DISCLAIMER: Welcome! I am Nuin and I will be your guide as we embark on this wondrous tour of Yugi-Oh and Yaoi-land. Now remember that feeding and petting the characters is forbidden at all times. I do not wish for them to run off with any of you, which would result in disabling me from writing the rest of the story. Please keep your arms and legs inside the moving vehicle as I do not wish to receive any lawsuits containing dismemberment of tour-guests. Thank you.
WARNING: May I also kindly remind you that this story is in fact a Yaoi-story. Which means lovers of the same gender. Anyone with restrictions against this form of love is asked to please leave the premises as it will probably upset the characters. Now if you'll please turn to your right, I believe that we are in for a treat as the characters begin on a new story.
Born to Servitude
By Nuin
ARC II
09. With a Little Help From My 'Friends'?
As Seth and Jou made their way into the palace, they could hear the brawl erupting from the garrison quarters. They had just come back from the market having obtained the amulet Seth wanted for Jou. The small pendant hung from around Jou's neck, the blue turquoise stone gleaming in the rays of the sun. If someone were to look closer they could see the hieroglyphs engraved in the gold, forming the first two sentences of the hymn to Amun, the protector of the weak.
Seth quickly changed his direction towards the origin of the noise to investigate the reason and deal out the proper punishments to those responsible. Jou decided it was better to follow him, in case one of the High Council members should show up and pester him with questions he did not want to answer. He did not understand why they were so hostile towards him, he had done nothing to them. Yet he had often seen their servants lurking and snooping around, as if they were the gossip squad from back home, only waiting to deliver the next bit of information to their providers and masters.
Jou jerked back into the real world, when he heard Seth bellowing out orders to the assembled soldiers all of them clustered together in one big heap. They immediately formed ranks, though not with much grace, standing straight in front of the High Priest. Since the soldiers had moved away from their previous huddled position and now stood in perfect formed ranks, they had revealed the figure crumbled together on the ground. A mass of white hair covered the pale face, similar to the way the angry red bruises and wounds covered the body. The figure was taking harsh breaths, coughing up blood occasionally and was cowered down to the ground, clearly not wanting to be hit again.
When Jou tried to make a move towards the person on the ground, the other flinched away as if awaiting another strike.
Jou felt a wave of sympathy build up in him, how often hadn't he been the one down there, back when he still had been part of Hirutani's gang. He had fought his way up in the ranks, but until he had made it so far, he had often been the one to drench the ground in blood. He involuntarily shuddered as he remembered, what his former gang had done to him, when he had left them for good. The sizzling effect of the electric shockers flowing excruciatingly through his veins and his arms limp from the pain of hanging from the ceiling, he had wondered if he would have survived hadn't Yugi and his spirit shown up to rescue him.
He sighed and tried once again to come near the hunched figure, yet again the other flinched away, how long had the soldiers been treating him like this? For the other to flinch away instinctively at each of his attempt to get closer and examine the extent of the other's injuries. Jou seethed at the thought, Kami, he hated it when others around him got hurt. After he met Yugi, had 'redeemed' himself and become a 'good guy', he had done everything in his power to keep his friends and loved ones safe. Even risk his own life in the process.
He took a closer look at the person in front him, pale skin, a ripped dirty, muddy and for all bloody tunic. Silver...no, white hair cascading down the back in wild spikes. He laughed silently to himself, if this person had brown chocolate eyes and a slightly pointed nose, he could pass as Ryou. He decided that he did not have time for the other to get used to his touch and he forcefully took a hold of the boy's shoulders to turn him over...
...and found himself staring into same haunting brown eyes and the same face as Bakura Ryou. Now if he had been a girl, which he thanked the gods for that he was not, he would have screamed bloody murder before jerking away and running off like a chicken with its head cut off. But since he was a boy, it only meant that he did all of the above in his mind and on the outside he gasped slightly.
The blurry eyes of one Bakura Ryou were somewhat looking up at him, though clearly out of focus. Recognition lighting up as they cleared slowly. Even though it was obvious that the white-haired boy would love nothing more than to get away, he was too weak to move.
Seth had been watching the entire exchange between his Jou and the albino, suddenly feeling left out for some reason he turned to the soldiers with a glare.
