xIsisx: In this chapter, we introduce... um, just go read it yourself. And... uh, what was I gonna say? Oh yeah, my b-day ish in two days! ˆ-ˆ (july 29th)I'm getting a year's subscription of Shonen Jump ...and something else, but I forget, so anyway, on with-
Bakura: ON WITH THE CURSED STORY ALREADY!
xIsisx: o.O scaaary person
Bakura gave a start at the sight of the vampire boy on the screen. By tradition, he was to watch at least the first and semi-final match of the battle to become the vampire king. Though he doubted there had ever been such a… queer, if you will, contender.
"Maaliku," He called slowly.
"Yes?" Maaliku appeared out of thin air next to where Bakura was sitting.
"Who - or what - is that?" He gestured towards the screen.
Maaliku shifted his gaze up at the screen and gave a resigned look.
"I don't know, we only managed to get his name… Ryou, he calls himself. He refused to give us more information other than that, we only allowed him to compete because he showed us a impressive display of magic… other than that…"
Bakura gave a small smirk up at the screen, "Ryou…" He said slowly, "Doesn't that mean 'fire dragon'?"
"It is assumed so, yes."
Ryou stepped on to the slightly raised field for the match and looked for his opponent. The cloak he wore had a hood that shadowed his pale face, giving him a haunted look.
"Looking for me?" A sharp voice said suddenly. Ryou raised his head slightly and saw a silhouetted frame swooping down to the arena.
"Heh," The figure said, taking his place on the opposite side of Ryou, "I am Hilaat, can't say I'm really pleased to meet you though."
Ryou disliked his voice, it sounded casual, but he could detect poison in it, he would have to be careful this time.
"I've heard about you," Hilaat continued, as if the two were best friends chatting about sports, "You were the one that caused a scene during the sign up, is it true that you killed one of the king's guards to show off your magic?"
Ryou gave a short nod, it was true, though, the only reason he 'showed off his magic' was because if he honestly told them exactly who he was, it would raise awkward questions.
Hilaat laughed, and shook his head, causing his spiky flame red hair to sway, "Well then, now that the introductions are over, shall we begin?"
Ryou nodded again and in a split second, the two shot off the ground and into the air. Ryou drew back his cloak slightly so it fluttered around his ankles.
Hilaat narrowed his eyes, "Heh, show off, but we already agreed on that, didn't we?"
Ryou merely gave Hilaat a paralyzing look, literally. It froze Hilaat, making him unable to move. However, he did no more than that and allowed the spell to drain.
"What the-?" Hilaat spluttered after the spell wore off, "Non-verbal spells?"
Ryou gave a small smirk, "You've caught on quickly, haven't you?" He spoke for the first time.
"Hah, don't let it go to your head." Hilaat smirked and quickly chanted a short spell, a stream of water shaped like a dragon shot out of nowhere, lunging for Ryou.
He dodged it quickly, though a small part of his cloak ripped from speed of the water. He raised his palm to the water dragon as it lunged for him again and the dragon was turned to ice, and fell down to the ground, where there was a satisfying cracking sound of the ice breaking.
Hilaat scowled, "Looks like I can't afford to pull any punches here."
"You're quite right, and now, it's my turn." Ryou said quietly and a strange dark layer of aura formed around him. He shot some of the aura at his opponent, but Hilaat muttered an enchantment and the aura bounced off some kind of invisible mirror.
"Impressive that your force field could deflect that," Ryou commented.
Hilaat sneered, "You honor me."
He sent some razor sharp leaves spinning to Ryou, who dodged them, but they turned and kept attempting to hit him. Ryou casted a spell and the leaves suddenly burned up. He turned and found Hilaat off to the side, looking smug.
A shimmer in the air caught Ryou's eye; in fact, there were shimmers all around him.
"Figured it out, haven't you?" Hilaat said, almost lazily, and then a flash of white caught his eye. It was his opponent's left wing. He did not see it before because Ryou had always been facing him at an angle where his wing was not visible.
Ryou saw Hilaat's face turn from smug to revolted, though he knew exactly what Hilaat was surprised about, he took this unguarded moment to break through the barrier that had been cast around him.
"Yes, Hilaat, I'm a wesseh damogger…" He whispered, so that Hilaat could hear him, but it seemed like he was telling himself.
Up in the tower, Bakura raised an eyebrow, a wesseh damogger, eh?
Maaliku coughed at this unexpected news, "Should we disqualify him… sir?"
Bakura leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, "No, no, I'm quite curious as to how a mere half breed like him can perform such extraordinary magic… He'll live, for now."
Zashii appeared as Maaliku nodded. She curled next to the chair and watched the screen interestedly. It was just as she suspected, a wasseh damogger… a raehaba imacal…
Ryou's eyes were empty and devoid of emotion as he fired curses one by one at the greatly weakened Hilaat. They both knew he had won.
Hilaat yelled as Ryou's spell sent him rocketing towards to ground. He managed to land on his side instead of his back.
Ryou swooped down and hovered next to Hilaat, who laughed, in spite of his injuries.
"Fine, you win," Hilaat grinned, "But tell me, what is it you hope to gain?"
For a fleeting second, Hilaat thought he glimpsed a flash of pain in Ryou's eyes, but it was gone the next second. Ryou looked towards the vampire king's castle and said one word, softly.
"Avengement…"
xIsisx: Don't think too hard about the meaning of this chapter, you'll hurt yourself.
Bakura: I am so not in character.
Ryou: And neither am I...
xIsisx: -shifty eyes- Well, the vampire king is suppose to be potrayed as a kind of cool, calm evil... only tone down the evil a little. And Ryou, well, I can't say anything or I'll blurt something out that I'll regret later.