I hope you enjoy this short chapter!
Ignis was still sitting at the table when Noctis and Lunafreya entered Takka's diner, the man had a map splayed over the table and two books on the seat beside him. Aranea had joined him at some point, sitting across the table leaning over at what he was working on, one hand reached out and fingers lightly brushing the one he had holding the map down. They looked up as the two entered, Aranea withdrawing her hand quickly and smiling, both shifting over so the royal pair could join them.
"Everyone else still all over the place?" The Prince asked after a quick glance around the diner. There was a man leaning over the counter across from the griddle, and a couple enjoying a meal at the booth closest to the door. But no sign of the rest of their retinue. "My father go back to… what does he do with his time all day?" he wondered aloud.
"Your dad is even more of an enigma than you,"
"The King" Ignis interrupted Aranea,
"So who knows what he's up to." she continued without pause. "Crowe is still off on the bike gone somewhere and I think the blond is trying to flirt with the mechanic chick. Can't blame him, that's one hell of an outfit she's got on. But what I wouldn't do to be a fly on that wall..." Aranea supplied with a half-chuckled huff of breath. "Big guy is somewhere. Surprised he's not here to make sure I don't burn the diner to the ground. Wonder where he wandered off to." She cocked her head, tapping her bottom lip.
"I admit I feel edgy that I cannot simply pull out my phone to text the others and ask their whereabouts." Ignis sighed, tapping a pen against the map. "How are you feeling My Lady?" he inquired, looking up to Lunafreya.
"Please, you can call me Luna." she corrected before replying to his answer with a smile, "I feel well," she suggested, and she didn't miss the brief frown that crossed Noctis's features.
"Sleep can do a body wonders." he answered, and his gaze went back down to the map.
"Glad to hear you're feeling better." Aranea agreed.
"I was trying to mark the locations, or suspected location, of all the royal tombs." Noctis looked down to where Ignis was gesturing. He let out a long breath seeing the number of marks on the map, and how spread apart they were.
"What about you?" Noctis asked, nodding at Aranea.
"Not burning the diner to the ground if that's your worry." She snapped, and he quickly held his hands up defensively.
"Just making conversation. Did you guys eat yet?" Both answered no he got to up fetch a set of menus and sat back down to hand them out. Ignis carefully folded up the map and tuck it inside of one of his books to keep it looking as neat as the day he purchased it.
"Nowhere near as tasty as what sexy glasses over here can cook but this diner's food ain't half bad." Aranea remarked, giving a quick once over of the menu before setting it down. "Can't really go wrong with a good old fashioned burger slattered in a heart-attack inducing amount of bacon" Noctis nodded, deciding on a burger as well. Lunafreya settled on an egg sandwich and fries for herself, Ignis deciding to forego health for once and get a bowl of chili with some fries to dip in it. They ate their meal while discussing their next set of plans, most of the conversation was the group listening as Ignis talked. Noctis's shoveled food in his mouth to keep the grimace off his features as he struggled with the worry they would arrive to find the Tomb of the Mystic was lost to them, and what the consequence would be.
The pressure in his chest mounted as conversation continued. The list felt too long. To overwhelming. He could feel the ache of Armiger pulsing through his limbs, and swallowed the ball of fear at how much the pain would grow as weapons were added to it. He gazed down at his right hand, picturing a heavy black ring on it. He blinked away images of his father's mangled hand, and let out a long sigh.
"Noct?" He flinched at Ignis trying to garner his attention.
"What about the Ring?" he asked. "You've talked about weapons and Astrals. But can we even finish this without the Ring?" he asked, tapping his finger against table where the map had once again been laid out.
"We do eventually need to try and enter Nifleheim, that will be our chance to reobtain the Ring and I think it prudent to wait until that eventuality before formulating a plan." Ignis rebutted. Noctis shrugged and nodded.
"So we leave in the morning for the meteor site huh?"
"Our best option."
"I can hear Gladiolus calling me an idiot now."
"Tell him to blame me for failing to inform you of the tomb's location." Ignis countered, drinking back the last sip of his third mug of coffee. Noctis chuckled, finishing his own and placing the empty mug at the end of the table.
"What should we do about our phones?" Noctis asked, almost reaching to pull his out before remembering he left it in the trailer.
"In case of an emergency I'd rather have them."
"We should bring my dad up to speed. Maybe he can give us some hints or let us know stuff we missed." Noctis suggested.
"I'm going to stay here and finish my coffee," Lunafreya answered, getting up to move to the opposite end of the table to allow Aranea to stand up.
