*sweatdrop*
Okay, to make up for the delay I made this installment a bit longer than normal. Besides, you guys are clamoring for some action and plot advancement, no?
Content warning: graphic injury description for baby dragon injuries, and there's an injury later inflicted by another dragon to a character as well.
The horses with the caravan instantly panicked at the sight of the dragon. They began tugging at their harnesses, desperate to escape the creature watching them and nearly tipping the wagons. Panicked whinnies and the soothing voices of those nearest them that tried to calm the animals down soon filled the clearing.
Mai had not yet seen Kaiba up close, as the last she'd seen of him was when he and his dragon had been attacking her last night. It was clear, however, that he emulated the dragons in his care. He wore a black shirt whose collar hugged his throat and black pants that were tucked into black leather boots. Silver armguards that rose to his elbows held the sleeves of his shirt in place. The long white cloak he wore over this outfit was caught as a sudden burst of wind flew through the clearing and it flared out, giving her the impression of dragon wings—something deliberate, she was certain. He gave no indication of being bothered by the commotion he'd caused; he might as well have been made of stone.
Kaiba was not the only one undisturbed by the cacophony of noise. Marik and Jou were watching Kaiba with identical expressions of suspicion, neither of them leaving Mai's side. Ryou and Yugi were looking around at the chaos with alarmed expressions and fell to helping those in the caravan. Mai noticed that a pool of shadows lingered where Yugi had been standing. Seconds later they rose, twisting into the air and forming into a body—Yami was coming out of the Millennium Puzzle, she realized.
As he came into view it occurred to her that Yami looked far more solid than he had the other times he had formed his own body; the only things on Yami that were hidden by a small gathering of shadows were his hands and feet, and he was only the slightest bit transparent. On his forehead shone that strange eye that was on the front of the Millennium Puzzle.
Like Kaiba, Yami was barely bothered by the chaos that surrounded him. His crimson eyes moved from Kaiba to Mokuba, lingering briefly on the bundle in Kaiba's arms before turning his attention to Kaiba. A smile spread across his features, but it was one that did not entirely reach Yami's eyes.
"Welcome, Kaiba," he said, spreading his arms in a solicitous manner. "I am so glad you could make it here. The thief's vessel had mentioned you would give him a head start, but it seems Kisara is still the fastest of your dragons."
The larger dragon's eyes were riveted on Yami and its fangs bared, a warning growl deep in its throat.
"Come, come, Kisara, no need to resort to threats. I would not dream of harming either your masters or your precious kit," responded Yami gracefully. "As long as your master remains civil, I see no need to intervene in Bakura's favor. Besides, though we might have our differences today is not the day to settle them. Another time, perhaps, but not now."
The dragon—Kisara—snarled but made no move toward Yami.
"I am glad you see reason," said Yami, tipping his head to her.
Mai glanced to Jou. "Can dragons talk?" she asked softly. "I know you can, but do other ones?"
Jou heard her and nodded, his eyes never leaving the other dragon. "It's really basic sometimes, but dragons have their own language. The White Dragons seem to have a good grasp on speaking ours, but I don't know how many humans know it. Figured it out earlier when I was dealing with them."
"Kaiba's family also has been taught for decades how to speak to the dragons and how to understand them," Marik added. "Kaiba won't tell anyone how to do it. Yami and Bakura seem to understand them…but then again, they aren't fully human."
Yami suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Kaiba in a burst of shadow. Mokuba jumped and staggered backwards, but Kaiba remained impassive. "Do not be so shy, Kaiba," Yami said, gesturing to Mai and the others. "Come forward—none of them have the bite or clout that your dragon carries. Or is it that you desire to remain in the safety of your dragon's shadow?"
"Says the man who relies on the power of a magic caster's apprentice to manifest and who fears the dark?" retorted Kaiba coolly, a taunt in his words.
Yami had no visible reaction, but they all noticed the clearing become the slightest bit darker and the wind picked up.
Kaiba decided not to pursue his own taunt, however. He stepped forward, gently placing the bundle he was carrying onto the grass. Mai heard a whimpering mewl come from the interior of the blanket.
Jou sucked in a soft breath. "God, you can smell the infection from here," he whispered, paling. "That poor thing…"
Kaiba's eyes swept back up to them, moving from one person to the next. Mai was aware that the horses had calmed down and were being controlled, though it was with effort. Ryou and Yugi rejoined the small group in front of Kaiba. His gaze lingered on Jou and he smirked, causing the other to stiffen and the volume of his growls increased.
Kisara's head picked up and her own warning growl grew in volume.
"So this is the mongrel dragon you spoke to me of, Kisara," Kaiba said, sneering at Jou. "Mongrel is an appropriate term, after all. I owe you an apology—I had thought I misinterpreted you, but I should not have doubted your words."
"Jou isn't a dragon, Kaiba," Yugi said, speaking on Jou's behalf. "He's cursed."
Kaiba snorted derisively. "I can see that. He's not even human, is he?" he asked. "Neither dragon nor human—a true mongrel indeed."
Jou's ruby eyes were lit with malice. "Come over here and say that again, Dragon Boy," he growled, starting forward. Yugi and Mai both had to grab him to stop Jou from attacking Kaiba. Jou barely seemed to notice, his eyes burning holes into the other man. "What, you too afraid to fight me without your overgrown babysitter?"
Kaiba looked bored. "I don't have time to pick fights with idiots," he replied coolly. His eyes went to Ryou and hardened; the white-haired man stiffened with surprise, which was replaced with discomfort seconds later. "I didn't come here to play games with a mongrel. Where's Bakura?"
Something was dropped over Mai's head and she barely caught it; a glance downward revealed that it was a goatskin, and she recognized it as one of the two Marik had been holding the healing water in. Even as she registered the object, Bakura stepped out in front of her and bowed mockingly to Kaiba.
