Meeting Neo
When I first met the Duel Spirit Called Neo the Magic Swordsman it was…how should I say…a rough and tumble experience. Both literally and figuratively I might add. His initial welcome into my group was an entertaining one.
It had been another ordinary day, or rather, as ordinary as my life could be at that moment. Razel had been steadily training Von, Rae and Brie in the art of magic enhancement while also teaching me the ways of Psychic Dueling. With the addition of more Spirits, his lessons became rigorous and left me feeling winded and drained. But as Master of four Spellcasters, I had to uphold my power in order to support them. After Rae and Brie were initiated by Razel, the Chaos Mage informed me that since most of the Spirits attracted to me were mages, I was on my way to being the Master of the race of Spellcasters (Master of Magicians for lack of a better term), and that there would come a time when their old source of power would start to fade. You see, all Duel Spirits derive their energy and strength from the Duel Monster Spirit World. It exists as a boundless power source, akin to an electric socket that their normal tie is "plugged" into. During duels, those without Masters and still in card form, sustained themselves on this source. But once they come to the human world, become a person's Spirits, and stay for a period of time, their power fizzles away. They need a new fount so to speak.
That's where I came in. If I was going to gather them and rise to be the Master of them all, they would need to turn to me as their power source. Needless to say the stronger the Spellcaster, the more powerful I had to grow. As such, Razel worked me hard. Being that he was my Duel Spirit, and one of the strongest Spellcasters, he required the most of my energy. Von was manageable. But Rae and Brie were increasing their magical connection to me and I felt the tugs on my body and spirit daily.
Von helped me when he could. The Ancient Elf of mine soothed me with healing magic and often apologized for what he was inadvertently doing to me.
"Forgive me My Lady. I do not wish to see you suffer on my behalf," He said in that sweet voice of his.
It was after one of Razel's training exercises and the two of us sat under a newly planted tree in my backyard, the sun warm on my limbs.
"It's not your fault Von. It comes with the territory. I agreed to be your Master, and I can't let you guys down. It's no one's fault but my own for not being strong enough yet."
I smiled weakly at him. His deep brown eyes were limpid and kind.
"I have no doubt that you will overcome this," He said.
A lock of my hair blew in the wind and fell over my shoulder. A strand got stuck on my lips. Von reached up and gently pulled it away, careful not to touch my mouth. He tried every day to maintain a respectable distance from me, but I knew he still harbored feelings of affection for me. No one else knew of this, especially not Razel. To this day, Razel does not know…though I find it hard to believe that it goes unnoticed by him. Von was my second Spirit and so was closer to me than any other after Razel. I did not mind that he cared for me in that way. I understood it and let it be.
"I just want it to be over now. Ha! How many more of you are there?"
"There are many mages in my home world. We live in relative peace with the other Spirit races, save for the Warriors. The Fairies and Fiends are our closest allies. I will say that there is a hierarchy in our society. It is broken into three levels. Level One caters to the smaller Spellcasters, those who resemble children and small animals and anthromorphic creatures. Level Two is where I resided. Brie, Rae, and other middle class Spellcasters also fill that gap. It is where most of us live. Level Three, the highest level, is where our leaders are. Razel and his colleagues shared space in an illustrious sky palace that hovers over our lands.
It is a large, beautiful place with tall spires and glittering windows. There are lush green courtyards and gardens all around and waterfalls that cascade over the edges of the grounds that fade into mist. Sometimes galas and balls are held there and we lesser mages would be invited.
All of us would gather hoping to catch a glimpse of one of our elite. As you know, few rank as highly as the Chaos Mage. He is revered there. For you see, you humans give us numerical limits to our strengths on our Duel Monsters cards. But in our world, strength is measured differently. The Chaos Mage is much more formidable there, than he is with a meager 2800 attack points here. I can imagine how the other elites must feel sensing his presence gone, knowing that he has found his Master. That is why so many lower mages are searching for you. You are like a beacon and an enigma. So far, only one other of the elites has been taken by a mortal. He used to be of great standing but chose to demote himself to the middle class of mages in order to have more freedom. It is rumored that he used to be human once long ago.
