Everyone was awake well before sun-up. There were things for them to still do before they left Lestallum. Who knew when they would be returning.
Crowe retrieved her newly-mended and cleaned uniform from the laundry service. She wore it as she was actually reporting for duty now. Whatever spare clothing they had received, Aulea packed up. She followed Solara through the streets to the room she had shared with Harper. The other woman had taken all of their packs with her when she left Gralea, and kept them in her room. They packed up what few clothes Solara had and explained that they were leaving. The girl was a little less excited about it than she had been the night before.
As she had promised, Andromeda paid a visit to her aunt before it was time to leave. Linda was disappointed that they all were once again leaving. Andromeda assured that they weren't even going far—just a couple of hours south, near Old Lestallum. Linda was content, so long as they weren't going back to the Western Continent.
Everyone gathered at the command center shortly before sunrise. Monica left another Crownsguard in charge and led the women to the gate.
"I managed to get in contact with Cor to let him know we are coming. He's asked that we bring along some provisions. I hope it won't be too bothersome for you." She explained along the way.
"It won't be." Luna assured as they came across one of the armored vehicles used by the Kingsglaive.
"Crowe, I need you to ride up front with me, in case we run into any daemons." Monica opened the backdoor for the other women to climb in.
"Yes, ma'am." Crowe went to the passenger seat.
It was cramped in the back with boxes of provisions taking up much of the floor space. No one complained, or even talked much. As Monica drove them away from Lestallum, a hush fell over all of them. Everyone had something to anticipate when they made it down to the Imperial base. Andromeda expected trouble. How could they possibly explain themselves? It didn't matter who they were; their goddess had shattered the Lucian Crystal and angered their patron god.
Occasionally, Solara whispered a question to Aulea, who answered just as quietly. She was a lucky girl to be able to meet both the Oracle and the Lucian prince. She was being brought along to keep her away from Imperials; Andromeda wondered just what the Lucians would do when they found out about an Imperial princess. In Aulea's care, Solara was already in their custody.
The vehicle never stopped along the way. Monica and Crowe were separated from the others in the cab. Slats over the windows in the back made it impossible to see anything the vehicle passed by, but they did not block out the screams of daemons and the sounds of magic. Solara flinched at those sounds, staying close to Aulea. Light in the area steadily grew brighter as the sun rose.
When the vehicle did stop, there was a thunderous pop and a flash of blue light right next to it. It startled everyone sitting in the back. Andromeda had heard that sound only a couple of times in her life. Crowe did not use any magic in return. Monica had a brief word with someone other than her. After another loud pop and flash of light, there was a droning sound of machinery moving, ending with a deep clank as something was put in place. The vehicle moved forward again.
It only went a short distance before stopping again. Hearing Monica and Crowe open their doors, Andromeda opened the backdoor and lept out. She was grateful to stretch her legs again.
A second later, there was the loud pop and flash of light, and a Glaive stood several yards away as the women stepped out of the vehicle. Monica and Crowe approached him first, with the other women close behind. The Glaive pulled back his hood, revealing a grin, and intense, ashen scarring on the left side of his face. There were small braids in his hair. A Galahdian.
Crowe's expression brightened as well. Still, Andromeda kept herself from reaching for her kukri. Much of the Kingsglaive had turned against the Crown; judging from Crowe's reaction, this was not anyone who had been there to get rid of her.
"Crowe," The Glaive spoke. His grin faltered as he tried to find words.
"I heard you had a hell of a night in Insomnia, hero," She said.
"Yeah," He agreed, then glanced at Luna and nodded. "Princess."
"Nyx," Luna smiled in return, looking at both Glaives. "I'm glad to see you again."
"Looks like you made it back with the princess after all." The man crossed his arms.
"It wasn't easy. I had help along the way." Crowe explained briefly, tipping her head to the small group of women standing behind her. "What happened to your uniform?"
Nyx's attire was the standard Glaive uniform; Andromeda didn't see anything wrong with it. He gave a shrug. "It got a burned up a little. I had to borrow this."
Crowe shook her head, then wrapped her arms around him. "Idiot."
She took notice of something behind him and just as quickly let go. A man had come out of the main building some distance away and was approaching them. Crowe and Monica stood a little straighter as Nyx moved aside. Aulea and Luna both seemed to hold their heads a little higher as the man came closer. Andromeda recognized Cor's stern face immediately, and tensed again.
