Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Fate of the Damned ❯ New Task ( Chapter 4 )

HOLY. SHIT. This chapter took me forever to write and I'm still not very happy with it. >.> Hope you all have a better opinion of it than I do.

 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or any of its related characters and I make no profit from this story.

 

Ch. 4

 

Time passed slowly while trapped within the walls of the castle, and the pale young human watched absently as the prospect of his freedom drifted further from his grasp. The longer he remained on his knees scrubbing floors and dusting decade-old furniture, the harder it would be to adjust to a life without a master if he ever found himself in such a position.

 

Though, no matter how many sneers he was forced to endure and the amount of hours he lay in bed with sore and stiff muscles, deep in his heart Ryou was somewhat thankful for this reprieve from life outside. He may have been doing the work of a slave, but here, under the title of servant, he was kept fed, clean, and protected from the dangers of the wild. The threat of demons and their pets ripping him apart for food or just mere entertainment no longer resided at the forefront of his mind, but now only took up residence in his late-night reflections.

 

Malik, too, was doing well under the circumstances. His health improved to the point where he was able to move about without aid, and, like Ryou, had gained multiple pounds now that he had access to three meals a day. It also didn't come as a surprise to the other boy when the blonde began building a muscular physique and formed a new tendency to develop an attitude with his superiors. This defiance had quickly been restrained by his fellow human's quiet reproaches and constant surveillance of his behavior, for Ryou feared what trouble Malik would get himself into if he acted on his revulsion of the situation.

 

Ryou hated having to coerce his friend to submit and follow commands, but he shuddered to think of the alternative. It was hard enough to accept having Malik torn from him and taken to another area of the country, he didn't wish to take on the added worry of the other being executed for treason.

 

At the moment, though, he refused to allow himself to linger on such dreary thoughts, and continued his walk with Malik to fulfill their cleaning duties. The two's sandal-clad feet slapped softly against the stone floor leading from the servant quarters as they went, making their way slowly to the stairs leading to the upper floors. Their voices echoed off the walls as they spoke to one another about minor events, too worried about being overheard to talk about anything of importance.

 

Ryou adjusted his black tunic, shifting the material over his shoulders as it began to droop. “This thing is a size or two too big for me.” He complained, glaring at Malik as the other boy chuckled.

 

“Maybe if you'd eat a little more you'd grow into it.” The blonde said, poking his friend in the ribs and pulling back his hand when Ryou moved to slap it away. “It's true, even though we have access to food now, you only eat about half of what I do.”

 

“That's because I'm not a glutton and I only eat until I feel full.” The smaller boy replied, folding his arms and ignoring the bucket in his grasp as it swung and bumped into his stomach at the movement, the water within it splashing against the sides. “I think I look fine, definitely an improvement from my life back in the prison.”

 

“Yes, that's true.” Malik was silent for a moment as he picked at his own tunic, noting how the silver material bunched near his waist thanks to the crudely tied soot-colored belt. “We both are doing much better now that we're here in this castle, I have to admit. I still don't appreciate being kept as a slave, however.” He ended with a growl, violet eyes turning to the ground and an angry scowl forming on his lips as his arms dropped back to his sides.

 

“It's really not that bad.” Ryou soothed, running his hand down his friend's sleeve. “Ba - I mean, the vampire master doesn't bother us unless he needs a specific type of work done for him, and the other slaves don't want much to do with us, either. So it's peaceful, at least.”

 

“What about the vampire's brother?” the older boy's voice dropped. “My future master. How do you think he treats his subordinates, especially one who is given as a gift?”

 

Ryou winced at the words and his steps faltered. Malik was right, what about Bakura's brother? Would he be kinder toward the blonde? Cruel? What if he was just uncaring, like the white-haired vampire? There were so many questions concerning the tanned boy's fate, and they would not be answered until the day the other vampire master visited the castle and they were given the opportunity to see his manner for themselves.

 

Malik noticed his companions pause, and bit his tongue, furious with himself. “Look, forget what I said. I'm sorry I brought it up.”

 

“No, we can't push it to the back of our minds and pretend it's not going to happen.” Ryou murmured, a deeply rooted sadness beginning to fester in the pit of his stomach. “This other vampire will be among us soon, and we need to have prepared ourselves beforehand for the hurt that is to follow his arrival.”

