Chapter 10 – The Other Side

The unknown enemies eventually overwhelmed Felix. He collapsed in the grass, too many wounds crying out in pain and overwhelming him to really care. His body shut down and his last coherent thought was hoping that Annette had gotten away.

For the longest time, there was silence and darkness. He wasn't dead, that much was clear. He felt his body at times, as well as the myriad of slashes and welts across his torso, arms, and legs. His head pounded and felt swollen. Likely a split somewhere on the back. So he was alive. For the moment, at least.

Wherever he was in his brief bouts of consciousness, it wasn't above ground. The damp earthy smell and chill drifted all around him. He looped on a cycle of fading in and out. He wasn't sure of the time and he didn't want to attract any attention to himself. Whoever their unknown enemy was might still be around and watching him, waiting for him to show signs of life.

He wouldn't have been able to escape anyway. A thick, heavy chain shackled his leg to a simple cot and from the brief snatches he took in the dead of night to peer around, the heavy door to his prison was beyond his current ability to break down. So he waited and bided his time.

After what he assumed were many long hours, while he was faking a bout of unconsciousness, footsteps echoed outside the small cell he was in. The door creaked open and several people entered, murmuring to one another.

"Is he going to make it?" a gruff voice asked. "This endeavor is pointless if he perishes."

"I can't say," a leveled person replied. "If Chilon had brought him in better condition-"

"Don't blame me for this, Odesse" someone, who Felix assumed as Chilon, said as his armor rattled angrily. "We wouldn't even be in this mess if Dolofonos had done his job and taken over the manor."

"No, we wouldn't be in this mess if Thales hadn't underestimated the whelp of a king," a quiet person pointed out. Felix had the sinking suspicion that based on the conversation, it was the same assassin who tried to usurp his lands from him. He desperately wanted to peek at them to confirm, but kept his face as neutral and relaxed as possible.

"Enough," the gruff voice said, ending the argument before it went further. "Odesse, wake him up. We can't afford to wait any longer."

As a body moved near the bed, Felix weighed his options. There were at least five of them, maybe more. He was still chained to the bed and with no weapon. However, if this was the faction that had been attacking different areas all over the kingdom, then whatever they planned to do with him couldn't be good. Lying there was completely out of the question then.

The person leaned over him, muttering under his breath. It was now or never.

Opening his eyes, he saw the bishop's masked face pull back before he leapt out of bed, looped his arm around the bishop's neck, and held the foe between him and the rest. The other figures, their features shrouded due to the backlight pouring in from the open door, didn't move. The bishop tugged at Felix's arm, but he tightened the hold on his neck, warning him that he needed very little pressure to make things worse.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, his throat raspy and dry. He backed against the wall, keeping them all in view. Already though, the two figures on the end were spreading out to the edge of his vision.

"It seems he's more healed than you thought he was," the central person said to his trapped compatriot. He stood a head over Felix, his bulky helmet obscuring most of his face. The two people beside him also started to move away, surrounding Felix and cutting off all escape. "Who we are is none of your concern, 'Shield of Faerghus,' " he said mockingly. "Your only concern is how you'll help us."

Felix squeezed Odesse's neck as a threat to the others. They held their position, seemingly waiting for their leader. He couldn't keep this up forever though. Already, the little strength he had had been used up in his defiant display. Reaching into the bishop's robes frantically for anything to help escape, his hands closed around a sheathed dagger and he withdrew it, pressing the tip into the bishop's back.

"I'm not going to help you at all," he said, sweat standing out on his forehead. His body was starting to shut down, as numerous injuries made themselves known with sharp stings along his back and limbs. He had to focus though.

"And just what do you plan to do? Take on all of us at once?" the central person asked.

"If I have to." One of the figures inched forward and Felix immediately pointed the blade at her, then returned it to the bishop's spine. Stupid. Concentrate. Have to…Have to get out that door. Warn the king.

"I'd heard of the king's foolishness. I didn't know his vassals were as well." The leader looked at the others and Felix sensed a silent command pass between them.

From the corner of his eye, Felix saw one of the figures move. When he looked at them, that's when another of the foes struck.

A large knight leapt forth, drawing his sword and swinging it. Felix ducked behind his hostage as the knight crashed into them. All three slammed against the wall and Odesse gasped. Felix's hand was dug into the bishop's back, the dagger buried in him to the hilt.

His hostage slumped forward and Felix withdrew the dagger. He didn't have time to process anything before the sword came for him again, swishing through the air. He dodged to the side, the sword clanging on the stonework.

