Yugi laughed as he carried another pitcher of ale to the large table in the belly of his ship, most of the crew had already left having eaten dinner and returned to their posts. They had to be cautious, they were only a few leagues from the capital and there watch towers and boats. Joey and Tristen had started a game with those that remained to celebrate a job well done, thanks to the herds and food they had just delivered to one of the islands many of the sick and hungry would helped. They weren't out of the yellow zone but they were no longer red either.
"Yugi get me a pitcher as well will ya?" Joey asked waving with his hand that was holding his cards, his two pair clear for all to see.
"Joey, you might as well fold." Yugi advised laughing.
"What why I have a great hand." He argued.
"Ya I can see that, in fact so can everyone else." He pointed out, finally noticing his mistake Joey groaned and everyone laughed. Smiling Yugi made his way back over balancing the three jugs he carried now. He had just set them down when the world spun and all the energy in is body disappeared, pain shredded threw his mind and soul as someone screamed in agony. He fell forward knocking over the chair and ale flying everywhere as he tried and failed to catch himself on the table and chair, he didn't remember hitting the floor.
Joey's shout and shaking of his shoulder brought him back and he shot upward, fear gripping his heart. "Atem!"
"Yugi, what happened are you alright your shaking." Joey asked placing a hand on his shoulder but Yugi didn't even register it as he tried to scramble to his feet only to slip and fall face first again.
"Yugi hold on man you're not right." Tristen yelled coming over to him.
"You need to calm down hun." Mai's voice cut in full of worry, some of it finally sank in and he sat up shakily panting hard and his vision wavered in and out.
"Tell us what's wrong." Joey said calmly.
"Atem… he-he's in trouble… he… my magic.." Yugi said in a disjointed jumble his breaths coming out as if he had run for leagues in the hot sun. "I-I need… to help." He said and tried to rise again only to faint again briefly.
"What happened?" Ryo's voice asked as he entered the room, Tristen behind him having gone to get the white haired healer.
"I don't know he suddenly fainted then started rambling then passed out again." Joey explained.
Ryo crouched and placed a hand on Yugis' forehead looking him over. "Magic shock? But how?" he declared.
"Atem… trouble… need to…help…" Yugi muttered his eyes opened again.
"He keeps saying that but how could he know the bond should be shut now." Joey said. "It's been well over a month."
"I'm not sure but he seems convinced, where's Atem now?"
"The capital, but if something big happened I'm sure we would have seen it were right off the coast." Joey said.
"Guys come look something happened in the capital!" Malik yelled from the stairs. "There was this giant bolt of lightning then a huge explosion the hole place is light up." He said Joey and Roy just looked at each other.
"Have to… go there!" Yugi said gripping Joeys arm trying to get the importance across, Joey stared at his friend then nodded.
"Right, Mai throw up a barrier, Malik take the ship closer we've got a friend to save." Joey ordered.
It took only ten minuets for them to be within range for the small boats to go ashore. Joey was ordering for Tristen to come with him when Yugi gripped his shoulder.
"No way Yug, your barley standing as it is." Joey said placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm coming." He said glaring at his friend there was no way he was staying behind, not after what he had just gone threw and the pain, he needed to go. "Besides I'm the only one who can find him easily." Joey stared at his little friend, he had never seen him be this unreasonable before, and he did have a point, they wouldn't find Atem without Yugi's help. Reluctantly he moved aside and Yugi climbed into the small boat.
Atem ran threw the city, not clear on what happened, he remembered the pain and anger and pure desire to just destroy Dartz and all his companions and the desolation at not being able to do anything because of his magic being suppressed. But then in his darkest of despair he had found a small link to magic, so small it was almost nonexistent, blindly he had latched onto it and pulled hard, it was like a damn had exploded with his pain and magic energy had flooded his system so much he thought he might dissinagrate with the sheer amount of the magic, then suddenly it was all drained from him. As his wish for this place to be destroyed was granted and in a bright light it exploded around him. When he woke from the shockwave that had blasted him the whole dungeon had been leveled, the two guards that were watching over him had been fried to a crisp there enchanted armor no match against the sheer raw force of nature he had called down on them. But Dartz was nowhere to be seen.
