Cursed Draw

Chapter 8: An Unwinnable Challenge -Part Two

Alabaster

The card vanished from Soren’s hand, but rather than a beam of blue light it was red. This indicated his deck didn't share any resonances with the card he manifested. That meant its cost doubled, and a staggering number of Vials vanished from behind Creed. Alabaster wasn't sure of the exact number, but it was somewhere near twenty.

If Alley had tried to manifest that card he would have burned his deck out and destroyed the artifact. He may have even died.

For once it actually seemed like a sizable dent had been made in the stored life essence. The blonde boy didn't seem to care. His expression of sudden mirth didn't even flicker as the cost was paid.

First, the water that lay across the arena began to congregate, pooling together on Soren’s field. Next the muddy ground below them dried out with alarming speed, as the water was pulled from the earth into the ever-growing pool. Finally, a spring burst from the ground beneath the arena, spraying oddly clear water across both players and their Creatures.

With this explosion of water came a figure that Alley would never forget if he lived to be three hundred. A scenario that was becoming less and less likely with each passing second.

Crowned with her mark as the Regional Champion, blue hair trailing behind her in a breeze Alley couldn’t feel. Simultaneously beautiful and the most horrific thing he had ever seen.

It was his mother. Arcadia Roe, All-Island champion, Deep River Champion. Wielder of ‘The King of Rushing Waters’ Deck, and owner of the legendary dragon Card TerraNulis.

Like the image of his sister before her card was formed, it was his mother but ever so slightly different. She was younger, more otherworldly. She almost looked like Alabaster’s earliest memories of her. Those hazy half-recalled images had always filled him with warmth.

She was not filling him with warmth now, quite the opposite. Alley had thought his anger would protect him from further shock, but his blood turned to ice at the sight

Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr

Arcadia Roe, The Queen Of Rushing Waters

Resonances: Water, Human, Dragon

Cost: 10 Vials

Power: 22000

Vitality: 4

Unique

Cost: 10 Vials

Power: 22000

Vitality: 4

When The Queen of Rushing waters attacks you may search your Library for a Relic or Land Manipulation Spell Card and play it.

Alley’s eyes locked with that of the Card. The image of Arcadia looked back at her son tears welling up in her eyes even as her posture and expression didn’t change. Remaining perfectly imperious.

“I love you,” He said to her drawing a single barking laugh from Soren. Alley didn’t care, this was his farewell. A moment he needed before he could steel himself to finish the Challenge. Exhaling he looked back to his opponent.

“You done?”

The blonde boy scratched his chin for a moment. “Actually no.”

During his second Creation Phase Soren activated another spell card.

“The Hand Of Fate.” He said as the card activated and a giant hand flanked by angelic wings rose from the ground on his side of the field. It was close to the barrier, between Creed’s Creatures and Alley. `` should put a stop to any more annoyances you can slow me down with.”

Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr

Resonance: Divinity

Spell

Cost: 1 Vial

Until the start of your next turn your opponents may not target your Creatures with Spells, Relics, or Creature effects that require a selected target.

The boy didn’t elaborate, but it was fairly obvious to Alabaster he had activated some sort of effect negation.

From there it was Alley’s turn again. Immediately the chains binding the angelic Beacon of Benevolence vanished into blue light and faded away.

Bad news, but nothing compared to the danger represented by Arcadia Roe. Her power and vitality were astoundingly high, ludicrously high. Regional Champion or not it didn’t make sense to Alabaster how the woman who had made him breakfast every morning, tended him while he was sick, fussed with his sister over his hair and fashion choices could possess this level of godlike power.

He also didn’t understand the resonance runes above her head. Water made sense, but Dragon? The third he didn’t recognize but it was the same color as the strange resonance orb that had hovered above his sister’s body. The resonance of humanity? It had to be, Alley had never heard of such a thing before. He hadn’t even known humans had resonance. Was it the same as life essence?

‘Focus!’ he chided himself.

Re-Examining his hand Alley tried to plan. Tried to think of a way around what he was up against.

