> Quote:to some, life is a game, others, a war

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hello! thelazyauthor is back with another chapter and hopes that all the viewers enjoy the story. plz comment and ask questions, I will try to respond.

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 as I fell back through the door, the giant's axe cleaved through my body, seperating my left arm from the rest. Falling back, my arm fell away into the void that was at my back when the giant grabbed my shirt.

"you... are coming with me." growled the giant. his shroud of steam making my skin blister.

In response, I brought my remaining hand up, and tore away the piece of fabric that it was holding onto. "I'd rather not." I told him as I followed my severed arm into the void below. As I fell I heard the giant scream in fury, but it seemed that he was reluctant to jump after me.

As I fell down into the black pit, following my severed arm, I saw several scenes. in the first, a elderly man sat on a bench while a pair of men hurried to finish their sculpture of snow. The creature's stripes glittered in the sun, giving it a translucensce that was both beautiful and deadly. It's claws looked sharper than daggers, as if they could rend you with a single swipe.

Finishing their sculpture, the men stepped back as the elderly man stood up, concentrated...

the scene shifted. In front of me sat a man at a table.

He looked as if deep in thought. then he burst out coughing and hacking. when he finally managed to stop hacking, he resumed his position. a girl entered the scene and started whispering words of encouragement, that he wouldn't have to suffer much longer. as the girl walked away, I followed her to a point where two men were working on a sculpture of iron. The girl asked them how soon it would be finished. seeming satisfied with the answer she went back into the house, and brought out the sick man. the completed sculpture's shell gleamed crimson in the dawn light, It's stocky legs seeming too small for it's body.

the sick man concentrated and the world spun.

A battlefield. ravens circled overhead and rats darted through the rubble. the final confrontation was being made. two captains were engaged in a duel to decide who would win. the shocking thing was the lack of bodies, there were animal corpses, and limbs, but no whole corpses.

while I had been thinking, the duel entered it's final stages. the older combatant looking tired and not quite as vibrant while the younger resumed his all-out attack with even more fury. then the older duelist kicked dirt into his opponent's eyes. then lifted his sword and prepared a coup dé grâce.

the scene shifted...

a man was sitting at a game table, though it had no games on it. Not even cards

"come and join me." the man called "I need someone to play against.

¨what is this game?¨ I asked the one sitting at the table.

¨this, is the game of life, all who have been offered power will play through different lives and lead the occupants of those lives to either fame and fortune, or bitterness and ruin, but beware, for the opponent can destroy your chances.¨

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¨why should I play?¨ I had no reason to live someone else's life.

¨if you do well you can be powerful in your next life,  but if you don't do well you find yourself in a space where time has no meaning.¨

¨do I get a choice?¨ I asked, as from the tone of his voice, he seemed pretty sure I would play the game.

¨of course you don't.¨ he said, scoffing at me, ¨everyone who reincarnates plays this game.¨

"I don't know the rules," I told him

"this game is different every time you play it, as life is for each person." he said in turn. Seeing nothing else to do, I sat down in front of him. "are you sure that's the move you want to make?" he said as a set of pawns appeared on the table.

"is there any other move to make?" I responded. 

"no, but the rules always change." he said.

"so, a move that is impossible one round is possible the next?" I commented.

"Precisely!" he said, switching the positions of two of his pawns. "the availible moves will be shown on the board."

settling myself down, I prepared to move a pawn when the world spun...

When my vision regained focus, I saw myself in the dugout of a little league baseball team, with both arms and in the uniform of the team.

"hey, chuck!" said a bright faced young boy yelled while running up to me, "grab your batting gear! You're next!" he said pointing over at a black bag with a brand mark on it.

I walked over to  the bag he pointed at, and took out a black helmet and bat.

when it was time, I moved to the plate, settled into a stance I remembered from my little league days, and swung at a ball, to late the ball popped over towards my dugout. when the next ball came, I swung again and completely missed the ball this time. was it just me, or was that last pitch slower than the first one? no matter. as I set my stance again, I readied myself to swing. the breath was driven from me as a fastball found it's way into my ribs.

the world spun....

and I was back at the game table. "didn't expect that, huh?" the opponent asked. "that's the first move, the others will be both easier and harder."

so the game progressed with a number of interesting scenes as the moves. I counted three baseball related scenes, two video game runs, a siege and six sword fights. quite predictably, the game ended with the opponent taking the last of my pawns.

"well, you fought well for a beginner. come back later to challenge me again." the opponent said, rising from his seat. "after you pay the penalty for losing that is." with that he walked into the gloom.

there's a penalty for losing? I wondered in my head. "I wonder what the penalty is?" I asked myself. then my chair fell away from me to reveal a black mineshaft into which I fell down, down, down