Bubbles: Ooh, I like typing that way better. So glad you enjoyed the Slaver's POV! I was a bit worried about it. And I was trying to make a point by the cousins thing. All the monsters consider themselves related to the rest of their attributes. I'm so glad you noticed! Haha- I loved that little portion of the chapter. It was my favourite part about it. Thanks for casting a vote. It does look like I'll be writing as Krin in the next chapter.
Aqua-Princess of Imagination: Don't feel bad. It happens. At least you didn't have to wait the three weeks it took for me to update. And lots of craziness is coming. These next few chapters (not necessarily this one) are going to be packed full of the "craziness."
Pk Love Omega: I inspire you? Why thanks! I've never been told that before. Totally made my day!
Havelock Vetinari: Didn't I label whose POV it was? I thought that I did. Hm. If not, I mentioned it on my blog. Anyways, I did try to keep the Slaver in character. Difficult, because I kept switching over to Seto's mindset. I haven't been focusing on Kara as much as Krin and Kisara, so that may be why you haven't gotten her "handle" yet. And the monsters should figure it out. If they don't, it might be a problem.
ZQuill: Haha- that's pretty amusing. I'm sure you were just having the same sort of mindset as Kisara at the time. Haha. I've said it before, but you really do catch onto the little details. I love that. And I really thought it was about time for Seto to be the "bonus brother." I mean, poor Mokuba is always used for Seto, it's time for the opposite to happen. Haha- you won't miss the facial cut and you know it! And this chapter is Seto's POV. So enjoy their reunion. I had that conversation with another reader (about how the dragon's couldn't tell). We got into a relatively long discussion about it, so instead of doing so here, I'll just tell you to wait until the next chapter. It is going to start from that conversation between Krin and Kisara. (Unless people want to see Kara's POV – the poll will decide)
Lace Kyoko: That certainly does sound difficult. But I know what you mean about contractions feeling weird now. I pause every time I type one now. I keep thinking that I need to correct it. Glad you enjoyed the chapter!
AyaseFanGirl: We certainly have been talking about everything. Haha. I don't really have anything new to say here. . . Enjoy this chapter!
Everwild: Thank you. And that was what I was going for. The Slaver is a pretty impassive character, but I liked the way everything came across in his POV. He sees things a lot differently than the other characters.
TeresaShiho: Phew. You cut that review close. I nearly didn't have time to respond to it here. THANKS! I'm glad you liked the escape, and Seto and Mokuba's POV. Is it nice to see Seto in a world where Yugi is dead? Haha. And I do plan on discussing how the two worlds ended up connected. It is just coming later on. And you reviewed about seeing more characters right before the other characters come in! What timing! I'm glad you like the dragons, I think they are pretty cool too. I've been told that it was a good thing that I didn't make Kisara the real version. I didn't think much of the real one. You've got no idea the pressure I am having to make this very entertaining for you. Haha. But I love it when authors take the time to talk with their readers, and I love doing so. And I'm sorry that THIS is the chapter where you pick up. It is so not as interesting as all the others!
Author's Note: This is the last chance you'll get to vote in the poll on my profile! If you want to see a certain dragon's POV for one of the next chapters, go vote now. I'm going to start working on it soon, so after about a week, that poll will be replaced.
Seto
"Mokuba, I understand that you want to hug me, but you have to stop moving," I said as I lowered his shoulders back down onto the mattress.
"It's not that bad," Mokuba said. But I could see the forced line of his mouth and the tight fists his hands had formed. I knew he was experiencing serious pain.
"Are you looking at the same ankle as I am?"
"So, the dragons are just riveting," Mokuba said to change the subject.
"Don't do that. We are being serious."
"I didn't know you were a doctor. Is there some way you can magically heal my ankle?"
"At least let me look it over."
"Seto, you can't do anything for it. It's broken, and I know that it is serious. Now that I've admitted that, can we skip the worrying part and jump to the sappy reunion?"
I closed my eyes so that I could think rationally. Before, all I saw was his purple and shattered foot. Because of that, the only thing I wanted to do was try to fix it. Now that I had somewhat blocked out the situation, I knew that he was right in the respect that I wouldn't be able to do anything. In only five minutes of being reconnected with my brother I already had begun to let out my overprotective side. It tended to appear whenever I knew something was wrong with Mokuba. And now, knowing what all I knew about broken bones, I was nervous.
