The air was cold and salty as the waves raged below Jacob, swirling on the tumultuous seas. Thunder cracked overhead, and there was a bolt of lightning flashed into the ocean. Rain began to fall, darkening the waters as clouds formed against the ceiling. The stormy seas Kerl had evolved into a full typhoon, and Jacob felt a few drops of water hit him as the wind whipped them off of the arena. He heard the sounds of complaints below, and glanced over to see the rain hitting the audience. Rama sat completely still, smiling as she continued to eat her popcorn. Jacob couldn’t help but wonder if she had adjusted the storm slightly, finding a way to make it more difficult without changing enough to lose Kerl.
On his casting platform Jacob saw his Wall of Token card automatically move to the destroyed pile, as he drew his fifth card since casting it. The tokens remained floating around him, but he knew they wouldn’t be replenished if they were destroyed. It was soon joined by his Smiling Dewdrop, which had been washed away when the environment had changed. On Cleopatra’s side he saw the Pyramid of Aratus sink below the waves, though the card icon didn’t disappear from her field. Jacob guessed it at the bottom of the seas, though he quickly put it out of his mind. He had a task to complete, and Pyramid of Aratus had neither attack nor relevant effects. He looked again at his hand once more, surveying what he had:
Equip Remove - Spell - This card removes one equip from something the caster controls
Ghosts of the Derelict Ship - Creature - Ocean/Spirit Type - Strength: 2100 - Defense: 2500 - Once per summoning this card may be used to resurrect any two cards that have been destroyed. These cards may be equipped to this card as a part of its undead crew. This card gains 400 strength for each card equipped to it. oncer per turn a card equipped to this one may be selected. Its effect is activated at half strength. Once the effect is completed, that card must be discarded and cannot be equipped again.
The Piper’s Melody - Snare - This card summons a piper playing beautiful music. All opposing creatures who hear its music have their defense decreased by a ratio equal to one over the number of opposing creatures. The entranced creatures will then present themselves to the caster’s creatures for battle, regardless of phase. A caster’s creatures may attack more than once as necessary to face all of an opponent’s creatures.
Jacob debated his next step. In terms of the match itself, his next play was obvious: cast the Ghosts of the Derelict Ship, and use it in conjunction with Major Word Labubuan to press his advantage. Cleopatra still had her Mysterious Figure and two other face down snares, but Jacob still seemed to have tan edge- especially with the ability of Ghosts of the Derelict Ship to activate multiple effects a turn. It wasn’t a bad position to be in, especially with the snares Jacob had placed - Battlefield Wormhole in particular serving as a nuclear option that could buy him space.
What that didn’t help Jacob with was figuring out how to rescue Kerl. Jacob already felt limited by the education in casting he had, and none of his lessons had ever covered retrieving another caster from a raging ocean. He debated trying to equip Kerl to the Ghosts of the Derelict Ship then using Equip Remove; he didn’t know whether Kerl counted as destroyed, and what would happen when he was Unequipped. Would he return to the sea? Or get destroyed permanently? Jacob could order his Major Water Lord Labubuan to search the seas, but he had no idea how long that would take, and it would leave him vulnerable to whatever sneaky moves Cleopatra had planned.
Jacob sighed, and placed Ghosts of the Derelict Sea onto his casting platform. He didn’t have a plan, but he had a few phases of his turn to figure it out. With Ghosts on the field he could at least get the ball rolling.
“If we’re gonna travel the seas for a few turns,” Jacob called out “We’ll need a ship to sail through them.”
The spectral form of Ghosts of the Derelict Ship appeared on Jacob’s side of the field, the light sound of the captain calling to the crew cutting through the storm. As its icon appeared on Jacob’s casting platform he saw a golden line of text flash underneath it. He tapped on it, and a special secondary effect appeared:
SECONDARY EFFECT - When this card is cast by someone equipped with the Hand of Aman’thea, they can substitute themselves for a destroyed card.
Jacob stared at it for a moment A crazy idea formed in his head - one that stretched the boundaries of what he knew the cards could do.
