Avi - Santa Rosa, Captial of Feldia
As soon as dusk had fallen over Santa Rosa, the sky was lit with fireworks, and the plazas were illuminated with torches with magical iridescent flames. String lights were hung from every building and orange and gold banners representing the colors of the nation waved happily in the breeze of victory, dancing to the delightful music from drums, panpipes, maracas, and silver bells.
The streets popped and sparked with endless arrays of firecrackers that burst as children danced around them. Evolzar Dalkkia, Solda, and Laggia roared in the sunset sky, dazzling the people below with intense fiery displays from their breath attacks. In the town square, dozens of knights awaited their turn to dance with the Dragon Summoner. The Champion of Felida as she was now called. Because of her bravery and in helping the country gain independence from Naralia, she was given the title of Viscountess of Santa Rosa and her friends were made knights in the Delgado Family's esteemed Knights of the Red Tyranno.
Avi looked divine tonight. She was garbed in a white summer dress and danced barefoot on the wooden platform in the square. Her floor-length hair was braided and decorated from the tip to the top of her head with all sorts of colorful jungle flowers, most of them glowing with their own bioluminescent light, which formed a halo of blue and pink around Avi. The Knights of Sancliment were next. Duke Fabian stepped onto the platform and bowed before offering his hand. Avi took it and they danced away under the light of the fireworks and the rainbow flames around them.
Queen Maria merrily walked up and started to dance. She spun around, clapping her hands over her head, and waving her hips seductively. The lower part of her black and wine-red dress made it difficult to dance in, so she tore it off and threw it at one of the knights below. She then danced around freely without burden in her black shorts.
The citizens whooped and applauded, happy to see their young new queen had a sense of humor and a fun spirit. They felt safe with her as the Queen of Feldia and her sisters taking the helm of the most powerful cities in the country. Now more than ever because she had the Evolzars under her command. Avi could not find it in her heart to take them with her, so she gave them to Queen Maria. Once again, the Evolzars could guard Feldia as they once did thousands of years ago. The Naralian army knew of this right away. As soon as they heard Maria had dragons under her command, they gathered their armies and fled. The rebels serving under General Franco surrendered and swore allegiance to House Delgado once again.
Like Avi, her long hair was braided for the party and decorated with jungle flowers, but mostly red ones. Maria's had a more elaborate display, with her flowers forming a tiara over her brow. She and Avi started to dance together as Duke Fabian stepped back and clapped his hands. When the two were done dancing with one another, Avi returned to the arms of Duke Fabian. His ten minutes were up and he traded his spot for Ser Argus.
Ser Hassleberry couldn't stand to see Maria alone, so he jumped onto the platform and joined her. They locked hands with one another and started to spin as they hopped around. The citizens clapped happily from the balconies above and some threw flower petals from the Flower Goddesses' temple to bless Avi and Maria.
Balloons floated over the city along with floating lamps, which were sent into the sky to honor the victorious dead who had fallen in the battle that gifted them with this happy night. When the song ended, Avi decided she had enough and performed a curtsy before she left the platform to quench her thirst and rest her feet at the open-air tavern nearby. Her friends at by the wall, which was colored green by the ivy that covered its stone surface. The furniture was dark brown and a crimson umbrella was opened above them, with little lanterns hanging from it. Queen Maria came by to join them and say goodbye, for this would be their last night in Feldia.
"Look at you go!" Blair said, raising a mug of ale and clanking it with the one Avi just got. They both chugged it down ferociously.
"Goodness me!" exclaimed Fira. "I never took you for a girl who fancied ale."
Avi set the tankard down with a thud and burped. She covered her mouth, hunched her shoulders, and blushed as she giggled. "'scuse me," she said timidly.
"You're full of surprises, Avi," said Aldara. She fed Baby Tiragon chicken pieces from her plate. "If only your Knight-Champion were here to see you."
"He'd be proud," said Fira. "I'd like to see the look on that perverted knight's face if he saw Avellana now. She's not a young lady to be messed with anymore."
"Tell me about this perverted knight," Maria said panting. She ordered a glass of wine, then air-conditioned her face with a red and black fan. "Avi mentioned him a few times as we were preparing the festivities tonight."
"He was a brute," Avi said with a look of disdain. Just thinking about Ser Godfrey made her sick and angry. "Back before all this — before the dragons and the training — I served as a tavern wench in Normandia. I was...clumsy. The people of Dragonstooth hated me. They dubbed me the village idiot."
"Well, you got the last laugh," said Maria. "Dragonstooth is now a city of ash and rubble."
"Indeed," Avi agreed with a quick nod. "The people of that town were awful but none were as bad as Ser Godfrey. He enjoyed humiliating me and making me his plaything. He would lift my skirt in front of everyone at the tavern so they could see my underwear. He'd pull it down sometimes, rip my corset to expose my breasts, pull my hair..."
"Oh, no, no no," Maria said holding up her hand. "I get it, I get it. Say one more word and I'll send an army to hunt him down."
"He's probably dead," said Avi. "I heard from the folk in Aragorn that he hung himself in the mountains when he lost his honor as a knight."
"He never had any honor," said Maria. "And he was no knight. Knights don't treat women the way he treated you. At least, not the way they used to in the old days. Knights were true gentlemen of the battlefield. Now they're just mercenaries in colorful armor wanting fame, women, and glory. If it's any consolation, Avi, you're not alone in this matter. I've had my deal with unchivalrous knights in my day. When I attended the Santa Avella High School, I was betrothed to a young knight by the name of Rex Raptor, son of Tyrris Raptor, one of the bannermen of the kingdom. He was a skilled duelist and a valiant warrior who won a great battle at Trinity Lake at the age of fourteen. A capable warrior, and an excellent card player, but he was no gentleman, let me tell you that. All those things were just logs burning his ego. The fact that he was affianced to a princess was the gasoline that made it envelop his very soul like flames in the forest."
"What happened?" asked Blair. "I know you two didn't get hitched. Last I heard he was in Elleria getting married to Princess Evelyn of the Ebony Kingdom."
"Not anymore," Fira said. "I trained soldiers heading off into battle under Prince Talion months ago. I heard from some very reliable sources that their little love affair ended because the ebony princess fancied certain...gifts from the Knight of Wine and Song, Ser Dancer Firewing. One that is not in...short supply." She raised up a fork with a long burnt sausage over to her mouth and took a big, slow, bite out of it. The gesture caused all the girls to giggle with a leer.
"I envy her," said Aldara. "I've heard amazing stories about Ser Dancer Firewing. He's the most beautiful knight in all of Termnnia."
"No..." Blair disagreed. "I'm going to have to go with our jeweled knight, Ser Damien."
"Ah," said Fira. "Have any of you noticed both he and Constantine are having a bit of a squabble for Avi's heart?"
Avi looked away and burped. She patted her chest and looked at her. "No, no, no. I take no notice of that. Ser Xaxeras tells me not to get involved with men."
"You can't help it," said Fira, reaching under the table and pinching Avi's thigh. "You are arguably the most sought-after prize in all of Termnnia right now." She brushed some of Avi's hair over her ear with her fingertips, cracked from battle. "A young, beautiful, Norman girl blessed with the power of True Dragons. You have titles in two countries, are under the watchful eye of Master Yugi, and might even be the future Royal Summoner of the High King's Court. Not to mention you have some skill with your cards. Those amazing Galaxy-Eyes Dragons."
Avi made a sad face and looked down at the bottom of her empty tankard. "They won't be mine for long. Once I'm done searching for the Dragon Rulers, I have to travel to Domino and surrender them to a knight named Kite."
Fira took one last bite of her sausage and chewed slowly. "Wait?" said she, "Kite? As in Kaito Tenjo the Galaxy Knight? Who told you that you had to surrender your dragons to him?"
"Master Yugi did, just before we left for Feldia," Avi replied. "I don't want to surrender them. These beautiful dragons broke the chains that bound me to Ser Godfrey. I didn't even use them all that much, but after that battle, I started to feel connected to them."
"So what was the point of you having them if you had to give them to Kite in the first place?" Blair asked.
"Well, I guess I wasn't meant to keep them forever. Master Solomon told me that Maximillion Pegasus gave them to me as a temporary gift to help me get the feel of the game. These Galaxy-Eyes cards haven't even been produced yet because historians felt that we need to honor the memory of Evangelia Pendragon."
"That's the girl who summoned them in the Dance of the Dragon Queens, right?" Blair asked.
"Yes. But Pegasus felt that people would be more aware of her if they actually played with her dragons. He wanted to give them to me to test their power. And, goodness, they are very powerful indeed."
"You can say that again," said Blair. "You defeated two strong players with them. But that still doesn't explain why Pegasus is asking for them back so soon. You didn't have that much time to use them because you were so busy."
