The sun fell, and campfires were lit.
There was no need to set up tents, since there were some buildings that were unoccupied and could be used as shelter.
But there was one tent.
Inside that tent, Oscar, Lunan, Merlyn, and Routhu surrounded a single table. They all sat, cross-legged.
Lunan rolled a long scroll of paper down on the wooden table, flattening and straightening it.
"Here's the plan,"
Lunan grabbed a red pencil, beginning to scribble and draw some sort of rough map.
"being that we're likely going to be outnumbered, we have to use deceit and… sacrifice."
"Sacrifice?" Oscar began to question Lunan's moral compass.
"Not literally. It'll be hard to explain. But we're gonna have to be quick about it. A simple plan, that those numb skulls will fall for. Make them think our army is far weaker, use the terrain to hide our army, and catch them off guard!" He clasped his palms together as if closing a little creature between his fingers.
"I feel like I do not quite understand…" Merlyn scratched her chin, now outside of her heavy armor.
"What's not to understand? He's speaking very clearly." Routhu chimed in. He was just a lieutenant general, but he was respected enough to be able to pitch in his ideas.
Merlyn stared at him, annoyed. Routhu was not trying to be obnoxious at all, but she just felt that way.
Routhu continued.
"I think it's a good idea. But it'll only work on someone who isn't that smart, right? People on the smarter side would be able to figure out that it's a trap. So they'll form a type of formation that protects every angle."
"Right, right. They'll be focused on protecting the north, the east, the west, and the south sides of their army. But what about underneath? The sky?"
Lunan pointed up.
"It's a pretty simple plan, really. Brute force our way through their forces, whether it's from the sky or the ground."
"And how exactly are we gonna get underground? How are we going to reach the skies?" Merlyn interrupted.
"I have just the idea. I'm a spirit contractor. The spirit I'm in a contract in will give me just the ability for it."
"So we just have to… trust you?" Oscar asked, with fair concern in his voice.
"Jeez, jeez. I got this. War is an unpredictable sport. There are variables at every corner you turn. I might just think of a better plan, while we're in the battle."
. . .
. .