Hello, everyone! Here is the next chapter, the Riding Duel between Michael and Elizabeth!
I hope this Duel is entertaining enough for you all. It may not have everything you want, but it still took a long time to write out.
This Duel will take place in a 3rd-Person POV, as you will see below. I feel that this Point of View is a better one to show the full effects of the Duel, since Samuel is an observor in this match.
The two Duelists will be Original Characters developed by 'Myyddraal', and the Decks they use were designed by them as well. All original credit for the Decks, and any custom cards inside them, goes to them.
DISCLAIMER: The author does not own 'Yugioh! 5D's', the 'Yugioh!' card game, or the 'Android Netrunner' card game (they are owned by Konami and Fantasy Flight Games, respectively). The author does own their own OC's and custom devices/cards.
Onward to the Chapter.
[3rd Person POV]
"RIDING DUEL, ACCELERATION!"
[RIDING DUEL BEGINS] [MICHAEL/ELIZABETH: 4000 LP, 0 SPC, 5 CARDS IN HAND]
ROUND 1 (Michael + Elizabeth: 4000 LP, 5 card Hand Size, 0 SPC)
As Elizabeth and Michael race to the first turn of the old riding track, Michael moves up close to Elizabeth's D-Wheel. In response, Elizabeth glares at him through her helmet's visor. She then floors her ride's accelerator, and shoots out of close range. She then harshly swerves her D-Wheel to the right as she approaches the turn. The wheels screech into the dirt as the vehicle tips further and further to the side, but without falling over.
Elizabeth skillfully hangs on as a large spray of dust and dirt flies from the rear wheel. Michael swerves away from most of the spray, but still gets splattered by several clods. He coughs as he loses control, and speed, for a few seconds. This gives Elizabeth enough time to bring her ride back upright, clearly in the lead as the Duelists come around the curve.
"First turn!" Elizabeth calls out as she draws a card, just to make it official.
[TURN 1: Elizabeth] [HAND SIZE: 5-6] [MICHAEL/ELIZABETH: 0-1 SPC]
Elizabeth looks over her hand for a few moments. Michael comes back up towards her as he comes around the curve before his 'sister' makes her move.
"I Set one Monster face-down," she states, "and that's it for now." [HAND SIZE: 6-5]
"My turn," Michael states as a superimposed image of a Duel Monsters card back appears, for a few seconds, above the ground.
[TURN 2: Michael] [HAND SIZE: 5-6] [MICHAEL/ELIZABETH: 1-2 SPC]
Like Elizabeth before him, Michael takes a moment to analyze his hand. His D-Wheel rattles a few times as it moves over some rougher spots of dirt on the track, but it doesn't affect his concentration.
"I Set two cards in my backrow," Michael then says, "and that's it." [HAND SIZE: 6-4]
"Hah!" Elizabeth laughs as the two card backs appear by Michael's D-Wheel, one on each side. "That isn't much of a move, brother. Has living in Satellite this long weakened your Dueling skills from the Fortune Cup?"
All Michael says in response is, "Make your move." Elizabeth huffs, and complies.
'They are both playing defensively,' Samuel thinks as he looks over the field via his Disk's holographic screen. 'Did they draw bad starting hands, or are they planning for big plays later? I know Elizabeth's Deck is full of strange spiritual creatures to turn the table, but Michael…?'
[ROUND 2: Michael + Elizabeth: 4000 LP, 2 SPC] [ELIZABETH HAND: 5 CARDS] [MICHAEL HAND: 4 CARDS]
[TURN 3: Elizabeth] [HAND SIZE: 5-6]
"Since I have at least 3 Speed Counters," Elizabeth says, "I can activate the Speed Spell, Elder's Insight!" [HAND SIZE: 6-5]
The activated Spell shows a grizzled man with a scarred right eye, and a flowing white beard, sitting opposite a younger, cleaner man in metal armor. The younger man sits patiently, the elder speaking to him about something.
"This Spell is rather unique," its user explains, "in that it stays on the field until it is destroyed, or leave the field by a card effect. It's like a Continuous Spell Card, but designed for Riding Duels. This is something the Palus family gives all its members, and associates."
"I am not a member of that family anymore," Michael loudly retorts. "Don't place me in their rank and file."
"You will see the truth soon enough," Elizabeth says. "Moving on, Elder's Insight gives all my Monsters 500 additional Attack and Defense Points. Also, my Monsters can now inflict Piercing Battle Damage when attacking weaker Monsters in Defense Mode! I'll show this by Flip Summoning Earthen Guard; its own effect gives all Rock-Type Monsters I control 200 Defense Points for each Level they have, as well!"
The flipped Monster is a terracotta soldier made of grey and dark green stone, currently kneeling above the ground. The carvings are detailed enough to show the detail on medieval-era boots, armor, and the polearm it holds in one hand. The soldier's eyes glow bright white, and it starts to move only a few seconds after it appears.
White light shines from cracks on its joints as it stands up, and readies the spear for combat (LIGHT, Rock/Warrior, 700 ATK/900 DEF, LVL 3). Elder's Insight then glows a darker white, and the glow in Guard's eyes changes to that darker shade as it powers up (Guard ATK/DEF: 700-1200/900-2000).
'That's a big increase in defense!' Samuel mentally notes as he sees the bonuses get applied. 'But, Guard's in Attack Mode right now.'
"Actions speak louder than words do," Elizabeth says as she hunches her body forward slightly. "Here's proof of that! Earthen Guard attacks you directly with Stone Spear!"
The soldier turns to face Michael, who is close by Elizabeth's D-Wheel but away from the dirt her ride trails behind itself. It leaps across the track, and stabs its spear's business end into the front wheel of his vehicle. Solid Vision systems negate any actual damage, but the wheel still lets out a grinding screech from the impact. Michael grunts as he forces the wheel to stay straight against the force, and his ride slows down slightly (Michael: 4000-2800 LP, 3-2 SPC).
"How did that feel, brother?" Elizabeth asks with a wide smile as she straightens back into her D-Wheel's padded seat. "That is only the beginning of what you will face against me!"
"It will take more than that to take me down," Michael answers as he accelerates back up to his prior position. "Your gloating doesn't change anything."
"You're so serious," Elizabeth regards as she notes Michael's rough tone. "Is that because you are losing right now, or some other reason?"
"You don't need to know, Elizabeth. Continue your turn."
"Suit yourself," Elizabeth snidely states as she takes two cards from her hand. "I Set one Monster face-down, and one card in my backrow, during Main Phase 2." The card backs appear as Guard returns to is owner's field [HAND SIZE: 5-3].
