Holocaust of Rome, another YuGiOh! story by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 5: Trial by Fire

Josephus and his dark mount circled the city carefully, both of them keeping their eyes peeled for the newcomers they had spotted earlier. They were bound to emerge some time, and when they did, he would be ready.

The dragon growled in impatience, visibly itching to sink his claws and teeth into something- preferably any enemy of his master, the Dark Dragon Emperor. Josephus put a hand on his dragon's neck, instantly calming him with simply his touch. "Peace, my faithful servant. We shall find them, make no mistake about that."

The dragon nodded grudgingly, then winged back toward the palace at his liege's signal- calling off the search for now. As Josephus left his dragon in the care of some of his more trusted servants in the palace to be cleaned off and his saddle and bridle removed, he strode through the halls of his palace to a particular room that looked out over the city. Summoning his dark magic from within his heart, the man cast a spell on himself so that his voice could be heard in every corner of his palace city.

Not bothering with formalities, Josephus announced, "Anyone who is found harbouring foreigners shall face dire consequences. These trespassers are to be brought to the palace immediately. Disobedience or attempts to aid them shall be treated as treason and punished accordingly." There. That should get his subjects to do what he wanted. Now all he had to do was wait for the 'guests' to arrive at his palace. He hated waiting.

I shall find them. Josephus vowed. I shall find them if I have to burn down all of Rome!

"Jeez. Dat guy means business, don't he?" Joey asked partly to himself and partly aloud after hearing the Emperor's threat.

"I will say this for our Emperor: he does not take anything lightly." Jono growled in agreement under his breath, but everyone still heard him. "He is so obsessed that he is willing to sacrifice hundreds of innocent lives. Just to capture six foreigners."

"Talk about paranoia." Hana agreed, shaking her head in disappointment. If her hunch was correct and the Emperor was Joey's distant ancestor- his second 'Brother in Time'- then Fate sure picked a winner this time. She wished that Jono was Joey's ancestor instead, but that didn't seem likely. Jono didn't have magic- as far as she was able to tell- or a connection to Egypt. He just happened to look a lot like her friend.

"Well, now we are in a bit of a jam." Jono muttered to his newest companions, who nodded wryly. "I do not wish to put any of you in danger, but I also cannot let thousands of people get hurt- or worse- by the wrath of our Emperor."

Yugi surprised everyone then by smiling at Jono, who wore a tortured and conflicted expression under his mask. "Don't worry about it. We've dealt with our fair share of corrupt rulers in our time. I'm sure one more won't be much of a problem." He told their new friend, thinking of Dartz and how he was corrupted by the evil magic of the Orichalcos, and of Bandit Keith who had subjugated the entire Dominion of the Beasts under his dark hand*. He supposed that Noah and Gozaburo also counted- as they had trapped them in the VR world- but they weren't exactly rulers of that realm. In fact- now that he thought about it- Pegasus had sort of been the 'ruler' of Duelist Kingdom as well, so they had plenty of experience dealing with deviant despots.

[Empire of Shadows]

"Now dat ya mention it, Yuge, we have taken down quite a few twisted tyrants, haven' we?" Joey grinned at his best friend, who grinned back sheepishly.

Though he had no idea what his double and friend were talking about, Jono was slightly reassured by the looks of supreme confidence on the visitors' faces when they recalled their previous triumphs. He sent a silent prayer to the ancient gods of Rome to be with his companions in their quest, that they would return to their own land safely and successfully- hopefully with the princess. An unlikely scenario, but Jono had learned never to question the gods when their minds were made up.

Just then, Akhen looked up from watching his sandals and signed something to his closest friend. Hana nodded after a minute, then turned to Jono. "What'd you mean earlier when you said why the Emperor left you alive? If he's so vain as you claim, I'd have thought you'd be one of the first he- um- y'know." She faltered, not wanting to say it out loud.

Jono looked down at that, ruby eyes darkened with sadness and something that looked like regret. He didn't answer right away, and everyone turned to him in concern. Jono sighed. "The most faithful servant of the Emperor, the dark dragon-" He began, trailing off for a moment but then nodding when he regained his resolve. "The dragon- is my own spirit creature. And his, at the same time. It is difficult to explain."

Hana gasped. "You and the Emperor share a Ka? But that's impossible! The only way that could be possible is if you were-"

"Twins." Jono interrupted, nodding. "Twin brothers, born less than a minute apart. And we share one spirit beast- or Ka, as you of Egypt call it."

