Checkmate: Aragoria, #1

Checkmate

Michael N. Woolley

~ Dedication ~

For my sister who is queenly

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Note: This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover by Samantha Windley

Copyright © 2016 Michael N. Woolley

All rights reserved.

Chapters

~ Prologue ~

~ 1 — Bailey ~

~ 2 – The Date ~

~ 3 – View Point ~

~ 4 – Ruby ~

~ 5 – The Game ~

~ 6 – The First Pawn ~

~ 7 – Surviving ~

~ 8 – A Bow and Arrow ~

~ 9 – Wilderness Symphony ~

~ 10 – Hallucinations ~

~ 11 – Cedric ~

~ 12 – Pawns and Spiders ~

~ 13 – The Holy Mountain ~

~ 14 – Ruth ~

~ 15 – A Second Sacrifice ~

~ 16 – How the Sword Works ~

~ 17 – The Knight ~

~ 18 – The Rook ~

~ 19 – Confession ~

~ 20 – Back at School ~

~ 21 – The Bishop ~

~ 22 – Death Finds All ~

~ 23 – A Queen Returns ~

~ Epilogue ~

~ Prologue ~

Quietly, not even daring to breathe, the girl crouched behind the boulder. Killing her flashlight, she held her breath and listened.

They’d be passing by her soon.

For days she had explored the endless passages of the vast cavern; determined to find the exit. The worst was when she explored a passage that took her further in than she had ever been before. Hearing the unnerving sounds she discovered as she ventured down the passage nearly froze the blood in her veins; the wails of trapped souls were simply too much for her to handle. They seemed to tempt her to accept her fate, but she refused. She would find a way out; she didn’t care what she heard.

Changing the direction of her exploring down a smaller, more obscure passage, she began to find clues to the entrance of the cave making her more and more hopeful. Yesterday she had felt a gust of fresh air as she tried a new tunnel. It gave her more hope than anything she had ever experienced since coming to the game. The old lady tried to tell her to let it go, but she simply couldn’t.

She set out early that morning, following the same tunnel that she found yesterday. After hours of jogging she felt the rush of the wind . . . not the typical cave wind . . . but fresh air. Invigorated, she rushed on, surging through the tunnel. Sprinting around a corner, she covered her eyes suddenly to shield them from the blinding light of midday.

She wanted to cry. Outside! Fresh air! Freedom! How long had it been since she had seen it? Everyone had lied. She would make it out. Preparing herself to bask in the warmth of the sun—a feeling she had missed ever since she had fallen into the void and ended up here—she stepped forward . . . but something stopped her. She couldn’t see nor feel any obstacles, but something held her firmly in place, keeping her from exiting the cave. No matter how hard she tried and fought, she could not cross the threshold of the cave into the outdoors.

She collapsed, weeping bitterly . . . hopelessly.

Looking up, something caught her eye. Two figures slowly approached, hefting something that obviously gave them discomfort. Anger surged through the girl as she recognized the sorceress and her husband. She wanted to lash out at them . . . hurt them! But seeing that they were carrying a magnificent looking sword, she decided it best to hide behind a nearby boulder.

Are you sure this is the safest place? she heard the husband ask his wife rather warily as they entered the cave. I don’t want to lose our commission on the chance that we could have hidden it better.

I told you, said the sorceress reassuringly. Tina said she wanted this sword hidden somewhere where no one will get it, and this truly is the best place for us to hide it.

The girl heard the husband groan softly, revealing his doubts. They didn’t notice her hiding behind the boulder as they passed by.

Don’t worry, said the sorceress. We could leave it right here and it would still be perfectly safe. Those who are here in the cave can’t leave—their souls are trapped; and the chess pieces can’t come in. This is completely and totally safe.

The girl chanced a peek around the boulder. The sorceress looked beautiful and relaxed. Her husband still had a nervous expression despite his attempts to relax as well. The beautiful, but deadly woman placed a reassuring hand on his cheek. His breathing slowed and a wave of calm rushed in. The girl felt the rush also and she nearly gave herself away.

Remembering her anger and hatred, the girl snapped out of the hypnotic powers of the sorceress. Does she do that to her husband too? she whispered to herself.

Her memories flashed to the day she met the sorceress. The rush of feelings that came over her when they first met was all too real, and all too powerful. Only after it was too late did she realize what had happened. Not this time. Not again!

