Chapter V: The Desert

The desert dried his scales out the moment they made impact with the ground. The sunlight hurt his eyes and his skin crawled as he tried to shake his frustration. Every scale on his body felt chafed and sore. Atem's legs were stiff and his bones felt as if they were grinding together. There was no shelter from the sunlight and the hot air made his mouths dry. Atem tucked his wings into his sides and glanced around. There was not even a cloud to offer reprieve. Atem would have summoned one, but the strength it required would have overwhelmed him. He could not stand to use such magic when he felt so weak as to barely stand. He drew in a deep breath, holding it, and trailed the other three as they began talking.

"We'll hover at the border," Jaden said quietly. "The patrols will find us easily enough. I don't want to risk a fight."

"Honda is usually diplomatic with his territory. I wouldn't be too concerned about a fight," Yusei murmured. "I doubt they'd be so keen to pick a battle with us anyways. The four of us are pretty impossible to mistake for anyone else—especially since the Leviathan over here waged war on them once, Jaden."

"Oh, yes, the wonderful self-waged war," Jaden huffed, but he sounded amused. "I remember oh so well how that turned out. The Leviathan soaking the earth in a fit and the Fire Dragons panicked and running around like little mice."

"In their defense," Yusei snickered, "they're not good with water or cold weather."

The Leviathan roared with laughter. "Oh, that was a fun time."

Atem was panting by then, trailing them with his head lowered. He felt as if the air were slowly pressing on him, threatening to force him to the ground. Every part of his body was dried to the point of dehydration and his body ached more than ever. He looked around, glanced at the sky, and wished for a long minute he had never agreed to accompany them. If he had been able to refuse, things would have been a thousand times easier.

"What about Yugi? He has to like water," Yusei laughed. "He's with a dragon that fishes, for Paradise's sake!"

"Oh, please, he's probably still afraid of it. I'll bet he waits on the shore while Atem fishes."

"You going to let him talk about your mate like that, Atem?" There was a pause when Atem didn't answer. And then Yusei stopped short and looked over his shoulder. His eyes flickered around as if he expected him to have wandered off before he bristled and rushed over. "Oh, horse-dung, Atem!"

He didn't have enough energy to snap at him not to make a big deal. Instead he opened and closed his mouths, trying to produce some small hint of saliva to moisten his jaws. Jaden and the Leviathan were frozen yards ahead, staring with blatant alarm.

"I'm amazed you're still breathing," Yusei spat. His tail thumped as he glared at him. "You should have said something, you idiot. Leviathan."

The Water Dragon was at their side in an instant. When he saw Atem's pitiful stance, he snickered and shook his head. His eyes flashed with irritation as he raised his head. "You're an idiot," he reprimanded, looking upwards and considering the sky. "Well, I hope the Fire Dragons aren't too scared of rain in their dry season."

Atem huffed. "I'm fine."

"You're drier than burned deer meat," Jaden scoffed.

He wanted to argue, but he felt that way. His entire body was heavy and everything was painful. He had a layer of dust on his paws, which should not have been happening at all. His skin should have been smooth and silky and just wet enough to dispel any sand that stirred when he walked. He should not have been covered to his hocks and elbows in dirt like this. His mouths should not have been so dry and his wings should not have felt as if they were separate his body.

"You think they'll assume we're declaring war again?" the Leviathan laughed.

Atem looked up to see a large set of white clouds overhead, rapidly darkening to silver and then a deep gray. They were so laden with water he could feel it in the air around him, and waves of heat coming from the ground made the air tremble. The air felt charged and electric for only a moment, and then the sky seemed to burst.

Water droplets the size of his own incisors began to fall in a burst of noise. Atem flattened himself to the ground, enjoying the cold that came with them. The Leviathan grunted and Yusei snickered. Jaden hissed with annoyance as he came over. Atem watched him shake himself out once, then twice and a third time as he was hit with the sheet of rainfall.

"You need to take better care of yourself. What are we supposed to do if you just shrivel and die on us in the middle of the desert?" Jaden complained loudly. "All you had to do was ask to take a break and go swim. Instead the Fire Dragons here are going to be in a fit because there's rain in their dry season."

"Like that's not easily fixed," Yusei snapped. "He's a Sky Dragon. He's going to dry out before any of us do. They're delicate that way."

