The King's Gambit - A Splinterlands Story

Greetings to Splinterlands and chess fans. The story takes of after the events of the last post. It takes some inspirations from the winning entry of @henruc.

The three friends continued fishing and playing chess by the shore. After several games, Buns was beginning to understand Ratbound Corsair's playing style, although the sneaky pirate still managed to surprise him from time to time.

"The Norwegian Rat Defense sure is sneaky! I didn't think it would work," Buns said, as he studied the chessboard.

"A wizard from a faraway place called Norway taught it to me," Ratbound Corsair replied proudly. "He was a strange fellow called Magnus Carlsen. He taught me a few tricks that have helped me win many games. Anyway, do we still have any fish? I'm getting hungry again."

"Here you go," Jolius Blast said, handing him a freshly grilled fish.

Ratbound Corsair happily accepted the food and began eating. Suddenly, a bright flash lighted the area around Jolius.

"Whoa! What was that?" Buns exclaimed. "Jolius, was that you?"

"Oh yeah! Thanks to @iblast, I'm now level two!" Jolius announced excitedly.

"Really? What new ability did you get? And have your stats changed?" Ratbound Corsair asked.

"I got the Enrage ability, baby! When my health decreases, my attack and speed will increase. That means I'll become even more dangerous when I'm hurt!" Jolius said proudly.

"That's great news," Ratbound Corsair replied. "You should be much stronger in battle now."

"Too bad it does not improve your chess," Buns teased, though a bit envious.

"Hey! I can still beat you at chess!" Jolius protested.

Ratbound Corsair laughed at their exchange.

"I wish I could level up too," Buns said, looking at his cards. "Unfortunately, I still need another card to reach the next level. I'm looking forward to seeing what improvements I'll get when that happens."

"Don't worry, your time will come," Ratbound Corsair assured him. "Anyway, nice game, Buns. I was surprised when you sacrificed your queen earlier. It was a brilliant move!"

"It is a powerful piece, but it's not the most important one," Buns replied. "Sometimes, sacrificing a valuable piece is necessary to gain an advantage. After all, the king is the most important piece in chess."

"I agree. The king is the piece you must protect at all costs," Ratbound Corsair said.

"Did somebody say my name?"

A deep voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

The three friends turned around and saw a large orc standing by the shore. He had green skin and blue dreadlocks. A sword hung at his side, while he carried a battle axe in his other hand.

"Who are you?" Jolius asked.

"I'm King Erminaz Twincleaver!" the orc announced proudly. "I'm called that because I'm a king, and I wield two weapons!" He raised his sword and axe for everyone to see.

"I heard that you're level two," King Erminaz continued, pointing at Jolius. "Well, I'm level two as well!"

"Everybody's level two except me," Buns complained.

"Don't feel bad," Ratbound Corsair said. "I'm still level one myself."

King Erminaz noticed the chessboard between them and approached.

"I see you're playing chess. Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, why not?" Jolius replied.

"Let's play!" Buns said. "What's your favorite opening?"

"The King's Gambit!" the orc answered. "It's an aggressive opening, and I like to attack, attack and attack! I believe the best way to win is to keep your opponent under pressure."

Buns grinned as he began arranging the chess pieces.

"An aggressive player, huh? Let's see if your chess skills are as impressive as your weapons."

King Erminaz sat down, ready for the challenge. The others gathered around the board, eager to see the game.

Would the orc's aggressive style lead him to victory or would Buns find a way to outsmart the king?