Chapter LXV: Camouflage

Honda leveled Atem with a furious look, and Yugi shifted his weight as he glanced between them. Atem looked unsurprised by Honda's suspicion and he supposed he had to give him his dues for that. Most others would have been offended or moved to lash out. Atem merely sat there, watching and waiting. It was as if he thought it was so simple to remember what had happened, as if it hadn't left permanent scars on so many.

But why should he expect less of Atem? He was a God Dragon and God Dragons were selfish and rarely did something for the majority. He'd learned that years before. The lesson had always stuck with him, unwavering and cruel.

Jaden's hesitation had cost them lives and he'd never so much as looked at them and apologized. He'd never even blinked when the Clan had snapped at him when he'd visited prior to the last time. He'd looked at them as if they owed him for even getting rid of Sartorius in the first place.

But it had not been Jaden to chase Sartorius off.

It had been Yusei.

Yusei had been the one to get Sartorius off Jaden long enough to prevent him eating his heart as he had the others and—

"Why are you doing this?"

"I already told you. I made a mistake and I plan to fix it."

"Why?" he snapped. "None of the other three admit to or correct their own. Why should you? Why not hide behind your title and pretend you're incapable of mistakes?"

Atem blinked. "Mistakes can be mended. Lost lives cannot."

Honda flinched before he could stop himself. He bristled and peeled his lips back to show his teeth, scowling. "Pretty words, God Dragon."

"The prettiest words have the hardest meanings," he replied, golden eyes flickering briefly to the sky overhead. He seemed lost for a single second, expression cold and glittering. And then he looked back. "Honda, I cannot fix what happened before, but I'd like the minimalize the bloodshed to come. Do you understand? I cannot waste what little opportunity I have to get ahead of the troubles to come consoling you or anyone else. I am not Jaden. I plan to take action. And I plan to do it quickly."

Honda scoffed softly, glancing at Yugi sideways. His stomach lurched and his hearts twisted. Yugi loved Atem so much. And he'd never been a bad judge of character. He supposed it had to do with his species. He always saw that flicker of suspicion in Yugi's stance and the occasional tension along his hindquarters as he debated friend or foe among others. He had always been the fiercest yet sweetest dragon Honda had ever met. He'd helped moved Paradise and Purgatory for him when he'd gone to help him get his rank back from Hirutani. And he remembered hearing about Yugi charging Keith at the cliffs, thinking he'd likely died but amazed to find the Red Death had come to protect him instead.

He glanced back at Atem slowly. If Yugi trusted him so singularly…

"What kind of action do you plan to take? They're your sibling."

"I saved them. It's my responsibility to kill them."

Honda bristled, startled by the sheer certainty in his voice. How could he talk about killing so easily? It wasn't as if Honda hadn't done his own fair share when times called for it, but the callous tone Atem adopted at that moment made his spine cold.

"And what if they don't have to die?"

Atem tilted his head. "Then they don't. It's simple enough. But he seems malicious and with the streak he has going, I do not think there's a chance he should be allowed to survive."

"His streak?"

"He's killed two dragonets, and both of them were siblings."

Honda blinked. "How old is he?"

"On the cusp of three years. And this began at four moons." Atem tilted his head. "He's dangerous and unless he learns some kind of restraint, there's no means of control for him. And I'm not willing to let him cause the destruction Sartorius did—or even the amount Keith managed."

He shot Yugi a slightly puzzled look and then turned back, considering him intently for several moments. "And you're happy to follow him into this mess if something happens?"

"Absolutely." Yugi looked at Atem, smiling with the smallest tension in his expression. His eyes were tired, Honda noted with interest, and he looked almost as if he had been hollowed out for a split second. Then he turned back and the tension was gone and he looked jovial again. "That's what I always promised myself I'd do, so here I am to do it!"

Honda tilted his head slightly. He supposed he should have known Yugi would jump at any opportunity to help Atem, no matter how bloody or immoral or overall complicated. He sighed softly and looked away. "Fine." He drew a deep breath. "How much of this did you want to know?"

"As much as you can stomach to tell me," Atem said quietly, voice slightly gentler. "I'd prefer to know everything, but that might not be effective or it could be too much. Whatever you feel comfortable telling me is what I wish to know."

