Arthur's Point of View

Temple Garden

When I landed, Floyd immediately raised his hand for a high five. “Give me some!” His enthusiasm was irritating.

What kind of fucking moron would ask for a high five in this situation or be so ecstatic about things.

Elincia and Cassidy quickly moved to us before stepping in front of the two students protectively. “What were you doing!?” Her tone was accusatory.

“Contemplating.” My dull response unnerved her as my gaze turned to Cassidy.

The Priestess’s clenched teeth as she glared at me said enough. “And what exactly were you contemplating?”

My eyes flickered back to Elincia. “What it would cost to stop being asked annoying questions.” I shot back, which made her shy away.

Finally, Cassidy spoke. “Arthur, are ya doin okay? Ya seem off.”

“I’m just tired.” I answered. “How’s Austin?”

“Austin will be alright, but Ah’m worried about you.” She responded and gently grabbed my hand. “With ya runnin around, ya must be gettin low on energy. Ah know what that does ta ya.”

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“I’ll be fine.” Grabbing her hand, I gave her a bow. “Cass, I owe your family a great debt.” She seemed confused. “Your grandfather was a loyal friend. One I’ll not forget. If you ever need anything, whether it be help on the farm, or starting a war you can count on me to be by your side.”

The redhead’s lip trembled. “That seems a little extreme.”

Standing, my eyes locked onto hers. “It’s an example of what I owe. Augustus, without my asking, stood by my side. For you and your brother, I would fight the world if necessary.” Letting go of her hand, I placed mine on top of her head. “You once called me family.” Cass nodded. “Trust in me when I say justice will be delivered to the ones who took your grandfather’s life.”

She seemed confused. “But you returned with the creature that was responsible. It’s already dead.”

Patting the top of her head, I replied. “That may be, but it was only following orders. The one who was truly responsible was Graham. He is currently under my watchful eye where it is impossible for him to escape.”

Elincia stepped forward. “Would it be possible for us to que-“

“No.” I cut her off.

“The Demon identified as Graham knew you, Arthur. We have our own questions we want to ask. Specifically, why it is the Demon seemed to know you or how everything seemed so personal?”

“Find your answers elsewhere, and in case you didn’t notice, almost every Demon has some manner of vendetta against me.” I was losing my patience quickly, and Cassidy realized it.

The blonde High Elf flared her arms wildly in annoyance. “You cannot hide everything, Arthur! This is ‘our’ kingdom! A prisoner of war is under-“

Cocking my head at that, I held up a hand to silence her. “Prisoner of war?” I repeated. “According to you and your sister, we’re not at war! Life’s grand in Lestrania! There’s no way Helmsforth would ever come under attack, let alone produce POWs!”

Cassidy stepped between us. “Ah think we all need ta calm down.”

Floyd nodded in agreement. “A lot has happened. Talking things out would be best with cooler heads.” He then held up some ice. “We can speed up the process if needed.”

Smacking the ice out of his hand, I moved past Cassidy. “What do you know?” My tone was harsh as I poked Elincia’s chest above her breasts in anger. “You and your sister have ignored my warnings since I got here! You don’t get to decide what I do anymore! You don’t get to demand answers from me!”

She slapped my hand away. “Patience is a virtue, Arthur!” Her sharp reply came. “Where did you want us to rush off to!? From the looks of it, most of the Demons come here for you! We cannot fight imaginary adversaries!” My ‘patience’ was running thin.

The entire time our voices were rising slowly. “Patience is not what you and your sister practice. Cowardice to lead, fear of the approaching threat, and inaction are closer to your idea of ‘patience.’” My hand gestured all around us at the recent destruction. “Was this caused by imaginary enemies? What about Aien? Augustus? Were they killed by nothing more than the food and beverages at your little summit?”