Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Under The Sun; Book 1: A Slaves Tale ❯ Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Author Note: Please Read it is Important!

A big thank you to sonata hirano for her fantastic work on this and previous works I've written such as Shades Of Grey, which without her help wouldn't have come to you at all. And quick note to all my readers that I thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my works.

This is an AU, alternate universe story, and I have no connection to the writers or creators of Yu-Gi-Oh! Nor do I profit from the creation of this Fan Fiction. Abuse both mental and physical are mentioned and will later be detailed. Sexual contact of both consensual and non-consensual, hetro and homosexual will be apart of this story so if these things offend you I surgiest you don't proceed in reading the actual story. And lastly reviews are very welcome along with any constructive criticisms you may have of what has been written.

Also a quick explanation in case I confused some of you, a Ra cycle is a year, and a moon cycle is a month, a Ra is a day and the `birth of Ra' is morning or dawn.

Thank you for Reading

Aghony

A Slaves Tale

Part Two

Master had left, his walk stiff and his back tight, hurrying out even though he'd gotten more than he'd demanded for me and now I stood alone before my brother and the Pharaoh, my wounds are bare for all to see, my gaze locked with Seth's. I could feel the trembling in my legs and wondered briefly how long I would be able to keep on my feet before they gave out and I fell to the floor.

“Seto, come here,” Seth said and I walked stiffly to his side stoping short of the dais he and the Pharaoh sat upon, the prince and Jono still where they had been before, the other Priest standing stiffly at the Pharaohs' side. The shaking in my legs is getting worse as I moved and I would have fallen had he not caught my arms in a swift movement as they buckled. My gaze fell from his and I bowed my head at the warmth of his skin against my own. Most would have just allowed me to fall, a slave as I was. “Jono, send for Isis,” he ordered as he lowered me to the step his hands gentle as they moved me.

The sounds of fading footsteps told me that the golden guard had left as another voice hit my ears this one soft and shy, “Seth, is he well?” and I closed my eyes ashamed of my weakness, why now? I wanted to scream but held my silence.

“He's hurt but Isis will heal him Prince Yuugi,” Seth replied as he cupped the side of my face in his large palm and turned my head to his gaze though I kept my eyes averted. “Oh, alright,” the Prince said and the Pharaohs voice hit my ears, “How severe are your injuries Slave?”

“I will survive Master,” I said still not looking at my brother and I would survive, I'd just hurt for a long time. The Pharaoh made a small sound of displeasure at the title I gave him and I heard my brothers' teeth grind together.

“Do not call me that,” the Pharaoh almost snarled and my heart sputtered in my chest and a shiver ran the length of my frame as I whispered, “Yes my Pharaoh.” And he sighed unable to do anything about this title.

Hurried footsteps hit my ears as a woman's voice called, “You requested my presence High Priest?” before a gasp came from her direction.

“Yes Priestess, I ask that you look my brother over, he is injured,” Seth said and my jaw locked as I bit back my denial for medical attention. I didn't need it, I never had, I healed well on my own without help though I often scared worse than I would have with it.

“I never knew you had a younger brother, my lord High Priest,” she said as she came forward, the golden one already by my brother, I could see him on the other side of the man and felt his gaze on Seth and I.

“I have not spoken of him,” Seth said, his fingers gently brush over my cheek, “I believed him to be dead,” he explained. She came closer and he pulled away leaving me frozen on the dais step.

“High Priest, you do realise your brother is a slave?” she asked and he must have nodded for she moved up, a hand gentle on my back and pain flared and I jerked away, my jaw locked as my lips trembled.

“Slave, I need you to hold still so I may check your wounds,” she said and I forced my self to wondering why these wounds hurt so. I hadn't had this much pain in my body for a long while, when my back was fresh and pure, clean of the marks of punishment and then it clicked, they were deeper, more brutal than any I had ever had, cutting threw scars.

“My lords, I will need things from my chamber, shale we?” she asked and Seth sighed before saying, “Seto may not be able to walk healer, look at his feet,” his voice sharp. Said feet were bare to the room and I didn't wish to walk anywhere at this current moment but I refused to be carried, even if it were Seth doing so.

“Seto, can you stand?” she asked a moment later and I closed my eyes briefly, shoved the pain away before fumbling to my feet, my blue wrap still on the dais steps.

Sweat broke out and I trembled, the shock only now, hours later wearing off, allowing me to feel the pain, black spots danced over my sight and I felt the air move around me as I fell though my world was black before I hit the floor.

