War Campaign, Part II
SC: Thanks to all who reviewed and read the story, despite the fact that I totally broke my promise to update soon and left y'all hanging forever. Let's hope I make up for things with this chapter, aye?
Oh, and a note must be made. Upon arriving in the Kingdom Simulator, Dark Yugi (a.k.a. Yami/Atemu/Other Yugi) took over in Yugi's place. However, everyone still calls him Yugi, because in reality Yugi's other personality doesn't have a name. So, imagine back in Duelist Kingdom in that whenever Yugi used his Puzzle and changed to look like Dark Yugi/Yami/Atemu, but everyone still called him "Yugi." It's like that here. This is also why I never referred to D. Yugi/Yami/Atemu by name in the first chapter (like when I said "his other" or whatever). It's because he doesn't have a name, really. That, and no one in the game refers to him by name either.
With that said, let's continue on, aye? I hope you like it.
As the evening drew nearer, the motley band of rebels prepared for their upcoming excursion. Fizdis, nervous in anticipation of her first mission, straddled her tiger-striped dinosaur, Uraby. Her other monsters' necklaces joined her own around her neck, held in storage until the time they were needed. Beside her stood Shimon, who had not yet revealed his lead monster; and next to him Yugi had mounted Seiyaryu. The dragon shifted its weight on its legs anxiously, ready for the onslaught. Clearly, this monster was experienced on the battlefield: a valuable asset to Yugi, whom had never actually fought before.
Shimon waved the map showing their current province one last time. "As you can see, there are four villages, including the enemy base at Jakhud and our base here in Makhad, between here and our target. Thanks to our earlier planning, the main enemy force is much smaller than it once was and is not massed nearby. The ruler, Etos, has no idea that we're ready to attack. Let's take this chance to secure our position in the area."
"What should we do about the other villages? There may be imperial guards there," Yugi pointed out.
"Exactly what I was thinking, Lord Yugi. First, send someone to free the two villages between here and Jakhud. They are Ruthum and Phedon. The villages are filled with supporters of the resistance. It will be a good foothold from where we can attack. As we free the nearby villages from repressive imperial rule, they will most likely offer us items and money. We need both these things to help build up our force, so we should try to free as many places as possible.
"Now, we may not know much about the enemy, but I do have an inside source that claims that none of the imperial guards in Ruthum or Phedon are marshals. So, we do not need to rush in ready to attack. Rather, if we send two people out, one to each town, the third can advance on Jakhud and hide out there until the others arrive."
"All right. Fizdis, you go to Phedon. Shimon, you take Ruthum. While you two deal with that, I'll cut through the forest and get to Jakhud. I'll wait there until you can meet up with me so we can attack the base." Yugi explained his plan deftly.
Fizdis looked confused. "What should we do when we get there, sir?" she asked.
"Just run the guards out of town. If they have no marshals, then they won't even try to fight you," Yugi told her. Uraby sneered arrogantly; it seriously doubted that even if they did have marshals, they wouldn't be foolish enough to attack such a mighty dinosaur. "In fact," Yugi went on, "I think I have an idea as to how you can go about doing it..."
He told the group his plan, and the others agreed to it instantly. By now, night had fallen, and it was time to move out. Fizdis grasped the reigns affixed to her monster tightly, gulped, and dug her heel into Uraby's side. The raptor rushed forward and thundered off across the plains, in the direction of Phedon. Shimon raised the dark gray talisman and summoned his monster, which turned out to be Zombie Warrior. He then informed Yugi that he would be walking on foot to Ruthum.
"It will most likely take me a while to get to Ruthum from here, and then onward to Jakhud. The best thing for you to do would be to not wait for me; rather, allow Fizdis to be your backup, since she will get there much more quickly. That said, I bid thee good luck, Lord Yugi."
Yugi nodded, and Seiyaryu took off into the night, traveling surprisingly fast for such a small beast. Shimon looked on as the pair vanished in the distance. "I bid thee good luck," he repeated, then began his long walk to Ruthum in silence.
Looming before him like a great barrier, Yugi hovered atop his dragon and peered into the thick forest. From what he could see, there was nothing dangerous inside, but it's always better to be safe than sorry in his book. He took out the necklaces containing Celtic Guardian and the Magician of Faith and summoned them to the field.
"We may come across something in the woods," Yugi told his monsters, "so we're going to be on guard, okay?" The two nodded, Celtic Guardian grasping his sword firmly in his grip, Magician of Faith holding her staff at the ready. Seiyaryu cast a wary eye over his team before giving a few flaps of his wings and leading the group into the forest.
