Chapter Text
Twigs snapped under his feet as he slowly made his way deeper into the forest, only the full moon lighting his way. The quiver of arrows hung securely from his hip, his hair tied up to keep out of his face. His dark clothing almost made him one with the shadows of the nightly forest, making the lack of prey almost seem like a mockery. Atem had been out for hours and hadn’t seen anything else than a couple of hares at nightfall. He had missed that shot. He wouldn’t miss again.
Ever since Atem was a child, his mother had scolded him for being out so late.
“At twilight, the court of the fairy queen comes out to dance,” she had told him. “The trolls are moving through the woods, taking children into the mountains forever. The people under the sea are singing to lure you to them. You need to be careful at night. A family in the neighbouring town had a son who was on his way home at dusk when he met the fairies. He never was quite himself after that meeting, and sickness has been frequenting their household ever since he refused to dance with the fairies. I just want to keep you safe.”
Atem had rolled his eyes, like children do, and continued to stay out well into the night. It didn’t scare him. He didn’t fear the bears or wolves. He knew how to keep from getting lost, and to keep away from dangerous streams or rivers. When his father became too old to hunt for them, Atem had picked up his bow and gone into the woods to hunt. Not many months had passed until he realized the advantage the night gave him. He might have a harder time spotting his prey, but the nightly forest was full of life, even more so than in broad daylight.
Even now, long after both his mother and father had left this world, he still was out here, hunting in the night.
There was a sound close to him, like something moved in the bushes. He barely had time to pull an arrow from his quiver before he saw the hare jump away, golden fur gleaming like silver in the moonlight. Atem groaned silently, leaning back against a tree. He had been out since the sun still was on the sky, and the night still seemed too fruitless for his liking. He couldn’t admit to himself that all this time had been wasted. He would have to return with something, even if this something was a squirrel or skinny rabbit.
Atem turned his face towards the full moon. It was like she was taunting him, giving him all the light to see, but no prey to catch and bring home to his friends.
Just one thing. It didn’t matter what it was. He just had to catch one thing, and then he could go home and get some rest. He stifled a yawn and continued into the forest.
Another rustle of leaves. He gently turned his head to see where the sound came from and saw moonlight shine through the trees a bit away from him. A glade. He got closer, carefully avoiding stepping on anything that could reveal his position before he got to the edges of the clearing. A herd of deer was peacefully resting in the open area, eating, guarding their young.
Perfect. His prayers had been answered. He only needed one of them and his friends would have food for a week at least.
He crept closer, keeping to the outskirts of the glade, carefully nocking an arrow. Mist seeped into the glade, moving in the still breeze, the moonlight playing tricks on his mind through it. Because it had to be tricks, right? The silhouettes he saw, of people moving through the mist had to be his tired mind seeing things that weren’t there.
He drew his bow. It was difficult trying to focus on the deer now, the mist growing thicker, obscuring the majestic animals from view. They were still there, he knew it, he just...
He saw the antlers on one of the larger males and aimed for where he knew the head would be. A simple shot to the head would finish things quick and painless. Otherwise, he carried his iron dagger to end the poor animal’s suffering.
He let go of the arrow together with his breath. The second the arrow left his fingers, he knew he would strike his target. He watched the arrow fly towards the stag, stop midair, and fall to the ground.
Atem only stared at the arrow in shock. The mist seemed to warp around it, almost flee from the wooden arrow with its dark fletching and iron point. Atem managed to nock another arrow before realizing the deer were gone. Not like they had run away, but like they had faded into nothingness.
The mist seemed to melt into movements, shapes. Maybe his mind hadn’t been playing tricks on him, maybe there were people out there, hidden in the mist. Atem narrowed his eyes, trying to distinguish the movements. It looked like people, and they were dancing in the moonlight, in and out of the mist that covered the ground like an ocean.
By the time their faint song reached his ears it was too late.
The fairies were dancing in the moonlight, creatures of mist and shadows.
Atem backed away, trying to get into the safety of the shadows when a soft voice met his ears, coaxing him to step into the glade, asking him to come closer. He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. He should turn around and run. He should get home and place pieces of iron by the door and windows. He should pray to be forgotten by the fae, to never have been noticed in the first place.
In his heart, he knew it was too late.
He had shot an arrow into their dance, an offence like that wouldn’t be forgotten.
His feet moved on their own, stepping into the glade, into the light.
The dance had resumed, the fairies twirling with the wind. Despite this, Atem couldn’t run. He came closer to the deadly dance.
“Welcome, hunter.” The spell seemed to break as he turned his head, seeing a young man seemingly his own age. A man with eyes a stunning shade of hyacinth blue, and thin braids tied into his dark hair. His pale skin reflected the moonlight, matching the colour of his clothes, fading into mist and spider webs. Drops of dew clung to his robes, giving his silhouette an ethereal shine.
