Pawn's Game

Chapter One

The dishes bobbed in the soapy water as the wind rustled through the autumn coloured trees beyond the single panned window, the exposed bulb above the sink giving off just enough light to see around the modest kitchen, BTS's Fake Love played softly in the background as the day came to an expectedly un-extraordinary end.

Looking out the window the night was calm and the streets were void of any movement, or so it seemed.

From the window, if you were looking hard enough, you could see a man clothed in a black trench coat walking along the sidewalk, head down and collar turned up against the wind, which was beginning to pick up. To anyone else the man may have seemed to be an innocent passerby, walking home from a quick trip to the store, or the mailbox which was just down the street, even just a man that had decided to take a walk before the weather had started to take a turn for the worse, however, to Lux, the man was an unwelcomed omen. She noticed how he avoided the dull, yellowish glow of the street lamps, which wasn't a difficult task since half of them had decided to burn out mere moments before, the odd limp in the man's right leg which caused him to overcompensate on his strides, and she noticed he only had one hand that could be seen beyond his coat sleeve. It was possible he just had his hand retracted to keep it warm, but Lux knew better, she knew the man did not have a hand there.

Lux turned off the light above the sink, which had dimly lit the kitchen, and ducked behind her counter, hoping the man would pass her house and that his identity wasn't who Lux thought it was. As if she couldn't resist taking another quick peek, Lux's head reappeared above the sink, looking through the window while the rest of her body remained hidden, unable to deal with the suspense and tension hanging in the air. Lux spotted the man almost immediately before he passed behind a bush across the street, but when he didn't reemerge on the other side, Lux stood up from her hiding place as she peered out the window, confused at the sudden disappearance.

Suddenly there was a knock at her door which caused Lux to jump, and she came inches away from hitting her head on the low set cupboards above the sink. There was no point in pretending not to be home, it was him and Lux knew he could sense her presence from within her small brick house. An impatient banging resounded through the house as Lux gloomily made her way towards the door, dragging her feet as she went.

"Open up!" A muffled voice called.

Lux sighed as she reached the door, setting her hand on the metal doorknob and feeling how the metal sent a shock of cold through her hand as she twisted the knob and pulled the door open. As the door swung open Lux was met with a rush of cold air as the wind picked up speed, and the sound of neighborhood dogs barking spilt into the warm house, beyond the man Lux noticed a few lights turning on in her neighbors houses.

"Long time no see, Sally," Lux said unamused as her attention returned to him.

The man at the door let out a deep and annoyed sigh.

"My name is Salvatore, not Sally," the man said as he glared at Lux," but it has indeed been a long time, what nearly five centuries, the night when you...."

Salvatore trailed off as he raised his left arm. Lux watched as the sleeve slipped down his arm, revealing the scared stump where his hand used to be connected to the wrist and she couldn't help but wince at the sight.

"When I cut off your hand?" Lux asked as she watched Salvatore's reaction, "you aren't still bitter about that are you?"

Salvatore gave a dry laugh as he lowered his arm, his right hand rubbing at the amputation.

"Yes, well it was a rather permanent action,"

"In my defence, you were trying to kill me, I figured your hand for your life was a fair and merciful trade," Lux said,