--

Feeling came first, a burning sensation in my back and soles of my feet. Then sound, the trickling of water and the murmur of voices as someone's hand was running threw my hair, across the accessible side of my chin as I lay flat on my stomach my back to the room.

“Why did he collapse so healer?” the deep baritone of my brothers voice the first coherent sentence to hit my ears followed by the Priestess' quiet murmur at my other side, her voice steady as she addressed him.

“High Priest, your brother has been severely punished for what ever crime he committed, mayhap he committed nothing. He is also underfeed so he is weak, I'm surprised that he made it here in this condition though I think the gods granted him reprieve from his infliction so he could get here. So that he could be with you, you who so faithfully devoted yourself to our Pharaoh and the gods,” she said, “Mayhap the reunion with your family is a gift for your serves to them.”

Her words left me filled with distain and my mind spoke bitterly, what a crock of horse shit, the gods don't care for a lowly slave, no matter the slaves relations. Also they wouldn't want a slave associated with their holy priests. Then the darkness lifted and I opened my eyes only to wince away from the bright light of Ra as he filtered through the far window.

“Brother?” I whispered and he looked down at me, his eyes showing a small glimmer of joy at my wakening, “I'm here little one, worry not.”

“I…” I started only to fall silent as I remembered my place in the world after forgetting for a millisecond, and my gaze left his for I was not supposed to meet the eyes of my Masters, not unless they ordered it.

“Speak freely,” he murmured his hand once again touching my long hair lightly and I did, “ I need not healing,” my voice small with uncertainty, not of my words but of the allowance of such a thing. Never before had I been granted such a liberty, not since my capture all those years ago.

“You need not healing?” he said his voice full of displeasure and disapproval, “Seto your back has been near on skinned and your feet mayhap have an infection.”

I didn't answer, I hadn't been told I could and if he willed that I have a healer see to my wounds I would no matter my words, though I also allowed my silence to answer for me. My lack of reply screaming, I've had worse.

“Isis, heal him,” Seth barked and the woman sighed and leaned down, her hands hovered in my aura, a warm, fuzzy sensation following before she jerked back in shock.

“I cannot,” her voice holding an array of emotions, from shock to wonder and confusion, “Why can you not? Does your place as Priestess make it unfitting for you to heal my slave brother?” Seth demanded, scorn in his voice.

“My lord High Priest, you well know that I will heal even the lowliest purpura, and gladly give up my station if others believe ill of me for doing so. I cannot because he will not allow me to, he is blocking my power with his own,” she said her voice just as heated.

“He has no magic,” Seth said and I closed my eyes, I hadn't, not as a child, not while he was with me, he had been the gifted one, the one that carried fathers blood thick in his veins.

“My lord he does, his aura is thick with it,” she pressed and I could hear his scowl in the air and saw it clearly even with my eyes closed, leaving me in darkness.

“Do you?” another voice came, this one very deep and strangely soothing, “Do you, Seto, younger brother of our High Priest have magic? Do you have power boy?” he demanded.

“Wild,” I said, the words falling from my lips in a whisper that seemed to fill the room, “No control except to hold it with me.”

“Is there any thing else you can do boy?” he asked as two sets of footsteps neared the bed.

“I know,” was all I said and Seth jerked as if he understood and mayhap he did.

“What do you know?” Isis questioned her hands and head once again hovering over me, not to heal but to study the shield I had, a shield I had not control over.

“Sometimes nothing, others everything,” I replied continuing in a hushed voice, even quieter than my whisper, “I know you like to watch Ra set on the border of our world. I know you prefer the coolness of the shadows to the dry heat of our God. That you wish to have your hearts desire yet know that no matter how much you dream of it, it will never be yours to claim.”

“…You know too much boy,” she said and my lips tipped up in a small smile, a secret smile that held a thousand things that only I knew and no other would force from me.

“And what else?” that deep voice came as the scent of herbs brushed my scenes, “Nothing else.”

“You have never tried to use your powers?” the Pharaohs voice came, calm and seemingly disinterested while burning with interest.

“Yes my Pharaoh, I have,” I said opening my eyes, staring at the wall as the drapes of the healer bed swayed with a light breeze.

“And what happened?” the deep voice man I knew was Mahado inquired and I swallowed, “I hurt,” my voice underlined with agony as my tongue swept over my dry lips.

