Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

At the far northern reaches of the kingdom, their small village was a frantic buzz of activity and anticipation. 

A messenger had arrived by horse the day before, announcing that their village was to undergo a reaping by noon the following day. His message was received with a mixture of excitement and dread depending on who one asked. But in the end, their personal opinions would not be taken into account and what happened could not be changed. 

The word of the Dragon Guard was always final. As sure as if fate itself was delivered on their wings rather than by the Gods. 

Reapings happened every year, but they didn't always visit every village. Especially ones this far north, because they were told the dragons didn't like the cold. From what his grandfather had told him, the last time they'd come to Yugi's village it had been when he was still toddling around the shop. Yugi had no memories of that day, but had heard many of the older kids tell stories about the dragons they'd seen that day. The awe in their voices as they spoke of them always made Yugi's stomach flip as he tried to imagine something so incredible. 

The dragons of the Guard were the stuff of legends. Traveling merchants from the southern cities always had toys or painted cards of the most famous dragons and their riders, even all the legendary ones dating back over three thousand years. Everyone knew the stories by heart, even Yugi who had listened to every tale his grandpa knew at least a hundred times over. The stories were always the same, in that the dragons were their protectors and their riders the brave heroes. But even with predictable endings, all the kids wanted to hear them again and again.

Growing up, every child of the village played dragon rider versus the wraiths. Kids would assign the roles of rider and dragon, the bravest kids being the riders, the biggest kids got to be the dragons, and whoever was left over would play the wraiths. 

Yugi usually was told he could be the scared villager they would protect. 

Yugi had been buying bread in the market when the messenger had arrived. He saw how everyone reacted when they knew the dragon riders and their beasts would arrive soon. The ones young enough to be reaped all raced home with excitement to pack their bags and prepare for possibly being chosen. The little children screamed in delight at the idea of being able to see the dragons in person. Those who had been looked over in past reapings seemed unaffected unless they were the parent of a young prospect. Then Yugi saw dread in their eyes.

And Yugi? He finished buying the bread and walked calmly home. 

Maybe as a kid he had dreamed about leaving the village, exploring the kingdom, and maybe fantasized about being more than what he could dare hope to be. But with his parents dead and his grandfather aging, Yugi had come to believe his place was here and always would be. He'd take over the trade of toy maker from his grandfather, and he'd be happy with the familiar faces of the villagers for the rest of his life. No one would write songs about him, but that was okay. 

After all, no dragon would pick someone like him anyway. 

Yugi was laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, hands folded behind his head. Grandpa had told him to take the morning to prepare for the reaping, but so far Yugi had only gotten as far as stuffing some of his tunics in a bag before giving up.

It seemed like a waste of time to pack all his meager belongings only to have to unpack them in a few hours. But Grandpa had insisted he be ready just in case.

Yugi fought not to roll his eyes.

His little room was above their shop, and he heard the door opening and closing below, making him wonder if Grandpa had a customer. A little strange given how the entire village was focused on the riders arrival in an hour.

But his confusion faded quickly when he heard hurried footsteps up the stairs and knew right away who it was.

Yugi grinned and rolled over just as Jounouchi rushed into his room. His best friend's cheeks were flushed and he was breathing heavily as he walked into the room as easily as he belonged there. And honestly, given how often Jounouchi had slept here over the years, it may as well be half his.

"Yugi, have you seen my boots?" He asked in a breathless panic. 

Yugi blinked and looked at him, "You mean the ones you're wearing?"

Jounouchi blinked and looked down to where the tattered laces barely held together the worn leather, "Oh."

Yugi giggled and lay back on the bed with a smirk, "There you go, mystery solved. Oh, but if you've also been looking for your red tunic, it was in our laundry. Grandpa had it washed for you and it's in my drawer."

Jounouchi's body slumped with relief, "I forgot I even had that shirt, thanks! It would really suck to be chosen and have only one shirt to wear," he said, already digging into Yugi’s dresser. 

Yugi heard him shuffling some stuff around, probably messing it all up, but then Jounouchi paused and frowned at him over his shoulder. 

"Hey, Yugi, all your stuff is still in here. Shit, even your pendant. Your cards…don't you want to take this with you?" Jounouchi asked him.

Yugi bit his lip and looked away before Jounouchi could see his face fall. 

"Oh, it's fine. I'm not going to be chosen anyway. You have a better chance than me," he said, trying to make it sound playful, but the words sounded hollow even to his own ears, "And that's probably for the best. Given how few of the chosen end up surviving, it would be a mercy to look me over. Getting chosen would be a death sentence for someone like me."

Jounouchi grimaced and rubbed at his neck, "Yeah, I've heard most don't even survive long enough to get their dragon. Makes you wonder what kind of shit they have the chosen doing."

With a tired sigh, Jounouchi went over and flopped heavily on the bed beside Yugi, their splayed arms overlapping. 

"To tell you the truth, I'm terrified I'll be chosen," he confessed. 

Yugi twisted his head to look up at his profile, "Because you might die?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, but it's not the death part that scares me. That's just part of life, you know? And to go down in battle or flames like a hero would be the way I'd want to go…but I'm more worried about what I'd be leaving behind."

"Shizuka? You know I'd look out for her for you," Yugi said, and saw Jounouchi turn to him and smile.

"I know you would, and Grandpa would too. But it's not just her. What about Grandpa? He's been more of a father to me than anyone, and I'd miss the heck out of him. And…don't take this the wrong way, but I'd worry about you too. You know I've always said I'd look out for you. And we promised we'd always stick together, and I don't think I could live or die knowing I broke that promise," he said, bumping their brows together. 

Of course, he hadn't forgotten that promise. Even if it was made when they were still just kids, Jounouchi would never be the type to forget making a promise like that. 

Yugi sighed and pressed into the touch, wondering if it would be the last time he and Jounouchi would be able to do this. 

"I would hate to see you leave, but at the same time I know I'd choose you. You're built to be a hero in so many ways. If you could protect the kingdom with even half the energy you put towards protecting me and Shizuka, then the Guard and realm would be lucky to have you," he said, his throat tightening in emotion.

"Yugi…Did you want to be chosen?"

Yugi shrugged, picking at the loose threads of his old blanket, "No, not really. I don't think I could leave Grandpa behind. In fact I would hate to leave Grandpa behind. But…I guess I mostly just wish…I wish I was someone worth being chosen, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. I do, but…well, I'd pick you. You've got a heart as big as a dragon's, and a brain to match. And on top of that, no one in the whole village knows as much about dragons as you do. You memorize everything about them down to their wingspan and type. They're idiots if they pass you over," Jounouchi said, and Yugi flushed at the praise, even if he didn't feel like he deserved it, and felt his eyes well with tears.

And when he looked back up at his friend, he saw his eyes looking suspiciously moist too.

"Look at us getting emotional over nothing," Jounouchi laughed as he wiped away tears, "Isn't getting chosen rare? Like what are the odds of us actually getting picked by the dragons?"

Yugi laughed wetly, "Crazy low, actually. Most villages have no one picked, especially small ones like ours."

Saying that loosened something within him. Maybe he was getting worked up over nothing and nothing will have changed by the time the dragons and their riders left. Life would just go on.

Slower and heavier footsteps were heard and both boys sat up to see Yugi's grandfather step into the room.

He placed his hands on his hips and tutted at the both of them, "What are you two doing lazing about? Have you even finished packing your bags? Honestly, boys, The Guard will be here in less than an hour," he grumped shooing them both off the bed, "Jounouchi, your sister is looking for you. She says you forgot to pack your undergarments."

Jounouchi blanched, "Damn, I knew I was forgetting something. I'll see you at the reaping, Yugi," he said and ran back down the stairs.

Yugi chuckled watching him go as his grandpa steered him back to his dresser and immediately started fussing over the state Jounouchi had left it in.

"Alright, make sure you have everything you'd want in your bag. Let's see, your pendant, your cards…hmm, maybe not the stockings with holes in them…oh, you'll need your warmest cloak if you are traveling. Can't have you catching a chill. You used to get sick so easily, so let's not tempt fate."

Yugi rolled his eyes and grabbed his half filled bag off the bed, "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Any rider would take one look at me and move on. I'm not going anywhere, Grandpa."

He immediately huffed and put his hands back on his hips, "It's the dragons who choose the riders, son. They see more with their eyes than any human could dare to. You don't know what they'll see when you stand before them."

Yugi wasn't so sure, but knew better than to try and convince his stubborn grandfather of anything when he had his hands on his hips like that.

"Alright, alright. Not everything is going to fit in one bag though. I'll just take two of everything and call it done," he said, pulling open another drawer.

"Yugi, I would have thought you'd be more excited to see dragons for the first time. You love dragons," Grandpa said, ruffling Yugi's hair.

Yugi shrugged as he stuffed his tunics into the bag, but carefully slipped in his pendant and cards, "I love the idea of dragons, maybe. But I'm not a little kid anymore with dreams too big for a too small body. I belong here, helping you and being there for my friends. I'm okay with that, really."

Grandpa looked at him for a moment before sighing, "I'm no dragon, but when I look at you…I see someone who has greatness brewing just under the skin. I just wish you could see it too," he said and tugged Yugi away from his bag to embrace him. 

Yugi smiled and leaned into the hug, breathing in the scent of carved wood that always clung to his grandpa, "You have to say that, because I'm your grandson."

Grandpa laughed, hugging him closer, "Perhaps, but nothing will ever change my mind about believing you are special. No matter what the dragons say. I love you, Yugi."

Yugi fisted his hands into his grandfather's tunic and tried to hold back his tears, "I love you too, Grandpa."

The air was so cold that it felt sharp in his lungs as he breathed. A fine mist escaped his lips with each exhale, making him appear like the fire breathers as he trudged across the camp.

He knew that many villages had chosen to build their settlements far up in the northern regions simply to escape the looming threat of wraith attacks, but Atem wondered if that was truly reason enough to live in a frigid place like this.

Wrapping his cloak tightly around him, Atem hurried over to the clearing. Absently he took note of the wagon of chosen at the edge of the camp, and then glanced away just as quick.

His superiors had warned them before this mission to not get too friendly with the chosen, as not all of them would make it back to the Den. Atem had rolled his eyes at the time, wondering if the officers had forgotten they all had been chosen once too, and knew all too well that not everyone survived. 

If he didn't look them in their faces, maybe he wouldn't feel as bad. 

He came to a stop at the edge of the clearing to wait, taking his time to make sure all his leather armor was in place. While it had been designed by their armorers to keep the wind from freezing them in flight, Atem still felt the chill of this place seeping into his bones the longer he stood still. Last night had been miserable, the tents they'd been given doing nothing to hold in warmth. He'd given up halfway into the night and slept on the ground next to the fire Osiris made for him, and shielded from the wind by his coiled tail. It had been slightly warmer, but Atem found more sleep just knowing there was no safer place in the world than beside his dragon. 

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Seto stalking forward.

”This is the first and last time I will take a mission up into this ice cube they call a region,” he growled. 

Atem huffed out a breath that might have been a laugh if there was humor to be found in this desolate place, “You say that like we have a choice in which missions we are assigned.”

Seto scowled and shoved his gloved hands under his armpits, “This feels as if we are being punished somehow. Why else would we be given a mission that a hatchling could manage, as well as being assigned the northern territories on top of that!”

Atem rolled his eyes at Seto’s dramatics, “Hatchlings can’t take missions, you know this,” but for the rest of Seto’s complaints, Atem couldn’t fault him because he had fair points. Atem knew it wasn’t a punishment, even if it felt like one. The northern territories were the lowest risk of wraith attacks, and therefore would be the safest of missions to assign. The biggest risk would be having their balls freeze off if they lingered too long bringing back the chosen. And he had a suspicion of just why he had been given this assignment, and the fire of that anger had been burning within him this entire journey. His inner rage was likely the hottest thing in this region besides dragon fire. 

“How many more villages until we can turn back?” Seto asked gruffly, shuffling his feet in an effort to stay warm.

Atem sighed, peering up at the sky, “Just this last one today and we can make for the nursery. Karim thinks it’ll be a quick reaping. He remembers this village as being quite small.”

”Thank the Gods,” Seto breathed, “Although we’re probably wasting our time. What are the chances that the last village even have one chosen? The last ten villages we went to Ma’at didn’t even lift her head!” He said, glaring over at Karim’s elder dragon where she slept soundly on the edge of the camp. 

“We still must check them all. We’ve too few chosen as it is, we can’t risk missing even one,” Atem reminded him, although he was inclined to agree with Seto that the chances were quite low. 

"Do you think this reaping is so poor because of this region? Or are there fewer chosen now?" Seto asked him idly, as if they were talking about poor crops and not future protectors of the realm.

Atem glanced over to the nearly empty wagon of chosen and grimaced at the five lonely bodies sitting huddled inside. 

"I'd blame the sparse population, but my father has spoken to me of dwindling numbers from all regions for years now," he said darkly as he tightened the leather straps of his vambraces. 

“I’d say that Ma’at is just getting picky in her old age, but looking at the crop she’s chosen I’d say maybe she’d just losing her touch,” he said, eying the less than inspiring group of chosen in the wagon. 

“We must trust in the dragons to choose their riders,” Atem intoned. 

Seto tsked and scowled once more. They both knew the implications of the lower numbers though. They’d seen how empty the Den’s corridors were, and how many spare chambers were available. They were losing riders faster than they were training them.

All while the frequency of wraith attacks kept increasing. 

Before Atem could dwell on their bleak looking future, both riders looked up at the sky when they felt a shift in the air. And not one of natural breezes, but a telling beat of wind that thrummed in time with their hearts.

And moments later, two large bodies soared above the clearing, circling downwards towards the camp. One long, lean and scarlet red. The other a gleaming white so starkly it appeared blue under the sky above. 

Atem walked up to meet his dragon as he landed in a billowing of dead leaves on the ground.

"Welcome back. Did you both have a good hunt, boy?" Atem asked as he stroked his hand over the gleaming red scales of his dragon. 

Osiris purred under his touch and puffed out his long chest proudly, which Atem took to mean that he’d indeed gotten himself something satisfying for breakfast. 

Seto was off to the side, greeting his own dragon with hushed words as he checked over her saddle and straps. Kisara elegantly shifted at his commands and looked just as eager as her rider to get moving. 

“Well, are we ready to rip more young ones away from their homes and families that they may never see again?” Seto asked with forced cheer. 

Atem flinched at the wording, but nodded all the same, “Let’s just get this over with so we can return to the Den. Osiris hates this cold as much as I do.”

Osiris shrieked in agreement beside him, fluttering his wings to shake off the icicles that had formed while on his hunt. 

His shriek was enough to finally rouse Ma’at from her slumber, and just in time for Karim to pack away the last of the tents. He waved Seto and Atem off as air escort, with Ma’at trailing in the sky behind them, and then got in the wagon to drive it to the last village at last. 

Atem patted Osiris once more, the leather of his gloves passing smoothly over his scarlet scales, “Alright, my friend. One last village and then we can go somewhere nice and toasty. Does that sound good?”

Osiris shrieked again and shifted his feet impatiently as Atem laughed and climbed up into his saddle. 

“Okay, take it easy. We can’t have you bucking off your rider mid flight. Seto and Kisara would tease us endlessly for it,” he said as he strapped his legs in place. Osiris obediently stayed still.

Right up until he heard the last latch hooking in place. He was shooting them up into the air not even a second later. Atem chuckled and held on tight.

The smell of burnt embers preceded riders wherever they went.

That’s what Grandpa had told him for years. And as Yugi stood in the village square, he swore he could catch the scent on the wind. He felt something shift in the air, like how some could sense a storm coming in the distance, but no one else seemed to react around him. So Yugi tried to ignore the sudden thumping of his heart. It must have just been the nerves.

The entire town was gathered, not just those of the right age to be chosen. Everyone wanted to see the dragons. But there were also many who would be worried that after this, they may never see one of their fellow villagers again. Parents clung to their children, lovers grasping hands, friends standing together.

As always, Jounouchi stood at Yugi’s side, already gathered where the potential chosen would stand to be assessed. Their bags dropped by their feet. Off in the crowd, Yugi could see Shizuka and Grandpa standing together too, holding each other’s hands for comfort. 

“I’m going to feel really silly for freaking out as much as I am right now if nothing happens,” Jounouchi laughed nervously, scratching at his neck and peering up at the sky. 

Yugi mentally agreed with him, but couldn’t bring himself to speak when it felt like the air was shaking around him. 

It was around the time that the riders were expected, and the energy of anticipation was electric around them. 

And then they heard it. A piercing shriek ringing out over the forest that surrounded their village. And then suddenly the sky was overtaken by three massive forms above.

Dragons. Each more incredible than the last.

All the breath was stolen from Yugi’s lungs as he watched them circling above. They were so high up he could barely make out the tiny forms strapped in place on the dragons. The riders. 

Yugi’s library of knowledge when it came to the most famous dragons picked up that the massive deep purple one with the red wings was Ma’at, one of the only elder dragons left. Lord Karim was her rider, and one of the top ranked officers in The Guard. The other two in the sky were smaller, and likely much younger too. Possibly newer riders then. But Yugi bit his lip before saying such things out loud. He just wanted to drink in the moment as the first…and possibly last time he’d ever see dragons again. 

Several people cried out in fear or shock as the three dragons came down to land in a heavy thud in the square. Their wings kicked up dirt, leaves, and sent cloaks billowing out in all directions. 

Yugi’s mouth fell open as he took them in as they lowered over the crowd. They were even bigger up close, and he felt like a mouse compared to them. 

Ma’at did not have her rider in the saddle, but the other two dragon’s riders slipped down their flanks and onto the ground in graceful landings. The taller of the two lowered the leather face shield and revealed a young man, probably not too far off in age from Yugi and Jounouchi.

His piercing blue eyes roamed over the gathered crowd, “We need all eligible prospects to gather away from everyone else,” he commanded.

Immediately Yugi was crowded in by all the prospective chosen as they gathered in the center. He counted them over and saw that from their village they only had twenty of the right age group. He grimaced when Ushio pushed his way to the front of the group.

"Move, runt," he said, shoving Yugi behind him hard enough he would have fallen if Jounouchi hadn't caught him. 

He could feel Jounouchi readying to throw fists over it, but Yugi was quick to hold him back. This wasn't the time or place to fight.

Not everyone was so afraid of failure or death when they had arrogance and stupidity to bolster their attitudes towards the reaping. Ushio was among the type who believed they had always been worthy of being a rider, and that they deserved a dragon and the respect that came with having one. Several of Ushio’s friends were right at his back, only slightly less confident as Ma’at’s massive form lurked closer.

Part of Yugi's line of sight was blocked by Ushio’s bulk, but the dragons were big enough he could still see plenty of them. They were all he cared about seeing anyway.

”No one is to speak as Ma’at assesses the prospects. And no one is to approach any of the dragons under any circumstances, for we will not be held responsible for any loss of life or limb for anyone who disobeys,” came another deep and strong voice that vibrated through the air like the beats of the dragon's wings.

Yugi craned his neck to see the second rider lower his mask, and he flushed seeing the handsome rider’s face revealed. Yugi ducked his head when crimson eyes as red as his dragon’s scales flicked over towards him, as if sensing Yugi’s thoughts. Just as quick though, the rider looked away again.

The sound of a wagon squeaking closer was heard over the hissing breaths of the dragons, and the villagers watched as a horse led wagon was rolled in by another man dressed as a rider, one that Yugi would bet coin on was Lord Commander Karim. Ma'at's rider. He was driving the wagon with a handful of other young ones. They must be this year's chosen. 

Karim hopped off the wagon and came up beside Ma’at, patting her flank. For such a large man, he was dwarfed by her size. And yet she still sweetly ducked her head down so he could scratch at her chin.

"Alright, sweetheart. You're up," Karim whispered to his dragon. 

Ma'at rose up to her haunches and stretched out her wings, beating them hard twice and sending gusts of air billowing out in all directions. Several more people cried out in fear.

Yugi braced his feet on the ground and felt Jounouchi do the same beside him. 

Ma'at moved her massive clawed feet closer to the group. Yugi swore he heard teeth chattering in fear as she loomed above them all. Her jaws were so big that she could have easily scooped a full grown adult up and swallowed them whole, and there she was peering down at them like she was picking out her next snack.

She started at one end of the group, and slowly craned her long neck along the pack of them. Yugi saw her nose wrinkle and she let out a loud huff of air from her flared nostrils as she passed over the first dozen. Yugi had no idea about dragon expressions, but he swore she was showing a bit of distaste, perhaps even disgust as she passed over a few of Ushio's friends and the village bullies. 

Then her head, that was as big as the wagon carrying the chosen, stopped just as she started to pass in front of Ushio. She lifted one clawed foot and stamped it down hard, making the ground crunch under it.

Karim pointed over at them, "Ma'at has spoken! Step forward, chosen!" 

Ushio puffed out his chest proudly and cast a sneer over his shoulder at Yugi, "Later, runt," he taunted and then took a step forward.

Only to rear back flat on his ass when Ma'at suddenly roared in fury and flames danced between her bared teeth.

"Holy shit, what the fuck was that?" Ushio demanded angrily. 

The rider with the crimson eyes glared at him, "Stay back, you fool, before she eats you. You were not chosen," he said and then his eyes flicked up to where Yugi stood just behind Ushio, "He was."

All eyes turned to Yugi.

"W-what? Me? No, there must be a mistake," Yugi said, his eyes almost pleading as he looked between Ma'at and the rider. The dragon looked impatient…and the rider just looked sympathetic. 

"What? The dragon chose him? He won't last a damn day out there, just look at him!" Ushio said, gesturing wildly at him. Yugi flinched and took a step back, which only made Ma'at angry again, and she roared.

"You have been chosen, boy! Obey her," the taller rider spat out and then stomped across the square to grab Yugi by the arm and start dragging him towards the wagon.

Yugi dug his feet in, clutching at the bag the rider shoved into his chest, "Wait…wait, I can't leave, I have a grandfather!"

The rider didn't look at him as he replied, "We all have to leave someone behind…you aren't special. Now get on the wagon."

"Don't I at least get to say goodbye?" Yugi begged, unable to resist the stronger pull of the rider. Yugi turned and looked over his shoulder to where Shizuka was holding on to his grandfather who looked just as alarmed as Yugi felt, "Grandpa!" he called out.

"Yugi!" he cried back, the villagers holding him back too. 

But no one was quick enough to stop Jounouchi.

"Hey, let him say goodbye to his grandfather! Are you all heartless?" Jounouchi growled and grabbed for Yugi's arm. 

"Back off or be eaten," the taller rider snapped at him.

"No! I'm not going anywhere. Where Yugi goes, I go!" Jounouchi yelled back.

Ma'at suddenly roared again and stomped her feet, making all of them freeze in place.

Lord Karim seemed to be the only one still unmoved by the chaos and he pointed at Jounouchi where he was still latched onto Yugi's arm.

"You have drawn her attention and have been chosen. You get your wish, join your friend on the wagon," he announced.

All the air rushed out from Yugi's lungs as he saw Jounouchi blanch.

"But, my sister–" he started, but stopped when he saw the tall rider's glare. 

"Don't worry about us, we'll take care of each other," Shizuka cried out, his eyes already streaming full of tears down her cheeks. She looked heartbroken, but stood on her feet as she held onto Grandpa firmly. 

Yugi didn't know what to think or say, it was just too much at once. But there was no time because Ma'at seemed impatient to see her chosen gathered in place, and the other rider had come over to help usher them along.

Gloved hands closed over Yugi's arm and he was guided along numbly. Each step he took Yugi tried to crane his neck to see his grandfather.

"It is easier to just let go. Don't make it worse by lingering," the shorter rider said, his voice low enough just for Yugi to hear as he all but dragged him away. 

Yugi's cheeks stung, and he realized it was because he was crying and the tears were freezing to his skin, "I can't leave him, I…I'm not the right person. This must be a mistake," Yugi breathed desperately. The handsome rider just looked back at him as steady as stone, his eyes inexplicably cold and warm at the same time.

"The dragons never make mistakes," he said with hard finality, but his touch was more gentle than Yugi would have expected as he was hoisted into the wagon like a sack of harvested hay.

Jounouchi landed with a thud beside him a second later. Both of them looked back at one another with only the deepest of sorrow in their eyes, and immediately threw themselves into the others' arms. Yugi didn't even glance at the other chosen already huddled inside, his eyes were on his village, and his Grandpa. 

"I can't believe this is happening. I'm so sorry, Jounouchi," Yugi sobbed.

Jounouchi was shaking where he held Yugi, "I'm sorry too, but at least I get to keep my promise. I'm with you wherever this takes us, Yugi."

Yugi couldn't even say how glad he was that his friend was there, he just gripped him back tighter in hopes he understood without the words. 

Ma'at seemed to be done assessing the crowd because she had turned away from them to stalk back over to the wagon. 

"Good girl, Ma'at. You found yourself two new chosen. Let's keep your little hatchlings nice and safe until we get to the Nursery," Karim cooed at his dragon as she looked down at the wagon like a pleased mother looking over her babies in a crib. She let out a shriek and took to the sky.

The younger riders were quick to mount their dragons, yelling to the villagers to back up before their beasts sprang up towards the clouds. 

Yugi and Jounouchi almost fell over as the wagon suddenly lurched forward as Karim hurried the horses into a trot. The wagon rolled quickly away from the village.

Both of them threw themselves into the back, reaching out over the edge like they had any hope of all of being able to touch their loved ones one more time. 

"I love you, big brother! Please be safe and come home some day!" Shizuka cried out, waving at them with tears still streaming down her face. 

Yugi stared at his grandpa's face as it got smaller and smaller as the wagon rolled away.

He felt another sob wrench free from him when he saw Grandpa trying to run forward to keep sight of him, "Yugi! Be safe, my boy. Ride back on your dragon someday so I can see you again! I love you!"

Yugi heard the sorrow in his voice and it hurt. Oh, it hurt so much he swore he'd die from this. 

"I love you too, Grandpa! Be well, please. Wait for me!" Yugi cried back, his entire body wracked with sobs even as Jounouchi held him. 

The wagon soon rolled them back into the forest and the village disappeared from sight.

Yugi turned to bury himself against Jounouchi who wrapped him up close as they left their old life behind.

Up above, three dragons circled protectively over them.

Chapter Text

Yugi's head ached ferociously when he woke. He must have fallen asleep hours after they'd left the village, too emotionally exhausted to try and stay awake to the gentle bumps of the wagon. All of the crying was now making his head pound, and made the tears want to start falling again. 

He shifted a little and felt Jounouchi start rubbing at his back, sensing him waking.

"There you are. Feeling any better?" he asked.

Yugi shook his head.

Jounouchi tutted his tongue, "Yeah, me neither."

"Do we know where we're going? What's happening next?" Yugi asked as he dared to peer over the edge of the wagon only to see an empty, sprawling valley around them. He recognized it as one that had the road that led back to the southern territories.  He felt a shift in the air, and sure enough when he looked up he saw the dragons circling above still. 

Jounouchi opened his mouth to reply, but they were cut off by a strong voice from the front of the wagon.

"We are taking you all to the Nursery, which lies in a sacred place. We do not speak of the location out loud, because it is a very carefully guarded secret. It will take us about a week of travel to reach it though. So you all best get comfortable, we will travel until sunset where we will rest for the night and then start again in the morning as soon as the dragons finish their morning hunt," Lord Karim said without looking back at them. He seemed to be keeping the horses at a steady pace and kept a wary eye on the road ahead. Yugi swallowed hard when he spotted a massive scabbard at his hip, and wondered if it was to protect them against thieves on the way, or to keep the chosen from running…

Yugi sat up a little more, but did not pull away from Jounouchi's side, needing his support and presence more than ever. And thankfully Jounouchi seemed similarly inclined as he rested an arm over Yugi's shoulders.

With the raw and frantic moment passed, Yugi found himself finally able to take in the other chosen sitting in the wagon with them. He didn't recognize a single one of them from the neighboring villages, but he did recognize the same hollow look in their eyes that Yugi felt in his own.

"Have you talked to them at all," Yugi whispered, glancing over at the others meaningfully. Most of them were either asleep or looking at the passing fields around them, ignoring the two of them. 

"Yeah, I've talked to a couple of them. Johan and Judai seem alright, and they look like they're buddying up. Manjome is a piece of work from what I can tell. Crow is pretty closed off, but Ryou says it's because he had to leave a bunch of orphan kids behind. Oh, and Ryou seems pretty nice. Ryou, this is Yugi," Jounouchi said quietly, jerking his chin down to where Yugi was rubbing at his crusty eyes. 

Yugi peered over to see the white haired boy around their age sitting on the other side of Jounouchi.

"Hello there, you must be Yugi," he said kindly.

Yugi inclined his head slowly, "Hi. Are you from around here?"

Ryou smiled and nodded, "We've all come from the northern territory from what I understand. Although not quite as far north as your village. I didn't even realize that there were settlements this far up. We were wondering why we were traveling so far, but given that Ma'at chose two of you at our last stop I suppose I can see why we made the effort."

Yugi almost wished they hadn't made the effort. 

"How long have you been traveling?" Yugi asked.

Ryou tapped his chin as he seemed to think it over, "Oh, it's been about a month now. I was the first one chosen for this reaping and have been traveling with them ever since. I must admit, I'm eager to move on to whatever is next."

"And what's next is a nursery? Are we visiting babies or something?" Jounouchi asked, sounding a little skeptical as they all warily eyed Karim's back.

Ryou shrugged, "From what I understand, it's where we may get paired with a dragon. But they've been quite tight lipped about the process. You now know about as much as I do."

Yugi grimaced, that was not a whole lot to go off of. And it sounded like he had a whole week to just sit there and stew in his sorrow until they got there. And then Yugi wondered if they'd find out why so few chosen survived. He felt his stomach churn uneasily as he couldn't help but wonder if this would be his last week of life. 

His eyes burned and his chest tightened as he wondered if the last time he'd ever see his grandpa would be of his face as he was dragged away. Yugi wiped at his eyes before more tears could fall.

Ryou was looking at him with pity in his eyes that made Yugi want to start crying all over again. But just as the tall rider had told him, everyone had to leave someone behind. And Yugi certainly wasn't special. He didn't even know why he was here at all.

All he knew was that he was supposed to trust the dragons.

Yugi truly wished that he could, but right now he only believed that they had made a tragic mistake.

Just as he had said, Karim pulled the horses to a stop as the sun started to dip lower on the horizon.

Within moments, the dragons touched down around the wagon and the riders slipped off their sides. Yugi's eyes trailed after the shorter rider as he started to loosen the straps around his scarlet dragon. The other rider seemed to be doing the same, but Yugi felt his gaze more drawn to the other one. Most likely because he hadn't been as cruel during the reaping. 

A few of the chosen who had been traveling for longer seemed to know what came next, and hopped out of the wagon to start help setting up tents while others gathered wood for a fire. Ryou had assured them both that for their first day, they would be allowed to rest a bit, but the following day would be expected to help as well.

Yugi wasn't all that relieved, mostly because it meant he was left with nothing but his thoughts and idle hands as everyone else seemed to busy themselves with camp chores. 

Ma'at seemed reluctant to leave the chosen, and curled on her side watching over them as they worked. Yugi wondered if she would ever leave them to hunt on her own, but she made no move to do so. 

Jounouchi was leaning over Ryou as he started to chop up some veg to put in a pot. Yugi's stomach churned dangerously at the very thought of food and made a tactical retreat to the edges of the camp.

They were on the edges of the valley, the camp huddled under the start of the tree line but allowing enough open space for the dragons to roam without taking down trees with their tails. The taller rider was busy fiddling with some of the saddle fixtures, and seemed inclined to ignore everyone else in favor of his white dragon. 

Yugi gave them both a very wide berth as he wandered the edges of the camp. 

This was further than he'd ever been from home before. 

His wandering took him closer to where the red dragon was coiled around his rider, who was now stroking at his belly like he was one of the dogs Yugi used to play with on the streets.

His cloak hood had been pulled back to reveal more of the rider. The deep and rich skin tone of his face only made his peculiar eyes stand out that much more starkly, only accentuated more by the fine carving of his jaw and cheekbones. Yugi tried not to stare, especially once he felt the dragon's eyes flick towards him.

The rider didn't seem to care or notice as he patted his belly one last time and pulled away, "Alright, you great hungry beast. Go find yourself some dinner. Maybe bring back something for the rest of us, hm?" he said in a doting voice that made Yugi's lips want to curl up into a smile. For how scary the dragons had been back in the village, Yugi couldn't help but notice that the riders seemed to treat them so sweetly. 

The dragon let out a happy rumble that matched the deep chuckle of his rider as he launched into the sky. A moment later, the white dragon followed him. 

Realizing that he might be caught staring now, Yugi ducked his head and spun on his heel to walk in a different direction. Unfortunately in his haste he didn't realize it was leading away from the camp. 

"Do not wander too far, little one. You'll make the dragons nervous to see a hatchling alone."

Yugi froze at the deep voice behind him and sharply turned around to see the rider from before behind him. 

Despite his surprise at the approach, he still bristled hearing the 'little' directed at him.

It must have shown on his face because the rider held up his hands in a sign of peace, "Apologies, I meant no insult. I'm afraid my dragon seems to have influenced me with his own opinions again. He's been quite curious about you."

Yugi's eyes bugged out of his head, "You can talk to your dragon?" He'd never read about that!

The rider chuckled and shook his head, "Not like that. Dragons do not speak in words. They are very adept at understanding our tongue, but through our bond I mostly just get a sense of Osiris' perceptions and emotions. Like that he thinks you are cute and was glad when Ma'at chose you."

Yugi's scowl came right back. Cute? A dragon thought he was cute? 

"I really hope Ma'at didn't choose me for the same reason," Yugi grumbled, kicking at the dirt. He didn't know how to feel that he may end up dying because a dragon picked him out like the cutest kitten from a litter. 

The rider shook his head again, "Ma'at is mysterious in her ways, but she has proven for decades that her chosen are among some of the best riders found."

"Did she find you?" Yugi found himself asking boldly.

The rider's eyes widened, but then nodded slowly, "Yes, actually. She also found Seto, my grumpy companion you likely detest now. Don't worry, you will be in good company if you make it to the Den. Most there don't like him either."

The whole 'if' part of that made something inside of Yugi shrivel. The rider must have noticed that too, because he bit at his lip and glanced away from Yugi suddenly. 

Yugi cleared his throat, trying to move on from his possible (and most likely probable) death, "The Den…what is that?"

The rider seemed thankful for the change in topic and met his gaze again, "It is where the riders of The Guard receive their training and build their bond with their dragons before joining the ranks. Almost like an academy of sorts. You'd be living there until your training is completed, but it remains home for most of us even after that. It is located near the capitol, so that we are always ready to be called forth to protect the realm."

Okay, Yugi understood all that. He had heard about the headquarters for the Dragon Guard, but beyond knowing it existed he knew little else. This was better than nothing, he supposed. At least he could hear about the place he'd likely never get to see. Even if he secretly had dreamed about it his entire life. 

"So that I do not cause offense again by referring to you as Osiris does…you are called Yugi, right?" He asked, an elegant brow raised.

Yugi nodded, "You spoke with Jounouchi about me?"

The rider winced, rubbing at his neck, "Ah, no. I was in flight while you rested. I just remember that's what the elder had called out as we left."

Yugi's heart clenched instantly, "That was my grandfather…" he said, unsure what else to say. If this rider was chosen like all of them, then he must have left people behind too. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if he'd even been able to fly back home to see who he left behind, but thought better of asking at the last moment.

The rider cleared his throat and tentatively stepped closer to Yugi, as if he was also a dragon to be approached slowly. But really Yugi would bet it was because the rider didn't want to make him cry again. And wasn't that embarrassing. Not only did the dragons think he was 'cute' but now the riders would think he was one wrong word away from breaking down…which to be fair, Yugi kind of still was.

"Am I allowed to know your name?" Yugi asked.

The rider seemed to hesitate, biting his lip again and looking uncertainly between Yugi and the camp. 

"I am called Atem, newly initiated second class rider," he recited, watching Yugi carefully.

Yugi knew vaguely of the classes from his dragon cards, but had only ever seen ranks of fourth class or higher. That must mean the lower ranks were for those still in training. 

"Oh, I guess congratulations for your initiation?" Yugi hedged.

Atem seemed relieved for whatever reason and he nodded eagerly, "Thank you. We were glad for it. Osiris was eager to be able to leave the Den and go on missions, and I'll admit I also was eager to get out a bit. This is our first time coming this far north. I can't say either of us are fond of the temperature, but it is quite lovely out here. And Osiris thinks the hunting is better out here. Less chance of eating some poor farmers stock and getting scolded for it."

Yugi was surprised when he found himself chuckling, and Atem seemed equally surprised when he smiled back. 

It was somewhat sweet to hear how fondly Atem spoke of his dragon. It made the awe inspiring beasts less terrifying, and Yugi found himself envious of the obvious bond they seemed to share. Even Seto, who Yugi was not overly fond of so far, seemed to have a gentle bond with his own dragon. 

It made him wish all the more that he could be worthy of being a rider too. That he wasn't stolen from his home just to die before getting the chance. 

Yugi opened his mouth to ask more of the burning questions he had, but stopped when he felt a shift in the air again, and both he and Atem looked up at the sky in the same moment.

The long, scarlet body of Osiris slithered across the sky and moved like a shot arrow down to where they stood.

Yugi felt the sudden urge to throw himself at the ground when it looked like Osiris would crash down on them, but Atem stood his ground with an amused smile on his face as his dragon twisted at the last second to come to a skid beside him.

Yugi gaped down at the massive crater lines left behind by his landing. The town farmer could have planted a year's worth of crops in that shallow trench. 

Seemingly unbothered by the dramatic landing, Atem stepped closer to Osiris, "Oh, back already?" he asked, peering up at him.

Osiris lifted his head proudly before promptly spitting out half of a deer at their feet in a wet sounding squelch. 

Yugi recoiled in disgust while Atem immediately started to praise him for his successful hunt. 

"Marvelous, what a clever dragon you are catching this so fast. Thank you for sharing your snack. Did you bring this for Ma'at?" 

Osiris let out a small growl when Atem went to grab the deer carcass, and the rider stopped and stepped back hands raised. Once Osiris was pleased Atem wasn't taking the kill, the dragon then shoved the corpse towards where Yugi stood.

Yugi felt his stomach rebel when stuff fell out from the split half. 

"Oh Gods," he moaned, covering his mouth when Osiris nudged it even closer. 

Atem grimaced apologetically at him, "Sorry. He wants to feed you. He thinks you are too small because you have not been fed properly."

Yugi scowled around where he plugged his nose up. Great, now at least two dragons were convinced he was a runt. As if Ushio and his friends weren't bad enough. But still…this was kind of sweet in a disgusting way. 

"Uh, thanks I guess? Do I pat him or something?" Yugi asked.

Atem shook his head quickly, "Do not touch a dragon you don't have a bond with. Even with permission from the rider, there is no promise from the dragon that you should keep your hand."

Yugi blanched and took a step back, only for Osiris to growl and push the carcass enough that it flipped over and landed right at his feet.

"How will I know when I have a bond with a dragon?"

"You'll know," Atem replied evasively, "In any case. He is waiting for you to bring it back to camp to cook. It took me ages to teach him that riders don't eat raw meat, but he has finally come to accept us 'spoiling' his kills. He won't back off until he's seen you eat it."

Yugi swallowed back the bile rising in his throat as he eyed poor deer at his feet, "Uh, he knows I can't eat all this myself, right?"

Atem laughed, "Yes. With any luck he'll allow you to share with the other chosen. Just be sure that you are the first to be served or he may try to snap at whoever tries to cut in front."

Great. Now he had a dragon trying to feed him. Today had just been a lot. 

But he bet Grandpa would have loved this. And he'd probably be laughing his ass off too. 

"Uh, do we wait for the other dragon to come back?" Yugi asked, glancing up at the sky for the sleek white one.

Atem shook his head as he pulled at a loose scale flaking on Osiris' leg, "Kisara? She'll be fine. Much like her rider, she enjoys her alone time. She will get her own dinner and then bring something back for Ma'at. Until then, let's have you bring the deer over to be added to the stew the white haired chosen is making."

"Oh, you mean, Ryou?"

"Oh, is that his name?" Atem asked absently, "Well, go ahead and bring it to him," 

Yugi nodded and tried not to throw up as he grabbed for one of the remaining legs of the deer. In his head though, he couldn't help but wonder how Ryou had been traveling with this group for a month and somehow Atem never even learned his name. Did Atem know any of the others names? 

Yugi dragged it only about a foot before he heard someone stomping up behind them. Yugi turned to see the rider named Seto frowning at the two of them. 

"Atem," Seto called out, almost sounding angry as he approached, "What are you doing? Did you forget what our officer told us, or were you just distracted," he said, glancing down at Yugi like he was something to be scraped off the bottom of a heel. 

Atem rolled his eyes, but Yugi saw him bite at his lip again. Osiris growled behind them all.

"I have not forgotten, Seto. I was making sure he didn't wander away from camp."

Seto scoffed, "Yes, and that has nothing to do with Osiris doting on him like you just laid an egg. Like dragon, like rider…Stay focused on the mission," he scolded and then turned to Yugi, "Get back to camp, you're making Ma'at nervous being away from the other chosen."

Yugi jumped to obey the stern voice, suddenly not caring about the carcass and entrails dragging behind him as he hurried back to camp. That exchange had been…weird, but Yugi was quick to pretend it didn't happen as Osiris slithered behind him like one big fucking shadow back to camp.

He stayed watching very carefully as Ryou cleaned and cooked the offering, and only slipped away once he saw Yugi take a bite of the finished stew.

Atem and Seto stayed at the edge of the camp for a while, not approaching the fire Ma'at had blown to life for them until the sun had set and it became dark.

When they finally came over, they settled down and were silently handed bowls of stew by Ryou. They nodded their thanks, but didn't say anything more.

Yugi kept glancing over at Atem as they ate, dying to ask him more questions. But after Seto had come over, Atem seemed like he was actively trying not to even look his way.

Yugi tried to pretend that didn't hurt a little. 

Karim had drifted away from the younger camp occupants, and was quietly talking to Ma'at alone. Yugi felt a strange tension among the group once their only adult had wandered away, and he tried not to let himself shrink back under it. 

Judai and Johan were talking quietly among themselves at least, with Manjome pretending he wasn't listening in on them. Crow still kept to himself, not speaking unless spoken to. And even then it was only single worded responses. Ryou had said he had been chosen only a few days ago, and was still 'adjusting'. 

Yugi could relate. 

Jounouchi stretched out his long legs and set aside his scraped clean bowl, and watched the flames dancing in the fire.

"Think maybe we'll get to be heroes, Yugi? Like the riders in your cards and books?" He asked quietly.

Yugi also stared into the fire, listening to the wood crack and shift as it burned hot as he tried to think of how to respond, but Jounouchi continued on.

"I was just thinking…you know, about Shizuka. And as much as I hate that I was taken away from her…I want to make sure that it'll be worth it. That she didn't lose me just to die, but that she lost me so I could do something great. Something to make her proud. So that even if I never make it back, she can read my stories or hear the songs written about my adventures and victories," his voice was softer than Yugi had ever heard it before.

A scoff came from across the fire, and they looked up to see Seto staring at them.

"Those stories are nothing but fanciful nonsense and are nothing like the truth of what being a dragon rider is really like. So get that out of your head now before you get yourself killed trying to play hero when you should be playing soldier," Seto sneered darkly. 

"You mean the stories aren't real?" Yugi asked, but his eyes were on Atem who seemed reluctant to look up from his empty bowl.

Atem grimaced, absently scraping at the bottom with his spoon and not meeting anyone's eyes, "The stories themselves are real…"

"But?" Ryou prompted, sounding curious too. The other chosen were all perking up and watching the exchange. 

Atem sighed and tossed aside his bowl as he bent over his knees as stared into the fire, "They are real…but they often tend to only speak of the battles won."

"Well, they'd be pretty depressing stories if they were all about the losses," Jounouchi snorted. 

"Depressing or not, those stories are the vast majority of what we face. Not all of us are so lucky that we get the chance to die doing some heroic act that singles us out as legends. Those of us who fall silently, are just forgotten. Like we didn't even matter. Tell me, of all these dragons that are supposed to be immortal, why are there so few elders left? I'll tell you where they are. They died. But no one wants to tell the stories of the fallen. You weren't chosen to find glory. You were chosen to help protect the kingdom," Seto spat, making all the chosen ducked their heads low in sudden shame. 

Yugi felt acid burn in his belly. He wasn't looking for glory, like Seto said. He just wanted to survive…and maybe make a bond with a dragon. Like Atem had with Osiris. 

The awkward silence came back, but Yugi didn't feel any urge to break it again. Today had already been too much. Seto had pulled Atem into scouting the perimeter after a while, and eventually the chosen drifted away into the tents to get some sleep until Yugi and Jouonouchi were left at the fire. 

He leaned over to rest his head on Jounouchi's shoulder and felt his friend lean in too.

"She's going to be proud of you no matter what. You're already a hero to her," he whispered, just for the two of them to hear. 

He heard Jounouchi take in a shuddering breath beside him.

"Thanks. You and me, Yugi. We'll get through this. I'm not leaving you, and I swear to you that I'll make sure you get to see your Grandpa again. Let's watch each other's backs and…I know he'll be proud of you too."

"...I hope so."

Atem watched the two remaining chosen drift to sleep beside the fire. He was tempted to wake them so that they could at least move to the tents, but with Seto watching him he thought better of it. 

None of what Seto had said had been wrong. In fact it was just painfully true. It just seemed cruel to point it out so harshly to the young ones, but…perhaps it was best they knew now what lay ahead. 

Atem and Seto had been the only of their group of chosen to survive. They could only hope that this group fared better. 

A sudden chill ran through Atem's already shivering body, and once again he turned away from the tents in favor of laying in the tight coil of Osiris' tail. 

And if his position allowed him to keep an eye on the sleeping chosen by the fire…then that was just him being a responsible scout on his mission. Nothing more. 

Chapter Text

The next week Yugi learned the true meaning of boredom. They rose with the sun and were on the move the entire day, but the road they were taking seemed to be completely absent of anyone else. They hadn't even passed by or through a single village or settlement since leaving Yugi's home. 

The other chosen sometimes were open to talking or playing games with Yugi's cards, but as soon as the game ended they'd all go back to their sullen moods almost instantly as the reality of their new lives sunk back in.

Yugi really wished Seto hadn't said anything. They were all sad enough as it was. 

Sleeping seemed to be the favored past time during the day, but Yugi quickly found out that if he did that then he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Which led to his increasing boredom when the valleys and forests all seemed to blur together. 

As terrified as he was of what came next, Yugi found himself eager to just get there to end the  monotony of it all. 

The most interesting part was when they reached what appeared to be an entire wall of mountains and got to pass through a tunnel. Which was exciting for all of ten minutes before Yugi realized with how dark it was they didn't get to see shit inside. Atem and Seto got to fly over the ridges of the mountains, which must be nice for them. At least they got a view. 

Yugi had taken to watching the skies more than he watched the passing landscape, his eyes following the graceful dips and twirls of the dragons flying above them. He thought he saw Kisara and Osiris being driven in practice drill formations a few times, and wondered if they were getting bored up there too. 

Stopping each night was nice in that Yugi actually got to move and stretch his legs. He never thought he'd be so excited to gather fire wood in his life, and he became obscenely overjoyed when Ryou offered to teach him how to cook one night. Yugi was starved for anything to stretch his brain a bit, even if he was definitely not starved for food. 

Not at all. Osiris had made sure of that. Yugi had surprisingly gotten used to having dead animals dropping like flies around him, and had stopped blushing every time that Atem apologized profusely for his dragon’s forwardness.

Atem still seemed nicer than Seto, but he did not approach Yugi again to talk after that first night. Yugi was strangely saddened by this, and tried not to take it personally. Atem seemed very duty focused, and was always scouting or tending to his dragon when they weren't flying overwatch. That first night must have just been Atem feeling sorry for Yugi and nothing more.

Yugi shrugged it off. At least Osiris still seemed inclined to follow him around even if his rider didn't. It would be cute if it didn't involve bloodied animal carcasses half the time. 

Ma'at also seemed a lot more doting and almost motherly now that she wasn't stomping her feet and roaring at people who dared to approach her. She'd even been flying lower above them as they journeyed on, never drifting far from the chosen. 

"She must be ready to have another clutch. It's good we'll be at the Nursery then," Yugi overheard Karim tell Atem one night, sounding excited. Atem had congratulated him softly before returning to his perimeter checks. 

It sounded sweet to Yugi's ears, that they were headed to a place where Ma'at would want to lay her eggs, and where they would maybe get to meet baby dragons. With a name like 'The Nursery' it was hard for Yugi to imagine it as anything other than a precious little dragon paradise. 

And how dangerous could that really be?

"Enjoy the sunlight while you can, hatchlings" Karim suddenly announced as they came up on another endless mountain ridge.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Crow asked, probably stealing the words right from Jounouchi's mouth.

Karim laughed, "It means we're almost at the Nursery. One more day of travel and we'll be there."

Yugi peered ahead and was shocked to see a beautifully carved entrance right into the side of the mountain. Into the rock face two dragons were carved into the stone, towering almost as high as the mountains themselves, and each with their own unique appearance. The wings spreading out from their backs created the arch over the tunnel. Yugi found himself speechless at the sight of it. 

And waiting outside of it were two more dragons and their riders waiting.

Karim greeted them and exchanged some pleasantries before the dragons moved aside to let them enter. 

"Looks like you have the last batch of chosen for the year, Commander," one of the guards said.

Karim shrugged, "We had the furthest to travel, so this doesn't shock me. Did we have a fair reaping?"

The guards exchanged uneasy looks, "I think more bodies were taken from here than eggs."

Yugi paled.

Seto and Atem landed behind them, and dismounted their dragons. Yugi was surprised to realize that they would be entering with them. 

The tunnel was surprisingly large, big enough that even Ma'at was able to walk right through. Karim kicked the horses onward once Atem and Seto had climbed into the wagon, and they began their descent into the mountains.

Yugi gaped as they emerged from what seemed like an endless underground tunnel a day later and seemingly found themselves in what he could only describe as hell on earth. 

His body that had known nothing but the cool weather of the north instantly began to drip with sweat and he tore off his cloak to toss into the wagon.

Yugi then looked out in horror at the bubbling magma that seemed to glow like fire everywhere he turned. 

It had taken a day of following a winding path downwards. Yugi could scarcely wrap his head around it, because how deep could they actually go? 

Pretty fucking deep apparently. Deep enough that the chilled cavernous tunnel had grown hot in the last few hours of travel. And Yugi had been dumb enough to wonder why it was hot.

The chamber of lava pits and fire seemed to be a pretty good reason. Not to mention the overpowering sulfuric smell that permeated the air thickly. 

Judai yelped and clung to Johan when a seemingly innocent puddle of lava (if any puddle of lava could appear innocent) erupted in a spew of molten rock that shot up into the air before falling back down again. 

The sheer size of the place made Yugi wonder if they'd stepped into another world entirely, and not just a cavern below the mountains. Looking up he half expected to see stars in the glowy dimmed place.  But all he saw was dark…he couldn’t even make out how tall this cavern was. He couldn't even see how far it went ahead! 

What appeared to be an actual lake of lava hissed in what Yugi could only describe as fair warning before it belched up a large bubble of liquid fire that spat on the ground by their feet. All the chosen shrieked and stumbled back before their toes got melted.

"Welcome to the Nursery," Karim announced proudly, gesturing widely out to what frankly appeared to be anyone's worst nightmare.

Jounouchi gaped as he looked around, "You guys keep babies here?" He asked in horror.

Atem stifled a poorly contained chuckle while Seto rolled his eyes skyward. 

Karim shook his head, "No, dragon hatchlings are kept at the Den with their riders. This is where the dragons lay their eggs."

Yugi glanced up at Ma'at, "You wanna have your clutch here?" He asked her in a shocked whisper.

In way of answering, she began to purr, a deep sounding rumble as she fluttered her eyes shut and seemed to be basking like a cat would in the sun. 

He looked over to where Osiris and Kisara seemed to be lazily curling up on the ground, their eyes dropping sleepily as they began to purr too.

Then it hit Yugi.

"Dragons like to be warm, don't they? And the eggs need to be kept warm too," he said, his voice carrying just enough that the others heard him. 

Karim seemed pleased, "Yes, but not just warm, the eggs need to be kept hot at all times or they will cool and turn to stone like magma. For millennia dragons have laid their eggs in hot places like this. The Nursery is where all of the female Guard dragons will leave their clutch for riders to come and find later."

"You leave a bunch of eggs unattended?" Crow asked, sounding unimpressed, "What if they hatch and no one is here to care for them?"

