Burning Sea

Burning Sea

Hato chiisai

Disclaimer: I don’t own it.

YAOI WARNING …… uh, eventually…….. ^_^()

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Chapter 16

Ryou’s First Battle

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The young man grimaced as he rolled his shoulder, reaching back and trying to massage them. He had no clue how he got roped into carving the replacement mast for the Relinquished. He would definitely be bitching at someone about it later, hopefully one of the captains. He entered his room and started stripping his sweat-soaked clothes off and threw them in random directions, before grabbing a towel and stepping outside to take a bath. He glanced at the sunset and sighed before waving his towel at a pair of tropical birds, shooing them away, before finally settling into the small pool, wincing at his sore muscles.

“I don’t care what they say; I’m taking the day off tomorrow….” He grumbled, grabbing some fine sand from the bottom of the pool and using it to scrub the grime from his body. “Dammit….” He grumbled to himself, before moving under the water to wet his long silver hair. He scrubbed it furiously, trying to get rid of the grimy feeling of it.

Finally, he lay back and floated in the water, watching the darkening sky through the leaves of the foliage above him. When the sun had completely set, he stepped out of the water and wrapped the towel around his waist, returning inside. He grabbed a large clam shell from the desk under a window and went out again, filled the shell with water, and returned inside. He moved over to his table and watered his bonsai tree before putting the shell back. He took off the towel and dried his hair a bit, before heading over to his bed.

It wasn’t until then that he noticed that he had company. Bakura blinked and stared down at the napping invader and rolled his eyes, knowing that Yami had sent him here. Muttering irritably to himself, he went to the dresser and pulled on a pair of pants before stalking back over to the bed.

“Move over.” He snapped, waiting for the boy to jump awake. Ryou didn’t move. “Kid! Wake up and move over!!” The pirate snarled, in a louder tone. Ryou sighed and rolled over. Bakura growled and resisted the urge to snatch one of the many weapons on the wall and bludgeon the boy with it. So he settled for kicking him in the back.

“MOVE YOUR ASS, KID!!!” He roared, and this time got the satisfaction of watching the captive jump awake with a startled scream. “About fuckin’ time….” He snarled. “Move over.” Ryou stared wide eyed at the pirate, then quickly scooted over to the wall, watching the older boy collapse onto the bed. Bakura pulled the blankets over him, and within minutes, he was snoring. Ryou shivered and slowly lay down again, still exhausted. He sat up again at a commotion. Bakura also sat up with a complaint as his door burst open. Ahmose came in, followed by Mikado, still bitching about Ahmose’s refusal to sleep.

“Here.” Ahmose said, handing Bakura a bottle. “Rub this on your back and shoulders. It will ease the pain.”

“Thanks, Ahmose.” Bakura said, sitting up. Ryou’s eyes widened and Bakura smirked as Mikado snatched a club off of the wall and came up behind Ahmose. He raised it up, and brought it crashing down on the back of the taller boy’s head. Ahmose yelped, before slumping over, landing on Bakura.

“Now sleep, damn you….” Mikado snarled and passed the club to Ryou, who looked at it, confused.

“I hope you don’t expect me to carry him….” Bakura snickered, heaving Ahmose off of him and onto the floor. Mikado smiled and grabbed Ahmose’s wrist.

“Nah. I’ll drag him into the hall and find someone else to carry him.”

“No. You could stretch your arms and reopen your wounds. Just have someone come in here and get him.” Bakura said, as they heard Jono and Otogi’s voices in the hall. “HEY GUYS! GET IN HERE!!” Two heads poked into the room and their eyes found Ahmose.

“Aw, Mikado, not again….” Otogi complained stepping into the room and gripping the unconscious man under the arms, while Jono took his legs.

“It’s not my fault if he refuses to sleep.”

“Then let him get exhausted!!!”

“Jono, he can’t afford to pass out from exhaustion when he’s involved in something.”

“I guess…. But just drug his drink or something! Don’t bash him over the head anymore!!!”

“Fine, fine…." Mikado mumbled, and followed them out. Bakura snickered, and then looked at Ryou who was still holding the club.

“Give me that!” Bakura snapped, and snatched the club from the boy. Ryou blinked, and then pulled his knees up to his chest. “Now go to sleep.” And he flopped over and soon was snoring. Ryou blinked and slowly lay down, but found falling asleep difficult with the pirate’s snoring. He looked around, and his eyes fell to rest on the bottle on the bed side table. Biting his lip, he leaned over Bakura and picked it up. Ahmose had said that it would ease the sore muscles. Chewing his lip thoughtfully, Ryou opened the bottle and poured some of the cream into his hands. He looked down at the sleeping pirate, then nodded and began to rub it into Bakura’s skin. The pirate grunted, but didn’t do anything else, so Ryou continued to rub the cream into his sore muscles. But Bakura was awake now. He sat there with his eyes closed, at first trying to figure out what was happening. When he figured out that Ryou was being nice and trying to help him, he pondered why, but after a while, he simply enjoyed the gentle caressing hands of the boy. Ryou finished, and Bakura nearly pouted.

