Apologies for the long delay! I knew where I wanted to go with this chapter but hit terrible writers block when I tried to put it into a proper scenario. This part basically encompasses the entirety of Chapter Four of the game (spoilers!) but I wanted to write what that whole scene would look like to the regular populace. It's not as action-packed but it's filled with fluff, silliness, and interesting facts about Mia. Also, I've been thinking about the romantic aspect of my story. It will be a slow burn romance even though I still haven't decided who Mia will end up with. Why do they all have to be so great?
As always, thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews!
Special shoutout to Guest1995. I can't message you personally since it's a guest account but I wanted you to know I appreciate your reviews!
Chapter 11
A Bystander's Perspective
"I'm heading out now," Mia announced her departure as she descended the stairs into the shop. Her parents, who were preparing to open for business, stopped momentarily to bid her a goodbye. Double checking her inventory one more time, Mia asked her father, "Were you able to contact Dave?"
"No, it goes straight to voicemail," he replied with an exasperated huff. "It happens when hunters are in an area where there's no service. But last I spoke to him he was staying at Alstor Outpost. Said he'd be there for awhile." Mia's deflated reaction at the news forced the ex-hunter to pat his daughter on the head to distract her. "I left him a message and gave your number. I'm sure he'll contact you when he can."
Mia pouted; she hoped there wouldn't be any delays when she got there but if Dave was preoccupied with a mission, there was nothing she could do. As long as she received useful information (or any at all, at this point), she didn't mind waiting. A smile replacing her frown, the elementalist gave her parents one last wave before stepping out the door. "Bye! Love you guys!"
She felt a little guilty leaving for the umpteenth time. Ever since she teamed up with Noctis and his friends, she'd been handing her responsibilities of the store over to her parents. To be perfectly honest with herself, if it wasn't for this whole flask issue, she would have definitely gone with the guys to see the Archaean. Part of her was still disappointed she didn't go. Speaking of her dear friends, the elementalist wondered where they were at the moment. Since they left in the afternoon the day before, it was more than likely they stopped for the night. Did they stay in an RV or at a haven? She scoffed at the idea of someone like Ardyn camping.
Upon entering a small plaza of one of Lestallum's busier streets, Mia noticed the Amicitia butler Jared sitting at a table by himself. A curious scene, considering Iris and Talcott were usually with him but were no where to be seen. She decided to keep him company for the time being. "Good morning, Jared," she greeted him with a bright smile.
Jared recognized his visitor and returned her smile with an even kinder one. "Ah, and good morning to you as well, Miss Mia!" He motioned to the chair across the table. "Please, have a seat."
The woman obliged his request before scanning the plaza. "Where are Talcott and Iris? Still sleeping?"
"Not today," he responded with a lighthearted chuckle as he pointed at a building across the way. "They're in that cafe buying breakfast. We were tired of the food at the hotel and the young one really wanted to come here. He's taken a liking to their pastries. As have I."
"I'm happy to hear you're enjoying Lestallum's cuisine."
Their pleasantries temporarily halted when Iris and Talcott made their appearances with food in hand. It was impossible to miss the way the young boy's eyes lit up at the sight of the elementalist. "Miss Mia!" he exclaimed as he practically sprinted to the table. "Are you eating breakfast with us?"
"Only if you want me to," she responded cheekily, to which he nodded. "Then I thank you for letting me join you guys."
"The more the merrier," Jared chuckled as he turned to Iris. "Lady Iris, do you mind if you get one more meal for Miss Mia?"
"Sure thing!" Iris sang happily. She saw the older female about to protest and quickly shut her down with a wave of her hands. "Don't worry, Mia, it's on us! C'mon, Talcott!"
Mia waited until the two younger persons disappeared into the building again before turning her attention to the man across the table. She fidgeted in her chair, debating if she should voice her thoughts or not. "Jared, is it okay if I ask you something random but personal?"
"Not at all," Jared straightened up to give her his full attention. "What's on your mind, my dear?"
"Talcott's parents, what happened to them?" she asked softly. "Were they caught up in the attack on the Crown City?"
