Checkmate

The feeling I get when were together ... I cant explain it. The rush, the excitement, abilities beyond most peoples imagination. My name is Redwan and this lovely figure next to me is Nena. We are king and queen of the land of the Red Time. We are in a time of great war. The Black Distance is trying to destroy our people and if either the king or queen are taken out then its game over. So needless to say we are there primary targets. Our knights are spread across the land fighting there own battles so we are left with just each other. But im thinking that’s all were going to need.

. . .
Frozen Feelings

I leg sweep a pawn and then lift him into the air. Nena rolls over my back and kicks him into the canyon wall. He smashes into the wall and collapses to the floor breathless. The other two pawns run off the way they came. I hug Nena in excitement.

R-"We did it again Nena! Another wave of pawns taken down." I hold her and rock back and forth so ecstatic that we made it through another fight.

N-"Yeah we did it.” She says rather slowly. She turns and looks at the pawn left on the ground with a saddened look on her face.

R-" What’s wrong Nena?" Her expression puzzles me as I thought she would be happy that we won. I look into her once sparkling eyes that seem to have grown dull out of despair.

N-" Another one is gone." Her eyes grow dark and slowly roll downward.

R- " We won though; we can’t always help the casualties." I hope to reassure her but my words don’t seem to help whats bothering her.

N- "That’s not what I mean. It’s not the casualties that bother me."
I reach for her soft hand and take it in mine. She raises her stunning green eyes and looks up at me.

R-" Than what is it?” I cant stand to see her said like this. There must be a deeper reason for the sorrow that has brought so much into those eyes this I never thought would lose there shine.

N-" Its just ... we keep fighting black soldiers and keep winning but...” She says the words slowly and drops her head back down.

R-" But what? What else can we do Nena?" There is despair in her voice as I try to comfort her for a problem I cant figure out.

N-" When is it ever going to end? We can’t just keep fighting forever?" Her eyes begin to glisten as she breaks into tears and falls to her knees.

R-"Hey now it will be alright I’ll protect you." I drop to my knees next to her and put my arms around her.

N-" I know but I want it all to end (sniff) please just make it end." She cries into my shoulder and I want so badly to tell her its over right now. I want to tell her with one word I can end this war and we can go back to the way things were, but I cant.

R-"Don’t worry Nena I promise it will be over soon. I'll make sure of it." I don’t know if I can carry through on my promise but ill give it my all.

N-" I hope so. I sure hope so." I pull her in close to me as she tries to quell her tears.

R-“Know this my queen, that I will do everything in my power to protect you and I will use my whole life fighting for you. If it comes down to that then I will use my last breath to tell you I love you.” We kneel there in each others arms knowing this is the beginning of something much bigger than we’ve ever faced together and I for one feel as though I could take on the entire world as long as she is there by my side.


. . .


I awake to the feel of a cold chill in the air. It’s a brisk spring morning but I feel more than just the cold of the seasons. I look up and Nena is no longer by my side. My heart begins to race. I hear a faint noise behind me and my stomach drops at the thought of what im about to find. I can sense the danger in the air as I turn around to three black pawns and a black knight holding Nena.

BK-"Wakey wakey sleepy head. We thought you were going to sleep all day." The Black knight taunts me as if he’s actually waited for me to wake just to end my life.

R-"You let her go right now or you'll regret it." My face burns in anger at the thought of his hand touching her skin. I rise of the ground with fists clench wanting nothing more than to run headlong into the knight and knock him senseless.

BK-"I don’t think you’re in any position to be making that kind of threat. You make even one move forward and your precious queen dies." He is standing in a small river that runs though the middle of the canyon. He stands in front of his pawns holding the back of Nena’s neck as she kneels on the ground in front of him with the water slowly flowing around her flawless form. The water barely seems to come into contact with as if its not worry of even touching her.

R-" I'm serious let her go." I grit my teeth as I speak in a harsh tone.

BK-" Oh he’s serious were scared now, right boys." The knight mocks me as if he feels untouchable. He thinks theres nothing I could possibly do and conveys it through his speech.

