GAMBIT

The discussion between the young man and the royal family continued. Quartz is still in incredulity however, for he fears the future of his own fate.

"No one is actually dead until the ripples they caused in this world fades away. You have made the right decision, for a real man puts others first before himself. For that, you have my respect." Proud of his decision, the king compliments the young man. Quartz feels pleased with Felix's compliment but the fear of death which shrouds his mind continues to lurk.

"The Pureheart defense mechanism includes four categories. The rooks are responsible for the handling of trebuchets and catapults. They fall under the control of Admiral Brook.

A knight's obligation is similar to those of a pawn. They ride on the backs of Hippogriffs and charge towards the enemy.

Hippogriffs are winged creatures that have the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse. Their eyes are sharper than a regular falcon and their claws can pierce through a diamond's coating. They can drag the foes and release them from the sky. Sir Efron is the pillar leader of the knights.

The Sentinels are long-ranged bowman. They are the first to attack when a siege commences. With their pointed arrows, they can pierce through any heart belonging to any beast. They fall under the command of Madam Charlotte.

And lastly, the pawns. They are known to be brave for even during the finest flame they continue to rise. Their swords are forged with steel and a slight amount of Gold.

Each category works in a perfect sync called cooperation. No one can win a match with a mere amount of catapults and pawns. They work as one, in order to achieve victory. As for my father and mother, they have the duty to command the entire army." Princess Jupiter delineates while keeping eye contact with the confused young man. Eating a plate of complex knowledge will take a long time to digest. Still, some of the terms are somewhat familiar to him. A memory then comes right to him, the moment when he and Alice first played Chess.

"About you? What is the duty of a princess?" Quartz questions with a rather sarcastic tone as if he was challenging her. The princess responds with a giggle.

"I am the pillar leader of the pawns, which means you will be following my orders." She chuckles slightly as her tone slowly shifts into a serious one. Quartz is left with astonishment and regret for even asking a sarcastic question. Although, he wonders why he was placed under the pawn category.

The king responded, "You have the characteristics of a Pawn and therefore you will be one. Do not underestimate a pawn by its duty, for there are times when a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king.

There will be no victory if the pawns refuse to play."

Quartz was inspired by the king's response. He left the excuses behind his back and accepted the king's offer to appoint him as a pawn.

Before leaving the throne room and the royal family, Quartz asks a peculiar question. "Who am I fighting against?"

"The Witherstone kingdom. Most creatures there have the looks of humans. I should warn you young man, do not trust anyone you haven't seen or met before.

The enemy lurks in all forms. May it beauty, bravery, or even sympathy." Felix mutters. Quartz was left with fright and dismay, however, he vows to take the king's warning seriously and properly...

....

Sapphire gleams brightly only to meet the twilight blanket. The moon is rare and her tiddly children walk upon the path of darkness only to serve as the people's luminosity.

The streets are calm and quiet. The breeze oozes forth, bringing the sensation of comfortability to the whole region. Leaves dazzles unto the fertile soil, the grass mutters with the wind, and the sounds of nature's orchestra started to play.

As for Quartz, he is directed by a soldier to a bedroom on the east wing of the fortress. The east wing contains cabins and rooms for the soldiers to sleep in.

The room contains one small yet decent bed to soothe the young man's drowsiness. It has a small and outdated bathroom. There are no windows, only large gaps in the shape of arcs. There is no electricity so only the wind can settle his perspiration.

Before he sleeps, he peaks out of his window, staring into the kingdom's glory. The night becomes more subtle, as he plays his Piccolo, remembering his mother once more.

Everyone below and near his room heard the music, it gave a sensation of tranquility and quietude. Once the Piccolo plays its final symphony, Quartz hopped back to his bed, ready to fall into a sleepy slumber.

As he slowly enters the slumber, he thought of his family and friend. He wonders if his father knows that he's missing or perhaps Alice has returned after that long bathroom break.

Quartz shifts sleeping positions and faces the right this time. He wonders what would happen to his body if he was to die in the middle of an enraging siege. He read a lot of books pertaining to war, but this will be his first time to experience it personally.

Minutes turn into hours, and finally, Quartz has fallen into a deep slumber while the wind comforted him throughout the night.

...

Quartz wakes up in shock after the princess knocks unto his door. He first tilts his head to the gap, only to see the sun's galore.

"Wake up, its time for you to attend your first training session." Princess Jupiter utters through the keyhole.

"Alright..." Quartz utters with a drowsy voice. He scratches his hair and gave a loud yawn.

Early in the morning, the young man fixed his self. He splashes water in his face to disperse the shrouding drowsiness. He then wears the uncomfortable yet important outfit Balthasar Bluemagic gave.

Without another moment to spare, he exits the room with full confidence and determination. Once more, Quartz is confused about his destination, lucky for him that the princess is able to catch up and show him where to go.

"Campos de entrenamiento" This is where all training sessions and exercises are held. It is a field separated into four.

Quartz marvels at the enormous field. Aside from this, it is his first time to see other remarkable creatures he hasn't seen before. One of them is the hippogriffs which the knights ride upon.

There are those which seem vicious, bearing sharp fangs. There are also friendly ones but with a pinch of rambunctious attitude such as the gnomes.

Quartz watches the gnomes strolling around the field. He ponders and notices that some of them have different hat colors and sizes. Some are an inch taller than the other, while some are shorter.

The princess giggles then replies "Gnomes, they seem friendly, don't they? However, I suggest that you stay out of their way."

"But they seem to be friendly."

"Yes, you see there are three types of gnomes which you should know. The ones with a green hat are the friendly and kind gnomes. The ones with a red hat are mostly rambunctious ones who love to cause troubles. The ones with a blue hat, however, are sometimes rambunctious, and sometimes friendly." Jupiter adds.

From their conversation, a gnome with a red hat beams into Quartz for no apparent reason. He kicks the young man's leg only to gather his attention.

"What was that for?!" Quartz enrages with an inclined tone. The gnome responds with a malicious scowl as it dashes away from the man. Jupiter giggles after seeing the incident.

"I've warned you about the red ones didn't I?" Jupiter recalls. The young man, however, is too frustrated to respond back but his storm calmed right away after a green gnome approaches him.

The green gnome seems more adorable but shorter than the red ones. It offers him a dotted crimson flower. Quartz feels pleased as he kneels down to receive the flower. He gives a pat on the gnome's head, only to show his gratitude. The princess explains that the flower the gnome gave was no other than a Tiger Lily. A flower found in the depths of the eastern reaches of Sacchi.

The young man takes a sniff at the flower's divine grace. The aroma is flattering, it could bring content and delight into one's soul.

The green gnome then leaves the young man and the princess. They are indeed warm-hearted creatures despite being timid in a public area.