Chapter 2: "A Duellist in Queen Elizabeth's Court"
The Palace of Whitehall was the favoured residence of the monarchs, and being within the capital Elizabeth more often than not had to forsake her own familiar quarters in order to conduct her royal affairs. As the young Queen sat in her throne with her advisors at her side, a German ambassador stood before them. He bowed respectfully and then straightened himself up. The ambassador's master, one Prince Ambros the Immortal, had apparently fallen madly in love with the young ruler and now insisted on being permitted to court her, much to Elizabeth's chagrin and, quite honestly, her disgust. After much forced civil debate, the ambassador eventually said, "My master's Duellist Royal will arrive by carriage in one month's time. If his counterpart in your court can best him – and may I add he is so far undefeated - then you shall never hear from him again, but should our man win, you must forgo courtship and wed my master."
Elizabeth's cheeks lit up in outrage, visible even through the thick layer of pale make-up she wore. She hesitated, taking a firm hold of her nerves before giving her answer.
"Inform your Prince Ambros that I accept the terms, and also let him know that his so-called champion will taste defeat in this land."
"His Glorious Highness will be pleased," said the ambassador. "I will take my leave of you now. Good day to you, Your Majesty." He bowed again rather briefly and then made his way out of the room, passing by the figure of a tall, strapping man in red in the corridor. One of the advisors, a gentleman called Robert Cecil, bent down to speak in Elizabeth's ear.
"My Queen, there is one problem with your decision."
"And that would be?" asked Elizabeth, already aware.
"You don't have a Duellist Royal," said Cecil.
"We do have a whole month to prepare, Your Highness," remarked the other advisor, an older fellow called Sir Francis Walsingham. "We could hold an official tournament, with the winner receiving the honour."
"Titles are attractive an all, Walsy," said Elizabeth, "but there is no real incentive. What can we offer that would draw in the attention of skilled duellists?" At this point, the doors opened and in walked a very tall man dressed all in fine crimson. He had smooth, silver hair and smooth brows above his deep, thoughtful eyes.
"Sir Maxwell, this is highly improper," Walsingham protested, "you must have an appointment before gaining an audience!"
"Ah, then you will not want the solution to your current problem," Sir Maxwell Wyvern smirked, "I do hope the Queen enjoys Germany." He turned on his heels and started to walk out when Elizabeth called for him to stop. When asked for his idea, he presented a golden casket. It was rectangular in shape, with an ornate Egyptian eye on the front surrounded by ancient hieroglyphics.
"What is that?" asked the Queen.
"A powerful relic I found in the Valley of the Kings," replied Wyvern. "My guide there told me it is one of the most sacred treasures in the world. It is called…" He lifted the lid to reveal a collection of gold blocks of various shapes, "the Millennium Puzzle. It belonged to an ancient pharaoh who was believed to have had the luck of the Gods on his side. I propose that along with ownership of the title permanently, the winner of your tournament be given this at Christmas, if that is not incentive then I fear the population is desensitised to value."
"I will consider your idea, Sir Maxwell," said Elizabeth, "your thoughts are appreciated." She held out her hands and the explorer placed the casket in them. Reaching in, she retrieved a piece with the same eye carved into it. She could have sworn it was gazing right into her, past her body and into her soul. She shivered and set it back inside, popping the lid down with a 'clunk.' She had a feeling deep inside her that this 'Puzzle,' had a great many secrets. Secrets that, mayhap, should never be known to the world. She did not notice her advisors staring in a mix of wonderment and greed at the golden prize.
XXX
The notice went out, and it was not long before preparations were underway. In the kitchen at the back of the palace, the maids were deep in conversation about those rumoured to participate. Among their number was Gwendolyn, who had easily found employment thanks to her family's existing connections with the aristocracy. She was talking with a young and handsome but ultimately scruffy and unkempt stable-boy named Jethro Marrack. The two found a connection through their shared love of Duel Monsters and had been firm friends ever since.
