Chapter One: Storm
Three figures could be seen silhouetted against the fiery gold and orange hues of the setting sun. The rays of the sun god flamed around the figures, edging the trio in gold and carving long black shadows on the sandy courtyard behind them. The smallest figure yawned enormously, eliciting a chuckle from the man. The slightly shorter, slender figure of the woman picked up the child, and all three drew closer to enjoy the appearance of the bright silver moon waxing round just beyond the edge of the palace walls accompanied by smaller gems of the same brilliance that spilled across the night sky. Weaving tendrils of their Bond together as lovers interlace their fingers, Amenhotep and Nekti enjoyed the precious moment of privacy. Nekti leaned into the king's deep chest as they beheld the last glimmer of sun sink beneath the edge of the desert, bathing the land in dusk.
The small child snuggled contently in the physical cocoon of his mother's arms and the mental nest of the family's Bond. He wished dreamily that the sun would hang there forever like the thin golden disks that had hung above his bed when he was younger. Then, his mom and dad would hold him forever, with his mother's long black hair lightly tickling his nose, breathing in his father's familiar scent. He felt the cool desert air ruffle through his hair lightly, flicking his blond bags in gentle teasing. The wind seemed to whisper soothing night lullabies like the melodies that were the last sound he heard before falling asleep.
Desert Dark, It is night
Darkness falls, Hush, sleep tight
The stars appear Shining bright
In the depths Of the night
Dream in peace Without fright
For morning star Will soon alight
Should you dream In forever night
Your Light will shine To make things right
Like so many other evenings, the little child was carried off to dream on the wings of the childhood song.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Dull disks of gold greeted Yami as his large crimson eyes peaked out from underneath his eyelids. The little prince frowned as he sat up to the darkness in his own room. The thin linen sheets puddled around him in bunches, entangling themselves in his short legs. They felt clammy and cold. He lay there, gazing longingly at the round golden ornaments decorating the ceiling. If only the sun had not set and night had not come, then he would still be cuddled in the warmth of his parents in the palace gardens. Yami longed for the cozy comfort of his parents' closeness, but he knew they would scold him for scampering into their room. After all, he was a big boy, having witnessed five inundations of the river. He was expected to 'act mature'. The little prince was still unsure of what this strange command meant, but he knew it prevented him from spending much time with his parents. A sliver of loneliness stuck into his heart; he wanted to spend the night with his mother and father, for it was not often that they were together.
Yami closed his eyes and found the storm of his dark feelings boiling under the brown skin of his breast. It hurt to keep the storm locked inside, like a cat huddled and hissing inside a cage too small for its agile form. The storm clawed at him, demanding to be let out.
Concentrating, the child felt the darkness of the calm night sky, a cool cloudless mirror. He reached out with tendrils of feeling and brushed his anger into the night, clouding the deep blue with a thick cover that swirled and roiled like the waters of the Nile River during the flood season. The storm within him felt less heavy. Encouraged, Yami let his mind sink slowly into the thickening clouds.
Heavy drops spattered down to make wet circles in the dry golden sand, mimicking the small tears that were slowly exploring the curve of the little boy's cheek. The child unconsciously exhaled. The action reverberated through the night as a sudden gust of cold wind that knifed through the sands as Yami meshed his feelings into a sudden storm that pounded on the palace walls in surprising fury. The beggars caught unawares in the maelstrom moved under the flimsy outcroppings of the stands in the marketplace. A few cocked their heads curiously as they heard hints of a sad moan weaving between the bursts of wind, then shook their heads and moved deeper into the dark alleyways. The sky tinged lightly red, the hue of the little prince's half-opened eyes. Like the clouds, they were a dull crimson. Suddenly, they flashed angrily, followed seconds later by thin tines of lightening that snaked their way through the dark fury of the storm. With the storm in full progress, Yami withdrew back into his body and fully opened his eyes, which were now sparkling with a mischievous light. The child exhaled as if to rid himself the rest of the storm of emotions that had churned inside him moments ago and threw back the covers. He carefully opened the bedroom door a crack and pressed his nose against the wooden frame. Good, the servants were asleep and no one would hurry him off to bed, except... There were two guards positioned between him and his destination just down the corridor. They chatted idly and flicked a glance through the hall occasionally. Yami grinned. It was almost too easy to be true.
The prince slid open a corner of his toy box and fished out a small glass marble from amongst the jumble of toys, then crouched low again and eased the wooden door open just enough to slip out the hand holding the trinket. Reaching out with a mental finger, he stifled the torches illuminating the hall, throwing the corridor into shadow. The guards stirred and conversed briefly before one left to fetch a torch. That left the single sentry and he could look but in one direction at a time. Yami suppressed a giggle as he aimed expertly and flicked the marble in the opposite direction. It pinged loudly against one of the bronze vases filled with thick fronds of papyrus lining the hall. The guard's head jerked up at the sound and left his post warily in order to investigate the disturbance. Yami seized the opportunity to scamper across the corridor on silent little feet, bending down low. Keeping an eye on the guard, he struggled with the heavy door. It refused to budge. The boy threw all his weight backwards and was rewarded with a small crack just wide enough for his slim body to squeeze through. Just in time too. The guard had picked up the marble and, satisfied with the explanation, had begun to turn around to resume his post when he caught a glimpse of golden hair out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey, help me relight the hallway." The guard spun around at the voice to catch the flaming torch flying his way. The light of the fire showed the pharaoh's door to be closed, nothing out of the ordinary. The man blinked. Perhaps he was more tired than he felt. Dismissing it as a trick of the darkness, the guard shrugged and began to relight the hallway.
