by Adam Drake
This is nuts, I thought. What I was doing was crazy.
Instead of following the plains in either direction that lead to the middle, I headed straight for the wall of forest directly south.
From somewhere above and behind me I heard the flapping of giant wings. A bolt zinged past my head.
Go! Go! Go!
The trees got closer.
A huge shadow fell over me and I turned to see Yuinnick's giant talons reaching down for me.
With a shout of surprise I jumped off of Smoke. At that moment, the mammoth bird snatched the horse and lifted him off the ground.
As I tumbled to the earth, I barely managed to keep a hold of the banner. Quickly, I ran straight at the trees as fast as my legs would carry me.
Behind me I heard Amara shouting at the eagle and heard Smoke drop heavily to the ground and whinny in pain.
You mount has been killed.
Sorry, buddy, I thought grimly, running like a Shadow possessed.
The trees got closer.
Wind buffeted me from behind, again, and the eagle's shadow fell over me.
From my peripheral vision I saw the tip of a great black talon start to curl around me.
Letting out a shout I charged into the forest.
Yuinnick's outstretched feet practically propelled me forward, and I dived between two huge oaks.
I heard the eagle crash into the trees, and it shrieked. Branches snapped and wings flapped with the impact.
But instead of looking back I kept going. Tumbling, jumping and ducking under branches.
Soon, the sounds of the great eagle and the filtered shouts of Amara were diffused by the thick foliage.
Heart pounding, and lungs bursting, I moved as quickly as the terrain would allow.
As I moved southward, I realized I was grinning like a maniac and even laughed.
I had Amara's banner!
Next stop: The platform altar.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I ran as fast as I could manage, but the very terrain conspired to slow me to a crawl.
My heart still pounded hard in my chest and I felt gallons of sweat pour over my body under the simulation suit. I was elated to the point of being giddy looking at the magnificent blue banner in my possession.
But I didn't fool myself into thinking I had won in any way. Not even close. In fact, the hard part was just beginning.
The crush of units at the middle intensified, no doubt because Amara was now increasing the pressure to seize the platform.
My units were fighting heroically, but even now I could see they were being pushed back. Both prongs of formations had shifted southward and now formed a single front.
Above the forest canopy, I heard Yuinnick screech and flap its mighty wings. Amara was in pursuit. And even though I couldn't see her, her icon was prominent on the map right above mine.
Would she drop down and attack me? It would mean giving up the support of her eagle champion as the huge bird could never get through even the top portion of the forest canopy.
As I progressed southward, Amara circled above. She was trying to think of what to do. Good. Let her fret for once.
After following me well past the halfway point of the circular forest, Amara flew southward to the middle area.
I allowed myself the slightest feeling of relief. Fighting her in this terrain would not have been ideal, and I suspected she knew the odds of winning would weigh heavily in favor with who owned the platform. So that was where she would go.
It was also my only destination.
I considered hiding out in the forest indefinitely. Amara would eventually have to come in and confront me. But that would be pointless and extend this Battle Field nonsense for ages.
No, I wanted this stupid game to be over and done with, once and for all. And I would do it by not hiding or avoiding a fight, like Amara did back at her Keep.
This would be settled where it was intended to take place all along.
The middle platform.
Soon I was within about fifty paces of the southern edge of the forest. Even at this distance and with all the trees enclosed around me, I could hear the intense sounds of combat.
On my map could be seen all the unit icons jammed so close they practically overlapped each other.
I zoomed in for a clearer picture of what was happening and immediately spotted a problem.
The forest edge was lined with enemy units which only minutes before was under my units' control.
They were blocking my way to the platform.
I scoffed. This had to be Amara's doing. She knew I would emerge from the forest at that location and did everything she could to get her men into position there. In fact, I now noticed the entire forest was encircled by enemy units. Amara had me completely surrounded.
Quickly, I gave commands to my troops defending the northern edge of the platform to push north toward the trees. Each unit leader confirmed the order, but looking at the crush of enemies they were facing, I doubted it would do much good.
Still, I had to try. Sitting and waiting for something to occur was not in my DNA, much to my detriment.
Skulking forward, I drew closer to the forest edge. Movement could be seen between the trees as men and horses fought in the middle clearing.
