Hi Everyone! Welcome back to the story and first of all, I wan to thank my reviewers! Koobre, Lover of Yugioh Yaoi, Jofisk and Pharaohs Girl18. Thank you very much for writing a comment and they completely made my day.
Lover of Yugioh Yaoi: The names are indeed already chosen, but no need to be sad. I'll reveal them soon :)
Jofisk: Thank you very much for your kind words and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well.
Koobre: I hope this chapter will give you an answer as to your fear concerning Akunamkanon coming over ;)
Pharaohs Girl18: Thank you for your reviews! Slight warning though, you can only read the top. When Atemu takes his entourage for lunch, just skip to the bottom for me? Also, I love messing with Ishizu hahaha and with Seto too ;)
Warning!: There will be torture in this chapter and my attempt at a little bit of humour. Yeah, that is the warning... I'm not very good at that, but I wanted to give it a try nonetheless.
Anyway, that said, enjoy!
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Chapter 25
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There were a few things going through his head as he watched his wife and sister. He had never kept secrets from her since they became serious and actually... never before that either. One, because he couldn't and second, because she was his wife as well as beloved sister. He was perfectly capable of keeping his lips sealed when it was someone else, but Kisara always managed to get the information from him one way or another. Be it with seduction or by driving him up the wall, she could do it. What worried Seto currently was that she hadn't even tried yet.
Three weeks had passed since he had come home from the meeting wherein Atemu had been dragged out of by his shadows. It hadn't been a pleasant sight to see the dark magic, and especially Otogi had been fearful of them, but they hadn't caused any kind of destruction. They had merely taken their master whom had left without another word. He had been silent ever since... until yesterday, as if the world had suddenly started spinning again and now Seto was faced with the knowledge of having to ask why his youngest brother had disappeared from the face of the Earth.
While also having to maintain a secret he wished his brother hadn't told him. Why did Atemu play games with everyone? Why did he have to get into their heads and mess around in people's private life? He did it with his wives, he did it with their other siblings and now Seto had fallen victim to his insanity as well. They both knew that this 'discussion' concerning their agreement was just a formality. If Seto would name his highest price, Atemu would pay it without the blink of an eye, though he would create the whole meeting into a game of his liking just because the tanned demon could.
"Seto?", Kisara asked as she stepped into his line of sight and her blue eyes were staring up at him in question. Halting his train of thoughts, the taller man looked back at her, though she merely snorted at the confused expression he only showed her. "I called you three times and you didn't answer. White is ready for take-off and if we want to make sure Atemu didn't kill himself in the past three weeks he was without us, we might as well hurry", the silver-haired woman continued, before she turned towards the magnificent Dragon waiting for them. At her words, however, Seto snorted.
"Atemu wouldn't kill himself even if the whole world was against him", the brunet answered stoically as he followed his wife and let the Dragon gather them up in her claws. She would know where to go and as he settled down, Seto crossed his arms in front of his chest while his mind worked overtime.
"What do you think happened?", was Kisara's soft question and his ice-blue eyes looked at her while the Dragon took flight. The thrill of being airborne was normally making her scream in excitement, but her eyes were filled with worry this time which made Seto want to crush someone. Their sister shouldn't be worried for Atemu, considering the youngest of them all could take care of himself just fine. Then again, the question had plagued him as well.
"I don't know. The shadows came into the meeting and dragged him from his seat. I haven't spoken to him ever since, to be honest. He's been doing little work and suddenly he contacts me as if nothing ever happened. I can't help it he's an idiot", Seto answered, though Kisara bumped his shoulder slightly as if to say he had to care for their younger sibling. Which was ridiculous, Atemu wouldn't bat an eye at their deaths if they so much as looked at his Neko the wrong way.
"You said the shadows didn't even bother with pestering Otogi. Something must have happened, do you think he'll tell us?", she asked, but the brunet wasn't sure. Atemu only told things when he wanted to or when he thought it was fun, but he was very good in keeping secrets otherwise. Hence why nobody else knew of his relationship with the Neko after all and Seto grumbled softly. Why had Atemu decided to tell him in the first place? Everyone knew the pale creature was worth more to their youngest sibling than anything else, after all, but to have an actual relationship with him... How was that even fair? Were they even able to view each other as an equal?
Probably, the brunet mused even though he wasn't sure how that was even possible. True, he had seen the Neko grow from something that wasn't sure if it should be allowed to live to a confident being agreeing with everything his youngest sibling did. Could that be considered equal or just a loyal devotion to a master that could do nothing wrong? As usual, Atemu had given him a permanent migraine and if Seto didn't know any better, the brat had decided to infiltrate within his corporation for he was just causing too much trouble to believe otherwise.
