Mastering The Game

SUMMARY: With his Master gone, Yugi is sent away, only to escape with the help of his friends to head for Duelist Kingdom


Author's Note: I forgot that I will not be home this Tuesday, I off with my son to camp for the week, so I'll post this early.

Mastering the Game

Chapter Four: Exodia, the Forbidden One


Yugi could not stop thinking about how he would free his grandfather from Pegasus, a man who knew he was slave. There was no one else who could save him. Yugi’s friends might want to help him, but they could get into serious trouble if they interfered with a slave. They had their own lives to worry about.

On Yugi’s next weekend he went to the shop, he found an envelope in the door, which he opened to find to be an invitation to the Duelist Kingdom. Luckily for him he had arranged to meet his friends there and they looked over the invitation with him.

They looked over the five cards that made up the invitation. The ship was due to leave the next weekend. He didn’t even know if his grandfather was there, he’d have to go to see, but how?

“How am I going to do this? I can’t run away from my Master, I’d be sent back to the place I came from in disgrace. I could be resold to maybe a brothel, or overseas. Then I would never see my grandfather again.”

“Hey Yugi, this Glory of the King’s Hand card says, vast prize.” said Tristan.

“P-prize,” said Joey.

“It probably means the winner will get a huge amount in prize money,” said Yugi.

“Let me see,” Joey grabbed a hold of the card to look at it.

“Maybe you could use that to buy back your freedom, Yugi,” continued Tristan, “Then if you ran away it would not matter.”

But Yugi was distracted by Joey and his look of glee over the card. “Ah, I don’t know about that.”

They all wished they could go with him to help him, but none of them could think of a safe way out of Yugi’s slavery.

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Fuguta came to Yugi’s room. “You must come with me. Bring your things, you may keep what you can carry.”

“Where am I going?”

“The Complex has a resale area, you are to be taken there.”

Yugi froze, “What, why am I being sent back?”

“Things are happening in the company I cannot talk about. With the Master missing your ownership has been turned over to others and they do not wish to keep you. You are being returned to the complex to be sold again.”

“No, please no, this can’t he happening,” said Yugi.

Fuguta moved on him, “There’s nothing I can do. Until the Master returns there is nothing anyone can do. Now come along.”

Yugi picked up his backpack where he kept his precious puzzle and the deck his grandfather had given him. He followed Fuguta out to the back door. There he allowed the man to clip on his lead chain and take him to the car. He was allowed to keep the clothes he was wearing, but he had not taken anything else.

They arrived at the place. It was attached to the auction arena, and Yugi was taken inside. There was an old man at the desk.

“I have a slave here that has been sent for resale because the new owners have no need for him.”

“Very well, sign in here. The next auction is not for another month, he’ll be assigned a room.” He turned to Yugi, “You will have to look after yourself, you’re the only one here. There’s a kitchen back there that I use, and a couple of rooms, pick one, I don’t care which.”

Yugi nodded as Fuguta removed the chain, “Good luck kid.”

Yugi nodded and went through the door the old man unlocked. He found his way to the kitchen, had a quick look at it, then found a room. It was a horrible thought that he was stuck there for a month on his own, especially when he had something else he would rather be doing. As he sat down on the bed, he realized that he had the cell phone in his pocket. Fuguta had forgotten to take it from him.

He sat there staring at the phone. A month? Did he dare take the risk? Could he run from here and make it back in time?

He pictured his grandfather in his mind. “Damn it, I’m going.” With his mind made up, he dialed a number he had recently been given.

“Hey Joey? Yeah, it’s me. Look I have been moved to another place and I’m supposed to be here for a month. Maybe if I plan it right, I might be able to get out of here, go to the Kingdom, and make it back in time. Do you think you and the others could help me get out of here?... Great,” Yugi gave Joey the address and left the rest to his friends.

He sat on the bed with a smile on his face. Now he had a way to save his grandfather. He was awaiting the phone call to alert him, but half an hour later he was in for a surprise.

“Yug?” he heard a call from the hallway. He got up.

“Joey?” he came out of the room to find Joey and Tristan standing there. “How did you get in?”

“There was no one up front and the door was unlocked,” answered Tristan.

“That’s strange. I wonder where the old man is?” continued Yugi.

“Does it matter when we can get you out? Come on, let’s get out of here,” said Joey.

Yugi picked up his backpack and followed his friends out. He knew he was running away, but if he could save his grandfather, whatever the consequences were he didn’t care now, he would pay them later.

Yugi spent the next night at Joey’s place. They discussed friendship together, Yugi very glad that he had met him and Tristan, and neither of them caring that he was a slave. He’d never had friends before and now he did. He wished they could come with him to the island and Joey urged him to do his best and he said he would.

Yugi put on one of Joey’s old school jackets which further helped to hide his collar, and at nine thirty the next night he turned up at the boat going to the island. He got into the line with all the others invited to the island. He had no trouble getting onto the boat, well until Joey turned up, but it seemed Pegasus wanted Yugi to get there and letting Joey on would get him there.

Joey was really happy that Yugi had gotten him aboard and Yugi was glad to have his friend beside him for his own reassurance. He had no idea of what he would face on the island; the other Duelists had to be good to be there. The spike haired man had said they were the elite.

But luckily no one saw the collar around his neck for what it was. All anyone seemed to care about was that Yugi was the one to have beaten Seto Kaiba, which made Yugi cringe. He met Mai Valentine who told him she’d crush him, then Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood who looked forward to dueling him.

Yugi learned about trading, which he had never encountered before, and Joey launched into with enthusiasm. Yugi couldn’t believe the feeling of freedom he felt on the ship. It felt so good to sit on the ship and look out into the beautiful night, just like anybody else would. Not having to wait upon his Master. To submit to his will and do what he wanted. This was the freedom he had heard about when he was growing up. There were always some slaves who did not want to be slaves. Yugi didn’t understand them because he did not understand what freedom was then. But now he could, even of it were only for a short time, he was glad, and he was happy. Even if this freedom was all the result of him wanting to free his grandfather from Pegasus. Joey showed him the cards he traded and Yugi gave him another to help him.

Weevil Underwood approached him and asked to see his Exodia cards. Yugi had never experienced deception as he grew up; everything had to be straight forward in his life. He was a slave; honesty and a certain amount of naivety were a huge part of his life. So when Weevil asked he let him see them, in fact gave them into his hands, only to watch the horrible boy throw them into the sea.

Yugi was upset, they were cards his grandfather had left for him, and watching Joey dive in for them, shocked him. He didn’t hesitate to dive in after Joey when he got into trouble. Even more surprised when Tristan and Tèa saved them both after stowing away. And then to learn of Joey’s sister and his need to win the prize money. They both had something to fight for.

Yugi could hardly believe how blessed he was with his friends. Friends who cared for him and would help him as a person, not for what he was. Perhaps that was the best part of this freedom, that even when he returned to his Master, they would remain his friends, no matter what.

TBC in Chapter 5: Curse Of Dragon.