Kitten Knight: Right… Hello… again. If you were one of the lucky few people to view the original three chapters of this story, I apologize for having a false start…
But that's a different story altogether, pun fully intended there.
Now onto official business.
Before we begin I would like to point out that I do not Yu-Gi-Oh (or GX, 5D's, ZeXal, Arc-V or any future installments), which belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. Nor do I own the Shadowchasers concept and ideas, which belong to Cyber Commander – who I'd like to thank for giving me permission to add to his universe.
Also, if you have never read a Shadowchasers story before, I highly recommend that you spend a day or two reading the original Shadowchasers by Cyber Commander to get the gist of the Shadowchasers universe before you read any further.
As with other Shadowchaser stories, duels featured will use the TCG rules opposed to those of the anime/manga. Also, I will stick to the rule changes in the TCG; (the player who takes the first turn cannot conduct their draw phase and both players may have a Field Spell active at the same time). Also, I will stick to the January 2015 Ban Lists until the end of this story.
As for cards, I will use the TCG names unless noted otherwise. Also, any original, anime, manga or OCG exclusive cards will be referenced at the end of the chapter.
Also to keep in line with the Anime continuity; Pendulum Monsters and their support, as well as Action Duels, will not appear in this story. As for Riding Duels that take place in this story, I will use Speed World 2. For those that need a reminder of what this card does, here you go.
Speed World 2
Field Spell
If a player activates a Non-"Speed Spell" Spell Card, the take 2000 damage. Except during the first turn of the duel, during each player's Standby Phase, place 1 Speed Counter on this card (max:12). You can remove any number of Speed Counters from this card to activate the appropriate effect:
4: Reveal any number of "Speed Spells" in your hand, inflict 800 damage to your opponent for each card revealed.
7: Draw 1 card.
10: Destroy 1 card on the field.
In addition to the cards original effect, Speed World 2 is automatically activated at the beginning of a Riding Duel cannot be destroyed, banished, bounced or otherwise removed from the field, though notably its effects can be negated.
As for location, I give you the city of Sydney, Australia, one of the most beautiful and multicultural cities in the world. And as for the position on the Shadowchasers timeline, this story begins in January in the year before the events of Shadowchasers: Conspiracy will unfold.
And one more thing, several Aboriginal/Indigenous Australian myths, legends, and beliefs will be adapted into this story. I say adapt because I am in no way, shape or form an expert on Aboriginal/Indigenous topics, but I will do as much research as I can to make sure each legend or myth is as accurate as possible. Though certain liberties will be taken to fit into the Shadowchaser's universe.
Well, I think that's everything. Time to see if I sink or swim.
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Shadowchasers: Muru
Round 01: Eternal Drought
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Welcome to a Land Down Under. By which I mean Australia.
Some say that this is the most dangerous place to live earth and you'd have to be crazy to live here, jokingly of course.
But they still have a point, this country has some of the deadliest creatures on the planet: The Sydney Funnel-Web spider has some of the most toxic spider venom in the world and very large fangs to inject it with; saltwater crocodiles will prey upon people who are foolish enough to enter the areas where they lurk and the toxins of the blue-ringed octopus can paralyse every muscle in the human body and is something a lot of beach-goers are very wary of.
Heck, it's not just the wildlife that is renowned for being deadly. The country is also notorious for its bushfires, floods, cyclones, land slips and heat waves that have caused many deaths over the years…
But after all the danger, Australia is a very beautiful place and I wish to see it all one day…
But after today, I kind of wish I rephrased that sentence…
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The city of Sydney, Australia.
Rowan Kelly awoke to the sound of his beeping alarm clock, which was quickly silenced by his hand slamming down on it.
With a sigh, Rowan threw off his blanket and sat up. He looked to be in his fifties, as evidenced by his wrinkled skin and receding, gray hair. He was average height and despite his age, quite well built. Both arms were covered in various tattoos, but by far the most noticeable and meaningful mark on his body was the small black symbol on his cheek.
It was the mark of the Shadowchasers; a secret organization created to deal with and protect Shadowkind - the magical, mythical and supernatural beings that were brought to our world by mysterious forces.
Rowan rubbed his eyes, only to be startled by a loud knock on the bedroom door.
"Oi, you awake Rowan?" asked a gruff male voice.
"Matari?" Rowan groggily replied, glancing at his now silent alarm clock, "shouldn't you have left for patrol half an hour ago?"
"Yeah, I know," said Matari, "but something big has come up."
"Alright, alright," Rowan sighed, "I'll be downstairs in a minute."
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Two minutes later, Rowan slowly made his stairs. He was now dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and black jeans, but the rest of him still looked like it had just been dragged out of bed.
"For God's sake," he muttered, kicking a scrunched up T-Shirt from the landing, "we have a washing basket for a reason."
"In here," Matari called from another room, having heard Rowan's muttering.
"I know, I know. Where else would you be?" said Rowan,as he stepped through the doorway from the hall and into a large, open planned room that combined the kitchen, dining and lounge spaces into one spacious area…
Not that Rowan could see that, as almost immediately after stepping into the room the aging Shadowchaser had a newspaper shoved into his face.
Rowan looked over the paper in front of him, i "Warragamba Dam at Record Low" was written in bold at the top of the page as well a picture of said dam, which really was at a record low. He then lowered the newspaper at gave a strange look at his fellow Shadowchaser. "This is what you dragged me out of bed for, Matari?"
"It's important," the dark-skinned Shadowchaser replied.
Matari was in his mid-twenties and was a tall, well-built man, towering a head above Rowan. He was of aboriginal descent, from the Wiradjuri groups of central New South Wales if you want to be specific.
"Matari," Rowan sighed, "it's Summer, people are using the dam's catchment faster than it can be replenished. The City Council will put up water restrictions and the dam will start to fill. This happens almost every year."
"Err, you might wanna have a closer look."
"Fine," Rowan grumbled, taking another look,
There was a moment's pause. "Okay," Rowan admitted, nothing the relatively minuscule puddle that was the remaining catchment, "there's definitely something up."
"See, I told you so" Matari smugly replied, causing Rowan to rolls his eyes, "now, I have a theory on how this happened. Have you ever heard the tale of Tiddalik the frog?"
"Yes," Rowan sternly replied, "multiple times. From you."
"Well," Matari explained, "Tiddalik, or Molok as some call him, is a gigantic green frog, who one day a long time ago awoke with an unquenchable thirst. He began to drink until he greedily consumed all the water in the land, causing the animal and plant life to wither and die from the lack of moisture…"
"You do realize I said yes to your question," said Rowan interrupting Matari's explanation.
"Oh," Matari stammered, then smiled sheepishly, "sorry, kinda jumped the gun there."
Rowan closed his eyes and sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as he spoke. "So you're saying that the reason the Warragamba Dam is running low on water is because a giant frog drank it all."
"Yes," Matari bluntly replied, "but I have photographic evidence." He held up a newspaper - one that catered to Shadowkind and Awares. The picture on the front page was a dark, blurry blotch in the vague shape of a frog.
"Well I guess I can't be skeptical, not in this world," Rowan shrugged, "I've learned that lesson too many times to count. I'll go and check things out."
