BOOK 2: THE TALE OF THE CHOSEN KING
CHAPTER 8 – LIVING LEGEND
They drove outside the city and outside the mountain tunnels. While they waited at one intersection, Ardyn lined his car with theirs.
"Just to be clear," he instructed Noctis. "This isn't a race, it is a chase. You're not to pass me. Lose sight of me, and you'll lose your way. And no tailgating. An accident would spoil the trip."
"Alright, alright," the prince waved his hand. "Let's hit the road already."
"As you wish," the other smiled, starting his car again. "Drive safely, now."
Letting some distance granted them some privacy, at long last.
"First Galdin," Prompto mused. "And then Lestallum… What a coincidence, uh?"
"Way too convenient to be a coincidence," the Shield grumbled, voicing everyone's thoughts. "I reckon he's following us around."
"But to what end?" Ignis rubbed his chin. "That question bothers me deeply, as does his origin."
"It's hard for me to picture that guy in the empire."
"But it's even harder to imagine him as a Lucian," Gladio retorted to Prompto.
"I'd sooner not rely on him."
"But he might be our only way into the Disc of Cauthess."
"What's His Highness's opinion of this Ardyn?" Gladio asked. Noctis hadn't said a word since they started the trip.
"Don't really have one," he sighed. "He's nothing more than a creepy old dude to me."
The gunslinger chuckled.
"You hit the nail on the head right there."
"Well, that's why we came up with a plan," declared Gladio.
"Gotta watch our backs the whole way," Noctis repeated.
The landscape changed slowly. They had left behind the coniferous forests of the mountains and now they traversed the green plains of Duscae. It was a magnificent midday, with the sky of a bright blue, with some sparse clouds crossing it. Herds of garulas and other herbivores grazed contentedly and the traffic on the road was scarce. However, Noctis didn't seem to be enjoying himself, despite being behind the wheel.
"Noct, how are the headaches?" he heard Ignis' concerned voice behind him.
"Fine for now, but they come without warning."
"Wouldn't want to have one behind the wheel."
"Stop if you need to, alright?" Prompto piped up after Gladio's warning.
It was near noon and they were driving under some of the stone arches they had seen in the distance.
"So," said Gladio. "Any havens along the way?"
"Oh, somebody wants to camp. Somebody else wants a proper bed."
"Nice firm ground's much better for you back," he retorted to Prompto's remark.
"Can't we at least make it a caravan?" the blond kept protesting. "I don't get why you like camping so much…"
"Under the stars, at one with nature… what's not to like? Out in the wild, there're no rules to follow, no checkout time."
"I daresay you had Noct with no checkout time," Ignis said.
"I'm all for extra sleep."
"Not sayin' it's easy," said Gladio. "But I envy the Hunters. Wish I could live like that."
"That makes one of us, big guy," said Prompto.
A few minutes later, as if answering to Prompto's pleas, they saw Ardyn take a detour towards a gas station and rest area along the way, with a caravan to spend the night in.
"What say we call it a day here?" the man proposed when they parked next to his car.
"What say we continued on to Cauthess?" Gladio mocked him.
"The Archaean's not going anywhere."
"Neither are we," Ignis protested. "Under your stewardship."
"So we make camp… with Ardyn," Prompto murmured to Noctis.
"Hell no."
But Gladio seemed to be resigned.
"Might as well get the tent up," he sighed.
"Oh, I'm afraid I've never really been one for the outdoors," Ardyn said. "I shall foot the bill, so let us stay at the caravan over yonder."
Nightfall came and they spent the evening as usual. Except for Ignis, who watched silently the others talking. At first, Gladio had felt especially frustrated that his silent threatening didn't have any effect on that man, so he changed his strategy and resorted to try and coax any information he could out of him through friendly banter.
Ignis, who outright refused to engage Ardyn, could surmise several things through his observing: Ardyn was, indeed, uncanny (this time focusing his unwanted attentions on Prompto, of all people); he knew it and he enjoyed it. His conversation, however, was fluent; he was well spoken, albeit too flamboyantly, and, most importantly, none of them could actually read him. They could see his gestures and listen to his voice, but they were unable to catch a single hint of what he really was, or what intentions could he actually harbor.
