“You gonna cast something hot stuff, or are you just gonna keep standing there looking like a dope?” Cleopatra called out. The queen was getting impatient at how long Jacob had been pondering his cards. While the opening turn of a match had a two minute limit, turns during a match were limitless. Several Internationals ago there had been a small debate when a caster tried to filibuster a match, but in the end no one could agree on a maximum time.

  Jacob didn’t respond to the queen, continuing to smile as he played out his idea in his mind. There was every likelihood that it wouldn’t work; he had no idea what card Cleopatra had set during her Entrapment phase the turn before, or if his idea was even possible with the Magma fields. Still, no matter how many times he played it out the only downside he thought of was that the card wouldn’t be available later - a downside he was willing to live with.

  “I don’t know about you.” Jacob placed a spell card from his hand onto his casting platform, skipping the creature phase “But I’m starting to feel like this field is a little crowded.”

  The familiar sound of roaring waves filled the arena, as the effects of Unholy Tsunami appeared for a third time. As it passed over the magma fields the Tsunami darkened, growing muddy with fragments of volcanic rock. Massive amounts of steam rolled off of it as the magma evaporated the leading edge, but the wave kept moving forwards. It hit Jacob’s Major Water Lord Labubuan, who buckled a bit under the force but remained standing. It’s stats dropped slightly as the volcanic rock inside the wave hit, but it was otherwise unaffected. His Smiling Dewdrop remained where it clung to the form of the Water Lord, coalescing just above the water line of the massive wave. The Tsunami moved quickly to cross the magma fields, filling the air with boiling hot mists.

  By the time the wave hit Cleopatra’s closest creature - Carnivorous Island Potato - the water was boiling hot, superheated by the lava. The Carnivorous Island Potato visibly baked in the heat, its skin peeling away from in a horrific fashion. The plant let out a deathly cry of pain, as the flesh of the potato itself crumbled under the water’s force - dissolving it away into nothing. The wave had a similarly catastrophic effect on the Golum of Aratus, causing the clay automaton to explode into half a dozen fragments. They were swept up by the water before burying themselves into the ground. While the icon for Carnivorous Island Potato had disappeared from Jacob’s casting platform at it’s death, the icon for Golum of Aratus splintered. Half a dozen icons appeared across Cleopatra’s side of the field with the following label:

  Pottery Sherd of Aratus - Creature - Stone Type - Strength: 0 - Defense: 50 - Clay sherds from pottery crafted by a forgotten civilization. Every round this creature’s clay hardens slightly; this token gains 30 defense every turn.

  The Cuddlemonster of the Dark Forest had the most tragic destruction of all the cards on the field, running to the back wall of the arena in a vain attempt to escape. Just before the wave reached it one of the last Pottery Sherd of Aratus pieces bounced off a rock. It flew forwards, before lodging itself in the Cuddlemonster’s back. The creature cried out and stumbled, and was swallowed by the ocean. For a moment Jacob could still see it; the creature had managed to grip onto a rock, and was using it to try and resist the Tsunami’s force. The heat of the water quickly burned away massive patches of the creature’s fur, covering the exposed skin with heat welts. The rock it was holding cracked, then broke under the rushing mass. The creature reached a hand up as it was dragged under, it’s screams being silenced by the weight of the sea. The hand sank to the mass, and the icon on the field disappeared. The Tsunami hit the wall of Cleopatra’s side of the arena, then slowly settled. The roar ceased, and the room fell into an eerie silence. The water slowly disappeared, briefly leaving behind a layer of boiling fog. The mist cleared, revealing the arena below.

  The magma fields had been replaced by a flat plain of solidified igneous rock, which was already cracking slightly from the magma below. Cleopatra’s side was barren, completely cleared of creatures. Jacob’s idea had worked.

  A hush fell over the room. The audience didn’t say a word, staring silently. They had become used to the sight of an Unholy Tsunami the past two times it was cast, but the addition of the heat from the magma fields had made the latest one truly horrific. The creatures had nowhere to run, and had been boiled alive in front of a captive crowd.

  “God. Damn.” Stan broke the silence. Jacob glanced down to see him holding the candy loosely at his side.

  “I didn’t expect that to work.” Jacob looked back at the field, speaking softly at a volume only he could hear. Across from him Cleopatra was strangely unphased as she looked at the empty field in front of her.