Honda bore his teeth in annoyance. Why couldn't he just snap and sneer and act like anyone else? It was frustrating a God Dragon of all dragons was being so patient with him like this. God Dragons had always seemed to take advantage of their status as deities to apply pressure or hold their decisions over someone else. Atem did not seem to care for the attitude he portrayed beyond assuring him that he understood the stress of the memories he was forcing to the surface.

He forced his aggravation aside for a moment. "All right. Then I suggest you get comfortable for this…abhorrent story," Honda finally scoffed. He risked a glance at Yugi and felt the smallest impulse to apologize for the fact he was being disrespectful, but it died immediately. Yugi wasn't looking at him indignantly, but rather with a sympathetic tilt of his head. He looked at Atem again, deciding to focus intently on the Sky Dragon. "Shall I begin with Sartorius?"

Atem narrowed his eyes slightly. "If that is what you think necessary to understand the ordeal with Keith."

Honda scoffed. "Understand it? No one understands it," he snapped. "Are you serious, Atem?"

The God Dragon smiled wryly. "Well, please tell me regardless then, I suppose."

He snorted softly, wrinkling his lips back to show his teeth, and turned away after a moment. They looked at each other silently for a long handful of minutes. And then he turned away.

"Sartorius…came as the sun was coming up. We had gathered for a meeting in the center of the camp to be able to hold vigil as the leader was meant to step down. My father was going to name a new leader and our second-in-command was ecstatic to take over. We were going to celebrate and mourn as all Clans do. And then he appeared out of nowhere."

His stomach rolled.

"He came in and announced it was wonderful to see a leader stepping down as they should rather than outliving their worth. My father questioned him as to why he'd appeared there before us and Sartorius laughed and said he was going to take the Clan. We were all shocked that this random dragon and its…strange-looking mother thought it was worthy of our Clan. My father asked him what made him think he should take his place in leadership, and Sartorius said he had no reason to explain. He attacked my father and ripped him open. He was about to eat his heart when the second-in-command attempted to step in. They were both killed in front of us in cold blood."

Honda still pictured it, from the unnatural height and stature of Satorious himself to the terrifying reality of his father's dead body. He remembered the blood on the Earth-Heart's face and the look of pure malice and laughter on the mother's face where she stood behind him.

"He anointed five of us with my father's blood and then he killed the other ten hatchlings. He swallowed every egg but one in each nest in the nursery. He chose them seemingly at random, just as he had the few of us he hadn't torn to pieces. It was midafternoon when he decided to pit us all against each other. My brother refused and got himself slaughtered as a testament that Sartorius did not care for opposition."

No one spoke for a long minute. Honda could see Yugi shuffling his paws as he stared down at them beside Atem. The God Dragon's unwavering stare remained caught on him.

"My brother had been six moons old, so he was the eldest. Sartorius set up residence in the camp and…from there he began to turn the Clan in on itself. Everyone was afraid of him. So no one wanted to fight back. He'd just slaughtered two of the strongest fighters and killed hatchlings as if they were nothing." He fell silent for a moment, looking at Atem and sneering. "Is that what you wanted to hear? About how cowardly we all were? Is that what piqued your interest?"

Atem snorted. "If I'd wished to hear stories of cowardice I'd have spoken to my brothers."

Honda studied him, then shifted his weight. "I heard Bakura was dead."

"Yes." Atem raised his head. "I killed him."

The Tyrant blinked and tilted his head, glancing from Yugi back to him. "Why?"

"He meant to kill me. Why shouldn't I gift him death instead?" He said it so simply, as if they were discussing the sky being blue or how clouds sometimes tumbled about the endless abyss. "He came to fight me and he died for it. I thought it just."

Honda wondered where in Atem's mind the line lay for right and wrong. He'd never quite heard anything of Atem being so bloodthirsty and cruel as to actively seek to kill someone, but Honda knew the rumors just as everyone else did. Atem had a mountain range littered in bodies. He'd implied as much before. Honda wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest if he didn't hang the corpses from trees but referenced them during courtship battles.

His eyes flickered to Yugi. "Does anyone know the two of you are mated?"

