0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weapon Change
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
When you think of cities in the Czech Republic, what city comes to mind? Prague, right? Unless you actually live in Eastern Europe, or are an expert in the culture of that region, you likely can't name any other Czech city. Prague isn't very big, as far as European cities go, with a population of just over a million, but the Czech Republic isn't very big either. Still, not everyone in the country lives in Prague. There are other cities.
Located about ninety kilometers west of Prague in western Bohemia is the small city of Plzeň. It's quite small, with a population of under two-hundred thousand. Probably the best thing that Plzeň has going for it is its brewery, which gave the name to a style of beer, the pale lager called Pilsener, arguably the world's most popular style.
And at nine AM local time, Hank had been ushered into a large trophy room in a luxurious mansion in the residential part of Plzeň, where he waited to meet its owner…
Hank was more than a little nervous.
The trophy room he was in was a practical museum. It contained large display cases containing weapons and full suits of armor, taken from various time periods of various cultures all over the world. Clearly, his host was a collector of weapons as well as a dealer of them.
But the displays weren't what was making him nervous. What was making him nervous was the sentry that he knew was just outside the door, that he had been led past. It was a sand golem, a seven-foot-tall magical construct made out of sand that had been made incredibly dense. It wasn't the strongest type of golem, but it was still strong enough to break a man in two if it was given the order to do so.
That's the way it was with mercane. Even the ones who might very well be capable in a fight didn't do so too often, leaving such matters either to bodyguards or magical guardians like that. What was the point of being rich if you didn't use your money to protect yourself? If you didn't, someone might try to take what was yours.
"Welcome, Mr. Richards," said a voice from the other side of the room.
Hank turned, and saw a tall man walk in, followed by a smaller sand golem, this one carrying a silver tea service. Mundane humans would see the man as a tall, balding gentleman in his mid-forties, wearing a velvet smoking jacket and gold-rimmed spectacles.
Hank, however, was Aware, and he could see that the man was clearly a mercane. As such, he was a tall, thin, lanky humanoid, completely hairless with midnight blue skin. He seemed androgynous, and his strangest feature was his long fingers, which each had one extra joint than was the norm for most humanoid life.
"Marcus Owlsley, I presume?" asked Hank.
"That would be me," said the mercane, pouring the tea. "I see you're enthralled by my collection of antique armaments. I'm quite proud of them myself… They took me over fifty years to collect…
"Take the one you were looking at when I came in; that suit is an Ottoman-Turkish set from the Sixteenth Century, worn by some palace guard, I believe…
"Oh, but where are my manners? Can I get you something? Coffee? Juice? A croissant?"
"I've eaten," replied Hank. "I see you use sand golems…"
Owlsley sipped his tea.
"Why not?" he said with a shrug. "They're very efficient servants. Practical, too. Sand is a cheap material… Since it's an Earth-based substance, it's easy to enchant… They're cheap to maintain, seeing as they don't eat, sleep, or need new clothes… And these golems are good at heavy lifting and can double as bodyguards. Even better, they don't mind working overtime."
"I'll bet they get sand all over the floor," replied Hank.
"I have a housecleaning service who doesn't ask questions," said Owlsley, putting the cup down. "So, how could a Shadowchaser need my services? You realize I not only deal in weapons, I research their creation.
"Hunting lycanthropes? I could construct bullets of a silver alloy that could be fired from the highest-caliber firearm…"
"Well, uh…" said Hank.
"Even better…" said Owlsley, "I could construct a high-pressure water gun, guaranteed to last a thousand times longer than any you'd find in any toy store…"
"For dealing with Shadows that are vulnerable to holy water, right?" asked Hank.
"Precisely," replied Owlsley. "I could build anything you need, for the right price…"
"Actually Owlsley," said Hank, "what I need from you is something that I believe you've already acquired… A Silver Hemisphere, a display stand for three swords covered with runes. Ring any bells?"
"Mmm," replied Owlsley, sipping his tea. "I'm afraid you came a little too late… A fellow in Neo Domino already inquired about that one… He's prepared to pay fifty-thousand Euros for it. And it was a price I was quite willing to agree to… A display stand isn't much use to me without the things it's supposed to display. Anyway, I can't simply break a deal with a customer once I've made it…"
"Let me guess," said Hank, "his name is Louis DaPen."
"I can't tell you who my customers are," replied Owlsley. "Merchant-client confidentiality, you know how it is."
"Well, let me tell you something," said Hank. "If it is indeed DaPen whom you've agreed to sell it to, you might be interested in knowing that he's an illithid."
Owlsley coughed, and spilled tea on his jacket. Apparently, that came as somewhat of a shock.
"I thought that might get your attention," said Hank. "I can't offer any concrete proof…"
Owlsley looked at him.
"You know…" said the mercane, putting his cup down again, "if you are telling the truth, and he is an illithid, it would explain a lot…"
"And you folks don't sell to illithids, I believe," said Hank.
"No, we don't," said Owlsley with a frown.
He poured a fresh cup.
"Seventy-five years ago in China," he continued, "one of my kin made a deal with a group of three illithids, to deliver a rare magical item called a Will of Demon, a potent amulet that could increase both intelligence and memory if the wearer didn't mind losing his morals. The mercane delivered, but the illithids would only pay half of the agreed-upon fee.
"Naturally, the mercane would not turn over the goods until full payment was made. And then the illithids murdered him and his entourage, and robbed his supplies. They thought that with no witnesses, they would get away with it."
"But they didn't know that when you harm a mercane," said Hank, "there are always witnesses. Some sort of racial telepathy, right?"
