Yuri - ?
Where am I? What is this place?
Yuri felt cold. As if he was standing naked in a blizzard. He was standing on a platform of sorts that resembled a massive mosaic window depicting an all-too-familiar character. "Yami?" Yuri gasped, recognizing the figure on the image. Floating beside him, looking as though he were in a deep-sleep was what appeared to be a younger version of him. "Yu...Yugi," Yuri muttered.
Through the glass, Yuri saw what looked like an endless version of Aquarius's central island going on for miles and miles with Phobos Towers standing proudly in the middle. Yuri's toes curled and his palms grew sweaty as vertigo slowly sank in when he realized how high he was. He looked to the sky and saw four long and narrow mosaic windows.
It was as if he was standing inside a model city in the middle of a dark and cold church. The images on the windows displayed three young women, a blonde woman who looked like she came straight out of a Japanese manga.
The other two women - an adorable redhead and a lovely brunette with shoulder-length hair - looked the same. The fourth clearly depicted a woman, but instead of a clear picture, it was only her silhouette surrounded by familiar images in small spheres orbiting around her head.
One was Yuri with a crown on his head. The others were of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a crown, and what looked like...Bakura.
Who were these people? Who were the three women being depicted on the windows in the eternal night sky? Who was the fourth? And why did it seem she had a deep connection with Yuri? He shivered and rubbed his arms with his palms to warm his skin.
Even though he was dressed in baggy winter jeans, a long black shirt underneath a brown leather jacket, and a beanie to keep his ears warm, he was freezing.
Suddenly, a pedestal rose out of the ground, directly out of the Wdjat Eye engraved on the golden 3D pyramid around Yami's neck. There was a sword in the stone, with a blade of gold and crossguards engraved and covered in jewels. It didn't look like any other blade.
It looked like a weapon fit for a king. Yuri approached the weapon. There was a keychain of gold dangling from the pommel of the sword.
The 3D pyramid was hanging at the end. Yuri walked around the blade, admiring its beautiful surface shimmering in all the colors of the rainbow as though it were a secret rare foil card.
He reached for it - his hand concealed in fingerless black gloves - and grabbed the black leather grip of the sword. He didn't have to pull with all his might, for the weapon elegantly slid through its imprisonment until it was up in the air, safe in Yuri's grasp.
Yuri gave the sword a few swings. It left behind a trail of glittery lights with each swing. It was a good sword - a little too extravagant in design - but that's what made it special to him.
Yuri looked at the crossguards. They looked like wings. He felt the ground shudder. The pedestal vanished in a flash of noisy light. Yuri backed away from the light.
His heavy boots thumped loudly on the glass - the chain hanging on his hip jangled. He looked around then stared at the sky.
The glossy, black night, glittering with infinite stars was blanketed by the beautiful light of an orangy-green aurora. The night was still and incurious. But Yuri was breathing heavily. Something was coming. He felt it. He looked to his feet, for he felt them getting hot.
What he saw frightened him. His reflection was staring back at him. Then it turned black. Was it his shadow? No, it was not his shadow. He wished it was, but unfortunately, shadows don't have glowing red eyes and teeth as tall as a house. It was just as Yuri feared. A monster!
The shadow reflection in the glass slithered towards the other end of the mosaic platform. And then took the form of a behemoth standing almost a hundred meters high. He recognized it at once. He had seen Yami show it off in one of his dreams more than a year ago. He remembered the monster's name.
Obelisk the Tormentor!
Lightning flashed all around the giant god-like creature as he spread his wings. His body was bluish-black. He seemed more demonic than in the card Yami showed him. His piercing, red eyes stared directly into Yuri's soul.
He lifted his fist. He was going to smash Yuri. Yuri ducked out of the way. He saw the ground darken underneath the shadow of Obelisk's fist, then felt a bone-rattling slam and the platform shaking violently.
The feeling of vertigo grew stronger as Yuri felt the platform shimmy in the air thousands of feet above the city below.
Again, Obelisk attempted to smash Yuri. Yuri got up and sprinted down the platform before rolling out of the way.
Again, he felt the horrible impact of the fist hitting the ground and the fierce wind that almost pushed him towards the edge of the platform. Obelisk gave out a roar that could be heard hundreds of miles away. Yuri screamed and covered his ears before his eardrums burst. He heard them ringing.
The wind was getting stronger as a terrible storm engulfed the battlefield. Obelisk was shielded by the towering storm clouds until he was nothing more than a silhouette with red eyes. His body was only revealed when the lightning flashed, making even more terrifying.
Obelisk twirled his fists until he conjured a dark ball of energy that rained down red-hot orbs that could turn Yuri to cinders with a touch. Yuri slashed them away with his sword. Obelisk almost chuckled at the sight.
Again, he slammed both his fists down on the platform, hoping to smash Yuri like a bug. He held out his arms and used telekinetic powers to lift buildings off the ground and orbit around him.
Obelisk telekinetically tossed them at Yuri. Yuri braced himself. His sword started glowing bright blue and gave him six wings. Yuri flew into the air and sliced the buildings in half with one powerful slice.
He did it again and again, dodging each of Obelisk's attacks. He used his wings to pick up speed and rocketed towards Obelisk's face. He repeatedly slashed the blue gem inlaid in Obelisk's forehead until it cracked.
The God Card reeled in pain and swatted Yuri away with a gust of hurricane-force winds from his own wings. Yuri was tossed through the air until he passed out. When he woke, he found his arms and legs bound hundreds of feet over the platform by a Duel Monster called Binding Chain.
He couldn't move no matter how hard he tried. Lighting flashed. Obelisk was staring right at him. He leaned forward until he was face to face with Yuri. He sneered at the boy. He stood back upright and held up his fist to launch his most powerful attack. Fist of Fate!
Oh no! Yuri was in trouble now. If Obelisk hit him with that attack, he was done for. He knew this was mostly-likely all just a really bad dream. But it felt so real. The agony. The fear.
The magical steel that held his arms and legs together. And the sounds. The horrible sounds Obelisk made. Would he wake up from the dream after Obelisk hit him? What if the attack was really going to kill him?
He was not going to sit idly by and find out. Time seemed to slow down. Yuri mustered all of his strength and finally broke the magical chain. Obelisk's fist was just a mere dozen feet from him and would reach its mark in a fraction of a second. Yuri swung his sword, intercepting Obelisk's massive fist, smashing the flesh to pieces. Obelisk roared in agony.
He grabbed Yuri with his other hand and tossed him into the air. Yuri soared through the storm clouds - lighting flashing dangerous close to him and the thunder booming loudly in his ears.
He flew up until he was directly over the clouds. Despite how high he was, Obelisk looked still looked like a giant. He was now flying towards him.
Yuri seized his moment and threw his magical sword. It was engulfed in blue flames, looking like a comet and it struck Obelisk's blue gem. Then, it exploded. Yuri blacked out.