"Aw," moaned Matari, "I wanted to go and check."
"You supposed to be on patrol," said Rowan, "Wendy won't be happy if she catches you here, let alone finding out you were running around fifty kilometers out of town."
"Rowan? Matari?" called a sharp female voice, "is that you two in there?"
"Speak of the devil," Matari muttered, before speaking up. "Yeah, it's us, who the hell else would it be?" Matari sarcastically remarked.
The two men turned to the source of the voice, as a woman in her late twenties walked into the room. She was carrying a large, oddly-shaped leather saddle and various straps and pieces of equipment. She stepped past Rowan and placed the load onto the dinner table. She then turned toward Matari and placed her hands on her hips.
"You should have left for a patrol a half hour ago," she beamed at her fellow Shadowchaser, "why are you still here?"
The woman had long, wispy red hair that was neatly tied into a ponytail and rather pale skin. Despite the Summer heat, she wore a brown leather vest (that matched the saddle) with a clean, white, long-sleeved undershirt, along with a pair of thick blue jeans that were neatly tucked into her polished brown boots. She also had a pair of aviator goggles loosely hanging around her neck.
"I'm about to go," Matari answered, putting his hands up defensively, "I'm just discussing something with Rowan."
"Well it better be important," said Wendy, her voice cold and stern, "you're already half an hour late for patrol."
Rowan sighed, it was almost a daily ritual for his team to get into a heated argument, and today would be no different no matter how much he wished it would be.
"It is. We're discussing what happened to the Warragamba dam…"
"That reminds me," Wendy cut in, "the city council have issued water restrictions. So no sprinklers, hosing hard surfaces or washing your D-Wheels, and we can only hand water the garden twice a week, which it must be before ten in the morning or after four in the afternoon. We don't want to get a fine."
"Well," Matari replied, folding his arms and returning Wendy's cold glare, "as I was saying the water of the Warragamba dam is low because Tiddalik, a giant frog spirit, drank the water."
Wendy clasped her hand over her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing, she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "Please tell me you're joking," she said, taking her hand away from her mouth.
"I'm not joking," said Matari, "and you'd believe me if you knew anything about…"
"I've seen where this conversation is going," Rowan cut it, "and I'm going to cut it short." He then pointed at Matari, "You get out on patrol," and then Wendy, "and you… you… continue to do whatever you're doing."
"If you must know, I'm inspecting Zephyr's saddle for faults," Wendy replied.
"You did that two days ago," said Matari.
"No," corrected Wendy, "I cleaned it two days ago. Her saddle needs to be cleaned once a week and inspected for faults at least twice a week. It's very dangerous to ride with faulty equipment if I fell off her back mid-."
"Then wear a parachute," Matari smiled, trying not to laugh at his joke.
"Not funny," commented Wendy, giving Matari a cold glare, which he gladly returned, "and not to mention, that could throw us both off balance."
"Break it up you two!" Rowan ordered, raising his voice to get his bickering teammates' attention. "Matari. Patrol. Now." he ordered, pointing out the door. Wendy meanwhile, picked up a the seat of the saddle and pretended to inspect it.
"Yes, sir." Matari nodded, before quickly grabbed his jacket and marched out the door.
"And you young lady," he said to Wendy, "people are allowed to believe whatever they want. And shouldn't be criticized for it, even if you think it's stupid."
Wendy pouted and looked away. "I guess," she reluctantly admitted. Then continued on with inspecting her saddle, hoping that was the end of her lecture.
Rowan sighed again, the bickering between the other members of his team was almost non-stop. It almost made him long for the days where he was the only Shadowchaser permanently positioned in the country…
Almost… Australia was a big country, and even with occasional help from other members, it was still a difficult task to keep the many species of Shadowkind that lived there.
The elderly Shadowchaser shook his head and took a deep breath. "Well I better get going," he said, "if anyone calls tell them I'm busy."
"Wait. Where are you going?" Wendy asked, looking up from the saddle. "You're not scheduled for a patrol today."
Rowan sighed and shrugged. "To check on the dam," he answered.
"You can't be serious," Wendy choked, "you believe a giant frog has really drunk an entire dam's worth of water overnight."
Rowan shrugged again. "This is worth investigating. You never know when there might be something sinister in the works."
"But do you really believe that the whole giant frog story is true?"
"Whether I believe it or not depends on what I see," said Rowan, as he walked out the door.
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Moments later Rowan stepped into the garage, just as Matari pulled his helmet over his head.
Matari jumped back slightly when he spied Rowan. "Are you leaving already?" he asked.
"No sense waiting around here," said Rowan, grabbing his riding jacket off a hook on the wall, "it's not as if this problem will solve itself." He then grabbed a helmet from a shelf and vigorously shook it.
"No spiders?" Matari asked, trying not to chuckle as he hopped on his D-Wheel.
"That only happened once," scowled Rowan, shuddering, finding a Sydney funnel-web spider in your helmet was something some members of his team wouldn't let him live down.
"Still the funniest scream I've ever heard," Matari chuckled.
Rowan said nothing, but the glare he gave Matari was enough to startle the younger Shadowchaser.
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving," he said quickly, starting up his D-Wheel a reviving the engine loud enough to kill the chance of further conversation.
"Matari, one thing before you leave?" Rowan asked, loud enough to be heard over the roar of the D-Wheel engine. "If I do find that a giant frog has drunk the dam's water… just how do you think I'll get it out?"
"Easy," Matari answered, "just find an eel and tie it into funny shapes. It's how the wise old wombat got Tiddalik to release the water last time. He'll laugh and all that water will come gushing right out of him." And with that, the younger Shadowchaser shifted his D-Wheel into gear and sped out onto the street.
Rowan sighed, sometimes Matari could be a little eccentric at times, but he ultimately meant well. He then mounted his own D-Wheel, started it up and rode out onto the street.
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A while later, Rowan arrived the Warragamba Dam, which held back Lake Burragorang (well what was left of it). He pulled his D-Wheel to a stop at the end of the access road, removed his helmet and dismounted the vehicle.
Despite all the fuss about the dam's condition, the top of the dam was deserted, not a soul - human or Shadowkind - in sight.
He opened a compartment on his D-Wheel and began to take out some equipment and supplies; his sword, his deck and duel disk, a bottle of water and a backpack (presumably full of more supplies).
"Eh," he shrugged, closing the compartment, "shouldn't need much else."
Only to open it back up again and take out a pair of wrist bracers. "And maybe these."
He closed the compartment again and strapped his sword to his back, placed his water and duelling equipment in his backpack and strapped the bracers to his wrists.
He turned toward, not the dam but a small dirt trail that led into the bush surrounding the lake.
He marched over to the opening in the shrub, but stopped a metre or so short.
He looked at the ground and noticed a footprint set in the dirt. The toes were thin and long with webbing in between.
"Bullywugs."
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Rowan really didn't mind traversing the terrain, it was steep and slippery, but in his time as Shadowchaser, he'd hiked up mountains, through deserts, dense bushland, and waist-deep swamps… and that was in this country alone.
But those were all different stories.