As he came closer, his expression faltered. Try as he might to keep it, there was no mistaking the shock in his eyes. Aulea smiled.
Monica bowed as he stopped before the women. "Sir, we came as soon as we could."
"It's been a long time, Cor." Aulea greeted.
"I'm sorry if we've caused any trouble." Luna also bowed her head to the Marshal. "But we couldn't rest until we were all together again."
Andromeda did not feel sorry for it, but she kept her head down all the same as he looked at all of them. She was not the only one who tried to avoid his gaze; Solara stuck even closer to Aulea's side. These strange men were intimidating her.
"Come inside." Cor finally said, turning on his heel and walking quickly back to the main building. The group kept pace with him.
"Causing more trouble, princess?" Nyx mentioned.
Luna smiled coyly. "Only what is necessary."
Andromeda felt a sense of foreboding as they neared the building. Cor's simple command seemed to hide a lot of things from them. It had been urgent. The women traded glances between themselves, revealing that they were all feeling the same thing. He had been hunting for them a few weeks ago, before they had gone to Niflheim. It couldn't have been for anything good—they had already known they were in some trouble, but now faced with it, it seemed much worse than they had realized. Andromeda felt dread welling up inside her. Aulea's face had become stone cold.
"Monica," She turned to the other woman. "Would you stay behind and watch Solara? Just for a little while."
"Of course, Your Majesty." Monica nodded, holding out a hand for the girl. Solara hesitated.
"We won't be long. You can meet the prince when we're finished." Aulea assured her.
Solara took Monica's hand and they both stopped walking with the group. They were soon left behind; Cor had everyone walking with urgency.
This base was somewhat familiar to Andromeda. All of the Lucian ones were, considering she had spent a good part of the summer spying on them in her dreams. This one had been run by that uppity general Caligo—the one who had chased Andromeda down in Altissia, and later she and Aulea had found him dead. If the Lucians had overtook it, then it meant that the Imperials hadn't replaced him. In a short amount of time, the men had seemingly cleared the place of any trace of the Imperial Army. There was no sight of their weapons and soldiers.
It made it much faster to get around the base without clutter strewn about. Cor led the way into the main building, then through a hall. Most of the doors along the way were closed; they seemed to be offices or storage. Nyx took up the rear behind the women. It wasn't a long walk before they came to a door. Men's voices could be heard behind it. Cor unceremoniously opened the door and let the women go in first.
There were only five men in the room altogether—two of which Andromeda would hardly call men. Noctis and his friends were easy to recognize, and they similarly recognized the women, three of which they had already encountered over the summer. Ravus was also obvious, although she hadn't expected to find him here. She should have; Cor must have picked him up when she and Luna had ditched him in Old Lestallum. Luckily, he seemed more relieved to see them than upset by Luna's treachery.
Cor went and stood on one side of Noctis and his friends. Aulea and Luna stood straight as they stopped before the men. They hung back, letting Crowe stand before them. She saluted and knelt before Noctis, which baffled the boy king. Andromeda lingered beside Aulea; she hopefully could get them all out of trouble.
All conversation had stopped when the door opened. The modest meeting room was full of people now, but utterly silent. The men wanted answers. It was too much like Verstael's lab for Andromeda. Etro had left her Blessed Ones to answer for her actions that put the world in this mess. The dread only became worse for Andromeda. As Nyx shut the doors behind them, it only felt more like a trap.
She felt something grasp her wrist. Aulea was standing beside her, her face no longer showing the fear that had been there just a minute ago. She gave Andromeda a careful look, then squeezed her wrist gently before stepping forward. None of them could afford for Andromeda to panic now.
"Stand," Cor said for Noctis, because it was unlikely the boy would say anything to Crowe.
Aulea stepped beside Crowe as she stood again. Andromeda seemed to be the only one that wasn't happy to be there.
"Glad to see you all made it out of Gralea, Your Highness," Aulea greeted, confident in herself despite her earlier anxieties of speaking to Noctis. "Are we late?"
"Uh, no," Noctis said, uncertain. He still did not recognize his own mother—why would he? "I take it that you all weren't really traveling hunters, then."
"It's a long story." She admitted.
He looked to his friends, then gave a shrug. "I think we have time for long stories. It seems like everyone has a story to tell."
"Well, we know the princess," The tall muscled one of Noctis's friends said. Andromeda had already forgotten his name, but not how nosy he could be. "But who are you three really?"
