The scent of heavily perfumed Saddle Arabian tobacco swirled around the stallion, focusing his mind. He studied the chessboard in front of him, pondering the white pieces standing in their perfect little rows, ready to stand against the onslaught of the black.

His eyes focused on the white knight, the carved eyes staring straight ahead at him. Phillip Finder was here, and he was every bit as sharp as he remembered. The ever-clever stallion had solved his puzzle quite readily.

But what of the others? He studied the white pawns that the knight sheltered behind. It was odd for him to work with others, particularly ponies like them. Distasteful little ponies, so sickeningly full of life. He had to take a huff of his cigarette to calm himself.

He considered the entirety of the chessboard, the pieces on the white side, and his own black assets, ever ready to obey his instructions. In his mind, he considered hundreds of different openings, a thousand counters, which piece would best be placed where. A simple fact crossed his mind: any piece could become a threat, but easily become a liability to its owner. To turn the pawns against his opponent would not be easy, but he would see a way to do it.

However, at the moment, he needed to learn more about his opponent's strategies. And he needed more capital and resources if he was to last the long game that he knew he was entering.

A smile crossed his face. Taking one of the white pawns in the grasp of his golden magic, he advanced it forward two places. Then he took one of his black pawns and advanced it into the white pawn's range. An opening sacrifice to appease his enemy.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

Author's Note

An updated chapter as part of my efforts to finalize the series and give them one last run-over for completeness. Hopefully this will entice future readers to continue the series!