Serenity
The bells of the clock tower in the central plaza rang noon in the bustling port city of Nefeli Port a cozy and prorfitable town at the southern border of Elleria. She would later ride north to celebrate the birthday of Princess Evelyn, one of Yugi's brightest students so sh heard. Serenity traversed through the market place quickly dodging folk who were unkind enough to block the way having conversations with friends and kin.
She was dressed for the heat in a laced up bodice and a long tan skirt with heavy boots. She had large pouches attached to her heavy belt to hold the ingredients for her healing potions to sell in the shop she recently opened. A choker with a little bell was fastened around her thin neck. Around her arm was a basket of freshly picked peaches from her garden to sell and make at least a few copper pennies for which to buy her things.
She stepped over a chicken, for there were many of them walking around the cobbled stone streets along with pigs, goats, and even cows who were being sold by farmers for the low price of 200 Silver Swords.
She was feeling glum today, for Yami had learned of her activities sneaking into the other world to see Yuri. He and Pegasus forbid her from going through anymore.
"You could have been followed!" Yami scorned her the day she was called into the throne room to meet with them both.
He was right. She was careless and selfish. In her need to see Yuri and watch over him, she failed to realize she could have been watched by the Enemy. After eighteen years, she was surprised assassins haven't made an attempt to get him. She grinned at that thought. Maybe she didF a good job at being unnoticed.
She passed by noisy vendors honking out their wares from fish, jewels, spices, exotic pets, silks, everything. One pet caught her eye, a hatchling Gray Wing, a dragon-type Duel Monster but it sold for 100 gold Star Chips. Though friends with the King of Games who shared his wealth with his friends, even she could not afford to buy the little creature who could prove useful in keeping her shop safe. She bumped into someone while she was distracted by the hatchling.
"Watch it, Wheeler!" barked Seto Kaiba.
"Whoa, Serenity," said Kaiba's little brother, Mokuba. "Small world. Didn't think we'd see you here."
"Kaiba?" Serenity squeaked. "What are you doing this far out of Domino?"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes and looked away. If there was one thing he hated, it was being asked questions by total strangers, especially a Wheeler. However, he needed to set an example for Mokuba and answered her. "We're going to fly to Emboldor and meet the Summoner of Dragons."
"You wish to meet with Lady Avi?" Serenity asked. "You must really like her if you're going through all this trouble to go find her. Especially now that the Dueling season is heating up at your Duel Dome. I heard there's going to be stiff competition there."
"There will be," Kaiba said with a grin. "But it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Duelists attending the season don't impress me. As for Avi, my interest in her is purely professional. As the new Summoner of Dragons, she might have what I was looking for."
"And just what are you looking for, Kaiba?"
"That's none of your business, Wheeler!" said Mokuba.
"Still searching for your heir?" Serenity said with a rude grin and ignoring Mokuba's outburst.
Kaiba bared his teeth and grunted like an angry beast. "I see Yugi can't keep his mouth shut!"
"Talk about rude," Mokuba agreed. "Can't keep any secrets around here, can you?"
"Well, I won't take up more of your time," Serenity said, clearly seeing Kaiba was in no mood to talk. "Good day, Kaiba."
"Hold on," Kaiba said, just as Serenity was leaving. "I still haven't tried one of those famous peaches of yours."
"You sure you want fruit grown by a Wheeler?" Serenity said haughtily.
"Are you going to sell me one or not?"
"Hey, I'd like one," said Mokuba.
"One peach. Five coppers," said Serenity.
"I don't carry coppers," Kaiba chortled. "I can give you a gold Star Chip."
"I cannot break that," said Serenity.
"Just give me two peaches and we can call it an even trade."
Serenity smiled. "Okay, Kaiba. Deal."
She pulled off the blue handkerchief off the basket and tossed two of her fruits to Kaiba and Mokuba. Serenity handed them both brown napkins from one of the pouches on her belt. "They can be really messy," she said handing them the fruit.
"Hmm," said Kaiba, after biting into his. "It's good."
"These are very tasty, Serenity," said Mokuba. "Nice job. Welp, see you soon."
"Come on, Mokuba," said Seto. "It's many leagues to Domino, and I want to get home."
Serenity sniffed happily and then proceeded down the market to the apothecary near the waters. All the while she called out that she was selling peaches.
"Peaches!" she said. "Peaches for sale!"
"And how much to get a bite out of your little peach?" sneered a familiar voice. Serenity recognized who it was who insulted her. It was Torvan, the young squire who taunted her and her friends in the ruins of Karad Antha, the night Yuri was born and killed Anubis.
"You're Antilles' squire are you not?" said Serenity.
"Not anymore," said Torvan. "I'm a knight now. Ser Torvan of the House Goodwill and the Knight of the Golden Sword." He pulled his blade out of his sheath, to show Serenity his golden ceremonial sword. The teal outline of the blade was almost glowing.
"Yeah, well, if you're not buying anything 'Ser' I'd best be on my way."
"Oh, you are not going anywhere," Torvan said running in front of her to block her way. "I've heard charming tales about you from the patrons of the House of Flowers. I came all the way here to see if those tales they tell of your services are true."
"Let me by," said Serenity. "I warn you, I'm armed." She patted her steel sword sheathed on her hip.
"You wouldn't strike down a knight would you, little lady? Besides, my sword is made of rare Ellenanyian Steel reinforced with metal from a meteorite. I could easily cut your blade in half."
"Please, I don't want any trouble," said Serenity.
"Then come with me to bed. My room's at the inn just down the street."
"Leave me!"
"Are you hard of hearing?" asked a young man with long curly red hair who was standing behind Serenity. He was clad in armor of gold and blue plate. A golden head of a Lynx with eyes of ruby was roaring on his breastplate.
"This is none of your concern, whoever you are," said Torvan.
"I am Ryon Augustus Balor. Crown prince of Katina and future Knight of the Royal Termnnian Table."
"Prince Ryon!" Serenity said, going on one knee to bow. "You have come at last."
"What...a Prince of Termnnia!" said Torvan.
"Just because you are a knight it does not give you the right to harass the citizens of Termnnia, especially if they are women, you worm! Knights are not just warriors in fancy armor who can get whatever we want. They are gentleman of the battlefield and defenders of the people of Termnnia. You bring such a disgrace to the title."
"If you were not the prince I would cut you down with my new sword!"
Ryon drew his sword. The steel then burst into blue flames. Torvan grimaced. He took a few steps back. He could feel the heat kissing his face. Clearly, Ryon was a master at the art of enchantment. Then he remembered where he hailed from. Ryon was from Katina, the Kingdom of Magicians. Goddesses only knew what other spells he had at his disposal.
"You wish to have a duel of swords?" Ryon sneered. "Come. Let us see what you've got."
"I do not have the time to waste," said Torvan, clearly trying to be brave. "I have a dinner date with the Baroness of Binewood. I do not wish to ruin my armor defeating you."
"Well," Ryon said, extinguishing the flames with a thought, "until you grow some backbone to reinforce that mouth of yours, get the hell out of here."
"Humph," Torvan growled and then turned away.
"Thank you, Your Grace," said Serenity. "Welcome to New Harbor."
"Thanks," said Ryon. "By the way, I have your maps."
He handed her three long rolls of parchment wrapped with red silk.
"Ah, thank you. These are just what I needed."
Ryon flung them back with his wrist just as Serenity was about the grab them.
"I had to gamble much to get these documents from the Katinian Archives," said Ryon. "So far, all you've told me was that the item you seek is calling you out in dreams. You are certain what you're looking for is there?"
"I am, Prince Ryon," Serenity said strongly. "I would not have caused you to go through all the trouble if I wasn't so sure. Besides, I know it was he who saved us during the Siege of Rassay. There is no doubt about it."
Ryon paused. He took a deep breath then handed Serenity the scrolls.
"Take care of our treasures."
Serenity took the scrolls.
"Do you have a group ready for the expedition then?" Ryon asked.
"I do," said Serenity.
"Well, then, I make way for the Red Palace. My home away from home until the other princes of the alliance show up. If you need chips, here is a letter of credit, valuable at any bank in Termnnia. Put what you need."
"Thank you, My prince," Serenity said bowing and she took the letter. "I assure you, when I find this item, Yuri's destiny will be more clear."
"Prince Balor!" Yami Yugi called, making his way around the crowd. "It's good to see you."
Ryon turned and got down on one knee. He stood and said: "Master, it's been a long time."
