It was still dark when Andromeda woke, meaning that she hadn't overslept this time. As she heard quiet talking in the cabin, she became more alert and sat up. Ravus was awake now.
Andromeda's movement had interrupted their conversation. Luna looked to her expectantly. She sighed. Luna by herself was fine; Andromeda hoped they both would occupy each other instead of annoy her. It was wishful thinking.
"There may be an escort coming to get us out of here." She explained. "We just have to get to the haven on the other side of the river. I don't know when they're coming, but who knows how long the charms and potions will work."
"And how have you come to know that?" Ravus frowned at her. He hadn't changed at all.
"None of your business." Andromeda countered dismissively.
"How can we be sure you aren't leading us into a trap? You're allegiances aren't clear."
"Yours are very clear and they're more of a threat than my lack of allegiance to anyone." She crossed her arms. "The war's over. Everyone lost. Tenebrae is gone."
"That's enough." Luna interjected, giving them both a harsh look. It was difficult for her to maintain and she immediately softened again. She turned to Ravus. "Andromeda can be trusted. She helped me heal you."
"You're lucky." Andromeda added. "Most times when I heal someone not as far gone as you were, they were left with worse deformities."
The only other time she had seen one as far gone as Ravus had been, she had had no choice but to kill her. Before Luna's prayers were answered, Noctis and his friends had obviously found Ravus in that state and came to the same conclusion. Andromeda and Luna were lucky to be able to save him, but the former still had to wonder if they should have. She still did not believe Luna should have begged for his life. What if they later needed that favor for someone—anyone—more worthy of it?
Of course, Ravus's shoulder didn't look quite right; the new scars from the Scourge only made the skin look more twisted. Andromeda hadn't known the extent of the damage to his original arm in Insomnia. The prosthetic had covered it up completely. If there had even been a stub of an arm underneath it, Etro had seen fit to take that from him as well. Still, he could have had so much worse.
"Why is it that whenever you are around, strange things happen?" Ravus's tone lost some of the accusation in it and his scowl had lessened. "I want the truth. Why was the Empire after you?"
"Don't you trust what they have told you? Why would you take my word for it?" Andromeda mocked lightly.
"If I recall correctly, Ardyn was the one fabricating the story." He replied, some of his scowl returning, but not for her.
"Verstael would have told you everything." She mentioned. It was Ravus's stupid fault for taking Ardyn's word for anything.
"No. He is most likely dead now." Ravus stated.
"Good." She muttered. She hadn't thought of the scientist in a very long time. It was reasonable to assume that the daemons had overtaken him as well, especially for how much he worked with them. A small part of her wished she had done him in herself. She glanced at Luna. "How much have you told him so far?"
"Just of Etro. He's seen her." The princess frowned. Again she looked at Andromeda to explain more.
If that was so, then perhaps Ravus did have Etro's Blessing. That did not make her feel any better. She glanced out the window. The sun hadn't appeared yet, but they were wasting time. Neither Nox Fleuret would move until she explained something to Ravus.
"Fine." Andromeda shook her head. "I guess I'll start with her. Etro's the goddess of death. She was banished at some point before the Astral War. She escaped eventually. At least, that's what she told me. I died in Tenebrae and Etro decided to bring me back to life with her Blessing, which includes healing people like Luna does. And summoning chaos. I accidentally did it near an Imperial base and got caught. I don't know why Verstael and Ardyn were involved. I managed to get out with the help of a spy."
That was the short of it, and all that she felt Ravus needed to know. It was just wasting time. Already Andromeda could see the sun rising outside. It would last only for a couple of hours. They needed to reach that haven.
"Where are the other two women that were with you?" He asked. Whether he believed her story or not, she didn't care.
Andromeda frowned, looking to Luna. "I don't know. They haven't made it to Lestallum yet."
The Oracle's face fell, then reached a resolve. "Then we must go find them at the other Well."
"Absolutely not." Ravus shook his head. "It's too dangerous for you to wander off now."
"It's just as dangerous for them, too. I won't stand by when I can do something."
"Luna can handle herself." Andromeda butted in coldly. "It is kind of her job, after all. Now let's go. The sun's already up. Let's move while we can still see where we're going."
