Play the fanfare, I've written ten chapters!

On a serious note, this is a bit of a milestone for me because I didn't think my little idea would turn into what it is now. The fact that I'm constantly writing and thinking about this story astounds me, someone who has a bad habit to come up with an idea, play around with it for awhile, and then leave it alone. My ongoing passion for this would not be possible without you, the readers, the followers, and the reviewers. Now that that's over with, onto the next chapter! I tend to write a lot of filler, but hopefully it's fun to read regardless.

Contains potential spoilers for chapter three and four of the game.

And as always, thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews!

Chapter 10

Heed the Call

"Noct!"

Mia's blood ran cold as she cradled the unconscious king against her body. Uncaring of her exposed bangs blinding her with dripping water, she gently jostled Noctis in a futile attempt for a response. He stirred just enough to release a low groan but his eyes remained shut.

"He just fainted," Ignis lamented as he kneeled next to her. Narrowing eyes on his friend, the royal advisor proceeded to diagnose him for any obvious symptoms. He checked Noctis's pulse before rolling up a sleeve of his blazer to touch his skin against his patient's forehead. After a tense silence Ignis exhaled an ambivalent sigh. "Nothing out of the ordinary. But we need to get to shelter, lest we all catch cold."

With Gladiolus carrying Noctis on his back, they began their long, tedious and arduous journey to the Burbost Souvenir Emporium. The Midgardsormr continued its neverending patrol of its territory despite the heavy downpour, which also did not help in their efforts. They had no choice but to retrace their steps through the non-traditional rocky path. Not an easy feat considering the only light source they relied on were their attachable flashlights. They were basically walking in pitch black darkness, just like in the caves.

By the time the Regalia came into their view, everyone was soaked to the bone. Mia's warm, waterproof jacket allowed for fifty percent less soddenness compared to the guys, but it did little to protect the bottom half of her body from the elements. Her socks were uncomfortably heavy as they stuck to her legs and she was pretty sure at least two inches of water filled her boots.

They took shelter in the outpost's RV, a collective sigh of relief sounding as the warm interior greeted them like a welcoming embrace. The entrance opened up into a joint kitchen (a simple counter, sink, and gas stove) and dining area (two box diner seats and a table). To the left was a couch with a short rectangular coffee table in the middle and a door to the tiny bathroom. The living quarters were the furthest away from the kitchen, two sets of bunk beds situated on opposite walls.

The homey atmosphere of the RV granted the five friends opportunity to finally relax. Mia admired the efforts of the people who owned the RVs; they persistently ensured it stayed immaculate for their guests. Amenities were stocked daily: sheets, blankets, and towels were constantly replaced with fresh clean ones. For housing five people it was a bit cramped, but a preferable alternative to camping. Plus it was cheaper than staying in a hotel.

Mia volunteered to venture into the rain to pay the owner a one night fee since she didn't know how long they'd be there. Though the rain had let up slightly, it didn't stop her from running to the convenience store and back. In the warm cabin once again, she kicked her boots and socks off, squeezing and dumping the excess water down the sink. She placed them in a corner along with her jacket before picking up a folded towel to pat herself dry to the best of her ability. What she wouldn't do for a change of clothes right now. When she glanced up to check on the others, her mouth hung agape.

The men were removing their outer layers of wet clothing in front of her.

Gladiolus had already tossed his shirt aside, it lying discarded in a damp pile on the floor. He obviously had no problem parading around with his bare torso revealed (she wasn't about to complain either). Prompto displayed more restraint as he shrugged off his vest, or perhaps he was intimidated by his friend's impressive build. Ignis fared better than the others due to his blazer taking the brunt of the rain. Even so, he hung his blazer neatly over the back of one of the box seats and undid two more buttons on his dress shirt. Mia would be lying if she said she didn't see a hint of built muscle that lay underneath.

They either didn't hear her come in or simply didn't care, but the lone woman proceeded to stare with unabashed eyes. It wasn't everyday she witnessed an unintentional striptease by three attractive gentlemen.

To her disappointment, her gawking didn't go unnoticed. "M-Mia!" Prompto squeaked, his face blushing red. His voice cracked and elevated a few octaves, which only added to her glee when he attempted to cover himself up with a towel. "When did you get back?!"

