A little further north at the tree line was a quarry. So she had that near her starting point, too.
This explained how she was able to attack me so early in the game. Everything was here to help her get started with minimal delay.
Plant the banner, build the keep, get the first worker unit, build the barracks, train the grunts and rush south.
I tried not to feel annoyed, but failed.
Directly north of the Keep was the skeletal altar. A blue banner fluttered in the wind within the grasp of a skeletal hand.
Slumped next to the altar, large and terrifying, was Yuinnick. The great eagle didn’t look to be in good health and its eyes were closed as if sleeping. In fact, its health indicator was less than 10%. I must have inflicted a bleeding wound on the champion causing it to lose so much health.
It was probably slowly regenerating like Grax.
Looking about I noticed no units assigned to guarding the altar, let alone the base.
Everything Amara had was at the middle or on its way there.
As I surveyed Amara’s domain, an army unit emerged from each of the buildings having finished their training. They immediately marched or galloped off, some via the southwest passage, the rest the southeast.
Perfect. All the buildings were starting to train again, which meant I had about five minutes.
With a final look around I detached from the tree line and moved toward the altar. As I approached, my eyes danced from Yuinnick, to the Lookouts above, and to the Keep door which was closed.
When I arrived at the altar, I paused. Yuinnick was the closest threat but was oblivious to my presence. It seemed lost in its regeneration process.
The blue banner fluttered in the wind.
The moment I grabbed this, all hell was going to break loose.
Okay, Vee, you can do this, I thought.
I took a deep breath and reached for the banner’s wooden handle.
The Keep’s door suddenly slammed open.
I froze, hand an inch from the banner.
Amara bolted out of the door and marched in my direction looking angry. In one hand was my banner.
Uh-oh.
Maintaining my Shadow Form, I summoned my sword and tensed for a fight.
But instead of coming at me she went to Yuinnick, who’s eyes blinked open at her approach.
“This is taking too long,” Amara said. I couldn’t tell if that was directed at the eagle or she was just talking to herself.
She jumped up into the great eagle’s saddle.
She’s leaving! I thought with jubilation. This would make snatching her banner that much easier.
As Amara settled in, Yuinnick flapped his wings in preparation for take off.
The strong winds it produced caused the banner next to me to flutter wildly.
As the long blue banner whipped in the wind, the end of it curled around to graze my outstretched hand.
At its touch, my Shadow Form shimmered slightly for a moment, like a heat wave in a desert.
Amara happened to be looking in my general direction, and suddenly her head snapped over to look directly at me.
Uh-oh.
The elven woman’s eyes widened with alarm. “You!” she screamed.
Time to go!
Without wasting another moment I grabbed the banner and my Shadow Form dropped.
You Have the Enemy Banner!
The next instant I summoned Smoke who appeared beside me.
“You FILTERED!” Amara roared. She screamed at the Lookouts to shoot at me.
As I leapt onto Smoke, a crossbow bolt actually ricocheted off the banner’s wooden pole with a loud twang.
I kicked at Smoke’s sides and we were off.
Behind me, Amara was shouting filtered obscenities at me, then at Yuinnick for not moving fast enough. But within moments, she had the great eagle champion lifting off in pursuit.
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.