The chain jerked him to a stop and he stumbled into two others, both armed. They slashed at him with their own weapons. His back and torso cried out in pain and he tripped over his feet to another wall. The door seemed further away as the semi-circle of enemies closed on him.

Felix swung his arm tiredly at them and missed. A fist came from the side, catching him on the temple and throwing his vision wildly all over the place. Someone disarmed him easily and another punch to the gut sent him reeling hard to the floor.

Falling over, Felix's eyelids fluttered and he heard one of the people in the distance swearing. "He's dead. That's just perfect."

A heavy pair of boots approached him and leaned down close. "Now that you've gotten that out of your system, it's time to end this war."

"Won't," Felix muttered, but that was all he managed to get out. His chest was on fire every time he breathed.

"Don't worry. We have a way to make you more," the leader sneered in his face, "compliant." He snapped his fingers at one of the others. "Get him up and start it."

"Shouldn't we wait? He might die on us if we rush this."

Felix started to fade in and out as the conversation continued. "The longer we wait, the more time we give the king to find us. We need to strike while the brat is off-balance. Besides," the leader stood up, "he'll be dead either way. Along with the rest of the Goddess' children and all those who worship her."

It took far too long for Annette to regain control of her horse. By the time she urged it back to the clearing, the battle was over and Felix was nowhere to be found. Even the fallen foes were gone, scooped up to erase the evidence of the attack. The only trace left that it happened were scorch marks in the grass from her magic and scuffled areas of dirt with overlapping footprints.

"Felix!" she called into the empty woods all around. "Felix!" Nobody answered her. The forest was completely silent and the road empty. She was all alone and he was gone. Taken by those rebels or faction and possibly-

No, don't think that. She couldn't help it though and her throat pinched shut, worsening her fear. "Felix!"

She tore into the woods, pushing through thickets and tall grass, searching for any sign of him. Whoever attacked them was thorough in covering their tracks, but this was her only option. There has to be something, she reasoned to herself. There has to be.

The minutes ticked by, soon turning into an hour as the sun climbed higher and higher. She was about to give up and turn back around when she spotted a faint footprint, heading the same direction they had been traveling.

Returning for her horse, she dragged him along back into the woods and followed the direction of the footprint, keeping a sharp eye out for any more signs. It was slow going, as the forest quickly populated with more trees and sharp hills rose and fell away before her, littered with rocks. Once or twice, she heard a twig snap nearby and rounded toward the sound, sword in the one hand and a prepared spell in the other. She never saw anyone and after waiting for several minutes, she continued on.

Reason told her that she should return to Fhirdiad and alert Dimitri to the situation. He could round up a whole search party and provide back-up.

But she was a woman on a mission. The trail would only grow colder the longer she delayed and going back for reinforcements meant wasting precious time that Felix may not have. By the time she returned with Dimitri, Felix might already be gone.

Stop thinking like that. She pumped her fists and walked faster. He's alive. He has to be.

She certainly hoped he was. She still saw his face disappearing amongst the myriad of attackers, saving her from his current fate.

Even after what I said yesterday. She didn't want that to be the last interaction they ever had. It couldn't end like this. It just couldn't. Having him brutally ripped away from her like this on top of it was more than she could bear.

Don't worry about that for now, Annette told herself. Felix needs you. Find him first. They'll be time for all of that later.

Looming grey clouds rolled in overhead, threatening rain. That was the last thing she needed. The trail was already difficult enough to find. A light shower would easily wash it all away.

It the better part of an hour before she spotted another footprint. She was starting to think she lost the trail until she pushed through another bush and saw it, fainter than the first. This had to be the right track. Tugging on the reins, she picked up the pace, already envisioning finding the cowardly lot ahead who kidnapped her Felix.

She traipsed through the woods for hours, stumbling over rocks and cutting herself on thorns here and there. She didn't stop, determined to follow the footprints to the very end. Even the clouds overhead didn't seem to want to interrupt her, as they quickly drifted away without so much of a drop of rain.

As the sun began its late afternoon journey, Annette took stock of her surroundings. It had been a couple of hours since the last footprint she saw and the woods had grown thick and dark indeed. She assumed she must be on the border of Blaiddyd or had crossed into one of the other territories, but she wasn't sure.

Maybe she took a wrong turn somewhere. The woods weren't anywhere as easy to travel as the road and as she thought about it, it may've been wiser to travel on the road and check the forest at different intervals. She'd been so caught up in finding Felix and kept her nose so close to the ground, the idea never occurred to her.

Deciding she should head out to the road and get her bearings, she climbed on her horse and eased him out of the woods. She prayed that she was near the faction's hideout.

As she lifted a branch out of her way and exited the woods, someone called to her down the road. "Who goes there?" they asked.

