CHAPTER 2: WHITE ALWAYS MOVES FIRST

The old man gazed thoughtfully at the figure seated across from him. He was one of two students who had shown the most potential when he had taken them in. Of course, Ruella was the other - who had unfortunately chosen a very much different path altogether upon 'graduation'.

Kane was not the same. At least, that's what the old man hoped. One could never really tell. The line between good and evil was sometimes so fine…

He had taken Kane in a year after Ruella had left for better prospects.

Better prospects - that was a nice way of putting it - the old man scoffed cynically at his own pathetic little joke.
Kane had shown the same sharpness and diligence that Ruella had shown. And like Ruella, he had learned fast as well. Although in terms of power and skills, he would never be Ruella's match. But what Kane lacked, he made up for in intellect. Slick would be a pretty apt word to describe the man.

The old man poured out another cup of hot tea and gestured towards Kane to take it.

"Ruella's powers are getting stronger by the day…" he sighed.

Kane nodded at his teacher's remark - his face void of any expression - as he lifted the cup towards his lips.
The old master sighed inwardly again. That was Kane. Calm. Cool. Collected. He could never tell what this student of his was thinking.

"And her latest decree…death to all men of marrying age…" he shook his head resignedly. Kane fell right smack into that particular category.

Kane swirled his cup slowly, letting the aroma linger on his nose. He looked into it intently as if mesmerized by the tea and leaves within. Then he idly took a sip out of it, closing his eyes as he savored the taste.

"This is going to make things a lot more difficult," the old man continued.

Kane put the cup down and ran his tongue across his lips. It was good tea and Kane loved the taste of tea - the feel of the tannin on his tongue, the bitterness of the leaves every time he bit into them, the warmth passing through his throat and filling the depths of his stomach.

He reached for the teapot and poured himself another cup.

The old man ran his fingers through his beard reflectively.

"We can't have them killing you, right?" he said with a little chuckle, laughing at his own joke.

Then he frowned as his tone of voice turned more serious. He couldn't think of anyone better than Kane for the 'job' at hand. But was he the valiant one that the prophecy spoke of? He didn't know. Only time would tell. For now, he could only hope that Kane was really the one. And that he wasn't sending his pupil to his death.

Yet strangely, the old man couldn't help but feel that Kane would not have any trouble trying to stay alive.

"Ruella would most likely be the more suspicious one of the two, so it may be better if you wove your way in through Anyss instead," he got up and paced the room.

"Having said that, I must add that Anyss may not be that easily fooled either…"

Kane carefully blew his breath over the top of his cup to cool it a little before taking another sip.

"She would be easier to handle, yes, much easier to handle…compared to Ruella, that is," the old man nodded as he continued with the one-sided conversation.

He stopped pacing and observed Kane who was still looking more fascinated with the cup of tea in his hand rather than what his teacher was saying to him. The old man sighed again.

"Out of the ashes rises the valiant son of man; Between witch and warrior shall among them dawn…" he mumbled the lines from the 2nd quatrain to himself.

"Kane," the old man called out to his student.

Kane put down the cup he was holding and stared unfazedly at his teacher.

"We need to prepare. To win a battle, we need to know the enemy. In our case here, the enemies," the old man continued. "And this battle is not one that would be easy to win."

Kane closed his eyes and he felt the words flow through his mind.

"Well-nigh the eleventh moon of the seventh era
When witch and robber ride together
Shall then the virtuous crumble and darkness enamour
So begins thus a reign of terror.
Out of the ashes rises the valiant son of man
Between witch and robber shall among them dawn
Will then darkness be vanquished
And light bequest the lands once more."

Kane opened his eyes almost immediately after. There was a slight glimmer in them.

"Ruella Duquayne and Anyss MacCullen. The witch and robber the prophecy speaks of. They met when Ruella was out riding the plains one night and coincidentally (or maybe not?), Anyss and her band had picked the sorceress as their target for that evening. The rest - as historians put it - is history."

"You have one who thrives on power and another who thrives in the kill. What do you get? A psychotic power-hungry sorceress and a blood-thirsty bandit queen," Kane sneered.

"But when it boils down to the basics. They are but two women. Albeit not your normal women, but still women all the same. They will have their weaknesses. And I will find out what they are…" Kane voiced a matter-of-factly.

He tilted his head in a slight bow at his teacher. "I already know what I need to know of them. And I already know what must be done and how to go about doing it. I would like to be left to my own devices though. Without any interference from anyone. And it's best that once I start, we break contact with each other altogether."

"You do understand, of course?"

The old man gaped at his pupil. He knew Kane was good but he hadn't expected him to be ready. Not just yet. At least not before this conversation.

Kane's lips twisted upwards in a little smile as he watched the wonderment unfold on his teacher's face.

He reached forward for the white pawn on the chessboard in front of him, pushing it out over two squares.

"You see…" Kane explained to his teacher. "White always moves first..."