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Chapter Nine: King and Servant
We took our duel to the banks of the Nile, beneath a small cliff for privacy, and it was game on!
"Ladies first," Yami said.
My heart pounded as I drew my first cards. I was really dueling a pharaoh from five thousand years ago! This was surreal!
"I Summon Kelbek to the field in Defense Mode!" I announced. I reasoned that Kelbek would be a good defense for now, since it had 1800 Defense Points and its Special Ability. I wondered if Yami was aware of my strategy. "I'll also lay this card facedown! It's your move, pharaoh!"
"All right!" Yami drew his card. "I Summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode! Plus I'll equip it with the Horn of the Unicorn! This will give him a 700 point boost!" The elf-knight's attack strength grew to 2100, enough to wipe out Kelbek! "Attack!"
"You're obviously unaware of my fairy's Ability!" I shouted. "Any monster that attacks Kelbek is automatically returned to its owner's hand!" Sure, Kelbek was gone, but that was okay. Yami returned his guardian to his hand and laid the Spell Card on the top of his deck. "I guess we're back to where we started," he observed, "Not bad, Sarana."
"Yeah," I agreed while drawing my card, "You're not too shabby either, but what else should I expect from the King of Games?" I shot him a smile, which he reflected. "Anyway, on this turn I'll Summon my Barrier Statue of the Heavens to the field in Defense Mode!" The golden statue hovered in front of me. "As long as this monster remains on the field, only monsters with the Attribute of LIGHT can be Special Summoned."
"But it only has 1000 Attack and Defense Points! I could easily take it down with almost any of my Monsters!" Yami exclaimed.
"Not if I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" I countered, inserting the Spell Card, and grinning as a rain of glowing swords fell upon Yami, preventing him from attacking me for three turns! "That wraps up this move…for now."
Yami drew his card. "I re-Summon my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to the field, in Defense Mode, and re-Equip him with the Horn of the Unicorn. I'll also place this card facedown." Yami met my gaze with burgundy eyes ablaze with such fierce intensity that I could almost feel myself burning in them. Then I realized I was burning: a pink blush had raced into my cheeks without my noticing.
In Yami's head…
He saw the pink flush into her cheeks as she met his gaze. The color was so…so beautiful, he wanted to reach her face with his hand and –
"Pharaoh. Focus." Yugi.
"Right, of course," Yami quickly caught himself.
"So, she has the Swords of Revealing Light in play, and a monster that keeps you from Special Summoning most of the cards in our deck. Any ideas?"
"We'll just have to see what she's up to first."
Back to me…
"I Summon Dancing Fairy in Attack Mode!" I announced with a clear and strong voice. "I won't attack on this turn. It's your move, Yami."
"Right." He drew his card. "I Summon Big Shield Guardna in Defense Mode." There was no way I'd be getting past that monster any time soon.
The pharaoh's eyes met mine. "It appears we are at a stalemate for now," he observed. "Not many can hold me off this long defensively. You're doing well."
"Well, I had some really good teachers," I said, causing him to turn slightly pink. That was the first time I had ever seen him blush.
I drew my card. "I'm going to win, Yami. Don't you forget it."
"Hey, just because you're a novice it doesn't mean I'm exactly going easy on you," Yami countered with a grin.
"I'll still win," I insisted, "I sacrifice my two monsters!" Barrier Statue of the Heavens and Dancing Fairy disappeared. "I Summon…Dark Magician to the field!"
Yami gasped in surprise. He knew that it was in my deck, but I guess it was still a shock that I had Summoned it.
Yami sensed my puzzlement, and he explained, "I have dueled only one other person with a Dark Magician, and it looked different from yours and mine. Seeing an exact replica of my comrade on the opponent's side of the field…it's just a little strange, that's all."
I nodded in understanding, and added, "I'll now activate this Spell Card: Raigeki!"
A giant bolt of lightning struck down Yami's two monsters, leaving him wide open for attack!
"Dark Magician! Direct Attack on the pharaoh!" The magician raised his staff and a burst of green dark magic catapulted itself at Yami!
"Arrrrrrrgh!" He groaned as his Life Points dropped to 1500!
"I'll end my turn by placing this card facedown," I finished. I couldn't believe it! I was winning a duel against the King of Games!
Yami put two fingers on his card, eyes closed. Yugi had told me yesterday that to put one's hand over the deck was a sign of surrender, but I waited. He was probably asking for the guidance of the Heart of the Cards.
My hunch was confirmed when he drew his card with a new, confident air.
"I activate the Spell Card Bounce!"
Suddenly my Swords of Revealing Light were surrounding me!
"What have you done?" I shouted.
"This Spell Card reverses the target of any Spell, Trap, or monster Effect," Yami explained, "Now it is you who is frozen for three turns!"
My excited feeling burned out for a second, but it then burned even brighter than before. He really was going all out against me!
"It wouldn't be fun if you just let me win," I said aloud, and ended my turn for lack of anything else to do.
Yami drew his card. "I'll now activate Rebellion!"
I could feel the skin around my eyes tighten as they widened: Dark Magician was turning around to attack me!
"As you've already figured out, this Spell Card will take your most loyal servant…and turn it against you," Yami said triumphantly.
Even if I did have a counterattack, I was too stunned by Yami's comeback that I wouldn't have been able to activate it! I cried out at my Life Points dropped down to match the pharaoh's!
