CHAPTER SIX: Awakening

When Yugi came to, it was to the sound of his own scream cutting through the air. He bolted upright, breathing coming in great gulps of air, and heart beating a frenzied tempo into his chest. He had dreamt of fire, that he was being burnt alive. The heat had felt so real, so suffocating…

He pushed out of his eyes the damp locks of blond hair; uncomfortably aware of the way it was sticking to his face, making him feel even more feverish.

With a scoff, he carded both hands through his hair, shoulders sagging in relief the moment the contact was broken. That was also the moment he realized he had actually slept in the clothes he had gone out with. No wonder he felt so uncomfortable.

Sighing at his own foolishness, Yugi crawled to the edge of the bed and promptly paused with his foot mere inches away from the ground. Slowly, he had to do a double take to reassure himself that he wasn't hallucinating.

This was definitely not the bed he had been sleeping in for the past ten years of his life.

Bringing his leg back on the mattress, he let his hand entangle into the covers he had been wrapped up in only moments ago. No, he concluded. He didn't own any crimson sheets, let alone any silk ones. Eyebrows creasing together, Yugi's head jerked up, eyes flickering from side to side. He took into account all the details he hadn't noticed till now; the walls appeared to be made of stone, dark grey in color, nearly black. With the exception of the huge, queen seized bed, the only other piece of furniture in the room was a, equally large, ebony closet, the brown as dark as the walls. It stood to the left of the bed, propped up against the wall and only a few feet away from another door. Yugi assumed that it led to a restroom of sorts, seeing as there was one more door at the far end of the room.

He had a hunch that this was the exit he was looking for.

Scurrying off the bed, he paused momentarily, taking into account the dark sky peeking through from outside.

It struck him as strange that there was no glass separating the small balcony from the interior of the room.

At the very least, it was still night, which meant that he hadn't been out for too long.

He hurried over to the door at the far end, fearing he'd find it locked and inaccessible. It came as a delightful surprise then, that the moment he tried out the handle, the door pushed outward inaudibly.

Head peeking out cautiously, Yugi scrutinized the long hallway that stretched out ahead.

After a while of listening for any signs of life, he took his first tentative steps outside, careful not to produce too much noise when he closed the door behind him. He had no clue whatsoever where he was, nor any recollection of how he had gotten there. Resolute to find out, though, he made his way down the hallway, mindful of keeping his footsteps as light as possible.

Reaching the end of the long hallway, he couldn't fail but frown upon sighting the equally long corridor that followed.

Inhaling deeply, Yugi went on, eyeing curiously the occasional suit of armor that'd pose as the sole decoration of the stone passages. No carpet, no tapestry or paintings on the walls. Just cold stone as far as his eyes could see. He wasn't claustrophobic, never had been, but he had a vague feeling that if he remained trapped within this building for long then he was definitely going to develop a case of severe claustrophobia.

He rounded the corridor and surprise surprise; there was another hallway.

Yugi felt like screaming, an idea which he seriously entertained. Someone was bound to hear him and come running. That way he'd have at least some form of direction. He didn't even know which way was front!

Abandoning all pretenses of being inconspicuous, Yugi sprinted down the hallway, halting abruptly once it forked into two more.

Now seriously starting to panic, Yugi sped down towards the one on the right, choosing it solely on the fact that it appeared shorter than its counterpart. The lit torches that hung from the walls cast eerie shadows on the dark interior, and Yugi's head would jerk when one of them would flicker, as though furious for being disturbed.

Amethyst eyes widened, finally catching sight of an opening.

Maneuvering to the right, Yugi burst through a brightly lit room, earning strange looks from the people that were occupying it. Panting and out of breath, the boy peered from under his sweaty bangs at the gathered crowd, not knowing what to make of them. After thinking he had been abandoned in this desolate building, he was immensely relieved for the company, but whether or not they meant harm, Yugi had no clue.

Concluding he definitely didn't appreciate the way they kept eyeing him, he straightened his posture, slowly inching back they way he had come.

A woman emerged from the midst of the figures, spotting his none too subtle retreat and Yugi stiffened, preparing to bolt if necessary.