 

The elder human looked away, giving Ryou a moment of privacy as the boy wiped away the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. When Malik turned back, his friend's cheeks remained dry.

 

“Don't worry, Ryou. Somehow, I'll figure out a way for us to see each other. It may not be every day, or even every week, but as long as you, my one true friend, aren't completely taken from me, I'll be able to endure any amount of shame and ridicule at the hands of my master.” He stopped at the foot of the rocky stairs and embraced the other, giving him a gentle squeeze before releasing him once more. “Now come on, let's get the day's work finished so we can rest.”

 

Ryou nodded, biting his lip to keep it from trembling. He trailed behind Malik as they ascended the staircase, a small light up ahead indicating they were close to the first floor of the castle. This was where their labor was to start, and from here they would move on to the second and third levels, cleaning the rooms indicated to them earlier by Otogi. It didn't bother Ryou that they were given many more tasks than the other slaves - on the contrary, he was happy to have something he could throw his mind and body into and gave him the opportunity to forget his troubles. Any activity that brought him reprieve from his grief was time well spent.

 

Noticing Malik was far ahead of him now, Ryou hurried to catch up, bucket clanking noisily as he ran. Side by side, they continued through the halls, taking care to be as silent as possible. Slinking through the shadows, they came upon the first room, a sitting room, and both sighed as they took in the sight of new dust and grime which had gathered over the previous day.

 

“Honestly, how is it that all this dirt keeps coming back, no matter how often we clean?” Malik asked, snatching a brush from the bucket and dropping to his knees, water sloshing onto the floor as he moved. “Every day we scrub, polish, and dust until all of our assigned rooms are spotless, then the next night we come to clean and it looks as if nothing has been done.”

 

“Yes, this castle is strange.” Ryou agreed, placing the bucket on the stone floor and well away from the finely sewn rugs lying nearby. Removing a cloth from an inner pocket of his tunic, he padded over to the mantel above the unlit fireplace and set to work, wiping away the grime from the darkly stained wood. “Perhaps this is just a normal occurrence in a vampire's lair. The air can begin to smell decrepit at times, and the atmosphere is almost stifling when you first enter a room that has been overlooked for a day or two. I know this may sound foolish, but I believe this building is decaying under our feet.”

 

“From what I've seen in just these past few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if you were right.” The blonde muttered, throwing himself into his task of washing the floors. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he scraped away a rather tough stain, fingertips turning white from the effort. “Damn floors.” He growled, glaring at the snicker from his friend across the room. “Would you want to switch places with me, Ryou? I'm sure dusting couldn't possibly compare with the elation cleaning floors brings you.”

 

Ryou shook his head, still laughing. “No thanks, Malik. I wouldn't want to part you with such an entertaining chore.”

 

“Jerk.” Malik huffed, releasing the brush and sitting back to rest. “You're lucky I like you so much or else I wouldn't volunteer to do all these grueling jobs.”

 

“I know. Thank you, Malik. I appreciate your compassion.” Ryou offered him a sweet smile, then turned and moved onto one of the exquisitely tailored chairs, clearing away the layer of dust that had accumulated over the course of the day.

 

A silence fell over the two, the only sound in the room being the gentle swishing of the pale human's rag as it swiped over the surface of the leather chairs and Malik's deep, even breathing. The tan boy exhaled loudly, then dried his hands on his tunic and kneaded his muscles, shifting uncomfortably on the rough stone floor. His eyes wandered once again to Ryou, who had paused and was now standing with his head cocked to the side and his gaze locked on the open door behind Malik.

 

“What is it?” the elder asked, lips clamping shut when his companion held up a hand and leaned forward, obviously listening intently to something. Malik blinked, then he, too, perked his ears, trying to discover what had Ryou acting so strangely. He frowned after a moment when he recognized the thud of boots in the hallway coming toward them.

 

`Who?' the blonde thought, body tensing at the prospect of a threat approaching. `Is it just a guard passing by or something more?' He swallowed and jumped to his feet as a male demon in armour appeared in the doorway, sword in hand.

 

The guard halted and upon seeing the two humans take a defensive step back, re-sheathed his weapon and placed his hands on the frame of the door. “Don't cower from me, humans, I was not sent to take your lives.” At their uneasy glances toward one another, he continued. “The master has sent me to collect you. It seems he has thought up a decent use for you, after all. Now come, I have much more to do and you are holding me up.” Arms falling back to his sides, he left, closely followed by the two young servants.

