an: shall edit later when I'm not a living zombie.
Night Five: The Pharaoh.
The sun had yet to rise above horizon when Yami arrived at Kame game shop. The pureblood wasn't sure why his instincts had forced him to wake up from the peaceful slumber he was having. They welling at him, screaming at him that a person was in his room. But nothing had been there when the vampire had checked for an intruder, it was only him and the shadows he had lived with for so many millenias. Unable to go back to sleep, the vampire prepared for his day early and left to go to his ..feeder's home. The was how he had came to stand outside the Mutou household in the bitter cold.
Yami leaned against the glass doors of Kame game shop and tugged his dark navy blue school blazer tighter around his torso. He could hardly tolerate having Yugi as his personal feeder. It wasn't the boy in general, it was just his family that Yami could not stand. They were a family of unfortunate vampire hunters, and he had no doubt that the child he claimed had been aiming to be one too. Many of the Mutou family had been a thorn in his side since he relocated the vampire kingdom's capital to Japan two centuries ago, however, those poor foolish humans had their own turn on them a number of times. Be it because they had been bitten, been seen talking to a vampire, aided a vampire, or had annoyed the leader of the IHVA to the point where he sent them on a suicide mission. It was a family of bad luck.
The vampire closed his eyes recalling the many Mutou hunters he had witnessed being murdered or had seen their dead bodies. Some had been by the hands of his men, a few were killed from swarms of rogues but most of them, were killed by their own comrades. There was a death that he had witnessed perhaps a little over a hundred years ago where a fellow hunter had staked the human in the chest, who had protected Yami from the incoming attack. He was never given a chance to figure out why the human had saved him. The pureblood had tried to do the same for the fool, but either his venom was poison to the young man, or he succumbed to his wound before Yami's venom could reach his heart.
Then there was the most recent death in the Mutou family; the deaths of Takahashi and Tomi Mutou. Yami's jaw clenched tightly when his mind remembered the archaeologist and his wife who was a physician for both humans and vampires. Twelve years ago, Bakura had somehow met the two. It was through him, Yami had ask if the couple would help with reviving his sealed beloved. He clearly remembered the two looking as if they weren't going to accept his offer, yet Tomi had said she would help in any way possible. Takahasi had agreed too, and used his skills to search through records and familiarizing himself with the enchantment keeping the King sedated.
For two years they had worked together in a trio, functioning like a well-oiled machine. Tomi had examined Atem's physical health, Takahasi did his best to track down any records that connected to the human who had placed the Pharaoh in such a powerless state. While Yami, supplied them with anything and everything they needed and also helped Tomi to maintain the King in good health. He remembered the way those two humans made him feel so clearly, it sickened him. The inferior creatures had gave him false hope, made him feel like that he was like a second son to them. He…felt attached to those humans. Like he had once been with Heba before he had sealed him in cold blood.
The Mutou couple had finally came upon a lead, one which Tomi had discovered from analyzing the spell that seal had originated from. Her words were sorrowful, when she announced to Yami that the only way to break the spell was if someone with Heba's blood pulled that dagger out of the Pharaoh's chest or if he was to gain enough power through drinking human blood for the next millennium. Takahasi had spent his final days looking for anyone with connections through a mostly 'pure' bloodline to Heba. When he finally had discovered something, both he and Tomi had been deployed into a sudden field mission by the Hunter Association.
Yami he known those two had joined the IVHA, after all, he was the one who pushed them to do it so they could use their secret files. The pureblood wasn't thinking clearly back then. He didn't think about the outcomes if the hunters discovered those two were secretly working for him. He didn't know if the IVHA had known from the very start or had discovered it in the short year the two had been a part of the organization, but their timing had been very…inconvenient for Yami. He was so close to being able to reunite him and his lover when the order had been issued. Yami had sent men to the area the Mutou's were deployed to and ordered them to search for the couple. He had accompanied the 'mindless' foot soldiers in their mission, but by the time he found the Mutous, it was too late.
It was a very bad day for him. Not only had he 'lost the King twice', he lost all information to even attempt to try to revive him. Takahasi was knocking on Death's door and Tomi not far behind him, when they were found. They had been mauled, covered in bite wounds. Their necks had pieces of flesh missing from a vampire that had tried to rip out their jugular vein. Tomi was crying, using her remaining strength to cradle her husband's head in her bosom while she pleaded to Yami to save her husband. He had tried to save Takahasi with his venom, but much like the first Mutou he had tried to save a hundred years prior to Takahasi, he died before he was able to become one of the undead. Yami had wanted to try and save Tomi next, but she refused. Before the human had the rest of her life force drain out into the ground below her, Tomi had spoke a vaguely about what had happened. Her weak voice still haunted Yami's memory as she told him of her hellish end. The group of hunters they were with, abandoned the Mutou couple and angered vampires had took turns feeding from the two, after they had blindly walked straight into a coven.
Betrayed by their own kind and left to die. That was the entire past of the Mutou family. Their hunters had been thorns in his side when they killed of his men. But they also became deep wounds when their lives were out of reach. He had allowed three different Mutous to die because he hadn't been quick enough to save their fragile lives. Was it his fault that they died? No. Yami didn't see it as his 'fault'. If anything, it was their fellow hunters' fault. They turned their backs on their comrades and killed them like it was nothing. The members of the International Vampire Hunter Association were almost as chaotic as Bakura and Marik when those two killed, but in a much different way. Bakura and Marik never killed in cold blood, however, Yami believed the Association only killed in cold blood.
Not only was the Mutou family blood stained on the hands of the eastern hemisphere IVHA's representative, but they were also guilty of breaking into his home and trying to steal the Millennium Puzzle out of his room on the night of birthday. Yami growled softly at the memory. He should have increased security like Mahaad had suggested. He wouldn't have to smell some foul human otter on the one thing he was able to keep of Atem's, nor would it be in pieces now. His lover's scent still lingered on the magic item, and was something Yami refuse to allow to wither away despite how time wanted to erase it from existence.
After his men had apprehended the culprit for 'tainting' the only piece of Yami had left of Atem, the 'prince' wasted no time on dwelling what he should do to the human. He tossed the rat into his dungeon to rot away with time. Even now, almost two months later; Yami still didn't know if the pathetic human was alive or not and wasn't going to bother with finding out if he was. Again, that fool's death was not his responsibility. He should have known better than to venture into Death's home and think he'll make it out alive while stealing something of great value.
The ignorance of humans appalled him.
The faint sound of a throat being cleared caused Yami to open his eyes and toss an uncaring look over his shoulder to see an elderly man bundled up in a thick tan jacket, bulky blue jeans, and snow boots on. The pure blood's eyes quickly recognized the scowling old man as Yugi's grandfather. Without being told to, Yami stood straight and moved out of Solomon Mutou's way. The current leader of the vampire kingdom relocated himself to stand in front of the iconic red sign of Kame game shop, leaning against it while crossing his arms over his chest.
