Erin sat on a grassy hilltop and played a game of chess. It made life easier. When she was playing, she could forget about life. She could forget about suffering.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t end such things. Chess was an escape. If you were bleeding or crying, it couldn\u2019t help. Playing chess would bring no one back. There was an irony to the game; it was a complex competition still popular hundreds of years after it had been invented.<\/p>\n
A computer would always win. Yet some people, like Erin, had spent great portions of their lives playing this game. In a world of computers and countless other things to devote your time to, Erin had become one of the world\u2019s experts in this game.<\/p>\n
And she was an expert. She was no Grandmaster or even an International Master, but she had reached a level beyond most players as a girl. Then the pressure, the game no longer being fun, and the futility of playing this game when real tragedy occurred, when it had no point, came crashing down on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All that was the same Erin who sat on the grass outside her inn. The fall was changing the colors of this place, and the wind was blowing at the top of the steep hill. If there were only some trees with autumn leaves\u2026this would have been a perfect moment. A hill where she could sit in peace. No monsters. No death.<\/p>\n
Klbkch\u2019s blood and the blood of Goblins still stained the grass elsewhere. Gnolls and Antinium had found some of the bodies that had been left untouched. They were burning them. Erin should have stood and helped, but she was so weary. Her eyes were red from tears and she had no more to give. So she sat and played chess.<\/p>\n
Erin moved her pieces on the chess board, pausing, considering, moving, retreating, taking. It was a dance of strategy and perception, and she had learned many of the steps long ago. But chess was always different with every game. That was why she could lose herself in it.<\/p>\n
And yet, it wasn\u2019t just calculation that Erin did. A chess player played against an opponent, and unless it was a computer, they read the other player and danced with them. Mind games were part of chess, just like basic strategy and knowing fundamental moves were. But Erin had never played against a mind like the one that sat opposite her.<\/p>\n
She looked up over her pieces at her opponent, the Worker with a name.<\/p>\n
Pawn. He was staring at the board, pondering his next move. His shaking was gone. He no longer spoke in a trembling whisper, and he was\u2014calm. Calm, and as if he were the very grass upon which they sat. Blown away by the wind in this vast sky. Yet he did play, quickly, placing the pieces with the same confidence as Erin did, if not more.<\/p>\n
Something was wrong with him. It wasn\u2019t just that he had a name. Erin didn\u2019t understand the Antinium, but she understood chess players. Something had seriously gone wrong with him.<\/p>\n
He was too good<\/em>. Their pieces clicked<\/em> on the board as Erin Solstice realized she was losing. She had beaten state champions and even played Grandmasters, a rare honor.<\/p>\n And she was losing flawlessly. She could have blamed it on recent events, her lack of sleep, but her mind felt clear, beyond exhaustion and grief. Her focus deepened as she spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cI still don\u2019t get it. Where do levels come from? Why do people have them? Why do people only level up when they sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do not know, Erin Solstice. These are mysteries of the world. They are what they are, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia shifted in her seat in the grass. She sat with Selys, inside the circle of watching Antinium Workers, but distinctly apart<\/em> from them. She was calm, at least in that she was watching Erin play Pawn, but Selys kept glancing around at the silent Workers nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cFine. But if that\u2019s the case, why don\u2019t we get levels for everything? Like\u2026walking. Is there a [Walker] class?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cWalking is something we do, not something we live for, yes? Only things that we make our goals and dreams form classes. However, there is a [Runner] class.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin glanced up, exasperated.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that makes no sense!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople run for a living, Erin. I\u2019ve never met anyone who walks. That kind of class would be a [Traveller] or a [Journeywoman]. You see? No wait, [Journeywoman] is an apprentice class. See? Now you\u2019re getting me<\/em> confused.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys sounded exasperated too, but she thought Erin had a point. The [Innkeeper] frowned and waved a pawn in her direction before she put it down.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut that does<\/em> mean you could get a class for eating, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean a [Gourmet]? I\u2019ve heard some rich merchants and nobility have that class. Lifestyle, Erin. I hear there are some fat slobs who live all their lives just partying and living life up. [Hedonists].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo way. Really? Okay, I think I get it. But people can have multiple classes, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys nodded. She was the bigger expert on classes, apparently. It probably had to do with her being a receptionist. Erin frowned, looked at a knight, and nearly ran right into the trap Pawn had set. How had he become so good?