"Master?" said Serenity. "You mean you taught the Prince of Katina too, Yugi?"
"I did," said Yami. "Ryon was just a small boy when I saw him last. I heard you've become quite the Duelist, my young friend."
"It's all thanks to you," Ryon said as he bowed.
"Serenity, if you'll excuse us," said Yami.
"Of course." Serenity bowed. She looked at Ryon and nodded her head. "Your Grace."
"Welcome to your home away from home," said Yami.
"Ha!" laughed Ryon. "This will be my fourteenth one. I got another castle by the sea for my name day. The Red Palace should suit my needs."
"It has a study for you," said Yami. "I sent requests to the Masters of the Archives to send you your favorite books and tomes."
"Thank you, thank you," said Ryon. His face formed into a frown. "Look at that," he said pointing his walking cane at the ships.
"Why do you need that?"
"I got injured in the War of the Golden Summer," said Ryon. "My friend Anastasio, the hero of said battle, will be joining us at any moment. Anyways, those ships. They bear the mark of the Northern Bear. King Forrest sends us his swill."
"You don't approve of the goods he sends us."
"Not at all," said Ryon. "He and his cronies from The Church have made all other goods illegal while we have to unload their garbage. Garbage that the citizens of this city must pay a new tax for."
"They are at war up north," said Yami. "The Termnnian Trading Company has its neck in a vice. Goods cannot make it in one piece."
"Yeah, because corsair thugs hired by The Church see to that."
"Now you're being delusional." Yami shot him an angry look.
As they entered the square of one of the towns many harbors, they saw a meager crowd of people standing around a girl with flaming red hair and freckles dotting her dirty, yet pretty face. She stood atop a wooden box as she shouted about the intolerance of the Church of Yeyu.
A red banner hung on two poles with yellow letters reading: Church Unfair!
She was alone in this rally and the turnout was less than half of what she had hoped for. A red badge was pinned to her brown leather bodice.
She had fliers in one arm, an armful of them because no one in town wanted to take the fliers from her. The dull blue of the silk ribbon in her hair almost blended with the cloudy sky. The apron she wore around her long tan skirt was stained with dirt from when she milked the cows at her farm.
"Who is that?" Yami asked.
"The local milkmaid," Ryon answered, tapping his cane on the ground. "We'd best move out of here."
"Come friends!" shouted the girl. "We must unite and stand up to the Church and their followers! Are we going to just let them run down our homes, our businesses, our way of life!"
"She denounces a religion," said Yami. "She should not be allowed to do that."
"Oh, I see," snorted Ryon. "You're one of those free-speech-is-okay-so-long-as-it-supports-my views-and-not-yours type of person. Master I expected better."
"I am all for limiting The Church's power of us," said Yami. "But antagonizing them and forcing them to back to Balodrum or denying them the practice of their religion is against our ethics. Termnnia is a place of free practice and voice"
"And she is exercising her voice," said Ryon. "She uses it to remind the people of how unjust the Church is to our culture. She has every right to."
"Hush girl!" cried the butcher. "The morning prayer is over. They will come out soon and hear you!"
"Let them hear me!" yelled the milkmaid. "It's high time someone told them what for. Mr. Greenwyrm, surely you must be on my side!"
She pointed at the cobbler. "How many times have I heard you at my father's table talking about the days before those migrants from Balodrum came and set up their Church in our city. The days where children could run free and play Duel Monsters. Mages could practice their arts at the Arcane Academy. But no more! The Templars take our cards! Those mercenary thugs from the Church Militant arrest the mages and the arcane academy was torn down and replaced by a chapel for the Red Priests! That academy was a town landmark that has been here since the days of the city's foundation! And we just let them take it down!"
Murmurs of agreement.
"Yet if we traveled to their homeland would they allow a Duelist to build an arena? Would they allow a cleric from the Temples of the Goddesses to build their place of worship? No, they wouldn't! A Duelist or a cleric would be arrested or killed for coming up with that notion in their lands. So why do we allow them to build their places of worship on ours? Why do we let them destroy our culture? Our history? Why has no one stopped them!?"
"I know why," Ryon whispered to Yami. "Every time the Church is called out on something, their followers scream out prejudice."
"Argh," Yami grunted looking at Ryon.
"And it always works. Now the guard does nothing as the Followers of Yeyu attack my citizens and vandalizes my streets for fear of being called intolerant. There is not much I can do to stop them. Goddesses know I've tried. I lost support from many of my allies when I executed a man of The Faith."
"What was his crime?" Yami asked.
"He cut off a boy's hands because he was playing Duel Monsters by his lonesome. 'But, it is his way of thinking!' they said. 'You should have been more tolerable' they said. Pardon my tongue but, I fucking hate the Church, Yami. I want them out of Katina! We are a kingdom of magic. We thrive in the arcane arts. And these horrid people come here and settle then force us to stop practicing magic. They don't like it, they can leave!"
"The best thing we can do is stay tolerant," said Yami.
"You mean let them walk all over us? If we do, Master, there goes our way of life."
"We cannot strike them with violence!" said Yami. "It is not who we are."
Ryon tapped his cane on the ground. "Well, it's high time we grew ourselves some backbone and show these fuckers what happens when Termnnia's voice is no longer contained. I do hope High King Yuri does something about this! The hunting of the True Dragons and the genocide of the Arva was just a taste of their cruelty, Master. If we stay silent and let them do as they please with us, I fear another Inquisition will be at hand. And we will not stop them this time."
The milkmaid continued her speech. "Friends, we must rally together and stand up to the Templars and those brutes from the Church Militant!"
"You wouldn't be talking about us, would you?" said a Red Priest with a crooked nose. He had two thugs from the Church Militant on either side of him.
The girl took a deep breath, puffed up her chest and stood her ground. "I am!" she snapped. "And who might you be?"
"I am Glabius Untoliant: The Red Scepter of the town!"
"You wouldn't be Glabius the Intolerant! The man who would cut the hands off of children for playing Duel Monsters!"
"What your tongue girl!" snapped Glabius. He looked around the crowd and shouted: "My faith is being unfairly antagonized by prejudice!"
"Shame on you girl!" shouted a follower of the faith from his balcony.
"SHAME ON YOU!" the crowd chanted, quickly turning sides so as not to become villainized in the eyes of the Red Priests and get punished.
And with that statement, the poor milkmaid lost all her support.
Glabius grinned and shouted: "Punish her for this unfairness! Tar the cunt!"
"TAR HER! TAR HER! TAR HER!" the crowd chanted.
The milkmaid looked around. Mayhaps she thought she could make it to the sea and swim away. But the crowd was too thick.
To hell with it! She thought and she dashed for the water's edge. But it was a feeble attempt. She was grabbed and pulled towards the ship builder's shop where he kept the tar to keep the vessels from rotting.
Ryon ran to save her but Yami grabbed him by the arm.
"For the love of the Goddesses, master we have to stop this!"
Yami didn't say a thing and held onto him. Defeated, Ryon ceased his fight to get away.
"TAR HER! TAR HER!" the crowd continued to chant.
They ripped off her bodice and skirt, leaving her bare as the day she was born. They took her to a platform, fondling her on the way up the wooden stairs. Once on the platform, two monks held out her arms. The milkmaid screamed. The monks were so strong he felt as though her arms would be ripped from their sockets. The barbarism of the crowd intensified when they saw her standing there naked and helpless. Two men picked up a cauldron and then dumped the molten tar on her. She wailed in agony as the sticky black substance burned her fair skin. It went down her shoulders first before the shipbuilder poured it over her head.
Ryon grunted and looked away. The poor girl's wails of despair and pathetic whimpers were eating away at his heart. He then looked at Yami. he, too, was looking away from the cruelty of the crowd.
"Is this the kind of culture you wish to support!" Ryon shouted.
"They have been angered!" said Yami. "She should have known better than to—"
"—IS THIS THE TYPE OF BARBARISM YOU WISH TO ENVELOPE OUR LAND WITH MASTER YU-GI-OH?! A culture of death, rape, domination. misogyny, and violence, who silence those with brutal and illegal acts of savagery Yami! Is it?"
A tear rolled down Ryon's cheek.
"Is it something you support master?"
Yami remained silent. He watched the crowd feather the poor girl. They put her on a cart and paraded her into the town and out of their sight.
Ribbon
The sound of laughter and music had woken her from her sleep. She had been up again until the sun was beginning to peek over the Great White Mountains. Miho Nosaka was a girl of the Eldori race. Fair-skinned and with silky lilac hair. To her friends, she was called Ribbon, because of the yellow ribbon she wore in her ponytail.