The woman lifted a pale arm, gesturing with gentle motions for the others to return to their work and after receiving multiple nods of compliance, she turned aqua blue eyes towards Yugi, the corners of her light pink mouth curling ever so slightly. The teen sensed some of the tension dissipating from the air, somewhat at ease by her soft smile.

She approached him slowly, like she was dealing with some sort of wild animal, her thoughtful actions only serving to put Yugi on edge, body growing rigid once more at being reminded of the gravity of his situation.

"Easy, child." Her lilting voice sent a surge of conflicting emotions through Yugi. Surely someone capable of producing such a melodic sound couldn't be all that bad.

She held out her hands to pacify him, long tresses of white hair being disrupted by the movement and cascading down her shoulders in a mesmerizing river of silver. She must have caught wind of his hesitation, because her eyes closed in a small, reassuring smile.

"You must be our new addition, correct?"

Yugi didn't know if that question was supposed to be rhetorical, but either way, he had no answer to give.

Instead, he replied with an inquiry of his own, "What is this place?"

The woman blinked once, lips parting to allow past a mellow little laugh. "Well," she said kindly, spreading her arms to indicate the space around them, "as you can surely see for yourself, this is the kitchen."

Now it was Yugi's turn to blink owlishly.

Risking a couple of furtive glances around, he took notice of the medieval kind of ovens that were lined up at the opposite wall. With the people mingling about rather than gathering in one huge group before him, he caught a glimpse of them for the first time, the brightly burning charcoals being the source of the distinctive warmth that seemed to engulf this room, a stark contrast to the chill that was stalking the lone corridors.

Seriously, though…who used charcoal anymore?

Now that he thought about it, the only lights he had ever seen in this place were the torches.

Hadn't these people heard of electricity before?

Eyes narrowing in quickly ascending suspicion, Yugi took a step back. All of a sudden, he was seeing the kind looking woman in a new light. Appearances could always be deceiving. "Where am I?"

Her light expression faltered suddenly, a shadow of uncertainty marring her features.

"I don't think-"

She trailed off, leaving her own sentence hanging as crystal blue orbs snapped upwards, intent on a spot above Yugi's shoulder. Not a moment later, the faint sound of footsteps could be heard, steadily growing louder. The teen sprung to the side just in time for two massive figures to manifest from the shadows of the hallway.

They were clad in heavy armor, the metal a pitch black compared to the gray-silver Yugi had associated with the knights of legend and myth.

They came to a synchronized halt the moment they stepped into the kitchen, both pairs of eyes centering on the form of the woman before giving a respectful incline of the head. "My lady," one of them began in a deep, booming voice, "your presence is required in the th-"

Dark eyes snapped to the side when Yugi shifted uncomfortably, instantly becoming alert at the sight of him.

For a moment everything seemed to freeze in time, all sounds and movements ceasing inside the wide kitchen. Then, the guards' nostrils flared briefly, pupils thinning to mere slits.

"A human!" the one closest to Yugi bellowed, while his companion shouted, "Intruder!"

Right before the boy's eyes, curved claws burst from their hands, occupying the place where their nails were only a split second ago, and their lips bared back into a vicious snarl, revealing long canines that only seemed to elongate further, to the point they reached below their bottom lips, sharp and deadly.

Legs quivering, Yugi backed away, shudders crawling up his spine as fear, raw and blooming, rooted deep within his very core.

This…this couldn't possibly be real…

"Wait!" the woman cried out, but the sudden sound must have urged the guards into action, because next thing Yugi knew, clawed hands lunged for his neck.

Throat closing up, Yugi dove to the side, landing with his palms on the smooth stone floor just outside of the threshold. Enraged, throaty growls reached his ears and he hauled himself up, freezing at the ruffling sound that echoed behind him. Teeth digging into the flesh of his lower lip in an attempt to cease its tremors, the teen turned around only for his brain to shirt-circuit.

Light grey feathery wings had erupted from the two guards' shoulder blades; so long in extent that even while unfurled they reached all the way up to the ceiling.

Yugi stared at the appendages with trepidation, expression frozen in a cross between dread and horror.

What on earth was going on…?

The whole picture was so impossibly unearthly that Yugi was having severe difficulties with comprehending what he was actually seeing. This was a joke, surely? Things like this, creatures like these, existed only in movies, right?