Finally, the two Nox Fleurets stood. Luna did so after Ravus, reluctantly.
"Are you sure you're well enough?" She fussed. Andromeda rolled her eyes, biting back an annoyed sigh.
"I'll be fine." He was just as annoyed by Luna's concern.
"The trail's downhill. It was clear when I looked last." Andromeda waved off her concern. "The escort won't stick around for long. If we don't show up when they do, they'll give us up for dead. They won't come back a second time."
She gathered up the bags of potions and crystals at that and went out the door, regardless if they were following or not. At this point, if they still deliberated, she would just leave them behind.
They caught up to her outside a moment later, albeit slower than she would have liked. Ravus was not as fine as he claimed; compared to Luna's return from death, he had wakened far more quickly, but had suffered more grievously before dying. And having still been infected with the Scourge when he was brought back to life, Ravus still had that to recover from on top of his death. He wasn't ready, but they didn't have time to wait. Thankfully, he understood that.
Andromeda continued to lead the way down the trail she had followed in her dream, walking slower for the sake of the other two. As they put the cabin behind them, daemons began to appear. Luna's Holy took care of most of them, particularly the smaller ones. Andromeda tossed some of the potions at them as well, but mostly relied on her kukri. She poured a potion on the blade for an added effect.
Ravus contributed as well, although Luna's magic was often enough to clear the area of daemons. Luckily, he was right-handed and could wield his sword without a problem. Luna took care of the daemons, but Holy didn't have much of an effect on wildlife. She resorted to her spear. His sword came in handy as a couple of spiracorns charged at them. He wasn't completely helpless at the moment, although he staggered after the charge.
He narrowed his eyes at Andromeda. "You said the trail was clear."
"It was two days ago when I checked it." She shrugged. "What little sunlight is left doesn't bother the daemons anymore."
"What are those?" Ravus gestured to the bag of potions that she had been pulling bottles out to throw at daemons.
"Don't know, but they're working."
Eventually, after going through several groups of daemons, they came to the riverside. A pack of seadevils were laying among the rocks, waiting for the sunlight to warm them. But it would not, being too weak. It made the creatures slothful.
"I think we can run by them." Andromeda said once she noticed how the trail curved away from the riverside. Without their input, she moved ahead quickly. They didn't have to kill everything they came across.
The seadevils were immediately alert of her. They moved slowly first, either stalking or slowed because they were cold. Andromeda managed to climb up some rocks on the other side of the small break in the trail before the animals got too close. She helped Luna up behind herself. Ravus was right behind her, after fending off one seadevil that snapped at his heel.
They were not followed up onto the rocks because it was too difficult for the reptiles to climb them. The trail led up onto a large boulder. The wooden bridge was bolted to the edge, providing a way across the river. The haven wasn't much further ahead beyond the other side. There was still some sunlight left—they would make it just in time.
Andromeda only stopped for a moment once they were all on the bolder, then led the way across the bridge. The planks were in good condition despite their age. Whoever had been living in that cabin had not been stranded in Malmalam Thicket. She had been living there by choice. If the world wasn't falling into endless night, the daemons weren't becoming so persistent, and there wasn't so much for her to do, Andromeda wouldn't have minded staying there either. There were plenty of times in the past where she could have used a place like that to hide.
There was a screech behind them. She looked back to see an inflamed daemon rushing at them across the bridge. As it approached, the ropes providing a railing caught fire. Sparks dropped onto the dry planks below, and after several seconds they caught fire as well.
Luna held up a hand as she cast Holy, blocking the daemon from getting any closer to them. The bridge shuddered beneath their feet. Andromeda hurried to the other side. Luna was pulled along by Ravus as she focused on her spell. She let it dissipate as they reached the stone landing. The daemon was gone, but the flames continued across the bridge. The ropes on the other side were quickly burned through, and the bridge collapsed into the water below with much steam.
"Not much further." Andromeda mentioned, pushing onward. It would be a very long time before she could go back to that cabin. Hopefully they hadn't left anything useful behind.
It was a small bit of luck that they were not impeded on the rest of the trail. Luna now walked slow not just for Ravus, but because she was getting exhausted from using so much magic. It was some encouragement for both of them when they soon spotted the haven. Its runes were beginning to glow faintly; the sun was already starting to set. The trek had taken much longer than it should have thanks to the many times they had been stopped. The trail hadn't exactly been clear after all.