It had been roughly half an hour since he began his trek, and Rowan had already slipped and tripped over enough times to be covered in several patches of mud. He was glad no one was around to see him fall, though he was more than likely going have to explain the mud on his clothes to Wendy when he returned to the base.
He then came across something that caught his eye, a large indent in the ground.
Rowan's eyes traced the outline of the indent, it clearly wasn't natural, but stepping back to get a better view he could see that the shape was very similar to the footprint he found earlier...
"You've got to be kidding me," Rowan grumbled, placing his hand on his forehead and running it through what was left of his hair.
But just then a creaky, growly voice yelled at Rowan. "Turn around human!" it ordered.
Rowan spun around and found himself surrounded by four creatures barely two-thirds his height, all armed with sharp spears that were pointed straight at him.
The four creatures in front of Rowan were bullywugs - a short, frog-like species of Shadowkind with green, slimy skin and webbed digits. Bullywugs were known for being both aggressive and territorial, as well as their frog-like jumping prowess.
Rowan calmly stared at the four bullywugs and smiled, he slowly reached for the sword strapped to his back. "Reminds me of the time my father and I set up traps to catch cane toads," he said, "don't ask me how, it just does."
"Can the jokes human," spat one of the bullywugs, angrily jabbing at the air between him and Rowan, "what are you doing here?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" Rowan replied, pointing to the mark on his cheek. "I've come to investigate where all the water around here has gone."
"Aw crap!" one the bullywugs gasped, lowering its spear, "it's a Shadowchaser!"
"Good," said Rowan, "now we've got that sorted, you wouldn't happen to know of a certain giant frog would you?"
"You mean our leader, Tiddalik," said another of the bullywugs.
"That's the one," Rowan said flatly. "I would like to have a word with him."
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"Not too much farther," croaked one of the bullywugs, as it gently jabbed Rowan in the rear with its spear, "keep walking human."
"You know," said Rowan, "I think this may be helping with my back pain, you should think about a career in acupuncture."
"You were told to stop the jokes, human," spat the bullywug, jabbing Rowan again.
"It's more like sarcasm than a joke," Rowan replied, rubbing the spot on his behind.
"Well quit that too," said the bullywug, jabbing Rowan again and making him cringe.
"You know," said Rowan, turning his head and glaring at the bullywug behind him, "one swing of this sword and I could serve you in a french restaurant."
"Quit your bickering," ordered the lead bullywug, "we're just about there."
"So that's what it feels like to hear that," Rowan muttered, feeling slightly ashamed.
The group came to a stop on the edge of a clearing in the trees. Rowan looked around, he saw several small wooden structures; half-domes with the open sides facing away from the wind, and the smouldering ashes of what was once a roaring fire in the centre (obviously used for cooking not for warmth, as bullywugs were used to cold and damp conditions).
He then noticed the inhabitants, several other bullywugs who had all stopped dead in their tracks to stare at him. Then, they slowly set aside their tasks and made their way toward the Shadowchaser.
"Is that a…?" stammered one of the larger bullywugs.
"Shadowchaser," the four bullywugs around Rowan answered in eery (if accidental) unison.
Rowan looked at the large crowd of about thirty bullywugs that had gathered before him, every single one of which was now staring at him. Though Rowan wasn't very concerned, bullywugs weren't the most powerful Shadowkind and this clan did seem smart enough to know what harming a Shadowchaser meant.
"So," Rowan asked, "your leader is right Tiddalik? Then where can I find him?"
"Right behind you," boomed a deep, croaky voice. Rowan felt a chill go down his spine and his heart skipped a beat, as he slowly turned around.
The sight that Rowan saw would leave almost anybody else running for his life. A frog that was the size of a two storey house, with slimy green skin and two bulging red eyes that were fixated right on Rowan. It looked as if at any moment he would lurch forward and snatch the Shadowchaser with his tongue and swallow him whole.
"How the hell did I miss that!" Rowan gasped, stepping back in shock.
The giant frog, Tiddalik, looked at Rowan, taking in all his grey, ageing features.
"A human," said Tiddalik, not one bit phased by the 'intruder', "an Aware one at least."
"Actually…" said Rowan, recovering from his momentary shock, "I happen to a Shadowchaser."
The very mention of the of the word sent shivers up Tiddalik's spine.
"What should we do with him, master Tiddalik?" asked one of the bullywugs, "can we eat him?"
"No, he's old," said another, "he'd be nothing but skin and bones."
"Let's push him into that gully over there!" suggested another one of the bullywugs, "it'd be really funny to watch him tumble down."
"You idiots," said another, slapping his fellow bullywug across his face. "Do you want an entire army of Shadowchasers after our heads, because that's how you get an entire army of Shadowchasers after our heads!"
"Uhh… Good point."
"Shut up the lot of you!" Tiddalik croaked, then turned his attention to Rowan. "What do you want human?"
"The contents of the lake nearby," said Rowan, "I believe that you may know where it is."
Tiddalik glared at Rowan. "I have no idea what you're talking about. The lake was like this when I got here."
"But boss," cried one of the bullywugs, "we've lived here for generations!"
Tiddalik grumbled and glared at the bullywug, who shrieked and hid behind one of his brethren.
"But I've been here for all eternity!" snapped Tiddalik, "And there was no water in this lake when I was here."
"That's because it's a manmade lake," Rowan explained, folding his arms. "Can the bullcrap frog, it's not like you haven't done this before, even if it was... Was... A long time ago."
"You drink all the water in the land just once and everyone gets on your back over it for all eternity," grumbled Tiddalik. "Fine! I did drink all the water in this lake. Happy?"
"Yes," Rowan replied, "Thank you. Well, wait, no I'm not. I'm not gonna be happy until you give it all back."
"No," Tiddalik said defiantly.
"And why not?" asked Rowan.
"Nobody owns the water I drank," spat Tiddalik.
"Then what gave you the right to drink it all?" asked Rowan, pointing a finger at Tiddalik. "You don't own it either."
"I think I own my own insides!" spat Tiddalik. "The water is inside me, therefore, I own it. Now buzz off!"
"This reminds me of a story," said Rowan, crossing his arms again. "One time, I cornered this dark elf who stole a half dozen of gemstones. Now this guy was desperate, and stupid. When I ordered him to hand over the gemstones… Well, do you want to know what he did with them?"
"What?" asked Tiddalik.
"He ate them, every single one. I remember the bulge in his throat as he forced them down, praying to his Gods that he didn't choke. He seemed proud of his achievement, claimed that there was now no evidence of what he did. Guess he's never been through airport security."
"Is there even a point to this story?" yelled one of the bullywugs.
"I'm getting to that!" Rowan yelled back, angry that his tale had been interrupted. "Now, that's when I looked him in his eyes, and I called him the biggest idiot I had ever met. Then I took out this very gem." He took a large sapphire out of his pocket, and flashed it to his audience, then put it away. "And I asked him if he wanted to eat this as well."
"This is a stupid story," groaned Tiddalik.
"Fine, I'll leave out the laxitives and cut to the chase," muttered Rowan, twisting his face into a disappointed scowl, "just because that water is in your stomach, it doesn't mean it's yours."
