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DUEL THIRTY-EIGHT
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A Feather of the Phoenix
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Ember entered another room that seemed to be, in most aspects, identical to the first. The only difference she could see was that there was only one marut guarding the exit.
The marut pulled a switch, and steam shot out of the chamber where the checkpoint's guard was held in suspended animation. Slowly, it opened.
A humanoid figure stumbled out, clutching his head. Ember might have mistaken him for an elf at first, but his ears were even longer, and he was muscular, not svelte like most elves. He wore a vest and trousers made of the same material as Zeyeye's clothing.
He shook his head, and slowly opened his eyes.
"Uh..." he said. "So... You're Jetta's sponsor?"
"You say that like you're disappointed," said Ember.
"I... kind of expected someone older-looking..." said the officer. "Odd... Are you the dominant species on your planet?"
"Uhm..." said Ember. "Well..."
"A member of the clergy I see..." he said.
"What makes you think that?" said Ember, not knowing whether to feel offended or flattered.
"I've never seen anyone but a priest or priestess have a phoenix as a companion," replied the alien.
Ember looked at Gabriel and sighed.
"Long story..." she said. "But no, I'm not any religious leader... I'm just..."
She paused.
"I guess I'm law-enforcement, like you are..."
The man sighed.
"Figures..." he said.
"You were Zeyeye's partner?" asked Ember.
"She was rude, I take it?" he asked. "And she denied everything, right?"
"Are you going to admit you were on the take?" asked Ember.
"Why deny it?" sighed the officer. "After the public outcry started, it was the worst kept secret in the galaxy. We were on the take, and so were a few of our superiors. But records were destroyed, and paper trails were purposely misled.
"The judge had obviously hoped his ruling would elect a confession, but double-crossing the Psurlons was simply too dangerous..."
"Officer Zamamnic..." said the marut, with a tone of annoyance.
A Duel Disk similar to the one used by Zeyeye appeared on Zamamnic's arm.
"At least the Psurlons aren't in charge here," he said. "Now that you've finally come, I can do my duty as a true Harmonium..."
"Fine," said Ember. "Let's do it, then..."
The two Disks activated.
(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Zamamnic: 8,000)
"I'll make the first move..." said Zamamnic, whipping his first draw off his deck.
He set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.
"Mmm," he said.
Defending on his first turn? thought Ember. Well, this is clearly different than his partner...
She drew a card. It was Firedog.
Gabriel let out a chirp of delight.
"Button your beak..." whispered Ember, out of the side of her mouth.
"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.
In a roaring fire, the hellhound leapt onto the field. (1,900 ATK)
"All right! Toast his Monster!"
Firedog unleashed a stream of flame at the card...
Couching on the card was a chunky, bald man with a grim face, holding a spear, wearing a loose robe and a pair of pantaloons. (1,900 DEF)
"Gravekeeper's Guard!" shouted Ember.
"That's right!" replied Zamamnic. "The battle is a draw, and due to his Flip-Effect, Firedog is returned to your hand."
Firedog vanished, and its card appeared in Ember's hand.
Lovely... she thought, taking another card from her hand.
"I'll set this," she said, as a facedown card appeared, "and end my turn."
Zamamnic made another draw.
"I'll move my Guard to Attack Mode..." he said.
Gravekeeper's Guard stood up, and lifted his spear. (1,000 ATK)
"...and I'll call out one of his friends... Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier."
A younger, thinner-looking man, dressed in a black robe and carrying a decorated spear appeared next to the Guard. (1,500 ATK)
Gravekeepers, thought Ember. The original swarming strategy.
"Spear Soldier," ordered Zamamnic, "attack her directly!"
The spearman made a rush at Ember.
"Sorry," said Ember, as her facedown card flipped up. "I activate Sakuretsu Armor!"
Spear Soldier exploded into black pixels.
"Your Trap saved you from one direct attack," said Zamamnic with a grin, "but not two."
Ember grunted in pain as the Guard jabbed his spear into her torso. She fell on her seat.
"And that's all for now."
(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 8,000)
"Not the best start," said Gabriel.
"You want to change places?" asked Ember.
She made a draw.
"I'll summon Firedog again," she said.
Firedog leapt onto the field again, and let out a low growl, sounding somewhat annoyed. (1,900 ATK)
"Attack!" she shouted. "Annihilate Gravekeeper's Guard!"
The hellhound let forth a blast of flame, and the rotund Spellcaster shattered into shards.
"Next," said Ember, "I'll use Firedog's effect to call forth Neo Flamvell Saber from my deck."
The fiery swordsman, holding two burning scimitars, leapt in front of Ember. (1,500 ATK)
"And when your Graveyard has less than five cards in it, he gains 600 Attack Points."
(2,100 ATK)
"Ho boy..." said Zamamnic.
"Attack!" shouted Ember. "Flaming saber!"
Neo Flamvell Saber roared, and pounced on the Harmonium, slashing him twice with his swords and knocking him down.
Zamamnic got up, and held his head.
"Man..." he said. "Too bad the Harmonium doesn't recruit on your world... You could've made Sergeant..."
Ember lifted an eyebrow.
"Is dueling a common way of resolving disputes for them too?" she asked.
"Only in special cases," replied Zamamnic. "Duel Monsters is used in many high stakes wagers in some places... Some worlds have rich gamblers who will bet anything... Technology, land, even whole planets if the ante is right.
"And Duel Monsters is often used as the medium in such wagers. The Harmonium had to learn it to deal with these sharks."
