Ria felt like the ground had given out beneath her.

The sounds around her dulled and the world spun. Pulling herself together, with a stuttered breath, Ria tried to grasp for control. Was Marcel being serious right now? Seeing the other girl's serious expression, Ria felt uneasy. Something was not right about this.

Ria let out a low sigh. “Okay, even if you aren’t technically part of the club, don’t you still want your piece back? I mean, it looks pretty expensive. Like pure silver or something?”

“How many times do I have to say this? I’m not part of any. Chess. Club. In fact, I’ve never even heard of a chess club before!” Marcel sneered, “You think you’re so much smarter than me so you can treat me like an idiot, but I’m pretty sure even I would remember if I owned any silver chess pieces!”

Ria sighed. Maybe it was a misunderstanding?

Marcel watched as the other girl turned to leave. Suddenly, a thought struck her. Did Ria say it was made of pure silver? Also, now that she thought about it. Weren't Daphne and Kira into cute collectible trinkets? Marcel remembered seeing them holding their own small chess pieces. Was it a new trend?

Placing a hand on her hip, Marcel stretched the other hand out. “You’ve made me curious. Maybe it is mine." Seeing no reaction from Ria, she insisted, "Just give it to me.”

Confused by the sudden change, Ria shrugged and obeyed.

Hand going back into her pocket, suddenly, Ria’s fingers caught hold of the formerly elusive chess piece. She grasped the metal, holding the object tight. But as she went to take it out, she paused. Marcel had said the piece wasn’t hers. And now she wanted it just because she was curious?

Marcel watched the other girl intently, her feet tapping against the ground impatiently. Her new designer bag swung on her arm, glinting

Taking a step back, Ria let out a sheepish laugh. “I guess I must have dropped it. It’s not in my pocket.” She rummaged into her pockets as if checking through them one more time. She chewed on her lips. “How could I be so clumsy? Man, you know what they about old age,” Ria laughed sheepishly

Marcel sneered, “You need serious help, don’t you?” Huffing, she turned and walked away, practically stomping on the sidewalk. “What a waste of time…such an idiot!”

Ria wondered if the other was talking about her or herself.

Watching Marcel’s retreating form, Ria waited until the other girl was a good distance away before finally taking out the chess piece. The silver glinted even brighter than Marcel’s bag. The girl weighed it in the palm of her hand.

“If not yours, then whose is it?” Ria murmured. Her finger ran alongside the etchings on the side. The intricate details were a testament to the extreme artistry and effort that went into creating the silver piece. The parchment emblem even had paragraphs of words written on it. They were so finely etched that although too little for human eyes to see, one could make out the lines of words if they stared hard enough.

Ria huffed.

Even if it truly was Marcel’s, the whiny pug didn’t deserve the piece. Ria also didn’t want to think of the fact that Marcel had apparently hit her head and suffered from temporary memory loss. Part of her felt guilty for not mentioning the possibility of it to the other girl, but a bigger part of her didn’t want to deal with the chewing out Marcel was sure to graciously bestow upon Ria.

Still, the thought was a bit worrying. Who walked out of a classroom full of chess boards and a large sign saying, “Chess Club” and called someone else crazy for mentioning it?

Ria rubbed her face. This is what you get when you go out of your way to be nice. With a sigh, she started her trek back home. Gripping the chess piece in her hand, something in Ria refused to let it out of her sight. Just in case…

…

Ria opened the front door. Kicking off her shoes, she announced, “I’m home!”

The sound of shuffling and a few curse words responded to her. And then, like magic, a frazzled woman, with hair all over the place appeared. Mama Regina’s nurse scrub was wrinkled and had a sauce stain (hopefully) on the bottom corner... Ria sighed. She handed her mom the keys.

“Thank you, Love!” Mama Regina placed the keys down and pulled her shoes and socks on. “How was school?”

Ria shrugged. In an excited and upbeat voice, she explained, “It was awful and I think everyone hates me! Oh, and did I mention my ex-best friend has amnesia.”

“That’s great dear!” Tanya pressed a kiss to Ria’s head, then gathered her stuff into her purse, rambling, “I’m so glad that school is so easy for you, I already run around like a headless chicken. I can’t even imagine if I had to try to teach you science!” Her nose crinkled, “Or math! Where are those-”

Ria dropped the keys into her mom's purse.

Her mom shrieked, “Ah! Those darn keys always hide from me!” Before she could dive under the shoe rack, Ria tapped her mother’s shoulder and pointed into the bag. Tanya looked into her bag and paused.

Ria gave her a few extra seconds to process everything before saying softly. “Mom, I think you’re late.”

Face draining of all color, Tanya checked her watch, then sprinted out of the front door. From the window, Ria watched as her mom hopped on one foot to the car, trying to fix her other shoe. Finally, the woman safely got into her car. Once inside, she waved at Ria.

Ria waved back.