<\/p>\n \u201cIn theory, you could have as many classes as you want. But in practice, even most Adventurers only have three or four classes, tops. It\u2019s because you don\u2019t just get a class even if you qualify for it. It has to become part of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys paused. Her tail curled up as she sat with her claws folded politely in her lap. Erin had noticed Drakes were expressive with their tails where their faces told nothing. Krshia, on the other hand, had a perfect poker face, and her tail wasn\u2019t nearly long enough to give anything away.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, did\u2026no one ever tell you this when you were growing up, Erin? I mean, everyone<\/em> knows this stuff. It\u2019s basic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven the Antinium? Even the Workers?\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn looked up from the board.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Erin Solstice. We are taught such things as we are formed in Birther Sacs. All Workers know of leveling, but we seldom do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? I\u2019ve gained ten\u2026yeah, ten levels this month.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia and Selys exchanged a glance. Even the Workers twitched their antennae at each other in their seats.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you serious?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked up and saw Selys gaping at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? I\u2019m only Level 10. Isn\u2019t that low?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is\u2014but\u2014I mean, it is,<\/em> but no one levels up that fast! Erin, normally someone has to apprentice to someone else for years<\/em> before they hit Level 10. Most kids\u2014well, most people our age are barely Level 14 in their chosen profession around now. Maybe they have other classes\u2014my friend, Drassi, switches jobs every other week, so she\u2019s barely got levels in anything but [Gossip]. Still! Ten levels in a month?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Only Level 14? That just seems so\u2026low.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, Erin had the impression she was the only person in the group that thought that way.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Level 100 is the highest, right? Doesn\u2019t that mean most people would get to\u2026I dunno, Level 60 or higher before they die?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys laughed\u2014more incredulously than politely.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re joking. Right?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shrugged. She moved another pawn and took a bishop. Then she realized it was another trap. She was going to lose her other knight.<\/p>\n \u201cAm I wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI have known many elderly people. They all have levels in their twenties or sometimes thirties, yes? Few are above Level 40. A great Tribe might have more than one; some tribes have none at all. Few even reach their thirtieth level. If I had to name those above Level 50, there would only be\u2026a dozen in each continent, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo someone over Level 70 for example\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys looked at Krshia. The Gnoll shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I know of one living, in any class. I\u2019ve heard legends about warriors that reached that level, but those are ancient stories. You know, the kind where a single hero defeats armies by himself or slays Hydras and Krakens single-handedly. People just don\u2019t level that high.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin nodded. She knew they were watching her incredulously, and she knew she was giving away her ignorance. Klbkch had noticed it\u2026<\/p>\n And he was dead. So Erin just went on.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. I think I get it. So people level up, but not that high. And you can have more than one class, but you have to level that one up from the start, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Selys nodded. It was a different nod than Erin\u2019s. Her neck was longer, so it looked more like a long bob than the short motion Erin was used to.<\/p>\n \u201cRight. If you were a [Spearmaster] like Relc, say, and then you picked up a sword and started using that, you\u2019d probably get the [Warrior] class until you were high enough level and had enough skills for a [Swordslayer] class or a [Duelist] class or something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo classes change names?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure<\/em> no one\u2019s ever talked to you about this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKlbkch explained some of it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Um. Oh, I\u2014well, yes, classes change. It\u2019s just usually in name to represent you\u2019re more specialized or\u2014or you\u2019ve hit a higher level. For instance, [Tacticians] usually become [Strategists], but they can<\/em> become [Leaders] or [Generals]. It depends on the Skills you have. And what you do with your life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd\u2026I think I remember this. Skills define classes, right? But doesn\u2019t everyone get the same Skills when they level up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. They do not.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia stared at Erin. Her eyes narrowed as her brow creased together in a frown. Erin paid no notice. She could see more than people thought when she played chess, and she learned more than she let on. But right now? It didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone gets different Skills when they level. Often, they\u2019re the same, but some people get them at different times or get different variations on Skills\u2026it\u2019s about need. Need and want determine what Skills we get.