*Dream 07* Schneizel Payment 3/3
They're in a grand, dimly lit hall ... Jaina hasn't ever been here before, yet it still feels oddly familiar - she's seen it before. There is a large 8x8 board on the floor, checkered black and white: On one end, an army of Orcs, their battle wolves and demons ... on the other, proud-backed Human footmen, battle chargers, and summoned elementals. Simply put, it's a grand chess board, though the models move and breathe as if they're alive.
Schneizel steps forward, pointing a finger beyond Jaina's shoulder and gesturing to a water elemental on the corner of the board - she turns to see Raven silently step forward, throwing her a grin as the elemental vanishes and he takes its place as the Castle. The prince next gestures to another figure hidden in shadow, and when the figure steps into the light ... it's Cornelia. Jaina reflexively reaches out towards her, but the woman simply stares coldly at her before replacing the charger on the board next to Raven ... she's the Knight, of course. The next figure is Peorth, who winks warmly as she walks by Jaina to stand in the spot next to Cornelia, replacing the cleric and taking the role of the Bishop.
Jaina watches the three people standing on the chess board for a few heartbeats before her gaze returns to Schneizel, and she blinks - the man is pointing directly at her, a sly smile on his face. Without saying a word, he then gestures to where the Conjurer is standing on the chessboard, and she feels her feet moving to comply ... the man has assigned her as the Queen. Once she's standing on the board, her feet feel glued to the spot - she couldn't move if she wanted to - and a flicker of motion from over her shoulder causes her to look to the side as the proud, straight-backed figure of King Llane vanishes ... and Schneizel steps into his place. Naturally, the man has become the King.
With a snap of Schneizel's fingers, the battle begins. Human footmen and Orcish Grunts march forward, one by one, though their movements are all in real time - clearly, this is not any form of chess that most people would be familiar with. The prince touches her on the shoulder, gesturing for her to move forward behind the advancing line of soldiers, and she obeys. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Cornelia calmly crossing the battlefield - and then her sword flashes out of its sheath, catching the large blade of a demon as the two begin to duel.
Footmen fall, grunts slump and die, and Jaina sees the towering Orc Warlock turn his gaze beyond her - to Schneizel - and she even if she couldn't sense the magic being worked, there is no way that anyone could miss the cloud of darkness gathering around the figure as he began to work powerful magics together.
That is something she cannot allow. Jaina slams the end of her staff on the ground, the air around her taking on a blueish tinge as shards of ice begin to tear through the lines of the Orc forces in a vicious whirlwind of frost - enveloping not only the Warlock, but the fearsome Warchief behind him ... and it still grows, almost out of her control, now covering half the chess board - now swallowing her up as well -
- there is silence. The chessboard is empty, other than her and the four others from Somarium. Schneizel smiles down at her knowingly.
...Checkmate.
*To herself more than anyone else* That was... Medivh's tower...?
Schneizel steps forward, pointing a finger beyond Jaina's shoulder and gesturing to a water elemental on the corner of the board - she turns to see Raven silently step forward, throwing her a grin as the elemental vanishes and he takes its place as the Castle. The prince next gestures to another figure hidden in shadow, and when the figure steps into the light ... it's Cornelia. Jaina reflexively reaches out towards her, but the woman simply stares coldly at her before replacing the charger on the board next to Raven ... she's the Knight, of course. The next figure is Peorth, who winks warmly as she walks by Jaina to stand in the spot next to Cornelia, replacing the cleric and taking the role of the Bishop.
Jaina watches the three people standing on the chess board for a few heartbeats before her gaze returns to Schneizel, and she blinks - the man is pointing directly at her, a sly smile on his face. Without saying a word, he then gestures to where the Conjurer is standing on the chessboard, and she feels her feet moving to comply ... the man has assigned her as the Queen. Once she's standing on the board, her feet feel glued to the spot - she couldn't move if she wanted to - and a flicker of motion from over her shoulder causes her to look to the side as the proud, straight-backed figure of King Llane vanishes ... and Schneizel steps into his place. Naturally, the man has become the King.
With a snap of Schneizel's fingers, the battle begins. Human footmen and Orcish Grunts march forward, one by one, though their movements are all in real time - clearly, this is not any form of chess that most people would be familiar with. The prince touches her on the shoulder, gesturing for her to move forward behind the advancing line of soldiers, and she obeys. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Cornelia calmly crossing the battlefield - and then her sword flashes out of its sheath, catching the large blade of a demon as the two begin to duel.
Footmen fall, grunts slump and die, and Jaina sees the towering Orc Warlock turn his gaze beyond her - to Schneizel - and she even if she couldn't sense the magic being worked, there is no way that anyone could miss the cloud of darkness gathering around the figure as he began to work powerful magics together.
That is something she cannot allow. Jaina slams the end of her staff on the ground, the air around her taking on a blueish tinge as shards of ice begin to tear through the lines of the Orc forces in a vicious whirlwind of frost - enveloping not only the Warlock, but the fearsome Warchief behind him ... and it still grows, almost out of her control, now covering half the chess board - now swallowing her up as well -
- there is silence. The chessboard is empty, other than her and the four others from Somarium. Schneizel smiles down at her knowingly.
...Checkmate.
*To herself more than anyone else* That was... Medivh's tower...?