Magic: the Gathering

Chronicles, Volume 17

By Louis Kemner 2009

The air was hot and thick, and breathing it was almost like being in a suffocating sauna from hell. Viktor's head swung from side to side, and he needed a few seconds to fully register his surroundings.

He was standing on a curving rock protrusion, a few feet wide. It circled around for hundreds of feet, with glowing hot lava seething another hundred or two feet down. He and Ashley were on the lip of a volcano, a massive one. Around him were other volcanoes, too, a whole range of them! Overhead, the sky was thick with ash-gray clouds, the actual blood-red sky visible in the cloud gaps. The terrain was rocky and rough all about, with small, branching lava flows and packs of wandering creatures, from goblins to lizards to rock elementals. Thick, dark green jungles lay beyond the rocks, with caws and cries of fierce, unseen animals dwelling within.

He, Ashley, and Beta were on Jund.

"How'd we get here?" Ashley wondered out loud, stunned. "We were just..."

"Planar teleportation doesn't have to be limited to just the Hunter using it," Beta explained, who stood hovering over the volcano's middle, as though he stood on glass. Red mana hummed under his feet, providing levitation. He spread his arms wide in a shrug. "The other Hunters and I haven't made much use of it, but we can take passengers along for the ride when going Plane to Plane, like now.

"When Elena moves her troops around, though, she uses large-scale portals of her own creation to move them en masse. It's really something to witness a horde of her Enslaved creatures, spilling onto a new Plane to tear apart and spread her influence on. Too bad you'll never see it; Shadowmoor's been taken, Kamigawa's falling fast, and Mirrodin and Dominaria aren't far behind. Elena and Alpha's spies have brought back excellent support. It reminds me of how... powerless you children are to stop us. Jund will be your grave, do you understand? All of you will die because you're weak and stupid for opposing us!"

Beta showed rare passion and threw his head back in raucous laughter, his armored chest heaving, his black and red hair falling in tangled spikes down his back and scalp. Viktor gritted his teeth as Ashley stared in fright, clenching his fists. Powerless and stupid, were they? He could remember the assembled Planeswalkers in Bant, the ones who stood up for freedom and light in the face of evil like Elena and her Hunters.

Those people; Ajani, Jace, Elspeth, Garruk, and all the others would die defending those things, even if they held little stake in the common people of the various Planes, Elena's boundless evil united them in a common cause, giving them purpose and resolve. Viktor and the others were sworn allies of those Planeswalkers, even the fierce, dragon-revering Sarkhan Vol and the shadowy Liliana Vess. To talk any of them down was to belittle what they were willing to sacrifice, what they were already sacrificing, and the integrity and purity they fought to defend.

It was too much to bear.

"You're going down!" Viktor screamed; the corny curse held dead heavy venom and passion within, he thought as he rushed forth. Holding nothing back, Simic Sky Swallower exploded into existence, the mammoth Leviathan twisting into a position to allow Viktor to mount it. Ashley cried at him to stop his mad rush, but the blood had gone to his head, and he ignored her. He riled the Sky Swallower into a frenzy, inciting it to attack. The monstrous beast gave a low rumble and hiss of acknowledgment, sliding forth in the air. It accelerated, until its massive bulk was speeding like a freight train right at Beta, dead on.

Riding the Sky Swallower's head, Viktor could see that Beta had not moved an inch, but was now smiling, not even looking up. Once the Sky Swallower's rows of giant sharp teeth were upon him, Beta extended a hand. He pressed his hand against a tooth, bracing himself as he stopped the Sky Swallower in its tracks. The beast hissed like a giant crocodile as it struggled, to no avail; it squirmed and strained, gaining no headway. Then, Beta pushed, and the Sky Swallower was allowed to resume its course, running headlong into the volcano's inner wall with a crash and cloud of debris.

"A headlong attack," Beta commented from behind, still standing in midair. "That's your big attack, boy? Way too straightforward for me. And I thought Gamma was a simpleton!"

"You shut up," Viktor snarled, not even facing him. He wheeled around, driving his mount to charge again. It complied, making a second charge, now snaking, diving and climbing at various angles to make a more unpredictable course. It missed its target; Beta was higher in the air now, moving with that blur. He fired a trio of black fire beams from his fingers, which scored small craters in the beast's back. It raised its head to bite at him, snapping its cavernous mouth with teeth taller than Viktor was. In response, Beta kicked the Sky Swallower's nose with an armored foot, sending it reeling back, almost hitting the volcano's rock wall again.