"My last two duels gave him all the data he needed," said Avi. "And apparently someone else out there is in dire need of these dragons. Who that someone is, I don't know. Master Yugi is not a man who likes to answer a lot of questions."
"That's to be expected," said Maria. "Master Yugi likes to get things done right away. The how's and why's are such a bother to him."
All this talk of Yami Yugi brought something back to Blair's mind. Blair scratched her face as she struggled to say what she wanted to say. "Um, I hate to put a damper on things but...weren't we supposed to be back for the..."
"VOTING!" the girls all said together.
"Oh, Goddesses! What have I done?" Avi yelled.
"What? What's happened?" Maria asked.
Avi bowed. "Forgive me, your majesty. But we really must be going. I was supposed to find Tidal and the Evolzars and be on my way back. I was not anticipating stopping a civil war from happening."
"Remember about the Treaty of Dragonfire?" Blair asked.
Maria's expression wrinkled with sadness. "Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. I didn't...I didn't mean to..."
"It's not your fault," said Avi. "Oh no..."
"What now?" Aldara asked.
"I just used my dragons in war."
"Antilles doesn't have to know that," said Aldara.
"Word travels fast around here, toots," said Fira. "Antilles has eyes and ears in almost every part of the kingdom. He'll even ask to know when you peed if he wanted to."
"This is awful..."
Maria placed her hand on Avi's and squeezed it. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. You've got powerful friends, remember that. Don't let those senile politicians overpower you."
"She's right," said Fira. "You must be strong and face them. We have to sooner or later. Let's go back."
"Yes," Aldara agreed. "What will you do now, Your Majesty?"
Maria smiled back at her. "I'm going to Riftgaard. Prince Jon has gathered some of the princes of the Alliance down there for some big battle. The Naralians are trying to invade their homeland, too. But I think we can give them some help thanks to our new friends." She looked at the sky and beamed at the Evolzars, circling over the moon. She got up from her seat, then she hugged and kissed her new friends goodbye.
Avi and the others left the city and hurried back into the jungle toward the Gate. They received permission from the guards to step through, with no hassle, of course, seeing as how they were heroes to the country. Once they stepped out of the gate, they found themselves back in the harsh, cold, plains of Donnelhold. At the castle gates, Ser Damien waited for them.
"Where were you?" he said. His face was white with grimness as though he had witnessed something terrible.
"What happened?" Avi asked. "Are we too late?"
"You are late and so much more," Damien said. "The king who is to control you has been decided."
"Who?" Avi asked.
"I tried to get them to reconsider, Avi. But there was nothing I could do. Not even Master Yugi could get them to find someone else."
"Antilles?" Blair gasped.
"Come," said Damien. We are to meet in the grand council chamber." He took them down the winding halls of the castle and led them to the doors leading to the chamber. Then, the doors burst open. King Antilles walked out and looked at Avi as though she were a monster that needed to be slain on the spot.
"Your Grace," Avi said. "I'm so sorry, I..."
"Hrumph!" Antilles grumbled pushing past them. His cloak gave a loud woosh as he stormed down the halls and out of sight.
"What do you suppose is wrong with him?" Blair asked. "You'd think he'd be happy having Avi under his command."
"He's not..." said Damien. "Avi is to serve a king far worse than Antilles."
The girls looked at him with cold stares, each of them sick to the pits of their stomachs.
"Who can be worse than Antilles?" Avi asked.
"Lady Avi," said a knight in purple armor. He stepped out from behind the doors and bowed. "Allow me to introduce the king whom you shall be serving."
He stepped aside. Coming through the red velvet curtains of the chamber was a handsome young man clad in tight black pants with gold armor plating and greaves accented in gold and silver filigree. He had a long-sleeved black shirt, unbuttoned to show off his chest where a gold medallion hung proudly. Over the ensemble, he wore a long coat of black fur. A black and gold crown shined on his noble brow and bright green eyes enticed the all-female party. Beside him stood a girl with a dress that was black on one half, white in the center, and red on the other half.
"Hello, Dragon Summoner," he said. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
"Prince Stas!" Aldara gasped.
"King Stas," the young man corrected them. "My father died after jumping to his death over the summer. He smiled, slowly moving his head from the left to the right as he examined the girls. "Avi travels with fine company it seems. Beautiful."
"Hey, what's going on?" Blair asked. "For a second there, it seemed like all favor was going Antilles's way. How is it that you became the king who got to control Avi."
"He has a tongue of silver veined with gold," said Ser Damien. He stood in front of Avi as if protecting her from a terrible monster. "I do hope he keeps it in his mouth while around the Dragon Summoner."
Stas smiled, swirling his drink in his gold goblet. "I do have a way with words when it comes to wooing the Senate," he said. "I'm the worst enemy of anyone opposing Yuri Wallcroft's claim to the crown."
"You should have seen it," said the girl. "King Stas had them all eating out of the palm of his hand. Antilles couldn't even make a dispute. He lost any chance of ruling Avi, 143 to 80."
Avi felt her heart sinking in her chest when she heard that. "That's not a big margin," she said. "There's a lot of people who still support him. And who are you?"
Before the girl could respond, someone announced her name.
"She's Princess Antoinette Trossan of Bauna, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eldenheart Estates." Alexandra Dragonheart walked out from behind the curtains as though she were an actress, walking onto her scene as if on cue. She stood by Stas's left side and smiled at the party. Seeing Avi's diamond eyes, Alexandra recognized her at once. "You must be the Dragon Summoner everyone's watering over. My, my, my. Power as well as beauty. I heard Norman girls were a work of art but never anything like this. Dragon Summoner, you are a dream come true."
"Thank you. You must be King Antilles' niece, Alexandra."
"Yes, I've heard a great deal about you, Avi." She tilted her head to the right and grinned at her mischievously. Her golden hair was messy and curled, even the long braid that went down past her shoulder. Combined with her devilish blue eyes, she looked very fiendish. "You know, word travels fast around here, Avi. There's talk that you aided the rebel queen of Feldia in ending the civil war last night. Wasn't it decided that you should not use your dragons in war."
"They weren't my dragons," said Avi. "Those were the Evolzars. They are the ancient guardians of Feldia and friends of House Delgado. They chose to fight for Maria after I woke them. They did not wish to come with me."
"Is that true?" Alexandra asked. "I come from a long line of Dragon Summoners, Lady Avi. My great-great-great aunt was the last of them, burned in the Emerald Inquisition. I know for a fact that dragons do not leave the service of their summoners unless they are released. If you truly did find the Evolzars, they would have been bound to you; it's in their arcane contract. They don't just leave you willingly."
Avi gulped. Alexandra sure was knowledgeable about the subject.
"It is all right," said Stas. "I'm not going to punish her."
"Oooo," hooted Alexandra. "Odd words coming from your mouth, Your Grace."
Stas ignored her. He tilted his head toward the left, signaling Avi and her friends to follow him down the halls to his chambers. Once they had formed a tight group, he spoke: "But just because I'm going to be a little more lenient with your summoning, it doesn't mean I'm going to let you off the hook all the time. We have to obey the law. I am a King of Termnnia, and the law is law. As much as I hate the Treaty of Dragonfire, even I must obey it."
"Yes, but since you're a king, can't you change the law?" Avi asked.
"I can in my own borders," Stas said. "But this is Termnnain law. The only one with the power to override this new legislation is the High King. And he's not here yet."
"That just makes me upset," said Fira. "It's quite damning to know High Chancellor Pegasus went along with this."
"He's only looking out for the people," said Anna. "As wonderous as Avi's gift is it's truly quite terrifying. And you know how stupid people can get when they're scared. Naralia is getting its ass kicked but they still outnumber us with a billion in their populace. If the Patriarch of the Covenant signs calls for war, conscriptions could be sent out to every able-bodied person in Naralia."
"I'm looking out for them as well," Stas said. "Dragons are powerful but I fear they're not going to give us an edge for long. I got a report from the spies of my Intelligence Department." He snapped his fingers. A black folder appeared in a cloud of sparkles in his hand. He showed Avi aerial photos."
"Who took these?" Fira asked. "Seems a little too advanced for an underdeveloped kingdom. What kind of toys have you been getting, Stas?"
"Cyber Dragons took them. They're mechanical beasts created by my friend, Zane."
"What am I looking at?" Avi asked. She stared at the photos. It looked like a harbor."
"It is. Those are the docks of a military base in the Terminus Islands. A pitiful weapons manufacturer known as JayceTEK started developing them after Zane's ordeal with the Albriet Squadron. We think the CEO, Jayce, obtained one of the fallen mechs and used the technology to build some of his own. More powerful ones. Those are containers you see there are carrying a new type of weapon. Mechanical suits of arcane armor called simply known as CUIRASS. See them disappearing with each new photo?"
