Chapter 400a - Pieces on a Board
“It appears that our plans have… diverted from what we had originally intended. Do we have any other options?”
The woman stood there, cloaked in the halls, watching the pair she had made a bargain with. Promises, trades, and the betrayal of a friend had brought her here. There were too many pieces moving, and for so long she thought she had understood the game. She had believed she could control enough pieces, set the board in the way she wanted, and rise to power, and yet now… the truth came. She wasn’t even out of the training program yet.
“Our plans are still in motion.” A voice came from the one on the left. It was deep and had the tone of an insect-based lifeform. “You tried to maneuver outside what we had agreed upon, and now those pieces you were supposed to command are beyond what you can control. Tell us, why should we continue to honor our part of the bargain if you did not honor yours?”
“I did honor my part!”
Her hands had almost formed fists, yet she kept her calm, not letting those emotions inside her get away and ruin any chance she had at salvaging this moment.
“Do not raise your voice at us.”
It took great willpower to resist the urge to shiver as the woman of the pair spoke. Her voice had the lisp of a race she knew was older than many and stronger than most could imagine.
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“He is right. We are fine. Things are moving as we expected, even with your… failure to secure that which we had originally intended.”
“It was supposed to go to someone else! How was I—”
A robed hand rose, and she stopped.
She felt a power, a force come from that simple action, and even here in the halls of the watchers, where actions against others were forbidden, she could sense the difference between herself and the one who stood across from her.
“That was explained. You enlist a friend, ask for help, and try to cover your tracks. It was also done to fortify a defense you hoped to have in case things failed. Do not lie, as I have played this game far longer, and before you were ever a twinkle in the eye of the system.”
As her hand lowered, the slightest glow came from a pair of eyes that were white for a fraction of a second, casting away all doubt about who she was dealing with.
“That is on you, and should the time come and things be found out, you will face the problem alone if you do not carry out what we now require.”
She wanted to respond, but the truth was that she had messed up. Her plan had backfired, and now she knew that if things did go as she feared, not only would her friend be against her, but so would Phaius and Ockrim.
“What do I need to do?”
A soft chuckle came from the robed man.
“We will send someone to notify you of what we need next. Until then, stop trying to play a game you know nothing about. You move pieces on one level, not realizing there are an infinite number of levels stacked upon each other and on every side. The opening you took only sealed your fate.”
“A pawn under our finger.”