The Summoner of Dragons

by TheSingingSword

As the world prepares for the return of the Exiled Prince, a young maiden is plagued with horrible dreams of winged, fire-breathing monsters. They beg for her to find them and awaken them from their eternal slumber. After years of abuse as a tavern girl, she is tasked by Yugi Muto, A wizard of the Eyar, to find them and discover her part in the Song from the Divines. [AU/Fantasy]

19. White-Horned Dragon

Aldara

---

October 15th

Year 18 4AOS

"Next!" called the brash, and arrogant Eldori merchant, sitting warm in his covered wagon and surrounded by guards in armor made of rusty iron and leather. It was raining heavily outside, and he grinned seeing the 'suckers' coming towards him like pilgrims to a temple seeking to trade any goods on their person for some money to buy food.

A woman approached dressed in a long plaid dress and a brown apron stained from soot and grime.

"What've you got?" the merchant said biting off one of his elongated nails and spitting them out.

The woman licked her lips when her nose picked up a sweet and delicious smell coming from inside his wagon. A roast chicken was roasting in a pit inside the wagon. A television was on displaying a Duel Monsters tournament on the upper levels of Domino. A light bulb hanging down from a wire provided his light. Posters of female duelists in the pro league posing in bikinis covered his walls. The merchant was shielded by an iron grate, which protected an assortment of goods on his workbench lit up by a lamp that lit up pistols, cards and piles and piles of gold Star Chips. He scribbled numbers on his ledger still awaiting an answer from the woman. When he heard none, he lost his patience.

"Well, I haven't got all night!" he barked, looking up at the woman.

"Oh, good Ushio. I have here a precious family heirloom," the woman said removing a locket from around her neck. "It belonged to my mother, sir. It's made of sterling silver, finely crafted."

She slid the locket through an opening in the grate.

The merchant grumbled, picking up the locket and examining it with a bronze eyeglass.

"Two silvers coins and five copper pennies." Ushio handed the woman the meager bounty.

"But sir, please."

"You were expecting more?"

"Just one gold Star Chip, My Lord. It's my son's birthday and I haven't got any money for presents."

"I'm not a lord, foolish woman. And it's not my place to care about your son's birthday. With that money, you can get you and your boy some bread."

"But, sir."

"Next!"

"Please, sir, just one gold chip!"

"This isn't a charity, miss. And a word of advice. You shoulda thought twice before shooting that boy out of your twat. NEXT!"

The merchant's guards grabbed the woman by the arms and escorted her away. Ushio smiled seeing his next customer.

A half-elf girl approached him. A moldy cloak was shielding her from the elements. Ushio eyed her long curved brown hair with gold highlights dangling over her waist underneath the poor excuse of a cloak.

"Well, well, well. Aldara. What've you got for me tonight?"

"I found a nice dagger while in the ruins tonight, Ushio," said Aldara. Taking the cloak off her head. She had two pointed ears like an elf, though not as long, for she was part human. She reached into her knapsack and put the weapon through the opening in the grate. It was finely crafted with a maple handle and decorated with silver ornamentation. Needless to say, Aldara was excited with this treasure she found. Hopefully, Ushio would like it enough to pay for something decent to eat tonight.

"Hmm," Ushio said. After examining the weapon, he cackled greedily and tossed her a small sack of copper pennies and threw one silver coin.

"What? That's it?"

"That's it." Ushio grinned. His scar folded upwards.

"But, the next semester at Duelist Academy begins soon. I need that money to pay for my tuition."

"Duelist Academy, ha! I went there once. It was an overrated experience."

"And you beat up the King of Games."

Ushio didn't appreciate her saying that. He was expelled from the academy after beating Yugi senseless. "That's all you get!" Ushio retorted loudly. "Of course, I can get you a hefty price for that rifle on your back."

"Forget it," Aldara said collecting her money and storming off.

"Next!" Ushio called, then he laughed at Aldara as she walked away.

Aldara took her money to the market and bought herself a half a loaf of bread and a slice of cheese. She counted what remained in her pouch and discovered she had enough to buy herself a bottle of Dragonflame.

"Packs, singles and structure decks!" called an elderly Eldori man strolling through the streets. A Mad-Sword Beast covered in sacks and pouches was pulling his wagon of Duel Monster wares. "Packs, singles and structure decks!"

"Grandpa!" called Aldara.

"Ah, if it isn't my best customer," said the man, named Solomon Muto. He wasn't related to Aldara, but everyone in town grew to just calling him Grandpa.

"Is the deck still here?" she asked.

"My dear I…"

Aldara ran to the end of the wagon. Her face lit up when she saw the structure deck shining on the top shelf. It was custom made by Solomon and his grandson, Yugi. The monster in the front was a Synchro-monster called Thunder Unicorn.

"I'm so close, Grandpa!" she said happily. "If I get one more bounty from Ushio, I'll have the money ready to pay for the deck."

Solomon dug his fingers under his bandana to scratch his scalp. One hand to an umbrella to shield him from the rain. "The deck," he feigned a laugh, "about that. I'm sorry, Aldara, but…"

"But what?" Aldara asked, her smile faded away riddling Grandpa's heart with guilt.

"I know how much you wanted the deck, but, a gentleman approached me the other day and…"

"What?"

"You've been outbid."

"But, Grandpa."

"This is business, my dear. I told you I could only hold onto the deck so long as no one else bought it. I'm afraid you were too late. Unless you can make a better offer by Wednesday the deck is no longer yours."

Aldara looked up at the buildings over the wall of the slums. All of a sudden, they seemed farther away now. "I understand."

"I tried my best to keep the deck, but the offer was just one I couldn't refuse. My grandson has school soon and Duelist Academy is no cheap institute."

"Wait a minute. Isn't he the King of Games? How is he still a student?"

"I said too much!" Grandpa gasped. "I'm sorry for the deck, dear. Maybe next time."

He cracked his whip and the Mad-Sword Beast continued down the streets into the farthest depths of the slums.

"Packs, singles and structure decks!" called Grandpa. "Packs, singles and structure decks!"

Aldara sighed heavily. "Oh well," she said. She was glad her cheeks were soaked with raindrops. That way no one would see the tears rolling down her cheeks. Aldara then went to the diner to pick up some food for dinner. Sappy songs played on the neon jukebox at the entrance, perfect for the mood she was in. The diner was built in a mess of wooden buildings perched underneath a sky bridge that was used for Turbo Duels in which duelists used motorcycles to play Duel Monsters. Dull neon bars lit up the darkness as well as chromed ceiling fans.

The head chef was a middle-aged Sloger, a race of toad-like humanoids from the swampy islands of Jormak in the tropical regions of Termnnia.

"Aldara," said the chef, named Roode. "Esheko quanda no jorez? (Can I get you the usual?)"

"Of course," Aldara said, sitting down on a red cushioned stool which squeaked as it supported her weight.

"Oh, motakes no gwando, Aldara? (Oh, what's the matter Aldara?)" Roode asked.

A fly flew over Aldara. Roode caught it with his slimy tongue and started chewing it.

"Bad day," Aldara responded rather glum. "Let's just leave it at that."

"You've been doing business with that Ushio fella, haven't you?" A grizzled gnome asked. He sitting on the stool to Aldara's right.

Aldara nodded.

"Oh, kwando, (Oh no)," said Roode, shaking his head. "Ushio, esoko muchak (Ushio, bad man)."

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Aldara. "Any news tonight, Pops?"

"Well," said the gnome. "All I keep hearing about is that Domino City is preparing for the arrival of some Summoner, those mages who can call on monsters from other worlds to do battle."

"Summoners aren't that special," said Aldara. "Just a bunch of overrated, over-hyped mages."

"Not this one," said Pops.

"Pops unto no cozo, (Pops speaks the truth)," said Roode. "No Summoner eso nek yalta pulpo moona (The Summoner is a very special lady)."

"Why?" Aldara asked.

"She can summon dragons!" said Pops.

"Impossible," said Aldara. "No one has been able to summon dragons since the Second Age."

"This one can," said Pops. "She'll be here soon. You'll see."

After her meager meal, Aldara sadly sulked to her apartment building built at the foot of the wall that separated the poor and unwanted of Domino City. Once inside she was harassed by her gnomish landlord. "Hey, Half-Elf!" he shouted in a stern, squeaky voice. "Your rent's due!"

"Tomorrow!" Aldara said, wearily climbing upstairs.

"You told me that yesterday! And the day before. If I don't see the money by tomorrow, I'm kicking your ass outta here, understood!"

"Whatever," Aldara said.

Once in her room, she stripped out of her soggy clothes, took a hot shower and dressed in her nightwear, which was nothing but a torn white t-shirt. To make some noise in the rusty old apartment, she turned on the old boxed television sitting in the corner by her stove where she was cooking her dinner; biscuits and red beans cooked in a can. The orange and red lights of the neon signs outside illuminated her room, overpowering the lone light bulb that hung from the ceiling.

The moldy, red-carpeted floor was covered in used underwear and shirts; magazines; bags of potato chips; booster pack wrappings, and even brass casings from her rifle when she shot Whiptail Crow and Bone Mouse; an undead Duel Monster and common pest in the slums, and the occasional bandit who tried to rob the rare Elvish heirlooms in her display case. The beans were ready and she carefully picked them up using one of her dirty shirts. When it was cool enough to touch with her bare hands she sat on the windowsill and stared at the glistening skyscrapers of Domino City looming down at the poor and downtrodden of the slums.

She scooped beans with her plastic spork and blew on them to cool them down before shoving them into her mouth. Some juice spilled onto her shirt. The cotton was thin and the beans were still hot, burning the skin on her belly.

"Oh, darn!" she exclaimed, stretching her shirt and examining the mess. "Goddesses-damn it, this was my last good shirt."

A roar of a crowd erupted from the top of a skyscraper called the Kaiba Dome. Some explosions thundered from the top as well. The annual autumn tournament was underway no doubt.

"I'll get there soon," she muttered before biting into her bread stuffed with cheese. A warm cup of coffee was steaming by her side. Next to it, lay her phone, an old model with a cracked screen. It was decorated with stickers and had keychain Duel Monster chibis and jeweled flowers hanging from it.

It buzzed, shaking the table and spilling her mug of blackened, greasy, coffee from the diner.

"Aw, damn it!" Aldara cried out again. Her pointed ears twitching.

This was not her night. Aldara picked up the phone before the coffee oozed any closer to it and answered.

"Hello? Oh hey, Tordo, what's up?"

She paused to listen to what her companion had to say.

"Another chamber in the ruins? Okay, we'll explore tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. It's dark and it's raining dreadfully. Get some sleep and I'll meet you there at noon. Don't be late." She hung up. "This could be my last chance," she sighed. "If I don't make a decent find down there, I'll never go to Duelist Academy."