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what we do, right? That determines our classes, which determines how our level ups affect us and whether or not our classes change.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys looked relieved Erin was finally getting it.<\/p>\n \u201cExactly.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked at Pawn. He and all the Workers were staring hard at the board. Erin pushed her king over. She\u2019d lost. They reset the board, and she began again. And once more\u2014he moved so surely she felt like he had been playing longer than she had. How had he done this overnight?<\/em> He\u2019d been an amateur when she met him in her inn. Now\u2026she glanced up, and all saw his antennae waving slowly in thought. It made her smile.<\/p>\n \u201cDo the Workers have lots of levels? You guys work all the time, so you\u2019ve got to have lots, right?\u201d<\/p>\n He paused, and Erin noticed something odd. All of the Workers were focused on the board. Yet when Pawn moved a piece, suddenly they looked at her or elsewhere. But whenever she moved a piece, they immediately focused on the board again to the exclusion of everything else.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have very few levels, Erin. I myself am a Level 2 [Butcher] and Level 1 [Carpenter].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Is it\u2014is it because you\u2019re young or something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have lived more than half of the average Worker\u2019s lifespan. The Workers do not level up frequently. Some do not level at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin turned in her grassy seat to look at Selys and Krshia. The Drake flicked her tongue out in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026didn\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither did I. But it is not unexpected, yes? Leveling comes from learning and trials. Without such things there is no experience gained. For one who does the same thing without change, they will not level.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s<\/em> probably why you\u2019ve leveled so quickly, Erin. Starting an inn by yourself\u2014that\u2019s got to be a lot harder than just working in one or taking over a business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Okay.\u201d<\/p>\n It had been the hardest thing Erin had ever done in her life. She looked down at her stomach and legs folded pretzel-style beneath her. They should have been full of holes or scarred from countless stab-wounds. Yeah, it was different than just being an innkeeper in a city.<\/p>\n \u201cSo the Antinium don\u2019t level up much? I guess Klbkch was an exception.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA big one. He was the Slayer, a Prognugator\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Selys hesitated. She ducked her head.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014He was famous among his people, Erin. One of the few Antinium with a name. He\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia kicked Selys, and the Drake looked guilty, but Erin just nodded. She took all the feelings and put them into the chess pieces. Just for a while. Then she thought of the Soldiers.<\/p>\n \u201cBut doesn\u2019t that mean they\u2019re weak, then? If most Drakes around my age are Level 10 or higher, why aren\u2019t they way stronger than all the Antinium?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin, have you seen<\/em> those giant soldier-types the Antinium keep in their tunnels? I caught a glimpse of one walking through the streets this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys shuddered. Her tail twitched several times.<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t need<\/em> levels, Erin. They\u2019re deadly enough as it is. If you gave them high levels and<\/em> churned them out the way the Antinium can, they\u2019d be an unstoppable army.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s true. I guess levels can\u2019t replace numbers or muscle, can it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it can<\/em>, but only if there\u2019s a big difference in levels. Relc, for instance\u2026he\u2019s strong<\/em>. He could probably take on a lot of those soldiers. Not that he would\u2014don\u2019t get me wrong! But he\u2019s Level 32, I think. That\u2019s incredibly different than a Level 13 [Warrior]. Does this all make sense, Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin moved another piece and knew how the game would end.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I get it. Thanks for explaining.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t understand why you don\u2019t know all th\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Selys was cut off as Krshia elbowed her hard in the side. She hissed<\/em> rather than squeaked and sat straight up. Krshia broke into the conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is curious you do not know of levels, but perhaps your people do not level in the same way we do, yes? Rare classes, perhaps? I understand not all classes are earned equally. Especially in places like the Kingdom of Keys. Samal. Peaceful places.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys frowned at Erin, but the [Innkeeper]\u2019s face was smooth as she moved a piece.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Something like that. Is leveling a big part of people\u2019s lives here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome would call it\u2026belief. Some yes, some think levels rule everything. No one w\u2026<\/em>hm, what\u2019s the word? Worships?<\/em> The gods are dead, Erin. They are dead. In some places, leveling is preached and those with the highest level are worshiped. I have heard it said that to each one of us is a maximum level given, and when we reach that level, we have reached the end of our life.