Yu-Gi-Oh!: Realm of Myth
Chapter 1
Gathering Clouds
Winda struggled to contain her excitement. Her father's expression was serious, but at his words, she couldn't help but grin.
"I understand that I'm asking a lot of one so young and inexperienced, but, at the moment, our prospects look grim."
"How grim?" She managed to quash the smile, though it ruthlessly fought to free itself.
"Omens borne upon the wind speak of danger. A threat to our tribe and our very world worse than before."
The smile calmed itself.
"What kind of threat?" She asked.
"This, I cannot know, much as it pains me." Said the other occupant in the room. Her uncle Musto, the tribes oracle.
"Thus, I need you to to seek out your sister, and return her here." Windaar said.
"And then what?" Winda asked. Even with the ominous tone, the thought of getting to go on a long journey far away from Mist Valley was enticing.
"The two of you are then to seek out the help of an old acquaintance of mine. He's known as the Dark Magician."
Winda gasped, struggling to come to terms with his statement. "You're friends with the Dark Magician?! How come I've never heard about this?!"
"Friends is a bit of a strong statement." Windaar said. "He's not really one to form close bonds. But we have worked together in the past, and I know he will be willing to aid us, should I call upon his help."
"Really?!" Winda's eyes widened. The Dark Magician was legendary, the ultimate wizard. He was said to know all forms of magic and countermagic. If her dad knew him...
"Yes." Musto said. "A great calamity is coming. I know not it's true nature, but we will need all the help we can get to thwart it."
Winda however, wasn't really paying attention, still ecstatic upon hearing about the Dark Magician.
Her father sighed. "Go get your sister. I know she left on her own path, but you'll be needing her help for this quest. We can explain things in full once you return."
He didn't need to elaborate further. In a burst of wind, Winda was gone, the door rapidly bouncing back and forth.
The sky, as always, was a welcome environment. Winda enjoyed simply feeling the wind rush past her, as she rode through the sky on the back of Gulldos. The Gusto tribe formed bonds with familiars, and through that bond, enhanced their abilities in unison. Most often, the enhancement came with a growth in size several orders of magnitude.
Riding on Gulldo, she closed her eyes, opening her senses to the winds around her. While the air this high up might be dangerously cold to others, one of the perks of being wind elemental and a member of the Gusto clan meant that this was merely a comfortable cool breeze. The sensation was relaxing, and unbidden, she found herself reflecting on the conversation she had had with her father and the Oracle. Despite the eagerness of getting sent on a quest, she was taken aback by the sheer worry she could sense from him. He had tried to hide it, but it kept slipping through. The last time she had seen him that upset was during the war when...
Winda shook her head, putting the stray thought out of her head, instead deciding to focus on more pleasant things. Seeking out someone like the Dark Magician? She had always dreamed of meeting him, but had never thought it possible.
She leaned forwards on Gulldos. "Let's hurry and pick up Wynn, so we can get back, and get started!"
Gulldos gave a cry in agreement, feeling it's masters excitement.
Winda lifted her staff up. The air around the two of them drastically changed direction, massively accelerating their speed, rocketing them across the mountains to their destination.
Wynn's house was perhaps the definition of cozy, situated near a cliff with a beautiful view of the mountain range and access to all the winds that blew through it. The house itself was a two story structure made of wood and was near several trees, providing convenient shade when it was needed. From the sound, there was a flow of fresh mountain water not too far off. On the top of the house were several instruments clearly intended to measure the weather. Smoke lazily drifted from the chimney.
At her mental direction, Gulldos circled downwards, eventually landing on the ground in the clearing just outside the house. As she leaped off, her familiar reverted to his normal size as Gulldo.
Winda quickly made her way to the door, dusting a few feathers off herself as she did so. She was about to knock when the door opened, Wynn stepping outside.
Her expression was shock, then confusion, before reverting to calmness.
"Winda?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"
Before anything else, Winda hugged her little sister. It had been quite a long time since the two had seen each other.
"It's good to see you to, Winda." Wynn said
"Yeah, I've missed you." She released Wynn, and stepped inside her housed.
