First day of school was not bad. The way things look now, I might not get as much homework as I feared. I hope.
Chapter Sixteen: Burial
Once everyone was onboard, they departed from the dock with Miles steering. The weather was clear, and the waters were calm, making the going easy. Comforted by the pleasant atmosphere, the group was able to relax, grateful for the brief respite.
The only one who did not seem to care for the quiet was Angela. She said, "Awaiting new orders."
"Oh… um… why not just rest?" Larka said. "I mean, I know you don't have to, but you can anyway, right?"
"To rest would be an inefficient use of time," Angela said flatly. She then added, "I will do so if those are my orders."
"Well, if that's really what you want to think… why not go up there and keep a lookout?" Larka suggested, indicating to the crow's nest. "Tell us if you see any signs of land, ships, or possible threats."
"Affirmative." Angela's hair whipped up and secured around the edge of the platform. Before the watchers could react, she leapt straight up, and landed neatly on the platform.
Rue whistled, looking impressed. "How does she do it?"
"Don't let her hear you say that, or else she will probably give you a lecture on just how," Gaston advised.
Neo had sat down and was leaning against a mast while shivering. "Hate… water…"
"Oh come on, it isn't that bad," Darche said.
"Not for you, maybe, but I'm a being of fire now," Neo pointed out.
"I am afraid that there are those that cannot stand traveling by water. I am one of them," Gen said with a sick expression.
Miles snorted. "I can't believe you came from my soul. How can you not love sailing like this?"
"Why do you enjoy it so much?" Hope asked.
"The answer is simple," Miles said. "Right, Rue and Draken?"
"Don't you know it," Rue said as the duo joined him.
Miles proceeded to say, "Because we are…"
"Men! Of! The sea!" they chorused, posing.
"…Remind me to smack them when we get to shore," Brandi muttered to Mana.
"Why not now?" she inquired.
"I don't want to leave us without a steersman; if I'm not careful, they might get knocked out," she said, rolling her eyes. "Men of the sea… where do they get their idiotic quotes from?"
"I for one do not wish to know," Zack said, closing his eyes.
"Indeed. Leave them to be the comedy of our group," Will commented while reading.
"You're still buried in a book?" Rue said as he and Draken rejoined them and Miles went back to the wheel.
"Obviously," Will replied.
"Don't you get seasick by reading?" Gen said.
Will turned a page. "No."
"Straight forward and to the point, just like he should be," Gaston said to Hope. "I can't imagine him any other way, you know?"
"Same with everyone here," Hope said, smiling. Then she asked Max, "How far away are the snow lands? The only time I traveled there was when we found Amy there, and those were in smaller, faster boats."
"It shouldn't take too long," Max stated, shrugging. "I tend to avoid them myself. Just not my favorite area."
Any possibility of continuing the conversation was cut off when Angela leapt down, landing neatly on the deck. "There is a disturbance here. If not dealt with immediately, there is a 95.75 percent chance that we will be overcome."
"Overcome? By what?" Draken asked.
There was no chance to respond. Before any of them could react, the ship suddenly dropped, sending them into darkness.
…
Angela's voice was what brought them around, as she recited, "No problems detected. Efficiency has not been changed. Awaiting orders."
"Ow… what happened?" Rue asked, sitting up and rubbing his head.
"I'd like to know that myself," Draken said.
Hope warily looked around the cavern they had fallen in. It was fairly large and empty. Above them, there was a circle of the ceiling cut out, which had water covering it. Why the water was not falling into the cave, Hope had no idea.
"Is everyone all right?" Larka asked.
Rue took off his soaking hat and wrung it out. "It seems we went through the water; maybe we lost the ship or something. Don't know how that came about though."
"Water? Hm… how are you doing, Zack?" Gen said.
"Not badly. We must not have been in it very long," Zack said, examining the buttons on his wrist for signs of damage.
"How about you, Neo?" Gaston asked.
"Pain…" Neo moaned.