Owlsley nodded.
"What happens to one of my people is known to all of us," he replied. "We haven't dealt with illithids since."
"Well," said Hank, "I'm certain that Jalal would happily pay you just as much for it as DaPen was going to…"
"Hold on…" said Owlsley, interrupting. "I didn't become the biggest weapons supplier to Shadowkind by being stupid, Mr. Richards. If an illithid AND Jalal both want this item, it clearly has some deeper value…
"I'm going to need a payment more… meaningful than merely a monetary one…"
Hank rubbed his chin.
"Are you a gambling man, Owlsley?" he asked.
Then Owlsley actually laughed.
"Am I ever!" said the mercane with a laugh. "I've been a member of the Camelot Casino Club for the past twenty years. I'm such a high roller at Monte Carlo, they let me see the opera and ballet performances there for free. I win more playing poker in a month than the yearly salary of that housekeeper I told you about."
"Then what would you say to a wager?" asked Hank. "I assume you duel?"
"Of course I do," replied Owlsley, sipping his tea again. "When a duelist in a high place wants a custom-built Disk, they come to me. What, do you really think they make them themselves?"
Hank took his deck out of his Disk, and spread the cards out.
"Ah, is that the Hidden Treasure Deck I've heard so much about?" asked Owlsley.
"It's a powerful deck," replied Hank, "so long as you use it right. And I'll wager it for the Silver Hemisphere."
"I might be inclined to agree to that," replied Owlsley. "However, I have a small policy regarding contests with wagers. I don't believe you should be allowed to use the wagered goods in the actual contest."
Hank looked at him.
Then he opened his jacket, underneath which was a vest that contained holders holding three decks, and an empty holder.
"My word," said Owlsley. "Seems that someone, like the Boy Scouts, is always prepared…"
Hank put the Hidden Treasure Deck in the empty holder, and took another deck.
"Well then…" said Owlsley, "in that case, it's a bet… But we can't exactly duel in here… Too many fragile things. Why don't we go out on the patio?"
He set the teacup on the golem's tray, and motioned for Hank to follow him.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Back in his manor house, in his private study, Jalal opened the book he had gotten from the Black Library. It was an old, thick, leather-bound book called Ilsensine's Tome.
No-one really knew just who or what Illsensine was, but it was a name that came up a lot when the history of the illithids was looked into. Some thought it might be an entity that the illithids worshipped, or at least did at one time, although that was a stretch. Most illithids didn't worship anything; their great egos led them to believe that they were the most powerful beings in the cosmos, and worshipping gods was contradictory to that belief.
The book's author was uncredited, as were many of the books found in the Black Library. Most of the works there were written via the collective efforts of several researchers who had lived a long time ago.
Jalal started to read. The first chapter quickly got into the heart of the matter, with a page-turning story that seemed too bizarre to believe:
Among all races and cultures, from elves, to humans, to orcs, there are legends that tell of their origins. All races have myths, stories, and tales that tell about how their respective peoples came to be. It is part of the nature of mortals. When comparing the origin myth of one race to that of another, inconsistencies and contradictions are commonplace. If one believes the myth that one race says is responsible for their creation, the myths of several others make little sense. This does not mean that some or all of these myths are untrue or fanciful. To the races that they pertain to, they are true, so long as they are believed. Thus, like any good myth, the following story can be considered true, regardless of whether or not it actually happened.
Countless millennia ago, the first illithids arrived in the known universe through portals leading from the Dimension of Madness. Unable to go back, and eager to stake a claim for themselves in this new reality, they started to expand, with the goal to build an empire by enslaving sentient creatures. They succeeded, and soon, their worlds-spanning empire became one of the greatest ever seen in the cosmos.
As their power grew, both in the form of their mental powers and the manpower of thousands of slaves, the illithids commanded might that only the gods could previously harness. Able to create whole worlds from artificial material, they built many to expand their tentacles into the vast beyond. One such world was their capital, the dark planet Penumbria, built around a cold star. So powerful was this dark kingdom that briefly, the Blood War paused, as the demons and devils considered an alliance to deal with the threat posed by the illithids.
But this dark empire would not last, for this display of might would be their undoing. In order to create worlds, even artificial ones, the illithids were forced to tap into a mighty source of power that few dared to delve into. Most sages call this energy source the Power Primordial.
The Power Primordial is a mysterious force of energy, believed to be the remnants of the cataclysmic event that created the universe at the beginning of time. These primordial energies still linger in places throughout the universe, and can be tapped by those who know where to look. Contained within the Power Primordial is the energy needed to create worlds, and any planetary body requires it to support life. If any creature was truly able to master the Power Primordial, he could become capable of almost any feat imaginable, gaining godlike power.
But in their hubris, the illithids considered the Power Primordial to be nothing more than a useful tool, a type of mortar and brick for their incredible construction projects. Over time, their principle slave race (known today as simply the "forerunner race") who were driven to build their grand cities and landscapes, were exposed to the powerful energy in bits and pieces. Slowly, they recognized the might of the Power Primordial, and used it to develop a resistance to the mental powers of their masters.
Led by the warrior Gith, the race revolted. The rebellion started small, but soon grew. Robbed of their most potent weapon, the illithids stood no chance. The rebellion expanded, and spread to every illithid world. Illithids were slain by the thousands, and their empire collapsed, their grand cities falling into flaming ruin.
