Chapter 9
As Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus, Prompto, Nyx and Zaltana were getting closer to the tomb, they were ambushed by another group of Daggerquill birds and took care of them swiftly before they arrived and stepped onto the large white and black marble stone slabs carved into the shape of a half-circle with a large and heavy-looking white ornate double doors in front of them.
"We're here, everyone." said Zaltana.
"The "Tomb of the Wise"." said Ignis.
"A tomb fit for royalty." said Prompto.
"Come on, let's go in and meet the Marshal." said Gladiolus as he glance at Noctis (who nodded back to him) before they watched as he walked down the steps toward the doors, pushed the doors wide open before he and the others went into the tomb room where Cor is waiting.
"Marshal." Ignis greeted Cor once they stepped into the room and Cor turned around to glance at them with a relief look on his face.
"At last, your highness. Thank you, you two for bringing him and his friends to this tomb, princess Zaltana and Nyx Ulric." said Cor in a relief tone of voice to Noctis before he glance and nodded to both Zaltana and Nyx, who nodded back to him.
"Yeah, wanna tell me what I'm here for?" said Noctis flatly at Cor as he, his 3 friends, Zaltana and Nyx glance down at the stone coffin with a statue of a man holding a sword (Sword of the Wise) in his hands above his body.
"You're here for the power of kings, passed from the old to the new through the bonding of souls." said Cor as he raised and held both of his arms above the coffin. "One such soul lies before you. To claim your forebears' power is your birthright and duty as king."
"My duty as king to what?" snapped Noctis as he felt his anger and grief started to rise up from within him (which caused Ignis, Gladiolus, Prompto and Nyx to glance at him with annoy and disbelief looks on their faces while Zaltana glance down at her feet with sad, pity and remorse look on her face).
"Now is not the time to question your calling." said Cor in a reprimanding tone of voice at Noctis (who scoff at his words). "A king is swore to protect his people."
"And yet he choose to protect only one prince. Was that his calling? Forsake the masses to spare his own son?" said Noctis coldly at Cor.
"How long will you remain the protected? The king entrusted the role of protector to you." Cor argued firmly at Noctis.
"Entrusted it to me? Then why didn't he just tell me that? Why did he just stand there smiling as I left with my friends? Why-" said Noctis quite loudly and angrily at Cor as he raised, slammed and curled his hands on the golden trim edge of the coffin (while his 3 friends and Nyx look away from him while Zaltana still haven't look up). "Why did he lie to me?" added Noctis in an agony tone of voice as small droplet of tears glisten and fell from his eyes down onto the coffin.
"That day, he didn't want you to remember him as the king. In what time you had left, he wanted to be your father." Cor explained calmly to Noctis (who began crying in grief) as he glance at him sadly. "He always had faith in you, that when the time came, you would ascend for the sake of your people."
"Guess he left me no choice." said Noctis as he stop crying, straighten himself and raised his hand to wipe the tears away from his eyes before he hold out his hand above the weapon on the statue of the man.
The next second, Noctis, his 3 friends, Nyx, Zaltana and Cor watched as the sword started to shine quite brightly before the sword floated up from the statue into thin air then it swiftly flew downward straight toward Noctis to pierce and disappear into his body, causing a bright blue glow to shine brightly on his chest while the sword (which is transparent now) flew around Noctis for a few seconds then disappear into thin air.
"The power of kings goes with you now, Your Majesty." Cor stated to Noctis. "That's not the only power and weapon that your forebears left you. Your journey's just begun. Another tomb lies close by, I suggest you and the rest of you head there next. There are various other tombs scattered across the land. All are on dangerous ground filled with monsters and daemons. I'll be going with you all for the time being. Not only to help, but to get a measure of your strength." Cor added to Noctis before all of them turned around and walked out of the tomb and began to run down the path toward the next tomb.