"I apologize for the subterfuge. It wasn't safe yet to be truthful, and we all had our tasks that needed to be done," Aulea spoke again when neither Crowe nor Andromeda said anything. The latter was determined to say as little here as possible. "Andromeda did not lie about who she is. Crowe is actually a Glaive." She hesitated, looking at Noctis. "My name is actually Aulea Lucis Caelum. I'm your mother, Noctis."
The younger men all jerked at her declaration. Only Cor stood very still, his gaze turned to stone. Noctis looked to him for some answer, but the older man did not acknowledge him. He was the only one in the room that could confirm Aulea's words, yet he did not seem happy to see her.
"What was the mission you had been sent on, Crowe?" Cor got straight to the point, avoiding the bigger questions the other men wanted answered. "You did not mention any of this when you last reported in."
Crowe seemed to stand a little straighter as she reported in now. "I'm sorry, sir. It was necessary at the time. The mission almost failed once before. The situation had changed."
"And you still couldn't tell me the truth?"
"Honestly, sir, I found it hard to believe myself," She answered. "King Regis sent me to escort Lady Lunafreya from Tenebrae to Altissia for her wedding. He didn't know she was coming to Insomnia. The mission sort of fell apart when I was ambushed by traitors."
Crowe's tone faltered at the last part. Andromeda moved slightly closer to her, throwing a sharp glare at Cor for questioning her.
"And then what happened?" He did not relent. "You were pronounced dead. Your body was brought back to the city."
"I don't know much about that, sir. I did wake up in the morgue, though. I figured out pretty quickly what happened. I ran into these two at the Citadel." Crowe gestured to Aulea and Andromeda.
"How can we be sure this isn't some trick?" Cor asked harshly. The other men in the room were still trying to grasp what they were talking about. They might have still been caught up over Aulea.
"This would be quite an elaborate trick, of which none of us are capable of. Nor would we waste the time doing so." The eldest woman answered with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Half of us in this room have been dead for a spell. It's not too difficult to believe. As for Crowe's secrecy, she is justified in her reasons. The time was not right yet. We didn't know who could be trusted."
"So then how are you all alive again?"
"There is a seventh Astral," She explained with confidence, pausing as she gauged the reaction. It was preposterous to say something, when it had been known for thousands of years that there were only Six. The only man that did react was Cor, the only one to not have seen the goddess. He narrowed his eyes even more towards Aulea.
"Was she the one that smashed the Crystal in my face?" Noctis spoke up with a slightly bitter tone.
She glanced at him with a frown. Her confidence faltered. "Yes. We did not know that was her intention when she told us to go to Gralea."
"Her name is Etro. She's the goddess of death. For one reason or another, she's chosen us four to come back to life." Luna explained, giving Aulea a break from answering the men's questions. "I have forged a covenant with her as part of my return. With my death, I'm not sure where the other covenants stand. I have not heard from the other gods since."
Her announcement startled everyone but the three other women that had already known about the covenant. Perhaps it was through that covenant that Etro honored Luna's prayer. Judging by the slight surprise in Ravus's expression, Luna had not told him about it. It was not his business, anyway.
"That there is a seventh Astral we know nothing about shows that the gods have been withholding. It's not worth sacrificing oneself until we know the whole truth." She went on. "Etro has said that she did not know what would happen when the Crystal was destroyed. None of the gods know."
"Then why do it?" Ravus asked harshly.
"She didn't tell us she was going to do it," Aulea spoke up again. "But she said it freed the Lucis Caelums from their bind with Bahamut."
Had Etro not smashed the Crystal, Noctis would have forged the covenant with Bahamut, at the cost of his own life. Then the quest Etro had sent her four Blessed Ones on would have been for nothing. Aulea had had a point. Andromeda began to realize this. With Noctis gone, the prophecy would have been fulfilled. It would have been like the four of them had not been brought back to life at all. Now, if even the gods didn't know what was going on, perhaps the situation was not as dire as she had thought. Perhaps Luna had been right to not despair.
Still, saving Noctis's life didn't make up for the fact that the Crystal had been shattered, and the four of them were left to answer for it.
"Do you have frequent contact with this goddess?" The quiet, unassuming one of Noctis's friends asked cautiously. His glasses were tinted darker than Andromeda recalled, and he didn't look at anyone in particular as they talked. Now that he brought attention to himself, she noticed the cane.
"No." Aulea answered.