The sword spun back to the platform and stuck itself deep in the glass. Yuri fell and smacked hard on the glass. Obelisk came down as well, slamming hard on the platform with a mighty crash that caused many of the buildings below to crumble. Yuri forced himself back up. He grabbed the sword and pulled with all his might until he freed it from the ground.
He dashed toward Obelisk, again, aiming to damage the gem on his forehead, now shattered. He slashed and slashed until it broke into a thousand pieces. Obelisk grunted and reached for Yuri with his last breath, grabbing him and imprisoning him in his grip.
"King..." The behemoth muttered. He started cracking. Light burst out of the cracks on Obelisk's face. He was going to blow. And as he lay there dying, he laughed. Laughed like a madman. Yuri braced himself as a hot, white flash erupted in his face.
He prayed to God, hoping it would all end quickly.
Yuri woke up screaming at the top of his lungs, his arms and legs flailing around as though he were warding off a killer.
"Yuri! Yuri!" Patty cried, shaking him. "Yuri! Yuri!" As Yuri calmed down, her voice lowered to that of a soothing whisper. "Shhh," she went, rubbing his arm as he started to catch his breath. "You were dreaming again?"
Yuri wheezed heavily and nodded. "A monster," his voice cracked, "a big...blue monster attacked me. What did he want? What did he want? Why can't they just leave me alone?"
Patty rubbed his shoulders gently the way a caring mother would. "Shhhh, it's okay. It's okay, it's over."
Yuri turned to look at her and when he realized he was...in bed...with HER...he cried out in shock, backing away until he fell off the bed. "Ooof!" he grunted, hitting his head hard on the floor and tumbling end over end. "Patty!" he managed to shout. "Why the hell were you sleeping next to me?" Yuri crawled backward when he saw she was partially dressed. "What the! Why the hell did you take off your pants?"
"It was getting hot."
"You couldn't turn on the AC?"
"I was tired," Patty replied, covering herself with one of her giant pillows to keep from making Yuri feel uncomfortable. "And I didn't want to wake you."
"Why did you...sleep...NEXT TO ME!?"
"Nothing. No reason. Sorry if that bothered you so much."
"Ugh, never again! Never again! Don't ask me to stay the night anymore, okay."
He saw the look of hurt in Patty's eyes. "Is it me?" she asked.
"No, I..."
"It's your mom and dad, huh? They still don't like me, do they?"
"They do, they just want you to get better. They've known you since we were kids. You just need to go down a better path."
"Easier said than done," said Patty. "Sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out or anything. Come on, let's get dressed. The bus comes in an hour."
"All right." Yuri stood up and left her room to go wash and dress.
Serenity Wheeler - University of Arterex, Rassay
Tel. IV, Year 18 4AOS
Just a few more minutes, just a few more minutes, and I can go home. Serenity Wheeler, thought to herself as she wrote down important dates of the Caroldon Empire from the Second Age of the Sun on the chalkboard. Her student sat behind her, some taking notes, some dozing off, and others admiring her. Being a teacher was not something she wanted to do with her life, but given her current lifestyle, she didn't have any choice in the matter. She was what they called a 'Dungeon Delver', a type of adventurer who fancied exploring ancient ruins all over the continent and looting whatever treasures lay within. It was a hectic life, one that required her to travel a lot and spend a huge amount of money. Given her knowledge of Termnnian lore, being a teacher of history and songs at the royal university in the capital of Emboldor was a surefire way to make money to fund her expeditions.
"Carlondolic," said Serenity. "A term used to describe ancient ruins from the Caroldon Empire."
She showed them a few slides with artwork from the Calondolic era.
"Though it was a powerful and vast empire, it was short-lived, lasting only a hundred or so years before Emperor Azaleus Carol XXIV had the dumb idea to march against High King Tiberius Pendragon and take the God Cards from him."
Her class laughed, wondering how anyone could be so stupid. Serenity chuckled as well and turned around to face her pupils. She sat down on her desk to get comfortable, much to the joy of her male students, who paid through the nose to be in her class.
She picked up a peach and bit into it to moisten her mouth and fill it with something sweet so as to wake her up and moisten her tongue, which was getting dry. "Because of his treachery, Obelisk the Tormentor was sent forth to deal with him and laid waste to his army with a single punch in the Battle of the Horns, so-called because of the two hills on both sides of the field where the army gathered."
She pointed at the map behind her. "Although some would prefer to call it the Massacre of the Horns since Obelisk wiped them out within seconds. To make sure no one would ever rise against him again, High King Tiberius sent all three of the God Cards to wipe out every last bit of their empire. Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra were merciless, destroying any city in the region that chose to align with Azaleus or sided with him against their master. Every trace of the Caroldon Empire was wiped clean."
Her class oohed and ahhed as she showed them more artwork depicting the chaos the two monsters caused.
"Tiberius made sure the empire was used as an example for anyone who dared challenge his rule. And it is because of the God Cards' wrath that it's especially difficult to find any trace of it. The site we will explore next week is from this time period. The Grazadow Barrow, near the town of Cornerstone just outside the city."
She then pointed to the board, displaying a crude drawing she made of the layout of the ruin.
"It contains one massive chamber, which is believed to have been used as a theatre or Carlondian senators to discuss politics. The site is in relatively poor condition because of the many years of grave robbing because it is said that there is a chamber hidden deep within the ruin that contains a golden throne where Azaleus once sat in. The Chair of the Sun so it's been dubbed because it was fashioned to look like Helios, the Goddess living inside the sun. But…"
She stopped when she heard the door open. A woman stepped inside and leaned against the wall near the steps leading up to the higher seats of the lecture hall. Ishizu Ishtar, curator of the museum and dean of the university. She smiled at Serenity and nodded, telling her not to mind her presence and continue her lecture.
"Ahem," said Serenity. But before she could utter another word, the bell rang. "Any questions?" she asked. None. The students began to gather their things and stand up. "All right, that's it for today. I want your papers on Caroldonic lords on my desk before you leave guys."
A blushing boy rushed to her desk and dropped his assignment in the bin on Serenity's desk.
"Thank you, Tony," Serenity said.
"I love you!" the boy shouted as she darted out of the class.
Once the class was empty, Ishizu walked up the steps to the stage where Serenity gave her lecture. "I got your letter," she said.
"I was hoping you did," Serenity said, flattening her brown pleated skirt and sashaying back behind her desk to grab her notes and maps. "Come on, Ishizu. I'm sure I've got it this time. Look, I've got it all figured out. Prince Ryon searched all through the Katinnian Archives for me."
"You got him to search through the Katinnian Archives?" Ishizu said with a roll of her eyes. "I dare not imagine what that must have cost you."
Serenity dumped her scrolls and maps on the desk. "This is not a matter of money, Ishizu. Ryon's a patriot. He'll do anything to have a High King back on the throne. He's located a dozen new ruins for me to explore. The artifact has to be in one of them, I know it is. I feel it in my heart. All I need is five thousand gold to help me get started."
"Serenity…"
"And look what I found on my trip to the ruins in the Great White Mountains!" Serenity opened one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a brown cloth containing pieces of ancient jewelry depicting the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Aren't they beautiful? Jewelry from House Rosenkruz. Do you have any idea how rare these pieces are?"