BP-" Oh yeah real scared boss." The pawns repeat his words almost robotically as if they have no minds of there own.

BK-"What are you going to do about this ha?" He steps back and lowers Nena's head into water. I stand there with my heart growing cold at the sight. "That’s what I thought. You can’t do a thing with all your strength." He laughs at my predicament knowing he has the power and I cant stop him. He lifts her head out of the water and she comes up breathing heavily but not saying a word.

R- "Your right. I can’t do anything with my strength." I grin to show him he cant intimidate me and so he wont think he has the upper hand.

BK- "So give yourself up. You’re finished." He smirks still thinking he has the advantage.I step to the right into the water and he tightens his grip on Nena’s neck. " Hey I told you not to move."

R-" No you told me not to move forward." My smile disappears as I toy with him and look down so he cant see my eyes.

BK-"Don’t move at all." He shouts at me to try to get me from moving to a better position. I can start to hear the fear in his voice.

BP-"No boss it’s true that is what you said." The pawn tries to correct him in an almost comical manner.

BK-"Shut up you fool." The remark irritates the knight as he dosnt want to be talked down to by an underling.

BP-"Well no need for that." The pawn dosnt realize he’s done anything wrong as the knight barks at him for seemingly no reason. The black knight turns to face the pawn and he draws his sword.

BK-"You sure have a big mouth for one so easily replaced." He points his sword in the direction of the pawn and the pawn backs up uneasily. I start to grow impatient with the knights apparent lack of interest in me.

R-" Hey are you two done bickering yet or do you need more time.” My heart grows colder every moment she’s in there hands. The black knight turns back around to face me.

BK-" And you my friend have quite the smart mouth being in the predicament you find yourself in. With your queen here close to breathing her last breath." He again lowers and raises her head from the water.

R-"I don’t think so." My heart feels like solid ice. I kneel and dip my hands into the water. I cant let this go on anymore.

BP-“What is he doing.” The pawn looks on in wonderment as I seem to be giving up after I appeared so confident.

BK-"Ha! He is finally surrendering. Grab him now and take him captive the king would like him alive if possible." The three pawns follow orders and walk towards me through the ankle deep water. My skin tingles as it grow colder and I close my eyes. I concentrate and my body begins to shiver. The three pawns start to argue among themselves as to whats going to take place

BP-"Man what the heck is going on with him." “I don’t know just grab him." "Why don’t you grab him." "Whoa what the..."The water in front of me begins to freeze into ice. The water freezes upriver towards the pawns and as it reaches them they freeze entirely from the bottom up.

BP-" Oh no it’s ....." The last pawn gasps as he freezes completely.The ice just about reaches the Black knight when he steps behind Nena and grins.

BK-"Ha you wouldn't freeze your precious queen." He thinks he has found a way to stop my power from reaching him but he’s wrong. I open my eyes and raise my head to look at him.

R-" Oh wouldn’t I?" I continue to concentrate as the water slowly freezes over Nena’s body.

N-"Huh! Redwan!" She screams not knowing what is going on. It fully freezes over her and then continues all the way up the Black knight to his neck where I stop it for just a moment.

BK-" What? No! How could you freeze your true love?! Your heartle..." He takes his last breath before the ice covers over his head encasing him. I stand and walk over the frozen stream up past the first pawn. I swing my arm and smash him into thousands of pieces on the way by. I do likewise to the other two pawns as I pass. I come up to Nena and kneel down in front on her. I press my lips tenderly against hers and the ice melts away.

N-"Huhhhh!" She gasps in air as the ice uncovers her and I hold her from falling to the ground.

R-"Nena are you ok?" Concerned I sit her down so that she can catch her beath.

N-"I ...I think so." Left slightly dazed from the experience she finally comes to realize whats just taken place.

R-"I'm sorry I could think of no other way to save you." I hope she can forgive my harsh action.

