Happy New Year, Everyone! Now that holiday craziness is behind me I (hopefully) have more time to write. My critical eye tells me that the pacing of this story is kind of all over the place-I have so much I want to explore that I am doing potential "filler" chapters. I am keeping the main plot going, but I do love putting the characters into different situations to see how they react. It's also what I have the most fun writing. As a result, we might be looking at a very long, meandering story here that will eventually find its way home. Hope it doesn't make a story that is too "off the rails" and cause readers to lose interest. Anyway, my disclaimer for the day, and thanks to everyone who keeps up with it. Hope you enjoy!
"There's gotta be something I can help you with," Aranea stated flatly to Cor.
The Captain of the Guards merely shook his head. "We have guards taking care of things," he replied. "And furthermore, the city is quite peaceful. Crime is at a record low. Ignis's policies are bearing fruit."
"More likely Cosmos's," Aranea replied bitingly, just to cover her mouth in her hand in shock at what she had just said. Even Cor's eyes narrowed at the comment.
"I, don't know why I said that," Aranea replied in desperate apology. "Cosmos is a wonderful adviser. I'm not sure Ignis could handle being King and Prime Minister without her. It's a good thing she is so innocent. Otherwise I'd wonder if I should be jealous."
"I've never seen anything untoward between them," Cor commented. "And I am a naturally suspicious man. If it passes muster with me, I think you can conclude things are safe."
Aranea nodded. "And I can't see my Ignis doing anything like that either," she replied. "He follows his word on everything, even his promise that I don't have to act as Queen right now."
And that was part of the problem, she supposed. While Aranea stood by her wishes in this regard and loved her husband all the more for supporting her with it, she had to admit that without any duties to perform, she was bored. Ignis, under Cosmos's mentorship, was quite busy serving as both King and Prime Minister, leaving Aranea with nothing to do other than wander the castle and act as housewife. She didn't do the housewife thing.
Perhaps she would take a walk through the city, she thought, brightening. Now that the city was so safe, there were less concerns with security. Despite her exalted position, she should be able to have the freedoms of any average citizen. And if she couldn't, well, she knew how to fight back against threats. And it would give her great satisfaction to track down and eliminate any that came her way.
She bumped into Cosmos in the courtyard just before the guard shack. Cosmos was gazing up at the noonday sun, seemingly reveling in its radiance.
"Oh! You are heading out," Cosmos asked in interest, eyes not even squinting after having stared point-blank at the sun.
"Just for a walk," Aranea replied almost defensively.
"Of course, of course," Cosmos replied. "You need a respite from that boy of yours."
It had crossed Aranea's mind to bring Lux with her, but just in case there were threats out in the city, he would be safer in the Citadel with Eostre. She didn't like Cosmos's insinuation though that she had ditched him.
"I can handle myself out there. He is safer in the Citadel," Aranea replied repressively. "Once I have vetted how things are out there, he can come with me."
"Oh, I know you want to bring that boy everywhere. He is your son after all. But, you might want to think a little more about that," Cosmos replied awkwardly.
"What do you mean," Aranea demanded, voice hard.
Cosmos gave a gentle smile and put her arm through Aranea's, leading her through the guard shack and down the street.
"I know you can keep him safe, but can you keep the town safe from him," Cosmos asked. "He is a dear boy now, but he is also Ardyn's son. He could turn to darkness at any point."
Aranea stared at Cosmos in disbelief. "He is also my son. Do you think Ardyn's darkness somehow trumps me? With love and support, which Lux does have by the way from both me and Ignis, he will not turn out the way Ardyn did."
"And do you know Ardyn's childhood," Cosmos replied darkly. "How do you know he was not loved as a boy and turned bad? Some people are born to darkness, and nothing, no matter how much support you give them, will change that."
Aranea clenched her fist in frustration. "Nobody knows how their kids will turn out. You just have to love them and assume it will all work out."
"I can help you ensure it does," Cosmos replied. "I can give you something that will ensure he never strays from the light." A small orb of light emanated from her hand to rest on her palm. She offered it out hesitantly to Aranea.
"Please. Take this. If ever Lux gets to a point where he is in danger of turning to darkness, give him this. It will keep him the good boy you know him to be."
Aranea hesitated a moment. "What is it," she asked warily.
"Merely a token of my love and support for the children of the world," Cosmos replied brightly with all seriousness.
