Chapter 8: Return to the Cliffs
The পরবর্তি day, the group began to discuss where to go next. Viggo was still very present on their minds and they were worried about everyone still trapped in the valley.
“We need to find a better place to regroup,” Humphrey said.
“I think I know a place that could work,” Adam told them.
“What do আপনি got, Adam?” Humphrey asked.
“The sandstone cliffs.”
“That’s a terrible idea,” Steven stepped in. There’s no way out of those caves. We’d be trapped if we go in there.”
“Actually, we wouldn’t,” Adam corrected. “There’s a labyrinth inside those cliffs. We can lose them in the maze if we get attacked.”
“How come I didn’t know about this?” Steven asked.
“You had already left when we started making the tunnels,” Adam answered.
“Okay,” Humphrey agreed, “the sandstone cliffs it is.”
The group immediately set out south toward the sandstone cliffs in the north of the Southern Region. They offered Gerald the chance to যোগদান them, but he denied, too afraid of Viggo to go and face him, but he wished them the best of luck. Viper, however, was আরো than eager to tag along.
It took them a few days to get to the cliffs because they had to play it নিরাপদ and বৃত্ত far around the valley and into the Eastern Region. However, upon their return to the cliffs, they felt that something was wrong. As the group approached the cliffside, they saw a chess board sitting near the entrance to one of the dens. All the pieces were set up normally except for the kings, which are set up in front of each other in the middle of the board. Everyone stared at it, not knowing what it meant অথবা why it was there. Then Kenya spoke up.
“Chess,” she ব্যক্ত under her breath.
“Kenya, আপনি know what this is?” Humphrey asked.
“Yeah,” she replied, “my owner, Lucas, played it with people whenever he had them over at his house. It’s a human game of strategy and outthinking your opponent. That’s supposed to be you, the good king,” she said, pointing her paw at the white king.
“Then who’s that?” Kate asked, motioning toward the black king.
“The evil king,” Humphrey replied deductively. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s Viggo.”
“It’s almost like he wanted আপনি to see this,” Runt said.
“He did,” Humphrey replied. “He’s challenging me; daring me to play.”
“So what do we do?” সর্প asked.
“This is serious,” Humphrey ব্যক্ত nervously. “We’re playing for real here, with real people and real consequences. Viggo’s forcing my hand. He’s playing me for the lives of everyone he has trapped in the valley.”
“What happens if আপনি don’t play?” Adam asked, cautiously.
“Then he’ll kill them all.”
“Then আপনি have to play, Humphrey,” Oscar said.
“And we need a strategy,” Mick added.
“We do, Mick,” Humphrey agreed, “and that strategy has to be the best we’ve ever come up with, something he’s never seen before, অথবা else no one will stand a chance.”
“Why did he break your piece?” Kate asked, looking at the white king which had been broken in half.
“Because the king dies in the end,” Kenya ব্যক্ত grimly. “The king always dies.”
The পরবর্তি day, the group began to discuss where to go next. Viggo was still very present on their minds and they were worried about everyone still trapped in the valley.
“We need to find a better place to regroup,” Humphrey said.
“I think I know a place that could work,” Adam told them.
“What do আপনি got, Adam?” Humphrey asked.
“The sandstone cliffs.”
“That’s a terrible idea,” Steven stepped in. There’s no way out of those caves. We’d be trapped if we go in there.”
“Actually, we wouldn’t,” Adam corrected. “There’s a labyrinth inside those cliffs. We can lose them in the maze if we get attacked.”
“How come I didn’t know about this?” Steven asked.
“You had already left when we started making the tunnels,” Adam answered.
“Okay,” Humphrey agreed, “the sandstone cliffs it is.”
The group immediately set out south toward the sandstone cliffs in the north of the Southern Region. They offered Gerald the chance to যোগদান them, but he denied, too afraid of Viggo to go and face him, but he wished them the best of luck. Viper, however, was আরো than eager to tag along.
It took them a few days to get to the cliffs because they had to play it নিরাপদ and বৃত্ত far around the valley and into the Eastern Region. However, upon their return to the cliffs, they felt that something was wrong. As the group approached the cliffside, they saw a chess board sitting near the entrance to one of the dens. All the pieces were set up normally except for the kings, which are set up in front of each other in the middle of the board. Everyone stared at it, not knowing what it meant অথবা why it was there. Then Kenya spoke up.
“Chess,” she ব্যক্ত under her breath.
“Kenya, আপনি know what this is?” Humphrey asked.
“Yeah,” she replied, “my owner, Lucas, played it with people whenever he had them over at his house. It’s a human game of strategy and outthinking your opponent. That’s supposed to be you, the good king,” she said, pointing her paw at the white king.
“Then who’s that?” Kate asked, motioning toward the black king.
“The evil king,” Humphrey replied deductively. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s Viggo.”
“It’s almost like he wanted আপনি to see this,” Runt said.
“He did,” Humphrey replied. “He’s challenging me; daring me to play.”
“So what do we do?” সর্প asked.
“This is serious,” Humphrey ব্যক্ত nervously. “We’re playing for real here, with real people and real consequences. Viggo’s forcing my hand. He’s playing me for the lives of everyone he has trapped in the valley.”
“What happens if আপনি don’t play?” Adam asked, cautiously.
“Then he’ll kill them all.”
“Then আপনি have to play, Humphrey,” Oscar said.
“And we need a strategy,” Mick added.
“We do, Mick,” Humphrey agreed, “and that strategy has to be the best we’ve ever come up with, something he’s never seen before, অথবা else no one will stand a chance.”
“Why did he break your piece?” Kate asked, looking at the white king which had been broken in half.
“Because the king dies in the end,” Kenya ব্যক্ত grimly. “The king always dies.”
