Felicia paced around the observatory, groaning as she walked back and forth. Why did she let herself fall asleep up here? That was stupid of her, if Ray hadn’t woken her up, who knows how long she would’ve slept. What did he think of her? Was he disappointed? Maybe just tired of her carelessness? He said he wasn’t mad, but he had every right to be.

She flopped down onto a chair and squirmed in her seat. Of all the days to do it as well, she chose the one where they were about to head out. She slowly pushed her body upwards with a long sigh. Lightly hitting her cheeks with her hands, she shook her head. Would Ray let her get away with this? He probably would leave it until the assignment was over. Speaking of which, she should stop wasting time and get ready.

Felicia gingerly stepped around the furniture and down the carpeted stairs, carefully planting her steps so as to not make a noise. She peeked below the banister, searching for the caretaker. Would he be mad at her as well? Did Ray also have to talk with him because of her? Slowly treading down the staircase, she reached the bottom floor. The whole place was quiet and everything was the same as it was before. The charts up on the walls hung loosely from their anchors and the bookshelves had their books organized, each one lined up and in order with each other.

“Do you need anything?”

Felicia jumped at the sudden voice to her right and let out a surprised yelp. The caretaker chuckled as she slowly settled.

“Sorry, are you alright?”

“I, yes, um…”

She ducked her head down, practically bowing to the man.

“I’m so sorry, I really hope I wasn’t a bother, it was late last night and- um, I’m sorry.”

The caretaker nodded and smiled at her warmly, his wispy hair flicking out of his eyes.

“Don’t worry, you weren’t in the way at all. It’s not a crime to sleep up here you know.”

She kept her head lowered and fidgeted with her hands.

“I- I guess so.”

The man moved towards a desk and set down a pile of papers he had with him.

“You were stargazing last night?”

Felicia looked up as he continued to stack papers on his desk.

“Yes, I was.”

“How was it? I didn’t get a chance to see.”

Felicia twiddled her fingers and thought back to up on the balcony.

“It was nice, there weren't any clouds so I got to see a lot.”

“Anything notable?”

“Umm, the Saint’s Dove was there, and so was Erithal.”

The caretaker nodded and looked up at the charts.

“Aquilla’s spear should have been there as well, did you see that one?”

“Hm? Oh, I must’ve missed it.”

He laughed and put a set of papers in a drawer.

“It’s quite easy to miss, and a bit boring if you ask me. Who really notices a straight line?”

Felicia smiled and nodded.

“I always found it was more fun to look at the drawings rather than the stars when I was little.”

“Most people do, although the stars can look amazing sometimes.”

Felicia looked back up at the charts all around her, envisioning them on a blue night sky.

“Yeah, they really can be.”

So many stars were charted out, she wondered how long it must’ve taken them to document them all. The stars constantly were shifting, moving across the horizon. Each time she went up to the balcony it was always just a little bit different. Her attention snapped back with the sound of the caretaker shutting a drawer.

“Sorry, I really should be going now.”

“No worries, come back anytime you like.”

Felicia hurried to the door and turned around to bow her head.

“Thank you, I’ll be more careful next time.”

She rushed out the doorway and jogged to the raft that sat on the bridge. Dawn had now passed, and the sun now bathed everything in a bright yellow glow. She had a bit of time, but that was no excuse to slack off. The raft steadily drifted down the river, its water sparkling underneath. Felicia closed her eyes and listened to the soft current of water and the slow wind. She smiled as the serene ambience allowed her to relax a little.

The raft reached the bottom of the bridge and she stepped off, brushing her hand along a rose as she did. She lightly jogged past a couple of nobles who sat together on a bench nearby. Their laughter followed Felicia as she quickly made her way down the steps to the lower level, their stones softly reflecting the sun. Her steps echoed through the terrace as the various plants around her swayed back and forth.

Making her way down a grand set of stairs, Felicia entered a bright sunlit courtyard, beset by trees on each side. This patch of the grounds was massive, practically its own forest. The path was carved through the middle of all the trees and bushes, allowing the canopy to cover the ground from the sun. There were small creatures which roamed through the grass, their own little ecosystem.

Felicia smiled as she slowed her jog to a stroll. She used to play around here, get lost for hours looking at all the diverse plants that somehow grew in this little patch. Sometimes, her mother would bring food out and have a picnic of sorts. She always indulged in Felicia’s constant questions, seeming to have an answer for everything whether that be of the animals, the plants, or the history of the place. Back then, she never wanted to leave, never wanted to rest for a second. The smile on Felicia’s face saddened as she reminisced slowly. Would she get the chance to roam the woods like she used to? She shook her head, that was a stupid question.

Scattered spots of light drifted through the thin leaves above as Felicia’s footsteps echoed and quickly faded along the long row of neatly carved stones. Further down the path, she saw a familiar figure, his short orange hair standing out under the green. Floyd waved at her with one hand in his pocket as he leisurely walked towards her.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

Felicia waved back and walked up to him.

