Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Rising ❯ Chapter Twenty ( Chapter 21 )

In which the friends are informed and Yugi and Kaiba have a heated discussion

Leo slid a finger under the wax seal of the letter as Sarra thanked the purple pixie who'd delivered it and paid the tiny fey with a couple shining gemstones. “What is it?” asked the green skinned elf leaning against a nearby tree, a boot propped up against it.

The monk frowned as his eyes scanned over the letter, an expression that clouded into worry. “It's Jade and Drizzt. They've been attacked. Drizzt was mauled by some creature and lies near death, Jade's health was failing with her worry for Drizzt and something went after her mind before ripping her from her body. She's trapped somewhere and in rather bad shape,” he said, summarizing a few paragraphs, “And it says that Alianna's wolf-side is getting the better of her due to the condition of those two. Her mind's all but gone with rage and grief.”

Sarra's pretty face pulled into an expression of worry and sadness, “What about Yugi?”

“He and Kaiba are holding up rather well, to all appearances, at least. They're a bit edgy and would dearly love to repay whatever did this to the two drow, but they're at least staying to their studies.” Leo paused then and an eyebrow shot up, “Although, Theo does say something seems a bit off about Yugi since they last saw each other. Like he's preoccupied somewhat or that something is troubling him.”

“Aside from the condition of his teachers,” the elf said dryly.

Leo glanced at her, “Given. But it says preoccupied like…” He paused, searching for the right wording. “Like something is trying to turn him.”

Sarra's eyes turned hard, “You mean trying to ensnare his mind.”

The elf scowled, “Whoever it is then had better hope to the gods that we don't find them. Or that Yugi's father finds them.”

“Does Yugi's father even know what is going on?” Leo said.

The two females looked at him for a long moment before Sarra turned her gaze to the elf. “Leerah…” she said. The elf held up a hand, “No, no. Let me guess. You want me to use my pendant to see if I can find anything. And after that, you want me to inform his father.”

“Would you?”

“I don't see why you couldn't just send a little mind message or why Leo couldn't deliver the message, but I will.”

Leo grinned, “I can't because I still have a couple more weeks on my ban from the place. Sure, they like me and everything, but a guy can only get into so much trouble before something happens.”

Leerah rolled her eyes, “And people call you a monk.”

“I happen to be monk, just with eccentric tastes.”

“Hm.”

Sarra grinned at the banter, “Alright you two, you can bicker when Leerah gets back to us. We need to tell our students.”

“What about Tea? She's still with the Amazons.”

“I'll take Joey and Tristan and head that way. I can use a door or summon mounts to get us there quickly,” Sarra replied. “I have a hunch that Leo has something in mind for him and Bakura anyway.”

Leo grinned impishly, “Of course I do. We're going to poke into the matter that ails the tribe and Yugi.”

“I'm not even going to ask,” Leerah said.

“You'll take Mokuba with you?” Sarra glanced down the woody hill to where her students sat with Mokuba and Bakura around a small fire. “I could watch him for awhile, if you'd like.”

Leerah smirked, “Nah. He comes with me. He took down a minotaur by himself a few days ago. I think he can handle it.”

“A minotaur?” Leo echoed, raising an eyebrow. “That must've been funny to watch.”

“Incredibly,” the elf replied with a wolfish grin.

Sarra laughed and shook her head. “See to it he stays out of most trouble, then,” she said, “I'll depart now. The sooner I tell Tea, the better.”

The other two nodded and held out the fists of their left hand. Sarra placed hers by theirs, forming a triangle between the three. “Breathe deep,” she said.

“Fly high,” the other two replied.

There was a loud snarl and a sickening crunch from the tree that Kaiba was thrown into. Yugi stood fifteen yards away, fists clenched and trembling with anger. “Shut the hell up!” Yugi growled at his rival, who was slowly clambering to his feet, wincing and dusting wood off him.

“I'm only telling you because you need to know,” Kaiba growled right back.

“Liar! Keep your mouth off her!”

“If you weren't so damned infatuated, you'd see it for yourself!”

Yugi snarled again and lunged for the other young man, who ducked and twisted, elbowing the angry half-blood sharply in the ribs. “I don't want to fight you, Yugi. That's not what is needed right now,” he said.

A solid back-handed blow came so swiftly Kaiba barely registered it. He was sent careening back again to land with a thud in the snow, Yugi suddenly towering over him, a strong hand clasped around his throat firmly.

Kaiba's hands went around the other young man's wrist but did little to lessen the hold.

“Take it back,” Yugi demanded.

“No. I'm not going to apologize for calling that filthy little slut out on what she is!”

