Kingdom of Tales

Chapter 2 (A Game of Chess)

I feel terrible. I rubbed my dull eyes to remove excess tears from the edges of them. I then covered my red pupils with my hand as I realized the sun was coming up. I took one last glance at the gravestones. "I'm gonna miss you guys... oh god... They were only children..." I mumbled out loud as I read the names engraved on the stones from left to right.

I suddenly felt a pair of eyes watching me, or perhaps they were always watching me. I wasn't quite sure. As I turned around, I felt a little more frightened, afraid of the unknown. "W-Who's there...?" I asked with a raspy voice. "I told you that you wouldn't find anything valuable here, girl." An old man's voice could be heard, then a sigh. I immediately stood up to my feet, clenching my fists in anger. "Something WAS valuable here," I said in a stern voice. "Oh? And what would that be? There aren't any gems or ores here. Just dirt and ash."

"I found my people. They are valuable in every way." I began to feel tears forming around my eyes again, as I tried not to remember the children's smiling faces and laughs. The old fool laughed. "You really are like her... The woman in the fairy tale, I mean. Maybe... you have what it takes..." He started scratching his chin and I raised a brow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"This land..." The man began to tell his story. "It has been plagued by an unjust ruler and royal family." He looked towards the broken fences and debris. "This kingdom was only the first to fall victim to him." He narrowed his eyes in sadness. I looked down at my feet, with my hands clutching onto the cloth covering my chest. "So... war spread throughout the land?" I asked quietly. The man nodded in silence.

My clutch only grew tighter in frustration. "And this whole talk about, you know, me having what it takes... Do you mean me freeing this land of the king?" I caught on quickly and the man gave me a little applause. "Well done, your majesty." He bowed. "You know exactly what your purpose is now. Go. Save this land." With that final remark, the old man turned and started walking away. I reached out a hand. "Wait! Where the hell am I supposed to start?! I barely know the land outside of the kingdom!" I desperately called out.

"Why don't you start in Moonlight Village? I heard someone's waiting for you there." As a small leaf blew in front of my eyes, the man disappeared without a trace. "Huh... interesting..." I smirked, now curious of the outside world. I'm still not sure if he's just a figment of my imagination or not. I sighed, now sure of what to do next. With my hand still holding onto my chest, I set out into the forest, in search of Moonlight Village.

It's been an hour since I left! Where the hell is this village?! I was starting to grow impatient, nearly kicking all the roots in the forest that was on my way, only realizing that the roots were humongous and practically felt like stone compared to my tiny feet. I sighed in disappointment as I continued south. That boy said the village was next door to the city... A village this far isn't considered next door...

I facepalmed and groaned as I continued forward until I heard a small sound coming from a bush nearby. "Who's there?" I shouted at the bush. I then heard a small squeak until a figure jumped out. "N-Noire! Thank god it was you..." I blinked in confusion. "Y-You're... What were you doing in the bushes...?" I asked cautiously.

I stepped back slightly, trying to comprehend the sudden shouting. "I was... hunting! Yeah! I was hunting for wild boars!" Shiro answered, a little too quickly. "You don't have any hunting gear on you." I blatantly pointed out while crossing my arms. "Uh... well... yeah..." He stuttered and fidgeted awkwardly. "Hehe..." He chuckled and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yes...?" I was growing impatient again.