Karim smiled at him, "The guards you saw outside will check from time to time, but you should know it is extremely rare for an egg to hatch without sensing their rider close. Dragon eggs can stay dormant for centuries waiting for the right moment they feel safe emerging. They won't hatch unless they are triggered somehow, and that usually only happens when they sense their rider," he said and reached up to pat Ma’at’s flank, "Ma'at here has left five clutches of eggs so far in the last one hundred and fifty years, and none have hatched yet that I've seen. And I remember every egg she's had. But there are eggs here that are much older than that too."

Yugi stowed away his question about how fucking old Karim was for a later freak out moment. If the guy was really over one hundred and fifty years old then, wow, he looked great.

Yugi was amazed and took in the frightening environment with the eyes of a dragon and saw it differently. It was a contained area, hot enough to keep the eggs toasty, and made it hard for anyone or anything to try to sneak in and take the unguarded eggs. The lava was enough of a deterrent there. Only the boldest or dumbest beings would risk their lives walking into a death trap like this. 

Which made Yugi wonder if he was one of the bold ones or dumb ones…perhaps that would be decided if he actually got out of this place alive. 

"Okay, so now what? We go pick out an egg?" Manjome asked, sounding eager. Ryou shifted nervously beside him, fanning his face with his hand.

Karim held up a hand, "Not so fast. We still have a few more things to explain. First–" he was cut off when Ma'at suddenly started to make a noise that was halfway between a growl and a whine, and she nudged at Karim roughly.

Karim balked, his usual stoic and controlled expression becoming a little flustered.

"Uh, it seems Ma'at is more eager than I thought to have her clutch. I'll need to escort her and help her with the delivery," he said in a hurry and spun around to where both Seto and Atem were also looking a little flustered, "Cadets, I'll need you both to take over instructing the hunt. Just explain the process and maybe tell them how to not die. I'll be back by nightfall."

Nightfall? How would they even know when they were underground with no sun? Yugi wondered to himself idly.

"We can handle it. Good luck, sir," Atem said, sounding calm enough that Karim deflated in relief. Seto nodded as well, but it was plain on his face he absolutely did not want to have to do this.

Karim walked off with Ma’at a moment later, leaving the chosen and the young riders alone.

Atem and Seto glanced at each other, a seemingly wordless argument being held purely by twitched eyebrows, jerked chins and frowns until Atem sighed loudly and stepped forward. 

"Alright, the process is relatively simple. You have one day to retrieve an egg and make it back here alive, and at that time you will be taken back to the Den to be trained as a rider," he said, his voice carrying over the bubbling and hissing of the chamber around them. 

"Why only one day?" Ryou asked.

"Because any longer in this chamber and any humans will become poisoned by the gasses in the air and perish," Atem said with a shrug.

Yugi's mouth fell open and he thought he heard Jounouchi whimper behind him. 

"So, be on time or die. Got it?" Seto said, casually inspecting his nails as Kisara cleaned her claws behind him. 

"Noted," Ryou replied, sounding a little dazed. 

Yugi was pretty sure Jounouchi had never been on time for anything in his life. His mother even said he'd been born two weeks past his due date. Subtly, Yugi shifted closer to Jounouchi and mentally made his own note to keep tabs on his timing. 

"They say that most of the chosen die before even getting their dragon. It's because they die in this place, isn't it?" Judai asked, his voice wavering uneasily. 

Atem looked like he was fighting not to grimace, but nodded, "This place is perfect for dragon eggs, but perilous for humans. The environment itself will test your perseverance, your strength, mental fortitude, and your desire to find your dragon. It is a test to see if you are worthy. If you are too fearful of death then you may remain here with the wagon and you will be allowed to return to the surface. But you will never be allowed to be a rider if you choose to give up now. If you choose to continue, it is your job to find and be chosen by an egg, without dying in the process."

"Oh, is that all?" Jounouchi grumbled just as another puddle erupted violently behind them. 

Seto's grin was all teeth, "Actually there is more. Finding eggs out here is actually quite simple…but just because you find an egg doesn't mean it'll choose you. And if you try to pick up the wrong one…"

Atem sighed at Seto's taunting and stepped in front of him to cut him off, "Dormant eggs will be extremely hot to the touch. If you grab for one that isn't meant for you, the skin will burn hot enough to melt off. So I would suggest proceeding with caution if you like the skin on your hand."

The looks of horror on the chosens faces would have been funny if Yugi also wasn't wearing the same expression. 

"How do we know which egg is ours?" Yugi heard himself ask.

Atem seemed pleased as he turned to him, his smile probably the softest thing in this entire hellscape, "Sometimes, in special cases, you'll just know…but the only other way to know for sure is if the egg is cool to the touch. It means the dragon inside wants you to pick it up."

"So we can't touch the eggs, but we also need to touch the eggs?" Manjome asked skeptically. 

"If you want a dragon bad enough you'll figure something out," Seto growled, "Now you are all wasting time here asking questions. You only have a day to see this done."

Atem sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "What my companion is trying to say is that your time is limited, and finding an egg that will choose you is not easy. Some of you might find an egg, but die trying to return. Some of you might die before ever finding an egg. Some of you might not find an egg at all, but if you make it back here before you die you you may still find placement. Usually only a few are lucky enough to survive and emerge holding the ultimate prize. So you must ask yourselves here and now…do you want this badly enough to die trying? Because if you don't truly believe it's worth it, then you'll never be chosen, and you may as well wait here until we return."

His words made Yugi pause.

Did Yugi really want this? His chances of surviving a place like this seemed so low it was practically a joke to even consider it. If Yugi just sat this out, at least he'd be alive. And maybe he'd get a chance to see his Grandpa again. 

But…then Yugi would have to live that life knowing he gave up his one and only chance to have what he always assumed was out of reach for him. Could he really live with himself if he did that? 

Yugi glanced up and watched Osiris flick his long tail to playfully poke at his rider, making Atem smile despite the tense moment. He thought of Kisara and the way she seemed to bring out a kinder side of Seto when he thought no one was looking. He thought of how much Karim adored and doted on Ma'at. 

And then Yugi thought of having a bond like theirs…and suddenly his mind took him into flight, imagining the world above and the weightless feeling of soaring above the clouds with a partner of his own.

Yugi wanted that. He wanted it more than anything. He just had to be brave and reach for it.

"I'm going," Yugi said, conviction dripping from his words like the sweat trickling down his back. 

"I'm going too!" Jounouchi said.

The rest of the chosen all chorused their own decisions, and none had decided to stay with the wagon.

Atem looked surprised, but happy.

Seto looked entirely unimpressed. 

Osiris rose as Atem stepped forward, "Then good luck to you all. Your hunt starts now."

Osiris roared triumphantly as the chosen headed out into the cavern.

Chapter Text

Death by fiery inferno had a kind of poetry to it after he had enough to think about it.

And really it had only taken about ten minutes into their hunt for Yugi to accept that this might just be the way he goes.

Totally worth it though. 

Most of the chosen splintered off in different directions, but Yugi didn't even make it one step forward before he and Jounouchi were shoulder to shoulder. 

"They didn't say we had to hunt on our own," he said with a wink.

Yugi grinned up at him, "They sure didn't. Come on, let's get hunting!"

His grin lasted all of a handful of seconds before a spray of lava was spat at them as the lake bubbled again. Jounouchi yelped and they both leapt out of the way.

"Hey, how about we stay away from the lakes of lava, yeah?" Yugi suggested.

Jounouchi nodded mutely. 

"Do we even know what a dragon egg looks like?" Jounouchi asked several hours later.

Yugi wiped at his sweaty brow, brushing back his soaked bangs with one shaking hand, "Not a clue, actually. That was never mentioned in my books. But they can't be that much different than normal eggs, right? Shape wise at least…"

Jounouchi whined, clutching at his head, "Aw man, I never even considered they might be shaped differently. For all we know they could look like rocks and we'd never know it. I was just wondering if they'd be fucking massive or a weird color."

Yugi thought about the mechanics of delivering rock shaped eggs and winced on Ma’at’s behalf, "I'm pretty sure eggs are egg shaped for a reason. But you're right, they probably aren't light in color like the chickens and ducks back home. And much bigger too. Something to keep in mind."

"Argh, my brain is being roasted like those deer Osiris keeps dropping at your feet. Slow and tender, it'll be melting out my ears if we don't hurry this up," he groaned, wiping sweat from his brow.

Yugi had to admit the heat of this place was starting to feel just as dangerous as the magma itself, but wasn't as bad when they finally steered away from the boiling lava pits. They had flasks with them, but given how hard they were sweating, Yugi wasn't sure it would be enough. 

The two of them continued along a long stretch of black rock that seemed to radiate heat under their boots. It was comfortably flat and barren of any obstruction, making their journey easier at least. They were away from the lakes, steam vents and puddles, and therefore out of the most immediate danger. But Yugi was getting the sense they were going in the wrong direction.

Yugi stopped suddenly, and Jounouchi turned to him questioningly.

"Yugi? You feeling okay? I can carry you if you're feeling a little faint."

Yugi shook his head slowly, turning in a circle around them and seeing…nothing.

"I think we're going about this hunt wrong," he said finally.

Jounouchi cocked his head, curious, "What do you mean? We haven't died yet, I like to think that means we're doing this right."

"Think about it, Jou. No, I don't mean think about it like we're human. I mean think about it like you're a dragon. Where would you want to have your clutch?" Yugi asked, gesturing outwards to the expansive chamber. 

Jounouchi stared at him a minute before answering, "Well for starters I'd want to know who the fuck got me knocked up in the first place."

Despite his better judgement, Yugi chuckled, "We can ask that question later. Listen, I'm just saying that no creature wants to lay their eggs out in the open. And if I was a dragon, who knew my eggs–"

"Next we're gonna find out who knocked you up so I can punch them in the face."

Yugi laughed again, "--who knew my eggs could possibly be sitting around for centuries, I'd want to tuck them someplace I know they'd be safe and warm. Where we've been going is safe for us…but a terrible place to put an egg."

Jounouchi held his chin as he thought it over, and Yugi could see the candle lighting above his head when he came to the same conclusion Yugi had.

"We have to go back to the scary lava pits, don't we?" He asked, sounding more determined than resigned.

Yugi grinned back, all teeth bared, "You bet we do! Come on, let's go find our eggs!"

Atem kept watch from a distance. This task was one they were not supposed to interfere with, so he resigned himself to just observing where he could. The chosen had all splintered off in different directions, so Seto and he had as well.

Seto followed the three that had gone off to the east side of the chamber, while Atem followed the four heading towards the west. 

The air was too thick at the top of the chamber where the poisonous gasses were at their most dense, so Atem had to settle for walking while Osiris drifted protectively above. Despite being a rider, the dangers of the Nursery were just as deadly to Atem as they were the last time he was here. 

And Gods above was it hot. He regretted immensely the leather armor he had on as it chaffed painfully everywhere he was sweating. Which was also from everywhere. 

It had only taken a few hours for his pack of chosen to drift out of sight, but occasionally Osiris would spot a few ahead and let Atem know if they were alive or not. 

Surprisingly none had died yet. With any luck, Osiris would not have to carry any bodies out this day. He didn't even want to think about what it would do to the both of them to have to carry the littlest one out...Osiris had gotten too attached. He blamed his dragon for leaking across their bond to make him fond of the young one too. 

Atem felt a brush across his mind, and glanced up to see Osiris peering off in another direction. Atem felt the impression of Osiris' sweet affection for Yugi followed by a pleased…no, proud swell. 

Atem grinned to himself. So, it seemed Yugi had already figured out where the eggs were hidden. He was quicker than most. It had even taken Atem and Seto longer to figure it out. 

Clever and cute. What a dangerous combination.

"Shall we head back over to the lava pits then?" He asked Osiris with a grin.

His dragon let out an eager rumble and led the way.

They saw their first clutch nestled between several boulders. 

It had taken Jounouchi giving him a boost, but both of them had been able to climb up the rocks to get a better look.

They gaped down at the beautiful eggs tucked together in the center.

There were three eggs here, and not a single one looked the same. One had a pearly sheen covering its green shell. Another was the deepest shade of blue Yugi had ever seen, and it shimmered as he moved his eyes. And the last one was a startling shade of orange that stood out among the clutch. 

"They're so pretty," Yugi said, admiring them all from where he knelt next to them.

Jounouchi nodded, his mouth hanging open, "Big too."

They were pretty big, but not too big that Yugi didn't think he'd be able to carry one. It would fit in the cradle of his arms…if he could touch one that is.

Right now, he didn't think he'd be touching these.

Yugi held a hand up a few inches away from the shells and whistled at the heat he felt wafting off them, "Well, that answers how we'll know if we can touch them. I could cook eggs on these eggs." He pulled his hand back when his palm started to tingle and burn. 

Jounouchi hovered his hand over them next, pulling away with a grimace, "Yeah, same here. Guess these little guys aren't for us. Back to the hunt then I guess."

The two of them slid off the boulders and continued on for another few hours.

There was no way for them to tell how long had passed exactly, but Yugi was sure that more than half their time had already been wasted.

They'd found five more clutches, but every egg they checked was as hot as the last to both of their hands, and they pushed on.

As they walked they checked between boulders, under ledges, in the deep cracks and trenches in the ground. It seemed there were plenty of spots where eggs could be found.

But how would they find theirs?

Maybe Atem was right, and not everyone had an egg waiting for them at all. 

But Yugi wasn’t going to give up until the end. 

As the hours dragged on, the two of them began to lean on each other as the heat started to drain them faster even as their steps slowed. 

Or was it…

”I think the gasses may actually already be having an effect on us,” Yugi panted as they trudged along a flowing river of lava. They were following it’s path just so that they had something familiar to follow on the way back…because eventually they’d have to turn around and go back to the tunnel, with or without an egg. And wouldn’t it just suck to have an egg but die because they took a wrong turn.

Jounouchi took in a deep breath only to promptly start hacking, “Yeah, that checks out. Shit, we need to hurry then. Bet that means time’s almost up.”

”Let’s make it to the flaming lake of doom and look around first, and then we’ll start heading back. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll be able to check a few more places on the way back,” Yugi said, each word coming out between pants. 

“Sure, flaming lake of doom. Let’s do this.”

Together they shuffled their aching feet towards the expanse of magma bubbling and steaming before them. Yugi grimaced as he took in the very steep incline that led right down into the lava, and made a mental note not to get too close to the edge. He didn’t fancy his chances of being able to crawl out of there if he fell in.

”Hey, Yugi? I think I see a place to check. Can you spot me?” Jounouchi asked, pointing up to a tower of sharp looking rocks jutting out from the ground, just at the edge of the lake. 

Yugi winced at the sharp looking rocks, but nodded and let Jounouchi’s arm slip off his shoulder.

”You sure you can climb up there?” Yugi asked warily.

”Well, I’m going to try. I know if I was a dragon a little thing like heights wouldn’t bother me!” He replied. Yugi shrugged, admitting he had a point, and cupped his threaded hands together to give him a boost up.

As Jounouchi started to climb higher, Yugi split his focus between watching his ascent, and looking around for other possible hiding spots. There were plenty more boulder croppings around that might have some tucked in the cracks. Yugi also saw a few angled slabs of stone jutting out from the shoreline, and thought maybe some eggs might be tucked underneath…but given how steep the incline was, he didn’t think there would be a safe way to check.

He shrugged and turned back to look at Jounouchi’s progress.

”You’re almost there!” Yugi called out.

”I can see them! There’s two of them. I just got to get a little closer to see if I can…” Jounouchi grunted with effort as he kept a precarious grip on one small handhold, and balanced on the tips of his toes. Yugi held his breath when he saw Jounouchi reach out his other hand as he stretched as high as he could to reach for the eggs.

”Be careful, you don’t have a good grip,” Yugi warned, his heart in his throat as Jounouchi continued to press his toes higher for a better reach.

”I know, it’s just…Yugi, I think one of them isn’t blazing hot. I think…shit, Yugi I found it!” He cried out in joy.

Yugi leapt up and punched the air, “Yes! Way to go, Jounouchi! Get your egg and get down from there. And hurry, you’re making me nervous,” he said, eyeing the lake behind them.

Yugi’s mouth dropped open in awe as Jounouchi used one hand to scoop out a shiny, but solidly black egg that he quickly tucked against his chest. Given that his hands weren’t melting, it must mean it really was his!

He couldn’t believe it though, Jounouchi had found his egg! He was going to be an amazing rider, Yugi just knew it.

If he survived getting it down, that is.

Yugi watched in horror as the little ledge of rock that Jounouchi was standing on suddenly crumbled under his weight.

Jounouchi cried out as he fought to keep his grip on the egg and the wall, but it was a losing battle from the start. He curled up around the egg and fell.

”Jounouchi!” Yugi screamed, and rushed forward to try and catch him. He’d probably be crushed, but if he did it right maybe he could at least make it so Jou and his egg didn’t break in the fall.

Yugi timed it right in that he was able to push against Jounouchi’s back so he didn’t break his neck, and angle it so he fell forwards rather than back towards the lake…

But the force of the fall transferred its power onto Yugi, and he was propelled backwards…right towards the lake of doom. 

Yugi grunted as he fell into a roll down the steep incline, and felt every bump and scrape of the rocks against his skin as he barreled downwards. 

He could feel the heat of the lava building the closer he rolled, even if the world around him was spinning too fast for his brain to process. But he knew that if he didn’t stop himself, he’d roll right into the magma and be boiled in seconds. 

Yugi threw out his arms to reach for anything, scrambling for any hand hold to slow his descent. He dug his nails into the ground, and didn’t care when he felt his fingers start to bleed. 

But it barely slowed him.

This would be how he died.

At least it had been done saving his friend.

Atem felt a cry escape his lips as he saw Yugi tumble off the shore and out of sight.

He was so far away that he could barely make them out at all, and he knew that he’d be too late…and yet his body jerked forward unbidden, like he would sprint across the river itself if he could make it in time.

But a deep growl and the coil of Osiris’ tail stopped him in his tracks.

Atem struggled weakly for a moment before going limp in his dragon’s grip. 

Osiris was right. They weren’t supposed to interfere like that. This cavern…this is where riders were made. If Yugi was meant to live, then he would. And if he didn’t…

Atem swallowed hard and closed his eyes, letting Osiris cradle him in his coil comfortingly. 

He should never have let himself get close to the chosen. That was his own fault, he supposed. He couldn't just blame Osiris...not when Atem had been the first to spot Yugi.  

After a moment he forced himself to look up again, blaming the stinging of his eyes on the noxious gasses of the chamber, and spotted the chosen that Yugi had saved at the edge of the shore…and it looked like he was reaching for something…

The world was spinning and Yugi just wanted to stop. Desperately he flung out an arm, reaching for anything that might save him…

And then his hand closed over one of the rock ledges that had been jutting out from the pit, and his entire body jerked to a stop.

His shoulder screamed in protest, but Yugi ignored it as he hung on, just glad that he was no longer rolling, and he hadn’t gone swimming in the magma. Yet.

“Shit, Yugi! Hold on, buddy! I’m coming for you!” He heard Jounouchi yell down at him. 

Yugi was breathing too hard to reply, and he twisted around to get a better hold on the rock that had saved him. He swung around from his belly to his back, and found himself hanging from the ledge…where he saw a single egg tucked underneath. 

He gaped at it. 

It was a stunningly glossy black egg that looked as shiny as obsidian, and red spots were spread over the surface of it, so bright in color they almost looked like they were glowing. To Yugi’s eyes, it was beautiful and he was instantly entranced by it.

Suddenly the fact that he was dangling above a death pool seemed to fade to the back of his mind as he stared at the egg in front of him. Something felt like a gentle touch drifted across his mind, and he felt himself reaching out. Mentally and physically as he let one hand let go from the ledge and started reaching forward.

“Yugi? Yugi, what are you doing! Don’t let go, are you nuts!?”

Jounouchi’s words didn’t register to him at all.

He didn’t even pause to feel if heat  was wafting off of it, he just reached out and scooped it up in his arm without a second thought.

It felt like smooth and cool marble against his skin, and Yugi smiled down at it.

”I’ve got you,” he whispered to it, and swore he felt something send back that same feeling a second later. 

“Holy shit, is that an egg? You got one down there? What fucking dragon put an egg all the way down there? You know what, who gives a fuck, just hold on buddy, I’m coming! You just hold onto that egg and the rock real tight. Don’t you dare fall or I’ll kill you myself.”

Yugi hung by one arm above the bubbling magma below as he hugged his egg close to his chest. Absently he heard the sound of gravel tumbling down around him, but he paid it no mind until suddenly a hand closed around his wrist.

Yugi broke free from the spell and looked up to see Jounouchi, standing on top of the rock ledge and straining to pull him up.

The world seemed to come back into focus after that, and Yugi’s survival mode kicked back in. He lifted his feet to push against the rock and gripped Jounouchi’s arm tighter as he was heaved back over the ledge.

The ledge was nothing more than a thin slab of stone, so neither of them wanted to risk taking a rest on top of it. Together they both started to crawl up the incline of the pit, their eggs tucked against their chests, as they fought to reach the shore again. 

Atem would have fallen to his knees were he not already held by Osiris. 

"He made it. Thank the fucking Gods, he actually survived!" Atem breathed, watching as Yugi was pulled the last few feet up by his friend, and dragging him back onto the shore.

Osiris made a pleased rumble that Atem felt vibrate around him.

But it was followed by an even more pleased sound that broke out in a powerful roar of delight. 

Unsure what had Osiris so happy, Atem squinted into the distance to try and see what his dragon did.

He didn't spot them until Yugi and his friend stumbled to their feet…and that was when Atem saw what they both had clutched in their arms.

It seemed at least two of this year's chosen had found their eggs.

In the distance he swore he heard the echo of Kisara roaring back in a victory call. 

Chapter Text

Yugi cradled his egg against his breastbone, scarcely believing it was even real if not for the cool feel of it against his skin and the faint thrumming feeling he sensed from within it. 

"How far do you think we ended up going?" Jounouchi wheezed as they walked quickly down the path of the flaming river. 

Yugi blinked past the haziness in his eyes, "Uh, we took a few detours, but I think we can make it back in two hours if we hurry."

"Uh huh…and is two hours fast enough, because I gotta be honest here…I don't feel great."

Yugi closed his eyes and breathed out in a shallow breath, "Me neither." Their time must be running out. But they couldn't fall now, not when they were so close. Not when they had found their eggs!

Yugi stepped up beside Jounouchi, and pressed his hand against his shoulder, "Come on, we can do this. Just one foot in front of the other."

Atem could feel the air growing thinner with each breath. He did not think the entire day had passed, but it was possible that the gasses were denser of late and were making him fall ill faster than usual. 

Osiris rumbled out a whine at his back, sensing his rider in distress. Atem did his best to reassure him by patting his flank.

"It's alright, boy. I'll be fine, but it's time we head back. Keep a watch out for the chosen for me, would you? I can't…I can't see very well right now," he said, wincing and pressing a hand to his aching head. 

He was sure Osiris would have liked nothing more than to fly him back towards the tunnel, but the air would be even more putrid above and Atem would suffocate in moments. Walking was his only choice.

He could feel Osiris hovering closer above him, and heard him let out a shriek that Atem recognized as a call for aid. A moment later, the chambers echoed with Kisara's answering call. Only she also sounded strained. Did that mean Seto and his group were struggling as well?

Atem grimaced and pushed himself onwards. 

Yugi blearily narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of something out of place up ahead.

He spotted a flash of white against a boulder, and blinked hard to try and clear his vision. When he finally started to make out the shape of it, he gasped hard enough that his head spun.

"Eh? Wass-it?" Jounouchi mumbled, trying to pick up his heavy head to see what startled Yugi.

"Ryou. I see him," Yugi panted out, and steered both of them over to the boulder.

Ryou came into focus a few steps away, and he looked just as surprised to see them there. His face crumpled like he was about to cry upon spotting them. 

"Thank the Gods, I thought I'd never see another living human again," he breathed, his eyes turning glassy with moisture. 

Yugi and Jounouchi both fell to their knees beside him.

"Are you hurt?" Yugi asked him, worried he'd see limbs at weird angles…or missing limbs entirely. Who the fuck knew what dangerous horrors were lurking in this place.

Ryou shook his head, his hair falling in limp cascades over his shoulders, "No, just lost. This place is so confusing, and I lost track of where I'd been. I thought if I kept trying to find my way I'd only end up getting more lost. I can't begin to say how relieved I am that you found me," he said, his voice thick with emotion and exhaustion, "Please tell me you know how to get out of here."

Jounouchi's lips twitched up into as much of a smile as he could manage, "We sure do. Come on, we'll take you."

Ryou whimpered around a grateful smile and let them both pull him to his feet.

It was then that he seemed to notice what each of them held, and his eyes grew wide.

"Y-you actually found your eggs, oh how wonderful," he sighed, peering at them with awe. 

Yugi hugged his egg close and nuzzled his nose against the smooth shell, "We sure did. Just got to get out of here now."

Ryou nodded, dusting off his pants, "Yes, let's hurry. I'm a little sad I didn't find one of my own, but at this point I'll be happy just to get out of here alive."

"Let's get moving then, I got a bad feeling about the other chosen. Air is getting a little too stuffy in here," Jounouchi said darkly and gently coaxed them all along.

 Yugi was starting to recognize more of the rock structures as they went along, and breathed a shaky sigh of relief when he spotted the flat rock beds he and Jounouchi had ventured to first. 

Although that relief was short lived when he remembered it took them a few hours to reach those rocks. But at least this time they weren't stopping to look for eggs? 

He didn't know if it was the poisoned air or his own fears, but Yugi was starting to feel sick the longer it was taking them to get back. Ryou looked even paler than his natural pallor, and he was pretty sure Jounouchi hadn't looked up from the ground in twenty minutes. 

Part of Yugi knew they were dying. But another part of him knew that if they could just reach the tunnel, then they'd be okay. They had to be okay. They just had to. 

Don't worry, little egg. Now that I have you, I'm not giving you up, he thought desperately to the precious bundle in his arms. Yugi would do everything in his admittedly limited power to make sure these two eggs and his friends made it back safe. 

Which became a little more complicated when the three of them stumbled upon another chosen on the other side of the flat rocks.

Even with the edges of his vision greyed out, Yugi could see the stumbling steps Manjome was taking…and the gruesome wound on his leg.

"Shit, let's go check on him," Jounouchi cursed, shepherding them over just as they saw Manjome collapse in a heap on the ground.

The three of them dodged past a few steam vents and hopped over a few molten puddles as they hurried over to the fallen chosen. 

Yugi saw the wound first, and the egg second as he fell to his knees beside him.

"Manjome? Can you hear me?" Yugi asked, reaching out with one hand to shake him.

The chosen moaned and turned his head. As he peeled open his eyes, Yugi could see the agony reflected in them.

"What happened to you?" Ryou asked in horror, his hands hovering over the mess of Manjome's leg. 

He hissed and flinched away from the ghost of a touch, "Slipped getting my egg out of a hole. My leg touched one of the others in the clutch."

The three of them recoiled in horrified sympathy. Yugi dared to look at the wound closer, grimacing at the shiny look of the skin that managed to stay intact. 

"The good news is that it looks like it was just the skin, not the muscle or bone underneath. It'll hurt like fuck for a while and leave one hell of a scar, but if we can get you out of here you'll live," Jounouchi said, used to seeing all sorts of burns as the son of a blacksmith.

Manjome groaned and shook his head, "I don't think I can walk. J-just leave me here, you all should keep going while you still have a chance. I failed to make it back."

Yugi tutted his tongue gently and brushed back some of the hair that had fallen over Manjome's face to try and hide his frustrated tears, "We're not going to just leave you here. We'll help you."

"I needed to do this on my own," he snapped, holding his egg tightly like it was his last lifeline.

Jounouchi shrugged, "You got your egg on your own. I'd say that's good enough. And if it's not enough to pass, then at least you might live if we take you back with us. What have you got to lose at this point?"

Yugi could see the indecision in his eyes, that same need to prove himself that Yugi also felt desperate to do so many times in his life…but there was no need when he had others to lean on.

Manjome seemed to reluctantly come to the same conclusion, and he held out his hand. Ryou was the one who took it and slipped the other chosen's arm over his shoulder.

When Yugi and Jounouchi eyed him curiously, he shrugged and smiled.

"Let me help Manjome. You two need to focus on those eggs of yours," he offered as reason, which was good enough for the two of them.

Together, the four chosen marched on.

At some point, Atem had let Osiris take over guiding him back when his vision became too hazy to trust. He had thought his dragon would be single minded about getting him back to safety, and trusted that when he opened his eyes, he'd see himself getting back to the tunnel.

Which was why he was startled when he opened his eyes and instead saw the group of his chosen up ahead. 

"Yugi?" He asked, squinting his eyes to be sure the riot of colorful spikes was indeed the other boy and not some strange rock formation.

"Atem?"

But rock formations did not know his name, and Atem was reasonably sure that they couldn't speak. It was hard to think with the cavern spinning so fast. 

Yugi shuffled over to him, his eyes wide and glassy, "We're not doing so well, Atem. We're trying to get everyone out, but everyone is starting to get…well…" he trailed off, looking behind him where three other chosen were leaning against one another.

"Oh wow, a dragon," Ryou said dreamily, swaying on his feet. Then he frowned, head cocking to the side, "Wait, I've seen this dragon before."

Yugi grimaced, "Manjome is hurt too." 

It took a second to register his words and Atem's eyes widened too as he started to look them all over with more clarity. One chosen was indeed injured badly. A burn. After living among dragons for the last two years he knew all about burns, and knew that this one, while not deadly, would slow him down considerably. In another second passed, he noticed the egg clutched in his shaking hands.

He passed his gaze over the rest and saw another egg in Jounouchi's hands. 

And then he turned back to Yugi standing before him…and startled when he saw yet another egg. 

"You found one," he mumbled, dazed, but pleased. 

Wait, he already knew Yugi and his friend had found eggs.

He shook his head and felt Osiris try to help clear his mind. It lifted the fog a little, just enough to still his own wavering stance.

Manjome was half passed out between Jounouchi and Ryou who were both weaving on their feet, staring up at Osiris. 

"Oh hey look, a dragon," Jounouchi wheezed.

Ryou gaped, "Oh wow…wait…"

Atem and Yugi exchanged uneasy glances.

"We really need to get out of here," Yugi stressed. Atem could see beads of sweat rolling down his jaw and pooling at the dip of his collarbone. He didn't look well either. The usual light Atem had started to think of synonymous with Yugi was dimmed, and his eyes were shadowed by growing dark hues under them. 

Atem sighed, it seemed he wasn't the only one suffering from poisoning. Somewhere through the haze he realized that this was becoming critical. Deadly. 

Osiris rumbled behind him, distressed. 

Gods above, this was supposed to have been the easiest mission assignment…well, Atem supposed he was getting what he had asked for then. 

He drew in a breath and pulled upon his bond to give him the strength he'd need to survive and escort the chosen back.

"Alright, looks like you are headed in the right direction. If we keep on this path, we should–"

Both their heads whipped around as a piercing shriek filled the air.

Atem felt Osiris bristling behind him.

"Was that Kisara? She sounded upset," Yugi said, much to Atem's amazement. How was he already so good at reading dragon calls? But that was a curiosity best saved for another time. 

Lifting his head as Osiris did the same behind him, Atem frowned, "It was her distress call. She's worried about something."

"We need to go find them," Yugi said with conviction.

Atem eyed him, "It could delay our own return. If it takes too long you could perish before returning with your egg."

He had thought this would be enough for Yugi to decide in favor of saving himself, his egg, and his best friend. 

But it seemed Yugi would continue to surprise him.

"Well then we better hurry," Yugi said, and turned to where Kisara's call had come. The other chosen followed him unquestioningly. 

Atem was simply astounded. His own batch of chosen had died one by one before he and Seto even had a chance to blink in their direction. But from what he had heard from the other cadets in the Den, these hunts usually turned into self focused survival. Atem couldn't remember hearing about any of them teaming up. 

Osiris rumbled at his back, an urgent feeling overtaking Atem's mind in an overwhelming crest. But Osiris wasn't pushing him towards the tunnel. 

Always trust the dragons…

"Alright, let's hurry then."

Yugi had no idea how he was still on his feet at all, but somehow, he had managed each step followed by the next. 

Absently he ran his hands over the sleek curve of the eggs shell, drawing comfort from it somehow. It was a balm of cool comfort as it felt like he was burning from his skin down to his lungs and core. 

He needed the comfort as this place seemed determined to kill them, and was doing a pretty damn good job of it. 

But for all that Yugi had been afraid of dying since the moment he heard the riders were coming to their village, now that Yugi was actively dying…he found wasn't all that afraid.

More than anything he was just determined. To live. To save the others. To get the fuck out of this place. Just determined. 

Maybe it was just the poisonous fumes messing with his brain.

He felt somewhat bolstered by having Atem and Osiris at their backs, but it seemed like the rider was reluctant to help…it made Yugi wonder if they weren't allowed to help. Only observe. That seemed stupid to him, but maybe it was just because he couldn't wrap his noxious gas addled mind around the concept of not helping. Didn't they say they needed more riders? They'd get a damned lot more riders if they helped. So what was the problem?

Yugi would have to ask Atem if they made it out of this hell hole of a nursery. 

Did getting a dragon have to be this difficult?!

This dragon better be fucking cute as shit, he thought to himself with exasperation, hugging his egg closer. He thought he felt a strange tickle at the back of his head, but probably just another fun side effect of dying. 

"They're up ahead," Atem panted beside him. As exhausted as he appeared, the rider seemed to be in better shape than the rest of them. Yugi realized it must be because he was utilizing the bond he shared with Osiris, drawing on his dragon's strength to continue. As amazing as it was to witness the true strength of a dragon bond, Yugi felt himself filling with fear, realizing that even a rider was struggling in this environment. How would Yugi and the other chosen stand a chance now?

Yugi lifted his head, only just realizing he'd been looking no further than his own feet for at least a half hour. Or was it a few minutes? 

He peered ahead and saw Kisara's gleaming bulk first. She was pacing back and forth behind where Seto stood, his arms crossed over his chest.

They all hurried over to him.

"Seto, we heard her call. What's wrong?" Atem asked the other rider.

Seto turned his head and Yugi saw the same exhaustion in the lines of his face that they all wore.

Instead of answering, he jerked his head downwards. They all looked down a slope to where two of the other chosen, Johan and Judai, were collapsed beside each other in a heap.

Yugi gasped, seeing an egg cradled in Johan's lap. 

Atem grimaced, "Are they…"

Seto huffed, "Not yet, but they won't last much longer. The heat got to them before the air could. They were digging down by the steam vents for too long," he tsked and shook his head. 

"What about the third one you were observing?" Atem asked. He sounded almost like he didn't really want to ask.

Seto turned and pointed off ahead, and Yugi could just barely make out where Crow was laying face down…much too close to a steam vent for comfort.

Atem cursed under his breath. He was looking back and forth between the two groups of fallen chosen, gritting his teeth as he seemed to be thinking something over in his head.

A frown (well, a deeper one) fell over Seto's face as he reached out to grab hold of the other rider's arm, "Atem, I know what you're thinking, but it's not how things have been done," Seto said in a warning tone.

"What's he talking about?" Yugi demanded. He must have spoken too loud, because his vision swam again and he might have fallen if strong hands didn't catch him. 

Atem was biting his lip again as he helped Yugi steady once more. He pulled his hands away quickly when it must have looked like Yugi wasn't about to face plant instantly.

The rider sighed, "He means that as escorts, we are not supposed to interfere with your hunt. This is meant to be your test to see if you're worthy of becoming a rider."

"But Johan and Crow got their eggs, that means they're worthy, right? They were chosen, and even if Judai wasn't, we can't just leave him there!" Yugi cried, making his vision swim again with even that little exertion. 

Atem looked at him as if he was in pain outside of the poisoning, "A rider has to be strong, Yugi."

Yugi scoffed, "That is ridiculous. Look at me! I'm not strong, and yet I got an egg. Surely that means that being a rider is more than just about physical strength. I thought being a rider was about protecting the people of the realm?" Yugi shot back at the two of them.

"I believe I also said it's not about being a hero!" Seto snapped, cutting his arm down between them. His skin was becoming so pale that he was taking on the white pallor of his dragon who was still pacing restlessly behind him. 

"This isn't being a hero, this is just being a decent human being and a friend," Yugi spat back at him. 

Yugi couldn't just stand there feeling bad for them. He grabbed his flask and started down the slope. He heard Jounouchi pass off Manjome to Ryou and followed.

"Wait, Yugi!" He heard Atem call out, but Yugi ignored him as he tried not to fall ass over tea kettle down to where Johan and Judia were. 

Yugi's head was spinning as he fell in beside the two of them. He worried for a moment that maybe he was too late, but then Judia's head rolled to face him. 

Judia looked up at him with half lidded eyes full of fear, "I gave him the rest of my water, but…i-it wasn't enough," he coughed weakly, cradling Johan's still body closer in his arms, "I wanted to help him get his egg out of here," he choked, brushing back the soaked blue bangs away from the other chosen's face. 

Yugi swallowed hard and cupped Johan's cheek in his hand, "He's still alive. We're not giving up yet. Here, help me," he said and lifted the flask up to Johan's lips, very careful of the colorful egg between them. The last thing he needed was a skin melting burn right now. 

Judai seemed to understand and helped tilt Johan's head back to let the water trickle down his throat. Both of them smiled when they saw his throat bob, and a small moan escaped past his lips. 

"He's drinking it," Judia cried in joy, "Come on, Johan. Drink it up so I can get you out of here."

Johan seemed to rouse a bit, and Judai was quick to help pull him back to his feet. They both swayed, but it was better than just two minutes ago, and they started to slowly shuffle their way back up the slope. 

Yugi went to stand with them, but didn't make it past his knees. 

The world seemed to spin around him, and Yugi thought it was just being overcome with relief, but he was starting to think maybe his own condition was getting worse now too. He half collapsed back on his rump, gripping the side of his head in hopes it would make everything stop spinning. 

Yugi felt Jounouchi crouch down beside them.

"You don't look so good, Yugi," he said quietly, reaching out to steady the empty flask in his hand.

Yugi hadn't even realized it was shaking, "I'm okay. Just need help getting up. We still need to check on Crow."

"Alright, I got you. Come on," Jounouchi said, but when he tried to help Yugi up…they both faltered, "Shit. No, I'm not leaving you," he heard his friend say through gritted teeth, but once again Yugi found himself still sitting on the ground.

And then suddenly Yugi felt someone else crouch down beside him.

It was Atem, moving very slowly as he stared back up the slope. Yugi followed his gaze, and saw that Atem was looking right up at where Kisara and Osiris were staring back at him. 

Atem seemed to hold his breath, not taking his eyes off of Osiris as he grabbed for Yugi's wrist…and then carefully draped it over his shoulder.

Osiris watched…but didn't protest. 

Atem let out a relieved breath and then hoisted Yugi back up to his feet. The cavern spun around him as they did, but Atem kept him steady on his feet and eventually Yugi could take a tentative step forward. 

Yugi offered him a dazed, if not confused, smile, "W-what's going on? I thought you couldn't help?"

Atem's answering smile was weak, but his grip felt strong and unrelenting as he began to coax Yugi along, "Keep a tight grip on that egg, little one. The Guard needs the best riders to join the ranks," he heard him say…and Yugi wondered if those were Atem's words or if Osiris was pushing his impressions through again. But really it didn't matter at the moment. They needed to get to Crow. 

Jounouchi looked painfully relieved and walked behind them, keeping careful watch for the steam vents around their feet. 

Seto suddenly appeared in his field of vision, fretting around Atem as he helped drag Yugi back up the slope.

"Atem, this…this isn't how things are done," Seto said, his voice strained. 

"They've already been chosen by their eggs. Surely we can consider them riders and help now," Atem stressed, dragging Yugi right past the rider and back up to where the others were waiting. Osiris and Kisara were both hovering protectively over the chosen, shepherding them into a little gathered pack with their tails. 

"But–"

"Just look, Seto. They aren't protesting," Atem said, jerking his chin to where the dragons were watching them carefully, but showing no signs of anger.

Seto looked warily back at the dragons behind them, staring down at the group of humans.

"We're taught to trust the dragons, Seto. They choose the riders," Atem said, and Seto's shoulders suddenly stooped in defeat.

"Ugh, fine. Let's just get them all the fuck out of here and hope that Karim doesn't get pissed," He growled and to both their surprise, Seto started off in the direction where Crow lay. 

Yugi tried to move to go help, but he was held firm by Atem leading him back to the group. He was even stronger than Yugi would have guessed from his lean muscled frame. He wondered how much of his strength was coming from Osiris. 

"Don't worry, Seto can handle getting the last chosen. You did well, Yugi. Let's focus on getting you back too now," Atem said quietly, but Yugi could hear a hint of praise in his voice even as his vision almost dimmed to nothing. 

He wasn't even sweating anymore, having long ago run out of any spare water in his body. It made his skin feel tight and itchy all over, but there was nothing they could do now but hope that they made it out of this place. 

So Yugi let himself trust the dragons, and the others around him, and let himself be dragged along.

And even if he didn't make it…at least he knew he had tried. He hoped whoever was nestled inside of his egg would understand.

Yugi was almost dead weight in his arms, but every once in a while Atem would see his eyes flutter open, and he knew he was still fighting. For how weak Yugi felt now, the grip he had on the egg in his arm was steady and strong. 

If it weren't for Osiris' gentle nudging at his back, Atem could not  be sure that he would have been able to tell they were moving in the right direction. 

Kisara was similarly guiding along Seto when her rider seemed to be fading with the rest of them. Her sweet little rumbles of worry were making things seem impossibly dire now, and Osiris' little whines were breaking Atem's heart. He hated hearing his dragon this distressed, and for all that he had tried to block out Osiris' emotions from crossing the bond, he felt all the frantic worry his dragon was overwhelmed with as they were pushed along. 

Atem could only blearily take in the fuzzy images of the other chosen shuffling beside them, and knew that so far they hadn't lost anyone. Egg or chosen. But he worried that if they didn't make it back soon, they might start to fall irretrievably. He didn't want this all to be for nothing.

How much further did they even have to go?

And then a new sound suddenly cut through the air.

Ma'at. She was crying out for them like a mother would their young. 

Atem lifted his heavy head, and saw the gleam of her purple scales and then the blurred sight of Karim hurrying up to them.

Atem's knees chose that moment to give out, sending him and Yugi to the ground. 

Ma'at's tail caught them both. 

"Fuck, there you all are! We were worried we lost all of you out there. The guards came not long after I got back and said the poison in the air was worse than they've ever seen before."

That was Karim's voice, only Atem had never heard the usually stoic commander sound so frantic before. Or was that Ma'at's mothering habits leaking through him? 

"Atem? Atem! Hey, you're not supposed to die on me, kid. Your father would have our heads," Atem heard and felt someone lift his head up. He blinked a few times and saw Karim's worried expression looking back at him, "Just hang on. The wagon is right here, let's get you all out of here."

Atem tried to nod, but his head was too heavy and it just rolled to the side until it was pressed up against Yugi's.

Between one blink and the next, Atem found himself in the wagon along with the others. Given how it vibrated and how dark it was around them, he knew that they were being driven back topside. Yugi was still pressed up against his side, his egg cradled in his arms, and either deeply asleep or still unconscious. And stunningly alive.

He then took in the faces of everyone else around the wagon too, and saw each one of them was still drawing shallow, but even breaths. And those that had found their eggs still held them close. 

They'd made it. 

He let his head fall back against the wood and closed his eyes again. He let out a soft sigh when he felt a heavy hand fell onto his head, "You and Seto did good. Get some rest. You've all earned it."

Atem would have nodded if he had the energy to do so. Instead he lazily felt across his bond and knew Osiris was close and well, curled up beside Yugi…and let himself drift off once more.

Chapter Text

Yugi didn't even remember reaching the tunnel. And he certainly didn't remember getting in the wagon to go back topside. So he allowed himself a bit of surprise when he opened his eyes to see he was stunningly not dead. 

It may have felt like someone had jabbed an ice pick in his skull, but the agony of the headache he had was just another friendly reminder that he hadn't actually perished back in that hellhole they had the audacity to name the Nursery.  

Even more surprising was waking to be cuddled up with Atem draped against his side, and Yugi hugging his egg like it was his childhood stuffy. But as Yugi craned his neck over Atem's braided hair to try and figure out where they were, he found himself surprised again to see that they were outside. It had taken a day to walk down the tunnel to the cavern. How long had they all been passed out for?

Apparently long enough for Karim to have the entire camp set up and dinner cooking by the time everyone else roused. All of them had headaches big enough that they probably were dragon sized, but they faded once they had food in their bellies at least. And then the lingering effects that seemed to keep all of them shuffling around in a daze lifted as a few more hours passed out in the fresh air. 

Without the immediate threat of death lingering over their heads like literal noxious fumes, and after finally emerging from the dark tunnel, the group was finally able to stop and breathe.

For like a second.

Before everyone decided it was time to start admiring what they came all this way for.

Their precious (yet still deadly hot) cargo were all lifted up proudly for everyone to see.

Even the dragons huddled close over the group gathered around the fire, making eager little rumbling noises as they lowered their massive heads down to see better. Ma'at in particular kept circling around them all, ducking her head down to sniff at the eggs from time to time. 

Manjome stood up on his heavily bandaged leg to present his egg above his head, "Check it out! Pretty sure mine's the biggest," he said, smirking as they all took in the two-toned coloring of his egg. Even Yugi had to admit it was pretty cool looking. Even if Manjome still wasn't his favorite of the chosen. 

Jounouchi leapt to his feet next, holding up the obsidian egg from before, "Oh yeah? Check out this guy here! Look at the sheen on this fella?"

"Oo, very nice. But how do you know it's a 'fella'?" Ryou asked curiously.

Seto snorted, not even bothering to look up from the sword he was sharpening, "He doesn't know. None of you will know any of the traits of your dragons until they hatch."

"Maybe I just got a feeling, okay?" Jounouchi snapped at him, but his frown melted away a second later as he went back to coo-ing over his egg, and shining the surface of it with the sleeve of his tunic. 

"Well, that's not entirely true, Seto. The outer shell is actually a good indication of what colors or patterns a dragon might have. Osiris' egg was a deep scarlet like his scales. It was so bright it made spotting it easy in the trench I found him in," Atem said quietly. 

"Shit, if that's the case then I'm totally going to lose sight of this guy in the dark," Jounouchi said, eyeing his pure black egg with a little concern now. 

"Oh, but I bet that would make him good for stealth flights!" Yugi said, getting excited for his friend.

"Fine. But when we're at the Den I'm putting a bell on him."

Atem chuckled from where he sat beside Yugi, his eyes crinkling in mirth. His laugh was deep and rich, just like the rumbles Osiris made from time to time, and made Yugi's stomach flip. 

This was a nice change from the standoff-ish way that Atem had been acting on the journey here. He seemed so much more relaxed this way, even if he still seemed somewhat shy with the others. All his interactions with them had been stilted somehow, like he wasn't sure how to just relax and be friendly with people. Which seemed a little weird to Yugi. Didn't this guy hang out with people back at the Den? Or have friends before becoming a rider?

Thoughts for another time though. Yugi didn't want to risk bringing his headache back trying to puzzle out Atem and his mysterious ways. 

He was distracted by his thoughts anyway when Judai pulled Johan up and forced him to lift his own colorful egg up to show off.

"Look how pretty it is! It's like a rainbow," he gushed in place of Johan. 

Johan blushed as he smiled down at it, "I can't wait to see what it looks like when it hatches."

Yugi had to admit he was excited to see it too if it was anything like its egg shell.

"You all should have seen the eggs Ma'at just left behind! Oh, they were precious things. I hope to see a few of hers get chosen in my lifetime, just so I can see what they'll look like hatched," Karim said, sounding like any proud new father that Yugi had met back in his village. 

Crow didn't stand up to show off his egg, but he lifted it up so the others could see it better. Yugi's eyes took in the red streaks across another black shell, with smaller streaks of silver mixed in. 

"The kids back home would have loved to see this," he said, sounding almost sad, but at least he was smiling a little as he stroked his hand over the curve of the shell. 

Karim came up behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder, "I remember visiting your village for a reaping two years ago. We collected two other chosen at the time. Both of them are riders at the Den now. I'm sure they'll be excited to hear another of their village will be joining the ranks."

Crow smiled wide for the first time Yugi had ever seen as he gaped up at Karim, "You mean Yusei and Jack?"

Karim chuckled, "Yes. I'll take you to them when we arrive at the Den. They'll want to see your new partner."

Crow was still grinning as he sat back down and stared at his egg with more joy than sadness at last. Karim clapped him once more on the shoulder before walking off towards the treeline. 

But as soon as Crow settled and Karim was out of sight…Yugi felt all eyes fall on him, and what he had not stopped holding since the cavern. 

"Oh, uh, here," he said awkwardly, and lifted up his egg so others could see.

Manjome immediately started laughing.

"What the heck, why is it so tiny compared to the others?" he asked, pointing at it.

Seto actually looked up too, and Yugi felt his face flush with embarrassment as he chuckled and shook his head. 

"Like dragon, like rider," he teased, making the red on Yugi's cheeks darken. 

Yugi hadn't even taken note of it until then, but it became obvious right away that his egg really was small compared to the others. 

"Ignore them, Yugi. Just you all wait, that thing is going to hatch and grow bigger than everyone else's and then it's gonna fry your butts for daring to insult it in the first place," Jounouchi said, as always trying to defend Yugi's honor. Or lack thereof. 

"Well, I think it's cute," Ryou said, all happy and warm smiles, but Yugi groaned. Cute?

"Is it really that small?" Yugi dared to ask Atem.

Atem was not laughing at least, but his expression became strained as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the egg in Yugi's hands, "Uh, well it is smaller. But I'm sure it's fine."

Yugi cocked his head, "Have you seen others this small then?"

"Uh…no," he said, but then waved his hands frantically when Yugi's face fell, "But I haven't seen that many eggs. I've only been around the Den for two reapings, that's only like…a few dozen eggs each year," he rushed to assure, but Yugi's mouth fell open in horror.

"Mine is the only small one of dozens you've seen?" he asked, sounding pained.

Atem looked equally horrified now, but he guessed it had more to do with Yugi's obvious upset than the size of the egg that hadn't bothered him until then. 

"I'm sure it's fine! Don't people say good things come in small packages?" he said in a rush, but Yugi was pretty sure that sentiment was about presents, not dragon eggs. And certainly not about the smallest boy in the village. 

Yugi sat back against the log, hugging his egg close again and staring down at it as everyone started to talk again around the fire. 

Don't listen to them. If I can survive finding you, then maybe being small isn't that bad. You chose me, after all. Surely you must believe that too.

Yugi felt a little tickle at the back of his mind that made him smile, even though he didn't know what it was. But the smile on his face must have eased something inside of Atem, because he felt the rider relax again next to him with a relieved sigh. 

Then the moment was broken when suddenly Yugi's entire field of vision was overtaken by scarlet scales as Osiris shoved his head down towards Yugi's lap.

Yugi yelped and clutched protectively at his little egg and Osiris' pushy nose. 

"Osiris! Personal space, we've talked about this," Atem hissed, trying to push his dragon's head away. But it was like pushing against a brick wall for what little it did to move the dragon away.

"Atem, I don't want him to get burned," Yugi said, panicked as he tried to shield Osiris from touching the egg.

Atem grunted as both of them were pinned down by his dragon's face, even as he tried to keep pushing him back, "The eggs don't burn the dragons, but even so, Osiris, this is rude!" he snapped, but was completely ignored.

Knowing at least the dragon wouldn't get hurt, Yugi sat back just enough to let Osiris do whatever the fuck it was he was trying to do. Before he decided to just bite off Yugi's arms to get at the egg. 

Immediately Yugi found his lap full of a dragon's nose as Osiris began to nuzzle at the egg. The chilly night air was filled with the sound of rumbling dragon purrs as he finally was able to inspect it.

Yugi turned his head with a helpless look at Atem, but the rider's face was flushed a deep red that showed even against his dark skin as he tried even harder to push Osiris away. 

"Atem, what is happening?" Yugi found himself almost begging.

"I wish I knew. But I believe he agrees with Ryou in that he finds your egg 'cute'," he translated for whatever the heck Osiris was doing. 

Karim was chuckling as he strolled back to the group, and then shook his head with a knowing smirk as he dumped a massive pile of wood and rock between them all. 

He clapped his hands to get everyone to look at him, and finally Osiris pulled his head out of Yugi's lap. 

"Alright, hatchlings! Now that we're out of the tunnel and away from the heat vents, your next job is to make sure your eggs stay nice and toasty. Ma'at? Would you please?" Karim asked, gesturing to the pile of logs and smooth rocks he'd been gathering while the rest of them cooed over the eggs. 

Ma'at lifted her head and then let out a heated belch of fire that Yugi swore singed his eyebrows from how hot it was. Several of them leapt back with startled cries. 

The logs Karim had gathered were reduced to nothing more than red embers and rocks that were so hot that they were glowing.

