Kaiba held the books in his arms and hastily walked through the hallway as if he belonged there. Throwing a fervent look over his shoulder, he made sure no one saw him leaving Marik's office as he hurried away.
He had stolen several books to help further aid his research in making a mer-baby in a test-tube because the internet wasn't providing enough accurate information.
The one source he knew that could be remotely reliable was Marik Ishtar.
Atem had told him to avoid Marik…and he had done just that, by only visiting the merman's office to steal information while he was out teaching a class.
This was totally justifiable.
The university was open to everyone, and as a professor, it was Marik's duty to educate the public.
I am the public, Kaiba thought furiously, dashing to his car and throwing himself inside. Mission accomplished.
He tossed the books into the passenger seat and turned the key in the ignition, taking great pleasure in the roar of the engine. Ah, the sound of progress.
Atem swam slowly behind Mana, completely disinterested in the marketplace stalls and what they had to offer.
"Come, look at these!" Mana pulled Atem over to another seaweed tent where a couple of mermaids were displaying their handwoven baskets. "Look! There are shells woven in the kelp. Oh, it looks so pretty…"
Atem nodded stiffly and let his gaze drift around the crowded marketplace halfheartedly. Everything had lost its luster because Kaiba wasn't here by his side, also enjoying the sights.
"BOO!"
Atem staggered forward as he was pushed roughly, and he spun around to see Joey grinning at him, carrying a warrior's spear at his side.
"Joey!" Atem smiled, his spirits lifting slightly at the sight of his friend.
"Yo! Came by to see ya, and they said you's here!" Joey said loudly, earning several annoyed stares from neighboring stalls. A shy mermaid's face peeked out from behind Joey's shoulder and disappeared quickly.
"C'mon, baby sis, say 'hi'," Joey said gently, reaching behind his back trying to grab his sister's arm. "That's no way to say hi to a king…c'mon."
Atem smiled warmly at her, "Shizuka?"
"She prefers Serenity, ain't that right?" Joey said, floating aside in an attempt to get her to stop hiding, but she let out a squeak and dove behind his back again. "Eh, don't mind her."
Mana appeared by Atem's side, carrying a small basket in her arms, and she bowed politely at Joey, "Warrior Jounouchi. Thank you for your service."
"Look, a girl friend…!" Joey said, swimming quickly to Atem's side and leaving Serenity floating awkwardly in the middle of the marketplace path. "We're gonna hang out—guys only. See ya later ladies!"
Atem let Joey grab him by the arm and drag him away from a red-faced Serenity and a confused-looking Mana. He managed to wave lightly at Mana, and she waved back uncertainly before turning to face Serenity with a beaming smile.
"Is she going to be okay?" Atem asked nervously, feeling them make a turn and float to a stop behind a large tent. "Your sister, with Mana?"
"Yeah yeah, don't worry about her too much, she's just got a little crush on you," Joey said with a wide grin. "She saw you passin' by when we's just kids, and she thought you were really cool with your hair'n everything."
"Ah…" Atem said awkwardly, and he fell silent, unsure of how to react.
"So," Joey said, rapidly switching into thoughts mid-sentence. I asked my buddies if they had broken their pacts yet, and no one has! Rumor has it that the only warrior who has broken a Chrysalis pact this century is Warrior Mahad. Ya know him?
Mahad, my bodyguard. That is the same Mahad, Atem replied anxiously, watching Joey's eyes widen with respect and awe.
Aw crap, then this is gonna be a real challenge fer us, Joey said, scratching his head lightly. Me and buddies, we wrote it down and everything. We can't figure it out.
Then we'll decipher it slowly, Atem shook his head sadly. In the meantime, I need to find any human container with a seal. Seto Kaiba requested I bring him one…or several.
Like, trash?! Joey asked, biting back a laugh, and he nodded at a few mermaids swimming by, arm in arm, blushing and giggling as they waved at him. Make him pick up his own trash!
No, Atem said awkwardly, unsure how to even begin explaining it. He wants a sample of my…essence. It's complic—
YUCK, WOW! Joey rolled over onto his back and let out a peal of laughter. You two are somethin' else, really.
Atem let Joey laugh, feeling the tips of his ears growing warm with embarrassment, but to his relief, his friend smiled at him once more.
