Wizards of the coast owns Magic The Gathering and all its characters and trademarks and stuff. I'll humbly own the characters of my own creation.
Chapter 3 : Daniele will receive full spotlight in this chapter, since I realize I need to start building up towards the fateful day. Enjoy, and please R&R. I'm always open for constructive criticism.
To the victor the spoils of war goes. And Daniele was one happy guy.
The joys of popping rares out of boosters had yet to lose its fancy on the teenager as he marveled at the new set. Odyssey they called it, and Daniele's eyes sparkled at the prospects. New mechanics, new flavors, and definitely new decks to come.
"They seemed to have shifted the storyline towards Otaria, some island declared part of Dominaria. Intriguing, isn't it?"
Daniele groaned at the voice of his female compatriot. Jessica had the luck to meet the winner of the tournament personally when she bumped into Daniele while he munched at his burger at the parlor. At first, Daniele had found her a sight for sore eyes, and was even more surprised to find that she was an avid fan of Magic the Gathering, the passion of Daniele's life. Yet, it was to Daniele's disappointment that Jessica didn't enjoy the game, at least not as much as she enjoyed the stories.
Depicting the battle between the Weatherlight and the dark lord Yawgmoth had been a boring enough affair to Daniele, but Jessica found it a delight to tell. She would stop occasionally to highlight the bravery of Captain Sisay, or the bond shared between Gerrard and Hanna. And that was when Daniele concluded that Jessica was just like any other girl out there.
Daniele pulled out his deck and looked through his arsenal. Each card had been handpicked to complement each other. The Kavus worked in great synergy with the spells of the deck but Daniele saw a new trend bubbling under the surface with the release of the new set. It could throw his deck into disarray.
Jessica brushed her long, dark brown hair aside, complaining at the sudden wind. Daniele was too engrossed at formulating new combos and strategies to bother about a little wind.
Of course, 'little' was an understatement.
Before long, the 'little' breeze soon grew into a mighty gale. Jessica shrieked as flimsy furniture toppled and tumbled, and cups slid off tables and crashed onto the ground with a deafening sound. Daniele finally noticed the uproar, and the wacky weather. Fear started to dominate his heart, and he scrambled to keep his cards. Grabbing Jessica's hand, he gestured for them to leave the area, like the many customers of the bistro they were in, running to take cover of what would seem to be a tornado.
The duo hadn't reach far, when an updraft swept them off their feet. Daniele landed flat on the belly, and moaned in pain. Blasted weather, Daniele cursed in his mind. Jessica, on the other hand, was bewildered to have felt her legs left the ground earlier. Either that, or she was wondering about the cloaked figure walking casually towards them, not showing any sign of hurry, nor any indication that the wind had any effect on him.
The hooded figure seem to hover towards the duo. Jessica shrieked in horror, as the sleeves of the cloak fell back to reveal a hand of putrid flesh. Daniele had only enough time to turn towards the stranger, before the said hand grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and lifted him off the ground.
In a voice most unfitting to the hand, the figure spoke, in clear and proper words.
"You have been chosen, by Him, to champion the new cause. Do you accept it?"
Daniele struggled to free himself from the figure, noticing a tear on his shirt. Just a little bit more, and Daniele will be released. First, he had to play dumb. Not that he knew what was actually happening.
"What did you say? Can you cut the wind? I can't hear you with all that howling!"
The figure raised his other hand, which to Jessica and Daniele's surprise, was a perfect muscular arm, if not slightly blue in colour. The pulsating energy encompassing the hand faded, and the wind gradually died down.
"Now, I shall only ask you once more. Do you accept your destiny?"
Daniele delayed to answer, clueless at what the hooded maniac had in mind. What was this 'new cause' and how on earth did the fellow manage to bend the wind to his will? All this would have to be asked in the future, as a crunching sound echoed from behind the figure, who released his grip in pain and massaged his back.
Jessica breathed heavily, equipped with a half-broken stick, which look like it had once been a table leg. With all her might, she delivered another cracking beat down before running off, dragging Daniele together by the hand.
They rounded a corner, and stopped to catch their breath. While Jessica peeked back to confirm their safety, Daniele was more concerned about whether he had all his cards intact. Jessica was disgusted, and slapped the cards away from Daniele's hands.
"Hey, what was that for?" Daniele retorted, collecting the dispersed pile of cards. Jessica made her frustration felt, and stared daggers at Daniele's attitude. "What would you need those cards for? You just got confronted by a real life entity of that blasted game you love so much! Aren't you the least shocked?" Jessica angrily stated.
Jessica's words caught his attention, though Daniele was still confused.
"Hello! Blue flesh! Think!" coaxed Jessica. With Daniele's puzzled expression, Jessica sighed and answered herself. "Metathran! That guy was a Metathran! And the rotten hand probably means, though it seems impossible, that he is..."
"Agnate. Yes, I believe that was my name."
