The light in the cavern brightened, and Y'godda seemed to grow in size with his proclamation.

You both must go to the Battle Field!

The brightness grew until the world around me became a white void. Things were about to change, and in a big way.

Oh, FILTERED, I said.

CHAPTER TWO.

My view-screen went completely white.

As I waited impatiently my thoughts went to Amara and what she had done. My anger toward her grew. She had used me to try to obtain the banner. Had she been stalking me, shadowing me while I worked my way through the quest chain?

Or maybe it was as simple as her waiting outside the sealed cavern until someone came along who had the ability to open it.

Regardless. Now, because of her, my chance to complete the quest had been delayed, if not outright stolen. Whatever was in store for me, I had to win. I couldn't let that thieving elf get the better of me.

A system message appeared before my vision.

Entering Battle Field.

I grimaced with disappointment. Battle Fields were not my favorite activity in the game. In fact, up until now, I'd never once ventured into one. Delving into the role-playing aspect of this universe was why I played, not for war games.

The message continued.

Objective: Retrieve your opponent's banner and bring it to the Battle Field's center platform. The first player to keep their opponent's banner on the platform for five continuous minutes wins.

Note: Only players can take or return a banner.

Use resources to build a base to defend your banner. Assemble offensive units to help you capture the opponent's banner.

A feeling of dread washed over my like ice water. This was something I didn't have any experience with, commanding armies or defending bases. I'd gone through my entire game playing existence as a solo player. Participating in group quests, sure. But actually commanding, or strategizing? Not my style.

This didn't look good for my prospects of winning. How much experience did Amara have with these?

If units are eliminated, they can be replaced if you have the resources to do so. If you die, your avatar will be resurrected at your crypt.

That, at least, was good news and an aspect of the Battle Fields I was aware of. Upon death, you did not get sent to the newbie zone at level one. You could continue on until the battle was finally finished.

A line up of humanoids appeared before me.

Choose the race of your army. Each race has advantages and disadvantages, so choose wisely.

Choose wisely? I thought. I don't even know what I'm doing!

Sighing, I called up the information on the first race, a troll.

Tall, green and with long gangly limbs, it certainly wasn't pretty. But was it a good Battle race?

Race: Troll Hit Points: 100 Speed: 25 Racial Notes: +10% speed when using mounts. Takes +15% additional damage from fire attacks.

Worker Notes: +5% to stone gathering.

Defensive Notes: None.

Attack Notes: +10% damage when using spears.

I'll be honest, I didn't quite know what to think of this information. These statistics were an extremely simplified version of what you would see in the gaming universe, itself. But here, in the Battle Fields, many stats were missing, like Intelligence or Strength. Which was fine. These weren't the same kind of Non-Player Characters you would normally find. These were pawns in a game of violent chess. It wasn't the tiny details which would make or break them it was how they were used overall.

I pulled up the Ogre figure. Tall, wide and brutish, it looked like something I would not want to face while questing, let alone on a battlefield.

Race: Ogre Hit Points: 150 Speed: 10 Racial Notes: +15% damage in melee combat. Cannot use mounts of any kind. +15% damage taken by fire attacks.

Worker Notes: +10% to stone gathering.

Defensive Notes: +5% damage when close to a Unit Leader.

Attack notes: +20% damage to walls or other base structures.

Wow. Ogres, with their bonuses made them the tanks of the battle ground. But their lack of speed, coupled with no mounted units - which meant no cavalry - sucked big time.

Next was the Goblin race, who looked like a smaller version of the troll, only slightly less hideous.

Race: Goblin Hit Points: 85 Speed: 25 Racial Notes: +10% damage bonus when using spears. +15% chance to avoid arrow attacks. +20% damage taken against fire.

Worker Notes: -5% to stone & wood gathering.

Defensive Notes: +10% to morale when near another army unit.

Attacking Notes: +15% speed when using mounts. +5% accuracy with archer ability.

Small, fast, but with crappy hit points. The hit to the resource gathering was glaring. From what little I knew of Battle Fields, this game was about resources. The more you had the better your ability to create defenses and units.

I scratched Goblins of my list.