“No crew is complete without its Captain.” Jacob looked up mischievously “I activate Ghosts of the Derelict Ship’s effect, and equip on it Avenged Water Demon, and myself.”
A look of surprise flashed over Cleopatra’s face, but Jacob could only see it for a moment. He blinked, and nearly fell over as the deck of the ship suddenly rocked beneath him. The air was cold, and everywhere he looked he could see the raging seas. Rain soaked through his clothing, and there was a deafening crash of thunder as a lightning bolt struck the water nearby. Around him the zombie pirate crew raced about, completing their tasks. Jacob glanced upwards across the ocean, and saw the side walls of the arena looming in the distance. He could vaguely see through the rain the shapes of the rest of the tour group, crowding together to get the best view. They were talking frantically amongst themselves, but all he could hear was the wind.
“Fine day to be at sea, captain!” The salty voice of an undead pirate rang out from Jacob’s right. He looked over and saw what had clearly been the original zombie captain of the ship walking over, followed by the form of Rama’s Avenged Water Demon.
“It’s a little stormy for a cruise.” Jacob grimaced back at the pirate
“Aye, she’s giving us a good fight.” The pirate looked out at the sea in satisfaction “But we’ll show Davy Jones we’re not ready for his locker.”
“I’m sure we will.”
“Aye captain.” The pirate turned to the rest of the crew “Look alive you scurvy dogs, Captain’s on deck!”
The rest of the undead crew assembled quickly, save for those needed to keep the ship moving. Jacob stood next to the Ship’s Wheel, which was manned by a spectral sailor in what appeared to be a tattered colonial era naval uniform.
“Crew is yours captain.” The pirate joined the crowd, all looking to Jacob “What be your orders sir?”
Jacob looked over the crowd nervously. He had never been one for role play, and now he was expected to play the part of a captain of an undead pirate crew. It was a surreal experience, one he was sure would raise a lot of questions in therapy later.
“Alright you lot.” Jacob tried to project over the wind as he stared at the sailors, looking into their long dead eyes. “We’ve got a man overboard to rescue, so look sharp and keep her steady. Keep a weather eye on the horizon for anything the storm may throw at us; what we do now will make the difference between whether our man lives and dies."
Jacob turned to look at the helmsman “Take us about to the center of the Arena.”
“Aye captain!” The helmsman’s voice was similarly grizzled to the first pirate, who he guessed was his second mate.
“The rest of you!” Jacob turned back to the group “Man your posts! Let’s show Davy Jones that his locker is going to stay empty for a long, long time!”
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“Aye captain!” The crew called back, rushing about the ship.
“Avenged Water Demon, front and center!” Jacob saw the lanky form of the demonic presence drop a line it was coiling, and rush over. It saluted as it stood in front of Jacob, a movement that seemed unnatural for the demon. Jacob saluted back, then pulled it to the port side of the ship. “I have a special mission for you. You can navigate the waters of the sea on your own, correct?”
“Aye sir.” The Demon’s spoke in two octaves, a quiet sound that seemed somehow both soothing and ominous.
“I want you to dive in and find Kerl Klein. You’ll probably find him near the bottom, made mostly of stone. Can you bring him to the surface when you do?”
“Aye Captain.” The demon nodded then leapt off the ship, leaping over the railing to plunge into the sea below. A ghostly pirate ran to the edge, then turned to the rest of the crew.
“Man overboard! Pull out the life preservers!” The pirate called out.
“Belay that order!” Jacob cut the pirate off, the crew looking at him bewlidered “Avenged Water Demon is an ocean type; he has his own mission. We must complete ours. Helmsman! Keep her steady!”
“Well isn’t this all so cute.” Cleopatra’s voice thundered through the arena “I’ll admit I didn’t expect this, but it’ll make what happens next so much more fun.”
One of Cleopatra’s snares flipped over on her side of the arena, the massive spectral card swapping from upside down to right side up without showing Jacob what was on it.