He then dug in the wagon and pulled out several lidded cauldrons and placed one before the five holding eggs. He stood, crossing his arms over his chest as he addressed them, "Now that you have your egg, it is your responsibility to care for and protect it until it hatches. Your dragon is counting on you entirely for this because they are helpless while unhatched, and it's why the choosing of their rider is so critical. If they do not trust that you can protect them, they would not have let you take them from the cavern."

Yugi wrapped his arms around his egg, in awe thinking that it really trusted him enough for that.

Karim pointed to the cauldrons, "Dragon eggs need to stay hot to stay alive, so your job until they hatch is to keep them as toasty as possible. There are many ways to do that, but we've found that keeping them in a cauldron with embers and hot rocks works best for travel. It means it's kept safe from being squashed, and it stays hot. So everyone grab a cauldron and line your nest with whatever you want here to keep it toasty."

Yugi balked, "But we've been holding them out in the cold air for hours, are they okay?" he asked.

Atem smiled kindly at him, reaching out to place his hand on top of Yugi's in a soothing gesture, "The eggs can handle up to a few hours without direct heat if needed. And you've all been holding them close this entire time. They can thrive off of the body heat of their riders too."

Yugi breathed out a sigh of relief, "Oh good, okay." 

They all began to set up their cauldrons together, and once Yugi had created what he hoped was a comfy little nest he allowed himself one last loving stroke over the smooth shell before placing the lid over it. 

Karim nodded at them all pleased when Ma'at had seemingly given them all her approval. 

"Excellent. We'll refill the embers every night as we head for the Den. We're about two weeks away now, so it won't be long before you're all in your new home. Which brings me to the next thing," he said, turning to Judai and Ryou, "Neither of you found eggs," he said.

Both of their heads fell, but Karim was quick to squeeze their shoulders.

"...but even without eggs, you both were still chosen by the dragons. This means that they find your souls compatible with dragon kin. It means that even by not being a rider, you are trusted enough to be allowed in the Den with everyone else. And you survived the cavern, which makes you stronger than most. Which leaves you both with a choice to make. You may return to your homes if you wish…or you can come with us all to the Den where you will find placement in the ranks or in the castle. You will be treated as any rider would," he said at last.

Ryou and Judia's heads snapped up, their mouths hanging open.

"We can stay with you all and the dragons? I can stay with Johan?" Judai asked, his body practically vibrating with hope.

Karim's head fell back as he laughed, "If you choose it, yes."

"And I don't have to go back home?" Ryou asked, desperately. 

Karim shook his head, eyes warm, "The choice is yours."

Yugi knew their choices just by their expressions even before they gave their enthusiastic replies.

It looked like all seven of the chosen would be heading to the Den together.

Yugi smiled as Ryou and Judai joined the others in their excitement for the next chapter of their lives, and he pulled his cauldron closer using the leather gloves that Karim had given them all. 

Atem patted Yugi's shoulder as he silently rose with Seto, the two of them walking off to do their perimeter check. Yugi offered him a parting smile as he sat down beside his cauldron, getting comfortable beside it. 

He patted the lid, picturing his little egg nestled inside and staring dreamily down at it. 

"You like to be warm, huh? Well don't you worry, I know all about staying warm," Yugi whispered down at it, "I'm from the far northern territories, where it's always cold. We've learned a lot about how to stay warm even when the air feels like ice itself. Did you know that when you chose me? Did you know I'd be able to keep you warm?" he asked around a tired yawn, laying down in a half moon curve around it. The heat of the embers warmed his belly even as the cold air cut at his exposed back, but it was enough that Yugi didn't even care about finding his cloak. 

His eyes grew heavy as he curled up closer around it, wanting to make sure his egg was kept protected from the wind. 

He traced his fingers over the lid with the gloves, imagining it was the smooth shell and he was circling all the red spots he'd already memorized, "Whatever your reason was for choosing me…thank you. I'll admit, I'm not sure why you would want someone like me, but Atem keeps saying we're supposed to trust the dragons, so I'm going to give us both the benefit of the doubt," he said, his smile turning wistful as he continued to trace a finger over the surface, "I guess I have to admit we're both kind of small…but maybe we can grow together? And I promise that I'll do everything I can to earn your respect and to earn our bond."

Yugi yawned wide enough he heard his jaw crack, and he curled in even tighter, thinking of how Osiris liked to curl his serpent like body around Atem protectively, and mimicked it. He felt his body grow heavy with fatigue, and he let himself drift off…

His dreams were of endless skies and soaring.

From a distance, Atem kept watch on the camp. 

It was Seto's watch, but Atem found his mind and legs too restless to settle down again. Even as Osiris seemed content to curl up in the grass, Atem found that he wasn't ready to join him just yet.

Unbidden, his gaze kept drifting back to the smallest of the group, and where he lay sweetly coiled around his cauldron. And then over the rest of the hatchlings, all asleep wherever they had dropped.

This was just the beginning of their journey, whether they knew it or not. While their hunt had been more eventful than most Atem had ever heard stories of, there was still much to come once they returned to the Den.

Atem was not cold, but he shivered at the thought of what might be waiting there for him. And all that would be revealed to the newest hatchlings.

Once again, his eyes flicked over to where the wild crest of hair was poking up from one particularly interesting chosen. When he'd first seen Yugi back in that village, a little wisp of a thing almost completely hidden from sight by all the others standing around him, he would have never thought that Ma'at would even glance his way. And yet Ma'at was adamant that this little one would be one of her chosen this year. It had been a fascinating choice to Atem, and he'd thought he should keep an eye on Yugi, merely because he wondered if Seto was right and that Ma'at might be losing her touch.

He swallowed back those thoughts now with shame, because Yugi had already shown the most aptitude of any of the hatchlings. And possibly more aptitude than most others Atem had seen over the years. 

It filled him with a thrill to think of how Yugi might surprise them all next. And he knew he'd be watching him very closely from now on. 

Osiris tickled at his mind in amusement, finding something about Atem's train of thought funny. Atem cast him a scowl that only made the tickle more pronounced. 

Probably thinks I've already been watching Yugi closely, he thought to himself, slightly embarrassed to admit that it would be true. He was still trying to convince himself that the 'affection' that he kept feeling was from Osiris, as his dragon had all but molested the poor hatchling at the fire pit, but he also was embarrassed to admit that would be a lie. 

"You will put Ma'at to shame with how attentively you've been watching over the hatchlings," Seto's voice came up from behind, "Or is it just the one that's caught your eye?"

Atem rolled his eyes and wished it wasn't so dark so that Seto could see it.

"Our mission was to protect the chosen and escort them on their journey," Atem pointed out, but didn't meet the other rider's eye. 

"I think we might have gone a little bit off target with that. We're lucky the dragons didn't find fault with what we did," Seto said, leaning up against a rock and looking up at the stars above them. Or perhaps just scanning the sky for wraiths. Or both. 

"I don't think there was fault to find. Yugi's logic was a sound argument. We have been losing too many chosen lately, and there are so few left. Maybe the old ways are better left behind," Atem said with a shrug.

Seto huffed, tugging his cloak around his shoulders as a cold breeze gusted through,"Our dragons are young. They might not have known better. What do you think Ma'at would have done if we had tried that in front of her?" he challenged.

Atem glanced over to where Ma'at had placed her massive body in a crescent around the camp, all the hatchlings and their eggs. She was sound asleep, her deep breaths shaking the leaves in the bushes.

"I think Ma'at has also grown weary of seeing her chosen fall, and is glad to be bringing all of the new hatchlings back home," Atem said, lifting his chin. 

Seto merely grunted, sounding a lot like Kisara when she was being petulant. 

Atem leaned back on the rock beside him, crossing his arms as they both stared out over the camp and its occupants.

After a few minutes, a smirk crept over Seto's face, and Atem felt a sort of dread building. Seto smiling was never a good thing.

He refused to ask what he was smiling about, mostly because he didn't want to know the answer, but also because he refused to give Seto the satisfaction of giving in. He'd say what was on his mind whether Atem liked it or not. 

"So…we're heading back to the Den. Are you ready for that?" Seto asked eventually, his words sounding almost like a taunt.

Atem sighed and refused to look at him, "Of course. I'll be glad to have our first mission completed. Why?"

Why did he ask that? It was just giving Seto an opening. Rookie mistake, Atem…

Seto's grin grew wider, "Well, because it'll only be a matter of time before the hatchlings start to meet everyone else. And start talking. And maybe learn a few things…"

Atem's face pinched into a soul deep grimace, "Seto…just leave it be."

"Oh, come on. You can always just tell them now to rip off the bandage and get it over with."

"No," Atem grunted. 

"They're bound to find out. Just because they're so cut off from the rest of the kingdom up there in the north that they don't know shit about the Capital doesn't mean they'll stay ignorant."

Atem hated that he knew what Seto was talking about. And hated more that he was right. But Atem didn't want to 'rip off the bandage'. One, because he didn't even know how to do that without creating a mess or appearing full of himself. And two…he had found himself liking his interactions with the hatchlings without them knowing the truth. Without all of them having preconceived notions of what he'd be like…or worse, acting differently towards him because of it. This was the first time he'd ever been able to be with others as himself and nothing…else. 

Jounouchi and Judai crudely joking with him without restraint. Johan and Crow happily including him in their conversations and talking of themselves without fear of judgement. Manjome…well, it could be nice that he wasn't afraid of pissing Atem off. Well, perhaps not 'nice', but refreshing in its own way. Then Ryou had been a very kind soul who Atem felt he could relax around too.

And Yugi…he looked at Atem like he was worth something…even without knowing his true worth within the kingdom. 

Atem didn't want to lose that. And he knew he would eventually. But he didn't have to yet. Maybe with any luck in these next two weeks of travel he could worm his way to cementing these new relationships into something rock solid…before the blow came upon returning to the Den. And then he'd just have to hope what he'd built was strong enough to withstand it. And not crumble to dust. Or change shape into something fake and unrecognizable. 

"I won't say anything…" Seto said, shocking Atem because of the abruptness of him speaking, as well as the seemingly kind offer.

Atem looked over at him in shock, "Truly?"

Seto shrugged, "Sure, why not? It'll make it that much more entertaining to watch what things go down when the inevitable happens. I'm patient enough for that," he said, smirking down at Atem with a glint in his eye.

Atem scowled, "I kind of hate you, you know that?" he grumbled.

Seto chuckled and bumped their shoulders together, and Atem didn't bother leaning away. 

At least what he had with Seto was solid, if not obnoxious at times. But it was nice to have someone at his side no matter what. 

He'd need that in the next few weeks as they returned to the Den. And all that awaited them there.

Chapter Text

Chosen: Humans selected by the dragons. They are considered compatible to dragons, and can interact with the dragons closely.

Riders: Chosen who obtain a dragon partner

Hatchling: First year chosen

The Guard: An army made up of Chosen and dragons. They originated during the reign of Timaeus when the wraith started to attack their lands, and have been the main protectors of the realm since

First Class Rider: A rider that has taken their first flight on their dragon partner

Second Class Rider: A rider that has advanced enough in their training to take on escorted missions. Their missions usually consist of safer tasks, but can take on more dangerous ones if escorted by a senior class rider. They cannot lead missions.

Third Class Rider: Riders who have shown the skills needed for more in depth missions. They can lead missions, or act as escorts for lower class riders, or can be support higher class rider missions. They can do solo missions under certain circumstances. Third class riders are the vast majority of riders, and many do not advance past this rank

Fourth Class Rider: Those of the Guard given officer status. They are the leaders of the army, and can take on solo missions of a dangerous nature

Fifth Class Rider: Elite officers. Used in times of war as the head generals of the armies.

Sixth Class Rider: Legendary status

Dark Rider: Rider and dragon pairs that come from the Shadow Lands

Wild Rider: A rider that obtained a dragon outside of the normal means. Without training, these riders tend to be as feral as their dragons with their untamed bonds. They are considered very dangerous and volatile

Wild Dragons: Dragon that are hatched outside of the usual means and without a community. They tend to be more feral in nature

Wraith: Emaciated, dragon-like creatures that originate from the Shadow Lands. They attack the kingdom in swarms, destroying everything in their path. No one knows what they are, just that they appeared during the reign of Timaeus over a thousand years before

Compact Dragon Class: An uncommon type. Known for being the best for dragon and in-flight combat. Examples - To be listed later

Standard Dragon Class: Most common dragon body type, with thicker bellies and hindlegs. They are known for being the strongest breathers, and strongest body type over all. Examples - Harpy, Kisara, Ma'at and Ra

Serpent Dragon Class: A rare type. A dragon whose body type consists of a long, lean body similar to serpents. They are known for speed and agility. Example - Osiris

Element Breather: All dragons have at least one element that they can breathe. Standard capability is fire for all dragons except for frost breathers (Ice Element)

Dragonfire: Fire conjured by mages. It is difficult to put out if uncontrolled. Used as long term torchlights. Also used to heat bathhouse waters

Chapter Text

"How long will we have to wait for them to hatch?" Yugi asked, peering down at the glossy shell as he stroked along the curve of his egg.

Atem's laugh was as warm as the southern air itself as he leaned over the edge of the wagon where he was sitting next to Karim. Osiris was off hunting as they neared the Capitol, and Atem had let him go off to get a snack alone, giving him and Yugi more time to chat. 

Yugi had a feeling that once they got to the Den that they'd both become really busy, and wouldn't get to see each other as much as they had the last three weeks. Part of Yugi was disappointed, because he'd really come to like Atem. But the other part of Yugi was excited to start his training too!

"You're so eager to have it hatch, but enjoy this peace while you still can. As someone who went through having a baby dragon not too long ago, you'll miss the times where they were contained and immobile," Atem teased him, his nose wrinkling up like it did when he thought something was funny or cute. Yugi thought it was adorable. 

"You're talking about Osiris? Wait, how old is he?" Yugi asked.

Atem sighed and made a show of rolling his eyes, "He'll be three this spring."

"...three?!" Yugi gasped. He thought of Osiris' size compared to the little egg in his lap and tried to figure out how the heck that happened in three years. It just didn't seem possible!

Atem laughed again, Karim joining him while all the others in the wagon gaped and tried to wrap their minds around it.

"They really become full grown within three years?" Jounouchi asked, sounding a little scared as he stared down at his cauldron. Ryou warily scooted a few inches away, like the egg could possibly burst open at any moment into a full sized beast.

Karim shook his head as he steered the horses down a cobblestone path, "Hardly. Three is considered adolescent. Osiris has much growing to do, as does Kisara. But usually dragons continue to grow for the first eighty or so years of their lives," he sighed and shook his head, "Those adolescent years are not pretty though, Ma'at was quite the handful herself. There is a reason she is our best egg producer. But Atem knows all about that. I hear Osiris already has quite the reputation in the Den," the commander teased, elbowing Atem in the ribs playfully.

Atem's face flushed as red as Osiris' scales.

Yugi had a vague idea of what they might be talking about and he giggled, covering his face to hide his own blush. Oh, he had to ask more of what that was like once Atem's face didn't look like it was hot enough to cook eggs on. 

Atem cleared his throat delicately, "In any case, to answer your question, there is no exact time for an egg to hatch. But I believe we usually see the first few cracking within a month of being removed from the Nursery."

Yugi's heart leapt with excitement, that meant he might be holding his dragon instead of an egg within two weeks! Oh, he could hardly wait! 

"What will we be doing for those weeks while we wait?" Johan asked as Judai continued to lean over to coo over the egg in his lap.

Atem lifted his shoulders in the most elegant shrug Yugi had ever seen.

"Most of the time you'll be caring for your eggs, but you'll undergo some various orientations and tests to see where you stack up against the other hatchlings from this reaping. You'll be placed in classes based on that ranking, and then your formal training will begin the moment you have a baby dragon in your care. And trust me, you'll need the training," he said, making Karim laugh again. 

That sounded a little more daunting, because while Yugi had always done great with book learning, he worried about the physical stuff. Because they were kind of training to be soldiers in a way, so that meant more physical stuff than books he guessed.

But he'd already promised his egg that he was going to give it his all, no matter what. 

The other hatchlings seemed excited too, and settled back into the wagon to talk amongst themselves.

Yugi turned back to Atem who was still watching him. 

Over their journey the last two weeks, Yugi thought that they were becoming good friends. Atem was really sweet once you got past his almost shy nature. Well, maybe shy wasn't the right word. Reserved seemed a better fit for him. But once they had left the Nursery it seemed like Atem was making more effort to approach him and talk. And a lot of the time he seemed almost nervous to do so. Yugi had no idea why someone like him would be nervous around someone like himself though. He was hardly intimidating, but it was sweet to see Atem's change. 

It made it so Yugi could easily forgive him for his dragon for dropping that dead boar in his lap yesterday. 

With that thought, Yugi was quick to glance up in the sky, trying to see if a streak of scarlet was anywhere nearby…just in case he needed to duck and cover. 

But instead he saw something else.

Yugi let out a little gasp of wonder as he saw dozens of colorful bodies gliding through the clouds above. 

Dragons. 

It was incredible. After going his entire life having never seen a single of the things that fascinated him the most, to suddenly see the sky full of them was almost too much for his mind and heart to handle. He felt his chest swell with emotion as he watched their sleek bodies dancing through the sky. 

It seemed random at first, but then Yugi could see the patterns they moved in, and realized they were practicing formations. And if he squinted he could just make out the little bodies of their riders on their backs.

He felt his eyes mist over when he realized that could be him up there someday. 

When he looked back at Atem, he was staring, a soft smile on his lips that made him look even more handsome than usual. Yugi blushed, ducking his head to wipe at his eyes. 

"Sorry, it's just amazing to see it all in person,"  Yugi said bashfully, rubbing at his egg to give his hands something to do.

Atem smiled as he tilted his head back to take it in as well, "I suppose so. But seeing it is nothing compared to being up there."

"Oh, I'll bet. Did…what did you think when you first got here as a hatchling?" Yugi asked.

The smile suddenly fell from Atem's face and he turned his head away, "Oh, well, I lived in the Capitol all my life before being chosen. So I had grown used to seeing dragons around. But I remember thinking that they were incredible to watch as a child."

Yugi had seen Atem do this a few times over the last two weeks. He'd taken to calling them the 'sensitive subject reaction', and carefully filed away what the trigger was each time and did his best to avoid the subject ever again. He didn't like seeing the smiles leaving Atem's face. So far Yugi had come to the conclusion that Atem's childhood and family were strictly off limits. Yugi silently added Atem's hometown to the list.

He was quick to change the subject after lots of practice on their journey, "Well, I hope we can fly together someday. I-if you want to, that is," he said, trying not to blush.

The smile was back on Atem's face when he looked back at him, "I'd like that."

A loud gasp erupted beside him, and Yugi turned to see Jounouchi's jaw dropping open.

"Yugi, look!" he said, pointing ahead over the tops of the trees.

Yugi squinted his eyes ahead and saw the tip of a mountain ahead. 

Oh, no. Not a mountain. Not a normal one anyway.

"Holy…what is that place?" Judai asked, practically bouncing in place and making the whole wagon shake as he pointed ahead. 

Karim glanced over his shoulder at them and swept his arm out widely before them, "That, my little hatchlings, is the Den. Welcome to your new home!"

Yugi's heart leapt to his throat as the wagon crested over a hill and the Den came into view.

His mouth fell open and he and Jounouchi shared matching looks of awe before turning again to take in their new home. 

The Den had been built into immense and towering cliffs above an open ocean. The cliffs were as tall as a mountain, and were cut in a sheer dead drop down to the water that looked as treacherous as the Nursery with the sharp rocks poking out of the water below. The entire cliff face was peppered with carved holes with stone or steel doors either shut firmly or swung outwards. As they stared, they could see dragons flying in and out of the hundreds of holes.

After having seen how big the dragons were once grown, it made the sheer size of this place even more overwhelming and almost impossible to comprehend. The dragons looked tiny as they came out of the doors. Like ants emerging from their hills. 

"The Den has been carved deep into the cliffs, going back hundreds of meters under the earth in our own fortress. What you see in the cliff are either doors to the private rooms of the riders, or entrances to tunnels that lead into the more protected areas of the Den," Karim said as the wagon began to roll down a path that took them closer to the cliffs, offering a daunting glimpse at just how far up they were from the water.

"I would suggest staying in pairs at the very least while you learn your way around. The Den is as large as a city, and its tunnels make it easy to get lost," Atem warned them, sounding like it was spoken from experience. Yugi knew from vague stories that Seto and Atem had stuck pretty close together after coming from the same group of chosen, and wondered if the two of them had gotten lost a time or two. 

Jounouchi grinned wryly, bumping shoulders with him, "Yeah, you and I are sticking together until I get a map or something. I don't fancy getting lost in there for days."

Yugi giggled and nodded, "Agreed."

Yugi's heart was racing just taking it all in. This was more than he ever dreamed it could be. 

He wished his grandpa could see this place. Yugi didn't think there were enough words he could use to describe this place with any justice. He wanted Grandpa to see this place as he was seeing it. 

"Do you see those towers up on the cliff?" Atem asked him, leaning his face close to Yugi's and pointing above the edge of the cliff face. Yugi squinted his eyes as saw tall and fortified stone towers lining the edges of the expansive length, "Those are watchtowers, and some of the chosen who are not riders choose to be watchers. They look to the skies for signs of the wraith and sound the horns when an attack is spotted. The Capitol is only a few minutes of flight away from here, or an hour by horse. That is so we can act quickly when they come. Those towers line the entire length of the kingdom shores and are all manned by the dragons chosen. There are smaller dens where riders can be posted once their training is complete, all along the coast of the kingdom. All ready to be sent out to protect the cities and villages from the wraith."

The wraith…with all the excitement of arriving here and learning more about dragons, Yugi had almost forgotten about the real reason the Dragon Guard had been formed at all. Because of the imminent threat that had plagued the realm for over a thousand years. The reason Yugi's village chose to settle so far up north in the hopes of a safer life.

Yugi shivered despite the warm climate of the south, realizing that he was closer to the wraith territories than ever before. He'd be learning how to be a rider not just for having a dragon, but for keeping the kingdom safe. He couldn't forget that.

Absently, Yugi passed his hand over his egg, hugging it close and vowing to do his best to give him and his dragon the best chance of surviving those attacks. 

"Have you fought against the wraith?" Yugi heard himself asking Atem in a whisper.

Atem grimaced as he shook his head, "I am only a second class rider, and…and I am not sent on many missions in any case. Usually the more dangerous missions are left to third class or higher depending on the severity. If there is a wraith attack here, then those of the proper rank will be sent out to defend the Den. The rest of us will be sent into the tunnels for safety."

Yugi cocked his head," They wouldn't want our help?"

"You hatchlings are the future of the Guard, and must be allowed time to grow and develop until you are capable of surviving on your own. Even second class riders are still to be protected while letting them practice their skills," Karim supplied when Atem seemed at a loss for words. 

Yugi supposed that made sense. 

The air shifted above, and Yugi glanced up to see three familiar dragons soar into sight above. All three of them let out piercing shrieks that cut through the sky, and were rewarded by a dozen more answering cries by the other dragons welcoming them home. 

Seto was just barely visible on Kisara's back, but Yugi thought he saw him smiling. He must be glad to be home too. 

Atem was also looking up, and Yugi did not miss the look of longing on his face as he watched Osiris glide by. 

"Why aren't you up there with Seto?" Yugi asked him. 

Atem looked away again, and Karim shifted beside him.

"Atem is just seeing that the mission is completed, and will be received with the rest of you at the gate. You aren't actually there until you're through the doors," Karim said, not turning back to look at them. 

Atem didn't say anything to correct him, but Yugi could tell just by the tense way he held his shoulders that there was more to it than that. But he wouldn't pry. With any luck, as he became closer friends with Atem, maybe he'd learn more about why he went quiet on certain subjects. 

And Yugi was really hoping to become closer with him. He could use all the friends he could get in a big place like this. And maybe Atem could use some more friends too. Especially if Seto was all he had. 

Yugi sighed and stared out at the Den, still awestruck at the place that he'd be living from now on. Was this all truly real? It was almost impossible to think that all this was happening to someone like him.

It was hard not to feel even smaller under the shadow of this place, and Yugi had to wonder if he'd find a place to fit in a place as big as this. 

"This sure isn't our little village, is it, Jounouchi?" Yugi asked, dropping his head onto his friend's shoulder. He felt Jounouchi rest his on top, and swore he could feel his smile where his cheek was pressed to Yugi's head.

"It sure isn't…I'm glad you're here with me, Yugi. This place will feel a lot more like home knowing I've got you in there," he breathed.

Yugi felt his eyes mist over again as he shifted in closer against him, and pressed his lips to the egg cradled against his chest. 

Chapter Text

Karim drove the wagon up to one of the biggest stone towers along the cliff. As they all piled out of the wagon, Yugi's head swiveled in all directions as he tried to take in everything. 

As they had ridden up here, the tree line and fields he'd spotted above where the Den was buried had looked barren. 

But now that they were closer, Yugi could see squadrons of people around the area. Some appeared to be sparring with weapons. Some doing archery practice. There were even a few that were off in the distance where Yugi could make out a group of smaller dragons and their riders. It looked like they were training the dragon to breathe fire! They must have been last year's hatchlings. Yugi’s eyes bugged as he took in the size of them. Gods above though, a year old and they were already bigger than the draft horses his village kept in the fields.

"Come along, hatchings. Grab you bag and your cauldron and let's get moving. There's a bathhouse in here with my name on it," Karim called out.

Yugi let out a pitiful moan hearing that. A bath sounded perfect right now.

Atem must have heard him because he chuckled again, "Your egg might enjoy that too. The water for the baths is always heated by dragonfire coals, and it is very hot."

Yugi might have whimpered, it sounded so good.

"Will you be able to show me where it is?" Yugi asked.

Atem opened his mouth and closed it again before shrugging, that odd shy look crossing his sharp features again, "Well, you'll likely be shown during your orientation. And I won't be there for that."

Yugi's face fell, "Oh, you have to go?"

Immediately Yugi regretted asking. It just made him sound pitiful. Atem was a rider and would have duties to attend to. Not to mention getting rest after his mission. Of course he wouldn't be sticking around to hold Yugi’s hand.

But Atem's look was anything but judgmental. He actually looked regretful as he took a measured step back from him. Yugi hadn't even noticed they were standing that close.

"You want to meet up again?" Atem asked, sounding genuinely surprised, maybe even hopeful.

Yugi nodded, "Of course." Why wouldn't he want to meet up with Atem again, he was amazing.

"I will have to give my report and get Osiris settled back in. The next few days will be quite hectic for you in any case. You probably won't even have time to even think of me," his eyes widened in sudden panic, and he waved his hands dismissively, "Not that you would be thinking of me, but, I mean if you wanted to meet up I don't think you'd have time. But if…if you did want to meet up, then I'd like that," there was a little darkening in the color of his cheeks as he finished.

Yugi blinked as he absorbed what he could of that, "Yeah, sure. I'd love to meet up again when you're not too busy." It was strange how someone as eloquent and refined as Atem suddenly become flustered for no apparent reason. It was a cute quirk of his though that Yugi found made him more approachable. 

Atem let out a heavy breath and nodded, his smile flickering back in place, "Good. I'm on the fourth level with the other second class riders…," his gaze turned wary, "...but it would be best if you didn't venture up there alone. I will seek you out when things calm and assessments are done."

Yugi felt his stomach flip as he nodded eagerly. Atem still wanted to be friends! Yugi could hardly believe his luck that someone as amazing as him would want to spend time with a hatchling like Yugi. 

"That's great. I'll probably have even more questions by then," he teased, making Atem smile at him. Always willing to indulge Yugi's insatiable curiosity. 

"I'll be happy to answer what I can."

The sound of a drawbridge opening caught all their attention, and the smile fell from Atem's lips as the door fell too.

Several people came out, all wearing crisp uniforms and looking perfectly groomed. The black leather of the Guard they wore was glossy and unblemished. A far cry from the dusty and weathered leather that Atem and Seto had been wearing after almost two months on a mission.

Yugi grimaced at the state of the rest of them. They'd only caught a few splashes in rivers along the journey, and probably looked like strays compared to these guys. 

The one with the longest cape led the pack forward. Yugi eyed the ring of gold at his sleeve, and realized this must be a higher ranking officer. 

Knowing that he was only partly startled when Atem snapped to attention beside him. Karim seemed less worried though, and stepped up to meet his, clasping forearms together in a friendly meeting.

"Commander Shadi, thank you for receiving us. Sorry we're a bit behind schedule. The northern winds cut sharp," Karim said.

"Karim, welcome home. The guards at the Nursery sent along quite the report about the last hatchlings of the year. You'll have to give me your report later, I've been eager to hear it," the man said and then caught sight of the hatchlings behind and his eyes lit up, "This is them? My, my, what an interesting group. Welcome, hatchlings. It sounds like you all had quite the hunt."

They all shuffled on their feet, unsure how to respond to that. Yugi looked up to Atem but his face was blank and he stayed silent. 

Karim took mercy on them and answered, "Five out of seven returned with an egg, and the other two chosen survived as well and have decided to join the ranks," he reported, looking them over proudly.

The officer's eyes widened with wonder as he looked back over the group, "Five out of seven? That's the best we've seen of all the others. And all survived? You bunch did very well," he said and then glanced over to the rider, "Atem, your father will be proud that you completed your first mission so successfully."

Atem's father? That was one of the sensitive subjects Yugi had already identified. Even so, Yugi had thought Atem would light up at the praise, but instead he grimaced and looked down at his boots instead. 

"Thank you, sir," he replied in a stiff voice. Nothing like the usual warmth Yugi had gotten used to hearing.

Shadi smiled warmly all the same, and glanced up at the sky where Seto was circling with Ma’at and Osiris.

"We'll send word along to Seto's father as well. Be sure you both get your dragons to the groomers and head to the baths once you've dropped off your kits. Then there will be a warm meal waiting for you in the great hall. Good job, cadet. You are dismissed," Shadi said with a sharp nod of his head and a hand gesture above his head for Seto to see.

Seto turned Kisara and they disappeared into one of the open doors in the cliff face.

Atem stepped away from Yugi, casting him a strange look over his shoulder as he slipped past the officers and into the tower behind them.

It was strange, but Yugi could have sworn Atem looked nervous. 

Yugi's attention was drawn sharply back into focus when Shadi clapped his hands, making all the hatchlings jerk into a less than elegant attention stance. But it was kind of hard to stand formally when they had a bag on their shoulder and a heavy cauldron in their hands.

Thankfully he didn't seem to care much as he stepped before them.

"I formally welcome you all to the Den and your new home. We realize you all must be exhausted given that you have come the furthest of anyone, so I will keep this short. I am sure you all are as eager to rest as you are to learn about your new home. We will see to it that you all get settled in today. Normally we like to give you all more time to recover, but given your late arrival I'm afraid the rest of the hatchlings are ready to begin. And we don't want you falling behind. Tomorrow you will all undergo physical assessments and get checked over by our medics. And then the following day you will all undergo placement assessments," he said, and Yugi tried to ignore how suddenly exhausted he felt. No rest for the weary it seemed. 

Shadi gestured to the two other officers at his back. The first being a young woman with eyes so sharp they were reminiscent of a dragon's. 

"This is Ishizu, a captain of our ranks and a fourth class rider. She will be your instructor for assessment and placement."

She bowed her head shortly at them.

Shadi turned to the short and stout man on his other side, "And this is Shimon. He is the Den master and keeps this place from falling apart. He is also the Den's representative in the royal court. He will be showing you your new home and then getting you assigned to rooms. Please ask him any questions you may have."

Yugi noted he wasn't introduced as a rider, which made him wonder if Shimon was a chosen who never got an egg. The thought actually made him happy because it meant that Judai and Ryou could still advance pretty high up in the ranks even without a dragon.

Yugi also noted that Shimon looked a bit like his grandpa, and it made his heart ache painfully. Jounouchi must have noticed too, because Yugi saw his eyes become suspiciously bright. He wondered when…or if he'd get to see him again. Suddenly he felt his eyes burn and he fluttered his lashes to try to blink it away.

He felt something warm pass over his mind, and it pulled him from the sudden overwhelming sorrow, and let him focus as Shimon stepped forward.

"Welcome, hatchlings! I'll be helping you lot get settled in. We'll start with a little tour of the place. I bet you're all eager to get freshened up and get some rest, so we'll do the short version. I'm sure you'll all find your way around by asking any of the other riders or chosen around the Den until you become familiar with it all. If you would follow me, please," he said, beckoning them all forward.

Yugi fell in beside Jounouchi, while the others gathered at their back. 

Yugi's heart began to hammer in his chest as the guards parted and Shimon began to lead them inside.

"This tower has one of the ground level entrances to the Den. All entrances must be heavily guarded at all times to assure no one but the chosen and the riders can enter. We just have to go down this staircase here and we'll officially be in the Den," Shimon said, his voice friendlier than Yugi would have assumed for someone as high ranking as him, but it was welcome all the same.

"Just be careful if you ever try to enter on your own. Our entrances are warded by our mages, and you could be harmed or killed trying to enter somewhere you shouldn't. It's meant to keep out intruders, but unfortunately some hatchlings forget and end up with some burns on their arms for forgetting. Although they never forget again after that!"

He laughed…but no one else did. 

Especially when the next set of guards stepped aside and a massive wooden door was hauled open for them to reveal a dark tunnel on the other side.

Yugi shivered at the memory of the last time they'd went down a dark tunnel.

He heard Jounouchi let out a shuddering breath and without conscious thought, Yugi slipped their hands together between them, squeezing it tightly. 

The I'm right here went unspoken between them, but it was felt all the same as they took their first step into their new home.

Yugi was instantly overwhelmed by the size of the place. His brain just couldn’t seem to comprehend how so much could all be hidden away underground. When Karim and Atem had been explaining it, Yugi had mentally pictured a network of narrow and dark tunnels where the chosen lived like moles. Yugi had forgotten to factor in the fact that the dragons would also be living in the Den, and therefore would need everything to be fucking massive.

The narrow tunnels were more like giant archways that spanned the entire length of the cliff. And every beam of supportive wood or stone work had been carved into intricate filigree that added a sense of richness to it all. 

Ceilings were all carved into what looked like existing caverns below, stalactites were even still left hanging from above in the natural structured caverns. Doors, hallways, rooms…everything in here was just enormous.

It made him feel even smaller than ever before. 

He shook off his sense of unease at the massive structures around him, and the dragons roaming freely through the corridors, and focused on everything Shimon was showing them.

For how far underground they were, and for how close to the sea this place was, Yugi had expected it to be colder the deeper they went into the fortress. But instead everything carried a pleasantly warm feeling, like how Yugi used to feel curling up on the rug in front of their fireplace as Grandpa told him stories. 

Turns out the entire place was heated by dragon fire, because even the dragons didn’t want to be cold down here. Nifty. 

They didn’t stop in each place for long, just for enough time for Shimon to tell them where everything was and the barest amount of information from there. 

They passed all sorts of rooms. There were lecture halls for war strategy, arithmetic, geography, and all sorts of classes they might need. Study and practice halls they could sign out for private use. An infirmary for when riders inevitably got injured. A special medical ward just for the dragons. There were assessment chambers for groups of riders to receive training with their dragons in. He made mention of the forges where the blacksmiths and tanners worked to make all the weapons and kits for the riders and their dragons. Which made sense when he said there were at least twenty armories through the Den that Yugi had spotted. Shimon even gleefully told them about a library on the east end that sent Yugi’s heart racing with joy. 

Jounouchi had practically wept when they had passed the great hall, where meals were served all day long for riders and chosen to eat when they could. They peered inside and saw long rows of tables lining the chamber, and a serving line filled with food. The air was filled with the scent of heavy spices and cooking meat, and Yugi had to tug his friend along to make sure he didn’t wander towards the food instead of sticking with the group. 

“Shimon said we can eat after we get settled,” Yugi promised him as he dragged Jounouchi along by the hand. 

“We better get to eat. Where’s Osiris when you need him? I’d love it if he dropped another boar on your head right about now. I’m hungry enough to just dig in.”

Yugi wrinkled his nose as he laughed. 

“Of course there is more on the surface, but those are for training and classes and you’ll be introduced to those areas in time. I’m sure Ishizu will give you a run down of the training facilities available to you all. Now, if you would all follow me, we will be taking the lift down to the lower levels of the Den. That is where you all will be housed,” Shimon said, ushering them all into a little alcove where a metal platform took up the floor.

Once they were all there, Shimon pulled a lever and the sound of gears turning and chains ringing filled their ears, and the metal floor began to move under them!

Jounouchi threw himself at Yugi, while the other hatchlings latched onto one another.

Shimon laughed heartily, his belly jiggling with mirth, “Ha ha! The lift always startles all the new hatchlings. Quite the engineering marvel, isn’t it? Back in the day, we had to walk up and down dozens of stairs to get to the other levels. At least this way it won’t take as long, and my old knees may yet survive another year.”

Ryou looked like he wanted nothing more than to get off and take the fucking stairs, but his grip on Judai would have to do until they reached the lower levels. 

“How many levels are there to this place?” Yugi asked when his heart slowed and he was reasonably sure he wouldn’t scream when he opened his mouth.

Shimon beamed at him and patted his head, “Good question! On last count, I believe there were thirty-three levels, but we don’t use them all. Some levels have gotten old and have been abandoned until they can be repaired. And sometimes we add new levels or tunnels if we feel the need to expand…although, it’s been many years since we’ve had to expand…” he said, his voice trailing off as he turned away from them and pulled the lever once more. 

The metal floor came to a shuddering halt, making all of the hatchlings grab for each other once more. 

They all piled out of the lift before Shimon could even say anything. He followed after them with a grin on his weathered face. 

“Come along, hatchlings. Your assigned rooms are this way,” he called, waving them down a long corridor. Yugi noted that the tunnels were smaller down here, not anywhere near as grand as what they saw on the upper levels.

"This is more me sized, isn’t it?” Yugi whispered to Jounouchi with a giggle. 

Jounouchi snorted, “This is more human sized in general. I was starting to understand more about you than ever when we were up there,” he teased playfully.

Shimon must have heard them because he cut in with another belly laugh, “There is a reason for that. We place all of our youngest hatchlings down in the lowest levels, as it is hardest for any intruders to make it all the way down here without meeting force first. The dragons always prioritize the safety of the hatchlings, be they dragons or the chosen, and since the beginnings of the Guard, it has been the practice to protect our most precious assets. Which would be our future riders and dragons. And hatchling dragons tend to be quite small for their first year, so they don’t need larger tunnels to pass through. And…well, larger threats would be unable to fit down here easily.”

Yugi swallowed hard, hearing the slight edge in Shimon’s voice and knew he was speaking of the wraith. 

“Do you get intruders here often?” Ryou asked timidly, hurrying to Yugi’s side to cling to his arm. 

Shimon shrugged ahead of them, lifting the torch up higher as he began to read the numbers carved into the stone walls, “From time to time we’ve had some clever enough to sneak into the Den. Every time it happens we assess where the weakness was and bolster our defenses so it doesn’t happen again. The Den is the most well protected place besides our Nursery though, so I would not worry your darling little heads over it. Let the more experienced riders handle the threats. You lot just need to look after those precious eggs of yours. Ah, here we are!”

Shimon came to a stop before another tunnel that appeared to stop at a dead end, but had enough doors for each of them.

"Take whichever room you’d like, and then report the room number to Ishizu for our records. You’ll be in these rooms until your dragon outgrows them and then you will be moved to a higher level. These rooms are specially designed for those with eggs, so you will find a fireplace in each that you can use to keep fresh embers on hand at all times. Any supplies you may need, Ishizu will submit in a request to the quartermasters, and you will also be fitted for your various uniforms tomorrow. The hatchling’s bathhouse is at the far end of the hall of this level, which I’m sure you all want to use. I’ll come and fetch you in a few hours to take you for your first meal. Any questions?”

Yugi had so many questions. So many that it felt like they all got bottlenecked in his head before he could decide what to ask first, but he must have waited too long because Shimon took the silence as his leave and wandered off with a wave. 

Manjome turned sharply on his heel to claim the first room, closest to the bathhouse. Everyone else seemed to rush to grab the next closest room, with Johan and Judai choosing rooms next to each other. 

Yugi and Junouchi just decided to take the two rooms at the far end, also right next to each other. 

“Are you going to be okay on your own for a few minutes? I just want to get the little guy settled and then I can come check on you,” Jounouchi said as he leaned on his doorframe. 

Yugi smiled up at him gratefully, “That would be nice, but no rush. Take care of the little guy first.” 

He tried to sound as confident as Atem did when he spoke, just so that Jounouchi wouldn’t feel like he had to keep worrying about him. But it seemed like his friend knew Yugi too well, and offered him a wink and a squeeze on his arm.

"See you in a little bit, buddy,” he said and ducked into his room.

Yugi drew in a deep breath before opening his own door and taking it all in.

It was certainly bigger than his room back home, but that made sense seeing how in a few weeks he’d be sharing with a baby dragon for a roommate.

The room had the mentioned fireplace at the far end, built with carved stone and a deep hearth that would easily fit his cauldron. There was also already a big stack of wood in the corner and a few chips of flint to start a fire. 

There was even a desk in one corner, opposite a bed that was already made with fresh linens. Nicer than any of the ones Yugi had back home that were filled with years of love…and holes. 

All in all, it seemed pretty nice!

The black scorch marks on the wall were a little concerning, but Yugi was sure that’s what the buckets of water in the corner were for…

Wait, no. That was deeply concerning. 

He took in a steadying breath and placed the cauldron down near the hearth, and took off the lid.

The tight feeling in his chest that had been building since entering the Den loosened the moment he saw his egg gleaming peacefully on top of the embers. 

Yugi smiled as he scooped it up and brushed off the dust from the shell, “Hey there, you. I guess this is as much of a welcome home for you as it is for me. I really hope you like it here. It’s all pretty big and scary…but so was Ma’at when I first saw her, and now I know she’s just a big sweetheart. I bet we’re going to have some good times in here,” he whispered down to it, tracing his finger over the red spots lovingly, “I can’t wait to see you…”

He paused as he caught sight of the scorch marks out of the corner of his eye. 

"…but the first thing we’re going to do is talk about good fire and bad fire.”

Atem let out a long moan as he slipped into the heated water. He didn’t even flinch at the almost too hot burn of it on his skin as he lowered down into it without pause. He didn’t stop until the surface of the steaming water was licking at his collarbone. 

These baths were by far the best thing about the Den. Not even the ones in his previous home could ever compare to dragon heated water. 

He felt along his bond for Osiris, and felt a sense of thrill and hunger reflect back on his mind. He must have gone out hunting again, which was fine by Atem if it kept him occupied and out of trouble for the time being. Right now Atem wanted to just sit and soak for as long as he could. 

And maybe be alone with his thoughts…

Ah, but he never got what he wished for, did he?

He heard the door opening and tried his best not to wince as he heard footsteps approaching. 

“If you stay in there too long you’ll be roasted like vegetables in a stew.”

”I’ve been in here for all of two minutes,” he snapped back at the voice. 

Atem didn’t bother opening his eyes to check who it was, already knowing the voice. Although he was tempted to open them so he could glare at Seto as the other rider slipped in a few feet away. 

“I had a feeling you’d be in here.”

Atem scoffed, grabbing a sea sponge and starting to scrub at the weeks of dirt caked into his skin, “Is that your way of telling me I smelled?”

Seto scoffed, grabbing for the soap basket and pulling out a few items, “I was referring more to the timing of you being here. You only ever come when the baths are mostly empty.”

Atem frowned, “Why would I want to come when they are full? It’s too noisy with others here. And I don’t like having to fight over a bottle of lotion.”

”Oh, and it has nothing to do with the way they treat you? Or how it also conveniently makes it so you are never in the great hall when it's full?”

Atem didn’t reply, but that in itself was answer enough for Seto. 

“Let me guess, you’ve already bumped into a few riders?” Seto asked with a sigh.

He paused his harsh scrubbing for a moment, and Atem nodded silently. 

It had been almost two months since he’d been here last…part of him dared to hope that things would have changed since he had completed his first mission…but he was foolish to have hoped for that. 

“And you?” Atem asked quietly.

Seto didn’t look up as he worked soap into a cloth, “Yes, I bumped into a few. But unlike you, I don’t give a fuck about what they think and I don’t need anyone to be my friend.”

You say you don’t need anyone, and yet you seek me out, Atem thought to himself with only half humor, half exasperation. He would always be grateful for Seto’s oddly unwavering companionship since their days as hatchlings together, but Atem knew that he longed for more. But it had been…difficult, to say the least. At least among his own age group and class. Atem knew he had to earn their respect somehow, and yet the opportunity to do so always seemed to be held just out of reach.

The Guard was supposed to be like kin in many ways, and yet Atem had always found himself left out from those bonds. Or even pushed out from them. He’d been chosen like any of the others, and yet he still felt like that wasn’t enough to be accepted. 

The mission with the hatchlings had been the first time he had felt welcomed and treated as a true rider. And being able to complete the mission with no casualties should have been something he could be proud of. And yet all it took was walking down the corridors and bumping into a few other cadets and a few taunts to erase all the joy from a mission done.

Hey, look who’s back from their first mission! Heard they put you on babysitting duty.

Ooo, such a big assignment! I hope you didn’t hurt yourself. Can’t have you breaking a nail or anything like that.

Atem tossed aside the soaked sponge with a little more force than necessary and snatched up the next bottle. If Seto noticed his agitated movements, he didn’t say anything. 

He began to tug the ties out of his hair to unwind the braids, letting the wild strands free for the first time in ages.

It reminded him of a similarly wild mess of hair, and Atem felt a twitch of a smile crest over his lips as he thought of the Den’s newest and littlest rider. 

But just as quick the smile faded when he remembered it was likely only a matter of time now before Yugi would settle in. And given how kind he was, Atem could only assume he’d make many friends quickly…and those friends would talk. 

And maybe then Yugi wouldn’t look at him with that same sweet adoration Atem had come to treasure. There was hope that Atem would have proven himself worthy enough of Yugi’s admiration during the mission and their weeks of bonding, and he was clinging to that with desperate hands and an even more desperate heart. 

Atem lost himself to his thoughts for a time, washing away the last remnants of their weeks on the road. Seto was a quiet and brooding presence beside him, rushing through his own ablutions with practiced efficiency since neither of them liked to linger long enough for other cadets to come after dinner.

He half expected Seto to just sulk away like he usually did when he finished, but Atem was surprised when he suddenly broke through the silence of the room.  

“Lift your head up. Stop letting them put you down when they all know how high you truly sit above them. You don’t have anything to prove, Atem,” Seto said, putting away his soaps and getting out.

But Atem couldn’t help but think that he did.

Chapter Text

Yugi didn't even remember his head hitting the pillow the night before. Weeks of travel, almost getting broiled and poisoned, and having to leave the only home he'd ever known had finally taken its toll on him. The excitement of it all may have kept him on his feet, but as soon as they arrived it seemed his body was well and ready to stop.

He wasn't the only one at least. As promised, Shimon had taken them all up to the great hall for food, and had smiled at them as their group of hatchlings fell one by one as soon as food hit their bellies. Ryou would have drowned in his soup if Yugi hadn't pulled him back up, and it was honestly a miracle that Judia didn't stab himself in the eye when his head fell over where he held his fork. Even Jounouchi's usual dragon sized appetite was limited to how long he could manage to keep his eyes open as his head bobbed throughout dinner. 

What kept Yugi awake was looking around the hall for Atem, but it was apparently a really popular meal time and it was just so crowded in there, even if Atem was lurking around Yugi wasn't sure he'd see him. He tried to ignore how disappointed that made him. Besides, Atem had already promised to find Yugi in a couple days. 

Before one of them passed out or died choking on a chicken bone, Shimon had herded them back down to their rooms and bid them goodnight. 

Actually? Yugi didn't even think he remembered even walking over to his bed. But he must have at least checked on his egg, because there were fresh embers glowing in the cauldron when he checked the next morning. 

"Today's my first day. I promise I'll do my best and come back to check on you as soon as I can," Yugi promised, running his hand over the shell before placing the lid back on. 

Jounouchi and the others were all waiting for him outside in the corridor, just as Ishizu stepped in front of them.

Yugi took in the black, ivory and gold of her uniform, and marveled at how regal it looked on all the riders. Especially on Atem…

If Yugi was worried that Ishizu would be harsh, he was mistaken when her gentle voice carried through the small tunnels and her eyes sparkled in the torchlight.

"Good morning, hatchlings. I hope you all slept well last night," she said, smiling at them all.

"I don't know if I'd call what that was sleep. I'm pretty sure I died for a few hours there," Jounouchi said around a jaw cracking yawn. Judai and Ryou giggled behind their hands. 

Ishizu indulged him with a quiet chuckle, "A remarkable recovery then. That is good, because today will not be easy on you, I'm afraid. We hate to throw you right into the fray, but we have a strict training schedule to keep with the other hatchlings. You don't want to fall behind when your eggs will be hatching within the next couple weeks. So we best get moving. We'll start easy though. We'll stop by the quartermasters to get your measurements for your uniforms. And I'll explain all the different sets you'll be given, how to wear them, and what occasion each is meant for."

"Will those of us without eggs be needing uniforms?" Ryou asked, raising his hand politely.

She nodded, "For now you'll be wearing the standard Den uniforms that we all wear. Once you find your placement of choice then you will be given a more fitting uniform for whatever duty you choose. Now, let's get moving. We have a lot to do today and we must stay on schedule. Please, follow me."

Yugi was amazed, even if he was slightly offended when the tailor tutted over how many length adjustments he'd have to make to Yugi's sets. He only ever had a few outfits at a time his entire life, and here he was getting assigned a dozen sets in a single day. Did they really need this many different outfits?

Jounouchi looked just as stunned, probably having only two outfits at a time his whole life, and always having one of them forgotten in Yugi's room. When they were handed the new leather boots to replace the all but completely shredded ones that Jounouchi owned, Yugi swore he saw tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. For a moment, Yugi felt his gratitude for this place swell, and would be forever glad that Ma'at had chosen someone like Jounouchi for this. His friend deserved everything and more. 

As Ishizu instructed them on how to affix the belts and sashes in place, Yugi couldn't help but wonder if it would look as flattering on himself as it did for a certain other rider… 

It all seemed so complicated, but apparently everything had a meaning or a reason to go with it, and if Yugi remembered the stories behind it, getting it all to sit right on him was easier. 

At one point they did have to stop to untangle Judia from the many leather straps he trapped his arms in, but other than that there were no casualties. 

Still, Yugi hardly recognized himself as he looked in the mirror. Like he was a new person. The only thing he saw familiar in the reflection was his own face, and the ever present Eye of Timaeus symbol sewn into the shoulder of the uniform. It reminded him of his pendant that bore the same crest, and it made him feel a little more at ease. 

Once they were all in their basic sets and the tailor wandered off muttering about complicated orders, Ishizu looked them all over with a pleased expression on her lovely face. 

"You all look sharp. Our next stop will be the infirmary for check-ups for all of you. We've found it's a good idea to do that before the physical assessment," she mumbled the last part of that as she turned and led them along.

Yugi tried not to think of all the reasons she may mean as he hurried to follow. 

The infirmary was just as big as anything else in this place. There were so many beds lined up against the walls of the long chamber that he lost count. And it made him a little worried to think about if they really needed that many beds at any given time. 

About a dozen beds were filled with cadets or chosen nursing burns or broken limbs, and one or two that had a bandage wrapped around their head. But they seemed to be content enough, and the medics seemed nice as they muttered around with medicines or supplies. The room carried a sense of calm despite the wounds, and it was almost soothing to be there. Absently he wondered if the mages had casts a spell to make it like this.

Before they were even done there, Yugi had already made up his mind that he would be visiting the infirmary many more times after this.

Not because he planned on getting hurt a whole bunch, although he was a little worried that would happen anyway. 

No, he just wanted to spend more time with the young medic in training they met while they waited their turn.

"So how did you end up choosing to become a medic?" Yugi asked Anzu as she took notes on his height and weight. 

She smiled warmly at him as she tucked her papers under her arm, "It was during my hunt actually. I was looking for eggs when I saw another chosen had gotten hurt nearby. She would have died quickly if she was left alone. I thought about if stopping to help or finding my egg was more important, and when I chose to save her…well, I may not have found my egg, but I found my calling all the same."

"Oh wow, that's amazing. I bet you'll make a great medic," Yugi said.

She blushed prettily, "Thank you. I'm only one year into my training, but I've already learned so much," she leaned in to whisper to him, Ryou and Jounouchi, "You wouldn't believe the injuries I've seen since coming here. I swear you riders always try to get hurt in the most creative ways."

Jounouchi leaned in, "Oh, you have to tell us the dumbest way that someone got hurt, please."

Anzu's laugh was like little bells as she waved her hands at them, "I'm not supposed to talk about other people's medical visits…but let's just say, don't try to pass gas around dragon flame."

The three of them broke into fits of giggles behind their hands as Ishizu marched by them with a quirked brow. 

"Do you treat the dragons too, Anzu?" Ryou asked as she checked his pulse.