Joey's jaw practically hit the floor. "You two're twin brothers?! Den how come yer not in da palace?"

"Because my brother banished me from his kingdom some time ago. After he forced this mask upon me. Had it not been for the dragon, he would have killed me long ago. But we discovered that if one of us should die, our dragon would die too." Jono explained heavily, looking down again. Then he amended his statement slightly. "Well, he tested it, but I have not. I am guessing it works both ways, though. We are both bonded to the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, so- when one of us dies- he falls with us."

"If he banished you, then why are you still here?" Téa asked with a mischievous look on her face, and Jono looked down with something of a sheepish smile. "I do not really have anywhere else to go. That and it is quite painful to be separated from one's 'Ka', as you call them. Even living this close to the palace is taxing. The pain only lessens somewhat whenever our Emperor makes his daily rounds of the city on the back of our dragon. I get to see him, but- that is about it."

Everyone felt pity for the mysterious masked prince when they heard his tale, and Akhen felt that he could sympathize with him. He had been through the exact same experience years ago, when his Ka was unjustly removed by the first Bearers and he had been sentenced to Duat*. His imprisonment had only lasted three years as opposed to the usual eternity, but still, three years was a long time to be separated from the other half of one's soul.

[See 'Flower of Life' ch. 2, 3+5]

Just then, Mokuba spoke up. "Hey, does anybody else smell smoke?"

As one, the rest of the group's eyes widened and they ran to the window, peeking out enough to see out but not enough to be seen. As everyone had feared, the dark dragon was flying over the city, firing 'Black Flare Blasts' at random houses and setting the whole city ablaze. Clearly it intended to drive the foreigners out of the houses so it could capture them and take them to the palace.

"Not good." Jono gasped. "We have no choice. I was planning on sneaking you into the palace as servants, but the only way to placate the dragon now is to have him see you and capture you. I am truly sorry about this." He bowed his head, contrite.

Mokuba looked nervous at this new development, afraid that the dragon would blast a fireball at them as soon as he spotted them. Reading his expression, Jono smiled slightly in encouragement. "Take heart, young man. Hellfire will not kill you. The Emperor will almost assuredly take you alive- if only to see your faces before he passes judgment. The situation is grim, I agree, but not as grim as it could be."

"Uh, 'Hellfire'?" Yugi asked with a raised eyebrow, and Jono looked down again. "Yes. My brother is responsible for that name. It is not the one I would have chosen for our dragon. He is a righteous creature, but his Master is using him for great evil. It saddens both of us. Myself and the dragon."

Yugi looked resolute. "Don't worry, Jono. We'll find a way to defeat your brother and save Rome, along with Nefertiri and your Ka. We can't allow this injustice to continue any longer." And with that bold declaration, he walked right out the door and stood in the street- waving his arms and signaling to the dragon. The others followed him, but not before Hana cast a 'Magical Drizzle' spell over the city- bringing a healing rain over the burning houses. Then she allowed the dragon to scoop her up in its giant talons as it grabbed her other four friends and took them to the palace.

"Can you sing, My delicate desert flower?" Josephus drawled lazily as he flopped onto his divan in his chambers and looked over at his captive- who was chained to a nearby pillar.

"Not when I have chains around my torso and cannot breathe." Nefertiri snapped back flippantly. That defiance was something she'd inherited from her father, Seth.

Josephus merely smirked and snapped his fingers, and three servants came rushing in to adjust her bindings to allow breathing room. When they bowed low and left, only the princess' ankle was left shackled to the pillar, leaving her free to move ten feet in any direction from the column.

Josephus grinned menacingly. "I shall pose My question again. Can you sing, My favourite pet?" He purred, and- at his side- 'Hellfire' growled in jealousy. "Do not be offended, dear one. I see you as so much more than a mere pet. Were you human, you would be My second-in-command." He soothed, and the dragon appeared mollified. Then he glared at his captive. "Well?" He demanded.

"To answer your question, I can indeed sing." Nefertiri sighed softly. "At least, well enough for my own people." She paused, looking down. "But we have no songs that you would know. They are all in the language of Egypt." She answered.

"Bah! I care not. Why should your songs be unfit for My halls?" He asked, not waiting for an answer. "Come, sing Me a song. Soothe My spirit with the tones of a nightingale. It matters not that I know not your words. After all, 'music hath charms to soothe the savage breast'."

