21 21| Amateur

Late in the evening with the moon above the horizons of the kingdom, Quartz's appearance has been requested by Balthasar Bluemagic.

"Balthasar Bluemagic, I have brought Quartz with me." The princess calls from the outskirts of the tower while knocking to the parched door.

Balthasar answers the call and opens the door which emits a squeaky noise. With Axis, clinging on his staff, Balthasar welcomes the two of them to enter his abode.

"Fine evening isn't it?" With a hoarse throat, Balthasar greets the two of them. He then instructs the princess and the young man to take a seat in front of an old yet decent table.

"Abuelo, why have you called us in such a late night?" The princess queries. Balthasar responds with a smile as he places a box on the table and takes a seat, parallel to where they are facing.

"I am sure, you are familiar with this game?" Balthasar assumes, displaying familiar pieces to the young man.

"Ch-Chess?" The young man replies in a stuttering manner after seeing a chess set similar to the Sli Gacchi.

"That is correct, and you are here for I have challenged you to a simple game of Chess." Patting Quartz's shoulders, the wise man praises his reply as he continues to set up the board.

"Balthasar is a tough opponent, he has defeated me many times, and I have not won a single match against him." Jupiter alerts, preparing Quartz for what is to come between their match.

"You've played Chess before?" Hearing the words of the princess, Quartz questions her, willing to know if she has played a bored game that both of their worlds have.

"Of course. In fact, Balthasar is the man who introduced the game to me when I was young. After being interested, I've decided to ask him to teach me about this game." Jupiter replies in an exuberant manner, remembering her cherrished memories during the times she was an amateur with the game.

The simple chess match begins. Quartz has gained control over the black pieces, while the white pieces belong to Balthasar. The princess on the other hand will serve as a spectator and perhaps, she'll play along, guessing which moves both of them will be doing.

Balthasar makes the first move. He starts the game with the common Queen's Gambit mechanism by moving the queen's pawn two tiles forwards.

Clearly, Quartz is uncertain about Balthasar's techniques for this is his second time playing the game. He responds with a casual move, placing the king's pawn, two tiles ahead.

Seeing Quartz's move, the princess notices he's leading the white into zugzwang. She tilts her head to Balthasar's side to see his response. For the princess, she is quite fond of Balthasar's techniques and strategies, although she has lost countless of times.

The game continues for more than a minute and Balthasar decides to sacrifice his pawn. For the young man, his mind couldn't burst with joy, perhaps the wise old man has made a blunder. Little does the young man know, Balthasar's moves are just like a doctor's scalpel, accurate and precise.

Gladly, Quartz takes down the pawn, but in the princess and Balthasar's perspective, the young man has accepted the queen's gambit which would soon cause further damage to the black's side if the upcoming situations are not handled properly.

The clock reaches midnight, and the game continues. However, Quartz is already in a tight spot. His king has been pinned to the left corner, with only a mere amount of pawns and two officials, a rook and a knight. It is his turn to move, however his mind is too pressured my the tension, and therefore he offers a resignation.

"You are giving up too quickly," Balthasar let's out a soft sigh, rejecting the man's resignation.

"What am I, compared to you? I am nothing but an amateur. However you? You are a man of tactics."

"Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." Balthasar leans over the table, murmuring to Quartz's ear.

"If a man believes in miracles, then he can sometimes perform them, that's if, he has the confidence to do so. It is not about the move, but the thought behind it. Rook to b6, will leave my knight in a tight spot." Balthasar teaches, displaying the moves Quartz could've done in order to change the ending of the game.

"Life is like a game of Chess, to win you have to make a move. Knowing which move to make comes with in-sight and knowledge and by learning the lessons that are accumulated along the way, we become each of every piece of the game called life." Balthasar inspires, teaching the young man a very important lesson.

Hearing the exact same words that Balthasar told her when she was an amateur chess player like Quartz, Jupiter Braveheart smirks.

"You did not challenge me to play Chess didn't you?" Quartz questions with his left eyebrow raised.

"Quartz Vermillion, seeing ou battle in your first siege is impressive to me. Never have I seen a courageous man take down a troll with his friend. I wanted to test my hypothesis through a game, for even during the fiercest storm, a brave man will not give up."

"B... but, why test me in a game of Chess?" Quartz continues to query.

"For in the idea of Chess and the development of the chess mind, we have the picture of the intellectual struggle of mankind," Balthasar replies with the exact words he told the princess during the time the princess has queried the same question.

The night becomes deeper, and Balthasar has made the decision to let the princess and the young man rest. Even if failure and resignation however, Balthasar still has high hopes for him, a diamond in the rough.

With the stars shining brightly, Balthasar looks out to the window with his dearest owl. Together, they watch the stars, burning fervently across the sky, the light between darkness.

"Oh Axis, it's been a long night, let's take a rest." Balthasar greets sweetly, rubbing the chin of his owl.