Ribbon's heavy eyelids forced themselves open, and her eyes had to adjust to the light of the mid-afternoon sun. Having realized the sky was bright blue and the sun was at its peak caused Ribbon to feel a sudden sense of guilt. She bit her bottom lip, turning her head to the clock on the wall next to her door. The bronzed hands read it was fifteen minutes past one. She groaned and slapped her forehead. Up late again writing her book and studying for her exam which would promote her from apprentice to mage.
She jumped out of bed, wrapping her blanket over her body before walking towards the window. She pulled back the silky-white curtains and saw that the town of Nefeli Port.
The town was decorated with red banners and flags. A circus had arrived too, to celebrate the name day of Tiberius Pendragon, the first Termnnian High King.
Acrobats practiced on the streets and jugglers tossing bowling pins by their colorful checkered tents. A flock of Gray Wing dragons flew overhead, from the mountains heading towards the bay to hunt for dolphins and humpback whale calves.
The hour wasn't that late, she thought. And she walked towards her desk littered with scrolls and notes depicting magical formulas, complicated equations, and, of course, her Duel Monsters cards.
They were scattered all over the place, some used as bookmarks in her spellbooks. She was looking forward to playing in the festival's Duel Monsters tournament, but she received a letter from Serenity the other day. Apparently, she needed some help on a quest to retrieve a relic from Elven ruins.
She was looking forward to the adventure but was a little upset that she would not play at the festival because the tournament always had a legendary card as the prize. Seto Kaiba and his little brother, Mokuba, participated last year, dominating the games (At least Kaiba did). He usually didn't attend small tournaments, but the prize card called Legendary Dragon of White, an offshoot of his Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so he signed up to play for it.
Ribbon smirked and picked up her cards. She shuffled them and placed them in her deck box before looking down at the spellbook. The chapter she was studying was teaching her to cast professional-level fire spells, such as enchanting her ally's weapons by engulfing them in flames to deal fire damage to their foes. Or creating a ward of flames so as to disintegrate incoming arrows, bolts or other missiles.
She held her hand over her desk and rubbed her thumb and index finger together until it sparked and formed a decent-sized flame in between them. She focused all her mana into her hand until the flame became large enough to be a torch. She looked at her jeweled dagger, Kaiser Claw, and thought she would love to see it enhanced with fire magic.
Ribbon's eyes diverted from the dagger and to the text of her book, so as to read the instructions on how to channel the spell onto the object she desired to enchant. She had done it once, in a counter-bandit raid.
She used the spell on one of Mai's twin blades. However, the second blade almost burned Mai's hand off. Mai had to douse her hand in an ointment for hours and had to be bandaged up.
She practiced hard until she felt she was able to enchant both. But, unfortunately, during a battle with an ogre lurking in the hills, she set Serenity's hair on fire when she accidentally channeled the second fire spell on her enchanted coronet.
Mai joked that the coronet now had the ability to make Serenity a hot-head. Poor Serenity had to bathe with a special growth formula for weeks to get her hair back.
"I'll get better this time!" she said to herself. "Okay, Kaiser Claw, be enhanced with the forces of fire and turn my foes into ashes!"
The dagger's blade turned red and then burst into flames. "Yes!" Ribbon exclaimed. She was getting better at the spell. There was a knock at the door.
"Enter," she said, turning her head at the door. She saw her blanket had slipped past her back and she drew it up and tightened it around her shoulders before the door opened.
"Ser Tristan," Ribbon proclaimed. "Good afternoon."
"Afternoon," Tristan replied, walking into the room. His thick belted boots thumping on the creaky wooden floor of Ribbon's apartment. He wore a white shirt, a black pocketed vest and black breeches with a belt looped around his waist with gold shields proclaiming his knighthood in Rassay. A title well deserved for his bravery in the battle more than twenty years ago. He had a black, iron bracer on his right arm which would transform into his Duel Disk when it was time to play.
"So glad you could make it," Ribbon said, slightly blushing. She had nothing underneath her blanket, but she knew Tristan for so long that it didn't occur to her to be embarrassed.
Tristan didn't either, for he kept his composure, and his smile, as he leaned against the wall. He looked to his left out of the room's window and saw the blue horizon of the Glistening Bay over the red-roofed houses and their white-stone chimneys. He could just make out the white sails of boats and ships in the distance.
"Just a few more months huh?" Tristan said, happily. "Just a few more months and Daveed comes home."
Ribbon beamed at him. "Yes. My have the years gone by so quickly."
"I told you," said Tristan. "Are you going to be his teacher in spell casting?"
"If we still have the right to when he comes back," Ribbon said, looking down at her spellbook.
"What do you mean?" Tristan asked.
Ribbon sighed and said: "With every territory Forrest gains, the Church of Yeyu gets stronger. Magic and Duel Monsters has been outlawed in much of the North. Under pain of death."
"Daveed will sort this mess out," Tristan assured her. "Remember, he'll have the power of the Divines when he comes back. With Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra at his disposal, King Forrest would be a fool to continue marching his forces down here. And as for that crazy church, well…"
"Well what?" said Ribbon. "So what if he is High King. He can't just ban it. Daveed would violate so many laws, especially the Concordant of Free Speech. Even without it, the church is too powerful an organization to be banned by the king."
"But Daveed isn't just any king. He's the High-King of all Termnnia. And no, he won't ban them, but he can restrict them. I have to agree things have gotten out of hand. With no one to challenge them all these years, they feel they can spread their practice violently. You know Pegasus ordered a group of ten radicals hanged yesterday?"
"What were their crimes?"
"Murder," Tristan answered, coldly. "They were witch-hunting. They killed a family of Niwatori farmers because their youngest daughter was going to be a student in the Citadel. Unfortunately for these Witch Hunters, they ventured a little too far South, where magic is still law."
"Witch-hunting, you say?" said Ribbon.
"Yeah, they were lunatics inspired by the Swords of Light; a group of psychopaths who have dedicated themselves to prosecuting anyone who uses magic or summons monsters. Anyone can join their ranks, so long as they are pure in body and 'strong in faith'. I say piss on all of them. They're nothing but mercenaries in the pockets of the Church of Yeyu. Now they've come here."
"So far south?" asked Ribbon, extinguishing the flames on her dagger. "This is Embolodor, Mothers-damn them!"
"They'll go wherever to spread their faith." Tristan scoffed. "These thugs claim they work for a creep named Marcus Hamilton."
"Oh, dear! I've heard of him. A refugee from the North says they call him the Freak Killer."
"Freak?"
"It's what people of the faith label those who aren't like them," Ribbon explained. "People like us. Hamilton is famous for sending more than five hundred women to burn in the pyre for witchcraft."
"Damn him to Yamimakai," Tristan cursed. "I sure do hope Daveed gets here fast."
"Me too," said Ribbon. "But let's not press our concerns on this matter. The Church is still many leagues from here. We must be happy today, my friend. It is the Festival of the First High King!"
"Yeah, you're right," said Tristan. "Get your things and let's go!"
"Right!"
Ribbon darted to her drawer to get her clothes. Having done so, she let go of her blanket. She gasped and caught it just in time, looking timorously back at Tristan. Tristan diverted his look back to the sea and walked out the door so as to let her change.
After Ribbon had dressed into an embroidered brown leather corset and skirt, she ran down the stairs of the apartment building. Her thick belted-boots were ringing and clanking with magical knick-knacks inside the small compartments.
So were the items in her knapsack and the various pouches on her belt and the large ones strapped to her thighs. The liquids in the green and red vials swishing with every step she made. Tristan was outside the building, eating a turkey drumstick that he bought from one of the many vendors outside selling their wares.
"Where are you off to?" Tristan asked, his mouth full of turkey meat. "To war?"
"If what they say about Elven ruins is true, then yes." Ribbon answered adjusting one of the vials on her belt.
"Remind me not to piss you off," Tristan said before swallowing the meat in his mouth. He looked at the colorful vendor stalls lined up behind the railings facing the sea. One, in particular, caught his eye.
The sign above the booth read Crazy Crod's Collection of Mythical Artifacts.
"Hey check it out, Ribbon," Tristan said, devouring what remained of his drumstick. "That Sloager over there is selling rare and magical weapons."
"Why do you need that?" Ribbon asked. "You have a beautiful ax already."
She was protesting, but it was not to get Tristan from buying weapons. It wasn't that she cared; it was his money, but from approaching the rather large and bulky creature selling the weapons.
