Atem had Ryou deliver the message to Akefia. Unbelievably, they found another one of Zorc's old followers. The goblin seemed harmless, but Akefia would decide that. Both men came back to Atem in the lower dungeons, room 1456, where the goblin was chained to the wall.
"Dungeon Master Akefia, this man claims he had done nothing when Zorc ruled that he only observed the title of Follower to avoid persecution and suspicion. I leave to you and your inquiry on this man's veracity."
Akefia, a tall, tanned, muscle bound man, with scars all over his body and had one on his face; he had grey white hair with smoky blue-violet eyes. He sneered as his orders were given. Being a former thief had taught him to take drastic measures in allies, and he carried that to his current occupation. It was not suffice to say that he did not enjoy them, for in fact he did.
"I will do all that is required, Your Highness." He turned to the door and called for one of his assistants, a former assassin. The men gave menacing looks to the goblin as Atem and Ryou left.
"He scares me when he is like that," said Ryou the cat. He had snow white hair, pale skin, with a large fluffy tail and cat ears. His eyes were an emerald green and he was fragile looking, although that was most enemies' mistakes. Ryou had claws but no other distinguishable animal feature except for his pupils that would change shape depending on his mood. Right now, they were slits for weariness and caution.
Atem gave Ryou a look and said, "We must be careful. The excuse of using the title Follower for protection has been long overhauled, Ryou. Last time we let one go, that traitor almost murdered a whole family. I know there have been mistakes, but I am confident that since we have had a census of our world that that chance of being wrong has gone down. Akefia is just doing his job. Remember, he did this long before he became Dungeon Master."
Ryou smiled somewhat unconvinced. "I know, but I…"
"Ryou, please calm your nerves. We are almost out of the dungeon.
The pair came up to a cylinder tube made of glass. Both got in and Atem pressed the button that read "UP." On the float up, Ryou's eyes became rounder as the stench of the dungeon left. When the cat first started at the palace he was a dungeon servant, but when Zorc took over the tortures the tyrant used on his victims were unbearable. The smell of lost souls and hopelessness lingered even after extensive fumigations. He still worried leaving his lover down in there, but he knew Akefia could handle his emotions better and the stench too. Ryou had to transfer to be an errand boy, a harder job, but he got to be closer to Akefia and his other friends.
As the two approached the hole, Atem grabbed Ryou and twisted them so that they would stick the landing by tumbling onto the floor. At each opening there was a soft cushion to lighten the contact. Ryou got up as Atem stretched on the floor. They went to their separate duties for the day.
Atem found that the pile of papers, documents, notes and general chaos on his desk had drizzled down to only cover the layer and not the drawers and sides. He sat in his chair and looked over a bill for permission for use of land that was meant to be a historical site. He called his secretary, Persephone, to schedule a meeting with an archeologist to check on the site. Atem sighed and droned on.
Several hours of straight politics later had Atem with an ache in his back and his mind fried; it was the dry season in the Shadow Realm and the rains would not return until December, which meant he had more work to do with his people who lived in areas that got droughts or areas that still had flood damage. By the first week of December, the work load would be less hectic and the rainforest would become a beautiful lake, in his opinion.
A knock on the door got his attention, "Come in."
A blond head came in first then followed by an ebony body of a man with amber pupils and large scale wings, complete with a wide spiked tail.
"Heya, Ate', it gonna be okay?"
Atem jumped from his desk as Persephone entered the room. He flung himself onto his best friend, the other half of his cookie, his bosom buddy, Jono the dragon beast. Jono hugged back and Atem dangled off his large neck. He felt the chuckle of his best friend.
"Jono, my friend, what brings you here?"
"Well," Jono scratched his head with his clawed hand, "ya see, Seth mentioned, in his own way, that you been actin' weird lately. Sooo….are ya?"
Atem slid off. "What?"
Persephone left the note on Atem's desk as she sensed a conversation starting that she should not hear.
"Uhhh…Seth kinda mentioned that ya been," Jono avoided eye contact and played with his hands, and even curled his reptilian feet in and out.
"What? Dammit, spit it out!"
"Ya know I love ya right, well what's goin' on. I hear from Seth, second hand that you met some kid back in the human world, and you acted all gaga. I agreed with you on getting that kid out of there, but we know he couldn't of survived here. Then I hear this from Seth that this happened seven years ago. Seth also says ya made a picture of the kid and ya talk to it. So, ya tell me, what happened?"
Atem lowered his head. He told Jono the parts of the story of his Little One that he did not tell Seth and Kisara. When he finished, Jono had an incredulous look on his face.
"Uuuhhhh….."
"I know you know when you do that you know something you don't want to say, Jono."
Jono clicked his tongue and said, "Sounds like love."
Atem closed his eyes. "It is. I love that boy."
Jono knew Atem was trying to hold back tears. He grabbed him in a loose hug.
"I know it isn't possible, but I-I can't help it. That child stole my heart. Oh God, Jono what if he was my soul mate. If he's dead…"
Jono tightened his hold. Atem calmed down, scrutinizing himself on this. He had come to terms with this impossibility.
"I," he looked at Jono, "all of you came out of the war with someone. You have Mai, Mahad has Isis, Akefia has Ryou, and even Seth has Kisara. I don't have that, Jono. My friend, I want someone here with me. I have all you, but you belong to another and they in turn belong to you. I don't."
Jono nodded his head. Atem leaned into the hug and sighed. The amethyst jewels that haunted him came to his mind. He could not give the boy his heart, so he would give it to another. As a ruler, he had to stop disillusioning himself with images of little creatures and beautific smiles.
Sugoroku bandaged his grandson's arm. When he saw Yugi enter the shop, he was horrified. The boy held several bruises on his arms and chest and his left cheek was completely grey. Sugoroku rushed him in the kitchen and got out the first aid kit. Yugi had two cold compresses, an ice pack for his cheek, and some bandages. Sugoroku usually did not barrage him with questions but he had to this time.
"Who did this to you?"
"I don't know."
"How?"
"I didn't ask his name."
"Why did this happen?'
Yugi did not answer.
"Yugi? Yugi? Look at me when I talk."
Yugi flinched. Sugoroku breathed deeply before continuing.
"Just tell me, please?"
Yugi did not lift his head but told the whole story.
"Oh, my boy. My poor boy."
Sugoroku held Yugi tight as the boy started to sob lightly. The trembling only filled Sugoroku with more indignation. Would no one help the boy as he got beaten up? Was there really so little courtesy as to stop that madness? These questions and more went through his mind. Yugi trembled a little more in his arms and Sugoroku tightened the hold. He decided to let Yugi stay home for the next day. He needed to talk to his grandson about those bullies. Also, Sugoroku swallowed his own tears, he wanted Yugi to recover.
Treating the wounds brought light to several other old cuts and wounds that the old man knew he had never treated. Sugoroku pressd his face to the top of Yugi's hair and breathed in the scent of his grandson. He hoped Yugi found friends, he wrote to others he had met at duel tournaments, but the boy needed ones near him. Friends that stood by his side; Sugoroku felt a tear pass, Yugi needed that and deserved it too.