Avi nodded. "Yes. What's going on? They're just disappearing."
"They're disappearing all right. Because they're selling them off like hotcakes. To other continents like Anzalea. Greenton. Balodrum. Even northern Normandia. And we've just received word that King Forrest ordered himself a handful of them. Avi, I'm going to have to ask you to be a little more discreet with your dragons. CUIRASS mechs are a whole new level of firepower. We believe they have the capability of killing dragons."
"True Dragons?" Anna asked.
"It's a possibility," said Stas. "They're terribly dangerous. They have enough firepower to blow up mountains and kill elemental giants. There were three of them that guarded the northern border to Katina. Five of those mechs took them down with ease."
Avi and her friends gasped.
"I have no doubt in my mind King Forrest is giving them to his Holy Knights. And maybe even the best bounty hunters out there so they can stop you and kill you. I asked King Antilles to help us secure the borders and make a session of congress to ban them from our lands. As no saw, he just ran out."
"Ha!" said Aldara. "But he has no problem using congress to neuter our powers, huh? That just proves he's not on our side."
Stas stopped and looked at them. "It doesn't take an Eyar to clearly see Antilles is not with us. Unfortunately, the Senate has been bought off. They are drowned in so much gold that they don't care about repercussions or corruption. If you're thinking about making a case against Antilles, you're out of luck. My friends and I also believe he was the one responsible for the King of Orange going mad and causing the Battle of the Rainbow Banners."
"Stas, dear," said Alexandra. "You couldn't possibly believe my father had anything to do with that, did you?"
"Don't play coy with us, princess," said Anna."Your cousin, Ser Darrien, married his daughter. And you were also there as well. That's the third king to die with you in their house. Why is that?"
"And I'll advise you not to play the conspiracy game, Baby Dragon," Alexandra said with a smile. "Conspiracies never last long in the House of Dragonheart. We always clear our names and end these silly rumors with blood, fire, and steel. Like your brother when he conspired against my uncle last summer, no?"
Anna's eyes started glowing red. Stas held her hand and calmed her, for he feared she would turn into Eclipse Wyvern. He then looked at Alexandra and told her to be quiet.
"Now is not the time to be fighting," said Stas. "Again, I'm going to ask you to keep quiet, Alexandra. Just because the charges against your uncle have been dropped, it doesn't make it right. I, and many others in Termnnia, know that trial was bullshit. So help me, King Antilles's grip in Termnnia will not last forever. Once Yuri comes back, it's a whole new ball game. He may have the gold and few fancy dragons, but Yuri's got arcane power unlike anything we can comprehend. And...he's got the Divine Beasts at his whim. I would advise you to tell your uncle to stop with these political games, Alexandra. Fear is more powerful than gold. Once Yuri sits on the Diamond Throne again, he'll have that power."
"I assure you, My Liege, my uncle is not planning any conspiracies against Prince Yuri. I know his regulations are harsh, but it's for the good of the people."
"How is punishing Avi for stopping the Narlian-Ellerian Border War good for the people?" asked Blair. "Let's not forget your family makes most of its fortune in the business of war. If the war stops, so does the flow of gold."
Alexandra stopped and made an about-face. Her braid whipped and her cheeks went red.
"Listen to me. All of you! We are not enemies here. We don't have to be. Understand things from my uncle's point of view. I understand our family has done some wrong in the past. We're trying to fix those wrongs. Yuri needs to be a strong duelist to be king, yes? So why rush him back if he's not good enough, yet? He'll lose the crown to a duelist who challenges him to the Dueling Pact. All of our work and all the lives lost protecting him would have been for not. And our Dragon Summoner. Avi has a great power in her ability to summon True Dragons, yes. But it still needs to be controlled. She cannot just waltz about all over Termnnia and keel over to every sob story people throw her way in order to resolve their problems. You said you wouldn't use your powers for political purposes yet yesterday you lend your power to Queen Maria. Again she did this to go against Naralia. If that isn't political bias, I don't know what is. You're going to create even more bad blood between us and Naralia. In fact, you already have. King Forrest has grown so desperate, that he'll anger the Church of Yeyu by purchasing machines of war that could most likely kill your dragons and our armies. We can't just rush in and fight them like this. We need to take things slow and steady."
"That's not going to last us long," said Blair. "Taking things slow and steady is stupid. It's practically letting Naralia spread our cheeks to shove its cock in our asses."
"A lovely analogy," Alexandra said with a cheeky smile. "But we need to stay strong. Remember. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Stas agreed reluctantly. "This is true," he said. "But the sad thing is...there just aren't enough good men."
Ser Xaxeras - Castle Vatefang, Riftgaard
He had never felt more pleased in such a long time. That morning after Jon led his warriors into the wilderness to look for the vaults, he treated Dalaris to a day she would never forget. When she woke, she was pampered with a hot bath and was given a grand feast for breakfast. She explored the castle all day and spoke with Jon's sisters who remained to accompany Astrid in her search for the Soul of Silvermountain and ask him for his aid. Nevertheless, Theo was watching her as though she were a venomous cobra ready to strike.
She had lunch with the king and queen, who were quite interested in hearing how things were on the other side of the battlefield within the ranks of House Dragonheart. Ser Xaxeras had a few more surprises in store for her later that day. But as the sun had set on her free day, word had reached Ser Xaxeras that she had disappeared.
This displeased him. And he searched all over the castle looking for Dalaris. He had hoped not to tell the guard, but now it was beginning to reach that point. Thankfully, mercifully, he heard from one of the milkmaids that she was last seen romping in the snow outside the castle in the gardens. Ser Xaxeras made a quick dash outside. The sun was waning, and the snow was falling. The twilight sky shading everything in a dark metallic blue. The Northern Aurora was dancing in the sky, splashing the inky blackness with a dazzling display of colors.
"Dalaris!" Ser Xaxeras called. "Dalaris!"
No answer.
"Oh, what have I done!" he said. "I cannot believe Jon was right!" He stomped around through the snow. The flakes collected on his platinum armor. "How could I have been such a fool!?"
"Dalaris!" he shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth to intensify his yell. "Dalaris! Dalaris! DALARIS!"
Whack! Something hit him hard in the face. Something wet and cold. It was a snowball.
"What in blazes!" said Ser Xaxeras. He searched for the culprit.
He searched around in the dark, his Wervegonian eyes turning into night vision mode, making his surroundings as clear as day and glow in a phosphorous green and yellow color. He turned to look at the forest. All was still. Not a sound, save for the wolves howling in the distance and the occasional unsettling grunt of a troll. Something flew out of the forest and hit him in the face.
Another snowball.
"What the…"
He couldn't finish his words, for something peculiar came out of the darkness. A rich and melodious sound that almost brought joy into his heart. The sound of a young girl giggling with happiness.
"Dalaris?" cried Ser Xaxeras. "Did you not hear me calling you? Where are you?"
Another snowball to the face answered his question. "Ooof!" he cried.
The giggling continued.
"Dalaris, there is no time for this!" called Ser Xaxeras. "Come now, we must get you inside before you catch your death of cold!"
"But I don't want to go inside, Ser Xaxeras," Dalaris said playfully from the forest.
He saw her peering from behind a tree. The snow dotted her reddish-blonde hair and the bow she had on was large and colored in dark blue. Her cheeks were apple red and her nose was like a little cherry. She was clad in a winter dress made of wine red velvet and timed at the sleeves and neck with Silver Fang fur. The hooded winter cloak she wore to add warmth was also of the same design. No doubt it was the work of Queen Sera who took a liking to the girl from House Dragonheart at lunch earlier that day. Diamond earrings in the shape of snowflakes dangled from her lobes and glistened in the light of the moons now glowing in the sky.
"Dalaris, no more games," said Ser Xaxeras. "We must come inside now. It's almost time for dinner."
"Okay, but you'll have to catch me first."
"Dalaris!" shouted Ser Xaxeras.
Dalaris laughed and disappeared into the woods, dashing away like a frightened fawn.
"No! Dalaris come back!"
He stomped after her, the snow was making his trek rather difficult. "Dalaris! Dalaris! Stop playing around."
Whoosh! Another snowball rocketed out of the woods. Ser Xaxeras dodged it in time. His large pauldron guarding his face against the cold missile. He scanned the direction it came from. In the nick of time, he saw a figure dashing from tree trunk to tree trunk.
"So, that's how it's going to be, eh?" he darted after her, dodging snowballs that zoomed out of the darkness. For good measure, he scooped up snow in his paws and formed a snowball of his own.
