MLII C2, P6- "The Greatest Plan"

"The Greatest Plan" is the sixth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's second Chapter. It was released on 04.11.2020.

## Plot

Ghall-Ihrno surprises his friends with a plan that he and his Vahnatai allies have managed to figure out that will allow them to reach Fort Darkside without going there on foot and endangering their lives in the process. Or fighting any monsters.

Vahnatai magic. This can only end well...

## Story

Jared, his grandfather, Devin and Florence arrive in Ghall-Ihrno's residence.

"Come in, my friends! I have some wonderful news for you!"- Ghall-Ihrno says and welcomes them in.

When they sit on the chairs in his living room, he enters and sits down on one himself.

"What do you want to tell us?"- Jared asks him curiously.

Ghall-Ihrno smiles.

"What, you say? About our new plan, of course!"- He responds.

Devin raises his eyebrow.

"New plan? Care to fill us in with the details?"

Ghall-Ihrno nods.

"Gladly."- He responds- "There is now a way for us to infiltrate Dorikas' residence without attracting unwanted attention, all with a simple mechanical device!"

"With the permission of Jared's father, we converted one of the rooms in the ruined Kaos residence into a portal room."- He continues- "Isn't it exciting?"

Devin shivers in fear.

"*Oh... no. Oh, dear. Not those portals again.*"- He says to himself- "*I think that I'm going to pass out...*"

Florence is not scared of the portals. In fact, she is openly curious.

"This is exciting!"- She says- "Going into one of those dangerous devices? I've always wanted to try that!"

Devin shakes his head.

"*No. No, it's not.*"- He whispers to her- "*Trust me, they're a nightmare for someone who doesn't know how to use them properly.*"

Ghall-Ihrno smiles.

"Ah. I see that one still respects the power of the portals."- He says- "Good thinking, my child."

Jared smiles as well.

"Portals can be unpredictable, but they also have their ups. And downs."- He says- "But using a portal like this to slip through the enemy lines? Now this is a *brilliant* idea!"

Devin is out of his mind with fear, unable to say anything to stop his friend from saying those words. Jared ignores him.

Ghall-Ihrno nods.

"Thank you for understanding, Jared. Your wisdom is noted."- He says- "Now, I know that some of you don't know how portals work. Let me invite my friend to explain this."

He looks at the front door.

"You may come in."- He says.

The door opens and a tall Vahnatai enters the room. He looks at the guests and bows- a sign of respect amongst Vahnatai and Humans.

"Hello, humans."- He begins- "My name is Horis-Ihrno. I am a student of Master Ghall-Ihrno who has come here to help with the creation of a new portal to Fort Darkside. I understand that some of you may not be familiar with those spectacular devices, so let me explain how they work to you."

He takes a deep breath and begins to speak:

"Portals are devices that can teleport a person from one place to another. They usually work as two-way gateways that can be used to return to the previous location anytime. However, there are some that are only one way, which means that they will teleport you to your destination, but there is no portal on the other side. The portal that you are going to use is, unfortunately, of the second category."

Devin gasps.

"So, once we go there... there is no coming back.

Horis-Ihrno smiles.

"Oh, I am sure that the Master has a plan for that."- He says and turns to Ghall-Ihrno- "Right, Master?"

Ghall-Ihrno nods.

"Indeed I do. That's why we calculated this perfectly."- He says- "Once you are there, we will send a huge arny of Avernites to infiltrate the Abyss and attack Fort Darkside, with the help of soldiers from both the cities of Spire and Bargha. They are going to storm the gates and grant you entry, thanks to the chaos that they will cause when they fight the loyalists inside."

He stands up and looks at Jared.

"So, my friend."- He continues- "Are you ready to be a hero once again? Are you ready to take down this powerful enemy down and ensure the safety of our world once again?"

Jared nods. His eyes beam with excitement.

"Just like I always have, I will defeat our enemies and show them that they cannot fight back against the forces of the good ones. Dorikas will pay for challenging us!"

Lethal nods. Then, he looks at Ghall-Ihrno.

"Wait. What about the item that you told us about not long ago?"- He says.

Ghall-Ihrno shakes his head.

"About that... "- He mutters- "My spies found it and recovered it. Unfortunately, it was in pieces. It seems like Rentar-Ihrno's worshippers found it and made sure that nobody will be able to use it against their leader."

He looks at Jared and sees the Demonslayer on his back.

"There is only one weapon that can defeat this ancient evil."- He says- "And it sits on Jared's back."

Jared draws Demonslayer and shows it to Ghall-Ihrno.

"You mean Demonslayer?"- He asks him- "But why? Isn't Rentar-Ihrno a Crystal Soul?"

Ghall-Ihrno nods.

"Correct. But she also has evil within her soul, evil that has transformed her into something... sinister. And dangerous."- He says- "Keep your eyes open, Jared. I don't know what she has turned into, but I am most certain that this weapon will be the key to defeating her once and for all."

Jared nods and smiles.

"Yes, my friend."- He says- "No matter how strong the Darkness is, the weapon of pure Light known as the Demonslayer will crush it. That is for sure."

Ghall-Ihrno smiles.

"Bold words from someone as young as you. But I know that you can definitely back them up with your fighting abilities."

He points at the door.

"I don't want to be a rude host, but I think that it is time to go."- He mutters- "Evil is just around the corner and it is still recovering from all the damage that we did to it when we killed Lysstak the Beast. We must strike while it is still weak, otherwise... this will not end well for us."

Jared nods and stands up.

"We will be on our way. Thank you for the hospitality, sir."- He says.

Ghall-Ihrno nods and smiles.

"Horis-Ihrno will accompany you to the portal room. There, he will wish you good luck and send you on your way. Oh, and please do not fail this sacred mission. If not for me, then for the sake of every creature that lives in our world."

Suddenly, Jared remembers the moments that he dreamed of not long ago. All the destruction that the Darkside Loyalists have caused. All the innocents that they have slain.

No. Defeat is not an option. Not in *this* situation.

"Evil shall not be allowed to roam around our lands, no matter how strong it is."- He says stoically- "All of it will be crushed, for the sake of every innocent."

Ghall-Ihrno smiles.

"Seeing how brave all of you are, I can proudly say that the future does indeed look bright. And it will be even brighter, once the dark cloud of evil is gone."

He looks at Jared hopefully.

"The stakes are high, but we know that you can succeed, Hero of Avernum."

Jared smiles.

"You can count on me, Ghall-Ihrno."- He says- "Farewell!"

Having said that, he leaves the residence, his friends, grandpa and Horis-Ihrno standing right behind him.

Midway, Jared turns to Horis-Ihrno.

"So. Where is the portal located?"

Horis-Ihrno smiles.

"Oh, I think that me and my Master chose the perfect place for this occasion."- He responds- "Your father's study. A room with a surprisingly high amount of magic inhabiting it."

Jared nods and smiles.

"Interesting."

Satisfied with the answer, he turns around just as he reaches the door that leads into the residence and opens it.

He turns back to his allies.

"Are you ready for the biggest battle of your lives?"

Lethal, Devin and Florence nod.

"**We are born ready!**"- They say in perfect unison.

Jared smiles and enters the residence.

"*It is time for action!*"- He says to himself- "*Let us rock... **and roll!***"