  “I gotta hand it to you.” Cleopatra looked at Jacob “You sure know how to clear a room.”

  “I’m a cop” Jacob set his Snare Stop into the snare zone, moving himself into the entrapment phase. “We tend to be good at that.”

  The image of a card shimmered into place on his side of the arena next to his Match Pause and Battlefield Wormhole. Across the field Cleopatra’s snare sat untouched; she hadn’t activated it during the Unholy Tsunami, which meant it was either something that couldn’t have stopped it, or was something she was saving for later. Cleopatra’s demeanor was unsettling, and while Jacob had scored a victory in clearing the field he remained on guard. Hubris was the biggest factor in Kerl’s defeat, and Cleopatra didn’t bluff much. Historically she hadn’t needed to. Jacob had to assume that whatever Cleopatra had placed in her Snare section was dangerous, and that she had a larger plan at play.

  Jacob drew a second card through the effect of Pirate Code of Honor, adding Ghosts of the Derelict Ship to his hand. The card would be perfect for the stormy seas later. He pressed the blue button to end his turn, and his special phase began. On his casting platform he noticed the Pottery Sherds of Aratus increased their defense stat by 30 points, each raising to a defense of 80. Jacob frowned as he scanned Cleopatra’s side of the field; the icon for her Mysterious Figure was still active, but the hooded man was nowhere to be seen. Somehow it had found a way to hide from the Tsunami. Around Jacob two of the Wall of Token creatures poofed out of existence, exploding into small clouds of black sparkles. The creatures they had protected against had been destroyed, which meant they were no longer needed. One of the tokens close to Jacob trilled sadly at the disappearance of its comrades, and he reached out to pet its soft fur in consolation.

  “Remind me to never piss you off.” Stan called up to Jacob.

  “Keep an eye out for our hooded friend” Jacob replied “He’s a bit more waterproof than I had hoped.”

  Stan nodded. There was a light cracking sound from the arena, and Jacob looked back to see the magma melting through the layer of black stone. Jacob’s special phase ended, and the pirate laughter filled the room again.

  “THE CODE HAS BEEN UPHELD!” The voice of a grizzled pirate captain filled the space, and the row of pirates in the center began to cheer. A row of cannons appeared on the side of the arena opposite the audience, firing fireworks into the air. Their ammunition exploded in a variety of beautiful colors, as the pirates below began to sing a jolly sea-shanty. They slowly disappeared one after the other. Finally the last one disappeared alongside the cannons. A giant pirate skull appeared to float over the arena.

  “Remember.” The skull said ominously “Dead men tell no tales.”

  It emitted a sinister laugh as it slowly faded to nothing. Cleopatra’s platform glowed green, and her turn began. She drew a card, and raised an eyebrow.

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  “Luckily for me, Egypt always been good at building.” Cleopatra cast a creature card, and the form of Avenged Water Demon appeared on her side of the field. A light layer of steam rippled off it just like the Major Water Lord Labubuan, surrounding the Demon with a light mist. “Water Demon, make me a pyramid.”

  The Avenged Water Demon nodded respectfully and began moving around the field, collecting igneous rock and Pottery Sherds of Aratus as it did. It began to stack the material it collected in the center of Cleopatra’s side, building a 6 foot tall pile of rock that vaguely resembled an ancient Egyptian pyramid.

  “Building a tomb for your defeat?” Jacob taunted.

  “Oh this tomb isn’t for me, otherwise it would be much bigger.” Cleopatra shuffled around the cards in her hand as she waited for the Water Demon to complete its task. “But I think it’s large enough for you.”

  The Avenged Water Demon finished stacking rock and stone, and blasted the entire structure with water. Massive amounts of steam emerged from the rock, obscuring it from view. Avenged Water Demon continued to douse it for several seconds, before stepping away. The fog surrounding the structure slowly faded, bringing the Demon’s creation into view.

  Where the pile of rock had been a gleaming black pyramid not stood, with carefully carved sides of igneous rock. It was ominous and foreboding, and Jacob could see several pieces of the Pottery Sherds of Aratus embedded in its walls. A new icon appeared on his Casting Platform on Cleopatra’s side, and Jacob quickly skimmed it.

  Pyramid of Aratus - Creature - Stone Type - Strength: 0 - Defense: 700 - A Clay and Volcanic structure formed from material left behind from a forgotten civilization. Every round this creature is active its walls harden; this card gains 200 defense every turn.

