Legacy of the Tormentor (Finished)

[Umbra]

I also hoped that someone else would comment.

 

Anyway, Chapter XV will be up tomorrow. But I still need a name for it. The chapter will be about Susannah's earlier life, revealing more details on that side, along with running into a bunch of older characters. Any suggestions?

[Umbra]

Crystalfound Corporation, April 23rd

 

Jonah stopped in his tracks. He hadn't seen the skeletal serpent - he believed it was called Zondra - for about ten minutes, but it could be anywhere. He took a deep breath, then looked around. He was standing in the middle of a long, steel corridor, with two doors on each side of it, around fifteen meters away from Jonah. He had already ran past three doors, but they had been locked. At first, Jonah thought that he could hear voices from inside, but they became silent. He ran up to the closest door, and pulled the knob. He sighed. It was locked, just as the previous ones had been. He sat down next to the wall, and looked down to the floor. During all this time, Jonah couldn't get Nathaniel's words out of his head. There's nothing left of your brother here. Was Eric really gone? Had Nathaniel and Goreflesh killed him? Or even worse, destroyed his soul? Suddenly, he heard footsteps, and looked up. To his surprise, he saw a young man, probably between twenty and thirty years old, wearing a white and unidentifiable lab coat. Yet, Jonah recognized him.

- Fredrick?

The young man twitched.

- And you are?

Jonah stood up, and brushed some dust off his clothes.

- It's me, Jonah. I came to the Industrial Illusions sign-up office about three days ago? With my cousin?

Fredrick thought for a second, then snapped with his fingers.

- You're the kid that won the tournament the day before yesterday, ain't ya? How did you get here?

Jonah stared at Fredrick.

- The day before yesterday? Fredrick, that was-

Then, he remembered something that the old man had said when he arrived. He had said something about himself traveling from the corporation two days ago. And yet, he had traveled back in the blink of an eye. He could teleport. But if that was the case, why did it take such a long time for him to get to us?

Then, he understood. That man couldn't just teleport, he could travel through time. But apparently, the time trip hadn't worked as planned, and he had came back two days later than he intended to.

Jonah looked at Fredrick.

- What day is it today, Fredrick?

Fredrick shrugged.

- Twenty-third of April. You didn't know that?

Jonah sighed, but couldn't help feeling both relieved and stressed at the same time. The old man had jumped through time. This time, he came back to the right time.

- Just wasn't sure.

Fredrick snapped again.

- Now I remember you! You came with that thirteen-year-old that ran a Venom deck, right? You're Mia's kid.

Jonah nodded.

- That's right, and I-

- But that was yesterday, not three days ago.

- Sorry, I must've got it wrong. Anyway, I need your help, Fredrick.

Fredrick rose one of his eyebrows. It looked somewhat amusing.

- With what?

- Have you met Takake lately?

Fredrick nodded.

- Sure have. I came to his office yesterday night. Had this weird white-haired kid with him.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a large growl from behind Fredrick. Jonah looked past him. Zondra had just flung itself around the corner, and the head-end pointed towards them. It grinned, then it flew through the air. Fredrick slowly turned his head.

- What the...

Jonah grabbed Fredrick's right arm.

- We've got to run, Fredrick! That thing will kill us if it comes any closer!

Fredrick shook his head, and smiled at Jonah.

- Don't think so.

 

 

Red Sky City, April 25th

 

Susannah sat down on the chair. She had listened to the old man talking for about fifteen minutes. He said that Jonah was somehow trapped in the past, and he couldn't get back until the old man had healed up. Susannah was worried. Even though she had never met Eric, she knew that Jonah cared about him and it was important for Jonah that Eric was alright. Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. Mia, who sat down next to the old man, rose from her chair and walked into the hallway. She slowly opened the door, and Susannah heard a familiar voice from outside.

- Hi, aunt Mia. Is Susannah there?

It was her brother, Isaac. She had almost forgot him in the past days' events, but now she jumped out of her chair and into the hallway, where she rushed out to her brother and hugged him. Isaac hugged her back. Mia smiled at the two siblings, which reminded her so much of Tim, her younger brother and herself when they were that age.

Susannah, there was something I wanted to tell you.

Isaac stepped out of the hug and looked at his sister. Mia nodded at them.

- I guess I'll leave the two of you alone.

Isaac smiled at Mia, then turned back to Susannah. Both of them walked out of the house, and sat down on a small bench that Jonah's father had bought many years ago.

- Yesterday, I met someone who said that she knew you. I hadn't seen her before, but she gave me the creeps. She said that we looked just like each other.

Susannah shivered, and thought of what had happened after Jonah's duel with Rataval.

- Did she tell you her name?

Isaac nodded.

- She said that her name was Flora.

Susannah sighed of relief; Isaac hadn't met Lilin, which meant that he hadn't met Rataval.

- Oh, her. I met her a few days ago, after I signed up for the tournament with-

Isaac's eyes flung open.

- You signed up for the tournament? But I thought you said you never wanted to duel again! Not after what happened to Abigail!

Susannah hushed him,then walked closer to him.

- I changed my mind. Abbi's just a memory now.

- But she was your best friend!

- Quiet, brother. I don't want to talk about it.

- But-

At this point, Susannah became angry.

- I said that I don't want to talk about it!

Isaac sighed. He knew that is was worthless to try to talk to Susannah when she was like this.

- Let's talk about something else, then. What have you done the last days?

Susannah looked at him.

- You go first, Isaac. Where have you been staying this time?

Isaac nodded.

- You know Richard, right? In my class?

Susannah nodded. Richard was a somewhat professional duelist. He had visited them quite a lot, teaching Isaac how to play the game. But more important to Susannah, he was Abigail's younger brother.

- Well, he has a cousin, Alex, living just around the block here. When I told him that I wanted to join the tournament here, he tagged along and we're staying at his cousin's house.

- Richard's here?

Isaac nodded.

- Yes. He was still there when I left, so he should still be there now. You want to meet him?

Susannah thought for a few seconds, then nodded.

 

 

Crystalfound Corporation, April 23rd

 

Jonah couldn't believe what he saw. Zondra had flew up to them, growling, but then it had stopped infront of Fredrick. Fredrick had raised his right hand, and was now patting Zondra on the back. He smiled at Jonah.

- These are Mind Beasts, Jonah. They're part of an experimental project, on Takake's orders. Rumor says he got them from Mr. Ketitrod himself. You know what nanotechnology is?

Jonah nodded. He had read about such things in a science magazine a few months ago, but then it was just cars that repaired scratches and old statues that were rebuilt. He couldn't imagine that nanotechnology could be used for something like Zondra.

- The Mind Beasts are actually clouds of constructed nanoparticles, held together by the Erebus program.

- Erebus?

Jonah was confused. Fredrick smiled.

- It's straight from Silicon Valley, a new program that makes all of the nanoparticles work together. Fascinating technology, that is. The security system to prevent intruders from coming in works the same way. Anyway, this particular model is called Zondra, short for Zone-Limited Dragon. It's a perfect guard for smaller areas. I helped the delivery team assemble all of the Zondras, so they should recognize me.

Zondra began to make a low, screeching sound. At first, Jonah thought it was setting of an alarm of some sort. Then he realized what it was. It's purring! Jonah looked at Fredrick again.

- But how can it look like that? And even better, why does it look like that?

Fredrick nodded, then pulled his arm through Zondra's body.

- It's only partially nanoparticles. Most of the things we see is a hologram, created by the Erebus program aswell and is designed to scare people. It was intended as a guard, you know.

He looked at Zondra.

- Return to your rest, Zondra. You have accomplished your mission.

Zondra grinned, then vanished into thin air.

