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The bar was a cheap place made of boards rattled from the constant hum of the generators. Its location close to the bottom of the flying dock ensured that little daylight filtered through, and the vibrations from the larger-than-normal antigravs echoed unpleasantly through one's feet, sending slight ripples through everyone's drinks. Rowdy gamblers spilled their money onto rough-hewn wooden tables and watched it drain away with an odd sort of cynical cheer. The air was filled with shouts, call for more beer, and good-natured threats. However, the pirate captain in front of Yugi looked almost as miserable as the overtaxed bartender on the other side of the room as Yugi cleared the table of cards. He watched as the man counted out what was owed, leaving a pitiful stack of coins behind. Yugi swept the money off the table and made it disappear into his long leather coat before grinning at the other captain. "Another round, then?" The man scoffed. "So you can rob me of everything else I've got? Not likely." Yugi shrugged. "Too bad. You might be able to win it back, if you're careful." He stood up, gaining the casual attention of the crew arrayed behind the captain. Stretching, he grandly finished his drink, basking in the glares, while behind him, his own people shifted. Dropping his mug onto the table, Yugi looked over his shoulder and jerked his head to the doorway. "Wait." The captain had remained seated, a speculative gleam in his eye. "How about one more game?" he said, like he hadn't just been cleaned out almost completely. Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Do you have anything left to bet with?" The man reached into his coat with a flourish and pulled out a brown cloth sack tied at one end. "I have this." "You have a sack." Yugi said flatly, which gained him an eye roll. Behind him, he could hear one of his friends stifle a laugh. "It's what's in the sack that's important." The pirate bounced it in his hand. It looked to have some heft to it. "Tell me you'll play, and I'll show you." Shifting forward, Yugi eyed the sack. "You haven't told me what we're betting with." "All or nothing." The other captain said immediately. "You win, you get this, and all the gold you've won. On my honor. If I win," here he showed his teeth, "I get all my money back. Plus everything you're carrying." Yugi narrowed his eyes. "How do I know that sack isn't just full of rocks? I'd be betting all my money just to see you cheat me." Shrugging, the man made to put the sack away. "Thought you'd like a game like this. Or are the rumors about the great Captain Mutou untrue?" "Now, hold on." Finally intrigued, Yugi plunked back down into his seat. The captain's smug smile widened as he slowly pulled the sack out again. "A game like this, you said?" The pirate leaned closer, pushing their empty mugs out of the way, and finally tipped the contents onto the table. They clattered out onto the wood. Gold glimmered dully, the geometric edges of each piece catching the light. Yugi could see the teeth of tiny gears poking out of some of the corners. A puzzle? "They say it took years to collect all the pieces." The captain's voice was quiet, reverent, clearly enjoying the moment. "What does it do?" Yugi ghosted his fingers over one of the pieces, touching on one of the gears. The man's eyes flicked away. "No one knows.” He looked back at Yugi. “It's never been solved." Never been solved, huh? Interesting. "Is that the game, then? Solve the puzzle?" "Nope," the man said, popping the 'p'. "Solving this could take months, if it even can be solved. No, all you have to do," he said, reaching forward and arranging the pieces on the table so they all sat equidistant from each other. "Is find the most valuable piece." "What, that's it?" "That's it," the captain confirmed. "All these here pieces are made of pure gold. You just have to find the one that's worth the most." Behind him, some of the captain's crew shifted, craning their necks. All were smirking. Yugi felt his mouth twist into a faint smile at the silent challenge. He knew his own crew was probably doing the same. "So what do you say, Mutou? Wanna play?" Each shard seemed to faintly glow with yellow light. Yugi could tell just by looking that each piece would have substantial weight. And substantial value, if what he says is true. Even one part of the puzzle could buy a month's worth of supplies. It was tempting. Very tempting. "I'll play," Yugi said with finality. The captain gestured at the table, sitting back. "Have at it." Yugi studied the pieces. He noted the largest and heaviest golden fragment with a depiction of an eye that gleamed temptingly at him, placed in the very center of the scatter, which was probably on purpose. It was flat, with jagged edges, and the symbol on the front looked important. He let his eyes drift around the table, counting. Forty-nine pieces in total, with five corners that he could see. "You're sure this is all the pieces?" he asked. The captain nodded quickly, tapping his fingers on the table. Four corners with three edges, and a fifth with four edges makes a- Yugi reached to the side and picked up the very smallest piece, the top of the pyramid. He flashed it at the captain with a grin reminiscent of Jou after a successful prank. The man's eyes narrowed. "This some sort of joke? I asked for-" Yugi cut him off. "The part that holds it together, the most important piece: the very tip. Right?" Silence. The opposing crew's faces had fallen comically fast. Their captain's smile wavered for a moment before he threw back his head and laughed. "I should have known you'd figure it out! Nothing gets past Mutou, isn't that what they say?" "Oh, I don't know," Yugi said, unconcernedly examining the gold in his hand. "Not a lot of people say things about me. We keep to ourselves." He stilled as a member of the man's crew stood up and stretched languidly, drifting to the side. The man sank back in his chair, seeming to relax. He placed a hand on his hip, nice and easy, and Yugi tensed. "You'll want to put that gold down now, son," the man said softly. Yugi rested his free hand on the side of the table. "We had a deal. On your honor, you said. Or is that no longer binding, Captain?" Heads were turning in their direction, some fearful, others feral. The bartender sighed and reached under the bar. Out of the corner of his eye, Yugi saw movement. The tension in the air drew tight. Footsteps. The person to his left lunged, and Yugi moved. He stood up, turned. His arm came up. Smash! The pirate stumbled back, face bleeding as shards of Yugi's mug fell to the ground. Steel sang behind him. He shoved the puzzle piece deep into his pocket. Another person came barreling forward. Yugi ducked under her arm, spinning. Grabbing her elbow, he braced his weight. Shoulders tensed, he hauled the arm across his chest fast and hard. The pirate's feet left the floor. She flipped over before slamming into the wood. Whirling around, Yugi spied the captain sweeping the rest of the puzzle pieces back into the sack. He took a moment to snarl at the man's retreating back before the fight swallowed him again. The bar was roaring. People were throwing themselves into the brawl. Yugi dodged a punch. His palm shot out, shattering someone's nose. He kicked them away, hitting another person. He spun on his heel, pounding a fist into a pair of ribs before swaying to the side to avoid a flying body. Rinse. Repeat. Anzu's sword was humming as she danced through the melee, heading across the room. Jou was a flash of yellow, ducking and weaving next to her. Ryou had his back to the wall, fists up. Where was- Someone flew out of the scuffle, brandishing a knife. Yugi lunged away as it whistled past his face. He fumbled for a weapon, a revolver, a blade, anything, come on- Honda was suddenly there to wrench the knife down and to the side, using his greater height to shoulder the person out of the way. "Let's go!" They clasped hands and charged together, shoving bodies out of their path. Ryou skidded around to bring up the rear, bundling them out of the bar. Yugi swept his eyes around, counting heads. He suffered a brief moment of panic before Anzu and Jou burst out of the doorway, clutching a very familiar sack. Yugi laughed giddily as they sprinted up the catwalk. The sound of cursing accompanied them as they dodged other patrons, following the wooden pathway as it spiraled upward toward the clear, open sky. A beautiful day. The entire dock was suspended in the air, made of three large rings stacked on top of one another, the bottom one built wider to accommodate the four antigrav engines. Shops and bars on the outside of the path blurred past them as they raced around the structure, heading for the caravels tethered to the smallest topmost circle. Farther down, the sound of smashing wood and shouting grew louder. Without speaking, they all picked up the pace. Yugi could see the tops of sunsails coming into view. Bang! A bullet whizzed past his head. Yugi cursed. "Keep going!" He yanked one of his revolvers out of its holster on his hip and twisted around to fire back blindly. He saw someone duck out of sight, but several more shooters took their place. "Yugi!" "Go!" he howled at Anzu, before sending another few rounds at the group behind him. A second bullet flew past, ruffling the hair on the side of Yugi's head. He sent the last of his shots in the gunner's direction before turning and booking it after his crew. Nearing the top of the dock, he crested the ramp, feeling the usual moment of disorientation as the expanse of the sky opened up around him, the blue-tinted steppes far below. The Exodia, golden sunsails flying proud, was tethered to one of the long strips of wood that stretched out from the dock, serving as anchors and walkways both. He was only a few ship lengths away from it. He was also a sitting duck. Yugi put his head down and ran. Ryou was yanking at the ropes tying their caravel to the pier, while Honda had his rifle out, shooting back where they had come. Yugi could hear the rumble of the ship's forward engines firing up. He stumbled as a shot ripped through the end of his coat. Almost there. He hardly heard the whistle of the bullet before pain exploded down his leg. "Shit!" He dropped to one knee, blood spattering the wood below him. Hands striking the wood, he started to tip to one side, unbalanced. "Yugi!" Ryou was suddenly there, steadying him and throwing Yugi's arm over his shoulders to haul him up. Yugi groaned at the pain as he was forced to put weight on his bad leg. Together, they limped toward the ship, leaving a trail of red footprints behind. "Come on!" Anzu was hanging off the side of the caravel, hand outstretched. Ryou passed Yugi up to her, and Yugi grunted as he was yanked onto the deck. Honda vaulted over the side, landing next to him, with Ryou close behind. “All here! Go!” Anzu yelled. In response, the roar of the motors grew louder as the ship pulled away from the dock, its speed disturbing several geese that had settled on the ship. They flew off with a rustle of feathers and offended honks. The four of them hit the deck as more bullets flew over their heads. The Exodia swung ponderously around, the tip of the bow pointing to the horizon. She rumbled like a beast and jerked forward as Jou gunned the engines. None of them relaxed until the sound of the gunshots had faded. Cold wind ruffled Yugi’s hair, a counterpoint to the searing heat burning down his leg. He finally slumped against the deck and let his vision blur around the edges. Movement and voices above him had him forcing his eyes open. “-enough supplies to treat him.” “I should, yeah-” They were talking calmly. Not an emergency, then. "-right, Yugi? Yugi?" That was his name. He turned his head stiffly. "Hmmm?" Anzu had her eyebrow raised. "Don't worry, Anzu, he says. We'll be careful, he says. I won't put myself in harm's way this time, he says. I'm starting to see a pattern here." Yugi was too tired and in too much pain to think of a witty response. "Oops," he grunted. Anzu rolled her eyes. "I was worried about you, airhead. Show some remorse." He shifted so that he could clumsily pat her hand, smearing blood on her fingers. When had he gotten blood on his hand? "We're having a serious conversation later." Maybe the blood had just appeared. That seemed fitting. Pirate captain, can't even keep his hands free of blood. Poetic. Something else was blocking his view of the sky. It looked like a cloud. Clouds were in the sky, though. So what was it? The cloud resolved itself into Ryou's head. Oh. He had come back from wherever he had run off to, only this time he had his kit with him. "Time to sterilize!" he said cheerfully. Yugi groaned into the deck and closed his eyes. He felt the slight weight of a blanket laid over his body and was grateful for the warmth. His hands curled into fists as he felt Ryou prodding at his leg. "How is he?" Jou's voice. He sounded worried. Yugi heard Ryou say something back, but he wasn't paying attention. The deck seemed to be tilting back and forth, although Anzu's hand on his shoulder helped keep him grounded. Grounded. That was funny. When was the last time he had touched the ground? More voices. The weight on his body increased, along with the warmth. Must have brought more blankets. Good. Keeping warm was important, wasn't it? Yugi couldn't remember. He drifted around the sharp throbbing in his leg until the cold prick of a needle with some of their precious anesthetic broke his concentration. Thank you, Ryou. The pain slowly began to drift away, and, exhausted, so did he. The fragments were clean and smooth, without any dents or scuffs to show their age. The teeth of the gears were sharp enough that they could have been made yesterday. Yugi tilted the puzzle piece in his hand, watching the light of the lantern glide around the gold. He squinted, peering into the tiny gap where the gear poked out of the edge, but no matter how he angled the piece, he couldn't see inside. Another mystery.
Art by Sakaruchibi "Shouldn't you be resting?" Yugi looked up from his prone position. Anzu was standing beside his hammock, one hand on her hip. She didn't look impressed. "I am resting!" Yugi gestured to his leg, which was elevated on folded blankets. His left pant leg was pushed up to reveal white bandages wrapped tightly around his calf. "Don't know if playing with that puzzle you got counts as resting, Yug'," Jou put in from the next hammock over. Yugi shifted, glaring in his direction as best he could while lying down. "I'm fine!" As if in response, his leg throbbed dully. "Yugi, you had a fever. You should be sleeping." Yugi waved a hand. "If I have to sit here and try to sleep again, I'll go nuts. It's been three days!" Anzu raised an eyebrow. "What does Ryou say?" "Ryou is happy as long as our captain stays off that leg," Ryou announced without looking up from his medical supplies. Yugi grinned as Anzu sighed. "Looks like the doc's on my side, Anzu. Anyway, how could I resist? Look at these." He gestured to the scattered pieces on the wooden beam next to him. "I guess they are pretty interesting." Anzu dropped to her knees and folded her arms on the side of his hammock. "You don't know what these do?" She reached out, running her finger over one of the gears. It refused to move. "No idea. I can't see inside, either." Anzu reached over to the beam and picked up the largest piece. She swiped her thumb over the eye, tilting it back and forth. "It looks like some sort of artifact, doesn't it? I wonder what shape it makes." "It's a pyramid. You can tell by looking at the corner pieces," Yugi said absently, still studying the gold he was holding. Anzu hummed as she bounced the piece in her hand. "We need to talk about before. You put yourself in harm's way again." Yugi dropped the fragment onto his chest and rubbed a hand over his face. "What do you want me to say?" "Tell us you're not going to do that again," said Jou. "I can't promise that," Yugi shot back. "Can't, or won't?" They all looked over at Ryou, who had raised his head. "We're all capable of protecting ourselves, Yugi." "And I dunno about the rest of you, but I don't feel that great when our captain is the one always throwing himself in front of the bullets," Jou pointed out. Anzu put a hand on his arm. "Yugi, we love you and we don't want to see you hurt again. Let us pick up some of the slack for once." Yugi looked around the room at his friends. He slumped back. "I'll think about it, okay?" "That's all we ask." Satisfied, Anzu drew back and rested her chin back on her arm. Ryou went back to what he was doing, and Jou grinned triumphantly before lying back down onto his hammock and closing his eyes. Yugi sighed and smiled wearily. Why did they all have to gang up on him? Anzu rubbed her finger along the smooth edges of the piece of gold in her hand. "You're going to try to solve it, aren't you." It wasn't a question. Yugi picked up the piece sitting on his chest and held it up to the light. "Yep. I want to see it when it's all put together. We can always sell it if it doesn't do anything interesting." "True." Anzu dropped the jagged shard she had been playing with back with the rest and stood up to stretch. "Well, I'm off to bed. You're still banned from watch duty. Don't stay up too late, dear captain." Yugi smiled at the old endearment. "No promises." That was Anzu, still looking out for him after all these years. She had an accomplice in Jou and the rest of the crew, now. His gaze returned to the golden fragment he was turning over and over in his fingers. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that he would be able to figure out how to solve the puzzle. It had only been a few days, less if he counted the time he had been lucid, but the problem was already tugging at his curiosity, a question to answer, a challenge to resolve. And it had been a long time since Yugi Mutou had backed down from a challenge. A knock sounded from the ceiling. Ryou stood up and started packing his things away. Footsteps on the wooden boards heralded the return of Honda, back from his watch, cheeks flushed from the cold. Ryou brushed past him with a wave to the rest of them, heading up for his own watch. Honda looked around the room. "Did I miss anything?" There was a pause. "Yugi's promised he isn't going to jump in front of bullets for no reason anymore," Honda informed him. Honda considered that. "About time." Yugi rolled his eyes and settled down to sleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Rain pattered far below. Yugi rubbed his gloved thumb across the smooth grip of one of his revolvers as he watched the setting sun light up the huge anvil columns of clouds. Off in the distance, their target glided slowly at cruising altitude, black against the misty yellow sky. The luxury freighter was taking a risk; up at this height, the length of the trip would be much shorter, but the clouds could hide any number of dangers. It was practically an invitation. "All ready?" he asked. "Ready," Anzu confirmed from behind him. "Haga and Ryuzaki are waiting." "Let's go then." Yugi turned to see the two other caravels flying in loose formation behind them. The Exodia would be leading this raid, although the other captains had taken some convincing. They had a solid plan in place and, as long as the other two followed it, they would all be leaving with a share of the freighter's cargo. He crossed the deck and climbed the stairs, limping slightly from the mostly-healed bullet wound. Yugi paused and spared a glance at the sky, eyes tracking to where he knew the five stars of Exodia to be.
Are you watching?
He took his place in the alcove of the helm, right behind the ship's wheel. At his signal, everyone arranged themselves behind the four plasma cannons, their rope harnesses secured and weapons stowed away. Yugi took a breath of the thin air.
Game start.