Though the thought of his company brought a whole new question into perspective. Why did Atemu want his new technology? What would he use it for? Why a new house, considering his sibling had appeared to be happy with the old ways of living for quite a long time. Seto had wanted to make a blooming paradise from the moment he had taken a hold upon his country and he had selected only the smartest people to live in the inner circle. Kisara kept herself busy with the hospital departments and their technology, which was currently the best in the world. Yes, they lacked in magic proportions, but that was an easy price to pay considering their country was greater than those from his siblings.
True, there was always the thought in mind of them invading, but the anti-magic crystals worked better with each passing day, especially on their weakest siblings. Only Atemu's own amulet was hard to reconstruct, but that was why they had an alliance and only if he screwed up really bad would the tanned demon destroy him completely, which was possibly the only reason he hadn't told Kisara the secret just yet. She was his wife and he had to provide for her. If he would gather Atemu's anger upon them, he would have failed her most and that was unacceptable for it meant he would lose her. She was crazy sometimes and perhaps just as deranged as all of them, but she was still his wife and Seto loved her.
Bristling softly as his mind was occupied with mushy things instead of the discussion he knew was going to be a pain, the brunet demon looked down to see the primitive little village coming into view. Atemu really liked it old-school, but then again, the taller male was sure it had everything to do with protecting those he cared about. If he wanted it, Seto was sure his youngest brother could make a city equalling his own. With skyscrapers, hospitals, state of the art technology, a developed educational system and with workers that were capable of building a proper home. If anything, more people from Atemu's cities moved to his own because they could have it better.
"That doesn't matter to me. If anything, it means there are less people I need to kill after they tried to commit a crime", had the answer been when Seto had asked about the migration months ago. Not that it mattered, considering there were plenty of people migrating into Atemu's country from other unsafe ones, but it should still be addressed. After all, he had blocked migration a few years ago, just because there were more people than he could feed. Atemu's country was at least safe, for those unwilling to learn more than they could. What went on in his brother's head by requesting his help? It was something Seto couldn't shake, not even when they had already landed and were greeted by the pair. As usual, Yami was standing behind Atemu, his face showing he was glad both Seto and Kisara could come. Normally, it was blank, but Seto had learned to discover the multiple persona's the Neko could portray.
Looking at him more closely, while Kisara smiled at him in greeting, Seto frowned even more than usual. Was he glowing? He seemed rather happy and pleased with himself, while waiting for the two siblings to arrive. It wasn't until crimson eyes turned to him that Seto realised he had been staring, though it also gave him the immediate feeling Atemu was watching him. The tanned demon was like a giant eagle, ready to swoop down at any moment if something went wrong with the added sharp talons for show. Aside from that, even the shadows were thick and threatening which made Seto wonder if it had been wise to come. Not that Atemu being threatening was different than usual, but it seemed heightened. Why had the younger one invited him if he didn't want him here?
"Now will you tell us what happened that made you disappear from the face of the world?", Seto asked as he crossed his arms and came down to business. He had little time to spare considering his company could be overrun by monkeys in the next minute or so. Which was ridiculous... it was already overrun by monkeys, but without him, they'd make things worse than they already were. Rose-red eyes merely stared at him and Seto could feel his anger rising at the amusement he could read within them.
"Why, dear brother... were you worried?", the tanned demon asked and he almost chuckled when he could see Seto wanted to roll his eyes. Not that Atemu was up for any chit-chat, but he would play along for a mere moment. The sooner both his siblings were gone, the sooner Yami would be safe. Which was an odd thought, because he knew neither Seto or Kisara would hurt the man he loved, but it was still there, nestled safely in his mind. Their love-making and his feeding from yesterday had greatly improved the stability of his nightmarish thoughts, but he wouldn't feel comfortable until both the kittens were born and his beloved would be safe.
"Definitely", Kisara answered before Seto could open his lips and Atemu couldn't help but smirk in amusement as he watched his older sibling glare at the woman.
Traitor!, echoed through Seto's mind as his ice-blue eyes continued to glare at his wife, who merely smiled sweetly as she played with the end of her braid. The brunet knew he should have reacted sooner to Atemu's taunt, though he hadn't been paying attention as his mind had been swallowed up by the fact his brother didn't seem interested in any kind of game at the moment. He had taunted and he still had that amused smirk on his infuriating lips, but normally he would have continued.
"To saturate your curiosity, simply follow me to my office", Atemu said while still smirking and black ears perked up when the tanned demon turned to walk away. Yami followed with the shadows curling around his frame as if they warned off any intruder from coming closer and Seto had no wish to have his brains fried just yet. At an appropriate distance, he followed, with Kisara pursing her lips slightly. Her blue eyes gazed around the garden, halting momentarily upon Mai who was horse riding in the distance. A spear flew from her hand and the white-haired woman smiled happily when it hit its target perfectly. If only it had been a criminal, that would have made everything a lot better, yet, Kisara frowned slightly at the new thought.
