Burning Sea

Burning Sea

hato-chiisai

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

YAIO WARNING Ryou/Bakura, Yami/Yugi, Malik/Marik, Seto/Otogi, Joey/Tristan, Mai/Ishizu, Mikado/Ahmose

Chapter 11

Malik’s Performance

The group perched on the railing on the stern all let out disappointed noises as the storm clouds covered the sun. They all hopped off, and headed back towards the bow of the ship. A door opened, and Mako appeared.

“DINNER!!” He called, and returned to the galley. Yami grinned, grabbed Yugi’s hand, and ran across the deck.

“C’mon!” He called as the storm grew louder. Yugi giggled, and ran after him. Marik grinned, and dragged Malik behind him, also giggling. Ryou blinked, and glanced at Bakura, who simply looked at him, then started walking towards the galley. Ryou stared after him, sadly. He sighed, and looked down at his feet. He watched four pairs of feet come up next to him. He looked up at Seto, Tris, Otogi and Jono. Seto and Otogi simply looked at him, before following Bakura, who had disappeared into the galley. Jono frowned slightly and put a hand on Ryou’s shoulder. Ryou looked at him, seeing that he looked about to say something. But, he stopped, and simply gave Ryou’s shoulder a pat before going to the galley himself. Tris followed, glancing at Ryou over his shoulder. Ryou watched them go. He turned and went to the port side of the ship and stared out over the rough water. It began to rain lightly. He looked up at the sky.

“Daddy..... I... I miss you....” He said, aloud. “It doesn’t feel right, being on the sea without you. I was so excited to be taken along on one of your journeys; it was a dream come true. But it’s a nightmare now....” Ryou felt tears roll down his face, and he closed his eyes, briefly. AI miss you so much! I hope... I hope that you’re happy, wherever you are. And that you’re with Mom. Daddy.... I don’t know what to do. These men killed you. How am I supposed to live with them? Dine with them, and... Sleep with them? Yugi and Malik... They’re falling in love. I can tell. And Yami and MArik love them too. I can see it. But... Bakura doesn’t care about me. And I feel like I shouldn’t care that he hates me, but I do! It hurts, Dad! I’m afraid that I may be falling for him! I can’t! He killed you! He wanted to kill me, and now, I have to share a bed with him! I feel so.... confused. Daddy, what do I do?”

“For a start...” Ryou gasped and whirled at the soft voice. “You can come inside before you catch cold and get something to eat.” Ryou stared up into Bakura’s eyes. He blinked when the pirate extended a hand to him, not taking his eyes from Ryou’s. Ryou swallowed, and took the offered hand, and stared at the slight smile that graced Bakura’s handsome features, and he felt his cheeks flush, to his fury. Bakura led him into the galley, and over to where Yami, Malik, Marik and Yugi sat.

“Found him.” He said. “He was on deck.”

“On deck?” Marik said. “Doing what?” Bakura blinked, and looked at Ryou, seeing if he would answer.

“Nothing.” Ryou said. Yami and Marik looked to Bakura for explanation. Bakura gave a discreet shake of the head, telling them silently to drop it. Ryou looked around the galley at all of the rowdy noisy pirates, yelling at one another, arguing, and yelling at Mako to hurry with the food. Mako finally carried a large platter of steamed rice over to where Yami and the others sat, and set it down. He nodded at Yami, who smiled back, and piled some of the rice onto his plate, then handing the spoon to Yugi. Everyone at that section served themselves, and it was passed to the next section. Next was boiled vegetables, followed by a large platter of turkey, that had been stolen from the Lady of Faith.

The crew quieted slightly as they ate, but they ate quickly, and things got loud again. In one corner, they were especially loud, and then, Ishizu stood.

“Fine! As you wish!” She said, and smiled, nodding to Yami, who nodded back, and stood.

“Alright, men, let’s pack up, and move!” Everyone leapt to their feet, and Malik, Ryou and Yugi scuttled off to the side, as the table were picked up and shoved against the wall. The men all then took seats again, some on the tables, some on the benches, and some on the floor. Yami, Marik and Bakura sat on the tables, and the three prisoners sat before them on the bench. Ishizu moved to the center of the cleared space, and Marik stood, approaching her. She smiled, and stretched her hand at to him, and he took it.