Ishizu smiled and picked up a ring made of silver with a blue diamond held in the mouth of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Yes, Serenity, the museum will take them, of course — yes, yes, they are beautiful."
"I'll let you have them for five thousand. Come on, Ishizu, the world is depending on us. The war is getting worse and now King Forrest has opened another theatre of war within the borders over Katina. If we don't act now, his troops and his mages could get to those ruins before we can. They'll loot everything, maybe even destroy them."
"Serenity, dear, if you'll let me speak."
"What?"
"There are some people from the High King's House of Intelligence here to see you."
"Me?" Serenity said flabbergasted. "Wow, this is unexpected. Let me get my stuff."
Agents from the House of Intelligence were a no-nonsense sort of people. Wanting to see the likes of her, a history teacher from the university of all things, was a great surprise to her. Serenity wasted no time in picking up her things and following Ishizu out of the school.
Patty - Paradiso Prima, Aquarius
Tel. IV, Year 18 4AOS
A horrible rainstorm struck Aquarius not long after school, creating a gale so fierce that the bridges and even the streets had to be closed. Unfortunately for Patty, she was walking Max in the park when the storm was at its worst and found herself trapped with no way to go home. However, she did not despair, for she was with a friend at the time, a young girl about her age named Sabrina Albrecht.
Sabrina Albrecht
She was a fair-faced young woman with shoulder-length green hair and grayish-blue eyes. She worked in a small coffee shop that her mother owned and operated by the lake in the park, which is where Patty was at the start of the storm. With the storm getting worse, the coffee shop closed and Sabrina's mother happily gave Patty a ride back to her glass mansion perched on an artificial mountain by the ocean in the southwest part of Paradiso Prima called La Nuves. Like Patty, her father served as a soldier in RAPTOR. In fact, he was the ace soldier in the company. Many years ago, he made a name for himself by shooting fifty pirates from a mile away with his custom sniper rifle when they tried to invade the central island to rob the Aquarian bank. Needless to say, not one of them set foot on Aquarius because of his amazing marksmanship. After the battle, he was given the name Archangel because of the angelic insignia emblazoned on his rifle. The emblem was proudly displayed over the door of the mansion and was even printed on shirts, postcards, mugs, and posters in select stores on the island. Sabrina was so proud of his record and dedication to duty that she had a necklace of gold built in the image of the emblem on his rifle, and she wore it proudly everywhere she went, for she hailed the man as her hero.
The sun had set behind the ocean and the storm had subsided thankfully, leaving only bloated gray clouds in the sky with the occasional flash of lighting. What luck, for the two girls finished the last of their homework and were ready for an evening stroll. "Meow!" went Sabrina's ghostly gray cat sitting by the window. Even he knew the girls were done with their work. He learned to keep his distance when they had their books out and waited patiently for his chance to gain their affection. Gandalf leaped off the windowsill onto the desk as Patty closed her textbook. "Meow," the cat went as he sashayed slowly in front of Patty.
Gandalf
"Hey, Gandalf," Patty said in a playful voice. She petted his head and slid her hand down his back as he stretched. "Thanks for waiting, ya good boy." She scratched him behind the ears as she admired his heterochromia eyes. "So pretty," she said for the umpteenth time.
Max whined as he watched from the floor. Even though he and Gandalf got along really well, he really hated it when other pets had Patty's attention. Gandalf purred as if to mess with him, knowing how much the sight of Patty petting him caused the little puppy distress. Sabrina laughed, stuffing her things back into her messenger bag. She picked Max up and held him as she walked to the window.
"Looks like the storm's died down," Sabrina said, staring out her rain-splattered window. "You wanna head for the Ruby Dragon and get a bite to eat?"
Patty leaned back in her chair and smirked at her. "Bite to eat my ass," she chuckled. "I know you just wanna test out that new Cosmo Queen of yours. Congrats on getting a playset of her, by the way. I heard she's really hard to find."
Sabrina looked over her shoulder at Patty. "Damn right she's hard to find. I worked my butt off all summer for those cards. Besides, I know you've been itching to get some action with Zera the Mant. I saw you stroking the card the entire time you were doing your homework. You really need to give that thing some space. I swear you remind me of Gollum when he pets the One Ring when I see you with that card."
Patty held up the card with two fingers and held it close to her face. "My precious!" she said making her voice sound creepy.
"Eesh, don't do that," Sabrina said. She set Max down. "Well, what do you say? I could use a few Duels right now after all that homework."
Patty couldn't say no. How could she? It was Duel Monsters after all. And perhaps her friends would still be there. So the two gathered their things, got into the car, and off they went to the central island for an evening of cards.
"Thanks for letting me crash at your place, Sabrina," Patty said looking out the window. The lights of the Montgomery Bridge turned on, turning the angelic-looking architecture a shade of neon blue.
"No problem, babe," Sabrina said warmly. She took her hand off the clutch and patted Patty's hand. "How are things at home?" Patty pursed her lips and swallowed hard. That told Sabrina everything she needed to know. "Pamela, you know you can always stay with me, right?"
"And get your father in trouble again? No, don't worry about me, Sabrina. I can take care of myself."
"You know you can always come to me when you need help, right?"
"I know."
"You don't have to take this. Just because your dad is the commander of RAPTOR doesn't mean you have to take this shit every day."
"I know."
"Pamela..."
"I know. Can we just...can we just drop it. Yuri's at the shop and I don't want him worrying about me again. Let's just get there and Duel, please?"
Sabrina clutched the steering wheel with all her might and gulped in distress. "All right. All right. But you can't hide from this forever, you know."
Patty pretended to chuckle. "Come on, Sabrina. It's our senior year. It's almost over. Just a few more months and we can put all of this behind us. All right?"
"If you say so, Patty." Sabrina then said nothing more and took them to the parking garage of the Ruby Dragon. As soon as they walked into the shop and saw their friends gathering around the Duel Tables, their spirits were lifted and their troubles remained out the door.
"Hello, guys!" Sabrina said, following Patty to their table.
"Sabrina! Patty!" Carter cheered. He held up his coke cup in triumph. "All right, now it's a party!"
"Welcome, welcome," said Tyson. He was in the middle of a Duel with Nick. "Uh, hold on lemme finish this up."
Patty approached Yuri carefully and said, "Hey."
"Hey," he replied softly.
"Look, Yuri," Patty rubbed the back of her head. "Look, about this morning..."
"Hey, don't worry about it. It's all right. It had nothing to do with you, Patty. Heh, the shock of waking up to you in your underwear got the best of me."
"Sorry about that," Patty said with a giggle. "So...did you like what you saw?"
"Putting me on the spot already?" Yuri chuckled. "You're hot, Patty, okay. I'll admit that. Just...keep your pants on next time I come over. All right?"
Patty bumped his thigh with her hip and winked. "It's a promise." She then turned her eyes on the Duel at hand.
