Ascension [A Yu-Gi-Oh! FanFiction]

6: Intent

Atem was grateful when a cloud rolled in front of the sun, casting a soothing shadow over the palace courtyard. It was hard enough to concentrate on Mahad's lesson without having to wipe sweat from his brow every five seconds.

Though Atem and Mahad were sitting face-to-face, neither could see the other, as both of their ka were hovering between them. Today's lesson was one of meditation and concentration — the object was to keep a ceramic pot suspended in the air using only the will of one's ka.

Atem found the exercise surprisingly hard. It was one thing to order his ka to perform a spell it had long since perfected, but another thing entirely to keep a consistent connection to the Magician's Apprentice using nothing but his thoughts. Atem found himself opening one eye every now and then to see his Apprentice's shoulders quivering and the pot in front of him wobbling. Meanwhile, the pot in front of the Magician of Illusion was as steady as a statue.

Atem thought he saw Mahad leaning over to check on him, so he quickly closed his eyes again and focused even harder. He was able to maintain his concentration for another moment more before the air broke with a high-pitched squeal, like fingernails down the strings of a lyre.

"E—EE!"

Atem opened his eyes as the sound grew louder, just in time to see a blur of white and brown colliding with him and knocking him flat on the ground. He heard the sound of a pot shattering, and he looked down to see the mass of brown and white was in fact Mana, his childhood friend and fellow student of Mahad's, lying sprawled on top of him and squeezing his neck. Struggling for breath, he turned his head up to see the curious faces of the Apprentice, Mahad and his Magician all peering down at him.

"Mana," he wheezed, "you're crushing me."

With another high-pitched noise, Mana finally released him and sat up. Atem did the same, rubbing the spot where his head had hit the ground.

"What's all this for?" he asked.

"How dare you!" she cried, then she punched his shoulder, hard. "Why didn't you tell me you were engaged to be married! I was down in the store rooms hiding in the wine pots, like I usually do, waiting to jump out and scare the servant master when all of a sudden I hear him talking to the groundskeeper about preparing for a wedding! So I'm thinking, is Tefnak taking a second wife? Then I thought, there's no way he could get two women to like him, so I jumped out — barely gave them any fright, I really hadn't gotten a chance to wait until the opportune moment, such a shame, you know — and I said 'who's getting married?' and they said 'the other prince' and I said, 'what prince?' and they said 'prince Atem' and I nearly screamed because I thought, there's no way Atem would forget to tell me he was getting married! So I went and found Tef and he told me it was true and so I came right here to get it straight from the horse's mouth! So, tell me everything! Who is she, where did you meet, what's she like, is she pretty, does she like magic—"

"Mana, slow down," Atem hissed, still rubbing his arm where she had punched him. "It's...a long story."

"Please, oh, please Atem, you simply must tell me every detail about her!"

Suddenly, Mahad stepped forward, casting them both in his shadow. "You were supposed to join us for training today, Mana," he said, pointing at her. "I don't see why the prince should have to tell you anything when you can't even bother to show up for your lessons."

Mana suddenly fell into a prostrate bow before Mahad. "I'm sorry, Master, I promise I'll scrub the bathhouse floors for a week! Just tell me, tell me, tell meee—"

"Alright, Mana," Atem chided. "But first, let's get out of the heat."

Atem stood and dispersed his ka, Mahad following suit, and the three of them meandered into the adjacent gardens to recline under a tall palm tree.