Arthur's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

“Why?” I asked, perturbed as to why she would do this.

“We thought a weapon fitting our knight would be obvious.” She replied earnestly. “Originally, we had other plans, but keeping us out of the loop on things was irritating. So, we took your tooth and changed it into a dagger.”

Grabbing it out of her magic, my arm almost plummeted into the ground as I strained to hold it up for a moment before readjusting my energy. “What the fu-“

Elincia cut me off. “As you can see, the weight is still there. Several tons of a demonic tooth put into a single weapon. The magic was quite difficult to get right.” Then she smirked. “I am so glad to see that you are able to wield it. Neither my sister, nor I, could lift it without the use of magic.”

The twitch on my eye must’ve amused her cause her smirk grew into a smile. “Are you seriously that petty?”

Gesturing to me, the blonde answered with a small nod. “I have taken from your example.” Opening a portal, I placed the dagger inside. “Do you not intend to use your new weapon?”

Quirking a brow at that, as I had already tried to let the annoyance go, I looked at her. “You want me to swing around a dagger that weighs several tons?” Maybe it was how stupid her question was or how I responded, but she finally frowned. “A war-hammer? Sure. I could work with that. Even a really long staff would be feasible.” Then I gestured to her. “But you literally made it into a dagger.”

“It would catch most opponents by surprise.” Elincia stated.

“It would also make me slower, which is like asking me to get killed.” Then I shrugged. “I mean, I could throw it, I guess, and have it act as a ballista, but again, that would be convenient against more stationary targets.”

“Then what do you plan on doing with it?”

“I’m going to use it as a lock of sorts. If there’s a book I don’t want someone to reach, I'll just place the dagger on top of it. Well, probably something along those lines. Who’s going to be able to move it?”

Elincia tsked at me. “That was not the intent we planned for that weapon.”

Rolling my eyes, I immediately shot back, “Yeah, well, that wasn’t what I planned for my Leviathan Tooth trophy. So, I guess we’re both disappointed.” Shaking her head, she didn’t reply, so I continued. “What are the other things I need to know?”

Crossing her arms, the High Elf sighed. “After much discussion, Arceana and I have decided that instead of sending another emissary to go along with you, one of us must go instead.”

“No.” My response was met with another frown.

“This is not up for debate. I will be coming with you and Typhon to assist our allies in the East.” She then shook her head. “Part of me did not want to leave, but I do believe I am the better choice for you between my sister and I. Especially given your past interactions.” Hard to argue with the logic. “Queen Ventari has already agreed.”

“There are no words to describe my enthusiasm.” My emotionless response made her sigh once more.

“The truth is, Arthur, we are not suited for this anymore.” Elincia told me softly, and I paused at that. “I am not the warrior I used to be. That became apparent during the incident on the Reed Family Farm. If not for you, things would have turned out far worse then.”

To hear her actually admit that surprised me. “Elincia…”

Shaking her head, the Priestess looked down. “And it was more than that. More incidents have been occurring. I know your appearance likely has something to do with the Demon’s return. Maybe they turned their gaze here because of that, but part of me is more concerned about what would have happened if you were not here in the first place.” Then her crossed arms shifted as she hugged herself. “We also know that you have ties to Lestrania.”

Blue eyes flicked to me. “I know you have questions.” I began. “Those questions deserve answers, but I cannot give them to you.” Shaking my head resulted in her gaze turning downcast. “For reasons I can’t explain to you, you and your sister have to be kept in the dark.”

“Because of Rudnurth?” She inquired without looking at me.

“As I said, I cannot say. Believe it or not, but this is for your own good.” Moving in front of her, I placed my hands on her shoulders. “I know it’s frustrating, and I won’t ask you to trust me, but whatever understanding you can give would be appreciated.”

With a reluctant nod, Elincia responded as she put her hands on top of mine. “I will do my best.” The High Elf told me with a smile. “I hope one day you will be able to answer these questions that keep piling up.”

“It’d be a nice change of pace for sure.”

“Thank you, Arthur. Now, I do believe you have some personal matters to take care of before we set off.” Then she gestured to one of the side doors. “Captain Greigh Nasa wishes to speak with you when you have a moment. It seemed important, so I would suggest seeking him out first.”

“Then I will do so. Until later.”

Parting with Elincia always seemed to leave me with mixed feelings. Not ones of love or hate, but one’s unknown to me. At times, the little girl from the mountain would flash before my eyes. Other times, she seemed to be more understanding than most I’ve spoken to. Given everything she knows now, I can only imagine how aggravating things must be for her and Arceana.

Knowing their memories had been altered and still not seeking me out was surprising. Then again, how could they force the answers out of me? Still, Elincia seems to understand the overall situation far better than I originally thought. Perhaps she was more fit to be in control than I initially thought.