Yuri
Yuri had reached White Harbor at last. He jumped out of the ship, paid his fare and strolled to the city bank to turn in a letter of credit that Yami slipped him the night before. He withdrew five thousand gold Star Chips and fifty silver coins. He used that money to buy himself some armor, gear and a horse but the stables were far from the city so he bought a few potions and left.
Now he walked down a lonely dirt road through the plains of Emboldor. The Great White Mountains, the longest mountain range in Termnnia stood majestically in the distance dominating the pine forests at their feet. The sky was bright blue and the sun's rays gave bright colors to the world around him making the black of his ranger gear look almost tobacco brown. However, there were dark clouds looming over the mountains in the west.
He put on the hood of his cape over head. The cape split in two behind him like tailcoats. The buckles and zippers of his clothes and his weapons clinked and clanked with every step. His light-forged sword and the battle rifle Michael gave him were crossed over his back. His Duel Monster's deck strapped onto his elegant black belt with Velcro. He was armed for bear but it was a shame he had to do it alone.
Eagles soared in the sky above him. Birds chirped and bears growled from somewhere in the woods. Yuri never thought he would be dressed the way he would. He would only see armor like this in his fantasy video games. Still though, even though he was dressed in some awesome attire and killed a few wild Duel Monsters like Skull Stalker, Horned Imp and Wicked Worm Beast; his feet were getting sore and he knew for a fact that he was running out of time.
Forrest only gave Yuri a week to respond and the journey across the sea from Aurelia took three days.
To make matters worse there was a storm brewing behind the mountains and night would be upon him within a few hours. He needed a horse and shelter to make camp.
Then he heard the neighing of horses coming from behind a hill. He hurried with all his might and saw below a stable with a few acres of land fenced off to keep at least thirty horses inside. There was a stonework windmill nearby and a vegetable garden next to a luxury cottage. A well with a straw roof was right by the house and he saw a stallion as black as night with a mane seven feet long and a white streak going down his face. A wooden sign read Fogbog Stables in messy red letters.
A girl in a brown quilted doublet and a long tan skirt was sweeping the front porch of the small cabin. She had red hair, a pale pretty face, and large blue eyes. There was a boy sitting on a rocking chair beside her and he was flipping through his Duel Monsters deck.
The girl looked up from her work and saw Yuri coming. She called her father at once.
Just then a man with messy gray hair and a face wrinkled with age came out of the house. He wore boiled leather overalls over a messy white shirt.
"Ah, a customer!" he said happily. "Welcome, I am Chester Fogbog and these are my children, this is Jebadiah and my daughter Emma.
"Uh, heh-heh-hello," the girl said shyly while Jebadiah just raised an arm to show he knew Yuri was there.
"Uh, hi. I am looking for a horse," said Yuri removing the hood.
"What's wrong with your eye?" Jebadiah asked rudely.
"Brother!" snapped Emma. "Mind your manners!"
"Do you have money?" asked Chester.
"I wouldn't be here looking for a horse if I didn't have money!" Yuri said impatiently.
"Ah, anyone in particular?" said Chester.
"Yes, I would like the black one with the white streak going down his face."
"Oh, that's our best horse, sir," said Emma. "She's an Emboldorian Night Singer. Her name's Nelia. And she's actually a girl. She's our fastest and most expensive horse."
Yuri's eyes widened. "Nelia? Pretty name. I'll take her."
"How much are you offering?" Chester asked, to which Yuri frowned; and he tossed him a velvet sack of Star Chips. "Ah." Chester said tossing it up and down on his hand to measure the weight. He had been in business for years and he knew a good thing about measuring the number of chips he got from customers. Yuri tossed him a sack of 1000 Star Chips, an offer bigger than anyone had given him. He decided to continue pressing him on. "Hmmm, it's a good price, but Nelia is a special horse. It's gonna cost you a bit more, eh!"
Yuri reached for a pouch on his belt near his Lightforged Sword. He walked to a table near Jebadiah and opened his fist, dropping hundreds of small, handsome sparkling rubies, some of the treasures he looted from the giant's horde on his way to The Pillar of Termnnia.
"Oooooh!" cried Chester. "My Lord we have ourselves a deal. I'll be right back with the deed. Nefeli is yours now."