"…Not bad at all, Yami," I said once the attack was over, "but I still have a bunch of secrets combos and strategies up my sleeve!"
"I look forward to encountering them," he replied evenly, but then he cocked his head as if listening for something. "However, I don't think we'll be able to explore them today…" as if right on cue a crowd of excited people were milling antlike by the entrance to the cave. Feeling really stupid, I realized that they must have heard us announcing our moves as we dueled!
Yami's and my eyes met. "Draw?" he asked.
"Draw," I agreed, deactivating my Disk, and we managed to slip away before anyone could stop us.
A few minutes later, we stopped running just outside of the apartment complex, panting heavily but laughing.
"That was fun," I gasped, clutching the stitch in my chest.
"Indeed it was," Yami agreed, still grinning and breathing heavily.
"It's a shame that our duel had to be cut off like that," I remarked, giving him a sly look, "Because I know that if we weren't interrupted, I would definitely have won that duel."
"Maybe you would have," he answered, "We'll never know."
"Just don't think you'll win next time, Yami," I said.
"No matter how the next match turns out, I'm sure it will be a match to remember,' he said, making eye contact with me. I instantly felt my cheeks grow warm in his gaze.
"I…I should probably go," I said finally, turning to the entrance.
"Sarana…wait." I turned back around, and his burgundy eyes blazed into my own, heating up my face.
"…Yes?"
"Let's…lets do something like this again sometime soon," he said.
I smiled. "Yeah, it was so much fun today."
He approached closer to me, until barely a foot separated us. "I think…I think it was destiny that we should meet, Sarana. That once this artifact appears, so do you…it is impossible to speculate that it was…" he didn't finish what he was saying, but his face came extremely close to mine, until I finally closed the distance and allowed our lips to meet.
Oh. My. Gosh. We're kissing.
That was the last coherent thought I had before my brain shut down, and I just kind of went with it. I could feel his uncertainty, his nervousness, as our lips slowly synchronized. His hands came up and wrapped around to meet at my back, pulling me a little closer to him.
Suddenly afraid, I pulled away from him. His eyes, smoldering like so many times before, looked confused, slightly hurt. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings, but he had surprised me with his sudden passion.
"I-I have to go," I said a little shakily, and ran inside.
When I was gone…
Yami stared after Sarana as she hustled into the apartment. What had he done to make her run off like that?
"You still need a little work, but that wasn't a bad kiss," Yugi said from within the Millennium Puzzle.
"Thanks, Yugi. Really."
Back to me…
I didn't stop until I was in my room, not even stopping to say hello to Dad. I flopped onto my bed, feeling a confused jumble of emotions inside myself. What was I feeling? Fear, confusion… relief? That kiss, it was so passionate, it was...it almost felt…what was the word to describe it…it felt…right, somehow, as if it was meant for the pharaoh and me alone.
But was it? I had never really established my feelings for Yami. Sure, I blushed every time he looked at me or talked directly to me, but did I really love him?
As if right on cue, my vision suddenly blurred, and I was seeing through the eyes of another…
The pharaoh and I stood together on the balcony that protruded from his bedroom, surveying my lord's kingdom as the sun set. His right hand and my left were intertwined, a silent bond of loyalty between us.
His kingdom was so beautiful…but how long would it last?
"My pharaoh," I murmured, and he answered by squeezing my hand and pressing his lips to my throat. "What will we do about the dark intruder that threatens Egypt?"
He didn't answer right away, as his lips were somewhat occupied. When he brought his lips away he answered, "I shall confront him, and drive him out of this kingdom, so that you may live in peace forever."
"For me? What about your people?" I pulled away from him, suddenly angered. "You should be protecting Egypt for their sake, not mine!"
"And so I shall," he answered, trying to defend himself, "but it for you that I shall fight. Your love will sustain me more than the blood in my veins, your voice will be the lifeline I hang to if I fall."
"And if you fall?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper. I walked to him and he put his arms around me protectively. "What will become of your people? They need you, and if you die, what will become of them?"
"I know what you ask." His arms tightened. "I won't let you sacrifice yourself for my sake, Sarana."
"Better to sacrifice a mere servant for the people," I murmured," than to sacrifice the pharaoh for the sake of a servant."
His arms wouldn't loosen. "No."
"All right then," I said, managing to free myself once again. "Go kill yourself selfishly for me." I stalked off, too angry to say anymore. He called my name, but I didn't look back. If he wanted to die so that I could live, then fine by me. He was the pharaoh, and his word was law.
I stopped. I really was being stupid. The pharaoh may be pigheaded sometimes, but he really did care about his people. However, he needed to learn to put them ahead of what he wanted.
I did a 180 and started walking. I wasn't returning to my king, I was walking to the stables. My horse had a long journey to make, and I had a life to sacrifice for my country.
I gasped as I came out of the flashback, my eyes stinging with unshed tears.
Was that another vision? What was happening? I was so confused! What did all this mean?
And then the answer hit me, as I crawled into bed.
Five thousand years ago, the pharaoh's servant had loved him so much that she had sacrificed her life for his sake. Now I felt that I had truly inherited Sarana's legacy.
Yes, I loved the nameless pharaoh.
Unfortunately it will be some time before I finished the next chapter. In case you hand't noticed I had written out up to this point before posting, and I'm in the middle of chapter 10. Just sit patiently and it will come sometime before the end of the world. I hope you have enjoyed Dusk thus far and will continue to read it when I update! And please review!