Chapter XIV

Day XX Month XX Year XX

It's been weeks since I left Mondstadt, still sailing through the sea, hoping I'll reach that place.

The weather is very sunny.

And the ocean remains calm.

However, It can be drastically changed anytime soon if a storm is coming soon. Where I- or we heading.

I don't know if it was the best decision to continue the journey, but I still desire to choose this path. The future remains unknown after all.

All I have to do is onlypressg forward.

Hoping I will grow stronger than ever before, but the way I am right now is not enough. One final trail left for me and that is to unleash my noble phantasm. The main core of the heroic spirit is the symbol of its existence.

Especially since I can barely sense Galahad in my mind... I'm wondering just now ever since I've met the doctor... Could it be that there are more like him and I who were stranded in this World?

The possibility still exists. The Good, the Evil and the Neutral. Lawful and Chaotic ones.

Things will be surely different than they used to be when I return to Mondstadt or will I ever come back?

Who knows... But I'm surely coming back somehow.

Elaine paused her writing in her journal and stored it in her bag. She decided to enjoy the sounds of the waves with her eyes closed.

She almost has the urge to nap from that lovely sound but knows that the sea was dangerous that habitats sea monsters along with the fact that an unknown man was coming along with her.

"You're careless to neglect what is in front of you. Please focus, or we never reach the destination that your eyes set on."

A monotone voice that was very soft within called her out. She opened her eyes and glanced over at the man.

A good-looking blonde-haired man who wears dark clothes on a sunny day. His face was quite charming, like a prince from a storybook that Elaine once read when she was a child.

What pipes her interest was his azure eyes that pierced at her right in her soul and it has a sense of 'tiredness' in them. Especially his star-shaped eyes like Kaeya has and his half-mask is on the spot.

'He is also from Khaenri'ah if he has also the same pupils as Kaeya... I wondering why they having it... Do they have some special blood on their vain to have such trait I wonder?'

"I apologize. I will be careful from now." Elaine lowered her head out of politeness that man turned back to the vast boundless sea while she controlled the small ship. The Demi-Servant looked over the map and the compass that helped her coordinates.

But Elaine couldn't help that she felt a bit distracted as she glanced at him. She couldn't lie that she wanted to know this mysterious man.

'The doctor told me that he is an old acquaintance that he knew for a long time and joined my journey because Romani made an unbreakable contract with him. I don't understand the purpose and why they made it. However, it feels nice to have a travel companion who seems to be human to me...'

Elaine thought and opened up her journal to write her thoughts on another page thathadg a cute chibi version of this man pictured drawing while her pet companion was on her shoulder who tried to get her attention.

Then she realized over the past weeks that she never got his name even though they voyaged beyond the sea together.

"Uhm... Excuse me?" Elaine tried to get his attention, but it seemed that he was deep in his thoughts or was uninterested in talking to her. "Can I get your name? I forgot to ask at the beginning. Also, my name is Elaine." She awkwardly asked him.

There was a moment of silence between them, only the sounds of waves that kept crashing on the small ship.

It frustrated her that she never got the answer, but this is what she gets, and decides to do her own thing, which sounded a bit arrogant to her. However, what else is she gonna do now?

She lifted her head to the sky and noticed the sun was slowly sinking to the sea.

"It slowly becomes dark..." Elaine mumbled and pulled an odd instrument out of her bag that allowed her to measure the horizon, which she also uses in the nighttime for locating celestial bodies related to another mechanical object that was attached to the ship, it is called a Bechler's Navigator.

The instruments she uses are more like an astrologist's purpose only to observe the galaxy, but seafarers also frequently use and teach navigation.

She quickly noticed something strange from afar when she observed this from her sextant telescope.

"What in the world..."

Such a phenomenon wasn't something that belonged to this world. What Elaine was seeing with her abnormal eyes was a strange, big crown tree that reaches nearly to the sky's limit, half of its body was covered in a massive sphere of white mist.

The blonde-haired man turned his attention to Elaine, her uneasiness was easy to read on her face.

"What did you see?" He asked. Elaine gave him no answer as she change the coordination of the ship straight to this strange place, then turned her face to him.

"I don't know what that is, but I believe this place would be the one I could look for... A very large tree that reaches nearly the sky and it is covered in a huge mist barrier." Elaine answered him. He was pretty skeptical of the answer that he didn't even ask where they are going, considering how it was partly his fault for not communicating with her.

"I am particularly curious now. What kind of place are we going to?"

She glanced at him for a moment then turned away as Elaine gave her small friendly creature some biscuits. "I would be appreciated to know your name first."

"Dainsleif."

The Demi-Servant hummed and gave him the answer.

"To the isle of fairies."

Dainsleif widens his eyes as she said where they are heading. "I don't know if this is called stupid or bravery from what you are doing. That place is dangerous itself considering that those fairies act toward humans."

"You sure know a lot, Dainsleif."

Elaine responded to him with a neutral gesture. "Don't you think...Am I this naive to not do my research before I made my mind? Who you are standing is a veteran adventurer who isn't afraid to die or whatever it comes to me! Stupidity and bravery. It doesn't concern me right now. At this moment because I believe in my heart that this is right from what I am doing." She announced to him loudly so, he could see her unwavering resolution right through her eyes. It lights up like a fire that will never be erased by anyone even perhaps by the so-called gods.