 

The three walked through the winding halls, Malik and Ryou staying a safe distance behind their demon consort. They passed suits of ancient armour, rooms sealed off from peering eyes, and stairwells leading to the top and basement floors of the castle. While the white-haired boy wrung his hands warily during the trip, the blonde curled his into fists, arms shaking and knuckles whitening from the force. He didn't trust this demon or their new master, and until he was physically hauled away from Ryou and his current home, he would protect himself and the other boy from harm.

 

They had traveled to the other end of the castle by the time the demon stopped outside of a dark and heavy looking oak door, the sudden change in pace causing the two humans to almost bump into the creature's back. The boys peered curiously as the guard knocked loudly, waiting patiently to be given permission to enter. Both Malik and Ryou stiffened when the muffled voice of the vampire master, Bakura, reached their ears, his irritated tone sending their hearts racing. The guard gripped the knob and opened the door, stepping into the room beyond and motioning for the others to enter as well.

 

Huddling close together (Ryou out of fear and Malik out of the desire to keep his friend safe), the boys made their way past several chairs and other pieces of furniture and over to a window on the other side of the room where their current master stood, silhouetted by the moonlight flowing in through the glass. The vampire came forward to meet them, waving away the guard irritably. “I merely wanted to see the pale human, not the blonde. Why have you brought both?”

 

The male demon bowed low. “Forgive me, master. They were together when I found them, so I allowed the blonde to come, too. I am sorry for going against your wishes.”

 

Bakura growled. “Do not do it again. Now leave, I tire of your presence.” He watched the guard leave and once the door shut with a click, hiding them from view, the vampire glared at the humans. “You,” he pointed to Malik and a snarl fell from his lips, “step back. You are not to be a part of this conversation.”

 

The blonde narrowed his eyes a fraction, but did as he was told, slinking to one of the corners of the room and dropping down to sit on the hard floor. He watched his friend and their master quietly, taking in each movement and attempting to guess what was going on by Ryou's reactions. The other boy didn't look as though he was being threatened, so Malik relaxed somewhat and let his mind wander.

 

“Servant, I have ordered you here to tell you of a job I have thought you able to do.” Bakura began once he was sure the elder human wasn't within earshot. “I have seen you making much progress these last few weeks, and I am pleased to find you are no longer completely distasteful to the eye.” He grinned wickedly at the blush of shame coloring the smaller boy's cheeks at his comment and persisted. “Since you are no longer a disgrace to your race, I've decided to allow you the position of Keeper.”

 

“Keeper, master?” Ryou asked, unsure of what the vampire was referring to. What would he be keeper of, exactly?

 

“Yes, Keeper. You will be in charge of the welfare of someone quite important to the future of this castle and to the progression of my family name. I expect nothing less than the highest levels of proper care from you, and anything lower will be a disappointment.” The vampire came closer, nose only a few inches from Ryou's. “Believe me, human, you do not want to disappoint me.”

 

Ryou shrunk back, nodding his head nervously. “Yes, master. I will do as you say.”

 

“Good.” Bakura stepped back and motioned for the boys to follow him as he walked past the pale human and toward the door. Throwing it open, he left the room with the smaller males at his heels. “I will show you to your charge's room, where you will be spending the majority of your time.” he said, head still facing forward. “Your blonde friend, of course, will not be joining you. He is to remain in his current status as a lower servant.” Glancing back at Malik, the vampire narrowed his eyes. “Do I make myself clear?”

 

The white-haired human discreetly signaled to his friend, continuously nodding his head and lowering his eyes to the floor submissively. He desperately hoped the other understood his message and did as he told him. Ryou's heart leaped to his throat when Malik set his jaw, but a moment later his nerves settled as the tan boy mimicked his earlier actions.

 

Bakura snorted, but accepted the answer, returning his attention to his path. He was trailed by the two humans until they reached another flight of stairs leading to the slave housing, where he held out a hand to indicate he wished them to stop. The vampire crossed his arms before him as he kept his back to the boys, listening to their bare feet slap against the floor tiles as they halted. When only their breathing could be heard, he turned to address the taller human.