"And what are you going to do about it?" Tiddalik chuckled. "Cut me up with your little sword? You puny humans are no threat to me."
"But I can call someone who is," said Rowan, reaching into his pocket, "you've heard of what some members the Shadowchasers can really do, right? They could not only make you wish you were dead but they'd make you wish you'd never been born when they reanimate your corpse for further humiliation."
Tiddalik gulped, he'd heard of just how powerful some members of the Shadowchasers were, and he really didn't want to deal with any of them.
"I didn't think so," said Rowan, taking his empty hand from his pocket. Admittedly, Rowan didn't want to call for backup from a more powerful Shadowchaser, partly out of his pride and partly out of the fact that he too was scared of just how powerful some of his fellow Shadowchasers were.
"I suppose that means that we're going to have to duel," Tiddalik muttered.
"Well, The Great Treaty requests a fair fight," said Rowan, "and Duel Monsters is about as fair as it gets."
"Fine," Tiddalik snorted, it was clear the spirit didn't like the idea, but it was definitely better than the previously suggested alternative. "But I'll need some assistance."
"Assistance?" Rowan muttered, before the fact that a frog the size of a house might have trouble handling pieces of flimsy cardboard came to his mind.
The giant frog spirit looked his bullywug followers, who quivered and shook in fear as their leader's eyes passed over them.
"I volunteer," said a voice, as a slimy arm was raised above the crowd.
The crowd parted to reveal the bullywug that had raised its hand. An elderly male with, greyish-green skin who supported himself with a stick. Strung over his back was a sack made from a possum's hide.
"And just who are you?" Rowan asked.
"My name is Gulaangga," said the old bullywug, "eldest member of this clan. And I volunteer to duel in our master's place."
"That's very noble of you," said Rowan, "but you don't have a duel disk or a deck."
"Think again human," said Gulaangga, reaching inside his possum-skin bag and pulling out a duel disk, deck, and D-Gazer. "As the eldest member of this clan, I need to make myself prepared for every occasion, even one as… absurd as this."
"Absurd," said Rowan, "that sums up this situation nicely. I barely believe it myself and I standing right here."
Rowan glanced at Tiddalik out of the corner of his eye. He knew that spirit didn't really mean any harm, but still millions would suffer because of his greed, (albeit only slightly, Sydney did have other water supplies, but those could not compare to Lake Burragorang - especially in the Summer heat).
"Thankyou Gulaangga," Tiddalik croaked, "I appreciate your assistance."
"However," said Gulaangga, "I will make two requests."
"Fine," Tiddalik agreed.
"First," said the bullywug, "in the one-in-a-million chance I do lose, please do not eat me."
"I would never do that to one of your kind," Tiddalik scoffed, "you all taste terrible."
"Second, I wish for this duel to be in private. Just you, the human and myself."
"Agreed," Tiddalik nodded, before turning to the group of bullywugs. "You heard Gulaangga! Scram!"
The remaining bullywugs dropped their weapons and scattered into the bush.
"Thought they'd never leave," said Rowan, rubbing his backside. "Or stop poking me with those spears."
"I taught them well didn't I?" Gulaangga chuckled.
"Too well," Rowan commented, still rubbing his backside. "But can you duel as well as you can poke someone with a sharp stick?"
"There's only one way to find out," said Gulaangga.
The bullywug winced in pain as he fixed the D-Gazer to his head and the duel disk to his arm, obviously due to the devices being designed for those with less… frog-like proportions.
"Are you ready?" Rowan asked, fixing his D-Gazer to his head and his duel disk to his arm.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Gulaangga replied.
Rowan then gave another glance to the frog spirit. He noticed that his eyes were now glowing orange. "Must be some kind of magic to let him view the duel," he thought. Rowan sighed again, it was getting harder and harder each day to distinguish science and magic from one another.
"Duel!" both Rowan and Gulaangga announced, each drawing five cards and the augmented reality field expanded around them. (Rowan:8000/Gulaangga:8000)
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Back in the city, Matari had been forced to stop at a set of traffic lights.
He slumped over his controls, he'd already lost track of just how many sets of traffic lights had forced him to stop this morning, but it might of well have been every single set of lights in the city. Making the monotony of a daily street patrol all the more monotonous.
He scanned the crowd of people crossing the street in front of him, every now and again he saw a Shadowkind that had integrated into society with humans (not that many humans knew that). But then one creature caught his eye.
She was a kobold, as evidenced her short stature, reptilian features, reddish-brown scales and ivory coloured horns. She wore a red, hoodless robe decorated with plenty of jewellery and was carrying two shopping bags full of groceries.
Alongside the kobold was her daughter, she had similar features to her mother but was barely half her height. She skipped along the crossing with her tail flicking behind her.
He couldn't help but smile, Matari had always had a soft spot for reptiles - and reptilian Shadowkind. He had one - sadly long deceased - man to thank for that.
The crowd cleared and the traffic lights flicked green and Matari straighten his back and sped off, weaving his way through the morning traffic.
But what Matari didn't notice was that two Shadowkind were watching him from the footpath. A pair of Kenku, birdlike Shadowkind who were physically weak, but quick, agile and cunning. They both wore brown robes, that most likely contained concealed weapons.
"Was that a Shadowchaser?" asked one of the birds.
"Yes," the other bluntly replied, "we better be careful in our operations. Have you still got your eye on the kobold?"
"And all that shiny jewellery she was wearing? How could I not?" the other replied.
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"I'll make the first move," said the bullywug, as he inspected the five cards in his hand. "I think I'll summon Submarine Frog."
In a flash of light, a humanoid frog appeared. It was dressed in a colourful wetsuit and armed with a long harpoon. (1200/600)
"Frogs?" Rowan cried in near disbelief, "rather obvious, don't you think?"
"I prefer to stick to what I'm familiar with," answered Gulaangga, the bullywug then paused and inspected his hand. "I think I'll end my turn with that."
"Something's up," though Rowan, "why did he summon a weak Monster and nothing to protect it or power it up?"
"Gulaangga," Tiddalik spat, "you better know what you're doing."
"I am sir," the bullywug replied.
"My turn," said Rowan, making a draw, "I better get rid of Submarine Frog before you get a chance to play Wetlands or else I might be in trouble, and with what better Monster to do it with than Terratiger, the Empowered Warrior."
In a flash of light, a warrior appeared. Its armour based on a white tiger, with a long mock-tail attached to its armour. (1800/1200)
"And when Terratiger is normal summoned," Rowan continued, "I can special summon a level four or lower Normal Monster from my hand, like my Queen's Knight."
In a second flash, another Monster appeared. A female knight dressed in crimson armour, with playing card symbols decorating her armour, shield, and sword. She then knelt down into a defensive stance. (1500/1600)
"People still play Normal Monsters?" said Gulaangga in disbelief, "and whoever makes this game is still producing support for them?"
"You just answered your own question, they still making Normal Monster support so I'm still using them," Rowan replied. "Now, as Queen's Knight had to be summoned in defence position, you're safe from her attack.
"Terratiger on the other hand."
Terratiger's fists glowed white as it leapt at Submarine Frog, who could only let out a squeal as it was shattered into pixels by a single punch.