They pressed onward, encountering nothing but bushes and trees throughout their entire journey. That is, until... "GRRRRRRR!" A fierce growling noise spilled from a nearby bush.
Yugi pulled back on Seiyaryu's reigns. "Is it an ambush?" he cried, searching desperately for the source of the sound. A faint rustling of leaves met his ears, and then...
"GUUAARRR!" The silvery form of a wolf leapt out of its hiding spot, aiming straight for Yugi. Seiyaryu gave a festinate flap of its wings, moving out of the attacker's line of fire just before being skewered. Yugi's eyes followed the creature until it had landed and turned, preparing to leap again.
"It's a Silver Fang!" he yelled before it charged a second time. The monster had targeted Seiyaryu as its prey, and was attacking relentlessly. The dragon could barely dodge the blows, for the trees of the forest made it hard for a flying creature to move about freely. Silver Fang moved directly in front of the pink dragon and began another rush. This time, Seiyaryu was ready, and it was just about ready to stop his foe with a fireball when...
Silver Fang darted to the right and attacked from the side! A feint! Sharp fangs bit deeply into Seiyaryu's wing, piercing the scales and drawing fine beads of blood. Suddenly, a rainbow-colored blast of light shot the wolf hard in the side, knocking it away from its foe. Magician of Faith raised her staff again and launched another stream of light at Silver Fang. A direct hit! The beast whined in pain, but despite its injury the wolf continued its onslaught against Yugi and Seiyaryu.
Celtic Guardian, not wanting to be outdone by the Magician's light show, brandished his sword and charged for the enemy. However, a mere slash was too slow to hit the swift Silver Fang, whom dodged easily. The Elven warrior tried again to slay his foe, but he remained too slow to land a hit. Another surge of rainbow light shot from Magician of Faith's staff, this time knocking the beast into a tree and dealing a critical amount of damage. Silver Fang stood for a moment on trembling legs, then keeled over to the side. A white light surrounded it, and then there remained nothing but the diamond-like amulet that represented Silver Fang, glittering innocently on the forest floor.
Yugi sighed, letting out the breath he had unknowingly held during the fight. "Well done. A first victory for the resistance." He picked up the necklace and pocketed it. "We may have a need for this monster's viciousness later." Yugi eyed his monsters. "Is everyone okay?"
Magician of Faith nodded, signaling that she had not received any injury from the fight. Sheathing his sword, Celtic Guardian could only look away in disappointment from not being able to win in battle. Seiyaryu waved its arm eagerly, showing that a weak attack like that wouldn't be enough to stop a powerful dragon like him. Yugi grinned warmly. "All right. Let's carry on, shall we? Be ready, in case of another attack." The group nodded, then continued on through the dark forest, pressing forward to Jakhud.
Fizdis rubbed her hands together nervously. She and her three dinosaurs stood atop a hill on the outskirts of Phedon. By now, night had fallen on the peaceful village, and even the Imperial Guards supposedly on patrol had drifted off to sleep. They sat silently in chairs situated right along the main road, snoozing lightly at their posts, just as Lord Yugi had predicted. Now, it was time to put his plan into action.
"All right everyone, do you remember what to do?" she asked her monsters. They nodded vigorously, eager to embark on their first mission. "Okay. Go!" Fizdis brought her hand down quickly like a flagman at the beginning of a race. At this signal, the dinosaurs thundered off down the hill, charging at full speed towards the town. The sound of their heavy and frequent footfalls jerked the guards from their slumber.
"H-huh? What in the world is that?" asked one of them fearfully.
"Look! On the hill!" another one cried, pointing down the street. "Monsters are charging!"
"They've come to kill us!" yelled a third guard. "Run for your lives!" Emperor Haysheen's mighty soldiers took to fleeing like cockroaches beneath a light bulb. The group of about five men never had time to run far, for their speed didn't match with the powerful dinosaurs' rate. Uraby let out a roar and commanded his comrades to lash the men with their tails and ram them with their heads until every last one had been knocked out effectively. The tiger-striped raptor snorted arrogantly, then turned and paced back into town.
Fizdis stood waiting in the middle of the street. "Great job!" she congratulated. "You beat the guards all by yourselves!" Fizdis threw her arms around Uraby's neck in a tight hug. The monster responded with a growl, meaning 'Of course we beat them! We're dinosaurs!'
By now, several of the town's villagers had awoken and left their houses to see what the racket was all about. When they saw the young girl hugging a dinosaur happily, and noticed that none of the usual guards were present, they all thought the same thing.
