that was one hell of a field trip

By the time he drew back, Artorias saw a noticeable shift in Avantika's demeanor. She no longer seemed on the verge of a panic attack, and she'd even managed a bit of a smile. He returned the smile, happy to offer her some help when it came to keeping her grounded. Rudyard had always been her best friend and helped keep her level when she started to spin out, but with Rudy off doing his own thing, it fell to him to be there when his family needed support. Life had not been kind to the Carpathius wolves. They'd all been forced to grow up much faster than they should have, and it weighed on Artorias' mind sometimes. The childhood he'd willingly given up for his knight training, the struggles of the ice age they'd survived, watching his mother die before his very eyes and having to pick up the reins with Ulric when she'd fallen... It was enough to turn any boy into a man. But never once did he complain. His family was worth everything.

He was going to let Avantika go see to some food and rest, but he wanted to make sure she was finished first. Art didn't want to leave her feeling like he was just dismissing her. "Is there anything else I need to know before I go have a word with Chimera myself?" he asked. He trusted the word and intuition of his Templars more than many others. If Tika had information or insight to share with him that might be helpful to know before he saw the king of Fenmyre again, he would hear it. Otherwise, she was free to go about her day.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"