{"id":4030,"date":"2016-08-22T00:01:02","date_gmt":"2016-08-22T04:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=4030"},"modified":"2016-10-05T08:20:23","modified_gmt":"2016-10-05T12:20:23","slug":"trellach-v-damar-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/trellach-v-damar-part-three\/","title":{"rendered":"Trellach v. Damar, Part Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trellach v. Damar
\n<\/strong>A Story by Aaron Canton
\n-Part Three-<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Trellach took a breath. Prentiss couldn\u2019t be invincible, she thought; the game of Lords was too complicated for any individual to master every facet. She just had to find something he didn\u2019t know. Yes, he was a champion who probably knew as much as anyone else about the game, but\u2014<\/p>\n

She caught herself. He had been<\/em> a champion when he was alive. Now, though, he\u2019d been dead and out of tournament play for thirty years. Damar had said he, Prentiss, worked out his own variations, but the game was so vast, he couldn\u2019t possibly have matched the last thirty years of Lords theory on his own. The tactics developed recently had to be new to him. Trellach just had to find and exploit them.<\/p>\n

A smile played over her lips as she realized what she could do. \u201cI win,\u201d she murmured. \u201cI figured out his weak point, Damar.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time, the necromancer seemed puzzled. \u201cReally? What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll see.\u201d When she had been studying Lords, Trellach had come across games by what was called the \u2018sapper\u2019 school, a group of players who had risen to prominence fifteen years prior following a series of high-profile wins by their most fervent advocates. These players didn\u2019t control strong central outposts with powerful pieces like the \u2018outpost\u2019 school did, nor did they try to block off such outposts with mobs of weaker pieces like the \u2018blockade\u2019 school. Instead they waited for their opponents to extend themselves by setting up outposts of their own, then attacked, undermined, and destroyed those outposts, much as sappers dug tunnels under castle walls to collapse them. Trellach had never used the tactics of the sapper school, and advocates of other play styles had worked out responses to said tactics five years prior… but Prentiss wouldn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n

So Trellach surrendered the central position and withdrew her army to the outer edges of the board. Prentiss immediately seized the opportunity to build up a stronghold in the center of the board, which controlled a huge swath of territory and pinned down most of Trellach\u2019s army. However, every move that strengthened his outpost resulted in him concentrating his forces a little more, and soon only his knight was providing support from a position outside the outpost while all the rest of his significant pieces were packed together in a seemingly impenetrable formation. If she sacrificed her last priest to draw off that knight, Trellach thought, she could set up a wave of her remaining soldiers, overwhelm the outpost, and remove most of his remaining pieces… provided she hadn\u2019t missed something. But if she was wrong and Prentiss resisted her final assault, she\u2019d be out of material.<\/p>\n

Trellach took a long breath as she examined the board. She couldn\u2019t see any way Prentiss could get out of it. Yes, he was a master\u2014a fact she was now acutely aware of\u2014but that didn\u2019t make him invincible. And besides…<\/p>\n

I\u2019m smarter than these people<\/em>, she thought to herself. I\u2019m smarter than all of them.<\/em><\/p>\n

She moved her priest. Prentiss\u2019 hand darted towards his knight, hesitated for a second, and then\u2014just as Trellach\u2019s heart began thundering in her chest\u2014he grabbed it and took the bait. She barely waited for him to let go before making her own next move, advancing the first soldier towards his army. He immediately knew; she could see his eyes darting along the board while he searched for a way out. But it was just as obvious he didn\u2019t know what to do about it, because when the death knight moved again, it was the exact move the outpost school dictated. That left another wing of his formation undefended, so Trellach attacked, and things proceeded from there.<\/p>\n

It took another fifteen moves, but eventually Prentiss was down to a single soldier, while Trellach still had three of her own. She maneuvered around his remaining piece and pinned down the general, then swept it from the board once Prentiss tipped it over. \u201cI win!\u201d she shouted, realizing she had been sweating. \u201cSo much for your death knight, Damar!\u201d She turned to the necromancer, who looked genuinely impressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve never known anyone to beat Prentiss.\u201d He inclined his head. \u201cYou are a magnificent player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trellach smiled to herself. Using obsolete tactics wasn\u2019t what she would call magnificent, but it wasn\u2019t like Damar or her citizens were smart enough to know the difference. \u201cI am. And now, as per our agreement, you will perform hard labor until you have paid off your debt to this town.\u201d She nodded at her mages. \u201cTake him away to the dungeons.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked back at the crowd and opened her mouth to proclaim how her victory had destroyed the vandal who had done such harm to them, but she realized her mages weren\u2019t moving. All four stood stock-still while Damar stretched and yawned. \u201cActually,\u201d he said, \u201cI think I\u2019ll be leaving now\u2014many things to do, you know. Good day, baroness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will not.\u201d Trellach scowled at her mages. \u201cI said, take him to the dungeons\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy won\u2019t I?\u201d asked Damar.<\/p>\n