His crimson eyes watched Solomon with the intensity that a predator had when it was stalking its prey, but Yami's gaze lacked the hostile intentions. Never once did they leave the elder's form as Solomon exited his warm home to sweep the outside of his shop, making it tidy for the business day. Although Yami's eyes were watching the old man, his mind was certainly not paying attention to him. His mind was busy with thinking about things that held no significant purpose.
"Is sitting outside my home in the cold, going to be a habit of yours?"
Yami blinked, focusing his gaze on Solomon, who was casually sweeping the sidewalk while sparing Yami a single glance. "Well are you going to answer me boy or stand there waiting for the end of the world?" Solomon calmly asked Yami after the vampire had yet to say something within the passing minute.
The royal huffed lightly turning his head away from Solomon to look at the sun that had finally started to bless Domino with its warm rays of light. "I have no intentions of telling a human what my habits are. Especial a fool that is a retired hunter," Yami's deep voice sharply answered Solomon, while he closed his eyes in annoyance.
"Watch that tone of yours, boy! You maybe the king of your race, but that doesn't give you the right to be rude to your elders of other races," Solomon forewarned.
"Solomon, you are no elder of mine. My age is far superior to your own."
"Age is but a number, child. It's the maturity from those years you've lived, that makes up your true age."
Yami kept his mouth shut, not having the energy to argue with the stubborn old man. In the past two days since he's claimed Yugi, the 'Prince' was slowly losing all of his energy to put up a fight against the determination of the Mutou family. Yugi being the main culprit why he could barely hold his own in an argument against him or his grandfather. They both always knew how to get the last word in on a conversation, much to Yami's dismay.
When the smell of Yugi's favorite lavender scented bath soap could be faintly detected by Yami's sensitive sense of smell, the vampire released a heavy sigh, disturbing the semi-quietness that had settled between him and Solomon. He had only a few minutes left to prepare himself for his daily never winning battle.
The soft sounds of Solomon's broom bristles scraping against the pavement slowly came to a stop, causing Yami to turn his back towards the man and finding him staring at him with a look of curiosity.
"Speak, Solomon," Yami gave the man permission to speak, although the human didn't need such thing.
Holding on to his broom tightly with one hand while his other settled on his hip, Solomon cleared his throat. "You're giving up the throne," His words were a statement, not a question. "I have a close friend who has a seat in the council. He told me that you will no longer be the 'Prince' in anymore in the upcoming future."
Yami noticeably flinched from Yugi's grandfather's words. For a moment he was unable to respond, having had forgotten about the topic of him giving up the throne when he had claimed Yugi. This was a conversation Yami particularly did not want to have, not when the subject would be painful as rubbing salt in reopened wounds.
"It's not something the human population should be concerned about. If you're trying to get information out of me, you're better off speaking to a dog," Yami spoke softly, unwilling to discuss the subject with Solomon. Not when he himself, was unable to accept the truth of what it would mean if he gave up the throne. The return of the pharaoh would never come and those who have been patiently waiting for him like Yami, would lose hope just like Yami had.
"I would be since, a dog make better company than you," Solomon's comment earned a low growl and a scowl from Yami. "But a dog doesn't have the power for letting something my son and his wife died trying to protect and help with. Something that I had even attempted to solve, stay alive," The old man spoke as he started to sweep the dirty away from the front of his shop, once more.
Yami's lips were drawn into a tight line as his body tensed. "That is the thing, it's already dead, Solomon. When they died, so did my hope of ever trying to find anyone connected to that traitor and unsealing him. For ten years now, one of the guardians has been bathing the pharaoh in animal blood while I was told to stay away. Every time I even ask about him, I hear the same thing over and over; 'My Prince, I'm doing the best I can, but our Pharaoh seems to not be taking well to the animal blood.' I'm tired of waiting on a lost cause. If that man wanted to be here –" Yami gestured to their surroundings, "- then he would have done so at the first opportunity."
"But this temporary peace the hunters and your kingdom have at this moment, if the person I am thinking about is the one to take your place, then this life we live now is doomed," The old human stressed, though he never seemed too worried about it.
"I'm aware- "
"Bye Grandpa!"
Both Yami and Solomon watched Yugi zip straight pass them with a piece of toast shoved in his mouth and his hair still damp from his morning shower. Yami let out his second heavy sigh of the morning, before his eyes landed on Solomon. Not a trace of emotion could be found in his wine red orbs. "The Pharaoh was in the past, I am the present. The Future of others, is not mine to control," With his finally statement spoken to Solomon, Yami turned on his heel and went after Yugi at a brisk pace.
Never in his life had Yami been forced to use his advance speed in order to catch up with a mere human, but he had also never encountered a human quite like Yugi before. When the pureblood vampire had finally caught up to Yugi, he wasted no time to grab Yugi's wrist, forcing him to stop his sprinting, and removed the half eaten piece of toast from the human's mouth.
"Hey! Give that back, you're going to make me late even more than I already am!" Yugi complained as he tried to swap his toast from Yami's hand, which was holding it just barely out of his reach.
"You're not running late. Also, if you're planning to run to school while trying to eat this, you'll end up making yourself sick or choke on it," The vampire stated as he stood on his tips of his toes and rose the piece of food above his head as Yugi stood on his.
"It takes me thirty minutes to walk to school and, I won't get sick or choke on my toast, if I run and eat at the same time. I've done it several times before you butted you way into my life," The young human argued back as he jumped and succeeded in snatching his toast from Yami's hand. "Ha! Victory is mine."
Yami rolled his eyes at Yugi's boasting and he watched with a bored expression as the human took a large bit out of his toast before starting to take off running again. Yami had hardly any trouble keeping up with Yugi as he jogged just an arm's length behind his human. He knew the only way to get Yugi to listen to him without using compulsion, was to either gain the boy's trust, or let him learn the hard way. Since it was obvious Yugi hardly trusted him just like he couldn't trust the human, Yami figured he would just let Yugi do as he pleased until-
The sound of coughing plus Yugi stopping in mid-run, made Yami force himself to suppress the victorious smirk trying to creep on to his face. He pushed the joyful thoughts to the back of his mind as he gently patted Yugi's back, and help him cough up the piece of toast that had unfortunately blocked the seventeen year old's airways. When Yugi had manage to cough up the food, he spat it out onto the sidewalk to rid himself of the half digest food.
"I told you," Yami claimed proudly and allowed his victorious smirk to appear on his face. For some reason, he found it highly amusing that Yugi attempting to glare at him, but the look could hardly be called a glare.
"Just...Just because I'm your personal 'juice box' doesn't mean you have to baby me, Yami Sennen. I'm seventeen years old, I'm more than capable of handling and caring for myself," Yugi clarified for Yami after he recovered from his chocking experience.
"Are claiming that you're not my responsibility?" Yami asked, his hands shoved in his pocket and raising an eyebrow at Yugi. His amused smirk was still plastered on his face.
"Yes!"
"So then, you're responsible for making yourself late. Not me," Yami spoke in a taunting voice, which had Yugi confused.
