The Cardmaster

"And i win again!" cried Kal, smacking down his deck. The crowds around him fell silent.
"No...Kal please don't." begged Amaroth," Not my soul. Not Aquilla."
"My apologies. But you are the loser so i get whatever i want." There was no mercy in Kal's beady black eyes.
"Kal...We were friends." Amaroth began to cry. Still no pity was in Kal's features but a thin cruel smile spread across his face. He drew the Reaper of Souls card.
"No.No." Amaroth fell back onto his haunches. His dragon, Aquilla, furled her wings, shrank then entwined her blue body around him. Then with a scream Amaroth was seperated from his soul.Sprawled on the floor, Aquilla nomore than atoms in the air.
Kal tucked the Reaper back into its container. He had nearly enough power now to resurrect his own beast and bring the Dark Ones back to power.
" Anyone else?" he said inesscently. This was supposed to be a retorical question.
" I will take you down!" came a confident voice. A tall, lean boy appeared from the crowd. His young dragon had clearly only in the last 2 years left dragoon.
-Excellent.- Kal thought.-It won't be long now til i can resurect my own beast. Becoming the Destroyer. A keeper of the Black Ones.-
"Very well." Kal smirked,"Take out your deck."

The boy came forward and placed a black leather bound deck apon the table. The boy seemed to be all black other than his pale pale skin. Even the followers behind him were cloaked in black from head to toe.
Carefully and precisly this new challenger shuffled his cards. He picked up the first five. He smiled thinnly.
"So Kal. I hope you are prepared." he muttered.
"How did you..."Kal began
"Know your name?" The boy laughed. Not nastily but it still sent a chill into the audiances hearts,"Why Kal that is easy. And just so you know i'm Contan."
The name seemed oddly familiar.
"Alright then Contan. Let's play this to the rules and to your doom."
"My doom? Don't you mean your's?"
Contan watched his apponent place the King of Rats in combination with the eight of darkness.
That as an opening move would clinche the duel for him. Contan saw through the stratagy straight away.
- I see his stratagy.- Contan grinned,- Illusionary and Rat power. Some dark magic will certainly be added. Kal is not that weak. Well i'll wait to see his face when he sees the Ace of Dragons.-
I pondered on his own opening move. What could break the King Rat of Darkness. He spotted his cards.
"I play the Queen Phoenix Atam and the ten Song of dispell."
Kal watched horror stuck as his monster was defeated. His apponent could not possibly be...No this young punk was an amature. That draw was pure luck. He had just the card in his hand to vanquish that pathetic Queen Phoenix card.
"The Ace of Quetzalba!" Kal yelled.
"What no magic? The Phoenix is not that weak you know."
"Oh did'nt you know. The Quetzalba joins forces with the last magic card i played."
"Yeah. But i defeated that with the dispell song.And all other magic cards placed on the field in you go. Therefore my Phoenix defeats you again."
"Oh dear me. How drastic."
"In this go i add the King Wolf and the Nine Magic of the unicorns horn."
The two played on ferosiously. Kal's cards being demolished one by one. Picked off by Contan. Occasionally Kal striking back. To nothing.

Eli stood by her master,Contan. As usual he was playing his cards well. Beneath her black cloak she smiled.-As long as my master keepes cool nothing will beat him. I hope that Kal person doesn't draw a machine or it'll defeat the Phoenix.-

Kal smirked. He could destroy that dratted bird that had been untouchable during the entire match now. His Ace of Machines would see to that. He placed it on the field. The Queen was over ruled. His machine also beat the next five cards Contan played. Kal the next master was back on track. Little did he know that Contan was good at illusions without cards.
As they both gripped onto their last cards Kal felt his usual feeling of victory.
"For my last cards i play the Ace of Dark Magic and the Black Joker."Kal cried.
"Oh well," Contan sighed,"I play the Ace of Dragon and the Jack Magic of Mythic."
"What?No?" Kal sank to his knees as his cards were removed. Was this true? Had an amateur defeated...him?
"But yes Kal.I win.You lose. It's quite simple to understand." Contan stared at Kal,"For you see I'm the Cardmaster. As the victor i command you to free all the souls you have stolen Kal.And swear never to try and dominate us again."
Kal stared into Contan's calm swirling grey eyes and then at the boy's dragon.Sadness swept over him. He would never see his beast again. Reluctantly he brought out his soul jar and stiffly opened it. The souls of hundreds of people were released.
Amaroth who still lay on the ground woke up his dragon by his side. Kal began to haze. Slowly he faded away. As Amaroth's eyes opened he saw tears running down Kal's face.
That night the Town Stola rejoiced. The black ones left the town screeching in their horrble tongue
"So what if Kal failed us.We will attack again and next time. Next time we shall WIN!!"
Contan felt his enermies leave and he relaxed. When he and his followers came to a town the people thought that they were Black One's but now they were gone and the townsfolk felt them go and knew Contan was the true Cardmaster. Atlast he could relax. Just then Eli tapped his shoulder.
"Another disaster.Two towns from here." She informed him.
Contan sighed. A Master's job was never done.