Chapter 548: Catching up (1/2)

Chapter 548 Catching up

Ilea spent days upon days hunting Astral Spirits, training with Meadow whenever she had social energy to burn on the god of sarcasm.

Its insight made the runes click far faster than she deemed possible otherwise.

It wasn’t that Ilea could comprehend how the runes worked, not really, she simply felt the way they distorted space and magic.

With Meadow there, the creature could show her hundreds of different combinations of runes that prevented, slowed, reduced, interrupted, or otherwise disrupted her blink or Displacement.

“Wait, I think I can see it…,” she said and focused on the moving framework. It was hard to grasp at active magic that wasn’t grounded in a being or material but instead was born out of runes and spread into the nearby space.

Moving a spell or magical construct was one thing, moving herself out of one specifically made to prevent that proved much more difficult.

She saw the connections and focused on herself. On her own framework, the mana that flowed through her, exuded from her, manifested in her spells and auras. She separated what she knew to be her from what wasn’t her.

And then she blinked.

Ilea appeared at the intended position and jumped up in joy. “Take that you fucking tree!”

“There is no need for profanity,” Meadow said.

“Don’t take it personally,” Ilea said with a wide grin.

“You escaped from one of the simplest constellations. A laughable achievement, but an achievement nonetheless. To think you’re the pinnacle of what your species is capable of. Pathetic. Maybe I should train Michael instead,” Meadow said.

“I’m literally immune to your banter. Save your mind powers. Also, honestly? It took me a few years to get to this point. I’d be more than surprised if I really was the pinnacle,” Ilea said.

“I would doubt it too. Your ingenuity and high potential is undeniable. The work and danger required is much. Your self regeneration and high resistance to damage and death allowed you to reach your heights far faster than most would but I agree. It would be statistically improbable if there are no other humans far above your standing. Though as you have said, they remain hidden, or perhaps they simply choose to not dabble in mundane affairs,” the Meadow said.

“They might be like me, just looking for interesting things to fight. The existence of other realms means a sheer unlimited amount of places they could go to,” she said.

“Are you suggesting there are humans of all things, capable of traveling through realms?” Meadow asked in an exaggerated voice.

“We were the ones to answer your call after all. Not super gracefully but that’s how it is,” Ilea said with a smidgen of pride. The horrific blood rituals after all weren’t exactly efficient.

“You act like you had a part in that,” Meadow said.

“Shut up and teach me, old man,” Ilea said.

“I am not an old man. I am a meadow,” Meadow said.

“But you sound like one,” Ilea said, squinting at the tree.

“Hah! I used your voice as a base. Your mind would shatter if I talked to you with my true voice,” Meadow said.

“Please do. My Mental Resistance could use a few more levels,” Ilea said and nodded eagerly.

“That was a joke,” Meadow said, sounding a little deflated.

“Maybe your next Class then. The Enavurin could teach you,” Ilea suggested.

“Another ancient creature you have met in your travels?” Meadow asked.

“Another one that sleeps all the fucking time,” Ilea said and stared at the absolutely massive wolf being. She blinked close again, nearly reaching it as the cold took over.

“My body literally should not be able to be frozen!” she exclaimed, frustrated as she found herself unable to move despite Heart of Cinder burning within her.

She blinked away again and quickly thawed.

“It’s a miracle that you retain an ability to think when confronted with the frost of an Ice Elemental,” Meadow said.

“I don’t want a miracle, I want to pet it,” Ilea said.

“Then that will be your goal. One even I would fail to achieve,” Meadow admitted.

“Really?” Ilea asked. The task suddenly didn’t seem quite as mundane anymore.

“It is not fond, of petting,” Meadow said.

“I mean I can see that,” Ilea said, summoning a meal and sitting down on an ashen chair.

Ilea studied a new anti teleportation field as she ate. “Ever heard of Varrah?”

“The name is not familiar to me,” Meadow said.

“A god, supposedly,” Ilea said. “Blood magic.”

“I would think most spirits here could be seen as gods in your realm. To those who do not choose the path of warriors,” Meadow said.

“True. Just thought you might be interconnected somehow. A god network or something,” she said.

“I am unaware of such a network. Though I have not traveled much,” Meadow admitted.

“I’ll send you an invite if I find it at some point,” Ilea said and gave the creature a thumbs up.

“That is generous of you,” the Meadow said.

“I’ll get back to hunting then,” Ilea said and stored the empty dish. “See you later.”

