THE BATTLES OF CHESS

1. THE BATTLES OF CHESS By: Lan Anh Foster

2. Chapter 1: The beginning Click next for the adventure to continue!

3. Breathe...Your hands are sweating…You lay the board down and face your opponent. Let the Games Start.   ------------------------- In this story, you are the king of a Fantasy land which is called Boreia, on Medieval Earth, in about 1239 A.D. You are a fair and just king, good-tempered, but when annoyed you become very harsh. You have a wife, Queen Gwyn, who is beautiful and cheerful, with a wicked sense of humor and activeness flowing through her veins. You have one son, Keaton, who is nearing 18, which is when he shall be crowned King. Every Sunday, you walk or ride around and greet people, and watch your Kingdom grow under your watchful eye, and your son's advice. Nearing the coronation and Keaton's birthday, you suddenly have an idea. “Son, how would you like to go out today, on a hunting party, just you and your dogs, in the Farwharst Forests?" You say, watching his eyes glow and sparkle as he thinks of the possibilities. "Yes why not? The day is still young. May I go as soon as I have finished these plans?" He asks, gesturing to the maps and battle strategists. You wave him off, smiling and sweep into the Royal Court. In your free time, you decide to ride through the forest with your advisors, and proceed to do so, talking about jousting matches, Astronomy, the taxes and battles. Suddenly, one of your advisors come to a stop. "Your highness...Stay Back." You all draw your swords, but he canters off first, pushing past the thorny bushes and high branches. He comes back with a red and black arrow, and says, "Thought I saw something suspicious there, but it was just this arrow stuck in that tree trunk over there." You heave a sigh of relief and move on. And come face-to-face with your son's lifeless emerald eyes. The orange and blue crest...the sword lying beside him...the images flit past your eyes as you finger the arrow, the arrow that shot him, the arrow that pinned him against a tree, the arrow of the royal family of Noska, with a name engraved: "Hauriendam". You felt nothing. Nothing apart from vengeance and hate. "Gwyn." You call your wife who is sitting next to you, who has been with you for the whole morning. "Gwyn, call my advisors in, and lock the doors when you are gone." She bows, and leaves. Minutes later, 8 of your finest advisors march into the room, just as you have finished pondering and scheming. Greyhound, your brother and best friend, steps forward and says: "This is as much as we know, your son was killed, at the border of Noska and Boreia, probably by a Noskan. We have sent spies over to that area to gather information-" "No." You cut off his last sentence. "Keaton was my only son and heir to the throne. I loved him, more than you think I did. Even in death, now, I still love him. But a neighboring country, who we have been at peace for so many years now, has just killed him, and even though it may be for reasons we do not know, I swear vengeance on his body." You look at each of them in the eye. "He was to be your King, and all we do is stand here. I say we avenge him, but I shall not start war unless you all agree on me. That is what Keaton would've wanted." you say mournfully. One by one, each of the advisors swear vengeance and loyalty to the Kingdom. "So, to business." you say, with a sly glint in your eye. You can either decide to: Take the kingdom by surprise by sending archers and scouts at nighttime, and lighting villages on fire. Or Plot to kill someone important from that area.