But I just worry about those who might wish to harm you."
"Why?" I wondered leaning closer to Von, completely interested in what he had to say.
"There are high magicians who regard Chaos Mage as their equal and superior. To find that such a wizard is taken by a mortal who is a woman might infuriate them. If you can hold sway over Razel, you have the potential to be extraordinary as a Psychic Duelist and are seen as a threat."
"A threat? Why?" I asked deeply curious and slightly flattered.
"Spellcasters are not just images on cards as I have said before. We have our own minds, hearts, wishes, and desires. We want freedom perhaps just as you humans innately do. We love and hate, cry and bleed the same. Some wish to belong to a Master and some do not." He calmly explained. "When Spirits turn to a Master in droves, or when a human comes after us, the higher Spellcasters, those placed to protect us, become threatened."
"And who are these wizards?"
Von looked towards the blue sky. "They are the most volatile of our race. There are twenty of them: the Magician of Black Chaos, Dark Paladin, Dark Sage, the Cosmo Queen, Blizzard Princess, CXyz Simon the Great Moral Leader, Hierophant of Prophesy, Ice Queen, Kuzunoha the Onmyojin, Nekroz of Sophia, Nekroz of Valkyrus, Neos Wiseman, Nirvana High Paladin, Number C104: Umbral Horror Masquerade, Silent Magician LV8, Sorciere de Fleur, Testament to the Arcane Lords, Windwitch-Crystel Bell, and World of Prophesy. The most dangerous, by our world's standards, is the Sorcerer of Dark Magic. He is a quiet one who chooses to be alone than in the company of others. Once he and Nekroz of Sophia feuded so severely that their battle endured for days and nights. The Sorcerer was relentless in his attacks against her and she succumbed to his prowess. Their energy could be seen as far away as the Realm of Dragons, by human measurement that is thousands of miles.
Nekroz of Sophia, even though in human world she was given a much higher attack strength than the Sorcerer, could not last against him. She faltered and he overcame her in a blast of awesome power. But at the last second, Razel stepped in and, using a power I had never seen before among our kind, he managed to deflect the blast thereby saving Nekroz of Sophia's life. After that, Chaos Mage was regarded as a hero. The Sorcerer still harbors a grudge against him for that loss. When Chaos Mage lived in our world he, the Dark Paladin, the Cosmo Queen, Nekroz of Sophia, and the Sorcerer of Dark Magic were the top five representatives of our kind. Mostly because the others couldn't be bothered with underlings like we were. If one of them is gone, the other four will surly seek him out."
My heart rate increased slightly as Von told me about these Spellcasters. The Sorcerer of Dark Magic sounded terrifying. If these mages came after me…I could barely control Razel's power yet, even with concentration. I dared not think of the others, let alone Mastering all of them. Then again, why would magicians of that caliber want to join me? I needed to think.
"Hey," I began. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in a little bit." I rose and brushed off my shorts.
"Aren't you going to tell Ra…"
"No. It'll be good for him to worry about me. Might shake that prick-like 'tude of his."
Von chuckled. "I suppose. If you need me, just signal and I'll be there."
I looked down at him, watching his long dark hair blow gracefully in the soft breeze.
"Thanks, I will."
I took a nice long, leisurely walk through the forest near my house. It felt so good to be alone. My house was filled with male magicians and, like guys, they were loud and rambunctious. Except Razel of course. I had mentioned this fact to him before and he said that Spirits can take on their card forms, should the need arise. I found this interesting and mused over it as I relaxed in the woods. I walked about three miles from my house to reach the clearing where Razel and I battled. The fissures in the ground were still there, though covered with grass and sprouting flowers. I went to the center of the field and inhaled deeply the smells of clean air and fresh trees. The birds sang their songs and I felt the fatigue melt away in my shoulders. To my right I heard rustling but figured it was an animal or bird. When the sound got louder, I turned.
