"I hate the way it smells here, Father," Yami complained.
"Silence. You wanted a slave, did you not?" the emperor answered, making his way along the slave tents.
"Father?" Yugi spoke up and ran to take his father's hand, eyes wide. "I thought humans slave were illegal."
"They were. But half-humans weren't. Before, there were half animals that stood like men. Their children were our slaves. And they could support us. But over the years, few survived and they're almost impossible to find. These slaves are still their children, though, but you can hardly tell."
"Hey!" Yugi shouted. "That one looks like an elf," he said, pointing.
The emperor followed his gaze and quickly made his way to the accused tent. "May I speak to the owner of these slaves?" he asked a young girl.
She pointed to a thin, wirily man. "May I help you? See something you like?"
"That slave. The blond. He has a black elf look to him. May I study him more closely?"
"I don't suggest it, sire. He is a rash thing. I caught him in the wild. Terrorizing a small human settlement. I plan to kill him, though I haven't gotten the chance."
Yugi peered through the bars at the burning light brown eyes of the slave. He took a step toward him, no one noticing. The slave made a swipe at him with something very sharp and Yugi sucked in a strangled breath. Kaiba heard this and turned to look at him. "Yugi! Get away from him!" He ran and grabbed him, pulling him away.
"You stupid palf!" Yami screamed, knocking his arm hard against Kaiba's face. Suddenly everyone was watching him.
"Yugi!" Kaitio said sharply, pulling his son away from the two men. "Yugi," he kept saying, over and over, searching for any wounds. He finally moved Yugi's hand from his cheek. "Kill him," he said coldly.
"No! It wasn't Kaiba!" Yugi sobbed and threw himself against his father. "It wasn't Kaiba!" he screamed, being held back as he had to watch Yami beat Kaiba.
Kaiba lay motionless in the dirt and no one cared. They had occasionally glanced up while Yami beat him, but it was of interest only, no concern. Yami stood up, elf blood splattered all over him. He spit on the limp body, walking away.
Yugi finally broke from his father and ran to Kaiba. "No!" he sobbed, shaking him. "Heal him! PLEASE! FIX HIM!" he sobbed. A few people turned to watch out of surprise, but did nothing to help.
Finally, a black elf stepped forward. "If I heal him, what will you give me, Prince?"
"Anything!" he sobbed. "Please!"
"Don't be a fool," Yami said, pulling his brother away from the elves. "Father will buy you a new palf."
"I don't want a palf! Fix him!" he screamed hysterically.
"I will heal him. But you must promise to give me whatever I want when he awakens."
"I promise," Yugi whispered.
The long green-haired black elf made his way to the dying young man. He was surprised by the man's extremely thin body and painted features. It was common for the white elves to have such short hair, he knew, but he wasn't used to them with make-up and such a thin body. Like a doll. Such a pretty doll. He took the limp head into his lap and gently pulled back his hair. "I need some water. And a molt and pestle. Please."
Yami rolled his eyes and tossed him a canteen and a bowl with a small mixer. "Stupid palf. Pathetic drelf."
Keith*, the black elf, shot a sharp glance at the prince. He ran his strange green hand along the ground. Along the dust, a trail of plants grew. Keith selected a certain one and began to break it up in the bowl, forming a paste. He parted Kaiba's lips and ran his paste-covered finger in his mouth. "Wake up," he whispered to the man.
Kaiba jerked forward and coughed uncontrollable. Keith patted him on the back. "Breath."
Yugi ran to Kaiba, throwing his arms around him. "Kaiba! You're alive!"
Kaiba pulled him close. "Are you okay, Yugi? How is your cut...?" he trailed off, noticing the black elf besides him. His eyes fell to the ground. "Go to your father, Yugi." He glanced at the man above him then looked down again.
"I will take him," Keith pointed to Kaiba, "as my payment."
"What?!" Yugi shrieked. "You can't! He is my servant!"
Kaiba looked around, confused.
"I could kill him," he offered. "I won't want him then. You promised anything."
"You did, Yugi," Yami reminded him smugly. "Get rid of the damn palf."