"I reckon you'd beat anyone in that tournament," he said, picking a stalk of hay out of the mad bushel of his sandy blonde hair. "Bunch of upper-class toffee-noses whose idea of adventure is not taking sugar with their porridge."
"My brother happens to be one of those 'upper-class toffee-noses,' and as it happens he has a potent sweet tooth," replied Gwendolyn, taking off her maid's bonnet to swat him across the top of the head with it. A few of the maids laughed. They liked Jethro. Despite his messy appearance and the smell of the stables that followed him, he could be charming and saying he was friendly was an understatement, and yet it was always amusing to see him humbled by one of the girls he occasionally preyed upon.
"As for that remark about me beating anyone," said Gwendolyn, "I'm inclined to agree with you."
"Yeah but unless you can somehow pass yourself off as a boy, you've no chance," said Jethro. He went completely still when he saw the thin, sly line growing on her lips. Jethro gulped.
XXX
The tournament commenced at the end of the first week, and within two days, only six players remained. On the day of the finals, they were all gathered in the room adjacent to the throne room, wherein the duels took place, under the watchful eye of the Queen. Each of the six had also been given a symbol to mark their status; a brooch of fine silver with a flower-shaped gemstone embedded in the middle. The stone was cold to the touch, cold as a waterfall, and while it appeared to be darkest ebony, one could see green flames dancing in its oblivion depths. A tiny world unto itself. Some of the participants were shuffling their decks or performing other good luck rituals. Two were having a quick little practise to see who could draw the better opening hand. It was these two who were accompanying Sebastian Blackwood (who was playing as the representative of his master, Robert Cecil). Donovan Smyth and Arthur Pomeroy were friends from grammar school, though they had known each other their entire lives. Donovan shuffled his hand back into his deck of cards as Arthur inspected his own hand.
"There's Lord Whitehawk," he said, gesturing to a meek, frail man with dark hair and high, sharp cheek bones. He was pacing up and down in anxiety.
"Stop that!" someone screeched. A short fellow with a pointed beard stamped up to Whitehawk and shook him firmly by the shoulders. "You're giving me a bally migraine, sir, so sit down before I give you something to be anxious about!"
"Rude sort, that one," Sebastian muttered.
"He's renowned for it," replied Arthur. "That's Wilfred Underhill, heir to the Underhill fortune."
"The ship-builders?"
"The same. Apparently his father's company fashioned ships for both Sir Maxwell Wyvern and Sir Walter Raleigh."
"Fancy," Donovan snorted. Sebastian found himself looking over at a boy standing in the corner. He was wearing rather plain russet-coloured clothes and kept his head bowed so his cap obscured his features. He did not speak to anyone and spurned attempts to socialise if anybody came close. He just stood there, shuffling his cards in contemplation. Suspicion dogged the young man and he continued to watch the mysterious duellist. Eventually, an aid came out of the throne room and called for Sebastian and the stranger, whom he referred to as, 'Douglas MacWood.'
"Wouldn't happen to be your Scottish cousin, Blackie?" Donovan chuckled. Sebastian shrugged and followed his opponent to the throne room. He noticed the odd way in which he walked and hmm'd to himself. The interior of the throne room was set out with two tables spaced apart on opposite sides. The Queen's throne was perfectly between them. Sebastian stopped and bowed, but what caught his eye was Mr MacWood. He bent his legs as if to curtsy, but quickly caught himself and transitioned into a slightly clumsy bow. The Queen looked irked, but let it slide.
"Gentlemen," she addressed them, "you will now cut and shuffle each other's decks, then take your seats. The player who goes first will be decided by the flip of a gold piece. Walsy, if you please." Sir Francis Walsingham emerged from behind the throne, already holding a coin in his outstretched hand. The players slipped their cards from the deck cases on their belts and followed the pre-match courtesies as ordered, then sat down at the tables. Game mats had already been set out for them. Neither really understood why there was so much space between them this time, what they did see was that their brooches now emitted a gentle green glow from the black gemstones.