N-"No ...no its ok I understand you did what you had too." She knows she ok now and tries to stand but to no avail. She needs more time to regain herself. I make sure she’s sitting and then stand up just in front of the frozen Black knight.

R-"I told you you'd regret it." I raise my arm and pat him on the head. The ice topples to the ground and the knight is no longer a problem. I help Nena get to her feet.

R-"Are you sure your ok?" Shes still breathing fairly heavy from her ordeal.

N-"Yes I'll be fine thank you. Now how did you do that?" She stands close to me wither hand on my chest.

R-"Honestly I’m not sure. Every time my feelings for you get involved I seem to unlock new powers and abilities." It honestly a mystery how these things just come to me sometimes. Its like I don’t know I have them but somehow I do know.

N-"Well im certainly glad you found this one." She lays her head on my shoulder as I hold her close to me warming her body.

R-"Me too now maybe you should rest?" I try to get her to sit down and take a breather but she wont have it.

N-"Rest! Do you see what happens when we rest?” She says matter of fact and giggles to show her unserious nature.

R-"Oh yeah ha-ha. That’s true...ok let’s continue down the canyon." I take her hand in mine and turn towards the end of the canyon.

N-"Sounds good to me." She smiles at me and we keep on our path down the canyon. "So what’s the plan?"

R-"I'm not sure exactly. What would you like to do?" I don’t really have a plan at the moment so I ask for her opinion hoping for an idea to come to me.

N-"I really don’t want to have to fight anymore. I want it to just be me and you without all this opposition in the way." She pulls herself in closer to me as we walk.

R-"I’m know me too but as long as the Black Distance doesn’t want us together there never going to let us be in peace." She looks down in sadness. I put my hand under her chin and lift her head. “Hey now chin up don’t worry."

N-"How can I not?" I try and think of something I can say to make her feel better at what seems like a hopeless situation were in.

R-"Hmm .........ok I have a plan. So the king and queen of the Black Distance want us dead right and they wont stop until we are. All we have to do is get to them and defeat them before they can get to us."

N-"You really think we can do that?" Her voice starts to rise as the thought of freedom comes to her mind.

R-"Of course. Why do you think they want us apart in the first place? Its because they know that together were are to powerful and they're afraid of us. We can use that to our advantage and take the upper hand in this war.” I sound confident know as I convince her as much as im convincing myself now that I have a plan of attack.

N-"Ok I guess we have no other choice" Though her voice still sounds lined with sadness she knows this is our best hope for a future.

R-"Yeah and remember I said ill protect you." I turn to her and smile. She turns to face me and gently lays her hand on my cheek.

N-"I know you will. I have no doubt about that." She puts her arms around me to show she trusts me.

R-"Then what are you worried about ha?" I put my arms around her slowly and we stop walking.

N-"You need to be able to protect yourself. Just be careful ok. No need to get caulky or take risks." She puts a finger to my chest.

R-"Hey come on its me." I look at her and raise my eyebrow humorously trying to inspire some trust from her as to my carefulness.

N-"Yeah that’s what im afraid of." She pokes her finger into my chest again and giggles at my gesture. She knows me all to well to believe I’ll change.

R-"Aww I’m always caref..Ahh!" An arrow hits me in the back of my right shoulder.

N-"Redwan! Are you ok?" She screams at the sight of the arrow coming from my shoulder and panics at what to do. I pull the arrow out and toss it to the ground as blood streams down my back.

R-"Yeah im fine. It wasn’t deep but where did it come from." The arrow did hit me pretty good but I couldn’t let her know that. We look back and forth and there is no one either way in the canyon.

N-"Look up there. There on the canyon wall." She points up the canyon and I look up to see at least three Black towerman on the canyon wall with there arrows focused on us.

BT-"There is no way out of this one you two your trapped." They tighten there arrows and release them down on us.

N-"There right. How can we get out of this." There is desperation in her voice as she stares into my eyes.

R-"I don’t know but I know I will keep my promise to protect you." I shield her with my body as a hail of arrows comes down around us.