---

The Next Morning

Though the ruins were pitch black, Aldara kept sliding down the rope trusting her both the glow of her crystal torch and her low-light vision to aid her in the inky darkness. Dust and dirt sprinkled down on top of her from the hole in the roof of the once-prosperous Elven city of Dwenenhava.

Her wool knit beanie shielded her silky brown hair from the bits of debris, and her goggles protected her bright green-yellow eyes. The light from her torch lit up all the carvings on the wall depicting a time of great trade, wealth, prosperity, and peace. All that had ended thousands of years ago when Domino began expanding, filling up the land with its concrete jungle of towering buildings.

Upon entering the ruins, Aldara felt like she had entered her true home. Even though being born of both Elf and Human, her mother had the blood of the ancient Elven-kings of the First Age.

That fact had given her much acclaim with the Elves living in the slums, but their kingdoms were long forgotten, and any right she had to the throne was null and void. So, she made the most of what she had by diving into the ruins and searching for any treasures that could help her scrape by in her hard life living in the slums in the underbelly of Domino City.

"What do you expect to find today?" asked Tordo, a plump little boy with messy red hair, a puffy freckled face and two enormous front teeth protruding from his mouth over his bottom lip. And he had a long tail with a tuft of reddish hair.

Tordo was of the Telkori, or, the Children of the Forest, for they remained small and sounded and looked like little children. They were distinguishable by their pointy ears and tails and their iconic buckteeth.

These little creatures lived in towns of tree houses in the deepest part of the Askar Forest and the Silverlight Woods. They have been known to journey into cities and set up gaming parlors and arcades. Others have even migrated to live in the slums of Domino to cause mischief. They skipped school, threw rocks at the guards, and stole food, money, and Duel Monster cards from vendors. Or, they served as spies, acting as the eyes and ears of politicians residing in the skyscrapers on the other side of the wall.

Tordo was different from the others due to his kind nature. He refused to steal, or vandalize the city. He was chased down by a Telkori gang-lord who was displeased to know Tordo had a hand in getting many of the members of his gang arrested. He offered a great reward to anyone who brought him bodily harm and demanded his tail as proof.

But, he found shelter alongside Aldara. She was a good fighter, making use of a metal rod she had customized with small jewels and colorful feathers. But they feared the assault rifle she carried and stayed clear from her thereby leaving Tordo alone. For this, he offered her his services, and he proved himself quite useful seeking items and scrap to sell for bread.

"Everything is good?" he asked speaking to her with a two-way radio.

"I don't know," Aldara answered into her earpiece. She wasn't sure she would find anything. She had scraped every bit of treasure from the ruins. But this was once the capital of the Kalderi kingdoms. Surely there would be something of value hidden here.

She slid up her leather breeches, for they were slowly sliding down her hips and the cold air of the ruins chilled her crack. She tightened her boots and adjusted her backpack before trekking into the city. As she slowly walked away from the light beaming down from the hole above the ruins grew darker, and her eyes then adjusted to low-light vision illuminating the world around her in pastels of teal and black.

"Be careful," Tordo said on the radio. "Remember there are some scary monsters down there."

"I can handle them," Aldara said, picking up her rifle; contraband from the world beyond the gate.

Aldara won her prized weapon from an exotic weapons vendor in a duel at the bar. He offered up the rarest weapon in his inventory should she win; but should she lose she had to sleep with him that night. He was an arrogant fool, thinking that because he had a Gaia the Fierce Knight in his deck that he was unstoppable. But Aldara was a duelist who relied on her trap cards and sneaky flip-effect monsters to win her matches.

The look on his face when her Nobleman-Eater Bug wiped out both his Gaia and his Garvas sweetened her victory. He was about to go back on his promise, but the bar patrons were witness to the pact. When they stood up and surrounded him, he relented and surrendered the rifle.

"What beastly luck," Aldara said rummaging through bits of pottery and rusted iron pots and pans. A few swords still clung in their racks inside the armories. They were too rusted to make good metal and were covered in thick sheets of cobwebs.

"Damnation!" murmured Aldara with a sad grin. "I promised Tordo we'd have roast Niwatori tonight."

For that matter, I thought I could buy my deck and have the chips to pay for my tuition.

The weapon rack suddenly shook.

"What in the shadows!" The turned on the Surefire flashlight on her weapon and illuminated the weapon rack. Again, something shook the rack. Some swords and a rusted iron halberd fell onto the ground with a loud crash.

"Aldara!" Tordo called on the radio. The reception was poor for she was too far underground. "Wha…wah…'at?"

"Come out!" Aldara called out.

A cute chirp responded to her call. Out of the shadows pounced a peculiar-looking creature.

It looked like a cat. It had brown-squared eyes, large pointed ears, and four little paws; orange fur on top and snowy white on the bottom and most of its face. From the pink inside of its ears white, spiked fur protruded from within. A black stripe went down from the top of its head to its back. A fluffy orange tail at the bottom with black tips. The creature even had short little wings orange fur on top and pink at the bottom. Two little white horns protruded from its round head.

"Well," Aldara said softly, kneeling to get a better look at the little thing. The creature began to lick its paw. "Some dungeon-dwelling cat of some sort. There are only a few creatures living in this world as extraordinary as you. You must be a Duel Monster."

Nyeow, nyeow went the monster, as if to say yes.

"Look at those darling eyes of yours!" she hooted with glee. She gasped and said, "Oh, and those adorable little paws. What are you doing down here anyway? Come on out."

She opened her knapsack and took out a biscuit. She bit into it. "Food," she said. "Come on out. I won't hurt you." The creature came out from behind the weapon rack, sniffing the air. It cautiously approached her. The creature sniffed the biscuit and ate it at last. "What are you?" Aldara chimed.

She heard something scurrying from behind a cobweb-ridden suit of armor. The creature made a happy meow and scurried after it. There was a rat back there.

"Wait!" called Aldara. To her shock, the cat creature breathed fire. It burned off most of the cobwebs on the boots of the armor and fried the rat. The creature consumed it happily. It then came out from behind the barrel satisfied with its fill and scampered happily towards Aldara nuzzling her knees and purring.

"I guess you're coming with me then?" she said. "You're going to be another mouth to feed, little one. There are plenty of rats where I live in so you'll manage I suppose."

"Aldara, come in!" Tordo said on the radio.

Aldara pressed into her earpiece. "Tordo, I read you loud and clear."

"Did you find anything?"

"A few trinkets that will sell well."

"Is that all?" he groaned in disappointment.

"Nope that's not all I found," she scratched the creature's belly. It was rolling on its back meowing with glee.

"Will it sell well?"

"I have no doubt," said Aldara. "But this thing is too precious and I doubt Ushio will give me less than half of what it's worth, so it's staying with me. Keep at the ready. I'll be up shortly. I'm afraid we're going to make do with bread and cheese tonight, my friend."

"That's okay, Aldara. I'm just glad you're safe. Let's go."

The creature suddenly breathed out green glimmering flames at the ground.

"What on earth?"

The flames formed into a black card.

"Wow, what have we here?"

She picked up the card, still a little warm from the flames, slighting burning the tips of her fingers.

"Baby Tiragon? What an unusual name. What's this? You're a dragon?" She looked down at the Baby Tiragon. It flew up and soared around the chamber. "If it weren't for those wings and your fire breath I never would have known. I think things are going to get interesting with you around, little one."

Aldara let the Baby Tiragon hop onto her shoulder before strolling out of the armory.

Neow, neow! Baby Tiragon said pointing his little paw at a wall with hieroglyphics. "Oh, that's a mural depicting a battle during the Machine Wars," said Aldara.

Neow, neow!

"Don't be silly, I can't take that with me."

Baby Tiragon slapped a paw on his face and flew off Aldara's shoulder and scampered towards the wall. "No!" Aldara cried. She chased after the dragon. "Wait, little one, wait!"

The dragon monster climbed up a statue of a soldier guarding the wall and pulled on the spear. The ruins began to rumble. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.

"What have you done!" Aldara shouted picking up Baby Tiragon.

Neow! Baby Tiragon cried out pointing at the wall.

Surprisingly it was rising up. The stone edge grinding against the frame loudly. It must have been ages since the wall had been opened. On the other side of the wall, Aldara spotted an incredible treasure. There was a rod, solid gold in the shape of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It was clutching a glowing blue orb in its mouth and its eyes were made of aquamarines.

"Wow, nice find," Aldara said rubbing the little dragon's head.

Baby Tiragon purred happily and climbed up her arm and perched himself on her shoulder.

"Incredible craftsmanship," Aldara said examining the rod. "If I were to guess, this rod must have belonged to the mage of the royal family. Ushio would have to be a fool not to pay big money for this."

The room Aldara discovered was loaded with treasures. She found a gold hairpin by a nightstand and put it in her bag. Baby Tiragon sniffed the air. He grew uneasy and started urging Aldara to leave.

"In a minute, little one. By the goddesses, just a few of these treasures would make me richer than Seto Kaiba. I wish I brought a bigger bag to put them in. Had I known I'd find you, my little treasure hunter, I probably would have."

When she picked up all her bag could carry she went to the altar and removed the magic rod from the limestone surface. Little knowing she had just awoken the chamber guards. The floor began to quake at Aldara's feet. The extravagant tiles shattered.

From the ground rose Zombie Warrior (ATK/1200 DEF/900). Skeletal soldiers wielding axes, swords, and blue shields. They had spiked, blue pauldrons over their shoulders. They chattered their teeth in an eerie and aggravating battle cry.

Aldara grabbed her rifle, checked her ammo and shot one of the Zombie Warriors. It shattered to pieces, the blackened bones crumbling to the ground. She fired at them, destroying more of the undead warriors as she dashed down the ruins to escape. When she ran out of bullets, she used the blade mounted underneath her rifle and she used that to jab the skeleton monsters. She saw the light from the hole above the ruins that she descended from.

"TORDO!" Aldara shouted out. "Raise the winch!

"I can't! It's stuck!" her little partner shouted back. "I'll get it fixed in no time, don't worry!"

"Hurry!" Aldara shouted up from the ruins. She heard the rattling of bones and the chattering of ancient teeth. The Zombie Warriors were closing in on her, moaning. Some even let out dusty laughs.

"TORDO!" Aldara shouted again.

"I almost got it!" Tordo said fixing the rope which got caught in the machinations of his winch.

"Throw me another clip at least!"

Tordo dug through Aldara's knapsack and found her an extra magazine for her rifle. He threw it down the hole. Aldara caught it, slammed it into her weapon and fired. But there were too many of them. She wouldn't have enough ammo to fend them all off.

"TORDO!"

"I got it!" He shouted. "Hurry, climb on."

