Chapter LI: Festivities

Atem hesitated at the edge of the territory, bristling as he raised his head and peered through the trees. The humans had been unusually loud and boisterous, and he'd lost his spur of the moment prey the second the festivities had begun. He'd forgotten the solstice celebrations, that they made straw formations in his shape and set them ablaze. The fire was usually enough to light up almost halfway across the mountainside and the shadows cast about by the trees made his stomach lurch. The celebration was hosted at sunset, and Atem had long since lost track of time. He and Yugi had separated when Yugi had withdrawn for a nap at the den. Atem had gone to lay down with him, then stopped halfway and told him he'd join him later as he couldn't sleep at the moment.

He'd heard the sizzle before he'd even caught the scent of smoke. When he'd turned his head, he'd heard the humans cheering and laughing. They drank from bottles made of animal skull and fur. He could see them laughing even as a fawn was offered in sacrifice for his Blessing.

He straightened, eyes searching the clearing. A few humans were dancing about, some marked in fawn blood. The fire was small enough it didn't catch much attention, but Atem could see the faces of dozens of humans surrounding it though they stood feet behind the dancers. There was a single person standing aside from the rest.

He recognized the weapon in their hands, the tightly drawn bowstring and the arrow aimed for the fire. Atem bristled and shifted his weight, wondering for a split second if perhaps they'd seen him. But they didn't blink even when he turned himself invisible, peering at the flames which made their cheeks look round and soft and their eyes wide yet narrow somehow. Their lashes were long and shiny and the shadows cast across their eyes made it impossible to see the color.

The arrow shot through the air, caught fire as it passed through the flames, and hit the bundles of hay shaped to his form. The sculpture burst into flame immediately, on one side and then the other. The fire roared and crackled and Atem pressed himself harder into the ground as heat billowed outward. Smoke burst upward into the air, black against the coming darkness.

He shifted his weight and forced himself not to flinch when he saw the humans begin dancing more rigorously.

"God Dragon of the East, we offer our prayer so that you may Bless our winter as you have our summer. In your image our sacrifice so you might Bless us with food for the cold and herbs for trial. In your infinite strength may you grant us wisdom and endurance. You have our thanks eternal and always."

Atem bristled slightly and shifted his weight again. He remembered that prayer. He remembered when they'd used his name once. They'd asked him directly, requesting his Blessing and aid in protecting the village. He'd done it, unnerved when he'd heard his name, and chased the wild boar off that had killed a few village dogs. He had not come close to the village since then—and even that had been by accident.

The human who had shot the arrow—archer, he remembered—lowered the weapon and looked over. Their eyes sparkled in the dark and Atem saw what looked like bottomless but glowing pits like a cat's. They looked over, saw him, and offered a wide smile that made Atem bristle. For a split second he almost wondered if he was looking at Yugi. Had he come to the ceremony for whatever reason when they'd split up?

But the human was taller, and their hair didn't match but for some that framed their eyes. The shape of their eyes wasn't quite the same, either. Yugi's had been wide and gem-like, but this human's were sharper yet with similar lashes that framed them perfectly—

"Atem?"

He flinched and spun around, bristling uncertainly. Yugi peered back at him in the dark, head tilted and eyes locked on him. Atem glanced back but the human wasn't there any longer. He bristled again, shifting his weight, and looked over.

"Oh, have you never seen the festivities up close?" Yugi asked, looking away and toward the flames. His entire face glimmered orange and red against his dark scales.

"I have. I…" Atem blinked and looked back, studying the humans. "I was just thinking about something else."

"Oh?"

"They used my name during a prayer once. I'd forgotten until now, but…" He paused and reconsidered, shaking himself out. "It doesn't matter. I just remember them using my name once."

"They consider your name sacred," Yugi said with a huge grin. "The village leader said he would only ever use it when it was absolutely necessary. He said something about how they prayed for you to defend the village once against a herd of boar and you did."

Atem nodded slightly and looked back at the humans as they moved about. "How did they know my name?"

"There's a human there who receives visions and dreams about things yet to happen. She told the leader your name and from there they used it to invoke your protection." Yugi searched his face and leaned forward to lick his cheek. "She's the one who told me how to spell and write our names, by the way. She's always been super nice, but I think she passed away a year or two ago. She used to sit there, where that boy is. He's obviously not an adult so she must have taught him when she was dying."

Atem considered the boy and shifted his weight before straightening slowly. He'd almost forgotten he was still invisible when no one turned to look at him. Only the archer seemed to notice him, looking over and studying before smiling and turning away again. Atem saw Yugi study the human in bewilderment and growing suspicion, but he did not make any move toward or away from them.

"But she was the one who performed the prayer when they used your name." Yugi paused and turned back to him. "Your name is considered the most sacred as a God Dragon, so they refuse to use it until it's dire."

