Jaden
Jaden jumped out of the Wayshrine and hollered as though he rode a roller coaster. He stretched and jumped up and down with joy. Winged Kuriboh was cowering inside of Jaden's backpack, fearful of the ride.
The Wayshrine flashed and out came Della, still wrapped in his brown cloak. She whimpered as she knelt on the ground. Her cheeks puffed and she vomited and coughed.
Jaden laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I uh...I guess fast travel isn't the way for you, huh?"
"No..." Della choked. "Dearest Ana, never take me through one of those again."
"Well, it's the best way to get around," said Jaden. "If we walked the whole way, it would have taken us weeks to get here. Not to mention the road is filled with many dangers. You want to run into bandits again?"
"No, of course not," Della said, shaking her head. She paused and marveled at the landscape in front of her. She saw the countryside; a patch quilt of agriculture that could be seen for miles. White houses with blue roofs dotted the landscape and white stone windmills slowly spun by a river with luxury barges sailing through its waters. In the distance, she could see the skyscrapers of Eredas looming over the mountains dominantly.
"Is this Domino?" she asked.
"Nope. Not yet. This is the City of Faircourt, one of the many regions in Eredas. In fact, the country itself is one big gigantic city. Domino is a quick train ride from here, so let's go. But first, I think we need to get you some new clothes. My cloak doesn't exactly fit a girl as charming as you. And it's not right for a lady to smell like corn chips."
Della looked at herself and nodded. "Is there a place where I can find some clothes, Ser Jaden?"
Jaden stared at her and wrinkled his nose. "Ser? I ain't no knight."
"You are in my book," said Della. "I can't thank you enough for saving me from those brigands. Had you not been there I..."
Jaden held up his hand to silence her. "Say no more," he said. "Come on, I know someone who can help us out. Madame Celeste's tavern is just down that way. She owns a boutique as well. Trust me, she'll take care of you. In the meantime, I'm going to need some money."
"Money?"
"Yeah, getting a train from Faircourt to Domino isn't cheap. Lucky for us, there's a tournament going on in the town square."
He reached into his pocket and showed her a flier. It was wrinkled, ripped, and stained with cheese from a pizza he ate earlier. There was a grand prize of 1500 in gold, a gold plate, which was worth another 500, and a special prize card called E HERO Pit Boss.
"That's two-thousand in gold," said Jaden. "Enough for you and me to take the train to Domino." He tossed her a burlap sack. Inside were gold coins, a Star Chip, and a chipped ruby and half an emerald. "That's for your clothes. Come on."
He led Della down a dirt road to a modest establishment perched by the river. It was white with a red roof, and the walls were festooned with ivy. A water wheel slowly spun in the back of the tavern. Cows were grazing behind a white fence and chickens and geese waddled about outside the tavern. A brick chimney perfumed the air with the smell of sweet, freshly baked pastries and meat.
Jaden led Della through the entrance of the boutique, which was built into the tavern. He pushed open the windowed door and a bell rang above them. It smelled of perfume and silks in there. Mannequins stood in front of the windows advertising the craft Madame Celeste was selling.
"Jaden!" said the woman. She was a Sunborne, a race of people from Akuuda with dark skin and bright golden eyes. She wore a pink and white gown with ruffles and ribbons. "How was your trip to Rasaay?"
"It was great," Jaden answered. "I uh...I brought a friend."
Della peered behind his sword like a curious fox.
"Don't be shy, my dear," said Madame Celeste. She introduced herself and welcome Della to her store. "What happened to her, Jaden? She looks scared to death."
"I rescued her from some bandits on the road but they left her without a stitch of clothing."
"Are they all dead?" Celeste asked furiously.
Jaden slid his finger across his throat. "Terra Firma and I gave them painful deaths."
"Good," Madame Celeste said, walking from behind the counter towards Della to get a better look at her. "Oh, the poor thing. There's no need to be scared, you're safe now. I know you must have been through a lot, so how about I let you pick out an outfit free of charge?"
"You would do that?" Della asked.
"I told ya," said Jaden. "Celeste is the best around."
"Yes, but first, she's going to need a bath." She sniffed the cloak. "Augh, Jaden, I put my heart and soul into that cloak and you make it reek like that?"
"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "I don't have a lot of napkins."
"Ugh, I'll get it washed for you, but that's going to cost you two silver coins."
Jaden shrugged and put the coins on the counter. "There you go."
"Mmm-hmm. Come on, dear, let's freshen you up." She led Della to her quarters upstairs to clean her up from all the filth she collected on the road and hopefully wash away the stench of Jaden's cloak.
