Yes: With the appearance of Raina the Light Charmer (in Japan), the urge that had been welling within me for almost a decade to conjure lore for the Trading Card Game has overtaken me; the root of all my other stories had always been intended to be this very piece. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ramblings of the enigmatic Subtle Insanity; his woven tale of the Charmers begins now.
WARNING: This story does not focus on the characters of any of the three main series.
The Law of the Charmers
The player of Duel Monsters- the game you humans refer to as "Yu-Gi-Oh!"- has three main occupations: summoner, evoker of monsters; caster, evoker of magical spells; and deceiver, evoker of traps. A human who is proficient in said arts can be summed up as one word: duelist. Ignore the fact that the game itself is played with just flimsy pieces of cardboard; the player is still calculating potential dangers, taking proper risks, seeking opportune chances, and inducing fear into their opponents- all to claim victory in a battle (or war) of wits. The potential of humankind never ceases to amaze me.
I look at the cards held between my fingers, and not a day goes by without them bringing back memories of my past- of the countless stories that had been left behind to erode in the river of time. Out of both duty and personal fascination, I had made an oath to tell the untold.
Belief or disbelief rests with you. "Reveal one must of histories unspoken"... That is the law of us Charmers.
-Foreword by Eria
The Legend of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon
With scales of white and eyes of blue,
Boasting power that few knew,
These foul beasts in bedlam's wake
Cause great havoc for its own sake. -Z. B.
Between the cloudy ceiling and the mountain clusters' jagged peaks, a gigantic beast soared across the orange skies. Its grayish scales reflected the light of the sun sinking into the landscape as its huge wings flapped with great force, exerting a strong gust below it. Shimmering sapphire eyes leered at the puny opponent before it, roaring angrily at his intrusion in its territory.
The things I do for Mother... In the very center of a dipping plateau- where steam was steadily ascending from the earth as a silent hiss echoed across the area- a boy with short disheveled black hair was leaning on the weapon gripped by his left hand, trying to steady his breathing as the tail of his sepia cloak fluttered in the unnatural bursts of wind. The lesser devil skull, the head of his staff, had rotted into a distasteful brown; the core of the obsidian orb at the staff's opposite end was wavering in color between gray and black.
With a fierce roar, the beast slackened its jaw before a whitish concentration of pure energy gathered in its mouth and emitted a strong aura. Hardening its gaze, it lunged its head forward, releasing the pent-up light as a powerful bluish beam, the cross-area as large as its face.
Reacting swiftly, he held out his staff, and a solid-black sphere quickly surrounded him. From an outsider's view, it would appear to be the death of the caster, but the fast-approaching stream of lightning collided with the barrier and was forcibly deflected along its surface. He knew that the tattered, graying shirt and matching shorts he wore under his cloak, despite both being enchanted with anti-magical energies, would never be enough to absorb the dragon's ranged attacks, so maneuvering his way out of its initial onslaught had been his only safe option; unfortunately, being mainly a spellslinger, he wasn't as fit as he had thought he was, and since his stamina was steadily failing, only his precise analyzing could explain his present intact state against obliteration.
Gonna keep your distance, huh? Coward. A disgrace to your species, if I do say so myself, he thought silently as he was dispersing the attack. Tasting the mountain air, he felt slightly dizzy; the sooner his mission was done, the better.
The clashing of energies lasted a few seconds before the beam subsided. Noticing his chance to counter-attack, he reached into the left pocket of his cloak and pulled out a rectangular red piece of paper with an orange border and an oval black center, its glossy surface reflecting the light of the sunset, before tossing it face-down some distance in front of him.
"Come on, you stupid dragon!" the boy had taunted at it. "Your burst streams can't hit me! Only a chicken plays the distance game!" He didn't care if it could comprehend his words; all he needed to do was to goad it into close combat.
A low growl erupted from the beast before it descended towards him, accepting the offer to grind him between its teeth.
Three seconds away, he gripped his staff.
Two seconds away, he cocked his left arm back.
One second away, he made eye contact with his foe.
Checkmate. "Activate!" he chanted as he pointed the head of his weapon outward.
The piece of paper he had laid down glowed a blindingly-bright white before a jar twice as large as its summoner instantly emerged from it. On opposite sides of the container, two identical face, both shaped like dragons, greeted both its user and his opponent.