The vampire watched as Yugi checked his phone and the look of devastation slowly appeared on the teens face as he realized there was no way he was going to be able to make it to school just by walking. As much as Yami wanted to see Yugi scramble to get to school, the vampire had his own things to attend to after he made sure his feeder had gotten to their school safely. Just as Yugi had tucked his phone into one of his back pants pockets, Yami had picked Yugi up and tossed him onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Don't worry about being late. Since you are my feeder, it'll look bad if both you and I didn't show up to class. People might…'talk'"
"D-Don't joke about that stuff Yami!" Yugi scowled him while he squirmed against the vampire's awkward grasp. "And could you put me down, please?"
"Maybe once we get to the school," The royal taunted before taking off towards Domino Public High School using his supernatural agility.
It had taken Yami on a mere two minutes to reach the high school, where it would have taken Yugi thirty minutes to reach the educational hellhole. The pureblood was pleased with himself. He wasn't known for his speed, but he had gotten to the school grounds in record breaking times. Actually, Yami was one of the slower purebloods in his kingdom, but of course, only the Sacred Guardians knew about it. Though most who have seen Yami run, described it as if he was traveling like the speed of sound. Unfortunate for Yugi, he had to experience the insanely fast movements with hardly a warning.
When Yami had place Yugi gently down on his feet, the pureblood watched with a baffled expression as Yugi sprang to the nearest trashcan to vomit up what little food was in his stomach. The smell of bile overwhelmed Yami's sensitive sense of smell, causing his nose to burn and his own stomach threaten to spill out whatever it contained. With watering eyes that burned, Yami cover both his mouth and nose with his right hand as he went to aid his feeder. Although he was highly opposed to helping the source of the unbearable stench, but Yugi was his feeder and it was Yami's job as a vampire to make sure Yugi's health was at least an 'okay'.
"I forgot how much vomit stinks," Yami muttered to himself sounding nasally from his covered nose.
Yami backed away from Yugi as he straighten back up wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
The human had a look of disgust on his face. "That wouldn't have happened if you didn't use that vampire speed of yours."
The pureblood vampire lowered his hand from his nose and mouth as he glared at the human. 'Does this human believe the fault of him getting sick, is mine only? Ignorant brat.' Yami sighed through his nose, before tilting his head up slightly as he cast his gaze downwards at Yugi. "I wouldn't have been forced to pull such a stunt, if you were had woken up when your grandfather had originally woke you," Yami kept his face void of all emotions as Yugi blushed from embarrassment, or so the prince assumed.
"How do you know that?" The human questioned the vampire sounding somewhat stunned.
"I heard him trying to wake you up before he came outside to sweep the shop this morning," The vampire didn't lie. Although he had been wrapped up his thoughts before Solomon had joined him outside in the cold, Yami was still conscious of his surroundings. Which included some of the Mutou's interior residence.
The vampire watched Yugi's facial expression become clouded with disgust and a hint of horror. "You were standing outside my house that early? Do you not have better things to do in the morning, other than stand outside someone's house."
Yami thought for a moment brief moment before shaking his head. "At the time, I did not. I suppose the only think my mind wanted me to do was be near you."
For perhaps the first time since Yami had claimed the boy as his personal food source, Yugi was completely silent as he glared at the vampire with pure disgust. The look made Yami's un-beating heart jolt in his chest. The vampire's face soften from its emotionless mask and was replaced by worry and confusion. For a fraction of a second the human made him fear that he had done something wrong or unjust. " Did I…do something wrong?"
Yugi shook his head before turning on his heel. "Nothing, ...Stalker."
Cold. Yugi's voice was ice cold and pierced Yami in the chest with his final word. He a stalker? No, that wasn't possible. He wasn't stalking Yugi in any way. The human was already his food source, there was no reason for him to try and hunt a prey that had already been hunted. Unless the human meant another definition….
Yami's pale facial complexion burned a feverish red as his mind finally made the connection between his earlier actions and Yugi's words. "I'm not obsessed with you!" The pureblood vampire blurted out at his human, however, Yugi was already far from him by the time the words had escaped him. Crimson eyes scanned the front courtyard of Domino high school until they landed on the lithe form of his troublesome human conversing with sandy blonde haired Egyptian.
Uncaring what conversation Yugi was holding with the male that Yami recognized as Marik's feeder, the prince stormed his way towards Yugi, seething with silent rage.
"I am not some obsessed follower!" Yami abruptly snapped at Yugi, interrupting whatever he and Malik had been speaking about.
The human looked away from his friend to Yami, with an amused smile on his face. "Then would you care to explain why you were outside my house before Grandpa had even made it out there?"
Yami growled at Yugi's taunting tone. He knew the human was just being playful, trying to get on his nerves. Sadly, it was working. "I just was Yugi, I do not have to explain myself to a human."
Turning to Malik, Yami eyes took in the male's entire appearance, from head to toe. "Watch this troublemaker for me today. I have a meeting to attend to," He ordered the other human, knowing he would follow his command.
"Roger that, Princy," Malik gave Yami a playful salute with a teasing smile, much like Marik's own trouble causing grin.
Yami rolled his eyes at the human. Why humans were such weird creatures, eluded Yami's mind. He gave one more glance towards Yugi, his annoyance had dimmed a bit as he gazed at his human.
Without another word, Yami left the humans to themselves but not before he heard Yugi asking Malik if he had pushed the vampire too far. A smile graced the royal's face as he retreated. Only if Yugi had knew how long it had been since someone had actually taunt Yami playfully, then maybe he wouldn't worry as much.
Dear Yugi Mutou,
This letter's purpose is to serve as a reminder for Yugi Mutou until, our scheduled meeting is to take place after the New Year Celebration. There, we will discuss what you've discovered and your next course of actions.
I congratulate you on your rapid development in your assignment. I did not think you would be able to obtain that status as Yami's personal feeder in such a short time. In all honesty, I bargained for you not achieve the status for at least a year into the mission. I realize that the events leading up to him claiming you, were not something a young man your age should have went through. Please note that although you now are no longer eligible for any of our benefits, due to your claiming, we, the International Vampire Hunter Association, are still expecting your full cooperation for the mission your were assigned. If at any point you do not wish to do so any more, we will respect your decision. However, the price for backing out of this mission, is a steep one. It's with a heavy heart that I must inform you, if you were to at any point abandon your mission, 'forget' your objective, or perhaps decide to inform Yami Sennen or any being with ties to him of your objective that I, Pegasus Maximillion will inflict the following punishments as I see fit :
I- Yugi Mutou will be placed on the neutralization list were his presence shall be ordered to be annihilated.
II- Solomon Mutou, retired hunter, shall be requested to serve our beloved hunters once more.
III- Yugi Mutou will be reassigned a new mission, one often given to hunters of high ranks.
IV- Yami Sennen shall be attempted to be assassinated and the evidence will be planted on one of the following: Solomon Mutou, Ryou Bakura, Malik Ishtar, Anzu Mazaki, Jonouchi Katsuya, Honda Hiroto or Ryugi Otogi.