He wished he could have argued, but it was true. Sky Dragons lacked sustainability in dry climates, which was why many of them lived in well-sheltered, heavily shadowed or cold areas. The north region where Yusei lived, in Ice Dragon territory, was often second best to his own. The cold air was always moist, because there was snow in abundance almost year round. Ice sheets across the ocean made the air cold and the sunlight that melted it made the area constantly misty. Everything was cold and humid. The huge patches of trees that existed there always shed steam from their branches, making it a shady oasis of cold fog and shadows.

"Yugi would kill us," the Leviathan said abruptly, smirking. "He'd kill us and stuff our hides as trophies."

Yusei laughed and glared at the other God Dragon. "He would."

Jaden turned on them, snarling. "You understand he almost died, yes? He didn't take care of himself before and he almost just died because he's an idiot. He's shortsighted and he almost got himself killed by the heat. This is my region and he almost died here."

Yusei scowled at him. "We understand that. I'm the one who noticed, in case you've somehow forgotten already," he snapped, chomping his teeth inches from his face. "Do not speak to me as if I am a hatchling. I will not lower myself to speak to you in such a manner, so you will not do so to me."

"You are treated as you act."

Atem looked between them with wide eyes, too stunned to move for a single moment. The Leviathan grunted and turned to him. "They do this a lot. You get used to it." Both God Dragons glared at him, but Yusei was fighting a smile. Atem was relieved they at least were not turning on him for the statement. "So, are you going to explain what happened?"

"I was busy tending to Yugi," he said finally, when Jaden turned to glare at him with his teeth bared and a snarl building in his throat. Atem refused to lower his eyes, but did not bare his teeth or snarl. "We moved to the valley later, because he wanted to enjoy a bit of snowfall before we moved dens. I let it go on too long and he was tired and sluggish and almost in hibernation before we made it. So, yes, I overlooked my own health in favor of his. I make no apologies and I'll box your brains from your skull if you tell me otherwise."

Jaden bristled and glared. Then he sighed, shook himself out several times more, and looked at the Leviathan. "You can cease the rain shower now. I'm sure he's recovered enough to at least keep walking until we reach the border."

Yusei looked at Atem. "Do you think you can make it?"

"Yes, I'd say so." He got to his paws and flexed his wings. They weren't as heavy anymore, though he thought he was mostly tired of arguing. He didn't want to fight with Jaden any longer. It was exhausting. He wanted to go back. He wanted to snuggle into Yugi's side and see Yami and just rest for a little while. He didn't understand why he was needed here. He should have been able to lay down and rest in his den at the valley and not bother with this any longer. "Let's…just go."

Jaden curled his lip, showing the ridges of his teeth, before turning away. He shook himself out again, glanced at the sky as the rain fell harder, and then glared at the Leviathan. The Water Dragon pretended not to notice and Atem snickered. "Enough," Jaden snapped. "He's gotten enough water in his scales. Now cease the rain shower and let's move."

"It's just going to be a minute longer," the Leviathan answered, and the water crashed down harder. "It has to get a little worse and then it'll fade. That's how rain works, in case you were confused."

Atem smiled despite himself, ducking his head to keep from laughing aloud. The tension was not entirely gone, and Jaden gave him an annoyed look once more, but the argument seemed to have ceased for the most part. He looked at Yusei but the Ice Dragon was not paying him any mind. He was happily stretching his wings in the rain and shaking himself out. He looked tired but no longer irritated as he had been during the initial argument.

When the rain lessened and slowly drizzled into nonexistence, Jaden seemed to perk up. The Fire Dragon lost his annoyed look, shed the water from his scales with a small shake, and turned to Atem. "Are you ready to continue? We have quite a distance. I'd rather you not faint every ten minutes."

"I never fainted. I might have been tired, but I did not faint."

He bore his teeth. "By some miracle, you failed to faint. You might as well have been crawling on your belly begging forgiveness for all the strength you had in your limbs," he spat. Atem wondered where the good-mannered dragon he'd initially met at the gathering had gone. His aggression made sense only because he was afraid of Atem for his invulnerability to his influence. But his abrupt need to quarrel with him yet again was far more frustrating than Atem cared to admit.

"I was not so unwell."

Yusei looked exasperated when he glanced at him. "You were pretty bad off," he mumbled. He searched his face. "But you're better. And that's all that matters."

"Is it?" Jaden scoffed. "I would have assumed his continued health would be important as well. Is that the wrong assumption?"

The Stardust Dragon sighed. "You understand picking fights with everyone is exhausting and there's a reason it is not often a dragon picks every battle, yes?" He looked to Atem. "Right? Fighting every battle is exhausting."