Now, they hadn't been here for a few weeks, which was not unusual considering all of them were very busy, but something was different. As she gazed through the garden while following Atemu towards his office, she didn't see just Mai. The new one with Ishizu's brother was there as well, holding hands and looking quite comfortable. Far more than should be and Kisara frowned some more. There was something going on and she couldn't pinpoint what exactly, which frustrated her. It was the same as in her medical career, though when she was at the hospital, she could tear people apart to find out what was wrong. The off-chance of Atemu being pleased with her running amok on his living grounds were very slim and she knew how cruel he could truly be.
Her frown deepened as it was eerily silent in the house while they entered. It was uncommon for her younger brother to put up a whole fanfare, but normally at least someone would greet them. The shadows were once again thick and threatening, possibly watching their every step and Kisara refrained from shuddering while she couldn't stop the goosebumps. She wondered what had happened for the house to become this weird and she sighed softly as she settled down in her seat at the conference table. Yami was offered a seat as well, which was odd, because normally he wasn't present. True, occasionally he was, but now it seemed even far more important.
"Speak", Seto ordered and Kisara glanced at her husband, easily spotting his uneasiness. So did Atemu and the tanned demon chuckled softly as he got comfortable.
"Uneasy, Seto? Don't worry, there is no planned maiming today. Just a chat between us about what I want and how to pay you properly", Atemu said though he received a glare from Seto at those words. In answer, he gave a slight shrug.
"True, many things have changed and I am sure you've noticed. The shadows are keeping a more prominent watch, especially after the attack on Yami's life. Not that you will miss her, but Anzu is no longer among us and to be honest, I wouldn't know where she is at the moment either. Not that I care, she tried to kill my possession and has therefore been rightfully punished", the tanned demon continued and Seto rose an eyebrow. Atemu merely chuckled. "Obviously, she has not succeeded", were the next words, though the tanned demon was long glad she hadn't. If so, this whole talk about building a new house would not be happening. Perhaps the demolition of the world would have been the talk of the day, until he had finally succumbed to his grief. From his sibling's eyes he could see they were thinking the same and that was good. It was better they feared him than believed for him to be an easy prey. There was only one certified person left who would find her death in his home as soon as she dared to set foot inside, although Atemu certainly hoped she would never come. His beloved and their kittens would be safer if she just stayed away.
"Will you take another wife?", Kisara asked carefully, though rose-red eyes were blank as they looked at her while Atemu shook his head.
"No, especially not after this. They are easily influenced by others and I will not risk Yami's life again. Whomever wants to present their woman to me will be turned down kindly", the youngest sibling answered and Kisara pursed her lips as she knew the tanned demon was merely joking. He was not kind to those he did not like and even them were treated to a mere touch of the real emotion. No, most of it was reserved for his Neko and even though Kisara could not understand why, she had accepted it. All she wondered was if Seto did, considering he had been muttering in his sleep for ages to come after Atemu had apparently revealed it to him. It had completely confirmed her own suspicions, while everyone thought women were crazy, but that was also the reason she hadn't bothered her husband with the new revelation either. She just wondered if Atemu had the guts to tell her as well or if he believed to keep her in the dark for the rest of their lives?
"Is Yami all right now?", she asked softly while glancing at the pale Neko whom seemed to be happy he was with them. Though his mask was blank, probably from mimicking Atemu for all these years, his crimson eyes were gleaming while he gently caressed a body of black shadows upon his lap. How he could be so calm around them was still beyond her, though she could make a few guesses. Perhaps he was brainwashed by the shadows completely, for example, but she was wise enough not to say anything.
"He's doing better, though still recovering. Yet, that is not why you are here. I have decided upon building a new home and I am not satisfied with my own workers for believing they can finish the job. Seto, you said you could put your best team on it. What do you want to know?", Atemu asked and the brunet refrained from sighing as the subject was changed so suddenly. Yet, he understood as he glanced once more at Yami, before letting his ice-blue eyes fall back upon his younger sibling.
"What do you have in mind? What do you want to build?", the brunet asked and he almost rolled his eyes when the shadows slithered across the table dramatically. Yet, the imprint they left behind was most interesting and Seto wished he could duplicate the effect with his own technology. The image was in 3D and it showed the entirety of Atemu's country.
"Well, I have been thinking. You once mentioned the migration from my country to yours because the technology was better. I am still very happy those who left stayed away, but since you closed your borders, mine are filling up with masses of people who want to get into your country and apparently they are smarter than they look", Atemu said as he let the shadows illuminate the area he was speaking of. Seto glanced at the area and nodded. He had noticed as well, though there was little he was willing to do about it. Looking back up at Atemu, he saw the scheming eyes at work.
"Obviously I will need to pay you more, but there is a plan I have in mind. How about we change the border region? Your cities will be praised for their hard work in raising my 'silly' villages from the ground and into the sky, but I presume I should treat them better or else they'll overrun you", the tanned demon continued while the shadows changed the image and showed the area as it was currently and what Atemu hoped to get out of it.