She glanced at Andromeda, who only shook her head. The younger woman would rather not speak—she certainly didn't want to bring attention to herself after watching the other women go through such grousing. Andromeda knew the amount of trouble she was in already; the less she spoke, the less time anyone would have for her. She also didn't want all of these people to assume only she could commune with the new goddess. It was annoying enough when Aulea and Crowe thought so.
"The last she spoke with us, it had been after the events in Gralea." Aulea went on. "The last we had actually seen her was shortly after the covenant with Leviathan. Etro is not very communicative."
"What were you doing in Gralea?" Ravus questioned with a hint of his old sneer. Andromeda did not like how he looked at the queen.
Aulea ignored the look. "We were told to witness the covenants. It brought us to Lady Lunafreya. Etro said it was necessary to see all of them. That included the covenant you would have made with Bahamut in Gralea, Noctis. When he arrived, Etro moved us out of harm's way. She did tell us that shattering the Crystal had brought at least one person back to life. We're supposed to find whoever it is as well."
Andromeda was grateful that Aulea had chosen to speak for their group. She was the best speaker among them.
"I think that would be Nyx." Noctis nodded towards the Glaive standing in the back of the room. Probably in the event that someone chose to run. "Tell them what you told us."
Finally, the conversation was turned on the men. The scarred Glaive stepped forward, then resumed his parade rest. The four women on trial looked at him quizzically.
"There's not much to it," He explained. "I woke up where I died. That... goddess, I guess, came by and told me to find her four Blessed Ones. I heard the call to report in and came to Lestallum. Didn't know so many people knew I was dead already."
It sounded like something Etro would do. She was never clear about what she meant when she spoke to mortals. As Nyx had said, the four Blessed Ones were supposed to find who came back after the Crystal's shattering. Andromeda frowned. She had yet to speak to Nyx, but if Etro had to have a fifth Blessed One, and it had to be a man, she wished that it had been him. Anyone was preferable to Ravus.
"You are the easiest person we've had to find," Aulea replied, ignoring the fact that this encounter had been completely random and unexpected.
"From what we've been told, the shattering was heard across the world," Cor said, relenting on his accusations. "All outposts have reported hearing it. We've been keeping the source a secret. Morale's already low enough with the daemon attacks and lack of sunlight."
They were being careful about it, but the women had not been. Andromeda had already explained to Harper about the Crystal, and hadn't exactly told her it was a secret. They hadn't been careful to hide anything. Already the people knew of Luna's survival. That was a help to morale. None of them brought it up, though.
"There are more than four of you." Cor pointed out, changing the subject. "What of the girl outside?"
He was the only man in the room to have seen Solara, the fifth person of their group. His question confused the others. It was for the best—she was only eight-years-old. This wasn't a meeting for her to stand through. She already seemed frightened enough. All of this talk about a seventh Astral and the Crystal's shattering might have been too much for her.
Andromeda recalled how her aunt had assumed Solara was Aulea's child, and wondered if Cor suspected the same thing. That was an uncomfortable thought for all.
"We found her shortly after we arrived in Gralea. We sent her off with a trusted acquaintance to wait for us in Lestallum." Aulea explained, clearing it up at once. "Her name is Solara Aldercapt Antiquum. She's the heir apparent to the Aldercapt dynasty."
Just as it had with the women when they first realized it, the name jarred the men. The Empire had claimed that there was no heir to take their Emperor's place, and had never had a problem with it. The Emperor would have died sooner or later. He had been ancient. Yet even now, its High Commander was startled to know there was a heir after all.
"The Emperor had no heir." Ravus asserted. "His son died long ago in the war."
"The Empire is full of secrets." Aulea pointed out. "Certainly no Imperials seem to know of her. Anyone who did died in Gralea. I suspect the Chancellor doesn't know, either."
Everyone became grim at the mention of Ardyn. By now, it was known that he was more than just a Chancellor. It was surprising to think that there was something about the Empire he didn't know about. Had he known of Solara, he might have not let her live.
"It should be kept that way." The quiet man stated. They all were in agreement with that.
"I've taken her into my care." Aulea concluded, leaving no room for argument about what to do with Solara. She had already decided, and no one would change it now. It was a fitting arrangement.
"Then where do you fit in, Andromeda?" Cor focused on her. "This is not the first time I've looked for you."
She hadn't thought they saw her at all. Aulea and Luna had been speaking for them, and they had most of the attention. Andromeda was simply observing, not expecting that she would have to talk herself. If anything, Aulea or Luna would speak for her. But Cor had asked Andromeda directly. The other women could not answer for her. His harsh gaze was difficult to meet. This was not Gralea, where everyone was the enemy. The accusation in his tone suggested that she might be.