Ember looked at him.
"I end my turn..." she said.
(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 5,000)
Zamamnic drew a card.
"I summon Gravekeeper's Priestess," he said.
"Who?" said Ember.
Ember had seen Gravekeepers many times, but she had never seen this particular member of the group. It was a woman, dressed in white and gold ceremonial clothing, with a headdress and a blindfold over her eyes. She held a golden staff topped with a cobra-shaped knob. (1,000 ATK)
"Okay..." said Ember. "That's... certainly new..."
"With Priestess on the field," said Zamamnic, "All Gravekeepers gain 200 points, for both attacking and defending."
(1,200 ATK)
"Plus, while she is here, the field is treated as Necrovalley."
"Huh?" said Ember. "Then how come she didn't gain 500 more points?"
"She only confers the name," said Zamamnic, "not the effects."
"I don't understand..." said Ember.
Zamamnic set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"You will soon," he said. "It's your move..."
Ember made a draw.
Even with 200 extra points, she thought, that Gravekeeper isn't so tough... The facedown card is clearly something bad...
"I summon Neo Flamvell Shaman..." she said.
The tribal music started, and the flaming medicine man leapt onto the field. (1,700 ATK)
Then Zamamnic's facedown card shot up.
"I activate Threatening Roar!" he exclaimed.
"In that case..." said Ember, "I'll end my turn here..."
Zamamnic drew a card. He considered for a minute.
Then Gravekeeper's Priestess knelt and held her staff on her lap. (1,500 DEF) –) (1,700 DEF) Then a reversed Monster appeared.
"It's your move," he said.
Ember looked at the reversed Monster.
It's likely another Guard, or a Spy, she thought. Those are the Gravekeepers you usually set.
The Monsters I have can't beat either Monster's Defense even when they're alone, and Priestess will fortify them even more...
She drew a card.
Big Bang Shot.
Heh... How lucky can you get?
"All right, pal," she said, "first I'll set a Monster..."
A hidden Monster appeared next to her other ones.
"Then I'll Equip Saber with Big Bang Shot!"
Neo Flamvell Saber glowed with energy. (2,500 ATK)
"All right! Attack his hidden Monster!"
Saber lunged at the concealed Monster... But to her surprise, it wasn't a Guard or a Spy. It was a small owl wearing a golden crown.
"ERGH!" screamed Zamamnic, as it was smashed to pieces.
Then he caught his breath.
"Normally, the Flip-Effect of An Owl of Luck lets me take a Field Spell from my deck, and place it on top..."
A card slipped out of his deck.
"But with Necrovalley present, I can add it to my hand instead."
"Wait a minute..." said Ember. "Necrovalley isn't..."
She stopped short.
"You now see one card that benefits from my Priestess," said Zamamnic. "There are others..."
"Well then," said Ember, "I'll just get rid of her. Firedog, burn her up!"
Firedog blasted its stream of flames at Priestess. But while she strained a little under the attack, she didn't shatter.
"Huh?" said Ember.
"I discarded a card when you attacked," said Zamamnic, as a Monster Card appeared behind him. "A useful thing called Charm of Shabti. My Monster is unharmed.
"Plus, since my Graveyard now has five cards in it, your Saber loses his bonus."
Neo Flamvell Saber fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.
Not only that, thought Ember, when the cards in his Graveyard amount to eight, Saber is penalized.
"I have to end my turn," she said.
(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 3,000)
"Chin up!" laughed Gabriel. "You're winning!"
"Think!" replied Ember. "He was able to take a Field Spell from his deck. What incredibly annoying Field Spell works with Gravekeepers?"
Zamamnic drew a card.
Then he placed the Field Spell into his Disk, and the rocky canyons of Necrovalley rose around the two duelists.
"Oh yeah..." muttered Gabriel.
"Now that the real Necrovalley is present," said Zamamnic, "the Graveyards are sealed off, and my Gravekeepers grow stronger."
Priestess's Defense grew to 2,200.
"Now, I'll sacrifice Priestess..."
Priestess vanished into an orb of light.
"To summon Gravekeeper's Chief!"
In an aura of magical energy, the famed chieftain of the tomb guardians appeared, wearing his ceremonial robes and holding a staff resembling the one used by Priestess. (1,900 ATK) –) (2,400 ATK)
"With him on my side of the field, my Graveyard is unaffected by Necrovalley. And I'm allowed to Special Summon a Gravekeeper from there right now."
Priestess appeared again. (1,700 ATK) The Chief rose to an Attack Score of 2,600.
Ember lifted an eyebrow again.
"Why her?" she asked. "Wouldn't your Spear Soldier be more useful, now that you actually have Necrovalley?"
"She's more useful than you think," replied Zamamnic. "Chief, destroy her swordsman!"
Gravekeeper's Chief formed a ball of magical energy in his palm, and hurled it, blowing Neo Flamvell Saber to pieces.
"Now, I'll attack your hidden Monster with Priestess."
Priestess leapt at the reversed card, twirling her staff above her head. Flamvell Paun appeared on the card, right before she clobbered it and blew it to shards.
"Paun's effect activates," said Ember.
She took Flamvell Archer from her deck, and looked at it.
"I'll set this, and end my turn," said Zamamnic.
A facedown card appeared behind his two Gravekeepers.
(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 3,000)
Ember made a draw.
It was Inferno.
Lovely, she thought, just what I didn't need...
She looked at Priestess.