4. Chapter 2: Taking the kingdom by surprise Click next for the adventure to continue!

5. It is your turn. You move the white pawn , hoping you haven't made a dreadful mistake. 3 moves later, a plan hatches in your mind. Your fingers begin to move the figures at their own accord. You have a sour taste in your mouth, but the facts speak the truth. ------------------------- You are floating, in the bright sky, the sky is clear, the stars are shining bright. It doesn't make any sense, the bright, polished chain mail should weigh you down. You feel a presence behind you, and turn around, and see your son, his bright eyes, mocking but charming smile, tousled dirt blond hair. He is taller than you thought he would be. You hug him, and tears flow freely from your eyes. He smiles sadly at you. "Revenge." he whispers. "Happiness. Bloodshed." He starts chanting this, and you fall from the sky, bracing yourself from the hard contact. But you don't hit anything. "What in blazers?" You are in a hut, and people are running in and out of it, screaming and waking everyone up. You walk outside slowly, unsure of what is happening, but no one seems to notice you. They are only worried about the houses on fire. You see a shadow slinking away, and run after them, catching up with them after chases through the streets, and recognizing the white Boreian Cross. But it is marked with red blood and black dots. And then suddenly, a house's pillar topples on you. Smoke fills your lungs and you start hacking and coughing. The flames lick at you, and you hear the crackle of a flame next to your ears. The last thing you see before you black out is the beautiful starry sky, thickening with smoke, and your son, floating in the air, watching you, still chanting but words that you can only hear. You sent scouts that night, to set villages on fire. Your son was the reason for this, yes, but what about the words he was saying? How was this connected? You mournfully wish that Keaton was still alive, so you could piece all of this together, like you had used to. What bothered you the most was the black and red cross, and why you were pinned down, was it God warning you what would happen? Was he punishing you for your sins? The stress of everything gave you a headache, but as a King you have to deal with it all, you can't run away from your problems, you would just have more. 4 villages had been burned to the ground, but none know a person by the name of Hauriendam. With a growl of frustration, you stand up and pace around the room, thinking and you stop, staring at the fire burning in the corner of the room. You lost half your sleep because of the dream, waking up in cold sweat and crying your sons name. There are bags under your eyes, huge dark ones, and your hair is a rats nest, your clothing is rumpled in many places, but your mind is in hyperactive mode. "My Lord." Your wife enters the room cautiously, but you smile wryly to show her you haven't gone mad yet. She curtseys and rises. "My lord, you must rest, you're losing rest." She says, and, while you are protesting, tucks you up in bed and closes the door softly behind you. You lull into an inactive state of rest, jolting awake at some points in the night, but quickly falling back asleep. -------------------------------- Your opponent smirks and "eats" one of your knights and surrounds your bishop. You curse inwardly, how could you have not seen that? Even if you eat one of them they will still outnumber you and eat you. You vow to never make the same mistake again. On with the game...only 45 minutes left. Click next for the next page 

6. "Sire!" Blood pounding in your ears, you fling the door open. A squire is outside it, which is normal, but his eyes show fear and sadness. "You must come quickly, something terrible has happened!" You both run to the courtyard, your wife and her ladies-in-waiting are there, her being the only one on horseback, and your advisors as well. "Darling, are you sure you want to come? And go by horse back?" You ask her solemnly. She rolls her eyes, a very unladylike thing to do. "Sweetheart, I may be queen and I may have to set an example to others but in a crisis like this I may choose to do whatever I like, even wield a weapon." And then you notice the sword by her side. You raise your hands in defeat, partially because you haven't the time to argue and partially because you know Gwyn well enough to know that she can fight almost as well as a man. You saddle your horse and ride out to meet the crisis head on. There are bodies everywhere. Hanging from the walls, lying on the streets, on the rooftop, still sprouting blood...you wince at the sight and look on. You wife is stony-faced, as is Greyhound. Soon you reach the center of the village, where the chapel is, and your eyes meet a cruel sight. There are three crosses, and on them, a dead priest for each. "It looks like someone doesn't respect the church very much…" You hear one of your advisors murmur. You are too astounded to say anything. The Queen make the sign of the cross, and blesses the dead priests, sending her prayers to heaven. You, however, slowly turn red with anger. You have seen another arrow, identical to the first one, The Noskan royal flag, with the same name on it, Hauriendam. It seems to be taunting you, laughing at you when you fail. You throw your sword at a tree, which impales itself, shaking it, and out tumbles an archer...and not from your kingdom either. "We're under attack!" you yell, and your advisors draw their weapons, and Gwyn magically appears to have a bow and a set of arrows. "Amazing what a dress can hold" she shrugs as you glance at her. "Oh dear." Greyhound sighs. "I really didn't want it to end like this." He turns on you and swipes at your face, barely missing it, and almost causing you to fall off your horse. "You." You grit your teeth, clenching your hands tighter around your sword. He smiles mockingly. "Me." He reaches into his tunic and pulls out another arrow. "I'll kill you!" You roar, and swing the sword at him again, "I TRUSTED YOU!" you jump off your horse and challenge him on your feet. Another battle rages around you, your advisors fighting off the surprise attack and your wife firing arrows and driving her sword through whoever is closest to her. "HOW COULD YOU BETRAY THIS COUNTRY?" You back him up against the church wall, each of your jabs and swings harder and faster than the next. "HOW COULD YOU KILL KEATON?" He grins at you cheekily. "Isn't it obvious? You were always to be crowned King. You promised me when we were little I was to be King when you died. But no, you had to have a son and HE WAS TO BE KING. WHAT HAPPENED TO ME? I NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN." "Now you're just being dramatic." Just as you say that, you give him a cut across the chest. He stumbles back, sporting his wound. You are both covered in sweat and blood, mostly because you have been walking over dead bodies and you're wearing armour in the middle of the hottest day in summer. Minutes later, you have him pinned on the floor, your sword hovering over his heart, and his own sword against his neck. Just as you are about to kill him, he says "You don't know what's coming next, perhaps your wife should be killed?" You stop at that point. "You would never…"you say disbelievingly. "Hmm...I don't know, she's killed a lot of people today, and the King of Noska wants her dead because she refused his marriage proposal and wed you instead." You glance at him and tighten your grip around the swords. You can either: Decide to kill Greyhound, your brother and best friend. Or Decide to keep him as a prisoner, and punish him.