Aldara grabbed the rope and felt the winch slowly raising her up. The zombies crowded underneath her moaning in frustration. They bashed their shields and held out their arms challenging her to come back.

At last, Aldara was back on the surface. She looked down and could not believe the sight. The Zombie Warriors completely flooded the ruins below.

"My hero!" she cried out. She grabbed Tordo and kissed him repeatedly. "Thank you..." She kissed his right cheek, "thank you..." then his left. "Thank you!" She pulled him close to her chest. His face was squeezed against her breasts. His left ear could pick up her heart thumping wildly inside her.

"Wow," he breathed. "I hope you get into danger more often."

He was eventually released from her grip. His face was red with embarrassment. The little creature then saw Baby Tiragon on her shoulder. "Wow!" he cried out. "What is that?"

"The card it formed for me says it's called Baby Tiragon."

"I heard of that card," said Tordo. "Although I never would have thought you'd find one out in the wild. These creatures are so rare the Blue-Eyes White Dragon seems common."

They traveled back towards the wall and went through the gate back into the slums of Domino.

"What did you find besides that dragon?" Tordo asked.

The creature was curiously peering out into the city from inside Aldara's pack reaching out for butterflies to eat with its paws.

"I found this in the chamber you discovered. Apparently, it was the home of the royal mage. And, I found these."

She picked up a gold rod with a green gem on top and a golden dragon-shaped hairpin with a shiny ruby. "I'm going to keep the hairpin though," Aldara declared. "If Ushio doesn't pay up of course. The price for these treasures should be enough to pay for school."

"I hope you make it there, Aldara. After you graduate from that school, you'll have acquired skills that have granted the kings of Termnnia countless victories. And when you become the greatest Duelist in the world I'll be your manager. All interviews must go through me should that happen."

"If you insist, Tordo."

"And, we'll split the profits fifty-fifty."

"Oh really!" she laughed him and ruffled his red curly hair.

"You ready?" asked Tordo.

"I was born ready, little guy. After today we're moving to the other side of the wall."

"Oh boy!" Tordo jumped up and down.

When they approached Ushio's covered wagon they both felt their hearts racing. Even Ushio couldn't be so cruel as to give meager bounty for the treasures she found in the ruins.

"So, little Aldara returns." Ushio bit into another nail and spit it out. "What've you got for me today, girl?"

"I found this!" Aldara said taking out the magical rod.

"Ah," said Ushio.

Aldara slipped the rod through the opening. "Fine craftsmanship," Ushio said examining the piece. "The gold is rather faded but still shimmers. And I feel an essence of fire erupting from this rod." He gave his crooked smile. "Two gold Star Chips." He declared.

"Ushio!" groaned Aldara.

"Fine. Three. Not a chip more."

Aldara pouted.

"And that gold pin on that lovely hair of yours?"

"What's it worth to you?"

"Four gold chips."

"Forget it," said Aldara.

"Is that all then?" he said sliding her chips under the opening.

"Yes, that's all," Aldara said taking the poor bounty.

"Then off you go."

"Cheapskate," Aldara muttered. She spotted a roasting goose over a campfire Ushio's guards set up. Baby Tiragon noticed too and emerged from her pack and climbed on to her shoulder, meowing happily for a piece.

"Wait!" called Ushio. "It can't be!"

Aldara turned. Both she and Baby Tiragon stared at him. Ushio spotted a card inside a glass case hanging on Aldara's neck.

"A black card!" Ushio exclaimed. "An Xyz monster!"

"A what?"

He slammed sixteen sacks onto the workbench. "Fifty pounds!" he proclaimed. "Fifty pounds of gold Star Chips for your dragon. Plus, another twenty for the card around your neck. That should be enough for your new deck and pay the entrance fee into Duelist Academy, right? What do you say, love?"

Aldara opened her arms and shoved the sacks of gold Star Chips towards her. She looked around at them in shock. She even opened a few to make sure he wasn't ripping her off. He was serious about the deal, for inside the bags golden Star Chips glimmered from within. With this deal, all her dreams would come true. She looked at the dragon on her shoulder. It smiled at her and licked her nose then purred, nuzzling her neck. Aldara giggled, his furry head tickled her. She sighed and pushed the bags back at Ushio.

"Aldara!" cried Tordo.

"No. I'm sorry, but…I can't. Thank you for your offer, Ushio."

"Come now, girl, you'd throw away a chance to escape this cesspool for that little dragon. It's worth nothing to you."

"Be that as it may, this creature is mine. I won't part with it. I'm sorry."

"Don't be foolish, girl!" snapped Ushio. "You won't see a sum like this ever again, I assure you."

"I'll find a way," Aldara said walking away leaving Ushio standing mouth agape and bewildered. She looked down at Tordo. "Well, now what do we do?"

"Well..." said he.

"You have an idea I hope?"

"You may not like it."

"Try me."

"About a month ago, I was burrowing through the lower parts of the slums when I saw soldiers from the House of Gray patrolling the area."

"House of Gray? The Daltons? Why would they have their soldiers so far in the slums?"

"I followed them and found out," said Tordo. "Apparently the Department of Urban Development from Kaiba Corp discovered some sort of ruin. A temple to the dragon goddess, Saafani. They were guarding it really well because they are going to use it to aid some powerful Summoner. Anyway, I burrowed my way inside the ruins. It took some time to dig through all the cement and limestone, but I eventually made it in last night. Aldara! There was gold in there. Mountains of it."

"Oh no!" Aldara waved her hands in protest. "There is a law against robbing the goddesses."

"I figured you'd say that," said Tordo. "That's why I didn't say anything. But I figured Ushio would be his lying self and rip you off for the treasures. But what choice do you have? Come on, Alda this is your only chance. Sometimes sacrifices must be made to achieve our dreams. You told me that once."

"Well, what do you think?" Aldara said looking at her pet dragon. "Do you think we should borrow some treasures from your creator's temple?"

Neow, neow!

"See, even he agrees," Tordo persisted. "Aldara, come on. There won't be any other chances after this. You could be trapped here forever. You'll die here. And so will your dream."

Aldara bit her bottom lip. She paused, and she thought. "Very well. But let's wait for the guards to enter the temple with the Summoner. Once we're in, we'll take what we can and leave."

Ushio, meanwhile, was growling from the outside of his wagon. He watched as Aldara, Tordo, and the Baby Tiragon disappeared into an alleyway.

"Is that cat valuable sir?" asked one of Ushio's guards.

"Valuable? That cat is actually a rare Dragon-type Duel Monster. That thing's tail is worth more than the gold I offered her. Send the word out, boys. Tell every low-life in this slum the news. I am offering a hefty bounty for the dragon."

"And the girl?"

"I could care less about what happens to the girl! I want that dragon."

---

Yami

---

He exhaled deeply staring at the buildings of glass and steel getting closer as his ship prepared to end its journey at the ports of Domino City. He had traveled to Domino many times, but still, he felt out of place sailing into the city of magic and machine. Throughout most of his journey, he had traveled by ship, but now he was going to be treated inside Kaiba's luxurious black limousine. It was blazing hot even though the hours were still in the early morning.

That was the price Yami had to pay every time he journeyed so far south. He fanned his face with a black folder and thanked the monstrously high buildings stretching into the sky for their shade. He did his best looking modern for the citizens of the city-state all wearing colorful or stylish clothes compared to the dirty tunics or doublets in the west. He had a cell phone, that was a device he had grown used to, but it had to take his alter ego, Yugi, to teach him how to use it. He looked around at the port and could not find the transportation Kaiba had promised them. Yami exhaled again but through his teeth. He felt his face going red and his fist balling up.

"You can call him you know?" Yugi said, standing next to Yami in his ghostly form.

Yami responded with an agitated grunt.

"He's late on purpose," he said, grinding his teeth.

Yugi rolled his eyes. He stared at the steel-armored soldiers wielding rifles as well as swords and shields walking by on their patrol of the ship. Their armor was clinking and clanking with every step.

"Such weird weapons those guns are," Yami commented as they passed by.

Yugi chuckled and said: "I find them more intimidating than swords."

"I prefer a blade over those cumbersome, noisy weapons," Yami grumbled.

"Aw, you're just mad you can't use them," said Yugi.

"Ha! All I need is my sword and my Dark Magician. And as I recall you can't use them either." He chuckled. Remembering the time Yugi was in control of his body. He spent an afternoon with Prince Michael in his armory firing his collection of rifles. Yugi tried to use one, but the weapon caused him to shake all over the room. Michael saved himself with an advanced shield spell that blocked the bullets.

"I hope he's forgiven me for that," said Yugi.

"He has," Yami assured him. "He's a boy with a heart of gold. Which is why I need him for the alliance."

"This plan means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Yugi asked.

"Anubis is gone, but our home remains divided," Yami said, looking up at the buildings. He admired their architecture. Some of them a mix of traditional Termnnian and modern design. He sighed, looked back at Yugi and said: "Our leaders are fighting one another, and we have a warmonger in the North. The youth of Termnnia are eager to take over, and I aim to see it through, starting with Daveed and the Seven Princes of Termnnia. I already have Jon of Riftgaard and Ryon Balor of Katina on my side. And now that he's back from the wars in Akuuda, Michael has agreed to join the new High King in the alliance."

"They've all agreed so quickly?" Yugi asked.

"They are patriots," said Yami. "Termnnia comes first before anything for them. To say nothing of their kindness. You won't find better men. Their fathers were the ones I trusted in the moving of the lost golden eggs. Their sons want to atone for that horrible loss."

"What power those eggs could have given us," said Yugi.

"We don't know what power they hold," said Yami. "That's what made them so dangerous. Perhaps it's better they remain lost."

"Ah, here he comes now," said Yugi, pointing at the red-bricked wall looming over the docks. Someone was looking down at Yugi's friends who were all waiting for him at the pier the boat was to dock at. "Good ol' King Antilles himself. I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Not long enough," said Yami. "I was hoping never to see him again."

The ship finally docked. Joey, Duke, Tristan, and Téa where there waiting on the pier. Téa waved as the ship came closer.

"So, he has finally arrived," Antilles snarled approaching the group with his arms behind his back.

"Captain?" Téa said with a gasp. "I didn't see you there."

"And just what does he intend to do with the Naralian king?" he asked. "Are we to go to war or are we to decide this with petty games."

"This petty game will save a lot of lives," said Téa. "We are still recovering from Anubis's rule, so there is no need for more conflict."

"Do you really think a renegade king will keep his word because of a card game?" Antilles asked briskly.

"We don't expect him to," said Tristan. "But we hope to withhold his advance to give us time and get Yuri back."

"Yuri?" asked Antilles.

"That's what they've come to call Prince Daveed on Earth," Tristan responded.

"Is that so?" Antilles said narrowing his eyes.