Yugi peered up at Keith with wide, innocent eyes. "Only if you promise to not kill him. Just as long as he is okay."
"I will not kill him," he promised, placing his good hand on his chest. "In fact, my prince, I will cure his wounds."
Yugi nodded and darted to Kaiba, hugging him close. "He won't hurt you," he promised in his innocent way.
Kaiba nodded but knew better. He wouldn't ever see Yugi again. ~But thankfully, I'll never see Yami again, either.~
*Keith is a character from the original novel and the name basically means "wood" though I've seen is to mean several other things. To sum up his history as far as you need to know for now, he was among a group of four people that represented the elements--water, fire, forest, earth. Please don't tell me forest isn't an element. I know that. But I changed things a bit, I have the power to do that. Anyway, he was suppose to commit suicide along with the others to transfer his powers to a keeper. When he refused, he tried to go back to the black elf village but he was rejected there. More about that later. He went to live in seclusion in the forest (the two elf groups live in the forest, too) but recent development of the forest resulted in him living a little bit too much to people to his liking. The royal family and Kaiba are the first people he's talked to in about...20 years.
~~~
Marik woke with the sight of Bakura sucking on a dead bird. He held a piece out. "Want some?"
Marik sat up, shaking his head. "Do you hate me?"
"No," he said shortly, but Marik knew Bakura meant it. He had a nasty habit of speaking cruelly to Marik, though he didn't usually mean it.
Marik crawled over to Bakura and laid his head on his lover's lap. "i love you," he whispered a bit dreamily.
"Don't. You're fantasizing again."
"Oh, but Bakura. We are married. And we're living in a little house deeper in the woods. We came here for a meal. A small meal. I'm not hungry, but you killed that poor bird. Poor bird."
"No, we are Master's chyldes. He killed the bird because I am not worthy of human blood. All we are are lovers. That's it."
"No, we are married," Marik insisted still dreamily. As soon as he said that, though, he bolted up and threw his arms around Bakura, beginning to sob. "Noooo..." he moaned as Bakura dropped the bird and wrapped his arms around the poor crazy boy. He tried unsuccessfully to soothe the hysterical blond but could do nothing until he bit into his neck. That always seemed to sedate him.
This time, however, he threw his body from Bakura, causing his neck to be ripped in painfully by Bakura's teeth. Bakura tried to contain Marik's struggling by holding him down. Acting on some kind of instinct, he lunged a knife into Bakura's back. Bakura's eyes closed and Marik seemed to break from his dream. "Bakura!"
Bakura peeked his eyes open enough to get Marik into focus long enough. Suddenly, another body was thrown against them.
"Idiots," a cruel voice spoke. Their Master made his presents known by kicking Marik, causing the knife to twist a bit in Bakura's back. Bakura hissed, but didn't move from his protection over Marik. Ryou, looking heavily bruised, slide away from the cluster of people. "You are not Attila!" Master screamed at them. He knocked Marik's hand away and pulled the knife out, pocketing it. "Where did you get this?" he asked Marik.
"I made it."
"Stupid Hunter. Stupid ignorant Hunter!" He grabbed Marik from under Bakura and threw him against the tree. "You are so STUPID!"
Marik closed his eyes as Master began punching and kicking him.
Bakura stood up and made his way in front of Marik to protect him. Master didn't care, whoever wanted to be hit got hit. "You idiot! Why do you protect him?!"
"I love him!" Bakura screamed back.
Master stopped, a smile a self-satisfaction beginning to form on his face. "Good. Love makes people weak." He pushed Bakura against Marik and turned away. "I won't be back before dark. It's up to that ex-Hunter to protect you all." A threw a small, crude knife at their feet. "I like yours better."
Bakura turned to attempt to soothe Marik but tripped over the small mirror image of himself. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he screamed, hitting the boy hard enough to knock him down. He began screaming in pain. Bakura tried to attack him but Marik was latched onto him by then, softly chanting to himself. Bakura brought Marik into his arms. "Stay out of my way you little brat," he hissed, spitting next to Ryou's body.
