Wild cards
Chapter 25
…
It was an odd sensation for Harry. Every duel up to this point had been against complete strangers. He knew Rhiannon, sort of, so it felt a little weird having to beat her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings.
"Rhiannon, promise me something."
"What?" she chirped.
"No matter who wins, we'll still be friends after this."
She looked at him quizzically, "Are we friends?"
It was a fair question. Their relationship had mostly consisted of her running into him.
"I'd like to think so" he said.
A broad grin spread across her face, "Okay."
"Game, start!"
Harry 2000 Rhiannon 2000
The game commenced, a 2000-point duel. This would be a longer battle than those before which was why Harry had gone with the deck setup he had.
"I'll start off with Nimble Rodentia #1 in defense mode."
The small tree creature dropped onto the field and looked around with huge dark eyes before hiding behind its big bushy tail.
A 300 D 300
"Now that's a funny looking squirrel" said Rhiannon, drawing her card, "I summon Adorable kitten."
Harry watched in disbelief as a fluffy white kitten tumbled onto the field. It looked up at him with the biggest cutest eyes and mewed the biggest cutest 'mew'.
A 50 D 50
"Really?" Harry said while trying not to look directly at it.
"Sweet isn't she" Rhiannon giggled.
"What's the catch?"
"You can't attack her in battle" Rhiannon said, "and why would you want to?"
Harry just groaned through his palm. Girls were so weird.
"I'll also play the magic card Green field, increasing the attack and defense of all beast and beast-warrior type monsters by 200."
The field of green rolled like a wave across the duel ring. The Adorable kitten swatted at a dandelion then gave the most adorable sneeze.
"No more, no more with the cuteness" Harry protested.
Rhiannon giggled, "Your turn."
Harry drew, trying to ignore the white puffball swatting playfully at the grass, "I summon Winged Wolf!"
The flying canine glided down on steely gray wings, landing next to his defensive rodent and startling the kitten. The kitten gave a hiss that was, far from intimidating, quite adorable.
A 700 D 600
"I'll also lay one card face down and end my turn."
Rhiannon didn't seem to have heard him and was staring enthralled by his wolf.
"Rhiannon?"
"Cool!" she exclaimed.
Harry sighed but didn't complain. It was pretty cool after all.
"Your turn."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I knew that" she said quickly drawing, "I summon Wild boar."
Harry cringed at the squeal that preceded the monster's arrival. Memories of the last pig he'd seen still fresh in his mind. He breathed a sigh of relief when a normal sized boar trotted onto the field. Or, he thought it was normal. He could just see over its back, that was normal, right?
A 900 + 200 D 800 + 200
"Wild boar, attack his Nimble Rodentia" she ordered.
The little beast looked up from its hiding place just long enough to be trampled under hoof. Since it was defending he lost no points and the boar swaggered back to Rhiannon.
"I'll lay one card face down and end my turn."
Why didn't you attack the wolf, he wanted to ask? But he didn't. A moments thought and he was pretty sure he knew why.
"My turn, and I'll summon Eagle Rider!"
They'd barely escaped High Lorraine and Harry had no intention of going back. That wasn't about to stop him from using what he'd gotten while he was there.
A 1500 D 300
"Eagle Rider, attack Wild boar!"
The elf on the massive eagle drew back her bow and let fly. The arrow took the big boar in the neck. One last squeal and it was gone, along with 400 life points.
"Ham anyone?" said Rhiannon.
Harry chuckled, "I end my turn."
Harry 2000 Rhiannon 1600
"I draw, and I'll summon Sleepy bear in attack mode."
It was a massive brown bear that trundled onto the field. It might have been more intimidating without the nightcap though.
"Sleepy bear… attack, attack Winged Wolf."
Harry tried not to snicker as Rhiannon confirmed his suspicion. The half-asleep ursine hefted itself up onto two feet then belly flopped on his wolf.
"Lazy bear" Harry accused, "My turn. And I'll summon Nimble Rodentia #2."
Rodentia #2 was bigger than number one and built to glide.
A 1000 D 0
"Scrappy kite" Rhiannon joked.
"Eagle Rider, attack Sleepy bear."
"And I activate guard the cave which switches my Sleepy bear into defense mode."
