SC: Hmm. And here we take an unexpected turn. (Muahaha.) You know that note at the end of chapter three, where I said romance wouldn't be a major factor? Well, when I posted that, it was true. Not anymore. For all you fans out there, the romance will get fairly serious at some point, although it will be pretty far in the future from here. I am what I call a "Traditional Pairing Fangirl." This means that I only support the pairings hinted at in the show itself (how lame, I know.) I won't outright say the pairing, but you should be able to figure them out for yourself with that "hint."
However, since the pairing I really like hasn't arrived yet, I'm afraid I can't do much with romance untilit does. Ah well. We'll have to wait.
…
Would it be going too far to say that this is the only story on this sitethat has Fizdis in it? That sort of makes me feel special. :grin: Since that appears to be true, I've decided to take an "unexpected turn," which I mentioned above. Hee, hee. Read on to find out what it is. (lightning in background) AH HA HAAAAAA!
The afternoon sun stared down at the farm where the resistance was hiding. A grasshopper buzzed into the barn through a thin crack and landed on the hay just in front of Fizdis's nose. She heard the sound and her eyes fluttered blearily open. For a moment her chocolate gaze wandered in the rafters before coming to rest on the grasshopper.
There was a pause. Then: "Eeek!" She gave a frightened squeak and sat up quickly. The grasshopper jumped up and buzzed somewhere else in the barn. Fizdis gasped for air until she found her breath. After a moment she looked around at the rest of the barn. Shimon and his Kaiser Dragon were snoozing lightly in the corner opposite her. Judging by the loud snoring coming from within the nearby stall, Uraby was sacked out as well.
Her hand brushed against something softer than the hay beneath her. She looked over her shoulder and found that her fingers were entwined within Yugi's hair. Her face flushed in an instant, and yet… she didn't move her hand away. Maybe it was just the shock of the situation that had paralyzed her. Or, maybe it was the fact that his hair felt smooth and glossy against her skin.
This puzzled her. Surely, hair thrust upward into powerful spikes, harsh and almost foreboding in appearance should feel like how it looked: sharp, unnatural… tense. Yet the crimson, black, and golden fibers flowed over her fingers as she combed them through to the end of the middle spike. Fizdis found herself thinking of satin or some other wondrous fabric, but shook it off. Why did any of this matter?
Yugi stirred and gave a slight sigh in his sleep. Fizdis's hand jerked back to her side. Frightful eyes stared down at him, praying that he hadn't felt her touch and would forgive her if he had… The resistance leader remained still. He had not woken up. A relieved sigh escaped Fizdis's throat.
To take her mind off of things, she stood on her still half-asleep legs and hobbled over to one of the barn's windows. Thick planks had been nailed across it to prevent anyone from seeing inside, but Fizdis found a gap in the boards just wide enough for her to see out of. Outside, the sun baked the land like an earthen brownie. She could see silvery wisps of heat rising from the flattened landscape. Like serpents they twisted upward to the sky, looping in and around each other and distorting her view of the horizon. She watched them dance for a few minutes, absorbed by their hypnotic rhythm.
Fizdis broke from her reverie when she heard a faint clicking sound. She turned to see where it had come from just as the barn door slid open. Fizdis jumped at the unexpected action; she was sure her heart would have leapt out of her mouth had not her teeth been clenched. A tanned face poked through the gap. Coarse braids draped over the concerned face and dark eyes of a middle-aged woman.
"Hello," she whispered. She lifted a bucket from the ground behind her and set it just inside the door. From her other hand she produced a sizable ladle. "I have brought you some water. It's not much, but with a heat like today's I thought you would need it."
"Yes, thank you," Fizdis whispered back. She walked quietly forward and took the ladle from her. With a gesture toward her sleeping comrades she said, "I will save this until my teammates are awake."
The woman smiled. "You're so thoughtful. It's a lucky thing the resistance has kind people like you within it."
Fizdis blushed slightly. "Don't give me all the credit, Ma'am… I just follow our leader's example."
"Ah, yes. I saw him earlier through a window." The woman leaned to the side a bit and stared past Fizdis at the youth curled up on the hay. "Such a clever boy, and so young!" She chuckled. "He must be quite the fighter too, to have defeated Etos. I'd wager half the farmers in this land couldn't take Etos if they pooled their effort!" She laughed again and turned back to Fizdis. "Can I be of any more help to you, sweet child?"