"Where are you?" he said in a sing-song manner. His ears wiggled as he tried to make out her footsteps in the snow.
"Got ya!" Dalaris shouted, tossing another snowball his way. He dodged and threw his snowball, the size of a soccer ball, at her. Dalaris gasped and was too slow to move away from it. It smacked her in the face and knocked her to her back. She laughed, feeling rather silly. She started to move her arms and legs.
"Snow angels," she said. "I never got the chance to make these."
"No?" Ser Xaxeras said walking towards her.
"No," she replied. "It doesn't snow in Dragonrock. It's nothing but volcanoes and ash as far as the eye can see.
"Hmm," said Ser Xaxeras. He got on the ground next to her and began to make one of his own. "I hope this won't rust my armor," he said.
"No," laughed Dalaris. "I don't think it will. These Berja are some of the best blacksmiths I've ever seen. No wonder my great-great-great-great uncle Morven Dragonheart was so keen on invading them."
She got up and examined her snow angel. "Hey, it does look like an angel."
"And what of mine?" Ser Xaxeras asked.
"Let's see," said Dalaris.
Ser Xaxeras got up. "Oh…" he said. He didn't make an angel. Just a really big hole on the ground.
Dalaris laughed and attempted to run off again so she could make Ser Xaxeras chase her and keep playing in the snow. But he grabbed her cloak and picked her up, putting her over his shoulder.
"Aww," she pouted like a little child. She rested her chin against her palm as the wolf warrior took her away.
"There will come a time when we can do this again," said Ser Xaxeras. "But for now, let's get you warmed up."
And so, he took her back into the castle. Dalaris warmed herself by the hearth in the mead hall as dinner was being prepared.
"Nice and toasty," she said rubbing her numb hands. "Thank you for convincing Jon to do this for me. It sure is nice to finally get out of that boring old room." She turned around and bent over to warm her bottom.
"Uh, sure," Ser Xaxeras said, biting into another corn cake that Summer made earlier.
"I cannot believe we might have a little prince on the way," Dalaris said, standing straight up again. "Or a princess. Oh, Goddesses, I do hope for a princess."
"Don't we all," said Ser Xaxeras. "Every king dreams of one day raising a beautiful little princess."
"More corn cakes!" Summer announced parading into the mead hall with a basket full of freshly baked corn cakes.
"Oh, how lovely," said Dalaris. "I have yet to try one of Lady Summer's cakes."
"Have you?" Summer said placing the basket on their table.
"Cakes made from heaven," said Astrid, sharpening her sword alone on her side of the table. She picked one up from the basket and bit into it. "Mmm. So good. I think I found the reason why Jon wanted to marry you so badly."
"When do you take your vows, My Lady?" Ser Xaxeras asked, picking one up as well.
"After the war," said Summer, sitting down next to Astrid. "Now's not the time for weddings, don't you think? What with us against House Dragonheart and all that."
Dalaris' facial expression went from content to upset in a matter of seconds. Summer saw this and was quick to apologize.
"Oh man, I'm sorry, Dalaris!"
Dalaris quickly brought a smile back onto her face. "Worry not, My Lady. Despite all the comforts I have received today, I am still sadly nothing more than a prisoner or war."
Ser Xaxeras grunted sadly.
"So why isn't she back in her cell?" Theo asked, storming into the hall with his personal guard.
"I did not give you permission to enter Theo!" snapped Astrid.
"Bah!" Theo said stomping towards their table in front of the western hearth. "You're nothing more than a lowly princess. I don't need your permission to do anything. Why is this prisoner not in her confines? Why is she not in chains? Guards, put some shackles on her and escort her back to her chambers at once."
The guards took one little step forward and Ser Xaxeras bound from the table and roared. He snarled, flashing his teeth and brandishing his golden canines.
"If any of you so much as touch a single hair on her, I'll gut you like a fish!"
Dalaris went red in the cheeks and clasped her hands together. "Ser Xaxeras?" she whispered.
"And this animal thinks he has authority over what I say?" said Theo.
"Animal!" shouted Summer. "And since when do you have any authority? You are nothing more than a guest here in the castle."
"What Cousin Jon sees in you, I will never know," scoffed Theo. "Now someone tell Ser What's-His-Face to stand aside, or things are going to get ugly."
"For you, Theo," said Astrid. "It's way too late for that."
"Your petty insults have no effect on me," said Theo. "Stand aside."
"Hold it!" shouted Summer. "How about we Duel to see if Dalaris stays? You beat me, she goes to her room. I beat you, and you leave!"
"Sounds fair," said Theo. "I accept your challenge." He held out his wrist, morphing his bracelet of copper into a shield-shaped Duel Disk emblazoned with engravings depicting ancient battles and heroes.
One of Summer's butterfly-shaped earrings started glowing and streaked into her wrist forming a Duel Disk of elegant design shaped like the wing of a swan.
"Duel!" they both shouted.
LP 4000
"My turn!" Theo said, declaring he would go first. "I set two cards face down and summon a monster in defense mode. Your move!"
"Draw!" said Summer.
"See how you like this," said Theo. "Activate my face-down card: Labyrinth of Nightmare! You'll see what it does in due time."
"I know what it does," said Summer. "Once per turn, during our End Phase: We must change the battle position of our face-up monsters. Blah, blah, blah. I went to Duelist Academy, you know."
Theo growled with jealously. He wanted to go to the school, too.
"Now, if you don't mind," said Summer, picking up her monster from her hand. "I will continue on with my turn, and summon Milla the Temporal Magician!" (ATK/1800 DEF/1000 LV 4) "Now, she activates her effect! When summoned, I can target one set card you control and look at it. And I choose your face-down monster!"
The beautiful white-haired magician spun her gold staff elegantly. Arcane circles and runes magically appeared all around her and she slammed her staff on the face down monster, revealing a strange creature called Dream Clown (ATK 1200 DEF/900 LV 3).
"Not so bad," said Summer. "I attack!"
"Saw that coming a mile away!" sneered Theo. "Behold, the trap card: Windstorm of Etaqua! This will…"
"Change the battle positions of all our face-up monsters. Yeah, I know."
"Very well, I'll leave you to your impudence. But your attack is no longer going through."
"I know," said Summer. "I end my turn and in doing so, your trap card switches my magician back to attack mode."
"She won't be around for long, I assure you," said Theo. "Draw! Now I flip up my Dream Clown, and set this card. I end my turn, now Labyrinth of Nightmare activates and switches my clown to defense mode. My monster's effect activates! When he's changed from attack to defense position, he can destroy one monster on your side of the field!"
The Dream Clown cackled and drew daggers from his blue cloak.
"Say goodbye to your Milla the Temporal Magician!" cried Theo.
Dream Clown leapt into the air and tossed the daggers at Milla. She screamed as the knives struck her in the chest. She grunted in agony, stepping back with wobbly legs before shattering.
"Oh no," said Summer. "That was brutal!"
"And you haven't seen anything yet," said Theo. "I end my turn!"
"Draw!" said Summer, beginning her turn. "I summon Gemini Elf in attack mode!" (ATK/1900 DEF/900 LV 4).
Summer commanded the beautiful twin elves to attack the Dream Clown. They both created dazzling displays of magic which formed into a spectral cannon that launched a ball of magical energy at the clown.
BOOM!
The mead hall shook from the blast. The iron chandeliers rocked back and forth in the ceiling.
"My turn is over," said Summer.
The Labyrinth of Nightmare activated, and forced the Gemini Elf into defense mode. Theo drew and summoned a monster called Blade Rabbit (ATK/400 DEF/300 LV 2).
"Ew," said Summer. "He looks like Ricky."
Meanwhile Theo ended his turn. The labyrinth switched the Blade Rabbit into defense mode, and just like the Dream Clown, when his battle position was switched, he could destroy a monster. The Gemini Elves screamed as they vanished from the field.
"Draw!" shouted Summer. His trap card combos were getting on her nerves. She started shaking with rage and Theo's smug grin only added fuel to the fire. "I set a card face-down and summon Exarion Universe!"
She summoned a centaur with the upper body of a green-skinned man and wearing blue armor. He had a magical scepter on one hand and a black shield on the other.
Exarion Universe
ATK/1800 DEF/1900
"I will attack your Blade Rabbit!' shouted Summer. "And doing so activates my Exarion Universe's effect. I can lower his ATK by 400 and allow him the temporary ability of piercing damage!"
"I don't think so!" said Theo. "Here's my trap card. Curse of Anubis, which will switch your mutated pony into defense mode, saving my rabbit."
"Yeah for now," said Summer. "Now that my turn has finished, my Exarion Universe goes back to attack position, thanks to your labyrinth."
Theo's turn.
"I set one card face-down, and set this trap card. I switch my rabbit back to attack mode and end my turn."