"My move, then. I draw!"
[TURN 4: Michael] [HAND SIZE: 4-5] [Michael: 2-3 SPC] [Elizabeth: 3-4 SPC]
Michael smiles as he looks at his new card. He quickly plays it: "Since I have at least 3 Speed Counters, I activate the Speed Spell, Will of the Monarchs!" [HAND SIZE: 5-4].
This Speed Spell shows an overweight king with a lavish crown, cape, and scepter angrily conversing with "Escher the Frost Vassal" in a large throne room. Two guards flank the king's throne, and the king holds a long scroll in one hand. The vassal stands silent against the king's red-faced tirade in regards to the scroll's unseen terms.
"As part of the cost to play this Spell," Michael explains, "I must reveal a Monster with 2400 Attack and 1000 Defense, or 2800 Attack and 1000 Defense, from my hand. I reveal Kuraz, the Light Monarch, who has 2400 Attack Points and 1000 Defense."
'A Monarch…' Samuel's eyes narrow as he sees the card revealed on his digital screen. Elizabeth's eyes narrow as well as her D-Wheel's screen shows the same action.
"Now for the Spell," Michael continues. "Will of the Monarchs lets me add any "Monarch" Speed Spell or Trap from my Deck into my hand. I then must discard a card to the Graveyard."
"I add The Continuous Trap, The Prime Monarch, to my hand… and then discard it right away." [HAND SIZE: 4]
"What good did all that do you?" Elizabeth asks as Michael drops the card into his Disk's Graveyard slot. "You discarded the one new card in your hand! You've gained nothing to stop my attacks."
"I don't need to tell you my motives. You are my opponent, remember?"
"I am also your sister!" Elizabeth emphasizes.
"But I am not your brother," Michael counters. Elizabeth grunts in irritation as Michael then states, "I end my turn."
"This is getting awkward," Samuel mutters to himself as Elizabeth quickly draws her card. To his eyes, Michael's strong refusal of Elizabeth could be a side effect of him losing this Duel. But, he keeps his opinions to himself; the Duel isn't finished yet. Elizabeth doesn't take too long to make her move.
[ROUND 3] [Michael: 2800 LP, 3 SPC] [Elizabeth: 4 SPC, 4000 LP]
[TURN 5: Elizabeth] [HAND SIZE: 3-4] [Michael: 3-4 SPC] [Elizabeth: 4-5 SPC]
"I Flip Summon my 2nd Earthen Guard," she says. "He receives Insight's power boost, and both of their own effects to boost their Defense stack. So, they both gain 1700 Defense points!"
A second Guard, identical to the first except for a darker stone body, appears next to the first. The two Guards do not react to each other's presence, but both of their bodies glow a dark brown in conjunction with Elder Insight's white (ATK (2nd Guard): 700-1200) (DEF (1st and 2nd Guard): 900-2600).
"Battle!" Elizabeth hunches over again in preparation to her attack. "My second Earthen Guard attacks you directly! Stone Spear!"
The Guard brings its spear to a striking point, and lunges at Michael's ride. A second later, the Guard stops as a beam of white light shoots into the sky from Michael's Duel Disk. A bolt of lightning lights up the sky around the beam, as if contrasting the beam's effects. Samuel looks to the clouds with a note of concern; if a storm is building up, he doesn't want to be in a dangerous place when that storm breaks.
"Before Damage Calculation," Michael shouts as the beam fades away, "I activate the effect of The Prime Monarch in my Graveyard! By banishing one other "Monarch" Spell or Trap from my Graveyard, such as "Will of the Monarchs", I Special Summon The Prime Monarch in Defense Mode, as a Normal Monster!"
The two cards in question stick out of Michael's Disk, and he takes them into his hand. He pockets one, and places the other on a Monster slot. A silhouetted figure kneels between the Guard and Michael's D-Wheel. The figure holds a winged staff in front of itself, and the Guard brings its spear's pointed end up in challenge (LIGHT, Fairy, 1000 ATK/2400 DEF, LVL 5).
Elizabeth's response to this Summoning, and the Monster's statistics, is quick: "Guard, stop your attack!" The Monster obeys her command, and returns to her field. Its carved face doesn't change from a mute, solemn expression. Its controller shakes her head at seeing her assault stopped by a single card's effects.
"I move to Main Phase 2, and switch my first Guard to Defense Mode. This triggers its second effect; while it is in Defense Mode, and I control another Monster, it gains 700 additional Defense Points. This gives it a total of 3300 Defense!"
The brown and white lights on the first Guard now mix with a black aura. The Guard's body hardens in seconds, turning into even more of an immovable wall as its Defense Points jump up (DEF (1st Earthen Guard): 2600-3300).
'That's almost as powerful as that 'Ancient Vengeful Pillar' Dark Synchro was!' Samuel thinks in shocked surprise. 'How will Michael get out of this?'
"Don't think that wall intimidates me," Michael states, as if in response to Samuel's mental question. "It has its flaws, just like everything else."
"We'll see, brother. You don't seem to want your flaws revealed. Has Satellite taught you to hoard your secrets, and weaknesses?"
"That isn't connected to this Duel, Elizabeth. Your distractions won't keep you from the truth."
"What 'truth' do you mean? The 'truth' that you are being a selfish person on a path to your own destruction? The 'truth' that you don't care about the people who care for you, who love you as you are?"
"Just finish your damn turn!" Michael shouts, his anger breaking through in a split second of unfiltered rage. Samuel flinches at the reaction, able to hear their words through an audio port on his Disk's frame. A part of him feels he shouldn't be listening to this, that the conversation should be left private.
Another part of him wants him to hear everything, if only to help these two siblings reunite in the best way possible. It may not be his goal, but it is a situation he feels personally involved in.
Elizabeth angles her D-Wheel to the right again as the track's curve approaches. With some careful maneuvering, and a firm grip with her legs, she manages to draw her card and complete her turn at the same time. Michael stays far enough away from her ride to not get sprayed in the face with a wave of dirt. He completes the turn at a slower pace, and accelerates back up to Elizabeth's position.
The two Duelists race by Samuel, the Solid Vision holograms keeping pace with the riders. Samuel covers his face from the clouds of dust they leave behind. He coughs a few times as some of the dust gets into his mouth. Fortunately for him, the dust disperses into the surrounding air after only a few seconds of exposure.