He turned the wheel, letting the caravel slant to the right. Behind him, the Insect Queen and the Tyrant Dragon copied the move, curving around the approaching cloud column, the only sound being the humming of the engines and the rush of the wind. Yugi's mind was perfectly serene, filled with nothing but the creak of the timbers, the breeze in his ears, and the wide golden sky even as his heartbeat increased. They zigzagged through the air, the sun at their backs and hopefully in the eyes of any of the freighter's watchpeople. Their position wasn't ideal; they would have to break off from the protection of the sun in order to get behind their target. Hopefully, the freighter wouldn't expect a pirate attack this late in the day – Yugi was betting on it. They would have to get this done fast in order to conserve energy; the sun and their source of solar power was going down, and their engines would soon be running on backup power. The days of caravels capable of night raids were over. The black silhouette of the larger ship grew closer as they left the cover of the clouds. Yugi could tell when the freighter had seen them when its speed abruptly increased, the thrum of its engines audible through the sound of wind and rain from below. It tilted to the side in a slow turn. No doubt the crewmembers were rushing to man the cannons before the caravels overtook them. Yugi shoved at the lever on his left and the Exodia's engines, warm from a full day of solar power, cycled to their max, the jets situated on her stern spitting out thin tails of blue fire. The ship sped up, the apparent wind from her increased forward motion rippling the Exodia's gold sunsails. The Queen and the Dragon spread out behind them to avoid the slipstream trailing behind Yugi's ship. They curved around as a pack, pulling ahead of the freighter's turn from above and finally running parallel to its path. Yugi tightened his grip on the wheel and leaned forward, the deck tilting below him as the bow tipped down. Haga and Ryuzaki moved apart even further, flying in two mirrored arches, aiming for the freighter's forward engines on either side. Bang! The first cannon shot cracked through the meditative hum of the engines, and fire bloomed from the side of the freighter. Black smoke began trailing behind it, carried away by the breeze. The two caravels swooped even closer, sending flaming blue shots into the sides of the larger freighter as the Exodia neared the top of their target. Yugi swore to himself as metal groaned, the freighter listing to the side, seemingly irreparably damaged. He yanked at the Exodia's wheel, pulling up higher into the darkening sky and hoping that Haga and Ryuzaki would be smart enough to follow his example. Like a breaching whale, the larger ship continued to turn over, powered by the relatively undamaged engine on its starboard side. The captain was either very brave or very reckless; the maneuver put the engine in clear sight, but also allowed the freighter to shoot back at its attackers. As soon as the cannons running along its side were tilted up, they began firing wildly. Superheated projectiles whistled uncomfortably close, but Yugi had already steered his ship away from the freighter, out of the line of fire. Ryuzaki had been lucky enough to slip down and to the side, but Haga's ship had taken several hits and wobbled in the air as her engines sputtered and gasped. The freighter reversed its roll, slowly turning back upright. Yugi absently noticed the name emblazoned on the side of the larger ship. Cyndia. The Cyndia sped up again, its fuel-based engines having no trouble keeping up the pace. A few cannon shots were aimed at the Dragon, but Ryuzaki had moved up and out of range, heading for the Queen. Yugi gripped the Exodia's wheel and dived. Gravity added to their speed, and they hurtled toward the Cyndia, too fast for the freighter to pull another roll. On the frontmost cannons, Honda and Jou twisted, cottoning on to Yugi's plan just in time for them to aim at the larger ship's remaining forward engine, sending two shots hammering directly into its center. The engine coughed and sputtered, jets of flame flickering out of the vents, and the Cyndia's speed faltered. A warning rumble from the Exodia's own engines had Yugi gritting his teeth. They were nearly out of power, and the sun had almost completely sunk below the horizon. He maneuvered the caravel to sit almost directly on top of the freighter and whistled as loudly as he could, already tugging at the buckles that kept him in place. At the signal, rope harnesses were thrown off and weapons drawn. His friends extricated themselves from the cannons, Honda heading back to the helm. Yugi handed the wheel over to him, and drew his revolvers, jumping down onto the deck proper. Hopefully, Haga and Ryuzaki's crews would join them shortly, and they wouldn't have to fight their way through the whole of the Cyndia's crew alone. Anzu and Jou flanked him as he strode across the deck, Ryou bringing up the rear with his kit. Yugi ignored the stiffness in his calf as he swung himself over the railing, hanging for a moment before dropping down onto the top of the freighter's bridge. His feet clanged onto the metal. It was common for ships like this to have metal tops, to better protect themselves from being boarded by pirates. Yugi smiled. Luckily, they had a trick for that. He backed up as Ryou came forward, digging in the back Honda had packed earlier and pulling out four short pipes, wires pouring out of the ends. He knelt down and set to work. A loud hum to their left drew Yugi's gaze, and he was relieved to see the Dragon pulling up onto the other side of the freighter. He waved an arm and received a raised hand in return. Ryuzaki and Haga's respective crews were crowded against the railings – Ryuzaki must have gathered up as many people he could from the damaged Queen, including its blue-haired captain, to finish the raid. Nearly a dozen pirates altogether landed onto the top of the Cyndia with weapons drawn. They gathered with Yugi's crew at a safe distance, exchanging glances and nods. Finally, Ryou stood up and retreated to mingle with the rest of them, wearing a slightly unsettling grin. A few people turned their heads away. The rush of air was the only sound for a few moments before...
Bang! Ba-Bang!
The four bombs all detonated within a second of each other, lighting their immediate surroundings bright as day. Yugi closed his eyes to avoid the sudden light. The air was filled with the tang of gunpowder before the wind swept the scent and smoke away, leaving behind a hole in the metal. The edges were glowing red hot, but the opening was wide enough to admit several people at once. Yugi strode forward, revolvers at the ready, the rest of the group following. He peered over the edge of the hole but saw only debris and a scorch mark in the wooden floor of the ship's bridge. The crew would have heard the detonation and most likely gathered at the bottom of the freighter to guard the cargo. Yugi turned to look over his shoulder. "Stay together!" he called and caught several nods and Ryuzaki rolling his eyes. Without hesitation, Yugi jumped down through the hole, careful to avoid the still-hot edges. The other captains were quick to drop down beside him, their own weapons at the ready. The front, back, and most of the side walls of the Cyndia's bridge were made of tempered glass panels, giving an unobstructed view of the surrounding sky. Right behind the forward windows, the ship's wheel stood empty. There was a square hole near the back of the room with a ladder attached. Yugi moved forward cautiously and peered over the edge. Nothing. The thumps of feet hitting the floor sounded behind him. The rest of the pirates were jumping down into the bridge, looking around warily. Sword out, Anzu went to join Yugi by the ladder, followed by the rest of his crew. The other captains stayed back, looking at him expectantly. Yugi sighed and grabbed the ladder. If he got himself shot first, he was taking it out of their hides. Grabbing either side of the ladder, he slid down, the space between his shoulder blades itching. He landed on the floor, bending his knees to absorb the sound, and whipped around to survey the room. It was a hallway, lit by lamps at regular intervals and slightly hazy with smoke from the engines. Large tanks of glowing biofuel were placed on either side of the walkway, all the way until the door on the far side. It was empty of people. Yugi looked up and gave a thumbs-up, then pressed a finger to his lips. Receiving a nod, he moved out of the way and waited, letting his crew quietly make their way down one by one, followed by the other two captains and their people. Once everyone was gathered around the ladder, Yugi jerked his head forward, pressing a finger to his lips again. Noise would give away their position. Ryuzaki backed up, and Haga glared at Yugi before hastily stowing his weapons away. He pointed insistently at him before tapping his right index finger with his left thumb. You first. Yugi gave him a look and holstered one of his guns before raising his right hand to the side of his head, curling every finger but his pinkie and mouthing the word. Why? Haga pointed at him, then curled his right hand around the tips of his left fingers and shaking his hands twice before spreading them, palms facing each other. You're the leader. Yugi rolled his eyes. He wasn't anymore keen on getting shot than Haga was, but if he argued, they would be there forever. He stowed his other gun and faced the group. All eyes turned to him. Yugi touched all his fingers to his thumbs and moved them in a small arc from left to right. He then made finger guns, and pulled them backward, curling his index fingers as he did so. Move fast. He pointed at himself, then spread his right hand and swung it until the palm faced out before holding his right fist facing upward, thumb pointing out, and swinging it around. He held his left hand flat, palm facing sideways, and moved his right index finger past it until it pointed diagonally downward. I don’t want any killing. He was greeted with nods, some reluctant, others understanding. Ryuzaki impatiently struck his hands together. Let's go. They headed for the door on silent feet. The wood floors groaned slightly, but the creaking of the surrounding ship and the still-audible coughs of the engines covered up the sound. Yugi reached the door and touched the handle. Twist, and yank. The door swung open, and bullets began flying. "Aim down!" Yugi shouted over his shoulder as he rushed forward, hand catching a crew member's face and shoving him backwards into the floor. The crew of the Cyndia was crowded in the belly of the freighter, some kneeling, others standing, most shooting. Yugi took down several people before surveying the room. They outnumbered the ship's crew by at least five people, he was glad to see. This would be over quickly. The left side of his face exploded under the butt of a sword. Yugi rolled with the blow, stumbling. The person followed him, blade ready. Yugi leapt to the side, grabbing the man's sword hand and bringing his own gun down. The grip struck the man's forearm, and he dropped the sword with a cry of pain. Yugi kept his hold, yanking him forward. A quick blow to the temple brought him down. Half a dozen bodies littered the floor. The rest of the crew was gathered in a group, completely surrounded. Yugi couldn't see the captain anywhere. No matter. "Keep them here," he called across the room at Ryuzaki. The captain nodded irritably. Yugi gestured to his friends, the side of his face throbbing, and turned away to head to the belly of the freighter. The sight that greeted them was somewhat underwhelming. Frames and canvases were stacked neatly against each other, roped securely against the wall and littered with debris. A few were singed, no doubt damaged from the cannon shots that had blown holes in the side of the freighter. At the far side of the room, a large, carefully painted portrait of a blonde woman in a blue dress was displayed prominently. Yugi didn't recognize her. "Paintings?" Haga had followed them down, barely hiding his disappointment. "Yeah," Yugi said, putting his revolver back in its holster. "There are probably buyers on the black market," Anzu pointed out, and Yugi nodded. "Let's start loading this stuff up." The stars were out by the time they reached the Cyndia's bridge, loaded down with paintings. The majority of Ryuzaki's people were still watching the freighter's crew, while everyone else counted, divided up, and hauled the cargo. Yugi was sweating by the time they had piled it all in the bridge. He could feel his pulse throbbing in the side of his face and wounded calf, and the cool night air was a welcome relief. "Who knew art was this heavy," Jou grumbled, and Yugi quirked a smile while he passed canvases up through the jagged hole in the top of the ship. The largest portrait was the last, and it took some maneuvering and a good deal of swearing to fit it through the opening. Anzu leaned over the rim of the hole as soon as the portrait was stowed away, offering a hand. Yugi grabbed it and pulled himself up, scanning their surroundings. The thunderclouds were now black against the dim sky, hiding the stars and who knew what else. They had to leave before someone else pulled the same trick on them this time. Yugi exchanged a few words with Haga and Ryuzaki, who had both climbed out of the freighter. They were as eager to leave as he was. He collected his friends with a glance and a wave and turned his back, climbing back onto his ship and accepting the wheel from Honda with a tired nod. They all left in different directions, to better throw off any pursuit. The Cyndia was left adrift, forward engines disabled. She would float until the crew thought to limit the power to the antigravs, letting the freighter slowly glide to the surface. After that, Yugi doubted she would be back in the air anytime soon. Antigrav engines were designed to work in open air. It was hard enough to get even a lightweight caravel off the ground. He put the engines on low power and let the Exodia meander through the sky, dipping and curving around the nighttime wind currents. The moon watched from above, cold and silent. The raid had been a success. They had left with something to sell, and no one had died. His hammock was waiting for him belowdecks. Yugi turned his gaze to the constellation of Exodia and closed his eyes.
Thank you,
Jii
-chan.
Yugi squinted. The skyport was crowded with the noontime rush of both birds and people, the cacophony of voices audible from all the way over by the piers. With Anzu watching the ship, the rest of them wound their way through the throng, Jou in the lead to jostle people out of the way. They skirted around a particularly zealous vendor shouting his wares into the crowd and headed deeper into the port, following a long-memorized route. The buildings became taller as they reached the next street, the crush of people disappearing until there were only a few walking around outside. Nobody bothered them as they meandered through the space, seemingly lost until they were turning into the alley between two buildings, traipsing down the stairs one by one. The door at the bottom was closed, but unlocked, and it glided open on smoothly-oiled hinges. At the sound of their footsteps, the person behind the desk looked up from his appraising and grinned, dark hair spilling into his face. "Welcome back." "Hey Ryuji," Jou nodded at him as they all stepped forward, taking their usual seats. "How's business?" Yugi asked when he got settled. "Slow," Ryuji admitted, rolling his shoulders with a grimace. "But I've got a feeling you're about to change that. The raid went well?" Yugi grinned. "Thanks to your info, yeah. We've got a full load of something you'll like, I think." "Oh?" Ryuji leaned forward. "What did you find?" "Paintings. Lots of them. You can work with that, right?" A gleam of interest entered his eye. "Just watch me." "You'll take them, then?" "Yeah. There's a good market for art right now. I'll have to check the paintings out myself to see what I can sell them for, but I'll definitely buy them off you." Ryuji pulled a book from under his desk and began leafing through it. "You're docked in the usual place?" "Yeah," Yugi nodded. "We'll help your people unload the stock." Ryuji sighed dramatically. "Still don't trust me alone with Exodia? C'mon, Yugi, when are you going to let me check out that beautiful ship of yours?" Yugi rolled his eyes. "When the sun turns blue, Ryuji. She's not for sale." "All right, all right," Ryuji said good-naturedly. He narrowed his eyes at the page he was reading. "Say, you wouldn't have happened to come across anything unusual in that freighter, right?" Yugi blinked. "Unusual?" "Anything with this symbol, I mean?" Ryuji pulled a separate leaf of paper out of the book and set it on the desk, watching as they all leaned forward to look at it. Yugi raised his eyebrows. Sketched onto the page was a loose drawing of an eye, one that Yugi was intimately acquainted with from hours of frustration. It was the same eye that was carved into the largest piece of his puzzle. He glanced next to him and met Jou's eyes. Jou shrugged at him. "We didn't find anything like that during the raid." Yugi told Ryuji, who shook his head. "Didn't think so. Either way, I thought I'd ask." He picked up the sketch and started folding it. "If you ever find something with this eye on it, I'll buy it off you for a good price." He handed the paper to Yugi. "Take it, I've plenty of copies." Yugi took the sketch without looking at it and stuffed it in his pocket. "Thanks. I'll keep an eye out." He stood up from his chair. "We'll see you later." "Always good doing business with you, Captain." The four made to head out, stopping only when Yugi turned back. "By the way," he said as nonchalantly as he could. "What makes that symbol so valuable?" Ryuji blinked. "The eye, you mean? Someone put the word out a little while ago that they would be willing to pay for stuff with that symbol on it. Art, weapons, jewelry, pretty much anything." "Someone?" Ryuji waved a hand. "Some captain with a fancy name. Al-Saqr, I think. One of the old pirate families. His ship's been hanging around here lately. Why?" "Just curious," Yugi said hastily. "Thanks, Ryuji." "Anytime." Yugi's mind was buzzing. He had been distracted and quiet the whole way back to the ship, earning some speculative looks from his friends, but no one questioned him when he stopped beside their ship and murmured that he would be back before turning around and disappearing right back into the crowd. His wandering led him farther down the docks, still packed with caravels and bristling with masts covered in colorful sunsails. People still shouted and shoved through the crowd of their own making. Yugi pushed through. He stopped at a bar and leaned against the wall, absently watching the crowd move back and forth. Someone was looking for the eye symbol, the same one that was on his puzzle. The captain Yugi had won it off of had implied that there were some sort of rumors attached to it, but Yugi had been distracted. He should have asked more, should have kept him talking, but the challenge had been too tempting. Damn it. It didn't matter now. Yugi had the puzzle, and that was that. He would solve it, maybe, and see what it did, and then probably sell it for enough money to keep him and his crew going for months, and spare no further thought on who this mysterious searcher was. Or he could seek him out and get his questions answered, and then... Then what? Satisfy his curiosity, and probably reveal that he owned the puzzle? Show his hand, and hope that the captain would leave him alone? Not likely. But then, who else would buy it? Ryuji had said that this person was willing to pay for whatever had the eye on it. Yugi doubted he would get a better price from someone else. Whatever it meant, the eye symbol had some sort of significance and that, paired with the hefty sum he could demand for so much gold, would leave him with plenty of money. Enough to buy more supplies, better weapons, a replacement for the one antigrav that always gave them so much trouble. They had been relatively lucky, so far, with no serious repairs needed for the Exodia. Yugi liked to attribute part of it to his frankly expert flying, but everyone's luck ran out eventually. Was it worth it, then? Giving up the puzzle for money? Yugi grumbled to himself. Why was adult life so difficult? He was about to push off the wall and head back to his ship when he caught sight of something that set off an alarm in his mind. He could've sworn he had just seen... There. The eye that someone was making such a fuss over, stenciled on a cloth and tied around someone's arm. Without thinking, Yugi slipped to the side, keeping the eye in his sight. He edged closer. The person – red and gold ponytail, maybe Yugi's height or below – started moving, and Yugi sped up, ducking and dodging through the people. He lost sight of them a few times, but the red cloth always reappeared, moving purposefully. He barely noticed when the street grew emptier as they both moved away from the docks. Yugi rounded a corner and stopped when he came practically nose to nose with a pair of red eyes. He recoiled, putting a few steps of distance between them. The person rested a hand on his hip warningly, where Yugi belatedly noticed a long, curved sabre. "Why are you following me?" Yugi stared. "Your arm," he blurted out, and resisted the urge to just invite the person to disembowel him. The man blinked at him. "My arm?" Yugi shook his head. "Never mind. Forget it." Damn it, why was he caught so off guard? He turned to leave, missing the sudden comprehension that dawned in the person's eyes, and nearly jumped out of his boots when his upper arm was gripped tightly. The man's eyes flicked down to where Yugi's hand had automatically rested on one of his guns before meeting his gaze again. "The eye?" he asked. "You know it?" Well, it was too late to back off now. "I've seen it around," Yugi said vaguely, guarded. "Where?" "Around, I said." Yugi wormed his arm out of the man's grip and stepped back. "Someone showed me a drawing. Said some captain was looking for it. Al- something." The man puffed up, offended. "Al-Saqr." "Yeah, that." "Well," the man said, "if you don't have any information, I have no use for you." Damn, this guy was annoying. "Wait a minute," Yugi said, the realization dawning. "You're him. Al-Saqr. The captain." The man – Al-Saqr – nodded, already dismissing him. Yugi felt a surge of irritation and couldn't resist the urge to poke at him. "What's it to you, anyway?" "Never mind," the man muttered before stepping to the side and walking past him. "Hey!" Yugi followed. "I asked you a question." He didn't get an answer as the man stalked down the street, heading for the docks. Yugi caught up, walking beside him. "Why's it so important?" he asked again. The captain ignored him, plunging into the crowd, and Yugi followed, determined. Keeping that red hair in sight was harder than he thought it would be. Yugi dodged around people, doing his best to shoulder his way through. It was gratifying to see that Al-Saqr was having just as much trouble. No matter how high and mighty he acted, he was still shorter than most people. They eventually ended up right by the docked ships, Yugi almost jogging just to keep up. The other captain was heading straight for one of the larger caravels, its flawless red sunsails standing tall and proud. Despite himself, Yugi felt a twinge of jealousy and immediately pushed it away. His own ship was visibly welded together from different parts, golden sunsails patched and a bit faded, a far cry from the sleek design of the red-sailed one in front of him – the Slifer, Yugi noticed. Whatever. The Exodia was a beauty all her own, an intricate puzzle, and no other ship was going to show her up. Al-Saqr whirled around and distracted, Yugi almost ran into him. "Stop following me," the other captain snapped. Yugi felt his hackles rise. "You never answered my question," he shot back, crossing his arms. Al-Saqr squinted at him. "Why's this eye thing so important?" The captain sighed. "It's my family's. You've never heard of us?" Yugi shook his head, and the other captain muttered something that sounded a lot like "typical". "Well, if you ever see it, I will pay a good price for whatever you find. Especially if it's made of gold." Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good idea? Telling people you have money? Telling pirates?" The man scoffed. "Pirates have their own code of honor. Only the worst of them would attack their fellows without provocation." In Yugi's experience, that wasn't how life worked, but he wasn't about to burst this captain's bubble. "So it's your family's symbol?" Al-Saqr drew himself up. "I come from a long line of pirates. We had an empire, back in the old days." Now that he thought about it, Yugi vaguely remembered hearing something about the great pirate captains in times gone by. "You don't now, though," he couldn't resist pointing out. The man lowered his gaze. "No." They stood there for a moment, silent, before Al-Saqr looked back at him. "Satisfied?" "I guess." And he was, before something Al-Saqr had said before caught his attention. "You'd pay more if it was gold?" "Yes. Anything gold, especially with the eye on it. Especially anything in the shape of a pyramid." Yugi didn't know what sort of expression he made, but it caused red eyes to suddenly drill into his. The other captain stepped forward. "You know something." He fought to keep his voice innocently confused. "Do I?" "Your face says so." The man lunged forward and caught his arm again, grip edging on desperate. "Well, I say otherwise," Yugi said, annoyed, and tried to free himself, but Al-Saqr's grip wasn't budging. He huffed out a breath. "Let go." "What do you know?" "I told you I don't know anything, now let go or you'll regret it." The other captain's grip loosened, and he was able to step away, Al-Saqr's eyes following his every move. "Tell me." Yugi rolled his eyes even as his gut tightened. "I saw some person with a bunch of puzzle pieces. One of them had an eye on it." "Who was it? Where did you see them?" The man leaned closer, seemingly unaware he was doing it. "Someone at one of the pirate docks. A captain-" He was about to started describing the captain he won it from when something else caught his attention. "-ou! Mutou!" Speak of the fucking devil. Shit. He had to leave. Yugi started edging away. "I should go..." "Wait-" Yugi turned, but it was too late. The captain he had won the puzzle from had shoved through the throng of people and was storming over. Shit shit shit, he had to go before the man gave anything away. Luck seemed to be laughing at him however, because the man immediately began shouting. "You took my puzzle, Mutou, you son of a bitch!" There was an intake of breath behind Yugi. "You-" Yugi didn’t stop to see what he would say next. He took no shame in spinning on his heel, dodging passerby, and running away as fast as he could. This was just not his day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Atem, not for the first time, cursed his short stature as he pushed through the crush of people, eyes tracking wildly for a head of black and blonde. It was no use. He had lost him. The man had had the puzzle, and Atem had lost him. At least he had a name. Mutou, the other captain had called him. Atem shook his head and swore again for good measure. He could ask around for information, but there was no guarantee that anything would come up. There were plenty of ambitious, would-be pirates flying around, too many to keep track of. They were usually caught and arrested in the first few months, anyway, and that was really what he was worried about. Just the thought of his family's artifact falling into the wrong hands made him clench his teeth. As if it weren't in the wrong hands already. He turned and stalked back to the Slifer, mind already running through every available option. The puzzle could be recovered if Mutou was an established pirate, if he could be tracked, if Seto had information on him, if, if, if. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and blew out a frustrated breath as a voice sounded above him. "Now, what was that?" He looked up. "Mai. What are you doing here?" "Just checking the engines again, hon." She leaned farther against the ship's railing. "I see you're making friends." Atem almost stumbled over his words. "He was not a friend. And I told you to stop calling me that." He put a note of warning in his voice. Mai airily waved a hand, unfazed. "You'll get used to it eventually. I mean, it's not like you can kick me off the ship. After all," she said, "you never know when a storm will pop up out of nowhere!" As much as it annoyed him, Atem had to agree. They needed her skills in repairing the caravel. Plus, Isis would never forgive him if he got rid of Mai. "How is the ship?" Mai rested her elbow on the railing and the playfulness dropped from her voice until she sounded like someone he could actually trust to look after the Slifer. "The antigravs should be fine, but the sunsails need to be re-secured, and one of the solar cells is starting to go bad. We need more hydrogen for the cannons as well." Atem nodded. "Mahaad is getting supplies already. I'll take care of the cell, if you can secure the sails. That won't be a problem, will it?" "Of course not, don't worry about me! After all," a sly glint appeared in her eyes, "I can actually reach the ropes without a box to stand on." Atem rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you're hilarious." Where the hell was the respect he was due as captain? "I'll see you later." Her light laughter followed him as he marched off, thoughts turning back to the captain who had run away. It didn't matter where he went. Atem would find him and take his family's artifact back. And then he would use it to finally reclaim the treasures that had been lost to time. Seto scowled. "You what me to find one ship out of the hundreds flying around? Do you know how long that could take? I have better things to do, you know." "This is important," Atem insisted. "I know Mutou docked here recently, he's probably still here. Can't you ask around?" "And what happens when he hears you're looking for him and runs away? I can't track him through open sky." Atem tapped his fingers on the polished surface of the table. "Tell whoever you ask that someone is looking to partner up with him. He's not well known to either of us, he must not have established any standing alliances. He'll probably be looking for something more permanent. We can use that." "You know what it's going to look like when you just attack him out of the blue." "He's wrong, Seto," Atem leaned forward. "He has something that belongs to our family! That alone breaks his code of honor." He lifted his chin. "I have a right to do this." "Whatever." Seto went back to his papers. "Don't come crying to me when your reputation takes a dive." "It won't," he promised. "Fine. I'll ask around for information, but I can't promise any more than that." "That's enough, thank you," Atem said, rising to his feet and touching the sword that hung on his hip. "I have a plan for the rest." He bid his cousin goodbye and left the room, footsteps sure and confident. Mahaad was waiting for him in the hallway, the taller man falling into step next to him. "Got everything?" Atem asked, mind already far away from the mundane reality of securing supplies for their ship. He nodded absently at Mahaad's confirmation and squinted as they stepped into daylight. Atem paused as Mahaad gripped his arm. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" His voice was quiet in deference to the risk of listening ears, but firm. Atem sighed. "Come on." He led him to the side of the building, out of the street, and forced himself to stop chewing on his lip. Mahaad crossed his arms as he faced him, eyebrows raised. "I think I've found a way to get to my family's treasure," Atem said without preamble. He appreciated the slight widening of the other man's eyes, the only sign of his surprise. "I met another captain. He wanted to know about the Millennium Eye." Atem lowered his gaze. "I didn't think anything of it at first, but I found out that he's in possession of the puzzle. I have Seto getting information on him right now, but I don't know if he'll find anything." He looked back up at Mahaad. "This might be it, though. I could-" "Are you sure about this?" Mahaad interrupted. Well, at least he was being straightforward about his misgivings. "You know-" he cut himself off. "Atem," his voice was gentle. "You know what happened to your family." "I know," Atem said simply. "I know." He shook his head. "But I can't let this go. This is important. The things we could do once we find what was hidden away..." Mahaad still looked skeptical. "I've told you how I feel about this. This isn't good for you." "I'm sorry, old friend. But this could change everything. Not only for us, but for every pirate. We could bring back the past-" Atem cut himself off. This wasn't the time for an argument. "I'm not going to change my mind." "I didn't think you would." A small, defeated smile tugged at Mahaad's lips. "But I had to check." Atem gave in to the temptation to roll his eyes, sending his mind back to their old childhood spats for a brief moment. "Naturally." "Well, then." Mahaad straightened up. "Let's go see if Mai has anything else for us." Atem trailed after him as he turned to leave but stopped as Isis appeared in front of them both. "Mahaad. Atem." She greeted. "Isis." Atem pushed forward. "How is the ship?" "Everything's fine," she assured him. "Mai has the sails secured, and wanted to know what was taking so long." Of course she did. "Is there problem?" "No problem, but we'll be staying here for longer than anticipated. I have Seto looking into something for me." Isis gave him a long look. "I presume you'll tell us what it is when it becomes relevant." It wasn't a question. "I will," Atem promised. "Just give me time." It took a surprisingly short time for Seto to get back to him with information. Atem had been back at the Slifer, slotting in the new solar cell and fending off questions from Mana when the messenger came - a shifty looking person no doubt hired for that express purpose. He and Mahaad, with Mana tagging along despite his protests, were led to a different street in the port than the one Seto used to do business. The buildings here were shabbier, the timbers older, and the people more suspicious looking. Atem was relieved when they finally made it to a door - he wasn't in the mood for waiting, and this strange behavior was making him impatient. They pushed inside to find an office, with Seto sitting by a desk with a dark-haired man eyeing them warily as they entered. "Who is this?" Atem maneuvered his way through the scattered chairs until he reached the desk, taking a seat. "An acquaintance," Seto said shortly. The man behind the desk inclined his head, lined green eyes looking Atem up and down. "Kaiba and I know each other through our work. Call me Otogi." He set his elbows on his desk, a faintly coy smile on his face. "Now, what can I do for you?" "We're looking for a pirate captain named Mutou," Atem began, but Otogi waved his hand. "Yeah, I know about that. What do you want with him?" "A... partnership." Atem could hear Mana shifting behind him, no doubt dying from curiosity. Seto was still and impatient next to him. "I want to talk to him in person." "Why is it so important? I could just send a message when he comes back to the dock, y'know." Atem shook his head. "It will be easiest to talk to him directly." "Hmmm." Otogi stroked his chin. "I really shouldn't give out the whereabouts of my clients, you understand. There's a certain element of confidentiality involved in our line of business." "Of course," Atem agreed. "But I doubt he is around for you to send a message to meet up with me. It would be much faster for me to go to his location." Otogi hummed thoughtfully, eyes tracking back and forth between all four of them. "I don't know..." "This is to the benefit of both of us, I assure you," Atem pressed. "Or does he have any other prospects lined up? Any other jobs, even?" He knew he had him when Otogi narrowed his eyes. "You seem pretty adamant that you'll be able to help him out," he said, but Atem could tell he was coming around to the idea. Just one more push... "Mutou is a fellow pirate, and an honorable one, from what I hear." Atem seriously doubted that that was the case, but there was no reason for him to reveal his thoughts. No honorable pirate would take what belonged to him. "Is it so strange that we would want to form a partnership with him?" "I guess not." Otogi watched him for a few moments, but Atem kept his face impassive. "If that is all," Seto's voice cut in, brusque, "I would appreciate if we wrapped this up." "Right." Otogi reached under the desk and rifled for a bit before pulling out a long, folded piece of paper. It rustled as he smoothed it out, edges flopping over the sides of the desk. "I last heard that he and his crew were heading to the main steppes, near the mountains." He brushed a finger across an area of the map. "I think they'll be hunting for the smaller supply ships for a while. Take care not to sneak up on them - the Exodia packs a punch." Otogi's mouth twisted briefly, as if acknowledging some private joke. Atem nodded, eyes on the map, memorizing the route. "I understand. Thank you." He stood up, followed by the other three. "I will let you go back to your work." "Nice doing business with you. Tell Yugi I said hi, won't you?" "I will... do that." At least Mana had the good sense to wait until they made it back to the Slifer to pounce on him. Mai had materialized at some point, Isis next to her, obviously having told Mai that something was happening. "So? What was that about? Are we seriously partnering up with another captain?" "No, we're not." Atem paused for a moment, finding the words. "He has stolen something, one of my family's artifacts. I need to retrieve it, in any way I can." "Wait," Mana's nose scrunched up, and Atem could feel twin judging looks from Isis and Mai. Those two were spending far too much time together. "We're actually attacking another captain? I thought that wasn't allowed?" "It's not permitted unless the attacking party was provoked. He stole my family's puzzle, I'm merely taking it back," Atem said firmly. "Don't you think you're taking this a little personally?" Mai put in. "Besides, how are we going to fight another ship without taking heavy damage? I can't fix everything in open air, y'know." Isis said nothing, but she didn't refute Mai's words, eyes fixed on Atem, waiting. "It is personal." Atem found himself stepping forward, trying to get her to understand, to see. "The puzzle, and the treasure it leads to, belongs to me, Mai. I can't just let that go; it means too much." He doubted she would understand. It's not like she ever had a family of her own. "I understand," Isis said reluctantly and, after a moment, Mahaad nodded as well. "You're sure this will lead to your family's treasure?" "I'm positive. Once we get the puzzle, everything will fall into place. And besides, we won't be alone." "What do you mean?" Mai seemed uncertain now, searching. "You'll see," Atem said. "I'll be back."
The bottom of the dock was a dark place, smoky and warm from the giant antigravs keeping it aloft. Atem could see through the cracks in the wood floors to the ground far, far below. He wove his way down through the mess of staircases and catwalks, searching for what he knew would be there. The sound of shouting drew him forward, the clash of metal punctuating the noise. He strode through a long room with barrels lined up on one side, turned a corner, and found a large, squat room crowded with pirates, all standing in a circle around the center. In the clear space of floor were three fighters, all with swords and all trying to make the others bleed. As he watched, one of the pirates managed to knock her opponent out of the ring with a well-placed boot to the gut, turning to slash wildly at the third person charging at her from behind. They ducked and followed through with a stab, managing to nick her side before she slipped away. Atem walked around the outside of the crowd as the two continued to fight, pausing as he came to a gap in the circle. The second fighter had managed to open up a cut on the other's wrist, enough to disable the hand, from what he could see. The fight would be over soon. He checked his gear, making sure that none of it would be a hindrance. His sabre was newly sharpened and ready to draw blood, his hair pulled back and out of his eyes and sleeves rolled up. The cheers and jeers grew louder as one of the fighters bowed out of the fight, bleeding from several long cuts and limping heavily. The other one held up her arms in victory with a loud whoop, breathing hard. She called for another opponent. There was no movement for a few moments and her grin grew wider as the shouting began to die down. Atem stepped forward into the ring, his sword out and gleaming, and the cheering started anew. Pirates were jostling to the edge of the ring, trying to get a good look. Atem took slow steps, spinning his sabre expertly in his hand, keeping his wrist loose. He eyed his opponent, who watched him right back as they circled each other. Rocking forward, Atem struck downward. His opponent blocked him, whipping her cutlass around to slice his torso. He danced away, slashing his sabre upward at her wrist. With a twist, her blade met his own and they shoved each other away. They struck back and forth for a few moments, metal clashing against metal. The other fighter twirled her sword after a block, trying to gash his forearm. He managed to block the blow with a spin, the hideous screeching of their blades burning in his ears. His luck didn't hold out. With another twist, she slashed again, and then hot liquid was dripping down his arm. She tried to press her advantage, rushing forward into his face, but there he saw an opportunity. Atem lunged into her open stance, bringing his sword up in an arc. She sliced at his fingers, but he had already scored a long cut across her face, blood dripping into her eye. He shuffled back, sword ready, and struck again. The fight was short, after that. Cuts appeared on both of their arms, but Atem managed to slice into her leg, bright red joining the old bloodstains that spattered the ground. The crowd roared as he flicked his sabre, the blood flying off from the force, and she stumbled out of the circle. The next few opponents he made quick work of, leaving them all with a round of new scars and gaining a few more grazes himself. The cheering continued with each new challenger defeated. He was barely breathing hard when the line of opponents stopped. Atem sheathed his sword when no one else would step into the ring at his invitation. He left the circle, pirates parting to let him pass. People were beginning to mutter to their neighbors already, appraising eyes on him as he crossed the floor. There was, of course, a bar off to the side of the room. He pulled up a chair, asked for a cup of water, and waited. This wouldn't take long. The first person to approach him was a tall man with a bandana covering his hair, flanked by three others. He sat right next to Atem, who shifted his elbow away for personal space. The other three pirates arranged themselves nearby. "Hell of a fight," the man started, gesturing at the superficial cuts that now decorated Atem's forearms. Atem watched him, taking a sip of his water, before nodding. "Thanks." "You looking to be hired sometime?" Atem's mouth quirked up. "I actually have my own crew." The man grinned at him. Atem found himself already disliking him. "That's a real shame. The name's Keith." Keith stuck out a hand and, after a moment, Atem shook it. "Atem Al-Saqr." "Fancy name. Well, Atem, I'm a pretty fair captain, if I say so myself. If you and your men ever want to team up with some real fighters, let me know. We could use another ship." "Actually," Atem said, putting down his cup. "I'm looking for some assistance right now. If you would like to help me out, I'm sure I can come up with a suitable reward." "Yeah?" The captain's eyes gleamed, greedy. "And what sort of job are we talking? You need some muscle?" "Something like that. Another captain has taken something that has... personal significance. I'm trying to get it back." "Oh, we're great at persuading people. Right, boys?" Keith turned to the three people next to him, who all nodded quickly. "We'll get you your thing back. What is it, anyway?" Atem straightened up. "Something that leads to my family's treasure. A puzzle, made of gold. I need to get it back." "Treasure, huh? Sounds...important." "It is," Atem said. "Will you help me?" Keith threw back his head and laughed obnoxiously. "Oh yeah! Wouldn't want to keep the treasure waiting! I'll make a deal with you, Atem." He leaned forward as if sharing a secret. "We'll show this guy the error of his ways, and then we can... negotiate payment. Sound good?" "That sounds fine. Now," Atem stood up from his seat. "Shall we?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Click.
