BOOK 2: THE TALE OF THE CHOSEN KING

CHAPTER 16 – SEAWORTHY

Noctis stirred and slowly opened his eyes. In the small hours of the night, a soft breeze moved the tent canvas. A chorus of crickets and frogs softly lulled him back to sleep. He heard a grunt and a snore. Gladio was having a restless dream.

The prince smiled, despite himself. Moments like these were rare, and he sometimes had the sinking feeling that they might not last too long. They had spent weeks on the road, traveling through the land in search for the lost tombs so he could claim the power of his ancestors until they reached their last stop, where they were resting right now: The outskirts of the Malman Thicket.

After visiting the Balouve Mines, they ventured into Costlemark Tower, a subterranean labyrinth which only opened at night. They had spent three whole days unraveling the mysteries the ruins guarded and, after much fighting and solving puzzles, they could reach the deepest chamber. Unlike other weapons, the one they retrieved from the Tower didn't rest in a tomb, but was guarded instead by a giant beast: a Jabberwock, a giant lizard which species predated the War of the Astrals, according to Ignis. Upon its death they found a sword on its corpse: the Sword of The Tall who, true to his moniker, was said to be big as a mountain, and his sword was crafted to suit such a man.

The next tomb wasn't inside any maze or ruin, thank the Six. The king known as The Just had been interred northwest of the Tower, in the middle of a forest. The only trouble they encountered was that of the local fauna. From that tomb Noctis retrieved a tower shield.

But, before they continued their search, Prompto asked to return to Lestallum. Back when Noctis spent the morning being shown around by Iris, his friends had encountered a peculiar man by the name of Vyv Dorden, who claimed to be the owner of a famous publishing house: Meteor Publishing. Having seen Prompto taking pictures, he quickly struck a conversation with him and was apparently quite impressed by the gunslinger's skills.

Noctis then understood why his friend had insisted on stopping at every imperial base to take photos, and scolded him, half-jokingly, for not telling him sooner.

When the prince met Vyv, he was surprised the man could breathe in a city like Lestallum. His rotund form was a hindrance for that climate, as he himself claimed. He was an upbeat fellow, full of energy and enthusiasm, who was overjoyed at the photographs Prompto shown him. Behind his cheerful demeanor, however, was a rebellious spirit. Vyv claimed that, ever since the empire took control of the lands surrounding Insomnia, taxes had gone over the roof, while the "invaders", as he called them, assured that they needed the funds to help with the reconstruction of Insomnia. All the resources were derived instead to military funding, as Vyv suspected. Now he had solid proof and, after thanking the four friends, went on his way to put together a new issue of his magazine.

The Rock of Ravatogh was said to be the final resting place of the god Ifrit after the War of the Astrals. Be it as it may, it was also the final resting place of Tonitrus Lucis Caelum, known as The Fierce for his merciless brutality in the battlefield. Nevertheless, he was also known for being a kind and just king who cared deeply about his subjects.

Visiting a volcano wasn't something one did every day, and Prompto made good use of the time they spent there. Noctis wasn't so sure about spending more time than necessary there. Somehow he didn't think Ifrit would consent on giving him his blessing, and waking up the fire god was the last thing he wanted.

However, the volcano had one last surprise for them. At the top, following the path to the tomb, they found a gigantic depression. At one side there was a mountain of fallen trees and other debris pushed against the rocky wall. Gladio grabbed Noctis' arm when the prince tried to get near it.

"It's a nest," his Shield whispered hurriedly. "We don't wanna be here when the mother comes back."

They scurried away as quickly as they could and traversed the narrow path leading to the tomb. There Noctis acquired the mace of The Fierce. The trip back to the car was another story.

Thinking that you might be safe in the proximity of a Zu nest, in broad daylight and in the middle of nesting season, is a mistake which most city dwellers are prone to make, and can be easily forgiven by even the most hard-boiled hunter in a good day. Zus, on the other hand, can't tell the difference between a human raised in the countryside, and another whose only contact with nature has been through TV documentaries and photographs. Furthermore, nesting season always put the otherwise tame birds in a testy mood, and the proprietor of the Ravatogh's nest had gone that day through a particularly rough morning.