"I don't know." Andromeda half-lied.
She had an idea of where she fit in in Etro's scheme: she taught Luna how to heal people of the Scourge with crystals. It was such a small task. The goddess could have taught Luna herself, just as she had done for Andromeda. The other three women had their purposes, but Andromeda's wasn't clear. She must have already completed it, since the other three already had with theirs. Andromeda had lived her second chance at life the longest.
"It's like Crowe said. She picked me up awhile ago." She mentioned, bringing attention again to the Glaive. After all, she was in trouble for seeming to desert her duties. If Aulea and Luna also supported the fact that it was Crowe that brought them all to the Lucians, then that would make up for her transgressions. "Along with Aulea."
"The hunters say you can heal Starscourge." Cor remained focused on Andromeda. The room seemed to become especially quiet at that.
She bristled, feeling cornered, then shrugged it off. "If you want proof, I have none at hand. You'll have to be content with witnesses."
"She can heal the Scourge just as I can." Luna interjected. Andromeda was actually thankful for once that she said something. "I'm grateful that there is another who can, especially as the darkness gets worse. I can't be everywhere at once."
With just a few words from her, the hostility Andromeda had felt targeted at her dissipated. The attention was no longer on her, but now on the much more charming princess. Andromeda just hoped that Luna did not plan on roping her into her schemes to banish the darkness.
"How can we stop the darkness?" Noctis asked. It was a brash assumption to make. "It's why we sought out the Astrals in the first place."
"Etro mentioned several times that the darkness was inevitable." Aulea lowered her gaze as she alluded to the goddess's messages. "We can only wait for the gods to reach a decision amongst themselves, now that the Crystal is gone."
"That could take years." Andromeda said quietly, speaking moreso to the women around her, but the men in the room could hear her. She knew from experience with Etro.
"I do not anticipate a peaceful resolution from the gods." Luna added.
"No," The unassuming, now blind man agreed. "We must focus on the safety of the people and fortifying towns before the gods deliver their verdict."
"Lucis is the only land that still gets some light," Ravus explained. "Niflheim and Tenebrae are completely dark. Commodore Highwind has taken charge of the situation on the Western Continent. She should be here soon."
Cor frowned moreso than before. "Lucis is not prepared to take in so many refugees. Lestallum is already overcrowded."
"Ready or not, if we wait, more people will die." Noctis interjected.
He had a point. Perhaps Andromeda had judged Noctis too quickly when she had first seen him, just as Aulea had told her she had. He wasn't exactly the sullen boy she thought him to be, although his outspokenness showed his naivety. He was really just a boy. Was Noctis truly ready to be king?
Cor's words were the same that Andromeda had heard in Insomnia, years ago when Galahd was attacked and refugees sought to flee to the city. Just the year before that, she had fled from Niflheim's rule in Tenebrae, sneaking into Insomnia illegally with her aunt. Andromeda scowled to herself. Even with the end of the world, the sentiment towards refugees had not changed—at least with the old guard. Noctis did not seem to hold with that. Hopefully the older man did not sway his views.
"We will find space for them in the towns and outposts." Noctis went on. "So many have died already."
"The hunters are already fortifying the towns." His shield informed.
Aulea glanced about the room. "Perhaps you could also clear out the other military bases in the country to make some more space. Any daemon infestations should be manageable. They're the most fortified structures you could ask for."
It was a good idea. Andromeda had been in all of the bases and used her powers. She did not think she ever managed to crack the walls, and certainly the daemons hadn't been able to do so either. However, the men became hesitant.
"They do offer strategic positions that the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive could both use." The blind man mused. Andromeda was certain he hadn't been blind when she had last glimpsed him in Altissia.
"There may be other things besides daemons in those bases." Ravus mentioned.
"Of which I'm sure they could handle." Noctis countered. "She's right. We should maximize whatever space we have. Tenebrae and Niflheim are not the only lands that have fallen to daemons."
Cor nodded as the prince looked his way. "There's been reports from villages in Galahd that are struggling to hold off the daemons. Cavaugh is the same story. Insomnia is experiencing similar onslaughts. Reconstruction efforts have failed. Those people must be brought to the mainland as well. Leide is also struggling as their outposts are the least fortified."
It was grim news, especially so for the dire situation the world was in. Perhaps the darkness from the Western Continent was not just spreading east, but also west, overtaking Lucis on both sides.