"Thank you, sir," said Yuri.
"Oh, My Lord, would you like to stay for dinner?" Emma asked.
"I wish I could, but I must be on my way."
"Oh, but, My Lord, I insist. The storm is getting near, and night draws ever closer. We have a room available, free of charge."
"It's a kind offer, but no thank you."
The girl pressed on. "Please, just for tonight. I can make anything My Lord asks me too. I'm a good cook."
"I'm sure you are, but I must be heading out."
"But you'll never make it in this storm at night!" Emma said desperately.
"I feel my daughter has a point lad," said Chester. "There be a lot of troublemakers and foul monsters roaming the forest at night. I would not wish our business to be for naught. And by the looks of all those weapons, I can tell combat lies ahead. I've seen many a man lose a fight because of an empty stomach, and twice more who had lack of sleep. Please, we won't charge you for the food."
Yuri paused then he heard a clap of thunder in the distance. Plus, the wind was blowing hard now making the cottage creak.
Forgive me Serenity!
"Okay, okay," Yuri said in defeat.
"All right then," said Chester. He clapped his hands. "Jebadiah, pick some vegetables from the garden and clean them up so your sister can cook them."
"Awww," groaned Jebadiah.
"Stop your whining boy and get! Emma, get the kitchen ready for supper. My Lord, come with me so we can look at your new horse."
By the time the sun went down the storm was now upon the ranch. Rain fell hard and the wind howled like a mighty beast. The horses sought shelter in the barn while Yuri and the Fogbog family had their supper inside the warm cottage. Emma cooked Yuri a potage of beef with horseradish cream and honey bread with honey roast carrots and turnips with a bowl of chicken soup.
Yuri dunked a crust of honey bread into the broth of his soup and ate it. Emma barely touched her food. She was staring at Yuri with interest, marveling at his eye glowing green in the dim light of the fireplace behind him. Jebadiah looked at the weapons on his belt and he saw Yuri's black deck box with a red orb.
"Are those Duel Monsters cards?" Jebadiah asked in disbelief. The golden edges of the cards looked beautiful in the light of the fire and the candles on antler chandelier hanging above the dinner table.
"Yes," said Yuri chewing his food.
"Are you a Duelist?" Jebadiah asked with delight.
"I am," said Yuri, taking another bite.
"Can I see your deck?"
"Uh...no," said Yuri.
"Why not?"
"They might get messed up," said Yuri. "I saw you with a deck outside earlier today. Are you a duelist too?"
"No. But Emma is. She's really good."
Emma blushed with embarrassment when she saw Yuri laugh.
"I bet you can summon a lot of strong monsters," Chester said stuffing cheese into his bread.
Yuri took a sip of orange juice. "I can summon a few monsters."
"I want to be Duelist too," said Jebadiah. "Emma and I want to go to Duelist Academy but it's too expensive and not even the money you've given us is enough to get us there."
"I'm going there after summer," said Yuri.
"Wow, you must be really rich. The mayor of Hollandstead sent his children there to show off his wealth to the peasants."
"Can I see your cards?" Yuri asked.
Jebadiah handed Yuri the cards. Yuri flipped through them quickly. They were in poor condition. The edges were wrinkled and gray Some cards were bent. Plus, the strongest monster he had was a beast with only 1000 Attack Points.
Still, Yuri had to be nice.
"This is a good deck," he said handing them back to Jebadiah. "You'll be a strong duelist one day. Just gotta believe in yourself."
"What is your name, My Lord?" Chester asked.
"It's better for you and your family if you did not know who I am."
After dinner, Yuri washed up and went to his room. He lay on a warm bed reading the map of Embodlor Yami gave him. Fort Labelda was another few days away, maybe less, now that he got his horse.
He would leave quickly at dawn before Emma would bug him to eat breakfast.
He went to bed and stared at the Divine Beasts, rubbing his thumb over their raised images. They must have been enchanted, for the smudges that the oils in his fingers left behind were wiped away by a rainbow-hued flash of light that flew over the card. He then grew tired, put the cards away and blew out the candle at his bedside.
The storm continued raging into the night.
Yuri's sleep was lifted around two in the morning when he felt something brush on his chest. He quickly reached into the darkness and felt a bony object followed by a startled gasp. Yuri then realized he grabbed Emma's wrist. She looked down at him with fright. She was clutching tightly to a fur blanket.