Meanwhile, Jaden walked outside and sat on a bench to wait for her to come out. His belly started to rumble, so he approached a nearby food cart and ordered a turkey drumstick. As he ate his lunch, someone approached him. A lad about sixteen wearing a red sweater and torn brown trousers.
"You a Duelist?" he said.
"Uh-huh?" Jaden replied, ripping a piece of meat out with his teeth. "What can I do ya for?"
"I'm in need of a warm-up before the tournament starts. How's about a little one-on-one?"
Jaden, not one to deny a Duel, jumped out of his seat, more than happy to oblige. "A Duel?" he said. "You bet! Get your game on!"
LP 4000
"I hope you're ready!" shouted the boy. "I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
"That's all, huh?" Jaden drew. "I summon Elemental HERO Blazeman! With his effect, I can add a Polymerization to my hand. And I'm gonna use it. I combine Elemental Hero Sparkman and Avion to create Elemental HERO Grandmerge!"
"Impressive monster, Ser Jaden," a girl with a sweet voice said from behind him.
"Thanks," Jaden said, turning to look at her. His eyes widened. "Woah!"
She looked rather different now. Madame Celeste threw out her old medieval rags and gave her clothing to suit the culture of the East. She was sporting a pink crop top with black sleeves and a splattered heart logo on the front with the silhouette of a Stardust Dragon orbiting around it. Her torn dress was replaced by a white pleated skirt with a pink belt. Knee-length socks, pink with black bands, warmed her legs and her sneakers were white with pink laces.
"Hey!" Jaden's opponent shouted. "Stop staring! We've got a Duel over here."
"Right, sure," said Jaden.
He attacked the face-down monster with Grandmerge. The monster was nothing more than a Basic Insect. With that creature's destruction, Jaden activated Grandmerge's effect. He used him as a tribute to summon Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman with an ATK power of 2800.
With the ability to gain 300 ATK for every HERO in the Graveyard, Shining Flare Wingman's ATK increased to 3700. He attacked directly with Shining Flare Wingman and Blazeman, ending the Duel in no time.
BOOM!
The boy yelled and flew across the field. He landed on his back and groaned.
"Della!" Jaden said, amazed to see her attire. "You...you look amazing."
"Thank you," Della said bashfully. She looked away. "So, that was a Duel."
"Don't tell me you've never seen a Duel before!"
Della shook her head. "No, never. I spent most of my life in the Temple of Ana. As such, I'm not allowed out into the city very often. The only reason I left was because of the stone we had to transport. I can't say anything more about it, however."
"That's okay," Jaden said, resting the back of his head on his hands. "So long as I get paid at the end, you can keep all the secrets you want."
"I admire that," said Della. "So, do Duels usually end so quickly? I felt like a blinked and it ended."
"Ah, that's because he had no skill," said Jaden. "Once the tournament starts, I'll show you some real Dueling."
"Wonderful," Della said happily. Her stomach growled like a bear. She gasped and clutched her tummy.
Jaden chuckled. "But first, lemme get ya somethin' to eat."
Zane
The Gray Wyvern. Not a place Zane would have chosen to meet someone of his stature. Not that it was a bad place, mind you. It was a hot spot for students who just finished classes at the Lanchester Academy for Gifted Youths. That school was a place for inventors and mathematicians capable of solving equations in seconds. He got served his fifth plate of kettle-cooked chips and his second bottle of soda. Still, Prince Michael's friend had not arrived. He checked his watch. It was 4 PM, where the hell was this person?
Zane sighed and looked up at the television screen. More videos with demands from the Aeons were being shown followed by images of the explosion left behind from the battle with the Gate Guardian. He pounded his fist on the table just thinking about the beast. How in the world did his summoner, Dargon, have enough power to conjure such a creature?
He growled. The hows and whys didn't matter. Gate Guardian was a new foe and he needed to find a way to get rid of it. Especially if it could shoot down and rip apart his Cyber Dragon prototype so easily. He was sure he worked on that thing long enough to make it somewhat invincible on the field. Against a group of Aeons, sure, his machine was a powerful weapon. But a monster? He wasn't anticipating that.
How can I beat a guy who's able to summon something so powerful? Zane wondered to himself. With that Gate Guardian in play, I don't have the advantage anymore. I sure hope this friend of Prince Michael's is as good as he says he is. Otherwise, I'm out of the fight. Damn it! I was so close to bringing her home. She was in my arms. She was right there!
He squeezed his glass. I'm sorry, Alexis. Just hang in there a little while longer.
Another hour passed. Still, Michael's friend did not arrive. It was starting to get dark and Zane was growing frustrated. All this time he spent here waiting for Michael's friend, he could have been making repairs or upgrades to the Cyber Dragon.
