AN: Thanks for the reviews! It seemed you enjoyed last chapter? So did I. I loved it. Isn't it nice to see the glorious Pharaoh on the receiving end of things for once? Haha. And I am sure his fragile relationship with Aragorn is all ruined. And I am not making any promises about either one of them remaining in one piece. =P
Anyway, here is a new installment, hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to review.
The sky was crimson red, mirroring the blood and flame ravaging the field beneath. Streams of troops, on foot and horseback, milled about in their deadly game. In the distance, lines of oliphaunts trained for warfare came stamping, wreaking havoc on the battlefield. In the sky the hideous winged steeds of the Nazgul circled about, striking terror into the heart of men.
Yugi sat lonely in his soul room, peering out wearily and anxiously. He could feel himself atop of the great stallion weaving across the battlefield, sending out blasts of shadow magic time to time. Except every of his own action was against his will, and there was absolutely nothing he could about it. For the past few days he had tried everything he could possibly think off, hoping to break the curse and regain control of his body. Yet his effort was in vain. Now he watched helplessly the chaos of the battlefield, and another wave of misery and despair took him.
Another blast of shadow magic hit a great oliphaunt. The creature roared and stumbled, then finally fell and crushed everything beneath. Yugi watched, and couldn't help wince. A small part of him was glad that he was inside his own head instead of facing off the full fury of the battle, yet a larger part of him yearned to leave his entrapment and help however he may. Watching the bloody fray before him and knowing he can only feed the flame instead of diminishing it is nothing short of pure agony for the small boy.
"Yami!" He shouted again, "Can you hear me? Please, listen to me, and stop this!"
It may be completely futile, but Yugi was not about to give up. There was no answer, like a stone sinking to the bottom of the ocean, never to be heard again. He was about to try again, when suddenly the horse beneath him jostled madly. Yugi looked out again and found himself surrounded by fierce looking Southron warriors.
A hail of arrows from behind pushed the Southron back for a while. Aragorn rode forth, his silver eyes glinting. "Child," He said in a commanding voice, "Push them back! Do not sit idle here."
"There is naught I can do, unless..." The child said in an ominously smooth voice.
"'Tis not time to calculate and bargain!" Aragorn cried in a terrible voice. "Do as I say!"
A ghost of a smile surfaced on the child's face, cold and sinister. Bowing he said, "As you command, my lord." With that his hand dipped into his pocket and pulled out a single card that looked a sheet of gold flame.
Yugi was watching all of these with growing horror. At last he snapped when he saw the god card drawn forth. "Yami!" The little boy shouted with all his might, leaping to the door of his soul room. "What do you think you are doing?"
There was no reply. As he watched, the sky about him began to darken. Shadows rained from the sky. "No! No!" Yugi screamed. "Yami! You can't do this!"
His protest was completely ignored. From the shadows a golden orb slowly emerged, like an eerie moon hanging in the dimmed sky. The chaos of the battlefield subsided somewhat, as everyone looked above them with awe and fear.
"Great beast of the sky, heed my call..." The child's voice hovered in the darkness, haunting and ghostly.
Little Yugi was now pounding on the tightly sealed door with all his vigour, crying frantically, "Yami! Listen to me! You can't do this, you will kill everyone!"
The ritualistic chanting went on without cease, "Emerge from your shadowy abode and come to my side..." The golden orb in the sky started to crack, like a hatching egg. Along the crack brilliant gold light seeped through, a stark contrast against the darkness.
"Yami!" Yugi shouted once more, tears now in his eyes. "Listen! Listen to me!"
Still his effort was in vain. He could feel his arms lift heaven ward in a wide gesture, and the voice, so much like his own, went on without a halt, "Drink the souls of those here, and feast on their ka, which I lay before your feet, a tribute to your everlasting glory..."
The golden orb broke asunder with an explosion of blinding light, and from the light was born a great winged beast. It looked like an eagle of pure gold, with wings vast and wide. Its eyes were flaming red. So glaringly bright it was, while the darkness about it gathered and grew even darker. So great was the power that Yugi felt the terrible tremor even inside his own soul room. The storm of darkness raged everywhere. Even the tightly shut door of his soul room shook, and darkness flowed in through the crack beneath the vibrating door.
Yugi stared at the blackness flowing into his neat, well-lighted soul room, and suddenly realized that darkness was familiar. It was composed of untamed rage, mixed with a malicious glee. The little boy screamed again, suddenly angry, "Why are you doing this? Yami! Stop now!"