Atem nodded slightly. "I didn't know they knew it. When she used it, I was in shock. It didn't matter beyond startling me. I wasn't upset. I was just…amazed they knew it. Humans don't share the same tongue anymore. The dialects have changed between them depending on region. I had not assumed them to know my name because our tongues are different from theirs."

Yugi shook his head. "Oh, Atem, we're the most ancient species in the world! We know their tongues. If they spoke to us, we'd know what they said. We'd mimic it when we answered."

He blinked. "I've never spoken to a human," he said abruptly, snapping before he could stop himself. Yugi blinked wide eyes at his change of tone. "I wouldn't know."

The Gandora shook his head and smiled. "I know."

Atem felt stupid for the sting in his flesh at the words. He couldn't think straight for a moment. His eyes flickered to Yugi's and back to the burning sacrifice. "Sorry."

"It doesn't matter."

Atem thought it mattered a lot. He shouldn't have snapped at him for something so small yet again. He'd done it more than he cared to admit and it drove him crazy to take his insecurities out on Yugi like that. He looked about the humans gathered around, drinking from their containers, dancing and playing or adding their individual prayers to the more encompassing one the leader had performed.

"Do they always perform the ceremony like this?"

Yugi blinked. "Yeah. It's always done like this. They do a more general prayer for the whole of the village and then each person is allowed to ask one prayer individually."

"Did you make one?"

"I made one to Yusei that you were still safe," he said after a long pause. His eyes locked on Atem's face again, searching for something Atem wasn't sure how to supply. "He probably didn't acknowledge it with the millions of others he must constantly get. But I did. I prayed the one time to him, just because he's considered the protector of the three of them."

Atem studied his face. "You did that here?"

"Yeah. I didn't see you for a long time when I first came back here." Yugi paused. "And then the next day I spotted you. I was with a group of hunters and I found moose prints and the mangled carcass. And when I looked over, there you were."

He remembered that. "Ironic."

Yugi laughed and licked his cheek. "I always considered it an answer. But I don't think it was if he couldn't see you. I think maybe you heard it and granted it."

"I surely didn't," he snorted. Yugi laughed harder and a human squeaked and pointed. Atem bristled fearfully and backed up a step. Yugi turned his head and flattened his wings to his side with a small growl. It wasn't discontent or angry. It was almost an encouraging, chortling sound. The human was no bigger than Atem's claws, wobbling on its two legs and holding a hand out as if to touch Yugi.

Atem backed up a step again, then flattened himself as a few other humans came to see the commotion.

"Relax," Yugi whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "They won't hurt you. I promise. They're just excited. They always offer food and kinship when they realize dragons are near the village."

Atem was sure that was supposed to help calm his nerves but all it did was make him even more agitated. The God Dragon backed up again, bristled and swallowed the snarl that threatened to rise.

"It's a child," Yugi said gently. "She's just excited to see a dragon. She doesn't know any better. She can't be much older than two years."

Atem gusted a breath in acknowledgment but didn't stop bristling.

Yugi took a few steps towards the child and Atem watched in fascination as the taller human who had come to retrieve it paused. They stared at Yugi for a moment, then smiled with a flash of teeth, and began speaking to the child. Atem watched them gesture from Yugi to the child and back. And finally the two of them came forward. Yugi lowered himself to his belly and waited as the child waddled over, looked at its elder partner, and then reached a hand out.

He wasn't sure what he expected. He bristled harder, feeling the scales split along his spine with tension, and watched Yugi flick his tongue out to lick the child. The older human snickered as the child squeaked and fell backwards in surprise. Yugi gusted a breath and licked them once more as they squealed with delight.

A few others came forward to see them.

"They're friendly. See?" Yugi mumbled, shooting him a sideways look that likely seemed more a friendly head tilt to the humans. The child squealed and grabbed his beak and Atem would have lunged had it not been for Yugi's lack of concern. "I promise, Atem. I wouldn't let them near you if they were going to hurt you."

His name became a ripple among the humans. It was whispered in a weak, worshipful tone. The humans glanced about as if they expected to find him lurking there. Only the archer seemed to notice where he was, smiling and tilting his head but refusing to speak.

Atem stared at them with narrowed eyes. None of them had a weapon in their hands. Even the archer stood without one.

"Why are they not afraid of you? Do they know what species you are?"

Yugi blinked. "Yes. They know I'm a Gandora."

"Then why are they unafraid? Did you show them your true form when you were here?"

He snorted. "The village doesn't fear dragons. They love dragons. They worship each of them like gods, although clearly they value you above all else." He smiled gently. "They're not afraid because they don't have to be. They know I'm not here to hurt them."

"Why are they so sure?" he snapped, voice rising slightly. Everyone looked for the source of noise and he hissed a breath to keep from snapping his teeth. "They treat you like a common pet—to touch and…and coo at."