This is gonna cost me, she thought, but she has got to go...
"Firedog, destroy Gravekeeper's Priestess!" she shouted.
Zamamnic gave a look of terror as Firedog blasted its flame at Priestess, and this time there was nothing to prevent the attack. Priestess screamed and vanished in a cloud of ash.
"Uh..." said Ember. "I'll use Firedog's effect to summon Flamvell Gurnika in Defense Mode..."
Gurnika appeared, kneeling and crossing its arms. (200 DEF)
"Then I'll move Shaman to Defense Mode."
Shaman knelt, and held his baton in his lap. (200 DEF)
"I'll set this facedown, and end my turn."
A reversed card appeared in a flash of light.
(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)
Zamamnic closed his eyes, and drew a card.
"I activate Rite of Spirit!" he shouted, as his facedown card lifted up.
Priestess appeared once again. (1,700 ATK)
Again? thought Ember. Something is seriously wrong here...
The Chief cast his dark spell, and Firedog howled before shattering into pixels. Then Priestess walloped Gurnika upside the head with her staff, and it shattered.
"I'll set a Monster," he said, "and take a break."
A set Monster appeared.
(E: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)
"All right, time out!" shouted Ember.
"Eh?" said Zamamnic.
"Do you realize how much more damage I'd have taken if you'd brought back Spear Soldier with Rite of Spirit instead of Priestess? I'd have taken 1,800 more, that's how much.
"Why?"
Zamamnic looked a little embarrassed.
"None of your business," he said.
"I'm no fool, pal..." said Ember, "and I doubt you are either... I saw how much it hurt you when my Firedog attacked her. That card means something to you, right?"
There was a long pause.
"She..." said Zamamnic, slowly. "She reminds me of someone... Someone I had to leave behind when the judge made his ruling...
"What, a friend?" asked Ember.
Zamamnic didn't answer.
"Girlfriend?" asked Ember.
Zamamnic looked nervous. Ember's eyes opened wide.
"Whoa..." she said.
"You ever been so in love..." said Zamamnic, "that it makes you careless?
"I wanted to give her everything... I wanted to take her to the royal ball in a golden coach... But on a cop's salary, I could barely afford dinner and a movie.
"You know, this is where the philosophy of the Harmonium becomes a little hypocritical. One of their key points is that family is the way to harmony. Heck, the Supreme Commander – at least the guy who held that position when this whole mess started – was happily married, and had five children when I was sent here...
"He can afford to support a large family... I could never have come close..."
"Are you saying that's the reason you agreed to work for the Psurlons?" asked Ember.
"Would any lawman do differently if offered more from them in a week than your stingy employers paid you in two years?" asked Zamamnic, angrily.
"I am a lawman, pal!" replied Ember. "And I don't even get a salary. I have access to a trust fund! And to answer your question, no, I would not take a bribe from a bunch of greedy merchants and agree to arrest someone on trumped-up charges!"
Zamamnic sighed.
"Yeah, well," he said, "truthfully, I wouldn't either now... When you're cooped up in a place like this for this long, it lets you do a lot of thinking... A fat lot of good it did me. The whole thing just went too far... Before I knew it, the judge had made his ruling, and the Psurlons didn't give me any choice but to agree to it. Once you make a deal with them, you do what they tell you. They have ways of making sure of that.
"I don't want to be lectured, and I don't want to be judged. All I want right now is to finish my job here so I won't owe anything to anyone..."
Ember looked at Gravekeeper's Priestess.
"Seems to me you owe someone a lot..." she said. "It's my move..."
She made a draw.
"I set a Monster, and a new facedown card, and that will be all," she said.
A reversed Monster appeared next to Shaman, and a facedown card appeared next to her other one.
"Then I draw!" shouted Zamamnic, making a draw.
"And I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode."
The card flipped up, and a different female Gravekeeper appeared. She was dressed in a black robe, and wore her black hair short. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,900 ATK)
Uh-oh, said Ember. That one WAS the Spy. And her Flip-Effect...
"I use Gravekeeper's Spy's effect to summon a second Spear Soldier from my deck," said Zamamnic.
Spear Soldier appeared again, looking somewhat more overbearing than before. (1,500 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)
"Next," he said, holding up a card, "I'll summon Gravekeeper's Descendant."
In another aura of darkness, another Gravekeeper appeared that was new to Ember. He looked younger than the other male Gravekeepers, had blonde hair, wore a black vest, jacket, and pantaloons, and held a staff much like those used by the Chief and Priestess. (1,500 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)
Not good... thought Ember, looking at the five Gravekeepers.
"Next, I use Descendant's effect," continued Zamamnic. "By sacrificing one Gravekeeper, other than himself, I can destroy one card."
The Spy vanished, and Descendant pointed his scepter at the reversed Monster. A bolt of burning lightning shot at the card, blowing it to shards.
"Now, my Spear Soldier attacks Neo Flamvell Shaman!" he shouted. "Dark pierce!"
Spear Soldier rushed at the tiki, and jabbed his spear into its center. Ember cried out in pain as the Pyro shattered.
"Descendant, attack directly!" shouted Zamamnic.
Descendent blasted the burning lightning again, and this time Ember was the target. She screamed again, and fell to her knees.
(E: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)
"I don't think that little speech you made helped much..." said Gabriel.
"Shut up..." said Ember, with sweat pouring down her face.
She looked up to see Gravekeeper's Chief prepare another direct attack.
She hit her Disk, and one of her facedown cards shot up.
