Silver and Gold

You and Cobalt walk into the Toy Shop, where a tired elf sits on the other side of a game screen from a boisterous coal dwarf.

“C-8” says the dwarf.

“…hit” says the elf.

“And with that, I’ve sunk your fleet again!” says the dwarf while pounding his fist into the table.

“Winning isn’t everything,” says the elf.

“That’s right,” laughs the dwarf, “there’s also nothing!”

“If it is between playing this one game again or nothing,” says the elf, “I choose nothing.”

“Unless someone wants to take your place, you have to play!” says the dwarf.

“I’ll play,” says Cobalt.

“Tis your lucky day, little one. A new challenger awaits!” says the dwarf as he clears his game board.

The elf sitting across from the coal dwarf winks at you while providing Cobalt a place to sit at the game board.

“Do you know the rules of the game?” asks the coal dwarf.

“I know that if I learn your name before you learn mine, I can command you to return to the coal mines and leave these elves alone.” says Cobalt.

“So it’s a battle of the wits you want, aye?” says the dwarf.

“Yup,” responds Cobalt, “so what is your riddle?”

“No riddle,” says the dwarf, “just Battlegrid.”

You notice something unusual about how the elf left the game board.