‘Use every advantage, every challenge is just a puzzle to be solved.’

His mother’s words were so often repeated. They had never let him down before, but he had never faced anything like this before. Had anyone ever faced something like this before?

He couldn’t use his Buckler Ring, which meant all he had to work with was ‘Enraged Glaive Fish, Abominable Flounder, Shelled Defence, and two Pack Shark Alphas’.

There was nothing for it. He had no choice but to play cards and hope to draw some solutions to the monstrous field Soren had in play. Repressing a sigh he manifested one of his Pack Shark Alphas. Technically the Glaive Fish was stronger but it had no choice but to attack every turn it was able. A massive detriment.

Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher lord

Resonances: Water, Beast, Scalekin

No Cost

Power: 1800

Vitality: 1

This Card gains 500 power for each Pack Shark In play [Not including Pack Shark Alpha]

Pack Sharks you Manifest may attack the turn they are Manifested. [Not including Pack Shark Alpha]

The huge shark Manifested swimming through the air. With some luck, Alley would be able to increase its Power enough to do some damage. Today however had been the least lucky morning in his entire life, so Alley didn’t hold out much hope for that to work. Still, there were powerful cards in his Deck. Not as powerful as those in front of him of course, but maybe if he could put together a hand that synergized better he might have a chance.

At the start of his War Phase Alley redrew to fill his hand, another DockSide Gull. Which again wasn’t a bad draw, but did little for him right now. He couldn’t even play it this turn, nor could he attack into the Creatures he was standing across from. It would be a waste of his own Cards, where if he left them as is Alley’s Cards could somewhat defend him.

Mind trying to calculate the odds of drawing something that could regain control of the board he ended his turn.

“Finally!” Said Soren stretching as though it had been him held back by Alley’s cards, and the restrictions of a Challenge had been on him rather than his Cards.

“ I skip my Creation Phase,” he said with a predatory bent to his tone. “And begin my War phase., Beacon of Benevolence, Blade of the Hopeful” He gestured at the Pack Shark Alpha and the huge being hovering over the Arena descended, its ethereal blue blade raised to strike. As they had not attacked in the last turn Alley had the option to lend his other Creatures to the Pack Shark’s defense. He declined, it would just get them destroyed too.

Uselessly the Pack Shark Alpha tried to drive at its assailant, meeting nothing but blade as the two monsters collided above the Arena’s inner barrier.

The shark exploded into shards of blue light and was sent to Alley’s crypt. After winning a clash a Creature gets a chance to attack the opposing player. Alley readied himself as the angelic monster floated towards him with deceptive speed.

There were a lot of skills one had to practice to be a good player. Deck tactics, prediction, odds calculation, ability to spot fine details while things exploded around you. But before any of those mattered a Player had to master the most fundamental of skills; Not getting hit.

Alley had oddly fond memories of the training he had been forced to do before he had ever been allowed to hold a Dealer. Running weird obstacle courses of his father’s design. Having to sprint back and forth in a pretend Arena as his whole family and often the Knots clan too hurled whatever they could find at him, and as always running. So much running. Running through the woods, running through cave systems. Climbing the mountains above Valeton and then running across their uneven rocks.

Alabaster had never been anywhere near as strong as his friend Darius, but his reflexes were a finely tuned instrument. The Beacon of Benevolence swung its huge glowing blade in a backhanded arc that would strike Alley across the waist if he had allowed it. Instead, the dark-haired boy launched himself forward into a knee slide. Now that the mud had dried there was a lot more friction than he would have preferred, but bending backwards painfully he managed to avoid the flashing blue blade.

Still on his knees, Alley activated the effect of DockSide Gull. When Pack Shark Alpha had been destroyed the gull in play had begun to glow blue indicating it had an effect that could or would activate now. This was how most players discovered the effects of their new cards.

