I Itshesi - Ipawn ye yekamva

Kwilizwe lamandulo laseChessland, apho intshukumo nganye yayibumba ikamva kwaye yonke into yayiphethe isiprofeto, kwavela ooKumkanikazi ababini phantsi kweenkwenkwezi ezifanayo. Omnye wayegqunywe ngoMhlophe, omnye ngoMnyama, baza bakhula kunye njengabahlobo bobuntwana—oodade ngokomoya, bedibene kukuhleka namaphupha afanayo. Nangona kunjalo, njengoko ixesha lihamba, ubumsulwa batshintsha baba yiminqweno, baza bobabini bazifumana betsalwa nguKumkani omnye onomtsalane.
Kodwa uKumkani oselula wakhetha uKumkanikazi Omnyama njengomtshakazi wakhe, kwaye ngaloo ndlela, ubudlelwane obubuthathaka bobuhlobo baphela. UKumkanikazi Omhlophe, olimele kukwaliwa, waziva intlungu yokungcatshwa ivutha emphefumlweni wakhe. Watshata nomnye uKumkani, kodwa intliziyo yakhe yahlala ingaphumli, ityiwa bubukrakra. Ehlebela ityhefu endlebeni yomyeni wakhe, wamqinisekisa ukuba uKumkanikazi Omnyama kunye noKumkani wakhe amthandayo babesisongelo kwitrone yabo. Ngaloo ndlela, imikhosi yahamba, kwaye uKumkanikazi Omhlophe wakhokela imikhosi yakhe ukuya enqabeni apho utshaba lwakhe lwaluhlala khona, eqala imfazwe eyayiza kuchitha umhlaba izizukulwana ngezizukulwana.
Olu khuphiswano lwaba yintsomi. Imihla ngemihla, unyaka nonyaka, ooKumkanikazi babeceba baze bacebe, benikela ngamaKnights namaBhishophu kwimikhankaso engapheliyo yeqhinga nempindezelo. Abalimi abazange babizwe ukuba balwe, bagxekwe njengabaphantsi kakhulu kunobukhulu bemfazwe yabo. Ngoko ke, ibala lemfazwe lalizele ligazi elihloniphekileyo, kodwa akukho namnye kubo owayenokuphumelela. Ekugqibeleni, imbambano yaqina yaba kukungavisisani—imfazwe ebandayo yekratshi nosizi.
Kodwa ikamva lalingekapheli neChessland. Emqolombeni ofihlakeleyo, kude nokungqubana kwezithsaba, kwazalwa uPawn ozelwe phantsi. Amaqhawe amabini azinikeleyo, ekholelwa kwisiprofeto samandulo, afunga ukumkhusela umntwana. Kuba kwakuxelwe kwangaphambili ukuba uPawn othobekileyo ngenye imini uya kuzisa uxolo kubukumkani obuqhekekileyo. Ngobusuku obunye, omabini amakhosikazi aphupha iphupha elifanayo: uPawn olahlekileyo, osengozini kwaye osengozini, esongelwa ziiKnights ezimbini ezimbi. Bevuswe ngumbono, baziva benyanzelekile ukuba bamfune umntwana. Ngamnye waqalisa uhambo oluyingozi, ejongene nezivunguvungu, izilwanyana, kunye novavanyo lwezinto eziphilayo. Kwaye ngexesha elimiselweyo, bafika kunye emlonyeni womqolomba. Apho, izityholo zabhabha njengeentolo—ubuxoki, ubusela, ukubulala—zonke zaphoswa ngaphaya koqhekeko. UKumkanikazi ngamnye wayekholelwa ukuba omnye akafanelekanga ukubanga umntwana. Amazwi abo aphakama, intiyo yabo yaphinda yavuka, kwaye kwakhona kwazalwa inkundla yemfazwe. Intsimbi yangqubana ngaphandle komqolomba, kwaye umoya wangcangcazela ngumsindo. Sekunjalo ngaphakathi komqolomba, uPawn omncinci washukuma. Eva isiphithiphithi ngaphandle komqolomba, esiva ubunzima bekamva licinezela intliziyo yakhe encinci, wahamba phambili. Iqala ngolu hlobo ibali leChessland: leeKumkanikazi ezimbini ezibotshelelwe luthando nokhuphiswano, lomntwana ozelwe ngesiprofeto, kunye nedabi lokugqibela apho eyona nto iphantsi yayiza kugqiba ikamva lookumkani.