Both Gladio and Ignis agreed to keep vigil that night, telling neither Noct nor Prompto. They expected that man to pull a knife in the middle of the night, but Ardyn did nothing of the sort: He slept peacefully on his bunk and got up before the first rays of light.
The next morning, as Noctis walked outside, he overheard a radio with the news. They were remembering the day Lady Lunafreya ascended to the title of Oracle, being the youngest Oracle to do so in the History of mankind. She had been interviewed that day, and she had promised to never rest until those who suffered knew solace. The next audio clip was that of Luna, now an adult, sending a message to people, that if they knew of anyone who were bedridden or unable to come to her, that they had to pray and she would come to their side.
"I hope she's okay," said one man from the group gathered around the radio. "Wherever she's headed."
Luna had spent her life as an Oracle receiving the ailing in Tenebrae and, whenever those inflicted with the Starscourge couldn't reach her, she would travel there (always with an imperial escort). Her only concern was that, being the only one who could fulfill that task, couldn't reach as many people as needed, and that the blessing sometimes took days to fully cleanse the body.
It was her humble demeanor, despite being a princess, what garnered her the love of the populace, and the fact that she was the only one who could combat the Starscourge. That was enough reason for the empire not to harm her and keep her as a valuable asset to keep the masses from revolting.
"We shoulda done more," another man said. "Like takin' her in."
"Damn right," said a third. "She coulda bunked at my place."
"Or mine. I'm sure the missus would understand."
So, Lunafreya had been there! They might cross paths, after all.
"Don't think being married will give you excuse not to work out," Gladio warned him.
"That came out of nowhere."
Ignis and Prompto joined Gladio, each one cracking their own brand of joke at how lazy Noctis sometimes was, and that people might say that Luna could have done so much better. But that was how his friends were, and the prince simply scratched his head in embarrassment.
They went inside the gas station store to stock up their supplies.
"Good morning to you!" Ardyn saluted in a tone which made Noctis cringe. "I should warn you," the man continued. "We're about to pass the point of no return. I trust you're not having any second thoughts?"
He didn't. He needed to visit the Archaean as soon as possible and search an answer for his headaches and his visions.
Once his friends finished shopping, they all hopped in their cars and resumed the travel.
"Whoever thought of tapping into the Meteor's power was a genius," Gladio commented as they made their way slowly into the plains leading to the Disk of Cauthess.
"Can you even go near that thing?" Prompto busied himself trying to find a good angle for his pictures.
"They harvest fragments found nearby," Ignis explained. "Pieces that broke off when the meteor fell. Almost fell, I should say, for the Archaean caught it."
"And he's still there, holding up the thing."
"Guess he never misses leg day," Noctis joked.
"His unceasing toil and the Meteor's might form the tenets of worship for the locals of Duscae."
"Makes you wonder what it's like there at his feet," Gladio rubbed his chin.
The landscape kept changing. If the previous day they had traversed through grass plains, now it was turning rougher as the greenery couldn't withstand the heat of the Meteor.
"So, you know," Ignis asked Prompto, noticing the change in vegetation. "It's hot where we're going. Will the camera fare alright?"
"As long as I avoid open flames, it should be okay. I think."
"We don't have a spare if it breaks," Gladio reminded him.
"Leave it in the car?" Noctis offered.
"Oh no, I'm taking it. Not every day you get close and personal with the Archaean. I'd kick myself if I missed the photo op."
"Spoken like a true photographer," Gladio chuckled.
"As they say: Better to try and fail than never to try at all."
"Look at you," Noctis smiled.
"Well, they say that, not me," said Prompto, feeling his cheeks reddening.
"Well, you just do what you gotta."
"Hey, Iggy. Can your glasses take the heat?"
"Well, I don't see why they shouldn't."
"Even if they couldn't, he'd still be alright," said Noctis.
"Yeah, Iggy's eyes ain't that bad."
"Oh, really?"
"My vision is passable without corrective lenses."
"Then why not take 'em off sometimes?"
"Well…"
"You don't get it, huh?" Noctis said.
"Ignis likes his world to be crystal clear," Gladio pointed out.
"Indeed. I've never been one for ambiguity."
"Ah, I think I'm getting the picture now."
Now they were traversing through the ripples of the shockwave. It was a surreal landscape where the rock had melted due to the heat of the impact, to then solidify. The road had been well maintained, both to keep the transport of the Meteor shards and to allow tourists to visit the place. They would have to go, however, past the point where people were normally allowed for security reasons.