He blinked. "I can't argue that, but I was not inclined to leave a battle half fought or waged without conclusion," he finally answered when Jaden and the Leviathan both looked to him. "I could not afford to."

"Those were extenuating circumstances. They don't count in this discussion. I just meant it's exhausting to pick fights with everyone around you."

"Oh. Well, yes."

The Leviathan snorted. "All he has to do is flip them and they'll back off."

Even Jaden cracked a smile at the joke. The Fire Dragon sighed and shook himself out. "Let's get to the border and to the camp before Yugi wakes and comes after us. He'll skin us like dogs."

Yusei grinned. "He would."

Atem ignored the two amused glances shot his way. He hurried to keep pace, taking a closer position to Jaden to ensure the Fire Dragon did not turn around and snap at him for lagging behind. Yusei took to flanking him and the Leviathan brought up the rear. They got to the border what felt a lifetime later.

There was a single large tree nearby, with huge green leaves that swept down like draping wings. The shadow it cast was small and weak, as if it were nothing but a wave of wind trails like the woven grooves of sand about them. A scorpion scuttled by and a fox chased it, ears huge and eyes wide as it scrambled after. Atem watched as it slowly sensed them, ears flicking in their direction before it turned its head and froze. It looked almost like a patch of sand itself, bright orange and tan. Its nose wiggled as it tried unsuccessfully to scent them and then it turned tail, fleeing across the sand without a second look.

"Cease."

Yusei and Jaden both halted. Atem looked over, curious. The Leviathan scoffed, "I'm a God Dragon. Why should I listen?" under his breath. The Sky Dragon snorted, glancing at him, but immediately looked to the figures rapidly approaching. The air was quivering and wavering before his eyes, making their features harder to record from a distance. He thought one might be a Red-Eyes, but the other blended in far better in contrast. Its scales were so rustic in shade he almost could not tell if from the sand but for the huge lumbering steps it took and the splash of green which made up its eyes.

"It seems all of the leaders have come to us," Yusei mumbled. Atem blinked, glancing at him, and then turned back and raised his head.

Yugi had said Honda was a Tyrant Dragon. Now that he was closer, Atem could make the shape of him. He was huge, muscular enough to even rival Timaeus. His wings were folded against his sides, a single large spear of keratin slicing through one of his joints. Each paw was huge and wide, with sharp and glittering claws. His hind legs were more thickly muscled, with higher hocks and a shorter tail used to slam an opponent to the ground. His face was framed with scales that twitched and flared when he began to slow before them. Two long straight horns rose and jutted into the air from his smoother crest, his jaws wide but still somehow narrow.

"You're all here." Atem couldn't tell if it was surprise or annoyance in his voice. The Clan leader stood feet away, head tilted and eyes narrowed. He eyed them as if they were bugs, then sighed loudly. "What's the meaning for your presence in my territory, Jaden?"

"Is it common that everyone hates him? I thought it was just me," Atem muttered to the Leviathan. The Divine Serpent burst out laughing and grinned at him, leaning over to butt his shoulder. Yusei snickered and swatted at him with his tail but the blow was gentle. Jaden looked at him as if he had just tried to tell him the sky wasn't really blue and the sun was silver. He was so startled Atem couldn't help it when he laughed out loud.

Honda was staring at Atem. "What was that?"

The Sky Dragon shook his head, looking away. "Nothing," he snickered. "Poking fun."

The Clan leader looked as if he might argue, but the moment passed. Abruptly he turned back to Jaden. "Well? You do not cross into my territory without reason. So what is it?"

Jaden blinked a few times, staring at Atem, and then finally looked over again. "I… Seriously, Atem?" he snapped, spinning around to stare at him once more. Atem snickered and refused to look at him. The Leviathan guffawed and Yusei grinned.

"You should speak to me," Honda snapped, "not a Sky Dragon who seems to be having a fit of giggles."

Yusei trembled with laughter. "Oh, Honda, apologies," he snickered. "Atem hasn't been around us so often. He's not used to touring territories like this and he poked fun at Jaden. You know Jaden's ego is easily bruised."

Honda snorted. "Yes." He was watching Atem when the Sky Dragon looked up. "I heard about you from the gathering. You threw the Leviathan like he was a stick and fought with Jaden over killing clutches. I can only assume your presence here means he's persuaded you to see things his way."

