COF 2: The Soul Spells

17 | Trouble (I)

"We could split the loot, you know?" June turned to Ravalee before frowning at the karavag board. He pointed to a piece in Cyrdel's region. "Check him out right there and take what he has to offer."

"Now that's cheating!" Cyrdel slapped June's hand away and glared at his piece that June had cornered into the edge of the board. The only choices he had now was to give up the piece and advance or save it and lose his chance at offensive. At least, that's how Xanthy understood the rules and the strategy behind the game.

Xanthy rubbed her face and leaned back against the carpeted floor while waiting for Cyrdel to make his move. She didn't know how long it was since June challenged them in a game that Xanthy only ever saw in the gambling tables of old men in the Disfavoreds. It was a hit game and Xanthy understood why at this moment.

Xanthy massaged her forehead and bit her lip, keeping an eye on her own court as June, Ravalee, and Cyrdel were out against each other. Karavag has a simple goal—obliterate all the opponent's pieces and not lose one of your own. All pieces start out with a fixed strength powered by magic stored inside them. The more a piece defeats other pieces, the stronger the magic inside it becomes.

"It absorbs magic from the other pieces," June had said to Xanthy as he explained the rules before they started the game. He then maneuvered the board with its sliding mechanisms that made the two-person board game expand to accommodate four courts. "Weaker pieces get killed. Stronger pieces survive."

Xanthy had rolled her eyes. Wasn't that how the world naturally operated?

Everyone got the same set of pieces that range from a small, weak piece to the strongest one. Xanthy had stayed out of the way, strengthening her own court by dealing with some of June and Ravalee's unattended pieces while June and Ravalee were out ravaging Cyrdel's front lines.

"It's not cheating," June shrugged against Cyrdel's earlier accusation. He stared down at his strongest piece currently standing in the midst of Cyrdel's court. Ravalee's fairly stronger pieces were also nearby. "We could team up. What do you say, Ravalee?"

Ravalee flashed June an agreeing gesture, complimented by a nod. Cyrdel's shoulders slumped as the turn to move fell upon him. Xanthy scratched her chin. Cyrdel had two choices now—to eliminate the ally-piece made by Ravalee when she agreed to work with June or to take his strongest piece and attack June's undefended court.

Cyrdel chose the former. Xanthy wasted a move by edging a piece to a spot adjacent to its current one. Ravalee was next and she took Cyrdel's piece closer to June's court. June moved the ally-piece and took Cyrdel's strongest piece. Xanthy blinked as the piece turned to ash.

June shrugged. "They'll be back at the end of the game," he said after glancing at Xanthy's face.

Huh.

Cyrdel tousled his hair as his defeat rolled out. Xanthy moved some of her pieces to take some of Cyrdel's leftover pieces. Without his strongest piece, everyone in his court would just be food. The prince crossed his arms and muttered about woollers chewing June's hair off.