 

 

Takake was worried. When Eric, with his new memories and name, had came back, he had changed. Not only was he Nathaniel now; there was something more to it. An ancient evil that reminded Takake of the first time he had spoken to the Dreadroot in his human form. They had spoken for a long time, until they had settled a deal. Takake would seal away the soul of Damon Leander, giving Takake control of the Crystalfound Corporation and giving him a position in the Industrial Illusions board. From there, the Dreadroot would take control of the rest. Spread the Avatar cards among the heirs of the Tormentor, until they found one that would easily be controlled. Today, that had been fulfilled. The result stood on the other side of the office. Nathaniel, possessed by something which Takake couldn't tell, had changed from the Son of the Tormentor to an unstoppable machine; a true agent of the Dreadroot. Just a few minutes ago, Nathaniel had told Takake of his new orders, received directly from the Dreadroot himself. He would go to Wickspire, the Dreadroot's Citadel in the Underworld, and meet his god there. This was what worried Takake. He feared that the Dreadroot thought that he had no use of him anymore, and that he knew too much. That he would be dispatched. Taken care of.

Nathaniel nodded at him.

- So, Takake, what do you say?

Takake sighed silently, then looked at Nathaniel.

- You can go, Nathaniel.

Then, he picked up something from his pocket, and threw it to Nathaniel, who catched it flying. It was a golden medallion, slowly shaking in Nathaniel's hand. He shivered, for a reason he could not understand. It was the mind of Goreflesh that reacted. This was the Amulet of Ra, one of the most priced relics of the Pantheon. It housed the Spirit Remains of the Golden Dragon itself, and the reason it was shaking was that the dragon was still alive, trembling inside his prison. This was one of the greatest deeds ever done, sealing the dragon of Ra inside the medallion. Yet, the spirit of the Red Dragon, Osiris, was yet to be found. But for now, the Spirit of Ra was a great weapon.

- I managed to locate it while you were taking care of the intruders, Nathaniel. Another of my agents brought it here. Take it to the Dreadroot.

The truth was that Takake had found the Medallion several months ago, and had understood it's power. He didn't know of the spirit that rested inside it, but from time to time he could feel a presence inside it. Something was in there, he knew.

Nathaniel nodded at him, his right hand shaking.

- I will. And the master will remember what you have done for him, Takake, when the heirs of the Tormentor are dead. You will get the prize you deserve.

Nathaniel turned around, and stepped out of Takake's office. Takake sunk deep into his chair, and his mind was troubled.

 

Red Sky City, April 25th

 

Isaac rang the doorbell. Susannah stood behind him. Richard's cousin's house was only a ten minutes' walk from the house, so it hadn't took a long time. Susannah was worried. She hadn't met anyone related to Abby after the accident, but yet, it felt comfortable. As far as she knew, Abby was still in the hospital, and it had been six months now. At least, it was better to meet Richard than meeting Abby's parents. Even though both they and Susannah knew it was an accident, Abby's parents had been hostile to her the few times they had met. Richard's cousin lived in a large house, so they had installed a phone at the doorbell to let the residents talk to their visitors without running down the stairs.

- Regal residence.

Richard's cousin sounded older than Susannah had thought; he was possibly seventeen or eighteen. He probably lived on his own.

- It's Isaac.

- Already back from your aunt's house?

Isaac nodded.

- Yep. Susannah was there. She's right here.

- That's great! Come up, both of you.

Isaac opened the door, and Susannah stepped in after him. They walked up the stairs - quite a walk, Richard's cousin lived at the fifth floor - and stopped outside the first door on the left. A small sign on the door had the name Alexander Regal written on it. Isaac pulled the doorknob, and opened the door. Inside, Susannah could see that it was quite clean for an apartment this small; it probably only had one or two bedrooms. Isaac stepped inside, and Susannah followed him.

- Didn't take you that long, Isaac.

Susannah recognized that voice instantly, even though she hadn't heard it for six months. It was the voice of Richard Regal.

Isaac nodded at Richard, who had came from the bathroom neatly positioned next to the door. He was wearing black jeans, along with a white and red-striped t-shirt. Susannah gulped. Richard had grown since they last had met; he was now several inches taller than her. Last time, she had been half an inch taller than him. Richard looked at Susannah, and his eyes were grim and unforgiving.

- You brought her here, Isaac?

Isaac nodded.

- She wanted to see you, Richard.

Susannah stepped forward, past Isaac.

- Actually, I had another business in mind.

As Susannah spoke, a young man, probably seventeen or eighteen, came out from the living room.

- Susannah, eh? Isaac's sis.

Susannah nodded.

- And you're Richard's cousin, Alexander.

- Please, call me Alex. No one calls me Alexander except my mother.

Susannah shrugged.

- Whatever. I was here to speak to Richard.

Richard twitched, then crossed his arms.

- No way. Not after what happened to Abbi. She's still in coma, you know. And I know it was you.

Susannah shook her head.

- It was not me, I can tell you that. It was this.

Susannah picked up a sealed package from a pocket inside her dress. Susannah's hand shivered as she held it, and the air around the package was pulsing. Richard twitched.

- The Crimson Engine deck. You've kept it, all these months, even after what had happened to Abbi?

Susannah nodded.

- I couldn't just throw it away, Richard. I have trained myself to handle the Engine. If someone else tried to use it...

At this point, Alex walked up to them.

- Mind if I interrupt, but can I ask you something, Susannah?

Susannah nodded.

- Sure.

- Good. Are you living with Jonah Morae currently?

Susannah nodded again.

- You've met Jonah?

Alex nodded.

- Indeed I have.

Suddenly, Susannah's eyes blackened and she passed out.

 

Author's Note:

Apart from the original storyline, I have created a side-project called Red Sky Chronicles. The Chronicles are a collection of stories that explain the background of relatively unexplained characters. The first Chronicle, Angel, can be found under Red Sky Chronicles on the Legacy of the Tormentor website, which the link to can be found in my signature.

[Phantom Roxas]

Hmm, I'd like to hear more about Sussannah's past with this "Abbi".

[Umbra]

If you'd like to hear more about Isiah's past, check out the website.

 

And the Susannah/Richard/Abbi relationship will be explained in a coming chapter.

[Phantom Roxas]

Yeah that story about...Isiah was even creepier than that chapter with Rataval. He really is the Wicked Avatar.

[Zeppeli Gyro Supreme]

Of the parts that I have read, I really like. It's just difficult to tell when who is talking and stuff like that @.@

[Umbra]

Thanks, slayer. I know the - format might be hard to decrypt, but I try to keep it like this. If I use a long line of descriptions before dialogue (and I practically always do that) I make it so that they are the one that did something last. I'll take an extract as an example.

 

Eric was confused.

- Damon?

He could see that Harry's face became sad when he talked about Damon' date=' but he wanted to know anyway.

- Damon was my little brother, and head of the Crystalfound Corporation until last fall, when Razool, the Earth Sage took him from us. He trapped his soul inside a red gem that he kept with him. Takake tried to defeat him, but he fled before Takake could stop him.

He then shook his head.

[b']- I wasn't there, of course. I was still here, but Rodriguez told me. I trust him.[/b]

 

In the first example, we see Eric doing something before (being confused) and then a dialogue line. I intend this to be Eric speaking. In the second example, we see a "he" shaking his head, and then the dialogue. The "he" refers to the previous statement that Harry's face became sad, and therefore, it is Harry talking.

 

And for the rest of you who reads this, (especially BlueKyubbi, if you do) the next chapter is in the writing and has currently reached 2½ page. The duel in this chapter, between Susannah and a character yet to be introduced, feels quite surreal. Just to warn you.

[Umbra]

Here's chapter XVI, Ace of Roses. I know I've said the previous name the was Backs to the Wall, but it got a name change.