Tyson laughed as he held two cards with his fingers. "Okay, Nick, I summon Leogun and equip him with the spell cards, Invigoration, and Beast Fangs. They'll increase his ATK points to 2450. And don't forget the field power bonus from my Forest field spell, which juices him up by another 200 points for a grand total of 2650 ATK points. I'll attack Masaki the Legendary Swordsman with Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts and then I'll take out your Celtic Guardian with Leogun. And that's game, Nick. Once again, you lose."
Nick slumped in his chair and threw his cards on the table. "Damn it, man. You didn't have to be so aggressive. You already got me with that lion guy. He was strong enough as it was with his base ATK."
"Man, you stink at this game, Nick," Carter teased.
Yuri laughed and patted Nick on the shoulder sympathetically. "Don't feel bad, Nick. You got him down to 1000 Life Points."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Nick grumbled. "I appreciate the pep talk, Yuri, but I always seem to choke at the finish line. I always manage to take a chunk outta someone's Life Points and then my luck runs out and they demolished me with a boss monster later."
"Boss monster?" Tyson laughed. "Leogun ain't no boss monster. Leogun is just a high-ranked soldier in my army. My bosses are these guys. Super War-Lion and my ace in the hole to get me the win is the king himself." He held up his best card.
"Behemoth the King of Animals, baby. I should have summoned him, but I already pitied you, Nick. Those vanilla warriors of yours weren't worth his time."
"Wow, way to rub salt in the wound a-hole," Nick said picking up his cards.
Patty walked to his chair and motioned her palm upwards and downwards to shoo him off. "All right, scrub, make way. Want a real challenge, Tyson? Sabrina just finished her Cosmo Queen deck. Wanna see if your beasts stand any chance against her?"
"You finished your deck, Sabrina?" Tyson asked. "Wow, girl, that's awesome. But sorry, my dad's on his way to pick me up. In fact, he should be here in a few minutes. Hey, I know. Yuri. You haven't Dueled all night, dawg. Why don't you take on Sabrina's Cosmo Queen?"
"What? Me? Against her? I don't know. I'm really tired."
"Aww, come on Yuri!" Sabrina whined. "I was really looking to playing against you."
Yuri waved his hands frantically. "No thanks. Your Cosmo Queen stands at the top of the charts with 2900 ATK points. The strongest monster I've got is Black Dragon Jungle King with 2100 ATK points. You'll cream me and I'm in no mood for an ass-kicking tonight."
"Oh, put your tampon on and man up, will you?" Patty said. She took off her backpack. "Here, I found a few cards that might help you out. If I give them to you, will you sit down and play?"
"Sure."
"All right then, lemme see." Patty fished through her backpack and pulled out her grimoire binder.
"When do I get cards from that kick-ass binder?" Nick asked.
"When you grow up, scrub."
"What's with the attitude, damn?"
Patty stopped flipping through the pages of her binder and looked up at him. "You really need to ask? I told you multiple times to keep your idiot brother on a leash when he's around me."
"What happened?" Sabrina asked.
"We were at Yuri's house last weekend hanging out. I went to the bathroom to pee and right when I was about to finish my business, I heard a thump in the bathtub. I pulled back the curtains and what do you know, that little pervert Sam was in there watching me."
"So that explains why you've been angrier than usual at Nick this week," said Carter. "I'm sorry to hear that. Yuri, I hope you did something to discipline him."
"He's not allowed in my house until the semester is over," Yuri replied. "But he doesn't care. I still see him making his moves on Patty every now and then."
"Damn!" Sabrina said, trying to hold back her laughter. "That's not the first time I've heard you tell horror stories about that boy. Seriously, Nick, you need to do something about him."
"I've tried," Nick insisted.
"Try harder," Patty commanded him sternly. "If he ever pulls anything like that again, I'm going to kick his ass and yours! Got it! Ah, here they are, Yuri." She took two cards out of their protective pockets. "Here you go, Yuri. Raigeki and Wall of Disruption. They won't guarantee victory, but they'll pull you out of tight spots if you know how to use them right."
"They will?" Yuri asked.
"Damn right," Tyson said. "Raigeki is a powerful spell card that will wipe your opponent's board clean of all their monsters. Wall of Disruption is also pretty deadly. It can lower the ATK points of your opponent's monsters by 800 for each monster they control. As strong as Sabrina's Cosmo Queen is, she'll be reduced to a weakling with that trap or zapped to oblivion with Raigeki."
"Wow, thanks, Patty," Yuri said. "All right, let's see what I can do with these."
Yuri took his seat by the Duel Table, put the new cards in his deck, and shuffled it. Sabrina sat down on her side of the table and took her deck out of her back pocket. The cards were protected with unique border sleeves to give the cards a look like they were embellished with glowing arcane runes at the borders. She sat up straight, fixed her hair, then placed the deck on the touchscreen playmat. The screen scanned the microchips in their cards so as to render the monsters in 3D on the Duel Screen next to them. Just before she drew her opening hand, she searched through her phone for a song to listen to and chose to play Take Five by Dave Brubeck.
"What are you playing that for?" Yuri asked.
Sabrina smiled as she stretched and fixed her hair one last time. "Jazz music helps me cope with my anxiety. Can't Duel if my mind is on the fritz, right?"
"You have good taste," said Yuri.
"Thank you. Now, ladies first." Sabrina drew. "All right, Yuri. I'll start things off by activating the spell, Unexpected Dai. This card lets me summon a Level 4 Normal Monster from my deck and I choose Neo the Magic Swordsman!"
She slid her card on the Monster Zone of the mat and Neo the Magic Swordsman's 3D avatar appeared in the abandoned colosseum in the Duel Screen. The blond-haired spellsword swung his massive blade around and yelled with a fierce battle cry as his 1700 ATK points displayed next to him.
Sabrina lightly clapped her hands and squealed when she saw Neo on the screen. "Nice. Now, I'm going to activate the effect of my Cosmo Brain, and Special Summon him by discarding Trance the Magic Swordsman."
She summoned a sorcerer that was clad in armored robes made to resemble the attire that Cosmo Queen wore. Since he was Special Summoned with his effect, he gained 200 ATK times the Level of the monster she discarded to summon him. As impressive as his ATK points were at the moment, Sabrina had no plans of using him to battle with. You see, Cosmo Brain had a secondary effect. It allowed Sabrina to sacrifice an effect monster so she could Special Summon a Normal Monster from her hand or her deck. And seeing as how Cosmo Brain was the only effect monster she had out, he vanished and made way for her ace.
"I tribute Cosmo Brain so that I can Special Summon Cosmo Queen!" Sabrina declared.
Yuri and the others gasped in unison, all of them were amazed that she summoned her best monster on her first turn. On the screen, a dark hole appeared in the center of the Colosseum. From it, A woman with floor-length black hair rose out, with only a blanket of stars to cover her nakedness. When she fully emerged from the black hole, the blanket turned wine-red and formed a dress that enveloped her hourglass body. Her long hair formed into a sphere and was then encased by a large golden headdress.