She shook her head quickly, "No, I'm just a medic for the chosen. The medics for the dragons are a completely different field. I'm honestly kind of relieved I just look after the humans. As much as I thought being a rider would be cool, I'm still pretty intimidated by them. And dragon medics that are afraid of their patients don't last long in the field. Plus, it's even harder to learn because every dragon is different, and they aren't known for being the most cooperative. Although I know a few riders who can be even more stubborn," she said, sharing a knowing glance with Ishizu who rolled her eyes.

Ryou looked on eagerly, "Do they allow the non-riders to train to be a dragon medic?"

Ishizu nodded, "Of course. It's one of the most demanding fields to choose, but also the most rewarding if you wanted to get to know dragons closely without having one of your own. You will need high scores on your academic assessments to qualify. But there are ways to work up to any position."

Ryou's eyes were practically sparkling, and Yugi wondered if he maybe had found his calling too. 

The medical officer finished reviewing their charts and handed off some scrolls to Ishizu with an exasperated sigh.

"They're all healthy as of now. Try to see to it that they stay that way. Also try to see that we are not overrun down here after assessments, yes?" She practically begged. 

Ishizu shrugged, "That depends entirely on the hatchlings, but we'll do our best to make sure they don't get too out of control."

The medic sighed and rubbed at their head, "Fine, yes. Do what you can. I'll go prepare the bandages."

Yugi swallowed hard. Even Anzu's encouraging smile didn't quite erase the dread he felt as Ishizu ushered them out, saying it was time to go to the fields.

Oh, this is gonna hurt. I just know it.

And he was not wrong. 

In Yugi's limited understanding of the Dragon Guard prior to arriving at the Den, he'd been under the impression that it would be a rigid militaristic setting. Because that's what anyone would assume knowing it was an army. Even if said army had dragons among the ranks. 

Yugi was starting to see that this place was more of a home rather than just a base, and the riders and their dragons were more like partners than soldier and steed. But at the end of the day, they were still an army with a tough mission statement, and of course that would call for some regimented requirements and expectations. 

They had to be organized and trained extensively to be effective as a group, that much was apparent. So Yugi knew that even though everyone had been so nice and supportive so far, it wouldn't always be like that.

And as much as he'd like to pretend that his dragon would be doing all the 'heavy lifting' in their partnership, there was much evidence to the contrary that told him he wouldn't have it so easy.

Like how literally every rider he'd seen had been sporting impressive muscles, lean or bulky. And how all of them carried at least one weapon while on duty. Like Karim and Seto's heavy broadswords, Ishizu's wickedly sharp twin knives, or Atem's elegant rapier. 

Clearly Yugi’s role as a rider would go beyond 'living-flying-wagon driver', and he tried not to let that terrifying him as much as it did. But how could he not when he had lost literally every fight he'd even unfortunately been a part of. Because that had been a lot of fucking fights. None of which he started, but that was beside the point. 

The point was, Yugi knew that they were being assessed as they were randomly paired up with the other forty-seven hatchlings in the fields, and only about thirty of those destined to be riders. He knew that this was his first chance to show what he had (or didn't) and would determine if he was prepared (or not) to be the rider his dragon and the Guard needed him to be. 

Of course, the officer running the assessment assured them that this wasn't a pass or fail test. It was just supposed to be placement testing. Yugi heard him and understood…

But even though he'd been chosen by Ma'at, and then chosen again by his own egg, Yugi couldn't shake the feeling that he had something to prove. 

So, when Yugi stood before a six foot tall, built hatchling from a deep-sea fishing community, he couldn't help but feel the sinking of his heart and the bile rolling in his belly knowing that he'd be facing an uphill (and ripped) battle from now on. Just how much muscle did that guy even have?

He'd have to fight just to stay standing in a place like this. And he'd have to fight even harder than anyone else if he ever wanted to come out on top.

So even as Makko crouched into position and started to advance on Yugi…he stood his ground.

Each hit was like a flashback to all those moments when Yugi would get cornered by the village bullies. All those times he’d felt too small. Too weak. Too pathetic. All the bruises were just echoes of ones he’d had in the past repainted on his skin. The hurt going even deeper than just the flesh.

He thought of all those times he’d had to crawl back home to lick at his physical and mental wounds. 

Yugi knew he wouldn’t be winning against Makko today. Or even tomorrow. He could just take his losses today and go back to licking his wounds again.

“The instructor says we can stop when one of us calls for it. We don’t have to keep going,” Makko offered for the fourth time. And for the fourth time, Yugi shook his head.

He felt the impact of the fists and then the ground as he flew back into the dirt of the field, rubbing stains against his new uniform. Breaking it in, picking up scratches on the leather to look more like the pieces Atem wore. 

Yugi could keep thinking about how this all reminded him of his life before as the village's smallest boy. He could keep thinking of how it may hurt even more now than it did back then.

But as he wiped the blood off of his split lip, he forced himself to think of something different than all that.

Like how after all those times he’d been knocked down by Ushio and his crew, Yugi had somehow always picked himself up and gone home. Or that day when they’d turned their fists to the lonely and poor blacksmith’s boy, and Yugi had stepped in to help…and earned the greatest best friend anyone could have ever asked for. 

Or that even as he was dying back in that hellhole of a lava pit, he didn’t fall before everyone else. 

He thought of his egg that was cozy and waiting for him back in his room, depending on Yugi to keep it safe. Depending on him to be a worthy rider and partner someday. 

Yugi stopped thinking about how much it hurt, and he stopped counting how many times he fell.

And started counting how many times he got back up. 

By the time the instructors called for an end to the assessment, Yugi was nothing more than one big bruise and a mess of dirt and sweat. But he was standing, and he had never called for a stop.

He obviously wasn’t the victor in this spar. But part of him still felt like he’d won at least something, even if it was a very small something. Although most of him still felt the loss with each painful movement of his body. 

Yugi just hoped it had been enough that he didn’t disappoint anyone. Even if he was still a little disappointed in himself. 

Atem sat atop one of the old, abandoned watchtowers, with his dragon coiled around the barely stable stone structure of the roof. His head rested on the slanted roof where Atem had stretched out, the two of them looking down at the fields below. He might not have Osiris’ sharp dragon eyes, but it was difficult to miss that riot of colorful hair among the hatchlings below. 

This was meant to be Osiris’ recreational outside time, but instead of hauling Atem along for whatever adventure tickled his beastly fancy that day, Osiris had brought them here. Atem had to wonder if Osiris had been listening to his thoughts too closely, and had heard him ruminating about how the hatchlings' assessments were going. Or if he was being actually honest with himself, how one hatchling in particular assessment was going. But he wasn’t about to complain at getting the chance to sneak a peek at what was happening.

He had counted less than fifty hatchlings gathered below, and felt Osiris mirror his grimace at the startlingly low number. But the ones that were gathered seemed to be fairing well…in that none of them had been carried away on a stretcher yet. Already a vast improvement from years past. 

Atem remembered being paired with another boy from the capital during his own assessment. It had been the first time he’d gotten a hint of what was to come for him being what he was in a place like this. Atem had walked away from that spar without a single bruise…but not because of the training Atem had since he was a young boy. But because the other chosen had refused to strike him. He should have known then that it was just the start. 

Part of Atem almost wished that the larger hatchling paired with Yugi had at least some of the same reservations as he watched the smaller chosen get thrown across the dirt again. Several times he had to soothe Osiris with gentle words and belly rubs when he started to growl at the boy seemingly harming the hatchling he’d been trying so hard to fatten up. So far Osiris had not made any attempt to fly down and ‘interrupt’, but Atem was keeping a firm hand on the reins just in case. 

Even as he fought the temptation to do the very same thing. Perhaps Osiris was leaking his intentions over their bond again…

As much as Atem hated seeing Yugi be tossed around like that, he knew that this…this was also just the start for him. 

They both flinched when Yugi landed particularly hard on the ground, rolling several times and then still rising to his knees and then to his feet again.

“Just call for a stop…what are you doing? It’s just an assessment, you don’t have anything to prove,” Atem whispered to himself, willing Yugi to just end it so he’d stop being hurt. 

But each time Yugi fell, Atem also saw him rising again.

Osiris’ protective growls turned into pleased rumbles as Atem began to stop grimacing at every hit…and instead started to appreciate the tenacity and persistence that Yugi was showing. Even if Atem himself thought it was unnecessary.

”He just continues to surprise us all, doesn’t he, boy?” Atem asked, leaning his head against Osiris’ smooth scales. He felt the rumbling vibrations as Osiris began to purr at the touch of his rider and the sight of the assessment finally ending…with Yugi still standing by the end of it.

Limping. But still standing.

Atem sighed and shook his head, “The infirmary will have their hands full with him, won’t they.”

Osiris huffed.

“You all did very well today, I must say,” Ishizu said as he led the group of limping and bruised hatchlings out of the lift. 

The most any of them could offer in terms of a reply were a few scattered groans, and maybe a whimper or two. She smiled all the same and led them back down the tunnel that led to their rooms. 

“The medics are pleased none of you have to stay overnight in the infirmary, but have recommended that you all have the rest of the night off now that dinner is over. You are free to do as you wish, but be ready to rise early for the second day of assessments tomorrow,” she said.

More moans and whimpers were heard, louder this time. 

Ishizu chuckled, “Of course you are all welcome to rest now if you like, but you can also use this time to explore the Den on your own, take advantage of the bathhouse, write home—“

Yugi’s head snapped up so fast his vision swam, “We can write home? We're allowed to talk to our families?” He asked, his voice almost hoarse with sudden hope and his eyes already burning with moisture. He felt Jounouchi shifting eagerly beside him, and hand squeezing his bruised shoulder.

Ishizu looked startled as she turned to him and saw his expression, “Of course you can. I’m sorry if no one explained earlier, but just because you were taken from your homes does not mean you have to remain cut off from your families. While it is unlikely that you will be able to venture all the way back to your homes while training, especially having baby dragons under your care, we do not expect you to avoid communicating with them. Just keep in mind the contents of your letters cannot include anything that might endanger the Den or give away Guard secrets. But of course, please write them and we will have the letters delivered to your families.”

Yugi had just assumed because of the way that Seto and Atem had reacted at their reaping and all the ‘sensitive subjects’ that being cut off was just a given. He could hardly contain his relief and disbelief that it wasn’t like that at all. He’d be able to tell Grandpa that he was alive, and that he was going to be a rider! 

He and Jounouchi exchanged teary looks of joy and raced back to their rooms the moment Ishizu dismissed them. 

Yugi stopped by his cauldron first, telling his egg all about his day as he piled in fresh embers and taking a few minutes to admire its sleek shell before placing it in his lap as he sat down to write. 

He’d pulled out a piece of parchment with the intention to fill pages up with all the adventures he’d had since leaving home.

But when Yugi’s quill touched parchment, he found himself spending more time writing about how much he missed his grandpa and how much he loved him…and less about everything else. Because as he felt himself wanting to pour his heart out, it was filled with so much hurt and sorrow from being taken from his home so abruptly, that it was hard to brag about all the wonderful things happening. 

Even if he tried to write out all the incredible things he’d seen, the incredible people he’d met, and all the unbelievable things he’d done, he knew his grandpa would be able to see in his writing that the hurt was still there. And that was even before seeing the little splotches on the paper from where the tears had smeared the ink. 

A few drops even managed to fall on his egg that he’d quickly wiped away with comforting passes of his hand over it. 

…I'm grateful for all I've seen and learned. But I miss you so much, Grandpa. Please be well until I can see you again. I want to show you that I can be as special as you always believed I could be. 

Love you forever and more,

Yugi

“I’m so glad I’m here…and I am beyond honored to have been chosen. Is it bad that I still miss home sometimes? That I miss him even though I’m living the life I tried to pretend I didn’t want more than anything? Is it okay that I still worry about how he’s doing without me there?” He asked his precious little bundle as he set down the quill. 

His voice wavered as he felt a warmth fill his mind, and hot tears started to roll down his cheeks. 

He tried in vain to wipe them away, but they kept falling from his eyes the more he tried to fight them. More droplets fell on the egg.

”Sorry, little one, I know I’m being a big baby about all this. I’m just a mess today. I tried my best for you, just like I said I would, but I didn’t manage a single hit. It just…it makes me wonder if I really belong here if this is all so hard,” he said, leaning back with the egg cradled against his chest when he felt an almost foreign feeling of sorrow fill him, and he hugged it closer,  “I’m not saying that I’m giving up, because clearly I don’t know how to do that if today is any indication. I just wish…I wish I was stronger than this. That it all didn't hurt so much. That I was stronger for you…”

A sudden knock at the door had Yugi looking up from his egg when Jounouchi’s head peeked around the edge. 

"Hey, Yugi…can I come in?"

Yugi felt his heart clench seeing the red rims of his puffy eyes.

"Of course," Yugi breathed, waving him in, "You never have to ask that, you know?"

Jounouchi shrugged through a wet smile as he stepped inside. Yugi got up to lead him over to the bed where they sat together. 

A sleek obsidian shell peeked out from the folds of Jounouchi's arms where he held his own egg tightly. 

There were little drops that stood out on the surface, and wet streaks down Jounouchi's cheeks.

Yugi knew he'd been crying too. 

Jounouchi wiped at his face hard enough to make the skin red as he sniffed loudly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to come in here crying. I just…I was trying to write a letter home to Shizuka, but I just…shit, I really miss her, you know? I Miss knowing I was there to keep her safe. I know I'm being ridiculous, and you must think I'm being a big baby, but-"

"I don't think that at all," Yugi said quickly and with all the sincerity he felt.

And it was true, Yugi realized. He didn't think Jounouchi was weak at all for missing his sister. If anything, it meant his love was just that strong. Nothing about that sounded weak to Yugi. 

Which made Yugi feel all the more ridiculous for thinking the same thing about himself. 

Maybe what I need to learn now is how to be nicer to myself, huh? He thought to himself, grinning down at the egg in his lap when he felt another burst of warmth across his mind.

"I know how much you love your sister, and how hard it is to be away from her. I know how hard this is," he said, rubbing Jounouchi's back in soothing strokes, "We're doing this for them as much as we're doing it for us. We can still keep them safe by keeping the kingdom safe. We don't even need to make them proud, because they already will be. And with any luck…a lot of luck, we may get to see them again and tell them everything in person. Don't feel bad for missing them though."

Jounouchi smiled then, and fell back on the bed in a heavy, but relieved thump. He let out a long sigh, and looking up at the ceiling like they were looking up at the stars back home.

"I've been finding myself wishing they could see all we've been seeing, and sometimes I want to just be able to turn around and see them there…" he sighed and turned to look at Yugi, "I know I've said it before, but I'm still so happy that I've got you here with me. And that we get to share this together."

Yugi's eyes misted over again, but this time he didn't feel bad for it, "I'm glad too."

"So, uh, if you don't think I'm a baby for crying about missing home, does that mean you'd judge me if I asked to stay in your room tonight? Me and the little guy felt a little lonely," he said, making Yugi giggle and shake his head.

"Of course not. It'll be just like home," Yugi said and flopped down beside him.

They carefully moved their eggs to where there was no risk of burning one another, and got settled in. 

Both of them were out within seconds.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Yugi rose with a fire of determination burning in his heart to match the embers he stoked for his egg. Jounouchi seemed just as fired up as he hurried back to his own room to get changed. Their new uniforms had already been dropped off, and they were both excited to try them on. 

Ishizu had said they needed to wear their basic class uniforms today, leaving the fancier and more formal ones aside for special occasions. Even the basic wear set seemed fancier than anything Yugi had ever worn before though. 

As he tugged the belt and sash in place, he had to wonder if they expected the hatchlings to do more physical stuff wearing these. Seemed a little much just to get it all dirty. Wouldn't the combat set be a better choice?

Unless they weren't doing something physical today?

Yugi thought it over as he tugged his new boots and laced them up to his calves. The last touch was not actually part of the uniform, but Yugi wasn't sure he'd feel dressed without it. He grabbed for his bag and finally took out the small gold pendant from inside to slide the chain over his neck. Carefully he tucked it under his shirt and made the folds of the uniform neckline lay flat over it, completely hidden from sight. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing his lucky charm was where it belonged. When that was done he stood and looked himself over.

Honestly…he felt a little silly. Like a little kid playing dress up in his parent's clothes, even if these were tailored fitted to his body. But he couldn't deny that they were stunning to look at. And the flight uniform had looked so good on Atem. He wondered how the rider would look in the fancier sets…

"Five minutes till we leave without you all !" came Judai's enthusiastic cry from the hallway, for all of their fellow chosen to hear. He was never one to be late for breakfast it seemed. Yugi filtered out the sounds of Manjome shouting curses at them all to be quiet this early, and knelt down beside the hearth to check in on his most precious treasure. Maybe even more precious than what hung around his neck. 

He lifted the lid and traced his hand lovingly over the shell before getting to work on scooping out the cooling coal from the cauldron. 

"Good morning, I hope you rested well and got nice and big last night! Are you thinking you want to hatch soon? As eager as I am to meet you, you can take your time. I want to make sure I'm ready to take care of you. Maybe I'll even learn some important things today. I don't know what kind of assessments we'll have today, but whatever it is, I promise I'm going to do my best!"

Of course the egg was still and silent, but Yugi couldn't help but feel like it was listening all the same. And even if it wasn't, Yugi always got a warm feeling in his head and heart when he chatted to the egg, and it brought him too much comfort to stop. Even if he might be talking to himself, that warmth overrode and embarrassment.  

He smiled down at his egg before placing the lid back on, feeling an almost overwhelming swell of affection fill him.

"Yugi! Let's go! Out of all of us, you need to eat the most. You don't want Osiris dropping any more dead animals in your lap, do you?"

Yugi snapped back to himself, "I'm coming, Jounouchi!" he called back and then whispered down to his cauldron, "Now you keep nice and cozy here for me, okay? I'll be back to check on you later," he promised and put the lid back in place. It was time for breakfast!

It was a little hard to eat when his stomach felt like it was doing flight formations inside of him, but Yugi did his best to get something eaten because he wanted to be ready for anything that may happen today.

"Do you think it'll be weapons or something?" Judai asked, his mouth full of porridge as he nearly vibrated in his seat, "Everyone here has a weapon of some kind, so that means we'll have to get trained with one eventually."

"Oh, that would be so cool! I've always wanted to have a sword of my own. I spent so many years making them in the forge with my dad, I never got to make one for myself though," Jounouchi said dreamily as he started to stab and strike at the air with his fork. 

"Weapons would be interesting, but I want it to be something with the dragons again," Johan piped in, Crow nodding eagerly beside him. 

Ryou nibbled on some fruit and turned to look over at him, "What do you think, Yugi?"

Yugi absently munched on some bread as he thought it over, "Seeing how it's assessments, rather than training, I would think they'd save that stuff for later. I could be wrong though," he said with a shrug.

"What else could they assess? I'm still so sore from yesterday I don't think I could handle anything that requires me to move," Manjome grouched. 

It was a fair question, Yugi thought. The only thing that didn't hurt right now was his brain and maybe the fingernail on his left pinky. 

"Guess we'll find out soon enough, there's Ishizu," Jounouchi said, and all of them shoved the last of their food into their mouths before hurrying to meet her.

They were led with all the other hatchlings to one of the large lecture halls, much to everyone's confusion.

And to Yugi's excitement once they saw the parchment stacks and ink wells on the tables. It seemed everyone caught on a half a minute after him when he heard a collective groan ring out through the large domed room. 

"It sounds like you all have figured out what today's assessments will be comprised of. But those of you still uncertain, we will be having you all take an academic exam so we can determine where your aptitude lies, and what areas of development are needed before assigning classes," Shimon said to the room, his wrinkled face crinkling deeper in amusement as they all groaned again. Well, not so much Yugi, but he was at least sympathetic to their misery. He probably wouldn't have been happy about it either, but seeing how academics had been the only strength of Yugi's growing up, he was more eager than annoyed. 

The officers handling the hatchlings started to pass out the large stacks to them one by one. Yugi saw several mixed displays of dismay or loathing as each hatchling took their stack.

He took his own eagerly, already hoping that all those books he'd read passing those long winter days alone would finally pay off.

Jounouchi groaned upon receiving his own beside him, and Yugi shot him an encouraging smile. 

"It'll be okay, Jou. Just try your best," Yugi said to him.

"I think I'd get a better score if I burned this than try to hand it in," he mumbled.

"Maybe you get points for writing your name right?" 

"Shit, I hope so."

They both stopped talking as Shimon cleared his throat loudly and everyone looked his way.

"You can take as long as you need, the entire day is blocked out for this test. If you finish early you will be granted free time. But we expect you all to act with integrity. This is not a pass or fail exam, this is to assign you where you will be best suited. So, eyes on your own parchment, and good luck to all of you."

Yugi flipped through to the first page and dove in.

The exam was very thorough. It ranged from everything from math, reading, writing, geography, history of the kingdom, and even dove into more niche subjects like tactics and puzzle solving. And each section Yugi could tell that the questions were leveled in difficulty, a way to rank where each person's skills and knowledge lay just by how far they got. 

The history section Yugi found himself breezing through thanks to all the hours he'd spent by the fireplace listening to his grandpa tell him stories. And the puzzles and word problems were actually kind of fun, and he worked through those rapidly. The rest of the subjects he at least had some teachings in back in his village school, and he did his best to answer them. 

His hand was cramping from writing so much for so long, but he was just so happy that he was finally doing something he was reasonably confident in that he barely noticed. 

He was so focused that when he went to flip the next page, he was surprised to see worn wood rather than another sheet. His head shot up as he looked around to see if anyone else had reached the end, but just saw bowed heads and hands furiously scribbling away with their quills around him. 

Yugi grabbed his stack and flipped through every page, wondering if he missed a few pages or something. But everything was filled in. He then double checked it all to be sure he hadn't misread a question, but everything looked okay to him.

His head swiveled around again as he tried to spot anyone else who might be done, but instead met the gaze of Shimon as he puttered around the hall, and he arrived to peer over Yugi's shoulder. 

"Did you have a question, son?" Shimon asked.

Yugi shook his head, "No, I…I'm done."

He heard several gasps and murmurs come from the rows of hatchlings behind him, but didn't turn around. 

Shimon looked pleased rather than angry though and nodded, taking Yugi's stack in hand, "My, aren't you the little scholar. Done already, hm? Most of the hatchlings take another few hours to finish," he said as he fanned through some of the pages with interest, but whatever he saw he seemed fine with and tucked the stack under his arm and looked to Yugi, "You may leave the hall and enjoy some free time to yourself if you wish. You will not be called to report in until tomorrow when placements are given. Good job."

Yugi slowly slid from his seat and gave Jounouchi a small nod as he walked down the slope of desks. He was careful not to look at any of the other hatchlings glancing at him as he left, unsure of what they'd be thinking about him. He knew from experience that kids like Ushio hadn't liked when Yugi did better at tests than them, and he didn't want to start off with a fresh new set of bullies on his second day here. 

Ishizu gave him an approving nod just as Yugi stepped out of the room and out into the empty hall.

It was Yugi's first time left alone in the Den, and he was struggling to figure out what to do with his surprising free time. 

He debated going to check out the library Shimon had mentioned, but he also was eager to get some fresh air. There was also going back to his room to spend time with his egg, but he also didn't want to miss out on the chance to explore more of the Den that Shimon didn't have time to show them yet. 

As he tried to figure out what to do with his sudden freedom, he began to walk down the main corridor of the class level, trying to remember where the stairs were. 

He was still getting used to the lift.

As he walked, he passed a few other riders or chosen walking the halls. Some were hurrying along with a task, others in pairs or groups laughing and talking as they moved along. None of them paid Yugi any mind, for which he was grateful. He couldn't help but worry that after years of being picked on back home, that he'd find more of the same here. But as of now, it hadn't been like that.

Maybe there wouldn't be bullying in a place like this, he wondered to himself with renewed hope.

Only to suddenly hear voices filtering down the hall. After years on the receiving end of mean intentions, Yugi recognized the tone of taunts quickly. It was just strange that for once they weren't directed at him. 

Unbidden by any real thought, Yugi hurried towards the voices. To stop anyone from getting bullied? To see what people got teased for in a place like this? Or maybe just to see if he could help whoever was being picked on, Yugi wasn't quite sure why he would willingly run towards what was obviously trouble, but it would have felt wrong to just turn around and ignore it. 

He hadn't really known what he was expecting to find at the end of that hall. But Atem trying to hurry past a group of riders had certainly not crossed his mind. 

"Where are you off to, Atem? Did they find you another nice cushy mission? Maybe one to the Capitol to pick up some bread?"

Yugi saw Atem roll his eyes as his pace quickened away from them.

"No need to hurry, Atem. You need to stay nice and cozy here, where it's safe. We wouldn't want you to stub your toe or," the boy gasped, "Catch a chill."

Atem was valiantly doing his best to ignore them all, walking on with his head held high when Yugi would have curled in on himself and probably been crying by now. It seemed he was inclined to let their taunts roll off his shoulders as if he still wore his leather armor, and it seemed to be working a bit as a few of them fell silent. 

"Ah, just let him go. Leaves more missions for us real riders," one boy with blond hair and pale purple eyes spat, finally turning with the rest of the other riders to walk back the other way. 

Atem stopped in his tracks, and Yugi could see a glint of real anger in his eyes for a moment, but just as quickly it disappeared between one blink and the next, and he started walking away again. Only to pause again when he finally caught sight of Yugi.

They both stared at each other until the sounds of the others' retreating footsteps died away and they were suddenly alone in the corridor. 

"Yugi…" he breathed eventually, and Yugi could see how his face seemed to flush with either shame or embarrassment, he wasn't sure. But Yugi hated seeing him like that.

"Hey, Atem. I didn't think I'd be seeing you today," he said, smiling widely because he was glad for it, no matter what state he'd found the rider in. He'd been missing his talks with Atem since arriving here.

Atem managed a weak smile in return, "Same. I had thought you would be in the middle of your assessment exams right now. Aren't they today?"

Now it was Yugi's turn to flush as he ducked his head and scuffed his boots on the stone floor, "Oh, uh, yeah. They were today, I just finished a little early is all. So I'm just exploring now."

Atem's eyes widened, "You finished early?" he gasped, but then his face fell back into something pleased, with that playful glint in his eye that Yugi thought matched the one in Osiris, "Well, that is quite impressive. Not many of us manage to finish in the first few hours. Congratulations."

Yugi was quick to wave off the compliment though, "Well, we still have to see how I did before I can celebrate. What brings you up here?" he asked, eyeing the doors that led to the lecture halls on this level.

"I was attending a battle strategy lecture to pass the time," he replied. 

"Pass the time? Wow, I thought you'd be busy with other missions already."

Yugi immediately felt bad for saying that when he saw Atem's shoulders stoop and his gaze flicked down towards his own boots.

"I am…between missions, I guess you could say. I am hoping to be assigned a new one soon, but I suppose I'll have to be patient for one that my…capabilities are in line with. I still have classes and training to attend in the meantime to pass the time in between."

Yugi hummed, trying to understand it all. And what this all had to do with what those other riders were saying. 

"Did that have something to do with what they were going on about?" he asked, but Yugi balked when he saw Atem's face fall again, "Not that you have to tell me! I'm just trying to understand. You seem like an incredible rider to me. I can't even begin to think of why anyone would think poorly of you. You're amazing."

Yugi tried his best not to sigh in relief when Atem's smile came back. 

"Well, thank you. And it's fine, I'm not upset at you for asking a fair question. In any case, what they think is not important, and it's nothing I haven't dealt with for a while, and therefore nothing I can't handle."

He spoke as if he'd been dealing with bullies for a while, which Yugi was struggling to comprehend. How could someone as incredible as Atem have bullies? He wasn't about to judge him for it though. If anything…it almost made Yugi feel even closer to him. Having bullies just meant that they would have something else in common. 

"All the same, I'm sorry they're being like that," Yugi said, taking a few tentative steps closer and was pleased when Atem met him halfway.

"I cannot blame them entirely for their behavior. My first mission was quite an easy one. I can see why they would be judgmental of my accomplishment."

Yugi balked, "Eh? Easy? Atem…my memory of the last hour in the Nursery is still a little hazy, so I may be wrong here, but didn't we all almost die? Including you?"

Atem gave another elegant shrug, "Yes, but from their point of view, the fact that we all almost died on what should have been a very easy assignment is hardly reason for them to think much of me. I only hope that whatever my next mission is, it will entail more of a challenge so that I may be seen more on equal footing with those of my rider class."

There was a longing in his voice that seemed at odds with the conversation they were having. Wouldn't normal people be happy to not be put into incredibly dangerous positions? And yet here they were talking about how Atem wanted to be put in more incredibly dangerous positions? And those kids were taunting him for not being in danger enough?

Yugi idly wondered if dragons like Ma'at were just really adept and finding crazy people for her chosen, because clearly there was some level of that required to want to seek out danger. 

Did that count Yugi too now? Damn, he knew that talking to his egg was just the start. 

"So, you have the rest of the day off then, right?" Atem asked him, pulling Yugi from his spiraling thoughts of impending insanity.

Yugi nodded, "Yeah, but I'm a little at a loss for what to do now."

He chuckled and then looked at Yugi almost shyly, rubbing at the back of his neck as he took another step closer, "Enjoy your free time while you can, because once your egg hatches you will find yourself with very full hands at any given moment. But if you are at a loss for what to do today, perhaps I can offer a suggestion. Osiris has been quite impatient to see you, and has been pestering me about wanting to check on you and your egg. I am also free for the day, so I can act as an escort to take you topside for fresh air and so that Osiris can visit. Well, if you wanted to, that is. If you are still tired from yesterday's assessments and just wanted to rest, I understand that as well." 

It felt like a fleet of dragons took flight in his belly, and Yugi felt his entire face light up.

"Oh, yes please!" he cheered, his voice nearly echoing off the walls. More sheepishly he ducked his head with a blush, "I mean, that sounds nice. Should I bring my egg for Osiris too?"

Atem's smile released another fleet of dragons fluttering inside of him.

"Of course. That will make him very happy."

Atem helped him carry the heavy cauldron topside, and led them to a little clearing along the edge of the cliff. Thankfully not so close to the edge to make Yugi nervous, but close enough to offer a spectacular view of the sea ahead. At their backs the tree line offered some cover, but not at the expense of Osiris' massive body not being able to join them. 

Yugi found that he actually missed Osiris too. Well, he hadn't missed having dead animals dropped on him randomly, but he felt safe under the looming shadow of the dragon as he nuzzled and fussed over him and the egg he'd carefully pulled out of the cauldron for inspection. 

Osiris was emitting a rumbling purr as he nearly flattened them both into the grass as he inhaled deeply. Scenting them, as Atem explained it through his flustered scolding of his dragon. 

The air was cooling, as summer was finally relenting to the incoming autumn season, and the breeze that swept in from the sea was chilled. But the sky was a brilliant blue with only small puffy clouds above that they watched dragons playfully darting in and out of above. 

Eventually Osiris had shot off and away above the trees, looking like he also wanted to enjoy the perfect day and the full breeze, and Atem and Yugi were able to settle back in the grass. The egg was warm between them, keeping them just far away enough that Atem wouldn't be burned by it, but also keeping them both toasty. 

Even if it was a little chilly, it felt a bit like home in the way it nipped at his skin even through the layers of his new uniform. 

And the breeze had the added benefit of ruffling Atem's hair playfully, sending the loose strands not tied back fluttering around his face. It only made him even more breathtakingly handsome to Yugi, and he had to wonder again how anyone like Atem could have people bullying him. 

Not to mention, Yugi had been absolutely right in thinking that the Den uniform looked even better on the rider than Yugi could ever hope to replicate. Some guys just had all the luck…

Osiris' lean body darted past them again, making Atem chuckle and shake his head fondly. At Yugi's curious glance he grinned and jerked his chin up where Osiris was doing flips and spins in the air before them.

"He's trying to show off a bit for you both, while also making sure we are safe, that's why he keeps flying by. He truly has been eager to see you, I must admit," Atem told him, and it was said so warmly as his eyes seemed to soften that Yugi wondered just what he was thinking. 

"Oh, was he the only one? Or is it another of those…what did Seto call it? Like dragon, like rider moments?" Yugi teased, feeling suddenly bold under that breathtaking gaze. 

Atem's cheeks darkened and he began to stutter, making Yugi laugh out loud.

"I'm just teasing," he assured, stopping Atem's half coherent stutter before it could fully take flight, "But I am glad that I bumped into you. Thank you for taking us out here. I hadn't realized how much I needed to get out and relax."

"Of course, I'm happy to do it again if you like. This is…nice," Atem said, leaning back on his hands and letting his head fall back to look up at the sky above as Osiris did another pass over them, "The dragons are especially protective of hatchlings and baby dragons, and it's not often they let you lot out. So if you ever want to come topside, let me know and I'll gladly be your escort," he said, turning his head again to level Yugi with his eyes alone. 

Atem's smile was as devastating as dragon fire for how Yugi felt like he was dissolving under it.

Not for the first time, Yugi was starting to suspect that he might be developing a little bit of a crush on the rider. He'd have to be careful not to let it get out of control though. Someone like Atem probably had a line of suitors a mile long. And who would look twice at him?

Well, besides Ma'at and Osiris. At least they thought he was cute. 

Yugi had to look away before he said or did something stupid with Atem looking at him like that while being so close, so he leaned forward to rest his chin on his knees to peer out over the cliffs.

His eyes followed the ridges along the coast, trying to take in just how far the Den really went, and what might lay beyond. He thought he saw something glinting in the far distance over the tree line though, and squinted to try and see it better.

"What is over in that direction? I think I see something, but I'm not sure what they are," Yugi asked, pointing over to where he swore he saw something poking upwards to the sky.

Atem glanced over too, "Oh, that would be the spires of the Capital," he said dismissively, but Yugi's interest was instantly piqued.

"Oh! The Capital really is close to us, wow. I hope I get to see it someday," Yugi said, thinking back to all the stories his grandpa had told him about that place and all it held. 

Atem's face grimaced as he looked over with Yugi, "I'm sure you will."

Yugi turned back to him, "You said you grew up there, right? What's it like?"

Atem seemed to think it over as he fiddled with a blade of grass in his hands, "Big? Crowded…Busy…Noisy," he said, rolling his eyes, "But there are some aspects of it to appreciate. The city itself is ancient, and the structures are quite lovely to see. The royal armory is there, and many of the Guard's ceremonies are held in those grand halls. The Great Library is just as ancient as the city, and holds an incredible collection dating back to before the reign of King Timaeus. The food is also quite good if you know where to go."

Yugi grinned, "You will have to tell me where to go then so I can try all the best stuff! Or…would you be able to show me?"

Atem glanced away before Yugi could see his expression, "I suppose. I haven't been there for a while. I usually try to avoid going back there when I can."

Yugi deflated, "Oh, well I won't make you go back if you don't want to."

A hand reached over the egg to close over Yugi's, and he swore it burned as hot as if he'd touched embers. He looked up to see Atem staring back at him, not letting go of his hand still. 

"Nonsense. Showing you the city would be the best of any reason for me to go back there. When the time comes, and if you still don't mind being seen with me, I will gladly take you to my home," he said, and once again Yugi was flattened under his smile as much as he got flattened under Osiris' nose.  

"O-okay. Well, I'm sure it'll be a while before we get a chance anyway. You keep telling me I'm going to be pretty busy soon," Yugi said, both of them looking down at the egg nestled between them and pointedly not at where their hands were joined. 

Atem shook his head, blowing out a harsh breath from his lungs as they stared at the spotted egg, "You have no idea, Yugi. But in any case, I'll help where I can. Osiris was quite the handful after he hatched, but we survived. I'll offer what advice I can, and it's looking like Osiris may offer to help. But you have already shown you have an excellent way with dragons. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Yugi thought back to the scorch marks on the walls of his room and wondered if Atem was just being optimistic. 

"Right, well, guess I'll just enjoy the time until it hatches then," he said.

Both of them sat back again to stare up at the sky as the dragons danced through the clouds.

Sharp eyes took in the two young ones laying in the grass, but focused in on what lay between them, just above their joined hands.

He stifled a gasp seeing the pattern of the egg there. Eyes widened as he tried to determine if what he was seeing was true and not just a figment of a desperate mind. After all this time…had it finally been found?

Could it truly be?

If it was…then the time had come. The dark one would want that egg.

Should he make a grab for it now? It would be easy with just two young ones guarding it…

He crouched low, centering his legs under him ready to make his move as a smile oozed over his face.

Just as he was about to make his move, he froze and dove back into the bushes when suddenly the slain body of an elk was dropped into the grass by the little one, and the scarlet dragon reappeared to the sounds of his rider's scolding.

The dragon settled in around them, pushing its fresh kill towards the little one. 

He knew that he'd lost his chance.

Slowly he backed up into the forest to retreat. He'd have to plan carefully now, but rest assured…

He'd get that egg no matter what it took.

Chapter Text

Yugi gaped at the posted roster, his mouth hanging open as he tried to make sense of it all.

At his back he could feel the excited energy of all the other hatchlings trying to find their names among the placements. Their voices were numbed white noise as he found his own name listed at the top of everything…except for the physical classes, but still firmly ranked at the top of this year's chosen.

For now at least. Obviously the ranks would shift as they began to get tested and developed, but to even be anything other than dead last from the start…Yugi was certain that another mistake must have been made. 

"Holy shit, look at you! Gramps was right, you really are something. We knew it all along," Jounouchi beamed, rubbing his fist into Yugi's skull and pulling him from his shocked stupor. 

Yugi laughed as he was hoisted off the ground by his friend and spun in a circle. He was dizzy by the time Jounuochi put him back down, but both of them were grinning madly. 

"Thanks. I'm still a little shocked though," he said, holding his head as he waited for the room to stop spinning around, "And look! You did well in the physicals!" Yugi praised.

Jounouchi puffed out his chest proudly, "Sure did! As happy as I am, it looks like we'll be in different classes though. I'll be in the beginners for all the academics, and you'll be in beginners for all the physical ones," he pouted. 

"I'm sure we'll catch up to each other in time," Yugi said, even though he didn't like his own odds of ever catching up in the physical classes. Still, if he wanted to be with Jounouchi then he'd have to start working extra hard to catch up. 

Suddenly Ryou threw himself on Yugi's back in a tight hug, "You got ranked first? That's incredible, Yugi!"

Yugi grinned up at him, "You did great too! You're ranked second in academics," he said, nodding to where Ryou's name was right under his own.

Ryou blushed, but looked very pleased, "Yes, I was hoping I would rank high there. Anzu had said I'd need high marks there to qualify as a dragon medic. I suppose this means I'll be able to start training there if I wish."

"You'll do amazing," Yugi assured him. They all chatted as they looked over where the other of their group of chosen ended up. It looked like Yugi would be sharing a few classes with each of them, for which he was grateful. He'd be happy to have a familiar face or two around once their real training began. As of yet, Yugi hadn't really gotten a chance to meet any of the other hatchlings. Atem and Seto were the other people in the Den he knew of personally or had talked to. 

But that was enough for Yugi for now. He certainly wouldn't get lonely once his egg hatched!

He was about to suggest that they all head to the Great Hall for some food to celebrate when he heard people talking around them.

"How did the shorty get ranked first?"

"Will his legs even reach the saddle of a dragon?"

"Can he even lift a sword?"

And just like that, his appetite was gone. As was the happy feeling of accomplishment that he'd just had.

And then he heard his name called, and Yugi threw on a smile before he turned around to where his friends were beaming over at him. 

"Hey, Yugi. Want to go get some chow? We're heading over that way now," Crow asked, but Yugi was quick to shake his head.

"Oh, I'm not hungry, so go on ahead. I wanted to go check out the library anyway," he said, bouncing on his heels and hoping his smile didn't look as weak as it felt.

"No wonder he's at the top of the ranks if that's what he'd rather do besides eat," Judai laughed, throwing an arm over Johan's shoulder and pulling him away.

"Let's meet up tonight to write letters home. I bet Gramps would love to hear about his little smarty pants," Jounouchi said, elbowing Yugi playfully in the arm. 

Yugi nodded back at him, his smile a little more genuine this time, "Sure, that sounds great. I'll come find you later."

He pushed his way through the throng of hatchlings as soon as his friends were out of sight and darted away before anyone else could say anything. 

The library was breathtaking enough that it chased away all his thoughts of bullies and inadequacies as he stepped into the stunningly large cavern it was held in. 

Atem had told him that this library was tiny compared to the one housed in the Capitol, but to Yugi's small town mind, it was still awe inspiring. 

The shelves along the walls of the cavern were carved into the stone, and were absolutely stuffed with books, scrolls and boxes of parchment. Yugi didn't even think this many books existed in the entire world before seeing this place and its packed shelves. There were tables and chairs tucked in between even more shelves that took up the spaces in between, probably where the chosen could sit to study. 

Yugi began to slowly walk through the empty rows, his hand tracing over the leather spines of the books. Having to touch it to believe this was all real. 

It was strange to him that all of this was literally at his fingertips, that the chosen had free access to all of these leather bound treasures…and yet this place was fucking empty.

He thought he spotted one elderly chosen puttering around putting away books, and reasoned they probably worked in the library. But besides that it seemed to just be Yugi. 

Well, it was lunch time. Maybe everyone was just at the Great Hall eating. He'd hardly complain about that if it meant he wouldn't have to listen to anyone whispering about him. It also meant he could explore this place to his heart's content.

But where to even begin?

He could see there was some level of organization to the subjects based on the titles he saw on the spines, so he started to wander around trying to see what sparked his interest. Most of the subjects seemed to be ones that would interest those in the Guard, covering all subjects. Academic, strategic, historical…it was all here. 

Yugi didn't think he'd be able to read all of these even in the extended lifetime of a dragon bound rider…but that didn't mean he wouldn't fucking try. But where to even start? 

Well, might as well do some research while I'm here. Maybe I should start where I'm lacking. Now, where would the section on weapons be…

Two hours later found Yugi with his own little dragon's hoard of books tucked away at a desk in a back corner of the library, and his face entirely buried in a text about different types of weapons. 

He was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching, and nearly fell out of his chair as someone suddenly spoke.

"I see you found the library."

Yugi just barely stifled his yelp, but the sound that did escape unfortunately bounced off the cavern walls loud enough that the librarian sent him a stern look.

Yugi grimaced and waved his apology before turning to the one who spoke. His eyes widened to see Atem standing there looking a little bashful.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just surprised to see someone else in here who wasn't forced to be," Atem said, and adjusted the stack of books under his arm. 

"Oh, do you like to read too?" Yugi asked him brightly, but was still careful to keep his voice low in the large cavern. 

His question was met with another one of Atem's graceful shrugs, "I enjoy reading, yes. But these are just books I was borrowing for some of my own studies."

"Oh, one of your classes?" Yugi asked, head cocking to the side to read some of the titles he held. He wrinkled his nose seeing they were law and government based subjects. Yugi wasn't even sure he would want to read those subjects. Did riders even need to know that kind of stuff?

Atem looked panicked for a moment and turned his face away to stare at the bookshelf beside him and not at Yugi's face, "Uh, you could say that. More of a personal study though, I suppose. But in any case, would you mind if I joined you?" he gestured to the empty seat beside Yugi.

Yugi shook his head with a smile while another fleet of dragons took flight inside of him again. 

"Please, I'd actually love to get your advice on something while you're here," he said and laid his book down flat for them both to see. Atem leaned in close until their shoulders touched as he followed where Yugi pointed at a few drawings inside the pages.

"I'd be glad to help. You're looking at weapons?" 

Yugi nodded, "Yes. I didn't get high marks for my physical classes, so I'm trying to figure out if there is anything I can do to help me advance in that area faster. I know I'm not very big, but I thought maybe if I found a weapon or a technique that favors smaller fighters, maybe I could stand a chance."

Atem hummed thoughtfully, looking over the notes that Yugi had scrawled on a nearby parchment. As he looked them over, Yugi took a moment to eye the thin rapier sword that hung from Atem's belt and wondered what had him choose that as his favored weapon. It seemed a little shorter than the rapiers he'd seen in his studies so far, but it looked wickedly sharp and seemed to suit him. Although Yugi had never seen him draw it before.

It was an elegant looking thing even to Yugi's untrained eyes. The handle of it shone with what looked like inlaid gold twisting in a pretty and decorative filigree, but tapering into the gleaming blade of it. In short, it was stunning. And much fancier than most of the weapons Yugi had spied affixed to belts around here so far. Yugi looked back up when Atem began to speak again. 

"Well, as someone who also can't brag about being vertically gifted, I can say you're on the right track by looking for things that suit your capabilities," Atem praised warmly, making Yugi's heart tingle in his chest. He tapped at Yugi's list and then flipped to a page in the book, "Even with limited height, you are not limited in your choices. Most of the riders train in a close combat and a projectile weapon, so you can train for multiple weapons before finding one that suits you best. You will have a trainer to help you with this, but to get you started I would say look into these."

He pointed to a few lighter looking weapons, like twin knives, a thin rapier like his own, a mace, and a short but wide sword that all looked equally intimidating to Yugi's eyes. 

"But if you are more worried about offense more than defense when it comes to battle, then you could look into weapons like a quarterstaff or a spear to give you reach you wouldn't have otherwise. You would just have to work hard to build up the muscle to wield it strongly enough to make up the difference."

Yugi nodded along, absorbing everything as he tried not to be distracted when Atem rolled up the sleeves of his tunic to reveal muscled forearms as he flipped to another page.

"And these are projectiles?" Yugi asked, seeing the array of bows, slings and throwing knives listed on the pages. 

Atem nodded, "Yes. Sometimes our dragons need our help while they are in flight and we are grounded, so we usually like to have a method to offer them aid if needed. If we are especially good at this type of weapon, we can also use them in flight…provided our aim is good enough we won't risk hitting our own dragon's wings by mistake." 

Yugi flinched, hating the very thought of accidentally hurting his dragon. 

"Which would you suggest for someone like me?" he asked curiously. 

He felt Atem shift beside him, their shoulders brushing together as he scooted his chair closer to Yugi's, "I wouldn't be so presumptuous to suggest any single one for you, just that you look into the options best suited for you. Your weapon of choice is something you will determine yourself and with the help of the weapons masters."

"Is this going to be like with the dragons and be a thing I'll 'just know'," Yugi teased, mocking the many times Atem had told him that he'd 'just know' many things. 

Atem chuckled, the sound as deep and rumbling as if it came from Osiris, "Yes, I suppose it will be."

It was only when Yugi looked up from the page that he realized just how close he and Atem had gotten. His face heated up when Atem's eyes flicked up to meet his, just mere inches away, and he quickly turned away again under what felt like the burn of a smouldering gaze. 

He grabbed for his notes and started to shuffle them randomly, just to give his hands something to do and his eyes something else to look at. Thank goodness there was no one else in here to see him getting all flustered over a normal conversation. Everyone else was probably still eating. 

Which suddenly sparked a question in Yugi's head and he turned to see Atem laying out his own books and pulling out a fancy looking notebook.

"Hey, why are you in the library anyway? Isn't it lunch time?"

Atem sighed, thumbing through one of his books without looking up, "I don't like having my meals when it's so crowded in the hall."

Yugi's eyes widened, "Oh, that's why I never see you in there."

Atem jerked and then peered over at Yugi out of the corner of his eye, "You've been looking for me?"

Yugi nodded, trying to will his cheeks to cool, but when that failed he lifted a book to his face to cover them, "Well, yeah. Always looking for familiar faces. And it's been nice spending time with you."

"I've enjoyed our time together as well. Would…would you wish to continue to meet here to study together going forward? I'd be happy to help you where I can in exchange for your company."

Yugi leaned his chin on his hand as he looked over at him slyly, "Well, I dunno, I'm going to need a lot of help and will need the best advice. How high are you ranked in your year?"

Atem shrugged casually, not looking up from his text, "First."

Yugi choked and his chin fell from its perch. 

But then Atem peered over the edge of his book with his own sly grin, "But that shouldn't be all that impressive to you. I do believe I saw you were ranked similarly among the hatchlings. I must commend you, for it seems you still find ways to surprise and amaze me, little dragonheart."

Yugi could have sworn his face was on fire for how it burned at the little nickname and buried himself back into the pages of his books until his vision was filled with images of knives instead of an unfairly handsome face. 

 "T-thanks. Studying together sounds nice."

"I'm glad you think so. I usually come here most days during mid meal. You are always welcome to join me."

That fucking smile would be the death of him. 

"Sure. Right. Of course."

He'd be needing those buckets of water in his room to cool his face if every study session with Atem would be like this.

Yugi tugged his stack of books and parchment closer to start getting back to work. And if Atem noticed the flush on his cheeks that lingered long after they silently went back to their books, he didn't say anything.

The Gods had some mercy after all.

Chapter Text

Days began to blur together as Yugi got settled in to his new home, and the new routine. He’d wake early enough to spend time tending and bonding with his egg, then go with Jounouchi and the others to breakfast. Then they’d all part ways to go to their various classes for training. 

Yugi had taken to grabbing a few snacks during breakfast to stuff in his satchel to eat in the middle of the day so that he would always have time to meet up with Atem in the library during the mid day meal break. Yugi liked to think they got a lot of work done while studying together, but if he were being fully honest, more often than not they just ended up chatting. He didn’t even care if it meant he had to study more in the evening to catch up. Their shared library time was quickly becoming Yugi’s favorite part of the day. 

But as always, duty would call and Yugi would have to go back to his classes while Atem went off for patrol duty with Osiris. Atem had told him that patrol was one of the most boring duties, but he and Osiris enjoyed being able to get out of the Den. Still, Yugi could tell that Atem was eagerly awaiting an assignment for a real mission, and hoped for his sake he’d get one soon. Not that Yugi wanted to miss out on their study sessions, but he could tell that being idle was eating away at the rider.

Once classes finished for the day, Yugi would meet up with the others for dinner. Generally afterwards was free time for all, so they’d enjoy things like the bathhouse, extra weapons practice in the open rooms, or catching up on their lessons, or even just catching up on sleep.

Yugi and Jounouchi usually used this time to write to their families, or just relax with the two of them in Yugi’s room. It was strange to be apart from Jounouchi for so many hours of the day when back home they were practically joined at the hip. But they made up for it in the evenings when they could. 

It seemed like they were all finding a rhythm. The ‘newness’ of it all fading away as they learned how to use the lift without screaming, or started to learn their way around the Den. It would have been almost peaceful, if not for the brutal physical training they endured every day. But Yugi understood how necessary it was after watching some of the higher ranked riders working with their dragons. Strength and endurance would be critical to handling their dragons. And Yugi knew he’d have to work hard to even have any hope of catching up to them. 

But even so, every day was measured and paced, and Yugi found himself happily going along with the flow of it. 

Yugi had to wonder though…if this peace they were starting to feel would be turned on its head the moment the eggs started to hatch.

They’d already heard about some of the first hatchling groups eggs hatching, and the lower levels of the Den were suddenly loud with the sounds of high pitched shrieks as baby dragons made their presence known. Several times already Yugi had stepped out of his hallway and seen a panicked looking hatchling chasing after a little wriggly body skittering away from them. 

Not to mention all the new scorch marks on the walls leading to the bathhouse…

Since Yugi’s group had been the last to arrive, he knew that meant that their eggs would probably be among the last to hatch as well. He knew this, and yet he still found himself growing more impatient with each day as he heard other hatchlings proudly announcing the arrival of their dragons in class each morning. 

Scorch marks and panicked expressions aside, Yugi was so very eager to meet his own dragon. He wanted to start building that bond that he saw so plainly between Atem and Osiris. He wanted to touch the sky like them…

But each morning as he refilled the embers, his egg was as flawless and smooth as always. Not a single hint of a crack. All the same, he’d chatter with it and show it some love before tucking it back away and leaving for the day. And at night he’d more often than not hold it as he fell asleep. 

And every time…he dreamt of flying.

After many pep talks from Atem, Yugi found that he didn’t dread his physical classes as much as he thought he would.

Especially once he’d met a few of the trainers. 

Honda in particular had quickly become Yugi’s favorite of all the weapons masters, even though Honda was in training himself. He’d been in Anzu’s year of chosen, and had stopped to save several other fallen chosen instead of seeking his own egg. Yugi couldn’t help but admire someone who would give up their chance at being a rider to help others, and it seemed Honda was still the type to lend a hand wherever needed.

And, as it turned out, Yugi needed a hand a lot. 

The air was knocked out of his lungs as Yugi was sent rolling through the grass, the short sword getting knocked out of his hand in the process. At least it was just made of wood. Otherwise Yugi would be at least three fingers shy after this morning alone.

“Not bad! You’re getting better at bracing for blows. But maybe you should work on deflecting them instead, so you don’t take as many hits,” Honda said, reaching down to help Yugi back to his feet, "You also keep trying to use your other arm to block. That's fine with the wooden sword, but it's also a great way to have your arm cut off with a real one."

Yugi’s aching body would agree with him, but deflecting was easier said than done. Perhaps Yugi had gotten a little too used to getting knocked down…He kept reacting to attacks like he was being swarmed by fists and feet, rather than a single blade, but it was just how Yugi was conditioned at this point. 

