just another Game of Chess

[Hecate Rothchild]

Hecate sat up from her makeshift bed. the plush couch had done little for her wounds. "What was all that?" she asked herself as she looked down at the floor beside her, dried blood marred the surface of the smooth marble flooring. painfully she licked her fingertips and began scrubbing at the now rust colored droplets. She wasn't sure whose blood it was, her memory still hazy, memories of watching Warren once again grovel at her... no her dark side's feet.dried blood was smeared on her brown boots, the copper color was not quite hidden by the leather.

Scrubbing ferociously she finally managed to only smear the remnants of blood, the task was troublesome for someone who was still weak from wounds.

Standing up using the armrest of the sofa she limped towards the doorway, passing the boy. "Thats the boy that calls me... her... Hecate Sama" she though as she walked, keeping her blue eyes on the steps in front of her, not out of disrespect, but to avoid falling down and making her wounds worse. She staggered herself towards the library, the place of comfort. Her arm clenched tightly around her ribs, the pain was nearly overwhelming. Still she made her way towards the grand library, its thick wooden doors proved to be heavy and painful to open, still she managed to squeeze inside

She plopped herself down in the large comfortable chair sitting next to the large chess set and closed her eyes in thought.

[Hecate Rothchild]

Hecate's eyes opened, she felt better, even the wounds on her body were already healing. She was still nestled in her own little fortress of solitude. She had no clue of how long she had been asleep for , but it was clearly longer than she wanted. Her stomach grumbled, void of all food. Aside from the gnawing pains of hunger there was something else, an unmistakable urge. An urge to play chess.

scooting the large plush chair closer to the massive chess set Hecate picked up the knight peice resembling herself. She examined the intricate stonework once more before setting the black peice down and moving it . Without a thought her right hand moved of its own accord and slid one of the red stone peices, a pawn to spaces forward. The game was on.

The number of pieces taken grew and grew though each time the sacrifice was nessesary for the end game. The game dragged on for hours, each piece masterfully moved until only six pieces remained.ooked on at the board, somehow she was on the ropes, her resemblance of a knight was pushed up pinning the red rook, but otherwise she was down to a pawn and her own king. Her dark side whome she had been playing against if only subcounsiously still had her queen king and a single rook. This was not a desirable set up for the real Hecate, in fact in all her years of playing she had never won a match with only a knight and a pawn.

Still as she looked on at the red queen, covered in blood just sitting on the throne she couldent help but want to beat her. Inching her pawn forward she tasted defeat as the red rook sacrificed itself to take it. This left only a knight and a king versus a queen and a king.

Hecate hoverd her fingertip over her king before toppling it over reluctantly. She had lost to herself but still she had out up a somewhat valient fight in the prossess.

The sound of creaking behind her drew her attention to the young man who had been standing in the atrium when she awoke from whatever lapse of awareness she had underwent. The man's strange hat was tipped forward covering his eyes from veiw.Despite him standing perfectly still it was easy to see that the man was pained, his wounds from his fight with Warren clearly had not healed as fast as those she sustained from her fight with Cirno. Blood caked his clothing where warren's spear and blades had bit flesh. The sight of the state of his appearance irked Hecate, her compulsiveness to keep all things clean was returning at the sight of the man.

"What do you want? She asked the boy, who she still did not know his name. Her voice was far more stern than she had intended, but given how things had transpired in the first few weeks of being in the Omniverse, she didnt really have much faith in anyone being good or kind hearted.

"And clean yourself up." She said with a great deal of irritation in her voice. She stood up groaning as she did, even with her wounds closing up she still felt like she had fallen off a cliff, her broken rib mainly drew the majority of her pain. "Follow me boy" she said as she limped herway towards the hidden pathway to the bath house.

The man said nothing, keeping his eyes shielded from her gaze, a great reluctance followed as he slowly followed her silently. his mind focused soley on the fact that this version of his waifu was in charge at the moment, and not his dear Hecate sama.

The bath house was the same way she had left it, hot and clean.

The boy seemd either lost or embarassed to undress in front of the witch, either case Hecate didnt care. Despite his aid during the fight and him staying in the castle, there was still a strong feeling of unease.

"Well what are you waiting for? Nothing helps heal a wounded body and mind like a hot bath." Hecate explained as she turned away and began heading up the stone steps leading back to the library. Her cold disposition was not that of her dark side , yet there was an unmistakable coldness to her lack of words.

Looking on at her as she went back up the stais alone xxYandere♥loverxx said nothing as the witch clad in white disipeared.

[Hecate Rothchild]

Hecate grimaced as she finally stood back up, the boy was taking his sweet time below in the baths. Her wounds were healing at a faster pace than when she had been living in the dungeons of Vestura, still she wished she could accelerate the pace. An idea hit her like a rock from a catapult, reaching into her uniform she drew the orb of omnilium out and focused her mind on restoring her body. Slowly her pain abated, her wounds turning into nothing more than small barely noticeable scars. “Hmmm” She seemed to hum as she looked at the orb in her hand. The hidden passageway into the baths was her destination once more. She had given the boy enough time to bathe and dress.

