Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of a Dragon ❯ End of a Line ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Dragonheart; they belong to their respective owners. I do own parts of the plot.

Warnings: Blood, violence, OC death.

Chapter Two: End of a Line

The kingdom was torn asunder at the end of the day;
Two frantic lovers and a king far away.

The sun had barely risen in the sky as the two dragons soared over the land. Atem looked down at the ground speeding by beneath them, already missing the thermals that would appear later in the day. It would be easier to fly then, just floating from thermal to thermal instead of flapping the entire time. He glanced up at where Kisara flew in front of him, breaking suddenly when she went into a dive. He followed after her, circling as the white dragon settled herself on the ground.

Atem landed gracefully, turning his head to look at his friend as she closed her eyes. At his worried trill, Kisara opened one eye and smiled at him. “Don't worry, Atem. Everything will be alright.”

She was suddenly surrounded by blazing white light, Atem stumbling back as he swept a wing in front of him to block the light from his eyes; even then the light leaked through. He whimpered, ducking his head and gritting his teeth. He wanted to tell her to stop, to stay as a dragon so he wouldn't be alone, stuck in a world where he was greeted with a title that no one knew the meaning to. But he held his tongue, because it would make Kisara happy.

Anything to make Kisara happy.

He moved the wing away from his face at the soft sigh. Atem blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear the spots from them as he took a step forward, lowering his head to look at the human female that lay crumpled on the ground. Fearfully, he nudged her back, pulling away as Kisara moaned. Atem dropped to the ground, curling around Kisara's naked form and opening a wing so she was shielded from the early morning chill. After carefully looking for any danger to them, Atem ducked his head under his wing, surprised when cheerful blue eyes blinked back up at him. A pale hand reached up to pet his muzzle, the motion earning a giggle from the human.

“Hello, Atem.”

“Are you alright?”

The human female laughed again, hugging his nose. Atem went still in confusion, not used to these signs of affection. His crimson eyes widened as Kisara planted a kiss on the end of his nose before pulling back and sitting cross-legged on the ground. “I've never been better. Now,” she stood up and brushed herself off, tucking her white hair behind her ears, “we need to get me to a village and probably some clothes.”

Atem folded his wing back, allowing Kisara to move from the shelter he had made. The woman walked away for a few steps, Atem gloomily watching her go from his place on the ground. Kisara turned around, glaring at him as he stared mournfully after her. “What if he doesn't love you, Kisara? What then? You said yourself that you might not be able to change back?”

“Atem.” She motioned for him to move forward, the black and red dragon standing up and shuffling over, dropping his head to look at her. She reached up to place a hand on his muzzle. “Then I will figure something else out. This decision feels right, so stop worrying.”

Atem turned his eyes away, earning a sigh from the woman and a light pat on his muzzle. Kisara removed her hand from him and began to walk away again, wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered. Atem lingered behind for a moment more before giving a long sigh and trailing after her. He was aware he was dragging his feet, trying to keep to a very slow pace on purpose and that it wasn't a dignified course of action for one of his status, whatever it was.

“Come on, Atem. He will be riding through the villages in a little while. I don't want to miss him!”

“Of course not.” Atem made sure to mumble the words, wincing when Kisara shot him an angry glare, the expression not because she had heard what he had said, but probably because she guessed. He gave her an apologetic look before picking up his pace, relaxing when his friend rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Shouldn't you be in bed, my lord?” Gozaburo looked up at the words, glaring at Crump as the squat knight made his way down into the great hall. Gozaburo set down his cup, leaning over the table to stare at his knight. Crump walked up to the table, looking around the deserted hall. “You should be recovering from that injury.

“I will be fine.” Gozaburo waved off the concern, folding is hands to stare at the knight. “There is too much to do before I can waste my time lying about. I assume that my nephew will be taking the throne.”

Crump nodded slowly, Gozaburo turning his attention back to the table. “Then we will have to do something to change that.” He stood up, ignoring the smothered protest that the man made. “There is much to do today. Gather the knights; we are going to look over my people.”

The knight gave a quick bow and strolled out of the room. Gozaburo lifted his cup, wincing as the move stretched the scar on his chest. He rubbed the area with a wince, feeling his heart throb in pain. He couldn't quite remember what happened after his injury, just pain and the memory of a blonde young man and a red headed girl. What happened between then and now was not important, at this moment at least. Gozaburo put his cup back on the table before walking out of the castle and heading for the stables. Their days in this castle were numbered if he had anything to say about it.

Mentally he reminded himself to take care of the queen when he returned from his other tasks.

Yugi sat in his room, staring out the one window with his chin propped up on his knees. The finger of one hand traced patterns in the trousers that he wore, his eyes distant as he looked over the kingdom that was his. Had been his since his father's death yesterday evening. He whimpered at the thought, ducking his head so his forehead resting against his knees. Tears ran from his eyes, his teeth gritted so no sound would come out.

He had to be strong, for his mother and for the kingdom. He would prove to them he was not weak, that he was able to take care of himself. That he could live despite the stress that would be placed on him. He couldn't be seen crying, it would upset his mother. And he could tell that she was already upset over the death of his father and the threats that Gozaburo's knights had made.

Although he looked complete naïve, Yugi was anything but. His small size, while annoying, came in handy for sneaking around the castle. And he had heard things; the truth about what people thought about him and his mother. They called his mother a witch, a cold hearted woman from the south. They were all afraid that she would curse them if they stepped out of line.

He, apparently, was no better. He was the son of a beloved king and a witch. The people didn't believe that their king could have ever loved his queen, putting it down to enchantment. And Yugi, with his large eyes and pale skin, was very abnormal. Abnormal enough to cause worry among the people. What if he could command the strange magic his mother could? What if he drove them all to ruin?

Yugi sat up suddenly at the sound of his door opening, hastily wiping the tears from his eyes. He put on a false smile as he watched Seto enter the room, noting the worry on his cousin's face. Seto would be able to see through the mask he put on, but his cousin would never call him on it. His cousin looked away, letting Yugi finish drying his face and move from the window. “Mahad asked if you felt like riding out today.”

Yugi glanced at the sling that Seto had on his right arm, feeling sorry for his cousin. Seto would always join them for their morning rides, but he couldn't now. The brunette followed his gaze, scowling at the brown cloth that was supporting his broken arm. He shifted, moving the arm from Yugi's line of sight. “I'm going no matter what the queen says. You need protection after that peasant uprising yesterday.”

“You really think that they would try and kill me?” For all he had heard, he thought that the people were too afraid to move against him. He didn't like that they feared him, but he was willing to accept it over the populace trying to kill him.

Seto rolled his eyes and walked out of the room, waiting for Yugi to finish pulling on his boots before following him down the cramped passages of the castle. “I don't know, but yesterday was very strange. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks.”

Yugi quietly followed his cousin out to the stables, smiling as he looked over the horses. A high whinny drew him to his own horse's stall, reaching up to stroke the soft muzzle before letting himself into the stall, a bridle in hand. The palomino dropped its head to allow the small teen to put the bridle on, the saddle already waiting on the horse's back.