"Oh, don't mind me, dear Prompto," she purred with a catlike grin. "I don't mind the show." His blush only deepened as he directed his attention elsewhere, burying his face in the towel in embarrassment.

Gladiolus, on the other hand, was not ashamed. He placed his hands on his hips to strike a magnificent pose, reflecting her grin. "In that case, you gotta pay to see more, sweet cheeks."

Chortling, Mia winked at him. "Only if I get a special dance."

"Of course, but I got a 'look but no touch' policy." He beamed as she jutted her bottom lip in a playful pout. "Well, maybe for you I'll make an exception."

"You guys, stop," Prompto whined, covering his ears to show his discomfort. "You're tainting my poor innocent ears!"

Maniacally cackling, the Shield threw a muscled arm around the blonde's shoulders and forced him to sit on the couch with him. "I can say worse things, you know!"

Mia merrily snuck away from Gladiolus and a protesting Prompto to reach the beds, where Noctis lay sleeping on one of the bottom bunks. Ignis held their king's jacket, socks, and shoes in one arm while double checking the raven-haired royal for any sign of an oncoming fever with the other. She claimed the top bunk opposite of the two, rubbing her bare legs in hopes of warming them up. With an attentive gaze, she watched the bespectacled man as he pulled the blanket over Noctis. She noted how his every movement was fluid yet precise, as if he'd been doing this for years (which, she then realized, was undoubtably true).

As if sensing her gaze on him, Ignis turned to her, green eyes filled with inquiry.

She almost had a mild panic attack as she racked her mind for something to say. "So, um, how's Noct doing?" She hoped her genuine, on-the-spot question distracted from the fact that she was actually staring at him.

"He seems alright for now," he sighed. After hanging Noctis's clothes to dry, Ignis placed a gloved hand to his chin in contemplation. "Unfortunately, I haven't a clue as to what caused his collapse."

Mia swung her legs over the side of the bed, letting them dangle freely. "His headache was pretty sudden," she stated with a hum. She remembered the ground trembling just before he fainted. Coincidental or not, she didn't know. "If I recall, he mumbled something about a meteor. The Disc of Cauthess, perhaps?" It was the only major meteor she knew of.

"Indeed," he nodded, affirming her speculation. He leaned against the back wall of the RV to the right of the elementalist. Crossing his arms, his brows furrowed together. "Alas, we won't know more until Noct regains consciousness."

A loud yawn cut their conversation short. Originating from Prompto, the yawns then echoed through everyone in the room.

Ignis chuckled to himself softly as he pushed off the wall. "You should get some rest. We had a long day."

Mia tossed him a dull look, deadpanning, "Don't act like you're not affected, Ignis." He opened his mouth to deny his fatigue but she quickly interjected by leaning her body forward to point a scolding finger in his face. "I'm aware Noct takes priority above all else but you won't be of help to anyone if you don't take care of yourself first." She nodded towards the slumbering man. "I'm sure he would say the same."

Ignis remained silent, trying to find fault in her argument.

"She got you there, Iggy," Prompto snickered as he joined them, climbing to the other top bunk. "She's right, though: we can all use some shut-eye. You can take the last bed since Gladio's already passed out on the couch."

Both gunner and elementalist shared a victorious smile when an exasperated sigh escaped the advisor's lips.

Noctis awoke with a jolt, dazed and befuddled about why he was currently staring at a dark roof and laying on something soft. As he sat up, he became aware he lacked some pieces of clothing.

"I'm glad to see you're up," The royal turned in the direction of the voice and almost jumped when he saw an upside down version of Mia's smiling face. Her head leaned over the edge of the top bunk across from him, her loose hair imitating a chocolate-colored waterfall. It did not look like a comfortable position to be in. "You really worried us back there, Princey."

"'Princey'?" he repeated with a raised brow. "What's with the nickname?"

"Because there's no good one for King," she replied with a shrug, as if the answer was so obvious. Righting herself, she hopped to the ground as discreetly as she could. Only then did Noctis notice the dozing Ignis behind her. Mia took a seat on the corner of Noctis's bed, keeping a meaningful distance to him. "'King-y' doesn't have a nice ring to it, so I chose Princey."