"Don't hurt him," Marik whispered, breaking his chant. "He didn't do anything."
"He looks like we're related. For all I know we are. But of course, Master would like that," he said coldly, his eyes narrowing at the recovering boy.
"Why do you say that?" Ryou whispered.
"Look at Master and Marik. They're related. Master won't say how. He knows. When he killed Marik's family, he aimed for Marik. They might only be cousins or such, but they're still related."
"And he sleeps with him?"
"NO!" Marik screamed, covering his ears with his hands and closing his eyes. "NO! NONONONONONONONON--"
Bakura covered Marik's mouth. "You are insensitive." He pressed a small kiss on Marik's temple. Marik stopped screaming and opened his eyes and lowered his hands. He laid his head limply against Bakura's hip. "Yes, Marik is Master's chylde."
"Who is Attila? He said you two weren't Attila."
"The greatest vampire that ever was," Marik whispered. "No one could kill him. No Hunter."
"Then what happened to him?"
"He was killed. By his own flesh and blood," Bakura said, a small laugh on his voice.
"What's wrong with him?" Ryou asked softly, placing his hand on Marik's, folding it into his.
"He is crazy. Half gone, half ready to kill anyone. He's just asking for an excuse." Bakura locked eyes with Ryou, a small smile spreading on his face, asking him to piss Marik off.
"I don't want to hurt him. I promise I won't."
"Leave us alone."
Ryou closed his eyes and nodded, pulling his knees against his chest. Tears began running down his face, but he stayed quiet.
"You don't scream."
Ryou opened his eyes. Bakura leaned against a tree, running his fingers through Marik's hair, who's head was in his lap. He studied Ryou closely.
"I was trained not to scream. I wasn't used to being hit the way you did. But what 'Master' did was nothing."
"NOTHING?!" Bakura yelled loudly, but barely moved. He threw back his head, then, laughing. "Nothing," he repeated. "Look at Marik's back! He did that for FUN!"
"No he didn't," Marik whispered. "You know that. It was my father. Don't lie."
Bakura shook his head, unable to ever believe him when he said that. Bakura hadn't know his father but couldn't imagine someone doing that to their own son. But of course, he had seen worse on other people.
"He won't hurt me. His body may dig into me, but he will never get to my-- "
"Soul? Don't be an idiot. He has it. It hangs in a bottle on his neck. One flame and you're dead. Don't be stupid."
Ryou finally looked stricken.
"He takes away everything," Marik whispered. "Everything except what makes you weak. You will keep your beauty. It makes you weak. Bakura keeps me; it makes him weak."
"Then what do you keep?" Ryou asked a bit bitterly.
Marik sat up, wrapping his arms around Bakura, lying his head on his shoulder. "I keep my anger. It's all I've ever had. I will keep my anger. It makes me weak. So very, very weak."
"How can you say that?" Ryou asked, shocked.
"You don't HAVE anger. You don't understand. Anger makes you weak because you mess up and show your weaknesses. Dreams are what keep me strong and alive." He giggled, hiding his face Bakura's arm as if he was happier than any point in his life. "As long as I'm happy I'm in control."
Bakura pulled Marik close. "Marik was a Hunter. By the time he was initiated, vampires weren't a problem. A few Wonderers. No real threat since we would all kill ourselves. But no, Master killed them. He was crazy. So he took what he wanted and he wanted to kill. But then he enjoyed humiliating people. I don't know why he chose to keep me. But he did. And he chose Marik because he was a Hunter and his relative."
"What to Hunters *do*?"
"Hunters were the main combat against vampires. They also headed the illegal slave trade. It was legal to have slaves, just not to create them. When it was legal, Hunters were left with the 'prestigious' privilege to be above the law pretty much. They can kill who they want. It became a sick way to keep people in power. The emperor finally dissolved them. It's a shame, now, to ever have been associated with them."
"Why is he so angry?"
"You best shut up right now," Bakura snapped. Marik began crying into Bakura's shoulder. Ryou closed his eyes, catching some rest.
