It wasn't long before the king had found himself lost. Going in the direction his chocobo came from, he believed that it would lead him back to where the first set off from. But the further he traveled, the more astray he realized he became. There was no sight of the other chocobos or the carriage and the small shop never appeared again. It was almost like they were trapped in a loop. The fog had cleared out, but the sun began to set. He even managed to get out of the dry area and back into a more forested location. Where on Eos did he lead himself to? He knew nothing about Accordo. Esme remained unconscious the entire ride while the wound on her leg suddenly stopped bleeding. Ardyn didn't even take the time to stop and bandage it up. As much as he wanted to stop, his mind wouldn't allow him to. The need to find, help, and regroup with the others completely clouded over him. However, for the very first time since the day the king first set out to travel with his feathered friend, she grew weary from the strenuous trotting. It needed and wanted rest and that was something Ardyn had to obey—especially with night about to set in.
He led the bird to an uphill, flattened rocky spot. All around it, he made sure to set a ward for the trio to keep them safe from any daemons on the hunt after nightfall. The lines and symbols he connected all throughout in a circle on the stones glowed dimly, bearing the same hue as the summer sky. Finally pulling Esme off from the top of the chocobo, he laid her down for a moment as he wondered how they'd sleep on the hard ground. Almost like the creature could read her owner's mind, she stalked over to where Esme laid, sitting her plump body beside her.
"Kweh..." with a motion of the head towards her body, Ardyn knew what to do as he lifted Esme's body, leaning her up against the chocobo.
"Good thinking." he pat his loyal partner. The king looked down at her bloodied leg and lifted up the torn fabric of her pants, ripping it off. It had sealed up, but strangely. Maybe it had something to do with her being the Oracle; being able to heal on it's own. Placing his hand on his forehead he sighed, wondering when she'd awaken. The sun was still barely up so he took the time to go out and find wood to make a fire. Gathering up what he could salvage, he stacked the planks and sticks up with some leaves sprinkled around and cast a fire on it then sat across from his mount and the Oracle.
"Esme... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought you in there with us. Gil, myself and the others should have searched around before taking you along. I promised Amelie that I'd protect you, and not even a day later, you're injured." he scoffed. "You're going to hate me even more once you wake up... and should you choose that you'd want to return home, I won't stop you." her eyes were shut, but he was hopeful that she could still hear his voice in her state. Ardyn hung his head. "Well at least now you've seen a daemon, even if it happened to be two of the worst ones. What a mess." he groaned then fell silent as the starry sky scattered above and the temperature started to fall. When a sound came from the young girl, he almost choked as his head shot up. She was shivering with her breath hitching. Immediately removing his long black coat, his highness got back onto his feet, resting the article of clothing over her body and even slightly tucked her in. He returned to his original spot, sitting criss-cross, back straight up.
"Es-"
"Ardyn..."
"Yes? Is there something you need?" She fell despondent again. "Esme?"
"Where are we?"
"We're still in Accordo. Things went amiss and I got careless. Gil and the others... we all got separated because I didn't think things through. I don't even know if they're alright."
"They are." His expression went confused at her confirmation.
"How do you know that?"
"I saw them. We're going to help save Eos together. All of us." Ardyn rubbed his face with an exhale of relief, unsure if she was hallucinating in some way or perhaps knew exactly how things would play out in the coming future. She is the Oracle.
"Well then... I'm glad to hear it." The fire crackled between the pair.
"Tell me a story, your highness. I'm sure you have a lot." He smirked down at his lap, avoiding having to look at her, and as he began to speak, his sights looked out into the expanded darkness to the right.
"A story, huh? This isn't much of a story, but something I think is rather interesting is that back before Solheim fell to war, with all of the technology they were responsible for, my favorite has to be the automobile. They were the first to create and perfect them as best as they could. Unfortunately now, most of them, if not all, have been destroyed since Ifrit brought on the Scourge. They never managed to spread them out around across the world." his stomach growled from lack of food.
"What are automobiles?" her voice spoke weakly and he frowned as her condition seemed to slowly worsen. But why?
"They are..." pausing, he thought about how to describe it. "Basically carriages that run all on their own; no chocobos attached."
"You've seen one before?"
"Not a physical one, but I have received drawings and artworks from those who managed to escape the bloodshed, along with the plague at the heart of the Scourge. Hopefully some time soon, someone can crank them out once more."
"I want to see them one day... Automobiles..." Finally looking over, the tips of the flames almost blocking his view of her, he could see that sweet smile she possessed. A smile that he could admit he began to enjoy witnessing.
