Chapter 49-Duels and Destinies

Geer and Tamli decide to stop by Full Moon Lake, hoping to meet with the sister of Finca, a silver dragon known as Felicia. Geer hangs on his master's shoulder as they walk through the recovering Twilight Forest.

Master, how was Twilight Forest injured? Geer asks.

Well Geer we had an empathic dragon become consumed by her emotions and thus the forest was nearly destroyed, Tamli answers.

Which dragon was it? Geer questions.

Tamli begins to explain but stops when they reach the lake.

"Felicia!" Tamli cries out.

No answer, unless you count the wind blowing across the water.

Maybe she isn't here? Geer suggests.

She is here, Geer, Tamli answers sharply.

Geer quiets, sensing his master's bitter tone that implies for him to get quiet. Ever since Finca's death, Tamli has been rather tense and unwilling to talk about it. Geer is beginning to think that he's going too far but whenever he brings Finca's death up, Tamli gets quiet.

I understand that it must be painful for him to think that his dragon is dead and for him to think that he caused her death, Geer thinks.

Tamli knees down and Geer jumps off his shoulder.

Go and find you some food, Tamli mutters, stroking Geer's back gently.

Geer nods and flies off to find food.

Finca, Tamli thinks as he closes his eyes. You meant everything to me and yet you abandoned me when I need you the most. If only you hadn't saved me from falling to my death after getting my back tore open by the Great Leviathan. If you hadn't then you wouldn't have gotten injured by the serpent and you wouldn't have died.

Tears come to Tamli's eyes as a memory comes to him.

In the midst of the ultimate battle, Finca and Tamli face down the Great Leviathan. The serpent twists around Finca and rips his right fang across Tamli's back. Finca screams in pain as Tamli's pain is sent to her through their mental link. Tamli becomes rigid and falls off Finca's back.

I'm coming! Finca screams as she dives to catch Tamli before he falls to his death.

She pulls up and grabs him in her mouth. After that, Finca lands and lays Tamli in the care of Sundar and Aurora. She avoids Amia's sword as it whips past her. The Leviathan slams his tail into the left side of her body and sends her crashing to the ground.

Prepare to die! The serpent roars as his fangs clamp around her neck.

She gave everything to save me and how do I repay her? By receiving her blind son! Tamli growls as his white aura blazes up around him. Her death was not meant to be!

{Felicia-narrator}

A sudden surge of light catches my eye. What could be causing this display of light? My sister is dead! I don't care what any other humans says to me, I heard it from the Guardian of New Moon Lake: Shadow. But yet, this light display worries me.

Could it be my sister's former owner, Tamli Nekita?

I raise my head and focus my eyes on the ground before my lake. That human? Can it be? Is it Tamli?

{Tamli -narrator}

The pain of my Guardian's death is still too much for me to bare. She was a part of me and I was a part of her. I sink to my knees and lower my head, tears pouring from my eyes.

You finally understand, she says. That the wounds of the past mean nothing to us, but yet our minds draw them back to us constantly. We must, then, forgive ourselves for what we have done in the past. Only then will we truly be at peace with our emotions and our anger.

I stare at Finca as her words soak into me like water.

Yes, yes, you're right, I say. You are right, you are truly correct.

Trust in your heart and mind to guide you master, Finca says as her voice begins to fade away.

Finca! Don't leave please! Don't . . . don't die! I cry out as Finca's voice fades farther away.

Never forget . . . the promises of your past, Finca says before her voice fully fades away.

FINCA! I scream as I collapse to the floor, tears streaming down my face. Finca NO! Don't leave . . . don't leave me!

Finca, I whisper to the still wind around Full Moon Lake's lake. Please, please hear me!

The wind suddenly comes, blowing my white cloak further around me.

Finca? I wonder as I raise my head.

You finally understand . . . The wind whispers.

Is that you Finca? I ask.

The wind fades as quickly as it began.

Don't leave! I shout. Don't leave me!

The wind begins to blow again, more gentle this time.

You finally get it . . . The wind hums.

I blink as the wind swirls around me. Could what I see before me be real? Could Finca be alive?

The pale form of my former Guardian stares back at me.

Your rage and anger at my death has consumed you, master, Finca says.

I stare back at Finca in horror.

I didn't . . . I wasn't . . .

Your actions have caused me much sorrow, she mutters. For that, you must forgive yourself.

How do I do that? I wonder.

You must duel me and win, Finca growls, sensing my thoughts.

What? I ask in shock.

If you can beat me, then our ancestors have allowed me to return to our world, Finca says. However, if you cannot, then I shall remain dead.

I stare at my former dragon with shock and surprise. How can I beat her in a duel? I don't even know what cards she could use!

Ready? She questions.

I suppose, I mutter as I strap my duel disk on my left arm.

Duel! We both shout as Finca reveals to have a duel disk extend from her arm as she rises onto her hind legs.

Finca: 4000

Tamli: 4000

I'll start! She growls as she draws a card from her deck. I summon my Shadow Wolf to the field in attack mode (500/0) and end my turn.

Strange, I think. She just summoned a monster that can barely stand a chance against my deck.

Are you going to duel me or not? Finca questions.