Even the most idiotic entity knew its bane when it saw it, and the dragon was no exception; seeing the new presence, it tried to pull back and retreat from the area.
Unfortunately, the jar, detecting its prey, spewed forth from its top a large, reddish fog that enveloped the beast. No matter how much the now-ensnared target had attempted to struggle, the jar's power was too great for it. Vacuuming the target into itself, it managed to contain the dragon before coughing out a white puff of smoke and retreating into the paper.
Picking up the rectangular slip, he gasped, "Finally..." before giving an exasperated sigh.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from within his thoughts. Dharc, my son... Can you hear me?
Loud and clear, mother, he telepathically sent back.
How was capture number forty-six?
Successful as always, Mother, he said with a hint of pride.
Good boy. Making her tone softer, she continued, Return to base; supper's ready!
Yes, ma'am! Severing the mental link, he traced a circular path around him with the tail end of his staff. A burst of light pierced the heavens before he vanished from the area as the sky was darkening into a purplish hue.
"Mother, I'm home~!" a girl with short flat white hair (aside from a single strand arcing upwards) chimed as she walked into the cottage before closing and locking the oaken front door. The area for welcoming those who entered was deemed rightly so; solid, brown brick walls held the residency together as six wooden chairs surrounded a small circular table with a single unlit candle on its surface, a soft rectangular carpet of matching color with an intricate design at the furniture's feet.
"Welcome home, Laina!" a sing-song voice replied from behind the wall opposite the door. "How was your day?"
"You wouldn't believe it, Mother: I saw a dragon passing by earlier today!" she chirped as she hung her sepia jacket on a wall hook near the door, revealing the loosely-tightened white corselette with a black mid-section that she wore over her black shorts. Around her waist were a cross-worn pair of brown sashes. "It had white scales and blue eyes!"
"A woman like you shouldn't be lying, 'Lie'-na," a gruff male voice quipped from just outside her view.
Walking into the dining room, she approached a person wearing a large orange poncho, a silly-looking light brown hat with a gold-plated front, orange-tinted goggles, and a white face mask sitting at the far end of the rectangular table; his clothing was covering him completely. "Oh, Mister Shimon! Good evening! I wasn't lying, though!"
"Sure you weren't," he said non-convincingly as he stretched his hands up to the ceiling before putting them behind his head. Looking towards the third person in the room, a woman with long blonde hair wearing priestly light-blue robes, he asked, "Lady Doriado, what tales have you been telling this maiden now?"
Keeping her focus on chopping the vegetables in front of her and watching the water in the silver pot over the stove bubble, she replied, "'The Legend of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon'. Why?"
"That one?" he mock-groaned. "Couldn't you have picked a more suitable bedtime story, like 'The Metal Raiders' or 'The Spell Ruler'?"
Laina lightly punched him in the side. "You're so silly, Mr. Shimon."
He faked the severity of the hit, making it look like she had broken a rib. "Ow, Laina~! Are you trying to cripple me~?"
She chuckled. "You're a horrible actor."
He patted her hair with his leather-gloved hand. "Just for that comment, I punish you with fetching your sisters for supper~!" he sang.
"Aw, but I wanted first dibs...!"
Doriado laughed softly at their exchange. "Don't worry, Laina; there will be more than enough for everyone. Now, can you please fetch your sisters?"
"O-kay..." Giving in to the request, she reentered the welcoming room before ascending the rickety wooden stairs to her right, each step creaking as she walked up. When she reached the top, an area surrounded by seven identical doors, she knocked on the one closest to her left. "Sister Aussa~!" she chirped. "Supper time~!"
A large explosion suddenly erupted from behind the door. A moment passed before the door swung inward and a girl wearing a vertical-striped green turtleneck sweater, a brown sash around her waist, and black shorts emerged from behind it. Every strand of her messy short brown hair was standing on end, and her squarish glasses were covered with a dirty purple soot. "Laina!" she yelled as her topaz-colored eyes gave a death glare. "What did I tell you about just knocking!?"
"Sowwee..." she said playfully, though she was only half-serious.
"Ah, geez..." Sighing in defeat, she took off her glasses. "Well, whatever. I'll be down in a bit," she said before retreating back into her room and closing the door. "Just let me clean up..."
One down, three to go. Going past her own door, she knocked on the next one. "Sister Eria~! Supper time~!"
