Chapter IV: Wind Clan

The nearer they got to Wind Clan territory, the harder it became for Atem to keep pace. He wanted nothing to do with this possible edict any longer and his flesh itched every time he considered his lie. The weight became heavier each time he remembered Yusei's. Every inch closer to the territory made it all the worse. He didn't want them to corner Timaeus again, to try to dig their claws in and find more information on either of them. As far as they were aware, they'd first met when Timaeus had sent Critias to Atem's territory in an effort to get help when Keith had gone into his territory hoping to provoke Atem.

They'd seen them at the gathering and then when they'd gone into the territory two moons prior. And, as far as Atem was concerned, the only knowledge they had any right to was that they'd met when Critias had come for help. Atem did not care beyond that to enlighten them on their relationship.

They didn't need to know Timaeus had saved his life when he'd been sick and slowly starving to death. They did not need to know Timaeus visited him once a moon when he was without a nest, but only on mating cycles when he was. They did not need to know Timaeus's missing eye was an accident at Atem's paw, when the panic of a fight with a suitor had overwhelmed him enough to forget his friend. They didn't need to know Timaeus had nursed him back to health when he was younger, or that he was even friends with Yugi.

All they needed to know was they knew each other and had some form of friendship.

The extent of that could be hidden until he felt comfortable to share.

And he knew for a fact he would never be so comfortable.

Atem ignored it when he spotted Timaeus there as they flew. The teal Knight Dragon sat telling something or other to his hatchlings, his mate Kris feet away and listening but trying not to speak over him. He ignored Yusei's curious look, refusing to glance at Jaden when the Fire Dragon seconded the expression.

The less they knew of Timaeus the better. He didn't know if Yusei would always be able to keep Jaden from lashing out and Atem refused to be the reason Timaeus got hurt. He refused to be the one to turn the God Dragons on him, just for the sake of their curiosity and presumptuous natures. He would not allow his best friend to be harmed for no other reason than association with him.

And if Yusei had been truthful in his declaration of defending Yugi, they'd threatened to use him at some point. It had been brought up in one way or another that they could use him against Atem. And that was something Atem would kill them all for.

Atem could only imagine what he'd do if Yugi or Yami were harmed. He could not even consider how dangerous and terrible he would become. He would likely rip them apart and swallow their hearts.

He banked before the others, flexing his claws and angling his paws to land comfortably. He slowed, hovered a single second, and landed easily. He wandered forward, shaking himself out, and cast a small glance around. Wind Dragon territory was too airy. The open space was nice, as it allowed the sky to be more apparent and visible, but it offered no camouflage but for Wind Dragon scales pale enough to blend in with the overgrown grass. There was too much wind sometimes, to the point of buffeting scales and scratching corneas with stray grass and dirt. Atem had always been wary for that reason.

No camouflage meant he could be found. He was an open wound in the grass, fresh blood against the dirt. There was no safety for him there. If he turned invisible, he still cast a shadow, and somehow he found it to be far darker here than anywhere else.

Atem looked around slowly. Wind Clan dragons tended to be more territorial when it came to their camp. They patrolled constantly, from sun up to sun down. Hourly a patrol of at least four was sent to walk the borders. He knew for a fact a portion of that came from Timaeus's close proximity. He was considered dangerous due to his species and larger size, even if he had not a territorial bone in his body.

The rest came from standard territory skirmishes. Many dragons took to entering Clan territories in an effort to join ranks. Some Clans were open to this. Others turned violent and chased interlopers off. Wind Dragons tended to choose the latter. Atem was rather sure it was meant to be a test. If the interloper turned back and fought the four of them, they would take them to the camp to meet their leader. If they fled, they chased to the edge of their grounds and then finished the patrol.

Atem only knew as much because he'd heard it from Timaeus. The only time they'd truly crossed paths, Hermos had wandered too close. Timaeus had gone to retrieve him, only to find him cornered by the patrol. They hadn't harmed the hatchling, but when Timaeus had gone to get him, they'd turned on him. He'd beaten the leader of the patrol senseless, bitten one hard enough to break their paw, and scraped one's wings until there were huge gashes. They'd invited him to the camp and Timaeus had spat and snarled at them before taking off with Hermos back to the den.

He still remembered hearing that the leader Aki had come to see him after. They'd spoken, agreed to something of a truce, and then parted ways. As far as Atem knew, they'd never had another altercation. The most he knew of it was Aki was rather generous about the situation, whereas she could have led a unit to attack and attempt to kill Timaeus for hurting her Clan mates so badly.

