Another interlude chapter. It's shorter than I wanted but when I thought about what to write for Ramuh's trials, I knew I needed more time. Hopefully this will keep you guys entertained until the next one.
On another note, I'm going to use my Bio/profile page to keep you all updated with my progress on ALIM and whatever other stories I come up with.
As always, thanks for the favorites, follows, and wonderful reviews! They really do help keep my passion for this story alive.
Chapter 12
Chocobos and Messengers
Another day passed on the chocobo farm yet there was no new information about the Regalia. It became blatantly obvious to Mia that patience was not her friends' strong suit. The Chocobros— as she ecstatically nicknamed the collective four after the race— needed to keep themselves occupied instead of moping about doing nothing. All they could do was hope the Regalia will be located soon and everyone in Lestallum are safe and sound. Lacking her own information (about both her parents and the flasks), Mia knew stress wouldn't help matters so she welcomed the distraction.
Mia tagged alongside Noctis and Prompto, who desired to take a million pictures of the adorable, fluffy chocobos. Ignis also followed suit, watching over them like a hawk. The elementalist had a funny feeling it was more out of motherly concern than entertainment purposes. Just in case one of the birds decided to peck at them. At least at Noctis; Prompto seemed to have an immediate connection with the animals and Mia was wise enough to stand to the side and out of reach. Claiming his muscles would atrophy, Gladiolus opted to exercise and jog around the farm before doing sit-ups and push-ups of an undisclosed number.
"Why do I have to be your model?" the raven-haired royal groaned, semi-glaring at his best friend who was prepping his camera for a plethora of picture taking. "Mia makes a way better model than me."
Said woman rocked back and forth on her feet, beaming, "I'm flattered you think so, Princey!"
Prompto cackled triumphantly, swinging an arm around Noctis's shoulders while mirroring the lone female's grin. "You're right, she would. But you lost the bet, dude! I beat both you and Gladio in the race!"
"I only lost because you bribed your chocobo!"
"If I recall correctly, Highness, you did the same thing," Ignis remarked with a mirthful smirk. He cupped his fist to his chin, as if thinking long and hard about it, for the sole purpose of teasing his charge. "Something about buying the best greens in all of Duscae if you won."
Prompto's grin only widened. "But he didn't!"
Suppressing the urge to burst out laughing with the gunner, Mia added on, "If it helps, it was a close race. Even if Princey did get third place... out of three."
Noctis cast indignant glares upon them all.
The four of them, minus Gladiolus, sauntered over to the stables, where a farmhand handed them a small basket of greens so they could feed the chocobos. Composition already in mind, Prompto had Noctis stand in front of the stall at the end and directed him on how he wanted the pose. His enthusiasm in bossing his best friend around was anything but subtle, much to the chagrin of said friend. Then again, how often did one get the opportunity to freely give their king orders?
The bright yellow bird in front of them stared in bemusement at the humans, wondering why they weren't feeding him the greens he could clearly see were meant for him. The chocobo stretched his long neck over the dark-haired one's shoulder, startling the man, in an attempt to reach the giggling female, the one holding the basket. At least she knew what he wanted and graciously offered some feed to him.
"I don't know about this," Noctis grumbled suspiciously. His arm was outstretched towards the chocobo, a green in hand just out of reach of the bird. The chocobo's intense stare unnerved him; it looked like it was going to pounce him if he didn't give the green in the next five seconds.
"King Noctis Lucis Caelum: loved by all, death by fluffy chocobo," Mia snickered as she created his epitaph, which resulted in receiving another annoyed glare from said king. "Not to rush your artistic talents, Prompto, but you might wanna hurry it up."
"I concur," Ignis agreed, also noticing the restlessness in the animal. "The chocobo's patience will not last much longer."
"You can't rush perfection!" Prompto sang as he tilted his camera slightly sideways. "Gotta get the angle just right!"
The model rolled his eyes again. "Will that be sometime today?"
His answer came in the form of a camera click. The first of many, as it turned out. Noctis was instructed to pose in various ways, sometimes resembling a 'Wish You Were Here' postcard and others a more candid and natural vibe. It was a comical scene to the bystanders, watching their king pose uncomfortably while the cameraman cooed hilarious compliments to him. Humor aside, Mia truly believed if he had chosen not to be part of the Crownsguard, Prompto could make it as a professional photographer.
"Okay, I'm good!" Prompto grinned as he flipped through the pictures he took with satisfaction. "Thank you for your cooperation, good sir!"
