Magic: the Gathering
Chronicles, Volume 25
Viktor never would have imagined that a simple rescue and retrieval mission would have become an all-out battle like this. He knew that Elena's ground army was rampaging all over the planes of the Multiverse and Enslaving those still outside her control, but having them here on Kamigawa was not what he or the others were prepared for.
It helped to have Planeswalker friends. And Epsilon.
"Be careful, for our enemies are numerous," Nissa warned as the Planeswalkers and kids approached the hole in the castle wall to enter the battle. The injured Ulamog's Crusher was still flailing around in agony, blindly smashing whatever was closest with earth-shuddering thumps. "Never before have we fought a battle like this."
"Relax. It'll just be like fighting off goblin exploration teams. Only there's more," Sorin said dismissively, but his increasingly wicked expression and bloodlust showed his real intentions. "I've lived for centuries, Nissa, but never had the chance to fight a real battle like this. It'll be a good time."
"Exactly my attitude," Chandra agreed, with flames bursting all over her body as she flared up her combat mode. "Plus we've got the green-white Hunter saying he wants to help! And he's proved it so far by taking a good chunk out of that Eldrazi. What say we finish it?"
"This isn't a game, but yes, we must," Nissa said seriously, weaving forest-green magic between her hands, enchanting Sorin and Chandra. "There. Make the most of it."
"Watch out, Epsilon!" Sorin shouted in glee as he leaped off the ground, pouncing right at the Ulamog's Crusher like an arrow. "I'll take this one."
Epsilon had been preparing to finish the Crusher, but backed away upon Sorin's command. "Then I'll take the rest. Good hunting," he said, going deeper into the fray. Viktor watched as Sorin grabbed hold of one of the Crusher's fingers and ran up its arm like Epsilon had, until the beast turned its featureless face to watch the vampire running up its arm. The Crusher twitched its arm to throw Sorin off, then moved its arm to seize him in its gigantic fist.
Chandra didn't let it; she too closed in on the towering Eldrazi and stood by its massed tentacle legs, firing searing fire lances at its face, blindingly bright. The Crusher bellowed deeply as its bone-like face was scorched, sparks and smoke flying from its burns. The beast staggered back, clutching at its face with its remaining hand, giving Sorin the chance to grab its elbow and bite down with his vampire fangs. Upon drawing its foul but energy-rich blood, Sorin's eyes widened and flared purple, then with a streak of black, he zoomed right past the Crusher's head, and the head was sliced right off the Crusher's body. The severed head fell to the ground with a thud and the lifeless body slumped over, twitching a few times until it settled down.
"Hot dog. That's how you do it!" Gerbie cheered, poking out again and waving his little arms. "Go go go, vampie boy!"
"It's Sorin," the vampire Planeswalker said, right behind Ashley just like that. She screamed in alarm and jumped away, Gerbie falling out of her pocket.
"You didn't have to do that!" Ashley protested to the much taller Sorin.
"Sorry, but the lust for blood makes me erratic and quick to move," Sorin said with a bloody grin. "Either help, or back away. Didn't you want to help us? We may need it. That was just one injured Eldrazi."
"True enough. Need more firepower," Tohru agreed, stepping forward. "Kids! Use your most powerful spells. Make them count. You are tired, as far as I can tell. Limited stamina."
"This'll take the edge off it," Viktor said, his Nourish card restoring the five-some's energy enough to soothe the trembling of their muscles and their heavy breathing. "Come on. We've got an army and two Hunters to kill."
"Yeah. Let's get there nice and fast," Devin said eagerly, driven by his renewed strength. A Boggart Ram-Gang appeared, and the five of them boarded it and it zoomed into battle with its haste ability. The Planeswalkers took their own route to the battle. Once into the fray, Viktor and the others got off just in time to avoid an Enslaved Treefolk from smashing them with its thick limbs, the towering wood creature growling its anger.
Viktor's Elvish Warrior enhanced with Devin's Violent Outburst was able to confront the Enslaved Treefolk, dodging its sharp branch attacks and slice its wooden body with an elvish sword, reducing it to bits.
"Aaaaaaaand... Shock! I love Cascade," Devin commented as the Violent Outburst's Cascade ability resulted in an instant Shock frying a nearby Enslaved Myr, blasting the metal creature to pieces.