"Hey Ignis," Prompto said. "How's it feel being away from the wheel?"
"Positively frightening."
"What're you saying?" the prince protested.
"That I'm no stranger to His Highness's driving habits."
"'Preciate the confidence."
"Read a book," Gladio advised. "It'll take your mind off it."
"I'd rather keep my eyes on the road for now, thank you."
"I guess nothing can take your mind off Noct's driving," Prompto chuckled.
Noctis was about to say something, but he noticed a manmade wall at a distance, with a heavy door closed shut. Ardyn had parked at one side of the road, as if making room for them, and seemed to be waiting.
"We have arrived," he yelled at them when they came near.
"Better not be a setup," Noctis said when they rode at his side.
"You don't really inspire confidence," Prompto pointed out.
"Yeah, not very straightforward," Gladio hammered his friend's argument.
But Ardyn didn't seem to be listening to them anymore. He stood up on his car and started flailing his arms towards the upper part of the door.
"Hello!" he yelled. "It's me! Be so kind as to open up!"
And the door opened up.
"Wow, that worked?" Prompto couldn't keep his surprise.
"I might not look like much," Ardyn told them. "But I do have some influence. Aren't you glad we came together? Your audience with divinity lies ahead."
"You're leaving?"
"I drop you at the Archaean's open door, and with that, bid you farewell."
Not wishing to discuss any further, Noctis stepped on the gas, leaving the door and that man behind.
There were empty assault crafts beyond the door. No doubt they couldn't have crossed without that man's help, but no one wanted to admit it.
Inside the crater the rock formations turned wild, a result of the rock turning to lava when the Meteor was about to crash, and then cooling suddenly.
"I've met some weirdos," Gladio sighed in relief, when they had put some distance between them and the door, and Noctis had made sure he wasn't following.
"I hope we never meet that one again," Ignis mimicked his friend.
"Whoa! Little harsh there, don't you think?" Prompto, always slow to think ill of others, said. "Guy really knew his stuff about nursery rhymes."
"Yeah, nothing creepy about that," Noctis pointed out with sarcasm.
The road spiraled down until it ended suddenly at a natural wall. To the right, a narrow passage opened, with remains of manmade flooring and arcades at times, but mostly with bare rock and dry trees.
The passage opened at one point and the flooring kept going, along with the arcades, which now looked like the bare ribs of some colossal beast. Following the strange path led them to a sort of balcony which overlooked the Meteor and Titan. At the far end of said balcony, precariously suspended among the falling rock, was a tomb. The weapon this time was a double-handed sword, the weapon of the Founder King himself.
When Noctis had absorbed its power, another earthquake shook the ground. Noctis made to run away from the crumbling edge, but a very strong headache hit him and left him powerless. Under their feet they could hear the booming voice of the Archaean, adding to the rumble of the tremors.
The ground under Noctis' feet disintegrated and sent him tumbling down a rocky slope; he landed on a narrow path and tumbled over it. Just when his hands were scrambling to find any grabbing, Gladio appeared and firmly took his arm. The bigger man had thrown himself after the prince and now, after helping him climb back to solid ground, the two men were stuck.
Another tremor shook the ground, and an explosion went off. They saw the gigantic mass of rock that was Meteor rise, and under it was a humanoid creature, holding it over his massive shoulders.
Titan had awakened.
Flashes of reddish light shone around the Archaean's body, as the outer skin cracked with his movements, exposing the magma inside.
His voice boomed again, his red eyes fixed on Noctis. But he spoke in a language he had never heard.
Noctis struggled to his feet, his head still throbbing.
"Noct!" he heard Prompto's voice over their heads. "You okay?"
"Thank heavens you're safe," Ignis bellowed. "Is there a way back up?"
They looked up to see their friends a long way up, with no means of climbing up the smooth slope.
"There's a path," Noctis responded. "Gonna see where it leads."
"You two try to get down!" Gladio instructed them.
"What? We're going WHERE?" they heard Prompto yelling as Ignis disappeared from their view.
Noctis and Gladio took the path which opened to their right and went deeper into the mountain.
"Don't rush off on your own, huh?" said Gladio.
"Don't get left behind," the other quipped.
"Wise guy."