"Are you..." piped up a small boy. "Are you here to save us from the Emperor?"
"Yes!" chimed Fizdis happily, almost squealing with delight from successfully freeing her first town. "I'm a member of the Makhad resistance force. My comrades and I are fighting to free Vaxi Island from Haysheen's rule."
"Just where are your comrades?" questioned another villager, a middle-aged man.
"One is currently liberating Ruthum, just as I liberated your town. The other, our leader, is on his way to Jakhud right now, to strike down Etos." The peasants gasped.
"Take down Etos? Impossible! Surely, this leader you speak of is mad," an old woman croaked. Several other townspeople murmured in agreement.
"Mad? Surely not. It was he who devised this plan to run the guards out of town, not I. Besides, is it right to accuse someone of madness when he fights for the right of liberty?" Fizdis stared hard at her listeners.
"The girl is right!" a man yelled suddenly. "Anyone who fights against the Emperor has my support! Here," he reached into his pocket, "take some of my gold. It's not a lot, but I want you to have it. I'll help the resistance in any way possible." Fizdis extended a hand and caught the few loose coins as he dumped them out.
"Thank you, kind Sir," replied Fizdis. "I'm sure that if our leader were present, he would be moved by your generosity."
"Take mine as well!" chirped a young lad. "I'll lend my gold to your cause!"
"And me!" added another.
"Miss," the young boy who had questioned Fizdis earlier tugged lightly on her robes. "My family doesn't have much gold, but we do have some medicines." He handed her two bottles, one filled with a cerulean liquid and the other, a fine golden powder. "Use these if your monsters ever get hurt while you're fighting."
Fizdis leaned over and patted him on the head. "Thank you. I believe you have given me the most precious donation of all." The boy grinned fondly. Moving back over towards Uraby, Fizdis mounted her monster once again.
"Thank you, people of Phedon!" she cried. "Your generosity will not go to waste. Now, I must leave for Jakhud, so that I may aid our leader in his attack against Etos. May your prayers be with us as we undertake this dangerous mission."
As she turned to go, a member of the village called out to her. "Miss! What is the name of this leader you speak so highly of?"
"His name is Lord Yugi, and he will be our savior in these dark times! With that, I bid thee farewell!" Fizdis dug her heels into Uraby's sides, and he roared valiantly before charging off into the night air, Megazowler and Two-Headed King Rex behind him. As Phedon disappeared from view, Fizdis listened as the people cheered for their new spark of hope.
"Three cheers for Lord Yugi! May he save us from Haysheen! Lord Yugi!"
Not far off in Ruthum, Shimon had run the guards out of town in a way similar to Fizdis's, but with his own personal twist.
"This town is haunted! Run for it!" the guards yelled at each other before scrambling to leave the village. After every last one had fled, the townspeople cheered.
"Awesome!" said a young lad of around twelve. "The way you had your Zombie Warrior just pop up out of the cemetery, man, it was great!"
"And then, the ones who weren't scared off by that turned yellow when they saw your dragon!" a little girl added. She clawed the air and made a "RAAAR!" sound to emphasize the dragon's scariness.
Shimon smiled. "Yes, indeed they did. After all, Kaiser Dragon can be a nasty fellow if you rub him the wrong way."
"Thank you so much for freeing our town. I believe I am not the only one grateful for your efforts." The woman handed Shimon a small parcel. "May your cause be aided by these items."
Other people stepped forward and offered what they had to Shimon, just as the people of Phedon had to Fizdis. "Many thanks for your generosity, citizens of Ruthum. May your town continue to live free from the Emperor's corrupt hand. But now, the hour is late, and I must be getting on. My leader awaits my arrival."
Once again, the newly freed people asked to know the commander of the resistance's name.
"His name is Yugi," Shimon answered before turning to leave the town, walking alongside his slow but reliable Zombie Warrior.
Perched on a rim high on a cliff, Seiyaryu waited patiently for the battle ahead. Beneath the rose-colored dragon, Yugi relayed the details of the plan he had concocted to Fizdis, whom had arrived not minutes before.
"I'll be going in by myself, all right? At least at first. I want you to wait half an hour before coming in after me. If Shimon shows up while I'm gone, tell him the plan," he explained. "And whatever you do," Yugi continued, "don't get nervous, okay? I know we can win."
Fizdis looked up, staring into Yugi's bright amethyst eyes with her own dark chocolate ones. Somehow, seeing the confidence shining in Yugi's irises gave her hope, and quelled the dark feeling of doubt that had been rising in her throat.
