Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Sins Of The Pharaoh ❯ We'll Meet Again ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

WARNING: SLIGHT YAMI X ATEN LEMON…VERY VERY BRIEF.

Note: This chappie happens one week later.

We'll Meet Again

Anubis stepped into the barracks. “EVERYBODY UP! ATTENTION!”

The sleeping men were startled out of their bed and lined up beside their beds. Aten jumped out of bed and stood beside his bed.

He looked beside him and didn't see Ravana standing beside him. He turned and saw Ravana laying in bed.

“Ravana?”

The little boy laid in bed, trembling. His face was wet with sweat. Painful moans emanated from the boy.

“Ravana, get up! Anubis is coming!”

Ravana arched his back and cried. “It hurts….it hurts.”

Anubis stood at the foot of Ravana's bed. “Are you deaf, boy? I said `Attention.'”

Ravana opened his eyes slowly and threw the thin blanket off of him. Aten gasped at the appearance of the right foot that had been injured in the battle.

It was swollen and red. The skin had turned a bronze color. When he stepped on it, a white fluid slowly seeped from the top of his foot.

Ravana fell back on the bed and held his foot, crying. “My foot! It hurts!”

Anubis growled. “If your body isn't strong enough to defeat a little infection, Ravana, then you have no place in my army.”

Aten touched the foot. “It's warm. General Anubis, he needs to have that ointment on his foot.”

Anubis shook his head. “My army is strong! We don't need doctors.”

Ravana's eyes shed tears as he laid on his back. “My foot…please.”

Anubis growled. “Stand up, brat!”

Ravana struggled to stand on his feet. He limped to the front of his bed as his injured foot burned and oozed fluid.

Aten watched Ravana waver on his feet. Ravana's skin felt hot.

He had a fever.

Anubis inspected the troops. “March!” he barked.

The soldiers marched out of the barracks and out of the arena. Anubis lead the army out of the palace and around the town.

Ravana bit his lip against the pain. Every day it was the same thing: Wake up…march for hours….return to the arena for training, dinner, more training, and then sleep for a little and do it over again.

Ravana fell onto the ground and moaned on the ground. “Help…..”

Aten stayed behind and helped Ravana to his feet. “Come on, Ravana! We have to get going!”

A woman approached Ravana and brushed her fingers through her hair. “Poor little child…..”

Ravana looked up at the woman. “Mommy? Mother….is that you?”

The woman shook her head. “Poor thing is delirious.”

Ravana reached out to her with a trembling hand. “Help…..me……please.”

Anubis' lieutenant stood over the boy. “Get to your feet!”

Ravana lifted his head weakly.”I……can't.”

The lieutenant picked Ravana up by the collar and put him on his feet.

“You can't treat this child like that! Can't you see the child is in pain? His foot! He needs a doctor!”

The man snickered. “We take good care of him, miss.”

“You will walk, you dog!”

Aten walked beside Ravana and watched the injured foot swell worse and turn red. Sweat formed on the boy's forehead. The boy winced and panted in the scorching sun.

The troops returned to the arena and Ravana fell again, whimpering. “Aten…..my foot….”

Anubis stood over the fallen child and scowled. “Get up, you wretched little brat! I won't have any weak soldiers in my garrison!”

Ravana closed his eyes and panted on the hot sand. “I can't…..do this….anymore.”

“GET UP, I SAY!” the general barked loudly as he kicked the child.

“ANUBIS!” a loud angry voice barked from the balcony above the arena.

Anubis and Aten looked up and saw the High Priest Seth standing on the balcony.

“You will stay right there!” Seth said before turning and disappearing.

Anubis grabbed Ravana's hair. “You've got me in trouble for the last time, you little runt!”

“Ravana!” Aten cried out as Anubis removed his dagger.

Aten shielded Ravana's body with his own. “Don't kill him! Please!”

Anubis grabbed Aten's arm. “Move away, you little rat! I have no objections to killing you, too! You're just as worthless as `Limpy' is over here!”

“He's my friend! Don't kill him! Please!”

Anubis snarled. “Don't you tell me what to do! You're nothing but a weakling! You'll never be strong! You would be of better use to me dead, Aten!”

