Planet Ignis | Ch. 16 (Patreon)

... intertwined legends within the game’s creator. Ayu, the esteemed game maker, occupies a unique position in the lore of longevity chess. While renowned for his pivotal role in reforming the collegiums, it was his creation of longevity chess that solidified his place in history. The game became a conduit for imparting wisdom and knowledge, leading to a remarkable increase in the tribe’s average lifespan. As players engage in strategic battles on the board, Ayu’s influence looms large, reminding them of the transformative power of the game and the enduring legacy it bestows upon its participants...

From “The History of longevity chess”, by Eli, the Starved

Faren took a few minutes to process Trother’s request. He was running at reduced capacity since he controlled multiple Burrows systems. Everyone patiently waited. Eli used the chance to spare a look at Zawa from the other side of the room. Their eyes met, and he tried smiling at her. She responded in kind. Maybe she really liked him.

Finally, Faren showed signs of activity once again. The only screen of the Burrows was activated. A video file was played in it.

It showed a shriveled man with strange blue skin. As he breathed, smoke came out of his mouth. Around him, little drops of transparent liquid fell from the ceiling of what appeared to be a cave. Machines went into and out of the man. His hands held two globes. As he spoke, he kept moving his hands in incredibly swift movements. He spoke with the same voice that could be heard in the previous recording.

“Congratulations on finding this file. If the Raptor’s computing power has increased, as I suspect it did, it’s only a matter of time before he is able to access this message as well. I had to find a way to encrypt this essential information and keep it away from the Raptor. Hopefully, this is outside of its reach but within yours. The coordinates I sent earlier were a ruse. They will send the Raptor deep into what should be a Flare Zone for the next few years. That should buy us some time. Everything else in the previous message is also true. Hiding one little lie with many truths is the best deceit.” The man in the video smiled. “Please, bring the Celer mutagen to these coordinates. Once you reach my laboratory, you will find further instructions. Please, hasten.”

The video was cut off.

A buzz of discussion broke off at once. Brodnir signaled them into silence.

“As I suspected, there was a message within a message. Does anything else about the first message strike you as odd?” asked Trother.

Eli saw signs of confusion in the other constituents of the Council. They were having trouble understanding why Trother wasn’t making a bigger fuss of the message he had just shown then. It was in a video, just as Trother said it would. Even not being the recipient of Trother’s gaze, the way it chilled the enthusiasm was unmistakable.

Hingwid spoke in her melodious voice. “There is another place where the doctor seems to ramble in the first message. He talks of turning upside down, turning the tables, turning the game around. Could it be…?”

“Very good, Hingwid. That’s it. Faren. Please flip the encryption code around and see if there is anything else within the message.”

Faren took another couple of minutes. Eli tried looking at Zawa again. As their eyes met again, Zawa flushed and looked down. Eli’s heart was racing. Faren displayed a message on the screen.

“Well done again. These are my true coordinates. Hitori Himura.”

“Council members. The video should prove that this message is indeed from Dr. Hitori. The doctor has bought us valuable time. He sent the Raptor into a wild duck chase, goose chase, or whatever the expression is. So, the question is, what should we do with this information? Trother, any thoughts on this?”

The topic of an expedition had already been extensively discussed, with various opinions on how to proceed. Some had suggested sending the whole Golden Guard on an expedition: others, all the yellows. One had suggested sending several groups of oranges in different directions to hopefully confuse the Raptor. Eli disagreed in his heart with all these ideas, but he was waiting to see what his teacher and his king had to say about it. They were the only ones who hadn’t commented on what they thought about the journey.

Eli caught his teacher exchanging a look with Brodnir. What was it that they weren’t telling the Council? Trother looked directly at Eli and smiled at him. Eli felt his teacher squeeze his shoulder as he addressed the Council once again.

“We know that the Anaximanders and Mendeleevs were decimated. Faren picked up no signs of a battle between a blue monarch and the Raptor. This seems to imply that the Raptor neutralized the blue monarchs before they went into battle.”

How did that drone do it? A blue monarch couldn’t be easy prey. The only possibility that Eli could think of was a surprise attack. He had told this to his teacher before coming here. It seemed that his teacher agreed with him.

“Therefore, before anything else, we must have the king come out of the Globular Throne. Let him walk around the tribe with an entourage of batteries as if he were a yellow or a lit. This will increase the chances of Brodnir not being targeted in case the Raptor comes here first.”

Eli could see that the Council wasn’t happy with the suggestion.

“Trother, the globe is at the very heart of the tribe. It’s the safest place in the Burrows. Taking Brodnir out is too risky. Additionally, there’s a reason blue monarchs stay inside of the globe instead of walking around with batteries. Every bit of longevity is precious when burning a blue flame.” The Captain of the Golden Guard scowl and hard expression told Eli she was completely against Trother’s suggestion. Before others could get on the yellow’s side, Brodnir interrupted.

“Agreed!”

Everyone started to signal their desire to speak and object to the decision, but Trother continued. “Additionally, I believe we must send two expeditions. Not just one. Dr. Hitori has presented us with a valuable opportunity.”

“What do you mean, Trother?” asked Kawaki, the Yellow Chemist of the tribe.

“The doctor mentions that his solution should work. Should. This implies it is just a possibility. It can fail. He doesn’t know for sure. That is why the doctor has allowed us to ambush the Raptor in two possible sites. It is the reason for the wrong coordinates. Also, remember what the message from the Anaximenders said before cutting off! ‘Gather…’ Gather the blue monarchs. The man who sent the message must have gauged the Raptor’s fighting power and wanted to let us know that just one blue king won’t do. That also checks with the legends from the Great War. I propose that we should send the most powerful in the remaining Settlements to try to destroy the Raptor at the second location. By having two different paths, we will be increasing our chances of survival. A flame spread is never dead. I believe Brodnir should go out to meet the Raptor.”

The Council was sent into an uproar. All yellows started to scream objections.

“What if they fell into the Raptor’s trap by exposing their king!?”

“Only a blue flame can defend the tribe! You’re wasting our one chance at survival!”

“SILENCE!” roared Brodnir.

Everyone quieted down. This scream hadn’t come out of the speakers of the globe. While everyone was screaming objections, Brodnir opened the insulator globe and stepped out. His presence flooded the room and commanded respect. It reminded Eli of how it felt to see his teacher in a classroom, but this was different. The authority in his king’s voice gave him goosebumps.

Everyone felt the room getting hotter and the air becoming thicker. The power emanating from Brodnir’s burst was smothering. Once the Council quieted down, Brodnir gestured to Trother.

“Continue.”

Trother nodded. “I believe we should summon the blue queen of the Centigrades. She and Brodnir shall try to stop the Raptor at the second ambush site. As for the expedition to Doctor Hitori’s Lab, Eli and I are going.”

Everyone was shocked, including Eli. “Teacher, I…”

“It has to be you and Trother, Eli,” said Brodnir.

“Why not the Golden Guard, sir? We’re adequately trained. We can perfectly perform this service for the tribe,” protested the captain.

“In the Raptor Wars, yellows could hardly slow the Raptor down. Only blue flames and plasma damaged the monster. Other than I, only Trother, the wise, and Eli, the starved, can fight against the Raptor. It must be them.”

“Why are they the only ones who can put up a fight, my king? There are other lits and yellows in the tribe.”

“Because they aren’t normal lits. They can also use blue flames.”

Ch. 17