“There once was a philosopher who talked about a place that was called the Land of Kings or the Monster Realm, I don't remember. Regardless of what it was called, he stated that it was a world of monsters and magic. He said that cards wielded power that both created and destroyed lives. He explained it all in vivid detail. It was later discovered that the said philosopher who shall not be named, took an ungodly amount of LSD and logged into The Grid for three straight days. But think about it, what if that world truly existed? We wouldn’t need The Grid anymore.
- Count Van bon Trellium of Vanderguard
Cyrus held five cards in his hand with purposeful intent. He looked at his opponent as he weighed his limited options. Cyrus was playing his dragon deck and held three dragon egg cards and two other cards that offered him a few options for his opening turn.
[Dragon Egg]
[Class: Draconic Hatchling]
[Level 0 Monster]
[Power Rating: 0]
[Defense Rating: 0]
[Intellect: None]
[Can be played during any phase at zero cost. -Dragon eggs! Tastes better than chicken]
He focused on the two cards that were not useless dragon eggs.
[Land Dragon]
[Class: Draconic Knight]
[Level 5 Rare Monster]
[Power Rating: 800]
[Defense Rating: 1500]
[Intellect: 4]
[Any card that is summoned onto the battle zone with the word “Dragon” in the card’s name, can summon this card to a battle zone at zero cost immediately. If summoned on the opponent’s turn take an emblem from the opponent’s side and destroy all monsters on your side of the field. If summoned on your turn, Land Dragon is summoned in defense position. If two or more Dragons are in the battle zone with different classes, search your deck for Fives Pact and summon it to the field. If you have a Dragon egg in your hand you can discard one to move Fives Pact to the protectorate zone.]
He studied what his best options were. Cyrus did not know what type of deck Xander was playing. Because he didn’t have access to Xander’s deck list. Cyrus was playing with a sense of uncertainty. He admitted to himself that he felt uneasy about that. In most duels, he knew all the decks in the current meta. Cyrus did not like how old and intricate the cards Xander wielded were. He looked at his other card.
[Fives the Dragon of Glut]
[Class: Draconic Reaver]
[Level 1 Rare Monster]
[Power Rating: 1000]
[Defense Rating: 500]
[Intellect: 3]
[Fives Dragon cannot attack nor steal emblems unless Fives Pact is present in the protectorate zone. Fives also cannot equip attachments unless Fives Pact is in the protectorate zone.]
Cyrus looked at the board state and said, “Hey Xander, what are we using as emblem tokens? I don’t see any on the field.”
“We are not using any,” Xander said.
“Well, how do we win the game,” he said Tera and Harlow looked on without a word, interested in what the man had to say.
“The old way my boy. We both have 2000 hit points. Whoever reduces their opponent's HP to zero will be declared the winner,” Xander said in a jovial manner.
“So, the rest of the rules are the same?”
“Yes, just ignore the card effects that say emblem,” Xander said.
Cyrus proceeded to look at his own Guardian.
[Red Fang Nightmare Dragon]
[Class: Draconic Nightmare]
[Level 12 Rare Monster]
[Power Rating: 4500]
[Defense Rating: 1500]
[Intellect: 5]
[No Abilities. Summon if you have six different draconic classes in the battle zone. -Meet your worst Nightmare.]
Cyrus was so used to playing Emblem Duel that the notion of playing without Emblem effects made him second-guess his strategy. The two options before him now had a twist. All of the rules were the same, but the win conditions were different. Cyrus looked at Harlow and he could have sworn the look on Harlow’s face said; maybe you should play more than just one game. Cyrus snapped out of his wandering thoughts and looked at Xander’s Guardian.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
[Aken The Custodial Ferryman]
[Class: World Traveler]
[Level 12 Legendary God Card]
[Power Rating: 0]
[Defense Rating: 4500]
[Intellect: 12]
[Aken cannot be summoned to the battlefield and cannot attack the opponent. Aken remains in a deep sleep until Mahaf the World Traveler enters the battlefield. Once this condition is met banish your opponent to Almiran. If Mahaf’s Anchor is attached to Mahaf the World Traveler your opponent will receive an anchor point.]
“What the fuck,” Cyrus said out loud. He felt his heart burst out of his chest. A legendary card, he thought to himself. How did Xander obtain it? What does banish to Almiran exactly mean? How the fuck can he have twelve cards in his hand? As his mind raced, he tried to get up but couldn’t. He looked at Xander in terror. And Xander stared back with a knowing smile.
“What’s the matter, my boy?"
“Hey Cyrus, you alright,” Tera asked.
“I…I can’t move my feet!” Cyrus said.
“Hey man stop this right now!” Harlow yelled out, believing his friend without hesitation.
“Oh, we can’t stop even if I wanted to. The ritual has already started.”
“The ritual?” Tera questioned. She looked at Xander’s guardian card which started to glow a bright golden color. She thought it looked mesmerizing, beautiful even.
“Hey man make that card stop doing that,” Harlow demanded.
“Who are you?” Cyrus asked.
“It doesn’t matter who I am but what matters is that you listen closely to me, don't you want to see your father again?”
“What do you mean? Wait? You know where my father is?” Cyrus questioned. He Looked over at his uncle for help, however, his uncle was in a deep slumber.
“You will finish this duel, we can do this one of two ways, that is entirely up to you. You’ve read my Guardian's ability, right?”
“I did but none of it makes sense. None of this makes sense! Why can’t I move? Tell me where my father is!” Cyrus felt lightheaded, and the room started to spin.
“Hey Cyrus take a deep breath,” Tera said.
“So, I am going to send you to the Monster realm. You weren’t my first choice, but my options are limited.” Xander said.
“Why?” Cyrus exclaimed.