On the battlefield, many screams sounded, mingled, and echoed beneath the sky. Men and beasts alike were falling into their death, their spirits pulled forth and fed to the shadows. In the sky above them, the great eagle stretched its wings and shrieked, its cry was like the announcement of doom. Still with tears in his eyes, Yugi threw himself against the door of his soul room. He was determined to do something. The door shook and hummed. Once, twice, and thrice, the little boy rammed the door again and again. He had to get out of his prison. There wasn't much time left.
Again he heard his own voice rose above all the commotions, ringing with steel, "Unleash your fury upon my foe..."
Knowing he has one and only one chance left, Yugi crashed into the door with all the power he could master. With a great noise, the door swung open. Almost immediately, the little boy felt sensations flooding him. He was again in control. Without wasting a second, he raised his head and shouted, "Great beast of Ra, still your rage! Return, go back to the Shadow Realm!"
The great beast slowly turned its enormous head and set its fiery eyes on the small boy. Yugi cried once more without flinching, though his voice was now strained, and his breath came out in short gasps, "Go back, please! You will hurt too many people if you stay here. Go back to the Shadow Realm."
Finally nodding its great head in solemn assent the Winged Dragon of Ra shrieked once more, before its form faded in another sheet of blinding light, and was gone. Swiftly and surely the sky grow bright once more, and the shadows were no more.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Yugi slouched against the neck of the horse, feeling exhausted. He turned around, and suddenly found himself facing the keen grey eyes of Aragorn. Tired as he was, the little boy flared up angrily at the sight of the dark-haired man.
"How could you do such a thing?" He asked harshly. "How could you give him commands like these? It's not right! We were that closed to being completely obliterated..."
The little boy would have said more, but suddenly he collapsed, stumbling and almost falling off the horse. Aragorn watched still with his keen eyes, and there was not a sign on his face. A moment later, the child sat up straight and raised his head, his eyes now glinting ruby red.
"How dare you?" The child said in a terrible voice. "You cowardly fool, I would have you..."
But Aragorn calmly cut him off, saying sternly, "This is neither the time nor the place. Be gone, and speak to me when the last enemy no longer stands upon this plain."
The fire in the child's eyes was frightening. But he said no more, but turned his steed and rode away.
The sun had fallen, and the night was cold. The river lulled in the distance, softly sighing. The battle was at last over. Aragorn found the child standing beside the newly pitched tents, looking across the plain. Upon noticing him the child turned and watched him with a stony face devoid of any expressions.
Sighing, Aragorn said gently, "I release you from my service, child. Be at peace, and receive my apologies."
Slowly colour returned to the child's face, and his eyes were no longer glazed like glass, but burning with a terrifying intensity. He laughed, first only faintly but soon he was cackling hysterically. Finally the child stopped and turned his fiery eyes to the King of Men standing before him. He said in a cynical voice, "Why now, my lord? Surely the war is not over, and one more ally is one less enemy."
There was a grim expression on Aragorn's face, and he said steadily, "I have learned now that you are far more of an aid by your own will."
"No, I don't think so." The child said, his voice cold and smooth like the frozen surface of endless sea. It was growing unnaturally dark around them, and a sword suddenly materialized in the child's hand, glinting in the utter darkness.
"I should kill you here and now," The child continued, raising the sword in his hand, a murderous, vengeful light was in his eyes, "And shred your soul, and feed it to my creatures. You would make a fine feast for the Shadow Realm."
Aragorn stood there, silent and unmoved, and he watched the child with a peaceful calm. The child's hand stayed and hovered in mid-air, as an indecisiveness suddenly took him. It looked like he was having an internal conflict of some sort. Finally with a displeased grunt, he threw the sword forward. The blade sailed and landed right beside Aragorn, sliced the blood crusted earth, sinking until the hilt met the hardened soil. Slowly the sword began to disintegrate, and the night sky is returning to its normal shade. Abruptly the child turned around and began to walk away.
"Stay a moment yet, child." Aragorn suddenly called softly.
Turning around and narrowing his fiery eyes dangerously, the child spat, "What, pray tell?"
There was a small smile on Aragorn's face. With a courteous bow of his head the King of Men said, "Send my thanks to your other half, Ancient One."
A pause, then the child said, his voice half sceptical and half challenging, "My other half?"
"Indeed," The dark-haired man said, "He is a most noble child."
The expression on the child's face was impossible read. But finally he laughed, and was gone without a word.
"Lady Morwen!" The boy with wild hair came out of the kitchen, hands still wet. "I finished washing and drying all the dishes, they are in the cupboard now. I swept the floor as well."
The middle-aged woman who was wiping the tables in the now empty tavern hall turned around and gave the boy a warm smile. "You sure work fast, my boy." She said. "I am finished here too. Come here and sit, we will have dinner."
