Chapter 8
"Now that we've dispensed with the unpleasant greetings to each other, Nyx and I are to escort you all to one of the royal tomb of Lucis where the marshal is waiting. Come with us." said Zaltana to Noctis and his 3 friends before she, Nyx and Pryna turned around, walked out of the shack building and down the pathway leading toward the tomb (while Noctis and his 3 friends followed closely yet warily behind them).
"Excuse me, your highness. May I ask you a question?" asked Ignis.
"Of course you may. And you don't have to call me "your highness". You can call me by my name, Zaltana." replied Zaltana without looking at Ignis.
"Alright, Zaltana. Can you tell us what happened to King Regis and the Crown City after the peace treaty between Lucis and Niflheim fell to pieces?" asked Ignis while Noctis, Gladiolus and Prompto stay silent to hear what Zaltana has to say.
Zaltana froze and stopped in her tracks upon hearing the grim question that Ignis just asked her before she let out a sad sigh then turned around to begin saying and explaining about the entire ordeal that she, Lunafreya, King Regis and Nyx gone through after the so-called peace treaty while Nyx and Pryna watched her explain to them in silence.
Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto listen to Zaltana's telling them everything about what happened from the peace treaty in the meeting room up until her long battle with Titus Drautos/General Glauca and the army of large daemons that Niflheim had brought into Insomnia to destroy with shock, anger and disgust on their faces.
"That can't be! Are you seriously telling me that Drautos, the man who's the captain of the Kingsglaive and one of the bodyguards in charge of protecting my dad was General Glauca, the same man who murdered Ravus and Luna's mom, Queen Sylva in Tenebrae many years ago? Not only that, he's also the one who murdered my dad too?" said Noctis in an anger and disbelief tone of voice to Zaltana.
"…It's true, he is." said Zaltana sadly to Noctis.
"She's telling the truth, your highness. Because I was there with her and Lady Lunafreya when we saw him killed King Regis right in front of us." said Nyx in grim agreement with Zaltana.
"Then why? Why the hell didn't the 2 of you help saved him from being murdered by Drautos!?" Noctis snapped angrily at them both, especially Zaltana.
"You think we don't want to helped him, Prince Noctis!? We wanted to but he wouldn't let us! Instead he made us promise to leave to helped YOU and your friends before we watched as General Glauca killed him in cold blood!" Zaltana snapped back at Noctis (which make him flinch a little).
"… I see. That must have been a terrible scene for you, Lady Lunafreya and the Glaive to see and witness, Zaltana." said Ignis sadly to both Zaltana and Nyx (who nodded in unison to him). "So now you've the magic power of Lucis coursing within your body like us, huh?" asked Ignis.
"Yes, that's right. When General Glauca caught up to us and threaten to take the Ring from Luna, I took it from her and put it on knowing full well that the ancient kings of Lucis would burned me alive for it. At first they did burned me for daring to put on the rimg but I've somehow managed to convinced them that I'm on their side and they granted the power to me." replied Zaltana.
"And what about Luna? Where is she now?" asked Noctis.
"Lady Lunafreya left us to head to Altissia with Gentiana and Umbra, your highness. And with the Ring safely in her hands before she'll pass it to you per King Regis's order." replied Nyx before Zaltana could answer his question.
"Yeah, exactly what he said. Now, that's enough of our conversation, all of you. Let's not keep the Marshal waiting any longer." said Zaltana as she nodded in agreement at Nyx before they resumed walking down the pathway (while Noctis and his 3 friends resumed following behind them).
"Can't keep up with this guy." grumbled Gladiolus.
"First the Crown City, then Hammerhead, then the royal tomb?" said Prompto.
"His name should have change to "Cor the restless". said Ignis.
"Somehow not as catchy as "Cor the immortal". said Gladiolus.
"Making it out of Insomnia only adds to his legend." said Prompto.
"Well, fortune favors the bold." said Noctis as he, Ignis, Gladiolus, Prompto, Zaltana and Nyx went through an opened metal door and continue walking down the pathway (which had rocky cliffs on both sides of them).
"Huh?" said Prompto with a confused look on his face.
"The wise make their own luck." said Ignis, which confuses Prompto even more.
"Hey, you think it's a coincidence that the Niff princess, Noct's fiancée, the Glaive and the Marshal made it out of all those battles alive together?" Gladiolus asked Ignis.
As Ignis was about to answer Gladiolus's question, all 6 of them suddenly saw and heard several orange, white and blue-coloured bird monsters (Daggerquills) cawing and flying around in the sky above them.
"Daggerquills!" said Ignis as he, Noctis, Gladiolus, Prompto, Zaltana and Nyx swiftly summoned forth their weapons.
"Ready to take them down, you guys?" said Gladiolus as he glance at Noctis, Ignis and Prompto (who nodded in unison to him).
"There's no need for you boys to take them down, leave these birds to me instead. After all, didn't you guys just said that I should prove myself trustworthy to you all by my action instead of my words?" Zaltana reminded them.
"Yeah, Iggy did say that to you, but…" Prompto began protesting before he got cut off by Ignis giving him a "be quiet" look on his face.
"Fine, go for it, princess." said Gladiolus as he and the others dismiss their weapons to watched Zaltana prove her trust to them.
"Right." said Zaltana before she charge and warped straight into the midst of the Daggerquills and proceed to strike them down one by one with her twin rapiers. Each of the Daggerquills that Zaltana took down cawed quite loudly in pain before they fell down from the sky and lie dead on the ground around Zaltana (who dismiss her twin rapiers before turning to glance at them).
"Woah…" said Prompto.
"She's quite the fighter. She must have gone through quite a hard training in Niflheim, if I'm not mistaken." said Ignis.
"Not bad for a Niff princess. But you still have a long way to go before you have our complete trust." said Gladiolus.
"Must I repeat myself every single time you guys called me princess? You guys don't have to called me princess anymore, called me by my name." said Zaltana as she scowled at Gladiolus.
"Sorry, Zaltana." said Gladiolus slightly apologetically to Zaltana (who let out a small humph sound before she turned and resumed walking down the pathway past the dead Daggerquills).
Noctis, his 3 friends and Nyx (who felt a faint feeling of awe, respect and affection for Zaltana started to rise up within his soul) briefly glance at each other before they followed after Zaltana.