Yugi let his horse out into the yard, waving at Mahad. The knight nodded back at the teen, already seated on his own horse. “Good morning, my king.”

Yugi blushed at the title, not sure how he felt about it. To him, the title belonged to his father, he was just the prince. He had never aspired to be anything more. He lowered his eyes and swung up onto his horse. He shifted into a comfortable position as Seto walked his horse out, a scowl on his face. His own problems forgotten, Yugi questioned his cousin as soon as the brunette was mounted. “Seto?”

“My father's horse is missing, as well as most of his knights'.” Yugi shifted uneasily, quickly soothing the horse when it picked up on his nervousness. He remembered what his uncle had looked like when he had been dragged in and expected himto be dead by morning, well used to the failures of his world. After all, they had not been able to save Mokuba, his aunt and all the other children that his mother had tried to have. But this confused him because Yugi knew what death looked like. It meant that his mother had interfered in some way.

He shook his worries off. He didn't want to think about that, he wanted to forget everything for a little while, just be Yugi before he was forced to be the king. He urged his horse forward, Mahad right beside him as they trotted toward the gate. Yugi really wanted to gallop, but forced himself to stay at a pace that Seto could stand. As much as he wanted to get away, he couldn't leave Seto behind because the brunette needed him; no matter how much he acted like it was otherwise. Yugi sighed and directed his mount towards the village.

He looked at Mahad as the knight made a strangled noise. Yugi turned his eyes away until the knight was ready to speak again. “Is it wise to go this way, my king?”

“I am not afraid of my people, Mahad; and I have to show them that.” Yugi hated the formalities that they had slipped into. He stared straight ahead, paying little attention to the scenery as he let himself fall deeper into his misery. He didn't want this! He just wanted things to continue on as they were.

Seto rode up beside him, wincing as a sudden move from his horse jarred his broken arm. Yugi looked over at his cousin, considering the taller brunette carefully before looking back at Mahad. “We'll just go to the nearest village and talk to them before heading back. I just don't have that much time anymore.”

Yugi spotted a brief look of relief on Seto's face, showing him that he had made the right decision. It would not be fair to his cousin to keep running. He gently pulled his horse toward the path that led to the village, standing up in the stirrups to see over the slight rise. He wanted to know if there would be any trouble, not wanting to bring his injured cousin into a fight. When something caught his eye, Yugi urged his horse up the rise, hauling the animal to a stop as he watched the scene unfold below them.

Knights on horseback herded the villagers, sometimes leaning over to run a sword through the slower ones. Bodies sprawled out over the ground, blood running over the earth and turning the dust into mud. Women and children were kept pressed on the wall of one of the huts as the men were moved across the bridge that spanned the small stream.

Screams attracted his attention to the small red headed girl that was being dragged away from her family, a young man reaching out for his sister and shouting for her as the knight gripped her by her long red hair and carried her over to Gozaburo.

The man sat calmly on his horse on the other side of the stream, leaning against the pommel of his saddle as the struggling girl was brought before him. He smirked at the girl, the expression making Yugi shiver from his vantage point on the other end of the small village. Gozaburo motioned at the girl as he spoke, voice carrying easily. “I remember you. It was your fault, after all. I could never forget your face, girl. Think of this as a punishment for your actions.”

The girl let out a whimper as the knights moved closer to her, twitching in fear as Gozaburo motioned to the fire that burned close to him. “Burn the insolence out of her eyes.”

“Serenity!” The young man jerked forward, stumbling backwards in the next second as a knight carelessly backhanded him into the group of men.

Yugi couldn't stand it anymore, kicking his horse forward with Mahad following closely behind him. He was partially away of Seto following them before wheeling his horse to the side to stand between the knights and the women and children of the village. Yugi kept his palomino horse at a gallop until he reached the bridge, pulling his mount to a stop. “What are you doing?!”

Gozaburo looked back at him, surprise on his face for a split second before it was gone. “Aren't you here for the same reason? I merely want to punish these ingrates for killing our beloved king for no rational reason.”

“I want you to leave this village.” Yugi stared at his uncle, feeling anger for the first time in his life, a deep all consuming anger. “Now!”

Gozaburo glared at him, Yugi feeling the scales of power tip away from him as the older man motioned for the knights to carry on with their business. Yugi screamed in rage and urged his horse forward, galloping for where they held the girl. He reached out for her, gasping as something hit the back of his head, lacking the proper force to knock him out. Instead, it merely threw him from his saddle, making him hit the ground hard. Yugi yelped at the impact, curling into a ball so he would roll upon impact. He lay on the ground for a while, dazed until the sounds of pained screams interrupted him. Yugi groaned and rolled up to rest his weight on one elbow, and wished that he hadn't moved.

The red headed girl was being held down while a metal point, red hot from the fire, was being slowly forced into her eye. Yugi clamped a hand over his mouth, shivering as the screaming continued. These men would know when to stop, not allowing her to die. The only hope she had now was in unconsciousness, and that would not come for a while.

Yugi clambered to his feet, glaring at Gozaburo as the screaming continued behind him. The older man laughed, only stopping when Yugi took a threatening step forward, one hand going to the sword that hung around his waist. “You had no right to do that.”

“I have every right. I am the king.”

“Over my dead body.” Yugi growled the words out, not caring that he was about to kill a member of his own family. He had been pushed beyond that point now. His sword was being drawn from its scabbard, stopping suddenly as Gozaburo spoke.

“As you wish.” He motioned for some knights to leave their duties, pointing at the small teen that was threatening him from the ground. “Kill him.”

They hesitated, giving Mahad enough time to send his horse between Yugi and the slow moving knights. Yugi looked up into his mentor's face, scared at the fear that the knight displayed openly. Mahad had never been anything but calm in all the time that Yugi had known him. He shook himself out of his daze as Mahad drew his own sword. “Run, Yugi.”

“But the people-”

“They will be alright. Just get yourself to safety.” Yugi turned around helplessly; finding himself staring at the red headed girl as she finally slumped, succumbing to unconsciousness. He turned to look at her brother, eyes going wide at the hatred that was on the young man's face. He began to back away, returning his sword to his scabbard before groping for the reins of his own horse. Mahad turned around to look at him one more time. “Run!”

Yugi hauled himself onto his horse, kicking the palomino roughly and clinging to the whipping white mane as he urged the horse into a gallop. He glanced over his shoulder at the knights, quickly turning away as Mahad rushed forward to meet their charge. The teen turned his attention to the road in front of him, sending his horse toward the dense forest. He would find a spot where Mahad could find him and no one else. Somewhere that only the knight knew of, or even thought of searching for him. Yugi whimpered and ducked his head, feeling the needles of a pine tree brush over his back. He looked up through his swinging blonde bangs, staying crouched over his horse's neck.

There was the one place that Mahad could get to; he remembered it from his youth. He remembered Mahad escorting him through the forest on his pony before pulling the young prince from the saddle and placing Yugi in front of him. The ride to the waterfall had scared Yugi, so much that he had never tried it on his own ever again, the trail pressed against the side of a rise, one side falling away into the forested slope below. Most people did not travel on it, preferring to avoid it to remain in the valley between the ring of hills.