But the best course of action would be to wait and tell the Slaver when he returned. Maybe the only reason he hadn't attempted to treat the injury was that he didn't realize the severity of a broken bone.
I opened my eyes. "Hey," I said. Then I leaned down and gave my little brother the softest hug I could manage.
"Good to see you," he responded. Only a second passed before he burst into a smile. "Did you know that you are in love with Kisara?"
I rolled my eyes and chuckled shortly. "She is out of her mind."
"Oh yeah, you are all that she thinks of. I had been keeping a count. I think it was about thirty-four times that she mentioned you in an hour."
"Just thirty-four?" I said.
Mokuba just smiled and said, "I cannot believe that you were chosen by all three of them. Shouldn't that like, not be possible?"
"I will never claim to know how they operate. But far more importantly, how did you get away from Kuriboh? Something involving a knife?"
Mokuba bit at the corner of his mouth to hold back a smile. But that was the first time I noticed the long cut running down his lips.
"I threw a water bottle at him and tacked his foot to the wall."
"So we should have tried that sooner?"
Mokuba grinned. "Yeah. Maybe."
Our conversation fell into a lull so we could stare at each other. Looking at him brought back the knowledge that he was safe. He was lying beside me, close enough that I could reach out and touch him. Ever since the time that Kuriboh kept me locked out of the house, I had been so worried about him. While we were separate, I hadn't been able to help him. Although I could now see he was injured, I knew he was alive. The constant pain that had surrounded me vanished. There was no longer pressure constricting my every breath because I believed I had failed him. I was just left with relief filling my whole body.
I hugged him again.
I didn't move far when I pulled back. I lied down on my side on the floor next to his mattress. Mokuba reached out and grabbed my hand.
"Are you mad that he took you too?" Mokuba asked.
"Of course I'm not mad," I answered quickly.
"Then did he tell you?"
"That you made a deal with him?" I said.
"Yeah," he whispered. I heard the guilt seeping through his tone. He felt bad about allowing the Slaver to take me. My stomach dropped as I realized I had much more to feel guilty about. He had no idea what I had done.
"Mokuba, I need to tell you something."
He hesitated. My brother knew me well enough to know when I was leading into a difficult subject. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay."
"I made a similar deal with Kisara," I began. The memory of yesterday's deal had my breath caught. I had been in so much pain when they forced the deal upon me that I only vaguely remembered swearing away my brother's life.
I angled my chin upwards to stare at the ceiling before going on. "They refused to believe that I wouldn't try to escape once we were together. Krin made me swear that I would stay."
"What did you swear on?" Mokuba asked. He knew what I was trying to say, which made what I had to say easier, but not much.
"I-" I started, but I stopped. I couldn't imagine what words to use to tell my brother that I had put his life entirely in my hands. How could I tell him that if the dragons found us, we could never leave them? I threw away any freedom he might have had.
He still needed to know.
"I swore on you."
His grip on my hand fell slack. "Like on my life?" He asked.
"I am so sorry," I said in a quiet voice.
"Why would you agree to that?" His voice cracked as he asked the question.
"I was being selfish. I need you to be with me. It is the only way I can always know that you are safe. And if staying together with Kisara was how I had to accomplish that, I could live with it."
"So you gave them permission to kill me if we run away?"
"That was the agreement."
My breathing stopped when he didn't immediately answer. I had made it so that he was enslaved to the dragons as well. The very beings that I hated the most now had reason to hold my brother hostage. How could he ever forgive me?
Then he squeezed my hand. I turned to look at him and was greeted with a small smile. "We are going to be trapped with some monster anyways," he said. His smile grew and he faintly shook his head. "I want to be with you too."
I started breathing again.
"I love you, Mokuba."
"Oh, I know. You must love me to run away from Krin. Seto, he is so scary."
We both laughed as the tension that hung in the air dissipated. Mokuba had casually dropped the issue for the time, but I think we both knew that it would come up again. The dragons were not going to let the Slaver get away without a fight. They would come for me. When that happened, the subject would arise again. But for now, we could let it slip.
"You have such horrible timing," I said.
"Me? You're the one who ran away right before I showed up!" Mokuba responded.
