Chief's Crown IV

Having taken Thunderdoom, Silver Arrow presses its advantage and pursues the remaining Imperial forces toward the Gratias Plains. Siren Woodvile stays behind to defend the newly-captured fort; she and Kevin Hastings, worried for each other, promise to meet again — the on-screen payoff of a crush he's kept to himself since early in the story.

Two of the Four Imperial Guardians — Koon Greer and Irus — deploy to intercept the advancing Alliance. This is the Guardians' first appearance in the story; an older draft of this compendium knew them as the "Four Heavenly Kings," confirmed here as the same group, with a second confrontation still to come during the Sky Stronghold campaign.

As the plains draw near, Iyolin recalls the first Battle of Gratias fought here — the one where the Black Prince personally annihilated the original Silver Arrow Alliance six years before, killing King Ashur and costing Iyolin and Lacid their kingdom — and marches on burning with determination to avenge it. Irus, underestimating the enemy, leaves the fight to Koon — who believes her moment has finally come.

Koon's magic halts the Alliance's advance cold. In the chaos, she and Cameo Beaufort — her old teacher — come face to face, and it comes out that Koon believes Cameo abandoned her when Pandragon Castle fell. Filled with rage, Koon unleashes everything she has, driving the Alliance back further with every attack.

With no way to break through Koon's magic, Cameo puts her own life on the line to raise a Magic Seal — buying the Alliance the opening it needs. She dies from the effort, and a furious Haya Belle turns on Koon in retaliation; even Van Dyke, a wizard fighting alongside the Alliance, joins the counterattack. Overwhelmed by Cameo's Magic Seal, Koon and Irus are forced to retreat.

It's a hard-won victory, avenging Silver Arrow's defeat here six years before — but with no time to grieve Cameo, the Alliance regroups, captures Asbender Fortress, and steels itself for what comes next. Off on his own, Koon recalls being 'abandoned' by his master and falls into thought; Irus teases him for getting sentimental.

This is the Second Battle of the Gratias Plains — a separate, later confrontation still lies ahead at the Black Bridge, where Koon's strike triggers G.S's awakening as the Black Prince, but that's a different event at a different place, not a third Gratias battle.