“When the tide rushes from her rumbling caves,” A great roaring sound emerged from the sea as Cleopatra’s voice carried over it. The ship buckled below Jacob, as the water grew choppier “The rough rock roars, tumultuous boil the waves; they toss, they foam, a wild confusion raise, like waters bubbling o’er the fiery blaze”
Out to starboard the top of the sea churned into foam, the ship rocking as massive currents battered into it.
“Helmsman! Hard to port!” Jacob called out “She’s summoned a maelstrom!”
The helmsman threw the wheel to the side as the second mate began barking commands at the crew. The great sails around the mast turned as the pirates pulled on a variety of lines, sending the ship away from the currents. A massive whirlpool opened in the sea to the right, with the vessel pulling ahead of it in just enough time to avoid getting sucked in.
“What will you choose, valiant captain?” Cleopatra’s voice appeared to come from the storm itself. “Charybdis, or Scylla?”
“Captain, we’ve been boarded!” A pirate crew member rushed up, holding an arm that had been sliced off cleanly. Several crew members called out ahead, and there was the sound of steel clashing. Jacob looked towards the commotion, and spotted Cleopatra’s Mysterious Figure battling several pirates at once with a cutlass. It cut down two more crew members, who both crawled away missing limbs. None of them bled, their zombified flesh taking the strikes without pain.
“See the ships surgeon about re-attaching that arm, and get back to your post. I’ll deal with the stowaway.” Jacob pulled the sword off of the crew members belt, then looked over at the second mate. “Take the helm and keep her steady,”
“Aye sir!” The second mate rushed to the wheel, relieving the helmsman “Back to your posts you scallywags, Captain can handle the intruder.”
The pirate crew moved away from Mysterious Figure, who turned to face Jacob. The two stared each other down, and Jacob shifted the sword in his hand experimentally. The weapon felt foreign, very different from the Baton he had been trained in at the academy. Still, his training was better than nothing, and he couldn’t afford his ship to get sucked into the whirlpool because its entire crew was dismembered. At the very least he could buy some time, until the Avenged Water Demon could return with Kerl to give the Mysterious Figure a more proper fight.
“Get out your popcorn folks, he’s giving us a show.” Cleopatra chuckled from overhead “Short as it will likely be.”
“I knew I should’ve listened to my grandfather.” Jacob grunted under his breath, raising his sword to point at Mysterious Figure “I should’ve worked in the archives.”
The Mysterious Figure waited silently as Jacob approached, standing as still as a statue. Jacob stopped just out of range, then suddenly lunging forwards to swing at the Mysterious Figure’s head. The Figure blocked the strike easily, but Jacob was already moving, slashing at the figure’s torso. Mysterious Figure easily blocked this as well, and they continued the pattern for several strikes - Jacob slashing, the Mysterious Figure parrying. The Figure gave almost no ground under Jacob’s onslaught, allowing Jacob to tire himself out before going on the offensive. Jacob barely parried the first strike the Mysterious Figure threw at it, the hooded man’s blade stopping less than an inch away from his face. Jacob retaliated, and the Figure dodged the strike completely before slashing again. Jacob barely blocked for a second time, and found himself stepping back as the Mysterious Figure began to counter attack.
The Mysterious Figure was a wickedly fast, moving quicker than Jacob could see. It pressed him back to the middle of the ship before growing tired of the battle. It slid it’s blade along Jacob’s during a parry to get inside his guard, before stabbing the sword into his chest. Jacob exhaled in shock as he felt the cold steel go through him, and stumbled backwards.
“Jacob!” The voice of his grandfather cut through the storm. Jacob looked down in surprise at the blade buried in his chest.
Jacob wasn’t bleeding. The blade in him was cold, but otherwise he felt no pain.
“That’s very interesting.” Jacob said softly. Before the Mysterious Figure could respond Jacob kicked it, shoving it back with the same Push kick that had thrown it off his casting platform. The Mysterious Figure stumbled as it flew back, hitting the deck hard as it landed next to a large sail that ran parallel to the ship itself that the crew called the spanker. Jacob pulled the sword out of his chest, looking at the gruesome hole it left behind. It slowly closed up, the skin reforming to seal it from the elements. Inside Jacob felt his organs stitch themselves together, leaving him unaffected from the stab.