Aten clutched onto his friend as Anubis raised his dagger. “Ravana,” Aten whimpered.

Anubis began to drive the lade towards Ravana's back when the High Priest ran into the arena.

“ANUBIS! STOP RIGHT THERE!”

Seth ran up to Anubis and kneeled before the two children on the ground. “Anubis, what did you do?”

Aten trembled as he held onto Ravana. “Aten, let go…let me see Ravana.”

Aten opened his eyes slowly and saw Seth behind him. “High Priest Seth?”

“Let me see him, Aten.”

Seth looked at Ravana's exposed foot. His stomach turned and twisted as he saw the red, swollen foot. Pockets of white formed on the child's foot, indicating a deep infection.

Aten backed away and the High Priest turned Ravana on his back.

“Ravana, open your eyes.”

The boy opened his eyes slowly and closed them again.

“Anubis, you will come with me.”

Seth picked the boy off of the ground. Ravana's head fell back and his limp body dangled in the man's arms.

Aten followed the High Priest.

“Where do you think you're going?” Anubis barked.

“Anubis, you are in enough trouble as it is! Aten, follow me.”

Seth carried Ravana to his bedroom. He laid the boy on the bed and summoned the Royal Physician.

“My lord, this child is not worth the Royal Doctor's time.”

“How long has that foot looked like that?”

“About a week, sir,” Aten replied.

Seth shook his head. “That foot may need to come off.”

Aten's eyes widened. “You mean….cut off Ravana's foot?”

Seth sat at the child's feet and picked up the child's right leg. He touched the white pockets with his finger. “Aten, has Ravana been injured?”

Aten nodded. “During the last battle, he was stabbed in the foot by a man. Since then he can't walk.”

Seth shook his head. “This disease is far gone. Ravana's foot is rotten.”

“Rotten?” Aten repeated.

“Yes….rotten. I don't think that even amputation would work. I don't even think medicinal herbs will help. Anubis, why didn't you bring this child to me earlier for help?”

“I won't have weak soldiers in my army.”

Seth growled furiously. “This is a CHILD, Anubis! A dead child is no good to us!”

Aten's eyes filled with tears as he clutched Ravana. “Don't die on me! Please!”

The Royal Doctor came in and pat the boy's feverish cheeks. “Child, open your eyes.”

Ravana opened his eyes tiredly. “Help….please.”

The doctor looked at the boy's foot. “This foot is severely infected.”

Ravana whimpered and turned over on his stomach. Seth watched as the boy vomited on the floor and trembled on his stomach.

His arm dangled off the bed.

The doctor put the boy on his back and wiped the boy's mouth.

The child trembled and wheezed.

“Look at the child's foot,” Seth said.

The doctor looked at the boy's foot. He pressed the top of the boy's foot.

“This is not good….the wound is infected.”

The doctor removed an instrument with a sharp edge.

“What are you going to do with that?” Aten asked.

“The infection must be drained.”

The doctor opened the infection, making Ravana scream in pain.

“It hurts!”

The doctor's nose wrinkled at the stench. “The wound has a foul-smelling odor!”

Aten watched as the wound wept thick white fluid.

Ravana's screams died down to whimpers.

Seth reached over and grabbed a wet cloth. He placed the cloth on Ravana's forehead to calm the fever.

“My lord, may I see you outside?”

Seth turned to Anubis. “You will come with me so you do not kill these boys in my absence.”

Anubis growled as he walked into the hallway with the High Priest and doctor.

“My lord, the child won't last. That wound is too serious. I wouldn't be surprised if he was dead by sundown.”

Seth turned to Anubis. “Anubis, this is unacceptable! You are responsible for that child's death!”

“It's only an orphan from the land of India.”

Seth clenched his fists. “I don't care if he was a child of a Noble or an orphan! He is still your responsibility! Rest assured that the pharaoh will hear about this!”

“Tell him what you want, High Priest. I care not.”

Seth grit his teeth. “You may not care….but that does not absolve you of your negligence.”

Anubis narrowed his eyes.

“That child does not deserve to suffer at the hands of a dog such as yourself! Doctor, when the child dies, please perform the embalming ceremony on his body.”

