Volume 02 - Chapter 02: 8-legged-Spider

// Kiyotaka Ayanokoji //

Sitting across the old elf, Virion Eralith, my eyes stayed glued to the white cup with teal engraving over it. A small cloud of mist raised up from the cup, as its temperature dropped just enough so I could take a sip from it.

The black liquid moved sideways as I gave a slight twirl to the cup from its base. Bringing it close to my mouth, I placed my lips over the corner and took a small sip. The lukewarm liquid entered my mouth making its way down my throat, "You seem to have improved", I remarked, looking at the wide sets of traps and feints set up by Virion.

Virion rested his chin on the palm of his hand as his fingers backed off from his 'Knight', "And you seem to be holding back more than usual". His face was impassive as his eyes meekly looked all around the board. Removing his chin, he bent forward and picked up his cup as soon as I placed my own down.

Leading with the Rook, I jumped it three horizontal squares, taking out his second knight. A smirk formed over his face as I relaxed and placed my back against the chair. "You fall for some really obvious traps. I don't know if you're trying to lose on purpose or I am really getting better at it but guess I will get my first win today", he spoke as he took out my Rook with his queen, aligning a straight path to my king.

"Check", he spoke softly, interlinking his fingers and resting his face over it.

"Never celebrate when you've won a battle", I said as I silently took away his Queen with my pawn, "especially when the war has just begun", I muttered as he left the comfort of his chair and stood up.

There it is.

The same disbelief in his eyes that I've seen hundreds of times in the eyes of people who saw what I was capable of.

It is always implied to look at the big picture. When someone takes this advice way too seriously, their basic defenses become compromised. The small building blocks are what make the foundation of a long-term victory. While looking at the bigger picture of "Checking" me, he totally forgot about the pawn just one diagonal square away.

A pawn can usually not take out a queen when a king is in check. However, if that move can free the king out of its CHECK, then a pawn is allowed to take the opposing queen out. Since the only threat to my king was the reckless queen, once it was out, my king was in the safest corner again. All I had to do now was compromise the defense. His offense focused strategy was a good change from his normal defense focused.

But,

Haste makes waste.

Stroking his long beard, he continued to look down on the chess board, a frown housing on his wrinkled face. "The queen is substantial. Lose the queen and you'll lose most of your assets", I advised, taking out another piece.

"Even more than the king?" Virion spoke as he desperately made a fortress of pawns around the king.

One pawn or hundred. They never make a difference.

"The king must remain in the shadows", I said, taking out a pawn such that I am not compromised by their diagonal shift, "the queen should get the hands dirty. But when the time comes, the king has to leave the contour of deception and stand alongside it. The others...", my voice trailed off as I saw Virion take out my knight.

"Good", I complimented, a morbid satisfaction at seeing him take out my second piece since we started playing.

"The others what?" Virion asked, prompting me to continue my previous line.

"The others... never hesitate to dispose of them off. No matter the personal attachment or preference." I said and looked into his eyes. He was looking at me intently. His eyes showed something I had seen in myself.

A thirst for knowledge, like a sititent longing for water. Bubbling, exploding curiosity like a volcano.

"I see", he said as he looked down. "Another loss, huh?" He spoke to himself rather than me as he looked at his King, cornered and unable to escape.

"Who knows. Have you given up?" I asked.

"It's not a matter of me giving up, brat. There is no counter for this. It's a deadlock", he said, taking a huge last sip of his tea.

"And what if the situation arises in real life? What will you do?" I asked.

He looked at me, flabbergasted at the out of the blue question. However, I needed to learn how he would deal with such a situation.

"Real life would be different. We are not bound by rules", he spoke and then looked down at the chess and then at me. I nodded as he continued talking, "many things can be done... like this", he spoke as he picked the king out of the deadlock and knocked my own king out, disregarding the set rules for the movement of the King. "Like this."

"And what if something like this happens?" I asked as I picked his knocked-out queen and placed it in the middle of my black pieces.

He looked at me once again, this time at a loss for words. Instead of replying he did the same with my piece, picking up the black queen and placing it in the middle of multiple white pieces. "What would you do, may I ask?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Give up on it", I replied in a near instant.

His eyes widened, "Why?"

"It's simple. There is no morality when it comes to matters like this. You can either be a victor or a person with morals and principles." I replied and paused, "There will definitely be a time when you have to decide, Virion", I called him by his name and then looked to his right, where Aludin has been sitting, keenly seeing and listening to everything we have been exchanging.

"So... what would be your decision?" I asked him once again.

"I..."

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"Virtuousness and Hypocrisy will often walk hand-in-hand."

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// Virion Eralith //

Staring at the moonlit ceiling in my room, I let my mind wander to the recent years of my life. The past 4 years to be exact.

Many things that I deemed as impossible because of my narrow-mindedness became a living reality right in-front of my eyes. Ever since the boy, Arthur, arrived, life has been nothing but constant shocks and jaw-drops. Even regarding him as a mere 'boy' leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

I was a king... a general... a master strategist.

And yet, I never felt so overwhelmed by someone. Not raw power, not luck or mere intuitions. Just pure intellect. When he first arrived here, I saw him as a brat who just happened to have been born with a good talent for magic. However, I was proven wrong.

His real strength wasn't his magic potential. He never even relied on it. Or more like he never needed to use his real talent for magic. His intellect was something that made me feel like a tiny speck of dust. Like I wasn't even a drop in the vast ocean he was.