But the illithids were saved from extinction by an unexpected development. Gith was betrayed by one of her own generals, Zerthimon, who felt she had become tyrannical and power-hungry. A civil war erupted among the race, as it split into two factions that would become two offshoots of that forerunner race:
The ones loyal to Gith, the githyanki… And the ones who chose to follow Zerthimon, the githzerai. This disruption allowed the surviving illithids to retreat to underground strongholds, where they still dwell.
Even as this happened, the war between the two offshoots raged on. Finally, in one great battle that encompassed all of Penumbria, the energies unleashed by the two factions tore the world apart. Needing to relocate, the githyanki fled to the Astral, where they settled on the floating islands that were all that remained of deceased entities who once called themselves gods. The githzerai arrived in the ever-shifting chaos of Limbo, where they learned to shape the pure chaos into orderly forms, and develop settlements of their own.
Since those ancient times, githyanki and githzerai have grown numerous, their races growing stronger. They still despise one another, and skirmishes between the two are common. But both of them have not forgotten their enslavement, and will mercilessly kill any illithid they find.
"Hmm!" said Jalal, as he finished reading this passage.
He had lived for a very long time, and he was open-minded about most things. But he had serious doubts about the authenticity of this story. After all, he had been alive for over a thousand years, and seen literally hundreds of different races of Shadowkind. If these "githyanki" and "githzerai" had ever come to Earth, they couldn't have stayed hidden from him forever. And it would have been hard to believe that they had never come to Earth if they were indeed real. The mysterious hand that grabbed Shadowkind from the other world didn't seem to exclude anyone…
Even if these two races were safe on the Astral and in Limbo, he knew about the races of those two dimensions. Nothing ever mentioned these two.
The story was likely only a parable…
"Unless…" muttered Jalal.
He rubbed his chin.
"Unless the githyanki and githzerai were wiped out ages ago by something else…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"Nice place…" said Hank.
The patio, as Owlsley had called it, was a beautiful garden full of flower beds, carefully manicured shrubs, and topiary statues around the perimeter. On one end was a fountain with a marble statue built as a reproduction of the Venus de Milo.
"Quite right," said Owlsley. "And quite the nice place for a duel, wouldn't you say?"
He held up his left arm, and activated his Disk. Hank's eyes opened wide in surprise. It looked just like one of the Chaos Disks used by the minions of the Orichalcos so many years ago.
Owlsley answered his question before he could ask it.
"No, it isn't authentic," he replied. "Just something I had made for shock value… Intimidation is a big part of dueling, as you no doubt know."
"I call it bad taste," said Hank.
He activated his own Disk.
(Hank: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Owlsley: 8,000)
"I draw!" exclaimed Hank, drawing his first card.
He looked over the six cards in his hand, and chose one. He quickly set it on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.
"And I think I'll leave it at that."
"Playing conservatively, I see," said Owlsley, drawing a card.
"I summon my Cannon Soldier."
He played a card, and a popular Machine materialized in front of him. Unlike the Toon version that Ember had used, this was the real thing, and looked nasty and lethal. (1,400 ATK)
"Attack his Monster!" commanded Owlsley.
Cannon Soldier's barrel glowed. Hank's Monster appeared on the card; it looked like a stone statue of a dinosaur, sitting upright, crouching in Defense Mode.
Cannon Soldier fired a bolt of plasma, and the stone Dinosaur was blown to pieces.
Not bad, thought Hank. But while you may have taken it out now, in a few rounds, you'll see what it can really do…
"I set one card, and end my turn," said Owlsley.
A facedown card appeared behind Cannon Soldier.
Hank drew a card and looked at it. It was a Spell Card called Distrain Card.
Not the right time for this, he thought.
He took another card from his hand.
"I play Miracle Rupture," he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.
"First, I take a Rock-Type Monster from my deck, and send it to the Graveyard…"
He chose a card from his deck, and then discarded it.
"Next, I reshuffle…"
He shuffled his deck.
"And then make one draw."
He drew one card.
He played another Spell Card.
"Then, I play Silent Doom. I'm gonna bring back the Monster I just tossed. Giant Soldier of Stone."
A very large Monster appeared on his side of the field. It was one of the oldest Rock-Type Monsters, and one that had gained some degree of fame by being part of the original deck of the King of Games; a hulking stone fighter with two stone swords on its back. (2,000 DEF)
"Then I set another Monster…"
A set Monster appeared.
"And I end my turn."
"Tell me," said Owlsley, with a grin, as he made a draw, "do all of your decks try to win without attacking?
"I sacrifice Cannon Soldier…"
The Machine vanished into pixels.
"…for an upgrade… I summon the Cannon Soldier MK-2!"
A new Machine appeared where Cannon Soldier had been. It looked like Cannon Soldier at first glance, but stood head-and-shoulders above the original version, had two cannons, mounted on its shoulders, and was far more high-tech in appearance. (1,900 ATK)
"Monsters like this give me inspiration," he said. "Inspiration to build new things, things that folks with big wallets will gladly shell out lots of money for."
He chuckled.
"Attack his facedown Monster!" he ordered. "Plasma cannon!"
The Machine fired its twin cannons at the facedown Monster…
However, Stone Statue of the Aztecs appeared on the card, and blocked the blow. (2,000 DEF)
"Ah-ha!" laughed Hank. "That's too tough a nut for your Cannon to crack. And due to its effect, the damage you receive is doubled!"
"No big deal," said Owlsley. "I end my turn."
(H: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,800)
Hank made a draw.
"I summon Weathering Soldier!" he exclaimed.
He played a card, and a new Rock Monster appeared. This one looked like a headless, humanoid brute, with thick arms. (2,000 ATK)
"So, you do have a few Monsters that can attack," said Owlsley, raising an eyebrow.
