The time limit of Test 3 is 3 days.

You will take the position of the general of the defending army in a war between two opposing city states. You will be tasked with defending your city and the citizens within, and defeating the enemy.

3 days? And to take such a position…Sera questioned her capabilities in those minutes that counted down, but she had made this decision, and she would stand by it.

In a way, she expected it to be almost game-like, perhaps with prompts or controls. What she certainly didn’t expect was to possess an actual body the shape and size of her own. Her eyes fluttered open to the canvas roof of a tent held aloft by wooden poles. Noise surrounded her, dulled slightly by the tent but no less prevalent. It only took her a few seconds to be convinced there was a legitimate army outside.

Sera stood, getting used to the body and stretching her muscles as if she had just slept for a long period. As she looked around to find better clothing, a voice echoed from just beyond the entrance.

“General, the Commanders have been assembled in the meeting tent as requested,” stated the figure on the other side. A prompt-like screen before her informed her that the voice belonged to a Captain Elis.

“Thank you, Captain Elis, I’ll be right out”.

Sera quickly located pants and boots as well as a vest and jacket. She spotted a sword, spear, shield and bow in the corner, but did not pick them up as she used her fingers to quickly braid her hair then step out of the tent.

Captain Elis waited there beside two guards. He was a man who appeared in his thirties with basic armour and a sword at his waist. He nodded to Sera in greeting, “General”.

“Lead the way, Captain”.

The Captain did as told and led her to a larger tent just fifty metres from her own, inside of which were ten Commanders, eight of which were men and two women. Honestly, Sera was surprised to see any woman at all, but as she briefly flicked over their names and general responsibilities, she put any thought of gender specifics out of her mind.

She went to the head of the table, beside her stood her Vice-General, an older man by the name of Carmicheal. He nodded to her in greeting but said nothing more as she looked down at the map spread out on the table.

The map showed a white female piece, which she assumed was herself before the city of Luthridge. There was mountainous terrain behind it, but farmland and hills for several kilometres before it. She, and she assumed her entire army, were located at the far end of the plain in the divide between two extensive forests that led off the map on either side. Beyond the forests was more plains, a lake and river in the distance, and on the far side of the map another city called Callandia.

“Commander Torren, you start, what have your scouts found about the army’s current location and numbers?”

The man in question stepped forward and moved several red figurines to a position about half way between their location and Callandia.

“The scouts have spotted them moving steadily in our direction. They made no move to split the army and move it through the forests, but they are 10,000 in number so they are no doubt looking for an open-plain battle even if we have the higher ground where we are,” said Commander Torren, “They look like they should arrive by mid-morning tomorrow at their current pace”.

“They outnumber us 2 to 1,” said the Vice-General, “Even if we have the higher ground the odds are not advantageous. Callandia is a more military based city”.

“Any siege weapons on their side?” asked Sera.

“None, but the forest would provide them with more than enough materials if we were to retreat,” said Commander Torren, “Their cavalry also seemed substantial”.

Commander Frank turned to him, “How substantial?”

“At least a third of their number”.

Curses all around before Commander Frank spoke, “We have barely five hundred”.

“And our other divisions?” asked Sera.

“A thousand archers, a thousand spearman, two and a half thousand light infantry”.

“No siege weapons or heavy weaponry of our own?”

“No, General, we are mere lamp-makers by trade,” stated one of the Commanders.

“Lamp makers?” said Sera, her voice filling with interest, “With candles? Oil? Wax?”

“Oil, predominantly,” the Commanders frowned, “May we ask how this is relevant General?”

A plan started forming in Sera’s mind, “I have an idea, which if it is pulled off correctly, could lead to their cavalry being next to useless, and likely much of the rest of their army as well”.

“We would be excited to hear it, General,” stated one of the female commanders.

“First, I need the spearman, archers and a thousand infantry men split into four groups. We’re going to work on formations with them,” said Sera.

“Formations?” asked the Vice-General.

“Yes, I will need every infantry man in each group equipped with a body-shield, they will then be grouped with an archer and spearman. I want the Infantry men to practice locking their shields together to create a wall, Spearman bracing in the gaps between them, Archers positioned just behind. Practice both opening gaps in the shield wall for the spearmen, and having every secondary infantry man lifting their shields to rest over the others, and the whole formation tightening to protect all from incoming arrows, understood?”

Sera grabbed a pencil and drew each image roughly as she explained.

“That formation won’t bridge the gap between the forests, we haven’t enough men, particularly when bracing for arrows,” stated one of the Commanders.

“And that is what most of the rest of the army will be focused on fixing except for the scouts – I’ll get to their job in a moment”.

“I need everyone not practicing those formations to be cutting down the trees and digging ditches on the Luthridge side of the forests to make barricades,” Sera used her pencil to draw lightly upon the map, “Make the ditches a body length wide and half that deep, pile the excess soil up on the outside line, place the barricades over the top like so. Not every gap needs to be filled, this is not an impenetrable wall, it is simply to deter the cavalry from a wide charge and funnel them to the point where we will concentrate our defences, here”.

“Sound enough, but how to we stop their infantry, they outnumber us as is,” said one of the Commanders.

“Oil,” said Sera, “We are lamp-makers. If they want our city, what better way to judge their capacity to run it than a trial by fire?”