Then I saw them. Grunts fumbling through the trees in my direction. Dozens of them. Watching them try to negotiate the tangle of foliage was laughable. But they were slowly making progress.
They were coming for me.
Not wanting to retreat, I climbed. I had grown slightly adapt at scaling the trees here as I'd gotten so much recent practice. In the upper canopy, I jumped from branch to branch, and from tree to tree, making my way southward.
Below I heard shouting and caught the occasional glance of a grunt staring up at me. If they wanted to come up here, let them try.
One grunt threw his spear, and it thunked into the bark next to my feet. Others started in kind and soon spears where swishing through the surrounding air, some striking close by.
I moved faster, mindful of my balance.
Then I reached the very edge of the forest and from the safety of a huge branch thick with leaves, peered downward at the chaos below.
Amara's units had now pushed right up against the northern edge of the platform. My units were fighting like rabid animals to keep them back but the pressure was too great.
Past the platform were the mass assembly of my own army waiting to join in.
Arrows flew from every direction. Screams and death were everywhere. The carnage was staggering.
Sensing something amiss, I turned and looked behind me.
Amazingly, two grunts had managed to climb the tree and were now trying to take aim at me with their spears.
Time to go.
With a final glance at the mass of enemy units between me and the platform, I jumped outward through the leaves. My Leap ability kicked in and I found myself soaring through the air.
A swarm of arrows zipped by me in the same direction, fired only a moment before my jump. Several struck me along my right side and in an instant my health bar dropped by half.
As I fell downward amongst the arrow cloud, I had the strange arrow-eye view of their trajectory.
But I came up short of the platform.
Instead, I landed right on the shoulders of a troll cavalry leader who grunted with the impact. Someone managed to slice my left thigh with a sword and nearly caused me to fall.
Even injured, I could still use my momentum and jumped from the cavalry leader and sailed over the front lines.
An attempt at a graceful landing was foiled by my odd angle and extensive injuries, and I tumbled across the platform to slam hard against the altar.
For a few seconds, my avatar could only see stars.
Arrows landed around me, and someone was screaming at me to get back. I looked up to see a footman leader trying to help me but an arrow punctured his temple and he fell from my wobbly view.
/> Well, I'm here, I thought, trying to stand.
Human cavalry and footmen created a line across the platform only a few paces from the altar. A massive crush of enemy units pressed against them.
I'm losing the platform.
Grax loomed over me. “You are injured.” He said, log-club on his shoulder.
His health bar was worse than mine. “You, too,” I said.
Suddenly, the sky darkened.
It was Amara on Yuinnick circling overhead. She was low to the ground, and I ordered all my archers to change their targets to her.
As arrows shot up toward her, she dived.
“Death now,” Grax said, hefting his weapon. “It shall be glorious.”
I blinked at the red banner in my hand. What was I just standing here for?
Quickly, I whirled about and jammed the banner's handle into the waiting skeletal hand.
Blue Banner has been captured! Five minute countdown begins!
A counter appeared on my view-screen, but I didn't have time to even notice.
Amara practically fell from the sky and slammed into me. We tumbled across the crowded platform, bouncing against the legs of horses and men.
As I skidded to a halt, I saw Yuinnick fly straight into Grax who dropped his club at the last moment to grab the giant bird with both arms.
With a loud thump both champions shot across the platform and vanished over the edge. A huge splash of water geysered upwards when they hit the river.
Amara had recovered and stood with sword in one hand, and my red banner in the other.
“Time to fail, you miserable FILTERED!” she yelled.
Before I could retort a footman stepped out of the front line crush and stabbed her right through her abdomen, its point sticking out her back.
Screaming in pain Amara dropped my banner where it landed in an upright position right at the edge of the platform above the river.
Your Banner Has Been Dropped!
Amara's health bar dropped to less than 20% and she grabbed her injured side with her free hand. With her sword she decapitated the footman.
Stunned, I moved toward my banner. If I could just nudge it off the platform, it would be returned. Or maybe since it hadn't been placed in the altar it would be instantly returned at my touch. One way to find out.
But as I moved, Amara staggered forward and swung her sword at me.
Losing blood fast, I only just managed to parry it away.
“This isn't over, FILTERED,” she yelled over the fighting around us and coughed up blood. “I still have time.”
