Conspiracy theories are older than people think. If you're a connoisseur of great English literature, maybe you've heard the "Marlovian theory", perhaps? This theory states that the great William Shakespeare did not truly write his plays, but the true genius behind them was a contemporary named Christopher Marlowe, who penned them for him as a ghost writer.
Marlowe was an acquaintance of Shakespeare who lived at the same time, and was a promising author. His most well-known play was Doctor Faustus, which many consider to be the equal of any of Shakespeare's works, and he wrote a few others, like The Jew of Malta. Had he lived, he may have been Shakespeare's equal, or even his superior.
But Marlowe's life was cut short when he was killed in a barroom brawl. The man who killed him was acquitted of murder after making the equivalent of a self-defense plea; there is some evidence to believe that Marlowe may have been a violent man or an alcoholic.
But some believe that Marlowe may have faked his death and ghost written Shakespeare's plays, and claim that Shakespeare is a fraud.
Where is the evidence for this? Well, ignoring the fact that some believe Marlowe was a spy for the Crown who knew too much and had reason to fake his death (possibly another conspiracy theory) some point to Shakespeare's actual plays, where themes of faked (or wrongly presumed) death, disgrace, banishment, usurpation, and changed identity seem common. The thing is, actual physical evidence that Marlowe didn't die is lacking, while evidence that he did, which include many witnesses to his death and reports by the County Coroner and the Queen's Coroner, seem pretty concrete.
The true reason for this theory is upper class egotism. Shakespeare was middle class at best, while Marlowe had money and connections in the government. The upper class just couldn't stomach the fact that the greatest playwright of all time was below them in terms of social class, so they came up with these rumors.
Some would ask snobs like that who propose such stories, "Can you write better?"
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CHAPTER SIX
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Leader of the Pack
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The next thing Francis knew, he was in a dark forest. And there were stones in front of him. Large, blocky standing stones. Sort of like the ones that made of Stonehenge, but not quite as big.
He looked up. Somehow, it had become night very quickly, and he was clearly far, far away from Chicago, as the light from the nearby city didn't obscure the sky at all. He could see a multitude of stars through the drifting clouds.
He looked to the side. A short, gnomish guy with a very long nose, a strong chin that was almost as long, and very outdated clothes including a floppy had sat leaning against a tree. He was playing a low tune on a wooden double pipe.
"Hey, fellah…" said Francis.
No answer.
"Hello?" said Francis.
Nothing. Francis shook his head. He slowly looked at the tall stones. They seemed arranged in an odd pattern, thirteen in number. He walked around them, getting a view from both sides.
Then he turned the scroll around, and saw the same pattern outlined on the back, sort of like a cross in a circle, like this:
"Huh…" he said.
Then, to his surprise, the clouds quickly cleared from the sky, as a crescent moon started to rise.
"Beautiful…" he gasped, looking at the starry sky. "WAIT."
He looked at the scroll again.
Celestial orb first horns at night…
"Does that mean the new crescent moon?" he thought.
He looked at the stones, then the odd verse again.
"A riddle, huh? Man, this bakery must make some cake… But… Let's see…"
Stand to shun the northern star, atop the stone from south is far…
"Okay… that probably means stand on the northernmost stone with your back to the north…"
He ran towards the stone at the top of the "cross", then leapt, landing on top of it. He teetered a little, but balanced. He wiped his brow, then turned around. He was looking towards the moon now.
Find the stones the horns connect. The sinister stone is the stone correct.
He looked at up at the moon, then slowly followed down to the two stones under its "points". They were the ones at the east and southeast position.
"Sinister stone…" he thought. "Okay… 'Sinister'… That means left…"
He turned to the east one.
"Here goes…"
He leapt to the stone directly south of him, then turned east, and leapt to that one. Then he stopped to catch his breath.
Circle widdershins four stones more…
"Widdershins…" he thought. "What in the world does that mean?"
"It means to move circular the wrong way, lad," said the strange man.
Francis almost fell off in surprise, as he had almost forgotten about him. The gnomish fellow didn't look up as he said it.
"Wrong way, as in, 'not right'," he continued. "Mortals always have trouble with that one…"
Then he started playing the flute again, as Francis looked at the scroll again.
"Not right…" he thought. "Left… Oh! Counter-clockwise then?"
The man didn't answer. Francis shrugged turned to the stone to the left – his right – and jumped to it, then to the one below the topmost stone, then the one to the northwest, then to the one directly south.
… greet the dawn, move two stones more…
"Okay, that must mean east…" he said.
He hopped to the middle stone, then again to the "sinister stone". Then he wiped sweat off his forehead.
"Man, this is gonna be the first time I ever work off the calories right before a party," he muttered. "Let's see here…"
Widdershins circle again one stone…
He turned to the north, towards the northeast stone, then leapt to it.
…slant across the circle home.
"Cross diagonally, your mean?"
He jumped to the middle stone, then to the southwest.
Imagine another stone laid down, stand it that spot to gain the crown.
"So… If there were another stone in that last move… It would be right…"
He leapt off the stone, to the spot southwest of it, landing on the ground.
"There…"
There was a strange, otherworldly hum, and the scenery changed. It looked like he was in a completely different part of the forest now, seeing as the stones were gone, but his D-Wheel was still about ten feet away from him, just like before.
In front of him was an odd… monument. That was the best way to put it. A huge sapphire, dimly glowing in the moonlight, stood in the center of a circular ridge of fancy, silvery metal, shaped like a large crown with pointed spires.
"Yup, that's a crown all right…" he said.
He slowly reached out and touched the odd monument…
Again, there was that strange hum, and he was somewhere else again. The crown was still there, but now he was at the gates of a walled village.
Well, sort of. It looked like an old English hamlet of some sort, but no-one was around, and the windows were all dark…
Opposite the crown was a signpost, with markers pointing east and west (he assumed, due to the position of the moon). One said "Bunglewood and Forest Gate", and the other said "Corlagan's Estate".
There was a plaque on the wall, it said, "Ruckstown, founded the 507th Year of Prince Talisid of the Guardinals".
"Okay, Francis," he said, walking through the open gate. "Just stay inconspicuous, don't draw any attention to yourself."
He looked around. There wasn't anyone on the streets and the buildings that looked like shops didn't seem to be open, but he was able to deduce what they were for, given the signs on the storefronts.
That one's some sort of boutique, he thought, looking at one. That one… The Bubbling Cauldron? Is it an alchemy shop?
He looked at another, which seemed like an inn of some sort.
The Toothrot Tavern? he exclaimed. Man, wouldn't want to eat there…
Then a lantern lit up in a building in front of him. A sign above the door said, Hans' Fine Baked Goods.