~~~
"Silence. You wanted a slave, did you not?" the emperor answered, making his way along the slave tents.
"Father?" Yugi spoke up and ran to take his father's hand, eyes wide. "I thought humans slave were illegal."
"They were. But half-humans weren't. Before, there were half animals that stood like men. Their children were our slaves. And they could support us. But over the years, few survived and they're almost impossible to find. These slaves are still their children, though, but you can hardly tell."
"Hey!" Yugi shouted. "That one looks like an elf," he said, pointing.
The emperor followed his gaze and quickly made his way to the accused tent. "May I speak to the owner of these slaves?" he asked a young girl.
She pointed to a thin, wirily man. "May I help you? See something you like?"
"That slave. The blond. He has a black elf look to him. May I study him more closely?"
"I don't suggest it, sire. He is a rash thing. I caught him in the wild. Terrorizing a small human settlement. I plan to kill him, though I haven't gotten the chance."
Yugi peered through the bars at the burning light brown eyes of the slave. He took a step toward him, no one noticing. The slave made a swipe at him with something very sharp and Yugi sucked in a strangled breath. Kaiba heard this and turned to look at him. "Yugi! Get away from him!" He ran and grabbed him, pulling him away.
"You stupid palf!" Yami screamed, knocking his arm hard against Kaiba's face. Suddenly everyone was watching him.
"Yugi!" Kaitio said sharply, pulling his son away from the two men. "Yugi," he kept saying, over and over, searching for any wounds. He finally moved Yugi's hand from his cheek. "Kill him," he said coldly.
"No! It wasn't Kaiba!" Yugi sobbed and threw himself against his father. "It wasn't Kaiba!" he screamed, being held back as he had to watch Yami beat Kaiba.
Kaiba lay motionless in the dirt and no one cared. They had occasionally glanced up while Yami beat him, but it was of interest only, no concern. Yami stood up, elf blood splattered all over him. He spit on the limp body, walking away.
Yugi finally broke from his father and ran to Kaiba. "No!" he sobbed, shaking him. "Heal him! PLEASE! FIX HIM!" he sobbed. A few people turned to watch out of surprise, but did nothing to help.
Finally, a black elf stepped forward. "If I heal him, what will you give me, Prince?"
"Anything!" he sobbed. "Please!"
"Don't be a fool," Yami said, pulling his brother away from the elves. "Father will buy you a new palf."
"I don't want a palf! Fix him!" he screamed hysterically.
"I will heal him. But you must promise to give me whatever I want when he awakens."
"I promise," Yugi whispered.
The long green-haired black elf made his way to the dying young man. He was surprised by the man's extremely thin body and painted features. It was common for the white elves to have such short hair, he knew, but he wasn't used to them with make-up and such a thin body. Like a doll. Such a pretty doll. He took the limp head into his lap and gently pulled back his hair. "I need some water. And a molt and pestle. Please."
Yami rolled his eyes and tossed him a canteen and a bowl with a small mixer. "Stupid palf. Pathetic drelf."
Keith*, the black elf, shot a sharp glance at the prince. He ran his strange green hand along the ground. Along the dust, a trail of plants grew. Keith selected a certain one and began to break it up in the bowl, forming a paste. He parted Kaiba's lips and ran his paste-covered finger in his mouth. "Wake up," he whispered to the man.
Kaiba jerked forward and coughed uncontrollable. Keith patted him on the back. "Breath."
Yugi ran to Kaiba, throwing his arms around him. "Kaiba! You're alive!"
Kaiba pulled him close. "Are you okay, Yugi? How is your cut...?" he trailed off, noticing the black elf besides him. His eyes fell to the ground. "Go to your father, Yugi." He glanced at the man above him then looked down again.
"I will take him," Keith pointed to Kaiba, "as my payment."
"What?!" Yugi shrieked. "You can't! He is my servant!"
Kaiba looked around, confused.
"I could kill him," he offered. "I won't want him then. You promised anything."
"You did, Yugi," Yami reminded him smugly. "Get rid of the damn palf."