The natural corridor they traversed was shaped like a natural gallery with an open ceiling. Here the rock was darker, and patches of fire burnt here and there. The animals which inhabited the place were naturally resistant to fire and high temperatures, forming, over the millennia, their own ecosystem.
A flock of birds flew over them, squawking loudly.
"They're on edge," Gladio commented as they saw them pass by. "Let's not ruffle their feathers any more."
"Um, try shutting your beak."
"Just offering sound advice."
"Yeah, like a parrot in my ear."
The way wasn't an easy one. They had to jump over crevices and slide with their backs to the wall across narrow natural cornices, with a deep fall below their feet. None of them were happy about it, but Noctis made sure to voice every little complain. Gladio had a short fuse, but he knew that many of such protests had their origin on Noctis' headaches. However, he also reached his limit, and he grabbed the prince's collar.
"Are you a man of royal blood or aren't you?" he grumbled.
"Of course I am," the prince said, shaking himself free from his friend's grasp. "I couldn't forget if I tried. What about it?"
"I ain't saying that you've forgotten, but you gotta know something: You're not the only one who's having a tough time. We're all on edge."
He took air, and seemed to calm down a bit.
"We Amicitia are the king's sworn Shields. Guard the king with our lives, that's the way it's always been. I've embraced my duty. And I take pride in it. When you can't focus, I focus for you, It's my job, so let me do it, alright?"
Noctis looked at his friend in the face. It wasn't rare that Gladio would scold him, and with time he had come to learn that his mentor meant well.
Clarus then came to his mind.
The prince nodded, and from that moment on it was Gladio the one to take point.
"Hey, Gladio. Your dad… I'm grateful to him."
"Just doing his job," the other murmured.
He was yet to say anything about any detail of Clarus' death. For the sake of his friend and, especially, for the sake of Iris. Yet, one of the things that Noctis found very strange about the Amicitia siblings was that they hadn't shed a single tear for the former Shield. Gladio, he could understand, since he had other ways to deal with his pain, but Iris…
Ignis had solved that riddle for him: Clarus had always kept his distance from his children and always made sure that they both could fend for themselves from a very young age.
Could he have known what would happen to him in the end?
The buzzing from his phone interrupted his musings. It was Ignis to inform him that imperial troops were getting closer.
Just at that moment they heard the ominous sound of the assault crafts flying by and stopping at a distance, to let the troops fall to the ground.
A small platoon was stationed at the end of the trail, as if waiting for them. It was a natural platform presided by Titan. The Archaean gazed in silence as the two men dispatched their enemies, and it was when Noctis yelled at him that he moved.
He spoke with his booming voice, each word piercing Noctis' head. The prince kept demanding the Astral to stop messing which his head and asked him what he wanted. Titan's answer was to fling his left fist at him and send him flying at a platform below, where he tried to stomp on him. Noctis invoked the newly acquired sword in a desperate effort to parry the gigantic feet looming over him. It worked once, twice, but the third time Gladio tackled him and dragged him to a path leading up.
Titan didn't seem willing to let them go, and they had to dodge his fist punching the mountain trail as they ascended to a platform which could give them an advantage.
Through speed and his warping ability, Noctis could keep up with Gladio, but the bigger man stayed behind to keep Titan's hand from sweeping them both. Gladio invoked his giant sword and his shield and resisted the giant hand's impact.
"Hurry!" he screamed with effort. "I can't keep this up!"
Noctis warped to another platform, where he hoped he wouldn't be so much at a disadvantage.
Titan noticed him right away, leaving Gladio and focusing on the prince. The Astral drew his left arm over his right shoulder, gaining momentum to swat at him, but Noctis was waiting for him already, sword in hand.
The prince parried Titan's attacks. It was easy enough to see him coming, but he felt his arms and shoulders hurt with each strike as if he was hitting a concrete wall. When the Astral was aiming for another punch, Noctis counterattacked and warped to the giant fist. Strangely enough, the sword form his ancestor sunk to the crossguard, and Titan's strength seemed to fail at that moment. The Astral shook the hand, making Noctis free-falling to the ground, and his voice rumbled again inside the crater.
"I'm not gonna take any more of this crap!" the prince growled.
This time the hand came down wide open to squash him, and he parried it again. The sword seemed to cause a debilitating effect on the giant, for he lost balance and had to lean with his left arm on the platform. Noctis took advantage and started attacking the extremity until Titan lifted it.
