“I’ll challenge you, then.”
Trixie turned to see a stalwart Orc striding over to her table. He looked intimidating to the small equine, but his voice was surprisingly gentle for his race, and he bore a friendly smile at all times. He was well known in the Inn for his jovial attitude and kind spirit, even in defeat. But he was also well known for playing a mean game of Hearthstone.
“My name is G00pyWhale, pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said, sitting down opposite Trixie. The unicorn smiled and gave him a nod, and the orc continued. “I would appreciate if we could use the Orgrimmar battlefield for our match. It’s a personal favorite of mine.” Trixie smiled.
“Of course. I’ve never seen this battlefield, so it’ll be interesting to try something new. I accept your challenge. Now then...” Trixie lifted her Luna deck with her magic, sealing it back up and slipping it away. She then poured over her other decks. “What to use...”
“Take your time,” G00pyWhale said, pulling his deck out of a pocket on his clothing and placing it on the table. “I plan to use Thrall and run a Shaman deck, and I am eager to see what you choose.” Trixie paused for a moment, considering what the orc had told her. She smiled.
“Very well, I will use Twilight Sparkle, and run a Tactician deck. Let us begin.”
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The sounds of battle resounded all around Twilight as she strode forward towards a small rise. The area around her was a barren waste, littered with broken catapults, corpses, and blood. Nothing here seemed at all peaceful, and that disturbed her. Nevertheless, she was here to fight, to add to the chaos. She knew what she had to do.
As she crested the rise, a field came into view, empty and devoid of battlescars. It was the one place in all of Orgrimmar that wasn’t on fire, as far as she could tell. At least, not yet. She heard heavy footsteps approaching, and raised her eyes to see an orc, plainly dressed in shaman’s garb, cresting a rise opposite her. She smiled at her opponent, and he smiled back. Then came the sound of the coin flip.
“I am well prepared for this.” Twilight called across the field. She was given first move, but wasn’t at all satisfied with the hand she had been given. As she swapped out cards, the orc called back.
“For Doomhammer!” His voice echoed over the plains around her. Twilight blinked, a little awestruck by the authority in his voice. This was a being who knew how to handle power, and handle it well. She felt nothing but respect for him.
Twilight had first move, and so she began the battle. “Shieldpony, come forth.” In the light of day, the Shieldpony’s golden armor radiated in the sunlight. He lifted his shield with magic and placed it in front of himself defensively, growling.
“Ready and willing.” Twilight smiled and ended her turn, sending the mana over to Thrall. Thrall surprised her as she did so, calling to her.
“Greetings, friend.” He said, and although the pair were at a distance, Twilight heard his voice as if he was standing right next to her. She smiled, and returned the greeting.
“It is a pleasure, friend,” she replied, her voice calm. “So, you are the one called Thrall. I’ve not heard tales of your exploits, but judging by your poise and demeanor, I can guess that you are, or were, a great leader.” Thrall chuckled, preparing his move.
“Stonetusk Boar, and yes, you are right,” He said, a large boar materializing on the field. It charged with a squeal, but bounced off the Shieldpony’s large shield, doing little damage. “I was once the leader of the Horde, but I gave that up to one I thought would be more worthy in a dark hour. Unfortunately, it was a mistake, and I have been struggling to rectify it ever since.” Twilight frowned as the mana rushed into her, and she prepared her next move.
“Roseluck. I am sorry to hear that. You sound like a worthy and capable leader.” Twilight watched as a familiar face materialized in front of her. Roseluck, who bore an interesting passive ability, stepped onto the field.
“Every last flower devoured.” Rose cried, her face distraught. Twilight smiled as she mused Rose’s ability, which granted an extra life to a random friendly minion at the end of her turn. Why Rose had that ability, she wasn’t sure, but she was more than glad to have it. As she ended her turn, Thrall spoke.
“I thank you for that, young princess. I am in the same position as yourself, not having heard tales of your exploits. Totemic call.” Thrall cast a strange spell, and a totem materialized on the battlefield next to the boar. It wasn’t very big, but it seemed to radiate heat off of it. Twilight nodded as the boar charged forward, chipping a dent in the shield of her Shieldpony and making him flinch.
