Chaos Erupts On The Board - Chapter 20

"Let The Game Begin!"

At the White Queen’s command, the red pawns surged forward in perfect unison, skidding to a halt to claim their squares.

The red bishops strode quickly forward with an air of deliberate purpose; their long vestments flapped wildly behind them. The rooks emerged next, massive and unrelenting, their entrance like a storm about to break. A low rumble rolled across the chessboard, the ground pulsing faintly beneath their feet.

Alice flinched as she stumbled back a step. “Goodness!”

“We’re doomed! We’re doomed, I tell you!” The rabbit thumped his foot against the grass like a nervous metronome.

Thistle hovered warily; her wings fluttered in anticipation. She watched the major crimson pieces maneuver into position.

“Do we have to fight them?” whispered Alice.

“Not a fight, Alice,” Thistle replied in a calm voice. “It’s a game.”

“You are players!” bellowed the White Queen with finality. “Now take your places.”

Alice hesitated; her hands curled into fists at her sides. “What if we don’t want to play?” she asked defiantly.

The White Queen’s eyes narrowed. She replied harshly, “It’s not a matter of want, child. You’re already a player.”

The Queen cast a sharp glance at the empty edge of the field. Through clenched teeth, she continued, “We must wait for Her Majesty and His Highness to grace us with their presence. There’s no turning back now.”

She shot a look at the crimson bishop. “Do tell your Queen that we are ready.”

The mushroom leaned closer; its soft cap tilted toward Alice. “Two crowns, one board. One plays with fire, the other with cold.”

Alice shrugged her shoulders. “What? I don’t understand,” she said, blinking.

Thistle hovered high above the White Queen while the rabbit and Alice ventured reluctantly onto the checkerboard’s edge. A heavy hush fell over the field. The red and white pieces stood at attention.

The ground began to rumble. A deep hum vibrated through the squares as the Red Queen barreled onto the board with the intensity of a run-away train. Her crimson gown billowed behind her; its rigid folds moved with an unnatural grace. She stopped abruptly in the center of the board. Her fiery, calculated gaze swept over the ivory pieces lined up in opposition and eventually settled on Alice.

“Welcome to the game,” the Red Queen purred, her voice smooth but laced with an edge of threat. “It seems you’ve been chosen. A child…who doesn’t even know the rules of the game…how amusing!”

Alice stiffened under the Red Queen’s stare. She lifted her chin and said, “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Not yet,” the Queen snarled, “but you will be.” Her lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile.

Thistle laughed loudly. “You talk like you’ve already won, ‘Your Royal Rubiness.’”

Before she could respond, the Red King made his entrance and stopped silently behind her. He towered over the other pieces; his imposing figure cast long shadows. His face was strangely devoid of expression while his sharp eyes surveyed the Red Court with an air of cool detachment.

Alice looked at the two rows of ivory pieces, each one posed on its square—some motionless, others shifted impatiently. She felt her heart race.

“But how? Which piece?” she whispered.

Thistle giggled. She flew toward the nearby white rook and settled nimbly on its tip; her legs dangled carelessly over the edge. “I’ll take the rook,” she said, quite pleased with her decision.

The rabbit jittered nervously; his eyes darted from one piece to another. “Oh dear, oh dear, what to choose?!” he muttered, wringing his paws. “Not that, not that…” He scurried between the pieces while clutching his watch, its ticking impossibly loud over the thump of his feet.

With a sudden, frantic motion, he bounded toward the knight, practically tumbling into the piece. “Yes, yes, the knight!” He scampered up the back of the horse, his grasp firmly on its mane. “This is madness! Absolute madness! What if it gallops--”

“Well?” the White Queen asked loudly. She peered down at Alice. “Choose!”

Alice looked at the remaining pieces—pawns that stood in a neat row, rather diminutive and insignificant compared to the colossal rooks, knights and bishops. She sighed. “I’ll be a pawn, then.”

She stepped behind a pawn--he was shorter than expected.

“A small beginning,” the Red Queen smirked. “Perfect for someone with such a small vision--”

“Pawn to the third square!” the White Queen’s voice rang out, firm and commanding.

Alice barely had time before the pawn began to move. To her surprise, it didn’t simply glide forward—it rose slightly to tilt back as an invitation for her to step onto its base.

“Oh!” Alice gasped. She stumbled briefly before she stepped onto the small ledge. The pawn immediately moved forward with a smooth, gliding motion. Alice exhaled in relief as they came to a stop on the third square. The ride was odd but steady.

Thistle stood in excitement atop the rook. “Well, done! You hitched a ride!”

Alice rolled her eyes. “It’s not as easy as it looks.” Her hands gripped the pawn’s rounded shoulders tightly.

“Oh, no, no, no! That’s not proper…not proper indeed! She’s gliding about like it’s a merry-go-round!” squeaked the rabbit.

The White Queen’s cold voice rang out. “A proper move!”

The Red Queen’s lips curled downward. “How quaint,” she retorted, her voice dripping with disdain. “But hardly a move that will win the game!”

Thistle snorted; her arms folded tightly across her chest in defiance. “Careful, Red! “

The Red Queen’s smile vanished, replaced by a flash of fire in her eyes. Without a word, she slid forward from her square. “You dare challenge me?” she spat furiously.

“Oh, how refreshing!” remarked the White Queen dryly. A faint smile crossed her lips.

The White Rabbit glanced anxiously between the queens. “I—I think it’s best we all play nice, yes?”

The Red Queen charged across the board like a rocket on fire, aimed at Thistle’s rook. She stopped abruptly an inch shy of a collision.

“That’s not how the game is played!” the White Queen snapped. “Back to your square!” she ordered with authority. “You’ve overstepped your bounds! This is a game of strategy, not temper tantrums.”

The Red Queen’s fury reached its peak as she pointed at her crimson forces. “Enough of this!” she bellowed. “Move! Advance, all of you—Now!”

After a brief hesitation and a flicker of confusion, the red pieces surged forward like a crimson tidal wave that swept across the board.

Thistle swooped down to confront the approaching sea of red. With wings beating furiously and eyes that flashed with determination, she held up her arms to stop the swarm.

The air began to shift--a faint stir at first—which grew into a powerful whirlwind. Dust and debris rose from the checkerboard which spiraled upward into a dense whirling barrier. The red pieces disappeared, lost behind the turbulence.

“Oopsie. That might have been a bit much,” Thistle said. With a mischievous smile, she lowered her arms to slow the wind.

When the tempest cleared, all the red pieces stood frozen mid-step, turned to stone.

The White King, slow to react, glided in front of his Queen to protect her.

Alice blinked several times. She gasped, “This can’t be real…”

The Red Queen’s fury turned to disbelief as her focus shifted to her King. He stood motionless, behind his pawns, surrounded by his knights and bishops, his eyes fixed in an empty stare. Her rage faltered.

The White Queen commanded, “Seize her! Remove her from this game at once!”

The white pawns moved swiftly to surround the Red Queen. They lifted her high above their heads. She offered no resistance, her body limp in surrender as she was slowly hauled away without a word.

The White Rabbit covered his eyes. “Trouble! Trouble! We’re in deep trouble now!”

The White King led his Queen off the board with quiet authority. After a moment, the rest of the White Court followed in disciplined formation. Thistle, the rabbit and Alice stood amongst the stone figures, the last players standing.

The mushroom mockingly tilted its cap toward Alice. “The game has only just begun,” it mused.