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Hey all. It's been a while since I've been on this section of the forums. Finally got back into writing after a long hiatus (and very stubborn writer's block). So here's a new series I've been working on. It's based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal series, but with OCs and a new plot, as well as several older cards. This series has been roughly planned into three "seasons," starting with "Number Hunters." Hopefully you'll enjoy it. Here's a quick rundown:
Augmented Reality Duels are the here and now. Duelists of all shapes, sizes, and ages challenge one another for bragging rights and titles. This story is about the Pro Duelist and masterful inventor Django Spirit, who has lost so much in his early life, now seeks answers about his past. Possessing powerful (though unrefined) psychokinetic powers, simply dubbed psychic energies, he is a loner and outcast, leaving him initially distant and reclusive. His only friends (at first) are a group of Duel Spirits who guide and protect him. He is also a Number Hunter, seeking out the elusive and potentially dangerous Number cards before they can do any major harm. He is later accompanied with the demi-human Elemental named Tempest, the rough-around-the-edges Cody and Jack, and the young twins Leo and Fiona. As his hunt for answers to his past and his search for the Numbers, they find themselves swept into a hidden war between the legendary and feared Psychic Clan and the human race. They also encounter a dangerous rival known as Kain Kannon, who seeks power, glory, and titles, caring little for anything else. He seeks to "crush" Django and obtain his World Champion status, even if it means getting possessed by a Number and even making a deal with a devil in order to achieve it. Can Django find the Numbers, unlock his past, and keep the soon-to-be massive war from consuming all life on Earth in a fiery inferno?
Now that that's taken care of, onto Chapter 1: Spirits Unite.
Okay, that's it for Chapter 1. I have next few chapters ready, but I want to make a few tweaks first, since I can make simple mistakes very easily (I'm terrible at proofreading my own work... not saying my work is perfect in my eyes, I'm just not super-quick to notice small errors, despite being very observant normally). So I'll probably have Chapter 2 up tomorrow. I hope you guys enjoy this.
Augmented Reality Duels are the here and now. Duelists of all shapes, sizes, and ages challenge one another for bragging rights and titles. This story is about the Pro Duelist and masterful inventor Django Spirit, who has lost so much in his early life, now seeks answers about his past. Possessing powerful (though unrefined) psychokinetic powers, simply dubbed psychic energies, he is a loner and outcast, leaving him initially distant and reclusive. His only friends (at first) are a group of Duel Spirits who guide and protect him. He is also a Number Hunter, seeking out the elusive and potentially dangerous Number cards before they can do any major harm. He is later accompanied with the demi-human Elemental named Tempest, the rough-around-the-edges Cody and Jack, and the young twins Leo and Fiona. As his hunt for answers to his past and his search for the Numbers, they find themselves swept into a hidden war between the legendary and feared Psychic Clan and the human race. They also encounter a dangerous rival known as Kain Kannon, who seeks power, glory, and titles, caring little for anything else. He seeks to "crush" Django and obtain his World Champion status, even if it means getting possessed by a Number and even making a deal with a devil in order to achieve it. Can Django find the Numbers, unlock his past, and keep the soon-to-be massive war from consuming all life on Earth in a fiery inferno?
Now that that's taken care of, onto Chapter 1: Spirits Unite.
Spirits Unite
Technology was on the rise. Everywhere you looked, new or improved forms of technology were being used each and every day. The most commonly seen technology revolves around the world-wide sensation of Duel Monsters. A popular competitive card game that has become a part of the world’s everyday culture for both young and old. Tournaments are held regularly to see who has the best cards, strategy, and skills to be a champion. It also has the power to unite the souls of many. For one man, that ability would soon change his life forever.
Walking down a large city’s street, a young man surveyed the area. He was a handsome man at about 6’ tall with an athletic frame and peach skin. His eyes were a shining emerald green behind narrow half-framed rectangular glasses, while his somewhat wild white hair was partly contained by a large headband with white diamond-like markings with red frames that gave the impression that they were eyes. He was wearing his favorite outfit; green and black camouflage cargo shorts, red sleeveless vest, a blue tee shirt and sneakers. On his back was a strange square metal backpack supported by strong harness-like straps, while on his right ear was a small black loop earring, and on his right wrist was a large gold ring. He also had a strange yellow mark on his right cheek, shaped like a small sideways “V” pointing inward. He also had a small red and gold angled box attached to his belt.
He arrived at a large park near a forested area. He looked around, his analytical eyes absorbing every detail. There were many people there, mostly teenagers, some engaged in what seemed to be an invisible combat of Duel Monsters, as many were stating various cards and effects, while some were blown off their feet every few minutes. He seemed to be looking for something.
“Hmm,” he thought, “Funny. I could’ve sworn I sensed a new presence around here. A new, unfamiliar energy lingering in the wind. What could it be? Is it just my paranoia? Or is it something else?” Suddenly, his ears picked up a sound. Turning toward it, he saw a beautiful young woman being harassed by a punk-like male. The young man sighed, “Tisk, Roger is at it again. Hmm?” He took a good look at the young woman, and sensed a strong aura around her, “Could she be what I’ve been detecting all morning? Maybe… maybe she’s just like me? I better check it out before this gets out of hand… again.” Nodding, he made his way to the tense scene.
The young woman snapped, “Leave me alone, you filthy rat! I am not going to be your plaything! So back off!”
Roger sneered, “You don’t have much of a choice, babe. Besides, don’t you want to party with a macho man like me? I assure you, you won’t regret it.”
A voice stated, “Yeah, right, Roger. You need better pick-up lines. It’s no wonder you’ve been arrested for sexual harassment multiple times.”
The two turned to see the young man approach them. Instantly, the young woman felt her heart rate increase, and a small blush formed on her face.
Roger spat, “Back off, Mango! I saw her first!”
“That’s Django, Roger. Honestly, even after all this time you still can’t get my name right. And I don’t care who saw her first, since you’re violating your probation. You know you’re not allowed to bother young women with your faulty flirting, as per a court ruling. Or need I remind you about that ankle band you’re forced to wear?”
“Yeah, well, so what!? Not like you’re a successful Casanova either, freak! You’ve lost more dates than anyone in the city! What does that say about you!?”
Django merely adjusted his glasses, “I may not be lucky with the ladies, but at least I treat them with respect, and not as toys. How about we settle this the usual way? With a Duel. If I win, you back off and leave this young lady alone. If you win, I’ll pretend we never met today. Deal?”
Roger sneered, “Deal! This time, I’ll crush you!”
“I doubt it. Your track record isn’t very good. But let’s see if you’ve improved or not. Let’s get this game on.”
The young woman stated, “Hold on! I know that Duels are only visible with a Duel Gazer, but I don’t have one! How can I know what’s going on if I can’t view the Duel?”
Django reached back, and something ejected from his pack, it looked like a metallic eyepiece, mostly grey, with a clear blue lens. He tossed it to her, allowing it to expand into its true form.
“There, that should do. It’s my spare Duel Gazer. It’s just a standard model, but it’ll do. Just hook it over your right ear and eye and you should be fine. Now…” he turned back to Roger, “Shall we dance?”
Roger laughed, “Oh we’ll dance all right! I’ll wipe the floor with you! Let’s get it on!”