Aranea looked for sarcasm. Nobody was that in earnest without some kind of agenda behind it. However, Cosmos's gaze and tone of voice were genuine. She did actually care about the world. And hadn't her speech at Iris's wedding confirmed that? She offered her hand, and Cosmos dropped the warm orb into it. It absorbed into Aranea's hand.
"Summon it like a weapon whenever you want to use it on him," Cosmos stated. Then shook her head awkwardly. "I just compared it to a weapon! Totally wrong connotation. Sorry! It's not actually like that. It's quite harmless I assure you."
Aranea chuckled in amusement. "I get it. And besides, a weapon analogy is more useful to a gal like me. I'm grabbing some ebony from that café down there. You wanna come?"
Cosmos smiled. "Sure! My treat! Us gals need to stick together you know."
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, Cosmos reminded herself. She had just made a small victory in getting Aranea to accept her gift. Getting her to actually use it on that boy would come later. Not too much later though. As long as that boy contained Ardyn's darkness he could be a threat to her and her interests. It was either this or killing the boy. Cosmos didn't want to do something so awful, but if driven to it, she would.
The Chocobo Trading Post rose out of the rainy mist like a shadow. To Ardyn, soaking wet, cold, and miserable, it was a beacon in the darkness. He wondered idly how it had survived the ten years of darkness. However, as he got closer he could smell new wood and sawdust, proving that the building had in fact been rebuilt.
As for if Chocobos had survived, they evidently had. He could hear their annoying 'kweh's' from here. It had been years since he had ridden a chocobo. He did not relish riding one in the rain, but if it would get him back to civilization, he would sacrifice his dignity. It would be even better if this place could offer him food and shelter, but he was not that optimistic.
Doing his best to shake the raindrops from his face, he stepped in. The young man behind the counter looked no more than twenty, and totally harmless. His goofy chocobo ball cap and colorful chocobo tee shirt announced him as a total pushover.
Or not. He gave Ardyn an intent look, then gasped in astonishment.
"No way! It's you," the man spat out in bitterness.
Ardyn felt a sinking feeling that he was about to be recognized. "Have we met," he asked blankly.
"I'll say," the man stated, rifling through a drawer under the counter until he gathered a yellowed piece of paper and held it up to compare the man on it to the man before him.
It was a bounty poster, Ardyn realized, and his name and face were on it. Wanted for Destruction of Chocobos. To anyone who can find and kill the man who started the darkness and spawned the Daemons who destroyed our beloved flock, a reward of 100,000 Gil will be given.
Really, only 100,000 gil, Ardyn thought with a derisive smirk. He was worth more than that. But now was not the time to argue that.
"It is you," the man spat. "I was the one who hung up these posters everywhere! You were all my dad would talk about. He wanted to wring your greasy neck for what you did to the chocobos." The man reached under the counter again, fumbled around, and dredged up a shotgun.
Ardyn didn't give him the chance to use it. Before the man could even register what happened, Ardyn had warped behind him and placed a dagger against his throat.
"Now, now," Ardyn taunted. "Think about what the sound of a gunshot would do to the poor chocobos out there. They are skittish at the best of times, and a gunshot could well make them stampede. A dagger on the other hand," he inched it closer to the man's bobbing Adam's apple, "can kill silently."
The man realized too late that there was a reason there had once been a bounty on the man who had walked through his door, and that he was powerless against him. He gulped, giving a terrified gaze to the dagger resting against his throat.
"It's not loaded," the man finally blurted out as a peace offering, lowering the gun to the counter with exaggerated care as though he were more afraid of the gun than of Ardyn himself.
Ardyn didn't believe him but released him for the moment. "Be a dear and hand it over," he asked affably but with a deadly edge.
"T-take it," the man said, stepping aside to give Ardyn access to the counter and the weapon, proving Ardyn's assumption that the man was loathe to handle it.
Ardyn regarded him warily, fully expecting the man to lunge while Ardyn reached for the gun. However, he merely stood still, quivering with fear, as Ardyn confirmed the gun was indeed empty and placed it out of reach.
"You are more caring of your animals than I thought," Ardyn replied dryly.
"I use it as a deterrent," the man stated desperately. "I was going to use it to kick you out of the store."
"How hospitable of you," Ardyn replied dryly, but with a bitter edge. "And here I was prepared to do legitimate business with you. I merely sought a mode of transport and supplies. I can even pay for them."
"You ruin my dad's livelihood then ask if you can rent a chocobo from me," the man replied in disbelief, anger finally winning out over abject terror. "As if Wiz Junior, son of the friend to all chocobos Wiz, would dare do business with the man who destroyed the species!"
