Hello! Chapter 2, The Long Road here. I finished up my work for the day a bit early, so I decided to wrap up and post a chapter.
The thing about FFXV is that it places a lot of emphasis on its open world feel, so I wanted to write a chapter that would capture that. For instance, them being in the car, going on hunts together, etc. I thought it would be a good opportunity to develop a little dynamic between the characters, especially since Lydia is now in the mix. While a part of me wants to jump right into the thick of the plot, I also want to take my time and work on some of these relationships, as that's often the most fun part for me! I'm not saying it's going to be meaningless fluff, of course. But I'm definitely going to try to give everyone a little chance to shine!
Hope you enjoy! Also, a big thanks to my first guest reviewer. Glad you like it so far! :D
Disclaimer: I don't own FFXV.
Chapter 2: The Long Road
"So, how dangerous exactly is this place we're going to?" Blondie asked as he helped Big Muscles and Specs load up the car. Lydia sat on the caravan steps, only vaguely paying attention while she wrote in her notebook. Meanwhile, Royal Pain was still yawning and trying to rub morning crust out of his eyes.
Muscles seemed to delight in the opportunity to take a jab at his friend. "What, you scared, Prompto?"
Scoffing light-heartedly, a little nervousness apparent in his voice, Blondie said, "Me? No, not at all! I love danger. Just want to make sure we're prepared, you know?"
Specs, who appeared to be all business all the time, added, "We'll no doubt come up against some powerful foes on our journey. We know very little about this tomb the Marshal has instructed us to visit—for all we know, it could be infested with daemons. So Prompto's right—it's best that we take careful preparations."
"How far is it from here to Costlemark Tower?" Blondie asked.
"By my calculations, about a three-day journey if we drive eight to ten hours a day and make normal stops to rest. I've marked rest areas and safe havens on our map to ensure we don't have to do any driving after dark. It's best if we avoid confrontations with daemons for now."
Blondie sighed. "Well, leg and back cramps, here we come," he said.
Silence fell in the group a for a few seconds as everyone seemed to contemplate the journey ahead of them. Then, Specs turned his attention to the quiet Prince on the sidelines and asked, "Are you sure you're ready for this, Noct?"
The Prince rubbed the back of his neck, finally looking like he was coming out of his sleepy haze. "Don't really have a lot of options, do I?"
The big guy grunted in disapproval. "What, is his Majesty dissatisfied? You don't need to have such a piss-poor attitude about it."
The Prince looked up, and Lydia cast a glance at his now-annoyed gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was supposed to be jumping for joy here—considering the circumstances."
"All I'm saying is you could afford to show a little more sense of responsibility," Gladio said. "I'm seeing a lot of moaning and bitching, and nothing else."
"From my end, it looks like the only one bitching is you," the Prince retorted.
SLAM.
Muscles shut the car trunk with enough force that even Lydia jumped slightly. "Gladio..." Specs said in a warning tone, but it didn't seem to have much effect.
"You know, you're not the only one who's had a couple of crap days," Muscles growled. "You moped all night long, now it's time to suck it up and move on. You ready or not?"
Blondie tried to cut in with a word of protest, but was quickly cut off.
"I said I was doing it, didn't I?" the Prince snapped. "Just get off my damn back, already!"
"It's my job to get on your back when you're being a wuss, like it or not!"
"How about you just shut—"
"All right, that's enough!" Specs shouted over the group so everyone would hear him. Much to Lydia's surprise, the other guys actually listened. Suddenly, silence fell between the two bickering men, and Ignis looked at them both almost like a parent berating misbehaved children. "We are all on edge right now," he said, his voice dropping back down to its normal level. "But fighting amongst ourselves won't do us any good. So let us please try to stay calm, shall we?"
At the same time Muscles grunted in begrudging approval, the Prince murmured, "Whatever. Let's just hit the road."
We'll, this should be an entertaining ride...
"You coming, Lydia?" Prompto asked, turning around as he went to open the front passenger door.
Immediately, Lydia shut her book and hopped to her feet. "Of course. I've been ready since before dawn."
"Coulda helped us pack the car then," Muscles said, still sounding irritated as he plopped himself down in the back of the vehicle.
"Oh, I figured you would just think I was in the way," Lydia said easily. The Prince followed close behind as she slid into the car, settling between him and the big guy. Ignis started the car, and a few seconds later they were off.
"Don't worry about Gladio, Lydia," Blondie said as he sat up and turned around so he could look at her over the top of his seat. "He acts all tough, but he's actually a big ol' fluff ball underneath. He grows on you."
"Aw, gee," Muscles said dryly. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."