 

Neomenia City

 

Susannah woke up. It was very dark; she suspected it to be around 9 or 10 PM, since the sun had already set. She looked around, and noticed that she was lying on an asphalted street, which stretched out to her left and right. On both sides of the street she could see houses, dull and gray like in Red Sky City. But there was a difference to the city she had lived for a few days. There was a difference that Susannah could see, but not define. It was like looking at a hand-painted portrait and noticing the sky was a little too green, but only if you looked really close.

- Willkommen, Susannah.

Susannah turned around, and almost jumped in fear. In front of her stood the most frightening man she had ever seen. He was wearing black plate armor, with a long cape over his shoulders. His eyes seemed to glow red in the dark, like two pits of fire. On the top of his head, he was wearing a crown of rusted steel. Susannah felt a cold grow inside her body as the man smiled at her.

You will be the next opfer to the Dread, Susannah. You and your kin will pay for what you did.

Susannah rose her eyebrows and looked at the man.

- What are you talking about? I haven't done anything to you!

The man shook his head.

- Not you, of course. You are but a mädchen. But your family must pay.

The man lifted up his sword. Susannah was frightened.

- Eye for an eye, mädchen. Eye for an eye.

 

To Susannah's surprise, the man attached his sword to his left wrist. Then, he took up a small, rectangular package from inside his cape.

- What's going on?

The man smiled.

- We're having a battle, mädchen. With your life at stake.

Susannah gasped. Then, she got a strange look in her eyes.

- You obviously know my name, but who are you?

The man nodded, and the red eyes glimmered.

- I am Sieg Grandeval, Agent of the Avatar. You're in my world now, mädchen. Take your deck, Susannah, because the battle begins.

 

A few minutes later, Susannah had loaded her deck into her Duel Generator, while Sieg had put his deck below the hilt of his sword-shaped Generator. When Susannah had loaded her deck, she did something that she never thought she had to do again. But Sieg was a dangerous man, more dangerous than Alex, Lilin, or even Rataval himself. Something inside Susannah told her that. Therefore, she had loaded her Generator with her Crimson Engine deck. It felt both good and strange to hold the Engine again. She knew it was a dangerous deck - it had sent Abbi to the hospital - but it was powerful. And she did not care as much about Sieg as she did about Abbi, that was for sure. The old man gave her the creeps. She looked at him.

- I'll go first.

Sieg nodded, and Susannah drew her initial hand of six cards. She saw Sieg draw five, and looked at her hand. She felt the power of the cards vibrate inside them.

- As a start, I'll activate Rose Trap.

A large, red rose appeared a few feet ahead of Susannah. Sieg stared at it.

- What's that good for?

Susannah smiled.

- You'll see now. Rose Trap gives me a Rose Token during each of my turns. This one I sacrifice to summon Crimson Swordswoman! (1300 / 1100)

The rose began to spin slowly, and one after one, it's leaves fell off. Sieg stared in amazement as the leaves continued to spin around the rose, forming a complicated pattern. Suddenly, the rose leaves flashed in pink, and a woman stepped out of the pattern. She was wearing a brown ringmail armor suit, with leather armor above that, covering the shoulders and the legs. In her right hand, she held a long, double-edged blade. The woman smiled at Susannah, who smiled back.

- Since it's my first turn, Swordswoman can't attack you. But I can still use her effect! Rose Slash!

The Swordswoman ran up to Sieg, across the duel field, and swung her blade at his right hand, in which he held his cards. Sieg stood still as one of his cards flashed, then appeared in his graveyard. He smiled at Susannah.

- That's all you can do, mädchen? No wonder we catched you.

He drew a card.

- I'll conjure a real warrior! Tormented Soul - Wienhart! (1900 / 0)

Shadows, the same shadows that Susannah had seen appear from Rataval, emerged from inside Sieg's robe. The shadows drifted up a few feet away from him, then formed a half-transparent shape that looked human, but it was in a painful, grim position that Susannah found it hard to look at. It looked at Sieg, who nodded at it.

- It's one of them, Kurt. One of them that killed you and the Brothers.

The Tormented Soul grinned, then looked at the Crimson Swordswoman. Sieg nodded.

- Slash her open, friend.

A horrible roar echoed across the field, and Wienhart sprung forward, slashing at the Swordswoman. For a split second, she blocked the Soul's stretching arms with her blade. But she couldn' hold it, and fell down. Susannah's Life Points fell to thirty-four hundred, and she looked at the Soul. She could see no feelings, no expressions. Only pain. Sieg only smiled at her.

- In pain, mädchen? The Tormented Soul's horror doesn't stop there. They have been in pain since they first died. It's only right that you share their pain.

Susannah's fell down to her knees as waves of emotions exploded across her body. She could see six young men, running across a countryside. The view was jumping up and down, and Susannah realized that she saw the world from someone else's eyes. Suddenly, all she could see was fire, and she felt like her chest was ripped apart. Then, she stood up, and looked at Sieg. He smiled at her.

- What the... What was that?

Sieg sighed.

It was the last few seconds of my Brother in war, Kurt Wienhart. Whenever he attacks, you relive his memories.

Susannah shivered. She disliked Sieg more and more for every second. Sieg looked at her.

- Your turn, mädchen.

Susannah drew a card.

- My Rose Trap provides me with another Rose Token. But I don't feel like using it just now. I'll activate Nightmare Engine!

A purple circle appeared around the Rose Trap, followed by several others. Then, an equally purple fog covered the Rose Trap fully.

- My Nightmare Engine automatically merges with any Continuous Spell or Trap cards that I have out when it's activated, gaining their effects apart from it's own. And during each of my turns, I can add an extra card to merge with it. Apart from that, Nightmare Engine has an effect of it's own.

Sieg shrugged.

- Keep the battle going.

- I will. First, I'll sacrifice the Rose Token, and summon Crimson Elementalist! (1500/1000)

A young man with spiky, blonde hair appeared above the Nightmare Engine, and jumped to the left of it. The man's long, red robe shivered slightly in the air. Susannah nodded.

- And thanks to Nightmare Engine, you take damage equal to half of my monster's attack points.

Sieg's Life Points fell to three-thousand two-hundred and fifty, but he didn't seem to care much. Susannah frowned.

- I'll end my turn by placing a card face-down. Your turn.

Sieg nodded.

- I'll activate Torment's Realm.

Suddenly, the entire area around them vanished, leaving nothing but a black, endless space. Susannah felt like she was falling, but she wasn't moving. She shivered. Sieg smiled.

- My Torment's Realm gives all of the Tormented Souls an extra effect. Wienhart, for example, can attack you directly by halving his attack points.

Wienhart smiled, then charged up, past Susannah's Elementalist, and slashed her across the forehead. The scenery flashed again, and Susannah found herself lying on the ground, with two of the young men looking down at her, one from each side. They were speaking a language that she couldn't understand, but Susannah got the meaning anyway. They were giving up on her. Then, the world flashed, and she was back in the limitless darkness. She stared at Sieg.

- Monster!

She spat towards him, but he didn't care.

- Focus on the battle, mädchen. It's your turn.

Susannah twitched, then drew a card. Her Life Points had fallen to twenty-four hundred, but she felt like she had a winning hand.

- First, I'll use Nightmare Engine's effect, and merge my Lily Trap with it, which gives me a Lily Token. My previous Rose Trap gives me a Rose Token. And now, I'll sacrifice both of them to summon Crimson Dragon! (2800 / 2400)

Above the Nightmare Engine, a large, skeletal dragon appeared. Some rotten flesh was still clinging on to it's crimson-colored bones, but from it's jaws came fire. Susannah smiled.

- And with Nightmare Engine's other effect, you take fourteen hundred damage!

The Crimson Engine trembled, and the dragon grinned as a large beam of purple light emerged from the equally purple circle and hit Sieg in the chest. His Life points fell to eighteen hundred and fifty. Yet, it seemed like it didn't matter to him. He smiled at her.