He rolled his eyes at her logic. "What happened to me?"

"You fainted out of the blue," she explained with a frown. "Gladio carried you on his back all the way here. You've been out for a couple hours now." She proceeded to point at each of their friends' locations. "Prompto's snoring away above us, Gladio's on the couch, and obviously Ignis is right there." Lingering thoughts still on the royal advisor, she decided to ask Noctis, "Does he ever take a break? He was determined to lose sleep so he could watch over you like a hawk. Pretty much had to coerce him into taking a nap."

"That definitely sounds like Specs," Noctis chuckled, twitching a smirk. "Always playing mother hen, always looking out for me. He's been that way since we were kids." Mia nodded once, satisfied with the new knowledge.

She desired to also ask about his relationship with the others but it wasn't right to bombard him with questions considering he just regained consciousness. There'd be a time and place at a later date. Ignis was the next to wake up, followed by Gladiolus and Prompto respectively. Their various lengths of sleep seemed to be enough to energize them as they all crammed around the bunk beds. The topic of Noctis's health and mysterious headache was the first to be discussed.

"Dude, you were saying some pretty weird things," Prompto frowned as he sat between his best friend and Mia. "What happened back there?"

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. "I... had a vision, I guess," he explained lamely as he attempted to describe what he saw. "Something was on fire and a giant person was talking to me. I couldn't understand what he was saying though."

Ignis exchanged looks with the elementalist. "Mia and I have speculated you saw the Disc of Cauthess. Perhaps the being in your vision is the Archaean, Titan."

"Who knows," Gladiolus shrugged nonchalantly before stretching his muscles. "In any case, now that His Highness is awake, let's make our way to Lestallum."

Prompto agreed with the idea. "Yeah, we gotta report back to Talcott." He noticed Mia tilt her head in bemusement so he elaborated, "He's the one who told us about the sword in the waterfall rumor."

Since Noctis assured them he was feeling better, they all piled into the Regalia and drove to Lestallum. Fortunately, the storm did not follow them the whole way.

"Damn this place is hot," Noctis complained unhappily upon entering the sunny town. As they strolled across the street, he tugged on the collar of his shirt to fan his body and groaned again. "Ugh, I'm sweating."

"Just take your shirt off," Gladiolus snorted, patting him on his back. When the dark-haired king declined the idea, he sneered. "What? Too embarrassed to show your scrawny body?"

"Hey, I got muscle!" Noctis protested, shooting his Shield a glare before grumbling under his breath, "You just can't see it."

"If you say so. You got as much muscle as Prompto."

Now it was the blonde's turn to defend himself from an insult that was clearly uncalled for. "Hey! I have more than His Highness here! Right, Iggy?"

"Don't pull me into this."

Frowning at the advisor's fruitless response, Prompto turned to the only woman among them with puppy dog eyes. "Mia, I have more muscle than Noct, right?"

The elementalist offered a nervous smile at the two men staring at her with hopeful looks that she would pick one over the other. "I think both you and Noct have an adequate amount of muscle each," she remarked in an attempt to play mediator. "I couldn't possibly decide."

Her words had the opposite effect as her mirthful tone sounded more akin to sarcastic teasing. It was an answer neither Noctis or Prompto yearned for. Dissatisfied, they resorted to pouts while Gladiolus howled with laughter.

Mia fell in line with Ignis, who ambled behind the bickering trio as they turned into an alleyway. "Do you not need to return home?" Ignis queried.

"I'm not in a hurry," she retorted nonchalantly. "Besides, I'd like to say hello to the others before I leave."

When The Leville came into view, Talcott, Jared, and Iris waited for them on the patio. Mia figured Gladiolus must have called his sister somewhere during his teasing so they could meet up with them. Talcott appeared the most ecstatic, waving enthusiastically as the group of five approached. Both Prompto and Noctis gave him a high-five as their greeting.

"Welcome back!" Iris managed to get out before being engulfed in Gladiolus's bear hug. Once he released her, the girl scanned each of them. "I hope it went well?"