Alabaster’s eyes glowed blue as his vision was replaced by the empty chamber within his dealer. Walls of endless energy similar to the blue light of the Arena surrounded him. It even made up the floor though he had no issue standing upon what seemed like surging light. Before him sat his Deck in its truest form. A small stack of blue and deep green-backed cards. Separating into individual cards that flew about as though carried by a twirling wind. Slowly they ordered themselves, each individual card hovering still in the air before him. Among these another copy of DockSide Gull glowed the same blue as the one on the field. Unfortunately having drawn one Alley could only manifest a single DockSide Gull, not both. The second was in his hand now, not his deck. Out of reach of the card’s ability. Still, he mentally reached out and selected the glowing gull, at which point reality reasserted itself.

The new DockSide Gull entered play.

Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord

DockSide Gull

Resonances:Water, Featherkin, Sky

No Cost

Power: 900

Vitality: 1

For each DockSide Gull in play [Including this one] this car gains 100 power

When a Creature with Water Resonance is destroyed you may search your Library for up to two DockSide Gull Creature Cards and Manifest them

Instantly the numbers above both gulls blurred changing becoming 1100.

“Tch” came the annoyed noise from Creed. Alley still hadn’t gotten a read on the boy. One moment he seemed desperate to be away from here, doing anything but fighting a Challenge against Alley.

The next he was playfully mocking his opponent, and enjoying his role as torturer.

As Alley climbed to his feet his opponent gestured at the River Rush Scuttler. “ Arcadia, Terraform.”

The image of Alley’s mother looked at her son sadly for a moment before tilting her head ever so slightly. The way she did when she noticed one of her children had been attempting a particularly clever trick. Next, she stared at the ground, not in the same depressed manner, but as though she could see something there, something worth examining.

Finally, The Queen Of Rushing Waters raised a single arm straight into the air. Above her, the mid-mourning sky went from the soft and pleasant sun to covered in storm clouds so dark they were almost black. Lightning surged inside the clouds, followed by loud thunderclaps. Within the dark clouds, something huge moved.

“Well now that is an interesting ability,” said Soren, whose eyes had begun to glow blue. “Powerful”

“Land manipulation and Relic cards huh? I know just the thing.”

Raising a hand the blonde boy made some sort of library-based decision. “Heaven’s Mirror”.

Deck- Blood Of The Limitless Martyr

Heaven's Mirror

Resonances: Divinity, Creation, Wrath

Relic

Once Per turn when a Creature you control attacks you may activate Heaven's Mirror. When Heaven's mirror is activated your attacking Creature's Power is multiplied by the number of Creatures in the Enemy Library that share one or more Resonances with the attacking Creature.

From his Library the Card manifested costing Creed yet another Vial.

A winged Mirror about the size of a person took its place beside its controller. “I activate Heaven’s Mirror,” said the blonde boy. His eyes had lit up with excitement. “You and I are about to witness something very special.”

Alley was focussed on the rolling storm above him, and the writhing serpentine figure he was beginning to make out within the clouds when lightning flashed. He glanced at Soren as the boy went on.

“A mortal woman will for just a moment touch the realm of the gods, the realm of the ascended ancients. Your mother is about to hold the power to shape the world in her hands, and she is going to use it to destroy you.”

The mirror turned to face Arcadia. The image of her front appeared in the glass, despite the woman being turned in the complete opposite direction. Alley’s mother began to glow, as did the mirror, as did Alabaster’s dealer.

Upon the mirror the symbol for water resonance appeared over the image of Arcadia, and then one after the other the relic spat out the image of cards from Alley’s Deck. Fifteen of them in total. For each one after the first Arcadia’s power jumped dramatically. While nothing changed outwardly as her power grew the world around her seemed to somehow change, to curve in around her. As though all of reality was nothing but a stage for Alley’s mother.

When finally the number stopped growing Alabaster believed it could be. All existence a mere preamble to her arrival.

‘330000’ Power. Greater than heroes of legend, greater than monsters of myth, or mighty elemental spirits, just as the blonde boy had said his mother had entered the realm of the gods.