Trellach stared at him. \u201cBecause the rules we agreed on\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought the rules didn\u2019t apply to nobility?\u201d Damar winked at her and walked past her mages, none of whom even turned in his direction. \u201cRather unfair, isn\u2019t it? You expect everyone else to follow the rules, but you don\u2019t seem to care to follow them yourself.\u201d He chuckled. \u201cAre they just for those who aren\u2019t as clever as you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, I don\u2019t know what\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Damar waved his hand, and Trellach\u2019s mages suddenly shimmered as a magic veil fell away from their bodies. All four were rotting, and Tyrn\u2019s skin even shuddered as if worms were buried within it. The citizens in the amphitheater gasped and screamed while Trellach gaped. \u201cHow\u2014\u201d she began at last. \u201cThat\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were dead the moment they broke into my camp to abduct me,\u201d said Damar, pacing across the stage as if in a lecture. \u201cLiterally, actually; I set up a ward to kill any living thing that crossed it and raise it as a zombie. I find it gives me peace of mind.\u201d He smiled politely. \u201cBut I had to admit at being curious as to what kind of foolish noble would try to arrest a necromancer, of all people. So I had that Tyrn fellow cast one of those illusions he was so fond of when he was alive, made your pet wizards look all nice and lively, and came back. After calling a few friends, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Trellach could ask about the friends, several forms in the crowd shimmered and resolved themselves into robed figures. The surrounding citizens jumped back as quickly as they could. \u201cYou have no right!\u201d yelled Trellach. \u201cYou\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had no right to try to kill me because you didn\u2019t like my spell,\u201d said Damar. \u201cSo I suppose we\u2019re even.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trellach flushed. \u201cWhy did you even go through with the game if you could have left at any time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see how good you were!\u201d Damar gestured at Prentiss, who stood perfectly still, just like Trellach\u2019s mages, now that the game was finished. \u201cPrentiss is a fine player, but he\u2019s not exactly up to date on the latest moves. So, once you challenged me to a game, I figured I would stay and see how you did. And I must say, you exceeded all my expectations.\u201d He grinned. \u201cDo you know what this means?\u201d<\/p>\n

Trellach thrust her hand towards her sword, but the zombified Tyrn muttered something, and the blade crumbled to dust. \u201cThat\u2014that I\u2019m good enough you won\u2019t kill me? Like I promised\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Damar laughed, an ugly sound that echoed through the amphitheater. \u201cIncorrect, I\u2019m afraid,\u201d he said. \u201cBut don\u2019t worry. Your talent, at least, will live on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The baroness tried to back away, but Damar muttered something in a tongue she didn\u2019t know, and the world went black around her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Damar nodded with obvious pleasure as Trellach\u2019s body, fresh off from crumpling to the stage, rose again. The necromancers in the audience clapped politely, and he bowed until the applause died down, then had his newest death knight bow as well before taking her place near Prentiss. \u201cThank you,\u201d he called to them. \u201cYou\u2019re too kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Someone screamed, and a few people immediately cringed away, as if worried Damar would kill them all on the spot, but the necromancer just beamed at them.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t need to worry,\u201d he said. \u201cMy actions were taken only against your noble ruler who tried to kill me. We won\u2019t hurt any of you…unless you give us cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody said anything, and Damar\u2019s smile grew. \u201cWell, we necromancers will be on our way. Although\u2014we might be stopping back here now and then to resupply, rest, and so forth. We may even put up a little guild hall…oh, about where her house used to be.\u201d He gestured at the death knight that had once been Baroness Trellach. \u201cThat won\u2019t be a problem, will it?\u201d He waited, but there were again no comments. \u201cExcellent! I knew we could count on this town.\u201d<\/p>\n

He chuckled and turned to leave the stage, but just before he got off of it, some brave citizen shouted, \u201cYou knew? Did you plan all this out?\u201d<\/p>\n

Damar hesitated, then looked back. \u201cOf course not!\u201d he chirped. \u201cI mean, I would have had to predict the completely random<\/em> attack of rats that plagued this town, that Trellach would try to kill me, even that she\u2019d challenge me to the one game this particular death knight is good at.\u201d He grinned. \u201cI\u2019d have to be very clever indeed to work all that out in advance, wouldn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

He bowed once more to the citizens, and his zombies and death knights did the same. Then they all walked out of the amphitheater and were gone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trellach v. Damar A Story by Aaron Canton -Part Three- Trellach took a breath. Prentiss couldn\u2019t be invincible, she thought; the game of Lords was too complicated for any individual to master every facet. She just had to find something he didn\u2019t know. Yes, he was a champion who probably knew as much as anyone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[273,1405,149,1404,1406],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Short-Story-Panel.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-130","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4030"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4031,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions\/4031"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}