Tapped Out

Chapter 1

* * *

Steven was laying his cards out, by type, on the rectangular medium sized second hand table, a little like elderly women would lay cards out as she is about to play a game of patience; a tingle of excitement crept up his spine as he laid down Vryn’s Prodigy. It came in the mail today, all encased in plastic, which he eagerly cut open and put in his deck. It was the second Vryn’s Prodigy he had purchased and it cost him a small fortune considering he only had a part time cleaning job. Fifty bucks it cost in all, which was the best deal he had found. He dreamt of having two more.  

He looked at what he had and thought to himself, “still needs more work, perhaps put in a touch of red, four Instants like Lightning Bolt would fit right in”. He sleeved two Lightning bolts and put them in his deck. “I would need some non-basic land, something like Cascades” Bluff would be fantastic, at thirty-five bucks a pop, maybe go for some mana artefacts; for now a couple of mountains will do.” Then there was a knock on the door.  “Hey Dave come in.” As Dave made his way to the table and sat down he said “I got lucky, there was an Ajani Goldmane in a booster pack I bought the other day.” Steve though happy for him had slightly mixed feelings as he was excited about his and would have had liked first bragging rights. “That’s fantastic, that makes two in your deck now doesn’t it?” “Yep, I am thinking of getting another Ajani next week and that will be three.” Steve somewhat excitedly said, “ ’got Vryn’s Prodigy in the mail today, need only two more, I have in mind another type of deck, I hope brought your deck with you?”. “Sure did.” Dave pulled the deck out of his brown leather bag. “Let’s play”. Steve won the dice throw and laid down island land card.

* * *

Jace Belrethen was walking along a half mile beach on an island in the Dakrin Isles, islands rich in resources from the mana rich sea. Jace himself had liquid blue eyes, his skin was of a light brown tan, his hair slightly darker brown, his carry bag draped around his left shoulder. A clap! Then a roll of thunder was heard. He looked toward the sea and saw a towering storm about halfway across the horizon. There were some drakes flying close to the storm front. Then he looked down the beach and saw a group of Merfolk with their blue skin almost identical to the blue of the sea. They were packing their weapons and their kill from the land into containers. Jace walked another fifteen yards when he saw Talrand, the Sky Summoner, his large frame becoming larger as he approached. His dark red hair was a subtle contrast to his blue skin, his gills slightly quivered as he spoke, “Good to see you again Jace, haven’t seen you in some time“.  “There is an infiltration from the plains people on these Islands; I believe they are preparing an attack to steal an Isochronic Sceptre”.  Jace’s ring, which once belonged to Vyrn, began to pulse with a liquidly bright intense ocean blue green.

* * *

“Who do you think will win the Friday Night Magic tournament? Judy’s vampire deck is performing pretty well she won last week and came second the week before”. Steve thinking he will win one, one-day soon, answered “She is the one to beat.” Steve said with a slightly suppressed sarcasm.  Steve twisted four Island cards horizontally and laid a Talrand Sky Summoner down. Dave eyes lit up as he said “Haven’t seen them before.” “Got it last week Dave” not wanting to reveal he had purchased all four until at least the game was over. These were the cards he had desired for a while, Talrand was a legendary Creature so only one can come out at a time, perhaps four in the deck is too many, and they weren’t too expensive. Dave drew a card, laid Plains, taped four plains put Ajani Goldmane into play, put a dice on it, moved the dice to five, put 1/1 counters on his creature cards and swung for to attack.

* * *

 “We’ve got to move quickly inland to guard the Isochronic Sceptre which is at the mana rings.” Talrand whistled with a pulsating fluid melodic whistle. Several of the Merfolk men and a couple of women came jogging up to join them. Talrand gave them a quick briefing in common tongue and then they made their way into the slight vegetation of the island. A little way in, Jace look up and saw a Divinity of Pride flying high in the sky, about three quarters of a mile way. An awesome bird, which was like a gigantic crane but with a massive wing spread and a tail that was at least eight feet long; dual coloured or rather shaded as it was both black and white, this being its only resemblance to a Magpie. It was almost a ghostly creature and its edges were not fully defined; it gave the impression that it was half spirit and half creature, which in fact it was. Jace said nothing and they kept going into the forest as they made their way to the mana rings where the sceptre was kept.

