Fields of Black and White

The smell of war hangs heavy in the air.
Thick and cloying, it sinks into your bones.
Arrayed before me, the troops stand in perfect formation.
Two lines, shoulder to shoulder.
However anxious they may be, only stone resolve shows on their faces.

This Army of Light, awaits only my commanding hand.
Today, by my hand, empires will rise.
And empires will fall.
Out there, beyond the checked field;
one such empire opposes me.

It's army; gleaming obsidian.
The Shadow Lord sneers at me from beyond his Black Army.
Only his defeat will appease me.
With a twist of my wrist, I send an eager footman forward.

My struggle for existence has begun again.

The infantry besiege castles.
The clergy and cavalry dance their crazy waltz.
This is the air I breathe, the water I drink.
The clash of minds, the battle of wits.
Only one of us can leave this arena of thought.

The Dark Lady, that paragon of wickedness, finally shows herself.
With slow, calculated steps, she moves to oppose my White Army.
Unit after unit of brave warriors fall to her might.
Only she relishes the carnage.

With heavy heart, the White Empress embraces her emperor.
They both know she will not return.
With head held high, she rushes to engage the Dark Lady.
Grinning with feral abadon, the Dark Lady waits with open arms.

Roaring, the two mighty women become locked in battle.
Neither one willing to yield.
Both willing the other to yield.
Finally, the Lady of Light stands triumphant over the broken body of her hated foe.
But, in her elation, she fails to notice the Black Priest lying in wait.
The White Empress is struck down in her moment of glory.
Somehow, even in death, her ivory features emanate nobility.

And so the war continues, both sides losing stalwart defenders.
Clergy fall to infantry, castles topple, and horsemen are pulled from the saddle.
Finally, the Shadow Lord is cornered and by my last Paladin.
The last of his order, he avenges his fallen brother.
Striking down the hated Dark King.
Hefting the crumbled remains, the Paladin gives forth a mighty roar.
The few surviving Shadows retreat in terror.
The Army of Light has once again taken the field.

Sighing with relief, I slouch further into my seat.
Looking out across the checked field, I consider the cost of my victory.
Regouping my forces, I ponder the next struggle.

How long will Nike smile upon me?