The couple again pushed forward, deeper into the cave. The girl followed close behind, but far enough to not be noticed. They carried no light, but looked like they didn’t need it. The girl noticed that on the first day she woke up in the cave. The cave was . . . different. She had been in caves before with her family. One of her dad’s favorite things to do was to kill the lights as soon as they were deep enough. No matter how long she stayed, her eyes never adjusted. But in this cave there seemed to be a light from . . . somewhere. All the same, she preferred to use her pink flashlight. Maybe it wasn’t a light inside the cave. Maybe her eyesight somehow became better . . . but that didn’t make any sense.

Deeper and deeper they plunged. The further they went, the more unnerved the husband again appeared. Suddenly, the sorceress stopped. The girl ducked to the side, doing the best she could to conceal herself. The sorceress paused, staring at the wall.

What is she doing? the girl whispered.

As the sorceress stepped closer to the wall the girl suddenly noticed a small crevice, just big enough for the sword to be slid into. Despite its magnificence, the sorceress tossed the sword into the crevice as if she were throwing away trash. Both hers and her husband’s expressions changed the instant she let go of the sword; like they had been sick but suddenly and miraculously healed.

They turned and began making their way back to the mouth of the cave.

The girl panicked. She slipped and fell down in front of them as she tried to find another place to hide. The couple only paused and stared at her.

Slowly . . . cruelly, the sorceress smiled. Well hello dear, she said.

The girl didn’t answer. She wasn’t going to give them the pleasure. She glared at them with all the hate she could muster.

What should we do about her? the husband asked, his worried expression resurfacing. She saw us hide the sword!

Nothing, answered his wife, still staring coldly triumphant at the girl. She can’t do anything with it. Her body was destroyed when she fell in our last game. This is just a shadow of what she once was. A soul . . . trapped in here for all eternity.

She laughed. The final blow to the girl’s hope.

Despair rushed over the girl like a tidal wave. Shaking uncontrollably as she cried, the girl buried her face in her hands. The laughter of the couple echoed through the tunnels . . . faded . . . then all was silent. But that laughter left a haunting realization to the girl. She would never get out.

~ 1 ~

Bailey

Well dear, said the husband as he stretched back in his chair. That was a fine meal. A very fine meal.

Thank you, sweetie, responded the wife as she gathered up the dishes from the table.

She quietly, but with a cheery smile, began stacking the dishes in the sink and filling it up with water.

Tell you what, said the husband as he watched his beautiful wife. How about we have a game this evening. It’s been a while since we’ve had a good game.

The wife smiled. I think that would be lovely.

Great. I’ll get the board ready. He stood and went into the front room, humming a familiar tune all the while.

The wife smiled as she recognized it. It was one of their favorite songs. She remembered dancing to that tune when they were younger . . . much younger.

‘Seems like it was so long ago,’ she thought to herself.

It was so, so long ago that they met. They were children then in their small village.

Oh right, came her husband’s voice from the front room.

What is it?

Um . . . was all he said.

She heard him moving things around. Was he looking for something?

It seems, he said after a few minutes. That we’ve lost a piece to the game.

What piece?

A pawn.

This really was no problem. Pawns could be easily replaced.

‘Replaced,’ she thought to herself almost mischievously . . . then she smiled.

Dear, she called out.

Yes.

What if I find a pawn to replace it?

The husband suddenly appeared in the doorway with a grin on his face.

That actually sounds like a splendid idea, he said. It’s been a while since we’ve done that.

Let me finish up here and I’ll go take care of that.

Perfect. I have some errands that could be taken care of right now. That should give you plenty of time to find our pawn.

She smiled back. Perfect.

Bailey’s car screeched to a halt just inches in front of the other parked car. Even though most of the managers of Texas Steakhouse said they were okay with her being late to her shift because of dance practice, she still tried to make it in as soon as she could. It was a wonder she hadn’t been pulled over yet with how often she sped through town to get to work.

Today, though, Bailey hurried faster than normal because of Hank, the only manager that seemed to have a grudge against her. Soon after his promotion to shift-manager he introduced the term ‘put on ice’, which he often threatened her with. It was a ridiculous term to say that one was on probation. He’d put more people ‘on ice’ than any two managers put together. But more often than not it was dismissed by the owner. Bailey never understood why the owner kept him on. Either way, the more Bailey fought, the worse he treated her.

