Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Proliferation of the Lotus Flower. ❯ Chapter 17. ( Chapter 17 )

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With all the chaos over the past few days it had almost skipped Marik’s mind that he’d been kidnapped. The best person to blame it on was Bakura. The bloody were-tiger had been making him feel right at home in the cabin. They’d had sex every night, or rape, whatever. Marik had always theorized you couldn’t rape the willing, but that aside, rough enough sex could give him the same kind of feelings rape did. Not that the blonde would know about raping or being raped. Nope. But then, the same could be said for Bakura. Bakura was very experienced at raping. Or Marik-raping. It must have been a good art-form to study. Bakura was everything that Ryo was not, Marik reasoned often enough. Sexy, but evil. Strong, but stupid. Harsh, and rough-handed.

“The coordinates are here.” Marik’s master was showing the young blonde pirate the location of the palace wizard’s communication tower while Marik contented himself with glowering at said pirate mage. He would have won that fight if Bakura hadn’t intervened.

The blonde was pointedly ignoring the Half-elf apprentice while Ryo showed the human the spell that they normally used to communicate. It wasn’t a common design and Jounouchi was having trouble grasping the principal of why someone would use fire to send a message when water was a clearer conduit.

“Just shut up and cast the bleeding spell, mage.” Yami finally snapped after five more minutes of Jounouchi whining about the bloody semantics.

There were six people in the cabin; Marik, Bakura, Malik, Jounouchi, Ryo and Yami. The captain was using his own quarters for the sending of the ransom message. Apparently the storage of the Millennium Puzzle in his room had given it an enhanced magical aura. Marik had to admit, the witches bane around his neck didn’t feel as deathly as usual he was considering, briefly at the very least, the idea of ripping it off and trying his luck.

Marik looked at his master, Ryo was paler then usual and looked ill; he obviously hadn’t been drinking enough blood to keep his normally healthy coloring. His movements were jerky and he kept shrinking from any physical contact. Something had definitely happened to him, but Marik hadn’t had a chance to ask what. Whatever it was, Marik wasn’t sure they’d be able to make a get-away.

Jounouchi was finally ready to cast after this last command and began the spell. The channel flickered to life, the small candle on the floor flaring up into a large pillar of flame almost a foot tall.

“Who is it? Who’s calling at this hour?” The voice of the palace arch-mage inquired. Marik had always thought that man needed to get a life. Honestly, what kind of loser sat around late at night in the communications tower?

“My name is unimportant. What is important is what I want.” Yami started up. The arch-mage was starting to channel from his end too now.

“Why should I care about such triviality?” The mage snorted.

“Well, please, go ahead; explain to your king why his only son is dead. I’ll just wait here, shall I?”

There was the sound of crashing ceramics as the man dropped his goblet. “How can you prove that you have the crown prince, you brigand?”

“I thought telling you about the tattoo on his ass would be enough proof.” Yami waved the comment aside.

Ryo made a small sound of indignation, pale cheeks flaming with embarrassment. “How did you kn-”

Yami frowned at him and the mage shut up. “That is beside the point. Which I was coming to now. I think the trade I am offering is more than fair. Bring the gem to the port city Nasareth and I shall bring the prince, alive, unharmed, untouched. Fail to do this simple, simple task and I will kill him, leaving daddy dearest in a bit of a…pickle shall we say?”

The arch-magi spluttered and Yami looked at Jounouchi. “You have three days.” The pirate waved his hand and Jounouchi ended the spell.

“You can’t be serious! You would be hunted to the ends of the earth if you killed the crown prince!” Ryo spluttered up, his fangs were longer than they should have been, and his temper seemed to be running on high.

“Master, calm down.” Marik moved to Ryo’s side, taking the vampire’s hand out of the air and standing between Yami and Ryo. “The King will pay the ransom.”

Ryo frowned at Marik. “I don’t remember asking your opinion, Marik.” The mage spat.

Marik frowned. “Why are you so worked up? I meant no harm.”

Ryo’s eyes briefly flickered back to the amused Malik, who, like the other pirates was just watching. “Perhaps if you had done your job, we would not be in this mess.”

Marik saw the movement of Ryo’s eyes and realized he was still holding Ryo’s hand and the vampire was growing claws. That was –not- a good sign. Marik let go. “I am sorry I was overpowered, Ryo. I was no match in physical combat for a were-tiger. And from what I have heard, you were toppled by a Half-Elf. How Seto must have laughed when you told him.”

Marik was not good at being nice. Sometimes it was painfully obvious, like right at that moment.

Ryo did something very uncharacteristically Ryo-ish then. He flipped his teeth out, hissed and went for his apprentice.

Marik was too shocked to react and stepped back only after the side of his face had been raked with claws.

“Do ye’ know what Ire sssmell? Ire sssmell bloud. And sssex. Aund dessssire on ye, ye sssstupid li’le half-breed. Ire sssmell foulnesss und madnesss. Und Ire knewn how sssweet yer bloud wo’l tassste, becaussse Ire ha’e taken thousssad’s like ye o’er ze centuriessss. Ye think Ire’t not cap’le of doing it again? Ye think myre leassssh issss sssso tightly held?” Ryo’s words were hardly understandable, his ‘s’s’ were slithered out between his teeth and an unusual accent had taken the rest of his words.

Marik took a few steps back, wondering if a defensive spell would be in order and greatly wishing he had his wand right about then. He raised his hands defensively. “Ryo, please calm down!”

