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DRAW SIX
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Cold Sweat
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As Jalal cautiously walked through the dark cathedral, he was startled by a voice coming from above.
"Jalal, be careful!" it screamed. "Norg told them you were coming!"
He stopped short.
"That voice…" he whispered. "Hebi-Na?"
He looked up.
"Her body may be asleep…" he said. "But her soul is as conscious as ever! And she's been watching me the whole time!"
He called out.
"Who?" he shouted. "Who knows I'm here? Where are you?"
"I'm…" she started to say.
Then there was a muffled sound, like someone had clasped a hand over her mouth. Jalal waited for a minute or two, but she didn't speak again.
He started to walk again, and as he did, the décor changed dramatically.
The lights got dimmer, and the walls started to warp…
After about a minute, he was not walking through a manmade structure at all, but a dark, wet cave. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he realized that he was in a large cavern, with the far side taken up by a pool of water.
"I know this place…" he said.
That he did. This was part of the cavern system under Neo Domino that the aboleth made its home in. His men had searched the place with a fine-toothed comb after its defeat.
This is likely where Hebi-Na's memories of her ill-fated encounter with that thing lie, he thought. Where it first inflicted her with the Bells of Baphomet…
Then the pool started to bubble and churn… Something was alive in it.
The aboleth? Whatever it was, Jalal knew it wouldn't be friendly.
A large, terrifying form broke surface. This wasn't the aboleth, but it was just as bad. It was a huge, serpentine demon, with a head resembling a fiendish moray eel, with four tentacles where most creatures would have had arms. It stank of rotten fish.
He had never seen a wastrilith before, but he had heard stories about them… They were one of the few species that were able to swim in the foul waters of the River Styx unharmed, and were known for lying in ambush for unwary travelers – which in the Lower Planes, was almost anyone willing to travel there – in places where the River's shores touched the Abyss.
"Who dares enter this temple?" said a telepathic voice that reverberated through Jalal's head.
"Who are you?" asked Jalal. "Where's the soul?"
"Who am I?" asked the wastrilith. "I was born from a spark in Hebi-Na's mind when she first believed that her life was hopeless…
"And when Taramanda was killed and she realized that she truly had nothing to live for, that spark grew into a blazing fire.
"I am the drive that made her desire the worst crime a mortal can commit… The one sin that can never be redeemed…"
"Suicide…" muttered Jalal, glaring at the creature.
"The one thing that she wanted more than to end her life was vengeance," continued the creature. "And it kept me at bay… And now… Self-murder is no longer an option, but so long as she suffers, I will survive…"
"Not for long…" said Jalal.
"You talk tough, mortal…" said the wastrilith. "You wish to release her from this prison? Well… You must get by me first; I guard the only door to the next level of this cathedral.
"Until I am defeated in a Shadow Duel, that door will not appear…"
"Fine!" said Jalal.
His Duel Disk activated.
"I accept!"
The wastrilith grinned with its toothy mouth, and five cards appeared in front of it, backsides forward.
"You're either very brave or very foolish," it said. "Either way, you will soon pay the price of your folly."
(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Wastrilith: 8,000)
"You may make the first move…"
Jalal drew a sixth card.
Not bad… he thought, looking at his first hand.
"I'll throw this card facedown," he said, as a card appeared in his Spell Zone, "and then summon Twin-Headed Behemoth."
A large, winged Dragon with two heads appeared in front of him. (1,500 ATK)
He looked at another card in his hand, Des Volstgalph.
Even if he destroys Behemoth with an attack, he thought, it will come back at the end of the turn, and I can summon this guy.
"I end my turn," he said.
A sixth card appeared in front of the Wastrilith.
"I set two cards facedown," it said, as two cards appeared in its Spell Zone, "and then play Chain Energy."
A Continuous Spell appeared in front of it.
"Chain Energy requires each player to pay 500 Life Points to summon a Monster, set a card, or activate a card from his hand.
"With that, I end my turn…"
Jalal was a little surprised.
No Monsters? he thought, as he made a draw.