The labyrinth activated, switching the rabbit back to defense and destroying Summer's Exarion Universe.
"My turn," said Summer. "I've had enough of your trickery!"
"Then surrender," sneered Theo.
"Jon would tan my backside if he ever found out I surrendered to the likes of you. I summon X-Saber Anu Piranha in attack mode. Strike down his rabbit once and for all!"
"No!" cried Theo. "My combo is ruined! No matter. I can still beat you. And don't forget, my labyrinth switches your monster in defense mode."
"How can I forget, you've only repeated it a dozen times already."
"I'll wipe that smirk off your face! I flip up my face-down monster. Crass Clown!"
Hee! Hee! Hee! The fat devilish clown shrieked as he leaped into the air and landed on a blue circus ball patterned with red stars. He had a sharp scythe as a weapon. (ATK/1350 DEF/1400 LV 4)
"And now for his effect," said Theo. "When flip-summoned, he sends a monster back to your hand, leaving you wide open for an attack! Attack!"
"I think not," said Summer. "Reveal face-down card: A Hero Emerges. Choose a monster in my hand, and if it's a monster, I can summon it to the field."
"Uh," said Theo. "The last one, fourth card on the right!"
"Excellent choice, Anu Piranha returns to the field. Care to continue your attack?"
"I end my turn," said Theo.
Summer drew. "I summon Fairy of the Fountain!" (ATK/1600 DEF/1100 LV 4)
She attacked, but once again, Theo outsmarted her with another of his traps. Curse of Anubis. It switched the fairy to defense mode triggering his next trap, Tragedy, which destroyed a monster who switched its position. Fairy of the Fountain shrieked as she vanished into the Graveyard. Still, Crass Clown was not sticking around for long.
Anu Piranha struck the nuisance with her whip-like blade, cutting him to shreds. Summer ended her turn and Anu switched to defense mode.
Theo drew. There was nothing he could do. He realized he was going to take some damage this turn, but if his next card was another of his traps, he would be safe. He ended his turn.
"My turn," said Summer. "I use the spell card: Cost Down which lowers the level of one of my monsters in my hand by two. And I choose, Dark Magician Girl!"
The guests in the mead hall cheered when the most beautiful monster in Yu-Gi-Oh was summoned. She twirled elegantly in a cloud sparkling light and blew a kiss to Theo as she was dne with her show.
Summer then equipped her with the spell card, Magic Formula, increasing her attack by 700 an raising it to 2700.
Theo froze. It was over. Before he knew it, Summer's two monsters combined their attacks, and took him down with one powerful hit. He grunted as he was knocked backward and slid across the floor.
"I win," said Summer. "Dalaris stays."
Ser Xaxeras nodded, crossing his arms. "Well, it looks like you had fun," he said to Dalaris.
"I did," Dalaris replied. "It has been long since I last saw a Duel before. I must say, this has been one incredible day, Ser Xaxeras. First you get me out of that room, you take me to the library, we played in the snow. Now this incredible Duel. I have asked Lady Astrid to allow us the use of a special chamber down below. Will you come join me?"
"Chamber?" said Ser Xaxeras. "What sort of chamber?"
Astrid sniggered. "I don't want to be part of this. Just do what you have to do." She got up and left.
Theo sniffed on the floor, wallowing in his defeat. Dalaris then led Ser Xaxeras out of the mead hall.
"What is going on, Dalaris?"
"I've asked Astrid to arrange a private dinner for us," said Dalaris. "My way of thanking you for all you've done. You know, you're the only one in my life who actually treats me like I mean something."
"Where are we?" Ser Xaxeras asked.
Dalaris had taken him to a much deeper part of the castle.
"What is this?" he asked again.
Dalaris released his hand from her grip and pushed open a set of large mahogany doors. A blast of hot steam greeted them. Ser Xaxeras froze when he saw that Dalaris had taken him to a hot spring. But this one was much different than the one he visited with Jon and the other two princes. These were brightly lit with glowing crystals. The walls were made of gleaming white tiles, and there was a buffet table with all manner of cuisine.
"These springs are reserved for the princesses." Dalaris closed the doors. "You've done so much for me Ser Xaxeras," Dalaris said.
To Ser Xaxeras' shock, Dalaris undid her cloak, letting it fall to the floor. "You are the definition of a knight in shining armor, Ser Xaxeras," she said, undoing the strings of her dress. "I wish to thank you, by giving you my heart."
"Dalaris…wait…"
"Tonight, I'm all yours," Dalaris said, her face was hot with passion as she began to peel her gown off her chest, releasing her breasts. "I want you to see me," she said. "I want you to see every part of me. I want you to see all of me."
The dress slid down leaving her completely naked before him. Ser Xaxeras' whiskers shivered as she stepped out of the crumpled heap of her dress, slowly strutting towards him.
"I-I…" he muttered.
"Come," said Dalaris, breathing heavily, her face blushing pink. "Touch me."
"Dalaris…this is not…"
Without a word or warning, Dalaris picked up his paw and place it over one of her breasts. "Have you ever touched a human woman before, Ser Xaxeras?"
"N-never," the wolf warrior squeaked. He would rather be out fighting giant monsters or exploring ancient dungeons with his old party of adventurers.
Dalaris pushed herself closer and hugged him.
"Get out of this armor," she whispered haughtily. "I wish to feel you against me."
There was nothing Ser Xaxeras could do. His feelings got the better of him. He lost his will to reason and surrendered to the wishes of the passionate vixen in his arms.
Yuri - Aquarius Water Park - Phobos Island, Aquarius
It was now the second day of the Aquarian Duel Carnival, and the action was showing no sign of relent. The weather had gotten colder as Aquarius moved closer to the arctic ocean for the Christmas holiday. But that didn't stop the city's players from causing the streets to erupt with monsters. They did battle fiercely despite the chill in the air.
But Yuri and his friends were just not in the mood for that. They wanted to be somewhere warm. And the city's largest indoor waterpark was just the place to hang out and earn tokens for their desired prizes. It was a toasty ninety degrees in there. There were palm trees, giant waterslides, and pools as big as a lake with dozens of rivers joining them together. It even had its own artificial beach with sand and a wave pool so people could surf. This is where Yuri and the others decided to relax. They each set towels on the sand, while Lance and Crystal set up a place to eat with picnic baskets.
"Just glorious," Patty said. Fans, which were cleverly placed in places like rocks and trees, graced her with a cool breeze, simulating the ones she felt during summer. She set Max down on the sand. He ran to Crystal, barking happily as he wagged his little tail.
"Hey, Max!" Crystal said, scratching him behind his ears. "How've you been, you good dog."
Patty stretched and watched as Yuri took off his shirt. He was sweating all over. His skin glistened in the bright lights hanging on the dome. The musical pendant around his neck swished back and forth over his chest like it was dancing happily to be freed of his shirt.
"Man I miss that bod," Patty said. She bent over to look into the picnic basket for a drink. In actuality, she was showing off her curves, hoping it would attract Yuri and make him miss her. All she had on was a white short-cropped hoodie and a tight bikini bottom colored purple and trimmed with black. He once told her that those two colors made her look sexy. She believed it. Whenever she wore those colors in any of her ensembles, he couldn't keep his hands off her. She was bent over in that position for a while, even moving her buttocks up and down to make it look like she was thinking about what to get.
She peered from the corner of her eye. Yuri was just standing there. He was staring at the water for a moment. Then he looked at her. Was it working?
"If you stayed away from the drugs, I'd still be yours," Yuri said after a long while. He tossed his shirt into his backpack, not at all caring for Patty's pose. He could read what she was trying to do, and that didn't make him happy at all. Patty's past sins kept his heart locked up to her. She was never going to come in again. "I told you. I don't respect people who don't respect themselves. We're not going to have this talk again, are we?"
"No, of course, not," Patty said. She grabbed an orange soda and stood up straight. "I'm just glad we can still be friends after all that." She lowered the bill of her black cap over her eyes to hide them, for they started to glisten with sorrow. Max, always knowing when his master was sad, scurried around her heels and whimpered.
Fuck...
"Well, mom and dad aren't happy that we're still hanging out," Yuri said. "Just don't screw up anymore and we shouldn't have any problems."
"Hey, hey, hey," Crystal said. She took off her shorts before she continued scorning them. "Oof, that's better. Anyway, you two need to shut up. Come on, that's in the past. Being friends is a gift. And quite honestly, I think we're more than that. We're a family. Especially after all the crap we've been through. Now, Patty, Yuri, let it all go and give yourselves a big hug. Forgive yourselves and move on."