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys rubbed her head as if even talking about this was giving her a headache. Silence fell over the grassy audience. Erin turned in her seat and stared at Krshia.<\/p>\n \u201cSeriously? Some people believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia\u2019s gaze didn\u2019t waver.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys gasped, but Krshia shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cSome believe, Erin. And who is to say what is true?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin turned back to the game and saw Pawn had moved. She tipped over her king.<\/p>\n \u201cI forfeit again. Good match.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn bowed from his seat to her. Erin bowed her head back.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a good game, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great game!\u201d<\/p>\n Selys sat up in her seat and stared at the two players.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know much about chess, but I\u2019ve seen Olesm play. You\u2019re way better than he is, Erin. And you\u2026um\u2026Pawn.\u201d<\/p>\n He bowed to her, and she flinched.<\/p>\n \u201cI merely learn from Erin Solstice. She is an expert in this game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s another thing. How are<\/em> you so good at that, Erin? Olesm says you\u2019re the best player he\u2019s ever seen or heard of. Are you a high-level [Tactician], then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was mildly insulted by the suggestion. She helped Pawn reset the board as Selys frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about some other class? Or is it a rare Skill?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s just skill.<\/em> Not the kind you get from leveling up. Just skill in the game. I don\u2019t have any levels besides [Innkeeper].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut then how are you so good?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin took her time before answering. She reset her pieces and switched the board around. Silently, Pawn moved a piece forwards, and she countered. Another game began, but she had the same feeling.<\/p>\n \u201cI just played since I was a kid, that\u2019s all. Every day. At first it was just a hobby, y\u2019know? Something I saw an adult do, but then I found I liked it. When I won my first tournament, I was over the moon. And after that, I just kept playing.\u201d<\/p>\n Selys glanced at Krshia.<\/p>\n \u201cBut wasn\u2019t chess invented only a few years ago by the Titan of B\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Again, she received an elbow in the side and glared at Krshia, but then she stared at Erin in sudden interest.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess maybe here it\u2019s new. But chess has been around a lot longer where I come from.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smiled briefly.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot<\/em> longer. And lots of people love to play it where I come from. There\u2019s strategy books, lessons online, tutors\u2026I learned it all. Fun fact? I learned how to play chess blindfolded before I learned how to ride a bike.\u201d<\/p>\n She moved another piece. After a second of staring, Pawn moved his queen and took it. She frowned and kept playing. Memory was overlapping with reality.<\/p>\n \u201cI was never the best. But I was good. Really good. For my age? I was incredible. I played in tournaments, I stayed up late playing chess\u2014my parents let me. They knew I had a gift. So I would study chess every moment I had free time, play adults, go to chess clubs and tournaments after school, and I kept winning. But then once you get to a high enough level, you start losing.\u201d<\/p>\n Like now. Just like now, and then, Erin stared at the board and felt outclassed. She moved a rook and watched it die two moves in the future to protect her queen.<\/p>\n \u201cIt happens. And it\u2019s not surprising. Even a genius kid can\u2019t beat an adult who\u2019s played thousands\u2014tens of thousands more games. But every time I lost, it crushed me. So I quit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou q\u2014ow!<\/em> Stop hitting me!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smiled, but it was fleeting. Her entire focus was devoted to the game before her and speaking. She had to admit, she\u2019d thought she was too good to beat at one point. As if you could talent past experience.<\/p>\n \u2026Much like Pawn was doing, actually. Erin glanced up at him. This was<\/em> impossible for someone to do, play at this level without practice. It was more than intelligence or experience. She knew patterns and strategy. Yet he won. She went on, remembering.<\/p>\n \u201cSomewhere\u2026sometime I guess I lost interest in playing chess. Or maybe I stopped having fun. I don\u2019t know how to explain it. I was just a kid, but I spent every waking moment playing the stupid game, going to tournaments, studying, winning, losing\u2014I never really lived<\/em>. I never played with my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n She moved a pawn. The Workers paused, and then Pawn moved a piece.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I realized that, I quit. I just stopped playing, threw away my chess set\u2026I did normal things. It took me years before I even looked at a chess board, and then it was fun to play. But I never wanted to be a Grandmaster again. The pressure, living just for that one game\u2014it\u2019s too much.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn took her queen, ironically, with a pawn. It couldn\u2019t be avoided, but Erin knew how the game was going to end now.