In lucem ac tenebras

She sighs as he takes her piece. "My mother tricked my father into marrying and concieving with her. He was too lost to the world otherwise."

She slides a pawn forward as Liam returns his bishop to its original position. Sliding her king to g3, she curses loudly when his rook checks her. She counters by pushing her pawn between the two pieces. Liam moves his other rook across to support the first on a8. Seeing a possibility, she moves her forward most rook to the edge of the board as Liam advances a pawn. In triumph, she checks his king and crosses her arms across her chest. "Your move."

38.Bf6 a3 39.Rf4 a2 40.c4 Bxc4 41.d7 Bd5 42.Kg3 Ra3+ 43.c3 Rha8 44.Rh4 e5 45.Rh7+

I move my King from f7 to e6, out of check so she moves her rook to e7 causing check again, simply a delaying move. my king moves to d6 again out of check opening for her to take my pawn on e5. "your question"

"How is it that the elves are gone, yet the larger part of the fay remain to torment men?" Adriana looks across at Liam. "It's no secret that even the less war-like of the fay bare humans no more love then we do they, yet they persist despite the departure of the elves. Surely the Walker could have found worlds for the others as well." Liam takes her pawn, checking her as she waits for his answer.

Ke6 46.Re7+ Kd6 47.Rxe5 Rxc3+

"I was unaware the elves had left, was in kind of in a complete blackout for the last six months. As for the other fae staying may believe that they stand a better chance since the elves are gone, and walker is an odd creature, has been since he was a young man." studying the board " what purpose do you seek followers for?" the elves have left. that is worrying with the prophesy about Liv. i may need to wrap this up and hurry back. sounds like the work has gotten ahead of our motley band of misfits.

She smiles unpleasantly. "My kingdom awaits. The fay drowned my ancestor's capital, and now, without the militant elves to hold man at bay and draw their attention away from the root of the problem, we'll drive them the rest of the way out of our world."

Adriana draws her king back, and Liam follows with his rook, maintaining the check. King to e1, King to d7, Liam takes her most advanced pawn.

48.Kf2 Rc2+ 49.Ke1 Kxd7

"which drowned capitol are you trying to avenge?" Her rook takes my remaining bishop placing me in check again, "not bad, haven't played an opponent this practiced or skilled in a long time. your question" I move my king from d7 to c6. she moves her rook to d6 to maintaining the check king to
b7 rook to d7, king to a6, and her rook to d2
a

"I am Adriana Ab'Ys, only child of Betrys Ab'Ys, My ancestor's city was drowned by his half-breed mother and an elf in the middle of a storm eight hundred years ago." She glances at the board before turning her eye back on Liam. "Tell me, Lazarus, who follows a warrior like you?"

"No one follows me, at one time i was a leader, never of a city or nation. Those who i work with or fight alongside i do so based on their heart they are my Kith and Kin. I don't desire political power. You mean Ys, I suggest you learn from the legends and rather then seeking something so poorly remembered. the spires and towers were beautiful but the people were not. at least those not in your ancestors favor weren't" I remember people shadows of my then rotted self on the rare occasion i had entered the city My rook takes hers, which is proptly taken by her king. "why do you seek a burden so much older then you"

pb2, 55. h4-kb5 56. h5-c4

"Because it is mine." She glares at him, "It was stolen from me by the fay, just like my father. If you were in Ys, as it seems you were, old man, you saw what they built; a thriving community of art and trade where human and fay intermingled at will. Then, in the end, two of that treacherous race destroyed it because they realized that we are not meant to share this world."

She slips a hand protectively over her bag in an unconscious gesture. "How did you come to be, Dead Man Walking?"


50.Rexd5+ Kc6 51.Rd6+ Kb7 52.Rd7+ Ka6 53.R7d2 Rxd2 54.Kxd2

I almost laugh at the statement "you mean how is it that i came to have memories of a place that was obviously before i could possibly have lived while still obviously not being a fae." I start calmly "I was cursed many many years ago by a magus who had taken my youngest sister and stolen my ship. when I stabbed him he declared i would 'never rest' and the arcane magic that pulsed down my weapon caused me to black out. when i woke my ship was ablaze with many of my possessions arrayed around me on it. i fell through the burning deck and existed for many years in a state caught between death and life. my memories were restored and the curse was lifted by my kith, and my spitfire of a sister was among them." it is a readers digest version but it works " move your hand from your bag someone will think it is valuable and take it from you if you give it away like that." i take a deep breath "you show your youth with your vehemence. as well as horrid information. the thriving community, was only the upper of the upper crust, the children and lower classes even the minor nobles starved or sickened unable to get the food or help they needed by "nobles" that wouldn't hear anything they didn't like. fae and human once lived together, hubris on both sides broke that, it would take unified effort to ever fix it be it a complete break or a mending"

"Better then anything we've had since," she returns, watching his pawn move up. "Every good thing we have, THEY foul. The elves killed thousands before the walker and the London Knights got involved." She moves her own pawn to h4; Liam advances his king diagonally, permitting her to move her pawn once again. Smiling wickedly, she watches him avoid the obvious offensive move and instead press forward with his pawn on c4; she pushes her rook to block his pawn advancing on a1 and stifles a laugh as he takes her pawn on h5. "Your question."

b4 55.h4 Kb5 56.h5 c4 57.Ra1 gxh5

"fair enough" I study her slowly the resemblance is uncanny but this girl is harder and darker then Liv will ever be without help "so many to choose from and so few i can ask." i mutter to myself "Where does your personal bitterness come from Adriana. there is more to this then "my ancestors were wronged" such things seem to go hand in hand." I leave out how much like her i was scarcely a decade ago.