"Like I had a choice?" Noctis snorted and coolly ran a hand through his spiky black hair. He began to walk away when a forceful tug stopped him from proceeding. Tilting his head backward, he realized it was the chocobo who held the collar of his jacket in its beak. All Noctis did was stare. "Do you need something?"
"I think he likes you," Mia chuckled, stepping closer to him and pointing at the green in his hand. "Or maybe it's because you're still onto holding that." Instead of waiting for him to react, she grabbed the green and amiably offered it to the giant bird. "Here you go, cutie."
Overly eager for the treat, the chocobo squawked and released his hold on Noctis's collar. In doing so, the animal basically shoved Noctis away, causing the man to stumble a few steps forward, right into the elementalist. Obviously Mia was not expecting the sudden weight and failed to keep both of them balanced. This resulted in her tripping backward and getting the wind knocked out of her as they both crashed to the ground. Mia found herself sprawled out, staring up at the azure sky. Her brain was still trying to process what just occurred.
"You okay, Mia?"
The exasperated yet worried voice snapped her back to her senses. Once her hazel eyes met with Noctis's icy blue ones, she slowly digested their rather suggestive situation. In the seconds of their fall, Noctis instinctively brought his hands up to cradle her head. He managed to prevent her concussion, but now his body pressed heavily against hers, their legs in between each other's with their faces mere inches apart. The realization of their position hit them both at the same time but they were too stunned and flabbergasted to move.
That is, until they heard a familiar click.
"Ooh, how scandalous!" Prompto sneered as he snapped more pictures. "Noct, I never knew you could be so forward! And with our good friend, Mia, of all people! What would Lady Luna think of this?"
"Prompto!" the two red-faced comrades protested in unison. After scrambling to their feet (and putting an obvious distance between one another), Noctis attempted to swipe the camera away from the blonde's hands but failed miserably. "You better delete it!"
"Eh, don't think I will!" Flashing a not-so-innocent smile, Prompto curtly saluted them and broke into a sprint to the other side of the farm.
For once, Noctis remained undeterred by the thought of unnecessary running and gave chase. "You can't escape from me!"
They happened to pass by Gladiolus, whose voice comedically carried over the distance, "You guys are jogging, too?"
Patting the dirt from her clothes and hair, Mia watched the two boys run around the farm. As the other victim of the picture, she should have felt more embarrassment than merriment but she knew it was all in good fun. Prompto would never purposefully harm them. The long sigh from beside her brought a smile to her lips. She tossed a languid point of her thumb in their friends' general direction. "Should I try to stop them?"
"There's no need," Ignis declined her offer with a shake of his head. "They'll tire each other out soon enough."
"You make them sound like children."
"Sometimes I wonder."
Not long after, the five of them reconvened in front of the RV. Two of the five were out of breath, half-glaring at each other out of sheer pettiness. Noctis had successfully coerced Prompto into deleting the picture. The latter argued he "cheated with his dumb warping!" to which the former shrugged, feeling no remorse in using his special abilities. The photo fiasco over and done with, Mia, with a mirthful smile, volunteered to buy them all drinks from the store as a peace offering. Holding an armful of drinks, she patiently stood in line when the person behind the counter turned the volume knob on the radio.
"The frequent quakes which rocked the Duscae and Cleigne regions in recent days have finally quieted," the radio DJ broadcasted. "In response, the empire provided the following comment: the cause of the tremors was the Archaean, who had awakened in a fit of rage. The imperial army took swift action and laid the unruly giant to rest, thus averting disaster." Mia rolled her eyes, unbothered by her public distaste for the empire. She shouldn't be surprised Niflheim claimed the glory for themselves. "Eyewitness reports confirm Titan has disappeared from the Disc of Cauthess."
"First the Crown City, the blockades, and now this," the shopkeeper mumbled as he rang Mia up for purchase. "What a hectic time we live in. You be careful out there, miss." She thanked him and returned the gesture.
As she made her way back to the caravan, Mia noticed they were standing around with disappointment written all over their faces. Noctis sighed dejectedly at the phone in his hand before shoving back into his pocket. She assumed the obvious. "I'm guessing no new updates from Cindy?" she queried, handing each of the guys a drink.
"I still can't believe it," Prompto groaned as he placed his hands on his hips. "I mean, shouldn't the car have turned up by now?"
Ignis shook his head, soundly advising, "We should wait until Cindy's done asking the local garages before we despair."
