Side Story – Felicia - Chapter 2 The End in Sight (Patreon)

Chapter 2 The End in Sight

Felicia felt the cold winds move around her, her feet landing in the snow in front of the Alymie hideout. The night had brought no new information, only death and suffering. She still felt the arrows in her stomach, the burns on her body. Yet nothing remained, a phantom pain of sorts, a drawback of her Arcane Berserker class. She heard a whisper in her ears, danger. Her buffs activated, the winds around her whirling as her eyes focused on the dark spot on a nearby tree. “Show yourself.” She said, a hand reaching out as blades of wind formed around her.

She heard a giggle, a familiar sound. Purple eyes appeared, part of a wicked face that smiled down on her. “Your level isn’t just for show.” Maria said in a silent tone, Felicia wondering if her words too had some way to sneak around her, rip out a part of her. The woman teleported down from the tree, holding out her hands to the side, “You don’t need to fear me.” She said, fresh blood still dripping from her gray leather armor.

“Why are you here. Edwin is drunk and confused, he won’t be able to join you.” Felicia said, her wind magic calming down, the defensive buffs staying active. She was ready to fight.

Maria looked up, magic flowing around her as the blood on her vanished, “I’m not here for him. He’s been terribly boring since you finally killed Arthur. As if there weren’t hundreds more deserving of his fate.”

Felicia didn’t exactly know how the woman determined if someone is deserving of death. “I’m here because the empire is finally going to break out. I thought you would like to know that. I’ve come across an imperial scout north east of the main Baralia encampments. Farther than any I’ve spotted before.”

“Any why would that mean the capital is making their move?” It has been overdue. Baralia couldn’t break through the defenses, their food supplies dwindling and the supply chain ineffective for the amount of people that had stormed the city initially. Neither had it gotten better over the last months, most of their efforts focused on getting out the slaves and treasures they had gained, not on bringing in siege weapons, more people, engineers and food.

Felicia frowned, Like a bunch of bandits and slavers. It pissed her off that a kingdom so lousy at waging war had nearly manged to take the empire’s capital.

Maria laughed, “I see you’re done with them too. Well I wanted to see if you lot wanted to join in on the slaughter once the empire breaks out. I suspect a simple flank from the east. Most of the soldiers are freezing and starving in their shit tents while their officers fuck their slaves and feast on whatever supplies they get their fat hands on.”

Felicia squinted her eyes, “They still have a lot of powerful individuals. Their resistance will be fierce.”

The void mage shrugged, “So? Do you think they will group up and fight us in formation? They will flee at the first sign of their defeat. It’s been nearly a year, even the most battle hungry have grown bored of this conflict. Some even outright left already, defying their king and his circle. Even if they took the city, the resulting struggles would shake them up internally.”

“I still believe you are exaggerating. Still, I’ll join you. The others stay hidden. I don’t want either of them to get slaughtered by some upstart Baralia warlord. Neither will I allow an imperial to hurt them in the chaos. We have enemies still.” Felicia said.

Maria sighed, “What better way to draw them out?”

Felicia smirked, “My liking is much better known among the nobles of Virilya. Father liked to parade me around, not so much my dear brother. I doubt you could keep your bloodlust in control but stay close to me and you’ll have your fill.”

The void mage laughed, “Perhaps it was a mistake to go out on my own all this time. You’ve finally grown up.”

She chuckled and motioned for Maria to lead the way, “Come, I’d like to see the spectacle first hand. It’s nearly dawn.” Felicia kept her buffs active, watching every move of the void mage, I simply know how you think. Never would I let them hurt Aliana or Edwin. But if I can use a honed blade like yourself, Maria. I will gladly accept.

The city looked the same as it had the last ten months. Much of it ruins and rubble, a few monster species even nested within. The Baralia encampment was visible from the top of the wall, a huge stretch of land taken by the tents hastily built and never much improved in all the time they had. Felicia was sure they had planned to stay inside the city itself, not expecting the central district to destroy their own capital to keep their enemies out.

Houses could be rebuilt, gold and mana was all that was necessary. Keeping the enemy out in the cold and their shit tents and hastily built encampments was priceless. Instead of increasing efficiency, the warlords had just focused on who had the bigger tents, some of the supply wagons having to travel for over an hour to reach parts of their camp. It will take a while to get rid of their stench. Felicia hated them, hated their slavery, their savagery. An upstart tribe of the northern plains forming a kingdom hundreds of years ago, the lack of response from the empire allowing their expansion.

She would do everything she could to make them crush the enemy. Then again, the few nobles and officers she could contact felt very much the same. The losses were massive on either side, both in life and gold. Most of them because of the weather and wild monsters preying on the refugees. A low level soldier pissing near the treeline was an easy target for goblins or Nazarks. Worse beasts had slaughtered hundreds. Massive bonfires kept them at bay, the bustling activity and confusing smells keeping most far away from the encampment at least.