Francis was a little nervous, but five years in the Shadowchasers made him a little braver than most. He opened the door slowly, and a small bell rang. He was bombarded by pleasant and delicious smells… Fresh baked bread, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple, brown sugar, toasted almonds… He was almost intoxicated by the wonderful smells…
"Well, what did you expect?" asked a voice.
Francis flipped his eyes open, and saw the interior of the shop. Indeed, the cakes, breads, pastries, cookies, and croissants in the display cases looked as wonderful as they smelled, and the old-fashioned oven and cooking implements he could see behind the counter seemed to show that they had all been made with loving care. Of the bakery staff, however, he could see very little, mostly only shadow shapes moving in the back rooms.
The only guy he could see in full was the one at the counter, a brownie with clear family resemblance to Bartholomew.
"I know, I know…" said the fey. "Don't mind anyone else here… They're kind of shy."
"Yeah…" said Francis. "I figured… Uhm…"
He dug into his pocket for the claim ticket.
"Uh, I'm here to pick up something for a Mr. Dugan…"
"OH… right…" said the brownie.
He quickly dashed into the back room. Francis really wasn't comfortable the way he said that. But the brownie quickly returned, carrying a bakery paperboard box.
"Let's see, chocolate-on-chocolate layer cake… Be very careful with this, my friend…"
"Why?" asked Francis. "It's not dangerous, is it?"
"Well, sure it is…" replied the brownie.
He looked Francis in the face with a cold stare.
"I mean, it's full of saturated fat and has about fifty-thousand calories per serving…"
"Ugh…" groaned Francis. He took the box and head for the door as the brownie laughed.
"Be sure to brush your teeth later, kid!" he laughed.
"Fey…" sighed Francis, rolling his eyes.
"Seriously, Mr. Mills," said the brownie, "I should warn you, that crown is a one-way portal, you have to drive through the Bunglewood to get to the gate to your world."
"Shouldn't… Take long…" replied Francis.
"Depends," continued the brownie. "Exactly how long it takes to get to the forest gate from here is subjective. It could take anywhere from five minutes to years. To get there quickly, you just have to focus on your goal – whatever it may be.
"I hope you aren't distracted easily. If you are, well… I hope you have more to eat with you than that cake… And that reminds me… If you find any hazelnut trees out there, let me know where they are and I'll give you a discount next time."
Francis gave him a curious look, then stepped out of the shop and closed the door.
The realization that he had never told the guy his last name was Mills struck him hard, and sent a chill down his spine.
Well, that along with the fact that the bakery and the village was gone. The crown was still there, and fortunately, so was his bike. Looking down, he saw the forest path.
"Okay, so I have to 'concentrate on my goal'," he said. "Sounds easy enough…"
As he walked to the bike, he stopped. He turned his head slowly. That weird guy who had been playing the flute earlier was leaning against the tree.
"Hiya," he said, in a voice that sounded gravely and raspy.
"Uh, hey," said Francis, "look, thanks for giving me the definition, but…"
"No problem kid," said the gnomish man. "Always willing to help someone out… But, uh… I'm afraid I just need that."
He pointed to the cake box. Francis' hand tensed and edged towards his sword.
"Why, pray tell?" he asked.
"See for yourself," replied the fellow.
He produced a scroll from his coat, and unrolled it. Francis looked at what appeared to be a formal-looking document written in old-fashioned ink pen:
"By order of Queen Morwel, food stuffs are not to be taken out of the Feywild. Members of the Royal Gard of the Court of Stars are authorized to confiscate such items as they see fit."
The document had a signature and what looked like an official seal at the bottom… Even so, Francis looked at the weird fey suspiciously.
"Royal Guard of the Court of Stars?" he said. "Uh, I assume that's you?"
"Are you saying I'm not?" asked the creature.
Didn't give me a straight answer, thought Francis. I was wondering why this guy just helped me out of the blue…
"I've heard of the royal guard of the Fey Queen…" he said. "I believe they identify themselves to other members of the Fey Court by a special type of fey glamor that can give them a royal purple aura. If you are a member…"
"Of course I am, mortal…" he said.
His eyes glowed briefly, then a strong aura of purple light surrounded him.
"That prove it?"
Francis quickly opened the compartment on the back of his D-Wheel, put the cake in it, and then slammed it shut.
"No it, proves you're a con artist," he said. "The 'Fey Queen' I was talking about was one in an old online video game. I have no idea how the 'Royal Guard of the Court of Stars' identify themselves, if such a group even exists."
He drew his sword and pointed it at the guy.
"By the way, whoever wrote this document misspelled the word 'guard' and thinks 'foodstuffs' is two words, so I'm pretty sure it's a forgery. Now move!"
"Whoa… that looks sharp…" said the strange man.
He felt the point with his finger.
"Yep, very sharp…"
As he said this, he saw four or five more of the strange men around him, along with a feature he hadn't noticed on this one, their goat-like legs. Bartholomew had mentioned these guys before… Korred.
Satyrs were known for being hedonists who followed a life of debauchery and vice, but some simply went too far, gorging themselves on excess of drink that would make most of their kind sick, and sexual orgies that would make most of them blush. (Usually, this happened after some big windfall that gave them enough money to splurge for a while.) This despicable behavior led to some divine force – often their patron Dionysus, but not always – turning them into these creatures, hedonists of the pettiest sort. They hired themselves out as thugs and leg breakers to unscrupulous fey who paid them in the cheap wine and other creature comforts they sought to feed their addictions.
Still, Bartholomew had never mentioned a group of them getting so desperate that they'd stoop to filching pastry.
What on earth is that cake made of, Moomoo Milk and Chansey Eggs? he thought. Best amscray before any real soldiers working for Morwel show up and start asking questions.
This, of course, was the best solution. The Shadowchasers had no authority here whatsoever, and if Morwel did rule this part of the Feywild, well… Reports on her were varied on how easy it was to get on her bad side, but they all agreed you did not want to do that.
He turned and leapt on the D-Wheel, then hit the ignition.
"Don't bother kid," said the first korred, "I…"
Before he could say anything else, Francis hit the gas, speeding away and leaving the ugly few coughing in a cloud of exhaust.
The one he had been talking to hit the one next to him with his hat.
"I told you to make sure it wouldn't start, Mr. Pix!" he shouted.
"Maybe you'd like to try breaking through the security on that thing, Mr. Pux?" he asked.
"Don't just stand there, you two!" ordered a third one.
The two of them straightened their overalls, as the third produced a long cudgel.
"He won't get far…" he said, as it started to produce a luminescent green glow.
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Francis was rushing down the forest road at full speed, and it was almost like a tunnel. He eventually came to a fork; not knowing which way to turn, he went left.
Then he came to another one, and turned right.