She let out an eerie cackle as her heart-stopping ATK of 2900 displayed next to her.
"Oh my goodness," Yuri mumbled.
Sabrina smiled and continued her turn. "I will set two cards face-down and that will do it for me. What's the matter, Yuri? You look like you've seen a ghost?"
"Don't get cocky, Sabrina," Yuri said. "She's strong, but she can be taken down." He drew and smiled. "Like right now. I summon Black Dragon Jungle King in attack mode!"
His long-necked dragon stomped into the Colosseum and roared at Cosmo Queen and Neo. He swung his long neck around and stomped his tail on the ground as a display of dominance to show he was ready for battle.
"Yuri?" Sabrina said in confusion. She then giggled, for she was quite amused to see him threaten her with a monster that was far weaker than hers. "Yuri, you really think that dragon of yours can beat me Cosmo Queen?"
"No. Battling isn't the only way to get rid of strong monsters." He showed her the Raigeki card Patty gave him.
"Oh, it's all over now," said Nick. "Your Cosmo Queen and Neo the Magic Swordsman are history!"
"I think not!" said Sabrina. "I activate the trap card, Magic Jammer. By discarding a card from my hand, I can negate your spell. My Cosmo Queen is safe."
Cosmo Queen looked up at the cloud of magical lighting hovering above her. She laughed manically, holding up both her hands to conjure an arcane aegis that absorbed the lightning and kept her safe.
"Oh no!" Yuri moaned. "You stopped my spell."
Patty laughed. "Well, I did say they wouldn't guarantee victory, Yuri. Ouch, tough break, bro."
Sabrina drew after Yuri ended his turn. "Tough break indeed. I'm always ready to defend my queen. Now then, Yuri. I activate my trap card, Call of the Haunted. With this trap, I can revive a monster from my graveyard and I choose to bring back Trance the Magic Swordsman!, with an ATK power of 2600. But I'll boost his power with this. Book of Secret Arts, which will increase his ATK by 300. Now he's as strong as Cosmo Queen."
"Holy crap," Yuri mumbled. He had been trounced before by Patty and her Fiends before but never on a level like this. Sabrina was completely overpowering him. Suddenly, Tyson whipped out his deck and sat down next to Yuri.
"I'm in," he said. "I can't let my boy deal with all that alone."
"Oh?" said Sabrina. "Well then, who am I to argue?"
"Then I'm joining Sabrina," said Patty. She sat down and laid her deck on the table. "You're good, Tyson. And Yuri's not one to back down either. Especially when he's in a tight spot. He's at his best when he's cornered against the wall. All right, since Sabrina went first, it's going to go down like this. Sabrina ends her turn and Yuri takes over. Then it will go to me and then Tyson."
"Aight, let's do this, ladies," Tyson said. He and Patty had to pay a 500 Life Point penalty for dropping in during the middle of a Duel.
"Well, this got interesting," said Sabrina. "However, your partner's involvement isn't going to stop my Cosmo Queen from destroying that Black Dragon Jungle King of yours, Yuri. I'll attack."
Cosmo Queen held out her hands and summoned a black ball of dark energy that blasted Yuri's best monster to the Graveyard. The attack dropped his Life Points to 1200.
"Well, I can't do much," said Yuri. "I set a monster in defense mode and set a card face-down."
Patty (LP 1500) drew her starting hand. "You're going to have a ball with this, Yuri. I activate Graceful Charity and draw three cards but I discard two. Next, I call on Summoned Skull in attack mode! Then, I'm activating Monster Reborn to resurrect Lich Lord, King of the Underworld from the Graveyard. And just when you think it's all over, eh Yuri."
She puckered her lips and made kissing sounds as she flipped over her Zera Ritual card, making both Yuri and Tyson start to sweat. Patty sacrificed a monster called Zoa to Ritual Summon her beloved Zera the Mant.
"Lucky for you, I can't attack this turn as a penalty for my intrusion. So I'll set a card face-down and end my turn. All right, Tyson, your turn."
"Oh, wow," Carter said after bursting with laughter. "You two girls don't play around. How are you going to turn the tables against monsters like theirs, Tyson?"
"Oh, I have my ways. Draw! I'm gonna give you two girls your just desserts." He looked at Yuri and winked. "I activate Pot of Greed so I can draw two cards. Next, I'll set two cards face-down. And then, I'm activating War-Lion Ritual. With this, I tribute Leogun and Nimble Momonga to summon my boy, Super War Lion!"
Tyson summoned his second-strongest monster much to the joy of Patty and Sabrina, who were brimming with confidence because of their line of powerful monsters. Patty snickered through her nose. She liked it when her opponents fought back. As much as she wanted to boast about how her monster and Sabrina's monsters were much tougher, she bit her lip to keep her mouth shut. She knew Tyson was a guy with a plan, and it would be most unwise to underestimate him. So she sat back and waited to see what he would do next.
Tyson whipped a spell card from his hand and showed it to his friends. "Check it out, ladies! Monster Reborn, now Yuri's Black Dragon Jungle King is back in action!"
"Wow!" Yuri cried out happily. He looked at the Duel Screen to see his dragon rising out of the ground. "Thanks, Tyson!"
"Don't thank me just yet, buddy. I'm going to boost your dragon's power with this. Megamorph! Since Yuri's Life Points are lower than yours, his Black Dragon Jungle King's ATK points double to 4200!"
Nick sounded like he was about to choke. "Wow! That's one of the most powerful equip spells in the game! Trade for it, Tyson?"
"Not for all the chicken in your foster mom's restaurant, dawg," Tyson replied with a laugh, and he absolutely loved the Peruvian chicken Consuelo would send up with Nick for lunch. "Now where was I? Ah, here we go. I will also equip Super War-Lion with United We Stand. It will increase my lion's ATK by 800 for each monster Yuri and I control. That's 1600 for a grand total of 3900 ATK points. You girls don't have the strongest monsters on the field anymore."
Again, Nick made a groan of despair, ogling at the rare cards of his friends on the table. "Aww, man, why can't I have cards like that in my deck?"
"Don't go counting your chickens just yet," said Sabrina. She drew. "I'm going to activate Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy the Megamorph card that's powering up Yuri's Black Dragon Jungle King. Now, I'll attack with Cosmo Queen."
"You walked right into my trap," sneered Tyson. He flipped it over and held it up for the girls to see. What they saw caused them to cry out in anguish. It was over. Tyson activated a trap card called Just Desserts, which dealt 500 damage for each monster they controlled. Patty slumped in her chair as her Life Points went down to 0 and Sabrina's plummeted to 500.
"Really, Tyson!" Patty pouted, tossing her cards on the table. Sabrina's attack still continued, unfortunately for her, the face-down card Yuri had for her was a spell card called Shrink, which cut Cosmo Queen's ATK in half. On the Duel Screen, Black Dragon Jungle King dodged her attack with incredible agility and then bathed her in purple flames, dealing enough damage to wipe Sabrina's Life Points down to 0.
"Oh, that's not cool!" Sabrina moaned. "Man, if you hadn't butted in, Tyson!"