Tanya smiled, blowing an exaggerated kiss then looked forward putting on her serious face. The woman drove away.

Standing in the new silence, Ria stretched. Now that she didn’t have to do Isha and Kevin’s homework, her schedule had opened up quite a bit.

Yawning, she headed for her room. Great time for a quick nap.

…

A large temple-like structure sat on top of the hill, its pearly gates and white pillars gave it an otherworldly feel… which was why it was called the Temple.

The marble walls were elegant and the wooden doors were as tall as the great trees outside. Along the outdoor hallways and courtyards, people known as scribes, wearing pure white robes, rushed back and forth like worker bees.

Inside the building was even busier. Scrolls of paper filled the floor, a definite fire hazard. Throughout the entire building was the sound of furious scribbling. Scribes wrote with feather pens and had their heads buried in pages stuffed full of writings that were a mix of numbers and symbols. The Temple used an archaic language that was only understood by the scribes.

True to their names, the scribes worked at transcribing everything that happened in history with a single-minded focus.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Among the sea of people, a young scribe gasped. She lifted the page she was working on to take a closer look. Her face paled. Bursting to her feet, she grabbed the page and ran towards the inner chamber of the building. The long trail of never-ending paper followed her as she dragged it behind. She shoved past other scribes desperate in getting to her destination.

Behind a pair of double doors, an elegant lady wearing a pale blue dress stood. Surrounding her was a group of senior scribes. These senior scribes wore dark blue robes and long hoods that covered their faces. They were known as the Elders. The lady in the center looked up, finished with studying her beautifully painted nails.

Her face was covered by a veil but she gave off a warm presence. Turning to address them, she asked softly. “Is there still no sign of her?”

The murmuring voices of the elders responded a quiet “No”.

Sighing, the woman’s shoulders drooped. “Why is it so late? It has already been ten years since the last!”

An elder with a raspy voice spoke, “Your Highness, it is not within our power to control these things. We are simply the record keepers that ensure the Balance.” The last word was said with a rush of reverence.

Rubbing the space between her eyes, the lady sighed again. “I know we are but the mouthpiece… but is it not also our duty to balance the peace so the Unbalance caused by the Great War does not come again?” Brows furrowing, she added, “It is not even the missing piece I am worried about, but the reports of a spike in Dust activity! This has not happened since,” she cut herself off, and began biting at her precious nails, “the evil queen.”

Another elder with the voice of a young child spoke, “Queen Mother, a break in the pattern has happened before. Once, it was followed by destruction, and another time it was followed by unification.”

Visibly frowning behind the veil, Queen Mother turned towards the young voice and asked, “But Elder Auden, is this time a sign of death or peace?”

The elder with the raspy voice cut in, warning, “Your thoughts focus on that which cannot be seen. We may keep the Balance but I fear our juggling act is of the transformative nature, Queen Mother.”

Rolling her eyes, the Queen Mother retorted, “Just as your words are always seem to be of the cryptic nature, Elder Kripti.” She sighed, placing her hands on her hips. “All I am saying is that may be unwise to wait around when we know disaster may soon be upon us!”

As Elder Kripti spluttered, the young voice laughed. “You are young, Your Highness.” Elder Auden continued, “What Elder Kripti means to say is that change is the sole expectance to its own nature.”

“Elder Auden, I know you mean well but,” pausing, Queen Mother rubbed her forehead and exclaimed, “your words are just as hard to decipher as Elder Kripti’s, if not more!”

Elder Auden chuckled and their youthful voice chimed knowingly, “Time will tell.”

Picking up the hems of her dress, Queen Mother announced, “Very well then. If the matters of the Temple are dealt with today, I shall go convene with the Great Admin to consult them on the matters of the Tournament-”

BANG! The doors burst open. The young scribe rushed in, elbowing her way past the guards. Recovering from their shock, the guard rushed after her.

Queen Mother held a hand up to stop the guards. Pounding at their chest once, they obediently halted.

Falling to her knees, the scribe raised the page she was holding it up towards Queen Mother. Her small hands shook.

The scribe was trembling so hard, it was impossible for her to form words.

Elder Auden touched her shoulder, causing the young scribe to look up. “Speak child,” they said.

Swallowing, the scribe nodded. “Queen Mother, fellow elders,” the young one exhaled shakily. “She’s here.”

…

Ria felt cold. She curled into herself. Why was her bed so uneven? And sharp? Shifting, she couldn’t figure out why it felt like needles were digging into her back.

Grunting, the girl shifted onto her other side.

In the distance, she could hear… something rolling over wet mud and the neighing of horses? There was also chattering of numerous voices.

Ria got a sense that something was very wrong. What was it with today?

WHIP!

The horse brayed loudly right above her!

Ria’s eyes burst open.

A huge shower of dirty water sprayed her in the face. Spluttering, Ria stumbled to her feet, desperately wiping at her eyes. “Blah! What on-” She tripped over something and bumped into a solid form.

