He was considering taking a break to go hunt, preferring something other than the slow cattle, when he heard Timaeus snort in surprise. "We've got a late one."
Atem looked up, eyes widening at the graceful black dragon that flitted in and out of the group above. His wings fell to his sides, all thoughts of hunting banished as he watched the newcomer bank before diving back through the group. His eyes easily kept track of the black dragon, watching in awe as the sun brought out the purple highlights in its scales and the red and yellow on the edges of its wings. Without thinking about the motion, Atem launched himself into the air, chasing the black and purple dragon that teased him. He got a glimpse of a violet eye before the dragon spiraled upwards, Atem quickly following after.
They broke through the other dragons, the smaller black and purple dragon shooting a coy glance over its shoulder. Atem took up the challenge, speeding up so he could match the other through a series of loops and spins, making sure to come close to touching his partner but never coming in contact. As they pulled out of a tight corkscrew, Atem found himself staring at the purple eyes of the dragon, staying still as the smaller dragon moved closer. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as the dragon spoke, easily recognizing the voice. "Atem."
"Yugi." He tipped so the tip of his wing brushed against Yugi's back, the smaller dragon arching into the touch, a dreamy smile coming across his face. Atem gave him a nod before staring a new series of acrobatics, this time taking every opportunity to brush against Yugi, making the black and purple dragon shudder and slowly stoking the fire that was growing. He sighed as Yugi began to tentatively return the caresses, trembling as he forced himself to carry out the courtship properly instead of just taking Yugi now. Atem threw his head back, exposing his neck to Yugi as the smaller dragon trailed the tip of a wing over his stomach on a loop.
Slowly, the touches became frequent and bold, cracking Atem's self control until there came a point where Yugi was nearly resting on Atem's back. The black and red dragon gave a soft groan before flipping himself over and hovering so he could catch Yugi. He held Yugi close, feeling Yugi struggle to hover as he panted for breath. He clung more tightly to the smaller dragon, lowering his head to nuzzle the sensitive spot under Yugi's jaw. Yugi gasped and scrambled for a better hold on Atem, tipping his head back with a moan to give Atem more access.
"Why?" Yugi answered the question with a soft keen of pleasure. Atem chuckled at the response, but it wasn't the answer he wanted. As much as he wanted to take Yugi away and continue to render him senseless, he wanted the answer to this one question. He shifted his attentions and gave Yugi a nip on his neck, tensing as that caused Yugi to rub against him. Atem groaned and rested his head on Yugi's neck. "Please, love, concentrate."
"Only you." Yugi dropped his head to nuzzle Atem. "I only want you. It seemed best to show you like this."
"My Yugi." Atem gave a happy purr as he held the smaller dragon close for a moment before letting go and heading for the far side of the encampment, glad that the humans had migrated close to the forest this time. It would have made what he was about to do much more difficult if there hadn't been a secluded place for them. He glanced over his shoulder, pausing as Yugi hesitated for a moment. Without thinking about how human the gesture was, he held out a hand for Yugi, waiting until the smaller dragon brushed his claws against the offered appendage before continuing to lead Yugi away from all eyes.
The continued their flirting as they flew, unable to keep from touching each other. Atem was the one to flip Yugi over in midair as they reached a secluded spot within the edges of the forest. He helped the smaller dragon to the ground before folding his wings and resting lightly on top of Yugi. Yugi groaned and arched up against Atem, making the larger dragon moan. Yugi scrambled to get out from under Atem and onto all fours, Atem watching the struggles through hazy red eyes. He struggled to gather his thoughts so that he could think, enjoying the feel of Yugi under him. He shook his head and gave a soft purr, pressing back against Yugi as the smaller dragon stopped his struggles, panting for breath. A whimper escaped Yugi, the smaller dragon too far gone to notice the sound. Atem lowered his head to nuzzle Yugi's neck, moving slowly up his neck until he was whispering in Yugi's ear. "I want this to be perfect. I want to hear you screaming my name as you come." Yugi moaned, rubbing against Atem at the husky tone of voice. The larger dragon bit back a moan, forcing himself to focus. "I want you to feel nothing but pleasure."
"Please." Yugi whimpered out the word, writhing as the vibrations from Atem's purr ran through his body. Atem smiled before resting one hand against Yugi's rapidly beating heart, the solemn manner of the action partially dragging Yugi out of his daze.
"My heart," Atem brushed his claws over the area as he whispered the endearment, "do you trust me?"
"Always."
