How boring ~.
Fish rained down, some frightened animals, insects, some quadrupeds that I had never seen… basically, nothing capable of communicating.
In the Underwasteland, creatures that have the passive ability [Language] are affected by the location and can therefore communicate with me without problems.
[Language] is a subskill of [Domestic skills], and relatively few creatures have it.
Some deceased, such as many birds and certain humanoids, possess such abilities but at simple [mastery: 1] and it is difficult to keep them from chatting or playing. They even struggle to understand me and complain that the language of the gods is too refined.
And so, I'm bored.
And I think alone.
Ci-cin.
Sure, okay, the fact that I don't know if you're sentient or not is an excuse to say that I communicate with you, tail.
But what do I say?
Maybe it's better if I explore the dungeon a bit since I don't have much here...
Ah, bubbles in the sky! It's about to rain something.
I grab my umbrella and leave the veranda. The bubble in the membrane swells and is close enough to reach without [Dungeon path].
I reach under it and open the umbrella to protect myself from the viscous drops.
It falls in front of me, splashing and stirring up the ash.
It is large, a massive humanoid.
I don't get any closer, I stay still under the umbrella waiting for it to wake up.
“Cuff, cough!” It coughs as it stands up.
It's all dirty. How silly, I should bring a cloth with me.
Muscular, once on its feet it surpasses me by at least two spans. Two large tusks emerge from the lower jaw, the chin resembling the tip of a toothed arrow.
Does it have protruding breasts, is she a female?
The wrinkles and hunched posture betray her advanced age.
Her smell…
…
It's balsamic...
…
But unknown. Maybe she's from a planet I don't know?
“Awrraa…” she stretches, ignoring me.
I'm interested and I'm not in a hurry, I can let her do it.
Cracking her back and shoulder blades, she notices my presence.
She looks around her and then scans the sky, finally her eyes fall in my direction. They are big and blue, while her skin is brown with pearly reflections.
No, I have never seen this type of creature.
She wears dirty clothes, without buttons, and does not appear injured.
“Hello.”
“Uh, kitten, do you talk?” She scratches her head from her high forehead.
“Yes, my name is N. I am the Empress of this place.”
I bow a little and lower my ears.
“Ah, haha, hahaha!” The guest pats herself on the shoulder and continues laughing. “This is cool! A dream where there are talking cats! Uhahahaha!”
“Look, I'm not a cat, even though cats are somehow related to me.”
“Ha-ha, eh, e-eh,” the guest wipes her tears, “what a dream guys, this sand you can almost touch and those bodies… brrr, gloomy sky.”
Is it that funny?
And it's not a dream!
“Scan.”
I extend my finger and the creature's confidence suddenly disappears.
Despite her size, she takes a step back and brings her hands to her face.
“Don't worry, I just want to understand who you are. Scan is harmless.”
The hands open, revealing an eye.
“Are you a w-wizard? S-sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.”
“Don't worry. I'm not disappointed. So, let's see.”
[lv: 12] [xp: 780]
[name: Lajal Poliak Olvk]
[type: Ogre]
[job: Gambler]
[hp: 862]
[c: 8][s: 6]―[d: 2][…]
[ip: 83]
[c: 8][i: 3]
[malus: Deceased]
“Oh…”
“There is something wrong?”
I close the statistics and go back to looking at the ogre.
Ogre.
I have never met a being of this species. She must be rare.
“So? What does the magic you cast on me do?”
“Checking your statistics is important to understand where to place yourself.”
The ogre scratches her chest and then moves on to rub her shoulder.
“Kitten, I don't understand. Where should you place me? This dream is a bit disturbing. It no longer entertains me.”
I shake my head.
“I'm sorry I have to tell you this. Usually, those who arrive already know…”
“Do they already know what?”
“To be deceased.”
“HUH!?” Lajal's face scrunches up. For a moment she shows her terrible teeth. “Would I have died?”
I close the umbrella by shaking it to chase away the biggest drops.
“Yes, you are dead Lajal. Maybe you were asleep, that's why you didn't notice.”
The interlocutor touches her neck, chest, and abdomen.
“Yet I have no injuries. Sure, that if I slap myself… Ouch! No, I'm not awake. No, no, come on, it's not true! It can't!”
“I am sorry.”
