"Well this is rather boring."
Dr. Crowler looked over at Arliss, who was currently looking through his deck, not even bothering to watch any of the potential duelists during their entrance exams. For the last week, Dr. Crowler had been keeping Arliss around like a puppy, taking him back to the academy to show him the dorms, giving him tours of the class rooms, and now, he had brought him along with several of the high ranked current Obelisk students to watch the exams.
"I must admit, this years applicants aren't that interesting at all."
Arliss continued to look through his deck, not saying a word, not even flinching as the duelist next to them had his monster explode.
Dr. Crowler looked at his prize new student and sighed. "What are your thoughts on this years batch?"
Arliss glanced up at the teacher and frowned. "I would think my current actions would give you an idea of my views." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, letting his long legs stretch out. "They are average." He elaborated. "They do what any one could do with a deck of cards and basic knowledge. They lack skills and discipline, and believe they are great. Even those that could be great duelists are makin' horrible. horrible mistakes."
"Which is why they are coming to the school." Crowler stated.
"So am I." Arliss replied hotly. "Yet I know for a fact none of them could hold a candle to me right now."
Crowler shrugged, waving Arliss off. "You, my boy, are a diamond found amongst pebbles."
Arliss snorted. "I am what a duelist should be." HE stood up, brushing invisible dust from his white blazer. "I am goin' to walk around, greet some of the other Obelisks. I ain't yet had a chance to converse with them."
Crowler smiled. "Very good, very good! Best to make friends with your peers while you have time." He stood and held out his hand, which Arliss glanced at before shaking. "Come back when you are done, I want you opinion on some of these other duelists. There is one, a Bastion Miaswa…"
&&&&
Sometimes it sickens me to play lap dog to a fool like Crowler…but I do what I must in order to gain what I need.
The first part of my strategy was to get into the school. Easy enough, easy enough. Put on a bit of a show, takin' down one very overhyped Proctor, and suddenly I have this nice white and blue blazer and everyone is actin' like I am Yugi Moto's reincarnation. And I must say, the blazer… it does look rather nice on me. Makes my hair sand out a bit, makes me see all pretty and holy. Anyone else would be proud to wear it.
Me…I hate the damn thing.
White is the color of angels, and I ain't an saint. I am a sinner, a hunter. And a hunter's colors are purple and black.
But I won't be wearin' this here church coat for long. Crowler thinks that I'll be his pet? Think again, Princess. I am Arliss, King of the Rare Hunters…and I ain't one's pet. I cannot wait to see his funny long face twist up when he realizes that his prize student is a delinquent. Though, I will be willin' to bets you that he never says a word. His pride will prevent him from goin' after me.
You know…we in the south are a God fearin' people. Though…I never understood why you should fear God…he is our heavenly father, ain't he? I don't think I father should hurt a child, and a child shouldn't fear their father.
Of course, if God is anything like my dear old pappy, I can see why we fear him.
But back to my point.
We are God fearin', so we make it our business to know what will tick him off. Just like how I knew what would set my daddy off, I also know the cardinal sins. My favorite is pride. It's such an easy thing to use, to twist and craft. It can be broken by a word, and with another, built back up. It's like balancin' a straw on a table. A Nice gust of wind will blow'er down, yet a gentle hand will put it back up.
Pride keeps us from doin' what we need to do to save ourselves.
And it is also my greatest weapon.
&&&
Arliss leaned against the rail as he watched the next batch of students go through their exams. He made a mental note of each one, and not pleased with what he saw, instead focused on the world around him. There was a food stand to his right, should he feel the need to eat, but right now was satisfied with the steak and lobster Crowler had bought him when they had went out on their date…
'I mean "teacher and student get together'. Arliss snickered, calling back to what Crowler had called the meal. Arliss was surprised he hadn't gotten roses or a heart shaped box of candy.
Below him, a bunch of blue blazered Obelisks were making fun of the new recruits. Arliss rolled his eyes, wondering if he should inform them that most of these new recruits were at their skill level, and there were a few that were even better. However, he decided against it.
