Of Mages and Elves: Why?
Author's notes: Alo again, I guess you must like this if you're still here… That means I'll have to work harder to scare you off ^_^ Just kidding!!!
Warnings: Yaoi, AU, possible OCness
Disclaimer: I hate you… why must the fact that I don't own it always's be rubbed in? *continues whinning*
Bakura: Baka…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bakura had left Ishtal's study around an hour ago. His mind was a whirl of confusion towards the two mages, uncertainty and resentment towards his young captive and utter loathing for his 'master'. Stupid mages, why did they have to get into his head like that?
"Baka," the pale thief muttered. The halls before him seemed to twist and turn in every direction, like a labyrinth. Eventually he found himself outside of the same room he had left his captive in a few hours ago. Bakura scowled and unlocked the door, peaking his head in. He was slightly shocked by what he found.
Ryou was curled up on the small cot, head buried in his knees and shaking. It was pretty obvious the boy was crying. Bakura's eyes just narrowed. This… this *boy* was the strongest healer in the elven realms? He was nothing more than a scrawny wuss! Bakura stalked up to the boy and backhanded him, hard. Ryou yelped, looking up with surprise, fear and pain in his large brown eyes.
Bakura watched him closely, his hand absently tracing the boy's jaw line. His fingers wandered further, gently hooking Ryou's pale hair behind a pointed ear. Bakura growled when he saw those delicate points, slapping the boy once again. Ryou pressed a pale hand gently to his face, still staring at his captor.
"Why?" he murmured quietly. Bakura just snarled and punched him in the jaw. Ryou slumped back against the bed, sparks flying behind his eyes.
"Because you're everything I'm not," the fiend
stated, and left the shocked boy to his small prison. Bakura stalked down the hallway, towards nowhere
inparticular. Why the hell did that boy
confuse him so much?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yami was waiting patiently beside the stables, eyes watching the silver crescent of the rising moon. A soft patter of feet broke the silence as Yugi and Joey, and another figure he didn't recognize approached him. Yami raised an eyebrow at the young man beside Joey. He was tall, with brown hair in a spike on his head and dark eyes.
"Yami? This is my friend Honda. He's agreed to come with and help us," Joey told the elf. Yami's eyes narrowed.
"I don't wish to endanger more people than you're making me," he said coolly. Honda considered the elf carefully.
"Hey, I may not have magical powers, but I can hold my own in a fight. At least better than these too can," he snapped back. Yami nodded, looking the boy over.
"Very well," he said, glancing around the deserted courtyard. "Shall we leave then?" Yugi nodded.
"Let's go," he said, hopping off in the direction of the back gate. Yami gave him a quizzical look. Joey just hung his head.
"You've never snuck out of a palace before have you?" he asked the elf. Yami glared at the blond, frowning.
"I've never needed to," he snapped. Joey and Yugi both grinned brightly.
"Then follow us," Yugi said. "I've done this loads of times!" Yami, Honda and Joey followed the small boy to the edge of the courtyard and through a small, unremarkable door near the corner. It led out past the wall and into the forest beyond.
"I'm surprised by the lack of security around here," Yami sated, looking around at the tall trees. Yugi giggled slightly while Joey smirked.
"That door can only be seen by people with magical gifts. Joey showed it to me a few days ago when I was trying to escape from a council meeting Grandpa wanted me to go to," he told the elven prince. Honda stared at him.
"No wonder I couldn't see it until you touched it," he muttered. Yami gave Joey a curious, piercing gaze.
"You didn't tell me you had a gift," he said. Joey nodded.
"It's small," he said, holding his palm out. A flicker of scarlet flame erupted from his fingertips. "I can control small flames, not much else. Makes me a hazard in the kitchen so the cook's always kicking me out." Yami chuckled at this.
"That power may become useful," he said, glancing into the darkened forest. Joey's little ball of flame remained in his hand, illuminating the area. Yugi bit his lip. This was it, there was no turning back now. The small boy glanced up at his slightly taller elven look-alike. Yami was gazing into the darkness, his crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yami? We have to go. The guards will come looking when they find out we've left," Yugi told him. Yami nodded.
"Then let's go."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Malik stretched, leaning back against the wall of Ishtal's study as he watched the blond Master Mage shuffle through incomprehensively large stacks of scrolls and spell books, most of which contained spells no self respecting mage would use. Of course, this was Ishtal…. and he was a fan of his dark spells. Ishtal gave the young apprentice a lazy smirk.