"What has this boy done to deserve such treatment?"
A few murmurs consisting of swearwords and words such as blasphemy and sacrilege were uttered. The guards were suddenly not that confident now that they had to answer to the High Priest. Seth growled lightly and dismissed them, but not before taking away their day off this week as punishment.
He walked over to Jou and bent down to his knees, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder for comfort. He realized that this had been the first time, Jou had ever seen a slave being punished, as he had never punished Jou himself, unless you counted his yelling at him and their brawls. Actually Jou had not really been treated as a slave, but rather like a friend or companion, who could get extremely on your nerves. And he found that he had actually never had the real desire to punish Jou or treat him as someone of lower status.
Only when the blonde had irritated him such a degree that he could probably blow up from rage, had he found the desire to do some serious bodily harm. That was when they would argue and fight, making his quarters look like a sandstorm had passed through.
He squeezed Jou's shoulder gently making the other look up at him. Jou's golden-brown eyes were looking at him questioningly, he nodded and gave his shoulder another squeeze.
"We will take him to the sunu, with the help of the gods he should fine." Seth then proceeded to pick the Ryou-look-a-like up, one arm around his upper torso and one beneath his legs and carried him off.
Jou stared at Seth's retreating back for while before he looked back to the ground, where the boy had been lying. His eyes widened at the sight that met him, on the ground in front of him lay the Sennen Ring, the item of Yami Bakura. He dropped on his knees and hesitantly picked up the golden object. Still somewhat dazed from his primary shock of finding the ring, he was jostled out of it when Seth called his name. He turned to see him standing with the white-haired boy in his arms in the front of the entrance to the healer's quarters. He stood up again and quickly ran towards Seth, while hiding the ring the best he could.
"So you have taken the boy to the sunuu?" Atemu brushed his cape from his knee and looked up at his High Priest standing before him. Seth nodded, feeling no need to further express himself. "Then he will be fine, but we must decide what to do with him. He was the one to kill The Keeper of the Ring before he could have found its true owner."
"What so you suggest, Per'aa? A slave? Or death? Some way or another he must pay. He has already been brandished a thief and a tomb robber at that."
"A slave for now, he will belong to you, since you were the one to bring it to my attention. Find out what you can from him and what he has done with the ring." Atemu waved him off signalling that his audience was over and he was to leave so that the next subject seeking help could come forward.
Seth bowed and retreated to the outer halls surrounding the throne room. He leaned against the wall taking a breath, then raised his head, eyes searching for his blonde slave. It shouldn't be too hard, seeing as Jou was the only blonde at the court besides his newly acquired slave. He smiled inwardly, when he saw the tell-tale mop of golden hair move towards him from among the crowd gathered outside the throne room awaiting their audience.
Jou came up to him smiling, eyes shining with joy. "He's going to be okay, the doc-umm-heal-the person helping him said so. What was it you called them?" Jou cocked his head in slight confusion, while sporting a small blush from embarrassment.
Seth smiled for what, to him, seemed like the hundredth time that day. He couldn't help it, when he was in Jou's company he just seemed happier, he would probably do anything for Jou. Ra, he was so whipped. For one person to hold this power over him, when he was supposed to be this person's master and owner. But he found that he actually didn't mind, Jou was his and would always be, he would make sure of it. He was brought out of his dazed thinking by Jou waving a hand in front of his face.
"Seth? You okay there? You sort of spaced out."
"I am fine. What was it you asked of me?"
"Hmm...You sure you're okay?" Jou looked at him rather suspiciously, one eyebrow raised.
"Yes. Now what did you want to know?" He quickly tried to turn down his blush caused by Jou's proximity. They were practically grinding against each other. He broke free, without making it seem forced and began walking down the corridor, bidding Jou to follow him. The other followed falling into step beside Seth.
"Umm...yeah...it's not really important, but I just wanted to know what you call the person, who takes care of injured people."
Seth chuckled low in his throat and brought his fist up to cover his mouth in a vague and failed attempt to hide his laugh.
Jou glared at him indignantly and stuck his nose in the air. Seth collected himself and coughed slightly to sound serious again.