'From what I have learned about Chazz Princeton, he ain't exactly the most takin' to advice.' Arliss thought.
"Hey!"
Arliss turned to see a girl running up to him in a blazer similar to his own, only this one showing off a lot of cleavage. She had blonde hair and a very nice body. Arliss looked her over and smirked.
'Alexis Rhodes. Queen of Obelisk Blue'Alexis ran up to Arliss and looked him over, obviously confused. He leaned against the rail, his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to show some manners and actually introduce herself.
"Who are you?" She finally stated. "And why are you wearing that jacket?"
'So much for manners.' Arliss thought. 'And from a fellow southerner too? Tisk tisk…I must teacher her to show respect for her linage…we are, after all, surrounded by the lower class'
Arliss, however, didn't say any of this. He wasn't at the school yet, nor had he made a contact with one of the newcomers or current students. If he wanted his plan to work, he would have to behave well in front of the Queen.
'And later, I will show you why I am King.' He thought with a smile. "My name is Arliss Lockehart. And I have this blazer because Doctor Crowler awarded it to me after my match."
Alexis instantly brightened up. "Oh! So you are the Arliss that Crowler keeps bragging about! I wasn't for sure…I saw you a bit differently in my head."
"Yea, in a frilly dress giving that idiot a backrub." Arliss muttered.
"What about a dress?" Alexis questioned.
"Nothin'." Arliss stated. "Nothin' at all Miss….uh…"
He couldn't help but smile as she blushed, realizing just how rude she had been. "I'm sorry. My name is Alexis Rhodes…and I guess you can see…"
"That you are in the same boat I am." Arliss replied, cuasing Alexis to laugh. "Where are you from Miss Rhodes, if I might ask? I can tell you are southern…but the accent is a bit…muted."
Alexis chuckled. "My family was from northern Arkansas, but we moved to New York when I was 8 so my brother and I could stare duelist prep school. What about you, Mr. Lockehart?"
"The great state of Texas." Arliss replied proudly, glad he hadn't been using his Foghorn Leghorn accent when he had addressed Alexis. The last thing he needed was to be called out for that voice.
Alexis smiled softly. "And what is a Texan doing this far from the Wild West?"
"My cowboy hat needed another gallon added to it." Arliss replied, using a rather bad Texas joke he had heard when he was 14 and run into some drunken idiot at a bar. The fool had told him every Texas slur joke ever made, something that came in handy when he needed to disarm someone. "So, you are the top girl in your class, I am guessin'."
"Pretty much." Alexis said. "Doesn't get you much, but it does keep some of the snobbier kids away. And Crowler does treat you better."
"Anyway Crowler treats you isn't good." Arliss stated.
Alexis brushed her bangs away from her eyes and looked down at the field. "Interesting turn out this year."
Arliss nodded, not really paying attention. Instead, he was going over what he remembered about Alexis. 'She's been a student at the Academy for one year, friends with Zane, the head of his class and Kaiser of the Academy. She runs a Cyber Sporty deck, and she has a think for tough duelists that don't follow the rules.' Arliss frowned slightly. At one time during his planning, he had hoped to take Alexis as his first apprentice, to turn her to the darkness and make her a hunter. Having a link in the girls dorm would have been perfect, and she was something pretty to look at when he was strategizing.
However, he loyalty to her brother and her damn stubborn nature would mean at least a month of working on her, a month he didn't have. Sure, he could use some of the dark spells Marik had discovered and recorded in his diary…but Arliss wanted his first Rare Hunter, the hunter that would be his second in commander, to be created through his words and hands alone. Just as Marik had gained Odion with only his wits, so too would Arliss gain his first ally. Alexis was out.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't talk to her, make friends with the girl. Who knew, maybe when he had gained enough strength, he would take her and break her down, make her his slave.
That brought a smile to his face.
"Uh…hello there."
