Atem slithered among the temple walls, it was night and no human dared tread foot on temple grounds. He growled to himself as he slithered back and forth as if he was pacing. He was alone in the temple having feasted on the human’s sacrifice hours ago but it wasn’t quite fully digested. He was thinking about the coming gathering. Like all of the other gatherings, he had to gather reports from the other Gods he ruled over. He also had to answer to challenges from those that challenged his throne he rightfully fought to grasp many millennia ago. He hissed a bit at the thought of the Rat or the Pig Zodiac taking his throne away from his grasp. When he was young he had killed many a rat and pig as he grew, they should fear him not challenge him. Even the Dragon bowed to him, so what was their problem?

Clattering from the entrance of the temple drew Atem’s attention. He knew no human was brave enough to tread on temple ground after the sunset. Curious though he stayed to the shadows as he slithered to the entrance. He scanned the ground and the walls from his perch coiled around on top of a marble pillar. Not seeing anyone or anything he felt a little put off, he was still hungry. Slowly he moved down the pillar to the ground, the gold bands around his waist that hid where gray scales turned to tanned skin scraped along the stone. When he reached the ground he heard the clattering again, this time from the back of the temple. He growled and quickly slithered to see what had invaded his home. There was nothing but knocked over pots with their contents scattered.

“What in the sssix hellss isss going on here,” he hissed, flicking his forked tongue out to get a better smell of the intruder. Atem’s crimson eyes narrowed dangerously as he slowly, carefully moved around the tipped pots. “Bakura, I know you are there. Come out of hiding you rat!”

“My my such hostility for the King to display,” Bakura’s voice mocked from the shadows around Atem. Atem looked around flicking his tongue out again, this time he smelled more than just the Rat God, he also smelled the Rooster God.

“Aknadin, Bakura. What are you two doing here in my domain!” Atem demanded. He couldn’t see them nor could he detect where their scents were coming from. He let his fangs fall out fully in warning, the interior of his mouth turning black when venom began to gather at the base of his fangs. 

“So scary,” Bakura chuckled, staying within the shadows. 

Aknadin chuckled as well. “We have you right where we want you, my King.”

“I am giving you both one warning. Get out of my domain before you become my midnight sssnack!” Atem hissed dangerously raising his upper body higher in warning. He heard shuffling around him yet he couldn’t see anything. Something wasn’t right, he could feel it. Atem didn’t know what was causing his lack of night seeing. He was on guard listening and watching, waiting for something to happen.

“Your domain? It’s the domain of the King, and soon that won’t be you,” Bakura hissed just before several thousand rats sprang at Atem. Atem whipped his snake body around scattering the rats back into the shadows surrounding him. A large rooster, otherwise known as Aknadin, tackled him to the ground, pinning him on his back. The thick black shadows went away as Atem struggled. Atem cried out in pain as the rats he flung away bit into his tail ceasing his movements. Bakura walked over as he shifted to his more human form, the rat tail staying along with his ears. Atem glared hissing at the Rat God that stood over him. Aknadin dug his talons into Atem’s shoulders to keep him from moving, causing the Snake God to cry out.

“You coward!” Atem growled his venom dripping from his fangs and spat at Bakura as he talked. Bakura smirked down at the Ruler of the Zodiac Gods that was pinned under Aknadin. Atem glared darkly, his gold crown glinting in the candles that were lit once the shadows went away. The other gold adornments Atem had on his human torso also reflected the light. Bakura reached down to take the crown off Atem’s forehead. Atem moved his head away, he wasn’t going to let Bakura take the crown he rightfully earned. Aknadin removed one of his talons from Atem’s shoulder and moved it to cage his head to keep it from moving while Bakura took his prize. The crown slipped free from its place on Atem’s forehead. Bakura laughed loudly looking at the crown in his hand.

“As promised Aknadin, you can do as you please with him now that I have my prize,” Bakura smirked evilly. Atem actually grew fearful of what was happening. He was trapped on his back with thousands of rats holding down his tail. He struggled which caused the rats to bite down harder. Atem looked up at Aknadin from between the rooster’s talons as Bakura walked over to a seat to enjoy the show.

“That crown will never be yoursss Bakura, you cannot defeat me in a fair fight. That’sss the only way it will accept you,” Atem stated before Aknadin tightened his talon. 

Aknadin removed his other talon from Atem’s shoulder before he lifted the Snake God’s torso off the ground. “What do you know of a fair fight?” he crowed angrily.

Nearing sunrise, Aknadin and Bakura left in the smallest versions of their animal forms. The rats followed their master back to their domain. Atem laid in a large pool of his own blood as the sun slowly inched its way into the pristine temple. He kept his eyes close until he heard birds chirping outside. Painfully he pulled himself up before dragging his full weight into his underground lair leaving a trail of deep red blood behind. Humans shouldn’t see him no matter his condition. When he managed to pull his entire body into his lair the temple caretakers were walking in. Atem heard the startled and fearful gasps of the caretakers just before darkness took his mind.