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Aarikku · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject: Chapter 6: Arabian Nights

Author’s Note: I buggered up writing this thing. An earlier, released (yet edited) version of Chapter Five, as well as logic, dictates that there were sixteen finalists. This would mean that there’s a round between what was covered in Chapters 1-5 and the end of Chapter 5. However, since I have absolutely no plans for an extra round, there are only eight finalists. Trust me, it would’ve been awful.

Shows what happens when you don’t plan things well enough.

Other Author's Note: Greg, stop pointing out things that the Shmod Saga does that Yugioh GX did. Considering few of their ideas were original anyway, and those that were sucked.

Shmod
Chapter Six

“Your deck ready?” Kyle asked, as Tyson once more tossed a card onto the table and replaced it with another.

“I don’t know! Gaah!” Tyson clutched his head. “This is important; we’re in the quarterfinals now. I can’t afford to have a bad card in my deck. Banyo Dragon… or no Banyo Dragon?”

“I say use the bad cards. You can just use them as Mana.” Linlan considered.

“True. But I could also use Quickstrike Dragon! Or Hydragon.” Tyson cried worriedly. “I don’t know what to do!”

“Trust your instincts.” Kyle recommended, shuffling his edited deck. “I’m ready.”

“I’m not going to change mine,” Linlan explained. “I like this build.”

“Okay.” Tyson sighed. “I think I’m ready.”

=====================================================

“So who’s in the finals?” Cassandra asked, adding a few more cards to her new deck.

“Guh… stop using me to analyze people!” Kevin hung his head. “Whatever. There’s me, you, Tyson, Kyle, Linlan, umm… oh! Ferali. I traded with her before lunch.” He scratched his head. “How many are left?”

“Two.”

“There’s only eight quarter-finalists? What? I thought there were sixteen!” Kevin wondered.

“It’s weird, eh? Small tournament.” Cassandra considered. “Which is odd; there are a lot of people here.”

“Okay, I can think of two people.” Kevin decided. “Mmm… Ah! Zywen Lotus!”

“Right! I remember because we thought she had a weird name. What do we know about her?”

“Nothing.”

“Ah. And the last person?”

“Not even a name.”

=====================================================

“Tell me.” The cold voice of Zywen implored, looking into the eyes of a young man. “What do you want?”

“I want to beat Tyson.” He replied, somewhat angrily.

“I must say, I was impressed with how you won your last game. It seemed like you were using a few booster packs put together. I think by now you have what you need for a proper deck. Nonetheless, I’ll lend you these.” Zywen passed him a few cards. “And you’ll win no problem. His Noble Dragons are no match for them.”

“Thank you, Zywen.”

=====================================================

“Well, that was productive.” Said Tyson, now trying to get a can of Coke from a nearby vending machine. “We finished fifteen minutes of deck work in two.” He pressed the Coke button. Ka-chink. …Nothing. “No! Caffeine! Need!” He helplessly pounded the vending machine, extending the ‘ee’s of ‘need’ as he slid to the ground.

Linlan approached. “Tyson?”

“The machine hates me!” Tyson whined.

“Didn’t you drink something at Itadakimasu?” Kyle wondered, walking over to the scene.

“It was just green tea, remember?” Linlan pointed out. “Stand back.” She rolled up her sleeves as Tyson jumped out of the way. With a mighty wha-thwack! she palm-struck Tyson’s mechanical adversary, causing the sought after can of Coke to fly from its depths, striking Tyson in the back of the head. “Problem solved.”

“That pop’s totally going to explode.” Kevin shook his head.

“Tyson?” Luke asked, having observed the scene from a few feet away. “Why are you on the ground?”

“Withdrawal be a harsh mistress.” Tyson said groggily, somewhat like a pirate. “Okay, I’ma open this thing. Everyone stand back!” They did so.

=====================================================

“And I’m done!” Cassandra did a few poker shuffles with her new deck. “I am proud of this.”