"Your story came to a happy end," commented Ignis as he displayed a rare smile for Talcott. "There was a royal glaive after all."

Gladiolus smirked as he placed a hand on top of the the boy's head. "You did good, kid."

"We owe you big time, Talcott," Noctis chimed in.

The young boy was all grins after the praise he received. He was exceedingly proud, as he should be. Mia would be too if she assisted the person she admired the most. His grandfather also congratulated him for being a great help to their king. With friends and family reunited, they all mingled in the lobby. Mia sat on a couch with Jared and Talcott while listening to Prompto regale Iris about what happened in the glacial grotto. She noted he left out the part about Noctis fainting but it was done purposefully to keep her from worrying.

A timid tap on her arm redirected Mia's attention to the boy sitting next to her. Talcott pointed to her messenger bag to the sewn-on patch in the corner. "I like your bag, Miss Mia!" he beamed.

Mia also looked down at her bag. The patch was of a green cactuar with a pink and white desert flower atop its head. She bought it from a random stall in Partellum Market when she was a kid and had it stuffed away in a drawer unused. When she found it years later, she decided to sew it onto her bag out of boredom. She's been using the same bag ever since.

"Do you like cactuars?" she asked Talcott, who nodded excitedly.

On the other side of him, Jared chortled at his grandson's enthusiastic answer. "He's always been fond of those creatures."

She grinned. "Me too! I've always had an affinity for them because they're small and green, which is my favorite color."

"They're really cool!" Talcott exclaimed. "They're spiky and they run funny!"

And are remarkably dangerous, Mia thought as she adored his innocent reasons. Indeed, as cute and carefree as cactuars could be, they were also a nightmare to fight, even to the point hunters preferred to leave them alone. They were quick little bastards with a devastating ability to knock even the strongest warriors on their asses. She wondered why she even liked those creatures so much.

"Whatcha guys talkin' about?" Prompto cut in, playfully placing his elbow on top of Mia's head.

"How cactuars are awesome," she snorted, making no effort to remove his arm. "What about you, Prompto? What's your favorite creature or animal?"

"Chocobos!" She should have guessed.

Their lighthearted mood disappeared when another tremor shook the ground. Mia braced herself for the worst but it developed into nothing more than a light tremble beneath her feet. It felt like forever when in reality it only lasted a few seconds. Still, it remained disconcerting, especially when she found Noctis hunched over, clutching his head. He gritted his teeth in pain just like before. Bizarrely enough, his headache seemed to end the same moment the quakes stopped.

Iris bounded up to him and placed a worried hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter? You alright?"

"He'll be fine, don't worry," Gladiolus was quick to reassure his sister as he steadied Noctis. The tattooed man glanced between his companions who knew (or just barely knew) what the hell was going on. "We oughta take a closer look at this so-called Disc."

"We can use the viewer things at Something Outlook," Prompto suggested.

"Pegglar Outlook," Mia corrected him with her local knowledge of Lestallum. She cheekily smirked when he tossed a deadpan expression her way.

Ignis hummed thoughtfully before putting his hand to his chin. "It's no substitute for being on site, but it would be a start. Let's see what we can glean of Noct's condition."

Jared and Talcott stayed behind at The Leville while Iris tagged along. She stubbornly refused to 'sit back twiddling her thumbs', as she succinctly put it, when someone she cared for was having mysterious, abrupt pains. Besides, there was no harm in walking a block or two to the outlook. Mia watched with levity as the four Crownsguard members failed to conjure a counterargument for why she couldn't come. In the end, Iris walked triumphantly next to the laughing elementalist.

They made haste to Pegglar Outlook. As they neared the observation deck, Noctis halted in his step. Baffled by the sudden stop, Mia leaned over Prompto's shoulder to see what caused the delay.

A man a few feet in front of them peered through one of the stationary binoculars. He appeared middle-aged, with wavy auburn hair reaching below the nape of his neck and a black fedora atop his head. He was definitely not a local; the first thing Mia took notice of was his outlandish outfit, a far departure from Lestallum's simple, earthen-toned clothes. He looked like an eccentric noble, dressed in a white shirt under a black vest and dark gray trousers with white stripes which tucked into black boots. He also wore a long, black jacket that reached his ankles. He accessorized with a rust-colored scarf around his neck, black fingerless gloves, and a light gray and black mantle with a floral pattern tossed over his right shoulder.

