these be the signs

He had heard it too. He knew, almost instinctively, that the other players in the game had heard it too. Something tremendous was happening. And he was in the wrong city. In the wrong continent, in fact. No matter. He could get there soon enough. He closed his eyes and sighed. More shocking to him was realizing that the two in front of him had. They played in the middle of a park, that once had been named the center. Such arrogance, these humans. Maybe that was why they had never realized what was in front of them. Never realized as it had all started to spiral down and away and out of control. Now the park was torn and desecrated. By him and by the forces that be. These be the signs. More shocking to him was realizing that the two in front of him had any sense at all. He had just thought they were lower than pawns, of no relevance to the game. The board was important. The board showed the path. If only there were any who cared to look. But that suited his purposes. No one but him knew about it. No one could see the way. And that was how he would win his own grand game of chess. His minions were hungry. With a wave of a shadowy black hand, he sent them off to feast. Others took their place. To watch. What was shocking to him was that the two men, who were mere husks had any life in them at all. The earthquake came. The sign that two had met. And he felt it. He was accustomed to none other realizing it. But the two men in front of him stopped moving the pieces, looked up at one another, then turned their heads and looked straight at him. Eerie. As if they saw him. Not through him. Like the others had. Thunder crackled above him. The sky split with a flash. Split asunder, he thought with a smile. The time was coming. And he was a patient one. He could wait. He had been waiting eternity for this. He frowned a little as they turned back to the game. Again, still. Lifeless. Animated only by the board. He frowned. And then looked up at the sky. He would think about this later. Right now, he had to go to where they were. And find out who was meeting. Which of the players on the board. If they were to form a battery, that could spell trouble. A minor nuisance for him, maybe. The opposing pieces were all uncoordinated. Doing their tasks well. But uncoordinated. He could easily stop some from joining. And then he would have no trouble. He could see his crowning. He would rule and He would finally be proud. If He weren’t proud, at least the shadow rajah still would have won. He closed his eyes. And sighed. Deep breaths. Where in the world had that earthquake come from. In his minds eye, he saw the globe. It spun and spun. And began to slow. It stopped and zoomed in. The Indian subcontinent. He smiled. One of his favorite playgrounds.