“Sorry, I'm used to blocking punches from all angles, not swords. Maybe I need a shield,” he mumbled, rubbing at his bruised backside.

Honda laughed, shaking his head, “We can show you how to use a shield, but most riders don’t bother. Maybe it'll be useful on the ground, but in flight …Unless you learn how to ride your dragon handless like the best archers, you’ll need at least one hand for the reins.”

”Is handless riding hard?” Yugi couldn’t help but ask as every ache in his body screamed in protest as he rolled to his knees.

"Very. Because it means your dragon has to be well trained enough to handle voice or bond only commands, and these beasts tend to be as stubborn as their riders.”

Of course.  

Yugi bent down to scoop up the sword, feeling the awkward weight of it in his hands. He shifted it several times in his palm, waiting for the grip to feel right, but it just never did. 

His arms still only had noodle-like consistency, and everything felt too heavy to him. All the trainers were saying it would get easier as he grew muscles, but Yugi was getting impatient and worried.

”It’s been three sessions with the short sword. Have you been practicing at all after class?” Honda asked, coming up beside him.

All around the rest of his class of beginners were paired off and practicing with all sorts of weapons as they tried to figure out what they wanted to pursue formally. They’d have a month to explore everything, but Yugi was already two weeks in and had yet to choose a single weapon. And they were expected to choose two! 

Yugi nodded, “I tried with Jounouchi a few times, and he’s shown me a few things, but it just doesn’t seem to be working. It still doesn’t feel right. Like my hands aren’t connecting to my head right. And I keep trying to use both hands without thinking.”

Honda nodded, not looking at all disappointed, much to Yugi’s relief.

”I’ve been working with Jounouchi in the intermediate class, he’s got a good working base for swords. If the short sword isn’t your thing, then maybe we should look into something else. You’ve still got time. And once you know, you’ll—“

”I’ll know. Right,” Yugi said, grinning wryly, “I think I’ve heard that a few times now. Okay, we can try something else.”

Honda took the wooden sword from him with a smile and gestured for Yugi to follow him over to the table. 

So far Yugi had tried a flail (and almost smashed his own face in), a spear (and promptly tripped over it), and a rapier like Atem’s (but it had kept slipping from his grip and he almost impaled another hatchling). Yugi was starting to wonder if he was the deadly weapon as the only common denominator of all his flubs. Like that they shouldn't even bother trying to train him anymore, they should just send him out on a battlefield with any weapon and he’d take out half the wraith through his skills in clumsiness. 

At least archery had seemed to agree with him once they’d given him a bow that wasn’t taller than him. It was nice to just have a target to aim at, and Yugi could just let himself puzzle through the factors of pull, wind, angle, and aim. Choosing a projectile weapon would be the easy part. It was the combat weapons that Yugi seemed at a loss with. 

“You seem like a precise kind of guy, right? And you like puzzles and riddles? I also heard you’re ranked first for academics, does that mean you are good with math and stuff?” Honda asked as he came up behind him.

Yugi nodded absently as he lifted up a few of the hammers and maces, putting them back down when they felt like they were heavier than him.

”I love puzzles. And I’m good with math and solving problems, I suppose. I’m not sure how that applies to this. Pretty sure it’s easy to figure out I need to poke them with the pointy end,” Yugi said, blinking up at Honda curiously. 

Honda shrugged, leaning up against the table beside him, “Maybe not, but maybe you’d do better with a weapon that takes a little more thought. Your brain is more active than your body it seems, like you rely on it more than pure instinct. Let it be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.”

Yugi stared at him, “…I know I’m supposed to be considered smart in this conversation, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Laughing, Honda clapped him on the shoulder and steered him down towards the end of the table where all the knives were laid out. 

Honda grabbed two long, symmetrical knives and twirled them gracefully in his hands, then flipped them around so that the handle was pointed at Yugi.

”Give these a try. Test the weight, swing 'em around,” he instructed. 

Yugi took a few steps back to be safe and then did as told. 

He was pleased that they were light enough that it seemed to take no effort to swing them around. And the handles were small enough they didn’t feel clumsy and ill fitted to his small grip. But not so small he couldn’t get a good grip on them. 

Yugi tried a few more swings and then dared to flip one, amazing himself when it didn’t end up skewering into his foot or something equally tragic. It actually slapped right back in his palm 

Honda watched him, looking pleased.

”Twin blades. These are special in that they’re shorter than a sword. Lighter too, but just as sturdy, come in pairs, and can even be used to throw if necessary. But they allow you to be defensive and offensive at the same time, but it takes precision to wield them rather than just relying on strength. And the one using them needs to be quick to react, and be smart enough to manage two blades at once. So…you can use your other arm as a defense, while not losing your offense. The hardest part will be training your non-dominant hand to be as quick as the other. What do you think? Want to give them a try?"

Yugi thought back to the time his right hand got crunched under Ushio's boot and he had to use his left hand for months while he healed. By the end of that he'd been pretty good at tying up the laces on his boots one handed and had done his schoolwork left handed too. 

Maybe Ushio had done him another unexpected favor.

Yugi looked to his left hand and tossed the knife there upwards in a flip…only for it to land solidly back in his palm.

"Let's do it."

Yugi flew through the corridors with a wide smile on his face and his satchel billowing out behind him as he raced for the library. He only slightly slowed his steps once he reached the cavern, not wanting to upset the librarian…again. But she'd grown a soft spot for Yugi over the last week in any case. Probably just because she was happy to have another chosen who liked to read. 

Yugi found him at their usual table in the back, his books already spread out in front of him. He'd stopped questioning why he never found Atem with anyone else besides Seto, and just appreciated that they got this time alone every day. 

"Oh, there you are. I wasn't sure if you'd make it today," Atem said, looking pleased when Yugi appeared panting before him.

"Yeah. Sorry. Made it," he gasped out between pants.

Atem leaned his chin on his palm, looking Yugi over.

"Let's see. Out of breath, ruffled uniform with grass stains…hmm, I'd say you were coming from weapons training, but your dazzling smile makes me think that that couldn't possibly be so," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement as Yugi plopped down next to him. 

"Actually, I did come from weapons training," Yugi said cheerfully, dropping into the chair next to the rider. 

Atem's eyes widened along with his grin, "Oh? Then does that smile mean that you've finally made some progress in your selection?"

"Yup! Twin blades and a horsebow," Yugi said, puffing his chest out proudly. 

"Oh, excellent choices," he replied, looking impressed, "I can see those suiting you well. You'll have to show me your skills as they develop."

Yugi preened under his attention, eager to be able to show off more than just his brain to Atem at some point. Just like how Osiris kept showing off whenever they got a chance to go topside with him. 

 He began to pull out his own books and notes, already deciding he was going to work on more of the geography lessons that day. He'd barely thought outside of the northern region his entire life, because he'd thought he'd never leave the territory. But now he stood the chance of being able to fly and explore the entire kingdom. Yugi wanted to at least know where he was going when the time came. And if his studies got him high marks in the class, then that was just a bonus.

Yugi's legs swung under his chair as he struggled to get the excitement of his last lesson to fade.

Atem seemed amused at his energy though, smiling to himself as he flipped a page. Or at least Yugi assumed he was smiling about Yugi and not…Yugi peered down at the title of his book…The History of Trade Law? Weird. 

"What about you? Any luck with getting a new mission assignment?" Yugi asked, peering up at him. 

Atem rolled his eyes with a sigh, putting his book down so he could run a hand over the fine panes of his face.

"Not so much, huh?" Yugi said, and Atem nodded miserably.

"I'm afraid that our rather uniquely dangerous journey to the Nursery was not enough to convince the officers that I am capable of handling more challenging missions. In fact it may have made them more fearful that I'd find trouble even on the most basic of tasks. Meanwhile all of the other second class riders have already gotten several missions on their ledgers. If this continues then Osiris and I may be reduced to glorified carrier pigeons if we ever want to get out of the Den again. We just…we need another chance to prove ourselves as worthy of more dangerous missions. But they don't seem inclined to give us that chance…," he sighed, sitting back heavily in his seat, the boring book forgotten in front of him as his eyes seemed to look further than the walls of the cavern. 

Yugi hated seeing Atem cast aside like this. How could they not see how incredible he was? And why weren't they giving him a chance? That's what confused Yugi the most. 

He just wished he could do something for Atem. Just to see him smile.

"Osiris would be one big fucking pigeon."

Atem snorted with laughter, an indelicate noise from a usually refined and eloquent rider, and it broke the tension as easily as a hammer against glass, "Yes, he would be. And he'd probably scare the shit out of whoever we were delivering letters to."

They both broke out into a fit of giggles they only barely kept to acceptable noise levels. 

"Well, I bet your chance will come soon enough. They can't keep looking over a talented rider like you, or a powerful dragon like Osiris. Me and my dragon will be lucky to fly with you both someday," Yugi said as he wiped away a mirthful tear. 

Atem's eyes warmed to those smoldering red embers as he leaned in closer to Yugi, "I think we'll be the lucky ones, but thank you. But first you need a dragon. How is your egg doing? Any signs of it cracking yet?" he asked eagerly, like he was just as excited as Yugi for it to finally hatch.

Yugi shook his head, trying not to flush at how close their faces were. Atem seemed to be a little like Osiris in that personal space limits were often tested. Atem was just more polite about it…not that Yugi minded how close they sat. Or how by the end of each study session they were almost completely flush up against one another…

Yugi shook his head to get back into focus, "Not yet, but Ishizu says it could be any day now! I'm trying to be patient though. I've seen how some of the hatchlings with babies look," Yugi said, cringing.

Atem shared his grimace, "Let me guess, exhausted and singed on the edges?"

Yugi nodded, "One sat down to breakfast looking more crispy than my toast," he said as he pulled his textbook close again and started to look over the maps drawn on the pages. 

Atem hissed in sympathy and tugged his own notes closer, shaking his head, "I do remember those days. It gets better though." 

"I'll have to keep that in mind as I refill the water buckets in my room."

They both shared a stifled laugh again before turning back to their books. As much as Yugi loved talking with Atem, he also appreciated that they were able to have such companionable silences too. Probably for the best, otherwise neither of them would ever get anything done. But it would be Yugi's fault in any case. He just had so many questions still! It was a miracle that Atem hadn't gotten sick of being pestered all the time, and if anything he seemed happy for the chance to talk more. He must have the patience of a saint.

Speaking of questions though…

"Oh, is this where the Nursery is?" Yugi asked, recognizing the profile of the mountain range painted into a non-descript part of the map.

Atem frowned and peered over at it, "Hm, it may be. Those mountains do look familiar, don't they?"

"It's not marked though," Yugi pointed out.

"Too risky, I imagine. The location of the Nursery is kept as much of a secret as possible. The dragons lead us there for the most part. But once you've been there enough times, I would think riders like Karim probably know the way by heart."

"Like others with high egg producing females?" Yugi asked, tracing his finger over the mountains, thinking of the deadly treasure trove hidden underneath them. 

Atem shrugged, "Most likely. There are a few that are well known for their contributions. I imagine their riders have seen the Nursery more times than they ever truly wanted."

Yugi grimaced, "That I believe. I think I'm all set myself. Been there, done that, almost died, got my egg."

Atem chuckled, "I had thought the same thing, and yet lo and behold, my first mission took me back. Thank goodness Osiris is male. I won't ever have to take him there to have a clutch. Seto on the other hand…" he smirked and lifted his book up again.

Yugi snorted and went back to his own text, wondering just who might be nestled back in his own egg…

They stayed in the library past supper, studying in between breaks to talk or for the inevitable moments when Yugi's latest burning question needed to be put out with an answer. Every time Atem would turn, always smiling, and they'd shift their chairs closer so that the rider could see what page Yugi was pointing to.

Until they were so close that Atem could rest his chin on Yugi's shoulder, his replies rumbling against Yugi's ear in a pleasant vibration that seemed to thrum all the way down to his chest. They never pulled away though. 

They stayed long past the time the halls emptied and the magic lit torches dimmed, until finally the librarian shooed them away with strict orders to get some rest. 

"You didn't have to walk me all the way back here. I only got lost that one time," Yugi mumbled shyly, hugging his books to his chest and trying to hide his flush under the dim lights of the dragonfire torches along the walls. 

Atem's teeth glinted in the light as he smiled down at him, "I know, but please indulge me. Osiris has become protective of you and your egg. I do not think he would forgive me if I didn't see you safely back to your room at a late hour such as this. Again, I'm sorry I kept you so late. I had not realized how long we were in there. And you missed dinner. Are you sure you do not need me to go find you some food?"

Yugi laughed, "Is that you saying that, or is Osiris leaking across your bond again? Should I be worried about you dropping food on my head in the halls?"

Atem's flush was instant and deep, his eloquence instantly lost between what Yugi thought were endearing stutters. Yugi's laughter echoed off the contained walls of the lift as Atem lowered them down to the hatchling level. Everything was empty and all doors were shut through the entire Den. Everyone else had probably already been asleep for hours. Yugi would have felt bad about it…if he hadn't truly been enjoying himself. Atem wasn't the only one who lost track of time. It was easy to forget about the rest of the world when they were together it seemed. 

Yugi stepped off the lift when it came to a stop (always grateful to get off of that thing), and it looked like Atem was about to follow, but Yugi held out a hand…pressed against the solid warmth of his chest to hold him in place, preventing him from stepping off. 

He swore he felt Atem's heart quicken under his palm, but it must have just been his tired mind playing tricks on him. 

"I'll be fine, from here. You should get to bed too, and I need to check on my egg. But I'll still catch you at the library tomorrow?" Yugi asked, peering up at him. 

Atem's eyes were wide and his mouth half open as he gave a single and sharp nod, "O-of course. I'll be waiting."

"Right, well, goodnight, Atem."

"Goodnight. Rest well, Yugi."

The way he said it did something funny to his heart, and the way his entire face seemed to soften made Yugi's stomach feel like he was in freefall. Yugi was far from an expert on all the gushy romance stuff that Anzu liked to dreamily talk about, but he would have sworn that Atem was looking at him like…like…

Yugi turned before he could get lost in those warm eyes again, and before Atem could see the blush that was surely burning across his face. He hurried down the tunnel that led to his hallway, squeezing his books to his chest as he felt the pressure building inside of him. Oh, he couldn't wait to tell his egg about today.

He didn't hear the lift starting up behind him, and ducked his head to hide his smile behind his books when he realized that Atem must be waiting to see him turn down the hall to his room before leaving. Osiris' protective streak must really be leaking across the bond tonight. 

But as Yugi was about to turn down his hall, he paused when he saw a flash of white hair rushing around the corner towards the stairs. Yugi frowned, swearing that it might have looked like Ryou, but that person had been carrying a cauldron. Ryou didn't have an egg…

Yugi was frowning as he went to turn back down his own hallway, something inside of him feeling uneasy all of a sudden. But as he turned his head and made to walk towards his room…he saw a dim light coming out in the hall. A light leading from his room. His door had been left open.

But…Yugi didn't leave his door open ever. Was Jounouchi inside?

Yugi's feet moved quickly under him as he threw himself towards his room, his heart beginning to pound in his chest for a different reason than just seeing Atem smile. He threw himself against the doorframe and felt all the blood drain from his face as he looked inside…and saw an empty fireplace. 

"No," he breathed.

Yugi was running back towards the stairs half a frantic heartbeat later.

Chapter Text

Books were tossed carelessly aside so nothing weighed him down as he ran for the stairs. His only thought was of catching up with the thief and getting his egg back. No matter what it took. 

Yugi only made it halfway there when he heard his name called out from behind him.

"Yugi! Yugi, what's wrong? Where are you going?"

He knew it was Atem, and he heard the sound of his hurried footsteps behind him. He must have seen Yugi break into a run, and followed.

But he couldn't stop to explain! The thief already had a head start!

His vision was tunneled on the stairwell ahead, and he just wanted to make it there!

Only he was jerked to a sudden halt by arms wrapping around his middle and then grabbing his arm.

"Yugi! What's wrong, little dragonheart?"

Yugi flailed in the hold, kicking his legs frantically, "Let me go!"

"I will if you just tell me what's happening! Where are you running? What's wrong?" 

Yugi just barely caught a glimpse of Atem's worried face as he squirmed against him, his chest feeling like it would explode from how scared he felt in that moment. 

"He took it! He took my egg!" Yugi cried out, tugging against Atem's grip. 

Atem gasped, his shock being just enough to loosen his hold and allow Yugi to break free from him. He didn't hesitate for even a second to tear towards the stairs once more.

This time Atem was hot on his heels, and didn't try to stop him.

The stairs were nothing more than winding tunnels leading up to the surface, completely closed off otherwise, making them almost painfully claustrophobic on a good day. But Yugi paid it little mind as he threw himself up the first set. 

"Yugi, are you certain someone took it?" He heard Atem ask as he ran beside him.

"I know all the hatchlings, and no one that has an egg looks like him! And mine was missing from my room!"

Atem cursed sharply, "Alright, fine. He must be a damned clever thief to have made it this deep into the Den undetected. Where the fuck were the guards on duty?” He growled.

”We can ask them later, after we get my egg back!” Yugi spat with growing fury and fear. They’d already gone up several flights of stairs at breakneck speed, but Yugi didn’t feel any of the usual muscle strain this time. His entire body was alight with adrenaline and determination. 

"Dragon spit, I can't see him!" Yugi growled, trying to look ahead, but with how the stairs spiraled, he couldn't see far enough ahead.

"Just keep going, he'll be headed for the surface!" Atem said, urging him from behind. 

“Why would someone take it?” Yugi asked out loud, not really looking for an answer.

But Atem heard him and shook his head, his expression pained, “I have never heard of anyone going through enough trouble to make it this far down into the Den before…but yours would not be the first or the last to be sought after…”

He didn’t elaborate, but Yugi decided to save his breath for the task at hand. 

He could feel his heart pounding so hard that he felt it up to his throat, choking him the longer his egg was out of sight. 

I’m so sorry, little one. I should have been there to stop them! But don’t worry, I’m getting you back!

Yugi had nothing on him save for his uniform, but the lack of weapon was hardly about to make him stop now. He’d rip what was his back with his teeth if it came down to it.

A feral heat started to build up inside of him, almost a foreign feeling for someone as peaceful as Yugi. But no matter how strange it felt, Yugi drew on it to fuel him on. He had no idea how he wasn’t already passed out on the stairs, having already long passed the usual amount that would have him wheezing and needing a break, but as long as he could run he would keep doing so!

Atem was there, step for step beside him.

Even when Yugi suddenly diverted from the stairs to break down a dark and empty tunnel.

Atem nearly fell over with how he had to skid to match Yugi’s turn. 

“Yugi! Those were the stairs leading to the surface!” Atem called out to him.

Peripherally, Yugi knew that. But his heart was tugging him in a different direction, like there was a string tied to it and was leading him down another path. He didn’t even know what it was, but it felt right to follow it. 

“That’s nice, but we’re not going that way,” he panted, not even slowing a little as he kept up pace. The ground under them turned soft as they left the stone floors and started running on dirt. 

”How do we know he came this way?” Atem asked him

”Well, it feels right to go this way,” Yugi said between heavy breaths, “And…because there are fresh footprints.”

Atem glanced down and saw the single set of footprints underfoot, his eyes widening with shock. It was actually surprising to Yugi that Atem didn’t question it any further, and kept pace with him as they now had a true path to follow. 

“This must be one of the abandoned tunnels that Shimon was talking about,” Yugi said, glancing around as best he could as the walls all seemed to blur together as they ran. 

“It would explain how he got around the guards. I thought all of these had been boarded up. This thief must have been planning this and found an old entrance.”

Well shit, that wasn’t good. Yugi groaned internally, wondering just how long the thief had been lurking around and waiting for an opening to steal someone’s egg. They must have been waiting for everyone to be out of the halls! And for Yugi to be out late…did that mean he was targeting Yugi’s egg specifically? Or did he just see an opportunity and go for it…

“If he was weighed down with a cauldron and egg, we should have caught up to him by now…if he were merely human,” Atem said darkly, and Yugi felt a shiver run through him. What else besides human could he have been?

”A wild rider?” Yugi asked breathlessly. His grandpa had told him about those, but Yugi had assumed they were just ghost stories.

Atem nodded, gritting his teeth through his clenched jaw, “Possibly. But I have not heard of one being so skilled. Usually their control is tenuous at best. We have to be careful Yugi, this man could be incredibly dangerous. And…and we may not be strong enough to face him.”

Yugi huffed, “Don’t care. I’m getting my egg back.”

Yugi lost track of how many levels they’d gone, or how far this tunnel went. He just knew they’d been running for what felt like forever and still had not seen the thief.

But then they came upon another set of stairs that looked old and weathered by time and neglect.

“Yugi…Yugi, we’re almost topside. We can’t…Yugi, we should go back to find an officer or guard,” Atem said, his voice strained, reaching out to grab for Yugi’s hand.

Yugi scoffed, tugging free from his grip again, “Fuck that! He’s already got a head start, it’ll be too late by the time we find someone to help at this hour!”

”Yugi, I don’t want you to get hurt! Just…let me handle it, please!” Atem sounded desperate, but Yugi was desperate too. 

“No, that egg is my responsibility. I’ll never be a good rider if I can’t even protect my own dragon. I’m going after him and you can’t stop me,” Yugi replied, a growl building inside of him. A strange and new noise for him, and it seemed to surprise Atem too given how his eyes widened in shock. 

Only to narrow a moment later, “Ugh, fine! But you will listen to me and stay close! I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Yugi didn’t have the breath to say something bad had already happened to him. He felt like something was tearing out from inside of him the longer this went on, and he felt like he’d truly die if he didn’t retrieve his egg now. 

The musty air of the old tunnel started to grow cold and crisp around them, and Yugi knew that they must be near the surface if fresh air was leaking in. 

He glanced over at Atem to see if he could tell too, and saw him nod back. 

“Just keep going. If we get to the surface then help will be waiting for us,” he assured.

Yugi didn’t have enough spare breath to say how grateful he was to have Atem beside him. Although he was a little curious what help would be waiting for them.

They skidded to a stop at the end of the tunnel, and Atem boosted Yugi upwards where a hole had been burned into floor panels above. Yugi landed in a heap in what looked like an abandoned watch tower that was half in ruin. A second later, Atem hauled up beside him.

He didn’t even get a chance to find his feet before Yugi was tugging him up off the floor and the two of them shot out of the tower.

They made it out and looked to the sky just in time to see the massive shadow of a dragon soaring into the air. 

Yugi saw white hair billowing out behind the rider…and a cauldron tied to the saddle. He was getting away!

“No! No, we’re too late!” Yugi cried out in dismay. 

He felt Atem’s hand close over his arm. Yugi thought it was an attempt to comfort him, but then he felt the air shift above, and suddenly Atem was yanking Yugi back into a sprint. 

Unsure what else to do, Yugi ran with him.

Even through his choking heartbreak, he wondered just what Atem was planning.

”Atem?” He just barely spoke in time for another great shadow to pass over them, blocking out the light from the moon and having him look up.

Only instead of seeing the beast that the thief rode, he saw Osiris’ sleek form gliding above.

Atem glanced over his shoulder at Yugi with a wink, “I told you help would be waiting for us. I called for Osiris. He is also very eager to retrieve what was stolen.”

Above them Osiris let out a piercing shriek of fury as he swooped down closer to the ground, just barely skimming the grass under his belly.

But Atem wasn’t stopping to mount him, they were still running, and he hadn’t let go of Yugi’s hand either.

”Atem? What—“

”Be ready to jump, little one,” Atem said, his voice gravelly like a dragon’s purr. 

“Jump?! You mean onto Osiris? Atem, I’m not his rider! I’m not a rider at all. And you said not to touch a dragon I don’t have a bond with,” Yugi said, panicked as Atem seemed to steer them flush beside Osiris, “Atem!”

”Don’t worry about that. Trust me, he likes you,” Atem said, and even though Yugi couldn’t see his face he swore he heard a smile in his voice, “Alright, brace yourself and grab hold of the saddle quickly and hold on tight!”

Yugi didn’t get any more time to panic or question the sanity of Atem’s plan before he was being lifted by his hips and thrown upwards onto Osiris. He landed belly down on the saddle and scrambled to grab hold of anything  as the whole world seemed to blur around him. 

Yugi cried out and closed his eyes when he felt Osiris picking up speed under him, the wind hitting him hard enough he felt like he would just blow off. And then Osiris soared upwards, and Yugi’s tentative handhold on the edges was no longer enough, and he fell downwards almost instantly. 

Just as he started to feel himself slipping down, he felt Atem leap up on top of him. The rider’s body braced above Yugi, and he felt an arm slip around his belly and pulled him flush against a strong chest at his back.

Yugi’s hands scrambled to grab hold of anything, and finally found a more stable purchase on the horn embedded in the saddle. He didn’t think he’d ever gripped anything more tightly before.

He felt Atem lean over him, pressing his body in a tight wedge between the saddle and Atem, bracing him in place as Osiris began to dart through the air. The arm around his middle tightened, but he felt a thumb rub gently there in a soothing gesture.

“It’s alright. I’ve got you, dragonheart. You can open your eyes,” he heard Atem say into the shell of his ear, somehow still heard over the shrill wind passing over them. 

Yugi blew out a long breath…and opened them. 

Nothing could have prepared Yugi for how high they were once he finally pried his eyes open. 

But also nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of flying. 

Awe took over before any fear could take hold in him. The land seemed like little more than a patchwork quilt under them, the trees nothing more than an old worn carpet along the floor, the coast nothing more than a puddle down below. 

Osiris dove through the clouds, and Yugi felt the cold sting of ice on his cheeks again, like he was back home during a winter rain. He shivered…but it was purely from excitement. 

Flying…it was better than any dream he ever had. That thief wouldn’t take this from him. He would get his egg back.

Yugi shifted under Atem, bracing himself more firmly in the saddle, and he felt Atem’s arm loosen when he could tell that his passenger could hold himself in place. 

He kept waiting for Osiris to turn around and eat him, but the dragon was seemingly too focused on the dragon flying away from them to pay any mind to the non-rider on his back. 

“Does Osiris see him?” Yugi yelled over the wind.

”Yes! We’re on his tail now. It looks like a standard class adult,” Atem called back.

Yugi nodded, thinking back to his cards and the classes he’d been taking. Standard class meant heavy set limbs and solid flank. Strong and usually had excess firepower stored in their rounded bellies…but were slower than the serpent class that Osiris fell under. 

They’d be able to catch up, Yugi thought with a feral grin. 

As if sensing his thoughts, Osiris roared and darted ahead like a loosed arrow through the sky. 

The thief and his dragon quickly came back into sight. Yugi’s eyes were focused on nothing more than the cauldron chained to the saddle. 

“What’s the plan now?” Yugi asked, hoping at least Atem would have something in mind beside just follow.

”We can try to ground his dragon, but we may risk harming the egg if they cannot control their landing,” Atem replied through gritted teeth, “We can also dispatch the rider and then follow the dragon until it lands, but it may retaliate against us. And Osiris hasn’t been in combat with another dragon before.”

Yugi was starting to understand more. Atem wanted to help, but he had to be sure that his own dragon wasn’t hurt in the endeavor. And Yugi would never forgive himself if he got Osiris hurt either. And Osiris would probably be just as angry if Atem got hurt over this.

He was glad that they had been brave enough to get him this far…but Yugi had to do this himself. He couldn’t risk them getting hurt because of his own failure to protect his egg.  

“Yeah, fuck that,” Yugi grumbled. He glanced over the dragon that Osiris was now flying over, and saw the thief glaring up at them, one hand resting on the cauldron hanging by his leg. He pushed his elbow into Atem’s side to get his attention and then pointed downwards, "Can you fly Osiris directly over them and get us as close as possible?"

Atem peered over his shoulder with a frown, "I believe so. Are you wanting to attack from above? Osiris' strikes are devastating and he's too young to have mastered precision."

Yugi shook his head, "Don't let him strike them directly! Just get him in position! Then see if we can corral his dragon between those mountains. I have an idea."

Atem seemed startled, but listened to Yugi all the same. The bond he shared with Osiris must have been strong enough to convey intention, because Yugi didn't see Atem move the reins at all as Osiris glided into place. 

The thief looked worried as Osiris' shadow fell over him, and Yugi just barely heard him call out to his own dragon to fly faster.

But there was no chance that it would ever out fly Osiris. 

"We need to keep them under us, get them wedged between those canyon walls," Yugi yelled, pointing up ahead. 

Atem nodded and moved Osiris in a sharp turn, snapping at the legs of the other dragon. It shrieked and suddenly a tunnel of dragon fire was blasted up at them. But Osiris twisted them in a loose coil, evading everything but the heat of the blast that stung at Yugi's skin. But they weren't harmed!

"Strike!" Atem cried out suddenly, and Osiris' mouth opened with a crackle that sent Yugi's hair standing more on end than usual. 

Yugi gasped when lightning bolts shot out from Osiris' mouth, branching out before the other dragon and making it turn back towards the canyon to corral it…just like Yugi wanted.

Absently it registered in his brain that Osiris was a thunder breather, but that was a discovery to gush over later. 

Once the thief was wedged in place between the walls of the canyon, Yugi sucked in a sharp breath and readied himself.

Now was Yugi's chance. Before the thief tried evasive maneuvers or the canyon ended.

"Now what?" Atem asked above the wind. 

Yugi's eyes were on the cauldron just below them by no more than a tail length.

"Yugi? This was your plan, what now?" Atem asked, suddenly sounding wary and uncertain. 

Yugi let go of the saddle and started to crawl out from under Atem. He immediately felt Atem’s grip around his middle tighten, and his voice bordered on fear when he spoke again.

"Yugi? What are you doing? You need to hold on for me, little one," he said in a hiss through clenched teeth. Osiris let out a high pitched growl under them, making his scales vibrate where Yugi's hands touched. 

Yugi pulled out of his grip with a strength he didn't know he had, and heard Atem cry out, grabbing for his belt as Yugi crawled up further on Osiris' neck. 

He knew he was scaring both Atem and Osiris, but Yugi's thoughts were entirely consumed by the cauldron within his sight. 

He bunched his legs up under him, and readied himself, and heard Atem suck in a sharp breath behind him.

"Fuck, Yugi! Are you trying to jump? Have you lost your mind?!"

"No! I've lost my egg," he hissed and pulled free of Atem's grasp…and let himself plummet.

"YUGI!" 

This kind of flying was not as thrilling as what he felt on Osiris, in fact it was nauseatingly terrifying as his stomach seemed to rise to his throat. 

But he ignored logic, safety, and any manner of common sense in doing this, and let pure instinct at its most desperate and raw take over him as he fell towards the thief's dragon.

The impact against hard scales hurt and what little grip Yugi had on them was almost lost completely just from the impact and the wind pushing against him. He felt himself slipping off of the dragon's flank even as he tried to get a new hold.

But at the last second, his hand closed over the handle of the cauldron. And there was no fucking way he was letting go now. 

Yugi's eyes flicked over the thief and the dragon, taking in how eerily the thief resembled Ryou, but seemed much older and rougher than the gentle soul Yugi knew. There was a blue crystal hanging from his neck that caught his eye as it seemed to glow with the same coloring as the crest on the dragon's head. 

Yugi had no idea what kind of magic was at play here, but it made his skin tingle unpleasantly to be near it. 

"Determined little fucker, aren't you?" The thief sneered, kicking at Yugi's hand with his boots. Yugi felt his fingers begin to loosen with each crushing blow to them, and he wondered if his fingers would break before he let go…

But then the air crackled and snapped again, and the air ahead lit up blue from Osiris' strike. 

The thief's dragon roared and wavered under them both, and the foot left Yugi's fingers to settle back in the stirrups.

"Shit!" The thief cursed, trying to steer his frightened dragon back on course. 

And Yugi knew this was his chance. Atem was keeping the thief distracted, he had to act now!

Yugi looked up at the chains holding the cauldron in place, and growled in frustration seeing that without a key, he'd never be able to break the handle free!

But the lid…the lid was only tied down with a single rope.

Yugi was tearing at it a second later, and then ripped off the lid as soon as it fell away.

It felt like the first full breath he'd taken since bidding Atem goodnight the moment he saw his egg whole inside, nestled under the red hot embers.

"There you are. I've got you, hang on," Yugi said as he tried to figure out how to do this. But then he heard a shriek above and he glanced up to see Osiris just barely diving away from a fireblast, and Yugi knew he had no time left.

So, he drove his hand through the embers.

He could not help the agonized scream that tore from him as he scooped up his egg. He could hear the sizzle of his skin even above the air rushing past them, but he didn't pull away. The shell was as cool as ever against his fingers, but the heat from the coals had already done their damage by the time he was cradling his egg against his chest. He whimpered as he took in the sight of his hand that burned even as he rested it against the smooth shell. 

"I got you. I've got you back," he said through his clenched jaw. Carefully he tucked the egg into the folds of his vest, moving the belts to hold it in place. His injured hand was screaming in protest as he continued to use it, and by the time he got the egg secure, it had gone completely stiff. He couldn't use it to grab hold of anything. He just hung there with his only hand, wondering what the hell he could do now.

He didn't get to think on it long, because suddenly the thief's dragon was surging upwards, and Yugi screamed as he just barely managed to hang on by the tips of his fingers. 

The dragon was soaring upwards, and from what Yugi could tell, it was in a desperate attempt to get away from Osiris hot on her tail. They just kept going up and up! The air was beginning to thin, and Yugi could feel ice forming where beads of sweat had clung to his brow. They were going too high…the thief was trying to stop his dragon, but it wasn't listening to his pleas. The dragon would end up killing them both like this…

It didn't make sense though. If this was the dragon's rider then why would it not care if they were killed too? And why did it seem like the rider's hold on the dragon was so tenuous? All the dragon paired riders he'd met so far always seemed in sync with each other. What was happening?

Yugi dangled from his hold on the chain, staring down and saw Atem's face creased with desperation as he urged Osiris to follow up, even as the edges of his vision started to go grey. And behind Atem…Yugi saw how far he'd plummet if he let go and felt his body go cold. 

He looked for those eyes of fire, and somehow met Atem's gaze through the chaos and clouds, and saw him mouthing up at him.

Let go.

And just like that…he did.

Yugi didn't feel the fall. He didn't feel the wind rushing past him as his body rushed towards the ground. 

He felt an impact…but it was warm and solid, and safe.

Yugi blinked and looked up to see Atem's face above his.

"I got you, little dragonheart. We've got you," Atem told him, cradling Yugi under him as he pressed them both low against the saddle and Osiris flipped them around underneath, heading back towards the Den. 

"You caught me?" Yugi asked, dazed.

"We did," Atem said with a borderline hysterical laugh. Osiris roared under them, a triumphant sound. "You scared the shit out of me though. Don't ever do that again, fuck," he breathed, burying his face into Yugi's hair. 

"That…that was really dumb of me, wasn't it?" Yugi mumbled, trying to wrap his head around the strange fact that he was not dead.

Atem snorted, hugging Yugi closer as he shook his head, "Exceedingly. But it was also the bravest thing I've ever seen. Ma'at and your egg chose you well."

"You were brave too. They're all idiots for doubting you. I knew you were an amazing rider," Yugi said, burying his face against the leather over Atem's chest, his entire body shaking as the shock of what had just happened began to kick in. His hand was throbbing in agony where it was uselessly tucked against his belly. At least his egg felt safe where it was nestled against his skin, keeping as warm as it could outside of its embers. 

Atem seemed to notice the sluggishly bleeding, raw mess of his hand and the sudden limpness of Yugi's body, and the worry replaced the relief on his face instantly, "We need to get you both back to the Den," he said in a hushed rush and then lifted his head to call out to his dragon, "Osiris! Fly us home, as fast as you can!"

Yugi groaned, feeling a strange ache in his chest and a sudden rush of exhaustion overtook him.  

"Don't worry, little one. Rest a bit. We'll take care of you."

Yugi's eyes fluttered shut and their promise and he let himself curl up against Atem as Osiris flew them home.

Chapter Text

Yugi was still passed out in his arms when Osiris landed them back at the Den, carrying them all back to one of the cliff ledges that he knew would take them right to help.

As soon as Osiris had come to a stop, Atem finally allowed for his wire-taut body to relax a fraction, and his jaw to unclench. This…this had not been what he anticipated after Yugi had sweetly bid him goodnight. He didn't think he'd ever been more scared before. Not even the day he'd been chosen in front of the entire Capital. 

But even with how terrifying it had been to watch Yugi leap from his dragon's back, and hear him scream in pain, Atem still found himself reveling in the thrill of a successful hunt. He wasn't sure if that was just Osiris leaking through their bond, or if Atem was truly just happy to finally stretch his own wings and take on a challenge worthy of all their training at last. 

"Good boy. You were incredible, Osiris. Yugi and his egg are safe because of you," Atem praised him, reaching down past the saddle to stroke his hands over the scales. He felt their bond light up with pride as well as urgency, prodding Atem to take the two precious bundles inside to be tended to. 

In full agreement with him, Atem reached down to unlatch his legs from the saddle, only to bend over and see violet eyes looking up at him.

"Hello there, we're back," Atem said quietly, brushing aside a few loose strands of hair from his sleepy face.

Yugi grimaced and shifted stiffly under him, "Were we followed?"

Atem shook his head, "Osiris didn't see them follow. In any case, we are at the Den now and we can send out higher ranked riders to track them. But our mission tonight has ended. We need to focus on the two of you now. Let me see your hand," he said, gently coaxing Yugi to lean back against him instead of curling over the wound.

They both hissed as Yugi pulled it away from where it was tucked against his belly, and Osiris grumbled feeling Atem's reaction.

"That looks quite painful, dragonheart. We need to get you to the infirmary," he tutted, sliding down Osiris' flank and then helping Yugi to follow. 

"What about my egg? Should we take it to Ryou and the dragon medics?" Yugi asked.

"We can take a look once we've got you settled. Trust me, a dragon always wants its rider tended to first," he said, and heard Osiris give an amused huff at their backs. 

Atem rolled his eyes, "Oh, hush you. Yes you've trained me well. Now go back to our quarters and wait for me. I'll be by when I've got them taken care of."

Osiris yawned lazily and hopped off the ledge, swooping towards the landing for their level.

Yugi was leaning heavily on Atem, and he had to wonder if he was even aware of how he was practically being held by him. His eyes were half lidded still, looking equal parts tired and pained.

"Yugi? Is it just your hand, or is something else wrong?" He asked, wondering in growing panic if there was a wound he missed.

Yugi slowly shook his head, "No, I'm just really tired all of a sudden."

Atem frowned, cupping a hand under his chin to lift Yugi's face, "You look as though you've been drained. It is rare for a bond to form before an egg has hatched, but not unheard of. It is possible your dragon was using your energy to help guide you through those tunnels. They may have even helped bolster your strength. Given how young you both are, I wouldn't be surprised if this drained you both considerably."

Yugi blinked slowly, "I was wondering how I was able to do all that tonight. I used to get winded walking up the stairs to my bedroom back home."

Atem huffed out something that might have been a breathy laugh, "Your dragon wanted you back as much as you wanted it back. And after what I just witnessed, I can't say I blame it."

Yugi's smile was tired and fleeting, the grimace of pain curling his lip more than actual joy. 

Atem tutted sympathetically and had Yugi lean into him more, "Alright, no more delay. Let's get you taken care of."

They didn't even make it inside before several imposing forms suddenly stepped onto the landing ledge.

The two of them looked up as Shimon, Shadi, and Ishizu stood before them, arms crossed over their chests. They looked half dressed, like they'd just been torn from their beds. Which they probably were. Shit. 

"Atem, I don't care who your father is. You better have a damn good reason for why you were spotted flying back to the Den with a hatchling at this hour!" Shimon huffed.

Ishizu gasped, a hand flying to her mouth, "Yugi, is that your egg? Why would you have it out here?" She said, pointing to the large bulge still tucked under his vest. 

Yugi and Atem glanced at each other, eyes wide.

"We can explain!" 

Yugi lay dazed and very confused in the infirmary bed as Anzu tended to his hand.

At the foot of the bed, Atem stood with one hand on the frame while telling the officers everything that had happened that night. A small crowd had formed as word spread about their late night adventure. Even Karim had appeared, and Yugi was starting to feel a little self conscious at how many people were standing over his bed now. And they all looked really upset.

Like really upset.

Listening to Atem spell it all out Yugi started to realize just how crazy the events had truly been. How much danger they had been in…Yugi hadn't even realized just how dangerous it had been until it was regaled like some epic tale his grandpa might have told him as a bedtime story. 

Anzu seemed impressed.

The officers seemed horrified. 

And honestly, Yugi was a bit of both himself. 

He winced, hissing in pain as Anzu started to apply salve to his blistered skin. His sound of pain had Atem's head whipping towards him, frown marring his handsome features. He only looked away when Shadi started to speak.

"As moving as your tale is, surely you must understand how ill advised this was. Atem, if anything had happened to you–"

"I was doing what any true rider should do. You drill it into all of us that we should protect the young riders at all cost. Yugi and his egg needed help, and I was the only one there at the time. Nothing else should matter," Atem stressed, glaring back at Shadi.

Yugi seemed a little shocked that Atem, who was usually so very respectful of those in higher ranks, was bordering on insolent. 

"And if you both were killed? What then?" Shadi challenged.

Atem only shrugged, "Then I would have died knowing I performed my duty as a rider. Something that I've been denied up until now."

"With good reason!" Shimon huffed.

Atem leveled him with a glare, "Is it though? You say you need more skilled riders, and yet even when I am ranked first in my class you keep myself and Osiris grounded. It seems to me that we need all the abled chosen pulling their weight and then some to shore up our finite resources. How else would you attribute how a single thief managed to break into our most well protected levels to steal an egg without detection? If Yugi had not seen the thief and tracked him, he would have gotten away with no one knowing. And what is more concerning to me, what would have happened if Yugi had been in that room? Would we have lost a rider and egg? The hatchling level is supposed to be the safest place for our most vulnerable chosen, and yet this happened," he snarled, gesturing back to Yugi and the egg still tucked in his vest, "The dragons will not be pleased, to say the least."

Shimon cursed, turning to a few gathered officers behind them, "Send guards down to the hatchling level immediately. Have them check every room and shadow. And escort the hatchlings, babies and all the remaining eggs to new quarters until we've deemed that level safe again. Go, now!"

Shadi sighed, a weary sound as he snapped his fingers and a few more riders stepped forward, "It will not be long before the dragons learn of this. See to it that we keep the Den calm. Any dragons that seem too agitated we will put on scouting detail to ease their concerns. Have riders be on the lookout for stress in their partners. Atem, where is Osiris?"

"In our quarters. He is calm since he was able to assure their safe return. You don't need to worry about him at least," Atem said shortly, turning his back to the officers as he walked over to sit on the bed beside Yugi.

Karim groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, "By mid day meal, the entire Den will know Osiris was in dragon combat. By this time tomorrow I'd wager the Capital will even know."

Yugi swore Atem looked thrilled at the notion. 

Yugi shrank back into the pillows, feeling like an intruder in a very different conversation suddenly.

At least Atem seemed confident as he sat beside Yugi with obscenely perfect posture, making Yugi's lazy slouch even more pronounced. 

As the officers began to dole out tasks among themselves, Atem turned his attention to Yugi again. Yugi felt himself melt under the intense gaze of his embered eyes.

"How are you feeling?" He asked quietly, leaning in close to peer at Anzu's careful work.

The wound was finally getting wrapped up, and Yugi was glad not to have to look at the mess of his hand anymore.

"Tired more than anything now," Yugi said through a wide yawn. Atem hummed absently, still looking down at Yugi's hand with an unreadable expression in his eyes. 

"This may not scar once it heals," Anzu whispered to Yugi as she covered up a particularly nasty looking blister.

Yugi startled, "What? How, this looks mangled."

"The healing process has already begun. It looks like your unhatched dragon is healing you through your bond. It's amazing actually, I usually only see healing like this a year into training," she marveled, "The last time I saw this was with Atem after he got in a fight his first month here," she said, winking at him. 

Atem flushed, but did not comment. 

Oh, Yugi would absolutely be asking him about that later. Atem always seemed so polite and refined, to picture him getting into a scrape as a hatchling was just so unlike the person Yugi was seeing sitting more regally than anyone should on a hospital bed of all things. But then again, this was the same person who just talked back at officers and chased after a wild rider. 

Anzu finished wrapping up his hand and let Yugi rest it in his lap. When she looked up her eyes were practically sparkling with excitement. 

"I can't believe you two actually went into dragon combat! That's incredible! I can't wait to tell the other chosen about this. And I'm so happy you got your egg back, Yugi. I'm really excited now to see what kind of dragon you'll be paired with," she squealed, making Yugi's cheeks burn at her attention.

"What about the thief?" Atem asked suddenly, cutting Anzu off before she could continue to gush. It drew the officers attention back to them instantly, "How can we be sure he will not return and try again?" Atem pressed, reaching out and laying a hand over Yugi's knee. 

"While we can't assure that, we can at least double down on making sure he can't find a new route into the Den. If he was a wild rider as you suspect, then we will alert the other watch towers in the kingdom to be on the lookout for him and his dragon."

Yugi's mind flashed back to that moment as he clung to the back of that dragon, and what he'd seen up close. 

"Um, there's something else…about the thief. His dragon had a blue crest on its head. And he wore a matching crystal on his neck. Does that mean something?" Yugi asked. 

The room went deathly silent as the officers paled before him. 

Atem frowned, "A crest? Like a magical seal?" He looked just as curious as Yugi felt and they looked to the elders for explanation. 

Yugi nodded, "Yeah, it was glowing and looked like a star made up of filigree markings in a circle."

But all they saw were warily exchanged looks between themselves. Suddenly the officers looked spooked, like a spirit had just passed through the infirmary. Several hands drifted down to weapons at their belts, while others placed a hand over their hearts. 

"Don't worry about it. We will handle everything, child. You just focus on getting better and taking care of that precious egg of yours," Shimon said in a sudden rush while the other adults began to whisper in harsh tones at his back.

Yugi had a thousand more questions, but at the mention of his egg he turned his attention back to what this whole mess had been over.

With only one fully functional hand, he clumsily pulled his egg free from his vest. 

And he recoiled in horror when he saw a crack in the shell.

"No!" He cried out, startling everyone in the room, "It must have gotten cracked while I was falling," he said, dismayed.

Atem's arm encircled his shoulders, squeezing Yugi in comfort, "Should we call for the dragon medics?" He asked Shimon who had already hurried over.

Shimon frowned as his eyes trailed over the crack with a critical gaze, and then he leaned down his head to put his ear close to the shell without touching it.

"No need for the medics," he announced standing up.

Yugi felt like he was about to throw up, "Wait, it's not…is it…?" He struggled to breathe.

Shimon laughed, "It's fine, my boy! It's just hatching. It must have gotten worried about you in all the excitement and wants to come out to see what all the fuss is about."

Now Yugi was breathless for another reason entirely. It was time? 

Now?!

Yugi whined and flopped back against the pillows. Would the events of this night never end? 

"We had best get you someplace cozy then, up you get," Shimon coaxed, helping Yugi slide out of the bed. Atem was quick to grab his other side to support him, "Atem, in light of the security breach, we may need temporary placement for Yugi’s egg to hatch while we work out new lodging for the hatchlings. I would say since Osiris allowed Yugi to ride him that he shares a bond?" Shimon asked.

Atem nodded without hesitation.

Shimon sighed, looking both relieved and exasperated, "Fine. That will work in Yugi's favor then. Take Yugi back to your quarters for now then and help him through the hatching process. He looks exhausted already," he tutted, shaking his head. 

Oh, thank all the small Gods, he wouldn't have to do this alone. Yugi honestly had no fucking clue what was happening or what to do. 

"And Atem…" Shadi said, drawing the rider's attention away from Yugi, "You and Osiris are grounded for a week until we have discussed with your father how to proceed. You are only allowed to attend your classes and to let Osiris out for daily exercise under supervision until then."

Atem shrugged, looking completely uncaring. It honestly sounded like a slap on the wrist even to Yugi. If this was their version of a punishment, it seemed it was just more of what Atem had already been doing. 

The officers all seemed eager to start their investigations of the Den security and whatever had them spooked about the thief, and they filed out of the infirmary before Yugi even found his feet under him.

Atem held on to him as tenderly as Yugi held his egg as they started for the door, Anzu wishing them luck as they shuffled away. 

"Let's get you someplace safe, hm?" It seems our night is still far from over, "Atem teased. 

Yugi swore he felt his egg wiggle in his arms.

Chapter Text

"What will happen with all the other hatchlings?" Yugi asked as Atem hurried him through the halls. Despite the ridiculous hour, every corridor was now a flurry of anxious riders and chosen running in every direction. 

Atem pulled Yugi in close as a set of armed riders on guard duty ran past them, making sure they both were out of the way.

"They'll likely be given rooms in empty rooms on the other floors, and the higher ranked riders will be in charge of protecting them. Given what's happened, the Den will be on high alert for a while. Especially once the dragons catch wind, they will not be pleased to say the least. They won't want what happened to you to happen to anyone else," Atem said darkly, ushering Yugi along down another crowded hall.

Yugi swallowed hard, thinking of Ma'at and how protective she had been with the hatchlings. His mind conjured an image of all the chosen be herded together by hundreds of dragons as they snarled and snapped at anything that dared come near them. 

He glanced down at his egg, his eyes widening when he saw the crack had grown another inch. With all that was happening around them, Yugi's brain was at a loss for how to handle the egg hatching on top of everything else going on. Atem's steady hand on his back was the only thing that felt real in that moment. 

"Come along, we're almost to the second class quarters," Atem told him.

The hallways were wider up here, and some more adolescent sized dragons were impatiently wandering them. Riders from Atem's rank were tightening straps on saddles and slipping on leather armor and face masks everywhere Yugi looked. 

"They're sending out all the abled riders it looks like," Atem mumbled, "That's an extreme reaction. The officers must truly be spooked by what happened tonight."

"Sorry you won't get to go out with them. I know how much you want to go on missions," Yugi apologized, wondering if Atem was missing another chance to shine. All because he was being punished for helping Yugi. 

But Atem's smile was genuine and blinding in the dim tunnel, "I already got my fill of adventure in this evening. And in any case, I wouldn't want to miss this hatching for anything."

Yugi felt his cheeks burn and his heart warm. 

Atem tugged on his hand, "My quarters are just down this way. Let's hurry, Osiris will be waiting, and I imagine he'll be beside himself once–"

"What's the matter, Atem? They have you hiding with the hatchlings instead of protecting the Den with the rest of us?"

Yugi turned and saw the same blond rider from before standing before a large gold dragon and several other riders dressed in their riding gear. Yugi had not forgotten the mean taunts he'd said to Atem a week ago. 

Atem didn't bother to turn around to reply, but pushed Yugi out of the line of fire by moving between them , "I am a bit busy at the moment, Marik. But please, do not let me keep you from attending to your duties."

Yugi saw Marik's scowl over Atem's shoulder. 

"The Den is on high alert and everyone is doing their part to protect our home, and you're just bunking down with a hatchling? Now we really see where your priorities lay."

Atem's smile was all teeth as he turned to him, but Yugi didn't feel like it was nice. It looked more like when Osiris bared his teeth around a growl. 

"You would do yourself a service to not speak of things you do not understand. Speaking without thinking is like ordering a strike without aiming. Whatever your intention with your words…you have missed your mark. No wonder you and Ra do so poorly in combat lessons," Atem said in a bored tone before tugging Yugi away from the stunned rider. 

Yugi's eyes were bulging from his head as he looked up at Atem, wondering what that was about. But damn if he didn't sound so fucking impressive just then. That would burn like he just spat dragonfire instead of words, and Yugi couldn't help but snicker as they turned down the next hall. 

They didn't make it more than a few steps before Yugi caught sight of white scales and a familiar frown up ahead.

Seto also spotted them quickly and darted over, "Atem, what the fuck is going on? Where have you been?"

"Busy," came Atem's dry response.

"Someone said a dragon that looked like Osiris was in dragon combat and an egg was stolen. Then someone else said all the hatchlings are being moved," Seto said as more riders hurried past them. 

"Oh wow, you already heard about that?" Yugi asked, amazed.

"Rumors spread like dragonfire in the Den," Atem told him with an exasperated sigh. He turned to Seto, "We were in combat. An egg was stolen. However, it has been retrieved now," he said with a knowing smirk down at Yugi.

Seto's eyes widened as his gaze flicked between the two of them, "You will explain yourselves, but it'll have to be later. They're finally letting me fly a scouting mission," Seto told Atem, and despite his sharp look, Yugi swore he saw excitement glinting in his eyes. 

"Congratulations, make the best of it. Show the officers what they've been missing out on by keeping us grounded. Oh, and if you find that thief and his dragon, be sure to fry them extra crispy for us," Atem said, his ember bright eyes burning with something dangerous. Yugi wondered if he was speaking for himself or Osiris again. 

Kisara shrieked behind Seto, and to Yugi's ears she sounded as excited as her rider. 