"Atem, they live by the law of showing respect to earn it. They aren't cooing at me and they're not going to pet me like a common dog. The little girl gets away with it because she's so young. Notice the rest of them have kept their distance but for the child's father? They're trying not to startle me."

"Startle you? They have weapons and numbers!"

He laughed softly. "They do. And they could easily take me down. But none of them are threatened. All they see is a dragon who they suspect came because of the smell of fresh deer blood."

"If I wasn't here would you join them?"

"What? No. I would have gone back to the den with you."

"Do they know what we're saying?"

"No. Our magic doesn't work like that. We understand what they say. They don't understand us unless we're human. All they hear is growling. They know I'm talking to you. And they understand your name because it sounds similar in both languages."

Atem peered at him, suspicious despite himself. What if Yugi was lying? What if he was leading him to them? He didn't know what he could gain from it, but what if? It went against every instinct in his body to suspect Yugi of something malicious, but humans scared him. They turned on each other without warning at times, they hunted more than they could devour others, they tamed wild animals, and he knew of some killing dragons for teeth to be sharpened into weapons and jewelry.

"They'd know my name as well if you said it," he continued, studying him. Atem was amazed he could make eye contact with him despite his inability to see him clearly enough. "Oh, dear heart, you know if you weren't safe I would have scared them away by now. I wouldn't put you in danger."

Atem almost huffed. He trusted Yugi. He did. He loved him. He did. But humans were…questionable at best, nasty and power hungry at worst. He didn't want to befriend them and then find them later looking to carve his hide into their shields. Humans were fickle. They died so much earlier than dragons and what happened should they turn on him? They were outnumbered. He had the magic to defend himself, but it would turn the weather to turmoil and how much was he willing to sacrifice just to protect himself?

He'd turn the world inside out for Yugi, but himself?

"We can leave if you'd like."

Atem shot him a dirty look. Of course he wanted to leave! He'd made that obvious multiple times. Yugi couldn't see it, he knew, but he hoped he felt it at the very least.

"Are you sure you want to? They won't hurt us." Yugi tilted his head. "And it might be a good thing to know the humans in your region. They're different from all the others I've ever seen. They're far more respectful and having a bond with them probably wouldn't be a bad thing."

Atem huffed. "Let them fear me as a God Dragon. I have no need to befriend them now." He looked them over and then backed up another step. "Distract them while I leave if you want. It's obvious you'd rather spend time with them than go."

"Atem, that's not—"

"Don't lie to me. You're enjoying your time spent with them."

"I am. I wasn't going to lie about that. But I'm not going to choose them over you."

Atem huffed again, feeling like a hatchling for all the temper he possessed. He shouldn't have been angry with Yugi for wanting to stay there. He'd been with the humans for a couple moons shy of a year. He'd spent time with them to figure out how to court him, how to set up the net trap so he could win the challenge. If anything Atem should have been grateful to them for housing Yugi in the time he'd been there undetected.

"Stay here…with them. I…" Atem considered them as they tried to see what Yugi was looking at and which direction he might be focused. He bristled uncertainly again and backed up a step. "I'm just tired. I…I'm really not okay right now."

Yugi fell silent for a long moment. He stared at him intently, as if measuring his words for any sign of falsity. And then he nodded slowly and looked away. "Okay. Yeah. Go back to the den. I'll keep them distracted while you get some time to yourself."

Atem shifted his weight and backed up another step. They were still looking for him, but Yugi chortled at the child and the humans behind it immediately turned back to him. He watched his mate as he befriended another handful of children and then he turned tail.

Yugi kept them preoccupied from the sound of Atem's retreat. It wasn't rapid or scurried. Atem moved quickly but it couldn't be considered fearful just by the sound of it. He seemed more a pacing wild animal as it stalked about the undergrowth rather than a scared beast. Yugi waited until he could no longer hear him, then licked the child before him again. After a moment he straightened and shook himself out, glancing back toward the forest Atem had disappeared into.

He never had understood Atem's fear of humans. It didn't make sense. He'd never had a bad interaction with them in the mountains. The village worshipped dragons. They loved them almost more than each other. Atem would have been welcomed with open arms if he'd just come forward a little further into the clearing. They burned altars in his favor and asked his Blessing when they prayed.

But he realized the more he considered it, he understood a portion of the fear that must have swallowed Atem whole every time he looked toward the village. They prayed to him. They expected a lot from him. If they saw him there, a scared and exhausted dragon and completely unlike the deity they knew, they could become upset. He'd never seen the humans so much as raise their voice even when they'd helped nurse a dragon who had bitten one of the others and nearly taken the head off another. They'd considered it the natural order of things and karma was the word they'd used to explain it was equal punishment for harming the dragon in one of their pit traps. But Atem was a deity. And they'd expect more from him than fear and residual disdain and overall inability to remain calm beneath their scrutiny.