Lydia smiled. "I'm not worried about it, trust me. I've rumbled with guys bigger and scarier than Gladio, here."
Muscles glanced over at her, clearly amused. "Oh, yeah? Did you win?"
She shrugged. "What, you don't think I look the part?"
"Well, you are kind of a shrimp," he said, prompting a soft snort from the Prince himself.
"Looks can be deceiving," she replied coyly.
It was Specs up front who spoke next. "So I take it you're prepared for combat, should the need arise?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm good," she said. "Don't worry—I won't slow you down."
"So what do you do?" Blondie asked. "Like, do you have any weapons or anything?" He looked her up and down as if expecting to spot some hidden weapon stashed on her somewhere. It felt a little uncomfortable having someone study her like that, but she didn't bother saying anything.
Before she could reply, Royal Pain turned his head and asked, "You use magic, right?" He seemed like he was finally starting to overcome his grumpy morning attitude, which was likely a blessing for all of them.
She was a little surprised he guessed it so quickly—perhaps being the chosen King, he had a certain connection to magic and Godlike powers that others did not. Then again, maybe he just asked Cor about it the other day.
Still, Lydia found herself wondering what she looked like in his eyes. Gods, who did he remind her of?
But instead of letting it derail her conversation, she simply said, "Yep—bingo. An old seasoned pro. I'm also very precise, so I promise not to accidentally kill any of you during battle."
"Sounds very reassuring," the Prince said in a gravelly tone.
"Hey, I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
"You must be insanely powerful if you're used to fighting monsters on your own and all you've got is magic," Blondie noted. "Where'd you say you were from again?"
Lydia folded her arms across her chest. "Uh, I didn't. Anyway, you guys wouldn't be familiar with where I'm from."
"Oh—okay," Blondie said, looking away awkwardly upon the realization that she didn't want to be probed. "Well, I'm sure it'll be awesome to have you around. None of us have traveled much outside the Crown City. But it sounds like you've been all over!"
"I've definitely been around, yeah," Lydia said softly. More than sheltered kids like these could even imagine.
Blondie engaged Lydia in small talk for a little while longer, but eventually all conversation died down and the group fell into silence. Lydia let her head roll back and listened to the sound of wind rushing past her ears. She'd never ridden in a convertible on a hot summer day before, but she found the contrast between the cool breeze and the warm sun refreshing. She could say a lot of things about Regis, both good and bad—but he sure did have good taste in cars.
After a while, their designated driver let Blondie turn on some music. Lydia thought the volume was much too loud, but she didn't want to ruin their fun—so she just tuned it out and let the wind whistle in her ears. Eventually, the Prince even nodded off and she could hear him snoring lightly next to her. She never understood how anyone could possibly fall asleep in a car. But then, Royal Pain here did seem like the type of guy who could nap almost anywhere.
The group stopped once or twice during the day, but didn't take any extended stops until late that afternoon, when they reached Longwythe Rest Area. They visited this place before, back when things were simple and the worst Noctis thought he had to worry about was a wedding with someone he hadn't seen in years. It was a little rundown and had probably seen better days, to be honest.
Still, the place had its charms—and it had everything they needed to rest comfortably that night. A diner, a corner store, a gas station, and even a little motel. He'd take that over a caravan or camping any day.
There was just one problem.
"We don't currently have enough surplus funds to replenish our fuel, eat at the Crow's Nest, and pay for two motel rooms," Ignis said, dashing Noctis's hopes to pieces.
"I have a little cash," Lydia added. "But not enough to make much difference for you guys."
Prompto then jumped in and said, "Maybe there's a way we could make some money around here? The local tipster is looking for hunters to take care of monsters nearby."
Noctis raised an eyebrow at Prompto. "And how would you know that?"
With a laugh, his light-hearted friend pointed to the poster outside the diner across from them. "Wanted posters everywhere."
"Good thinking," Gladio said. "We still have a couple hours of daylight left. Let's go see the tipster and find out if we can't scrounge up a little extra gil for the evening."
Noctis sighed, but then straightened his posture and took the lead. "All right, let's do it."
The scent of greasy fried food entered Noctis's nose as he pushed the door open and headed into the diner. Aside from the radio playing on the counter, it was pretty quiet. Probably still a little too early for people to be sitting down for dinner.
Clearing his throat in preparation to speak like a normal human being, Noctis tried his best to smile at the server behind the counter, who he was pretty sure they had met on their last visit.
"Hello, gentlemen," the server said when he saw them, and then nodded to Lydia. "Lady. Back again, are we? What can I do for you, today?