The doctor gasped. “But, my lord, he is not a Noble!”

“I don't care! He suffered enough in this life because of you. The last thing he needs is to be eaten by the dogs at the palace gates. Too many bodies have been left there for the dogs to tear apart.”

Seth returned into the room along with the general and the doctor.

Aten held Ravana's hand as the wound continued to seep the bitter-smelling white fluid.

Ravana opened his eyes and took a deep, wheezing breath. “Aten….”

“Ravana, please don't leave me….don't leave me alone with Anubis.”

Ravana coughed as his cheeks burned red with fever. “Aten…I….I…..”

Aten's eyes filled with tears at Ravana's quickly fading breath. “You'll get better, Ravana.”

Ravana smiled faintly. “Where…where I come from, Aten….we believe that people are born again….after they die.”

Aten sobbed. “Please don't die on me! You're my only friend!”

Ravana coughed. “It is said…that the people in your life…you will always know through your future lives.” Ravana laid his head on the pillow weakly. “I will see you in a future life, Aten.”

“Ravana….no…please.”

“High Priest…..”

Seth sat by the child's side. “Yes?”

“Promise me….that the dogs…won't….eat me…like…Hama-----Hamadi.”

Anubis rolled his eyes. “You don't deserve any less, you weakling!”

Ravana's breathing came in sharp gasps. “I…”

The boy started to gasp weakly for air.

The doctor shook his head. “The infection has hit his lungs.”

Aten hugged Ravana tightly. “Oh please…Ravana….don't die.”

Ravana reached up and stroked Aten's cheek. “We'll meet again……”

Ravana's eyes looked up and the boy's arm fell. Ravana's eyes rolled back. His last breath escaped the boy's lips.

Ravana was dead.
”Ravana??? Ravana! No!” Aten collapsed on Ravana's body, hugging it and kissing the boy's cheek. “Please…wake up! Don't die!”

The doctor looked up and saw the sun beginning to set.

Seth turned to the doctor. “Go find Yami…bring him here.”

Aten clutched onto Ravana's shirt, wetting it with his tears.

Aria ran into the room carrying Seth's clean linens. “Here you go, Seth! I--…..AH!”

Aria dropped the linens and ran to the bed. “What happened to his foot?”

Aten sniffled. “Ravana is dead! He's not coming back!”

Aria looked at Ravana with tears in her eyes. She looked up at Seth. “Seth? Is he….really dead?”

Seth nodded. “Yes.”

Aria took Ravana's arm and shook it. “Come on, Ravana….open your eyes.”

The child laid on the bed unresponsive.

“Ravana!” Aria screamed. “Wake up!”

Aten growled and pushed Aria away. “Don't you touch him! Leave him alone!”

Aria pushed Aten back. “Don't touch me! It's not nice!”

Aten returned to Ravana and took his friend's hand. “I don't want to let him go.”

Yami and the doctor returned. “The infection spread through his body and hit his brain, my pharaoh. The child just took his last breath.”

Aria watched Yami enter the chamber and looked up at him sadly. “Ravana is dead.”

Yami lifted the dead child's arm and let it drop on the bed.

“My Pharaoh, Anubis cannot continue to treat his child troops like this. This death could have been avoided.”

Yami quietly inspected the child's swollen, gangrenous right foot and the oozing injury.

“My Pharaoh?” Seth asked. “Anubis cannot continue to abuse his men and the children in his garrison! This child's death could have been prevented.”

Aten held onto Ravana. “Ravana……please….don't leave me.”

Anubis rolled his eyes. “Aten, get off that corpse!”

Aten gripped onto Ravana's clothing and rubbed his cheek against the cooling skin. “Don't die….”

“He's already dead, Aten. Get over it,” Yami said coldly.

Seth narrowed his eyes. “Pharaoh, show some mercy. This child lost his friend.”

“Loss is what keeps these soldiers tough, High Priest. Casualties of battles are a necessary evil.”

“But Ravana didn't deserve to die!” Aten sobbed.

Seth stepped in Anubis' path. “You've done enough damage today, Anubis. I wouldn't press your luck.”