"I have plenty of precious metals and other things the villages need, as well as good farmers for the food production. What they need from you is the knowledge how to become great. Though don't get me wrong, I'm not planning to turn my whole land into the jungle you've created. But to aid the border and to strengthen it, this is my initial idea", Atemu said and Seto glanced back at the images again. If he would accept the offer, it would certainly help in the crime rate as well as in the development of their lands. But, was he willing to share?
"I thought you wanted to change your house?", he asked and Atemu smirked as the shadows slithered across the table once more to change the vision before them. It was the house in it's current state and a new idea was projected next to it. The surrounding area had been changed as well and the village looked more lively than it actually was. If he looked closely, it appeared as if the homes had been redone as well. Everything, from the streets to the homes and the gardens.
"Don't get me wrong, what I prefer is a wasteland surrounding my house and gardens before I set foot in a village, but unfortunately we need to eat and that creates a market. With the market comes people and to be fairly honest, there are shops in my village that flourish quite well even though they are far away from any kind of technology. But, I also realise I have been abandoning them, so they could use some help in redoing their homes to make them more sturdy and what-not", Atemu said as he waved his hand and the home he wanted came into view.
There had already been some more changes to it than the initial plan, as the hospital area had become bigger and more closed-off from the rest of his grounds, yet, there was a safe pathway for Ishizu to go back and forth. The section of the house he wanted for himself was mostly cut off as well and completely private so no one could look inside. Basically, there were two homes upon his plot right now, connected only through a hallway and the shared kitchen with attached dining room. The home now looked like an 'L' with in the middle the corridor leading to a thick 'I'-shaped building that was reserved for the pets. The garden was turned upside down as well, though the stables had remained in their own place. The courtyard was now perfectly in the middle, with the gardens and swimming pool near the 'I'-shaped building. The private gardens were situated along the long side of the 'L' and the shorter shapes were both a hallway leading to the throne room on the far right and the office on the left side. Beyond the office were his private chambers.
"It looks amazing. Though, you have now completely isolated yourself. Why?", Kisara asked and Atemu looked at her.
"Because I don't want my wives, never have and you know that. Things are changing and after five years of pretending, I think I'm through with that game. They are to lead their own lives. Currently, Mana and Malik are trying to figure out what it is to love. Maybe my other wives will want to partake in that particular game as well, though I have no use for them. They are mine and fall under my protection, but within this home, they are to take charge of their own lives. Hence why I've build the small hospital. The villagers that I do have need a place to go to and I am willing to offer that to them. A new form of income, so to speak", the tanned demon clarified and Seto nodded. He could understand that. Truthfully, he could understand everything, except for why his brother would allow for those two youngsters to mingle and reproduce.
"You would need a lot of my technology and best people to accomplish everything, Atemu. That will have a price I'm not sure you can pay", Seto muttered, though he was aware his sibling would be able to double the price if necessary. Especially when Atemu rose his eyebrow in mocking question which had the brunet snorting softly. "Obviously we will have to concentrate some more on our borders and what the price of that will be, even though we will work closely together. Your magic can eliminate everything after all and will work much faster than any kind of machinery. Plus we will need to work out our plans when I have agreed with your ridiculous idea. As for your home, that shouldn't pose a problem, though where will you and your household stay for the time being?", Seto asked and Atemu smiled as he had anticipated that question.
"My workers can build accommodations that will we inhabit temporary. Once they are finished, I will destroy pretty much everything with my magic so your workers can build me my new home. Would that be to your satisfaction?", Atemu asked, his smile turning into a smirk as he watched Seto with a gleam in his rose-red eyes. He was glad to hear his brother was at least a little interested in their borders and wished to speak of it further at a later date. It was also amusing to see his older sibling gaze at his home, as if he was calculating a price, though they both knew they could come to an easy agreement.
"How about lunch first?", he asked and black-ears perked up at the mentioning of food while Kisara had the decency to blush as her stomach growled. Both her sibling turned to look at her with a smirk, but she smacked the taller one of the two with a snort. "Excellent", Atemu said as he rose from his seat, followed by his visitors and beloved, while the shadows wiped the table clean of their images. It had taken a good deal of persuasion so they wouldn't show anything macabre during the meeting, hence why Yami had been caressing them during the whole ordeal as that had been their desired wish.
"Shall we move to the courtyard? The fresh air might be nice", Atemu said and Kisara had to agree. Being in an office day in and out, may it be at the medical centre she worked at or while currently visiting Atemu, it was still not her cup of tea without a proper break. Therefore she was glad to get out of the house and into the courtyard where she stretched her limbs and took a deep gulp of fresh air. Plus, if she didn't look at the dungeon's entrance for a mere moment, she was able to enjoy the view. Butterflies and bees were going through the flowers in search of honey and the silver-haired woman smiled as she gazed at them.