"Okay," she declared. "I'll do my part. Rest assured, Lord Yugi."
He grinned. "You know, you don't have to call me 'Lord' all the time. I'm just normal Yugi. I don't need any titles."
"Oh," Fizdis blushed furiously and averted her gaze, "I'm sorry. If you had told me sooner, I'd..."
"It's okay. Besides, we don't have time for that now." Yugi looked down at the castle sternly. "Now, we have a castle to take." He stood up and dusted himself off. Seiyaryu swooped down from his perch and was instantly at his side, ready to take off at his command. Yugi patted the dragon's neck affectionately. The youth drew from his pockets the amulets of his other two monsters and draped them around his neck along with his own violet gem. Then, giving one last sigh, Yugi swung one leg over Seiyaryu's back and pulled himself on.
Seiyaryu straightened up proudly once Yugi had mounted successfully. It gave a confident roar before flapping its wings and diving off the face of the cliff. "Good luck, Yugi! Please be careful!" Fizdis cried after him, watching her leader zoom off to the castle in the valley below. The setting sun cast a pale orange glow on her tanned face as a fretful quiver overtook her eyes. "I hope he'll be okay."
The castle lay silent in the ever-darkening evening as Seiyaryu landed atop the stone wall. Yugi dismounted silently and removed the reins from his companion's mouth. The jingling of the metal would only draw attention to the pair as they entered, so Yugi shoved it up against the wall beside them, aiming to return for it later. "Come on," he whispered to his dragon, "let's get going before anyone notices that we're here." Seiyaryu nodded fervently and obediently followed his master inside the wide stone archway before them.
Inside, the castle was dark and cold; their breath rising in a mist around them as they passed the spidery shadows cast on the walls by torches in their brackets. Yugi was amazed at how Seiyaryu handled the situation: the rose-colored beast had taken to walking on his toes, minimizing the noise his claws made against the floor. He couldn't help but grin as he admired his comrade. How lucky I am to have such a great monster. But Yugi was jerked from his thoughts when they arrived at a grand hallway, with corridors branching off in every imaginable direction.
"Now where do we go?" he wondered, trying to determine which passageway would lead to Etos's room. He felt a sharp nudge in his back, and turning around he found Seiyaryu glaring fiercely at something down the hall.
"What is it?" Yugi asked. Seiyaryu only prodded him harder and stared with piercing sapphire eyes. Yugi turned back around and saw, down the corridor, what appeared to be a man moving around. Abruptly Yugi pressed himself against the wall, hoping upon hope that he hadn't been seen. However, the man continued to walk away from them, oblivious to the pair of infiltrators watching him like a hawk. He wore flowing emerald robes, and loose golden bangles festooned his wrists.
"That's him!" Yugi whispered hurriedly. "It has to be... Etos!" Seiyaryu nodded its head in agreement. "He doesn't appear to have any guards... but we'll follow him for a while, just to be safe." Creeping along as silently as possible, Yugi and his monster trailed Etos through the hallway. Etos still hadn't seemed to notice his followers, for he ambled down the corridor nonchalantly. The robed ruler seemed to be drawing Yugi and Seiyaryu into the heart of the castle, when suddenly he made for a spiraling staircase, apparently leading to the roof.
Ta-click! Ta-click! Ta-click! The noise from Seiyaryu's claws became harder to hide as they began climbing the stairs, still in pursuit of Etos. Yugi didn't have long to worry about that, though, for a moment later the pair arrived at the top of the stairs. A wide archway led out onto the castle roof, and leaning over the wall, admiring the sunset, stood Etos. The various turrets and towers of the castle cast long shadows across the stone floor.
"What a day," Etos said after awhile. Yugi nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise, but Seiyaryu held out a wing to keep him from making any noise. "Taking care of one's routine affairs does make one tired, especially when his assistants are unavailable," Etos continued talking to himself. He sighed deeply and straightened up. "Perhaps I should retire for the night."
This was it. The perfect dramatic moment. Yugi stepped forward a bit, so that he was visible to Etos, yet his face remained hidden in shadow. "Planning on turning in, eh? I'm afraid it won't be so easy." Yugi tried to make his voice sound as intimidating as possible.
"Wh-what?" Etos cried. He spun around and caught sight of a strange figure barring the stairs. "Who are you? I don't remember having you at my castle!"
"That's because I'm here to take it from you." Yugi moved fully into the light, a confident smirk painted on his face. The last of the fading sun's light reflected in Yugi's eyes, giving them an almost ruby glow. Needless to say, he looked rather creepy.
