by Damon Glatz
Falko did the math quickly.
"I see you are using a spy." He smiled. "I expected that from you."
A spy was the second special piece, it looked exactly like a pawn in every way. It moves exactly like a pawn, however, it cannot take other pieces. But, if your spy is captured by the enemy, the capturing piece is also removed from the board. It’s a deliberately sacrificial maneuver, however, Galius liked it because it made all of his pawns untrustworthy, and Falko had to consider the risk of capturing any of them.
Spies carry a weight of two. So, when a board is set up, and your opponent does a mental count of your men, and your total exceeds what it should be by one, one of the pawns must be a spy. Masters are very good at this skill. Falko was no exception.
Nothing is going to get past him.
Galius moved one of his pawns forward.
He motioned with his hand, telling Falko it was his move.
How much does he know? This game is being played for a reason.
Falko moved a ship through a crack in his pawn line without saying a word.
He moved fast, he knew his move already.
Galius moved a chariot forward.
"Can we agree, that just for now, we remain honest with each other? Let's both pretend to have some dignity shall we?" Falko made a slight motion with his hand and slid one of his stone pieces without touching it, revealing to Galius he had, in fact, gained control of the Earth Mythic powers.
"I think I can agree to that." Galius moved another piece without reacting at all to the power Falko just casually displayed. They exchanged movements for a moment in silence.
"You know," Falko spoke in his usual stern voice, he glanced up and leaned back on his chair. "The Game of Kings holds a very interesting place in history."
"Does it?" Galius played along.
Falko and Galius moved their pieces back and forth in a steady rhythm as they spoke.
"The game was played by Ashland kings, thus its name, in the dawn before a battle." Galius met Falko's eyes for a moment. "It was believed that the winner of the game would predict the outcome of the battle. Sometimes kings would even surrender after a humiliating loss in the game, wishing to avoid such a terrible defeat in real life."
"Yes, I've heard some of those stories as well."
"Yes, it’s true. Fascinating. I like to believe I am a man of tradition. In its own way, I do appreciate that this game can provide, at least some insight, on a battle before its drums sound." Falko gave a slight chuckle. "We are both ‘kings’ in our own way? Interestingly enough. Don't you agree?"
Galius glared up to Falko. "Yes... In our own way." Galius leaned back. "I also feel inclined to agree that, yes, I have already learned quite a bit from this."
Falko leaned forward. "Please, indulge me."
Galius thought for a moment. "Your moves are premeditated, you have prepared your strategy long before the game even started." Falko gave a slight smirk. "Your forces are fast and many. You see strength in numbers rather than power pieces, hopefully getting your saboteur across to use your enemy’s strength against him."
"Very observant."
Falko deliberately let one of Galius pawns move past his lines instead of taking it. Galius questioned the decision.
"You know what is more useful than a dead spy?" Falko asked. Galius raised an eyebrow. "Using him for yourself. You see, a spy, as long as he believes his identity is unknown, is completely harmless. As this game so brilliantly makes clear. He lurks about and makes a fool of himself. It is when you expose that agent, that he becomes dangerous. At that point, keeping his cover is irrelevant, and he is unpredictable. Keeping him believing he is fooling me, all of his moves are predictable. And killing him is a complete waste, though some advisors would disagree. I fear not the enemy I can see. And my enemy sees only what I want him to see."
Falko captured one of Galius other pawns with a chariot.
"What about the enemy you can't see?" Galius lifted his pawn, revealing an "S" carved under its base. Something every spy piece has to identify itself from other pawns. He removed both the spy and Falko's chariot from the board.
"Well done," Falko said quietly while rubbing his chin.
"As you most eloquently put... ‘My enemy sees only what I want it to see.’ Sometimes, you give your enemy what he wants to see, in order to cover the identity of something you don't. Thus, distracting him from your true intentions."
"What are your true intentions, Galius?" Falko spoke inquisitively.
"The same as yours; to win the game."
Falko smiled. "Of course."
Galius thought for a moment. How long has Falko known? Possibly since the beginning, he knew I was part of the Order. He kept me in the advisory council so he could keep an eye on me, it makes sense now.
Falko reflected on the conversation. Is Galius suggesting there is another of his Order in the Senate? No. He just wants me to doubt the council. Distract me from my plans. I need to keep him talking.
Falko moved a chariot into a position that Galius could capture it, at the expense of losing one of his own chariots. Galius hesitated to take the trade.
"All of my men." Falko stared at Galius in the eyes. "Are willing to give their lives for the empire. Are your men so dedicated?"
"Any of my men would die to save another. They are not so quick to sacrifice themselves on another man's ideals." Galius avoided the trade.
Falko shook his head and moved his piece again, offering another trade.
"You are mistaken. It is not my ideals they fight for. It is the ideals of our country, the promise of a better tomorrow. I am the embodiment of those ideals. I am shaped by the wants and needs of my people. I am the one that will make their dreams possible. They trust me with their lives to do my job, so that future generations may reap the benefits of their sacrifice and my leadership."
Galius took a moment to sit back and study Falko.