The last thing I saw was a flash of black before I tumbled to the ground. A heavy weight was ontop of me and I wrestled to get it off. I did not scream for help, I could handle it. I heard it grunt and breath and I started into the greenest eyes I ever saw. I tried to gain dominance in the situation and so I heaved my own weight over, rolling and rolling through the grass. The man kept grabbing my wrists and using his body to pin me down. We struggled before I had had enough and brought my left tight hard into his crotch. The man croaked and fell away in a heap. His long golden hair splayed around his face which was contorted in pain.
Rushing I gathered myself and got to my feet. Assuming a battle stance, I released some of my energy as a warning. The man did not uncurl for many seconds.
"Who are you?"
He said nothing, merely remained immobilized.
"Answer me!"
"Sweet heavens above!" He choked out passed clenched teeth. "It's true—you're a woman."
"What!? You mean you're a Duel Spirit? And you attacked me? Are you out of your mind!?" I screamed at him, my anger building.
"I did believe know you were a woman. If I had, I would not have attacked."
Slowly, he rolled onto his back and lowered his legs. He was dressed in partial armor; knee guards, breastplate, hip guards, etc., a long billowing blue cape, dirtied boots and gloves. He looked like a Warrior and when I saw he carried a sword I immediately tensed. Razel and the others warned me about their hatred for Warrior types, and so I thought he came to harm me.
"So—if I was a man you would've fought me is that it?" I pressed.
"Exactly. But I can't fight a woman, much less a human woman." He opened his clenched eyes and I once again was greeted by those shining emeralds.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I demanded fighting the urge to blush. His face was beautiful. Perfect creamy skin, high cheek bones, nice lips…
His blond bangs brushed his forehead, coasting over his eyes in a sexy, dreamy manner. A dark green head band peaked through those yellow bangs, reminding me of a Germanic warrior from the Dark Ages. With his legs fully extended, I deduced his height to near six foot. His body looked muscular and lean, though not quite as lean as Razel's. This Spirit was larger than Rae or Brie and bulkier than Von. The man was formed like a Warrior.
"Can I get up first?"
I did not answer, only took a step back to give him room. He rose to his feet, his sword clanking at his side. He really was handsome.
"First, let me apologize for earlier. That was uncouth of me and I am very sorry," he bowed. "As to who I am, my name is Neo. My full title is Neo the Magic Swordsman."
I paused. "Magic? You mean…you're not a Warrior?"
Neo laughed aloud. A most pleasant sound too. "Sweet gods no!"
"But you appear as one." I pointed to his outfit.
"I am not a Warrior. And if I should be I would end my own life. No, I am a Spellcaster. My specialty is dimensional drifting. I also taught myself how to use a sword and Martial Arts."
That explains why I did not sense him behind me, I thought. "Why use a sword? You have magic."
Neo shrugged, his hand on the hilt of his blade. "Curiosity."
"Uh-huh. Well then…Neo…what do you want? You obviously came for something."
He shrugged and then he unsheathed his sword. "I want you to prove that you are his master."
I rolled my eyes. "Why does every Spellcaster want me to do that!?" I yelled to the sky.
"As his master it is only fitting." Neo said. He raised his blade and sprung into a charge.
His speed caugh me by surprise and I jumped aside. He crazed my shirt. My alarm quickly tured into frustration and I extended my right arm out to his back. Power balled itself in my palm. My energy began to glow and the force of its collection caused my hair to blow.
"I'm in no mood for this! All I wanted was a relaxing day alone! Without Spellcasters, without Razel and without challenges like this one! And as far as me being a girl…a girl can kick any guys ass any day!" I shouted and released the ball of Psychic Energy straight towards Neo.