One of those two facedown cards is probably deadly… But little does he know, I have Immortal Dragon set.
"I sacrifice Behemoth," he exclaimed.
The two-headed Dragon turned into an orb of energy.
"…to summon Des Volstgalph!"
In a flash, a large, fierce-looking Dragon with earthen-brown scales appeared. (2,200 ATK)
He grunted a little as the Chain Energy card glowed.
"Attack him directly!" he shouted.
Des Volstgalph blasted a bolt of pure energy from its jaws.
"I activate… Dimensional Prison," said the demon.
The bolt was halted, and Des Volstgalph vanished into a ripple of light.
"I thought so…" said Jalal. "I activate… Immortal Dragon!"
His facedown card lifted up.
"And I activate Malfunction," said the fiend, as its second facedown card lifted up. "By paying 500 Life Points, your Trap Card is negated and reset."
The Trap Card slammed back down.
"And in response to that," it continued, "since you seem to like Dragons so much, I can now Special Summon Lock Dragon from my hand."
A strange-looking Dragon appeared in front of the wastrilith. It looked thin and spindly, with no limbs aside from its wings, and a key-shaped snout. (2,000 DEF)
"So long as this Monster is in Defense Mode," it continued, "neither player may Special Summon."
"Say WHAT?" said Jalal.
"You heard me," said the demon. "Is that your move?"
Jalal sighed.
"Yeah…" he said.
The one Dragon-Type Monster I wish I'd never see, and this guy has it, he thought.
(J: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 7,000)
"My move…" said the wastrilith, as a new card appeared in front of it.
"I play the Continuous Spell Card, Toll," it said, as a card appeared next to Chain Energy. "Now, each player must pay 500 Life Points in order to declare an attack."
"And I end my turn…"
(J: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,500)
Jalal drew a card, and looked at it.
Monster Reborn.
Perfect… he thought. Of all the times I'd be happy to draw this card, this isn't one of them!
He looked at the demon and his setup.
I'm beginning to get the picture… he thought. His whole deck is about killing me via my own actions!
"I summon Axe Dragonute!" he said.
The humanoid, axe-carrying Dragon appeared. (2,000 ATK)
If I can increase this guy's Attack Score by even 100 points, I'll be able to defeat Lock Dragon. Until then, I'll just have to wait…
"I end my turn…" he said.
(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,500)
"I draw…" said the wastrilith, as another card appeared in front of it.
"Then I activate Spellbook Inside the Pot," it said, as a Spell Card spun around. "Now, we each draw three cards."
Jalal drew three times, and three more cards appeared in front of the demon.
"I play Forbidden Chalice," it continued, as a new Spell Card spun around. "I select one Monster, and it gains 400 Attack Points, but loses its effect for the rest of the turn…
"The Monster I choose… Is Lock Dragon."
Jalal's eyes opened wide.
"I can Special Summon now!" he shouted, as Immortal Dragon lifted up. "Des Volstgalph, return!"
Des Volstgalph leapt onto the field with a roar. (2,200 ATK)
"Fool," said the wastrilith. "You did just what I wanted you to do…"
Another Spell Card in its hand spun around.
"I activate Misfortune," it said. "By not attacking this round, this insidious Spell Card allows me to deal damage to you equal to half the base Attack Points of one of your Monsters. I choose Des Volstgalph."
Jalal shouted out in pain as a beam of energy shot from the card, hitting him in the gut.
"My final move of the turn will be to play Supremacy Berry," said the demon, as it played a fourth Spell Card. "My Life Points are now lower than yours, so I gain 2,000 Life Points, which makes up for all that I paid this round due to Chain Energy.
"With that, I end my turn. Make your move."
(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,500)
Jalal's hand shook as he made a draw.
"I summon… Luster Dragon…" he said.
The beautiful, sapphire Dragon appeared. (1,900 ATK)
"You're only hurting yourself," said the wastrilith.
"We'll see about that," said Jalal. "Des Volstgalph, attack Lock Dragon!"
