Legend of the Serpentine

Chapter 5

Back at Yusei's house, Yusei and Akiza had managed to saddle and secure Raven, tying her to a chair. Raven had a cloth in her mouth as she still hissed at Yusei and Azika. Her new found fangs stuck out from the cloth as she struggled and hissed like an animal to them.

"Akiza, do you know how to cure Raven?" asked Yusei.

"I'm not sure. No doctor I've talked to has ever heard of the Serpentine before, They don't know what this condition is or the antidote," replied Akiza.

Raven thrashed and hissed. Fortunately for them, Ahsoka and Crow had now returned to behold the sight. "Oh my...what the hell happened?" asked Tano.

"Ahsoka! Crow! You're both ok!" said Akiza.

"Raven, Akiza and I confronted the leader of the Serpentine, Fangtom. As we fought him, he bit Raven and somehow, his venom turned her into a snake drone," explained Yusei.

"Some kind of chemical..." said Ahsoka as she stroked her chin. Ravens eyes were even reptilian now as they stares at the group.

"Do you know about this chemical, Ahsoka?" asked Yusei.

"No...but I might know something that is similar" she said. "Do you guys have a first aid kit? And do your creatures heal at all?"

"Here you go," said Yusei as he gave her a first aid kit.

"I have this card, 'Rain of Mercy', said Akiza.

"What does it do? We don't want to further the venom and lose her completely so nothing too harsh," she cautioned them.

"It heals everyone," stated Akiza. "We're all worse for wear from the last battle.

Ahsoka nodded. "Explain more..." she said as she readied a syringe.

"It may look like a card. But I can use my psychic abilities to make its effects real," said Akiza.

"Do you think...you could possibly find me a sample of the venom mixed with her blood?"

"Of course." Akiza put on gloves and inserted and inserted tranquilizers into Raven. "I'm sorry Raven, but I'll have to temporary put you under."

She muttered and hissed as she was now out cold. Ahsoka winced seeing her friend in this position.

"I think it worked. Now, we need to take a sample of her blood," said Akiza.

Ahsoka watched the process, and was interested by how professionally Azika handled it. "So I'm talking your in the medical field then?"

"Yes, I am. Yusei was the one who inspired me."

"Good that's relieving to know it's not an ameteur operating on Rae." Said Ahsoka very stressed.

Akiza wasn't sure what to say as she finished extracting Raven's blood. Ahsoka snatched the sample and began to compare it to other blood samples she had available. She sighed as she looked back to Azika. "Come here..." on observing the sample, she would find small green particles floating about: the venom.

Akiza was shocked when she saw the venom. "It's just as I feared. Do you know how to make the anti-venom for it?"

"No...but I know how we might be able to disinfect her...have you anything cold?"

"Cold? Let me get some ice packs from the freezer."

"Go...and make it quick...the more time we waste the more we lose her to the venom."

Akiza rushed to the freezer and grabs some ice packs. She then hurried back to Ahsoka and handed one to her.

Ahsoka placed one on 'Snaven's' forehead. She hissed angrily as she tried to resist. Akiza restrained the titan with vines. Raven is now held in place as more ice packs are applied. "Can any of your creatures make it cooler in here?" asked Tano.

"I'm not sure if any of my monsters can help, as my deck is Plant-based," sighed Akiza. She looked to the others and gave a desperate face.

Just then, Kalin and Jack knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Shouted Ahsoka. She grabbed both of them before they could speak and faced them with the bound Titan.

"Oi! What's the hurry?!" exclaimed Jack.

But before he could continue his rant, he and Kalin noticed 'Snave' tied to the chair and were horrified.

"What happened to Raven?" asked Kalin.

"One of the snakes bit her from what I heard...the creepy one with the two heads." added Ahsoka as she applied more ice packs to Snaven

"She was the one that warned us about the snakes!" said Jack. Do you know how to cure her?"

Suddenly, before anyone could say anything else about Raven's dilemma, the blank card Kalin found in Skalidor's tomb started to glow and a cold wind blew out of it.

"What is this chill?!" he exclaimed.