Now Dainsleif knows perhaps what kind of human being Elaine was. It pains him to see in her.

Not in the bad kind. She reminded him of his comrades in arms back in his days.

Pure determination and seeking more power to protect something precious to her.

"I apologize for asking you. I didn't know that it could hurt your pride as an adventurer, also that I had not made a conversation with you from the start. I had reasons why for my actions." Dainsleif lowered his head.

As Elaine saw his action toward her, she felt uncomfortable and looked away from him. "Let's forget about this, ok?... And I am also apologizing that I made such a scene. After all of the fighting middle of the ocean, is something that I am least looking forward to." He agreed with a quiet nod.

There was a quiet moment between them. The Demi-Servant was too focused on her tasks when she does not notice that Dainsleif stared at her intense which Reeva, her odd creature companion saw that and started to jump towards his shoulder.

"Fou"

He was slightly surprised by this animal's action but he remained calm when Reeva sniffed at him then licked his face.

"This is surprising." Said Elaine with wide eyes at her friend who seemed to like him for some reason. "Reeva never didn't do this kind of thing to the people he didn't know other than myself."

"Is that so?" Dainsleif raised his eyebrow and didn't mind it at all, but just a moment he noticed that Reeva has a blue gemstone on his forehead. At that moment he knows of what kind of creature Reeva was.

Its kind was known that they will bring good fortune to the person they favoured and was rarely seen by human civilization.

Carbuncle, they called by the former court mages in his destroyed homeland.

"Then this considered that I am also lucky sometimes... despite I have this condition." Dainsleif smiled bitterly.

The Demi-Servant didn't commented his strange sentence as she had this feeling that this is not her business to interfere.

"Our destination will be roughly in five days." Elaine informed him then she gave him a small smile. "How about we could catch up to know each other properly?" She offered him.

Of course, Elaine don't expect him that much. Once she was done with the exploration with him, someday they part each others way or so she thought.

"Very well. What part of me do you want to know?"

Elaine blinked at him and lifted her chin up to think what she want to know about him.

"Well... Basic questions are good way to start like for example: 'What do you like and dislike?', 'What kind of hobbies do you have?' or 'Do you have any dreams and wishes that you want to fulfill?'... To be honest I am curious, what you agreed with Romani that you joined my journey, Dainsleif."

The blonde haired man couldn't help but chuckle from the many questions she asked like an innocent child.

Dainsleif suddenly started to pet her head and gave her a smile that the Demi-Servant almost fell in love with him.

"We have all time of the world. Let's take it easy, shall we?" He teased her lightly which Elaine puffed her cheeks like a chipmunk. Knowing that journey with her would be different to that person who joined in the abyss order. But could not help about the uneasiness in his chest when they arrive in a new land that he never to stepped his foot on.

Maybe this time. He would not make any mistake and protect this strange outlander who touched his heart against the darkness she would face while atone the sin of his to bear.

-

The mist gets thickened as Elaine enters the barrier. They couldn't see anything that they relay the small lamp lights from the ship even they seeing nothing outsid,e but glad that they are inside since that mist was strange and the waves are acting abnormaly.

"That mist is certainly another effect that we are close to a leyline distortion... A strong one that I never witness before." Dainsleif informs her and took one of Elaine's hand when he supported her to maintain the ship which was certainly not good enough for this phenomenon.

"It's to late to turn back! We made this so far, so all we must do is keep forward." Elaine pushed the vehicle more faster to the thick mist that keeps thicker and thicker.

"Don't rush it, Elaine. We couldn't be sure if a big waves crashes at us. The biggest priority is to keep calm even in such place like this." Dainsleif warns her as he noticed how much desperate Elaine was.

He holds her hand tightly when that much said wave approaches behind them.

"I don't let you go of my hands." Elaine widen her eyes when he said that to her.

These words are warm, comforting and foreign to her that struck her human heart on fire.

Her breathing was stabilized and turned to massive wave that would destroy the ship.

She finally came understanding herself that she alone must do this task.

Elaine prepared herself when she summoned her shield one-handed while the other, never let go who believed in her.

The energy that came out from her Saint Quartz as she chanted the aria.

"With my True Name revealed, I stand amid disaster."

"I will hold my beliefs for the star that I protect one day."

"That which heals all wounds and grudges, our glorious World."

"Manifest yourself, Lord Camelot!"

Dainsleif only watches in awe when Elaine clang her shield to the ground.

Outside manifest a pure white large castle that he oddly calls it home to his heart.

"So this the power of a heroic spirit." He speaks up and closed his eyes while he still holding her hand unaware that the big waves washed them to the island away.

Stranded.

Both of them were tired of the wild adventure and slept on the sand unguarded.

Luckily someone find them in shock how they got into the island that was supposed to difficult to reach with a small ship they used.

The someone was none other than Artoria Avalon, the Nameless king who ruled over the island who living fairies along with few elementals.

Artoria noticed Elaine which she nearly mistook her who looked like her. She mades her mind up as she dragged them both to her place.

"If they are here, then it must be that the loom of fate starts to spin here as well." Artoria looked up to large tree that keeps crazy stuff as long as she remembers.