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019m just a normal girl who\u2019s better than 99% of the world at chess. But that last 1%. That\u2019s a heck of a large gap.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf that is the case, Miss Erin, I shudder to imagine what kind of geniuses live in your home nation.\u201d<\/p>\n At some point, Olesm had appeared, and Pisces, and even three of the four Goblins. Rags sat in the grass among the Workers, silently watching the game. The Antinium looked at the Goblins and then away, but Selys gripped a dagger at her belt as she glared at the Goblins, and Krshia sneezed. Yet there was peace, however tenuous. Perhaps it had to do with the pile of Goblin corpses buried in the unmarked grave a mile away.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you don\u2019t think of it this way, but I cannot imagine a player better than you, Erin. I have Skills that allow me to play the game better than most, but I cannot beat you no matter how hard I try.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces nodded in agreement. Erin grinned mirthlessly. They hadn\u2019t seen how the last few games had been played.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t I level, then? I don\u2019t have any levels in [Tactician], but Pawn tells me the other Workers have leveled up in it. Probably the Goblins as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin moved another piece and watched Pawn hesitate. Well, good.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a ranking system in my world. People who play chess in tournaments get a score, which goes up and down when they win or lose. A Grandmaster\u2019s got about 2600 or more points, and the really amazing chess players all have over 2200 points. If you have that many, you\u2019re pretty much one of the best in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n He decided to lose a knight as opposed to his bishop. Erin frowned. The game was ending. How was he this good? It was impossible. She felt<\/em> like she was playing\u2026<\/p>\n A Grandmaster. But it couldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n \u201cI got to just over 2000 when I was a kid. That\u2019s insane but\u2014it\u2019s still a huge difference between that and being a Grandmaster. If I kept playing, maybe I\u2019d be around 2400 right now. But either way, I\u2019m one of the best in the place where I lived. In this world\u2014I probably am the best. So why don\u2019t I level?\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm appeared distressed.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026I could not say. It does not make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces nodded self-importantly as everyone looked at him. He was still arrogant, but it was muted arrogance, subdued. Erin was grateful for that.<\/p>\n \u201cClasses are based on what we pursue. Yet\u2014by that same notion, what we consider unimportant or trivial fails to trigger the same classes in other people. It is a known phenomenon I studied during my time in Wistram Academy. I wrote a paper that\u2014well, suffice it to say, if you do not consider chess to be anything other than a game, you would not level.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm and Selys looked incredulously at Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201cA game? But it\u2019s obviously<\/em> a game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAllow me to rephrase my statement.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces looked annoyed as he searched for a better explanation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I mean to say is that if Mistress Solstice does not consider any of the tactical applications of learning to play chess\u2014how moving pawns is similar to organizing warriors, for instance\u2014she would not level in the [Tactician] class. To begin with, the amount of experience gained from playing chess is far lower than actual work as a strategist, so if she cared not at all about games of war as opposed to games of pieces\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t level. Makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin tipped over her king and sighed. She\u2019d sped up the rate of her play, but somehow that had only made her game worse, not Pawn\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cI lose. Again.\u201d<\/p>\n She sat back in the grass and looked up at the fading sky. Olesm and Pisces stared open-mouthed at Pawn as he carefully set the game back together.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you doing it? No one gets this good overnight. Not even a genius can play like that on his first go.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn ducked his head in front of Erin\u2019s stare, cowed.<\/p>\n \u201cApologies. But the Innkeeper Solstice makes a mistake. This one\u2014I am sorry. You misunderstand, Erin. At this moment, you are not simply playing me, but all the Antinium gathered here.\u201d<\/p>\n He gestured around at the grassy knoll where the countless workers, the two Drakes, two Humans, Goblins, and single Gnoll sat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hundred play as one mind. We see a hundred moves and play them all in turn. We think together and play as one body.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cHive mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust so. We think as one. That is the nature of the Antinium. Even if\u2014that nature has been compromised by the experiment. Though I am individual, that is still true of me. I do not know why, but I feel\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn gestured silently around at the other Workers. Something was happening, and not even the other Antinium seemed to understand that. Yet if they did feel each other\u2019s thoughts\u2014Erin looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Klbkch? And the Worker? Did you feel\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn shook his head, slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe felt their loss, Erin. But only when we knew it. The Queen remembers. She knows us all. But we\u2014we are Antinium. This is new.