Nefertiri looked down sadly, an image of her beloved father and her home floating to the surface of her mind. She closed her eyes and began to sing as a single tear dropped from her lashes.

"Home is behind,

The world ahead,

And there are many paths to tread.

Through shadow,

To the edge of night,

Until the stars are all alight.

Mist and shadow,

Cloud and shade,

All shall fade,

All shall fade-"

"Oh come now. You can do better than that." Josephus growled. "I want something that will lift My spirits, not a funeral dirge."

Nefertiri didn't even look up. "I am sorry, milord, but I cannot sing of happiness and gaiety when my own heart is heavy with sorrow. I was taken from my home to a strange world, and I miss my father terribly. I cannot be your songbird today."

Josephus rose from his divan and walked over to the foreign princess, striking her across the face with the back of his hand. His multiple rings on each finger left small scrapes on her cheek, and the force was enough to knock her to the ground.

"You are Mine now, slave!" Josephus snarled. "You will do what I say, when I say it. If I ask you to sing, you will sing. If I tell you to dance, you will dance. And if I tell you to take your life, you will throw yourself before the lions in My Colosseum like the common dog you are. Or should I say *. Am I clear?" He finished in a deadly whisper.

Nefertiri looked down, then knelt before the Emperor. "Of course, milord. I do not know what I was thinking. I shall not disobey you again."

"See that you do not." Josephus growled. "You would not like Me when I am angry."

Just then, one of the Emperor's personal servants appeared at the doorway and bowed low before his liege. "What is it?" The ruler snapped, still incensed.

"Forgive me, Your Eminence, but your new 'guests' await your verdict." The servant informed him, shaking like an autumn leaf. "They are in the main audience chamber, being held under guard."

"Very good, Tacticus." Josephus smirked, his mood brightening at the prospect of fresh meat for either his staff or his dragon. It mattered not to him. It was a 'win-win' either way.

"Why do I get da feelin' dis ain't gonna work?" Joey muttered to himself as he adjusted his hood to more obscure his face.

"Well, we didn't have much time to prepare. Red-Eyes kinda forced our hands." Téa reminded him, also nervous about meeting this Dark Emperor. She'd always heard not to judge people before she got to know them, but this guy seemed to be the baddest of the bad from Jono's description. Although apparently he was quite handsome, if he looked just like one of her best friends.

"Steady, guys. It'll all work out. Somehow." Hana reassured them, though inside she was just as nervous as they were. She just had more practice with hiding it.

"I hope you're right, Hana." Yugi answered; nervous, but not willing to show any sign of weakness before the Emperor. Even if he did look like one of his best friends, that didn't mean that their personalities were the same. In fact, he knew they weren't, because he could tell that Jono had been truthful with them earlier when he was reluctantly telling them about his ruler. He just had this sixth sense about people, and he could tell that Jono had a good heart.

"Ah, you have finally arrived!" Josephus declared loudly to announce his presence in the room. "I always enjoy having guests, especially ones that pique My interest. And you- dears- have certainly done so!" He glanced meaningfully at the girls, who scowled slightly at the underlying meaning. Oh great. Not only is this guy the most evil man in ancient Rome, he's also a lecher. Wonderful. Hana thought to herself, but kept her face emotionless at least.

"Aw, you have cut Me to the heart, honoured guests." Josephus pouted, feigning hurt. "I know not what you have been told about Me by those you met in My city when you first arrived, but I assure you that it was nothing but slander. I treat My guests with nothing but respect and kindness, and any of My staff will corroborate that when asked." He lied smoothly, putting a hand over his heart area to emphasize his supposed 'sincerity'. But the only reaction he got from the group was a round of raised eyebrows.

"I see that time will be the only thing to convince you of My honourable intentions." Josephus frowned, seeing that he would have to try harder to pull the wool over the eyes of these guests. "I hope that we can learn to trust one another over the course of your stay in My empire."

Yeah right. Téa and Hana thought to themselves in unison, and the boys were thinking similar thoughts.

"The first step in establishing a relationship is introductions, so I shall start." Josephus smiled in anticipation, his curiosity nearly consuming him as he looked at his guests, trying in vain to figure out their identities by magical means, but somehow failing. He frowned inwardly at this. Normally these spells worked like a charm, but these visitors seemed to be skilled in the art of magically concealing their identities. "You stand before Josephus Nihilus Maximus the Dragon Lord, Emperor of Rome and the two-hundred fiftieth generational descendant* of the Legendary Knight Hermos of Atlantis. I am honoured to make your acquaintance." He smiled as he bowed, complete with an elaborate flourish.

