Kael swallowed his anger, biting back a curse. He still needed to get to the bottom of this.
"Arch Elder Caelthas, mind explaining what's going on?"
Caelthas sighed, no longer bothering to correct the title. "The last time I visited Silverglade, I petitioned the Elven High Council to study the language of the Elven God. They denied my request. Shortly after, they dispatched Arch Elder Myran to take over the administration of the Aelindale World Tree. He assumes command the day after tomorrow."
That summed it up, but Kael knew there was more to the story. He pieced it together: Caelthas must have requested the [Eye of Elunara] during that same trip. Miana had likely played him for a fool right after the council denied his request to study [Ancient Elvish].
"And what about Miana? You and Isilwen both seem to have a bone to pick with her."
Caelthas sighed again. "That is an internal elven matter. I ask that you do not interfere, my lord."
Kael nodded. They had agreed earlier that he wouldn't meddle in their politics. Still, now that he was in the loop, it was only a matter of time before he got dragged into it. The quest trigger just hadn't been pulled yet.
Setting Miana aside, Kael got to the point. "Arch Elder, I came here because I need a major favor."
Caelthas forced a tired smile. "Oh? What is it?"
Kael's expression turned serious. "I need you to use the [Eye of Elunara] to petition the Elven God, so I can secure the [Eye of Elunara]."
The light faded from Caelthas's eyes. "You must have misunderstood me earlier, my lord. I do not speak the divine tongue. I cannot commune with the god."
Kael grinned and pointed at himself. "You're not the one talking to the god. I am."
"You?" Caelthas stared at him in shock. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he shot to his feet. "Sir Dawnbreaker, are you saying you know [Ancient Elvish]?"
Kael nodded. "Yeah. I picked it up during the [Hakpen's Ritual]."
Caelthas paced the room, wringing his hands in obvious excitement.
Thinking the elf wanted to learn the language, Kael offered, "I can teach you, Arch Elder. Though honestly, I'm not sure how exactly to pass it on."
Forcing himself to calm down, Caelthas took his seat. "You misunderstand, my lord. No one can learn the divine tongue without the god's explicit consent." Suddenly, he tensed, glancing around the room before raising a finger to his lips, signaling Kael to stay quiet.
Caelthas raised his hand and fired a beam of emerald light into the [Eye of Elunara] above. The artifact flared to life, washing the entire room in a green protective ward.
Caelthas gave Kael a curt nod. "That should keep out eavesdroppers."
His expression shifted to one of absolute gravity. Without warning, he dropped to his knees, bowing low. "Sir Dawnbreaker, I have a request. I beg you to agree."
Beside him, Isilwen also dropped to the floor in supplication.
Kael's heart skipped a beat. Looks like he had just triggered another major questline. "Arch Elder Caelthas, Priestess Isilwen, please, get up," he urged. "If I can help, I'll do everything in my power."
Caelthas straightened up, his face grim. "Fifty years ago, The WarChief invaded the Aelindale World Tree. By all accounts, our forces should have been enough to repel the horde. But three bizarre things happened. First, a swarm of demonic beasts not of this realm descended upon us, possessing power far beyond mortals. Second, our three Arch Elders died under mysterious circumstances. Third, reinforcements from the other elven factions never arrived. Pushed to the brink, we had no choice but to sacrifice to the World Tree and summon the divine spirits to possess us just to drive them back."
Kael nodded. Those "demonic beasts not of this realm" were undoubtedly mobs from the [Arrival of the Gods] expansion. Normal mortals didn't stand a chance against them. As for the dead Arch Elders and the AWOL reinforcements—that had Miana written all over it.
"We made discreet inquiries afterward," Caelthas continued. "The other elven factions had received direct orders from Miana. She told them to guard their own World Trees, warning that they would suffer the same invasion if they left."
It was starting to make sense. "So you think Miana intentionally let Aelindale burn?" Kael asked. "But what if she was telling the truth?"
Caelthas shook his head. "The truth is, our three fallen Arch Elders possessed the power to invoke divine possession. They could have wiped out those otherworldly beasts. But they all died before the battle even began. Furthermore, I managed to catch a glimpse of one elder's wounds. The trauma looked exactly like the aftermath of a [Lunar Arrow]."
Isilwen chimed in, her voice tight. "The [Lunar Arrow] is Miana's signature skill!"
Kael nodded. The pieces were finally falling into place. "So, what do you need me to do?"
Caelthas looked him dead in the eye. "Ask the god for the truth."
Kael nodded. The destruction of a World Tree wasn't something the heavens would just overlook. From a divine vantage point, they definitely saw more of the board. "Alright. Leave it to me."
Caelthas and Isilwen rose, offering him a deep bow. "Thank you, Sir Dawnbreaker!"
Kael waved them off. "Let's get started, then. I can't wait to have a chat with the Elven God."
But Caelthas shook his head. "Not yet. We can only commune with the divine through the [Eye of Elunara] on a full moon. It is the same reason we timed the [Moonlight Revel] for the full moon last time."
Kael felt a chill run down his spine. Damn it, I have to wait? In every cliché RPG trope, right before a major plot reveal, the key NPC always got killed off. Sure, an AI generated this world, but who knew if it was trained on that melodramatic garbage? The system might just strike Caelthas down for the drama... Screw that, don't jinx it.
His stomach did a nervous flip. His anxiety spiking, Kael asked, "When exactly is the next full moon?"
"As luck would have it, tonight."
Caelthas's answer put a massive dent in Kael's panic.
But a second later, his stress levels spiked right back up. Three hours until dark. Another three hours until the moon rises. Six hours. That was enough time for Caelthas to die six times over.
Please don't die on me, Caelthas.
Nerves stretched taut, Kael settled in to wait for nightfall.