Ryo hissed and took a step. It wasn’t Ryo walking, it was something old and dangerous. Ryo’s shoulders were bunched and he hunched over slightly, his skin was growing paler and paler and comforming to his skull. “Ire can ssssmell yer bloud.” He licked skeletal lips and stepped closer.

Marik took another step back and started tugging on the witches bane around his neck. He pulled most of it off and brought up his hands for a defensive spell.

“That’s enough play. Get the bane back on him.” Jounouchi snapped out, standing.

Ryo’s gaze drifted to the human and he sniffed the air. “Sssmell like sssex too. Little pirate whor’ ye’d Elf ssstench all o’er ye…”

Bakura laughed then. “You sound jealous, my gem. Come now, if your enjoying the smell so much, why don’t you let Malik entertain you some more?”

Marik felt the color drain from his face. His innocent teacher had been… used by one of the pirates? Malik turned his attention to his double. “You bastard!”

Ryo hissed again, bringing all attention back to the vampire. “Ye pressssume Ire knewn ye not think of it too?” The vampire lashed out again, claws scraping Marik’s other cheek open. The half-elf growled and pulled on his magic. His teacher be damned, these cuts seemed likely to scar.

“That’s enough!” Jounouchi was yelling, there was movement all around them, but at that moment, all that mattered was the extremely pissed off vampire.

“Zarn!” Marik growled, meaning to create a shield around him. But there was a very good reason Marik needed a wand.

The whole ship lurched suddenly and everyone in the cabin very quickly found themselves on the left side of the ship, being crushed by whatever furniture was available. Marik found himself pressed up against Ryo, the vampire was clutching his apprentice in fright, eyes human and scared. They had a moment of breathless silence until a chest slammed into Marik’s ribs and collapsed the half-elf. Marik felt several ribs crack under the blow and couldn’t force his elbows to raise him up again.

He was a mage, damnit; he wasn’t supposed to get into fisty-cuffs.

The ship lurched again and outside there were screams and shouts and the sound of large objects breaking.

The contents of the captain’s cabin slid the other direction, and Marik and Ryo were dragged with them. They hit the right side of the cabin this time, and Marik felt Ryo’s teeth sink into his neck as they both impacted into the same chest. Marik groaned and heard several other people echoing his thoughts. He was pretty sure every damn rib on one side of his body was shattered. Ryo suckled at Marik’s neck, digging his teeth in harder and drawing deep draughts of the half-Elf’s blood. Marik groaned again, it hurt a lot, but he just couldn’t seem to move, or say… say anything, because the little grey dots dancing around his vision were making him drowsy.

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Jounouchi groaned as he finally pulled the table off of him with some added magical strength. He could see the bones in two of his fingers. Broken was vaguely accurate. The sinew was flapping at him and blood pumped out of the wound. It fucking hurt.

The human groaned again and got up, wincing as he stood on a twisted ankle. The ship was thankfully still this time and the mage looked around, Yami’s feet were poking out from under a heavy chest and Jounouchi could hear the groans of the other people in the cabin.

The mage called up a wind sprite to get the chest off the captain and put things back where they should be.

The door opened and Seto came walking in, ears straight back. The Elf’s normally fine features were marred with several slashes across his cheeks and a bleeding forehead wound. They always bled worse than they looked.

“What the hell happened?” Seto asked, looking around the room as the sprite did its business.

“Fuckin’ idiot apprentice tried ta’ cast a spell.” Jounouchi winced as he looked around for said idiot apprentice.

“… Oh shit, Ryo!” Seto seemed to have spotted something and was rushing over to one corner of the room. It wasn’t a big cabin, but it was awfully dark with the lamp out. Jounouchi limped around the chests and items strewn across the floor to see Seto leaning over two collapsed people. “Get off him!”

Jounouchi sighed; it looked like Malik was atop his slave. He didn’t need to worry about that shit.

“Ryo! Let him go now, your killing him! Now you stupid vampire!” Seto slammed his sword into Ryo’s head and Jounouchi heard a cracking sound followed by a low moan of pain.

“… huh? Seto… jeez, ow….” Ryo’s soft voice murmured.

Jounouchi frowned and came over to see just what was going on. It wasn’t Malik on the vampire, it was the bloody apprentice, and he was bleeding profusely from the neck.

Jounouchi sighed. “Seto, can ye’ go an’ grab Anzu? We’re gonna need her, it seems.”

Seto turned, frowning. “You don’t order me around pirate.”

Jounouchi frowned and lifted a finger, calling up another sprite. “I do an’ will. Now go an’ get Anzu or yer’ friend will be in trouble.”

The brunette’s ears flattened. “You can go and get the healer.”

Jounouchi growled. “I told ye’ ta’ do it. Now go.”

Ryo rolled out from under the Half-Elf and slowly stood. “I’ll go and get her. Sheesh.”

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~To Be Continued.

Sweet notes: Mou. I can’t believe I forgot about this story.

Bakura: You –forgot-?

Sweets: *nod*

Ryo: That doesn’t inspire much confidence on kourui.

Yugi: Or the other ones.

Seto: Damnit, I’m not a bitch-slave!

Jou: Yes you are, now lick my boots!

Seto: *glare*

Jou: *meeps* Hey, I was just playing…

Sweets: Ack, reviews, I’m too tired right now to worry. I swear, I will finish this story if it kills me.