[This is assuming that one generation is twenty years]

Hana sighed. "Might as well get this over with." She whispered under her breath, and all of her companions heard her and agreed with resignation. One by one they removed their hoods from their faces, causing Josephus' eyebrows to disappear into his bangs at the sight of Joey's countenance.

"Are- are you also a descendant of the Crimson Knight of Atlantis, My young friend?" Josephus asked his identical guest, and Joey shrugged. "I guess ya could say dat." He answered. "Dat's da only way ta explain our own resemblance ta one another." He half-fibbed, keeping the whole truth to himself for the moment. It was too unbelievable, plus he didn't want this dark man to have any information about the future. That kind of information in the wrong hands could be disastrous. "Name's Joseph." He added as an afterthought, causing the Emperor to look even more surprised. Not only did this young man share his face, but he also had a similar name!

Yugi was the next to remove his hood, earning another raised eyebrow from their host. "Yugi." He quavered shyly.

"That is a very distinctive hairstyle, young man." Josephus observed wryly, and Yugi blushed slightly. "Believe it or not, it's natural. I got it from my grandpa, and my older brother Atem has the same hair as well." He explained, his mind two thousand years in the future with his family. Hana smiled at the relationship he described, knowing that Yugi and Atem were far closer than brothers. But that relationship described them fairly well. Calling him the 'other half of his soul' would sound a bit odd in this conversation.

"Mokuba." The young teen answered next, keeping his eyes downcast to avoid glaring daggers at their host. He knew without a doubt that this man was responsible for kidnapping Seth's daughter, and thus nearly severing the link between the pharaoh and the brothers. Josephus raised an eyebrow for a third time, but this time only slightly. The boy bore a passing resemblance to his other captive, with the same dark hair and a similar facial structure.

"My name's Téa." The first girl began, adding a slight curtsey to her introduction to show her respect.

"Hana." The former princess of Egypt nodded, then gestured to her final companion. "And this is my best friend, Akhen. He's really shy and doesn't say much. I've known him for years and even I can't get more than a few words out of him." She smiled wryly, shooting a playful wink at the young man, who looked at her quizzically. Then he shrugged and nodded, bowing to their host respectfully.

"Good, good! I am glad we got that out of the way." Josephus grinned, clapping his hands twice in quick succession, causing a group of servants to come rushing in and standing at attention slightly in front of the new guests.

"Prepare the 'Chamber' for My male guests, and escort the women to My rooms. I will deal with the men shortly." He ordered his servants, who immediately bowed and split down the middle- half of them escorting the guys to the aforementioned 'Chamber' and the other half taking the girls to the Emperor's quarters. Josephus smirked as he watched the females leave, watching his prospects brighten for selecting an Empress to rule by his side. And to provide him an heir, of course. Above all else, he wanted his line to continue and would not allow the throne to fall into the hands of those of lesser blood. His twin brother, for instance. Josephus scowled when he was forced to think of the exiled traitor- as the very mention of his name was a crime punishable by death from torture.

"I will never relinquish my power." Josephus vowed. "Nothing but death will cause me to abandon my throne, for I have been divinely ordained by the gods themselves to rule over this empire of Rome. They have decreed that my family's reign will continue for a thousand years! Nothing will stand in my way of complete domination of the entire world!"

"So now what do we do?" Mokuba asked his companions as they entered the 'Chamber', which should have been renamed as a prison or dungeon cell. Various instruments of torture hung from the ceiling, and Mokuba didn't even want to think about all the gunk that covered the stone floor in grime. It reminded him of Chopman's room in Death-T Stage One back when Seto was- not the nicest guy in the world*.

[This was in the manga, but I forget which chapter. twenty-something, I think. Apparently it was too dark for Season Zero.]

"Least da floor isn't covered in oil." Joey muttered, clearly thinking along the same lines. "We don' hafta worry 'bout a bonfire in dis room if one a' dose torches falls." He shot a teasing look at Mokuba as he said this, his memory in the past.

Mokuba grimaced. "That wasn't my idea. That was Seto's dark side. I did come up with Death-T Four, but the other rooms were his doing. I'm just glad that creep is no more. He was a real jerk."

"Well, you weren't exactly a picture of innocence either, Mokuba." Yugi grinned mischievously. "That Capsule Monsters chess game was tough! I was hard-pressed to find a solution to that clearly one-sided match."

