Aliases are alternative forms of a reference. They can include actual aliases for characters, nicknames, plural variations, gendered versions of some [Classes], and even typos.
“Oh, of course. Certainly. Um, you can give me a few silver coins and it will get there, but more money means a faster delivery. Sorry, but it is overseas. Maybe I could get someone to pay for an image-[Message]? But that’s gold. How about two silver and I’ll copy this to Baleros for a slow Runner letter—and to Pallass? Maybe someone will send it back to the Titan. They’re all rich in the Walled City. Tons of famous [Strategists]. Heck, the Cyclops of Pallass lives there. Uh, the Grand Strategist of the Drakes.”
Chaldion smiled. He was missing some teeth, but they were very white. With one claw he picked up a pawn and moved it to C4. Erin blinked. She stared at the board and then slowly moved her pawn to E6. The old Drake considered it, nodded, and moved his pawn to D4, taking her pawn there. Erin blinked.
Chaldion grumpily shooed Venim away. Erin looked up as Venim hesitated, then saluted and beat a hasty retreat. Then she looked at Chaldion. Really looked at him.
Chaldion grumpily shooed Venim away. Erin looked up as Venim hesitated, then saluted and beat a hasty retreat. Then she looked at Chaldion. Really looked at him.
He pointed and Erin realized he’d moved a piece. This time she considered it. Pawn to D5. He’d taken her pawn. She thought, and moved her pawn from D2 to D4 up. Chaldion nodded patiently and moved his piece.
Erin folded her arms. The game was going quickly in the opening, but they were slowing down as the complexity ramped up. She already had a feel for Chaldion. He was good. Not as good as her mystery chess opponent maybe, but second-best. Better than anyone else Erin had played.
Suddenly, Erin realized this was the fourth of the trials sent to humble her. Probably. Maybe. But in chess? She gritted her teeth. Not in chess. This was her game. She began playing her best. Chaldion frowned and drank deeper from his glass.
In silence, the two traded blows, moving their pieces, aiming at each other’s weak spots. To Erin, it felt like a tipping point around twenty minutes into this game. And move twenty. Both she and Chaldion had slowed down a lot.
You could play it out, but most games between professionals ended with an agreed draw—or one side conceding. She didn’t know if Chaldion would insist on playing to the end, but she felt the tipping point coming. And she had the upper hand.
He knew it too. The [Strategist] paused as he eyed the board and Erin’s advantage in pieces and position. Then he reached up and one claw grasped his teal eye patch. Erin stared as Chaldion flipped it up and she saw that there was another eye there. But it wasn’t like a regular eye. The old Drake had lost his and replaced it with a sapphire—
