CHAPTER 4 :

A THREE-PRONGED PLAN

After the defeat of the Grado army and the successful defense of the Tower of Valni, the Daein leaders convene of a new plan for their mission on the Magvel continent within General Pelleas' tent. Pelleas told his lackeys about his strategy, "Ladies and gentlemen, here's our plan: Anna's group will go rejoin the Phoenicisian army entrenched in Jehanna Hall, Calill's group will fight on to Renvall and we, the main group, will go for Fort Rigwald, and then for the capital." Haar objected that Daein will never capture Fort Rigwald with the numbers it has, let alone the capital… If only Frelia could help them in capturing Fort Rigwald, they would capture the place! He simply yawned shortly afterwards.

Anna scolded Haar, "How dare you sleep in the middle of a war council! I'll roast you to shreds if I could morph now!"

Calill, however, stated that if they could rally the remnants of Renais forces before taking on Fort Rigwald… it would be much better for the nations fighting alongside Daein. Meanwhile, a Renais Sword Knight approaches the Daein camp, and made his way into the general's tent, dismounted. And he had an intelligence report to deliver to the Daein commanders. He, too, is part of the Renais resistance. He came all the way from the Frelian border to tell them the fate of the Grado attackers of the Tower of Valni.

Franz, gallantly waiting his turn, said, "Sorry to interrupt your war council, but I have news for you to report. It's not even the undead form of Lord Hafedd, as the Tower of Valni survivors told me, but Breguet who lead the enemy survivors of the Siege of Onrac."

Anna then asked what happened to Undead Hafedd, the one who died defending the Black Knight in Castle Naddos, and who was raised back from the grave. She wondered why he did escape the reach of the Daein army. At that time, Franz reported that he saw the whole thing: even Grado soldiers fell into ambushes laid by bandits. The Renais army was tattered, Vigarde did not even care for the respect of the law within his conquered lands. The Eastern Watch pf Frelia said that Undead Hafedd was destroyed while fighting the bandits in the mountains between Ide and Border Mulan.

Calill gave her advice; it was to dispatch both groups without delay. The bandits were on their way to Ide, she pledged that her group shall defend the Greater Ide. Anna stated that, as a laguz, she felt more comfortable to fight on in order to join the other laguz army, encamped in Jehanna. Border Mulan was a critical point where to fight, because it gives the group holding that position the guard of the border between Frelia and Carcino, while being very close to Renais.

Pelleas then told his chief lieutenants, "We agreed to split in three groups, one who fights all the way to Jehanna Hall, the second to capture Renvall and the third to capture the capital. Eventually, we will regroup to recapture Castle Renais – that is, if all three groups survive until then."

Pelleas postponed further talks within the war council as new recruits arrived, in chains, as Onrac emptied its dungeon to reinforce the Daein numbers (how odd!). The lord-mayor of Onrac has assured King Daein that it was the best decision to be taken, because he feels that prisoners arrested for violent crimes could make use of their crime-committing abilities to fight back their enemies.

In Nevassa, a Hawk Laguz under the lord-mayor of Onrac's pay have arrived at the gates of the royal palace; at King Daein's behest, the parchment was unrolled before him. Said lord-mayor freed him from jail in exchange for service as his personal messenger.

The Hawk laguz messenger began his report, "Your Majesty, it appears that the lord-mayor of Onrac emptied the dungeon of his city and made everyone fight under Daein's command. It seems that your forces, under Pelleas' command, have earned victory over the Grado forces besieging Onrac and the Tower of Valni."

Tauroneo then asked, "My King, what of Crimea? Begnion? Gallia? Kilvas? We know that Phoenicis has joined active battle against General Caellach's forces, but have any of these countries been admitted to the United Nations while your men earned victory against Grado?"

Jarod, in his quality of Chief Justice of Daein, asked the laguz messenger, "How many prisoners were there in Onrac's dungeon?"

The Hawk laguz messenger expedited his answer, "Over two thousand. As far as I know, Onrac, as a city is divided in several districts. As the United Nations were formed, an entire district was built to accommodate the many people the formation of the U.N. needed. There is the merchant district, built around the marketplace, a religious district and an entire district that houses criminals from everywhere in the northeast of Frelia, where the dungeons are."

Ike told everyone in the throne room, "Good news to hear." He turned to the laguz, "Now, where are our men headed for?"

The Hawk laguz messenger replied, "They seem to adopt a three-pronged plan: one group, under Anna's command, goes to fight eastward and rejoin the Phoenicis army, the second group is bent on capturing Renvall and the third group, the largest, fights to capture the main bases."

But the King himself knew that General Pelleas couldn't remain a commoner for long; he had to find a place whose lord has died without heirs, been poisoned or imprisoned. He couldn't imprison a noble for that exact purpose only; that would cause a rebellion. He sent the Hawk Laguz back to his master with a sealed letter. That sealed letter arrived to Frelia a week later; Hayden, in the meantime, could only spare two people to General Pelleas. As the final contingent of criminals from Onrac arrived, the time has come to distribute the soldiers among the three groups.

Franz warned his new commander, "General, a message has arrived from Daein!"

Vanessa made her claim, "I intercepted the lord-mayor of Onrac's messenger, on my way here, here was the sealed letter he wanted to give you. Here is what it says..."

She began to read the letter, but before he even starts, Pelleas kneels down to the ground and disarms himself. Vanessa then read the letter to him. "Here's the letter, signed by King Ike himself, it says: "In the name of House Daein, I hereby grant you the rank and title of lord and all the honors it conveys." Rise, Lord Pelleas."

The second beorc sent by Hayden was dispatched because of U.N. obligations. Palace staff received reports that there were children orphaned by bandit attacks; the U.N. General Council, of which Pelleas is a member, has voted that the U.N. International Children Equilibrium Fund (UNICEF) take actions to help the children out.

Moulder explained that, by the mandate of the UNICEF, he, Father Moulder, was ordered to follow through the Daein army and to rescue any and all orphaned child we can find on our route. Pelleas then told him that there are more orphaned children in the middle road than in the other two. Then, he told, "Father, I assign you to Calill's group, while Vanessa would be more handy in the eastern road, leading to Jehanna Hall. Is everyone ready? We're scheduled to leave tomorrow at dawn."