Yami grabbed the dead child's wrist and dragged it out of bed. He turned to the doctor. “Throw this in the stew for the dogs tonight.”

Aten screamed. “NO! PLEASE! DON'T MAKE RAVANA FOOD FOR THE DOGS!”

“Don't yell at me, you little rodent! Anubis, you will take Aten and put him back in the stables for the rest of the day! Tonight, you will bring him to me.”

Aria gasped and hugged Aten. “No! Seth!”

“My pharaoh, he's entitled to mourn for the loss of his friend.”

“I won't have my troops weak with sorrow! Soldiers do not cry! I will show Aten what it means to be a REAL man. Then maybe he will learn not to cry anymore.”

“My pharaoh, please reconsider!”

“NO, Seth! My word is law! I will take Aten to my bed tonight! Willing or not! I will show him how to be tough!”

Seth narrowed his eyes. “That is not the way to show a child how to be tough.”

“Well, it is my way, Seth. Besides, you have women to sleep with and produce an heir! Get to it!”

Yami dropped the three year old's corpse on the ground and left.

“Anubis, give me a moment with the child.”

Anubis growled as he left after Yami.

Aten ran to the body and cradled it in his arms. “Ravana….”

Seth turned to the doctor. “Go to the bucher in the marketplace and have him slaughter a pig. Have him cut it into pieces and return it to the cook. Make sure its hooves and snout are not included in the entrails.”

“Why?”

“Return the pig's entrails to the cook and tell him you slaughtered the child. The cook will put the pig's body into the dog's dish and not the child.”

Seth picked the child's body off of the floor. “I'll bury him in my tomb. After a painful death, he at least deserves an afterlife of peace.”

Aten ran to Seth and hugged him. “Thank you!”

Aria ran to Seth and hugged him. “Thank you, Seth!”

“Aten, tonight, I want you to do one thing.”

“Yes?”

“Relax.”

Aten sniffled. “What's the pharaoh going to do with me?”

Seth couldn't answer the child…he knew all too well what was going to happen.

******************************

Seth and Aria rode towards Seth's tomb. Ravana's body was draped over Seth's horse. Three guards went with them.

`If I get Aria out of the palace, she won't hear what the pharaoh is doing to Aten.'

The guards opened the seal to the tomb. Seth covered the boy's body into the tomb.

“Seth, it's dark and smells funny here.”

“I know, Aria, but this place protects bodies from the desert light and thieves. There are many thieves out there who steal riches from the tombs of Royalty. Many also desecrate the bodies of the dead.”

Aria's jaw dropped. “Really?”

“Yes. Ravana's body is safe here.”

Seth placed the boy's body on an altar. The child's head fell limp to the side.

“May Osiris grant you happiness in paradise, Ravana. You were too young to be taken from this life.”

Aria sniffled. “I'm going to miss him, Seth.”

“I know, Aria.”

“Why does the pharaoh hate all the time? Why is he mean?”

“I don't know, Aria. I wish I had an answer for you,” Seth said taking her hand. The High Priest brought the little girl into his arms and let her touch Ravana's body one last time.

Her eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched angrily. “I….hate…the pharaoh….”

*****************************

Aten gripped the sheets under his chin as his body rhythmically rocked. Tears flooded the sheets under his eyes as he thought about Ravana's death.

`We'll meet again,' Aten thought as Ravana's last words repeated in his head.

That phrase kept running through his mind as moans of the pharaoh's pleasure echoed through the room.

`How long will it be until I see Ravana again?'

“Oh yes…Aten….oh yes….”

Aten clenched his fists, the nails digging into his skin to distract himself from the pain.

Tight fingers grasped his hips.

Heavy breathing sounded above him as he looked down at the mattress.

His hips and legs dangled off the side of the bed.

The pharaoh's skin slapped against his as he thought about Ravana.

The pharaoh leaned forward. Aten felt a rush of liquid flood into his body and something warm slide down his buttocks and over his dangling legs.

The pharaoh continued to slam and tense as he finished releasing.

Yami leaned forward and whispered into Aten's ear. “For you, my boy.”

Aten felt another wave flood him inside. He clenched his fists tightly. `I hate the pharaoh,' he thought.