"I'm here," said Bakura lazily, glancing at Mai. "Any time you are ready to start would be good, as I do have other things to attend to."
Mai was not certain why everyone was suddenly staring at her, and she looked around at each of the men, trying to gauge the reason they were looking to her. Then it hit her that Bakura had not been addressing Kaiba with that last sentence—he'd been talking to her.
"Are you insane?" she hissed in a whisper. "I am not going anywhere near Kaiba's dragon!"
Bakura turned to look at her. "Look at it this way. Kaiba trusts no one in my company, Kisara doesn't like your own dragon friend, and Yugi is a mediator not meant to get involved. Besides, it was your idea to use the healing water."
"My idea, yes, but do you see how angry that dragon is?"
"Why do you think I'm here and not over there?"
"You've had no reason to get on Kaiba's bad side," said Ryou reassuringly. "Kisara won't trust you, certainly, but she'll hold back on attacking you."
Marik grimaced. "Then again, though, she did slap Mokuba."
"He bit me, but I didn't mean to slap him," she replied defensively when several pairs of wide eyes swiveled to her.
"That…might be a problem," Ryou murmured, hissing softly. "Kaiba doesn't tolerate anyone hurting his brother."
Bakura rolled his eyes and then pushed her forward with a hard shove. "Get on with it, woman," he said irritably. "We aren't getting younger."
Mai regained her balance and glared back at the thief, but she did not try to go back. Hiding wouldn't do her any good, and Bakura would make her do this anyways. She looked ahead to where Kaiba, his brother, and the dragon were gathered, took a steadying breath to compose herself, and then strode forward. She kept her head high and ignored the hammering heartbeat in her chest.
Mokuba scowled at her when she got closer. "It's you," he spat angrily. "Why are you the one doing this?"
Mai paused, looking down at him. "Who were you expecting, exactly?" she replied. "Look, kid, I'd rather not be the one coming close to an angry dragon. I'm the lesser of two evils and you're going to have to deal with me for a bit…unless you want Bakura near your kit?"
Kaiba's eyes locked onto her. The cold blue eyes glaring at her were just as menacing as his dragon's. "I'm aware of your altercation with my little brother at the river. The only reason I don't retaliate is because of your role in this bargain," he said in a low voice, nearly identical to Kisara's growls. "Be thankful that such a flimsy reason is one that spares your life. But know this—if you ever strike him again, I will return it tenfold."
Mai managed not to flinch, but a chill went down her spine. She had no doubts as to what Kaiba was capable of—she'd seen what his dragons could do. "I will take note of that," she replied, just barely keeping the waver out of her voice.
He glared at her but gestured to the kit lying on the grass. "Get to it, then," he said brusquely. "My patience is thin."
Mai scowled at him. She wondered if he'd behave differently if he knew she was a princess. Probably not—no one around here seemed to understand what it meant being a princess. She turned away, starting towards the blanket in the grass.
As she got closer to the baby dragon, however, her footsteps slowed and became softer with each step. She had not even reached the deerskin blanket yet, but from here she could hear the stifled, sobbing whimpers from the bundle on the ground. By the time she reached it, she was barely moving, gingerly sitting down at its side. She hesitated, glancing at the people looking at her before she took a steadying breath and moving the blanket slowly off the kit.
It was the size of a young lamb, lying limply on its side and breathing shallowly. The scales she could see were a darker shade than its mother's, but her eyes had been instantly drawn to the bandages and the odor of infection that rose the moment the blanket had been peeled back. She gagged and leaned back, a hand going to her mouth to cover her gasp and to stop the wave of nausea that rolled through. Good God, how badly had this baby been hurt?
She paused and looked to Kaiba. "Can I take the bandages off?" she asked, her voice subdued. "I don't know if this will work if it hits the bandages first."
Kaiba glanced to Mokuba and tipped his head toward Mai. Mokuba nodded and moved lightly, his feet barely rustling the grass. He knelt beside her and, without looking, gingerly lifted the kit onto its stomach and moved his forearm under the kit's front legs. He took care not to jostle it in the slightest as he carefully undid the bandages around the dragon's side, grimacing as the full stench of infection hit the air. Once Mokuba was finished, he laid the kit back down on the blanket, hovering nearby. It was evident he still did not trust her.
But Mai did not notice this. She did not see anything but the baby dragon.
Mai was not known for being soft or a crybaby. The last time she'd cried in front of anyone beside Vivian had been when she was ten. Even if she felt terrible, even if her heart ached so much that it almost stopped her breath, she never cried in front of anyone.
But as she looked down at the dragon kit a wave of revulsion, pity, and anger rolled so powerfully through her that she had to look away, tears already welling in her eyes.
The entire side of the kit's body was nothing but a foul mess of pus and drying blood, the garish wounds stretching from the base of its tail and ending just below its chin. What Mai could see underneath the coating of the ghastly film was flesh whose color was a combination of mottled bruising and an inflamed red; there were staggered, slightly curved lines going all the way down its side filled with dark green pus, and it took Mai a moment to realize that these lines were where its scales had once been. Now she understood why Kaiba had been so angry with Bakura.
Oh, you poor baby…
Her grip on the goatskin tightened and with shaking hands she loosened the cap. Could the water really heal this? The healing water had absolved Jou's wounds when he'd been hurt by Dragon's Bane and she'd had her own injuries taken care of, but this…this trauma to such a small little baby…
She set her jaw. She would not find out if the water would work by delaying any longer. Mai eyed the wound and then held out the goatskin over the kit, beginning to pour small amount from the goatskin on its shoulder.
There was an unnatural shriek and the kit came to life, its eyes shooting open as it started squealing in terror and pain. Mai jumped and Mokuba started as well, both caught off guard; Kaiba's eyes flashed in anger and he too took a step forward. The child leaned over seconds later with his eyes blazing. "What did you do?"