Atem raised and turned his head, peering at the patrol headed their way. He bristled, uncertain, and tried not to snarl with distress. There were eight of them, likely due to the battle with Keith moons before. Though the Clan had not been directly involved, they'd heard of Timaeus's fight upon Keith attempting to hunt Atem down.

The female in the lead was a brilliant glossy black, with jagged red scales that looked almost like flower petals. Her scales were sharp and long where they trailed her spine. Her wings were huge and wide, with layered red scales that seemed easily dislodged in a defensive stance, her underbelly striped with crimson. Her face was narrow and sharp, her mouth smaller but her jaw wider toward the back for a punishing hold on any prey of her desire. Her paws were tipped with red claws, sharp and long and hooked. Her tail was covered in extremely long scales that speared the air like massive thorns.

Atem blinked and narrowed his eyes. That was a Black Rose Dragon. They were not particularly rare, but they were not quite Wind Dragons. In fact, they were considered Fire Dragons. He bristled faintly, watching as she quickened her pace to meet them headlong.

"The God Dragon of the East, in my territory," she greeted in a voice laden with honey-thick sarcasm, "what an honor."

He watched her. She was built for speed but not physical blows. She was a lightweight, which meant she most likely relied on agility and mastery of her breaths. Atem didn't quite know what to make of her, but for the fact that instinct said she was Aki. The patrol had moved into a flanking formation, willing to lay their lives for hers should it turn violent.

"Always a pleasure to be here."

Aki chuckled at his dry tone. "And you bring friends this time, Atem. What reason is there for you all to be present in my territory? Please, feel free to explain your presence to me, as I fail to see meaning for your visit."

"The eclipse brings the four of us here," Jaden said, cutting in before Atem could respond. He stepped forward as if to greet her and Aki snarled as she got within a yard of them. She thumped her tail, snarled louder, and then paced restlessly, as if she were a dog caught on a human's chain. "We came to see any nests recently laid and hatched—"

"Cease your tricks, Jaden," she spat. "I feel you trying to influence me."

Atem stared at her with wide eyes. She could feel him doing it?

Jaden snorted and smiled and though Aki put on an admirable show of resistance for a few moments, her pacing stopped and her body eased of tension. She lost her aggression entirely, head slowly lowered and eyes narrowed. The last remaining sliver of anger made her eyes glitter and dance. Finally she hissed, "Enough. I am calm."

"I'd like to believe you but I still feel your anger."

"You should feel my claws instead."

Atem snorted, almost laughing out loud at the spiteful answer. Yusei smiled wryly, looking over at him and then back. The Leviathan made no noise but to sit on his haunches and look around with a disappointed sigh. No doubt he'd wanted Aki to be able to launch herself at one of them. The Leviathan had always been known for his love of violence, after all. He might not have hurt anyone, but he would have still liked to have witnessed it all the same.

"So, Aki, how do you know Atem?"

The Black Rose Dragon looked at Jaden as if he were an idiot. "I saw him at the gathering when he announced himself, you moron." Atem almost burst out laughing at her annoyed expression. The female shook herself out when Jaden momentarily lost focus from the insult. "And it's my right to know what the God Dragon south of me looks like. I've seen him multiple times in passing."

He wondered how he'd never seen her. It wasn't hard to imagine she'd flown over his territory before, however. He had no control over the sky. No dragon claimed that right. It was undivided and existed between them equally. Travel was never hindered by territory skirmishes except by on land. She could have easily spotted him multiple times had she flown over his land. It was hard to miss a bright red dragon among a sea of green and orange clay or silver and blue granite stones.

"However, I mostly know you from the fact that your mate attacked and mutilated my sibling." Aki shot Atem an amused look. "Chazz had it coming, but when he said your little Gandora attacked him, it became that much funnier."

Atem almost laughed, but found himself unable to when Jaden looked over at him in surprise. "Yugi fought off one of your suitors?"

"He's a Gandora. What did you expect?"

"He's just so cute and sweet," Yusei teased. "I would never have expected it of him."

Atem smirked. "Oh, I know. He's just so cute. And then it turns out he has teeth and claws like the rest of us. It's amazing, don't you think?"

The Leviathan laughed and looked over with a huge smirk. "I would never have considered it, since he threatened to kill us over Atem." Aki looked at them with keen interest now, eyes wide. "He threatened us, he fought Keith, and then he chased off a suitor."

