THE DESCENT OF LOST SOULS
Chapter Thirteen: A Discourse in Evil
To the Reader
This Chapter has references on or contains the following: the supernatural and the occult, cursing, death, murder, and contrasting philosophical and theological discussions regarding religion, God, and sin.
The philosophical discussions regarding religion, God, murder, and sin are not entirely the author's viewpoint...nor is it intended to sway any reader from any belief he or she might have. These discussions are done to make people ponder about these topics.
Day Six of the Quest - Ten in the morning
Location: Bed-and-Breakfast, Isle of Crete
Purpose: Prepare to leave for Thera
General Point-of-View
After dropping Pegasus off the airport, Emrys went back to the inn.
Stopping by the hotel reception, Emrys then sent out four pieces of mail. The first was a short letter to Yugi and Sugoroku, informing them to expect a package from Pegasus. The second was a postcard for the gang, giving them her regards. The third was a postcard to the Kaiba brothers, letting them know that she would be leaving for Thera. Last, but not the least, the fourth one was a postcard to May and her staff in England, notifying them that she was safe.
Emrys also rented a speedboat for transportation. Once all the arrangements were made, she packed for her trip and then left the Isle of Crete by noon. By three in the afternoon, she checked in at a local inn on the quaint island of Thera. Shortly thereafter, she left by boat to the location of the caves.
Throughout the entire time, a highly observant pair of eyes hid within the shadows and watched her every move.
-----------------------------------------------
Shadi's Point-of-View
After leaving the boat by the shore and hiking for thirty minutes through lush forest, Alexandra Emrys stood before the mouth of the cave and pondered aloud, "This cave still gives me the creeps…."
This was the same spot where her parents perished seven years ago. I was a silent observer when it all happened.
For a long while, she stared at the cave's opening. Her feet were planted in the very spot she stood years ago. Her face had this pained expression. Her mind must be painfully recalling the past for she unconsciously clenched her fists. She then tightly closed her eyes as she deeply breathed in.
Once she opened her eyes and stared at the cave, she murmured, "I can't keep running away from this. I need to move on..."
She placed her backpack on the ground. Poring through its contents, she took out a ball of white string, two thick metal nails, a torch, and a large hammer. After burying two-thirds of two nails into the ground, she tied the end of the string around the two nails.
With a mixture of grim determination, slight hesitation, and controlled fear, she entered the cave. She came in the dark cavern with her backpack secured, the ball of string in one hand, and a torch held by the other hand. She scanned the cave as she made a series of turns and made sure that she was not tugging the string too hard.
Upon reaching the heart of the cave, she then stopped for a minute.
Her gaze now focused at another opening. With her eyes and face mirroring her hesitation, she walked into the cave opening. Taking more caution than she did earlier, she reached the end of that opening – standing and scanning this wide area within the cave.
As the torch flickered and gave the cave an eerie ambiance, her eyes had a hint of painful recognition. Tight-lipped, she muttered, "This is it! This is the very spot we were in, and where it all began."
The temperature then dropped – making her shiver, giving her goose bumps, and striking dread within her. The air she breathed out from her mouth condensed. Her cheeks blushed from the extreme cold.
A cold gust of wind then blew inside the cave. Her eyes further widened as thick fog eerily rolled in and covered the ground.
She then felt the same evil presence that had hounded her for months. A couple of misty specters slowly emerged from the cave walls and purposefully brushed against her.
Another chilly gust of wind blew out the torch – making the specters serve as the only illumination inside the cave.
Two additional shadows joined their peers as they brushed against her.
In the corner of her eye, she then saw two additional dark apparitions join her tormentors.
The process repeated as each second passed. The couple of dark shadows minutes before became a multitude of spirits – each bumping into her, brushing against her, taunting her, calling her name, making her eyes scan more wildly, and pushing her to the limits of her calmness and sanity.
A bright light then illuminated in front of her against the cave wall. That light formed itself into a pentagram. At the same time, a maniacal feminine laughter reverberated throughout the cave. Dark smoke came out from the pentagram.
"I see that you have come back for more, crest-wielder," a chilling voice hissed and echoed throughout the cave.
Immediately after that statement, a black mist-like silhouette of a woman in robes appeared before Emrys. She recognized that the ghostly figure was the same as the hematite statue at the Master's throne room. She pondered, "Who the hell is this?"
"You should be asking what I am, instead of who I am," the dark specter taunted.
Emrys was stupefied and speechless. With widened eyes, she mused, "How did she know what I was thinking?"
After minutes of non-response from a startled Emrys, the ghost quipped, "What? No sly remarks from you this time? How disappointing…."
Anger now flashed in Emrys' eyes, as she remained silent.
"Introductions are in order. I may be a mere Essence, but I rule the physical and the supernatural planes."
"You killed my parents, you bitch!"
The Essence cackled. "How could you be so insolent even after I gave you with such gifts?"
"Gifts?" An angry and teary-eyed Emrys repeated the word with such scorn. "You call my parents' death a gift? I never asked for my parents to die!"
"Everything comes with a price. As to the gift that I gave you years ago, your parents' blood was my payment. Because of you, they perished."
An exasperated and irate Emrys repeated, "I never asked for my parents to die! I know that their death is not my fault. It was never my fault!"
