(AN: This chapter is inspired by the anime of Yu-Gi-Oh and Cardfight Vanguard. It's two of my favorite anime of all time. There are also connections to the show Once Upon A Time.)
"Have you guys ever heard of Duel Monsters," Percy asked the trio the week as they all sat down to breakfast.
"Give me a minute to finish my Greek yogurt parfait and I will think about it," Krinos said.
"And I will finish my Tiropita or there will be Hades to pay," Harry says. "No one gets between me and my cheese."
"Only if they have a death wish," Melody giggled.
"The last time someone took away your cheese, you chased them out of the hall while channeling a tiger," Hailey laughed.
Krinos's parfait was one of his favorite things for breakfast. He generally layered strawberries and raspberries with Greek yogurt, which to him was just yogurt, and some sweetened ricotta cheese as well. If he wanted it to be sweeter, he would add some chocolate to the cheese and make it almost like a cannoli parfait with fruit.
Tiropita or tyropita is a Greek pastry made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with a cheese-egg mixture. It is served either in an individual-size free-form wrapped shape or as a larger pie that is portioned. When made with kasseri cheese, it may be called kasseropita. Since it included a lot of cheese, it was obviously one of Harry's favorite things for breakfast.
Where Harry got his love of cheese was still a mystery, but since Greek feta is one of the best-known cheeses in the world, they do not question it. Everyone has their tastes in food, anyway.
"What is with you and the jungle cats, anyway," White asked. "I know I tend to favor my black dahlia panther form, but you always tend to channel jungle cats. Lions, tigers, panthers, pumas, cheetahs."
"I even once saw you channel a mountain lion just to take a nap on a rock," Sofia remembered.
"What," Harry shrugged. "Mountain lions are the best animal for rock naps."
"Almost makes you think you may have a crush on T'challa," Abby giggled.
"Oh, do the twins have some competition," Percy smirked, forgetting his question for a second.
"Hades, no," both Harry and T'challa immediately protested.
"I love T'challa, but he is more of an honorary brother," Harry said.
"Harry is correct," T'challa agreed. "I have never had any romantic feelings for him. We are brothers, but just not as much as him and Krinos."
"Correct," Krinos said. "The spot of Harry Potter-Gardna's brother is filled and will not be taken by anyone else. At least not until Melody and I marry and he gains some brothers-in-law."
"I pity any girl that tries to ask you out," Hestia stated. "They will be in for the shock of their lives."
The healer laughed at her own joke.
"I am proud to be gay and if anyone ever has a problem with that, they will suddenly find themselves up to their necks in poison ivy," Krinos says.
"I am suddenly very glad to have you as a friend and not an enemy," T'challa chuckled.
"Most mystic souls are," Krinos smirked.
"So, what is it about this Duel Monsters thing, Percy," Hailey asked their British friend.
"I was helping Professor Milki was having me help him with some artifacts he had from his last trip to Egypt," Percy explained. "Some of them were old stone tablets that he had been translating. Most of them had been talking about an ancient magical game that the pharaohs had once used on the worst criminals of the magical world. It was said that the criminals would have a chance to use this game to duel for their freedom, but the pharaoh never lost a single match."
"And Duel Monsters is the name that the tablets said it was," Hestia asked.
"That is what Professor Milki's research told us," Percy said. "I was just curious if any of you have heard of such a game."
"It doesn't sound like something that has ever been used in Greece," Krinos says. "We may have a monarchy in Athens and Sparta, not to mention other rulers throughout Greek history, but that game is not familiar to us."
"I certainly have not heard of it," Melody admitted.
"I don't think it is British, either," Harry says, "Especially if you have not heard of it before either, Percy. And that says something considering that you were a Ravenclaw."
"I've heard of it," Abby admitted.
"You have," most of their group was shocked.
"I may be Greek by blood, but the island I grew up in was about halfway between here and Egypt," Abby explained. "So there were also a lot of Egyptians on my island as well. The game has been modernized and is quite fun to play."
"I may have heard of it as well," T'challa says. "I will need to think a bit more in order to be sure."