"I'll show you the drawings one day soon. I have them all back in Insomnia, where I live in Lucis. I'll even show you around the city. I think you'd like it there." There was no response from the girl this time. "I should've brought them along with me. I apologize." Once more, he got back up, making his way around to the ill girl and kneeling at her side. Raising his hand up to her face, he ran it gently up her forehead, pushing her dampened hair away, looking down on the face she often kept hidden from him. What distracted him however was how hot she felt. Sweat dripped down and all. Ardyn quickly flung off his coat from her, discovering just how serious the situation at hand instantly became. The one key factor that explained her state was the wound on her leg. It was far from healing on it's own, the exact opposite actually. Black mist drifted out of the deep cut and the sight stole his breath as he jumped back, unable to comprehend.
It can't be...
Ardyn's hand covered his mouth as he stared directly at her leg.
"Esme, wake up. There's an extremely dangerous situation happening to you right now, and you're able to heal it on your own, but you need to open your eyes." One hand went against her left cheek and the other took a firm hold on her shoulder, lightly shaking her, desperate to bring her back to her senses. "Esme, please! I'll never forgive myself if you turn into one of those things, I'm begging you!" But the Oracle remained asleep. The king however did know how to heal her in a sense and it seemed his last resort became his only resort. "Shouldn't the Gods be watching over you?" he muttered, wondering how they could let something like this happen.
Perhaps it was a test.
His chocobo shifted a bit and quietly let out little squeaks.
"Rest, my dear. You need it." Whenever Ardyn committed this act, the bird would become uneasy, worrying for the state of her master, but his consoling tone was enough for her to lay her head upon the ground. Reaching down, his palm wrapped around her calve where the cut was made and slowly trailed up to her thigh, stopping at her stomach . With the other hand still at her cheek, he moved it over to her lips, managing to open her mouth. He leaned in close, watching her shut eyelids and traveled down to her lips, releasing a deep breath from his nose before opening his mouth only millimeters from hers. It was as if he sucked the virus straight out of her, but took it in for himself. Seconds later, his palm from her stomach raised off and he moved himself away, setting her head back down on the body of the chocobo. "You should be alright now..." he wiped off the sweat from around her face. Noises from the outside of the ward he set gurgled and echoed from whatever beings roamed about while Ardyn remained close at her side. "You know, it wouldn't be fair if you got a warm pillow all to yourself... so I think I'll sleep right here... right next to you." he spoke barely above a whisper to the girl was still sleeping and reached over her side for his coat that he threw off minutes ago. Glancing back down at the gash that stretched across from her lower calve to her upper shin, the dark smoke ceased and let go of a sigh of relief—for now at least. The color changed to an irritated red like any normal laceration. Slowly laying back down, coat in hand, Ardyn opened it enough to cover both of them. "I hope you don't mind," he spoke softly, settling on his side while his arm rested over the top of Esme's head. Her breathing was normal, he noted, having a full view of her face.
And that was how he fell asleep;
Looking down at her.
–
Esme let out a sharp gasp as she pushed her body up, face coated in dirt, and short breaths with coughs following.
Where was she?
It was dark and the mud beneath her made the air around cool. When she tried to push herself up, her head hit a rock ceiling and she exclaimed, her hand holding the back of her head. Looking to her right, there was dim lighting spilling through from above. The oracle dragged herself over then tilted her head up towards the source. It was a drop to where she was; an elevated tunnel with the light coming from the sun outside.
"Hello!" She listened to the sound of her voice echoing upwards but nothing else. "Hey!" Yelling once more, she waited for a response, but it remained a lonely echo. When she looked to her right however, a different kind of light could be seen; A neon sort of glow. So she lugged her body to the other side, slowly but surely, with the bottom of her body dirtying up. She came to the sight of something standing tall, but from where she faced it, she could only see the side of it. Being able to stand, Esme exited the burrow and looked at the glowing object. It lit up the cave that it sat in and when she circled around it, small crystals within it flared a bright blue but deeper in a luminescent violet. She looked around the rest of the blackened cave, littered with moss, in awe of the beauty from the large object before her, wondering if someone else could be lurking in the dark. But it was too still. She still wondered how she even managed to get to where ever she was.
Am I... dead?
Suddenly it was like a whispering chant came from the glowing rock causing Esme to near it. Although the closer she got, the further the voices grew. And the longer she looked into the magenta glow, the brighter it seemed to get. So bright that it completely blinded her for a moment. The oracle covered her eyes and rubbed them until the light became less alarming, but as she open them once more, she found herself wrapped up and on a rocky plateau. The sun gleamed not so bright for it was still early in the morning and the air had that familiar scent of a new dawn. She groaned and wiggled a bit, then suddenly realized the presence of person laying right next to her. It was Ardyn to her discovery, silently breathing with a calm face and strands of burgundy hair falling slightly over his face. He was so close that she froze up.
What the hell is going on?
Was that a dream?
Is this a dream?