“Don’t stop.” His voice said, without his permission. Ryou jumped and began to shake like a frightened rabbit. Bakura slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ryou. “Don’t stop.” He said again, and Ryou gulped and slowly nodded, moving back to Bakura and began to massage his back. Bakura sighed and smiled slightly, closing his eyes.

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Ryou was the first to wake in the morning. It was late in the morning, and nature was calling. Loudly. He was quite surprised to find himself cuddled up to Bakura’s warmth, but was even more surprised to find himself being held there by the sleeping pirate. As surprising as this was, and as much as he would like to enjoy it, he really had to pee. So he wormed his way away from the pirate and scuttled outside to do his business. On the way back in, however, he looked out towards the entrance to the lagoon. A red ship was sailing in, followed by what looked like a ship from the Spanish Armada. Ryou blinked and squinted slightly. It was flying the Spanish Armada flag. He whirled and ran inside.

“Bakura!” He called, and made a flying leap onto the bed, landing on the pirate.

“WHA!!! HEY! WHAT THE FUCK!!!” Bakura yelped, as Ryou dragged him outside. Ryou pointed, and Bakura looked.

“Oh…. That’s the Harpy Lady……”

“The what?”

“Mai and Ishizu’s ship.”

“That’s very nice, but what about the ship behind it?”

“Huh? Oh shit….” Bakura ran to the edge of the cliff, and cupped his hands around his mouth. “WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!!!” A moment after he said that, there was a muffled boom and a puff of smoke from the Spanish ship. Ryou watched as a cannon ball hit the water next to the docked Black Magician.

“Let’s move, kid!” Bakura shouted, and ran into his room, dressing. Ryou found himself grabbed, and after a few minutes of disorientation, he found himself stripped of his pajamas and in some clothes brought for him. Bakura snatched his Katana from the rack on the wall and the kodachi below it. He stuck this in his belt, grabbed Ryou and dragged him down the hall, which was in sudden chaos as women and children ran to their rooms and men prepared for battle. Bakura dragged Ryou down to a lower level and slammed open a door, dragging Ryou in.

“An armory?” Ryou asked, and Bakura looked at his hands.

“Your hands have healed enough for you to use them.” He said, and disappeared among all the weapons. He came back and handed Ryou a Spanish sword and dagger. “Here. Now let’s go.” Ryou blinked. “Come on! You can fight! Make yourself useful or get the fuck out of here!” Ryou nodded, and followed Bakura into the hall and out onto the beach.

“BAKURA!” Both turned when Marik and Malik ran towards them, both carrying a pair of scimitars. Ryou blinked.

“You can use those?” He asked Malik.

“Of course! It’s part of my heritage. Everyone in our family learned.” Malik said, and Marik looked at Bakura.

“Yami’s on his way. He wants us to ready the Black Magician.” Marik said, and Bakura nodded. They both ran for the Black Magician, barking orders as they went. Ryou and Malik both turned at a familiar whine.

“But I wanna help!!” They turned and saw Yugi following Yami across the sand.

“You can help by staying here and out of the way!” Yami snapped, looking irritated as he ran for the dock.

“Yami!!!” Yugi whined, and Yami whirled, eyes burning.

“I said ‘Stay here’!! That’s an order!” He shouted, and Yugi stopped in his tracks, watching Yami run to the ship.

“Yugi….” Ryou said, and headed towards his friend.

“Not now.” Malik said. “We’re needed.” Ryou frowned, and then ran over to Yugi.

“Yugi, Mikado knocked Ahmose out last night! We need you here to get ready to take care of anyone who might be hurt.” Yugi looked at Ryou and bit his lower lip, then nodded.

“Mikado is sleeping, too. I’ll go wake him!” And he turned and ran off. Ryou smiled, then turned and ran after Malik to the ship. They climbed on just as it drifted from the dock and turned to face the attack. The Harpy Lady was fleeing, the Spanish ship gaining.

“TAKE NO PRISONERS!!” Yami was yelling at the crew. “BUT BY ALL MEANS, TAKE THEIR SHIP!!!” The crew cheered as they fast approached the Spanish ship, passing the Harpy Lady. “READY!” Yami ordered, and they all approached the side, with grappling hooks. They got next to the Spanish Ship. “TAKE COVER!!” Yami called, as muskets fired. The pirates ducked, and the Spanish fired over their heads. There were two loud war cries, as Marik and Bakura made the first move, swinging over to the Spanish ship. Bakura went for the man at the helm.