"Hang on, I have something that we can use to dry ourselves off." Draken inserted a card into his Duel Disk. A red glow surrounded him momentarily before fading. Satisfied with the results, he inserted others to have the same beneficial effect on his companions. "That's called Boiling Blood. Works better than any towel."
As it turned out, he had exactly ten. Glancing at the Soul Monsters apologetically, he said, "Sorry, but we need to make sure our Duel Disks don't rust or something."
"Aren't they waterproof?" Rue said.
"I'm not sure, so let's not take chances. Sorry Angela, you're going to have to be excluded too," Draken said.
"I do not require being dry. My efficiency is not lowered by it," Angela said.
"This place…" Brandi said.
"Do you know anything about it?" Max asked.
Brandi nodded. "This is where I dueled Aurora. It seems like such a long time ago…"
"I remember it too!" Mana declared. "After we won, we were lifted right out! But there's no opponents here this time, so what do we do?"
"Enemy detected," Angela said.
"What? Where?" Darche said.
His question was answered when a noise came from the shadows, which sounded like a combination of a constant hum and moan. The spine-chilling sound took effect instantly. Boney hands burst out of the ground around them, and skeletons pulled themselves out as if the earth was not there to hinder them. They lurched upright in a circle around the group.
Miles blinked. "Zombies?" He reached to his Duel Disk readily. "Okay, STARS units, let's get ready for combat."
"This is so not Resident Evil," Draken muttered.
"Either way, they aren't friendly," Max said. "Let's get rid of them and find the source of that sound."
"Affirmative." The rest of the group did not even have a chance to move before Angela struck, piercing all of the skeletons with her hair through their chest area. They dissolved upon contact, returning to dust.
"Yeow," Rue said, blinking. "I'd hate to be on the end of that."
More skeletons emerged, but they did not attack. The sound abruptly ended as two figures stepped out of the shadows.
One of them was a woman with a dark purple robe that had black trimming. Her black hair went to her waist, and her eyes were dark brown. The other was apparently her Soul Monster, who looked like an old hag. She had a light gray robe and hair that was dirty silver, most likely from age. Her eyes were nearly slits from how she kept them closed, making it hard see them very well.
"We are at a deadlock," the woman said. "Dueling seems to be the only way around this."
"Who are you?" Hope asked.
"My name is Sheba, and I am a Judge," she replied. "My Soul Monster, Elda, is a Soul Caller. She can bring out as many undead as I wish."
Hearing this, Will leaned over to Max and whispered something to him. Max blinked, and then smirked before saying, "All right, we can settle this conflict with a duel. If we win, we will be taken out of here, right?"
"Yes. The loser dies," Sheba stated.
"Okay. Rue, you duel her," Max said.
Rue stared at him. "What? Why me?"
"Yeah, shouldn't I be doing it?" Draken pointed out.
"I have a feeling that you will do better against her," Will said.
"You can have the next Judge, Draken," Max added.
Rue shrugged. "Well, whatever you say. Can't be that bad." He stepped up, Ruecian with him. "Ready whenever you are."
"Is that really why you wanted him to duel?" Hope asked Max softly.
"You'll see in a moment," Max said.
Rue: 8000
Sheba: 8000
"Since you went and attacked us, I'm going first," Rue declared.
"Very well," Sheba said.
"I lay one monster in defense and a card down. Do your worst!" Rue said.
Sheba merely placed a card down delicately. "I summon Wight." (300/200)
Rue stared blankly at the skeleton clad in a purple robe as it appeared. "You have to be kidding."
"What? That pathetic thing? Why is it even in her deck?" Brandi said in disgust.
"…You knew she used these, didn't you?" Rue said to Max, his eye twitching.
Max grinned. "I guessed it after Will pointed out that Soul Caller's card has her bringing out a Wight."
"I hate you both. So much. First Intruders, now freaking WIGHTS," Rue spat, turning back to the field.
"Now I don't feel bad about passing on dueling her," Draken said with a grin.
"I place three cards down," Sheba said, not commenting on their reactions to her monster.
"I activate Cyclone on the first one you laid!" Rue said, flipping his card over.