Arliss and Alexis both turned to look at the young girl who had walked up to them. She had shoulder length black hair, a pretty face, and soft brown eyes. She was dressed in a long sleeve pink t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, a duel disk on her arm. She seemed very nervous, shifting back and forth, glancing up at Alexis and then back to the ground.
Alexis smiled. "Hi."
The girl licked her lips. "Are…are you Alexis Rhodes?" Alexis nodded and the girl smiled just a bit. "I…just wanted to say hello. I saw you duel 2 years back when your prep school came to Green Bay for a tournament…you were amazing, the way you took out that girl using the weenie rush deck."
Alexis smiled, though Arliss could tell she really didn't remember that duel. IF it was a tournament, she must have faced a lot of people, and one duel, no matter how important it was to the newcomer, was not her top concern. 'I wonder if she even realizes that she is this girl's hero? I wonder if she realizes exactly who this girl even is…how she is going to play into her future?' Arliss knew, of course.
This was the contact he had been waiting for.
Alexis looked over and saw someone dressed in the same blazer as her and Arliss and smiled. "Sorry to cut this short, but I just saw my friend and I need to talk to him! Bye Arliss!" She ran off, not even noticing the hurt look on the face of the girl she had ignored. Arliss noticed however. He noticed everything about the girl next to him. He had spent months researching her, learning everything about her. He couldn't believe his luck that he had found her so quickly.
The girl was about to turn when Arliss coughed, drawing her attention back to him. "Aren't you even thinkin' about askin' who I am?" He said with a slight smile. The girl blushes and shifted around.
"Sorry…"
"Arliss…Arliss Lockehart."
"Arliss." She said. He glanced at her and she gave a start, realizing he didn't even know her name! "My name is Vanessa Fox."
He nodded, looking out over the field. "Have you dueled yet?" Vanessa shook her head and Arliss glanced at the food stand. "You want something to eat? I'll buy."
Vanessa shook her head. "Oh no…I couldn't let you…"
Arliss waved her off. "I see the men in Wisconsin don't have the manners or the stubborn streak we southerners have. We would never allow a woman to pay for her own meal." He smirked and Vanessa laughed, finally agreeing to allow him to buy her a burger before she had to go duel.
They sat down at a table, making quite a sight: One was a nervous farm girl who happened to have developed a knack for dueling and been sponsored by her home town to come to the tryout. The other was a southern gentlemen, already the best in his class, and no one knew anything about him. Of course, there was a darker difference between them. Vanessa was a sweet flower, pure and loving with a big heart and a friendly smile. Arliss was the King of the Rare Hunters, holding dark knowledge and having no need for morals.
Arliss made small talk, asking his new friend how her test went and about Wisconson. He said little about himself, and seemed to soak up any information she provided about herself like a sponge.
'What will she be like when I am done with her?' Arliss wondered.
"So tell me Arliss, what do you think of the peope that have dueled so far?" Vanessa asked. Arliss chuckled, and she blushed, looking down. "Sorry…I guess I shouldn't ask you…"
"No." Arliss stated, calming himself. "I just find it funny that I am going to answer you when I really didn't answer the last two people who asked me."
"Who asked you before?"
Arliss took a bit of his burger. "Alexis and Dr. Crowler."
Vanessa let out a small gasp and looked at him, surprised. "Why…why didn't you answer them?"
"Well…I did answer them…but I didn't tell them the truth." He took a sip of his soda. "Not like you."
Vanessa was even more startled by this admission. "Why...why me?" She asked meekly.
Arliss smirked. "Because I don't lie to my friends." He glanced over towards the dueling arena. "A lot of the kids dueling today are forgettable. Infact, they aren't ever going to make a name for themselves. Sure, they might become great duelists…but no one will remember them." He took a sip of his pop. "I can see how well a duelist will be, just form their opening move. Some people, they look for aggression, or for fancy moves. Me? I don't look for any of that."