What's going on? he thought, as he saw another one ahead.
Then he heard a motor behind him. He looked in his rearview mirror, and saw that those two guys who had called themselves Pix and Pux were on his tail in the most unlikely of motorcycles. It looked like an old World War II era DCW motorcycle with a sidecar, and old enough to be built in that era.
What's holding that thing together, he thought, duct tape?
Amazingly, however, it was actually gaining on his brand-new Momentum-powered model.
"Need directions, kid?" asked the one in the sidecar. "I should warn you, this ain't called the Bunglewood for nothing…"
Okay, okay… thought Francis. Concentrate on your goal…
Then the one in the sidecar chanted something unintelligible, and a tree by the side of the road in front of Francis reached down with a long branch. He swerved and spun in a full circle to avoid it.
Easier said than done… he thought. Wait…
"Hey, Rumpelstiltskin!" he shouted. "If it's a fight you want…"
"Oh, I do!" laughed the korred.
"Fine…" said Francis.
He took a card from his shirt pocket and held it up so they could see it.
"Want to do it my way?"
"Uh, Mr. Pix, I don't think this is a good idea…" said the one who was driving.
"Just watch where you're driving, Mr. Pux!" replied the other one. "I'll handle this guy."
Then he stood up on the sidecar, and a Duel Disk the size of a decent-sized shield appeared on his arm, made of some sort of wood.
Francis typed a code on his dashboard, and the whole panel changed.
"Duel Mode engaged," said the computerized voice. "Activating Speed World 2 Field Spell."
As the card appeared in the center of the console, the silvery astral border formed on the side of the road, and that rush came to Francis that he felt when he did this…
Let's hope these two are as gullible as they look, he thought, and I can pull this off without ruining the cake in the process…
(Francis: 8,000, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Pux: 8,000, SPC: 0)
"Let's make it interesting kid," said Pix. "First one to reach the next fork goes first."
Francis looked ahead hard as Pix pulled up beside him.
"Fine by me…" he said.
Then he stepped on the gas, and as expected, one of the trees reached out with a branch to block his path. However, Francis drew his sword from his hip, and with one swipe, lopped it off. The tree howled, and Francis soared past.
"HEY!" shouted Pix.
Francis reached the fork, and made a sharp turn left.
"Cheaters only cheat themselves wise guy," he said, making a draw. "As Dugan always says, and besides, you can't fool the former AMA Motorcross Championship runner-up with a move like that. So I'm going first…"
He drew a card, then placed it with the other five on the space next to his left glove.
"I'll start by summoning Masked Dragon," he said, as he played a card.
A ring of flames opened behind him, and a small, rust-red Dragon with metallic scales and an iron mask over its face flew out. (1,400 ATK)
"Only the runner-up, eh?" said Pix.
"It's a tournament, stupid!" shouted Francis. "Not one race!"
He threw another card on his console, and a set card appeared beside the bike, then faded from view.
"There, go ahead…"
Pix drew a card as each Speed Counter ticked up to 1 and the two vehicles accelerated slightly.
"Whatever you say," he said, "I'm summoning Diamond Heart."
There was a brilliant flash, and a hulking humanoid figure that looked like a man made entirely of solid diamond appeared on the road in front Francis and his monster. (1,400 ATK)
"Whoa, that's one expensive monster," he quipped.
"Aye, it would seem like a shame to break it," said Pix, "but hell with it…"
The diamond man aimed a punch at Masked Dragon, but it spouted fire in return. Both monsters broke into little shards.
"How long have you played this game?" asked Francis. "I can use Masked Dragon's effect to bring out another weak Dragon, like a second one…"
Indeed, a twin of the first Dragon appeared in a plume of smoke. (1,400 ATK)
"My monster may lack such an ability," said the korred, "but seeing as he's an Earth monster, I can banish him to call out The Rock Spirit."
As two of them swerved right at the next fork, the ground ahead ripped open, and a man in armor and a Spartan helmet, holding a ruby-tipped mace leapt out. (1,700 ATK) Francis veered again to avoid him, dodging under another limb from one of the nasty trees.
Pix set one of his cards, and then giggled a little.
"Turn end…" he said. "Maybe you should stop and ask for directions…"
"Don't have to…" said Francis, as his Trap Card spun around 180. "I use Burst Breath!"
Super-intense fire blasted from Masked Dragon, covering the Rock Spirit in a conflagration.
"By sacrificing my Dragon, all monsters with a lower Defense Score than his Attack Score are toast."
"Why'd I let you talk me into this?" asked Pux, nervously.
"Just keep your eye on the road, Mr. Pux!" ordered Pix.
"My move!" shouted Francis, making a draw.
(F: 8,000, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 8,000, SPC: 2)
"Now you've got double the trouble, because I'm bringing Twin-Headed Behemoth out!"
A very different portal, one that created a rush of win, opened, and a two-headed Dragon with wings, horns on each head, and mauve scales flew out. (1,500 ATK)
Then it made a U-turn, and flew towards Pix and Pux's ride…Pix tapped his Disk, and his Trap opened up.
"I was planning on saving this for later," he muttered, "but… I use Release from Stone! Since I banished Diamond Heart last time, I can summon him now…"
There was another brilliant flash, and the gemstone golem appeared again, this time crossing its arms over its face. (2,000 DEF)
"In that case…" said Francis.
He snatched two cards from the holder.
"I'm sending Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Storms and a second Wind monster from my hand to the Graveyard…"
He slipped that card and anther into a slot on his console.
"…and in return for that, I can take this from my deck!"
He lifted the card up so the two korred could see it, a Level 7 monster called Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos.
"So?" replied Pux. "That's too powerful. You'd need to trade two monsters to summon it."
"Maybe, maybe not," replied Francis, "but I'm not going to summon it right now anyway…"
He placed the card with the others, then took the last two that were there, and flipped them onto his dashboard; one appeared to either side of him, then faded. He shifted gears, and took a sharp turn to the right.
Then he looked up. At least the moon seemed immune to whatever fey magic these guys were using.
Assuming the moon follows the same rules in this weird place as it does in my world, he thought, and assuming the eight o'clock on my watch means it's the same time here… Then the moon is in the east right now, so I should at least be moving in the direction of the Forest Gate…
Of course, those are pretty iffy assumptions… I'll never figure out how the Feywild works…
"My move, mortal," said Pix, making a draw. The Speed Counters went up slightly again, and he swapped cards on his Disk.
"I'll get rid of Diamond Heart," he said, as the gem-man turned into a blast of shards, "to summon Big Piece Golem!"
The whole path rumbled, and again, a large stone monster appeared out of the ground on the road ahead of Francis. At least he recognized this one; it was a blocky granite boulder with stubby arms and legs and a dour face in front. (2,100 ATK)
"Crush that Dragon!" he shouted.