"They're figuring it out," he said proudly, raising his head. "The other God Dragons do, obviously, but we still get the occasional challenger. I usually beat them until Atem manages to separate us."

Honda snorted at the expression on Atem's face. The God Dragon looked fond but exasperated, as if he were dealing with a wayward hatchling. He couldn't shake the feeling of distress in his spine, but he was grateful Atem was entertaining his divergence from their conversation. He could have easily called him out on it. He had seen the moment he recognized the stall technique…

"Sartorius chose four of the strongest dragons and appointed them as sentries and the rest of the adults were forced into the dens and starved. The hatchlings were kept in the nursery to…watch." He bristled and forced himself not to flinch. "He mounted every single female several times, and the stress made them lay their eggs prematurely—Atem?"

The God Dragon's eyes rivaled the moon, huge and round, and his bottom mouth had opened slightly. He was statuesque, and the gem on his forehead had turned an odd silver-blue. Honda shifted his focus back and forth between Atem and Yugi, somewhat unnerved, but Yugi seemed just as confused.

"Atem? Atem?"

The God Dragon jolted and blinked, eyes darkening drastically, the gem on his forehead almost black with storm clouds, and turned to Yugi. "Nothing. It's fine. I'll tell you later," he snapped, looking quickly to Honda. "I'm fine. Continue, please."

Honda wasn't sure what to say. He stared at him until his eyes hurt and then lowered his gaze again, unsure where to look. Atem looked distressed, as if he'd just realized something he should have known before. He looked a mixture of angered and horrified, and Honda wished he could ask what he was so anxious about but he didn't think it would be appropriate. He and Atem were not close. He was not even so close with Yugi that he might ask him after.

Yugi was far closer with Jonouchi than Honda could ever hope to be. He still considered him a friend and he thought the world of him much of the time, but they were not so close he could expect Yugi to tell him every secret he had. The only reason he'd known about his desire to court Atem had been because Yugi didn't care who knew. He'd been all over the declaration, all but spouting it at anyone who bothered to ask.

The only time Yugi had not spoken of it was when he wasn't asked and if the other dragon said they planned to challenge Atem instead. Honda had never truly seen hatred on Yugi's face until someone said that. And then Yugi's entire face darkened, eyes sparkling like gems, mouth peeled back slightly to show the ridges of his teeth. But he usually shook it off immediately and told them to heed Atem when he said it was one attempt only or he'd kill them. Some returned, broken in spirit and sometimes in body, but others never came back. Honda had always known Atem had slaughtered them, though he'd never directly dealt with it in the camp.

No one had wanted to chase a God Dragon that was rumored more violent and far more efficient than Sartorius.

And he'd assumed Yugi dead when he'd failed to hear of him again. Jonouchi had not spoken of him when they'd last crossed paths, but to say he'd run off to challenge Atem. There hadn't been any whispers of him until the gathering and even then they'd been hushed. No one had directly said Atem was mated to a Gandora, just that one had stopped a fight between the God Dragon of the East and the God Dragon of the West. Honda had been intrigued, but not enough to question further.

"The eggs he fathered were chosen at random to hatch. He…ate the majority of them. One or two would be left from a clutch of ten or more. They were separated from the original nests from our camp." Honda paused. "No one knows how he picked them or anything, but it happened like that. It was random, I guess. I don't think Sartorius even knew what he was doing half the time. His eyes were so…empty and dark that it looked like you were staring into a bottomless chasm whenever he faced you."

He still had nightmares of when the Divine Dragon had turned his head and leveled him with a look the one time he'd spoken out against him. Honda had seen his claws twitch and his head tilt slightly and Sartorius had been ready to kill him…

"Regardless, Yugi's mother hatched a few days into the confinement. She was incubated by Sartorius's…" He faltered for a moment. Yugi looked as if he'd been struck in the face. Atem blinked and glanced at the Gandora, but didn't move to offer comfort. Honda looked between them and then away. "She didn't tell you that part."

"I…"

Atem flexed his claws and gusted a breath. "She was limited in what she wished to share. I suppose it makes sense as to why."

Yugi looked between them, opening and closing his mouth, and then got to his paws, pacing and shaking himself out. He shivered and the scales along his spine rose in a sharp bristle. "That's disgusting."