“You're getting your butt spanked by a noob,” I said with a bloody grin. “I'll post it on all the forums. I promise you.”
This got her really angry, and she lunged forward.
But as we swung at each other with weakening blows, a shadow fell over us.
Looking up I saw two sets of massive arrow clouds falling toward us. Dozens from her side, dozens from mine.
Then they found their mark. Arrows hit me over several places across my body.
I heard Amara scream in pain.
As I fell over and my vision dimmed to nothing, two messages appeared before me.
You have been slain in battle!
Amara Frostwalker has been slain in battle!
Then my screen went black.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was all I could do but stare at the two death messages in amazement.
We both died? What now? What about the banners?
Amara's banner was still in the grip of the skeletal altar, while mine sat perched on the platform's edge. And now no one was there to return either.
Thankfully, neither could any of our units. Only players could carry or return a banner.
I thought of what filtered obscenities Amara must be screaming at her screen right now and laughed. If it was any consolation, we were both on the same respawn timer and the same distance from the middle.
Whoever got there first would have the advantage.
Four Minute Warning!
I grinned at the timer message. Amara would have received it, too. I'm sure many more filtered words were being spit out by her at that moment. And there was nothing she could do about it, being dead and all.
Still, it underscored the need for me to get to the middle and fast.
After thirty seconds had counted down, I appeared in the crypt – again. This was becoming a bad habit. I jumped off the slab and raced up the narrow stone steps.
Once in the Keep, I ran out the door only offering the Lookout above an over-the-shoulder wave.
I summoned Smoke, and we took off to the western curve. Units of various types were lined up even down here, so long was the back up to fight at the middle. Many waved and cheered me on perhaps sensing something major was about to happen.
I sensed it, too. But considering how Amara had surprised me so much, I feared for an ignominious loss.
As we raced past the western curve and drove northward another message appeared.
Three Minute Warning!
My eyes locked on the map. Unit icons were on unit icons and through all that mess it looked as if possession of the platform was evenly split, for now.
Based on past runs north, I figured I'd get to the platform in a little over two minutes. But as for Amara?
Realizing something, I quickly scrolled through my combat log while Smoke charged northward.
The combat log was long. Like, really long. It detailed every attack by nearby units and then listed deaths and victories when I wasn't in the vicinity.
I quickly scrolled back to just after I died. There I saw two messages.
Yuinnick, the Champion, has died in battle.
That meant Amara could no longer fly. Thank the Gaming Gods. Now she'd have to muck about on the ground with the rest of us mortals.
But there was another message directly below it.
Grax, the Champion, has died in battle.
That genuinely saddened me, but I was not surprised. His health was nearly gone, and he wanted to die while fighting. He got his wish and in doing so removed a vital threat from Amara's arsenal.
As I approached the final bend toward the middle, I spotted Amara's icon on the map heading southward from the eastern curve.
Dang, she was fast. Too fast.
I kicked at Smoke's sides, but it didn't increase the poor mount's speed.
Two Minute Warning!
We rounded the bend to the middle clearing. The platform was so jammed with units, both on it and around, I couldn't see the altar anymore. Just the twin golden beams of light projecting upwards from the banners.
Then I spotted Amara. She was trying to negotiate her white mare through the throng of trolls. Even from this distance I could tell she was yelling and screaming at everyone in her way.
I had a similar problem and kept to the furthest edge of the approach along the northern tree line, the same one I'd crossed into before heading to Amara's base. Still, units were crowding up against the trees.
“Make way! Commander coming through!” I yelled over the din. The message was relayed along and units did their best to let me pass, but the crush of bodies and horses was incredible.
A glance told me that Amara and I were roughly the same distance from the platform.
I kicked and swore and pushed my way through the crowd. But just a dozen paces away from the platform's southern edge Smoke could not move any further.
I contemplated dismounting but that would make my progress even worse, even impossible.
Then a gray figure caught my eye.
From the opposite side of the platform, Amara had jumped. She sailed over the crushing throng and vanished into the crowd on the platform itself.
One Minute Warning!
Fine, I thought. If it's good for her, it's good for me, too.
From Smoke's back I stood and angled myself at where I wanted to land.
The Blue Banner Has Been Taken!
No!
I jumped and with my Leap ability, sailed over the crush of men and horses beneath me.