Don't worry. I gotcha! There's a lady here who sells human trinkets. Let's go find her.
Joey turned and swam down the wide path, dodging people easily, so Atem dove after him, following closely behind, waving awkwardly to the people who called out to him and bowed as he passed
"King Atem!" A small boy with green hair waved energetically at him, hanging onto a hand of another merman, and Atem waved back hastily before he hurried to catch up with Joey.
A strong arm wrapped around his and pulled him steadily through the throngs of merpeople crowded around each stall, and Atem was instantly grateful for Joey's guidance.
They reached the very end of the marketplace path, and Joey pointed at a shabby seaweed tent draped haphazardly upon several boat masts.
"I forgot her name," Joey said unhelpfully, swimming boldly closer to the dark tent and peering inside. "Knock knock! Anyone home?"
Atem gazed apprehensively at the human tables set up in the sandy floor of the tent, littered messily with trinkets. There was an odd scent in the air, and a strange contraption with spinning blades was humming quietly in the far back of the tent, but no one seemed to be minding the tables.
"Hullo?" Joey called dully again, and Atem drifted through the messy tent, spying a familiar object caught underneath a metal cup. He pulled it out and held it up curiously. It was a tie.
"That's not for sale," a voice hissed at him, and Atem dropped the tie, startled.
A white-haired merman emerged from behind a curtain of seaweed in the back, and he pointed a long claw at Atem, neglecting to bow. "…Your Majesty. What brings you into my…humble abode? Would you like a bottle of spirits? For you, my …king, the price is two sapphires."
Atem hastily backed away to float safely beside Joey, now thankful that his warrior friend had brought a weapon, because this white-haired merman looked like a criminal. He had a long, jagged scar running down one side of his face, and he was wearing a human garment on his upper body while his violet pupils glowed unpleasantly in the semi-darkness.
There was a golden ornament hanging around his neck, secured with a thick strand of what looked like braided hair, and the merman seemed quite proud of it.
"W-Whoa…uh, where's the lady who runs this place? Didja kill her?" Joey asked nervously, sending Atem a quick thought. Bad news. If something goes wrong, you swim away first. I'll take him.
"I'm insulted. King Atem was too frightened to come see me himself, so he had to bring a pet," the white-haired merman spat, glaring daggers at Joey and ignoring the question entirely.
Atem swallowed thinly and pointed at the tie, "How much?"
Dude, no! Joey thought anxiously, gently nudging the king with his elbow, but Atem ignored him. If he showed interest in this man's product, he could form a friendship…and everyone would benefit from this.
"Wait, I forgot my manners," the merman said, giving Atem an elaborate bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. You may call me Bakura."
What kinda crazy-town name is that? Joey said suspiciously, and Atem shook his head tightly, giving the merman, Bakura, a polite nod.
"I'm looking for something, Bakura, perhaps you can help me," Atem said anxiously, feeling Joey curl a hand around his forearm, getting ready to drag him out of the tent.
"You've come to the right place!" The merman grinned a fang-glinting smile and floated higher above the tables, his white hair glowing eerily around his face. "I am a Finder of Things, Keeper of Things, a Merchant of All Things, A Retriever—"
"So, a thief," Joey said blandly, his grip tightening around Atem's tanned arm. "Yeah we don't do business with thieves."
"I'm a Merchant. I sell what I find…most of which…" the merman kept the leery grin plastered on his face, "…is trash, as you can see. Now, what do you seek? King Atem, don't let this mongrel address me directly again."
"Mongrel?" Joey's eyes widened before they narrowed in anger. "Ya wanna fight, you white-haired freak?"
"A flask, or a container with a seal!" Atem said, throwing an arm across Joey's chest, feeling his friend vibrating with anger. "Please give us that, and we will leave quickly."
Bakura's smile melted off his face and was replaced with a scowl. "Perhaps you want a bottle of spirits instead? I hear the palace guards love a good drink. Or did you want a picture frame? I have those, made of metal and wood."
Atem shook his head and declined, "A container with a seal, please. And…lipstick, if you have it."
A what? Joey thought faintly, and Bakura's face split into a grin again.