Atem looked over. "It's a casualty of war, Yugi. This is why I seek to prevent it."

"I know! I just…" Yugi shivered and twitched, then spun around and paced a few more feet before returning. "I feel gross."

Atem snorted. "You're so dramatic." He bumped his shoulder and turned back. "Continue."

Honda shot Yugi a curious look, but the Gandora plopped down into a seated position once more, sitting as he had before and looking to him for answers. Honda blinked, glancing between them in bewilderment.

Yugi trusted Atem that much?

He exhaled slowly. "A moon after they were hatched, they were moved in with us. They were so small and malnourished from lack of proper feeding that they were all almost unable to walk. The point had been to see who was strongest and willing to fight for scraps from the very beginning. And then they were all put in the nursery with us and Sartorius chose at random who should fight who."

He wondered if it had been random. He still didn't quite know. Sartorius had seen a lot of things. It was one of the reasons he'd lost his mind—or so rumors claimed. He thought the mother had far more to do with it than that.

"Many of them died within a moon. I gave Yugi's mother most of my food when we were fed." He paused. "More often they left the bodies with us to eat off."

Yugi stiffened and shivered again. Atem looked away for a split second before turning back.

"All of it was…" Honda scoffed. "Well, it doesn't matter now, does it? It's over and done with."

"It still matters. The scars remain in the camp."

Honda bore his teeth and shifted his weight. "We only had one guard to watch us every day and night. They sat outside the nursery and they watched us every hour of the day. He used to sometimes sneak me extra food but it didn't last long." He struggled to force the words from his mouth. "Sartorius decided to pit me and Yugi's mother against each other. We were going to fight that morning. And I decided to be an idiot. I thought somehow I could do the impossible and kill Sartorius. I…launched myself at him when he came to retrieve us and…"

Atem chuckled. "Jaden."

Honda snarled. "Yes. And then Jaden." He scoffed. "Jaden blocked me from him and then turned around and…talked to him. He just talked. As if that would do anything!"

Yugi glanced at Atem sideways. The God Dragon looked over after a moment and Honda swore he saw a million things pass between them. He narrowed his eyes. Yugi visibly tensed and Atem curled his top mouth back slightly into a snarl, baring the ridges of his teeth. He didn't look angry, but rather resigned and perhaps flustered. Yugi looked away after a moment, huffing a breath.

"God Dragon," he said slowly, suppressing a flinch when both of them turned to him immediately, "care to explain the meaning behind those stares? I'm giving you so much information for such little reward."

"Later," Atem answered coldly. "I'll tell you after, and not a moment before."

Honda narrowed his eyes and glanced at Yugi. The Gandora looked away immediately. "After?"

"When you finish your tale, I'll tell you mine."

He turned back. "That's quite a bold statement. You don't think you'll back out?"

"If I should have thought to, I would have done so by now." Atem snorted. "Unlike Jaden, I don't presume to lead others on without reason. You have my word that I will explain when you finish. That's the most I may offer and that is all you will get."

Honda eyed him for a long minute. He didn't look false.

"Very well. But I hold you to that."

Atem shook his head. "There's no need. I will tell you."

Honda snorted and looked away. "Jaden came. He spoke to him. And Sartorius stood there, just listening. His eyes were so empty. You couldn't even tell what he was seeing or if he even realized Jaden was there. He just…stood there the entire time. And then Jaden thought he was getting through to him. You could see how excited he was, how much he thought he was doing. The stupid fool."

Atem glanced at Yugi. "Some hold hope closer to their hearts than others. Jaden was one of them. Yugi is another. Yusei as well."

Honda scoffed. "Yusei…that coward." He tossed his head, furious. "Sartorius struck Jaden down so quickly no one even knew what was going on. He'd moved suddenly, disemboweled him, and then went to eat one of his hearts when he crushed his ribs. Jaden was dead and Yusei came out of nowhere. He attacked him and scared him off and then sat there. He waited for Jaden to come back. He waited, when he could have killed Sartorius instead."

"A father has the right to kill his own son," Atem said quietly, breathing the words. Yugi shivered and looked away, and Honda raised his head.

"What?"