Yugi turned his horse again, swallowing as he saw the rock that marked the beginning of the trail, slowing his horse as they stepped out from the forest. He pulled the palomino to a walk, his hands trembling on the reins as he looked at the trail. Yugi lasted the first few strides on the narrow trail before he pulled his horse to a stop with a whimper, closing his eyes for a minute

He had to do this now, or he would get caught by those men. Yugi ran a shaking hand over his eyes before urging his horse on, shivering as the trail narrowed. His horse had barely enough room to make it up, stones skittering away underneath its hooves. Yugi buried his hands in the horse's mane, shivering increasing the further they went up the trail. Despite his best efforts, he kept looking over the drop off, breathing speeding up until he was nearly hyperventilating.

A snort from his horse drew him out of his terror for a minute, the horse struggling as the trail became steeper as it climbed the edge of the ridge and neared the top. Even from here, Yugi could hear the faint rumble of the waterfall although it was still hidden in the trees.

Shakily, Yugi pushed his horse into a trot, wincing as the clatter of stones as they slipped down the side of the trail. He yelped as his mount lunged into a canter, body automatically settling into the rocking motion as the palomino steed clambered up the last few feet of the trail. Yugi spun the horse around, sending it into the trees again. He didn't know how close the knights were to him, but he hoped that they wouldn't attempt to follow him up the trail.

Yugi pressed himself against his horse's neck, wincing as tree branches brushed over his back. He looked up from the whipping white mane to see the forest thinning out, the shadows that surrounded him thinning out to reveal boulders and a clear sky as the river cut through this part of the forest. He sat up as his horse tackled the slight slope, guiding the animal around the large rocks and to the river.

He halted at the edge of the river, looking at the crystal clear water with a shiver and biting his lower lip. He could cross the river now, putting more distance between him and his pursuers. It would also give him the advantage; he would be able to see his pursuers from the other side of the river. Yugi gave the thunderous waterfall one look before urging his horse into the water.

The palomino snorted and walked across the river, frigid water splashing up onto Yugi as he crossed. He shivered, wishing that he had brought his cloak with him. He had thought that this ride would only be a short one, but he would have to contend with the weather now. Yugi glanced up at the sky, purple eyes widening as he spotted low, dark clouds coming in; a warning that rain was coming. Something that he was not prepared to handle. Yugi ducked his head, letting his shoulders slump forward as the shivers got worse.

He looked up as his horse scrambled up the bank, letting the palomino walk into the forest before turning the horse around. Yugi dismounted, slipping from the horse to stand by its shoulder. He leaned back against the horse, letting the body heat from the animal sink into his body. Now all he had to do was wait. Mahad would come for him soon enough. If his pursuers had actually followed him here, then he could keep running, heading over this hill and into the world, a world that he had never really seen.

Yugi jumped as his horse snorted, only then realizing that his eyes had been drooping from exhaustion. He rubbed a hand over his face, the first sobs escaping him as he thought over the day. That poor girl. And he hadn't even been able to stop it. What kind of king was he?

He turned, tucking his head into his horse's mane as he began to cry, the images of the girl and the sound of her screams not leaving his head.

Mahad blocked another thrust to his head, spurring his horse away from the last attacker as he crossed the bridge, meeting up with Seto on the other side. The knight looked at Gozaburo with hatred, his eyes flicking up to stare after Yugi as the small teen disappeared into the trees. The knight gave a short sigh of relief before backing his horse up. “You have committed treason, Gozaburo.”

The man shrugged, earning a growl from the knight. “I am merely securing my own line. We all know that Yugi is too weak for anything. I am merely saving the kingdom more heartache.”

Mahad almost charged forward, but was restrained as Seto placed a hand on his arm. The knight looked back at Seto, not surprised that the usually icy blue eyes were dark with anger. The young man moved his horse forward, staring at his father. Seto opened his mouth to say something, shaking his head before turning to look over at Mahad. “Just find Yugi and figure out a way to stop my father. Keep the king safe no matter what.”

The knight gave a sharp nod, understanding what Seto was doing. Any more fighting would just endanger the peasants, which Yugi wouldn't want. He muttered a curse under his breath before turning his horse away from the village and galloping away. He heard Seto following him, panting as he tried to work around the pain in his arm. “We need to get back to the castle and warn the queen.”

“Seto.” The young man nodded, wincing before urging his horse into a faster gallop, heading back to the castle. Mahad turned his own horse toward the forest, intending to follow Yugi. He pulled his horse to a halt when he saw the young blonde moved from the group, snatching a sword from one of the knights and running up to Gozaburo, tossing it awkwardly as the knights tried to stop him.

The sword dug into Gozaburo's side, the man screaming and nearly falling off the horse. Mahad jumped as an echoing roar echoed off the hills, turning his head to look back at Gozaburo as the man pulled the sword out from his side, staring at the blade in amazement before letting it drop to the ground. He rubbed the wound, pulling his hand away with a look of surprise before leaning over toward the amazed young man.

The blonde yelped and tried to get away, stopping when a sword was held up to his neck, Lector holding the other end. The knight looked up at his master with a sickening smile. “Should I kill him?”

“No.” Gozaburo leered at the villagers, waving his hand in dismissal. “Death should be a release, not a punishment.”

The knights rounded up the villagers, taking advantage of their speechless state to start the men moving toward the quarry. Mahad remained on his horse, shocked by the sight he had seen. That should have knocked Gozaburo out of the saddle at least. If the throw had been good enough, it would have been a mortal wound. But Gozaburo had brushed it off without a problem.

Fear suddenly seized Mahad's heart as he remembered what had happened that night before. That dragon had given Gozaburo a piece of his heart, all to make sure that the king's brother would live. Mahad knew that the man had never been the most decent, but nothing would ever make Gozaburo want to kill off his family like this. The knight had never known the king's brother to behave in such a manner. All of this led to the interference of the dragon.

“Lector,” Gozaburo's voice drew Mahad's attention from his own thoughts, “you will have jurisdiction over this village for now. The others will get their just reward in the end.”

Mahad gave a frustrated growl before spinning his horse around, galloping away from the village and to the hill that Aislinn had led them up the night before. For now, Yugi was forgotten as Mahad raced for the dragon's cave. It had all started there, so he would end it there. It was a little comfort, but at least he could kill the dragon that had started all of this. Revenge, while something that he did not usually condone, would begin to soothe the anger he had. The dragon had promised that Yugi would be safe, that nothing would happen to him. He should have known better than to trust the creature, known better than to go against everything that he had been taught. It should have not been that easy to talk him out of his distrust of the dragons. They were nothing more that heartless creatures who were waiting for their next chance to torture humanity.

Mahad tightened his hands on the reins as his horse tackled the rough terrain of the hill, forcing the animal to keep running even as it tired. He steered it around the rocks, ignoring the cold rain that was beginning to fall around him, dashing it from his eyes as he spotted the dragon's cave. He pulled his horse to a stop, leaping from the animal's back before it had halted completely. As soon as he hit the ground, he pulled his sword out and rushed into the cave.

