The Sample Platter

Chapter 2

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Yugi has seen many sights when he was a single dragon traveling from the stress of responsibility. He remembers the high topped mountains covered with icy snow and the deep, boggy swamps where foul creatures made home [he also remembers the unpleasant encounter with Mudragon. That particular dragon and its ilk was one he never wants to encounter again]. But there was one sight he would always remember.

The sight of the sea.

The great expanse of blue was a delight, a stretch of water that had no land to interrupt its glittering beauty. Yugi knew that he couldn't overtake such a grand body of water, too large for him to fly over confidently to make it from one piece of land to another, but he did enjoy sitting on its sandy beaches, watching the ebb and flow of water froth on the tide hitting the shore. Listening to the sea birds that called and cackled in the air around him.

It was a wonderful sight...that he had yet to share with Atemu since the acquisition of the young noble as his rider.

Atemu had been sheltered too long inland and during their time as dragon and rider working for the monarchy, they never once visited any seaside kingdoms or villages that were nearby. This was a travesty in its own right as Yugi wanted to share any and all places of his journey before settling with the human he loved and adored so much. Thus in secret, Yugi planned a trip out, packing a bag worth of clothes to last them a week and some dried rations to eat along the way.

Sure, there would be towns and small cities he'd passed over during the flight but Yugi wanted to keep anonymity as best he can to avoid being found and ratted out to the nearest kingdom looking for a dragon rider's service. They finally got rid of all that asked for their help long ago, Yugi wanted it to stay that way. Nobility was overrated and didn't deserve his rider's kindness to put himself and his life on the line, old creed be damned.

With everything ready, Yugi hid the bags where Atemu wouldn't see them and went about his day, harvesting from the garden with ideas of what to make for dinner. Fresh and crisp vegetables had Yugi delighted that his green claw was doing wonders to support his mate. It took so long to learn how to sow seeds and make them grow but it was worth it to keep their personal paradise thriving.

Once the dragon gathered everything he wanted, he was heading back towards the modest home when the door opened, revealing the resplendent being behind it.

"Oh, is that the summer harvest?"

"Yep! I'm thinking of a nice, hearty soup!"

Atemu nodded, Yugi tucking the basket under his arm to step into their modest cottage when he felt an arm come around his hip. Atemu smiled down at him, whispering that Yugi treated him too well. Ever since being chosen by the dragon, Atemu never felt more alive and adored.

It wasn't a life he would expect when he ran away from home and his responsibilities but it wasn't one he regrets. Not when Yugi was the picture perfect lover with a fierceness behind that kind smile made only for him. There was so much Atemu wished he could repay the dragon with but all Yugi asked for was his heart. The love they shared was all the dragon ever wanted.

Pulled from his thoughts, Atemu noticed Yugi was on the tips of his toes, expression practically begging for a kiss. The rider laughed, leaning down to indulge Yugi's request happily. The dragon was purring at the attention given from his doting mate. This only cemented his desire to go on this trip.

Atemu deserved the world and more, and Yugi intended to make it happen for as long as his dragon years would permit him.

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Atemu should've expected something once he saw the signs his daring, loving dragon was being quiet, quieter than normal. This was strange for Atemu, used to the dragon being quite a cuddlebug and looking to appease him in some manner. Having built this life with his own two claws, Yugi had no shortage of affection to share toward his rider.

Thus the strangeness of him being so quiet like he was hiding something had worried Atemu. Could he have been ill perhaps? The mere thought of illness taking Yugi from him settled a nasty stone in the pit of his stomach. Atemu knew Yugi was pretty resilient to mast things, however the extent of those strengths was far beyond his knowledge of dragon anatomy from the inside.

If Yugi got ill, there was little he could do for the human body he was accustomed to. Any time Atemu tried to confront the dragon, Yugi deflected with another topic or task he had to do. Eventually, Atemu gave up but the uneasy feeling didn't wane.

The day was sunny after the ordeal, a cool breeze taking the edge off the heat from the cloudless sky. Atemu was outside, weeding the garden to keep himself busy from prying thoughts trying to plague his mind since the discovery of Yugi's behavior. He certainly wore himself ragged to the point of a sleepless night. Luckily, Yugi never woken to his distress.

Now the question was how to avoid bringing it up again. He couldn't blame himself. Yugi's health always came before his own in Atemu's mind, even if the dragon opposed otherwise. A sigh left him, focusing back on the weeding task at hand. Don't think about it anymore, he told himself. The garden needs his complete focus and attention.

While Atemu busied himself with the garden, Yugi was inside, pulling out the packed bags gleefully. Today was the day! The dragon was so excited for this journey, making sure the saddle bags were properly prepared to belt onto his tail, then headed out to meet Atemu at the garden, grabbing a silken cloth in deep red so he had his scented item to remind foreign dragons that he was off the market.

"Atemu, the garden will be fine. I have something to do."

The rider looked up, single eye focused first on Yugi's face then looked at the bags in hand. Yugi was going somewhere? Wherever it may be looks like it would be a few days travel by the bags in his hand. Meaning Atemu would be left alone...by himself. He shouldn't let it bother him but after the silence and deflecting, it made sense that Yugi had something to do that didn't need him to follow.

"Sure, I'll get back to it later. Let's get these onto you."

Yugi passed the bags to Atemu happily, transforming in a flourish of heat and magic. Atemu gave the barest smile to the dragon, moving towards Yugi's haunches to strap the bags securely around the base of his tail. The spikes will keep them steady, knowing Yugi would be steamed if he lost anything in flight. Testing the belts to make sure they held, Atemu patted his flank, seeing the deep red cloth and chuckled.