Yugi peered up at Keith with wide, innocent eyes. "Only if you promise to not kill him. Just as long as he is okay."
"I will not kill him," he promised, placing his good hand on his chest. "In fact, my prince, I will cure his wounds."
Yugi nodded and darted to Kaiba, hugging him close. "He won't hurt you," he promised in his innocent way.
Kaiba nodded but knew better. He wouldn't ever see Yugi again. ~But thankfully, I'll never see Yami again, either.~
*Keith is a character from the original novel and the name basically means "wood" though I've seen is to mean several other things. To sum up his history as far as you need to know for now, he was among a group of four people that represented the elements--water, fire, forest, earth. Please don't tell me forest isn't an element. I know that. But I changed things a bit, I have the power to do that. Anyway, he was suppose to commit suicide along with the others to transfer his powers to a keeper. When he refused, he tried to go back to the black elf village but he was rejected there. More about that later. He went to live in seclusion in the forest (the two elf groups live in the forest, too) but recent development of the forest resulted in him living a little bit too much to people to his liking. The royal family and Kaiba are the first people he's talked to in about...20 years.
~~~
Marik woke with the sight of Bakura sucking on a dead bird. He held a piece out. "Want some?"
Marik sat up, shaking his head. "Do you hate me?"
"No," he said shortly, but Marik knew Bakura meant it. He had a nasty habit of speaking cruelly to Marik, though he didn't usually mean it.
Marik crawled over to Bakura and laid his head on his lover's lap. "i love you," he whispered a bit dreamily.
"Don't. You're fantasizing again."
"Oh, but Bakura. We are married. And we're living in a little house deeper in the woods. We came here for a meal. A small meal. I'm not hungry, but you killed that poor bird. Poor bird."
"No, we are Master's chyldes. He killed the bird because I am not worthy of human blood. All we are are lovers. That's it."
"No, we are married," Marik insisted still dreamily. As soon as he said that, though, he bolted up and threw his arms around Bakura, beginning to sob. "Noooo..." he moaned as Bakura dropped the bird and wrapped his arms around the poor crazy boy. He tried unsuccessfully to soothe the hysterical blond but could do nothing until he bit into his neck. That always seemed to sedate him.
This time, however, he threw his body from Bakura, causing his neck to be ripped in painfully by Bakura's teeth. Bakura tried to contain Marik's struggling by holding him down. Acting on some kind of instinct, he lunged a knife into Bakura's back. Bakura's eyes closed and Marik seemed to break from his dream. "Bakura!"
Bakura peeked his eyes open enough to get Marik into focus long enough. Suddenly, another body was thrown against them.
"Idiots," a cruel voice spoke. Their Master made his presents known by kicking Marik, causing the knife to twist a bit in Bakura's back. Bakura hissed, but didn't move from his protection over Marik. Ryou, looking heavily bruised, slide away from the cluster of people. "You are not Attila!" Master screamed at them. He knocked Marik's hand away and pulled the knife out, pocketing it. "Where did you get this?" he asked Marik.
"I made it."
"Stupid Hunter. Stupid ignorant Hunter!" He grabbed Marik from under Bakura and threw him against the tree. "You are so STUPID!"
Marik closed his eyes as Master began punching and kicking him.
Bakura stood up and made his way in front of Marik to protect him. Master didn't care, whoever wanted to be hit got hit. "You idiot! Why do you protect him?!"
"I love him!" Bakura screamed back.
Master stopped, a smile a self-satisfaction beginning to form on his face. "Good. Love makes people weak." He pushed Bakura against Marik and turned away. "I won't be back before dark. It's up to that ex-Hunter to protect you all." A threw a small, crude knife at their feet. "I like yours better."
Bakura turned to attempt to soothe Marik but tripped over the small mirror image of himself. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he screamed, hitting the boy hard enough to knock him down. He began screaming in pain. Bakura tried to attack him but Marik was latched onto him by then, softly chanting to himself. Bakura brought Marik into his arms. "Stay out of my way you little brat," he hissed, spitting next to Ryou's body.