"Let's make this personal," Beta quipped, using the blur-move yet again, joining Viktor on the Sky Swallower's back. He stomped closer, raising his scythe blade for the kill, a nasty, confident smile on his face. Viktor didn't even notice that his forehead emerald had been bright a second before, and was dimming.

Viktor ran to meet his opponent, the blood pounding in his ears, Beta's stinging words still in his head. He started to reach for the cards in his pocket, but seeing Beta's proximity and malicious look changed his mind. No. Fuck my cards! I'm taking him apart with my bare hands!

Beta expected to deal the first blow; he was not expecting an uppercut to the chin. Viktor's fist knocked Beta's head back, and he gave a grunt of surprise. Lowering his head, Beta frowned and smacked Viktor with an armored hand. A flash of light burst in Viktor's vision as pain erupted on the right side of his head as he stumbled back.

With another growl, he shook his head clear, yelling and charging for a new melee. His desperate fist-fighting was for naught; Beta stopped or dodged all of his attacks, then sent Viktor flying back again with a knee to the stomach. Viktor coughed blood as he lay on the Sky Swallower's back, his chest aching. Beta was moving in for the kill when the Sky Swallower lurched, now moving up and towards the volcano's lip where Ashley was. Why was it doing that, not receiving any command from its summoner?

Viktor saw the Confiscate card in Ashley's hand; "you control enchanted permanent." Using methods his grandfather had taught him, Viktor had revised the Simic Sky Swallower's Shroud ability to allow him and his companions to target it. As it was, Ashley brought the beast and its riders closer to her. Beta jumped off, resuming his earlier position.

The Sky Swallower lowered its head to allow Viktor to stumble off, joining Ashley on the rock lip. He started to voice his objections when he saw Ashley's upset and set expression. Her hand met Viktor's cheek, turning his head with a sharp slap. She had swung her whole arm for the effort.

"What the...?" Viktor gasped, falling down again, clapping a hand to the stinging cheek. "Ashley, what are you --?"

Ashley knelt before him, tears beading in the corners of her eyes. "Are you stupid?" she cried, in both anger and concern. "What do you think you're doing, charging at him like that? What were you thinking, Viktor?!"

Viktor could only stare, feeling no anger towards Ashley's understandable feelings. He instead wondered what had spurred his suicidal charge at an enemy he knew much more powerful than him, compelled him to fight like a mindless berserker. "Ashley, I'm... I'm sorry," he said, quietly.

Ashley shook her head. "I almost lost my sister to him," she choked. "Don't you know what it's like to watch your sister struggle to recover from grievous injury, fighting to live from a battle like this? I thought I had lost her, we all did! Do you think I wanted to see you in the same position? I admit, we were careless back then, in Shadowmoor in our first fight. But we know better now. Don't you have any sense, Viktor?"

Viktor sighed, feeling stupid now. "You're... you're right, he admitted. "I really don't know what I was thinking. His taunting, putting down the other Planeswalkers like that... it made me really mad."

"Elena's trickery involves warping our emotions, remember?" Ashley reminded him, lightening now. "This isn't the first time it's happened. I'm willing to bet that Beta here and the stronger Hunter are able to do it, too."

Viktor looked over at the hovering Beta, who was listening silently, apparently waiting for a good fight. "Yeah, that must be it," he said. "Listen, I'll be more careful, okay? I now remember myself saying that we're in this together, and we have to stick up for each other to pull through. I'm ready to be your teammate, Ashley. I'll fight by your side."

Ashley's mouth turned in a small smile, and she extended a hand for him to grasp. "I'm ready," she said, heaving him up. With Mending Hands, Viktor's throbbing and bleeding wounds were tended, and he and Ashley prepared to take on their waiting Hunter foe.

Elena wasn't exactly certain what to expect, but neither was she disappointed. The undead minions led her to a low mountain of rock and bones, and was led down a well-hidden entrance door, fit for a being up to ten feet high to pass through. A series of steep stairs curved and wound about in a dank passage lit by torches, until Elena's sharp ears picked up the sound of deep and somewhat labored breathing from a titanic beast.

"Thank you, I can advance on my own," she told the undead, and they halted, parting to form a passage. Elena walked confidently forth, her footsteps loud in the caverns, knowing that even quiet ones wouldn't conceal her presence from the aged Planeswalker who resided here.

Nicol Bolas, uncounted millenia old, heaved his massive body forth, growling and hissing at the presence of an uninvited newcomer. Several humans in rich robes and cloaks stood about him, clearly his minions. Elena ignored them.

