FFXV: Wolf Howling at the Moon
BY: TCOOKIES777
Chapter 1: Luna
Rise o moon for it is time for the wolf to howl.
Time for the Sky to be filled with his mournful song.
The wolf is awake, roaming and longing for your light to show him the path.
"It is time."
Rise o moon, for the hunter is prowling.
His moment of triumph is breaking with the glow of your waning light.
Your ominous form fueling graceful strides.
"My Lord...?"
Rise o moon, the wolf's heart is beating, racing.
The hunt has begun and the ending is near.
When the wolf howls…
"Lord Ravus?"
The boy looked up from the book he was reading to meet the soft gaze a middle-aged woman smiling excitedly down at him. Her chestnut hair, streaked gray at the temples, was pinned up into a perfect bun. Slightly weathered hands from handling menial chores clasped together before her breast. A simple ivory tunic under a deep blue servant's attire graced her roundish figure, accompanied by a crisp clean apron wrapped around her middle with a dishcloth hanging at the side. The woman gestured to the open doorway on the far left of the hallway. "Her Majesty awaits you, Lord Ravus."
The four-year-old boy glanced back down at the page he had yet to finish. His fingers itched to dog-ear the page so as to not lose his spot but he didn't want to ruin his favorite book. It was one of the last gifts his father had bestowed upon him before a disease had peacefully lured him into the Beyond. Closing the book, the boy quickly ran his hand down the leather cover, feeling the engraved words that made up the title of his favorite story, Fenrir.
He set the book aside and hopped off the bench he'd been resting on for hours. The ever faithful family attendant trailed diligently behind the young royal as he walked towards the room where his mother awaited him. With every step he took, his belly fluttered with anxiety. Though his emotions did not appear on his face, it surely showed through his actions once he reached the threshold of his mother's room.
"Thank you, Maria." He nodded at the attendant who bowed her head and returned to directing the other maids.
The little lord quickly brushed back his perfectly groomed blonde hair and straightened the lapels on his ivory suit, ensuring every button was in place. Taking a deep breath, he dared a peek into the quiet room, only to see nothing but a pile of sea blue blankets. A small lamp atop the bedside table glowed softly but it was the light of the midnight moon that illuminated the room. Maids skittered past him carrying polite smiles and blankets stained scarlet to which he gulped at the sight of.
"Ravus?"
A tired but loving voice called out to him and he automatically trekked closer to the source in response. As he reached the side of the bed, the face that greeted him was not his beloved mother. It was not what he expected but, then again, he did not know what to expect. He definitely did not expect a wide set of bright blue eyes staring at him in wonder. Nor did he expect those beautiful eyes to belong to a chubby face with skin so pale that the moonlight filtering down upon it seemed to give it a divine glow. In contrast, the cheeks were flushed a rosy pink as if the thing was about ready to explode with happiness and love.
"Can we name it 'Fenrir'?" Ravus asked the woman cradling the thing swathed in her arms.
The queen chuckled quietly but said, "A strong name indeed, my son, but I do not think it befits that of a princess."
Ravus looked sharply to his mother at that last word. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to the creature squirming within the blankets wrapped around it, blinking its innocent crystal blue eyes at him. "I have a sister?"
He couldn't help but frown down at his new sibling. Ever since his mother broke news of what was to come, Ravus had always entertained the idea of having a sibling to lead so long as it was a brother. Sometimes, he'd fantasize of the two running down the halls pretending to be airships. They'd wrestle for fun, explore the woods surrounding the land, seeing who could climb the highest. They'd practice fencing together as sparring partners and go hunting once they were older. Or so he had secretly hoped.
"Luna." His mother whispered down at the infant. "Lunafreya."
At the sound of her name, the baby's eyes crinkled and her small lips broke into a toothless grin. A giggle—or was it a gurgle?—bubbled from her mouth as she continued staring eagerly at Ravus.
"Would you like to hold her?
What? Hold that thing? Sure, it was cute but… he still needed time to get used to this… her. Ravus began to shake his head but his mother was already sitting upright to hold out the creature to him. Although he continued shaking his head, his arms, slightly shaking with nerves, began moving to accept the small bundle. His mother carefully settled the baby into his arms, instructing him to support his sister's head. As soon as Ravus held Luna, a strange sense of calmness steadied his hands and soothed the ball of anxiety that had been tightening in his chest.
"Hello, my name is Prince Ravus Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae." He formally introduced himself as he'd been taught, making sure to enunciate and speak his words clearly for the sake of this fledgling.
The baby cooed at him for a moment until it turned its attention to the full moon, surrounded by a blanket of stars and shining through the window. Assuming she wished for a better look at the nighttime view, Ravus turned and stepped closer to the floor length window through which the silver light filtered in. It could have just been his imagination but Ravus thought that the constellations appeared especially bright this night.
She giggled and squirmed in his arms slightly to pull out a chubby arm and raise it towards the window. A small grin pulled at the corners of Ravus's mouth in amusement as he watched his new sister try to touch the holy rays of the moonlight. As he gazed down at her innocent face, Ravus felt a tug at the very fiber of his soul. It wasn't anxiety-no, it was the same feeling he felt whenever he saw his mother and father.
Love, his parents had once told him.
As Ravus stared at those curious blue eyes, he decided he would be the one to teach her love just as his parents did with him. The smile on his face spread until he himself felt he'd explode with joy, and he whispered down to his baby sister, "It's nice to meet you, Luna."