Des Volstgalph breathed his bolt of burning energy at the defending Dragon.
Then the one card in the demon's hand spun around.
"I discard Stronghold Guardian from my hand," it said.
A man hefting a huge castle on his shoulders appeared behind the watery fiend.
"As a result, the Monster being attacked gains 1,500 Defense Points for the remainder of the turn."
The bolt of energy bounced off Lock Dragon, and the backlash knocked Jalal backwards.
That's playing dirty! he thought. Every move I make… I just seem to hurt myself more!
"I… I have to end my turn…" he said.
(J: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,500)
"My draw…" said the creature.
It drew one card.
It quickly disappeared, appearing in its Spell Zone.
"Your move…" it said.
(J: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,000)
"Draw!" said Jalal, as he drew a card.
"I sacrifice Luster Dragon…" he said.
Luster Dragon turned into an orb of darkness.
"…for White-Horned Dragon!"
With a screech, the large, Dark Dragon with a unicorn's horn appeared next to Des Volstgalph. (2,200 ATK)
"And I'll remove all the Spell Cards in your Graveyard from play…"
Spellbook Inside the Pot, Misfortune, and Forbidden Chalice appeared behind him, and vanished.
"…to boost its Attack Score by 900 points!"
(3,100 ATK)
"Not what I had hoped," said the wastrilith, "but I'll activate this anyway…"
Its facedown card lifted up.
"The dreaded Just Desserts. It deals you 500 points of damage for each Monster you control."
A pair of ghostly arms reached out of the card, and grabbed Jalal by the neck. He gasped as they started to strangle him…
Then he gasped again, and fell on one knee as they let go.
(J: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,000)
Sweat was pouring down his face.
"Des Volstgalph…" he said.
The Dragon prepared to attack.
"WAIT!" shouted Jalal.
"Yes?" said the demon.
Even if I destroy Lock Dragon and attack directly with White Horned Dragon… thought Jalal. Then what?
I'd only have 100 Life Points left! I'd be powerless! I wouldn't have enough Life Points to declare an attack due to Toll or set, summon or play a single card due to Chain Energy!
"I… I end my turn…" he said.
A cruel laughter from the creature reached his mind as it drew another card.
"You're feeling it, aren't you, mortal?" it said. "You're getting the feeling of utter hopelessness… The same feeling that drives people like Hebi-Na to the point where they prefer death over life… This is the feeling she felt when she saw her life in shambles, when she knew that there was nothing left for her in this world… She felt powerless…
"I set this card facedown and end my turn…"
A card appeared in its Spell Zone.
"If you think you can make a move, do so…"
(J: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 5,500)
Jalal looked at his deck.
He wasn't powerless… Not yet… He had one card in his deck that could help… And so long as he knew it was there, he still had hope…
All he had to do was remember who he was doing this for… He thought of Hebi-Na in his mind… How long she had been suffering under the cruelty of whoever was at the top of this dark cathedral.
And with that at the front of his mind, he made his draw.
"THIS is my move, ugly!" he said, as he thrust the Spell Card forward. "It's called A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon!"
"Eh?" said the demon.
He threw it into his Disk.
"It costs me 500 Life Points due to Chain Energy," said Jalal, "but that will be the last time, because by returning one Level 5 or higher Dragon to my hand…"
White-Horned Dragon vanished, and he caught its card dramatically.
"…all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are destroyed!"
A large Dragon made of pure energy appeared, and started to beat its wings. The wastrilith's eyes widened in horror as its Chain Energy, Toll, and facedown Magic Cylinder were all blown to shards.
"Now I can activate all the Spell Cards I want," continued Jalal. "And for each one, Des Volstgalph gains 200 Attack Points."
(2,400 ATK)
"Here's another one," he continued. "Card of Variation. I draw twice, and then either discard a card at the end of my turn, or take 3,000 points of damage."
Des Volstgalph's Attack Score went up to 2,600 as Jalal made two draws.
"Perfect!" he said. "I play Enemy Controller! I'll move your Lock Dragon to Attack Mode!"