“Don't you dare insult Bretta like that!” Yugi snarled again, his voice changing timber to that of a savage animal. Kaiba felt several pin pricks along his neck followed by small streams of warmth. Yugi's nails, which had become so human, were suddenly sharpening into something that resembled claws and were digging into the tender flesh around Kaiba's neck.

“Insult hell! Let me go!” Kaiba snapped back before having to free and hand to grab Yugi's other wrist, which was beginning to crackle and drip with black fire. The half-dragon's eyes narrowed and Kaiba's own blue orbs widened when he saw them change. A red rim suddenly appeared around the edges, fading to a pale pink in the whites, which were turning a yellow-green. The pupils in the violet irises suddenly snapped up in a thin vertical line and Kaiba suddenly realized what was happening.

Yugi's human rage over the argument was bringing out the dragon and for the first time, the two were consolidating.

“Yugi, calm the fuck down!” Kaiba said, not fearful of his rival (and in a way, his friend) but definitely understanding of the hurt he could suffer at the hands of the angered half-blood.

“Only when you're dead,” Yugi hissed softly in a voice that was not entirely his own.

The young wizard was beginning to think Yugi wasn't entirely at fault behind his behavior. “I'm sorry I have to do this,” Kaiba informed him before his own gift welled up. The connection of wrist and hands served as a conduit, and Yugi was suddenly shocked with bolt after bolt of electricity before being thrown back and landing on the frozen ground with a hard thud.

Kaiba had barely scrambled to his feet when he was attacked again, this time slammed with a ball of magical force that knocked the wind from him and scorched his lungs.

“Take back what you said and you're passing will be easy,” Yugi promised, stalking forward, already pooling more black fire in his hands.

“I'm not taking back anything,” Kaiba said, coughing hoarsely. Then he ducked as another bolt was sent at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Yugi's eyes narrowed again and his lips curled back in a silent snarl. His hand came up, the magical aura around it consolidating once more.

A hint of the metallic tang of old blood and the sickly sweet smell of decay wafted on the cold breeze. A promise of death oozed from the curse collecting around the half-blood's hand.

Kaiba's hands came up, weaving the counter curse, one to protect him and deflect it to the side, away from the both of them.

Yugi threw his hand forward, sending the killing spell hurtling towards his opponent.

Kaiba's eyes widened and he stepped back, throwing his cupped hands up.

There was a splitting crash of thunder and a piercing, painful flare of brilliant, silver light.

There was a scream of pain.

When the light faded, Yugi dropped his shielding arm from his eyes to look over and see the corpse of his defeated rival, a malicious, twisted smile on his face.

A smile that vanished quickly when he saw the faint, silvery glow, shaped like a majestic set of dragon's wings, encircling Kaiba in a protective embrace. Kaiba, shaking head and slowly getting back to his feet, blinked and looked around in bewilderment.

“That is quite enough of that,” said a voice that was familiar to Yugi's hate and anger filled ears. The buzzing in his head lessened as he began to shake away the fog that was clouding his mind, whispering to him, filling him with hatred for the young man in front of him.

“Mom?” he whispered, starting to slump to his knees.

“What in the name of the gods is going on?!”

Kaiba and Yugi dimly registered being hauled to their feet by the strong hands of the elves. “The fuck ye two think ye're doin', goin' on like this when ye're teacher's are as they are!” Skot bellowed at them.

They only stared at him with slightly glazed eyes, faces and bodies bruised and bleeding. The angry warrior stalked right up to them, glaring with his one eye, which was burning yellow gold with his rage. “Well?! I'd like an answer from the two o' ye!”

Blackbird, having accompanied the small group when he felt the magnitude of the magical battle, suddenly paled when he smelled the disappearing metallic and rot scent and felt his stomach twist.

He stumbled and held himself up against a tree, dry-retching as his body rebelled from the unnaturalness of the magic and the scent of a death curse.

“Blackbird?” Skywise hurried to the shaman and helped him straighten, letting his pack-mate lean against his shoulder for support. “What is it?”

“Killing spell. Beginning of a corruption,” he whispered in reply, still heaving and his vision swimming.

“What?!” Skot roared, rounding on the two young wizards again, who were being supported by the red-haired Lightfoot and delicate looking Moonblossom.

“Ye'd best start explainin', and I don't give a damn how tired and hurtin' ye are.”

Kaiba groaned and held his pounding head in a hand. “I was just trying to warn him,” he murmured.

“Eh?”

“Yugi. I was just trying to warn him…about Bretta. He wouldn't listen and we got in a fight.”

“And ye mean to tell me ye got snitty enough with each other, a death curse was cast. Which one o' ye orc-brained idiots did tha', eh? I'll have ye're hides, and ye'd better hope to the gods Alianna don't go and find out `bout this!”