Good thing he managed up a good sweat from gardening to give Yugi his scented scarf. Wiping along the back of his neck and forehead, Atemu moved to tie the scarf around Yugi's neck, the dragon purring with delight. He loved having his scented items, prideful when he had to show off to other dragons that thought he was available. Oh, to see the disappointment on their faces and laughing at their disgust when he proudly states his mate was human was a delight for one as powerful as he was.

"There, you're all set." Yugi blinked when Atemu pulled away to move back to the garden, a confused chirp jumping out his throat. Atemu looked back, meeting his confused gaze with one of his own. Did...did Atemu really think Yugi was going to leave without him? Blasphemy! Yugi reached down, grasping the back of Atemu's shirt with a hook of his claw, getting a squawk from him, settling him onto his back.

"Yugi! What are you up to?!" Atemu exclaimed, hand wrapping around one of the large spikes to run down his back, adjusting himself quickly for takeoff as Yugi unfurled the massive sails.

"Coming with me. Surprise~" The rumble of Yugi's dragon voice supplied, lifting off from the ground with a few mighty swipes of his wings, catching the thermals to ascend higher. Atemu was definitely not prepared for this, but assuming this is what Yugi had planned way in advance, he had nothing to worry about. The bags were pretty hefty when he latched them around the dragon's tail.

Guess he was along for the ride.

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A full day passed since their departure, resting overnight in a space where Yugi could easily defend from any wild dragons while Atemu slept, then they were back on their way towards their destination. Atemu didn't ask questions and Yugi didn't prepare answers, only promising he would like where they were heading once they arrived. Yugi was like that, always planning something for his rider.

Atemu truly didn't deserve the kindness Yugi gave him. The love he had for him. The coddling, comforting and worship for him felt terribly misplaced. Like Atemu owed the dragon all those things than himself. Yet, Yugi was ever so loving, a heart of gold opened so wide to make their relationship work under the scrutiny of other dragons that he was wasting away his potential.

Atemu did feel a margin of regret that the Gandora lineage would end with Yugi. That such a beautiful dragon shouldn't end with him. However the idea that many could mistreat the destructive power of the Gandora made that regret fade. The rider, even if it meant bringing more dragons into the world, would never think to force breed his precious dragon when he was unwilling to part from him to even consider the thought.

"Almost there."

Yugi's voice startled him from his thoughts, finding himself slapped with the salty air of the coast once Atemu was fully aware of their surroundings. Looking down, he saw they were no longer over a sea of trees but stretches of green plains that were slowly becoming a patchwork of color into sandy territory. His single eye widened in awe once the scent of the air truly registered.

Yugi had told him stories about it once, being a sheltered little noble back home that visitations to coastal towns and cities were never a thing. All he knew were forests and mountains and even then, it was never a topic of debate to see more than what his fair home offered. He would never need to explore outside the city's borders, his mother would tell him when his father was out on business. Now, he was going to see it with his very own eye.

The ocean.

He clambered onto his feet, taking care to balance himself properly on the dragon's neck to see further, eye widening when he saw the bright gleam of the ocean's surface from the sunlight of the early afternoon. "Yugi...this is amazing." He whispered, making the dragon preen happily.

"Wait til we're closer."

"Closer?"

"Yes. There's a town close by. We'll stay there a few days and enjoy the coast."

Atemu didn't know what to say or feel, especially the timing of it. While they never have to worry about the passage of time as they have no set schedule to mold their lives to, he would always count down the days leading up to his birthday. That day was here, on the date of their arrival into this coastal town, and Atemu couldn't think of anything better than to have a chance to see the sea.

"Yugi," he began softly, sitting back down so he could stroke the dragon's neck. "I never told you this before cause I never thought it would be something important to worry about. But today...it's my birthday, and you've granted me a gift that no one would ever share with me when I was back home living the life of a stuffy noble." Yugi raised his head just slightly to glance back at Atemu, whispering birthday with an air of curiosity. Was it like hatching day? Something familiar that would be the dragon's equivalent? Atemu chuckled, giving a nod.

"Yeah, it's like hatching day for a dragon. It's when I was born. I never get to do anything fun like this. I also didn't tell you when it was...because it's a reminder that my time is short. My life can't span years and years like yours." Fingers gripped tight onto one of his neck spines, looking away.

He didn't say more but the unspoken words were enough for Yugi to catch on. Atemu didn't want Yugi to think of what time they didn't have left together. To work harder to give Atemu all the happiness he could give when he didn't have to work himself so hard.

They were quickly arriving towards the coast, seeing the white sand and crashing waves to meet the land. Yugi dove for a spot that would leave them unseen by the nearby town, stirring up sand around them as he landed. When the dragon touched down, a paw reached back to take Atemu gently into his palm, lifting him to bring him close to his face.

"Atemu, every moment with you means so much to me. Time is just a mere factor but not a deciding end. Even when you leave me and this world, I will carry your love with me. I never had a more promising mate than you and I will die knowing I had received true happiness during my lifetime. May the dragon gods look down upon me and smile knowing their most destructive creation has found peace."

"Yugi..." Atemu had no words, only reaching to bring the dragon's beak into his arms, hugging him tight while trying to hold back his tears. Yugi crooned a soft purr, whispering that knowing now when his "hatching day" was, he would make a promise to give Atemu so much more. Atemu tried to protest that he didn't have to, that it was too much effort but it only got a chuckle from the dragon.

"You can pay me back soon. Two days. My hatching day. Celebrate with me, Atemu."

"Of course. Now why don't we get ourselves checked in and settled. I want to really see the ocean in all its glory." Pulling back, Atemu pressed a kiss to the tip of Yugi's beak, getting a short lick in return. By the gods, he was so lucky in love to have this dragon as his own. The sea twinkled like a blessing beside them, honoring their genuine, perfect love for years to come.