Amara was in possession of both banners.
I could attempt to fight my way to her base. Even if successful, it could take forever to get there. I’d also have to secure both approaches because while concentrating on one, the other could be a threat to my advancing army’s flank.
I looked at the map with its figure-eight formation and the grass plains which funneled units around like circles of death.
The trees were more than just a resource they were an impediment, too. So thickly packed that even a footmen unit could not pass through them.
Suddenly, I was struck with a thought.
I scrutinized the map more closely. Could it work?
Only one way to find out.
With my health bar at 100%, I left the Keep. Outside, I mounted Smoke. To the footmen and archer unit leaders, I said, “Hold fast while I’m gone.”
They snapped a salute. “Yes, Commander!”
Part of me blamed them for letting the banner be taken, but really the blame was all mine. Inexperienced and completely unprepared, I’d let Amara have the upper hand this entire time.
I rode northwest at a hard gallop. By the midway point of the bend I passed units who were waiting in line to get to middle and more were still coming from the base. Crazy.
One giant grindfest.
Maybe I could change that.
As I approached the final northern bend toward the middle, I kept Smoke close to the outer tree line. It was possible an enemy scout was watching me, but I decided to minimize the risk of being seen.
Roughly fifty paces before the turn opened up to the middle clearing, I jumped to the ground and dismissed Smoke.
Several of my units were in line here and everyone gave a wave and a cheer.
I grimaced. So much for keeping a low profile.
Then I slipped into Shadow Form.
Keeping to just within the trees I continued around the bend and headed east.
The mass of units got more dense as everyone crowded toward the platform, the only river crossing.
As I approached the last few trees before the clearing I could hear the ferocious fighting taking place just ahead. Screams of men dying, horses in pain, arrows zinging about, sword and spears clashing.
But there was another sound, just a short distance past the tree line.
Rushing water.
Carefully, I entered the forest at the western edge of the middle – the pinched waist of the map’s figure eight.
I climbed over bulging roots and ducked under thick branches. Then the trees opened up to the river which flowed from somewhere deeper in the forest to the west and continued on to the middle platform to the east, just beyond my view.
The river was a good twenty paces across here and looked deep. No one was meant to cross it, such was its design.
No army units, anyway.
Using as much available ground as I could, I ran at the water. At the river’s edge, I jumped. I used my Leap ability, which I’d been diligently assigning skill points to over the last few character levels.
These points paid off.
I landed on a massive root on the opposite bank.
Fearing an ambush of some kind, I froze in place, sword at the ready.
The only thing that assaulted me was the sound of the raging river and the cacophony of battle through the trees to the east.
After the count of ten, I moved, quickly and quietly. There was still the possibility of a scout nearby, so stealth was crucial.
Trying to ignore my fighting troops so close by, I headed due north. Something more important needed my immediate attention other than commanding doomed units.
I was going to take Amara’s banner.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I cautiously made my way north, navigating the barrier of trees. It was slow going considering the forest was not meant to be traversed, but it made me relatively confident I would not be detected.
To the east I sometimes caught glimpses of troll units. Enemy units were so bunched up in the middle that they, too, had to line up and wait for their turn.
I kept my focus on the difficult terrain ahead. Jumping from branch to branch, scaling tree trunks, and avoiding impassible clusters of roots took all my concentration.
Soon, I was nearing the final northern turn to Amara’s base, according to my map. The trees were even closer together here, and I decided to leave the forest and follow the tree line the rest of the way. As long as I was careful, I would be able to get close.
I changed direction to the east and dropped from a branch.
And landed right next to a troll scout.
I froze in surprise.
The troll scout whirled around, eyes wide with apprehension.
He did not look directly at me, but cast his gaze about trying to find the source of the sound.
Even this close, my Shadow Form was good. The forest was nothing but dark shadows and, as a result, made me fully invisible.
With a dagger in his hand, the scout slowly turned to take in his surroundings. I was only two paces from where he crouched.
Eliminating him would be easy, but then Amara would see the scout’s death message and know instantly where I was.
I kept perfectly still and watched nervously as the scout continued to scan the area.
Suddenly, the scout took a step forward, dagger in front of him.
Uh-oh.
The green humanoid’s large black eyes darted this way and that.
Great, I had to spook a real nervous one.
He took another step forward and the tip of his dagger nearly touched my vest.
Shadow Form would be lost the moment I engaged in combat, like striking out at the scout, or with physical contact.
Holding my breath I leaned back. I wanted to try to move away but I could not be certain of my footing where I landed.
This close I could see the incredible detail of the troll’s features. The pores in his green oily skin, the bristly hair that jutted out of his huge nostrils like pitchforks.
This game was so realistic that even his breath stank like a fetid wind wafting over a slop pile.
For several long agonizing moments the scout stood like this. Eyes scanning, dagger inches from my chest.
Then, the scout relaxed and snorted. He turned away and moved southward, slinking through the trees. Soon, he vanished from view.
I sighed with relief and resumed my own way.
At the tree line, I paused. The plains curved due west from here and continued south to the middle.
A cavalry unit rumbled by, shaking the ground. None of the troll riders glanced in my direction.
Keeping close to the trees I went west until the forest ended at a large clearing.
Amara’s base.
It did not look that much different than mine, only she had three of each unit’s buildings for quicker training. These were lined up side by side next to her Keep.
The Keep had been upgraded, too. Troll Lookouts with crossbows watched from the tower’s crown.
From the top of the keep emanated the golden beam of light indicating the location of a banner. My banner.
Amara was inside with it. But what for? Added protection? Made sense. She could not be assassinated while safely hidden away within the walls of the Keep.
Admittedly, I had hoped to catch Amara unaware and back-stab her causing her to drop my banner. But that pleasure appeared to be denied from me. For now.
This was another tactic I took note of for future use. If you have the banner but can’t win, hide.
I scanned the rest of the base and was surprised to see she had a gold mine right next to her Keep. She didn’t have to go looking for her gold like I did. Instead, she lucked out and had the gold right at her starting area. I could see workers digging furiously away and bringing buckets of gold out of the mine and dumping the nuggets into a huge iron hopper.