Shaking her head, Fizdis replied, "No, but thank you. You've already given up so much for our sake." She bent forward in a bow.
"No, no. It's nothing. I wish you good luck in the coming fight." With that, the woman eased the door shut. The crunch of her footsteps in the dry soil faded away, until all was quiet once again. After a moment Fizdis lifted the bucket of water and moved it back to the pile of hay where Yugi was asleep. She sat carefully, not wanting to disturb him, and gripped the ladle in her hands. A dip in the bucket and soon cool water was at her lips. She swallowed a mouthful and paused as it slid down her throat. The crystalline water tasted of minerals; it had to be spring water, from a well nearby.
She placed the ladle gently on the floor. A faint sparkle glinted in her eye and her attention was drawn to the three gemstones around her neck. One was hers. The other two belonged to her monsters, Two-Headed King Rex and Megazowler. Fizdis hadn't really gotten to know these two yet. She hadn't even fought before – not truly, in a battle. With so many Imperial forces in the area, she knew Yugi would call upon her to combat the enemy… but would she be able to do it?
Fizdis generally disliked fighting. She always hoped to avoid it, or find a different way to sort things out. She knew that there was no way to do so now. A war is a war, and it can only mean violence. Fizdis sighed and brought her knees up to her chin. Her arms wound fretfully around her legs. She didn't think she'd be ready to fight. Especially not against monsters that could rip into her, should they break her defense of dinosaurs… The image scared her and she shook it from her mind.
Her thoughts and eyes then jumped to Yugi. He was hardly older than she was, maybe by two years, and already braver than some grown men. How fearless he must be on the battlefield… Fizdis had only seen the tail end of his battle with Etos, but it was all that was needed. It had been awe-inspiring to see his dragon vanquish the last of the enemy in a single shot. How could she ever compare to someone like that?
Fizdis pondered over that question for a time, but could find no answer on her own. She gave up and curled back up on the hay, beside her sleeping idol. Soon she had rejoined him in the land of dreams.
Slanting beams of fiery orange filtered through the boards covering the windows. One such beam of light struck Yugi in the face. He groaned and raised his hand to block out the light. "I hate sunlight," he muttered in a sleepy daze before his senses came back to him. Sunlight coming into the barn meant that the sun was now setting. That meant it was almost time for the resistance operation to begin.
Yugi sat up and gave a deep yawn. He pushed his golden bangs out of his bleary eyes. As he did so, he noticed tiny pieces of hay clinging to them. He groaned again. It would take years to get all the hay out of his hair. Yugi mentally cursed himself for falling asleep on something like hay. Never again! he swore to himself. He shook his head in a dog-like manner to throw off some of the dusty yellow shafts clinging like burs to his hair. The bits of hay settled to the ground and almost glinted in the vibrant orange light.
Yugi craned his neck up and spied Seiyaryu in the rafters. A pair of sapphire eyes blinked back down at him with a ruffle of rose-colored feathers. Yugi smiled at his dragon. "Good morning – uh, evening, Seiyaryu. Did you sleep well?" Seiyaryu purred warmly and ruffled its feathers again. Yugi laughed. "That's good. You'll need the energy for tonight.
"As for me, I can't believe I slept the whole day." Yugi stretched his arms out above his head. He stood up from the pile of hay and dusted off his jeans. "Maybe I'm turning nocturnal," he joked. Seiyaryu growled in agreement. It spread its wings, dove off the rafter, and fluttered down to the floor. Yugi reached out habitually and stroked his dragon's neck. The scales felt smooth and cool in the warm sunlight.
Speaking of which… Yugi's attention wandered from Seiyaryu to the window on his left. His hand left Seiyaryu's neck as he walked over to the source of the orange light. He found a space in the boards and peered through it. The sun nearly blinded him when first he looked, but soon his eyes readjusted to the light and could see the landscape normally. The earth was a fiery orange-red, swathed in sunlight. Just to the right, etched in black against the sky, stood an Imperial guard tower. Yugi's eyes narrowed as he studied the object thoroughly. It wasn't well fortified (for whom would ever attack it?), but it still kept an ominous watch over the lower lands around it. A black silhouette flew out of the structure and off to some unknown location.
One of the enemy's monsters, thought Yugi. He followed it with stern violet eyes until it disappeared from his field of view. Yugi exhaled a breath he had unknowingly held. He heard Seiyaryu walk up behind him and give a determined growl.