* * *

               “Judy is a bit of a loony, I overheard her brag her Vampire deck wins at night and gets stronger as it approaches midnight but it plays like crap during the day. Can you believe people believe this nonsense?”. “I don’t know” answered Dave. I remember the green elf deck I put together a while back. I swear when I played it outside among the trees it won just about every time; take it inside and there was a string of loses.” “Come on Dave you don’t really believe that boloney?”  Dave played Ajani Goldmane and Steve saw he was facing Divinity of Pride as well Ajani Goldmane and he had nothing in his hand to counter them. Dave twisted his Divinity of Pride with forefinger and ring finger into a horizontal position and attacked once again.

* * *

Jace’s ring pulsed again his eyes taking on an even more oceanic fluidity. A strong urgent sense of danger came upon him - only his years of training prevented him from panic. Jace shouted, “Run! It is coming in!” The massive frame of a spirit creature came rushing at them almost cloud like in the shape of a bird with a very long neck. It ripped into one of the merfolk’s back, lifting him with its talons and flinging him skyward and as he spiralled down he hit the ground in a thud and lay there with glassy vacant eyes staring up into space, no motion in his body.

* * *

Steve was lowering his dice down to sixteen and Dave got an extra dice to lift his life total to twenty-two. He said “Judy does have a pretty good deck but it still needs work; she should get rid of Divinity of Pride and put in a lower mana drop vampire creature, like Indulgent Aristocrat which would give her a better chance of gaining Vampire bonuses and has life link as well”. Dave responded, “Do you think I should get of mine?”

* * *

The party continued to make their way inland. Jace again spotted the enemy. He was a human mercenary scout with quite a long sword; he was about one hundred and fifty yards away; he quickly scrambled into the thicket. Jace said “We have trouble. Let’s move this way.” They took a right turn; the terrain gradually getting thicker. When they went two hundred yards further there was the very distinct singing of a battle cry. Suddenly with almost impossibly speed for a human, though she was human, an Alley warrior came rushing toward Jace with sword raised behind her head, dressed in leather and making the high pitch sounds of “Yaha,  yaha, yip yip”, ready to slash at him.

* * *

“No, not necessarily but it might be an idea. I mean you have a couple of mixed themes, life gain and allies. You could take Divinity of Pride out and put in Gideon, Ally of Zendikar”, Steve said as he played a Mountain and a Lightning Bolt.

* * *

Flashes of red sparks encased in auras of wafer thin white flickering light was in Jace’s usually blue fluid eyes. All the skills he had learned as an apprentice and was still learning now came to him in a flash; his ring pulsed brighter than ever. The ominous black clouds that were over the sea were now overhead. A bolt of lightning struck the combatant on the back of her black flowing hair, with a sizzling crack! She was instantly killed; the song had gone silent.

* * *

Dave put Akoum Battle Singer in the graveyard, a place for card taken out of combat. “Do you want a cuppa of tea?”, “Yea sure. I might put Elspeth Knight Errant in” Was Dave’s reply.  Steve smugly thought that which he has always thought. “I really am quite a bit stronger than Dave. “That’s a stupid idea”, which he restrained from expressing, but instead said “I would try to perfect your deck as a pure ally deck and see where that takes you”.  As he handed the coffee to Dave he sat down. He picked up a card, as well as picked up a Blue Drake token which he put on the table. He looked at his hand, and felt a fraction of frustration as there was very little useful in his hand except a response card like Negate and one other one drop creature, better than nothing. He played the small one drop Dakra Mystic.