Atem shook his head. "I will not shed blood unjustly. The eclipse caused concerns for clutches." He wondered how many rumors would soon spread due to his presence among them now. It seemed impossible to overlook. He'd be the subject of gossip for a long time yet. It didn't matter by itself, but he didn't want his name associated with the problems the other three God Dragons represented. "We come asking your blessing to see any clutches laid recently."

Honda stared for a long time. Then he shook his head. "You'll find egg shells and abandoned nests. We have not been focused on rebuilding numbers more than we have fortifying the camp. There was enough bloodshed and chaos that we needed to focus on the camp before we did anything else."

Jaden looked skeptical. "The camp looks fine."

"With war on the horizon, there's no amount of precautions we shouldn't take."

"War?" Atem blurted, eyes wide. He bristled slightly, searching Honda's face and trying not to growl. "Who suspects war? Why is war suspected?"

"Keith is not the first, nor will he be the last to declare war on a God Dragon. My territory directly corresponds with yours, Jaden, and I'd rather not be caught unawares," he snarled. "The fact is, Keith came through here to fight you and you never lifted a paw. Atem did your dirty work in killing him. You knew Keith had made contact here and you failed to even come to find out more information on the possibility of invasion. The way I see it, not only are you unnecessary, you are also an enemy should war come."

Atem blinked and spun on the other male. "Keith was here? He came from here to me?"

Jaden scoffed. "Why don't you tell him more about that, Honda? Or is that too much of a shadow for you to face?" The God Dragon bore his teeth in a smile when Honda snarled. "I did not intervene because your conflict was from within. And, as far as the Clans are concerned, none of you wish for us to supersede your authority. I know that. Had I stepped in, there would have only been more problems."

Atem blinked and tilted his head. The conflict was from within? He considered them but decided not to ask. "I'm sorry he came through your territory on his way to mine. I did not know he'd made contact here as well." He ignored the scathing looks both Jaden and Honda graced him with. "I only knew he came from the west and the north. I was not privy to the knowledge."

"Why would you have been?" Honda snapped. "You live in your own little bubble outside of everyone else. These three have magic you've never dreamed of and you're left in the dark because none of them wish to give you more power of knowledge."

"No one is leaving anyone in the dark—"

"Is that so?" Honda faced Atem, raising his head and staring coldly. "Then did you know, Atem, that Jaden sent Jesse to your territory because he assumed you'd be too volatile to control if he were to visit?"

Jaden bore his teeth. "That's not—"

"Jesse was sent because Jaden was afraid you'd lash out if one of us was to appear in your territory uninvited," Yusei said quietly. "We did not expect you to be violent like Honda alludes to. It was a decision made due to rumors. We heard the news about a Gandora allied to a Sky Dragon, and it was enough to make us wary."

Atem didn't look over. He'd known as much from the moment he'd set foot at the gathering taking place in the Badlands. The desert region had been used to dampen his strength and slow his ability to react. They'd planned on the heat to overwhelm him and make him more docile.

"It was not done with malice," he answered, ignoring the way Honda snarled. "It was done for preservation of others, in case the rumors were true and I was a creature uncontrollable and bloodthirsty. After all, I hang corpses from trees at the borders of my territory. Or did you not know?"

Honda snorted. "You? You look as if you know too much pain to inflict it without reason." The Fire Dragon bore his teeth and looked at him disdainfully. "Hanging corpses seems beneath you."

He tilted his head. "Interesting."

"You'd be correct to assume he doesn't."

Honda didn't grace Yusei with a glance. "I'm aware." His eyes narrowed and he growled softly. "There wouldn't be rumors of a Gandora mate if he did. No dragon in their right mind would kill every other suitor and leave a Gandora alive."

"Are we questioning my intellect?" Atem murmured, ignoring the urge to snarl. But he felt stung with his own uncertainty; he'd brought scrutiny upon himself despite his best efforts. And he'd never been ashamed to admit Yugi had beaten him at a challenge to pin him, outwitting him. It made Yugi look good, far smarter than what would have usually been assumed of his species, and Atem had never cared one might know. But now he wondered. No one had ever accused him of foolishness, though Atem had wondered who eventually would. "Yugi is as sweet as they come. You have to anger him before he'll lift a paw against someone."

Honda blinked, eyes stretching wide. "Yugi?" he muttered, then chuckled. "That crazy little hybrid did it."

Atem tilted his head. Honda looked incredibly fond now, eyes bright. He remembered Jonouchi wearing a similar expression, even if Atem made him nervous.

