They headed into the command tent at the center of camp. The tent was spacious enough to hold dozens of people. At the center of the tent was a massive table, its surface covered with maps, reports, and wooden tokens representing military units. Lanterns hung from the support beams, casting steady light across the strategic displays. Officers stood around the perimeter, mostly captains and majors. They fell silent as the Dragon Knights entered.

  Louis stood at the head of the table. He waited until everyone had found positions around the map before speaking.

  "Gentlemen. Ladies. Your Majesty." He nodded to Ignis. "We have confirmation from our scouts. Vandiel forces have expanded their control of The Twilight Zone by another two miles in the past week. At this rate, they will be able to launch a full-scale invasion within the month."

  He placed a wooden marker on the map. "Our objective is to break through the barricade here." Louis tapped a section of the map where the Twilight Zone's boundary was marked with a thick charcoal line. "The enemy has fortified this position with earthworks, spike walls, and undead troops."

  Sion studied the map. "What's their troop strength?"

  "Estimated at two thousand regular soldiers, plus an unknown number of undeads. They're dug in deep, and they have the advantage of fighting on corrupted ground. Our soldiers report disorientation, fatigue, and visual distortions when they get too close to the boundary."

  “We could siege them from outside the corrupted grounds,” one of the officers muttered.

  "A siege would take months," Prince Sion responded.

  "Which is why we're not conducting a siege." Louis’s gaze swept across the assembled group. "We're going to force them into open ground, then crush them from above."

  He moved several blue tokens on the map, pieces representing friendly forces. "The infantry will advance in three columns at dawn. We'll hit them hard and fast, making it look like a full frontal assault. The enemy will see our numbers and assume we're committing to a ground engagement."

  One of the officers spoke up. “With all due respect, Grand General, a direct frontal assault against fortified positions on corrupted ground… our men won't last ten minutes. We'd be forced to retreat.

  "Correct." Louis met the captain's eyes without blinking. "And that's exactly what I'm counting on."

  A murmur rippled through the assembled officers.

  "You're using them as bait. A bait and switch." Miranda said.

  "I'm deploying my infantry as soldiers are meant to be deployed," Louis corrected. "Their objective is to draw out the enemy forces. The undead can't pursue beyond the corrupted ground. But the regular troops will see our retreat and assume weakness. They'll chase. They always do."

  He moved the red tokens forward on the map, past the boundary line. "Soldiers defending fortified positions are dangerous. Soldiers breaking formation to pursue a fleeing enemy are targets."

  “And what if they don’t pursue?” Sion asked.

  "Their commanders have been sitting behind those walls for weeks, watching us mass forces, waiting for the assault they know is coming. When our infantry finally attacks and then breaks..." He tapped the advanced red tokens. "They won't be able to resist. The temptation to crush a retreating force, to turn a defensive stand into a rout. It's irresistible."

  "And that's when we hit them," Miranda finished.

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  "Precisely." Louis looked directly at the Dragon Knights. "Once the enemy commits to open ground, the dragons will execute aerial bombardment runs. Fire, lightning, whatever destructive capabilities you possess. You'll have clear targets."

  Clive studied the map, his mind already working through the logistics. "How do we avoid hitting our own people during the retreat?"

  "The infantry will fall back in a controlled withdrawal the moment you begin your attack. Signal horns will mark the zones. First horn, they disengage and fall back fifty yards. Second horn, they retreat beyond the safety line." Louis traced the movements with his finger. "You'll have a clear field of fire for approximately eight minutes. Make them count."

  "Eight minutes," Guma said. "That's—"

  "Enough time for three full attack runs if you're efficient," Louis said. "After that, the enemy will either break and scatter, or they'll retreat back into the zone. Either outcome is acceptable. We're not trying to win the war today. We're trying to break their forward position and buy time."

  Ignis had been silent throughout the briefing, but now he spoke. "And if they have anti-air capabilities? Ballistae? Mages?"

  "Our scouts have identified two possible ballista emplacements here and here." Louis marked the positions. "They'll be priority targets for our own mages during the initial assault. As for enemy mages..." He paused. "That's a risk we'll have to manage. If the four horsemen show up, the situation might get complicated."

  "The Four Horsemen?" Clive asked.

  "Vandiel's elite. The Thunder God, The Winged Lady, The Moon Mother, and the Black Knight. Each one has immense destructive powers and is worth a battalion in combat effectiveness. When they appear on the battlefield, we will have to exercise caution."

  "I've fought the Thunder God before. He seemed... manageable," Clive said.

  "Yes, I’ve seen the reports," Louis said. "But I would advise against overconfidence. The reports indicate that he defeated you the first time around, and yet you overcame him. The Thunder God will have studied your techniques and adjusted his tactics. Assuming you'll have the same advantage twice is how soldiers end up dead."

  Clive couldn't argue with that assessment. He only won because of his knowledge of modern engineering. Without rubber and the faraday cage, the matchup might have gone quite differently.

  But that wasn’t what Clive was worried about. The real issue was the Moon Mother. If that really was Jill, what was she doing on the Vandiel side?

  Did he even want it to be her?

  Part of him ached for it. For the chance to see her again, to apologize for everything he'd done wrong. But another part of him recoiled from the thought. Because if it was Jill, and she was fighting for the enemy, then what did that make them? Could he really face her as an enemy?

  “Clive.”

  Clive blinked, realizing Louis had been speaking. "Sir?"

  "I asked if you had any other concerns about the operation."

  "No, sir." The lie came easily. "No concerns."

  "The real problem is going to be the Black Knight," Miranda said. “I’ve seen that monster in combat before. Two years ago, at the Battle of Ashenvale. He walked through a full cavalry charge like it was rain. Then he killed the commander, three captains, and a war mage before anyone could even get close. Even our drakes couldn't touch him.”

  The tent went quiet. Everyone giving their utmost attention.

  "We lost two hundred men in fifteen minutes," Miranda continued. "And he wasn't even trying. He was just clearing a path for his forces to retreat. If he actually commits to a battle..." She shook her head. "We need a contingency if he shows up."

  "The contingency is me." Sion declared.

  Miranda turned to face him. "Your Highness, with all respect—"

  "I know what you're going to say. That I'm too valuable to risk. That the kingdom needs its prince. But this is what I’ve trained to do. This is what the trials were for. All for this moment. What do you say Ignis? Are we afraid of a Black Knight?"

  Ignis’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “I have watched heroes become legends and legends become dust. A little man in dark armor is nothing more than a snack to me.”

  "You see?" Sion looked back at Miranda. "I won't be alone. Ignis and I will handle him if he appears. The rest of you focus on the mission."

  Louis studied Sion for a moment, then he gave a single nod. “Very well then. The Black Knight will be your engagement. Just don’t make me explain to your father why I let you get yourself killed.”

  A few scattered chuckles broke the tension in the tent.

  "I'll do my best not to put you in that position," Sion said.

  Louis nodded. "The operation begins in two days. Any other questions?"

  When no one spoke, he continued. "Dismissed. Get some rest. You'll need it."

  The group filed out of the tent.

  All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

  — Sun Tzu, The Art of War