"Same here. I get all… weirded out hanging out with royalty and all. You fancy-pants men go treat with the King. I'll keep the Oracle in one piece." she promised, placing one hand on Ignis's shoulder and placing a quick kiss on his cheek that flushed deep red. He cleared his throat,
"Well, do enjoy your coffee." He nodded his head at her. Noctis and Lunafreya exchanged a pair of nods and smiles before the two men left the diner. Lunafreya felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle, the ones on her arms standing on end. She wanted to suggest trading sides with Aranea so she could watch the door but her voice cut off her thoughts.
"So… the empire slays more innocent people at that hunter hub." she blurted without preamble. Lunafreya's brows lifted, tilting her head up to catch the other woman's gaze.
"Their goals blind them to their actions." Lunafreya answered in a flat tone, both hands clasping her coffee mug. The liquid inside had gone cool, and she wanted to ask for a replacement, if only to have something hot between her palms despite the heat permeating the diner. Her thumbs traced the rim and her knuckles flushed white as she gripped her mug tighter.
"Close call we had." Aranea sighed, leaning back against the diner seat and held her mug in the air, lifting her brow and tilting her head up when she caught Takka's attention. "They're pretty desperate to get their hands on Noct, huh?" she asked.
"I worry Caligo might be more concerned with recapturing his Oracle." A brief silence hung between them, Lunafreya's fingers curling and her shoulders tensing. She tried to shift in her seat to force herself to relax, but felt an ache shoot through her body from the rigidity in her limbs.
"The perfect holy woman on the TV and radio was just the version of you they wanted to parade around?" Aranea suggested, her tone dropping and words coming slower.
"I am far from perfect."
"The smiling woman on the TV wasn't always real." she clarified. "Even being the Oracle didn't earn you a pat on the head from the master did it?"
"Was being their commodore enough to earn yourself their kindness and respect?"
"Fair enough."
"How did you end up in their military and climbing so high among their ranks?" she inquired.
"Was a mercenary. But the job got boring. I was too good at it," Aranea paused her story as Takka approached the table and refilled both of the womens' mugs with coffee. She thanked him and turned her attention back to Lunafreya. "Nifleheim needed someone to run a particular mission they wanted off the books, couldn't send their own military so they hired me. Eventually proved myself useful enough that I got the right to an airship," she sighed, lolling her head back and gazing up at the ceiling. "I miss my airship."
"I am sorry about that." Lunafreya frowned, brow coming together. "I fear that I may know what downed your airship. You had mentioned a freak storm?"
"Yeah?" Aranea quirked a brow.
"You know the task Noctis and I are trying to complete. We had formed the first of the covenants with Ramuh, who tested us with trial by fire. Or plasma, I suppose, as he tore open the sky above us. And your ship it seems was collateral dam/age."
"Is this the part where I should dive across the table and strangle you?" Aranea smirked, and quickly frowned. Though she hardly moved, Lunafreya's eyes widened, the soft blue enveloped by her widened black iris. "whoa, hey, bad joke bad joke." she held up her palms. "Pretty sure your shield would morph out of the wall and impale me on my own spine." Lunafreya chuckled, dropping her head and blinking away the burn in her eyes, and trying to breathe through the stricture in her chest.
"I couldn't help but notice, you and Ignis have grown closer." Lunafreya tried to grasp onto the image of Noctis smiling at her, his friend standing beside him blushing after a simple peck on the cheek.
"I got a soft spot for sexy men in glasses I guess."
"Hmm, that explains the curious nickname."
"Jokes aside… he made me feel welcome. Only one who didn't act like I was a spy ready to kill everyone in their sleep. Well, you as well. But you're not a Lucian so you know not everyone from the west is a psychopathic serial killer."
"I'm glad that he helped you feel welcome. You are welcome. You've proven yourself our ally." Lunafreya tried to reassure.
"And maybe a friend too. you're pretty cool. You know how I feel about the sexy glasses. Big guy can pull the stick out of his ass then slap some sense into Crowe. Seriously, does being a royal shield come with a prerequisite of being an ass?"
"They aren't so bad once you get to know them." Lunafreya answered with a laugh. "I suppose they take their jobs seriously." She defended, shrugging.
"I still stand by my stick-theory. Well. Should we catch up to the two nice men in the gang? If I drink much more coffee my heart will race then I'll barf it up. Messy affair."
"Would be a bit rude for us to leave a mess on the table, so I agree. I may also regurgitate my palpitating heart if I drink much more of this."
The Regalia rocked as Gladiolus slammed the trunk shut. The car rocked again when he dropped himself into the passenger seat.