The ostentatious man turned away from the binoculars to greet the newcomers. "Ah, fancy meeting you here, my friends!" he exclaimed with an all-too-knowing smile. "What a coincidence!"

Gladiolus scoffed. "I'm not so sure it is."

Choosing to ignore him, the man directed his attention to the two females, mirth gleaming in his amber eyes. "I see you have brought two beautiful ladies with you gentlemen." His smile only widened when the King's Shield moved protectively in front of Iris. His attention redirected to Mia, who felt a cold shiver run down her spine. There was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way, what it was she didn't know. Maybe it was the way he presented himself— it didn't feel genuine, as if he was putting on an act. Her deciphering of him was cut short by his chuckle, "An interesting tag-along, you are." Mia couldn't help but believe his comment was meant more as a snide remark.

Alas, his scrutiny of her ended as quickly as it started. The man made a grand motion with his arm to the meteor in the distance, his mantle blowing behind him for dramatic effect. "Aren't nursery rhymes curious things?" he continued. "Like this one: 'From the deep, the Archaean calls. Yet on deaf ears, the gods' tongue falls. The King made to kneel, in pain, he crawls.'"

Mia pondered the cryptic rhyme in silence. It wasn't too hard a puzzle to figure out when she recalled everything she knew so far. If it's taken literally, Titan is trying to contact Noctis via a telepathic channel. The second part, then, is referencing the Astral's language. Noctis did say someone spoke incoherently to him in his vision. It made sense that Astrals would have their own lexicon indecipherable to mortals. Following that logic, the vernacular of the gods is on a completely different level that simply hearing their voice is painful to humans. Is that what's causing Noctis's headaches?

"So how do we keep him on his feet?" she questioned as she came to her conclusion.

The man grinned, showing amusement that she deciphered the meaning. "You need only heed the call. Visit the Archaean and hear his plea. I can take you there." He sensed their hesitation and released a melodramatic sigh. "I shall give you time to deliberate with your companions."

The group of six took a few steps away from the strange man to converse in private. They all wore varying expressions of doubt and concern. Mia was the first to voice her opinion. "This seems very suspicious to me," she said shifting her weight to one side. "He knows a great deal about Noct's headaches despite it starting just earlier today."

"But what if he's right?" Iris piped up more optimistically than she. "What if talking to the Archaean actually stops the headaches for good?"

"I'm inclined to agree with Iris," Ignis admitted. "It's not an impossible scenario."

Prompto also agreed. "So we take a ride—"

"—But watch our backs," finished Gladiolus.

They all seemed to be in accordance with one another, leaving their king to officially decide. "Let's do it."

The man motioned for them to follow him after they returned. "I'm not one to stand on ceremony, but such an occasion calls for an introduction. Please, call me Ardyn." The man named Ardyn led the way to the car park. He began to talk about his beloved car and the Regalia but Mia tuned him out, disinterested. After they escorted him to a dark red vehicle, Ardyn slipped into the driver's seat and patiently waited for them.

At the Regalia, Iris hugged her big brother a goodbye while the guys all piled into the car. Mia did not move to join them.

"Try not to piss off the god, alright?" she quipped. "And be careful." Even Ignis looked dumbfounded at her noncommittal response, prompting an explanation. "I believe you four will succeed with Titan, but my main priority is here in Lestallum. I still have to investigate the contents of that magic flask from yesterday." She then reached into her bag to retrieve her higher end flasks of magic, holding them out Gladiolus. "Here, take these. I hope they prove useful."

Said man accepted the flasks before sliding into the car. "Thanks. We'll be in touch."

"Will they be alright?" Iris asked Mia after watching the boys drive away. Her lips pulled downwards into a frown. "Noct didn't look well."

Mia would be lying if she said she wasn't concerned about them, not just for their wellbeing but also the situation. They were listening to the advice of a shady stranger to speak with the Archaean— a god— because he was summoning the King of Lucis to him. What part of that wasn't illogical? Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all, Mia offered the younger female a reassuring look.