* * *

               “There are bound to be more of them about” snarled Talrand. “That’s for certain’’ Jace said and he went on to say. ‘’She was of the Akoum clan who are Mountain people. They are Alley’s with the Plains people”. Merfolk hated plains and they hated the mountains even more. There was no sound of anyone anywhere. They changed track and went left again, as this was the fastest way to the Sceptre and the mana rings. There was a faint sound of rustling. “Did you hear that?”  Talrand spoke a little above a whisper. “Yea I heard it, it was over there”. Jace pointed to what seemed to be a random direction, there being a consistent uniformity of vegetation. It started to rain a little, which was good, as Plains people do not like getting wet. “I hope it rains heavier and drowns those rodents!” The party kept walking, the Merfolk enjoying the heavier rain. Jace saw some Plainsmen sleeking though the medium thick growth in the dimming light. They were quiet but not quite enough not to be heard by Jace’s perpetually vigilance.  “Twang, snap!” an arrow came from one of the Merfolk’s crossbows; one of the enemy mercenaries gasped, with poisonous blowfish spikes sticking out of his throat. He stumbled once, twice and fell over dead. “Crack”, the thunder was loud; a lightning strike hit nowhere in particular, though it was close. Talrand uttered in an ancient tongue; and two drakes descended clumsily upon Divinity of Pride. Divinity’s long neck lashed around to snap at the drakes and managed to grab one around the torso; flicking its head sideways and tossing the drake like an old and no longer wanted stuffed toy into the beach below. The drake frantically flapping its wings, managed just before hitting the ground to fly upward to attempt to attack again. The other drake had a go at its neck, it drew blood, but the blow was not accurate enough to deliver a lethal strike. , Divinity thrusted its self upward its wide wings reaching high, and then thrusting downward toward the ground. The drakes determined but without the elegance, ascended to meet this bird over twice their size. Divinity did not wait but swooped down catching a drake in its talons piercing the drake’s lower neck - this time making sure it smashed into the ground snapping its neck.

* * *

Steve collected the two blue drakes and put them with the other drake tokens. Dave put his Divinity of Pride into the graveyard. Things were not going too well. Dave’s life total was going up, his staying much the same; Vryn’s Prodigy came out late…’’ Dave interjected into these thoughts exclaiming “Judy will win again this Friday. I have seen her life total at eight nine.” “So what” thought Steve, knowing in own mind that when his deck is fully developed it would be the best in the club. It was his turn again. Divinity of Pride was a nuisance as he was forced to defend with his Drake. Dave played Oblivion Ring at Steve’s Vryn’s Prodigy. Steve responded with Negate.

* * *

The corpse Jace saw earlier was a mercenary. He was face down, a long sword behind his feet where he had dropped it, his arms contorted with one hand out above his head, elbow jutting out, the other sprawled at right angles from his side, there were spikes projecting out of his neck. It was eerily silent now; weird really, as the whole of the merfolk just witnessed the drakes in what looked like an unsuccessful attack on the Spirit Creature. “The drakes must have injured it?” One of the Merfolk inquired of Talrand.  The nearly dead drake was barely able to breathe seriously injured. The other dead on the beach and close by.

The party continued heading to the centre of the island. The rain was starting to dissipate, the ground was soaked, and they were soaked. “They must be still sneaking around” Talrand said a little confounded. “Ajani Goldmane is up to something” Jace cautioned. They both looked up and saw a ring of white flames which had absolute blackness encased within, like a hole in the universe. It was coming at Jace.  Knowledge came to him he never knew he had. He remembered back when his father accused him of cheating when he got a hundred percent score in his final exam, he swallowed, this was no time to have this diversion in his thoughts. He formulated an aura in his mind’s vision, manipulated it into a ring to match the ring coming toward him, though glowing brilliant blue not white, and threw it at the ring of oblivion, making it disintegrate. Jace’s eyes glowed like a blue giant sun.  