Gulaangga grunted as Submarine Frog's pixels rained down on him. "Lucky shot," he grunted. (GLP:8000-7400)
"Get used to them," said Rowan, "because there's a lot more than just that one. I set one card facedown and end my turn."
A reversed card appeared behind Rowan's Monsters.
"Even if he destroys my Queen's Knight," the Shadowchaser thought, "my Soul Resurrection will bring her right back. Then, next turn I can the Reinforcement of the Army to add King's Knight to my hand, then use his effect to call Jack's Knight from my deck."
"My turn," said Gulaangga, drawing a card. "I activate the Spell Card One for One, so by discarding a Monster from my hand to the graveyard, I can summon a level one Monster from my deck, like T.A.D.P.O.L.E."
The bullywug slid a card into his graveyard while a small, black and red, slug-like creature appeared in front of him, it then curled into a ball and turned blue. (0/0)
"I'll also set one Monster face-down and end my turn."
A reversed card appeared next to T.A.D.P.O.L.E.
"You're only defending!" shouted Tiddalik, "he'll beat you at this rate!"
"I won't defend forever," Gulaangga replied, as a butterfly landed on a tree branch nearby. "I'm an amphibian, we wait for the right moment…" the bullywug then opened his mouth, and its long tongue then shot, snatching up the butterfly and quickly retreating into his mouth. He then swallowed the butterfly in a quick gulp. "Then strike, our prey having no idea what hit them."
"You'll have no idea what hit you when this duel is over," said Rowan, drawing. "I'll start by switching Queen's Knight to attack position."
Queen's Knight stood up and drew her sword.
"Then I activate the Spell Card Reinforcement of the Army, which lets me add a low level Warrior from my deck to my hand, and the Warrior I'm choosing is King's Knight."
A card stuck out of Rowan's deck, which the Shadowchaser added to his hand.
"I give you one guess who I'm summoning."
A portal opened, and another knight leapt out. He wore golden armour, and like Queen's Knight, his armour, shield and sword were decorated with playing card symbols. (1600/1400)
"And when King's Knight is summoned," explained Rowan, as another portal appeared, "if I control Queen's Knight, I can summon a third Monster. Let's go, Jack's Knight!"
A third Knight leapt out of the portal. He wore sapphire-blue armour and like his predecessors his armour and equipment was decorated with playing card symbols. (1900/1000)
"Congratulations," said Gulaangga, "You've got a royal flush."
"I need five cards for a flush," said Rowan, "but I only need these four Monsters to inflict a ton of damage to you! Queen's Knight attack T.A.D.P.O.L.E.!"
Queen's Knight raced forward and slashed T.A.D.P.O.L.E. in half.
"I'm sure you realise," said Gulaangga, as two cards stuck out of his deck, "that when T.A.D.P.O.L.E. is destroyed by battle, I can take two more from my deck and add them both to my hand."
"But there not going to protect you from my other Monsters," said Rowan, "King's Knight attack the frog's face-down Monster!"
Jack's Knight leapt forward and attempted to cleave the reversed card in two. But only bounced off what appeared to be a black graduate cap. The cap then tipped up, revealing that a small blue frog was wearing it. (100/2000)
"I can't believe I didn't see that coming, how many Frogs have two-thousand defence points," Rowan muttered. (RLP:8000-7900)
"Hahaha!" Gulaangga laughed, his neck noticeably expanding and contracting with each breath. "Looks like Dupe Frog is too tough of a nut to crack! It's true what they say; brains does beat brawn!"
"Only until next turn," Rowan replied, looking at the three other cards in his hand; Field Commander Rhaz, Command Knight and Warrior Dai Grepher. "I end my turn."
"Two of the cards in his hand are T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s," Rowan thought, "almost dead weight at the moment, all I have to do is get past Dupe Frog and he's in for a pounding."
"My turn," said Gulaangga, snatching the top card from his deck, and immediately activating it after a glance. "My Moray of Greed Spell Card allows me to shuffle two Water Monsters from my hand into my deck…"
Gulaannga turned around two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s he had added to his hand moments ago and placed them on top of his deck then hit the auto-shuffler.
"And then draw three cards," the bullywug continued, doing so. He then smiled widely liking what he'd drew. "By sending Treeborn Frog from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Swap Frog from my hand."
A blue portal opened up next to Dupe Frog, and a yellow and orange frog leapt onto the field. (1000/500)
"And when Swap Frog is summoned," continued Gulaangga, "I can send a low-level Water Monster from my deck to the graveyard, like T.A.D.P.O.L.E.."
The T.A.D.P.O.L.E. card slipped out of Gulaangga's deck, and he slipped it into the graveyard.
"Uh oh," Rowan gasped, knowing where two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s in the graveyard could lead.
"That's right," Gulaangga smiled, "I tribute my Swap Frog to summon Des Frog!"
Swap Frog disappeared in a golden light and was replaced by a larger green frog which then began croaking. (1900/0)
"And when Des Frog is Normal Summoned," Gulaangga explained, as two portals appeared either side of the croaking Des Frog, "I can summon a Des Frog from my deck for every T.A.D.P.O.L.E. in my graveyard!"
Two more Des Frog hopped out of the portals.
"Please don't have…" Rowan muttered, fearing what might come next.
"Des Croaking!" Gulaangga laughed, flipping around the second last card in his hand. "Do I even need to explain what this card does?"
Rowan quickly covered his ears with his hands. As the three Des Frogs opened their mouths wide…
And began croaking in the loudest, most horrible tone they could. The ground and trees shook violently, all four of Rowan's Warriors screamed in pain before shattering in seconds, along with his face down card.
Rowan uncovered his ears and silently braced himself.
"All out of cards to protect you?" Gulaangga said in a mocking tone, "you know what that means…"
The first Des Frog opened its mouth and let out another croak. Rowan grunted as the as the sound waves hit him. (RLP:7900-6000)
"Des Frog number two, you're up," the bullywug ordered.
The second Des Frog opened its mouth and began croaking. Rowan grabbed his chest in pain as the sound waves reached him. (RLP:6000-4100)
"Oh come on!" Gulaangga laughed. "Don't be such a baby, you've still got one more to go.
The third, and thankfully, final Des Frog began croaking. Rowan dropped to one knee as the sound waves struck him. (RLP:4100-2200)
The elderly Shadowchasers gasped for air for a few seconds, "Haven't been hit like that in years," he said, slowly rising to his feet.
"Maybe you should retire," Gulaangga smugly suggested.
"No way," Rowan answered, "you know what happens to people in my career when they plan to retire."
"Oh please," said Gulaangga, "that's just a myth."
"Well I'm not taking my chances," said Rowan. "Now are you going to to end your turn, or am I going to "retire" first?"
"As much as I'd like to take the second option," said the bullywug, "I end my turn."
"Thankyou," said Rowan, drawing a card and inspecting it. He then grabbed another card from his hand and set both on the disk, causing them to appear in front of him. "I set a Monster, a card and end my turn."
"All that talk for a move as simple as that?" Gulaangga croaked, drawing a card. "It's time to finish you off! Des Frog attack his face-down Monster!"