"That's right!" said Hank. "Weathering Soldier, blow that Cannon Soldier away! Wind slash attack!"
Weathering Soldier leapt up into the air, and aimed a punch at the large Machine…
"Not so fast!" shouted Owlsley. "I activate Negate Attack!"
Weathering Soldier's fist slammed into an invisible shield. Hank frowned.
"Right then…" he said. "I'll play a facedown…"
A facedown card appeared.
"…and then I end my turn… Which means I have to reduce Weathering Soldier's Attack Score by 600 points."
Weathering Soldier glowed with green energy. (1,400 ATK)
"My move," said Owlsley, drawing a card.
"I play the Spell Card, Stray Lambs," he said, playing a card.
Two little Lamb Tokens appeared on his side of the field. (0 DEF x2)
"You see, like the original Cannon Soldier, the MK-2 version lets me sacrifice Monsters to inflict direct damage. However, with this upgraded version, I can inflict 1,500 points of damage in one blast. The catch is, I have to sacrifice two Monsters at once to do so.
"So, I'll sacrifice my two Lamb Tokens…"
The two Tokens vanished in a wave of energy, as Cannon Soldier MK-2 absorbed them…
"FIRE!" shouted Owlsley.
The Machine blasted its cannons, striking Hank. He groaned, and held his chest.
"Now I can use its regular attack," said Owlsley. "Attack Weathering Soldier!"
The Machine's cannons glowed again.
"I activate… Staunch Defender!" shouted Hank, as his facedown card flipped up. "Now, your MK-2 has no choice but to attack my Stone Statue of the Aztecs again!"
Cannon Soldier MK-2 fired, hitting the Stone Statue again, but it didn't crack.
"Fine…" said Owlsley. "Your Weathering Soldier is hardly a threat to me now. I set one card, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
(H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,600)
Hank drew a card. Then he quickly played it.
"I play Forbidden Chalice!" he exclaimed. "Now, I chose one Monster on the field, and that Monster gains 400 Attack Points, and loses its Effect until the End Phase.
"I choose my Weathering Soldier."
"Wait…" said Owlsley. "If it loses its effect…"
"That's right," said Hank. "It's Attack Score goes back to its base score. Plus, it gains 400 more."
Weathering Soldier glowed with golden light. (2,400 ATK)
"Now, let's try this again!" shouted Hank.
Weathering Soldier leapt up, and socked Cannon Soldier MK-2. The Machine sparked and exploded.
"And my turn is over," said Hank. "Unfortunately, that means that the effect of Forbidden Chalice wears off, which means that Weathering Soldier loses the 400 Attack Points it gained. Plus, it gains its effect back, so it loses 600 again."
Weathering Soldier fell to an Attack Score of 1,400 again.
And that's just what I need to summon something better than that Cannon, thought Owlsley.
(H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,100)
Owlsley drew one card. Then his facedown card lifted up.
"I activate Labyrinth of Nightmare," he said. "It works as follows. At every turn's End Phase, all Monsters that are in Attack Mode on the turn player's side of the field move to Defense Mode, and vice versa.
"Now, I'll summon Giant Rat."
He played the card, and the huge rodent appeared. (1,400 ATK)
"Attack Weathering Soldier!" he shouted.
Hank's eyes opened as Giant Rat charged at the Rock Monster. Both Monsters threw punches at each other, and both of them were blown to pieces.
"It was a draw," said Hank.
"But I'm sure you know about Giant Rat's effect," replied Owlsley. "I get to Special Summon an Earth Monster with a low Attack Score.
"And the one I want to summon couldn't be lower. I summon Castle Gate!"
With a rumble, a titanic form rose behind Owlsley, standing over twenty feet high. As its name suggested, it looked like a large castle gate, with a huge door on its front, a head that was shaped like a tower, and two huge arms shaped like parapets. (0 ATK)
"Quite impressive…" muttered Hank.
"It may have zero Attack Points," said Owlsley, "but on the plus side, it can't be destroyed via battle. "I end my turn, which means Labyrinth of Nightmare's effect kicks in."
Castle Gate shielded itself with its arms. (2,400 DEF)
"My move…" said Hank, as he drew a card and looked up at the huge Monster.
He looked at the card he had drawn.
"I set one Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared, "and then move my other two Monsters to Attack Mode."
Giant Soldier of Stone stood up in Attack Mode (1,300 ATK) and Stone Statue of the Aztecs did the same. (300 ATK)
"Then I end my turn."
Labyrinth of Nightmare glowed, and both Stone Statue of the Aztecs and Giant Soldier of Stone moved back to Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF x2)
"Well, I see you're very smart," said Owlsley with a chuckle. "We'll see if it's enough…"
He made a draw.
"I summon Dark Elf," he said.
He played a card, and a tall, beautiful female elf in a black robe with dark hair, wearing a tiara appeared. (2,000 ATK)
"You sure you want to use her?" asked Hank. "You do know that attacking with her costs 1,000 Life Points, right?"
"I'm not going to attack with her," replied Owlsley. "I'm going to use her to use Castle Gate's effect, once I switch it to Attack Mode."
Castle Gate unshielded itself. (0 ATK)
"You see, so long as Castle Gate is in Attack Mode, I can sacrifice a Monster once per turn, to deal damage equal to half the Monster's original Attack Score."
Dark Elf vanished, and Castle Gate pointed its arms.
"Go! Castle cannons!"
Castle Gate fired a mighty blast, knocking Hank over.