"What are you doing here?" he growled.
"The storm frightens me, My Lord." The girl answered breathing heavily.
"Why are you here?" Yuri asked again.
"I speak the truth," said Emma. "The storms of light have frightened me since I was but a babe." She then smiled. "At the same time...I thought My Lord would like some company."
She took a step back and opened the fur blanket to reveal her naked body.
"Ooooooh maaaaan!" Yuri groaned and he quickly looked away and slapped his palm over his eyes so hard he saw flashes of light. Emma breathed heavily as she let the blanket fall on the floor. She shivered and rubbed her hand on her thigh.
She waited for Yuri to look at her.
"Look," Yuri said getting out of bed. "You've wasted enough of my time!"
He picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her to cover her nakedness.
"I had dinner, you made me spend the night; causing me to fall way behind schedule, but I sure as hell am not going to 'Do it' with someone I don't know. I appreciate the food but that is all the favor I ask of you. Now get out."
"Can I at least stay with you, My Lord."
"No!" Yuri yelled. "Now goodnight."
Emma looked down at the floor to avoid eye contact with him and slowly made her way out of the room.
"Wait," said Yuri.
Emma looked back at him. She could see his green eye glowing in the dark as he looked down at the floor. "I have a friend who's also scared of thunderstorms. I know how you feel. You can stay."
Emma smiled and walked back into the room towards the bed.
"On the floor!" Yuri commanded.
He threw her the bed sheets so she didn't have to touch the musty wooden floor. Yuri sulked back to bed and threw himself on the bare mattress. The wooden bed frame creaked from the impact.
"Why will you not have me?" Emma asked slowly removing the blanket to show her nude body again. "Am I not pleasing?"
"You are," said Yuri looking at the ceiling. "You're beautiful, and your body is something only a madman could resist. But I'm not interested. Do you do this to all the men who come here?"
"Well, no. I'm not a whore."
"Then don't act like one. Now cover yourself up before I make my leave! Storm or no storm!"
Emma grimaced and did as she was told. "Will you at least take me on your travels? Are you a knight? I could be your squire."
Yuri rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration. "Your family needs you here, girl! Now shut up and let me sleep."
"I don't want to be here anymore," said Emma. "I want to go to Duelist Academy and maybe have a career in Domino City. You're rich, can't you help me?"
"No. And I'm not rich. Now. Go. To. SLEEP!"
Emma stayed quiet after that but then he heard her sobbing. It tugged at Yuri's heart to hear her like this and maybe he was a little hard on her.
Yuri shut his eyes, but sleep he would not find that night. He heard thumping and crashing and the screaming of Chester. But it was Emma's scream that finally tore him from his sleep. He raised his neck up and saw something standing out the door. It was a sickly creature baring its sharp yellow teeth. Its eyes were large and wide and it wore armor put together from whatever piece of metal it could find. A goblin. It lunged into the room but before Emma could even scream there was a flash of light and in seconds the goblin's head rolled around on the floor. She looked up and saw Yuri wielding his Light-forged sword.
"That sword!" she cried out.
But another cry came out from the other side of the house.
"My son! My son!" It was Chester.
Yuri ran out of the room ordering Emma to stay where she was. His sword lit up the darkness and a group of goblins in the kitchen area which he quickly disposed of. Chester was outside standing on the porch holding the head of a goblin in his left hand, an old rusty sword in his right hand raised up high in the air. He charged but fell on the ground too weak and too old to pursue the goblins who were carrying away Jebadiah. Yuri ran to him to check on his health. He was stabbed in the chest but thankfully there were no major organs hit. Still, he was in shock and was losing blood.
"Father!" Emma called out running into the rain with only a stitch of clothing on her. "He's dying!" she cried out. "Oh, father!"
"He needs medicine," said Yuri. "Let me think...uhh...AH YES! Do you know the plant Kingsbane?"
"Kingsbane? It's a common plant the grows out in the forest at the foot of the mountain." Emma answered. "It's highly toxic."
"Not if you know how to use it. I know a thing or two about alchemy from my time in the Legion."
"You were in the Imperial Legion?" Emma asked.