Bolas huffed, his eyes watching the approaching woman-monster. "And now, you allow vermin to crawl in here without my knowing?" he demanded, his voice starting quiet but rising to show his anger. "Do you think this a party house? Do you?"

"M-master, we didn't detect anything unusual," one of the humans pleaded with his massive boss. "We knew an undead troop was leading someone in, but we thought it was one of our own, maybe a spy. We didn't think it necessary..."

"Clod! You know the frequency of double-agents and spies here!" Bolas snapped, lowering his head to close to the human's level, who cowered. "Or perhaps you were too lazy to check them, not bothering to wonder why you couldn't read the undead's intent, or the identity of who they escorted?"

"I-I'm very sorry, master," the human begged, his fear screamingly obvious. "It won't happen again --"

"Of course it will," Bolas cut him off with finality. "Once a fool, always a fool. And always a fool's punishment."

With one swept paw, Bolas sent the Human flying all the way across the massive room, crashing into the rock wall. He slid to the floor, limp.

Bolas huffed again, tilting his head as he settled back. "How my muscles ache!" he roared. "Can I not even administer proper punishment without punishing my own body? Well? My scales itch, my wings are sore, my muscles cry for unending rest!"

"Master, we'll make every accommodation --" one of the other Humans started, his eyes fixed in fear on the grisly remains of his fellow.

"Good," Bolas interrupted. "Begin by clearing out of here. All of you. This is not a meeting for the likes of you to witness."

The remaining Humans hesitated, then watched Elena walking closer, instinctively reading the horrendous power and intent she gave off in waves. They scurried as a group out a doorway behind Bolas and out of sight.

"Well, now. You know how to keep them cowed," Elena complimented, looking up at the dragon Planeswalker of legend. Nicol Bolas was the ultimate dragon alive, old and powerful well beyond compare of any other of his kind, dragon or Planeswalker. His triangular head rested at the end of a long, powerful neck, his wings were like pieces of the sky, his curving horns capable of impaling anything. And the mana this creature had! There was no comparison!

"Keep them cowed?" Bolas repeated. "A fine way to put it. Though hardly the only. What brings you, woman?"

Elena brushed back a lock of midnight hair with a thin finger as she smiled her evil smile. "Not an ordinary woman, I should tell you, Nicol Bolas. Do you know of the Defiled One, the monstrosity the other Planeswalkers struggle to defy as it spreads its control over the Planes?"

"My spies tell me of an encroaching darkness enveloping the Planes, from Kamigawa to Mirrodin," Bolas said. "Hordes of mindless, marauding creatures bound to a will other than their own, spreading terror and darkness wherever they set foot. What of it?"

"Well," Elena laughed, "You would be interested to know that I am that Defiled One. I am... Elena."

A single black talon, razor-sharp and fifteen feet long, shot forth from Bolas' left arm, right at his visitor. The energy put behind this attack would be enough to destroy a castle! As it was, the talon was stopped dead, its point held in both of Elena's hands. The very point was a foot from her face. Along with the physical attack, a shrill mental assault plowed into her mind, attempting to shred her consciousness. She resisted it, shoving the mental attack back.

Losing his mental attack, Bolas pushed harder with his talon, his weary but mammoth muscles straining to pierce her. The talon did not make contact.

"Oh. How hostile," Elena commented, letting go of the talon. Bolas relaxed, lowering the talon and returning the arm to his side. "Do you want to kill me?"

Something that looked like a smile crossed Bolas' scaled, aged face. "Anyone who speaks to me with as much bravado as you and presume to be my equal should be put to the test, eh? It has been so long since anyone passed it."

"Thus you recognize me for what I am," Elena said, betraying only a shade o the arrogance she felt. Let the oversized lizard feel some new respect!

"Enemy of the Planeswalker, are you?" Bolas said after a moment. "The dread being who sets to envelope the entire Multiverse in her grip?"

"No other," Elena responded.

"Then what do you want of me?" Bolas asked, snaking his head closer to her for better face-to-face. "I am a Planeswalker, the best of them, but I have no interest in protecting the Planes from you, unlike the other rabble."

"Perhaps because you lack the power?" Elena suggested, knowing that she prodded a sleeping dragon, so to speak.

Bolas' eyes, each as large as Elena's head, narrowed in anger and cunning. "You dare suggest...?"

