GAMBIT

Above the old man"s galore is a hanging chandelier filled with silky cobwebs. The candles burned luminously, ever-extending its warmest hue. On the sides of Balthasar"s abode were rows of cylinder-shaped bookshelf filled with parched novels and books.

From the upper corner, a bird of prey dashed an inch away from the young man"s hair. It landed on Balthasar"s wooden yet bizarre-looking staff.

"Deepest apology, this is Axis, and she"s not quite fond of having strangers around here," Balthasar uttered with a hoa.r.s.e throat as his barren hands tickled the owl"s chin.

Axis is known as Balthasar"s pet. Her wings are painted with the hues of winter, and her eyes are apparently gargantuan. She glanced at Quartz with a peculiar look, just like a connoisseur evaluating a suspect.

"She"s an owl," Quartz uttered with a heavy breath.

"You are indeed correct young man. Axis has been by my side for almost thirty years. She may be observant at times, but don"t worry she doesn"t bite." Balthasar alleviated.

"So, you were found in the middle of a siege? How peculiar for the same scenario has happened to me eighty years ago?" Balthasar walked closer to Quartz. He stared upon his pupils, trying to observe his hidden soul. Quartz flinched in response.

"S... same scenario?" Quartz"s voice stuttered. A small sweat plummeted down his complexion.

"I am not of this world young man, for I too am of Earth. I have not formally introduced myself haven"t I?

My name is Balthasar Bluemagic, some may refer to me as a wizard while some may refer to me as a wise old man."

"Earth?! Yes, so that means you know where Rome is right?" Quartz beamed with relief and eagerness to return back to his homeland.

"Of course, but I"d rather not pour any more details about our world into this one. Returning back to Rome is like finding a place which never exists. Both of us are sent here for a purpose, and every purpose has its rewards in the end." Balthasar muttered unto the young man"s ears.

"What do you mean? I"m stuck here forever?! I am still uncertain of how I got here." Quartz exaggerated.

"Believe me, both of us are searching for the same answer. Even a wise man like me can"t answer the mysteries behind my own past.

It was all because of a Chess Board. Sli Gacchi. My father found it under the depths of the Mediterranean Sea during his expedition. I grew curious about the game, and did things which up to this day I regret doing.

I myself, played with a ghost. A lifeless siege slowly harnessing my energy. When I woke up from such traumatic events, I found myself resting inside a glorious room.

The king during that time, raised me as his own and thought me many things about their world which in return forged me into a wise old man today. I never told him, I wasn"t part of their world.

I am sorry, but I do believe when the war is over, everything will return to normal." Balthasar uttered with a solemnity.

"War? What do you mean by that? If you are a human, then why do you look like a creature which exceeds the age of one hundred? Gli Sacchi, that name sounds familiar to me by the way." Quartz continued to spew out questions, with eagerness to know the answer behind them.

"I believe the system of Sacchi is different from the system of Earth. Here, one hundred years is somewhat equivalent to one year on Earth. I calculated it through my hypothesis.

Anyways, about the war. Let me explain to you, how everything started, how the power of one vanished because of mere ideals.

Long ago, the people of Sacchi were united as one nation under one sovereign, under one king. This legend is so old, that even I couldn"t remember the name of the king.

Now this king has a high reputation for being humble and compa.s.sionate to his people, and thus the government and the people were in perfect sync, forging a strong unity.

One night, an angel in the form of a red hawk descended unto the King"s balcony carrying a blessing. The angel was astounded by the people"s unity, so she decided to give them a gift worth more than diamonds.

The king was given a l.u.s.trous...o...b..that exemplifies the power of one and as long as it glows, the people will always live in harmony.

One night, the king fell ill, hence he decided to pa.s.s his leadership to his eldest son. When the eldest son becomes the new king, he will become in charge of everything, including the orb.

However, the younger brother got jealous for he wanted the orb for his own will. This sparked a war between two parties, those who supported the elder brother and those who supported the younger brother.

The unity of Sacchi crumbled, and the order was destroyed. Both sides fought because of greed over the orb, so the angel decided to punish the people.

In the midst of a siege, she descended gracefully and separated the orb into two. The orb of purity went to the elder brother and thus the Pureheart kingdom was born. The orb of Wither, went to the younger brother and thus the Witherheart kingdom was born.

The angel however spared mercy to both sides, and gave an opportunity for unity to rise again. "Disturb not the harmony of these sacred land lest these two t.i.tans wreck destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the Sacchi"s Great Guardian shall arise to quell the fighting alone its song will fail. Thus the land shall turn to dust. O, Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all treasures. Their unity combined tame the beast of chaos and restore the power of one." These are the words uttered by the angel herself.

Months turned into years, and many kings misinterpreted the angel"s statement. Both sides tried to claim each other"s...o...b..for the kingdom which combines both orbs rules the whole land under one leadership." Balthasar uttered while reading the book pertaining to his statements.

The young man was indeed astounded by the history of this land. Things started to seem clear, and his bewildered mind finally settled. What caught Quartz"s attention the most was the prophecy uttered by the angel, he couldn"t do anything but to think of it all over again.

"Disturb not the harmony of these sacred land lest these two t.i.tans wreck destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the Sacchi"s Great Guardian shall arise to quell the fighting alone its song will fail. Thus the land shall turn to dust. O, Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all treasures. Their unity combined tame the beast of chaos and restore the power of one" He uttered to his mind. As a history enthusiast, he is quite fond of reading prophecies or folklore of the golden eras.

Two questions still remain, why was he sent here, and how can he return? As for Balthasar Bluemagic, he felt relief to know that he wasn"t the only human in this begotten world. Their key back to Earth still remains a mystery to uncover.