He burst out laughing. "Well, that's what you get for thinking an overpowered witch from the cosmos was going to take out my boy, Yuri." He looked at Yuri and patted his back. "Yuri, thanks for this card, dawg." He held up the spell, United We Stand. "When we're united, Yuri and I can overcome any obstacle."
"Good game, you guys," said Patty. "Well, I guess it kinda serves us right for thinking we can overpower you guys with our strongest monsters."
"Indeed," said Sabrina. "I was so obsessed with my Cosmo Queen's strength that I didn't take into consideration Yuri's face-down card. There's so much about this game I have to learn about."
"The biggest thing we all should overcome is our overconfidence," said Carter. "That could lead us all down a road of failure. Patty, you're so confident that Nick sucks at the game that you believe he's not worth the effort to Duel. I'd be careful if I were you. One day, Nick could be a force to be reckoned with."
"Hey, you really think so, Carter?" Nick asked.
"Of course, I do. Just as these girls have learned, brute force isn't everything when it comes to Duel Monsters. Tyson and Yuri turned the game around with only a trap card, and not even a rare one at that."
"Hey, yeah, you're right," said Nick. "I'll have to remember that."
"I doubt you will," said Patty.
"Oh yeah?" Nick said with a leer. "If I do eventually beat you, Patty, we go out on one date."
"Ha!" Patty laughed. "Beat me? With those weak monsters of yours? Zera the Mant will crush you."
"Back that up with our wager," Nick demanded. "Come on, Patty. One date."
Patty rolled her eyes. "Fine. If you ever do beat me, which you won't, you and I go out on a date. But just one! And if we do, and we won't, take a shower, will you?"
Serenity - Rasaay
After a long ride across the countryside outside of the city, Serenity and Ishizu exited their carriage and stepped outside an ancient ruin that Serenity used to plant her peach trees. The garden was alive with rivers, ponds, loud rushing fountains, and hundreds of colorful flowers. Trees bearing Serenity's famous peaches formed a row on either side of stone picnic tables. On the third table sat two men in black doublets with tucked waists and long sleeves lined with red silk. On their chests, the red sparrow of the House of Intelligence spread its wings, with a crown of gold emblazoned on its head. They were helping themselves to a few peaches from the trees. Six of them were piled in front of them, placed on a blue handkerchief. One of the men walked to one of the mountains and held a peach in front of one that resembled a fish. Water rushed out of its mouth and washed the peach.
When the peach shined like a marble, the man blew on it and rubbed it on his doublet. "Ah, Serenity Wheeler!" said the man with the peach. He was a stout fellow with a bald head and a bushy mustard-blonde mustache. He and his partner stood up. The second man was tall and skinny. He was also bald much like his companion. He also sported a mustache but it was ashen white in color, and he had a gold-framed monocle with a gold chain over his right eye.
"Miss Wheeler," said the skinny man. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. You are just the woman we've been seeking."
"Oh, am I?" Serenity said, shaking his hand. She quickly rubbed it on her skirt, for his hand was still cool and wet with peach juice.
"Of course," said the larger man. "Teacher of Termnnian history and archeology, esteemed member of the High King's Legendarium, and finder of rare Termnnian antiquities, especially concerning the early kingdoms from the First Age. And, an expert in the history and lore of Norman the Conqueror I can think of no better person to help us with this current venture."
"Venture, huh?" Serenity said. She held her hand to the benches. "Why don't you two sit down? You'll be more comfortable."
"Oh yes!" "Oh, of course, why thank you!" Both men sat down and set their briefcases on the stone table.
"So what can I do for you gentlemen?" Serenity asked. "It's kind of odd that members of the House of Intelligence want to come and see me."
The man with the monocle coughed into his fist. "Ahem, Serenity, the information we are going to share with you must remain here in this garden. It is a matter regarding Prince Yuri."
Serenity gasped. "What happened? Is he hurt?"
The larger man held his hand and bobbed it up and down in midair to calm her. "Fine. He's just fine. However, we fear his return might be postponed indefinitely in this afternoon's session of congress."
"House Dragonheart is going to see to that," said Ishizu.
"Indeed," said the larger man. "But that's where you come in, Miss Wheeler. Now, as you know, Naralian troops have been advancing their campaign into Termnnia ever since the Summoner of Dragons disappeared." The skinnier man opened his briefcase and pulled out a vanilla folder.
"We've had agents scouting them because we've noticed something awfully peculiar." He handed Serenity what looked like a photo. Ishizu walked closer to have a look herself. "What you see is Satellite imaging provided to us by the Kingsblades, Goddesses bless those heroes. Anyway, it shows them gathering around old Norman and Elvish ruins. They sack what they can find and destroy the ruins as they leave. It's unlike them to want to preserve history, let alone even want to sell it. Their crazy religion commands them to destroy our culture and history."
"I know," said Serenity. She felt her blood boiling when she realized she was looking at Naralian troops surrounding a Norman-style castle in the hills and destroying it. "This is why I do what I do." She looked at Ishizu. "And do the things I must." She glanced back at the photo. "What's all this here?" she asked.
"Equipment. Trucks bearing equipment," answered the skinny man with the monocle. "There are more than just troops down there, Miss Wheeler. Those men camped out at the entrance here are archeologists. Professors from Narlian universities and scholars from the Covenant's archives. Even court priests from the homes of various lords in Naralia. They are looking for something. For what we don't know. All we've gathered from our agents scouting their campsites is that King Forrest has grown a sudden interest in our history."
"He's become an absolute madman!" said the larger man. "He's obsessed with ancient Norman relics and other religious artifacts. And he's become fond of the heroes of ancient times. None more than Narmondülus Elliartum."
"Norman the Conqueror?" said Serenity.
"Yes," said the skinny man with the monocle. "In fact, artifacts relating to Narmondülus Elliartum were the primary reason he sent troops to Feldia two years ago."
"Well, obviously he would," said Ishizu. "House Delgado rules Feldia. And they are said to be the last descendants of Norman the Conqueror. And it doesn't surprise me they'd have teams searching Termnnia looking for anything related to him. The Covenant of Yeyu has been doing everything in its power to wipe him out of our history books. How many teams does King Forrest have out there?"
"We don't know," answered the skinny man. He opened his folder. "Hundreds, thousands maybe. He's got his archeological teams going all over the continent looking for these things. And right now he's got one team excavating ruins in the Stormcoasts of Thara. We found something right here that might tickle your fancy, Miss Wheeler. It's a Naralian line one of our teams intercepted. A connection from King Forrest's castle itself! Listen to this." He slid his finger down a paper to find the line he wanted to read. "Ah, here it is. Ahem. Errestia location confirmed. Proceeding with caution."
Serenity looked at Ishizu with awe and stood up. She got up from her seat and started pacing around with her hands covering her open mouth. Ishizu grabbed her by the arm with a smile to calm her.
The skinny man continued to read. "Sending teams to locate Pendant of the Kings."
