The Truth of War

Following Venerare, Allen entered the biggest tent.

"You made a good spectacle, Venti" Inside the tent, a man greeted him with a smile. "Glad that you continue using my gift. You really took care well of that lyre."

The man had short blue-gray hair with a bushy beard and a layback aura around him, unlike the others from the Lawrence Clan. If the others seemed to be warriors, this man seemed more like some kind of explorer or adventurer.

"Don't encourage him, Leonard" Venerare scolded the man before turning to Allen "But really Venti, what happened to you? This place wasn't for you that's why we sent you over Mondstadt, to live there in peace."

Allen was a little taken aback by Venerare's change, she no longer talked as the strong leader of the Lawrence clan, but with a warm and motherly concerned tone in her voice. "What made you change so much?"

'I see, Venti's exile was caused by Venerare's love nor hate. Not wanting her weak child to live this life in the blizzard.' Allen reasoned.

"Freedom" Allen asked "I could not last any longer being trapped in that place. I wanted to see the birds fly in the blue sky."

"So freedom is your call" Leonard nodded. "It must be quite strong if you were able to attract a spirit like me." A little spirit similar to a puppy entered the room, laying over Leonard's head.

"So that spirit had chosen him. I suppose I can't convince any of you" Venerare sighed "Like father, like son. Putting yourself in danger."

"You know adventures are my life, dear!" Leonard laughed "But I'll help you in this, son. Let's conquer this new peak together."

"Yes" Venerare nodded "I always hated this environment. Let's put an end to it."

"Thanks" Allen smiled receiving the warmth of both, even when he truly did not know anything about them, their love for their son was true.

The three of them left the tent, being surrounded by all the clan members "Everyone! Prepare your weapons! We are going to war. We'll show everyone the strength of the Lawrence!"

""Yes! For the Lawrence Clan"" The other member shouted excited, joining at Allen's cause.

*FUSH* A new star shined brightly over the sky with a light pillar piercing to the ground away from Allen.

Allen knew where the pillar of light was falling 'Elf has gained a new start'

...

*FUSH* A pillar of light fell Elf as it gained a new start, its power increasing.

"It seems that the boy has accomplished it" Next to Elf, Andrius stated with both being alone inside a tent, Andrius having taken Elf away from the others.

"Are you ready to follow this path till the end?" Andrius asked.

"No" For the first time, Elf talked with the voice of a little child. "But I'll fight for their dreams until the end. Not as their god, but as their friend."

"So that's the path that you choose" Andrius said curiously "Show me the resolution to make it real. To deserve breaking me and help you" Andrius turned around, leaving the place "Prepare to fight, spirit."

"Be ready for combat, spirit" Andrius stood up "Show me your resolution and the worth of it" He said before leaving the tent.

...

Some days later, Allen entered Andrius's territory followed by the Lawrence clan. Unlike the time before, the wolves let him enter, giving him space to advance and guiding his group forward.

It wasn't long until they reached what seemed to be the lair, a hidden cave formed under a hill. Entering it, Allen was surprised to see more than wolves in it, the place having a good quantity of people that worked together with the wolves, being most of them women, children, elderly or injured people.

Reaching the deepest part, hidden by some leather, the wolves stopped everyone, only letting Allen continue.

"Wait for now. I'll take care of Andrius." Allen said before entering.

"I was waiting for you" Andrius sat in a corner with Fischl, Ragn, Amos and Elf. "You completed the mission" Andrius looked around "You are the only ones with strong enough determination to deserve the truth. The truth about this Archon War."

"So, what's the truth of this war?" Allen asked as he sat with the others.

"This is a war for the divine thrones, a war to become a god" Andrius explained "I was a spirit before like Elf. As spirits, our power alone is nothing, the same as our dreams or aspirations. That's until we found our priest, a human with a strong desire or determination to bond with us."

"So Gunnhildr and I are Elf's priests" Allen had already deducted by their previous talk.