She gave the table one final wipe and went into the kitchen. Moments later she came out, bearing some dishes of simple white bread and some dried meat. Setting the dishes on the table and taking a seat, she took a piece of bread for herself, and offered another to the boy. "We are on our last stock these days," She said absentmindedly, sighing, "Business is not nearly as good too. If the war drags on any longer, we will all go hungry."
The boy stopped nibbling and looked up at the woman a little timidly. Seeing this the woman laughed, "I guess I shouldn't be scaring you like that, Yugi." A pause, "Am I getting your name right? Yugi?"
"Yeah, that's right." The boy said half-heartedly.
They continued eating, now silent. The woman quickly finished her food, but the boy was still nibbling slowly. He looked distracted. The woman leaned her head on her arm and watched the small child before her, and suddenly she said, "So you are in the city for almost ten days, boy?"
"Yes, not very long." Answered the boy.
"You sure have settled down well enough." The woman said. "You poor dear, lost your home and parents and all that. The war is really bad up north, isn't it?"
Yugi reddened a little, remembering the wretched story he had told when he first arrived in the city. The woman was truly sorry for him, and offered him a place to work and stay. It now seemed a little conniving, to buy pity with such a cheesy tale. Hurriedly he answered the woman with mumbled words, "It was really terrible."
Presently the woman sighed again, and said, "It's all the same everywhere these days. We are a little safer now, living behind so many walls. But that day when you first arrived, the siege was pretty bad, and they say the city was almost taken. Terrible business, war is." She paused and stared at the ceiling for a while, before saying again, "And now most of our armies were gathered and went off east, to challenge the enemy. I don't know what they are thinking off. Of course, I am just a bar owner. I know nothing of those high matters of princes and captains. But still..." Her voice trailed off, and the boy was now staring at her with a pained look.
"There, there, I shouldn't be troubling you with all that." The woman said comfortingly. "You had enough problems as it is. Don't think too much of it. I am sure everything will work out all right. Just keep your spirit up." She said the last sentence with a forced smile, before standing up and collecting the dishes on the table.
Of course, the simple woman had no idea what kind of an internal conflict the little boy was having. He was in nothing short of torment. "Yami..." The little boy said mentally with a pout.
"So you still wish to aid them, even now?" The spirit said, sounding vexed. "Then stop arguing with yourself, and make a decision."
The little boy said pointedly, "I am not arguing with myself, I am arguing with you, Yami."
The spirit was silent for a long while, finally he asked, "Do you really wish to aid them, aibou?"
"Of course I do!" The little boy said fiercely. "You heard the Lady Morwen, this war is desperate! And we promised we would help too."
"Yet all of our good wills are repaid with only mistrust and abuse." The spirit said darkly.
"But we have to help them." Yugi murmured. "Even if for our own interests. We can't get back home without their help. We tried, didn't we?"
The spirit sighed, "I see what you are saying, aibou. If that is really your wish, let us go then. They are a long way before us, but we may still overtake them before the battles end, for good or for ill."
Through the night the child flew atop of his dragon, tirelessly and without end. The wind was cold in his face. Once or twice he halted the flight to take a rest, careful not to weary himself too much. Yet he was strangely charged, more so as he went northeastward. The nightshades and the dark land seemed to fuel and feed him. Slowly the western sky grew light, yet an oppressing darkness still hung over the earth, grey and gloomy. The day grew old, and finally when the sun was climbing south in the shadows and smokes of the dark mountains, he caught signs of turmoil.
The wind was fierce and relentless, and the many trumpets sang, their songs grave and solemn. The Host of the West stood upon a small hill, surrounded by swarming black army on all sides, like a single white stone besieged by the dark raging storm. In the sky the Black Riders upon their grotesque dragons circled like foul carrion birds.
The child now looked grim as he commanded his dragon into the frenzy in the sky. The Nazgul had noticed him by now, and their winged steeds screeched, hideous and frightening. The child pulled three cards from his pocket, crying, "Dark Paladin! Come forth!"
Three streams of light shot out of his hand, one dark, one white, and the other an eerie green. The light merged in the distance and brought about a sudden swirl of shadows. From the shadows the form warrior of great stature slowly emerged, standing in mid-air. He was armoured in blue and gold, and a great sabre was in his hand.
Pulling out one more card, the child shouted once more, "Diffusion wave motion!" The warrior slowly raised high the sabre in his hand, and brought it down swiftly. From the massive weapon flew blasts of shadows, sweeping across the sky like a black storm. The Black Riders were sent flying, tumbling and fleeing.
From behind him there came the sound of great beating wings, as the people beneath raised their head and shouted with many voices, "The eagles are coming! The eagles are coming!" And in the distance there came a great roar, like rumbled thunder. The mighty towers shook and swayed. The battle was almost over, and the end was near.