“What’s going on?” Yugi asked.

“We often gather after dinner to.... entertain ourselves. Ishizu and Marik are both from Egypt, so they are often called upon to dance for us according to their culture. They move well together.”

“Oh.” Yugi said, and noticed a few men with instruments around the room. Marik pulled Ishizu into his arms, and they stood silently together, awaiting the music to begin. When it did, they began to move, slowly rocking back and forth with each other, each sway became longer, and more deliberate. The exotic music continued, and Ishizu and Marik each let a foot slide back. They transferred their weight onto that foot, and Marik spun on it while Ishizu stepped around him, circling him. Malik was fascinated by this; he had seen his parents do something very similar when he was younger, before his mother became ill. He was able to predict nearly each move before they made it, and it brought a swell of joy, and sorrow to his heart; it had been a long time since he had witnessed a dance such as this, but it made him long for his mother and father.

The dance ended all too soon for the boy, and Ishizu returned to Mai to rest, while the crew yelled at Marik, who got a drink, then moved back to the center of the room. A different tune started up again, but Malik knew this one all too well. He gasped as Marik took the opening steps. He watched, and before he knew it, he had stood from the bench and moved towards Marik as if in a trace. His mind was screaming at him, wanting to know what he was doing, but he didn’t know. Or, actually, he knew exactly what he was doing. He stood by Marik, watching his moves, and then, put his foot and hand out, joining in, following Marik’s movements exactly.

Ryou and Yugi’s eyes bugged out, amazed at this. Marik and Malik moved in perfect harmony, neither missing a beat, or a single movement. Marik was staring at Malik, who had his eyes closed as he danced. He glanced at Yami and Bakura, noting the equally fascinated expressions on their faces. The dance sped up as it reached the climax, and their steps picked up as well, and became more difficult. They moved their feet out, and slid to the side, then spun, curling their arms up into the air, while making circling motions with their hips. Their heads fell back as they became lost in the music and their movements, and before anyone knew it, the music had stopped, and both had dropped to their knees, and let their bodies fall back to the wood of the floor, their arms stretched out over their heads. The pirates applauding brought Malik from his trance, and he opened his eyes and stared up at Marik standing over him, staring at him. Malik blinked, as Marik offered him a hand. Malik swallowed and took it, allowing Marik to pull him to his feet.

“Where did you learn that?” Marik asked, after a while.

“I, my, my father taught me.”

“Your father?”

“Yes. I, I, my family is a band of gypsies. Originally, they came from Egypt, long ago. They were taken as slaves, but their master freed them, and they became nomads. But, we still carry our culture and heritage.”

“I see......” Marik said, frowning.

“Gypsies....” Yami said. “They are entertainers and story tellers.” Malik nodded slowly. “Then perhaps you could regale us with a story.” Malik blinked, and swallowed.

“Perhaps I could.” He said.

“Please do.” Marik said, and sat down, watching Malik standing in the center of the room. “Tell us a tale of the gods, young Malik. Tell me a story I would not have heard in years.” Malik nodded and paced a moment, thinking.

“Long ago, the land of Egypt was under the rule of the grandson of the great god Ra; Osiris. His queen, and sister, was the beautiful Isis.” Malik began. “But Osiris had a brother; Seth. Seth was very jealous of his brother, and sought to destroy him. But Osiris was well guarded, so he had to do something crafty to remove his brother from his throne. He was able to make allies within his brother’s palace, and made a plan to destroy Osiris.

“Osiris loved to have parties and banquets, and he invited Seth to one of these. Seth arrived with a magnificent chest, that was the envy of all present. Seth said that if someone were able to lie in the chest and fit perfectly, he would give the chest to them as a gift. Everyone tried it, but none fit; all were too tall, or short, or fat, or skinny. Then, one of Seth’s allies said to Osiris ‘why not try it yourself?’ In good humor, Osiris agreed, and lay down in the chest. Now, Seth had been given Osiris’ measurements so that the chest would fit him perfectly, and it did. Everyone laughed at Seth, teasing him that he had lost such a grand treasure to his older brother. But Seth leapt forwards and threw the lid onto the chest and nailed it there, while his allies held off the onlookers. Then, Seth threw the chest- turned-coffin into the Nile. It floated away.