- You finished, mädchen?

Susannah shook her head.

- Not by far. Crimson Dragon, attack his Wienhart!

Sieg shook his head.

- You're in over your head, Susannah. All of the Tormented Souls rest here in the Torment's Realm, ready to exchange themselves for a friend in need. I'll activate the effect of Torment's Realm, Tribute Wienhart and summon Tormented Soul - Abigail!(1000 / 1000)

The nothing around them began to shiver, and did so violently around Wienhart. The ex-soldier who had died during WWII by being hit by a grenade in the chest was consumed by the shivering, dropping into the non-existence and letting a girl, probably thirteen or fourteen years old, take his place. The girl wore a long, white blouse, and dark trousers. What catched Susannah's gaze was the girl's face. It was so familiar.

- Abbi?

The tormented Soul did not look at Susannah. Instead, it's eyes were fixed upon the dragon infront of it. Sieg smiled.

- I found this soul very recently. She died in coma, only a few weeks ago.

Susannah felt the tears being close. Abbi was dead? She looked at the hologram - or was it really a soul? - that levitated infront of her. It was surely her friend, Abigail. But dead? Susannah wouldn't believe it. Our duel... It can't have killed her! I couldn't have... She looked at Sieg.

- She's not dead. I know she's not dead!

Sieg smiled.

- Dead as a doornail, mädchen.

 

 

Jonah was finally starting to feel better after Eric had been so violently ripped away from him during his duel with Nathaniel. Fredrick had agreed to take him to Takake's office, and then go back to work. Jonah could understand him; Fredrick had work to do, and Jonah had taken up enough of his time. But he couldn't help that it felt better to have someone with him that he knew, if only partially. He had now been standing outside Takake's office for about twenty seconds, trembling on what to do next. Then, he made up his mind and opened the door.

 

As he stepped into the office, he noticed the two spotlights pointed towards the door. They had been turned off, but Jonah couldn't see the point in them. He was focused on other things. As an example, the distinctly Asian man sitting in the tall office chair infront of him. Takake had a worried look in his eyes when he stared at Jonah. Neither of them said anything for a minute. Then, Jonah spoke.

- Why?

Takake looked down to his desk, then back to Jonah.

- I had to, Jonah. I have my orders, just like you will gain yours some day. You'll be doing things you don't like to. You'll be seeing your life fall apart. I know; I saw mine fall apart today.

Jonah looked around the room.

- Where's Eric?

Takake sighed.

- He left just half an hour ago. But it's not the Eric you knew, Jonah.

- I know, Takake. It's Nathaniel now, isn't it? And it's all thanks to you.

Takake violently shook his head.

- I say otherwise.

He reached into his pocket, and picked up a small knife with a blade shaped like a crescent. For some reason, it made Jonah shiver. Takake looked at him.

- You feel it too, don't you? This knife belongs to my leader, Rataval. He said that it would allow me to take control of an heir to the Tormentor if I met any. What I didn't know was what would happen. The second I chose to use the knife in my mind, not to cut, but to take control, everything became dark. I heard a voice speak through my mouth, but it was not mine. It sounded like mine, but it was not. It was the voice of Rataval.

Jonah shivered again. He knew Rataval was powerful, beyond all means of imagination, but this? Taking control of minds? Rataval was dangerous. He looked at Takake again.

- Where is he, Takake?

Jonah could see that Takake was terrified, somehow. Jonah didn't honestly believe it was because of him; he wasn't that frightful. The Asian looked at Jonah.

- He's gone, Jonah. Eric's gone. Nathaniel, and whatever ghostly fiend that possesses his body, left for Wickspire, the Dreadroot's citadel in the Underworld.

Jonah's heart dropped. Takake's words were like an echo of Nathaniel's a few minutes earlier. Eric's gone...

Then, a bright light flashed before Jonah's eyes.

 

Red Sky City, April 25th

 

Mia looked at the old man who sat in her kitchen. She had put bandages over the most of his wounds, and had given him an aspirin for the rest. The old man looked at Mia, then rose from his chair.

- I think I'm ready, Mia. I'm ready to bring your son back.

Then, he closed his eyes, and Mia's kitchen flashed brightly in a piercing light that blinded Mia for a few seconds. Then, when most of the flashes had disappeared from Mia's eyes, the man was gone.

 

Crystalfound Corporation

April 23rd

 

Jonah couldn't believe his eyes. From what he could see, neither could Takake. The old man, who had appeared in Jonah's house a few hours ago - or actually, will appear two days ahead - stood in Takake's office. He had knocked over one of the spotlights, and it was now lying on the floor. Takake stared in fear at the old man.

- Jack?

The old man looked at him.

- I know we have unfinished business, Takake, but we'll have to settle that later.

Takake shivered.

- Did you get my message?

The old man nodded in agreement.

- Rick brought it with him when he came back. You were right. The Beast was a fallen soul, a mere servant that was attached to the Dreadweb.

Takake sighed of relief. Jack smiled at him.

- I'm here to bring back the boy. He has a mother that'll be waiting for him in a few days, so I'll get him there before she'll be worried.

He then turned to Jonah.

- You found your brother, lad?

Jonah looked at Takake, then he shook his head.

- The Dreadroot has him now.

Jack's eyes saddened, and he reached out for Jonah's hand.

- Sad, boy, but I'm not the right person to tell.

Jonah nodded. He knew he had to tell his mother, but how could he tell her that her oldest son had practically been killed? He grabbed Jack's hand, and together they traveled back to the future.

 

Red Sky City

April 25th

 

Jonah took a deep breath. It felt good to breath outside air again. He looked at Jack, who was looking at some point behind Jonah. Jonah turned around, and saw something very strange. He saw Jack, outside Jonah's home, just about to knock the door. Jack ran towards the Jack that stood outside the door, and Jonah ran after him. They stopped outside the door, a few feet from the other Jack. Jonah was confused, but Jack seemed to handle this quite well. He walked up to the other, and shook his hand.

- Well met, Jack.

Now, Jonah saw something different with the other Jack. He had a bad wound on his left temple, and a few wounds on the arms. The man at the door nodded at Jack.

- Good day, Jack. Because it is me, right?

Jack nodded, then looked at the wounds on the other's head.

- You just came back from your battle with the Zondra, right?

The other nodded. Jack smiled.

- I'll take you to the hospital. They'll treat you properly there.

The other Jack pointed at Jonah.

- What will happen with him?

Jack nodded at the house.

- His mother's waiting inside. He'll be fine.

Both of the Jack's nodded at each other, and then they walked away down the street. Jonah looked after the two men - or was it one man? - as they walked to the center. He turned to the door, and knocked the door twice. Jonah heard his mother walk down the stairs inside, and after a few seconds she opened the door.

- Jonah? Jonah!

She hugged him, and Jonah hugged her back. Jonah could see Susannah on the other side, her eyes wide open. Mia took a step backwards, and looked at her son.

- What happened to the old man?

Jonah thought of what had happened a few seconds ago, when the two Jacks had walked down the road.

- He's fine by now.

- Where's Eric?

Jonah's eyes fell to the ground.

- Actually, a few things happened...

Jonah began to explain the last hours' events. He told them everything that happened. He told them of his meeting with Nathaniel, Goreflesh and how he had heard the Dreadroot speak. He told them of his talk with Fredrick, but left out the technical parts. It took longer than Jonah had thought, almost ten minutes.

- And when we came back here, me and Jack, we saw-

A single knock on the door behind him. Jonah turned around, and opened the door. Outside stood a young boy, probably only twelve years old. Jonah smiled at him.

- Isaac!

Isaac smiled back at him.

- Thought I'd meet you here, Jonah. But actually, I was looking for-

He couldn't finish the sentence - Susannah had ran up beside Jonah and almost tackled her brother to the ground. Jonah smiled. Isaac stepped backwards, and gave Susannah a look that Jonah thought was too old for his age.

