Adam Drake - Blackout

Even as we landed, we still swung at each other although she was hampered by carrying her banner in one hand.

“Going somewhere?” I yelled as we both scampered to our feet.

“FILTERED!” she screamed, facing off against me. “Go return your banner! It’s over there!”

“I may be a noob, but I’m not stupid,” I said. What did I care about my banner now? Going for it would guarantee she could get her own banner off the platform. Then this mess would start all over again.

A troll rider accidentally bumped his horse up against Amara. She spun around and slashed at him causing the mount to kick and split the skull of a troll grunt.

I lunged forward and stabbed her in the shoulder. But as I did so, an arrow hit me in the stomach and pierced deeply, all the way to its fletching.

Uh-oh.

Thirty Second Warning!

My health dropped to less than half within an instant.

Amara, for her part, didn’t care. Instead, she was trying to push her way through the crowd. I realized she wanted to get to the edge of the platform over the water. Once there, her banner would be returned.

Despite my near fatal wound, I swung at her again and again. Each time she would parry while pushing her way slowly backwards through the crowd.

The noise was deafening with screams of the dying and the constant clashing of steel.

Twenty Second Warning!

So obsessed with getting the banner to the edge, Amara tried to pull away from me all together. She was scared. Not of me, but of losing.

As I attempted to step closer a troll grunt stumbled over to block me. Angered, I slashed at him, but he managed to parry the blow. Behind him Amara turned around and faced the direction of the river. She was going to try to throw the banner over!

I dodged the troll’s lunge and slashed the tip of the spear off followed by his head, for good measure.

Ten Second Warning!

Amara suddenly threw the banner. But a cluster of cavalry riders, both human and troll, were directly in her way, fighting. The banner rose up but smacked against the side of a human rider and fell to the ground, standing up.

The Blue Banner Has Been Dropped!

I swung at Amara, and this time because her attention was on her banner, she was slow to block it. A bloody gash appeared across her right shoulder.

She was shouting, but I couldn’t really hear her. It sounded like no, no, no, over and over again.

With a sword feint in my direction that I foolishly backed away from, she lunged at the banner and grabbed it again.

The Blue Banner Has Been Taken!

I suddenly found myself pushed from behind by a horse’s flank and I crashed into Amara who yelped in surprise.

Five Second Warning!

But the horse didn’t just push me, it fell over with a horrible cry and landed right on me and Amara.

The Blue Banner Has Been Dropped!

Four Seconds!

Amara and I were pinned from the waist down under the horse.

We were right near the edge of the platform. The blue banner stood upright on the very edge, almost teetering over.

Desperately, she stretched outward toward the banner with a painful scream, while locking swords with me via her other hand.

Three Seconds!

I grabbed at her outstretched arm, but the movement only served to help her touch the banner’s wooden pole with the tip of her fingers.

With my sword arm I kept it pushed up against her own.

Two Seconds!

Amara ignored me completely and stretched all she could. The tips of her fingers nudged the banner. The banner moved several millimeters and began to teeter.

Frustrated, I quickly switched the sword with my bow, which remained pressed up against her weapon.

One Second!

I summoned my magma arrow. As it appeared in my quiver, I instantly reached back to snatch it then nocked and fired the molten projectile directly into Amara’s face at point blank range.

Then the deafening sound around me suddenly stopped.

Everything froze, like pausing a movie. I blinked in surprise. The magma arrow, sticking out of Amara’s eye, had just begun to boil its way through her skull.

I took a screenshot.

Then she vanished. The horse that held me down vanished. The soldiers and trolls around me vanished. And so did the rest of the world until all that remained was a white void.

Then a message appeared, the words hanging in the empty space before me.

Vivian Valesh is Victorious!

For several long moments, I stared at the floating message.

My heart still pounded in my chest, my breath heavy and near gasping.

I won.

The realization didn’t click in right away, but the Battle Field was gone and the fighting was over.

I won!

Astonished, I pushed myself up from the nonexistent ground to stand.

I defeated Amara. Better yet, I defeated Amara in my very first Battle Field gaming session.

Somewhere out past the white void, in the real world, the player who controlled Amara was cursing up the mother of all filtered storms.

I laughed until tears rolled down my face and collected at the bottom of my view-screen.

Beautiful.

The void dissolved into a swirl of colors and I found myself standing back in the cavern chamber on its middle rise, where this mess had all started.

As I looked around, I shouted in surprise and summoned my sword.

All the skeletons in the chamber who had been laying on the ground, now stood facing me. Each one pointed at me with an outstretched arm.

What was this? Another final fight?

Rumbling laughter made me turn about.

Y’Godda’s spirit stood beside me, resplendent in his bright white armor.

“Don’t worry, adventurer. They will not harm you. They only wish to congratulate you on your victory over such a skilled opponent.”

“Yeah, okay,” I said trying not to sound doubtful. Funny way to congratulate someone. But if they weren’t going to attack, I’d take it.

“And, I too, wish to offer my congratulations,” Y’Godda said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Thanks,” I said. “It was tough, but a fun learning experience.”

Learning experience was an understatement. Trial by fire would be a better analogy.

Y’godda nodded, his long red beard rasping against his armor. “Yes, I know this was your very first Battle Field. You performed well. Especially considering the experience of your opponent.”

“Oh?” I said, curious. “How experienced is she?”

“According to the records, Amara Frostwalker has never been defeated in over 118 Battle Field conflicts. This would be her first.”

I burst out laughing, again. Oh, fantastic! I wish I could see Amara’s face right now.

“Speaking of my opponent,” I said looking around the chamber. “Where did she go?”

Y’godda frowned. “Unfortunately, your opponent left the world before the final message of her loss could be given to her.”

“Left the world?”

“I believe you mortals refer to her action as ‘Rage-quit’.”

My laughter echoed off the cavern walls for several long moments. Knowing Amara rage-quit was even better than seeing her face after the fact.

Eventually, I picked myself up off the ground and gave Y’godda my full attention again.

“Sorry,” I said. “Couldn’t help myself.”

“Hmm,” said the dead general. “So, Vivian Valesh, it is time for your reward. The one you fought ever so valiantly for.” He waved a hand.

Upon the rise a banner appeared. It was neither red nor blue, but a brilliant white.

“Cool,” I said. Looking at the Lost War Banner of Y’Godda made me feel a little weak-kneed. Before, it had been a simple item to obtain after a long quest-chain. Now, it was a symbol of my victory over my own self-doubts while trying to win it.