Mai held up her hands helplessly. "I don't know!" she replied, glancing at the goatskin in alarm. What had gone wrong? Was the healing water poisonous to the White Dragons? No, that could not be it…perhaps she'd poured it wrong. The kit must have been sensitive to touch and the way she'd poured the water must have felt like a slap on its raw skin.
Over the sound of the kit's shrieks of pain came a furious roar. Mai had a split-second impression of something silver rushing toward her—Kisara had reacted to the baby's cries, and she was lunging at them with her jaws wide open to defend her kit. From behind her came several alarmed shouts from the people in the caravan.
Mai reached for a stunned looking Mokuba, grabbed him by the elbow, and shoved him violently behind her, all the while making sure that she did not spill the goatskin with the precious water in it. Mokuba was just a kid, he hadn't done anything to warrant—
A wall of shadow immediately moved in front of her, blocking her view. She whirled around to see what had caused it and found Yami with his hand outstretched and Yugi pointing his staff. The two of them were simultaneously pushing Kisara back with magic and herding her toward the trees, away from Mai and Mokuba. The dragon tried to move past it to attack them, but Yami looked unperturbed and kept pushing her back with shadows.
They were not the only ones involved. Marik had put himself in front of Mai, a hand on her arm and fully ready to drag her away. Jou had taken off the moment Kisara had lunged and had pinned the dragon's jaws closed, flapping his wings to continue driving her backwards. He was having a hard time of it, since he was not a full-fledged dragon at that moment and Kisara was much stronger than he was, but he didn't back down.
"I don't care if that's your kit, Mai didn't do it on purpose!" he snarled at her, eyes blazing. "Lay off!"
Kaiba had not moved in the slightest when Kisara had lunged, in fact remaining motionless and studying the situation intently. Mai was worried that perhaps he would not call off the attacking dragon, and she felt a spike of concern for Jou. Then he strode forward until he was directly in front of the feud, not looking back at anyone. "Enough, Kisara," he said.
Mai honestly wanted to laugh. He had not even raised his voice. He had spoken to the raging dragon as he would to Mai, in a normal tone of voice. That was not going to stop a bloodthirsty—
She stared in disbelief as Kisara jerked, her struggles ceasing almost immediately as her eyes landed on Kaiba. Her eyes were still glowing in wrath, but the fight immediately left her. She lowered to the ground again, but at the last minute she tossed her head sharply. The motion dislodged Jou, breaking his grip and sending him into a tree.
Jou yelped and spluttered indignantly as he tried to disentangle himself from the tree branches, a stream of colorful curses escaping through the branches and the leaves. Mai was not sure whether she wanted to laugh or groan as Jou tumbled out of the tree and hit the ground cursing loudly. He sat there for a long moment before gingerly rising to his feet, muttering and limping to a spot a good distance away. He was far enough to avoid provoking Kisara but close enough to be able to defend Mai if need be. His eyes moved between Mai and Kisara, hardly blinking.
Mokuba was staring at Jou with wide eyes. "I've never seen anyone be able to manhandle Kisara like that," he said, stunned.
"Hang around Jou for a while. He'll surprise you," Mai replied, grinning. She couldn't help but feel relieved when she noticed that he was uninjured. She sobered and asked, "You okay?"
Mokuba nodded, his eyes going back to her. "Kisara wouldn't have attacked me. She was going for you…but even so, you pushed me out of the way. I thought you didn't like me."
"I don't know what to make of you," she corrected. "You called me a bunch of names, and I've got a feeling you would have let the dragon eat me. Me saving you, that was instinct, kid. I didn't want your brother coming after me because I let you get bitten in half."
Her eyes went to the Enterran nearby. "Marik, I'm surprised. You came to help too," she continued, grinning at the Enterran.
Marik promptly scowled and looked away. "I was going to come here earlier—I still have the other goatskin with the healing water in it, remember?"
"You need to put yourself in front of a raging dragon to do that?" she asked teasingly.
Marik's scowl deepened and he irritably shoved the pouch into her hands, muttering all the way back to where Yugi and his friends were gathered. She turned to watch him go, though her gaze traveled past them to the shop when she caught movement. Valon was now outside and talking to Téa, likely trying to find out what was going on.
Mai's smile faded as she returned her attention to the wounded kit, feeling utterly miserable when her gaze landed on the area where she had poured the water. Although the water had cleaned off the blood and pus, it had done nothing else. The kit was breathing in shallow panting whines, still aching from where Mai had poured the water.
She looked back to Mokuba. The child had seen what she did and had turned away, avoiding any looks being directed at him. A glance to Kaiba revealed that his shoulders had slumped for just the briefest of seconds and his eyes had darkened, but after noting Mai looking at him his stoic expression returned. From behind her she heard a soft and dismayed, "Oh no" from Ryou.
The water had not worked. The kit was going to die.
She shifted her gaze back to the baby and hesitantly stroked its head with a feather light touch, trying not to cry. Oh honey, I'm so sorry I couldn't fix this…
She gave it several more gently pets, then pulled her hand back and reached for the stopper to the goatskin. She could not help the baby, she knew now. Even before she had encountered the dragons for herself, she had heard tales of the White Dragons being resistant to magic or to potions. This really should not have come as such a surprise.
Her eyes went one last time to the area the water had touched. The staggered lines were no longer green, and they were darker than she remembered, but that was probably because she was upset. Her tears were distorting her vision, and—
No. No, wait…that was not it at all.
Mai wiped her eyes, her gaze locked on the dark lines that were ever so slowly growing darker by the second. The lines were elongating, coming to points. It took her a moment to realize what she was looking at. Her breath caught and when she finally released her breath it came out as a shaky gasp.