“The very next day, Isis set out to search for her husband. She traveled in disguise for a long time, until she heard of a tree that had grown overnight in a place not far from there. The tree had been cut down, and used as the center support in the local lord’s home, so she went there and disguised herself as a maid, and was taken in by the lord’s wife, and was made the nurse of the lord’s son. They had no idea that she was Isis, the queen of the gods, or that the pillar in the great hall contained the coffin of a god. Every night, Isis would change into a swallow, and fly around the pillar and cry, mourning her husband and brother.” Malik moved as he told his tale, in a kind of dance, acting out the story, seemingly hypnotizing all who watched his movements and heard his smooth voice.

“One night, she built a small fire, a magical fire, and set the infant boy under her care into the blaze, for she had become very fond of the boy, and fire would burn away his mortality, making him immortal. While this went on, she turned into the swallow to mourn her husband. But the crackling of the fire brought the lady of the house running. When she saw her son, she screamed, and removed him from the blaze. Isis ran to see what had happened, and revealed her true self, explaining that the spell had been broken and the boy would never be immortal. The lady of the house bowed to the goddess and thanked her for the loving gift she had tried to bestow on the boy, and asked her if there was anything she could do for the goddess. She requested her husband’s coffin. It was cut from the pillar, and given to Isis, who left with it. But Seth found out, and one night, while Isis slept, he opened the coffin, and tore the body of his brother into a dozen pieces and scattered them all over Egypt, hoping to dash all hopes the goddess had of reviving Osiris.

“But Isis didn’t give up. For years, she traveled Egypt, and gathered the pieces one by one, until she had them all, and then, begged Ra to help her. Ra could not bring Osiris back for good, but was able to give the two one night of love, and then, Osiris truly died. Anubis, the god of death, performed the very first mummification, and therefore became the god of mummification as well. But Isis was left pregnant that night, and so she hid in the reeds of the Nile when she gave birth to her son, Horus. She kept him guarded there in secret for years, until he grew up, and was ready to take his father’s throne back from his uncle, Seth. But of course, Seth refused. And so began the epic battle to win the throne back.

“Seth was determined to do anything to keep his throne. Horus claimed himself the son of Osiris, and demanded that Seth step down. Many of the gods felt that Seth should step down, but most were irritated at the though of being ruled by a boy, and felt that Seth should remain king, since he had experience. Horus demanded a trial for the throne, and Seth challenged him to a combat. They changed into hippos and dove into th Nile to fight below the water. Isis ran to the shore to help her son with a magical spear. When one the hippos surfaced to breath, she cast it into his side, and the hippo cried out. ‘Mother! You have wounded me!’ Horrified, she had the spear release her son with a thought. When Seth came up to breath, she cast it, again hitting him in the side, and Seth cried out. ‘Sister, you would wound your own brother?!’ She felt guilty, and released him. Horus, in youthful fury, flew from the water, and picked up his sword, severing his mother’s head.

“The gods were so shocked that Horus ran, fearing great punishment. Isis’ head was placed back on her body by Thoth, and healed. She asked for her son, for she bore him no ill will. Seth volunteered to go find him. He changed into a dog-like beast and tracked his nephew, finding him asleep under a palm tree by an oasis. He attacked his nephew, and raped the boy-god, then gouged out his eyes, and buried them in the sand o the desert. He returned to the gods, claiming that he could not find Horus. But Thoth did not believe Seth’s words, and set out himself to search for the young god. He found him crawling through the tall grasses, weeping at the pain in his head. He saw the empty eye sockets, and took the weakened god into his arms and bore him back to where the other gods waited. Isis threw herself onto her blinded son. Thoth told Horus to open his eyes, and poured milk given by the goddess Hathor into the bloody sockets, and his eyes were restored.

“He then accused Seth of putting out Horus’ eyes, and raping his nephew. Seth denied this, but there was no proof, so Seth, pretending to be a good sport, challenged Horus to a contest to see who could make the best boat out of stone. Isis came to Horus, and told him not to carve a boat of stone, but to make one out of reeds, and coat it with mud to make it look like stone, and Horus did as he was told. When they reached the river, Seth put his boat into the water, where it sunk like the rock it was. Horus climbed into his, and sailed down the Nile. Furious, Seth seized the boat, and tore it to pieces, showing that Horus had cheated. Horus claimed that Isis had told him to. The gods decided that they would all meet on an island, and Seth and Horus would both present their case before Ra himself, and the gods would decide who was to become their king. But Isis was forbidden to attend and help her son.