The blind man frowned. "Unfortunately, refugees from the east may have to wait until we can make those fortifications. And if we move them all at once, the daemons will pick them off. It might be worse if we act right away. We have to wait for the Guard and Glaives to finish gathering. We also have to see who is left from the Imperial Army."
Ravus gave a nod at that. Andromeda frowned. She should have realized there would have been survivors somewhere.
There was a movement in a corner near the door. The men reacted first, seeming frozen in surprise. Andromeda turned to see a woman in dark clothing take a few steps to join in their haphazard circle. She turned her head towards the women. She smiled, but her eyes remained shut. Andromeda recoiled, glancing at Luna, Crowe, and Aulea. They also focused on Gentiana. The elder two had grim expressions.
"Lunafreya," Gentiana nodded to her. "You have forged a covenant with the Exiled One."
The princess only nodded in return at that. She had smiled at the sight of her handmaid, but now frowned at her words.
Gentiana turned her attention to the men. "I have a message from the gods. With the shattering of the Crystal, so too has the prophecy been broken by the banished goddess. The darkness will only grow stronger until the price of a life is paid. Deliver Etro's Chosen One to Angelgard. Then everything will be set right and the world will have light again, led by its Chosen King. Everyone else will be allowed to keep their lives with just the price of the Exiled One's Chosen."
The other women watched her, tensing at her words. Crowe took a step before Luna, as if preparing for a surprise attack from the goddess-turned-high Messenger. Aulea's gaze hardened at Gentiana.
Andromeda glanced at Luna, skeptically. She expected her to say something. Etro had given all four of them her Blessing without explaining that one of them was more exalted than the others. She hadn't needed to. If any one of them was specifically chosen, it had to be Luna. Etro had always had her eyes set on her. It wasn't long after Luna's Ascension that the goddess had begun to visit Andromeda in her dreams, and Andromeda had found out what her Blessing entailed. Then she, Aulea, and Crowe had to track Luna all around Lucis, eventually ending up in Altissia where she joined their party. Andromeda had been made responsible to teach Luna how to heal people of the Starscourge with crystals.
Everything the rest of them had gone through had been for Luna. She had been Bahamut's prized Oracle, and Etro stole her away at her death. The dragon god had come to Aulea and Andromeda and warned them that the wayward Oracle would return to her duty. He wanted her back.
Glances were shared among the mortals, but no discussion was had. Noctis focused only on Gentiana before them. He seemed to stand a little taller. "No, we won't do it."
Gentiana's face remained unchanged at the decision. She stood silently a moment, but no one else spoke against the prince. Wordlessly, they all agreed. They would not sacrifice the Oracle.
"Very well." She finally spoke.
Then she was no longer standing there, as if she hadn't been in the room at all. There was no magical effect to hint that they had just been visited by Shiva.
Everyone seemed to shift, surprised by the sudden disappearance. They all no longer seemed frozen in place by the Glacian's presence.
"So they no longer want Noctis." Aulea mused to herself. She did so quietly, but it still seemed loud.
"What do you mean?" Noctis asked. He looked to Cor for the answer. "What was the prophecy?"
Cor and Aulea exchanged hesitant glances at Noctis's question. Luna at least had had a clue about the prophecy as she was making covenants with the Astrals; the Chosen King must have been following after her blindly. No one asked how Aulea had come to know about it. For as much as they had revealed about themselves already, it would have been a stupid question to ask.
She was the one to finally explain it. "With the death of the Chosen King and the Oracle, the Starscourge would be purged from the world. That's the short of it, anyway."
"If that's what it took, why did you try to stop me?" Noctis demanded.
"Because we don't know the whole truth." Aulea pointed out, raising her voice slightly at his indignation. She quieted again before speaking. "Etro once said that morals should not have to pay for the "sins of gods". She hasn't explained yet just what that is, but it must have something to do with the Scourge."
"The gods have reached a decision." Luna said, turning to the other women standing with her. "But which of us is the Chosen One?"
Andromeda rolled her eyes. Why did she even ask? "It's you. Everything we went through to get to you has made it obvious. Bahamut wants you back."
She and Luna locked eyes for a moment, then the princess lowered her gaze. There was no denying it when they considered all they had gone through together as a group. It had all been so Etro could make the Oracle hers.
"Whoever it is," Cor interposed, "No one leaves the base."
Andromeda frowned. By the will of the gods, she was trapped after all.