- Susannah, there's something I want to talk to you about.

He looked at Jonah.

- We need to talk alone.

Jonah nodded, and Susannah and Isaac walked out the door. Mia looked out the window at them, and smiled.

- They remind me so much of Tim and me, when we were like that.

Jonah smiled at his mother. She smiled back, then she saddened. Jonah understood that she must be thinking of Eric. He hugged her briefly.

- Don't worry, Mam. We'll get Eric back. He'll be alright.

He spoke with a cheerful tone, but deep inside Jonah didn't believe it himself. They were dealing with the Dreadroot itself this time. It was not like Alex or Isiah. This was beyond.

 

Neomenia City

 

Susannah looked at Sieg.

- Abbi's not dead, Sieg. She'll never die as long as I hold this deck. You are the one that forced her soul here.

Sieg nodded.

- You saw it, mädchen. Most of the Tormented Souls are dead, but this one is something special. She's a partial dead. Dead to the world, but brain fully functional.

He shrugged.

- We must continue the battle, mädchen. It's my turn. When Abigail is out, and Torment's Realm is out, your precious friend can strike you directly!

Abigail jumped off the floor, and dashed past the Crimson Dragon and Elementalist. She stopped in front of Susannah for only a split second, then she slashed her arm at Susannah's chest. The world flashed in a bright red, and Susannah could see a wooden table under a large oak. It was a stormy autumn day, and it was growing cold. Dark clouds had began to gather above. What Susannah looked at was something else; she could see herself sitting on the other side of the table. Then, she heard a voice echoed through her head. This doesn't feel good.... That mage's a tough thing. Her eyes looked at Susannah on the other side at the table.

 

October 27th, 2007

Outside Redemption City

 

Abigail looked at her cards. Susannah had summoned her triumph card, Crimson Demoncatcher, ready to attack Abigail's Life Points directly. Abigail had no monsters out, and the only one in her hand was a weak one that couldn't do any harm to the Demoncatcher. She drew a card, and smiled.

- I activate Soul Prison!

Inside Abigail's memory, Susannah gasped of fear. This was just a few seconds before it would happen. She heard her own voice ask Abigail what the Soul Prison card actually did, and Abbi shook her head.

- Won't tell you yet, Suzie. I'll discard my Baby Dragon, and-

Then, lightning struck the tree. It was standing on the top of a small hill, and easily attracted the lightning. The world began to fade away, but Susannah could hear herself shout Abbi's name, and just before the red flashed again, she felt Abbi jump towards her.

 

Neomenia City

 

Susannah was sweating. She had relived the memory of her last moments with Abigail many times in her nightmares, but this was different. She'd never seen it from Abigail's eyes before. She looked at Sieg's monster, and shivered. Sieg looked at her.

- Your turn, mädchen.

Susannah drew a card, and looked at it.

- I'll activate the last of my Traps, the Orchid Trap. But first, my Engine gives me a Rose Token and a Lily Token. Also, Orchid Trap gives me an Orchid Token when it's activated. And then, I'll activate Crimson Breakdown. Until the end of this turn, I can use my monsters as the tokens that I used to Tribute them.

Sieg looked at her.

- What for? The tokens are worthless, mädchen.

Susannah shook her head.

- Don't think so, Sieg. Not when I have a card like this. I sacrifice all of my tokens, and summon Crimson Demoncatcher! (???? / 0)

As she spoke, the Crimson Dragon and Elementalist began to shake violently, along with the tokens. The field was covered in a red whirl-storm, and the monsters were dragged into it. A flash of red and black, and soon a mage with red clothes appeared on Susannah's side of the field. She smiled.

- The Demoncatcher is one of my favourite monsters. You see, for each token I sacrifice to summon him, he gains six-hundred attack points, bringing him up to a total of thirty-six hundred. (???? / 0 -> 3600/0) And when he's summoned, all Crimson monsters in my Graveyard are automatically removed from play.

Susannah's Graveyard flashed in crimson red thrice, and the Demoncatcher smiled. Susannah continued.

- The good thing is, the Demoncatcher can attack once more for every Crimson monster that was removed from play by his effect. Demoncatcher, attack Sieg's Tormented Soul!

Sieg smiled.

- There's one thing you should know, Susannah. When a Tormented Soul that's only partial dead is destroyed, she dies in the real world aswell. If you let your Demoncatcher destroy your friend, you will have killed her.

Susannah shivered in fear. She looked at Abbi, then at Sieg. I'm sorry, Abbi. But I have to do this.

- I don't want to do this, Sieg, but I must.

She revealed a card in her hand.

- I activate my Spell Card, Demoncatcher's Trap. Until the end of this turn, I can merge a Fiend on your side of the field with my Demoncatcher. The Demoncatcher loses attack and defense points equal to the Fiend's, but it leaves the field open. (3600 / 0 -> 2600 / 0)

Abigail disappeared from Sieg's control, then appeared infront of the Demoncatcher. Then, she faded away, and the Demoncatcher grinned of pain.

Demoncatcher... attack Sieg's Life Points directly.

The Demoncatcher rose a staff that he had kept on his waist, and conjured a red orb on it's tip. He thrusts the staff at Sieg, firing the orb at his body. He smiled.

- Even though this was a battle, mädchen, it won't change anything. I will still take you to the Dreadroot. And then, you will suffer, child.

Susannah shook her head.

- You see, Sieg. My Crimson Engine has a special ability. It once belonged to Cain, Prince of Light and son of the Tormentor. Of course, he then controlled the monsters as spirits, summoned by the three flowers that his wife Roselia gave him the day they met. It was originally her deck, but she felt like it belonged to Cain.

Susannah had no idea where these words came from. Unbeknownst to her, the spirit of Roselia was whispering to her, telling her the story she needed to know.

- The day before Cain fell in battle, he came across an enchantment called Nightmare Engine, which helped him to summon his spirits. However, it came with a price. Cain needed to sacrifice a soul that he controlled after each battle. That was when Cain found out his own abilities. He could absorb the souls of demons that he encountered, and became the Demoncatcher.

She looked at her deck.

- The Engine now hosts countless souls, each absorbed by the Nightmare Engine. This was what almost what happened to Abbi when I dueled her. I won't let it happen now.

The orb hit Sieg in his chest, and he staggered backwards. The Demoncatcher pointed at Sieg's chest with his staff, and Sieg fell to the floor. Susannah could see a flash of brightest white, and then Sieg's body had disappeared. The Demoncatcher looked at Susannah, then at Abbi. Susannah shook her head.

- Release her, Demoncatcher.

The Demoncatcher twitched, and then released the Tormented Soul. Abbi fell to the floor, and looked at Susannah with a smile. Susannah smiled back, then looked at the Nightmare Engine. Inside, she could see the spirit of Sieg Grandeval. She turned back to the partial dead spirit of her friend.

- Abigail, return to your body. The one who controlled you is gone.

Abbi smiled at her, then she faded away; first partially, then she was fully gone. The total blackness that surrounded Susannah disappeared in an instant, revealing to her the city that she had appeared in. The Demoncatcher stood next to her, along with a monster Susannah knew to be the Crimson Rose Lady. Susannah looked at them.

- Cain, Roselia. I have a favor to ask of you. Bring me to the Redemption City Hospital back home.

Roselia nodded, then looked at Cain. He nodded at her, and then, the world flashed in a brilliant light...

 

 

Redemption City Hospital

April 26th, early morning

 

Abigail twitched in her coma, and one of the nurses looked at her. The famous Coma Girl had now been practically dead for six months, and this was the first time she had moved ever since. The nurse rose from her chair, and ran out through the door.

- Doctor Stevenson! Doctor Steven-

Bang!