Next was the elf. Thin to the point of being reed-like, it had long flowing hair and stared pensively into the distance.

Race: Elf Hit Points: 100 Speed: 25 Racial Notes: +15% accuracy, +15% speed when using mounts.

Worker Notes: +10% to wood gathering.

Defensive Notes: +20% morale when defending the banner. +10% chance to avoid arrow attacks. Cannot use heavy armor.

Attacking Notes: +15% to accuracy when near a forest tile. +10% damage with archery. Cannot use heavy weapons.

Light-footed and good with bows. Not surprising. The wood gathering bonus was nice, but the lack of any heavy armored units was a let down.

The last selection was Human.

Race: Human Hit Points: 100 Speed: 20 Racial Notes: +10% damage bonus when using bows. +5 morale boost when near a Unit Leader.

Worker Notes: +10% to stone gathering. +10% to wood gathering.

Defensive Notes: +10% morale when defending the banner.

Attacking Notes: +5% to melee damage. +5% Hit Points to structures. +10% damage taken when attacked by fire.

Perhaps because my avatar was human, I liked what I saw. The bonus to melee damage and structures looked great. But what really got my attention was the advantages with resources gathering.

If I was going to flail around trying to learn how to command an army, I needed all the resources I could get (and potentially squander).

Selecting Human was a no-brainer for me.

Race selected.

I wondered which Amara had chosen.

Then it asked: If you would like to send a message to your opponent, do so now.

Huh, I didn't quite know what to say that didn't involve cursing, so I just sent: That banner is mine!

Yeah, lame, I know.

Amara responded with: Eat FILTERED, you FILTERing FILTERED!

Charming.

Then my view-screen cleared again, the line of races vanishing. A message appeared which made my heart race with anticipation.

Prepare For Battle!

CHAPTER THREE.

You Have Entered The Battle Field.

The white void which enveloped me dissolved into a picturesque landscape.

I stood on a grassy plain. The blue sky above was dotted with white puffy clouds. A breeze tugged at my cloak. This was no longer the cavern.

The plain which stretched off in all directions, was encompassed by a forest, thickly packed with trees almost resembling a green wall. Beyond, on all sides, were high vaulted cliffs.

The only direction that did not have these imposing cliffs was north. At first glance it appeared the forest thinned out to the northeast and northwest.

There was another aspect I took immediate note of.

I was completely alone. No army, no buildings, no base, no anything. It would appear I would be starting from scratch.

It was then I noticed I held a wooden pole which was topped with a flowing banner. It looked identical to the Lost War Banner of Y'Godda, only its color was red.

I looked at my cloak and leather armor. They, too, were the same deep red coloring.

Guess I'm team red, I thought, glancing around with confusion. But what do I do now? And where was Amara?

As if sensing my thoughts, the game brought up a small rectangular map which appeared at the top right of my view-screen. Near its bottom, surrounded by a mass of dark trees was a tiny red icon.

Me.

Okay. This was the map of the Battle Field. I was at the south end so I could assume Amara was standing, holding a banner, at its top northern end.

A system message appeared.

Amara Frostwalker has placed her banner.

I frowned up at mine. Where to put it?

I gave the map another look. If Amara was going to be attacking from the north, then I needed to keep as far back to the south as I could get.

The southern part of the plain ended at the tree line forming a natural cul de sac. I'd set up at the back and work from there.

I jogged south about a hundred paces feeling like I was just wasting time, now that Amara had begun building the apparatus which would potentially bring about my destruction.

Now, now, I admonished myself. An able commander must always be optimistic. No one else would be.

I stopped about thirty paces from the trees and gave my domain the once over. Seemed as good a place as any.

Gripped firmly in both hands, I brought the end of the banner's wooden pole down into the ground.

Instantly the earth boiled, forcing me to stumble backward.

From the roiling earth emerged skeletons.

My sword appeared in my hand as I looked at these undead apparitions with alarm.

Almost a dozen of the things forced their way up out of the ground, but none gave me the slightest bit of attention. Crawling over one another they each reached forward with a hand and grasped the banner's pole.

Then they all went still.