"Ah…for a pretty mermaid in your life, King Atem?" He asked, floating upside down with a mean look in his eye. "Sorry, but lipsticks are in short supply. I only have one, but you can have it, because you are…my king."
"Oh, gee thanks, we'll take it and go," Joey said, his voice rising in volume to hide his fear.
Bakura let out a deranged, full-bellied laugh and slowly dove down to pull open the moss-covered drawers of a large closet behind him, filling the tent with the sound of loud rummaging.
Atem gave Joey a thankful look. His friend grimaced, his eyes darting to the door and back while thinking, "Time to go while he's not looking! Crazy-Town is bad news!"
He can help me! Atem replied stubbornly, and just as the thought left his mind, Bakura let out a triumphant shout.
"Ah HA!" The white merman shot upwards in the water and zoomed towards Atem, stopping just centimeters from his face with another wide grin.
"I've found it. Just for you…a wide selection."
He dropped the glass bottles out of his arms and let them land on the sandy floor of the tent with a muffled thunk, and he eyed Joey's spear.
"I'll give you an emerald for your spear, Mongrel," Bakura rasped, already reaching a clawed hand for it. "You would like that, wouldn't you? An emerald?"
"Heck no!" Joey jerked his spear back angrily. "I'll be penalized for losing a weapon! What're you gonna do with a spear anyway? And you didn't answer my first question. Isn't there a lady—"
"That old bat shares this tent with me," Bakura said, pointing at the empty glass bottles on the ground. "We have an agreement. Every half-moon, we switch."
"That's not legal," Joey said instantly, and Bakura laughed obnoxiously in his face.
Atem frantically scanned the bottles beneath his fins, not seeing anything that had a seal similar to Kaiba's sample vials. These were mostly empty cork-topped liquor bottles and oddly shaped teapots.
"These aren't what I'm looking for," Atem said, addressing Bakura halfway through more of his laughter. "Do you have anything with a seal that does this…?" He made a turning motion with his hand, and the merman's eyes widened.
"Ah…a cap! Or a lid…some type of screwed top," Bakura mumbled, tucking a hand under his chin and looking thoughtful. "A real challenge! For you, my king, I'll find one—or several, for the price of three diamonds. Payment upfront."
"THREE?!" Joey cried, shaking his head fervently and tugging at Atem's arm. "Nope. Rip off. Let's go."
"Done deal," Atem said readily. He had been prepared to pay any outrageous price to fulfill this request. "And the tie, and the lipstick."
"Ohhoo, you're buying me out, King Atem!" Bakura crowed, doing an odd flip in the water that made the golden ring on his neck tangle in his white hair. "The lipstick, which is the only one I have, will only set you back two rubies, and one sapphire."
"You said he could have it!" Joey interjected, glaring at the white-haired merman with deep dislike. "Or is your word not your bond?"
"I'm bound by the riches found in human garbage," Bakura said proudly, and Joey made a disgusted face. "Do you see here? Your king is paying me three diamonds for my services!"
"How about four?" Atem suggested seriously. "For all of it. And perhaps you can send a message for me too? You'd have to travel to shore."
Holy friggin' smokes! Atem, you can't trust this guy! Joey cried, his voice in his mind causing Atem to wince slightly, but Atem barreled on with his request.
"I'll give you a map. If you can make sure you're not seen…and you must promise not to steal anything you see on that shore," Atem said, gazing intently into the other merman's angular eyes. "Please. This is very important to me. If you can accomplish this without being detected, you'll become very rich. There is a human on that shore who will give you anything you ask for."
"Anything?!" Bakura dove forward again, looking very interested. "Then there's no need to steal, not that I would…if he will give it freely. What do you require me to do, my Majesty? I'll break any law, any rule…because for you, I'm a free spirit."
"More like a criminal…who's free," Joey muttered, but he was ignored.
"Ah…BUT! I've got three questions," Bakura said, his eyes gleaming mysteriously with determination. "Will I be put to death by running this errand of yours? Will the human kill me once I surface? And will you pay me an extra sapphire for my troubles?"
"Glady," Atem said, and Joey made a strange noise behind him, but he was ignored, again.
"The human is my friend, and he will give you the jar with a seal if you ask him. Tell him I sent you. He will know."
