Gan

“C’mon, we’re gonna be late!” said Ylia, rushing her two companions through the crowded park.

“You two haven’t even told me what we are supposed to be doing here,” complained Pol, stopping for a second to breathe.

“No time, we will explain it as it unfolds,” said Tamle, stretching to his full one and a half meters to try and search for the location.

“Unfolds?” asked Pol at the same time Ylia called “There! Under the maple. Hurry up, I think they’re starting!”

The rushed to to the place, where a tightly knotted group of people were standing in circle under a great maple tree, the floor covered in its autumn leaves. With some elbows and many apologies, the small team managed to get to the center, where two elders, a man and a woman, were sitting in opposite sides of a traditional and ornate Gan board.

“Are they going to play?” Pol asked.

“Shush! Not so loud,” Tamle said, “and yeah, they are going to play, but not to win. Look.”

The elder closer to the trunk produced from his tunic a pouch with the same pattern as it and left it in front of the board. After a few moments, the other elder did the same, except her pouch was dark green.

“He is speaking for his side,” whispered Ylia in Pol’s ear while pointing at the first elder, “but she is speaking as removed, even if she stands with her family.”

The two players stood up, bowed solemnly, and sat again, with much crunching of leaves. They took their pouches and started setting the pieces of the board, one at a time and in turns as it is traditional, but not on their usual positions.

“Wait, isn’t that the wrong place to put the-,” started Pol, but Tamle interrupted him. “Shush, this is important.” “You shout up, Tamle. It is his right to know,” Ylia retorted, and she started explaining to Pol. “They are representing their families positions. Ilina - that’s the woman - is putting her pieces in defense positions, but Jonse is not attacking yet, he is neutral. Maybe he wants to be convinced.” “Convinced about what?” Pol asked, but at that moment Ilina placed her only Saint piece in Jonse’s side of the board, amidst his figures. Everyone in the circle gasped, and starting murmuring in their own groups.

“She has a spy in his household,” Ylia explained, “And an important one, it’s the Saint. She is trying to blackmail her way out of the mess, but it won’t work.” “Why?” asked Pol. “Just look,” answered Tamle.

Jonse had paused for a second, letting the circle of spectators calm down. When everything was silent again, he moved two Soldier chips next to the Saint.

“He already knew about it and is already guarding the spy. I knew it!” Tamle said, taking a notebook out and drawing the positions. “I need to get this to the Council.”

Ilina placed the Roamer on the most empty side of the board, and Jonse placed his near his Turret. They placed the rest of their Soldiers about and left the pouches at the sides.

The circle of people grew very quiet, and then Jonse clapped once, crisply. Two children appeared from the circle bearing a coin each, which they gave to their elders. Then they crossed and took the coin of the other before disappearing between the crowd.

“It has officially started. Those children will bring the coins home as witnesses.” explained Ylia.

The two elders started the game with the slow easiness of someone who has played many times. The first moves of Jonse fanned out all his pieces, bringing them closer to the river, while Ilina only advanced her Adviser with two soldiers.

“She wants to negotiate peace, but she is not scared to use force.”

Jonse then advanced his Cavalier, Roamer and Oracle, and they met on the bridge in the middle.

“He counts with the support of the East houses, and they will come to his aid with swiftness. He sees victory ahead and no reason to stop.”

Ilina doubted for a second, appearing troubled, but then she stretched forward and flipped one of the soldiers surrounding the Saint, showing its white underside, to then bring it closed to the two Elder pieces in the far end of the board. She then picked up her pouch again and produced from it three jade coins, which she put in the river, one by one.

Everyone gasped again, and started talking in agitated voices. Tamle was scribbling furiously in his notepad. Pol looked around, confused, while Ylia interrupted Tamle to discuss in nervous whispers that Pol could not quite hear. Then she leaned into Pol’s ear and said “She just turned the whole situation about. Her spy is far more powerful than Jonse imagined, and they can turn part of the house against him. She is also promising riches in trade if nothing happens, but the opportunity is floating away soon.”

Jonse was looking at the board with a frown and his lip was twitching a bit, while Ilina was sitting back with a slight smile and a calm look, all pretense of distress now gone. Jonse raised his hand as to move another piece but stopped in the middle and lowered his hand again. The whole circle was not silently concentrated on the man. He shifted inside his robes a bit, clearly uncomfortable, and then, with a defeated sigh, he turned his two Elder pieces around, showing the white backside.

“He is desisting. No war will come between their families,” Ylia explained.

Jonse moved his pieces back and advanced the Merchant and the Timekeeper. Ilina did the same, and then they both stood up and bowed again, rustling the leaves. Two other children came forward, and the elders put all the pieces in their pouches, Jonse taking the jade chips, and then gave them to their child, along with a few coins of different colors. The children once again made their way between the spectators and ran to their houses to share the news. The two elders left slowly and the circle dispersed.

“I have no idea of what just happened,” Paul said, still standing in the same place and looking slightly bewildered.

“They just resolved a family war that has been brewing up,” Ylia said with simplicity.

“With a board game?”

“Yes, what did you expect? Blood and fights? I told you we were not like that,” answered Tamle, still writing in his notepad.

“But still… How anticlimactic”

“It was very intense, they almost didn’t make it through it,” Ylia said very seriously, “but then again, they are quite old. Those arm movements must have been grueling,” she continued, now with a slight smile, “and oh my, those bows…” she continued, with pantomime dismay.

Pol rolled his eyes and smiled, and they left the shade of the maple tree together.