"Ergh…" muttered Hank. "I'm starting to see the picture, Owlsley… Half the Monsters in your deck are meant to be used as ammunition for the other half!"
"I do what I have to," said Owlsley. "I set one card facedown, and end my turn, which means my Trap Card activates again."
A facedown card appeared, and Castle Gate reverted to Defense Mode once more. (2,400 DEF)
(H: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,100)
Hank grunted as he drew a card.
"First I move Stone Statue of the Aztecs into Attack Mode again," he said.
The Stone Statue stood up. (300 ATK)
"Then I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode as well… Reveal… Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo!"
His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a fossilized dinosaur skeleton with a large, thick cranium, standing upright. (1,200 ATK)
"By Flip-Summoning this guy, all Monsters on the field that were Special Summoned are destroyed."
"Eh?" said Owlsley.
The Fossil glowed, and then both Giant Soldier of Stone and Castle Gate shattered into shards of rock.
"Blast…" muttered Owlsley.
"That's not all," continued Hank. "So long as it's on the field, neither of us are allowed to Special Summon.
"And now it attacks you directly!"
Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo made a dash at Owlsley, head first…
"I was hoping to save this for a stronger Monster," said Owlsley, as his facedown card flipped up, "but no matter… Go, Draining Shield!"
A barrier of force surrounded Owlsley, and the fossilized dinosaur rammed into it.
Hank frowned and pointed. Stone Statue of the Aztecs lumbered up and butted its head into Owlsley.
"That's all for me," said Hank. "So your Trap Card activates again."
Stone Statue Shielded itself again. (2,000 DEF) Pachycephalo knelt and crossed its arms. (1,300 DEF)
(H: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,000)
"My move," said Owlsley, drawing a card.
He looked at the card he drew, which was Mass Driver. Then he looked at the other three cards in his hand.
"I play Magic Planter," he said, as a new Spell Card appeared. "Now, I just have to sacrifice a Continuous Trap Card, and then I get to draw two cards. So, I'll sacrifice Labyrinth of Nightmare."
The Labyrinth card disintegrated, and he made two draws. He looked at them.
"Next, I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf."
He played the card, and the four-armed, tattooed lycanthrope appeared. (2,000 ATK)
"Another Monster that you use for cannon fodder?" asked Hank.
"Sometimes," said Owlsley. "But he's also a pretty good fighter on his own.
"Attack Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo!"
The Warwolf growled, and lunged at the Rock, making a swipe with all four claws, blasting it to rubble.
"I'll set two more cards facedown," said Owlsley, as a facedown card appeared, "and then I'll call it a turn."
Hank quickly made a draw.
How many Trap Cards does this guy have? he thought. Well, this will teach him…
He took a card from his hand.
"I play Distrain Card!" he shouted.
Then, a sharp, purple, shard of a gemstone fell from the sky, and impaled one of Owlsley's two facedown cards.
"Eh?" said Owlsley.
"Now, you can't use that one this turn," said Hank, with a grin. "And if you try to use the other one this turn, it will cost you 800 Life Points!"
"Ergh…" muttered Owlsley.
"Now, I play Card Destruction," he said, playing another Spell Card. "Now, we have to ditch the cards in our hands and draw new ones."
Both of them discarded the cards they had, Hank discarding three, and Owlsley two, making new draws. Owlsley looked at them, keeping a poker face.
"Tell me something, Owlsley…" said Hank. "You've been in this world a long time… You ever hear of a theory called the Gaia Principle?"
"Rings a bell somewhere," said Owlsley, with a frown.
"Well, Owlsley," explained Hank. "Some philosophers think that the Earth, as in the planet, is a living thing. That it is as much a living creature as the two of us are. The planet is, in effect, a living body. That is the Gaia Principle, which they named after the mythical goddess of the Earth.
"Every part of the Earth functions in a way that a part of any living organism functions. So, if we are to believe this, we could say that mountain ranges are its skeleton… And that oceans and rivers are its circulatory system…"
"Quite interesting…" said Owlsley, raising an eyebrow. "And just where do humans and Shadowkind fit in this giant living organism?"
"Well, that depends on what your point of view is," replied Hank. "An optimist would say that we are like the benign bacteria that helps the body digest food.
"But pessimists think differently. They might say that we are actually viruses who threaten to destroy the body. They might even say that our cities are tumors that give the Earth pain."
"And is this theory of yours leading somewhere?" asked Owlsley.
Hank grinned.
"I'm going to provide proof!" he shouted, playing a card. "First, Monster Reborn!"
He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared. Giant Soldier of Stone materialized. (1,300 ATK)
"Now, I sacrifice both my Monsters…"
Giant Soldier of Stone and Stone Statue of the Aztecs vanished, and a great rumbling shook the whole patio…
"…to summon the very avatar of the living Earth… I summon Earth Giant Gaia Plate!"
With a mighty roar, a true titan rose behind Hank, a giant made entirely out of stone. It was twenty feet tall, faceless, and had thick limbs, and huge fists. It raised its arms to the heavens and let out a bellow that sounded like an earthquake. (2,800 ATK)
"My word…" said Owlsley.
Gene-Warped Warwolf whimpered in fear…
"I'm not done," continued Hank. "Do you remember the first Monster you destroyed in this duel?"
"Uhm, yeah…" muttered Owlsley. "It was a… a…"
"It was called a Carboneddon," replied Hank. "A Monster made entirely of raw carbon. It's now lying at the very bottom of my Graveyard, with twelve cards on top of it…
"And do you know what happens when carbon is exposed to incredible pressure?"
