Chapter Fifty

50

"Let me go! Put me down you Ass!" Norika huffed as she was being manhandled by a masked man who had her draped ove rhis shoulder like a sack.

"Ahhh!" She ket out a cry as he tossed her to the ground and she growled leering daggers.

"Oooh~ so scary~!" the man snickered as he leaned down close to Norika," You know...You have a pretty face...but that mouth of yours might get you into trouble~" he snickered.

"I'll show you what my mouth can do!" she snapped.

"Oooh really?" he chuckled as he leaned in closer, "Quite a tempting invitation."

Norika growled.

"That's not what I mean and you know that damn well you, sick bastard!"

The masked man just laughed and rose to his feet, walking away.

"Get back here so I can smack that mask right off your face!" Norika huffed.

"Hush now." he snapped.

"What!?" Norika didn't take orders too well.

"She's coming..."

"Who's coming?" asked Norika, "Connar?"

"Not this time..." he smirked.

XXXXX

Alexis walked with heavy steps and fierce determination in her eyes as she made her way through the night. She had no luck finding any trace of Norika...and the night only seemed to grow darker. She sighed and started to make her way toward the Slifer Red Dorm.

If what Chacellor Sheppard said is right...and these Shadow Riders will decide who to duel...

The odds are they will go for who they think is weakest first.

Alexis thought to herself.

It's no surprise they took Norika...

They were probably trying to target Connar.

She blinked.

Maybe I might be able to find some kind of clues in their room!

Not only that...

With that bright red blazer...Next up would most likely be Jaden! I should warn him!

Jaden had taken an early night after Connar was checked into the infirmary. When Alexis later returned with nothing to report, they had all agreed that it would be safer not to leave the pinkette alone...especially not in the state she was in under these circumstances. All took a vote. Zane had decided to leave first try while Chazz had volunteered to stay behind with Connar, leaving Jaden not much of a choice but to go ahead and head home for some rest. Alexis stayed a while too until Chazz had fallen asleep in a chair beside the pinkette's bed and had decided from there to head toward the red dormitory.

As she arrived, she noticed a bright light eminating from the room two doors down from Connar and Norika's.

"Jaden!" she called out and hurried toward it. Jaden was inside trying to wake his roomates when the Blonde had busted in, and suddenly the two were engulfed by light. Upon transport, they had found themselves transferred onto a panel of light hovering over a lake of boiling lava.

"Where are we!?" Alexis asked.

"...In one very weird dream..." said Jaden.

"...Or nightmare." Alexis gulped.

"...It's neither." a very smug voice echoed through the screaming cries of dancing flames and a shadowy figure walked forward with a body draped over his shoulder accompanied by some discomforting laughter.

"What's going on!" Jaden snapped.

"The first duel is what's going on~" the man replied smugly, "Did you not know?"

"...Call me a slow learner." Jaden muttered.

"And call me~ Nightshroud!"

"Feel free to call me PISSED OFF!"

"Norika!?" Alexis and Jaden called out as the sillhouete began to clear into view by light of the dancing flames. A Tall masked man, shrouded in clothes black as the night stood with a smug smirk while he held Norika folded over his shoulder, her long red hair down and in a straight up mess, looking very unamused by her escort while the man called Nightshroud laughed.

"Nightshroud...?" Jaden blinked.

"I'll be the one taking that key you have around your neck~" he said.

"Tell you what." said Jaden, "How about we talk more about trading after you return Norika to us!" Jaden snapped.

"Hmph..." Nightshroud scoffed as a glow formed around his neck. It seemed to be reacting to one that Jaden shared and he smirked.

"Well well...nice Medalion." he smirked, "But if you think you can win against me as easily...think again!" he stated, "I will be taking that spirit key...and I will be taking it now." he stated, "And just to make sure of that-" he said as he dropped a squealing Norika from his shoulder to his arm, "I've brought along some other friends as well~" he smirked.

"What's that mean!?" Jaden asked.

"Hpmh." Nightshroud smirked, "Here...you can say hello to them yourself!" With a forceful thrust of a single arm he threw Norika downward toward the fire pit. as she fell, caterwaling while her hands and feet were tied, an orb began to take form in the general spot she was heading towards.

"Norika!" Jaden and Alexis, cried.

"Gotcha!" a familiar blue haired boy reached out for the teary amber eyed girl and she looked up in panic and distress as she was barely held by the small framed male over a boiling lake of lava, "Chumley!" he grunted, "Give me a hand, will ya!?"

"Uh-right!" said the heavy set fellow, "Just hang on Norika, we got ya!" They pulled her in and fell back with her weight and she leaned sobbing against the bluenette's chest.

"Oh, Syrus!" She cried, "That asshole snatched me up in the night while I was trying to help find Connar!" she sobbed, "He made sexual innuendos and threw me around like I was some worthless sack of trash!" she sobbed harder. It was the first time Syrus had ever seen someone as tough as Norika, look and seem so terrified...of anything.

"Shh...there there.." said Syrus, trying his best to comfort her, " It's okay, we've got you now..."

"Here..." said Chumley, "let's untie you now..."

"Jaden!" Syrus called out as he held Norika while Chumley unraveled her ropes.

"Help us!" said Chumley.

"Oh no..."Jaden said as he looked down and found the three of them now trapped in a forcefield ball of blue energy.

"Hold on!" cried Alexis.

"HaHaHa...looks like they're in hot water~" Nighshroud laughed, "Or I suppose the more correct term, is hot lava~" he laughed, "But then, such is the nature of a Shadow Game, Key Keeper~"

"A Shadow Game!?" Jaden gasped, "Look! It's fine! You can duel ME okay!?" he stated, "Just let them go!"

"Oh, I don't think so~" said Nighshroud, "I need them around to ensure a speedy match." he stated, "After all...that protection orb they're in isn't really built to last~" he smirked, "Though...I seem to have grown a bit of a soft spot for the girl...so I might just swoop in and keep her for myself...if I feel like it."

"You're disgusting!" Syrus huffed as he held a trembling Norika against him.

Syrus...

Norika blinked as she thought to herself.

You're shaking...same as me...

She blinked.

You're terrified...if not more so than I am...and yet...you would speak up to defend me...?

She watched the boy above her, holding her weak body in his weak and trembling arms against his chest, as though protecting something important.

I think I see now...why Connar cares so much about you too...

Thank you...

"Heh...I'm afraid there's more as well~" Nightshroud smirked as he held up a black faced card, "For you see...your soul as well, is also at stake!" he stated, "If you lose...your soul will be sealed away in this card...but should I lose...then it will be mine instead...so..." he grinned, "Shall we?"

"You can't agree to this, Jaden!" said Alexis.

"Tell that to Syrus and Chumley!" he stated, "Norika is already traumatized...they're my friends, Alexis!" he stated, "And I'm not gonna let anything happen to them, or us!"

"So...you wanna duel, Nightshroud!?" Jaden growled, "Well then...now you've got one!"

To Be Continued