“Well, I’m no great leader, although I do hold the title of princess...” she said, feeling the mana rush back into her. She gazed over her hand and frowned, not liking her choices. “Checklist. I have done many things, but I would not have been able to do them without the help of my friends. That’s what I really am, the Princess of Friendship. Alone, I’m nothing, but with my friends by my side...” She flung a card aside and drew a new one, smiling as she pulled it. “I’m unstoppable. Memory Spell.” Twilight cast her spell,calling back a card she had already played. She turned to Rose and gave the pony a quick nod. Rose, albeit hesitantly, charged forward and hit Thrall.
“Sorry, sorry,” she called as she ran back to position by Twilight. Twilight gave control back to Thrall, who gave a grunt of understanding.
“It’s good to hear that, and that’s a luxury I wish I had. Hmm...” He pondered over his hand and his minions on the field. He had a nice set of options, Twilight could tell, but he wasn’t sure how to play his hand just yet. “Yes, that’ll work. Raid Leader.” Twilight watched as a heavily armor clad orc materialized on the battlefield. His face was stern and his jaw set.
“Handle it!” He shouted at the minions on his side of the field. The boar and totem seemed to swell at his words, their power increasing slightly. Twilight watched as the two surged forward, the boar destroying her shieldpony and the totem striking Rose, causing the pair to disappear. She smiled softly. Thrall was playing into her hooves.
“I see you are a capable strategist, Thrall. So am I,” she said, regaining control of the field. Her hand was set well, and she had an interesting strategy planned. “First, Shieldpony. Then, Mind Bend.” Another shieldpony appeared on the field, grunting the same greeting as before. As the shieldpony watched, the Raid Leader flinched. It was slight, but both he and Twilight noticed. Twilight smiled and gave control back to Thrall, who gave her an odd look.
“Mind Bend? What does that do?” He asked, drawing his card. Frowning, he called a totem to the field and sent his troops to attack. But something went awry. The boar charged forward, but the Raid Leader flinched again, drawing his sword. But he did not strike the Shieldpony. Instead, he turned to the totem which Thrall had summoned, a Healing Totem, and struck it down. Thrall gasped as the Raid Leader then turned his sword on himself, taking his own life. As Thrall ended his turn, Twilight was left laughing.
“Mind Bend forces a minion to attack a friendly minion, then take it’s own life. It’s not a spell I’d use in reality, but in this game, I would not pass up that opportunity.” Twilight drew her card and smiled. “Time for me to go on the offensive. Caramel.” A brown pony stepped onto the battlefield, a small smile on his face.
“I’ll do what I can.” He said, and Twilight smiled in return.
“That’s all I can ask of you.” She replied, handing control back to Thrall. Thrall gazed at her with a newfound respect, and a small smile cracked on his face.
“Well played, I’m very impressed.” He drew his card and smiled, preparing his move. “You are a capable strategist, and a confident leader. I see much potential in your eyes, young princess. You’ll do well. Feral Spirit.” Thrall cast his spell to the skies, and two Spirit Wolves descended to the field, growling defensively. Twilight smiled.
“You have my thanks, those are kind words indeed.” Control of the field fell back to her, and she drew her card. She had to move quickly to clear a path for Caramel. “Negation Spell!” Her horn charged with a brilliant energy and a mighty wave shot across the field. The Shieldpony dropped his shield in pain, but the Spirit Wolves fell as well. Thrall smirked at Twilight’s move. A sacrifice of her own defender, but she cleared her path. Caramel rushed forward and struck Thrall, bringing his health down to twenty-three. Twilight rescinded control again, smiling.
“An interesting strategy, young princess,” he said, drawing his card for the turn. “But, I fear you may have made a grave error in judgment. Bloodlust.” Twilight gasped as Thrall cast his spell, augmenting the power of his creatures. The three creatures rushed Twilight, ignoring her minions and directly attacking her. Where she had once had a perfect thirty health, it dropped to sixteen in a single turn. As Thrall gave control back to her, she struggled to her hooves, groaning in pain.
“Well... well played, Thrall.” She drew her card and began her turn. “I wasn’t expecting that. But now, I’ll make sure you’ll not do that again. Bulk Biceps.” Thrall had to hold in his laughter as a ridiculously large pony stepped out onto the field, growling in rage. His fur was snow white, and his body was heavily muscled, making him look very comical.