"Activate... Draining Shield!" she shouted.
The Chief's blast was halted by a dome of force. Ember felt energy flowing into her.
"S'okay," said Zamamnic, as Priestess prepared to attack. "I still have one more shot..."
"Not while I have this," said Ember, as her second facedown card lifted up.
"A Rival Appears?" gasped Zamamnic.
"That's right," said Ember. "It lets me choose one of your Monsters, and Special Summon one from my hand with the same Level.
"Since your Priestess is Level 3, I can Special Summon Neo Flamvell Garuda in Defense Mode."
Garuda appeared, crouching behind its wings. (1,800 DEF)
"In that case," said Zamamnic, "I end my turn..."
(E: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)
Ember got up. She looked at the cards in her hand: Inferno, Flamvell Archer, Infernal Flame Emperor, and UFO Turtle.
Then she looked at Infernal Flame Emperor.
If only I could summon this guy... she thought. He'd be stronger than anything he's got... But I need to swap two Monsters to do so, and without being able to Special Summon from my Graveyard, they won't survive long enough...
She drew a card.
Her eyes opened wide.
Of course! she thought. Kill two birds with one stone...
She held the Spell Card forward.
"I'm giving up 800 Life Points to play Brain Control," she said.
The huge, fiendish brain appeared above her.
"Gravekeeper's Chief, get over here!"
Two tendrils reached forward from the brain, grabbing Gravekeeper's Chief, and pulling him over to Ember's side of the field.
"With him on my side, my Graveyard is not sealed by Necrovalley, meaning I can remove a Fire Monster from play..."
Neo Flamvell Saber slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.
"...to Special Summon Inferno in Defense Mode."
The large pyre with glowing eyes appeared in front of her.
"Now, I'll sacrifice Chief and Garuda..."
The Spellcaster and the Pyro turned into a large orb or light.
"...for Infernal Flame Emperor!"
In an explosion of flames, the imperial Pyro appeared with a savage roar. (2,700 ATK)
"Uh..." said Zamamnic.
Ember looked at his two Monsters.
Priestess is still trouble, she thought, but his Descendant is even more dangerous. He can sacrifice Spear Soldier to use his effect to destroy Emperor.
All right then...
"Attack Gravekeeper's Descendant!" she shouted.
Infernal Flame Emperor conjured up a huge ball of flames, and threw it at the young Spellcaster. Zamamnic fell backwards from the impact...
(E: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Meanwhile, at the ophidia's palace on Snakeskin Island, Csimith was reclining on a couch while a female ophidia listened to him, carefully taking down notes.
The female was even more reptilian-looking than Hebi-Na. She had legs, with a long tail behind them, and every square inch of her skin was covered with soft, green scales. Her only mammalian features were her black hair and mammary glands (which were nonfunctional – if there had been a time when female ophidia had been able to nurse their young, it was many millennia ago). Despite this frightening appearance, she wore an expensive, formal Italian work dress. (Finding a Shadowkind tailor who catered to ophidia, which was necessary to accommodate her tail, had been difficult to say the least.)
Her name was Magdalene, and she wasn't a psychiatrist, but the ophidia's version of one – a monitor. And despite how much the ophidia were scared of the Empress, they were frightened of this ophidia even more. Sure, they were in no danger of being eaten in this case, but a monitor could condemn an ophidia in a much different way if she saw the need.
Monitors were in charge of controlling ophidia who went insane, which, as noted, was more of a problem for them than it was among humans. If a monitor had reason to believe that an ophidia had gone mad, she would technically make a recommendation to the clan leader (Taramanda in this case) that the ophidia be labeled "lost". But everyone knew that the need to gain the clan leader's permission was a farce. No clan leader ever disagreed with a monitor, because if a monitor said that an ophidia was insane, brushing that decision aside could lead to deadly consequences. It was far too great a risk for a clan leader to take.
Monitors had this power over all ophidia, even those who ranked higher than they were, except for other monitors (it took three monitors in agreement to decide that a fourth one was "lost") and anathema (if an anathema went insane, their goddess would see to it that he or she didn't survive). And being "lost" was a grim fate for an ophidia. "Lost" ophidia were objects of scorn among other ophidia, and on their social ladder were barely higher than their slaves.
Still, Csimith needed answers. If he was truly going mad, he'd rather be sure, rather than let whatever was wrong with him fester like an open sore.
"So..." said Magdalene, "have you been eating right?"
"I suppose..." replied Csimith.
"How much have you been drinking?" she asked.
"Actually, I've been cutting down," said Csimith. "Look, I have to know!
"Somehow or other I was dueling that Shadowchaser on an alien planet! Or I thought I was..."
"Mmm..." said Magdalene. "Did you win?"
"NO!" replied Csimith. "And I don't think it was the typical duel... It was taxing...
"Am I cracking up?"
"You're one of the most stable people I know," replied Magdalene. "Look, are you sure you didn't just nod off for a minute or two? Even a sleep that lasts for a minute can have a dream, and a dream that lasts only a few seconds can seem like hours to the dreamer."
Csimith sighed.
"Let me ask another question," said Magdalene. "When did you last have some time off?"
Csimith sat up.
"Gee, that's a tough one..." he said.
"Can't remember, huh?" asked Magdalene, crossing her arms. "You're working too hard, Csimith. You need a break."
"I can't ask the Empress for time off right now!" he protested. "The Festival of Fangs is tomorrow night, and you know what we have planned!"