Annette shielded her eyes against the sun and squinted to her right. A collection of mounted riders were approaching her. She counted seven or eight, but suspected more were behind them. Were these the attackers? Had they noticed her following them?

She glanced back at the woods. If she bolted, they might catch her. In fact, they may already have her surrounded.

However, if these were the attackers from this morning, why did they call out to her? It would've been easier for them to attack her without warning like they did that morning.

"I said, who goes there?" the leader of the group asked again.

Deciding to chance it, she answered them honestly. "I was on my way to Garreg Mach when I was attacked and got turned around. Can you tell me where I am?"

The leader paused, as did the rest of the riders, before saying, "Annette?"

She peered harder at the figure, trying to see past the bright sunlight. The leader rode closer to Annette and as the features came into view, relief flooded her instantly. "Ingrid!"

The blond knight brought her pegasus up beside her. "What in Fodlan are you doing here?"

"Me? What about you?"

"Patrolling the border of Galatea. What else?"

So she had made a wrong turn somewhere. "We were attacked. By a rogue faction I think. I tried to follow their trail, but it went cold hours ago."

" 'We'?" Ingrid asked, checking the woods for anyone else.

"Felix was with me. He saved me from them, but they must've kidnapped him. We have to find him."

Ingrid's mouth tightened and she turned to the soldiers behind her, pointing at one. "You. Ride to Fhirdiad and tell the king what's happened. Ask him to send any forces he can spare immediately."

With a salute, his mount unfurled its wings and took to the sky, heading north.

"You two, with me. The rest of you, continue patrolling the roads. Now," she turned back to Annette. "Take us to where you were attacked and tell me everything."

The king arrived the next day with a detachment of soldiers, sooner than Annette expected. By the time he joined them, she and Ingrid had scoured the entire battle area. There was no sign of Felix or the ones who took him. The rain clouds returned during the night, washing away much of the trail she followed earlier.

"Did you see anything distinguishing about them?" Dimitri asked.

She shook her head. "No. It all happened so fast. It has to be that group you told us about before we left, right?"

"It would seem that way," he said. His forehead creased as he checked the ground. "But why the two of you?"

"Easy target for their group," she suggested. Dimitri didn't seem convinced, pursing his lips in thought. "You don't think this was random?"

"I'm not sure what to think about this group," he said. "All we know is they're determined to see the war continue. With Edelgard, at least the reason was clear. With these people?" He shrugged. "Aside from their hatred of the church and those in support of it, I can't say."

"That was enough for Edelgard to start her war," Annette said.

"But that was because she wanted to reshape Fodlan into her idealized form. This has just been unwarranted attacks across the continent. Usually rebels try to establish a foothold, win over the local populace, and build support. These people don't and yet they seem to have the resources to launch attacks all over. We've even rooted out small hideouts in different territories. It's as if they had the support of an entire nation."

She looked off into the forest as Ingrid directed the soldiers in different search patterns. "Like an enemy nation? Almyra?"

"Years ago, I would've said 'Yes'. But it doesn't seem likely now. Not Dagda, and Brigid is too small. Unless we've offended some other country, I'm not sure who else there could be."

"What about a coalition?" she asked. "Maybe different rebels from all over coming together?"

"I've thought about that, but it's still a stretch." He sighed and jerked his head to Ingrid and the others. "No use speculating for now. We need to find Felix."

Annette bit her lip and followed him. "Dimitri? You said that people have been kidnapped by this group and that others have been, well…"

"He's not dead," he said firmly and a little too forcefully. "It wouldn't fit their pattern. My guess is they hope to learn any secrets they can about our military strength, any weak spots to exploit, how best to assassinate me. Failing that, they wouldn't waste a good swordsman like Felix. He's too valuable."

All valid reasons. They didn't do much to quiet the fear gripping her chest as they marched through the forest with Ingrid and the other soldiers. He's alive, she told herself again and again. I'll find you, Felix. I promise, I'll find you.

Felix heard singing. A haunting melody that chilled him to the marrow. He wasn't quite sure where it was coming from, who was singing, or even exactly how it went. There were words of some kind, but they were muffled, like a voice drowned out in a crowd. He strained his ears to hear, but the more he tried, the more distant the words became. He wasn't sure why he needed to hear them. The way the unknown lyrics formed, rose and fell sharply, belied some terrible undertone.

As the music continued, a sickening notion settled within him. He needed to leave and run away from this song. He couldn't move. His arms and legs were bound tight, and when he tried to open his eyes, he saw nothing.