"Illegal contact with a human, I like it!" Bakura cackled, swimming to the far end of his tent and pulling out a cylindrical item. He slapped the mossy drawer shut with the end of his silvery tail and snatched the tie up from the cluttered table, wrapping it around the small tube and handing it to Atem with both hands, still wearing a mocking grin.
"For you…your Majesty."
"Thank you," Atem said anxiously, about to accept the items from the merman, but Bakura yanked them back with a hostile hiss.
"Payment…upfront."
"What kind of crack-pot business are you runnin' here, buddy?" Joey demanded, pointing his spear threateningly at Bakura's chest. "You know the rules. Goods first."
"It's my tent, my products, my…rules!" Bakura shouted, tossing the lipstick and tie bundle over his shoulder as he hovered inches from Joey's nose, looking like he was about to spit in his face.
"Very well! We apologize for the misunderstanding!" Atem said hoarsely, jumping to Joey's defense and grabbing his friend by the arm, dragging him to the exit. "We'll come back with payment!"
No…we won't! Cuz he's crazy! Joey thought frantically to Atem while they made their hasty escape.
"YOU'D BETTER! I'll be waiting, KING!" Bakura shouted at their backs, and he picked up a shiny bread knife, hurling it after them through the slits of the seaweed curtain. It shot through the water and narrowly missed Atem's shoulder, lodging in a wooden pole propping up a tent across the way, earning several shrieks of fear and surprise from other mer-people.
Running away…running away! Joey thought, pulling Atem rapidly through the water. Atem held onto Joey's arm tightly, surprised at how fast his friend could swim, and they rounded a corner past the market stalls, stopping behind several towering rocks to catch their breath.
His heart was pounding thickly, and Atem pressed a hand over his chest, breathing a tense sigh of relief.
"You are making some questionable decisions…not that it's my place to say," Joey said, giving Atem a grim nod as he flipped onto his back, still panting heavily.
"I need…to get the vial to Seto Kaiba…" Atem breathed, leaning against the rock and feeling a headache coming on. "I feel…despair. Overwhelming despair."
"That bad, huh?" Joey said with a sympathetic grimace. "Aite well, I dunno if this will help, but I'm being Deployed soon. To the nearest shore, Japan…to complete the rest of my Training."
"That does help!" Atem gasped, giving his friend a grateful smile. "Please, be safe. Do you know what you'll be doing?"
"Don't know many details yet," Joey said, shrugging and shifting his spear to his other shoulder with an important huff of his chest. "But I know once I get on shore with my own two legs, I can find this Kaiba guy for you and get whatever you want. Don't rely on shady guys like that thief, Bakura."
Atem nodded eagerly. "You're right. Your solution is better. Thank you, Joey. You're a true friend."
"Nah, you are," Joey said, giving Atem a playful grin. "Meeting you and doing this dangerous stuff is preparing me to be a real Warrior. I'll be the strongest cuz of you. Maybe I'll even beat that guy, Mahad!"
Atem let out a laugh and felt an odd pang in his chest. It had felt like ages since he had had a laughed…even a little.
"What? C'mon, he's not that strong, is he?" Joey said, looking disgruntled. "Anyway, let's head back. The girls are probably wonderin' where we are."
Atem nodded and swam quietly after Joey, trying to quell his uncertainty.
His endeavor to stay in contact with Seto Kaiba was becoming more and more dangerous. He wasn't sure when to stop, and if it was right or wrong.
All he wanted was to be closer to Kaiba, and this was the way to do it.
Kaiba sifted through the gems with a pair of silver tweezers, picking up a diamond the size of a soybean.
What the fuck was this?!
This was the only diamond amidst all the other glittering gems, and Kaiba wondered if Atem's tears changed properties depending on his mood. These tears seemed to be more irregular in size. Also, there were no diamond tears in the first few batches of gems when he had lived in the pool.
Sealing the small diamond in a bag, Kaiba rose to his feet and decided to call the jeweler again.
On his way out of the elevator, he heard laughter coming from the media room, so he passed by the half-closed door and peeked through the crack.
The overhead movie projector was on, and a film was playing.
Mokuba was sitting on the plush leather couches with his arm around a long-haired person beside him, and Kaiba could hear another feminine laugh echo through the home theater.