"Please call it," said Walsingham, flipping the coin.
"Heads," said Sebastian quickly.
"Heads it is," Walsingham nodded. "Mr Blackwood will go first."
[Begin Duel: Sebastian Blackwood vs. Douglas MacWood]
"May the best man win, Mr MacWood," Sebastian smiled, making his first draw. "To start off, I'll play one card face-down and end my turn." As he set the card on one of the mat's designated spaces, he saw a thin rectangle of yellow light appear underneath the material and then fade out. He was now feeling apprehensive. What on God's green Earth was happening? He put it out of his mind. Probably just stress brought on by being in the finals. He never imagined he would get this far. Across the room, Mr MacWood nodded and drew.
"First…" he began. No! Unbelievable! Sebastian had been dubious of this man since he first set eyes on him, but he had not expected this! He could see his features, and the sound of his voice…his hand shook. He gulped. No, he thought to himself, maintain your game face. Answers later. You're duelling in front of the Queen, by God! Gwendolyn felt just as tense. Even with the slightly deeper falsetto she was putting on, she was not very good at holding it. She dreaded this match-up, Sebastian would recognise her face eventually, she prayed that he would not blow her cover. Sebastian would never do something like that. They both loved the game too much to ruin it for themselves. They had practised for so long at home, but this was real. This was their first real duel.
"First," she said, "I will discard Hecatrice (1500/1100)to my Graveyard so I can summon this Spell Card from my deck. Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen!" She put down the card and the stone in her brooch shone even brighter. The air around the players seemed to lose stability, rippling like water. With a sound like a most angelic chorus, the throne room was replaced by a magnificent open-air temple with golden columns and a fine, red rug. The Queen seemed to have expected this, as her own throne became an intricately carved marble seat.
"Wha…?" Sebastian choked out. "What happened?"
"Nothing you need to fret about, Mr Blackwood," said the Queen, "it is simply the magic of the Fairy Pins you now wear. This is no mere card game to be played across a table. This is how Sir Maxwell intended Duel Monsters to be played. Now, Mr MacWood, continue your turn."
Shaking off the dizzying feeling from the shift in reality, Gwendolyn returned her attention back to her hand. Stay focussed, she told herself, my word, I can actually feel the wind outside this temple…no, don't let Sebastian down. Have to give him the match he deserves.
"The effect of my Hall of the Fallen," she said, "is that so long as I have no monsters on the field, I can special-summon a Fairy from my hand…and I summon the Airknight Parshath (1900/1400)!" The card she played glowed and in a burst of light, there appeared in front of her table a beautiful centaur with smooth skin, long golden locks and white fur on his equine legs. Parshath was clad in blue-and-gold armour and a helmet decorated with silver-white feathers. He carried a brilliant sword and shield. The creature let out a groan-like sound that sounded as if he were saying, "My master." Gwendolyn stared at the handsome beast before her, then shook her head to regain her composure. This was all so…so…so unearthly. So magical.
"Parshath!" she commanded. "Attack his face-down card with your Sword of Hermes!" The centaur reared up on his hind legs and charged forward, swinging his beautiful blade down at the floor just in front of Sebastian. The sword bounced off an invisible barrier and Parshath took several staggering footsteps back. The area where the sword made contact rippled and the hidden monster grew out of the rug. It had the frame of a muscular man covered from head-to-toe in white-gold armour, but its head was like that of a black rhinoceros. It snorted puffs of gas from its nostrils in what sounded like a mocking laugh. Parshath gritted his teeth and returned to his original spot in front of his master.
"As impressive as your Airknight is," said Sebastian, perhaps a little too smugly, "he's no match for my Gladiator Beast Hoplomus (700/2100)! And thanks to Hoplomus' effect, your attack allows me to switch him with another of his brethren. So he returns to the safety of my deck in exchange for Gladiator Beast Murmillo (800/400)!"