"You know, when I saw him up there with you, I thought it was an elaborate joke." Atem looked over at Aki with wide eyes. She shook herself out again and took a seat, watching him intently. "He's a Gandora and he was sitting close to a Sky Dragon of all species. I thought maybe he was a travel companion you'd taken on in order to dissuade potential suitors. But then I saw you leave together. You slowed down for him and kept pace. You wouldn't have done that if it had been a safety measure."

"No. Yugi outwitted me in a challenge." Atem flexed his claws, digging them into dry soil that seemed hard as rock. A small inkling of nervousness swept through him; the others were all staring at him now. "As that was all I asked of suitors, he won."

"He must be clever, as I've never known you to be stupid," Aki muttered, voice slightly cold as she peered at him. Her stare was sharp and glittering and Atem wondered exactly how much she'd heard about him and how much she'd determined true. "Regardless, I assume he treats you well, as you seem healthy and as…close to happiness as you can be. If you even know what happiness is."

Atem ignored the jab even as the other God Dragons glanced at him with varying degrees of humor.

"We only have a few nests, none of which have hatched as of yet. But you are free to see them." Aki turned to Jaden with a withering look, long sharp teeth bared in a snarl. "You do not use your abilities on my Clan. If you do, I'll personally strike you down for your transgressions, Jaden."

The Fire Dragon laughed aloud and stared at her. "You have my word, Aki."

"Then make it your bind," she spat, turning with her head raised and her wings tucked into her sides. She looked at Atem with a scoff. "If you are the only one I can stand to have in my territory, the lot of you are a sad group."

The Leviathan howled with laughter at the declaration. Atem stared at her in surprise and then forced himself to follow as she began trotting ahead. Jaden made an annoyed noise and trailed him immediately after. Yusei and the Leviathan followed, snickering amongst themselves and swapping words Atem couldn't quite hear. He kept his head down, trailing after Aki and the patrol even as they looked over their shoulders at them.

A heavy wind bit at his flesh as they headed further into the territory. The grass whispered and cut at his paws and small gusts of dirt came up before his eyes. Atem narrowed his gaze, ducked and tilted his head downward and to the left to shield his eyes, and tried not to cringe at the sensation of small stones digging into his flesh. A few large bushes, stained yellow from too much direct sunlight, shivered and rattled in the wind. A tree or two were scattered about, the branches mostly bare and the bark scraped from the wind beating at their surfaces. The wind seemed to whistle the more Atem walked, as if the sand might eat his flesh like sharp teeth.

He would have covered himself with his wings until the wind passed, but he did not wish to expose his weakness so easily. He did not want to give the others any reason to pick on him further or comment on his various vulnerabilities. He felt as if they'd been eyeing him like a piece of prey since the moment they'd met in his territory and he knew it had only been further aggravated in the fact Atem had put on such a panicked display at the Lightning Clan camp. They likely thought he was an idiot, too young to be among them, and he doubted they thought he was truly worth the time they'd wasted on him.

As Jaden had suggested before, they should not have been entertaining his charade of acting as if he truly belonged among them. Atem did not want to admit it, but he was sure they all felt it. He was there, younger than the rest, a Sky Dragon that was unusually violent and nasty and should not have been there at all.

It was not the first time he'd felt like this, however. More often than not he assumed his declaration of being a God Dragon nothing but rumor. He still thought it sometimes, in the back of his mind. He fell asleep every other night wondering if he was wrong to let anyone continue to think of and treat him as a God Dragon. After all, what powers did he have? The most he had was the natural ability any Sky Dragon did—slippery scales, heavy and solid wings, lithe body and shapely muscles, toxins in his saliva that had faded as he'd aged, and the ability to use his ice breath. It was likely the only thing he had beyond the other dragons, a breath too destructive to be used for long periods of time.

It was not unique to him. Every Sky Dragon had the ability to access it should they try. He'd done so by accident as a hatchling, then never used it again until he'd begun manipulating weather patterns. The one time he'd used it in battle had been disastrous and he'd pledged never to do it again. Other Sky Dragons could have been using it to manipulate weather in their own regions. He was sure his parents probably did in the heart of winter.

Ice Dragons could use it as well, if they so tried. He was not sure they cared to use it often, however.

It was an extremely rare, almost nonexistent gift these days.

Atem supposed he could understand why, if only because of how terrifying its nature.

But he could not see the past, present or future in water. He did not have the gift to watch others like Yusei or Jaden. He could not watch decisions made by others. He could not watch future or past wars as the Leviathan did. He had no influence over emotions, dreams, thoughts. He did not lead a Clan. He could not heal wounds in an emotional or physical capacity.

He was not all-powerful.