"Yes, I can make a basic potion, but it should be strong enough to keep him alive. You carry him inside and dress his wound. I'll come back with the plant. Do you know where I can start looking?"
"I mostly see it in near the path to the mountain road. But, it's dangerous there could be goblins out there!"
"I'll take my chances. Hurry, press on the wound, give him water and I'll be back in no time."
Yuri dashed into the torrential darkness. Being alone made Emma worried. What if the goblins came back for her? She had to be brave. She took a deep breath and took her father to the kitchen and then put a wet cloth on his wound. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped like the footsteps of a giant which it could have been for all she knew. Emma was so scared her mind was playing tricks on her. Every shadow was a goblin slaver, every gust of wind was the wings of a dragon and every flash of lightning its fiery breath. Yuri came in moments later.
He had a cut over his eye from running into a tree branch and his fingers were bleeding from when he was struck in the hand by a goblin patrol. The blade was so blunt it barely did any damage but Emma could see the white of bone on his index finger. Yuri wasted no time in preparing the potion. He had Kingsbane in his fist and there was a white flower called CaRyona which took away the toxins in the Kingsbane. Then he had a few honeysuckles and a handful of Kelva Berries, a sweet wild fruit that gave flavor to the potion as well as provides faster healing for the flesh. After he drank the potion Yuri carried Chester to bed. "Jebadiah..." Chester said weakly. "They took my son."
"Where?" Yuri asked. "I'll find him."
"They...they headed n... north. I heard from a tradesman that they have a nest of sorts in there. You must save him. Goblins have been known to kidnap children from their homes and turn them into more goblins. Please, save my son but if it's too late...kill him."
"Father!" cried Emma Rose.
"It won't come down to that. I promise. I'll get him out."
"My Lord, what if the goblins come back?" Emma asked clenching a blanket over her body.
"After what I did to their scouting party I don't think they'll want to come this way anymore," Yuri said lifting his hood over his head he dashed out of the room, his cape giving a woosh after him as he darted into the darkness. On his way out Yuri remembered that while out looking for the ingredients for the potion he was attacked by a goblin shaman.
Yuri used his Lightforged sword to slice him across the chest. It was a nasty wound, but one that did not kill the shaman. If he was still out there Yuri could follow him to their nest and perhaps put an end to them.
Sure enough just as he entered the path up the mountain he saw torches up ahead. He ducked, hiding behind some bushes and saw that they were a goblin patrol who came across their shaman resting on a tree, nursing his wound. They picked him up and led him deep into the forest. Yuri climbed up a tree and hopped from tree top to tree top following them until they came across a cliff. One of the goblins pulled open a curtain of moss revealing the entrance to a cave but it was too late for the shaman.
Somewhere along the way he had died of his wound and was carried ceremoniously into the cave. Yuri jumped down and searched his deck. He took out three cards took a deep breath and summoned the beasts and surprisingly he didn't feel any pain when he summoned them, sure he felt a bit weakened but it was pretty easy. The trials in the Pillar helped him greatly with his Summoning.
Wasting no time, he summoned three raptors; Uraby, Trakadon, and Gilasaurus to aid him in the fight and then he used a spell card called Invigoration, a spell that increased the power of Earth monsters, to boost up their strength. "We're going goblin hunting," said Yuri taking out his Light-forged sword and activating it bringing light to the darkness. "Feeling frisky tonight fellas?"
The monsters hissed, agreeing. Not only did they want to fight they were hungry. "Let's go," he said slicing away the moss curtain and making his way inside. "WAIT!" a voice called out. It was a man carrying a thin rusty sword. "Is this by chance the entrance to the goblin nest?" he asked.
"It is," said Yuri. "What are you doing out here?"
"I c'ask you the same question," said the man. "But from the looks'a dese beasties I'd say you were a Duelist, those gifted kids with the powa t'summon monsters outside of b'atle."
"Yes, but I ask again. What are you doing here?"
"Them goblins took me son!" said the man. "I 'eard the stories o' what they do t'kids. They change'em into mutated beasties called Wontas. I don't want that for me son milord. Please, you gots'ta lemme find 'im."
"All right, can you summon anything?"