  The Avenged Water Demon had created a new creature - something Jacob didn’t know was possible. This match had stretched the boundaries of his knowledge of the cards, raising countless questions. What was the limit of creature creation? Did it physically change the original card that cast it when a creature was made? Could this be done outside the arena, and to what scale? How long would such a creation last, having been crafted from what was made by card?

  “Well that’s a new one.” Rama stood up from her chair to stand at the edge of the arena, getting a better view of the Pyramid.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Cleopatra said “It’s been a few thousand years since one’s been built properly.”

  “Are you sure this is legal under tournament rules?” Jacob called to Rama, who looked at the Pyramid deep in thought

  “I don’t know of any rule that disallows it.” Rama said “We appear to be in a grey area.”

  “Now that my Avenged Water Demon has done all that work, I think it deserves a little boost of energy.” Cleopatra placed down a spell card, looking at Jacob mischievously “And I know just where to get it.”

  Jacob doubled over as he felt his life force draining out of him; his Lost Armor of the Wandering Warrior losing a bit of its luster as the effect of Draining of Life activated. Jacob clutched at the Casting Platform as his soul grew thinner; his will to live decreased, and he felt as though he had aged 50 years in a single moment. He looked at the skin of his hands on the platform and saw that they had grown sickly and pale. He was tired, and as the sensation of his being draining away reduced he shakily rose to his feet. He looked down at the casting platform to see the Avenged Water Demon’s stats had both increased by 500 points, the same amount he had likely just lost. He glanced at the still active icon for Draining of Life, and saw a small shimmering line of Golden Text below it:

  Draining of Life - Spell - SECONDARY EFFECT - When your creature is the same type as your opponent and your opponent’s creatures are stronger, you may apply the life points you drained to your creature’s stats for as long as it is on the field. To use this effect you must drain the life points directly from your opponent, and not from any other source.

  Jacob grimaced; it was no wonder he hadn’t seen this effect before in tournament. The effect itself was cruel in its application. Plenty of disputes and rivalries existed in the international circuit, but there were very few casters who seemed willing to cause direct harm to another. Their rivalries were played out in the cards, not in violence.

  “There we go, my Water Demon is looking much better.” Cleopatra put a snare card onto her casting platform, exhausting the last card she had in her hand. She drew another to replace what she had put down, and pressed the blue button on her platform. Her special phase began, and Pyramid of Aratus’ defense increased to 900. Jacob gritted his teeth as his platform glowed green, drawing a card to start his turn.

  CYCLICAL ENVIRONMENT ACTIVATED. FIFTH CYCLE DEPLOYING.

  The environment on the arena flickered again, and the magma fields were replaced by the familiar sight of a Candy Land. Gummy creatures roamed about, while a chocolate river flowed across the arena. The chocolate waterfall appeared on the wall directly below Cleopatra this time, and the cotton candy hills seemed to be in a slightly different arrangement. One of the Candy Cane trees was visibly broken at the base from where Stan had grabbed it, but it was otherwise the same as when it had appeared for Kerl. Jacob only had to hold out a few more turns before they reached the stormy seas.

  He looked at the card he had drawn, a FateCo card entitled Equip Remove. He entered his creature phase, and looked at the field. While he could cast Ghosts of the Derelict Ship onto the chocolate river - increasing the amount of creatures on his side of the field - doing so would make it vulnerable to being destroyed before the Stormy Seas. Jacob instead looked to the creatures he already had, and what was on the field.

  “Unfortunately for your Water Demon, it seems the energy you gave it wasn’t enough.” Jacob smirked as he glanced at Cleopatra “Smiling Dewdrop, give the Water Lord some space. Water Lord, take care of that demon for me.”

  A small cloud of Dew appeared overhead above the Water Lord, before settling on Jacob’s side of the Candyland. The cotton candy on the top of the hills dissolved as the Smiling Dewdrop touched it, revealing the Jell-o beneath. The Dewdrop’s defense stat climbed to 2000, as it coated every surface. The Major Water Lord Labubuan began to move, letting out a sound reminiscent of Whale Song as it stirred into action. It picked up its massive coral staff then walked through the candy land, covered a large distance with each stride. Once it reached Cleopatra’s side it loomed over the Avenged Water Demon. It brought the end of its staff down upon it, stabbing the Water Demon through the torso. The Demon offered no resistance, and made no sound as the staff went through it. It faded away, and its icon disappeared on Jacob’s casting platform. The Water Lord let out another low whale song, this one more sorrowful than the first, then returned to Jacob’s side of the field.