"You should love protecting yourself better," Kelly advised him as Ashley's Wall of Denial stopped an Enslaved Earth Elemental from smashing Devin under its rock and dirt fist. Kelly's Drag Down trapped the Elemental in place, allowing Makoto's Silverstorm Samurai to behead it, the fox samurai moving with blinding speed and grace.
"Who are you?" an Azorius knight demanded, working his way out of the raging battle's clutches to confront the kids. The man's face was scratched, his armor dented and bloodied from battle.
"We're the card-wielding kids I'm sure the Grand Arbiter Epsilon I has told you about," Viktor told the man. "And I believe your master and we are fighting on the same side right now."
The man's eyes widened. "Ah! So you fight by the Grand Arbiter's side," he said. "Very good. This battle's a difficult one, kid. We've destroyed some of the worst of these monsters but a lot are left, including those towering beasts the Grand Arbiter calls 'Eldrazi'. What Guild do they come from?"
"Not a Guild. This goes beyond just Ravnica's business," Viktor told him, as Ashley protected him from a sneaky Enslaved Drake with a Withstand. "Ravnica is just one plane out of many in the Multiverse. Your and my enemies threaten it all."
The knight adjusted his armor, shifted his grip on his sword. "I don't know much about any 'Multiverse', but if you say this is important then I take your word for it," he shouted over the din of war. "Fight well!"
"You too," Viktor told him as a trio of Sky Hussars flew overhead, harassing a group of Enslaved Faeries.
"All right, so what's out new strateg -" Devin started to ask, before a sudden stomping sound stopped him. Everyone turned to see a gray and purple Hand of Emrakul driving through the ranks of warriors, its large claw hands sweeping back and forth to clear a path. Both Enslaved creatures and Azorius troops were swept aside in its blind charge, with others being reduced to clouds of gray ash with its Annihilator ability. Even the ground itself was being gouged away from the beast's advance.
"Any advice?" Makoto asked as the thing drew close, a high-pitched warbling roar coming from the Hand's spongy head.
"Prepare to kick some ass," Viktor responded, fired up from the sight of a towering opponent like this. He used all his might to summon one of his best creatures, Thorn Elemental. The Elemental was nearly as big as the Hand, its thorny wooden body standing at its full height, spreading its thin, sharp fingers. Viktor prepared to send it to battle, but a sudden wave of fatigue swept over him, forcing him to his hands and knees, gasping for breath as he sweated.
"Viktor!" Ashley cried in concern, rushing to his side as Devin gave the Thorn Elemental a Violent Outburst to allow it to make the first move against the Hand of Emrakul. Viktor drew a deep, shaky breath, astounded by the toll it cost him to cast the Elemental.
"I-I'm okay. I just... wasn't as prepared as I thought," Viktor gasped.
"It's your Key Creature, after all," Ashley consoled him as the Thorn Elemental and Hand of Emrakul swung at each other, slapping their hands against each other's with titanic force. "It's your most taxing spell to cast! You should have been more careful..."
"Sorry if I got ahead of myself," Viktor managed to grin as Ashley helped him stand shakily to his feet. Tohru approached, working an intricate gold spell in his right hand.
"Here. Energizing charm not unlike Nourish. Should help," Tohru said simply but rapidly as he waved his hand before Viktor, and once again he felt his fatigue drain away, his body re-vitalized. "Be more careful now, all right? Can't have you collapsing during battle!"
"Yeah. I wouldn't want to miss this," Viktor agreed, looking up to see his Thorn Elemental plunge its fingers into the Hand's chest, tearing apart its inner flesh and making it wail loudly. In revenge, the Hand pressed closer to the Elemental, punching its face and knocking it back. The Thorn Elemental staggered, pulling its hand out of the Hand's chest, purple blood dripping from its fingers. The Hand swept its arms, using Annihilator while it still had the chance. The Thorn Elemental braced itself, but the horrific power of the Eldrazi was too much. The Elemental's arms and legs began to erode into gray ash, flaking off and blowing away in the wind.
"Quick! Help it!" Viktor told Ashley, and she turned from helping an Azorius trooper to using a Turn to Mists on the Elemental to protect it from further Annihilation; Viktor doubted that even Withstand or Holy Day would do much against it. As it was, the Hand of Emrakul was stymied, confused that it could no longer Annihilate or touch its misty Thorn Elemental foe. Ashley tormented it further by casting a mana-charged Curse of Chains on it, blue and silver shackles and chains binding the Eldrazi's hands and feet.
