Pieces of the Game: Diagonal Advance

Pieces of the Game

♦ Diagonal advance ♦

The shadows conceal my face
Like a performer’s kohl.
The shadow is a rich cloak
That covers my body whole.
Unknown to all kingdom folk
The shadow is a lonely place.

-anonymous shadow agent


          His world was shattering. Every thought rebounded about his skull, leaving behind a broken mess of pain and confusion. He couldn’t find a safe spot to pause and gather his wits about him. He had to keep moving, keep ahead of the wave of utter destruction that was shrouded in swirling red and black. It was hungry for him, and meant to have him if it could. But he would not give in to it, would not let it defeat him. He kept searching. Master had told him that there was always an answer to a dilemma. But where was the answer, the way out?!?

          He slowed to get his bearings. All he saw were stairs and landings. There were thousands of them going in inexplicable directions. That was when it caught him. It struck his side. He shrieked, then. Like a swamp beast stabbed by the royal lance during hunt season. The destruction tried to pull him back towards the darkness, but he fought. He fought with all his might, trying to grab onto something that would stop his retreat. The stones of the stairs were as slick as the polished marble tiles of the Grand Museum. He looked up and saw a faint light beaming down at him. Just a thin tendril of the sun, but he reached for it, and grabbed it. His grip held. He would not let go, but neither would the destruction.

          And then came more shrieking, higher in pitch this time, and far longer. He could not tell if it was from him or the destruction, but he did not let go of the rope of light. He knew that he had to follow the light. He had to reach the other end. So he began to climb his way up the light slowly and painfully. It seemed to take an eternity, and he didn’t remember when he found his way to the pallet. He only knew that the pain was gone. The destruction was gone.

          He felt his side, sure that the destruction had taken a piece of him when he escaped it. How could it not have? His questing fingers met bandaging, masterfully applied. He tried to remember how that had occurred, but met only a confusing tangle of past events. What had he been doing in the last large glass??

          Voices interrupted his internal search for the pieces of the puzzle that was recent events. One was loud and angry, the other quiet and composed. The first voice he did not recognize, but Ultain could tell it was that of a noble. The second was undoubtedly that of his master. Nobles very rarely came to see his master, and then only in his private chambers. That thought sparked something in his mind and caused Ultain to pay better attention to his surroundings.

          This wasn’t his small room, cluttered and cold. It wasn’t the healer’s patient chambers, bright and smelling of herbs and ointments. This room was filled with a vast array of objects, and yet it was clean and ordered, with every item and scroll in its place.

         He was in his master’s bed chamber. He had to be. That was why he was hearing a noble argue with the master. But what was he doing in his master’s chambers? And more interestingly, why was his master being bellowed at by a noble?

          He knew that he should be quiet and not have the noble discover that he was listening in on the encounter, but his curiosity got the better of him. He needed to get closer to hear the exchange better.

          It took him several attempts to get quietly out of bed and reach the door to the master’s receiving room; his limbs were as weak as a newborn kitten’s. On the side table next to the bed was a crystal glass half filled with water. He took it with him and drained its contents by the time he got to the oak door. He places the glass’s open end to the door and then leaned his ear onto the cool flat bottom. He could clearly hear his master’s voice.

          “…understand that young Lord Joffrin is no longer in any danger. His companions had reached the lord’s healer and had his wounds taken care. All minor, as I understand it.”

          The noble’s fist slammed down on the table that Ultain could only assume was between the two men. “That is beside the point, Master Shadow!” the noble grated in frustration. “Lord Joffrin is of noble blood. It is an imperial offense to harm a noble—and in the palace! There must be punishment doled out. An example must be made or we will have commoners turning nobles into pin cushions all across the Empire!”

          The master sighed. “Lord Deril, please do not exaggerate. I have made sure that there were no witnesses to—”

          The Noble interrupted nervously “Y-you didn’t have anyone….?”

          “No, of course not, my Lord” the master replied calmly. “I merely made sure that anyone involved know that the Onyx Throne would prefer that this incident didn’t ever come to light in the future. All seemed to agree it was the best recourse, even the young Lord Joffrin.”

          “It was the young lord’s father, Lord Joffudin, who attempted to bring this complaint to the Onyx Throne’s attention. He made it clear that he would not stop until your foolish shadow agent hung from the rafters of his halls.” The noble’s tone was that of a man recalling a distasteful encounter.

          The master cleared his throat before replying. “I can assure you that the Lord Joffudin has since retracted his complaint. He understands that the continued assistance of the shadows in several of his most current, shall we say, endeavors, are dependant on his gracious acceptance of my sincere apologies in regards to his son’s mishap.”

          “You walk a dangerous path, Master Shadow. The Joff-U house is well known to have a long memory, and an even deeper taste for revenge. Pray this doesn’t turn around and bite you as would a stepped on viper in the forest!”

          “In this forest you speak of I am as a ranger or hermit. I know its paths like I know this old hand of mine. It would be wiser to save you prayers on other matters.”

          It was the noble’s turn to sigh then. “As you would, Master Shadow, yet I still believe that it would be best to have this boy of yours not running about the palace reminding anyone of the past.”

          “In that regard I agree with you, Lord Deril” said the Master. Ultain could hear the noble’s huff of amusement as well. “I believe that I have a solution”.

          Ultain could hear the two men rising from their chairs. He quickly slinked back to he master’s bed before he could be discovered.