7. Chapter 2: Plot to kill someone from Noska Click next for the adventure to continue!

8. One of your knights have been captured, but as revenge you eat one of their rooks. *Back to square one* You think and create a new strategy in your mind. -------------------------------------- "Jason!" You call for your best spy in Boriea. "I need you to do this job for me." You whisper your instructions into his ear and his eyes widen. "I-I'll try sire!" He says enthusiastically, but stuttering at the same time. You smile fondly, thanking him. Hours later, deep into the night, he comes back, wrapped with a thick black coat, even though it is the middle of summer. You nod slightly after he has finished telling you what he has seen and give him a bag of gold coins. "Oh and your highness." He pauses on the way to the door, and runs back to whisper something in your ear. Your eyebrows furrow. "I see." You dig out some more gold coins and hand them to Jacob. "Thank you for telling me. This information is...surprising if not disruptive." He bows formally and exits the room, leaving you to sit there, pondering what to do. "Gwyn?" You call your wife after dinner. "We have a traitor amongst us." She laughs and says. "And who could that possibly be?" You frown and say, "You might find this a little...shocking." "Well, fire away. No time like the present!" You note that she seems to be in a happier mood. "The traitor is someone very dear to us and well-known around the kingdom. The traitor is-" the doors to the Great Hall burst open, and Greyhound strides in. "Evening all." He says, and grabs an apple. "Have you SEEN the amount of agriculture we are creating yet brother, it is enormous!" He bites into it and chews loudly. "Mmm, best apple I've ever tasted." he finishes it off and starts on another one, and then notices the looks on both of your faces. He slowly starts to understand. "Ohhhh. Ah. I see. I must've interrupted some private talking time. Well I'll be in my chamber!" He starts to walk off. "Oh will you Greyhound." You say icily. "Of course, haven't I always?" Your brother says cheekily to you. "Not for the past 12 months maybe." He stops and time slowly passes. "So you know." His voice is different, cracked and dry, like he needs a drink. "Of course I know. You and I have both studied the kingdom's ways so of course you know that I know." You retort. He turns around and looks at you. Then bolts. "GUARDS!!!" You roar and two seconds later 2 guards are dragging Greyhound back, kicking and screaming, which doesn't do much harm to them since they are wearing armour, and do more harm to him than anyone else. "Be ashamed." you say. "This was your country, a kingdom you vowed to fight for, a kingdom that you grew up in, with your family." You pluck an arrow from his tunic. Its twin is in a glass box, soaked with your son's blood. "So it was you…" You murmur. "You killed him. You killed your nephew, AND FOR WHAT REASON?" he glances up at you. "I was to be KING. Noska understands me, more than you ever will!" he says and spits in your face. In a flash, Gwyn is at your side, and she strikes him across the face, her eyes livid. "Take him away." she commands frostily. "I want him to be locked away in the deepest cell you can find, with knights watching him every hour of the day. He has been taken by the devil." That, you hope, is the last time you will see him. How very wrong you were. He escapes, probably to Noska, at dawn and you have a choice: Track him down and kill him. Or: Go to war against Noska.

