Orange: Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it ^_^
Yugi: Yeah because I know I won't
Orange: ^_^'
Yugi: *sigh* Please Read & Review
DISCLAIMER- Orange doesn't own Yugioh, just the storyline
Chapter 2
Yugi felt like his world had just come crashing down on him. "N-No" he whispered defeated. His head slung towards the ground and he clenched his fist. 'Damn you Atem, how can you just kill your people for amusement' Yugi cursed inside his head as he glared at the image of the joyful king on the screen.
All around the room screams, wailing and distressed shouting could be heard as the villagers panicked. Tea burst into tears and clung to Yugi's chest as she wailed out her sorrow. "Why us, it's so unfair" she wailed as Yugi patted her comfortingly on the back.
"Don't worry" Yugi said but his voice started to crack as tears formed in his eyes. Darren came over and pulled the two of them into a group hug. "You two will be fine, I swear that I will protect you two- even if it kills me" Darren vowed.
That night the residents had a large party celebrating the last night that they would live in peace.
xXx
Atem sighed in boredom as he lounged on his golden throne. His priests stood in front of him bowing their heads. "Mahad tell me is the Arena ready?" Atem drawled. Mahad nodded as he replied "Yes your majesty".
"Excellent" Atem answered. He gestured to a servant who brought him a goblet full of red wine. "Seto" Atem said before he took a gulp of the wine. Seto took a step forwards.
"What is it your majesty?" Seto asked. "Tell me about this Village of Sparks" Atem demanded.
"The Village of Sparks is a small village in the southern meadows which is overlooked by a huge hill which is home to their sacred temple. The village is home to the mage's college for thunder wizards founded by Albert Stormcloud".
Atem smirked. "You say a college of thunder wizards. I'll certainly have fun this year; looks like some of them will be able to give me a challenge. When does Survival start?"
"Palace guards are heading to the village. Once they arrive they will escort the whole village to the arena where they will be registered and released into the arena. Also my lord, there is one thing about the arena. To make it more challenging and exciting for you we have placed certain quests, chests full of useful items such as weapons and medicine in the arena. This way some of the villagers can attempt to fight back" Seto explained.
Atem smiled. "Very good, now council is dismissed. I am going to train some more". He swung his legs around and raised from the throne. "Tell me as soon as Survival is ready" he commanded before he swiftly left the room.
A couple of the other priests left but a few of them stayed. Isis, Seto, Mahad and Shadi. Mahad sighed. "Do you think anyone will survive this time?"
"I hope so, we have included many weapons and medicine to help them" Isis answered. Then she added "Why was this horrible game ever started. As king Atem should be looking after his people not killing them".
Seto growled. "Atem would have been a great King. It was because Akhenaden put that survival idea in his head before he could find other ways to amuse himself. Aknamkanon would be distraught if he saw what has become of his son and kingdom. He raised Atem to be a kind, strong, respected king before he was assassinated".
"His anger, hatred and sorrow may still be controlling his actions even now. He never really did get over his father's death" Isis pointed out.
"Well we can't do anything more about it now, we can only wait until the one person Atem truly cares about comes along and changes his mind and helps him return to being the king he should be" Shadi stated.
xXx
Yugi yawned as the morning light hit his eyes. Blinking them open he found himself lying on the floor of the mage's college. Then he remembered that this was where he passed out during the party after Darren had convinced him to drink his first ever cup of wine. Needless to say his body didn't accept it that well.
Yugi groaned as a splitting headache made itself present in his forehead. "I am never drinking anything ever again after this" Yugi vowed as he quickly stood up. He regretted it as it caused him to feel lightheaded and slightly nauseated.
Looking to his left he saw Darren and Tea also asleep on the floor beside him. Yugi sighed before he walked over to the two of them and tried to wake them up. "Come on guys wake up" Yugi said as he shook them both by the shoulders.
Tea groaned and slowly got up. "What its morning already?" she pouted as she stretched her sore limbs and got to her feet. Darren simply pushed away Yugi's arms and rolled over. Yugi sighed. 'Looks like I'll have to get him up the fun way'.
Yugi smirked devilishly as he leant down and placed his hands over Darren's chest. He quietly started chanting so that his hands flickered with power before he pressed his hand down onto Darren's chest giving him an electric shock.
Darren yelped as he shot up into the air. "Yugi you little imp" he roared before he pounced on Yugi and started tickling him. "But you wouldn't get up you lazy ass" Yugi reasoned before uncontrollable laughter took control of him.
Tea smiled as the two boys teased each other until the sound of screaming and crying broke the pretence of normality. Tea gasped as hundreds of royal soldiers came bursting through the doors of the college, grabbing a hold of anyone they came across.
The royal soldiers were all dressed in steel armour that was branded with the royal crest in a blood red metal. There were no helmets but the armour otherwise covered them from head to foot. Each soldier had a steel sword hanging from their belt, waiting to be used on those that struggled.
Darren released Yugi and pushed him and Tea behind him. He glared at the group of approaching guards. He struggled when one of them grabbed him and pulled him out of the way. Tea began to cry when a soldier grabbed her by the forearm and started to drag her away. Yugi protested with insults as he was picked up and slung over a guards shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"LET THEM GO" Darren shouted as the three of them were dragged out onto the street where the same thing was happening to hundreds of other people. Huge metal cages were being filled up with people, each one splitting the villagers into different categories. There were separate ones for each gender as well as the different age groups. However there was a different type of cage for all of the mages. Their cage was more like a giant metal box that shimmered showing a powerful spell that blocked all magic.