Esme managed to slip out from under the blanket—no, his coat. Rolling away, her back bumped into the fluffy head of black chocobo, who was already awake. It murmured a squeek while watching her get onto her feet.
"Good morning." she greeted the animal silently, then noticed the dimly glowing blue lines in the ground that circled them. But what caught her attention even faster with a single glance was how her pants had been torn off on her lower leg. There was a lengthy cut, an irritated red color, that went around from behind stopping just below her knee.
Oh, yea!
Remembering the lanky daemon from Litus, everything came back to her. It cut her. She also realized that suddenly the party went from seven to two with the bird being a plus one. With a quick sneeze, Ardyn woke up, stretching against the feathery body he rested on and then immediately looked up at Esme who poked at her wound.
"Esme!" He blurted out and she raised her attention to him.
"Ardyn... morning..." the expression on his face made her mind turn into a blurry wonder of what events transpired while she fell unconscious. "Is this real?"
"Yes?" He sat up straight, neither of the two breaking eye contact.
"Why do you look so shocked to see me awake?"
"I-I'm not. I just-"
"What happened to Gil and the others?"
"I'm not sure, we got separated. But I'm sure we'll meet up soon."
"Why were under your coat together?"
"Well it was a rather cold night, and being the gentleman I am, I covered you with my coat and laid you against my sweet girl. But then, you see, I got a bit chilly myself, so I joined you. I deserve to be comfortable too, right?"
"Yea...alright." Looking away from Ardyn, her eyes lead back to her calve. "I didn't know you could stitch someone up."
"Well... it actually wasn't that bad of a wound... so it kind of closed on it's own." There was a slight hesitation with his answer. For some reason he couldn't tell her what he did or even about the severity of of her condition only some hours ago. All he cared about was that she was alright and on her feet. "Good thing you can walk again, because I don't think myself or my dearest could handle carrying you around anymore." he snickered, taking her mind off the subject as she shot straight up to her feet.
"What?!"
"I'm only kidding," his hoarse morning voice remarked playfully as he got up and stretched again. "Honestly though, I am glad to see you're alright." The smirk he sent her way caused her to smile.
"Thanks to you." It became something he wanted to protect immensely now.
"Yea... you don't know the half of it." his response was mumbled and his foot gave a small kick. Shoving his hands in his pockets he looked to the ground, his smirk turning to a smile, feeling like a fluttering little boy.
"Well we should probably find Gil and the others, right?"
"Yes," his attention was stolen to the matter at hand. "You're going to have to ride with me though. Or you can walk if you prefer." He winked.
"That's fine with me."
"What? Walking?"
"No, riding you." Her words and actions with the king never seemed to come out the way she wanted.
"Riding—"
"With you. That's what I said. Riding with you."
"No, I think you said—"
"I think I'm hungry too actually, we should go eat somewhere first since the food we got before is in the carriage." Ardyn leered at Esme before continuing on with her new words.
"You're right. I'm quite hungry myself. Let's go."
The pair wandered for a little, maybe about thirty minutes as the chocobo strolled though the land. The area they were in seemed almost untouched by humans. Only animals and creatures alike migrated the surroundings.
"How did you manage to get so lost?" The girl asked, her arms wrapped around his waist.
"There was fog, a lot of it. I couldn't see a thing so I lead us in the wrong direction."
"Ah." They bounced on atop of their ride before Ardyn spotted a small building not too far ahead. It was a small hut, with wooden tables and chairs outside. A sign just before it was hand painted reading, 'The Nest'. "Do you think they sell food here?"
"Oh, I know for certain they do." The tone in his voice seemed familiar with the establishment. "I'm pretty sure this is just an extended one from the original in Lestallum. The food's mediocre, but it's something."
"How's it going, travelers?" A woman stepped out with papers in hand and a smile. "That's quite the chocobo you got there... Say, do I know you from somewhere?"
"Nope! We are just adventuring nomads, going where ever the wind blows us." Ardyn stretched his arm towards the distance while Es looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
What an actor...
"So I see! Come to grab a bite? I'm sure the both of yous are about to start the day, bright and early!"
"We are!"
"Then come on down and take a seat!" They both hopped off, and sat at a table, the woman handing them each one of the papers that she held in her hands, a wide grin on her face the whole time. It was a menu, but there wasn't much to choose from.
Fries...
Salmon...
Soup & Bread...
Spicy Skewers...
Nothing really caught either of their attentions, but they were hungry so it didn't matter much.
"I'll have... fries I guess." Esme looked up to the lady, handing back the paper.
"The skewer's will be fine. Thank you." He smiled handing his menu back.
"Very well, it'll be out shortly." As the server walked away and to the open window of the hut, she eyeballed Esme.
"You think she knows who you are?" he watched Es with his cheek sitting in his palm and she only shrugged watching something in the distance. "Something on your mind?" To be honest, she thought about the dream she had before waking up, but decided to keep it to herself for the time being.