“SHI-NEEE!!!!” He screamed, forcing his blade through the man’s back and out through his chest. Marik whirled and decapitated a man, using his blades like a pair of scissors. The pirates stood and threw the grappling hooks, dragging the Spanish ship closer.

“MOVE!” Yami ordered, and they all boarded. From that point on, Yami gave no orders; even if he had, they would not have been heard over the noise of the battle. Ryou and Malik hung back for a moment, then Malik leapt forwards and joined in. Spanish soldiers swarmed onto the Black Magician, and Yami and a few others met their attack. Ryou, his heart pounding, backed into the mast and watched battle with wide eyes. A Spanish soldier broke away and turned, fixing his eyes on the paralyzed boy. He charged at Ryou, blade drawn, and the boy watched him come. He was tackled to the ground and clenched his eyes shut as the knife was raised above his chest. But the Spanish soldier suddenly made a choking noise, and Ryou opened his eyes to see the point of a blade protruding from his chest. The man slid off of the blade and onto Ryou, who screamed and squirmed out from under him, only to be met by the cold eyes of The Pharaoh.

“Either make yourself useful or do us a favor and swim to shore.” He snarled at Ryou and turned, slashing another soldier’s gut. Ryou scrambled to his feet and watched the Pirate King for a moment, before nodding firmly to himself, trying to boost his confidence, and charged at a soldier. He shoved the sword into the man’s side, and watched him slump to the ground.

“Now you’re getting it.” Otogi said with a grin from nearby, and turned, swinging his blade, felling another man in a shower of blood. “We’re protecting our home and our people, boy! No mercy! No prisoners!” Ryou nodded.

“No mercy, no prisoners.” He said to himself, and turned to parry a sword thrust from a solider. He slashed the man’s throat with the dagger. “We’re protecting our home…” That idea struck a chord, and Ryou did not hold back as he waded into the thick of the battle, felling Spanish soldiers everywhere he turned without even thinking.

“SETO!!” He heard Jono shout from where he was engaged with three men. Ryou turned and looked at where Jono was looking, and saw Seto bent backwards over the railing of the ship by a soldier, gripping the soldier’s wrists as he tried to shove a dagger in the pirate’s throat. Seto also had a rope coiled around his neck, and he was turning red as he suffocated. Ryou charged at Seto and his attacker. The soldier looked up and saw Ryou coming and moved back, moving to face Ryou. Ryou raised his sword and brought it down, leaving the soldier screaming at the bloody stump that he now had at the end of his arm while his hand and the blade fell to the deck. Ryou then stabbed him, and kicked him overboard.

Ryou turned and ran to Seto, still bent backwards and trying desperately to free his neck from the rope, which was strung across the gap between the two ships and tied to the railing of the Spanish ship. Seto made a gagging noise as the ships began to drift apart, and he was dragged off of his feet. Ryou ran over and slashed the rope with his sword, dropping his dagger. When Seto gasped, he lost his balance, but found his wrists being grasped by a gentle hand, pulling him down to the deck. He looked up into worried brown eyes.

“Are you alright?” Ryou asked, anxiously. Seto rubbed his throat as he panted, and slowly nodded. Ryou returned the nod and stood running back to the battle to aid wherever he was needed, such as slash the side of a soldier who was trying to hit a very busy Yami on the back of the head. And before he knew it, it was over. The pirates were cheering and Bakura happily placed the big fancy hat of the Spanish captain on Yami’s head, getting a good laugh from the victorious men as Yami shoved the hat back a bit so that he could still see.

“Feed the fish!” Marik called, and the Spanish soldiers were searched, stripped, and dumped overboard. Within minutes, the sharks were taking advantage of the free meal as the two ships were sailed back to the port.

“Damage report!” Yami called as he cleaned his blade.

“Minimum on both ships.” Tris called, and Yami nodded.

“Get the Spanish ship into the grotto to be reworked! Get me Mikado, Ahmose, Mai, Ishizu, Pegasus and Shadi as soon as we land.” Then, he turned and looked at Ryou. “Well done. Don’t forget to clean your blade. It is yours now, after all.” And he turned and conferred with Marik and Bakura quietly. Ryou smiled, delighted with the gift, and turned to see Seto, staring at him. Ryou gulped slightly, and the blue eyed man paused, and then gave him a nod that Ryou interpreted as a silent and discreet expression of thanks. Ryou smiled softly at the man and returned the nod before he was tackled by an excited Malik, Marik and Bakura.

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