The nurse collided head-on with a young girl, possibly thirteen, that was running in her direction. There was something familiar about the girl, but the nurse didn't mind. She just helped the girl to her feet, and then ran off to find Stevenson.

 

Susannah smiled, even though it still hurt from the collision with the nurse. She had ran out from room 3201; Susannah knew it was Abigail's room. Behind her drifted the invisible spirits of Cain and Roselia, smiling. She quickly walked into the room, and left the door open. The blonde girl was even paler than last time Susannah had seen her, but her clothes were the same as last time. Same white blouse and dark trousers as she had been wearing the day she had been sent to the hospital. Abigail's eyes were wide open, and they seemed to gaze at a point somewhere behind Susannah. She smiled.

- Thank you... Cain, Roselia. Susannah...

[Deucalion]

Very nice, I like it. Excellent plot development, good grammar, and character development are all perfect. However, the format is a little difficult to read, especially as the Duels are speech-intensive. How about using double enter between each line, to spread them out a bit?

 

I'll go for 9.3/10 at this point, but keep it up, it's way better than mine.

[Umbra]

Thanks, Deucalion.

 

And about the format. Double-Enters I use for paragraphs, and paragraphs only. It would feel strange for me to read my own story if it was a new paragraph every now and then.

[Umbra]

Bump.

[Phantom Roxas]

You have outdone yourself yet again! God, I wish there was an anime based on this. The time stuff got even more confusing than usual. However, how are you gonna solve the thing with the two Jacks? I'm guessing more about Cain and Roselia will be explained in Red Sky Chronicles?

[Umbra]

You have outdone yourself yet again! God' date=' I wish there was an anime based on this. The time stuff got even more confusing than usual. However, how are you gonna solve the thing with the two Jacks? I'm guessing more about Cain and Roselia will be explained in Red Sky Chronicles?

[/quote']

 

I've pretty much planned the Jacks to just drift off for now, but they might make a comeback. And I'm thinking of a Chronicle on Cain/Roselia. Next one will be on Susannah's relation to Abbi.

[Phantom Roxas]

Good, I would like to see more about their past.

[Umbra]

On second thought, I think I'll merge the two Chronicles together, since they're practically about the same thing. Sure, there might be a practically infinite time passing between them, but they're both about the Crimson Engine, really.

[Phantom Roxas]

Well, R.S.C. is basically about the history of the "minor" characters, right? Do they eventually all tie in?

[Umbra]

What do you mean with "all tie in"?

 

And RSC is mainly there to explain things. Angel explained to us why Isiah and Shiki joined the Dreadroot in the first place, and why Isiah is such a loyal servant. I won't spoil anything about the story to those of you that haven't read it, but if you want to, check the banner in my sig to get to the Freeweb. Click "Red Sky Chronicles" and you're there.

[Phantom Roxas]

By "all tie in", I mean every chronicle eventually lead to the same ending.

[Geo55]

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[Umbra]

Geo: That's just spam.

 

ShadowRoxas: At the end, any RSC will lead to how the characters ended up in the position we are when we first meet them.

[Phantom Roxas]

Sweet, can't wait.

[Umbra]

This episode holds the biggest cliffhanger in the entire fan-fic. Also, our favourite breakers of the 4th wall make an appearance. Along with that, I've also started to use the double-enters for dialogues like many have requested, but that I have been to stubborn to change before.

 

 

Outside the village of Doolin, Ireland

April 26th

 

Isaac looked up. He had been standing in the middle of a field for about thirty minutes now, and nothing seemed to happen. The sun had rose many hours ago; the sky had a somewhat gray color. But now, something seemed to change. There were twists in the sky that Isaac couldn't explain; he had an A in both Math and Science, but this was just too much to take in. He had apparently teleported, across the world, and had came to this field. He had spent a few minutes talking to a ladybug, which then drifted off into the sky. It was almost as if someone had put him here, and then forgot all about him.

 

- Sorry for being late, I had people to talk to.

 

Isaac turned around.

 

- Alex?

 

Alex - yes, it was Alex - looked at Isaac. His eyes, that Isaac had always liked, were now grim. They were eyes that had seen too much, and too early. Isaac took a few steps back.

 

- What do you want, Alex?

 

Alex smiled.

 

- I want that Avatar of yours, Isaac. The Dragon.

 

Isaac looked at him in confusion.

 

- Avatar? What's that?

 

Alex laughed.

 

- Oh, I'm sure you know, Isaac. Or should I say... Ôshira?

 

Isaac rose one of his eyebrows.

 

- You could call me Isaac, Alex. I don't even know anyone called Ôshira. And if I did, I wouldn't be too eager to tell you where he was.

 

He looked around again.

 

- Where are we, anyway?

 

Alex smiled, then made a wide gesture with his left arm. Isaac could see the Duel Generator strapped to it.

 

- This, Isaac, is the Field of Doolin. We're as close to the Underworld as we can get in this world, letting us speak with those that have passed on already.

 

Suddenly, Isaac felt that his deck began to shiver. He looked down onto his Duel Generator, and saw that his deck was glowing with a strange, red color. It looked almost... Crimson. Then, he felt strange waves of energy passing through his body, and his arms and legs twitched. He fell down to the ground, head covered in the grass, and didn't move. Alex stared at the young boy lying down on the grass.

 

- Isaac?

 

The boy rose from the ground, and his eyes gazed upon Alex. However, Isaac didn't look at him. What looked at Alex from the boy's eyes was something completely different.

 

 

 

Red Sky City, April 26th. Early morning.

 

Jonah sat down on a chair in the kitchen. He was worried. Susannah hadn't come home last night, and Isaac was nowhere to be seen. His mother had called Tim, Jonah's uncle, the night before and asked were Isaac lived. After assuring Tim that both Susannah and Isaac was alright, even though they didn't know that themselves, he gave them Alex' phone number. They had then called there and only got a few stumbling words from Isaac's classmate, Richard.

 

- Alex... He took them...

 

Jonah understood almost immediately, and so did his mother. Both of them remembered the eighteen-year old they had met the day before yesterday, that had appeared under such mystic circumstances. They had dueled on top of a Skyscraper, and Jonah had barely managed to win. Jonah wanted to run down to Alex' house immediately, but his mother disagreed. It was almost midnight when they had called Richard, and Jonah needed some sleep. It was now 4 AM, and his mother was still asleep. It was time to go down there. He would take care of Alex, and find Susannah. He rose from his chair in the kitchen, where he had been sitting for around five minutes, and walked out into the hallway. There, he put on a pair of running shoes, and opened the door. A cold night breeze came in, and Jonah felt it run through his hair like water in the spring. He walked out the door, and closed it behind him. Then, he ran. Far above him, someone else was watching. But of this, he did not know. Jonah was not born with the rare gift of spirit-sight, and could not see the elderly spirit that followed him. The old spirit looked at the boy, hovering twenty-feet above the ground, and saw everything that the young Heir did.

 

- What is your business, stranger?

 

The old spirit turned around. It was months since he had heard a voice, and even then it wasn't that many. Now, the spirit of a young man, possibly twenty years old with flowing, brown hair - even though it was transparent, the old ghost could see it had been brown - looked at him. The old spirit looked at the younger.

 

- I have a job to do, youngling. You should pass on before you become like me, bound to this world by someone with the power to do so.

 

The young spirit frowned at the older.

 

- I have a job to do as well, old man. I am on a mission from the body that I have hidden in since twenty and one years; my soul is much older than anything that has ever been born on this planet. But my body's soul wants me to watch this boy for him, for reasons I first did not know. I now realize why. The soul of that boy also holds a soul like mine. A descendant of my old blood, born long after I died. Also, my body's soul told me that the boy was tracked. Spied on by a mysterious force that he could not understand. He spoke of satellites and something called a djee-pee-ess tracker, but now I know it was something different.