[TURN 6: Michael] [HAND SIZE: 4-5] [Michael: 4-5 SPC] [Elizabeth: 5-6 SPC]
"Now that I have at least 4 Speed Counters, I activate my two Set cards: two Speed Spells!"
Elizabeth lets out a surprised, "Eh?" as Michael's two face-down cards reveal themselves. One shows Thestalos the Fire Monarch incinerating a large village via a pillar of flame. The other shows Raiza the Storm Monarch, and Granmarg the Rock Monarch, using their elemental powers against an army of beasts that approach from both land and sky.
"The first card," Michael says while pointing to the Spell with Thestalos's image, "is Wrath of the Monarchs. I would explain what it does, but it won't be around long enough to do so. It's going to be sent to the Graveyard as part of my second Spell, Lordship of the Monarchs."
The first Spell turns into dust as the second Spell, with Raiza and Granmarg's image, flashes white. Both D-Wheels shake slightly as they both run over two holes in the track.
"Now that the cost has been paid," Michael continues, "Lordship of the Monarchs lets me draw 2 cards from my Deck." Michael takes his two cards with two quick snaps of his hand [HAND SIZE: 5-7]. "Then, I banish Lordship from my Graveyard to activate its second effect."
"Another effect?" Elizabeth repeats, her tone neutral against what else Michael could do with this Speed Spell. Samuel notes this lack of emotion, a sign she doesn't seem to care about the card.
"Lordship's effect lets me select three Monsters with 2400, or 2800, Attack Points, and 1000 Defense Points, or three "Monarch" Spell or Trap Cards, from my Deck. I reveal my choices to you, and you choose one of them to add to my hand. The other choices are shuffled back into my Deck."
Enlarged images of three Spell and Trap cards appear in front of Michael's D-Wheel: one Trap, and two Speed Spells. The Trap shows 'Thestalos the Mega Monarch', who glows a dark red, combine his powers with the blue energies of 'Mobius the Mega Monarch', in a massive energy blast. The first Speed Spell shows 'Thestalos' and 'Granmarg' the 'Mega Monarchs' leaving the ruins of a burning and broken castle behind them. The second Speed Spell shows 'Caius the Shadow Monarch' pointing dramatically with a finger glowing with purple fire at a wounded 'Last Warrior from Another Planet'.
"Your choices," Michael announces, "are as follows: the Trap Card Escalation of the Monarchs, and the Speed Spells Rampage of the Monarchs and The Monarch's Dominance. Pick one of them to add to my hand."
Elizabeth and Samuel both look over the choices on their screens, but only Elizabeth says her choice out loud: "I choose Rampage of the Monarchs." Michael adds the Spell to his hand, and all three images vanish a moment later [HAND SIZE: 7-8].
"It's time for the Monarchs to arrive! I release The Prime Monarch to Tribute Summon Kuraz, the Light Monarch!"
The silhouetted figure turns into an orb of white light. The orb turns golden-white without blinding either Duelist's eyes. It then separates to make way for an imposing figure in golden-white metal armor and matching cape. It sports light-blue gloves over its large hands, its eyes hidden behind the thin visor in its helmet. A gold metal ring, with smaller red jewels embedded into the surface, spins behind its back, and an emblem on its belt sports similar jewels.
Its helmet sports a cross-shaped top, and its shoulder plates extend several inches more than its arms. The effect gives it a more imposing figure, especially with its cape flaps behind it in midair. Small stars of golden light fly off the ends of the cape, not providing much additional light against Satellite's brooding atmosphere (LIGHT, Warrior, 2400 ATK/1000 DEF, LVL 6) [HAND SIZE (Michael): 8-7].
'So, that's a Monarch…' Samuel thinks. 'It certainly looks powerful.'
"When Kuraz is Summoned," Michael states to an onlooking Elizabeth, "his effect activates. I target up to two cards on the field, and those cards are destroyed. Then, those card's controllers draw a card for each card of theirs that was destroyed. I target, and destroy, your Set card and your Defense Mode Earthen Guard."
Kuraz looks to Elizabeth's field, and raises a hand to level with its face. Both the targeted cards glow a golden-white aura that doesn't blend with their Solid Vision forms. Earthen Guard doesn't react to this effect, possibly confident in its own defensive capabilities.
At the command, "Light's Edict!", Kuraz clenches its raised hand into a fist. Two rays of blinding light streak down from the sky to envelop the two cards. Elizabeth turns her head away as the cards are destroyed, and then quickly draws her two cards as compensation [HAND SIZE (Elizabeth): 4-6]. The other Earthen Guard loses some of its power, as well [DEF (2nd Guard): 2600-2000].
"Fortunately for you," Michael then says, "Kuraz cannot attack during the same turn it is Summoned. So, I'll go right to my Main Phase 2, and activate the Speed Spell you gave me; Rampage of the Monarchs!"
The Spell activates, and an unknown weight settles over the entire track. Samuel feels it from beside the track, and Elizabeth shifts slightly in her seat against this pressure. She doesn't say a word against it, or lose control of her ride [HAND SIZE (Michael): 7-6].
"This Spell, like your Elder's Insight, will remain in play until destroyed, or by another card effect. While it is in play, all Tribute Summoned Monsters I control cannot be destroyed, or targeted, by any card effects. Also," he adds with a momentary pause, "my Speed Counter total can't decrease by any means!"
Elizabeth's eyes widen at that last bit. Samuel frowns as he tries to imagine how this will fare into the rest of the Duel. It sounds like something a rampaging being would have, but he still feels uneasy. Does this Spell's weight imply a growing weight within Michael himself?
'Michael… have you really changed so much since the Fortune Cup?'
"How did you get these kinds of Speed Spells?" Elizabeth asks before Michael makes his next action. "I thought they were unique to the Palus family!"
"I used custom Speed Spells back in the Fortune Cup, remember? Are you not able to think that far back in regard to your life?"
"I certainly remember that time! That was the day I discovered you existed at all, the day I realized Father had kept a secret from me." Elizabeth's face darkens as she then says, "That was a very dark day, but it is a day I now regard as necessary."
"Necessary to who? You, for figuring out the secrets, or to Arias, for seeing his past coming back to bite him in the rear end?"
Elizabeth clenches the handlebars of her D-Wheel as she nearly screams in anger, "Are you shifting the blame of your decisions to our father?!"
"No, I am stating a fact. I remember how Arias Palus acted before you were born, and how he changed after you came into his life. You probably don't know about that, considering how he has put the world before you on a silver platter."
"Father used his resources to give me knowledge of the world, but it is my choice to learn what I want to."