Magdalene rubbed her chin.
"Good point," she said. "But as soon as it is over, I want you to ask for a few days off. You need to take it easy."
As Csimith got up and left, Magdalene held her head.
Monitors almost never went mad themselves (the rule that said that three monitors had to decide if a fourth was insane was the official law, but cases of it actually happening were almost unheard of). Potential monitors were identified when they were hatched, and were trained for the job since childhood. They learned mental techniques to stave off stress and other things that might drive someone over the edge.
Still, a big part about the job of anyone like this was studying the nature of insanity. And any psychiatrist would tell you that to regularly analyze patients, you had to be willing to let yourself be analyzed. Monitors rarely did that, and it took its toll over the years.
As she got up, she failed to notice a tiny black mote floating by. It floated into her ear.
She stopped short.
She walked to a cabinet, opened it, and took something out.
It was her Duel Disk.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ember surveyed the field. She had Infernal Flame Emperor and Inferno. Her opponent had Gravekeeper's Priestess and Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, with Necrovalley still in play.
"Your move, pal," she said.
Zamamnic made a draw.
It was Giant Trunade.
I'll save this for later, he thought.
Spear Soldier knelt, and held his spear in his lap. (1,700 DEF) Priestess followed suit. (2,200 DEF)
"That's all for now," he said.
"Then it's my draw!" shouted Ember.
She whipped a card off her deck.
Got it! she thought.
"Time to take out this blasted Field!" she said. "Go, Heavy Storm!"
She held up the card, and violent winds started to tear through Necrovalley. The canyon walls crumbled to dust, and the chamber with the cryogenic pod and marut reappeared.
"Next, I'll set a new Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared, "then my Emperor will attack your Spear Soldier!"
Infernal Flame Emperor threw its ball of flame again, and Zamamnic braced himself as his Monster exploded.
He looked sternly at Ember.
"My move..." he said.
He drew a card.
He smirked.
"I summon Flare Resonator!" he shouted.
A Fiend (Ember guessed) floated out onto the field. Although Zamamnic had called it a Flare Resonator, Ember knew she had seen this before with a different name.
"Hold on..." said Ember. "That's Dark Resonator..."
Indeed, it looked just like Dark Resonator, except for an aura of fire around it. (300 ATK)
"No, this is Flare Resonator," replied Zamamnic. "And like its more well-known brother, it's a Tuner..."
Flare Resonator hit its tuning fork with its mallet.
"...and it resonates quite well with my Priestess..."
Flare Resonator and Gravekeeper's Priestess turned into six glowing stars. Then the room started to shake.
"What are you summoning?" shouted Ember.
"The ultimate weapon of the tomb guardians," replied Zamamnic. "Behold!"
A huge beast appeared, looming over Ember. It looked like a huge scorpion, with a circular, tooth-filled maw, and the Eye of Wdjat on the front.
It hissed menacingly. (2,500 ATK)
Ember had seen this before. She had watched the old tapes of the Battle City finals, and had seen Rishid Ishtar summon the very same nightmare.
"That's Mystical Beast Serket!" shouted Ember.
"Not quite," said Zamamnic. "This is a Synchro version of the older card. It's called Ancestral Guardian Serket now."
Ember stepped back at the site of the huge arachnid...
Then she noticed its Attack Score.
"Heh..." she said. "My Emperor is stronger..."
"Not for long," said Zamamnic. "You see, when a Synchro Monster is summoned using Flare Resonator for the Tuner, it gains 300 Attack Points."
(2,800 ATK)
"That makes my Monster just strong enough to defeat yours.
"But before I attack, I'll play a Spell Card..."
He played a Spell that Ember had never seen.
"Synchro Half?" she said.
"I have to toss one card," said Zamamnic, discarding Giant Trunade, "and in return, I get to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard whose Level is exactly half that of a Synchro Monster on the field."
Gravekeeper's Priestess appeared again. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,200 ATK)
"Still can't let go, huh?" asked Ember.
"Actually," he replied, "I had a practical reason for bringing her back. You see, Serket has a special effect which it can only use when Necrovalley is on the field.
"And as you may remember, Priestess treats the field as Necrovalley.
"This effect prohibits you from attacking any Gravekeepers. So long as Serket and Priestess are on the field, Serket is the only Monster that can be attacked."
Serket is some pet of the Gravekeepers? thought Ember. Well... It makes sense, I guess... The Ishtar clan were supposed to be tomb guardians...
"On to business!" shouted Zamamnic. "Serket, demolish Infernal Flame Emperor!"
The giant scorpion swung its wicked, barbed tail at the huge Pyro. Ember braced herself as her Monster was smashed to pieces.
"Now Serket's other effect comes into play," continued Zamamnic, "and it's similar to the original Serket's. Whenever it destroys a Monster, it gains 500 Attack Points."
(3,300 ATK)
"Next, Priestess will attack your hidden Monster!"
Gravekeeper's Priestess pointed her staff, and fired a blast of shadowy magic at the reversed card. UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and the bolt bounced off. (1,200 DEF)
"I never thought UFO Turtle's Defense Score would make a difference," said Ember, "but it does now."
Zamamnic looked at the last card in his hand. He set it, and it appeared facedown.
"It's your move," he said.
(E: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)
Ember drew a card.
Call of the Haunted, she thought. Now that I can use it, it might come in handy...
"So what now?" asked Zamamnic. "I doubt you have a card in your hand that can beat Serket."
Ember laughed nervously.