The Sloagers were an amphibious race of ugly, large and fatty creatures. They can grow from eight to ten feet tall. They were horribly obese-looking with big sulking arms, stubby tails with bumpy spines, three-clawed hands, and legs as thick as tree stumps and rough pink or purplish skin. They had faces like a toad, some sporting small but well-kept beards such as the Sloager selling the exotic weaponry. He had his beard oiled in juices made from sweet-smelling insects.
"Wow!" Tristan said, admiring the weapons.
Crazy Crod sold beautifully crafted weapons from swords, bows, crossbows, armor, shields and even guns. Each item enhanced with powerful runes that could make the blades burn with fire or get engulfed in a blizzard to cause frost damage. One sword had a black blade, a black guard, and a black hilt. The black blade had ornate carvings with red glowing runes written in Elvish and decorated in handsome red rubies from tip to base. It had red bolts of electricity surging all around it.
"What's that?" Tristan asked.
"It's not for sale," the Sloager said in a belching-sort of voice. "This blade is called Archfiend's Kiss. The blade is reserved for Prince Michael of the Dalton Family in Domino."
"Prince Michael Dalton!" Tristan said, raising his voice. "Like he needs any more swords. He is going to own a hundred of them when he's king."
"The King of the One Hundred Swords," breathed Ribbon.
"So-called because he can wield a hundred swords," Mai Valentine said, approaching Tristan and Ribbon. Serenity and Téa were by her side. Téa turned and waved to get the attention of Yami, Prince Ryon, and a young Berja, who were examining the wares of the best blacksmith in Nefeli Port.
"You'd best no piss off the merchant, Tristan," Mai said. "Sloagers are infamous for their temper."
"Everyone," Yami said when his friends came together. "I would like to introduce you to Prince Jon Jahangir. Son of King Audun of Riftgaard, and thirteenth born of the Clan. And Prince Ryon Austus of Katina."
Ryon and Jon bowed.
"Well, well," said Mai. "Two handsome princes. And who says dreams don't come true?"
Jon smiled, bowing at Mai's presence. He admired her attire, which was too much of not enough. All she had on was a skirt, long boots and a black leather corset infused with a high metalwork collar. The friendship necklace was swinging over her cleavage. It was all Jon could do not to divert his eyes any lower. Her sword was sheathed horizontally over her lower back.
"I don't need an introduction to know who you are," he said, with a wolfish grin. "You are Mai Valentine, The Delight of Emboldor. Even after a hundred years, your beauty is still unmatched."
Mai laughed bashfully. "Your Grace, you are too kind. It seems I get that compliment every decade or two. But coming from you, it actually feels legit."
Ryon nudged Yami lightly in the forearm. He leaned next to his ear and said. "Uh-oh, smoothie. We got ourselves a smoothie."
"Why have you brought Prince Jon here all the way from Riftgaard?" Serenity asked.
"We're here to discuss his enrollment into the academy," said Yami. "And what is to be expected from him when he leaves for the Legion this summer."
"The Legion?" said Téa. "Wow, that's going to be tough."
"I'm more than ready, Lady Téa," said Jon. "I just hope my comrades are up for the task."
"They will be," said Yami. "You're not the only prince in Termnnia who can fight."
"I second the motion," Ryon said, holding up his cane. "Don't let this fool you. I can still burn a fully-armored knight to cinders from a hundred yards away. I'm set for any task the Legion has for us."
"What's the point of going to the Legion, again?" asked Ribbon.
"You don't know?" asked Jon.
"I'm a mage," said Ribbon. "My life has been spell books and magical histories. Forgive me if I'm a little vague with Termnnia's customs involving swords and brute strength."
"Every prince in Termnnia must go to Aurelia and train with the Imperial Legion," said Jon. "It is a great way to sharpen your skills in combat. The Aurelian army has been undefeated for hundreds of thousands of years. By the Third Age, kings wanted their sons to be fierce warriors as well as duelists, so they asked the soldiers of the Imperial Legion to train their boys for a few months. Needless to say, many kings in Termnnia have remained unmatched in swordplay thanks to the Legionnaires."
"Aren't you already a master swordsman?" Tristan asked. "I heard of your battles. They say you killed a hundred men, single-handedly."
Jon laughed. "Don't trust the words of bards, Sir Knight. They tend to…exaggerate a bit. I am good, but I'm not that good. It was my Gearfried that did most of the killing out there."
"If you'll excuse us," said Yami. "The princes and I have much to discuss and then we sail for Domino, hopefully, to greet Michael and the others when they come back from the war in Akuuda."
"We needed to get going anyway," said Serenity.
"Yup, off to our little adventure," said Mai. "We'll be back in time for the fireworks, though."
"Be careful up there," Yami advised them. "There have been reports of goblins lurking in the forest at the roots of the mountain."
"Don't worry about us, Yugi," said Téa. "We can handle a few goblins."
"If you insist," said Yami. "Jon, come with me. The others are waiting."
"I'm going to wait for Joey and Duke at the tavern," said Tristan. "Ladies,"
"Sir Knight," said Mai.
Tristan smirked. It was rare to be complemented by Mai. He walked away smiling.
"So what is so important you'd have us excavating an Elven ruin?" Ribbon asked after everyone left.
"I learned of a unique pendant that was sealed in the ancient treasury," said Serenity. She reached into her knapsack, pulling out a scroll. She undid the red ribbon holding it together and rolled it out to show her friends a drawing of a cross-like pendant.
"That's pretty." Ribbon said, admiring both the artistic skill of the drawing and the work on the pendant. Still, I can't believe you want us to delve into an ancient ruin just to find a little trinket?" Ribbon pouted.
"It's not just any trinket," said Serenity. "It was worn by the old Elven-kings of this region. It has great power and will secure Yuri's claim to the throne. Once this is around his neck, the Senate will have no choice but to open the Gates and let him back in. It'll also make for a good birthday present. Yuri's birthday is next month."
"It's almost October the twentieth already?" Mai gasped, placing a hand on her cheek. "Wow, time flies. See, baby, I told you we'd see him in no time."
"Does anyone else find it astounding that he was born on the same day as High King Tiberius?" said Téa.
"Well now, that is amazing," said Serenity.
"Or, as Yugi calls it, destiny," Mai said wiggling her fingers. "Oooooh,"
"Well, Daveed isn't coming back until summer," said Serenity. "He still has to finish grade school. It's only natural that we let him finish his education first. And if Yugi's right, he should be getting the practice he needs in an upcoming tournament Kaiba has planned for him. But, we're wasting time. Let's find our supplies and get this show on the road."
"Yeah, I want to make it back by dark," said Ribbon. "Goblins are not my favorite creatures to encounter, especially at night."
"We'll be back by then. Come on. If there are goblins out there, we need to buy antidotes because of their knack of tipping their weapons in poison. We also need potions and mana crystals for Ribbon."
"You're going to aim your spells the right way, this time, right, hon?" Mai asked.
"I've learned a lot since our last battle," said Ribbon.
"I sure as the shadows hope so," said Serenity. "I'm still pretty peeved you burned off all my hair."
"Oh, by the Stars of Horakhty!" cried Ribbon. "Ten years and you're still holding a grudge!"
"Relax, babe; I was just kidding."
"Come on, ladies," said Téa. "We're burning sunlight."
When they gathered their supplies, sharpened their weapons at the blacksmith and saddled their horses, they left the safety of the city wall. There were caravans of circuses outside the wall trying to sort out their entry into the city. Meanwhile, merchants set up stalls and tents by the road. Some priests of the Church of Yeyu were standing on wooden boxes preaching to those who wanted to learn about the new faith taking Termnnia by storm.
Though their views on magic and the paranormal were harsh, there was no doubt the Church stabilized economies and kingdoms in many countries across Termnnia. Their special forces known as the Crusaders fought monsters off the land, and their regular troops guarded the towns and brought food to the hungry, if the people were to pay the associated taxes and convert to the Faith, of course. Those who refused were evicted from the town or killed. Mostly killed. For no one said no to the Church.
Serenity did her best to ignore one of the preachers. One pointed at Ribbon, quickly spotting the glowing rune on her arm and used her as an example to the crowd.
"Look!" he shouted. "Good people, feast your eyes on this! A mage. The ones who have brought so much grief into our beloved world. She eats ten square meals a day and sleeps within the confines of the wall, while you, the devoted of Yeyu, sleep on straw and under the rain, eat rats and live at the mercy of bandits and foul monsters."