"Sorry...they are called now, we will go visit your new friend. Panseru has granted him to me as a slave." He quickly and deliberately changed the subject, afraid he would laugh out this time if he were to think of Jou's confused and so utterly adorable expression before.
"A slave?"
"Yes, it is quite a mild punishment, once you know that he has killed another man, a priest at that, and stole something of great worth from him." Seth turned round a corner, ending up in a deserted hallway. He grabbed Jou by his wrist hauling him along.
"Seth?...This isn't the way to the healer quarters. Where are we go-mphff..." Jou was cut off by a pair of hot searing lips crushing against his own, a pair arms snuck around his waist holding him tight up against a sleek body. He was surprised to say the least, Seth was not one to act so spontaneously, he preferred to show so obvious affection as a kiss in private. He would tease Jou in public, but draw back in the last possible moment, unfortunately it was usually too late for Jou to calm down again.
A questioning tongue traced his lower lip and he surrendered into the kiss, forgetting what he was thinking about. The same tongue felt excruciating hot against his own as they fought for domination. Seth broke off the kiss to plant smaller ones along Jou's jaw and then returning his attention to that hot, kiss bruised mouth. Jou moaned happily into their next kiss and the next after that, but suddenly he was left whimpering in need of more, when Seth pulled away breathing heavily. Seth rested his forehead against Jou's then pulled completely out of the other's embrace.
"Sorry, I couldn't wait until tonight...we need to be going, if we are going to get anything done today."
"Bastard..." Jou muttered under his breath, cheeks still tinged with red from lack of oxygen. He nevertheless grabbed the hand Seth offered and followed him once again out into the adjoining hallway. They twined their finger, before parting hands and walked down the corridor to visit the newest member of their 'staff'.
"Damn that pestering girl, if it weren't illegal I would wring her scrawny neck!" Seto stormed through the school doors glaring at everyone and everything crossing his path, which left them in petrified shock. He strode over to join a group of very different people, he had become used to calling his friends. He would never have thought that he could have friends, actual friends who weren't just sucking up to for his good looks or his wealth.
He had hated it when he had been forced to attend high school until he was of age, blasted attorneys and his stepfather's will. A will that clearly stated if anything was ever to happen to Kaiba Gozaburo and if Seto wanted to inherit Kaiba Corporations legally, he would have to attend high school till the bitter and annoying end.
The first day he had set a foot on the school ground he was ready to turn around and just apply for college instead, but he had to have a high school degree to get into college. His peers were all so immature, fighting, joking, slacking off, not realizing the seriousness of their position in the future if they kept doing so, it would leave them uneducated and unemployed.
But then he had seen Yugi and his friends, which made him even more irritated. To have such slackers as the blonde make inu and the little twerp Yugi find interest in his favorite game, the game in which he was regional champion, was nauseating.
Yet as he met the blonde's golden eyes for the first time, he couldn't help but fascinated. How someone, who had a background like the blonde's, he knew what kind it was, he had done a background check on every member of Yugi's gang, when he had come home that day...But how someone with eyes shining of wisdom, not from books, but from the streets, shining of guilt, a brash and hot-headed temper, also could have eyes shining of loyalty and innocence, naïveté and playfulness.
He was intrigued and for one moment he wanted to cast of his air of superiority, cast of his mask of indifference and just simply be a normal teenager. He wanted to find out how this street punk could be friends with someone so wimpy as Mouto Yugi. He wanted to find out if this boy, who had so much love for the world, his sister and his friends, could perhaps let him into his heart as well.
Then the months passed, but he had not yet gathered the courage to ask Jounouchi Katsuya his question and he fell into the rhythm of taunting the boy to guard his feelings and hide his nervousness and fear of rejection. He made Jou hate him.
He mentally shook his head, Jou would not come back simply by thinking about him, if that were true Jou would have been home long ago. He stopped short of reaching Yugi-tachi as he fondly called them, allowing them to acknowledge him first.
Yugi was the first to see him and broke out in a warm smile. "Seto-kun! Come sit with us."
As Seto shifted his coat so he could sit more comfortably on the grass, Yugi noticed his scowl and quirked an eyebrow in question. Seto glared as if saying 'none of your business', but relented anyway, he needed to vent his rage. He cleared his throat.