"I couldn't just give you an easy win, now could I?" Mokuba grinned back, though his looked rather sheepish. "I wanted to prove myself to my brother- that I was just as good at games as he was- and that I was worthy to stand by his side. When he would've left me in that chamber and subjected me to the 'Experience of Death' Penalty Game for losing, my heart just about broke in half. I knew then that there was something seriously wrong with Seto."

Yugi nodded, remembering the incident. At that time, the 'other Yugi' had pulled Mokuba out at the last second, surprising his hikari with his snap decision. He didn't think the 'darker' half of his soul would be merciful toward the boy after he'd been rather unfair in their Capsule Monsters battle. But Yami proved to everyone that- even though he'd forgotten everything about his past life- he still had a good heart.

"Who- who are you?" A shy female voice quavered as the two new girls were ushered into the Emperor's rooms in the company of some servants. The speaker was chained to one of the columns in the room by a thick chain, and wore a long black skirt and top that exposed her midriff and arms*. Her long hair was black, but her eyes were as blue as the ocean waves. Seth's eyes.

[If you've ever played the Final Fantasy games or Kingdom Hearts II, just picture what Tifa wears for Nefertiri's apparel. Physically, she looks a lot like Serenity.]

Hana inhaled sharply at the sight of the Egyptian princess, and she bowed low before the royal daughter of the pharaoh. "My name is Hana. And this is my friend, Téa." She explained, gesturing to her companion, who bowed as well. The young princess nodded in welcome, smiling at the fact that she finally had some female company. She looked to Hana. "You share a name with one of my father's closest friends." She observed, and Hana raised an eyebrow. "Could you be the same 'Hana'?" She mused aloud, and Hana smiled rather sheepishly. "Heh. Guilty."

Nefertiri gasped. "Wait- how is that possible? According to Father, you died long ago. How are you now here?" She asked, and Hana looked down and shuffled her feet. "It's a really long story." She answered simply. "Let's just say that we're here to bring you home."

The princess gasped again. "Truly? I cannot thank you enough, friends, even though I have only just met you! But how am I to escape? I am bound by these shackles at all times, and only the Emperor has the key and wears it about his neck." She pointed out, and Hana frowned.

"That might be a problem." Hana agreed. "Are there any other keys that'll work, or does he wear the only one?" She asked.

Nefertiri shook her head. "There is only one."

Hana sighed in defeat, but then was struck with an idea. "Hey, Téa, you wouldn't happen to have any hairpins, would you?" She asked. Téa looked surprised but nodded, reaching into her backpack and pulling the small accessory out of a pocket. "Perfect! Now if only I knew how to pick a lock with one of these." She grimaced wryly.

Téa snickered. "No worries, Hana. I know how to do it. I've picked plenty of locks in my day." She winked, and Hana smiled back at her. A few feet away from them, Nefertiri just looked confused as to why her two newest friends just started speaking in a strange language.

Hana noticed her confusion and smiled encouragingly. "Sorry about that, princess. We were just trying to figure out how to release you from those chains. My friend had something that might be able to pick the lock, but we'll have to wait until cover of nightfall, when the Emperor is asleep. We can't sneak out of the palace in broad daylight. Besides, he's probably on his way here right now." She added, and Nefertiri nodded. That made sense.

"Ah, I see you have become acquainted with one another already. Good! That will save Me the introductions." A familiar voice sounded behind the two new girls, and they whirled to face their captor- quickly clearing the hope from their expressions. It wouldn't do to make the Emperor suspicious right from the start.

Josephus strode over to his divan and flopped down onto the comfy pillows, scattering about half of them on the ground and just leaving them there. He lazily raised a hand and snapped his fingers, and two female servants came rushing in, each holding an expensive-looking outfit.

"I can see that you have already adapted to our culture and attired yourselves accordingly in order to blend in, but I do not think those togas really suit you. They are just what the common people wear, not elegant at all for My palace. I have selected some- shall we say- more 'appropriate' garments for you to wear. Ones that better reflect your country of origin." He smirked, waving the servants forward impatiently. The two servants stood before Hana and Téa, holding out the garments for them to change into.

Hana raised an eyebrow at the scanty attire, already feeling humiliated that she'd have to wear something so revealing. It was basically just a fancy brassier and loincloth made from blue fabric and adorned with sapphires and lapis lazuli. Téa's new clothes were similar, though her 'shirt' looked more like a purple tube-top than a bra. The dancer's new attire was also decorated with purple gemstones carefully sewn into the fabric.