"What exactly is the game," Percy took out his mirror pad to use the notebook app to start taking notes, having finally gotten used to using the magical device.
"The game is both the same and different from how it was back in ancient times," Abby says. "Back then, the game was used by magical beings, such as mystic souls, to connect with an enchanted gauntlet with a blade to place stones with symbols carved on them onto it. The game could only be used by magical beings."
"So the pharaohs that used the game must have been magical and see it on magical criminals," Percy added that to his notes.
"Correct," Abby nodded.
"I remember the game now," T'challa joined the explanation. "The stones had symbols of monsters, traps, and spells carved onto them. When used on the gauntlet blade, the spells and traps could be played while the monsters could be summoned."
"Summoning monsters," Percy gasped, his head darting upward from his notes. "That's possible?"
"Well, there certainly are plenty of mystic soul magics that are similar to that kind of power," Melody says.
Harry nods in agreement. "Zodiac Spirit magic allows the mystic soul to use golden keys to summon celestial spirits of the zodiac from the celestial world. Mystical Spirit magic allows the user to call upon the spirits of magical creatures. And there are many others that either can summon creatures or even create them with natural elements around them."
"Almost like those that have different versions of my magic or Abby's," White said. "Creating creatures using nature or ice. Not to mention the actual magical creatures that are involved with nature and ice. Like nymphs, snow spirits, gladiator beasts, winter wolves, dryads, and even ice fairies."
"Most magical criminals back then were very cocky," Abby took the explanation back. "They would always accept the challenge, thinking that the pharaoh was just a spoiled brat that knew nothing about such a harsh magic."
"Harsh," Krinos was confused. "Isn't it just a chance to win their freedom and they just go back to jail if they lose?"
"The harsh part of the magic is the main difference between the ancient game and the current one," T'challa says. "The criminal does go free if they win, but whoever loses the duel forfeits their soul to the Shadow Realm. Where they are doomed for all eternity to pain and suffering worse than even the Fields of Punishment and Tartarus combined."
The local Greeks all cringed at that thought. Tartarus and the Fields of Punishment were the worst places in all of the Underworld. Only the furies are even able to go to either place without getting sick to their demonic stomachs at the sight of one of the harsher punishments that occur there. Such as Ixion being forever bound to a spinning and burning wheel for trying to seduce Zeus's wife Hera. Or even Phylegyas, who is entombed in rock and starved while there is an eternal feast right in front of him because he set fire to Apollo's temple in Delphi.
"Criminals back then must have been really cocky to risk their souls like that," Hestia said, more uncomfortable than the rest given that she was a healer so she valued life more than others.
"Back then, magic made a lot of people more cocky than they would be now," Abby says. "And that says something considering the size of egos over in magical Britain."
"Can't go one day without insulting my home country, can you guys," Percy was actually amused instead of insulted.
"What can we say," Krinos chuckled. "Insulting egotistical British people gives us life."
"And coming from a nature mage, that means a lot," Harry laughed. "What has more life than nature?"
"I see your point," Percy said. "So, what about the game has changed for modern mystics?"
"For one thing, there is no longer a risk to your soul," Abby said. "Wins and losses are just that. No one loses their soul anymore. Also, instead of stones and gauntlet blades, we use cards and magical duel disks. Much easier than carrying around heavy stones marked with magical symbols."
"Duel Monsters has turned into quite a fun game that most of Africa is actually quite fond of," T'challa says. "It started in Egypt and has grown in popularity since then."
"But we also like to keep things close to home," Abby added. "We do not want the ancient ways of the Shadow Realm falling into the wrong hands. So we let that part of magic become mostly forgotten by history."
"Sounds like a good choice if you ask me," Melody said.
"The Fields of Punishment and Tartarus are a part of our culture, but that Shadow Realm sounds like bad news," Harry shivered at the thought of it.
"Then you see why we would rather forget about that part of our history," T'challa said.
"Lucky that none of us were born during that time period," Hestia stated.
"Without a doubt," Hailey agreed.