The shrieking the four friends heard was horrifying enough to freeze their blood in their veins. Noctis instinctively tried to turn around, but he felt Ignis' gloved hand grabbing him by the back of his neck and forcing him to the ground. And not a moment too soon! For the bird swooped down on them like a hurricane, sharp talons ready for the kill.

Lucky for them, such a gargantuan bird needed to describe a very wide circle before attempting another attack. Just enough time for them to scramble as fast as they could towards the gap on the rocky wall they had used as an entrance.

Noctis found strange that Gladio, who loved measuring his strength with that of the biggest beast he could find, didn't encourage them to fight the Zu. As they made their way down the mountain, his Shield explained that Zus' numbers were declining and that they didn't normally pose a threat to humans, like behemoths did.

"'sides," he added while he looked away from the group and towards the river of lava. "There're enough orphans in this world as it is."

The next stop would be the last before heading back to Cape Caem.

Malmalam Thicket was a forest south of the Rock of Ravatogh and west of the Maidewater, the main river of the Cleigne region. It was their last stop, simply because Prompto had heard rumors about the region and had wanted to postpone their visit as much as possible.

Tales of the feared "Witch of the Wood" were commonplace all through the region, but those weren't the stories which terrified the gunslinger. The heart of the grove was said to be the home of a mysterious and fearsome beast. Hunters were strictly forbidden from stepping into the forest, but researchers were free to explore the thick jungle in search of any new species of mushroom, or any insect which would pique the interest of the scientific community. It was from those explorers the Grove that the rumors arose, while their peers had always dismissed the stories, blaming the hallucinogen spores from the many plants which grew there.

Be as it might, Prompto didn't want to meet any beast, magical or not, until they were stronger, and Noctis commanded more Royal Arms. For once, Ignis agreed, and devised a route which would take them around the whole country, with the Malmalam Thicket as their last stop.

And thus they made camp at the entrance of the forest, so they could make the most of the following day. Or so they said aloud. They had been exploring the winding way leading to the forest the previous afternoon and, for some reason, Prompto refused to continue. Noctis suspected that the reason his friend didn't want to go further was that he had seen a cottage far off the road, half-hidden in the forest, and had assumed that it was the lair of the dreaded Witch of the Woods. Since they were already tired from their ordeal at Ravatogh and the drive south, they decided to call it a day.

The prince had to admit, once he woke up and stepped out of the tent, that the forest looked far less ominous under the light of the rising sun. The chirping birds and the sound of cicadas made the scene seem almost dreamy. The mirage lasted until they ventured deeper. Giant crabs had made their home on a stream which crossed the forest; there were also giant wasps, and even a giant frog which nearly swallowed Gladio, not to talk about the carnivorous plants which had evolved to become a hybrid of plant an animal, and whose flowers released a toxic hallucinogen.

When the four friends reached the clearing, they were surprised to have done so in one piece. They also wondered how scientists could get any sample of whatever they were looking for without being shredded to bits.

After they could catch their breath, Noctis looked around them. Where the forest ended, the terrain rose on a slope and, if the prince craned his neck, he could see the tomb's roof in the distance.

Prompto was looking at the clearing too and, all of a sudden took out his camera. This time, however, he wanted Noctis to take a photo of him with the far-off tomb as background.

The prince humored him and, as his friend struck a pose, he pressed the camera button.

Now, when Noctis looked through the camera viewfinder, he could swear there was an extra bush at the end of the slope. During the brief interval it took him to press the button, the bush sprung up, and the prince could only yell at his friend to run away. They jumped aside as the monster charged against them: a nightmare of thorny, coppery scales, horns and teeth.

Dispatching the beast took longer than normal, with them nearly exhausted from the previous combats. Nevertheless, the Bandersnatch (for that was the name of the monster), although fiercely territorial, was not used to humans and their weapons, and the small, dark-haired human who could teleport at will was especially disconcerting to the beast.

