GAMBIT

"Balthasar Bluemagic, I have brought Quartz with me." The princess calls from the outskirts of the tower while knocking to the parched door.

Balthasar answers the call and opens the door which emits a squeaky noise. With Axis, clinging on his staff, Balthasar welcomes the two of them to enter his abode.

"Fine evening isn"t it?" With a hoa.r.s.e throat, Balthasar greets the two of them. He then instructs the princess and the young man to take a seat in front of an old yet decent table.

"Abuelo, why have you called us in such a late night?" The princess queries. Balthasar responds with a smile as he places a box on the table and takes a seat, parallel to where they are facing.

"I am sure, you are familiar with this game?" Balthasar a.s.sumes, displaying familiar pieces to the young man.

"Ch-Chess?" The young man replies in a stuttering manner after seeing a chess set similar to the Sli Gacchi.

"That is correct, and you are here for I have challenged you to a simple game of Chess." Patting Quartz"s soldiers, the wise man praises his reply as he continues to set up the board.

"Balthasar is a tough opponent," Jupiter warns and decides to help Balthasar in setting up the pieces.

"You"ve played Chess before?" Quartz tilts his head to the princess and queries.

"Of course. In fact, Balthasar is the man who introduced the game to me when I was young. After being interested, I"ve decided to ask him to teach me about this game." Jupiter responds, remembering her first memories with the board game.

The simple chess match begins. Quartz has gained control over the black pieces, while the white pieces belong to the white. The princess on the other hand will serve as a spectator and perhaps play along with the use of her mind.

Balthasar has the first move. He starts the game with the common Queen"s Gambit mechanism by moving the queen"s p.a.w.n two tiles upwards.

Clearly, Quartz is uncertain about Balthasar"s techniques for this is his second time playing the game. He responds with a casual move, placing the king"s p.a.w.n, two tiles ahead.

Seeing the Quartz"s move, the princess notices he"s leading the white into zugzw.a.n.g. She tilts her head to Balthasar"s side to see his response.

The game continues for more than a minute and Balthasar decides to sacrifice his p.a.w.n. For the young man, he thought the wise man"s move was a blunder.

Gladly, Quartz takes down the p.a.w.n, but in the princess and Balthasar"s perspective, the young man has accepted the queen"s gambit which would soon cause further damage to the black"s side if the upcoming situations are not handled properly.

The clock reaches midnight, and the game continues. However, Quartz is already in a tight spot. With only a rook, bishop, and some p.a.w.ns, the young man offers a resignment.

"You are giving up too quickly," Balthasar responds and declines the offer.

"I am an amateur when it comes to this game. Clearly, my tactics do not match the tactics of a wise man."

"Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." Balthasar leans to the young man, and murmurs to his ears.

"If a man believes in miracles, he can sometimes perform them, even if he is in a tight situation. King"s Knight to b6 will force my Rook to A8, leading the game into a better ending.

Life is like a game of Chess, to win you have to make a move. Knowing which move to make comes with in-sight and knowledge and by learning the lessons that are acc.u.mulated along the way, we become each of every piece of the game called life." Balthasar inspires, in hopes to lift the young man"s confidence.

Hearing the exact same words that Balthasar told her when she was an amateur chess player like Quartz, Jupiter Braveheart smirks.

"You did not challenge me to play Chess didn"t you?" Quartz questions with his left eyebrow raised.

"Seeing you fight during the siege has proven yourself as a man of courage. I wanted to see if that was true for a courageous man does not give up, no matter how fierce the storm is."

"B... but, why test me in a game of Chess?" Quartz continues to query.

"For in the idea of Chess and the development of the chess mind, we have the picture of the intellectual struggle of mankind," Balthasar replies with the exact words he told the princess during the time the princess has queried the same question.

The night becomes deeper, and Balthasar has made the decision to end the match in order for the young man and the princess to rest. Leaving the tower, Quartz has learned a powerful and inspiring lesson from the wise old man.

After hearing his words, Quartz has pledged to himself to take Balthasar"s words sincerely in order to use it in the upcoming sieges. A courageous man can perform miracles, that"s if he believes in himself. Only a matter time is left, before another siege is declared.