Not slowing down from her parking-lot-sprint Bailey burst through the doors to find her friend Maquel leaning against the host stand.

You’re late again, said Maquel, not even bothering to look up at her.

Oh, really? snapped Bailey irritably. I didn’t notice. I just like to speed down the highway and sprint through parking lots . . . you know . . . just to pass the time.

They stared at each other intensely. One would guess that they were irritated at each other and neither of them excited to work together. Maquel broke first with a small twitch of her lips, then Bailey’s smile slowly crept in. Softly, they laughed at each other as Bailey clocked in.

Hard practice today? asked Maquel.

You wouldn’t believe it, Bailey said exasperated. No one could get the routine down so coach made us stay later than usual.

There was a loud crash in the kitchen as Bailey pulled her long blonde hair back in a ponytail. In the distance she saw Hank’s head behind the bar bobbing up and down as he walked with that irritable strut towards the sound. With a tightly scrunched face, and his thin, oily hair slicked over his small scalp, he glanced up front at Bailey and squinted angrily at her. He tapped his clipboard to indicate that her tardiness would be on his manager’s report for that evening. Bailey only nodded apologetically, even though she didn’t really mean it. In fact, as soon as he looked away she stuck her tongue out at him. He quickly snapped his head back towards her, but Bailey’s tongue snapped back into her mouth faster, and her lips curled into an over-exaggerated, fake smile. Hank sniffed, then continued to leave.

Bailey took a deep breath, relieved that she didn’t have to hear that annoyingly nasally voice, and went to work. She quickly scanned the layout of the restaurant; which tables were filled, which ones that were being cleaned, and the list of guests waiting.

 So . . . started Maquel, nudging Bailey with her elbow.

Not now, interrupted Bailey, trying to get her temper down.

I was just gonna say that there’s someone here to see you.

Bailey paused. Who?

Maquel smiled, like she had a secret but couldn’t contain it anymore. Tony, she said . . . more blurted out in excitement.

Bailey nearly gasped. He couldn’t be there for her . . . could he?

He asked if you were here when he showed up, said Maquel as if reading Bailey’s mind.

And . . . ? asked Bailey.

I told him no—obviously. But when I said you’d be here soon he decided to wait. He’s at table three.

Bailey gulped. Only Maquel knew about the crush she had had on Tony since seventh grade. It seemed like they had both grown in popularity at their school but with different crowds. While he excelled in football, basketball, and track, she rose to prominence in the dancer’s community. Their circle of friends never interacted much, despite living in a moderately small town.

It was only recently that Tony and Bailey seemed to bump into each other more often. He also started to frequently say hi to her in the halls and engage in small talk when possible. Each time it was all she could do to not let her heart leap out of her throat. She always felt a little flushed whenever he came around, and every time he smiled at her she found herself nearly running away to hide her red face.

Bailey looked at her friend nervously.

You’re fine, Maquel assured her. Go ahead. I can hold the fort here.

Gathering up all her courage, Bailey ventured into the dining area to table three. Her heart jumped, and her stomach flipped slightly when she saw him. She prayed that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself.

Tony just looked so perfect, sitting there with his glass of water and a small bowl of peanuts. When he looked up and saw her he smiled, and stood; just like the gentlemen in those romantic movies.

Bailey did her best to smile casually; then, on shaky knees, she walked over to him.

Hello Bailey, Tony said with his soft smile.

Hello, was all Bailey could say.

I hope I don’t seem too forward by staying here. But I wanted to talk to you and ask you something earlier today.

You could have asked me at school.

Yeah, I suppose I could have, he said with a chuckle.

Even his chuckles sounded perfect.

I tried looking for you after school but you were already gone. I found Maquel who said you worked here. I didn’t know she worked here too.

I was able to help her get the job here. And I was at dance after school which is why you probably couldn’t find me.

Oh, I see.

Tony smiled at her as they paused in their conversation. Bailey felt that she could look at that beautiful face all day long.

Excuse me, sir, said a voice to the side. Bailey saw Kailey, the server for table three, waiting to taking Tony’s order. Are you ready to order sir? she asked.

I’m quite satisfied, Tony said, not