One of the Des Frogs opened its mouth and let out another loud croak. However, as the sound waves struck Rowan's hidden Monster, it only flipped up to reveal another female warrior wearing red armour, a cape, and a fluffy beret. She held up her shield and blocked the sound waves. (1200/1900)
Rowan smiled. "Look's like your frogs can't get past Command Knight, and while I'm pointing things out I'll note that Command Knight's presence raises the attack of all my Warriors by four hundred, and that includes herself."
An aura of energy appeared around Command Knight. (ATK:1200-1600)
"For now," said Gulaangga, "I end my turn." The bullywug then glanced down at the card he'd drawn, Polymerization. "But next turn…" he muttered.
"My move," Rowan declared, drawing. "I'll start by activating my face down card, Birthright, which lets me revive a Normal Monster from my graveyard, and Jack's Knight fits the bill!"
The Birthright Trap Card flashed with energy, and Jack's Knight reappeared in a flash of light. A red aura then appeared around the poker knight. (ATK:1900-2300)
"At this point," Gulaangga smirked, "I'd like to point out the effect of my Dupe Frog prevents you from attacking my other Monsters, so my Des Frogs are safe and sound."
"Well then, Warrior Dai Grepher will solve that problem," Rowan replied, playing the card.
In a flash, a muscular, armoured warrior appeared on the field, wielding a sword in each hand. The powerful aura spread to him as well. (1700-2100/1600)
"Grepher," said Rowan, "enlighten Dupe Frog on the advantages of brawn over brains."
Grepher screamed and ran toward Dupe Frog, slicing the amphibian in half with his swords.
"When Dupe Frog is sent from the field to the graveyard," said Gulaannga, as another card poked out of his deck. "I can add another Frog to my hand, like Flip Flop Frog."
"Grab all the frogs you want," said Rowan, "my Warriors need some target practice."
Jack's Knight slashed at a Des Frog, cleaving it into two as the bullywug winced. (GLP:7400-7000)
"You're still a long way behind," said Gulaangga, "by only about five thousand points."
"But I'm still in the game," said Rowan, "and that's what counts. I end my turn."
"My turn, and hopefully you won't be in this game much longer!" yelled Gulaangga. "First, since I control no Spells or Traps, I revive Treeborn Frog from my graveyard in defence position."
A small, yellow and black-spotted, winged frog appeared on the field. It opened its mouth to croak, but could only let out a small chirp. (100/100)
"Then I'll switch both my Des Frogs to defence position and set a Monster."
The two remaining Des Frogs crouched down while a reversed card appeared between them.
"I'll end my turn there," said Gulaangga.
"Looks like the tables have turned frog," said Rowan, making a draw and looking at it. "Defence Draw," he thought, "this might come in handy…"
The Shadowchaser then took a deep breath and looked at his opponent. "I summon Field Commander Rhaz!"
In a flash of light, a rugged warrior appeared. He wore faded armour that was damaged and dented, a torn cape and a bandanna. He held a single sword in his hand, which was actually in relatively good condition. (1600-2000/1200)
"And when Rhaz is summoned to the field," Rowan explained, as a card stuck out of his deck. "I can take a level four or lower Warrior from my deck and place it on top of my deck."
Rowan turned around the card he chose and showed it to Gulaangga. Tune Warrior.
"Another Normal Monster," said the bullywug, "suit yourself but I know plenty of Warrior Monsters than would've suited better."
"You can think whatever you want," said Rowan, placing Tune Warrior on top of his deck, "since I'm ninety-nine percent sure that your set Monster is Flip Fop Frog, I'll have my Monsters take out your other Frogs first."
Jack's Knight, Grepher and Command Knight each slashed at both Des Frogs and Treeborn, effortlessly shattering the three amphibians.
"Now Rhaz," Rowan ordered, "deal with his face down Monster."
Rhaz leapt toward the set Monster and slashed it in half with his sword. A small blue frog appeared for a moment, but that was just enough time for the frog to stick out its tongue and strike Command Knight, knocking her back.
"When Flop Frog Frog is flipped," said Gulaangga, "I can toss one Monster on your field back to your hand, and I'll pick your Command Knight, so all your other Monsters lose their attack boost."
Command Knight transformed into energy and shot back to Rowan's hand. The aura of energy around the other Warriors disappeared along with her. (ATK:2300-1900) (ATK:2100-1700) (ATK:2000-1600)
"I'll set this card face-down and end my turn," said Rowan, setting Defence Draw.
"My turn!" Gulaangga announced, drawing a card. "I'll start by playing a Spell Card," Gulaangga continued, "Salvage! Adding my Swap Frog a and Dupe Frog back to my hand."
The bullywug grabbed both Monsters as they were ejected from the graveyard slot.
"Next, I'll discard Beelze Frog to summon Swap Frog."
The bullywug slid a card into the graveyard, and Swap Frog appeared on the field once more.
"Then I'll use his effect to discard Ronintoadin from my deck," Gulaangga continued, doing so.
"I starting to get a bad feeling about this," Rowan muttered.
"Oh that's just the beginning, said Gulaangga, "playing another card, I summon Dupe Frog."
Dupe Frog hopped onto the field, landing beside Treeborn Frog.
"Now by banishing the Beelze Frog in my graveyard, I can summon Ronintoadin."
The bullywug pulled the Beelze frog card from his graveyard, as a blue frog joined the duo in front of him. It had red markings all over his body and carried a bamboo sword. (100/2000)
"Now I use Swap Frog's ability!" announced Gulaangga, "returning itself to my hand to allow me to Normal Summon an extra Water Monster from my hand."
Swap Frog croaked and turned into blue energy, which flowed back into Gulaangga's hand.
"And the Monster I summon is Tradetoad!"
In a flash of light and a small croak, a small toad appeared. It's left side was pink with a feathered wing on its back while its right side was pitch black with a bat-like wing on its back. (100/2000)
"An army of Monsters with a hundred attack and two thousand defence," Rowan mused, "but they'd be much more effective if they were in defence position."
"You've missed my goal human!" shouted Tiddalik, as Tradetoad began to glow. "I use Tradetoad's effect, by tributing an Aqua-Type Monster I can revive a Frog from my graveyard, so I just tribute Tradetoad itself."
Tradetoad disappeared in a golden light, and Des Frog took its place.
"Now," said Gulaangga, grabbing the second to last card in his hand, "just to let you know, both Ronintoadin and Dupe Frog have an ability that treats them as Des Frogs while face-up on the field…"
"Which means," said Rowan, "that the card your about to play can only be…"
"Polymerization!" called the bullywug, causing a swirling blue and orange portal to open up behind him. "What? Were you expecting another Des Croaking?"
"Yes," Rowan bluntly replied. Considering it'd knock me down to a measly hundred Life Points.
The three amphibians croaked as they hopped inside the whirling portal…
Then a large shadow loomed over the field…
The shadow quickly gave way to a huge frog, though not quite as large as Tiddalik. It had green skin with a tan underbelly and quite muscular forelegs, the giant beast opened its mouth and let out a roaring croak that violently shook the trees and ground. (2500/2000)
"Meet the ultimate frog, aside from master Tiddalik of course," Gulaangga croaked in excitement, "D.3.S. Frog! And just so you know," he added, "my Monster gets a bonus five hundred attack points for every Treeborn Frog in my graveyard."