In a matter-of-fact manner, the presence said, "My gifts made you who you are today."
Emrys clenched her teeth and seethed in anger. "I made, am making, and will make my own destiny. My parents, and then I, worked hard for who I am today. You have nothing to do with me."
"Why do you think you do so well in almost everything?" the dark figure snidely asked. "You over-estimate your abilities. If it were not for the powers that I gave you, then you would never make the achievements you now enjoy."
Mortified, Emrys spat, "You lie! I know what I know because of my past life."
"Well, there are two things I should give you credit for: your lineage and who you are. Only a descendant from the Atlantean line or the reincarnation of the Princess could harness some of the mystical knowledge. The prophecies came true when someone who was both claimed what was rightfully hers. You fulfilled that prophecy."
"Is that why those hooded freaks keep hounding me everywhere?"
The Essence slowly de-solidified itself. It then closely circled around her victim as a dark mist. "Some members of the Order are descendants from the nine Houses of Atlantis. The rest, like your dearly departed friend, are outsiders who choose to belong with us. Combined, they serve a far greater purpose. They know how to tap into dark magic – with the Atlantean descendants having the upper hand. They have been materially and supernaturally blessed for serving the dark powers."
"They're not very smart, once they chose to deal with you," Emrys bitterly quipped as she intently kept her eyes on the swirling mist.
The shadow then wrapped its misty form around Emrys just as a snake would its prey. Its sharp nails and fingertips then explored every part of its victim's body wherein skin was exposed.
Afterwards, its hand traveled upward.
Once its hand reached its victim's neck, it tightened its grip on it into a chokehold and hissed, "I would not speak too harshly, if I were you. Those people who have been blessed by the dark powers include you. In due time, you will understand everything..."
An unflinching Emrys rebutted, "Oh, I do understand. I'm telling you, and them, to go back to hell where you all belong!"
After a momentary pause, the shadow sneered and released its hold against its victim. "You belong with us! As to those so-called friends of yours, all they see is your sickening surface: sweet, caring, and gifted. If they only knew what type of person you really are inside, then they would be so repulsed."
"And you and the Order of Orichalchos have accepted the real me? How convenient," Emrys scornfully murmured.
"What if your friends and your lover find out that you killed your friend Yoshiko? What if they discover that you ripped out your friend's heart with your bare hands? What if they find out that you made your dying friend stare at her throbbing heart, as you crushed it in front of her?"
A livid Emrys replied, "She and your minions started it. If it were true that I killed her, I had no regrets doing so. She was a traitor and she deserved to die."
The Essence said with a snort, "For the first time in years, you have spoken the truth. You relished killing your friend so much that you could taste her blood in your mouth. You enjoyed smiting the one who betrayed you, knowing that you could do so. Did it not say 'vengeance is mine, says the Lord?' You definitely did not leave that up to your God when it came to your friend. Where has your flimsy faith been directing you these days?"
Emrys was once again stupefied as she realized what she just said and what she just heard from the Essence. She looked sideways while closing her eyes as if she had done something shameful.
Continuing to move around in its dark misty form, the Essence said, "In your past, the Oracles prophesized your greatness once you become Queen. Your claim to the throne was a threat to the Greek gods. It meant that they would have no more control over you, or the Atlanteans. That was why they destroyed your home, your family, and your people before your reign."
As the shadow solidified behind Emrys, its dark form leaned over. With enticement oozing from her voice, it whispered, "When you first entered these caves, your dormant powers awakened. I gave you more powers. Now that you once again walk among men, you could now unleash your wrath in this pitiful world."
I saw in Emrys' eyes that doubt and fear saturated within her mind.
After a momentary pause, the shadowy form returned to its misty state. "You must choose between unparalleled greatness or pathetic existence."
With her hands balling up into fists, Emrys retorted, "I'd rather be pathetic than twisted like you and your hooded freaks! What would I want with power that caused the extinction of an entire race? Why would I want to follow the damned? I also choose to believe and be subjected to God's will!"
The Essence's angry voice boomed and bounced against the cave walls. "Were you not listening? You were, still are, and would always be damned! That religion you so richly embrace teaches that you have been damned since birth. You then killed your friend. So why do you insist on depravation when you were meant to be evil since birth? Was not there a saying that it is better to lead in Hell than to serve in Heaven?"
An unemotional Emrys turned her back from the shadow and began to walk out of the cave.
The cave walls rumbled as the snickering dark Essence sealed the cave opening. "You would not get away that easily. You will duel against me. If you win, then I will let you walk out of this cave alive. Now comes the true test of your fortitude. Our duel will take place in the physical realm – with real monsters and real magic! You must harness all of your magic to duel and survive."
Emrys exclaimed with a snort and crinkled forehead, "I'm not going to duel you! I couldn't do that kind of magic – especially not in the real world!"
The dark shadow's tone was menacing, icy, and unyielding. "You do not have a choice, crest-wielder. If you refuse to duel, or if you lose, then you would forfeit your life and your soul to me..."
End Chapter Thirteen
Normal Disclaimer
Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi.
Alexandra Emrys, Yoshiko, The Scrolls of Passage, The Portal of Osiris, The Dead Incantations, other original characters and venues, and this fanfic are the properties of the author. This fanfic is also written for entertainment purposes only, thereby releasing the author from any liabilities.