"It's strange for one to have more than one, but not impossible" Andrius answered "Your ideals is what moves Elf, Gunnhildr's desire to Protect and Venti's desire for Freedom. That power is manifested with Elf as Elemental powers."

"Having a priest is the first step to entering this war. Then, you have to increase your strength and there is only one way, human Faith. Following the path of your priest, you need to collect human Faith, gaining the favor, reverence or even fear of more people and with it, empowering the spirit's strength, being able to see the progress by its stars given by the Divine."

"Once you are able to obtain 6 stars, these will form a constellation, showing your path in the sky. Then, the spirit is able to claim one lower Throne and become a God, no longer needing priests and being able to change the world all alone."

"But even that is not the end, only one step. As a God, your destiny is to fight against other gods for their Faith. The war not ending until the seven higher Thrones, one for each element, are claimed by the winners, obtaining the power to command the lower thrones."

"I already knew this!" Amos shouted, still tied "Decarabian's dream is to guide us to a better future, fighting against an evil god like you who only dreams of destruction!"

"You are half correct, mortal" Andrius growled at Amos "Decarabian's and my dream born at the same time. We were born together from the weak who hide, trembling against the strong. However, our path were quite different indeed."

"My priest's dream was for revenge and Destruction and that is what I became. The Wolf God, a calamity God whose simple presence brings destruction to this world. Creating eternal blizzards at my surroundings, it's my nature impossible to avoid, bringing death to this world, gaining Faith from the fear of the world."

"If that's the case, what are the people here?" Allen asked "Both, wolves and people, seemed to truly want to follow you with respect, not fear."

"They are my exception." Andrius stated "My call is Destruction and Revenge of the weak against the strong, so I still can protect the weak, even if the power obtained from their Faith is nothing in comparison with the fear."

"That's why you have done so much damage to this land?!" Amos scolded "If it weren't for you, Lord Decarabian could bring peace."

"Peace?" Andrius showed his sharp teeth "As I said, we both come from the weak, born from Revenge but while I chose Destruction, Decarabian chose Domination. His only dream is to dominate everything, to have everything under his control."

"I stopped him from forming Peace? Decarabian has always been stronger than me, if he desired, he could kill me anytime" Andrius stated "The only reason I kept my existence is for his own good. I'm the excuse, the Destruction of the world that he is supposed to protect, caging humans in his city and dominating them, acquiring their Faith."

"Keeping this false war, increasing the Fear against me to make me stronger, to make this blizzard grander, to affect more people that would need to take Decarabian's help, giving their Faith to him. All of it is to increase his strength until he is able to claim one of the Seven High Thrones."

"Once he reaches his objective, who knows what would do with such power? Probably killing me and Dominating the land with his power." Andrius.

"Y-you are lying!" Amos accused, her voice trembling as she truly had been moved by Andrius, impossible to completely negate it "Lord Decarabian is kind! He always thinks about our well-being! Every sacrifice is for the good!"

"One day, you will be forced to open your eyes and see the truth, Decarabian's lover" Andrius warned "The question is, will it be too late?"

Andrius then turned to Elf "This is my unmoved path, impossible to change. Now, what's your decision?"

"There is no need for an answer" Fischl stood up "No matter the storms of wolves, my destiny will not be stopped by such minor troubles. I shall show my ideals and darkness to this wretched world!"

"Yes" Allen nodded "If your paths are wrong, we will create a new one for a radiant new tomorrow!"

"Show me your resolution!" Andrius showed his teeth.

...

Over an arena near the lair that Allen was able to recognize from the game as the place where you could fight Andrius's test as a weekly boss, Allen's full group, with the Lawrences, Gunnhildrs, Ragn and even a tied Amos stood at one side of the arena while Andrius stood alone on the other side. All of it, while outside of the arena, everyone from the lair stood watching them.

"This will be the final test" Andrius stepped forward, his tremendous aura falling over Allen's group causing the weaker ones to shiver.

"AUUUUU!" Andrius howled, summoning more than 30 spectral wolves around him that looked threatening to the group "GRRRR!"

"Without losing any person..." Andrius stated with strength "SURVIVE!"