She turned and looked at Maria, the woman honing a dagger.

[Mage – lvl 238]

Slaughtering soldiers hadn’t been very beneficial to her power, then again, more wasn’t exactly necessary when dealing with humans alone. Felicia knew there were other enemies out there, knew that the monsters in their own lands still overwhelmed most armies and adventurers, the only claim they had on the territory were documents the beasts didn’t even comprehend. The empire did a good job clearing out dungeons, slaughtering bigger monster populations that threatened their cities but it wasn’t enough, the nobles more focused on their short term profits than the long term benefits of truly claiming the lands.

She knew of course that anything else was unrealistic without a more centralized government, more powerful leaders that wouldn’t need to cater to every and all of their officers and nobles. The empire was a massive system and they progressed, slowly yes, but they cleared out monsters and created more space for humans to settle. In the last ten months, Baralia had failed in taking the empire but they had succeeded in reverting the progress of the last decade at least.

Monsters were in the very capital, the dungeons were overflowing and monsters roamed the plains, destroyed abandoned farms and villages. “We’re going to get spotted if you keep that up.” Maria said with a smirk.

Felicia canceled her Berserker spells, calming down with the sound of the winter winds. She didn’t reply. It was ridiculous that they could sit on the eastern wall without being spotted by a Baralia scout. The fact that the empire had needed so long to break the siege was a failure nearly as big. They’re probably already debating who will get which provinces once the kingdom is destroyed, while their people flee to Ravenhall and the western kingdoms, the very same kingdoms looking at our lands like vultures.

“It’s happening.” Maria said, her eyes glowing a deep purple as she looked towards the distant central district. The barrier shimmered, barely holding up against the projectiles continuously hammering in on it. A barrier that stood unmoving for ten months against the continued concentrated bombardment from hundreds of high level mages, faltering against the night crew consisting of probably less than thirty.

Felicia didn’t say anything, simply jumping off the wall, gliding on the air as she sped up towards the center. As she got closer, the first signs of battle could be seen. There were still no visible reinforcements from the camp outside the city. Maria is right. She continued her flight, the barrier around the center coming down as her wind blades cut into a flying baralia officer, the man interrupted in his spell and unaware of the approaching woman.

“You’re with the empire?” A flying mage asked, three more people approaching quickly.

“Felicia Redleaf, head of my house. Took you long enough.”

He nodded, “Good, the closest general is Thor Lysdain. We’re with the east flank. Good to have you lady Redleaf.”

She felt goosebumps on her back, the man acknowledging her immediately. Thor Lysdain. That will work. She needed allies and if she knew anything about the Lysdain head, then that he was a battle maniac, loud and honorable. Exactly what she needed right now. “I will report to the general and will see you on the battlefield. For the Empire!” She said, the excitement rushing through her lending her voice credibility and strength. The man smiled and flew on, his crew following, each nodding her way.

Felicia zeroed in on the company moving on the ground, a group of around two hundred, led by the man she was looking for. A bulky warrior with a massive war hammer and full plate armor in a dark green color bordering on black. She signaled the war band that she was friendly and fell in near the man, nobody obstructing her as they ran and flew northwards, towards the enemy encampment. “Felicia Redleaf, head of my house, reporting to general Lysdain.” She noted that more mages joined the group from the east, having waited or camped nearby. Maria also appeared nearby, running next to the company.

The general laughed, each of his steps crashing against the stone loudly, “It is true then, Arthur was felled. I had expected one of his sons to fill in but you seem capable enough.”

The sounds of battle started to spread throughout the city and beyond, the Baralia troops stationed inside were fleeing through the open gates or flying over the walls, their war band soon joining together with two more groups before they gathered outside the walls. Generals and nobles in their expensive and high class gear were at the front, Felicia amidst them without anybody questioning her position. Both herself and Maria were of a higher level than many of them and she had learned from childhood how to hold herself and behave as a noble.

Thor Lysdain lifted his hammer as soon as the eastern company had exited the city, “Come now, too long have we bid our time! Take back what is yours, sons and daughters of Virilya!” She felt herself lighten a little, the man using magic to enhance his voice and those who listened. The sound of various instruments and voices joined in, defenses raised and agility increased as they moved towards the enemy encampment, prepared and in formation. Felicia flew up, many others following her example.

The camp spread before them, hundreds of meters to the north. Fires were already raging as two companies moved in from the northeast and west, the suns rising over the horizon shining down on the battlefield that would soon mark the end of Baralia. She felt her berserker class tugging on her mind, giving in partially to enhance her body and magic. Tens of thousands would fall today, a tragedy for human life. One that Felicia welcomed with all that she was. The rest of the distance was passed, a cone of air slamming into the half dressed and hungover soldiers, ripping them apart as she teleported through, the winds leading her.