V- Evidence supporting a falsified claim of Yugi Mutou being a spy for enemies against the Vampire Monarchy shall be released.
VI- The friends and family of Yugi Mutou shall be accidently 'involved' in a vampire hunt and may suffer casualties.
VII- Yugi Mutou may experience similar situations as he had with the rogue vampire Tetsu Ushio, but with humans.
VIII- Friends and family of Yugi Mutou may be expelled from the country, as a result of him failing to perform his duties properly.
IX- Yugi Mutou will be forced to suffer the effects of a vampire's venom, through unwilling injection.
I do not wish the enforce these punishments, but I will do as needed for the greater good of mankind. Yugi, you and your family have proven yourselves to be excellent hunters. Please, do not fall to the same fate that many of your ancestors had before you. It would be a pity if I lost yet another young Mutou to their own foolishness. Remember, you took up the oath of a hunter's apprentice, you are our trainee, our young kin. Although you will be unable to become a full-fledged vampire hunter, you are still a member of this family. Your heart is with our hearts, we are your ONLY allies. Do not be fooled by false acts of kindness. For there is no redemption for a traitor.
-Sincerely, Director Pegasus Crawford of the IVHA Domino City Branch, Eastern Hemisphere Representative.
This was the sixth time that he had read the letter Pegasus had sent since. He had received the important message from his grandfather when he had returned home from school. Immediately, Yugi had went upstairs to his room, locking the door for privacy incase his grandpa decided to be nosy, so he could read his message in private... That had been four hours ago.
Now, Yugi sat in the simple black office chair that was stationed behind his desk. The teen's feet were placed on his desk as he leaned back in the office chair, and with an arm tossed over his eyes. Still dressed in his school's uniform that was now wrinkled, Yugi appeared to be distressed mess. His skin was almost pale as Yami's, his hair had bits and pieces separating themselves from his main spikes, there were dark circles under his eyes and Yugi couldn't focus on one single thought. So many of them were going through his head at once. It was just a jumbled up mess.
What the human felt was beyond anger, he couldn't even place a name for what he felt. Even after reading the letter so many times, Yugi just couldn't accept the threat. He did not care what Pegasus did to him or Yami. Yami would be able to handle himself, he was probably used to death threats. And Yugi had always accepted the thought, since he enlisted as a hunter's apprentice, that he could possible live a very short life. The human wasn't scared of death.
What made Yugi upset, was the fact the director was involving his loved ones. That disturbed Yugi and caused him to feel even more fear than when Ushio had tried to kill him. His friends and his grandpa were the people who had help shape him into the person he was today. They were his world and without them, Yugi wasn't sure he would be able to live his life any more.
He was a kind human being with confidence to stand up for himself and for his friends. He had compassion and mercy towards those who claimed to be his enemies, and he could hardly kill a fly. He tried to get along with others and treated everyone as equals, regardless of race. Yugi's friends had also helped him out grow his timid ways, though he still had his bashful moments. His friends and grandpa helped him when his weaknesses got the better of him.
His friends were his family, and his family was his life, along with his favorite card game; Duel Monsters. The human so badly wanted to scream out his frustrations, to tell at least one person about his fears, his worries and ask for advice. Ask for help to protect his fragile world. He knew if he asked, his grandpa or one of his friends, would have been willing to listen to him vent his frustrations. But he couldn't tell them about this. He couldn't put their lives in danger because of his desire to be selfish and revive himself of his stress. There was only one person he could possibly speak to about this, but he was a five-thousand year old sealed vampire that Yugi had been forcing himself to go feed ever since he discover that the vampire was or had been, the previous ruler of the vampire kingdom.
Just thinking about the vampire that had been sealed away, started to calm Yugi's restless mind. The human allowed his eyelids to slide close over his violet orbs and a faint smile tugged at his lips. He enjoyed his moment of peace before deciding that perhaps, it would help ease his stress if he were to go see Atem. Since just thinking about him seemed to make his mind clear.
Opening his eyes and uncovering his face, Yugi stood from his chair and stretched out his arms above his head as he did so. Soft pops came from his stiff joints and the letter in his hand crumbled as he made a fist. Yugi placed the ruined piece of paper on his desk before moving towards his closet.
Since the bath he had given Atem two days ago, Yugi had yet to return to the pharaoh's chamber wearing his school uniform. He wasn't going to risk spilling blood on his school uniform again, especially when the one he was currently wearing had been his spare one. After locating a pair of light gray sweatpants and a yellow long sleeve Nike shirt with the words 'Just Do It' written in a dark grey, Yugi tossed his choice of clothes on his bed before stripping down to plain white boxers he was wearing. The seventeen year old male with wild gravity defying hair was quick to change. Once his pants were on his hips and his shirt was tugged over his slim torso, Yugi grabbed his phone off his nightstand and placed it in his pocket before snatching up his red concealing stone and clasping it around his neck.
Yugi took a deep breath as he grabbed the letter from Pegasus, folded the piece of paper, and then shoved it into his pocket as well. He couldn't risk leaving it incase his grandfather decided to be noisy. After grabbing his wallet off of his neatly made bed, Yugi finished his business in his room and cut the lights off as he exited to head down stairs.
Once down stairs, Yugi start to feel slightly guilty for leaving as the smell of steak, carrots, sweet onions, and zucchini being grilled, filled his noes. The human had to swallow the extra saliva pooling in the bed of his mouth as he headed towards the coat closet in the living room.
"You finally grace me with your presence after being locked up in your room, and now you're leaving before dinner is done?" Yugi heard his grandfather's voice echoing from the kitchen as he tugged on a thick black Columbia winter coat.
"Sorry Grandpa, I just need to go out for a bit," Yugi apologized sincerely as zipped up the thick jacket.
"Go out for what?"
"To clear my head and buy some Christmas gifts. You know it's just a few days away. "
"Oh, well then, we better go back over what do if you encounter a vampire alone at night," Yugi groaned softly at his grandfather's words. He understood why his grandfather was being overprotective but the 'precautions' he wanted Yugi to do were a bit on the extreme side.
Emerging from the kitchen dressed in his daily clothes of a pair of overalls, a plain collared shirt, with an orange bandanna holding back gray spikes similar to Yugi's; Solomon pointed his wood spoon at his grandson. "If you notice someone following you, what do you do?"
Yugi sighed before perking up and giving his grandpa answer filled with energy, "I must not try to confront them. Instead I should seek refuge in a largely crowded area and call either Yami or Jonouchi for assistance."
"Good! Now what do you do if a vampire tries to use compulsion on you?"
"Resist it at all cost and contact either Yami or Jonouchi to come aid me in escape from the vampire," Yugi said in an all knowing tone giving his grandfather a confident grin with challenging eyes. Even if this was boring, Yugi was going try to make a game out of it.
"What about if the vampire had pinned you against a wall or in an ally?" Solomon's own challenging smile and dark violet eyes tried to rival Yugi's own passionate expression.