"Let's not fool ourselves," Gladiolus grunted with a distasteful frown. "The empire has it."
"Then maybe we could ask Ardyn to help us out again," the gunner suggested, bringing doubtful looks to everyone around. "...Or not?"
"Yeah, I'm sure the Imperial Chancellor would just love to help us out again," the Royal Shield scoffed, sarcasm dripping from his tone.
"He represents a problem, not a solution," Ignis firmly stated. He did not look forward to encountering that eccentric man again.
Mia placed her hands behind her back after a brief lull in the conversation. "So that leaves you..." she began, trailing off her sentence.
"Stranded, awaiting word from Hammerhead."
"Right, well, I'll assist you guys in any way I can." The four men nodded to her as a sign of their gratitude.
Gladiolus rolled his shoulders, preparing to finally leave the chocobo post. "In the meantime, we'll have to hoof it."
Always opting for the more convenient alternative, Noctis suggested they rent out some chocobos to ease their foot travel. Ignis was quick to remind him they needed to be frugal with their money until the Regalia was back in their possession again. It was imperative their remaining gil was to be spent on curatives, as they were out. Mia gave the pouting Lucian King a sympathetic pat on his back.
"Too bad you all can't fit on my bike," she joked lightheartedly. "But if we're really desperate for a car, I can drive back to Lestallum and borrow my parents' truck. It fits five, but it would be a tight squeeze."
"That sounds good to me!" Prompto nodded his head enthusiastically, vocally preferring that over walking. "I'd rather we— hey, look, it's Umbra!"
Glancing down, Mia nearly jumped when she found a medium-sized dog standing next to her. It had pointy, upright ears, a long black snout, and a bushy, curled tail. Black fur covered the top half of its body while the underbelly and legs were white. It carried a book of some sort on a blue belt around the chest with a matching-colored rope wrapped around the front left paw. Golden eyes stared intently at Noctis before it walked away, barking once over its shoulder.
"I think it wants us to follow after it?" Mia concluded in a questionable tone.
"It seems someone's sending us a message," Ignis mused as the five of them followed after the dog.
The elementalist raised a brow, perplexed and worried. "Using a dog as a messenger?" The poor pup has to travel great distances to send letters? That sounded wrong and inhumane. Prompto chuckled and reassured the elementalist her assumptions were not the case.
Umbra led the quintet to a secluded part of the forest, just far enough to be obscured by the trees surrounding the chocobo farm. They lost sight of the dog within the taller grass but it didn't stop Noctis from scouring the area. He frowned and cursed under his breath when he failed to locate their canine guide. Fortunately, movement in his peripheral brought his attention to his right, but instead of Umbra, there stood a tall and pretty woman.
Straight hair fell to her mid-back, jet black in color with bangs cut bluntly across her forehead just above her eyebrows. Slightly longer locks of hair ended at her chin, giving her face an oval-shaped look. Her lips were painted red and her eyes, with light purple eyeshadow, remained shut. Despite this, Mia had a feeling she could still "see" them. Even her attire was not like anything Mia had seen before. She wore an ankle-length black dress with gold embellishments with a majority of the front cut to about the middle of her thighs. A long white shawl tapered loosely around her black-gloved upper arms and her feet donned a pair of open-toed boots. Disregarding her young appearance, her presence alone told Mia this beautiful woman was far wiser beyond her years, however many that may be. An aura surrounded her, mystical, ethereal and magical.
Noctis looked surprised to see her but it was apparent she was no stranger to him. "Gentiana."
Gentiana's lips raised into a smile for a very brief moment as she placed her hands over her stomach in a formal stance. "Hear me, O King of the Stone," she began, her voice silvery yet soft-spoken. "By the Stormsender's blessing will the path to the Stone be opened. The Oracle goes hence in her King's name."
"Luna," Noctis's breath hitched in his throat, narrowing concerned eyes as he continued, "Where is she now?"
"The Eye of the Storm. When the covenant is forged, the Oracle and Ring shall await their king at the Walls of Water. Stray not from the path." A bark distracted the raven-haired royal as he watched Umbra trot up to him, his tail wagging. When Noctis glanced back to Gentiana, she was nowhere to be found.
Mia, meanwhile, witnessed Gentiana toss a knowing smile in her direction and a slight nod of her head. Was that meant for her or was it her imagination? Her question remained unanswered as the woman vanished in a flash of light, a faint sound of chimes whispering in Mia's ears. For a moment, everyone was silent, simply absorbing her cryptic advice. Mia broke the quietness first, drawling, "What just happened?"