Andromeda did not follow them up to the haven at first, wandering the area to gather sticks. She spotted the parking area not to far off and noticed that it was vacant. No one had come yet—at least, that was she hoped and therefore believed. Help shouldn't have arrived so quickly, and then left soon after. Despite the setbacks, they had made it with time to spare. With night approaching, no one would come for awhile.
She finally joined the siblings on the haven and set to work on starting a fire while she could still see what she was doing. A chill was settling in. Nights normally got longer at this time of year as summer came to an end, although not to this extreme.
"I don't think anyone has come yet." Andromeda announced once the fire was going. "They won't come until there's daylight again."
"There's still some food left from Tenebrae." Luna offered, digging into the bag at her side. Andromeda was relieved; the mushrooms the night before had been her way of prolonging the better preserved rations from Galthaeus. She wouldn't have much luck looking for food on this side of the river.
There wasn't enough left to satisfy all three of them, but no one complained. Ravus and Luna were too exhausted. Yet knowing that someone would be coming for them soon, they had some hope. Even Andromeda did not think much further than getting to an outpost, where there would be more food, clean clothes, and comfortable arrangements.
"That's an unusual blade." Ravus noted, eyeing the kukri sheathed on Andromeda's lower back. It was annoying that he remained skeptical of her, but better than listening to him and Luna fuss over each other.
"I picked it up in Galahd." She shrugged.
"I forgot you were in Galahd for awhile." Luna spoke up again, as if to help Andromeda out in some way. "What's it like?"
"Humid." It had been the first thing Andromeda had learned about the islands, and it had been somewhat of an unpleasant lesson. "It was a nice place to hide, though. No one looks past Insomnia. Things were simple there. And the food was good."
Certainly better than the bland stuff they had in Niflheim. She had stayed in Galahd for over a year, and was bound there. Not only must she return, but she very much wanted to. It had been too long since she had been taken away by the Glaives. She recalled telling Crowe that when it was all over, that's where she would go. Galthaeus held nothing for her—the past was in the past, and it was gone. There was more for Andromeda in Galahd. Sadly, things were far from over. The islands were probably just as unsafe as Tenebrae now.
It wasn't much for Luna to get a idea of Galahd, but Andromeda didn't feel like sharing her experience with them. What would royalty care about some jungle islands? That was the exact reason that Andromeda loved Galahd so much.
Luna seemed content, even if her question hadn't been answered well. "A Glaive once suggested I visit Galahd someday. I suppose it will be awhile now before I do."
"Yeah." Andromeda mumbled. If Luna didn't forget by the time the daylight returned, hopefully they would avoid each other in Galahd.
She threw another stick into the fire. The sun was gone now, and there was a new moon, making the forest around them especially dark. Daemons could be heard scuffling around, but they couldn't get near the haven.
"Do you think you might be able to find Aulea and Crowe tonight?" Luna asked when she decided it had been quiet for too long.
"Probably not. They're too far away. I managed to find Harper in Lestallum, so we can't be more than a day or two away from there." Andromeda shrugged. "We have to go north, like Etro said. If it's like the one in Tenebrae, the Well will be a hidden pool of water that the daemons won't go near. I just don't know how far north she meant. I have limits."
"The hunters can handle it." Ravus butted in, remaining awake despite his exhaustion. She and Luna both frowned at him.
Andromeda shook her head. There was no talking about it with him there. She wanted to find Aulea and Crowe herself, and Luna felt the same way. They would find the two much faster than a whole squad of hunters could. They would be able to help Aulea and Crowe more if they were in serious trouble. Yet until Ravus was out of the way, Andromeda and Luna wouldn't be able to do anything for them.
"Fine. I'll take first watch." Andromeda muttered. She was the least exhausted out of the three of them.
"No, I will." He asserted.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine."
Laying on her side, Andromeda put her back to both of them. So long as they were on a haven, there wasn't a threat to them. The magic of the haven wouldn't allow it. Ravus couldn't harm her even if he wanted to. The fact that they were currently on the haven together did mean that they did not intend to harm each other, even as they had come around the firepit. Maybe he would be more cordial if she let him take the first watch of the night.