A ramp was lowered from the boat and onto the dock. Antilles watched as the ship's passengers and crew walked down the ramp followed by a small boy who eerily resembled Yami in every way. He had the same hairstyle and eyes, save they were bigger indicating innocence. And he was shorter, much shorter.

"Yugi!" Téa called out to her old friend.

"Hey guys," the little boy called back.

"What?" Antilles asked. "But, when last I saw him he was taller!"

"Hey, Yugi," said Joey. "How's it goin' man?"

Yugi's cheeks puffed and he turned green. "Not so good," Yugi said squeamishly, holding his stomach. He ran to the edge of the dock and vomited.

Téa gasped and ran to him, kneeling and rubbing his back as he tossed his cookies into the Ramanos Bay.

"I guess your stomach isn't as strong as the spirit's," she said standing up.

"I had hoped he'd transform into me after we've docked," Yugi coughed. "Me and the sea don't exactly see eye to eye."

"Speaking of transform," Téa whispered. "Would you mind not doing so in front of current company? Not everyone in Termnnia knows your secret."

"Oh, right, well it's because of current company that the spirit of the puzzle changed back into me," Yugi replied getting up from the ground.

Yugi looked at the stern king as he stood in his armor of silver and steel plate with his white sash over his shoulder and a cloth-of-gold cape swaying in the wind. "He doesn't like him very much," he added.

"I can see why," said Téa. "He's been nothing but a thorn in our side in our campaign to secure Yuri's entitlement to the throne."

"So, what news of the North, Yugi?" Antilles asked.

"The Dalton Family have sent Cyber Dragons to the edge of Elleria and blasted Forrest's mercenary army to shreds," Yugi replied.

"Excellent," said Antilles. "With those monsters on the field, Forrest is going to have a hard time getting anywhere. I still say having Yuri on the throne is a bad idea, but if he's the key to stability in our land then so be it."

"Well I'm glad you're finally seeing reason," Yugi said walking past Antilles and into a black limousine where Joey and the others were waiting. "We'll meet you in the House of Gray so I can introduce you to the Summoner of Dragons."

"She is here?" Antilles said in surprise. "Bless my soul. Had I but known. I thought she was in Emboldor."

Yugi looked up at him. "She was, but I heard she ran into a bit of trouble lately. There's a rumor going around that she's been defeated by a rival summoner. It destroyed her, so I sent her a letter directing her here so I could lend her a bit of help. And, perhaps, maybe even get her to fight back King Forrest who is preparing to conquer Elleria."

"Of course," said Antilles. "I will make for the House of Gray with haste; for I much desire to speak with her." He turned and walked to his carriage. Despite all the cars in the city Antilles preferred to use his own carriage to take to the House of Gray, the main castle of Domino and home of the Daltons.

"Man, what's his deal?" Joey asked. "Why does Antilles despise Yuri so much?"

"He was supposed to be next in line for the throne," Yugi said, looking out the window at the city. He let out a heavy sigh and said: "Antilles was High-King Antar's, right-hand. His top war advisor. Many years ago, Antilles summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon in a Duel."

"What?" said Joey.

"A Divine Beast?" asked Tristan. "Him? No way."

"But how, Yugi?" Téa asked.

"I don't know," Yugi replied. "No one was sure how, but he did it. Since he was summoning Divine monsters many thought he would be the one to succeed Antar in the Diamond Throne. But then, Yuri was born. After he destroyed Anubis, the Divine Beasts clearly must have had a change of heart and chose him as their new master. Antilles was furious. He tried to summon the monsters again but they refused his calling, almost killing him. Antilles felt as though Yuri stole the throne from him."

"But it's not his fault," stammered Téa. "Yuri was still just a baby. There was no way he could have controlled the events that took place that night. It's just destiny. And destiny decided Yuri should be their master."

"That may be so, but Antilles won't see reason. Even now, he believes he should rightfully take the throne. He's a shady one, he is, so I suggest we all keep an eye on him."

"Yugi's right," said Duke. "Maybe bringing Yuri here would put him in more than danger than ever."

"He'll still be in danger anyway if he stays on Earth," Yugi said, turning his gaze from the window. "Yami's contact in the ESS reported in, saying that Yuri's being stalked by mysterious hooded figures. I don't know guys, but, hooded goons running around is never a good sign."

"The sooner he comes home the better," said Joey.

The limo traveled the highways of Domino for another hour before finally reaching the castle known as the House of Gray, the home of the king of Domino. Once they arrived Yugi's puzzle began to glow and Yami took his place. The palace guards arrived, juggernauts of gray steel and Kevlar fielding heavily modified rifles that bore the emblem of the gray armored lion, the family sigil of the Daltons.

"His majesty awaits you, Master Yu-Gi-Oh." The guard said from inside his blue-visored helmet. His voice was garbled from the radio inside his helmet.

"Thank you," said Yami. "Come on, everyone."

"Wow, I can't believe they built this place so tall," Duke said looking up at the towers reaching up into the clouds. Armored vehicles slowly drove through the white-gray cobbled paths. The family symbol emblazoned in the courtyard on the ground in gray, black, and white tiles.

"Amazing," said Tristan. "This is going to be the first time I've ever visited the Daltons. Let alone set foot inside the House of Gray."

"Then do us a favor and keep your flatulence in check," Téa grumbled. "The last thing I want is to be embarrassed in front of the royal family and the Summoner."

"Touchy, touchy," said Tristan. An airship soared over them rumbling the ground with its powerful engines.

"I want you all at your best," said Yami.

"Yugi, look," said Joey.

Yami set his sights to the direction Joey was pointing. He saw a fair-faced boy approaching his group surrounded by a squad of soldiers in Kevlar and steel, fielding rapid-fire rifles from the other world. The boy bore an ear-to-ear grin on his face, though half of it was concealed behind a devil's lock that went down past his chin. He wore a black buttoned shirt and dark denim jeans with a steel chain hanging from his belt.

"All hail, Michelangelo Octavius Dalton The Fourth," Yami declared. He and his friend bowed respectfully. "Crown Prince of Domino."

"I was getting worried you declined our invitation," Michael said happily. "I was about to send my men to go searching for you. That Summoner is not easy to get a hold of. Seems like everyone's after the power."

"Michael," Yami said, slapping the prince's shoulder. "I haven't seen you since you were just a boy. My how you've grown."

"Welcome to the House of Gray, Master," Michael said bowing respectfully to his Duel Monsters teacher. "And friends of course."

Michael looked at Téa. "Is she the one who I heard holds your heart?" he whispered.

"No," said Yami. "I do not trifle with love anymore. Not after she left the way she did."

Michael tsked and shook his head sadly. "You still haven't found her? We have the technology to start a search."

"Now is not the time, Your Grace," said Yami. "I believe your parents are expecting us for breakfast."

"The Summoner first," said Michael. "She's anxious to finally meet you."

"So be it," said Yami. "Everyone, go to the dining hall and wait for me. I shall be down shortly with our new ally."

"All right then," said Joey. "Don't take too long, I'm getting hungry."

Yami nodded in compliance and followed Michael into the western tower of the castle.

"Sorry I haven't been around for your meetings, Master," Michael said, placing his arms behind his back. "I had a lot on my plate. That Cyber Knight vigilante making the war against the Aeon gangs pretty interesting. And then my affairs with Prince Marcel up in Akudda."

"You have no reason to apologize, Your Grace," said Yami. "You did what you could for the sake of our Kingdom. I am proud of the progress you and the other princes have made."

"We couldn't have done it without you, Master."

"I did nothing," Yami chuckled. "I merely gave you and the other princes a little nudge out of the door."

After a long elevator ride into the heavens, Michael led Yami down sunlit halls with windows showing off the clouds and the blue sky outside. The hallways of the tower built with elaborate and rich ornamentation. Chandeliers of crystal hung from the ceiling and the pathways, bordered with black and white tile, were made of glass to display a flowing indoor river snaking underneath their feet lit up with small round floor lamps.

There was a guard following them carrying a large box with a gold lock and made of polished maple. "You say she was hard to find," said Yami.

"She was in hiding," Michael replied. A group of palace maids saw both he and Yami coming into the halls. They bowed in respect. "I feel sorry for her. Poor thing. The Church is after her; they sent out a warrant for her arrest."

"What was her crime?" Yami asked.

"Summoning," Michael replied. "Despite having powerful dragons at her command, the girl feels getting the gift was sheer dumb luck more than anything. Hopefully, you'll have a better time convincing her otherwise about her destiny; Goddesses know I've tried. Anyways, she was spotted by some townsfolk summoning her dragon after she came out of the temple. They reported it to the guards and now the king wants her. But, a pretty girl summoning dragons is not the reason the church wants her."

"What other reason would they want her for?" Yami asked as they climbed up a gleaming limestone staircase with iron handrails.

"They fear her. The Church's divine words in the White-Gold Tome prophesize that there will be an evil witch whose children are demonic beings who can spew fire. She will bring the death of four kings and The Church will crumble in her fury. Ooooh." Michael teased wriggling his fingers to look spooky.

"I see," Yami said, rubbing his chin. "So, The Church fears her because the White-Gold Tome says she's the witch in the prophecy."

"Yup. Come on, Master, a girl who can summon dragons; winged-monsters who can shoot fire from their mouths. The Church does not see this as a mere coincidence."

"Well, she no longer has reason to fear," said Yami. "She is under my care now. And since I am the very voice of Termnnia, no one is to bother her."

Michael chuckled. "Well, there's one item on the list of things I thought I would never see in my lifetime. First Daveed brings ruin to Anubis; a girl summons dragons, and now you seek to start an alliance that has never been seen since the Seven Golden Kings. Things are getting interesting."

They stopped.

"Right here, Master," Michael said showing Yami a white door with elegant carvings.

"Thank you, your Grace," said Yami. "I will see you at breakfast,"

"Master," Michael said bowing. He turned and left.

Yami opened the door to the room ahead and smelled the sweet scent of cotton candy. Avi was sitting on her bed reading the legendary tales of High King Tiberius. She wore a beautiful silk gown glimmering like the stars; white high-heeled slippers and she had a ring in the shape of a butterfly on a white flower around her left index finger. Her hair, like threads of shimmering gold, went down to her back flowing gracefully like a river, shining brightly in the sunlight outside her window which showed a blue sky with fluffy clouds slowly passing by. She was listening to music from her phone, her ears covered by white earbuds blasting a 90's song from Earth.

"My Lady," Yami said out loud so she could hear him.

Avi turned and gave a welcoming smile when she saw Yami walking into her room. She shut off the music and her book and got up to bow.

"Master Yu-Gi-Oh!" she chimed. "This is a pleasure."

"Lady Avellana, the pleasure is all mine," he took her hand and kissed it. "Where is your knight?"