It only took a moment for the alarms to start ringing and three men were already coming towards him shouting orders. He knew he had to escape then and there, stumbling threw the rubble ignoring his fatigue and the sharp rubble cutting into his feet and bare skin he ran the chains on his hands weighing him down and making him slower. But already the whole city was after him, he had to find a way to get free to get somewhere safe, his cousin was out of the question, he wouldn't jepotize him and his position.
Stumbling blindly down an ally he tried to regain his breath but his ribs shrieked in protest, and he didn't get more than a second as two guards spotted him and he was forced to run again. He threw discarded boxes behind him to slow his pursuers as he took a turn blindly not having a clue where he was or where he was going.
Taking another turn he ran right into three guards one the size of a bear and holding a long broadsword threw him into a wall as if he were a doll. Atem looked quickly around, he was trapped, and his magic was useless drained as it was and his hands still bound in the iron. Gritting his teeth he wasn't going down without a fight, he ducked to the side as the broadsword cleaved into the brick behind him, he rammed his shoulder into the man succeeding in knocking him backward only to barely miss a slice for his head, it grazed his cheek and he felt the warm blood wash over his skin. Only to be blindsided by the bull of a man and thrown against the wall again his head cracking against the stone. Starts blinded him and his body sagged he couldn't move not in time to dodge the blow he saw coming for him, it seemed like everything was in slow motion except for what happened next as he blinked. A fireball slammed into the guy tossing him into the darkness.
Atem could only watch amazed as Yugi, the one named Joey and a third man came barreling onto the scene. But he couldn't pull his gaze from Yugi, unable to except that he was actually here, or the blind furry he saw lighting those amethysts eyes to molten flames.
Yugi feared he hadn't made it in time as he sent the fireball towards his enemy following after it as he slashed down at another of the men gathered around Atem. He dogged and rolled over the mans back to his other side quick as a cat and slashed upwards. He glanced at the first guard, and knew he wasn't getting back up and neither was the second, he rounded on the third parrying a thrust aimed at him letting it roll passed him sliding his sword down it's length as it passed and slid across the skin of his enemy throat. Huffing for breath and wavering on his feet now that the danger was passed and he knew Atem was alive he thrust his sword into the ground to support himself as he kneeled or feel down.
Atem levered himself up, seeing that Yugi wasn't in much better shape than he was, he was completely exhausted, even now he was still panting for breath, his gaze unfocused and even kneeling he swayed. Something was not right for sure.
"Have your reunion later we gotta leave now. Tristen get Yugi." Joey's gruff voice ordered and slung Atems arm over his shoulder and began to run away from the sounds of guards dragging the dazed man with him.
"I'm fine." Yugi declared surging to his feet and pulling his sword form the ground moving swiftly ahead of him and Joey. "Help Atem, we need to move." He declared and began to run down the ally, pausing briefly to look down the next roads and motioned them to keep going. Somehow Atem wasn't sure how they made it to the shore without meeting anymore guards. Slipping under the pier Tristen pushed the small boat into the water and began to padded out to sea, Atem didn't understand where they were going, no way could this boat get far on the ocean and they would be seen for sure, there was lights all along the shore. He turned to his companions, but forgot everything when he saw Yugi's face, stark white and sweating freely even in the cold breeze.
"Hold on Yug were almost there" Joey cheered but looking extremely worried, Atem looked around again trying to see where they were when he gasped not believing how he missed the Magician right in front of him. Two people were already there with ropes dangling to be hooked to the boat and hulled up along side of it.