 

“Go to Otogi and tell him I have assigned the pale human servant to complete a specific task and to not expect the boy downstairs until early next morning. If he has any questions, he may come to me. Now, leave us.”

 

Biting his lip, Malik slinked away toward the servant area, eager to find Otogi and inform him as to what was going on. He didn't like the idea of Ryou being assigned a unique post - one which led him far from the blonde's watchful eye - so he ordered himself to be more alert to any signs of stress or fear from his young friend. `At least until I'm given to the other vampire lord, that is.' His face fell at the thought, and he moved on, mood taking a turn for the worst.

 

Back upstairs, Ryou was watching his master and shifting nervously. He didn't want to be alone with the other male, and he was also frightened as to who his `charge' would be. He had taken care of people before, yes, but those had been friends and family of his, not a complete stranger. Not to mention whoever they were going to meet was considered important to his master, so if something were to go wrong, all blame (and punishments) would be transferred to him. The boy jumped when Bakura's terrifying gaze met his and the vampire raised his lip in disgust.

 

“Stop quivering like a coward and come with me.” Bakura growled, continuing on his way.

 

“Yes, master.” Ryou whispered, head lowered as he followed obediently.

 

Now just the two of them, they trudged onward through a few more extravagant hallways until finally Bakura halted outside of a beautifully decorated mahogany door, it's intricate designs catching Ryou's attention and drawing him closer in fascination. The vampire reached for the knob and entered the room, immediately being surrounded by a din of childish shouts and cries. The human behind him covered his ears, desperately trying to expel the horrid sounds. What on earth was going on?

 

“This,” his master said, raising his voice to be heard over the racket, “is your new charge.” He waved toward a young toddler near the center of the room who was currently in the middle of a tantrum and apparently the source of all the noise. “Meet my heir, Yukio.”

 

Ryou stared incredulously. This boy was being placed in his care? His eyes widened as the child - who did look remarkably like Bakura, with the exception of his icy blue hair - hurled a rather heavy looking object at the head of a frantic female demon who was dressed in the normal garb of a servant. `She must be his current caretaker.'

 

The boy didn't even acknowledge his father and the human in the room, as he was much too intent on his abuse of the woman a few feet away. More toys flew through the air, propelled with surprising force from such a young child, and each item was accompanied with a loud snarl or hiss from the little boy. Whatever had been done before Ryou and his master had entered the room had obviously upset him.

 

“Master!” the female demon gasped, having finally taken notice of the new arrivals and raced to bow before the vampire lord. “I did not realize you would be coming here!” She grimaced as another projectile hit her squarely in the back, but she did not move from her position at her master's feet.

 

“Yes, I did not inform you of my planned arrival today, though I'm sure you will be happy with what I am about to reveal to you.” He motioned for the woman to stand, which she did, a confused expression on her face. “This boy,” he waved in Ryou's direction, “will be replacing you as Yukio's guardian. You are to leave at once and see Otogi so you may be reassigned to another job.”

 

The woman stood slack-jawed and completely stunned for a moment, then bowed once and left the room, practically running by Ryou in her eagerness to leave. To be honest, the human couldn't blame her. He had only been in the child's company for a minute or two and already he wanted to pull out his hair in frustration. With the prospect of caring for this boy for the rest of his time in the castle looming in his mind, he came to the conclusion that he would much rather be scrubbing floors with Malik.

 

“Well then, I'll leave you to your work.” Ryou started at his master's words, flashing him a horrified look. The man ignored him, and, after shooting his now sullen son a quick glance, left the servant and the boy alone.

 

“Um.” Ryou said, remaining as far from the vampire child as possible. “Hello, there.” He squeaked when the boy, Yukio, climbed to his feet and came up to him, bypassing a queen sized bed and its deep red awning, two lovely embroidered chairs, and a finely carved wooden toy chest and dresser on the way. He came to a stop a meter from his new caretaker, and tilted his head, puffing out his small chest defiantly.

 

“My name is Yukio.” He blurted in his childish voice, hands coming to rest on his hips. “I'm the heir to my father's castle, so I'm in charge when he's not around. You have to listen to what I say and do what I tell you to. If you don't, I'll tell father you're being bad and he'll punish you. Okay?”