"Oh wow. These are beautiful!" Téa breathed, looking over at Hana with a smile. But that smile faded when she noticed her friend's beet-red- yet still somehow green- face and realized the implications. "You mean- we have to change in front of him?" She asked incredulously in her native language, and Hana grimaced and nodded sourly. "We can probably manage changing with our togas still on, kinda like we did when we bought these. It's still gonna be embarrassing, though. I've never worn so little, even during the celebrations and feasts back home when I had to perform rituals." She answered in Egyptian so only Téa and Nefertiri would understand her.

"I guess you were pretty modest, huh?" Téa smiled sympathetically, trying to remember some of the outfits the hieroglyphs had depicted her friend in. Indeed, she couldn't remember ever seeing the elder princess of Egypt wearing anything resembling these clothes.

Hana sighed heavily. "Let's just get this over with. The faster we change, the less embarrassed we'll be. Hopefully." She stated with another grimace, shooting their captor a look that clearly stated 'You can't be serious'. In answer to her glare, Josephus merely smirked and waggled his eyebrows once.

However, two minutes later he was feeling very disappointed. The new girls must have guessed his intentions when they were presented with their new attire, as they donned the clothing in a way that didn't expose them even the slightest bit. He sighed at the missed opportunity, but then shrugged and dismissed the servants with an impatient wave.

"So, what can you two do?" He asked Hana and Téa in a bored voice. "I already have a beautiful songbird, but none of her melodies are in a language I understand. I suppose that is to be expected, as she is not from My empire." He mused thoughtfully.

Hana frowned, but decided to answer him. Like she'd said earlier, it wouldn't do to make their captor suspicious. "I'm also a singer, and my friend is a dancer." She stated calmly, just giving him the facts without the details.

"Wonderful!" Josephus clapped delightedly. "My court has not had a dancer since My last one angered Me and was removed from service. Hopefully you will prove to be a better replacement, woman." He smirked. Beside him, 'Hellfire' purred with a draconic grin and flicked his tongue out. Hana guessed the fate of the previous dancer from that action, and she grimaced. Téa realized the hidden meaning a minute later, and she gulped audibly.

Josephus laughed, sounding almost reassuring. "There is no need to fear him, as long as you stay on his good side. And it is likewise with Me. Just do everything I ask of you, and we shall get along famously. He is actually quite docile most of the time, if he knows you are not a threat." He admitted with something akin to fondness in his voice.

Hana glanced at the dragon with an inquisitive expression, and the dragon met her gaze with a raised, scaly eyebrow. "He- wouldn't allow me to- pet him, would he?" She asked of his rider, who raised both eyebrows in surprise. "You know, I do not really know what he would do. No one has ever tried before. Most are too afraid of him to even attempt it."

Hana approached the black dragon cautiously, always staying in his line of sight to show that she was a friend. The dragon's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he stayed put- not even growling in discomfort. She reached out with her right hand- palm up- so that the dragon could sniff it. 'Hellfire' obliged, then rumbled something akin to a purr to show that he would allow her to pet his nose. All four of the room's human occupants looked surprised at this, and Hana smiled. The big guy wasn't nearly as fearsome as his reputation made him out to be. She was pleasantly surprised to feel how soft the dragon's snout actually was, despite its rough appearance. Good boy. She smiled and thought at the dragon, knowing that he could hear and understand her. In answer, Hellfire merely purred louder.*

[Aww, he's just like Toothless in HTTYD. Cute!]

"I am impressed with your bravery, woman. Not many would do what you have just done." Josephus remarked as Hana continued to stroke the dragon's head. She noticed something odd about him, but she couldn't place it at the moment.

"I've always been fascinated with mythological creatures, dragons in particular." Hana shrugged. "This big guy is an impressive example of the mighty Red-Eyes Black Dragon that I've studied in my younger days." Hellfire's eyes widened and he looked right into Hana's emerald orbs. 'You know my race?' He seemed to ask her. Hana nodded in answer to the dragon's mental query, but not enough to be noticed by the Emperor. "If I may be so bold as to ask, how is 'Hellfire' in this world? I thought dragons like him were extremely rare, nearly extinct." She asked of the young ruler, and he smirked triumphantly.