“Let’s see if you can keep up. D-Pad, let’s go!” Just then, Django’s backpack shot out a beam of light that arched back downward, and hit is left arm. A new device appeared, resembling a red and gold gauntlet. On the side of the wrist was a slot where a deck of cards was setup, while on top of the wrist was a smaller slot. Then, a box-like hexagon screen was attached to the top of the device, and out popped a rectangular pad with two zones, followed by two smaller pads with zones from that one, giving it a total of five zones, before angling upward a bit.
He then took another Duel Gazer out of his pocket, allowing it to expand into its full form. It resembled a white and gold dragon head with a hexagonal clear red lens, a white hook, and a white and red antenna angled to the back. He took off his glasses and placed the Duel Gazer over his right eye and ear.
“Duel Gazer, let’s rock and roll!”
Roger had done the same thing, only his was a basic model Duel Gazer with a grey D-Pad. He looked pumped and ready to go.
When the three activated their Duel Gazers, a female computer voice stated, “Augmented Reality visual link established.” Followed by what appeared to be a digital energy flow that seemed to copy the surrounding area. Several small screens then appeared, followed by two large ones that showed both Django and Roger, each with 4000 Life Points.
The two Duelists stated, “Let’s Duel!”
Django placed a hand on his deck, “I think I’ll open things up! I Draw!” He looked at his cards, smiling. “First off, I Summon Gogogo Golem, in Attack Mode!”
He played a Monster Card. After the card appeared, it glowed, and a giant monster appeared before him. It was a massive rock golem with an oval shaped greenish-grey body composed of square blocks, with a blue dome head with a single mechanical red eye inside a narrow rectangular gap. It had grey cylinder upper arms that were attached to massively armored blue lower arms, ending in large five fingered hands. Its legs were very similar in structure, only they ended with bowl-shaped blackish feet, and on its back were two grey cylinders. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1800/1500.
Django added, “I also throw down a couple of face-downs for later.” Two face-down cards appeared behind Gogogo Golem. “That’ll do for now.”
The young woman thought excitedly, “I can’t believe I’m finally watching a Duel! I’ve waited so long for this, and now it’s finally happening! Plus that Django is quite the looker. Judging by their conversation, he seems to still be single. So if he wins, I get to be around him. Oh, I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!”
Roger sneered, “You call that a move? It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his cards, “First, I summon Battle Ox, in Attack Mode!” He summoned a muscular, mean-looking anthropomorphic ox wearing powerful armor and wielding a large axe. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1700/1000. “But I’m not done! Next I activate the Spell Double Summon! It allows me to Normal Summon one more time this turn! So I summon Vorse Raider, also in Attack Mode!” His second monster was just as mean-looking as Battle Ox. A powerful, menacing monster wearing strong armor, a spiked helmet, and wielding a large bladed weapon. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1900/1200.
Django then stated, “Not so fast! Time for some Trap action! I activate the Trap Ultimate Offering!” One of his face-down cards flipped up, revealing a card with a purple-like frame. It showed what appeared to be a second monster forming off another one. “This card allows me to pay 500 Life Points so I can summon more Monsters, even during your Battle Phase. So if you want to get to my Life Points, you need to get past my Monsters first.”
The woman wiped her brow, “Whew, for a moment there, I thought he was going to take a hit. Guess he knew this might happen, so he got prepared.”
Roger spat, “Big deal! You’re still in for a world of hurt! Vorse Raider, attack Gogogo Golem!” Vorse Raider charged in, blade ready to strike. It jumped and cleaved Gogogo Golem in half. Gogogo Golem exploded into several golden particles, but Django merely closed his eyes, taking a small hit as his Life Points dropped by 100 to 3900.
He stated, “Now would be a good time to use Ultimate Offering! I pay 500 Life Points to summon a Monster in Defense Mode.”
His Life Points were further reduced, stopping at 3400. He then played a card face-down and sideways before he looked back up, smiling.
The punk male stated, “It won’t help! Battle Ox, attack his defensive Monster with Axe Slam Attack!”
As Battle Ox charged in, the face-down card flipped face-up, revealing a female Monster. She resembled a Greek-looking secretary, dressed in a brown shirt with a matching skirt, a long white sleeveless coat, stockings, heeled shoes, white arm warmers, a large collar, and long reddish hair in two pigtails. Her skin was pale with golden eyes, and was holding a clerk book, had feather-like hair ornaments, with a sweet face. She was a Level Two Monster with stats of 400/800. However, Battle Ox effortlessly slashed her, causing her to cry out and disappear in the same manner as Gogogo Golem.
“Hah! You call that a defense Monster!? Talk about a weakling! Why do you even use such wimpy cards!? They’re worthless! Strong and powerful is the way to go!”
Django said calmly, “Never underestimate the small and the weak. You never know when they might come in handy. After all, this deck has gotten me through a lot. I’m not the World Champion for nothing, after all. A beatdown style isn’t the only deck type out there. It may be one of the most common types, but doesn’t mean it’s invincible. And I will prove it. So are you quite done?”
“Grr! I end my turn! But you’re as good as done!”
The young woman thought in amazement, “Django is the World Champion!? Wow, that’s amazing! If he’s that good, then he knows what he’s doing. I think this Roger guy needs to watch out, or he’s the one who’s done.”
Django drew another card from his deck, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, smiling, “I summon Gogogo Ghost, in Attack Mode!”
As he played the new card, purplish smoke emitted from it. Then, it took shape, followed by armor pieces floating into place. When it took form, it looked like a ghostly energy being wearing samurai armor, with a single glowing yellow eye and wielding a large sword. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1900/0.
Django said slyly, “I’m not ready to attack yet, so I think I’ll leave it at that. Let’s see what you’ve got, Roger.”
The woman thought, “Why didn’t he attack? That ghostly creature is stronger than Battle Ox, so why is he waiting? Does he have a plan? Is he trying to lure that Roger guy into a trap? Oh, man, I cannot wait to see what happens next!”
Roger huffed, “You should’ve attacked when you had the chance. So it’s my turn, I Draw!” He gained an almost evil smirk on his face, “Perfect! I Tribute both my Battle Ox and Vorse Raider to summon the king of my deck! Say hello to Barrel Dragon!”
Both Battle Ox and Vorse Raider were swallowed up by a black portal, which vanished shortly afterwards. Then, a new monster stood before them. It was a menacing, powerful-looking dragon-shaped machine. It was very large and bulky, equipped with heavy armor. Where its hands and face would be were huge guns with long barrels and glowing cylinders where the energy ammo was being stored. It was a Level Seven Monster with stats of 2600/2200.
“Now, I will erase your ghostly friend from existence! Barrel Dragon, attack Gogogo Ghost with Proton Blast!”
It fired three powerful blasts from its triple guns, destroying Gogogo Ghost with little effort. Despite the powerful explosions, Django just stood there, closed his eyes, and allowed the attack to hit him. However, he somehow remained anchored to the ground, not flying backwards. However, his Life Points dropped by 700 points, reducing him to 2700.
Roger looked confused, “Hey, how come you didn’t go flying back? Any powerful attack will knock any Duelist off their feet in Augmented Reality, so why didn’t you?”
