Your Move!

Chapter 1: The Game Of Kings

The hallway walls were a stale white, with scratch marks dug into them and streaked down leaving the only indication of those who had tried to run away. Another group of less fortunates marched through the hallowed halls with their hands cuffed behind there back and a chain wrapped around their waists to keep them all in line.

Echo facility had a reputation for being filled with some of the most elite tacticians making it a challenge for anyone to save themselves. The neutrals as they were called, were those who had not defined themselves as the upper class or as fugitiveness of the lower class but together they were all paraded into a large atrium that waited behind a set of two heavy steel doors. The two leading escorts parted to the side as each of them held open a door and the desperate individuals sulked into the room.

The following guards made sure no one tried to run as they brought up the rear of the parade and guarded the open doors while being assisted by an additional two. Brian, a kid that was no older then seventeen, stood in the midst of this hellish parade and watched as the other neutrals parted around him. The boy was a typical looking kid, round face, brown eyes and it was all brought together by the grey jumpsuit that all the neutrals were required to wear.

There was nothing special about him and he was just another typical run of the mill rebellious teenager, who happened to be caught in the right place at the wrong time. While the crowd of Neutrals all took their place at a desk, Brian's eyes locked with the giant banner at the other side of the room. The banner had a dragon depicted on it that was trying to bite it's own tail, representing the logo of the draconic army.

Typically referred to as dragons, they were a specialist class of interrogators, who were commonly known for their use of torture and ruled what remained of the ravaged state. Now face to face with their logo though, Brain was in shock as all of this started to become real to him when he felt someone nudge his shoulder.

He turned to face the individual who was now in his personal space, realizing it was one of the guards looking down at him. Brian's eyes expressed his resentment to the man but yet he received no sympathy from him.

    "Your opponent is waiting."

    "What?"

    "Don't be coy with me boy, the games are about to begin. Take your seat."

Brian turned away from the guard to follow the direction of the military mans finger, which was clearly pointing at a desk with a man probably in his mid twenties sitting behind it. His body was covered into tattoos and his hair up in a faux hawk and to bring it all together he wore a dark purple blazer that probably cost more money then Brian had ever seen in his life.

The man was spinning a chess piece in his hand as he locked eyes with the boy, and the guard urged him to go forward and take his spot of judgement. Brian wanted to fight it but he knew it was a losing battle and would only end up getting himself killed, so against his beliefs he walked over to the psychotic looking man and took a seat. Now with a closer look the tattoo'd man had jet black hair that stood straight up with frosted tips, piercings all around his ear and red contact lenses in his eyes making them look like snake eyes.

While Brian sat down the man sat back and his blazer flowed out beside him clearly with no intention of staying long as he placed the chess piece he had been playing with back on the board. Before the two could exchange words, an announcer took the stage in the centre of the atrium while being escorted by a team of guards.

When the announcer reached the microphone at the centre of the elevated platform in the middle of the atrium he tapped on it twice to make sure it was on. When he finished up his preparations he stood up straight and looked out at the crowd and began to address them.

    "Hello everyone. As you all know you are here today to contest your crimes. Neutrals if you win your crimes will be passed on to the elite sitting across from you and you will take their place. Not like that's going to happen," The announcer said under his breath. "But if you lose...well just remember these last few minutes of freedom live on in your mind. Other than that everyone let the game of kings begin."

The announcer took his leave and departed from the stage while his guards escorted him before he stepped back in between them, while across the room, Brian turned his attention back to the chess board in front of him. However there was a deadly gaze burning into the top of his head as he looked up to see his freak of an opponent licking his lips and continued to glare at the defenceless boy. Unfortunately Brian's rebellious attitude was still running high as his glare was now fighting the man across from him, almost making it seem like he was becoming intimidated.

    "Y'know it's impressive that a kid like you could convince a judge to let you contest for your crimes as bad as they are."

    "I'm under eighteen, I'm entitled to this."

    "Still for what you did, you shouldn't even be given the chance."

    "Shut up and play the game."

    "Ooo a feisty one, I'm going to enjoy beating you."

Turning their attention to the board, their hands raced back and forth moving pieces one after another at a rapid pace. Brian's eyes quickly scanned the board from side to side, move after move as the clock on the side continued to eat away their time.

With time ticking away fast, the game wouldn't last more then three minutes at most as Brian placed a piece down with only twenty seconds left. His opponent started to laugh maniacally forcing him to analyze the move that he had just made.

    "So close kid, but sadly that last move just ended this game for you. Making it so you can't win since I now have you in checkmate. So I WIN!"

The frosted tip boy picked up a piece and put it down right next to Brian's king, and then smacked the time clock to let the last twenty second run down on Brian.