Francis and Behemoth managed to speed past it, but Big Piece Golem rolled into a ball, and bowled after them, catching up to Behemoth and crushing it underneath, literally. Francis' D-Wheel shivered slightly.
(F: 7,400, SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 8,000, SPC: 3)
"I'll throw this down for later," said the ugly fey with a chuckle.
A new set card appeared in front of their bike.
"So whatcha gonna do now?" asked Pix. "This old fashioned Dragon Deck doesn't seem to be cutting the mustard."
"I'm gonna stop fooling around," said Francis. "Since you just ended your turn, Behemoth makes a recovery…"
Several small pieces of purple rock and leather floated up and together, turning into Behemoth again. (1,000 ATK) Then Francis drew, and the D-Wheel went a little faster.
"Remember when you said this guy needed two sacrifices?" he asked. "Not necessarily. I can summon a Dragon Ruler without any sacrifices, so long as I banish two monsters from my Graveyard. Of course, they can't be any monsters. They either have to be Dragons or monsters of the same Attribute as the monster I want to summon.
"So… I'll banish one Masked Dragon and Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms… And by the way, when Tempest is banished, I get to use another effect, and take a Wind Monster from my deck. I could have summoned Blaster last turn, but a Dragon Ruler can only use one of its effects per turn."
A card – it was Influence Dragon – appeared with his other three.
"Now, I'm not going to summon Blaster just yet… The Dragon I'm summoning first… Is Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls!"
There was a crashing, cascading rush, and geysers erupted around Francis as he sped down the path, and a huge winged Dragon that seemed sculpted entirely out of liquid flew over his bike. (2,600 ATK)
"Next," he said, as his set card activated, "I use my Trap, Immortal Dragon. I can summon either a monster in my Graveyard or a banished one."
"A banished one?" asked Pux. "Didn't he just…"
"That's right fellah," said Francis. "I banished Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms to summon Tidal!"
There was lightning, fierce winds, and the smell of ozone, and a second Dragon flew to the opposite side, It was just as big as Tidal, but with green scales that had electricity coursing over them. (2,400 ATK)
"Oh, we are so dead…" groaned Pux.
"Keep your eyes on the road!" shouted Pix. He took his hat off and smacked his partner with it.
"Wow, that's sure going to help him," replied Francis. "I sacrifice Tidal and Twin-Headed Behemoth…"
The small Dragon and the huge, watery Dragon turned into blue and green orbs of vapor.
"Blaster, Dragon Ruler of the Infernos!"
Eruptions of flame blasted out of the path around his bike as he darted down the road, and the evil trees howled in fear as a flaming red Dragon joined Tempest. Its back and wings looked like a cracked surface of a cooling lava flow, and its eyes were like pools of fiery, molten rock. (2,800 ATK)
"You called my Dragons 'old fashioned'?" asked Francis. "Dragons aren't just fancy monsters… As the boss says, they're a force of nature!"
"I believe you…" said Pix.
"Destroy that Golem with Cataclysmic Thunder!"
The Dragon let out a bellow, and forks of lightning flashed across the sky, a huge one crashing down on Big Piece Golem and reducing it to powder. Pux swerved and their bike spun around before he regained his bearings.
"Now, Blaster, while they're still stunned!" shouted Francis, "direct attack with Savage Immolation!"
Blaster flew upwards, then turned towards the two korred. Then slammed on the brakes, then shifted, and sped backwards, but the powerful, fiery missile struck them hard…
(F: 7,400, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 4,900, SPC: 4)
Francis turned his back to the screams, and a mental block seemed to disappear with a snap, the haze in front of him clearing. He saw a light up ahead.
It worked! he thought. Seems they had to concentrate just as much as I did…
He flicked some switches on his dashboard, and the D-Wheel's odometer edged as far as the Speed Counters he had would allow as it sped towards the now-revealed forest gate. A few of the nasty trees tries to reach for him but he ducked and dodged, finally driving through a doorway of light with the sound of shattering glass, propelling his bike into the air into the other side…
He landed on the pavement of the interstate outside, a little harder than he would have liked, but he quickly managed to right his bike and keep going. As Dugan had often said, any landing you can walk away from is a good one. Especially since his two Dragons were still flying alongside him…
Then he realized something… That meant that his opponents still hadn't given up, a realization that was confirmed when he glanced in his rear-view mirror and saw the two-man D-Wheel speed out of the gate behind him.
"You guys just won't quit, will you?" he asked.
"Why should we?" asked Pix. "This is gettin' fun!"
Bad guys like this are like Cajun food, he thought, it takes forever for the bad feeling they leave to go away. Never like take-out Chinese, where you're hungry again in an hour.
"Eh, suit yourself…" He said. He took another of his cards, and set it in his Spell Zone.
"Just remember, we're about twenty minutes from Chicago, give or take… It's your move…"
Pix shifted, and moved his rise beside Francis, then drew as the Counters moved up again.
(F: 7,400, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 4,900, SPC: 5)
One of his Trap Cards lifted.
"I'm using Daring Prospector," he said, "which means if I manage to Special Summon at least two Level 5 or higher Rocks this turn, I get to draw twice at the end of my turn. And here's the first…"
His second Trap, Call of the Haunted, lifted up, and Big Piece Golem reappeared. (2,100 ATK)
"Then, I have more than enough Speed Counters to use Speed Spell – Speed Fusion!" he exclaimed. "I'll fuse Big Piece and Medium Piece to summon my Multiple Piece!"
A small golem made on unhewn rock appeared, and both dissolved into the ether of Speed World. Then a huge golem that looked like a brick wall with arms, legs, and a head appeared in front of Francis.
Seems like he already managed to summon two, he thought. Well, good…
The huge Golem jammed its first into Tempest, and the large Dragon shattered with a gust of wind and a crackle of static.
"Next, I can use this big guy's effect," said Pix, "and get rid of him to summon Big Piece and Medium Piece."
A large crack formed down the middle of the golem, and it split apart. Big Piece Golem rose from the rubble (2,100 ATK) followed by Medium Piece Golem. (1,100 ATK)
"Which means I can bring Small Piece Golem out too!" he laughed.
A pint-sized golem shaped like a tree stump joined the others, with a curious pair of eyes. (1,100 ATK)
"Heh, heh, kind of like the Three Bears!"
"Does that made you Goldilocks?" asked Francis.
Pix didn't answer for a minute. Then he noticed Pux was laughing softly.
"Who asked you?" he shouted. Then he turned back to Francis. "I'm ending my turn, and because I was able to summon three Level 5 or higher Rocks, I get to draw twice…"
As he made two draws, Francis swerved ninety degrees to face him and then his Trap lifted up.