Django said coolly, “I’m special. What? Did you want me to kiss the pavement? Guess it’ll take more than that to knock me off my feet, or off my game. Besides, did you forget Barrel Dragon’s effect? You could’ve toss a coin three times, and if two of them were heads, you could’ve destroyed Gogogo Ghost without even attacking, mounting a Direct Attack afterwards.”
“Well, duh! I know that!” but mumbled, “At least now I remember that…”
“I heard that. You need a lesson in strategy, and I’ll be more than happy to teach you that.”
“Yeah, right! I end my turn, but there’s nothing you can do!”
Django smiled, “On the contrary, you’ve done exactly what I’ve wanted you to do. And you’ll see in just a moment. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He chuckled, “Sorry, Roger, but this Duel is over for you. First, I summon Gogogo Giant, in Attack Mode!”
A rippling portal opened up above them, and a new monster appeared out of it. It was a massive, machine-like golem, even bigger than Barrel Dragon. It was mostly brown in color, with a cube-like chest, oval shaped upper arms, massive cylinder-like lower arms, ending in massive four-fingered blue hands. On each shoulder was an upside-down rocket-shaped brown cylinder with a blue tip, and each leg was shaped similar to its arms, only larger, ending in large Y-shaped blue feet. Its head was oddly pharaoh-like, with a brown frame, a pointed face like a mask, a single glowing yellow V-shaped eye, and a pointed chin. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 2000/0.
Roger chortled, “It may be big, but it’s still no match for my Barrel Dragon!”
Django stated, “Actually, I’m not done yet. When Gogogo Giant is successfully Normal Summoned, it can Special Summon any Gogogo Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode, as long as it shifts to Defense Mode afterward. So I bring back Gogogo Ghost!” A black portal with two rings with an ancient language appeared, and Gogogo Ghost emerged from it in a defensive pose. “But that’s not all! When Gogogo Ghost is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon Gogogo Golem in Defense Mode as well. So welcome my Golem back to the party.” Gogogo Golem appeared from the same portal, also in a defensive position.
The woman said in awe, “Wow, he got three Monsters on the field in one move! That is amazing! But I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
Django then said, “I’m not done yet. Next I activate my face-down Trap card, Mischief of the Yokai!” His final face-down card was revealed. It looked like a beautiful Japanese woman wearing a white kimono with three imp-like creatures floating around her. “This tricky Trap reduces the Levels of all Monsters on the field by two. So all Level Four Monsters become Level Two, while your Level Seven Barrel Dragon becomes a Level Five.”
Roger huffed, “Big deal, it won’t save you.”
The young man smiled, “Actually, it’ll win me this Duel. Next up, I tap into Ultimate Offering. I pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon again.” Django’s Life Points dropped to 2200, but he held out a new card. “Time to end this. I summon Junk Synchron, in Attack Mode.”
A new Monster appeared. It resembled a machine-like stout man, wearing bulky orange armor and boots, machine-like upper arms and thighs, a round face with goggle-like eyes, and a tall orange hat. On the lower right of its stomach was a ripcord, and a motor was attached to its back. It was a Level Three Monster with stats of 1300/500.
The punk laughed, “Is that supposed to scare me?”
Django smiled, “No, it won’t scare you, but what will come because of it will. Next up, I activate Junk Synchron’s effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level Two or below Monster from my Graveyard, but its effects are negated. So welcome back Gagaga Clerk, in Defense Mode.” The same portal opened up, and the female clerk appeared from it, also in a defensive state. “Now the fun begins. I tune my Junk Synchron with my Gagaga Clerk!” Junk Synchron disappeared, becoming three rings, while Gagaga Clerk floated into them. Her body became merely an outline of itself, then became two glowing spheres, joined by three more spheres from the rings. “I Synchro Summon Junk Warrior!”
Junk Warrior appeared from a large beam of light. It looked like a cross between a machine, a warrior, and a jet. It had a mostly bluish purple armored body with mechanical body parts, large lower arms, with a studded right knuckle, ice skate like feet, large ivory plane wings with engines on its shoulders, a round head with goggle-like eyes, and a long, two-tailed scarf. It was a Level Five Monster with stats of 2300/1300.
The punk male stated, “You’re a Dueling fool to summon such a weak Monster. My Barrel Dragon is still stronger!”
Django wagged a finger, “Tisk, tisk, you’re mistaken. Junk Warrior’s effect will end this Duel. It gains the Attack Points of all Level Two and below Monsters on my side of the field.”
“What Level Two Monsters? You’ve got no Monsters at that Level on your field!”
“You’re forgetting Mischief of the Yokai. It lowered the Levels of all the Monsters that were on the field at its activation by two. So now my Level Four Monsters become Level Two. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Roger thought for a moment, then his eyes widened in horror. “N-No way! It can’t be! All your Gogogo Monsters are now Level Two! Which means…!”
Django gave a dark grin, “You got it. Junk Warrior gains the Attack Points of all my Gogogo Monsters. So let me do the math for you: 2000 from Giant, 1900 from Ghost, 1800 from Golem, added onto Junk Warrior’s 2300, and you get a grand total of… 8000!”
The woman gasped, “Not only will that destroy Barrel Dragon effortlessly, but it’ll completely crush Roger’s Life Points in one shot! Brilliant! He let his Monsters be destroyed on purpose so he could lead Roger into a trap that ends with a single powerful knock-out punch!”
“And the lady wins a prize! That’s right. Junk Warrior can smash Barrel Dragon and clean out your Life Points in one shot. Better known as a One-Turn Kill. I told you I would teach you a lesson in strategy, and indeed I did. Now, let’s see how well you’ll do on you final exam. Junk Warrior, attack Barrel Dragon with Scrap Fist! End this Duel right now!”
Junk Warrior jumped high up into the air, then came charging down, rocket engines blazing, holding its right fist out. Its fist was now surrounded by a massive fist-shaped aura. Roger watched in complete horror as Junk Warrior barreled down and slammed its enhanced fist into Barrel Dragon, shattering it to pieces. Roger was thrown back by the powerful attack, screaming, as his Life Points were shredded down to zero. He landed on his back, defeated, as a Win Screen showing Django appeared. Then all the cards disappeared as the Augmented Reality vanished.
Django replaced his Duel Gazer with his glasses, smiling, “Game, set, and match. Now as we agreed, you’ll leave this young lady alone, or I’ll have to cops on your case faster than your Life Points dropping.”
Roger got up, cursed under his breath, and started to walk away. He gave Django a glare before turning away and walking out of the area.
Django walked up to the young woman, “I hope he didn’t rough you up too much. This is a reoccurring situation. He’s forced to wear an ankle band to alert the cops when he’s breaking his probation, since he’s harassed many women like that. They will probably still pick him up, since he was violating his probation, so we’ll see. Anyway, as you probably already know, my name is Django. Dr. Django Spirit, to be exact. What’s yours? And are you new in town?”
The young woman smiled, “My name is Tempest Force, and yes, I’m new around here. I only arrived in the city this morning. And thanks again for getting rid of him. Not only did I get to see my first Duel, but I saw the World Champion in the same Duel. So thank you.” She gave a small bow.
Django took a moment to look her over. She was quite beautiful. She was fairly slender, but had enough curves to give her a slight hourglass body, but was also top-heavy, with pale skin, waist-long light green hair, and grey eyes. She was dressed in a bluish black one-piece tunic with a split skirt, heeled sandals, and emerald earrings. It was then the male Duelist noticed something.