"No," he sighed dejectedly but didn't seem offended by her inquiry. He laced his hands together on the table, his brows furrowing as he recalled the memory. "His parents passed away in a car accident a few years ago. My grandson was still so young when it happened. He doesn't remember much from that time."
"I see," Mia frowned, casting hazel eyes downward at the food. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."
Jared dismissed her solemn tone with a shake of his head. "It's quite alright, dear. I imagine it's only natural to be curious considering the odd pair we make."
She smiled at his statement. "Odd, maybe. But you're doing a great job raising him and Talcott really loves you regardless."
"Ho ho, I try my best," he laughed appreciatively. "Lady Iris has been a huge help. She watches after him when I cannot."
Awhile later the whole table was now occupied, its occupants all enjoying a fun and quaint breakfast together. An enthusiastic Talcott divulged to Mia what they planned to do that day. In return, she recommended new places they have yet to visit. Even Iris looked forward to it. Mia appreciated the nice change from the silly banter and rowdiness that was Noctis and his company. This was the type of morning that reminded the elementalist of an earlier time, when her brother was still alive.
"Next time breakfast is on me!" Mia proclaimed, offering thanks after everyone finished their meal. As much as she wanted to spend more time with them, she picked up her belongings and gave them a wave. "I'd love to show you guys the finer sights of Lestallum but I need to get going."
"Of course, we shan't keep you any longer," Jared nodded in understanding, grunting as his old bones popped when he stood. The others followed suit to see her off. "Thank you for keeping this old man company, Miss Mia."
"Please just call me Mia, and the pleasure was all mine. Maybe we can do this again in the near future?" He smiled and nodded again as she turned to Talcott. She crouched to be at his eye level, holding up her pinky finger. "When I get back, let's go to that place I mentioned, okay?" With a bashful grin, her young friend sealed the deal with a pinky promise.
Two and a half hours later, Mia arrived at Alstor Outpost. Her initial scan of the area revealed nothing out of the ordinary: locals gathered together and exchanged the daily gossip; children ran around playing tag or some other outside game; and proprietors conducted their respective businesses. In addition, a group of hunters chatted off to the side near the familiar orange and white caravan. Unfortunately, Dave was not among them.
Assuming she had a lot of time to kill, she made her way to the Crow's Nest, Lucis's most popular food chain restaurant. Their motto, "The nest you can always fly back to", resonated with those who travelled as often as Mia. Plus their food was a godsend on the long road: cheap and delicious. After being welcomed into the diner, she took a seat on a bar stool and ordered their signature fries to snack on.
"Here ya go, miss! Enjoy!" the owner exclaimed as he placed her order in front of her.
"Thanks," she said, expressing her gratitude with a polite smile. She popped a fry into her mouth and immediately regretted her decision. Somehow she forgot the fries came out of the fryer literally seconds ago and cried out in pain when the lone fry seared her poor tongue. She had the urge to spit it out but instead of looking like a savage, she inhaled air through gritted teeth in an attempt to cool the offending food, succeeding just enough to swallow the fry. The owner, who witnessed it all, shook his head despite holding back boisterous laughter. Soothing her tongue with ice water, she buried her face in her hand and groaned. "Definitely not my best moment."
"Probably not, but it made my day," he chuckled as he refilled her water. "So where ya headed all by your lonesome?"
"Actually, I'm meeting someone here. A hunter by the name of Dave."
"Oh, Dave! Good man, that one. Unfortunately, you just missed him. He was here until yesterday. Said he got word of more dog tags gone missin'."
"Do you know when he'll return?"
"Can't say for sure, miss. But he's here often so he might be back in the next couple of days or so."
Mia thanked him for the information before he walked away to take care of a customer waving him down from across the diner. After paying for her meal, she remained in the diner, crossing her leg over the other and resting her chin in her palms. She became the epitome of a bored person waiting for an undetermined amount of time. Her thoughts mulled over her situation. Dilly-dallying for the slim chance Dave would return to this outpost did not sound like an effective use of her time. She'd rather be active in her information gathering; perhaps she could travel to towns and other outposts that saw hunters coming and going often.