“I did,” Yugi mumbled dimly, coming back to himself. “It was me.”

He'd cast the death curse.

I cast the killing spell…

Wait.

I wanted to kill Kaiba!?

His eyes suddenly snapped open all the way and he shot up, shaking off a startled Moonblossom. His gaze moved to settle on Skot, who was glaring. His one eye, so golden yellow with anger, was narrowed to a thin, glittering slit. His entire body was tense, and his usual demeanor was replaced with that of something that resonated within them all, making them all want to shrink in size and be as unnoticeable as possible.

“Ye mind tellin' me, boy, why ye wanted to go `bout killin' ye're own fellow student and one who is a friend?”

Everyone shrank back, stepping away from Yugi, leaving him to stand alone under the gaze of the wrathful Wolf-Folk.

Yugi opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find words. He felt the corners of his eyes sting and they became glassy with remorse. “I…I-I don't know…i-it just happened…one minute I was j-just angry and wanted him to take what he said back, the next I wanted his blood…”

The already narrowed eye seemed to go even thinner. The elf's lips began to curl away from his teeth.

“I swear…I…I didn't mean it…”

“No killin' curse can be cast unless ye truly mean it, boy!” Skot snarled, his voice becoming rough with the growl of a wolf bubbling up from his chest.

Yugi shrank down slightly, his shoulders hunching and his eyes lowering in submission—an unconscious behavior he didn't know he had until now.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“Sorry? SORRY?” Skot echoed, still growling. “There are some things that an apology ain't gonna be cuttin', an' this jus' happens to be one o' `em!” His scarred hand snapped out, gesturing to Kaiba sharply, “Ye nearly killed yer own pack.”

Yugi's eyes snapped up again, focusing on the elf once more.

“Ye wished death on a brother.”

Yugi began to shake his head, to deny it. “No…no, I didn't want anyone to die—”

“Silence!” Skot roared.

Yugi shrank again, stepping back.

Skot growled at him quietly before looking at Kaiba, “What exactly did ye say to rile him up?”

The other wizard, now standing on his own, rubbed his neck where claws had punctured flesh. “I didn't say anything to rile him up. I was warning him about a suspicion.”

“Enlighten us, pup.”

Kaiba's eyes narrowed at being addressed in such a way, but Skot's demeanor shifted once again, seeming to give him height and strength, the dominant wolf in him rising.

“Bretta tried to seduce me. And I've caught her looking through some of Jade's books. I also don't trust why she likes to stay so close to him. Something's not right,” Kaiba replied. He let his hand fall away to show the small amount of blood on his fingertips, “As you can obviously see.”

Skot's eye widened as the four other elves murmured in worry. Blackbird's dark eyes went from the bloody fingertips to Yugi.

“You're dragon came out?” he asked sharply.

Yugi flinched and looked away. Even now, he could feel the stinging pain as the claws began to recede and his gums were cut from the canines. Not to mention, he could still taste the acidic tang in his mouth.

“And now?” Blackbird pressed.

When Yugi didn't answer, he stepped up to him and held the young man's chin in a firm grip, turning his face to look at him and inspecting him critically. “And now it has receded,” the shaman murmured, forcing Yugi's jaw to open, revealing the cut up gums and receding canines. He inspected Yugi's fingers too, finding the cuticles damaged from nails that had too quickly changed.

His brow furrowed.

“Skot, I don't think Yugi is entirely to blame for this,” he said quietly.

Skot looked at the shaman, waiting quietly for him to continue.

“The damage done to his body isn't normal. His dragon may have surfaced, but it wasn't a willing merge of two bloods. Something forced it.”

A twinge of panic suddenly appeared. Panic that was not his, for he trusted these people. Somebody will discover!

Skot looked at Kaiba, “Did ye think somethin' was off with him?”

Kaiba nodded, “I've been noticing a few things. Theo has too. Ask him.”

Skot looked back at Yugi thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with a hand.

“Still doesn't excuse ye from the spell, lad,” he said, but his voice was a bit gentler now, “Ye still had to want it, even if it was because something was forcin' ye're dragon out. But if ye could tell us of any odd happenin's with ye?”

No!

Yugi opened his mouth to speak.

NO!

All that emerged was a scream of pain as he suddenly bent double, falling to his hands and knees as fire raced through his body.

There is nothing wrong! How dare they even suggest it! Kill them for their impertinence!

He dimly registered the voices of the elves calling his name, barely felt Blackbird's steady, gentle hands on his shoulders, barely felt Skot shaking him.

Kill them! Kill them! For what he said about Bretta, for what they suggest about you! They insult you and your love! Kill them!