"So," he said quietly. "It all begins with this…"
The fight against Etos had been simply that: an easy fight. But now, with more enemy forces in the area, it was becoming like the actual war that the game overview had foreshadowed. A war could not be won with three people, even with the world's best tactics. What the resistance needed was reinforcements, more marshals and more monsters at their disposal. After this battle, Yugi would see to it that finding new members become a top priority.
"Beginnings are not so important," said a voice. Yugi jumped and saw Shimon standing farther away, in the shadows of the barn. "What matters is the outcome at the end."
"True," agreed Yugi. He sighed and turned back to the window. "But I'm not so sure the outcome will be favorable."
"Do not sound so doubtful, Lord Yugi. Many people, myself included, have faith and know that we will emerge victorious here – "
"Here is not where I am concerned about," Yugi interrupted. "The forces on this island are at the bottom of the barrel, the Empire's weakest." His hand curled into a fist and thumped against the windowpane. "We may scrape through here, and there, but after that we stand knee-high to the mainland Imperial army."
"Lord Yugi…" Shimon began.
Yugi turned and faced Shimon. Once again the setting sun's light stained his eyes a deadly crimson with its glow. "But don't mistake this for weakness. Don't you dare think I'm going to let them trample over us. They outweigh us only in number. On our side we carry the support of the populace and the light of a good cause. So when the 'almighty,'" Yugi made quotation marks in the air with his fingers, "Emperor Haysheen finally shows his cowardly face to me, I'll stomp it lower than his hollow heart." (1)
Seiyaryu roared valiantly with the end of his master's speech. Though impossible to know for sure, Shimon appeared to be smiling beneath the veils of his hat.
"What's going on?" came Fizdis's dazed voice. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Are we – yawn – are we being attacked?"
Yugi laughed. "No, no. Seiyaryu just wanted to wake everyone up. Isn't that right, Seiyaryu?" The rose-colored dragon roared again, sapphire eyes sparkling with an internal light.
An annoyed growl spilled into the air from the closed stall. A moment later Uraby poked his head over the door. His ruby eyes were still a bit glazed over from sleep. He hissed angrily at Seiyaryu before forcing the stall door open with a whack from its tail. Fizdis giggled as Uraby came to stand next to her. She patted the side of his neck playfully. "And a good morning to you too, Mister Grumpy." Uraby snapped a hiss; grumpy, he! He just didn't appreciate being woken up by Seiyaryu twice in one day.
The sun balanced on the world's edge. Fizdis remembered the water the farmer's wife had brought and showed it to the others. Everyone took a share before letting Uraby gulp down what was left in the bucket. Seiyaryu laughed above the rest the bucket was knocked over in Uraby's haste. The dinosaur snapped his jaws at Seiyaryu, but did nothing beyond that.
Just then, the barn door opened and the farmer appeared. "My friends, the Imperial marshals have left their posts for the night," he informed them. "There are no forces anywhere near to know of your approach. You may take your leave when you feel the time is right…"
"Thank you," said Yugi. He cast a sideways glance at Shimon, then knelt down beside the bag containing their supplies. Yugi pulled from it a small drawstring bag. The jingle of loose coins resonated in the air as he held it out to the farmer. "For your troubles," he said, "and your aid."
The farmer gasped. "Sir! You needn't give up your gold – "
"We won't be needing it where we're going. You, however, can use it." Yugi said the last part sternly, indicating that not taking the gold was not an option. The farmer nodded and stepped forward, taking the gold from Yugi's hand.
"Thank you, Sir," he mumbled with his eyes to the floor.
"Now, Shimon, Fizdis," Yugi turned around to face his troops. "We need to get a move on. As soon as night has completely fallen we shall strike. Are your monsters ready?"
"Kaiser Dragon and I are ready for any orders you give us, Lord Yugi," replied Shimon. He beamed at the young resistance leader and flashed a wink.
Fizdis hesitated. "Uh…" She glanced nervously at her dinosaur. "Uraby…?" The tiger-striped dinosaur hissed and thumped his tail against the ground. Inwardly, Fizdis was both glad and downtrodden. Her monster was ready to go; he would fare well in a fight. But Fizdis doubted whether she was as ready as her monster was.
"Same for us, Yugi," she answered.
"Good." Yugi looked over at the window again. The sun had gone to bed behind the horizon. Only the last pale orange rays still lit the sky. He watched the horizon with narrowed eyes. Fizdis glanced at him concernedly and saw the crimson glow overtake his irises. She shivered; Yugi looked almost like a demon with such an intense expression. Fizdis wanted to shake him back to normal but stood rooted to the spot.