"I have heard about you," Elena pressed him. "The victor of the battle of the dragon legends long ago, the uppermost being of Dominaria, almost the child of creation itself. But you are losing your power, aren't you? I could feel the weariness in your strength, the tattered edges of your mental attack. Fearsome, but flawed."

While she spoke, Elena quietly probed Nicol Bolas' vast mind, seeking something; a tiny weakness, even a pinprick, to exploit. It had to be there!

Bolas sighed, reclining now, giving his muscles and joints the rest they cried for. His sigh would collapse a log house. "How careless my secrets must be growing, if an outsider is to know about that," he mused. "Perhaps it can't be hidden entirely after all. Yes, I feel my power slipping from me, another little bit every day, every hour. Enough left, however, to crush you, Elena the Defiled One."

A blurred streak of red, green, blue, black, and white appeared as Elena poised herself right at Bolas' nose, covering three hundred feet in under a second. She relaxed, and touched the Elder Dragon's nose.

"You poor dear," she said. "How terrible it must be, aware that other forces may even attempt to overthrow you in your moment of weakness. The natural cycle..."

"I said nothing of weakness or usurpation!" Nicol Bolas roared, recoiling, his stalactite-like teeth flashing. Each one could gore an elephant. "Do you seek to get carried away, perhaps entertain thoughts of taking my place?"

"There, there," Elena consoled. "I don't mean anything like that. Rather, I think there's something for us both to gain here."

"Direct. Bold. That's good," Bolas complimented. "What could I gain from you? Why would I allow you to gain anything from me?"

"I could try this the nice way, or the... cruel way," Elena said. "What say you, Elder Dragon? Does a partnership interest you?"

Bolas snapped his head forth, opening his jaws and closing them, a foot from his visitor. She did not flinch. "Partners!" he rumbled in a basso. "You think I would consent to being your, or anyone else's, partner?"

So reluctant! Elena thought. Elsewhere in her mind, she found what she sought; that little gap in Bolas' mind. No mind except hers would even be able to find it, let alone do anything with it, even a gap this small out of all his mental armor. She took advantage of it at once, feeling Bolas' strained mana mastery, his aching body. Perhaps amplifying it would help out? Amplification worked wonders on the card-wielding children. It took all she had, but the dragon could be nudged, just enough.

"Answer me, morsel!" Nicol Bolas said after a few seconds' silence, still in his basso.

Elena smiled again. "I have answers for you, Bolas," she said, "but not all of them here for me to say. You need only to look for them. Someone as capable as yourself should find them with ease."

Bolas' eyelids drooped, his body slacking more than usual. He almost yawned. "Without doubt," he responded, settling back. "Begone from here, Elena the Defiled One. I will consider your proposition, once I find your alleged answers. My body and mind demand rest, and I won't tolerate you here while I nap." He watched her in silence for a few seconds, then exploded, "Begone! Our meeting is over!"

"So it is," Elena said, bowing, floating back down to the ground. "I thank you for your time, Nicol Bolas. Truly, your might demands the utmost respect and admiration. Your time is yours to command."

She turned, exiting the room, listening to Bolas' deep and shuddering snores, hearing the rasp of his scales as his chest heaved in slumber. How delightful it would be, she thought, to create such a dependency in him! Her own spies confirmed that Bolas needed the Maelstrom from the reborn Alara to restore his power and body, and raising that need was one step. The other was delaying that Maelstrom's progress, Enslaving the shards' inhabitants and the shards themselves. Hold back the well of power, and let the weary Nicol Bolas beg her to open the coffer doors wide for him! There would be no betrayal from such a one. He would help her right along... she had some doubts about those Hunters.

She wondered what Epsilon, who had absorbed Gamma's emerald, was going to do now. The tracker enchantment she placed on that emerald would activate pretty soon. It was a pretty good idea to enchant Gamma's emerald; he was most likely to die, and Epsilon most likely to betray her. Insurance was always a good thing. Just like her growing partnership with Nicol Bolas; without doubt, he would be helpful to her.

Almost asleep, Bolas' ears could hear Elena the Defiled One's footsteps as she left his presence. His body ached even more than when she had first entered, and it was due to her slipping through his defenses and exploiting him. A foul tactic, but Bolas savored the sneaky quality to it. She reminded him of himself; crafty, greedy, power-hungry. By what his many spies told him, she did a marvelous good job at it, too. Too bad he was better.

I'll see how this game comes along, Nicol Bolas thought as he drifted closer to slumber. See how far she can push me, how far she can entertain me, how far she can make this interesting. Ohhh, it has been too long since someone gave this much promise of a good show. It would make good punishment for her audacity by going along with her game and then destroying her when her admittedly crafty plan came to fruition.