"May the winds be at your backs," Atem said, clapping forearms with Seto. 

"Keep the embers burning until we've returned," came the short reply, and then Seto was running off with the others. 

Once again Yugi felt himself get tugged along. He watched as riders started to mount their dragons and head for the cliffside exits. 

"Will they be okay?" Yugi heard himself ask.

Atem glanced over his shoulder as half a dozen dragons took to the air, "I would think so. The thief and his dragon were in full retreat when you fell. Given how poorly that dragon was controlled, I don't think they'd try anything again tonight. But better safe than sorry. Mostly the officers and dragons just want to assure we are safe, and maybe find the thief. Ah, finally we're here," he said, coming to a stop outside of a thick wooden door. He pulled it open and gestured Yugi in, "After you."

Yugi hugged his egg close as they stepped inside. He knew that riders shared quarters with their dragons, and that the bigger the dragon would mean they'd need a bigger room…but wow.

This was like a well kept cave, with a deep bunk and fireplace, and filled shelves carved into the rock walls. There was a desk in here too, but it looked like it had seen better days given how many patch fixes he saw on its legs. 

The chair had suspiciously Osiris shaped bite marks on it.

Yugi only had to wonder how Osiris was even able to fit through the door for a moment before he caught sight of a larger set of doors at the back of the room, and realized those must lead to the tunnels the dragons took to the cliffs. 

He would have looked around more, but suddenly he was blocked by a wall of scarlet scales.

Osiris greeted them like an eager puppy before Yugi even made it past the threshold. His massive face suddenly was snuffling Yugi and his egg all over in a careful inspection.

"Back up, you great big beast and let them through. Honestly, your manners would make father weep," Atem grumbled as he pushed Osiris' face away, "Come on then, let's get some embers going. Be a good boy and give us a spark, would you?"

Osiris made a happy little shriek and padded over to the fireplace. A single thread of lightning shot from his mouth, igniting the wood waiting there instantly. It certainly got a fire going, but it also made the air sizzle and Yugi felt static building in his hair. The smell of burnt wood mingled with the electric ozone filling the air. 

"Can't all dragons breathe fire?" Yugi asked as they knelt down. 

Atem nodded, looking up at his dragon with fond exasperation, "All but frost breathers, yes, even thunder breathers like him can spit flame, even if to a smaller degree than the real fire breathers. Osiris just wanted to show off for you both."

Yugi was in awe, but also a little worried now. He'd spent all this time just worrying about putting out fires with those water buckets. What if he got one of the other elemental breathers? Putting out fires was one thing. But any of the other elements…

"I'm kind of scared to ask how Osiris was as a baby now," Yugi hedged, eyeing the dragon coiling up around them.

Atem groaned and ran a hand over his face, "Dreadful. My hair didn't always look like this, you know?"

Yugi gasped in horror, "Fuck, really?!"

Atem's laugh was warm and rich, warming him more than the fire crackling in front of them, "No, I'm just kidding. I'm told I take after my ancestors. But you seemed quite tense and I wanted to make you smile."

And Yugi did smile.

With clumsy, bandaged hands, Yugi placed his egg into the embers of the fire, moving it so the crack was facing upwards. It had gotten longer, and Yugi felt his heart pounding and his stomach flip even through his exhaustion. 

"How long will this take? Do I need to do anything?" Yugi asked, tracing over the broken seam with his eyes. 

Atem leaned back onto Osiris' belly, folding his arms behind his head and looking like someone preparing to sit for a while. Osiris was settling in too, laying his head down by the fireplace, so close that his chin was actually resting in the burning embers, like a cat basking in a sunbeam. His blue eyes were focused entirely on the egg as it wiggled and shook. 

Atem stretched out his legs, "It'll take a bit I imagine. It usually takes a few hours, but given how exhausted you both already are we might be here for quite some time."

"Will it be okay? Did it lend me too much strength?" Yugi asked, now getting worried. His hand pulsed angrily in pain, but it was still much more muted than any injury that gruesome should have felt. He hoped his egg wasn't still trying to help him…

Atem's grin was soft as he stared down at the fire, "Your bond goes both ways. What it gave to you to rescue it from the thief, you will provide so that it can break free. I suspect it's already been doing that, and that is why you have been so tired since we got back. Anzu was right, you have a strong bond already."

Yugi hid his smile behind his knees, beyond pleased to hear that his dragon had already begun to bond with him. 

He stared at the egg warming in the fire, entranced by it as they watched the crack start to branch out as time passed. It almost looked like Osiris' lightning strike painted onto the surface of the shell as it grew.

It also started to wiggle more, and each time it shifted, Yugi would startle, making Atem chuckle. Osiris was purring as he nosed at the egg from time to time. 

As tired as Yugi was, he didn't even think of sleeping. He wanted to watch it all, and it seemed that Atem thought the same even as he yawned beside him. 

"I can't believe this is really happening. All my life I dreamed of dragons and their riders, so much that I wanted to learn everything I could about them. I used to beg my grandpa to tell me the stories of the legendary riders over and over. They were everyone's heroes when we were kids. And I always wanted to be like them…I wanted to be brave…because most of the time as a kid, what I really was, was scared."

"Scared?" Atem asked him in a whisper, "Do you mean of the boys who used to bully you?"

The glow of the fire made his skin seem even more rich as the shadows played over the panes of his face. 

Yugi nodded, looking back to the splintering cracks of the shell, "They certainly didn't help that sense as I got older. But I feel like I was scared even before that. You know we didn't always live in the northern territory?"

Atem looked startled and he shook his head.

Yugi placed his chin on his bent knees, "I was born in one of the coastal villages. But then my parents were killed in a wraith attack. Grandpa said the riders found me buried under the remains of our home after they drove the wraith back to the shadow lands. Grandpa didn't want to risk losing the last of his family to another attack, so he took us to the north. I should have been too young to remember, but I feel like part of me does. Like I've known how vulnerable I am ever since the day I lost everything. And I've been scared of losing it all again ever since. I think that's why I wanted to be like the legendary riders. I wanted to be able to protect what I cared most about. I just never thought I could be strong like that. And I certainly never thought I'd make it this far. No one looks at me and sees a hero. They see someone weak and defenseless."

Atem's hand closed over Yugi's wrist, careful of his wounds, and drawing his gaze away from the fire, "Forget what us humans see. Dragons have looked to you and saw someone worthy of harnessing their power. Look with their eyes instead."

Yugi tried, he truly did. But it seemed his eyes weren't that sharp. For all that the officers, instructors, and Atem had been telling him to trust the dragons, Yugi still had to wonder if they might have just made a mistake. Only time would tell, he supposed. But no matter what, he would try his hardest to prove he was worthy of whatever they saw in a person like him. 

"And what do you see?" Yugi dared to ask in a whisper.

"The heart of a dragon," Atem said quietly. Osiris rumbled behind him, a soothing sound.  

Yugi didn't know what that meant, but his words filled him with so much warmth that he felt like he was burning all over again, his hands a forgotten tingle in light of what Atem made him feel like. 

Together the two of them curled up against Osiris' flank, pressed flush up against each other and watched as the shell continued to splinter more with each passing hour. 

It could have been the events of the night, or the fact that the sun had risen hours ago, or that his dragon was still taking strength from him to hatch, but Yugi found himself almost completely drained by the time the first chip fell away. 

Honestly it was probably all three things. 

He was draped heavily over Atem's side, the rider being all that kept him from flopping bonelessly to the floor. Atem would have been tired too, but maybe Osiris was helping him 

Yugi's eyes fluttered when he felt a strange tingle at the back of his skull and deep within his chest, and he felt something pull from within. His body felt even weaker and he fought to keep his head up.

Atem caught him and eased him up, dragging them closer to the fireplace, "Easy, easy, it's the final stretch now. You will both be able to rest soon."

Osiris must have sensed something too, because he rose from his coil and flopped his head into the embers again, wanting front row seats to this moment. 

Yugi felt his lips curl up into a tired smile when another chip fell away, and he saw a flash of red and black. Somehow he found the energy to sit back up on his knees, and shuffled closer. He felt Atem follow at his back, one hand resting on his shoulder. Yugi felt Osiris' tail curl up around all of them like a protective wall of scarlet scales. 

He leaned closer, hovering over the egg as another large piece fell away.  A larger piece this time, letting him be able to peer inside at last. 

A little black whip of a tail fell out, and Yugi's eyes trailed along the skinny length of it and admired the little red jewels that seemed to follow along the ridge. They looked like they could hold light, like rubies could glint in the sun, and Yugi instantly found them beautiful. Then a little clawed foot kicked away another piece, also covered in the same red jewels.

His heart was pounding in his chest like a drum. It was happening. It was really happening. He found himself overwhelmed with eagerness and anticipation, more than he'd already felt up to this point. Like he would die if he didn't see who was hiding behind those last pieces of shell. Like he'd never be complete until he'd held them.   

But then there seemed to be one big piece of shell that they were struggling to push away, and without thought Yugi reached up to help them, only to hesitate and glance up at Atem who was still leaning over his shoulder.

"Go ahead, they're yours," he heard Atem whisper.

Yug nodded dumbly, and reached out with one shaking, bandaged hand to peel away the piece from the top. As soon as he did, a little dragon head peeked out. A pincer shaped face, with golden eyes staring right back at him like it could see into his very soul. Which Yugi had to wonder if they could given all he'd been told about dragon eyes. 

His dragon didn't move from where they were still nestled in the bottom half of the shell, and Yugi felt a wave of exhaustion overtake him that part of him recognized as not just being his own. This must be the bond that Atem said had already been forming. That meant this dragon really was his…

Yugi felt his eyes well with tears as he moved closer, the heat of the embers below just barely kissing his knees. The golden eyes followed him, its little head ducking forward on its long and slender neck. He reached out his bandaged hand, slowly moving to trace his fingers over its head, and he smiled through his joyful tears when they leaned into the touch. 

"Hello, there. I'm the one who's been talking to you all this time and keeping you warm. I'm your rider. I hope we can do great things together," he said.

They let out a little shriek, and Yugi's mind was suddenly filled with the impression of familiarity and joy. Yugi didn't hesitate then to scoop his dragon out from the shattered egg shells, and brought them in close to his chest in a cradle. Just as he used to do when it was still just his egg to protect. 

Their little head tucked in against his collarbone, the warm little body nuzzling in close as it began to settle in his arms. Like that was exactly where they wanted to be. Yugi felt much the same, he thought as he began to stroke his hand over the gleaming black scales and little rubied spots. 

He only half registered the feeling of Atem leaning him back until he was once again cradled in the crook of Osiris' tail. He curled up around his little treasure, much like Osiris curled around all three of them. 

Yugi fell into Atem's side the moment he sat down beside him, and sighed a very tired, but also very happy breath. 

He felt Atem rest his head against his own, peering down at the baby dragon he held.

"Tell me about them," Atem said in a gentle hush.

Yugi opened his mouth to immediately say he hadn't even thought of names, and honestly had no idea about anything yet…but it seemed like something passed over him in that moment. A brush against his consciousness that felt like a gentle caress, and it brought with it a sense of more. 

And suddenly he did know. 

"Her name is Gandora…" Yugi breathed. 

Osiris and Atem both watched over their little charges as they slept.

His dragon's purring was a soothing sound for all of them, like a rumbled lullaby to calm frayed and tested nerves after the night. Even Atem took comfort in it. It was only once Yugi and Gandora had fallen asleep that all that had happened caught up with him.

Once again, he made sure that Yugi's injured hand was tucked safely where they wouldn't be bumped in his sleep, and Atem settled back against Osiris' belly. 

He was exhausted…but he couldn't bring himself to sleep. Not when they still didn't know if the threat had been eliminated. Last night…it could have gone so devastatingly wrong. The fact that all of them were alive, and that they had somehow managed to retrieve Gandora was astounding. Atem knew all too well how wrong things could go for riders. Had already known too many fallen or lost to tragedies. Seto had not been wrong in saying that the legends glossed over the true tragedy behind their lives, how there were more losses than wins in truth. And Yugi hadn't escaped unscathed either. Atem could not say how much he regretted that. But even as he felt his stomach and heart clench every time he saw those bandages, he could not help but be amazed at what Yugi had managed that night.

Chasing after danger without a moment's hesitation. Taking to dragon flight so quickly and easily, like he'd been born for nothing else. Seemingly having no fear as he jumped from the back of a dragon's back and then willingly plunging his hand into burning hot coals…all of this from the tiniest rider ever welcomed into the Den. 

But Atem couldn't help but wonder if he was seeing the stuff of legends growing before his very eyes. If that was what the dragons had been seeing since they first arrived at that little frozen village. And that maybe…maybe they'd have another tale to tell the young ones for generations to come. An inspiring one that the smallest of children would hear, and it would give them hope. 

He sighed and rested his cheek on top of Yugi's head, "You make the simplest things into adventures. I long to see where you take me next, little dragonheart."

"Forgive me, my lord. I failed."

He stared down at the pitiful creature kneeling before him, his head bowed so low that his brow touched the stone floor. 

"Yes, you did. I know that even you would know how important that egg is to our cause," he reminded him, and saw him cower lower against the stone.

"I know, but the dragon you gave me…she almost killed me and destroyed the egg!"

He hummed, sitting back in his throne looking as unimpressed as he felt, "No bond, no obedience. You cannot expect the dragon to go along with your reckless plan. These are mindless beasts. You took too great a risk with your plan. You should have waited for my direction."

"It was that rider with the scarlet dragon! If he hadn't followed then I would have gotten away, and I could have brought you that egg!"

He stood from his throne, scowling down at him with a sneer, "You have no one to blame but yourself. From what we've seen, that dragon was a mere adolescent, and yet you still failed to escape them!"

Any fight that had ignited in his servants eyes dimmed and he ducked his head to the floor once again, "I am sorry, my lord."

Slowly he descended the steps until he was standing before the man cowering at his feet, and reached down to place a hand on his head. He flinched under the tough.

"Yes, you may have failed in retrieving the egg, but  lucky for you, all is not lost. You were right in knowing the importance of that egg, and I must commend you for attempting to retrieve it for your lord."

"I'll try again, my lord. I'll get that egg for you, I promised you my life and I will spend it if it means bringing it to you."

He grabbed at the creature's chin, tilting it back so he could stare down at his frightened eyes, "It is too late for that."

The creature whined and tensed, as if waiting for his death to be delivered through the palm of his lord's hand now. But all things in good time…

"The ancient one saw the events of last night, and saw those riders taking back what they so foolishly thought belonged to them. And…it has felt the emergence. It has hatched already, and a bond is already in place. Stealing it for our own purposes would be a waste as it is now. We cannot wield her to her full potential through the seal, as you have learned first hand with the dragon you used tonight. We need her at her strongest. So…you will not steal her. Yet. We will let her grow and develop. And…her rider. The one who leapt off the back of a dragon in flight. He seems…special. Perhaps we should let them both grow. And then we can bring them both home. After all…what is an army of darkness without a general? Not to mention, our greatest weapon."

"Y-yes, my lord. What will you have me do?"

"After all this time, it seems that we are finally approaching our moment. We will have much preparations to make now that she has emerged. She will be our downfall, or our salvation, and we must assure that we are ready when the time truly comes to act. I have a task for you now, my brave little thief. A chance to redeem yourself."

"Please, my lord! Please, let me help you and the ancient one," he said, nearly kissing the stone at his feet.

"Good. Rise and I will give you your task. We have an army to build, and there is now no time to waste."

"Yes, my lord."

Chapter Text

One Month Later…

"Gandora! Gandora, get your little spikey butt back here!"

Shriiiiiiiiiek

"Gandora! Get back here, or no treats tonight!"

She didn't even slow down a little. Probably because she knew she'd get them anyway. He really should have listened when the trainers said not to spoil them…

Yugi flew through the corridor, his bag full of books bouncing painfully at his side and he tried his best to keep up with his little terror. They had only just left their handling class when she'd jumped off her favorite perch (his shoulders) and tore down the halls away from him. Several other hatchlings laughed…until their own babies started another fire fight in the hallway. That would keep them busy for a bit while Yugi went after his wayward little dragon. 

He tried to remember that while she had problems with sit and stay, at least she wasn't trying to burn everything in sight like everyone else. And honestly, Yugi was okay with that. Jounouchi was on his fifth burned blanket this month…at least he wouldn't ever get cold in his room with his own dragon lighting the bedframe on fire. Again. 

Yugi saw her scrambling around a corner towards what he was pretty sure was a landing pad. He groaned, rolling his eyes and darting after her. At least the landing pads were a dead end for her until she could fly. Maybe this time he'd get lucky and be able to snatch her up before she tore off somewhere else. 

At least his legs were getting stronger from chasing after her every day. 

He nearly overshot the doorway, and skidded to an ungraceful halt just barely managing to not fall on his face. 

Then Yugi finally saw why Gandora decided to ignore him in favor of tearing through the halls like a loose rat in the kitchen. And the answer came in the form of a rider and dragon pair on the landing pad. 

"Ah, there's my little spitfire! Did you come all this way to send us off? Where is your–ah, hello Yugi," Atem said, leveling Yugi with that devastating smile that made his stomach swoop every time he saw it. He was holding onto Gondora at his hip while she nuzzled into him, clearly having found what she'd run away to find. She did love a good hunt, after all. 

Yugi sent her an unimpressed glance as he walked towards them. Osiris wiggled excitedly as he spotted Yugi, and of course he paused to scratch at his chin until the bigger dragon purred. At least Osiris had better manners around Yugi. Well, save for the personal space and dead animals thing, but those were sweet in their own way.

"Sorry about her, she keeps running off to find you guys…or to find more mice. I honestly never know which," Yugi said with a sigh. 

Atem chuckled, lifting Gandora to nuzzle their faces together. She shrieked happily and curled around his neck. Traitor. 

"Oh, we hardly mind it. Osiris is utterly besotted with her in any case, and I find myself equally entranced. She's just as adorable as her rider," Atem said, making little baby noises as she purred against his cheek. 

Yugi's cheeks burned, something that he'd just come to accept would happen any time he was around Atem. Anyone else calling him adorable he'd probably hate it, but since it was Atem he'd allow it. Especially when it made his insides squirm happily like this. 

"I guess I don't mind it much either. She always behaves better around you too anyway," Yugi said, patting Osiris one more time before moving to collect his dragon back before she accidentally poked Atem's face with one of her spikes…again. 

She was still purring loudly as Yugi let her curl up in his arms.  

As Atem helped hand her back over, he caught sight of Yugi's hand and reached out to gently cradle it in his own.

"Ah, this has healed quite nicely. You can't even see a trace of the injury anymore," he said quietly as he turned Yugi's hand over and traced his finger over the fresh, pink skin, "I'm glad. It would have been a shame to mar such lovely hands," he whispered quietly.  

But even the newly healed skin wasn't as pink as the blush on his cheeks as Atem finished his inspection of his hand.

Desperate for a chance in topic, Yugi took in Atem's uniform in a quick glance, and Osiris already saddled up behind him, "You're wearing your flight gear. Do you have another mission already?"

Atem beamed as he nodded, "Indeed! Our fifth one this month," he said and gently let Yugi take his hand back. 

Yugi was so happy for him. Ever since Atem had helped him save Gandora from that thief, it seemed that the officers finally realized that not only did they need Atem's help, but that he was fully capable too. Every mission he'd gone on so far he had done well, and had come back more confident and content. He was finally able to be the rider that Yugi knew he was capable of being all along. It was just a shame it took a thief getting into the Den and an egg almost getting stolen to make them realize all that. 

And it wasn't like they could ignore riders like Atem and Seto anymore, not with how tense things had become since the theft. The mission loads seemed to have tripled along with the patrols, and to avoid exhaustion even second class riders were being called up for more tasks than ever before. Although, Yugi was still a little fuzzy on why talented riders like Seto and Atem hadn't been utilized before all this…

Still, it was incredible to see Atem able to work to his potential at last. 

Even that blond bully Marik hadn't been able to tease him as much from what Yugi could tell. Especially since Atem was still ranked as first in his class even as he started going on more missions and spending less time studying. 

It had been a month since the night Gandora hatched though, and in that time things had calmed a bit. The elder dragons were no longer as anxious, and the hatchlings had been given new rooms on the first class rider level until the lower levels defenses could be redone. Yugi's new room had less scorch marks in it at least. The bath houses were bigger too! But even with the excitement of the rest of the eggs hatching for that year, it was hard for Yugi to forget what had happened. The officers of the Guard seemed to be of the same mind too. Guard shifts had been kept heightened. Patrols were still on high alert even now. 

And Yugi never left Gandora unattended. The only time she was out of sight of him was when she was being babysat by Atem and Osiris, or when she was being a little shit and running off again. Was this why parents always looked so tired? 

Yugi shook his head of the thought, focusing back on the rider watching him with a strange glint in his eyes. 

"That's great, I'm really happy for both of you," he said, trying to peer around Gandora's head as she tried to swat and nip at Yugi's bangs. 

Atem reached out to tuck the loose strands behind his ear as he laughed, and Yugi swore his face must have been on fire for how hot it felt when those elegant fingers tickled at his skin.

"It's a bit short notice, so we weren't sure we'd be able to let you know we were heading out. I'm also afraid that it'll be about five days before we return," Atem said, his tone apologetic. He finished pushing back Yugi's hair, but chose to stroke his knuckles down Gandora's long neck instead of pulling away.

In the time that had passed since meeting Atem, personal space had all but turned to ashes (much like Jounouchi's blankets). Not that Yugi was complaining. Definitely not complaining. Plus it had the added benefit that they could get away with one chair in the library if it ever got crowded in there. Not that it ever got that crowded though, but Yugi could keep hoping. 

"Five days?" Yugi asked, dismayed. Gandora let out a pitiful little squeal in his arms. 

"I'll be back before you know it, dragonheart," Atem said sweetly, "Although I will miss our daily study sessions. If you finish that book I gave you on flight formations by the time I'm back, then I'll take you both topside for mid meal and you can tell me your opinion on wedge versus diamond."

Yugi blinked at him, and Atem's face turned suspicious.

"Yugi…did you already finish the book?"

Yugi idly started to stroke at one of Gandora's leathery wings, "Uh, well…"

Atem gaped, putting his hands on his hips, "Yugi, I gave it to you last night."

He sure had. And Yugi had promptly ignored all common sense and stayed up late reading through it all while Gandora slept in his lap. Yugi grinned up at Atem's narrowed eyes.

"That book was thicker than a broadsword! Did you even sleep?"

"Pretty sure I did…"

Gandora betrayed him by yawning widely, her little forked tongue sticking out. 

Atem rolled his eyes, but they were twinkling with mirth all the same, "Very convincing. At this rate we'll have to get you re-assigned to my quarters so that Osiris and I can be sure you are getting adequate sleep."

Yugi could not help but wonder if that would work or not…

He shrugged absently, unsure how to answer without damning himself. 

"Uh, fine, just save your thoughts until I get back," Atem said, the sharpness of his exasperated tone being dulled by the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He sighed and shook his head, "What am I going to do with you, little dragonheart?"

Many things I hope…so many things…

Yugi blushed again, Gandora sending a teasing feeling across their bond. Maybe his crush had gotten a little out of control over the last month, but honestly who could blame him when Atem kept looking at him like that while all but having Yugi sitting in his lap by the end of every study session? Study sessions that were progressively having less 'studying' done in them and a lot more…well, Yugi wouldn't call it studying, that was for sure. You had to look at books for that. Not into each other's eyes. 

"We'll be here waiting, I guess. Is it a dangerous mission?" Yugi couldn't help but ask, feeling a little bit of unease in his stomach. But it quelled quickly when Atem smiled and shook his head.

"Hardly, we're just escorting an envoy ship from the Capital to one of the coastal regions. It's just an annual trip for political purposes," he said, patting Osiris' flank and turning his head away. Yugi could have sworn he saw something shadowed pass over his handsome features, but it was gone by the time Atem turned back to him, "Don't you worry over us. You'll be in more danger here with all of the babies charring up the Den than we will be flying over the water," Atem assured him. 

After all the hatchlings sent to the infirmary with burns, Yugi was inclined to believe him. Anzu looked like she was emerging from a war zone every night as her shift ended with how many wounds she had to treat. Jounouchi had been a frequent visitor as well, thanks to his own baby's arsonist tendencies. 

Yugi was about to ask him more about the mission when he heard grumbling behind him and turned to see a few more dragon and rider pairs coming onto the landing. Most notably, he spotted the golden dragon Ra and his rider Marik stalking forward.

Yugi braced for a confrontation, but it seemed in the last month since Atem started taking missions, Marik had pulled back on his bullying at last. He didn't even glance at them as he brushed by. 

"Let's get this over with so his highness can go be shown off," he heard Marik mumble as he stalked past Atem. Ra was on his heels, his wings already fluttering in anticipation of the mission. At least Marik's dragon wasn't as moody as his rider. 

"His highness?" Yugi mumbled, and then his eyes widened in shock, "Wait, is he talking about the King? Are you escorting the King's ship?" he asked Atem.

The rider grimaced, scratching the back of his neck, "Ah, yes. It's the royal ship and he will be present."

"Holy shit, that's incredible, Atem! I can't believe they have you on such an important detail. And as a second class rider, wow," Yugi gushed, unable to help himself. Atem really was incredible if they were letting him ride such an important detail. 

Atem looked uncomfortable with the praise though, biting at his lip as he started to fiddle with the ornate rapier at his hip, "Well, we will have Mai taking the lead as our third class rider. I believe Yusei and Aki will be coming too. And Seto will be accompanying us as well as a second class rider, not just Marik and myself."

As he spoke, Yugi saw those dragons start to appear on the next landing over. He could just make out Seto's eye roll from where they stood. It was kind of weird, Yugi swore he rolled his eyes every time he saw them together these days…

"Oh wow, that's a decent sized flight group," Yugi said, blinking up at all the dragons gathering on the landing. He curled protectively around Gandora as the massive beasts lumbered into position as their riders finished prepping their saddles. Gandora was staring up at all of them, whining and wriggling in his arms. 

Yugi felt a rush of eagerness across his mind, and knew she wanted to join them. He tutted at her, petting along her spine, "Not yet, sweetie. You have to learn how to fly first."

"Your rider is right, spitfire," Atem said, scratching under her chin, "Let's get you nice and big first."

"Well, I don't know about big, but if Osiris keeps bringing us dead animals then we'll be round at the very least," Yugi laughed. 

Atem groaned, rubbing a hand over his face, "Again, I'm sorry about the elk. I don't even know how he got it inside of the Den with as many guards as they have walking around."

Yugi waved it off for what was probably the fifth time Atem was apologizing for this elk. As if Yugi hadn't gotten used to having dead animals dropped at his feet in the months he'd known Osiris. Besides, it was making Yugi very popular with the cooks.

"Come on, pretty boy. We've got a ship waiting for you," Mai called out, her dragon Harpy scratching impatiently at the dirt. The other riders started to mount their dragons. 

Yugi sighed and took a step back, wondering when they'd come to stand so close together that their boots were almost touching…

He glanced shyly up at Atem, his lips twitching up into a smile, "Well, uh, good luck. We'll miss you."

Oh Little Gods, why did he say that?

Atem's eyes softened though, "We'll miss you as well, dragonheart. And you, little spitfire," he said, passing his hand down Gandora's flank one last time. His hand touched Yugi's before pulling away, "Be good for your rider. I'll come looking for you once I'm back. Make sure that Red doesn't burn down the Den while we're away."

Yugi laughed and stepped back to watch Atem swing up onto Osiris with an enviable grace. The riders pulled on their leather flight masks and hoods, clasped their legs into the saddles, and grabbed their reins.

"Wedge formation until we reach the Capital! Reverse rank order," Mai called out loud enough for the next pad over to hear. Then Harpy gave a great roar before springing up into the sky. 

Only Atem's eyes were visible over his mask, but Yugi didn't miss the wink that was sent his way before Osiris launched them away.

The rest of the dragons followed, and both Yugi and Gandora stood there watching as they took to the clouds and became smaller with each passing second. Until they were little more than colorful, tiny dots heading for the spires of the Capital ahead. 

Gandora whined, and Yugi almost felt like joining her. It was always hard to watch them fly away. But this was their life. And once Gandora was big enough for them to fly together, they'd be doing the same thing. 

"It's okay, sweetie. They'll be back before you know it," he told her, but she still felt sad across their bond, "Aw, poor thing. Should we go find some mice in the tunnels? That always cheers you up."

He didn't even have time to feel if she liked the idea or not before he heard a familiar voice screaming through the hall behind them, followed by an equally familiar shriek. 

"No Red, no! Bad fire! Bad fire!"

Yugi chuckled and walked them back inside the Den just in time to see Red scampering across the floor. A second later Jounouchi came around the corner in a dead sprint after his dragon. 

Red cheerfully blasted another puff of flame as one rider's boot got too close. 

"Shit, sorry about that!" Jounouchi said to the rider with the now singed boots, and kept running. 

He must have seen Yugi because he looked like he was about to weep with relief, "Yugi! Help me catch him, please!"

Yugi glanced down at Gandora, "Should we help him, girl?"

She let out a happy shriek and leapt from his arms to start her hunt, already darting ahead of them both to catch up with the black streak of terror turning another corner. 

Yugi fell into place beside Jounouchi with a grin. Until he looked down to the book bag dangling at his best friend's hip.

"Oh! Jounouchi, your bag is on fire again."

"Eh? My books! Aw, damn it, Red! I need this thing!"

Chapter Text

The sound of wood clunking together echoed off the walls of the training room, making it sound like there was a battle around them despite it only being the two of them.

Yugi could feel the way his sparring tunic was plastered wetly against his sweaty skin, clinging to his back uncomfortably. Jounouchi had foregone his shirt entirely half an hour ago, not feeling as self conscious as less muscular individuals might be. His friend had always had well defined muscles after a hard life as the son of a blacksmith, but in the last two months here with daily physical training he seemed to have gotten even stronger, enough to have him quickly rising in the ranks of swordsmen for his age group. 

And Yugi had…well, he was working on it still. 

Which was exactly why they had both reserved the training room for a few hours. Yugi wouldn't have called it a room though, as most 'training rooms' were actually just caves of stone and padded down dirt. They could be used for dragon skills training or weapons training, as evident by the scorch marks on the cave ceiling and walls, and the racks of wooden weapons hung up by the door. 

As eager as Yugi was for improving in his weapons training, he was still struggling to advance as quickly as everyone else. Thankfully he had a best friend who just happened to be the top ranked swordsman in all the hatchlings, and was all too eager to help Yugi.

In exchange for helping Jounouchi with his battle strategy lessons. 

Yugi threw his aching arms up with his wooden swords crossed in an 'X' and caught Jounouchi's wider blade. He could feel his arms shake under the pressure pushing back on him, and he widened his stance just to keep his knees from buckling.

Jounouchi grinned through bared teeth, "And what do you do when you're stuck in a battle of strength you can't endure long?"

"B-break free or deflect," Yugi gasped out. 

"Don't tell me, show me. Leave the textbook at the door."

Yugi mustered what power he could and pushed the X up high enough to get it above his head and then twisted his body while letting Jounouchi's pressure pass over him safely. 

Yugi smiled to himself when the tip of Jou's sword scraped through the dirt harmlessly, but the smile fell fast when suddenly the sword picked up fast and arched around to swat Yugi soundly on the rump.

He yelped and stumbled away, rubbing at his newest bruise to his body and his already tiny ego. 

Gandora lifted her head up from where she and Red were hunting for mice and whined over at him. Yugi sent her a swell of assurance and affection until she went back to her hunt, Red happily trotting along beside her.

"You alright?" Jounouchi asked him.

Yugi shrugged, still rubbing at his rump as he walked to the benches, "I think I've been covered with bruises since the moment I arrived here. I'm beginning to forget what color my body used to be before. Lately I've been as purple as Ma'at's scales," Yugi sighed as he made his way over to their water jug.

"Oh, I can tell you that. Pale as shit, man. And bound to be paler if they decide to never let us see the light of day again. Sheesh, I'm starting to forget what the sky looks like," Jounouchi snorted as he joined Yugi for a drink. 

Both of them sat on the bench together, watching their babies scurrying along through the boulders and stalagmites at the edges of the cave. Yugi smiled seeing the two of them playing together. It reminded him of how he and Jou had grown up together, all the little adventures they'd had around their little village. 

And now here they were on their biggest adventure ever, still together. The Little Gods had been merciful in giving them the chance to live out their extended lives together. Yugi had not had enough time to fully comprehend what dragon bonded immortality might look like, but he knew it would mean seeing a lot of people grow old and pass while he would stay young for centuries. To know that he wouldn't have to see Jounouchi, his childhood best friend, age beyond him was a gift he couldn't quite explain the magnitude of. 

Well…if they lived that long anyway.

Right now Yugi would be lucky to survive a single battle, let alone centuries worth of them. 

"I still suck at this," Yugi sighed, leaning back against the wall of the cave. 

Jounouchi tsked beside him, "It just hasn't clicked for you yet, that's all."

"And if it never clicks?"

"Then you'll have me to watch your back," Jounouchi said with a casual shrug, draping his arm heavily over Yugi's shoulders. 

Yugi grimaced, leaning against his side, "That's not fair to you or anyone else having to pick up my slack. And it puts you in more danger. I don't like that." He thought of Atem, Jounouchi and all the other riders expecting him to fight alongside them. Even his own dragon. They were supposed to be protecting the realm. Not Yugi…

"You're training as hard as you can, Yugi. Give it time. And you are progressing, Honda told me so. But I agree with him when we keep saying you have to shift into the next move while you're still moving. Your opponent isn't going to wait for you to think. You need to get out of that big old head of yours," he said, tapping at Yugi's temple with his knuckles. 

Yugi rolled his eyes and batted his hand away, "Maybe my head will always be the biggest part of me."

"Well, with hair like that, that's a given."

Yugi snorted and jabbed his elbow into Jounouchi's ribs, making him laugh as Yugi landed his first hit of the day. 

Jounouchi sighed and leaned back, resting his head back against the walls of the cave and closing his eyes, "Our world was a lot smaller and calmer before this. We knew the village and nothing else. We hardly even knew about the Guard and the Capital except for that they existed. Out of the cold, everything seems to move so much faster down here. And this world moves too fast for you to stop and think about everything. If you aren't careful, you may miss something because you were too focused on the right answer rather than just going with your gut. Instincts can tell you what to do well before your head figures it out. Even a brilliant smarty pants like you," he teased, rubbing his fist into Yugi's head. 

"Despite everyone assuming us northerners are just wild humans, I have to admit that I have all the natural instincts of a fat hen."

"Osiris would probably debate the fat part of that statement," Jounouchi snorted and shook his head, "I am honestly surprised they let you out of their quarters at all. Those first two days after Gandora hatched I don't think they let you move out of sight for a second. It would have been funny if she hadn't almost been stolen before. Thinking of that still keeps me up at night sometimes," he said with a shudder, "Scares the shit out of me to think Red could have been taken so easily too. Arsonistic tendencies aside, I love the little guy."

Yugi knew all too well what he meant. The first few nights after Gandora hatched, he didn't think he'd slept more than an hour at a time before waking from a nightmare. Even Gandora would startle awake, like they shared their dreams across the bond too. 

And Atem and Osiris had been there each time to calm them and hover close until they fell asleep again.

Yugi had actually been sad when Shimon came by three days later to show them to their newly assigned quarters a level lower than Atem's. The only plus was that they'd put him back in a hallway where Jounouchi and Ryou were assigned. But it wasn't like they could stay in their room forever. Not when Atem had insisted on being a gentleman and having Yugi and Gandora take the bed while he slept on Osiris' coiled tail. 

Still, Yugi shamefully wished he could have stayed there a little longer. There had been something so comforting about knowing Atem and Osiris were close, like no matter what had happened, Yugi knew that he and Gandora would be safe with them. Now that they were alone in his room, he missed Atem more than ever before. 

Just another reason Yugi needed to become stronger. He couldn't be a burden on Atem and expect him to keep them safe. He had his own duties, and missions to go on. Yugi had to step up and be the rider Gandora needed, the rider the realm needed…

"Have they said anything else about that night? And the thief?" Jounouchi asked suddenly as he began to lazily draw in the dirt with the tip of his wooden sword. 

Yugi sighed and shook his head, "Nothing. If they had found him though, you'd think they would have relaxed things around here, but we both know things are as tight as ever still."

They both grimaced together.

"Yeah. I get that the dragons were shaken up and still are wary about their territory being breached and all, but are we just going to stay like this because of one thief? I'm going a little nuts down here. We finally live in a place with grass and lush trees and now we can't even enjoy them because we're stuck down here living like moles."

They watched as the two babies skittered across the floor, wings flapping uselessly as they ran after something only they could see. Yugi thought back to the games he used to play with the other village kids, riders versus wraiths, and wondered if that's what the two of them were doing.  

"The dragons are still wary about letting the hatchlings and babies out of the tunnels. They won't let us go unless we have an escort rider with us. We'll just have to wait for Atem to come back next week and he'll take us for some air," Yugi said, watching as Red tried to cajole Gandora into a tussle. 

"I know, that's why I'm pining for him just as bad as you are," Jounouchi teased when Yugi blushed, "Him and Seto are the only two senior riders we know, and I ain't about to ask Seto to take us topside."

"I'm not pining…it's just more fun to study with a friend."

"Sure, buddy. Whatever you say."

 They watched the two dragons wrestling in the dirt. Yugi was proud to see that even despite being a little smaller than Red, she was holding her own against him. Of course if it came down to a fire fight, then Red would have them all beat. But Gandora was still the best mouse hunter. And who knew what they would be like once they started to fly in a few months…Yugi couldn't wait to see it.

Somehow Gandora ended up on top of Red's back, sitting on him proudly as she preened and licked at her wings delicately as the baby trapped under her squirmed and hissed. 

"That's it, sweetheart. Teach him some manners for me," Jounouchi cheered for her. 

Yugi chuckled, shaking his head at the two of them, "I don't think any of us are equipped to teach Red manners. Most of the chosen look at us like they expect us to be as wild as the babies. You don't use a spoon one time and suddenly we're as uncultured as the goats."

He shrugged, uncaring, "Eating stew straight from the bowl is more efficient. They're missing out, I'm telling you."

"But you have noticed that they treat us differently, right?" Yugi asked.

Jounouchi shrugged again, running a heavy hand through his hair, "Yeah, but that's on them, not us to change. I get it, we're cut off from the rest of the kingdom by the mountains, and we were raised a bit more rustically than most. And yeah, maybe I couldn't tell you the names of the last three kings, let alone who the current one is, but I would still fight for this kingdom no matter where people are from. Maybe we didn't have wraith knocking at our doors all the time, but people like us living in the north, every day for us was a fight to survive in a different way. A fight to find food, to stay warm, to find supplies. I think we're stronger for it, they just don't realize that yet." 

Well, some of us were stronger for it, Yugi thought to himself, but didn't say out loud. There was no reason to make Jounouchi try to bend over backwards trying to convince Yugi otherwise. 

Yugi swayed when Jounouchi shoved him playfully by the shoulder, "But look at us, eh? Two wild northern boys on our way to becoming real riders. Two stinking cute baby dragons already hatched."

"You already top of your class in swordmanship," Yugi reminded him with a proud smirk. 

Jounouchi beamed before winking back at him, "And you already top of our class in every damn thing else. Imagine if everyone back home could see us now! Ushio would probably fall on his knees begging for forgiveness if he thought it meant he could say he was friends with a rider. All those girls and guys who ignored us would finally look our way. And shit, think of how proud Shizuka and Grampa would look, eh?"

Yugi could imagine that at least. Shizuka would be looking up at Jounouchi as she always had before, like her own personal hero. Only this time Jounouchi would believe he was worthy of it. And Grandpa…he'd spent Yugi's entire life trying to tell him how special he was…and maybe Yugi could try to believe that too. 

The arm over Yugi's shoulders tightened over him, squeezing him gently, "You know they'd be proud of you too, right? Your parents."

The same distantly sad feeling Yugi had come to associate with anything to do with his parents came back strong enough that Gandora seemed to pause in her grooming to look over at him. He tried to dull the feeling for her sake. It was hardly a fresh wound, but it was a lingering one. He couldn't remember enough of his parents to even know if Jounouchi was right.

Yugi sighed and poked at his boot with the tip of his wooden blade. 

"They might have been if they were alive to see it….," he looked up at Jounouchi, "You know I don't remember them at all? And yet even not even knowing their faces, I still miss them and I feel like they were stolen from me like Gandora almost was. I just want to stop having things taken from me. I want to be strong enough that no one can ever take something from me again. I don't want anyone to have to go through that. Losing a home, family, friends…a partner," he whispered, looking over where Gandora was still watching him closely, "Whatever evil that's out there trying to steal these precious things from us…No one should have to feel loss like that." 

He hated that his eyes began to burn and he went to turn away, but Jounouchi was faster and hugged him close before he could.

"You and me, we're going to do everything we can to make sure no kids have to go without like you did. I promise you that, Yugi," he said firmly as they held each other, only for Jounouchi to pull back and ruffle his hair playfully, "And we're going to start by getting up off our butts and going another round, alright?" 

Yugi giggled and nodded, peering up at his best friend through his tangled hair, "Fine. But you'll have to explain to Osiris why I'm all covered in bruises again," he said, rubbing at his newest one once more. 

"I think it'll be Atem who will be the one noticing that first," he said with a sly wink, "That guy may blame his dragon for being all protective, but don't think I haven't noticed it's his eyes following you through the halls. You pretty little icicle, you. Imagine what Gramps will say when you not only come home with a dragon at your back, but with a handsome southern boy on your arm. One who brings you books like they were flowers. Actually, are they like flowers to nerds like you?"

"I told you. We're studying."

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

Yugi groaned and rolled his eyes skyward, "Just take your stance already. Before you make me actually want to hit you with these things," he said, wiggling his practice swords in Jou's face.

"Hey, if it gets you to fight me back for real, then bring it on. Have I mentioned that I once saw Atem staring at the grass stains on your uniform?"

Yugi looked down at his uniform, "My knees?"

Jounouchi grinned, shaking his head and jerking his chin meaningfully downwards, "Not those ones, buddy. When I say Atem will notice those new bruises first, I was being serious. Especially if you catch him in the bathhouse…"

Yugi's face flushed red, "Oh, hush."

Atem was too refined to be staring at people's asses anyway. Jounouchi must be seeing things. 

"Okay, no more teasing. Let's get back to work. I need to work on my endurance too if I want to take on the senior chosen in sparring with a real sword."

Yugi slid off the bench with a groan, "When did they say you could spar with a real blade?"

"When we pass our level one assessment. Until then, only self practice with blades, and sparring with wood. Probably for the best. Less fingers lost that way."

Yugi grimaced, nodding in agreement. Keeping all their fingers sounded like a good idea. They needed to hold onto the reins with something after all. And Yugi didn't think toes would work quite as well.

Jounouchi stood up with a grunt, stretching his arms over his head, "Alright, enough chatting. We still have an hour to whip you into shape for when your man comes home any day now. Let's get to it!" he said as he walked back to the center of the room.

But Yugi's eyes were by the door where the babies had both ended up, and where Gandora was making warning chirps. 

"Jou? Red is trying to light the practice swords on fire again."

'What? Oh shit, Red no! Bad fire!"

Yugi hurried after his friend to try and save the latest victim to Red's flame. 

Chapter Text

A few days later…

The orange and red leaves rustled above them as they all sat at the treeline. Atem had been telling them that in fall, when the leaves turned to their bright colors, it almost looked like the kingdom was on fire from above. Yugi ached to see it too someday, but for now he'd just enjoy looking up at the leaves from below as they enjoyed a chilly autumn afternoon off together.

They'd all been itching to get some time topside after weeks running around in the tunnels, literally putting out fires at every turn thanks to Red and a few more of the more 'flamey' babies. Fresh air was just what they all needed after all the smoke they'd been inhaling in the newly established hatchlings wing the last few weeks.  

Yugi sucked in a lungful before letting it out in a content sigh, feeling the wind playing with his hair as it tickled over his face. It cooled off his cheeks after Atem's latest compliment, and kept them cool despite their newfound proximity. 

The breeze would have been a lot colder if not for where he sat. Because currently his back was very toasty where it was pressed up against Atem's chest, the two of them leaning against the trunk of a thick tree. Yugi was using Atem's legs as armrests as he scribbled on parchment, and Atem seemed content to just lean back with his arms folded behind his head. 

They weren't alone today though, because Yugi was hardly the only one needing some non-smokey air lately. Jounouchi and Ryou had asked to come along when Yugi had said he was being escorted topside by Atem, and how could Yugi tell them no? Sure, it was supposed to be their time to catch up after Atem's mission was over, but he felt less bad once they met up and Atem approached him sheepishly with Seto unexpectedly tagging along at his back. 

The five of them went topside with their dragons, and a basket of food to share.

Yugi had long ago stopped wondering why Atem preferred to socialize with northern hatchlings like them and Seto over all the other riders in his class, and was just happy to accept him in their little group. Maybe he'd just really bonded with all of them on that first mission? Whatever the reason, Yugi was just content to enjoy spending an afternoon with his friends and all their dragons.

Said dragons were all playing in the open grass. Kisara seemed to be taking on a more motherly role that day, and surprised Yugi by doting on Red and Gandora as the babies fought for her attention. Osiris seemed more keen to draw the babies into play, and he roared happily as the little ones ran and bounced under his legs and belly. 

The older dragons were the best to care for the little ones, as they would not be burned by wayward fire, and honestly Yugi and Jounouchi needed the break. Badly.

Another major plus was that Yugi anticipated that the babies would be all tuckered out before long. They'd certainly sleep well tonight. Jounouchi may actually wake up without something on fire in his room for once. 

Yugi chuckled to himself as he shook his head, and went back to his drawing. A piece of cheese appeared in the corner of his eyes and absently leaned over to take it in his mouth. Yugi smirked, wondering if Atem feeding him like this was because of Osiris leaking over the bond again, or if Atem was just worried Yugi was studying too hard to stop and snack. He playfully rolled his eyes when a grape appeared a moment later, and he ate that offering too. 

Like dragon, like rider. 

"How have your classes been, Ryou? Aren't you training to be a dragon medic?" Atem asked him, eyeing the heavy tome in the chosen's lap.

Ryou grinned up at him, eyes bright, "It's been great! I've already learned so much."

Atem nodded, looking pleased, "How wonderful. What about you, Jounouchi? I hear you are rising in the rankings for swordsmanship."

Jounouchi smiled around a mouth full of bread, "You bet I am! Honda says I'll be ready for steel soon. No more wooden swords for this guy!" he said, proudly, puffing out his chest, "The academic classes are not so great, but that's fine. I'll have better luck killing wraith with swords than I will with geography," he rolled his eyes. 

Yugi's stomach swooped at the sound of Atem's laugh, and how he could feel it vibrating against his back. It tickled at the back of his brain that it just seemed odd that Atem seemed so good with people, and seemed to like being around their little group, but seemed to avoid everyone else. 

"What are you drawing, little dragonheart?" Atem asked, resting his chin on Yugi's shoulder as he peered over.

Yugi bit at his tongue as he tried to get the angle right on the next line, "Remember that night Gandora was stolen?"

"It would be difficult to forget it," Atem teased, nosing at the side of Yugi's face.

Yugi shrugged, that was fair, "Well, I've been trying to draw that seal I saw on the dragon's head. I only saw it for a second though. This is maybe my hundredth attempt to sketch it out, and I think I'm getting close to getting it right," he said, lifting the parchment to blow on and dry the ink. He felt the others lean in to take a peek too. 

Ryou hummed, "I'm no expert in magic, but that does look fairly intricate. I've never seen anything like it though."

Jounouchi squinted at it and moved in so close the ink smudged on his nose, "Yeah, I have no idea what the fuck that is, or what it means. I'll leave that for you nerds to figure out," he said, grinning at Atem and Yugi. 

Yugi felt Atem's sigh at his back and turned his head to look up at him curiously.

There was an intense look of concentration on Atem's face, but no spark of familiarity as he followed the lines of Yugi's drawing. He eventually pulled away and shook his head.

"I have seen a fair share of magic and seals in my life, but I have never seen one that looks like that," he relented. 

Yugi's shoulders stooped as he put the parchment back in his bag, "Guess I'll just have to start looking through the library for books on magic and see if it pops up."

"I'll help you," Atem was quick to offer, and Yugi beamed up at him. 

"Thanks, I know pretty much nothing about magic except that it exists. We never had anything like that back home. So any help is appreciated."

Plus, it meant more time together in the library. Heck, library, topside, even just passing in the tunnels, Yugi loved any time they got together between Atem's now busier schedule. It certainly helped that Gandora seemed just as desperate to seek the dragon and rider pair out, providing Yugi with the perfect excuse to go find them. 

Shit, was this another 'like dragon, like rider thing'? Or was Yugi the one leaking across the bond…either way, he was as toast as Jounouchi's bedframe if anyone noticed his less than subtle obsession with Atem. 

Across the grass, Osiris had gotten the babies to try to chase his tail and was leading them in circles while Kisara followed behind them, keeping them from going too close to the cliff's edge. 

And a few paces away, Seto watched over them all. His arms were crossed as he faced away from the rest of them, and Yugi was trying to remember if he'd spoken even once since they'd gotten up here. 

Yugi leaned back into Atem, and felt him duck down closer to let him whisper in his ear.

"Seto knows he can sit with us, right? We don't bite like our babies do, no matter how wild they claim northerners are," Yugi said. 

Atem chuckled and turned his head so he could also whisper into Yugi's ear, and he shivered at the feeling of his breath ghosting over the shell of his ear.

"This is how he socializes. He lurks nearby and pretends he doesn't want to be here, but secretly he's happy. Just look at Kisara and you'll know."

So Yugi did, and he saw that Kisara seemed to be more relaxed than he ever saw her when she was awake. Her wings were held high on her back, like she was excited. And she was just being so sweet and gentle with the little ones even as they nipped at her ankles. Then he looked over and he saw how loose Seto's shoulders were, and how the ever-present scowl seemed to have faded away from his face. Not for the first time, Yugi wondered how he and Atem became friends. But he was just glad that Atem had someone so loyal to him all this time. 

A chunk of bread was lifted to his lips, and Yugi ate it without thought. 

In the periphery of his vision, he saw Seto approaching and saw that he was following the babies as they bounded back over to them. 

Ryou cooed at them as they passed by, stopping to let him pat their heads before they scrambled over to their riders. 

"Aw, did you finally get tired, girl?" Yugi asked as Gandora walked over and slipped into his lap. Her end of the bond was heavy, and Yugi knew it meant she would be wanting a nap soon. He helped her curl into a ball in his lap, tucking her wings and tail in tight just how she liked it. 

"She's already grown quite a bit," Atem mused, both of them taking in how she'd gotten long enough that she only just barely fit in his lap anymore. 

"Must be all the mice she's been hunting. Ishizu was saying that the Den's pest control has never been better," Jounouchi laughed as Red lazily draped himself over his rider's legs, arms and wings spread akimbo over his lap. 

Seto grunted, arms still crossed over his chest, "If only we were so effective keeping thieves out of the Den as we are when dealing with rodents. Have they offered any explanation for what happened yet? Or why we've been on high alert for a month with no end in sight?"

"I was kind of wondering the same thing actually," Jounouchi admitted, "It just doesn't sit right that some thief made it all the way down to the hatchlings level, managed to steal Yugi's egg, had a getaway path ready, had a dragon as his getaway wagon, a dragon with a magical doohickey on its face, and somehow has evaded capture by the entire Guard for a month?" he huffed, patting over Red's spine. 

"It does make one worry quite a bit, doesn't it," Ryou said, putting aside his book with a sigh, "Yugi, you said that the officers reacted oddly when you brought up the seal you've been trying to draw?"

Yugi nodded, "Yeah, they were plenty worried when we told them what happened. But it was more like they were worried about Atem and me flying off on our own, right up until I told them about the seal, and then suddenly they seemed to change flight direction and started to worry about something else entirely. Maybe I was a little hazy at the time from everything that happened, but it just seemed weird."

"It wasn't just you. They did act oddly. I had been expecting a much longer lecture from them after our unsanctioned adventure, but they seemed too distracted once you mentioned the seal. And your little spitfire wanting to hatch made for an excellent diversion for them as well," Atem said, reaching around Yugi to offer a piece of dried meat to Gandora when she lifted her head up. She grabbed it from his fingers, and began to purr as she gnawed on her snack. 

Seto grunted again, glancing down at Atem and narrowing his eyes as he looked back and forth between him and where Yugi sat between his legs.

"Atem, we know there are people you can ask about all this," he said, staring down at the other rider.

Yugi felt Atem tense at his back.

"Perhaps, but I will only reach out to them if it becomes necessary. We will start in the library, Seto," Atem said, and Yugi swore he heard a slight edge to his voice. Like the petering edge of Osiris' growls. 

Seto huffed and walked back over to Kisara, seemingly all done with social interactions for the day. Maybe he needed a nap too. 