During her mental agenda planning, an Imperial dreadnought passed by overhead, followed by another soon after. Their massive, metallic frames temporarily blocked out the sunlight as it flew in the direction of the Disc of Cauthess. Her gut feeling screamed there was something happening; were they actually heading toward the Disc or was it coincidence? She would've waved it off as paranoid concern for her friends when the ground quaked again, this one much worse than in Lestallum.
Against her better judgement, Mia ignored the trembling beneath her feet and ran outside, only to be met with a blinding flash of light. Despite being at such a far distance, Mia stared wide-eyed at the multiple floating dots hovering over the Disc. A whole armada of Niflheim dreadnoughts surrounded the very place her friends currently were.
"What the hell is happening?" she mumbled to herself. She fumbled for her phone, hastily searched her contacts, and pressed the first name she recognized. She wasn't even sure who of the royal entourage she was calling. Alas, there was no answer. Suddenly the Disc emitted another flash of light and a thunderous boom rocked the ground, throwing her off balance. Her stability and vision restored a moment later, she gasped at the sight of all the dreadnoughts around the Disc engulfed in flames.
Smoke rose from the aircrafts as every single began plummeting to the ground. The giant meteor seemed significantly lower than before, as if Titan no longer held it atop his shoulders. In addition to that, it appeared cracked in places and some of the crystallized spires broke in half. Now she was officially worried; there was no way that area escaped disaster. Mia tried calling her friends once more but again it went unanswered. She had half a mind to drive to the Disc— or at least get close enough— to investigate when a truck pulled into the gas station. Filled with hunters by the looks of their garb. Their expressions told her they were not in the best of moods.
"Damn it," one of the males grumbled as they passed by the elementalist to enter the diner. "Why'd our tipster have to live in Lestallum? We could be feasting in glory right about now!"
"Calm down," his comrade shushed him. "It's not his fault those damn Niffs closed off all roads leading there."
"What?!" Mia exclaimed aloud, startling the passing hunters. She apologized but that was least of her worries. "What do you mean no one can get into Lestallum?"
"Imperials set up blockades all over Duscae. They've got troops doing inspections at every checkpoint, but Lestallum's the only place no one can get in or out."
With the news passed on, the hunters left Mia to internally panic. Why would the Niflheim Empire block off Lestallum? To what purpose were they seeking to achieve? Such questions ran through her mind as she phoned her parents but there was no ring to indicate her call was going through. She tried three more times, all ending with the same result. A few more vehicles also stopped at the outpost, offering the same information. Communications were being blocked somehow and that was not a good sign.
Mia paced around her motorcycle for at least twenty minutes deep in thought. She probably looked like a madwoman mumbling nonsense to herself when in fact, it helped her assess the situation: Niflheim soldiers blockaded Lestallum, she couldn't get in contact with her parents, the answers to her other questions depended on her friends, and they weren't answering their goddamn phones.
All in all, Mia felt helpless and she detested it.
Someone must have sensed her pre-hyperventilated state because her phone began to ring, saving her from insanity. One glance to the caller ID presented her a wave of relief. "Ignis," she heaved a sigh, trying to sound like she wasn't on the verge of a breakdown. "Thank the Six you finally answered."
"Apologies for the delay," Ignis replied, his dulcet tones calming her surprisingly. "Things became a bit hectic around here. Is everything alright? I received numerous calls from you."
"To be honest, everything's not okay," she sighed again as she leaned against the seat of her bike. "Lestallum's been cut off by Imperial troops, no one can get in or out. I think they're blocking communications because I can't get in touch with my parents. I don't know what the hell is happening." She ranted in a rush that she hoped he understood her.
"Seems the Empire's been busy," he said eventually, sounding none too pleased. There was a thoughtful pause before he spoke again. "We're at the chocobo farm. Can you meet us here?"
"Yeah, I'll be there soon."