"Just the fact that we didn't really get anywhere and I was almost killed." The two scoffed and fell into an awkward silence. "Ardyn, can I ask how old you are?"
"Sure." She awaited his answer, but he continued to stare at her.
"Okay?"
"Go ahead, ask."
"How old are you?"
"Guess."
"How old are you?" she grunted as she asked a third time.
"You're no fun," letting out a sigh he finally answered, "twenty-seven. Yourself?" She delayed her answer.
"Guess."
"What? I have to guess, but you couldn't? How's that for fair?" He laughed and watched her face practically twinkle. "I'd say... twenty-three?"
"No... twenty-three..." Esme rubbed her arm, look to the side.
"You're only a little younger than me!"
"I'm surprised you didn't already know."
"The only thing the world knows about it's first and long-awaited Oracle is that your residence is in Altissia and that your name is Esme. Nothing personal. Consider yourself lucky." The woman came walking back, two plates being held up in her hands and set them down respectively.
"Would either of you fancy some water? Or a tea maybe?"
"Water." They both answered her simultaneously.
"Gotcha!" heading back to the open window, she made up two water cups and brought them back to the table. "Is there anything else I can do or get yous guys?"
"Yes actually, can you point us in the direction of Litus?"
"Litus? I'm pretty sure you have to head east from here. My friend Leo has a small shop just before it, so if you see him, stop and ask just in case, so you don't get lost. But then again, I'd steer clear of Litus. Heard they got overrun with the Scourge and now daemon's are just popping out from the folks whos used to live there. Just a heads up."
"Alright, thank you for the warning." Ardyn gave a single nod at the lady with a smile.
"No problem at all!" She left the Oracle and the King alone again to finally eat and only minutes later, all the food had been devoured.
"I feel much better now!" Esme's arms reached up to the sky and Ardyn sat back in his seat. "So if we just head back towards Litus, you think we'll run into Gil and the others?"
"That, or maybe someone can tell us something. They might have traveled back to the shop after they got out."
"I wonder if the shop she's talking about is the same one we went to."
"Could be." They rested comfortably for a moment until the king spoke quietly, but sternly. "Esme... I don't have any money for this. Everything I have was left in the carriage."
"What? So what are we supposed to do?"
"I don't know! I've never been in this situation before!"
"Ardyn!" They yelled in a whispered tone and it caught the attention of the waitress who headed back over.
"Everything alright?"
"Yes," She gleamed at the worker who stared at her again curiously.
"I'm sorry, I just.. have to ask. Are you the Oracle?" This was an opportunity that needed to be grasped smartly.
"What gives it away?"
"I mean I've only heard about how you look. Young, black hair, dark eyes; and it's also interesting that you're looking for Litus. Everyone's talking about how the Oracle is traveling all throughout Accordo, helpin and healin, gettin excited to meet you. They say to be in your presence is to be automatically blessed by the heavens and to have the might of the seven look over you."
"Well it's m-e." The tone in her voice was sheepish now and her body leaned strangely over. The king squinted her movements.
"I'm so honored to have you here, my lady!" The waitress fell to her knees, humbled.
"Wait, no, you don't have to do that, please! Stand up!"
"Did I offend you?" The woman raised her hand over her chest, her expression worrisome.
"No, I-I just- I'm- I don't need..." the reactions she was starting to get from others who meet her were unexpected, causing her to stutter.
"She's very moved, but there's no need to be so formal, is what she's trying to say."
"Oh, well then..."
"Forgive me, I'm her adviser—Liam." Esme scrunched her face. The name was weird on him. Of all the ones he could have said, and he went with Liam. He held his hand out and the lady took it, blushing a light pink as she looked into his golden eyes.
"You're tab is on me!" She looked at both of them nervously and let go of Ardyn's hand, stepping back and bowing.
"Thank you, that's very kind. Might I get your name by chance?"
"Cassia."
"Thank you, Cassia." her head shot up as the sound of her name slipped out from his velvet voice. Esme watched the serving girl get flustered and sprint away. "Shall we?" Ardyn stood up, walked two steps over to Esme's seat and held his hand out. "Madam Oracle." He waited in hope for her to take his hand.
"Who are you again?" She questioned silently.
"Liam, the adviser." A chortle escaped her as the sun shone brightly behind him.
"I think I hate that name." The oracle gave her hand to the king, who smirked, and she pushed her chair back, standing up, his hand pulling hers gently. Leading her to the grand chocobo, she knelt down for both get up on.
"Safe travels, Oracle and adviser Liam! Please visit us again soon!"
"We will! Goodbye and thank you!" Esme called out and waved to the woman and the the probable chef, also waving, who came outside to witness them taking their leave. Now time to head back east.