 

Taken aback by the admonition, Ryou stared transfixed. Mentally shaking his head, he took control of himself once more and knit his brows as the child's words sank in. This boy had apparently gotten his way for quite some time now, seeing as how he believed he made the rules and everyone must abide by them. It was going to be hard dealing with Yukio in a kind and caring manner, he was sure of it. For now, he would play along with the boy, and hopefully, through gentle persuasion and decent role modeling on Ryou's part, he would change in his ways.

 

“Alright, I understand.” The white-haired teen answered, falling to his knees in a polite manner. “My name is Ryou, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Yukio.”

 

“Ryou?” Yukio raised his lip, the resemblance between him and his father uncanny. “That's a stupid name. That demon had a dumb name, too. I guess all slaves are boring like that.”

 

“Yes, I suppose.” Ryou said, trying to keep calm. “If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?”

 

The young vampire crossed his arms and turned his back to Ryou, returning to his forgotten toys and flopping down to the floor with a thud. At first, Ryou thought his question was to go unanswered, but then the boy spoke. “I'm twenty-two years old, servant.”

 

“Twenty-two?” The human gaped, wondering if Yukio was just fooling with him. The boy, however, seemed completely serious as he lost interest in his new companion and went back to playing roughly with an assortment of blocks and wooden figures. `Twenty-two years old? He doesn't look a day over four!' Ryou thought, tapping his chin thoughtfully. `Though, now that I think about it, vampires are legendary creatures who are known to live many hundreds of years. Perhaps it takes them longer to grow than a human would. In that respect, his age makes sense.'

 

Shrugging, he sat on the floor across from the boy, making sure to stay well out of range of his throwing arm. `It would probably be best to not tell him my own age. His ego is already inflated enough, he doesn't need to know he's older than his concierge.'

 

“Hey, servant.” Yukio yelled suddenly, tossing a figurine in Ryou's direction. “Go get me something to eat, I'm hungry.”

 

“You're hungry? Do you want me to find you some blood?” Where was he going to get blood? He surely wasn't expected to cut himself up in order to provide his master's heir with sustenance. Was he?

 

“It doesn't have to be blood. Stupid servant, don't you know that legend about vampires only eating blood is only half right? We can eat other things, so go get me something different.”

 

Sighing, Ryou clambered up and stretched his back. He might as well stick with his earlier plan and do as the boy said. “Okay, I'll get you something to eat.” He conceded. “Though, I can't leave you here while I'm gone, it's too dangerous. Your father needs you to stay safe, and he'd be angry with me if I left you all alone. So, why don't you come with me? If you do, then you can pick out something you'd like to eat instead of me picking something for you.” Ryou crossed his fingers behind his back as he finished his statement, hoping the child would comply. While it was a good point that he would get into trouble for leaving Yukio alone, he also didn't know where the kitchen was located.

 

Eying the human critically, the toddler nodded, agreeing to go with the older boy. “Fine. I don't trust you to pick out something good, anyway.” Abandoning his playthings once more, Yukio got up and proceeded to leave, not caring that Ryou was far behind him.

 

`Now I understand why that demon was in such a hurry to leave.' Ryou thought, mumbling under his breath, as he ran after the boy, wondering what exactly he had done to deserve such a dreadful task.

 

TBC

 

Finally. Stupid chapter. :K

 

I'm not sure if some people are confused by this, but this story takes place during the night hours. Since Bakura is a vampire, all the activity in the castle takes place at night while the daylight hours are for sleeping. So, Ryou and Malik are forever to remain in the darkness.

 

Yes, Bakura has an heir. He's a little bastard, isn't he? -snuggles him- Some of you may not like the idea of Bakura having a son, but believe me, this kid is going to be essential to Ryou and his master's relationship. So, deal with him. xD

 

If you're wondering where Yukio's mamma went, you'll find out later.

 

Oh, and Marik will show up soon, too, don't worry.

 

Also, just want to restate this so no one gets confuzzled from now on: In this story, vampires don't just drink blood. Yes, I know, I'm going against all the other vampire stories (that I know of), but it works better for this fic if they aren't just limited to guzzling blood.

 

Also again, I AM working going to post Yami/Yugi and Seto/Jou lemon interludes for Opal soon. Give me a few days. :p

 

Did you like it? Do you still wuffle me? Then review, please!