Chapter Six: Challenges of an Eorzean Life
Ul'dah
Noctis never considered he would one day be able to something so mundane as shopping with Luna. While he had managed to travel relatively incognito before, standing beside the Oracle without attracting a crowd was almost unheard of. Some merchants recognized Luna but it was more out of familiarity that popularity. The rest of the crowd went about their business, treating the two no different from any other person in the markets.
The Ul'dahn market was always busy no matter the time of day. Normally, Noctis would just go straight to the nearest stall containing the item he needed and leave immediately. Today, he was accompanying Luna on her errand. The market was actually a side trip before her actual destination. Luna decided to procure some much needed items since they were passing through Ul'dah anyway. Surprisingly, Noctis didn't mind following Luna through the busy market place. Especially with how thankful she was for his company. That, and his abilities. While joining Luna on her errands had been an excuse to for their much needed talk, it turns out Noctis was especially useful for carrying purchases. Being able to store items in a personal pocket space was very convenient.
With the side trip done, the two headed to the Chocobo Stables but not to rent a chocobo. To Noctis's surprise, Luna was not familiar with traveling via chocobo. Instead, they would be riding in a caravan, not too different from the one Noctis came to Ul'dah on. Though from Luna's comment, she was expecting to have to rent storage space for goods. Thanks to him, they just needed to pay for two passes.
"This will be more comfortable than riding with cargo." said Luna as she took a seat. Noctis followed suit by taking a seat next to her. "It is a shame you cannot be the one to handle future deliveries."
"I don't mind." offered Noctis.
Luna shook her head but rewarded him with a small smile. "Very thoughtful of you to offer, but it would be negligent of me to assign someone of your skills solely to such a task. There are many other tasks that would benefit from your skillset."
"I'll try my best then."
"I have no doubt." agreed Luna. "It does feel strange to be of higher authority than 'King Noctis'. It must feel even more so to you."
"Eh… not so much. You were always the more mature one between the two of us. You always knew what I needed to do. You-" There wasn't a time in his memories that Luna wasn't focused on a task. When they were young, she could already explain to him what their future destinies were. Whenever he caught her on the news, she was always fulfilling her duties as Oracle. She always said the right things. People adored her. She… "- would have made a great queen." Noctis said absentmindedly.
By that time Noctis to realized the implications of what he said, Luna suddenly developed an interest in the floor while Noctis was oddly curious about the balloon supporting the carriage. Thankfully, the last passengers had finally boarded, meaning they could leave. Though the only other passengers was a pair of white-haired elezen kids sitting at the back. It left the caravan rather roomy.
Exiting the gates of Ul'dah brought certain memories to mind. "This is how I got to Ul'dah." Started Noctis catching Luna's attention. "How I came Eorzea in fact. Woke up inside a caravan headed to Ul'dah."
"Just like that?" asked Luna.
"Well, not to sure how. There was already someone inside the caravan." explained Noctis. "But he didn't seem to find my appearance surprising. To him, I was there the whole time." he never did manage to ask how he got on the caravan. The thought hadn't occurred to him back then. Maybe if he found the same merchant again… Brendt, if he remembered correctly. Shouldn't be hard to find a man with that appearance.
"I woke up in a forest." Luna spoke up after a bit. "The Twelveswood. It is a little past the desert. I remember being confused, not knowing where I was. It did not help the Twelveswood looked the same no matter how far I walked. After minutes of walking- I encountered a moogle."
"A moogle? White fur, black wings, and floating red ball." Noctis mimed a round object above his head.
"Yes, a real moogle. I thought them to be only children's stories too. They are about this big." Luna drew a shape no bigger than his torso. Way smaller than the decoy doll he used. "They mistook me for a lost adventurer and were kind enough to lead me to the closest city, Gridania. I still see them from time to time."
"Once I entered the city, the guards directed me to the Adventurer's Guild. I was quite perplexed as to what an adventurer was, among other things. I was very confused at that time I sat down at one of the tables and tried to catch my bearings first. But everything was so different and strange it took Mother Miounne approaching me before I was able to receive answers to my questions. She was very patient with me."
Luna recounted her first days in Gridania, which wasn't to different to his own. Except she had spent more time learning the conjury arts. This was due to the fact Luna's original skills from Eos were waning for some reason. She needed to learn a whole new set of skills.
"Due to the war, I rarely ventured out of the safety of the city. Unlike before, I had weaker powers, no divine protection, nor responsibilities which required me to travel. Between learning conjury and the need for healers in the city, I was slowly adjusting to Eorzea. I was helping people, and for a time, a task I was willing to continue for the foreseeable future."
"What happened?" Noctis picked up the fact something changed Luna's mind.
"There… was a complication when I was assigned outside of the city. I apologize. Even now it is difficult to talk about."
There was nothing Noctis could do but accept it. He nodded in understanding.
Relieved, Luna continued with her story. "After the incident. I met Y'shtola, or to be exact, she found me. She continued my conjury training along with other lessons she was willing to impart on me. She eventually brought me to the person she wanted me to meet: Minfilia. At that time she was just a young woman trying to unify the Echo holders into one group. Y'shtola brought me to her as I had shown abilities similar to the Echo."
"Do you have it?" asked Noctis.
Luna shook her head. "Sadly for Minfilia, I did not. But I decided to join Minfilia in her quest which she was grateful for. Along the way we met Tataru during one of our jaunts in Ul'dah. The three of us eventually found the Echo wielders Minfilia was searching for. Thus we founded the 'Path of the Twelve'. A way to recruit Echo holders to help them learn their powers, while disguised as any other spiritual order to the gods of Eorzea. Along the way, I became responsible for managing our members. Minfilia was more focused on her vision for the Path, and Tataru was better at managing our paperwork."
"Then the Calamity happened."
"I never got an explanation what the Calamity was. Up to now I don't know what it is exactly." confessed Noctis.
Another pause as Luna look forward, but her attention was at another time away. "A catastrophe as bad as Leviathan's rampage in Altissa. The reason- is hard to explain without more knowledge about this world. A conversation we would need to have another time." her focus was now to the horizon. "We are almost at our destination."
Noctis looked out and spotted the caravan approaching a settlement partially located below ground level. He could make out the tip of giant aetheryte crystal in the distance.
"I am sorry for not being able to answer your question right now. I promise we will continue where we left off later."
"It's okay." reassured Noctis. "At least I know what you've been through while I was gone."
"I did not expect to have this conversation here either." said Luna. "We can find a more appropriate location to continue at our destination."
"Where are we going? I wasn't able to ask."