Tea cried out to Yugi and Darren as she was pulled away from them towards a large group of sobbing, wailing girls. "TEA" Yugi wailed as he and Darren were pulled to their temporary prison. He tried reaching out to her over the guards shoulder earning himself a blow to the head from the said guard.
Yugi slumped in the man's arms as pain overtook his senses. He felt dizzy and his surroundings swam before his eyes as he was left in a dazed semi- conscious state.
"YOU BASTARD" Darren shouted as he struck out at the guard who hit Yugi with his foot. He succeeded in kicking the man in the stomach. The man gasped as he was winded slightly. Another soldier came over at the commotion before he glared at Darren and punched him in the face. Blood started to stream from Darren's mouth and trickled down his chin. His jaw also sported a bruise that was starting to go a pale yellow colour.
"Put these troublemakers in first" the soldier commanded the others before he stormed off. Yugi was lifted onto one of the cages and his hands were bound in a pair of metal handcuffs attached to the side of the box. Darren was placed in next beside him. Darren glared at the soldiers before they turned away and started to load more mages into the cage.
He looked to his left where Yugi was struggling to keep his eyes open. "Hey Yug, you okay?" he asked concerned. He reached forward with his bound hands and held onto the small teens shoulder. Yugi blinked before he replied "I'll live… for now at least".
Darren's eyes softened as he took in Yugi's distress that he was managing to hide from everyone else. "Go to sleep Yugi, you'll feel better after a nap. I'll wake you when we get to wherever we are going". Yugi mumbled a response before he slumped against the wall of the cage asleep.
Darren frowned as he turned towards the end of the cage where a soldier smirked at them before slamming the door shut, blocking their village from view. Darren could still hear screams and shouting from outside as his people were herded like sheep.
'How can they do this to us and not feel anything. We are human just like them. Is everyone as twisted as our king?' he thought to himself. He twitched slightly in shock as the metal box jolted and started to move. Darren sighed and tried to relax himself against the cool metal. 'Well here we go. I should rest and conserve my strength if I want to protect my dear friends'.
xXx
Yugi groaned as he returned to the world of the living. He looked around to still find himself in the moving cage along with Darren and eight other mages around the same age as him. They were all boys but they all showed the same expression of terror on their faces.
Yugi shuddered as he thought about all the previous games of Survival. There had never been any survivors. Yugi knew he was doomed to die as soon as the Village of Sparks was called at the selection but the thought of dying by the crimson eyed king's hand still terrified him.
When survival first started all those years ago and he first saw an image of the king, the unnatural blood red demon eyes gave him nightmares for weeks. The smirk that made his blood run cold every time he thought of it. King Atem was truly a demon in human form.
Yugi whimpered as he brought his knees up to his chest and hid his head in his arms. 'I'm scared. I wish that you were still alive…Mum…Dad…You always knew how to sort any problem out. That's why everyone loved you'. Tears started to pour from his closed amethyst eyes. 'I'm going to be joining you up there soon. That thought should make me happy but I'm not ready to die yet. I'm only nineteen years old. I'm barely even an adult. I wanted to make you proud, do something amazing before I die, become someone of importance'.
"Yugi?"
The worried voice broke Yugi out of his depressing thoughts. He looked to his right at Darren who was staring at him concerned. "I'm fine" Yugi mumbled back as he wiped the tears from his face. He refused to show weakness now. All his life he had been the small, innocent, weak, naïve little Yugi Muto. But not anymore.
"Yugi?" Darren asked again once he saw flames burn in his friends eyes.
"I swear that I will fight back as long as there is a single breath left in my body. I won't let Atem win. I'll fight back, and this time I'll show Atem that he can't control our lives anymore. I'll kill him if I have to".
Darren smiled. "And I'll be there to back you up every step of the way". Murmurs of agreement could be heard from the other mages who had listened to Yugi's speech with rapt attention.
Suddenly the cage stopped.
"What's going on" a small timid blue eyed brunette asked. A second later the door was flung open and one by one they were pulled out into the light. Yugi winced as he had spent so long in the dark and wasn't used to the light.
They appeared to be in a large hall made of pure white marble. Other cages were nearby and the petrified villagers were stood in cues for desks that were next to gates. The mages were taken to the left and told to wait at the end of a very long cue.
Darren considered trying to make a break for it but reconsidered when he saw the number of soldiers standing in lines near the walls and exits looking for any problematic protestors.
Yugi was standing on tiptoes as he scanned around the faces of the villagers looking for Tea. His height put him at a disadvantage as he still couldn't see very far. Yugi gulped as he looked back towards the front. Beyond the gates he could see a barrier where guards were removing weapons and certain dangerous items from people before shoving them into a large swirling portal made up of what looked like purple flames.
Darren: I really hate soldiers
Yugi: And I really hate Atem
Atem: *pout*
Yugi: ATEM! *tries to punch Atem who dodges*
Atem: *grabs Yugi's hand* I can't wait to meet you in the story little one
Orange: Hey wait for the story Atem *kicks out*
Darren: Please Review if you want Orange to continue updating this story