"We're, uh—looking for some work," Noctis said. "I mean, we were wondering if there were any monsters nearby you needed—taken care of."
The server paused for a second and then said, "Oh, I see, you guys are hunters. That's great! Gosh, we haven't had many hunters in these parts lately. Well, what kind of job are you looking for? I can set you up right away."
"Preferably something that pays us enough for two rooms at the motel across the street," Ignis said.
"And maybe a little extra for the road," Lydia added.
The server gave a nod. "Right, of course. Well, if you're looking not to travel too far away tonight, I can tell you people passing through the area have been making reports of saphyrtails lately. Had someone run off the road by a couple of those nasty creatures the other day. They usually come out to hunt in the evening, and they live in packs, you know. I suspect their den is somewhere nearby, but nobody's been brave enough to try to find it. Wanna give it a go? Pay is 3,000 gil if you take 'em out."
Noctis's eyes widened. "3,000 gil?"
"That's a nice chunk of change," Gladio said.
"Yeah, absolutely, we'll take it," Noctis said eagerly. Granted, it would probably take some extra work to figure out where the monsters were hiding—but between the five of them, surely it wouldn't take too long.
They picked up directions from the tipster and set out immediately, leaving the Regalia behind to face the dry, barren wilderness ahead. The pesky saphyrtails were said to live near the base of Longwythe Peak, which wasn't really that far away. Sure felt like it, though.
"Man, it's hot," Noctis murmured as he trudged through the sand and dirt. Meanwhile, the rest area grew farther and farther away.
Gladio's quip, "Then lose the jacket," made him want to roll his eyes.
"At the risk of sounding rude," Lydia cut in, coming into view out of the corner of his eye. "What is even with your clothes? Everyone knows you don't travel in arid regions wearing all black."
"Hey, don't diss our style," Prompto said. "We look good in these outfits."
"Not once your sweat starts soaking through them, you won't," Lydia replied.
Noctis found himself sighing at their banter. "Let's just focus on getting this over with so we can get back and have something to eat."
The group decided to split up once they reached the mountain, hoping that they'd be less likely to scare off their prey that way. Ignis suggested that instead of rushing in headfirst at the first saphyrtail they saw, they should lay low and follow one back to its den, where they would strike them all at once.
"Couldn't that be bad if we end up outnumbered?" Prompto asked, sounding a little nervous.
"Saphyrtails typically only live in packs of five to eight," Ignis stated as if reading from an encyclopedia. W"e should be all right as long as no one ventures into the den alone. We all have our mobiles—Lydia, we should all exchange numbers with you to be safe."
"Sure," she said nonchalantly. Then she pulled out her phone, displayed her number on the screen and passed it to Gladio next to her. She folded her arms across her chest and waited patiently as each of them took their turn plugging her number into their contact list. They all sent her a brief message so she would have access to their numbers as well.
Noctis couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about Lydia that seemed—unusually closed off. On one hand, she certainly seemed more comfortable with his friends today and had even shown she could hold her own in their silly banter. But she didn't seem to enjoy it. If anything, it seemed like she tolerated them at most. Maybe it was his own fault for being in such low spirits, and that was just bringing everyone down. Or maybe it was just his own warped perception due to guilt and grief.
How could Noctis put a genuine smile on his face now, knowing his Dad and his home as he knew it were gone? How could he prepare himself for the long road ahead when he didn't even know how to survive the next hour?
For the moment, all he could do was keep moving and focus on each obstacle as it came his way. He would worry about the rest later.
The next hour ended up being one huge bore-fest. Noctis set off in a group with Ignis, while Gladio and Prompto headed in the other direction. Lydia insisted she would be fine alone, and off she went without waiting for anyone to argue. Some time later, Noctis and Ignis found themselves a not-so-comfortable spot to settle near a rock and wait for any sign of movement. It was incredibly quiet—too quiet—and Noctis felt unnaturally exposed while out in the open like this.
"Feeling all right?"
But somehow, Ignis never missed a beat.
"Yeah," Noctis said, laughing awkwardly. "Just anxious to get back, that's all."
"I thought you rather enjoyed the hunt, the chase," Ignis observed. "'Bashing some heads in,' as you would put it."
Noctis chuckled a little at the sound of Ignis using his words from a few days ago. "Might wanna leave those types of one-liners to me. They don't really suit you."
"Ah yes, much more becoming of a dignified Prince like yourself, I'm sure," Ignis teased with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Aw, shut up, man."
Silence.
He hadn't really meant that he wanted Ignis to stop talking. In fact, he loved it when Ignis talked. As annoying as it could be at times, his constant presence as a voice of reason and stability in Noctis's life was comforting. He could probably use some reason and stability right about now.