Truthfully, she said, the only one I have in my entire deck that could beat it right now is Flamvell Justicar, and I can't summon him with what I have.
She looked at the other card in her hand, Flamvell Archer.
I can summon Enchantress, but her Attack Score wouldn't be nearly high enough...
She set Call of the Haunted, and it appeared in a flash of light.
"Then I draw," said Zamamnic.
He made a draw. He looked at the card.
I'll wait to summon this guy... he thought.
"Priestess, attack UFO Turtle again!" he shouted.
"HUH?" said Ember, as Priestess pointed her staff. "Why?"
"So I can activate this," said Zamamnic, as his Trap Card lifted up. "Magician's Circle. Now, both players Special Summon a Spellcaster from his or her deck with up to 2,000 Attack Points.
"And I choose to summon Gravekeeper's Assailant."
In a flash of energy, another female Gravekeeper appeared, this one far more darker. She was a shadowy assassin, dressed in a dark cloak and hood, with a veil covering the lower half of her face. She held daggers in both hands. (1,500 ATK) –) (1,700 ATK)
"Fine," said Ember. "I'll summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita."
In an aura of flame, Hiita appeared, her staff burning with flame, and her fox beside her. (1,850 ATK)
Zamamnic stopped short.
She had a Spellcaster? he thought. Hmm... This requires a change of plans...
Priestess continued her attack, and it glanced off UFO Turtle's shell again.
"As you may know," he continued, "Assailant also has an effect that only works in Necrovalley..."
Assailant's eyes glowed with light, and she leapt at Hiita. Then she vanished in a blur.
"When she attacks, she can change the Battle Position of the target."
Hiita knelt and held her staff in her lap. (1,500 ATK) Assailant reappeared behind her, and jabbed her blade between her ribs.
Hiita collapsed, and then vanished, as Assailant reappeared on Zamamnic's side of the field.
"Next, Serket will destroy UFO Turtle!" shouted Zamamnic.
Serket's stinger fell again, and the strange Machine exploded.
Serket's Attack Score rose to 3,800.
"I use its effect to summon a second UFO Turtle!" shouted Ember.
A second UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)
"Your move..." he said.
Ember made a draw.
"All right..." she said. "I'm setting a Monster, moving UFO Turtle to Defense Mode, and that will be all."
A set Monster appeared next to Inferno. Then UFO Turtle withdrew into its shell. (1,200 DEF)
"You can't defend forever," said Zamamnic, making a draw.
"Especially since I have this guy!"
He held forward the card he drew last turn.
"That's a Level 8 Monster," said Ember. "You have to swap both your Gravekeepers for it, which means Serket will no longer have Priestess's benefit."
"That's what you think," said Zamamnic. "This is the most powerful member of the Gravekeeper clan, and Level 8 he may be, he can be summoned with one sacrifice, if the Monster I'm sacrificing is also a Gravekeeper.
"So goodbye Assailant..."
Gravekeeper's Assailant turned into an orb of light.
"Hello, Gravekeeper's Visionary!"
There was an aura of divine energy, and the most intimidating Gravekeeper yet stood next to Serket. He was almost seven feet tall, wore a robe even more decorated than that of the Chief, and held a similar staff. The upper half of his face was covered by a helmet shaped like a jackal's head, and he had a short, white beard on the lower half. (2,000 ATK)
"Two-thousand Attack Points?" said Ember. "For a Level 8 Monster? Okay... I'm guessing this guy's effect is pretty spectacular..."
"He'll get stronger," said Zamamnic. "For each Gravekeeper in my Graveyard, he gains 200 more Attack Points. I have seven there. And let's not forget the bonus from Priestess."
(3,600 ATK)
"Plus... I can prevent him from being destroyed if I simply discard another Gravekeeper."
"Do you have one?" asked Ember.
"Uh..." said Zamamnic.
He looked at the last card in his hand, which was Field Barrier.
"It makes no difference," he said, "because with Serket on the field, you can't attack him anyway!
"Now let's finish off those Turtles! Visionary... Divine blast!"
Gravekeeper's Visionary cast a mighty incantation, and UFO Turtle was blasted to granules of light.
"I have a third one!" shouted Ember.
A third UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)
"In Attack Mode, I see," said Zamamnic.
Ember was thrown to the floor, as Serket smashed the third UFO Turtle to pieces.
(E: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)
"Ember!" shouted Gabriel.
"Save your tears..." said Ember, as she struggled to get up. "It's all under control..."
Serket rose to an Attack Score of 4,300.
She put a card on her Disk.
"I use my final Turtle's effect to Special Summon Neo Flamvell Hedgehog," she said.
With a loud squeak, a small, fiery hedgehog with long quills on its back leapt onto the field. (800 ATK)
"Heh, heh, cute," said Zamamnic. "Priestess... Destroy it..."
Gravekeeper's Priestess shot her shadowy blast, and Ember cringed again as the Hedgehog was blown to pixels.
"You fell for it!" she shouted. "When Hedgehog is destroyed in battle, I can remove one card in your Graveyard from play!"
Gravekeeper's Chief slipped out of Zamamnic's discard slot. Visionary fell to an Attack Score of 3,400.
"Seems like that was the equivalent of trying to hold back the ocean with a broom," he replied, as he pocketed the card. "But anyway... It's your move..."
(E: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)
Ember drew a card.
One of the cards the Titans gave me... she thought. This is the little one that summons the big one... I think I can do this...
"I summon Hand of Nephthys!" she shouted.