"It turns into diamonds?" asked Owlsley.
"That's right," said Hank, "enabling it to transform into a Monster of pure diamond…
"I Special Summon Hyozanryu!"
In a great blast of energy, another large Monster appeared. It was clearly a Dragon, and like Hank had said, it was made entirely out of diamond crystal, its scales glimmering in the morning light. It had a long horn on its nose, and two on the back of its head. (2,100 ATK)
"Time to take you out!" shouted Hank. "My Earth Giant attacks Gene-Warped Warwolf… And due to its effect, any Monster that battles it has its Attack Score cut in half!
"Attack! Earth-shattering fist!"
Gaia threw its mighty fist forward, and the Warwolf's Attack Score fell to 1,000. Owlsley braced himself as the Beast-Warrior was smashed flat.
"And I'm not done!" continued Hank. "Hyozanryu, attack directly! Diamond devastation!"
The Diamond Dragon breathed a cone of sharp diamond crystals at the mercane. He grunted, and then fell on his seat.
(H: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,100)
Owlsley chuckled for a few seconds before he got up.
"I see you are truly a force to be reckoned with, Mr. Richards…" he said.
He drew a card.
"And you clearly want that Silver Hemisphere quite badly… I know now that it's worth a fortune… I can't let you win this duel now…
"Your turn is over, so the effects of your Distrain Card wear off…"
The gem shard impaling the card vanished. Then the facedown card flipped up.
"I activate my own Earth-shattering card… It's called Earthshaker.
"I'll explain. I name two Attributes. Then you choose one. All Monsters on the field that are the Attribute you choose are then wiped out.
"I name Earth and Light."
"Which one do you think?" asked Hank. "I choose Light."
Hyozanryu roared, and then shattered into pixels.
"I was hoping you'd choose that one," replied Owlsley, as his other facedown card lifted up. "Next, I chain-activate Emergency Provisions."
The Earthshaker card faded away, and he glowed with energy.
Owlsley took the last two cards in his hand.
"Next, I summon a second Dark Elf…"
Another Dark Elf appeared. (2,000 ATK)
"Then, I play the Spell Card, Creature Swap!"
Why, you dirty… thought Hank.
The Spell Card appeared, and both Monsters switched places on the field.
"Always find ways to turn a negative into a positive," said Owlsley. "That's one motto we mercane always live by.
"Attack!"
Earth Giant Gaia Plate loomed over the field, and Dark Elf fell to an Attack Score of 1,000. It threw its mighty fist forward, squashing her flat. Hank was knocked over by the impact.
"Now that that's done," said Owlsley, playing his last card, "I'll set this, and then you go…"
A reversed card appeared.
(H: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,100)
Hank made a draw.
He quickly set a card, and a reversed Monster appeared.
"That's it," he said.
Owlsley made a draw.
"I should mention," said Hank, "Gaia has a little condition you should know about. If you want to keep it, you have to remove from play a Rock Monster in your Graveyard every one of your Standby Phases."
"I see…" said Owlsley. "Well then, it's a good thing I have one…"
Castle Gate fell out of his discard slot.
"Attack his Monster!" he commanded.
Gaia's hand fell towards the facedown Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was crushed into dust.
They both quickly discarded the last card they each had, and made five draws apiece.
Then Owlsley's poker face quickly vanished. He had clearly made a good draw, and wasn't afraid to show it.
I don't like this, thought Hank.
Owlsley quickly played a Spell Card.
"This is one my most powerful cards," he said. "But see for yourself… I play Linear Accelerator Cannon!"
A huge weapon appeared behind Owlsley. It was a space-age cannon, the size of a large bus.
Earth Giant Gaia Plate dissolved into pure energy, and the Cannon started to glow…
"What's happening?" asked Hank.
"This Spell Card lets me sacrifice a Monster," replied Owlsley, "and inflict damage equal to the base Attack Score of that Monster."
Hank mouthed a brief cuss word as the cannon glowed more intensely…
Then it fired, letting loose a blast of super-intense plasma, engulfing Hank and throwing him back ten feet.
(H: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,100)
Hank slowly sat up. Smoke poured from his clothes and hair. His hat had been knocked off; he slowly reached for it.
"Unfortunately," said Owlsley, "since I used that card, I can't play any other Spell Cards this turn. So I'll set a Monster, and end my turn."
Hank barely heard him – his ears were ringing. He slowly got up as a reversed Monster appeared in front of Owlsley.
He slowly made a draw, and looked at the six cards he had, courtesy of the Morphing Jar.
I've almost got all I need to summon something good, he thought. I just need a little unintended cooperation from Owlsley…
"I play a facedown," he said, "and then summon a second Weathering Soldier."
A reversed card appeared, and then another Weathering Soldier materialized. (2,000 ATK)
"Get his Monster!"
Weathering Soldier leapt at the facedown Monster. A second Cannon Soldier appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.
"It's your move…"
Weathering Soldier fell to an Attack Score of 1,400.
Owlsley quickly drew a card.
"I play Monster Reborn," he said.
He played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared. Cannon Soldier appeared again.
Then his facedown card flipped up.
"Next, I activate Inferno Reckless Summon. I'll summon my other two Cannon Soldiers."
Two more Cannon Soldiers appeared. (1,400 ATX x3)
Hank's first Weathering Soldier appeared next to the other one. (2,000 ATK)
"You asked me if I was a gambling man, Mr. Richards…" said Owlsley. "Well, I am one enough to know that three of a kind beats a pair. And now it's time to say all in…"
"But I have a wild card," replied Hank.