 

He touched the old spirit's chest with his right index finger.

 

- It was you, old man.

 

The old spirit smiled.

 

- Of course it was, my boy. But I do not have a choice. I'm bound to this boy's deck, just like you were bound to your body. But when you were bound to your body at will, I was bound to this boy's deck by force.

 

The younger nodded.

 

- I have all the information that I require, old man. I'll be taking my leave.

 

Then, the younger spirit disappeared, and the old man nodded. He turned his eyes towards the young Heir, and had soon forgotten the spirit that had visited him.

 

 

The Wickspire, Spirit Chamber 1418

 

Eric was terrified. He barely had any memories of the last few hours. His last clear memory was speaking with the Asian, Takake. After that, he had appeared in here. This chamber was round, possibly fifteen feet across. The floor seemed to be made of black mist, twisting and turning beneath Eric's feet. The roof, twenty feet above Eric, was held in place by six thick pillars made of marble. It took Eric about half an hour to realize that he had no body; he floated freely within the chamber. That was when Aigora showed up. The Spirit of the Son of the Tormentor floated in through one of the walls. They had spoken for long, until they had settled down. Eric wanted Aigora to stay, to talk more of the Tormentor and their common past. But Aigora could not stay. Eric was trapped within the Wickspire, the Lair of the Dreadroot, and Aigora was risking his life just to come here. Eric understood, but was still sad. He had given Aigora a mission; travel back to Red Sky City and watch Jonah for him. He still thought of what Takake had said during their previous duel. They had someone - or something to watch him.

 

- Eric, I have returned.

 

Eric looked up. Aigora had drifted in through one of the walls. Eric smiled, then jumped up towards Aigora. The Son of the Tormentor was on the other side of the room, but the jump was no match for Eric. He halted in the air a few feet from Aigora.

 

- Have you seen anything, Aigora?

 

Aigora nodded.

 

- The Voice was right, Eric. He was watching Kyaran and his Body. He had bound a Restlesse Spirit to your brother's deck, watching his every step.

 

Eric's eyes flung open.

 

- A Spirit? You mean, a dead guy?

 

Aigora shook his head.

 

- This Spirit is not dead, Eric. It was sealed away from it's body with the power of the Crescent Edge, a dagger belonging to the Wicked Avatar. My father, Obelisk, told me stories of the dagger, but I never thought that it's power could be so grand.

 

Eric nodded.

 

- Is there anyway we can contact Jonah? We should tell him that he is stalked by a spirit.

 

- I'm afraid there isn't, Eric. You can not leave this chamber in your current form, and I can not interfere with non-spirits unless I am summoned. And the only person that can summon me is...

 

- Nathaniel.

 

Eric spat on the floor. (Or, tried to spit, but since he's a spirit, all that happened was that the air moved a little.) Aigora had told him of what had happened to his body. That it was now a merge of a mind, created by the power of the Dreadroot, and the spirit of a captain from the Tormentor's Palace that sided with the Dread only days before Obelisk fell in battle. It filled him with disgust. Suddenly, Eric heard repeated bangs from outside the chamber. Aigora trembled with fear.

 

- It is the Dreadroot, Eric! I must take my leave!

 

Then, Aigora vanished.

 

 

Outside the city of Doolin, Ireland

April 25th

 

Alex stared at the boy that stood in front of him. Their duel had only started two turns ago, but Isaac - or whatever he was - had already decreased Alex' Life Points to eighteen-hundred. The boy's Life remained safe at four thousand. And while Alex had no monsters, Isaac had an Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster ready to charge up. Yet, Alex felt comfortable. He had things in store for Isaac. Things that would reveal themselves. He smiled at Isaac, and drew a card.

 

- I'll summon Necro Corpus! And with it's effect, I'll add Necro Hero - Revienna to my hand. (2300 / 0) Then, I'll activate Dark Fusion, sending Revienna and Colitha from my hand to summon Necro Hero - Molina! (3000 / 0)

 

Isaac shook his head.

 

- Let me counter that, Alex. Activate Trap, Desperate Fusion Retrieval. Whenever you summon a Fusion Monster, I can select one of the Fusion Material and summon it to my side of the field. And I choose Necro Hero - Revienna!

 

Alex sighed. Whatever lived inside the body of that young boy had predicted another of his moves already. Revienna was perhaps not as strong as Molina, but was still a force to be reckoned with. Isaac continued.

 

- And with that said, I'll use Revienna's effect. I'll discard Freed, the Brave Wanderer and Jar of Greed from my hand, and summon Elemental Hero Plasma Wingman from my Fusion Deck. (2300/1300)

 

Alex sighed again. How can this being know Revienna's effect? I'm the only one that has ever seen it, part Rataval and the Dreadroot himself! He looked at Isaac's new monster, the Plasma Wingman. Then, he shook his head.

 

- That's not a threat to me, Isaac, or whoever you are. I'll attack Revienna with my Necro Hero.

 

Isaac smiled.

 

- Thank you, Alex. Now, I can activate my last trap, De-Fusion.

 

As he spoke, Rampart Blaster flashed in red and brown, then a Burstinatrix and a Clayman appeared in it's place. Alex frowned. Revienna shattered to nothing but darkness, and Isaac's Life Points fell to thirty-three hundred.

 

- I'll end my turn.

 

Isaac smiled, then drew a card.

 

- I'll use the only card I need to defeat you, Alex. I Tribute Elemental Hero Clayman, Burstinatrix, and Plasma Wingman to summon Dragon of Osiris! (4000/4000)

 

All of the three Elemental Heroes flashed in bright red, then started to twirl and twist in the air. Alex took a few steps back as clouds began to cover the field. The Elemental Heroes stretched out upwards until they touched the clouds, then they instantly were dragged into the sky. Suddenly, the very air around Alex seemed to thicken, as he was just about to encounter something he had only heard stories about.

 

 

Red Sky City, April 26th

5 AM

 

Jonah knocked thrice on the door. He managed to sneak in while the mailman handed out the post, giving him the excuse that he lived in the building, and now he stood outside the door labeled “Regal”. He had had a strange feeling of being watched when he ran down to Richard's house. He had had the same feeling ever since he had came back from his visit at the Crystalfound Corporation, but then it had been even stronger. The door opened, and Jonah stared in fear at the boy who had opened the door. He had only met Richard once or twice, but the boy who just had opened the door for him looked entirely different. His long, black hair was now snow-white, and his eyes were empty. Jonah grinned. He had seen that look before. In Nathaniel's eyes. Richard had been touched by the Dreadroot.

 

- Richard?

 

Richard looked at him, then shrugged.

 

- If it suits you better, Jonah. You wanted anything in particular?

 

Jonah twitched, then looked beyond Richard. Behind him was nothing in peculiar; just an empty hallway leading to a living room. Jonah could see a few doors on each side of the hallway, but nothing else.

 

- Where's Susannah and Isaac?

 

Richard shrugged again.

 

- Alex took them somewhere yesterday. Don't remember much else.

 

Then, Jonah saw something moving behind Richard, and a man stepped out from one of the rooms. Jonah couldn't see the man clearly, but saw a dagger with a crescent-shaped blade; the dagger he had seen the day before in Takake's office. The man held the dagger in his right hand, and Jonah could feel the man's gaze on him.

 

- Who is it, Richard? Anyone I should consider?

 

Richard nodded.

 

- Indeed, master. It is a boy you have been informed of by the Avatar. Jonah Morae.

 

The man in the back grinned, then took a step forward. Jonah could see part of his face and some of his arm, and what he saw made him take a step backwards. The man's facial skin was covered in long, brown scales, and his jawbones were jutting out, like the mouth of a dragon. The man smiled at Jonah.