The wooden table and comfortable chairs were provided to them by the shadows, though Seto was wary at first as he glanced at the object. Atemu merely laughed as he sat down with Yami at his side while food was presented before them. Fish, poultry and deer were the main picks, together with fresh fruits or vegetables, bread rolls, rice, baked potatoes and soup. Kisara happily helped herself to some deer while Seto couldn't help himself as he continued to glance around the table. The shadows, however, were once again focused completely upon Yami and when truly nothing happened, the brunet settled down for a nice meal.
When Atemu perked up and smirked, however, did his inner alarm go off with a howling sound. As if the tanned demon was expecting something to happen and Seto glared at him because he wanted to enjoy this meal in a peaceful setting. Just, for once in a lifetime, he wanted to eat normally at his sibling's house without the added talk of shredding prisoners apart or maiming someone to see how much blood they could spill before dying. And he definitely didn't want his brother to strike up a conversation with his wife about her time at the hospital either. Not right now, not ever, because there were already enough unwanted conversations at home concerning puss, blood, gore, removed limbs and incurable diseases.
Barely, only barely, did Seto refrain from groaning and closing his eyes when karma hit him. He would accept every bit of the conversation at home than what had just presented itself. "Vivian, what an unpleasant surprise", were Atemu's dark words as the tanned demon rose from his seat. Black ears flattened themselves as Yami was blanketed by the shadows as much as possible while Seto and Kisara turned in their seats to look at their other sibling. Kisara sighed softly while taking a bite from her meal as she knew it could be the last one when she saw the murderous gleam in her sibling's dark rose-red eyes. There had only been one occasion she had seen that glance from up close and it brought back memories of Otogi's blood plastered against the palace walls as well as the wounds he had carried at the time. True, that brother had been an idiot and so was Vivian, for why would she come here without reason?
"Where is Anzu?", the pale woman demanded and Kisara looked at her a little more closely. Vivian's black hair was up in buns, the way it usually was and she wore a skin-tight dress which covered her from the neck towards her ankles. Not that the dress left something to the imagination and Kisara rolled her eyes as she took another bite and watched Atemu stalk towards Vivian. The taller woman pretended not to notice, though from where he stood, the tanned demon could see the fear forming in her eyes.
"Anzu? I don't know, but perhaps you can enlighten me, Vivian... What happens when you touch and try to hurt my possession?", Atemu asked as if he was talking about the weather and his sister snorted.
"Touch your possession? I have done no such thing and neither would Anzu! She's a delicate woman who doesn't want any kind of contact with what you call yours", Vivian replied and Kisara pursed her lips at the carefully chosen words. They all knew exactly what the black-haired woman thought of the Neko, but thankfully she was wise enough not to anger Atemu any further than he already was. The shadows thickened some more, however, and Kisara felt the goosebumps rising. She was always in for a good maiming, but this one wouldn't be pleasant if Atemu wouldn't be reasonable. Which he wasn't... if one touched his possession, the little reason he had went out the window.
"Who said you touched him? All I wanted to know is if you knew what would happen if you do touch what I call mine. If you're looking for your dear Anzu, I'm afraid you'll have to ask the shadows to her whereabouts, though I am afraid little is left of her", Atemu answered and he growled softly as he took another threatening step towards Vivian. This woman dared to come to him? She dared to laid eyes upon his beloved? Growling a little louder with the shadows thickening some more, the tanned demon stepped in her line of sight. Even though he was not as tall as her, he did gather all of Vivian's attention thanks to the threatening mood of the shadows.
"You killed her?!", Vivian shrieked in disbelieve and Atemu rose his eyebrow with a snort.
"The same I'll do to you", he promised as the black swirl of magic covered his eyes. How dare this creature hurt their beloved? How dare this file being think she could win? They could read it in her mind, how she had planted the silly idea in Anzu's mind that to conquer their master, the girl had to kill their treasure.
"You will not!", was the call and Atemu chuckled darkly as he could feel how Vivian summoned her magic to make her escape. The shadows thickened however and they cackled as their master laughed.
"Do you not see how strong the shadows truly are, Vivian? Have you not learned from Akefia or Otogi? Have you not yet learned that if I wanted to have the world to myself, I would have it? The shadows are ever growing and far more powerful than you. They let you in, but you won't escape me. I will have my vengeance. You used Anzu in your own little game, but you lost it. I win", Atemu hissed softly and Vivian shrieked as he shadows slithered across the ground. She summoned her own magic again, which was stronger than of any other previous vile demons they had fought, but it still made the tanned demon laugh.
Unlike normal magic, his grew with the passing of each second. Yes, they got hurt by her magic and would sometimes crawl to Yami for comfort, though they fought and ate the offered violence as well. Growling when he had enough of her futile attempts, Atemu summoned the silver blade the shadows always carried with them. It was the new one, the gift from their beloved and the shadows purred as it would taste Vivian's blood soon. Darting through the magic as he stalked forward, he let the shadows move him closer before he touched the blade against Vivian's neck.
