Atemu… What is Atemu? Why do I feel, with this particular word?
The amethyst eyed boy continued to carefully sift through the cards on the floor, looking confusedly at each picture and wondering.
Silent Magician, Marsh Mellon, Kuriboh…. Atemu…These are all names…. Who is Atemu?
"…. Mu …. Mu? .. temu?"
Who calls me? Thought the teen as he peered groggily from under his eyelashes at the brown blob that dared hover above him.
"Atemu!" The teen jolted awake and grimaced as he wanted to continue sleeping, how sad that he recognised the shrill voice instantly.
"What Anzu? What is so important that you need to wake me?"
"Don't talk to me like that. Where is it?"
"Where is what Anzu?" Atemu was still half asleep and was slightly irritated about being interrogated first thing, not that the sky gave any hint to what time of day it was.
Anzu leaned forward, not breaking eye contact and whispered "Well you know….The key. Please tell me you hid it… when…" Anzu cast her eyes downwards.
Catching the hint Atemu raised his torso to the sitting position, the golden pyramid around his neck weighing heavily down, and looked around. His eyes widened at the surrounding bodies of the men.
"What happened here?" he asked. The brunette made eye contact with confused eyes.
"You mean… you didn't do this? And don't avoid the question"
Atemu looked around and noted that his knapsack and one of the foes was gone.
"I'm sorry, they took it"
She gawped at the crimson eyed man in front of her, apparently at a loss for words for his straight out reply. Eventually she calmed down and gave a disappointed sigh.
"By the sun, you know we are royally screwed Atemu"
"I know" he said clenching his hands on the bottom of his shirt I'm so stupid, I could have prevented this from happening. Its obviously not enough that I couldn't save my friends.
Weak groans were heard from the other side of Atemu and both looked at the arousing blond headed man.
"Mighty sun… Did I get kicked by the horse again?"
"Joey!" cried Anzu crawling over to hug the blond.
"Owowowow, Anzu –pant- back off a bit would ya, feels like 'm dying here"
Funny that as the blond looked like he was dying too, his skin pale, hair limp his breath came out in short, shallow pants and his dirty orange shirt was in shreds barely revealing horrific scabs that looked like they would crack open with any movement. He was the worst off out of the three; Anzu's clothes were in tatters that she only barely held up with her hands and her body was dotted in bruises and streaks of dry blood but she seemed fine otherwise, she was able to walk.
Joey's head fell to the side with a groan.
"How'd the hell we survive guys?"
The fragile smile fell instantly off Anzu's face and her shirt slid further off her shoulder.
"Atemu?" she voiced.
The said teen looked at away from both onto his golden pyramid, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "I don't remember" he stated finally.
"What if they're still alive?" quivered the girls voice again as she clutched her clothes tighter and looked back at the other bodies fearfully.
Atemu rolled his eyes and leant on his good leg, pain hit him like a hammer and his entire body shuddered violently against the movement.
"Wait your leg!"
"I'm fine" he snapped as he dragged himself over the ground, gritting his teeth. He finally slammed his hand on the chest of the still corpse, letting air rush out of it, and the mouth to open. Joey was watching through half-lidded eyes and Anzu remained too petrified to move. Atemu continued to inspect the body; no breath, no pulse, no body heat and in a position where it looked like they simply dropped dead from standing. No wounds, no injuries, nothing out of the ordinary.
"They are all dead"
"How'd they die 'Tem" breathed Joey.
"That's it, I don't know, there are no injuries and it didn't seem as if they were under influence of anything else" he quickly looked at a watch from his pocket "last night. From what I remember." That was when something caught his attention.
Putting away the watch he looked closer and stuck his fingers into the corpse's mouth.
"EEEW! Atemu gross!" cried Anzu covering her eyes, her shirt falling completely down to reveal her bra, not that both other males hadn't seen it before.
The top pallet of the mouth looked like it had been roasted alive, meaning the brain had heated up and literally cooked the flesh alive.
"It looks like their brains boiled the flesh. I'm sure HQ would love to see this"
Suddenly Atemu heard Joey start to cough and gag. Quickly turning around he saw blood splutter out of his mouth and stain the earth.
"Joey!" the other two cried.
"Atemu, whatever, we need to leave and get medical aid for Joey real soon. I'll go get the horses. Pack up what you want and don't go anywhere" she said until she ran off into the distance before disappearing behind some ruined buildings.
"I'm not going in a hurry" he mumbled softly to himself his deep crimson eyes lifting to that ever overcast sky that now rumbled ominously, Its going to rain he thought before he flicked out his switchblade and slid it across the neck of the corpse and sawed away until it was decapitated. A little blood came out, but not much. Thunder roared overhead and drops of rain pattered down.