9. Chapter 3: Go to war against Noska Click next for the adventure to continue!

10. You abandon your plan to eat the bishop first, in order to reach the King, and look for a new possibility. ------------------------- "Leave him!" You order, as everyone scrambles about, trying to piece together how he got out, and how he managed to go without waking anyone up. "We are at WAR! There is not to time diddle-daddle!" "Erm, sir, I think the term is dawdle." A squire hands you your chainmail for your chest. "Diddle-daddle, dawdle, there isn't much difference." Your wife protests as you give her a look, while she's sharpening her sword and wearing armour pieces as well. "I want to fight! I don't want to sit back!" "Darling," You say, while putting on your heavy boots. "With all due respect, I would completely agree with you, if we were in a different situation." You pull on your gloves. "However, if I let you fight in this battle and we both died, there would be no one left to rule the country. Therefore, you must stay there." At this point, you snap your helmet on, and saddle your horse. "Just make sure that no one comes into the castle. If they do, you can fight." You kiss her forehead and bless her, and then ride off into battle with your some-100-thousand-people-army. Along the road to the battle field, you spot a shadow lurking in the trees, and you grab at the person, and find your very own, one-of-a-kind, weasel-of-a-brother. "Don't kill me!" he begs, and licks his chapped lips. "I...I can help you." Your call! Trust him? OR Kill him on the spot?

11. Chapter 4: You kill him Click next for the adventure to continue!

12. "I'm sorry." You say. "But I can't trust you again." You kill him, and ride on with your army, feeling bad but hoping it was the right thing to do. But what you don't know, is that you just made one of the hugest mistakes of your life. The battle starts off badly, the enemy is anticipating everyone of your moves, but you realize only too late that you need to surprise them, in order to win. Early the next morning, you ride into their camp and surrender yourself to them. "It is better to die for my country than let my country die for me." You tell them, and, although some of them vote to save you, it does not outnumber the votes to let you die. You are executed in front of the king, you feel no pain, as you welcome death happily, with no worries and no fears. ------------------- “I can’t believe I didn’t see that!” You moan unhappily. “If I had seen that, it would’ve saved me. You sigh angrily. “I hope you know what you’ve done.” You complain grumpily to your grandpa. “You just ended my streak of winning, 5 games so far!” “Ah well.” You grandpa smiles at you. “You know, practice makes perfect. Another game while we wait for our lunch to be cooked?” You shrug. “Why not?” You Lose

13. Chapter 4: You trust him Click next for the adventure to continue!

14. You sigh. "Please, enlighten me with your secrets." He tells you of the how the king of Noska tempted him with power, betrayed him and sent him away, how he came back to get revenge, what king of army that Noska has, and you both find yourselves talking about battle strategies and statistics, like the old times, before all of this happened. ------------------------- You take a break, but your head is still spinning with new plans. You get called back 5 minutes later, and trash all your newly-thought plans, with a new BRILLIANT one in your head, with minor glitches, but you hope your opponent doesn't spot them. ------------------------- "So you're telling me that we send out the archers first, and THEN the soldiers?" You are very confused, this is a tactic you have never tried before, yet your brother promises to you that it works. Your advisors and the knights were very confused when you told them that he was an ally, a dangerous one, but nevertheless, an ally. "I hope you know what you're doing." Xavier had whispered in your ear as two knights escorted Greyhound into your tent. "He was the one who almost left the kingdom in pieces." You lend a suit of armour to your brother, who wants to fight with you. "If I see you step one toe out of line though…" You say to him. "I will never, ever trust you again." And with that you leave to tell everyone your new plan. What feels like hours later, you meet your opponent at the other side of the battlefield. The horn of Boriea sounds in the chilly air and your archers, who were cleverly hidden in the trees or behind rocks appear and shoot arrow after arrow at the advancing enemy. Many fall, and they desperately try to regroup. "ATTACK!" You yell, and the soldiers bring down their shields and run into the enemy, coming at all sides, which confuses the enemy even more, because they have to fight from all sides. Next, the horsemen charge in, yelling blood and fire, while brandishing their weapons and pointed shields. You lock eyes with the King of Noska, who looks furious. He points at you, then at himself, and swings his sword, killing his knight beside him. Your brother snorts, and says, "Good thing I left them. I'm going in to kill a few people, I've got something to settle with him." He points at a general, who appears to have no clue what is going on. Your brother chases after him on his horse. You laugh, and join the battle. This has become more than revenge, you think. Your brother may have killed your son, but who supplied him with the weapons? Noska. Who tempted him at first? Noska. Who, in the end, only wanted power? Noska. And they were going to pay for underestimating your kingdom. The remaining 100 soldiers flee from your army, who has received reinforcements from different areas of Boriea. You received a letter 10 days after, with words that say: "This isn't over." You smile at the irony, because it is, for now. You set it on fire, and ponder about the future, your wife downstairs discussing with the cook, your adopted 7-year old son playing with his wooden sword in the garden, and your brother trying to teach him archery. YOU WIN!