“I’m doing well, thanks. How are you?”

“Eh, a bit tired, maybe a little bit worried.”

He moved to the side of the path, leaning against a tree.

“So, you’re coming along with us for this, huh?”

Felicia nodded and fiddled with her shirt.

“Yeah,” She glanced up at him and quickly back down. “Do you know what we’re exactly doing?”

Floyd eyed her and slowed his voice down.

“How much did Raynauld tell you?”

“He said we’re tracking down other people.”

He nodded and let out a long sigh, his hand brushing the shadow of a beard on his chin.

“Well, that’s a bit of an understatement if I’m being honest.”

Felicia took a look at him as he continued.

“The guys we’re going after are dangerous, really dangerous, and we’ve failed to kill them before.”

“We?”

“Not specifically us, well, not specifically all of us.”

He tilted his head upwards and crossed his arms.

“Maria, Aldrich, and I know one of them pretty well, or at least we did.”

“Aldrich?”

Floyd chuckled and shook his head.

“Big guy, pretty imposing when you first meet him, but he’s a good person.”

Felicia shifted her feet, crossing them in front of each other.

“You said you know one of them? What do you mean by that?”

“That’s… Hm, how do I put this…”

He tapped his finger on his elbow as the leaves rustled overhead.

“He used to be a soldier, and he was a damn good one at that. To put things lightly, a long series of events played out badly, and he took it the hardest of anybody. He ended up deserting.”

Felicia remained silent for a second before quietly and nervously responding.

“Oh, um, I…”

She looked downwards at her feet, grabbing onto her arm.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

Floyd shook his head and pushed himself off the tree.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. It was a long time ago anyways, and he’s done a lot of things which justify hunting him down.”

Felicia nodded and stepped out of his way as he walked by.

“Oh, by the way, if you’re going up that way Maria’s practicing at the side of the path.”

“She is?”

“Yeah I know, you never really see her practice, do you?”

Floyd continued walking away, his hands in his pockets.

“If you do see her, it might be better to leave her alone for a while, she needs to focus.”

He shrugged his shoulders and turned his head away.

“Anyways, I’ll see you in a bit I guess.”

He waved his hand behind him as he left. Felicia waved back and slowly lowered her fingers. She started to walk down the path, keeping an eye out. While it was probably nosy of her, she wanted to see Maria. It was so hard to associate the legends of her skill with the person she presented herself to be. The Archangel, it was such a grand title for someone so mellow. Ray spoke highly of her, telling Felicia she should do the same. He remarked once that he wanted to spar against her, to test his skills against the best duelist in the kingdom.

The sound of wind reached Felicia’s ears as she drew closer. The sound was unnatural, constantly cutting in and out, coming in sharp gusts. She pushed her body close to a nearby tree and peeked around it. Maria stood a few meters away, swinging a bright and ornate longsword through the air. With each strike, a gust of wind formed into a mirage of the blade, swinging at a similar yet different angle.

Maria moved with grace, dancing from each movement to the next. The strikes were fast yet precise, always stopping at the same distance away from her. Everything about her form was impeccable from what Felicia could tell, in fact she was probably doing things perfect that Felicia didn’t even notice. Maria let out a grunt and returned to a stance, letting the mirage settle overtop her actual blade. She had her sleeves rolled up, and her veins were pulsing a light purple.

Felicia stared at the ether blight running up Maria’s arms, the darkened lines covering them like cracks in stone. With each swing the purple pulsed darker and grew, the lines splitting more and more. Felicia winced at the thought of it, that must hurt. Ether blight wasn’t a pleasant thing; the pain was like nothing anyone ever felt normally. It was usually fine with minimal amounts of ether use, but when ether was used in large bursts or over extended periods of time, the pain mounted up quickly. The blight was more of a warning than anything, stopping the user from draining themselves completely of their reserves and dying.

Maria swung a final time and returned to her stance, breathing heavily. She sheathed her blade and knelt down, holding onto the handle of the sword and planting the tip of the scabbard into the ground. The darkness in her arms slowly receded, the coils of darkness gradually retracting. Felicia quickly hid away and as silently as she could, moved back onto the path; Floyd said that she should be left alone. She took one last look behind at Maria before heading towards the main bridge.

The stones gave way to the normal white flooring as Felicia entered the main hallway. The sun was higher in the sky now, creating sharp and thin shadows on the ground. It would be time soon, and she needed to get ready. The hallways bustled with people going from place to place. Scholars, nobles, and soldiers casually made their way down the main corridor as Felicia followed the crowds. She entered the central hub, scanning the many stairs and entrances around her. Stained glass windows high above let bits of sunlight in as a cool breeze from the open air outside rushed in. The giant pillars around the room dwarfed the people moving about below them. One massive pillar stood in the centre, with an enormous staircase spiraling down it.