"I'm very happy for you," he said, "because now I can reduce my Speed Counters by two to use Nurse the Turns, and draw the same number of cards!"
(F: 7,200, SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 4,900, SPC: 5)
He drew twice, then turned his D-Wheel as he slowed a bit.
"So thanks a heap…"
"Why you little…" said Pix.
"And now it's my move…" continued Francis.
He made another draw, as his D-Wheel started to regain speed.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
As he was doing so, someone was watching from a ridge overhead with an odd set of binoculars.
"Magnify," he said.
The binoculars centered in for a closer look on Francis, and then on his opponent.
"Yes, it's them all right," said a seductive, female voice. "Should we…"
"Naw, not yet…" said the reply. "Not until we have to…"
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"Tempest may be down by he isn't out, you two," said Francis.
Two cards, Tidal's and the other Masked Dragon, appeared in front of him and then crumbled into dust.
"…so long I have two Dragons in the Graveyard, a Dragon Ruler is never gonna say die!"
Lightning flashed again, and Tempest roared onto the field once more. (2,400 ATK)
"Oh, rocketty-ricketts!" shouted Pix.
"Also, because I just banished Tidal, I can take a Water-Attribute Dragon from my deck…"
Again, a card appeared with his others (this time, it was Mythic Water Dragon).
I'll save that one for later… he thought.
Then Tempest blew burning lightning, blowing Big Piece Golem to little pieces for the second time.
"Smudge and blaze!" cursed Pix.
Then Blaster followed up, incinerating Medium Piece Golem.
"Hippikaloric!" shouted Pix.
"Okay, I'm not well-versed on fey obscenities, but, uhm…" said Francis. "Forget it, I don't even wanna know. It's your move…"
(F: 7,200, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,400, SPC: 6)
"All right, mortal…" grumbled the ugly fey.
He drew, his Counters edging up to 7.
"I'll move Small Piece Golem to Defense Mode," he said, as the little Golem covered itself with its free hand (0 DEF), "then summon this guy in offense… Rockstone Warrior!"
There was a tremor, and a far angrier-looking golem ripped out of the pavement ahead, an armored one made of granite with glowing eyes. (1,800 ATK)
"Let's see your Dragon stand up to this," said Pix. "I use Speed Spell – Speed Energy! It gives my monster 200 extra points this turn for every Speed Counter I have, and that's 1,400 more!"
(3,200 ATK)
Okay, that's trouble… thought Francis.
The two Dragons snarled as the Golem closed in on it, then slammed its fist into Blaster's snout with a punch that made Francis' D-Wheel quiver. He groaned a little as he sped past and Blaster collapsed, falling into a pile of ashes and soot.
(F: 6,800, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,400, SPC: 7)
"I'll set two and I'm done," said Pix, as two reversed cards appeared in his Spell Zone.
Okay, now these guys just aren't funny, said Francis, as he made a draw.
The card was the fourth core member of his team, Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders.
That's the one… he thought.
"I'm sending Redox and Hardened Armed Dragon to my Graveyard," he said, as he discarded the two cards, "and by doing so, I can Special Summon a monster from it…"
"What? Any monster?" gasped Pix.
"That's right, any monster," replied Francis, "but don't worry, I think I'll give Blaster a break for now. The monster I want to summon is the one I discarded along with Tempest a while ago…
"I summon the Draconic Prophet of Chan!"
There was another surge of wind, and an odd, female figure flew out in front of his D-Wheel. She was wearing an exotic-looking, decorated, green dress, had floor-length, green hair, and carried a staff with a crescent-shaped tip, with an emerald between the points. Most remarkably, she wore a mask over her face with no features; it was a completely blank slate covering her face. (1,800 ATK)
"Who in the world…" said Pux. "Who's Chan?"
"Well… Don't strain your brain thinking…" replied Pix. He really had no idea either, and was more worried about this Spellcaster – he assumed – then he would admit.
"Worry when she attacks your Small Piece Golem with Chain Lighting," replied Francis. "I'm pretty sure she can overcome its Defense Points, seeing as it doesn't have any…"
The Prophet lifted her staff, and a bolt of electricity flashed, blowing the small Golem to little bits.
"Now for the bigger one…" he said.
Tempest roared again, and aimed his mighty blast at Rockstone Warrior. Unfortunately, Pix was ready this time, and one of his two Traps lifted and spun around.
"CRUD!" shouted Francis, when he saw what it was. The two Magic Cylinders appeared in mid-air, one of them catching the blast, the second spiting it out and sending it crashing into the front of his bike.
(F: 4,400, SPC: 6) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,400, SPC: 8)
Francis moaned a little… He only wished that was the first time he had walked into something like that…
"I'll set one card and it's your turn…" he grumbled, placing a reversed card in his Spell Zone.
Pix drew and looked at the card carefully.
"Mr. Pix, watch it…" said his partner. "You told the boss you'd be careful with that one…"
"I'm being careful, Mr. Pux…" replied Pix.
Pux groaned, remembering the last time he had heard that.
"I'm using the effect of Speed World 2," he said, speaking up, "I'll reduce my Counters by 7 to draw once…"
Their bike decelerated and fell behind Francis' as he made a draw. Then he set one of his cards in his Spell Zone.
"That ought to… do it… for now…"
Francis drew, then thought for a moment.
(F: 4,400, SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,400, SPC: 3)
Well, if the show fits, he thought.
"In that case, I'll use the same effect," he said.
His D-Wheel slowed, and fell behind even further, then he drew. A twinkle in his eye appeared under his visor.
"First thing I'm doing," he said, "is using Castle of Dragon Souls."
His face-down card turned around, revealing a Continuous Trap.
"When I activate this card, I can banish a Dragon from my Graveyard, and then increase the Attack Score of one on the field by 700 points. I'm choosing my Prophet."
(2,500 ATK)
"Huh?" said Pux. "She's a Dragon?"
"Not all the time," replied Francis. "Only on the field. But before I attack with her, I can discard a monster to recover a Dragon from my Graveyard. Of course, the monster I discard has to be a Wind monster, but the one I recover can be any Dragon.
"And don't forget, because I banished Redox, I've got another Dragon to use…"
He took Golem Dragon – because that was what the card he had chosen – and placed it with the others. Then he took Blaster from the slot once again."
"Next, I'm banishing my other Masked Dragon and Hardened Armed Dragon to… Well, you should know how this works by now…"
Again, there was an eruption of fire, and Blaster appeared again. (2,800 ATK)
"Now destroy that Rockstone Warrior!" he shouted. "Get it!"
Pix let out a long sigh, and then one of his two set cards lifted up.