He'd likely also feared their reaction to his appearance. His two mouths were huge and gaping, large and brilliant maws of white teeth the size of their heads. He'd likely thought they'd panic and rush at him.

Yugi hated Atem would come to the conclusion. He thought his mouths made Atem that much more unique, but he knew how burdensome they'd been growing up. The deformity had marked him as a God Dragon from birth. And he knew a few dragons eyed him warily when they saw both sets of enormous teeth, especially when they noticed the tusks just behind them. If he got such estranged reactions from his own species, it was a wonder what the humans might think of it should they see it.

Yugi hated that thought more than he cared to admit. He glanced at the humans and turned back, then began picking his way into the trees. The children squeaked in protest, calling the human word for dragon after him, but he didn't glance back. The adults spoke to them in low soothing tones to calm them and Yugi picked his way about the forest trail to find Atem bathing his wings near the river.

"You're back sooner than I'd expected," the God Dragon said without a backwards glance. Yugi watched his tongue run the length of his extended left wing and took a seat. Atem only turned to him when he'd finished. The membrane was glossy beneath the waning moon and the God Dragon peered at him in open bewilderment. "Yugi?"

He smiled faintly. "I'm just admiring you. Am I not allowed to do that?"

Atem grunted and turned to his other wing. "If you wish."

"Well, I do."

The Sky Dragon snorted and smirked. Yugi felt the smallest bit of tension leave his spine. As long as Atem was playful, he wasn't dwelling on whatever it was that upset him. "You didn't wish to remain longer?"

"Why should I have? I don't have a place among them anymore."

Atem paused in his grooming to stare at him in the dark. His eyes glittered like gems and for the first time Yugi noticed they glowed. Whatever Yami had done to ensure Atem could see so brilliantly in the dark had permanently changed them. He'd never seen them like that before, two glowing flames against the darkness. Usually they caught and held the moonlight and glittered and looked like brilliant chips of gold, but now they were luminescent. Yugi felt oddly foolish for never noticing before, but Atem wasn't usually out in the dark like this. He usually retreated to the den and they'd be asleep by this point.

The moon had already reached its zenith. It was far past the time Atem usually lay for rest. The festivities must have drawn his attention for longer than Yugi had noticed. Or maybe he'd been distracting the humans longer than he'd assumed.

"What? What is that stare?" Yugi finally asked when Atem didn't speak and kept peering at him. He shifted his weight, for a moment wanting to laugh but unable to even tease. Atem looked so serious. He didn't think there was room to try to joke with him. "Atem?"

The God Dragon stirred after a moment, as if he'd been frozen. He straightened, shaking himself out, and stretched leisurely. "The humans might be perfect camouflage if something should go wrong."

"Go wrong?" Yugi echoed. "What does that mean?"

"That Yami is gone. And there have never been five God Dragons from pure coincidence," he snapped, turning on him with a snarl. Yugi stared, stunned by the change of temperament but not altogether surprised that the subject had come to the surface. "I've been having nightmares again. All of them are about Seto as they were before. They're worse. Whatever Yami was born to do…is escalating. It'll reach its peak soon. And he's no longer here. I don't know that Jaden or Yusei, Leviathan or I am strong enough to face it. And if things go wrong, you have the humans as well to hide among."

Yugi blinked and bristled. "They won't go wrong."

"Says you. But you run on blind faith in me, the most pathetic of the four gods," he spat. "And I don't live by that basis. Things will only get worse—"

"And what omens are you seeing?" Yugi demanded. "You can't see the future."

"No. I can't. I can't see the future but I also don't live blindly. The nightmares are worsening, after being gone for a year. Yami is dead. The other God Dragons are…absent as of late. It's troubling no matter how much I might have desired them gone prior."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"It means enough." Atem shook himself again and glanced up. Yugi followed his line of sight to a brilliant patch of stars wreathed in silver like glittering water. He tilted his head and glanced back, studying his mate as Atem turned away. "Maybe you should pray to Yami."

He bristled. "What?"

"I couldn't protect him. I likely can't protect you."

"You had nothing to do with Yami's death, Atem. He left of his own volition. He knew there was a possibility Jaden was there and he left anyways. It wasn't as if you were awake and watched him die. There was no way you could have stopped him." Yugi shivered. "I couldn't stop him either. He decided he had to…do whatever it was he needed to do. And that's what led him to Jaden. It wasn't as if you handed him over for slaughter."

Atem snorted. "No," he agreed, "it's not."

Yugi froze for a moment, half-expecting he might say it was his instead. But the God Dragon merely glanced back at the patch of silvery stars, turned to stare at him a moment, then snarled and trudged back in the direction of the den.