Scheme

Hugo stared at the black, crow-headed cane and wondered why Liam had to activate the king and queen pieces.

He stared at the man with a questioning look, but like always, Liam just smiled and pointed back to the screen.

Hugo sighed and redirected his vision back to the wreckage on the hologram. It showcased a sand wasteland where the only intact things were the king and queen pieces and the mansion.

He focused his attention on the four pieces instead of the mansion. He noticed their movements from the moment he looked at the feed again.

A king piece transformed from the dormant state into a handsomely chiselled sculpture wearing robes embroidered with gold and made from the finest red silk. The sculpture didn't look like a normal stone when it transformed. Its face and skin gained a rosy complexion to them and its features felt almost natural.