Yugi stared at the gold he was holding. The last piece of the puzzle had slid into place with a tiny sound, but nothing else had happened. He hefted it in his hands, watching the metal glimmer. Shaking it didn't do anything either, and he couldn't hear any loose parts rattling around. He scraped at the surface with his fingernail, but the edges were completely smooth. Why was this what Al-Saqr wanted so badly? It was valuable gold, yes, but the captain's expression had been nigh on desperate when he had demanded information. There had to be something more to it. The puzzle was obviously some sort of machine, but how would he activate it? "Finished it," he called softly, just because. A tired hum came from another hammock. "...do anything?" Anzu yawned. "Nope." "Hmmm. We can still sell it." "Yeah," Yugi murmured, and after a moment of thought, put the puzzle away. Maybe if he slept on the problem, he could try again in the morning. Unfortunately, the arrival of the sun did not herald a solution. After his morning watch, Yugi found himself back belowdecks, pressing on the surface of the gold to see if that would activate it. It remained stubbornly inanimate. With a sigh he set the puzzle on the table with a thunk and rubbed his hands over his eyes. Well, what had he expected? The puzzle was just another artifact, pretty to look at, yes, but ultimately useless. At least now he could sell it and buy supplies without having to worry about their budget. Briefly, Yugi considered tracking down Al-Saqr and selling the puzzle to him, but he quelled that idea. He doubted the other captain would be friendly to him, based on how their last and only interaction had gone. If all else failed, he could just sell it to Ryuji as a hunk of gold and hope that he would get a good sum of money for it. Ryuji had said he would buy anything with the eye symbol on it, hadn't he? He could sell it to Ryuji, and then Ryuji would sell it to Al-Saqr, and everyone walked away happy. Yugi had his curiosity satisfied and Al-Saqr got his damn pyramid. Simple, if not straightforward. He picked up the pyramid and crossed the room to shove it into the bag hanging next to his hammock. At least he could say that he solved it, unlike its previous owner. Another game won by Captain Yugi Mutou. Stretching out his spine, he was debating the merits of a late breakfast when his thoughts were interrupted. "Yugi!" Honda's voice, sounding from the open trapdoor in the ceiling. Yugi furrowed his brow but headed for the ladder underneath it. "What?" he called up, mind running through everything that could have gone wrong. Maybe they had caught sight of a supply ship to rob? "Caravels," Honda said simply. "Looks like they're heading for us." Why would they be heading for the Exodia? Usually only pirates flew in caravels, and Yugi hadn't provoked anyone lately. "I'll be up." He grabbed his revolvers where they were lying on the table and secured the belt around his waist. It never hurt to be careful. There were indeed pirates heading for their caravel. There was also a single ship among the other four with bright red sunsails. Yugi's stomach lurched. He wouldn't. This had to be against his code of honor! The others were starting to look worried when Yugi remained silent, glaring at the ships as if he could set them on fire with the sheer force of his gaze. Yugi whipped around. "They're attacking us," he seethed. "Get to the cannons." "Attacking us?" Jou said. "What for?" Yugi growled. "It's about the puzzle. This Al-Saqr wants it badly, and I doubt he would bring friends with him if he was just going to talk." He broke off and headed for the ship's wheel. "Everyone prepare for a fight!" He grabbed for the rope and tied himself down. This could get ugly. Jou looked like he very much wanted to know more, but he ran for the forward starboard gun as the rest of them found their positions. Yugi didn't bother trying to outrun their attackers. The Exodia was a good ship and packed plenty of firepower, but speed wasn't her strong suit. Instead, he pulled her into a graceful turn, facing their attackers before jetting forward. Her plasma cannons should be powerful enough to reach the other caravels before she came into range of their weapons. His hands tightened on the wheel as the ships on either side of the formation split to either side, moving to flank the Exodia. Dammit. Fighting just got a whole lot harder. He jerked the wheel to the side, heading to intersect with the rightmost ship. If they truly were outmatched, he wasn't going to go down without taking at least one of these damn caravels with him. The caravel fired at them, but the shots fell just barely too short, their blue flames fizzling out as they plummeted. Any lingering reservations Yugi had about attacking fell by the wayside. He whistled through his teeth and, almost before he did, Jou and Honda fired. The cannons roared. They all watched as one of the shots missed, the other glancing off the side of the ship and causing it to shudder. The Exodia turned again, broadside, and another one of their cannons launched a flaming shot that ripped into the hull of the ship, causing another falter. They were given no time to celebrate the hit. A loud report sounded over the wind, and a cannon burst flashed past the Exodia, leaving a streak of color over Yugi's vision. He yanked at the ship's wheel, tense, as another set of cannons bellowed. Bang! Splinters of wood showered down onto the deck. Their mast had been hit. A lucky shot. The mast groaned, beginning to tilt in the wind with a half circle burnt out of its side. Translucent blue flames flickered over their main sunsail, the fabric crackling and popping. Yugi could hear the engines stutter, and pulled the lever next to the ship's wheel to ease off on the power. He didn't notice the first caravel had drawn close enough until it fired. A flaming blue projectile whistled past, but the second shot blasted a hole somewhere down below, the shockwave throwing him to the left. Yugi held his breath as he righted himself, but their caravel didn't wobble in the air. Must have missed the antigravs. Red sails appeared in his vision. The Slifer.
All right, you bastard. Let's see what you have for us.
Twin cannons fired, the blue fire of the shots almost invisible against the sky. Yugi could have cheered when one of their shots connected, the flaming projectile tearing a furrow along the side of the Slifer. With the creak of groaning metal, one of the solar cells peeled off, tumbling against the hull and falling down, down. The other caravels hit their stride, and shots began whizzing past the Exodia, knocking off bits of wood and twists of metal that spun violently in the air from the force. In desperation, Yugi braced his weight and tugged at the wheel, the wind from the passing cannon blasts whipping against his face. The caravel tilted upward, trailing pieces of wood. The mast groaned weakly. If they could get high enough, the cannons of the other ships wouldn't be able to reach them. Maybe they could escape that way. More wood splintered, and an explosion ripped through the air, hot enough that Yugi could feel the heat on the back of his head. His harness was the only thing that kept him upright as the deck trembled. One of their forward engines was down. The Exodia grumbled and shuddered, starting to slide backwards before Yugi could scrabble for the lever. The remaining two engines whined as they took up the strain. He pushed them to their max, hoping against hope. He whistled again, and all four of his friends began raining hell down onto their attackers. At least two shots connected. They all reloaded with practiced motions, and, despite himself, Yugi felt a surge of pride. Maybe they could do this. Three of the caravels had all began circling upward, chasing them into the sky. The Exodia was slower than usual with one of her engines down, and the other ships crowded against her, unable to fire upward but unwilling to give up the fight. Yugi noted with surprise that the Slifer and another ship were both hanging back, but he put it out of his mind. He had enough to worry about. Their assailants were in the perfect position for the Exodia's cannons to hit them, and Yugi's crew took full advantage. The shots crashed through wood and metal, the caravels shoved to the side from the impacts. He saw with relief that they were starting to lag behind, either from damage or wariness of the Exodia's firepower. His caravel crested a cloud and continued upward. Yugi's cough took him by surprise. The air was getting thinner. They couldn't rise up much farther without risking lung damage. He reluctantly leveled out, weaving his ship through the wind currents to take strain off the engines. His hands were numb from gripping the wheel so tightly. Up here the sky was deceptively peaceful, the cloud underneath them blocking out all sight of their attackers. He waited, breathing hard. The first mast breached the top of the cloud, and Ryou fired. A crack, and the ship stalled, but more masts continued to rise up around them. They were surrounded. His friends continued to fire on the attacking caravels, he was proud to see, but it was useless. There were too many, and they had to be running out of stocked ammunition at this point. Yugi tilted the Exodia upward again, but he knew it was hopeless. Either the antigravs would fail in the continuously thinning air, or their lungs would give out. Even now he could feel the strain in his chest. It was over. "Abandon ship!" His voice was raw in his throat, and the wind swept his shout away. He ripped at the ropes holding him in place, stumbling past the ship's wheel onto the main deck. "Abandon ship!" The words tasted of defeat. He tried to whistle, but he couldn't wet his lips. Anzu was the first person he reached. He touched her shoulder and she turned, startled. "Yugi?" "We have to get out of here," he croaked, and her face firmed. She didn't argue. "Could you...?" She nodded and sounded out a three-note whistle that none of them had ever heard in battle before. The caravel vibrated, and blue fire exploded underneath. He and Anzu clutched at each other as they tripped toward the center of the deck. The other three met them there. "What do we do?" "The sailboards," Yugi said over the sound of the cannons, and the rest of them nodded. "Meet up at the nearest dock. Should be to the east. I'll take care of our friends here." As he spoke, the Exodia wobbled in the air. The antigravs were faltering. "Be safe." Jou's voice was hard. "Yes." Yugi turned his back and ran for the trapdoor. Belowdecks was breezy, several ragged holes torn into the hull. Yugi lurched his way past their hammocks, heading for the stern. On a whim, he paused at his own and took the puzzle out of the hanging bag, tucking it into a deep pocket. Maybe they could sell it for another ship, maybe... He shook the thought away. Now was not the time. The engine room was burning yellow and blue, the smoke thick. Yugi covered his mouth with his sleeve, squinting through the haze. He found what he was looking for after a moment of fumbling. Most ship's engines were designed with safety in mind, in case of damage. Yugi had had a different idea when he had finished piecing together the Exodia. After disabling the cooling system, he finished up the rest of his tinkering and took a moment to pat the main forward engine. It was shaking under the cannon shots from outside, hot under his gloved hand. She had been a faithful ship. It was fitting that she would help him out one last time. Thirty seconds. The remaining sailboard was tied to the side of the hull. He strapped his feet down and sprang the catch, the miniaturized sunsail unfurling as tall as he was. Twenty seconds. He let himself fall into the sky. Fifteen seconds. He took one last look at his ship, before activating the sailboard's jet engine and weaving away through the attacking caravels. Ten seconds. Exodia roared as she blew, jets of fire from the engines shooting out, twenty, thirty feet. The three pirate ships were blasted backwards, tossed like toys through the sky. The sound of her demise rang in Yugi's ears in a way he knew he would never forget. Flaming debris arced past the sailboard, tiny pieces of his caravel pattering against his back. He didn't know if he was sobbing or laughing. His vision blurred. The cloud had been swept away by the explosion. Yugi blinked back tears. The two ships that had hung back were relatively undamaged, sunsails singed but still whole. Dread unfolded in his stomach as the blue sailed one suddenly sped up, looming large into his path. Yugi could see pirates collecting on the side of the deck, leaning against the rail. One of them vaulted over, holding a rope. He swallowed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Atem was furious. He slammed his hands down on the table, glaring at Keith as the captain entered the room along with what had to be at least two crews, many of them singed. "What the fuck was that?" he hissed. "I told you not to fire unless they attacked first!" "Oh, calm the fuck down," Keith scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're the one that hired us in the first place. What the hell did you expect?" His people arranged themselves around the room, but Atem barely noticed, too focused on the man standing on the other side of the table. "I'm not going to forget this, Keith. You violated our deal, killed fellow pirates, and now the puzzle is gone." "Violated? You think that was violating our deal? I lost men because of you! You owe me for that, too." Atem tried to speak but Keith interrupted. "And besides," he said, reaching into his jacket. "Who said anything about the puzzle being gone?" Gold gleamed in his hand. Atem straightened up. "Where did you get that?" Keith grinned. "One of the brats flew past my ship. We took initiative. Imagine my surprise when I found him carrying this." He bounced the pyramid in his hand. "This is the real thing, right?" "You still killed-" "I'll ask again," Keith said loudly, face starting to sour. "Is this. The real thing." He thrust the puzzle forward. Atem narrowed his eyes. "Yes, but-" Keith nodded and rough hands seized Atem from behind. He automatically brought his elbow up and twisted, smashing into the man's face, but someone kicked at his feet, knocking him off balance. More hands grabbed his arms as the world went sideways. His face cracked against the table. He twisted his arms madly, but he was stuck. A pirate yanked on his hair, forcing his head up. He blinked the fuzziness out of his eyes. Atem could see movement in the corner of his vision. Mahaad was snarling and Mai cursing, her voice uncharacteristically vicious. "Now," Keith sounded satisfied. "We'll negotiate payment." Atem spat blood in his direction and worked his jaw. "You won't win." The captain laughed that obnoxious laugh. "And how many of your crew should we kill off before you change your mind? No," he leaned forward over the table, one hand still clutching the puzzle. "You'll tell us how to get to your precious treasure, and we'll let you live. Maybe." "I should've known you were dishonest," Atem swore, then tensed as Keith tossed the puzzle onto the table. It clunked forward, rolling toward Atem like an enormous golden die. "Dishonest, huh. What's dishonest? You're dishonest if you think you could go after fellow pirates and still keep your honor! No, Al-Saqr," here he bared his teeth. "You're just as bad as us." He paused, letting the words sink in. To his right, Atem saw Mahaad's tall form still struggling, his arms held behind his back, Mai next to him. Neither of them were poor fighters, but there were just too many pirates. Atem prayed fervently that Mana and Isis were all right abovedecks. "So show me," Keith nodded at the golden pyramid, "how this thing leads to the treasure. Unless you need some persuasion?" At his signal, Atem was jolted forward, his face banging into the wood next to the puzzle. He was wrenched up again, gasping as blood began to flow more thickly down his face. "I'm not telling you anything," Atem said fiercely, but Keith only shrugged and gestured to the side. Another pirate drew his cutlass with a ring of metal. He flicked it to the side, the tip slicing past Mahaad's face. Mahaad only spat, not a hint of fear showing in his expression. "Nothing?" Keith asked. All eyes returned to Atem, who glowered, lips tight. "All right, then. Cut his throat." "No!" Atem burst out, lunging forward. "Enough!" "Yeah?" Keith asked. "You ready to sing yet?" "Look," Atem said desperately, spitting more blood. "I don't know how to activate it-" "Bullshit," the captain drawled, before jerking his head at the pirate holding the cutlass. The man drew the blade back. "Don't!" Atem's voice broke. "I need time! Just give me time, I can figure it out, I-" "You really think I'm gonna fall for that? Hell no!" "Wait-!" He cut himself off as his head was shoved forward again. He coughed, choking on the blood that poured from his nose and mouth. His mind raced. All he could see was the puzzle, red spattering onto the gold, soaking into the cracks between the pieces. All of this happened because he had wanted the damn puzzle, his family's stupid treasure. He could hear the shuffle of footprints, Mai shouting, fighting ferociously, but she couldn't do anything, he knew. His only hope was to figure out the puzzle right fucking now.
Click.
Atem blinked, wondering if the knocks to his head were having more of an effect than he thought.
Click, click, click,
clickclickclick
...