"They'll be okay. We both know they're strong and capable people. Nothing will happen to Noct, especially since your brother is there to protect him."

Iris sighed, acknowledging she was right. Her unease was natural but Mia had a feeling her worry for the dark-haired royal transcended beyond friendship. Just they way she uttered Noctis's name held a fondness that was absent when she mentioned the others. A knowing smile playing on the elementalist's lips, she escorted Iris back to The Leville before returning home. She greeted her parents in passing and then immediately locked herself in her laboratory.

In order to retain complete focus on the flask, Mia removed all unnecessary items from the table except the equipment she needed. She narrowed her eyes on the lone flask sitting on the work table. A fire spell of sorts, but instead of the familiar yellow-orange glow in the center, this one contained a much darker hue. Her first order of business was to determine the foreign substance within the dust— she needed to test the spell. If she ascertained its properties, then her journal possibly held the information already. Her experiments didn't always result in success but jotting down the failures was equally as important.

Safety first, Mia donned a long-sleeved lab coat, a pair of goggles, and heavy duty gloves. She hesitated for a moment as she held the flask in her hand. Small increments shouldn't hurt too much, she thought grimly. As long as the flow was kept to a minimum (as with the spiles when she extracts dust), the magic shouldn't cause a problem.

Holding her breath, she poured a minuscule amount of magic into her gloved hand. The crimson dust flickered into tiny flames in her palm, dancing about to the cool air of the room and ready to be thrown at something flammable. Normal. What was not normal was the brilliant red suddenly contorting to a sinister black. These flames whipped harshly from side to side, increasingly shifting faster and faster until it literally exploded. Mia felt her heart leap to her throat; it was like a miniature bomb had gone off in her hand. No evidence remained sans a dark, singed spot on her glove.

"A burst of energy due to an incompatibility between catalyst and dust," Mia concluded with a mix of awe and anger in her voice. "It explodes before the caster even gets a chance to throw it." She could only imagine what horrors occurred when someone used an entire bottle's worth.

Rage boiled inside her. Someone was crafting self-inflicting magic and being handed out under the guise of her name. That was the least of her worries; her concern for the people given these shoddy spells greatly outweighed her reputation.

Now that she knew what the spell can do, Mia rummaged through her notes, searching for any similarities to her previous findings. Luckily, her past self discovered this exact reaction. The offending substance were parts of a crustacean-like creature, more specifically the shell of it. To confirm the discovery as factual, she poured an even tinier amount of dust into a watch glass, taking precautions to pause every few seconds. She placed the glass underneath a microscope and began to painstakingly separate the dust from pieces of crushed shell. Once a majority of dust was removed from the watch glass, she compared the remnants to a sample she kept for reference. It was a match.

Mia leaned back in her chair and exhaled a breath. "One problem solved, two more appear," she huffed as she removed her gloves. While it was beneficial to know what catalyst caused the spells to backfire, her new knowledge did not help narrow down the location of who created them. These specific monsters are found all over Duscae and Cleigne near bodies of water. Anyone could easily have access to them.

A knock on the door broke her train of thought as her father peeked his head in, inquiring about her work. Mia shared her results with him, sliding the microscope over so he could confirm it himself. The father and daughter duo sat in contemplative silence. "It's only been two days so I doubt Elias has any new information," she mused aloud as she glanced over to her father. "Have the customers brought up the rumors?"

"No," he shook his head before straightening his posture, as if he had an epiphany. "Dave might've heard the rumors about you by now, though. He has a wide network of hunters. Last I heard, he's stayin' at the outpost north of the Chocobo farm. I'll give you his contact info but you know he never stays in one place for long."

Mia considered this. Dave Auburnbrie was a veteran hunter renowned in many hunter circles and an old friend of her father's. There wasn't a lot that slipped past his knowledge, hopefully he could help her resolve this issue as soon as possible. It was the best and only lead she had at the moment. "Thanks, dad. I'll leave tomorrow morning."

Author's Note

If anyone is confused, the mystery spell is intended to be Blastcast, which by definition damages both caster and target, but obviously altered for my own plot purposes.