“I will perceive you at another point in time,” the Meadow said.

Normal friends. I’m not crazy. No. I’m fiiine.

______________________

Felicia finished her report for the day and left her enchanted shelter. The word really didn’t do it justice. It was the first time she had joined the Imperial army in an extended siege but having hundreds of expert mages around really made life quite a bit easier, despite the circumstances.

Soundproofing, cooling, hot showers, even comfortable chairs and beds provided by the various craftsmen and women that had come all this way to Baralia or were recruited in the area.

Outside immediately felt warmer, the mana in the air more noticeable. The impacts now sounded louder and certainly closer.

Dozens of soldiers walked around in the vicinity, a few glancing her way. There were dozens more stone shelters in the area. Only high ranking officers had one for themselves. And all the luxuries still cost gold, it just turned out her personal connection to General Ryse and her contributions so far earned her more than she had expected.

A little too busy here, she thought and teleported a few times to get a little out of the main camp. Much of the area had been claimed by their invading army but she knew a few spots that were a little less crowded.

She stopped on a former meadow that had trees just a day prior.

Shredded apart, she thought, looking at a dozen trees bent away from a central point, their bark burnt, splintered, and destroyed.

Instead she looked for a more secluded spot, summoning a hot tea as she took some time to calm down and watch the sights.

The forest had been destroyed or manually removed for kilometers ahead. Steam rose from the two rivers flowing past and through Baralia.

The inner walls reached heights that compared to those of Virilya, formed into a star like shape to make direct attacks easier to deal with. One river turned in a bend, providing a natural defensive line for most of the left side of the city. The right one moved in a straighter line, vanishing into the forest beyond.

The field of battle stretched far and wide. As some of the smoke cleared, Felicia focused on what lay outside of the massive central walls.

An extensive network of streets and houses covered the ground around the walls, spreading into the terrain for several kilometers. Much of it looked like ruins, smoke and fire permeating everything.

Her vantage point allowed her a good view but she wasn’t looking down into a valley, not exactly. Several hills loomed both within Baralia and around it. Coupled with the rivers, the sight proved quite impressive.Not quite as impressive as Virilya.

Something lit up to her left, making her move her gaze.

A large cannon like contraption standing in the field a few hundred meters to her left concentrated a beam of red energy. She could only barely make out the people powering and maneuvering the massive contraption. There were eight of the cannons stationed throughout the camp.

The air seemed to be sucked in as her full attention focused on the magic. She heard a few people approach around her but simply watched.

Arcane energy condensed and was released in a brilliant streak of bright power.

Ten localized barriers formed near the central city walls towering over the ruins of its suburbs.

Five shattered in an instant, three more pierced before the energy exploded in a deafening crash.

Slow and steady.

“Major,” a soldier said, walking past with a few others.

Felicia nodded.

The energy dissipated in red clouds. No direct impact.

The Empire camp spanned throughout a large part of the forest, the core itself clear of trees and spanning several hundred meters. Compared to the Baralia war camp outside of Virilya, this looked more like an actual city.

The stone buildings were definitely efficient, defensible, and sturdy, though obviously not built with the intent of permanence. For that they lacked artistry. Cold and with a purpose, she thought and sipped on her tea.

Thousands of individuals bustled within the camp, expanding, building, repairing. Another cannon was being built at the back of the small city. In full view of the defenders.

She couldn’t help but smile at the thought, knowing how long the Empire had waited within their walls before coming here. How long wefled and hid.

The response to the attack came swiftly, hundreds of burning stones, spiked ice spheres, runed explosives, and arrows ten times that number came flying out of the city walls.

Shields flickered to life around the cannons. Many of the buildings were hit too, some flaring up with defensive enchantments while others were slightly damaged.

Another beam of energy already formed in the next cannon.

And so it goes, back and forth.

It didn’t bother her much, she found. In a way it was relaxing, to have some form of routine, watching their camp grow, seeing the volleys of magic and arrows fly towards them. It was a slow and methodical process, quite the opposite to the more direct confrontations she took part in during her various missions.

A few tents went up in flames from a cluster of explosive fireballs, twenty or so soldiers running around trying to get to safety.

She didn’t think too much of it, seeing the dozens of smaller explosions and battles going on in the city ruins outside the main walls. Pressure until they break.

Most of the eight to ten meter high wall protecting the outermost part of Baralia had been destroyed, turned to rubble by explosions and spells that hit it even now.