That was close, Yami breathed in relief at closing the door just in time. He rubbed a small hand across his forehead.
/What are you doing out of bed, little Yu-gi-oh?/ Yami gulped as the stern voice echoed through his mind. Being called by his full name usually meant that he had done a Bad Thing. Turning around, he saw an amused Nekti and a sleepy, slightly- annoyed Amenhotep towering over him waiting for an answer. He widened his large crimson eyes to stare innocently up at his parents, fingers playing with his thin sleeping tunic.
"The storm woke me up." The king frowned and Yami braced himself for the lecture he knew was about to come. To his relief, his mother stepped forward and picked him up. He flung his arms around her neck and kissed her, bringing a smile to her lips.
/Nekti, you shouldn't spoil the child. And we both know the storm did not wake him up./
/We can discuss it later. Yami needs his rest./ Nekti closed their Bond as she carried the delighted child to the large bed with her husband in tow. Amenhotep's features softened and he shrugged to himself. There was no convincing his wife otherwise, especially if he did not wish to sleep on the floor tonight. He watched the child attempt to hide himself in the stacks of large pillows, only to be betrayed by tufts of unruly hair sticking out. Grinning with a mischievousness that reviled his son's, he pounced on the little prince and wrapped him in blankets while Yami giggled and tried to squirm out of reach. A few feathers flew in the air as father and son engaged in a small pillow fight. Nekti rolled her eyes.
"If you two do not mind, at least one of us would like to get to sleep tonight." With that, she pushed her husband and son off the bed with surprising strength to reclaim the slightly rumpled pillows. The man and child landed on the thick rug with a soft thud then sheepishly climbed back up in a more subdued fashion. Yami nestled between both parents and yawned enormously. The crimson eyes drooped and before long, the little chest rose and fell in the steady rhythm of sleep. Outside, the rain lessened to a light mist that left fat drops of moisture clinging to the tough desert plants and gradually disappeared altogether into the night.
Three figures could be seen silhouetted against the fiery gold and orange hues of the setting sun. The rays of the sun god flamed around the figures, edging the trio in gold and carving long black shadows on the sandy courtyard behind them. The smallest figure yawned enormously, eliciting a chuckle from the man. The slightly shorter, slender figure of the woman picked up the child, and all three drew closer to enjoy the appearance of the bright silver moon waxing round just beyond the edge of the palace walls accompanied by smaller gems of the same brilliance that spilled across the night sky. Weaving tendrils of their Bond together as lovers interlace their fingers, Amenhotep and Nekti enjoyed the precious moment of privacy. Nekti leaned into the king's deep chest as they beheld the last glimmer of sun sink beneath the edge of the desert, bathing the land in dusk.
The small child snuggled contently in the physical cocoon of his mother's arms and the mental nest of the family's Bond. He wished dreamily that the sun would hang there forever like the thin golden disks that had hung above his bed when he was younger. Then, his mom and dad would hold him forever, with his mother's long black hair lightly tickling his nose, breathing in his father's familiar scent. He felt the cool desert air ruffle through his hair lightly, flicking his blond bags in gentle teasing. The wind seemed to whisper soothing night lullabies like the melodies that were the last sound he heard before falling asleep.
Desert Dark, It is night
Darkness falls, Hush, sleep tight
The stars appear Shining bright
In the depths Of the night
Dream in peace Without fright
For morning star Will soon alight
Should you dream In forever night
Your Light will shine To make things right
Like so many other evenings, the little child was carried off to dream on the wings of the childhood song.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Dull disks of gold greeted Yami as his large crimson eyes peaked out from underneath his eyelids. The little prince frowned as he sat up to the darkness in his own room. The thin linen sheets puddled around him in bunches, entangling themselves in his short legs. They felt clammy and cold. He lay there, gazing longingly at the round golden ornaments decorating the ceiling. If only the sun had not set and night had not come, then he would still be cuddled in the warmth of his parents in the palace gardens. Yami longed for the cozy comfort of his parents' closeness, but he knew they would scold him for scampering into their room. After all, he was a big boy, having witnessed five inundations of the river. He was expected to 'act mature'. The little prince was still unsure of what this strange command meant, but he knew it prevented him from spending much time with his parents. A sliver of loneliness stuck into his heart; he wanted to spend the night with his mother and father, for it was not often that they were together.
Yami closed his eyes and found the storm of his dark feelings boiling under the brown skin of his breast. It hurt to keep the storm locked inside, like a cat huddled and hissing inside a cage too small for its agile form. The storm clawed at him, demanding to be let out.