The blast hit him in the spine and he hollered as his body was flung yards away. He landed with a hard thump and he rolled several feet before stopping. His sword bounced onto the grass. This was another perk to training. The more I increased in strength, the less fatigued I was on the assault. Attacks like that did not bother me anymore. It was feeling more and more natural really. My power easily defeated Neo.
I waited until he was able to get up before I approached him.
"I guess I won—want to join my team?" I asked cocking a hip and resting my hand upon it. I flashed him a smile, topped with a superior bounce of my eyebrows. "You're pretty good with a sword. It could be useful. I know Razel will be interested…I think."
Neo looked up at me. His face was smiling with acceptance though there was a glitter of challenge in his green eyes. He rose and stood before me, ready for the Energy Exchange.
"It would be my honor to join the team of the Master of the Chaos Mage."
I'll say this, when we performed our Exchange…Neo was very audacious. He is one of the more overzealous Spirits I have. I know he's always checking out my ass whenever he can. He just has that semi-lewd personality. His good looks only amplify that ego of his where he thinks no one's going to mind if HE were the one looking. Of my mages, Neo is one of the handsomest. He's also one of the more "human" looking. I've taken him with me on errands around Domino, and he enjoys it very much. His blond hair and green eyes aren't unusual. And he loves Human World, especially the food. His favorite dish, he is insisting I tell you, is beef rolled with herbed butter, grilled, and served with grilled vegetables. Take that however you want…
But anyway, during our first Energy Exchange, he was very touchy. He tried to hold my waist but I slapped his hands away. Von is not going to like this one, I thought. We shut our eyes as our Energies merged. Neo's was a happy yellow hue, warm and full of life. I heard him groan as my Energy took in his, flushing it through us. His Energy was so bright and cheerful that I knew he had a good heart inside. Once the Exchange was done we walked back to my house in silence though I felt Neo's eyes on me the whole way. I was in front. When I returned Von, Rae, Brie, and Razel greeted me. Standing like a sentinel Razel locked eyes with Neo, to which the latter bowed.
"Sir, may I say that this is a great honor."
I glanced at Razel. Those red eyes with their pin-prick pupils stared at Neo with an inhuman criticism that was slightly eerie.
"Neo the Magic Swordsman. I have heard much about you." Razel said.
At that, Neo's blond head looked up. His eyes were glittering. "Really? I am even more honored!"
Von's expression, while placid, held a subtle stony undertone. Like the mysterious depths of the ocean Von's dark eyes analyzed this new addition. He felt threatened. Neo was attractive and I sensed that Von was nervous that I may turn my affections towards the other versus him. Rae and Brie seemed excited to see an old friend and went over to say their hellos. Neo chimed up when he saw them and the three launched into dirty jokes and bouts of laughter. I rolled my eyes, getting used to the whole guy thing.
"And did you see the Mystical Elf lately? Her backside is something to write about my friend!" Neo jabbed Rae with his elbow. "I must say that blue skin…"
"Jeeze Neo, you're not here for ten minutes and I feel like I'm in a bar." I said. "Talking about women's breasts and asses. It really is true that no matter the race or kind, men are all the same. Pervs. And don't give me that innocent look Von. I know you must join in too. Razel…no. Razel's too stoic." The Neo, Rae, Brie adopted shy expressions once they realized what they were speaking of in front of their female master.
Von tensed his jaw and stared straight ahead. I turned to go back into the house, feeling satisfied that I put them in their place but I also wanted to not separate myself from them. I was their Master, yes, but I wanted to be their friend. "Master" was too archaic. So I stopped at my back door, turned, and with a sly smirk I said to all of them, "Besides…a woman will let a guy she thinks is hot touch her ass. It's what I do. But first, sweet talk her. Tell her what she wants to hear. Butter her up, but don't be too strong out of the gate. Then when the time is right, you make a grab! I know that how my friends and I prefer our guys. Men who take too long are boring. Plus, it shows that you know what to do, when to do it, and how. Trust me—we like that a lot. Oh and Neo—stop ogling my ass ok?"
