"Why did you do it?" Ania asked quietly as her soft lips quivered.
Exile raised an eyebrow at this question. She had asked to speak with him before he returned to the Divine Realms. "Do what?"
"You know..." A solitary tear ran down her cheek. "Why did you really abandon the warmth that you used to give off for this coldness? A lot of people have switched to other gods in the Pantheon because they don't see any real benefit from worshipping you now."
'Ah, so that's it....' Exile thought about this question for a while. "I needed more power..."
Ania shot a sideways, surprised glance at him. As she studied his face, she realised that he seemed more human than she realised. "How does it give you more power?"
"Ania, my recent change is more suitable for the times we are facing. There's a civil war going on in Skardia and the Sommerdans have invaded." Exile gave her a gentle look as they walked through the snow on the outskirts of Eraldsfen. "The hearth, with its power, was a great starting point as a god. But it did not offer the kind of offensive power I need to strike down the other gods who come against me. I have to be the spear that breaks our enemies."
Ania's head dropped as she stared at her feet. "But, isn't the shield just as important as the spear? When you were the God of the Hearth, everyone could feel your presence in their home. They all felt as if you were right there, watching over them. Do you understand the comfort that brought them?"
Exile revealed a surprised expression as he took in her words. 'So... It's not just about the benefits I can give them but how they can feel connected to me...' It gave him some food for thought. It seemed to him that it was far more complicated than he initially realised.
"How do you feel about it?" Exile asked with a curious expression. Seeking to understand the situation better from the point of view of the NPCs.
"How do I feel? I'm not really sure it's my place to say anything..." Ania quickly glanced away as her face flushed with a crimson colour.
"I mean, how do you feel about my presence. My authority over lightning." Exile sighed as he realised she had only heard part of what he said.
"Oh... Um..." Ania's bright eyes turned pensive as she stopped in her tracks. The wind caught her long hair and made it flow out behind her figure. Creating a spectacle that would leave most men stunned at her beauty. "Right now... I mean, it's fire from the sky, right? But it's cold. As if it's meant to destroy. Sure, fire can be harmful and kill people. But it's also warm and helps to give life. It's almost like you've gone from one extreme to the other. But if I had to choose one, I'd say that it would be better if you returned to the warmth that fire brings."
Exile frowned as he listened to her own thoughts. 'I see... She's right.' Exile sighed as he pondered the matter. He had chosen lightning because it gave him a chance to return to his usual style of fighting. He had never been a tank, healer or support class before. Although there were no classes in Pantheon, that was what the power of the Hearth felt like to him.
"I mean... Isn't it better to be seen as a creator and a god who values life than a destroyer who only knows how to create suffering?" Ania mumbled under her breath, but Exile managed to catch it.
'Maybe I took the easy way out...' Exile sighed as he shook his head and they continued on their walk. 'I've relied on that style for my entire career. Ever since I learnt from Arthur... But, I could never beat him with it and we'll eventually face off against each other. If I don't stumble at this point anyway. Maybe it's time I look for my own path...'
He had to admit that he felt a sense of accomplishment when he was the God of the Hearth. He felt good when his teammates survived because of the support he gave them. Not only that, but he was not useless in a fight, either. 'Have I been blind all of this time? Can I reach a greater height if I change my style?'
These were doubts and questions that he had always had, but this interaction with Ania brought them out of his subconsciousness. 'It'll take a lot of effort to polish something like that. Is this really the best game to try something new?'
One mistake could lead to his demise in this game. If he was going to do it, then he had to be prepared to accept the responsibility if he failed. 'I can't do anything about my element now... If I remember what Allevia said correctly, the next tier would allow him to have a second Authority and Tier 3 would allow him to choose a second element.
'So, my only chance of changing away from lightning will most likely be to claim more of the First Flame fragments, since that fueled the evolution from fire to lightning in the first place.' Exile let out a long sigh. He was convinced that the ruins near Valheim probably held a fragment because they were related to Allevia. But he still had to find a way to defeat the boss so that they could explore that place properly.
Exile came to a halt as he suddenly heard singing coming from the forest beside them. Ania noticed his curious gaze before she too heard it. However, there was nothing but mountains on the other side of that forest, so nobody should be travelling to Eraldsfen from that direction.
"See! It works just like I told you it would! Aren't you glad we waited for this moment before we came down!" Thovok roared to the group of dwarves behind him as he studied a strange contraption with a clear gem in its centre that he held. The gem showed two dots directly in front of them. One was blue while the other was golden...