It was some time before Andromeda could fall asleep, though. She wasn't exactly tired, and had no hope of reaching Aulea or Crowe in their dreams. Sitting close by, Luna and Ravus weren't exactly as quiet as they tried to be when they spoke.
"How long have you been stranded like this?" He asked, his tone turning gentle.
"I think this is the fifth night since we woke at Etro's Well in Tenebrae. It's not so bad when you have company." She explained. "I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for her. She can be trusted."
Luna was being melodramatic again. It ran in the family.
"And she can heal people of the Scourge just as you do?"
"Yes, and I'm grateful for the help in these dark days." She said. "I don't know if I believe in fate anymore, but it must have been fate that we met in Niflheim a few years ago. We've become good friends."
A gross overstatement.
They were quiet for a long moment, and Andromeda finally drifted off, getting a break from both of them.
She was waken some time after midnight to resume the watch. It was a bit of a surprise to be waken by Ravus, but she brushed it off. Just as when Andromeda and Luna had been traveling with Aulea and Crowe, Luna was excused from keeping watch throughout the night. At least this time, she had earned the full night's rest.
They were all awake and restless to move on by the time the sun rose, so they did. The dirt road was much easier to follow than the forest trail had been. With rest, they were also able to move a little faster. They would have been in better shape if there had been food.
It didn't take long to reach the main road. Andromeda knew where they were then just by the sight of the Imperial base in the distance. Another road intersected the main one ahead of them.
"Lestallum is that way, but it will be too far to go on foot." She explained to the other two.
A large pool appeared before them on the road. A massive sword rose from it, crashing to the ground as the large hand wielding it pulled the rest of the daemon's body to the surface. Andromeda's kukri wouldn't do much against it, but she pulled it out from its sheath anyway. Ravus had the same idea. Yet Luna simply cast a strong spell of Holy at it, blinding them.
It took care of the daemon; it was gone when the spell faded. Andromeda put her weapon away with a sigh.
"Don't exhaust yourself." Ravus warned Luna.
"It was nothing." She waved off his concern, though she did not exactly look as if it had been nothing.
They suddenly heard the approach of a vehicle, turning to see a truck stopping some distance away on the main road from Lestallum. Andromeda recognized it as a hunter's truck before the occupants climbed out. She began approaching it as the doors opened.
She recognized Ian as he exited the passenger side and came towards her, but she didn't immediately know who the older man was. He took note of her briefly, then gaped as Luna and Ravus trailed behind her.
"Your Highness." The older man greeted Luna, with some awkwardness. "Looks like the sea didn't take you after all."
"Indeed it did not." Luna smiled.
"Well, hop in. The sun won't last too much longer. I can take you to Old Lestallum for now. It won't offer much, but you can get cleaned up and fed there." The older hunter explained modestly, then glanced at Andromeda. "My hunters have been telling some stories about you. I ain't exactly used to hunting down people."
She shrugged it off as she went for the truck bed. "At least those hunters are still alive."
Ian followed her as she climbed in. The men insisted that Luna sit in the cab of the truck. Unfortunately, it meant that Ravus joined Andromeda and Ian in the truck bed.
"What did you get yourself into this time?" Ian asked as the truck began to move again.
She shook her head. "Long story."
"The Marshal is looking for you."
"Yeah, I've heard."
Hunters had told Andromeda that the head hunter, Dave—the one driving the truck—and the Lucian official had been looking for her when she had returned from Altissia with Luna. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it because she and the other three women needed to get to Gralea in time for the last covenant. Andromeda hadn't thought about what would happen after that. She supposed a talk with the mythical Marshal and Dave was inevitable now. But once they had her pinned down, they wouldn't let her go anywhere. She needed to find Aulea and Crowe.
Luna seemed to share the same sentiment, and even though she got on Andromeda's nerves, the princess was the only one she wanted to accompany her. All four of them were supposed to be sticking together through these dark days. Andromeda and Luna couldn't go searching for them without first getting a meal and some supplies. They didn't have a lot of time to do so; Old Lestallum was a small, simple town with little to offer. Once the men took them to Lestallum, they wouldn't be able to slip away.