Instead of thousand possibilities - part 3 - Xiangqi knight and the Ravine of Despair
This is the third part of the chess story A Place of a Thousand Possibilities. If you haven’t read the first and second parts yet, now’s a good time to do so.
I’m not sure if I should spoil what’s coming in this chapter—so I’ll just share one important thing: Ray must face both the dangers and temptations of the world of the royal game.
INSTEAD OF THOUSAND POSSIBILITIES - PART 3 - XIANGQI KNIGHT AND RAVINE OF DESPAIR
Ray looked ahead and saw an immense, freezing valley that resembled tundra. It was strange – on the rock, he had still felt warmth. But the moment he stepped off its edge, the cold struck him full force. In his own world, such a change in climate would require an airplane or a long car ride; the transition would be gradual, like climbing stairs. But not here. Here, a single step was all it took to be somewhere completely different.
But that made sense. In chess, too, it takes only one wrong move to turn a seemingly won game into a sudden defeat. And this... this was the land of a thousand possibilities – the chess realm known as the **World of the Royal Game**.
Ray wandered through the **valley of the xiangqi knight**, which felt like an endless tundra. For quite a while, everything remained still – except for his fingers, stiffening from the cold, and the goosebumps that flared up when he thought of the warmth of home. But soon, that silence was broken.
From behind him came a sudden gust of steam – like people breathing outdoors in the dead of winter. But this breath was so strong it blew his hair forward. Ray turned around.
It had come from the nostrils of a living **xiangqi knight** – the very chess piece itself, now towering and alive. The knight inhaled deeply and exhaled again, this time through its mouth. Ray felt its breath – cold, dangerous.
He was entranced and terrified at once. These two emotions wrestled inside him, fighting for dominance. The xiangqi knight was his favorite piece – to meet it in the flesh, to feel its breath, to look into its eyes... was thrilling. Even if it meant it might leap forward and crush him beneath its base. And when it bared its sharp teeth, perhaps this thrill would be his last.
As fascination slowly began to win, the knight opened its mouth and lightly tapped Ray with its teeth. He turned and saw them – long and needle-sharp, dripping with saliva. Its snout alone was larger than Ray’s head. And when it opened wider, its jaws looked big enough for Ray to step into. In that moment, admiration dropped to the ground, and fear seized the throne. Ray ran.
It was cold, yes – but while running, he barely felt it. Just like most players forget about *en passant* in the heat of a game. He stumbled, and the frost instantly began to gnaw at him. Sweat froze on his skin. A gust of wind brought fresh waves of goosebumps, more intense than any memory of home. Still, he forced himself up and ran on.
Ray sprinted with such force that dust kicked up from his boots. When he could run no more, he stopped and looked back. He feared that the xiangqi knight would be right behind him, mouth open, ready to sever his head and chew it while his body lay bleeding in the snow. But that didn’t happen. The knight was gone.
It had stayed behind, already vanishing into the fog that blanketed the valley. Perhaps it had only chased him briefly. Ray watched as one misty cloud swallowed the silhouette of the knight – and then came a strange sound: something between a neigh and cracking ice.
Ray turned forward and realized he had crossed nearly the entire valley. In the distance, he saw the **Ravine of Despair** – a massive canyon with a rushing body of water that seemed mightier than the Grand Canyon itself. To reach the water, he would have to descend – and the path down was even steeper than the rock he had arrived from.
Before setting off, he noticed something odd – the water was flowing. It was a river. But where did it lead? In his world, rivers flow into lakes, other rivers, or the sea. But here, perhaps the current led beyond the edge of the world – into the void of space. Eventually, he stopped wondering and began the descent into the **Trench of Hopelessness**, hoping he wouldn’t meet another living chess piece.
The way down was jagged and perilous – like the rocky coastline of Norway, perhaps even more fractured. It was steep – something between Mount McKinley in Alaska and Mount Thor in Canada. Jagged edges, sheer cliffs, and one massive stone ledge. Climbing down was near impossible. His legs slipped constantly, as if they were trying to break away and let him fall.
He finally came to one solution – to sit down and carefully slide as if on a sled. Dust swirled behind him, rocks scraped his skin. He saw blood, felt pain – sharp and scorching. But better this than falling into the river and never coming back.
He came to a stop at a wide ledge and saw a strange tree – one bearing giant purple grapes. Its shape mimicked that of a **alfil rider**, made of dark wood. The grapes shone with a strange beauty – in their gleam, he almost saw his own reflection. Ray wanted to pick one, but a thought crossed his mind: maybe this was this world’s version of forbidden fruit.
The entire tree reminded him of the **alfil rider** piece from the variant *Storming the Castle*. He was starving, but also afraid – what if plucking a grape would awaken the piece and it would devour him alive? He didn’t want to be eaten. He tried to resist. Maybe they weren’t even grapes – just something pretending to be.
> “A clean board doesn’t mean a clean game,” he thought and stepped back. He wasn’t going to risk his life for a shiny fruit. He continued toward the river.
The slope steepened again. He kept sliding, but the pain grew worse. The stinging turned into a constant burn – like a swarm of wasps attacking his skin. Blood now traced a line behind him, not just spots. On his thigh, a chunk of skin tore loose and slid down with him. There was no pain now – only numbness and cold.
A wave of fear, helplessness, and nausea swept over him. He nearly passed out. It seemed he would never reach the King – that this world would be his end. But then he remembered: every game ends. Sometimes by time, sometimes by a sudden move. That’s just how it is.
Ray pondered this thought – and even though it was true, it didn’t change one thing.
A FEW WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR
Dear reader,
As you’ve probably noticed, this isn’t the final part of the story. As I mentioned at the end of the previous chapter, unlike in Dragon Wasteland, this story doesn’t yet include the additional sections with chess-related insights or the more detailed A Few Words from the Author. These will either appear at the end of the final chapter or be published separately on the blog afterward.
In any case, thank you for taking the time to read this part. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to let me know in the comments.
Thank you!