The dark blue lines began slowly fanning out into spade-shaped scales as they inched their way along the dragon's shoulder. The flesh surrounding these scales was gradually lightening, the ugly colors fading away to a healthy shade of pink. The water had worked after all, though it was delayed because of the toughness of the dragon itself.
She uncapped the goatskin again and, after laying it flush with the kit's uninjured side, slowly lifted it so that the water came out as a gradual stream. She began pouring it all along the dragon's mutilated side, making sure the water touched every part of the gaping wound. She did not care how much water went on each area, instead focusing on getting the water all over so that every area of the wound was covered by at least a drop of the water. She kept it up until she was holding an empty goatskin, and she leaned back to survey the injury.
Some of the scales had fully grown and shone in the sunlight coming through the trees, casting silvery lights on the grass. Others were varying shades of blue and silver, still slowly growing; she had not managed to put very much on the kit's hindquarters and the area was still inflamed, but it was not nearly as bad as it had been originally.
Mai reached for the other goatskin, but she did not realize that anyone had seen what she was doing until Mokuba's awe-struck voice came next to her ear. "It's working," he breathed, stormy gray eyes brightening and a grin spreading across his features. "I don't believe it…big brother! Big brother, the water's working!"
There was a movement behind her. Kaiba knelt beside his brother, taking in the sight for himself. For just the briefest of seconds, relief danced across his face. It was gone just as suddenly as she'd seen it. He rose to his feet, returning to Kisara's side. He held out a hand for her, and the dragon's head came down to him to listen as Kaiba started talking to her in a low voice. All the menace disappeared from the larger dragon and her head swiveled to where Mai was kneeling.
Mai paid no mind, instead opening the next pouch and starting to pour it over the kit's side. As she worked, she noticed that the baby was starting to revive. It was blinking with confusion and lifting its head to look up at them. Mai continued pouring the water onto the kit, even going back over areas that still had growing scales to make certain that she had gotten rid of all the injuries. When she finished, she set the goatskin aside and studied the kit. Although the growth of the scales was slow-going and even stopping in some places, there was not a trace of infection or open wounds anywhere on its affected side.
"Hold it, Mizu," Mokuba chided as the kit tried to get to its feet. "I know you're probably feeling better, but you've been off your feet for some time and you haven't eaten anything for a couple days. Take it easy."
"Mizu is the baby's name, huh?" she asked, smiling as the kit bumped her hand. She gently petted the dragon, and the kit began purring. It was almost like an oversized cat. "That's pretty."
"My brother named her," Mokuba replied, steadying the wobbly kit and watching as she began exploring.
Jou ambled over, staring down at Mizu with curiosity. "She's a tiny little thing. Hard to believe she'll be as menacing as her mama one day," he said. He yelped as Mizu sprang for his tail and bit down, but Mai noticed that he did not try to dislodge Mizu. "Nice try, kid, but your fangs need to be a bit sharper," he continued with a grin, flopping down on the grass as Mizu continued tugging on his tail.
A shadow fell over her and Mai looked above her as Kisara's head descended. Mizu released Jou's tail and waddled toward the larger dragon clumsily, squeaking and rubbing herself against her mother's snout. Kisara sniffed at Mizu before gently picking her up with her teeth and carrying the kit back to her side. Mizu squealed happily when she was set on the ground, and rolled onto her back, paws waving in the air and trying to slash playfully at Kisara's snout. The older dragon rumbled and nuzzled her affectionately.
"Kisara's a lot happier now that Mizu's not hurt anymore, and so's my brother," said Mokuba, relaxing. "I mean, sure, it'll take a little more of that water for Mizu to regain all of her scales, but she's okay for the most part. Mizu is the only kit Kisara has. If she had died…"
Jou glanced over at Mokuba, frowning. "If Kisara is so defensive of her kit, how come someone was able to hurt her?"
Mokuba's eyes darkened. "Mizu liked to explore and wandered outside the cave while Kisara was hunting. Bakura struck then," he said angrily. "By the time we found her, it was too late."
"Ah, I do believe that was my cue," said Bakura from immediately behind Jou. All three of them jumped as the thief strode forward.
Kisara had seen him approaching. Her head lowered, gently but firmly closing her jaws around her baby and setting Mizu safely between her large claws. She snarled at Bakura in warning.
"Relax, would you?" Bakura said irritably, stopping his advance when he noticed Kisara. "I didn't hurt your baby in the first place."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "I suppose you're going to tell me that I need to uphold my part of the bargain."
"The water worked, did it not?"
"Only partially. The kit's scales are not entirely grown back."
"But its injuries have been washed away—quite literally."
Kaiba seemed to mull over this information, glancing briefly at Mokuba before he looked past Bakura and to where Yami and Yugi were standing. "Would you two say that the bargain has been fulfilled?"
Yami raised an eyebrow. "I will defer to Yugi on this decision, Kaiba, as I do not like either of you and may not be the fairest judge in the matter," he said, vanishing into the Millennium Puzzle once again.
Valon let out a startled laugh from where he was, and Mai found she could not entirely banish the grin on her face. At least he had been honest.
If Yugi was embarrassed or bothered by Yami's response, he indicated nothing of it. "Bakura, did you promise that the kit would be entirely healed?"
"Only that the water would help undo the damage done to it, nothing more," replied Bakura easily. Mai gained the impression that Bakura had known in advance about being asked such a question.
"And Kaiba, did you agree to that?"
Kaiba dipped his head, his eyes locked onto Yugi. Mai gained new respect for the shorter magic caster, as he was not quailing under that intense gaze or even flinching.
Yugi remained silent for a few more minutes before he straightened. "All right. As the healing water did work on the kit, Kaiba, you must stop attacking Bakura and his thieves. However, as the water did not entirely work and the baby will likely need to be given more water to completely grow back her scales…Bakura, you will have two months to find out who really attacked the kit. Is that fair to the both of you?"