"How careless of me. Time does fly when you have someone to talk to." commented Luna. "Camp Drybone is just up ahead."
Camp Drybone
Like most locations in Thanalan, Camp Drybone held a small population of refugees. Unlike the rest of Thanalan, the locals here did not particularly complain about their presence. After all, everyone is equal in death. Camp Drybone held one of the few lichyards outside Ul'dah. When there was no more space in ossuaries inside the city, or citizens did not contribute enough, the dead were brought here instead. The hamlet also contained a small healing ward, or what passed as one. Noctis thought it somewhat morbid to have one so close to a cemetery. Not to mention having a local inn called the 'Eternal Rest'.
As the closest thing to healthcare refugees had outside Ul'dah, there was a lot of activity in the healing ward. Despite the amount of people inside the relatively small area, there was no lack in space for patients. It was here Noctis got a good explanation of Eorzea's healing capabilities. With magic not limited to specific royal lines, healing magicks provided a sufficient substitute to medical technology. At times magick even surpassed technology. Luna's experience shone as she explained the intricate spells used during her time as a healer. Cure spells that could heal all but the most fatal physical injuries, Esuna to remove ailments physical and magical, even Raise to revive those close to death. That wasn't even taking into account the alchemic potions they substituted for medicine. Despite the large technology gap between Eos and Eorzea, medical aid was just as easy to access as Noctis's use of magically souped-up energy drinks.
People in the healing ward welcomed Luna with familiarity, while giving Noctis some curious looks. Luna greeted the staff and informed them that she was giving the Scion's contribution today. A roegadyn staff immediately asked if they had to help unload the cargo from the chocobo caravans. The Scion shook her head and instead asked to be led to the storeroom. Despite being puzzled by the request, the same staff member brought them to a small room containing their medical supplies. At Luna's request, Noctis unloaded the various items they bought in the market place. After thanking the stunned roegadyn, the two proceeded to their other destination in the wards.
"That who I think it is?" One of the patients call out to them.
"Yes it is Ula." Luna approached a female miqo'te sitting on one of the beds. She had white hair that extended past her shoulders and wore the loose clothing of a patient. "Are you feeling well today?"
"If you mean 'Am I well enough to get out of here', have been for the past two days. Idiot healers not believing I can leave already. But with the recent kidnappings, guess it's better to have company when leaving." Ula finally noticed Noctis's presence. "You know you've got a stalker following you?"
Luna politely giggled at the remark. "I assure you, he is not one. Ula, this is Noctis, one of our new members. Noctis, this is Ula, another member of ours."
"No shit, new member huh?" Ula scrutinized Noctis. "Not a bad find. Those ears real?"
Noctis spoke up for himself this time. "Yeah, they're real." As much as he wished they weren't at times. "Why wouldn't they be?" He made them twitch for emphasis. Now that he thought about, why would someone bother wearing fake ones in the first place?
"Dunno." Ula shrugged. "You could just be a hyur pretending to be a miqo'te."
"She asked me the same question when we were first introduced." mentioned Luna.
"I didn't know miqo'tes could reach that high 'till I met you! And I didn't believe you 'till that time in the communal showers."
"Um, Ula, I do not think that is proper with certain company." interrupted Luna. "We need to get you ready to leave."
"Would you please give her the clothings we purchased earlier?" Luna requested of Noctis.
Complying with her request, a simple desert tunic materialized in the raven-head's arms.
"Wicked! That summoning thing you did." Ula clarified. "The dress's pretty meh."
The comment actually warranted a smirk from Noctis. "I'll just wait in the hallway while you change." Politely giving the two women some privacy.
Despite staying outside the hallway, Noctis could still hear the two conversing. It mostly consisted of informing Ula what she had missed while recuperating. He did hear something of note later on.
"I'm beginning to remember more. I think I had- have a sister" Noctis heard Ula's voice.
"That is an improvement from simply knowing you had a sibling. Would you be able to describe her features?" Luna asked. Noctis did not hear Ula's reply. "It's alright. We should find her eventually."
"Can't understand why I can't remember her. Not even her name. I know deep down I now have a sister. All I can remember is an illuminated figure in her place. It's no Warrior of Light level but what's keeping me from remembering?"
"We are not yet certain, but we believe we may have found the reason why. A former Pathwalker has returned, and like your sister, others did not remember him."
"How were you able to tell if you couldn't remember him? Unless… you recognized him."
"Yes, along with Minfilia."
"Wait- this means she was a former Pathwalker too!"
"We came to the same conclusion last night. With this information, we can check an old list of members for her name. I asked Tataru if we had such a list before we left for Drybone."
"What are we waiting for then! Let's get the hells out of here."
Noctis didn't hear anymore conversation, only a flurry of clothes and movement.
Once Ula was ready and dressed, it only left the paperwork to be done before she could be discharged. While Luna took care of it, Noctis was left entertaining the former patient while waiting outside the healing ward.
"You and L'una close?" Ula asked out of the blue.
Why was it the first thing people kept on asking him?
"You could say that." answered Noctis.
"Trying for the cool mysterious type huh?" She suddenly shoved a finger in front of his face. "Well that's not going to work on me mister. What's your relationship with L'una?"
"Tch… Fine. We met when we were kids."
"That's- surprising." Ula was taken aback by the answer bringing her hand back down. "Though I can totally buy you guys coming from the same place."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you two don't look like you come from the usual miqo'tes tribes in Eorzea. Both Sunseeker and Moonkeeper." She was scarily close to the truth. "I mean other races can't tell but there's something 'off' about you two. Take L'una! By our standards she's freakishly tall! There are times she looks more like a hyur wearing a disguise. So do you if you're wondering." Ula ranted. "Really, if I didn't check them myself to make sure they were attached, I still wouldn't be buying it."
"I'm not letting you test mine." He had done that himself already.
"Come on! Please? I'll keep on wondering until I do."
"Keep on wondering what, Ula?" interjected Luna, having finished with matters inside the healing ward.
"L'una! Take a bath with me later!" Ula blurted out.
To her credit, Luna did not so much as bat an eyelash at the strange request. "The healers did not mention you would still need assistance."
As Luna looked honestly worried, Noctis sought to clarify her misconception "She just wants to-" but was suddenly cut off by a hand covering his mouth. Ula's specifically.
"Want to catch up! I know how busy you are and someone needs to make sure nothing happens to me in the baths. Plus, we save on water!"
Whether due to compassion or just to placate the recently-discharged patient, Luna agreed with her request. Noctis didn't bother to divulge Ula's actual reason anymore. High School had taught him enough not to meddle in women's affairs.