Orange curled up within deep navy veils. Like many-faceted diamonds the stars blinked on in the sky. The moon rose from beneath the world and cast pale silver beams across the land. Yugi turned from the window to Seiyaryu. His dragon gave an encouraging growl and Yugi smiled before reassuming his focused demeanor.
To his troops he said, "Let's go."
The night's cool breath rustled Yugi's hair and Seiyaryu's feathers. The pair flew silently along, toward the watchtower that Yugi had spied earlier. No lights were on in the tower. The land around them was pitch black, except for the faint light the moon provided.
"It's awfully quiet," said Yugi after a moment. The silence had been bugging him. He didn't like the fact that the enemy wasn't even watching their own tower. "There doesn't appear to be any enemy movement."
Shimon nodded. "Yes, we seem to be lucky. The enemy doesn't seem to know we're here. According to our scouts, the closest fort isn't guarded at all."
"No marshals?" asked Fizdis.
"No, none at all. There might be a few unarmed guards, but no monsters to deal with." Kaiser Dragon brought its wide golden wings down and surged forward a few yards. Shimon waited until Seiyaryu caught up before continuing. "Let's use this opportunity to take the fort and fortify a defensive position. We'll stand a much better chance against their forces."
"Right," Yugi agreed. Seiyaryu growled urgently and dipped to the right to seize Yugi's attention. He looked up and saw the watchtower looming near. "All right. Seiyaryu, you can land." The rose-colored dragon nodded and fluttered slowly to the ground. Yugi hopped off its back, giving Seiyaryu a quick pat to the neck.
"From here on out, it's stealth, okay?" he said. Seiyaryu nodded.
Uraby trundled up beside him. Fizdis jumped off so quickly she nearly fell flat on her face. "Y-Yugi, sir," she stammered, clinging to Uraby's neck for support. "What are your orders…?"
Yugi chuckled at her clumsiness, despite the stern nature of the situation. "Hold on for a minute," he said. "Let me think." Moonlight glinting in his eyes, Yugi leaned back to get a better look at the structure before him. A high fence of wooden posts surrounded the main part of the watchtower. The tower itself was spindly looking and roughly built. The Empire hadn't even bothered to hammer down all the nails completely. It looked as though it had been built in a hurry. Yugi noticed that even the wall around the tower had sizable gaps in it, and the posts wobbled when he pushed on them. He rolled his eyes. These guys really weren't expecting company.
"Shimon, Fizdis," Yugi whispered, "you stay here until I give you the all-clear." He looked to Fizdis expectantly. She was shivering, and Yugi hoped it was because of the cool night air and not fear. He ignored the unsettling feeling in his stomach and turned to his dragon. "Seiyaryu, you're with me. Come on."
Slowly, Yugi crept along the fortress wall, Seiyaryu tip-toeing behind him. He stopped in a place where the moonlight shone directly down on him. On the other side, with the wall, everything would be completely in shadows. He found another gap in the wall and peered through it. Nothing appeared to be on the other side. Everything was clear, and silent except for the wind and the sound of his breathing.
Seiyaryu nudged Yugi in the shoulder. The dragon lowered its neck so that Yugi could slip onto its back. With a light fluttering sound the two rose into the night sky and disappeared over the sharpened tips of the wooden posts. They settled onto the hardened ground below. Yugi slid off his dragon and pressed himself against the shadowy wall. His eyes darted around for a moment, following flickers of shadows, tracing anything that could mean movement of an enemy. The back of Yugi's neck prickled with anxiety. Even though the place looked empty, something about it just didn't seem on the level to him.
He cut through the shadows back to where he had left the others. Yugi found a gap in the posts and hissed through it. "Fizdis!" She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. When her eyes found Yugi's peeking through the wall, she relaxed maybe one hair. "Seiyaryu is going to carry you over the wall."
Fizdis found the ability to nod after a swallow. Mentally she snapped at herself. Why was she getting so nervous? The fort wasn't even occupied! There'd be no one there for her to fight! She didn't realize her grip on Uraby's neck was tightening. It took a loud snort from her dinosaur partner for her to notice she was nearly strangling him. Fizdis jerked her arms back to her sides.
"Y-Yes, Yugi," she half-whispered, half-squeaked.
A sound like a sigh came from the other side of the wall, though it could have been the wind. "All right. Return Uraby to his gem for a minute. There's no other way to get him over."