Felicia walked up the central stairs and took a right, moving onto the bridge that led upwards. The bridge had a few people on it, but not as many as there were down below. The bridges leading from the central hub were bigger, allowing for more rafts to move up and down them. She got onto one as it slowly moved upstream and away from the crowds. Felicia let out a breath of relief, enjoying the calming sounds of the water below. The bottom floor below was even busier than the upper floor, the people down there looked like dots from the bridge. She could only imagine how it could be in those streets and how easy it would be to get lost if you wandered too far.

The raft slowly came to a halt and Felicia stepped off, taking one last look at the distant city walls as she moved into the halls. She strolled down the carpet, taking a left at the intersection. Arriving at her door, she pushed it open. The door was unlocked as it swung inwards smoothly, revealing her room. She stepped in with a sigh, examining her clothes. They were all wrinkled from sleeping in them, she would need to change out of them into something more suited for a longer journey.

Taking out a thin shirt, she replaced the one she was wearing, throwing it onto her bed. She moved to the cabinet at the end of her room, gently pulling the silver handles open. The armour hung loosely from their hooks as Felicia each piece out and laid it on the floor. She opened a drawer at the bottom of the cabinet, pulling out a light grey gambeson. Pulling it over her head, she felt the comfortable weight rest upon her body. She tightened the belt loosely, letting the skirt of it rest on her legs.

Felicia grabbed her sword and placed it next to the cabinet as she shut it. The click of the cabinet doors echoed as she stepped away. The room was eerily quiet, not that it should be noisy or anything. With a sigh, Felicia sat down on the floor, gingerly picking up the sword and placing it on her lap. The silver inlays brightly shone under the bits of sunlight which peeked through her window. She took another look around the room, realizing how empty it felt.

Felicia pushed her thumb against the crossguard, pushing the sword out slightly. Was she really ready for this? Did she have a place in hunting down whoever these people were? The way Floyd talked about them, it was definitely personal on some level. Wouldn’t she just get in the way of them all? Everyone always ended up helping her on assignments, as much as she tried to not be a burden.

She let out a long sigh, snapping the blade back shut. Ray would be there, so everything should be okay, and if he didn’t think she was ready, he would’ve said so, right? Getting onto her feet, Felicia reaffirmed herself. This assignment was time to prove the training wasn’t for nothing. She took a look at the armour on the ground, picking up the chestpiece.

Every piece of the armour was designed to be quickly put on and taken off by a single person, which was extremely handy in certain scenarios. The pauldrons sat tightly on her upper arms, giving enough space for full range of motion. She strapped on the shinguards and the armbraces, tightly pulling on their straps. Even with all of it on, she didn’t feel weighed down. It was all made from brinesteel, which was a combination Felicia didn’t know of some parts from monsters and crucible steel.

She moved to the side of the room, pulling off a white and blue sleeveless long coat which hung in the corner on two hooks. Swinging it on, Felicia felt the chainmail skirt at the bottom half of it settle against her legs. The coat had straps which fastened down to the waist and continued to her knees. It had a built in place for Felicia to fit her sword's sheath, even though there was a place on the belt underneath the coat itself. The main part of the coat was white, with blue trim lining the sides. On the back and the upper right chest was the insignia of the city, three flowers surrounding a diamond, two on the side and one at the base.

Satisfied with her armour’s fitting, she paced around the room. There wasn’t anything else she needed to do, right? It was about time to go soon, and it would be better to be early rather than late. Everyone was probably in the armoury getting ready as well, maybe discussing plans with each other. It felt weird being the only one to have armour in their quarters, but that was just due to her being the daughter of a high priest. Still, having the special treatment made Felicia feel awkward.

She tidied up the fallen stack of books on her desk and put the abandoned book she was reading yesterday on her nightstand. She looked down at it, brushing the cover and promising to read it later. A bird chirped from outside her window as she pulled open the dark wood door. Stepping out of her room and closing the door behind her, she stuck to the wall as she walked towards the bridge downwards. It was a bit uncomfortable wearing armour around the castle; she stood out so much compared to everyone else.

She slinked into a corner as a group came up the bridge. Fiddling with her wrist straps, Felicia waited for them to walk off before stepping onto a different raft. The rafts came in circular rotation, the one she boarded was always on the right. Somehow though, there was always a raft waiting for you when you wanted to board it.

The raft began it’s gentle descent, the light of the sun blinding Felicia as it left the shaded halls. She quickly shielded her eyes, laughing at herself for forgetting again. The islands in the distance looked so enticing, if only she had more time before they departed. Felicia looked up as the raft neared the bottom, noticing the sun’s position high in the sky. She began to worry, her hand’s fiddling with her armour. Would she make it on time? It was a long way down to the base where they were supposed to meet.