“I do not understand, why did it hurt you?” the prince asked his confusion plain and I wished I could have hid in a corner, I wished they would leave me be and let me sleep and like all my other wishes it was left unanswered.

“My master,” those two words all I said not wanting to explain what had happened when he had seen me try to use what little gift I had, though a shiver ran through my body, my muscles tensing even as they protested.

A moment passed before the Pharaoh spoke, “Seto, allow the healer to help you,” his voice empty and my eyes closed, my mind strangely wary, “Is that an order my Pharaoh?”

“If it must be then so be it?” he replied and just like that, like my body and often my mind, my magic did as my Master bid, shrinking back allowing the healers power into my aura, past my shields. She issued a small sound, almost like, but not quiet surprise as her magic slid under my skin with ease, healing the deep wounds on my back rapidly as I lay in a daze.

That almost unconscious yet still aware space that was hazy and you wouldn't have care if someone stabbed you in the back or slit your throat from ear to ear.

Then slowly I drifted away, too tired to do anything else but sleep.

--

I don't know how long I slept, only that by the time I regained consciousness I was on a low bed, curled up at the foot in a foreign room with Ra's light streaming threw the far window. Memories came slowly, and I jerked up, my gaze darting around before I even noticed, felt the difference in my linins.

My old one, which I had worn tor the palace with my old Master was very thin and coarse, the material scratchy on my skin, The one I wore now was fine, a slippery material that felt like water on my legs as I sat up. It was so thin it was nearly transparent and a soft gold was embroidered on the edges each stich made with care.

My eyes then move to examine the chamber I had been left in and I was rather surprised as I drunk in the sight

The room large and furnished with care, the windows giving me a near perfect view of the city, the clear blue sky and Ra beating down mercilessly on the dry world. The shimmer of the Nile a beautiful back drop as I stood and the door on my right opened as a pretty, green eyed, dark brown haired girl entered her eyes alight with excitement.

--

“So you see, Master Mahado, says all the time, it takes only concentration!” she said cheerfully as we sat across from each other on the bed I had awoken on as we had been for the last hour or so.

A small rap on the door brought our gazes to it and we watched as it opened the Pharaoh and my brother entering, Seth frowning as if a decision had been made that he didn't all together like or wasn't in agreement with.

“Mana, Mahado wishes to show you something in the back court, go to him,” the Pharaoh said and the girl nodded as she stood and then skipped to his side, kissed his cheek, stuck her tongue out at Seth and left.

“Breath easy brother,” Seth said, and those words made me tense, I'd heard them before though the ones say it hadn't called me `brother', no I had been `boy' to them and what had come next had been more painful than I cared to admit.

“Slave Seto,” the Pharaoh said his voice commanding my attention and my head turned, my eyes going to his neck, not meeting his eyes. “You understand, that you are now a slave of this palace, your fate mine to chose?” he asked and I nodded, just a quick bob of my head.

“Good, I…your brother and I have disgust your fate and decided that, as you are his brother you deserve to be treated better,” the Pharaoh said, his eyes probing my face looking for something. “You are to be my pet,” he said bluntly and Seth made a small sound of displeasure as I blinked, “As you will Master,” I said for as he had said my fate was his to choose.

“Seto, as my pet you will have to take rest in my chambers, and wear this, if you have any objections to this…decision state them now,” the Pharaoh said and I just stared at his neck though fear tickled at the back of my skull. I had been a pet for about 6 months before I ended up with my previous master, it hadn't been a…good experience and I could only hope that the Pharaoh wasn't as sadistic in his bedroom tastes as the other man had been in his. Though I knew that if he did I would have to concent for I could never disobey my master

The silence screamed until Seth sighed and moved up to my side a collar in his hand, the beautiful piece glimmering as my peripheral vision. Golden and laden with jewels it was a stunning and highly expensive piece only the highest of pets with higher up masters could hope to get. The pet also had to be very good at his or her job, which was the pleasure of their master or his guests.

He moved behind me and I couldn't help the tension that locked my shoulders, my enter being stilling, and though my eyes saw only the Pharaoh I could sense my brother and feel his emotions as he stepped closer to me. His aura to mine.

He was so…angry. His rage so strong I trembled and behind that rage, that near blind fury was something else.

Fear.

He was afraid for me, for our future as brother, would I, his estranged and beloved baby brother be taken from him again? Would I begin to hate him for what had and was happening to me as time grew on? Would the Pharaoh keep his promise to him and keep me safe?