The door opened. Since Mokuba was facing the wrong direction, he rolled his head back so he could see the Slaver standing in the doorway. Our kidnapper held a key in his hand.
"Have you finished with your reunion?" He asked.
"Not quite, care to come back tomorrow?" Mokuba said while the Slaver walked over.
He knelt down and slid the key into the lock around Mokuba's wrist. Mokuba quickly pulled his arm close to him once it was freed. He gave a sort of half-nod thanks.
I could usually read my little brother's expressions, but this one was clouded. Since I had been separated from Mokuba for all the time that he had dealt with the Slaver, I didn't know the extent of their time together. I knew enough about their dealings to know that Mokuba was his prisoner before, and that the Slaver was the main reason Mokuba was injured. Mokuba couldn't think well of him in that light. However, the Slaver had kidnapped me, just so Mokuba could be with me. Their relationship was certainly a mixed one, but I had yet to determine my brother's exact feelings towards the monster.
"I will not be here for long. Put on the clothing I have left for you, then come out for instructions," the Slaver ordered.
"He can't walk," I said.
"Then I suppose it is convenient you are here to assist him," Trap Master said with a smirk. After speaking, he stood, kicking the mattress in the process. Mokuba's teeth gritted together in response.
"Do try to be quick about it," he added before leaving.
Mokuba propped himself up on his elbows when the door closed. "Well, see what he wants us to wear."
I pushed myself up and reluctantly released Mokuba's hand. He seemed to be indifferent to changing clothes, but I was not. Although my clothes were dirty and torn from being dragged across a roof, they were mine. Once they were gone, all that I would actually own would be my locket. I would have to make sure that remained hidden.
Stepping over to the pile, I did a quick examination. There were four items contained within it. I picked up one of the shirts and then the other and found that they were both identical. The only difference was the sizes. I threw the smaller of the two over to Mokuba, then examined my own. It was a simple white, long-sleeved t-shirt. I held it up for Mokuba to see.
"That isn't so bad. It could have been a lot worse," he said.
I shrugged and threw the shirt over my shoulder so that I could pick up the pants. The two pairs were also the same, aside from the different sizing.
"They are our sizes," I said in surprise.
"He probably has to get clothing for a lot of people," Mokuba said.
When I showed the pants to Mokuba, he groaned. "We are going to look like waiters," he muttered when I dropped the black pants on top of his shirt.
"Waiters, servers, servants, slaves, it isn't a big jump," I said.
Mokuba laughed. "Okay, you're right about that. Is there a bathroom through there?" He asked, pointing to the second door in the room.
I opened the door and glanced inside. "It is. And it even has a shower. That's good, because your hair is looking a little greasy."
Mokuba threw the white shirt at me. "Excuse me for being imprisoned for the past week."
I tossed the shirt back to Mokuba and dropped my own. I had to get changed first so that I could help Mokuba. I decided against changing in the bathroom so that I wouldn't have to be away from Mokuba. I just got him back. I would not leave his side any time soon.
I got dressed quickly and got on my knees beside Mokuba. "Your turn, kiddo."
The shirt would be the easiest to put on, so I grabbed that first. "Shirt off," I instructed.
I had to help him move to an upright position. He tried so hard not to show the amount of pain he experienced by just sitting up. I wanted to comfort him, to tell him that he would be okay, but I wasn't even convinced of that. If he was left untreated, he could die.
I shook my head to rid it of the thought. Mokuba would not die.
He pulled off his shirt while I pressed down on his legs. Although I did my best to keep his legs from moving, I noticed the slight flash of pain that crossed his face. Assuming that I hadn't been helpful, so I pulled back.
"No!" Mokuba exclaimed. He grabbed my hands and put them back into place. "It helped."
I repeated the action of holding down his legs so he could put the top half of the Slaver's uniform on. Once he finished, we both just stared down at his ankle.
"Maybe we can cut these off?" Mokuba suggested.
"And what about the new pair?" I said.
Mokuba sighed. "Can you think of any way to do this without it having me pass out?" He asked.
"Lie back," I said.
He did so slowly, checking several times to make sure I wasn't about to move my hands again. Once he was on his back, I started to unbutton his jeans.
"What are the chances that he will let me wear these?"