He shook his head as the sound of the dragon's trilling rose above the patter of rain, his eyes narrowing as he edged further into the cave. He felt his way down the passage, wishing that he had the foresight to bring a torch with him, trusting his memory to guide him down into the chamber. Mahad relaxed as he heard the soft lap of water underneath the song of the dragon. He stepped out confidently, sword held in front of him as he shouted into the cavern. “Come out, dragon, I know you are there. You have betrayed your vow!”

The song stopped, silence falling over the cavern as the last echoes died out. Mahad paused, waiting until he heard a soft groan from the dragon before he moved forward. He thought he saw something shift in the shadows before the deep voice of the dragon echoed around the cavern. “It was not my betrayal.”

“Liar!” Mahad growled out the word, taking another step forward. “You did not see him today. He blinded a girl for no reason. Gozaburo was never like that before, and it's all your doing!”

The dragon gave a hiss, the sound lacking the power to make Mahad fear the creature. He pointed the tip of his sword toward the shadows, glaring at where he thought the dragon was. “No matter where you fly, dragon, no matter where you hide, I will find you! I make a new vow here and now, I will not stop until you are dead by my blade, even if I have to spend the rest of my life hunting you down!”

Mahad waited for an answer, the silence grating on his nerves. “Show yourself!”

“As you wish.” Mahad dropped to the ground as he felt air rush past him. He rolled onto his back, thrusting his sword up into the air, only to miss. The knight scrambled to his feet, finally spotting the beast by the entrance to the cavern, easily picked out from the deeper shadows. He moved forward, bringing the sword back into a guard position.

“You promised that it would keep Yugi safe, and you have only put him in more danger.”

The dragon scoffed at this, his tail lashing dangerously. “As have you, knight. You have left your charge alone for longer than necessary.” Mahad stopped at the confidence that suddenly returned to the dragon's voice. “And you accuse me of breaking vows.”

He rushed the dragon with a scream of rage, but the creature was faster; scrambling up the passage and out of the mouth of the cave. The knight ceased his charge, having to pick his way around boulders in the dark. He heard his horse scream in fear as the dragon reached the surface. Mahad burst out of the cave and into the rain a moment later, sheathing his sword as he saw the dragon flying away into the rain.

The knight stomped back to his horse, swinging onto the animal before heading back for the village at a gallop. He would worry about the dragon later, after he had found Yugi. And he had all the time in the world for that. Mahad was sure that he would not be welcome back in the kingdom with Gozaburo at its head. Not even having Seto on his side would change that.

Seto leaned forward in the saddle, long having dropped the reins to rest on his horse's neck to hold onto his broken arm and grit his teeth against the pain. He should have known better than to ride out with Yugi and Mahad today. But he was glad that he had ignored his aunt's instructions. Yugi needed him today, and that was enough to justify the pain. Anything to protect the cousin that had become his little brother.

The brunette jerked forward, almost falling out of the saddle as his horse leapt over a small dip, groaning as the motion further jostled his injured arm. He tried to push the pain away; the pain was unimportant right now. What mattered was getting back to his aunt in time to tell her what had happened. He would have no power on his own, not without Yugi and it was not safe to bring his cousin into this.

Their chances for taking back the kingdom were very small at the moment. They only had three supporters of their new king, the rest of the kingdom too easily scared by Gozaburo to count. And, with Yugi in hiding until they could come up with something, there was no figure around which to rally. Even worse was that their forces would be divided; Mahad looking after Yugi and Aislinn while Seto stayed at the castle to keep watch over his father.

He gasped, all thoughts rushing from his head as his horse sidestepped at something, easily throwing him over the animal's shoulder. Seto landed on the ground, on his back luckily, and had all the air pushed out of him. He blinked slowly, watching his horse gallop away without him. The brunette sat up, wincing as his muscles protested the movement. The world around him spun, encouraging him to stay on the ground for a moment more.

Seto tried to glare as something moved in the bushes, instead ducking his head as the pain go to be too much for him. He settled for looking out of the corner of his eye at the thing moving in the undergrowth. His eyes widened as a young woman stepped from the bushes, holding a length of rough cloth around her as a makeshift dress When she spotted him, she almost let her wrap slip, giving Seto a glimpse of pale skin.

She seemed to gather herself together, rushing over to him and kneeling next to him. The woman shyly reached out to him, pausing to brush a strand of long white hair behind her ear before carefully touching his left shoulder. “Are you alright?”

Seto tried to nod, but only grunted in pain. The woman bit her lip and looked back toward the forest before turning her gaze back to him. Seto hastily looked away from her, the blue eyes looking far too old for a woman so young. They unsettled him as they intrigued him. While Seto was pondering over the contradiction, the woman seemed to come to a conclusion. “I'll help you back to the castle.”

He gave a brief nod, allowing her to help him to his feet and take some of his weight. Seto found himself limping after his horse, cursing the animal for its stupidity. His jumped as the woman put an arm around his waist, shooting her a disbelieving look. The woman merely shrugged, still looking ahead. “I would rather not fall over.”

Seto was surprised by her slightly rough manner, too used to women fawning over him. He found himself liking the way this woman was treating him, like he was no one important, before he shook the thought off. He was better than that. He was the cousin to the king. No woman had the right to treat him like he was their equal. Seto tried to draw himself upright, mentally grumbling when he couldn't move far. “Do you know who you are speaking to?”

“No.” The answer threw Seto, while the woman didn't seem too concerned.

Seto stared at the woman in shock, not used to being anonymous. He hid his shock quickly, putting on his usual mask. “I am Seto, heir to-”

“That means nothing to me.” Her words should have sounded spiteful, but she managed to sound honest, like it was the truth instead of something just to annoy him. Seto stared at her as she helped him along, only partially aware that the woman was supporting almost all his weight on her own. He swallowed nervously before he shifted so he was walking on his own.

“Where are you from?” Everyone in the kingdom knew him. This was the only reason he could think that would earn that response. He saw her shrug and reach out for him again, correcting his drift.

“Around, just not here all the time.” She hesitated for a moment, looking back over her shoulder at the forest. “I have spent some time here…mostly on my own.”

“On your own…” Seto trailed off before his thoughts ran away from him. He had no right to question the woman on her past or anything else. Her manner of speech and way of movement told him that this was a lady of breeding. But he would have met her by now, and she wouldn't lower herself to help him or wear a rough cloth instead of a dress. A contradiction in many ways, one that was drawing him in against his will. Seto shook his head, refocusing his gaze ahead so he wouldn't be pulled in by her again. He stared at the distant castle, keeping his voice at a monotone. “We'll reward you for your kindness.”

His announcement earned a chuckle from the woman. “What is the world coming to that kindness needs a reward?”

She shook her head, Seto not knowing whether to take it as a rejection or not. And nothing from her was giving him a hint. He resigned himself to her enigma, telling himself not to care and losing the battle.

Aislinn moved back down the hall to her chambers, shivering as she entered. The room was so cold now, lacking the warmth that her husband would bring with him. By now, he would have found a way out of his duties for a night with her. Now the only warmth came from the candles, which reflected in the jeweled eyes of the dragons. Aislinn sighed and walked to the small balcony and leaned on the railing.