Meeting Alley’s gaze once more something else had changed. The relic of sorrow still plastered her face, her eyes red-rimmed, her cheeks puffy and wet. And yet….some combination of determination and mischief shined from her eyes. It reminded Alley of how she had looked in a challenge just before she did something she thought was clever.

He didn’t have time to ponder what it meant as Arcadia brought her arm down gesturing towards Alley’s River Rush Scuttler.

Deck- Aegis Of The Fisher Lord

RiverRush Scuttler

No Cost

Power: 900

Vitality: 2

From the clouds emerged a dark-scaled serpentine dragon of shocking size.

“TerraNulis” he whispered. Alley had never seen the monster manifested before. But he knew what It was. The Father of River Dragons, the beast that had carved out the very river Cursed Isle sat at the edge of.

The most powerful card in his mother’s deck.

Its bright eyes shone as it loomed down over the Arena. Its head almost as large as Alley’s entire half of the field. He had thought the Beacon of Benevolence to be a large creature. It, like the boys was an insect to the dragon. Who’s form was so immense that even as it surged down from the sky like a striking snake. Suddenly it dawned on him. His mother had not Manifested the dragon in the traditional sense, this was merely her attack!

Alley wasn’t sure what sort of interaction would happen when the attack of a 330000 power creature met a 900 power creature, but per standard challenge interaction it would still only take one vitality off of the defeated monster.

The problem was that even if the defending monster survived, so long as it was defeated the attacking creature would be given an opportunity to attack the opposing player.

Watching the dragon’s enormous form bearing down on his side of the arena, Alley wasn’t sure he could even get out of the way of it attacking the scuttler, let alone when it was targeting him directly.

The dark-haired teen had no choice but to try, so he turned and sprinted headlong toward the back barricade. Colliding with it was going to hurt, but given the alternative, he did his best to ignore the instinct to slow down.

His sole concession to safety was a last-minute turn so his shoulder and back collided with the wall of energy rather than head-on.

It still hurt, especially as the collision drove his elbow into his own ribs. Forcing a “Gyeh!” Noise out from him along with most of his breath.

The sight that greeted him upon completing the spin was one that filled him with equal parts awe and horror.

TerraNullis was a bare split second from its collision with the crab creature. The gigantic dragon didn’t even bother to open its mouth. Simply driving its building-sized head directly into the River Rush Scuttler. So huge was the dragon’s serpentine bulk that even here as far from the monster’s target as he could force himself, Alley could have reached out and touched the dragon with only a few steps.

TerraNullis smashed into the ground as though the crab wasn't there at all. The sound the impact generated was like the end of the world, like one of the moons had fallen to earth, or like a mountain collapsed around him.

The moment the dragon collided with the crab the lesser monster’s vitality dropped to one, yet the attack didn’t end. The mythical dragon continued to drive downwards, where its scaled form struck the earth something strange happened. The ground didn’t simply smash aside or down under the great pressure. It changed, running like water, a vertical river of dark earth the dragon swam down through.

It took the scuttler with it as it descended. Having already been defeated during this attack the crab monster should be invulnerable to more damage, but that defense was a function of the deck. Something Alley was learning to be less inviolable than he had believed.

Shielding his face with a hand against the spray of liquid earth at the dragon’s passing, Alley continued to push himself as far back into the barrier as he could.

Something was happening as his deck tried to hold back the unbelievable power of TerraNullis. The silver bracelet that was Alley’s dealer began to glow, not the shining blue of manifestation, or even the red glow of a card he didn’t share resonance with, but the orange glow of metal deforming under great heat.

Within seconds the bracer went from uncomfortable, to painful in the extreme.

Gritting his teeth against the burning agony, Alley tried to remove the dealer. Even as he did it buckled and twisted against his arm.

The first cracks appeared in the vials, the life essence leaking out like a red mist, the silver itself began to split, causing a brief flash of blue light, followed by the physical form of Alley’s cards launched into the air as though hurled in great handfuls. He was so distracted by the rain of cards fluttering down around him that he didn't notice the ground collapsing beneath him till he was already plummeting into the darkness beneath the earth.