The door to the inn opened making the bell ring. A girl walked into the tavern and when she did a lot of boys' heads turned to look at her. Whispers fluttered about the tavern like a summer breeze and faces turned red. Though the girl had her hip cocked to one side, she had a very commanding presence. Her sunny blonde hair was messy and wavy, going down to her back. Despite how late it was, she wore her school outfit from Lanchester Academy. A white blouse with a black tie, plaid skirt, leg-length white socks, and black high heels. Her blazer was wrapped around her waist and she carried a gray messenger bag that was worn out and covered with glowing stickers and collector pins.
She approached the bar and smiled at the man behind the counter. "Orange soda, please," she said, leaning provocatively against the counter.
"You got it, Kara," the bartender said. He went to the fridge looking for her drink.
Sitting next to Kara was a lad from school who studied her from top to bottom. Kara felt his gaze on her, but she cared not and remained where she was. She took out her phone and started reading news articles, which were buzzing with updates on Alexis's kidnapping.
"What's the story on this guy with a metal dragon?" she asked the bartender.
The man was pushing bottles aside, still looking around for the blasted drink. "I dunno," he said. "There aren't many details about him. Word on the street is he gave the Aeons a pounding. One of my pals in the Domino PD says he was over at the ports and saw them massacred."
"Interesting," Kara said, tapping the counter. "If you don't have orange, I'll just take a regular soda."
"No, no, I've got it in here somewhere." He chuckled. "This new cooler we had installed is bigger than I thought."
The lad sitting next to Kara could contain himself no more. Kara's skirt was going up and it was just so tantalizing for him. But Kara, who was so used to such childish behavior, grew eyes in the back of her head. She could practically feel his hand getting close to her backside.
"If you favor your hand, back the hell off," she said.
The lad, who was a muscular person, took her threat lightly and went for the peek. But with lightning-quick movements, Kara grabbed his arm and flipped him over, smashing him on the ground. The other patrons cheered and whistled.
"Here you go, honey," the bartender said, finally handing her an orange soda. "Nice work."
The lad groaned on the ground. "She ripped my shoulder out of its socket!" he roared.
"Serves you right," said the bartender.
But the attacker was not finished. "Come here, you!" he said, marching towards her. Without turning, Kara smacked him in the face with a lunging back kick, knocking him out. He sighed in agony and fell backward, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Security came by and dragged the lad out of the establishment.
"Whoa," said Zane.
Kara looked at Zane and winked before strutting towards his booth. She sat down on her end. "You the Cyber Knight?" she asked.
"Shh, not so loud," said Zane. "I'm pretty sure Prince Michael told you to be discreet."
"Meh, whatever. He tells me you've got a big project that needs taking care of."
"And I think he got the wrong person for the job," said Zane. "You're just..."
"What?" Kara asked, rocking her head from side to side.
"You're just a student."
"You're not exactly old enough to call yourself my senior either, dude."
"Either way, you're still in the process of learning. My designs are way out of your league."
Kara reared her head back and started laughing. "You've got to be kidding me? You call that giant chrome Slinky out of my league?"
"Huh?"
"You know about the rail cannons they had placed on the walls outside the city?" She jerked her thumb at herself. "I designed them myself."
"You what?"
"Uh-huh. And I had a hand helping Seto Kaiba with those Generation Five Duel Disks. I also developed the schematics for the Space Elevator he plans to build really soon."
"You're..."
Kara's icy gray eyes twinkled and she smiled. "Gifted? No, I'm more than that. I've been blessed with great knowledge by Tenna herself. Probably a reward for my father, who was a great scholar, inventor, and devoted follower of the Goddess. I've been inventing things since the day I could walk."
"The Kiss of Tenna," said Zane. "Now, that's a rare gift. Seto Kaiba is probably the only one I know who has it."
Kara laughed. "You know he's been gifted by the Goddesses if he can make a jet with an aerodynamically incompetent design fly. Yup. Every once in a while, a genius like he and I are born. And it's your lucky day my good fellow because this one wants to help you out. Kara Kestrel."
She held out her hand.
Zane shook it. "Nice to meet you, Kara. I'm going to need all the help I can get."
Kara nodded. "I want to help. Alexis was one of my best friends growing up in Lorin. We played together a lot."
"How?"
"My mother was her Lady-in-Waiting and my father served the Queen in the royal archives."
"I never heard about you until now."
"Alexis didn't talk about me much. Our friendship was...complicated. As she and I grew older..." She paused and started giggling.
"What?" Zane asked.
Kara formed an ear-to-ear grin and mischievously bit her lip. "We started playing kissing games by the fountain in the courtyard."
"Oh..."