He wrestled with himself for a moment, wondering if he should interrupt them so he could see who she was, but he decided against it and hurried away with an odd clenching in his stomach.
Mokuba's girlfriends were none of his business. Was this the same girl as before? Did it matter?
Letting out a tight sigh, Kaiba made his way safely up the grand staircase and locked himself in his room. He leaned heavily against the door and shut his eyes, willing himself to remain composed.
Everything was fine. All he had to do was tell himself that everything was fine and press on. For Atem.
He sat down at his desk and stared at the stack of books he had stolen from Marik's office, grabbing the topmost one. Flipping it open carelessly, Kaiba bit his tongue in annoyance when he realized the text was all in English.
Goddammit. Nothing was ever going to be easy.
He slipped his phone out of his pocket and snapped a photo of the page, quickly running it through the translation app, slowly watching each sentence blur. The text sharpened again, replaced by Japanese characters, and Kaiba frowned at it, trying to understand the formal wording.
"… Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The first stories are believed to have appeared in ancient Assyria, in which the goddess Atargatis transformed herself into a mermaid out of shame for accidentally killing her human lover."
"What the fuck…" Kaiba muttered, flipping the book over to glance at the cover. The title read, 'Folklore and mythology – Merpeople'.
Rolling his eyes, he tossed the book aside and grabbed the second one. Maybe stealing in a hurry had been a bad idea. He should've taken his time to read the insides of the books before swiping them.
Sighing heavily, he flipped the second book open and was happy to discover it was printed in Japanese. What a relief to know that he wasn't a complete idiot and had managed to steal something in his own language.
"The Ama are Japanese skin divers, predominantly women, who traditionally dive for shellfish and seaweed wearing only a loincloth and who have been in action for at least 2,000 years.
They operate off reefs near the shore, and some perform for sightseers instead of diving to collect a harvest. They have been romanticized as mermaids…"
Unhelpful! Kaiba snarled angrily to himself, fanning across several more pages. He needed information about humans fucking mermaids, and possible merbabies coming from them as a result.
An image caught his eye, and Kaiba paused in his motions, leaning down to read the text underneath it.
"…Researchers believe the markings are branded onto the skin of mermen to symbolize their rank, skill level, and strength. Depicted here is an illustration of a high-ranking Warrior. This design was found on the skin of a man who showed no signs of aging while living in a Singaporean retirement facility. He was rumored to be a Warrior sent to observe how old humans behave…"
Intrigued, Kaiba studied the drawing, feeling his skin crawl with unease. The markings were branded and not tattooed?
He recalled seeing a merman with tattoos running down one side of his face, but he didn't see anything that would resemble a branded mark.
Placing a bookmark in the page, Kaiba flipped his laptop open, hastily searching for the "man who never aged" in Singapore. He came up with one result, and he clicked the article, scanning it rapidly for information.
"…refused to let his blood be drawn for tests and even became violent. He broke out of the home by leaping over the security fence after fighting off three orderlies who had tried to hold him down. Whereabouts of this man are unknown, and this incident is filed under 'weird things that happen in old people homes!'
A photo of a white-haired Asian man was displayed at the bottom of the article, and Kaiba hissed to himself triumphantly. He saved the photo and ran it through his facial recognition system.
Leaning back in his seat, Kaiba wondered if the man was still walking around on land.
But first, he would run this face through all of Japan and then expand from there. If this man was smart, he would've made his way to any country in the world. Might as well start searching from home.
Atem! Atem! Where ya at buddy?
Atem slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the dark ceiling of his room. Was he dreaming or had he heard Joey's voice in his thoughts just now?
YoooOoOOo! I'm lost! This place is like a maze!
Bolting upright in bed, Atem raced to the door and pulled it back a centimeter, peeking out into the quiet hallway, shaking off his sleepiness quickly. Everyone was resting…how did Joey get into the palace?
Swimming quietly out into the hall, Atem called back in his thoughts.
I'm here! Where are you?!
...Joey?!
He was greeted with nothing but silence, and Atem continued to swim slowly forward. Maybe he was out of range.
JOEY!
Atem shouted as loudly as he dared while drifting past Mana's room. He didn't want to risk the chance of accidentally waking someone by shouting in their mind while they slept.
He turned the corner and ran nose-first into a muscular, pale arm.