"What are you staring at?" he asked. Malik grinned maniacally.
"Take a wild guess." Ishtal just smirked and stalked over to the cot, effectively pinning the boy to the wall before he had a chance to move.
"If I didn't know any better, Malik…. I'd say you were staring at my ass." Malik grinned, refusing to answer him. Ishtal pressed a fierce kiss to the apprentice's lips and was about to deepen it when a dark presence filled his mind. He stopped, glancing around.
"What is it?" Malik asked, surprised by the mage's reaction. Ishtal snarled.
"Pegasus," he hissed. He released Malik, standing abruptly. "Get in the closet, now. If you hear anything that could possibly tell you something has happened to me, tap the third stone to the right above the drawing of the hawk. It will open a secret passage. Go through it and don't look back."
"But Ishtal-"
"Go," the mage hissed. "I'm not letting Pegasus get his filthy hands on you." Malik nodded, giving Ishtal a swift kiss on the cheek. The mage grabbed his chin, pressing their lips together. "Go," he hissed, and Malik dashed for the closet, just as a sharp knock echoed on the wooden door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Master Pegasus has asked you to bring the captive to his audience chamber. He will meet you when he has finished some private business of his own." Bakura growled at the guard before him. The bulky man had found him absently wandering the halls and had given him Pegasus' message. Bakura nodded curtly to the guard and walked swiftly back towards the room
He found Ryou asleep, dried lines of tears running over his cheeks. He gave the young elf a swift kick to the ribs. Ryou moaned unconsciously, eyes blinking open and full of suppressed fear. He tried to pull away when Bakura grabbed his wrist and dragged him from the cot. After a small struggle and a few harsh slaps, Ryou finally slumped his thin shoulders in defeat. Bakura snarled at the boy. Ryou hadn't fought back, only pulled away from him.
"I'm bringin you to Pegasus," the thief snapped. "Follow me. If you run, I'll kill you." Ryou nodded meekly and followed without a word.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The forest surrounding Dmark's palace was cold and quiet, with a lingering darkness that seemed to seep through everything. Yami dipped a hand into his pocket, drawing out a small compass.
"We're lost! I knew it! This was the worst idea you've ever come up with! Why the hell did you drag me into this!" Honda ranted. Joey rolled his eyes.
"You said you wanted to come, so don't blame me!" he snapped.
"Guys, please calm down. You're just making this worse," Yugi pleaded.
"I don't know what they're fussing about," Yami stated, rubbing his temple. "We're not lost." Honda stopped attempting to throttle Joey and dropped the blond.
"We're not?" Yami shook his head, rolling his eyes.
"The Tower of Illusions is directly west of Dmark. We're heading in the right direction," he told them.
"Oh… ok then!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ishtal opened the heavy wooden door, a dark scowl on his face. He glared at the silver haired mage before him, seething anger in his sharp eyes.
"What do you want?" he snarled. Pegasus smirked.
"Temper, temper Ishtal. I'm just here to check up on our other captive." Ishtal's eyes narrowed. How did he… Bakura? He wouldn't dare! A deep growl resonated from his throat.
"What makes you think I have a captive here?" he hissed. Pegasus tapped his cheek.
"A sixth sense you could call it. Now where is he?"
"There is no one else here." Pegasus' eyes narrowed. No one dared deny him.
"You will show me your captive, or you will suffer the penalty for betraying me," he stated calmly. Ishtal glared at him.
"The boy is mine. You'll won't touch him," he hissed. A phantom hand slapped him across the face. The blond mage didn't even bat an eyelid. No matter what, he had to give Malik time to escape. Pegasus eyed the mage carefully. *You've always been rebellious Ishtal, but your captive seems to have touched something. You would never have risked confronting me before this,* he thought.
"Very well Ishtal. If you will not turn him over to me, you will suffer the consequences," Pegasus stated. Ishtal stood tall, refusing to back down as a coward. He knew he wasn't powerful enough to defeat Pegasus; he had been trying for years to gain that kind of magic. Even so, he wouldn't let that freak find his little lover. He'd hold him off, hopefully long enough for Malik to escape.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Malik gripped the handle of the closet door tightly, his hand trembling. It would be so simple, he could just turn the handle, reveal himself and save his new lover from any more pain. But something stopped him, some sense that disobeying the Master Mage would only hurt him more.
