Side Story – Alice - Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Author's note: Hey there. Got one done after all.

Thanks for the continued high tier support :). For now I cannot say if I will get any side chapters done in the three months of civic service.

I do appreciate ongoing support of course but encourage you to lower/cancel for now. I think it is rather likely that I won't be able to write side chapters in the next three months.

Otherwise you can just resubscribe anyway.

Again, thanks and let me know what you think :).

Side Story – Alice - Chapter 3

“That’s him, the one talking,” Alice whispered to the group waiting behind her.

“Are you sure?” Immanuel asked. The swordmaster clutched his blade tightly, sweat glinting in the faint light.

The hall was large, made entirely of stone. One of the secret gathering places below the Forkspear estate. The wealth of the family clearly showed.

Alice had assumed this was where they were hiding after the estate itself had fallen into chaos, no meaningful resistance put up by anyone. Looters and overzealous rebels had dominated much of the  first days. By now Ziva had managed to rein them in. Mostly. Plenty of executions had been necessary too.

Alice had taken care of some people herself, unintentionally making a name for herself. She was nervous to finally face her brother. He had always been powerful and devious, keeping only those around him he could trust.

Nobody would even know of this hall except for one of his siblings. Most had fled or were dead by now. The dust had yet to settle, Alice neither knew nor cared much. What she cared about was currently addressing his personal army of the strategic points they had to focus on in the retaking.

He is completely delusional. Is he really unaware of the scope of this? You are on the wrong side, brother.

Either way, Alice would have been on the side facing him.

She had gotten stronger, that much was sure but challenging Bjorn was still very much outside of her capabilities.

“Four healers, Corinth,” a male voice said, the man being the main reason she wasn’t overly concerned about the coming battle.

He was armored in light gear, dozens of knifes strapped to various parts of his intricate costume that covered his face. The crucial point was that all of his gear was black. He was a Shadow.

Who was paying him was unclear. Neither did Alice care much, as long as he was fighting on their side. She had yet to see one of them on the side of the nobles. Good thing too, I would be dead otherwise.

“We have to knock them out first,” Jaime said.

“I will take care of them,” the Shadow confirmed and vanished. Where to, Alice had no idea.

“Get in position,” the voice came from above.

Everyone followed suit, Alice preparing her enchanted plates and stones, already knowing exactly where to throw them.

She waited, counting the heartbeats that thrummed in her ears.

Jaime nodded her way.

And then it begun.

The four healers all clutched their chests at the same time, two of them collapsing nearly immediately. Alice vanished and appeared on the ground floor, amidst wooden benches and tables. The attention of the various adventurers, soldiers and mercenaries was focused up and on the warriors jumping down.

Spells and arrows rained onto raised shields and barriers as the hall erupted into chaos.

She worked quickly, focusing on her task as she set up the runed plates. She had to blink twice to avoid attackers, most of them at least in her range of level and not much above.

The Azarinth class she had gave her an advantage and by now she knew that very well. It didn’t come as a surprise anymore that Ilea had survived in the Taleen dungeon. Even she might have a chance to do so. As she was now. Alice would never risk it, neither for personal power nor for whatever treasure lay within.

Her place was here, in Dawntree. At the center of her family’s downfall.

The barrier thrummed to life, blocking teleportation to prevent anybody from escaping.

She blinked and slammed the back of a warrior’s head, his torso pierced by a spear a moment later.

Alice focused on her sphere as she avoided spells exploding around her, healing the occasional rebel as they slowly overwhelmed the enemy forces.

Some were already trying to escape, finding a barrier in place to prevent their flight.

Alice knew where her barrier was being damaged, knocking out everyone she could with powerful punches. Some she knew would not recover, others might make it. She would not be the judge for them. The only one she cared about was Bjorn.

He was protecting one of the healers who had survived, four people forming a circle around the older man as his magic flowed out.

Alice rushed a mage that was charging a spell, barely reaching him when four small blades rammed into his face, followed by a dagger that severed his spine, held by the Shadow who had appeared.

She watched as the blades vanished, appearing back in the sheathes.

They had won.

Only the circle remained, Alice blinking around as she checked on various injured and dead rebels, healing those she could still save. Any death was a waste but she was more concerned about them remembering her actions here. Being able to save people came with its own benefits.

Many would remember her more than they remembered the Shadow, whose name remained unspoken, unknown.

“Shadow! I will pay you twice of whatever they’re giving you!” Bjorn called out, his face frantic, terrified.

Alice couldn’t help but smile. Feels shit, right brother?

Her face was covered, his attention fully on the man in black.

She couldn’t identify Bjorn but his fear painted a clear picture of the situation.

The Shadow didn’t even reply, simply signaling to the mages to continue their assault.

Arrows and spells slammed down onto the group, one of them a barrier mage that kept most of the damage at bay. The healer took care of whatever went through.

“We will surrender, let me talk to whoever is leading this rebellion!” Bjorn called out.

“Why?” the Shadow asked and signaled for the others to stop.

Don’t listen to him, Alice thought.

“We have secret stashes, locations, gold and riches. Only I know about them. It would be wise to keep me alive. I am sure we can reach a deal,” he said.

“There is no deal, Bjorn Forkspear,” Jaime said as he approached, a hood covering his face.