“Good. You’ll need it when we get to the finals.” Kevin nodded, looking intently at the shiny picture of Wicked Frog.

Kffffffssssssshhhh! Said a far-off spray of soda.

“Why? Why?!” Tyson’s distant voice cried.

“Was that… oh, whatever.” Cassandra sighed.

“Time is now up!” The shopkeeper announced, over even Tyson’s frantic cries for help. “If you don’t have your decks ready by the time you start your first game, you will be eliminated. The first two combatants shall be… Kyle Hendrix, the master of Alchemy! Versus Ferali Shaton, the ancient Pharaoh! Players please report immediately to the table with the big screen.”

“I gotta see this!” Kevin followed the crowd to the aforementioned table.

When he got there, Kyle and Ferali, a tall, African girl with quite a bit of various gold jewellery, were already shuffling their decks. A flip of one of the shopkeeper’s shiny coins declared that Ferali would begin.

“I charge my furry friend Firefox as Mana. Whenever it’s tapped for a Desert monster, I can draw 1 card.” She explained. “Next, I activate Arabian Winds! Mana tapped for it has to have the Desert Category, like Firefox, and it allows me to activate Barren Desert directly from my deck.” The screen showed a vicious sandstorm, which eventually covered the entire virtual floor with desert sand. “Barren Desert gives all Desert monsters an extra 300 ATK and DEF, as well as Immunity to Traps.”

“Excellent move!” Kevin admired. “Firefox gives her an extra bit of advantage every time she plays a monster, and she seamlessly activated a Level Two Spell on her first turn!”

“She’s quite good.” Cassandra agreed. “But even you didn’t manage to beat Kyle. I wonder what he’s made of.”

“No problem! I took out most of my traps.” Kyle responded to Ferali’s prior explanation and drew. “I charge Living Lunch. Now, I tap it to play Fusion Technique! Let’s start things off strong! I fuse Air Element with Water Element…”

“He calls Thunderstorm Element strong?” Kevin wondered.

“…with Shadow Element!” Kyle finished.

“What?” Kevin, Cassandra and Ferali asked simultaneously.

“This creates the first of two Triple Elements! Fog Element!” The shape of Fog Element was very similar to Water Element, but it had Air Element’s tail as well as Shadow Element’s eyes and hands. “Pretty impressive, huh?”

“3200 ATK?” Ferali gaped, then restrained herself. “Er, y-yes. It is impressive.”

“It gets better. As long as it’s in play, you can’t destroy Elements by battle. So, let’s start the fighting! Fog Storm!” (Ferali: 4 Life)

“Kyle? When did you get Triple Element Fusions?” Tyson asked his friend.

“Trading.” Kyle replied quickly. “That’s it for me!”

“Fine. It’s time for me to do some damage!” Ferali taunted, drawing. “Excellent. I charge Cactus Jack, and tap it for Pyramid Shrine! Now, every Level Two or higher Desert Monster costs one less Mana to play. And I tap Firefox for the previously Level Two Isis’ Sarcophagus in Defence mode!” (0/1800 = 2300 with Barren Desert) A large, golden coffin with two curved horns hovered into place on the screen. “This also lets me draw a card. Your move, Sir Alchemy.”

“I like that name.” Kyle drew. “I don’t need anything more than what I’ve got. Fog Element, attack!” The genie-like creature blasted an orb of fog at the opposing coffin, covering it with a blanket of mist.

“Sorry, but Isis’ Sarcophagus can’t be destroyed in her sacred desert.”

“I – uh, I knew that!” Kyle laughed sheepishly. “Your go, Pharaoh.”

“I like that name.” Ferali smiled, mirroring Kyle’s reply. “In Ancient Egypt, there were countless Gods. Isis, the Goddess of Magic. Anubis, King of the Underworld. Horus, god of Upper Egypt. Even a frog Goddess named Heqet.”

“Really?” Kevin stroked his chin.