Yugi began to tremble violently as the sudden thirst for murder swept through him, the strong, heated desire to hear their screams of pain and terror, to taste their blood. His mouth began to water.

No! I can't…

Do it! Avenge her honor! Protect your love!

My love?

A soft caress touched his cheek and ran down his neck, his chest. The voice of Bretta sounded in his ear, whispering seductively, promising great things.

We are one, you and I, Yugi. Both half-dragon…we belong together. Who else can understand us but each other? Who else can give you want you crave, what you desire most? I alone can understand what it is that the dragon in you needs.

The lust for blood became stronger and he felt the sharp fangs begin to grow, cutting the flesh in his mouth, slicing the inside of his lips.

Belong together…one…

That's right. And we can be together soon. But they will stop us. They don't want you to be happy. They don't want us to be together. That is why Kaiba said what he did. That is why they are so angry.

Must kill them…

That's right, my love. Kill them. Feast on their fear. Slake your thirst for their blood.

Kill…

His eyes, staring at the ground as he continued to tremble and be wracked with pain, slowly slid open. He felt the red haze begin again.

Kill them, and he and Bretta could be together…

Bretta?

Dark hair…cerulean eyes…a gently, warm touch…the smell of the sea…

No…Marina.

?!

“Move!” he heard Kaiba snap and felt the hand of his fellow student yank him roughly to his feet. “Yugi, whatever is in your head, fight it!”

“Skot!” Lightfoot bellowed, “Look to the sky!”

“Great goddess of night!”

“Yugi!” Kaiba said again, slapping him solidly across the face with the back of his hand.

Kill them!!!

But the blow had done a bit.

No…I can't…

Then came that voice again. The dry, sarcastic one.

Oh, not you again. Didn't I already tell you to bugger off? And you, Yugi. Stop listening. You're much too smart for this.

He knew that voice, just like he knew Kaiba's voice, which was now shouting in alarm.

A dark, great shadow passed overhead.

Kill them!

Will you go away, you nasty little bug!

Destroy them so we can be together, my love!

Ho! Your love, is it? That's rich.

Love…?

My love…

No…Marina…

There was a loud roar followed by a tremendous thump that shook the trees. Another roar followed.

The roar of a dragon.

Yugi felt that roar, felt the compulsion behind it, the command to come back. “Yugi! Now is not the time to be doing this!” Kaiba shouted in frustration, throwing him to the snowy ground.

The cold washed the voice away and he snapped back, wincing as his eyes and teeth receded to those of a human in a painful instant.

“You son of a bitch, I am going to kick your ass!” Kaiba growled, standing over him

Yugi blinked, “What's going on?”

“You spaced out, again. Look, whatever the hell is in your head talking, do not listen to it! Voices aren't good, even here, you know that!”

“No, I mean the roar.”

“Oh. That.”

Kaiba pointed to the side, “A big red decided to pay a visit.”

“What?!” Yugi shot up and scrambled to his feet, then stared.

The red dragon that he had met such awhile ago stood there, a low, rumbling growl receding in her chest.

The elves were warily putting their weapons back as Blackbird stood in front of the dragon, apparently having a conversation.

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest, “And I'm not taking back what I said.”

Yugi looked at him and a brief flash of temper crossed his eyes before he got it under control.

“I know.”

“Huhn.”

“…Why did you tell me anyway? Since when did you give a damn?”

Kaiba rolled his eyes, “Please, Yugi. I'm not that much of a `cold, heartless bastard', as the Mutt puts it.”

Yugi snorted disbelievingly, and Kaiba shot him a scathing look.

“Besides,” the blue-eyed wizard continued after a moment, “I owed you from the duel. You didn't have to be my second and watch my back. I always pay my debts.”

“I didn't really do anything.”

“You warned me about his low shots and you figured out the card based spells. I owed you.”

Yugi let it go, figuring it wasn't worth arguing over. Not that he wanted another argument. This one was going to cause enough trouble.

“Kaiba?”

“…What?”

“I'm sorry about the curse. I really don't want you dead.”

“…It's cool.”

Silences settled over them and the elves, having conferred with the red, began to walk towards them.

“Anyway,” Kaiba suddenly said. Yugi looked at him.

“It would take more than your pathetic little `curse' to kill me.”

“Excuse me?” his incredulity (and anger) was purely human this time—the same feelings that Kaiba always managed to get out of him. “Your ass was so kicked if my mother hadn't saved you.”

“Sure it was. You didn't even cast it correctly.”

“Kaiba!” Yugi growled before lunging at the other male.

This time, the elves, who had stopped their progress, only stared and sighed. They recognized this particular fight as the typical one.

The dragon blinked and looked at Blackbird.

“Yes, beauty,” he replied with resignation, “They are always like this.”