Yuri put both hands on his hips and looked at his feet. Eventually, he walked toward Patty and hugged her, to which she hugged him back. Her neck reached forward for a kiss out of instinct and nostalgia from their previous relationship. Being strong-willed, she fought back and resisted the urge. Yuri didn't even try. The sudden jolt caused her cap to tilt sideways. She didn't fix it. Just being in a warm hug with her best friend was enough to get her emotional. Any other person wouldn't have even wanted to look at her anymore for causing so many mistakes. But not Yuri. The boy's heart was just too big. He was a flower all right, well-deserving of his name.
Lance clapped, then Carter followed. Then Tyson, Nick, Natalya, and Sabrina did the same.
"Aww, how cute!" Sabrina chimed.
"Almost brings a tear to my eye," Natalya said. "I'm still glad we can all be together. Especially after everything that's happened."
"Well, that's what friends do," Yuri said, lightly tapping Patty's cheek. He stepped back and smiled at her. "We forgive each other. Just try and better yourself, okay?"
Patty held up her thumb and gave a wink. "Don't worry about me, bud. I'll...I'll try my best to get over it. Although it's going to be hard. You're so damn cute."
"Yeah...he is," Crystal whispered.
She said that a little too loudly. Lance heard that and saw the lust burning on her face, making her cheeks glow and her eyes flash. It was obvious that she was content that Yuri and Patty had broken up. Perhaps she saw this as an opportunity to sneak in and seize him. Uh oh. You're losing her, Lance. You're losing her.
"Ladies!" Carter declared. "I have a special announcement to make. Finally, after many years as a beauty guru, I'm pleased to announce my first makeup line will be available for purchase next month."
"Carter, no way!" Sabrina squealed.
"Uh-huh. And since you four are my best girlfriends," he bent down to open his duffle bag, then he pulled out four boxes of makeup pallets colored in a metallic red hued with green that had an iridescent shine. The Secret of Eve was written in white cursive letters. And there was a picture of Carter posing naked in the jungle with ferns covering his lower half.
"WOW!" they all said, crowding around him to take one.
"Carter congratulations!" Patty said. She wrapped her arm around his neck. Crystal, Natalya, and Sabrine joined in. Carter blinked his eyes, outlined in mascara and glitter. "Thank you, thank you," he said sobbing.
"Wow, Carter," Yuri said. "Congratulations, my friend. You've come a long way. And you said you'd never get anywhere with your channel."
"Mmmm, I dunno," Sabrina said. "Could being best friends with the Prince of Aquarius have anything to do with his newfound success?"
"Not a few months ago," Carter replied, wiping tears from the corner of his eyes. "This fool hated Duel Monsters and wanted nothing to do with it professionally. But I'm glad Black Tyranno came into his life and helped him face his fears. Our lives sure changed after Yuri started kicking ass out there."
"He's got a good point," said Tyson. "You won't believe how many customers my dad's been getting at his restaurant just for a chance to see me. They're all like, 'Eh, you Yuri Montgomery's friend?' 'Yo, can I get his number, man?'. He made enough money these past few months to open another restaurant in Key West."
"That's great, Tyson!" Yuri said.
"Same here," said Nick. "My aunt's eatery has gotten some good hits ever since the slums learned Yuri's one of my best buddies. We've made so much money, my aunt paid off her debt to the Martinettis yesterday."
His friends cheered and clapped.
"I'm so glad to hear that, Nick," Yuri slapped him in the arm.
"Hey, it's no time to celebrate yet. That asshole's still got my Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
"I don't see that as a big obstacle for you anymore," Patty said.
Nick beamed at her. "Really? You think so?"
"Of course. With your skills and the cards Ren gave you, I think you have a fair shot at getting your dragon back in the tournament this summer."
Crystal hugged Yuri from behind and giggled gleefully. "You're so amazing!" she said. "I told you that you're something special, Yuri. Look at all the lives that have been affected because of you. My hero!"
She kissed his cheek, causing Lance to burn with envy.
"Hey, Yuri," Lance said at once. "You want to have our Duel now?"
"Our Duel?" he asked.
"The one you owe me." The corner of Lance's lips cocked upward. His eyes narrowed and he chuckled. "Or was that little business proposition of yours nothing more than a ruse to run away from me?"
"Hey," Nick said softly. "Did he just call Yuri a coward?"
"Say what?" Tyson said. "Awww, hell naw! You didn't just accuse Yuri of being chicken, did ya?"
"I guess I did." Lance crossed his arms, chuckling again. "Yuri ran off right when I showed you guys how strong I was after I beat Nick. I don't blame you at all, Yuri. I wouldn't want to Duel me either."
He heard Crystal growling. "Yuri," she said. "Come on. Show this hotshot what you're made of. I want to see you shut him up. All he's been doing lately is brag about how much better he is than you."
Yuri bobbed his hand up and down to calm her down. She sure was passionate when it came to Dueling. More so when it involved him. "All right," said Yuri. "But we can't Duel here, obviously. Too many people. But there's a nice jungle grove we can play in. Not that many people hang out there."
"Awesome. Let's go," Lance said. "Crystal, did you bring my Duel Disk, baby?"
Crystal reached for a duffle bag. "Yeah, I packed it right —" She paused. She looked up at him with a frown and raised one eyebrow. "Did you just call me baby?"
"Uh...yeah."
"Don't. We're not dating. Just because I'm hanging out with you doesn't mean anything, got it."
Carter slapped his forehead and shook it. "Ugh, men. Give them an inch and they think you belong to them."
"Amen to that," said Sabrina. She stood up and started clapping the sand off her hands. "Come on. I want to see this Duel."
They left their things behind and traveled into a jungle. There was a secluded spot by one of the waterpark's rivers with enough space for the holograms. There was also a small beach with sand. Nick and Tyson ran back to their spot in the wave pool and brought back towels and had armfuls of popcorn and other snacks to watch the Duel with. Yuri dropped his backpack on the ground. He opened it and took out a brand new Duel Disk.
"Oooh," said Crystal. "Look at that beauty. When did you get it?"
"The day I got the Excalibur," said Yuri. He put the black and gold Duel Disk on his wrist. Blue RBG lights then turned on, accenting the royal design of his machine.
"I feel so inferior," said Lance. "Damn, Yuri, that's an impressive piece of hardware."
"Well, you should," said Crystal. "He's the Prince of Aquarius after all. Let him know who's the boss, Yuri!"
"Well, well," Lance said. He yanked out his starting hand from the top of his deck. "Looks like Yuri's got himself a very loud cheerleader. I bet a hundred bucks I'll get her to start cheering for me though."
"A hundred bucks?" Nick laughed cynically. "Come on, man. Even I know that's chump change around here. You're the son of a United State Congresswoman, right? And your daddy's a telecom giant."
"Well, unlike the Prince over here, I had to work for my stuff. All right, enough talk. I'm starting first."
LP 4000
T1
"I've been looking forward to this, Yuri. I set a card face-down and a monster face-down in defense mode and end my turn."
A giant version of a Duel Monster card formed in front of Lance. It was turned sideways and revealed the back design of the card. Lance looked at Yuri before making a wave of his hand, mocking the etiquette peasants would give to a royal noble. "Your turn, sweet prince," he said.
T2
"Draw!" Yuri declared. "I summon Gagagigo!"
ATK/1850 DEF/1000
The new Duel Disk effortlessly displayed the nine-foot-tall lizard warrior. He growled and wagged his thick, long, tail, back and forth in eagerness for a worthy battle. Yuri commanded it to attack the face-down monster. Gagagigo flexed his arms and let out a battle roar. He sprang forward, kicking sand back at Yuri. He sprinted across the beach, jumped, and spun around, using his tail to whip the face-down monster. The monster was revealed to be a tiny toy-like crusader on a toy horse.
"Hey, it's that Littel Trooper card," Nick said.
"Be careful, Yuri!" Patty called. "Lance can use that little guy to summon enough monsters to be used as tribute for something bigger."
"Yeah, I know," Yuri said. He watched as Lance searched his deck. He revealed another Little Trooper and set it face-down in defense mode. "I guess I end my turn."
T3
"Yeah, too bad for you. Now I summon Motivating Captain in attack mode." Lance's Duel Disk gave a mechanical whirr. It projected the weary version of Marauding Captain. He was holding a torn banner and his armor was chipped, dirty, and ornamented with broken arrows.
ATK/400 DEF/1200
"You remember my Duel with Nick, right, Yuri? Thanks to this guy, I can special summon a low-level monster from the Graveyard in defense mode but its effects are negated. Come on back, Little Trooper."
Motivating Captain waved his banner. The colors and his battle cry moved Little Trooper to come back from the Graveyard for one last fight.
"I end my turn, Yuri."
T4
"He's got three monsters!" Natalya said. "What if he summons that Gilford the Lightning again?"