"This may not be the right time for this," he said, "but I'll use this now…"
"Earthshaker?" asked Francis, looking at the card on his screen.
"That's right," replied Pix. "I name two Attributes, and you choose one of them. Then all monsters of the named Attribute are destroyed.
"I'll name Wind and Fire… Now, you can…"
"I name Wind," said Francis.
Both Pix and Pux were so surprised they almost screeched to a halt.
"You sure?" shouted Pix. "But…"
"Positive…" replied Francis.
Then both Tempest and Prophet shattered.
"Now why did he choose to destroy two of his monsters, you may ask, when he could have only destroyed one?" he said with a smirk. "Well Prophet has another trick of her own. You see, when she's destroyed, I get to summon one of my banished Dragons in Defense Mode."
A bulky, rocky Dragon appeared next to Blaster, grumbling with the sound of a low tremor. (3,000 DEF)
"Now that I have Redox on the field," he said, "let's continue…"
Once more, the super-hot blast of flame from Blaster shot at the rocky fighter, shattering it.
"I suppose it's time to let the cat out of the bag," said Pix. "When Rockstone Warrior is destroyed, I take no damage. And, I get to summon these two Tokens."
Two more statues that looked like shorter, swatter versions of Rockstone Warrior appeared where the larger one had been. (0 DEF x2)
Francis looked at his set card, then his Continuous Trap, then his hand. He was starting to get a strategy, and hoped it would work.
"Your move…" he said.
Pix made a draw… Then his face turned into a sour puss as he sniggered.
(F: 4,400, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,400, SPC: 4)
"Got the right card, Mr. Pix?" said Pux.
"Indeed I do, Mr. Pux," laughed Pix, "I'm sending a second Big Piece Golem to the Graveyard to summon Power Giant!"
He discarded the card, and a huge statue made of crystalline stone with armor made of gems and more sharp gems protruding from every joint. (2,200 ATK)
"That means its Level is reduced from 6 to 1. Then I banish both of my Big Piece Golems to use the Trap Card, Mother Load, which means I can summon not one, but two Rocks from my Graveyard. Of course, they can't attack, and should they still be here at the end of the turn, I take 4,000 points of damage."
His last set card spun around, and both Diamond Heart (1,400 ATK) and Small Piece Golem (1,100 ATK) rose out of a crack in the pavement.
Six… thought Francis, counting. Seven, eight… nine… aw, man…
"But they won't…" continued Pix, "Because I'm tuning all five of these monsters together! Mr. Pux, if you would…"
As the five Rocks flew into the sky, Mr. Pux lifted his cudgel and started to chant, and oddly-colored lightning flashed in the night sky.
"Moon of the Fey Realm, hear my words well, bring yonder lightning, give spark to my spell…"
(*2 + *2 + *3 + *1 + *1 = *9)
"Good grief, now they're using nursery rhymes!" shouted Francis.
Still, the korred continued.
"Shining moonbeams, soft and pliant, send to us a mighty giant!"
Lightning struck all five of the monsters in quick succession, and the entire highway shook and buckled. Francis barely managed to swerve out of the way as a big – or rather enormous giant made of stone rose out of the earth…
Actually, it looked like a huge stone castle with arms and legs, one standing over a hundred feet tall. It started to trudge towards him, each step causing the ground to shake. (2,900 ATK)
Oh… my God… said Francis.
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"Now?" said the sultry female voice.
"Now!" said the young man.
He put the binoculars away, and leapt on his own D-Wheel.
"That's the Giganticastle, you realize," she replied. "A very powerful Synchro Monster."
"I know what it is," he replied, as he stepped on the gas.
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It's like the Rock of Gibraltar came to life… thought Francis, looking at the huge Duel Monster.
"You don't see so smarmy now, mortal," said Pix. "You see, Giganticastle gains 200 Attack Points for each non-Tuner I used to summon it."
(3,700 ATK)
"But that's just the half of it… Because I used Diamond Heart as a Tuner, and all of its Materials were Rocks, it gains 500 more Attack Points this turn for each of those non-Tuners.
(5,700 ATK)
This is gonna hurt… thought Francis, as Giganticastle lifted its huge foot.
"I activate Malevolent Catastrophe!" he shouted, as his Trap Card lifted. "I'll destroy all Spells and Traps on the field, including my Castle of Dragon Souls!
Giganticastle stomped down with its mighty foot, crushing Tempest under its heel. This time, Francis nearly crashed, struggling to keep his bike upright.
"By doing that," he groaned, "I get to summon one of my banished Dragons… So once again, here's Tidal!"
The watery Dragon Ruler flew out the portal, this time beside Redox. (2,600 ATK)
"What's it gonna take to get rid of those ugly things?" shouted Pix.
"Who you calling ugly?" asked Francis. "It's pretty damn hard to get rid of them. People these days think Dragons are pushovers, but they never read the older stories, how they were able to lay waste to whole cities by themselves. You think one big rock is going to stop them?
"Beowulf was a great hero who slew Grendel and his mother, but what was the monster that finally killed him? The monster that may well doomed his kingdom if he'd not have had help to kill it? Think about it."
He drew a card, and Giganticastle returned to a Score of 3,700.
"Watch and learn…"
(F: 1,500, SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 2,400, SPC: 5)
"I summon Draconic Prophet of Zaaman Rul!" he shouted.
As he played the card, a flaming orb shot down from above, turning into a new Spellcaster; this one was male, with scarlet robes covered with flame patterns, long, maroon hair, the same faceless mask that Chan had, and a similar staff, but one with a ruby. (1,800 ATK)
"How many of these guys are there?" asked Pux.
"None of your business," replied Francis, "and by sending Magna Drago from my hand to the Graveyard, I can recover a Dragon again, but this time, I think I'll choose Tempest."
He discarded the card, and quickly recovered another.
"And because I sent Magna Drago there, I can banish it and Blaster to summon Tempest again…"
Pix shivered a little, as the third Dragon appeared, but Pux slapped him.
"Easy!" he said. "Giganticastle can stand up to them…"
"Not if I use the Overlay Network," said Francis, "and use Tempest, Blaster, and Tidal…"
The black hole tore open above the highway, and the Dragon Rulers of Wind, Fire, and Water soared through.
"…to Xyz Summon Prismatic Dragon Ailamere!"
The monstrous creature that appeared was a Dragon that seemed almost translucent. She – it was clearly female – glided through the night sky overhead, her soft, beautiful scales reflecting the moonlight and shining all the bright, scintillating colors of the spectrum. She looked at the two korred, with a gentle smile and a twinkle in her eye (2,900 ATK)
"First of all," said Francis, "she gains every Attribute of the monsters I Overlayed to Xyz summon her."