"Hurry and fight back. I...can't hold it for long," Ashley wheezed, undoing the Turn to Mists. Viktor granted her wish and urged the Elemental forward as Tohru re-energized Ashley as well, and the Elemental seized the Hand's spongy head and with effort, tore it off. The Eldrazi's body fell to the ground much like the Crusher's had, crushing several Enslaved Creatures that had been in the way.
"We've beheaded two of them now," Devin commented with amusement, watching the Hand of Emrakul fall.
"That's the easiest way to destroy them," Sorin said, right behind Devin. The boy yelped and scampered away.
"Don't do that!" Devin objected as Sorin grinned again.
"Sorry," Sorin said without sounding like he meant it. "But really, now. How else can you defeat a titan like them? I doubt they have hearts at all. But beheading works on them like anything else."
"If... if you say so," Devin responded, still off-put. "We'll aim for the neck next time, okay?"
"I was mostly talking to myself. You all should help the knights on our side," Sorin said simply. "Your spells are better for support and fighting groups of lesser foes. Let Chandra and Nissa and I handle the Eldrazi atrocities."
"Understood," Viktor acknowledged as the vampire Planeswalker jumped away, taking off the head of an Enslaved giant from Lorwyn with his blade along the way. He couldn't help but spill a little more blood.
Recognizing Sorin's advice as sound, Viktor kept his companions close as they aided Epsilon's Azorius troops, the soldiers more than welcoming their aid as word spread that they were on the same side. In turn, Viktor was quite grateful for the Azorius troopers' presence, providing additional defense against Elena's menagerie hordes. Countless Mirrodin golems, human berserkers from Bloodridge of Dominaria, and disfigured Elementals from Shadowmoor fell before the Azorius knights' blades and the kids' support spells. One particular Azorius knight, a bulky man with brass knuckles not unlike Delta's, greatly enjoyed the Oakenform Viktor had given him, granting him the power to bash his way through countless Enslaved Akki that attacked him in suicidal waves. Devin's Predator Dragon made the perfect fire support flier for the Sky Hussar squadrons, and Ashley's Safe Passage spells allowed the Enslaved creatures' attacks to be nullified before the Azorius soldiers struck back with bloody results.
We're fighting some of everything here, aren't we? Viktor thought to himself as he watched his Elvish Warrior reinforce a pair of Azorius knights who were struggling against an Enslaved Leonin Berserker from Naya and a Phyrexian Horror. It seems that we're taking on the entire Multiverse! Elena must be getting pretty close to her goals, even though we've got most of the Key Creatures and killed some of her Hunters. Her ground forces are still strong, and this probably isn't even all of them. I bet the rest of her troops are stationed on various Planes, Enslaving more and more of them. It's time to put our foot down for good!
"Hey, kid. Got a moment?" a horribly familiar voice asked, and Viktor jumped as a Treefolk was pushed aside when Delta charged past it, several of his moss-green flaming wolves flanking him. "I'm not done with you yet! You're conveniently right here! Come on and die!"
"Watch out! Delta's found us!" Viktor shouted to his friends, and they hurried to his side. As a show of good faith, a nearby squad of Azorius pikers answered Viktor's call to battle and attacked the Hunter, only to be burnt to cinders when they impaled the wolves and were in the range of their death explosions.
"Ah-woooooooo! The fools didn't know what they were taking on!" Delta howled, waving his staff to summon another half dozen wolves. "But you kids do! Give me a good show!"
Once again, Ashley cast her Arrow Volley Trap, the arrow volleys striking down the wolves within a safe distance. Not to be outdone, Delta used his other staff-based spell, the fire streamers. A Turn to Mists was cast on the five kids and Tohru, shielding them from the blinding fire bursts. However, when the fire cleared Delta was revealed to have positioned himself among their ranks, and Ashley was too tired to cast another offensive spell just yet.
"Ha ha! You stand no chance at close quarters!" Delta shouted, his whirling kick slamming into Devin and knocking him far away. He head-butted Kelly, sending her skidding into the dirt with a bruise on her forehead. As Delta backed up, he swung his staff to cast a few more wolves.