“Anyway, the most powerful of all the Gods, the equivalent of Zeus, was the deity we all know as Ra. Behold! I tap Firefox for Sarcophagus of Ra!” A falcon-headed coffin rose from the depths of the sandy, virtual floor. “It’s also at 2300 Defence. Your go.”

“Big monologue for such a wimpy card.” Kyle drew.

“Wimpy? These are the Gods of Egypt!”

“No, they’re hunks of gold made to look like them. My monsters represent the forces of nature! Well, except Living Lunch. I’m going to charge another one, and tap it for Replenish. Draw two… well, maybe Ra’s Sarcophagus can be destroyed. Fog Element, find out!”

The Element did find out. It couldn’t be destroyed.

“Gah! Curse your defences!” Kyle cried.

“Hey, these are the only monsters I have that can’t be destroyed by battle. With Fog Element, none of yours can.”

“Except Living Lunch.” Kyle corrected.

“True. For my turn, I charge Horned Viper. I think I’ll help you out. You don’t like monsters that can’t die by battle, eh? I activate Sarcophagus Release! This lets me Transform any of my Sarcophagus monsters. So now Isis returns to her true form, Isis! The Goddess of Magic. More importantly, Ra’s Sarcophagus allows me to play Ra – The Sun God!” The sarcophagi exploded into two tall figures. One was a bandaged woman holding a staff ending in an Ankh. The other was a mummified man with the head of a falcon. His hands were basically fireballs.

“Let me see those!” Kyle said, almost frightened. “No way! Isis is a Level Three 2800-ATK Deity who gives all Desert monsters Immunity to Spells! And Ra has 3500 ATK and can summon Desert monsters from the Grave!”

“Very nice. But you forgot – when Isis is summoned, I can add a Desert Spell from my deck to my hand. Dehydration should do. Now I activate Dehydration, destroying any non-Desert monster.” Fog Element shrivelled. “And you can be attacked by my Gods!” Ra threw his mighty fireballs, exploding at a virtual image of Kyle. A ray of light shot from Isis’ staff. (Kyle: 3 Life)

“Well, you’re not making this game too easy, miss Pharaoh.” Kyle drew. My hand’s devastated! Too much Fusion. Kyle thought. “Ah! Neat! I’ll charge Hell Mulligan, which I tap for Tetra Magnet 2! This lets me add two Level One Elements from my Graveyard to my hand, so I choose Air Element and Water Element. Next, I tap my other to play Fusion Technique. I combine Air and Water Elements… with Fire and Earth in my hand. Speaking of which, I don’t have much in it. But that’s not the point. Behold Tetra Element!” The four-part genie appeared, flexing its aquatic muscles.

“3700. So close to beating Ra’s 3800, but so far.”

“3800? Are you sure?” Kyle grinned. “I was under the impression that Isis protected Desert monsters from all Spells. Including the Attack boost from Barren Desert!”

“Ah. Touché.”

“Tetra Element, Four-Corner Strike!” Rocks, flame, lightning and water flew at Ra, vanquishing the deity. (Ferali: 3 Life) “You’ve played well, but I’m afraid it’s over.”

“Not quite. There are more than just Gods in the Desert!” Ferali drew. “I tap two for Haunted Cactus and Spiketail Lizard on Defence. I get to draw a card thanks to Firefox. Next, I’ll switch Isis to Defence.” A curled uromastyx and spiked plant appeared.

“I’m disappointed. I tap two for Metal Element!” A chrome ghost appeared, brandishing a sword and shield. “It gains 300 ATK and DEF for each Element in play, so it’s at 2600.”

“Very respectable.”

“Thanks. Tetra Element will strike down Isis, and Metal Element attacks Spiketail.” Both monsters were destroyed.

Ferali closed her eyes, concentrating. “Ra, I’m sorry you died. Please help me destroy that who destroyed you.” She whispered, and then drew her card. “Thanks, Ra. I tap one for Dehydration! Vanquishing Tetra Element!”

“But… he’s 25% Water! No!” Tetra Element shrivelled, as had Fog Element. “Well, when he’s destroyed, I get to play all four Elements.”