I shook inside, though my body held in that animal like stillness as he clapped the collar around my throat, and released his grip on the heavy piece that felt like a weight around my neck.

“Rest in here Seto, Jono will collect you and help you change and dress appropriately for dinner,” Seth said as the Pharaoh stared down at me, his gaze a saddened weight before he turned with a swish and left, my brother at his heals.

“Yes My lord High Priest,” I whispered as the doors closed with a click and my hands came up to touch the heavy weight that now hung around my throat.

--

It seemed like no time at all that I was before the Pharaoh's court again, seated where, early the Ra before, I had seen the young Prince who sat on his brother other side, opposite to my brother. The pillow he had sat one had been change to one of the bluest silks and the tassels where a pail silver, the pillow embroidered with Sets' image and what I guessed was his name.

I was still unsure as to why I had the pillow, I had thought I would either sit on the stone dais or on a small cushion with the Pharaoh's god upon it not my brothers. Mayhap that was why, a small concession and reminder of our shared blood and linage. Gold cuffs adorned my lower and upper arms, the collar glimmering around my throat, and several thin golden chains hung around my ankles.

Each had a different symbol on it, a different god.

And as the Pharaohs hand stroked absently threw my tousled hair the court stared with wide eyes at me and his Highness, their kohl-rimmed eyes taking in the likeness between the High Priest and I. The way their Pharaoh petted me watching the dancers and their entertainment.

The kohl feeling thick and moist around my own eyes, the application of make-up odd and strange to me as I had never worn it, my masters never wanting me to be `one' with their class. Also as a slave I had never had money of my own and so had never been able to purchase some, even of the cheapest standards.

Now I wore only the best, my linin kilt a pail blue with purple and gold trim, the gold that adorned me and the best quality cosmetics applied to my face care of Jono who had confessed to doing my brothers when they rose at the birth of Ra.

Quickly enough we were served and it was difficult to eat with most eyes still on us, watching our every move and to make things better or worse the Pharaoh would run his hand over my head or trace the line of my cheek. The open affection odd and a lie since I had only met the man a Ra ago, and most of that time I had spent unconscious from fatigue and pain of my wounds.

“Shh, Seto, eat, enjoy the show. No harm will befall you here,” he murmured and I nodded though I knew I wouldn't be able to, even as the muscles in my body relaxed and I leant against his throne where I paused waiting for an okay or to be shoved away.

He petted my head again and once the food was all gone and the next show started he lightly, unnoticeable pressed my head until I rested it against his knee, my gaze never leaving the two `magicians' as they turned a stick into a snake.

A frog into a chair and so on, it all finished soon enough and the Pharaoh lead me though the large palace, the moon now high in the sky, its solemn light shinning down and giving everything an unearthly shine. Flames flickered on the walls and they highlighted sections of writings, casing shadows on paintings of gods and god-kings and their people.

“Seto, come,” the Pharaoh ordered as two guards opened two large doors before him and when I entered my heart sputtered, my mouth going dry as I took in the large room that was the Pharaohs' chambers.

The floor was decorated with different furs, weapons lined one wall and the bed in the centre of the room huge with a mound of pillows and thin, see threw silk curtains that moved with the light breeze that came from over the Nile.

Touches lit the large room and I blinked tiredly as the doors clicked closed waiting for the Pharaoh to tell me his wishes of me for the night.

“Come, Seto, let us rest, the moon has been long and I an wary,” he said and I blinked and nodded following him to the large bed.

--

Sleep refused me that night and I lay, curled on my side at the end of the surprisingly small god-kings large bed as he slept like the dead. Moonlight cast shadows and whispers filled the halls, seeping beneath the doors and into the room.

The sounds driving me to the point of insanity and my fingers curled into the sheet beneath me, the one the Pharaoh had given me rolled up under my head. The heavy collar hanging off my throat and I left it, allowing the near suffocating feeling to bring my body and mind to a stand still.

I didn't know why I couldn't sleep, I was so tired and yet still wide awake. As if I had to be awake, had to listen to the whispers and cries that the night carried to me. As if I had to bare witness to the Pharaohs every breath and flicker of eyelash.

Time moved, I did not, I lay as my arm went dead, that odd tingly sensation running through my fingers as my lids fell and just as the birth of Ra began I fell into the depths of sleep.

Never hearing the sounds of the next morning.