Waking Sands
"There, there Ula. The caravan is not moving anymore." Luna rubbed circles on the nauseous miqo'te's back.
Including a degree of motion sickness, the ride back to Vesper Bay revealed more information about the energetic miqo'te. She was the same age as Luna, slightly older by a few months. With her experience as an arcanist, Ula functioned as a combat trainer within the Scions, making sure their members kept their skills sharp or improve if they bothered to put in the effort. She had been oddly curious about Luna when they first met, and her obsessive curiosity with the Scion's supervisor eventually evolved into friendship.
Ula joined the Scions hoping it would allow access to their resources to help her find her lost family member. For some reason she could not remember any details of this family member, not even knowing what her relation to them was. As with what Noctis heard earlier, it was only recently she identified them as her sister. Noctis had a feeling Alex was somehow tied to this event. Luna discreetly divulge to him later on that Alex was affected with the same phenomenon and they had an idea who exactly was responsible. She didn't tell this to Ula as they had no concrete evidence just yet.
"Hey everyone! I'm back!" Ula unceremoniously barged into the Waking Sand's common area.
Despite this, everyone inside happily welcomed the trio though most of it was on Ula. Yda even asked her for a match, which got a reprimand from Papalymo. Ula still agreed to one in the end.
After people were done greeting them, Ula spotted a familiar face. Familiar to everyone but her. "I don't recognize you. You must be one of the new ones."
"Yup, Alexander." the redhead introduced himself.
"He the one?" Ula turned to Luna for clarification who confirmed with a nod of her head. "Welcome to the Scions. Ula Tayuun." she introduced herself. "Sorry if I'm supposed to know you already."
"Uh… it's okay. I think this is the first time we've met." reassured Alex.
"Ula has a sister she cannot remember either." explained Luna. "We think she might be a former Pathwalker as well."
"Tayuun? I think I remember a Tayuun." said Alex. "Is she Una Tayuun by any chance?"
All three awaited a reaction from Ula. It seemed almost perfect.
"Sorry. I'm not getting much of a reaction with the name." Ula answered disappointingly. "It does sound familiar. Like 'I may have family with that name' familiar. Nothing saying it's definitely her."
"Too bad we don't have a way to reach them anymore." Alex chimed in. "I doubt they're aware the Scions and Pathwalkers are the same group. I just got lucky myself."
"Steps have been taken to rectify that problem." Luna informed them. "A left an announcement for Pathwalkers at the Ul'dahn Market. If any remember the previous headquarters, they would be able to find their way here."
"I thought we gave up on that after no one came for years?" questioned Ula.
"Recent events have indicated we may have better chances this time. We also have the list we can look over."
"Oh yeah we do! We should have asked Tataru for that when we came in. How come we didn't?"
"Because someone went straight down without stopping." Noctis pointed out.
"Oops. Well let's get to it. C'mon L'una, time for some girl time." Ula dragged the other female miqo'te away, leaving the two males behind.
"She seems nice." Alex commented. "Surprised how friendly she is with Lady L'una"
Noctis could only wonder as well how that happened.
If there was one thing good about the low tech environment of Eorzea, it was how visible the night sky could be. As the city the never slept, Insomnia was active even at night. It meant bright lights throughout the city that drowned the stars at times. Which is why Noctis had taken to staying outside the tent long after the campfire died, or sitting on motel roofs whenever they stayed in one. The stars were always a treat to look at.
"Tataru told me you were up here." Luna approached Noctis and bravely sat beside him on the rooftop ledge. She too looked up to the sky. "It's beautiful."
"Yeah. It is." Noctis turned his gaze to the stars again.
"Y'shtola showed some of the constellations they use in her homeland. They have a whole system of magic based on it. She said they could read the fates of people with them."
"That takes the fun out of it."
"You never mentioned stargazing as a hobby before."
"Only came up when I was travelling." Noctis clarified. "Light pollution in Insomnia blocks most of the stars at night. Without any televisions on the road, you learn to appreciate the scenery more."
Luna digested his explanation. "I could never enjoy stargazing too much as the Oracle. Every time I looked to the stars, I was always reminded of my duty."
He couldn't help but feel guilty. "I'm sorry."
Luna shook her head. "It was never your fault. In truth, seeing Eorzea's sky brought me unknowing relief. When I could no longer find any of the constellations of Eos, it finally dawned on me I was no longer the Oracle. Whatever burdens I would carry, they would now be of my own choosing."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Such an eloquent answer from him.
"Meeting new people was daunting at first." Luna continued. "The different races of Eorzea may have contributed to it. But I had little experience interacting with others informally. I was always scared I would make a tactless remark at some point. It got easier over time and I was finally able to make new friends." A small laugh came from Luna. "It seems a bit embarrassing saying that out loud."
"It doesn't" reassured Noctis. "Close friends are the best thing you can have." Remembering his own band of brothers.
"They are." agreed Luna.
"You've made some interesting ones." commend Noctis.
"Ula does have her quirks." Luna knew who he was referring two. "I never did thank you for accompanying me today. We were supposed to talk more but it got pushed to the side."
"Didn't mind." Seeing her interact with others actually gave him more insight to Luna. "It's good you found people to care for. And people who care for you too. I can see what Minfilia, sorry Lady Minfilia, meant by the Scions being family."
Another small laugh from Luna. "Minfilia does not mind much if you do not address her with 'Lady'. At times I wish people would not do so with me as well."
Noctis felt something warm rest on top of his hand resting on the ledge. He was surprised to see Luna's hand cover his own. Her gaze was still on the night sky.
"I also hope you will be able to see everyone as family. They are good people."
"They are." echoed Noctis.
Silence fell between the two
"Did you ever wish you had a different life in Eos?" one of them brought up.
"Many times."
"This is our new life."
"We should make the best of it."
"We will."
A comfortable pause settled between the two. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end.
"L'una!" Ula's called from the roof entrance. Noctis felt Luna's hand leave his own. "Oh, sorry was I interrupting something? I should really remember to knock, or something."
"It's alright Ula. Is there something you needed?"
"Something we both need." Ula approached Luna intent on dragging her back inside. "Bath's free now! I even got Tataru and Minfilia on board. Do you think you can convince Y'shtola? She'll say no right away if it's me."
"I can try?" Luna sounded unsure as Ula led the way.
"Great! See ya Noctis." Ula remembered him just before they entered the building. It didn't stop her voice from carrying all the way to his spot. "Try not to fantasize too much!"