Quickly Atemu searched the rest of the corpses for items that they could use as the rain continued to pour down.
There were no walls, just the door.
The door with a creepy eye on it that changes colour.
Though the glowing boy was apprehensive of it he watched with growing curiosity.
To open and face whatever dangers or stay here and explore the room… What am I afraid of? I would have to open this door again some time… So then it's settled I'll open it. Thought him resolutely reaching out a tentative hand. But the door swung outwards before him easily, and without noise.
A bit shocked the boy peeked out into a dark hall and looked it up and down. The sides of the corridor seemed to continue forever but across from him was a door that looked like stone but had larger boards of wood covering it up with scratch marks across the wooden surface, along with some large scrawled lettering. A large wooden log barred the entrance from the outside.
Its almost like they wanted to keep somebody in
The boy came closer, tilted his head to the right and squinted to make out what the faded door read.
A…. T….. B no E…M…. U.
Ah, ahtemoo, Atemu. Atemu
"Atemu" he spoke in remembrance of the unknown name. The worn boards shuddered and turned black along with the wooden bar that all coiled tighter together and twisted. At an instant the shadow coils lashed out at the boy.
"Argh!" he exclaimed and put his arms around his head for protection, he shone brighter in defiance, stumbling back and the shadow ropes stalled and quivered but pushed forward again to wrap around his arms.
Shaking violently they held on and yanked him towards the door to run more shadows up his arms. The dully glowing boy held the wooden bar and pushed out to prevent him from being pulled in too much. But it was a losing battle as they grasped tighter and pulled harder.
"No!" He cried aloud and his body responded by flashing brilliantly. Instantly the blackened shadow tendrils vanished into thin air and a golden outline shone on the wood that soon also vanished until all that was left was a stone door that was ajar.
Through the rain the small party's horses plodded along, laid down heavily by crates and people, the progress was slow and tedious to their destination.
Joey was already unconscious on his horse, his wounds still seeping from being moved, with Tea leading Joey's horse and Atemu leading the extra pack horse, it was a grim feeling that hung in the air.
"Anzu." voiced Atemu finally, the girl looked at the man as they rode by side by side.
The teen brought a hand to his heart and hunched over the saddle pommel. "A-Anzu" he whispered again before he started retching and gagging.
"Atemu!" hastily she rode closer and supported him before he fell completely out of the saddle.
The puzzle became visibly black and vibrated under his chest, hidden from Anzu's sight. But Atemu watched on in pain and awe.
But none of the party noticed the lights in the distance heading towards them from the rear.
Amethyst eyes peered cautiously into the room beyond the stone door but saw only dark. He lightly pushed the door further ajar and padded along the cold stone floor. Eventually he came to a wall and followed it until he came to a small ditch that he jumped over easily. Not a stones throw away he finally gazed an outline. He walked closer and stared at the massive barred wall that rose onto infinity. It was like a massive cage.
But what he stared fixedly at was the great Iron Gate with a man hanging by darkened metal chains at the juncture, thus keeping it firmly closed. He was blindfolded and gagged but his tri-coloured hair and tanned skin were still visible. His clothes were an Egyptian royalty garb but they were old and the cloak on his back looked as if something on the other side had clawed through it, time and time again. The elder teen was limp in the chains cold embrace.
Metal gears minced loudly in the glowing boys mind and the split images flipped through too fast for him to recognise them before slowing down at two similar looking teens conversing with radio static ill sounding the talk. They both were doing something with monsters in between them, it looked like a dual. The image slowed at some points in the 'dual' and the boy recognised some images that when they showed the talk cleared and screamed the words in his head.
Marsh Mellow…. Silent Magician attack!
It fast forwarded again to a single image of a teen with navy pants, jacket and tr-coloured hair walking into a door of light, thumbs up was made with his right hand. This image froze and replayed him giving the thumbs up.
"Like we say its your move. Atemu" And the man fazed into Egyptian clothing and an unexplainable happy feeling filled the glowing boy who found himself crying his eyes out on his knees.
I don't understand…. I don't understand! His mind screamed as he clutched his shoulders. What does he have to do with me! Where am I?! Who am I?! Why?!?!
"ATEMU!!" he screamed into the dark.
But all was silent in the room, all but a small sound of slinking chains.
The boy looked up and saw the gate man's head had risen up slowly, the movement shaking his chains. He seemed to stare back, even with his eyes covered, only showing he was able to listen.
"Atemu…" the other jerked a little at the word, as if surprised. "That is your name…. Why …. Why…." The light teen was at a loss for words for a while.
"Why do I care about you?" There was silence for a while as the other mans head rose higher.
//Because we are partners// were the thoughts that invaded the younger teens mind smoothly.
Haha this is so fun to write, I hope your all enjoying it as well!