"Don't hurt him," Marik whispered, breaking his chant. "He didn't do anything."
"He looks like we're related. For all I know we are. But of course, Master would like that," he said coldly, his eyes narrowing at the recovering boy.
"Why do you say that?" Ryou whispered.
"Look at Master and Marik. They're related. Master won't say how. He knows. When he killed Marik's family, he aimed for Marik. They might only be cousins or such, but they're still related."
"And he sleeps with him?"
"NO!" Marik screamed, covering his ears with his hands and closing his eyes. "NO! NONONONONONONONON--"
Bakura covered Marik's mouth. "You are insensitive." He pressed a small kiss on Marik's temple. Marik stopped screaming and opened his eyes and lowered his hands. He laid his head limply against Bakura's hip. "Yes, Marik is Master's chylde."
"Who is Attila? He said you two weren't Attila."
"The greatest vampire that ever was," Marik whispered. "No one could kill him. No Hunter."
"Then what happened to him?"
"He was killed. By his own flesh and blood," Bakura said, a small laugh on his voice.
"What's wrong with him?" Ryou asked softly, placing his hand on Marik's, folding it into his.
"He is crazy. Half gone, half ready to kill anyone. He's just asking for an excuse." Bakura locked eyes with Ryou, a small smile spreading on his face, asking him to piss Marik off.
"I don't want to hurt him. I promise I won't."
"Leave us alone."
Ryou closed his eyes and nodded, pulling his knees against his chest. Tears began running down his face, but he stayed quiet.
"You don't scream."
Ryou opened his eyes. Bakura leaned against a tree, running his fingers through Marik's hair, who's head was in his lap. He studied Ryou closely.
"I was trained not to scream. I wasn't used to being hit the way you did. But what 'Master' did was nothing."
"NOTHING?!" Bakura yelled loudly, but barely moved. He threw back his head, then, laughing. "Nothing," he repeated. "Look at Marik's back! He did that for FUN!"
"No he didn't," Marik whispered. "You know that. It was my father. Don't lie."
Bakura shook his head, unable to ever believe him when he said that. Bakura hadn't know his father but couldn't imagine someone doing that to their own son. But of course, he had seen worse on other people.
"He won't hurt me. His body may dig into me, but he will never get to my-- "
"Soul? Don't be an idiot. He has it. It hangs in a bottle on his neck. One flame and you're dead. Don't be stupid."
Ryou finally looked stricken.
"He takes away everything," Marik whispered. "Everything except what makes you weak. You will keep your beauty. It makes you weak. Bakura keeps me; it makes him weak."
"Then what do you keep?" Ryou asked a bit bitterly.
Marik sat up, wrapping his arms around Bakura, lying his head on his shoulder. "I keep my anger. It's all I've ever had. I will keep my anger. It makes me weak. So very, very weak."
"How can you say that?" Ryou asked, shocked.
"You don't HAVE anger. You don't understand. Anger makes you weak because you mess up and show your weaknesses. Dreams are what keep me strong and alive." He giggled, hiding his face Bakura's arm as if he was happier than any point in his life. "As long as I'm happy I'm in control."
Bakura pulled Marik close. "Marik was a Hunter. By the time he was initiated, vampires weren't a problem. A few Wonderers. No real threat since we would all kill ourselves. But no, Master killed them. He was crazy. So he took what he wanted and he wanted to kill. But then he enjoyed humiliating people. I don't know why he chose to keep me. But he did. And he chose Marik because he was a Hunter and his relative."
"What to Hunters *do*?"
"Hunters were the main combat against vampires. They also headed the illegal slave trade. It was legal to have slaves, just not to create them. When it was legal, Hunters were left with the 'prestigious' privilege to be above the law pretty much. They can kill who they want. It became a sick way to keep people in power. The emperor finally dissolved them. It's a shame, now, to ever have been associated with them."
"Why is he so angry?"
"You best shut up right now," Bakura snapped. Marik began crying into Bakura's shoulder. Ryou closed his eyes, catching some rest.
~~~