The cool breeze hot Snaven and she began to wince a bit...her skin returning to normal where the breeze hit hardest.

Everybody's eyes widened at amazement at what the card did.

"Where did you that card, Kalin?" asked Akiza.

"It worked!" smiled Yusei.

Ravens was no longer snake. She slumped against the crude bonds that kept her in the chair. She was out cold and normal once more.

Ahsoka smirked. "Where did you get those cards?"

"I found it after Jack and I defeated Skalidor," replied Kalin.

The card started talking: "The one who calls himself the God of Death..."

"Huh!" said Ahsoka as the others gasped too.

"Did the card just talk to us?!" exclaimed Crow.

"How do you know about me?" asked Kalin.

"We duel spirits can sense any sign of trouble whenever duelists engage in battle. It appears you have trouble with the Serpentine. And thus, I have been summoned to aid you."

It was hours before Raven began to awake, she was on the couch in their home. She groggily rubbed her head as she now began to get up. Akiza looked up from her paperwork and was delighted when she saw Raven waking up.

"Raven! How are you feeling?"

"Nhmmm tired...what happened?" She asked running her head.

"A bit cold, and tired...but I've felt worse, where the others?"

"They're...resting," sighed Akiza.

Yusei was studying the staff Jack found after Kalin defeated Skalidor. Jack was looking at his deck and planning how to use it against the other snakes. Crow was snoring away on the couch. And Kalin was practicing a new song on his harmonica. Ahsoka mediated with the force, levitating and dismantling nearby objects, to only repair them a few seconds later.

Yusei was amazed by the snake staff, as it was nothing like he ever saw before. It's golden design, it's brilliant pattern and texture, and even the orange crystal in the center were fascinating to look at. He thought about asking Ahsoka about it, but when he saw her meditate, he decided it was best to wait.

"I wonder why Jack gave this to me after he and Kalin defeated Skalidor? Surely it'll help them out more," thought Yusei.

Sometime later Ahsoka and Raven were making maps. "Three tombs opened, which means there's only one left."

Yusei went to see Kalin, who was outside playing his harmonica. When Yusei asked his friend if he was alright, Kalin replied yes in a rather monotone voice.

"I wonder what monster is hiding in this blank card? And what powers it has?"

The temptation of faith and curiosity hit as he looked over it once more. Ahsoka motioned them all in now.

"Where do we go next?" asked Crow.

"I was wondering if I should ask Leo and Luna for their help?" asked Akiza.

"It depends on where they live...as the last tomb: the Venomari. Is located in North Africa," said Raven.

"Africa, geez that's far away," muttered Crow.

"I was wondering if Luna can help us figure out what that blank card Kalin found is, since she has the power to see and talk to Card Spirits," stated Akiza.

Raven's eye twitched as she was about to say something. But was cut-off by them.

"You were poisoned by one of them. I advise you not to question one of my teammates," said Kalin coldly. He was still holding the blank card.

"Excuse me!" She said. "But who put you in charge?"

Ahsoka sensed something off of him. Anger, carnage, and ambition. She squinted a bit as she looked to him piecing everything together.

"I am the leader of the Enforcers. We all grew up together in the slums of Satellite. I may have messed up in the past that caused our team to split up, and turned me into a Dark Signer. But despite that, they never gave up on me and they even forgave me. So now, to make them proud, I will never run from my problems again. I am Kalin Kessler, the Avenger from the Void, the Death God!" announced Kalin boldly.

"And I'm Raven of Azarerth!" She said standing up. "Practitioner of magic, Teen Titan, and War Hero!" She glared him in the eye, the two personalities locked now. "I'm the best source in the Serpentine you've got...so whether I'm up to your standards or not, I'm the best you've got."

Kalin smirked slightly and stated his catch-phrase "As long as you can satisfy me."

His teammates cheered and laughed, while Akiza dialed Leo and Luna's number.

Ahsoka then finished her analysis. "You killed Skalidor..." that killed countless men centuries before," Jack had hoped it would stay under wraps, but knew it would eventually
get out.

