"Checkmate, Lord Hermes," Vlad declared with a triumphant smirk, his knight poised to deliver the final blow to Hermes' King.
Hermes' eyes narrowed playfully. "Not so fast, Count." He swept his rook across the board from an unexpected angle, delivering a decisive blow to Vlad's knight with a satisfying clang.
Vlad's smug grin faltered, replaced by suspicion. "Hold on a moment," he said, squinting at the board. "That tower wasn't there before. Did you just... cheat, Lord Hermes?"
Hermes let out a mock sigh of offense. "Why, Count Tepes, whatever could make you think such a thing?" A sly glint shone in his eyes.
In truth, Hermes had indeed pulled a fast one on Vlad. With a sleight of hand, he'd transmuted the old tower into sand, incorporating it into the board before reforming it in a position where it would take down Vlad's knight when Vlad wasn't paying attention.