Bjorn’s eyes opened wide as he regarded the man. “The butler… you… it was you! Alice is alive, isn’t she? That little weasel.”

The Shadow seemed tired of the ordeal, deeming the noble’s suggestions hubris. A variety of daggers were thrown, flashing in and out of existence before they dug into the barrier. His assault continued until the defense broke and he appeared amidst the five people.

His hands moved faster than Alice could perceive, the close range in his advantage. She watched as a dagger pierced one of the healer’s eyes, the barrier mage’s neck stabbed. He disarmed the two remaining warriors and clashed blades with Bjorn.

Jaime cut through one of the fighters, grabbing his lost axe on the ground. The second one had his chest pierced by arrows from above. A bolt of lightning scorched his face but he was still alive, crawling on the ground as he screamed for help.

Another warrior finished the man with a hammer to his back, a sickening crunch resounding.

“You fight well,” the Shadow spoke, his daggers flashing in and out, his hands moving with high speed to deflect the many blows and slashes of Bjorn’s sword.

“Then leave me be, Shadow! The Hand should not meddle in such affairs.”

“Send your complaint to Ravenhall,” the Shadow said and cut Bjorn’s hand, making him drop his blade.

The man stumbled backwards, his shield still in hand.

“Poison? You coward. I thought you monster hunters, not assassins!” Bjorn spewed out, his eyes frantic now, the man losing control of his voice.

The Shadow didn’t reply, instead looked towards Alice.

She took an instinctive step back from the powerful presence. Is he going to kill me too? He knows I’m part of this family.

“Girl, I know you have history. I will not get in the way of it. He should die soon, either way,” the Shadow spoke and went to collect his knifes.

Bjorn teleported away but appeared in front of the near invisible barrier.

Alice took a deep breath and nodded.

“Thank you,” she spoke and walked towards her brother.

He froze up at the voice and turned.

“Alice,” he said, grabbing a blade from one of his fallen mercenaries.

“Bjorn,” she said.

“So you instigated this insane coup… you and your… peasants. Call them off now, you know me. We are family,” he said.

“I know you,” Alice said and teleported behind him. She ignored the blade that came for her, his attack meant to maim, not to kill. She knew he would try to injure her, humiliate her, use her against the others. His delusion was to think she had more influence than the Shadow that stood before him.

It was the arrogance that led to this whole situation and even in death, he was too blind to see it. The blade cut into her side just as her fist connected with his throat.

The punch surprised him, the force of it coupled with the destructive mana. She held onto the blade and punched again. The same spot.

He had nothing to say anymore. She thought it fitting.

The poison was making him weak, slow. She could tell he would be dead very soon.

His eyes only held confusion as he looked at her, unable to grasp the difference in her power. His mind still stuck on the useless little girl she had been, a mere object to trade in political favors.

Another punch crashed into his nose. Bones cracked but she didn’t let up.

He ripped out the blade and slashed at her, finding only thin air before a hard kick to his knee sent him sprawling to the floor.

Alice landed on him, a hard punch knocking the air out of her throat but she kept close, her own punches mostly shrugged off but she knew the mana would overwhelm him in time. Her own injuries healed. His didn’t.

The pain moved to the background as she slammed her fists down. Again and again. His resistance faltered with time, his own attacks slowing down until nothing remained.

Alice continued until she head the crack of his skull and the notification that followed soon after. She wanted to continue, wanted to break everything he was but she couldn’t move anymore.

“It’s alright, Alice. You finished the job,” the voice of Jaime resounded behind her. He was holding her arms.

“There are people to heal,” the Shadow spoke, standing closer than she had thought.

She nodded, wiping away the tears and blood from her face as she was led to the injured by Jaime.

She heard steel enter flesh as the Shadow confirmed the kill.

I killed him. I killed my brother.

They returned and reported to Ziva, the woman having taken over one of the most prominent squares in the city as the headquarters of the rebels.

The Shadow delivered the bodies, having carried them through a storage device hidden on his body.

“Well done,” the woman said as she checked the people. “Alice, any additional locations you know about?”

She shook her head, her gaze focused on her dead brother. The few ones that I know of, I will personally search in the coming years.

“A successful hunt?” another voice said, the appearing man carefully setting down a body.

Alice’s eyes opened wide. It was one of the heads of the Corinth order.

Ziva frowned. “No negotiations?”

“I did try my best. They were a little less cooperative than I would have expected. Some of the priests at least seemed reasonable. Most of them were taken but many of the higher ups resisted heavily,” he explained.

Another Shadow.

They didn’t even look at each other.

“That concludes the deal. I will consider the administrator’s offer. As well as the funds promised by Lilith,” Ziva said.

The man nodded and winked to the other Shadow, most of his face covered by a mask.

Immanuel seemed uneasy, a frown on his face.

This sphere really is quite useful, Alice noted. The city was theirs, only some cleanup remaining. Two Shadows stood with Ziva as well as most of the populace. If anyone could bring order, it was her. And Alice stood here, amongst those that surrounded her. She would make sure it stayed like that.

Will have to investigate the Administrator and Lilith. Close ties to one of the Shadows. Potential friction between them and the other one. Immanuel Pierce isn’t happy about it either. Not allied with the Nipha empire then? Now that the dust settles, I will have to plan my next steps. Many still remain that would rather see me dead than have a previous noble in the new government.