The Lion's Gambit (Book One) Fully Released

Chapter I - Awakening

Kota breathed gently as he recognized the faint smell of flowers while lying on his back with no other thought in his mind. He could feel the emptiness and the peace that surrounded him.

"So this is where you have been this entire time. I have been searching for you for quite a while, Kota," said a familiar female voice.

"I feel like I haven't been gone for too long. Have you ever just stopped to watch the wind push and pull the flowers and leaves before? It is quite a peaceful thought. Not to mention the smell is intoxicating," Kota replied, keeping his eyes closed as he took in the sweet smell of the flowers.

For a moment, there was still silence, until he heard soft footsteps crunching the leaves on the ground. The figure moved closer to him before stopping only a few feet away. Feeling their eyes on him, he went to open his own, but they felt too heavy.

Abruptly, the figure reached down and grabbed his hand before pulling him to his feet. The figure spoke in another familiar voice, this time a deeper feminine voice he used to know. "We do not have time for your daydreaming. Get up now!"

His eyes opened to see the world around him pitch-black, and everything was void of color except the red parchment flowers that filled a dozen feet of space in the middle of the darkness. He leaned down and touched one of the red flowers that stood flowing in the imaginary wind. Unaware of where he was in the world, he turned to look for the voice he had heard.

He glanced in every direction. Then he felt a presence behind him. Moving slowly, he twisted his body around to see a woman standing with her arms crossed. Her red hair hung in a ponytail with a braid on the left, above her ear, and her deep-brown eyes pierced his vision. She had on the white dress he remembered seeing her wear back at the church, but she seemed older than when they had last seen each other. Taking a step toward her, he found that although he moved, he could not get any closer to her.

"Is this a dream?" asked Kota, seeing he was wearing his light armor from his time in Elida. "I do not feel like I am dreaming, Lucinda."

"It has been quite some time, Kota. The last time we talked to each other, you were being chased by some mystery woman and her friends. I promised someone I would rescue you, and here I am. I would never let you die after you saved me that night," Lucinda stated, smiling as she moved closer.

Kota watched as she gripped the chain holding his ring. Then he looked over his shoulder at something behind him as her smile turned. He twisted around as another figure shoved him onto the ground. They walked past him, grabbing Lucinda and spinning her around, holding her still against their chest.

"I cannot believe you choose to rescue this woman over me, Kota. I have known you for years!" yelled the figure, pressing a blade to Lucinda's throat.

Kota pushed himself off the ground and stood. His eyes met the figure's, and it was Lukas holding a blade to her throat, staring at Kota.

"I did not choose her over you. She needed my help. I could not let them kill her because of me," said Kota, raising his arms in defense.

"So you would let me die instead of her? Is that it?" Lukas asked, raising the blade again, closer to her throat.

Kota stared at the two of them, unsure what to say, until he felt an intense pain in the back of his head. Falling to the ground, he gripped the back of his head as a ringing resounded inside his head. Grunting in pain, he looked back up to see Lukas had disappeared. Only Lucinda was standing there. Kota's eyes refocused, seeing Lucinda crouching in front of him. She helped him to his feet before she nodded at someone behind him.