"Near to non-existent. The Slaver knows that your ankle is broken, but he still told you to change. I don't think that he cares."
"Then just get it over with," Mokuba said.
I couldn't stop thinking that there had to be some way to make it easier for him. Cutting off his current pair could eliminate some of the problem, but we had nothing to cut with and we would still have to deal with the second pair. What I really needed was something to brace his ankle until I was ready to pull the material over it.
Nothing in this room could serve as a brace however. I needed another idea. His leg could be elevated so he didn't have to constantly lift it up and down. That might help him some.
"If I moved you, how badly would it hurt?" I asked.
Mokuba leaned his head up slightly to answer. "Just lying here hurts, Seto. The only thing that could possibly make it worse is if I jumped on it."
"I doubt that is the only thing, but I want to try something. I am going to hold onto your leg, and while I do that, I need you to slide off the side of the mattress. Move until just the bottom of your leg is still on."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Now go."
He did as I told him. I stayed beside his legs and held his ankle up so it wouldn't touch anything while he adjusted his position. He had to use his arms and good leg to do so. The whole time he was moving, his eyes stayed closed. Twice he stopped and breathed heavily through his mouth before continuing. I could do nothing but watch and hope that my idea would work.
When he finally was in the position I instructed, he collapsed.
"How bad?" I asked. I wasn't sure I wanted to know that answer.
"Very. Just do it."
"Can you slide your jeans down a bit, or do I need to?" I asked. I still held his broken ankle, and I was reluctant to put it down only to have to pick it back up. Any movement that could be avoided would help.
He nodded. "I think so."
It took him a moment, but he got his jeans pushed down enough for me to start doing my part. I removed one hand from his ankle and began to pull down on the hem of his jeans. As the material crossed over his ankle, I began to repeat "Sorry, sorry, sorry," because I knew that I was hurting him.
By the time I finished with the one leg, he had stopped moving.
"Mokuba, are you awake?" I asked.
There was no answer. I tried to wake him up, but after shaking him and receiving no response, I realized that it might be better for him to stay asleep. His body's reflex was to pass out to try to avoid the extreme pain he was experiencing. I could now get him dressed easier.
The second leg went much smoother. And I should have been much more careful while putting him in the new pair, but I wanted to speak with the Slaver. I may have moved too quickly in my haste.
I slipped a hand under Mokuba's legs and picked him up once finished. The side effects of being a prisoner so long finally were apparent to me. I was barely strong enough to hold Mokuba, as I had lost a large amount of muscle while trapped. I struggled to keep from dropping my brother when I opened the door, which was unlocked. I doubted the Slaver would leave it that way again.
I assumed that when the Slaver told us to come out, he meant for us to go back the way we came. I stopped in the hallway to look the opposite direction. I wanted to run. My feet started to take a step in the wrong direction, but I couldn't do it. Mokuba was growing heavier with every moment. We would never be able to escape while he was in this state.
Traveling back to the living room, I found the Slaver leaning against the wall across from a disgusting couch. I peered down at it, but turned away before I started trying to guess where the stains littering its surface had come from.
"That took longer than I expected," the Slaver stated.
"Well, his ankle is broken," I repeated.
"Yes, I am aware of that. However, the fact is not changed that it took the two of you longer than expected. Why is my boy unconscious?"
The Slaver already thought of Mokuba as his? I pushed the pronoun he had used out of my head. That could be worried about later. I wanted to talk with the Slaver before Mokuba woke up.
"His body shut down with the pain. He needs a healer," I said, thinking specifically of the Griggle who had healed me. Though certainly there were more monsters with that ability.
"I have seen plenty of humans recover from broken bones. He will be fine," the Slaver said dismissively.
"His ankle is severely broken. If he doesn't have it healed or receive medical attention, he could die."
That caught the Slaver's interest. "How so?"
"It is going to get infected. The infection will spread throughout his body and kill him," I explained using simple terms. Just thinking about Mokuba dying made me feel nauseous.
"Surely you are exaggerating."
"I'm not. If you don't get him help, then you will have gone through all of the trouble to kidnap him just to lose him after a few days," I said. I actually had no idea how long it would take for the infection to take over, but giving him a timeline of days seemed to convey the urgency well.
