When Yugi awoke, he was alone. He panicky looked out the door to see the
sun already rising above the palace. He tried to stand up but was in too
much pain. He sat hunched over, when he heard voices outside the room,
coming closer.
"Please, Pharaoh, there is much to be done."
"I know. I must choose a few personal slaves to serve me, Seto."
Yugi became frightened at the word "pharaoh," knowing it's meaning.
"They are all in the fields, Yami...why do you choose these anyway?"
"They are hard-working, unlike the palace slaves who become just as spoiled as the peasants are. I know they're in the fields, but I must rest before we reach there. The sun is becoming too much in these robes."
Yugi watched with wide eyes as the sunlight become covered by the two highest officials in the world to him. His stomach felt odd and he could do nothing but stare at their imperial beauty.
Yami stepped back, surprised and a bit taken aback at the slaves presents there. "You, what is your name?" he called out sternly at Yugi.
Yugi blinked, unable to answer, having no understanding of what he was saying to him.
"Can't you hear me? Why do you not bow in our presents?"
Seto poked him with a his rod. "Slave? Don't you understand?"
Yugi winced in pain, and began to quickly speak in his own language. "On, on! Od ton hcout em!" He shrunk back in fear.
Seto blinked and tried to understand what the young slave was saying. "On?"
Katsuya looked up and saw the High Priest and the Morning Star at the slave housing. He made sure no one was watching and ran to them. When he reached them, he bowed. "Please, my pharaoh. I can speak for him."
Yami looked down at the sandy blond head of the slave that spoke. "Rise, and tell me your name."
"Katsuya," he said, standing up, making sure to avoid eye contact with his god. "I can speak Yugi's language."
Yami nodded. "Then please, translate for us." He led Katsuya into the room.
"Katsuya!" Yugi exclaimed. "Yhw did uoy ton ekaw em?"
"Wob erofeb meht. On rettam tahw."
Yugi looked up and caught the glance of Seto. Seto's eyes burned in rage and stepped forward to knock the slave in his place, but was caught by Yami. "I don't believe he comes from Egypt, High priest. Patients."
Yugi glanced at Katsuya and bowed before them. "I sorry," he said awkwardly, his voice muffled by the sand brick floor.
Yami ignored all proper etiquette and kneeled down next to Yugi. "Rise. Tell him to rise. He may speak freely. Both of you may. Tell me," Yami asked after Katsuya has repeated the message to Yugi, "why is it he is not in the fields where a slave belongs."
Katsuya didn't repeat it to Yugi, but spoke, "It is my fault, Morning Star. I did not wake him."
"Why not?" Seto questioned the blond slave boredly.
"He...a guard raped him last night. He didn't get any rest and he is very bruised."
Yami's eyes widened but Seto laughed. "That's all? He must have not been a slave very long if he's never been with a guard."
"Yugi isn't from here. He's from somewhere else, a place I do not know the name. His parents were murdered by thieves and he ended up in the village. My father, sister, and I ran a small hut in the market and we took him in. But when we weren't making money, he sold Yugi and I into slavery. The slave traders didn't want my sister. I learned to--"
"You speak an awful lot," Seto cut in, but was shushed by Yami.
"Quiet. I want to know more."
Seto sighed and looked for a chair. All he found was a dirty bench and disgustingly sat down on it.
Katsuya glanced up at the messenger of the gods with amazement. So powerful and beautiful at the same time. He looked over at Yugi and pulled him closer.
Seto waved a hand. "We don't have time for this. Come, Yami, we must--"
"Yami," Yugi whispered.
Everyone stopped and stared at him, even Yami wanted to slap the ignorant boy. A pharaoh's name was never to be spoken by anyone who had not been given permission. Yugi looked up at Yami, staring into his eyes. Yami blinked, not even fellow royalty looked him in the eye. The boy's innocent stare fascinated him, though. He reached his hand out and touched Yugi's cheek. He was surprised at how soft the boy's skin was. He moved in closer and began to examine Yugi's body more closely, letting his hands trail over his skin.
Yugi's eyes followed the pharaoh's hands, but looked up into his eyes when we spoke, "No danger?" he whispered.
Yami blinked. Though he had spoken in his language, the phrase made no sense. "What?"
"Tahw? Ereht si on tnemhsinup rof ton gnikrow?"
"He wants to know if we will be punished."
Yami twisted the boy's bright blond bangs around his finger and distractively shook his head. "No harm will come to either of you."
Katsuya repeated it to Yugi.