The door promptly opened, and a girl wearing a sleeveless shirt, sash, and pleated skirt with colors respectively identical to Aussa's stepped out. Brushing her long flowing blue hair with a comb, her sapphire-colored eyes looked softly at her younger sister. "Laina, did you disturb Aussa's lab-working again...?"
"Yep!" she answered simply with a smile.
"You should know better," she scolded as she put away the comb. "What if she had actually gotten hurt?"
"Sister, everyone knows that she only works on safe projects; why else would Mother let her be?"
"True..." she mused. "In any case, please be careful about it. Well, then, let's fetch the other two."
As her sister approached the other door closest to the stairs, Laina walked to the door opposite Aussa's. Knocking, she sang, "Sister Hiita~! Supper time~!"
The door slowly gave way as a girl with wild short red hair and a droopy expression in her ruby-colored eyes emerged from behind it. Under her black brassiere and brown sash, her white shirt was mostly unbuttoned except for the few near the bottom, exposing her abdomen. Straightening her flat black skirt, she gave a small hum of acknowledgment, still recovering from the loud arousal from her nap earlier.
"Oh, you were sleeping...? Sorry, Hiita; I thought everyone was awake, so I went and shook up Aussa for you..."
She gave a sleepy smile, chuckled, and thanked Laina for fulfilling their promise before slowly heading down the stairs, clumsily buttoning up her shirt along the way.
"Sister Wynn! It's time for supper!" Eria yelled as she banged on the door with her fist. "Wake up!"
The door opened abruptly as a girl wearing a thin white sleeveless shirt, brown sash, and slightly-ruffled black skirt emerged from behind it. "I was having a pleasant dream until you woke me up!" she huffed, squinting her emerald-colored eyes as the ponytail end of her medium-length green hair bounced to and fro.
"Yeah, yeah... Do you want to eat or not?" she asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
She gave an annoyed hum. "It's always business when it comes to you, sister..." Giving in, she joined Eria and Laina in descending the stairs.
"Master Dharc..." a small, one-eyed creature with wings greeted its superior. "Welcome back."
"Great to be back, Meda," the spellcaster replied to his familiar as they went through the ebony-marbled halls. Without the orbs of light hovering near the ceiling of the corridors, the area would blend seamlessly with the shadows.
"How was the mission?"
"Easy, as usual," he said flatly. "I almost pity not having a proper one-on-one battle against the target."
"'Almost'?" it pressed him.
"Almost. Any new events happening recently?"
"The Tri-Horned Dragons under our service are getting quite vocal nowadays; it appears they had found our Blue-Eyes White Dragons and are now pestering Empress Agome to pit them against the blasted things."
"Ha!" he bellowed out, the sound reverberating off the walls. "Do they have death wishes? Of course Mother won't allow it; the last thing we need is to waste our research subjects on their petty feud..." He rubbed his chin. "It would be interesting to see how well they'd fare, though. Tell them they'll have their chance soon enough."
"What about Empress Agome?" it pointed out. "I doubt even you could persuade her to allow such an action."
"Meda, you- of all beings, no less- should know what I'm capable of," he retorted.
"Whatever you say, Master... Oh, I almost forgot: the Skull Servant King went out to gather more followers again."
"Again? Doesn't he have enough mindless slaves? It's bad enough that the ones already under his command aren't doing jack."
"Well, this time, he was promising more tribal leaders under our command."
"That's what he said last time... Honestly, what does Mother see in that literal bag of bones?"
Reaching a huge green double-door with circular rings for handles, he pulled one door towards him before entering the dining hall. Amongst the thick stone pillars near the walls to his sides, scrumptious-looking plates of food- from fried Nemurikos and tender Dark Gray cutlets to soft-boiled Monster Eggs and roasted Niwatoris- sat atop the white tablecloth draped over the rectangular table. Most of his mother's numerous confidants, who had already taken their seats, were chatting with each other about their recent exploits, trying to outshine the rest.
"Dharc!" a woman with long blonde hair and dressed in black priestly robes exclaimed from the far end of the table. "Welcome home! Have a seat next to Mommy." She patted the chair nearest her right. "I've prepared your favorites, as always."
"Thank you, Mother." As he made his way to her side, basic greetings were sent his way from a few of the others at the table.
