Prompto rolled back further as one of the dogs' heads lunged inches away from his ear. He could feel pieces of his straw like hair get chomped off by the rugged teeth. His knees rolled over rocks as he backed away. The sharp points uncomfortably stabbing at his joints. Prompto could see Gladiolus spin in the distance prying one of the dogs heads, but the man struggled when it became two foaming mastiff snouts battling him. Prompto scurried backwards getting to his feet, that was a super close one and he didn't have time to waste to recover, even If that was what he needed. He tripped as the dog started to spin, arcing its tails out like whips.
They came to swipe his legs out from underneath him and if he was caught there wouldn't be much he could do with the dogs' heads so close behind. "Ah!" He'd just missed a sweep. Running was Prompto's only hope, he needed to get far enough away. But he was launched, thrown hard in the air, it was confusing in nature because the force was small. Pavement hurt as he slid against it and it undoubtedly cut through some of his jeans. He bit the corner of his lip cringing at the pain from the scraps. Landing to face the direction he came from now, he was able to gaze back at whatever pushed him. The blood that he saw dripping down the dogs fangs made him freeze with terror. There hadn't been blood there before. Where did... did the blood come from?
"Ignis!" Gladiolus screamed barreling forward and slashing the combating dog's head aside. The beast followed Gladiolus' run until one of the heads became occupied with trying to kill Prompto, who was staring in statue like place. The middle head dropped a floppy body, sending Ignis to the ground. Daggers still hung along the thing's thick beastly throat only leaking little bits of red from their contribution. Prompto turned screaming and firing his gun, the dog was solely coming for him both heads watching him. It's eyes of blood and mouth of sharp bladed tools. Gladiolus slid to get closer to Ignis avoiding a dog's head that had made to swallow him whole.
Luna was hiding behind the Regalia only the top of her ponytail could be seen, she had been trying to cast spells. She slowly gazed down as her blood ran cold at the soft fur that brushed against her dress. The round black fluffiness of Umbra's face gazing happily up at her. She was nothing like the Umbra she'd seen before. In perfect health shiny black nose and eyes gazing at her, like her previous appearance had been an omen of what was to come. What terror was waiting to breathe. Umbra looked off gazing peacefully at the hellhound that looped the guys. Like a well spoken monk of the truth.
Ignis wasn't moving, nothing showed that he recognized Gladiolus was nearing. He was laying flat on his back arms spread out like a broken doll. Red smeared out on the concrete leading up to where he laid. The trot of Gladiolus' boots played, he could hear them as result from being so zoned out, the loud roars of the attacking hellhound just a few feet from them should have silenced it. Placing a hand on Ignis, he could tell he grimaced along with giving a whine, but the blood coming from the side of his torso said that the adviser was hurt. "Prompto... It's still after Prompto..." Ignis spoke painfully moving nothing but his eyes. Gladiolus looked up only briefly, it was still chasing the blonde but there was a better amount of distance now. It seemed the other two dog heads were too distracted tasting the blood from their teeth to help the middle head with Prompto.
"You're far worse off." Gladiolus put his arms underneath Ignis' back lifting him. Ignis parted his lips painfully but didn't give a sound. The man didn't move with him, hanging. Gladiolus looked around for options. They had to deal with this dog, but was there a way get away from it. Prompto ran he could feel the heat from the dog's breath behind him, it sent an order to his spine to tighten up in fear and it certainly did. The gun fire per say didn't seem to have a really good impact on the demon dog chasing him, he was getting closer to the Regalia. Luna stepped out from it taking breaths. The distant look in Ignis' eyes was coming on way to quickly. Gladiolus pressed the wound realizing the trail of red that was dripping as he carried him. "Prompto, Shotgun!" Gladiolus yelled hoping he'd understand. He quickly put Ignis in the back Luna slid in with Umbra and assisted with delaying the bleeding. Her small hands going to try and cover the wound but it was too big going the full length of his torso.
Prompto was sprinting as fast as he could but at this rate the dog was going to get him before he made it to the car. Each strode he took, he was fully aware that the sharp blades from the beast behind him were that much closer. Gladiolus slammed into the dog taking the attention, it lashed out at him with all three heads. The blood on his clothes peeking all the heads' interest. Prompto slammed the door shut to the passenger side. "How is he going to get in here?" Prompto looked back at Luna for an answer, eyes widening in absolute panic at Ignis. "Ignis?!"
He only made a soft painful sound. Gladiolus threw himself into the driver's seat hitting the pedal. He swirved as the dog landed on the path of road in front of them, causing them to go off rode and hit some rough patches . Looking back in the distance, the hellhound sat watching, connecting eyes with Luna. Their fate that they could not escape from. She dabbed at tears coming to her eyes and hide her face from looking at the beast.
—
Noctis regretted closing his eyes after a large dark form started to become present in this reality. Holding fiery eyes the hellhound sat watching him. I don't want to be here,...to be trapped in whatever this is. But that didn't stop it, the reality only became stronger, realer. He could feel the ash on his skin, smell the burning charcoal of the world. Of the burnt and destroyed land and buildings. "You're the ...Chosen one." Noctis swallowed at that voice playing out. Why was he seeing this destruction? That wasn't the only future. Again the land changed from black and crushed buildings.
Noctis walked up the steps to the palace how long had it been since he did that? Stone was familiar but it also felt different like it wasn't his any more. Imperial guards were posted at the walls standing against the tall colluems, seeming almost robotic in nature. Something alerted them to him as all of them jogged off after him. Noctis ran warping up to a bridge that was a part of the third floor. Running Preena followed, her smooth gait made him believe she was prepared for this. His arm burned he sprinted warping up to the roof. The tiles were wrong, his shoes slipped on them like they were rubber making him run quicker. They formed into hands grabbing at him. Noctis cut at them, Preena bit at hands that grabbed at her staining her white fur. The hands became so many that Noctis was dragged down to his knees. He continued to cut fighting the hoard of limbs. He screamed pain from the rune making him collapse into the sea of ink like arms.
Noctis broke free waking up to the sizzling burn of his rune. Noctis got up rushing over to run cold water onto the rune as soon as he found the bathroom. The cold helped, it added a soothing feeling, he watched himself in the mirror slicking his hair back with water. The rune went dark, water slowly turned off, breathing, he returned to the room. Cor was pacing on the phone Noctis could only see his silhouette in the dim light. He slipped away out into the hallway. Something urked him. It was red carpet, of course that wasn't entirely bizarre but the gargoyle like statues along the crown molding, it was too much like the palace.
Noctis backed up stepping back into the room but it was dark now and the windows were open allowing the drapes to swing back in the breeze. Cor wasn't there and the room was dark, except for the moonlight that hung outside. He moved to close the window. When his hands touched the metal frame of the glass pane a voice spoke, "Stop fighting it. There's no point..."
It was growl like not stable in sound or level. Worse he could feel the vibration from when it sounded on the metal of the frame. Turning around the room was back lamps were on, Cor was watching Noctis. Noctis swallowed at the feeling of substance trailing down his arms. Water like but thicker, black inky.