“Hold on, I just noticed something. Your ears have a slight point to them, like shortened versions of elf ears. That means you’re not a normal human, am I right?”
Tempest blushed, “You’re very observant. No one has noticed that yet, you being the first. Yes, I am not really a human. I’m technically a demi-human, from a hidden race called Elementals. That’s ‘element’ and ‘mental’ put together, meaning we can control the elements of nature with just a thought. So we’re quite powerful, but we tend to keep to ourselves. As you can tell by my name, I control the wind. Because I had such great control over the wind, to the point other wind users were jealous, I was dubbed the ‘Mistress of Winds’, making me a very powerful member of my clan.”
“I see. Interesting. So you’re a race of demi-humans that live in secret. Why is that? And why are you here then?”
She replied, “My race doesn’t realize it, but by isolating ourselves, we’re leading ourselves to a slow extinction. I’m a bit more intelligent than that, as I realized this, and tried to convince the clan to merge with the rest of the world. Our numbers are very small, and continued isolation will result in our extinction.” Her eyes then dulled a bit, “Because I’m a bit more of a radical thinker, I became the clan’s outcast, shunned by the rest of my race. So after a while, I just decided to pack up and leave. I hoped it would give the clan the idea that our way of life is dying, but so far, it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. So I wandered around, looking for a suitable place to live, but out of nervousness, I didn’t meld in with the modern world just yet. I came to this city because I heard rumors that it was a really great place, full of advancements and luxuries that most people can access easily. So I hoped that by coming here I can start a new life. So far, however, I’m not so sure how to do that.”
Suddenly, her stomach growled, causing her eyes to widen and a blush to form on her face. She laughed nervously while Django couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Heheh, sounds like someone could use a little lunch. How about I treat you to something to eat. I’m getting a bit hungry myself, so why don’t we get some lunch?”
She smiled, “Yes, some lunch would be good about now. I haven’t eaten much lately, and as far as I can tell, my currency is different than yours. So if you would be so kind, I’d appreciate that.”
The two started to walk down the street together, with Tempest eyeing possible meals. Suddenly, she stopped and sniffed the air.
“What’s that simply delicious aroma I smell? It smells like… something spicy yet sweet, with lightly toasted bread, a bit cheesy, and a bit zesty.”
Django sniffed the air before smiling, “I think you smell a hot dog. Specifically, a chili cheese dog. It’s a beef frank on a long bun, smothered in meat sauce, melted or shredded cheese, and topped with chopped onions. Does that sound appealing to you?”
Tempest was practically drooling, “That sounds so good! Where can we get one?”
He pointed to a small building just off to the right, “Right there. That’s Dave’s Lunch Shack. He sells mostly food like burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, various fried foods, and some treats like milkshakes and sundaes. He has very good chili cheese dogs. Come, let’s go.”
He led her into the small building. Inside, there were a fair number of people sitting at tables or at the counter. Tempest could feel her mouth water as she looked and smelled all the good food. The two of them sat down at the counter, and a waitress walked up to them.
She smiled, “Hey, Django. Back for more, eh? And I see you have a new lady friend. So what’ll be today, sugar?”
Django chuckled, “Hello, Vivi. Yeah, I’m back, you know me. And this young lady is new in town, so I’m showing her around. Anyway, onto the main reason we’re here. We’ll take four chili cheese dogs, and I’ll have my usual milkshake. Tempest, what would you like to drink?”
Tempest looked at the drink menu hanging on the wall behind Vivi before deciding, “I think I’ll take a strawberry milkshake. It sounds good, and I love strawberries.”
Vivi jotted the order down, “Sure thing, sugar. I’ll go place the order, you two just chill out ‘til then.”
As Vivi walked away, Tempest asked, “What exactly is a milkshake? And why does she call you ‘sugar’? I thought you were still single.”
Django chuckled, “First of all, Vivi calls everyone sugar. She’s married, but tends to call pretty much everyone that. It’s just the way her personality is, so don’t feel she’s flirting with me, or with anyone, for that matter. She’s just perky. As for a milkshake, it’s generally ice cream and milk blended together into a cool, frosty drink. You’ll like it, just don’t drink it too fast, or you’ll get an ice cream headache.”
A short time later, Vivi returned with two glasses and two tall metal tins. In one glass was the strawberry milkshake, while the other was a bright blue.
She stated, “Hey ya go. One strawberry milkshake and one cotton candy milkshake, with extra shake in the tins. Your dogs will be out soon. Just give ‘em a few more minutes.” She put the two glasses and tins down in front of the duo, placed some straws next to them, and walked away.
Django took a drink from his shake, “Yum, cotton candy milkshakes make me feel like a kid again. How about you? How’s yours?”
Tempest took a sip from hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, “It tastes really good! It’s cold enough to be refreshing on a hot day, but liquidly enough to be smooth and go down easy. Delicious!”
The male Duelist chuckled. A short time later, Vivi returned with two plates, each containing two hot dogs piled high with melted cheese and chili.
“Here ya go, sugar. Enjoy!” she smiled before walking off.
Django picked one hot dog up and started eating, “Hmm… Dave has improved his chili recipe since the last time I was here. Must be a new barbeque sauce, since it’s tangier than the last time I was here.” He turned to Tempest, “You better eat up before I gulp them all down.”
Tempest picked up one of the hot dogs, gave it a sniff, and then bit into it. Her eyes widened in surprise, and then gained a dreamy expression on her face. She took a moment to savor the piece in her mouth before swallowing it.
“This… this is amazing! Such a bold mixture of flavors, yet they blend together so well. I love it!”
“Heh, you should try my version. My chili is sweeter because the base of the sauce is different than other versions. But yeah, Dave does a good job. Chili cheese dogs are one of my favorite foods, alongside pizza. That’s another food you should try sometime. It’s very customizable, so it’s easier to tailor to anyone’s tastes.”
She nodded, and they continued to eat their lunch. Before long, all four chili cheese dogs were gone and the milkshakes were drained. Django paid the bill, leaving a tip, and they walked out.
After a short walk, Django asked, “So… I take it you have no place to go. What do you plan on doing, Tempest?”
She responded slowly, “I don’t really know. I guess I’ll have to get a job to pay for things like food and a place to sleep, since my currency is very different than yours. But I’m not entirely sure what to do. This is my first time in the modern world, so I’m not sure if I have the skills needed to hold a decent job. I’m a quick learner, thankfully, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough. Do you have any recommendations for me?”
Django mused mentally, “She has no place to go, no money, and limited modern realm skills. I know that feeling. For the longest time after that fateful day, I had nothing, and when I finally did learn about what I inherited, I wasn’t able to tap into it until later. I also feel a strange kinship with her, probably because we’re very much alike. Maybe… maybe I’ll give her a hand.” He responded, “Well… I don’t have any real recommendations for easy jobs and cheap housing, but I do believe I can help you with your dilemma. If it helps, I can grant you room and board, but in exchange you have to do your part around my place, such as chores. I will also teach you some basic technology skills that you’ll need in order to adjust to your new environment. It’ll also help you learn what you need for later life. Does that sound good?”
