Just so you know, I'm keeping the chara's original names since I can't think of any other good Egyptian names.
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"H-how could you do that? How could you do that to Atari, you son of forty devils! You-you bastard!"
Terran regarded Yami coldly. "He got no less than he deserved. Now get back to work...or you're next."
"Ai! No, I won't!" The boy was crying freely now. "I'll never listen to you again! Never!"
"Yami...please...stop," Katsuya whispered behind him, struggling to hold him back.
"Now you go too far!" Terran's face was enraged. "Silas!"
"Master?" The soldier appeared.
"Take this...this scum...out and beat him, you hear me? Beat him!"
Silas' face remained expressionless. He stepped forward, plying his whip. "As you wish."
Katsuya released his hold on his friend and stepped back, wishing he could erase his familiarity with what was to come.
Snap.
Yami clenched his teeth as a stinging line was torn across his back. It was followed by another and another. The torture grew worse as new lashes reopened old scars, spreading fire across his back. He dug his fingers into the post to which he had been tied, bracing himself for the next strike.
"You may stop now, Silas," Terran said coolly after Katsuya had counted a total of ten lashes. "Untie him."
The overseer coiled his whip and cut through the boy's bonds. Yami collapsed to the ground.
"This was but a reminder of who you are, boy. You are naught but a slave; a piece of property that can be discarded at any time," Terran snapped icily as he stood over the small boy. "You hear me, son of Set?" His foot met his ribs with a resounding crack and the boy doubled over coughing.
Yami tasted blood in his mouth. He spat in the man's face. "Curse you," he hissed under his breath.
"Don't you dare disrespect me again!" Terran growled, kicking Yami's bruised chest again.
Yami bit his lip, silently fighting the tears until the world spun and went black.
****
"Hold still, Yami," Seto cautioned. "This may sting."
Katsuya snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if you made it worse, Seto," he muttered.
"Not now, Katsuya," Yami whispered almost testily.
The blond-haired boy reddened and was silent.
Yami squeezed his eyes shut as his back began to sting. Damn you, Terran... "I am going to kill Terran," he grumbled under his breath.
"So am I," Katsuya added.
"Doesn't it take a genius to learn that," Seto said almost sarcastically.
Someone stepped into the small chamber. Yami opened his eyes. "Ishtar?"
The white-haired boy entered the room. "What the hell made you spit in his face?!" he demanded. "You could have been killed for that!"
"Because spit is what he is. And someday...no, soon...he is going to be dead."
Ishtar didn't speak for a while.
"If Terran didn't kill you now...I know he has something planned to prolong your suffering," the boy said finally. "Trust me. I know."
Yami didn't say anything and Ishtar left. A cold feeling of fear twisted his stomach. Ishtar was one of the new slaves that Terran had bought from Babylonia (did I mention that Ishtar is the name of a Babylonian deity?), and he had an uncanny ability to correctly read a person's actions.
The spiky-haired boy restrained himself from groaning aloud. As Katsuya helped Seto to bandage his aching back, he knew that the worst was yet to come.
****
One year passed. The four eight-year-old boys began plotting to overthrow Terran. But it wasn't until shortly before the inundation of the Nile that their plan became serious.
Serious enough to kill.
****
"What time is it?" Katsuya demanded half-to himself.
Yami glanced up at the sun. "About noon." He wiped sweat from his forehead, wincing as his back stung.
Ishtar stopped his work to glance over the dry banks of the shrinking Nile. "River should be flooding soon," he said shortly. "It's been an extra long while since the last inundation."
"And I'm thirsty," grumbled Katsuya. He looked up and gasped. "Quiet!" He bent to his work. "Master's coming!"
Shit! Yami swung the sickle in his hands, neatly chopping the wheat stalks in half.
"Yami." Terran was behind them.
The boy spun. "What?" he demanded darkly.
The man indicated the estate at the top of the hill above them. "Come with me."
"Be careful, Yami," Katsuya said in a low voice as the boy slowly walked past. Yami turned halfway and nodded. He was half-fearful and half-angry at what was coming for him.
As soon as Yami and Terran were in Terran's room, the man locked the door. He whirled on the boy, raising a dagger.
"Usually, there's a punishment of thirty lashes for the disrespect you showed me earlier," he began.
Yami instantly knew what he meant. "That was a year ago," he replied warily.
"And yet you seem to think that I've forgotten what you did." Terran grabbed the boy, his nails digging into his skin until the boy winced. "You will learn to respect me, you bastard. Even if your father never did."
"No!" Yami ducked aside as the knife sailed over his head. Ra! "I might seem weak now, but I'm only biding my time! You'll see! You will die by my hand! You will!!"
"Silence!" Terran caught Yami by his arms. Snatching a length of rope from his belt, he tied the boy to his bed. "You will obey me, you hear!" His knife swung down and met bare skin.
"No!!!" the boy screamed as the blade tore into his back, painfully reopening old scars and creating new ones.
Outside, Katsuya was growing more and more angry. "Why can't we go in and help him?!" he demanded.
"Because he said not to," replied Seto.
Katsuya stared at him as another scream tore through the air. "When did he say...that?!"
"Yesterday," the brown-haired boy replied. "Yami told me not to 'interfere' because he was the one Terran wanted."
Another yell came through the wall. "Stop! Stop...you bastard!" Yami was shouting.
Seto glared at the locked door. "And besides, we tried to warn him..."
Katsuya stood alone for a moment before following Seto back to the fields.
May Ra protect you, Yami. I know that you are not yet that strong.
****
"Now do you respect me, slave?" Terran demanded, his foot poised for another kick. "Now do you see how insignificant you are, son of Set?"
Yami opened his eyes slowly, disregarding the blood running down his back. I will never give in to you!! "Bastard," he whispered painfully.
The kick caught him in the stomach. Yami didn't move, all will and resolve having left his body.
Terran contented himself with another kick before unbolting the door. "Get out," he growled. "Get the hell out before I decide to end your miserable life now."
Stumbling to his feet, Yami limped from the room.
****
The sun was low in the horizon when the other slaves came home from their harvesting. Katsuya, Seto and Ishtar found Yami lying facedown on his cot in tears. His back had stopped bleeding, but it was oozing pus.
"Ahae, Yami," Katsuya whispered. "It will...it has to...be okay."
The spiky-haired boy rubbed his blond bangs and tears out of his eyes. "He's right...Terran's right. I'm-I'm so insignificant..." he gasped. "I-I should have died...with Father...Papa..."He buried his head in his arms. "Papa...I miss you s-so much."
"Shh. Calm down," Ishtar said quietly.
Seto put a hand on his shoulder, but was silent.
"It's time we make our plans of destroying Terran...come true," Katsuya muttered finally.
"Y-yeah...I guess so..." Yami's sobbing quieted as he fell asleep.
****
More years passed. Finally, after thorough preparation, Yami and the others knew...that it was time.