<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Grand Cathedral - High Council Chambers</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>The doors to the council's chambers burst open, urgency behind the attendant's forcefulness willing his strides toward the esteemed leaders of the Immaculate. He carried with him two scrolls, one particularly larger tucked under his armpit and the more personal one gripped by his hand. The attendant knelt before the six council members and expressed an apology for his brashness before presenting the scrolls.<br/><br/>He laid out the larger scroll first for the council eyes to see. It contained a directive for all knight regiments deployed on Palaugrim, a request to mobilize the main force, detailed plans for an offensive, and wax seals by all squad leaders who acknowledged. On the footnote was a unique wax seal easily recognizable, the Wings of Light, Guilford's seal. Heavy silence descended upon the six council members as they sat there, eyes focused on the scroll before them.<br/><br/>"Has he gone mad?!" raged Livius, a hand pounding on the long table before them.<br/><br/>The broken silence prompted the other members to wallow in their own thoughts on the matter. They never saw this coming, nor were they able to predict that Guilford would act this way. All that careful preparation they had for the<span style="font-style: italic">Salvation Plan</span>, all of it was going to be for naught if they were plunged into a war the council believed they couldn't afford to fight.<br/><br/>"What is Abel doing? Why haven't we heard from him yet? Did we not send him there in time?" Mihai questioned, stress evident in his tone and features.<br/><br/>"Guilford will jeopardize everything we have planned thus far! We cannot let this happen!" Aurel protested, his tone sharpened by anger.<br/><br/>They were in a panic. The situation called forth an argument between the councilors, debating possibilities of how they can dissuade Guilford from his proposal, others already thinking of mitigating the damage of impending war. Ten years was too short a time for the children of the Divine Light to be thrust into chaos once again.<br/><br/>It was time consuming, energy draining too nonetheless. This predicament the councilors now found themselves in will not resolve itself by a mere exchange of words between them. Something has to be done. A tense silence now encompassed the tired councilors, still unable to come up with a countermeasure thanks to the many squad leaders that approved of Guilford's proposal.<br/><br/>"We cannot ignore this. Should we deny this proposal, the people and the knighthood will lose their faith in us... the very people who we swore an oath to guide in walking the path of the righteous." Mihai contemplated, his elbows resting on the long table, his hands clasping together in deep thought.<br/><br/>"But we simply cannot afford another war! The resources we have will not allow us to act recklessly in a foolish attempt such as this! Isn't this why we came up with the Salvation Plan? Because Sin is once again spreading faster than we could contain?" Livius countered.<br/><br/>"Yet we cannot continue ignoring the will of the people. Have you not seen the amount of squad leaders that gave their approval? How many men do you think are following these leaders on the field? If we give them a reason to stand down, we will only have their fingers pointed at us in blame." Aurel stated, eyes locked on to the scroll then flicking over to Cornelius who has yet to say a word. "What say you, Councilor Cornelius?" he asked with bated breath.<br/><br/>The council's leader remained in the comfort of silence, thoughts adrift to the more personal note handed by the attendant to him, or more accurately, to the words written within that he was about to see:<br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic">"Councilor Cornelius,<br/><br/>It has been a great honor to have been given a chance to serve the Divine Light. I, Guilford Rosenwulf will forever remain grateful to your guidance in trying times, your countless words of wisdom shared to this mere child of the Light, but most importantly, to the trust and faith that you have given me. For that Councilor, I give you my thanks from the bottom of my heart.<br/><br/>While I once did not question the Light, my heart and mind is now riddled by them. I have dedicated my life to the cause, carried the heavy burden placed upon my shoulders without complaint, sacrificed a lot and asked for nothing in return. Yet why does the Light keep asking me for more? Does it have no satisfaction? Does it think that I, a mere mortal could feel no pain?<br/><br/>Today I have lost a knight in the hands of Sin Councilor. Brynhildr, my second-in-command. A fine warrior with a heart of gold, who gave me priceless friendship and more. She died with great honor to save my life, but to what end? Is it so the Light could continue to take away more from me? So that it can keep chipping away at me? Councilor, the pain in my heart lingers and continues to drown me in sorrow, while my devotion to the Light only gradually wanes.<br/><br/>Lethe moved on ahead of me, she will keep on fighting, and I say this in her words, 'until my mortal body falls apart'. More so than I did, Lethe blindly follows her faith in the Light, yet it bears me no comfort for I know that the Divine Light will not save her should death come for her, much like it did when it came for my Vice Captain. I will not let that happen. I will protect her if it's the last thing I do.<br/><br/>While I questioned my duties Councilor, the purpose of my existence, the oath I have taken, and even my belief in the power of the Light, amidst this sadness I hold in my heart, I found no other answer to my questions but to keep on fighting. Do not fear, I know people need me more than ever. I will embrace my duties wholeheartedly once again, pick up my sword, don my armor and devote my life to the Divine Light, much like the first time I swore an oath to it and save as many as I can. This however, will be the <span style="font-weight: bold">last</span> time.<br/><br/>The High Council's Salvation Plan, I know all about it. <br/><br/>What I will ask of you now is the least that you and the others from the council can do for me and Lethe, Councilor Cornelius, do not stand in our way...<br/><br/>...or I will come for all of you first. Do not make me have to do this."</span></div></span><br/><br/>Cornelius' eyes fell into sadness after reading the personal message for him. He glanced at the others who continued bickering over the course of action they should take. If only they could read what was inside the scroll in his hand, these fools would no doubt have a few more decades shaved off of their lives. Sliding the message into his pocket, Cornelius then took out his wax burner and seal.<br/><br/>Without consulting the other council members, he called for an attendant who hastily approached him while he was heating up the red wax. "Start a campaign, let both Gless and Lindela know that we are going on the offensive led by Guilford.<span style="font-style: italic">Liberation</span>, this day would have to come sooner or later. I approve it." he said forcefully stamping his seal on the proposal before anybody else could have reacted.<br/><br/>It's not as if he didn't value his life no, it was more on because he truly believed in the Seraphs and their ability. No matter the odds, he knew those two will pull through.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Bryn - Formerly Jenault</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Two days have passed. Guilford and the rest of his squad were still in Jenault, which the townspeople had insistently decided to call Bryn, now that they were going to be officially put on Palaugrim's map. Natalia needed an extra day to grieve when she found out about their Vice Captain. Guilford understood since this will be the second time Natalia has lost a sibling in both blood and bond.<br/><br/>There was now a regiment of knights at work all across town, setting up defensive towers and securing the town proper. The relatively safe path that they have taken from the abandoned dock has been cleared and another knight detachment was stationed in the said dock to restore its functionality. Guilford no longer wanted to take chances. He would use everything he had at his disposal, fight with all of his power, and take any means necessary to ensure there would be no mistakes.<br/><br/>The Seraph stood before his Vice Captain's grave, eyes solemn, and powerful arms wrapped around his youngest knight in an attempt to give her comfort. Natalia's face was buried in his chest, the erratic rising and falling of the blonde's shoulders a show of her emotions. It took a while but she too quieted down, his placid demeanor seemingly rubbing off on her. Moments later and they were standing side by side, quiet, yet understood each other perfectly.<br/><br/>Dull sounds of metallic footsteps heralded the arrival of a group to the scene. Guilford need not look to know that it was his squad behind him. In their own ways, all of them have chosen to fight, to continue on.<br/><br/>"Master Guilford, it is time. The regiment should be able to handle things from here." said a gruff unfamiliar voice among the group.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I understand. Let us be off then... Abel."</span>