15. Chapter 3: Tracking your Brother down Click next for the adventure to continue!

16. The King got away, and only because you forgot about your rook that was in the corner. You furiously hit back, only harder, but not literally. ------------------------------ "Your highness, are you sure?" Another advisor of yours, Xavier, rushes to keep up with you as you stroll down the garden paths to the Main Hall. "Isn't there another way? Say, mine?" You choose to ignore him, and tell the trumpeters to call for your knights. Soon, you are galloping off and you can see your brother in the distance, vainly trying to hide from you. "YOUR HIGHNESS!" A knight yells over the howling wind. "TO YOUR LEFT!" You stop your horse and look to where everyone is pointing at. Below you, you see an army of Noskan warriors and knights. "Oh, what in God's name is this?" You have a choice: Follow your brother OR Head back to the castle to defend it.

17. Chapter 4: You head back to the castle Click next for the adventure to continue!

18. Your rook is the last one on the board, apart from the King and a Bishop. You surrender while the going is good. ------------------------- You are too late. Are you run into the throne room, you find your wife murdered and lying on the table, with a spear in her stomach. Her favourite sword is beside her, bloodied by the number of enemies she defended herself against. Servants and squires are littered everywhere, blood splattered against the wall. And there, in the middle of the room, is the King of Noska, who is smiling evilly at you. Your heart broken, you lay down your sword. "One day, Boriea will rise against you and take over again. The one true king shall rule." You warn him. "And that day is now. Anything else?" "Oh yes, don't roast the pigs downstairs, they have a sort of sickness in them, and I wouldn't recommend going to the West side of the Castle in the winter, we didn't build any fireplaces there-" The King of Noska cuts you off your rambling. "You insult me." "Well what did you think I was doing?" This was actually quite fun. He narrows his eyes. "Since you think you're so funny, answer this. Would you rather live or die?" "Die." You say immediately. "I'd rather die than live under the rule of a hypocrite like you." And with that, he stabs you, deep into your heart. You smile blissfully, and see Death's figure looming closer and closer, but greet him like an old friend. "To the next part of this adventure hey? Wonder what it's like." You say to Death, and he points to the white glowing emerald door. You step into it, and let it envelope you. To the next stage, another life, another chance, another day. You Lose.

19. Chapter 4: Follow your brother Click next for the adventure to continue!

20. You set up your trap. You are amazed you were even able to think of it. But, as people say, sometimes you must give up your queen to win a game. ---------------------------- Hatred for your brother spurns you to follow him some more. "Onward we go!" You gallop forward, and follow your brother until he reaches the border of Noska and Boreia, where he hesitates but hops over. "He's probably headed towards the castle." You say, and take a shortcut. You guess that the castle emptied out all of their military, so it SHOULD be pretty easy for you to get in. But still, you take precautions. When your brother arrives, he is panting, and looking backwards, stumbling a bit. "Your highness, we must get out, my brother is almost here." "Amazing." You say. He turns around, and you enjoy the look of pure horror on his face as he takes in the throne room, the dead king beside you, his bound and gagged wife in the corner, and your knights securing every entrance to the room. His eyes widen. "To kill or not to kill…" You ponder. "That is the question." He purses his lips. "Just get it over with." He says with a sigh of defeat. "All right then, I'll make it easy for you." and with that you strike his head off his shoulders. Then you wonder, when did you become so mean? Although you have emerged victorious from Noska, and although you conquered more land, you still regret going after your brother, because the whole kingdom was ruined and many of the subjects killed, your wife being on of them. You live the rest of your days in misery and darkness. YOU WIN!

