A heavy slap followed by an abrupt violent motion send various finely carved marble, ‘trump,’ pieces about the war room of the Latinikon keep. The men posted beyond the room’s heavy oaken doors flinch and the ‘acquired women,’ within cower down as the muffled sounds of screams resonate throughout the keep. “Mmmngng-CHEAT!” and “PLOUGHIN-Mngmmng” are heard in the room. A few officers even rush inside to see the commotion, only to leave as quickly as they came, their faces red of embarrassment from the relentless shouts of the Latinikon’s Domestikos. The floor of the war room had scattered pieces strewn across its wood floor, and one of the crenellations on the tower’s piece was chipped off. Meanwhile, throughout this rage, the Domestikos’ opponent keeps a wide smirk, feet placed atop the table and arms crossed in triumph. “Ye’ sure ye’ know this game?,” Kadder slides his feet off the table and stands, beginning to gather the various pieces about the room, “I mean, I’ve played with a few others. They’d taken a’ least 12 turns, man. Come, you’ve arse an’ breast on yer’ min’ yeah?” Coming across the chipped piece, he cringes deeply, “‘oreson…”. Belisar lowers his shouts into an angry and incoherent grumble as he stares out the window, arms crossed in a fury equally represented in his eyes and flaring nostrils. Remaining silent, he stares and watches as a light snow begins to fall, coating the mountains and frozen river below with yet another layer of white frost. Belisar gives a loud snort, and finally concedes, spinning about and stomping to collect the pieces he had thrown in his rage, scooping up the Knight and the Bishop and other pieces, slamming them down onto the gameboard between the two. Belisar slumps into his seat, leaning back as he breathes a heavy breath through his nostrils, flaring intensely as he stares to the clumped pieces before them. Kadder gestures to the board, smirking, “Another, Bastard?” Belisar gives a mumbling reply, only assumed to be a yes, and the two begin to rearrange their pieces. When both sides are set and a nod from Belisar serving as his voice of consent for another game, they begin once more.
. . .
An hour passing, the two take slowed turns, carefully eying the board lain before them. Muttering to himself, Kadder leans back in his chair, “A damned game o’ attrition, this one. Swear, the seat is fightin’ me arse in the same manner…” Retaking his position, he looks to the board, cringing deeply, “Righ’, plough it. I yield. We’ve nothin’ left and yer’ cornerin’ me men. I yield… runt.”
Belisar grins a grin so filled with snide and pleasure, looking up from the board and at the face of Kadder, “See, only needed a game before’and to get myself re-acquainted wiff the strategies. By the end of the month, I’ll best any fool in these Northern Kingdoms, even all of Altera.” A chuckle emits from his mouth as he knocks over Kadder’s King piece, in a traditional and ceremonious manner, indicating the Bastard as the winner. The board was left with only a few pieces. So few they could be counted on one hand, and were of no particular importance to the endgame. It was, as stated, an attritional level of play by the game’s end, and both were somewhat relieved to be done with it. Nonetheless, Belisar rose from his seat to give his opponent a smirk and a nod, respecting his comrade and officer, “I’ll play again any time, Kaddah. Know anyone else that plays the game?” Rising from his seat with a sigh, Kadder gestures passively to the doors, “I want to say one o’ the guardsmen ‘as ‘ad a bit o’ pokin’ in the area. Though, can’t say tha’ ‘e knows the difference between king and queen. BAH, no ma’er, surely ‘brain,’ knows the game, yeah?” Chuckling, Belisar nods and heads for the doors with Kadder, “I ‘ope so. It’d be noice to beat that ‘ighborn Komnenos on be’alf of all the baseborn lads loike me. Best we get back to the rest of the world, though. The lads get restless an’ I’m as ‘ungry as an aurochs.” Belisar slaps his stomach and grins, heading off for the kitchens giving a final nod to Kadder and a farewell message of, “Praise the Sun.”
. . .
An hour passing, the two take slowed turns, carefully eying the board lain before them. Muttering to himself, Kadder leans back in his chair, “A damned game o’ attrition, this one. Swear, the seat is fightin’ me arse in the same manner…” Retaking his position, he looks to the board, cringing deeply, “Righ’, plough it. I yield. We’ve nothin’ left and yer’ cornerin’ me men. I yield… runt.”
Belisar grins a grin so filled with snide and pleasure, looking up from the board and at the face of Kadder, “See, only needed a game before’and to get myself re-acquainted wiff the strategies. By the end of the month, I’ll best any fool in these Northern Kingdoms, even all of Altera.” A chuckle emits from his mouth as he knocks over Kadder’s King piece, in a traditional and ceremonious manner, indicating the Bastard as the winner. The board was left with only a few pieces. So few they could be counted on one hand, and were of no particular importance to the endgame. It was, as stated, an attritional level of play by the game’s end, and both were somewhat relieved to be done with it. Nonetheless, Belisar rose from his seat to give his opponent a smirk and a nod, respecting his comrade and officer, “I’ll play again any time, Kaddah. Know anyone else that plays the game?” Rising from his seat with a sigh, Kadder gestures passively to the doors, “I want to say one o’ the guardsmen ‘as ‘ad a bit o’ pokin’ in the area. Though, can’t say tha’ ‘e knows the difference between king and queen. BAH, no ma’er, surely ‘brain,’ knows the game, yeah?” Chuckling, Belisar nods and heads for the doors with Kadder, “I ‘ope so. It’d be noice to beat that ‘ighborn Komnenos on be’alf of all the baseborn lads loike me. Best we get back to the rest of the world, though. The lads get restless an’ I’m as ‘ungry as an aurochs.” Belisar slaps his stomach and grins, heading off for the kitchens giving a final nod to Kadder and a farewell message of, “Praise the Sun.”