Uraby froze. With an almost whining snort he shook his head. Nope, he wasn't going back into that gem. Not this dinosaur. He didn't like it, and he was going to do his best to get out of it. He took a step back when Fizdis approached him, his gem clutched tightly in his claws.
"Come on, Uraby, you heard what Yugi said…" she tried in vain. Uraby shook his head again and backed even farther out of her reach. He did an elaborate jump to when she dove for him and his gem. "Come on! Uraby…!"
Yugi could have slapped himself in the forehead. He swore he felt his eye twitch in annoyance. "Uraby!" he snapped. Uraby's ruby eyes traveled innocently over to meet Yugi's in the gap. "Return to your gem, please. We need you in here, and… and…" He trailed off, trying to think of something threatening to say. "…And if you don't want to do it, that's fine, but just take note of one thing first. There are lots of other monsters that would be willing to follow orders in your place."
Uraby made a gagging sound. Replacement! Was the resistance leader actually suggesting something like that? A flash of amber light burst from his jewel and swallowed his form. The gem fell to the ground with a soft clink. Fizdis sighed and scooped up her monster. "I guess I'm all set over here, Yugi," she said.
"Good. Here comes Seiyaryu." Right on cue the rose-colored dragon fluttered into view and landed in front of Fizdis. Tentatively she slid one leg over its neck and pulled herself on. When she was on securely Seiyaryu flew back over the wall. Fizdis nearly fell off when the pair landed on Yugi's side.
"Oof!" she exclaimed. Her left leg hooked under Seiyaryu's neck was the only thing holding her on.
"Fizdis, quiet!" Yugi urged. "We still need to be careful. Though we haven't seen any yet, there still could be Imperial forces here…" Fizdis nodded and clambered carefully down from Seiyaryu's back. She smoothed the front of her skirt hastily.
"S-Sorry…" came her habitual apology.
Yugi's expression turned slightly guilty. He hadn't meant to be so harsh to her. "No, it's okay. But let's keep our eyes peeled, all right?" Yugi moved back over to the wall. "Shimon, you'll stand guard out there for now."
"Yes, Lord Yugi," he replied.
"Okay." Yugi turned back to Fizdis and Seiyaryu, and motioned for them to follow him. "Come on; we're going to make sure this place is deserted." Both his companions nodded.
The perimeter of the structure seemed devoid of the enemy, but there was more to be examined. Aside from the watchtower, there were crates as tall as Yugi stacked around the center area. They formed a labyrinth of shadows, with passages as thin as a few inches and as big as several feet. Anything could be hiding in there, as long as it was roughly the size of a person.
That was all that mattered, as anything that size could pose a threat. Yugi's eyes narrowed as he stared at the wall of crates. "Stay close," he whispered over his shoulder. "We're going in there."
Fizdis made a sound like she was going to disagree, but no words came out. A chilling breeze swept over the land and surged past the resistance members. It seemed to shove them forward, closer into the shadowed maze. With a gulp Fizdis squeezed Uraby's gem tighter in her hand; it gave off a quick pulse of amber light, as a sign of reassurance.
Seiyaryu was glued to Yugi's side as he wandered through the massive crates. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. He was sure, though, that something was off about the situation. Why would the Empire build such a temporary-looking structure, and yet fill it with so many boxes of supplies? Fizdis trailed behind the resistance leader by several feet, her eyes darting down the corridors the crates created as though expecting to see a monster bearing down her.
Yugi's bangs swung to the left as another breeze blew past. He had taken a few steps beyond that before he paused. That wind had come from his right-hand side.
But hadn't it been behind them a moment before?
Yugi's eyes widened and his face turned suddenly pale. His mind voiced another fearful question: why had that breeze been warm? He swiveled around, his feet somehow rooted to the ground. Fizdis was now even with the box where Yugi had felt the unnatural breath of wind. He noticed a crack in one of the planks, less than an inch wide.
Twin beads of yellow glinted inside the crate.
Fizdis saw Yugi's worried expression, and stopped directly in front of the box. "Yugi, what's wrong?" she asked.
Yugi's stomach cart-wheeled. "Fizdis!" he cried. "Get away from there! That crate, it's – "
"SHHHKREEEEEE!" A horrible screech rattled the already chilled night air. The crate suddenly shattered, splinters flying everywhere. Fizdis screamed and covered her head. A blood red, lobster-like monster emerged from the remnants of the crate. It snapped its huge pincers inches above Fizdis's head.