"I wonder if there are any games like Duel Monsters in any other parts of the world," Percy wondered out loud.
"Oh, there is," a female voice says.
The group looked up and saw their friend Madison Vanish, another legacy of the original Olympian mages from back in ancient Greece. Though, she does have family over in Japan. Her power is Dragon Ninja magic. Not only is she able to channel dragon spirits into her weapons, but she also has incredible agility, speed, and even invisibility powers. She is often called the most skilled warrior in all of Crystal Rose and is never seen without her twin katanas strapped to her back. Not to mention any weapons that she keeps hidden inside of the belt that she wears. She is as dangerous as she is beautiful.
"Oh, does Greece have their own game," Percy asked.
"No, but Japan does," Madison said. "My cousins play a game called Vanguard. It is quite similar to Duel Monsters, but we do not use spells or traps. Just monsters and their own special abilities."
"I have heard of that game before," Hailey brushed her hair out of her face. "Isn't that the game that is related to one of the magical clans?"
"What," Percy was confused again.
"We've always loved being who we are. There is nothing like being a mystic soul. We feel so connected to magic and those around us. There are even those that are known as magical clans. Types of magic that are different, but related to one another in a different way. Magical clans are groups of related magical powers that have come together and form almost what could be described as a giant family," Melody explains.
"There are probably others, but there are to that are most well-known," Krinos says.
"What kind of magical clans are there," Percy asked, loving that he was learning about mystic souls from his experienced mystic soul friends.
"There are two main clans, but there are others," Harry explained. "The first is known as Enchanted Gen magic. There are ten gems that are all crystal elemental magic. Sapphire ice, ruby fire, emerald earth, amethyst air, pearl water, diamond light, rose-quartz nature, tiger-eye animals, opal sound, and tourmaline electricity."
"Wow," Percy gasped. "Those sound so cool. I have never heard of any type of magic like that before. I know that there are potions that can be used to create gems, plus there is alchemy, but never gem-focused magic."
"That is my own magic," Abby said. "My family is known for Enchanted Sapphire magic. Plus, there is also Mason Bronze and Damien Skyline in the school as well. Mason uses Enchanted Ruby while Damien is an Enchanted Diamond user."
"There are many types of unique mystic soul magic," Krinos says. "The other clan is called the Mystical Nations. It is many types of species of a magical realm known as Cray. There are twenty-three of these species. Royal Paladin, Gold Paladin, Shadow Paladin, Neo Nectar, Oracle Think Tank, Aqua Force, Great Nature, Spike Brothers, Dark Irregulars, Pale Moon, Gear Chronicle, Megacolony, Nova Grappler, Dimension Police, Link Joker, Angel Feather, Genesis, Kagero, Nubatama, Tachikaze, Murakumo, Narukami, and Bermuda Triangle."
"I had no idea that there were ancient games and magics like this," Percy says, taking more notes.
"Times were different all over the world," Hestia said. "My family has always followed the traditions of the Enchanted Forest. It is the home of all fairy tales."
"Fairy tales," Percy raised an eyebrow. "Like the Tales of Beedle the Bard?"
"No, I mean like Cinderella and Red Riding Hood," Hestia says. "Fairy tales are actual events that have happened in the Enchanted Forest. Their tales are written by mystics, spread to mortals, and then told to children to spread messages of hope."
"G.K. Chesterton once said that 'fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed," Abby quoted.
"I had no idea these types of things existed," Percy was amazed by all the different magics in the world.
"Magic comes in all types of shapes and forms around the world," Krinos tells their friend. "Take a look at Greece, for example. Most people have abandoned the idea of the Olympians being real, but we honor them every day. It is just our way of life."
"There are those that see our ways as old fashioned," Harry says. "Granger would certainly think that. But we never let anyone or anything make us question our beliefs. I was not born into this culture, but I honor it as much as I can."
"We are from many different backgrounds and cultures, and we all honor them in different ways," Melody said. "It is why magical Greece is known as one of the most accepting magical communities in the world."
"We are who we are and there is nothing to ever be ashamed of," White says.
(Happy New Year to everyone.)