He was nothing like Jaden, Yusei, or the Leviathan.

He was not a dragon the world knew to be powerful and amazing and helpful in every way.

He was barely known as more than a myth. He still had dragons that visited his territory to see if he existed. They did not challenge him for courtship. They did not try to battle him. They'd simply hover, watch him a moment as he looked at them and waited, and then fly off to likely say they'd seen the mythical God Dragon of the East.

If he even was that.

Atem doubted it so often he'd gotten into fights with Yugi over it. They'd argue and he'd shut down, an instinct forged to keep from lashing out. He didn't want to hurt anyone if they did not deserve it, and Yugi was not a dragon who had garnered such a vicious response. He was the sweetest little dragon in the world. And he was so young.

It probably did not help that Atem was just as young in terms of a Sky Dragon's lifespan. He and Yugi were basically juveniles, mated and too young to be taken seriously. It was only his violent streak that caused them to see him as anything more than a hatchling. Yugi had no such cushion to his youth. Atem was a threat due to his species and reputation; he'd killed any suitors to refuse defeat when they lost a challenge. Yugi was not compatible with him by species. It likely did not make their union any better in the other God Dragons' eyes.

Atem forced his mind from this line of thought. His stomach churned as they neared the camp. Aki slowed, glancing over her shoulder at the four of them with a disdainful expression. Atem could imagine she was not happy to allow them into the camp like this. Most Clans would be against it. There was a reason they did not invite other dragons into their territory. The Clans were meant to be protected and well-secured for reasons such as Keith's invasion. The Lightning Dragons had been prosperous until Keith had come through and from what Atem understood, it had not been too easy a fight for Keith's dragons to overtake them. Rumor had it Akunadin had managed to hold them off for a moon before Keith himself had gone to deal with the problem.

From there, he'd forced Akunadin into surrender and claimed the females as his own. The rest of his brigade had watched and waited and incubated the eggs lain in that time. Atem had been approached the day after when Seto had managed to flee upon attacking and mutilating one of the guards. When he'd gotten to Atem, Atem had turned on him just as violently. He'd knocked him senseless and almost torn his head from his neck with a single swipe of his paw. He'd broken his jaw, smacking it out of alignment, shattered his shoulder and torn one of his wings. He'd let him live, telling him to leave and never come back, and hoped that would be the end of it.

Of course it hadn't, but Atem did not wish to dwell on that.

"You keep to my side and you do not wander. You see the nests, you speak to the mothers if you wish, and you leave when you see nothing to your specifications," Aki sneered. "I will not have my dragons fearful without reason. You came to investigate nests that do not exist amongst us. Perhaps you'll find better luck among the Fire or Water Dragons, since you so clearly did not with the Lightning Clan."

Yusei chuckled behind him. "Always a pleasure to hear you snarl and snap, Aki."

Atem looked between them when Aki bore her teeth and hissed at him. There was fresh pain in her eyes, as if Yusei had personally slighted her, and when he looked to Yusei the Stardust Dragon's eyes were soft and warm. But the moment passed. The God Dragon smirked and turned to Atem with a wry twinkle in his eye and Aki pushed her way through a huge patch of thorns.

The other dragons on patrol looked at Atem as if he were stupid when he did not follow. He blinked, glanced around once, and then followed Aki. The thorns scraped his wings and cut his paws. One snagged against his hip and he hissed with disdain but did not pause. The thorns stretched for almost thirty yards, dipping into the earth as if someone had dug a tunnel like the Lightning Dragons through limestone. But the ground was never walled away and the earth merely slanted downward in a gentle incline. The bush opened into a large plain of arid earth where no vegetation grew. The dirt was a soft sun-baked golden color, with a few stones scattered about, and Atem was amazed when he saw the shadows cast about the ground. He lifted his head, looking around in surprise to find the thornbush blocked the sky as if it were an immense cloud. It stretched for over a mile across the clearing they'd entered, several yards taller than himself or any other dragon standing there.

He looked around and shivered. No wonder Aki did not have a problem living there. No wonder she was so capable and held in such high regard amongst the Clan. She did not have to worry about her dark scales offering limited camouflage. She was shielded in this place. She was at home amongst these thorns and pale dirt.

"When you cease your amazement, you can continue following me," she called over her shoulder without looking back. Atem ducked his head with embarrassment when he noticed his surveillance had gone noticed by a great many others. He followed her quickly, glancing around to find that the thorn walls had been scraped into pockets in certain areas, with tunnels in the earth leading into what seemed to be individual dens. The camp was extremely well protected. Aki used the thorns as a natural defense and shadows to help herself camouflage whereas the Lightning Dragons used the harsh sunlight and limestone to blind and incapacitate their attackers.