"It is an injustice!" shouted a farmer.
"And look at her little friends!" the preacher said. He pointed a bony finger at Mai. Her Duel Monsters deck strapped to her exposed thigh.
"Look at this one!" he shouted. "This woman exposes her flesh to the world like the whore that she is!"
"Cover yourself wench!" shouted an angry priestess within the crowd.
"And she plays Duel Monsters. The vile game of monsters and magic!" the priest continued. "The very forces that have plunged our world into such disarray, they use so pleasurably."
"SHAME!" shouted the crowd.
"Fear not, good people!" cried the preacher. "For King Forrest is upon us. The Chosen Warrior of Yeyu will march upon these lands and purge it of the filth riding by us."
"HAIL KING FORREST!"
"PRAISE YEYU!"
"DEATH TO THE MAGES!"
"DEATH TO THE ELDORI!"
"DEATH TO THE DUEL MONSTERS!"
"Let's keep moving," Serenity whispered.
"Not very popular are we?" Mai asked when they were finally a safe distance from the crowd.
"I thought they wanted to get rid of magic?" said Téa.
"No," said Ribbon. "The Church doesn't say it, but they want to purge all things that aren't right in their scriptures. Eldori, Elves, Dwarves, homosexuals, non-believers, monsters, mages, it doesn't matter. If a priest says it's not right, his flock will destroy it.
They hope when Forrest conquers all of Termnnia they can reform their Inquisition. Which will not be a good thing? The last time the Church had an Inquisition it caused the genocide of the Arva many centuries ago."
"The beautiful winged-people of the old days," Serenity said, sadly.
"Hello, ladies!" called a voice from atop a hill. "Hello! Hello!"
"What is that?" Mai asked.
"Oh, a Gnome!" said Ribbon. "How cute."
The little creature was wearing colorful robes and was riding a donkey that was pulling a cart loaded with all sorts of treasures from weapons to jewelry and Duel Monster cards."
"What can we do for you?" Serenity said when they rode closer.
"I am Pompim," the Gnome said with a bow. "Master merchant, and an all-around good fellow."
"What are you selling?" Ribbon asked.
"Whatever your hearts desire, my dear," said the Gnome. "You're welcome to help yourselves, provided you have the chips."
"It looks expensive," said Serenity. "We're a little low on Star Chips at the moment. I'm only carrying a few bronze ones."
"Hmm," said Pompin. "I can hear a few extra chips dangling within you from somewhere."
"There's no fooling you, is there Mr. Pompin?" Téa asked.
"My dear, girl. I've been in this business for many years. I know how to spot and hear extra Star Chips on one's person. And my ears can pick up enough on you to buy a decent amount of items on my cart."
"You think you're that good, huh?" said Mai. "All right, Gnome, how's about a game?"
"Oooh, I do love games. What are the rules?"
"You have to guess where the girls and I are hiding our extra chips. Guess correctly, and we'll do business with you. Guess wrong, and we'll be on our way."
"Ah, splendid," said Pompin. "Hmm, you there, girl, is that a Golden Emboldorian Stallion," he pointed at Serenity.
"Yes," Serenity said, rather amused.
"That's a rare steed you got there. Difficult to breed."
"Impossible, actually," Serenity corrected him, as she patted the side of her horse's neck. "Takes many years and a ton of magical involvement to get the horses this sort of color. But it's worth it. They have the strength of a warhorse, the speed of an Elven mare and their mane and coat glimmer like a gold mine. Now, you were going to point out my extra chips?"
"Difficult, rather difficult to say." Pompin paused. "As you were riding in, I could hear something coming from…yes! The back pouch on the saddle you're riding on."
Serenity undid the string of the saddle and opened it. She reached in and yanked out a big sack of star chips.
"Good guess," said Serenity. "You sure it was difficult?"
"Not really, I was only playing to make it look like you had a chance of leaving without buying anything."
"I don't know whether to congratulate you for that or ride away?" said Serenity.
"If you wanted to ride away you would have done so by now," Pompin said, raising his eyebrows. "Admit it, young lady. I've piqued your interest haven't I?"
"All right," said Serenity. "You got me. Well, that's one down, three to go."
"And you, the mage with the yellow ribbon."
"Take your best shot," said Ribbon. "Where am I hiding my chips?"
"My dear, this is no challenge. There was no sound coming from you as you rode in. You don't have any on you."
"Oh my," said Ribbon. "He is good."
"And me?" asked Mai, riding closer to the Gnome. Her horse pushing past Ribbon's mare.
"Oh…I'll get to you last, my dear lady," Pompin said with a wink. "You there. I know you. You're the one who travels with Master Yu-Gi-Oh?"
"I am," said Téa.
"Anything going on between the two of you, may I ask?"
"No, none," said Téa. "Yugi is far too busy for something as petty as love."
"That's not what I hear?" said Pompin. "I found out he once traveled the roads with a beauty who smelled of strawberries."
"That didn't end so well, last I heard," said Téa.
"Oh yes, poor man. But, enough about Master Yugi's love life. Your chips, my dear, is…uh."
"You playing me for a fool?" asked Téa. "Or do I seriously have you stumped?"
"I can't lie, my dear. You have me stumped."
"You got sixty seconds," said Serenity. "Otherwise, we'll leave."
"Ah, excellent," said Pompin. He paced back and forth on his donkey's back. "I could have sworn as you were riding in that…Oh yes! That bandolier on the side of your saddle."
"Wow!" Téa said perplexed. "How did he know that when the bandolier is on this side?"
"I knew they were on your saddle," said Pompin. "But I didn't say which side. You revealed that for me."
"Oh, he got you good, Téa," Serenity chirped.
"And the chips?" asked Pompin.
Téa smiled, pulling up a red velvet sack of her extra star chips.
"Well, that leaves Mai," said Serenity.
"Ah…yes! This is going to be fun," said the gnome. "You have three extra sacks of coin on your person. There is one in your boot."
"Right-O," Mai said, reaching down into her boot and taking out a small sack of Star Chips.
"There is one in the second pouch on your belt."
"Correct," Mai said, taking that one out too. "And the third?"
Pompin sneered. That face was enough for Mai to know that he knew where the location of the third pouch was. Mai gave a wolfish grin, reaching into her cleavage and taking out her last hidden pouch of star chips.
"Ahhh," chimed the Gnome. "I thought so."
"Well, you won the game, little man," Mai said, tossing her pouch up and down on her hand. "You can have this one, for humoring us for a few minutes."
She playfully threw the pouch at Pompin.
"Oooh," he shivered rubbing the pouch on his puffy cheek. "Still warm."
"Well, I guess that means we have to buy something from you," said Serenity.
"What's that?" Mai asked, pointing at a tan-colored rifle hanging from one of the hooks on the cart.
"That's called a gun," said Pompin. "I looted it off some dead mercenaries under contract from Domino. The guy's name was called Remington. It says so on the weapon which called an A-C-R I believe."
"No, I've seen those weapons before," said Téa. "That name is the gun's manufacturer. Recently some traders who found a Gate have smuggled goods from the other world into ours in exchange for cards, and other resources. Those weapons are no exception. They're popular with mercenaries from Domino, though mostly used by the city's military and members of House Dalton. And bandit gangs, if they can afford it."
"Hmm, how much?" Mai asked.
"For you, my dear. A hundred gold star chips."
"I believe I've already paid you," Mai said, referring to the sack she handed him.
"Indeed you did," Pompin said, tossing the bag and stuffing it into his pouch. He climbed off the donkey's back and pounced onto the cart, climbing the supports until he reached the weapon Mai desired.
"Happy hunting," he said, tossing the gun at her.
"Wow, it's heavy," she said feeling the weapon.
"You're going to need these," the gnome said, picking up extra magazines. "They're called bullets. Without them the weapon is useless. They're on the house." He bundled them together with an elastic band and threw them at her. Mai caught them and thanked him.
"And what would you like, my dear?" Pompin asked Ribbon.
"What's that over there?" she said, pointing at a clip in the shape of a butterfly. It was glowing.
"It's an enchanted item, used by a young mage girl who needed to buy a ticket back to the Citadel. She told me it boosted her mana. I'll sell it for eighty Star Chips."
"I'll take it," said Ribbon.
"But you didn't have any Star Chips on you,"
"It's on me," said Serenity, then counted the chips and handed them to the little merchant.
Ribbon clipped it to her ribbon. She felt a little boost in her aura.
"And you?" he asked Téa.