He speculated about her Hunters, too; what role would these manifestations of her flesh play in their tangled schemes? What would come of the Maelstrom of the reborn Alara, where Bolas planned to regain his strength? He's just have to wait and find out. He had backup plans in store, too, should anything go wrong. Insurance was always a good thing. He was unsure of the full extent of this woman's abilities, just as she was unaware of the full extent of his.

Admitting a wide yawn, Nicol Bolas fell fully asleep, Elena the Defiled One's footsteps growing quieter, then fading entirely. Just how she herself would fade away, sooner or later... whether by his hand, or her other enemies. Fate had its own plans.

"Whoa. This thing is out of this world," Delta said enthusiastically, as he scrutinized Makoto's Konda, Lord of Eiganjo card in his large hand. "These paper cards are really how you kids can cast all your spells and creatures? I would never have guessed! Alpha's told me about tarot cards and stuff in Dominaria telling people's fortune or other occult stuff, but this is different. Can I look at your others, too?"

"You need my permission for that?" Makoto said, exasperated. He was still slumped over Delta's armored shoulder facing forward. The shoulder pad he rested on was made of mossy wood and iron, hardened by magic, and his chest was getting sore. "I'm your prisoner! I'm powerless with you around. Plus, your freaking master is keeping all my other cards back at the Academy. She only gave you this one to destroy personally, for whatever reason."

Delta laughed. "It sounds awesome when it's put that way," he said, in a humor that Makoto didn't share. "Actually, she didn't give it to me to destroy; doing that would kill the creature, and Elena wouldn't want that. Having this card near the creature will make it more willing to cooperate with us, since it's bound to the card."

Oh yea,, Makoto thought. Viktor's grandfather, Georgi, told us on Bant how destroying the cards will destroy the Key Creatures. They have the power to bind the Multiverse in harmony and peace, and in Elena's hand, unify it under her evil. Man, it would be easier if we could just destroy them without consequence to keep Elena from having them. Man! I hope Viktor and Devin and the others will find me soon. This isn't good. We can't let Elena have any of the Key Creatures! Argh. Why am I feeling so depressed? I know this is bad, but...

Makoto could positively feel a cold pit in his stomach, his brain heavy with dread and despair. It almost felt like Elena's emotion-amplification that had caused endless trouble up to this point, mostly in Ravnica and Lorwyn. Makoto's cold stomach clenched. Was she coming along after all, watching them?

"Hey. Hey, guys," Delta said out loud, even though there was no one else around. Only a winged, spindly Kami flew high overhead; it was impossible to tell if it was Enslaved or not. The poor kid's feeling kind of down. Why don't you at least show yourselves now? Show him his tormentor and all..."

There was a sound between a giggle and snicker. "How come, dude?" it said, in a crafty, young voice. "It's more fun this way."

"We can watch all his funny expressions in peace," another said, similar in sound. "He scrunches his face all like this..."

There was a few seconds of silence, then the first voice laughed. Delta said, "Come on guys, you can see each other, but I wanna see you too. This is starting to freak me out, too."

"Ooooh, even one of our master's peers is affected by us?" the second voice crooned.

"Without us doing anything but tagging along?" the first supplied.

"Just do it," Delta insisted. "It's no big deal if the kid sees you guys."

There were a few more seconds of silence, with only Delta's heavy footsteps heard. Then, Makoto received a shock as two young men wavered into existence, with wisps of light blue mana.

They appeared around Viktor's age, just out of teenage years. They wore armor like the other Hunter's; elaborate, metal, smooth. Theirs was dark gray with glowing blue lines, and black under-armor felt. Their arms, heads, and necks, however, were bare, though they wore felt black felt gloves. The upper armor of one of them flowed across his upper chest to a long point over his left shoulder, with the right shoulder covered by normal armor. This effect was reversed on the other, with a long pointed piece flowing to a point over his right. They both had messy, short black hair and mischievous faces. Circular emeralds, dime-sized, rested on their foreheads. Were they new Hunters?

"There you are," Delta told them. "Been a while since I've actually seen you. Have you been spying or doing other work for your master?"

"Yup, yup," one of them said, while the other nodded. "Though he gave us time off, and we decided to come along to watch you actually capture a Key Creature. Didn't you and the traitor Epsilon fail to capture Ryusei earlier?"

Delta actually flushed. "Whatever," he retorted, clearly bothered by that. "We lost it, though we got this guy while we were at it. Elena was satisfied."