"We don't roll like that," she said patting his hand. "We were blooming into our womanhood and decided to...experiment. Yeah, it was fun at first, but she started growing uncomfortable. It just wasn't her thing. Boy, that made things awkward. After mom passed away, we saw less and less of each other. Before you know it, Dad moves us to Domino. I only messaged her every now and then. She went the path of the Duelist. I went down the path of the scientist."
"She means a lot to you, huh?"
"Of course, she does. She's my friend. We've drifted apart but we still care about each other. Well, enough with this wishy-washy stuff. Show me the schematics for that prototype."
"Not here," said Zane. He put two Star Chips on the table and escorted Kara out to his car. As soon as he drove off, he reached into the pocket of his black blazer, pulling out a device that displayed Zane's dragon in holographic form.
"Interesting," Kara said, taking the device and examining the schematics. "Way cool. But why a dragon?"
"The Cyber Dragon has been the symbol of my house since the dawn of technology," said Zane. "I want everyone to see his power outside of Duel Monsters as well. I tried to make it look like the card, but he just wound up looking the way he did. He was able to withstand quite a bit of punishment, but one of the Aeons was a powerful summoner who took him down."
Kara nodded and examined the design more thoroughly. "Your machine is pretty good. But how did you not think to add some sort of magic-resistant armor? You are going up against a gang of mages after all."
"Is such a thing possible?"
Kara burst out laughing. "And you say I'm out of my league. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night, Zane. There's a lot I have to teach you if you want this thing to work the way you want it."
"I'm a quick study, Kara. Show me everything."
He took her back to his room in the House of Gray. She looked around, nodding at every piece of furniture and the number of computers and holographic screens fading and appearing all over the room. She cringed at the mess Zane had on his desk, and his bed was unkempt and smelled of his bodily fluids.
"Don't worry," he said, leading her upstairs. "There's an empty chamber that I used mostly for storage. You can use it if you wish."
"It will have to do," Kara said, following him up the stairs. She stopped in her tracks and gasped when she saw a metallic serpent snarling at her from the center of Zane's laboratory.
The creature roared, causing Kara to scream wildly. The serpent had tubes along the sides of his body, keeping him anchored to the ringed platform at the center of the lab.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" she shouted.
"It's okay!" Zane yelled, waving his hands to keep her calm. "This is him. Well...what's left of him. This is just his core (Cyber Dragon Core). It's a modified version of what I had in the prototype. It's okay, he's harmless."
"You made him so real," Kara said breathing heavily as she leaned back against the railing. "Goddesses, how is that accomplished?"
"It was tricky," Zane replied, sitting behind his desk. He quickly typed something on his laptop. The laboratory rumbled. A thick, glowing, red liquid oozed through the tubes and into the core as Zane called it.
"What is that?" Kara asked.
"A cooling solution," Zane replied. "He heats up really quickly. In order for me to keep him brisk and efficient, I have to get rid of a few functions. But that's not in the cards for me. I need them. If I do proceed to get rid of his flight and weapons systems, he might as well be some metal snake on the ground."
Kara marveled at his invention, but she still kept her distance. "As if he wasn't scary enough, now you want him to fly!"
Zane patted her back. "Get used to him, Kara. You're going to be working with him until we find Alexis."
"Charmed," Kara said, sarcastically. She looked at the Core one last time before following Zane into the empty chamber that would be her own laboratory. There was a solitary desk with a computer placed by the glass wall. Kara, again, nodded and examined her seat. She slid her messenger bag off and sat down. "What do you want to do, Zane?"
He showed her the Cyber Dragon card. "I want him to look like this."
Kara took the card from him and, again, nodded. "It doesn't look all that complicated for me. You already have the thing's core up and running so that saves me the job of working on his AI." She cracked her knuckles. "I'm going to need a lot in terms of materials and hardware. And it's not going to be cheap."
"Of course. And if there's anything you need, fill out a requisitions order. I'll take care of the rest. It's coming out of my pocket."
Kara smiled. "You're going to regret that, Your Lordship."
Zane smiled back. "Try me."
Lore
Tenna: Goddess of Knowledge. Ruler of machinations. Tenna is associated with mathematics, science, alchemy, and medicine. The Machine and Psychic-Type monsters are her creation.
She is the one who gave the people of the land of Eredas the blueprints to create a vast city of technology, which would one day be called Domino. She loves the races of Keya and is eager to fill their heads with knowledge so as to move Termnnia forward.
Though she is loving towards the people, most are not fond of her. Those who live to the West, the North, and the South are not too pleased with the foundation of Eredas.
Some folk find the gift of technology blasphemous and deceitful as it is a spit on the gifts the Eldari and the Stars have given the people of Termmnia. For this, her only chapel is located in Battle City, a man-made island off the coast of Domino.
She blesses those who pray to her with increased intelligence for a limited time. For this, many schools and universities prohibit students to pray to her during test days.