Yugi had just enough time to identify the monster, "A Zarigun!" when another crash sounded from Fizdis's left. A second crate containing a monster had broken open. This monster was covered in pitch-black and indigo scales. It almost could have been a giant serpent, except that just beneath the reptilian head was a humanoid one, as well as a pair of arms. One arm held a silver sword, the other, a shield. It was an Embodiment of Apophis, a monster Yugi remembered seeing in Joey's fight with Odion during Battle City. The Apophis Serpent hissed angrily, lowering its snake head to meet Fizdis's. (2) She shrieked again and fell to her knees. The duo of monsters loomed over her, pinning her escape on either side.
"HA HA HA!" came a resounding voice from somewhere above. "The rats have taken the bait and entered my maze!" Yugi craned his neck back and saw a figure perched atop the watchtower. The figure spread its leathery wings and plummeted down from the tower. It landed just behind Fizdis's shuddering form. She was boxed in on three sides, with the fourth facing Yugi. Now in the visible moonlight, Yugi could see that the figure was actually a Duel Monster: Kryuel, a fiend-type monster known for its wickedness. Aside from the leathery wings and magenta skin, the beast had twisted horns and formidable claws; truly a demon among its kind. It carried a long staff, with a blade affixed to the end. He recognized it as the silhouette he had seen leaving the watchtower earlier.
The resistance leader recovered his voice and called out into the night. "Show yourself! Who are you?" Seiyaryu's eyes were ablaze as it growled menacingly at the three imposing monsters.
The voice laughed darkly. "Who am I? I am about to be one very rich and promoted marshal of the Imperial Army. After all, I'm about to defeat the dreaded Resistance." Yugi's eyes focused on a man standing on the upper level of the watchtower. Most of his face was hidden beneath the gold mask he wore over his eyes. He bore the uniform of the Imperial Army: a silver chest plate beneath a gold collar, and a red cape billowing behind. The man ignored the ladder and jumped down to the ground. He looked at Fizdis, whimpering beneath his monsters, and laughed. "Ha! You're more of an idiot that I previously thought, Rebel – bringing a sniveling girl with you to fight!" Apophis Serpent hissed again and Fizdis could only reinforce the man's accusation with a squeak.
Yugi had managed to uproot his legs and took a step forward. "Keep your insults to yourself! It'll take more than a few names to 'defeat the Resistance,' so you say!"
"Oh, really?" The Imperial guard clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You're right, it did take more that name-calling: it also took the double-crossing of a peasant farmer. All that was needed to snap him was the promise of gold, and boom! He told us everything he knew about your advancement on this tower tonight."
At this, Yugi's jaw dropped slightly open. "What…? He couldn't have…" Yet he had. The farmer had turned them in to the Empire, for money. A bubble of anger rose in Yugi's throat and he fought the urge to growl.
The Imperial guard chuckled. "People are fickle, and easy to tempt. They're also easy to destroy." He looked to his monster, Kryuel, and smirked. "Let's take care of this little girl, eh? Attack!" Kryuel raised his staff from his side. A moment's pause, then something like a lightsaber flickered on around the blade, burning with intense blue heat. Kryuel gripped the saber in both hands and raised it high. Fizdis did not see the impending attack, as her eyes were clenched shut from fright.
"Fizdis, look out!" cried Yugi. Seiyaryu roared and a flash of amber light poured from nowhere just as Kryuel brought down the saber. The light blinded everyone's eyes, but did not hinder their ears. The wind carried a pained hiss and a sizzling sound to meet them. When his eyes had readjusted Yugi saw Uraby standing protectively over Fizdis, his great body shielding her from the sword's blow. A long, black char mark was visible on the dinosaur's back, where the lightsaber had burned him.
"So, you're actually going to summon your monsters and put up a fight?" the Imperial guard asked with a frown. "So be it. Now all three of my monsters can have a turn with you."
Fizdis squeaked. "N-No w-wait, I – " she stammered.
This time, Yugi wasn't going to let the enemy get in a free shot. "Oh no you don't!" he cried. "Let's go, Seiyaryu!" His dragon agreed and flapped forward. Both of them ran to try and get between the enemy and Fizdis –
An invisible barrier came to greet them.