N-"No! What are you doing you'll be killed!" She shouts at me and tries to push me off but I wont let her.

R-"No I wont I promised I would protect you and that’s what im going to do. You just have to trust me to be your shield."

N-" O...ok." She stops protesting and kneels down so I can more easily cover her trusting that I can save us both. Just then an arrow strike me in the back but snaps on contact with my body. My body has turned to solid steel and the arrows glance off left and right.

R-"See what did I say." I smile at her and wink that every things going to be ok.
.
N-"But .. but how?" Her voice cracks in disbelief that were still alive and seemingly inharmed.

R-"You just gotta trust me that’s all." I hold out my hand for her to take.

N-"I do trust you." She grabs my hand and I feel it start to tingle. Sparks rush through me and I can hardly keep it in. My body changes back to normal but an amazing feeling rushes through me. I turn halfway towards the canyon wall and raise my other hand towards the enemy. Lightning pulses from one hand to the other and out my fingertips. It explodes into the canyon wall and the Black towermen are buried in rubble.

R-" Yes we did it...Uh! Just as I turn around im met by the heel of a Black knight who kicks me across the canyon floor.

BK-"Tsk tsk always leaving yourself open like that you really should be more careful." He puts his sword around Nena's neck and I get to my feet.

R-"Man im gettin sick of you guys trying to be witty I don’t think they pay you enough to have a sense of humor. Besides your the one who's left yourself open." I grin as I toy with his mind trying to catch him off guard.

BK-"Ha! I'm the one holding the girl what do you have? Nothing." He feels confident in his position and scoffs at the thought that he’s left himself open.

R-" That’s true, actually your right. Do you mind if I sit down to surrender?" I lower my head and drop my voice to show submission. I kneel down on the ground in front of him.

BK-"Um ..I guess so." He’s wary to allow my request but doesn’t see the harm in it.

R-"So you really think you have the upper hand ha?" Still I work on his confidence to try and by time.

BK-"Uhh yes, yes I do, I do have the upper hand." He thinks about my question and looks me up and down trying to make sure I cant possibly have a trick up my sleeve.

R-"Ok as long as you believe that." I can tell he's nervous and he begins to sweat as I sit down. I feel behind me and pick up the arrow that I had thrown to the floor. "You sure you don’t want to just run off. I'll tell your boss you put up a good fight." His legs begin to shake and he tightens his grip on his sword.

BK-" Why would I? I clearly have the better position here." I can see his knees growing weak but don’t want to push the situation any farther as he does have a sword to Nena’s neck.

R-"Ok suit yourself." I reach my right hand around my left side and tightly grip the arrow. “One more chance?" He grips his sword even tighter but doesn’t say a word as he stares at me wondering what to expect next. "No?... ok." I bring my arm around and quickly launch the arrow from my hand. It pierces the knight’s body and he drops the sword as he drops to the ground lifeless.

R-"Wow I cant believe that worked." I get off the ground laughing as I joke with Nena.

N-What! You were just hoping that would work while he had a sword around my neck?" She barks at me and looks at eh knight next to her laying on the ground.

R-"Well when you say it like that it doesn’t sound as good as it went.” She glares at me as I swagger over and put my arms around her. "Aww come on you know im kidding. Of course I knew it would work."

N-"Remember what I said about taking risks?" Her eyes looks up at me in a disapproving manner.

R-"Yes I know and I didn’t. I had it under control." I pull her close and run my hand through her silky black hair.

N-" Ok well you did do a good job so I’ll this one go." She finally gives in to my reasonings.

R-"Thank you. You know that why I love you, your just so forgiving." She giggles as I shake us back and forth and hugs me back.

R-"Alright well we better get some rest now. We got a big day ahead if were going to try and get to the king." We sit down on the ground with our backs against the canyon walls.

N-"Alright you'll protect me tonight though right?" I put my arm around her and she leans her head on my shoulder.

R-"Of course. You can sleep securely tonight." She snuggles her head into the side of mine and we close our eyes as the sun goes below the canyon walls.