* * *

Dave slowly un-tapped all his cards, whilst intermittently sipping a cup of tea. Finally he drew a card.  Dave looked across the Battlefield. “Yes I’ll cash-in Ajani Goldmane”. Dave put Ajani into the graveyard and put avatar creature token into play with twenty-two 1/1 counters on it.

* * *

Jace, Talrand and his men kept trudging through the monotonous undergrowth, on a trigger alert to every sound. “We are just over half way there; the forest should start thinning soon”, Jace mentioned knowing they needed to make pace.  A noise, this time much louder, could be heard. It was the sound of heavy trudging through the growth. Then the beast appeared. It was huge - it towered over the forest. It stood on two paws and its glistening golden mane was magnificent and its roar was deafening. The Merfolk started shooting cross bows and Talrand aimed his trident right at its heart but it grabbed it and threw it aside. The Merfolk started running. The beast snatched up one of the Merfolk. It was Triton Shorestalker. The beast ripped him in two producing an out of control fountain of blood spurting in all directions. As they made some pace away from the beast Jace stopped, turned half around, opened his bag and took out a very fine whisper thin parchment.  He flicked the parchment out and read it out-loud in the ancient tongue of Aquian. The beast started quivering, its flesh started pulsating, and the roar became a roar of anguish. It twisted into convulsion, its muscles going into spasms before finally turning into a very angry but not as remotely dangerous ape.

. . . To be continued.

Castle Morrow

.  At the rocky sharp angled point of the peninsular, which seems to jut angrily out to sea, is Morrow Castle. Encasing the Castle is two walls both with a sharp twists and bends in them, coming together to the apex of this ocean reaching jagged edge of land. On these walls are the twelve apostles, five on the shorter wall, seven on the longer; these twelve cannons are the first  greetings any enemy  of Cuba will encounter if they tried entering the harbour of our city Havana. So as we I walked on the well-manicured lawns of this great fortress, we came across General Lono.

“Jorge you have your young prodigy with you’’ Juan went a little pink, he was not really feeling like a prodigy. Capa’s father responded by saying ‘’ Corzo is very experienced and my son has already lost two games, my son he will develop to be a strong player one day, I do know he has talent, remember he learned by watching us play and the cheeky tyke had the audacity to point out a mistake I made. He beat me when I challenged him, but I am not a particularly strong chess player; my son is perhaps not ready for this match. The experience will be something for him to look back on and learn from I hope ’’. “Nonsense’’ retorted the General. ‘’Juan is brilliant, he knows exactly how to place the pieces. I have watched a couple of his games against some of the lighter weights at the chess club. He will find his feet for sure.’’ Juan had a shy smile come to his face, he knew he had ability, he loved to the pieces about in his mind without touching the pieces and he knew no child his age could do exactly what he could do; he also knew people at the chess club thought he had something special, otherwise the match would not have been arranged, but he had no idea that people thought as highly about his game as General Lono. 

his younger brother and sister were more excited over the day’s activities and were squealing and running around His mother Maria had prepared succulent, Mignon salad, Tournedos Beef Medallion and fruit sorbet. After the lunch time festivities were over; Vazquez brought out a box gift wrapped and gave it to Juan; Juan in his excitement tore open the contend and found five books, three was on openings (Vazquez put great emphasis on good opening preparation), one on middle games and the other on end games. His father gave him a baseball bat and ball, Juan loved it, next to chess there was nothing he enjoyed more than swing a baseball bat. That night young Juan studied end games

. Corzo found it impossible to gain any foothold in attack; Juan played fluently, he saw a way to favourably exchange several pieces, and the queens. Juan thought he had an advantage, but Corzo was resourceful, found a fortress and offered a draw. Juan thought for a couple of minutes, could see no way to break though and accepted the draw. Juan realized he need not lose.

the pieces in his head  The next day, was a day off. He studied Troitzky for the rest of the afternoon Alicia and little brother Ramiro, played base. Juan loved baseball perhaps he could become a pro one day was one of the passing thoughts his active mind occasionally had. His older brother Salvador had no real time for him, was nearly ready to go to university.