His facedown card shot up.
"I activate Hallowed Life Barrier!" he shouted. "Now, I just have to toss one card…"
He discarded a card.
"…and my Life Points can't be touched this round. So I'm safe from your Cannon Soldiers."
"This is annoying…" muttered Owlsley, playing a Spell Card. "Still my turn… I play Enemy Controller."
The large video game control pad appeared over the field, and the Weathering Soldier with 1,400 Attack Points knelt and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)
Owlsley pointed, and one of the three Cannon Soldiers fired. The Weathering Soldier that had changed positions was blown to shards.
"Next," said Owlsley, playing a new Spell Card, "I play Shrink."
The other Weathering Soldier shrank to half its size. (1,000 ATK)
Owlsley pointed again, and a second Soldier fired, blowing the second Weathering Soldier away.
"And with that, I end my turn," said Owlsley. "So, what are you going to pull out of that deck next?"
Hank drew a card.
"I'll show you…" he said with a grin.
He played a Spell Card, and it glowed with eldritch energy.
"I play Fossil Fusion!"
"Huh?" said Owlsley.
Then Weathering Soldier appeared on Hank's side of the field, and Cannon Soldier MK-2 appeared on Owlsley's.
"This Spell Card let's me fuse together one Monster in my Graveyard with one in yours," explained Hank, "forming a truly colossal fossil!"
The two Monsters vanished into grains of light.
"I summon Fossil Machine Skullwagon!"
An odd Monster materialized. It looked like a small semi-truck, made out of stone with a skeletal framework, with glaring headlights that looked like eyes. (1,700 ATK)
"That doesn't seem too impressive…" muttered Owlsley.
"Just wait…" replied Hank, playing another Spell Card. "I play… Time Stream!"
Then all of reality seemed to come apart. The courtyard was transformed into a chaotic void. Clocks, hourglasses, and other timepieces spun in a maelstrom of energy that seemed to be formed around the Monster that Hank had just summoned.
"What's going on?" shouted Owlsley.
"Time Stream costs me half my Life Points," replied Hank, "but it's worth it, because it tears a hole in the very fabric of time, opening a portal from the Mesozoic Era to the Paleozoic, allowing me to devolve my Monster."
"Devolve it?" said Owlsley. "Into what?"
"Into something stronger," replied Hank, as the storm started to subside. "Meet the true king of the road… Fossil Machine Skullconvoy!"
Now in place of Skullwagon was another truck made of stone and fossilized bone, but one twice the size. It was vaguely shaped like an armored, herbivorous dinosaur on wheels, the size of a big rig. (2,100 ATK)
"And this means trouble for your Monsters," said Hank, "because Skullconvoy can attack all three of them in one turn."
"It can?" shouted Owlsley.
"Skullconvoy…" ordered Hank, "mow those Cannon Soldiers down!"
Skullconvoy's engines roared, and it sped forward, smashing into the first Cannon Soldier, and blowing it to scrap. But it didn't stop there, running down the second and then the third, blasting them into rubble. Owlsley cringed.
(H: 450) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,000)
"Ergh…" muttered Owlsley. "This isn't over, Mr. Richards… I still have 3,000 Life Points…"
"Afraid it is, and you don't," replied Hank. "Skullconvoy has another effect. You lose 1,000 points of damage for each Monster it smashes."
Then Owlsley froze as a shadow fell over him. He looked up…
Then he screamed as broken parts of Cannon Soldiers rained down on him, and he fell over.
(H: 450) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 0)
Hank deactivated his Duel Disk, and Fossil Machine Skullconvoy disappeared. Owlsley sighed, and got up. He took out a pocket handkerchief and mopped his brow.
"I'll call someone and have him bring the Silver Hemisphere," he said, coldly.
Hank nodded. He watched Owlsley walk into the house. He knew he likely would only see servants until he got the Silver Hemisphere. But he knew he'd get it.
He knew that losing had been a serious blow to Owlsley's pride. But he also knew that mercane always kept their word. They may have been mercenaries to the core, but if they ever became known for breaking it… Well, that would be bad for business.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
One hour later, in the townhouse in Neo Domino…
Gears came upstairs from the basement.
"Well, people, the Sword of Midnight is in the back of the vault," he said. "DaPen will have to get past us now if he wants it."
"Good to hear," said Shichiro.
Then his cell phone rang. He quickly answered it.
"Yeah?" he said "Hank?"
He listened.
"Okay, great Hank…" he said. "Listen… It's too risky to rely on any regular mail service… Do you think you can send it using Stamps of Delivery?
"Yeah, I know, but I'm sure Jalal will foot the bill.
"Okay, bye…"
"Stamps of Delivery?" asked Ember, who had been listening.
"Magical stamps that provide the best in mail delivery," said Shichiro. "You address a package, put the right amount of these stamps on it, and the package is teleported to the mailbox of the address, instantly."
"Unfortunately," said Jinx, "they're incredibly expensive, and they're postmarked after use, so they can only be used once. Human wizards don't make them… Some people think that they're made by some extra-planar delivery service, who just distributes them to mortals."
"Where can you get them?" asked Ember, raising an eyebrow.
"Pretty much any post office where at least one employee is a Shadowkind," replied Gears. "And there are more than you think."
As Ember was thinking of a possible safe and fast way to send a birthday present to her grandmother next month, who lived in the States, there was a frantic knock on the door.
Shichiro went up and looked through the window.
"Ah, it's only Ooka," he said opening it.
As he did so, a very frightened kobold rushed in, gasping for breath. He was holding a Duel Disk, and looked like he had run a long distance.