The bear turned its back to the Eagle Rider, presenting its rear which the elf proceeded to fill with arrows. The bear wiggled its bum like it had an itch then swiped a paw to clear the arrows. A portion of those arrows flew back at the one who'd fired them.
It was the eagle that took the hit though, shattering both.
"Lazy bear!" Rhiannon just giggled at him.
Harry 1300 Rhiannon 1600
"Not doin so good Harry" she teased.
"I can still turn it around" he assured her, "your move."
"Hmm" she hmmed, looking over her hand, "I'll summon Muskrat guard in defense mode."
The Muskrat guard reminded Harry of his Gopher Soldier. There was a size difference, the muskrat being bigger, but they both carried stick and stone spears. The muskrat being a guard also carried a shield made of thick rugged bark with a matching 'helmet' tied to its head.
A 400 + 200 D 1000 + 200
"Next, I'll return my Sleepy bear to attack mode and attack your nimble rodentia."
"#2" Harry added as the bear yawned and turned to the flying squirrel.
It was a short struggle, two chomps, one yawn and the bear flopped down again, exhausted. They both watched his life points drop. It was only Rhiannon who was surprised when they shot up.
Harry 2200 Rhiannon 1600
"What!"
"Nimble Rodentia #2's effect. Whenever he's destroyed in battle I gain 1000 life points."
"Sneaky little squirrel" she cursed.
"Who's behind now?"
Rhiannon made an insulting mimic but said nothing else, ending her turn.
Harry shook his head at her childishness, "I summon Elven Sorceress in attack mode."
The last time he'd seen her she'd been swallowed up by a fireball. This version was clearly from before that and was beautiful and pristine.
A 1300 D 1000
"And thanks to her effect, I can draw one magic card from my deck and add it to my hand" putting word to action he drew, replaced his deck then, "Eleven Sorceress, attack Sleepy bear."
Without a trap to save him the magic user made quick work of the lazy beast.
Harry 2200 Rhiannon 1400
"Lucky" said Rhiannon sourly, "I'll sacrifice my Muskrat guard and my Adorable kitten, to summon Noble Sphinx."
Harry had read about the sphinx in school, but it was very different to see a real live one. This one had a female face on its lion body and bore an expression of clear disdain for everything she saw.
A 2100 + 200 D 2500 + 200
"Noble Sphinx, attack his Elven Sorceress!"
"And activate my trap Magic web which halts your attack and holds you for 3 turns."
Rhiannon looked ready to scream. Harry realized she was probably not used to losing, not like him. Maybe friends was foolishly optimistic.
"I, end, my, turn" she growled through gritted teeth.
Harry sighed and drew. Poison dart frog. He didn't have any cards strong enough to kill her sphinx in his hand and he could only hold her three turns. There was a chance. Provided the sphinx didn't have some sort of effect it should work.
"I summon Poison dart frog."
Rhiannon openly scoffed at the brightly colored little amphibian.
A 300 D 200
"I also activate the magic card Sorceress fury. This lets me summon up to 3 level 1 beast or winged-beast monsters from my deck to the field."
A trio of sprightly tree beasts joined his side. Quick Pteromyini, Swift Pteromyini, and another Nimble Rodentia #1.
"Oh look, appetizers" Rhiannon snarked, "what'cha gonna do, nibble her toes."
"Poison dart frog, attack Noble Sphinx."
"What?!"
The small amphibian leapt at the hybrid beast and shattered on impact. His life points suffered similarly, dropping to a mere 100.
"Wha, are you crazy? What did you think that was gonna do?" her emotions warring between disbelief and glee.
Disbelief won when Harry pointed at her sphinx as it turned a sickly purple then shattered.
"Any monster that does battle with Poison dart frog is destroyed" Harry explained with forced calm.
He didn't want to do it. He wanted to be friends, but some things were just more important than what he wanted. He felt stupid now for what he'd said at the start of their duel.
"You've no defense, so my monsters will attack you directly."
And they did, all of them rushing together, bringing her life points down to zero.
There was silence as the phantoms faded. Rhiannon refused to meet his gaze and Harry had no words. So much for that friendship, He thought.
There was a chime from the tracking board showing his next duel. He opened his mouth to say, something, but nothing came. He walked away silently, like a man being led to the gallows.
This day was supposed to be fun.