Still the music came, worming in his ears and swirling round and round in his mind. Despite the danger it carried, it also soothed his mind. Encouraged him to relax, lay back, and enjoy the song.

No, he couldn't do that. I need to leave. Before they, before they…Before who does what? There was a pressing need to escape, he remembered that much. But why? It was on the tip of his tongue and if that blasted song would only stop for a mere moment, he was sure he could remember it.

It didn't pause though. The song simply whirled through his thoughts, scattering them. Enough of that now, it seemed to say. You're stressed and haven't had an ounce of rest in so long. Too many worries. Too many troubles.

That much was true. Fretting over diplomatic meeting and clandestine affairs for months. As well as some constant focus that was always in the back of his mind. Annette. Always Annette. He needed to hold onto her face.

Soon though, his taut muscles slackened and he laid perfectly still, enjoying the unknown music. After a while, he wondered why he ever feared it. It wasn't dangerous. It was pleasant. Over and over it repeated, always the same otherworldly melody.

Days passed. Maybe weeks. He wasn't sure. He remembered sitting up at points, seeing food before him, eating, drinking. But those brief moments were soon gone and he was back to listening to the song in the darkness. Always the same song, waiting for him all day and all night, even in his dreams.

After days of the song, a new voice added to the suppressed singing, rousing him out of his relaxed reverie. "Can you hear me, Felix?"

"Yes," he said, his mouth working slowly around the word.

"Can you sit up for me?"

He obeyed, staring straight ahead into the blackness. Hands fumbled around his head and lifted off a blindfold. A number of figures stood around him, various shapes that seemed familiar. But he couldn't recall. The song took all his attention.

"Do you know who I am, Felix?" The central figure knelt before him, removing his helmet and holding it underneath his arm.

Felix studied the person in the poor light. He was older, his hair flecked gray by the years and face scarred by several battles. Though he smiled, it didn't reach the intense, cold pits of his eyes. This was a man who had been shaped by war and battle all his life.

There was a familiarity to him, but Felix couldn't place it. "No, I don't."

"I'm Anaximandros. Your sworn brother, Felix. We are all your brothers and sisters," he said, nodding to the others.

"Anaximandros? Brothers and sisters?" He held his head. A knot grew and thumped at the base of his skull.

"Easy, Felix. Easy. You've been out of it for a long time." He patted his knee. "Listen to the music. Do you hear it? I'm told it's supposed to help with the pain."

Yes, he still heard the music. Anaximandros was right. As he listened to it, the pain did recede to a mere finger pressure, then vanished altogether.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around. It appeared to be a cell of sorts.

"I'm afraid we've had to keep you here for safety," Anaximandros said. "When you returned to us, you," he grimaced and averted his eyes, "attacked people. Soldiers and innocents alike."

Felix blinked. Attacking innocents indiscriminately? That didn't seem right. But once more, the pressure returned, stronger than before and he gripped the sides of his head.

"Felix," Anaximandros said, grabbing his arms and holding them down. "Don't try to push yourself. Relax." He turned to one of the other people in the room. "Are you sure he can handle this?"

"I'm fine," Felix said, gulping down breaths and concentrating on the music, letting it wash away the pain. "I'm fine."

"It wasn't your fault," Anaximandros said. "You couldn't control yourself. Not after the king put you under that spell."

The king. "King Dimitri?"

"Yes, don't you remember? You had him. Right there, you were about to put an end to his tyrannical reign. But then the Ashen Demon brought reinforcements and drove us off. They captured you. Did who knows what to your mind."

He couldn't remember. The memory of it all was a blank. Squeezing his eyes shut and digging through his memories, he did recall a fight of some kind. Soldiers and spells going off. He was held captive. At the center of the scattered memories, he saw the boar king, a crazed look in a bloodshot eye, cackling manically and swinging his spear, cutting through the haze.

Beyond that, another memory surfaced. More of an urgent need. To do something. Escape? From the king, obviously. There was a person too. A woman. Someone he cared for, right? The haunting singing dissolved the vague face forming in his mind's eye and he exhaled, the moment snatched from his fingertips.

Clapping his shoulder, Anaximandros gently shook him. "You saw it, didn't you?"

"Yes."

Anaximandros hung his head. "We can't let them get away with this. We need to put this king down immediately. He taunts us even now, leaving himself wide open and daring us to attack. It's a trick. The king hopes to trap us again if we do and make us look like cowards that he drove off by himself if we don't."

He looked Felix in the eye and hesitated. "We have little choice in the matter. I know it's a lot to ask, but you're the only one who's been in the castle itself and knows its ins and outs. Can we count on you? Will you help us kill the king?"

Felix set his face and nodded. "Yes."