It's almost as if he wasn't a 7-year-old but rather a sage who had done nothing in life other than shut himself and gained all the knowledge in this world.

There was a certain air around him. The air of perfection. As if he was the only perfect being in this world. But the thing that stood out the most were his eyes... the eyes that saw through everything. The eyes that knew everything. Like all of this world was his game of chess and we were his pieces on both sides.

A subtle scoff escaped my lips which echoed in my ears because of the serene calm of the night. Maybe it was all just my paranoia. Me slowly going senile. Even if a huge portion of me told me that the boy was more than what he seems, I refused to accept it.

Why?

Because I am concerned. Concerned for myself and all those who oppose him. I've felt it clearly... his nature... A Silent Storm. His actions were aggressive, veiled under the sheen of his passive nature and the mask he puts on.

Maybe it was all just me overthinking. He was a boy. A 7-Year-Old one at that.

And I want to believe that. Believe it's all just my paranoia. I can accept myself being paranoid more easily than imagine the fate of this world if anyone ever messed up his perfect life.

For all he desired was a normal life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standing on the balcony, I took a deep breath. I looked down at my cup, placed on the balustrade of the balcony. The contents of the cup rippled as a muffled shockwave ran through the whole palace.

"Looks like they're at it again", I sighed. It was a common practice for us now, this time in the morning so not only me but everyone else had gotten used to it. Arthur and little one used to practice at this time of the morning.

One of the other impossible acts that the boy did was awaken Tessia at an early age. It was supposed to be a natural phenomenon, but he seems to have even seen through this. According to him, it had something to do with him being quadra-elemental. Although, he said it was a way of him showing his gratitude towards us, it seemed like something else.

Walking over to the other balcony, where I could clearly see them, I let my eyes wander. Sparks of lightning frizzante everywhere as Arthur's sword of ice clobbered against Tessia's plant defenses. One after another, huge vines fell to the ground as he kept cutting them seamlessly.

"About time", I whispered to myself. As if on cue, his sword bypassed every defense and stopped just a hairbreadth away from her neck. A frustrated look appeared over the little one's face but got rid of it as she dropped her sword.

It was finally the day Arthur would go back.

Looking down I saw Arthur extend his hand and pull Tess up to her feet. A warm feeling invaded my chest as I saw a genuine smile over Tess' face. However, as much as it delighted me to see her like this- happy and content around Arthur, it made me equally sad. A sudden melancholy loomed over me like the shadow of a lofty tree at dawn.

Arthur was someone blessed in every way possible. Maturity, Intellect and an incomprehensible amount of talent in magic. And above all he was a man of purpose.

"Sometimes we have to make choices, Virion."

His statement from last night echoed in my mind like a distant rumble of lightning. A bad premonition infiltrated my mind, making shivers run down my spine. I could feel it. His piercing gaze at me as he looked in my direction from the corner of his eye.

"Scary brat."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This carriage will take you to the floating city of Xyrus." I said, handing a compass with royal insignia engraved in it, "and this will help you get here with ease. Just show it to the guards."

Arthur took it and held it in his hands. Tracing his finger over the engraved insignia he looked at it for a brief moment and slid it inside his pocket, "Thanks."

"Art... ?" Tess chimed in. Her hair was still a mess, roughly tied in a ponytail as she made her way towards him.

"Are you going already?" She asked, stopping a few steps away from him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder and then finally turned to her. They stayed silent for a brief moment, just staring at each other. I wanted to leave but before I could do so, I heard a murmur, "I see."

Tess spoke, looking down, holding her arm. Arthur's bond Sylvie jumped from her arms towards Arthur, not looking back even once. His bond at times seemed to be the exact replica of him.

Arthur stayed silent and just nodded, confirming her thoughts.

"Will we meet again?" She asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Who knows", he replied. A typical reply from him, every time he wanted to end a conversation.

"But...", he said, getting both of our attention, "better land a hit next time, if we meet." He spoke and turned around, walking towards the carriage. I looked at his back and then at Tessia, who had a determined look and a smile that radiated because of him giving her hope.

It worries me.

Is the hope real or is he giving it to her, just to take it away?

// Blaine Glayder //

Sitting in my room, I kept my gaze plastered over my goblet. Twirling it, I saw the red contents move in a circular motion.

I looked towards the door of the room, feeling an overwhelming mana signature.

*knock knock*

The door knocked gently, followed by a slight rustle caused by a dry leaf that managed to sneak in through the window.

"Come in", I called out. The door opened to reveal a young girl. Her hair was white and in the form of bangs that fell just above her eyes. With quick steps she walked and halted In Front of me- giving me a stiff bow.

"At ease, Varay." I said and sighed, placing the wine to a side and left the support of my chair, looking at her.

"What is it about?" I asked, not sure of the reason of her arrival.

"It's about the recent events happening in Etistin", she replied.

My eyes widened as I jerked up from my seat.

"WHO IS IT?" I roared.

"I still haven't been able to locate him or her or know of their identity. But there is a name by which a person who survived them calls them with", She reported in her usual monotone voice.

The cause of my so many problems. Finally... even if it's a name, It's enough for now.

"What is their name?"

"The man told me it was a short heighted female. He wasn't sure if it was a girl or a woman, since her appearances and demeanour contradicted each other. Among the people who know her, she is known as..." Varay stopped as she looked at me, her brown eyes peering deep into my own, "The 8-legged-spider."

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(A/n There... done. It's 2.5k now. It was 2k before, but I was prompted to make it 2.5k.)

(E/n Should be 2.5k given the amount of wait)