Zero was sitting on the throne of Castle Caelin in front of him was a chess board, he reached forward and grabbed a piece moving it into place. Sitting across from him was his opponent Ephidel.
"In many ways my young apprentice, this is also a test of your own skills. I'm curious to see just how far you've come." Zero comments waving his hand over the board, and then motioning to Ephidel.
Beside them Darin shifted uncomfortable he could hear the sound of battle. Eliwood's company had already entered the castle and was fighting with his troops. He knew that they would break through and be at the throne room soon. They should be making an escape not playing a simple game of chess.
"Dear Marquess Laus, you should show more patience. We know you desire to escape, but do not fret I am sure your units will hold long enough for me and Lord Zero to finish the game." Ephidel said, not bothering to look away from the board.
"We do not have time for a game of chess we should be focused on our escape. Even if my troops do hold for a time longer, how can we possibly escape the castle now!?" Darin shouted, slamming his fist against a nearby pillar. He was silenced almost immediately by the point of a sword.
"It's rude Marquess Laus too talk while the game is being played." Zero calmly responded moving another piece on the board. The tip of his sword pressing against Darin's throat. Darin swallowed nervously as he stared at the blade. Ephidel shook his head, and moved a piece.
"Not a bad move my apprentice, let us see how you contend with this next move." Zero responded moving his rook forward. Ephidel studied the board intently before moving his knight into position to take the rook.
"Clever, it would seem you do have some skill after all. Well I can see the trap but I wonder what would happen if I sprung it." Zero commented moving his rook into position to take the knight. Ephidel smiled in response and moved captured the rook with bishop.
"As I thought…" Zero replied, he rested his hand on the side of his mask and moved his knight into position to capture one of Ephidel's pawns.
"… Why make that move, there are better moves present. Ephidel's rook already threatens to move into check mate. Is this Zero truly a master tactician?" Darin thought studying the board. While he was not an avid player of the game he had played against the other lords. He personally considered himself a very talented player, but then again he thought very highly of himself as a whole anyways. His thoughts were interrupted the sounds of battle had moved closer. They were close much closer then he thought.
"About 10 more minutes, yes that should be about right." Zero said, not breaking his gaze from the board.
"10 more minutes… we can't possibly have that much time left." Darin responded, staring at Zero, who was still staring intently at the board.
"You underestimate you're troops Darin, you should have a little more faith. I assure you we have 10 minutes this game will be done in 5 plenty of time to escape." Zero replied moving yet another piece. Again an odd move from Darin's perspective it was as though Zero was intentionally drawing out the game.
Ephidel rubbed his chin as he contemplated his next move, nodded and moved his piece into place.
"Well my young apprentice, you've done well. You made all the right moves, but do not fret even when playing your best checkmate can still happen." Zero said moving one last piece and standing up, Ephidel did the same. Darin studied the board for a moment, and then turned to Zero.
"The game isn't over you've only moved him into check. You've wasted all this time for an incomplete game?" Darin asked looking back at the board.
"I always leave room for variables, as far as you need be concerned the game's over Marquess Laus. Come we must make our escape, they'll be upon us very shortly and I'd rather not have to deal with them." Zero replied, walking to an area behind the throne. He stared it for a moment before reaching out with his hand and placing it against a stone, which a moment later slid in and the wall opened up.
"A hidden path, h-how did you know about that?" Darin asked astounded as he stared at Zero.
"I have my ways; now come Marquess Laus we have to make good our escape." Zero said walking out through the secret exit, Ephidel following closely behind along and at last Darin begrudgingly moved in behind them. The wall slid shut and any evidence that the exit had been used was erased.
A minute later Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and Mark entered the throne room.
"Grandfather!" Lyn shouted as she searched the throne room desperately for any sign of her grandfather. Meanwhile Eliwood and Hector were looking for any sign of Darin.
"They escaped, Eliwood… we were too late." Hector said to his friend, Eliwood nodded before looking towards Mark.
"Mark, do you think they took Lord Hausen with them?" Eliwood asked walking up beside Mark, who was staring intently at the chess board.
"I don't know, it's certainly possibly a hostage like him would prove useful." Mark responded, reaching out with his hand and picking up a piece. He stared at before placing it back down.
"This game is recent, why would they play a game during a castle siege." Eliwood wondered as he stared at the board.
"That bastard Zero, he's toying with us Eliwood." Mark said as he sat down on the seat where Ephidel had once been sitting.
"He had enough time to play a game of chess before making his escape, he is certainly confident." Eliwood replied and shook his head.
"That is only one facet of it he left this game out intentionally. If we simply follow the moves from the beginning the game mirror's everything that's happened up until now." Mark said as he moved all the pieces back to their original location and began to replay the game. "His first move was to draw out a knight, once he had done that he saw fit to move the bishop and the knight together. I am the bishop and you are the knight Eliwood. That means he planned the kidnapping of your father and at the same time was behind that bandit attack that united us." Mark explained he continued moving the piece's move for move.
"The rook is Castle Laus, which we conquered. He wanted the castle to fall, so he tricked Marquess Laus into attacking Caelin. He wanted Laus to fall he wanted Darin to come here. He wanted me to be reunited with Lyn… why would he want that? Yet the game isn't done Eliwood. Even though we are currently at the present he played more moves. Has he already predicted the events to come?" Mark wondered aloud, staring down at the chess board.
"He's mocking us he's saying nothing we can do now will change his victory. Yet the final move is only check not check mate, it's not over yet." Mark muttered as he stared down at the board, he rubbed his chin and began to contemplate what the next move would be.
"I believe that we're walking into a trap, if we continue this pursuit there's no doubt in my mind that we'll fall into a trap. He's certain of this, and that trap is no doubt intended to be the end of us. With that being said Eliwood, I'm facing an opponent who far exceeds my abilities. What will you do, we can go home now and leave your father to his fate, or we can continue this pursuit, knowing that it could very well lead to our deaths." Mark grimly said, staring at Eliwood intently.
"… I have to rescue my father Mark. Whatever it is that this Zero is planning I don't think we can simply go home at this point. If we do he'll succeed in his overall plan, which I fear may very well end with the destruction of Lycia… or perhaps even worst. We can't risk it Mark, even if it means walking headlong into his trap." Eliwood replied he looked at Mark with fiery determination. Mark stared at Eliwood for a moment and then smiled.
"Now all we have to do is find out where their heading, Eliwood."
"I might have that figured that out" said Mark.