"Seto?" Yami said softly. "Bring them to the palace and have them cleaned. They will be my personal slaves..." he spoke, still memorized by Yugi.
Seto gave a half bow and led Katsuya to stand up. "Do you want me to take this one, too?"
Yami waved Seto away. "We will be there soon."
Seto lead Katsuya away.
Yugi watched them leave, then looked up into the eyes of the pharaoh. Yami stared back in them, slightly unnerved by his continues gaze. "Where are you from?" he whispered in vain.
Yugi looked down at the floor. "I...from..." he flushed, unable to form the word. He picked up some sand and let it trickle into Yami's hand, who moved it away. Yugi grabbed his hand again, as if insisting. He looked up at Yami, frustrated, then stood up, motioning him to follow him. He lead him outside into the bright sunlight and gestured at the pyramids. His hand made a waving motioned as if to say, "Farther than that...much farther." He finally said, "On...on...s-sand..."
"On?" Yami inquired.
Yugi took a deep breath, confused. "Nnnooo..." Yugi said slowly. "No sand."
"You live past the desert," he whispered.
~~~
Seto watched them clean the slave with little interest. He glanced up from the piece of papyrus he was writing on to see Yami walk in with the other slave. Yami pushed Yugi toward the bath. "Clean him, too."
Seto moved over to give Yami room to sit. "Learn anything from the imbecile?" he asked, engrossed in his writing.
"What are you writing?" Yami asked, ignoring the question.
"Your history," he said softly. "I should start now since I have so much else to do." He looked up at Yami's confused look on his face and heaved a sigh. "I will have already passed into the new life when your sun sets. This way, the scribes who carve your tomb will get it right. They will translate it into hieroglyphs, don't worry my pharaoh." He smiled amused up at Yami. "It's a shame you never let me teach you."
"I'm a pharaoh, a god, I don't need to read myself. You should be training a successor."
"And you should have a wife," Seto answered.
Yami smiled coolly at Seto. "Show these slaves their room and then join me in mine. I think we need to...discuss a few things."
Seto smiled back and gathered the two groomed slaves. He led them to a room. "You will sleep here," he said distractedly, moving things around.
"Ohw esle?" Yugi asked softly.
Seto eyed the taller slave. "What did he say?"
"Who else will sleep here?"
Seto watched the boy with amusement. "No one. Just you. The pharaoh has instructed me to...make sure no harms comes your way. Good day. Slaves will bring your meal soon."
~~~
"Please, Pharaoh, there is much to be done."
"I know. I must choose a few personal slaves to serve me, Seto."
Yugi became frightened at the word "pharaoh," knowing it's meaning.
"They are all in the fields, Yami...why do you choose these anyway?"
"They are hard-working, unlike the palace slaves who become just as spoiled as the peasants are. I know they're in the fields, but I must rest before we reach there. The sun is becoming too much in these robes."
Yugi watched with wide eyes as the sunlight become covered by the two highest officials in the world to him. His stomach felt odd and he could do nothing but stare at their imperial beauty.
Yami stepped back, surprised and a bit taken aback at the slaves presents there. "You, what is your name?" he called out sternly at Yugi.
Yugi blinked, unable to answer, having no understanding of what he was saying to him.
"Can't you hear me? Why do you not bow in our presents?"
Seto poked him with a his rod. "Slave? Don't you understand?"
Yugi winced in pain, and began to quickly speak in his own language. "On, on! Od ton hcout em!" He shrunk back in fear.
Seto blinked and tried to understand what the young slave was saying. "On?"
Katsuya looked up and saw the High Priest and the Morning Star at the slave housing. He made sure no one was watching and ran to them. When he reached them, he bowed. "Please, my pharaoh. I can speak for him."
Yami looked down at the sandy blond head of the slave that spoke. "Rise, and tell me your name."
"Katsuya," he said, standing up, making sure to avoid eye contact with his god. "I can speak Yugi's language."
Yami nodded. "Then please, translate for us." He led Katsuya into the room.
"Katsuya!" Yugi exclaimed. "Yhw did uoy ton ekaw em?"
"Wob erofeb meht. On rettam tahw."
Yugi looked up and caught the glance of Seto. Seto's eyes burned in rage and stepped forward to knock the slave in his place, but was caught by Yami. "I don't believe he comes from Egypt, High priest. Patients."
Yugi glanced at Katsuya and bowed before them. "I sorry," he said awkwardly, his voice muffled by the sand brick floor.
Yami ignored all proper etiquette and kneeled down next to Yugi. "Rise. Tell him to rise. He may speak freely. Both of you may. Tell me," Yami asked after Katsuya has repeated the message to Yugi, "why is it he is not in the fields where a slave belongs."