"At what cost must men pay for peace? A peace that we have already achieved. Do not pretend that your goals are noble ones. Do not fool yourself into thinking you fight for the good of the people. Because when the dust clears, you plan on sitting at a throne of the Gods, built by the hands of men." Galius glanced down and moved a pawn forward.
"Perhaps, you are right." Falko lifted a pawn off the board and admired it for a moment before moving it forward. "But humanity will always need someone to put their faith into. Someone bigger than themselves. And they will so blindly follow that faith. They will lose a part of themselves in the process and soon, that faith will define them. To lose that faith would be to lose who they are. It matters not if that faith turns out to be wrong, or unjust, they have already sold their soul to it... Because sometimes, admitting that your faith is wrong, is worse than death."
Galius paused. "How painfully true that is." He began moving his Mythic into the battle.
"Interesting," Falko mumbled after a moment.
"What’s that?"
"Usually, those who play with a Mythic send it out early, to cause as much damage as they can. You waited longer than I expected."
"A flaw of mine, I admit. I play quite defensively."
"That is evident."
"I like to get a good read on my opponent before I begin my offensive. It is important to understand how they will react to certain things."
"Hesitance can also lead to missed opportunities. While you have been sitting back and planning, I've been moving forward and taking the advantage. Knowledge is crucial, but not at the expense of gaining the upper hand in battle. Opportunity is the crucible for engaging your enemy. Decisiveness is the catalyst for victory."
"Well put, but mistakes are made when caution has deemed a hindrance. Information is just as important as a first strike. Retreating often leads to future victories. Pulling an eager opponent into striking distance in order to surround them."
"Perhaps it is just me then. I have never played against someone who uses patience effectively. Maybe I can learn
something from this strategy."
"We both have things yet to learn. That is the reason for this game, I presume."
"You are correct." Falko lost a second cavalry to Galius' Mythic. He then moved his last ship across to capture the Mythic. Two turns later, he successfully moved his Saboteur across the back line and traded it out for the defeated Mythic.
"Had I waited, that would have been impossible."
"Yes, it was well played."
Falko had his saboteur waiting at the edge for a few turns. When the time to strike, he moved it across and took the Mythic for himself.
Falko let me use the Mythic, with the intent of taking it for himself. Interesting, it’s not the first time he's done that.
Galius lost a few more pieces to the Mythic before it was finally recaptured. At this point, the game was fairly even. Both had lost a substantial force of men. They each wondered if the other would surrender.
"This has been quite the enjoyable match," Falko said while pondering his next move.
"This is the problem with traditional games."
"No, I've been keeping score. I would have won earlier if we played tournament rules. It can be assumed your play style would have been different though, had it been that way. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Traditional rules require more than numbers, like war itself, it is not so structured. It requires you to break your enemy. Without question. Not all battles have a clear winner. Sometimes, you just take enough away to ensure your next victory. That is what makes Kings so interesting."
Galius studied the board. They had decimated each other. Neither side could pull out a victory. The fight had been fairly matched throughout. Neither ever had the upper hand. Both forces completely destroyed with neither one coming out victorious.
"Perhaps," Galius spoke quietly. "The only thing to come from battle is death. This war is a lost cause."
Falko stood up from the table. "I look forward to our next match, Galius. You have proven to be a worthy adversary. I regret, however, that we are on opposing sides." Falko turned to walk out of the room but hesitated before leaving. He stood in silence for a long moment as if he was making up his mind on something. "Then again... Some things are more important than sport."
Galius stood. "This is more than a game, Falko. Lives are at stake. You know what will happen if we go ahead with this. Now. Right now. You and I can end all of this before it begins. We can save thousands of lives, and avoid tearing up our nations. We can both compromise and come to peace, today."
Falko stood motionless for another moment. "I thought we agreed to be honest to one another Galius. You disappoint me." Falko shook his head quietly. "One last thing." He turned to face his adversary. "You said your men would not die for another's cause yet your spy was a purely sacrificial move. Why?"
Galius took a deep breath. "Because sometimes... Sometimes a soldier knows his place and gives his life for the rest of his men... So they won't have to suffer the same fate. A soldier knows his role from the first move. He does what he must... For his family."
Falko nodded.
"I am truly sorry then." Falko frowned and closed the door behind him.
Galius gave a smirk. "It's been an honor."
There was a quiet ripping sound from the center of the room. Galius grimaced and looked down. A sword had torn through his robes. Blood had begun to run down his clothes. The sword was slowly pulled out from his back.
Galius dropped to a knee.
Funny... I can't feel a thing...
A tall pale woman walked in front of him. She wiped the blood from her sword before returning it to her back. She stared Galius in the eyes while his breathing grew slower.
"You're the oracle? Deyanira? I've heard about you." He spoke between breaths, he placed his hand on his stomach in a poor attempt to stop the bleeding.
"You should have stayed out of this. We could have used you later on." Her voice was low and dark. She seemed agitated at his comment.
Galius had to clear his throat.
The blade must be poisoned... It’s working quicker than I thought.