\u201d<\/p>\n He stared down at his hands as the [Innkeeper] lowered her eyes. Until Pawn spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least, Klbkch will not be gone forever. So long as the Queen lives, she will remember him.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stopped placing chess pieces back on the board. She stared into Pawn\u2019s fragmented eyes, urgently seeking the truth.<\/p>\n \u201cBut what about the other Worker? What about him?\u201d<\/p>\n Her reply was a sad look. Pawn\u2019s antennae stopped moving, and he replied quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would she remember him? He was no Prognugator. He had no name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he was brave. He\u2014he died for me. Both of them should be remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin clenched a hand in the grass. Pawn looked at her, and then he bowed his head.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was the designated Worker who won 54.6% of all games he played. He had no name. If you wish it, I will remember him, Miss Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n Her head came up. Erin gave Pawn a pained look, but one filled with gratitude.<\/p>\n \u201cSo will I. And you won\u2019t forget?\u201d<\/p>\n He shook his head. Pawn peered at Erin\u2019s shimmering eyes and tried to reassure her.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not be sad, Miss Solstice. We are the Antinium. So long as the Hive exists, all will be well. So long as the Queen lives\u2014nothing else matters.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin paused. She looked down and wiped at her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish that were true.\u201d<\/p>\n The Antinium moved in shock, but some of them turned from Erin to Pawn and listened. Selys shifted in her seat. She bowed her head. Olesm cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cAs much as it pains me to say it, Erin, I have to disagree with you. Klbkch was truly unique. He was the first\u2014and only\u2014Antinium ever to be accepted as a member of the Watch. Even among the Antinium\u2019s Prognugators, and there are few, he was the only trusted Antinium to ever exist. Ever since the Antinium entered the city ten years ago, he\u2019s been the one who acted as a liaison between their Queen and our city. He is\u2014was the representative of their race. I, um, feel like I should say that about him now. I quite respected him, despite him being an\u2014an Antinium.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never knew he was so important.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was humble. It was why many liked him. And now he is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot so long as the Queens live. He will be remembered. It is more than any other Antinium has.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn stared around with something approaching defiance. Erin shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he can\u2019t speak to us, Pawn. He\u2019s gone for us.\u201d<\/p>\n He hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014see. I feel there is much misunderstood, but I respect your grief.\u201d<\/p>\n Awkwardly, he placed his king back in position.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you play another game, Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould it do any good? I can\u2019t win. You\u2014you\u2019re better than I am.\u201d<\/p>\n Olesm and Pisces began to protest, but they were quickly drowned out. Every Worker clicked<\/em> in denial of Erin\u2019s statement. They made a low buzzing<\/em> sound that was quiet individually, but sounded like an armageddon of bees together. Selys clutched at Krshia\u2019s fur.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is much we learn from each game, Erin Solstice. Please do not stop teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smiled hollowly.<\/p>\n \u201cTeaching?\u201d<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t feel like that. It felt like running away from everything. But fine. She owed the Workers. She owed the Antinium. So fine.<\/p>\n Slowly, she drew the board away from Pawn, batting away his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cStop that. Let me show you something.\u201d<\/p>\n She reversed the board and moved the white pawn forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cThis\u2014is an Immortal Game.\u201d<\/p>\n Instantly, Pawn stopped protesting. Pisces and Olesm exchanged a glance and moved up. Rags was already sitting next to the board. Erin slowly moved the black pawn up in front of the white one.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the history of chess, there are a lot of famous games that we study because of how brilliant they are. Some people call other games Immortal Games as well. And there are a few famous ones. But this. This is the<\/em> Immortal Game. Some of the moves aren\u2019t considered as good nowadays, but this is still considered one of the pinnacle moments of chess in my world.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia breathed in<\/em> sharply, but Erin\u2019s words passed over the audience as she moved the chess pieces slowly across the board. Slowly, the two sides played against each other. Erin pointed out each gambit, each strategy and attack and counter as the game played out.