Katsuya didn't repeat it to Yugi, but spoke, "It is my fault, Morning Star. I did not wake him."
"Why not?" Seto questioned the blond slave boredly.
"He...a guard raped him last night. He didn't get any rest and he is very bruised."
Yami's eyes widened but Seto laughed. "That's all? He must have not been a slave very long if he's never been with a guard."
"Yugi isn't from here. He's from somewhere else, a place I do not know the name. His parents were murdered by thieves and he ended up in the village. My father, sister, and I ran a small hut in the market and we took him in. But when we weren't making money, he sold Yugi and I into slavery. The slave traders didn't want my sister. I learned to--"
"You speak an awful lot," Seto cut in, but was shushed by Yami.
"Quiet. I want to know more."
Seto sighed and looked for a chair. All he found was a dirty bench and disgustingly sat down on it.
Katsuya glanced up at the messenger of the gods with amazement. So powerful and beautiful at the same time. He looked over at Yugi and pulled him closer.
Seto waved a hand. "We don't have time for this. Come, Yami, we must--"
"Yami," Yugi whispered.
Everyone stopped and stared at him, even Yami wanted to slap the ignorant boy. A pharaoh's name was never to be spoken by anyone who had not been given permission. Yugi looked up at Yami, staring into his eyes. Yami blinked, not even fellow royalty looked him in the eye. The boy's innocent stare fascinated him, though. He reached his hand out and touched Yugi's cheek. He was surprised at how soft the boy's skin was. He moved in closer and began to examine Yugi's body more closely, letting his hands trail over his skin.
Yugi's eyes followed the pharaoh's hands, but looked up into his eyes when we spoke, "No danger?" he whispered.
Yami blinked. Though he had spoken in his language, the phrase made no sense. "What?"
"Tahw? Ereht si on tnemhsinup rof ton gnikrow?"
"He wants to know if we will be punished."
Yami twisted the boy's bright blond bangs around his finger and distractively shook his head. "No harm will come to either of you."
Katsuya repeated it to Yugi.
"Seto?" Yami said softly. "Bring them to the palace and have them cleaned. They will be my personal slaves..." he spoke, still memorized by Yugi.
Seto gave a half bow and led Katsuya to stand up. "Do you want me to take this one, too?"
Yami waved Seto away. "We will be there soon."
Seto lead Katsuya away.
Yugi watched them leave, then looked up into the eyes of the pharaoh. Yami stared back in them, slightly unnerved by his continues gaze. "Where are you from?" he whispered in vain.
Yugi looked down at the floor. "I...from..." he flushed, unable to form the word. He picked up some sand and let it trickle into Yami's hand, who moved it away. Yugi grabbed his hand again, as if insisting. He looked up at Yami, frustrated, then stood up, motioning him to follow him. He lead him outside into the bright sunlight and gestured at the pyramids. His hand made a waving motioned as if to say, "Farther than that...much farther." He finally said, "On...on...s-sand..."
"On?" Yami inquired.
Yugi took a deep breath, confused. "Nnnooo..." Yugi said slowly. "No sand."
"You live past the desert," he whispered.
~~~
Seto watched them clean the slave with little interest. He glanced up from the piece of papyrus he was writing on to see Yami walk in with the other slave. Yami pushed Yugi toward the bath. "Clean him, too."
Seto moved over to give Yami room to sit. "Learn anything from the imbecile?" he asked, engrossed in his writing.
"What are you writing?" Yami asked, ignoring the question.
"Your history," he said softly. "I should start now since I have so much else to do." He looked up at Yami's confused look on his face and heaved a sigh. "I will have already passed into the new life when your sun sets. This way, the scribes who carve your tomb will get it right. They will translate it into hieroglyphs, don't worry my pharaoh." He smiled amused up at Yami. "It's a shame you never let me teach you."
"I'm a pharaoh, a god, I don't need to read myself. You should be training a successor."
"And you should have a wife," Seto answered.
Yami smiled coolly at Seto. "Show these slaves their room and then join me in mine. I think we need to...discuss a few things."
Seto smiled back and gathered the two groomed slaves. He led them to a room. "You will sleep here," he said distractedly, moving things around.
"Ohw esle?" Yugi asked softly.
Seto eyed the taller slave. "What did he say?"
"Who else will sleep here?"
Seto watched the boy with amusement. "No one. Just you. The pharaoh has instructed me to...make sure no harms comes your way. Good day. Slaves will bring your meal soon."
~~~
