Black Crystal Part 1 - The Origin

Chapter Forty Seven ~ The Plan: Revision Numero Dos

November 21st, 1816.

Columbia Gorge, Aboard the Black Falcon, Oregon Province.

The clouds started rolling in by the time Rin, Millicent, Horace, and Xander left Portland after dropping Lenora off and flew north towards where the Washington Military would be marching. They all felt the same determination while they soared through the skies. "We're getting close to our destination," Rin told Xander. "I can practically hear their marching footsteps from up here." She turned around and looked towards her parents. "Are the cannons loaded?"

"They are indeed," said Millicent. "And we're prepared to fire at your command." Rin nodded and looked forward again. Xander walked to stand beside her and he looked at her.

"You're a natural leader," he said. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Rin scoffed at Xander. "I expected you to be scared one. You only have one more hand—we don't want you losing it." She smirked and looked at Xander. "Your usefulness would quickly disappear."

"Shut up," Xander chuckled. He approached the Black Falcon's prow and looked at the thick forest land below them. "I will admit that I actually am scared, though." He put his right hand on the wooden railing that framed the top of the Airship. "Even Lenora was worried about this plan. A lot of people will die. I understand that's how wars work, but it just seems so unnecessary. And what about Garen? He's been missing for quite some time now."

"I think that's why Lenora has taken charge," said Horace. "While it sounds like something Garen would do, he isn't here to make that decision." Horace turned and leaned up against the side frame of the ship. "Something changed within her as a result of not having Garen around during a time of crisis. On one hand, it's quite sad, but on the other... this was a necessary change for Lenora. She knows what she's capable of now."

Everyone went silent after Horace spoke. There was truth to his words, and they all knew it gladly. Even Xander smiled at the thought. I always knew she had this strength, he thought to himself. Lenora's gonna save us all, isn't she? I just know it.

"Wait a minute." Rin looked down and saw the masses of Washington's Military marching in unison. There were so many of them, each step they all took was completely audible even from the Airship. "Everybody, get to your positions." Xander, Millicent, and Horace, as if it was rehearsed, ran to three stations on the deck of the Black Falcon and pulled mechanical consoles out from below the deck and manned the cannons. "On my mark!" Rin exclaimed. Xander, Millicent, and Horace messed with the consoles and cannons emerged from the Airship's hull. Rin steered closer to the massive group and lowered the Black Falcon so there was a clear line of sight. "Fire!" she shouted. Immediately, Xander, Millicent, and Horace began to open fire on the crowd. The soldiers were caught off guard as bullets sprayed from the rotating maxim cannons on the Black Falcon.

The cannons mowed many of the soldiers down, causing a lot of them to turn around and start running back the way they headed. "Look!" Xander exclaimed, pointing at two soldiers in the very front. As soon as all the chaos began, they turned around and started stabbing the soldiers around them with the bayonets on their sniper rifles. "Those two soldiers down there are killing their own men!"

"Spies, perhaps?" asked Millicent. "People on our side who snuck into their military for some reason?"

"If they are, we just broke their cover," Rin replied. "It looks like the majority of them are starting to run away. I can't imagine we have much firepower left in the ship, so hold your fire. We'll land and see if those two soldiers really are two of our own." Xander, Millicent, and Horace stopped shooting at the soldiers as Rin lowered the Airship. Many of the Greycoats had tucked tail and ran, but those same two stood there in a pool of the blood of the hundreds of fallen Greycoats, snipers against their shoulders. Xander gasped when he saw one of them.

"Holy crap!" he exclaimed. "That's Garen! Garen's one of the spies!"

"Are you serious!?" Rin asked with shock, looking at the two Greycoats. Sure enough, one of them was indeed Garen.

Rin landed the Black Falcon in an open space, and as soon as she did, Xander hurried out of the Airship and practically tackled Garen with an embrace. "Dude, we were getting so worried about you!" he said. "Where in the world have you been?"

"Looking for this guy," Garen chuckled, gesturing towards a man Xander recognized—Garen's long-lost father and Lenora's long-lost mentor, John Sleadd. Xander looked at him with awe.

"Where in the world have you been?" he asked. "My parents—"

"They've been looking for me, right?" John asked. He chuckled lightly and shrugged. "Well, I've been flying under the radar shortly after the War of 1806, but considering that history is about to repeat itself, and my son found me somehow..." John smiled as he wrapped an arm around Garen's shoulders. "Looks like it's my time to return." John's welcoming smile practically filled Xander's heart with warmth. "You're little Prince Xander. Lenora's big brother, aren't you? My, it's been a long time." The Black Falcon powered down, and Rin saw Garen standing with Xander and John. Tears filled her eyes once again and she ran towards Garen with a very wide embrace. Garen laughed and embraced her tightly in response.

"I haven't seen you in seven years," he said to Rin. "You haven't changed a bit."

"And you've changed a ton!" Rin exclaimed excitedly, putting her hands on Garen's cheeks. "Look at you—you're a handsome, grown man now, Garen! Where in the world did the time go?" She put her hands back at her sides and turned towards John. "Speaking of time, we don't have much. Something very big is about to happen at the Castle, and we need to put a stop to it."

"Looks like we at least stopped the majority of those soldiers from attacking," said Xander, looking around at the bloody mess of fallen Greycoats. Before he could say anything, he was shocked to find a squirrel crawl out of the pocket of the long jacket Garen wore, and even more to his and Rin's surprise, the squirrel spoke.

"Oi," he groaned. "It's so stuffy in there, bloody 'ell!" Xander pointed down at it with a shocked expression.

"It-It talks?" he asked meekly.

"Oi, kiddo!" the squirrel snapped at Xander, to which Xander replied with a startled jump. "I have a name, y'know!"

"His name's Diedrich," Garen chuckled a little. "He's been like my companion ever since I started searching for my dad here. But now that I've found him, it looks like my next mission's a lot bigger."

"A lot bigger," said Rin. "The Chancellor of the Washington Province is making Lenora marry his son tomorrow." An expression of anger came over Garen, and Rin smirked. "That's one of the reasons why we came here. You love Lenora, right?"

"I absolutely love Lenora," Garen replied. "More than anything."

"Then we need to figure out a way to stop the wedding from happening tomorrow," said Xander. "What'll we do?" Garen looked over at John and then Diedrich before nodding.

"We'll discuss it on the Airship," he said. Rin took the lead as they got back onto the Black Falcon, this time, with Garen, John, and Diedrich in tow. Rin started it back up and got it into the air.

"Do you already have a plan in mind?" John asked with curiosity. "Goodness, Garen, you're just full of surprises."

"Well, we're already in disguise as Greycoats." Garen lifted the tail of his jacket and let it slip through his fingertips. "We can sneak into the wedding and get rid of the Chancellor's son."

"Get rid of him?" Xander scoffed. "Jeez, that, uh... seems a little drastic there, buddy."

"Says the guy who obliterated an entire military!" Diedrich remarked. "Well, one of the guys, but the point still stands. And besides, it's a best a shot as we've got. We have to prevent war somehow, right? Getting rid of one of the enemy's leaders is sure to fix that."

"Or spark an even larger war," Rin replied. "We can't risk running that, uh... risk. That was redundant. But what if the Chancellor is still holding back?"

"He's not that smart, sweetie," Millicent chuckled. "And he may have strength in numbers, but we've got the capability to take out as many of them as he can throw at us." Garen nodded and looked forward.

"We need to get into the Castle," he said. "We'll attend the reception and stop it then."