  “Stop. Please. Don’t.” Cleopatra leaned forward on her casting platform, appearing bored. Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she spoke. “I beg of you.”

  “Well since you asked me so nicely.” Jacob cast Card Destruct onto his casting platform. “I’ll leave your Pyramid alone and target your Mysterious Figure instead.”

  A large pair of scissors appeared over the field, floating ominously. Jacob pointed at the Mysterious Figure card sitting in Cleopatra’s snare zone, and the scissors flew towards it.

  “That’s a friend I’d like to keep.” Cleopatra flipped one of the snare cards, revealing a Spell Steal.

  A massive vacuum appeared in her snare zone, roaring as it turned on. It sucked the scissors into itself and shook for a moment . The roar ended, and the vacuum glowed as it transformed into its own pair of scissors. Cleopatra pointed at random at the Snare Cards Jacob had set - choosing Battlefield Wormhole - and the scissors raced towards him. Jacob frowned, and flipped over Snare Stop The scissors floated in mid air, then shattered into tiny fragments as his Snare Stop destroyed Cleopatra’s Spell Steal. The Mysterious Figure had remained untouched after the card effects had been resolved, making the use of Card Destruction effectively useless.

  “You had that, and still let me use Unholy Tsunami?” Jacob looked at Cleopatra with suspicion. She shrugged coyly. Jacob set his own Mysterious Figure; it could come in handy later on the Stormy seas, if he had to buy himself time to find Kerl. He pressed the button to move into the special phase immediately after, and Pyramid of Aratus’ defense raised again to 1100. Cleopatra’s casting platform glowed green, and she drew a card.

  “I think we’re both waiting for the same thing.” Cleopatra placed down a snare card, skipping her creature and spell phase “So let’s just skip ahead.”

  Cleopatra hit the blue button on her platform, sending her turn into the special phase. Her Pyramid of Aratus raised its defense to 1300, and Jacob’s platform glowed green. He drew a card - The Piper’s Melody - and his turn began.

  CYCLICAL ENVIRONMENT ACTIVATED. SIXTH CYCLE DEPLOYING.

  The Candy Land flickered, and was swiftly replaced by a raging ocean.

  They had reached the Stormy Seas.

  Avenged Water Demon create an entirely new creature out of the pieces of another raises a lot of questions about the nature of the cards - and what they can do. A strong theme within this match is the reality of the cards. The cards bring forth real creatures, which are similarly impacted by the real world. The cards and their matches aren’t just a series of cards and numbers; if you summon a fire demon in the rain, it’s strength decreases. When you break a clay object, it creates shards. Boiling a potato cooks it completely. The properties of the creatures themselves aren’t immune to the world around it, even if the creatures are strong enough to outwardly appear unaffected. The real scenario that comes to mind is the Major Water Lord Labubuan and the Smiling Dewdrop. Smiling Dewdrop was too weak to withstand the heat of the magma fields on its own; Major Water Lord Labubuan as a powerful card was able to withstand it with little difficulty.

  reality of the cards and their creatures has led to some very interesting technicalities that I can explore as a writer - technicalities shows like the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime rarely explored. In most depictions of worlds where card games are kings, the cards are just cards. You need special hologram systems to visualize matches, and most characters play their card games exactly the same way we do - with pieces of cardboard on a table. When the cards are real magic however, and have to interact with the real world, you can do things like place Smiling Dewdrop on the Major Water Lord Labubuan without technically equipping it, or using Draining of Life to actually drain the life force of the card players themselves. You can do some real damage with the cards, something that gives me a lot of leeway to explore as a writer.

  Pyramid of Aratus is one such example. It raises the major questions of whether the creatures that are cast are alive while they are being cast, and whether those creatures then have any sentience. I don’t have answers to those philosophical quandaries as an author. My focus is on the story itself, and the impact on other people. It would make an interesting side project to explore someday, after the story has more chapters and is more completed.

  almost over, and boy do I have an ending planned. There's roughly 2 more chapters until the duel wraps up fully, but both the chapters are full of surprises. Jacob wasn't the only one waiting for the Stormy Seas. We'll see how he handles what Cleopatra throws at him.

  trust in the cards…

  Do you prefer Longer Duels, or Shorter duels?