With a shake of his head, Yugi leaned back against Atem and sighed heavily. Seto had a point though. This whole thing was strange. If there was still a known threat even a month later, shouldn't they all be told about it? Wouldn't that make it easier for them to fight back against? Why keep it so secret? And if the seal really wasn't important…they why not just say so? 

Gandora let out a sigh in his lap, and he glanced down to see her twitching her tail in her sleep. His thoughts were likely disturbing her rest. He quickly pushed aside his worries and sent a wave of affection her way, and saw her tail go still again. 

"She fell asleep. Sorry, we may be stuck here for a while now," Yugi said, glancing over his shoulder to Atem.

The rider smiled back at them, "It's quite alright. I'm perfectly content right here."

Even though he'd basically been sitting on Atem for the last hour, Yugi was only suddenly very aware of just how close they were. With his head turned, their faces were mere inches apart. And it made him start to wonder if that burning look in Atem's eyes was just the natural embered coloring…or if there was something growing heated between them. 

Jounouchi cleared his throat, and both of them snapped their heads to see him and Ryou looking at them with amused smiles on their faces. 

"Well, sorry to say it looks like I'll be here a bit too. Hope you two don't mind some company," Jounouchi said with a wink at Yugi. Red was fast asleep in his rider's lap. 

Atem cleared his throat, "Uh, of course we don't mind."

"Mhm, not at all," Yugi said at the same time.

Ryou and Jounouchi's smiles grew wider for some reason.

A while later, Atem escorted them back down the lift and offered Yugi a slightly stilted goodbye as Jounouchi and Ryou continued to watch with matching grins. Together the three of them walked down the corridor to the sound of the lift going back up to the upper levels. 

"So….dragonheart, huh? Yugi, you really did go and nab yourself a full fledged rider. A damn pretty one at that," Jounouchi laughed as they carried their sleepy dragons back to their rooms. Ryou giggled beside him. 

Yugi's face was aflame immediately, as if Red had just lit his bangs on fire. Again. 

"I-it's not like that, we're just friends!" Yugi was quick to protest.

Jounouchi snorted, "Yeah, cause friends sit in each other laps and call them 'dragonheart' while fucking them with their eyes."

"You and I have shared a bed before, Jou," Yugi said.

"Sure, but I don't remember calling you by any terms of endearment while gazing adoringly into your eyes."

Yeah, Yugi didn't remember them doing that either. 

"Come on, spill. I know you've got a crush the size of Ma'at's hindquarters for that guy, and from where I was sitting, he is probably nursing one just as bad if not worse. So, when are you two gonna hop on that saddle and go for a ride?" Jounouchi asked, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. 

Yugi groaned, trying his best to keep his turmoil contained so he didn't accidentally wake Gandora. But he swore he felt amusement trickling over the bond. Maybe she was having a funny dream?

"We just like spending time together," he tried to defend, but he could tell neither of them was buying it. He sighed and tilted his head back as he drew in a deep breath, "Ugh, fine, maybe I like him a little."

Jounouchi smirked at Ryou, "Yeah, a little. And your face only turned as red as Osiris' scales because it was hot outside."

"Okay, okay, I like him a lot," Yugi broke, and tried to hush them both when they started to cheer. 

Ryou let out a barely muffled squeal of delight, "Oh, how wonderful! He seems like a great guy and was so brave during our hunt. I haven't had the chance to ask about him much since I've been busy with studies, but I bet he's well liked. You're so lucky, Yugi."

"Look at you nabbing a fancy Capital boy, you northern icicle you," Junouchi teased. 

"I haven't nabbed anything! Really, we've only been hanging out and he's been helping me with my studies. It could be entirely one-sided," Yugi warned them.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that dragonheart. I think you've got Atem and Osiris coiled around your little finger," Jounouchi said while Ryou giggled beside him. 

Yugi wasn't so sure they were right, but he was too tired to argue any more. And he didn't want to get his hopes up either. Atem was incredible, and Yugi would be lucky if he thought of Yugi with even a hint of affection outside of just being friends. Or just thinking he was cute. 

But some part of Yugi felt like Atem was holding back himself a little. Be it because their lives as riders were dangerous ones, or because Atem was too incredibly duty driven to think about romance. 

Besides, Yugi had a baby dragon to raise right now. And if he was to have any hope of making it as a rider, he had to keep trying to grow strong too. He couldn't be wasting time chasing after someone who may not want him like that back. 

He ignored Ryou and Jounouchi gushing about what a rider's wedding may look like as they all ducked into their rooms for the night. He quietly bid them goodnight and went to put Gandora to bed.

"Dragonheart? Ugh," Seto gagged as he and Atem rode the lift back to their level, "No wonder Osiris was so distracted during our mission if that poor dragon has to be bonded to your mind. Tell me, does he have to listen to you wax poetic about Yugi through your emotions every day?"

Atem sighed and closed his eyes. 

"Osiris was not distracted on the mission because of Yugi. He was distracted because of Rose. Aki said she was nearing her first clutching season," he said through gritted teeth.

"...so your horniness for Yugi was leaking across the bond you mean."

"Do kindly fuck off, Seto," Atem sighed and stepped off the lift. Unfortunately, Seto followed.

"I am starting to get a little curious about how long you plan to drag on this little facade you have going. The rest of the hatchlings seem fine avoiding the 'wild northerners', but you and I both know that Yugi is bound to make friends with a few of them once they pull their heads out of their asses. Just how long do you plan to keep him in the dark about you? Because we both know it's only a matter of time until someone says something, and what will you do then? Do you think he'll be the same towards you after that?"

"Since when do you care about anyone's love life or lack thereof?" Atem grumbled, following the dragonfire torches towards their quarters. His pace quickened to get away from the other rider, but the bastard had freakishly long legs and hardly struggled to keep up. 

"You used the word 'love', not me. And since I have a bet running on it."

Atem tossed him an unimpressed glance over his shoulder, "A bet with who, I'm your only friend in this place. A fact that I am thinking may change depending on how this conversation ends."

Seto waved off his question like it was a fly, "I just think you can consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky?" Atem huffed, doubting he would agree with whatever was about to come out of the rider's mouth.

Seto nodded anyway, "Yes, lucky. Lucky that because the other hatchlings have either been teasing Yugi about his size, not wanting to be seen socializing with a northerner, or have been blinded by their jealousy of his high rankings that he hasn't bothered to make friends with anyone else…anyone else who may want to gossip about who Yugi is friends with. And that his egg hatched early enough that he's been too busy with his dragon to try and meet senior riders who also may want to gossip. The Little Gods must favor you to grant you this long period of grace."

Atem snorted darkly. He was right. He didn't agree at all with what Seto was saying. The Little Gods gave him no favors that he could tell. Save for letting him meet Yugi at all. 

"Is there a point to your rambling, Seto?" He asked, hurrying along faster as they turned to his hallway.

"I just don't want you to say I didn't warn you."

"Fine, consider me warned," Atem hissed, and hurried his steps when he finally saw his sanctuary up ahead in the form of his door. But before Atem could close the door behind him, he heard Seto call out to him one last time.

"You're flying too high without a saddle, Atem. Eventually the fall will come, and then what?"

Atem closed the door without responding.  

Chapter Text

Osiris was waiting for him on the other side, coiled up on his side of the room and purring beside an already lit fire. Atem could feel his contentment from across their bond. He didn't want to spoil his dragon's good mood, so Atem made an attempt to shove his own sour feelings away as he stepped into the room. He made his way past the gnawed chair that he'd have to repair again, and threw himself down on the bed with a sigh.

He grabbed one of the books Mahad had sent him to study from the shelf, and flipped through a few pages. Part of him had hoped to use his studies to take his mind off of less volatile subjects, but he couldn't shake his conversation with Seto from his mind. Just as he couldn't shake off the feeling of just how much he'd enjoyed Yugi's company that day. 

Or how much he had enjoyed holding him.

He bit back a groan and tossed the book aside. 

Osiris was lumbering over to him a moment later, flopping one third of his body onto the bed while the rest draped over the floor. His head nearly crushed Atem when he tried to place it in his lap.

"You great big beast, you are not a baby anymore!" Atem scolded between chuckles when Osiris began to purr louder the harder Atem tried to shove him off. Just like he used to when he was small enough to curl up with Atem on little things like beds. 

With a big sigh, Atem gave up and decided he just wouldn't be feeling his bottom half for the next few hours. He lay back on the bed and started to run his hand over the bridge of Osiris' nose. His scales were still warm to the touch from sleeping near the fire, and it tingled at his fingers. 

"You had a good day with the little ones then?" he asked when it felt like Osiris was practically glowing with joy across their bond. 

His dragon let out a quiet rumble and a push of agreement across his mind. 

Atem hummed, "Me too. Right up until Seto chose it was time for him to speak. He really should stop doing that."

Part of Atem was a little envious of the dragons. They were such honest creatures, unburdened by societal nuance and the intricate aspects of human courting. And titles meant nothing to dragons. Rank among their kind was something given through age and earned respect. Not the circumstances of their birth, wealth, or political meandering.  When Osiris wanted companionship, he simply made his intentions known and was accepted or rejected. Meanwhile Atem…it was not so easy. 

Some of his thoughts must have filtered across the bond, because Osiris gave a little whine and snuffled his head further up Atem's body, trapping him in place and probing at his mind.

Osiris pushed the impression that Atem knew was associated with Yugi into his mind, followed by a questioning mixed with the affection they both shared for the little rider. Atem groaned, realizing that Osiris knew exactly what was bothering him. Little Gods, even his dragon wanted to know about his intentions towards Yugi. 

"Not you too. Haven't I gotten enough interrogation from Seto on this matter?" Atem asked no one in particular. 

Osiris blinked at him.

"Don't give me that look, you know that it's more complicated than that for humans. Especially ones like me," he said, but Osiris kept whining, his tail wiggling behind him as he waited for Atem to respond. 

When he took too long to speak, Osiris gave a big huff and started to probe more forcefully across the bond and started to nuzzle against Atem's belly. Just as his dragon knew it would, Atem broke out into a fit of laughter, and tried to curl away from him, but Osiris had him pinned in place. 

Unable to withstand the torture, Atem gasped out his surrender, "Fine! You win, you dirty playing dragon. Shame on you for attacking your rider," he scolded through his petering off giggles. 

Osiris gave a pleased rumble and then fell heavily back in place on Atem's lap, making him breathe out an 'oof' from the sudden weight on him. 

"You know it isn't as simple as when you pursue mates, however temporary they may be," Atem said, his tone slightly judgmental towards his dragon's prolific habits, "Humans have constructs in place, and titles, and responsibilities towards–"

Osiris yawned around a rumbled growl.

Atem rolled his eyes, "Fine, besides all that. But we can't forget that Yugi has Gandora to care for, and other things to worry about besides me–"

This time his growl was deeper, and Atem felt an urgency pushed across the bond mixed with exasperation. 

Atem let out a growl of his own, sitting up as much as Osiris' bulk would allow him to and met his dragon's eyes, "We also can't forget that the life of a rider, despite our physical immortality, has become quite short! Most riders refuse to have anything lasting just because of the very high risk of leaving behind someone, or being left behind by them. And yes, Yugi is a rider too, and we could possibly have more time together, but given the dangers that come with being in the Guard–"

The tapered tip of his tail came over to smother Atem's mouth. 

Atem sent him a rush of mental scolding and the impression of rude until the tail finally lifted from his face. Honestly, the lack of respect Atem got around here was astounding…and probably necessary. He couldn't expect the same treatment here that he got back in the Capital. And truthfully, Atem didn't want it either. He'd been asking, no begging, to be treated the same as any other rider. Perhaps he should be grateful that neither Seto nor Osiris cared about such things. 

He was getting ahead of himself in any case. And Osiris seemed to know as much as Atem did that all of these things he was saying were little more than excuses. These were things that he shouldn't have to even give thought to until he was actually courting someone, but Atem hadn't even made it that far. His problem lay far before all that… 

It lay in how he had been hiding himself like a coward, and taking advantage of the northern chosen not recognizing him from a glance. He'd been selfishly enjoying his time as a titleless, low ranking rider, making friends and acquaintances in the natural way. These bonds felt more true than any others he'd made with people over the years, because they weren't all centered around what Atem was. Just who he was.

It was just a conundrum that at the same time, for how 'true' and 'natural' these bonds felt, they were the only ones forged in deception.

And the sweet, open, and brave little soul that made up Yugi…what would he think once he learned about Atem's secret? Seto seemed to think Yugi would try to take advantage like everyone else did…at first. Only to abandon him once it was clear that Atem wasn't about to grant anyone unfair favor.  But Atem knew that Yugi wasn't like that. No, he feared Yugi's reaction would be far more damning than that.   

Still, Atem would be lying to himself and Osiris if he said that he had not imagined what it could be like to get past this hurdle that amounted to a moat filled with crocodiles and carnivorous fish. He'd spent too much time daydreaming in lessons and on long flights of what their life may be like if he were to arrive back at the Den to have a special someone waiting for him. To be able to have those little moments of joy outside of his duties. To taste more of those perfect little moments when it was just the two of them sitting beside each other reading, or talking over their favorite subjects. Only instead of just sitting close, Atem would be able to reach between them for his hand. Or to pull him close too…

Once again he was getting ahead of himself. He wouldn't be able to taste any of that if he kept himself at arms length. Yugi was too smart to not notice things eventually. How Atem always politely declined sharing meals with him in the Great Hall. How he refused to speak of his home or family. How the others treated him…and Seto was right in that it was only a matter of time before someone would say something. 

Atem sighed and went back to petting his scales, "Osiris…You know better than anyone the depth of my affection for Yugi. So I can imagine it's frustrating for you to watch your rider dance around the matter like this."

Osiris huffed, sending a swell of agreement across the bond. 

"You need to know your rider can be brave, and I haven't been very brave…have I?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. But Osiris gave one anyway, in the stifling feeling of encouragement across the bond. 

Atem felt ashamed. Some fearless rider he was turning out to be. Atem was happy to fly into dragon combat, but once faced with pretty eyes and possible rejection and Atem was suddenly a wilting flower.

His ancestors were probably rolling in their tombs. 

Osiris was being endlessly patient with him over this matter, it was a wonder he'd let Atem flounder as long as he had. Even if Osiris was young in age and sometimes juvenile in behavior, there was a wisdom to dragons that Atem was only just barely starting to comprehend. And it was probably why Osiris seemed content to pin him in place until Atem finally came to the conclusion he should have weeks ago. 

Atem sighed as heavily as he could given Osiris' massive weight pressing down on him. 

"You like him too, don't you boy?" he asked, but he already knew that. Osiris had adored Yugi from that first moment in that frozen little village, just like his rider. 

His dragon purred, his tail flicking back and forth.

Atem chuckled, scratching at his chin, "And it doesn't help that you now adore Gandora just as much."

His purr grew louder. 

"Then will you be able to forgive me if this all goes up in flames and we lose them both?" Atem asked him, feeling a trickle of his fear leak across the bond even as he tried to grasp it with slippery mental fingers. But even as he knew Osiris would sense his fear, he didn't feel any disappointment coming from the dragon. 

He just felt another overwhelming embrace of encouragement through their bond that warmed Atem on the inside as much as the fire kissed scales warmed his skin. 

Atem wrapped his arms around Osiris' muzzle, encircling it as much as his reach could go, and pressed their brows together. He felt his heart beating in time with his dragon, their bond pulsing between them strongly. 

"Tomorrow then. I'll talk to him tomorrow," he promised them both, and felt Osiris finally sigh in relief and lift some of his bulk away. 

"You know what the worst part of all of this is, boy? That Seto was right. I hate that."

Osiris grumbled in agreement.

Finding sleep was proving more difficult than putting out dragonfire.

Despite having stayed up the night before to read Atem's book, Yugi found his mind a little too loud to get to sleep. 

If a little too loud was like having a fleet of dragons roaring inside his skull.

Yugi sighed and turned over in his bed in the vain hope that facing left instead of right would make all the difference in falling asleep. Too bad he didn't have one of Atem's boring books on politics to read. That would put him to sleep for sure. He had no idea why Atem kept reading those…

Unless of course reading one of Atem's books would just make Yugi think of Atem more in which case he'd be just as awake as he was now. Kept up by images of an embered gaze and the feeling of warmth that came with it.

Yugi whimpered pitifully, "Fuck, I've got it bad. Dammit Jounouchi and Ryou. I was managing just fine before," he grumbled.

Of course it wasn't news to Yugi that he had a bit of an infatuation with the rider. He'd already become very aware of just how far gone he was when it came to Atem, and how it only seemed to get worse the more time they spent together. 

What was a little more surprising was that outside of Yugi's fevered daydreams and wild imagination, it seemed like his friends believed Atem liked Yugi back. 

Of course Yugi had noticed that Atem had been friendly and tactile with him, but had all but convinced himself it was just because of Osiris. Maybe Atem was just being nice, indulging Yugi’s curiosity and company?

And further indulging him by letting Yugi basically sit on him?

Fucking dragon spit. 

Shriii!

Yugi startled and peered over the edge of the bed to see Gandora looking up at him from the floor. Her little ruby spots glowing dimly in the dark room like embers in a fireplace.

”Aw, did I wake you up, sweetie?” Yugi groaned, wondering how long she’d already been out of the nest she’d made of Yugi’s clothes. 

She shrieked again and hopped in place, making her intentions known. Yugi rolled his eyes and scooped her up off the floor and let her down on the blankets. The trainers had warned the hatchlings not to let the babies sleep in their beds because it would make breaking them of the habit harder once they got too big. But Yugi was unable to resist (as were all the other hatchlings he’d talked to) and relented a quarter of his bed to her without any real protest. 

She curled up like a cat at the center, but instead of falling back asleep, she was staring up at Yugi unblinkingly. 

“What?” He asked her.

Her head cocked to the side before she pushed curiosity and amusement through their bond. And then followed it with her usual impression he’d come to learn was associated with Atem, safety and affection. 

“You want to know if I’m thinking about Atem?”

Shriii!

Yugi sighed, his shoulders slumping, “Figures you’d want to know too. Guess it’s only fair if I’m keeping you up because I’m a mess. Sorry, girl.”

She hardly felt bothered as she lay there, still watching him closely. She was much more patient than any baby should be, and seemed like she was seeing into his soul as Yugi tried to formulate his thoughts for her. He wondered how much of his thought process she could sense, because sometimes he swore she knew a whole lot more than anything a month old should know. Maybe hanging around in eggs for possibly centuries counted as maturity time? If so, dragons were even weirder than he first thought.

 Yugi lay down around her, and began to stroke her scales, "I guess I’m struggling to sleep because of what the guys were saying. Do you think they're right? That Atem may like us back?" He pushed his own uncertainty and affection along the bond along with their shared impression of Atem, wondering if she’d understand. 

A swell of agreement came over the bond instantly.

Yugi pursed his lips, “Okay, we know they like us. But I’m talking about the big ‘like’. Wait, do babies like you even know about all that?” He asked out loud before shaking his head, “Whatever, it doesn’t really matter anyway. I'm just a hatchling though, and he's…he's amazing," Yugi breathed, throwing himself back on the bed. Gandora crawled up his chest to drape across it, her little tail coiling around his arm lazily. 

He began to absently trace his finger over the ridges of her wings, “I guess I’m still stuck in that mindset that I’m never going to be enough for anyone, huh? I never thought I’d be worthy enough to be chosen, and yet it happened. Never thought I’d be worthy of a dragon, and yet here you are…I guess I never really thought I’d be wanted by anyone else…and yet…”

He thought back to their many moments shared over the last two months. How Atem had been the one to seek him out that first night. How he had continued to seek him out despite Yugi being just a hatchling. Walking him back to his level. How it felt to be held by him when they were flying, or when they were just sitting in the grass. How his gaze seemed to soften when he looked at Yugi, when it didn’t for anyone else save for their dragons…

So many incredible and unbelievable things had happened to Yugi since that day in the town square, would it be so far-fetched to think that maybe just one more incredible and unbelievable thing may happen again? That someone as amazing as Atem would look at Yugi like that? 

He closed his hand over the pendant on his neck, wondering if his lucky charm was working its magic once again. Because really, just how lucky could Yugi be? This all seemed far too good to be true.

And yet that look in Atem’s eyes when they’d been so close…it had felt real. Like there were emotions being passed through his gaze as surely as if they shared a dragon bond between the two of them. 

“Shit, maybe they’re right,” he whispered to the ceiling. The corners of his lips twitched upwards, only to break open as he yawned widely. On his chest, Gandora yawned with him. 

“Okay, I’ve kept you up long enough. I’m no longer wallowing and we both need some sleep before lessons tomorrow. Come on, back to your nest,” he said, pushing up to do just that, but she let out a little growl, and he felt her claws sinking into his shirt. 

“Come on, you have your own nest,” he said, peeling her off his chest, but her tail coiled around his arm and Yugi could sense this was not a battle he’d win tonight. 

He sighed and flopped back on the bed.

"Alright, come here," he said, smiling as he rolled his eyes. Gandora chirped and scrambled under the lifted blanket. Yugi carefully tucked the fabric around her spikes, "Just for tonight though, because I kept you up with my loud brain. Baby dragons like you need their sleep so they can grow nice and big," he said, tucking her in close to his body like he used to do when she was just an egg.

She let out a sigh, and Yugi felt her pulsing with love and eagerness through their bond, followed by a feeling of weightlessness.

Yugi chuckled softly, "Yeah, I can't wait until you're big too, and we can fly together."

She purred as she curled up against him. Their bond turned heavy and fuzzy as she almost immediately started to drift off. Yugi was not far behind her.

And within minutes, they were dreaming of clouds and beating wings.

Chapter Text

Gandora was curled over his shoulders as Yugi hurried along the tunnels of the Den. Ever since waking that morning, he'd been filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the day. He was only just barely able to focus during their history lessons, and for once he seemed to have energy to spare for their weapons training. 

By the time most people were heading off for their mid day meal break, Yugi was practically vibrating. It was a wonder that Gandora could sleep as soundly as she was hanging around his neck like that. Must have been from Yugi keeping her up half the night…

He left Ryou and Jounouchi with a promise to meet them for the last meal that night, and headed towards the library. 

He knew Atem's lesson schedule by heart now, and knew it would be a bit longer before he'd be able to join him. But that hardly brought Yugi down. He'd just use the time to look through more of the old tomes on sealing magic. 

Yugi was humming as he turned on to the main corridor, and walked straight into someone's back.

He rubbed at his bruised backside from where he ended up on the ground. Gandora yawned in his ear, but didn't wake. 

"Jeez, is everyone in this place built like a stone wall?" He mumbled to himself before glancing up to see who he had slammed into so rudely. 

He was about to open his mouth to begin apologizing when he saw just who it was.

Blond hair, lavender eyes…it was Marik. One of the more vocal and bold bullies Atem had been dealing with.

All apologies were swallowed back like acid rising in his throat.

Marik looked at him blandly for a moment before a spark of recognition went off in his eyes. 

"Oh, it's you. You're the hatchling I keep seeing with Atem," Marik said by way of greeting. Strangely enough, he reached out his hand to help Yugi up.

Yugi flatly ignored it and got up himself. He eyed Marik as he dusted the dirt from his uniform.

Marik was looking him over like he was assessing a battle plan, and Yugi felt his defenses going up. 

"That's me, yes. Excuse me," he said, trying to slip by without any further interaction, but it seemed his lucky charm couldn't work this miracle.

Marik stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"I've been hearing a lot about you. You're first in your class, right? And led one hell of a hunt in the Nursery. And jumped from a flying dragon's back to get your egg back, and you keep getting top marks in everything…all the officers have been saying what amazing potential you have as a rider. And we need all the best riders we can get," he said seriously. 

Of course, being here for a few months now, Yugi had heard many times about the worry that the Guard was declining in number with every passing year. It was weighing on everyone, even Atem had brought up their woes multiple times. It was just common knowledge. 

But Yugi sensed a trap in those words, even if they all seemed blunted instead of the wickedly sharp ones Marik was fond of throwing around. He stayed stock still under the hand still resting on him, waiting for the opponent to make his move first. 

"Yugi is it? Well, here is some friendly advice. Focus on your training and nothing else. Because us real riders will need you fighting with us some day. Don't bother with Atem anymore. Trust me kid, you're wasting your time with him. Whatever favor you're seeking, he's not going to grant it. Plenty of kiss-asses have tried before you and failed, you won't be any different."

Yugi frowned, and pushed Marik's hand away slowly, "Favor? I'm not trying to gain favor from Atem. We're just friends. And why are you trying so hard to alienate him? You say we need all the best riders we can get, and yet you're trying to push down the best rider in your class."

Marik's lip curled into something akin to disgust, "I meant real riders. The ones who will actually be fighting by our side someday. The ones we will rely on to watch our backs and stick by our side to the bitter, fiery end that waits for us all."

"Atem will be fighting with us, he's been working harder than anyone to earn the right to fly missions," Yugi shot back, confused by Marik's words. Did Marik not see how badly Atem wanted to be included? How hard he worked to finally get assigned to missions? 

Marik chuckled, shaking his head and looking at Yugi like he just said something cute.

"You really think that they will ever let Atem see real battle being what he is?" He asked through a laugh.

What he is? What was Marik talking about? 

His confusion must have shown on his face, because Marik stopped laughing and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Why do you seem so confused by this? Don't you…Wait, you're one of the northern chosen, aren't you?" 

Yugi nodded slowly, even more lost than before. 

Marik gasped and then started to laugh harder, bending over at the waist, "Wow, you lot really are isolated up there if you have no clue what he is, shit. Oh, that's fucking rich. I thought Atem was too annoyingly noble to be this sneaky. I would never have thought he'd be capable of stringing along hatchlings this long. I'm actually impressed."

Yugi's fists clenched, and Gandora stirred on his shoulder and let out a soft growl as she sensed his growing agitation. 

"What are you talking about?" Yugi demanded. 

Marik wiped away a mirthful tear from his eye as he fought to breathe again. His smile was almost pitying as he looked down at Yugi.

"If you didn't know then I guess you really weren't seeking favor from him. That's a first. I guess I can't blame Atem for wanting to keep it that way. Still, can't believe you really didn't know this whole time," Marik tutted, shaking his head.

Yugi narrowed his eyes, "Didn't know what?"

Yugi felt cold despite the anger that boiled inside of him as he walked numbly through the corridor. He'd finally learned his way around this place, and it served him well when he didn't get lost seeking out the classrooms in the higher levels.

Gandora was making little whining noises from where she had borrowed deep into the folds of his vest, and while Yugi felt bad for making her upset, he couldn't just brush this off. He'd be hurting even worse if he tried. It was better to confront this now before it festered even worse. 

But Yugi kept one hand on her head where it lay over his aching heart, and hoped it would be enough comfort to get through this. 

He found the door he was looking for just as it opened and a batch of second class riders began to pour out. 

Yugi waited impatiently there, enduring the curious glances sent his way, until finally the last two riders trickled out. 

Seto and Atem were talking quietly as they stepped out the door, but both of them came to a stop when Yugi stepped in their path. 

Atem smiled immediately upon spotting him, and Yugi hated how it still made his stomach swoop and his cheeks warm. 

"Yugi! What are you doing all the way up here? I was just about to come find you in the library. I had wanted to talk to you about something important," he said warmly, coming to a stop close to him. 

In his walk here, Yugi had pictured himself grabbing Atem and taking them somewhere private to demand his answers, but it seemed Yugi's patience had worn thin in the short journey and he couldn't wait that long. It was just Seto anyway. That bastard probably knew this whole time too. 

If Yugi were a firebreather there would be smoke coming from his nostrils. 

"When were you going to tell me?" Yugi snapped. He saw both Atem and Seto startle at the sharpness in his tone and took in the angered expression on his face.

Not so cute now, was he? 

"T-tell you what?" Atem asked warily, but the sudden nervousness he saw in his eyes was enough confirmation.

"You damn well know what! Did you forget to mention a little something about yourself?" Yugi hissed, cradling Gandora's bulk in his shirt when she whined. 

Atem groaned burying his face in his hands, "Who told you?"

Yugi scoffed, "Does it matter who told me?"

Atem sighed and shook his head, but Seto shrugged beside him.

"Actually it matters to me. There was a bet, and–"

"Fuck off, Seto!" They both growled at him, but he had the audacity to smirk and stayed right where he was. 

Despite how livid he was, Yugi saw that Atem at least seemed immediately remorseful. And while that didn't snuff out his anger, it at least made it lower to the point Yugi felt like he could speak without screaming or crying.

Even so, his throat was tight with emotion as he spoke again, "Why didn't you tell me? Was it because you all thought it was funny? Was I just a joke and you all were waiting for the punchline?"

Seto raised his hand, "I kind of was," he admitted without shame. 

"You are not helping!" Atem spat at him, before turning back to Yugi, his eyes wide and pleading, "Yugi, I had every intention of telling you eventually–"

Yugi sputtered, "Eventually?"

"Well, it never really came up, and–"

Oh, Yugi was getting angry again, the fire stoked into a blaze once more, "Never came up? How about the very first time we spoke? Hi, I'm Atem, newly initiated second class rider, oh and also crown prince of the fucking realm!"

Seto leaned into Atem, "You should keep the 'fucking' as part of your formal title."

"Stop enjoying this!" Atem snarled at him, pushing Seto away roughly and then grabbing Yugi's arm against his protests, and dragged him into the empty classroom.

He pulled the door shut behind them, cutting Seto out. Atem braced himself against the door, and Yugi swore he could feel his pulse racing through the tight grip on his wrist. 

As soon as Atem let go of his arm, Yugi was backing away from him. Each step he moved away, Atem's face seemed to fall further. His hand half raised between them.

"Yugi, I know you're upset right now. And honestly you have every right to be. But if you would please permit me to explain myself. I swear I never had any intention of deceiving you, it just happened, and I regret it immensely–"

"Do you only regret it because I found out?" Yugi asked quietly, but it could have looked like he slapped Atem for how he recoiled, "Would you ever have told me? Or did you like keeping us…keeping me ignorant?"

Yugi was startled when he looked up into Atem's eyes and for the first time ever, he saw fear. 

Atem wrung his hands and went to take a step closer, but Yugi took a step back in turn. A look of agony passed over Atem's face as he watched, and he didn't try to advance further. 

He bit his lip and dropped his gaze to the floor, "I did want to tell you, and I was planning to, but I waited too long and that is my fault. I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner. I was being a coward, but in my experience, when people learn of my title it rarely has ended up going well."

"Yeah, and this is going great."

Yugi didn't even care if he was being rude to a prince, because clearly Atem didn't expect him to act differently if he spent the last few months carefully orchestrating it to where Yugi didn't treat him like royalty. 

Atem's laugh was a broken and pitiful one, and he shook his head sadly, "I had not realized just how isolated those of the north were. I have been used to everyone knowing my face, or at least my name. I had honestly expected you to know once I gave you my name that first night. But when you didn't, I hesitated to correct you. It was refreshing and a relief to travel through your territory and not have people recognizing me after what I'd been dealing with in the Den. So when we were told during that first mission to avoid bonding with the hatchlings, because so few of you usually make it, I was happy to have that anonymity firmly in place. There were no expectations of me beyond that of being a rider. I…I liked it," he said quietly, rubbing his arms. 

"But you did end up bonding with us. And you still didn't say anything," Yugi pointed out, not bothering to hide the hurt in his voice.

Atem nodded, looking ashamed, "And I should have. But I worried it would ruin things, that all of you would suddenly act like everyone else does. It always ruins things," he spat, his voice suddenly bitter as his lips curled into something pained, "Even coming here, I was lulled into thinking that my fellow hatchlings were genuine in how they wanted to be friends. I was welcomed by many, but it wasn't long before I realized they only sought my companionship because they thought it would gain them favor."

Atem's voice had turned bitter again, and he began to pace back and forth in front of the door. 

"But when I gave them no advantage, their company dwindled…and then once they saw how I was being treated differently than them…that's when they became angry and jealous, not realizing I didn't like how I was being treated either! It led to fights in the tunnels, and taunting…and that was just the other hatchlings of my year. Even the officers treated me differently."

"They held you back from those missions because you were the prince," Yugi said slowly, it all starting to make more sense now. Why Atem was kept from dangerous missions longer than others. Why he was assigned to basic tasks below his skill set.

Atem sighed, coming to a stop and leaning heavily against the door and let his head fall in a thud against it.

"As sole prince and heir, it is supposed to be my destiny to take the throne someday, which despite me being chosen is still the plan. It makes the Capital wary since the risks of being a rider means their heir is at risk too, so they ask for extra precautions. But my fellow classmates see that as unfair since they have to risk their lives like any other rider. And they're right. I did not blame them for their animosity towards me, because I felt that same anger. And I'm not telling you this for pity, I just beg you to understand why I hesitated to say anything. I wanted to be treated like everyone else. I wanted a chance to prove I could make friends without them being lured by motives. That I could…I…I thought I might have found something real with you in all that," he said, looking up and finally meeting Yugi's eyes. 

They were filled with desperation. And Yugi felt it echoed in himself, but it was still faint under what felt like a sea of hurt and confusion. His heart hurt deeply, even as his fury melted away to nothing. 

Yugi dared to look back, "Real as in…"

Atem swallowed hard, but didn't drop his gaze, "Real as in I wanted to know you better. To have more between us. And I wanted to be known by you too. I truly did."

The words were pretty, and oh so very tempting. But Yugi was adrift in all of the moments they'd already shared, and he felt like every single one he'd treasured and thought about when he felt lonely…suddenly they all felt stained somehow. 

Gandora let out a soft whine, and his arms wrapped around her instinctively. 

"But…was it real? How could it be when that whole time you were hiding yourself. You didn't even tell me who you are," Yugi said, his voice cracking with emotion. 

Atem' eyes widened, and he looked scared again, "You know who I am! Who you spoke to, all we shared, that was who I am, not a title. You do know who I am. You just didn't know what I was."

"Is there a difference?" Yugi whispered, unsure. 

Atem looked like Yugi's words shattered him, and his usually warm eyes turned misty, "To you? I can only hope there is," he whispered. 

Immediately Yugi regretted his words, because now it seemed like they were both hurting. Atem looked as gutted as Yugi felt. 

Both of them were looking at the floor rather than each other. Yugi's head and heart hurt, even as Gandora tried to soothe him clumsily through their bond. She didn't understand what was happening, and truthfully neither did Yugi.

His anger had been snuffed out, but he almost wished it hadn't because the hurt and uncertainty left behind felt so much worse. Like Yugi couldn't even look at Atem without feeling like a knife was twisting in his gut. 

Yugi was by nature a forgiving person, and he was smart enough to know there was a lot more behind Atem's struggles than what little he'd said just then. That there was more behind why his classmates turned on him. The implications of a prince and heir serving in an army. Not to mention all the burdens that came with both duties converging. He wanted to forgive and forget just to free them both from this hurt …but with the fog of his rage lifting, Yugi was starting to see a lot more of the implications behind Atem's title. 

And it was only making Yugi feel even more insecure than ever before. He felt mortified for his thoughts and daydreams, not realizing he had been pathetically trailing after a prince this whole time. Yugi's supposed best asset was his brain, and yet he'd missed all of the signs because he was distracted by embered eyes and warm smiles. 

Pressure was building in his chest, making it hurt even worse as he fought against crying. It felt like he was already losing that battle because he could feel his chin wobbling despite his efforts to hold it all in. 

Yugi drew in a shaky breath, "I get it. I do. I understand why you wouldn't say anything, but…it still hurts, because for a second there I thought…maybe it doesn't matter what I thought, because if you're a prince then I never…I never even stood a chance, did I?"

Atem's mouth opened in horror, and he pushed away from the door, "Yugi, don't say that. Of course you-"

But he couldn't hear this now. He just couldn't or he knew he'd break.

"Atem, I think I need to be alone for a bit. I need to go. I need to go now," Yugi said, his voice wavering. His eyes were burning as badly as his cheeks as his shame and embarrassment took over his hurt. 

"Yugi, dragonheart, wait. Please, we can talk-"

Atem reached out for Yugi, but he flinched away again. He didn't want to feel the heated burn of his touch right now. He didn't think he could stand it.

"Please, I just need to think and be alone! Please let us go," Yugi begged, already feeling hot tears falling down his cheeks. He ducked his head in shame when he knew Atem saw his face before he could hide it. 

Gandora let out a warning shriek, and that seemed to trigger something in Atem, because he finally moved away from the door, even if it looked like he wanted nothing less than to let Yugi go. 

He all but flew to the door, ready to go and lose himself to his shame and sorrow in his room, but it seemed like the moment he made it to the threshold of the door, Yugi froze as if under a spell.

But it was just Atem gently calling after him.

Yugi didn't turn around to face him, but he swore he could sense Atem's sadness as if they also shared a bond.

"I'm sorry, dragonheart. You have no idea just how sorry I am…but please don't let this be it for us. This, us, it was real for me, more real than anything I've ever known before. I don't want to lose you."

He drew in a deep breath and felt Gandora steadying him through the bond.

"I'm sorry too…I just need time, okay?"

He heard Atem sigh, but he couldn't say it was one of relief. Not with how somber it sounded. 

"I'll give you all the time you need, I'd grant you all the eternity that we have been given, so long as you don't end things here like this," he said, his voice as broken as shattered glass. 

Yugi couldn't trust his own voice anymore, so he managed a sharp nod without turning around…and fled.

Chapter Text

There were many times in Atem's life that he'd felt the true weight of loneliness in his heart.

First as a child when his mother was lost young to a lung sickness even the king's mages could not cure.

Then again roaming the grand halls of the castle that held no other children to play with, followed by years at court where he quickly learned no friend came without expectations and political meandering.

He'd thought that from the very first moment he felt the tentative sweep of a consciousness against his mind that maybe his loneliness would end at last. That with Osiris bonded to him he would never ache for companionship again.

But it seemed that forgetting a lifetime of being kept at arms length from all other humans was a weight not so easily shaken off. And he had once again felt his shoulders stoop low when it seemed even after being brought into the Guard, he would be denied those human bonds once again. 

Atem had come close though. Close in that somehow the Little Gods had deemed him finally worthy of human companionship in the form of Seto. Atem still believed the Little Gods to be laughing at him now over their 'gift'. But what Seto lacked in social prowess, at least he made up for in his own strange form of loyalty.

But it seemed his need for more had not been satiated even then (how surprising). And he'd all but given up on his loneliness receding by the time he went to guide one stunningly fascinating chosen back to camp…and he got a taste of what until then had seemed like forbidden fruit. His time with Yugi had been sweet, tantalizing, and addicting. 

And he'd lost that too. 

These last two days somehow felt even worse than all of his other bouts of loneliness however. And he knew it was because he had no one to blame save for himself. 

And because he could feel the echo of that loss in his partner as Osiris also mourned the sudden distance from their favorite dragon and rider pair. 

Atem looked out over the water from the ledge they sat on, Osiris resting his head beside his lap. He almost missed the days when Osiris was small enough to curl up on him. Or at least doing so without risking bodily harm. And without Gandora around, he wasn't able to enjoy the best parts of having a baby dragon around again. 

He missed her desperately too.

Osiris sighed heavily beside him, sounding as forlorn as Atem felt. It was hard to discern his own feelings from his dragons these last two days because they had been mostly the same. 

Sad. So very sad. All derivations of sad too. 

Even just two days and it felt like ages since he had to watch Yugi run away from him. Of course Yugi had at least granted him the grace of asking for time and not just cutting Atem off entirely. He only hoped that it wasn't just Yugi being overly kind as usual, and giving Atem hope when there truly wasn't any. 

And even if the matters of sharing their hearts were irreparable at this point, Atem could at least dare to hope that the friendship may be salvageable. At this point he was desperate for anything, even if it would be torture to be reduced to mere friend when he desired so much more than that. 

Beside him, Osiris let out a pained sounding rumble and huff, curling into a tighter coil around his rider. 

Atem tutted at him, and draped an arm over his snout, "I know, I'm sorry, boy. I know you miss them too."

Osiris let out a truly pitiful whimper that felt like a knife through the heart. His dragon was hurting too, and Atem hated that it was because of him. But even so, Osiris kept his coil around Atem tight and as unrelenting as always. It seemed not even his dragon could escape the curse of his title. 

He sighed, running his hand over the smooth red scales along Osiris' nose, "And I'm sorry this happened. I hope that…that you don't regret choosing me, boy," he said quietly over the hush of the sea breeze. 

Osiris growled immediately, sending a surge of protest so hard and fast across the bond it made Atem dizzy, but also warm at the same time to feel his dragon's loyalty still unwavering between them. 

"Thank you, Osiris," he whispered, pressing his head against the cool scales and letting the thrum of his partner soothe the aches in his heart and soul.

He was about to suggest that they go out for a ride to take their mind off of their turmoil, but before he could Osiris lifted his head to peer back into the Den.

Atem looked over his shoulder to see what caught the dragon's attention, and immediately rolled his eyes seeing Seto walking onto the landing.

"I am not in need or want of your company right now, Seto," he said, Osiris backing up his words with a lazy growl. 

Seto at least had enough of awareness to look somewhat chastised, while not appearing at all remorseful. Atem would hardly expect anything more than that. While he had warned Atem this would happen, that was not an open invitation to antagonize the situation when it finally slapped Atem in the face. Like pouring moonshine on an open wound.  

"Atem…I didn't come for company," he said, and it caught Atem's attention at least. He sighed and turned to face him.

"What do you want then? If it's a favor then my answer will remain the same as it always has, but please tack on an extra 'fuck you' to the end," he said haughtily. 

Seto scowled and dropped his gaze, as if actually feeling shame for once. How novel of him. 

"I came to tell you we have a mission. A northern ridge watchtower has called for supplies, and the wagons need escorts through the mountain range. It'll take us at least three weeks to return, possibly four depending on the weather. We fly out in two hours," he mumbled, and Atem swore he sounded apologetic. 

Normally the prospect of a real mission, especially one with challenging flights through the northern mountains, would thrill Atem. But instead all he felt was dread and regret.

Up to a month away…what if he missed his chance with Yugi in that time? What if he moved on and found someone else? Someone he could trust and didn't come with an entire kingdom's worth of baggage on his shoulders? If he decided during those weeks that Atem wasn't worth it just like everyone else did…he wouldn't be here to change his mind.

But there was nothing to be done about it. Duty called, and despite what Marik and the others thought about him, Atem knew he would be ready on that landing in two hours. 

Atem sighed, and got up, signaling to Osiris to meet him in their room to be saddled up. He walked straight past Seto, not even pausing when he called out Atem's name. 

He'd be stuck flying with Seto for the next month. He'd enjoy his last two hours of peace before enduring what would likely be a lackluster attempt at making amends for his flippant behavior. 

But for all his own dismissal over what he assumed would be an unwanted and sad attempt at an apology, Atem couldn’t help but wonder if this was not similar to his own failed attempt at an apology two days before. And if Yugi also had just not been ready to hear it then, because it was all too fresh still. 

If Atem apologized again, would it make any difference? 

But it wasn't like he could do anything now with a mission waiting for him mere hours away…

Or was there? 

Atem quickened his steps and broke into a run. 

Two days of wallowing later, Yugi still struggled to look anyone in the eye. He just felt like any time he walked through the tunnels now that people would look at him and know what a fool he'd been. He didn't even take meals with his friends, because they'd see from one look that he was upset. And they'd ask why and then Yugi would have to tell them about Atem. He didn't know if they would be hurt like Yugi had been, but his own thoughts and emotions around it all were still too raw and he really didn't want to talk about it yet.

So yeah, he was doing pretty much what Atem had been doing. Avoiding the subject. Hypocrite much, Yugi?

But laying around in bed with a pillow over his face was hardly making him feel better. And crying wasn't helping much either. 

So he took off the pillow only to see Gandora blinking down at him, perched on the headboard of his bed. 

If she had eyebrows, Yugi knew one would be raised critically at him. But even if he couldn't see it, he felt it. Even a baby dragon knew he was being ridiculous. 

But dragon spit, Yugi was still mortified. 

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! And to think being the smart one was supposed to be the one thing going for me. How did I miss this?" 

The more he thought about it, the dumber Yugi felt. There had been so many signs that he'd just carelessly ignored.

How basically everything Atem did seemed elegant and graceful. Even his shrugs were fancy. Like he'd been taught his whole life how to be refined. Which he probably fucking had been. 

The strange collection of government and political books he'd seen Atem reading for what he assumed was some tragicly boring hobby, that was probably the normal study material given to those being groomed to run a fucking kingdom.

All the strange ways Atem was treated by other riders and even the officers. Why Yugi was always left wondering why someone like Atem wasn't surrounded by friends constantly. 

Well, maybe Yugi still didn't quite understand that part, but he imagined the root cause of it had everything to do with his title. 

And the escort mission for the king…Atem was probably going as part of the procession. That's what Marik was grumbling about that day on the ledge. He was talking about Atem, not the king. 

But as horrifyingly dumb he felt for not putting it all together, he knew he was only ruminating over how dumb he'd been so that he didn't have to focus on what he was really upset about.

And the real reason that Gandora was staring at him now, sending constant prodding through their bond like any baby would to get attention. 

She knew Yugi had already forgiven Atem for keeping his royal status a secret, and that neither of them truly believed that Atem had done it as a joke among his classmates. If he had intended it as a joke, then he wouldn't have insisted on all their meet ups being in the privacy of the library. 

She also happened to know one other very damning bit of information. 

That Yugi had been missing him desperately the last two days. He even missed Osiris. It had been days since a dead animal had been thrown at him, and he kind of missed that too? It made him feel special…

"Shit, I'm doing it again, aren't I?" He said to her, dragging a hand down his face, "I'm avoiding what I'm really upset about."

She chirped once and then let out a little growl as her tail flicked back and forth. 

Yugi groaned and rolled over in his bed, "I know, I know! We both miss them a lot, and I'm making us both suffer, and for what? Because my feelings got hurt?"

Little Gods, he had braved hell on earth, jumped off a flying dragon, and drove his hand into a burning pot of embers to get what he wanted, but somehow Yugi couldn't work up the courage to talk to Atem about all this? 

Wounds of the heart run deeper than wounds of the skin. 

Yugi sighed, remembering the saying his grandpa had used many times when he was growing up. He used it to explain why Yugi carried the weight of his parents' deaths despite not even remembering it. Or why the real damage from his childhood tormentors came from their lingering impression, rather than the temporary bruises they left behind. 

Maybe he had been hurt by what Atem had done. Not physically, because Yugi didn't think that anyone had ever been so gentle with him before in his life. He'd hurt Yugi somewhere deeper than that.

He'd also thought they had been getting closer to something real between them. A place that until now Yugi had thought someone like him would only find between the pages of the story books, where kisses and touch were given without hesitation, where hearts were given like tokens to carry, and where some of the strongest bonds were forged like steel in fire. 

Could something like that have ever existed for the two of them? Yugi had thought so. At least until he found out the person he'd thought he was falling for was someone else entirely. 

The crown prince of the fucking realm, and he had sat in his lap…what the fuck, Yugi? It just flipped everything Yugi knew on its head, and in turn also changed everything between them.

Because it would change everything between them. 

Wouldn't it? 

Because what would a prince ever be doing with someone like Yugi?

Gandora snorted, fluttering her wings in agitation. 

She allowed Yugi to pet her, smoothing down her metaphorical ruffled feathers, but then Yugi froze when he heard a knock at his door.

"Yugi?"

Come on. You've spent your whole life being trained to speak publicly. You've been in dragon combat with a possible wild rider. You've survived the Nursery twice…you can do this.

His hand still shook as he knocked on the door.

"Yugi?" He called out, proud when he managed not to stutter. He waited a moment but there was no reply…but Jounouchi had said Yugi was in here. So that must mean…

Atem sighed, and rested his brow on the door.

"You don't have to answer. I said I would give you time, and I meant it. I only wanted to come here to let you know that I am being sent out on a mission, and I won't be back for a month," he said, his voice just loud enough to be heard past the door. 

He didn't hear a single sound on the other side, and he almost decided to retreat. But then he felt Osiris pulsing through their bond and Atem found his feet remaining firmly in place.

"I will miss you while I'm gone," he said, "I know this because I have already been missing you terribly. These last two days without you have been more difficult and lonely than the two years I've spent living here before, because before I hadn't known the pleasure of having you close. And now your absence feels like a gaping wound."

Atem sighed, closing his eyes to will away the pain he felt echoing the sentiment of his words. 

But the door didn't move, and no sound was heard.

He swallowed hard past the lump in his throat and tried to keep himself from falling apart. He had to do this for himself, Osiris and Yugi. He owed them all that much at the very least.

"For whatever it is worth, know that I am so very sorry. I have spent even more than just the last two days regretting not telling you sooner, because...I did want you to know me. Not so much the title, but because I wanted there to be nothing hidden between us. I wanted to know everything about you with the same passion that you try to know everything about dragons. And I hoped you would want to know me in the same way. As the person, not the title. I want you to know that what I said before remains as true now, if not more so now that I know what just a taste of what being without you suddenly would be like. I wanted something real, something more between us. I just wasn't brave enough to reach for it. But this is me reaching right now. And…and if you can ever find it within you to want to reach back, I'll be waiting."

Atem bit his lip when he felt Osiris probing at their bond urgently, and knew he was out of time. 

He wiped at his eyes and hoped Yugi didn't hear him sniffling pitifully through the door. 

"I have to go now, dragonheart. They're waiting for me on the landing. I hope to see you when I return. K-keep the embers burning until then," he choked out, and then hurried away. 

Yugi was hugging Gandora close, his breath held the entire time Atem spoke, worried that if he breathed too loud he'd miss what was being said.

His words were tragically beautiful, soft and gentle, and yet Yugi remained petrified in place on his bed. Unable to move or speak at all, save for grabbing Gandora close and burying his face in her scales. He just couldn't fathom how someone like Atem was saying these things to someone like him. 

It didn't feel like it should be real. Like the words he said belonged in a story book, and not being spoken outside of his door in a broken voice. 

But Atem said it was real. 

And if Yugi pinched himself, that felt real too. Just as real as Gandora's scales on his neck, and the pounding feeling of his heart in his chest.

And the sound of Atem's retreating footsteps were painfully real too. 

Yugi let out a shaky breath through the lightheaded daze that had overtaken him. Gandora nuzzled at his jaw, making curious little probes along their bond, like she also heard nothing but the static Yugi did in his head. 

He stroked his hands down the length of her ridged tail, and let the motions ground him once more when it felt like his body and mind were floating.

"What am I doing…?" He asked himself as he sat there, trying to make sense of it all. But he was finding there just wasn't sense when it came to what his life had become of late. 

Just like he couldn't find the sense in why he was still sitting there, and why he didn't call back when Atem said his name. Because Yugi had wanted to call back. He wanted to reach just like Atem had. 

So what was his problem?

"I'm the one hiding now, aren't I?" He asked her, and she let out a small shriek of agreement, but he felt nothing but love through their bond. Not a hint of judgement. 

What was Yugi really afraid of here?

That he wouldn't be good enough. How could someone like Yugi ever be good enough for a prince? 

And yet…Yugi had always thought he'd never be good enough for a dragon either. And yet Gandora was purring loudly as she draped over his shoulders, tucking herself in place like she thought they were going for a walk.

And Atem had been hiding because he had also been afraid of losing what they'd found together, just because of who he was.

Shit. Yugi could hardly cast any stones here now. 

Atem had come all the way down here, reaching as he called it, just to tell Yugi he was leaving…and that he'd miss him. That he was already missing him. 

Yugi was already missing him too. He missed him even more even with him standing right outside of his door. And he knew he'd miss him even worse if he left now for a month and Yugi was too chicken shit to say goodbye. 

Maybe part of Yugi knew what he was really afraid of was losing what he had with Atem. But wasn’t sitting here and hiding doing that very thing? 

It was. He'd already lost two days, and now Atem was about to fly away for a month. And what if it was a dangerous mission?What if he never came back? Could Yugi live with himself knowing that he gave up on them before even trying? That he denied them both the chance at that something real because he was afraid? 

He was overthinking things again. Just like Jounouchi and Honda had been telling him all along in his training. He needed to stop thinking about his next move and just make it. To trust his gut, his heart, instead of his mess of a head.

"I can't leave it like this," Yugi gasped and flung himself out of his bed. Gandora had already securely wrapped herself around Yugi’s shoulders, like she had known this would happen all along, and didn't even budge an inch as Yugi became a flurry of frantic movement around their room.

Boots were thrown on, but the rest of his uniform was left behind because he may not have time. He patted his chest, and felt the corners of his pendant under his vest, and knew he had everything he really needed with Gandora at his back.

So without any more hesitation, Yugi ran from his room.

It was by pure some miracle that Yugi found the right landing pad, seeing how there were dozens in the cliff walls, but he wasn't about to question it when he finally spied scarlet scales gleaming under the sun.

And a seemingly equally gleaming rider tugging at saddle straps beside his dragon. For how stunning he looked as he tended to his dragon, there was no missing the sadness in his eyes, or the downturned curve of his lips as he patted at Osiris' flank. 