Mia sped the whole way to the chocobo farm (which was situated in the middle of the forest) arriving in less than half an hour. A large, yellow neon sign that read "Wiz Chocobo Post" hung above the only building on the premises. She felt it was a little redundant since it was obvious to anyone where they were, but she figured it was more to guide wayward travelers at night, when the farm lit up like Christmas tree. With no actual parking spaces at this post, she parked her motorcycle against the fence. Happy chocobos squawked loudly as they ran around in corrals while others were being fed greens by visitors. She could see the owner of the farm, Wiz, making conversation with a group of people in the small cobblestone plaza.
She expected to see the Regalia as she drove up to the farm but the luxury vehicle was no where in sight. For a second, she thought she'd misunderstood the location of their meeting place but those doubts were put to rest when she saw Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis approach her. Exhausted expressions, disheveled clothes, hair and face caked with dirt patches— it was immediately apparent their ordeal with the Archaean didn't go as smoothly as they wanted. They also had some minor scrapes and bruises, but it was nothing a potion or two couldn't heal.
"You have no idea how relieved I am to see you," Mia vented, resisting the urge to hug each of them. "Being out of the loop really sucks."
The three men minus Gladiolus escorted her to the table belonging to the RV. "I've notified them of the situation regarding Lestallum," Ignis said before turning a concerned eye onto the elementalist. "How are you doing? You sounded flustered over the phone."
Mia enlaced her hands together and placed them on the tabletop. "I'm better now that I know you guys are safe," she smiled faintly. "But I'm still concerned about my parents. And Iris, Jared, and Talcott as well."
Prompto pointed to the metal windmill in the center of the farm. At its base stood their missing Shield, holding his phone to his ear. "The big guy's been trying to contact Iris for the past ten minutes but she's not answering either." Mia knew that feeling quite well.
Gladiolus joined them soon after, greeting Mia with a playful pat on her head. Now that they were all together, it was time to finally get some answers. "Mind filling me in? What happened with Titan?"
They each took turns detailing their adventure into the center of the Disc of Cauthess with Ignis offering elaboration to clear the more confusing points of the story. The Archaean, the apparent root of the recent tremors, contacted Noctis telepathically, aka the mysterious headaches, to summon him. The Oracle, Lady Lunafreya— "And Noct's future wifey!" Prompto added with a grin, much to the vexation of his friend— approached him before they arrived, beseeching the astral to lend his power to Noctis. Of course, it's never that simple. The Lucian King had to prove his worth by fighting Titan (or rather parry his gigantic arm).
"Wait," Mia cut in, a mix of disbelief and absolute awe on her face. "You guys battled a literal god and survived! Do you know how insane that sounds?"
The four males exchanged glances, as if just realizing it, before looking at her again. "I guess it is kinda awesome now that I think about it," Prompto admitted cheekily as he scratched his cheek. "But in the heat of the moment, it was terrifying."
"It wasn't just Titan," Gladiolus scoffed, albeit with a bit of pride. "We also had to fight off countless MTs dropping from dreadnoughts."
Mia made a noise of recognition. "Then that explains why there were so many hovering over the Disc," she mused. She wondered if the empire tracked Noctis to the Disc or they were merely investigating the cause of the seismic activity. The elementalist shook her head since it didn't pertain to the main topic. She stared at Noctis for her next question, "I'm assuming you won Titan over?"
"Yup," the raven-haired man replied, waving his hand dismissively. Although he was attempting to act cool, a triumphant smirk kept twitching on his lips. "But then he just vanished and left us to almost die."
Ignis sighed at the royal's vague statement which did not amend Mia's puzzled expression. "With no astral to hold it up, the meteor crashed into the earth. Fire and lava erupted around us."
Mia felt herself on the edge of her seat. She already knew the outcome but she was compelled to ask, "So how'd you escape?"
"We were lifted out on an airship, thanks to the Imperial Chancellor of Niflheim," the advisor answered with an indignant look. "Or as we know him, Ardyn Izunia." He paused to gauge her shocked reaction, one he and his friends shared when they were given the reveal. "Seeing as we didn't have alternative options, we accepted his assistance and, for whatever reason, were dropped off here."
"What happened to the Regalia?" she inquired next. "Is it still at the Disc?"