The two men looked to each other briefly and then looked away, muttering in acquiescence.
Yugi beamed. "Then it's settled. Keep to both sides of the bargain and there won't be any trouble. Kaiba, if you need to know where the healing spring is you can ask Jou. He knows where it is, but if not ask Mai."
When Kaiba's gaze shifted to her, Mai said, "It's in the volcanic mountains. There's a gaping hole in the side where the healing spring is—that's how you'll find it."
Kaiba nodded, but when he spoke it wasn't about the healing spring. "You saved Mokuba earlier."
She nodded, uncertain where he was going with this change in conversation. Jou was watching him warily, his tail twitching.
"Kisara was not going to attack Mokuba, as even in her rage she knows better and would have never brought harm to him. However, you did put yourself between Kisara and my brother—that speaks volumes."
He offered nothing further, instead turning on his heel and striding to Kisara. "Come, Mokuba."
The boy grinned and hopped to his feet. He paused and looked down at the blanket, grimacing at the mess on it. "Do we need to bring the blanket?"
"I'll dispose of it and make another one for you," said Yugi brightly, already coming forward. "I don't think you really need to keep such a thing, as it's…well, ruined."
Mai rose to her feet and brushed the grass and dirt off her skirt. "I'd second that."
"Third," said Jou, grimacing at the blanket. "That thing reeks."
Mokuba looked to Kaiba for approval of this decision and, upon finding it, starting after his brother without a glance backward. It was not until Mokuba had picked up the kit and the two brothers were seated on Kisara once more that Mai remembered an earlier question and waved to catch their attention. "Kaiba!"
The man's head turned even as Kisara adjusted herself and spread her wings to fly.
"What would anyone want with scales aside from selling them?" she called over the sound of Kisara's wings beating the air.
It was Mokuba who replied. "Given the number of scales taken, you could make a weapon from it! It wouldn't be as strong as mine or Kaiba's because they're baby dragon scales, but it still makes a weapon!" he shouted over the wind.
There was no further room for conversation. The dragon took off through a gap in the trees before Mai could say anything further, making for the clouds above and disappearing into them.
There was a collective sigh of relief from the caravan behind her, the travelers clearly glad that the dragon was gone. Mai's legs felt shaky as she rose slowly to her feet. Marik and Jou both had seen it, coming on either side of her to steady her. As Mai started heading back to the others, Valon bounded forward.
"I thought you were taking a nap?" she asked.
The Aurosian grinned cheekily at her. "Kinda hard t' sleep through the sound of a dragon roarin' all over the place," he replied. "And Jou, you got thrown into a tree," he continued, laughing. "Tha' was 'ilarious!"
Jou scowled. "Like you could have done better?"
"Yeah, I coulda," said Valon, offering a cheeky grin.
"Do tell," Jou said sardonically, folding his arms over his chest. "I'd love to hear about this."
As the two of them started bickering, Mai repressed a groan and instead sought out Yugi. Something about Mokuba's reply had been bothering her, and she waited until she was with Ryou and Yugi before she spoke. "What sort of weapon could you make from a baby dragon's scales?"
Yugi had been talking to Ryou, and when Mai addressed him he jumped. He processed Mai's question and sobered. "There are several you could make. A spear tip, a small shield…more than likely, though, the best way to utilize all the scales taken from the baby would be to fashion a sword," he replied with a frown.
Ryou looked interested as well. "Given that only Kaiba and Mokuba have weapons forged from the scales in the first place, that narrows down how many suspects there are. Aside from Yugi, Kaiba never gives out any fallen scales or weaponry crafted from the White Dragon. Diamond cuts diamond. Any sword made from the scales of the White Dragon can kill it. That's why Kaiba is loath to let anyone have them…what's wrong, Highness?"
While Ryou had been speaking Mai had paled, her eyes widening in horror as she listened. At Ryou's concerned voice, Jou and Valon stopped bickering and even Bakura looked over. Téa came over as well and put a hand on Mai's shoulder. "Mai?"
Mai did not hear them, still reeling in shock. She had only seen one sword thus far that was claimed to be fashioned from the scales of the White Dragon.
Now Mai was wondering how Jean Claude had really gotten that sword.
"She's figured out that your sword was not a gift from our dear dragon lord."
Jean Claude scowled and swore vehemently. Of all the inopportune times for Mai to find out, she had to find out now?
"What else does she know?" he said into the amulet. He had no worries of anyone outside the tent hearing him—it had been magically soundproofed to prevent anyone listening to him.
"She knows that your dragon is a member of royalty and that he knows you. Aside from that, nothing else. I will warn you, however, that the more time spent in the dragon's company is more time for her to start remembering—and believe me when I tell you she is starting to."
Jean Claude started pacing. "Well then there's no time to lose! We've got to separate them!"
"Rescuing her might not be in your best interests at this point. She is alarmed by what she's just learned, and if given the choice she may decide that Bakura is the lesser of two evils."
"So then what are you asking me to do? I can't delay any longer if she's going to—"
"Calm yourself, you fool," came the cold reply. "I merely stated she is starting to put it together. The problem is that she has forgotten her initial fear of the dragon. She in fact stopped fearing him once she realized he would not hurt her. All you must do is create a rift between them…I assume that you know how to do this?"
This last comment, Jean Claude knew, was not addressed to him. It was instead directed at the man sitting unperturbed in the darkest corner of the tent. At the mention, the man lifted his head. Even under the hood he was wearing, a bone-chilling smile was plainly visible.
"I will take the silence to be a yes. Jean Claude, she may not return to you unscathed, but she will remember her fear—that much is promised."
"I don't want her hurt," spluttered Jean Claude indignantly.
"At this point, it cannot be helped," replied the other man stiffly. "Now, as for you," he continued, clearly addressing the other man now. "She is in the company of those who knows how to use Shadow magic, and one is a magic caster. Before you do anything, that one must be immobilized. Once that's done, it should all fall into place."