"Three Attributes?" gasped Pux.
"Nope, four," replied Francis. "She keeps her own Attribute, Light, and that's the important part right now. You see, by getting rid of an Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon another Dragon, so long as it matches one of her Attributes."
"Right…" said Pix. "And just what do you have that can stand up to our giant?"
Francis grinned. Then he held up a card with his free hand and flipped it around.
"WHAT?" shouted Pux. "You can't! It isn't fair!"
"Yeah, well, tough rocks pal," replied Francis. "With Ailamere's effect, I summon Soul Drain Dragon!"
There was a loud scream as the biggest Dragon of all swooped down. With a wingspan of nearly five-hundred feet, you could barely make out its demonic features and spiked carapace as it blocked out the sun. (4,000 ATK)
"Tear down that castle!" shouted Francis. "Crushing Wave of the Vortex!"
The Dragon's breath could best be describes as darkness concentrated into a pulsating beam. It crashed right into the center of the enormous giant, and it shuddered, then cracked…
Francis and the two korred sped underneath as the Giganticastle fell apart, and stone rained down on the highway. The Shadowchaser dodged most of it, but the two fey crooks weren't so lucky.
"This is impossible!" shouted Pix.
"Oh, it's gonna get even worse," replied Francis. "Ailamere, finish them off with Prismatic Spray!"
The Prismatic Dragon readied the attack, and multicolored streams flowed from her jowls. The two korred screamed in pain…
(F: 1,500, SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 0, SPC: 0)
Not only had their old-fashioned makeshift D-Wheel been forced to a halt, it looked like it was ready to fall apart.
"I'm seein' colors here…" groaned Pux.
"Yeah, black and blue!" cursed Pix.
He slapped his partner with his hat, and then the whole vehicle collapsed, falling apart into a pile of junk.
Meanwhile, Francis had dismounted his D-Wheel, and was looking at them as he crossed his arms with a frown. The two korred looked at him with angry scowls.
"You little…" cursed Pix. "You have any idea how much that cost?"
"Waste not, want not…" replied Francis.
"I'm takin' it outta your ass!" shouted Pix. He lifted his cudgel and made a rush for him… But then he screamed again, as electricity hit him, knocking him down.
Francis turned around slightly, and saw a human male a few years older than he was, dressed in silvery fabric and a jean jacket, along with a glove over his left hand covered with odd-looking circuits. He had silver, opaque shades covering his eyes.
Then he took them off, and the distinguishing mark of the Shadowchasers was visible. Francis stepped aside as he walked towards the now very frightened korred.
"Well, well, Mr. Pux and Mr. Pix," he said.
"Uh…" said the first one, shivering.
"I thought after what happened last time, Queen Morwel promised you two wouldn't bother humans anymore," said the odd man. "And you promised you'd quit the legbreaker-for-hire business."
"Well you see we were…" said Pux.
Then Pix slapped him on the side of the head.
"I mean we and the other guys were…" he started.
Then Pix slapped him again.
"I'm not amused," replied the young man. "Unless you want me to give her a call right now, I suggest you haul ass back where you came from!"
"Uh, you just wrecked our bike…" replied Pix.
"Then start walking…" he replied.
The two quickly turned around, and moved quickly in the other direction.
"Faster!" he ordered.
The two korred broke into a sprint. Francis finally spoke up.
"So, uh, how long were you watching?" he asked.
"About ten minutes or so," came the reply with a grin. "I was thinking of helping, but you were doing a pretty good job. Glad to see Dugan still has everything running smoothly."
Francis laughed nervously.
"Glad to have you back, Karl," he said.
Then he sighed, and opened the rear compartment on his bike.
"You know those guys?"
"Long story," replied the other Shadowchaser. "I see not much has changed since I was gone… What did they want?"
"This, apparently," replied Francis.
He lifted the packaged cake out, and held it up.
"What the hell is so special about this cake? Is it magic, cursed? Contraband?"
"Let's find out," said Karl. "SAL… See if you can analyze the ingredients."
"I'm on it, Karl," said the voice of the sexy AI coming from his glove. In the past five years, Karl had upgraded his partner several times, making her hundreds of times more powerful and far more portable, but her friendly and affectionate personality was still intact.
"I see she's back too," said Francis.
"I'm glad you approve," said SAL in a snarky tone. Then there was a small hum. "Let's see… Milk, flour, sugarcane molasses… Obviously they used old-fashioned ingredients here…
"Eggs, butter, vanilla, baking powder… Cocoa…
"Well, Karl, I can't say whoever ran the shop cared much for watching the calories, but it seems safe… WAIT…"
"Wait what?" asked Francis.
"Open the box…" said SAL. "There's something in it besides the cake…"
Francis looked at Karl, then carefully opened the cake box. The two Shadowchasers looked into it. Indeed, there was something shiny tucked between the cake and the side of the box. Karl took a pen from the pocket of his jeans, and carefully fished it out.
The small object had icing on it, but when he wiped it off, it was the oddest of gemstones, about the size of a walnut and shaped like a marble. It looked metallic blue, and seemed to shimmer and vibrate as they looked at it, turning rose-colored briefly before turning back to blue.
"What is it?" asked Francis.
Karl didn't answer. Then he said, "Uh…"
"If the question you're about to ask is, 'Is it magical?' then the answer is 'yes'," replied SAL. "But as for what it is and what it does… I have no clue…"
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SPEED SPELL – SPEED ENERGY (Spell Card)
Normal Speed Spell
Image: A D-Wheel appearing as a blur as it moves through the vortex of Speed World.
Effect: Activate when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Select 1 face-up monster; until the End Phase of the turn, it gains 200 ATK for every Speed Counter you have,
Note: "Speed Spell – Speed Energy" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds" episode "The Synchro Solution".
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
SPEED SPELL – SPEED FUSION (Spell Card)
Normal Speed Spell
Image: Dark Magician and Flame Swordsman in the foreground with Dark Flare Knight in the background, all of them surrounded by the vortex of Speed World.
Effect: Activate when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select 1 Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck, and send from your hand or your side of the field the monsters listed as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon of that monster; Special Summon the selected monster. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.
Note: "Speed Spell – Speed Fusion" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds" episode "A Blast from the Past (Part 1)".
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DARING PROSPECTOR (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A fat, goofy-looking miner with a beard, wearing overalls, a red shirt, and a helmet with a light on it, lowering himself down a mine shaft carrying several bundles of TNT. Two Enraged Muka Mukas and three Small Piece Golems are watching him from the shaft walls.