"A girl, a very annoying and very persistent girl has just tried to molest me yet again."
At this Otogi decided voice his thoughts, while softly snickering. "So what's new, you're practically molested every single day by your 'fan-club'. I'm glad I finally jumped out of the closet and stated dating Hiroto-kun, if not I would still be molested at every possible moment."
Seto glared at that comment. "She had the indecency to use the plot of giving her condolences for Jou-kun's alleged 'death', while clinging to my arm. She actually pretended to be sorry for his 'death' and then proceeded to ask me out...I nearly punched her in the face." His cheeks tinted slightly red at this.
"Can I banish her to the Shadow Realm?" Seto turned to look into crimson eyes, pupils dilated in anger. Jet-black hair had golden lightning-streaks running through it up to the magenta coloured tips. The eye of the golden puzzle was glowing faintly around his neck. The Pharaoh had come into play.
"And here I thought you were supposed to be the voice of reason, Pharaoh." Now having Yami take control of his light's body in the presence of Bakura Ryou, would of course ensure the appearance of said boy's darker half, Yami Bakura. The white-haired boy was currently leaning nonchalantly against the nearby tree, smirking. "Besides that is my line."
Seto had yet to get accustomed with their on and off appearance, he had known for years that something changed within Yugi, when he duelled or became aggravated. He became more confident, had easier access to smirking and grew taller? He had also noticed that Ryou changed from time to time, but he became more snarky, sarcastic and possibly somewhat homicidal. He had been told the stories of the trysts between the two darker halves of his friends, several of them brought an unnerving feeling to his stomach. But he felt an odd sense of joy, realising that they would actually banish someone for him, well for Jou to be exact, yet he was a part of the reason.
"So do you want to send the girl to the Shadows, Pharaoh?" Yami Bakura had spoken up once again, sneering at the crimson eyed youth.
"Yes, I don't take it kindly, when my friends are threatened or when someone stomps on their memory like a herd of elephants. Why? Do you want to help, Tomb Robber?" Yami raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"When have I ever backed down from the joy of banishing anyone to the pits of eternal damnation?" He grinned maliciously, licking his lips in anticipation.
That was when Yugi regained control of his body. "Please, this is not reason enough to banish her forever, she is a mortal and she didn't have any common sense at that time or if she ever had any. I agree she could have been more tactful, but please, don't bloody your hands any more than they already are."
In response he got a undignified and childish huff from Yami Bakura, who relinquished control to Ryou once again. And from his own spirit he got short 'fine' and a embarrassed feeling through their connection. He had warded off a disaster that had been bound to happen, if he had not interfered. He sighed, he wasn't keen on admitting that he would gladly more than anything else have granted the two dark spirits their wish. But he knew, if he were ever to meet this girl he would probably hit her, were she to utter one condescending word about Jou.
A/N: Amun: His name means 'the hidden'. Since he only existed beyond the normal world and was hidden even from the other gods. He was a creator-god.
Hymn to Amun.
Pilot who knows the water,
Helmsman of the weak; These are the two sentences engraved in Jou's amulet
Who gives bread to him who has none,
Who nourishes the servant of his house.
I take not a noble as protector,
I associate not with a man of wealth,
I place not my share in another's care,
My wealth is in the house of my lord.
My lord is my protector,
I know his might, to wit;
A helper strong of arm,
None but he is strong.
Amun who knows compassion,
Who hearkens to him who calls him,
Amen-Re, the King of Gods,
The Bull great of strength, who loves strength.
In Ancient Egyptian Literature:
A Book of Readings
Translated by Miriam Lichtheim, 1976
Translation of the first two lines into Ancient Egyptian:
Nefu mu m rekh (Captain who knows the water)
Tjesu in mer (Commander of the sick)
The meaning of the text is thus, as I see it:
Pilot who knows the water: The God (Amun) is our guide in life.
Helmsman of the weak: He leads and protects the weak.
Sunu: Hieratic meaning doctor, I like Sunu better than saying doctor, when it takes place in Egypt, dunno, Doctor sounds so modern day, not fit for an Ancient Egypt fic.
Sunuu. Pl. of sunu.