"Wait-" he choked out. "WAIT!" Mercifully, the movement ceased. "Listen," he gasped. The puzzle was clicking faster and faster, Atem's blood sliding down its sides and seeping into the cracks. The tip began rotating slowly. All at once, the noises ceased. No one moved, eyes transfixed upon the metal. Seconds passed. Someone shifted their weight. "Is that-" Keith started. "Shut up." Atem kept his gaze on the puzzle. Another click, louder this time, then a rattle. The tip of the pyramid opened up, the four sides unfolding like a flower. Something flashed brightly in his vision, too bright. He jerked his head back, blinking spots out of his eyes. Blood red light was sputtering out of the open top of the puzzle, flickering weakly before strengthening. The light expanded outward in blurry lines that became more distinct as the clicking of the mechanism continued. The edges resolved themselves, becoming clear and sharp. Blinking, Atem realized what the bordered shapes were. A miniature angular mountain range, made of light. He followed it with his gaze. It ran along the table, floating at the height of the puzzle, the lines expanding, stretching outward, flattening and dipping occasionally to create tiny hills and valleys. A plain? With a jolt, he recognized the landscape. It was the same one he had seen on countless maps, the same one that they were flying above right now. "It's a map." His voice was soft, reverent. The lines continued, flowing right through past Keith, who had stepped aside to watch. Little red pinpricks swirled in Atem's vision, some larger, others smaller, rising up from the lines like birds taking flight, spiraling to the ceiling. Were they-? Yes. Stars. He could even recognize a few constellations that rose into the air, pulsing gently as they settled into place. The map continued to unfold along the length of the room, the light describing the plain that stretched past the table until the lines wrinkled, shaping flat tops and deep valleys. The Great Mesas. The edges of the map faded hazily, the light dissipating, but the center remained clear and focused as it continued to grow. At the very edge of the room, close to the wall, the lines leveled out again, dipping and curving gently. Atem racked his brain for what it could be. Another plain, maybe, or a desert. He watched as the strands of light slowed and stopped moving, growing bright and then starting to fade. Another dot of light, larger than all the rest, grew above the edge of the map, flaring briefly. The puzzle's clicking slowed. Every line grew thinner, dwindling into wispy threads that faded into nonexistence. The mechanism of the puzzle quieted and the top folded back into a point. All of Atem's blood had dripped off of the sides of the puzzle, creating a pool around it. Silence reigned. All eyes were still on the puzzle as it sat innocently on the table. Atem's mind was racing. Was that the way to activate the map? Just blood? It couldn't be that easy. Keith's pirates began to whisper among themselves. Their captain broke out into a loud guffaw that fractured the hushed atmosphere. "Well now!" he said, leaning forward to slide the puzzle over to his side of the table, leaving a wide streak of red across the wood. He whipped out a knife. "Someone get ready to write this shit down." Atem watched as Keith slit the skin of his forearm, letting the blood stream down to his elbow and drip onto the tip of the puzzle. Atem held his breath, a suspicion forming in his mind. The puzzle remained lifeless. "What the hell?" Keith muttered after several moments had passed. He sliced again, deeper. The cut opened. The puzzle did not. He glared up at Atem. "Why isn't it working? It needs blood, right?" "I think it needs my blood. My family's blood," he said carefully. He casually flexed his arms where they were held behind his back, testing the strength of the hands holding him. Keith growled and shunted the puzzle back over to Atem. "Cut his throat over it," he ordered, and a pirate stepped forward. "You need me alive," Atem insisted even as he was shoved forward, his head drawn back and neck exposed. He swallowed as the tip of a blade pressed against his skin. "The puzzle closes up when it runs out of blood, right? How are you going to get more after I die?" Keith stared at him for a few moments. A bead of sweat trickled down Atem's face. "Fine. No fuckin' tricks." At his words, Atem's arms were released. His shoulders cramped as he subtly tried to stretch them. A knife was shoved into his hand, and he gripped it tight, willing his hands not to waver. He locked eyes with Keith as he slowly drew the knife across the back of his forearm, trying not to wince at the pain - there was a difference between a cut numbed by adrenaline in the heat of a fight and this steady, deliberate stroke. Blood bubbled up again, dripping onto gold and wood. When he got himself and his crew out of this, they were probably going to have to replace the table. The pyramid clicked and opened up for him, and the red lines unfolded. There was a scramble between the rest of the pirates, and one of them brandished a piece of paper, scrawling down the direction of the map. Keith was still staring at Atem, but as the map neared its end, his eyes flickered to the light that indicated the treasure. It was all Atem needed. In a flash, the knife he was holding was buried in the throat of the man behind him. Atem ripped it out with a wet sound and lunged for the next man. He went down, hard. Someone grabbed for his knife hand and he ripped his wrist away, the blade finding a home in their side a moment later. Three down. "Get the puzzle!" he heard someone shout, and without thought, he whirled around and knocked an arm out of the way. Gripping the blood-slicked gold, he smashed it hard against the table. It shattered. Gold went flying and the red light guttered out. Through the tangle of bodies, he caught sight of Mai slamming an elbow into someone's temple. Back to back with her, Mahaad had stolen a sword and was slicing at anyone within reach. "We have the map! Let's go!" Keith was shouting, and pirates were falling over themselves to flee. Atem wasted no time in charging across the room. "Are you hurt?" he asked, and both Mahaad and Mai shook their heads. He could hear muffled thumps above, and his heart clenched. Mana. Isis. As one they turned for the trapdoor, where the last of Keith's pirates were disappearing. Atem was sure he had never climbed a ladder so fast in his life. He vaulted up onto the main deck just in time to see Mana pull her sword out of the body of an attacker. She looked out of breath but unhurt. Behind her, Isis was shooting at the last of Keith's people as they boarded the neighboring caravel. "Isis!" Mai called her name, and she whipped around. Relief crossed her face when she saw them. "Thank the stars." She strode over to them and embraced Mai. The two women murmured to each other for a moment before they pulled back. Isis turned, before Atem could say anything, and caught him in a bruising hug. Atem coughed in surprise but hugged her back. He caught Mai's eyes over Isis' shoulder and felt the blood stretch and flake off his face when he gave her an uncertain smile. She rolled her eyes at him but smiled as well. Business as usual, then. Isis pulled back. "I'm glad you're all right. We were worried when they attacked us." She studied him. As always, her eyes caught much more than he wanted to let on. "What happened?" Atem opened his mouth and closed it again. He let his eyes wander over his crew, bruised and scratched but still able to fight again another day. To fight for him, their captain. "I- we had the puzzle," he began, but his throat closed up and he shook his head. Mercifully, Mahaad stepped forward and took over for him. Atem stood and watched Keith's caravels disappear into the blue as the others were filled in. When he looked back, they all had their eyes on him, expectant. Atem took a deep breath that wavered slightly. "I don't know what to do," he admitted. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, feeling as young as he had been when he had first stepped into the sky. Nothing had prepared him for this - this uncertainty. "I was wrong. You were right, I shouldn't have done this, but I..." he had been too focused on his goal and ended up losing everything. He had been so sure... "I was wrong. I'm sorry. I suppose this proves that I shouldn't be the one making decisions-" "Atem-" "Fuck that." Isis and Mai had both started to speak at the same time. Isis had an expression he couldn't recognize, but Mai's face was angry. "You think you're the only one who makes mistakes? That you're the only one who's done something wrong?" Atem tried to say something but she cut him off. "You think a good captain is someone who always makes the right decisions? That they always know what to do? No, Atem," she said. "A captain's real strength is measured when they can pick themselves back off the ground." She swallowed. "When they can recover from what they've done." The words rang with a strange undercurrent, as if Mai were talking to more than just him. Atem looked at her, the person they had picked up who had cut all ties with the past, and wondered. Isis stepped forward. "We are not choosing someone else to lead us now, Atem. You are our captain, and no one else is going to fix this." Atem cast his eyes downward at her words. "We do have options." He looked up. "Options?" Mahaad spoke up. "The puzzle may be broken, but we have proof that it can be solved. The captain we attacked-" Atem winced, "- was able to complete it. There is no reason he wouldn't be able to do it again." "That's true," he acknowledged, "but where would we find him, if he's even still alive?" "Can't we just head to the nearest dock?" Mana jumped in. "I mean, where else would he go? Those sailboards they used can't have gone very far." Atem looked at his crew again, but this time he saw hope. "All right," he said. "Thank you all." Mana bounced forward and yanked him into a hug. "That's what we're here for, dumbass," she scolded. Atem felt a smile tugging on his lips. "Let's go."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The clouds were out in force now. Yugi had landed at the dock, but it still felt like the wind was rushing in his ears. He sat numbly while Ryou checked him over, staring out into the clouding sky, a sight that had always comforted him before. He had always associated the sky with freedom, with independence, but now he and his friends were trapped on this dock with no ship and no reliable way off. They could hitch a ride with another crew, but he had lost even the puzzle to bargain with. He was still in shock, he supposed. He never thought that losing everything would be so easy, but here they were, stranded, with no ship and only a few depleted sailboards to call their own. All because of one person. All because of a chance encounter that ended badly. Yugi resisted to urge to beg forgiveness from his crew, to explain himself. They knew what had happened, and they didn't blame him. There would always be bad luck, dishonest pirates, decisions made from desperation. He shouldn't focus on himself. He needed to push his emotions away. His friends needed him. Next to him, Anzu shifted, hissing in pain as Ryou removed a long splinter of wood from her arm. Her grip was crushing Yugi's hand, but he let it happen. Jou was silent, staring at the wood of the dock underneath them and lost in his own thoughts. Honda was compulsively fiddling with his rifle and glaring at any passerby who came near. They were all scratched and singed, but luckily no one was seriously hurt. Jou stirred when Ryou finally finished and flopped onto the floor next to him. He raised his head, the sunlight catching the blond in his hair. Yugi felt an abrupt lurch of sadness at the lost look in his eyes. He understood. Exodia had been just as much home to him as it had been to Yugi and Anzu, never mind that they had lived there first, and now she was lying in pieces on the ground somewhere. They would never find her. "Those," Anzu said very deliberately, her voice thick, "fucking bastards." No one disagreed. Yugi glanced at her. She was crying openly, not bothering to hide it. He squeezed her hand, but she ignored him. "I cannot fucking believe-" she took a trembling breath, and Yugi felt his own eyes sting. He pulled on her hand and she let him, putting her head on his shoulder and shaking. "I'm sorry," was all he dared to say. He clutched at her, the only comfort he would allow himself. He watched as Jou slid over, putting his arm around Anzu's shoulders, letting his own sadness show. There was no shame in tears, he had learned after throwing his lot in with Yugi and Anzu. "She's in the stars now," Honda said, wiping his eyes. "She is," Ryou said firmly. He was fiercely focused on his kit, hands excruciatingly careful, like any wrong move would break him. Yugi let his eyes drift away, lifting his gaze toward the heavens. High up, where no one but the dead could go. His ship would be with the constellation that was her namesake, up there with his parents and grandfather. It was comforting, almost. She would sail forever in the stars, now, and one day they all would join her. But that time wasn't now. He and his crew were alive, and they had work to do. "We should move," he said reluctantly, rubbing his eyes. It was barely noon, and he was ready for bed. "In case they come looking for us, I mean." "…Yeah," Anzu pulled herself upright. They ended up at one of the bars on the lower level of the dock, paying for their drinks with the few coins that Jou had produced from a pocket somewhere. Everyone but Jou had something alcoholic, but Yugi knew it didn't matter now. It wasn't as if they had a ship to crash anymore. The moment they had all seated themselves heavily at one of the tables, Yugi held his drink up. "To the Exodia," he said, and they all copied him, clinking their mugs together and drinking deeply. Yugi's drink was bitter and flat, but he swallowed it anyway. The rest of the patrons at the bar barely spared them a glance. Yugi doubted that he and his crew looked different from any other crew of pirates. A bit more singed, perhaps, but nothing about their appearances would suggest that they were broke and stranded. They all sat there, taking occasional sips. No one voiced the question that was all on their minds. What now? Yugi straightened up. He was the captain, he had to take charge. He opened his mouth at the same time he spotted the newest person to walk into the bar. "Oh, fuck," he said instead, scrambling for one of his guns. Al-Saqr put up his hands, the rest of his crew arrayed out behind him. "We need to talk," he said. Al-Saqr looked terrible, now that Yugi was paying attention. Yugi studied him from across the table. Bits of dried blood streaked his bronze skin, like it had been hastily wiped off. There was a desperate look in his eyes that Yugi recognized, but his words had been nothing but regretful. So the pirate he had hired had assaulted them without permission. That didn't absolve Al-Saqr of the crime, but it at least explained why they had been attacked without warning. "Okay." Yugi's voice was hard. "You've explained yourself. And you've apologized." That had been the weirdest part. "But what do you want now?" Al-Saqr's eyes wandered over Yugi's crew. Yugi knew that they all had their eyes on him, judging. He had already taken from them, what more did he want? "The puzzle contains a map that leads to something very important to me," Al-Saqr began. He reached into his coat and Yugi tensed. Al-Saqr paused, and slowly drew out a handful of familiar-looking gold pieces. He hunched forward, as if to block the gold from the sight of the other people in the bar, and carefully set the shards on the table. They clattered gently. "You need me to solve it." "I need you to solve it," Al-Saqr confirmed. "Will you?" "No," Yugi said shortly, and made to get up. "Wait-" "Why?" he snapped quietly. "Your people didn't wait when they attacked us, so why should I help you with anything?" Al-Saqr made to grip Yugi's arm, but visibly thought better of it. "The map leads to a treasure-" "Oh, I'm sure it does," Yugi scoffed. "Come on." He and his friends scraped their chairs back. Al-Saqr's crew stood as well. Hands reached for weapons on both sides. "Mutou, Yugi, please-" "Don't you dare." Yugi glared at him. "You think you can just walk in here and ask this of me? After you made us lose our ship? Our entire livelihood?" "I didn't-" "You. Did. This happened because of you, Al-Saqr. Damn it, you did something wrong. Can't you even admit that?" Al-Saqr fell silent. Yugi had thrown the words out almost carelessly, but the other captain's reaction made him pause. The other man glanced back at his crew, meeting their eyes. One of them, a blonde woman, stared back intensely. Something passed between them, and the tension eased. The captain turned to Yugi again, his face set. "You're right," he said simply. "I shouldn't be making demands of you. But," he looked into Yugi's eyes, a plea. "If you help us, I might be able to get you a new ship." Yugi crossed his arms. "And if I tell you to go fuck yourself, and walk out the door?" "Then you won't have to work with me. But I doubt you'll be able to get another caravel so easily." Yugi stood still for a moment, ruminating. Al-Saqr stared back, not a hint of deception on his face. Yugi sighed. "Opinions?" This was aimed behind him. "I don't trust him," Anzu said curtly. Her hand was still on the hilt of her sword. "He betrayed his code of honor. There's no telling when he'll do it again." "Gonna have to agree with Anzu on this one." That was Honda. His voice was deceptively casual. "We're evenly matched in numbers," Ryou pointed out. "If he's going to attack us, there will be heavy losses on both sides." "You're saying we should trust him?" Anzu's voice was disbelieving. "I'm saying, if he wants to give us another ship, let him. If he betrays us, we fight." Ryou sounded calm, matter-of-fact, like he wasn't talking about their lives on the line. "Jou?" Yugi asked softly. "... I hate to say this," Jou answered, "but I agree with Ryou. If this guy goes back on his word, I'll be happy to take it outta his hide." It looked like he had the deciding vote. Yugi eyed the other captain. It was true that they had no means of getting a new caravel without help. Al-Saqr was offering a choice, a way out of the predicament that he himself had caused. It was too perfect a chance. Well, if it came down to fighting, Yugi would at least enjoy watching Al-Saqr try to go toe to toe with Anzu. He very consciously sat down. The other captain closed his eyes. "Thank you. I owe you a lot." "Yes. You do. And you better deliver." He dragged the golden pieces over to his side of the table and began sifting through them. The corner pieces went in a small pile to his left, and edges in another pile. The flat pieces were spaced evenly in front of him. Al-Saqr was watching intently. Yugi couldn't help but smirk in his direction. "This'll take a while. Why don't you go stock up for our trip?" The captain blinked. "You're coming with us?" "Um, yes? What, did you think I was just going to let you run off into the blue with no guarantee that you'll be back?" Sitting back, Al-Saqr nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Mana, Mahaad." Two of his crew members shifted their gazes to him. "Can you make sure we're ready for a long journey? I don't know how far we will have to fly." The man nodded and the girl bounced to her feet. "You got it!" Yugi returned his gaze to the puzzle pieces, searching for familiar shapes. He picked up a golden shard and clicked it into another one. As he worked, his crew took their seats again. Jou scooted forward to put his elbows on the table. "You haven't told us what this treasure is, y'know." Yugi glanced up at Jou's words. Al-Saqr kept his eyes on the puzzle. "I'm not entirely sure what it is, exactly. My family kept many of their inventions secret." "Inventions?" Despite herself, Anzu was interested. The captain studied her suspiciously, before seemingly coming to a decision and nodding. "Yes. Engines and weapons mostly. Things that would be useful in the sky. I know that they hid much of their riches away, after... after certain events." Yugi was barely listening, having gone back to his search for pieces. "I believe that some of the technology they built will be hidden away as well." "So which are we going to find? Money, or machinery?" Al-Saqr crossed his arms and looked back down at Yugi's hands. "I don't know. Hopefully both." "You're asking us to take a lot on faith," Honda put in, and the captain closed his eyes tiredly. "I know." Not much was said after that, but Yugi hardly cared. After over a month of working on the puzzle, he at least had some idea of where each piece would go. The challenge was a thrill, something to focus on despite his exhaustion and anger and he let his mind wander as his fingers worked, his forgotten drink off to the side. It was hours later when he set the completed pyramid onto the table with a thunk. Al-Saqr had stayed the entire time, even when everyone else had drifted away to stretch their legs, and Yugi had to wonder at the captain's patience. "Done," he said unnecessarily, and stood from his seat as the other man did the same. Yugi stretched out his back and shoulders, eyes sharp as he watched Al-Saqr carefully take hold of the puzzle. "We'll go to my ship." Yugi nodded. Activating whatever map was hidden in the metal would probably draw too much of the wrong kind of attention. He just hoped he wouldn't come to regret solving the puzzle for the second time. Well. Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. Yugi stared, wide eyed, as red light expanded outward from the bloodstained tip of the puzzle, connecting and separating endlessly, forming a landscape in a direction he had never flown before. He couldn't remember seeing another map that even showed what this one was creating. He put his hands on the table and leaned forward for a better look, heedless of the puddles of dried blood that had sunk into the wood. "What sort of technology did you say your family made, again?" he asked faintly. Bright red reflected in Al-Saqr's eyes, offsetting the rusty red of his irises. "Engines. Weapons. I've never heard of them working with light, or maps." To his surprise, Yugi was beginning to believe the other captain's words. If the Al-Saqr family had made something like this, there was no telling what else they could have hidden away. "Right." He watched as the map grew past the table, stars rising up from the terrain. Yugi flicked his eyes upward. There was the constellation of Exodia. He let himself look for a moment, before forcing himself to get back on track. A bright star - no it wasn't a star, it was something else - rose above the very end of the map, glowing solid and bloody. The entire map started to fade, growing intangible and thin. The hurried scratch of pencil on paper broke Yugi out of his daze. One of Al-Saqr's crew members was transcribing the map even as it dimmed and vanished, her tongue sticking out. He watched her work, knowing that there was no going back now. For better or for worse, they were going to find this treasure. If nothing else, Yugi thought, it would be an interesting experience.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The first day was... tense. There were no outright fights, but glaring and barbed comments were fair game, apparently. Mutou's crew was surprisingly tight-knit, maybe as much as Atem's own, and they all treated the loss of their ship like it was some sort of personal affront. More than once, Atem would see the other crew speaking amongst themselves, only to stop and glare when they caught him looking. He only turned away. Getting into another argument in such close quarters was just begging for trouble. They had to stop at a larger dock to find more supplies, and Mutou was visibly tenser with every hour that passed. Atem, despite their differences, couldn't blame him. When he allowed it to, his mind inevitably went back to the sight of Keith's ships flying further and further away. They had had a hell of a head start. He only hoped that they wouldn't be able to find anything without the puzzle. None of Mutou's crew offered to help pay for any of the supplies, only adding a few cases of bullets to the list of things to buy. With the way they were glowering at them all, Atem didn't bother asking for anything more than that. It was late afternoon when they finally were underway. The relief was evident in every person on the Slifer. As soon as they reached the treasure, as soon as they found what they were searching for, everything would be better. Nighttime was even worse. With everyone belowdecks to escape the chill of the air, the tension was palpable. Lines were drawn, and Mutou's crew crammed themselves into a corner, their gazes daring any of Atem's crew to say anything. Mana kept sending glances over to their side of the ship, but Atem was relieved when she didn't go over to speak. Atem found himself grateful when his turn to take watch came, even it meant he was no longer next to the heat of the engines. Taking a moment to brew something hot to drink, he headed out. The night was cold and clear and silent but for the hum of the antigravs and the gentle wind. The velvety blue of the sky was calming, as were the familiar constellations. He stood behind the wheel, sipping from his cup and breathing in the steam, and wasn't surprised when he heard footsteps behind him. He had brought two cups after all. It was probably Mahaad, or maybe Isis, looking to escape the thick atmosphere below. Smiling, Atem turned to look, ready to make a comment, but stopped with a jolt when he realized that it wasn't a member of his crew behind him. "Your crew isn't very friendly," Mutou remarked as he walked over to stand on the deck next to Atem. "Why are you here?" Atem wanted to know. He tried to make his voice nonchalant, but from the look that Mutou gave him, he wasn't entirely successful. Mutou shrugged. "I had a few questions about the puzzle. And besides, your crew keeps glaring at me." From the look he shot Atem, it was entirely his fault. "My crew,"' Atem said, "has been through a lot. And I doubt they would be so unfriendly if your crew stopped looking for a fight." He took another drink and set the cup on the wood next to him with a bit more force than was strictly necessary. "Oh, are we doing this here?" Mutou raised his eyebrows. "The people you hired made us lose everything, so don't talk to me about unfriendly. And besides, this whole thing wouldn't have started if you hadn't been so fucking-" Atem glared at the other captain as best he could in the darkness. "This whole thing wouldn't have started if you hadn't run away at the dock!" "Well what did you expect? You kept grabbing me, acting like you were going to skewer me if I made a wrong move!" "You wouldn't leave me alone in the first place!" "What, you can't fault me for being curious!" "Yes I can!" Atem snapped but drew back as Mutou started to laugh. Hard. He bent over, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. Atem felt his hackles rise. "Okay, okay, okay. Enough." He said eventually. "Stars, I think we both needed that." He straightened up and grinned at the look on Atem's face. "I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree. But I still can't forgive you for what you caused." "Fine." They sat there in silence, watching the stars. Atem picked up his cup and took another sip. "You said you had questions," he said eventually. "Yeah. I wanted to- is that coffee?" "What?" Atem looked down at the drink in his hand. "Yes?" Mutou sniffed the air. "I didn't know you could get coffee this far from the forests." "Yes, well. I had some left over." Atem watched the other captain for a moment. "Um. Here." He pulled out the cup he had saved and poured a small amount to cover the bottom. Mutou took it with a nod of thanks, cupping his hands around it to trap the heat in. He took a sip and made a face. "Ugh. Bitter." "If you don't like it, why did you ask for it?" Mutou shrugged. "Need to stay awake. Long day." He watched Atem out of the corner of his eye but didn't say anything else. "Questions." "Hmmm?" Atem rolled his eyes. "You had questions about the puzzle." "Right." Mutou finished his drink, and Atem made to pour him some more. "Why did your family make something like it? Why did they hide their treasure away?" Atem was silent for a moment as he gripped the wheel again, hands turning it gently to straighten out the caravel as a gust of wind blew by. "I think you've guessed by now that my family was one of the groups of inventors that came up with the nighttime engine." Mutou nodded. "You said that that could be one of the things we'll find at the end of this." "I did." Atem sat back and looked at the sky, all around them. "Selling a way to conduct raids at night was a lucrative business. We were practically royalty, back in those times." "You talk as if you were there." "My mother was. She told the stories to me." He reached over and poured more coffee into Mutou's cup. "The way she spoke of it..." He shook his head. "Things are very different now." "So... what happened? Why hide it all? I know pirates that would pay through the nose to be able to raid at night." Atem looked at the other captain. "Surely you've heard something. It hasn't been that long." Sipping his coffee, Mutou frowned at the stars. "I've heard rumors. Stories, little things, about how the age of piracy ended. Nothing concrete." Atem followed his gaze. "My family was right in the middle of it. There was a schism. I don't know how it started. In response, my ancestors took their inventions and their money and left it all somewhere far away." He sighed. "People have looked for the treasure, but no one has found anything, and eventually the memory of it faded. Only the puzzle is left, and the rumors only say that it leads to something valuable, nothing about where it came from or who it's connected to." They were silent for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling heavy between them. "That's quite a story," Mutou said so quietly that the wind almost obscured his words. "Is that why you're so desperate to find this treasure? Because of your family?" "I want justice for what was done. My family was betrayed, their inventions were lost, and now piracy is just a shadow of what it used to be. This could solve everything." Mutou shook his head when Atem offered the last of his coffee. "I don't mean to step all over your hopes," he started carefully. "But depending entirely on this little excursion going the way you want it to doesn't seem like the best idea. What if you don't find anything?" "Then I'll keep looking," Atem said firmly. "This is the best lead I've ever found, but it isn't the only one. Isis thinks she might be able to find something." Mutou cocked his head. "Isis? Your crew member?" He nodded. "Her family had connections to mine. There is a possibility that she and I could find information if we did some digging into their history." "She wants to find the treasure as well, then." Atem blew out a breath. "No. She has a different motive. You'll have to ask her about it if you want to know more." He threw back his head and drank the last bitter sip of coffee. Mutou was biting his lip, eyebrows drawing together. Atem looked at him curiously. "My grandfather," Mutou said slowly, "always loved the sky." Atem didn't know where this was going. "I see." That earned him a tight smile. "He would always talk about going up there to live in the clouds one day. To see the stars up close." Mutou fiddled with his cup. "He even started building a ship, but he died before he could finish." "I'm sorry." "It's okay. He's up there with Exodia, now." Mutou turned his face upward. "All the stories he told me, about the sky... they never did it justice. He's the reason I got into piracy in the first place, but I stayed because I love it. I love living up here, never touching the ground." He turned his gaze to meet Atem's. "So I understand what you mean, about family, about wanting closure." Atem remembered the golden-sailed caravel, its power and grace in its last, final fight. The sound of it blowing to pieces. "Mutou... I'm sorry about your ship." "Yugi." The other captain gave him a real smile this time. "I haven't forgiven you, yet, but call me Yugi." Atem almost stumbled over the words, the tips of his ears warming up. "Yugi. Call me Atem." "All right, Atem. Good night, and thank you for the coffee." Yugi handed his cup back to Atem and stretched. Atem could hear several joints popping. He turned with a tired nod and headed back to bed. The sound of the trapdoor closing had faded before Atem answered. "Goodnight, Yugi." Yugi must have said something to the rest of the crew, because the second day was better. That, or they had picked up on the subtle shift in the air, for the thinly veiled threats and insults disappeared from their conversations. Atem even spotted the woman with the sword - her name started with an A, didn't it? - talking to Mana without any animosity on her face. Mana, for her part, looked thrilled. Their guests still kept to themselves more often than not. Atem was guiltily relieved that they did - their respective crews worked well amongst themselves, but he doubted that everything would go so smoothly were they to try running the ship together. For the most part, Yugi's crew stayed belowdecks, engrossed in conversation and maintaining their weapons, while the crew of the Slifer flew the caravel. They hit the mesas at noon that day, the brown and orange rock formations spreading out like tree stumps below them. The sky was windy and dotted with fluffy clouds. More than once, Atem found himself squinting at the horizon as if he could force the ship to move faster, but the landscape moved stubbornly slowly. The only excitement came when Yugi's crew seemed to break out into an argument centered around the captain and the female crew member, the one with the sword. Anzu, Atem learned when Yugi said it loudly. He glanced at Atem, then gestured to Anzu's scimitar, smiling slightly as she pursed her lips and shook her head. Atem resolved not to ask. Quarters were still tight, so he wasn't surprised the next night when he walked onto the deck with the puzzle and found Yugi sitting on the deck next to the ship's wheel while Mahaad steered. The murmur of their voices was audible from where he was standing. Mahaad glanced back at him and said something else to Yugi, and then he was giving Atem one of his faint smiles as he walked past, heading belowdecks. Atem stared after him for a moment before taking the wheel. "What was that about?" he couldn't keep himself from asking. Yugi only jerked his head to the side. "Just talking." He seemed distracted, watching the red sunsails ripple in the darkness. Atem set the puzzle on the wood beside him with a small thunk. They were both comfortably quiet. The night was still, and Atem let go of the wheel to sit on the deck next to Yugi. "Can I see it again?" Yugi asked. "See what?" "The map, I mean. If you're okay with the- y'know." Yugi mimed cutting the skin of his arm, seemingly at loss for words. "It's fine." Atem reached for the knife he had started carrying with him. It gleamed vaguely. His blood looked black in the dim light of the stars, dripping languidly down his arm and pattering onto the puzzle. After a moment, the golden tip opened up and the light silently coalesced into existence. They both watched as it stretched across the deck, describing only the mesas and the strange, flat landscape beyond. Tiny red stars rose up above their heads. Yugi's gaze had followed them, his face faintly lit up crimson. "How does it know where we are, do you think?" Atem took a moment to pull his gaze away from the other captain. "Magnetism, perhaps." Yugi hummed in agreement. He carefully ran his finger along one of the golden edges. "I was so curious as to what the puzzle did. I thought maybe it could be a smaller piece of something else, maybe part of a big fancy compass from one of those huge cruisers." He smiled. "I always wanted to fly one of those, when I was young. All those tons of metal, at my command." He blew out an amused breath. "I dreamed of being the best cruiser captain in the sky. I could wear a showy blue uniform with lots of medals on the front." "From what I've seen," Atem said cautiously, "No cruiser captain really earned those medals." He watched the red light fade from the air as thunder rumbled far away. "I doubt any of them would have the guts to blow their ship up in midair just to let their crew escape alive." Yugi was silent and for a moment. Atem regretted his words. The captain turned to him. "Well, I doubt some mere cruiser captain would keep to his word so faithfully. Even to a stranger. So thank you." Atem awkwardly smiled back. "I - You're welcome." They sat there for a moment, just looking at each other. A strange expression crossed the other captain's face, and he looked away, back at the sky. Atem tried to quell the confusing feeling of disappointment in his chest. Thunder rumbled again. "I admit," Yugi murmured, "part of the reason I wanted to fly a cruiser was so that I could go as high as possible. I thought that if I could just go far enough into the stars, I could invite my parents to come back and live with my grandfather and I." He looked back at Atem, eyes dark. "It's actually a holiday today, where I come from. Three days where we honor our ancestors, those who have passed on. People like my parents and grandparents." He swept his eyes over the constellations above. Atem did the same, tracing the magicians, the dragons, the three stars of the pyramid of light. Exodia. The three gods. "How old were you? When your parents died?" Yugi shrugged. "I don't know, actually. I can't remember them. Is it strange, that I missed them anyway?" Atem shifted closer. "That's not strange at all. I miss having a large family, even though I only ever lived with my mother and father." He let his gaze settle on the bright constellation of the sun dragon. "They're up there in the stars now, too. They're with Ra." "How do you know which constellation they went to? Did they tell you?" Atem smiled. "My mother always loved the sun, even more than the stars. She named me after it, actually." "Really?" "Mm-hmmm. She even called me her little sun, when I was growing up." Atem reached over to steady the wheel as the wind picked up. "That's a nice story," Yugi smiled. "My grandfather's favorite legends were of Exodia. They fascinated him. He would always tell them to me before bed, right along with stories of the sky. The moment Anzu and I finished my grandfather's ship, I knew what I would call her." "Is that your favorite constellation as well? Exodia?" "No, actually. I always felt a connection to the dragons." He sighed. "What about you?" "Me?" "Where did Slifer come from?" "Oh, that." Atem leaned back onto his hands so he didn't have to crane his neck to see the red tinted stars of the sky dragon. "My favorite constellation was always Osiris. I loved the stories of the god-king, of resurrection. I even came up with a nickname. I couldn't pronounce the name Osiris when I was young, so I called him Slifer." He smiled self depreciatingly. "A bit childish, to name my ship after that, but I couldn't think of anything else." "I don't think it's childish," Yugi protested. "You had a connection to him, even when you were little. That's nothing to be ashamed of." "Um. Thanks. Thank you." "Yeah." They sat there, in the darkness. Atem took hold of the wheel again, keeping it steady through the wind. After a while Yugi suddenly spoke up. "Tell me a story." "A story?" "Yeah. One you heard when you were little." "Well." Atem's gaze drifted to the sky ahead of them. "There was one story my mother told me, one about a dragon that could block out the..." he paused. "...stars. Yugi?" "Hm?" "Look." Ahead of the bow of the caravel was... nothing. Just blackness. "Just clouds," Yugi said. "I don't think-" "No. Look up." White blue light was flickering on the corners of the yards and top of the mast. "Witch fire," Atem breathed. His suspicion was confirmed a second later when, with a loud boom, lighting forked through the clouds ahead of them, the brief light giving them a glimpse of the astonishing height of the storm.