"Stop trying to make your position so important, you're not as special as you think you are!"
"I am the daughter of the Palus family household!" Elizabeth shouts back as she whirls her D-Wheel around, quickly shifts her ride's gears, and begins to drive backwards down the track without losing any of her speed. Samuel looks at this with raised eyebrows, and they stay raised as Elizabeth continues to talk.
"I am the heir to the Palus family name! But, you are as much a piece of the family as me. The past is the past, and things can change. I came here to make the future better, for all of us!"
"History often repeats itself, Elizabeth. This isn't the time to lecture me about 'family values', or how I got these new cards. You need to deal with them. I end my turn."
"I will do just that, brother. I draw!"
[ROUND 4] [Michael: 5 SPC, 2800 LP] [Elizabeth: 6 SPC, 4000 LP]
[TURN 7: Elizabeth] [HAND SIZE: 6-7] [Michael: 5-6 SPC] [Elizabeth: 6-7 SPC]
Elizabeth draws her card, and then executes a similar series of motions to what she just did to get her D-Wheel facing forward again. The siblings take the track's turn, and pass by Samuel, without a word. Samuel instinctively takes a step back as Kuraz's Solid Vision form flies by very close to him.
"I release Earthen Guard to Tribute Summon Lore Keeper!"
The terracotta soldier turns into white dust, which then shapes itself into a large, grey-skinned man. He wears a skirt with metal plates over the fabric, like some sort of armor. The only other piece of clothing he wears is a necklace with various beads, rocks, and teeth. A large pouch of scrolls is slung across his back, and his grey hair is tied tightly into a ponytail.
One other piece of this man's image gives Samuel some concern: glyphs carved into his body into an unknown language, whch are also on fire. Michael also raises an eyebrow when the man's thin, bloodshot eyes look at him with a dark tone (LIGHT, Warrior/Psychic, 2300 ATK/1400 DEF) (ATK/DEF: 2300-2800/1400-1900) [HAND SIZE: 7-6].
"Lore Keeper's effect," Elizabeth begins. "When it is Summoned, I can—"
"Not so fast!" Michael interrupts as he takes a card from his hand. "I chain Lore Keeper's effect with the Quick Effect of Ehther, the Heavenly Monarch from my hand."
"A Quick Effect?!" Elizabeth and Samuel both say this at the same time, the two equally surprised at this declaration.
"Oh, yes, Elizabeth," Michael replies. "Did you not think the Monarchs had this kind of power? Did you not think I would know these advanced Duel Monsters terms? The Monarch of an empire has to know how to run all parts of a kingdom, and I have studied long and hard about this."
"I am not criticizing your smarts, brother. I was just questioning—"
"Ether's Quick Effect!" Michael cuts in, which makes Elizabeth growl through gnashed teeth. "During my opponent's Main Phase, I can banish one "Monarch" Spell or Trap from my Graveyard to Tribute Summon her. In addition, Ether can be Tribute Summoned by releasing one Tribute-Summoned Monster."
Elizabeth's eyes wide as she states: "Then, your Kuraz…!"
"Kuraz is all I need to release! I now Tribute Summon Ehther, the Heavenly Monarch!"
Kuraz rises further into the air, and a small hole opens in the dark skies. Kuraz turns into his natural element – light – as it comes close to the hole, until his entire body is gone. That light turns from golden-white to pure white as it falls back down to the field. Once it comes within a few feet of the surface, it changes into a humanoid form larger than Kuraz was. In fact, it casts an imposing shadow that stretches across the entire track.
The form is female, clad in white armor with golden bands. Jewels of various colors adorn her belt, shoes, collar, and the handle of her golden staff. A curved helmet with golden wings covers her face, and white gloves protect her hands from Satellite's probably-polluted air. Golden lines trail along the red central part of the gown she sports beneath her armor. Six strips of white fabric, carefully sown into rectangular shapes, flutter behind her body.
The head of her staff is carved into the shape of a regal bird with jewels for eyes. The end of the handle has another pair of golden wings at the very end, like the tip of a spear. A ring like Kuraz's, but with a black line through the center, floats behind her as it slowly spins on its own rhythm. These items add to the Monarch's appearance, and her power (LIGHT, Fairy, 2800 ATK/1000 DEF, LVL 8) [HAND SIZE (Michael): 6-5].
"Ehther's effect; when she is Tribute Summoned, I can send two "Monarch" Spell or Trap cards with different names from my Deck to my Graveyard. If I do this, I can Special Summon one Monster with 2400 Attack, and 1000 Defense, from my Deck. I send Devastation of the Monarchs, and a second copy of Wrath of the Monarchs, to the Graveyard, to Special Summon a second Kuraz from my Deck."
Michael's Deck holster pokes the two cards out from the rest of the stack, and he takes them into his hand. He holds them up as he calls out, "Heaven's Decree!" Enlarged images of the two cards appear to either side of Ehther, and she raises her staff to the sky like her controller offered them to her. The bird glows the same white as her armor, and the images stretch out into streams of energy as they fly into the bird's eyes.
Once the bird absorbs the images into itself, Ehther lowers her staff at the space to her right. A beam of light, too white to be anything normal, falls from the heavens as the second Kuraz leaps down to the field. It lands hard on the ground, but doesn't create any impact; it is only Solid Vision, after all. It also doesn't stay on the ground for long as it rises into the air to follow the Monarch that brought it down to Earth.
"Kuraz's effect activates when it is Summoned," Michael states as the reformed Light Monarch goes through the same motions it did before. "I destroy Lore Keeper, and Elder's Insight, with Light's Edict!"
Kuraz clenches his hand, and the beams of light obliterate the selected cards. Like the last time, Elizabeth turns her head away to shield her eyes. Lore Keeper's burning glyphs are consumed first, their fires snuffed out as the man's body turns to ash. Elizabeth's Speed Spell shatters into pieces under its own assault. The Victorian-garbed daughter draws two more cards when the light fades [HAND SIZE (Elizabeth): 6-8].
'Wait,' Samuel asks to himself as he notices something that was declared, but didn't happen,'why isn't Lore Keeper's effect activating? It was Summoned to the field, right?'
Samuel's guidance implant provides the answer: [Lore Keeper's effect is an "Ignition Effect", or an effect that activates on a certain trigger, that also requires the Monster to be on the field to activate. Its Summoning created the opening for a Chain of effects, as most game actions do.]
'Then, Michael started a Chain with Ehther's 'Quick Effect'?'