"GAH!" Running headlong into the wall sent Yugi reeling back into one of the nearby crates. The box cracked, but didn't give out from under him, causing his back a great deal of pain. Seiyaryu met a similar fate with the dirt catching its fall. Yugi tried to push himself up, failed, and groaned. His vision swirled with blurry shapes and stars. He rubbed his forehead, where he had hit the barrier.
"What did we… hit?" he asked Seiyaryu thickly. The dragon growled dazedly in reply. Yugi willed his head to stop spinning, his eyes following suit shortly after. He looked to where the barrier had been and saw a glowing green line traced across the ground. "What the…?" The line curved, forming a circle around himself and Seiyaryu. He moved to its edge and raised his hand. The air felt solid beneath his palm. (3)
"We can't get out!" he said frantically to Seiyaryu. It must be one of the mechanisms of the game… It has to make sure that only one person fights one person at a time. No teaming up… and no helping Fizdis. Yugi pounded his fist on the barrier. "Fizdis! Get up!" he cried. "You have to summon your monsters and fight back! I'm stuck in here; I can't help you fight him off!"
Fizdis looked at him from beneath Uraby. "I can't!" she exclaimed frightfully. "I-I… I've never fought before! I can't do it!"
"Yes you can!" countered Yugi. "I'd never fought before until Etos; you can handle it, I'm sure! You've got three dinosaurs, three friends on your side! All of them, plus Seiyaryu and myself believe in you!"
"B-But…" Tears had started to well up in Fizdis's eyes. Uraby was in a hissing contest with Apophis Serpent when he heard her sniffling. Sympathetic ruby eyes met brown ones, lined with silver. Uraby let loose an almost coaxing growl. Two more roars answered it, seemingly from nowhere. The two extra gems around Fizdis's neck pulsed with amber light. Surprised, Fizdis touched the gems with her fingers. They felt warm with the heat and excitement of an upcoming battle.
Light spilled forth from the gems. Uraby pushed Fizdis back with his tail to make way. When the light cleared, the dragon-like King Rex and massive Megazowler were also standing guard over their master. Both of King Rex's heads roared, wings unfurled to shield Fizdis from view.
Fizdis stared up at her monsters with awe. She felt Uraby's tail push her again, this time to the center of the dinosaur defensive line. Uraby, along with his teammates, formed a triangle around her. Each dinosaur faced a different enemy monster. With a one-on-one barrier, the enemy couldn't get to Fizdis except through what was directly in front of them.
The Imperial guard growled. "Dinosaurs?" he spat. "Pah! You make me laugh. A weak little girl commanding such beasts? You couldn't even command a Bone Mouse and get it to obey."
"Don't listen to him, Fizdis!" Yugi hollered from beyond the barrier. "You can do it! He's just trying to throw you off guard!"
Uraby nudged his tail beneath Fizdis's chin, urging her to get up. She stared at him for a moment, and somehow she found the strength to push herself up onto her feet. Her eyes locked with Uraby's and she found him smiling, not a sheepish grin or a satisfied smirk, but a reassuring smile meant to give her courage. Strangely, the fear that had choked in the back of her throat edged away, if only slightly, but it was enough. She returned the smile.
"Okay!" she declared. Her voice was now confident. "I'm ready to fight back!"
Yugi cheered. "Yeah! That's the way, Fizdis!"
The midnight air swirled with rainbow lights. Status windows for Uraby, King Rex, and Megazowler appeared from within the swirl. Uraby's window, lined with five stars, glowed with yellow light. "All right, Uraby! Let's fight!" Uraby roared and leapt forward, serrated teeth and dagger claws aiming for the enemy.
Notes:
(One) Wow, what a monologue. I made him monologue, guys! I didn't mean to do that.
(Two) Yet another annoying example of my abbreviating monster names.
(Three) That's not the Seal of Orichalcos! You know when you're moving around on the field, and all the monsters have green circles around them? (I hate those – everyone's always bumping into each other.) Anyway, those are they. We can't have Yugi cutting in on Fizdis's battle. After all, we all want to see her fight, right:nudge nudge:
SC: Hoo-wee, what an adventure. I'm sorry, I went out of town for two weeks, then returned and wrote about ninety percent of this chapter in one day. I am beat. But hey, it's an update for you guys, so I made y'all happy at least… Sorry for the sucky cliffhanger, though. I just wanted to get it up faster.
Thanks again for reading; please leave a review! Reviews inspire me to finish the chapters faster… After Pikpik246's review, I wrote the chapter in about two days. That's fast for me. Au revoir!