Art by rymykuvis
The wind picked up again. "Oh, fuck-" Yugi gritted out before he was scrambling to his feet and shoving the puzzle into his coat. He took a step back before pausing. "Get out of here!" Atem shouted over the wind, but Yugi shook his head. "I'm not leaving you out here alone!" He grabbed the rope tied to the railing and lashed them both down. They both stumbled as a sharp gust of wind shoved the caravel sideways. The storm swallowed their tiny caravel, the Slifer's red sails flapping bravely. The clouds obscured the light of the stars to a point where Atem could barely see his white-knuckled hands gripping the ship's wheel. There was no rain – not this high up – but that wasn't the danger. The ship was tossed like a feather as a huge blast of wind shot them skyward. Metal and timber groaned alike. The caravel tilted jerkily side to side as the antigravs coughed. "The sails!" Yugi realized, shouting over the roar of the wind. He began scrabbling at the ropes holding him in place. His hands undid the knots with the ease of long practice. Atem, holding the wheel steady, could only stand there. "Don't-" Atem began, and swore as Yugi disappeared, vaulting over the railing in front of the wheel. He fumbled for his own harness, ready to leap after him. Lightning flashed white in his vision. He slapped the knots in frustration as his hands, numb from the freezing mist, refused to stop shaking. Atem seized the wheel again as the Slifer listed to the left, fighting to keep his caravel upright. The deck sloped dangerously. He couldn't see Yugi. The wind swelled again, the sails blown every which way, and he struggled to keep his ship from turning over midair. "Atem!" Someone's voice. Good. "Get over here!" Atem snarled, still grappling with the wheel. Lighting flashed again, and this time he caught sight of what might have been a figure struggling with the ropes at the base of the mainmast. Hands appeared in his vision, clutching at his shoulder. With a solid yank, the knots of his harness gave way. "Keep her upright!" he shouted blindly behind him. Without waiting for an acknowledgement, he charged forward into the storm. He jumped the railing, but his feet flew out from under him as the deck shook. He hit the wood, hard, and started to slide before the ship leveled out again. The bow surged upward as it rode another current of wind. Arm in front of his face, Atem made his slow way toward the mast, battling the wind at every step. He smacked into the mast headfirst as the deck tipped yet again. Hands reached out, unseeing. His arm collided with something that flapped. Yugi's coat. He clasped a fistful of the leather and yanked. A shout. Yugi tripped into him and, had he not had his arm around the mast, they both would have gone down. "What are you doing!?" Yugi bellowed in his ear. "Get away from the mast!" Atem roared at him, but Yugi kept struggling in his hold. Shouting out an incoherent swear, Atem let go of the mast and dragged them both back toward the wheel. Yugi was fighting him every step of the way. With Yugi trying to stop them, they stumbled to a halt. Halfway there, Atem could see. "The sails, the sails!" Yugi was shouting, and with an almighty snap, their secondary sunsail tore free of its fastenings and whipped away into the clouds. Atem barely noticed. A tingling sensation had started at the back of his neck. He heard a faint buzz. Yugi grunted in surprise as they both hit the deck. Not a moment later, lighting struck the mast. The noise was horrific. Atem covered the back of his head with his arm and prayed. The sounds seemed to go on forever. He shook, trying to gasp for breath. His other hand was numbly grasping the back of Yugi's coat. The sound faded away, as did the roar of the wind. All he could hear was ringing. He dragged his head to the side. The mast was still standing, the metal lightning rods on either side having done their job. They were glowing red hot, leaving trails of light in his vision. Atem closed his eyes. More hands were grabbing at him, but he couldn't hear anything. He cracked his eyes open. Figures were gathered around the two of them, helping them up and steadying them as the ship bucked, as if trying to throw them off into thin air. Mana's face swam into view. Her lips were moving. Atem let himself be hauled past the ship's wheel and shoved down the trapdoor. He was sure that they caught him as he dropped past the ladder, but his memory was getting patchy. Something was tugging urgently at his consciousness. He weakly lifted his head and looked around, searching for brown leather. Yugi was there. Atem lurched forward, hands clumsily patting him down. He seemed as dazed as Atem, but unhurt. Atem gripped him hard and pulled him into a hug. You fucking asshole, he wanted to say. Maybe he did say it. He squeezed harder, and finally let the tears fall.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The day after the storm was almost mockingly clear. Yugi's hearing slowly returned to him over the course of the morning and afternoon. Luckily, Atem had already filled everyone in, so all Yugi had to do was confirm what had happened and roll over onto his side to try to get more sleep. Ryou had checked him over and told him not to strain himself, instructions that Yugi would willingly follow. He was exhausted, and he hurt all over, especially in his chest. He could barely lift his arms to change from his borrowed clothes into his old, singed ones, which he had thankfully washed the previous day. The only good thing to come out of his troubles was that Atem had been too out of it to properly yell at him for running off into the storm. From the looks of his crew, Atem had neglected to share that little detail with them when he had told his story, and Yugi was grateful. He doubted he would be able to do anything other than lay there and groan in response to multiple dressings-down from Anzu, Jou, and Honda. Ryou would never yell at him, he knew. Their ship doctor was far too careless with his own life to say anything to Yugi, and they both knew it. The day wore on slowly, the Slifer moving at almost half speed due to its missing sunsail. The blonde woman, Mai, had checked the caravel over in the morning, and her report was cautiously optimistic. The lightning rods had taken the majority of the damage from the storm. The only problem was that, with their newly sluggish pace, their supplies would only stretch for another few days. Nobody else said anything out loud, but Yugi could tell that even his crew was worried. The map in the puzzle showed the end of the mesas drawing near. According to the others, there was still no sign of any new landscape past the horizon. By late afternoon, Yugi felt well enough, and sick enough of the cramped quarters belowdecks, to stand on the deck and watch the sky. He leaned next to the starboard railing and let his eyes unfocus until all he saw was blue. Sighing, he let the tension leave his body. It was only a few days ago that he thought he would never see the sky so close again. A light wind blew across the side of his face and, without thinking, he turned his head and came face to beak with an enormous bird perched on the railing next to him. The bird - a vulture, he decided - blinked its visible eye at him, and they regarded each other for a few long moments. Evidently, it decided he wasn't a threat, for it bent its beak and started running it through its orange feathers. Yugi smiled and left the bird to its preening. All clear? he lazily signed to Anzu across the deck as he walked by. She nodded, and tapped her ears, giving him a questioning look. He brushed his chin with his right hand and made a thumbs up. Better. Good. She turned back to her conversation with Mana. Things were unusually relaxed now, he noticed. Jou and Ryou were the first, but even Honda and Anzu were warming up to the other crew. Anzu had her conversations with Mana, and Honda mostly hung around the engines with Jou, Mai, and Isis. It was... a good thing. Maybe they could be allies despite everything, after this. He found Atem behind the ship's wheel, his forehead creased as he looked out over the mesas. Atem gave him a questioning look, and Yugi nodded at him, leaning against the railing and letting his gaze follow Atem's. If the map proved correct, they would reach their destination by evening or early morning the next day. They would spend the night drifting with the breeze, as the Slifer's remaining sunsail wasn't up to the task of collecting energy to keep them going after sunset. Yugi absently stripped off one of his gloves, taking out the tin he had borrowed from Ryou and smearing beeswax across his chapped lips. He tapped Atem's shoulder and tossed the container over. Atem nodded his thanks. Hopefully, the Al-Saqr family had left supplies along with the treasure, or the flight back would be uncomfortable for all of them. He, Atem, and Mahaad had ended up sitting with their backs to the port railing and passing a container of cloud water from the condenser back and forth when they first saw the desert. The mesas had been getting smaller for hours, and Yugi barely noticed when they crossed into sandier territory. He did a double take when he looked out past the bow and saw nothing but undulating heaps of pale brown, fading into hazy white in the distance. Bits of rock and spiky trees dotted the scenery in occasional clumps. "Strange," he murmured, tracing the ridge of a distant dune with his eyes. He was long used to flying over the dull green of the steppes. This new spread of color was a little disorienting. "How far does it go?" he asked, turning to his companions. Atem shrugged. "The map doesn't say." His voice was still a little muffled to Yugi's ears, but Yugi heard him well enough. "You've never seen a desert before?" "Not like this." Yugi shrugged, a little uncomfortable. "We usually stay over the steppes, or the mountains. I've never even been this far northeast." He rested his head against the wooden poles of the railing, watching the sea of sand go by. His crew was equally enthralled, leaning over the sides of the ship to study this strange new terrain. Yugi stayed out long enough to watch the sun go down behind the dunes before finally turning in. His watch came before dawn the next morning. Blinking, he yawned, wishing, not for the first time, for some of Atem's coffee. At least the air was a bit warmer, with how far north they had come. The sky slowly lightened to an icy blue in the east, white rays peeking out and lighting the sides of the dunes a bright yellow-orange, isolated blocks of color against the dark blue shadows of predawn landscape. The huge, puffy clouds to the northeast were lit up in festive pinks and yellows. It was a gorgeous sight, but it was happening far too early for Yugi to properly appreciate it. Anzu came out after an hour to join him and they shared a breakfast of hardtack and dried fruit as the countryside lit up to its usual dull brown. They sat in silence, Yugi leaning his head against Anzu's shoulder as he ate. There was nothing more to say; they had known each other too long to have to do anything more than exist together in these rare, quiet moments. The others trickled out one by one, squinting in the light and chewing their own breakfasts. Atem and Isis were last, conversing in quiet voices as Atem carried the puzzle to the center of the deck. Everyone watched as blood spilled from Atem's bandaged arm and the light blinked into reality. The only thing the map showed was a small rectangle of terrain, rippled with dunes, and the bright light pulsing above the edge like a beacon. "As far as I can tell," Atem said as the map faded, "the treasure is somewhere in the sky up ahead. It seems to have moved slightly from when I last checked." "You think it's flying?" Mana asked. The captain nodded, turning to Isis. She stepped forward, looking at them all. "I actually disagree. According to my own knowledge, we're looking for something that would be too far away from any supply depots to stay in the air." She clasped her hands. "I believe what the map is indicating is a group of people, a community perhaps." There was strange, longing way she looked at the horizon. "They're most likely nomadic. It would certainly make them harder to find." "So where do we look?" Honda asked. "Up, or down?" "Both, I guess," Yugi put in. "There has to be some way to find it." "I agree with Yugi. There will most likely be something to indicate where it has been," Mahaad said. Atem looked at them all. "All right," he said. "Everyone just... keep looking. I'll start the engines." As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long to find something. "Look there!" Ryou was leaning over the edge of the ship, pointing at the ground. Yugi rushed to stand next to him, eyes searching. There, scattered across the distant sand, were blackened timbers, twisted metal, and at least three pairs of sunsails, crumpled and torn like wet paper. "Those might be Keith's ships." Mai had arrived next to Yugi. "I know one of them had blue sunsails." "That's... not a good sign." What had attacked them? Another ship? Yugi squinted. It looked like the downed caravels had... caught fire? "What the hell happened to them?" In spite of everything, Yugi felt a twinge of sadness at the sight. The pirates that hadn't been killed in the air must have faced a long fall to the ground. "Someone attacked them. We need to be on the lookout." Mai left the railing and headed to the back of the Slifer. Yugi compulsively rubbed the grip of one of his guns. The cloud drifted closer over the course of the next hour. Yugi was glad Atem was steering around it. It wasn't a storm, but the thought of flying through it made him shiver. He did shiver when the Slifer turned and headed straight for the cloud. "Atem?" "The map says the treasure is practically on top of us. It might be hidden in the cloud." Yugi shifted uncomfortably, and was almost expecting the loud bang that made several of them jump violently. "What-" he turned and dropped to the deck. A section of white hot light rocketed directly over their caravel. The edges of it were tinged blood red. Yugi could feel the heat pouring off of it. It burned. The Slifer shuddered as Atem jerked the wheel. "Get to the cannons!" he shouted, and suddenly they were all scrambling. "My crew!" Yugi barked. "Tie yourselves down! Get ready to fight!" What they were fighting, he didn't know, but at least they could be ready. Another bang had him ducking, but Atem managed to dodge the - whatever it was. The light didn't fall in an arc like a plasma cannon shot but flew straight. Very strange. Yugi slammed into the railing by the ship's wheel, yanking on the ropes to tie himself down. As soon as the knots were tight, he looked wildly back up at the sky. His heart was in his throat. "Where's it coming from?" Atem's voice was tight. "What do you see?" "I don't - wait." There, in the cloud. Something white, but smooth and hard. "Up there." He pointed just as a third projectile shot toward them. Atem spun the wheel, but the engines were too slow. The light hit their bow with an almighty boom. The entire caravel shuddered. Flames began to lick the wood around the impact. Fuck. "Into the cloud!" Yugi shouted, and Atem didn't stop to question. He shoved the power lever and the broken tip of the caravel breached the mist of the cloud. Fluffy white flowed peacefully over the deck. The flames dimmed. Cool droplets collected on Yugi's tongue with every panicked breath he took. Whatever had hit them moved much faster than the cannon shots he was used to. There was silence as they pushed further into the cloud. Silence, except... "Do you hear antigravs?" Atem asked him, and Yugi nodded. "They sound big. I think-"
Bang!
More light buzzed by, whipping a tunnel through the cloud. A miss. Silence enveloped them again. Fuck, fuck, they were sitting blindly, just waiting to be shot down. Atem pulled on the wheel, and the Slifer tilted up. A gamble. Yugi gripped the railing so hard that the leather of his gloves creaked. His eyes searched the cloud around them. There. "Watch out!" "Wha-" Crash! The smooth white hull of the attacking ship rammed into the side of the Slifer. Everyone was thrown to the left. Shadowy figures moved over the deck of the other ship, obscured by the mist. "The cannons!" Atem shouted, and his crew obeyed. The first shot cracked directly into the white ship, and it faltered. A shout. The figures resolved themselves into people, and comprehension dawned. "Prepare to fight!" Yugi hollered and ripped one of his revolvers out of its holster. The white ship's engines roared and shoved its bow harder into the caravel. He stumbled, almost dropping his gun. Damn, they were smart. He hated it when they were smart. Feet thumped against wood, and he looked up, heart pounding. A figure with a sword lunged for the nearest person. Yugi couldn't see who it was. Steel clashed. Anzu. Thank fuck, she could hold them off. Yugi frantically loosened his harness. Another two figures landed onto the Slifer's deck. Everyone was struggling out of the ropes keeping them in place. Yugi tripped out of his harness and darted toward the center of the deck, guns ready. Without thinking, he body slammed the nearest invader, who went down with a shout. Yugi brought his gun down wildly and knocked the butt of it against their temple. A nonlethal habit. Without warning, he was yanked into the air. A hand closed around his throat and he automatically aimed his revolver at the person's face. "Drop me," he managed to get out, but the hand only squeezed harder. Yugi's finger tightened on the trigger. "Stop! Stop! Malik!" The hand loosened slightly, and Yugi gasped for breath. He slammed the grip of his gun onto the person's hand, and they dropped him with a curse. He landed hard on his knees, coughing, and threw himself backwards. Scrambling to his feet, Yugi aimed ahead of him, but the person was gone. He cast his eyes around the deck and flinched when he looked directly down the barrel of a gun. "Don’t move," the woman said, her voice hard. Yugi froze, but his eyes kept moving. He had heard Isis shout. What had she said? Through the drifting fog, he saw her standing in front of a shorter figure, hands held out nonthreateningly. She was talking, her lips moving quickly. Another thump heralded a final person leaping down onto the Slifer, and the person Isis was talking to turned to face them. A white-haired man strode forward, face hard. A scar sat underneath his eye. "What's this?" The person in front of Isis, a blond man, spoke. "My sister." He turned back and embraced her. Yugi stared, even forgetting about the gun currently aimed at his face. It was Mai who spoke up somewhere behind him. "Isis?" "It's true," she insisted, pulling back. "He's my brother. Malik." The two gazed at each other. "I looked for you," she choked out, and he shook his head. "We had to hide away. Somewhere no one would find us." He turned to the white-haired man and nodded. The man looked at Isis. "Where's your captain." "Two of us," Atem said, coming forward. "Yugi," he called. Yugi pointedly pushed the gun away from his head with one finger and left the woman behind. "Here," he said. He joined Atem in standing in front of the man - the captain? Narrowed eyes met his. "What the hell do you want." Yugi shared a glance with Atem. "I am the last of the Al-Saqr family," Atem said, but faltered when the captain's face twisted. "So you're here to take from us again?" "What?" Atem stared blankly. The man scowled even harder. "Your family is the reason we were displaced in the first place. You think I'm just going to let you push us around?" "My family did what?" The man took a step back and began laughing. Yugi didn't see the humor in the situation and by the looks of it, neither did Atem. "You don't even know!" He sneered and turned his back. "I will show you." He whistled, and his crew withdrew, following him onto the deck of the white ship. Isis's brother – Malik – left his sister with a regretful glance, vaulting up onto the other ship. Without any fanfare, the ship jerked back from the hull of the Slifer, leaving a huge gouge in the side. The white ship turned and with a jolt, Yugi realized something. "It doesn't have any sunsails." There was no way a ship that small would be able to carry enough fuel to power its engines. It must run on something else. But what? "Do you think..." "Maybe," Atem said grimly, heading back for the wheel. "But we won't know for sure until we see what he wants to show us." He tilted the ship's wheel, letting the Slifer slope in a gentle curve upward after the white ship. "Yugi!" Anzu was rushing over to him, sheathing her sword. Behind her, the rest of his crew was gathered, checking each other over for injuries. Mai was with Isis on the other side of the deck, Mahaad and Mana assembled nearby. "Are you okay?" he asked Anzu, but she rolled her eyes as she closed the distance between them. "I'm fine. Are you okay? I saw someone grab you." Her eyes looked him up and down, relaxing when she saw he wasn't missing any pieces. "I'm not hurt," Yugi promised her, clasping her hand and squeezing. With a soft whoosh their caravel flew out of the misty shade and into the sun. The white ship was above them, heading up and over. Yugi took a moment to study it. It was slightly smaller than the Slifer, streamlined and unmarked and moving nimbly through the wind currents. Its shape looked just like a pirate caravel, only missing its sails. His breath caught as Atem guided their ship over the crest of the cloud. There, spread out in front of them, was an entire