"Hey! Come on! Do I need to drag you in the car?" He bellowed across the parking lot. Noctis rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Lunafreya. She had her hair pulled back into a messy bun, and he reached out to brush some loose bangs away from her face. Her eyes were rimmed with dark crimson circles, and fatigue marked her placid features.
"You sure you don't want one more day to rest?" he offered, and she shook her head. Her night had been plagued with nightmares, her fitful sleep frequently waking Noctis who bore dark circles around his eyes as well. She glanced over at the Regalia before standing on her toes to give him a quick kiss, settling back on her heels with a light nasal exhale.
"I'll be alright." she reassured. She walked over to the car, Noctis behind her after a few moment's hesitation. They climbed into the backseat of the car with Aranea, Crowe and Prompto again taking the motorcycle. Noctis placed his hand on Lunafreya's knee, and she reached over to allow him to lace their fingers together. He smiled that she hadn't pulled away, and rested back against the seat as Ignis pulled them onto the road.
The wind felt refreshing with the mounting summer heat. The top down had the inside of the car swirling, and Lunafreya found herself fussing with the loose ends of hair that were blowing around her face. She had long given up on her hat and tucked it under her thigh to keep it from being ejected from the car, and found herself wanting for a headband instead.
"You'll look like a blow-dried cat by the end of the ride," Gladiolus chuckled, turning in his seat to glance at her.
"I feel like one," she admitted, slumping her shoulders and dropping her hands into her lap and decided to just accept her bangs blowing about her face.
"Like a fluffy tabby," Noctis joined the teasing, reaching and patting her on the head. She mocked a glare and he winked, both eventually giggling before Lunafreya resumed trying to fuss. Some time passed, music played through the radio, the day grew hotter. Ignis squinted as they came around a turn, looking further down the road.
"It appears they still have a roadblock up leading to the meteor." Ignis remarked. "Considering the damage that we caused during our last visit, do you believe they will allow us to pass through?"
"I'm still the Prince," Noctis answered with a wince. "We could just park the Regalia somewhere and walk around the blockade." he offered as an alternative. "Can stay under the radar better that way."
"No." Ignis answerd immediately. "Given what happened last time, I would prefer to have the Regalia." Noctis sighed, sure that his advisor was right, especially after the rest of the car voiced their agreement.
"Good evening sirs," Ignis greeted the guards who approached the driver and passenger side of the car when they pulled up to the roadblock. There was no one ahead of or trailing them, the other four guards continued what appeared to be a card game in the absence of their comrades.
"Evening." the guard answered back. "Road's closed. The meteor collapsed, the local geography might not be stable and all the dust kicked up might be dangerous." he continued, pointing down the road. Noctis grimaced, noticing Lunafreya stifen beside him as he wondered if the guards knew just how dangerous the dust was.
"We've been through before, we merely wish to inspect the area." Ignis offered first, and Noctis tried to straighten his posture,
"How many of you are there?" he asked, mumbling for half a moment, "five in the car and is that motorcycle with you?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. I suppose safety in numbers." the guard glanced in the back seat before turnign his attention back to Ignis. "Just be careful. We aren't responsible for any injuries incurred down near the meteor site and cell services has been poor so you won't be able to phone emergency services if anything happens." he explained.
"We will remain prudent." He nodded. The guard stepped away from the car, nodding at the second man before backing away and allowing Ignis to shift the Regalia back into gear, and started down the road chased by the roar of the motorcycle's engine.
"That was… easy. Glad we didn't have to get out of the car, you know how hard it is to wrangle up a cat back into a car" Ignis remarked, smirking up at the rearview mirror. Lunafreya let out an amused huff of air, shaking her head slightly. The brush flanking the road was green shortly past the barrier, but as they progressed grass gave way to dried and yellowed shrubs. The familiar bushes bore blackened fruits and leaves, underground root patterns traced black lines in the dirt. When Ignis flicked the small switch to cover the Regalia's hood once more no one voiced disagreement as the once pleasant wind was replaced with the quiet hum of the car's air conditioner.
"Did… we make things worse by awakening Titan?" Noctis asked.
"You recall what we saw before… I think the land was being poisoned to begin with." Ignis answered him.
"Yeah… the rocks were all black," Gladiolus drummed his fingers on the door handle.
"Well let's go kick some butt!" Aranea cheered. "I mean, if we find something's butt to kick. I imagine we'll find lots of black dead things at the meteor." She added with a crooked smile. "Okay that… sounded wrong."
"Probably right though, I mean look at this place." Gladiolus answered.