"What's are those cards, the black ones?" she asked.
"Those are those new cards that are all the rage in Domino," Pompin explained. "They are called Xyz (Ik-seez) monsters. These are called Legendary Magician of Black and Ebon Illusion Magician."
"Magicians, huh?" said Téa. "Yugi's going to love those."
"Fifty chips," said the gnome.
"Here you go," Téa said, handing him the money.
Pompin wrapped the cards in tin foil and gave them to Téa.
"Well, ladies, thank you for your business. And because I had such a good time with you, I'll give you a parting gift."
He dug through the brick-a-brack in the cart and found a brown burlap sack. He opened it and showed them a glowing orb.
"I made this myself, took me five years to complete, but I got it. I don't know what to do with it, though?"
"You worked on that thing for years, and you don't know what it does?" Ribbon asked.
"I didn't say that," said Pompin. "I said I don't know how to use it. What it does is make a brilliant explosion. In case you ever run into a hairy situation use this, but seek cover. I tossed it at a rock ogre once, and it blasted him to smithereens. And would you do an old Gnome a favor and document its power for me? It's a prototype, and I do hope it goes into mass production for those military folk in Domino."
"Well, thank you for everything, Pompin," said Serenity, taking the bombs from him. "But we have to get going now."
"It was a pleasure, ladies," said the gnome, with another bow.
"Just a word of advice," said Mai. "I'd enter the city through the eastern entrance. You won't find pleasant company in the main gate."
"So I see," said Pompin. "Thank you, my dear girl. May the Stars of Horakhty light your path."
"Bye, Pompin," said Serenity.
Hours had passed before they reached their destination. The ruins sadly stood under the shadow of Mt. Eldar, the highest mountain in Emboldor. Judging by all the raised earth, fallen pillars, and wagon tracks, the city had been ransacked, down to the last trinket.
"You sure it's here?" Ribbon asked. "It looks like a lot of folks beat us to the punch."
"It's here," Serenity said, dismounting from her horse. "I can feel it. Thank you, Honey," she said petting her golden stallion. "Good girl," she said, before feeding her horse a handful of oats.
"I don't like the looks of this place," Mai said, getting off her black armored warhorse.
"Neither do I," said Ribbon. "I feel an ancient magic here."
"You do?" said Serenity. "Good,"
They searched the ruins. Every room, every crevice. But they were unsuccessful in finding the pendant.
"This isn't right," said Serenity.
"We looked everywhere, hon," said Mai, biting into an apple.
"Hey, look," said Ribbon. "Over here, girls!"
Ribbon's friends ran to her. She was holding a black arrow with unclean fletching.
"Goblins," said Serenity.
"Damn," Mai said, taking the arrow from Ribbon. "I have a feeling humans didn't loot this place."
"I have the same feeling," said Ribbon. "That would explain all those runes I saw in the old throne room drawn in blood. Those markings were the goblins marking their territory."
"Well, that's not good," said Mai.
"Then they must have the pendant," said Serenity. "And any other treasure that may have been hidden here."
"Treasure, huh?" said Mai. "Sounds good to me."
"But, just where could those goblins be living?" Téa asked. An arrow flew past her face and struck one of the pillars beside her.
"What ho!" called the arrogant knight Ser Torvan. He stood atop a ruined stairway.
"Oh, not this guy again!" shouted Serenity.
"He has company," said Ribbon.
Five brigands came down the hills to join him.
"What's this?" said Torvan. "A party of lovely adventurers. Now isn't this group worthy of song."
"Get lost Torvan!" Mai shouted, aiming her ACR at Torvan.
The brigands stepped back.
"Look at that!" he shouted. "Beautiful! I want that! A hundred silver swords to the man who gets me that!"
They charged down the ruins. Mai shot one of them in the chest, ending him. The loud blast of the weapon caused the others to freeze. The brigands did not want to move.
"GET THEM!" shouted Torvan.
Suddenly an arrow pierced the back of his head.
Then the brigands were shot dead by more. The goblins had arrived.
Screeches could be heard in the forest as a goblin attack party scurried towards the ruins. Just then an arrow flew out of the woods and hit one of the scouts. More screeches erupted from the trees to the eastern side of the ruins. It was another pack of goblins, but these were armored in stone and riding Razorbacks in rusty iron armor.
"What is this?" said Ribbon.
"Just great," said Mai. "We stumbled upon a war between two goblin tribes."
"At least that Torvan creep is gone!" said Serenity. "Man, but I wish it was by my hand."
The goblins on the Razorbacks thundered into the ruins. The head goblin was encased in rusty armor he looted from a knight he killed. He was riding an unnaturally large razorback with long tusks and a mane cut into a Mohawk. Serenity spotted something glowing around his neck. What luck. It was the item she desired.
"THAT'S IT!" she cried out. "That goblin war chief has the pendant! The Pendant of the Kings!"
"Oh great," said Mai. "Baby, why don't you worry about that later. Like, after we get out of this battle we walked into."
The goblins from the east charged and slammed into the goblins of the northern tribe. The fight had begun. Arrows hissed through the air mixing with the sound of the cries of fallen goblins.
"We can take them!" said Serenity.
"No!" said Téa. "Let them kill each other first. That way there will be less of them to deal with."
"I like where you're going, Téa," said Mai. "You know I saw a notice on one of the bounty boards before we left town. If memory serves me right, that goblin is Big Red Mona. He's been causing all kinds of trouble for farmers this past year. Burning the farms, slaughtering the animals and whatnot. Pegasus offered a juicy reward for proof of his death."
"Sounds like fun," said Serenity.
"What do we do now?" asked Ribbon.
"We wait," said Serenity. "Let's hope this battle doesn't take too long."
Serenity peered out of the storage room from the bottom of the steps like a curious fox peeking out of its den. Night had fallen. The forest alive with the sounds of crickets and the hooting of owls and the cries of Silver Fangs howling at the moon.
"Well?" whispered Mai.
"They're all gone," said Serenity. "You can come out."
"This place sure got spooky at night," said Ribbon.
The moonlight provided enough light for them to see through the darkness.
"Did you see where they went?" Mai asked.
"They headed north," Serenity answered.
"Who won?" Ribbon asked.
"Big Red Mona did," Serenity replied.
"I was afraid of that," groaned Téa. "Now we have to deal with him and that army of Razorback riders."
"Come on," said Serenity. "Before we lose their trail."
"Damn it," said Ribbon. "This pendant of yours better be worth it."
"Oh, it will be," said Serenity. You have no idea.
The sneaked out of the ruins and dashed into the forest following the prints of the goblin army that fought in the fields earlier. Mai took out a blue crystal torch from one of the pouches on her belt to light up the night. They followed the tracks which led them into a cave. There was a fire flickering from the inside.
"Do we have to do this?" Téa asked.
"You can stay behind and let me handle this alone if you want?"
"Wow," said Mai. "And to think she was a girl afraid of her own shadow once upon a time."
"You can thank Gabriel the Black for my sudden change in character," said Serenity. "With or without you, I'm getting my pendant. I want that to be Daveed's welcome home present."
"With all the other beautiful trinkets that Pompin was selling us earlier today, why go for that?"
"It's special," said Serenity. "Are you going to join me or not?"
"I don't know about these two," said Mai. "But I paid a lot of star chips for this rifle, and I want to use it."
"Well, what about the rest of you?" Serenity asked.
"Fine," pouted Ribbon.
"Let's do this, girls," said Téa.
They quietly dashed for the cave entrance. Mai was the first to go in, her eye glued to the scope on the rifle which had the technology to allow Mai to see in the dark.
"These otherworldly contraband weapons are fantastic," Mai whispered, stepping further into the cave.
Ribbon took out a golden binder from her pouch. It levitated in front of her and opened it up revealing page after page of the Duel Monsters she could call into battle, for she was a Summoner, a class very few could have. It was so difficult to attain that Termnnia had as few as twenty of them, and these mages received great praise earning jobs with elite political figures including the High King of Termnnia.
It took years of training in the magical arts and great discipline to become a Summoner and it also took a dedicated faith, for Summoners attained their creatures through prayers to the Mothers. Those they found worthy were blessed with powerful monsters. Ribbon prayed to and respected all the Mothers, for they each played a part in the creation of the world she called home. A Summoner's job was also to spread the faith of the Mothers. The Mothers each lived in and ruled their own worlds called Planes, and the monsters Summoners called on were proof of those worlds. Faith was highly needed, especially in these trying times.
"Do you have a creature selected?" Mai asked.