“Look, Kitty, listen to me,” Lajal leans over, casting her long shadow over me. “Send me back. I think I know what happened.”
Ci-cin.
I wrinkle my nose and contort my face.
The ogre smells beautiful, but its breath is foul – even by the standards of the smell of the dead.
However.
“If you want to tell me your story, I can listen to it. I can't send you back, it's the law.”
Ci-cin, Ci-cin, Ci-cin…
Even though I try to stay composed, my tails are pawing. They betray my true curious nature: I want to hear Lajal's story and spend some time with her.
♦
She accepted, but her size was too large for the house.
“Wait here a minute, I'll be right back,” I tell her and go in to get what we need to play.
I come back with the two cushions and the chessboard. I put the stuff down on the sand and sit on my knees on my cushion.
I started to arrange the pieces.
“Red or green?”
I look at her trying to show off the most affable expression possible. I struggle to control my tails, there's no point in pretending to be stoic like my father. I'm happy, I haven't played with anyone in days.
“Well… what if I told you that I don't know how to play?”
“Oh, don't worry! I'll teach you.”
“Hmm… no, look. I mean I don't know how to play. I'm bad at any game.”
“Look, there's no point in lying to me, I know very well that you're a gambler. I'm sure you have different gaming skills.”
Lajal scratches her forehead again, pushes aside her curly hair, and sits down.
“Skill…” she repeats in a low voice.
“Yes, skills are your abilities. From planet to planet things change. But, in general, the System remains valid throughout the universe, and…”
Lajal's perplexed expression interrupts me.
“…Excuse me. It is not my intention to confuse you. Let it be. Red or green?”
“Which one starts?”
“The Red.”
The ogre's expression changes. She brings her huge finger to her mouth and rests her elbow on her knee. She is focused.
“Usually who wins? Among the colors I mean.”
“Um… I can't tell you, sorry.”
Her expression changes again. Now her eyes have narrowed, she huffs and puffs for breath. What does she suspect of my words?
“Explain the rules to me. I will choose the color after I understand, even if I already have an idea.”
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I start explaining the rules to Lajal, showing the pieces.
First of all, the chessboard. [8 x 8] boxes, divided between black and white alternating. In this way there are never two adjacent squares of the same color, excluding diagonals.
There are fourteen pieces per side: six [lords] and eight [followers] each.
Kr
Sr
Gr
Wr
Kr
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
Fr
Fg
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
Kg
Wg
Gg
Sg
Kg
Having laid out the pieces, I began to explain their names and their meanings.
[f] are the followers.
[K] are the knights.
[W] is the warlock.
[S] is the sorcerer.
[F] is the ferryman.
[G] is the deity.
“It reminds me of a very popular game in our area.” Lajal looks at the board with interest, she looks different – as if she has forgotten that she is dead.
This is reassuring. We can play without worrying about anything.
“Oh, what's it called?”
“Fiefdom Chess. Some names have changed and the arrangement of the pieces is similar but not the same… hmm…”
“I imagine you're very good at that game, would you rather teach me?”
“No. I'm intrigued by the idea of learning a game of the gods. Continues.”
That «of the gods» is flattering and my tail twitches a little, it hisses.
“Well, I was saying…”
I explain the movements.
[F] moves only on diagonals. From one to four squares if it makes at least one curve. From one to eight squares if it goes straight.
[K] and [f] I discover work like the rook and pawn in feudal chess respectively. This makes Lajal's gaze even more focused.
[S] can move only one space, at will, as long as it is adjacent to a piece of the same color.
[W] can move three spaces at will. By sacrificing an [f], maximum once per turn, it can make one further move.
[G] cannot be moved if it is adjacent to a piece of the same color. It can choose any direction per turn (diagonal, horizontal, or vertical) and travel all or just part of it.
The pieces are eaten like in feudal chess and the red color starts.
Whoever checkmates wins and usually three-round games are played.
“Finally,” I stick out my chest proudly, “there's only one rule left.”
“Well, come on N, tell me.”
“Every time a piece is eaten. Whoever eats it can sacrifice two followers, or a lord, and take control of the eaten piece.”
“Ah, like a zombie.”
I nod.
It's interesting, so there is [Necromancy] in the world of Lajal?
“Well, I told you everything. So, what color do you decide?”