"Some get Ryo now!" Joey ordered practically carrying Yugi on board the ship. "Mai keep holding the barrier, Malik get us the hell away from here!" he shouted and there were shouts of agreement all-around.
"Get those two in the cabin now!" a new voice said and a shock of white hair had Atem doing a double take as Bakura came into sight, no, not Bakura but someone with his near likeness. Meekly he followed along feeling all eyes on him as he went. "Set him on the bed, and get this one something to sit on, Tristen get Marik to come pick some locks while I look over Yugi." The Bakura look alike said rapid fire though his eyes never left Yugi who shook like a hypothermic, and who's face was waxy, Atem had seen dying men who had looked better.
"Sit, Ryo will look at you in a second." Joey said gently and gestured to Atem and the chair he took it gratefully. "Here." Joey offered holding out a blanket as well, not having even realized it he was shuddering and his fingers were going blue.
"Thank you." He said and slid the blanket of his bare skin. "But I don't understand, how did you guys know I was in trouble."
Joey looked at him surprised, then sighed, "I don't know about it much myself, I'll ask Marik to explain when he get here, well speak of the devil." A man with a deeply tanned expression, blonde hair and lavender eyes looked to where his captain was laying and then glared at Atem before kneeling to examine the shackles.
"Care to explain Marik, I know you heard me." Joey asked, the blonde paused in his workings and looked up at them.
"You really don't have a clue do you?" he snarked at Atem who glared not feeling very charitable. "You're the reason Yugi's like this." He said and jestered over to Yugi who was looking slightly better.
"What? How I don't understand." Atem said how did he cause Yugi to be in this state.
"Marik… be nice he doesn't' know about it." Yugi's' labored voice cut across with clear disapproving, then his fever bright eyes turned to Atem. "Sorry, should have said something, but… thought it was safer this way."
"Yugi be quiet, you need to rest." Ryo said, and placed a hand on Yugi's brow.
"Ok, take care of him Ryo, he's in worse shape I just need sleep." Yugi ordered but was asleep before he finished speaking.
"Idiot, try thinking of yourself." Marik hissed at his uncontouse idiot captain, there was a click and the weight of the chains fell from Atems hands he sighed and slumped even more having suddenly lost any energy he head.
"Aright your turn, Atem wasn't it." Ryo, the Bakura look alike said, but they were no way the same this ones manner was much to gentle. Atem merely nodded no energy was left in him. "Humm, you've been threw the ringer haven't you, you've got several fractures no clear breaks though." He said outlouad to himself. "We need some antiseptic and bandages he's got cuts all over his feet and torso." He told no one in particular. "Your body is extremely dehydrated, and your muscles are strained. I suspect your not going to be a happy camper for the next few days, and that's not even thinking about the bruises you've got. It seems your suffering from magic shock as well, you two certainly did a number on each other." Ryo sighed and took the bandages and began o clean and wrap Atems feet, and attending to the other cuts on his bare torso and cheek.
"There, we'll get some fresh water for you and I'll send up a pain tonic and broth you'll need all three. It's imperative that you get some rest the next couple days or you could cause permanent nerve damage to yourself, I don't know what they put you threw but I hope to god there burning in hell somewhere."
"Wow Ryo that's strong coming from you." Joey said surprised.
"Well if you could see what I see then you would think the same."
"Oh I already hope there frying, seeing what they've done to our friend here." Joey gestured to Atem.
"Well why don't you use that energy and make the spare bed Yugi has in here for him he needs rest, and I need to brew a pain tonic." Ryo said hands on his hips, Joey nodded sheepish and moved to do as asked, once done he helped Atem who found he couldn't stand and once he did nearly cried out at the pain to the bed.
"I'll find you some clothes tomorrow but right now you need to sleep you look like hell." Joey said and handed him a flask of water which Atem greedily drank, along with the broth he was given and the tonic making a face at the taste of herbs. Joey nodded and closed the door leaving another flask of water for Atem. He didn't even remember closing his eyes.