Then, Viktor got an idea. With the melee attacks abating, Delta had set himself right into Viktor's hands, and now he saw a chance to hit Delta with a solid attack. One of the fire wolves charged at Viktor, and he summoned Ursapine to meet that wolf halfway there. At his command, Viktor got the quilled beast to pounce on the wolf and cover it up, exposing only its spines except for a small space. With the wolf struggling under it, the Ursapine scooted the whole package close to Delta, who frowned.
"What in –?" he started to ask before Viktor shouted, "Devin! Hit the wolf with a burn spell!"
"O-okay!" Devin called back, sending a Shock right at the wolf. Viktor's plan paid off – the Shock killed the wolf, causing it to explode. However, with the Ursapine so close, the Ursapine was killed, too, its body parts blasting everywhere and that included the spines. Unable to move in time, Delta was impaled with the Ursapine's arm-sized quills, driven deep into his flesh.
"Aaaaaaaarrrrggghhh! You scum!" Delta howled in pain and rage, stomping everywhere as he bled around the quills. Seeing a chance, Kelly sent forward her Sengir Vampire forward to join Viktor's Elvish Warrior, and the two of them closed in on Delta. With claws and sword, they felled the Hunter at last, their combined attack ripping his flesh asunder and destroying him.
Viktor urged his Elvish Warrior to back up as the Vampire backed up, and the dead Delta's forehead emerald glowed bright before his ruined body exploded, kicking up dirt and creating a crater twenty feet across. Nothing remained of him except his thumb-sized forehead emerald, which lay in the middle of the crater.
Then, Viktor realized what he must do. He sent his Elvish Warrior forward to recover the emerald, but he was too slow; an Enslaved winged Elemental swooped down and secured the emerald in its talons. If that thing gets away, it'll take the emerald to Elena and strengthen her! Viktor realized with dread. No one else had the strength to summon a flier, but help came in the form of Sorin, who appeared out of nowhere and jumped high in the air enough to impale the Elemental and recover the emerald, then landed back on the earth.
"You got a little careless there," Sorin commented, showing Viktor the emerald in his palm. "The Defiled One's slave creature almost got away with this! But I thank you for taking down that despicable wolf shaman for me. It would have been a pain dealing with those exploding wolves."
"Yeah. You're welcome," Viktor said truthfully as he accepted the emerald and pocketed it, noting how a little gem in his pocket held so much power. As far as he knew, neither he nor the Planeswalkers could access the power in it, so the most they could do was keep Elena from getting it herself. "What about Upsilon?"
"The same. He is dead," Sorin said, digging into his pocket and producing a second emerald. "Tough bastard! His Soul Drive sword couldn't be stopped by anything as long as he stabbed with the tip. Chandra's fire finished him, though. He made her angry – bad idea on his part."
"So, what is next?" Viktor asked, hiding his elation at the Hunters' deaths.
"You wait," Sorin told him. "You kids used the last of your mana to defeat Delta. I can smell how low your mana reserves are! The tide of battle has turned. Just wait it out."
"Wait. That's it? We hang back and watch?" Viktor asked incredulously as Sorin turned to leave again. Viktor's friends moved up to join him.
Sorin turned back around. "Don't push it," he warned. "You've done enough. Us Planeswalkers are Elena's enemies too, remember? Save your strength for future confrontations. There will be later battles, and the strongest Hunter of them all, Alpha, still awaits, along with the slippery Kappa. Then there's Elena herself. Think of the future."
"All... all right," Viktor had to admit, knowing his place. He reflected on his team's performance here in Kamigawa, and decided that it was best to leave the rest to the Planeswalkers and Epsilon, just as Sorin suggested. He was not disappointed, either: the battle was a tough one, but with the deaths of Delta and Upsilon and the destruction of two of the huge Eldrazi, the battle's favor turned to the Azorius side. Slowly but surely, the motley Enslaved army was forced back, withering before the might of the remaining Azorius soldiers and their Planeswalker and Hunter superiors. Not even the remaining Eldrazi giants could halt their foes at this rate.
Viktor watches as the towering Reaper King bellowed a retreat signal to its beleaguered army, and the purple and black teleport portals of Elena's creation warped into existence. The Enslaved army retreated back into the portals, going to who knows where. All except the Reaper King: fed up with its presence, Epsilon got a boost from Sorin and leaped high into the air, his Freezing Attack Level 2 locking the towering Scarecrow general in place. With a mighty swing of his ivory sword, Epsilon relieved the Reaper King of its ragged, pumpkin-like head, allowing the body to collapse around the Enslaved creatures as they abandoned their general to get off of Kamigawa. At last, the final portal winked shut, and the last Enslaved creature was gone. Only thousands of bodies were left scattered across the Towabara Plain to commemorate what had happened.