"I'd like to think not," Noctis yawned before folding his arms across his chest with a frown. He drooped his head against his shoulder, prepared to sleep in his current position. "That area is probably ruined by now."
"We did journey quite a ways from the car," Ignis offered as reassurance. "But the Disc is under the control of the Empire— it's a possibility they have it now. Perhaps we can request Cindy to ascertain its location to be sure."
"I'll do it!" Prompto shot his hand into the air immediately, almost punching Noctis in his face. Since no one bothered to take his enthusiasm away, the gunner excused himself to make the call. Mia knew of Cindy, the famous mechanic in Hammerhead. She never met the woman personally, but she's heard rumors no one could rival her skill. Ignis also informed Mia she fixed the Regalia at the beginning of their adventure and that Prompto had been infatuated with her ever since.
Leaving the blonde to flirt with his crush, Mia turned back to the other three. "So what are you going to do in the meantime?"
The bespectacled man shook his head. "We wait until we get news of the Regalia. I'm afraid we don't have much mobility now that we lack a car."
With an amused brow raised, Mia made a grand gesture to their surroundings. "I mean, we are on a chocobo farm," she drawled, stating the obvious. "With chocobos. That we can ride."
Gladiolus snorted as he crossed his arms. "Well, I know one person who'd be excited to hear that."
"Indeed," Ignis chuckled. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. All of our supplies— our spare clothes, camping gear, extra curatives— remain in the Regalia."
"We need to find it no matter what," Noctis mumbled, lamenting the loss of their beloved vehicle.
"And we will. But first things first: we need to rest. Especially you, Noct. Obtaining the power of a god cannot be easy on the body." He cast the practically sleeping man a look that left no room for argument. Not that Noctis needed any convincing. As the raven-haired king sauntered toward the door of the camper, Ignis turned back to Mia. "You're more than welcome to stay with us," he said curtly before disappearing into the RV.
"What he means to say is: good to have you back on the team," Gladiolus tossed a roguish grin her way. Lightly blushing, Mia mumbled a thanks. "Your ice magic would've helped in the fight with Titan but the flasks you gave us were second best."
"Oh, is that how it is?" Mia feigned offense and refused to look at the man. "You only want me around for my magic!" She pouted childishly. As his laughter died down, she pulled out her phone, wondering if she should make another fruitless attempt at calling. She noticed he was pondering doing the same. She shared his sentiments; they both had people very important to them trapped in Lestallum for unknown reasons. Showing Gladiolus an understanding smile, she stashed her phone away and pulled him up from his chair along with herself.
"C'mon, Muscles. Let's go get some rest before we drive ourselves crazy."
Ignis had always been a light sleeper, ingrained into his being as a young boy so he could assist Noctis at any given hour of the day. It wasn't bothersome per se, as he'd also learned to ignore particular sounds, such as Gladiolus's obnoxious snoring. The next morning green eyes fluttered open to the vibration of a phone. The hushed feminine voice that followed could only belong to the elementalist who claimed the couch. Though he stared at the bunk bed above him, the royal advisor remained motionless, decency telling him to make Mia aware he was also conscious and listening.
"No, I'm at the chocobo farm," Mia whispered. There was a brief pause and then her voice rose with surprise. "You are? Okay, that works. I'll see you here then."
Ignis discreetly moved to a sitting position in time to see her release a long sigh. It was a little unsettling to see her rather exhausted in comparison to her normally chipper attitude. He could chalk it up to early morning grogginess, but it's doubtful that was the case. After the hectic events of yesterday, it slipped his mind to even ask why she left Lestallum in the first place. She did opt to stay behind to examine the contents of the magic flask she didn't create so perhaps her reason lay there. Mia's shuffling around the camper brought him back to the present. She took her time freshening up in the bathroom before slipping on her boots and exiting the RV.
A deep, gruff voice broke the quietness of the room. "Where's she off to at this hour?"
Ignis glanced over to Gladiolus, whose back was to him and made no effort to face the bespectacled man. "If her phone call was any indication, she's meeting someone here," he replied in a monotonous tone as he reached for his glasses. "As for who, your guess is as good as mine."
