Antilles

Riverbrook, Serania - King Antilles

"Gaia to E-Five," Antilles said, sliding his golden Gaia the Fierce Knight to his place on the Capsule Monsters Board made of gold and glass.

The Castellan of Riverbrook chuckled. They both sat in an office, which had a panoramic view of the Green River, one of the three rivers known as The Triplets. The windows were open, letting in the soothing, refreshing sound of the river running alongside the white marble castle, Riverfort. A fire was crackling in the chimney carved to look like the Terrorking Salmon, a powerful Fish-Type monster and symbol of the land's king, whom the Castellan served.

"Is that the best you can do, old friend?" The Castellan asked twirling one of his waxed mustachios. "I move my Fortress Whale to this position here, and since he can attack in an X pattern, I will use his special ability, Judgement Surge, to cover the board in water, thereby removing your Gilford the Lightning and your Performance of Sword out of the battle. Your Gaia the Fierce Knight and Dark Magician are surrounded. On my next move, I will move in for the kill."

"Is that right?" Antilles asked with a crooked smirk. "Allow me to disagree."

The Castellan curved his left mustachio with his fingers. He leaned back in his chair, his heavy weight making it creak and groan. "Disagree? Antilles, old boy, You must be bluffing. No one I've ever played was able to escape my famous pincer formation. Just admit defeat, it happens to the best of us."

"Indeed." Antilles leaned forward over the table to examine the Capsule Monsters board. He reached for the last of the small sandwiches on the silver platter beside him and ate it. "Mmm, these are good, my friend. You have my compliments. You know...this reminds me of a battle I fought in during my youth. The Battle of Kerrastar Valley."

"Ah, yes, I do recall," said the Castellan. "I was there in battle with you. You were already a knight and myself still just a squire. Antilles the Sun Dragon Knight the called you. You had armor crafted to look like the Xyz Monster, Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis. The most Incredible piece of Mastercraft smithing I ever saw. I remember some of the metal was charmed so that it could glow. The runes outlining your cloth-of-gold cape were even glowing. All the healer girls swooned and exposed themselves for you every time you passed by the camp. Yes, you even had a sword enveloped in fire. It burned just a brightly as Helios in the sky. You know, I heard some of our enemies yell that it was a Lightforged Sword. They didn't want to contend with such a weapon and fled from you — the cowards! Ha! And to top it all off, you beat the undefeated Ser Ferrand the Peacock Knight with a counter-riposte. One of the finest, most graceful moves I ever saw."

"Indeed. Despite my grandeur on the battlefield, our enemy was winning the fight. My father's best knights were slain or fled into the mountains, for the Earl of Yellow Honey had a Blade Knight to gain an advantage over us. They had us surrounded and ready for the kill. A phalanx blocked our escape with their shields and they cut us down with their spears until only I remained. Until I blew on the Dragon Horn of my house and summoned my Des Volstgaph, Mortis - The Black Storm."

"A name so rightfully deserved," said the Castellan. "The dragon was so large, he blotted out the sun and his wings clapped like thunder. I had never been so afraid in all my life. To think that beasts like those used to fly the skies like common birds back in the Age of Heroes."

"Indeed. Little did the enemy know, I had them right where I wanted them. I wanted the bards to sing a song of my glory. A blaze of glory, unlike anything the world has ever seen. When Mortis unleashed his fire breath I was surrounded by 6000 burning knights, including the Earl of Yellow Honey and his Blade Knight."

"Ha!" said the Castellan. "You knew the Earl of Yellow Honey couldn't resist surrounding you and ending your legend. That means you purposefully let yourself get surrounded and had your knights killed. And when only you remained, Mortis would come down and end the army. Bravo, Antilles, Bravo. A waste of knights though. I must criticize you for that."

"Knights can be replenished. There is no shortage of fools eager to serve our House. And just like I had The Earl of Yellow Honey where I wanted him, my Gaia the Fierce Knight and Dark Magician have you exactly where I want you. You see, Leron, I have gained enough Mana in my pool to conduct a fusion."

"A fusion?" Leron said, holding up his monocle. "Inconceivable. I was not aware that Dark Magician and Gaia the Fierce Knight can combine."

"Oh they can," Antilles said, waving his hand over his two remaining pieces. A smokey, purple vortex shrouded the two monsters. When it dispersed, it revealed the monster Antilles fusion summoned.

Dark Cavalry.

He activated the monster's effect which burned anything around it within a wide radius of the monster. And since all of Leron's monsters surrounded Dark Cavalry, they were wiped out.

"Oh, Goddesses, that's incredible? You beat me again, Antilles. I swear, I never saw a better Capsule Monsters player."

"You should see Mokuba Kaiba," Antilles chuckled, picking up his pieces and stuffing them in a black velvet sack. He polled the golden threaded cord, sealing it tight. "The boy beat me a couple of times. A true professional. Honestly, I prefer Capsule Monsters more than I do Duel Monsters. The youngsters these days care about 'breaking' the game and one-turn-killing their opponents with needlessly complicated combos."

"It takes a keen mind to come up with said combos," said Leron.

"Perhaps," Antilles said, pouring himself more wine. He offered some to Leron, but he refused. He already had himself a glass of scotch.

"Congratulations on the victory in Hellgari, my old friend. I'm glad you're letting those fools who follow Yugi know that you are indeed an astute supporter of Prince Daveed. Or...uh, what is it they're calling him nowadays? Yuro? Yugo? Uh, Yuri was it?"