“I’m guessing that’s where the scouts come in?” asked commander Torren.

“We need oil, Commander, a lot of it. Enough to pool in the earth at the base of every ditch, and plenty left over for further surprises,” said Sera.

“Further surprises?” asked one of the Commanders.

Sera pointed to the map, “If they can’t win in an outright charge forward, where will they go?”

“To flank us,” stated another Commander.

A moment of realisation dawned on the Commanders and Vice General.

“It will open up the plain more, and be harder to defend,” said another Commander.

“Timing will be everything,” agreed Sera, “Like I said, if we time it right, it could take care of their numbers advantage thoroughly. Any other suggestions or back up strategies?”

Several ideas were thrown out, Sera agreed with a few. With the suggestion of using oil, many other materials not generally used in battles were suggested in inventive ways. Some were dismissed because of the time constraint or lack of supply though.

After thirty minutes and a plan clear in their minds, Sera dismissed the Commanders to their assignments, leaving only the Vice-General and herself.

“It is a thoughtful plan, but it will not disenchant the enemy general,” said the Vice-General, “Joterro is a cruel man himself. Your plan will draw out his true wrath”.

“Then get a spear ready so I can mount his head on it, Vice-General,” stated Sera as she stood, “The last thing I or any of the citizens want is such a man taking charge of our city”.

The Vice General gave a small smile that seemed not entirely convinced, “As you wish, General”.

Sera called out to Captain Elis as the Vice-General left, “I’ve got a job for you”.

“I am at your command, General”.

Sera spent the rest of the day moving from space to space. The men practicing the formation were quick to learn it. Formations were not a complete unknown to them after all. By midday, they were ready, and sent to help the others on the ditches and barricades.

As it began to grow dark, the barricades and ditches showed their full vision, the V-like formation narrowing just before the base of the hill. The broadest points continued into the forest for five metres before stopping, but effectively cut off the option of going around the barrier without going through the forest.

Oil was poured out into the ditches, several hundred barrels worth. The scouts setting off to do their parts in the forest.

Sera had yet to see the enemy, and could not help but wonder if others had the same test as her, and what they would do as she ate a simple meal in the Command tent and looked at the map.

No doubt some would retreat to the city. Others would perhaps send an advance party to hack away at the enemy’s numbers.

It was as she ate that Captain Elis requested entry and joined her inside.

He approached her side, his expression turning grim.

Sera sighed in disappointment.

Captain Elis frowned, “How did you know?”

“A man who has served the city for forty years and enjoyed plenty of prestige has a right to be paranoid of enemies, but what he said about the enemy general…he sounded legitimately concerned for my safety, and not in the way of a Vice-General, but of a man who felt just a tinge of pity, perhaps even regret,” said Sera.

Elis handed over a note from his pocket.

“I had Gale shoot it down, she is the best shot I know,” said Elis.

Sera opened it for confirmation, then crumpled it in hand, “Show it to Torren, tell him to tell nobody. Tell Gale to get ready to fire upon the Vice-General tomorrow when the advance party turns back”.

“Why not deal with it now?” asked Elis.

“Because I want the enemy general to see what I will do to traitors, so that he is all too aware of what I will do to those who declare themselves my enemies. Luthridge’s enemies,” said Sera, “Though I doubt he will believe it until his head is on a spear thanks to his nature”.

Sera stood and headed back to her tent.

“Good night, General”.

Sera turned back with a small smile, “Good night, Captain”.

It was hard to sleep on the eve of war, but Sera managed it. She had tried to pull her consciousness out, but the Enn Stone would not let her. Either the Test could not be pulled out of, or she was experiencing time at a different pace to what was happening in reality. It seemed impossible. But this whole scenario was impossible, so Sera decided to embrace it as possible until she was proven otherwise.

The morning arrived with a clamour of activity, Elis informing Sera that the army had arrived sooner than expected and was in the process of assembling on the far side, including drawing a green flag for a truce.

Sera told Elis to send the Vice-General and with two knights to convey her message which she had written and passed to Elis through the tent flap as she began to dress.

Her light armour was somewhat strange to wear, but she knew it was unavoidable. She strapped on her sword and donned her bow and quiver of arrows before she left to the command station where her commanders stood ready. The Vice-General was walking out across the no-mans-land with two others.

“Is it true?” asked Torren, not attempting to keep quiet in front of the others.

“You saw the message,” said Sera, glaring down at the Vice-General, “He has betrayed us. I care not for the reason. Treason is Treason”.

The other Commanders turned to her, surprised, and Torren passed the note along them, all of them cursing. They watched as the Vice-General delivered Sera’s message, then the three turned back. As they did, an arrow arched over the no-mans-land and pierced straight through the Vice-General’s throat. The other two continued riding, already having been told what would happen by Elis.

“Good Riddance,” Commander Frank spoke.

The two riders returned, visibly shaken, but able to deliver the message that the enemy had refused offers of surrender and to turn back.

“Ready the lines,” ordered Sera, and the Commanders went off to their positions, “Are the Cavalry already to the south?”

Commander Frank nodded, “As discussed, they are aware of their signal and will remain out of sight until then”.

Sera could see the enemy Cavalry already preparing to split and charge through the forest to round them. It was time.