“YEAAAAAAAH!” He cried, lowering himself into a defensive stance. Twilight gave Thrall control again, hoping she could last a little longer. She just needed a single card to change the game, but she didn’t have it yet. She needed to draw it soon, as her hand was becoming slim. Thrall took the time she mused this to compose himself and draw his card.
“That is an.... interesting minion,” he said, trying to hold back laughter. Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes as Thrall prepared his move. “Mogu’shan Warden.” A heavily armed, heavily armored orc stepped onto the field, raising his weapons defensively.
“Pandaria will be ours!” The orc cried. Thrall then summoned a totem to his aid. This one was another Searing Totem, burning with an inner fire. After the summoning was complete, Thrall launched his attack, all three of his able minions throwing themselves at Bulk Biceps. The wolves and boar sacrificed themselves, but managed to slay Bulk as well, the four of them disappearing. Thrall gave control back to Twilight, who drew her card and smiled.
“Convenient. Spike!” Twilight materialized her spell, and a small purple dragon stepped onto the field. He wore a proud smile and strode with confidence.
“Number One Assistant, reporting for duty!” He shouted. Twilight waited til his ability activated, then searched her deck til she found her card. The one thing that could change the game completely. After putting the card in her hand, she sent Caramel to attack the Warden. He brought the Warden to his knees, but couldn’t get rid of him. Returning to position, he turned to Twilight and nodded. Twilight ended her turn and gave control back to Thrall. Thrall drew his card and smiled.
“This game will be over soon enough. A second Mogu’shan Warden, and follow that up with Ancestral Healing and Hex.” The second orc emerged from a portal and took his place by his comrade’s side, who rose to his feet, fully rejuvenated. As the orcs took defensive stances, Spike felt the third spell wrap around him, lifting him into the air.
“Twilight! Help!” He cried before the spell encircled him. There was a bright flash, and when the light had cleared, Spike had vanished, leaving a small frog in his place. The first Warden, who had been healed, charged forward and struck the frog, killing it. Thrall ended his turn, smiling at Twilight. Twilight frowned, unnerved by Thrall’s clever move. She drew her card, frowning. She didn’t have a choice, but she didn’t want to play her hand. Nevertheless, she knew it would end badly if she didn’t do something.
“Triple S!” Twilight called. She waited as a brilliant magic circle appeared on the ground, shining bright. From out of the circle an alicorn shot into the sky, wings spread wide. Her horn was alight with a brilliant powerful spell, which she unleashed on the Wardens below in a beam of pure magic. The Wardens fell under the beam, but were left standing. The alicorn landed, her wings still spread wide. As the light faded, it reveal that the alicorn was none other than Twilight herself, albeit much more angry. Thrall blinked.
“That’s... odd, to say the least.” He watched as Caramel charged forward, taking one of the Wardens down as he sacrificed himself for his princess.Twilight ended her turn, giving control back to Thrall. Thrall drew his card, shooting a questioning glance to his opponent. “Triple S?” Twilight nodded at her minion, who was glaring at Thrall angrily.
“Super Saiyan Sparkle,” she replied. “After all, if I can’t rely on myself at times, who can I rely on?” Thrall smiled, readying his next move.
“There is truth in those words. Cairne Bloodhoof!” Thrall opened a portal, and out of it stepped a mighty creature. He appeared to Twilight to most closely resemble a minotaur, although his build was much more beastly. He also seemed to be far more aged than any other minotaur she’d ever seen.
The tauren planted a mighty spear into the ground by his side. “Take heart, young one. The Earthmother is near.” Triple S took a step back, and Twilight’s eyes went wide. If she had thought Thrall was a wise leader, Cairne was far more so. She sighed as Thrall called a totem to the field with his remaining mana. This totem was tall, and seemed to spark with electricity. A Wrath of Air Totem. Thrall ended his turn, giving Twilight control once again. She drew her card, smiling at her options.
“Well, let’s see how well this works. First, a pair of Octavias. Then, Mind Bend.” Twilight watched as a pair of grey mares, toting cellos, emerged onto the battlefield. As they did, they struck a few chords, and raised their bows in an offensive stance. Then, Cairne twitched. Thrall knew what it meant. But he did not show his reaction to it. Instead, as Twilight rescinded control, he drew his card and closed his eyes.