D.3.S. Frog raised one of its forelegs and flexed, showing its powerful muscles. (ATK:2500-3000)
"Three thousand attack," said Rowan, "strong, but I've seen stronger."
"He's still stronger than any of your Monsters," spat Gulaangga, "and I'll prove it! D.3.S. Frog attack Rhaz."
D.3.S. Frog opened its mouth, but instead of croaking its tongue shot out of its mouth, wrapping itself around the rugged warrior and quickly dragging him inside the giant amphibian's mouth.
"I activate Defence Draw!" Rowan shouted as his Trap flipped up, "which reduces the damage I take to zero and on top of that allows me to draw!"
Rowan cringed and looked away D.3.S. Frog swallowed Rhaz, then spit out his armour and sword, metal didn't seem to taste all that good to it. He then drew a card, which was, sure enough, Tune Warrior.
"Ha!" Gulaangga laughed, his neck inflating and deflating with every breath. "You can't defend forever, we'll be home free in almost no time Tiddalik!"
Gulaangga waited a few seconds for a reply but received none. In fact, Tiddalik had been quiet for a while now, with neither Gulaangga or Rowan noticing.
The bullywug turned to its leader and almost fell flat on his face as he realised that despite all the action and noise of the duel, his leader had fallen fast asleep.
Both of Tiddalik's eyes were closed, and the branches around the giant frog shook every time he inhaled and exhaled.
Rowan couldn't help but chuckle. "Looks like your brilliant leader has taken a nap."
Gulaangga turned red in the face as he turned to Rowan. "Well, he was up all night drinking the lake…"
Rowan chuckled even more. "I guess… even immortal beings get tired sometimes. I've seen my boss when he hasn't had his beauty sleep, let me tell you, it ain't pretty."
"Spare me your jokes human," Gulaangga growled, as he turned around and picked up a nearby stick and hurled it at Tiddalik. It hit the giant frog spirit between his eyes. However, Tiddalik continued to snore, the stick having no effect whatsoever.
Gulaangga grumbled some unmentionable words under his breath. "Aww shut up," he croaked, "I only need one giant frog to take you down, and its right here! I end my turn Shadowchaser, make your move."
"And now it's my move," said Rowan, making another draw. "I'll start by summoning Tune Warrior!"
Another Warrior appeared on the field, this one covered in red armour and silver speakers, with two antennas attached to his helmet and a jack plug at the end of each arm. (1600/200)
"Even with all that equipment," Gulaangga noted, "I don't think he's getting a signal out here."
"He may not be able to get a signal out here," said Rowan, "but he's still capable of giving Jack's Knight a tune up! Synchro Summon! Colossal Fighter!"
Tune Warrior let out a few beeps before flying up into the air with Jack's Knight, both Monsters dissolved into grains of light and turned into eight shining stars.
Then, with a crash hard enough to leave a small crater, a giant Warrior landed on the ground, rivalling D.3.S. Frog in size. It was covered in white cybernetic armour, with his eyes obscured by a green visor. (2800/1000)
Despite the Synchro's rather intimidating size and appearance, Gulaangga was unimpressed. "D.3.S. Frog is still stronger."
"Actually," Rowan explained, "Colossal Fighter has a rather powerful ability, similar to your giant frog's ability he gains attack for every certain Monster in the graveyard, in this case, a hundred points for every Warrior there."
Gulaangga could do nothing but gulp as the spiritual forms of Terratiger, Rhaz, Tune Warrior and the Poker Knights appeared behind Colossal Fighter. (ATK:2800-3400)
"But I'm not done yet," said Rowan, playing another card, "I play the Spell Card, the A. Forces, which gives all my Warriors two hundred extra attack points for each and every Warrior or Spellcaster I control."
Colossal Fighter and Grepher raised their fists and weapons respectively. (ATK:3400-3800) (ATK:1700-2100)
Gulaangga gulped again.
"Battle Phase! Attack Colossal Fighter. Knuckle-buster!"
Colossal Fighter charged at the massive frog, slugging it with a powerful uppercut.
Gulaangga cringed as his ace Monster was launched into the upper canopy of the trees and shattered. (GLP:7000-6200)
"Grepher direct attack!"
Grepher sprinted at the bullywug and slashed him across the chest. (GLP:6200-4100)
"This isn't over yet," Gulaangga groaned, clutching the wound.
"You're right," said Rowan, giving Gulaangga no sympathy, "You've still got a fair few Life Points left don't you? But those will have to wait for next turn because that's all I have for now."
"My turn," Gulaangga growled, drawing a card. "I activate the Spell Card Surface, which revives my Tradetoad in defence."
A watery portal opened up on the ground, and Tradetoad leaped out of it.
"Next I'll summon my Swap Frog!"
In another flash, Swap Frog appeared on the field.
"And I'll use his effect to send another Treeborn Frog to my graveyard," Gulaangga continued, as he slid a card into the graveyard. "Then I'll use Tradetoad's special ability, tributing himself to revive a Frog Monster from my graveyard!"
Tradetoad disappeared, and D.3.S. Frog landed with a crash back on the field.
"And with two Treeborn Frogs in my graveyard, he gains even more attack!"
D.3.S. Frog flexed again. (ATK:2500-3500)
"Colossal Fighter is still stronger," noted Rowan.
"But Grepher isn't," said Gulaangga.
D.3.S. frog opened its mouth and caught Grepher with its tongue and dragged the Warrior into its mouth. (RLP:2200-800)
"And with one less Warrior on the field, your Fighter loses attack!" shouted Gulaangga.
Colossal fighter scowled. (ATK:3800-3600)
"But with one more Warrior in the graveyard," said Rowan, "he regains half of what he lost."
Grepher's spirit appeared behind Rowan's Monster. (ATK:3600-3700)
"I end my turn," said Gulaangga. "Just gotta hold out one more turn. With him at only eight-hundred Life Points, he's just one Poison of the Old Man away from being sent home packing.
So long as I draw it.
"My turn," said Rowan, calmly drawing a card. "Let's wrap this up, I activate the Spell Card Swing of Memories, which allows me to revive a Normal Monster for a turn, like my Jack's Knight."
The Spell Card flashed on the field. A white portal opened up on the field, and Jack's Knight flew out. But with one less Warrior in the graveyard, Colossal Fighter lost attack power. (ATK:3700-3600)
"Next, I activate a second Reinforcements of the Army," Rowan continued, as the once limited Spell Card appeared, "I'll add Marauding Captain to my hand."
A card slipped out of Rowan's deck, the Shadowchaser grabbing it and immediately played it.
A rugged Warrior joined Rowan's ranks. He wore gritty, damaged armour and wielded two different swords. (1200/400)
"And when Marauding Captain is summoned, I can summon another Monster from my hand, so say hello to a familiar face."
Command Knight reappeared on the field.
"Crap," muttered Gulaangga.
"And now, with the combined effects of both Command Knight and The A. Forces," said Rowan, "all my Monsters gain one thousand two hundred attack points."