The third game was to start in a couple of hours. Juan was only slightly nervous, as he got dressed in long black trousers, high buttoned shirt and short tie. The carriage pulled out in front the enormous Telegraph hotel, Jose entered the building passing a throng of people. Jose proceeded past the ropes in and sat at the board where the match was to be plated: Corzo entered and sat down a minute later; the arbiter started the clocks. Jose was black. It was an easy draw. Juan played manoeuvred steadily and achieve a draw, not much happened in this game, a lot of pieces were exchanged; neither side had much to play for. Corzo thinking was to consolidate and coast to a wind. He thought it pretty easy ‘’Juan here has no experience; he put no pressure on me. He will learn from this match; in a few more years he will be dangerous. Juan was thinking   “At least I am not going to lose every game, I might be able to drag it, but how the hell am I going to beat this guy’’. His self-doubt diminished ever so slightly as his confidence rose just a fraction.  He thought, ‘’how am I going to beat this guy’’.

 He peered at the chess board for half an hour that night, solving a study from Troitzky’s book. The endgames were tricky and fascinating as he peered at the board. The board was nearly striped of pieces: a white queen king and knight against a black queen and king. White was to move. And win. Juan saw it all and it didn’t take him long to work it out: ‘’Queen to king seven check, followed by knight kings bishop eight check again with the queen to rook seven then the deadly but silent Queen to  queen three; forcing  black to surrender the queen. With quiet satisfaction Juan fell asleep.

The market place

Troitzky’s Troitzky’s

Young Jose’s Passion

The telegraph Hotel did exist, Jose Casablanca’s father was named Jorge and was a lieutenant at Morrow Castle. Aside from a few historical facts like this; this is entirely a work of fiction.

Young Jose’s Passion

The White king lay in the centre of the board. Young Juan in near tears extended his hand and in near tears said ‘’good game’’, but while he thought ‘’This guy is just too good, he has beaten me twice in a row and the match has just started, he must have read over a hundred chess books I have read none, maybe this match should not have been arranged’’.

Vazquez stepped over the crimson ropes to where Jose was seated. Vazquez was a friend Jose’s and a great rival of Corzo. He had beaten him a number of years back for the Cuban championships. Even though he was a friend of Jose’s he thought Juan had slim chances now. The first game Juan allowed his king to be hopelessly exposed to a withering attack; conducted with Queen and Rooks, dominating open files, straight to. Juan’s king. He did not understand the black side of the Evans Gambit at all it seems. In the second game Jose tried for a vague attack with Queen and Bishop, but Corzo easily refuted it and Jose found himself in a very difficult end- game; Corzo’s pressure with rook down the King Bishop file, eventually led to Corzo losing his rook for a bishop and a totally lost game.  ‘’Jose you need to not lose the next two games. You are black, just be careful and play a solid game. It is your birthday tomorrow; the rest will help your game.’’ Would you like to come over, my mother is cooking lunch, she said I could invite anyone I like’’. ‘’ Ok then I’ll see you tomorrow’’.

 Next day Maria Jose’s mother had been preparing; Tournedos beef tender loin medallions wrapped in bacon, Mignon salad and fruit sorbet. Alicia his younger sister and younger brother Ramiro were throwing a ball at each other in the back yard. Ramiro took aim and hit Alicia in the back. “I hit you’’ No you didn’t, it you hit the tree’’. ‘’Don’t lie I hit you that’s a point to me’’. ‘’Ok then’’ Alicia then threw the ball back at Ramiro as hard as she could.’’ Juan’s older broth Salvador, not having much time for Jose, was probably visiting his friend down the road. Vazquez knocked; ‘’come said Jorge’’. Jorge Juan’s father was a lieutenant in the Calvary and he was posted at Morrow Castle. Morrow Castle which juts out to sea on the jagged shores of Havana Bay, with the twelve cannons called the Twelve Apostles encased in the crooked walls of the castle. Is the first line of the defence for any enemy of Cuba.