“Red, first mover is a significant advantage.”
“All right.”
Ci-cin.
Thus, the match begins.
Although Lajal doesn't know the game, she opens correctly and I respond with a follower defense.
Her shifts are rushed and she often makes the move shortly after me. I'm very slow, I think carefully about the branches and she snorts and talks. She slaps her hand on her knee and, towering over me with her bulk, leans out to look at my side of the field.
She doesn't realize it, but thanks to [Scan] I do: she's using very particular [skills].
Her [job: Gambler] allows her to access maximized versions of normal jamming maneuvers. Significantly increasing the opponent's distraction level.
This creates a vicious circle: the more I struggle to concentrate, the more time I need to play, and the more she makes disturbing sounds and gestures.
The advantage she gains is that she thinks about the moves on my turns. While I can't take advantage of her.
We play for a while and we arrive at an atypical situation, which never happened when playing with my father.
Kr
Gr
Kr
fr
Sr
fr
fr
Fr
fr
fr
fr
fr
Wr
fg
fr
Sg
fg
fg
fg
Fg
fg
fg
Wg
fg
fg
Kg
Gg
Kg
Are we playing defensively or am I just doing it?
I can't manage the game and it's also the fault of her [skills]. While they don't lower my intelligence score, they directly affect my passive [skills]; such as concentration and calculation ability.
She is preparing a final attack. And it is equally clear that she is an excellent player.
So:
“What did you do in life?”
For a moment her eyes look away from the board. She sports a dreamy expression as if I had cast a spell on her.
“Actually, well… Kitty, there are things that aren't nice to talk about.”
“Hmm, I don't know the laws of your people. I won't judge you.”
“Ah! Isn't this a test? One of those that legends say? Those like: «If you beat Death at the game, she will only be able to let you come back. »”
I shake my head in the negative.
“Damn! I thought it was obvious that there was something up for grabs…”
“Sorry, I just want to play a bit and listen to some stories. In this place, I’m alone most of the time.”
Lajal's expression is somewhere between amazed and disappointed. Not from me. She seems disappointed by my revelation.
“It must be terrible…” she murmurs.
Meanwhile, she makes her move.
Oh, and what a move! Damn, at this rate I'm done for!
Ci-cin.
“You know,” she speaks on my turn. “In childhood, I was quite alone. Ogres have no friends, no one would love an ogre. We are a fairly rare species. I think extinct now.”
“And how did you grow up alone?”
“Well, how to say… the harsh laws of life. You start by stealing a loaf of bread from some bakers, some deliveries for the local criminals. On my side, there is the physical. Dwarves and orcs are puny-puny compared to me. Ha ha ha!”
That laugh reminds me of my father. He also used to laugh during the game, even talking about sad things. It is beautiful and reassuring.
I make my move.
A ramshackle defense is better than no defense.
“And then? Have you been alone all your life?”
It's more my fear, but I want to investigate the possible response of others.
“Oh, no-no, not at all! As I grew up, I discovered I had talent. You know those things we all have. I don't know about you Kitty, but I'm very good at the game. I can't here, but I'm also excellent at cheating with cards.”
“Uh, that's not something to be too proud of.”
“Hey, did you say?”
“That I wouldn't judge, sorry. Go ahead, I'm interested.”
The match progresses and Lajal tells me everything.
Her friends from the thieves' guild, a secret organization spread across the continent. The disputes with the most brutal crime organizations and the clashes with the police.
Fraud and debt collection were Lajal's favorite activities, along with gambling – which was never really gambling.
The fact that she ultimately escaped every time, in rather bizarre and creative ways, is my favorite part of her stories.
She wins the first game and so does the second, the third, the fourth…
She tells me about her loves: for orcs, dwarves, even a dragonborn.
I don't know how true what she says is, but she tells it well and I feel struck. I wish I could say interesting things, but my role is to listen.
“Well. Checkmate.”
Ci-cin.
“Ah! Awha!”
I remain speechless.
We're ten to zero for her.
Not even a miserable draw… I feel so poor!
“I think I told you everything important.”
“I am very grateful to you.” I bow my head and lower my ears, like when I met her.
Her expression becomes sadder.
“So, in the end… I won't go back?”
“No.”
“Can I at least know how this happened?”