Atem’s mouth went dry.
“Are you spying on our dance?” The boy asked with a melodious voice, tinted with amusement. Atem realized too soon that he would give anything the hear him keep talking, to keep hearing that beautiful voice. The boy came closer, lightly touching Atem’s arm, tracing it up to his shoulder as he walked around the stunned hunter, chills spreading from the places where the fairy’s fingers touched him. There was no way this boy was a mortal.
“My queen doesn’t take lightly to being threatened,” the boy whispered in his ear, partially embracing Atem in the meantime. His hair tickled Atem’s cheek, his breath soft against his skin. “The arrow you shot is one of the highest offences you could commit.”
“I... didn’t mean to,” Atem somehow managed to force out. “I thought I saw a herd of deer. I only wanted to bring home food for my friends.”
The fairy continued to walk around him until they were standing face to face. From this angle, Atem could see the slightly pointed ears hidden by his hair. He seemed to grow more beautiful for each second passing.
“I see,” the fairy murmured, tracing the backs of Atem’s hands with light fingers. “Illusions are prone to trick minds and souls in the light of the full moon.” By now, the boy’s hands were on his hips. Atem barely noticed the sound when his quiver fell from his belt, arrows scattering over the moss. “If you give me your name,” he continued, “I could introduce you to the others, and figure all of this out, I’m sure we can-”
The boy hissed and his hands left Atem’s body as if it had burned him. In a moment of clarity, Atem managed to draw his dagger, the iron a glowing red colour, rapidly fading. The fairy had accidentally touched it. The iron had burned him, giving Atem a second to escape.
“I won’t give you my name,” he called out, taking a few steps away from the fairy. The boy looked up at him, dew drop tears in his eyes as he cradled his furiously reddish fingers with his other hand.
“Are you trying to hurt us?” the fairy asked with a shivering voice. Atem immediately longed to hear the sweet, playful voice again. The tear-filled eyes before him tore at his heart and before he knew how it had happened, he had dropped his knife and reached forward to grab the wounded hand, pulling the boy closer to gently cradle the hand between his own, examining the injury.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I would never hurt one of you on purpose. I’ve heard the stories growing up, my mother taught me to pay my respects to the fae, although I never could’ve imagined meeting any of you in my lifetime. If there’s anything I can do...”
“You’re a very kind man,” the fairy responded in the tiny pocket of air between them. “Most humans would’ve tried to kill me by now. May I know your name, so that I can fully thank you?”
“Why don’t you tell me your name first?”
He barely noticed the question fall from his lips. He did notice the fairy tense before a smile crept unto his face, eyes sparkling of mischief. The fairy took a step away from him, looking him up and down.
“You’re bold, human,” he chuckled. “I like that.”
“I’ve been taught to never give my name to the fae. I listened carefully to my mother’s stories.”
“Your mother seems to be a wise woman, hunter. A name is a powerful little thing. And you asked to know mine.”
“Only seems fair, doesn’t it? A name for a name.”’
The fairy laughed. A beautiful, ringing laughter that seemed to seep into every part of Atem’s being. He couldn’t keep from smiling.
“Alright, human,” the fairy smiled, leaning closer until only a couple of centimetres separated them. “How about a game?”
To play a game with the fae was a genuinely bad idea. Atem had heard stories about people playing one a single game with fairies or trolls, only to find out hundreds of years had passed before they were let free from the spell. He didn’t feel like he was under any form of spell currently, but he wasn’t used to being enchanted, so maybe he just ignored the signs. But the boy's eyes were gleaming with excitement and Atem couldn’t force himself to walk away from the sparkling eyes. Maybe he was under some sort of spell.
“What... kind of game?” What he actually wanted to ask was about the stakes. If I play this game, what will I lose?
As if the boy had heard his thoughts he reached out into the air, like he was trying to capture the mist. A deck of cards materialized in his hand, and he held it between them, looking into Atem’s eyes.
“A simple game of cards,” he smiled sweetly. “If you win, I’ll give you my name and you’ll be free to leave this place in peace and safety. We won’t come after you. Although the queen likely will be angry, she will acknowledge your skill and reward you with freedom.”
Atem was almost too scared to ask.
“And if I lose?”
The fairy smiled wider, eyes sparkling.
“Then you’ll give me your name and come join our dance.”
Atem swallowed nervously. It was a game of life or death. His chances of winning were microscopically small, but if it was that or eternal dance amongst the fae, he had to try.
“I accept your challenge.”
The fairy sat down of the ground, gesturing Atem to do the same. He started to explain the rules as he shuffled the deck, but Atem reached out to lay his hand on one of the fairy’s wrists.
“I hope,” he started, “that you won’t take offence if I’m the one dealing the cards. I hope you’ll forgive my suspicions, but it’s your game, your cards, and you’re the one with magic here.”
