// Third Point Perspective //
Virion sat in his room shirtless. Staring intently at the orb the size of an apple in the palm of his hand.
He realized that he could or can potentially have two different Beast Will's due his circumstances. And if that were to be the case which would be the best choice for the one his hands.
If it is what he thinks it is, it would make sense for him to use his Mana Heart this time because of the similarities. But his Mana Heart was to unpredictable honestly. And at the moment he couldn't properly use it.
Deciding on his Mana Core, he closes his eyes, syncing his mana flow to the beat of his heart before drawing in the mana from the core and purifying it. The mana was thick and practically overflowed in the core.
How did Arthur even knowit had a Beast Will if it still had this much mana?
Hm.
He cleared his mind deciding it be best not to worry about such things now. He'll give it some thought after this was over.
...
What is mana?
A weapon to extend ones body past its limits.
No.
An extension of ones mind. A forge to build ones imagination in reality, to give it life. It was a sense that was beyond the physical realm, your body.
It was life.
Virion delved deep into the Beast Core, reaching an abyss. A darkness that would envoke a fear so primal, a darkness where the hunters become the hunted.
Virion was now face to face with this very being, an overbearing presence yet Virion did not falter.
They say if you gaze at the abyss, it gazes back at you.
And it did.
In the form of a pair of emerald green orbs with slits for pupils. It had no body for it has become the darkness that surrounds Virion.
And eerie existence.
Virion was so captured by the eyes that he didn't realize the darkness creeping up on him like entrails, swallowing him up not before long.
"Hughh." his eyes snaps open, gasping for air. He was sweating, shaking even as he brushed his hair back. His looks down at the core that had lost its vibrant glow and now crumbled into tiny stones.
He smiled, relief washing over him like a wave. For one, he knew what the beast residing in the core was. It was the same one that original bearer of his name, 'Virion', had.
And two, he broke through to the light orange stage.
All that's left though is assimilating with the Will but the Director will be there to assist him.
And three, he gained a new understanding of mana although partial, it was of a instinctual feeling if anything like fulling your lungs with air.
But something did come to mind as he thought this. He is by definition a forged tamer and that entails the fact that the Will of the beast won't impart their insight.
So what is this then?
.....
"Hmph."
"Keep your cool, Virion." Cynthia cheered him on as she places a handon his back to share the burden of the process, fusing ones bones, organs and muscles with their mana just so that they can bear the power of the Will bestowed upon them.
"Agh." he grits his teeth.
It was as if he bathed himself in boiling water but it wasn't an all to unfamiliar feeling. It was much worse sure but it was a similar feeling to his Mana Heart when it has its moments.
He had completely forgotten about this part.
He now knows what Arthur meant when he said not to thank him yet. He mentally cursed at that womanizer while he also looks like one himself.
"I think that is enough for today." the Director removed her hand, standing up and circled around to face him. Virion immediately fell back with a huge heave as he felt the tense in his body disappear leaving behind a sour body.
"It isn't that bad honestly." Cynthia sighed looking down at the sleeping figure of Virion. It wad his first time but still... he was doing to much.
But it was strangely funny how he behaves like a child at the weirdest of times.
She smiled.
.....
"This is probably not enough." Cynthia sat down a tray of sweet delicacies to the side of tge coffe table.
"Thank you and no, this more than enough." he graciously accepted it.
"Would you like some tea as well." Cynthia held forward the tea pot after she had poured some for herself.
"You are making me feel bad now." Virion sunk in his seat with a doubtful expression. She probably had some other motive but he still didn't like people serving him or owing someone something.
He accepted it and held raised his cup and she poured him some.
To no ones surprise she did have an alternative motive. The tea felt heavy like a waterfall that was dumbed down to a stream of tea. It was a slow and steady stream augmented by her mana. The cup holding the fluid started vibrating in his grip.
She was using sound mana.
The cup slowly started fracturing but he countered the sound waves that penetrated it, dampening them with his own.
"I fell for your tricks again." Virion's voice strained.
"Indeed." her eyes was calculative, looking down on him.
The cup was soon full and she stopped her antics and retreated the pot to the other platter.
"You're control is still excellent even though you are in the assimilation process." she gave a closed eyed smile.
"Am I not supposed to use my mana though?" his tone bitter.
As he took a sip from the cup before placing it down in its saucer.
"Not really." she rummaged in the cabinet of the coffee table. "As long as you don't purify your mana you don't have anything to worry about."
She stop her ruckus and pulled out a wooden board with checkered squares and another box with a glass front. In the box was chess pieces neatly arranged between brown and a light brown-ish tint.
"Did you think I was slacking off?" Virion made small talk. "Is that why you tested me?"
"Probably." she hummed as they arranged their respective sixteen pieces on either side. Virion was black and she was white.
"Probably?" he asked and reached for his cup before bringing it to his lips and taking a sip. Virion didn't want to admit it but dhe made better tea than him. He closed his eyes to better savor the taste that enveloped his tongue.
"It's because I saw you and Claire the other day." a devious smirk plastered across her face. "She was half naked while you were touc-"
"Youhr mulst bler imagineing stuff." the tea in his mouth came spilling back down into the cup, slurring his words.
*pffft
"Did you just laugh?" his eyes shot open, scrutinizing her while putting his cup down suddenly losing his taste for it. He wipes down his chin of the tea with the back of his hand.
"You must be imagining stuff." she countered. Her face impassive but her glistening with mischief. "You must be more careful next time."
"You don't say." his voice dwindled like a passing breeze. "In that case, I hope you have prepared gir another loss." he smirks in 'revenge'.
"You are getting cocky I see."
"I'm just confident is all."
.....
The game progresses slow and it was almost dark out. Virion contemplated his next move, resting his head on his left hand while he moved the pieces with his right.