Antilles nodded. "I'm doing what's best for the boy, whether Yugi chooses to see it or not. Now, let us get back to business. I take it your armies are ready."

"I gathered the other Houses within The River Kingdom. Thirty-thousand men at arms, waiting for your orders. We'll strike King Gerry if he does not comply, and I take it he won't. He's still loyal to the Plantegrasts and Prince Daveed Wollcroft. I doubt that gold you sent him won't change his mind." He leaned forward curiously. His chair creaking. "That's a mighty fine fighting force you've gathered Antilles. Word around the rivers is you got House Redstorm and Eaglewing gathering troops as well. Is there something you're planning? A coup de ta? Is there any money involved? If so, I want in."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Antilles said, stirring his cup around. "If your men can get Senator Vindictus on the Blue River Throne, then I guess you can say the reward will be great."

"You'd put a follower from your party in control of the River Kingdom? Whatever for? Except for salmon, White Dragon Fruit, and river girls, the River Kingdoms are just...well...A petty kingdom. It holds no value."

"I'm not looking to seize the River Kingdoms for its resources," Antilles said coldly. "I need its men, and whatever gold is left in the coffers of King Gerry. The Blue River holds a strategic point towards one of the Different Dimension Gates. I want it completely blocked off to keep Yugi Muto from causing any more trouble."

"That wretched boy," laughed Leron. "Always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."

"Indeed," Antilles said through gritted teeth. "He took my father out of power and quite possibly cost me my chance at claiming the Diamond Throne again."

"Oh, yes. I heard you summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon in a Duel once."

"What you heard was true," said Antilles, trying not to relieve that painful memory.

It was supposed to be his most treasured one. He felt like a God the day he summoned Slifer. He felt the Divine Beasts came to their senses and realized the potential of House Dragonheart. But now that the throne belonged to someone else, he could not bear to think about it anymore.

He was made a mockery of in the Senate for weeks.

"Termnnia's rule was within my grasp," he said. "Now it goes to some boy who does not even know our world exists. My family could have cared for him. We could have avoided the War of Infant, but Yugi is a self-righteous fool. He would rather the boy forget his home and his birthright than live with House Dragonheart. It was foolish of him to think banishing him to another dimension was the right choice to make. Now, we don't even know where Yugi hid him, which is why I have activated the next stage of my plan. There is to be a young Prince who will march down here in the coming weeks to build himself an army. You and your men will aid him in keeping anyone not affiliated with the Dragonheart Party out of Emboldor. Hector is his name. From House Delgado."

"You mean...as in Gabriel Delgado? The Eyar? The boy is barely thirteen. There are stronger, older men in House Delgado more fit for this role in their House."

"And they have gotten too comfortable with their position as rulers of their Crowns and Estates. Feldia is a rich land, my friend. They don't need any more power. Originally, I had his older brother, Castion Delgado, lead the confederate estates in the South of Emboldor. Exactly what I needed to lead the campaign down here in the South. As soon as I promised him power, the Gate Wars erupted and plunged the south in two years of civil war."

"Antilles, you monster," the Castellan said. He started to laugh and held up his goblet. "You were behind it all! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I love it!"

"Yes. We were close to annihilating all the Gates and keeping Yuri trapped on Earth. Until last summer when Castion was killed by the seven princes, who now hold power in Yugi's new Alliance. But the Gate Wars are not over. Not so long as Hector lives. These past few months, he has been gathering and recovering his forces. He is as ruthless and power-hungry as his brother and knows the new stage of the plan."

"Which is?"

"Since I am already being suspected of being the mastermind behind the Gate Wars, I must do my best to make it look like I am on the side of Prince Yuri. An easy thing to do when all they do is preach about friendship and trust. Get King Gerry out of power and have your men make it look like he was about to join Hector's rebellion. We can have him off the senate and install my friend to take his place. Not only will I make it seem like I have my men down there to guarding the last Gate from the clutches of Prince Hector, but Senator Vindictius will set up reforms and regulations that will make it difficult for Yugi and his friends to use the Gates to their advantage. All in the name of the High King."

"You really want those Gates closed, eh?"

"Yes. It has come to my attention that King Salazar has lost a very important heirloom. And it has somehow managed to find its way into Prince Daveed's hands."

"Black Tyranno? House Delgado lost its Black Tyranno?"

Antilles merely looked at him with a bland expression. "Lost? Or had it stolen? I don't know how the card made it to the other world and into the Prince's grasp. All I do know is that he had help getting it there."

"Yugi."

"Or one of his friends. If they keep interfering like this and aiding Yuri, he will have the skills he needs to win the tournament Seto Kaiba set up to test him. If he wins those games, the Senate can have a vote of confidence to allow him back to our world. If Yuri wins, not even my own party will be able to stop him. Prince Hector has vowed to stall him for as long as he can. I promised him power if he does this for me."

"But why him? What makes this Prince so damn special you'd risk the wrath of High Chancellor Pegasus?"

Antilles took a long drink to wet his dry throat. "King Hector knows a woman with a very interesting item around her neck. it allows her to see things that were, things that are, and things that have not yet come to pass."

"A fortune-teller?"

"Something of the sort. Let's just say, she has foreseen the boy achieving something quite...Divine."