"Ooka!" exclaimed Shichiro. "Are you alright?"
"I think so…" gasped the kobold. "I don't think he followed me…"
"Don't think who followed you?" asked Gears.
"Mukuro Enjo!" shouted the kobold. "He showed up at Kaibaland… Started challenging every Shadowkind there with a Duel Disk, didn't give us much choice in the matter, and beat the crud out of anyone who accepted. He's gone loony!"
"Mukuro?" asked Jinx. "He never really struck me as the most stable person to begin with… But he isn't Aware…"
"Maybe he just became Aware," said Gears. "And maybe he's become afflicted with Awareness Madness."
"Huh?" said Ember.
"It happens sometimes," said Gears. "Sometimes a Mundane becomes Aware, his eyes open to the truth, and his mind can't handle the new things he sees. He snaps, and becomes dangerous."
"You did the right thing telling us," said Shichiro to Ooka. "I'll go check him out…"
"Uh, actually, Shichiro," said Jinx, "I think I can handle this…
"Ember… You come with me…"
"You two sure?" asked Shichiro.
"Positive," said Jinx, reaching for her helmet.
I didn't realize it at this point, but in less than an hour, a test would start that would test me more than I had been tested to date. Up until now, I had used my inspiration and knowledge to pass the trials that had been set before me. Now, I would have to use my wits, and my faith in what I already had. My next opponent would not be a pushover… And as much as I didn't like it, I knew that it would only get harder from this point on.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CARBONEDDON (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Dinosaur/Effect
Attribute:
Earth
Level:
3
ATK:
900
DEF:
600
Card Description: If this card is in your Graveyard, with at least 10 cards on top of it, you may remove it from play to Special Summon 1 "Hyozanryu" from your hand or deck.
Note: "Carboneddon" was first used by Misawa in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel-Off". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WEATHERING SOLDIER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Rock/Effect
Attribute:
Earth
Level:
4
ATK:
2,000
DEF:
1,200
Card Description: During each of your End Phases, decrease the ATK of this card by 600.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FOSSIL MACHINE SKULLWAGON (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Rock/Fusion/Effect
Attribute:
Earth
Level:
6
ATK:
1,700
DEF:
1,400
Card Description: 1 Rock-Type Monster in your Graveyard + 1 Machine-Type Monster in your opponent's Graveyard that is Level 5 or 6
This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Fossil Fusion".
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FOSSIL MACHINE SKULLCONVOY (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Rock/Fusion/Effect
Attribute:
Earth
Level:
8
ATK:
2,100
DEF:
1,400
Card Description: 1 Rock-Type Monster in your Graveyard + 1 Machine-Type Monster in your opponent's Graveyard that is Level 7 or higher.
This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Fossil Fusion". This card can attack up to 3 Monsters in 1 Battle Phase. This card cannot attack directly after attacking any Monsters. If this card destroys a Monster and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict 1,000 points of damage to your opponent.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MIRACLE RUPTURE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Giant Soldier of Stone behind a shining light.
Card Description: Select 1 Rock Monster in your deck and send it to the Graveyard. Then, shuffle your deck, and draw 1 card.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FOSSIL FUSION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Similar to "Polymerization", with dinosaur skeletons replacing the two dragons.
Card Description: Select 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck that includes the word "Fossil" in its name. Remove from play from your Graveyard and your opponent's Graveyard the Fusion Material Monsters listed on that Fusion Monster to summon the Fusion Monster. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TIME STREAM (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A roaring dinosaur in front of a city awash with eerie energy.
Card Description: Pay half your Life Points to activate this card. Return a Fusion Monster you control with the word "Fossil" in its name that is Level 4 or 6 to your Extra Deck, and Special Summon from your Extra Deck a Fusion Monster with the word "Fossil" in its name that requires the same Type(s) of Monsters as Fusion Material Monsters. The Special Summoned Monster must be 2 Levels higher than the one returned to your Extra Deck.
Note: The proceeding six cards were all used by Jim at various times in the third season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of each episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DISTRAIN CARD (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Three reversed Trap Cards, the center one impaled by a shard of purple crystal.
Card Description: You may activate this card when your opponent has two or more facedown Spell and/or Trap Cards. Select one facedown Spell or Trap Card controlled by your opponent. Your opponent cannot activate that Spell or Trap Card in response to this card's activation, and cannot activate it this round. If your opponent activates another set Spell or Trap card this round, he takes 800 points of damage.
Note: "Distrain Card" was first used by Jeager in a second season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
EARTH GIANT GAIA PLATE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Rock/Effect
Attribute:
Earth
Level:
8
ATK:
2,800
DEF:
1,000
Card Description: This card may be Special Summoned by removing two Rock-Type Monsters in your Graveyard from play. The ATK and DEF of a Monster that battles this card are halved. During your Standby Phase, remove from play one Rock-Type Monster in your Graveyard. If you do not, this card is destroyed.
Note: "Earth Giant Gaia Plate" is a Japanese card that has not been released in the United States.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The two races mentioned in this chapter, githyanki and githzerai, are both registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc, and are not included under its Open Gaming License. Both first appeared in the first edition of Fiend Folio, published in 1981.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
Jinx believes that Mukuro's rampage is a sign that Ember's opponent for the Rivalry of Warlords test has been chosen, and directs her towards the former champion. Does Ember possibly stand a chance against someone who has gone toe-to-toe with no less than two of the Signers?? Ember's true test of faith begins, as a duel of Fire against Fire starts. "Flame Champion" is coming soon.