"Ser Gerhalos is in the courtyard examining the technology of the city with my companions. We are both very intrigued as we come from cultures that have not yet had the gift of technology."

"Do you like it?"

"It brings one's comforts quickly. This device Prince Michael gave me is quite fascinating. I no longer need to rest at an inn or go to a festival to listen to music. Is this music truly from the other world, master?"

"One of the many goods that have been exported from the other world," said Yami. "And are you ready for the task at hand?"

"You wish for me to be the Summoner of the High King. Why?"

"You are the first Summoner to call on dragons in ages," said Yami. "Saafani does not willingly grace those who pray to her with her children. Only those she deems worthy may call on her dragons and you have been deemed worthy."

"I think I got lucky," said Avellana

"Young lady, you call summoning dragons lucky?" Yami asked with a chuckle.

"So I summoned a dragon," said Avellana. "It was a beast named Arvas. But you know him as the Duel Monster called Ancient Dragon. What does it matter? I've met plenty of Summoners who can call dragons."

"But not True Dragons," said Yami. "Wyverns and flying serpents do not count. And just because a Duel Monster has 'dragon' in its name, does not mean it is a dragon. Your Ancient Dragon is a real dragon. Dragons are not gifted to Summoners, who might I add, have to be master wizards or mages. But you are neither. You said you had a dream of dragons flying around a great presence. Sweetheart, I believe you saw Saafani."

"The Goddess of Dragons, yes. The other priests of the temple said this as well."

"And do you deny it?"

"I have to admit I am far from convinced. Especially after my loss to Arietta."

Yami laughed. "Do not fret for such a thing, young one. The only thing that matters is you saw one of the Goddesses in your dreams. But..." He waved his hand over her face. "I still sense a lot of doubt in you. How? You pray at her temple, get blessed with a dragon and yet you still have doubts?" Yami chuckled. "What must it take to open your eyes, my dear?"

"That is a good question? Even now after all that has happened I still feel doubt in my heart."

"How about the gift of another dragon?" Yami asked.

"Huh?"

The guard stepped in and bowed, holding up the maple box. Yami thanked him and took it from him before sending him away. "Here. A weapon befitting the Summoner of Dragons," Yami said opening the box.

"Oh!" Avellana exclaimed, seeing a staff of polished silver with flowery filigree engravings and a glowing crystal ball on top encased in platinum wrapping around it like vines.

"The staff will grant you a significant boost in your Mana, so summoning your dragon will be easier, and it can shield you from enemy spells with a magical ward. There is also a spirit of a Prime Material Dragon sleeping inside of the staff. If you need it to aid you, you can call it but once per day."

Avellana took the staff out of the box and examined it. It was longer than she was. Avellana was five feet ten inches tall but the staff dwarfed her by another five feet and it had a blade at the bottom so the staff could be used as a melee weapon. Though it was so big and tall, the staff was as light as a feather when held.

"This is truly a glorious time," Yami watched Avellana give her staff a twirl and a thrust with the blade.

"I suppose this marks the beginning of a long journey," said Avellana. She made the staff disappear with a thought. "Where do I start?"

"There is a temple of Saafani here in the city," said Yami. "After we have had our fill at breakfast, I will take you there. Then, you will pray to the Goddess of Dragons. And if you get blessed with another monster to summon I will tell you more. If not, then getting the Ancient Dragon was just sheer dumb luck. But you have another beast with you. The mighty Sanctity of Dragon."

"He doesn't like me very much," said Avi.

Yami laughed. "Come, My Lady, there is so much to discuss at breakfast."

"Yes, Master," said Avellana.

She followed him out of her room. They got into an elevator down the hall and awaited a long descent to the floors below.

"So a grand alliance of princes. You seek to bring the glory days of the Seven Golden Kings?" Avellana asked.

"Nothing as romantic," Yami replied. "But it will help to bring Termnnia together."

"Hopefully go against King Forrest and the Church of Yeyu."

"We will stop his campaign to conquer Termnnia," said Yami. "But as for the Church, there is nothing we can do."

"There must be something we can do."

"They are extreme with their ideas, but per the Concordant of Free Practice, they can spew their rhetoric. It is a religion whose founding leads back to the Second Age. Millions practice it. We can't just not allow them to follow their beliefs."

"At the risk of them silencing ours?" Avellana retorted. "Yugi have you even read the White-Gold Tome? There is nothing but hate, murder, domination, sexism, bigotry, and violence in those pages. How anyone can call Yeyunism a religion is beyond me. They abuse our most precious right of free speech, in fact, they damn free speech, but use it to go about persecuting people who don't think or live as they do. I've lived in the North, almost all my life, Yami. I saw firsthand how barbaric they are to those who don't share their ideas. I've seen a group of men beat on a young girl because her legs were exposed while wearing a skirt. She said she was hot, but according to the will of Yeyu, women most show decency and cover themselves. And I saw them nail a small boy on an effigy of Yeyu because he had a deck of Duel Monsters cards. For the sake of the Mothers, Master Yugi, they've outlawed Duel Monsters in the North! Duel Monsters! Our beloved game!"

"The Church will get its comeuppance," said Yami. "We will see to that, but so long as the Concordant is still active, they are free to think the way they think. Our people are strong and our armies stronger, as is our future High King. I will aid him in dealing with the radical ideas of The Church and the true enemy looming farther east."

"The Orcs?" Avellana gasped.

"Yes, but that is a subject for another time. I believe we have kept our friends waiting long enough. Come we are needed downstairs. Have no fear, love. There will be happiness in Termnnia one day. You'll see."

"We wouldn't have to deal with them if we had the hidden power of those four golden eggs."

Yami grimaced.

"Damn that lazy Ser Argrave Blackwing. If he didn't flee from his task of guarding those eggs we'd still have them."

"Ser Argrave was a noble warrior," said Yami. "You cannot blame him for running off. After the Sisterhood killed his wife, he lost the will to continue and vanished."

"Yes, vanished and left the eggs for High King Julius to collect. I fear what would have happened if you, Antar and Gabriel hadn't stepped in and rebelled against him. Those eggs were the reason why Julius Dragonheart was confident enough to kill the Plantegrasts. And we were so close to securing them, and then King Forrest ambushed you and the army guarding them in Red Ridge, giving time for the Orcs to sneak in and claim them."

"It was a tough fight," said Yami. "But it would seem that even without King Forrest's intervention, as well as the Orcs', we still would have lost them. There was a powerful earthquake that night that caused the mountains to crumble and the earth to shatter beneath our feet. We lost a lot of good men in the quake, including the eggs. Ser Argrave is not entirely the blame for this."

"There is still a lot to blame of Ser Argrave, master. If he would have tended to his duties and remained with the eggs, the Plantegrasts would still be in power... and the last Celtra would still be here."

Yami coughed furiously. Avi took that as a signal to stop talking about Ser Argrave and the missing eggs.

The elevator came to a stop.

Avellana nodded and followed Yami out the door to the dining hall where his companions were waiting. The food was already served. Joey was slobbering over all the delicious morsels he could eat. Plates with stacks of pancakes drenched in syrup, bacon, eggs, sausages, buttered biscuits, pork, and sliced apples.

"It's about time," said Tristan. "Lord Eldon said not to eat until you guys came."

"Allow me to introduce Lady Avellana Lofnmagni Ethelfleda of Normandia. The Summoner of Dragons." Yami proclaimed to his friends.

"Beautiful," breathed Duke. "I heard Norman women were some of the finest in Keya."

Téa kicked his leg.

"Ouch!"

Avellana bowed in respect for the Heroes of Rassay. She looked up at them and said: "I know my name is rather long, but you can call me Avi. All my friends do."

"I prefer that," chuckled Joey. "Damn what a title."

"So, you're from Normandia?" said Duke.

"I-I am," Avi said shyly. She couldn't believe she was in the company of legends such as this. Yugi Muto and his friends sitting down with her for breakfast.

"That explains that brilliant color of silver in your eyes," Duke said again. "It's a pretty interesting heritage. The Normans were the first Men to wake on Termnnia."

"I bet your family is thrilled," said Téa.

"Forgive me, My Lady, I have no family. I was found by a baker and his wife who discovered me naked outside their house."

"And what pray tell were you doing naked in the streets?" asked Duke. For that matter, why didn't you wind up on my estate grounds?

"I don't know," said Avi. "I have no recollection of anything. It feels as though I had just woken up. Like I was just born in this word. I have no memory of my childhood. Where I came from. Anything."

"Now I know why they called you The Girl From Nowhere," said Joey. "That's kinda eerie."

"You're hard to find from what the king tells us," said Téa.

"She is," the elderly king Eldon said smiling from the head of the table, dressed in black robes with a dress shirt and tie underneath and armored in engraved steel at the shoulders. "I sent messengers all over the city-state looking for her, but it seems like everyone wants to have her services."

"The nobility of the world has such an eye for me," Avi said, sitting down beside Yami. "To say nothing of the priests of the Temple of Saafani. All of them want to see me and train me in The Faith. Although some think having a pretty dragon-summoning Norman girl will bring power to their Houses."

"Pay them no heed my dear," said Queen Nanna. "Many of the Houses that have called upon you are still sour they lost the right to parent Daveed in the War of the Infant many years ago. So, they're looking for some way to bring themselves power."

"I can't blame them," said Duke. "Having someone who can summon dragons would be very beneficial."

"I refuse to be a means to someone's end," Avi said, pouring herself a glass of milk. "But if what you tell me is true, you've brought me here to be the Summoner for the High King."

"The High King has an esteemed order," said Yami. "One of the jobs in that order is the Royal Summoner. Alongside the court magician and the captain of the guard, it will be your job to protect the Lord of Termnnia from his enemies. That is the main reason I have brought you here, Avi. We need you to use your dragons to combat King Forrest and kick him out of Elleria."

"I see," Avi said angrily. "So you intend to use my dragons for war? The first Dragon Summoner in years and you intend to use me as a weapon?"

"You will not be some sort of weapon to bring power to one's ego," Yami assured her. "You will be treated like royalty, and I assure you being the royal Summoner is a great honor."

"I shall accept," said Avi. "Not to be pampered like a queen mind you, but because I would like to use my gift for good use. And defending my High King and his people sounds like a noble cause."

"Atta girl," said Téa. "That's the spirit."

"She has to go through her pilgrimage first," said King Eldon. "To be a Royal Summoner means you have to have more than five monsters to qualify."

"I do?" Avi asked sheepishly.