"She's a messenger," said Ignis. "A spirit faithful to the Oracle."
Mia cocked her head to the side, unsure if she heard him correctly. "A messenger?"
"For real?" Prompto asked, equally as amazed and confused as she.
Gladiolus snorted as he crossed his arms, slowly pacing in front of them. "We're going beyond real now, pal."
Deciding to just accept the facts as is, Mia pointed to Noctis, who was kneeling in front of Umbra and holding a small, red leather-bound journal. "And what's he doing?"
"Lady Lunafreya and Noct have been communicating via that notebook for many years. Umbra acts as deliverer," the Royal Advisor explained, pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose in the process.
"In other words, he's writing a love note to his future wifey," Prompto snickered, holding his hands above his head to stretch. When Noctis joined them a few minutes later, the blonde swung an arm around his shoulders, grinning. "Message delivered, lover boy?"
"Knock it off," Noctis scowled, nudging him away.
"So how come that lady's helping you out? Is she like your fairy godmother or something?"
Resisting the urge to scoff, the dark-haired man replied, "She's more a messenger of the gods." His friend made an 'oh' sound and said nothing more on the matter.
Mia, on the other hand, wanted to clarify the difference before she got utterly confused. "Messengers speak to the people for the gods, and the Oracle speaks to the gods for the people," she mused aloud, tapping an index finger to her lips. Astrals, messengers, ancient kings, and crystal powers— these were things she thought she'd only read about in books. "Yup, this is totally commonplace for someone like me."
"Hey, it's still new to me, too," Prompto admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "And I've known Princey here for years!"
Noctis opened his mouth to protest the use of Mia's nickname for him but instead, he suddenly flinched, holding a hand to the side of his head. Although the royal didn't appear to be in pain, that action looked all too familiar to his friends as they shared the same thought.
Mia bent her body forward so she could look into his downcast eyes. "Is an astral speaking to you again?"
Noctis shook his head and righted himself. "No, it's... Gentiana," he said, his response slow but firm. "We have to answer the call of the Fulgarian."
She gave him a puzzled look. "What call—" She couldn't even finish her question before the blue sky above them became covered in dark clouds. Seconds later, cold, heavy rain pelted them relentlessly and thunder boomed in the distance. Natural storms do not just start out of nothing. She covered her head with her hood but not in time to prevent her hair from being completely dry. "Oh. That one," she grumbled, gasping immediately after. "Crap! My bike!"
Mia all but sprinted back to the farm, noticing Wiz bark orders at his frantic farmhands to move the chocobos into covered stables. Once she reached her motorcycle, she removed the kickstand and began pushing her vehicle to the nearest tree with thick canopies closer to the ground. Rain wouldn't do much damage to an exposed bike but it still wasn't ideal to leave it out in wet weather for prolonged periods of time. Alas, she lacked the proper means of covering her motorcycle so she was forced to rely on luck that the tree would keep it dry as much as possible.
The Chocobros met her at the base of the windmill to discuss their next move. Once again, they were all soaking wet. Mia held back her laughter when she saw their usually well-styled hair matted against their faces. "Where are we headed?" she asked their trusted leader.
"That way." Noctis pointed upwards, where purple lightning consistently struck an unknown object over the hill. It didn't look too far away from their current location. "Let's get going."
Off into the rain they adventured, traversing through thick mud and slippery hills. Fortunately the mud never made it past their ankles and washed away thanks to the endless downpour. Mia felt bad for her friends, as they truly had nothing to protect themselves from the elements. Especially Gladiolus. Even now he still refused to button up his shirt, claiming it constricts his movement. She just shook her head in disbelief.
"Lady Lunafreya has done well to keep the Ring from falling into enemy hands," Ignis commented out of the blue. It was probably an attempt to keep their minds off their very damp trek through the forest. "Our next big step is to reach Altissia, which entails passage aboard a ship. Caem may serve us now as it did them then."
"Cape Caem?" Mia repeated curiously, brushing wet strands of hair out of her eyes. "That rundown lighthouse on the peninsula?"
"It's not just a lighthouse. A ship belonging to the late King Regis is docked underneath it." Mia made a fascinated noise of understanding.
"The hidden harbor, huh?" Gladiolus sighed. "Just might work. I'll have Iris set it up when we make contact again."
Noctis nodded once. "In the meantime, we head into the eye of the Storm."
"Another day, another deity!" Prompto exclaimed in a singsong voice.