Yugi hadn't come back from his ride, and night was falling, bringing rain with it. Mahad and Seto were also still missing; the latter's disappearance having gone from annoyance to worry. The three should have been back by now, because Gozaburo's lackeys had returned; they were the reason that she was up here, held captive in her own chambers as Gozaburo crowned himself king. Her hands tightened into fists, only partially aware that her fingernails were digging into her palms. Aislinn turned to look down at the courtyard below, breathing a sight of relief as Seto came through the gate, a woman helping him along. The queen relaxed, now seething that she was unable to help her nephew.

Aislinn turned her head as a celebratory cheer echoed from the great hall. So it was done already, Gozaburo was the new king. She ducked her head, reaching out to pull the curtains around her balcony. Right now, she didn't want to be found. Her head jerked back up as the sudden rush of air, watching as the large black dragon landed below her before stretching himself to look at her, brown eyes blinking in sorrow. Aislinn reached out to touch the dragon, blinking when he drew away. “I'm sorry. I thought it would work. I thought that I could change him.”

He looked away for a moment, staring toward the old fortress which could barely be seen. In the interlude, rain started to fall, the clouds having the valley. The dragon looked up at the sky, mouth falling open for a moment before he looked back at the queen with a long sigh. “I too was just trying to save my son.”

Aislinn gave a wavering smile before reaching out to touch the dragon's muzzle. “I understand.”

They lapsed into companionable silence, just listening to the fall of the rain. It was the dragon who finally moved, glancing at the sky with sad eyes. “I was hoping, when the time came, the stars would be visible.”

“At least one still shines brightly.” The dragon chuckled at Aislinn's words, the queen reluctantly pulling away to walk into the room. She pulled the curtains away, letting the dragon watch her as she moved about in her room. Her eyes passed over the carved dragons until she spotted the sword. It was the one thing that they had brought to her after they had buried her husband, his sword.

Aislinn picked up the blade, looking over it with tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. She remembered that he had promised her that it would never harm a dragon, that it would break before any human stooped that low. His people were more inclined to believe in such tales of magic, while she knew the true power of magic. It could only create, never destroy.

The queen looked back at the dragon, watching as he nodded slowly at the sight of the sword. He drew himself up, having to stretch to bring his chest level with the balcony. Aislinn wiped the tears from her face, looking over the magnificent dragon before drawing the sword. The dragon looked at her for a moment longer before raising his brown eyes to the sky. “Let us end this.”

“I'm sorry, my lord.”

She caught a bit of a smile on the dragon's muzzle before it disappeared. “So am I, Aislinn. So am I.”

The queen threw the scabbard to the side, walking over to the balcony and reaching out to lift the scale out of her way. She backed up, gripping the sword like her husband had showed her, wrapping both hands around the hilt before lunging forward.

“Dragon!” The point of the blade missed its target as the dragon spun around at the cry, Aislinn dropped the sword to her side and lunged to look over the edge of the balcony as the knights poured out of the great hall at the cry. She looked up at the dragon, frantically motioning him away as he lowered himself onto all four legs.

“Flee from here!”

The dragon snarled at the men, opening his wings and beating them a few times. He looked back up at the queen, turning away from the humans. “I'll find your son, Aislinn.”

She opened her mouth to thank the dragon when she saw Gozaburo rushed out into the courtyard, glancing at the dragon before glaring at the queen. The king's brother pointed at her, bellowing out his orders. “Kill the beast, the witch commands it! It will fly for reinforcements and our kingdom will be overrun with more like her!”

A young knight charged forward, drawing his sword in a dramatic fashion. The dragon glanced down at the knight, growling as he reached out to smack the knight aside. The young knight crumpled to the ground, lying still with a large gash in his stomach. Aislinn gasped and covered her mouth. Akhnamkanon was not trying to kill the humans, but it was hard not to break the fragile bodies. The dragon looked down at its own hand in disgust before backing away.

Lector took his chance, lunging forward to stab his sword into the dragon's hind leg. Akhnamkanon roared in pain, a similar cry coming from Gozaburo as he clutched his leg in pain, falling to his hands and knees. The crown that sat awkwardly on his head tumbled to the ground, clattering across the wet courtyard. Aislinn watched as the man stared at the crown before looking up at her, stiffening as he stared at the sword that she held in her hand. Aislinn remained frozen as Gozaburo clambered to his feet, looking between her and the dragon before snatching up the crown and lunging forward. “Stop! I want this creature alive.”

The queen's breath caught in her throat as Gozaburo leered at the dragon, watching as Akhnamkanon limped to the wall of the castle. As he tensed for a jump, Gozaburo called out again. “I wouldn't do that if I were you, dragon. Remain here, or we kill the queen.”

Akhnamkanon hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, brown eyes flicking up to look at her, verifying the decision. Aislinn hesitated for a moment before giving a slight nod. She was ready for death, if it came to that. She had outlived all her family and her husband. Yugi would be fine with Mahad to protect him, and she was sure that Akhnamkanon would look after him.

The dragon looked away and made to lunge forward, but was stopped by Gozaburo's next words. “And we will kill every dragon we find.”

Aislinn felt the sword fall from her hand as Akhnamkanon backed away from the wall, standing still as chains were brought out. Gozaburo began ordering the knights around, outlining their duties and directing others away to begin to prepare a place close by that they could keep the dragon. The queen leaned on the railing over her balcony, her hair falling to cover her face. This was all wrong.

She pushed away from the railing and raced back inside her chambers, roughly pulling the curtains to block the scene below her. Aislinn gulped in a breath of air and wrapped her arms around herself, pressing herself into a corner of her chambers and trying to avoid the stares of her carved dragons. Never had the creatures looked as angry as this moment; but she had never done anything on like this before.

Aislinn dropped to her knees, choking back the sobs that shook her body, suddenly wishing that her husband would show up and comfort her. She wanted someone to tell her that this would all turn out for the better. That Yugi would not be forced into this position that would only lead to civil war, and a high possibility that he would get killed. That she wouldn't have to live with the guilt of knowing that a dragon was kept chained down in the courtyard because of something that she had asked him to do. That everything that was happening was just a dream, and that it would all go away in the morning.

The queen sunk all the way to the floor, wishing with all her heart that all of it would come true and trying to block out the mournful sound of the rain and the sharp cries of the dragon as the knights tortured the creature.

She raised herself from the floor, darting back out to the balcony to retrieve the sword. She would wait for the knights to finish their business before going to relieve the dragon of its suffering. If the dragon died, then Gozaburo would die. The heart that the dragon had given the man would continue to beat as long as the original was present. Aislinn dried her tears quickly and opened her door before sneaking through the halls of the castle.

Atem growled from his position in the forest. Kisara and her human had disappeared into the castle a few moments ago, leaving him to wait under cover. He snorted, turning his head to the side to look at something other than the disgusting arrangement of stones. He was tempted just to go hunting now and leave Kisara; she was right where she wanted to be after all. But he stayed just the same, something telling him to wait for a while longer.

The sound of another dragon made Atem turn his head back around, his red eyes narrowing in confusion as he watched his father fly into the courtyard and stand up to talk to some human, probably the woman from the night before. Atem shifted nervously, wanting to leave before his father discovered that he was here. That might lead to questioning about Kisara and then a lecture when he discovered what Atem let the white dragon do.

