Spirit Caller
Chapter Two
2
Dreams Set Sail
"*HUFF* We *HUFF* ...Made it..." The two had raced their way to the testing grounnds as soon as Connar's cards had been gathered and tucked away safely back into her deck. A Pair of inquisitive brown eyes rested on her while she shtuggled to catch her breath. He had a few questions for this girl...for starters he wondered if she heard the same female voice earlier that day... the one he had heard shortly before asking him if had said anything.
Baby steps though...
"Say...what did you say your name was?" he asked her curiosly, but just before she could ope her glossed lips to respond-
"Connar~!"
A small blue haired boy had rushed in and cried into her arms.
"Hey, Syrus...sorry I'm late." she chuckled softly as she held him.
"Mmnh...YOU'RE DARN RIGHT YOU'RE LATE!" he snapped, "You completely missed my entry duel! I had such bad test anxiety and you weren't here...I don't know how I won my match."
"So you're in! Congrats man!" the brunette laughed and gave the boy a hardy pat on the back.
There was a soft grunt from the simple force on him, but the blunette studied the other male, before giving a look back to Connar with arms folded.
"I see how it is." He huffed, "I'm here having the duel of my life, and you're off on a date!?"
"Wh-What!?" Connar blushed and instantly flailed her hands defensively, Syrus, I swear, I-it's nothing like that! W-We just met!"
"She's right you know." Laughed the brunette holding out his hand to the other, "Name's Jaden, by the way."
"Uh-huh..." the bluenette sighed and accepted the offered hand anyway, "I'm Syrus, Syrus Truesdale."
" Anyway, Jaden's right Syrus! You passed, that's what matters! Congratulations!" Connar grinned after sighing in relief from having been rescued from the small boy's wrath...this time.
Syrus Truesdale was a childhood friend of Connar's. His older brother Zane used to get paid to babysit her over summer breaks as her father recognized the boy had talent in dueling and thought it would be good for his daughter to spend time with duelists to help mold her own talent. He was a shy boy but had a good heart, even though sometimes he could get a bit full of himself...
"Yeah good on ya!" Jaden beamed, "I'll be in too once I win my duel!"
"Wait, you haven't dueled yet?" Syrus and Connar asked this together and looked at each other.
"Nah." Jaden shrugged, "Connie, you were with me."
"Yeah but I assumed you were like me perhaps, and had your exam ahead."
"...Wait what?" Jaden blinked.
"Connar went to Duel Prep School for the past 3 years." said Syrus,"Their final exam consists of the entry duel ceramonies to get into the Academy ahead of time." he sighed,"Man I wish I could have already been enrolled to the Academy, like them..."
Connar nodded.
"The truth of the matter is...I only came to watch the entry ceremonial duels for the applicants of this year's student crop." she smiled.
"...Well then I'm afraid you might have a problem." said Syrus.
"What do you mean?" this time Connar and Jaden asked at the same time.
"Well you see...the duel that just finished, Bastion Misawa...I'm pretty sure they were planning to make his duel the last one..."
"Oh No!" both Connar and Jaden gasped and exchanged a glance.
"What are you gonna do, Jaden?"
"Jaden Yuki, Please report to Duel Field Number 4. Jaden Yuki, Duel field number 4."
"Haha, sweet!" Jaden beamed and sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness, Jaden, you better hurry up!" said Connar,"And best of luck..." she sighed, "Looks like you're facing Dr. Creeper-er...I mean Crowler..."
"Connar!" Syrus blushed and darted his head around to make sure there was no other faculty near by.
"Sorry...but...he is creepy right?" she chuckled awkwardly.
Syrus sighed.
"First you're late to the exam, now you gotta face faculty...I gotta say...things don't look good..."
"Aww SyRy...such a nervous nelly." Connar giggled and teasingly pulled at his cheek.
"Seriously, chill." Jaden laughed," After all Dueling is what I'm best at!"
And Jaden didn't lie.
It was a close duel...but in the end the victory was Jaden's.
"I can't believe he won!" Syrus gasped in shock and Connar only smiled.
"Tell me about it." she chuckled, "This should make for an interesting year."
The students gathered, saying good bye to their families and preparing to board the ship to their Academic future. Connar sighed as she wandered the grounds. Her arrangements were pre-made, so all she had to do was make sure she boarded on time. Her uniform awaited her at the school already. She watched as the first years lingered with their parents, hugging good bye. She stood alone and gave a sad smile, knowing that with his schedule , her own father certainly wouldn't be able to make it to say his farewells. She held her deck in her palm, arranged with cards gifted to her by him and close friends of his.
Well...he never recognized them as "his friends" But at the very least they were Connar's. She was a common presence around them when she was little. She would giggle at the memories as she pulled cards from the deck, still tickled by the whole incident of them scattered in the wind earlier that day. She couldn't believe she managed to get them back. Thank goodness she met Jaden-
A Pulse went off in her as she pulled another- but this time...turning it to face her, it was none other than Dark Magician Girl, herself... She stared at it a while...