"Hmmm, I guess so," the second one conceded.

Makoto couldn't help it. "Who are you guys?" he ventured. "New Hunters?"

The first one gave a cackle. "He still talks, after all this time?" he said. "Who would have guessed?"

"I guess we might as well go the whole way with this," the second one said. He and the first stood side by side, and Delta stopped.

"We are Theta and Omega, kiddo," the first one said, pointing at himself and then the other. Theta left shoulder point, Omega, right.

"We're not Hunters," Omega explained. "Instead, Alpha created us, and we serve him, as he is our master and far more powerful than us. Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"It's cool, man," Theta assured him. "He can't do squat against us anyway! Check him out, all slumped on Delta's shoulder and stuff. Why, I could even do this..."

He walked closer, and poked Makoto's forehead. He made to do it again, then Makoto knocked his arm away.

"Still got some fight in you?" Theta commented. "Cool. Maybe you'll do tricks for us!"

"He will perform his duty for Lady Elena, and nothing else," an ice-cold voice said silkily, out of nowhere. Then, in a blinding blue flash, another man appeared; he wore blue-and-black armor, with a cape and hood. A full-sized green emerald rested on his forehead, above his pit-like eyes. Makoto wildly thought it was Jace Beleren for a second, but this newcomer had an icy feeling of death and contempt that Jace couldn't even think of matching.

He flared his blue-black mana aura, and Makoto felt chills when he detected it. This man's aura made Delta's fearsome one feel like nothing, thick and cold and pitiless. Even as he merely stood there, the plant life around the man wilted and withered, covered in frost. The air around him wavered, all warmth and heat drained from it. A breeze blew some of that cold air toward Makoto, and he shivered from more than the temperature cold. That air was dead, leeched of all life, vitality, and energy. Dead.

"M-master Alpha!" Omega stuttered, then he and Theta snapped to attention, now much more serious, and reverent too. They stood stock-still as the man looked at them.

"I gave you freedom to do as you please, but I will not having you mis-representing me," he told them in a cutting voice. "Do you wish everyone you meet to think Elena and her Hunters as blithering infants?"

Theta and Omega didn't even flinch, but Makoto could almost feel their guilt and shame. "We promise better behavior, master," Theta told him. "Though we were performing our duty. We leeched his willpower and courage like you asked..."

"And you did a fine job," Alpha said, striding toward Makoto, taking in every detail. "Keep it up. Delta, set him down so he may stand on his feet."

Makoto was sure Delta was obeying only because Alpha was much stronger than him, and he was released. He stood at his full height right before Alpha, who was the same height. Despite that, Makoto felt tiny and puny compared to him. How would he and the others defeat him? And to think that Elena was stronger!

"An ordinary child," Alpha commented. "This is one of the five children who oppose Lady Elena and her plans of domination? Your name is Makoto Nakamura, isn't it?"

"U-uh," was all Makoto could say for a second. "Y-yes, that's my name." He tried to stand up straighter, appear more impressive. Alpha's horrendous mana aura made any defiant feelings difficult to even imagine.

"And this is the house for the Key Creature you control?" Alpha said, taking the Konda card from Delta's meaty hand. "This cheap paper card?"

"Y... yeah, that's it," Makoto agreed. If it weren't for the terrifying despair and fear this Hunter inspired, he would have found it funny seeing the Hunters handling a Magic card. If only the card shop owner could see who was handling it now!

"Take it," Alpha said, holding it out. Theta and Omega bound forth to claim it, then fought each other over it, clawing and tussling in a cat fight.

"I wanna hold the funny card! I wanna!"

"No! Me! I saw it first!"

"We saw it at the same time, Viashino brains!"

"What did you call me, Goblin face?"

Alpha stepped forth and snatched the card from both their grips, and Theta and Omega once again snapped to rigid attention, giving no sign of their frivolous behavior.

"I will handle it," Alpha said in his same icy time, slipping the card into an inner pocket of his cape. "I must depart; Lady Elena requests other things of me, and I as I am the busiest of the Hunters. Continue following Delta and Makoto Nakamura, carrying out the orders I have given you. Don't let your mischief interfere, or you will be punished. We cannot afford to be sloppy at this stage; man delicate but important matters hang in the balance. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes, master!" Theta and Omega said as one, and then Alpha vanished in another flash of blue light. Theta and Omega's faces spread in impish grins at the same time, and Makoto wasn't too sure he wanted to know what was going through their minds. There were too many insane minds running around as it was.