It was slightly impressive how energetic a person just discharged from a healing ward could be. Noctis tried to return to his previous stargazing but was partially unsuccessful. The moon looked rather beautiful tonight.
The next morning, Noctis found himself in the Solar once more. He wasn't the only one summoned to the Antecedent's room, Alex was standing right beside him. In fact, he was the one who gave Noctis the message. They would be assigned to the same mission today, what exactly that mission was, they didn't know yet. Barring special cases like Luna's task yesterday, most mission were personally assigned by Minfilia. It was time for Noctis to fulfill his responsibilities as a Scion member.
"It is time we discussed the matter of your next mission." Minfilia started. "For the benefit of Noctis, could you please apprise him of yesterday's investigation, Alex?"
Parallel to Noctis accompanying Luna to Camp Drybone, Alex and Thancred were performing an investigation in the same area. Numerous accounts of missing people have been reported around Camp Drybone. A day's investigation eventually led to a familiar face: a merchant Alex and Noctis confronted the day they met first Y'shtola. The merchant, Ungust, was abducting people at the behest of a beast tribe, the Amalj'aa. It wasn't surprising the merchant was arrested for interrogation.
Minfilia confirmed his story with a nod. "Word has arrived from Thancred concerning our ongoing investigation. It appears he was able to extract some information from our friend Ungust, the false priest. He revealed that he is due to meet with the Amalj'aa to discuss their dealings. The Immortal Flames believe that the meeting will present an ideal opportunity to ambush and capture the Amalj'aa responsible for the abductions, and so they mean to have Ungust attend as planned. As the Amalj'aa are anticipated to offer fierce resistance, the Immortal Flames have requested our support."
"I would have both of you provide it to them." Minfilia turned to Alex. "As lead in the investigation, you will continue to perform as such. Noctis will assist you in this matter. Unfortunately, this is all the support we can currently provide. Thancred is presently attending to another matter, but will join you as soon as he is able. Until such time as he does, you will be the Scions' representatives on the ground. I have faith in your skills and in your previous experience working as a team."
"You can count on us." Alex gave a thumbs up for emphasis. Noctis nodded in agreement.
"Before he left," Minfilia continued. "-Thancred bade me tell you to 'save some for him'." Though given Thancred's track record, Noctis guessed the Scion would show up at the last possible moment. "Such is his confidence in you─a confidence I share."
"When you have made ready, pray take yourself to Camp Drybone and report to the flame sergeant leading the mission. May you walk in the light of the Crystal."
Invisible City, Eastern Thanalan
Despite its name, the Invisible City was not the location of an ancient city. The ruins are thought to be the tomb of an ancient sultana. Currently it served as the rendezvous area for Ungust and the Amalj'aa. It would also be the ambush site of the Immortal Flames. For now, Noctis waited patiently within the of what used to be a room. Beside him, Alex was testing his bow, inspecting it for any signs of weakness. Other Immortal Flames soldiers were hidden about the ruins, patiently waiting for the beastmen's arrival.
"You've known L'una since you were kids right?" Alex started some small talk.
"We met when we were kids, yeah." Noctis answered.
"So that means you knew Ula back then too?"
The question greatly confused Noctis. "No. She and Luna have only been friends since the Scions were formed."
"Really? Didn't know. They seemed close enough to be and seeing both of you are…" Alex trailed off due to the intensity of Noctis's glare. He hastily explain himself. "I mean, I just thought if you were old friends then you guys would've known about her sister. But now that I think about it, if L'una did know, she would have told Ula by now as memory block wouldn't have affected her..."
Noctis had no idea what Alex was currently talking about but explanations would have to wait. "Quiet, Ungust's here."
Once Ungust stood at the indicated rendezvous point, it didn't take long for the beastmen to arrive. Noctis peeked at the Amalj'aa from behind the crumbling walls. With their black skin, broad and muscular stature, reptilian appearance, nd a single, large horn hanging behind their heads, it would have been easy to mistake them for daemons. Despite their appearance, they had no problem staying in the hot desert sun and, according to Alex's earlier explanation, had long since adapted to survive in the arid climate.
Without delay, the Immortal Flames captain quickly signaled his men. They bravely surrounded the Amalj'aa, despite the beastmen near double their size. The two Scions remained at their spot as their task was to provide support during the inevitable hostilities. Alex could easily shoot the beastmen from his spot and distance was no problem for Noctis. Ungust gave a cry of shock as the beastmen demanded the meaning of leading them into an ambush. Everything went as planned.
Of course, no plan survives contact with the enemy.
More Amalj'aa began pouring into the ruins, a to the shock of the Flames sergeant. Ungust began to laugh hysterically… and so did one of the Immortal Flames.
"I'm afraid your little ambush ends here!" the flametraitor spouted out once he stopped laughing.
"I eluded the Immortal Flames' clutches for moons before finally being caught. Did you not wonder how I managed it?" mocked Ungust.
"'Twas almost as if someone was feedin' him information from the inside! Gahahaha!" added the flametraitor.
"Aye, your every movement was known to me ahead of time!" Ungust continued to taunt them. "Now, as much as I'd love to chat awhile, I have appointments to keep."
"They're all yours!" The soldier signalled to the Amalj'aa.
The two traitors freely ran past the Amalj'aa and up a set of stairs. From their new position, they stood smugly over those trapped in their ambush. From seemingly nowhere, two arrows struck one of the Amalj'aa warriors, who then crumpled while clutching at the shaft. The attack snapped the Immortal Flames from their stupor, followed by a cacophony of ringing steel
The two traitors were content to just watch over the carnage from their perch. Complacent with their apparent safety, the traitors failed to notice a sword puncture the ground behind them. Noctis teleported behind the two, grabbed the back of both their heads and swiftly slammed them to the ground.
"Nighty night." No reply came from the unconscious traitors.
From his position, Noctis could survey the state of the battle. The Immortal Flames were fighting valiantly but were outnumbered three to one. Alex was in the middle of the chaos, his last position compromised, and continued to fire whilst dancing away from axe, blade, and fist. The archer might still appreciate some close range support.
A large axe flew through the chaos and smashed an Amalj'aa about to flank the archer. Noctis teleported to his weapon and swung it in an arc, driving back the rest of the beastmen. They angrily roared at Noctis with words he couldn't understand.
"Thanks for the save." Alex commented, whilst keeping his eyes fixed upon the enemy and continuing to fire.