The inside of the house was what one might expect of a magicians home. Spellbooks and treatises on magic were organized in one area, while magical items and instruments dominated another area. A cauldron surrounded by shelves of reagents and vials of potions was in another. More standard living amenities also were about. Wynn lead her over to a common area, near the fireplace, close to the kitchen.
The couch she sat down on had a book on it, bookmarked. Winda must had interrupted her in the middle of her reading.
"So, why are you here, sister?" Wynn asked.
Winda could barely contain her excitement. "onmymorningpatrolIchasedoffsomegoblinstheyweretryingtostealfromourgardensbuttheywerewierdtheywerewearingthesedragonhatsanditlookedreallystupidanywaysafteraftercompletingmymorning
patrolgotbacktothevillageandwascalledintotheGreatHallDadandMustowerethereaboutthisprophecythinganditwasreallycoolweregoingonthissearchanditslikesomewhereinanotherwaitwhatdidhemeanbyother
ahwhocaresitsgoingtobeawesomeandweregoingtobeawesomewhenwefindthe-"
"Winda." Wynn interjected noting her sisters face growing redder. "Slow down, and breathe!"
Winda did so, stopping in the middle of her rant to take a deep inhale, creating a temporary vacuum force as she did so, unfortunately dislodging several loose papers in the process.
"DARK MAGICIAN!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, releasing a sudden burst of wind, knocking even more things loose. Wynn sighed and directed her familiar to start with the process of picking things up.
"What about the Dark Magician?" Wynn asked.
"Dad wants us to go find the Dark Magician!" Winda said, finally.
"Wait. What? Why?"
"I dunno, I kinda forgot some of the details." Winda said, still ecstatic. She took another deep breath, and was about to shout again, before Wynn stopped her.
"Is this why your here?"
"Yeah!" Managing to remain somewhat calm. "Dad sent me to get you."
"Well, it has been a while since I've been home." Wynn said.
"So your coming!"
"Yes, sis. I want to talk with Dad."
"Awesome!" Winda leaped out of her seat and into the air with a burst of wind, before gently floating back to the ground. "C'mon! We'll ride Gusto back! We can go right now!"
Winda grabbed her sisters hands and began pulling her outside.
"Wait! Wait!"
"Why?" Winda asked.
"I need get ready!"
"What do you need?!" Winda asked, clearly antsy to get going.
"Well, I need to get properly dressed for starters."
It was only now that Winda realized that her sister was still in her nightclothes.
"Oh... right... Well, don't take too long." Winda stepped outside, while Wynn closed the door.
Thankfully, the waiting wasn't too long, though Winda had extreme difficulty keeping still during the time. Her thoughts raced. She was going to meet the Dark Magician. With her sister! This was going to be awesome!
"Don't you think so, Gulldo?" Gulldo was her familiar. Their very souls were linked. So of course the bird was happily flitting about, doing twirls in the sky. At her wish, the bird flew close to her, and she took him in her arms. Gulldo gave a cheerful squawk.
"You get to meet him too!"
At this, Gulldos gave a shriek of excitement, sharing in his masters elation.
"I wonder if he has any familiars? He probably has like, 5 familiars, no 10! He-"
A sudden noise from behind her caused Winda to jump into the air. Gulldos shrieked and spread his wings. Fortunately, it was only Wynn, stepping out of the house.
Though Winda was two years older, people often mistook the sisters for twins. They both had extremely similar features, the same colored hair, the same colored eyes (though Wynn lacked the Gusto emblem), and even a preference for similar manner of dress. Wynn wore a white shirt and blue miniskirt, along with a similar robe to that which Winda sported.
"Are you ready to go?" Winda asked.
"Yes, everything's packed." She gestured to the pockets and sleeves of her robe, enchanted to hold more than what they normally carried.
"Alright! Daigusto Gulldos!" Winda shouted. Syncronizing her energies directly with that of Gulldo, the bird grew immensely. She leaped up onto him, and Wynn did the same, while her familiar, Peti, landed in Wynn's lap.
With a mighty thrust of his wings, they took off.