"I guess I should have known it was him. No other Gandora would have been foolish enough to enter your territory. I haven't heard from him in over three years. I assumed he was dead. I thought perhaps he'd died trying to get to the God Dragon of Domino." Honda smirked. "I'm glad he's okay. He's a good dragon."

Atem blinked, staring for a long moment. "I know he lived in the desert for a while before he left to find me. Did you know him from that time? I've only ever met Jonouchi."

The Clan leader snickered. "Oh, yes, Jonouchi. I remember him as well." He shook his head. "Jonouchi crossed the border hunting a wildebeest once. Yugi was with him, though not at the time it happened. My border patrol came upon Jonouchi. They got into a fight and my patrol leader was so angry with him he wanted him dead. Hirutani wanted us to hold Jonouchi down so he could kill him more easily. We were appalled, tried to talk him out of it, and he pulled rank. So, we were preparing to hold him down, and this little black blur comes flying out of nowhere. Yugi beat the insolence right out of Hirutani, slashed his face open and nearly took his head off. We were too shocked to move, so he made sure he and Jonouchi got past the border again before we recovered enough to chase them— None of us would have; Hirutani was a menace, but they made it over the border and Yugi declared absolute war if we crossed. Even Jonouchi was shocked. Hirutani was almost stupid enough to go after him either way, but none of us would help so he lost his bravado quickly."

That certainly sounded like Yugi. He'd do anything to protect someone he cared about. He'd even attacked Seto and nearly beaten Bakura to death in front of him for insulting him. He'd gone after Keith to slow him down and give Atem more of a chance. He'd attacked Jesse for calling Atem bitter. He'd threatened Yusei, the Leviathan, and Jaden's lives just because they'd spoken ill of him at the gathering.

"I went to speak to them after. Yugi recognized me instantly but didn't try to fight me when he saw I was alone. It was kind of funny how quickly he laid back down. He was friendly as could be, smiling and laughing while we spoke. He didn't even threaten me. He literally just listened and occasionally made sure I wasn't too close to Jonouchi." Honda went quiet for a moment. "Yugi also helped in dispatching Hirutani when the Clan started falling apart under his leadership. He and Jonouchi came to help when I asked."

Atem blinked and glanced toward Jaden. The other God Dragon was staring at him hard enough to burn holes in the side of his head. He turned back to Honda, refusing further acknowledgment. "Yugi and Jonouchi helped you usurp Hinatani and become leader?"

"They helped Hanasaki become leader. But he…got killed when Keith came through. I took over after."

He wondered why none of this had been relayed to him. If this was no surprise to the others, why had they chosen to keep him in the dark? It made no sense. What was the point of doing so when he was the least likely to have interaction with the Fire Clan? Was it about keeping him in the dark or had it been that they'd thought it irrelevant due to his species and theirs?

Atem decided not to ask; it wasn't worth potential conflict.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Honda scoffed, the fondness wiped from his face. "I'd have expected help from you if you'd been the God Dragon of this region. But you hide in that little bubble of yours and never come toward this area. For good reason, I suppose. But it remains all the same."

"I do have reason, yes." He scoffed. "Considering the atrocities threatened toward me by your species alone, I'd rather not spend my time with any."

Honda offered him a snarling smirk. "What? You didn't like the thousands who swarmed your lands during mating season just to have a go at your godly status?"

Atem bristled. "I killed until my own paws bled. Do you truly think I cared for any of it?"

"When did this turn into picking at Atem?" Yusei asked scathingly. "I for one didn't come here just to hear scrutiny tossed his way for the fun of it. I came to see nests. That's the only reason I bothered to leave my territory this morning. So, let's see these nonexistent clutches and get a move on. I'd rather not have Yugi mad at me for his mate's disappearance this morning."

Honda looked chastised but didn't seem as if he were finished with Atem by any stretch. His eyes were sharp and glittering, and now Atem could see the golden brown around his pupils. He stared at him, expression cold, but nodded all the same.

"You're Yugi's mate," he finally growled, "so I'll forgive your past transgressions."

Atem wondered if he'd killed one of his family members. It was the only reason he could think for this particular dragon to hate him. "Yugi would thank you for that," he sneered. Honda bore his teeth but didn't respond. Atem glanced at Yusei. The Ice Dragon looked bewildered, considering the two of them with a puzzled expression. When their eyes locked, Atem looked away again with a small shake of his head.

"The camp is this way."