“I, unfortunately, cannot go. I’ve been exiled from that world.”
“Wait! You’re telling me there is a whole other world, with monsters? I don’t believe you.” Cyrus didn’t think that was possible but the glow of the card and his inability to move said otherwise. Better yet, the very fact a legendary card was displayed on the table made Cyrus think the impossible was possible. Xander sounded like he knew where his father was. He took in all of this new information and took a deep breath to center himself.
“What do you want?”
“Finally, we are asking the right questions,” Xander said.
“Keep this up and I’ll punch you in the face,” Harlow threatened.
“No need for violence my friend. It wouldn’t be good for you anyways. Cyrus, I just need one simple thing from you.”
“And that is?”
“I need you to get my daughter from the monster realm. The easiest way is for me to use an anchor card when I summon my guardian, so you have an easy way back once you find her. After that, you come back here, and all is good in the world. I’ll even pay you for your trouble. The difficult way is that you go into the monster realm without an anchor, and you’re trapped there forever like my daughter and your father.”
“ What’s to stop me from using the anchor as soon as I get into the other world when find my father?” Cyrus said.
“Perhaps I should just let you win the duel, and you never see your father again. He'll die in the monster realm and you'll be an orphan.”
“That’s it this bozo has gone too far,” Harlow said. He looked at Xander and threw a fist at him, aiming for his face. Just as Harlow’s fist met Xander’s jaw a flash of light emerged from Xander’s guardian card, and Harlow disappeared right before their eyes.
“Harlow you idiot,” Tera screamed. “What did you do to him?”
“Me, absolutely nothing. The kid did that to himself,” Xander laughed.
“Where is he?” Cyrus demanded.
“Who knows, no one’s ever tried to interrupt a ritual. Cyrus, I am giving you the opportunity to find your father. Something that no one else can give you. In return, All I ask for is you to bring my daughter back with you.”
“And If I refuse?”
“You won’t, besides, it's not like I'd kill you or anything if you come back without her.”
Cyrus heard a dark tone in Xander’s voice. One that made him feel uneasy. He thought about the fact that he would have an opportunity to finally look for his father. Not even his uncle was interested in looking for his father. Cyrus was beginning to think that his uncle was useless, he looked over at the sleeping man. How was he sleeping through this, He thought.
Cyrus pondered, a whole other world called the monster realm or whatever it was called. He wondered if that’s where Seth took his father and if he did why did he do it? Was Xander even truthful, if he is willing to kill what else is he capable of? And Harlow! Cyrus thought if he was even still alive.
“Bring Harlow back and I will,” Cyrus said. He looked at Tera with concern. She shared the same expression.
“I can’t, I don’t even know where he is. That, my boy, is out of my control.”
“Fuck.” Cyrus said in frustration.
“Listen kid, I’m not a bad guy. Just a father willing to do anything to get his daughter back.” Xander explained in a softer tone. I don’t even have to compensate you, yet I am.”
Cyrus thought this whole situation was unreal. The notion of seeing his father was the only thing that made him entertain the idea that another world with monsters truly existed. Cyrus tried to move his legs again but felt an invisible force stop him from doing so. He looked at the cards in his hand, then back at Xander.
“None of this is real,” Cyrus said in denial. “This is just a normal duel. I am going to win, and you’ll be on your way. After that Harlow will walk right through that door.”
Xander looked at Cyrus with a smile. Cyrus took Fives the Dragon of Glut putting it in the battle zone in attack position for Xander to see.
“Because Fives is a dragon, I will activate my Land Dragons ability summoning him in defense position. Do you have an answer?”
“Nope”
“Ok, I will activate another ability from Land Dragon because I have two dragons with different classes, I can search my deck for Fives pact. I will summon Fives Pact to the battle zone.”
[Fives Pact]
[Class: Draconic Spell]
[Level 2 Spell]
[Power Rating: None]
[Defense Rating: None]
[Intellect: None]
[Allows low-level Draconic monsters to attack and use various abilities if Fives Pact is in the Protectorate zone. If the battle zone has three draconic creatures, increase all draconic creatures' Attack rating by 1000. When moved to the protectorate zone any draconic creatures in the defense position can move to the attack position. Fives Pact also allows a player to attack their opponent on the opening turn.]
“I will now discard a Dragon egg from my hand to the discard pile to activate another Land Dragon ability and move Fives Pact from the battle zone to the protectorate zone. Do you have an answer for that?”
“I do not,” Xander said with a smile.
“Good! Now because I moved Fives Pact into the protectorate zone, I will now put Land Dragon in attack position and I will attack with both dragons, inflicting 1800 damage onto you,” Cyrus exclaimed.
“Wow Cyrus, I excepted more from you with a powerful deck with that, I am a little concerned you will not survive the monster realm. If you played your dragon egg that would have boosted your attack rating and I would have been defeated. I truly do wish you the best of luck Cyrus,” Xander said in a solemn tone.
Xander laid down three cards and they started to glow the same golden color as his guardian card. Cyrus and Tera watched as they saw Aken the Custodial Ferryman float over from the protectorate zone to the battle zone, without any assistance. It truly looked like magic. Cyrus and Tera focused their eyes on the card, they saw a small man dressed like a sailor standing on the stern of a papyrus boat illuminated like a holograph projected out from the card. He was waving at them with a smile then proceeded to give Cyrus the middle finger and bowed in amusement, proud as could be.
A bright flash blinded Cyrus, he heard what he thought was Tera yelling, but everything was muffled and his ears were ringing. He felt a sharp pain on his right shoulder emit through to the rest of his body. The voice of a calm female that felt familiar to him was the last thing Cyrus Gamal remembered before everything faded to black.