"I'll do all I can to escape before calling Yami for help. If he doesn't pick up I will call Jonouchi or scream for help."
" What if the bite you?"
"Scream as loud as I can to gain someone's attention, before forcing the vampire off. I'll need to call anyone as soon as possible, before calling the VP."
"And what's the Vampire Patrol's emergency number?"
"Twenty-two, sixteen," Yugi said confidently placing his hands on his hips confidently.
"What about if a vampire tries to seduce you?" Solomon's voice was dark with a playful lust, succeeding in creeping out his grandson and causing him to become embarrassed.
"T-T-That's not a part of the situations we did-discussed!" Yugi stuttered out as he backed away from the old man with a light blush on his face and his violet eyes wide with horror.
" But what if it happens, child? What would you do then?" Solomon pressed teasing his grandson.
"I-I'd decline and tell them I'm not interested."
"But what if you are interested in them?"
"I'll still decline," Yugi said firmly, standing his ground. His face was serious as he crossed his arms the best he could when wearing a puffy winter coat.
" But what if you can't?" His grandpa interrogated him, heading back into the kitchen as Yugi became flustered from his grandfather's words.
"I'll still do it!" He blurted out stubbornly before walking towards the door that concealed the stairs that lead down to the shop. Yugi slipped on his black and white tennis shoes that were settled by the door.
With his shoes protecting his feet from the cold, the human opened the door and started to head down to the shop. "Bye Grandpa! I'll be home before midnight."
"Be safe!" Yugi heard the faint sound of his grandfather's voice over his footsteps going down the wooden steps.
The human smiled when he reached the bottom before turning around to yell back up that stairs at his loving grandparent. "Don't worry, I will!"
Yugi was grateful for convenient stores, especial ones that was meant to be convenient for vampires. There was an endless amount of types of blood to choose from and it made the human feel less guilty about having not brought Atem's normal bags of blood with him.
He had completely forgotten about grabbing the last two remaining blood bags from his underwear drawer before he left his house, for Atem to drink. His grandfather had made him completely forget all about the sealed vampire's own dinner. Yugi didn't even remember about the vampire's 'food' until he had passed the convenient store the first time. It was probably the reason why his grandpa refused to let him have a pet when he was little. Yugi could be forgetful at times.
'Hrmm,' Yugi's eyebrows were tightly knitted together as he combed through the aisles to find anything that was anything like human blood and not animal. He felt like he was searching for a needle in a haystack, human blood was nowhere in sight on the store's shelves.
"Excuse me, but may I help you find whatever you are looking for?" Yugi blinked twice and lifted his gaze from a bottle of sweetened lion's blood that he had be examining, to find the source of the female's voice that had spoken up.
His violet eyes finally located a beautiful dark brown haired girl with gorgeous gold irises that resembled the sun. Yugi simple nodded at the female, having trouble finding his voice at the moment. "Uh…yeah. I was looking to see if you carried any human blood."
"We do, but it's kept in the back to avoid it from spoiling," The girl's bell like voice rang with laughter at the end of her sentence before leading Yugi towards the back of the store. " What type would you like?"
Yugi's check were dusted a light pink as he followed the playboy bunny material girl into the back of the store. If she wasn't wearing the store's unappealing uniform, Yugi was sure the girl would give even Mai a run for her money. "Something that'll help restore one's energy quickly. I have a friend that needs to regain his energy back," Yugi replied to the female fiddling with the end of his black winter coat.
"Sounds like he needs 'AB positive', one or two pints?"
"Two please." Yugi said blushing lightly as he caught another glimpse of the woman's high cheekbones and plump lips. 'Definitely hotter than Anzu.'
"Is that all you want, Hun?" The store's clerk asked with a sweet honeyed voice that sent a chill through Yugi as she pulled the blood packets from a freezer.
" I actually was thinking about buying a bottle of lion's blood to try, which do you recommend?" The human asked trying to will the warmth in his cheeks away.
The beautiful vampire was silent as she thought and lead Yugi back to the main part of the store towards the aisle Yugi had been in previously. "I think you'll like this one."
The clerk picked up a solid black bottle with a silver silhouette of a lion sitting on top of a rock. With silver writing the bottle was inscribed with 'Leo' at the top and 'Pure lion blood, feel the rush of a king.' on the bottom.
Yugi looked over the product for himself before smiling at the clerk. "I think I'll get this one, then."
"Great! Just a fair warning in advance, it'll give you a bit of a jolt when you first drink it. Just in case you're friend has never had lion's blood before."
Yugi nodded his head and followed the clerk up to the register to pay for his items. When he had finish paying for the item's Yugi was surprised how cheap the blood was. He figured it would have been more expensive than he spent at the local blood bank, but it was cheaper. The store clerk was even nice enough to warm up the blood Yugi had just bought, before placing it in a bag and wishing him a goodnight. Yugi gave her a similar farewell with a light wave before continuing his journey to Atem. He hope Atem liked lion's blood as much as he did for the blood of a human.
He was unsure for the reason why, but since the moment he had entered the sewers that acted like secret passage to Atem's chamber, Yugi's heart was pounding in his chest fast and heavily. It made human feel anxious, but Yugi was certain the feeling wasn't his. In desperation to try to slow it, Yugi pressed the bag of lukewarm blood to his chest in order to warm up. His uneasiness start to bring back his earlier thoughts that had come from Pegasus' letter, which was crumbled up in his pocket. Picking up the pace, Yugi was almost running as he made his way to his 'sleeping' friend. He didn't like this feeling. He felt…helpless, like there was nothing in this world he could do other than be Pegasus' loyal lapdog.
By the time he actually reached the room in which the entrance to pharaoh's chamber was hidden in, Yugi was out of breath. He had also confirmed that this feeling wasn't his own. No, it had to belong to the vampire that was sealed away. For the human felt the sensation grow with each step he took and peak when he came to stand in front of the secret entrance to Atem's inner chambers.
It wasn't normal. Something was, the human just knew it. Normally by this point in his visit, Yugi could feel the calmness the pharaoh's presence had naturally. But as he stood staring at the limestone wall in front of him as he tried to calm himself, he could only feel a massive discomfort of pain in his chest. It felt like he was being stabbed in the chest himself. Fearing for the worst, Yugi hurried to reveal the entrance to Atem's chamber.
The moment the slab of wall had opened enough to allow Yugi through, the human leaped over the remainder of the sinking wall and quickly closed it before rushing down the dark corridor towards Atem.
"I'm here! I'm here! Relax, calm down. I've got you dinner and desert, Pharaoh," The teenager tried to sooth the pure blood, his voice was unconvincing; filled with worry and hysteria.
When Yugi spotted Atem's sarcophagi open and the pharaoh visible just as he had left him yesterday, Yugi relaxed slightly. But his body tensed again when he spotted a black and purple mist that was seeping out of vampire's chest where the dagger was embedded. The human quickly rushed to the vampire's side, dropping the bag of warm blood at his feet as his small hands reached out to cover Atem's gruesome wound, hoping to prevent the dark mist from flowing out.
