A Yugi/Yami story
Through a Dragon's Eye
Chapter 10-Their tormentor
Sorry about the mistake in chapter 9. I've been having some computer trouble; I've fixed it now so plz go back and read it.
Yami fought valiantly against his bonds, hoping against hope that he would be able to at least loosen the ropes, which felt like chains around his hands and feet. But nothing he did made the slightest difference. He might as well have tried to move a mountain for all the good it did him. All he could do was sit in the cart with the ropes and blindfold; and listen to Yugi's quiet breathing.
Yami sat it the darkness for a very long time. He never felt more helpless in his whole life; while he was in the dark he began to torture himself with thoughts on what their capturers were going to do to them.
Which brought up another thought, if he was torturing himself with thoughts about what their capturers where going to do to them, does that count as them torturing him? Since they were the ones that were causing all this pain in the first place?
He so did not need this. He had to figure out a way to get them out of this mess and he wasn't going to let these freaks stop him. His cold, numb fingers worked hard as he tried to worm his hands out from those tight bindings as they began to dig their way into his wrists. He twisted and turned but his bindings were like iron bonds sinking their teething into his flesh and refused to let go.
Finally, he gave up trying to get them off and just lay still as the cart went bumping along the road. He felt the cold around swirl around him and he began to shiver; now he remembered that he hated the cold. This day could not get any worse.
He really shouldn't have thought that, because as we all know, whenever someone says that; it always gets worse.
'Mamma…' croaked a very soft voice.
Yami lay very still… Yugi was quietly talking in his sleep…
Yugi was still inside his memories of before his mother and father died. He was 4 years old and he was picking herbs on the other side of the forest with his mother.
"Mamma," said Yugi in a very sweet voice. "Is this a medic… medici… an herb?"
A very pretty woman came over and smiled a dazzling smile. "A medicinal herb, Yugi," she corrected kindly. "And yes, dear, it's called a lantern plant and we use it to reduce swelling."
"A lantern plant…" replied Yugi slowly committing it to memory.
She gave him another beautiful smile as she very quietly began to sing…
"A twinkle in the night sky
Far, far away
A golden star I gazed upon
In my dreams
On a sleepless evening
I sing alone
Tomorrow I'll sing with you
On the wings of a dream
On a sleepless evening
I sing alone
Tomorrow I'll sing with you
On the wings of a dream
On a sleepless evening
I sing alone
Tomorrow I'll sing with you
On the wings of a dream…"
"What's that song, momma?" asked Yugi after listening to her for awhile.
She looked up at her son and replied to him, "It's a very old song. One that my mother used to sing to me. Would you like to learn it Yugi?"
Yami must have drifted off to sleep some time because the next thing that he knew was that he was roughly grabbed by the scruff of his neck and through to the hard, cold ground. He was slammed so hard that he started to see stars and he almost lost conscience again.
As Yami struggled to stay awake he heard a slight 'thud' on the ground right beside him and he knew that Yugi was thrown down right beside him. He fought to get up and fight back but he was so tired he could hardly move let alone fight.
He had no choice but to be dragged along the ground as though he were a rag doll and hope for a chance to escape later on. After a few minutes of being dragged one of the guys scooped him up and tossed him over his shoulder as if he really were a rag doll.
"I still say that this was a whole waste of time," said the thug holding Yami. "Why did we have to go through all this trouble just to capture a couple little kids?"
"Who cares?" replied one of the others. "As long as we get paid, I couldn't care less about what our client wants with these two."
"Speaking of which," said the third voice, "Why both of them? What did they do that was so serious?"
"I keep telling you two idiots, who cares?" said the leader again. "We only get paid when we bring them both. And we only get paid for half if we only bring one. Why are you two complaining anyway? This was an easy catch. All we had to do was capture two little kids, bring them to our client, get paid then leave. What's so hard to understand?"
They seemed satisfied with that remark and walked on for a while in silence. Which left Yami to wonder about who their 'client' was.
The person who sent these guys after him and Yugi knew who they were that much was certain. And he also knew that they must want something from them but he couldn't think of a single thing what. He and Yugi were runaways and didn't have much money or supplies. They were on their own in the world and only had each other to support.
Unless… no it couldn't be… was the person who hired these thugs… could it really be…
Being or feeling alone is one of the saddest places to be. You can have all the money in the world but if you don't have anyone to share it with, you have nothing. The need for human companionship is universal. In ancient times, people stuck together because they literally needed each other to survive. In today's world, we tend to spread out and live more isolated lifestyles. In some ways this is a luxury. In other ways we had it better when we lived in close proximity. Humans are creatures of community and need each other for companionship.
"I can't be a part of the village, elder," said Yugi to the elder of his village the day before he ran away. "I will leave everything behind… I will win my freedom… but I also know that my past will be cut away forever. I won't ever come back to the village… never again. But I… I have a request," he said very quietly. "Please tell me if what you think this is the right choice."
A very old man, who looked older than a wrinkle on dirt and was just a few years away from kicking the bucket, raised his eyebrows.
"And why do you want my opinion, Yugi?" he asked in a very kind, yet hoarse voice.
Yugi shifted his feet, not looking at the elder. "My father said that you had a gift for seeing. I'm not sure I understand what he meant but I know that I need to ask you. The truth is that I'm really scared about leaving… but I don't think that staying here in the village will help me anymore… but then again… what if I'm making the wrong choice? I need to know if what I'm doing is right."
The elder gave him a very long look, one that seemed to gaze into his soul, before he smiled gently and answered, "The village is no longer your home, you must move on. However… I will miss you terribly."
That startled Yugi; he didn't think that anyone would even care if he left. "Yugi," said the elder, "You are much more important than you believe yourself to be."
Yugi thought that over for a second before saying, "That's a nice lie, you know." He turned from him and took a few steps away before the elder spoke again.
"Be cautious. I sense that you will be in for a rough journey." Yugi looked back at him and smiled, "I never thought that it would be easy. I cant explain it… but I know that leaving is the right choice for me," he stood there and looked at the elder hard and long for a minute before finally saying, "Goodbye, Elder."
Yami was suddenly tossed to the ground. He was so tired that he didn't want to move, his wrists burned and his jaw ached. He wanted to get out of this mess.
All of a sudden he felt strong arms grab him from behind and cut the bindings around his wrists and ankles. He then felt the blindfold and gag in his mouth being ripped off. The light was blinding after being left in the dark for so long.
After a while he eyes readjusted to the small candles in the wide room. The room itself was a wide, circular space with fancy, ceramic tiles. The walls were of thick, grey stones and a high vaulted ceiling. There were a few windows higher up, near the ceiling, but it was so dark out that it didn't make any difference. The only light were of a few torches handing off the walls and the few candles that were lit on a long, wooden table near the wall.
Yami looked around him, trying to make since where they were… when he heard a soft moan coming from his left. Yugi was still laying unconscious right beside him, and was still blinding-folded and tied up.
"Yugi," croaked out Yami with a hoarse voice.
He reached over and held up his head as he tried to untie him best friend. It was then that he heard a voice speak from the shadows.
"Its been too long, Yami."
Yami froze. He knew that voice. It was voice that he tried so hard to forget for over a year.
He turned his head around, still holding onto Yugi, and looked into the shadows. And as he thought… the person who was causing all this pain and suffering…
"What took you so long, Yami?" the man asked as he stepped into the light of the flaming torches. "I was beginning to think that you didn't want to come home."
It was a face he tried so hard to forget… one that haunted his memories… and the absolute last person he wanted to see ever again. Their tormentor… was his own father.