I had found it to be a rare moment when the Slaver's smile faltered. But once I warned of Mokuba's possible death, his face grew stern. He thought over the information I just gave him. He stared at Mokuba for the duration of his consideration.
"I will continue to think it through. Sit and I will give you your rules," the Slaver said.
I glanced down at the couch. "I would rather stand."
"Sit," he ordered. The word came across as more of a threat than an order.
So I sat. When I did so, I kept Mokuba's head propped up on my arm to keep him from having to come into contact with the couch. I let his legs extend in the other direction.
The Slaver glared down at my brother's unconscious form.
"Can you not wake him?" He asked.
"He will wake up soon, I'm sure."
The Slaver proceeded on. "Your rules are very simple," he began. His smirk was unnerving. "Know that you are only here because of your brother. I have no interest in you, and I do no want you. Thus, you will do exactly as you are told and without question. If I even hear you speak, I will kill you instantly."
My mouth opened to object to how ridiculous his order was. But before I spoke, the Slaver raised his eyebrows as if daring me to test him. We stayed in a kind of standoff while I debated how serious he was. Would he really kill me, or was it simply an empty threat? He worked just as hard to kidnap me as he did Mokuba. If he killed me, then Mokuba would never cooperate with him. And not just that, he would certainly be killed himself if the dragons ever discovered what he had done. If I could test him, I would. But the only manner of doing so that I could think of involved risking my life.
Mokuba's head rolled to the side, distracting both me and the Slaver. His initial reaction was to sit up, but I pressed my hand gently down on his chest to keep him from moving. That was the best I could do without speaking.
When he opened his eyes, he smiled up at me. Then he turned his head over to where he could see the Slaver. He groaned and looked back to me. "So the monsters actually are real?"
I couldn't help but give him a sad smile.
The Slaver walked over to the couch and knelt down next to Mokuba's head. He used a finger to tilt Mokuba's face towards him. But Mokuba knocked the hand off his face, though he didn't look away. I was worried that Mokuba was going to end up getting in trouble for his attitude, but the Slaver only smiled.
"Not in the mood to speak with me?" He questioned.
"I didn't realized that I was supposed to be."
"Of course, that is my first rule for you. You will speak to me every time you see me."
Mokuba snorted in what I read as amusement. "That is really your first rule? Shouldn't it be something like 'do not run away' or 'obey me?'"
"I do not think you could run away. Obeying me is your last rule."
"Short list," Mokuba murmured. "So am I allowed to scream at the top of my lungs?"
The image of him lying on the floor throwing a tantrum nearly had me laughing. I had to refrain though, as I wasn't sure if laughing fell into the talking category.
The Slaver didn't have to hold back his laugh. "If you desire to," he answered.
"Am I allowed to be disrespectful?" Mokuba pressed.
"Are you not already?"
Mokuba did his best to shrug, a feat which proved difficult while he laid in my lap. "Maybe a little. So just to clarify, I am allowed to attempt an escape?"
"I am certain that anything you could come up with would amuse me greatly."
"I find that offensive. I am certain that you seem to have forgotten that I have done it before," Mokuba spat back.
Mokuba spoke so easily with the Slaver, and that surprised me. That must have been the reason that the Slaver wanted Mokuba so badly. I doubted that the other people he kidnapped would talk to him at all, much less carry on insulting conversations. My brother had been a captive too many times to allow anyone to scare him.
"I happen to know that you are not going to be walking out on an injury that could kill you."
Mokuba hesitated then. "Where did you get that idea?"
The Slaver gestured to me. "From your brother. He and I had quite the discussion before you awoke."
Mokuba jerked his head in my direction and said, "I might die?"
I started to answer, but the Slaver's threat surfaced and I kept my mouth closed.
"Your brother is not permitted to answer."
Mokuba was angry. He closed his eyes and bit down on his tongue to keep from speaking so that he wouldn't say anything too rash. Once he had collected himself, he asked, "And why not?" The question was to the Slaver, but he stared at me.
"The two of you have the same rules, aside from one. You must speak; he cannot. If I hear even a single word from your brother, I will kill him," the Slaver explained.
"With a threat like that, I'd keep my mouth closed too," Mokuba admitted. He pressed his lips together with a second thought. "Is he still allowed to talk to me? If you can't hear him, I mean."
"As long as I cannot hear him," the Slaver agreed.