"What the hell is this?" The human cursed out of confusion as he tried to prevent the smoke like substance from escaping the Pharaoh's body.
'Release me!'
Through his own feelings, thoughts, and the feelings that the vampire was forcing onto him through compulsion; Yugi heard the voice just faintly, but clear as clean water. The two distinct words were only but a whisper to Yugi, but the stress emphasized on them by the dark voice that uttered them in his mind, made it known that they were being yell. For a long time, Yugi did not move. Unable to decide on what to do. Either he could listen to the voice or ignore it and do what he had originally plan first. But the human didn't know what either outcome would lead to.
Eventually, Yugi decided it would be safe to feed the vampire first before doing anything else. If he did release Atem, then hopefully the blood he was going to give him would keep the pureblood's bloodlust sedated for the moment.
'Release me!' The whisper in his mind was louder now, like tortured cry of help.
It pained Yugi to resist the plea as he bent down and grabbed the first bag of blood, uncapped it's top and leaned Atem up so he could get the warm substance in the man's body.
" I'll release you but first, drink. I promise, I'll try to unseal you," His voice was shaky, concerned for the other.
As much as he didn't want to be scared, the human was. His hand quivered as he squeezed blood into Atem's mouth, and the other one shook Atem lightly as it supported his torso. When Yugi got the first mouthful to be swallowed by Atem, he felt the room grow deathly cold. The extra emotions in his body left, leaving him to deal with his own. It made him even more fearful, this time with worry that something was seriously wrong with the vampire other than wanting to be set free. Not wanting his mind's un-optimistic views distract him from the task at hand, Yugi forced his mind to focus on Atem. Remembering things such as when he first discovered the vampire and how he discovered his name just a day ago, which he had yet to tell the pharaoh.
"So Pharaoh," Yugi spoke up, trying to keep his voice uplifting and calm. "I found out who you were…err are, the other day. It was a lot to take in, so it's the reason why I hadn't spoken much in my previous visit," The human admitted truthfully, he really hadn't spoken much to Atem other than tell him hello and goodbye.
"Your name is Atem. That's what my grandpa's book said and I have to say, it fits you nicely,," The human continued to speak softly as he finished off the first bag and helped Atem to swallow it before reaching for the second one. "You were a great pharaoh who brought nothing but peace to this world and only wanted it, at least, that's what the history books say. He even had a picture of you in there too, maybe that must be why he reacted so badly to your picture when I first showed it to him," Yugi bitterly laughed.
The human repeated the same process as he done with the first bag of blood, letting the red liquid fill the vampire's mouth to capacity as he talked to the other. "Also, you have a lover who still is alive and well. I'm not sure that he's too happy about the fact you're still sealed. Actually…I'm not even sure he knows you are down here. He seemed…none too happy or pleased with you, when I brought it up. I think that was just his loneliness speaking for him. But I can see where he's coming from. I would be pissed too if I had to work my ass off for three thousand years because my lover got himself killed or close to it," The human laugh as he placed the blood bag on Atem's lap and tilted the man's head up so it was easier for the blood to go down the vampire's throat. " Yami and I…have been growing closer these past few days. We don't have the best relationship, but since he claimed me as his feeder…"
Yugi went silent as he lowered Atem's head and the familiar calmness Atem normal held, washed over him. The human sighed blissfully relieved that the warm feeling was back. He was happy and because of that, he decided to give Atem the last half of the second blood bag.
"You know, I used to not like him. Not one bit. He always interrupted my and Jonouchi's conversations, snored during lectures, treated others like they were a lower beings, and how he always seemed so cold. But I think I'm understanding why he's does those things," Yugi admitted to Atem, removing the empty bag from the pharaoh's mouth and tossed it on the floor before tilting his head up and back so the blood could be swallowed.
"He's trying to distance himself from others so he doesn't get hurt again, at least, that's my hunch," Yugi spoke as he simply held Atem. The human gazed down at the slumbering vampire, his eyes softening and the human smiled at the other's peaceful face. He used to think this man was foolish for getting placed under a spell, but now Yugi had only respect for the vampire. "I may have to do the same things Yami is doing," The human looked away from Atem, his smile turning into a depressed frown. "Director Pegasus will threaten the lives of my family and friends if I don't comply with his orders," Yugi fell silent as his grip supporting the Pharaoh tightened.
"Truth is, I don't want to do this. I don't want to spy on the council or Yami. I don't want to be Yami's feeder, and I certainly don't want to be an obedient hound for the Hunter Association. But if I refuse to, if I go against the hunters, everyone I care about will be endangered. I also won't be able to get the chance to make my grandpa's dream come true. I won't be able to reform the IVHA and get rid of its corruption." Gently, Yugi lowered the handsome vampire back down into a laying position, and one of his hands grabbed one of the pharaoh's for comfort. "I just want a happy life. That's all I want. "
Releasing Atem's hand after giving it a squeeze, stood up straight. His eyes fell onto the rotting wound in Atem's chest and the human cringed at the sight. The black smoke was oozing from the spot the enchanted dagger was embedded in the King's flesh.
"I'll… I'll remove the dagger now." Yugi spoke firmly, his eye not leave the object.
Anxiety began to creep up on him, despite the calming effect the vampire had on him. Taking a deep breath, Yugi used both of his hands to gripped the hilt of the dagger enforcing Atem's felt the smoke like substance curl around his hands and holding them in place. Yugi allowed his eyes to look down at the grotesque wound on the vampire's chest. The black veins emerging from the rotting flesh and crystallized blood, were visibly pulsing. Much like an erotic heartbeat. The black and purple mist had thickened when his hands were placed upon the dagger, clouding his vision and making it difficult to breathe. If it was this bad now, what would it be like when he tried to pull this ancient weapon out of Atem?
'Release me. I must wake up. I must. Death will befall me if I do not.'
Yugi felt the mysterious words in his head calmed his anxiety, he wasn't sure how or why and nor did he question it. He had a objective to complete. He needed to remove this seal and save Atem from falling into Death's hands.
Tightening his grip on the dagger, Yugi allowed his eyes to close as he focused on calming his heartbeat. He was going to release Atem, nothing could change his mind. If he were to die after this, then oh well. Pegasus wouldn't have to worry about having to deal with him or have any means to harm his grandpa and friends. Because Yugi wouldn't be there to suffer the pain.
Opening his eyes, Yugi gave no warning as he gave a harsh jerk on the dagger and leaned pack as he pulled. Sounds of the crystallized blood cracking and blood splattering filled the room, along with Yugi's pounding heart. He had only barely pulled the dagger out of the pure blood's chest when the small melee weapon turned into ash.
With his grip suddenly gone, Yugi stumbled backwards clumsily. He backpedaled to keep his balance, his eyes were firmly closed and already expecting for his body to come into contact with the ground at any moment, but it never came. Instead, his back had bumped into the wall across from Atem's sarcophagi.