She played a card, and a young girl appeared in front of her. Her clothing was similar to that of Gravekeeper's Priestess, but with vibrant gold and orange colors. (600 ATK)
"Hold on..." said Zamamnic. "Isn't that the girl you use to..."
"Yes," said Ember. "Here's the deal... There are seventeen cards left in my deck... If the next five of them contains the card I need, I'll beat you. If not, I lose. That makes my chances slightly less than one in three."
"Next five?" asked Zamamnic. "That means your facedown Monster is a..."
Ember flipped her Monster face-up, and it was indeed a Morphing Jar. (700 ATK)
"Well, fine by me," said Zamamnic, as they both discarded the card they had.
They both made five draws.
"So..." he said. "Did you get the card you needed?"
Ember grinned.
"I'll take that as a yes..." he said, nervously.
"I sacrifice hand of Nephthys and Morphing Jar..." she shouted.
The two Monsters vanished into two orbs of flame. Gabriel started to chirp excitedly.
"...to call forth the symbol of rebirth after death... Come forth... Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"
With a loud cry, a huge, flaming phoenix, the being that Gabriel would be many centuries from now, appeared in an aura of fire. She let out a loud screech, and glared at Zamamnic and his Monsters. (2,400 ATK)
"It's a great card, yes," said Zamamnic, "but I don't see how it can help you. It can't beat Serket, and he makes my Gravekeepers untouchable."
"Yeah, well, I'm only half done," said Ember. "I activate Call of the Haunted."
Her facedown card flipped up, and Neo Flamvell Hedgehog appeared again. (800 ATK)
"Of all the Monsters you could have summoned, why that one?" asked Zamamnic.
"I didn't mention that it's also a Tuner," replied Ember. "And I'm Tuning it and Inferno together to summon and even stronger divine creature..."
The two Pyros turned into seven glowing stars. Ember chanted.
"Steel taken from the oldest mountain, pounded into shape by the god of the forge. Mighty creature of fire given life by divine spark! Clustering stars lead the path to the mortal world...
"Descent... Ancient God Flamvell!"
There was an explosion like a volcano erupting, and a titanic form loomed over the field. It looked like a faceless giant made out of bronze, with flames forming each joint, and a flaming mane. (2,500 ATK)
"Big deal," said Zamamnic. "It's only a hundred points stronger."
"But, it has a special effect," said Ember. "By summoning it, I get to remove one card in your Graveyard from play for each card you have in your hand. And my Ancient God Flamvell gains 200 points for each card I remove.
"Seems Morphing Jar was more useful than I thought."
Five cards – Gravekeeper's Guard, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, Gravekeeper's Spy, Gravekeeper's Descendant, and Gravekeeper Assailant, appeared behind Zamamnic and vanished into nothing.
"HEY!" shouted Zamamnic.
"My Flamvell gains 1,000 Attack Points," said Ember.
(3,500 ATK)
"Your Visionary won't be so lucky. He loses 1,000 Attack Points."
Visionary fell down to a score of 2,400.
"But Serket is still standing strong!" cursed Zamamnic. "And it still makes my two Gravekeepers untouchable!"
"Not for long..." said Ember.
She fit a card into her Field Slot.
"This is the card I needed. I play Molten Destruction!"
Zamamnic gasped in fright, as the room changed, becoming a flaming, volcanic wasteland. Sacred Phoenix's score rose to 2,900, while Ancient God Flamvell's rose to 4,000.
"By the look on your face, I assume I was right," said Ember. "Priestess has the same weakness as Maiden of the Aqua before her. She can only treat the field as Necrovalley so long as there isn't a true Field Spell in play.
"That means Serket can no longer protect your Gravekeepers. So I can end this...
"Sacred Phoenix, attack Gravekeeper's Priestess with divine fire!"
Sacred Phoenix screeched, and shot a blast of white-hot flames from her beak. Priestess was incinerated, not even having time to scream.
"ERGH!" grunted Zamamnic, clutching his chest.
"I'm pretty sure you have a Gravekeeper to discard," said Ember, "so Visionary can survive this blast... But I don't thing you will.
"Attack! Molten fist of might!"
The Ancient God Flamvell's fist became enveloped with a raging inferno It threw a punch at Gravekeeper's Visionary, and Zamamnic screamed as he was thrown across the room.
(E: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 0)
"I can't believe I left the camera at home!" squawked Gabriel, as the Monsters vanished.
Zamamnic got up, holding his head.
"Officer Zamamnic," said the marut, "you are dismissed."
Zamamnic sighed. He took the Gravekeeper's Priestess card out of the discard slot, and looked at it.
"So what now?" asked Ember. "Will you try to look for her?"
"I have a feeling that will be the easy part," he said. "Getting her to listen to me... That will be a great deal harder..."
He let out another long sigh, and then vanished.
The marut opened the door.
"Third checkpoint, down the hall," it said.
Ember stopped to catch her breath.
"Come on, Gabriel," said Ember. "Start thinking of sad things, because you might need to be unhappy enough to cry really soon. I have a feeling this next duel may be even harder..."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Magdalene was sitting at her desk, casually looking at her cards.
"No," she said calmly, to no-one in sight. "Not gonna do it... You can't make me like you made Csimith."
There was a pause.
"Please..." she said. "You want to get into a battle of the minds here? Just try me. We'll see who's will is stronger."
There was a long pause. She took out an emery board, and started filing her nails.
Then she lifted her head.