Etos was taken aback. "You insolent runt! Just who do you think you are?" The man cast worried glances right and left. "Guards!" he roared. "Where are my guards!"
Yugi took a step forward. "You're the only one left now." Seiyaryu added to the drama by growling fiercely and pacing slowly out of the shadows, wearing a glare to match his master's. "Prepare for the end."
"WHAAAH!" Etos cried. He shuddered in fear, then slowly came back to his normal state, as though he had remembered who he was and the power he wielded. "Traitors!" he yelled. "How dare you revolt against the Empire! I'll take some of you with me before I'm done!"
Etos whipped out three necklaces, and in an instant his monsters had been summoned to the field. A Basic Insect clicked its pincers together furiously; the Swordsman from a Foreign Land unsheathed his silver sword. Neither of these monsters was very strong, this Yugi knew. But the third could cause some major trouble. Rearing on its hind legs, furling and unfurling its dark leather wings, and snapping its gaping jaws was a Blackland Fire Dragon. Fearsome, to say the least. The great beast snorted, a few trace embers flaring out of its nostrils. He eyed Seiyaryu hungrily, declaring with its yellow eyes that he would be the victor of this fight. Seiyaryu responded with a thunderous roar that resonated with every ounce of power the dragon had.
Etos smirked maliciously. "You seem to be a rather tricky fellow. I've heard rumors of a resistance force being made, but didn't care to believe them until now. I'm willing to bet that you're the leader, aren't you?" Yugi nodded, not taking his eyes off his foe. "Then let me propose something a bit out of the ordinary. You and I are to face off in a duel. After all, we're men above senseless fighting.
"Here's how it will work: You and I will face each other, our three monsters in a line before us. From there, we'll take turns attacking each other. Neither person's monsters are allowed to dodge. If they do, then the other person can go full out on them. As for the order of turns, they will be determined by our monsters' Action Points."
"The what?" Yugi asked. Etos simply smirked.
"Oh, so you don't know... Excellent. Well, what are you waiting for? Summon your monsters! Unless you're foolish enough to fight with just one."
A pang of annoyance throbbed in Yugi's heart. "I'll show you who the real foolish one is! Summon!" He whipped the two gemstones from around his neck and raised them in the setting sun's light. "Celtic Guardian! Magician of Faith! Help me to defeat my foe!" Both of the pendants began to glow, sending particles of light forward to materialize into monsters. Celtic Guardian stepped out of his glimmering veil of lime green and clutched his silver sword tightly in his hands. Mimicking the elven warrior's actions, Magician of Faith also appeared amidst her flurry of magenta and sternly gripped her staff. Seiyaryu flapped its wings a few times before rising up into the air and settling back down in the center of the line.
Yugi clenched his fist in anger. I may not know what these "Action Points" Etos speaks of are, but it needn't matter. He glared at the ruler's monsters. I've got to trust in my monsters and believe that I'll win, no matter what.
"Very well. Let us begin." Etos clapped his hands together. "Ready yourselves for the attack, my monsters! Show this spiky-haired child what you're really capable of!"
The last of the sun buried itself behind the horizon as the two opponents cried out into the night: "DUEL!"
SC: Man, do I feel like a heel. I mean, seriously! I posted a chapter and I haven't updated it in forever! In fact, I decided to cut the chapter off here, just so I could post the darn thing faster.
I apologize for not updating. One reason is that I posted the first chapter right before leaving on three computer-less weeks for Europe. Then, when I got back, I couldn't write worth anything. I was dead in the water. Anyway, after that, I had finally started to get my inspiration back when... MARCHING BAND CAMP came and struck down all hopes of getting anything done. Then I started high school... :ducks as random readers yell "FISH!" and throw fish at her: ... and my life's been totally hectic. But hey, at least I updated, aye?
And that would be my long and daunting excuse. Can y'all ever forgive me?
Thanks.
And now, for something I've never done before. Review responses! Let's take a look at what some of you have said:
Pikpik246: Thanks! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Sui Megami: Thanks so much! I've actually been working pretty hard to keep everyone in-character; normally, that's a hard subject for me.
Neo the mage-blade: Sorry, I already have everyone's monsters planned out. It seems you like the warriors; if so, then know that I'll have Flame Swordsman and Ansatsu in later chapters. Thanks for the comment on the color balls too. I sort of modeled them after Pokéballs (Can anyone tell?) My favorite card? It really depends, but overall I'd say Seiyaryu.