Between the two, Atem would have easily taken the Wind Clan camp as a potential habitat. It was obscured from aerial attacks as well, due to the thickness of the thornbush overhead and the way the shadows colored the ground as if there were nothing beneath. Atem could not imagine that if he'd flown overhead of this vast bush he would have ever assumed to find dragons living beneath it.

Atem glanced over his shoulder, curious enough to ask Yusei if he would have thought it to be the camp, but the dragon behind him was not a deity. It was one of the Wind Dragons from the patrol. It looked at him, blinking, and then lowered its eyes respectfully upon making contact with his. He raised his head to peek over them. There was another Wind Dragon and then Yusei was behind them, eyes flickering around the clearing as if he were taking count. Atem turned back.

They'd separated the four of them in a defensive tactic. Aki led them because if Atem turned around, she could attack from behind. The dragons behind him could use her attack to their advantage and leap into the fray. The other six could jump between and keep Yusei, Jaden and the Leviathan isolated from him.

It was actually an extremely smart and powerful maneuver.

Aki was extremely strategic; it was no wonder the Wind Clan dragons were considered some of the strongest. Atem was almost amazed by the sheer thought put into just this small patrol and reconnaissance mission she was leading them on.

"You don't venture much from your own territory, do you?" Aki snorted. She was laughing at him when he faced her again. "I can understand that. You never had a reason to. I wouldn't leave my territory often, either, if it were possible."

"It was not always by choice." He ignored the way some of the others began to whisper to each other. One hatchling blurted, "He's huge!" and another squeaked, "Sky Dragon, Sky Dragon!" as their mother tried desperately to grab them and bring them back into their respective den. Atem looked over, blinking, as one screamed, "He's looking at me!"

Aki laughed at their display of amazement. "You can come meet him if you'd like. He won't hurt you." Her eyes were sharp and terrible when she turned to him. "None of them will."

"I don't raise a claw to anyone undeserving," he snarled at her, turning just in time to spot a dragonet rushing forward to stand in front of him. She stopped in front of him, trembling with excitement, and jumped up and down as if she wanted to leap atop him but didn't know how. "Hello."

Yusei nudged the dragonets with his beak as they hurried over to see them. Jaden and the Leviathan paused to watch, then followed Aki into the main nursery where the eggs were incubating. Atem watched them go, then focused on the hatchlings as they sprang around his paws and tumbled about themselves. Yusei nudged and licked and played with a few of them. Atem took a seat and watched, smiling.

"What's your name?"

"Atem."

The female who had first approached him thumped her tail, stomped her paws, and declared, "I'm Atem, God Dragon of the East! Bow before me!" before springing at her siblings. Atem burst out laughing and Yusei chuckled. She leaped at the Stardust Dragon, smacking her paws into his face and climbing atop his head when he lowered his chin to the ground in deference. "Long live me!"

"Well, then I'm Jaden!" her sibling protested, a pale orange male who snapped his teeth and launched himself at her. They rolled over Yusei's back, landed on his left wing, and tumbled to the ground with squeaks and growls. They hit the ground, rolled a few more feet, collided with Atem's paw, and then separated panting.

"I'm the best God Dragon ever!" she growled, springing at her sibling again. "Bow!"

Yusei laughed and looked at Atem. "How sad. You and Jaden are the only ones they care about."

Atem snorted, watching them lock in a play fight again. He looked at Yusei again, tilting his head in surprise. He sounded so…warm. Why was he not bitter? Yusei had every right to be. It didn't make sense. "Well, you're my favorite, I guess."

Yusei guffawed and nudged him in the shoulder. "Thanks," he drawled. He turned back as the others sprang about, screaming that they were Jaden or Atem instead. Atem wondered how often that happened and felt oddly detached that the Leviathan and Yusei were not ever mentioned in this game. The Stardust Dragon was not hurt, however, laughing at their antics and smiling as if they were his own. Atem froze, eyes widening in shock.

Were they?

The thought made his insides twist nervously. Were they Yusei's? He and Jaden had separated as mates long before. And he seemed so warm toward Aki, to the point of something beyond friendly. Had Yusei taken Aki as a mate at some point?

"Atem?"

He blinked. Yusei was staring at him. "Sorry. What?"

"I asked if you were okay."

"I…yeah. I'm fine."

Yusei tilted his head. "You look like you just got hit."

"I'm…" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."