"Please, don't move. I'd hate to kill you easily", he purred as her magic faltered while she glared at him. There was fear though, delicious fear and the shadows purred softly as they touched upon the piece of filth amongst them. She shuddered when the knife was slowly removed, only for Atemu's hand to replace it, his fingers tight around her neck and she gasped in surprise. The shadows coiled around her limbs in order to drag her down towards the ground as they ripped her dress along the seams. She struggled and her nails dug into Atemu's fingers as they tried to claw his hand away from him before the shadows took a firm hold of the hands to bind them together in front of her chest.
Fearfully, she stared into the dark, nearly black, rose-red eyes while she gasped for breath. He was murderous and deep down, she knew she had made a mistake somewhere. She wondered what as goosebumps appeared on her skin when he chuckled darkly.
"Do you know what my possession went through? Do you know what your whores go through?", Atemu asked his sibling as he tilted his head. The shadows hummed softly eagerly as they slithered around Vivian's head and softly penetrated her mind through her skin.
"No", she choked out and Atemu laughed as he threw her onto the ground. She coughed and gasped for breath while trying to get away from him as far as possible when her throat was released. The silver blade returned, however, and the tanned demon could hear his lover purr ever so softly while he stalked towards the trembling pale woman. "Then perhaps you'd like a taste?", he questioned, though Vivian shook her head. She screamed, however, when her body began to burn with pain because her insides were twisted as if they were stabbed by a knife and she writhed on the ground as the shadows assaulted her mind.
Was this what Otogi had felt when he had been tortured to near death? The invisible cuts upon her body, the painful spasms of her muscles or the the screams in her head. Vivian cried out at the sharp pain from her kidneys and it was a pain mimicked as well as enlarged while the shadows took their time. They made her heart skip a beat, her skin throb and burn with pain while their master twirled the knife in his hand. The shadows purred as he continued to watch while their shadow puppet finally made it out of the dungeon for this special occasion. They would feast upon her, of this they were sure, but first... some real fun and they duplicated the pain from the raped whore she had kicked away in the past when that one had pleaded for mercy.
There would be no leniency, no mercy and no hope. All of that would be destroyed and the shadows pulled Vivian from the floor into a position upon her knees. Again, the silver blade twirled in skilful hands and the shadows purred as they continued to protect their beloved. He was still caressing them, while his crimson eyes were fixated upon the tortured piece of filth. The other two siblings were turned away slightly, though they understood their master's reasoning. Nobody would get away with hurting their beloved for he was their constant, yet, the shadows growled as the screams stopped.
"Release me!", Vivian barked, trying to gain a certain strength from within both her body and mind, which the shadows knew she would never find. They would eat every last bit of hope, every last bit of good feeling this piece of filth carried and they made her scream as they made her mind believe it was tortured physically. Stretching her arms away from her body, the wooden cutting block was presented before their master who smiled eerily and they fastened her hands onto it.
"Would you like to feel what Anzu felt before she died?", Atemu hissed in the presented ear softly with his smirk broadening as he lifted the blade and set it against on of Vivian's perfectly manicured fingers. Tears were already streaming down her face as she gave another scream of pain, before shaking her head as she pleaded for everything to stop.
"Do you listen when they plead for you to stop? Did you even once thought you should have stopped after your initial idea of hurting my possession? Did you really think I would be that stupid?", Atemu asked eerily, before he rose the silver blade and let it fall down in a quick motion. Vivian screamed before she could answer, which was far more enough to Atemu because he didn't need her words. All he wanted from her was her life, so he could make sure she wouldn't dare to hurt his beloved again. Nobody would ever hurt his kitten again and Atemu smirked as he wished he could offer the shadows more to eat than this sickeningly slender body.
Again, he cut a finger off, though the blood was not burned away this time like it had been with Anzu. In Vivian's mind, perhaps, though Atemu didn't care as she would die. Today. No more dangerous criminals in his city or surrounding his house. Everyone he caught, was to die. Just like that man from the market. No one who had tempered with him would get out of their punishment alive. Nobody and especially not his most hated sister.
Vivian screamed again as he cut another finger off, just as slowly as he had wished for Anzu's fingers to be cut off. His wives had been too merciful, but he wouldn't be like that with his sibling. She had played a dangerous game, she had tried to kill his kitten, and for that she would pay. Then again, he loved to hear her scream at his mercy and he chuckled darkly as he reached the thumb. Cutting it off, he started on her second hand afterwards. Never again would she make a poison, never again would she touch her whores, never again would he have to look upon her and the thought alone made him smirk in glee.
Blood spurt forth from her torn veins while the shadows continued to assault her mind with pain. They curled around her body and cut the skin as they seemed fit in order to slither inside. Organs blackened at their touch while her yellow dress was soaked with whatever she had to loose. As the dark tendrils nipped at her skin they left small bite marks before they enjoyed her next scream. They enjoyed it to bring her mental pain, to let her feel what others felt because of her orders. Misery upon misery was repaid to her, though most of all the pain from their beloved.