The trip back was uneventful, but quick. With the wind magic of both sisters, the travel time was even less than before, and not to long later, they were back in Mist Valley. Winda brought Gulldos down to land at the edge of the village, at the foot of the Mist Valley Shrine.
As the sisters lept off, there was a flash of green, and Gulldos transformed back into his smaller state. Gulldo landed on his masters shoulder, and then they headed up to the peak of the temple.
The Mist Valley Shrine was an ancient structure, so old that it's construction was lost to the haze of time. The valley's original inhabitants might have known about it, but they were long gone. Their heirs, the Gusto tribe continued their tradition of protecting the peace of the valley, in honor of the Goddess the shrine. The sisters father, Windaar, was the Gusto Sage, who managed the shrine, and thus, was the Chief of the Gusto tribe. As the Priestess, Winda would be next in line for the duty.
At the top of the shrine, both sisters were surprised at the turn out.
"Dad? Uncle Musto? Aunt Caam? Kamui?" Wynn noted the family members present. In addition to them, Reeze, and various other members of the tribe had shown up, apparently to send them off.
Windaar stepped forwards.
"I assume Winda has informed you of the situation."
"I got the gist of it." Wynn said. "You want us to seek out the Dark Magician."
"Yes. I can foresee a danger the likes of which we've never faced before. Though unfortunately, I cannot predict the true nature of this threat, in all futures I have glimpsed, it comes to pass. We cannot afford to be reactive in this situation, we need allies." Musto explained.
"We're planning on sending communications to the Gem-Knights as well." Windaar explained.
"They're already busy with the Laval conflict. It's pointless." Reeze said, her voice dull and disinterested.
"That has yet to be determined." Musto admonished.
"Regardless, the Dark Magician isn't the only ally we are seeking. If you find any others who might be willing on your journey, by all means, ask them for help." Caam said.
"Journey? Do you know where we'll be going?" Wynn asked.
"To the Dark Magician obviously!" Winda shouted.
"Please begin the casting." Windaar instructed his brother. Musto began concentrating, sitting down in front of the altar, and chanting.
"We'll be sending you through a Dimensional Fissure. Divinations have located the Dark Magicians aura signature." Windaar explained. "We'll be sending you an area near where he is located. The Guiding Wind spells should help you find him once you are there. Wynn you clearly need to be caught up on some things. Come with me. I'll explain more."
Windaar took his younger daughter to the side of the temple to speak to her. Meanwhile, Kamui approached Winda.
"I must admit, I'm kind of jealous that your the one getting sent on this quest." Her cousin said.
"Yeah, well, you have a child to watch." She said. "By the way, tell Pilica I said hi!"
"Your niece will miss you." Kamui replied.
"But she'll be able to remain calm and not run off to wreak havoc with her 'Auntie Windy'." Reeze said dryly. "Maybe she'll finally go to sleep at decent time instead of running off into the swamps at night doing who knows what."
"Aww, she's just got a healthy curiosity." Winda said. "She caught a Unifrog a couple days ago to study it."
"So that explains the puncture marks in the couch."
"Wait what?!"
"Regardless. Good luck on your quest." Kamui interjected.
"I'll be sure to tell you all about it when I get back! Pilica especially!"
Windaar and Wynn returned to front of the shrine. Wynn took her place next to Winda.
"Go in the blessings of the Goddess and Her Grace." Windaar spoke the traditional Gusto farewell. "May the Wind ever guide your path."
The vortex opened up immediately afterwards, dimensional energy crackling around the entire temple. Before either of the sisters could react, bolts of energy struck them. Instead of harm, they were wreathed in energy. Before they could react, they were pulled into the vortex, swirled off into wherever the portal led.
What the hell are you doing Dragonexx? You still have Touhou Daihoiru! Stop!
Shut up other me.
So... I've been sitting on this for a long time. I was always fascinated by the monsters on the cards, and trying to piece the lore together or just come up with lore. The bits of lore already established such as in the master guides are nice, but also generally vague, more a summary than a story. So, I finally just decided to get off my ass and just put all the stuff banging around in my head to text. That's what fanfiction's for, right?
~Dragonexx