Atem nodded, closing his eyes as he drew magic out of the earth. He opened them when he felt Yugi's shape alter under him, shrinking until he was human again. The dragon smirked fondly, lowering his head to nuzzle Yugi's chest, listening to the human gasp. He pulled away, resting a claw on Yugi's lips to prevent the human from speaking before he turned the magic on himself, focusing on becoming human. There was a faint tingle over his skin before the magic faded, Atem hesitantly opening his eyes to watch as the last of the black tendrils were sucked back into the ground. He looked back up at Yugi, the human sitting up with wide eyes, before shrugging and holding his arms out. "Good enough for you?"
"Gods yes." Atem yelped as Yugi pushed him down to the ground, laying himself over Atem. He pressed his lips to Atem's, the former dragon letting the human have his way, submissively opening his mouth as Yugi brushed his tongue against his lips. As Yugi dominated the kiss, Atem let his fingers wander up the back of Yugi's legs and onto his back, loving the shiver that the other gave as Atem let his hands caress Yugi's sides. One hand reached up to tangle in Yugi's hair, encouraging a deeper kiss as Atem rolled them back over, silencing the small protest that Yugi gave. The human laughed into the kiss as Atem brushed over his side again, rolling his hips so their members brushed against each other. Yugi broke off the kiss to moan, eyes fluttering shut as he blindly grinded against Atem.
Atem leaned down to nuzzle the exposed skin that he could reach, kissing and nipping his way up Yugi's neck. The human wiggled, creating more of that delicious friction. Yugi reached up and cupped Atem's face in his hands, pulling him from his work on Yugi's neck, amethyst meeting crimson. "I need you, now."
Atem pushed Yugi back instead of responding, nudging the prince's legs apart as he offered two fingers for Yugi to suck on. He groaned as Yugi eagerly took the fingers into his mouth, his other hand clenching against the ground before he reached out to trace over Yugi's body. His fingers briefly toyed with Yugi's nipples before tracing around the scar on his chest before continuing down the prince's body. Yugi moaned as Atem brushed over his penis, arching up into the touch. Atem took the chance to remove his fingers, giving Yugi a quick kiss on his chest in apology. The prince slowly propped himself up on his elbows, glancing down his body at Atem. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
The former dragon chuckled, a finger tracing around the tip of Yugi's member before closing his hand around Yugi and giving a harsh pump; smirking at the strangled cry that the motion brought. He reached down with his wetted fingers and circled Yugi's entrance, smirk growing wider as Yugi continued to squirm. "Just because I've never done this with a human doesn't mean that I'm totally ignorant. I still have a good few hundreds years on you."
He slid a finger into Yugi, looking up at the prince's face as Yugi's inner muscles clamped down around the finger, trying to force it out. Atem shifted up to kiss Yugi's chest, looking up as his finger brushed over the bundle of nerves, making Yugi buck up, crying out in pleasure. Atem repeated the motion to hear the sound again as he nuzzled Yugi's chest. "That's the spot."
He pushed a second finger in, brushing both over Yugi's prostate before scissoring the digits, calming the whimpers that emerged from Yugi's mouth as he finally leaned up to kiss the prince's lips. Feeling that his mate was adequately prepared, Atem removed his fingers and positioned himself at Yugi's entrance. He raised his hand to cup Yugi's check, rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin. "This might hurt, love."
Yugi shook his head, wrapping one arm around Atem's neck. "I don't care. Please."
Atem gave a nod and pushed into Yugi, biting back a moan as Yugi gave a cry of pain, the hand that resting on his back clenching and digging Yugi's nails into his skin. Atem winced, stopping to give Yugi time to recover. He began to move forward again when Yugi relaxed, fully sheathing himself in the prince as he began to tremble. Yugi rested his forehead against Atem, hand still twitching where it rested on the former dragon's back and panting for breath. Atem brushed one hand over Yugi's side, waiting for the prince to adjust as he forced himself not to move, his own eyes sliding shut at the feeling of being surrounded by Yugi. The prince glanced up at Atem through his blonde bangs, giving him a weak smile as permission to move. Atem returned the expression before pulling out of the prince. Yugi gasped and clawed at Atem, trying to draw him back in. Atem hesitated a moment before sliding back in with a grunt, Yugi giving a scream of pleasure as Atem brushed across his prostate.
After a few awkward thrusts the two settled into a rhythm, Atem speeding up as Yugi clawed at him. He returned to kissing Yugi's neck, listening to the unintelligible sounds that his mate made. Yugi moaned, letting his head drop to the juncture between Atem's neck and shoulder, panting. Atem growled as Yugi tightened his inner muscles as Atem brushed his prostate. He wasn't going to last much longer, already worked up by the proper dragon courtship and the part of his mind that was still telling him that the mating should have ended by now. The difference in their body temperatures as well as the muscles that closed around his penis as he moved were just pushing him closer to that edge.