“Ancestral Spirit.” Thrall cast his spell over Cairne, who then turned on the Warden and struck it down. Cairne then turned his blade upon himself, killing himself. But, as Twilight watched, Cairne rose back to his hooves, fully healed and ready to fight. Alongside him stepped a second tauren, this one much younger and wielding a warhammer. Thrall smiled at his opponent, opting to use his remaining mana to cast a Mana Tide Totem, which allowed him to draw a card as he ended his turn. Twilight blinked, a little dumbstruck by what had just occurred.
“Well, that was a little unexpected,” She said, drawing a card. Twilight blinked again. She wanted to smile, but found herself at a loss. Her next move could grant her true victory. If it worked.
“Cerberus.” Twilight opened the largest magic portal yet, and a giant, black three-headed dog leapt out and landed on the field of battle. It roared and lunged at the younger tauren, Baine, snatching him up and devouring him. Cerberus blanched at the taste and leapt back to Twilight’s side, shaking the ground as he landed. Twilight then sent her other three minions at Thrall, finally landing her first hits and bringing the orc’s health down to twenty-three. Twilight ended her turn, smiling at Thrall. Thrall accepted the mana and drew his card, smiling at her.
“I can see that this fight has certainly taken a turn in your favor, young princess,” He said, smiling. “I don’t see a way around it for me. But don’t think I’m giving up just yet. Wolfriders, come out and fight! Sen’jin Shieldmasta, take up arms as well!” The three minions leapt onto the field, swords raised. The Wolfriders charged forward, striking down Triple S and attacking Cerberus, bringing his health down as well. Thrall gave control back to Twilight, who accepted it readily.
“Well played, Thrall. You’ve proven yourself a worthy adversary. But I plan on ending this as quickly as I can.” Twilight drew her card, the only move she had, and frowned. “Checklist.” She threw the card aside and drew another one, this one more to her liking. “Hmm, well then. Teleport.” She shot a magic bolt at the Shieldmasta, teleporting the minion back into a card and into Thrall’s hand. She then sent her minions forward, using her Octavias to take down the Wolfriders and striking Thrall with Cerberus, dropping his health down to fifteen. As Twilight ended her turn, Thrall crossed his arms and frowned.
“Well, if I can’t do anything now, you will win, young princess. Unfortunately, I’ve got tricks of my own. Feral Spirit and Lightning Storm!” Two more Spirit Wolves landed on the field, growling at Twilight as a rain of lightning bolts fell upon her minions. The Octavias fell, but in their place twin white unicorns, with neon blue manes and purple sunglasses, appeared. The Vinyls watched as Cerberus growled in pain, but stood relentless.
Thrall ended his turn, giving control back to Twilight. She frowned, drawing her card. Frowning, she activated her checklist power and exchanged cards, smiling. “Well, that’ll work. Negation Spell!” Twilight cast her spell, causing the wolves to fall. The three minions surged forward, all striking Thrall and bringing him down to one health. Twilight ended her turn, and Thrall regained control, drawing his card and frowning.
“Sen’jin Shieldmasta.” He called the troll out onto the field again. Following it up with a Wrath of Air Totem, he sent the wolves at the two unicorns, killing all four minions. He then ended his turn. Twilight drew her card and smiled.
“Bulk Biceps.” She watched as the snow white unicorn appeared again, then she sent Cerberus forward. It sacrificed itself taking down the Shieldmasta, but left Twilight with an open field. She gave control back to Thrall, who drew his card. He laughed.
“Hmm.... Well, I see no other option. You win this one, friend.” Thrall knelt down, holding his arms up in defeat. Twilight nodded, and, stepping down to the field of battle, strode over to the center. Thrall did the same, and the two meet in the middle. Twilight extended her hoof, and Thrall shook it, smiling. “You will go very far, young princess.”
____________________
Trixie smiled as her opponent threw his arms up and laughed. He laid a bag of gold on the table and stood, still laughing.
“You were a fine opponent, Trixie. I look forward to playing you again.” Trixie nodded.
“Indeed. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so helpless in battle. You played well, Mr. Whale.” Trixie rose and stretched as the Innkeeper strode over with another glass of cider.
“Well now, lass. I see you’ve done it again.” He laughed and patted her on the back. “Have another glass on me. I suppose you’ll be looking into another match?” Trixie accepted the glass and took a long drink.
“Of course. Just give me a moment.” She took another drink and lifted the bag of gold with her magic. “I want to count my winnings.”