Noctis leapt right back into the fray, creating openings for the Immortal Flames who had been surrounded. Everytime he clashed blades with an Amalj'aa, they tried to taunt him, scare him into backing down. Unfortunately for them Noctis had no idea what they were saying, and continued to fight on in defense of his allies.
"Godsdammit, is there no end to them!?" the Flame captain cried out as more and more Amalj'aa soldiers came. Despite Noctis's efforts, the number of Immortal Flames were slowly dwindling with each successive wave of beastmen.
Another Amalj'aa fell as Noctis threw his axe into the beastman. When he tried teleporting to his weapon, Noctis felt the telltale pain of aether exhaustion. It felt like a whole body muscle cramp. He would need to regroup and recover some energy. Before he could, Noctis felt the surrounding aether suddenly take on a hypnotic sensation and a wave of sleepiness washed over him. Alex shout something incoherent, but Noctis saw his surroundings take on a white tinge before unconsciousness consumed him.
Zanr'ak, Southern Thanalan
Rousing from his unexpected sleep, Noctis could feel the hard ground he was laid upon. He had a headache, one he was familiar with anytime he had a bad night's sleep. Getting up took some effort but he managed. Wherever he was, it was no longer in the ruins of the Invisible City but inside a large cave instead. There were others with him, some of the Immortal Flames were sitting by the sides, he even spotted Alex but the co-Scion was still unconscious. Based on the Amalj'aa guarding the only exit to the cave, they were most likely captured by the beastmen.
Deciding it was best to plan things with everyone conscious, Noctis woke up Alex. By nudging his foot into the sleeping person's ribs.
"Wh-what happened?" Alex immediately asked as he sprung up. "Noctis?" Spotting his fellow Scion's dark ensemble.
"We got caught." Noctis answered. "Not sure on 'how'."
Alex was massaging his temples, likely experiencing the same headache Noctis had. "Probably a Sleep spell by one of their casters. Based on the wide range, a good one. They got me not much later."
Noctis cursed his unfamiliarity against combat magicks. He would have to rectify that in the future. "Any idea what they plan to do to us?" he pointed to the Amalj'aa guards for Alex's sake.
"The lizards claim they will soon bring us before Ifrit for tempering." The answer instead came from one of the Flame Privates near them.
"That doesn't sound good." muttered Alex.
Noctis, on the other hand, was silent as he processed that information. One word brought back memories with it.
"All of us are as good as dead." the Flame Private whimpered. Alex tried to console her but his words failed to reassure her.
"Get a hold of yourself Private Adala!" the Flame Captain scolded her. "If we are to die, then let it be a soldier's death─with steel in hand!" Unfortunately, the captain's words fell on deaf ears. While Adala manage to remain somewhat composed, one of the other soldiers burst into tears. The captain left their group to scold the distressed soldier.
"Why don't we just break out." Noctis suggested.
"For starters we don't have any weapons. Seems like they took them. Unless…" Alex gave Noctis a look. He didn't want to voice it lest the beastmen overhear them. Alex sighed in relief when Noctis nodded at the unspoken question. "At least we have that. Even so, I don't think we should do it here. We don't know how far underground we are." Alex lowered his voice. "Our best bet might be when we're brought out before Ifrit. They will have to summon him, we can use the commotion allowing us to escape."
Noctis nodded in agreement. It sounded like a good plan. "Good. I want to see Ifrit for myself."
"You're not wary of him?" asked Alex. "I've faced a couple of primals before and they're not as easy as you think. Believe me."
"I've beaten Ifrit before." boasted Noctis.
"That's… surprising. We may just have a chance." Alex checked the guards hadn't noticed their conversation yet. "I'll spread the word around so that everyone's ready when the time comes."
While his fellow Scion mingled with the rest of the captives, Noctis privately checked the status of his powers. Despite easily incapacitating him with their magicks, the Amalj'aa didn't have a way to block his powers. He could still feel the access to his weapons and items. Unfortunately, as the sole bearer of weapons, he would have to provide the distraction by himself. He would have to pace himself better than last time or else he'd be stuck in Stasis again, unable to escape too.
With that issue handled, Noctis thought about his other problem: Ifrit. What were the chances he would hear that name again. Of all the astrals he could have heard about, why did it have to be the sole one that wanted humanity dead. There was the possibility this Ifrit wasn't a godbeing but he doubted it. Even with all the differences of this world compared with his old one, whatever sounded similar in both worlds were the same in some form. Chocobos, bombs, slimes, potions, these were some of the things that didn't vary too much. Chances are, this Ifrit wasn't going to be a friendly one either.
That itself was troubling. Despite his earlier claims, Noctis fought the Infernian with four teammates, thirteen ancestral arms, and five other astrals behind him. Presently, he had only the weapons on his back, figuratively. However, Noctis might have a secret weapon. Removing the single glovelet he had, Noctis stared at the mark of the Astrals engraved at the back of his left hand. Aside from his inborn skills, this was the only thing that had carried over from his old world. As he thought about, would the mark even work on Ifrit? The Infernian never truly pledged allegiance with him and the only evidence he had received the astral's 'blessing' was the Infernian's shard. Like all other items, he no longer had it on hand. Looks like Noctis could only rely on his weapons.
Noctis just finished putting on his glovelet when Alex returned from his rounds. "Some of the Flames didn't believe me but everyone knows about the plan." Alex sat down next to him. In a lower voice, Alex informed him of some of the discoveries other Flames found. "There's a river passing through this cave. One of the flames is positive the waters feed into the marshes of Drybone."
Theoretically, it meant they could all escape. The only problem was the opening only allowed passage one at a time. Too many of them disappearing meant the Amalj'aa would notice and prevent the rest from escaping. However, one person could be sent out to call for reinforcements. The two Scions shared this information with the Flame captain.
"W-Why me?" stammered Adala. The female hyur was selected by the captain to try an escape.
Noctis left the explaining to Alex. "Because you're the smallest out of us and sure to fit." She was also, for some reason, the only one of the Immortal Flames who knew how to swim. "You need to do this, Adala. The chances of escaping Amalj'aa territory rises if we have reinforcements when we try to escape."
"But. But…"
"It's an order private." The captain butted in.
Unable to muster any courage to argue any further, Adala slowly entered the water while the rest of the Immortal Flames hid her from view.
"Is there anyway to convince you Scions to follow her?" the captain tried to persuade the two.
"Not a chance." Noctis was their only chance.
"Me neither." refused Alex. "I was supposed to lead properly. I can't fail. Not again."
A commotion by the entrance halted any possible conversation. More Amalj'aa came in, shouting at the them. As they were using common tongue this time, Noctis understood they wanted them to get in line. It wasn't surprising the captives moved with the speed of person walking to their death.