[Correct. Ehther's 'Quick Effect', and its own Ignition Effect, are placed further along the Chain Link than Lore Keeper's Ignition Effect. As Chain Links resolve from the last-activated effect to the first, Ehther could Special Summon Kuraz first. Then, Kuraz's own Ignition Effect triggered when it was Summoned, at a point still higher than Lore Keeper.
When the Chain Link returned to the first point, that being Lore Keeper's effect, Lore Keeper was no longer on the field. Therefore, the effect did not activate.]
'That's… really complex.' Samuel feels his head hurt a bit as he separates the individual steps, and variables, of the Chain Link. Putting them all together again only increases the pain, and annoyance, of it all.
[This is a necessary part of Duel Monsters, and one reason it offers such a wide variety of strategies to Duelists.]
Samuel nods to himself as his headache clears. He turns his eyes back to the Duel to see nothing else has happened. Elizabeth holds two cards from her D-Wheel's card holder, but she doesn't instantly use them. Her earlier confidence is lost in the face of such a complex chain of events.
She eventually makes her choice: "I Set two cards in my backrow, and end my turn." [HAND SIZE: 8-6]
"During your End Phase," Michael states as Kuraz's body starts to turn into shining motes of golden dust, "the Monster Summoned by Ether's effect moves to my hand." The Light Monarch nods to Ehther before it fully fades, and Ehther gives a solemn nod of her own. The dust flows into Michael's hand, and he places the card in his D-Wheel's card holster [HAND SIZE (Michael): 5-6].
"Now," he instantly announces, "I draw!"
[TURN 8: Michael] [HAND SIZE: 6-7] [Michael: 6-7 SPC] [Elizabeth: 7-8 SPC]
Michael takes another card from his hand as he says, "I Normal Summon Edea, the Heavenly Squire."
A small portal of light – the same light as Ehther's armor – breaks through the air to the Heavenly Monarch's left. A human-sized female knight comes through, and the portal quickly closes behind her. She has the same armor, gown, helmet, gloves, and flowing bits of fabric as the Monarch it apparently serves. Her helmet is a bit less ornate, and she does not have a copy of the ring Ehther carries on her back. She looks to Ehther, and claps a gloved hand to her breastplate in show of her service [LIGHT, Warrior, 800 ATK/1000 DEF, LVL 3] [HAND SIZE: 7-6].
"Edea's effect," Michael announces as the squire turns away from her lord, "Call to Purity! When she is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Monster with 800 Attack, and 1000 Defense, from my Deck, that is not named "Edea, the Heavenly Squire". I'll Special Summon Eidos, the Underworld Squire, in Defense Mode!"
Edea's hands shimmers with a less-blinding white light than Ehther used the previous turn. She splays one hand open and gestures to the ground beside her. Black flames rise from beneath the ground as a male knight in dark gray armor answers her call. His armor, gauntlets, and boots are adorned with spikes of varying sizes, the plates lapping over one another like a reptile's scales. Some of these spikes are a reddish-brown, while others are the same gray as the armor they decorate. A blue jewel fits in a small section at the center of his breastplate, lacking any special light.
The knight steps into the air and flies alongside Edea, a tattered brown cloak flapping in the air behind him. His helmet has the appearance of a devil, and a pair of orange eyes glow as they look to the Heavenly Squire. His black hair, tied into a tight ponytail that hangs from a hole on the top of his helmet, doesn't fly in front of his face, even when the air moves the hair to different sides of his head. He takes a knee as he notices Ehther is here, also [DARK, Warrior, 800 ATK/1000 DEF, LVL 3].
"Now, Eidos's effect activate," Michael states: "Call to Power! When Eidos is Summoned, I can Tribute Summon one time this turn, in addition to my Normal Summon or Set. I release Edea to Tribute Summon Kuraz once again!"
The Heavenly Squire spreads her arms wide as she looks to the dark skies above. Her body disintegrates into a cloud of white dust, which quickly reforms into the familiar armored form of the Light Monarch. Eidos claps a hand to his chest upon Kuraz's arrival, a loud clang coming from the metal-on-metal contact (ATK: 2400) [HAND SIZE: 6-5].
"With Kuraz Summoned once again, I use Light's Edict one more time. This time, I destroy both of your Set cards!" The motion is carried out, and the results are the same as the previous two times.
"All this senseless destruction!" Elizabeth declares as she draws her two cards. "How is this better for you, rather than working with people who love and care for you to take down your enemies?" [HAND SIZE (Elizabeth): 6-8]
"Because this destruction is completely mine. Everyone has some amount of anger, and destructive nature, inside them. An empire must keep its enemies secured, or eliminate them, to stay in power. The Palus family has certainly done terrible things to keep itself in power, hasn't it?"
"You don't know that!" Elizabeth's retort sounds lackluster as she looks back at Michael. "Father and Mother don't do malicious things on other people."
"They probably do it while you are distracted, then. If you spend a lot of time each day in different classes and studies, then they have a lot of chances to do things you would call 'malicious'."
"Aggh! You are so stubborn!" Elizabeth violently shakes her head in a futile attempt to clear away her anger. "Are you done with your turn yet?"
"Not a chance. I have another card to activate – the Speed Spell, Empire of the True Monarchs!"
Michael inserts the card into a Spell slot in his Disk as he announces the Spell's name. Its image shows Edea and Eidos kneeling alongside several other Vassals of the various elements. They are all in front of Ehther, who sits on a pure-white throne made of carefully-carved stone. Ehther looks at them all with a raised hand, issuing a command to the Vassals in her service [HAND SIZE (Michael): 5-4].
"This Speed Spell will remain in play until destroyed, like Rampage does. While it is activated, and I have no cards in my Extra Deck, several abilities will be in effect.
"First, all Tribute Summoned Monsters I control gain 1000 Attack and Defense Points. Second, neither of us can Special Summon Monsters from our Main or Extra Decks. Third, during my Main Phase, I can reduce the Level of one Monster in my hand with 2800 Attack, and 1000 Defense, by two stars until the end of the turn. Finally, I now gain twice as many Speed Counters as normal whenever my Speed Gauge would increase."
As Michael finishes the description, the Spell glows a rainbow light. That light spreads across Michael's field, and the Monarch's stats gain a power boost (ATK/DEF (Ether: 2800-3800/1000-2000) (Kuraz: 2400-3400/1000-2000)).
"All those effects changes nothing, Michael," Elizabeth says while she glares back at Michael. "You are coming with me to see our Father, even if I have to use force!"