Swallowing thickly, Yugi took a single step back but apparently, it was the wrong thing to do.

Bristling through clenched teeth, the guards flapped their gigantic wings once, instantly shooting a mile high in the air, before they shot towards him with a surge of speed. With a strangled cry, Yugi sprinted down the hallway, uncaring for his destination. Through narrows passages and endless corridors he ran, heart lurching behind his chest each time a lethal claw would snip at the top of his hair or tear through the jacket he wore, the material doing little to prevent their sharp tips from leaving deep gashes in the places they came in contact with.

Tears pooled in the corner of his eyes from the scorching pain in his shoulders and back but Yugi pressed forth, fully aware that if he were to give up now he was going to meet an obviously gruesome death.

Someone was shouting in the background, the tone urgent, but he couldn't possibly make out the exact words, ears filled only with the heavy echo of flapping wings.

Compared to his pursuers, he knew he wouldn't last long, muscles already starting to tire from the exertion, and his theory was only proven true when he stumbled. He regained his footing and would have started anew if not for the long claws that encased his throat from behind.

Yugi's intake of breath got lodged in his throat the instant the grip became iron-like.

More claws dug into his shoulder, and the boy's lips parted in a scream that never made it out as he was spun around and slammed against the nearest wall. Black spots danced across his vision, unnerving him when they took too long to clear away but then, the hand around his neck pressed him backwards harder, and at the onslaught of pain that seared through him from the way the stone surface scratched his wounded back, clarity returned in his sight.

"You didn't break him, did you?" one of the guards asked, towering next to the one holding him immobile.

His companion snickered, lips twisting cruelly to the side. "Even if I did, he doesn't need to have his wits about him in order for us to kill him."

"Hey, let's drain him. His scent is driving me crazy."

Yugi's eyes widened, a shaking hand rising to try and loosen the hold on his throat.

The guard that held him must have found his attempts amusing because he laughed, a mocking sound that grated on Yugi's already strained nerves. "He does smell delicious, doesn't he?" He lent closer, nose brushing Yugi's heated skin as he sniffed at his neck, right above the boy's frenzied pulse.

"Enough!" a male voice bellowed suddenly, and all hands vanished from his person in an instant.

Yugi slumped to the ground, knees no longer able to support him, and breathed as fast as he could without making himself dizzy.

Movement a few feet away caught his eye, causing him to lift his gaze from the floor where he had been inspecting the bright dots of blood that littered the dark stone.

If that had come from his injuries, he really didn't want to have a look at the state of his back.

Across from him, the two guards had fallen down on one knee on the ground, eyes lowered.

Yugi had to do a double take once he spotted the reason for such odd behavior. There, standing only a short distance away, was someone he'd never expected to run into in a place like this. Steel blue eyes shifted and clashed against his amethyst ones before the person made his way towards him.

"…Kaiba?"

His classmate held out a hand, hard features set into a deep frown. "Can you stand, Mutou?"

Yugi blinked.

He lifted his own hand to grasp Kaiba's only to hiss at the excruciating jolt that assaulted his senses the moment his shoulders twitched along with the movement. Arm lowering back down, he concluded that if he wanted to get up, he'd have to do so without jostling his upper body.

He unfolded his legs from beneath him and with jerky movements, slowly rose to his feet.

It was ridiculous how out of breath he was by such a simple action.

"Kaiba," he panted out, glancing at the unmoving forms of the guards. "You need to go. This place is dangerous."

Too bad the other didn't seem to hear him.

Wordlessly, the brunet reached down, lifting the sleeve of Yugi's jacket with as little movement as possible. Then, he whirled on his heel and marched over to one of the guards and Yugi vaguely recognized him as the one that had held him captive. Long fingers gripped black strands of hair, twisting the man's head upwards and to the side, where he pointed at Yugi.

"If you hadn't been in our service for years now, I'd have thought you to be blind. Otherwise, how could you possibly miss the bracelet on that human's wrist?!"

…It was like taking a punch in the gut.

Yugi staggered backwards, face pale. "You're one of them…" he muttered under his breath, and yet, Kaiba had somehow heard him because dark blue orbs snapped to his face.