"Yeah, I have a few in mind?" Ribbon whispered. Her spellbinder flipped three pages towards her favorite page containing her best and rarest monsters. It cast a glow bright enough to illuminate a four-foot radius around Ribbon.
Serenity and Téa followed after them. Serenity quickly unsheathed her silver sword, placing a hand on Ribbon's shoulder to stay close.
They could hear nothing, save for their own footsteps crunching on the dirt and pebbles on the ground beneath them and the dripping of water from the stalactite formations. The chirping of Dark Bat could be heard from the darkness, but they never attacked unless provoked, so the girls did their best to ignore them as they delved deeper into the cave. From the light of Mai's Crystal torch and Ribbon's spell binder, they could see old campsites in the cave. Rings of small rocks that formed the foundation of campfires along with burned out branches and twigs and sewn logs that were used for seating.
It began smelling rank and the air grew musty. Their noses told them they were getting close. Serenity held back a scream when she spotted bones littering the ground by one of the old campsites. There were the bones of cows, pigs, and horses but there were some she recognized thanks to the many hours reading her mother's book on from the hospital she worked in. The bones she saw mixed with the animal bones were human. A skull missing its jaw was lying by one of the logs with a large knife lodged on the dome.
"This is horrible," whispered Ribbon. "They killed people."
"This ends tonight," said Mai. "I'm not much of a Summoner, but I can still call upon my Harpie Queen to aid us. She's never let me down before."
"What about the Battle of Rassay?" Serenity smirked.
"Come off it," Mai retorted quietly. "It was that one time. You shouldn't joke. How many times has she saved your rear end?"
"Hush," said Ribbon. "I hear something."
"I know that sound," Téa grimaced. "Looks like the goblins are cooking dinner."
"Be careful," whispered. Mai. "I'll go first."
"Use that weapon carefully," Serenity said softly. "That gun has a limited amount of those brass projectiles before it's utterly useless."
"Don't worry, babe, I got it."
"Don't you guys have the feeling we should have run into something by now?" Ribbon asked. "We went so far into the cave and there's no sign of them."
"Stop being such a sissy," said Mai. "Goblins aren't smart enough to plan an ambush."
There was a sudden hiss and a force that knocked Serenity forward.
"What the…."
Mai saw an arrow protruding from her knapsack. Just then the cave illuminated with the orange light of hundreds of torches and the walls echoed with the crackling and chirping of the goblins.
Serenity looked up and saw the creatures sneering at them, flashing their yellowed sharp teeth and widening their eyes, a sign they were ready for battle. They heard stomping coming from an entrance in the second level. Six armored razorbacks snorted as they trotted alongside their master, the goblin warlord, Red Mona. The pendant Serenity sought after shimmered around his neck. He raised up his dagger, once a handsome sword that broke in half, and laughed at them.
"Man-Female!" he sniggered, trying to speak Common. "Pretty Man-Females! Are they crunchy? Are they tender? Are they sweet?"
The goblins screeched, licking their chops.
"I think they've chosen us for dinner," croaked Téa.
"Do they boil? Do they cut easily? Are they juicy? Meat looks better than puny farmer and family."
"We taste the same," said Mai, aiming the rifle at Mona.
AHHHHH! Mona hissed. "She has fancy boom-boom weapon! Attack!"
"For Yuri!" Serenity shouted. She and her friends charged toward the goblin horde, ready to bring them all down.
Evelyn
The sun began to set slowly over the silhouettes of the Emerald Mountains shading the sky in colors of red, pink and gold. Evelyn fanned her face as she sat in the king's box looking down at the sandy dueling arena below. The walls that surrounded the stadium were of brown stone with statues of former Ellerian champions standing proudly on mausoleums built into the walls alongside statues of their ace monsters. Red flags waved elegantly in the wind on their spires mounted on the very top of the walls.
The king's box was perched just over the arena to give Helmsley and his family an excellent view of the matches, ten in all this day in which the best duelists from all over Termnnia came to show off their skills or try to impress the princess.
The duels were entertaining, but to Alexis, an exceptional duelist who has mastered the rules of the game, they were all amateurs.
"Another pointless match," Alexis groaned. "I may not be a fan of the news rules in Domino but, boy they sure do spice things up."
"You mean those new black cards?" Ezra asked. "And those weird creatures that are half monster half spell?"
"Xyz monsters and Pendulum monsters," Alexis answered. "Yup. Complicated to play but they sure make quite a show when placed in the hands of a capable duelist."
"Well, these are the preliminaries, Your Grace," Josephine said plopping a grape into her mouth. "I'm sure the games will get exciting after this."
A blare of trumpets announced the next duel. The enigmatic announcer stood up and shouted the upcoming match.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" he called out. "I bring you the main event of the games celebrating the birth of our beloved Princess Evelyn Ethelburga Alteria!" The crowd cheered and whistled eagerly anticipating the next duel.
"Ladies of the arena, prepare yourselves! First, I present to you the bard from the Earldom of Ashwood. The Knight of Wine and Song!"
The women in the arena cheered loudly. Evelyn bit her lip and clutched both the edges of her seat to keep herself from jumping up for the handsome knight.
"Ser Dancer Firewing! Come out and prove your worth!"
The iron gates of the eastern entrance raised open. Two Duel Monsters called Flower Wolves dashed out of the darkness and summoned a rain of pink petals over the arena. Then, Dancer came riding out of the entrance wearing silvery engraved armor with carvings and statuettes of flowers and musical notes on the pauldrons and breastplate. The top of his silver helm was crested with a long white plume. A white cloth-of-gold cape flew gracefully on his back clipped to his gorget with silver fastening. A matching Duel Disk was built into the right gauntlet. His white stallion armored in a crupper, crinet, and chamfron that also matched Dancer's armor set.
Evelyn couldn't contain her glee and she gave a slight jump in her seat clasping her hands together watching her knight in shining armor below. The women in the stadium jammed towards the edge of the barrier protecting them from an eighteen-foot drop into the sands below. They blew kisses at the knight. Others tossed flowers and some even exposed themselves for him. Evelyn could even see a few young men professing their love for Dancer in the froth of screaming women.
"And now!" called out the announcer. "I bring you the champion of the Royal House of Delgado, the Dinosaur Lords of Feldia. From the land of Red Marsh, I present to you Ser Rex Raptor the Knight of Teeth! Come out and prove your worth!"
The gates to the west side of the stadium slid opened. A loud grunt erupted from the darkness. An Eldori knight came out mounted on a Duel Monster called Megazowler, a horned quadrupedal beast with the likeness of a ceratopsian dinosaur with yellowish-orange skin and horns and spikes of ivory. The beast was armored in white enameled steel plates. The armor on the shoulders of the beast had the likeness of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the symbol of the Delgado family. On the massive saddle of masterwork leather the flags bearing the emblems of both Rex's house and the Delgados flew proudly on both sides of Rex. He wore a red and black surcoat over chainmail and steel armor.
The behemoth of a mount shook the earth with each step sending vibrations up Evelyn's tailbone. He rode past the king's box to pay his respects to the Ellerian king. But then he saw Evelyn. He glared at her and growled like a predatory dinosaur ready to strike its prey before riding to his place in the dueling arena.
"How was he going to marry you!?" exclaimed Ezra.
"He's from the House of Raptor," said Evelyn. "A cadet branch of the Royal House of Delgado. Since House Raptor has such close ties to the Delgados, our High King's relatives, my father arranged for Rex and me to marry so as to have close ties to the family of the High King."
"So, what happened?" asked Alexis.
"Master Yugi was furious when he learned the Delgados were planning to let Daveed back into the family. Not out of love, but a thirst for power. He and High Chancellor Pegasus refused their decree to have him back. That decision is ultimately up to the prince of course, but he is nowhere to be seen. Since the Delgados no longer had an official claim to Daveed my marriage to Rex was called off. And father has now made an enemy of the most powerful family in the west."
"Looks like both the Delgados and the Alterias are complete fools," Alexis whispered looking up at King Helmsley. He was savagely biting into a grilled chicken leg. He laughed and cheered as the duel commenced. He started waving the leg in the air.
"So, Rex," Dancer said taking his opponent's deck and shuffling it. "I couldn't help but notice you eyeing your former betrothed."
"Keep talking, Firewing," Rex furiously snatched his deck from Dancer's hand. "That's all your good for. As far as I'm concerned the Alteria's can keep the bitch because I have no need for it."
"I should strike you down for saying those words."