Duty Commenced: Bowl of Embers
The prisoners were led to an open area surrounded by more Amalj'aa guards. The place was hot, and Noctis wasn't just referring to the temperature. He could practically feel air burning with fire-aspected aether. The intense aether produced a mirage of a never ending eclipse in the sky.
As the group stopped in the middle of the plain field, another group of guards came bringing in more sacrifices for Ifrit. To the Scions' surprise, the two traitors were added to their group. They seemed just as surprised to be here.
"Wh-What's going on!? Th-This ain't what we agreed!" the flame traitor demanded.
The Amalj'aa cared not for the traitors arguments. "None but servants of Lord Ifrit may behold the rite of summoning. The souls of unbelievers are forfeit!"
"Nooo! Spare me, I beg you!" Ungust's pleas fell on deaf ears.
One of the Amalj'aa stepped in front of the group and prayed to the eclipsed sun in the beastman's language. Similar to the astrals, the beastmen's Ifrit need to be summoned as well. The Amalj'aa priest's voice grew louder and louder for each line until he shouted the last line the loudest. The eclipse seemed to burn, as impossible as it should, until a ball of fire formed in its place.
While the beastmen were focused on the summoning, Noctis signalled to Alex to get ready. As agreed beforehand, the best time to escape was when the Amalj'aa would be focused on praising their god. In the middle of the burning eclipse, a dark figure formed.
"Now!" Alex shouted and immediately tackled the closest Amalj'aa guard.
Noctis summoned his sword and attacked the beastmen beside Alex's target, opening a gap among the guards. Those aware of the plan quickly fled through the opening. Unfortunately, the Amalj'aa guards did not stay dumbfounded for long and quickly responded to the escaping prisoners. Along with Noctis, Alex provided cover with bare-fisted pugilist techniques, but weren't as effective without any horas.
An explosion of aether rocked through the air followed by a crash, causing the Scions to falter. It was worse for Noctis as he suddenly felt the astral mark on his hand burn. While it wasn't scalding hot, the unexpected sensation caused him to drop his weapon. An Amalj'aa guard took advantage his fumble and grabbed Noctis by throat, lifted him up, then slammed him to the ground. As Noctis rolled on the ground in pain, another set of bodies hit the ground beside him. One of them was Alex, looking just as beaten up as Noctis felt. Surprisingly, the other one was the Flame captain.
"We told you to go captain." Noctis wheezed out, his throat sore. Getting up was also a painful task.
"I wouldn't in right mind abandon my men. Even temporary ones." It was a nice sentiment but he had lost his chance to escape.
"At least the rest of them got away." Alex chimed in, though his voice betrayed the pain he was in.
By the time the three got back up on their feet, they were surrounded by spear tips. Even if Noctis managed to quickly teleport out, Alex and the captain would immediately be skewered. There was nothing left to do but surrender.
"Heathens! You dare escape from our Lord's blessing?" the Amalj'aa priest growled at them. "Bring those two here!" As the traitors were as unaware of the escape plan as the beastmen, they were quickly secured by their guards and placed with the remaining prisoners. At least they would get their punishment. Even with the additional two traitors, this left only a handful of sacrifices for their god.
As the Amalj'aa priest turned away from the prisoners to address his god, Noctis finally got a good look at Ifrit… and was very surprised by its appearance. Instead of a human-looking being with intricate horns on his head, this Ifrit was very much beastial looking. With the long horns on its head and red plating covering its entire body, from claws to tail, Noctis would even say Ifrit was daemonic looking. Definitely not the Ifrit he fought before. He may have to retract his previous boast.
The priest communicated with Ifrit in the beastman language, leaving Noctis unaware of what they're saying. However, he didn't need a translation to know when Ifrit spoke, he was planning to start tempering them. Though honestly Noctis didn't know what that entailed. Ifrit gathered aether into its mouth, and breathed blue flames on the prisoners. Noctis expected a burning sensation but instead felt… nothing. Well almost nothing, his brand seemed to heating up once more as he could feel it soaking in the burning aether. Examining his fellow prisoners, he saw Alex was just as unbothered as Noctis was. The fiery aether tried to latch onto him but left no visible harm.
The same couldn't be said for the remaining three as they scream in agony as the aether invaded their bodies. Once the fired died down, the three slowly stood up and raised their hands to Ifrit. All of them, regardless of previous behaviour, started blindly worshipping Ifrit, even the Flame captain had forgotten his allegiance. As the obviously brainwashed sacrifices were very vocal of their worship, the two Scion's silence made them stand out.
"Impossible!" the Amalj'aa priest spoke in common. "By what sorcery do you resist my master's will!? Could it be...? Your soul already belongs to another!? Yes, that is the only explanation!" At the priest's words, the Amalj'aa guards looked at the two of them with fearful eyes despite having their spears pointed at them. Some were visibly inching away from them, their weapons shaking in their hands. Despite having caught the two Scions earlier, they were frightened by beings able to resist their god's will. Noctis decided to use the fear to his advantage.
Lifting his hands above his head, Noctis summoned his axe to hand then slammed it hard on the ground. The impact pushed their guards over the edge, causing them to flee. It only left the two alone with Ifrit. The godbeing let out a growl as Noctis's axe disappeared back into his inventory. Ifrit started speaking to them and while Alex seemed to comprehend it, Noctis was blessed with no such skill.
"What's he saying?"
"He's going to kill us." answered Alex.
Noctis snorted. "It takes that long to say that?"
"No but I think you just want to important parts." Alex shot back. "I'm not going to be much help without a weapon."
"Then you'll just need to borrow one." Noctis summoned two daggers and tossed them to Alex. "Think that'll do?"
Alex skillfully caught a dagger with each hand. He gave them a twirl before wielding them both in reverse grips. "I can work with these." He grinned.
Ifrit slammed a fist to the ground, halting any possible discussion between the two and creating a ring of fire around them. Despite appearing as flames, they were just a representation of physical barrier. For all intents and purposes, the ring of fire was just a wall preventing them from escaping.
"Hope you can back up that claim." Alex readied both daggers in front of him.
"That… might not apply to this Ifrit." admitted Noctis.
"What?!"