"Yes, I apologize if you thought you were getting the job immediately. Yami only brought you here to let you know that the position is open. There are other Summoners out there, like your rival, Arietta, looking to get the job I'm afraid. And they can summon many beasts. You may be the first Summoner Saafani has blessed since the olden days, but a few dragons will not be enough to secure you the spot of the High King's Summoner. Therefore, you must go on a quest, a pilgrimage of sorts, across Termnnia and find the temples of Saafani, pray to them and receive your gifts. Once you receive your dragons, you and the other Summoners will meet in Rassay and do battle to determine which one of you is the strongest and worthy of being the royal Summoner of the High King."

"Oh, my," said Avi, "that's a mighty task to undertake. But if Master Yu-Gi-Oh has high regard for me, then I shall not disappoint him."

"There is no pressure, my dear," said Yami. "This is all up to you. If you feel you are not ready, I understand."

"I appreciate your concern, master, but I think I am ready."

"Travelling Termnnia is going to be perilous," said Michael. "You're going to need a traveling companion to go along with you. I shall send you, Fira, the finest soldier in our military. She will keep you safe. I will also grant you a loan of five hundred gold Star Chips to fund your pilgrimage. As for any other travelers that will be up to you to decide. I have done my part to help you on your journey."

"I was hoping my prince would join me," Avi said blushing.

"I'm flattered, but I have my own duties to attend to. I am needed in White Harbor soon; I shall sail on the morrow."

"For what?" Avi asked.

"Master Yu-Gi-Oh is gathering the members of his alliance there. So far almost everyone has answered and joined in. All that leaves us is the Eradicator of Anubis himself and Prince Talion, who I fear has gone missing in the battle up north."

"What!" gasped Yami. "Your Grace, is this true?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Michael. "Talion and his forces were driven farther north at King Helmsley's behest. Last I heard Talion was at the Battle of Black Mountain and no one ever saw him again."

"I hope he's okay," said Téa. "He's beneficial to the alliance."

"His father doesn't think so," said Yami. "It took a while for me to convince him to let his son join. Now it seems he sends his son to war to avoid it. Avi, if what Michael says is true I must ride north immediately. I cannot join you in the temple."

"But you just got here!" Téa protested.

"There is much to be done," said Yami. "I cannot rest. Joey, it's almost time to get Yuri back. You'd best prepare Rassay for his return."

"You got it bud," said Joey. "But when I do bring him home, do us all a favor and rest. Yer gonna work yerself t'death."

"I have read so much about Daveed," said Avi, "will I get to meet him before he goes to school?"

"No, you have a long journey ahead of you," Michael plopped a sausage into his mouth. "When you have received all the dragons from the temples scattered across Termnnia, then you can meet him. I will take my leave now."

Michael got up from the table.

"Father…mother. Master Yu-Gi-Oh! I thank you and your friends for your visit. Lady Avellana, may the Stars of Entuli light your path."

"And may they bring light to yours," Avi said, bowing her head. Eoveth, my prince."

"Eoveth, Avi," Michael bowed and stormed away.

---

Later, Yami led Avellana to the courtyard where a young woman was waiting for them.

"Fira!" Yami called out.

The woman said nothing. There was an awkward silence before she turned to look at them. "Sergeant Fira," she corrected him, removing her red cordless headphones lit up with red neon. "I trust the little one here is the Summoner?"

"You were expecting someone else?" Yami asked.

"I guess you could say that. The tales I heard from the North say she is a fearsome sorceress who can shoot jets of fire from her hands and summon winged fire-spewing beasts, so large they cast out the sun and leave the land in shade. But instead, you bring me a scared little girl."

Fira walked around Avi, examining her. She played with Avi's hair, wrapping a lock of it around her finger. "She's pretty I'll give her that. I suppose I have seen far worse."

"I will not have this!" Avi snapped, thrusting herself back. "Master, is this who the royal family will have protecting me?"

"And who would you rather have alongside you, little girl? Some puny western knight."

"He's from the south," Avi retorted. "Very, very south."

"And what does he have that I don't?" Fira felt the ground tremble and someone, or something, was blotting out the sun. She heard a snarl above her. She turned slowly and saw a giant.

A creature with the body of a man, but he had the head and mane of a lion. He was armored in white enameled armor ornamented with gold designs and a flowing white cloth-of-gold cape attached to his gorget with gold fastenings. The sword he had sheathed on his back was larger than a man and his two large fangs were coated in gold and sharpened like daggers.

"May I introduce you to Ser Gerhalos," said Avi. "The Knight of Claws. And yes, he is a Leogai from the southern islands."

"We don't see much of your kind up north," said Fira. "Why have you left the Eltagi?"

"I longed for a higher purpose in life," snarled Ser Gerhalos. "So, I left and played service to a lord from the city of White Harbor. I saved his daughter from getting her flower plucked by a bandit gang and he knighted me. But he died shortly after from a fever, and the lady of the castle had me cast out. I have served as a hedge knight since, wondering Termnnia for over a hundred years. Until Master Yugi found me and hired me to guide the Princes."

"You look too well protected to be some lowly hedge knight," said Fira. "That's some handsome armor you're wearing."

"It was a gift from Prince Michael," said Ser Gerhalos, puffing out his chest to show off the detail of his armor. "A token of gratitude for protecting Lady Avellana. The king even named me a full-fledged knight. I protected her from many dangers, including King Forrest's mercenaries from his church of murderers."

"You were chased by witch-hunters?" Yami asked.

Avi sighed. "Yes, I did not know they came this far south. I had never been so terrified in my life. One of them shouted that they wanted to…have fun with me before sending me back to Naralia. But then Ser Gerhalos saved me."

"I have served as her knight for over a year now," Ser Gerhalos said folding his arms. "No harm will come to her so long as I draw breath."

Fira grinned. "So, the little hatchling has some teeth. Have no fear, Summoner. I was merely teasing you of course."

Avi wrinkled her nose in disgust. Fira wasn't too bad looking herself, but she was far from the beauty Avellana had. Her rose-red hair was swirling down the right half of her head while the left was completely shaved off to display the blue runes tattooed on her head going down the left half of her face and neck. Her eyes were icy blue and her beautiful lips scarred from battle. She wore a suit of Kevlar and steel. Black pouches to hold her extra magazines for her M4 Dragonfire lay strapped to her black enameled breastplate of steel and three more on her pauldrons and tasset. Her skin was lightly tanned and bore pink scars. A sword lay sheathed on her back.

The guard shaped the like head of the gray lion of the Daltons. Though Avi couldn't see it, the blade had enchanted runes glowing in blue on the length of the blade, and her rifle had a fiery aura about it. The receiver had the image of a dragon's head with glowing red eyes.

"Fira Northfleet. Domino Military ace. At your service, my lady." She bowed. "Well, shall we get this show on the road?"

"Very well," Yami gave her a map tucked in a compartment in his cape. "Take care of her. This temple lays hidden in the underbelly of the city."

"Oh, lovely," Fira made a clicking noise, rudely swiping the map out of Yami's hands. "Hmm. Oh, my, it's worse than I feared." She let out a loud burp. Avi's eyes widened in shock. "Pardon me, Summoner; I had a big breakfast. It seems we have to trek through the Omega District."

"And what is that pray tell?" asked Avi.

"A prison town, designed by His Majesty to house the rats of the kingdom. Heed my warning, love, it will not be a pretty place."

"And we must really go through it?"

"What reason have you to be worried? Just summon a beastie and send them away."

"I don't want to start a scene!"

"Then stay behind me and keep quiet!" Fira was getting rather annoyed with Avi's well brought up mannerisms, worse yet, her constant fear of the unknown. She was just too soft. A little dove in Fira's eyes. Dove? She smirked, for she had just thought up a cute nickname for Avellana. "Since you are a Summoner, you have mastered the arts of magic, yes?"

"No, she does not," Yami answered, for he saw Avi looking at the ground blushing to hide her answer. "A normal Summoner would have to be a master of the magical arts, but Avi was given the gift instantaneously. That is why she is special."

"She doesn't know magic?" Fira frowned. "Goddesses preserve us."

"We waste time," Yami said, walking away. "Let us begin our journey to the temple. We have much to do. I will escort you to the gates. After that, I shall leave you."

"Come, Ser Gerhalos," said Avi. "Let's gather the others and head for the temple."

Avi trailed behind Yami, leaving Fira to take the rear of the party.

---

Aldara

---

"This is the place," Tordo hopped up and down, pointing at a large white door below. He gasped. "DUCK!"

Something massive swooped over them. Its wingbeats created a fierce wind that shook the canyon and sent clouds of dust into the air. A dragon. Someone was riding a dragon up there.

"A Dragon Rider!" Aldara said in awe.

Tordo gave a loud gulp. "That's not any Dragon Rider. That sword on the guy's belt. There's no doubt about it. That's Constantine the Sword of Dawn. He's famous for slaying hundreds of warriors loyal to the Church of Yeyu. I should have known Lady Avi would get someone like him as a guardian."

He peered through the bronze telescope he wore around his neck. He whistled, spotting two blazing-haired beauties amongst the soldiers below. Being a follower of all of Termnnia's greatest heroes, he recognized them at once. "Wow. That's Trish of Applehold and Phoenix Lockheart of the Adamantium Citadel. She's been hand-chosen by Yugi Muto to be Prince Yuri's Court Magician when he becomes High King. I can't believe they're here, too. Their fire spells can burn a battalion of soldiers to cinders in seconds."

He squealed jumping up and down when he saw a girl with a little green dragon on her shoulder. "That girl! With the dragon hatching there! Goddesses, that's Blair Flannigan. She's arguably one of the best female Duelists in Termnnia! Wow, and the rumors are true. She has a dragon as a pet, just like that girl Christine in Tourneville! Can it be happening? Are dragons truly coming back to Termnnia?"

"I don't know about that, but it looks like you weren't kidding about the security," Aldara said, looking down the canyon of junk and debris. "Looks like every hero from King's Rock to the Coastal Kingdoms is here to see that Avi's mission is a success."

The tactical knights of House Dalton marched all over the area setting up guard posts, squads and sniper positions for the Summoner, who was quickly on her way. They even put up a few mobile command centers outside of the ruins, for not too long ago some thieves tried to sneak into the ruins to steal the treasures inside.

Their bodies lay near the entrance covered under black sheets, ready to be picked up by a White Tower ambulance and taken to the morgue. Prince Michael ordered his men to close the streets near the ruins. The entrances blocked off with holographic barriers that read Do Not Cross in bright red.

Machine-type Duel Monsters called DUCKER Mobile Cannon (LV 3 ATK/500 DEF/500 Attribute: Light) patrolled the perimeter around the ruins of the temple.

"Hey, isn't that Ushio?" asked Tordo. "That Eldori down there with the scar on his face."

"No, that's Trudge," said Aldara. "Ushio's twin brother. And believe me when I tell you, I'd rather face Ushio right now than Trudge."

"No kidding," said Tordo. "Looks like he's here to oversee operations for the arrival of the Summoner. That's a lot of hardware."

