Excitement pounded through them as they entered the darkness of the tunnel, both careful to dodge the numerous obstacles that were made by the rocky walls, but neither could keep back the elated smiles that lifted their lips. The freedom they had sought after for years was finally theirs! The slightly chilly waters that they had grown accustomed to was several degrees lower than the much warmer ocean they had been born into and they both relished as the temperature soared when they rode a current that nearly catapulted them from the cavern depths and into the unknown. Yugi couldn't contain the gasp of astonishment as they dodged a passing humpback whale who softly sang in passing, the sight leading them both breathless as it was answered by the trailing pod. The marine environment and wildlife were completely different than that they had come to know within the bowels of the earth. Everything was more colorful here, the currents stronger and warmer, but the greatest difference was the amount of light that now kissed their skin as they broke through the ocean's surface.
The sun was at its highest in the sky scattered decorated with clouds, bearing down upon them as they basked upon one of the isolate rock formations that had grown high enough to be exposed. A warm breeze that felt more that their mother's hand brushed against his cheek as he closed his eyes for a moment. Though they were water dwellers, he had been born with darker skin than any in their kingdom had ever seen, partially because his father had been the monarch of a much warmer and sunbathed ocean, which made him stick out more amongst the much lighter skinned merfolk that he had been adopted into. His and Yugi's father's kingdom had fallen to unknown reasons which left them to live with their grandfather King Solomon. They had inherited their metallic tails from their mother, Yugi's was bronze while Atem's was a brilliant gold, but their eyes from his father, a combination that many of the mermaids and a few mermen have pursued him for. The wild hair that they both had been born with deterred their followers little. This left the two of them little chance to create friendships outside of the palace. How long had it been since they had taken a lung full of air or felt the sun? Far too long for Atem's liking.
They had discarded their tunics, which were made of a fabric that had once been found within their father's kingdom, leaving their bare skins exposed to the sun and wind. The cloth itself was plain but it held significant meaning to the both of them so it had quickly become the centerpiece of their attires. Every so often Yugi would don a simple choker or even a belt that would match his tail, that was only for special occasions. Atem on the other hand was never without the golden bands around each of his biceps that accentuated his lean arms and alternated between wearing a similar choker as his brother's and the pair of cuffs that sat along his ear's shell. Minimal accessories, yes, but they were enough and didn't hinder them from full motions. For the truly special occasions, such as them being involved in formal affairs, both would clasp dark violet capes to their shoulders and a matching loose fitting band around their tails' base just above the fin; the capes had been made from one of their deceased father's that had been found in one piece amongst the rubble of their collapsed kingdom while the decorative bands had belonged to their mother.
His smile turned into a smirk as he spotted his younger brother's tail waiving high in the air while his head was beneath the water, probably gaping at a passing by fish, and playfully tickled the younger merman's fin with his own. A deep chuckle rumbled within his chest as Yugi flailed in surprise then disappeared back into the water with a loud splash. He quickly donned an expression of concern as a pair of narrowed lilac eyes rose from the water but it dissipated into one of amusement when he was wrestled back into the water.