The Woman's Game - 10. Part One: The Book of Genesis XI

It was all over for them. There was nothing left. Their leaders eliminated by some force controlling these four women that came in the night and destroyed their homes and lives.

The one thing each of the members of the cult had devoted their lives to was destroyed. Their leaders were eliminated just for a simple cause.

The students were dazed and confused. The women looked all the same. Not a freckle in difference. And that was what scared them. How easy it was to create the simplicity of perfection in four different individuals.

This confusion led to revolt. Destruction. Loss. The cult had disbanded because no-one was brave enough to step up to the plate because they knew the women or someone employed by the women would keep coming back and killing their leaders until they eventually broke down. It was better to pre-empt the evil ones victory rather than postpone their inevitable destruction.

The cult had existed for so many years, up to at least over a thousand years. But they had to do what they had to do.

As with so many organisations and cults, they knew when it was their time to die. Whether through internal destruction or through social upheaval.

Or just the wishes of a power hungry psychopath…

It was all over for them. The Shrouded One had won. The Vampires had started to believe that no-one could stop her.

One final vampire was left. He looked across the courtyard. He scurried in his own personal panic mode to next to one of the dying trees. No-one was left to look after the grounds so nature would also have to shrivel up and die because of what had happened.

There was a sense of hopelessness in the air when the final vampire looked up at the moon.

He knew about The Game and he also knew that there were still people out there with ‘The Power’. He also knew something quite devastating.

He was coming.

They were coming.

There were going to be some great duels. Fights between men and fights between women.

The vampire was going to die. But with vampires, it was in their final moments that they were truly alive. This was simply because of the fact that they saw everything. Their past. Their future. And the world’s future. I guess you could call it an epiphany or you could call it genuine psychic ability.

Whatever it was, it was most certainly a great gift handed down through the blood stream.

The Cult always believed that they would have a hand in the end of the world but they were always going to be unsuccessful. Their destiny was pre-written for them in the stars.

Oh the moon and the stars. Such a great influence on the lives of those pitiful creatures.

Now they were to be no more.

The sun began to rise as the sole vampire walked off into distance towards the blazing orb.

This was what was happening all around the world.

The majority of the vampires of the Montessori Cult were walking towards the sunlight and seeing their orbs of light blinking and then disappearing.

They would each individually move from this life into the next life, hoping for a little more luck than in their previous lives.

They were fleeing because they knew what was coming.

The duels were being born in caves. They were being born in stables and even in The Secret Army itself.

Someone very important was about to learn to play The Game and they would know how to play it well.

This person would have control of one of the most dangerous enemies of The Montessori Cult and of The Shrouded One.

The embodiment of Fiend Fyre and this Fiend Fyre had and still has the power to destroy the world if released.

But the vampires left this life that it had selected a proper host who, in time could become one of the greatest players in all time and when he is teamed with another.

Teamed with another who hosts The Ice Dragon then they will be impossible to defeat and impossible to destroy.

A heavy burden to carry but they would be strong enough.

The vampires prayed as they revealed themselves to the light that they were right.

For if they weren’t, it would be the end of our world as we know it…

**

The Shrouded One smiled and thought of how she was winning this so called ‘war.’

They had all fled into the sunlight, destroying themselves in the process and she was left untainted.

There she was with another enemy defeated. Not a very powerful one but still an enemy none the less.

It got them out of the way. They were only a nuisance to her.

She destroyed them simply because she could have no one get in her way.

And also because she found it be a light piece of brutal entertainment…

**

The Commander looked down at Ash, who was quite afraid and spoke in a conciliatory tone.

‘Right Boy. I want you to sit on that chair over there.’ The Commander was coming to a realisation. He was starting to realise that Ash had a certain aura about him. He wanted to try something.

‘Boy. I want you to do something for me.’ Ash being a scared little boy moved swiftly towards the chair and braced himself. He opened his mouth ready and prepared for the worst. ‘Oh I’m nothing like that. I’m not like the Sergant.’

‘Goodness. Sorry sir.’ Ash blushed. What was it you wanted me to do for you?’

‘I want to teach you something. I’m going to teach you a very old game. Something that has been around since the Mayans.’

‘Okay Sir.’ Ash smiled ‘Why me sir?’

‘You just seem to be the right one to teach.’ The Commander looked down towards his pocket. He withdrew a deck of cards and looked at Ash. ‘Now my boy…’

Ash was confused. The Commander hadn’t played The Game in so many years.

The Commander withdrew a board out from his travel bag and placed it on the floor.

‘Sir. What is that?’ It looked like a poker board except it had a lot more spaces.

‘It is a board for The Game. Very rusty but it should be fine.’ He knocked the board and it responded with a wooden sound. ‘Excellent. It still works. Now. Everyone starts with 30 cards and each fighter is to be represented by a card. For example.’

The Commander took out a card and showed Ash a picture of a horse. ‘This is the horse. Pretty much useless. Power of zero. But that shows what it looks like’.

‘Okay. So what do we do with that?’ Ash was slightly confused.

‘There are 6 spaces on the board that each card can be played. There are legendary cards known as ‘Skulls’. They are the most powerful cards in the game but in order to get them you have to have found a physical representation. Through the crystal skulls and most of them have been missing for years.’ The Commander searched through his deck and found a blank card.