"How do we get through that?" Aldara asked. "Not even a master thief can get past that heat?"

"Hey, if the Orcs can sneak past the defenses of Rasaay, we can get through this. Come on, I burrowed a tunnel leading from the sewers."

"The sewers?"

Neow! Neow! Went Baby Tiragon.

"It's the best way to go unnoticed," said Tordo. "And we better do this quick. The Summoner is on her way, and when she gets here we'll never get our hands on the treasure of the temple."

"Why not?"

"You ask so many questions!" Tordo face-palmed himself. "Once the Summoner receives her gift, the soldiers will take the treasure themselves and send them to the museum."

"Oh, dear," Aldara moaned. "We can't have that, can we?"

"Hurry, it's this way." Tordo hopped down a path of junk and dirt. Suddenly they heard a loud: "HERE YOU ARE!"

Aldara jumped and turned her head. A group of Elven thugs was climbing down a hill of junk armed with custom melee weapons. The leader was a Tolkeri wearing a brown leather coat with gold buttons and chains. He wore goggles on his head and his tail was pierced with rings.

Tordo squealed like a slaughtered rabbit when he saw the Tolkeri boy. "By the Goddesses!" he shouted. "It's MAX!"

"Who?"

"He's the guy who set that bounty on my tail!"

"Well, look who it is," said MAX. "Stupid Tordo. And I see you've found me the dragon everyone's looking for. And a sweet new servant for me."

"RUN!" shouted Tordo. He reached into one of the pouches on his belt and tossed a capsule at the ground in front of them. A white veil of smoke concealed them as they dashed into the junk canyon below.

"After them!" shouted MAX. "I want that dragon. And the girl if you can. A hundred gold Star Chips to whoever gets me her! Another fifty for the one who brings me Tordo's tail!"

"You got it, boss!"

"I'll get 'em baby!" said his right-hand-woman, a Redborne woman with a gold mohawk-ponytail combo. All she wore was a leather high-collar vest, leg-length boots, black strung-up arm gloves, and a black leather g-string thong. Her body was covered in tattoos of rifles, roses and tribal markings from Kalunga, an island near Akuuda.

MAX got onto his hoverboard and flew down the hill to try and cut Aldara and Tordo off. His right-hand-woman, named Wulfra, slid down the hill of junk, flipping open a deck box attached to her leg. She took out two cards from the top of the deck. "Let's see what we've got!" she said peering at the cards. "Perfect!"

Her pendant, a totem of Ana the goddess of machinations, began to glow. She summoned two machine-type monsters. Saber Slasher (LV 5 ATK/1450 DEF/1500 Attribute: Dark) and a Bat (LV 1 ATK/300 DEF/350 Attribute: Wind)

"A Summoner!" gasped Aldara. "She's a Summoner!"

"Run! Keep running!" Tordo pleaded, sprinting as fast as his little legs could carry him. Wulfra took a powerful revolver from a holster over her lower back and started shooting them.

The shots could be heard by the soldiers below and they started to split up and setting up battle positions. One of the soldiers opened the back of a truck releasing two Giga-Tech Wolf (LV 4 ATK/1200 DEF/1400 Attribute: Earth).

"Oh, great!" shouted Aldara. "The soldiers know we're here."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't fight back!" Tordo shouted.

Aldara nodded and swung her rifle to her hands. They took cover behind a wrecked car.

"Here, take this!" Tordo tossed her a target acquiring scope for her rifle.

"Where'd you get this?"

"I won it in a duel," said Tordo. "Hurry, use it."

Aldara mounted the scope on her rifle. The computerized reticles filled her vision with data graphs, wind mileage and even lit up her targets in red. Wulfra and the other members of MAX's gang lit up with red hues over their bodies.

"Beautiful!" sneered Aldara. She fired a few warning shots, killing two of the gangsters. Wulfra took cover behind the ruins of a highway-side apartment building as her machine monsters dashed toward them.

"Run!" Aldara shouted.

The Bat monster shot a purple laser at them. The car they hid behind melted from the intense heat. They sprinted further into a ruined tunnel. Saber Slasher took out his sword from behind his back and darted into the tunnel as well to chase them.

"Oh-no!" cried Tordo. "Look!"

Aldara looked up. Through the holes on the ceiling, she could see MAX flying overhead on his hoverboard. He had a weapon in his hands. A laser weapon that he removed from the tail of a Giga-Tech Wolf. He made a few modifications for the weapon such as a wooden handle and a forged iron sight made of melted junk to form the weapon into a pistol.

"Look out!" Tordo shouted.

The pack of Giga-Tech Wolves was running right towards them. One of them pounced on Saber Slasher and the other shot down Bat with its laser tail. The other two cyborg wolves chased after MAX's gang.

"Shit, my monsters!" growled Wulfra.

"Hold them back as Wulfra and I head down!" shouted Tordo.

---

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the ruins, Avi had arrived. She looked up at the junk canyon. The air popping with gunfire.

"What's happening?" she asked. "Ser Gerhalos! Is that...that noise! Are those guns?"

"Mierda!" shouted Santiago, drawing his rapier. "It's a trap. Get back, Lady Avi. It's too dangerous. I will handle them!"

"What is the meaning of this?" said Fira.

"My Lady," said Officer Trudge of the Domino City PD. "Get into cover. It looks like we've been caught in the middle of a gang dispute."

Fira growled and equipped her rifle. She began ordering both the soldiers and the officers. Ser Gerhalos took Avi under his arm and took her into a mobile command center to keep her safe.

"Stay here, My Lady," he said to her. He snarled, lighting up his gold canines, and unsheathed his sword from the scabbard on his back before charging outside for battle.

Santiago kissed Avi's hand. "Have no fear, my lady, I will keep you safe from all evil."

---

Aldara and Tordo went down many twists and turns to get away from both the gang and the Domino military police. They started to have a big firefight on the ruins of the highway. MAX met up with Wulfra and a small squad of his best men to regroup and form a new plan while the others fought the soldiers outside.

Aldara then followed Tordo down into the sewers underneath the temple. But they were far from safe down there.

Duel Monsters even inhabited the underbelly of the city. They had to battle through horrid creatures such as a blue muck monster called Dorover (LV 3 ATK/900 DEF/800 Attribute: Water) Twin Long Rods (ATK/ 900 DEF/700 Attribute: Water) and a terrifying slug Thunder-type monster called Bolt Escargot (ATK/ 1400 DEF/1500).

"You never told me there were so many monsters down here," Aldara breathed heavily. Baby Tiragon hissed angrily, trying to shake muck and grime from his fur.

Aldara checked her rifle's ammunition. Half a clip and she had two more in the pouches strapped to her thigh. They would run dry if they encountered any more monsters. And, the blade mounted underneath her weapon was growing dull and was covered in ooze from the Dorover monsters.

"They weren't down here before," Tordo said, opening a steel hatch that he built when burrowing into the temple. "I guess the firefight on the surface spooked them. Come on. The entrance to the temple is right here. We'd better hurry. The Summoner is here and she'll begin her prayer any moment now."

---

Avi

---

"Hurry my lady!" Ser Gerhalos shouted from outside the command center. Avi whimpered, slowly getting up from her hiding place. She took her knight's paw and was forcefully led out. Fira aimed her M4 Dragonfire into the ruined highway sniping the elven gangsters up above.

Constantine and Tartarus soared over the junk ruins, bathing them in flames to flood the criminals out into the open to be apprehended by the police forces. Phoenix and Trish worked elegantly as a team, shooting streams of fire out of their palms into old buildings to burn them out as well.

"It's just as I feared," grumbled the captain of the squadron. "It's that damn gang-lord, MAX."

"Who's MAX?" Avi asked, shielded by Ser Gerhalos's massive armored body.

"A thug of the Tolkeri," Fira answered sternly. "A race of wild children from the root of the Blue Mountains. Mischievous reprobates, all of them, but this one is the worst of them all. Hurry and get inside!"

"Cover the Summoner!" shouted a soldier. He and his squadmates fired their guns into the gang's position.

"Al ataque!" cried out Santiago. His lightning-fast speed allowed him to zoom from one place to the other in a blur. He stabbed the gang members in the eyes, throat, and chest, ending them quickly. "Ha-ha!" he said, dancing around. "If you want Lady Avi, you will have to get through me!"

His showmanship was outdone when Blair and her dragon sprinted towards a few riflemen. Working together, she and her Mystic Dragon ruined them in a matter of seconds. Then, Constantine and his Infernal Dragon swooped down and showered more gang members with a rain of fire, sending the other surviving members to flee for their lives. Robin and Rhaimundos of the Red Sword were littery cutting their way through the others. He used his hoverboard to go after Max and they had a daring swordfight in the air, leaving Santiago feeling a little outshined.

"Show offs!" shouted Santiago. He hurried to fight more gang members to impress Avi.

"This way!" grunted Ser Gerhalos. He had his arms crossed over her. She followed his pace, squealing at the gunshots popping all around her.

"What do they want with me?" Avi gasped.

"What don't they want with you, Dove?" Fira sprinted beside her and Ser Gerhalos. "You're a hot Norman girl who can summon dragons. Not to mention you got at least twelve-hundred Star Chips worth of jewelry on your person."

"MOVE!" shouted Ser Gerhalos at the soldiers. "Make way for the Summoner!"

It felt like she ran for an eternity under the arms of her knight. But at last, she set foot inside the temple of Saafani. Carvings of Duel Monsters dragons guarded the offering alter.

"My goodness!" gasped Avi. "Look at all this gold!"

"You can keep it for yourself," a soldier said to her. "You're going to need gold if you're going on your pilgrimage."

"I can?" Avi beamed.

"Careful now, Dove," said Fira. "Don't you think we can stuff all this gold into our pockets. Not even your knight can carry this."

"I cannot," growled Ser Gerhalos. "But it would be wise to carry what we can. We're going to need this gold. I imagine ammunition for that rifle is not cheap."

"No way," Fira said, mounting her rifle over her shoulders. "They cost like a hundred Star Chips per magazine. Thankfully the Daltons paid for my ammo, but, now that I'm under Dove's service I have to scrape what I can."

"Knight One to Paladin!" a soldier said into his radio. "We're escorting Avellana into the temple now. Keep MAX and his thugs as far from the temple as you can."

"Understood, Knight One. Be advised, two figures have been spotted jumping into the sewers. We're sending Valiant Team to investigate, how copy?"

"Roger, Paladin, solid copy. All right men, diamond formation around the Summoner."

"Roger!"

"Roger!"

"Roger that!"

"What lurks in these chambers that require Domino City Security?" Avi asked.

"Who knows with ruins like these, Dove," said Fira.