Tempest’s eyes were overflowing with emotion, “You have no idea what that means to me. It’s a deal! I will gladly do whatever you ask of me in exchange for room and board. And after a while, once I get enough needed skills and the correct form of money, I can pay for my share of things like food and clothes. But, really, you’re doing me a big favor. I gladly accept. Thank you, thank you very much. Judging by that Roger guy, he made it sound like you’re a total loser, especially with women, but you really are a sweet, helpful person. I don’t fully know why you’re doing this, but I am grateful. Maybe I can thank you in other ways, if you know what I mean?” She gave him a playful wink, causing him to blush bright red. He turned away, trying to hide his blush.
He replied meekly, “Yeah, well, we’ll see about that. Let’s just get you back to my place and we’ll discuss any details there. So, come on, my car isn’t far from here.”
As they walked, Tempest thought, “He really is a very sweet guy. He does seem a bit shy and soft-spoken, and judging by that punk’s statements, he’s not too popular with women, but I feel he really deserves a chance. Well, this does mean that, since no other woman wants him, I can get first dibs on him. I hope that, if it does come to that, he won’t mind I’m not human. I just hope I don’t cause him problems. But, then again, he seems like he’s able to handle pretty much anything that comes his way, so I shouldn’t be worried. I’m glad I left my clan. Now my life can start anew, and maybe, just maybe, the rest of my race will get the message sooner or later. But, for now, I’m gonna enjoy being with Django.”
What she didn’t know was that several entities residing with Django were smiling approvingly at this decision, interested to see how everything will play out.
Next Chapter: Spirit Partners and the Numbers
Technology was on the rise. Everywhere you looked, new or improved forms of technology were being used each and every day. The most commonly seen technology revolves around the world-wide sensation of Duel Monsters. A popular competitive card game that has become a part of the world’s everyday culture for both young and old. Tournaments are held regularly to see who has the best cards, strategy, and skills to be a champion. It also has the power to unite the souls of many. For one man, that ability would soon change his life forever.
Walking down a large city’s street, a young man surveyed the area. He was a handsome man at about 6’ tall with an athletic frame and peach skin. His eyes were a shining emerald green behind narrow half-framed rectangular glasses, while his somewhat wild white hair was partly contained by a large headband with white diamond-like markings with red frames that gave the impression that they were eyes. He was wearing his favorite outfit; green and black camouflage cargo shorts, red sleeveless vest, a blue tee shirt and sneakers. On his back was a strange square metal backpack supported by strong harness-like straps, while on his right ear was a small black loop earring, and on his right wrist was a large gold ring. He also had a strange yellow mark on his right cheek, shaped like a small sideways “V” pointing inward. He also had a small red and gold angled box attached to his belt.
He arrived at a large park near a forested area. He looked around, his analytical eyes absorbing every detail. There were many people there, mostly teenagers, some engaged in what seemed to be an invisible combat of Duel Monsters, as many were stating various cards and effects, while some were blown off their feet every few minutes. He seemed to be looking for something.
“Hmm,” he thought, “Funny. I could’ve sworn I sensed a new presence around here. A new, unfamiliar energy lingering in the wind. What could it be? Is it just my paranoia? Or is it something else?” Suddenly, his ears picked up a sound. Turning toward it, he saw a beautiful young woman being harassed by a punk-like male. The young man sighed, “Tisk, Roger is at it again. Hmm?” He took a good look at the young woman, and sensed a strong aura around her, “Could she be what I’ve been detecting all morning? Maybe… maybe she’s just like me? I better check it out before this gets out of hand… again.” Nodding, he made his way to the tense scene.
The young woman snapped, “Leave me alone, you filthy rat! I am not going to be your plaything! So back off!”
Roger sneered, “You don’t have much of a choice, babe. Besides, don’t you want to party with a macho man like me? I assure you, you won’t regret it.”
A voice stated, “Yeah, right, Roger. You need better pick-up lines. It’s no wonder you’ve been arrested for sexual harassment multiple times.”
The two turned to see the young man approach them. Instantly, the young woman felt her heart rate increase, and a small blush formed on her face.
Roger spat, “Back off, Mango! I saw her first!”
“That’s Django, Roger. Honestly, even after all this time you still can’t get my name right. And I don’t care who saw her first, since you’re violating your probation. You know you’re not allowed to bother young women with your faulty flirting, as per a court ruling. Or need I remind you about that ankle band you’re forced to wear?”
“Yeah, well, so what!? Not like you’re a successful Casanova either, freak! You’ve lost more dates than anyone in the city! What does that say about you!?”
Django merely adjusted his glasses, “I may not be lucky with the ladies, but at least I treat them with respect, and not as toys. How about we settle this the usual way? With a Duel. If I win, you back off and leave this young lady alone. If you win, I’ll pretend we never met today. Deal?”
Roger sneered, “Deal! This time, I’ll crush you!”
“I doubt it. Your track record isn’t very good. But let’s see if you’ve improved or not. Let’s get this game on.”
The young woman stated, “Hold on! I know that Duels are only visible with a Duel Gazer, but I don’t have one! How can I know what’s going on if I can’t view the Duel?”
Django reached back, and something ejected from his pack, it looked like a metallic eyepiece, mostly grey, with a clear blue lens. He tossed it to her, allowing it to expand into its true form.
“There, that should do. It’s my spare Duel Gazer. It’s just a standard model, but it’ll do. Just hook it over your right ear and eye and you should be fine. Now…” he turned back to Roger, “Shall we dance?”
Roger laughed, “Oh we’ll dance all right! I’ll wipe the floor with you! Let’s get it on!”
“Let’s see if you can keep up. D-Pad, let’s go!” Just then, Django’s backpack shot out a beam of light that arched back downward, and hit is left arm. A new device appeared, resembling a red and gold gauntlet. On the side of the wrist was a slot where a deck of cards was setup, while on top of the wrist was a smaller slot. Then, a box-like hexagon screen was attached to the top of the device, and out popped a rectangular pad with two zones, followed by two smaller pads with zones from that one, giving it a total of five zones, before angling upward a bit.
He then took another Duel Gazer out of his pocket, allowing it to expand into its full form. It resembled a white and gold dragon head with a hexagonal clear red lens, a white hook, and a white and red antenna angled to the back. He took off his glasses and placed the Duel Gazer over his right eye and ear.
“Duel Gazer, let’s rock and roll!”
Roger had done the same thing, only his was a basic model Duel Gazer with a grey D-Pad. He looked pumped and ready to go.
When the three activated their Duel Gazers, a female computer voice stated, “Augmented Reality visual link established.” Followed by what appeared to be a digital energy flow that seemed to copy the surrounding area. Several small screens then appeared, followed by two large ones that showed both Django and Roger, each with 4000 Life Points.
The two Duelists stated, “Let’s Duel!”
Django placed a hand on his deck, “I think I’ll open things up! I Draw!” He looked at his cards, smiling. “First off, I Summon Gogogo Golem, in Attack Mode!”
He played a Monster Card. After the card appeared, it glowed, and a giant monster appeared before him. It was a massive rock golem with an oval shaped greenish-grey body composed of square blocks, with a blue dome head with a single mechanical red eye inside a narrow rectangular gap. It had grey cylinder upper arms that were attached to massively armored blue lower arms, ending in large five fingered hands. Its legs were very similar in structure, only they ended with bowl-shaped blackish feet, and on its back were two grey cylinders. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1800/1500.