"It is pretty depressing. Makes northern Nifleheim look like sunshine and rainbows." she answered, resting her arm against the door to prop up her cheek. "I swear I feel itchy just being here."
"I too." Lunafreya answered. "I've only been to northern Nifleheim once and it was not the most hospitable of locations." Aranea let out a huff at her answer,
"Surprised they let your leash long enough to go that far."
"I believe it was a political ploy. I was never made privy to that type of information unless they deemed it necessary for when I was put before the cameras. But it was quite cold. There was a terrible outbreak of Blight in the village. The soldiers who escourted me all wore sealed uniforms and gas masks. It was as the costumes of old war movies." she explained.
"You watch old war movies?" Gladiolus interrupted from the front seat, turning around with an arm resting against Ignis's seat.
"Gladio…"
"Just don't crash and I won't die." he quipped back at the disgruntled driver. "So you like old hisory movies?" he directed at Lunafreya again.
"Well... there wasn't much selection at the manor." she offered, kneading ther fingers into the back of her hands. "But the few movies available I did enjoy. There was this one about Tenebraean settlers exploring further west on the continent. I remember watching it with my mother as a child. Though Nifleheim updated," she paused to raise her fingers in air quotes, "the few movies that I had. The version instead removed references to the explorers being Tenebraean... intead, they were the original Nifleheimers. But It's still a good movie."
"Wait wait.. you mean Ice Men?"
"Oh! You've seen it?" Lunafreya smiled, sittin gup straighter. "Most people haven't seen it"
"Yeah! I love history movies. The Nifs dared to mess that movie up?!"
"Oh goodness yes..." she sighed, lolling her head back and rolling her eyes. "Mostly they just changed some names, edited the flag... but they left everything else intact. Which led to odd moments…" she trailed off, tapping her chin as pieces of the movie flashed through her memory.
"Like when Marco's fiancée gives him a syleblossum at the start and it's what he's holding when he dies to remember his home?" Gladiolus suggested.
"Oh that scene always made my heart ache." Lunafreya gave him a sad smile.
"But trying to change Marco from a Tenebraean to a Nifleheimer changes the whole meaning of the scene!" Gladiolus insisted, throwing his arm up and banging his hand on the roof of the car. Ignis gave him a deep frown, punctuated by a jutting lip, the bigger man apologizing and spinning to sit in his seat properly. "If we're ever able to turn our phones on again we should hang out and watch it!" Lunafreya paused for a moment, blinking as the invitation hit.
"That would be fun," she finally answered with a smile.
"Movies are always more fun to watch with others. Right Iggy?" He lightly tapped his friend with his elbow.
"I have learned my lesson about letting you pick the movie, but I would also enjoy a night to watch Ice Men." he agreed.
"Yeah I'll never say no to a good movie. Only ever seen the Nif version, would be cool to see the original." Aranea concurred. Noctis reached out and squeezed Lunafreya's hand, planting a kiss on her cheek,
"You already know my answer." he smiled at her, and her pink cheeks drew back and her eyes crinkled in a smile.
"A lovely evening." she concurred.
Closer to the meteor the ground was bare of grass, old root patterns traced with curling lines of black. Dry and dark curled branches devoid of leaves the only remnants of what once was shrubs and short trees. The area was devoid of the sound of summer cicadas or birds, no rustling of small rodents dashing between the brush. The group hovered outside the car, glancing up at the painted rock formation that was once around the meteor.
"Uhh… guys? Sure we should be here?" Prompto asked, getting off of the motorcycle with Crowe and approaching the car. When everyone turned their attention to him he gestured at a bush, and the fallen corpse of a striped coeurl next to one of the desiccated shrubs. Still in its mouth was a dead rodent, shriveled beyond the point of identification.
"Good thing we have an Oracle in our back pocket." Crowe approached, slapping Lunafreya roughly on the shoulder momentarily pulling her off-balance.
"You purchased drinks to turn to curatives?" Lunafreya asked. The Regalia's windshield shattered into a pattern of spiderwebs a moment before a loud crack echoed over the empty landscape.
"Get down!" Gladiolus bellowed, grabbing Noctis and pulling him to the ground, Crowe diving at Lunafreya and both women landed on the ground with a grunt. Aranea was cursing, pressing herself against the Regalia's fender. Prompto hit the ground a moment later with a painful shriek, curling in on himself as an overwhelming white-hot pain burned through his leg. He curled in on himself, Ignis crawling over to him as a second crack echoed.