With his feet firmly planted on the ground and his balance restored, Yugi opened his eyes to look at his hands, baffled. Dark gray ash dusted his palms and blood had been splattered on the back of his hand. Looking up from them and towards Atem, Yugi's mouth opened slightly and his violet iris dilated.
The black mist that had been escaping from Atem's chest was now oozing out of the opened wound and slowly started to fill the chamber. Yugi pressed his body closer to the wall as the mist started to build even more, until is caused the entire chamber to become pitch black. Erasing all sources of light from the lite torches. It was like Yugi had closed his eyes expect, he was positive they were open.
'Thank you.'
He heard the voice, but his mind paid no attention to the comforting words or the calm feeling they emitted. His mind was in shambles. Not even the calming effect Atem held over him, could be felt through the thick mist, as Yugi panicked.
He was going to die. The human just knew it. Even as he rubbed his eyes, the darkness did not go away, instead it seemed to grow darker than black. So dark, Yugi thought he was hallucinating when he spoted a light from the direction where he had last seen Atem's body.
Yugi felt his chest becoming warm as the light started to grow intense and the darkness began to turn into a large void of nothingness. The brighter the light, the darker the darkness, and the warmer his chest grew. The trend continued what felt like years to Yugi, until the warm feeling in his chest felt like it was burning right through his skin and the light had consumed him.
The intense light made Yugi close his eyes to prevent it from damaging his retinas. Yugi reached for his chest grabbing at his jacket where the burning was the most intense. The human wish his death would come quicker than this. He couldn't stand the burning pain much more, it was going to drive him mad if didn't receive relief any time soon.
The human let out a harsh cry of pain as the light was starting to seep through his eyelids and he couldn't take the burning pain anymore. He wanted to die, he was wishing for death. If Atem was going to suck him dry, he better do it soon or Yugi was going to end this life of his before the vampire could.
Laughter.
High pitched squeals and giggles filled his ears along with a slur of words that made no sense to Yugi. Unknown voices came from all directions speaking in a language Yugi couldn't even register. The accents were like nothing he had ever heard of before. Foreign, unknown.
The high pitch voices started to morph. Becoming deeper in pitch with age. Soon they became murmurs of annoying unknown chatter that gave Yugi a headache. He tried to make out what they were saying, but it was of no use. He did, however, detect one voice out of the others that he thought sounded familiar. He focused more on that one single voice, trying to pinpoint where he knew it from.
Yugi's heart fluttered with hope when he recognized the low pitched voice. It was Yami's, he was sure of it. But it lacked his normal cold tone. His voice had traces of warm emotion, playful aloofness, and contentment. He sounded happy, which was...odd. The more he heard this style of Yami's speech in the unknown language, it made Yugi even more eager to know what was making Yami speak in such away. It was so different to him, almost as foreign as the tongues he spoke in.
Yugi couldn't keep up with time as he focused in on Yami's beautiful voice. It wasn't haunting like it was when the male spoke with Yugi, but it was kind to whomever he had been speaking with at this time. There had been a slight absence of voices when Yami's finally drifted away. But a deeper one, like the voice that had been pleading in his head earlier, soon took its place as it spoke to silence. There was dull thud in the middle of the voice's speech before gagging and coughing was echoing around Yugi. When the coughing stopped deadly silence filled Yugi's ears.
The human couldn't feel anything or even think, as he awaited in suspense. His patience was awarded when a loud ear piercing cry nearly caused him to go deaf. There was crying, apologetic murmuring before voices of anger caused the cries to be silenced and forgotten. Through the anger another loud shriek, this one not as high pitch. When the new cries started, Yugi was able to distinguish the voice as Yami once more. Surprisingly he knew the word he repeating over and over.
It was the name of his former lover.
Yami's cry grew louder as a soft voice much deeper than his own, started to mumble words that were meaningless. The Prince moaned, hiccupped, muttered unknown words in a pleading voice, wailed and howled out in pain. It seemed like Yugi's vampire's grief was never going to end when, it was abruptly silenced.
The light behind Yugi's eyelids started fade, but as it did, noisy chattering began to fill own ears. The human's head started to throb uncontrollably with the worst headache he had experienced in his seventeen years of life. As the chattering started to quiet down, Yugi could make out the words. Even more so he knew some of the voices that were speaking. It was a mixture of Yami, Mahaad, the healer Isis, Bakura, Marik, Shada, a grumpy Aknadin, and…
"I'm not doing this for you, it's a favor...for the brat you made your mate."
His grandfather's voice softly whispered in annoyed tone. Yugi's mind was sent into confusion before another voice had spoke up and demanded his attention.
"Good morning Atem! And how are we feeling today? Can you try speaking to Yami through your bond?"
It was his mother's soft energetic voice. Warm and caring just like the last time Yugi had heard it over the phone before…
"Ah, Pharaoh. It's good to see your condition is stabilizing. You'll be able to break this enchantment up if you continue to fight. We'll do our best fighting from this side."
His father's proud and confident tone practically was being yelled in his ears, before it faded into many more conversations between his mother and father as the spoke to Atem as if he was talking back to them.
When the voices had faded out completely and were no more, the light that had been blinding Yugi, finally disappeared. The moment he could feel his numb limbs again, the human fell to his knees.
Yugi felt like his world was crashing down on him as he struggled to open his eyes, only to have a harsh stinging sensation try and prevent him from doing so. He ignored the dull burn as he forced his eyes open to gaze at the darken room he was in. No bright light and no dark mist, just the dulled chamber that the former pharaoh's sarcophagus was in. Not even a single torch on the white limestone walls with colorful hieroglyphics, was lit.
Vaguely, Yugi remember the burning sensation that had plagued him until he was focused on the strange voices. Unzipping his black winter coat, Yugi slid it off groggily. A dull light on his chest caused Yugi to narrow his eyes as he looked down at his concealing stone. Yet again, the stupid gem had tried burn him alive. The human was about to take the precious stone off so it wouldn't try to make him combust into flames, when Yugi felt the stone pulse and send the discharge through his entire body.
Yugi allowed the bright burgundy colored stone to fall back onto his chest. He remained completely still as the pulsing continued flowing from his family's precious heirloom and echoing in his body. The odd phenomenon continued for several minutes never slowing down, but was steadily increasing in tempo with each passing second. When the pulsing became rapid, Yugi realized that the thumping feeling wasn't coming from his gem instead it was coming from a different source.
For the first time since he pulled the dagger out of the pharaoh's chest, Yugi allowed his eyes to gaze at Atem's sarcophagus directly. The stone casket was visibly throbbing with the quick and even tempo. Slowly, a tanned hand started to rise out from the two coffins. It gently came to a rest on the edge of the sarcophagi. Yugi's breath was caught in his throat as he watch Atem's other hand mimic it's twin. Finally the vampire's torso slowly began to rise from the uncomfortable stone that had been its home for the last three thousand years
.