"Oh, so now it's bargaining, huh?" she asked.
She listened.
"Okay, fine... I guess that's fair... I can duel once in exchange for that...
"But... If you go back on your word, it will be very easy for me to tell the Empress just who's pulling her strings, you got that buster?"
She listened again.
"Thought you'd say that..."
She shuffled her deck, put the Duel Disk on her arm, and stood up.
And then she vanished.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ANCESTRAL GUARDIAN SERKET (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Gravekeeper's" Monsters
When this card destroys an opposing Monster and sends it to the Graveyard, increase its ATK by 500. If "Necrovalley" is on the field, your opponent cannot select face-up "Gravekeeper's" Monsters as the targets of attacks.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SYNCHRO HALF (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Goyo Guardian flying through a starry void, with Hayabusa Knight flying behind him.
Card Description: Select one face-up Synchro Monster and discard one card from your hand. Special Summon 1 Monster from your Graveyard whose Level is half that of the selected Synchro Monster (rounded down).
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Next:
Gears: I still remember Professor Frank. A "dueling councilor" (I have no idea whether or not he actually had a license to practice) and a member of Yliaster, he tended to drive his patients mad more often than he helped them. He was clearly more than a little mad himself.
Now I'm confronted by an ophidia who claims to study the nature of madness, and she has issued a challenge. She's made a very bold wager, and it's too tempting to refuse. I have a feeling she has her head on straight far better than Frank ever did, and that may make her even more dangerous in what is to come...
"Puppet Master" is coming soon.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shadowchaser Files
The House of Creeping Night, the Fifth Clan
The Four Yokai Clans have very few allies. They oppose the Shadowchasers, and they oppose each other more often... But one even deadlier enemy threatens all of them, a group of Yokai that comes closer to deserving being called true demons than any other Yokai. This is the Fifth Clan, spoken in whispers as the House of Creeping Night.
The Brides and Lords of the core Clans assure their followers that the Fifth Clan is a group of upstarts that poses no real threat. However, this is a lie, used to make their followers feel safe. The House of Creeping Night is just as powerful as any of the other Clans, if not more so.
The Yokai who make up this secretive house are creatures of darkness and evil who hide from the sun and prey on humans and Shadowkind alike who wander after dark. Not all of them are living. Some are ghosts or ghoulish creatures. They include the Baku, fiends that can devour nightmares, the Nurikabe, living walls that trap travelers who continue journeys after dark, the murderous Ittan-Momen, and the dreaded Kyonshee (or "Chinese vampires" as they are sometimes called, despite having no relation to Camilla's species), hideous undead corpses that consume the life energy of victims.
Yokai such as these are responsible for some of the most notorious legends surrounding Yokai. The Hyakki Yakō, the annual "night parade of one-hundred demons" that means death for any mortal who witnesses it, is made up exclusively of this type of Yokai.
Few realize that these nocturnal terrors are organized into a Clan. Like the four core Clans, the Creeping Night is ruled by a Bride and a Lord, but neither of them appear to have any interest in creating an heir or ever stepping down from their positions. Some believe that the Bride and Lord of this Clan are necromancers who achieved lichdom centuries ago, and have ruled their Clan ever since.
Creeping Night has an army, as the other Clans do, but not one of soldiers and military units. This clan is not one for a fair fight, and its army is one of assassins and spies. Some members are even believed to be trained in Ninjitsu, the martial art of the Shinobi.
The four core Clans have tried several times to form alliances to deal with the House of Creeping Night, but every negotiation towards that end always ends with arguments that lead to the two houses fighting each other. The Shadowchasers suspect that the Creeping Night infiltrates and sabotages any attempt two of the Clans make to oppose them, and are purposely trying to keep the Four Clans fighting. Clearly, the Creeping Night's goal is to let the Four Clans' rivalry weaken them to the point where they can be overwhelmed by the tide of darkness. The Shadowchasers would warn the Four Clans... If they would ever listen to the Shadowchasers...
Story Ideas: Fortunately, the House of Creeping Night does not seem interested in reclaiming Yokai lands like the core Clans do, at least not yet. The Shadowchasers' conflicts with this group have been rare, and all of them so far have been isolated incidents.
The Creeping Night could easily be a factor in any story where the core Clans feature prominently. Their goal is nothing less than to subjugate and enslave all four of the other clans, uniting all Yokai in Asia under their empire of darkness. This goal is long-term, of course, but the Bride and Lord of Creeping Night are undead, and have all the time in the world.
Some might say that the Four Clans are threats themselves, and that when Evil fights Evil, Good is the victor. This is true – to a point. One must remember that there are varying degrees of Evil, and as much of a threat that the House of the Raging Mountain or the House of the Shrieking Tempest pose, having all five Yokai clans united under one leader could very well threaten the world. The House of Creeping Night is a greater evil, and its schemes must be dealt with accordingly.
Deck Suggestions: The Yokai of the Creeping Night don't recognize the Treaty any more than other Yokai do, but many like to duel for the sheer excitement of it. Tearing a victim apart with claws gets boring after a while, and Duel Monsters has allowed them to dispatch a victim using more creative means. It also helps that many members of this type of Yokai, unlike others, are able to create Shadow Duels with relative ease.
Like the other houses, the Yokai in Creeping Night don't use Yokai Decks, at least not most of the time. They tend to use Monsters that are not only powerful, but frightening, like themselves. Some use Dark World Fiends, some use Archfiends, and it's possible that a few might even use Infernities.