"What do you look for?" Vanessa asked quietly, wondering if she wanted to know…but also wondering…
Arliss smirked, reading her mind. "You want to know if I see in you the special skill I see in all duelists that become famous? Am I right Nessa?" He lowered his head and stared at her from beneath his eyebrows, a dark and flirty look. Vanessa squirmed slightly at his use of the pet name. It seemed like such a different name to her, even though she had heard others call her that.
"…yes." She whispered.
"Robert MacFarlene, Hayden McGregor, Syrus Trusdale and Vanessa Fox, please report for your entrance exam."
Both of them looked up as the announcer repeated the message, then back at each other. Arliss shrugged and stood up, offering her his hand. She stared at it, something about the gesture seeming so…final. She shook off the feeling and accepted his gracious offer. He pulled her forward, and she stumbled into his chest, her head right in the crook of his neck, fitting perfectly. Arliss smiled softly but made no move to push her away. Vanessa stood there a moment later and then remembered she had to duel. She blushed glancing down at her shoes.
"Thanks for lunch."
Arliss nodded. "You're welcome…maybe next time we have lunch, it will be at the Academy, Nessa." HE fished a card out of his deck box. "Here, put this in your deck…might bring you good luck."
She shuffled slightly, trying to refuse the card, but couldn't…it called to her, the card begging her to take it. She reached out, slipping the unknown card into her deck, and the spell was broken, her nervousness and hurry returning. "Maybe we will have lunch…but only if you call me by my real name." Not able to wait for an answer, she raced off to get ready for her duel. Arliss watched her leave, his eyes refusing to stop staring at her retreating form.
"But that is your real name." Arliss whispered, a ghost of a smile on his face. "You just don't realize it yet Nessa."
&&&&&
There are many things Marik's diary taught me: How to duel, how to gather funds, how to find rare hunters. But the diary isn't just some rulebook that you have to abide by. No, it's so much more.
You see, Marik left instructions for his heir, should he die before he could instruct another, on what to do to bring back the rare hunters. Some things I care little about, like hunting down Ishizu and beatin' her for the whole God Card thing. The god cards will be penny candy by the time my plan comes to fruition.
No, I am more interested in some of the other passages. These ones are more from the heart, and Marik even writes about his own life. Seems this was his own to-do list, as it were.
Allow me to read you one passage:
'I have long searched for a queen, a woman to rule by my side, to take to my bed and into my heart, someone that I can trust more fully then even Odion. It is important that I find this woman, this person that will be my match and my balance, my partner ad my muse, my driving force.'
Who knew Marik was such a poet?
'When I started my search, I had focused on different types of girls. First I tried those from the bottom of the barrel, the abandoned and the weak, who I could mold. But there was no joy in this. They were no better then puppets…puppets that I will use later on in my mission.
Next, there was my trials with the dark hearted. I sought witches, dark warrioress, those blessed in the dark arts. But I found their hearts too cold, and their bodies too stiff for my tastes.
However, I have come upon her atleast, the true woman that shall be my queen, and I realize my folly. I had sought out those of darkness, just like I feel in my soul But now, I realize that I need the opposite. I need a woman of light, of such purity and such light that it burns my soul to even think of her.
I need her, because now I dream of her, of what I will do to her. OF how I will break her, bring her to the darkness. Of how I will take her pure heart and taint it with dark magic until she becomes a new woman, a queen reborn. I see her smile, and I image her innocent smile twisted into a demented smirk, as she tortures her former friends. There is no pleasure greater then turning what was once light into darkness.
Soon, soon I will have you. I will have my dark queen, Tea Garner.'
Of course, we all know that 'Master Marik', the poof that he is, failed. He decided to use Tea as bait, instead of taking her under his wing, and in the end he lost his queen, his hunters, and his pride. Now he sits in his little stone cave while Odion screws his sister in the next room.
But I have learned from his mistakes. I have found my dark queen, and even now, I prep her, prepare her for the darkness. Soon, I will extend my hand, and she will pledge her soul to me, and forever banish the light from her heart. And then, I will show her the true pleasure of the darkness, the erotic joys and happiness that can be gained only in the shadows.
Nessa…my queen…you are already mine.