Once the beast lay dead, they could study it more closely. It resembled a bipedal saurian, with its hind legs and tail tremendously developed, while the front legs had devolved into mere vestiges. But it was the monstrous head what caught their attention: What they thought as mere grows around the snout which ended on a long horn, they were parts of an external mandible which opened three ways. Inside each side part, there were several rows of sharp teeth going all the way to the throat, which was wide enough to swallow two men.

Had they met the beast during the night, they would have mistaken it for a daemon.

"No wonder they said it was just a rumor," Gladio commented as he grabbed one of the horns to open the maw.

"It certainly is a terrifying sight," said Ignis.

"Yeah, especially if you come here unarmed." Noctis remembered that he still had Prompto's camera. He took it out and browsed through the pictures to see if he had managed to snap a decent shot.

What he saw made him explode in laughter.

Prompto snatched the camera from his hands.

"Not funny!" he yelled when he saw the picture.

"C'mon, you're okay!" Noctis managed to say between fits of laughter.

"You really think this is okay?" the gunslinger asked the other two, shoving the camera into their faces.

Gladio laughed too, while Ignis adjusted his glasses.

"To be fair," the retainer said with a perfectly composed face. "That's is one-in-a-lifetime picture. I'd suggest you save it for posterity."

The photo in question captured the exact moment on which the Bandersnatch charged against an unsuspecting Prompto, in the split second before both model and cameraman ran for their lives. The beast appeared blurred except for the open maw, and one could count the rows of teeth flanking the dangling tongue. It was a picture worthy of winning an award on any contest, not only for its unintentional artistic value, but also for the contrast between the grinning human and the ferocious beast, literally fuming with rage. It was also the only material proof that the Witch's Pet ever existed.

Inside the tomb, Noctis found the scepter belonging to The Pious, a king who ruled the land according to divine law and worked closely with the Oracle of his time. Noctis didn't care much about scepters, but he needed as much power as he could gather.

On their way out of the forest, the prince's cell buzzed. Cid called to announce that the boat was ready.

Without taking a break at the camp outside the forest, they got into the Regalia and set for Cape Caem, not minding having to drive during the night.

The sight as they traveled down the coast hadn't changed much, but under the faint light of the moon Noctis couldn't help but feeling a weight on his chest. He and his friends had been adventuring during those past weeks and, while the plans they had devised seemed easy enough, he couldn't help feeling a bit tense. His friends, however, were in a brighter mood.

"Wonder how Lady Lunafreya's doing," Prompto mused. "Any idea, Noct?"

"Who knows?"

"Who knows?" the gunslinger exclaimed, turning on his seat. "You should know, shouldn't you?"

"'Course he does," said Gladio. "That's why we're crossin' the sea."

"He's more concerned than anyone about Lady Lunafreya's well-being," Ignis reminded him.

"I'm going to sleep," Noctis grumbled, crossing his arms and making himself confortable on his seat.

"Whoa, you're blushing," Prompto laughed.

The prince opened his eyes and was about to deliver a scathing retort, but something out of the corner of his eye distracted him. An assault craft flew over the mountains to their left.

Pinpointing the exact place the imperial troops might land wasn't easy, and they had to leave the Regalia in the first secure spot they came across. Creeping along the mountain wall, they hid behind a natural recess, with some rocks as cover. From there, under the dawn's light, they could finally see the craft and the troops deployed across the road, silently waiting for them to pass.

"Getting through will not be easy," Ignis murmured, once he had studied their enemy and went back behind their cover.

"Damnit," Noctis sworn. "How could they find us?"

"Looks like they are on high alert," said Gladio.

It was to be expected. They had spent too much time roaming about and leaving a mark. Word spreads quickly, especially about a group of four young men clad in dark clothes who travelled in an insomnian car.

"Can't we sneak around?" Prompto asked.

"Impossible," Ignis shook his head. "We could circle the entire region and have access through the Galdin Quay intersection, but that route would cost us a day and a half, and we have no guarantee that they are not blocking the other side."

"Think the others will be all right," Gladio murmured.

"They wouldn't be waiting for us had they taken Cape Caem," Ignis assured.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Noctis said all of a sudden.

Without another word, Ignis issued the instructions for a plan of attack. It would be simple and to the point: Noctis would warp-strike first and eliminate as many as he could in one swipe. Following that diversion, the others would attack.