Malik bit his lip and turned, searching for the drawing of a hawk. He tapped the brick to the right and the hidden passage swung open. With a glance back and a silent prayer for the mage's safety, he dashed down the passage and out of sight, the door swinging shut behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bakura impatiently glanced around Pegasus' chamber, sharp eyes darting to the corners and shadowed doors. Beside him and slightly behind, Ryou quivered nervously. What would happen to him now? He knew they wouldn't free him; they'd never free him, not as long as the elven lands stood firm. The young elf shivered.
A dark presence wafted through the air, filling his senses and causing him to shake uncontrollably. Bakura shot him a glare, but said nothing as Pegasus entered the room. Behind him, one of the guards carried a slumped, shadowed figure. The silver-haired mage smirked at the pair; his eyes alight with fiendish amusement.
"Bakura, do you know what I do to those who betray me?" he asked calmly. Bakura stilled, sharp russet eyes furrowing in confusion.
"What exactly have I betrayed you with?" he hissed. The guard behind Pegasus moved forward, dropping his bundle onto the stairs and stepping back into the shadows. Ryou yelped and attempted to rush forward but Bakura held him back. On the steps lay Ishtal's motionless, half mutilated body, bleeding freely down the stairs. Ryou cringed, unconsciously clutching Bakura's shirt. The thief ignored him, staring at Ishtal's body. The blond was a powerful mage… and to do that to him… and what had happened to Malik?
"Ah yes, Malik. The boy Ishtal was hiding from me. Tell me Bakura, did you and Ishtal plan on killing me together or did you simply forget to tell me of his plans?" Pegasus sneered. Bakura glared up at the mage, shaking with suppressed fury.
"You… you can see my thoughts can't you, you freak!" he snarled. Pegasus chuckled quietly.
"No mere half-blood has any right to call the most powerful mage living a freak. You've been quite useful to me Bakura, first brining me that beautiful young elf," Ryou cringed at Pegasus' sadistic laugh. "And then giving me proof that Ishtal had plans to betray me. I thank you fro that, but now, I have no more use for you." Dark power gathered around the mage. Bakura snarled.
"You'll have to find me first!" he hissed, and vanished into the shadows just as the energy would have hit him. Instead it hit Ryou, easily shattering the feable shield the healer had created and throwing him into the back wall. Ryou collapsed, his breath and pulse becoming erratic. Pegasus cackled madly.
"You can't escape from this room Thief! One of your *friends*" the mage sneered at the word. "is already dead and your young captive won't last long! What will you do when they're gong?" Bakura's sharp russet eyes narrowed from the shadows where he hid. He took in a sharp breath suddenly, staring at Ryou. The boy was crawling towards Ishtal's body with obvious effort, golden light gleaming at his fingertips.
The elf's hand brushed Ishtal's chest, just grazing the skin before he collapsed. *Maybe I underestimated him,* Bakura thought mildly. *Aw hell, I am going soft!* And with that the thief left the shadows, pouncing on Pegasus' back, his knife drawn.
"If I'm going down, you're going with me!" he shrieked, before plunging the knife into Pegasus' back. The mage only laughed as if feeling no pain. A shock of energy through Bakura off of him and into a sharp corner of the stairs. The thief's movements stilled almost instantly.
Pegasus calmly pulled the blade out of his shoulder, turning it in the dim light. He threw it, pinning Bakura's collar to the floor.
"Take care of them," he snapped, and a group of lesser mages entered, lifting the three unconscious bodies. Pegasus smirked. "Throw the pale haired ones in the dungeon. The third is dead." One mage nodded, leading the small group out. Pegasus' mouth turned up in a feral grin. "Thank you again Bakura, for ridding me of such a nusance, and for being such a wonderful amusement."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's notes: Alright then…
Ishatl: WHY THE HELL AM I DEAD!!!!!
*winces* Calm down….
Malik: *whispers something to Ishtal*
Ishtal: *evil grin*
Yugi: What's going on?
Yami: The psychopaths are plotting again.
Bakura, Malik and Ishtal: Shut up Pharaoh no Baka!!!
*snickers* Well, for all of you who want to kill me now… please save the battle axes and flying objects until the story's over… or I'll never get around to finish it.
Bakura: Just kill her now, then she can't torture us anymore!!
*eye twitch* Bakura…. Don't tempt me to borrow Malik's Sennen Rod and humiliate you completely.
Bakura: You wouldn't dare…
Malik: *smirks*
Oh I so would…. *to readers* Thank you to all who already reviewed ^_^ I hope you're all enjoying. See ya next chapter!!!