"A friend of mine is looking for you. I think she wants to have a few words."
Galius coughed up a few speckles of blood. He wiped his mouth.
"We did what we had to do. Falko's plan is more important than any one person. Not you, not me."
Galius nodded. "Thought you'd say something like that."
Is she just gonna watch me die here? Falko is very thorough, I'll give him that.
"Listen... Deyanira... I'm not gonna make it much longer... So, just fill me in." Galius watched her eyes carefully. "What is your plan anyway? What’s the end game? Falko can't only be interested in conquest. There is something else going on. What's this all about?"
"If you aren't going to last much longer." Deyanira frowned. "Then why does that concern you?"
Galius nodded. "Fair... Didn't hurt to try I guess."
Marcus... Ohitekah... Daisuke... Sierra... I trust you all... I did my best. I did what I had to do. Forgive me for leaving you like this. We can beat him.
Galius let out a smile "We're coming for you. You better be watching your back, Oracle."
"Such a waste."
Galius fell to his side. The puddle of blood filling the room of the Senate floor. Deyanira took a few steps back without taking her eyes off him. Making sure the job was followed through.
We can beat him.
Chapter Twenty Six
Fleas on the back of a Dragon
"Wait here," Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered.
Daisuke stood in the center of the Hall of Tranquility, the Emperor’s throne room. The emerald chair of the Emperor stood atop its marble staircase. Daisuke remembered the last time he was here. Being banished from the empire. Back then, he would have done anything the Emperor asked, he was terrified of what he himself could do. What he had done to his own people. Ashamed of himself and his role in history.
But not anymore. Shame, honor, loyalty. Things that were not important anymore. They mattered not in the grand scale of what is to come. The Emperor has to listen. He has to send forces.
There is too much to lose to fail.
Large decorated doors opened to the right of the throne. The Emperor of the Feng Dynasty was escorted in a large jeweled palanquin carried by four men. The Emperor himself was obscured by a thin silk veil.
Daisuke lowered himself to his knees and bowed with his head touching the floor, along with every man in the room.
"Daisuke Yoshimori," The Emperor spoke in a strange voice. It was higher than he expected.
How old is he? I knew the emperor was young but he sounds like a child. This will make negotiations a challenge.
"Your Imperial Majesty... It is an honor." Daisuke rose from his bow.
"Was it not my ancestor, Emperor Zhao, who ordered your banishment in the first year of the third age?"
"That is true, your highness."
"You come back to my palace, with soldiers, and destroy my city gate. You threaten to burn my palace and my people. I see my ancestor was perhaps wrong to banish you. Your punishment was too lenient for your crimes."
"With respect—"
"You were never given permission to speak!" The Emperor opened the veil of his palanquin. He must have been no older than Ohitekah. The child had his hair braided and down his back. He wore green and golden silk robes that covered most of his frail figure. He stood up and walked a few paces forward and stared Daisuke in the eyes from atop his platform. "You are no more than a Ronin disobeying orders. Growing up I was warned about you. The risk of your return. To challenge my authority. My rule. You are a danger to us all."
Daisuke frowned. He could hear men moving outside the doors of the throne room.
I miscalculated. This Emperor was never willing to listen to me. He has never experienced war, his advisors only know inner political conflict, which is all they teach him. He is not ready for what I need of him.
"Your Highness, I have a dire warning for you. I have news that can save or destroy our nation."
"This is not our nation. This nation wants none of you Daisuke. It is said that Emperors are the children of the gods. Higher than men, immortal."
Daisuke rested his hand on the hilt of his blade.
"It is time the Emperors took the power of the dragon for themselves. Become the rulers have always meant to be." The emperor continued.
"You promised to protect myself and my men if I came inside. We had a deal."
"You were to be banished forever from my Empire! Yet here you are! I do not trust your word. Guards!"
The doors burst open and Daisuke was surrounded by archers, they all drew back and took aim at him.
Daisuke clenched his teeth.
"Everything I have done... I have done for our people." He squeezed the hilt of his katana. "You... Your men... They are no threat to me... They are meaningless... Fleas on the back of a dragon... If one of your men let loose an arrow there will be nothing stopping me from burning this entire city to the ground." Daisuke locked eyes with the young emperor. “I am done trying to compromise for what is needed. You will listen to what I have to say."
The Emperor paused.
"You dare?"
Daisuke erupted into an aura of swirling red flames that orbited his body.
"There is too much at stake to let your arrogance dictate my actions. If you want your people to live, heed my warning."
The emperor backed down, his eyes wide in terror. Daisuke cooled his flames a notch.
"Emperor Falko, to the south, has an army of men primed to conquer the world. Your Dynasty is his greatest threat, he will strike at you fast and hard. My men are preparing a counter-attack to his invasion and are preparing to defend the central plains before he can make his way north. I advise you to send reinforcements to the tribesmen so we may crush his crusade before he crosses into their land. By defending the tribes, we are defending the people of our nation. If he succeeds in occupying the plains, he can strike us from anyplace, at any time. We must strike him first."