"Wh-what… wh… what?" Prompto panted, digging his fingerips into his upper thigh. Pain roared through the limb, vision tunneling and he grew deaf to the words his friend was speaking safe for the awareness of voices.
"Prompto!" NOctis called, but Gladiolus was busy dragging him to what little protection hiding behind the car provided. Dirt and dust kicked up in small holes in the ground, the air roaring with overlapping echoes. Crowe and Lunafreya scrambled, Crowe pressed up beside Gladiolus and wrapped her arms around Lunafreya. The blonde woman turned, catching the eye of the Prince who was being held by his shield in an equally protective manner.
"Let me go!" Noctis growled, writhing in Gladiolus's grip. "Prompto?"
"Stay down!" His shield commanded in answer.
"Let me help him." Lunafreya urged her Shield, the woman biting down on her lip as she looked at the downed member of their party. All eyes turned to man, curled in on himself blood pouring through his fingers as he clutched at his leg, the advisor pleading with him to let him see the wound, his own shirt removed and struggling to wrap it around the wounded leg.
"What the shit is happening?!" Crowe goaned, releasing her grip on Lunafreya who dragged herself over to Prompto as dirt kicked up around them, ears throbbing with the loud cracking that followed each new pit.
"Prompto?" Lunafreya spoke, voice drowned out by the chaos around them. She felt a hand clamp down around her wrist, breifly making eye contact with Noctis, his face carved with lines and eyes glistened with tears. She gave him a curt nod, attention shifted back to Prompto as she reached out to place her hands on either side of his face. She leaned down, her heart racing as a pit formed in the ground a half-meter away from them and sweat forming on her brow. She pressed her hands against his head tighter to steady the tremor overtaking her limbs. She whispered her prayer through the bile in her throat and the hard lump making taking in air difficult. Her fingertips began to glow, and she could hear everyone around her pleading with her to save Prompto, Crowe encouraging her with her nickname, Noctis's voice breaking as he urged her to save his friend, Ignis simply bowing his head with eyes squinted tight. The glow spread to Prompto's leg, and after a few moments the white-knuckled grip on his leg loosened and his rapid panting turned into gasping deep breaths.
"Oh gods…" he groaned, limbs beginning to lax. "Could get addicted to that…" he mumbled, eyes fluttering a bit. "Thanks…"
"Are you all right?" Lunafreya asked, looking down at the wounded leg. She couldn't assess the injury obscured by his blood stained pants, and he pushed away the sets of hands reaching for him. "After dudes! I still feel like I have some kind of lava-hot ball in my leg but my whole body doesn't feel on fire anymore." he explained with a strain in his voice. A blue glimmer of light and a pair of pistols appeared in his hands, "not sure if these got the range we need… but we gotta return fire!" he insisted, shoving the guns at Ignis.
"I doubt the man who requires glasses is the best shot." he grimaced.
"Give 'em here," Aranea asked. She nodded, gripping them in her hands and turned about. She didn't like how little cover they had, but she tried to press herself harder against the car and glance up over the Regalia to see if she could observe where the shots were coming from. Prompto was still groaning as he tried to make himself as small as possible again to protect himself from the bullets making pits in the ground.
"Here," Noctis shifted, appearing a drink into his hand. Blue magic fluttered into his hand and set the can aglow, awkwardly tipping over to his friends against the tight grip his Shield was maintaining. Aranea had spun around, sitting back against her heels between Crowe and Gladiolus. She held a pistol in each hand and had her eyes scanning the rock formations around them for any sign of their assailant. She couldn't find an airship, or other signs of someone sitting in wait, grumbling through grit teeth. She looked for the tiniest flicker of moment, the slightest shift in the red and black mountain of rock.
"With these things has a scope, or at least a proper sight." She complained, voice trailing off as she narrowed her eyes and focused on one spot in the rock. Another pop and the Regalia's windshield shattered completely, Araena ducking with a light shriek and a curse, feeling a few pieces of glass in her hair.
"Are you hurt?" Ignis asked quickly, helping Prompto get closer to the minimal protection of the car. Aranea shook her head, trying again to peer up at the rock.
"Can't see anything." she explained, "whoever this sharpshooter is he's good. I'll never get a shot from this far with pistols. "You always have a plan up your sleeve sexy glasses… what do we do?" she asked. Ignis hesitated, his friends all looking as him. He looked at Prompto who was still clutchign his thigh his foot having periodic spasms. Blood stained his pants, his hands, the dust beneath his leg. They were all huddled together, and the air around them continued to ripple with the loud cracks that followed the bullets impacting the ground, now more spaced out than before. I don't have a plan. I don't have a plan.