Hoplomus winked as he sank back into the rug and another monster grew out in his place. This one was a skinny, dark blue creature with a long torso and arms but short legs and floppy, oversized fins for feet. Its fingers and arms were linked by pink membranous webbing. It wore scant steel-blue armour and a crown above its rubbery lips and yellow eyes.
"And in accordance to Murmillo's own effect," said Sebastian, "if he is summoned by the 'tag-out,' technique, he can destroy one monster on your side of the field…and that means your Airknight Parshath dies!" Murmillo puffed out its cheeks and then exhaled a stream of large bubbles from its large, round mouth. The bubbles floated towards Parshath and exploded against him. With a pained roar, the centaur shattered like glass and the fragments fizzled out of existence.
"You killed him," Gwendolyn whispered. Though the card itself remained intact, it was still a horrifying spectacle.
[Sebastian's L.P.: 8000 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 7800]
"Now it is my turn," said Sebastian, drawing another card, "first, since you've no monsters to defend you, Murmillo attacks your Life Points directly with his Bubble Bomb!"
Murmillo puffed up its cheeks again and spat out a single, giant liquid orb straight at the girl. The bubble engulfed Gwendolyn's head and there was a sickly feeling of suffocation before it exploded. The attack did no physical damage aside from singing her cap and bruising her forehead, but it took a considerable chunk out of her Life Point counter.
"Next," said Sebastian, "I'll set one card face down and use my tag-out technique to exchange Murmillo for Gladiator Beast Bestiari (1300/800)!"
Murmillo jiggled its fat lips before sinking into the rug, replaced by yet another of its master's creatures. This one was a proud bird-man with bright green feathers and a maroon crown. He wore malachite armour with two silver spears mounted on his shoulders and a pair of giant wings composed of crackling light.
"And Bestiari's effect allows me to destroy one Spell or Trap Card, and I choose to demolish your Hall of the Fallen! Bring it crumbling down, my monster!"
He had never addressed his servants in such a way before, but he was adapting quickly and comfortably to this new level of game-play. Bestiari fired its spears into two of the supporting columns and with a mighty tug, brought them crashing to the floor with an apocalyptic sound. Queen Elizabeth coughed and waved the dust away from her face as the ruins faded, revealing the throne room once again.
"If you're done playing the theatrical villain," said Gwendolyn bitterly, "I'll draw." She did so, and smiled. "First, I'll play Graceful Charity, which lets me draw three cards from my hand, providing I discard two cards immediately after."
In a flash, an angel with a sad smile on her face materialised beside her and lifted the top three cards of the deck. Gwendolyn plucked one from her slender fingers and the angel set the other two in the Graveyard before disappearing.
"Now I'll play my second Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen!" The throne room transformed into the grand temple again. "And I use its effect to summon Athena (2600/800), the Greek goddess of wisdom!"
In the space once occupied by Parshath, there now stood a tall, statuesque woman in a white robe and silver armour trimmed with bronze, clutching a round shield and a razor-edged caduceus.
"And I'll normal-summon Majestic Ohka (2400/1400)." A large white wolf covered in red markings appeared beside Athena. The Greek goddess tapped the end of her staff on the ground and the wolf opened its jaws, blowing out a rosy pink mist that engulfed the floor of the temple.
"In accordance with Athena's effect, when I summon a Fairy while she's on the field, she can deal 600 points of direct damage to your Life Points." Athena raised the caduceus and aimed its three glistening points at Sebastian. The young man raised his arms to defend himself as the staff extended at great speed, stopping only as it touched his forehead, letting free a thin trickle of blood before returning to its original length.
"Ohka!" Gwendolyn commanded. "Destroy Bestiari!" The wolf howled and lunged at the bird-man, who took a combat-ready pose to meet the oncoming beast.
"I activate my face-down card!" Sebastian cried. "Defensive Tactics, saving my creature and reducing any battle damage to nil!" A ball of indigo light appeared around Bestiari and Ohka bounced off harmlessly, skidding back into his original position. Athena knelt down to check on her comrade with an expression of concern on her face. The bird-man wagged his finger tauntingly as the ball vanished and the card went to the Graveyard.