<\/p>\n \u201cKing\u2019s Gambit Accepted to open with, and then the Bishop\u2019s Gambit\u2026see here, he tries the Byran-Counter Gambit with the pawn? And then the white side attacks the queen with a knight here\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She played the game out from memory. She\u2019d seen it so many times in her head it was second nature to her. The chess players watched, frowning, trying to keep up with the dizzying display before them. But the Workers stared at the board, and as Erin moved into the last phase of the game and took the white queen, Pawn spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can see the ending.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked up. Olesm and Pisces stared at Pawn in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn hesitated, but then reached out and moved the white pawn up. Erin stared down at the board and played the next move, checking the white side\u2019s king with a queen. Pawn moved the king diagonally, and the game continued.<\/p>\n A perfect game. He played the game exactly how Erin remembered it. In the silence, she toppled the black king and looked up. Olesm and Pisces were staring at Pawn as if he\u2019d turned into a horrific monster.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Now play me. One last time.\u201d<\/p>\n Silently, Pawn sat opposite Erin and set up the pieces once more. She stared at the board. She was white. Slowly, she moved a pawn forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cI was always afraid of losing as a kid. Always. I studied so hard so I wouldn\u2019t lose. Maybe that\u2019s why I never improved. I thought losing was a terrible thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Pawn waited and studied the board. He moved a knight forwards in response. Erin whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cBut chess? Chess isn\u2019t scary. Not compared to other things.\u201d<\/p>\n That was the last thing Erin said. She wiped at her blurry eyes and set aside her heart for a moment so she could play. It was a relief. It felt so good to lay everything aside and at the same time to let it all out. To let it hurt and play.<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s pulse pounded in the back of her mind. The world around the chess board vanished, and the chess board grew before her eyes. Each piece consumed her vision, and she heard only the click<\/em> of moving pieces. That sound was thunder in her head.<\/p>\n Pawn sat in front of her, but she didn\u2019t focus on him. He couldn\u2019t be read. He couldn\u2019t be outthought. There were a hundred of him thinking over every move. So Erin just played. The chess board was her world, the pieces parts of her soul.<\/p>\n She looked at her opponent and saw another Antinium sitting opposite her. Erin dreamt as she played. She was playing in her heart, in the core of her being, in her wishes of what might have been.<\/p>\n In this place, there was only the game. And Klbkch.<\/p>\n Erin was crying as she played. Her tears fell on the chess board and into the grass. She played and moved pieces and lost them. But it was all part of a bigger plan, one she couldn\u2019t see, couldn\u2019t understand. She could understand chess. That was easy. But she couldn\u2019t understand anything else.<\/p>\n She took the enemy pawns. She took his rook, his knight, his bishop, and his queen. She hounded him, lured him into traps and pushed into his lines and kept her own pieces safe, or gave them away to tear his apart. She pushed and pushed, until he had nothing left.<\/p>\n In the silence of her dark world, Erin saw the king topple over. She blinked, and the moment was over.<\/p>\n Pawn bowed his head. Erin heard ringing in her ears and then snuffling. She looked over and saw Olesm was crying. The [Tactician] wiped away tears from his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI will\u2014I will never see\u2014I cannot explain what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces was covering his eyes, rubbing them with the heel of his hands. Rags was staring at the pieces, her eyes bloodshot as if she hadn\u2019t blinked in an age.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was\u2014that was a display beyond anything<\/em> I\u2019ve seen. It was pure! I couldn\u2019t see how it would end! I couldn\u2019t predict the next move! How are you not<\/em> a [General] or\u2014or a [Strategist] of the highest level?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shook her head. She looked at the chess board.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a game. I\u2019m no tactician or even a warrior.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared at her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just an [Innkeeper]. I don\u2019t want to be anything else. I don\u2019t even want to be that, but I am. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n She stood up. Pawn stared at her. The Workers stared at her. She met their eyes and bowed her head. She wiped at her eyes and let her tears fall into the grass.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Then she left. Slowly, Erin walked inside her inn and collapsed onto the floor. She slept, mercifully, with the blackness of oblivion and no dreams.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n [Innkeeper Level 11!]<\/p>\n [Skill \u2013 Lesser Strength obtained!]<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n [Skill \u2013 Immortal Moment learned.]<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Erin sat on a grassy hilltop and played a game of chess. It made life easier. When she was playing, she could forget about life. She could forget about suffering. It didn\u2019t end such things. Chess was an escape. If you were bleeding or crying, it couldn\u2019t help. Playing chess would bring no one back. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693081,349],"tags":[],"twi_volume":[11693130],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-13574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-1","category-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n