"I used ta summon an M-Warrior and a Celtic Guardian but dose days are long gone. I'm afraid the fuckin' bastard father time's caught up wit me. Still I can handle a few goblins with me blade. Dey don' call this Goblinbane for nut'in they don't."
"Okay, but stay close. We'll find your son." Yuri led the way.
"Thank yeh, I'm Rupert by the way, Rupert Godswollup."
"Prince Daveed Delgado Wallcroft," Yuri said entering the cave.
"You givin' me bollocks?" asked Rupert.
"That's your own fault if you don't believe me," Yuri said stopping to remove his hood. It smelled musty in the cave from the old stone and the dirt in the air.
"No way!" Rupert said with excitement. "It really is you it'n it? I 'eard lots about ya." he walked circles around Yuri cheerfully. "Word travels fast in Termnnia; the bards sing songs at the pub about how you climbed the Pillar itself to get the Divine Beasts. You gots them?"
Yuri turned and took out a glass case around his neck. He showed Rupert Obelisk the Tormentor who was on one side of the case and Slifer the Sky Dragon on the other. He reached in and carefully took The Winged Dragon of Ra out as well. Rupert stopped and knelt down. "I am honored."
"You'll be dead if you don't keep quiet. Goblins can hear for miles," said Yuri. "Once we find your son and my friend we can celebrate at the tavern later. Deal?"
"Aye, aye milord."
The ground was covered in footprints and there were torches on the wall and goblin hieroglyphics written on it as well. The three dinosaurs trailing behind him sniffing the air. Trakadon suddenly growled.
"What is is, friend?" Yuri asked.
He scooted back against the wall the give the dinosaur space to dash forward. He heard a growl and yelping. He went forward and saw that Trakadon was hacking and slashing a squadron of goblins ahead. The goblin he recently killed was on the ground, its throat cut open. Uraby and Gilasaurus gave a roar and dashed forward to attack an incoming attack force.
Yuri gave a battle cry and followed his monsters into what appeared to be the main chamber. There was a river flowing around, giving off blue light and there was chandelier above made of metal, human bones and moss. Yuri raised his arm to summon a monster.
"Gladiator Beast-AAARRRGHH!" he shouted as an immense pain shot through his body. It was too strong for him to summon. He was kneeling on the ground trying to recover, a goblin ran after him with a mace, but Uraby pounced on him and slashed it to death. The room was then cleared. Goblin bodies were scattered about the floor. "Papa!" called out a ghostly voice. "Paaaapaaa!"
Rupert began to sob. "Jonathan!" he called out. "Son is that you!"
"Paaapaaa!"
"Jonathan! I'm comin' son!" He sobbed, dashing into the caves.
"RUPERT WAIT!" Yuri called out. He heard him give a horrifying scream up ahead.
Rupert had fallen down a shaft that took him deep into the earth. He landed with a thud in a dark chamber. His ankle was twisted making it hard for him to stand up. "Yuri!" he called out. "Help! I've fallen!"
Suddenly the darkness was illuminated by a bright light. Rupert shielded his eyes and saw a fair maiden walking towards him. She was as pale as a ghost and her silver hair waved with each elegant step she took. She wore a tattered white dress ripped so much that most of her flesh was exposed and one of her breasts was uncovered. Her eyes were cold as snow and just as white.
"M'lady?" asked Rupert. "What are you doin' in a place like this?" The woman pressed a finger on her pink soft lips telling him to stay quiet. She reached out and embraced him. Rupert shivered with lust, even though he was a married man he could not find himself to resist the beauty of the woman coming before him. She pressed herself against him and let him fondle her. Rupert laughed with delight touching the soft flesh of the woman, running his hands up her thighs and smacking her buttocks playfully to which she gave a soft moan and looked at him lustfully.
She leaned forward to kiss him but as she got closer she began to smell more and more like rotting human flesh. Her arms around his neck began to feel bony. All of this Rupert did not see. All he saw was this beautiful woman coming closer to kiss him, but he was under a spell. The woman was, in fact, a horrible Duel Monster known as Sorcerer of the Doomed. A necromancer covered in the faces of his victims. Rupert was next and it wasn't until that the monster got within nose length of his face that he realized who the woman really was. Rupert shivered and let out an ear-piercing cry.
"RUPERT!" Yuri shouted. "RUUUUPEEEEERT!"