The larger man's body shook slightly; Gladiolus was laughing at him. "You worried about her, Specs?"
"Of course, she's a valuable friend and asset to our team."
Did he just sigh? "You would think about it logically."
Ignis narrowed his eyes on his bulky frame. "And what do you mean by that—"
"Ugh, you guys are too loud!" Prompto hissed from the bunk above Gladiolus. He grabbed his pillow and pressed it against his ears to muffle the noise. "Keep it down, will you?"
"Apologies for interrupting your beauty sleep," the advisor quipped with a smirk.
Leaving his comrades to fall back asleep, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and readied himself for a long day ahead of them. Without the Regalia, they were limited in what they could do. Relying on Cindy's intel was their only option in retrieving their car. The brunette stepped out into the brisk morning air, sauntering on a quest to buy some ebony. In line to buy his beverage, the local radio stations reported on the blockades across Duscae. It was believed the checkpoints were a result of the strange occurrences at the Disc. Of course, he knew that was falsified information.
When he returned to the caravan, his friends began to stir, some more awake than others. "Hey, where's Mia?" Prompto yawned, finally realizing they were missing one person.
"She left earlier this morning," Ignis replied as he sat on the unoccupied couch. "She's still on the farm, if that's your concern. It seems she's trying to resolve an issue at the moment."
"Well, let's go ask if we can help!"
Gladiolus deadpanned, "Always eager to assist the ladies, aren't you?"
The four Crownsguard members found the elementalist standing near the windmill. Her brows furrowed together, displaying a semi-serious expression, as she tapped her fingers against her leg impatiently. She noticed them approach and greeted them with a curt wave. "Morning. You're probably wondering what I'm doing, huh?" She chortled at their collective nod. She leaned her back against the brick base of the windmill and crossed her ankles. "It's about the magic flasks. A friend of my dad might have information on it. He finally got cell service this morning so he's on his way to meet me here."
"Is it that bad?" Noctis asked, casually placing his hands on his hips.
"It's not great. I tested the magic myself. Works on your enemies but explodes in your face," Ignis wanted her to be more specific but her eyes flitted elsewhere. "There he is."
A dusty beige truck filled with hunters pulled onto the farm. The driver of the truck stepped out followed by a medium-sized, graying bronze-colored dog who instinctively sniffed his immediate area. Picking up on a scent, the dog walked away from his owner to investigate. As he got closer to the group of five, his tail began to wag faster and faster until he stopped in front of Mia with a friendly bark.
Beaming, Mia knelt down to pet the dog behind his ears. "Aww, you still remember me, Nanaki!" she cooed, giggling when he licked her chin.
Satisfied with her attention, Nanaki moved over to Prompto and Noctis, again barking expectantly. "Hi doggy!" the blonde exclaimed, shamelessly plopping himself on the ground so he could play with him.
"Hey, pup," Noctis patted the dog on his head. "It's been awhile."
"Play nice, Nanaki."
Their attention drew to the stocky man in his early forties walking toward them. His visage was that of the experienced hunter he was: a rugged, stony countenance, a shaved head for practicality, and muscular. He wore a dark short-sleeved shirt underneath a dark brown tactical vest, with black military cargo pants and boots. His arms were bare besides fingerless gloves, showing off the many tattoos he had. As with any hunter, around his neck hung silver plated dog tags. Similar to the ones Noctis and his retinue picked up in the past.
The man stopped in front of Mia, studying her carefully. "Lamia Viridis."
"David Auburnbrie," said woman drawled in the same intonation, returning his gaze.
Dave chuckled as he held out his hand for her to shake. "You're lookin' good, kid." He then turned to the four beside her, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "Gentleman. Glad to see you're doing well."
Mia glanced between them, confused. "Wait, you guys know each other?"
"Long story short: they helped me out when I was in a bind," the veteran hunter answered before changing the subject. "Now tell me what's going on. Your old man was vague with the details." Ignis listened intently to the elementalist explain her situation to Dave. He knew the general gist of it and was able to fill in the gaps from her summary. After she finished Dave considered her words thoughtfully before he spoke.
