Author's Note:
I don't own White Knight Chronicles and all characters belong to their rightful owners.
Enjoy!
After the jarring attack, the Balandor Royal Army began to mobilize. An emergency war conference was held.
"How can we fight an enemy we know almost nothing about?" One of the nobles asked. "We're completely outmanned and outgunned. We're powerless against the Yshrenians. The Yshrenian army has grown over the past year. That attack showed us that! They could easily crush us!"
"Don't lose hope so soon," Cyrus stated, "We need to be thinking straight if we're even going to think of a way to begin this war."
"If it's information you're looking for maybe I can be of some assistance," A smooth voice curled into the air. All eyes turned to the door. A man in ebony armor strode inside.
"What is the meaning of this?! This is a private meeting! You have no business here!" A noble exclaimed.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you guys are completely clueless," Leonard leaned against the doorframe. "I figured you'd need some help, so I brought some."
A murmur of disapproval swept over the table.
"Insolent boy! How dare you interrupt this court with your useless ideas?" A noble snapped at him.
"Peace friends," Cisna stepped inside. "I asked for Leonard's help. I figured that he would know what to do more than anyone. He has always been at the center of the battle with the Yshrenians. It was his idea to ask Lord Dinivas for help."
"Lord Dinivas…?" Cyrus looked over at the knight in black. "You're the Black Knight aren't you? How did we go about getting your help?"
"My pact maker is on your side, so it's only natural that I am as well." Dinivas bowed. "But know this; my duty is to Madame Larvayne. But I despise Emperor Madoras and I would gladly topple his empire."
"Emperor Madoras is alive? How can that be?" Cisna gasped.
"That pest is more resilient than you think." Dinivas replied. "He still has plans to kill you, Queen Mureas, and conquer this world. Ten millennia have passed and he's stronger then he once was. The Emperor slept in the White Knight's Ark and leeched away Sir Wizel's power. That is how he's so much stronger."
"That explains a lot…" Leonard muttered as he flashed back to all the pain Madoras had caused him when the Emperor had been in the Ark.
"Hold a moment," Cyrus raised an eyebrow, "How can we trust you if you are still allied with Madame Larvayne? She was the one that stormed the castle."
"I'm a knight, my word means everything. I will be truthful at all costs." Dinivas' golden eyes focused on Cyrus. "I'm a man of my word; I will not lie to you nor will let my personal affiliations affect this campaign. I will do everything in my power to defeat Emperor Madoras. I haven't forgiven him for binding my kind to the Incorrupti."
Cyrus nodded and motioned to an empty chair. "Come and sit with us. Your knowledge will be greatly appreciated." Cyrus looked over at Leonard and Cisna, "Please sit down, you two are welcome to stay." Cisna and Leonard hurried to sit down as Dinivas started to explain.
"As you've probably noticed the Yshrenian army has grown greatly over the last year…" Dinivas named a few large figures much to their chagrin. He also revealed that Yshrenia had added ancient weaponry to their arsenal. The strong weapons of the Dogma Age would prove to be tough to combat. Not only that but also even more soldiers had been issued Gigantes.
"King Adolmaea's pact maker serves as Madoras' right hand. Over the years the Sun King has changed…He's no longer the warm and kind ruler he once was. His mind and heart have been twisted and he is cold and ruthless… I've met with him only a few times but it was enough to see what he had become…and it was enough to figure out what he was planning…" Dinivas tightened his hands into fists.
"The bastard is planning on using Milady Larvayne to destroy the world. I couldn't believe Milady couldn't see his true intentions with her Dragonsight. How could he use her like that? She trusts him blindly! Underneath Milady's hard exterior lies the heart of a child. Milady is really just a child craving attention. King Adolmaea sees that and-and he's using it for his own gains!" Dinivas' voice shook with rage. He was failing at holding back his anger.
"What? Destroy the world?" Cyrus gaped at him.
"Lord Dinivas tell me that's not true. Tell me my sister isn't being used." Gaea's soft voice filled the room. Her presence made the tension in the room dissolve. She had entered with Helena, Eldore, Luthia, Kara, and Kishan.