Jack's Knight, Command Knight and Marauding Captain raised their weapons while Colossal Fighter raised its fist. (ATK:1900-3100) (ATK:1200-2400) (ATK:1200-2400) (ATK:3600-4600)
"Not good," Gulaangga gasped.
"For you that is, for me it's great," said Rowan, "Colossal Fighter, you know what to do."
Colossal Fighter slugged D.3.S. Frog again, sending it hurtling back up into the canopy. (GLP:4100-3000)
"Jack's Knight, you're next."
Jack's Knight leapt forward and sliced Swap Frog in half. (GLP:3000-0)
"Please, this is overkill," begged Gulaangga, as he caught sight of Rowan's other Warrior's staring him down.
"Marauding Captain, Command Knight, direct attack."
The two warriors crossed their weapons and lunged at the bullywug, striking him with a powerful cross strike, sending the frog creature tumbling backward onto his back. (GLP:0-0)
Horns blazed as the augmented reality field receded. Rowan let out another sigh, however it was, for once, a sigh of relief rather than annoyance. He then removed his D-Gazer and approached his defeated and downed opponent.
Gulaangga watched as the Shadowchaser approached, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth once Rowan stood over him. The Shadowchaser then extended his arm, offering to help the fallen elderly bullywug.
"Sorry about those extra attacks," Rowan apologised, "sometimes I tend to get carried away during a duel."
Gulaangga smiled, having understood what Rowan meant. "It's okay, my heart was racing when I played Des Croaking. It's no wonder one of us old folks didn't have a heart attack."
The elderly Shadowchaser sighed, he'd heard comments about his age plenty of time throughout the years, he'd grown a thick skin about it though so he wasn't verily phased by them anymore.
He then turned toward the giant sleeping frog and drew his sword.
"Oi," Rowan called, gently poking Tiddalik with the tip, "wake up sleepyhead!"
Tiddalik shuddered as his eyes opened. He looked down at both Rowan and Gulaangga.
"Erm…" the frog spirit grumbled, sounding slightly embarrassed, "I fell asleep didn't I?"
"Yes," Rowan answered, "and on top of that you missed the duel, and by the way I won."
"And well…" Gulaangga hesitantly added, "that means I lost."
Tiddalik growled.
"I believe that means you must fill your side of our bargain," said Rowan, prodding Tiddalik with his sword.
"Make me," scowled Tiddalik, narrowing his red eyes.
"I'm sure I can get someone down here to do just that," Rowan scowled, taking a mobile phone from his pocket, "all in a single phone call. I'd think about that if I were you."
Tiddalik started mumbling under his breath. The frog spirit then turned began hopping in the near-empty dam.
Rowan felt a slimy hand rest upon his shoulder. "I think it's for the best that I apologise for both our behaviour," said Gulaangga.
"I'll accept your apology," said Rowan. "And don't worry, I have no grounds to arrest either of you on. You leader was right when he said that no one owns this water, so you technically weren't stealing, and it's not like he was withholding the water for malicious reasons - just to quench his own thirst. You were just stepping up and helping someone who needed help, that's how I see things.
"Just don't tell anyone you did it, okay?"
Gulaangga went silent for a few seconds as he contemplated Rowan's words. "That's one way of putting it," he nodded, agreeing.
The sound of gushing water could be heard in the gully, the Shadowchaser looked down to see the gully quickly filling with water.
"How does that frog drink so much so fast?" he wondered. "And how does he spit it out just as fast."
"Some questions in life are better left unanswered," said Gulaangga, he then reached for and picked up his walking stick.
"I honestly couldn't agree more," said Rowan, trying to block the mental image of a frog regurgitating from his mind.
0 - 0 KK 0 - 0
Meanwhile, back in central Sydney.
A young woman walked through the street. She wore a white flower-patterned shirt, a short skirt a straw sunhat. Sunglasses shielded her eyes from the sun and a leather handbag hung over her shoulder.
The woman pulled a smartphone from her bag and glanced at the picture on the screen. It was of a middle-aged man, of above average height, he was notably both bald and lacking any sort of facial hair. He was wearing a black business suit with a matching bowler cap. The photo was titled, strangely enough, Crocodile.
The woman closed the phone and dropped it in her bag, and began scanning the crowd in front of her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted what she was looking for; the man in the photo casually walking down the street, briefcase in hand.
"Just the guy I was looking for…" she smiled as she walked into the crowd, being careful not the lose track of her target…
0 - 0 KK 0 - 0
And before you ask who I am, I will say I'm not Rowan, nor Matari or Wendy. In fact, at this time if you asked what a Shadowchaser was. I'd probably answer with "I don't know, somebody who chases shadows? I guess".
So you've probably heard a few origin stories of various Shadowchasers. Of how they stumbled upon the world of Shadows and were invited into the Shadowchasers. Where they made new, lifelong friends; learned amazing new skills and probably stopped a bad guy or two.
One of the most popular was that of Eiko "Ember" Michiko, a Shadowchaser from New Domino. Who in the span of a few weeks, went from a humble secretary to someone who braved alternate dimensions to prevent the whole world from drowning, after a spell had been cast by a powerful Shadow with a vendetta against the founder and leader of the Shadowchasers, Jalal Stormbringer.
Well, as for me, this is my story. And let's just say, while it may not have been a world ending crisis, there were still plenty of bumps along the road...
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Aboriginal/Indigenous Australian Dictionary
Matari - An Aboriginal name that means "a man".
Gulaangga - A word from the Wiradjuri language group's (from central New South Wales) meaning frog.
Tiddalik - A tale of a large frog from the dreaming, who awoke one morning with a great thirst. He greedily consumed all the water in the land, causing plant and animal life to wither and die of thirst. Others animals eventually conspired against the greedy amphibian, eventually a wise old Wombat made Tiddalik release all the water by amusing him with an eel that tied itself into amusing shapes. As Tiddalik laughed the water gushed out his mouth and returned to the land for everyone to use.
Notably, like many age-old stories, the tale has changed over time. The modern version has a happy ending where the water is returned for all to use. The original tale, however, ends with a disaster; the water released caused a massive flood that drowned many and left other stranded on islands.
The Dreaming (also known as the Dreamtime) - In Aboriginal Australian Mythology, the Dreaming is a place beyond space and time where the past, present and future all converge. People could enter this place through dreams and various other states of consciousness, including death itself.
Muru - A word from the Dharawal language groups (of the Sydney basin area) meaning path or road. (While the meaning is for a literal path or road, one the themes of this story is the choices we make and the path we choose, so I feel that title is appropriate for this story, even with the different interoperation of the word).
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Kitten Knight: And so the first chapter of our tale. Thankfully one that didn't end in drought or a flood. Just a entire city and surrounds drinking (filtered and treated) frog spit for a few months…
Next time, the strange woman takes action against the mysterious "Crocodile", causing a ruckus that Matari has to fix… If he doesn't get eaten first.
Just remember Matari, whatever you do, don't smile at a crocodile!
Let's go! Round Two: Ancient Rules.
March 3, 2015 - Minor edits.
March 12, 2015 - Minor edits.
April 14, 2016 - More edits.