Effect: Activate only during your Main Phase 1. If you Special Summon 2 or more Level 5 or higher Rock-Type monsters this turn, draw 2 cards during your End Phase. If you do not, reduce your Life Points by half.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
NURSE THE TURNS (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Avatar of the Pot on a D-Wheel making a sharp turn while speeding past Goblin of Greed, dowsing him with water from a mud puddle.
Card Description: Activate when your opponent draws cards outside his Draw Phase; reduce your Speed Counters by 2, and draw the same number of cards your opponent does.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
MOTHER LOAD (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: The same miner in "Daring Prospector", peering into a cavern full of weird, glowing, red gemstones.
Effect: Banish 2 Level 5 or higher Rock-Type monsters from your Graveyard; then, select 2 Level 3 or lower Rock-Type monsters from your Graveyard and Special Summon them. The selected monsters cannot be used for an Xyz Summon, cannot attack, and if you control either monster during the End Phase, you take 4,000 points of damage.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
DIAMOND HEART (Monster Card)
Rock/Earth/Tuner/Effect/Lvl3/1,400ATK/1,800DEF
Effect: If this card is used as a Tuner for a Synchro Summoning in which every non-Tuner monster used is a Rock-Type monster, increase the ATK of the Synchro Monster by 500 points per non-Tuner until the End Phase of the turn.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
DRACONIC PROPHET OF CHAN (Monster Card)
Spellcaster/Wind/Effect/Lvl4/1,800ATK/900DEF
Effect: This card is considered a Dragon-Type monster if face-up on the field. Once per turn, you may discard 1 WIND monster from your hand to add 1 Dragon-Type monster from your Graveyard to your hand. If this card is destroyed by your opponent (either through battle or via card effect) select 1 of your banished Dragon-Type monsters and Special Summon it in Defense Mode.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
DRACONIC PROPHET OF ZAAMAN RHUL (Monster Card)
Spellcaster/Fire/Effect/Lvl4/1,800ATK/900DEF
Effect: This card is considered a Dragon-Type monster if face-up on the field. Once per turn, you may discard 1 FIRE monster from your hand to add 1 Dragon-Type monster from your Graveyard to your hand. If this card is destroyed by your opponent (either through battle or via card effect) select 1 of your banished Dragon-Type monsters and Special Summon it in Defense Mode.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
PRISMATIC DRAGON AILAMERE (Monster Card)
Dragon/Light/Effect/Rank7/2,900ATK/5,500DEF
3 Level 7 Dragon-Type monsters of different Attributes
Effect: This card is considered to be the Attributes listed for the Monster Cards acting as its Xyz Materials – if any – in addition to its listed per turn, you may select a Dragon-Type monster in your hand with an Attribute matching one of this card's current Attributes; then detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to Special Summon the selected monster. Its Effects are negated.
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Falagar: After a five-year absence, Karl had returned. He had gained his degree, and was no longer simply a Shadowjack, having learned how to mesh true wizardry with computer science and become a full-fledged Technomage. He had upgraded his loyal AI partner, and it seemed the life of the Shadowchasers had beckoned him again.
Unfortunately, his old teacher's eagerness to spare no expense for his welcoming party seemed to have caused a crisis. Francis certainly wasn't eager to go back to that bakery, and while Karl intended to have a long talk with Bartholomew, he doubted the brownie would have answers.
But for now, we must again move to another part of the world, for things were happening even further away from here than Italy was, in a place where a mystery over a hundred years old still tended to puzzle those whose jurisdiction it fell upon.
"Miracle Man" is coming soon.
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Shadowchaser Files: Races
Skulks
Here's the scenario. A weary traveler walks into a tavern, where a beautiful, busty serving maid starts to cuddle up to him, whispering sweet promises into his ear. Before long, he falls for her charms, and she leads him up to a room in the tavern… But right in the middle of a passionate embrace, she pulls a knife, and drives it between his shoulders, killing him.
The next morning, the killer – or someone who looks like her – flees from an angry crowd in terror. They finally corner her, and ignore her pleas of innocence, calling her a murderer and then stoning her to death.
From a safe distance, a true murderer of two victims watches with a sadistic grin on its face, as it changes shape from that of the serving maid to its true form, a humanoid, hairless, completely featureless creature, almost translucent and able to blend into the shadows. Then it slowly slips away, with no-one ever the wiser.
What grudge did wicked imposter have against the traveler and the serving maid? None whatsoever. Skulks are malicious beings who do it simply out of a demented idea of fun.
Indeed, few Shadowkind are crueler than skulks, a race who seem to use their shapeshifting ability to kill simply for enjoyment. Still, one old story found in some forbidden texts, including the Tome of the Blinded Eye, hint at an origin.
As the story goes, the skulks were once humans who were a slave class of a nation called Nibernay (likely on the Homeworld of Shadow). When the leaders of the nation formed an alliance with the goddess called the Raven Queen, much like the shadar-kai did, the slaves were left out of this agreement.
In fury, the slave class turned against their masters, with a night of rage that left the capital city in flames, the nobles, merchant princes, and slave taskmasters dead, their throats cut in their sleep.
The slaughter attracted the attention of a dark entity called Fraz-Urb'luu, a demon lord who had once been just as powerful as Demogorgon, Orcus, and Graz'zt, but a long imprisonment at the hands of a cabal of human sorcerers (which he had just escaped from) had weakened him greatly. He took these liberated slaves under his demonic wings, and as the Prince of Deception, gave them and their descendants the power of illusion to disguise themselves – so long as they promised to use it to kill humans, a race the demon lord blamed for his fall, at every opportunity.
Of course, whenever a skulk is actually caught in the act, the punishment it usually receives is gruesome. It is rumored, however, that some are far more powerful, and can do more than prey on drunkards and wenches. Jalal's ally Baron Wilhelm von Gottschalk once discovered the decapitated body of the demon warlord Kurland in his own fortress of molten iron. Kurland was a general of the armies of Graz'zt who had led several campaigns against the armies of Fraz-Urb'luu, suggesting a chilling possibility: powerful skulk assassins personally serving the Prince of Deception.
Story Ideas: Skulks aren't warriors, they're killers, and the only thing more laughable than one of them initiating a physical confrontation is one of them doing so on an enemy's terms. Like the demon lord they worship, they lack any kind of honor, and prefer to strike by ambush, using deception, seduction, trickery, traps, and poisoned weapons. If caught, they're willing to sink to bribery to save their hides and often bargaining or begging, although anyone who considers showing mercy to a skulk or helping one would be wise to remember Aesop's fable of "The Farmer and the Viper". The situation is likely to occur if anyone is so duped.
If by some chance a skulk were convinced to use Duel Monsters, it tries to use the whatever deck it thinks is the most powerful, which means trying hard to copy whatever high-ranking pro duelists use, if it can. Some would call this a lack of originality; to a skulk, it's a matter of survival.