Ardyn's lips thinned in annoyance. Perhaps he should just incapacitate Wiz Junior right here and now and take what he wanted. But the resulting pursuit from authorities had its disadvantages too. "I was under the impression that your livelihood is restored," Ardyn finally replied.
"Not for long at this rate," Wiz Junior replied bitterly. "The chocobos are on the verge of extinction thanks to you. All I've got out there are females. I need a male to keep the flock going."
"The females had to come from somewhere," Ardyn replied logically.
"Hah! Now you're a biologist," Wiz Junior mocked. "Yeah, but unless you can tame a black chocobo you're out of luck."
"I have tamed black chocobos, male ones" Ardyn stated flatly. Wiz Junior didn't need to know it was 2000 years ago. Although, if the man wanted proof, he was welcome to review the painting of Ardyn in the Citadel where he was riding one.
Wiz Junior sized him up seemingly disbelievingly. "They are untamable," he finally said. "It's ironic that the only ones left in the wild are the black chocobos these days—likely because they were better able to hide in the darkness than the other colors. Female chocobos are gentle, easy to domesticate, but the male ones are impossible."
Ardyn tuned out Wiz Junior's theories. Chocobo biology and how they evolved in the darkness was nothing to him. The possibility that he may be able to do business with the man before him was of more interest.
"Supposing I procured a black male chocobo for you, would you be more willing to do business with me? I am in more need of a vehicle, not a chocobo," Ardyn stated.
Wiz Junior thought a moment, calculation on his face. "If you can get me a black male chocobo, I may be able to help you out. I'm rebuilding the engine of a truck right now. If you get me the chocobo, I may be willing to trade. And remember, I said I'm rebuilding the engine so it can't move right now. That is, if you were planning to steal it," he added nastily.
"I don't deal in petty crime," Ardyn replied arrogantly. "I suppose you have yourself a deal. Where would you recommend I find one of these beasts?"
Wiz Junior pondered a moment. "The Chocobos are seen in the mountains to the west. It's only a couple hour walk from here. Assuming the fearsome beasts don't get you, that is. We've had bounties out to help clear them, but nobody has survived the attempt. I don't think you will make it, but it's a win win I suppose," he added nastily. "If you die, good riddance, but if you can bring me a male chocobo, you got yourself a vehicle. I'll even let you stay the night in the barn before you head on out there."
Now Ardyn knew how Noctis had gotten stuck with assisting passersby. And Noctis had had the love of the people on his side. "That will work for me," he stated, resigned.
Wiz Junior beamed, evidently thrilled to have Ardyn under his thumb. "Very well, the barn's this way. Follow me," he stated, leading Ardyn to the barn, and the evident source of the chocobos. The feathered creatures were out of the rain, huddled in their stalls, and looked up with curiosity at the visitor. Ardyn heard the almost sequential clank of their bridles as they registered his presence and looked his way.
Wiz Junior pointed to the ladder leading upstairs. "You sleep up there. It doesn't have a mattress, but the hay in the hayloft should be plenty warm. Just look out for vermin. There's a well outside if you want water. You should be grateful I'm offering that and not the chocobo trough. Oh, and I suppose you wanted food too? Here," he said, rummaging through one of the lockers against the stable wall and returning with a can of beans and a can opener.
"Good night," Wiz Junior said nastily at the doorway of the barn. "Remember our deal."
Ardyn merely nodded, and turned his back on him to climb the ladder.
He sighed in annoyance. He had to get to Ramuh, and get to the bottom of the business at hand. He didn't relish wasting his time on a sidequest. Perhaps he should just dispose of Wiz Junior, take what he needed, and be done with it; he thought was a flash of nastiness, as he wrangled the can opener to access his sad dinner.
However, the fact that the man remembered Ardyn after all of these years disturbed him. Ardyn didn't feel guilty, of course. Yet, he acknowledged that there were debts he needed to repay. And if rounding up a chocobo meant that much to this idiot, then it was something he could do.
He would carry out his part of the deal. Beasts didn't scare him—he had faced the corruption of Gralea, hordes of daemons, and the Gods themselves. He would get the damned chocobo for this bastard. And if the man sought to betray him, well, Ardyn would be happy to remind him about how dangerous he still was. He would have his pick of everything the place had to offer if Wiz Junior was disposed of.
It had been years since Ardyn had dealt with those beasts. Could he still do it? The animals below hadn't been afraid of him, which was a start. Could he still tame an untamable chocobo?