The Fell War - Chapter 21 (Patreon)

Before they could worry about Orli, however, they had to worry about the Granato. The gate was quickly rebuilt; players from every city working together to scrounge up enough wood to cover the hole Alfre’s gunners had blown in it. Druids and those with the farmer subclass spent the next few days tirelessly working to bolster the city’s food supply. They were all grateful for Koseret’s help. Alfre was honestly surprised that the goddess hadn’t left after revealing her intentions to the guild leaders, but she wasn’t about to complain.

“You need to leave before the Granato army gets here,” Alessio said plainly, some three days into their preperations. “They’ve finally amassed all their soldiers. They’re going to be moving in soon. You need to decide who you’re taking with you.”

“I’ve already decided that,” Alfre said. It wasn’t like she had to give it a lot of thought. “Spica and Elias are coming with me, of course, I’m hoping Ren will lend me Ran and Izo as well. I’d like to ask Hadi to join us as well; having a cleric along would be a lifesaver. Abital and Canus will come as well. I don’t even need to ask them, honestly. June and Lance are coming along too.”

“Will that be enough, even with Abital and Canus? Eight Fell against the Granato Empire?” Alessio questioned, disbelief in his voice.

“It’ll have to be,” Alfre said solemnly. “The rest need to be here in case the gate doesn’t hold. Besides, I trust that my friends will help me carry this through to the end. They’re strong, Alessio.”

“All Fell are strong,” Alessio argued. “But are they strong enough.”

Alfre grinned at him, wild and confident. “Of course they are.”

The prince shook his head. “You’re all insane.”

“If you didn’t believe in us, you wouldn’t have come along,” she reminded him. “Trust me, we’ll win the day in the end.”

Alessio watched her for a moment, before asking, “And what will you do, in the end? When this is over.”

Alfre paused, thinking for a moment. “I think I want to go back and find that little cabin in the Wilds that gave me shelter my first night after the Incident. I’d like to fix it up and make a life there.”

He blinked owlishly at the response. “That’s all? No grand quests in mind, just to find contentment in a tiny, lonely cottage?”

Alfre simply smiled. “Isn’t finding contentment in life a grand quest all its own?”

Alessio stared at her, taking in her words. “I suppose it is.”