“Fun part about being on an undead crew; you can’t die.” Jacob looked at the Mysterious Figure, who was struggling to stand on the wet deck. “Bring the Spanker about!”
“But sir, the whirlpool-” The second mate stammered
“JUST DO IT!” Jacob roared, cutting off the spirit.
“Aye sir!” The second mate gestured to some of the crew, who grabbed a line. They yanked on it and the beam holding the spanker swung around. It smacked into the Mysterious Figure, who flew off of the deck and into the water. Jacob ran to the side of the ship to see the Mysterious Figure floundering, before he was pulled into the currents of the whirlpool. The image of the card on Cleopatra’s side finally disappeared; the Mysterious Figure was gone for good.
“Helm, return us to our prior course!”
“Aye captain!” The crew rushed to return the spanker to its original position. They fought with the currents, and the ship stalled in the water.
“Water Lord, give us a hand!” Jacob called to the Major Water Lord Labubuan, who was a distance away at his side of the field. The Water Lord raised his coral staff, and the ship began to move away from the whirlpool. It moved towards the center of the arena, following the counter current the Water Lord had summoned.
“Water Demon off the port bow!” The call came from above, and Jacob looked up to see a pirate in the crow’s nest, pointing at the sea. Jacob squinted, and saw the figure of the Avenged Water Demon rapidly approaching, pulling a large stone statue with it. Jacob sighed as he recognized the form of Kerl. They had found him.
“Throw a ladder off the port side and face our broadside to him!” Jacob called out “Prepare life preservers and additional lines, in case we have to pull him in.”
“Aye sir!” The crew moved quickly, and it wasn’t long before the Demon was pulling itself over the side of the ship, cradling the form of Kerl. Or what was left of him.
“Oh no.” Jacob rushed over as the Avenged Water Demon lay down the three pieces of Kerl’s statue on the deck. He had turned completely to stone; his right arm was missing, snapped off at the shoulder. His torso had snapped away from the legs at the waist, while both legs had broken into their own individual pieces
“The mer-people had already gotten to him.” the Demon said apologetically
“You did what you could.” Jacob said, not looking away from Kerl “You did good.”
“Thank you captain.”
“YOU CAN FIX HIM LATER, GET OUT OF THERE!” Rama’s voice cut through the storm, and Jacob looked up to see her standing at the edge of the arena. Jacob nodded, and assembled the pieces together into a pile the best he could. He tapped the deck box at his side, and it spat out the Equip Remove that had been in his hand on the casting platform. He awkwardly picked up the bundle of Kerl’s parts and stood up.
“It’s been an honor serving with you, Captain.” The second mate said. Jacob looked over to see the entire crew looking over at him. He nodded respectfully at them.
“Thank you all.” Jacob placed the Equip Remove into the equipper on his arm “I unequip myself from the Ghost of the Derelict Ship.”
Jacon blinked, and found himself back on his casting platform. He let out a deep breath as the warmth of the room hit him, then carefully set Kerl’s parts onto the platform next to him.
“I think I need a break.” Jacob said softly, flipping over Match Pause. The world seemed to grow hazy, spinning a bit. His head grew faint, and he barely felt it as he fell onto the Casting Platform.
He had done it. He had rescued Kerl.
The world faded to black.
technically legal grey areas with his rescue mission, relying heavily on actions that up to that point had technically never been added to a rule book. If this were at an official tournament this kind of match would have likely resulted in a complete overhaul of the rules, though having happened amongst the submarine is likely just another story a few people will tell - to the world’s disbelief. It begs the question of how many rumors mentioned in this story have actually occurred, and were jsut never recorded.
very much want to be able to move past this duel. We have one or two more cool twists and events before we reach the factory, and we get a brief cool down in the action. Emphasis on the brief. We’re in the part of the story where things start getting more and more insane, so hold on for the insanity.
trust in the cards…
What has been your favorite card in this duel?