The man stirred and smoothly to his feet, reminding Jean Claude strongly of a snake rearing to strike. "He may use the Shadows, but I am the Shadows. He will fall," he replied, his voice dark and menacing.
Jean Claude felt the strongest urge to leave the tent, as the interior was darkening by the second and it was getting colder all the while. "Er, yes, I'll leave it to you then to figure that out," he said hastily, starting to back outside. "Why don't I leave you in peace for the moment?"
He wiped the blood off the amulet to stop the magic transmitting his voice and stepped outside into the late afternoon, never happier for the sun and the breeze blowing through the air. "Just taking a break from planning," he called, noticing that both guards and Mai's lady in waiting were looking at him with puzzled expressions.
He saw Alister roll his eyes and he could practically hear the 'yeah right' Alister muttered under his breath. He shot Raphael a pointed look, tipping his head to Alister. If that man could not be controlled, Jean Claude would have to find a way to punish him.
He straightened up, beginning to smile as an idea came to him. Raphael and Alister in particular were still causing problems, and to be honest he did not want Raphael in any position of authority any longer. He wouldn't kill the oaf. That would not end in his favor, and the other guards would revolt if he did that. But Raphael would no longer hold a captain's position. Jean Claude trusted Gurimo more—it was just that he needed to find a way to explain the change to Mai.
There had been the mention of the Aurosian that was supposedly both Raphael's and Alister's friend, one they'd both risk disobeying orders for…
He turned to the tent entrance and, after briefly hesitating, stepped back inside. He had just the remedy for this whole mess.
Bakura scowled. "I do not dance," he said flatly. With that parting remark, he retreated further up into the tree.
Téa shot him an identical scowl. "I wasn't asking you to. I just asked if you could help us get one of the wagon wheels unstuck since Yami's worn out," she called up at him. "Besides, I know you can't dance to save your life."
"Watch it, woman," Bakura growled, and shadows looped around Téa's waist to deposit her roughly back by the wagons. "Don't forget who you speak to."
Mai grinned at the spluttering Téa, feeling slightly cheered since the discovery she'd made earlier that afternoon. "Don't worry, hon," she said, helping Téa to her feet. "I don't think you'd like the end result of him helping anyways."
With Yugi allowing them to stay at the inn and considering they had survived a visit from a White Dragon, the caravan and dancing troupe had decided to hold a party to celebrate. It wasn't meant to be anything large or fancy, just a way to let off some steam. Some of the troupe had gotten their instruments out, and some were even beginning to dance. The sun was just starting to go down; small orbs of light began to light the path to the Turtle Shop, spreading out to the edges of the clearing.
Ryou and Marik had kept out of the festivities for the most part, instead talking to some of the older caravan members for news and to hear about any recent travel changes. Valon had joined in on a dancing game that supposedly was one the forest folk played, while Jou and Yugi were talking animatedly as they watched the others.
Téa smiled at Mai. "You seem happier than you were this afternoon," she commented. Her smile was replaced by a frown. "I'm sorry that your friend was the one who hurt a dragon."
Mai shook her head. "He wasn't a friend," she said curtly. "I'm still in shock that he could potentially do such a thing. It's something I fully plan on bringing up with him when I get the chance. But I can't dwell on that forever—we aren't able to right now, and I have way too much on my plate for that," she replied.
Mai was outwardly calmer, true. But that was after she had spent a good part of the afternoon in shock. When Ryou had told her about the sword, Mai had felt as if she had taken a punch to the gut. She had been on the fence about Jean Claude to begin with, but the idea that he could have potentially been the one to hurt a defenseless baby was revolting. Jou's added testimony about the sword that had injured him at the castle only seemed to convince Bakura that the prince was their culprit.
As there was no conclusive proof pointing to this option, as well as no way to explain how Kaiba had seen Marik and Bakura at the caves, there was not very much any of them could do. Bakura had decided some additional investigation would have to be involved, but as he was confronting Jean Claude soon enough, he decided he was confronting him about the matter then.
Mai looked around the clearing. Her gaze followed the nearest fairy light, and she glanced to Téa. "How long have you known Yugi?" she asked.
Téa hummed. "Since I was a little girl. He was sickly when he first came to this area," she said. "His grandfather brought him here when he came to settle down. Yugi was so weak, though, that he couldn't leave the shop. He'd survived a plague that killed his parents."
Mai shot Yugi a startled look. He looked so healthy and happy now, she hadn't even known he had been ill. "Is that why he's so short?" she asked at last.
"That's the running theory," Téa replied. "But who knows? He might have one growth spurt left."
Her eyes clouded, and she bit her lip. "I worry about him," she admitted at last. "His grandfather was his only living relative left. Right now, he's alone in the shop. I know Yami is watching out for him, and Yugi's a rather good magic caster, but…there's always a stronger one out there. I'm worried there's going to be someone who hurts him."
Mai filed this away to mention to Yugi later. "I've only known him for a day, but from what I can tell I don't think anyone is willing to mess with Yugi. He's strong enough in his own right, and he's a nice guy."
"Sometimes too nice," said Téa with a sigh. "You don't know how many times I've had to push him to make someone pay for their goods at the shop, instead of bartering with him. They still need to pay taxes, after all."
"True, but if he wasn't such a nice guy Jou and I probably wouldn't be here at the moment."
"Speaking of Jou, he likes you," said Téa.
Mai laughed. "He likes anyone who's helping him break his curse, honey."
But Téa shook her head. "I saw the way his eyes followed you when he was driving Kisara back, he was making sure you were safe," she replied with a skeptical frown. "Based on what I've heard from Yugi, Jou's been fighting to make sure you were kept from harm this whole time."