Abruptly, Agnate had appeared right behind the conversing duo. Daniele immediately stood up as Jessica cowered behind Daniele. Apparently, the stories of Agnate must be horrifying. Daniele threw a threatening fist at Agnate, obviously watching too much action movies, to which Agnate simply received in his cupped hand. Efficiently applying the twist, Agnate sent Daniele to his knees, howling over the pain.
"Immaturity rears its ugly head. It is a wonder why He sees so much in you."
Jessica was next to strike. A trashcan lid had been handy, and Jessica knew how to throw a Frisbee. Unfortunately, this time, she didn't make contact. The lid hovered in the air, surrounded by some azure aura, before hurtling towards the wall at Agnate's command. With another impulsive thought, Agnate summon a bolt of pure energy, and thrusted it towards Jessica. The force was subtle, but no one on Earth had yet to experience magic before, and Jessica was thrown backwards, landing on a pile of empty boxes.
"Queer." Agnate murmured to himself. "That spell was meant to seal her movement. I must be losing my touch."
Daniele was in no position to judge the effect of the spell, but he was enraged that anyone, be it a Metathran or a man, would harm Jessica. Daniele felt something he had never felt before. His blood seem to boil and his mind ached with what he deduced to be energy coursing within his veins. Agnate's purplish eyes went wide. Daniele's body was ridden with streaks of energy, mana of all five variants.
"Impossible."
That was the last word Agnate could say. A ball of flame erupted from within Daniele and send Agnate cruising towards a brick wall. The wall was smashed by the sheer force, and Agnate was propelled deeper into the building. Daniele's breathing regulated, as his mind identified the threat removed. Just as Daniele regained sense to notice, the new formed muscles on his body seeped away along with tendrils of green energy, like snakes slithering away.
Something out of this world had happened, and Daniele could find no explanation to it. What was important now was to check on Jessica. To his relief, she was unharmed, her fall supported by the now crumpled boxes. But that cannot be said about her eyes. They were as wide as marbles.
"You...you..."
"I know, I launched a fireball. I don't understand myself but let's not waste anytime brooding about it. I don't think Metathrans snuff out that easily."
Grabbing Jessica's hand, Daniele lead the escape, as onlookers crowded around the hole in the wall.
That night, the top story was the combustion that triggered at a certain back alley, which somehow toppled a wall on a building. The police were puzzled at the lack of proof of how either incident occurred. The absence of flammables near the back alley, and the disappearance of whatever object which managed to smash a solid brick wall further baffle the investigators.
What was beyond belief was the appearance of creatures the size of cats, seemingly pulsating with some form of energy.
And the most astonishing thing of them all? The creatures were mere pests, meant to be the prey of the feline hunters.
Rats.
Chapter 3 : Daniele will receive full spotlight in this chapter, since I realize I need to start building up towards the fateful day. Enjoy, and please R&R. I'm always open for constructive criticism.
To the victor the spoils of war goes. And Daniele was one happy guy.
The joys of popping rares out of boosters had yet to lose its fancy on the teenager as he marveled at the new set. Odyssey they called it, and Daniele's eyes sparkled at the prospects. New mechanics, new flavors, and definitely new decks to come.
"They seemed to have shifted the storyline towards Otaria, some island declared part of Dominaria. Intriguing, isn't it?"
Daniele groaned at the voice of his female compatriot. Jessica had the luck to meet the winner of the tournament personally when she bumped into Daniele while he munched at his burger at the parlor. At first, Daniele had found her a sight for sore eyes, and was even more surprised to find that she was an avid fan of Magic the Gathering, the passion of Daniele's life. Yet, it was to Daniele's disappointment that Jessica didn't enjoy the game, at least not as much as she enjoyed the stories.
Depicting the battle between the Weatherlight and the dark lord Yawgmoth had been a boring enough affair to Daniele, but Jessica found it a delight to tell. She would stop occasionally to highlight the bravery of Captain Sisay, or the bond shared between Gerrard and Hanna. And that was when Daniele concluded that Jessica was just like any other girl out there.
Daniele pulled out his deck and looked through his arsenal. Each card had been handpicked to complement each other. The Kavus worked in great synergy with the spells of the deck but Daniele saw a new trend bubbling under the surface with the release of the new set. It could throw his deck into disarray.
Jessica brushed her long, dark brown hair aside, complaining at the sudden wind. Daniele was too engrossed at formulating new combos and strategies to bother about a little wind.
Of course, 'little' was an understatement.
Before long, the 'little' breeze soon grew into a mighty gale. Jessica shrieked as flimsy furniture toppled and tumbled, and cups slid off tables and crashed onto the ground with a deafening sound. Daniele finally noticed the uproar, and the wacky weather. Fear started to dominate his heart, and he scrambled to keep his cards. Grabbing Jessica's hand, he gestured for them to leave the area, like the many customers of the bistro they were in, running to take cover of what would seem to be a tornado.
The duo hadn't reach far, when an updraft swept them off their feet. Daniele landed flat on the belly, and moaned in pain. Blasted weather, Daniele cursed in his mind. Jessica, on the other hand, was bewildered to have felt her legs left the ground earlier. Either that, or she was wondering about the cloaked figure walking casually towards them, not showing any sign of hurry, nor any indication that the wind had any effect on him.