"There has been an increase of magic use among the hunters thanks to you, but I haven't heard anything about it backfiring." He watched her shoulders slump, crestfallen at the news, and amended, "I'm heading south so I'll continue to ask around. I'll let you know when I find something."
"Please do," Mia sighed, reaching up to grip the dog tags around her neck. "Any information will help."
Her fidgeting with the tags didn't go unnoticed. Pressing his lips to a grim line, Dave pointed at the middle of her chest. "Still wearing that, I see." A hint of a smile played on her mouth as she nodded. "Right. Since I've told you what I know, I'm gonna head out. Take care of yourselves, girl and boys." He called Nanaki back to his side and hopped back into his truck.
"So whose tags are around your neck?" Gladiolus abruptly asked Mia. The million dollar question on everyone's mind. Ignis chided him with a sharp gaze. Although he deduced the original owner of the tags through a previous conversation with the elementalist, it wasn't their place to ask something that personal. Still, the tattooed man remained undeterred by the glare.
Unexpectedly, Mia found his straightforwardness amusing. "They belonged to my older brother, Magus."
"I didn't know you had a brother," Prompto chimed in, patting the dirt off his pants. "You never mentioned him before."
"Well, you never asked," she laughed breathily and stared at her feet. "Magus was a hunter; under the tutelage of Dave, actually."
Noctis pursed his lips, understanding the implications of her words. "If you're wearing his tags, does that mean he—"
"Yes," she cut in, melancholy displayed on her features, and inhaled a deep breath. "He... died three years ago when he was on a hunt."
The long and heavy silence that followed grew unbearable for everyone involved in the conversation. Gladiolus stared at something off in the distance. Both Noctis and Prompto looked at the ground, the latter scuffing his boot against the dirt. On the other hand, Ignis did not turn away, green eyes studying the woman. It was only natural to show a mournful visage while speaking about a departed loved one, but he had an inkling there was more to the tragic story she didn't mention. Alas, he wasn't about to prod into her past. What she wanted to share with them was entirely up to her. Ignis watched Mia shift from a pained smile to the realization of the change in atmosphere.
"So has there been any word from Cindy?" she queried awkwardly. Her voice was noticeably much livelier than just moments before.
"Not yet," Prompto responded without missing a beat. As he folded his arms behind his head, he grinned. "But I believe in her skills! I'm sure she'll have an answer for us soon!"
Gladiolus nudged his blonde friend with his elbow. "I guess we'll just hang around until your girlfriend calls back," he sneered.
Prompto flailed his arms in the air as his cheeks burst into a rosy red hue. "Sh-she's not my girlfriend!" he exclaimed before kicking at the dirt with a longing sigh. "...Unfortunately."
"Give it time, bud," Noctis snickered, giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Hey, since we don't have anything to do, let's go race some chocobos."
The shine in Prompto's blue eyes could not have gotten any brighter. "Dude, that's all I ever wanted in life!"
The chocobo race track was located the opposite side of the main road. Adjacent to the starting gate was a stone platform built a few feet above ground level. Mia and Ignis, the two who decided to spectate, stood on the platform as their friends trotted to the line atop the magnificent yellow birds. The competitive spirit burned in their eyes as they each gave their chocobo a pep talk.
Beside the royal advisor, Mia clasped her hands behind her back. "You sure you don't want to participate?" she asked him with a playful grin. She was back to her original self, it seemed. "I promise to cheer for you all equally."
"I'll leave the fun up to them," he chuckled as he returned her smile. "A cheering section is lonely with just one person."
"That's true, I guess," She then turned to the three competitors, waving her arms excitedly. "Good luck, you guys!"
"I'll see you both at the finish line!" Noctis proclaimed.
"On your mark—"
"Yeah right!" Prompto scoffed. "Prepare to lose to the Great Prompto!"
"Get set—"
"Whatever you say, Great Prompto," Gladiolus drawled with a roll of his eyes. "You're gonna eat my dust!"
"I'm expecting their boasting will translate into proficient chocobo riding," Ignis heaved a sigh while Mia giggled.
"GO!"