"The Naralians just discovered Errestia!" Serenity gasped. "Oh, Goddesses, the found the Pendant of the Kings!"
"What does that mean?" asked the larger man. "What's the Pendant of the Kings?"
Serenity skipped around with joy. She was as light as a feather and her mind was so full of questions that she could not hear the man.
"Miss Wheeler?" he repeated.
"Huh?"
"What's the Pendant of the Kings?"
"Oh, sorry. It's an item I've been searching for all over Termnnia for many years. The last place it was said to have been was a place called Errestia."
"Just what is this Errestia I keep hearing about?" asked the man in the monocle.
"Errestia was a giant ancient Norman citadel built sometime in the first age," said Ishizu. "It was built right at the end of the Norman Conquest. The sole purpose of this temple was to house the relic you spoke of. The Pendant of the Kings. It is a rare and powerful artifact said to contain the soul of Norman the Conqueror."
"The soul of Norman the Conqueror?" repeated the skinny man with an astonished whisper.
"Wait a minute what are you talking about the soul?" said the larger man. "You mean THE actual soul of Norman the Conqueror?"
"Yes!" said Serenity. "Yes. The actual SOUL of Norman the Conqueror. Long after the War of the Giants, Norman the Conqueror sailed to Sobek to aid the Nameless Pharoah in defeating Zorc Necrophades when he returned to exact his revenge. However, before victory was achieved, he was tricked by a mysterious figure called the Thief King. The Thief King, he, uh, used some kind of terrible black magic and trapped Narmondülus Elliartum's soul within an orb. Even though the war against Zorc was victorious, it was bittersweet for the Nameless Pharoah. He was helpless to do anything to release Narmondülus from the orb. So to honor him, the Pharoah had a temple built for the gemstone in the desert. And there it resided for years."
"Until around the year 833 of the Dawn Age," said Ishizu. "Norman the Conqueror was rewarded with a continent of his own which you know as Normandia, the land to the west across the sea. And he was also rewarded with people of his own. The Normans. They loved him as a ruler and demanded the stone with his trapped soul be returned to them. And it was, with no hard feeling from the Nameless Pharoah. Once they had the stone in hand, the citizens of Narmondülus Elliartum forged the stone into a beautiful pendant made of platinum and faceted gems. They dubbed it the Pendant of the Kings and gave it to their mightiest warrior, who would become the first king of Normandia. It was passed down for thousands of generations and was eventually moved to Termnnia during the Norman Conquest where it remained in Delgadovia for another five hundred years. And then one day…poof."
"Poof?" asked the skinny man.
"Yup. It was gone," said Serenity.
"Where?" asked the larger man.
"Errestia, that's where," Serenity replied. "The citadel was supposed to be the second home for kings from House Delgado but Tiberius the Uniter showed up."
"And he had the God Cards with them, correct?" asked the skinny man.
"Yes. They were blessed to him by Horakhty to end the Norman reign, which was sadly a tyrannical one. Once the God Cards came into play, that was it. The Normans and their empire were lost. So they moved the Pendant of the Kings to the Citadel of Errestia to keep it safe from the God Cards. And to make sure no one would get to it, they summoned a powerful monster to guard it. And then one day, a great storm enveloped the land. And Errestia sank to the bottom of the sea. The Pendant of the Kings went down with it."
The two men looked at each other and nodded. "Well, it seems like we were right about you two."
The man with the monocle held up his hand. "Hold on, hold on! How can we be sure that the ancient ruin that the Narlians uncovered is the citadel you spoke of?"
"It makes perfect sense," said Ishizu. "The Stormcoasts were once a beautiful and prosperous land full of peace, sweet fruits, beautiful flowers, and amazing beauty. Until the Yeyunists came. They destroyed the land to build their cities and started slaughtering people who did not wish to convert to their faith. This angered a family of Thunder Dragons who lived in the mountains. There was no hope for the land and the Yeyunists were winning. So the Thunder Dragons cursed the coasts with a neverending storm that swallowed everything in its path. And since then, those lands were dubbed the Stormcoasts. For many years, Serenity and I believed the Citadel of Errestia was one of the casualties of the Thunder Dragon's curse."
"The Stormcoasts just had to have been the place!" said Serenity. "Every bit of lore I've read points to it. And the Naralians wouldn't be risking life and limb out there if the Pendant of the Kings wasn't in those ruins. Perhaps they uncovered a map or something to its whereabouts in one of their digs."
"The hows and whys don't matter now, my dear," said Ishizu. "We must assume the Pendant of the Kings is within their reach. And we must get it before they do. Ancient texts describe the Pendant infusing its wearer with the power of Narmondülus Elliartum. They speak of it crushing mountains, slaying True Dragons, and destroying a million armies. A king with the Pendant of the Kings around his neck…is all but invincible."
"So that's why King Forrest seeks the pendant," said the skinny man. "Well, Serenity, we thought this would be of some use to you in your quest to keep Prince Yuri's line to the throne secure."
"I'll do anything!" said Serenity. "I have a lot of faith in Yugi but the Senate has practically been bought by Antilles Dragonheart."
"I spit on his name!" said the man with the monocle. "Yes, I have great confidence in Master Yugi as well, but I doubt even he will change the Senate's mind. They're going to follow through with Antilles's plan — his so-called Three Points Plan unless we do something. And I believe the Pendant of the Kings is that very thing that will not only secure Yuri's reign as High King but probably get him home sooner."
"Then we must waste no time," said Ishizu. "Thank you gentlemen for bringing this to our attention. Serenity. Get the others. They must know of this at once."
King Antilles Dragonheart - Spire of the Kings/Throne Room
Niwatori chicken was usually a beast of burden used by many travelers to cross scorching deserts, rough mountains; any difficult terrain really. And sometimes, they were used to make delicious dinners fit for a king. Antilles cut into the meat of a Royal Emboldorian Red, a type of Niwatori that was bred to be served as the official meat of all the rulers of Termnnia.
King Antilles Dragonheart cut into the juicy meat with ease as if he were using his family blade to cut down an enemy soldier as he did in the Nymph Wars many years ago. He ate the meat and savored the flavor. He closed his eyes to keep them from tearing up. Clearly, there was nothing like a Royal Emboldorian Red with a side of Scarlet Kiss to end the day and prepare for a long day of politics in the morrow.
King Antilles Dragonheart, King of Dragonrock
"I thank you for bringing me here in great style, Your Majesty," said Lord Merthaw Brocktree, King of Orange Hill, one of the Five Kingdoms of the Hellgarian Estates in Thara. "And for treating me to such a delicious meal. You must be very desperate to win the debate tomorrow to have spared no expense for me."
"Well, I have no more choice in the matter. The boy turns eighteen in a couple of weeks. And once he does, there will be no stopping Yugi and his friends from bringing him back home and declaring him High King."
"So what can I do to help you in the matter?" said the portly king, bits of chicken and globs of sauce hung from his messy beard. His platinum crown flashed in the light of the dozens of candles illuminating their dinner.