"Gravity Bind," Sheba stated as the winds tore it apart. "Done."
"Whew, glad that's dealt with," Rue remarked. "And for once, I think I can do this correctly. I flip summon Saint Magician (300/400) to get back Cyclone, and then play it on the second card you laid."
"Crowd Tactics." Sheba still did not seem concerned by her losses.
"Now I'll summon Doublecoston (1700/1650) and lay a card down. I don't like leaving Saint Magician out like this, so she attacks Wight!"
"I activate my trap card, Death With Honor," Sheba said. "By sacrificing a level two or lower normal monster, up to two magic or trap cards on your field are destroyed."
"Ugh… there goes Magic Cylinder," Rue said with a sigh. "In that case, Saint Magician attacks, as does Doublecoston."
Once the Saint Magician smacked Sheba over the head with her staff, the Doublecoston hit her with dark energy.
Rue: 8000
Sheba: 6000
In response to Sheba's Life Points going down, skeleton hands came out of the ground, latching onto her legs. Observing the watchers' looks of shock, she calmly said, "This is the way the loser will die. You will be dragged down to join my family."
"Your family?" Rue said.
"My parents, older brother, and older sister used to come here as well," Sheba said. "I went on my own one day, not wanting to join them in the canyons. I was later told that they had been murdered, by a man wishing to make it a cemetery."
Rue grimaced. "No way… you don't mean…?"
"Probably Morte," Will said, shaking his head.
"My resolve has hardened since then," Sheba stated. "I will prevent others from dying to the lunatics that reign in this world. If you must be defeated to do that, so be it." She slid a card into her Duel Disk. "I play Magic Experimentation Room. It costs 800 Life Points."
Rue: 8000
Sheba: 5200
Ignoring the skeleton hands grabbing her, she said, "I pick up the top four cards on my deck and special summon any level three or lower normal monsters." She glanced at the four cards. "I have a Wight, and place it in defense. The other cards are shuffled back in. I summon Demon-World Familiar and attack Saint Magician." (1600/600)
Rue: 6700
Sheba: 5200
Rue flinched as the skeleton hands grabbed him. "This is going to be a pain…" He regained his confidence as he saw the card he drew though. "I sacrifice Doublecoston for Black Magician! (2500/2100) Since Doublecoston counts as two sacrifices for a Dark Main-Type, it works. Black Magician attacks your Demon-World Familiar!"
Rue: 6700
Sheba: 4300
With hands clutching her up to her waist, Sheba said, "When sent from the field to the Cemetery, Demon-World Familiar allows us to select a level three or lower normal monster from our decks and put it into our hands. I get my third Wight."
"I can't get anything," Rue said. "So go."
"I summon that Wight and play Thousand Energy," Sheba said. "This increases all level two or lower normal monsters' stats by 1000." (1300/1200)
"…Oh no?" Rue said, blinking.
"I end my turn." Both of her Wights exploded. "Thousand Energy destroys the monsters it affected at the end of the turn it was played."
"…Well that was pointless," Rue said. "Black Magician attacks directly."
The black magic attack would have probably knocked Sheba back, had the hands not been holding her in place.
Rue: 6700
Sheba: 1800
By now, the hands were covering her chest. Her voice was a bit breathless as she said, "I play Angel's Gift, drawing three cards and discarding two. I discard two Wight Kings. I lay a monster down and end my turn."
"Wish I had another monster," Rue commented. "But as it is, Black Magician attacks yours."
"Critter. (1000/600) When sent to the Cemetery, I get a monster from my deck with 1500 defense or less and put it into my hand. I choose Killer Tomato." Sheba shuffled her deck.
"Your turn," Rue said.
Sheba placed her card promptly. "I summon my final Wight King to the field." (/0)
Rue's eye twitched as he watched the grimmer version of Wight appear. "What's the catch?"
Dark energy came from the ground, causing the Wight King to grow in size. "He gains 1000 attack for each Wight and Wight King in the Cemetery." (5000/0)
"…Oh JOY," Rue said sarcastically. "I can tell this won't be pretty."