"Mother Gaea," Dinivas bowed his head. "That would be a lie. My duty is to Milady Larvayne and I don't wish to see her harmed. I speak the truth in the hope that I may save her."
"My father would never do that!" A loud voice cut through the air. Luthia stormed over to Dinivas. She had been sent by Yulie, since her pact maker was too injured to attend. She pointed a finger at him. "How'd you figure this out, huh? You're probably just tricking us!"
"Princess Luthia," Dinivas' expression tightened. "I did reconnaissance and investigated King Adolmaea's room. I found an ancient text that I had never seen before. It regarded a Fell Dragon. This dragon-"
"Was said to consume the souls of the dead and then move onto the living. Armies of the undead would arise and the flames of Hell would ravage the land." Eldore finished. "It was the last of prophecy of the Dogma Age, before the civilizations fell. It was a prophecy that went unfinished. I was unfamiliar with it until I found this book in the royal archives." Eldore stepped forward and placed the book on the table. "I had been searching for information regarding the sixth Knight when I found it. It turned out the two are connected somehow…but as I said the prophecy is unfinished."
"…So he's not lying?" Luthia's hand dropped to her side.
"I'm afraid not Princess." Eldore told her.
"Okay, I'm not liking the sound of that dragon," Leonard frowned. "If we're going to stop Madoras, then we can stop Adolmaea on the way. Not only that, sorry Dinivas, but we need to stop Larvayne."
"Going to war will strengthen Milady. The more Chaos there is the stronger she shall become." Dinivas explained. "I'm prepared to defeat her, if that is what it takes to protect her."
"You are truly a noble knight, Lord Dinivas," Helena smiled at him.
"Thank you."
"Alright so now that the basics are out of the way, we can move on," Cyrus spread a map out on the table. "We need to join our military might with that of our allies or else we're not going to get very far…"
"I've sent word to Albana and we have their support," Cisna smiled. "They'll send troops where ever we need them."
"Good, that's a start." Cyrus looked down at the map. "Greede…The city is under the control of Yshrenia. The Van Haven Waste and Baccea are also in the hands of the Empire. The Yshrenians are encamped in Flander Trail right at the borders of the Lagnish. They are also encamped at the borders of the Lost Forest. We can't join our forces with the Farians unless we carve ourselves a path. It's the same with our allies in Baccea.
"The Yshrenain base on Red Horn Isle is too close for comfort. It's also keeping our warships from getting close or the Farian warships from getting to us. The Yshrenians have crafted a strong blockade. We need to find a way to break through so we can join forces."
The table was silent.
"We don't have enough men or ships to make a frontal assault on any of the fronts… We don't have a chance of breaking through." One of the nobles finally spoke. The other nobles at the table muttered in agreement.
"I know our odds aren't good, but we need to think of a way to break this blockade. We'll have a better chance after that." Cisna tried to bolster their moral.
"If the land and sea are as impassable as you claim, why not take to the air?" Dinivas asked as if the answer was obvious.
"You speak as if you already have a plan." Cyrus commented.
"Of course I do. I am Ebonwings the sly tactician, at your service." Dinivas smirked. He pointed to Red Horn Isle. "We strike here from the air, hard and fast."
"How? We don't have the men or the airships," A noble pointed out.
"I know that." Dinivas laughed. "That's why I planned his blockade maneuver."
"What?" The table exploded into a murmur of confusion.
"Quiet down," Dinivas continued. "Plenty of my strategies were left in the Yshrenian capital Vellgander. Many of them have been underway before this conflict even started. I'll be battling my own wits. Every plan has a flaw. It's the tactician's job to find that flaw while carefully hiding their own flaw."
"I can see why Cisna wanted your help," Cyrus smiled. "So tell me, how can we cripple Red Horn Isle with our limited resources?"
"A single assault targeting the Act of God. It's fully functional again. We can obliterate the Isle from the inside out." Dinivas explained. "We need an expert team. A group that's been at the Isle more than once."
"You already know who you want to send, don't you?" Cyrus laughed.