"Fine, we'll play it dirty," Gwendolyn smirked. "Summoning Ohka without a tribute means she'll go to the Graveyard at the end of my turn, but I'm going to cheat fate and use Athena's other effect. By sending Ohka to the Graveyard myself, I can resurrect my Airknight Parshath!"
Ohka howled again as it was engulfed in a column of white light, which parted like a pair of curtains to reveal the centaur. "And that means Athena can deal another 600 points of direct damage." The caduceus grew towards Sebasatian again, this time he did not bother to raise his arms as the blade drew blood from a spot just above the first cut.
"Since you attacked Bestiari," he said aloud, wiping the trickling scarlet fluid away with his sleeve, "I'll use tag-out again, and while he retreats to safety, I'll call on Gladiator Beast Laquari (1800/400)!" The bird-man crossed his arms over his chest as he sank into the rug and a humanoid tiger clad in orange armour with a gold horn jutting from his helmet took his place. Laquari roared. Athena and Parshath both tensed, drawing their respective weapons close.
[Sebastian's L.P.: 6800 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 7000]
Sebastian drew a card and pointed towards his tiger-beast.
"Laquari!" he cried. "Tear her Airknight to ribbons!" Laquari roared again and bounded across the room. Parshath raised his shield to protect himself but one swipe of Laquari's claws sent it flying. Another swipe shattered the centaur.
"But Laquari's attack points are lower than Parshath's!" Gwendolyn protested.
"Normally yes," Sebastian replied, "but if you didn't notice, each of my Gladiator Beasts has a special power that activates when I use the tag-out technique. In Laquari's case, his attack points are raised to 2100, making him 300 points stronger than Parshath." The Queen stroked her chin between her thumb and index finger. He has a very powerful combination, she thought, his monsters use one another for maximum strength, but if he gets overconfident he'll slip up.
"I'll play one card face-down," Sebastian continued, "exchange Laquari for Murmillo and destroy Athena." The tiger-man was replaced by the awkward-bodied fish and just as it had done to the first Parshath it blew out a stream of explosive bubbles that obliterated Athena with a scream of agony.
By now Gwendolyn was beginning to get worked up. Truth be told, her brother had been saving these particular cards for now. She never realised just how deadly he really was. She refused to regret or eat her words about being a superior player. Now was the opportunity to really prove it, if she could just break his sequence. She drew a card.
"I'll play one card face-down," she said with struggling calm, "and then summon a monster in face-down defence. I'll end my turn there." Her hand was now empty.
[Sebastian's L.P.: 6800 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 6700]
Sebastian drew a card.
"First," he said, "Murmillo will attack your face-down monster." The offensive bubbles, however, were useless. As they came close, two spinning hoops of light burst of the floor and sliced them into tinier bubbles that popped harmlessly in mid-air. Two little imps with bean-shaped heads and lapis eyes appeared inside the hoops. They glared at Sebastian and huddled together, linking hands.
"Well if that's not just adorable," the older boy sneered.
"Oh dear, you made a mistake. How tragic," said Gwendolyn sarcastically. "You attacked my Gellenduo (1700/0), and while their defence points are nil, they can't be destroyed in battle."
"Fine," Sebastian growled, "but the attack still counts, so I can exchange Murmillo for Laquari." The fish was replaced by the tiger-man. The Gellendou blew raspberries at him and he snarled hatefully in response.
"If that's all," said Gwendolyn, "I'll just draw and pass my turn there."
[Sebastian's L.P.: 6800 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 6700]
Drawing his next card, Sebastian contemplated his next move. It may not damage her Life Points, but if I have Laquari attack, I can switch him for Murmillo and remove Gellenduo from the field with his effect. You're an intelligent duellist, 'Mr MacWood,' but I'm the one who taught you everything you know about this game.