Antilles drummed his fingers against the table, waiting for him to finish eating before speaking. After Merthaw swallowed, Antilles said: "I require your Senators to bring me a vote of confidence in keeping Prince Yuri placed on Earth."
Merthaw laughed. "Bribery, eh? Never thought I'd see the great Antilles Dragonheart stooping to such a low." The petty king chuckled. "But, uh, tell me, Antilles. Are we really going to plot something like that here?"
He looked over the limestone railing beside their table. Down below was the throne room and standing majestically over all it surveyed was the Diamond Throne, sparkling in the light of the moons.
"In the Throne Room of the Spire of the Kings? Antilles, you have balls, but this is most unwise." He tapped his ear. "The walls have ears, you know?"
"Ears hear nothing once you've stuffed them with enough gold," said Antilles. "I will do whatever it takes to get my power back. I summoned Slifer! I was chosen to be the new High King of Termnnia. And then that song burst from the sky and brought out that boy. And when he did, he took everything away from me. My throne, my kingdom, my destiny!"
"And what do you plan to do about it?" Merthaw said, cleaning his mouth with a handkerchief he kept in his pocket. "Like you said, he's coming back soon and there will be little any of us can do to stop it."
"That is why I am coming to you. I don't want him to come back, he makes me miserable, and you don't want him to come back because his absence makes you lots of money thanks to me. Orange Hill is the greatest of the Five Kingdoms in the Estates of Hellgari. And the richest. But I ask for how much longer? Three of those kingdoms are in open war and two of them have the biggest armies and the most hate for you. They will unite each other to oust you from power. I can help you, you know this."
The doors burst open. "Uncle!" chimed a beautiful, golden-haired maiden wearing jeans and a tank top as though she lived in the modern cities of the East. Save for the small, golden, diamond-studded tiara on her forehead, Merthaw would never have guessed that the girl was the Princess of Dragon's Nest. Alexandra, his beloved and licentious niece.
"Oh, Uncle!" she sang out.
"Oh, and who is this lovely, young, dumpling?" Merthaw said lustfully, his mouth watering as though he were looking a well-cooked meal. The girl passed him, filling his nostrils with a sweet scent of cherries. He peered through his monocle and examined her smooth curves. "Is this the famous princess I've heard so much about?"
"What is it now, Alexandra?" Antilles said, rubbing his eyes. "Can't you see I'm working?" He slammed his fist on the arm of his chair. "I thought I told you not to bother us tonight."
"But you're always working," Alexandra said, leaning against his chair provocatively.
"But, of course, I am. I am the King."
"And being King means you've got plenty of time and cash to spare for your beloved niece. I...need a little gold for some time out in town tonight."
"Are you finished with your studies?" Antilles asked. "You know that the Obelisk Blue Dorm only accepts students with high marks and impeccable Dueling skills, yes?"
"I finished all my work, Uncle," Alexandra said, turning around and sitting on the arm of his chair. She examined her nails, admiring the way the candlelight made their polish shimmer. "And my essay on King Regis XXIV of White Marble. And my report on the Dragon Wars of the Second Age and I Dueled Master Voskar all morning and won, save for the draw we had earlier." She fluffed her hair. "I've been a good girl. And you said good girls are rewarded. Well, where's my reward?"
Antilles groaned. "Well, if that is what you want. I have a blank letter of credit in my desk. But do know that I will be reviewing your work thoroughly tonight. If I find out you've been lying to me, I will put you under my debt until you repay every Star Chip I've given you, and I'm sending you back home to your father. I told you that you can accompany me and Uncle Peter on my trip across Emboldor if you study."
"You're no fun," Alexandra said, walking to his desk, taking the letter, and walking out.
When she was gone, they continued with their meeting. "You were saying, Antilles."
"Of course. In order to keep Yuri from coming back, certain...accidents must take place. But to finance these accidents, I'm going to need gold, and I'm sorry to say the Gate Wars have severely drained my finances. Which is why I require your gold."
"You expect me to just hand you my gold just like that? Antilles, you'll bankrupt me."
"In exchange for your gold, I can give you a weapon that will make you the one and only king of the Estates."
"I'm listening."
"You must marry your daughter to my nephew, Ser Darrien Dragonheart."
Merthaw's eyebrows raised. "Oh, the Knight of the Clear Wing?"
"Yes. He commands one of the last True Dragons flying in Termnnia. The Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. A True Dragon is more potent in battle than an army of 10,000 men. Use this dragon to unite the kingdoms."
"How do I do that?"
Antilles took a gulp of wine and smiled after he set the goblet down. "Any way you want. When any of those kingdoms come to your doorstep, use the dragon to send a message. You have the power now! The dragon can be used as a way to hold the rest of the kingdoms hostage until they sign of truce of agreement and declare you as the one true king. Or you can burn them all down with the might of this great beast."
"Ah, it doesn't matter which way I go in the end. I'm the king of the whole caboodle."
"Yes. You can trust this beast. It is because of Ser Darrien and my niece's dragon, Bruton, that no one dares raise their banners against Dragonrock. Either way, the Estates of Hellgari will then be known as the Kingdom of Hellgari once you have this mighty dragon by your side. Who knows, you might even declare independence from the Province of Thara with all the power you'll gain. But I get ahead of myself. In the end, the kingdoms and all their resources will be yours. All I ask is for a percentage of those resources to finance the 'accidents' that will keep Yuri from becoming High King."
"But Ser Darrien is from your House. Your family. Won't people get...suspicious?"
"People stay silent once they're faced with dragon fire, my friend. None will dare say a thing about you. I promise."
"And all I need to do to make this happen is have my Senators vote for your plan's approval in the hearing tomorrow? Very well, Antilles. You have a deal." He raised his goblet. "If it means the protection of my family, my kingdom, and my legacy, then I say piss on the boy. Let him rot in that world."
Antilles chuckled and held up his goblet as well.
Appendix
The Days and Months of the Termnnia Calendar
Months
January - Xenothas (Xen.)
February - Anavias (Ana.)
March - Leyallas (Ley.)
April - Eluviadas (Elu.)
May - Gaialendias (Gai.)
June - Alcias (Alc.)
July - Untolias (Unt.)
August - Feanas (Fae.)
September - Telluvinas (Tel.)
October - Eotarma (Eo.)
November - Safanias (Saf.)
December - Elzas (Elz.)
Days of the Week
Monday - Naedias
Tuesday - Selfandias
Wednesday - Texdias
Thursday - Dwendias
Friday - Mandias
Saturday - Umbraxdias
Sunday - Entuldias
The days and months of Termnnia are named after the Goddesses who labored to create the world after the Divine Opera orchestrated by The Higher Power (The Creator God).
Month = As in the Ancient Celtran language and Day = Dias.
For example, Elza is the Goddess of Ice and Snow, so the month dedicated to her is Elzas. The only month not named after a Goddess is Eotarma, which has been dubbed The Month of the Dead, for the angry spirits of the First Men and Elves who died in the first great war arose in this month and transformed into hideous creatures that would become the first Zombie-type Duel Monsters.