They traveled down a long-arched passageway, the ceiling spanning several stories high. The white stone walls mounted with dragon heads spewing water into pools surrounding the path. There were bright green lights in the pool, illuminating the hallway in a dull green color.

"Wow, this is beautiful," gasped Avi. "I've never seen architecture like this before."

"It's just a really big building, Dove," Fira said, popping a lemon drop into her mouth. "Let's just find your dragon and go."

"If I can get it," Avi said fearfully. "What if this was just sheer dumb luck."

"My Lady is special," said Ser Gerhalos. "She will receive her gift. I feel it in my heart that you were born for greatness. This dragon you shall be blessed with will be proof of that. High King Yuri would be proud to have you as his Royal Summoner."

"Thank you, Ser Gerhalos," Avi said carefully treading down the one-hundred-yard pathway. "I feel you are right. The Goddesses must have blessed me greatly to have a friend like you."

"Pah," scoffed Fira.

"And I thank you for getting me this far, Miss Fira. I was wrong about you. The Daltons made a wise decision naming you as my defender."

"Forget it," Fira said, chewing her lemon drop. "Huh?" She spotted something dancing over Avi's head. Something bright and red.

"DOVE!" she shouted. She pounced on her, knocking her to the ground. She heard a blast coming somewhere from the ruins.

"Sniper!" shouted a soldier.

"You okay, Dove?" gasped Fira.

"Oh, dear!" cried Avi, her face glowing red. "Get your hands off me!"

"Oops!" giggled Fira. "I squished your boobs. Sorry, Dove." Wow, they're really nice.

Ser Gerhalos roared into the darkness. The soldiers aimed to where he was roaring and fired at a buttress nearby. A yell of agony echoed in the hallway. The assailant fell from his perch and landed with a sickening thud on the violet carpeted ground. The offender wore an armored tactical tunic. His helmet was decorated with a bright green visor. Inside, Ser Gerhalos could see data charts flowing on the visor. But that was not what angered him. On the metal chestpiece was a flaming eye.

"A witch hunter!" he growled. "Have you no honor!"

He kicked the corpse.

"The Church of Yeyu followed me here?" gasped Avi.

"Everyone stay close!" shouted the lead soldier. "There could be more in here."

"Highly unlikely," said Fira. She was looting the assassin for ammo and his pistol and discovered a note.

"It says here that he was sent here alone."

She read aloud.

O' Warrior of Yeyu. You have been assigned to eliminate the witch who is called Avellana Lofnmagni Ethelfleda otherwise known as the Summoner of Dragons. Your mission will purge the world of this monstrous sinner and her black magic that blasphemes against the Lord Yeyu. Best of luck to you brave warrior of the Fires of Judgement.

-Patriarch Salvation of the Red Tower in Lionhold.

Ser Gerhalos spit on the body.

"Those beasts!" grumbled one of the soldiers. "Damn them!"

"If only Master Yu-Gi-Oh was here to see this," growled Avi. "Maybe then he'd reconsider not banning this fundamentalist ideology."

"Come, Dove," said Fira. She held out her hand to pick Avi up. "The chambers are just a few paces away."

Avi nodded. She took Fira's hand and was pulled up to her feet. She brushed dirt and pebbles off her gown and then proceeded into the temple's main chamber.

There was a pillar with the likeness of Safaani carved on it. She was naked and being caressed and covered by her children. The Dragons. A pool encircled the pillar and up ahead was a pedestal with a glowing orb of light hovering over it.

"Knight One this is Paladin. We've got MAX. And thanks to Avi's companions, his thugs have been detained. Valiant Team is still searching the sewers for the other two perpetrators. Be on the lookout."

"Roger, Paladin. Knight out."

"Thank you all so much for bringing me here," said Avi.

Trudge bowed and took Avi's hand to kiss it. "It was an honor, my lady. We'll make sure no trouble makers reach you as you pray. Good luck on your pilgrimage. May the Stars of Entuli light your path."

He and his men slammed their fists over their chests.

"And may they bring light to yours," Avi said with a bow.

When Trudge and the soldiers left, Avi slipped off her high heels and slowly walked into the pool. She shivered when the cold water caressed her feet, but she pressed forward and waded deeper into the pool. When she reached the pedestal, she got down on her knees.

She clasped her hands together and began to pray in elvish. A vortex of light surrounded her. Her elegant golden hair flew up and then she was lifted off the ground. Brilliant golden flames suddenly enveloped her.

"Dove!" Fira out in horror.

"No, wait!" Ser Gerhalos said holding out his arm to stop her from running to Avi. "Watch."

---

Outside the temple, MAX and his men were being rounded up into armored vehicles that would take them to a prison on an island by the coast of Domino called Satellite.

"Any signs of the perps in the sewers?" asked Knight 1.

"None," said Valiant leader. "We're still searching though."

A roar echoed from within the temple. The soldiers aimed their weapons at the entrance but quickly lowered them, for they knew the roar was a harbinger for good news. A gust of wind blew out of the entrance followed by loud, thundering footsteps. Avi stepped out of the darkness of the temple with her two guardians grinning confidently.

She had a grin on her face as well, making her look like an angel as the sunlight touched her and gave her a radiant glow. From the temple emerged her gift. Her first beast, the one that started her journey was an Ancient Dragon. It gave a thunderous roar to announce the arrival of Avi's newest gift, a magnificent White-Horned Dragon (ATK/2200 DEF/1400) stomped out of the entrance and gave a roar above his new master.

The Domino City Security soldier raised their fists in the air and cheered. And just for the sake of it, Avi summoned the Prime Material Dragon sleeping inside her staff. It flew over the soldiers. They were cheering and whistling as the beast came to a stop behind Avi and the rest of the dragons.

"Master Yu-Gi-Oh was right," Avi said looking up at her dragons. "I am a Summoner of Dragons."

"Goddesses be praised!" Ser Gerhalos said, getting down on one knee. "My Lady, congratulations."

"So it wasn't pure dumb luck after all," chuckled Fira.

"I was a fool to think so," Avi said, trying hard not to cry. "I do not know how I got to this world, but I do know I have a mission to complete. To be Prince Daveed Wallcroft's Royal Summoner."

"This is going to be a long journey," grumbled Fira. "Looks like I have to stock up on ammo and bring spare pairs of panties."

Ser Gerhalos grumbled, shaking his head at the unnecessarily crude comment. Suddenly, the roof inside the offering room collapsed. Avi and her dragons turned to see what was causing the ruckus.

"HELP!" shouted Tordo, hanging for dear life on Aldara's pants. It was a long way down to the floor below.

"It's them!" shouted Trudge. "The criminals!"

"Tordo let go of my pants!" shouted his half-elf friend.

"Ack!" he shouted. "I'm falling!"

"You're going to disrobe me!" Aldara said using her free hand to yank up the back of her pants. Baby Tiragon was gnawing on her sleeve doing all he could to keep her from falling.

"Is that what I think it is?" gasped Avi.

The poor cat-like dragon could hold the two treasure hunters no longer. They both fell but were saved by Avi's Ancient Dragon who caught Aldara by the neck of her jacket. When the dragon lowered Tordo and Aldara to the ground the Domino City Security soldiers surrounded them, taking Aldara's weapons and her sack of loot.

"You should know stealing from the temples is punishable by death," Trudge said looking down at them.

"Death by firing squad will suffice," said Aldara. "Have you any last words?"

She pointed her triple-barrel revolver at Aldara.

Neow! Baby Tiragon said jumping in front of Aldara.

"What is that?" asked one of the soldiers.

"It's a dragon!" exclaimed Avi, pushing through the soldiers. "A Baby Tiragon!"

"Now that's a rare beast to come by," said Fira. "How'd you get it?"

"He found me," said Aldara. "I'm so sorry, it's just, this place is hell. I can't stand it. I was trying to earn money for Duelist Academy but that crook Ushio ripped me off. My friend, Tordo, led me here so we could take just enough treasure to pay for my tuition and a deck."

"You're a fool if you think you can get good bounties from that scoundrel, Ushio." Fira smirked.

"Looks like my bastard twin is still up to his schemes again," grumbled Trudge.

"I know," said Aldara, "and it looks like he offered a bounty for my dragon. That explains why that Tokeri and his gang chased us. Please, don't kill me. I'm all this baby dragon has in the world."

Neow, Neow! Baby Tiragon said sorrowfully.

"This does not bode well," said Ser Gerhalos.

"Yikes!" Tordo yelped burying his face into Aldara's waist. He had never seen a Leogai before and Ser Gerhalos was rather intimidating.

"Are you well trained with that weapon?" Avi suddenly asked.

"I am," said Aldara. "Wait, you're the Summoner! My Lady, forgive me. I did not know, otherwise, I would have properly addressed you."

"That matters not," said Avi. "I understand what it's like scraping through life just to survive. If you promise to lend me your services and travel with me as a protector, perhaps we can drop all charges."

"But, My Lady!" protested Trudge.

"Dove, think this through," said Fira. "They were stealing from the temple."

"I can forgive that, so long as they pledge their services to me until the end of my pilgrimage. Then, I can offer a way to pay for your studies at the academy."

"You'd do that for me?" Aldara asked. "My Lady, I will be forever grateful."

Avi giggled cutely. "Just call me Avi." She winked.

Fira shook her head. She did not like it, but Avi was the boss. "Very well, but I will be keeping my eye on both of you!"

"Welcome aboard the pilgrimage of the Summoner of Dragons," said Ser Gehalos.

"Come, my lady," said an officer. "His Highness, Prince Michael as left you supplies for your journey in the barracks back in the city."

"The city!" gasped Aldara. "Can it be true? Am I finally going to leave the slums?"

"We'll see your new companions get some proper gear," said Fira. "And a shower. You both smell like shit."

Aldara sniffed herself. What she deserved for battling sewer-dwelling Duel Monsters.

"I can't believe it," said Tordo. "We're going into Domino."

"Come, then, Tordo," said Aldara. "We've got a long journey ahead of us."

---

Lore

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Ana-Goddess of knowledge and machines. The Machine and Psychic-Type Duel Monsters are her creation. Worship of her is banned in the West, North and Southern regions of Termnnia, for the citizens feel the machines are blasphemous against the gifts of the other goddesses. Her only temple is located in Battle City. She blesses those who pray to her with increased intelligence for a limited time. For this, many schools and universities prohibit students to pray to her during test days.

Redborne- A dark-skinned, golden-eyed race of Men from the southern continent of Akuuda. They thirst for adventure and travel mostly as mercenaries and traders.

Summoner-A highly sought after job of the arcane arts. Only master mages and sorcerers can learn to be Summoners. Summoners must also have a strong faith in the goddesses. They travel Termnnia searching for hidden temples in order to be blessed with new Duel Monsters to summon from their planes of existence into Termnnia. They can even pray to evolve their current creatures into more powerful beings.