"That's right, you runty chumps. Run!" Gerbie shouted after the last few Enslaved creatures as they retreated through the last portal, and Viktor and the others couldn't help but share his relief and humor.
"That was… close," Makoto commented, his eyes wide. He held up his Konda, Lord of Eiganjo card. "All this so I can get my Key Creature, too."
"It's the last free one," Ashley told him. "We captured Kelly's in Ravnica."
"Oh! Well, that explains it," Makoto mused, turning to look back at the Eiganjo Castle as the Planeswalkers approached. "How am I going to get it…?"
His question was answered when Konda himself came out of the Castle, walking toward his master. He motioned with his hands.
"Do you want to be taken into the card? So I can use you to fight Elena?" Makoto asked the wizened human lord, and Konda nodded, pointing at the card and then himself.
"I guess Key Creatures can't talk," Makoto noted as he absorbed Konda into his card, meaning that all five of them were back in the kids' control for the first time since their Lorwyn adventure. "So, Sorin! How was…"
"It was a good battle, and good to see the Defiled One's army routed," Sorin said heavily. "But what about this one? Epsilon, one of her best children?"
"I already said. I am on your side," Epsilon insisted, sheathing his ivory sword. "What could I gain from turning on you? I possess the powers of Gamma but could not destroy you all."
"You could be spying on us," Nissa accused.
"I help fight for you and this is how I'm treated?" Epsilon argued. He tapped his forehead emerald. "I am free of Elena's will! I hate her as much as the rest of you. I would have been Delta's partner otherwise, since Theta and Omega would have been with their master Alpha otherwise. And I made this Azorius army for the purpose of…"
"Purpose of?" Chandra challenged him.
"For creating my own establishment of power, to make one to rival Elena's," Epsilon admitted. "Beginning with Ravnica. However, the Enslavement process is happening too fast for that to work now. I can only use this army to help you fight Elena. Not for myself."
"I cannot trust the spawn of that Defiled One," Sorin muttered.
"S-Sorin… this isn't really the time to let our differences keep us apart," Ashley protested. "We're desperate, even though we have all five Key Creatures with us –"
"This man will not have my trust," Sorin bit back, stepping toward Ashley and pointing at Epsilon. "He is as tainted as the Defiled One is! I want him gone."
Viktor had had enough of Sorin and Nissa's attitude about Epsilon. There was too much to lose. "Well, if you won't work with him, I'll allow that," he told the vampire and elf Planeswalkers. "But I will work with him in the war against Elena, even if it's by myself. If you guys won't trust him, then he and I will fight Elena without you. You can sit back and let us do the hard work."
Sorin's jaw worked, then he burst out laughing. "You have nerve, I can say that," the vampire said with mirth, making Nissa raise her eyebrows. "Fine. You make a good point, I see. Those who won't cooperate with others aren't fit to fight against the Defiled One, huh? Very well. I will call Epsilon my brother in arms… at least until the Defiled One's blight is gone for good."
"And I… I must express the same," Nissa said reluctantly.
"I was going to fight with him anyway," Chandra put in.
Epsilon stepped forward, bowing his head. "Then may we spill Elena's dirty blood together," he told the Planeswalkers. "My Azorius army and my own powers will be there for you."
"Then that is that. Kamigawa bores me. Let's go somewhere fun and discuss our next move there," Sorin declared.
"No, we are going back to Bant, where the others will be waiting for us," Nissa argued in a final tone. "Bardon and Elspeth and King Teramont will certainly be awaiting our return."
"Yes, yes," Sorin gave up. "Sorry, Epsilon, but your flesh is still Elena's, even if your will isn't. There are barriers around Bant that would shun you if you tried to follow us."
"Then I'll garrison my troops in Ravnica to allow them to rest, then meet you elsewhere," Epsilon said. "Perhaps Dominaria, or at least a region of it that isn't Enslaved? The children will know where to find me to let me know when to meet you on Dominaria. My troopers will give them clearance."
"Fine with me," Viktor and Sorin agreed, and that was that.