Invoking the sword of The Mystic, he warped towards the line of MTs, cleaving at one in the head. He jumped in the air, changing his weapon to a lighter blade and felled another soldier. Now he had a greatsword on his hands and eliminated two more in one swipe. He heard gunshots behind him: his friends were already in the battlefield.

Their skills had improved with their traveling and hunting, and now the MTs seemed slow and clumsy to them. At one point, Prompto tripped and fell on his back, trying to dodge the axe of one of the robots. He shot at the head, but he could only break through the metal mask. Behind the humanoid visage, two red lights were fixed on him. Prompto became paralyzed for a second, for he wasn't expecting the robots to be so horrifying underneath those masks.

A blade appeared with a blue flash, cutting the robot's head. Noctis materialized, using the metal body to propel himself up. He changed again to a greatsword and smashed the next soldier to smithereens.

Prompto got to his feet, shaking his head, to see Noctis running towards him.

"Quite messin' around!" the prince screamed over the all the noise from the fight as they bumped their fists.

Despite that minor hiccup, the fight went well. Until some explosions went off near them. They jumped aside, looking in bewilderment how their attacker didn't mind hitting the MTs.

Looking up, they saw a second craft appearing over the mountain. The doors opened, and more MTs jumped down, along with a metal container, which fell heavily on the road. The container's lights flashed as its doors opened, and from inside something slithered out.

Noctis felt as if the ground was being pulled from under his feet. The daylight was gone already and, as the daemon lazily uncoiled and rose to its full height, a memory resurfaced in the prince's mind.

A convoy crossing the desert at night. Insomnia wasn't much further. It was supposed to have been a day of enjoyment at the forest with his nanny and the bodyguards, but he had been angry. He had wanted his father to come along but the King was busy, as always. That had taken all the fun out of the whole trip. His nanny said something about his father wanting to come along, but he answered with angry words. An explosion cut the woman's words, and he didn't remember anything more, except the screams of his bodyguards. His nanny dragged him out of the car and they ran as fast as they could.

Pain on his back. His nanny screaming. He could never forget that scream. Or that the last thing he said to her were the irate words of a little child.

He couldn't move. He didn't feel anything from the waist down. In a numbed stupor, he raised one hand to see it covered in blood. He looked up, and the half-woman, half-snake monster, a Marilith, gazed back at him, her numerous arms wielding sharp blades, her face contorted in a grimace of disgust.

His father saved him that night. Noctis never asked how he knew about the attack, or how he could arrive just in the nick of time. The only thing he could remember was the monster about to slash at him with one of its sword, and a flash of blue light from his father's arminger. Noctis kept watching, his mind still unfeeling, as if he was seeing it from outside. He saw his father slowly advancing against the light from the burning cars, ghostly weapons swirling around his body in a blue hurricane, raining blows and slashed upon the monster which, despite her many arms, couldn't keep up with him, and was slowly driven backwards until it was pushed over a precipice.

Now the monster stood before him once more. A scar split its face in two, but Noctis could recognize the monster. And the monster seemed to still remember him.

This time fear didn't paralyze him. Anger burned inside his chest like a hot coal, and before Ignis could stop him, he charged towards the monster.

The Marilith repelled his attack with ease and sent him tumbling backwards. The monster charged but, Ignis with his lance and Gladio with his greatsword interrupted it. Enraged, the daemon turned its attention towards the Shield, while the retainer and Prompto helped Noctis back to his feet.

"We gotta get outta here!" the gunslinger yelled as he grabbed the prince's arm.

"Then go!" Noctis barked, shaking his friend's hand away. "But I'm staying!"

He summoned his blade again and charged a second time. The monster slashed at him, but he was prepared and blocked in time. Noctis tried a third time, but the Marilith counter-attacked with a whirlwind of slashes that he couldn't block. The final blow was so strong it felt like hitting a brick wall, and he blacked out.

The next thing he felt was his body hitting the cold sea waters.

"Damnit…"

He still wasn't strong enough. His father had driven that monster away, yet he couldn't land a single blow.