Violet eyes watch with pure amazement and fear as the pharaoh forced his body to move at a sloth's pace while he started to regain his ability to move. When the vampire was sitting upright, he stretched his arm above his head, popping the stiff joints that had been neglected for millenniums. The sickening snapping sounds struck fear into Yugi's very soul with each firecracker like pop. It was proof that he had possibly just woken up a beast.
Tan legs bald of hair and soft uncalloused feet swung over the edges of both sarcophagi with ease before Atem's hands helped ease himself down to the ground. The pharaoh didn't let go of the edge of the sarcophagi until his heels were firmly planted on the ground and his knees stopped wobbling from the weight of supporting their owner's body after years of neglect. It was amazing to see how the purest of purebloods manage to crawl his way out of what was his own 'grave' and stand on his two feet again. Without ever opening his eyes to see what he was doing.
Yugi watched in silence as Atem just stood there, unmoving as his eyelids twitched several times. After five long grueling minutes the delicate flaps of skin with long bold eyelashes fluttered open, blinking several times before the pharaoh's eyes were revealed.
Dulled maroon pierced into bright amethyst.
Nothing was said or done as Atem just simple gazed Yugi in the eye from the distance they were at. The human felt all fear evaporate from his being as he watch the groggy pharaoh barely be able to support himself standing. Slowly, Yugi pushed himself up off the ground to stand, he tried to compare their heights from the distance.
So far, he could tell Atem was either tall as Yami or perhaps a little taller than the current leader.
A hoarse sound that sounded like a dying cat, echoed through the room. Yugi noticed Atem's lips moving fairly slowly as he tried to force his voice to come out and form words Yugi couldn't understand. The human spotted his plastic bag from the convenient store on the ground by Atem's right foot. He smiled remembering the bottle of lion's blood he had bought for the man to enjoy. Maybe it would be easier for him to talk, if the pharaoh drank some of the liquid.
"Atem," Yugi spoke clearly with a bright smile.
Upon hearing his name, the vampire's eyes gain some brightness as he stared at Yugi with a dull expression. The human kept his smile as he pointed down by his right foot. " There's a drink in the bag if you want it."
The pharaoh tilted his head to his left in confusion, before glancing down in the direction Yugi had been referring to. Slowly Atem bent over at the waist, and outstretched his right hand towards the bag. From Yugi's point of view, Atem appeared to be fine as he leaned over to reach the bag, however, when the pharaoh expectantly fell over and landed on the floor with a sickening thud, he was proven wrong. Shock and worried for the vampire, Yugi to sprint towards the royal.
"Pharaoh are you all right?!" Yugi questioned the vampire out of concern as he fell to his knees in front of the man's face.
When Atem started to push himself up off the ground Yugi tried to help, only to have his helping hands smacked away from the royal and an annoyed red eyed glare sent in his direction. Again the pureblood spoke in unknown syllables to Yugi in his hoarse voice as he weakly pushed himself off the ground and into a cross-legged sitting position with his hands placed in his lap, the same annoyed look on his face. The pharaoh made a noise of clearing his throat before straightening his back and started to speak in his own personal language again, this time with clarity. The only thing Yugi was able to understand from his dialog was the name 'Heba'. This man's tormentor.
Yugi's face was one of bewilderment as Atem's words went in one ear, and out his other. When the human didn't say in anything in response the vampire growled as his face started to turn red from anger. Yugi would have said the look of anger on Atem's face was cute, if he wasn't a pureblood vampire that happened to be the previous ruler of the vampire nation. Another sharp slur of words came from the Pharaoh's mouth, his voice hinting at his frustrations as he made an effort to pronounce each syllable of his unknown language to Yugi.
Still unable to understand Atem, Yugi took a wild guess that the vampire could possibly be dying of thirst. He grabbed the plastic bag before pulling out the lion's blood and showing it to the pharaoh. "Are you thirsty?"
The Pharaoh gaped at Yugi in horrified astonishment before he slammed his palm into his forehead. Violent hisses escaped from Atem's lips before his gaze landed on Yugi's.
'Are you even listening to me, human? Or am I not clear enough?' Atem's deep sinful voice echoed in Yugi's mind like a beautiful haunting melody.
Yugi's mind went on lockdown when the human realized the vampire was speaking to him in his own head. His violet eyes were locked on Atem's form with fear as he tried to keep calm and reassure himself it was just a form of compulsion. If he was lucky, he would be able to find a way to block it out of his head soon.
"I can't understand a single word you speak, Pharaoh," Yugi replied softly, keeping a brave appearance as he informed the agitated vampire.
"What about now? Is my Japanese correct?" The pureblood replied in perfect Japanese and not the gibberish he had spoken earlier.
"I-It's perfect!" Yugi exclaimed in a dumbfounded tone as he leaned forward slightly, holding the blood of lion's blood close to his chest. His violet eyes were sparkling with astonishment.
"I learned it from Yami, anyway, we must leave," Atem tried to stand up on his feet, but quickly found himself falling back down to the ground. Swears were muttered as he forced himself onto his knees and he attempted to stand once more. When Yugi offered his help a second time, Atem didn't turn it down, although the human could tell the vampire was reluctant to accept it.
"Unfortunately it seems not all of the damned seal hasn't released my ability to move yet. You'll have to escort me out of the gods-forsaken place. We must hurry now," Atem spoke fluently though his mind seemed to be somewhere else.
"Okay, but why do we have leave here in such a hurry. Shouldn't we wait till the spell that sealed you has full released you from your binds?" The human suggested as he placed the taller male's arm around his shoulders, and his own arm around Atem's waist.
"No time. The council members, Yami, and the Sacred Guardians are on their way down here. Apparently I was…a bit flashy with my revival. Now go, Heba. "
Yugi did as he was told without hesitation, although confusion filled him mind to the brim. Atem had just called him Heba…why?
"My name's not Heba," Yugi corrected the vampire as he helped Atem walk out of his tomb like chamber, "It's Yugi."
"Hmm. So you're not Heba?" Yugi swore he heard disappointment in Atem's voice.
"No, I'm not Heba," The human replied, glancing Atem. "He's dead. He died almost directly after you were sealed." 'Or so my Grandfather's books say.'
The pharaoh sighed softly through his nose, and Yugi noticed the soften look of sadness on the pharaoh's face before he was caught by Atem who, glared at him though he seemed more tired than anything else.
"Yugi, was it?" The pharaoh asked stopping his slow walk with Yugi. They hadn't even made it to the exit of the dark corridor.
"Yes, what is it Pharaoh?" Yugi asked waiting on Atem to start walking again, knowing the activity must be exhausting the weaken vampire.
The pharaoh said nothing as he started to walk. It wasn't until Yugi pulled out his concealing stone to open the passage when did the vampire speak up.
"Why is it you have the stone made of my blood?"
AN: And we have a cliff at the end.
I've head to put in so many hours at work this past weekend that I felt like zombie.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
This weekend I have CPR training and a volunteer event at my local hospital.
So yeah... busy busy busy weekend.
Thank you for the reviews, follows and faves!
This chapter was 12,517 words long!
Please read and reviews!
Edited on : 10/9/16