Concentrating, the child felt the darkness of the calm night sky, a cool cloudless mirror. He reached out with tendrils of feeling and brushed his anger into the night, clouding the deep blue with a thick cover that swirled and roiled like the waters of the Nile River during the flood season. The storm within him felt less heavy. Encouraged, Yami let his mind sink slowly into the thickening clouds.
Heavy drops spattered down to make wet circles in the dry golden sand, mimicking the small tears that were slowly exploring the curve of the little boy's cheek. The child unconsciously exhaled. The action reverberated through the night as a sudden gust of cold wind that knifed through the sands as Yami meshed his feelings into a sudden storm that pounded on the palace walls in surprising fury. The beggars caught unawares in the maelstrom moved under the flimsy outcroppings of the stands in the marketplace. A few cocked their heads curiously as they heard hints of a sad moan weaving between the bursts of wind, then shook their heads and moved deeper into the dark alleyways. The sky tinged lightly red, the hue of the little prince's half-opened eyes. Like the clouds, they were a dull crimson. Suddenly, they flashed angrily, followed seconds later by thin tines of lightening that snaked their way through the dark fury of the storm. With the storm in full progress, Yami withdrew back into his body and fully opened his eyes, which were now sparkling with a mischievous light. The child exhaled as if to rid himself the rest of the storm of emotions that had churned inside him moments ago and threw back the covers. He carefully opened the bedroom door a crack and pressed his nose against the wooden frame. Good, the servants were asleep and no one would hurry him off to bed, except... There were two guards positioned between him and his destination just down the corridor. They chatted idly and flicked a glance through the hall occasionally. Yami grinned. It was almost too easy to be true.
The prince slid open a corner of his toy box and fished out a small glass marble from amongst the jumble of toys, then crouched low again and eased the wooden door open just enough to slip out the hand holding the trinket. Reaching out with a mental finger, he stifled the torches illuminating the hall, throwing the corridor into shadow. The guards stirred and conversed briefly before one left to fetch a torch. That left the single sentry and he could look but in one direction at a time. Yami suppressed a giggle as he aimed expertly and flicked the marble in the opposite direction. It pinged loudly against one of the bronze vases filled with thick fronds of papyrus lining the hall. The guard's head jerked up at the sound and left his post warily in order to investigate the disturbance. Yami seized the opportunity to scamper across the corridor on silent little feet, bending down low. Keeping an eye on the guard, he struggled with the heavy door. It refused to budge. The boy threw all his weight backwards and was rewarded with a small crack just wide enough for his slim body to squeeze through. Just in time too. The guard had picked up the marble and, satisfied with the explanation, had begun to turn around to resume his post when he caught a glimpse of golden hair out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey, help me relight the hallway." The guard spun around at the voice to catch the flaming torch flying his way. The light of the fire showed the pharaoh's door to be closed, nothing out of the ordinary. The man blinked. Perhaps he was more tired than he felt. Dismissing it as a trick of the darkness, the guard shrugged and began to relight the hallway.
That was close, Yami breathed in relief at closing the door just in time. He rubbed a small hand across his forehead.
/What are you doing out of bed, little Yu-gi-oh?/ Yami gulped as the stern voice echoed through his mind. Being called by his full name usually meant that he had done a Bad Thing. Turning around, he saw an amused Nekti and a sleepy, slightly- annoyed Amenhotep towering over him waiting for an answer. He widened his large crimson eyes to stare innocently up at his parents, fingers playing with his thin sleeping tunic.
"The storm woke me up." The king frowned and Yami braced himself for the lecture he knew was about to come. To his relief, his mother stepped forward and picked him up. He flung his arms around her neck and kissed her, bringing a smile to her lips.
/Nekti, you shouldn't spoil the child. And we both know the storm did not wake him up./
/We can discuss it later. Yami needs his rest./ Nekti closed their Bond as she carried the delighted child to the large bed with her husband in tow. Amenhotep's features softened and he shrugged to himself. There was no convincing his wife otherwise, especially if he did not wish to sleep on the floor tonight. He watched the child attempt to hide himself in the stacks of large pillows, only to be betrayed by tufts of unruly hair sticking out. Grinning with a mischievousness that reviled his son's, he pounced on the little prince and wrapped him in blankets while Yami giggled and tried to squirm out of reach. A few feathers flew in the air as father and son engaged in a small pillow fight. Nekti rolled her eyes.
"If you two do not mind, at least one of us would like to get to sleep tonight." With that, she pushed her husband and son off the bed with surprising strength to reclaim the slightly rumpled pillows. The man and child landed on the thick rug with a soft thud then sheepishly climbed back up in a more subdued fashion. Yami nestled between both parents and yawned enormously. The crimson eyes drooped and before long, the little chest rose and fell in the steady rhythm of sleep. Outside, the rain lessened to a light mist that left fat drops of moisture clinging to the tough desert plants and gradually disappeared altogether into the night.