The fairy only stared at him, his mouth in the shape of an o, before his pale cheeks darkened in a beautiful shade of red.
“Of course you can deal the cards,” he said, hastily pressing the cards in Atem’s hands. “I take pride in my games, I don’t want you to think I’ll win by cheating.”
Atem wondered if he should point out that the fairy hadn’t won yet. He eventually decided against it as he shuffled and dealt the cards as instructed, with one card each face down in front of them.
“The first one to flip over this card is the winner,” the boy told him, tucking some hair behind his ear as he leaned forward to show where the different piles of cards were supposed to be. “But if the game ends on a tie, the one with the highest number is the victor, got it?”
“Is the ace the highest or lowest card?”
The boy hesitated for a moment.
“Both works, but I usually play it as the highest, if that’s fine with you?”
Atem nodded and grabbed his cards. This was all or nothing.
“Let’s play.”
If not for threat to his life, Atem really thought he would’ve enjoyed the game. They drew cards, exchanged them and threw some away, all in a race to complete their hand before their opponent, while sabotaging them and figure out what’s in their hand without revealing your own cards.
It shouldn't have come to a surprise to him when they threw their hands down at the same time, revealing two completed hands.
The fairy’s eyes grew comically large as he looked between his cards and Atem’s. They were equal in strength, equal in numbers.
“Seems like it’s up to the hidden cards,” the boy said quietly, and Atem pretended to not hear the faint shiver in his voice. The boy was scared. Scared to lose, to give up his name. It was all up to chance now. Atem forced the part of him that dared to be hopeful to be quiet. The fae were excellent at affecting chance. It wasn’t over until the last card was drawn.
“Do you want to go first?” Atem asked the fairy, trying to sooth his nerves. The young man nodded and took a deep breath, quickly flipping the card.
The king of spades.
A king.
Atem could hear his hope shatter. The fairy let his breath out in a relieved sigh as he straightened his back and looked into Atem’s eyes, mirth shining in his face.
“Your turn, human,” he said, leaning his head on his hands. “Show us your hidden card.”
Atem flipped the card like you rip off a band-aid, accepting his fate.
A gasp was heard.
The fairy almost faded into the mist with the paleness of his cheeks, his eyes glowing in disbelief. Atem quickly glanced down on the card in front of him.
Ace of hearts.
He had won.
“Impossible,” the fairy whispered, eyes shifting between Atem and the card. “How...”
Atem scurried up on his feet before the fairy could change his mind.
“A promise is a promise. I’m allowed to walk away without curses or threats. I will be allowed to walk away in peace and safety, despite the threat I accidentally caused you, isn’t that right?”
“Yes...” the fairy responded, seemingly stunned as the playing cards turned back into mist. “I’ll let you go in peace.”
Atem took a couple of steps away from him before remembering something else.
“Your name.”
The boy looked up at him, something akin to fear in his eyes.
“What about my name?”
“That was part of the stakes. You have to give me your name, as a token for my safety. You need to uphold your end of the bargain. How am I otherwise going to be able to trust my safety?”
“I can’t give you my name!” The fairy got up on his feet, looking at Atem in desperation. “If it gets out... the power it holds over me... I mean, if the queen got to know I gave it to a mortal...”
“I would never share your name or use it for unnecessary means,” Atem said, grabbing the fairy’s hands to hold them between them. “You need to uphold your end of the bargain.”
The boy bit his lip before glancing around. The fairy dance still happened not too long away from them, but they didn’t seem to acknowledge Atem and the fairy.
The boy leaned in so close their chests touched and whispered in his ear.
“Don’t make me regret this, do you understand me?”
Atem nodded carefully as the breath of the other tickled his ear.
“My name is Yugi. Use it with care.”
“Yugi?”
A shiver seemed to travel through the fairy’s body, Atem only noticing because of their proximity.
“Exactly.”
Atem was about to back away, but Yugi’s hold on his body tightened.
“What should I call you?”
Atem hesitated for a moment before whispering a word in Yugi’s ear. The slightly pointed tip twitched when his lips touched it, and he could feel Yugi’s smile.
“Yami,” he whispered softly. “That’s not your real name, is it?”
“No, it’s not, but I figured you could call me something else than human.”
Yugi laughed joyfully before stepping away from him. Atem immediately wanted to pull him closer again. He pushed the thoughts down deep withing his heart. No, he should be happy. He was almost free from the fairy queen’s court.
“I’ll see you around, Yami,” Yugi said with a chuckle. “Somehow I doubt this is the last I’ll see of you.”
Atem bowed towards the fairy before backing away from the glade. The blue eyes followed his every movement until he was completely obscured by the trees. First then did he turn around and start his run home. He didn’t stop for anything, just ran through the woods, letting the moon light his way home.
His ear still tickled from Yugi’s breath.
Yugi.
What had he gotten himself into?