She pauses as she slowly studies the board, mulling over her response.

"My father's first lover made it impossible for me to know him." She says finally. "And my mother cared more for him then for the child of their union." grimacing, she advances her remaining pawn, then watches as Liam does likewise with his own on h3. "I detest them, the fay, and all they represent. They're more alien then the grays, and more disruptive then time travelers. They are everything we either cannot be or refuse to be." She advances her pawn once again, and Liam does the same; moving her bishop, she studies his face, seeing something she can't quite read as he moves his rook into confrontation with her pawn. Victory crosses her face as she moves her bishop to pin his rook. "Five pawns, Lazarus, and you're finished."

58.g6 h4 59.g7 h3 60.Be7 Rg8 61.Bf8

I almost smile "don't be so sure Adriana" i say calmly studying the board, "after all stranger things have happened" I then look up at her "Since i asked something so personal you get a free question." I smirk "just not what my next move is going to be."

She smiles coyly... "Can I meet my look-alike?"

"If you really want to and she is willing you can, however she is family to me in all ways except blood, and i will not tolerate her being mistreated i take care of mine" I say moving my pawn h2, then calmly to calmly "make your move food should be here soon

She makes a face and sidesteps her king to the left, to which Liam pulls his own king back to c6. Sliding her rook to d1, she hobbles his ability to harry her bishop. She watches with interest as he advances a pawn to b3, checking her king, before responding by advancing him a space. Liam advances his pawn to h1 and exchanges it for a Queen, only to have it taken immediately by Adriana's rook. "I take it this mirror of your bard isn't to your liking," she says, removing the queen. "Any particular reasons why?"

h2 62.Kc2 Kc6 63.Rd1 b3+ 64.Kc3 h1=Q 65.Rxh1

" I didn't say i don't like you i mearly warned you that she is a family to me and i won't see her harmed, it is up to her if she is willing to meet you aswell i won't speak for her." I sigh "you have potential to be a decent companion but" Here I struggle "you are going to have choices to make and in truth, hard lessons to learn. some of them will be bitter and cruel and I hope they don't break you." I move my King to d5 which is answered by her moving her king to b2, my pawn to f4, her rook to a5 check, move my king to e4

Looking between Liam and the board, Adriana considers a moment then sends her rook to c1, then returns it to d1 to place his king in check in response to his next move. "What are you playing at?" she grumbles to herself, then curses loud enough to cause a pause to the activity in the restaurant as he moves to e1. Scowling, she moves her rook to retreat, then watches him advance a pawn to f3. Resignedly, she releases her lock on his rook, moving the bishop to c5, watching as he takes her final pawn.

Kd5 66.Kb2 f4 67.Rd1+ Ke4 68.Rc1 Kd3 69.Rd1+ Ke2 70.Rc1 f3 71.Bc5 Rxg7

" A hint at a hard lesson." I answer knowing she wasn't really asking a question, then for my question "why are you holding onto an old glory instead of trying to make a new one?"I watch as her rook takes my pawn on C4 which for some reason makes me worry for Ignacy, my answer is to move my rook to d7

"What glory is more important then heritage?" She replies, checking Liam's king. She watches it retreat to f1, then moves her bishop to d4. Watching him move a pawn to f2, she tips her king. "God save your enemies." She concedes.

72.Rxc4 Rd7 73.Re4+ Kf1 74.Bd4 f2 0–1 (75...Rxd4! 76.Rxd4 Ke2 wins; 75.Be5 Rd1 76.Kxb3 Re1 also wins)

"Heritage is one thing, glory another, our glories honor our ancestors and acknowledge their influence on our lives, better by far to learn from them and forge our own, then when we see them in the next life we have a chance to truly see them proud" I nod at her concession "I could say the same, you almost had me there a few times." looking around "wow they must be having trouble the food should have gotten here by now"

The sounds of a small scuffle escape the kitchen, along with a small flock of cephalopods snapping their beaks threateningly at the customers. One pauses and looks to the window before throwing forth a jet of water and shattering the glass panes. A rapid exodus follows as three chefs burst from the kitchen in pursuit.

"Eat here often?" Adriana lifts an eyebrow in Liam's direction.

"Not often enough to remember that apparently" I mutter "guess there went my lunch"

A smile lights her face with an honest mirth. "Well, just as well; if the cook can't handle the food, then it doesn't belong in his kitchen." Sliding from the booth, Adriana collects her things. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I would rather eat the questionable goods of a street vendor, where I might get lucky." More crashing from the kitchen causes her to put her back to the wall as one of the chefs screams at some unseen horror. Half the crowd seems to catch on with her idea and begins to move for the door while others sit back to enjoy the coming show.