"I will be using the force here!" Michael shouts back. "Battle! Kuraz can't attack by its own effect, but Ether is free to take you down. Ether attacks you directly!"
The Heavenly Monarch takes a step forward, and places her staff in her left hand. She brings her right hand up, the fingers splayed open like Edea did earlier in the turn. The ground beneath Elizabeth's D-Wheel rumbles ominously, and she looks down to see the area beneath her covered with white light. The light moves with her D-Wheel, not giving her any chance to escape.
Michael shouts, "Celestial Ray!" and Ehther clenches her hand in an echo of Kuraz's action. A beam of white light joins with the light below Elizabeth's D-Wheel, and she is engulfed in searing heat and energy. She cries out as the intensity of the simulated attack inflicts real pain to her senses. Her D-Wheel rocks violently from side to side as she tries to regain control from being blinded by holographic light.
Samuel gasps as the Palus daughter's vehicle tilts dangerously far to the left, almost touching the ground. The feather on Elizabeth's cap breaks off as the item threatens to fall off her head… only for Elizabeth to wrench the front wheel in the direction of her tilt. The vehicle spins rapidly in place once, twice, thrice, and then shoots out in the same direction it was originally going.
Elizabeth gives a harsh wrench with her waist and legs, which rights the D-Wheel up on the track. She is several feet behind Michael, but she starts to close the distance when she floors the accelerator (Elizabeth LP: 4000-200) (SPC: 8-5).
"You're still standing?" Michael asks, his eyes wide with surprise. "I had thought that attack would be enough to knock you down. You must be really determined to take me in."
Elizabeth doesn't respond as she takes slow breaths through her nose, and out through her mouth, to steady her rapid heartbeat. Her clothes are coated in dust, the feather in her tricorn cap plucked clean off. The cap itself rests askew on her head, and the front end of her D-Wheel has several scratches and scuffs from her effort to keep it from crashing. Her eyes are wide and glittering with emotion, and fatigue, from the feat she just accomplished.
"During Main Phase 2," Michael says, "I activate a second Will of the Monarchs Speed Spell. I reveal Erebus, the Underworld Monarch, from my hand as part of the cost. I then add the Trap, Escalation of the Monarchs, to my hand, and discard Erebus to the Graveyard."
Michael quickly goes through the motions of his Spell, and gets the new card to his hand. Samuel and Elizabeth look on in silence [HAND SIZE (Michael): 4-3].
"I Set one card in my backrow, and end my turn." Michael looks to Elizabeth with a hard gaze, which is somewhat blocked by his helmet's visor. "Show me what you can do." [HAND SIZE (Michael): 3-2]
[ROUND 5] [Michael: 2800 LP, 7 SPC] [Elizabeth: 200 LP, 5 SPC]
[TURN 9: Elizabeth] [HAND SIZE: 8-9] [Michael: 5-6 SPC] [Elizabeth: 7-9 SPC]
"I'll show you what I got, Michael!" Elizabeth says as she draws for her turn. She looks over her hand before she makes her move: "I Normal Summon Storm Spire!"
'Oh, no!' Samuel thinks.'That Monster was a powerful addition to her Deck when she was a 'Dark Signer'! What's it going to do here?'
Lightning flashes in the sky as Elizabeth's Monster appears beside her D-Wheel. The edges are symmetrical around the green crystal, held in place by the two halves of a gray pillar. A tornado quickly forms around the pillar and crystal from the ground, without obscuring its view. The tornado does not spread any further across Elizabeth's field, and none of the dust flies in Michael's path. (ATK: 2000) (LVL 4) [HAND SIZE (Elizabeth): 9-8]
"Spire's effect," she calls out, "Storm's Purge! When this card is Summoned, I select two cards on your field. One is destroyed, and the other is shuffled into your Deck. Since I can't target your Monsters due to "Rampage of the Monarchs", I'll target it to be destroyed. I'll also shuffle "Empire of the Monarchs into your Deck."
The central crystal flashes twice before a loud crack signals the arrival of two lightning bolts of the same color. The bolts arc around Michael's field to reach his two Speed Spells. They both shatter instantly, and the weight Rampage placed on the field lifts. Ehther and Kuraz lose their power boost, but they don't appear any weaker for it (ATK/DEF (Ether: 3800-2800/2000-1000) (Kuraz: 3400-2400/2000-1000)).
"Now, it's my turn to use force! I activate a second Elder's Insight; you already know what it does, but it is just what I need to win."
The Speed Spell looks the same as the last copy, and Storm Spire quickly powers up from its benefits (ATK/DEF (Spire): 2000-2500/400-900) [HAND SIZE: 9-8].
"Now, since I have at least 6 Speed Counters, I play another Speed Spell; World Breaker!"
This Spell shows an actual planet undergoing a catastrophic series of natural disasters. Hurricanes mix with wide-spread wildfires and floods. Other continents break apart into smaller pieces as massive earthquakes rip through the planet's crust. It is easy to see the planet will not last much longer [HAND SIZE: 7-6].
"This Spell changes the Attribute of all Monsters on the field to my choice of FIRE, WATER, EARTH, or WIND. Then you take 500 damage for each of your Monsters that was changed this way. I choose the element of WATER, and you take 1500 damage!"
Michael gets the chance to say, "What?!" before his field comes under assault from a sudden, severe rainstorm. The two Monarchs, and the Squire, shield themselves with their arms. Michael is not as protected, and the rain droplets dig into his body like icicles. He grunts several times as the rain soaks through his clothes instantly and chills his skin. He keeps his D-Wheel under control with concentrated effort [Michael LP: 2800-1300] [SPC: 7-6].
"Your Life Points are low," Elizabeth states as the rainstorm vanishes as suddenly as it appeared, "low enough for me to win right now! Battle!"
'How can she win?' Samuel thinks as Michael wipes his eyes. 'Ether has more attack, and Kuraz is only 100 points weaker. The only other option would be… Eidos!'
"Storm Spire attacks Eidos for lethal Piercing Damage through Elder's Insight! LIGHTNING BOLT!"
Spire's central crystal glows brighter and brighter as its tornado rumbles and flashes like a thundercloud about to release a massive electrical charge. The charge releases itself a few seconds later, in the form of a jagged green bolt. It streaks towards Eidos, who barely has time to brace himself from the oncoming attack.
"Open Trap Card," Michael shouts before the bolt connects with the kneeling Monster, "Escalation of the Monarchs! I can activate its effect during my Main Phase, or your Battle Phase. Now, I can immediately perform a Tribute Summon!"