village, floating in midair. "Holy shit." Houses dotted the top of the cloud, their range scattered wider than any dock or port. People walked freely on what he could see were stone walkways. Yugi could even see crops planted in rows on mounds of dirt. The sight was unbelievable. There was no engine he knew of that could hold up something so big and so heavy, but he could hear the antigravs humming along, right there beneath the village. Feet thudded onto the deck of the Slifer, and Yugi jumped. "You see?" The white-haired captain was striding toward them, gesturing out at the village. He walked right up to Atem and jabbed him in the chest. Atem shifted back. "Your family stole us from our homes and shoved us up here to guard their precious treasure. If you think you can come here and take it all back," here he bared his teeth in a wild grin, "good fucking luck." Atem found his voice. "My family-" "Enough about your damn family. The only reason I haven't shot you out of the sky is because Malik's sister is on this ship." The captain jerked his head over to where Isis and Malik and a third, taller man had gathered, speaking quietly. Isis had a hand on each of their shoulders like she couldn't quite believe they existed. "This is the treasure, then?" Atem asked. "The engines holding the village up? Are there blueprints?" "Psh, no. Your people were too terrified of their own family to write it all down." "My... people?" The captain smirked at him. "You don't know? That your family was betrayed by their own relatives? Too bad." He turned and walked away like he hadn't just dropped an enormous bombshell. Atem stood there blinking, face growing increasingly distressed. "Wait!" "What now?" The captain spun around. "You have your answers. Now leave." "What did you mean, about my family betraying themselves?" "Exactly what I said, Al-Saqr. They got greedy. They wanted more than they had." The man's mouth was twisted into a smile but his eyes were serious. "Most of your family wanted to start giving their inventions away, but a few didn't agree. They thought they had been betrayed by their own and were terrified they would lose it all. So they took all their engines and their weapons and hid them away here." He spread his arms. "They didn't want to share their wealth with everyone, so! They took it away. Got me?" The captain was met with a stare. "Well? I've told you what you needed to know." Atem's face firmed. "I'm not leaving without the engine." "Yes, you very much fucking are." The captain crossed his arms. "You heard me. If you take the engines, Kul Elna will fall from the sky. If you want all those lives on your conscience? Fine. But," Here he smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "Don't think I won’t burn a hole straight through your ship if you even try to steal what belongs to us now." They stood there for a moment, staring at each other. Atem looked down. "All right." "Good." The captain turned on his heel and marched off, only stopping when Yugi stepped in front of him. "We'll need supplies if we're going to leave," he said quietly but no less fiercely. "And I doubt Isis will want to leave her family." They both glanced over at where the three stood. The tall man had an arm around Isis's shoulders and she was clasping Malik's hand. "Fine. We'll talk." The captain brushed past him with finality. Yugi watched him go before heading for Atem. "I'm sorry." Atem looked up at him. "What do I do now? We've come all this way..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You were right. Mai was right, Mahaad was right. I put too much hope into this. Yugi," red eyes met his own, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I couldn't get you a new ship, I couldn't collect my family's treasure. I've failed." He bowed his head. "You also kept me from being electrocuted," Yugi pointed out. "You tried to keep your word, you took us in, you let me see the sky one last time. You chose to leave these people alone, instead of trying to steal their home away. No, Atem," he stepped forward and lifted Atem's chin. "You did not fail." Atem choked and then he was hugging Yugi fiercely, his face in the crook of his neck. They stood there for a long minute, Atem's arms pressing against Yugi's back with a desperate kind of strength. Yugi pushed his dread away. It was no time to worry about his own future when he could be focusing on Atem. The other man said something, voice muffled in his coat. "You'll have to repeat that." He pulled back. "I said you should take the puzzle." "What?" Atem was undeterred. "Sell it, it's pure gold. It'll fetch a good price. You can buy another ship." "Wha- But Atem-" "I mean it, Yugi. You heard what he said." Atem cast his eyes over to where the white-haired captain was speaking to Malik. "The puzzle represents the part of my family that hid their wealth away. I have my memories of the good in them, I don't need a reminder of the bad." His eyes were earnest as he looked at Yugi. "This way, the money will go to a good cause." "Atem," Yugi said wonderingly, but the other man only smiled and pulled back. "You're welcome. Now, let’s get our supplies." Negotiating was surprisingly easy, after everything. They got food and repair supplies with little fuss, as the white-haired captain was eager for them to leave. The only snag came when Isis's family stepped in. "Our sister will be visiting regularly," the tall man said so firmly that the captain - Bakura - only sighed and nodded. Behind him, Isis and Malik both grinned at Mai, who was holding Isis's hand and looking a bit uncertain. "Mai will be coming as well, if she wants to," Isis put in, and Mai nodded. "Just don't bring everyone you know," Bakura grumbled, and the matter was settled.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The flight back was long. Slifer still had only one sunsail, so they could only fly during the day. They had enough food, though, and the atmosphere was even lighter. Isis was ecstatic from seeing her family, and her mood affected everyone. Even Honda was seen laughing out loud after Yugi gathered his crew together and told them the news. "Atem wanted me to have this," he said to them all, brandishing the puzzle. Newly cleaned and polished, it glinted in the sunlight. "We'll be able to buy a new ship." He grinned at their disbelieving stares and turned his gaze to Atem at the wheel, speaking to Mana next to him, unaware. "Well, good." Even Anzu's voice was free of venom as she followed Yugi's gaze. He glanced back at her. She was watching Mana gesticulate with her hands, face softer than usual. Jou nudged her. "See something you like?" he teased, and everyone but Yugi snickered at her sputtering. Yugi only smiled sadly and said nothing. Mai and Isis were seen conversing often, poring over the map they had been given. Finding the village where her brothers lived would be easier now that they had an idea of where the annual wind currents would take it, and Atem had talked to them, agreeing to visit at least twice a year. Yugi caught Mai speaking quietly to Isis over the map. "It's been so long. I didn't think I'd have a family again," she was saying. Isis murmured something back, clasping her hand, but Yugi had already left to give them space. He did make a point to quietly congratulate Mai later, and reveled in a smile that was tentative, but genuine, and no less bright for it. Yugi understood. He had had Anzu, and the rest of his crew for a long time, but the loss of his grandfather still weighed heavy on his shoulders at times. He never went back out to join Atem on his watches. Atem certainly noticed, but didn't say anything, and started taking his cues from Yugi and keeping his distance. It would be easier that way, Yugi told himself. It would. He was glad for the distraction when, the third day in, one of the engines started sputtering, and they all threw themselves into work. The Slifer was set to drift on the wind, and Ryou, Honda, and Mai, at least, were having fun yelling at each other over gears and grease while everyone else tried to organize the mess that became of the engine room. Yugi was so aware of Atem, only yards away from him, that Jou kept asking him if he was feeling all right. "Just a little distracted," he smiled at Jou, and left it at that. Nighttime was even worse. Every time he heard Atem roll over, Yugi resisted the urge to stand up, go to him, and finally talk. Every time, he shut the urge down. They were leaving in a few days, and he would only see Atem and his crew in passing. Maybe he would wave, or smile, and they would share a few stilted sentences, and Atem would be too polite to give him those terribly hopeful looks that Yugi kept seeing in the corner of his eye. It was better this way, he knew. Atem had his people and didn't need Yugi and his friends crowding his ship any further. They would need months before they would be able to work as smoothly on their new ship as they had on the Exodia. His crew would only be a hindrance. It all made sense, then, to turn his head away from Atem's face, as guiltily crestfallen as it was, like he didn't want Yugi to see his disappointment. Like he wanted Yugi to make his own decisions. So why did it hurt so much? The sixth day was the day they finally saw the skyport in the distance. Everyone rushed to the front of the ship, crowding the bow so full that the front tilted down slightly. Yugi put his hands on the railing but jerked back as if burned when his fingers touched Atem's. The other captain, to his credit, didn't mention it. On his other side, Mahaad watched, lips pursed, but didn't say anything either. The deck was awash with smiles and excited words. Yugi was silent, watching the port draw closer. He tensed as Atem's hand settled on his shoulder. "We should talk." Yugi nodded at him and followed the other captain to the mast. Atem turned around, biting his lip. They stared at each other. "I just wanted to thank you again, I guess. For fixing the puzzle, and everything after that." His gaze was heavy. Yugi kept his eyes somewhere over Atem's right shoulder. "I should thank you too. For everything." He chanced a glance at the other man's face. "I hope we can be friends, after this." Atem looked like he very much wanted to say something else, but Yugi turned away, heading back to his crew. Their parting was quiet. Yugi's friends milled around the edge of the deck, sending glances backward until Anzu took initiative and strode back to shake Mana's hand. "We'll see you around," she said, and squeaked when Mana pulled her into a hug. The others made their own discreet goodbyes. Yugi spared a nod to Atem's crew and their captain before jumping over the railing and landing on the walkway. He was followed after a moment. They had reached the street before Yugi realized he had no idea where to go. He spun around to look at his crew and tried to speak. His eyes slid to the Slifer behind them, but its captain was nowhere in sight. "Let's find Ryuji," he said finally, and was relieved when Jou took the lead, pushing his way into the crowd. They followed the familiar path to the back street. Yugi almost took a wrong turn before he reoriented himself. Ryuji was there when Jou pushed the door open, looking up from his files and nodding at the five of them. His eyebrows drew together when he counted heads. "No one's watching your ship?" Yugi sat down heavily. "Exodia exploded," he said brusquely, and almost burst into hysterical laughter at the look on Ryuji's face. "Okay," Ryuji said, pushing his papers to the side. "Tell me everything." The relative calm didn't last long. "That fucking bastard!" Ryuji was fuming as Yugi got to the relevant part of the story. He put a hand over his eyes. "Yugi, I'm so sorry. I thought he was looking for a partnership, and I told him where to find you." He swore several times for good measure. "I can't believe this. I guess I owe you twice as much now, huh?" "Don't worry about it," Yugi told him. At least that answered the question of how Atem tracked him down. He was glad that they weren't that predictable. "Don't worry about it?! I fucking-" Ryuji fell silent as Yugi thunked the puzzle down onto his desk. "Is that-" "It's pure gold. Atem gave it to me, as an apology. Can you sell it?" "I-" Ryuji stared before he visibly pulled himself together. "Yes, I think so. He gave it to you?" "Yes. Atem..." How to explain? "He won't bother us anymore." "I should fucking hope so..." Ryuji pulled the puzzle toward him, eyes appraising. "I'll have to ask around to find buyers rich enough to afford this thing, so it'll take some time. You can stay with me in the meantime. I mean it, Yugi," he said at the look on Yugi's face. "It’s the least I can do, honestly." He shook his head and stood up. "Come on, I have some spare beds somewhere..." They followed him to the next floor, and he showed them several rooms with beds before heading back downstairs to start working on the sale. Yugi slumped down on a bed, rubbing his eyes. Talking had left him exhausted, and he was ready for a nap. He woke up a few hours later, yawning and sitting up to idly eavesdrop on the quiet conversation between Honda and Jou in the next room. "-really think he's okay? He's been acting kind of strange since before we even left..." "Honestly? I think he's missing Atem. You saw how close they were-" "I can hear you both, you know." Yugi was too tired to be anything other than vaguely amused. There was silence for a moment before Jou and Honda entered the room. Jou flopped down on Yugi's bed, brown eyes meeting his. He opened his mouth, but Yugi beat him to it. "Don't, Jou. It's okay." "How is it okay? You've been moping, man." "I don't mope." "You do. You're doing it right now." Yugi sighed. "Everything's over, okay? We won't see Atem again for a while." "Yugi-" "Drop it, okay?" Yugi put a hand on Jou's shoulder. "I promise you I know what I'm doing." "All right." Jou studied him. "But let us know if we can do anything." "I will. Thanks," Yugi said just as Ryuji rushed into the room, grinning widely. The Gandora was a beauty. Yugi turned his face to the wind, enjoying the sight of matte black sunsails rustling, new enough not to be faded from the sun. The antigravs hummed evenly in the background. They were smooth as silk underneath the whoosh of the wind and the distant calls of the birds. He smiled into the sun. Their search had become a success as they caught sight of a lone merchant ship skipping over the clouds. He and his crew were still a little awkward working with new equipment, but everyone had risen to the task admirably. They were heading back, undamaged, with a hold full of hydrogen tanks that three of his friends were in the process of sorting. It couldn't possibly be a better day. Still smiling slightly, he turned the wheel to better ride a current of air. Gandora was lighter and a bit sleeker than Exodia had been, a lot more like Atem's ship than their old one, honestly... As usual, the thought came with a little pain attached, but it was steadily decreasing as time went on. He let the memory go, content to fill his mind with the sight of the enormous, whooping flock of swans heading in from the east and Honda's steady presence. A faint bang carried by the wind broke him out of his reverie. Curious, he exchanged a glance with Honda and eased off on the power. They both leaned against the railing to look behind the caravel. The sight was eerily familiar and for a second, Yugi blinked, trying to figure out if he was hallucinating or not. Red sails caught the light of the sun, rippling proudly. The caravel was too far away for him to see any crew members, but he knew who would be riding the ship. Down below, a dot of blue fire flickered, dropping to the ground. That must have been their greeting shot. "Looks like they want to say hi," Honda said. For a bare second, Yugi considered gunning the engines and leaving the Slifer behind, but he shook off the temptation. Atem was a friend, still, and the least he could do was say hello. "Well," he rolled his shoulders, ignoring Honda's concerned look. "We aren't in any big hurry." Taking hold of the wheel again, he whistled loudly, one, two, three times. The conversation and the thumps abruptly ceased from belowdecks, and barely a few seconds went by before Ryou's head poked out from the trapdoor. "Yugi?" "Come on up," he called back, swinging the Gandora around. "There's someone who wants to meet us." The Slifer, with its secondary sunsail replaced, was a fast ship, and it caught up with them easily. Yugi could see people gathered on the deck and swallowed back his apprehension. His friends had no such problems. They were talking excitedly as the other caravel slid smoothly up next to them, leaving only a dozen feet between their hulls. An admirable show of control. Yugi had to give Atem props for that, but then, he had always been a good flier. "Anzu!" Mana called, and then there were greetings being shouted from both crews as she vaulted over to the Gandora with a careless display of grace. She thumped onto the deck in a crouch, and then the two women were hugging with no thought to who could be watching. Mai was next, landing in a practiced roll and springing to her feet. She, Ryou, and Honda were immediately engrossed in conversation. From the way Ryou was waving his hands excitedly, it had something to do with the Gandora's shiny new engines. The other three were a bit more sedate in their arrival, choosing instead to use the gangplank they had attached to the side of the Slifer. The moment Atem's feet were touching the deck, he called out over the sound of the swans. "Yugi!" "Hey, Atem." Yugi smiled at him from where he was roping the end of the gangplank to the side of the Gandora. He had to make sure that their caravels wouldn't collide, didn't he? But as soon as Atem's hand rested on his shoulder, all thoughts of his ship flew out of his mind as he was pulled into a hug, and he found himself hugging back. "Is this okay?" Atem asked, and Yugi could only nod. He let himself stand there, breathing in Atem's scent of fresh air and linseed oil, something he had no idea he had memorized, before forcing himself to pull back. "How did you find us?" Atem smiled. "All I did was ask around at one of the ports. You've been making quite a name for yourself, Captain Mutou." Yugi's face stretched into a smile and he ducked his head. "Um. Thank you." He looked back up. "What about you? How are things?" Atem's smile faded slightly, and Yugi felt cold dread in his gut. "Everything is okay, right?" "Everything's fine," Atem assured him, "but there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Here." He led Yugi to the side, away from the friendly conversation between both crews. Yugi watched his face apprehensively the whole time. "Atem, just tell me." "Okay, look." Atem made to clasp his shoulder but drew back. "We're friends, correct?" "We are," Yugi said, confused. Atem took a deep breath. "I know it's been a few months since we last worked together," he said. "But I really enjoyed it. I think we connected well, and I think you agree with me." "What is this about?" The other captain wrung his hands. "I want to partner up with you," he blurted out. Yugi stared, and Atem seemed to take that as a bad sign. "Look, I know you were a little weird when we dropped you off at the port, and I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. But Yugi," this time he did touch Yugi's shoulder. "I care about you. And I think we could learn to work well with each other." There was a fluttering of feathers as the flock of swans overtook them. "Partner up?" Yugi asked, dumbfounded, as ghostly white birds soared past and over their two ships. "Yes." There was new resolve in Atem's voice. "You can feel free to say no. I won't push. But I thought I'd offer, just this once." Partner up with Atem. He could partner up with Atem. Atem cared about him and wanted to work with him. Atem wanted this. Yugi hadn't dared hope, but... "Okay," he said, and dazedly watched as Atem's eyes lit up. "You mean it? You're not just saying that to make me happy?" Happy? Yugi made him happy? "Atem," he could barely hold back a laugh, "I'm happy too." "Oh." Atem's smile outshone the sun that was his namesake, and Yugi realized that it wouldn't be the first time he could see such a sight. "Well, good." "Good." "Yeah, good." They broke out into laughter together as feathers flapped all around them, the whoops of the swans a perfect counterpoint to the sound. Yugi grinned at Atem, at his crew who had turned to see what the commotion was. It would be hard work, he knew, but as he stood there on his ship, with Atem next to him, he couldn't help but look forward to it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They were sitting on the Gandora’s prow, as was their newest nighttime habit, when Atem first asked the question.“Are you happy?”Yugi paused. “What?” He turned to look at Atem as the night air blew cold in his face and caught Atem staring back.The other captain shifted. “I mean... are you happy?” Before Yugi could repeat his question, Atem shook his head. “Do you have everything you wanted?” He tilted his head as he stared back, red eyes black in the dimness. His face, as far as Yugi could tell, was serious.He caught his bottom lip between his teeth as he studied the other captain. Atem, who had turned out to be surprisingly good company. A steady presence, a good hand on a sword who flew at his side. Who wanted to know if he was happy.Atem, who’s eyes had possibly flickered down to his bitten lip, just for a moment. Yugi smiled, ever so slightly.“Not quite,” he said, and leaned in close.