Title: Chess pieces

Genre: General

Author: Aeriel Cross

Disclaimer: I do not own dgray man or anything. Anything mentioned in this story is purely fictional.

'The devil tempts all men, but idle men tempts the devil.' –anonymous

'Earl-tama!!'

The Millennium Earl didn't need to look up to know that it was Rhode as she jumped on him.

'Earl-tama will you play with me?' she whined.

'No, Rhode dear, I'm busy,' the Earl cackled as he studied the chess board before him. 'Don't you have homework to do?'

'What's that?' Rhode climbed mischievously up his shoulder and sat there, head cocked to one side, regarding the black and white checkered board with its respective ivory and ebony chess pieces facing each other solemnly with curiosity. The candlelight flickered over their blank, unemotional faces, the orange glow like the fires of war.

'This is chess,' the Earl explained good naturedly. 'A battle played on a board. Look – this is a pawn – a bishop – a knight…' he pointed to the respective pieces. 'This is my battle between us and them protagonists.'

'Ooh, what colour are we?' Rhode grinned, an evil glint in her eyes.

'Black, naturally. I am courteous enough to allow them foolish humans to have a head start, them being after all – humans.'

'Earl-tama? Why do we have lesser pawns?'

'Yes, we have lesser pawns, but we are winning,' the Earl moved a white knight forwards. 'Can you guess their roles?'

'Let's see…the pawns are the akumas, the king is Earl-tama. The knight is Tyki and I'm the queen. Is Skin the bishop?'

'Of course, you're right. So far we're only into chapter two of the story.' The Earl chuckled again as he captured a white pawn.

'The pawns of the white are finders, the knight Kanda, the bishop Lavi, the queen…Hevlaska?' Rhode ventured.

'And the King?'

'Allen Walker?'

'Absolutely right. I owe you a lollipop, Rhode dear. Wait for me, hm?' The Earl eased himself out of the chair as Rhode slipped into his seat.

Rhode stared dispassionately at the chessboard, then picked up the white king, examining it, turning it over in her fingers, liking the cool touch of ivory and the way the light gleamed off it.

'Um, Rhode-sama? Earl-tama might not like you touching him game, Rero…' the Earl's umbrella golem came over.

'It's our game after all,' drawled Rhode Camelot. 'After all, I'm the queen, remember? Earl-tama knows to leave the king for me last…' Licking her lips, she paused, then smirked. 'And we will watch them struggle for survival to no avail, like cockroaches being crushed slowly-'

'Rhode, your volcabulary-' the Earl reminded from somewhere.

'Hai, Earl-tama,' she called back. 'We'll play this game to the last…and then…'

Lifting her finger, a candle in the shape of the white king appeared in the air, before bursting into flames.

'We crush the king.'

Tyki, just walking past, stopped next to her. 'Rhode, what are you doing?'

'I'm playing chess, Tyki.'

'Don't you have homework to do?'

'Nope. Even if I do, this is more important.' Leering, revealing pearly white teeth like a predator, she picked up the black knight. 'This is after all, the game of us Noahs with the humans.'

'And?' Tyki arched an elegant eyebrow.

'Knight to D4,' Rhode announced, and set it down with a clear thud next to the white knight.