After the War: an MTG story

Chapter 9: Silence

The two got their decks ready and sat at the table, Nate wearing a small but genuine smile.

"I can go first," Amy said, glad to see Nate almost back to normal.

"Go for it," Nate replied, the shakiness in his voice almost gone.

"I'll start with a Dimir guildgate and end my turn."

"I'll start with a mountain and use it to summon a skirk prospector." A large rock formed on top of the card, followed by loud thwacks. The rock crumbled and disappeared, revealing the small goblin. "I end my turn."

"I play a second Dimir guildgate and for one blue, I summon a thoughtbound phantasm and end my turn." Several ribbons of energy began to rise out of the card and weaved together to form the spirit, but only from the chest up was fully formed while the rest remained as blue ribbons.

"I'll start with a mountain. Next I'll use both of my mountains to summon two goblin motivators and end my turn." Out of each card, a goblin shot up into the air, landed a front flip, and did a single fist pump.

"I'll play a swamp, then for a blue and one other I summon a wall of mist and end my turn." A thick fog rolled in and lingered just above the card, raising up so that it actually looked like a wall.

"I'll play a mountain, then for a red and one other, I summon a bloodstone goblin," a small stone rose out for the card and seemed to whisper incomprehensible phrases, a goblin then walked over to the stone, listened to what the stone had to say, and drew its weapons while nodding, "Next, I tap one of my motivators to give bloodstone goblin haste." the motivator that Nate tapped turned towards its ally and called out a war cry to it with iss fist in the air. The bloodstone goblin responded by mimicking the motivator's action. "Finally, I'll have everything else attack. " 

"My phantasm will block and kill your motivator while my wall blocks your bloodstone goblin, I only take one damage." the bloodstone goblin jumped into the mist and jumped back out, looking around confused. Meanwhile, the motivator slashed at the phantasm, severing one of the blue ribbons while the spirit jabbed one of its claws into the goblin's heart, killing it. The prospector on the other hand, was a little more successful with its attack. It ran past Amy's defenses and swung at her with its pick ax, running back to its card afterwards.  19 to 20

"I end my turn." Nate concluded, a calm smile on his face.

"I'll play a swamp, then for two blue and two black I summon a nightveil predator." Black mist swirled over the card, a blue skeletal face with fangs where a head should be. The mist dissipated to reveal the vampire floating just above the card in a very smug and regal position. "I end my turn."

"I'll start with a mountain. Then for a red and one other, I summon a guttersnipe and end my turn." A small pillar with a vase appeared. The Vase then suddenly shattered to reveal that the goblin had shot it with its slingshot.

"For three of any, I'll play a Dimir locket." The locket appeared on the card, a Dimir agent then picked it up and put it on. "Finally, I'll have my vampire attack for three in the air."

"I can't block, so I'll take it." The nightveil predator took flight over Nate's goblins and slashed at him with a dagger, flying back to Amy's side of the field without stopping or slowing down. 19 to 17

"I end." Amy said smugly. Nate responded with a sly smile as he untapped his lands and drew his card. She was glad to see that she had managed to take his mind off of James' death.

"I play a mountain, then for a red and three others I summon a goblin assault team and end my turn." Various guild bases appeared at the back of the card and released a few goblins, the buildings lowering back into the card afterwards.