"What are you talking about? We had no choice but to kill him! If we didn't, he would have gotten away!" argued Jack.

Azika, Raven and the others were visibly shocked. Ahsoka crossed her arms. "Your talking to a soldier here, I've had to take life before...when necessary..." she said.

"You and Kalin actually killed Skalidor?!" exclaimed Akiza.

"Yeah, I summoned Red Dragon Archfiend Assault Mode. While Kalin became the Death God. And together, we sent him to Hell!" Jack stated proudly.

"You guys..." Raven rubbed her temples now. "You made Pythors job a whole lot easier..."

Ahsoka looked to the staff. There was maybe a silver lining.

"Do you know anything about this staff and how it works?" asked Yusei.

"No...but..." started Yusei.

"I can." Said Raven as she scowled at Jack and Kalin. She then used her magic to pull the small crystal out of the staff, revealing some harmless tribal venom.

"What's that stuff coming out of it?" asked Crow.

"It looks like some sort of venom," replied Akiza.

Ahsoka put her finger to it and tasted it.

The Enforcers all winced when she did that.

"She didn't just do what I think she did!" exclaimed Crow.

Ahsoka winced as well as the bitterness kicked in. "Gah! Definitely an acid." Said Tano as she spat it out.

Raven saw some of it dripping and wanted to further analyze it in case of it being a drug. She put a piece of paper under it, but to her shock, the dripping Acidic solution began to form some sort of image.

"Acid? Of what type?" asked Akiza.

Yusei turned back to look at the staff and was shocked when he saw the image form. "Look! Everyone, something is happening to it!"

Raven looked at it. What was it? A symbol? A manifesto? She then began to recognize familiar the shape of Europe. "It's a map!"

"What's going on?" asked Jack.

"What's it trying to show us?" questioned Kalin.

"A map..." said Raven. It was only 1/5th of the way through when it stopped drawing it out.

"A map of what?" asked Yusei.

"Something tells me its missing information," said Kalin.

"Of course, this is only one staff...so there must me more in the other four." Said Ahsoka.

"The Fangblades..." said Raven. "It's a map to the Fangblades."

"So, what you're saying is that in order for us to get the whole map, we have to gather the remaining four staffs," said Kalin.

"Just defeating one of those scaly generals was hard enough. How are we supposed to to defeat the others?" asked Jack.

"Yes...or we can go and fetch the Fangblade before they get this one." Said Raven.

"Alright. I hope I don't burst my brain from using so much psychic power," muttered Kalin. "If I die..." However, before he could finish, Yusei cut him off.

"Kalin! Don't say such things! Don't doubt yourself! I believe in you!"

"Yeah! I believe in you too!" shouted Crow.

"Same here," said Jack.

"Thanks, everyone," smiled Kalin.

Raven muttered something along the lines of 'drama-queen' as she began to chart out where in Europe the fangblade was. "But this does put us quite a few steps ahead of Pythor."

"Yeah! I believe in you too!" shouted Crow.

"Same here," said Jack.

"Thanks, everyone," smiled Kalin.

"It does? That's the best news we heard all day. Oh, and Luna said she was shocked to hear about the 'cold' card and is coming over here," said Akiza as she finished her phone call.

Ahsoka had now left to focus on something else. She exited the house and walked into the woods. Is was there she heard some hisses and heard the familiar sound of snake chatter. She turned to see Acidus behind her, who simply laughed. "Hello little girl!"

She went for her sabers, but was cut off by the snake spitting his venom into her eyes. It was then that Ahsoka began to hallucinate all around her. Stumbling left to right. Raven still remained silent as she looked the other team members. Suddenly, two green lightsabers began to cut through the home's wall. Ahsoka slashed her way in, her eyes glowing a lime green as she looked to the Enforcers in a battle stance.

"What the-" yelled Crow.

"Ahsoka! Not you too!" cried Yusei. "Akiza, do you have any more of the anti-venom?"

Just then, Leo and Luna arrived at the front door and rang the doorbell. Akiza ran to the door and greeted them. "Hey, Leo and Luna! Great timing! We need your help now!"