Rex laughed and took Dancer's deck and shuffled it. "Did I strike a nerve?"
Dancer took his deck from Rex and he paced towards his side of the field.
The Duel began once Rex stood on his side of the field.
"DUEL!" they both shouted.
"I'll start first!" declared Rex. "I summon Tomozaurus!"
A portal on the field opened. A fifteen-foot tall brown dromaeosaur stomped out.
"For my first move!" declared Dancer, drawing his card. "I shall summon Lunar Queen of Elzaim!"
The men in the crowd whistled as a beautiful woman with white-feathered wings appeared onto the field from a portal. She wore salmon pink robes and had chestnut brown hair. She extended her wings and placed a hand on her hip. At 750 ATK she was far stronger than Rex's dinosaur.
Dancer ordered the beautiful monster to attack. She flew up into the air and fired feathers of light from her wings destroying Rex's monster and bringing his Life Points to 3750.
"I shall play a card face down and end my turn."
Rex could only grin
"So, a weak monster is how you start eh?" Rex said drawing his card. "I'll put that creature in its place. I special summon two Gilasaurus!"
Rex summoned two brown ten-foot-tall raptors to the field. But they weren't going to stay on the field for long. "I now overlay them to Xyz Summon a new monster!"
"He's learned how to Xyz Summon too!" gasped Evelyn.
"Oh, this is going to be good," Alexis said taking a sip of sweet fruit punch.
"Come forth, Grenosaurus!"
Rex summoned a red allosaurus with a cream-colored underbelly. The beast steel parts on its body and its eyes were crested with flames.
"You've got to be kidding?" Dancer said with a loss of breath. Rex knew the advanced rules of the southeast.
"Attack!" shouted Rex.
His monster shot fire from its mouth. The flames then animated into a serpent-like dragon that wrapped around Dancer's Lunar Queen. The monster screamed in agony as the searing flames burned her body. She vanished and his Life Points dropped from 4000 to 2750.
"And now to activate his special ability!" Rex pumped his fist arrogantly. "I remove an Xyz Material monster from my Grenosaurus and he will inflict one-thousand points of damage to your Life Points."
Grenosaurus ran towards Dancer. Each step shaking the arena. It roared and showered Dancer in flames. Dancer cried out in agony. His Life Points dropped to 1750.
"No!" said Evelyn. "It can't be. It's only Rex's first turn and he brought Dancer to less than half his Life Points."
"I summon Goddess of Whim in defense mode!" Dance said summoning a lazy-looking woman in a see-through gown the color of seaweed. In place of hair growing on her scalp she had leaves instead.
Rex attacked again. With another destroyed monster, he activated his Grenosaurus's special ability.
The creature stomped forward to attack. But Dancer stood his ground raising his fist at the Grenosaurus. The beast, again, bathed Dancer in flames. But he didn't move.
Evelyn could no longer contain her excitement and let out a mad laugh. She could hear Dancer screaming out: "Come on you stupid beast is that all you've got!"
"Your deck hasn't adapted to the changes it seems!" gloated Rex. "You're still using common first-generation trash monsters."
"Pureblood monsters!" corrected Dancer. He got up from the ground.
The shield aura his Duel Disk provided protected him from the flames of the beast but he could still feel a sharp stinging.
"Far nobler creatures than those artificial beasts that Kaiba Corp creates in the south. And it doesn't matter the monsters in your deck or their rarity. It's the Duelist. Your shiny new Xyz monster is impressive Rex, but he will fall to my beast. I use the trap card, Call of the Haunted to bring back my Lunar Queen. But she will not stay for long, for I shall offer my noble creature in order to summon forth the very emblem of my House. Come forth, Firewing Pegasus!"
The girls cheered as a fiery portal burst open behind Dancer. A powerful neigh erupted from within. A dark blue stallion galloped out of the portal. The stallion had a fiery-gold mane and flames over its hooves and a dark blue tail. It trotted around the Dancer before coming to a stop. When it did, fiery wings erupted from its back.
The stats displayed next to it. ATK/2550 and DEF/1800
"How beautiful," said Ezra. "What a marvelous monster."
"And now, Rex. I play Polymerization to fuse my Queen's Double and Hibikime to create Empress Judge!"
Dancer's beautiful red-haired woman emerged from a portal behind Firewing Pegasus. She wore a revealing gown of crimson and wielded a golden scepter.
The Firewing Pegasus was ordered to attack. It reared up on its hind legs and started waving its front legs conjuring two tornados of flames that spun towards Rex's Grenosaurus. The monster was turned to ash.
"No! My Grenosaurus!" shouted Rex. His Life Points dropping to 3700.
"Still not enough," groaned Evelyn. "Come on, Dancer. You can Duel better than this."
But she forgot about Empress Judge. She twirled her scepter and shot a blue ball of light at Rex, hitting him in the chest and knocking him backward five feet. He landed on his back with a thud. His Life Points dropping to 1600.
"He's in the lead!" cheered Ezra. "Well done, Dancer!"
"I doubt even Yuri can Duel like this!" breathed Evelyn. "No one can best my knight. My champion. My love." She started getting a tingly feeling between her legs and giggled.
"So that's how you want to play, eh?" snarled Rex, getting up from the ground. He picked up his cards. "I'll make you pay. I summon Krokodilus to the field. But he won't be staying for long. Because I'm sacrificing him with my spell card Ultra-Evolution Pill. Now I can offer a reptile monster to special-summon my ultimate monster. Come on out...Dark Tyranno!"
Krokodilus vanished into a vortex of multi-colored light. From the vortex, a loud roar erupted. The vortex violently dispersed and revealed a towering forty-foot tyrannosaurus.
It was dark brown with peanut butter-colored stripes and lifeless amber eyes. "And now!" shouted Rex. "I will boost my dinosaur's power with Raise Body Heat. This will boost the attack and defense points of dinosaur monsters by three hundred points. Raising my Dark Tyranno's attack to twenty-nine hundred!"
"This does not bode well," said Dancer.
Rex ordered his Dark Tyranno to attack Dancer's Empress Judge. The beast ran towards her. She went to her knees and held out her arms in fear as Dark Tyranno roared above her. The dinosaur lowered his head and clutched Empress Judge in his mouth. He shook her violently sending her right arm flying into the arena, then ended her life with a powerful crunch before swallowing her.
"Urk!" Dancer went, watching his monster's feet delve into the Dark Tyranno's throat. It roared in his face. His Life Points dropped 950. "Is that all you got Rex!" Dancer shouted. He began to walk around the arena waving his arms arrogantly. "Is that all you got! Is this all they have to challenge me!"
The crowd got on Dancer's side. They chanted his name as he walked circles around the field. "My turn!" shouted Dancer. "Your pathetic reptiles are no match for my prowess! I summon Kanan the Sword Mistress!"
The men in the arena cheered when Dancer summoned one of the most beautiful Duel Monsters in the game. A woman with long brown hair and wearing green, silver-trimmed armor that left little to the imagination. Her ATK was 1400, leaving Rex confused. He grinned confidently, guessing Dancer had gone mad.
"And now!" Dancer announced. "The final play of the game!" He held up his spell card for all to see. "I play Wild Nature's Release! With this spell, my Firewing Pegasus goes into a rage that will increase his attack by his defense raising his power to four-thousand-fifty!"
"Accck!" grunted Rex.
Firewing Pegasus's eyes began to glow bright red. Its flaming wings and mane doubled in size and its tail burst into flames as well. The neighed so loud wine glasses shattered. When it charged to attack the flames on its body turned blue. It dashed towards Dark Tyranno and incinerated him to the bone. Then, Dancer finished Rex with a direct attack with Kanan, ending the match.
"Ser Dancer is the victor!" the announcer proclaimed. The crowd chanted his name,
Dancer! Dancer! Dancer! Dancer!
Dancer walked to the King's Box. He held out his arm, pointing at Evelyn and shouted, "FOR YOU!"
Josephine was not pleased with the display. She drummed her fingers on her beefy arms. She looked up at the king, hoping he would agree to some discipline, but he grinned and waved for her to do nothing. It was Evelyn's birthday after all.
Just then, Ser Kevin entered the box. He sprinted down to Evelyn. There was a grave look on his face. His eyes were red from his sorrow and his nose blushed red. His tears left shiny trails on his cheeks.
"Kevin, what's wrong?" Evelyn asked.
"My lady," Kevin sobbed. "It's your brother.."
Quote of the Day: "If you ever feel you are avoided by someone, just block them."