"Hello, Dharc! Fashionably late, I see. Too busy preening yourself, perhaps?"
"Can it, Saggi," he replied.
"Speak of the devil... Greetings, Dharc. About time you popped in!"
"Har har, Bickuri..."
"Any later, Dharc, and I would've eaten the table!"
"Like you would, Pumpking."
When the spellcaster reached his seat at the table, Agome cleared her throat. "Now that Dharc has finally joined us, let us pray." After everyone else closed their eyes and bowed their heads, she began her speech. "In honor of you, o venerable Emperor Ohm, we thank thee: not just for the food before us or our continued existence, but also for the balance of the world. May you always watch over us..."
Silence lingered in the area for a long moment.
"Alright, everyone," she continued. "Let's eat!"
"Hear, hear!" The chant reverberated across the room before everyone began loading their plates.
"Ah... I'm so glad I get to eat with you girls," Shimon said contently as he sat in the welcoming room, patting the belly area of his poncho as the sound of rushing water- emanating from Laina and Doriado cleaning the dishes in the other room- soothed his mind.
"Haven't you found an area to settle down in yet?" Eria asked him.
"Why? Are you trying to shoo me away?"
"Well, no..." she trailed off. "But-!"
"Don't worry about it," he interjected. "Besides, there's still treasure for me to find around here."
"The supposed manuscript of the 'Blue-Eyes' legend?" Hiita spoke. "I thought even you would know when to quit..."
"'All legends are based on truth, no matter how small the grain'," Wynn quoted. "All knowledge-seekers- even someone like Shimon here-" she shook her head to emphasize the point- "abide by it, right?"
"That's exactly right, Wynn," he confirmed. "Also, I resent that remark."
"So, any new info for us?" Aussa inquired, ignoring his retort.
"Actually, yes." When his audience of four leaned closer towards him, he began his report. "You girls know about the dwindling Blue-Eyes population, correct?"
"That there's around fifty remaining in this land?" Hiita quipped. "Yeah, we know."
"Well, apparently, the sightings are becoming less and less frequent recently. I'd estimate... less than ten are even around anymore."
"Ten? There's no way that's possible," Eria balked. "Not even the most organized mobs could reduce the numbers that much."
"Hey, I'm only guessing here. You do have to admit, though: there's been fewer 'burst streamed' areas as of late."
"Maybe the dragons are hibernating?" Wynn suggested.
"Lady, you and I both know that's impossible; their instincts urge them to destroy. Resisting nature's suggestions is virtually futile. Now, I need your help investigating this; something- or someone- has to be pulling the strings behind such an oddity."
"I know we owe you our lives and all, Shimon, but how do you suggest we follow a crumb-less trail?" Aussa pointed out.
"Aussa, we've done this countless times already; I never ask favors without bringing the necessities. Honestly, it's almost as if you're expecting me to slip up for once..." He reached into the pockets of his pants and pulled out four blank rectangular pieces of paper before handing one to each of his cohorts. "Those slips have been enchanted to detect a specific energy signature. When I was traveling across the mountainside, I had come across a newly-made plateau formation; it seems someone had goaded a Blue-Eyes into a duel of sorts. The oddest things I had discovered, though, was the lack of both a claw mark- the victory sign of the dragon- and a body print- the victory sign of the challenger. I scoured the area and eventually picked up the foreign reading- right before it was about to fade away, too. Guess it must have been my lucky day..."
The quartet frowned after hearing everything. How would someone get away unscathed after challenging a Blue-Eyes? Moreover, why was there no mark of the victor? They talked silently amongst themselves for a short while, pondering on whether to help their acquaintance.
When they had finished their group discussion, Aussa spoke up on their behalf. "We'll see what we can do."
"Whatever you say..." he sighed, knowing that it was their way of begrudgingly accepting the favor.
Yes: The story will basically be one large picture prompt project for me; each North American booster pack will correspond to- and start off- a story arc, and each and every card within them will have a chapter devoted to it. Also, the displayed monster of each booster pack will end the arc; therefore, its story will only be revealed after everything else in its pack have had their turns in the limelight.
The "Shimon" character's appearance is actually borrowed from a video game, where his name and clothes are the only established data on him; most of the "canon" characters in this piece will be related to their appropriate cards. How many in this very chapter can you find?
If you like this story, please give criticism (both kinds, but preferably the constructive type)!