Ifrit let out a gout of flame causing Noctis to dodge to his left while Alex went the other direction. Noctis used the momentum to run around Ifrit and summoned a sword in his hand. The creature's attention was on Alex, giving Noctis an opportunity to attack. However, just as he was about to land a blow on Ifrit's leg, a burst erupted from Ifrit knocking back Noctis. An all too familiar attack. He leaned forward and used his free hand to support himself as he skidded across the ground. As soon as he stopped moving, Noctis threw his sword at Ifrit, managing to hit a scaly arm. He teleported in managing to get into melee range this time.
On the other side, Alex was slashing against Ifrit's tough hide with his daggers. Staying at opposite sides of Ifrit allowed them to take turns grabbing his attention. While one dodged claw swipes and the occasional breath of fire, the other would attack vulnerable points of the red hide. Catching onto their tactic, Ifrit let out another burst, knocking back both of them. Noctis easily recovered but noticed his position was glowing very brightly. He easily avoided being engulfed by the fiery explosion with a well placed teleport. He would need to limit his use of those, it would not do Noctis good if he tired himself into stasis again.
Ifrit roared in the same incomprehensible language. Noctis felt the aether shift as a large amount suddenly gathered into a spike nailed to the ground, right smack in the center of their ring.
"Noctis!" Alex called out as he dodged Ifrit's attacks. "The nail's gathering aether! Probably not any good!"
"Understood!" Noctis called back. He could feel the construct continually drawn in more aether. An opponent gathering such a large amount of energy was never a good thing.
With Ifrit distracted by Alex, Noctis ran towards the nail, summoned his heaviest axe, and struck the nail with all his strength. The impact cracked the aetherial construct, but didn't destroy it. Noctis continued to strike the same spot again and again, but the cracks weren't growing fast enough. He needed something stronger. His spells wouldn't help with all the fire-aspected aether in the air. It would dull his blizzard and thunder spells, and he doubted feeding the nail a fire spell would help. Only one thing left.
Noctis threw one of his swords towards the wall and teleported as far as possible from the nail. He exchanged his sword for his axe once more and gather aether into his weapon. Once the axe was imbued with enough aether, Noctis threw the weapon, targeting the already formed cracks. Just before the weapon hit its mark, Noctis immediately teleported, holding his weapon in hand and drove it into the nail. Unlike his usual teleportation attacks, Warp Strike added Noctis's own force from teleporting a certain distance to the weapon's own. It was akin to falling from a height. The farther the distance, the harder you would hit the ground. Unfortunately, it was slightly more aether consuming than just simply teleporting to a weapon.
The nail broke at the weapon's impact, splitting it into two. The aetherial construct started dissipating into the air. Noctis was about to resume supporting Alex when Ifrit suddenly disappeared. He doubted the creature simply just disappeared. With the sudden disappearance Ifrit, Noctis regrouped with Alex, who was kneeling on one leg clearly exhausted. Noctis immediately brought out one of his potions and shoved it at Alex. Without hesitation, his teammate quickly downed the potion bottle, restoring a bit of his health.
"What happened to Ifrit?" Alex voiced both their concern.
On cue, Ifrit landed in the middle the field but immediately jumped into the air and floated. Intense flaming orbs appeared above them and exploded without warning, bathing the entire field in fiery aether. The two Scions could only grit through it. To their surprise, despite the grandiose appearance of the attack, it didn't do any harm they couldn't shake off. Ifrit didn't look too pleased his ultimate attack was handled so easily.
"He's pissed now." Even Noctis could tell without having to understand the Ifrit's growls.
Just like before, Ifrit exhaled a gout of flame which the two similarly dodged. Noctis and Alex had to stay on the move as Ifrit constantly summoned lava-like plumes on the ground. It was either get out of their area or get hit by an explosion. The two adopted a hit-and-run strategy, wilting away Ifrit's health. It looked to be working as Ifrit growled in pain after every hit.
It let out another burst, catching the two off guard. This time, Ifrit focused on Noctis. Still off balance, Noctis brought up a shield to block against the claw attacks. Ifrit was relentless, not giving Noctis a chance to escape from his attacks.
"Alex, target the head!" ordered Noctis as he blocked another swipe.
Alex complied and threw the daggers at Ifrit's head, cause the godbeing to roar in pain. Noctis teleported to his daggers, appearing above Ifrit's head. He brought down his axe on the creature's horns, slamming Ifrit's head on the ground with the assistance of gravity. Landing on the ground, Noctis swung his axe in a circle, striking the creature's head again, managing to knock off a horn.
A blur ran past Noctis and leapt towards the stunned Ifrit. Alex landed on Ifrit, daggers in his hands once more, and drove them into the creature's skull. Ifrit roared in pain- then fell slack. Aether erupted from the body, which quickly dissolved leaving no corpse behind.
"Ow ow ow…" Alex whined in pain as the sudden disappearance of his perch cause him to land on his backside. "We did it. We did it!" he immediately sat upright.
Noctis was exhausted, but just as glad. They defeated Ifrit. Again. He flashed his teammate an tired thumbs-up.
"Hey look." Alex managed to stand back up. "There's a crystal." Before he could kneel down and grab it, the crystal suddenly floated off the ground and into Alex's hands. Noctis feared something bad had happened to his teammate as Alex stood still, unresponsive to his queries.
After few minutes, Alex's awareness returned to him. "That was weird." he commented. For reasons unknown to Noctis, Alex did not find the crystal harmful and pocketed it.
"We should get out of here." suggested Noctis. In truth, Noctis wanted to berate Alex for reckless picking up the first shiny thing he saw just after beating Ifrit, but enemy territory was not that time and place to do so.
"Noctis? What's with the aether?" Alex pointed out.
Preoccupied with Alex's sudden trip to gods knows where, Noctis hadn't noticed the aether that came from Ifrit's corpse didn't simply dissipate. It was collecting just above them, in front of Noctis to be exact. His astral mark suddenly pulsed, managing to glow right through the glove. On instinct, Noctis lifted his left hand and reached towards the aether, unaware of Alex's many warnings. The mark glowed once more as the aether in the air suddenly coalesced in front of his hand, solidifying into a physical object. As it took shape, Noctis eyes widened in shock as he recognized what was happening.
A crystalline weapon floated before him, taking on the shape of a large axe. The weapon angle itself at Noctis and shot towards him. Ignoring Alex's cry of surprise, Noctis braced himself as the weapon pierced his torso and felt its fiery energies enter his body. He slowly brought up his left hand to his chest despite knowing there wouldn't be any mark left behind. As he felt the mark of the astrals slowly die down, Noctis could only wonder just happened.
Why did he receive a new weapon similar to his Royal Arms?