Django added, “I also throw down a couple of face-downs for later.” Two face-down cards appeared behind Gogogo Golem. “That’ll do for now.”
The young woman thought excitedly, “I can’t believe I’m finally watching a Duel! I’ve waited so long for this, and now it’s finally happening! Plus that Django is quite the looker. Judging by their conversation, he seems to still be single. So if he wins, I get to be around him. Oh, I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!”
Roger sneered, “You call that a move? It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his cards, “First, I summon Battle Ox, in Attack Mode!” He summoned a muscular, mean-looking anthropomorphic ox wearing powerful armor and wielding a large axe. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1700/1000. “But I’m not done! Next I activate the Spell Double Summon! It allows me to Normal Summon one more time this turn! So I summon Vorse Raider, also in Attack Mode!” His second monster was just as mean-looking as Battle Ox. A powerful, menacing monster wearing strong armor, a spiked helmet, and wielding a large bladed weapon. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1900/1200.
Django then stated, “Not so fast! Time for some Trap action! I activate the Trap Ultimate Offering!” One of his face-down cards flipped up, revealing a card with a purple-like frame. It showed what appeared to be a second monster forming off another one. “This card allows me to pay 500 Life Points so I can summon more Monsters, even during your Battle Phase. So if you want to get to my Life Points, you need to get past my Monsters first.”
The woman wiped her brow, “Whew, for a moment there, I thought he was going to take a hit. Guess he knew this might happen, so he got prepared.”
Roger spat, “Big deal! You’re still in for a world of hurt! Vorse Raider, attack Gogogo Golem!” Vorse Raider charged in, blade ready to strike. It jumped and cleaved Gogogo Golem in half. Gogogo Golem exploded into several golden particles, but Django merely closed his eyes, taking a small hit as his Life Points dropped by 100 to 3900.
He stated, “Now would be a good time to use Ultimate Offering! I pay 500 Life Points to summon a Monster in Defense Mode.”
His Life Points were further reduced, stopping at 3400. He then played a card face-down and sideways before he looked back up, smiling.
The punk male stated, “It won’t help! Battle Ox, attack his defensive Monster with Axe Slam Attack!”
As Battle Ox charged in, the face-down card flipped face-up, revealing a female Monster. She resembled a Greek-looking secretary, dressed in a brown shirt with a matching skirt, a long white sleeveless coat, stockings, heeled shoes, white arm warmers, a large collar, and long reddish hair in two pigtails. Her skin was pale with golden eyes, and was holding a clerk book, had feather-like hair ornaments, with a sweet face. She was a Level Two Monster with stats of 400/800. However, Battle Ox effortlessly slashed her, causing her to cry out and disappear in the same manner as Gogogo Golem.
“Hah! You call that a defense Monster!? Talk about a weakling! Why do you even use such wimpy cards!? They’re worthless! Strong and powerful is the way to go!”
Django said calmly, “Never underestimate the small and the weak. You never know when they might come in handy. After all, this deck has gotten me through a lot. I’m not the World Champion for nothing, after all. A beatdown style isn’t the only deck type out there. It may be one of the most common types, but doesn’t mean it’s invincible. And I will prove it. So are you quite done?”
“Grr! I end my turn! But you’re as good as done!”
The young woman thought in amazement, “Django is the World Champion!? Wow, that’s amazing! If he’s that good, then he knows what he’s doing. I think this Roger guy needs to watch out, or he’s the one who’s done.”
Django drew another card from his deck, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, smiling, “I summon Gogogo Ghost, in Attack Mode!”
As he played the new card, purplish smoke emitted from it. Then, it took shape, followed by armor pieces floating into place. When it took form, it looked like a ghostly energy being wearing samurai armor, with a single glowing yellow eye and wielding a large sword. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 1900/0.
Django said slyly, “I’m not ready to attack yet, so I think I’ll leave it at that. Let’s see what you’ve got, Roger.”
The woman thought, “Why didn’t he attack? That ghostly creature is stronger than Battle Ox, so why is he waiting? Does he have a plan? Is he trying to lure that Roger guy into a trap? Oh, man, I cannot wait to see what happens next!”
Roger huffed, “You should’ve attacked when you had the chance. So it’s my turn, I Draw!” He gained an almost evil smirk on his face, “Perfect! I Tribute both my Battle Ox and Vorse Raider to summon the king of my deck! Say hello to Barrel Dragon!”
Both Battle Ox and Vorse Raider were swallowed up by a black portal, which vanished shortly afterwards. Then, a new monster stood before them. It was a menacing, powerful-looking dragon-shaped machine. It was very large and bulky, equipped with heavy armor. Where its hands and face would be were huge guns with long barrels and glowing cylinders where the energy ammo was being stored. It was a Level Seven Monster with stats of 2600/2200.
“Now, I will erase your ghostly friend from existence! Barrel Dragon, attack Gogogo Ghost with Proton Blast!”
It fired three powerful blasts from its triple guns, destroying Gogogo Ghost with little effort. Despite the powerful explosions, Django just stood there, closed his eyes, and allowed the attack to hit him. However, he somehow remained anchored to the ground, not flying backwards. However, his Life Points dropped by 700 points, reducing him to 2700.
Roger looked confused, “Hey, how come you didn’t go flying back? Any powerful attack will knock any Duelist off their feet in Augmented Reality, so why didn’t you?”
Django said coolly, “I’m special. What? Did you want me to kiss the pavement? Guess it’ll take more than that to knock me off my feet, or off my game. Besides, did you forget Barrel Dragon’s effect? You could’ve toss a coin three times, and if two of them were heads, you could’ve destroyed Gogogo Ghost without even attacking, mounting a Direct Attack afterwards.”
“Well, duh! I know that!” but mumbled, “At least now I remember that…”
“I heard that. You need a lesson in strategy, and I’ll be more than happy to teach you that.”
“Yeah, right! I end my turn, but there’s nothing you can do!”
Django smiled, “On the contrary, you’ve done exactly what I’ve wanted you to do. And you’ll see in just a moment. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He chuckled, “Sorry, Roger, but this Duel is over for you. First, I summon Gogogo Giant, in Attack Mode!”
A rippling portal opened up above them, and a new monster appeared out of it. It was a massive, machine-like golem, even bigger than Barrel Dragon. It was mostly brown in color, with a cube-like chest, oval shaped upper arms, massive cylinder-like lower arms, ending in massive four-fingered blue hands. On each shoulder was an upside-down rocket-shaped brown cylinder with a blue tip, and each leg was shaped similar to its arms, only larger, ending in large Y-shaped blue feet. Its head was oddly pharaoh-like, with a brown frame, a pointed face like a mask, a single glowing yellow V-shaped eye, and a pointed chin. It was a Level Four Monster with stats of 2000/0.
Roger chortled, “It may be big, but it’s still no match for my Barrel Dragon!”
Django stated, “Actually, I’m not done yet. When Gogogo Giant is successfully Normal Summoned, it can Special Summon any Gogogo Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode, as long as it shifts to Defense Mode afterward. So I bring back Gogogo Ghost!” A black portal with two rings with an ancient language appeared, and Gogogo Ghost emerged from it in a defensive pose. “But that’s not all! When Gogogo Ghost is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon Gogogo Golem in Defense Mode as well. So welcome my Golem back to the party.” Gogogo Golem appeared from the same portal, also in a defensive position.