Letting out a gasp, Atem darted backwards in surprise, locking eyes with an unfamiliar face of a mer-warrior. The merman's mouth dropped open in surprise, and his face quickly split into a friendly grin.
He held his hand out for a shake, and Atem gazed at it apprehensively, taking in his strange appearance; dark brown hair styled into a pointed spike, and he wore a necklace strung full of shark's teeth.
Found him! The merman called, still grinning at Atem, and he dropped his hand awkwardly. I'm Honda, but call me Tristan. I hate my birth name.
Atem nodded stiffly in return, his suspicion rising. How did you get in past the front gates? Are you a friend of Joey's?
Joey came zooming forward with a seaweed sack over his shoulder, and he paused, hovering excitedly in front of Atem, also wearing a bright grin.
This is my buddy, Tristan! Joey said enthusiastically, oblivious to Atem's anxiety. Your front guards are asleep, man. Aren't they supposed to be awake?
Speechless with surprise, Atem nodded silently again and made a mental note to have Mahad weed out the irresponsible guards for sleeping at their posts.
Yo, dudes! Check out the paintings on the ceiling. This place is insane! A third merman floated leisurely towards them with his arms tucked behind his head while he craned his neck left and right, admiring the curved ceiling above them. He looked slightly familiar, with his long black hair tied back with a red piece of cloth, and he was wearing an absurd amount of jewelry.
Atem realized with a jolt that this was another merman Solomon had intrusively chosen for him in the blind line-up.
Oh shit, the King! The merman cried, tucking his spear behind his back and bowing, his long black hair floating gracefully over his shoulders. Call me Duke. I'm the Dungeon Master!
Dungeon Master In Training, Joey corrected, giving his friend a playful punch on the shoulder. Don't needta' do that fancy bowing stuff. Atem is cool, right?
All three merman gazed expectantly at him, and Atem, still unable to find his voice, nodded stiffly. These were Joey's friends, his buddies, the ones he had spoken so much about. He needed to make a good impression….
Can we get out of the way? Tristan asked heatedly, throwing a nervous glance at all the empty hallways around them. Let's go somewhere with a door. We aren't supposed to be here.
You are my guests, Atem said, finally managing to project his thoughts confidently after composing himself. You can come in any time you wish. Let's go to my room.
Ooo, the King's Room! I wonder what treasures I'll find there! Duke said, rubbing his hands together with a smile, and he received an elbow to the ribs from Joey. He doubled over, coughing lightly.
Atem bit back a smile and swam forward quickly, feeling his heart clench strangely. They were Joey's friends, so they could be trusted, right? But they gave off a strange, cold aura.
Pushing his doubts aside, he led the odd trio of mermen into his room and let them swim inside before him, one after another. Then, he shut the door behind himself firmly, making sure to latch the lock.
All three men eyed the lock and there was an uneasy silence.
He's not gonna, like, eat us, right? Duke said nervously, sending the private thought to Joey, but Atem heard this passing thought and couldn't help but feel offended.
Nah, he's chill! Joey insisted, and he dropped the seaweed sack onto the sandy floor with a quiet thunk, smiling at Atem. Gotcha some bottles with screwy caps like ya wanted. Come check out our haul!
"Thank you," Atem said nervously, slowly sinking to the floor to inspect the goods, fully aware that Tristan and Duke were blatantly staring at him, and it was making his skin burn.
He sifted through the glass bottles, pleased to find that there were indeed several slender vials amongst the assortment, and he gave Joey a grateful smile.
"How did you find these?"
But his question was ignored. The three mermen were having a private conversation above his head with each other, their faces grim with worry.
"Please, speak openly," Atem said firmly, sitting down on the floor and hoping his actions would put Joey's friends at ease. "We are brothers. Tell me what the trouble is."
Tristan ran his hand upwards through the single spike in his hair and gave Atem a funny look. "You wanna sit somewhere that's not the floor…dude?"
"The floor is fine and it's comfortable," Atem said smoothly. "If the floor is good enough for you, it's good enough for me. Feel free to sit anywhere you like. My room is your room."
There was another silence. Duke was the first to break it, diving down and sitting stiffly across from Atem with a nervous smile.