21. Chapter 3: Decide to kill Greyhound Click next for the adventure to continue!

22. Your queen has already eaten a bishop. She stands in front of the King. Check Mate. ------------------------------- "Brother...Please" Greyhound whispers, blood dripping from the various cuts on his face. "You were a good leader." You whisper. "You would've made the family proud. I'm sorry about this, Greyhound." And when the final words leave your lips, you impale your sword in his chest. He gasps and tries to form words, but no sound comes out. You sit him up against a rock, tears forming in your eyes and leaking out. The rest of the soldiers and archers have fled, but others are lying on the ground, choking on their own blood or dead themselves. Your wife is sending the remaining advisors to the castle, 2 have fallen and 6 remain, 5 now, with Greyhound dying. The sounds of horses galloping away grow fainter, and the wind blows gently, brushing your hair across your face. You see yourself in your brother's face, mirroring your emotions. He coughs, and blood slowly drips out of it. He beckons you closer and you put your ear next to his mouth. "H...Haur...Hariendam." He gasps out. "Draw. The Kingdom of Noska will come for you, and be ready when they do." Out of his right eye, a tear forms, and slides down his face. "Forever and always." He chokes out. "From the sky to the ground." You say grasping his hands. "Once, a Sagan, always a Sagan." You say in unison. He breathes inwards awkwardly, and squeezes your hand. You feel the strength leave him, his hand appearing more withered than usual. His eyes are full of love, and he reaches for Gwyn's hand, who appears behind you, battered but alive. His pupils are diluted and the grow hazel in the evening sun. He smiles crookedly at both of you and the life leaves him. You close his glassy eyes and kiss his forehead. "God bless." The next few hours go by in a flash. All you remember is being helped into the castle, collapsing into a chair, listening to the council tell them that they will not be going to war against Noska, and give them an grudging truce, promising to never attack them again unless they attack you. You bury your brother where you killed him, and after a few years, a tree sprouts. YOU WIN! ---------------------------------- "Another game?" You ask your father, who laughs, and sets up the board. "You may be only 13, but you can already beat me!" He exclaims. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." You say. He wins the next game. ---------------------------------- Several years later, you are on your death bed. Your wife has already passed away but you have another son, who, although is only 17 now, has shown qualities of a good and just King. He fell in love and married the Princess of Noska, Cordelia, and plans to expand the Kingdom. All of the subjects love him, and you smile, the daylight leaving your eyes as you slip slowly into death, welcoming it. You are travelling down a long road, vibrant colours coming out of the ground everywhere you walk. You walk past a pavilion, where you hear cheering and laughter. You feel an urge to go in, but you know your place is elsewhere. Every time you walk past a pavilion you feel like going in, but urge yourself to go on. Soon, you are sitting near a lake.. A golden ship appears in the horizon, and all your loved ones are aboard. You smile again, it is the beginning of the end.