Uraby looked on ahead and sniffed the air. He looked back at Yuri and shook his head. Yuri sobbed and fell on his knees. "Oh-no," he said weeping. He got up and quickly realized this attack squadron was probably only a handful of creatures that lurked in the caves. He could still hear the squeaky cries of goblins bellowing from deep within the caves. "Stay close you guys," said Yuri. "You're the best I could do and I can't afford to be drained the way I was earlier." The three dinosaurs nodded and followed their master into the caves.
Along the way, Yuri and the three monsters encountered wave after wave of goblins as they crisscrossed back and forth in a never-ending network of tunnels and passages. "I'm getting bushed," Yuri said sitting down on the ground. He took up his dragonhide water-bottle and chugged down his last few gulps of water. Uraby, Gilasaurus, and Trakadon had scratches all over their flesh and even they looked pretty tired.
"Come on you guys, we can do this," said Yuri forcing himself back up. Trakadon growled and Yuri heard the sound of metal clinking and clanking towards him and the angry chirpy cries of the goblin squad running towards him. Trakadon roared so loud it sent most of them running back into the tunnels while the higher ranked warriors stood their ground, startled but not scared.
They let out roars of their own and charged. Trakadon stamped its feet on the ground, and then a blue circle with magical patterns appeared behind him and started spinning as the dinosaur opened its mouth charging some sort of beam as magical blue runes spun around its snout. Trakadon's stripes began to glow neon turquoise and then it fired laser beams at the enemy like bullets from a mini-gun.
"HO-LY SHIT!" Yuri cried out. Uraby leaped forward raising up its claws which began to glow bright green and they grew by eleven inches and he jumped towards the squad slicing and dicing them so fast it was as if the strikes themselves were too slow to catch up with him. The quick attack was painting the roof and walls of the tunnel black with goblin blood.
Gilasaurus' eyes began to glow molten white and it fired a white-hot beam from its mouth incinerating the rest. The remaining goblins knew better than to stick around and retreated into the darkness.
"THAT WAS AWESOME GUYS!" Yuri shouted, jumping into the air and raising his fist. But his happiness was short lived as his monsters collapsed to the ground. "Oh geez," said Yuri running to Gilasaurus. He rubbed the back of its head. "I guess you guys can't pull moves like that all the time huh?"
Gilasaurus shook his head. Seeing them weakened gave the goblins courage and they regrouped with a massive amount of reinforcements.
"Not this way!" said Yuri aiming down the sights of his rifle of light. "Not this way!"
He fired at them over and over and over again, but the goblins ran for him like a tsunami of metal and flesh. "What choice do I have?" he said to himself reaching into his deck. "SWORD ARM OF DRAGON!" he called out. Uraby, Trakadon, and Gilasaurus disappeared and Yuri's new monster appeared. A thagomizer-like dinosaur appeared. Its flesh was dark orange with bright yellow stripes. There was a row of sword-like spikes on its back and its tail was shaped like a spear. The dinosaur was the size of a bus: a huge mass of flesh and bone ready to do battle and realizing that he summoned such a creature gave Yuri such a boost of courage and a feeling like he was a small child again.
"ALL RIGHT!" he shouted as the beast stood next to him snarling and growling.
"HUH?" went the goblins stopping dead in their tracks.
"MEGAZOWLER!" Yuri shouted feeling confident he could summon another fierce dinosaur. And sure enough, he did it. He summoned a ceratopsian dinosaur monster as yellow as a school bus and just as big with bright orange, square-shaped patches on its sides It had a row of saw-like spikes on its back and a sharp beak.
"YES! And now Crawling Dragon Number-AARRRGGGHHH!...never mind."
He clutched his belly, falling onto the ground with pain. He grew stronger that night, but not strong enough to summon a trio of prehistoric titans.
Still, Sword Arm of Dragon and Megazowler were two major powerhouses, and their presence was enough to make most of the goblins commit suicide by leaping into a chasm below. Yuri walked out of the tunnel and into the chamber with the chasm. He looked down at the eternal darkness below, finding it hard to believe the goblins felt too overpowered that they would rather jump down into it. "Well..." said Yuri rubbing the back of his head. "That was...not fair."