"Don't worry," Crystal assured her. "Yuri can handle that thing."
"It's not like he can summon it now," said Sabrina. "He already used up his normal summon for the turn. All Yuri's got to do is take down one of those tributes and he'll be safe."
Yuri drew. "That's not good enough," Yuri said. "Nowhere near good enough. "I sacrifice Gagagigo to summon Megazowler in attack mode!" Gagagigo faded away. Then a rain of glitter flew down and formed into the ceratopsian-like Duel Monster. The alternate art version of the beast reared up on his hind legs, and waved his forelegs up and down, wagging his crested head around. He slammed his forelegs down on the ground, causing the beach to shake. He blew steam from his nostrils and wagged his crest around again to show off his golden horns, which accented his jet-black body beautifully along with the golden stripes it had.
Crystal got up from the towel and ran to Yuri so she could check out the card. Instead of Vanilla, the full-art card was sleek like carbon fiber. The name and text were inlaid with 24k gold and accented with royal designs to give it a regal look. "Badass!" she said. She gave Lance a cheeky look and ran back to her spot.
"Gold cards don't make a Duelist," said Lance.
"No, but it doesn't hurt to add some bling to the deck," Yuri countered. "I give Megazowler Raise Body Heat, which will increase his attack to 2100. And you've let your Motivating Captain on the field defenseless. Attack, Megazowler!"
Megazowler, again, reared up on his hind legs, then he charged across the sand, smashing into the knight, piercing both his shoulders with his horns. BANG! The knight shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Aw, damn!" said Lance. "I wasn't expecting that."
Yuri 4000 LP
Lance 2300 LP
T5
Yuri's friends cheered. Lance looked at them to see what Crystal was doing. She was still on the towel, her legs crisscrossed. However, she had that darling smile on her face and she clapped her hands.
"Damn," Lance said again. "Damn, damn, damn. All right, Yuri. Nice moves. But you haven't prevented me from summoning Gilford."
"Hold on," Crystal cried out. "Don't you need three tributes to summon him with his effect?"
"Yes, you're right. But I'm summoning a different Gilford. Let me introduce you guys to Gilford the Legend!" The two Little Troopers turned into orbs of light. The two orbs jumped up and formed into one bigger orb, which then morphed into a giant clad in dark gray armor, a tattered cloak, and a mask of steel over his eyes. Lance held up the card to show it off. He wanted Crystal to see that it, too, was a full-art Orica card, too. His Gilford stood majestically with a forest, vast fields, and mountains with a sunset in the background. His name and text were written in gold, too. And he also had filigree engravings on his card, too. Crystal didn't care. She didn't get up to check out the card either.
Oh, well. Lance shrugged. Maybe she'll enjoy the card better when it's in action. "I'm going to boost his power like you did, Yuri. First, I give him Fusion Sword Marusame Blade. This card will increase his attack points by 800, raising him to 3400." The giant sword Gilford carried turned black and was outlined by a dark aura. "And next, I give him Magnum Shield." Now the sword grew longer and was outlined with gold. "This will increase his attack by his defense. Now his attack points reach the top of the charts!"
"Fifty-four hundred attack points!" Crystal gasped. Lance heard her despite all the power sparking and snapping around his giant warrior. Yeah, that sure got her attention. He shouted at Gilford, ordering him to attack. Gilford raised his twenty-four-foot sword with the greatest of ease. The dark aura around the blade grew until it was as tall as a building. He then jumped and smashed the enchanted blade on the ground, blowing Megazowler to nothing but particles in a matter of seconds.
"AAAAAACCCK!" Yuri yelled over the blast. He shielded his eyes from the sand with his arms. When the dust settled and the palms stopped swaying, Megazowler was gone and his Life Points decreased drastically.
Yuri 300 LP
Lance 2300 LP
Crystal couldn't believe the utter devastation of Gilford the Legend's attack. Yuri was on one knee while the dust around him settled. The sight of him kneeling boosted Lance's ego. He pointed his hand at Yuri and said: "Yes, kneel to me. Now I am the Prince of Aquarius."
"Lance!" Crystal snapped. Enough was too much. "Don't humiliate him."
"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch, Crystal. I was just joking. Still, you've got to admit that was one impressive attack, eh?"
Crystal stood rigid, her toes curling in the sand. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her long pedicured nails dug deep into her flesh. She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. Being raised by the Martinettis for so long, she had a strong sense of pride. And if there was one thing she hated, it was being proven wrong. Especially by overconfident jackasses like Lance. She looked at Yuri, struggling to get up. The rumble packs underneath the sand were directly underneath his feet, hitting him with the full impact of the blast they were simulating.
"Is that all you got?" he said.
His friends gasped. Crystal gingerly placed her fingers over her mouth to cover it as she laughed with great confidence. She looked at Lance, teasing him with her physique, cocking her hips back and forth as she had both her hands placed on them. Yuri said nothing as he summoned a monster face-down and ended his turn. He looked at Crystal and winked at her. Crystal blew him a kiss and looked at his cocky opponent. "Well, Lance," she said while fighting back her laughter, "it seems my friend thinks nothing of your warrior. He's impressive, I've got to admit that. But, somehow, I've got this feeling in my gut. And it's telling me Gilford's not enough to take him down."
T6
"Is that so?" Lance said. "Babe, look at what he's got. A face-down monster. That's all he could do because not even his Black Tyranno stands a chance against Gilford now. If your friend is so invincible, well, the last turn was his chance to prove it to me."
"Are you going to attack or what?" Patty shouted.
"Yeah! Hurry up, and Duel, asshole!" Carter called while cupping both hands over his mouth to amplify his voice. "I ain't getting any younger! I'll have come up with another line of makeup before this guy makes his next move."
"You want me to attack?" Lance declared. "Very well. Then I shall attack. But first, I'm going to summon Motivating Captain again and call on a Littel Trooper, just to be on the safe side. Now, Gilford the Legend, attack and destroy Yuri's face-down monster."
Gilford snorted as though he were an angry boar and charged toward the face-down monster. He jumped, both arms above his head, his palms gripped tightly on his massive sword. Before he could come down, he was met with a little lizard, colored orange and yellow. It had very large wings, which it flapped to send Gilford flying into the sky. His giant blade fell down and crushed the lizard, however. Yuri and his friends laughed at the spectacle. Even though the winged lizard was able to send Gilford away, he still couldn't protect himself from the attack and was destroyed.
"What was that?" Lance cried. "What happened?"
Crystal held up her hand while she tried to contain her laughter. "Excuse me, oof. That monster you attacked was Yuri's Gale Lizard. It sends a monster on your field back to your hand. Sorry. But old Gilford's toast."
"I assure you, babe, that's not the last time you've seen my Gilford. I set one card face-down and end my turn."
"Nice try, though," Crystal said. "And don't call me babe!"
T7
"My turn," Yuri said. "Man, if I had a dollar each time I said that."
"You'd be richer than your dad," Crystal joked. "Can't you say something else like 'I draw' or...I dunno. Something?"
"Something," Yuri said with a smirk.
"Smartass," Crystal said.
"I special summon Gilasaurus," Yuri said. He summoned his trusty brown raptor that ran as fast as the wind. He, too, was something of a star in Yuri's deck; his appearance always caused his friends to cheer. Gilasaurus' presence usually foretold the arrival of something big. Not this time, though. Yuri didn't have a big monster in his hand, so he summoned Sckreech, which lived up to its name. Once the two-legged mutant came on the field, it pulverized everyone's ears with a terrible scream.
"You forget, Yuri," said Lance. "Your Gilasaurus allows me to summon a monster, too. And I choose Little Trooper. You know what happens when you attack him, don't you?"
"Were I that dumb," said Yuri. "You're out of luck, Lance. After this attack, you won't have enough tributes to summon your Gilford again."
"I don't think so," Lance exclaimed. "But if you're that confident, go ahead. Come on. Attack me, Yuri."
"Hmmph. If you insist. But first, I'll set a card face-down. Just in case you have anything planned. Now, Gilasaurus, attack his second Motivating Captain!"
Gilasaurus obeyed the command. Its eyes flashed yellow before it darted across the sand and used its claws to slash the captain across his chest. Since he was in attack mode, Lance lost 1000 Life Points. Still, he was confident that his Gilford was going to be the monster that would end this duel. He stood his ground and waited for Yuri to declare an attack with Skreech. When he did, he sprung his trap.
"I reveal my face-down card," Lance declared. "Shift."
"No!" Tyson shouted. "Now he can force Gilsaurus to attack a different target."
"That's right," said Lance. "And your monster will attack Little Trooper."