The demon gasped again, as Lock Dragon tried futilely to form a fighting stance. Lacking claws or teeth, it didn't seem able to do so. (0 ATK) Des Volstgalph's Attack Score went up to 2,800.
"Next, I sacrifice Axe Dragonute to summon White-Horned Dragon again," said Jalal.
The Dragon axe-man vanished, and White-Horned Dragon reappeared. (2,200 ATK) Chain Energy and Toll appeared behind it and vanished. (2,800 ATK)
"Time to end this duel!" shouted Jalal. "Des Volstgalph, annihilate his Lock Dragon!"
Des Volstgalph blasted its beam of energy, and this time there was no stopping it. Lock Dragon screamed before being blown to gibbets.
"And when Des Volstgalph destroys a Monster, you take 500 extra points of damage," continued Jalal.
The wastrilith groaned in pain.
"White-Horned Dragon, finish him off!" ordered Jalal. "Horn Drive Buster!"
White Horned Dragon flew at the evil fiend, and stabbed it in the chest with its lance-like horn…
(J: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 0)
The wastrilith collapsed into its pool with a tremendous splash. As it did so, a shimmering portal opened next to Jalal.
Jalal wasn't about to wait to see if it recovered. He ran to the portal, and dove inside.
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Thunder rumbled over the soul's manor house.
Norg was in a very bad mood. He was never in a good mood, but Jalal's victory in their duel had soured it even worse. Brittlebeak was standing next to him, not in a very good mood himself.
Seeing his guards drag the bound and gagged Alzoozel into his presence made him perk up a little bit. She was still struggling, but they had made sure she couldn't break free for now.
"You've finally done it, haven't you?" asked Norg. "That guy is going to cause me more trouble than you ever could, Alzoozel! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Alzoozel was gagged, and couldn't possibly answer. Norg didn't mind… He liked her quiet.
"I'm going to teach you a lesson that's going to show both you and everyone else here what happens to those who defy me," said Norg, standing up.
"I'm going to have you taken to the town square and force everyone to watch you publically flogged…
"Either one-hundred times, or until you beg me to order it stopped."
He waved his hand, and the guards dragged her out.
It was a sentence that only a demon or the cruelest judges among mortals would hand down. When flogging was legal in human cultures, lashing someone a hundred times or more was considered by most, including most legal systems, just as harsh as the death penalty. The difference was, the prisoner would likely suffer a lot less if he was sentenced to die.
Still, Norg was hoping for Alzoozel to beg. If she did, his grip on the town would be cemented.
He spoke to Brittlebeak.
"Gather up all the townsfolk," he said. "Drag them to the town square if you have to. If they take refuge in the Fang and Flagon, set fire to it. I'll be there soon…"
As he left, Norg got up. He suddenly felt like a sandwich…
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LOCK DRAGON (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 0
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via its own effect. When a Counter Trap you control negates the effect(s) of a card(s) or effect(s) your opponent controls, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. While this card is in face-up Defense Position, neither player can Special Summon.
Note: "Lock Dragon" was first used by the Guard Robot in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Get With the Program (Part 1)".
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SPELLBOOK INSIDE THE POT (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Three glowing books floating out of the Pot of Greed.
Card Description: Both players draw 3 cards from their decks.
Note: "Spellbook Inside the Pot" was first used by Judai in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers of this episode.
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Next: I've found the soul, but as Alzoozel said, she's a prisoner, and in order to free her, I have to deal with her jailer, someone who I clearly recognize. Alzoozel has never met this demon, but she seems to be another one that the true force behind the Bells of Baphomet has created; in this case, out of Hebi-Na's greatest fears.
What's more, her deck contains cards that most duelists in the real world could not possibly have… But as the embodiment of Hebi-Na's nightmares, they reflect what she fears the most… A dark horror that caused her, and likely many other ophidia, to wake up at nights screaming in terror. And to free her, I have to defeat it, something that she failed to do when she fought this demon.
"Revelation" is coming soon.