"So what else?" Mokuba asked. "I'd love to go to sleep."
"Just know this," the Slaver said as he stood up. "We will be leaving this city within the next few days. Do not get comfortable here."
Something passed across Mokuba's face. It was an emotion I could not place. There were moments of shock, confusion, and relief flickering in his eyes. He even wrapped his fingers tightly around my own. I would need to ask him about it later.
"Now can I go lie down?" Mokuba asked, but his words lost their biting sarcasm.
Trap Master held out a hand in the direction of our assigned room. Once more, I tried to pick Mokuba up without hurting him. A large gasp showed me that I did not succeed.
The Slaver followed behind us. It annoyed me that he wouldn't leave us alone so that I could speak with Mokuba, but I tried to be patient. Eventually, he had to leave and then we would have some privacy.
When we entered the room, I immediately placed Mokuba back down on the mattress. I glanced back to the door just in time to see it slam closed. The lock clicked shortly after.
I leaned down to get closer to Mokuba. I wanted to speak as quietly as possible in case the Slaver lingered outside the door. I whispered, "What could you not say in there?"
"I don't know how it ever skipped my mind. It has to be the pain or something. Seto, Domino is going to be bombed."
My thoughts stopped entirely. The very concept of a bomb was unfathomable. I tried to ask him for details, but I couldn't remember any words. He must have realized that I couldn't comment or question what he meant, so he went on.
"You got an email from some government guy. I never took the time to look at his name, but he said they were going to prove that humans are not going to stand down. They are trying to make the monsters understand that they have to back off," Mokuba said.
"Why Domino?" I managed to force out.
"The portal is in Domino. After the monsters came through, most of them stayed here."
I lifted a hand to press against my mouth. I hadn't expected the government to take such a drastic measure against the beasts, especially with innocent people left in the city. How were they willing to sacrifice lives to send a message? How had our ideas on right and wrong shifted in such a short time? The world was even worse than I had previously assumed.
"How soon?"
"Was I just unconscious for the one night?"
"I think so. It was just yesterday that I ran away," I answered.
"Eight days."
"They are blowing up the city in a week?" I said, unable to believe that as a possibility. That left us little time to do anything about it.
"Well, eight days," Mokuba clarified. "We have to respond to that email. We might be able to stop it from happening."
I nodded. "We need time to clear out the city before they attack."
Mokuba shook his head. "We can't let them bomb at all, Seto."
"If we don't do anything, then we will never get rid of the monsters. The idea would be solid if there weren't so many people left in the city and the surrounding areas."
"A bomb is a bit drastic, don't you think?" He said, beginning to sound annoyed that I wasn't agreeing with him.
"I know," I said with a half smile, trying to make sure he stayed calm. Mokuba had a tendency to physically show his irritation and I didn't want him to move to make a point. "I am just saying that we need to do something. I don't know what though."
Mokuba accepted that response and patted the mattress next to him. "Come sit up here with me."
"I don't want to hurt you."
Mokuba rolled his eyes and tried to pull me up beside him. "Don't argue with an injured person."
I crawled up to plant myself beside him. He shifted over slightly so he could lay his head on my shoulder. "Why is the government talking to you?"
"They have been emailing me for a while now. They originally wanted information about Gozaburo's old military files. But I don't have those anymore. But then I became their only contact left in Domino after the death toll spiked."
"I like knowing that you are still important, even after all this. Is that so awful of me?" He said. I heard him falling back asleep as he spoke.
"Really, I'd like to think that I could do without any of it."
"But then you wouldn't be Seto freaking Kaiba," he muttered as his eyes fell closed. Even partially asleep, he still winced when he subconsciously tried to move even closer to me.
Right before he fell entirely asleep, the Slaver opened the door. It only remained open long enough for him to say, "Oh, and boys, I would suggest resting today, as I am having a party tomorrow night. Sweet dreams."
And more of my usual comments down here. I discuss my thoughts on this chapter on my blog, the link is on my profile. Send me a message if you want to chat. I've given you a crazy number of ways to get in touch with me if you so desire to.
But hey, if you can guess what my favourite line from this scene is, I'll dedicate a chapter to you or something. (Because I totally have a favourite line.)
NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE AWESOME! I'll try an update before I move in two weeks.