"It's not the first time a guy's done that for me. Look at Valon, he's helped me too. Then Marik and Ryou helped. That's not counting all the other princes in the past I've dealt with who do the same thing just to win my favor," she retorted. "It's all the same to me."
"I don't think that's true. I can tell you don't think it's true, either," Téa persisted.
"Oh, and what makes you say that?"
"You keep looking for him, and when you can't see him you get distracted and you look worried."
Mai stilled, eyes widening. Was she really doing that? She hadn't even realized she was, and yet Téa was right—Mai was looking for Jou even now, and she felt more comfortable being able to see him. When had that happened?
"I don't think that's a bad thing," Téa added when Mai didn't reply. "If anything, it's good to have a friend that you can rely on."
Jou must have felt Mai's eyes on him. He looked over at them, and noticing Mai watching him he beamed. He bounded over to them. "There you are, Téa, lost track of you," he said, grinning. He leaned in conspiratorially and said in a low voice, "I'm thinking Yugi wants to dance, but I don't think he's looking for just any girl to do that with."
Téa's face turned pink. "And how about you? Why not dance yourself?"
Jou flinched and looked suddenly awkward. "Er…I don't dance."
Mai frowned. "You danced just fine in the cave," she said, almost instantly regretting it when Téa shot her a knowing look.
"Yeah, but…well, there was no music or anything, and it wasn't like a real dance, and I get nervous in front of people and—"
"Calm down, Jou, you're babbling," said Mai with fond exasperation. She grinned at Jou and motioned for him to come closer. When he did, she leaned over and whispered, "I bet we can get Téa and Yugi to dance if we push the right buttons."
A mischievous light entered Jou's ruby eyes, and he winked at her before looking at Téa. "I dunno, Mai, I'm thinking Téa can't dance with Yugi at all. I mean, she'd probably look awkward with Yugi. He's teeny compared to her."
"I'd agree," said Mai, fighting not to smile when Téa's face darkened.
"I am a dancer. Of course I know how to…ohhh, you two don't believe me?" she asked indignantly when both Mai and Jou raised their eyebrows at her. "All right, fine! You and Jou start dancing, and I'll go get Yugi! We'll see who the better dancers are!"
Jou looked to Mai desperately. "Mai, my dad never taught me to actually dance and the tutors weren't any help," he said. "The most I've ever done was in the cave!"
"You'll be fine," Mai chided. "Besides, the intention is to get Yugi some time with Téa, not outshine them."
Jou still looked uncertain as Mai led him to where the other group was dancing. His mood did not improve when Valon caught sight of them and started grinning. He was out of breath but still managed a teasing, "Look out, everybody, Jou's comin' through!"
"Shut up!" he snapped defensively, his tail curling between his legs.
"Don't focus on them, hon. Keep your eyes on me," she said. "Take my hand, and follow my lead. Ready?"
This was easier said than done. Poor Jou was clearly out of his element with a crowd watching and moved stiffly, his eyes darting nervously everywhere.
"Jou, come on. Quit focusing on them and focus on me—you've got a gorgeous dancing partner, after all," she said, winking at him. "Now take a step forward."
"Like this?" Jou's large foot came too far forward and stomped on top of Mai's foot, crushing it.
Mai yelped and stumbled as Jou started apologizing. There was a chorus of good-natured laughter behind them. Jou just looked even more flustered. "Mai I'm sorry is your foot okay?" he asked in a rush.
Mai eyed him with lingering irritation. "Oh sure," she said, and then she twirled to step very deliberately on Jou's foot and drive her elbow into his ribs at the same time. "I'm fine now."
Jou's eyes flashed. "You did that on purpose!" he hissed.
"Maybe I did. I'm so sorry, is your foot okay?" she asked with just the barest hint of mocking in her voice.
The two of them scowled at each other for one long moment. Mai was not sure who moved first, but she soon found that instead of a dance they had launched themselves into some kind of foot-stomping competition, moving like a rampant tornado through the clearing as they fought to smash each other's feet.
From the safety of a wagon, Ryou gasped as they passed by. "Oh dear," he said, watching with mingling amusement and concern. Marik and Valon had not heard him—they were roaring in laughter.
Ryou's eyes moved to where Yugi and Téa were dancing just out of sight and with ease. He smiled—he strongly suspected a part of the fight occurring between Jou and Mai was a ploy to get the attention away from Yugi. He was so easily flustered, especially when put around Téa.
"Oh God can' breathe, I can' breathe!" Valon laughed, bending double.
Marik was laughing just as hard, unable to form words but looking genuinely relaxed for the first time in what felt like months. Ryou even heard the barest hint of a chuckle from the back of his mind and knew Bakura was watching.
Ryou did a double take when Jou suddenly spun Mai around. Mai took a moment to recover and stepped forward again resolutely, but this time it seemed to be a deliberate miss. Jou also mirrored her movement and repeated the spin, the scowl fading off his face as a broad smile started across his features.
The two of them were still going for each other's feet, but now it was playful. It was turning into a dance of its own, Ryou realized. The movements were less jarring now, more in sync; Jou was more relaxed than he was earlier, even forgetting the crowd watching. When Jou next spun Mai, she went airborne. Jou ducked under her and caught her, tucking her close to him before he turned to bow at the spectators.
Mai was out of breath and she was alarmingly close to Jou's face when he bowed, but she was grinning and giggling. Her earlier plan to allow Yugi to dance in peace had worked. "Jou, you can put me down now," she half-panted, still laughing.
Jou was also gasping for breath, ruby eyes glittering with joy. "Don't think so. I haven't had this much fun in a while," he said, grinning at her. "Reminds me of that summer festival we were at!"
Mai's smile immediately disappeared. "What?" she asked, staring up at him.
Jou blinked at her, confused. Then he realized what he said. His grip on her tightened. "Mai?"