"Can I have a ruby?" Duke asked shamelessly, and Joey threw his spear downwards, narrowly missing the end of Duke's fins. Duke curled back with a yelp before rising angrily to face Joey with his claws outstretched.
"What the FUCK, man, I just healed!"
Sensing a fight, Tristan looped his arms around Duke's body and held him back as he struggled to claw at Joey's bare chest.
"Don't ask that kind of stuff from him!" Joey shouted back, looking stricken. "That ain't cool—"
"Your baby sister got her hair braided with tons of rubies, why am I not allowed to ask for the same treatment?" Duke argued, fighting Tristan with all his might, baring his fangs, looking as if he was about to spit.
Atem watched the scene unfold above him with growing apprehension. Duke did not seem like a friend of Joey's.
"Cuz she's girl, ya fucking dolt," Joey growled, drifting down to pick his spear up from the sand. "Let's not fight in front of him. Hate me later all you want, you're the one who wanted to tag along."
"Yeah, cuz you don't let your pod-mates sneak out in the middle of a Resting Period," Duke shot back with an accusatory glare. "Don't visits to the Palace have to be announced and recorded? You're basically visiting him illegally and bringing him shore garbage…illegally."
"He's a friend, man, calm down!" Tristan said, his grip loosening around Duke's body. "We brought it, and now we're leaving. Chill the fuck out, Dungeon Master."
"And what kind of king collects shore garbage anyway?" Duke continued ruthlessly, rounding on Atem as he floated above him, still trying to elbow Tristan off of him. "Lemme guess, you're also the one who suggested Joey challenge himself and try to break his pact! Are you taking advantage of him cuz he's the stupidest one in our entire pod?"
"Hey, who you callin' stupid?" Joey growled angrily, the tips of his ears growing red. "I ain't stupid just cuz I failed all my written exams. I can still throw a spear right in your eye from a meter away—"
GUYS! Shut up! Someone is coming! Tristan yelled so loudly in his thoughts, Atem winced and felt a slight headache.
Sure enough, there was an urgent knock on the door, and handle rattled quietly.
Atem rose from the ground and pointed at his bed with a firm finger, "Sit. And leave all your spears down in the sand, now."
He floated towards the door, using a light-hearted tone, "Who is it?"
Atem? Are you in danger?! Mahad's deep voice echoed warmly in Atem's mind, and Atem unlatched the door slowly, sending a thought back.
No, Mahad. They're my friends.
He pulled the door back and let his bodyguard glance inside his room.
Mahad surveyed the scene before him with doubt, taking in the three young mermen wearing cadet warrior decorations on their bodies, the pile of spears in the far corner of the room, and a bunch of litter on the floor.
"We're playing a game, and things got heated," Atem said reassuringly, lying with ease. "I believe it's called Choose the Bottle—a shore-concept game."
"I thought it was called 'Spin the Bottle'," Tristan interjected bravely, and Duke shot him a look, replying sarcastically, "That's when you wanna kiss someone. You wanna kiss me, big boy?"
"Ah…friends," Mahad said stiffly, bowing shallowly at the three men on the bed who all ducked their head down respectfully in return. "Well, glad to see you're enjoying yourself…please rest when you're tired, my king. I'll leave you now."
Atem mustered the friendliest smile he could and waited until Mahad's violet fins disappeared down the end of the hall before he closed the door and latched it again with a sigh.
"…That's Warrior Mahad," Duke said, stiff with awe and respect. "He looks cooler in the painting hanging in our Main Hall."
"It's no wonder he heard us," Joey muttered, swishing the sand with his tail glumly. "We can't even keep our thoughts to ourselves."
"Practice makes perfect," Tristan sang lightheartedly, rising from the bed with a lazy stretch. "He's gonna give us tips on how to behave on Shore in a couple of moons. Can't wait to learn cool stuff from him."
Atem floated awkwardly before the three mermen and bowed quickly, hearing all three gasp, and silence enveloped the room once more.
"Please don't bow at us, man, that makes me feel fucking weird," Tristan said, floating beside Atem and giving him a tentative nudge.
"Thank you for risking your safety," Atem said, his throat growing tight with emotion while he kept his head lowered. "Thank you for sneaking out during your Resting Period to bring me this garbage for my petty reasons. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
There was another long, stifling silence, and Duke was the first to speak.