"I equip him with Optical Camouflage Armor," Sheba continued. "It can only be given to a level one monster, and it allows the monster to attack directly. He does so."
The Wight King vanished, reappearing in front of Rue. Its sharp, boney fingers pierced into Rue deeply, causing him to gasp in pain.
Rue: 1700
Sheba: 1800
More hands shot out of the ground, grabbing his chest. Rue managed to say, "I feel so violated."
"You're getting whipped by a monster based off one of the weakest ones in the game," Draken said, snickering.
"Shut up! I'll take it down!" Rue swiftly inserted a card. "I play Thousand Knives! When played with Black Magician on the field, I destroy one of your monsters. Say goodbye to Wight King!"
The Wight King was sliced into with several knives. He vanished into black energy. But the liquid-like blackness became solid again, forming the Wight King.
"I used Wight King's effect; by removing a Wight or a Wight King, he is special summoned to my field," Sheba explained. (4000/0) "Normally this only works in battle, but Elda's Deck Master ability allows me to use it with anything."
"…Time for Plan B!" Rue announced. "I play Early Burial on Saint Magician!"
Rue: 900
Sheba: 1800
"Oh get off," he spat at the hands as they grabbed his arms. "Anyway, now I use Double Magic! By discarding a magic card-Black Magic Curtain this time-I get to take a magic card from your Cemetery and use it. I'm choosing Optical Camouflage Armor and equipping it to Saint Magician! Then I lay a card down and play Power of Magicians! This raises her stats by 500 for every magic or trap card I have! (1800/1900) She attacks directly to end the duel!"
The group watched in amazement as the Saint Magician's staff blow nearly caved Sheba's head in.
Rue: 900
Sheba: 0
"So… I have lost. Maybe… I will find them again…" That was all Sheba was able to say before the hands seized the rest of her body and pulled her under the ground. Elda met a quick end in the same manner. The ones holding Rue vanished.
"That was not fun," Rue grumbled, rubbing the area of his arm where he had been gripped.
"Do you still think Wight is the weakest card in the game?" Hope said teasingly.
"Hey, my statement was perfectly justified when I told you that before!" Rue protested. "Besides, the Wight themselves still sucked. It was just Wight King that was some kind of hacking card."
"We are never going to let you forget this," Miles said, grinning.
"I somewhat wish you had lost," Draken said in mock seriousness. "So I could write on your tombstone, 'Here lies Rue Klaus, tragically deceased after a devastating battle with a Wight…'" He quickly ran as Rue charged at him.
"Either way, that's that," Max said, ignoring the chase. "How do we get back up?"
"There is an 80.06 percent probability that inserting the card would bring back the ship," Angela said.
"Sheba did say we would be taken back up if Rue won, and I doubt she was lying," Larka said.
"True. Give it a try," Brandi said.
"Sure thing." Miles placed the Skull Red Pirate Ship back into his Duel Disk.
Without warning, they found themselves back on the deck outside. Seizing the opportunity, Draken leapt to the side and let Rue keep running forward with full momentum.
"What the-DARN YOU DRAKEN!" Rue yelled as he went over the side and into the water.
Kazel sighed and flew down, grabbing Rue with her tail and flinging him onto the deck. She settled down on it and folded her wings, saying, "All hands on deck."
"Back to our usual way of life," Gaston said dryly, watching Rue leap up and continue running after Draken.
Larka sighed. "Maybe it is wrong of me, but I felt sorry for Sheba. It was like she hid her emotions from us…"
"I know what you mean. However, she was willing to kill us. There was little we could have done," Zack said.
Larka nodded. "There was not any other way in that circumstance. But I feel some regret."
"Hopefully she's found some happiness," Hope said. "Along with all of the other Judges that had tragic pasts. It's depressing, hearing about all of the pain Teknisk Wereld has brought."
"Real life is no better," Max said. "We cannot let a few past occurrences affect our judgment on Teknisk Wereld too harshly."
"Right…" Hope fell silent, as did her friends, pondering over the reason for this conflict.
To be continued…