It was a long and hard fight, and took most of Noctis' abilities just to parry and dodge the giant arm, all the while feeling somewhat fortunate that the other arm was busy holding Meteor. When he thought his strength might fail him, he heard a gunshot. Ignis and Prompto ran to his side.
"Did you miss us?" asked the gunslinger.
"Apologies," was the only thing Ignis could manage as the three of them dodged the hand.
They continued their assault, but this time they had to also fend the MTs attacking Titan and them.
Gladio joined them some minutes later. By that time Ignis had already analyzed their enemy and told Noctis that Titan would be likely to be vulnerable to ice magic. He promptly handed out magic grenades that the prince had prepared days before and, when the Astral seemed weak enough, at his signal the four attacked with ice magic, causing the arm to freeze solid.
Before Titan could move it, Noctis lunged with his sword and cleaved at it with all his might, shattering the rock and breaking the arm.
The Archaean fell, apparently defeated. His voice rumbled again as he stood up, towering over them.
"He's winding up!" Prompto warned.
Strange particles of light shone, traveling around Titan as he let go a deafening roar, and those particles went to Noctis, surrounding and eventually enveloping him. With a final, agonizing pang in his head, he had a vision:
Titan towered over a lone woman who stood on the same platform as them. The woman seemed made of light, in contrast with the dark rocks around her. She bowed her golden head humbly before the Astral, asking for his blessing.
It was Luna.
Noctis opened his eyes, and saw Titan shining with a golden light until a flash of light engulfed him and Meteor. They heard the assault crafts from the empire exploding and crashing around them and the MT around being disabled.
The ground shook even more violently now, the crater turned into an active volcano now. They ran, seeking an exit, but all the pathways had collapsed and they had no means to climb the crumbling walls.
"Doesn't get much worse than this," Gladio dodged an exploding gust of lava.
They were being surrounded by fire, with no way out.
A gust of wind made them cover their faces. An assault craft was landing near them. Fully expecting MTs to pour out of the opening doors, they stared befouled at the single figure saluting them from inside as he held onto his black hat.
"Fancy meeting you here!" Ardyn screamed over the noise of the roaring fires. "It occurs to me I never formally introduced myself. Izunia. Ardyn Izunia."
"Imperial Chancellor Izunia?" Ignis finally recognized the name, having read it in the numerous reports from the empire.
"At your service. And more importantly, to your aid."
Seeing the young men suddenly growing pale, Ardyn smiled.
"I guarantee you safe passage," he tried to appease them. "Though you're always welcome to take your chances down there. Buried among the rubble, is it?"
"Dying here is not an option," Ignis told the prince. "We have no choice, Noct."
"I know."
They begrudgingly got into the craft, where Chancellor Izunia was waiting for them.
"Oh, thank the gods I found you boys," the man said when they had entered and he had given the order to take off.
"And what will you do with us now?" Ignis asked.
"Why, grant you safe passage, just as I said."
"Pretty generous offer for an imperial," Prompto remarked bitingly.
"Come now. Is it fair to begrudge a man the circumstances of his birth?"
"Well, no, I guess not…" the gunslinger stammered.
The ship flew smoothly. They noticed several changes in direction but, not having an idea of which way they were facing when they boarded, they couldn't know where they were headed.
"So," said Gladio when they held a council. "What do we do after he drops us off?"
"Go get the car," Noctis stated.
"Can't leave her unattended for long," Ignis murmured.
They all knew that the Regalia had a special feature which let her find her owner. They all hoped that, once they were on firm ground, the car would be able to find them, although they all feared the Regalia had fallen in the hands of the empire.
"Chancellor," said Ignis, plating himself in front of Ardyn. "If you wish to aid us in our effort, then I request you release us this instant."
"This instant? It's a long way down. Perhaps the army could break your fall. Or perhaps you could simply sit back and enjoy the ride. You needn't worry: you're in good hands with me."
Against Ignis' better judgment, he kept silent. He hated to admit it, but the Chancellor was right. So the four friends sat back and waited for the ship to arrive at wherever their destination would be.
Hours later they landed on a forest clearing. Chocobos could be heard nearby, and they saw that Ardyn had taken to the famous Wiz Chocobo Post, to Prompto's delight.
"Here's hoping you find that car of yours!" he said as goodbye.