Elizabeth clenches her teeth as the Trap she had seen before activates. The lightning bolt slows down considerably as the card takes effect, leaving Michael enough time to execute his plan:
"I release Eidos and Kuraz, and call down the true ruler of thunder: Zaborg, the Mega Monarch!"
The Squire and the Monarch both turn to twin bolts of white lightning, and Ehther takes a step back as the bolts meld together. The result becomes a massively-armored man with shockingly spiked green hair, a small golden crown, and red marks along his face. His armor is mostly white, with traces of dark-blue parts alongside two spiked wrist bracelets. The gauntlets that cover his hands have red fingertips, his hands apparently very large to wield thunderbolts.
The Mega Monarch grunts once as he flexes his shoulders; they are beneath two large plates adorned with huge red spikes. His lower body sports a yellow, tiger-striped skirt that stretches to his feet, most of it tied behind his back. A large metal ring floats behind his back, several pieces of metal on the ring angled to his body. Lightning crackles in his hands as he takes a look at the oncoming bolt; one beyond his control (LIGHT, Thunder, 2800 ATK/1000 DEF, LVL 8) [HAND SIZE (Michael): 2-1].
"Zaborg's effect: when he is Tribute Summoned, he destroys one Monster on the field. Storm Spire will fall before Thunder's Wrath!"
Zabrog laughs in a deep voice as Spire's bolt comes into his grasp. He grasps it, and pulls it towards him like a rope. The ring on his back spins rapidly as he changes the bolt into a silver-colored one. With another grunt, he flings it back to its sender. Spire is unable to dodge in time, and it is crumbles to pieces alongside a loud barroom that echoes across the track. Samuel shudders, even though it is just Solid Vision; the effect looks very realistic.
"Now, the second part of Zaborg's effect. Since Storm Spire was a LIGHT Attribute Monster, we both send cards from our Extra Decks equal to Spire's Level to our Graveyards. I have no Extra Deck, but you certainly do." Elizabeth complies without a response, her expression downcast as her latest plan is counteracted by Michael's Deck.
"I Set one card in my backrow," she finally says. "Go." [HAND SIZE (Elizabeth): 6-5]
Michael quickly draws his card after the two loop around the curve yet again. Elizabeth's field is mostly bare against the two Monarchs, something that Samuel quickly notes. To him, it looks like Elizabeth is placing her hopes on this one card. If it is destroyed, or negated, then she will have nothing left.
'Hard to think that, unpossessed like this, Elizabeth's Deck would falter for so long. Then again, once Michael could Tribute Summon a Monarch, he took control of the Duel. He's kept an iron grip on it since then, and turned things around.' He looks to Elizabeth's D-Wheel as he adds, 'I just hope Elizabeth can handle the sense of losing against her brother…'
At that moment, Samuel hears a new sound in the air: the whirling hum of some other vehicle. He looks up to the sky with squinted eyes. A white helicopter quickly stands out against the gray clouds, and a bolt of blue lightning flashes near its position. The vehicle flies far above Satellite, but it quickly starts to descend to the island.
Samuel turns back to the Duel at hand. He can inform the two Duelists about the helicopter later.
[TURN 10: Michael] [HAND SIZE: 1-2] [Michael: 7-8 SPC] [Elizabeth: 6-7 SPC]
"What are you waiting for?" Elizabeth asks, glaring at Michael when he does not take any more actions. "Attack me. Show me how defiant you are against me, and our family."
"The Palus family is not my family, anymore." Michael says this with a solemn tone, as if giving a speech to a large audience. "I am who I choose to be, not bound down to anything. If I need to hurt you to make you realize that… then I will do it with regret."
"Regret?" Elizabeth slowly repeats that word, her anger slowly turning into a confused stare. Michael continues with his turn: "I release Ether and Kuraz to Tribute Summon the ruler of frost and ice: Mobius, the Mega Monarch."
The two Monarchs simultaneously melt into floating spheres of water, which join as an unseen wind spreads a chill to both Duelists. A new male Monarch takes shape as the wind howls with fervor. This one has sky-blue armor, and a cape with a darker red shade along its interior. White spikes jut from its knuckles, shoulder plates, elbows, and the top of its helmet. Its armor has swirling red lines along either side, and blue gloves cover its hands from the frost around it.
A white ring, similar in shape to what the other Monarchs wield, floats behind his body. His golden-yellow eyes glare across the field, the rest of his face covered by his helmet. The frost turns into a trail of ice that spreads beneath its feet, its very presence able to freeze the ground it floats over (WATER, Aqua, 2800 ATK/1000 DEF, LVL 8) [HAND SIZE (Michael): 2-1].
"Mobius's Summoning effect," Michael states, "Engulfing Snow. When he is Tribute Summoned, I destroy up to 3 Spell and Trap cards. I remove your Set card, and Elder's Insight."
The wind picks up again as Mobius raises a hand to Elizabeth's field. He clenches that hand, and the wind becomes a snowstorm that blows over Elizabeth without mercy. Her D-Wheel shrugs off most of the snow due to its current speed, but Elizabeth still shivers in her exposed ride. Her two cards, the last two defenses on her field, freeze over and shatter under the storm.
"Battle." Michael looks right at Elizabeth as he gives his command with no sort of happiness. "Mobius attacks you directly to end the Duel. Icy Burial."
Mobius spreads his arms wide, and then claps his hands together in Elizabeth's direction. A cone of frost flies from his fingers and slams into her D-Wheel. Elizabeth cries out again as the direct assault chills her deeper than the prior attack. Samuel looks on in a mixture of concern, sorrow, and pity, for both Duelists as their battle comes to an end (Elizabeth LP: 200-0) [RIDING DUEL ENDS].
[SAMUEL'S POV]
Elizabeth's D-Wheel releases a large cloud of steam, and then suddenly comes to a halt. Elizabeth flies over the vehicle's front wheel, lands hard on her shoulder, and then rolls for a few feet. She eventually stops and splays her battered body out on the dirt.
I stare at her for a moment, her body a long way from my position. I then turn my Disk's screen off and race across the track towards her. Michael stops his D-Wheel some ways from Elizabeth's position, and her own D-Wheel. He gets off, and takes his helmet off, while I run over to the siblings.
The sky still rumbles with thunder, which almost blocks out the low sobbing from Elizabeth. I only pick up that sound when I get within several feet of her. She makes no effort to get up, or ask us for help.