The soft cackle and the blood made Seto put down his lunch. Not even his coffee could entice him while he couldn't help but glance at the Neko seated opposite of him. The black ears were perked up in interest with the crimson eyes focused upon the slaughtering, because that is what it was. The brunet frowned in slight concern when he could see Yami nibbling on his chicken curry while he purred audibly and for a moment, Seto wondered who was more deranged. His sibling or the Neko who stood at his side... Not that it mattered, considering his own wife was staring at the whole incident with a certain interest as well, though not like the Neko did. No, even Kisara was more sane currently than the creature and Seto tried to think of better times. Especially those wherein he was away from all of this blood and inside a sleek office designed to his liking.
The new laughter was even more disturbing and against his will did ice-blue eyes turn towards Atemu who was merely watching his screaming sister. The look in his eyes was still dark, but he was truly enjoying this as he looked down upon her writhing form. Blood coated her face as the shadows had feasted upon it and Atemu's dagger had been replaced by a bloodied axe. Ten fingers and two hands had fallen to the ground while blood poured upon it and Atemu snorted as he raised the axe again only to swing it down at one of her feet. Maybe he was enjoying this a little too much, but he was finally getting rid of her. Finally she would no longer try to look down upon him or threaten his beloved and at the thought, he smirked. Giving the weapon to the shadow puppet, he let the shadows clean his hands, before he knelt down at Vivian's side. For a small moment she was given a break, just so he could listen to her painful gasps for air.
"You bore me, Vivian, and do you know what I do with boring things? I get rid of it. You're life is no more and you will never again bother me nor my possession. I have laughed a your misfortune and I will continue to do so until after you have long since passed. You failed yourself, you did not think of the strength my magic has and now, it will give me the greatest thing of life you will never have. Heirs, of my own flesh and blood carried by the only one I love. Yami", he whispered eerily into her ear so no one else could hear it, before he rose with a smirk on his lips. One more moment did he glance at her, not sure if his message got through, but it felt awfully good to say it either way. Chuckling softly, Atemu turned to walk back towards the table where his beloved was still covered by the shadows and protected from any kind of harm which eased Atemu greatly while he mentally ordered for the shadows to continue.
The pale Neko still purred while his eyes continued to watch Vivian with interest. She had been given a brief reprieve, one wherein Atemu returned to his side and it was a shame he couldn't kiss him, but Yami vowed to do so when they were private again. Vivian's gasps for air where heard through the silent as well as tense air surrounding the table and Yami had to do everything in his power not to smirk at Seto's uncomfortable expression. As he sat down, Atemu snapped his fingers, and the whip his puppet had been holding swooshed down in a condemning arc. That alone made Yami's entire day and the Neko continued to purr as he watched the show unfold before him.
"You just had to torture her, didn't you? I was enjoying lunch... why couldn't you just send her off to come back later?", Seto growled as his younger sibling made himself comfortable again and took a calm bite of his bread roll. Atemu merely rose an eyebrow and snorted softly.
"Absolutely not. She tried to kill my possession and I would never let go of an opportunity like this. The shadows will torment her until I'm sick of it. But you may always come back later?", Atemu asked, before he focused his attention back upon the sister he was torturing with slow and painful whips. Her fingers and hands were gone, her eyes had been taken from her and her tongue had been eaten from her mouth. The shadows were torturing her and her screams continued to sound across the whole garden, but he enjoyed it that way. Seto glared at him, however, and rolling his eyes, the tanned demon gave the mental order towards his dark magic.
The sun gleamed off the blade as the puppet rose the axe. Vivian was silent, until the shadows rearranged her body and she started to struggle. She couldn't see nor could he beg for her life and Atemu chuckled softly as he picked up his goblet of wine and took a sip. The axe swooped down and Seto's glare hardened, before the screams were no more. It was beautiful to see the sharp edges cut through the slender neck and to hear the bones break apart. It was beautiful to see the way the mutilated head rolled across the stone floor, prior to coming to a halt with the lips apart in a silent scream. What made it even more beautiful was the sound of Yami's happy purr, exactly the one he made if he wanted to pounce on a prey or play with a thread of yarn.
"Better?", Atemu asked as he momentarily caressed his kitten's black ear, if only to make sure his beloved would stay seated while overcoming his suddenly playful mood. He could see Kisara tilting her head, but she said nothing while Seto was growling in rage.
"What was that for? Now we are one step closer to a throne I do not want to possess! What will you tell father? If he decides to punish you, there will be no new home nor better controlled borders!", the tall brunet barked as he slammed his fist on top of the table. The shadows thickened as he did while crimson eyes glanced at him in surprise. Atemu merely snorted in answer.
