#and duel of the fates opens quietly enough to work even if you include the choral bit

[sesamenom]

oh this was fun! Thanks for the tag @tar-thelien!

hmm, it's a nice combination of fiery and foreboding, so i'll dedicate this to the period of tension just before the Flight of the Noldor

tagging @coffee-gardens, @nighttimepatrons, @tilion-writes, @the-writing-goblin !

(0 pressure tag 😁) Song Poem Challenge! Put your entire song collection on shuffle, then write down the first line from each of the first ten songs that pop up to create a poem. You must then dedicate the poem to the blorbo or OTP that it most reminds you of! Then tag or send asks to three others people that you think might enjoy the challenge!

Very late, but here's what I got:

To know her is to see Living next door to challenge I am the son and the heir It's been a long time High in the halls of the kings who are gone Seems like just yesterday Childhood living is easy to do Oh, can't you see that pretty little bird I've been reading books of old Savour the taste

I dedicate this to... Jinshi & Maomao from The Apothecary Diaries

0 pressure tag: @hirazuki @mirkwood-hr-department @therockywhorerpictureshow

[oneinathousandwords-blog]

The Sacred Blood-Lines ~ A Yu-Gi-Oh! Reader’s Request Fanfiction ~ Chapter 2

“So, do you three have plans about where you’ll be staying while you’re in Japan?“ Yugi smiled at Ishizu, Rishid, and Marik from across the table, cheerfully scooping up the last of his french fries.

Marik shook his head. “We were going to stay in a hotel, but we wanted to meet up with you two before making any plans.“

Kaiba tapped his foot impatiently. He had been sitting stolidly at the table without saying a word for the entire meal, but he was done with waiting. “Let’s cut to the chase. Why are you here?“

Ishizu primly wiped her mouth with a napkin, sighing quietly. “To understand the scope of the threat to come, you must know of the history of the tomb-keepers.“

“Our family has two branches, the Ishtars and the Kanaans. The Ishtar branch was tasked with guarding the Millennium Rod and the Millennium Necklace, while the Kannan branch was given the job of maintaining the ancient rites of worship for the Nameless Pharaoh’s soul. Both branches had the same ritual performed on the males when they came of age, but the two rarely interacted beyond that.“

“Corruption, it seems, was fated upon both of our families. Aswad Kanaan is the current head of the Kanaan branch. He is a few years older than I am, and unusually skilled in magic and the ancient arts - and has the ambition  to match.“

Kaiba snorted. “Looks like you Tomb Keepers have a few institutional issues.“

Marik looked away briefly, an odd expression on his face. Yugi noticed his slight discomfort.

“It is in darkness that darkness breeds.“ Ishizu sighed. “And we have been in darkness for too long.“

“This Aswad . . . what is he trying to do?“ Yugi asked. “And why did you warn us about giving away our blood?“

Ishizu smiled, her eyes suddenly softening. “Yugi, Seto, both of you are descendants of the line of the Pharaohs. Your blood, your bones, and every other part of you comes from the Royal Egyptian line of power.“

“No way.“ Yugi breathed. Kaiba just closed his eyes, a vague, self-satisfied smile spreading across his face.

“But that is also a liability.“ Rishid cut in, his deep voice a strong contrast to Ishizu’s. “Aswad wants to use your blood to call forth the Pharaoh’s power from beyond.“

Kaiba’s head snapped up. “There’s a way to do that?“

“Yes.“ Ishizu said, a hint of bemusement lingering around her mouth. “But only if you feel like ritually sacrificing Yugi on the sacred altar in the Pharaoh’s tomb. Such a ritual is, on top of that, forbidden. Such tactics have been attempted before by those who would steal the power of the blood-line. Some have even succeeded - to a point. But the spell itself is long, and complicated. It has failed every time it has been spoken. As it employs dark magic, there is a penalty for misreading even a single syllable of the ritual.“

“A penalty?“ Yugi asked, wiping the last crumbs from his hands.

“Death.“ Marik said, his violet eyes trailing over both of the heirs. “If only one word is said wrongly, the spell’s caster will still be devoured by the forces he tried to call up.“

“In other words, there’s really no threat, is there?“ Kaiba said, a mocking smile on his face. “After all, if this ritual is impossible, then there’s no way this Aswad can use whatever powers we may have.“

Ishizu shook her head. “Aswad is an extremely powerful threat. Even if no one else has ever been able to cast this spell, he will do whatever it takes to make it work for him. And even if the ritual fails, whoever’s body he used for the ritual will still lose its soul. If he cannot obtain the Pharaoh’s power, he will end your life; maybe even both of your lives.“

“So what do we need to do?“ Yugi inquired. “And how soon can we expect him?“

“He’s not alone in his fight.“ Rishid sighed. “Those of the Kanaan who are dissatisfied with their lot in life have joined him. Petty, open-minded criminals and thieves looking for power have come to his cause as well.“

“Aswad has trained them in the ancient games. Your knowledge of mere Duel Monsters won’t be enough.“ Marik cut in. “You’re going to need to learn how to use your spirit protectors’ true powers.“

“As usual.“ Kaiba sighed in annoyance. “So, what are our spirit protectors, and what do they do?“

“Your spirit protectors are the Monsters who serve you alone, as descendants of the Pharaohs. Specifically, the cards you have built your entire decks around.“ Ishizu’s pale eyes looked deep into their souls, calling up memories one of them would rather have kept hidden.

“They can use the power of your blood-line to live in this world, and protect you from threats that are both physical and spiritual. Learning to call them from the world beyond is your first step in defending yourself from Aswad.“

Yugi looked between the Ishtar siblings, incredulous. “So you’re saying that we can summon Duel Monsters to the real world?“

“You have the potential to, yes. But if you cannot master it, then it is likely that Aswad, who has trained in such techniques since his youth, will overwhelm you.“ Ishizu shook her head. “We have already spent too much time here. We should leave, immediately.“

“We;re already in danger, aren’t we?“ Kaiba said casually, rising to his feet.

“Yes.“ Ishizu glanced around the restaurant. “Both of you, get away from this place now. If Aswad gains even a drop of your blood, it will be enough to summon forth a fraction of the Pharaoh’s power. We cannot let him have any of it. We will cover your escape. Go, now!”

Kaiba grabbed Yugi’s sleeve cuff, all but dragging him to his feet. “You’re staying with me. We can’t get separated.“ The billionaire hissed. “We’re going back to corporate headquarters.“

Hmmm. I wanted to put some cool fanart of Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes in this chapter, but I couldn’t find a well-drawn one of them together in the same scene. I have an idea in my head of what I want, but I won’t be able to really draw it how I want until I can buy a computer graphics tablet. I guess I’ll post it with the chapter then. For now, please enjoy the story.

This is still the beginning, so many things have to be introduced before I can move onto the main plot. Also, it is a reader’s request, so anything you want to see in here will happen. I want to update this story at least once a week, usually on Wednesdays, so the quicker you get the requests in, the quicker I am to include it in the chapter. Thanks for reading to you all!

Chapter 1 can be found here.