Chess of Mages

Prologue: The Fortune

The psychic glided her long fingernails along the surface of a glass orb on her desk accompanied by a cup of green tea smelling of organic vinegar. Her humming vibrated the old flaps on her neck as she closed her eyes to see the future.

Across the dusty table, a woman with blue hair and a bored gaze sat patiently. The appointment was made a month ago. She expected to hear the same thing from the fortuneteller, "this year again, you will not have any challenges against your family."

But, this year was different.

The psychic fluttered her lashes open and looked straight at the customer's face. She experienced a turbulent vision that rivaled the strength of a tsunami. She was not expecting such darkness, darker than the dim light of the office where they were sitting.

"Young lady, I fear your luck is over, " the psychic gulped.

The customer, named Lupille, sighed, "it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"The magic society suspects that you are more than what you are, which means doom will befall your bloodline and lifestyle, " the psychic spoke. " May I ask what on Earth you are?"

Lupille gave her a small sigh, "why do you need to know, is it going to help your service?"

"The evil forces that exist against you are too great. I am wondering, " she said.

"I am a witch, " Lupille said.

The psychic's pupils glittered with astonishment, "you mean one of those witches? Not surprising since your complexion strikes me as extremely beautiful."

"Thank you, and I am 67," Lupille winked looking like she just graduated college at 21.

"Nice. Anyways, if you want specifics of this situation, just know that no amount of intervention will stop these forces. I suggest that you take immediate action for yourself and your family."

"I already have a plan, " Lupille continued.

"Great, just know that I can tell you the big details, but any specifics are too dangerous. Generalized fortunes or misfortunes are an agreement that we tellers make with the Celestial Cloud. Despite that, I promise that your $10,000 will be fruitful during this meeting."

Lupille knew that psychics with prediction capabilities had to follow the rules of the Celestial Cloud or it would give them Alzheimers quicker than they could say the next word.

The psychic spoke, "more than 100,000 people will be killed in a single day. This will happen because of your choice to be who you are. By using this disastrous event, the forces working  against you will kill two birds with one stone and destroy the things most important to you."

"Shit, that is more than what I expected, " Lupille said with a thumb nudging her forehead. This was not good, the mages making such drastic moves meant that they were sure of her true identity.

"That is all I may fulfill for you, " the psychic said, covering her glass orb with a purple towel. "The Celestial Cloud is telling me that I am overstepping the boundaries of this meeting."

"Thank you, Madame Star, " Lupille said getting up from the hard chair. "This will be our last meeting. Involving you any longer will just get you in trouble.

"Yes, I know. Now I understand why you fly me out to different countries every year for these simple meetings, " the psychic said while sipping from the styrofoam cup filled with green tea from a local Chinese teahouse.

"Secrecy is my biggest friend until the wrong person spills the beans. Your address would never be safe if the Higher Mages knew I met with you every year for... how long?" Lupille said searching through her busy memory.

"This would be our 15th since your nephew was born, " Madama Star recalled.

"Oh yeah, " Lupille said, looking towards the window behind the psychic. There was a small opening through the curtains, letting in a tiny ray of bustling sunshine and giving view to lush mountains.

My dear and only nephew, I hope you forgive me for what I am about to do to keep you safe.