He reached down to stroke Yugi's member, listening to the scream that the prince gave. Yugi clung to Atem, raising his head to stare right into the crimson eyes. "Can't..." Yugi interrupted himself with a scream as Atem hit his prostate on his next thrust. "Gods, Atem!"
Atem nodded and purred, nuzzling Yugi as the prince bucked, beginning to shudder. Yugi lasted a few more thrusts before the came, screaming Atem's name as his release splattered over Atem's hand and their stomachs. Atem grunted as Yugi's muscles clamped down around him, shuddering as he quickly followed Yugi into climax. He screamed out his mate's name before collapsing, catching himself just over Yugi. The prince blinked up at him before sleepily pulling him close, squeezing as Atem went to pull out of him. "No. Stay. Warm."
The prince cooed as Atem pressed a kiss to his neck, remaining on top of Yugi as they both came down from their high. He attempted to pull out of him again, only to be stopped by Yugi, the prince still holding him close. "Cuddle."
Smiling at the order from his barely coherent mate, Atem complied, resting his body on top of Yugi's and closing his eyes. Yugi's hands still roamed over his back as Atem reached up to brush the sweaty bangs away from Yugi's eyes. "I love you."
Yugi smiled, hands stopping their wandering to pull Atem closer to him, nuzzling the former dragon's shoulder. "Love you too."
Rex snarled as he stalked through the dragons that were lying on the ground, trying to ignore their mocking stares and failing. He quickened his pace, reaching the small group of five dragons that were still loyal to him, although they were smiling too. He snapped at the face of one, watching as the small white dragon went tumbling back, whimpering as the others laughed at his misfortune. Rex's tail twitched, happy that the attention had been directed away from him. It was bad enough that he had come out of the first mating flights without a mate, losing the females to other males, but it was worse that Atem had managed to best him without expending much effort. His neck still hurt from where the black and red dragon had bitten him.
He curled up on the ground, watching the group that surrounded him with a sense of skewed happiness. At least there were these few who still looked up to him. He was still on top somewhere. Rex gave a sleepy smile before closing his eyes, beginning to plot to himself.
Vivian would no longer accept him, especially after what Atem had done to him. No female would allow him to follow them after what Atem had done, not unless they were desperate. And Rex had been looking over all the females that he would try to go after all during those months in the desert. But he would never get any of them now. He snarled and dug his claws into the ground, opening his eyes and raising his head to glare at the north, cursing the black and red dragon who had done this to him. There had to be some way to get his own back. Some way to take away everything that Atem held dear.
Rex hissed to himself, ignoring the confused looks he got from the dragons around him. Atem had said nothing about his time in the north since they had last seen him. All Rex knew it that something had caused him to lose most of his weight and bring a lot of pain that left the black and red dragon unable to move for nearly two months. And it had all come from the north.
The purple and brown dragon flipped himself more onto his side, staring at the stars before narrowing his black eyes. If he really wanted to, he could go find the humans that had driven Atem to this point, but he knew that the world had changed since they had been chicks. Humans were no longer inclined to help the dragons, but saw them as dangerous creatures; no longer capable of intelligence. He drummed his claws against the ground before standing up, decision made.
He no longer cared about how humans thought about him. If Atem did as he was destined to do, humans would no longer matter. So, this wasn't dangerous at all.
Rex rolled his shoulders before opening his wings, gently flapping them as he considered the distance. He knew vaguely where Atem had spent most of his life, some narrow little valley towards the north; a few days easy flight. And Rex intended to take his time. There was no reason to rush to help the humans or rush Atem towards his destiny. It would be his present to the newly mated dragon, a few months of bliss before destruction. He chuckled as he looked over at the five dragons, watching as some of them crouched low to the ground. "Follow me. We're settling things."
A few nodded immediately, walking over to stand by him. Only the small while dragon remained pressed to the ground. Rex glared at him until the small dragon ambled over, reluctantly spreading his wings under the glare. Satisfied, the purple and brown dragon turned his head towards the north with a grin before leaping into the air and taking flight.
He moaned as another cool cloth was pressed to his skin, a cold hand running over his forehead as another painted something onto his arms. He tried to pull away, the difference in sensations too much for him right now. The movement was stopped by another person, their soft mutter the last thing he heard before he slipped into sleep. "It's alright. We pulled you from the fire before it got too bad."
Yay, the moment you had all been waiting for. And I just couldn't kill Duke.
Read and review please. Criticism is always welcome.