He jumped at the sound of shouts, stumbling out of the tree cover to stare at the castle. He thought he saw his father appear over the side of the wall for a moment before ducking back down. Atem froze out in the open, straining his senses to catch anything from the castle. He was barely aware of the cold rain that pelted down on him, eyes going wide as he heard the rattle of chains as the short cries of pain that came from the courtyard.

Atem jolted forward in the sudden silence, pressing himself close to the ground as he moved toward the castle. He slunk toward the nearest wall, opening his wings for balance as he peered over the battlements. When he was sure that he wouldn't be seen, he pushed himself further up, watching as the humans moved back into the castle, following the line of humans before tracing the path back to where they had come from.

In the farthest corner of the courtyard, pressed between the castle and the walls, was Akhnamkanon. Chains kept the dragon on his belly, wrapping around all four legs, his neck, middle and tail. The chains ran through brackets hammered into the cobblestones. They clanked faintly as Akhnamkanon pulled at them, testing the chains for a way out. The black dragon finally let his struggles stop, turning his head slightly as the woman from the night before stepped out into the rain, the dim light glinting off the sword.

There was no conversation between the two, just the slight shift of the chained dragon as he presented the left side of his chest to the woman. Atem dug his claws into the stone, trying to support himself better as he struggled to see what was going on. He beat his wings, tilting himself forward to lean against the stone. He heard the stone begin to buckle as he leaned further into the wall, his mouth opened to scream as the woman prepared to lunge forward.

From the shadows, a man darted forward, catching her arm and tearing the sword from her grasp before pressing her against the wall. Akhnamkanon snarled, straining against the chains again as the woman struggled against her captor. The man leered at her, slapping her before he began to speak. “I know why you want to kill this dragon, because you would kill me and that would end this silly little fight.”

The woman didn't look at the man, keeping her head in the position that he slap had carried it to. “I was merely correcting a mistake that allowed a creature to live beyond its time.”

“You should have corrected that mistake seventeen years ago.” The man was roughly shoved away as the woman ran for the sword, gasping as she was pulled back at the last minute. Atem snarled, the sound drowned out by his father's roar as the man picked up the sword from the ground and drove it into the woman's stomach. The woman gasped, falling to the ground and staring up at him in disgust. The man pulled himself up from his crouch, brushing his hands off on his clothes before returning to the castle.

Atem vaulted over the wall, feeling it crumple under him as he skidded into the courtyard, rushing over to where Akhnamkanon was chained to the ground. His father didn't even notice him, too busy straining at the chains that held him to the ground. Atem stopped as the brown eyes snapped back up to look at him, the anger causing him to stumble back, carefully placing his feet so he wouldn't step on the woman.

The red and black dragon jumped as a cold hand was placed on his leg, distracting him from his father. He swung his head down to look at the human woman who was still hanging onto the last vestiges of life. She gave a weak cough, blood spotting her lips. “My son…watch over my son…Morningstar.”

Atem jumped away, jerking his leg away from her as she finally died, standing in the courtyard with a look of shock on his face. How did this human woman know who he was? A snarl from his father brought his attention back to the chained dragon. Atem walked toward the black dragon, pausing when the snarl increased in volume. “You heard her, go find her son.”

“Not until I get you free.”

“Leave!” Atem pulled his foot away, Akhnamkanon's teeth closing inches away from it. The red and black dragon stared at his father in amazement before inching closer to the chains that held him to the ground, getting a good hold on them before straining. “Did you not hear me?! Leave now!”

“No! There are some who need you!” Atem didn't say that he still needed his father around; he still needed the barrier to protect him from the title he feared. “And I am not going to let him keep you chained here like some tamed beast!”

“Leave before they get you too!” Atem relaxed, crouching down so he could stare right into his father's eyes.

“What is so important about me? Why should I give up to preserve my own life?”

His father looked away. “You're the Morningstar.”

Atem roared in frustration, claws going back around the chain as he pushed off the ground, grunting as they jerked him back to the ground. He opened his wings, trying to stay in the air as the strained against the chains. He smirked as he felt them shift, beating his wings harder.

“Atem!” He turned his head to the side, snarling as he saw the man leading out a squad of men out into the rain, pointing at him and yelling. Atem let the chain drop, shifting so he was hovering in the air. Already his muscles were beginning to ache from the strain of holding his bulk in one place, he didn't have much time.

“Kill that dragon!” Atem drew back his head, feeling flames tickle in his throat, the first tongues licking the back of his teeth as he stared down at the people. He waited, daring them to make the first move. One knight took a better hold on the spear he had, deciding at the last moment to throw it at the chained dragon. Atem's eyes widened as both his father and the leader of the humans screamed in pain, the man clutching his shoulder. He lost his hold on his temper, releasing the flames from his mouth in a stream.

He cut off the stream, still feeling the heat in the back of his throat as he prepared his next round, snarling. Humans couldn't be trusted, Aknadin was right about that. They tried to enslave or kill dragons, never holding to their treaties. Atem's eyes narrowed as the knights prepared their next attack, not even giving them the chance as he let the flames pour from his mouth again.

The people screamed and ran for cover, trying to dodge the dark flames that came from the dragon. Atem broke his hover to rise further into the air before hovering again, puffing out his chest and he drew more oxygen into his body, further fueling the fire in his stomach. He could already feel the effects of using his flame when the weather was cold, his reactions beginning to slow as the cold seeped into his body, but he didn't care a the moment. He swooped over the courtyard, bathing the cobblestones in flame.

Atem landed, easily striding through the fire before returning to his father, claws wrapping around the red-hot chains for another attempt. He roared in pain as he felt something prick his tail, spinning around to glare at the small group of knights that had gathered behind him. He smiled, revealing his sharp teeth before snapping one of the humans up in his jaws. Atem gave his head a fierce shake, feeling the bones in the human snap under the strain before he threw the knight carelessly over the wall, tongue flicking around in his mouth as he tried to rid himself of the horrible taste of human flesh.

He lashed out with his tail, herding the knights into a smaller group before he bathed them in flame, laughing at their screams of pain. Atem had little time to gloat, turning his head at the snap of bowstrings from the castle itself. He pressed himself to the ground, watching as the arrows rained down in the small space between him and his father. He opened his mouth, fire flickering visibly at the back of his throat before he thought through his plan.

If the arrows burst into flame, then it would rain over Akhnamkanon, which would go against his intention to keep him safe. Atem stepped over his father, having to stretch himself out to accomplish this, and glared at the humans. This way, the fire would just land on him, and it wouldn't hurt as much, or so he thought. He growled as the humans prepared to fire again, obviously not caring what they hit.

A rumble from below him drew his attention to his father, Atem looking out of the corner of his eye as the black dragon twisted to look at his son. “For the last time, Atem, run.”

“But-”

“I did this all for you, for all the dragons. That is the price of the title you bear.” Atem froze, not daring to breathe as he father continued talking quickly. “You are the hope that all the dragons flock to and it is your fate to sacrifice yourself for the good of all. That is what your title means. I took this upon myself to protect you, to try and save you from that destiny and I have failed. Now go!”