‘The blank cards are ‘Discard’ card. These cards can be discarded into The Grave straightway. We start with five cards and then we draw every turn until we have 5 cards. Understand?’

Ash jumped up in excitement. ‘I get it.’ Ash was quite happy to have this chance to relax around a superior officer. Besides, he figured he would need this later on.

‘Now. The first player to attack the opponent twice. The first time eliminating their shield and the second a direct attack wins.’

‘Great. Now where are my cards? I want to play.’ Ash giggled.

‘In time my dear boy. Tomorrow evening we will have another lesson.’

And as promised, they met in the same place the following evening. But what was strange was that Ash was alone for around an hour with only one note. ‘Find the cards and then we shall play.’

Ash spent a good few minutes searching round the room. He gave up and collapsed into the bale of hay. He then felt something poking him in the back. He turned and found an ancient box. It was carved from oak and it had a golden hinge. He opened the box and saw a deck of cards.

This was to be his deck. He looked through the cards.

From the darkness a voice came. ‘Good. I knew this would be what would happen. Now boy.’ The Commander came out of the darkness and swiftly set up The Game. ‘Let us fight.’

They were prepared and ready. And they began.

‘I’ll start boy.’

The Commander drew his hand and discarded three cards.

‘I play the beast. Quite an interesting character.’ The Commander placed the card and then the lights in the room went out.

Then from the board a huge beast the size of a bull appeared.

‘Scary isn’t it? It has a power of One. I cannot attack on the first go. You may now have your turn.’

Ash drew his hand and discarded four cards and placed them into The Grave. ‘I think this is what I do. Here. I play The Flying Beast.’

The creature erupted from his card and a light appeared from below it. Ash looked over to The Beast and saw that it also had a circle of light around its base. ‘Sir? I have a question.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Why are there lights?’

‘That is their life force. When they are destroyed their life force goes out and they go into The Grave.’

Ash then ordered The Flying Beast; whose power was 2 attacked the Beast. The light around the feet of the Beast went out and it collapsed and The Commander moved his card to The Grave. Following this The Commander felt something being torn from his heart and he screamed.

‘Sir are you okay?’

‘Yes. I’m fine. Side effect of being attacked. Carry on.’

‘It’s your turn.’

‘Oh. My apologies.’ The Commander drew up to his 5 card limit. He discarded all of his 5 cards. He couldn’t play any of his creatures. His cards were all blanks. ‘Your turn Ash.’ The Commander started to prepare for the worst.

Ash felt something inside of his chest. Like a fire bursting from the depths of his soul. He shook the feeling off and drew his four cards from the top of the deck.

Ash saw the last card that he drew and he played it instantly.

‘I play Fiend Fyre. It says its power is 4.’

Ash felt something pass through him and surround The Commander. It was a beast entirely created from fire and Ash was afraid.

The Commander started to sweat. ‘How did you do that?’

‘Sir. I didn’t.’

‘I never gave that card. No card has ever come out of nowhere before. Not even a card as powerful as the one you are using at the moment. Get on with it.’

Ash ordered his Flying Beast to destroy The Commander’s shield and The Commander was thrown back and he slammed into the wall of the room they were in.

‘Ash please. Stop. You don’t need to finish the attack. I’ve never lost at The Game and you don’t know what happens when you lose the game.’

The Fiend Fyre turned to Ash and spoke. ‘Ignore him. Just order me to attack. You know you want to.’

‘Fiend Fyre. Attack him directly and win me this fight.’

The Fiend Fyre did as he was told and then attacked The Commander, biting into his neck.

It was quite literally draining the life force from him and Ash couldn’t call him back.

His soul wouldn’t let him…

The Fiend Fyre came directly from within him and it was a part of him that he couldn’t control.

He started to realise the extent of his abilities and he was worried.

Worried for everyone else’s safety.

The Commander was frozen. His face turned blue and dried up. He fell to the floor. Ash suddenly felt so full of life, despite his previous anxiety. He was invigorated.

Something bad had happened. It was like he had absorbed the life force of The Commander.

He reached down and felt the pulse of The Commander. There was nothing. He had no pulse, no blood and no heart. It was all gone. He was most certainly dead.

Ash knew if he took the life force away he could easily enough send it back.

He took the Fiend Fyre card out of his deck of cards and placed it on the board. The creature of fire extracted itself from Ash’s chest and began to speak to him.

‘You can’t do this. I am in control here. You must not do this.’

Ash ignored the pleas of the evil creature that was inside his deck and took control of his abilities and projected the fire towards the heart of The Commander.

From that, The Commander gasped for air and sat up and was quite disorientated.

‘My boy. No-one has ever done that. No-one has ever returned after losing the game.’

Ash looked stronger than before. He had brought someone back from the dead. No-one had ever brought anyone back before. Ash felt a sense of pride rush through his body and it felt good.

He looked down towards The Commander who was trying to speak but was struggling. Clearly, he was unable to express exactly what he was trying to say.

‘You boy.’ The Commander weakly reached out towards Ash. ‘You truly are the boy with the power…’