I growl and draw a card from the top of my deck.

"I summon my Arcana Force 3-The Empress to the field in attack mode (1300/1300) and then attack your Shadow Wolf," I say.

Finca: 3200

Tamli: 4000

"I end my turn," I say after Finca's life points have decreased to 3200.

You will pay for that! She growls, her eyes flashing red for a second.

What was that? I wonder to myself.

I'll go, Finca growls. Whenever my Shadow Wolf is destroyed in battle, I can summon another one to my field.

Shadow Wolf: 500/0

Now I'll sacrifice my new beast to summon . . .

"Sorry to interrupt but I can now summon my Arcana Force 7-The Chariot to the field (1700/1700)," I say.

Fine, I sacrifice my Shadow Wolf to summon my Shadow Phoenix (1500/0) to the field, Finca growls. Now Shadow Phoenix destroy Tamli's Arcana Force 3!

Finca growls with pleasure as Tamli recoils from the blast.

"You are good," Tamli says.

As are you but only one of us will win, Finca snarls as her eyes shine red again for a bit longer.

Something is wrong with Finca, I can just sense it, Tamli thinks as he stands back up.

Something wrong? Finca questions.

"I'm fine," Tamli mutters.

With that Finca end her turn.

"My move," Tamli growls. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Pitiful, Finca hisses. You call that a move! I've seen better dueling from Uria!

Tamli narrows his eyes at Finca's remark.

My move! Finca growls. I summon another Shadow Wolf to my field (500/0) and then play the spell card Shadow Call!

"What does it do?" I ask.

Funny you should ask. This card allows me to pick a monster card from your deck and summon it to my side of the field, Finca answers.

Tamli growls as he realizes what card Finca is going after.

I pick your Arcana Force Extra-The Light Ruler! Finca roars as Tamli's most prized card is summoned to Finca's side of the field. Your end is here!

Arcana Force Extra: 4000/4000

Tamli cringes as he sees his most powerful monster is now in his former Guardian's control.

Arcana Force Extra attack Tamli's last monster and end this duel! Finca screams.

Tamli prepares for the blast but it never comes. A surge of white light enfolds him and once it goes away, he looks up. Four dragons stand before him. One red, one blue, one green, and the last orange.

Why am I here? Tamli wonders.

Welcome Tamli Nekita, the red dragon growls.

Tamli looks around at the four dragons. What would they want with him?

You wonder why you are here? The green dragon asks.

Wonder no longer. I am Critias and you have been chosen to bear me, the blue dragon hums.

Tamli steps back, stunned.

"I am what?" He asks.

I am one of the Legendary Dragons that protected Atlantis before it sank to the bottom of the ocean and you have been chosen to be paired with me, Critias explains as a card appears in Tamli's hands.

" 'The Fang of Critias' What it this for?" Tamli asks.

To summon me, Critias explains. Your sister Tronay has 'The Eye of Timeaus' and your cousin Dartz has 'The Scale of Diablos'.

"I see," Tamli says as Critias returns him to his duel against Finca.

Finca growls sharply as Tamli activates his face-down card.

"Go Legendary Judgement!" He shouts.

What does it do? Finca asks.

"Due to my trap card, I can summon my Legendary Dragon Critias to the field if I give up my Arcana Force 7 and I plan to do just that," Tamli smirks as his monster is replaced by the blue dragon that was now paired with him.

Finca growls as her attack is stopped.

You will pay for that! She snaps as she ends her turn.

"My move," Tamli says as he draws one card from the top of his deck. "I'm fusing Critias with a trap card from my hand."

Which trap card? Finca asks.

"A card known as Guardian Destruction," Tamli replies as Critias begins to glow with a bright reddish light.

{Finca -narrator}

That card? Why is it so familiar to me?It's as if that card is from a distant past that I can't figure out.

"Meet my new monster! Go Destroyer Dragon (6400/3200)! Attack Finca's Shadow Phoenix and end this duel!"

A faint stream of dark energy surrounds Tamli and then I realize why the card is so familiar. That card . . . that monster nearly destroyed me. While I was tracking Tamli I was attacked by a reddish black dragon by the name of Destroyer Dragon. That's the same monster only now it's a card!

Finca: 0

Tamli: 3800

I scream as my life points fall to 0. This duel has shown me what I needed to know. Tamli can now be truly separated from me. I can only watch as he nears, smoke from the blast rising off my shoulders.

"You tried as hard as you could," he mutters.

That fool! He doesn't deserve to be joined with any Guardian because of that card! That card is pure evil, much like the Orichalcos once was. I growl at him and force him to the ground. I stand on top of him and pierce the top of his deck with a single claw.

If that card is on the top on his deck, then I will find it! I give up hope after a few cards, realizing that it is a fusion monster.

"What wrong Finca?" Tamli asks as he struggles to get my weight off him.

Nothing, I lie.

"Are you sure?" He questions.

Great, he's just as worse as Uria was about asking questions. I growl and lock eyes with him. A sudden mist of black energy surrounds him and shrugs me off of him like I'm a feather.

That card shall destroy us all, I mutter to myself as I struggle back to my feet. I will not have that happen!