"If father comes to my door, I will happily give him the same treatment he has given all of us while we were growing up. Vivian had it coming, she tried to hurt my possession while everyone is warned not to do so. She was simply too stupid to heed my warning and is therefore unfit to rule her own country or have the privilege of living. Our dear brother Akefia sits at the throne and Vivian would have never made it to that special city in the first place. Even Marik is more fit to join our brother where we do not want to go ourselves. Your arguments are completely invalid and overruled", was the too-calm-for-comfort reply. Seto continued to glare at his younger brother while he couldn't believe his ears.
"So, who's next? Otogi? Will you start preying on the whole family? Just because you love your Neko?", the brunet ground out and rose-red eyes flashed dangerously. At the last second Seto had made sure to say 'Neko' instead of 'cat', though he knew he shouldn't have said anything at all. Feeling his magic crackle underneath his skin, the taller demon was ready though. Atemu would not get to him that easily, though Kisara sighed loud and placed her goblet back on the table with a loud thump.
"Will you two children stop it? You're fighting over a dead piece of meat that is already rotten to the core. Grow up!", she exclaimed and stared at both men challengingly. Seto would give her an ear-full later, she knew that, but Atemu merely glared at her. The look was cold and murderous, but he slightly tilted his head as if he was listening. His hand was still caressing Yami's ear, though it currently served the purpose to remain calm himself.
"What is done, is done. Vivian is dead, but the Kingdom won't feel that. Land will be sold and divided, precious metals will be hunted, but at least Atemu got his vengeance. Vivian had been warned and if she would have touched you, Seto, I would have murdered her as well. There is no need to be worried concerning father, Atemu can take him. He has done so once and he will do so again, so, I don't even think father will come. He's frightened of Atemu", Kisara said and she snorted softly after her little speech. Atemu refrained from smirking, considering his sister had just given the green light for killing their most annoying sibling. Seto was still grumbling however, and the tanned demon couldn't help but play with his silver blade some more.
"I agree, though perhaps you will allow for me too cut out Seto's tongue? He did go against our agreement of not telling a soul of the sensitive subject he has spoken of just now", Atemu said as he twirled the blade around in his hand. The tall demon swallowed thickly, before freezing when a tanned hand swooped down without a warning and stuck the blade into the wooden surface of the table. Right between his long fingers, which were trembling every so slightly while the brunet tried to keep his cool.
"Never again spill the secret from your lips or else I will remove and burn everything that you touched, owned and are. I will even burn you if I must", Atemu hissed threateningly, before he retrieved his knife and used it to cut a small piece of his deer. Seto didn't say anything, neither did Kisara, because the threat was clear. Atemu was letting them off right now, but wouldn't do so next time and the tanned demon smiled at the soul carried his way.
"Keep it", he muttered and the white orb disappeared in the many thick tendrils of his magic. Slowly, they curled up on Yami's lap again, where they purred as the shadow puppet left the courtyard. The body and the blood were gone as well, while shadows slithered over the stone floor. When they were done eating their fill, nothing of the torture could be seen which was as it should be and Seto took a deep breath before he tried to get back to eating his lunch. His brother was sick and the brunet was sure something awful had been whispered into Vivian's ear, even though he hadn't heard what it had been. It was all over very quickly... too quickly, unlike with Tamil, and Seto couldn't help but linger upon the thought a moment longer.
"Would you like to make another appointment for us meeting concerning our borders, or do you want to peak of them right now?", Atemu suddenly asked and ice-blue eyes locked with rose-red. Seto blinked slowly, before he pursed his lips.
"It would be wise to make another appointment, Atemu, as there are a lot of things that need to be put on paper concerning our borders. Our expectations as well as what can and cannot be done to the lands we both own. I do agree that something needs to be done and that an alliance is the best course of action, but perhaps another time, though I would like to discuss your new home a little more this afternoon", Seto answered slowly and Atemu nodded. Truth be told, he was not going to leave Yami right now to look at the borders and he wasn't sure if he should take his lover with him at all when he would leave. What if the kittens would suddenly decide to come after all? Even though it wasn't their due date just yet, what if something would go wrong?
"Certainly. Let's get ourselves a deal concerning that subject. It will be most pleasing", the tanned demon purred and Seto smirked as he knew it would be. His brother may be deranged and insane, but his deals were more than satisfying.
/\/\/\/\/\
Thank you so much for reading and if you have the time, please leave a review. Only three more chapters to go, it's going so quickly now! Thank god we're rid of Vivian and if you noticed, then yes, Seto refers to Yami as an 'it' sometimes and sometimes he does not. Simply because he doesn't deem Yami as worthy as much as Atemu does, but he also doesn't want to lose his head.
Also, yes, Kisara had already guessed there was a 'special' relationship between Atemu and Yami, which was only confirmed because Seto talks in his sleep. That's why she didn't ask him about it ;)
Anyway, as some of you may have noticed, I have been deleting some of my old stories. No need to fear, they have been taken down for either a good clean-up or a complete rewrite. A new idea has been born, hopefully it will stay alive. That's it for now, though and I hope to see you all back in chapter 26. Byebye!