Sword Arm of Dragon blew out hot air from its nostrils at Yuri as if disapproving his remark. The monster was almost saying, 'What? You want to take them on yourself?' Yuri understood how the monster felt and he led them across a rickety bridge over the chasm into a room that made Yuri say "Jackpot!". It was a treasure trove littered with piles and piles of stolen goods from the goblin's victims.
There were trunks with elegant dresses Emma Rose would have surely loved, boxes of priceless jewels, exquisite furniture, chests of Star Chips and even Duel Monster booster pack boxes for Jebadiah. Yuri knew what must be done when this was over. He left the treasure chambers and then stepped into a nightmare. There were rivers of blood all around him, and bones scattered all over the ground. Up in the ceiling, he saw bloody burlap sacks hanging up above with little arms and legs poking out of them. The stories were true. He felt a rage inside of him and he ran into the caves fighting goblins; his monsters followed. An hour later he entered a royal goblin chamber.
"MY LORD!" shouted a little voice.
Yuri saw Jebadiah locked in a cage. When he took a step forward a door opened and Sorcerer of the Doomed appeared looming towards him. It was the reason the goblins were here, for it was their leader; their king so to speak. He had a staff in his hand that allowed him to see the road scouting for caravans and traders or those unlucky enough to walk the path up the mountain. In return, they must provide him with souls to keep him strong and to add to his wardrobe which in itself was a nightmare. A ragged robe adorned with many faces, all of them wailing in agony and sobbing with despair.
One of them was Rupert moaning and groaning on the undead monster's shoulder. "RUPERT!" Yuri shouted.
The monster grew confused for it was still under the guise of the lustful woman. But for some reason Yuri could see straight through the monster's trick, on the contrary, Yuri didn't even know the monster was under disguise. He leaped forward and cut it in half with his light-forged sword, it happened so fast that Sorcerer of the Doomed had no recollection of what happened.
The monster screamed in agony as its body turned into smoke. Yuri stood over the robes and watched as the souls of his victims blissfully flew out of the ragged robes and out through an opening above the chamber.
Yuri gave a smile when he saw the ghost of Rupert twirl around with his little boy.
"Thank you," he said softly. And then he and his son followed the others up into paradise.
Emma waited in the house until dawn. The storm was gone and the sun was coming up over the mountains. Chester was all better though his body was aching and he had a mild fever, but he would survive.
"Look!" he said pointing at the forest. Megazowler smashed out of the trees pulling a large wagon glimmering with Star Chips and loaded with expensive goods. "PAPA!" Jebadiah called as he rode in the wagon with Yuri. "MY BOY!" he called out. He tried to run but his legs gave way. "Father you're not strong enough," said Emma, picking him up from the ground. Yuri and Jebadaih approached the cabin.
"You found my boy!" Chester called out.
"And a few gifts," said Yuri. "You think this will be enough to get your children into Duelist Academy?"
"And more!" cried out Chester. "I could renovate this shack to become an estate!"
"There is enough money here to even hire a small band of mercenaries to keep your horses and your property safe," said Yuri. "I knew of a few builders in my keep who are looking for work and I'm sure they're anxious to get started on another project, say your home?"
"Indeed, thank you, my Lord. We were most fortunate to have met you."
Yuri's new horse, Nightwind, was all saddled up and given embroidered leather armor as a gift from Chester.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Yuri said shaking Chester's hand.
"It was an honor having you here my lord," said Chester. "May the Stars of Entuli shine your path."
"Good-bye Jebadiah. Keep up the good work and you'll be a duelist in no time."
"Thank you, My Lord," Jebadiah said shaking his hand. Yuri then saw Emma looking mournfully at the horizon. Yuri walked to her. "Thank you for the food," he said. "You cook well."
"Oh...thank you," she said sadly.
"Here," said Yuri handing her a deed of some sort.
"She opened it and to her shock, it was a hastily written letter of approval to Duelist Academy for both her and her brother sighed by the Prince of Termnnia."
"You...you're..."
Yuri leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Good luck at school. Don't worry about finances. My friend Yami will handle everything."
"My-my liege!" Chester said bowing.
"Thank you...Yuri." Emma said as tears rolled down her pretty face. Yuri got onto his horse and thanked the family one last time before dashing into the hills disappearing from their sight.