“But the goddess did not give up. She disguised herself as a widow, and convinced the boatman to take her to the island. When she got there, she came upon the gods, and cried and wailed. Seth, trying to make a good impression ran to her, asking her why she cried so. She told him that not long after her husband had died, a man had come to her home and took their house, and their land and their livestock while leaving herself and her son with nothing. Seth was furious. ‘Take me to him!’ He cried, in anger. ‘How dare a man steal the property of a dead man while his son still lives?!’ With that, Isis threw off her disguise, and thrust a finger into the face of Seth. ‘So you have condemned yourself brother, as your try to steal the throne of my husband while my son stands before you to take what is his!’ The gods all looked at Seth, who, furious, backed down in shame and anger. ‘The son of my brother shall take what is his.’ He said. And so Seth stepped down, and Horus was made King of the Gods. But he still felt a duty to his uncle, who had been forced to give up his power. Horus saw that Seth was still extremely powerful, and rather than have his uncle against him, Horus, with the blessings of Ra, made his uncle the God of Storms, granting him one of the greatest powers among the gods, and peace prevailed over the land around the Nile.”

Malik’s story and dance ended, as he sunk to his knees on the floor, his body glistening with sweat. Slowly, the galley was filled with thunderous applause for Malik’s performance, Marik and Ishizu’s voices heard well over the rest. Malik stood, and returned to his seat before Marik.

“Thank you.” Marik said. “You spun the old story as elegantly as a spider spins her web.”

“Impressive, young Malik.” Yami said, and even Bakura verbally expressed his approval. Malik smiled, and nodded, tired. Marik passed him a cup of cider, and Malik drank deeply. Ryou watched as Bakura stood, on request, and moved to the middle of the floor. Marik watched as Bakura began one of the complex katas he had learned while studying the martial arts. He looked down at Malik, and saw the boy was extremely tired.

“Yami....” He whispered. “I’m taking Malik back and putting him to bed.” Yami looked at Malik, then nodded. Marik stood, and took Malik’s hand , leading him towards the door. They stepped out into the storm, and ran across the deck as the rain lashed around them. The ducked into the dark cabin, and Marik told Malik to strip while he lit the lights. Then, he stripped as well, and turned to look at Malik, who was standing before him, nervously. Marik stared at the boy, who stared back.

“Something about you....” Marik breathed. “Brings something long dead in me back to life.” He said, and approached Malik, stroking his cheek. Malik moaned, and leaned into the touch, somehow affected by Marik dramatically. When the pirate bent over, slowly, Malik pushed his lips up, closing the gap between them, and kissed Marik, deeply. Marik moaned, and pulled Malik’s body into his, then lifted him up into his arms. He turned, and carried the naked boy to his bed, opening the door, and moving inside. He lay Malik down onto the soft bed, then closed and locked the door behind them. He lit a candle, and some incense, then looked down at Malik, who was staring at him, his eyes clouded by passion and lust.

“Something dead in you comes back to life.......” Malik breathed. “For one night of love......” Marik shivered at those words, as a vision of Osiris and Isis flashed over his eyes. And while a union between Malik and he may not give him a son, he would relish it as much as the two gods must have. Marik kissed Malik, moving above him, praying to Ra that tonight would not be their last time, as it had been for Isis and Osiris.

“I love you, Malik...... I want to make love to you......”

“I love you, too......” Malik whispered, and kissed Marik again. “And I want you to make love to me............” Marik’s breath caught in his throat.

“One question first.” Marik said.

“Yes?”

“Are you a virgin?” He asked. Malik blinked, and blushed, then nodded. “Then I’ll be gentle...” Marik whispered, and kissed his soon-to-be-lover. He intended to make this night the best he ever had...........

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Wow. I hope you all really liked this chapter. And I know not everything the in the story Malik told is accurate, I had to piece it together from memories of books I’ve read. Oh, and as for all the symbols in the fic, I don't know why it's doing that, and I don’t have the time to go through and fix each thing one by one, so you're just gonna hafta deal with it. Sorry.