"How?" she says through a stuffy nose, and a hoarse throat. "How?! I spent so much to get here, all for nothing!"
She resumes her sobs as her body shakes a few times. I want to help her, but my gut instinct tells me to stay back and let this issue resolve itself.
"You Dueled as best you could," Michael says as he slowly walks over to the prone woman. "You fought for a goal you thought was important." The two look at each other before Michael then quietly says, "I respect that."
Elizabeth's eyes widen. I hear her breathe bit easier. Michael continues with, "You didn't know how I would act when you got here. But, I also see you aren't fully influenced by Arias. I first thought you were a lackey in the Palus household, but that is no longer true."
Michael kneels down to Elizabeth and offers a hand. He then concludes, "You are an independent woman, alone and confused. I've been down that road before, and it is a rocky one to go alone. I think your time here in Satellite will help you see how the world really works."
Wow. That was pretty well said. Maybe he really does respect Elizabeth, despite her claims that they aren't siblings. Elizabeth seems to think that way when she clasps her hand into Michael's own. He helps her up to her feet, and skims over a few cuts on her legs and arms.
"Are you able to drive on your own?" he asks her. She nods, tears still in her eyes.
"I hate to interrupt," I say as I suddenly remember what I saw a short while ago, "but I saw a helicopter fly by shortly before the Duel ended. I think it was heading towards Martha's cottage."
"We'd better get back there, then." Michael quickly states. But, he first helps Elizabeth walk back to her D-Wheel. She lightly pushes him away once she can grip the vehicle on her own, and gets into the seat without aid. The vehicle's engines start up after a failed first try. Michael runs to his D-Wheel, and I sprint over to him.
"Hop on, Netrunner," the Monarch ruler tells me as he pats the back end of his D-Wheel. I get on without hesitation, and we set off back to Martha's cottage. Again, Michael is in the lead. I look to the sky above us, and note it doesn't look any different from when we arrived; if anything, I think it's gotten worse.
We come to the cottage, and I stare at the gathering of people outside. The white helicopter, as I suspected, has touched down outside the residence. Its occupants are out and about, with several small interactions taking place at the same time.
Martha stands by Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas, her arms wrapped around the former 'King' of Riding Duels. He stands several inches above her, and looks at her with a very embarrassed face. Yusei just smiles at the two of them; he must know something about this that I don't. Whatever the case, the old 'King' does not like this treatment. That might be because it is being done in front of the new 'King'.
A group of children wearing simple shirts and shorts look at the gathering of people from just in front of the orphanage. They look at Jack and Yusei with awe and admiration. They must be some of the kids who live in the orphanage, under Martha's care. They all look clean and fit, even though their clothes look noticeably threadbare. So, they must know about Yusei and Jack from the television broadcast of the Fortune Cup.
Aimi, my 'admirer', is not among them. I don't think I would want to deal with her right now. Granted, if any of these kids recognize me, I am going to have to deal with more 'fans'.
A man I vaguely remember as "Saiga" stands by them, with one foot against the house's wall and a small smile on his face. Rua and Ruka, who each look the same as I saw them in the Fortune Cup, stand closer to the helicopter. The twins look at the Satellite children with wide eyes as they talk to each other. They must be surprised
Another woman with blue hair, gold eyes, and wearing a white blouse under a gray-blue jacket, stands by the helicopter doors. She looks over the group with quick glances between the separate pairs. Next to her is, of all people, Officer Tetsu Ushio, who looks at the orphans with a dismissive glare. The scar on his left cheek has healed over since I last saw him, but he still wears the same uniform. He also seems to have the same attitude he used to. I don't want to deal with him, if possible.
To the woman's right, standing alone among the crowd, is…
"Aki…!"
My body turns cold the moment I see her, and whisper her name out loud. She still wears the same Victorian dress, the same hairpiece holding her scarlet locks in place. Her brown eyes widen when she sees me, but she doesn't become angry at my presence. That doesn't make me feel any better; she could just be waiting for the right moment to kill me a fourth time with her Psychic powers.
My right arm tingles, and then throbs, in a slow pulse. I look down to see my false Signer mark glow a dim red. The sensations it gives aren't painful ones, like the throbs from when I last Dueled her. It's soothing, this time. It's never done that before, even when Aki and I were near each other. I look up to Aki, and see her Signer mark – a real Signer mark – glow with the same intensity as mine. Its light shines brighter, and then weaker, in a similar rhythm to what my own is doing.
I look to her face, and meet her brown orbs head-on. I can't look away. I brace myself for a mental assault, some telepathic attack on my cybernetic mind. Aki looks at me as my arm pulses five more times.
She nods, an answer to an unspoken question. Her eyes are a mixture of angry, confused… and sad? That doesn't seem right.
Aki suddenly turns away, and walks to the orphanage, without a word. I follow her every step, spellbound to her movements. She speaks briefly to Martha, who walks with her to the front door. She opens it, and she moves inside. I think I see her give me one more glance, but it goes by so fast that it she probably didn't do it.
[Do not linger on this issue. You are being observed by multiple sources.]
Crap, everyone's looking at me! All the faces, all the emotions, all the possible questions! What do I do, what do I do?!
Luckily, or maybe unluckily, Yusei makes the first move. He turns to the cottage, and goes inside. Jack does the same a moment later, and then Ruka and Rua. Ushio gives me an odd look as he goes by, and the suited woman's eyes glimmer with pity as she follows the group indoors.
Michael gets off his D-Wheel, and I slowly slip off the back. He moves to help Elizabeth off her ride, and she says something to him that I don't hear. The two slowly amble inside, and Martha holds the door wide for them. She looks at Elizabeth's cuts and scrapes and quickly glares at Michael. He says something else I don't hear, and her anger turns to concern. The siblings move inside, and Martha turns to look at me.
I glance at the upstairs windows. Mia isn't at any of them. I look to the helicopter and see a shaded figure in the pilot's seat. He doesn't look at me, probably busy on some other task. I finally turn to Martha, who looks at me with a sad smile.
I suck up a breath, and walk inside the cottage. Hopefully, I can find somewhere quiet to think about things, and prepare to complete the Collective's assignment. Somehow, however, I don't think I'll get that chance anytime soon.
Alright, that's all for now. The next chapter is going to have a lot of conversations (or, I am hoping to write a lot of conversations). As before, I do not know how long it will take for me to complete it.
So, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season now, despite it being about two weeks before Christmas Day. My outside work is growing, but that's only natural around this time of year. I hope to see you in good spirits when the next chapter is complete.
Draconos is taking off.