“Hey!” a gruff voice complained.

Ria apologized, “I’m so-” She gaped at the large man in front of her. Her eyes drifted from his shabby apron to his hand which was holding a butcher’s knife still dripping with blood.

Ria’s eyes widened. She screamed in fright. The girl backed away.

“Hey!” said the man, pointing his knife at her. “Where do ya think you’re going?”

Behind him was a cart full of meat, a string of sausage even hung across the top of the little stand. As the man was about to open his mouth, a woman in a dirty gown pointed to the sausage, asking for the price.

The man huffed. “Don’t you dare move!” the merchant warned.

The man turned, slapping on a friendly smile. He began to rattle off the prices of his precious stock to the woman.

Slowly backing away, Ria shifted her gaze, taking in the scene around her. What the-!

She gaped.

Horses and carts filled the streets. Children in rags played with stones in the corners. There was a horrible stench in the air that spoke of unsanitary plumbing practices. Beggars slept in the middle of the road, and housewives dragged their drunk husbands by the ear berating them creatively.

Ria spun around, taking in her surroundings.

All the buildings were made of stone and wood. Canopies covered small stalls selling everything from knives to mysterious wooden crates. From the dark alleys came men wearing cloaks with swords hanging at their waists. Forget about not being in her own bed, Ria wasn’t sure if she was even in her own time! There was not a single phone, car, or technological advancement in sight.

It was a medieval town!

Ria looked down at herself. She was still wearing the same t-shift and jeans that she had gone to sleep in. Ria took notice of the object in her clenched fist. She opened it and stared down at the silver piece. Suddenly, the metal grew warm. Ria’s brows furrowed as the metal’s temperature continued to increase. It got warmer and warmer. The piece began to glow as if a light was emitting from within it. A bright flash filled the entire square. Ria gasped and looked away.

When she slowly came to, she saw the people around her whispering and pointing at her.

The butcher gaped at her.

Ria blinked. Her magnificent was brain unable to process what had just happened.

“Stop that rebel!” came a loud holler.

A rebel? Ria frowned, looking up. Here? She paused. You know, they were probably talking about her, she realized.

“Don’t even think of running!”

A knight wearing metal armor, riding atop a majestic white horse, came galloping down the street. A group of knights and a woman wearing a white tunic and trousers rode in behind him.

The butcher pointed at Ria who was still staring wide-eyed at everything. “There! That lady just caused a bright flash! She’s trying to revolt against the Capital’s mandate!”

Ria’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. She stared at the butcher. “No, wait, I wasn’t-” she stuttered.

The people around him began to chatter, gossiping loudly. “That’s right!”

“She must be part of the resistance!” cried a young boy, holding up his toy sword.

“There’s a resistance? That’s the first time I’m hearing of such a thing,” snorted an old man.

“Of course there is. Who likes having guards sniffing through your wares every ten minutes!” snapped a merchant.

The lady selling knives crossed her arms. “That’s right! The Capital thinks they can just bully us because we have no Queen!”

“Usurpers! Liars!” Suddenly, a tomato was thrown at the lead knight.

Silence enveloped the street.

The knight wiped off the remains of the vegetable from his face. With a dark glower, he pulled out his sword with a SLING!

Another tomato hit him, in the helmet this time.

“Enough of this.” The woman in the white tunic finally spoke, “Round up all the dissenters!” She spurred her horse onwards and continued down the road, riding off into the distance.

That seemed to be the cue as total chaos erupted. The common people dragged the knights off their horses and the knights kicked and beat up the people in turn. Frying pans fought against swords, as lines of sausages tripped up horses. Some tried to run, others continued to throw rotting vegetables.

But despite all the commotion around her, Ria was frozen in place. She stared at where the woman had just been.

The woman on top of the horse had been an extremely familiar face. In fact, it was one that Ria had just seen that afternoon.

It was Marcel.

Ria turned her gaze back to the lead knight who had taken off his helmet in the midst of battle. The knight seemed to sense her stare. They turned to glare right at her.

Sitting atop his horse, the knight pointed at Ria. Kris’ familiar blue eyes burned into her as Kris yelled, “Catch that rebel!”

A group of knights turned their gaze towards her.

Ria backed up, holding up her hands peacefully. “Hey! I don’t want any trouble.” This dream was starting to take a bit of a dark turn, she thought in alarm.

Suddenly, a loose horse burst past her. Ria fell down. She hissed, and stared at the line of blood coming from the cut on her arm. Her eyes widened as she touched the painful wound. This… was not a dream.

“Get her!”

Ria cursed. She shoved the chess piece into her pocket. This was not a dream!

The resistance had died down, leaving a clear path between Ria and her pursuers. Why was it, Ria wondered, that recently it felt like she was always running from horse-riding medieval jerks? The group of knights charged towards her. No time to think! Ria got up and booked it!

All while screaming internally. “This is not a dream!”