23. Chapter 3: Keep Greyhound a Prisoner Click next for the adventure to continue!

24. Instead of check-mating your king, your opponent takes your rook instead. You raise your eyebrows and think, *Maybe he wants more of a challenge* you mentally set your pieces up. -------------------------------------- "Fine then." You twist his arm behind his back. "Don't think you're getting away too lightly with this." You hiss into his ear, and walk him back, sword against throat. "Stop fighting!" you yell. Everyone looks up in surprise and sees your sword against your brother's throat. The archers of Noska begin to surrender, and eventually, all of them are on their knees. Dragging them back, you lock your brother in the deepest cellar you have, and separate all the others. The council finds him guilty of treason and betrayal to the country, but, since you have intervened, he isn't sentenced to death, but to the coal mines at the south of your country. He is to leave the next morning, in a barred carriage secretly. Now that that's out of the way, you start to prepare for battle. One day later, Noska's forces are right outside your castle gates, you have taken the peasants and your subjects to higher ground, and deep into the mountain passes until the battle is over. Thousands of men and soldiers have lined themselves up into the courtyard and around the castle. Groups of 10 troops patrolling each area of the ground, archers hiding themselves in trees or darkened rooms. However, most of them are standing at the edge of the castle, with many of your bravest knights in between. Soldiers are behind the metal door, that pushes instead of pulls. You, along with your last remaining advisors have suited up into your full armour, with unbreakable chains and your helmet. The flag of Boreia flies proudly as a red sun dawns. Blood will be spilled, but you are determined to let it not be yours. Your sword glitters as the sun's rays bounce off it. The battle starts now, you think grimly, as you snap your helmet into place and watch as your archers strike down many people as the arrows whistle down. It feels like you're wading in the ocean, and as far as you can see, there is only water. You've never dared to venture across there, it's common sense to know that the world is a cube, and you could kill yourself by falling off. But still, you've always wondered what it was like out there, and you have sometimes thought about exploring it. How wrong you are at this very point. Of course, it's not a REAL ocean, but it seems to be a sea of soldiers from Noska, looking like a never ending battle. "AH!!!" You whip around and see your wife being pulled away. "Gwyn???" What on heaven and earth was she doing here? And what was GREYHOUND doing here? You jump onto your horse and ride after him, hate overpowering your emotions more than anything now. You reach a glade, and jump off your horse. At the opposite end, you see King Darrek of Noska and your brother, with a knife against Gwyn's throat. Click next for the next page 

25. "Hello, Brother." You lace the words with contempt. "I see you have made a worthy ally." Darrek snarls and you start to circle each other. Your brother grips the sword harder and makes it dig into Gwyn's neck, causing 3 drops of blood to sprout. "God, don't hurt her!" You wince as Gwyn's face goes slightly pale. "A fight to the death." Darrek smiles evilly. "If I win, I take over your kingdom and you will serve me for the rest of your lives." "And if I win," Your decision is absolute, you don't need to think about it. "Noska will retreat back to their country, and my brother shall be exiled to the highest regions of the mountains. You shall not disturb us again." "You disturbed our peace." "I had every right too." "And what, pray, is that?" "The royal arrow of Noska killed my son." "What?!" Darrek looks surprised. "The arrows of Hauriendam?" "Yes of course." Then it hits you. "You didn't know?" "I am grieved to hear about your son. But that changes nothing." He waves off what you just said and lunges. "Nothing about what?" You parry his strike. Its funny, you think, that both of you can have a very civil conversation in the middle of a war. "Killing my wife!" He brings his sword down on your head. Luckily, you are wearing a thick helmet, but it gets knocked off your head. "Your wife? I had no idea Kristen died." You wait for the impact on your sword but nothing happens. You open your eyes to see Darrek staring at you with his sword high over his head. "What?" His moustache twitches slightly. "I said, I had no idea-" "I know what you said, but then who killed her? There was a knife of Boreia stuck in her." You wince slightly, imagining what that would've been like to find your wife killed. Your wife...Gwyn! You look around frantically and see Greyhound slinking off with her, bound up and gagged. "Oi!" You run after him, completely surprising Darrek, who was in the middle of his speech. "GWYN!" Something whistles past your ear, and you feel something warm dripping down." You reach your hand up and touch blood. And then you see your brother, hanging from a tree with a knife stuck in his chest. Gwyn was panting beside him, feeling her neck for any bruises. You hold her, help her to her feet. "Are you hurt?" You ask her, concerned. "No, not any fatal injuries anyway." She replies, distractedly. At this point you notice your brother, who is gaping slightly at Darrek. "You blood traitor." He hisses. You chuckle slightly, after getting staked your brother still has the energy to insult someone. "I think the only blood traitor here is you." Darrek says coldly. He nods goodbye to you, and leaves on his horse like nothing happened. You glance at your brother, who looks stubbornly ahead. "This didn't have to happen-" you start, wiping blood off his face. He takes you hand off it. "Everything happens for a reason brother." He squeezes your hand and then it falls down, lifeless. You heave a sad sigh, and ride back to the castle, victorious. YOU WIN! ------------------------ "Oh, you've got to be JOKING with me!" Your brother explodes, desperately looking for a way to un-checkmate his King, but you have him surrounded. "Alright then, you win this one, but I'll get you next time!" he warns you, packing the chess box away. You roll your eyes. "Alright then."