He wasn't really contemplating though.
Realistically even if he was to be handicapped she still wouldn't be able to best him.
His eyes moved from the board to Cynthia's passive face. He peels his eyes away down to the board. Picking up his Q and moved it up to h7, taking a pawn and checking her K that was on the g7 sqaure.
"Check." he said lazily looking back up at her. She lifts her brow, confused.
"Well played." she frowned in realization. She proceeds to devise her next move.
Well, she couldn't do anything except for moving her K to the square next to it. She couldn't take his Q with her K because his B was protecting it. There wasn't any other pieces targeting my Q either.
Maybe she just found it hard to except, even though this isn't the first time he had beaten her.
"It's not that hard." he sighed and moved her K for her to f7 between her R (f8) and my pawn (f6) . That was the only move she could make anyway.
And proceeds to move his Q to g6, checking her again. She couldn't take his Q because it was still under his B protection. Her K was than forced to move back where it came from, g8. He then just moves his Q to g7, capturing her pawn and checkmate.
He looks up at her again, her face in awe. No matter how many times they played the game she couldn't help but be stunned by his performance.
"You still have a long way to go." he wa satisfied with his revenge and twirls her K between his fingers.
"You say that all the time." she looked helpless.
"So have you given up then?"
"It isn't a matter of giving up. There is nothing I could or can do." she said, picking up her cup.
"Maybe so but what if..." he paused. "What if this happens in real life." he sets down her K on the g8 sqaure again.
"That would be a different matter then." she put down her cup. "As we would not be bound by rules." she picks up her K and knocks down his and takes its square.
"But then I could do the same, no?" he responds and replaces his K with his R. "And then you get ambushed." he knocks down her K with his own.
"And this?" she asks and takes his Q and positioned it between her white pieces, looking curiously at him.
This was what she meant by picking Virion's brain. It was fun to see how he responds in these situations.
"I'll simply discard it." he said without hesitation.
She was momentarily stunned at his resolve.
"Why?" she probes deeper.
"You could either be a victor or a dead man." his tone harsh.
His reasoning wasn't sound. It was more childish than she imagined.
He simply wanted to win.
"I see." she says narrowing her eyes. "Would you want to go for seconds then?"
"Sure. That is if you want to lose again." he mused while rearranging the pieces with her help.
The room fell into a comfortable silence again.
The clicking sounds as they moved their pieces was the only thing they could hear.
The room bathed in a orange tint as the sun sets and brisk winds blowing in through the room providing a refreshing breeze.
Virion moves his Q down the d file to d2. Delivering a check and it forces her to move her K to f1.
Then he makes the deciding move of the game by moving his Q to d1.
Sacrificing it.
For the entire game till now she had a impassive expression plastered on her face. Her eyes, that was darting around the board now stood still on the black Q.
Humans by nature are risk averse.
They are not prone to sacrifice something in order to gain another and possibly a better piece.
They were a greedy bunch that just keeps on wanting but doesn't want to to do anything.
Only those who have mastered this skill will come out as winners.
"Why?" she askes perplexed but nonetheless moves her R to capture his Q. He was subconsciously painting his ideals fir her on the board.
"The Q is substantial, lose it and you lose most of your assets." Virion paused.
She narrows her eyes and he picks up his R that was on d8.
Now she realized what he was trying to do.
"That is all the more reason to sacrifice it because it has value. And it gains more value when put forward as bait." his voice whispers.
Say that there was a beast in your land where you usually hunt for food with your hunting pal whether that be another animal or someone. And because of the presence of the intruder it made it hard to catch food for you and your pal.
You both starve a bit.
As hunters, you eventually become the hunted. Your value toward each other decrease as you would have to share food.
But your value increases as a sacrifice or food.
The winner of this little example is the one who realizes this first. Then using the other as bait he also catches the predator.
________
A/N:
Pretty lame comparison but let's just go with it for now.
_______
Wait.
What was he thinking?
He ignores it though and moves to capture her R. Delivering another checkmate.
She can't move her K forward because her pawn (on f2) stands in the way and neither to the sides cause my pawn (on f3) is preventing it.
They were more of a liability then help.
He leans back in his chair, crossing his right leg over the other.
She looks intently at the board, her eyes sharp. Lifting her head finally she directed that same gaze at Virion.
"I see."
.....
// Cynthia Goodsky //
I reminisced about the recent years of my life, the past year and some months to be exact.
When I first met the boy, Virion.
Whom was named after my dear friend, a former King. And in a way, he resembled him.
Their unparalleled intellect and wisdom. Little Virion though still lacks the wisdom part.
As well as his older brother.
I was tempted to invite him, both of them, to the Academy but the older one just had to go off adventuring and the younger one... well, he is too young so instead took him in as my pupil, promising him a place in Xyrus.
There was also another reason I took him in as my disciple. That is because I had made a wager with my friend, Virion. The wager was who will raise the stronger one out of the two brothers.
As a teacher, I couldn't back down.
A teacher, yes, and he was the student. That's how it's supposed to be. But now, it didn't seem so.
The air around him was... different.
His strange eyes was stranger then usual like he knew more than what meets the eye, literally and figuratively. At times it was as if he could look right through me.
The him now made me feel like a spec of dust.
A mere drop in the vast ocean as he brutally beat me in chess.
A subtle scoff escaped my lips.
Perhaps it's just my paranoia speaking, or maybe I'm just going senile of old age.
He still has much to learn as a person but as a mage he was already up there.
Well, almost there.
His understanding had reached a point beyond mine.
________
A/N:
Yes.
I play chess and I used my past games as reference for this chapter and other professional games that is on a higher level. It was kinda fun writing this.
Anyway, he is now six and some more months old.