"I summon Gladiator Beast Andal (1900/1500)!" he declared.
A towering black bear appeared next to Laquari. It wore purple armour and its left eye had been gouged out, leaving a sealed and scarred lid. Judging by the aura of courage it radiated, whatever terrible incident that blinded it could only serve to anger the beast, not humble it.
"And Laquari attacks Gellenduo!" The tiger-man glanced at his master, grinned knowingly, and charged. Rather than being stopped by the hoops, Laquari was caught in a field of aqua blue light. His limbs outstretched and his body paralysed, Laquari roared indignantly. The field dissipated and Laquari collapsed at Andal's feet. The bear knelt down to aid his fellow gladiator.
"You forgot my face-down card," Gwendolyn chuckled. "My Draining Shield negates the attack of your monster and increases my Life Points by its attack points. Since Laquari never actually made contact with Gellenduo, you can't pull your little magic trick. But don't be disheartened, this is just getting fun!"
"My sentiments exactly," Sebastian replied, "so make your move, my friend."
[Sebastian's L.P.: 6800 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 8800]
"Gladly," said Gwendolyn, drawing. When she saw the new addition to her hand, she smiled. "First, I'll play this Spell Card, Sanctuary in the Sky!" All around them, the Hall of the Fallen began to change. Its components mixed like paint dancing in a cup of water. The open-air temple split wide and now the duellists found themselves on a stone landing between two marble staircases, one leading down to the open air, for they were now standing on an island floating through the wide blue yonder. The other staircase led up to the entrance of a glorious new temple, one that was built from different levels of marble architecture, squat buildings and round coliseums, all gravitating around a single column, and mounted atop that was a statue with two arms curving upwards with a featureless globe nestled between them. The Queen's throne was at the top of the ascending stairs and she looked just a little nervous. The magical world created by the Fairy Pins was starting to become a little too dangerous for her liking.
"Here's the best part," said Gwendolyn, gesturing to the island around them. "While my Sanctuary in the Sky is active, I take no battle damage so long as my Fairies are involved in combat. Next I'll sacrifice my Gellenduo to summon…"
The two imps danced around each other as their hoops spun faster, carrying them higher and higher until they faded into the rays of the strange world's sun. There was a bright flash and the sound of a horse neighing. A glowing collection of gold-and-blue pieces of armour and silver-white feathers assembled themselves above the girl. An ivory mask materialised under the winged helmet and green lights illuminated its empty eyepieces.
"Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin (2300/2000)!"
"Awe-inspiring," Elizabeth whispered.
"My God," Sebastian croaked.
"Close but not quite," Gwendolyn smirked, quite overtaken herself, "and because of my Sanctuary in the Sky, Neo-Parshath's power increases depending on the difference between our Life Points. So he now has 4300 attack points and 4000 defence points!" Sebastian felt a lump rise in his throat.
"Neo-Parshath! Annihilate Laquari!"
The tiger-man roared in fear as the angelic being raised its huge sword over its head and swung it downwards. The blade sliced the gladiator neatly in half down the middle. The two halves shattered into fragments and the shockwaves toppled Andal onto its side and pushed Sebastian back so he almost fell off his chair.
[Sebastian's L.P.: 4600 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 8800]
Steadying himself, the young man drew a card, and a confident smile spread over his face. This is where things will start going my way.
"I'll play this Spell Card!" he announced. "Lightning Vortex! By paying the cost of one card, I can destroy Neo-Parshath." The white clouds surrounding the Sanctuary turned black and a rain of lightning enveloped the glowing phantom, reducing it to dust on the wind.
"Blast you," Gwendolyn growled. "You'll pay for this."
"Not yet," Sebastian replied arrogantly. "Next I'll summon Gladiator Beast Dimacari (1600/1200) to the field!" A humanoid buffalo with black horns and red-and-cobalt armour materialised next to Andal. "And my monsters will attack together for double the carnage!"
