A Dice In The Hand Is Worth More Than A Card On The Table.

Story © Dark Magician Girl Of Chaos/Kenouni Renashin™

Yu-Gi-Oh! and all concepts, including Dungeon Dice Monsters © Kazuki Takahashi.

Chapter One.

It was a warm summer's day, sometime in June, and the Black Crown Game Shop was rather quiet. Then again, most of the kids, the younger ones anyway, were still in school. The older ones were probably occupying the Duel arenas in the other parts of the building, or off doing whatever it is teenagers do.

The only customers in the shop were a few teenage boys standing by the rare card display cabinet, being watched by the hawk-like eyes of one of the assistants; a couple, presumably parents, talking to the checkout girl, who seemed to be getting exceedingly perplexed, probably because they were finding it difficult to understand the rules of whatever game's starter set they were buying, most likely for their kid; and lastly, a teenage girl, who was standing in front of some display cases with little monster figurines in them.

"Are you okay there?" The girl jumped, startled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright. Um, yeah, I'm fine thanks. I'm just looking. The quality of these figures is amazing, even though they're so small."

"Yeah. Dungeon Dice Monsters has got a lot to live up to if it wants to get as many players as Duel Monsters has."

"That's true," she turned to look at him. "Do you play?"

"Play what?"

"Both? Either?"

"Oh. I play both but I specialise in Dungeon Dice Monsters."

"Cool." She straightened up from leaning over one of the cases looking at some Spellcaster figures.

"Yourself? I'm Duke by the way."

"Ashely. I normally play Duel Monsters."

"Normally?"

"I've given it up for awhile."

"Ah, I see. Ever played Dungeon Dice Monsters?"

"I've looked into it, but…" She shook her head. "I couldn't get the hang of it."

"So, why are you looking at figures for the game if you can't or don't play it?"

"Doesn't hurt to look, does it?"

"I guess not."

"I'm thinking about collecting them anyway. I have a few at home; I thought I'd look at a few more."

One of the shop assistants approached them. "Mr Devlin, your tutorial starts in ten minutes."

"Right, okay." Duke nodded at the man and the assistant left. "Well, that's my call to leave. Nice to meet you, Ashely. "

"Yeah, and you. See you around sometime." Ashely replied.

"Yeah sure. See you."

"Devlin?" She mumbled a few moments later, looking up from the Warrior figures at her reflection in the glass cabinet. "Where have I heard that before?"