The water's surface gleam was slowly growing further away, as his limbs felt heavy and numb. A dark ribbon floated upwards from an open wound on his shoulder.

The light disappeared, and he thought he could see a shadow hovering above him.

"Noct!"

His eyes opened wide. Memories of fire surrounding him. His father screaming Noctis' name and he hovered over his son. The voice dimming out as the young prince lost consciousness.

"Get a grip on yourself…" he though angrily, extending his hand to summon his sword.

Noctis warped out of the water, going to nail his blade on the Marilith's shoulder. The monster, surprised that its prey was still alive, couldn't react when the prince switched to a lighter sword to slash at its face, cutting the golden diadem that adorned the monstrosity.

The daemon roared in pain and rage, coiling back.

"Noct!" he heard Ignis calling for him.

The prince landed on a rock. "Sorry," he said. "Just had to cool off."

It was time to make use of what he had learned so far. He invoked his arminger, and the ghostly images of the Royal Arms floated around him.

The Marilith snarled, remembering that human who had wounded it decades back with the same trick, and slashed savagely at Noctis. The prince warped and appeared above the monster, releasing the arminger in a whirlwind of slashes and blows. The daemon parried and counter-attacked, but Noctis was faster, blinking in and out of sight until the Marilith was blind with rage, and its strength began to falter.

He warped one last time, just when the monster charged forward. In a single blow he cut half of its six arms, but the Marilith still had enough energy to keep fighting with its three remaining blades and its fangs.

Noctis left a small opening, and the daemon shoved him to the ground. When he got up, he saw his friends stepping between him and the daemon.

"You're not in this alone, y'know," said Gladio.

Together, the four friends attacked the now maddened daemon. Noctis and Gladio wielded greatswords and charged first, cutting two of the three remaining arms. Then Gladio, who still had enough energy, jumped and slashed with all his might, chopping off the remaining one. Noctis, stepping on his Shield's sword, jumped up and cleaved at the Marilith's head with a lighter blade, while Ignis cleaved at it with his lance and Prompto didn't stop shooting at its head. Gladio took Noctis arm and, swinging him around, launched him against the monster. The Prince switched to a greatsword and slashed at its throat, chopping off the head.

It was over. The monster which had terrorized him on his dreams as a child was no more.

Slowly, he got to his feet. The giant body lay across the road, its flesh slowly consuming on a black cloud. He staggered towards the cliff, away from that monstrosity, and looked at the sea.

Dawn colored the clouds with a rose gold shade, but Noctis didn't see it. On his mind's eye, he was remembering again, back to when he was a child. Back when he had spent many days in bed, unable to move.

His father had always been at his bedside, holding his hand.

"I won't let anyone hurt you."

King Regis was a man of his word. He had kept that promise and paid with his life for it.

"Dad…" Noctis murmured.

It was the first time he uttered that word since he left Insomnia. His voice caught on the lump in his throat, and he fell to his knees, tears blinding him.

The previous weeks the invasion had felt like a dream, something the news spoke about, and an event with dire consequences, but for Noctis it always had a sense of unreality. Now, he had been pitted against the very monster which tried to kill him, the daemon his father sworn to protect him from. Noctis had killed that monster and, in doing so, the fact that his father was no more finally sunk in.

He cried, finally mourning for a king who sacrificed everything for his son's sake, and who saw him away with a smile on his lips, despite the sadness in his heart.

xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx

They arrived at Cape Caem around noon. Iris and Talcott came running from the house to greet them, all smiles. None of the friends mentioned anything about the empire's ambush.

The boat was ready, but they wouldn't sail away until the following day. For the moment and, at Monica's insistence, it was time to rest and eat something.

Noctis got up early the next morning. He could barely sleep the previous night, and the fresh air from the coast felt good.

He heard a dog barking in the distance. Turning around, he saw a black patch of fur running up the hill towards him.

"Umbra!"

The dog, wagging his tail, sat down obediently before the prince. Noctis scratched his ears and searched for the journal.

Luna's message was brief, as always: "Waiting for you in Altissia."

He sighed, biting his lip. He couldn't make her wait any longer.

The prince thought about all the possible answers he could give her, but chose the shortest one: "Be there as soon as I can."