Skreech's loud soundwave attack bounced away from the first Motivating Captain and soared toward Little Trooper. The toy knight shattered and with his effect, Lance was able to special summon his third and final Little Trooper.
"Oh, shit!" Crystal murmured. "Now Lance has enough monsters to summon Gilford again."
"That's right, babe. Catch on quick, don't ya?" Lance said, tapping his temple. Gilford returned to the field after another dramatic entrance. And then he surprised Yuri's friends with Gilford's special ability. When it was summoned to the field, Gilford could equip himself with all the equip-spell cards in the graveyard. His attack was now back to 5400. He launched his attack, but Yuri countered with Negate Attack, stopping Gilford from destroying Gilasaurus and destroying him and his Life Points.
On the eighth turn, Yuri activated a spell called Card Destruction. He sent his three cards to the Graveyard and drew three new ones. He looked up at Lance and smiled.
"Oh, crap," Lance said with a gulp.
"I tribute Gilasaurus and Skreech to summon Black Tyranno!" Yuri declared. His friend jumped from their seats and cheered as the Duel Disk projected the giant black dinosaur. Black Tyranno stared down at Lance with a leer before shaking its head from side to side as it gave a thunderous roar. Yuri saw the look on Lance's face and knew he was about to monologue about how low Black Tyranno's attack was compared to his Gilford. Before Lance could even mouth off, Yuri activated his spell, Escutcheon of the Golden Kings. Black Tyranno then evolved into his armored form, Kaiser Black Tyranno. Per his effect, Yuri blew up all the spells and traps Lance had in the backboard and then Kaiser Black Tyranno let out a roar, forcing Gilford to kneel to the Kaiser. When he was in defense mode, Lance knew it was all over. Despite the metallic makeover, he knew Kaiser Black Tyranno was still Black Tyranno under there, and he still had his abilities. Since Lance's defense position monster was the only card he had on the field, Kaiser Black Tyranno could attack him directly.
Lance closed his eyes and waited for the beast to strike him. He could hear the metal monster's feet causing the ground to tremble.
WHAM!
He was struck by Kaiser Black Tyranno's tail and it sent him falling to the ground. His Life Points beeped when they hit zero and he stared at the domed ceiling above him. He just laid there, listening to Yuri's friends running towards him, cheering and congratulating him for another defeat. The only one who came to check on him was Max. He walked around Lance's head before looking at him and sniffing him to see if he was alright.
"Okay, okay, okay," he said. "I'm okay, boy."
Patty whistled and slapped her thighs. "Max. Come here, boy. Let him get up."
"Playful fella, isn't he?" Lance said, wiping Max's saliva off his face.
"You have no idea," Patty said picking up her puppy.
The hologram of Kaiser Black Tyranno was still on. He loomed over Crystal who gripped both of Yuri's hands. "That was so cool!" she said. "Yuri, you get better and better each time I see you."
Patty sighed and stroked Max's head.
"He's a good guy, that Yuri," Lance said walking up to her.
"Again, you have no idea," Patty said with a whisper.
"Hey, you going to be all right?"
Patty said nothing but finally responded with, "Yeah."
"You want him back, huh?"
"There's no possibility for that anymore," Patty said. A small tear streaked down her cheek and dripped from her chin. "Let me tell you something, Lance. When you get a hold of someone special, never let them go. Do everything in your power to keep them. Keep them close to your heart. And most of all," her voice croaked. She sniffed and cleared her throat. "Better yourself. Not just for you, but for the one who holds your heart. If you lose them, you'll lose them forever. It's a pain I hope you never experience." She forced herself into a laugh and looked up at the domed ceiling. "I'm going to the bathroom. Be right back."
"Geeze," said Lance. "Poor girl."
"Well, she should have known better," Sabrina said, calling Max to her lap. "I warned her time and time again to change her ways. But no. She just had to be rebellious. She just had to be the punky little blonde rebel. And it cost her everything."
"I don't blame her for getting so upset," said Lance. "Yuri's got the fame, the money."
"It wasn't that," Sabrina said, lifting up her sunglasses. "It was much more than that. Patty truly loved Yuri. Not because he's rich. But because he's special. A guy like him comes around every once in a while. He does things to people, man. I don't know what it is, but it's so intoxicating."
"Yeah," Lance agreed. "Yuri's a cool guy. I'm not going to lie, but I feel warm around him too. I feel more than just a bond of friendship between you guys. I sense...family."
When the day had ended, the friends parted and went home. Lance, offered to take Crystal home since Yuri had to drive back to the Excalibur for another meeting with his father. He stopped in front of her beach house.
"Home sweet home," he said.
"Thanks for the ride, Lance, I really appreciate it."
"It was my pleasure, Crystal," Lance said. He offered her his hand. Crystal chuckled nervously and shook it. As she got out, Lance did as well. He opened the trunk of his Rolls-Royce Phantom to get out her things. "I had a really great time today," he said. "You know, I learned a lot about Yuri."
"Oh, I'm glad," Crystal said. She started to shiver. It felt so odd being in a place that resembled a tropical island and now she was stuck in freezing temperatures. The holiday lights festooning the palm trees and buildings sure did warm her spirit though. "Know you know why we love him so much."
"Yeah. He's got spirit. I want to treasure that feeling myself."
"You could, you know," Crystal said as she scanned her palm on the lock of the gate so it could open. "I like having you around, Lance. You know, you're not such a bad guy. You're actually a lot of fun to have around."
"Hmm," he said deviously. "This sudden change of heart has nothing to do with Yuri beating my ass in that Duel, does it?"
"No," Crystal said. "I'm glad I got to know you."
"So am I," Lance said. He followed her to the porch of her beach house. "So...Patty tells me you like my butt and fancy hair."
Crystal pouted and stomped her foot on the ground. "You can never count on Patty to keep a secret."
"You really think it's fancy?" Lance asked, sliding his hand down his hair.
"Okay, okay, okay," Crystal said with a little groan. "I won't lie, you're very easy on the eyes, Lance. I'll bet the girls must love you a lot, huh?"
"There's only one girl I want."
"Oh, who? Your mother is in politics correct? Mmm, you eyeing Darla Deets, the president's daughter?"
"You know Darla?"
"Duh. She and I went to a private school together here in Aquarius. Before her mother got into politics and moved to America. President. Can you believe it?"
"After two lame Presidents, America deserves a strong woman like her to lead," said Lance. "But no, it's not Darla Deets I want."
"Then who?"
Lance paused, trying to find the courage to tell her. Finally, after a long moment of silence, he spoke. "You."
Crystal stopped as she placed her foot on the first step to the porch. "Lance...I..."
"I know about Brett. Yuri's told me about him. He's even warned me. But I don't care. He's not right for you."
"And you are?" Crystal said.
"More than any man living," he replied. "I know the dangers involved. Yuri was a victim of those dangers."
"Yeah, and he only lived because his father is the lord and master of this city," Crystal said sharply. She got off the step and stood right in front of Lance to confront him eye-to-eye. "What do you think he's going to do to you? Lance, don't do this to yourself. You're a good guy. You're rich, you're handsome. Beloved! You have a mother and father who work hard to make you happy. And now you have us. Yuri, his friends, me."
"I can get you out of here."
"I don't want to get out of here. I love Aquarius, sins and all. Lance, please, I beg of you. Don't do this."
"Then I'll stay."
"Stop it!" Crystal shouted, slamming her palm on his chest. "I don't want you getting killed because of me. Isn't there another rich, pop singer's tail for you to chase?"
"It's not your fame or your looks that made me feel this way about you, Crystal." He placed his palm on her cheek. He could feel her jaw shivering from both the cold and the sorrow. The sorrow of being trapped in the prison that was Brett's shadow. "There's a fire inside of you, Crystal. Call me crazy, but I compare it to the fire that burns inside Yuri. You have the potential to be anything you want, but you can't. Crystal, I don't want Brett to put that fire out. I'm going to fight for you."
"Don't..." she sobbed.
"Please. Let me help you."
Crystal saw him coming towards her for a kiss. But she did not move. Even when their lips touched, her eyes were wide. Lance gently pushed her to the post of her porch and pinned her to it as his hands slid up her curves. Crystal wanted to fight back, but she couldn't. Perhaps...perhaps this boy was her salvation. He always joked that a knight in shining armor would come one day and rescue her. But she always dreamed that knight would be him. However, after what happened to Patty, she supposed he wasn't looking for love anymore.
And Lance...he truly wasn't a bad guy. She allowed their lips to be glued in a passionate embrace and permitted his hands to slither around where they wanted. Even as they went up the steps, they were stuck in their kiss. Even as Crystal tried to unlock the door with her, key, they were stuck in their kiss. She led Lance to her bedroom. He gently laid her down on her bed and remained with her all through the night.