The woman said in awe, “Wow, he got three Monsters on the field in one move! That is amazing! But I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
Django then said, “I’m not done yet. Next I activate my face-down Trap card, Mischief of the Yokai!” His final face-down card was revealed. It looked like a beautiful Japanese woman wearing a white kimono with three imp-like creatures floating around her. “This tricky Trap reduces the Levels of all Monsters on the field by two. So all Level Four Monsters become Level Two, while your Level Seven Barrel Dragon becomes a Level Five.”
Roger huffed, “Big deal, it won’t save you.”
The young man smiled, “Actually, it’ll win me this Duel. Next up, I tap into Ultimate Offering. I pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon again.” Django’s Life Points dropped to 2200, but he held out a new card. “Time to end this. I summon Junk Synchron, in Attack Mode.”
A new Monster appeared. It resembled a machine-like stout man, wearing bulky orange armor and boots, machine-like upper arms and thighs, a round face with goggle-like eyes, and a tall orange hat. On the lower right of its stomach was a ripcord, and a motor was attached to its back. It was a Level Three Monster with stats of 1300/500.
The punk laughed, “Is that supposed to scare me?”
Django smiled, “No, it won’t scare you, but what will come because of it will. Next up, I activate Junk Synchron’s effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level Two or below Monster from my Graveyard, but its effects are negated. So welcome back Gagaga Clerk, in Defense Mode.” The same portal opened up, and the female clerk appeared from it, also in a defensive state. “Now the fun begins. I tune my Junk Synchron with my Gagaga Clerk!” Junk Synchron disappeared, becoming three rings, while Gagaga Clerk floated into them. Her body became merely an outline of itself, then became two glowing spheres, joined by three more spheres from the rings. “I Synchro Summon Junk Warrior!”
Junk Warrior appeared from a large beam of light. It looked like a cross between a machine, a warrior, and a jet. It had a mostly bluish purple armored body with mechanical body parts, large lower arms, with a studded right knuckle, ice skate like feet, large ivory plane wings with engines on its shoulders, a round head with goggle-like eyes, and a long, two-tailed scarf. It was a Level Five Monster with stats of 2300/1300.
The punk male stated, “You’re a Dueling fool to summon such a weak Monster. My Barrel Dragon is still stronger!”
Django wagged a finger, “Tisk, tisk, you’re mistaken. Junk Warrior’s effect will end this Duel. It gains the Attack Points of all Level Two and below Monsters on my side of the field.”
“What Level Two Monsters? You’ve got no Monsters at that Level on your field!”
“You’re forgetting Mischief of the Yokai. It lowered the Levels of all the Monsters that were on the field at its activation by two. So now my Level Four Monsters become Level Two. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Roger thought for a moment, then his eyes widened in horror. “N-No way! It can’t be! All your Gogogo Monsters are now Level Two! Which means…!”
Django gave a dark grin, “You got it. Junk Warrior gains the Attack Points of all my Gogogo Monsters. So let me do the math for you: 2000 from Giant, 1900 from Ghost, 1800 from Golem, added onto Junk Warrior’s 2300, and you get a grand total of… 8000!”
The woman gasped, “Not only will that destroy Barrel Dragon effortlessly, but it’ll completely crush Roger’s Life Points in one shot! Brilliant! He let his Monsters be destroyed on purpose so he could lead Roger into a trap that ends with a single powerful knock-out punch!”
“And the lady wins a prize! That’s right. Junk Warrior can smash Barrel Dragon and clean out your Life Points in one shot. Better known as a One-Turn Kill. I told you I would teach you a lesson in strategy, and indeed I did. Now, let’s see how well you’ll do on you final exam. Junk Warrior, attack Barrel Dragon with Scrap Fist! End this Duel right now!”
Junk Warrior jumped high up into the air, then came charging down, rocket engines blazing, holding its right fist out. Its fist was now surrounded by a massive fist-shaped aura. Roger watched in complete horror as Junk Warrior barreled down and slammed its enhanced fist into Barrel Dragon, shattering it to pieces. Roger was thrown back by the powerful attack, screaming, as his Life Points were shredded down to zero. He landed on his back, defeated, as a Win Screen showing Django appeared. Then all the cards disappeared as the Augmented Reality vanished.
Django replaced his Duel Gazer with his glasses, smiling, “Game, set, and match. Now as we agreed, you’ll leave this young lady alone, or I’ll have to cops on your case faster than your Life Points dropping.”
Roger got up, cursed under his breath, and started to walk away. He gave Django a glare before turning away and walking out of the area.
Django walked up to the young woman, “I hope he didn’t rough you up too much. This is a reoccurring situation. He’s forced to wear an ankle band to alert the cops when he’s breaking his probation, since he’s harassed many women like that. They will probably still pick him up, since he was violating his probation, so we’ll see. Anyway, as you probably already know, my name is Django. Dr. Django Spirit, to be exact. What’s yours? And are you new in town?”
The young woman smiled, “My name is Tempest Force, and yes, I’m new around here. I only arrived in the city this morning. And thanks again for getting rid of him. Not only did I get to see my first Duel, but I saw the World Champion in the same Duel. So thank you.” She gave a small bow.
Django took a moment to look her over. She was quite beautiful. She was fairly slender, but had enough curves to give her a slight hourglass body, but was also top-heavy, with pale skin, waist-long light green hair, and grey eyes. She was dressed in a bluish black one-piece tunic with a split skirt, heeled sandals, and emerald earrings. It was then the male Duelist noticed something.
“Hold on, I just noticed something. Your ears have a slight point to them, like shortened versions of elf ears. That means you’re not a normal human, am I right?”
Tempest blushed, “You’re very observant. No one has noticed that yet, you being the first. Yes, I am not really a human. I’m technically a demi-human, from a hidden race called Elementals. That’s ‘element’ and ‘mental’ put together, meaning we can control the elements of nature with just a thought. So we’re quite powerful, but we tend to keep to ourselves. As you can tell by my name, I control the wind. Because I had such great control over the wind, to the point other wind users were jealous, I was dubbed the ‘Mistress of Winds’, making me a very powerful member of my clan.”
“I see. Interesting. So you’re a race of demi-humans that live in secret. Why is that? And why are you here then?”
She replied, “My race doesn’t realize it, but by isolating ourselves, we’re leading ourselves to a slow extinction. I’m a bit more intelligent than that, as I realized this, and tried to convince the clan to merge with the rest of the world. Our numbers are very small, and continued isolation will result in our extinction.” Her eyes then dulled a bit, “Because I’m a bit more of a radical thinker, I became the clan’s outcast, shunned by the rest of my race. So after a while, I just decided to pack up and leave. I hoped it would give the clan the idea that our way of life is dying, but so far, it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. So I wandered around, looking for a suitable place to live, but out of nervousness, I didn’t meld in with the modern world just yet. I came to this city because I heard rumors that it was a really great place, full of advancements and luxuries that most people can access easily. So I hoped that by coming here I can start a new life. So far, however, I’m not so sure how to do that.”
Suddenly, her stomach growled, causing her eyes to widen and a blush to form on her face. She laughed nervously while Django couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Heheh, sounds like someone could use a little lunch. How about I treat you to something to eat. I’m getting a bit hungry myself, so why don’t we get some lunch?”