The bear and buffalo jumped towards Gwendolyn and delivered an almighty simultaneous punch to Gwendolyn's stomach. The girl spat up blood as she tumbled out of her chair and onto the marble landing. When he saw his sister lying prone there, he paused. Feeling their master's mixed emotions of fear and doubt, the two gladiators looked at each other, then at him questioningly, like the warriors of the ancient Roman circus awaiting Caesar's judgement.
"C…continue your move, Mr Blackwood," said Queen Elizabeth, although she too was also worried for the other player.
"I…I use the…the tag-out technique to exchange Dimacari for Bestiari and destroy the Sanctuary in the Sky." Dimacari vanished and the bird-man took his place. The spears launched from his shoulders, this time into the central statue. As it came down, it smashed through the main building and Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen reasserted itself as the battlefield. Did I go too far? Sebastian wondered. I didn't know…oh God, please, let her be all right…
A long pause followed, then Gwendolyn groaned. She forced herself up on all fours, letting her cap drop to the floor as she struggled back into her chair. A trickle of scarlet stained her chin. She swallowed blood and drew her next card.
"I…" she groaned. "…I…s-set one c-card in face-down defence…and…and end my turn." She forced an encouraging smile to her face.
[Sebastian's L.P.: 4600 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 5300]
Sebastian drew a card.
"First I'll summon another Andal to the field," he said. A second black bear appeared beside the first and the two nodded to each other in acknowledgement. This one had lost its right eye rather than its left. "And my second Andal attacks your face-down monster." The monster roared and swiped down at the floor with its huge paw. An orange wreath wrapped in teal ribbon rose from the rug and shattered.
"That was my…N-Nova Summoner (1400/800)," Gwendolyn explained, "and when it's sent to the Graveyard, I am allowed to special-summon another Light Fairy from my deck…and I choose my second Nova Summoner in face-up defence position." Another wreath appeared, this one with two wings draped over it.
I've still got dominance over the field, thought Sebastian, so if I keep destroying her monsters, she'll lose through attrition. He repeated the same move, and a third Summoner came forth. When the cycle occurred again, Gwendolyn called forth a different creature.
"I summon Shining Angel (1400/800) in face-up defence," she said, pausing to swallow more blood welling in her mouth. She was starting to feel sick, however, it is a fact that a human can approximately ingest a pint of blood before any unpleasantness occurs, and while Gwendolyn did not know this herself, she was still quite capable of concentrating on the task at hand. As she played the card, a young man wearing a white toga and with four golden wings appeared. He knelt down and crossed his arms over his chest while his wings draped protectively around him to form a feathery, ball-shaped shield.
"I'll end my turn by switching Bestiari for Murmillo," said Sebastian as the fish-beast rose up to take the bird-man's position. "And use his effect to destroy your Shining Angel." Murmillo attacked with his incendiary bubbles, smashing the wing-shield and killing the angel in a blast of light.
Gwen drew and smiled weakly.
"With n-no monsters on the field…" she bit back her discomfort to speak more clearly, "my Hall of the Fallen lets me summon a Fairy monster, and I choose to summon Tethys, Goddess of Light (2400/1800)!"
Sebastian mentally kicked himself. Curses! He should have destroyed that card while he had the chance! Now the tables were beginning to turn against him! A giant celestial entity flashed into existence. She had a doll-like, pale face with big, black eyes and long, dark silver hair that flowed more than the wind could have logically caused it to. She wore a wide-sleeved white dress that trailed behind her, adorned with an armoured vest of silver, blue and gold and a gold crown embedded with many magnificent gemstones. There was a pair of sparkling wings attached to her back with the aid of two sapphire orbs.
"T-Tethys…destroys Murmillo…!"
The goddess of light cupped her hands together at arm's length as a star of solid light appeared between her palms. The Gladiator Beasts withdrew nervously as she whispered a chant in some unknown archaic language and threw the star forward. It struck Murmillo in the heart and the fish groaned before shattering. Tethys knitted her fingers together as if in prayer as she stood in front of her master.