She didn't answer him, searching his face. Yami had said she had a memory spell on her. She'd doubted him at first, but now…
If she thought about it hard enough, if she focused just enough, she thought she could remember music, and a warm sun overhead and…and it wasn't Jou's too vivid ruby eyes that stared down at her, but brown ones that were warm and full of laughter…the hands that held her were calloused and rough, not scaled and taloned…
"Jou…Jou, have we done this before?" she asked softly, staring up at him.
Jou swallowed hard. "Mai—"
Every light in the clearing was suddenly extinguished.
Jou blinked, startled. He straightened up, still holding Mai in his arms. His pupils had slitted again, a low growl rising out of him again. Even the torches had gone out and the horses were whickering uneasily, stomping in place. What was going on?
There was an unnatural chill that was creeping along the grass, a cold wind that was blowing where there hadn't been one before. Mai felt goosebumps traveling up her arms, starting to tremble.
Something was wrong.
"Yugi! YUGI!"
Jou kept hold of her as his wings flared out around them. Mai had barely enough time to realize what Jou was intending to do, and her arms wrapped around his neck as he flew across the clearing. He was back at where they had left Téa and Yugi within seconds. "Téa? What happened?" he asked.
Téa had been the one to shriek. She was kneeling on the ground, cradling an unconscious Yugi in her arms. Panic shone bright in her blue eyes. The Millennium Puzzle gleamed from where it was on a nearby wagon; Yugi must have taken it off to dance.
She looked up at Jou, tears in her eyes. "He just collapsed! His eyes went dark, a-and he said he felt funny, then he just...Yugi! Yugi, wake up!" she cried, desperately shaking his shoulders. Yugi looked far too pale and when Téa shook him he only moved limply, as if he was nothing but a doll.
Bakura abruptly appeared and shoved past the people that were starting to gather gathered. "Get back!" he snarled. His eyes landed on where Yugi was lying, and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Where's the damned Puzzle?"
Mai never got the chance to reply.
The cold wind that had begun to blow increased, cutting through all of them. Mai felt a strange pressure bearing down on her shoulders, eerily similar to the feeling she'd gotten when they'd slammed into Yugi's barrier the night before.
Above her, Jou suddenly stiffened. He was still holding Mai, but the grip on Mai's arms was now too tight. His talons were digging into her arms, creating pinpricks of pain.
"Jou?" she asked, starting to struggle when the pressure increased. "Jou, you're hurting me, what are you—?"
He dropped her without warning, earning a cry of alarm from Mai as she hit the ground. Jou backed away, his tail swishing through the air violently and his hands going to his head; his claws were digging almost painfully into his scalp. Mai recovered and got to her feet, moving to Jou. "What's wrong? Jou, talk to me!"
Jou looked at her. Mai gasped at the sight of rapidly darkening ruby eyes growing darker. There was terror in those wide eyes, his face pale with pain and fear. "Mai…get back…get back…" he said, almost choking as he stumbled further away. "Mai…! Mai, run!"
"Why? Jou, what's wrong?" she asked again, following him. "Jou, I can help if you—!"
Jou snarled. The sound, however, was inhuman—it was enough to make anyone nearby stumble backwards with alarmed shouts. Jou turned on Mai suddenly, teeth bared as he slashed at her with his talons. The claws sank into her right shoulder and dug in, ripping through both fabric and skin. The force of the blow knocked Mai off her feet and made her tumble into the grass.
Mai sat up shakily. Hot pain lanced her shoulder at every movement, the skin feeling almost too hot and tender now. Her hand rose instinctively to her shoulder, feeling something too warm drenching her shirt and starting down the right half of her body.
Her hand came away bloody.
Her wide eyes swung back to Jou, who was now advancing on her with a menacing snarl. She scrambled backward, unable to regain her feet. "Jou! Jou, don't!"
But Jou was not listening. The ruby eyes were dark and cold, filled with murderous intent. He was coming towards her, with every intent to kill her. He tried to kick her, clearly trying to catch her with the talons on her foot, but he missed as she ducked the attack. It did not stop him from pursuing her. Jou easily caught up to her as she tried to regain her feet, grabbing her arm and yanked her upright. He lifted his hand to slash through her again—
Marik leapt and tackled Jou, pushing him to the earth. Mai found herself hitting the ground hard, jarring her bloody shoulder. The Enterran fought to pin Jou down, as did several of the other men in the caravan.
"Mai, run!" Marik ordered. "Don't just sit there! Get out of here!"
Run? Run where? Where could she go? Jou was already getting loose again and throwing people aside like it was nothing, where—?
Marik broke loose, sprinting to her side. He grabbed her uninjured arm and hoisted her to her feet, practically throwing her to the forest path. "GO!" he roared.
It was enough to break through the shock. Mai turned and finally ran, half stumbling on the branches in the path. She dared not look back as she fled, terror increasing when she heard other footsteps behind her. There was someone chasing after her—she didn't dare stop to turn around and find out who. If she did, she might not be able to get away.
She had no idea how long she kept running, the sounds of the brush behind her crashing and her feet hitting the path her only sounds. She tried to stay on the path as long as she could, but ultimately began tearing through the bushes to try and lose her pursuer.
She abruptly broke through the trees, running immediately into someone. She screamed, half-terrified it was Jou and that he'd somehow cut her off. She started struggling in their grip.
"Mai, Mai, stop, it's me!" came a woman's alarmed voice. "Mai—oh gods, your shoulder!"
An unfamiliar man's voice suddenly rang out. "Fire into the trees! He's obviously trying to recapture her!"
Another man's voice, alarmed and angry, boomed out through the darkness. "NO!"
Then all around her was the sound of combat, yells and angry cries shattering the silence of the night. The world was blurring and dark at its edges, and the angry voices began to get thicker and more muffled.
It was all too much.
Mai felt her knees give out beneath her, gladly welcoming the darkness that swallowed her sight.