"So that was the mighty Ifrit…" Nero tol Scaeva crouched on top of a cliff overlooking the Amalj'aa territory. "And what a disappointment he was. The readings are nowhere near what I had anticipated, even taking Ul'dahn interference into account." the garlean engineer spat in discontentment.
"You should know better than to rely upon five-year-old data left by the VIIth Legion." A figure in white armor approached him. "Nor can we expect any form of support from the motherland, given the troubles at court. We have only ourselves to rely upon."
"Ever the pessimist, my dear Livia. Promise me you'll never change." Even with the helmet on, Nero could feel the look of disgust sent his way.
"We've wasted enough time here. That meter of yours is too old to give any reading worth a damn."
"Not that there was aught worth a damn for it to read…" Nero was quick defend himself. "But I take your point. I suppose we must content ourselves with the knowledge that we've achieved our primary objective."
"Yet I find that I am troubled by those adventurers' unexpected show of strength." Nero stood up as he watched the two eikon-slayers welcome a rescue party. "Could such foes prove a hindrance to our plans?"
"Perhaps─but that is a consideration for another time." Livia walked away from him Nero. "You have been given a task. That is your priority. I suggest you treat it as such. Fail to do as my lord commands…" She looked back at him for emphasis. "...And I will spare him the trouble of punishing you."
With that threat in mind, Livia continued her march out of the beastman territory.
"With allies like that…" scoffed Nero. "Beware a woman in love. I shall need to be on my best behavior."
The garlean engineer took one last look at the adventurers before following his fellow tribunus out of the savage's land.
A/N: Here is the chapter I've been waiting to write ever since I started this story. A lot of things got covered in this chapter. We see some of Luna's backstory but not all of it. There is more she is not sharing with Noctis and we will see more of it soon enough.
Another character get's introduced. Ula Tayuun was not even originally in my notes but when writing the scene of Camp Drybone, he character magically came to be. It was a blast writing her so I hope you welcome her. There are now plans for her, especially if you recognize the clan name "Tayuun".
The meat of the chapter is the first battle with the Primal. While the battle was tough, Noctis pulled through and gained a new item. When this story was first thought up, something needed to get me invested in writing a Noctis goes through Eorzea story. It hit while as I was farming EX Primals at that time. How would Noctis be able to gain access to his Arminger powers with no Royal Arms? It just wouldn't be Noctis without them. Thus Noctis will begin gather a new set of arms, ones forged from the aether of primals... the Primal Arms.
This chapter was finished for the sake of the early release of Stormblood.
The next chapter will deal with the aftermath of Noctis's first encounter with a primal. We will also dive into the rest of Luna's backstory and the ability that will drive her for A Realm Reborn. Please look forward to it.
Vesper Bay
"It's alright Minfilia. These things should happen." Ula comforted the Scion Antecedent.
"I did not plan on injuring you. This was just to be practice." Minfilia examined her dagger. "The materia was more effective that I thought."
"Alex must have given her a good one." Ula whispered to Luna. "Probably to impress her- ow!"
Luna tightened the bandage on Ula's leg. Since she couldn't simply use a Cure spell on the injured arcanist, Luna resorted to providing basic medical aid to the wound.
"As your healer, I advise you not to put any weight on that leg as you recover." Luna could only sigh at the look of disbelief on Ula's face. "Which you will completely ignore. At the very least, no more training for today."
"I think it's enough for today." agreed Ula. "Unless you want a go?"
Luna shook her head.
"You're worrying too much. Just because the Immortal Flames they were supposed to be with are missing doesn't mean they are! Maybe they just detoured to do adventurer stuff."
"Ula, I don't think it's helping." commented Minfilia.
Ever since Thancred reported about his lack of contact with Alex and Noctis and their unknown whereabouts, Luna had been beside herself with worry. On the outside she looked as calm and composed as usual, but her close friends knew she hadn't been able to complete any work today. Knowing her preference for space during such times, they tried not to disturb her too much. Unfortunately, Ula had been injured during a training match with Minfilia and they needed her healing expertise. She was one of the few conjurers who still bothered to practice non-magical first aid.
"Why don't we have some tea to relax? We can stay in the Solar for privacy." Minfilia suggested.
The two waited for Luna's answer. "That does sound pleasant." she replied.
"That settles in then. To the Solar!"
"I was told I would find our lovely maidens here." A new arrival entered the training grounds.
"Thancred!" Luna quickly stood up and approached the self-proclaimed bard. "Any word on them?"
"You may rest easy Lady L'una, they have been found. Both in good health in fact."
She let out another sigh, one of relief this time. However, it may have been premature due to the rest of the news.
"There has been… a complication." Relief was replaced with even greater worry. "The two encountered a primal, Ifrit to be exact."
Luna felt as if her heart stopped beating at the implications of the news.
"Seven hells." swore Ula. "Alex has the Echo right? But Noctis doesn't..."
"By all accounts, Noctis still has his own wits about. Alex has vouched Noctis helped him slay the primal." Thancred explained.
The answer just raised further questions.
"It would be best if we hear the full story." Minfilia spoke up. "Are they back at the Waking Sands?"
"They are not." He regretfully answered. "They are currently staying east of Camp Drybone as an incident occurred after defeating Ifrit. Some information regarding the primals was explained to Noctis, which led him to the conclusion to not immediately return. While neither I nor Alex came to the same conclusion, he was adamant he stay away from those not possessing the protection of the Echo."
"Alex is currently accompanying him I presume?" asked Minfilia.
"Indeed." confirmed Thancred. "I came back to report as promised, but before I left, I was told by Noctis to request the assistance of Lady L'una." Luna was puzzled by the request. "He said you would be familiar with, in his words, 'a Royal Arm she once held'."
There was moment of silence as everyone tried comprehend the meaning of that phrase.
"I understand." Luna eventually spoke up. "Please take me to Noctis."
"I will go as well." everyone stared in surprise at Minfilia. "I was the one who inadvertently caused Noctis's encounter with a primal."
"It's not your fault Minfilia. I was the one who suggested sending both of them as our representatives." argued Luna.
"Nevertheless, I have to see this through. He will not be able to refuse to see me, for I possess the Echo."
"Then I'm coming too." Ula interjected. "What? Thancred's obviously fine so Noctis's just panicking about what he just learned."
"No." Minfilia rejected Ula's request. "With both Luna and I gone, you will have to handle our responsibilities."
"You have to heal as well." Luna added.
With the two ganging-up on her, Ula had no choice but to follow their Antecedent's decision. "Fine. But I want an explanation later."
"It is settled." Minfilia turned to Thancred. "Bring us to Alex and Noctis."