Felicia got off the raft, looking around the still crowded central hub. She broke into a jog, trying her best to avoid people. Making her way to the stairs by the main pillar, she let out a quick apology as she bumped into a man. Thankfully, the stairs were extremely wide, allowing her to have some space as she raced down them. She ran down as fast as she could, making sure not to stumble; it would be even more embarrassing if she got injured before they even left.

The giant chandeliers over the cavernous open space lit the giant room. Circular stained glass windows lined the sides, and the pillars stretched from the ceiling to the base. The room looked like it could be a cathedral, it was just missing the pews and the altar. Light poured in from the skylights, letting the yellow sun mesh with the light blue glow from the chandeliers. The ground was a mesh of different colours, creating a mural of the city emblem on the floor.

Felicia lost sight of the emblem as she continued to circle down the stairs. Her hand skidded on the railing as she kept her pace steady. This was taking too long, or at least it felt like it. After too many steps to count, Felicia reached the bottom. She stopped to catch her breath for a moment before dashing across the marbled floor. Why did she take so long getting ready? She wouldn’t have to rush like this if she hadn’t.

Letting out a long exhale, Felicia kept on moving; she still had another floor to descend, luckily it wasn’t as long of a walk as the main stairs. A white archway stood at the entrance to the bridge downwards, the pillars supporting it from either side bearing long swirling engravings. The raft waited for her as she approached, staying perfectly still in the light teal water. She stepped on, allowing herself to take a deep breath. Hopefully Ray wouldn’t be mad at her for being late, especially after yesterday’s incident.

The ground floor drew closer, and Felicia could see the buildings and the streets so clearly now. There weren’t many times when she came close enough to discern the tiles on the roofs from each other. She broke into a jog again as the raft came to a halt, leading her to a lush blue carpet. The walkway led to a large open space with pillars circling around it. The open air rushed through the large archways that formed high above.

Felicia spotted multiple people standing in the centre, Ray being one of them. Cautiously putting each foot in front of the other, she slowed to a walk as she approached.

“Sorry, am I late?”

Ray turned around, his armour reflecting under the sunlight.

“No, you’re perfectly on time.”

Felicia nodded and smiled, it was a good thing she rushed then. Kashire sat on the stairs next to her as she walked up to Raynauld’s side. Across from her stood Maria, who was busy sharpening her sword. She was wearing a long blue cloak which hung over her body, the small amounts of metal armour she wore shrouded underneath it. Felicia took a look at the man in the middle, realizing it was lord Duran. She had seen him before, but never spoke to him. Usually, Ray was the only one meeting with him.

The clanking of armour reached Felicia’s ears from her right. She turned, seeing Floyd walking beside a giant man in full plate armour. She stared at the hulking mass before her, his armour glistening under the sun and long slits in his facemask shrouding his face in shadow. She had never seen somebody in full plate mail from head to toe, and this was more than she expected. He held a greatsword which was taller than Felicia, it’s giant crossguard accompanied by parrying hooks on the blade.

Floyd walked up and crossed his arms, his thick cloak shrouding his whole body. He wore his usual metal contraption on his arm, the tube of it poking out of the thickly woven sleeve. His mask hung loosely from his neck, it’s complexly designed fabric interlacing with short metal cylinders on the sides of it. She shifted her feet, looking around at everyone here. Maybe she didn’t stand out so much after all.

Lord Duran looked around, affirming everybody was present.

“Alright, everybody is accounted for.”

He stepped forwards, folding his arms behind his back.

“I assume you all realize the stakes of this assignment. These traitors have been allowed to roam free for too long.”

Maria and Floyd nodded in grim affirmation, and the person who Felicia assumed was Aldrich gently placed the tip of his sword to the ground, leaning the handle on his shoulder. Lord Duran continued.

“You will all transport to Genstem where you will meet with one of our informants. He is in the municipal building and will meet with you inside. Once you have received what you need, you have absolute authority and jurisdiction over anything within the town in order to get the job done. This ends when the traitors are brought to justice, no compromises will be made. Understood?”

He looked around, eyeing each person but quickly skipping over Felicia. Ray planted his glaive into the ground and nodded.

“Understood sir.”

Duran nodded back and turned away.

“May the gods watch over you all, good luck.”

Everyone gathered close, pulling out their transportation crystals. Each person had one around their neck, the light blue gem glinting brightly. Felicia looked around, noticing Maria had hers implanted into the locket she always wore.

“Everyone ready?”

Ray held onto his, turquoise light emanating out from it. A chorus of affirmation sounded as each one lit up. Ray held his hand out for Felicia to grab. She was less experienced with the whole teleportation thing, and holding onto him would ensure she went where he did. The lights glowed brighter, and with a flash, they were gone.