“Go for it.”

“I did! They’re now Mana.”

“Okay.” Ferali shrugged. “I tap my other two Mana for Deathstalker Scorpion!” The giant beast emerged from the sand; its spiked tail dripping purple venom. “At 3300, it’s even stronger than Isis was. I’ll also switch my 2300-ATK Cactus to attack mode. I’ll attack Metal Element with the Scorpion, then you with the cactus!” (Kyle: 1 Life)

“Kyle’s not used to playing with five life.” Kevin observed.

“No one is.” Tyson pointed out. “Go Kyle!”

“I do go!” Said Kyle. “But I don’t really need your cheering, Tyson. I already have the card to win it. I tap Fire, Water, Air and Earth Elements in order to play the card representing all the feats that Alchemy can produce! A monster born from the four Elements themselves! Tetra Dragon – the Alchemic Beast!” A giant, snakelike dragon burst from its virtual card, flying into the sky. Its arms poised to the heavens. It let loose a deep roar, and the crowd cheered.

“It can’t be…” Ferali gasped.

“You can’t be serious!” Kevin gaped.

“It’s not possible!” Tyson agreed.

“It can be, I’m serious, it is possible, and it just happened!” Kyle declared victoriously. “Fire! 1000 ATK. Earth! 1000 DEF. Water! Immunity to Spells! Storm! Immunity to Traps. There’s nothing you can do.” He turned to Ferali. “Now it’s over. Tetra Dragon! Let’s show her what we’re made of!”

“Even if you attack, I’ll have two Life left! How do you expect to win now?”

“With this. Tetra Force!” Kyle tapped his last two Mana. “I select a Tetra Dragon. And instead of attacking, watch!” The dragon’s head, tail and two arms released red, yellow, green and blue light, all directed forwards. “It inflicts one damage to you if I have the Fire, one if I have the Water, one if I have the Storm and one if I have the Earth effect of Tetra Dragon active.” Each beam of light exploded around the Egyptian gamer, dropping her 3 life to 0. “A good game, Pharaoh.” Kyle bowed his head respectfully.

Card of the Chapter is Tetra Force

[2] Tetra Force (Spell)
Select a [Tetra Dragon – the Alchemic Beast] you control. For each of its active effects, inflict 1 damage to your opponent. The selected monster cannot attack (this effect Breaks Immunities).

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Naardaas · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:35 pm Post subject:

Huh...

The Title "Arabian Nights" worked out pretty well in this instance, despite the fact that the book of the same name has little in common. One of the better chapters.
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The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject:

It's a book? I was naming it after the Disney Song. Glad you liked it.
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Naardaas · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:29 pm Post subject:

The book has nothing to do with the disney song either. From what I've heard it's a novelized Camasutra.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject:

...Uh, okay. Point is, I wasn't basing the title on anything. Except the fact that Arabia is a Desert and Ferali has a Desert/Sarcophagus deck.
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Naardaas · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject:

Fair enough.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:09 pm Post subject:

It actually occurs to me that the best way to describe Ferali's deck is "Egyptian God".

*sigh*
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Naardaas · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:11 pm Post subject:

I guess it is. Her strongest cards were in fae Isis, Ra and Deathstalker Scorpion. The scorpion isn't a god, but the other two are. Unfortunate, huh?
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:12 pm Post subject:

Well, at least mine are ACTUAL gods. Not two dragons and a spiky blue guy on steroids.
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Naardaas · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:14 pm Post subject:

One of which doesn't even have the name of a God (except in Japan).
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:14 pm Post subject:

Two of which. Obelisk isn't a god either. It's a big pillar.
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Naardaas · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:16 pm Post subject:

F**k, oh yeah.

This is the longest discussion attached to one of your chapters. I fear mine may not get this type of support.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:18 pm Post subject:

BTW, I added the swear filter so that people would go back to 'crap' or 'dang'. But whatev'.

Don't worry about your writings. Just plan them out better than I planned mine.

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