‘’ This is delicious Maria’’ said Troitzky’s somewhat enthusiastically. Jorge is a very lucky man having a wife, who cooks like. ‘’Thank you Vasquez, I do not spoil the family every day as everyone here knows ’’. After the festivities of lunch, Vazquez handed Jose a parcel, saying ‘’happy birthday Jose’’. ‘’Thank you Vazquez’’ Jose’s ‘’  Was Jose’s somewhat shy response was. He really did not expect a gift from his friend. Contained within the box was a copy of the Steinitz vs Lasker Match of 1896, written by Wilhelm Steinitz, along some other opening books was a Copy of Trotsky’s End Games. His father gave him a baseball ball bat. Juan loved it. He loved baseball; He played baseball all afternoon with his two younger siblings and Vazquez. That night Jose sat and studied the games of Steinitz and Lasker.

Jose dressed in long black trousers and long sleeved shirt and well combed hair. Entered the horse and carriage which took them to the Telegraph Hotel; Jose entered the roped enclosure and sat down. Corzo entered and sat as well. The clocks started, Jose was black, he equalized easily, and it was solid performance. He responded to Corzo’s Pawn to queen with pawn to queen five. There were three more draws; Juan gained a little confidence was  starting  to realize he need not lose this match. But he still had doubts; it was fresh in his memory the first two to loses, it would only take one more. Vazquez jumped the ropes at the end of the game drawn game and said. ‘’Have you looked at any of the endgame studies of   Troitzky yet’’. ‘‘No not yet, I’ve looked at some of the games from the Steinitz Lasker match, I’ve been intending to study them soon, it looks interesting.’’ The opening books weren’t Jose’s cup of tea.

That night Juan opened up Troitzky and setup a position from it, the board was almost bare. He peered at it for half an hour, moving the pieces in his head; he worked all it out, he was on to the idea after five minutes and for the next twenty five he navigated all the nuances of the position. After several Queen checks come a silent knight move that brought the black pieces to paralysis. He worked out a couple more that night, some of them pretty tough, but all of them had some interesting twist, this work would remain a fascination for Jose for a good many year; he could sleep in tomorrow, it was his being a day off. On his day off he did not study chess, instead he played baseball. Jose a great fan of baseball was considering joining a team for next season. That wonder night as he was dozing off to sleep; he wondered again if he would ever beat Corzo.

The next day the clocks started at ten o’clock sharp. Juan was white, he started with pawn to queen four and set his pieces up in a Zukertort’s formation, his queen bishop developed at queen’s knight two and his knight posted on king five. It is a simple and solid opening with latent attacking possibilities. After about move twenty five moves Juan thought for some time, he was moving the pieces in his head as he gazed at the board. His heart raised a beat as he saw it:  ‘’ Pawn to king six, if queen takes my pawn I have pawn to  queen five unleashing my bishop on queens knight two with check to his king winning his queen’’. Corzo easily saw this and played his bishop to attack Juan’s queen to win the rook for the bishop with a near winning position. But this was anticipated by Juan. Corzo sank into thought as Jose played the magnificent queen sacrifice: “queen takes bishop, queen takes queen, pawn to queen five check unblocking the now sweeping queen bishop tucked in the corner’’. The combination brought him dominating pawns, one on king’s bishop seven, after taking a knight and another on queen six, about to advance to the seventh to make a new queen and a knight ready to jump to king’s bishop five dominating rook .The pressure was too great for Corzo: he gave back his queen, but it was too late. Juan’s excitement escalated. He kept it restrained except for his usual small smile as he executed his final moves. Corzo’s king was helplessly stuck in the corner, while Juan’s knight, bishop and advanced pawns proved too much against Corzo’s lone rook and ineffectual pawns. So after a few more moves, Corzo laid his king down. As Juan sat, all restraint left, his smile broadened to full width; the applause that engulfed him seemed like slow motion. This is ecstasy.