She smiled, “Yes, some lunch would be good about now. I haven’t eaten much lately, and as far as I can tell, my currency is different than yours. So if you would be so kind, I’d appreciate that.”
The two started to walk down the street together, with Tempest eyeing possible meals. Suddenly, she stopped and sniffed the air.
“What’s that simply delicious aroma I smell? It smells like… something spicy yet sweet, with lightly toasted bread, a bit cheesy, and a bit zesty.”
Django sniffed the air before smiling, “I think you smell a hot dog. Specifically, a chili cheese dog. It’s a beef frank on a long bun, smothered in meat sauce, melted or shredded cheese, and topped with chopped onions. Does that sound appealing to you?”
Tempest was practically drooling, “That sounds so good! Where can we get one?”
He pointed to a small building just off to the right, “Right there. That’s Dave’s Lunch Shack. He sells mostly food like burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, various fried foods, and some treats like milkshakes and sundaes. He has very good chili cheese dogs. Come, let’s go.”
He led her into the small building. Inside, there were a fair number of people sitting at tables or at the counter. Tempest could feel her mouth water as she looked and smelled all the good food. The two of them sat down at the counter, and a waitress walked up to them.
She smiled, “Hey, Django. Back for more, eh? And I see you have a new lady friend. So what’ll be today, sugar?”
Django chuckled, “Hello, Vivi. Yeah, I’m back, you know me. And this young lady is new in town, so I’m showing her around. Anyway, onto the main reason we’re here. We’ll take four chili cheese dogs, and I’ll have my usual milkshake. Tempest, what would you like to drink?”
Tempest looked at the drink menu hanging on the wall behind Vivi before deciding, “I think I’ll take a strawberry milkshake. It sounds good, and I love strawberries.”
Vivi jotted the order down, “Sure thing, sugar. I’ll go place the order, you two just chill out ‘til then.”
As Vivi walked away, Tempest asked, “What exactly is a milkshake? And why does she call you ‘sugar’? I thought you were still single.”
Django chuckled, “First of all, Vivi calls everyone sugar. She’s married, but tends to call pretty much everyone that. It’s just the way her personality is, so don’t feel she’s flirting with me, or with anyone, for that matter. She’s just perky. As for a milkshake, it’s generally ice cream and milk blended together into a cool, frosty drink. You’ll like it, just don’t drink it too fast, or you’ll get an ice cream headache.”
A short time later, Vivi returned with two glasses and two tall metal tins. In one glass was the strawberry milkshake, while the other was a bright blue.
She stated, “Hey ya go. One strawberry milkshake and one cotton candy milkshake, with extra shake in the tins. Your dogs will be out soon. Just give ‘em a few more minutes.” She put the two glasses and tins down in front of the duo, placed some straws next to them, and walked away.
Django took a drink from his shake, “Yum, cotton candy milkshakes make me feel like a kid again. How about you? How’s yours?”
Tempest took a sip from hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, “It tastes really good! It’s cold enough to be refreshing on a hot day, but liquidly enough to be smooth and go down easy. Delicious!”
The male Duelist chuckled. A short time later, Vivi returned with two plates, each containing two hot dogs piled high with melted cheese and chili.
“Here ya go, sugar. Enjoy!” she smiled before walking off.
Django picked one hot dog up and started eating, “Hmm… Dave has improved his chili recipe since the last time I was here. Must be a new barbeque sauce, since it’s tangier than the last time I was here.” He turned to Tempest, “You better eat up before I gulp them all down.”
Tempest picked up one of the hot dogs, gave it a sniff, and then bit into it. Her eyes widened in surprise, and then gained a dreamy expression on her face. She took a moment to savor the piece in her mouth before swallowing it.
“This… this is amazing! Such a bold mixture of flavors, yet they blend together so well. I love it!”
“Heh, you should try my version. My chili is sweeter because the base of the sauce is different than other versions. But yeah, Dave does a good job. Chili cheese dogs are one of my favorite foods, alongside pizza. That’s another food you should try sometime. It’s very customizable, so it’s easier to tailor to anyone’s tastes.”
She nodded, and they continued to eat their lunch. Before long, all four chili cheese dogs were gone and the milkshakes were drained. Django paid the bill, leaving a tip, and they walked out.
After a short walk, Django asked, “So… I take it you have no place to go. What do you plan on doing, Tempest?”
She responded slowly, “I don’t really know. I guess I’ll have to get a job to pay for things like food and a place to sleep, since my currency is very different than yours. But I’m not entirely sure what to do. This is my first time in the modern world, so I’m not sure if I have the skills needed to hold a decent job. I’m a quick learner, thankfully, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough. Do you have any recommendations for me?”
Django mused mentally, “She has no place to go, no money, and limited modern realm skills. I know that feeling. For the longest time after that fateful day, I had nothing, and when I finally did learn about what I inherited, I wasn’t able to tap into it until later. I also feel a strange kinship with her, probably because we’re very much alike. Maybe… maybe I’ll give her a hand.” He responded, “Well… I don’t have any real recommendations for easy jobs and cheap housing, but I do believe I can help you with your dilemma. If it helps, I can grant you room and board, but in exchange you have to do your part around my place, such as chores. I will also teach you some basic technology skills that you’ll need in order to adjust to your new environment. It’ll also help you learn what you need for later life. Does that sound good?”
Tempest’s eyes were overflowing with emotion, “You have no idea what that means to me. It’s a deal! I will gladly do whatever you ask of me in exchange for room and board. And after a while, once I get enough needed skills and the correct form of money, I can pay for my share of things like food and clothes. But, really, you’re doing me a big favor. I gladly accept. Thank you, thank you very much. Judging by that Roger guy, he made it sound like you’re a total loser, especially with women, but you really are a sweet, helpful person. I don’t fully know why you’re doing this, but I am grateful. Maybe I can thank you in other ways, if you know what I mean?” She gave him a playful wink, causing him to blush bright red. He turned away, trying to hide his blush.
He replied meekly, “Yeah, well, we’ll see about that. Let’s just get you back to my place and we’ll discuss any details there. So, come on, my car isn’t far from here.”
As they walked, Tempest thought, “He really is a very sweet guy. He does seem a bit shy and soft-spoken, and judging by that punk’s statements, he’s not too popular with women, but I feel he really deserves a chance. Well, this does mean that, since no other woman wants him, I can get first dibs on him. I hope that, if it does come to that, he won’t mind I’m not human. I just hope I don’t cause him problems. But, then again, he seems like he’s able to handle pretty much anything that comes his way, so I shouldn’t be worried. I’m glad I left my clan. Now my life can start anew, and maybe, just maybe, the rest of my race will get the message sooner or later. But, for now, I’m gonna enjoy being with Django.”
What she didn’t know was that several entities residing with Django were smiling approvingly at this decision, interested to see how everything will play out.
Next Chapter: Spirit Partners and the Numbers
Okay, that's it for Chapter 1. I have next few chapters ready, but I want to make a few tweaks first, since I can make simple mistakes very easily (I'm terrible at proofreading my own work... not saying my work is perfect in my eyes, I'm just not super-quick to notice small errors, despite being very observant normally). So I'll probably have Chapter 2 up tomorrow. I hope you guys enjoy this.
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