Atem looked back over the still smoldering courtyard before glancing down at his father. He was about to protest again, but gave up as he saw the hopelessness on Akhnamkanon's face. The black dragon rested his head on the ground. “Please, give them someone to look to in the upcoming times of darkness, because they will need you.”

His red eyes widened in surprise before he acted. Atem shoved himself off the ground, his flight hitching as his muscles protested. He gave one powerful flap, lifting above the castle walls. Atem began to turn, his mind frantically working for a place to hide. His head turned quickly at the more powerful snap of a crossbow being loaded and then released. He heard the whistle of the arrow a moment before it slammed into his shoulder.

Atem roared in pain, his flight wavering for a minute before he forced himself away from the castle. He could hear the cheers of the people as they celebrated the defeat of one dragon at the capture of another, wincing as the shaft stuck in his shoulder stung. He reached back to tear at the arrow, gritting his teeth as the wooden shaft snapped, leaving the arrowhead still embedded in his shoulder. Atem growled, forcing himself to even out his flight before continuing on, rain falling into his eyes.

He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to have to face Aknadin after all of this. The dragon would boast how he was right. And then Atem would be forced into fulfilling his title, probably striking at the humans until he himself was killed, all for the good of the dragons. And that couldn't happen. Everything was up to Atem now, everything that he couldn't face at the moment. Right now he was in pain, exhausted and cold, too cold.

The black and red dragon wheeled, drifting over a pine forest that wrapped its way around a hill. He could find temporary shelter on the other side of the hill and think over what he had to do from over there. So far his only idea was to free his father, which he knew he had to do, but he had to be calmer about it. His temper would only get him killed.

Before Atem could carry out his plan, he shuddered in exhaustion, the cold taking a quicker toll on him than he expected and sending him plummeting to the ground. He hastily tried to slow his fall, hoping that he would avoid any more injuries. From the way his shoulder was throbbing, the arrow had found muscle and he would be stiffer in the mornings until he healed.

He claws scraped the ground once before his momentum carried him into the river. Atem gasped at the sudden cold, bringing his head up so he wouldn't accidentally swallow water. He quickly braced himself against the quickly moving current, eyes flicking downstream to stare at the waterfall that was formed. He skidded on the riverbed, stones clattering against his legs until he finally stopped a good distance from the waterfall.

Atem sighed, pushing through the river toward the bank when he was sure of his balance, his wings just drifting on the surface of the water. He scrambled at the shore, managing to haul himself halfway up before his legs gave out. The dragon slumped to the ground with a moan, red eyes falling shut.

It was too dangerous to stay like this all night. His body temperature would drop too low, and he would be stuck in one place, unable to defend himself until he warmed up again. It seemed like fate was against him as well, because the combination of the rain and the use of his fire before had steadily sent him to this level. Atem groaned, trying to get a good grip on the ground and finish moving out of the river, not wanting to leave himself to chance overnight.

His grip slipped, sending him crashing back into the water. The dragon snarled, flapping his wings to get himself airborne. Ignoring the pain from his shoulder, Atem rose above the surface of the water, swooping over to the banks before crashing into the ground. The black and red dragon didn't move for a long time, just letting himself feel the pain through all his limbs. Blearily, he raised his head to look around.

Atem could see over the lip of the waterfall, his position allowing him to see into the depths of the forest. He blinked as he saw something move, the haze in front of his eyes clearing as he forced himself to focus. There was a human in the forest. For a moment, Atem was ready to leap down and slaughter the human, ready to blame it for all of his problems, but he stopped when he saw that the human was pacing, rubbing its arms.

The dragon resettled himself into a more comfortable position, stretching his leg out to relieve the pressure on his injured shoulder. Atem never thought he would enjoy people watching, but he found himself unable to take his eyes off this human, searching his memories for where he had seen this particular one before.

As the human stepped briefly out of the shadows of the trees, Atem recognized him, easily placing the wide purple eyes and the tri-colored hair. It was the little human who was always with Kisara's human; the one that they called prince. Atem gave a confused rumble, tilting his head to the side. Why would he be out here on his own?

The little prince was paler than the last time Atem had seen him, the sound of his chattering teeth audible to the dragon as he rested above the waterfall. The human was suffering like he was, attempting to keep itself warm much like Atem. And it was alone, like Atem.

The dragon groaned, trying to lift himself from the ground only to fall back, head dropping to rest on the ground. He should have been trying to get away from this human, especially since it came from those who had imprisoned his father. But, instead, he felt compassion towards it. They were both alone and cold, kindred spirits; a feeling that Atem had lost when Kisara had chosen to be with her human.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Atem knew that these ideas were brought on by his exhaustion and the slow shut down of his body to conserve heat, but right now, he didn't care. The dragon shifted his head, red eyes slowly shutting. Atem was left in a dark world where sounds and scents slowly filtered in. He groaned, curling around himself to try and keep himself warm as the input from his senses continued.

He could hear the human's pacing, the sound of the human trying to warm himself up and the sound of his horse in the background. Atem could smell the horse, the scent of the human and the rain. He shuddered, wincing at the movement. Anything to make this torture stop.

Atem jerked his head up at the sound of another rider approaching. He grumbled and raised his head, aware that his neck was trembling. He blinked slowly, recognizing the man who rode up as one of the knights that had visited his father the night before. Atem tried to growl, only getting a rumble deep his chest. The sound stopped abruptly as the knight began shouting.

“Yugi! Yugi where are you!” The knight urged his horse into the river, turning it around in the center as he continued to shout. “Yugi!”

“Mahad.” Atem turned his head at the weak summons from the forest. He saw the prince, Yugi, lead his horse out of the forest; leaning heavily on the palomino's neck. Atem gave a concerned croon, clamping his mouth shut as a cough threatened to escape. He leaned forward, noticing that Yugi's eyes were glazed over. “Mahad?”

“Yes.” The knight hopped off his horse, leading the animal to the opposite bank to stand by Yugi. The knight looked over his charge before assisting Yugi onto his horse, tying the reins of the palomino onto the back of his saddle. Mahad mounted his horse, wrapping an arm around the prince. The boy leaned back with a groan.

“Mahad?”

“I'm here, Yugi. I'm here, my king.” The whispered words seemed to answer Yugi's question because the boy slumped, Atem listening as his breathing slowed into a sleeping pattern. Atem let his head drop, a long sigh escaping him, feeling his own body urging him to sleep. He shifted, clambering slowly to his feet, ignoring the fact that the two humans were disappearing into the pine forest to his right. Atem spread his wings, simply walking off the edge of the plateau he was on and gliding down.

He stumbled upon landing, splashing into the river and walking back to the waterfall. The dragon tipped his head to the side before stepping through the sheet of water. He closed his eyes, wincing as the water pounded down onto his scales. Atem took a deep breath as he stepped into the cave, already feeling a bit warmer by being out of the falling rain. Atem scrambled up onto the first ledge that looked big enough for him, managing to stay conscious long enough to curl up before falling asleep.