[Sebastian's L.P.: 3000 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 5300]
Sebastian drew and thought to himself, No! This is a poor draw…there's nothing I can do.
"I pass," he murmured. He would regret it. He was fumbling, losing focus, failing. The sight of his sister's bleeding and wounded body had shaken him and thrown off his instincts.
As Gwen drew, she looked across at her brother.
"Because of Tethys' effect," she said, "when I draw a Fairy monster, I can show it to you in order to draw another card. So here's the card I drew, the Agent of Force – Mars…so…" Another swallow. "I draw another card, and once again I'll show it to you, it's Zeradias, Herald of Heaven, and draw a third card. This one is a Spell Card, Cestus of Dagla, which I equip to Tethys, giving her an extra 500 attack points." Tethys smiled and reached behind her, retrieving two weapons with gold, D-shaped blades.
"N-next, I p-play my second Sanctuary in the Sky!"
Valhalla swirled around them until they were back on the floating island.
"And finally I summon the Agent of Force – Mars (0/0), and while my Sanctuary exists, the difference between our Life Points becomes his attack and defence, putting him at 2300 for both." A red-skinned man appeared beside Tethys. He wore a deep crimson sash and broad breechcloth affixed by a bronze belt. A pair of violet wings extended from his back and he clutched a long pole in both hands, tipped on one end with a double-pronged blade and on the other with a vicious mallet.
"Now, Tethys, destroy the first Andal!"
The goddess pointed the blade in her right hand at the bear and a beam of brilliant green power shot out, impaling the enemy monster like a spear and sucking the life out of it, leaving a skeleton and an empty suit of armour that broke against the marble floor. Tethys aimed the blade in her left hand at her master and the same beam flowed into Gwendolyn.
"When a monster using Cestus of Dagla damages an opponent's Life Points," she explained, "it increases my own Life Points by just as much, widening the difference between us and also increasing my Agent of Force's power even more. Now, Mars, crush the second Andal!"
Mars released a menacing bellow as he ran forward, plunging the blades at the bottom of his staff into the bear's stomach. With a mighty heave, he tossed the animal into the air and then followed it. With an evil twinkle in his white eyes, he swung the mallet down, concaving the bear's skull and plunging it hard into the floor where it shattered. Gwendolyn picked her cap up and jammed it back on her head. "And the game is mine."
[Sebastian's L.P.: 0 / Gwendolyn's L.P.: 7300]
[End Duel: Winner – Douglas MacWood]
The Sanctuary disappeared, fading gently out of view, leaving just the throne room at Whitehall. Mars and Tethys bowed as they too vanished, returning to sleep in their cards. Sir Francis Walsingham emerged from behind the Queen's chair to declare the winner.
"The victory goes to Mr Douglas MacWood," he said.
"Great," Gwendolyn croaked, then promptly collapsed from exhaustion. Sebastian raced towards his sister and knelt by her side, propping up her head with his hand. She could not hear what he was saying and her vision was blurring, rendering everything as just shapes and lights viewed through decorative glass. Don't give me away, you twit, she thought before the sucking oblivion of unconsciousness took her.
XXX
AUTHOR'S NOTE (Scott D. Harris): Well, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I've never written a duel before and while it took some planning (which got shifted around due to some minor details), I definitely enjoyed myself. On a note, some of you will notice we used the fictional 'Majestic Ohka,' rather than 'Majestic Mech – Ohka.' The reason for this, if anybody did not pick up on it, was that 'mechs,' didn't exist back in Elizabethan times, so we simply adapted the card to fit the era, however the stats and effect remain the same. Let us know what you think, people, but right now, I'm going to just stand in the middle of the room and sleep there because I'm too fatigued to crawl into bed!
AUTHOR'S NOTE (Hikari): I agree this story is a lot of fun.
If we use any original cards we will post them down here so watch this space. Also feedback helps us improve so please review. Thank you in advance.