"Oh fuck."
"Yeah, toldja not to believe those rumors," Joey said quietly, also rising to float beside Atem, and he threw his arm around the king's shoulders, giving him a playful hug. "Duke owes you an apology."
"Sorry I thought you were an uppity prick because you wear a crown," Duke said monotonously, not making eye contact. His eyes were roaming around the room, and he spied the woven kelp curtain in the far corner, his eyes widening with interest.
"Yes, feel free to take as much as you want," Atem said hastily, straightening up and dashing towards his closet. He flung the woven curtain back and gestured for Duke to swim closer.
This was his personal treasury, where he kept all the gifts he'd received from over the past centuries, all the handmade jewelry from mer-people during his many processions, and all his tears, organized by gem, color, and size, stacked in piles sitting in large abalone shells.
He heard simultaneous gasps of shock and excitement from his new friends, and he floated aside to let the men dive into his treasury.
"These are bigger than my knuckles!" Duke cried, holding up an opal to the light, inspecting it with wonder. "I've never seen anything this big! And this!" He held up a ruby and diamond in the palm of his hand, admiring their sparkle in the low light.
"Y-Yes…" Atem said awkwardly, feeling his heart grow heavy at the memory of shedding those tears. "Those were from when my father passed…"
"Oh…f—" Duke dropped the large gems back into the abalone shell with a loud clink and floated awkwardly back out of the closet. "S-Sorry dude."
"Please take them, for your troubles," Atem encouraged gently. "I'll probably be shedding many more…for a certain someone."
Duke shook his head fervently, looking deeply regretful. "Nah…it's cool. I'm good…I'm fine."
"Well, please take some," Atem pressed, feeling a smile curving at the corners of his lips. "The smaller ones. I don't even remember what tantrum I was throwing. Take them to an Alchemist. Perhaps they can merge them into a bigger gem for you."
"Ha!" Tristan cried, slapping Duke playfully on the shoulder as he swam out of the closet with a handful of necklaces. "This guy is so broke, he can't afford the Alchemist's fee. C'mon dude, just pick some bracelets. Gotta stock up if you meet that pretty girl later on."
"But I wanted to have a ruby…for the red dot on my dice-shaped earrings!" Duke said sadly, eyeing the stacks of rubies in their abalone tray. "I can't take one knowing how he felt…"
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Atem said impatiently, floating into the closet and grabbing a small handful of tiny glittering rubies.
He spun around and pressed them into Duke's hand, feeling the merman's clawed fingers shrinking away respectfully, trying to refuse.
"Take it, and make me a pair of earrings too," Atem said warmly, pointing at his own bare earlobes. "I gave mine away, and people keep asking why I'm not wearing earrings anymore. Come back if you need more."
Duke nodded mutely, his knuckles white over the rubies in his fist, his face red with a mixture of embarrassment and happiness.
"Aww…lookit him," Joey grinned, nudging Duke playfully with the butt of his spear. "He's blushing."
"But we really gotta jet before the Resident Assistant notices we're gone," Tristan said, picking up his spear and swimming quickly to the door. "We'll come back soon, King! Thanks for the loot!"
"Yes, thanks," Duke said, finally finding his voice as he lifted his spear out of the sand, hastily joining Tristan at the door.
"You're welcome," Atem said happily, letting Joey pull him into a crushing hug before the blond merman also joined his companions at the door and gave him a solid thumbs-up.
Tristan unlatched the door and swam out into the hallway, followed quickly by Duke.
"See ya later alligator!" Joey waved and dove out the door, leaving a trail of white bubbles flowing in his wake.
Atem raised his hand in a wave and dropped it heavily at his side when he found himself alone in the room, with the door swinging open on its hinges.
The silence was deafening.
A visit from his rowdy new friends had changed him.
He never knew how much time he had spent alone in the silence…until now.
This was only a further reminder of how alone he really was.
Author's note:
poor atem, getting angsty after his friends leave. (tbh idk if anyone feels like that irl cuz I sure as heck do)
Thief merman bakura makes an appearance
kaiba is on the hunt ™ for more and more mer-baby info.
edited by: taedae
please leave a review to let me know how excited you are for the next chapter!
hugs,
Ugli