There were so many things he wanted to say, but soon they would be together, and that was enough for him. Just a few days more, maybe hours, he kept repeating to himself.

Despite his effort at looking cool and unfazed when his friends prodded at him, the truth was that the only thing he wanted was to see her again. It was true that Noctis was afraid to stumble into his own words, as every time he was nervous. After all, he wouldn't be talking to a child, but to a mesmerizingly beautiful, full-grown woman, who also happened to be his bride-to-be.

His fingers trembled slightly when he wrote the message, but he hoped she would blame it on being unable to find an even surface. With the notebook safely in the pouch, Noctis scratched Umbra again behind the ears and sent him away.

As he saw Umbra disappearing from sight, he caught someone frantically waving their arms at the cottage's door: Iris called for him. It was breakfast time.

Looking at his watch, he thought it was broken. It was well past eight in the morning and the sun had barely appeared on the horizon. Later, Ignis confirmed his suspicions in a private conversation, away from Talcott or Iris' ears: Days were getting shorter, and time was on the essence.

Later that morning, taking the lift to the cave, they could hear Talcott's lively chatter on the cave underneath.

"Look, Prince Noctis!" they heard the child screaming. "Even the marshal came to say goodbye!"

Cor had arrived while they were at the house, and was busy in conversation with Cid. The old man had taken to live down there, despite Monica's protests, saying that he was used to sleep near his tools, and that he would be damned if he was about to change now.

After they were done with the greetings, Cor took Noctis aside on the resting area.

"Something I gotta get off my chest," the man started.

"What's that?" Noctis asked, guessing the marshal was about to lecture him about not being ready and that he might need more training.

To his surprise, Cor faced him with an expression that could be read as sadness.

"I'm sorry," the man said, lowering his gaze. "Sorry I wasn't there for your father. I swore and oath to protect the king, but I wasn't strong enough to uphold it."

Noctis said nothing. What could he say? He shared Cor's guilt over King Regis' death. He was his son, after all, and he knew his father couldn't fight anymore. Yet he was fishing and sleeping in an expensive hotel while his father was fighting and losing his life. Many times he wondered what would have happened had he stayed behind.

The prince could only shake his head, but no words came to his lips.

"Ain't nothin' nobody could've done to stop what happened," said Cid, shuffling past them to sit at the sofa.

"Yeah," Noctis managed to say in a hoarse voice. "I realize that."

"But you need to realize just what you mean to the boys by your side," the old man continued.

"I do." Of course he did. He knew he could trust his friends with his life.

"Even if they can't solve your problems, you can't hide what's goin' on from 'em," Cid fixed a piercing glance on him. "It hurts like hell."

Noctis pursed his lips. Cid was talking about how Regis had kept everything a secret from everyone. Maybe Gladio's dad knew something, given that he had sent his family to a safe place before the signing.

"Remember: those ain't your bodyguards, they're your brothers," Cid insisted, faintly echoing Regis' words. "Trust in 'em. Always."

Coming from someone who had been lifelong friends with his father, those words would stay with Noctis. They also made him think about how Regis and Cid's friendship soured, and resolved not to let anything do the same with his own friends.

When everything was ready, there were more kind words exchanged. Iris finally revealed what she had crafted with the materials she bought back in Lestallum: A moogle plush which would serve them as a good luck charm. She also made his brother promise he would bring her something from Altissia, and Talcott made sure that Noctis could know about all the legends surrounding Accordo and the sea.

As a goodbye, Prompto suggested a family photo, to which none refused. They were all in high spirits and full of hope. The Ring would be soon in the hands of Noctis, and they could rescue Luna from the empire.

Noctis dallied a bit more before boarding the ship. Cid appeared at the deck, arms akimbo and huffing with impatience.

"Waitin' for an invitation?" he hollered. "Get your asses on board!"

The last thing Noctis and his friends saw of Cape Caem and the dock was Iris and Talcott waving them goodbye.

"Your Majesty!" The kid yelled between tears. "Please come back soon! We need our king!"

"Yeah! Count on it!"

At long last, the last stretch of the travel would begin. Only the Six knew what awaited them.