 

- Does my appearance scare you, Jonah? I can assure you that the Avatar would scare you more than anything I am capable of if you saw him in his true form. But I have powers that Rataval does not possess. Like this, for example.

 

He patted Richard gently on the head.

 

- Memory erasure and manipulation. Very useful in certain situations. Especially when it comes to claiming new minions. They require a few hours of rebooting, but he'll be up and running in no time.

 

Jonah frowned. Although he had not been very good friends with Richard - he was Jonah's cousin's best friend's brother after all - they had met every once and then, especially on that family meeting a few years ago. Now, this mysterious reptilian mind-freak was treating him like a machine. As he spoke, Jonah began to understand more and more what had happened to Eric. This reptilian and Rataval must have worked together, Rataval established the contact by taking control of Takake, and the reptile spoke through the Rataval's mind and through Takake's mouth, manipulating Eric's memories until there was nothing left. He stared at the man standing inside the apartment.

 

- What's your name, reptile?

 

The man hissed repeatedly; Jonah understood after a few seconds that he was laughing.

 

- My name is a truth that I can't tell you, Jonah. But the few humans I have met, I have asked to call me Seerra.

 

He gave Jonah a gaze that wanted him to throw up, but he hold his gaze. Jonah nodded.

 

- So, Seerra. Where is Susannah and Isaac?

 

Seerra hissed.

 

- I can't tell you that, Jonah. They're being disposed as we speak. Yet... There is one thing you can do.

 

He showed Jonah his left arm, which a Duel Generator was strapped to. Seerra's Duel Generator was covered in scales, much like his skin.

 

- I challenge you to a Duel, Jonah. And when I win, you will become a servant of the Dreadroot, just like your brother!

 

 

Doolin Square, Ireland

April 26th

 

The people of Doolin had never seen anything like it. The sky, which had been so bright and sunny just minutes before, was now covered in clouds and thunderstorms. It had started to rain a few seconds ago, and now it was pouring down. But the villagers of Doolin gazed upon something else. Between the clouds and the flashes of lightning, a red dragon appeared. It slithered across the sky, and slowly turned into the sky until it was standing away from them. The presence of the mighty dragon made all the windowpanes in Doolin shiver and crack, but no one noticed. Then, the red dragon's mouth opened up, and the villagers of Doolin wished to listen to it's voice. But no voice could be heard. Instead, a beam of brilliant light erupted from the dragon's mouth, and struck the ground. The entire village was blinded for at least twenty minutes, and when they could see again, the dragon was gone. A few youngsters ran up to the place where the dragon had appeared, and the entire village followed only minutes later. When they came to the spot, they were filled with disgust. Only a few meters from where the dragon had appeared, a bloody corpse, smeared and pressed to the ground, lied on the grass. The face, preserved somehow, was locked in a brutal grin of pain.

 

Above the Atlantic,

April 26th

 

Isaac couldn't believe the feeling. When his deck had started to glow, he had felt... power. Power beyond anything he could think of. He wiped the floor with Alex, and now... he was flying! The wind blew against the scales on his face, and he felt the strong winds that made his long, agile body twist in the air.

He looked at the card that was still stuck to his Duel Generator. The Dragon of Osiris. Isaac had heard of the Egyptian God cards, one of them called Osiris - or Slifer, as the Americans had changed it to. But this was different. Slifer was but a card. The Dragon of Osiris... It was a force to be reckoned with. A force that he now possessed. He looked ahead. The sun was just about to rise, and this time, Isaac could see land. He smiled. America!

 

Red Sky City, April 26th

 

Mia was worried sick. When she woke up and found Susannah still gone, but Jonah nowhere in the house, she almost passed out. Now, she was sitting in the kitchen. It was around 7 AM, and Susannah hadn't came yet. Neither had Jonah.

 

- Odara? Odara!

 

Mia looked up. That voice had came from outside. It was a voice she recognized as...

 

- Stop being so generic in your dialog, Herios. We know she's in there, and now, she knows we're here aswell.

 

She sighed. She had grew tired of Razool and Herios the last time they had been at her house, and that was about two months ago. Now, she really didn't want to talk to them. But then, something catched her attention. Another voice. A female.

 

- Odara, we really need to talk to you. We're just a few chapters away from the first volume to end, and you have much to do before that. Your son, the Heir, is in serious danger. I think we have a way to help him, but we need your consideration.

 

Mia ran up to the door, and opened it wide. Outside stood Razool and Herios, along with a woman in a long, purple kimono. The woman nodded at Odara.

 

- I am Gaoga, sage of the Wind. I know you've already met my colleagues, Razool of the Earth and Herios of the Fire.

 

Mia nodded.

 

- You were talking about Jonah?

 

Gaoga twitched briefly, then nodded.

 

- The Heir left your house two hours ago, heading for the house of a known agent of the Dreadroot. He haven't left the building since. We suspect that they are setting a deal.

 

Mia stared at her.

 

- Jonah, having a deal with the Dreadroot? What could he possibly...

 

- The Heir has the spirit of the Tormentor's descendant, Kyaran, with him. We suspect that he might be given away as a payment for the safety of your family.

 

Mia shook her head.

 

- No, Jonah wouldn't do anything like that. He knows that too much depends on this.

 

Gaoga gave Mia a stern look.

 

- Odara, we can not assume anything, but to fear the worst. The truth is, the Heir has been inside that house for hours now. We can only assume that he has taken negotiation with the Dreadroot's agent, Alexander Regal, that lives at the house. There, that should move the plot along.

 

Mia slapped her forehead.

 

- Jonah's gone to Alex' house? Can't that boy ever listen?

 

She ran past Gaoga, Herios and Razool while quickly putting on a jacket and a pair of running shoes. The three Elemental Sages looked at her as she ran down the street. Herios smiled.

 

- Well, that started off the plot again, didn't it?

 

Gaoga nodded.

 

- The fact that we haven't appeared in about seven chapters, and yet manage to be remembered by one of the semi-main characters is quite strange, but the author probably just doesn't have any other minor characters that could appear and move the plot along.

 

Herios shook his head.

 

- What about Flora? You know, the girl from twelve chapters ago?

 

Gaoga stared at Herios.

 

- Did you even listen to what you just said? Why would any author include a character that appeared twelve chapters ago, and then only once? He didn't even create that character in the first place, he had someone else to do it for him.

 

Herios nodded, then picked up a pipe from his robe, and started puffing on it lightly.

 

- Indeed, Gaoga, indeed.

 

 

Regal apartment, 6:08 AM

 

The boy felt a clearance. His mind was empty, for the first time ever since the tournament had started last month. His duel with Seerra had been such an exercise for his mind, but now, after he had lost, he was relaxed, totally and utterly relaxed. But now, his mind was thinking again. Exploring what it could do, and how much power it had. Then, he blinked twice. Seerra stood in front of him. The other boy, Richard, had left hours ago. Seerra had left for a while, but had now came back. He smiled at the boy, who smiled back.

 

- Are you still there, Jonah?

 

The boy frowned.

 

- Who?

 

He saw that Seerra grinned in appreciation.

 

- You're one of us now, Heir. And there's no going back.

[Phantom Roxas]

Freaky chapter and cliffhanger. Gaoga, Herios, and Razool are awesome. Also, it's about time we got an Egyptian God showing up. Btw, is Johnathan the spirit following Jonah or the old man? Can't wait for Chapter 18!

[Umbra]

I can tell you, it's not Jonathan. It's related to the CC.

 

And thanks for the response.

[Nexev]

i have a suggestion, why don't you bring raviel into the plot, he could be a monster created from the famous battle between dreadroot and obelisk and it(using the overpowered anime effects) and the other sacred beast can be the duel spirit of Legion's (character of my own creation, uses three decks and is skilled enough to play all of them well at the same time) Chaos of Law deck, and they can be the antiheroes in this story