The hooded figure seem to hover towards the duo. Jessica shrieked in horror, as the sleeves of the cloak fell back to reveal a hand of putrid flesh. Daniele had only enough time to turn towards the stranger, before the said hand grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and lifted him off the ground.
In a voice most unfitting to the hand, the figure spoke, in clear and proper words.
"You have been chosen, by Him, to champion the new cause. Do you accept it?"
Daniele struggled to free himself from the figure, noticing a tear on his shirt. Just a little bit more, and Daniele will be released. First, he had to play dumb. Not that he knew what was actually happening.
"What did you say? Can you cut the wind? I can't hear you with all that howling!"
The figure raised his other hand, which to Jessica and Daniele's surprise, was a perfect muscular arm, if not slightly blue in colour. The pulsating energy encompassing the hand faded, and the wind gradually died down.
"Now, I shall only ask you once more. Do you accept your destiny?"
Daniele delayed to answer, clueless at what the hooded maniac had in mind. What was this 'new cause' and how on earth did the fellow manage to bend the wind to his will? All this would have to be asked in the future, as a crunching sound echoed from behind the figure, who released his grip in pain and massaged his back.
Jessica breathed heavily, equipped with a half-broken stick, which look like it had once been a table leg. With all her might, she delivered another cracking beat down before running off, dragging Daniele together by the hand.
They rounded a corner, and stopped to catch their breath. While Jessica peeked back to confirm their safety, Daniele was more concerned about whether he had all his cards intact. Jessica was disgusted, and slapped the cards away from Daniele's hands.
"Hey, what was that for?" Daniele retorted, collecting the dispersed pile of cards. Jessica made her frustration felt, and stared daggers at Daniele's attitude. "What would you need those cards for? You just got confronted by a real life entity of that blasted game you love so much! Aren't you the least shocked?" Jessica angrily stated.
Jessica's words caught his attention, though Daniele was still confused.
"Hello! Blue flesh! Think!" coaxed Jessica. With Daniele's puzzled expression, Jessica sighed and answered herself. "Metathran! That guy was a Metathran! And the rotten hand probably means, though it seems impossible, that he is..."
"Agnate. Yes, I believe that was my name."
Abruptly, Agnate had appeared right behind the conversing duo. Daniele immediately stood up as Jessica cowered behind Daniele. Apparently, the stories of Agnate must be horrifying. Daniele threw a threatening fist at Agnate, obviously watching too much action movies, to which Agnate simply received in his cupped hand. Efficiently applying the twist, Agnate sent Daniele to his knees, howling over the pain.
"Immaturity rears its ugly head. It is a wonder why He sees so much in you."
Jessica was next to strike. A trashcan lid had been handy, and Jessica knew how to throw a Frisbee. Unfortunately, this time, she didn't make contact. The lid hovered in the air, surrounded by some azure aura, before hurtling towards the wall at Agnate's command. With another impulsive thought, Agnate summon a bolt of pure energy, and thrusted it towards Jessica. The force was subtle, but no one on Earth had yet to experience magic before, and Jessica was thrown backwards, landing on a pile of empty boxes.
"Queer." Agnate murmured to himself. "That spell was meant to seal her movement. I must be losing my touch."
Daniele was in no position to judge the effect of the spell, but he was enraged that anyone, be it a Metathran or a man, would harm Jessica. Daniele felt something he had never felt before. His blood seem to boil and his mind ached with what he deduced to be energy coursing within his veins. Agnate's purplish eyes went wide. Daniele's body was ridden with streaks of energy, mana of all five variants.
"Impossible."
That was the last word Agnate could say. A ball of flame erupted from within Daniele and send Agnate cruising towards a brick wall. The wall was smashed by the sheer force, and Agnate was propelled deeper into the building. Daniele's breathing regulated, as his mind identified the threat removed. Just as Daniele regained sense to notice, the new formed muscles on his body seeped away along with tendrils of green energy, like snakes slithering away.
Something out of this world had happened, and Daniele could find no explanation to it. What was important now was to check on Jessica. To his relief, she was unharmed, her fall supported by the now crumpled boxes. But that cannot be said about her eyes. They were as wide as marbles.
"You...you..."
"I know, I launched a fireball. I don't understand myself but let's not waste anytime brooding about it. I don't think Metathrans snuff out that easily."
Grabbing Jessica's hand, Daniele lead the escape, as onlookers crowded around the hole in the wall.
That night, the top story was the combustion that triggered at a certain back alley, which somehow toppled a wall on a building. The police were puzzled at the lack of proof of how either incident occurred. The absence of flammables near the back alley, and the disappearance of whatever object which managed to smash a solid brick wall further baffle the investigators.
What was beyond belief was the appearance of creatures the size of cats, seemingly pulsating with some form of energy.
And the most astonishing thing of them all? The creatures were mere pests, meant to be the prey of the feline hunters.
Rats.