Had it really been her voice she heard earlier on? She had to be hearing things right? After a long time of probing stares, as through trying to provoke the card to speak- she could have sworn she saw her wink!
NOPE!
I'M TIRED! IT WAS A LONG DAY-
These were her thoughts as she quickly shuffled the cards back into the deck where they belonged.
"What are you doing, Connie?"
a sharp tone approached her from behind, freezing her in place. She turned, only to be greeted by...
"...Princeton." she blushed as she said his name softly, averting her gaze from him.
Chazz Princeton.
The youngest heir to Princeton Corporation, a rival company to her father's. They had to play nice, at business gatherings and parties, hence how Connar and Chazz floated in the same circles...but their real objective was to slide into her father's company...a feat he would never allow so easily. Though Chazz seemed to show no interest in that, only to be the best in the dueling world. She knew him back in Duel Prep School. He was the best male duelist in her class, she, the best female.
"You're better than those losers...why would you degrade yourself to their level and waste your time."
Connar remained silent. She didn't know how to answer that.
"Hmph...whatever." he scoffed, "Not that it matters anyway...nor that I even care." He shrugged and walked off. Thanks to his connections he was already in Obelisk Blue. As expected from a family as rich as his...
Not much different from her own family. She kept her gaze low as she watched him walk away, a tint of red tickling her cheeks. The truth of the matter is that she admired Chazz, for his skill and his draw. How he seemed to have no further interest with her family unlike most others. They try to weasle in, take advantage of her to approach her father for a chance to swing at his company...
Chazz only wished to be the best.
To earn his name in the dueling world.
In a way...they were similar. She respected that.
Their families were rivals, the two of them, weren't exactly friends, but not exactly enemies. If anything, they worked to push each other to be better...in an unspoken kind of bond.
"If you don't leave soon...You might miss that ship like you missed the entry duels."
"Uncle Mokey!" She gasped and turned to find her uncle dressed in casual clothing. He was disguised, of course, so as not to draw attention to who he was and his relationship to the man she called her father.
"I suppose...he won't be able to come...will he?"
Mokuba sighed and gave her a gentle smile, placing a palm on her head.
"Big brother's just a very busy man." he said softly. "He sends his regards...you know he cares about you...right?"
"...I guess." she returned to him a small and weak smile.
He gave her a gentle pat and pulled her into a warm hug.
"Uh...Uncle Mokey?"
"Think nothing of it." he said softly, "A little gift from your dad...okay?"
"In that case..." she smiled, "I will graciously accept.
In that gesture she returned back to him a warm squeeze.
"Connar! Let's go!" Syrus flailed his arms to try and catch the pink haired girl's attention. "The boat's gonna leave soon!"
"You better get going now." her uncle whispered softly in her ear, "If you don't you might miss the ship...I don't think Big brother would enjoy that too much."
"Yeah...I guess you're right." she pulled away from her uncle's embrace reluctantly and smiled.
"Connie! If you don't hurry up, I'll beat you again~!" Jaden teased.
"What do you mean again!?" Connar called back, "You didn't beat me the first time, Jaden!"
"I dunno if I agree with that!" he laughed and dashed on a head start once more.
"Hey!" Connar called out, "Dang it Jaden, Why you cheatin'!?" It didn't take her too long to sprint off after him, leaving Mokuba behind as he waved farewell and chuckled. A Heavy stepping shadow soon lingered behind him.
"...Ya know Seto, you coulda just come out and said good bye to your daughter." he snickered, "It's a totally normal thing for a father to do."
"Hmph." Was all the tall brunette scoffed out as he gazed upon his flighty daughter's run with the wind. Her long pink hair flying behind her and her bright blue eyes smiling.
Mokuba sighed and shrugged.
" I don't think you'll need to worry too much about her, Seto." Mokuba said softly, "She's ours...so you know she will be just fine."
Connar heaved heavy breaths as he flopped half her body over the guard rail of the ship.
"I call that a lucky win!" Jaden teased.
"I dunno about that, Jay." said Syrus,"I mean she started way behind and still totally beat you here!"
"Yeah! I let her win!" he laughed, "What sort of victory is it if I won by cheating.
"So you admit you cheated!" she snapped.
The three new found friends exchanged glances and shared laughter as the ship set sail. She turned her head toward the harbor for her last voyage, and jolted at the sight of a tall brunette male who stood at the docks next to her uncle.
"Dad..." She whispered softly.
"Huh? Did you say something, Connie?"
"Huh? O-Oh no...it was nothing Jaden, don't worry." she exchanged with him a smile to draw his mind off of any concern before she took one final glance back at the two men who stood watch at the dock that slowly grew further away.
Just watch me, papa.
She thought to herself.
I vow to make you proud...and I'll do it in my own way.
Seto Kaiba stood watch at the docks next to his younger brother until the ship disappeared into the setting son. The wind blowing his tailcoats as he gave a smile to the shimmering sea, turning on his heel to leave, keeping thoughts of his daughter in mind.
"Until we meet again...Connar."
To Be Continued...