At their widened eyed faces, and Razel's mortified, deathly glare at the newest member, I went inside.
A Month Later:
With Neo in our group, life became more fun. I found myself joining in on the Spellcaster's games from their world, being a part of their brotherly circles as they shared stories with one another. Being with Neo, Brie, and Rae was like being with brothers, or cousins. We cracked dirty jokes, played pranks, and trained together. They saw me as one of them and less like a Master figure. Von and Razel acted as confidant and teacher respectfully, distant from the others and held in higher regard. It was funny how all of them though, thought of Razel as untouchable. In their eyes the blue mage was a god. No matter how much they tried, they were leaps and bounds below him in power, strength, endurance and stamina. Compared to them, Razel's movements were like a combination of a gymnast, ice skater, ballerina, and martial artist. He was graceful and beautiful when we trained.
His long limbs, lithe and strong, stretched and moved through the air in precise gestures. He never once lost balance. Never did he stumble or sway on his feet. His back would bend like a cat, a long leg would reach to point at the sky as he sturdily stood on the other. His focus was unwavering and breaths came in meditative rhythm. In motions resembling ballet and Tai Chi, Razel trained me. Each stance promoted strength and determination. Concentration was key. And he was instructing me to be the same way. In no time my stamina improved. My balance increased, my muscles were toned.
When the two of us trained, we did so in perfect unison. Like dancers Razel and I stretched and twisted together. Being next to him I constantly felt his body's warmth, smelled the sun heat his blue skin. In low tones he would coach me. But eventually those stopped as we tuned into each other's motions. At time we released our Energy around us, allowing for our bond to grow stronger.
My powers too, grew exponentially. I was lucky. Neo did use my energy but not enough to cripple me. I was proud of myself though, I was supporting five Duel Spirits then. Every so often Razel gave me curt praise but I could tell he was impressed. As the summer grew hotter, I continued to train with him outside in the field close to my house. Because of the heat I frequently practiced in my sports bra and work out shorts. Razel was dressed similarly, though his muscular blue chest was bare and the long black tresses were tied in a pony-tail. I was used to seeing him half naked but hey…he's got a nice bod. I must say that his black tattoos so far only decorate his face. The rest of his skin is just cobalt.
Not surprisingly, Von, Rae, Brie, and Neo offered to act as spectators.
At one point, while Razel and I performed deep back bends, I caught Von's cheeks flush a light red. Razel did not mind others watching us. His concentration was so concrete that he could have been naked and he wouldn't have cared. From the sidelines, I heard Neo pipe up.
"Not bad Mistress! How about training with me next time?"
"Ha! How about you learn to control yourself first, young Neo, before you offer to tutor our Master in the arts of discipline." Razel said.
"With all due respect Lord Razel, I have perfect mastery of my skills. I'll show you!"
At that, Razel and I stopped our training and watched as Neo began to strip to the waist.
"Holy crap," I said upon viewing Neo's body.
Neo has the body of an Ancient Greek athlete; perfectly sculpted muscle and limbs. His pale skin was smooth and his shoulders were desirably broad.
Using a piece of twine from his trouser pocket, Neo tied his blond hair back. "Now, watch Mistress."
Neo unsheathed his sword and proceeded to maneuver it in confident swings. He was showing me, Razel and the others his abilities in stealth. I did watch him. He was hard not to. Razel beside me grew silent and contemplative as Neo did his swordsmanship. The blue mage was amused but hardly impressed.
"Perhaps to the untrained eye your skills are top quality. However they are far below what I expect as a Duel Spirit of our Master." And with that, Razel click his tongue and I turned to follow his gestures once again.
I felt bad for Neo, but Razel was right. Neo would have to improve like Von, Rae, and Brie. Neo took the remark with surprising grace and in time, he joined us.