No one had noticed Yugi's arrival yet, which was fine by him. It gave him a moment to try and calm himself and catch his breath after nearly dying in the attempt to make it here in time. He seemed to be recovering fast though, almost suspiciously fast. Like Gandora may be lending him some strength across the bond again, and Yugi was endlessly grateful for her presence on his shoulders as he stepped out into the sunlight. 

Seto and Kisara were there with another rider, but none of them drew Yugi's gaze like Atem did, and they didn't pay him any mind. 

Yugi swallowed hard as he took in the sight of Atem under the midday sun, seeing the light kiss his skin and hair. Flight gear suited him almost too well. And Yugi had to wonder how in hell he had missed the fact that Atem was a prince looking at him now. How regally he stood, and how each movement was so carefully measured and elegant. Meanwhile Yugi's own posture was stooped and his shirt was rumpled. And he was pretty sure he still had grass stains on his pants. 

Just what did Atem see in Yugi? How could Yugi ever compare to someone like–

But then Atem turned away from Osiris, and the sorrow filled expression that had been painted into his handsome features suddenly lifted as he spotted Yugi standing at the tunnel entrance. The pure hope and elation lit up the embers of his eyes, and there was no way that Yugi could miss the sudden warmth there. All because Atem saw him. 

Yugi did that. Just the sight of him. 

Yugi may not know just what it was that Atem saw when he looked at him, but it was clear even to Yugi that he felt something real there. Something real for Yugi. Something that made him light up from the inside out, like fire rising from inside a dragon's belly. 

Yugi watched as Osiris nudged his rider's back gently, and Atem finally started to walk over to where he stood.  

"Yugi, I…what are…I mean…hi," Atem stuttered, his mouth twitching like he wasn't sure if he should be smiling or frowning. He began to tug on his leather glove clad hands nervously, and Yugi was starting to realize just how great of an effect he had on the usually composed prince.

No…the usually composed Atem. He was a person, not a title. Yugi had to remember that. 

Yugi cleared his throat and felt a shy smile cross his face, "Hi. Well, I guess not 'hi'. More like bye. But not because I don't want to see you again! Just normal bye, um, because you're about to leave, right? I just…we wanted to see you before you left. Is that okay?"

Atem's sigh seemed full of eager relief, "Of course, I'm so happy you did. I hated the thought of leaving things like this, of leaving you when you were still upset with me. It means the world that you came up here though, so thank you."

Yugi blushed and ducked his head, "You're welcome, but I also didn't want you to leave thinking we didn't want to see you." 

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, "I'm very glad for that too. And I meant what I said. I'll miss you terribly."

Gandora gave a sad little shriek where she hung on Yugi's shoulders.

Atem chuckled and reached out to scratch under her chin, "And I will miss you too, little spitfire. Be good for your rider, won't you? And Osiris wants you to grow nice and big while we're away."

She shrieked again, but it was a happier noise. 

Yugi stepped closer to the rider, and felt Gandora flutter her wings like she was excited, and the gust of it blew Yugi's bangs across his face. 

And just like that, Atem was reaching out to brush them back again, like he'd done for Yugi dozens of times before. Only this time the touch felt even sweeter as he carefully tucked the strand behind Yugi's ear, and the brush of his skin felt even warmer. Atem only seemed to notice what he was doing after a moment, and he startled and snapped his hand back.

His eyes widened, "Sorry, I shouldn't assume that you...I just–"

"It's okay, I don't mind. I never have, actually," Yugi rushed to assure him, and saw Atem's tense shoulders loosen a fraction. It looked like Atem was going to open his mouth to apologize again, but Yugi was quick to press the tips of his fingers to his lips to stop him, "No more apologizing, it's okay. I'm not mad anymore. I wasn't even all that mad to begin with."

Atem looked elated through the blush staining his cheeks as Yugi kept his fingers in place. Mostly because Yugi could see past Atem's shoulder to where the other riders were starting to look like they were ready to go, and Seto had been taking a suspiciously long time to tether his crossbow on the saddle. They would have to leave soon. Atem would have to leave with them.

Yugi drew in a deep breath and tried to will all his chaotic thoughts and emotions into comprehensive words in his head. Finally he pulled his hand away to tug at the collar of his own shirt, pulling it aside. 

"Atem, I know we don't have a lot of time before you have to go. And that's my fault for hiding these last two days instead of talking like we should have, but I didn't want us to leave things like that when you'll be gone for so long. So I came here to say goodbye, but I also wanted to give you something," he said, and tried to ignore how his hands shook as he tugged the chain free from his head, and let the pendant swing loose between them. 

"Is this the necklace you always wear? I've only ever seen the chain at your neck," Atem asked in quiet awe as he cupped his hands under the gold pendant, cradling it there. 

Yugi nodded and gently dropped the chain into his waiting palm, "It's not anything extravagant or expensive, but it is my greatest treasure besides Gandora. It's…it's the last thing I have from my parents," he said quietly.

If it was even possible, Atem seemed to hold it even more delicately in his hands.  

"The eye of Timaeus," Atem mumbled, looking down at the symbol of their kingdom embossed on the surface. His long fingers traced over the edges of the eye, "Is this for luck?" he asked, both of them knowing that the eye of Timaeus was usually considered a symbol of good fortune to their people too. It was practically carved, sewn, drawn, forged, or built into everything in their kingdom. It was even embroidered into the shoulder of their uniforms, and even the saddles of their dragons. 

But this time Yugi shook his head, "I know you're an amazing rider, and you don't need luck when you have Osiris," he said, smirking when Atem flushed and Osiris preened behind him, "I wanted to give you this for another reason."

"Tell me then, dragonheart," Atem said quietly. 

Yugi took another breath and felt Gandora's scales shifting around his neck, "You know now how important it is to me. So, I want you to wear it on your mission and use it to remind you to bring it back."

To remind you to come back to me too.

Yugi cleared his suddenly dry throat, "And when you return, bring it back to me, and we can talk like we should have before. And…I'll be waiting."

Atem's eyes flicked up to meet his, and once again Yugi felt the kindling of heat building between them.  

"I will come back for you, little dragonheart. I promise," Atem vowed, his eyes steady as they bore into Yugi's.

Yugi flushed, thinking how this made this seem like he was one of the ladies in his story books giving a token of luck to her knight, but he didn't regret giving it to Atem as he watched him loop it over his head with a look of reverence on his face. The rider very carefully tucked it under the leather vest he wore, and patted the small lump of it gently where it lay over his heart. 

"Atem, we must leave soon. The caravan is waiting for us," an older rider called out as he waved at him apologetically.  

Atem grimaced as he nodded and waved back. His face was almost sad again as he turned back to Yugi. But almost sad. It couldn't be all sad given the warmth of the smile he gave Yugi as he tucked a wayward strand of hair away again.

"I must go now, but I'll be thinking of you," he said and Gandora shrieked again, making him chuckle, "And you too, girl. Take care of your rider for me."

She purred as she settled back in around Yugi's neck like a scarf. 

Atem squeezed Yugi's arm before stepping away to swing up onto his dragon. Osiris playfully nuzzled his nose into Yugi's hair as Atem got settled in place, but then straightened his long neck out when the lead rider's dragon let out a call to attention. Out of the corner of his eye, Yugi saw Seto and Kisara line up. 

They were ready to leave it seemed, and Yugi tried not to focus too much on how it made his heart hurt to know Atem would be leaving with them. 

He glanced up again, and saw that Atem was ready too, but while Osiris was at attention, Atem's eyes were solely on Yugi standing below them. 

Yugi blinked up at Atem, suddenly feeling shy under his intense gaze, "May the wind be at your back," he called up to him where he sat regally on Osiris' back. 

Atem's smile was brighter than the sun creating a halo at his back, "Keep the embers burning until we return, dragonheart."

And with that, they were off.

Yugi stayed and watched them fly off until they disappeared out of sight over the horizon.

Chapter Text

Atem weaved through the wagons, dragons and drivers that were all crowding up the street. Even though the wind had been against them on their way here, the caravan had not finished loading the wagons it seemed, and now they were sitting around waiting to start the journey. All while grounded in the middle of a busy market. At the edges he could see many civilians gathered, staring in awe and whispering among themselves.

It could have been that they were just admiring the dragons, but Atem overheard a few poorly contained exclamations of 'it's the prince!' among them and did his best to ignore it. He was on duty after all. He did tug his flight hood back up however, even though they wouldn't be taking flight for another half hour at least. 

He tried to look busy as best he could. Keeping crowds back from the dragons. Tugging at a saddle strap here, tightening a cinch there…whatever it took to keep focused when it felt like half of him was left behind on that landing.

Atem had wanted nothing more than to stay there with him so they could talk more. Atem wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings remaining, and he wanted to catch up on the two precious days they'd lost, and he wanted to explore what might lay ahead for the two of them now that they admitted wanting more. 

Even after learning his secret, Yugi hadn't pulled away. And he would be waiting for Atem to return. Someone with a stunning mind, a dragon sized heart, and equally enrapturing looks was waiting for him. Could Atem truly be so lucky? 

His heart began to beat faster just thinking of it, and felt Osiris' amusement and joy across the bond.

His day had started so dark and dreary, wallowing in the misery of his own creation, and he had thought he'd continue to drown in that muck during his month away…but instead he'd looked up from the ground to see Yugi standing there looking so sweet and earnest. And his words were just as sweet and earnest as he spoke to Atem, unknowingly healing a hurt that he'd kept in his heart for years as the loneliness ate away at it. 

The only thing that left a bitter aftertaste to an otherwise perfectly sweet moment was having to leave him. 

But even so, he still felt himself smiling as he laid a hand over his chest and felt the edges of Yugi's pendant under his shirt. 

"If you're smiling like that, then I imagine he's forgiven you."

And just like that, the smile was gone in place of a scowl. Osiris rumbled beside him as Seto stepped between the filling wagons around them.

"That hardly absolves you for your behavior," Atem pointed out, not even turning to face him. 

He could hear Seto step closer, but one sharp growl from Osiris was enough to stop him in his tracks.

Atem rewarded his dragon with a pat down his flank.

He heard Seto scoff, "You're still mad at me? I warned you from the start of what would happen, and you didn't listen. I even told you I'd find it funny when it all inevitably would blow up in your face. You can't pretend I didn't say anything to the contrary."

"If this is your attempt at an apology, then I must warn you that it is not a great start," Atem mumbled as he idly scratched at Osiris' chin.

Seto huffed, and Atem could picture him petulantly crossing his arms over his chest like a spoiled child.

"I'm not going to apologize for being right."

Atem sighed and rolled his eyes as he finally turned around. He mirrored Seto's posture, but his expression was carefully neutral. Just like his father had taught him for years in court. 

He leaned up against Osiris' side and stared across at the other rider carefully without saying anything. 

He wouldn't describe Seto as wilting under his gaze, he was far too stubborn for that, but he did appear somewhat cowed as his head ducked just a fraction lower.

"I won't say sorry for being right…but I will admit that I did not help the matter when Yugi confronted you," he said after a long silence between them.

Atem had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking. He knew Seto would cave eventually. He'd have to write Mokuba to gloat of his victory. Or was it their victory? Because surely the younger Kaiba was the reason Seto was standing before him now. Mokuba must have already sent Seto a scathing message.

Atem offered little more of his expression beyond a slow blink, "I see. Then why did you choose to aggravate an already delicate situation? You may not care about social niceties, Seto, but you are not ignorant of them."

Seto looked like he was physically pained by Atem's words, but not because he was hurt by them. Rather his agonized expression was purely because of his reply it seemed, as the words look like they actually pained him to be spoken.

"Because I knew after watching you two…that no matter what was said by anyone, you'd still find a way back to each other. And I just couldn't understand why someone as brave as you was acting like such a coward, and it was driving me mad," he growled, each word being spoken through clenched teeth, "And it pissed me off why you couldn't see that…that Yugi would ride with you if you were a prince or as the lowly son of a fisherman, because he's been clinging to you this whole time despite not knowing your title. You were being such an idiot, and I could not stand watching the future king of the realm act like a fool."

"That's actually very sweet of you, Seto," Atem allowed, somewhat impressed Seto could say all that without self combusting into flame. Perhaps Kisara was lending her rider some emotional support through the bond today. 

Seto scowled, "Fuck off," he replied instantly, making Atem chuckle, "It was honestly just a relief and funny as fuck to see Yugi lashing you out for what I'd been thinking all along. And I got to give him some credit, he didn't hold back at all once he'd learned of your title. I may actually respect him more for it because it isn’t every day you come across someone willing to cuss out a prince."

Atem's laugh was genuine, "That's true. Between you and Yugi, the realm will never have to fear their prince ever getting too full of himself."

"Happy to do my part."

"I'm sure you are," Atem allowed, going back to patting Osiris, "But I hope you know I still won't be granting you or your stepfather any favors in court."

"Business as usual then," Seto said with a shrug, taking a few tentative steps forward. 

And it was the usual for them. Seto had been among the chosen who had flocked to Atem when first entering the Guard, but when it became clear that Atem would not use his title to grant them special treatment…Seto had been the only one who stayed. Atem had never quite figured out why, but he had been quietly grateful all the same. 

So this time when Seto approached, neither Atem nor his dragon warned him off. 

Seto leaned against a nearby wagon as the caravan drivers hurried around them. Atem looked to the sky and sighed when he saw the sun dipping lower. They had a long journey ahead, and for all that Atem was eager to return as quickly as possible to Yugi, it seemed they would be delayed from the very start.

Seto seemed annoyed too, tapping his fingers on his arm as he scowled at each harried driver rushing past them. Kisara yawned widely as she wandered up behind them.

"This is an annual trip that's been on the mission books for months. How are they not ready yet?" Seto hissed. 

"It's not entirely their fault actually."

Atem and Seto turned to see Bruno, their third class rider and escort for the mission, walking up to them. His massive dragon, Vizor, following him as best she could around the wagons. Several drivers gasped in awe at her size and ducked away from her. 

Atem ducked his head in greeting to their superior, and Bruno smiled kindly back. While Atem hadn't interacted with this rider much before, he knew from word around the Den that he and his dragon were gentle souls who preferred aid missions rather than combative ones. Vizor was also just a handful of clutches behind Ma'at in terms of being one of the best egg producers in the Den. It gave Atem hope for a calm mission, and with any luck, that would mean it would conclude quickly. 

"Is something wrong with the supply chain that there was a delay in preparing them?" Atem asked. He didn't recall any of his father's letters saying anything about trade issues this close to winter. That would have been a great cause for worry if so.

Bruno shook his head though, easing his concern, "There was a last minute request for more supplies than usual for this delivery. Something about the dragons being restless at the tower and everyone thinking they're in store for a brutal winter. Vizor and I usually escort this caravan ourselves every year at this time, right before the worst of the winter storms, but with so much being requested by the watchtower, they decided they wanted to send more dragon escorts. That's why you were both pulled in last minute," he said, sounding apologetic. 

Atem was quick to wave off the apology, "We're happy to help."

Bruno looked relieved, "Good. And this will be good practice for you and your dragons too. Flying through the mountains this close to winter is no easy feat. Just follow us though, and Vizor will get us to the watchtower. She's the best guide there is," he said proudly, patting her leg which was as thick as a tree trunk, "And you're lucky we weren't late getting here too! We just got back from the Nursery this morning."

Atem smiled at them, "Another clutch then? Congratulations to you, Vizor."

She preened and let out a happy shriek that made a hoard of bystanders jump.

Bruno looked just as proud, "Thank you! This was her most plentiful year yet. I think after so many runs there I may also have the way memorized," he chuckled. 

"Good, we'll need a good escort to get us through the northern mountains before the winter storms come in," Seto said. 

Atem had to agree that it was a concern. Flying through ice was as hard on the dragons as it was on the riders too. And this tower was by far the most isolated of all the ones erected along the kingdom's coast. They would be relying on these supplies to make it through the winter while keeping watch for wraith. They'd have to move quickly to avoid the storms of the season. And to think they'd be further slowed thanks to the increased load in the wagons…

Atem sighed and shook his head.

Bruno's smile didn't falter though, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. And it looks like they're just about done filling the wagons. Let's get saddled up, you two."

Atem and Seto nodded sharply and hopped into their saddles at last.

Ryou was in such shock that he actually froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth for a whole minute as he gaped across the table at Yugi. It was a much less gross reaction than Jounouchi spitting out his drink on everyone around them like some sort of water breather.

Yugi's shirt was still damp as his friends finally started to calm from their initial freak outs. Which Yugi would allow. His own freak out was two whole days, so the fact that they were calming after a few minutes was a little humbling for him. 

The Great Hall was noisy around them, and packed for the dinner hour. Yugi had gotten used to eating at odd hours since starting to spend his time with Atem in the library, so coming back to it suddenly was jarring to say the least. Even if Atem's reasons for avoiding people were different, Yugi was finding that he preferred the quieter meal times he’d grown used to, and missed the library. 

And maybe he was missing Atem too. 

Jounouchi chuckled wryly, grabbing another slice of bread, "Man, you really know how to pick them, Yugi. Here I was impressed that you nabbed yourself a higher ranked rider, and here I should have been more amazed you nabbed yourself a fucking prince. Wait till Shizuka hears about this in my next letter," he snorted, shaking his head. 

"So you guys aren't mad at him?" Yugi asked tentatively. 

Jounouchi leaned back, rubbing his chin, "Not me personally, but if you're angry then say the word and I'll happily punch him in the face. Prince or not, no one messes with my buddy's heart and gets away with it."

A smile flickered on Yugi's lips, "Thanks, but that won't be necessary. Please don't punch royalty on my account."

"Eh, I punch whoever I see fit to punch. Title doesn't matter, just the kind of person they are," Jounouchi said, his words muffled around a big bite of bread, "And Atem has been alright besides being mum on his royal status. He saved our asses on the hunt, and he's got good taste if he's been after your tail, if you know what I mean. As long as he makes you happy, he can stick around. I may not even hit him."

"Uh, thanks?" 

"Don't mention it, buddy."

Yugi turned to Ryou next as he stirred his stew, "And you? Are you angry?"

Ryou shrugged, twirling his spoon as he thought, "I don't think so, just surprised. I think you would have had more reason than us to be angry, Yugi. You two had become very close after all."

Yugi ducked his head, swinging his feet under the bench, "Yeah, I guess I was a little upset at first. But I'm past that now."

Ryou smiled warmly, "Good, I'm glad. I agree with Jounouchi in that he seems very nice, and I honestly can't blame him for wanting to keep such a thing quiet. I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a rider and a prince. That's a lot of burden for one person, and I can see how some people would either try to take advantage of him, or begrudge him for it. It must have been very difficult for him here."

"Yeah, he said some stuff along those lines. I'm actually still trying to wrap my head around it all. We didn't get much time to talk about it, so I only just barely know what he's been going through," Yugi admitted guiltily. His stomach protested at the thought of food because of it and pushed his plate away.

Jounouchi noticed and pointed his half eaten turkey leg at Yugi's plate meaningfully. 

"You better eat that, or Osiris will come back and flatten you by dropping an oxen on your head," he warned.

Yugi sighed and grabbed the plate back. If Gandora wasn't with the caretakers he would have snuck the food to her, but alas…

Yugi's mind and eyes began to wander as he forced himself to nibble on some cheese. He spotted a few of the other hatchlings around the crowded hall. Crow sitting with his fellow villagers Yusei and Jack. Manjome, Johan and Judai making friends with the second class rider Asuka. Honda and Anzu were even chatting with the blacksmith apprentice Otogi in their own group, waving when they spotted Yugi. It seemed like everyone had friends now. Each long table was filled with pockets of chosen and riders. 

And yet Atem still had been sitting alone in the library all this time…

Until Yugi had joined him, but even so. Two years all alone, it made Yugi's heart hurt for him just to think about it. 

Yugi felt Gandora pulse across their bond, probably sensing his sudden sadness. He pushed back reassurance to her as much as he could and hoped she wouldn't worry. She was just a baby and she was already worried about Yugi…

He continued to look out over the room, until a flash of blond hair caught his attention. 

"Do you think we need to start calling him your highness now?" Jounouchi asked absently, but Yugi's focus narrowed suddenly to one other single rider at the corner of a table at the back of the hall. 

"Probably not. I don't think anyone else here does, and I doubt he'd appreciate it given the lengths he went through to keep his title under wraps."

Yugi blocked out Ryou and Jounouchi's chatter as he took in Marik where he was slumped over his uneaten plate of food. 

Without any real thought, Yugi stood up from the table.

Jounouchi's mouth was half full as he eyed Yugi stepping over the bench, "Yug? Where are you going?"

"I just want to talk to someone real quick. Keep eating," he said, waving his hand and them before walking away.

Marik noticed him just as Yugi came to stand across the table from him.

His expression became wary as he sat up from his tired slouch. 

"What do you want, kid?" 

Yugi slid onto the bench, sitting down across from him, meeting his eyes dead on.

"I want to know why you hate Atem so much," Yugi replied.

Marik's eyes narrowed, "Why?"

Yugi lifted one shoulder, "I'm just trying to understand, because I can't seem to wrap my head around why someone like him has been alone all this time."

Marik groaned and rolled his eyes dramatically, "Ugh, so you actually forgave him already? Jeez, kid, he lied to you!"

Yugi lazily placed his chin onto his folded hands, not looking away from Marik for a second. Just like Gandora when she was stalking her mice. 

"I got to know him well enough before you told me his secret to know that he meant it when he apologized. And now I'm trying to understand what it took to make him fear his own title enough to keep it hidden from us for months," Yugi said, his voice strangely calm. No anger, just wanting to understand. It wasn't like he'd be able to find a book on Marik's intentions in a book, otherwise he'd be reading it right now. 

Marik looked away first, and Yugi felt a small rush of victory winning the first face off. 

"You've been here long enough now to have at least some understanding of what it's like to be a rider," Marik started, leaning his elbows on the table. A deep set look of fatigue showed in his eyes as he moved under the dragonfire torches, "By being bonded with a dragon, we are granted the same immortality that our partners have. And yet our life expectancy is below that of normal humans."

Yugi's gaze didn't waver at his sad words or voice, but his heart did. He didn't say anything though, and waited for Marik to collect himself again before continuing. 

Marik drew in a long breath and let it out, "My family has been blessed with having chosen from every generation. My parents were both riders, and my siblings were chosen too. Ishizu is a rider, while Rishid is one of the battle instructors. No one was surprised when I was chosen too, but at the time…I didn't want it. I didn't want to be chosen, and I didn't want to be a rider. Especially when both my parents fell just a few months before my reaping."

Yugi startled at the bitterness he heard, and again when he heard Marik's confession.

Marik glanced up at him, "I love Ra, and I wouldn't give him up for anything now, but back then I just wanted to be a kid and live long enough to see that my family's name didn't disappear completely. I hated that our family was being pulled into the Guard and we were stuck with this duty we didn't ask for. And that we would be spending the rest of our short lives dedicating ourselves to this cause. But obviously once I got here, and I got Ra I started to change my mind. I was finally ready to devote my life to protecting the realm, just like my family did, just like my parents died doing. I was ready to fight alongside all the other dedicated riders in the Guard…but then when I arrived, I heard that the prince had been chosen in the same reaping."

Yugi swallowed hard, but stayed silent as Marik's gaze became distant. 

"You wouldn't have known because you were in the northern territories where no news makes it past the mountains, but the kingdom was in an uproar over it. Half of the people believed Atem would be the next King Timaeus, while the other half were petrified that we'd lose our only living heir. The officers here were split in the same way from what Ishizu told me. But in the end, she said the officers were told by the king to keep the prince safe as he trained, so that someday he could return to the Capital to rule as king."

"He'll leave the Guard completely?" Yugi asked, shocked.

Marik nodded, "I imagine he'll have to if he's going to take his father's place someday. He may be the only rider in centuries to enjoy immortality because he won't have to stay here risking his neck every day like the rest of us."

Yugi shook his head in denial, jumping to defend Atem, "What if the people are right and he is the next Timaeus. He could rule and protect the realm!" 

Marik's shrug was dispassionate, "I doubt it if his daddy won't even let him take the big missions. How's he going to learn to protect the realm when they're babying him through his training?"

"He has been taking on more challenging missions. Fuck, he engaged in dragon combat already! And he wants to do more, but they haven't let him," Yugi shot back.

But his words seemed to do nothing to impress Marik or change his mind, because he just looked as tired as ever as he stared back at Yugi with an almost pitying look. 

"Fine, maybe Atem wants to be more of a rider than they will let him be, but that doesn't change the fact that he knows as well as we all do that his destiny doesn't lie here in the Den, or dying in combat. His destiny is a pretty throne, with a golden crown, and to enjoy being a dragon rider with none of the tragedy that comes with it. If what you want is for me to stop being mean to him, fine, I'll lay off. But if you want me to respect him, then I'm sorry, I can't do that until I see that he's willing to devote himself in the same way we all have to," Marik finished, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. 

Yugi opened his mouth to defend Atem again. He knew how Atem felt about being held back, had seen how much he was bothered by being denied the chance to fly the same winds as his peers…but Yugi shut his mouth, knowing that he wouldn't win this with words. Clearly Marik was a man of action and believed what he saw, and nothing more. Yugi would waste his breath trying to convince him otherwise. Yugi bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste blood and sat back, but he didn't drop his gaze in defeat. 

Marik actually seemed pleased by that as he looked back at him across the table. It was only two feet of ancient and polished wood, but it could have been a canyon for how far away Yugi felt from his point of view. He sympathized with Marik, he really did…but if he only knew how badly Atem had been wanting to be just what Marik wanted…

Marik could see that Yugi wasn't about to back down though, and it showed in the amusement on his face as he pushed up from the bench and stood. 

"Give it time and I bet even you'll become bitter knowing what you stand to lose and what he doesn't. Give it even more time, you'll realize that even if you both get along great here…someday he's destined for a life outside of the Den, but your future will remain here. Think about it, kid," Marik said before pushing away from his uneaten plate and walking away. 

Yugi let him leave before getting up himself and silently going back to his friends. 

Chapter Text

One week into the mission things remained calm for the most part. They'd made it to the northern mountain range with only one encounter with thieves eyeing the wagon contents, but all it took was Osiris landing on the ground and a single roar to send them scurrying back to the forest. But while thieves were one of the possible threats for this mission, it was actually the weather in the mountains that was the real challenge. And only one day into the snow capped peaks, Atem was feeling it.

The wind always bit the riders hard in flight, but up here it practically ate at them. What little skin was exposed was dry and painful to the touch, even with the balm Bruno provided them. It was a good thing their legs were always fastened to their saddles, because Atem had lost feeling in his extremities only a few hours in. His hands were numb and clumsy on the reins, just as Osiris' wings were with the icicles forming on them. 

And this was on a sunny day. He didn't even want to think about what it would be like if the winter storms rolled in early.

Down with the wagons was more merciful, but it made guarding more difficult because the mountains made it hard to scout ahead. Thank the Little Gods that Bruno started to have them all take turns on overwatch when it became clear that the winds would not be with them for the journey. 

All the same however, by the time the caravan broke camp, Atem was well and truly exhausted. 

Seto was assigned the first watch for the night and had already found a perch with Kisara on a nearby ledge. He sat there now looking like a hawk beside his dragon, peering down over the camp with his sharp gaze. Atem trusted him completely to keep an eye on things, and paired with his own fatigue he'd thought he'd fall asleep easily. 

Only sleep didn't come right away. 

Even laying on the coiled bed of Osiris' tail, Atem's mind seemed to want to keep wandering even when his feet weren't. 

Atem sighed, folding his arms behind his head as he looked up at the sky. It was clear that night, letting him gaze up at the constellations and the moon above. As he identified each grouping of stars, he remembered the names his father had told him for each one. All dragons and riders of legend were up there it seemed, like their existence had been so great that they could not leave this world entirely, not without leaving an everlasting mark in the skies they used to fly in. 

Just above one sharp peak of a mountain, Atem spotted the long line of aligned stars that had been dubbed The Eye of Timaeus. As a child it had been his favorite to spot in the sky, and he would always bounce with excitement when he pointed it out to his father. How many hours had he spent on the grand balcony of the castle counting stars in the sky rather than sheep in his bed. And he'd always look for Timaeus first. Back then he'd been so proud to be a descendant of the last royal rider…and now Atem was the first royal rider since Timaeus, and all he felt now was inadequate. 

He wasn't so arrogant to think he should be up there among them…but he hoped at the very least, that his ancestor would be proud of him someday. If Atem ever got the chance to prove himself, that is. 

As the stars twinkled above, Atem was reminded of a similar twinkle he had grown used to seeing in Yugi's eyes when he was being playful or when he laughed. He wondered if Yugi knew the stories of the figures in the sky, and if not, if he'd want Atem to tell them to him. 

A smile pulled at the corner of his lips thinking of taking Yugi topside one night. They could lay together in the grass, pressed together for warmth. Atem could point out all his favorite constellations, guiding Yugi's hand as he traced it over them. A peaceful moment for the two of them, with no duty or distraction. He'd be able to hold him again, something that had become addicting since the moment he'd gripped him tight on Osiris' back. Every time since it had been harder to let go. 

One arm was pulled from behind his head as he gently tugged at the chain around his neck until Yugi's pendant pulled free. The eye glinted as it caught on the moonlight, the gold still bright even at the late hour. 

He found himself still in awe that Yugi had trusted him with this. It may not have been some fine jewel from the king's treasury, but it was a treasure to Yugi, and therefore a treasure to Atem as well. The gesture of giving it to Atem was…he could hardly contain himself with how incredibly moving it was. In the span of a single moment, Atem had gone from worrying that Yugi would never want to speak to him again to suddenly being given something so precious of his to look after. And to bring back to Yugi so that they could finally talk about them. 

Atem cradled the little pendant in his hand, and realized he had been smiling at it this whole time as his cheeks began to hurt. 

It was nearly impossible not to fantasize about what he dared to dream could be ahead for the two of them. Like more sweet moments shared in the library, under the stars, or even in more private moments away from all eyes but each other's. But unfortunately, Atem was not so naive to think that it would all be sweet and heated moments. 

The smile on his face dimmed, thinking about how despite all his insistence that his title meant nothing in the Den, it was still a looming cloud above him all the same. There was no forgetting his royal obligations, after all. But Atem had responsibilities as both heir and rider that he couldn't forget either. For all that Marik and his classmates thought he'd drop one in favor of the other, they didn't realize just how far Atem was willing to reach to hold onto both. No matter the burden, his loyalty to his people was just as fervent as his loyalty to his fellow riders. No matter how said riders treated him.

Yugi had become his respite from all of that. Just looking at his sweet face and pretty eyes seemed to lift Atem's burdened soul instantly, lifting away all his worries like heavy clouds lifting away to reveal the sun. Atem knew that there would be more than few turned heads at his choice in a human companion, just as Osiris once turned heads the first time he lumbered through the court. But Atem actually adored that about Yugi too. That he would be nothing like what everyone had expected Atem to pursue. He wasn't some highbred stock from the lords of the realm, always draped in the most expensive silks and never having a single hair out of place. Yugi was a hearty, if not small, creature hardened by the frigid northern winds. He wore the same grass and smoke stained uniform of a true rider, and Atem had yet to see him with even one strand of hair in place. Something Atem loved because it gave him an excuse to touch.

Yugi was nothing like the fancy young things paraded in front of the prince in court or at the annoyingly more frequent balls and banquets of late, and it only made him even more alluring because of it. Yugi was a wild and untamed sprite of the north with the spirit to match, and Atem could not help but be entranced by it. 

Although Atem would love to see how his deceptively delicate body looked when dressed in clothing that would accentuate the unique and northern roughened beauty of him. Then Yugi would turn heads in court for an entirely different reason.

But Atem was once again getting ahead of himself. First he needed to finish this mission out, and then return the pendant to Yugi in exchange for the talk they so desperately needed to have. 

Atem felt his stomach swoop like Osiris had taken them in a nosedive, and his heart began to race with anticipation of that promised moment. If he could just return to him soon enough. 

Three more weeks seemed like an eternity to wait. He wondered how much Gandora will have grown by then. She was still such a tiny little thing, just like her rider, but Atem just knew that they'd both be growing in their own right in time. 

And while he adored Gandora as the darling little thing she was, both Atem and Osiris were eager for her to grow big soon so that they could all fly together at last. Then he and Yugi could fly under the stars, not just lay under them. 

The smile was back, lazy and tired on his face, but genuine all the same. Atem stretched out once before curling up more comfortably on his dragon's tail. Osiris huffed in his slumber, and flicked up the end of his tail to drop over Atem. Either to still him or to keep him warm, Atem wasn't sure, but he appreciated the comfort of it all the same. 

He had a few hours to sleep before he was supposed to relive Seto, and Atem's mind seemed finally content to rest at last.

He closed his eyes, thinking of how he couldn't wait to finish this mission now. There was so much waiting for him back at the Den now. All the things he'd want to share with Yugi.

Already he swore he could feel a tug within him, pulling him back towards Yugi. 

But that was probably just his imagination getting mixed up with his heart.

He hoped that Yugi and Gandora were alright. He hoped Yugi was actually sleeping instead of staying up late studying again. But even thinking of Yugi curled up in his bed reading to firelight made his heart warm. He couldn't wait to see them again.

Perhaps his future was as murky as it was daunting. But thinking about a future with Yugi…it was something he wanted to think about. Enough peace that he finally calmed to the image of the two of them curled up on Osiris just like this, and it sent Atem to sleep at last. 

One week after watching Atem fly off, Yugi found himself back on that same ledge, looking up at the sky. 

Yugi should have gone to bed hours ago, but he found himself restless for some reason.

Well, not an entirely unknown reason, but Yugi was trying not to think about it too much. And he was just doing an awful job of that honestly. This was not his first sleepless night, and it probably wouldn't be the last either. 

Yugi absently flipped the page of the book laid out across his lap. The moon was just bright enough that he could read, but he was starting to realize he didn't even know the subject of the book, let alone what the last page contained. 

With that, he closed the cover and leaned back on his arms to look up at the stars instead. 

He was losing feeling in his legs where Gandora was draped over them, and it was just another reminder of how fast she was growing. Already she was struggling to fit around Yugi's narrow shoulders like she used to, and she was starting to get heavier too. Case in point, Yugi not feeling his toes as she fell asleep across his ankles. 

If only he could grow that fast…or at all. 

He wondered how big Gandora would be by the time Atem got back. Certainly not big enough to fly, Yugi had already pestered Atem with all of those questions ages ago, and knew it would be a few more months before Gandora could fly on her own, and then up to a year before she could carry her rider. But still, it was amazing to see just how quickly she was growing. It made him a little sad that Atem was missing it, but they both knew their duty as riders was more important. 

It was why Marik's ominous warning had done very little to sway Yugi’s resolve when it came to Atem. 

He just couldn't bring himself to believe that Atem would just abandon the Guard when he was working so hard to be a good rider. No one would put that much of themselves into something they didn't care about. Yugi may not know much about what it took to rule a kingdom, but he at least had a good understanding of what it took to be a real dragon rider, and Atem was that and more. Yugi had sat beside Atem in the library as he studied hard for subject for both his Guard lessons, and apparently also for his royal studies too. He'd been managing both while somehow still staying in the top rank of his class. Surely that counted for something. 

It was just something they'd talk about once Atem returned, and Yugi could ask what Atem hoped for his future in the Guard and as heir. 

It wasn't like there hadn't been a royal rider before. King Timaeus was still the greatest ruler their kingdom had ever seen, and was revered and honored to this day. Even now without his pendant, Yugi still wore the ancient king's symbol in a patch on his shoulder, and the flag of the Guard billowing above the landing carried his mark for over a thousand years after his death. Maybe there hadn't been a single royal chosen since then until Atem, but that wasn't the point. The point was that there was precedent, and it had been done before. And it had been done so well that Timaeus was still the one everyone thought of first when asked about the greatest rulers and the greatest riders. 

Not that Yugi expected Atem to be the next Timaeus, because wow, pressure much? Yugi didn't expect Atem to be anyone but himself now. Even if he was a prince. Atem had asked him to see the person, and that's who Yugi saw when he thought of Atem this last week. 

He'd thought of their little moments shared as well as their big ones. From laughing with Yugi over the latest offering Osiris had dropped at his feet, to the joy they had shared watching Gandora hatch together. Those moments were with the person, not the title. And it was those moments that led Yugi to begin falling for him. 

And how far he'd already fallen. Like leaping from the back of the dragon into waiting arms.

His stomach swooped suddenly, reminding him of flying on Osiris as he dove after the thief. Atem had held Yugi so tightly then, and despite the incredibly dangerous situation, Yugi had felt perfectly safe in his arms. 

And for all that Yugi had believed his affections to be one sided, he could not forget that look of longing and hope that lit up Atem's entire being when he spotted Yugi on this very landing a week ago. Yugi would have sworn he had felt Atem’s sorrows and his joy in those moments if he didn't know such things were impossible. 

But what Yugi knew as fact was how Atem never seemed to tired of Yugi's constant questions. Or how both Atem and his dragon seemed to have taken it upon themselves to provide constantly in terms of food and protection.

And Atem had said he wanted more too. 

Even now his words filled Yugi with giddiness, and a broad smile took over his face as he looked up at the sky. He shivered at the cooling breeze of the seasons turning, and wished to have Atem at his back again, knowing just how warm he could be. 

Or he'd even settle for Osiris coiled around him, because Yugi had started to enjoy getting all wrapped up by Atem's mischievously sweet dragon. 

Or even just the two of them relaxing together while their dragons played nearby. Gandora dancing around under Osiris' belly, making them both rumble and purr with joy. All while their riders watched them nearby.

But as much as Yugi wanted things to be that simple for all of them, he knew it wouldn't be.

Gandora was growing, and it came with the expectation that she and Yugi would become soldiers to protect the realm someday. He'd be tasked with his own missions, some of which might even be dangerous ones. And Atem would have duties pulling him in several different directions as he finished his training as a rider, and as he continued to be groomed for the throne. Or at least that's what Yugi assumed they'd be doing to get a prince ready to be king.

He was still a little fuzzy on how all that worked. To those in the north, the king seemed as distant as the royals in story books. A fanciful being of power that usually played out as evil or good depending on what story you read. Up north they were so far removed from the workings of the Capital that Yugi hadn't even known there was a prince, let alone a chosen prince, or any of the drama that ensued since. He hardly even knew what would be expected of Atem as king. In Yugi's head and from his books, it sounded like a lot of sitting on a throne, attending balls, and making bossy decrees. That didn't sound like Atem at all though. 

And trying to picture him in the fancy robes and crown seemed at odds with the leather and rapier that Yugi had become accustomed to seeing Atem dressed in all the time.

It was tough to imagine how Atem was managing to fit all of it into his human sized life. 

Yugi didn't know where he would fit in all that, but he hoped there was a small space for him somewhere. He wasn't that big after all. 

Maybe all they'd get were little moments between it all, but if that's what it took then so be it. The two days Yugi had spent wallowing without Atem only served to remind him how precious their little time together was, and he would never squander it again. 

But all the same, Yugi really missed him and hoped that the next three weeks would go by a lot faster than this sluggish one had. Or was it just sluggish because Yugi had barely slept?

Speaking of sleep…

He looked down fondly at the little dragon still snoozing away on his legs. Seeing how much she'd grown in such a short time, Yugi was starting to finally comprehend how dragons could be the size of draft horses after just one year of growth. It gave him a thrill of a hope to think that maybe a year from now he'd by flying through the sky with Atem and Osiris, cutting through the clouds and reaching for the stars…

It was a nice thought anyway, and he wondered if he'd dream of flying again tonight. 

But if he wanted to dream, then he needed to actually sleep first. 

And just like that, a sense of peace overcame him, and with it the drowsiness he'd been hoping to come for hours.

He sighed and slipped his book back into his bag and reached down to stroke his hand down Gandora's ridged spine. 

"Come on, sweetie. Let's go back to our room for some real sleep," he whispered, and then scooped her up from his legs, "Oof, you're getting heavy. That's going to make them so happy, you know."

Gandora let out a soft little squeal of joy before draping herself over Yugi's shoulders. Her tail had to hang down his chest where it didn't fit anymore, and hung loose as she nuzzled and drifted off again. 

Yugi huffed at her weight, but told himself it would help him build some muscle that Honda insisted he needed more of. As if the daily weapons training wasn't enough…

As Yugi began to make his way back into the walls of the Den, he paused once to look back at the sky and think of where Atem and Osiris might be at that same moment.

He hoped they were doing okay, and that they were staying safe and warm. 

He couldn't wait to see them when they got back. To tell Atem how he truly felt at last. He was done thinking. He was ready to be more. 

But until then, Yugi would keep the embers burning, and hope that the wind was at their backs.

Chapter Text

Atem was mere moments away from asking Osiris to strike him with fire if only he could feel some semblance of warmth again.

They were nearing their third week of travel, and they hadn't even reached the watchtower yet. Winter had decided to roll in early it seemed, and covered them in a fresh, and very unwanted, blanket of snow and ice. 

One of the first things Atem would be asking Yugi when he returned was how his village ever survived the winters up here. It had been cold enough during the first breaths of autumn when they had reaped his town, but this simply seemed inhumane and unlivable. It wasn't a wonder that the wraith rarely went this far north when even they would be frozen out of the sky. 

The cloak he wore did very little to hold in any warmth when the wind kept chasing it away, but he clung to it all the same as they trudged through the snow. Seto looked equally miserable on Kisara's back, and Atem just knew he'd be bitterly asking himself how the eldest son of the wealthiest family in the kingdom had ended up here of all places.

Atem sometimes asked himself the same question. 

Daring to lift his head up to expose his face to the cold, Atem spotted Vizor flying above. Her blue scales only just barely visible through the low and dense clouds shitting out snow all over them.

Atem sighed and dusted off the several inch collection that had grown on Osiris' saddle in the last hour alone.

At least the draft horses pulling the wagons seemed less bothered as they plowed through the snow after Osiris and Kisara cleared the way. 

After all, snow stood little chance against the fire blasts of dragons, even if both of them were naturally thunder breathers. And even when they paused to replenish their fire, their bulky bodies did wonders to squash down the snow under foot.

But Atem would be a happy man if he never had to see a single snowflake ever again. 

"You're frowning again."

Atem rolled his eyes, glancing over to where Seto was staring at him as he dusted snow off his crossbow. 

"Surely that doesn't come as a surprise to you," Atem replied dryly, kicking a growing icicle off of a stirrup. 

Seto shrugged, snow falling off his shoulders, "I figured you'd still be daydreaming of your northern icicle boy back at the Den, which always puts that dumb happy look on your face."

"I'm wearing my mask, how would you know?"

"Because that dumb look reaches your eyes too. It's disgusting."

Atem groaned in exasperation, "Then stop looking at my face!"

"I was only looking because you're frowning! You only do that when you're worried about something," Seto shot back. 

Atem heard Kisara huff, and he wondered if she was laughing at them.

He was about to open his mouth to deny being worried about anything, but he froze. And not just because of the freezing temperatures. He stopped because he did feel a sense of worry.

It was coming from Osiris. 

Atem leaned down to peer at Osiris' face, pushing along a sense of concern and curiosity across their bond.

Osiris overwhelmed their bond with wariness and unease, but did not send along any sense of the source. Like even Osiris didn't know why he felt on edge. 

Atem sent along what reassurance he could muster, given that he also felt uneasy now too, and patted his flank, "Easy, boy. Bruno and Vizor have eyes in the sky, and I'm right here."

Osiris rumbled adoringly at him, but the worry in their bond did not fade.

"He's worried about something, but doesn't know what," Atem admitted when he turned back to Seto.

The other rider nodded, his eyes narrowing as he began to look around the snowy path around them for threats. But it was as empty as ever, save for the snow accumulating on it. 

Then the winds around them changed and they both glanced up to see Vizor descending.

Bruno touched down with Vizor in front of them. Atem winced seeing his eyebrows frosted over and the skin around his eyes reddened after hours of flight in the winter conditions.

"Is everything alright?" He asked him warily, an ice stiff hand dropping to the hilt of his rapier. 

Bruno sighed and tugged down his mask, "I hope so. It could just be the weather, but I haven't seen a single snow raven with any messages for days now. And just now I spotted some storm clouds up ahead, which the watchtower usually would warn us of a day ahead. And we're already late for the delivery and they usually send out a bird to check on us. Maybe it's too windy for even the snow ravens…" he said, glancing up at the sky as more snowflakes fell. 

He could feel the eyes of the wagon drivers on them, but they wisely stayed silent as the riders talked.

"A storm? Worse than this?" Seto demanded.

Bruno nodded reluctantly, "I'm afraid so. It'll make it all but impossible to fly in, so none of us can fly overwatch safely. It wouldn't matter anyway, I could barely see you all as it was with this snow and these clouds. But we should still be okay to keep moving. The sooner we get to the tower, the better. I don't know about you boys, but I could use some warm stew and a warmer bed for a night," he said with a smile through cracked lips. 

Atem was ready to trade his title for ten minutes in the bathhouse back in the Den, but a warm meal and bed sounded nice too. 

"I'll take point for a bit. Vizor's belly is full of fire and ready to move us along quickly. We'll trade off in a few hours," he said, hopping back up in his saddle. 

Atem and Seto let them pass before falling back in formation behind the larger dragon. 

Once again they were side by side, trudging through the snow, but Atem was unable to shake his or Osiris' unease even as they started to make better progress through the mountain pass. 

And it seemed Seto noticed too.

He leaned in closer, speaking quietly they didn't alarm the caravan drivers behind them, "Does Osiris sense the storm coming maybe?" Seto asked warily. 

Atem was frowning again as he shook his head, "No it…it feels more like…" he sighed, glancing around the road that only looked like white on more white, not then the larger rocks visible anymore, "He feels like we're being watched."

He saw Seto's eyes widen a fraction over the hem of his mask, but he didn't ask anything further. Instead he began to swivel his head in constant sweeps of the surrounding area.

Atem did the same.

Unconsciously, he lifted a frozen hand to his chest, laying it over the imperceptible bump of Yugi's pendant under the layers he wore. 

I hope you are doing better than us, dragonheart. Keep the embers burning.

Yugi was laying on his belly on his bed, legs swaying behind him as he glanced between his book and where Ryou and Gandora were on the floor.

The room was pleasantly toasty thanks to the fire Jounouchi had built for them earlier. Well, Red had built it actually. To try and get Red to stop burning down everything in sight, Jounouchi had been trying to redirect his pyromaniac tendencies to more constructive habits. It was his last-ditch effort to try and control Red's blazes, because getting him to stop entirely seemed impossible. But they hoped that showing him where good fire could go may break him of his free- for-all habits. 

That little guy sure loved his fire…

Red was one of the last of the babies learning to control their flames, much to the Den's and the hatchlings relief. The quartermasters would be thrilled to not have to keep reissuing uniforms out because of all the burns, and the hatchlings all looked progressively less cooked than the food at meal times again. 

It was a little weird though that Gandora never seemed to enter that phase. The buckets in his room remained unemptied, and he still wore the same unsinged uniform hat he'd gotten his first day. Sure, she had spat little globs of fire at some mice for fun, but that had been pretty much it. 

Yugi had been too relieved this whole time to question it, but now…

"Thanks again for letting me study with Gandora," Ryou said over the rim of his book that looked almost as big as Yugi, "I figured I would learn better hands on than just from reading a book."

Yugi smiled at him, "No problem. Is she being a good girl?"

Ryou nodded, "Very much so. Like an angel with fangs. It was why I asked you in the first place. Of all the babies this year, yours seems to be the most calm and well mannered. And I don't recall hearing about her burning or biting any of the trainers from Anzu."

Yugi beamed at his dragon, sending along a swell of pride through their bond. Gandora squealed happily and fluttered her wings, making Ryou chuckle. 

"Yeah, she's been really sweet. Well, unless you're a rodent, in which case you're fair game for her teeth and claws."

Ryou laughed, "She does love her mice, doesn't she. And they seem to be doing wonders for her development. If I'm doing this right, it appears she's on track for growth," he praised, rubbing his fingers along the bridge of her snout. 

"At least one of us is," Yugi sighed.

"Well, I'm no human medic, but have you tried eating mice?"

Yugi snorted with laughter and threw a pillow over at Ryou. They both laughed as the picked up their books again.

He hoped that Ryou's intricate medial diagrams were making a lot more sense to him than Yugi's own subject matter was to himself. 

Yugi had been scratching his head over the small collection of texts on magic for the last few days, wishing he knew a mage that he could ask what the fuck it all meant. He was pretty sure these books were written in the kingdom basic, but it almost read like it was backwards. Like he'd have better luck reading the book upside down just to know what he was even looking at. 

But he did love a good puzzle, and it had been doing wonders to distract him from missing Atem. Plus, the mystery of the thief and that dragon had been eating away at Yugi for months now. 

And yet nothing looked familiar as he flipped through the pages. He found a few examples of magical seals here and there, but none came even close to the intricacy of what he'd seen on the dragon's head. And there was no mention of glowing blue crystals anywhere either. 

At least he didn't think there was. Again, it was really hard to read these books. Maybe Atem knew some mages, or at least knew what animism meant. Or what the other hundred or so terms he'd come across only to blink dumbly down at.

Yugi sighed and rubbed at his eyes, the strange words making him dizzy. He finally looked away from his book again to see Ryou tilting Gandora's head back, and taking measurements of her neck. The open book at his hip showed the sizing ratios for dragon classifications, and he knew Ryou was checking to see if she would fall into standard or compact class eventually. It was obvious she wouldn't be serpent class at least, so she wouldn't look like Osiris. 

Yugi was just happy to hear she was growing, even if she started off so tiny compared to everyone else. He didn't want her to fall behind. Not when he knew how eager she was to start flying.

And suddenly, like a candle sparking to life, Yugi was worried. 

"Hey, Ryou…"

Ryou hummed absently as he poured over a diagram of a dragon wing, holding up his measuring tape to the arch of her phalanges. At least that word Yugi knew. 

"Should I be worried that Gandora hasn't shown a whole lot of fire power yet?" Yugi asked. 

Ryou glanced up at him, "Most hatchlings would be relieved that their dragon wasn't inclined to burn everything in sight."

Yugi shrugged, "I know, it's just…she was the smallest, and…I want to make sure nothing is wrong."

"There's nothing wrong with being small, Yugi," Ryou told him kindly, both of them knowing they weren't just talking about his dragon. 

"I know, but…I just want to be sure she's okay," he said, watching as Gandora began to playfully swat at Ryou's long braided hair. 

Ryou seemed inclined to let her play and didn't pull away as he looked over at Yugi, "You know I'm just in training still, but I would say she looks to be in perfect health from what I see."

Yugi blew out a breath, nodding.

But Ryou continued, and Yugi tensed up again.

"However, if you think she hasn't shown much inclination for fire, then perhaps that's because she doesn't have an inclination for fire. I do remember my instructor telling me that other elemental breathers tend to veer away from fire as babies. Perhaps Gandora will wield a different element when she's older," he said, a sly smile branching out over his face as Yugi's did the same.

"Are you serious?" Yugi squealed in excitement.

Ryou giggled as he nodded, "It's definitely possible. We won't know until she's a little older, but it would make sense, because you're right. She is certainly less fiery than the others."

Yugi whooped and punched the air. Gandora sensed his excitement and started to bounce and shriek with him. 

Oh that would be so freaking cool! He couldn't wait to tell Atem when he got back, and then they could guess what kind of element she might have. Maybe she'd be another thunder breather like Osiris and Kisara!

Yugi was thrilled, smiling even as he looked back down at that nightmare of text. 

Ryou got up to sit on the bed beside Yugi, peering down at the book he had been reading. Gandora leapt onto the bed after them, her growing bulk making the frame groan in protest. 

"Any luck with your side project?" Ryou asked.

Yugi sighed and shook his head, "Not really. I feel like I need a book to read this book."

Ryou tutted sympathetically, "That does look impressively complicated. And here I thought dragon metabolic diagrams were confusing. Perhaps Atem would know where to start with all of this?"

Yugi nodded, agreeing with him, "Yeah, but he's not going to be back for another week at least."

"What's the rush then? That incident was two months ago now," he asked, flopping down beside Gandora to pet down her long spine. 

Yugi joined him, stroking his hand over Gandora's neck, "I just can't shake the feeling that whatever that was, it's not over. Like if I look away for even a second, I'll turn around and that thief will be taking off with her. We still don't know why he was here, or who he was. And we don't know anything about that blue crest, or why the officers got all jumpy when I mentioned it. I don't know, I just can't help but worry that this was all just the beginning of something."

"That all sounds rather ominous. And what if it all turns out to be a one off?" Ryou asked around a yawn.

Yugi's smile was just as tired, "Then I won't feel bad knowing I did what I could to protect my dragon no matter what."

Ryou nodded, smiling as he rubbed Gandora's belly, "You're going to be a great rider, Yugi. Gandora is very lucky."

Yugi's eyes softened as Gandora peered up at him, their bond swelling with their shared affection. 

"I think I'm the lucky one…but thank you."