Short Story; Just a Game

"Hatsfel, take your men and secure the mountain on the left flank.  Shirley, Rothbert, Deidrick, armor up and hold the center.  Arasa, the forest on the right flank, you know the drill.  Everyone else get ready to press the assault once Hatsfel is in position."
"And what about you Captain?"
"Just watch."
 All of his lieutenants followed their commands perfectly.  He sent Raithe to reinforce Hatsfel once the mountain was secure.  Her Artillery batteries would be the perfect support to the coming assault, and the two of them had always worked well together.  He watched the enemy forces disappear into the forest, laid low by Arasa's hunters.  Rothbert went down in the face of their enemy's captain, but he managed to quickly shuffle the men into Shirley and Deidrick's commands in time to retaliate and hold their positions.  But the true masterwork of his plan was one they'd never see coming; his own force advanced under the cover of the river on the right flank right into the heart of their encampment.  He ordered the reserves into the center to draw their attention, and then armored up to join his men.

"Hail commander."
"Right, are we all in position?"
"The men await your orders."
"Good, good, then lets get started."  He stood up and raised his sword.  The men began to climb the levee and scream their battle cries.  He pulled himself over the top and was preparing to join them when he saw one of the most dreaded things to ever grace the battlefield.
"Aren't you cute?  I bet you think you're awful clever, sorry to prove you wrong.  Men, dispose of the soldiers."
He managed to catch the sight of spellflame before finding himself back in the lobby.  He cursed and looked over at Rothbert.
"You too?"
"Nobody told me we were fighting HER.  I'd have never signed up for this if I'd known, I'm so sorry."
"Nah, I'm just amazed we've done as well as we have."
Arasa walked in from the command chamber.
"You too?"
"Nope, they silenced my communications ages ago.  I just got bored of sitting there and went in myself just after you did.  It was this white haired girl that did it.  She made the trees eat my entire command without a trace.  We were outmatched from the start."
The battle continued over the rest of the day.  By the end he realized that it had never been about beating them, it was all about how.  Shirley and Deidrick faced a cloaked man with a purple sword who seemed to step through the shadows.  Elsa was still confused by how her men had all simply commited suicide out of sudden crushing despair, and Olan reported that his men had begun to dance uncontrollably until collapsing from exhaustion.  And the rest furiously reported how a single man had walked silently into the middle of the camp and mesmerized all of their troops with a recitation of poetry; to their knowledge he was still reciting it.
The last to go were Hatsfel and Raithe.  Hatsfel confirmed what he and Rothbert had seen; their opponent was the Dark Lady herself, Empress Thalia Immersfeld.  And as he completed the thought they found themselves face to face with their foe.
"Evening; I just wanted to thank you all for your participation.  You put up a better fight than most, and for that, here is your reward."  A satchel of coins was deposited on the table.  "Have a lovely life everybody."