He didn't need any form of confirmation to his words.

All the proof he needed was right in font of him.

"Is that-?!" the guard in Kaiba's grasp spluttered, features contorting into a grimace of dread. "My Lord, I had no idea he was bearing a Pet Bracelet! I swear it!"

Beside him, the second guard tensed, almost invisible tremors wracking his frame.

Kaiba instantly rounded on him, taking hold of his chin and jerking his head up sharply. "What about you?" he hissed lowly.

"N-no, my Lord. I didn't know, either."

"Do you have any idea who his master is, you fools?"

"I am." a deep, baritone voice answered, making the two men before him tremble uncontrollably the moment realization sunk in.

Cursing mentally, Seto righted himself. He almost pitied those dimwits for not thinking to check first and act later. Now they'd have to pay for their incompetency. And searching for replacements was such a chore.

"Yami," he greeted curtly once the other reached his side. "I take it Kisara informed you?"

Crimson orbs bypassed him in an all too familiar gesture of 'we'll talk later' and narrowed down on the kneeling men, the pupils of his eyes already morphed into slits.

"Your M-Majesty…"

"Silence!" Yami hissed, and the stammering man fell quiet at once. "Take them to the dungeons," the king said disdainfully, lips curling into a sneer. "I will deal with them personally."

Seto nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

Yami waved a dismissive hand, already heading towards the cowering human that had huddled himself in the corner.

Frankly, Seto didn't blame him.

It was actually quite admirable he hadn't fainted already.

Heaving a sigh, he performed a circular motion with his arm, the shadows doing the rest as they rushed to obey his will, black cords of sizzling power wrapping their wrists in unbreakable cuffs. To their credit, they didn't utter a single protest, as was expected of course. Having been working in the palace grounds for years, they knew first hand of the consequences were they to go against a council member, let alone the king himself.

He gestured onwards and they rose mutely, heads hanging low and wings dragging uselessly behind them.

Yami watched his cousin go through burning eyes.

Those buffoons! And to think they were supposed to be observant!

Huffing angrily, he pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and index finger. He'd busy himself with his former guards at a later time, but for now, he pressed himself to take in deep calming breaths. It wouldn't do to further the damage that had already been inflicted on his little pet.

Once he was certain his eyes had returned to normal, he approached the boy, counting on the bracelet's effect to perceive his presence as a non threat.

Indeed, he could already see the lithe frame slumping slightly against the wall, eyes losing part of their tension. He crouched down low, letting the boy maintain an illusion of distance while still invading his personal space. "Remember me, little one?"

The teen tipped his head, albeit reluctantly.

"There's no need to be scared." he reassured, emphasizing his words by sending soothing waves along the newly formed bond.

Yugi's eyelids fluttered briefly in contentment, and Yami could sense the boy's turbulent emotions finally starting to settle. Humming in pleasure, he lifted an arm, stroking a pale cheek with the pad of his thumb, unable to keep a flitting smirk off his face when the other leaned into his touch.

What a delectable little thing he was.

"Let's treat your wounds, and afterwards I'll answer any questions you wish." He made sure to word it carefully without making it into an order, otherwise the bracelet would act accordingly and leave his little one no choice but obey.

And that was something he didn't desire, at least not before the boy had a better grasp of the situation.

Besides, it wasn't a mindless slave he wanted in his hands. Of course his little human would be allowed a mind of his own. He'd only resort to the bracelet's function as a means of punishment and only if his pet refused to cooperate.

He rose languidly to his feet, waiting for the boy to mimic his action and once Yugi was standing upright beside him, he took those slender digits between his own, acting both as reassurance to the fidgety little mortal but to also satisfy his own monopolizing streak.

After centuries of looking for the right pet, he wasn't about to allow him to slip away now that he finally had him in his grasp.

He stifled the dark chuckle that wanted to leave his throat, readjusting instead the grip he had on Yugi's hand. Inquisitive amethyst eyes looked up at him and he favored the other with a small smile, nearly melting when he earned a similar, though hesitant one in return.

A delectable little thing, indeed.

TBC…

A/N: Yes, that was actually a chapter, and no I haven't abandoned this story.

Let me know what you think of it!