"I discovered a way of bringing him from his world into our own by means of the Dark Arts, what those of Egypt would call Shadow magic." He answered smugly- causing Nefertiri and Téa to gasp aloud- but Hana didn't so much as bat an eyelash. She'd suspected that dark magic was behind this whole situation. "Hellfire- or as you call him- the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, is quite special to Me. He is the all-powerful beast that represents My very soul- My Ka, as those in Egypt call it."

"So, somehow you got hold of Shadow magic, and used that to summon Red-Eyes to this world without a shield device- something to measure your Ba and make the summoning easier. You do realize how dangerous that is, right?" Hana summarized for him, raising an eyebrow at the end of her inquiry.

Josephus smirked. "That is merely a testament to how powerful My spirit is. I can keep 'Hellfire' by My side and in this world forever, and I do not feel the slightest bit weakened because of it. Not even the great pharaohs of Egypt can hold a candle to My power! She is proof of that!" He gloated, gesturing grandly to the enchained princess- who merely scowled at her captor with pure hatred burning in her blue eyes.

Hana scowled too. "Pharaoh gave up that power when his predecessor sealed away the Shadows for good. His predecessor gave his life to protect his people, and many of his court did as well. How dare you tarnish their sacrifices by boasting in your stolen power!" She snarled, then realized she'd said too much and cleared her expression, though anger still shone behind her eyes. A short distance away, Nefertiri looked at her newest friend in surprise- shocked that she knew of the fate of the Nameless Pharaoh. Hadn't she supposedly died before his sacrifice?

Josephus' gloating smirk switched to a furious glare so fast that it looked like someone had flipped a switch in his brain. He calmly marched right up to the former princess and struck her across the face, his many rings cutting her cheek in jagged lines and drawing blood. The force of the strike sent her sprawling on the floor, and she sat there stunned for a moment and put a hand to her bleeding cheek to assess the damage.

"I am beginning to see a pattern here." Josephus mused aloud, cleaning the blood from Hana's wounds from his various rings. "What is it with Egyptian royalty and their defiant attitudes?" He growled, and Téa gasped. Hana and Nefertiri merely scowled at him. "Yes, woman, I can tell you are of royal blood. I noticed it when 'Hellfire' first brought you here. You carry yourself differently than your companions, and it was more like My songbird than your friends. You two have more in common than you had led Me to believe, it seems."

You don't know the half of it, bub. Hana thought wryly, but she kept her expression neutral. She and Nefertiri had more in common than just their vocal skills and their titles. Seth was Hana's first cousin on her mother's side, being that his mother and hers had been sisters.

"Even if you were royalty in the past in Egypt, it does not mean a thing here in My domain. You are all My slaves now, and you will do whatever I say, whenever I say it. I take you into My home, I give you a venerated position as My royal courtesans, and this is how you repay Me? By slandering My name? I will not stand for that. Perhaps a night in the 'Chamber' will soften your attitude." He mused, snapping his fingers again. Two servants rushed into the room- male this time- and restrained Hana by the arms and lifted her off the ground by her underarms. She didn't resist, but she glared daggers at the Emperor until the three disappeared from sight.

As they left, Josephus sighed smugly, savoring his ultimate power. He looked over at his two remaining captives and smirked. "Why do you two not soothe My spirit by performing your craft for Me? You dance, and you sing. It should provide Me with adequate entertainment. And after all, it is the least you could do after all that I have done for you."

Téa and Nefertiri shared a resigned glance, then the dancer smiled wryly at the princess as they both began to display their respective talents, forced to perform for their cruel captor. In both of their minds- and in Hana's as well- was a single thought. Will I ever see my home again?

End of Chapter 5

Next chapter teaser: A Mysterious Friend

I don't know if Red-Eyes is a dragon that eats human flesh, but that was the fate of the previous dancer. Yikes. I didn't want to say it in the chapter for obvious reasons.

Josephus is quite vain, isn't he? And paranoid. Sending the boys straight to the dungeons just because they're boys? Hopefully someday somebody will put him in his place. (Soon!)

Yes, IRL I'm a singer, just like Hana. Not professional or anything, so you won't have heard of me. XD First Soprano, if you're wondering. Nefertiri is more of an Alto I think.

Aww, Red-Eyes is cute! Despite his frightening appearance, he's just like a big, fire-breathing kitten. I wonder if he has a playful side too? Hmm-

Welp, done with another chapter. On to the next one!

God Bless!

Tsunami Storm