Kisara felt Seto's eyes on her as she reentered the room. She could sense his impatience, could see it in his body language as he lay on the bed. She had been go too long `properly dressing herself to be in his presence'; his words exactly. She saw him relax minutely out of the corner of her eye, taking it as a sign that he had worried her. It should have warmed her heart, but she was too worried about the sounds she had heard, what she had seen.

Seto's father had captured Akhnamkanon, chaining the great dragon in the courtyard. Kisara had to force herself to keep from shivering. The humans had caught their one hope against needless slaughter, Akhnamkanon being the dragon that urged a treaty with the humans. And she had heard Atem fighting before absolute silence. Kisara couldn't bring herself to check to see if Atem was chained down by his father, not willing to have all her hopes crushed in one fell swoop. It would be truly hopeless if Atem was caught.

“What was all that noise?” Kisara jumped, hands, clenching in the soft blue fabric of her borrowed dress. She tried to face Seto, struggling not to shudder in fear.

“Your father caught a dragon. He's got him chained in the courtyard.”

Seto paled slightly, the only reaction to her words. “My aunt would not let him. It's against all the treaties-”

“Do you think he cares about treaties?” Kisara glared at him before turning around. She didn't want to argue with Seto, not right now. She wrapped her arms around herself, wanting to run out of the castle and find her friend. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying. She was so useless!

“We can't do anything now.” Seto raised his good hand to stop her protest. “Give my arm time to heal and we can free your dragon. Where are you going?”

Kisara paused at the door, pointing out shyly. She thought she saw his eyes darken for a moment, a shiver running down her spine. Seto shook his head, turning the motion into a jerk as a command to return to the center of the room. Kisara meekly obeyed, standing with her head bowed. Seto snorted at the display of obedience. “I need your help, as much as it pains me to say it. You seem to be more knowledgeable in these matters than I am.”

She looked up, opening her mouth to protest. Seto was standing right in front of her, Kisara realizing that she hadn't heard the man get up from the bed. She was about to take a step back when Seto grabbed her arm, obviously taking the action as another attempt to escape. “You. Are. Staying. Here.”

They both leaned forward at the same time, Kisara to protest the treatment and Seto to intimidate her further. They met halfway in an accidental kiss, both of them freezing as they tried to figure out what had happened. Kisara acted first, flinging her arms around his neck as she let Seto dominate the kiss. They were probably moving too fast for real love, for the kind of life that Kisara imagined she would have with Seto; but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. This was enough.

Gozaburo leaned against the arrow slit, not really watching the dragon that was chained in the courtyard. One hand tapped over the scar on his chest. The memories were coming back now, the dragon and the trip into the dragon's cave. He had half of that dragon's heart in his chest, and that was keeping him alive. He didn't quite know how it worked, probably something to do with the witch, but he wasn't complaining. It gave him a second chance at his plan. It made him invincible for as long as the dragon was kept safe. Gozaburo wouldn't let his dragon get away from him, he would use this to his advantage and expand his kingdom went the populace was settled enough.

He pushed away from the window, pausing as he saw flames appear. A smile slowly crossed his face at the bright orange and yellow flames, a welcome change from the black flames that his knights had been trying to put out since the second dragon attacked. That was one thing taken care of; the witch would not bother him any longer, not when she had been stabbed through the stomach and her body burnt. His second worry was his new castle, which he pushed away to deal with tomorrow. The populace had to be gathered and skilled worked hired.

His third worry was his son.

Gozaburo sighed, rubbing his temples against the oncoming headache. Seto was the only son his weak wife had given him, the only one strong enough to survive. And, while Seto's headstrong manner often annoyed him, Gozaburo could see the makings of a king, if he pushed his son harder. First, he had to find a suitable woman for his son to marry, one without any ties to the clans that had sired Aislinn. Eventually Seto would have to undergo the same treatment as him, granting him the chance to live forever. He opened the door to his chambers, the action automatic. It wouldn't be smart to being a power struggle between two immortal kings, so Seto would have to be sent off to one of the conquered lands.

In the meantime, it would be smart to kill off the dragons in the area. It was a pity that they had been unable to capture that second dragon; that one looked like it would be suitable enough. And with that temper, Seto could easily use his dragon as a weapon instead of a threat the way Gozaburo was sure that his dragon would remain. But, Seto's dragon could easily be hatched from an egg, which was obtained more easily than a full grown beast.

He rested on the bed, pulling off his boots as his smile widened. Yugi would not bother him, the people didn't want a sickly king or a witch's son. If Yugi came back, no one would stand behind him for a rebellion. He would be killed first. It was Yugi's pet knight that presented a problem, but Mahad would never let anything endanger Yugi; and the risk of stepping into the spotlight would be enough to do that. So there would be no rebellion from that front. He was secure for now, as long as that dragon wasn't set free. Who knew how the dragon would attempt to kill itself to rid itself from the connection to Gozaburo?

The new king shut his eyes, too tired to put on his nightclothes, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Aknadin blinked as he scrambled over the wall into the castle, staring at his brother in horrified awe. When neither his nephew nor Akhnamkanon had returned to the cavern that they shared when that night, he had gotten nervous. All the humans were acting strange, getting antsy for some reason. Only when he had felt safe did Aknadin venture out to find his brother. And he had never expected this.

The black dragon slipped into the shadows with a worried trill, relaxing when he saw Akhnamkanon turn his head slightly to see him. A faint smile crossed his brother's face before Akhnamkanon jerked his head to the side. “You should go before they attack you too.”

“Not with you still here.” Aknadin moved to the nearest bracket, staring at it closely. He could probably yank it out with brute strength. He looped his claws around the metal bracket, shifting for better leverage. “I told you that this was a bad idea.”

“Aknadin, stop.” At the tone of Akhnamkanon's voice, Aknadin relaxed, looking at his brother in concern. Akhnamkanon sighed, shaking his head. “Atem already tried and could not get them loose.”

“I'm stronger than Atem.”

“You may be, but I will not risk you like this.” Akhnamkanon snarled as Aknadin reached for the bracket again, the sound sending the black dragon scrambling backwards. Aknadin hesitated, torn between leaving and hoping that tomorrow Akhnamkanon would have regained his senses, or staying a freeing his brother despite his protests. The captive dragon sensed his confusion, turning his head with a soft growl. “Just worry about yourself, it is all we can do now.”

Akhnamkanon was going to be stubborn, he gave an annoyed snort, slinking back to the wall. Aknadin paused in the process of lifting himself over the structure. “I'll be back.”

“Hide yourself. Things will be getting worse very soon.”

Akunadin took one look as his brother before hauling himself over the wall, shuddered as soon as he was out of Akhnamkanon's sight. His brother had a sense for these things. He had been the reason they had taken Atem away from the south before the huge massacre that had happened, not wanting to risk the young dragon being torn apart to save them. Aknadin would trust his brother on this too. He sighed before moving off, taking to the air to find an unoccupied cave close to the castle to spend his time in.

I know that Seto might seem a bit OOC, but I'm not aiming for the complete block of ice that he usually is. Still, this is my first time writing him, so he might fade in and out of the character, more so than the usual in here. Also, many apologies for the long chapter. They do start to shorten up, eventually.

*ducks into bomb shelter* Read and review please. Criticism is welcome.