The sounds of metal studs on the bottom of her leather boots hitting the polished stone steps made a distinctive sound. “clack clack clack clack” each step slow and deliberate, echoing off the polished stone walls. Her shadow before her given light by the lit torches on the walls.

She could hear the sounds of splashing in the water ahead of her. “Boy are you done yet?” she called out as she finally reached the baths themselves.

The boy looked up at her with surprise as she came through the doorway, her announcement had not given him ample time to get out of the hot waters. He quickly sunk down and covered himself. “yo” he said as he took a few steps back trying to keep distance from her.

Hecate was unphased by his nakedness, it was not the first human body she had seen undressed and she knew it would not be her last but for the boy it was clear he was not used to people seeing him undressed. Hecate noted that for whatever the reason the boy still had that stupid hat upon his head. “Boy do you ever take that thing off?” She asked, hints of irritation in her voice.

“No maam. This fedora is a part of who I am Hecate sama.” The boy replied with a nearly respectful tone.

Hecate was confused, there was that word again. “My name is Hecate, why do you keep calling me Hecate sama?” she asked the boy “And for the record you have not given me your name boy. Or do you prefer that I continue to address you as a simple boy?”

“What do you want to call me?” The boy said with an aura of mystery about him, almost as if he was trying to impress her with his mystique. “Sama is an honorific in japan, it means someone of a higher station.” The boy said. He opened his mouth to continue but was cut off by Hecate who simply responded to his first words “Boy it is then.” she said a small laugh parted from her throat as she said it, more at the fact the boy kept dodging the simple question.

The boy cleared his throat before continuing. “Sama is an honorific in japan, it means someone of a higher station or someone who is a superior. By addressing someone with the term Sama the person saying it is admitting that the person being addressed is a great person. That is why I will continue to only address you as Hecate Sama.” The boy said.
Hecate shook her head in disbelief. “Boy you do know that I of all people am not an honorific person, nor am I of a high station.” She said as she looked at his wounds from afar. She had come down to the bath to heal his wounds and learn more of why he was here, and yet all she was getting out of him was adoration and mystery. It was irritating.

[Hecate Rothchild]

Hecate pulled the orb of omnilium from her pocket once more and approached the boy, Her hands shook, as she focused her mind on healing the boy’s wounds. If nothing else the boy had proven himself to be a capable combatant, in that regard Hecate was sure he would come in handy, as a bodyguard or attendant if nothing else. “What is it that you desire boy?” She asked calmly as the omnillium finished the treatment of his visible wounds, if there were any internal injuries left she wouldn't know and nor did she care to waste much time on examining the boy….especially given his clothless state.

“Hurry up and robe yourself boy.” she said as she turned once more to go up the white stone stairs. It was not so much that the boy’s nakedness was a surprise nor was it something she was uncomfortable but rather she just had no interest in it. If his goal was to impress her or make her dote over his features he was going to learn the hard way that he was to be disappointed.

Leaving him behind as he scurried like a rat to get dressed and follow her, Hecate marched wordlessly towards her library once more, the sanctum once more a place of calm and quiet. The sounds of shoes on stone behind her signaled his ascent up the stone spiral stairway into the main antechamber of the library.

“Can you read?” she called out without looking behind her as she grabbed a book and sat down into one of the large chairs by the chess set and chess table.

The boy’s response was quiet as he grabbed one of the books randomly from the walls, and sat down into the chair across from her, His eyes going over the first pages without a word. Hecate watched with little interest as she waited for the boy to answer. “I can.” He replied without elaborating.

“It seems everyone here can…. It's a skill you all seem you take for granted.” She said, her voice filled with disdain.

[Hecate Rothchild]

Hecate didn't pay it any more attention, instead focusing her attention on the book resting on the stone table used for chess. The words in it were new to her. "Tales of Alexander of Macedon." She muttered "Who is this Alexander?" She asked the boy, who had already grown tired of the book in his hands and was fiddling with her chess pieces. There was a long delay before the boy lifted his hat to look at her.

"How do you not know of Alexander the great?" He asked her as he knocked over one of the castle shaped rook pieces in surprise. "Alexander the great is a man who once conquered all of the known world, He used an army that he paid as professionals and incorporated those he conquered into his kingdom." The boy said.

Hecate cut the boy off, "The information I am asking for is a very simple answer. I can Find out anything else from the collection of books, though my time is precious." She said, her irritation showing through. "Nevermind" She said as she turned a page.

[Hecate Rothchild]

Each page was new information to Hecate, each story about how the young king had won every single battle he went into, despite being outnumbered the man led his army agaisnt the largest armies of his world. Even the heroes of her world experianced defeat eventually.

"Boy" Hecate said as she looked up from her book. The young man was asleep drooling on her chess table. "The nerve...." She thought to herself but voiced nothing.

Instead of getting up, she once again looked into her book. she was nearly vinished with the thick volume. Deciding to finish the book she once again focused, studying each word, every page leaving an impression on her brain. "He died..." She muttered as she finished his story.

"All good heroes die...." The boy said half asleep as he sat up, wiping the drool from his ungroomed facial hair.

"I Think you might be right." Hecate replied as she thought about the woman she admired so much Elizabeth Vi Laticar.