"Jaden had the right to kill Sartorius. Yusei couldn't take that away from him."

Honda blinked. "You said—"

"I know what I said." Atem leveled him with a look of pure disgust. "I know what I've said, Honda. I don't need repetition. I don't need help to remember. I am aware. Leave it and continue your story."

Honda bristled. "Atem—"

"Watch your tone or I might find myself lashing out," the God Dragon snapped, but his expression was unconcerned and when Honda looked him over he seemed relaxed again. The tension had drained from his momentary anger and he looked as if he were merely speaking to a friend about the weather. "Actually, Yugi would do it for me. He's quite violent. Nasty little creature when he wants to be."

Yugi snorted and shot him a dirty look. "Shush."

"And unafraid."

Honda blinked a few times, too startled by the fondness in his tone to keep his anger. It melted as he looked between them again, and he found himself exhausted once more.

"The mother… She ran off after Sartorius immediately. She didn't even look at Jaden or Yusei but for laughing before she fled, too. Yusei just stared at her when she did. It was as if the two of them were talking without words." He suppressed a groan, stomach lurching. "Yusei just sat there until Jaden woke up and then he… I still remember it. He looked over and he said, 'It's over.' Jaden just stared at him, this really blank and sad stare like he'd had another heart knocked out of him. And then he and Yusei left. By then Shadi was already dead. And I still don't know why Leviathan never stepped in, nor why any of them let it get so far."

Atem shook his head. "I wouldn't know. I wasn't alive."

Yugi gave him a sideways look both annoyed but fond as well. "Atem."

"It's true."

Honda huffed. "You've been alive for a while now and still don't have any answers. I don't think being born after has much to do with it," he snapped. Atem blinked once, long and slow, and glanced toward Yugi with slight unease. Honda shifted his weight as Yugi bristled and shot him a flustered, aggravated look. "Apologies."

"It's fine." Atem shook himself out. "Continue."

Honda wasn't sure what more there was to say, so he looked away again. "Keith's egg seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. No one knew where it could have come from. No one could figure out if it had been overlooked or planted or what."

"Planted?" Yugi repeated, eyes wide with bewilderment. "What do you mean planted? Who would have planted an egg like that in such a volatile environment? I… What?"

Atem glanced at Yugi sideways. "The mother," he said at the same time as Honda. "Sartorius's mother."

"Why would she have done that?" Yugi snapped, startled. "That doesn't make any sense!"

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. Atem looked away and turned to Honda. "Your assumption is that the mother laid a clutch and she selected that one egg to hatch? As she likely did with Sartorius."

Honda scoffed. "It had to have been her. She was riddled with scratches along her sides more than once. And it was clear she'd been grabbed and mounted by the way they were dragged across her flesh." His eyes shot to Yugi as the Gandora stared with a horrified expression. The implications had gotten across to him then. He didn't need to clarify. Smiling bitterly, the Fire Clan leader turned back to Atem. The look on Atem's face said he'd known exactly what Honda meant the moment he'd spoken the words. "We can only assume she laid an egg—or a clutch. We don't know if it was one or multiple. But she laid at least one and that was Keith. It had to have been."

Yugi looked to Atem. "Why would she leave it when she fled?"

"Camouflage," he answered easily. "The Clan assumed the egg was overlooked in the carnage, yes?"

Honda huffed. "It sounds so stupid when you say it so plainly."

"No. It sounds hopeful."

"Being hopeful that others were spared is what got us to this point."

"Yes, well, paths were chosen and consequences discovered after. No one looked at Keith and thought he'd turn into a monster. And no one looked at him and suspected he'd do so much damage."

It should have been comforting, but it wasn't.

"No, we didn't look at him and think that." He huffed. "But if I had acted when I thought he was turning malicious…"

"That's a large if. Just be lucky you get to consider it. Many don't."

Honda curled his lips. "Because of me."

Yugi tilted his head. "How is it your fault? You didn't tell him to do any of the damage he wrought."

He snarled softly. "No, but I taught him everything he knew."

The Gandora blinked. "What?"

"We used a buddy system from the moment Sartorius left. Two are better than one for fights and there's safety in numbers, right?" he scoffed. "Well, everywhere I went, Keith was at my side."