Noctis lifted his head to get Ignis's attention. "Hey, Listen—"
"Shhh!" his advisor said suddenly, pressing a finger to his lips. He pointed silently out into the field, on the other side of the rock they were concealed behind. Upon following Ignis's hand, Noctis saw two saphyrtails walking by, carrying some prey they must have killed out in the wilderness. They were probably bringing their kills back to the pack for an early evening meal.
Ignis motioned for Noctis to continue watching the saphyrtails while he messaged their group chat to provide updates and directions. For the next twenty to thirty minutes, their goal was simply to follow the saphyrtails at a safe distance until they came to what looked like a small den under the mountain. Shortly after the Saphytails went inside, Lydia came trotting up.
"So, any plans to drive them out?" she asked.
"I have a fire spell," Noctis suggested. "but how do we know we won't drive them out in another direction?"
"Saphyrtails usually don't burrow very far," Lydia said softly. "If they had another exit, we likely would have found it already."
Ignis nodded. "Then it's settled—you draw them out with fire, and we'll be waiting to strike. Here come Gladio and Prompto now."
"You guys better not be starting without us," Gladio said.
Pushing his glasses up as their other companions approached, Ignis replied, "Wouldn't dream of it." After quickly briefing them on the plan, Ignis suggested everyone step back to give Noctis some space. He lined himself up properly and then cast the fire spell into the den, watching it ignite.
The blast caused them all to flinch back, and Lydia made a sound of disapproval. "Geez, Prince, you could afford to hold back a little!"
"Uh, sorry!" he said, just as surprised by the raw power of the blast as she was. Without much experience using magic under his belt, Noctis would probably have to be careful with his spells until he became more confident with them.
Nonetheless, it was effective. A few seconds later, multiple saphyrtails came scurrying out of the den in an effort to escape the flames. "All right, let's do this," he said, summoning his blade and warping in to plant a deadly first strike.
"No mercy!" Gladio cried, rushing in with the others to assist. Adrenaline rushed through Noctis's veins at the sound of Prompto's gunshot—and as Ignis rushed to his side, helping him take down one of their prey in one, powerful blow.
"Liking our teamwork, Specs," Noctis said, patting his friend's shoulder after pulling his blade back up.
Ignis nodded. "Likewise, Highness."
Suddenly, Noctis's head shot up when he heard a sound of distress come from Gladio. One of the saphyrtail's tackled him to the ground, and readied itself to strike. "Gladio!" he called, making a move toward him as Prompto aimed his gun.
At the same time, he heard Ignis's voice call out in warning as another saphyrtail lunged at him. He braced himself for impact, but it never came. And when he looked up, he saw the saphyrtail impaled on a spike that shot out of the ground—and it appeared to be made of ice.
Noctis turned around and gaped at Lydia, who gave him a tight smile before splaying a hand out in front of another enemy and shooting a blast of ice right out of her palm. The saphyrtail froze solid within seconds—and when she closed her hand into a fist, the creature shattered into multiple pieces and moved no more.
A "seasoned pro." Yeah, no kidding.
Everything was quiet. Dead saphyrtails lay around them, and Noctis glanced over at Prompto, who was holding out a hand to held Gladio to his feet. "Everyone all right?" he asked.
"That was a little intense, but I think we're good!" Prompto said.
Gladio nodded, bending down to catch his breath. "Yeah, we're good."
Relieved to see his friends in decent shape, Noctis glanced back at Lydia. "Thanks for the save," he said.
She brushed hands against one another as if washing them of the current situation and said, "No problem. That's what I'm here for."
"Your magic is really something else. Where'd you learn to do that?"
With a shrug, she said, "Just a natural, I guess."
"It was certainly exceptional," Ignis agreed. "I've never seen anything quite like it."
"Well, I'm one of a kind," she said, without a trace of modesty. He admired that—although he had never met anyone, or even heard of anyone, who could do what she just did with so much precision and finesse. Maybe she would prove to be an even more valuable member of the group than he expected.
But, seeing as how he probably wasn't going to get any more answers this moment, he sighed and said, "Well, we should probably take some of the parts back and finally get something to eat."
"Perfect," Gladio said. "I'm starving."
And so they set to work. As they harvested what parts they could from the dead saphytails, Prompto commented, "You know... I don't know about you guys, but I felt kinda bad taking these out."
"You're not alone," Ignis said in a sympathetic tone. "But out in the wild, it's 'kill or be killed.'"
"And personally, I'd rather be the former," Noctis added.
Now that they were exhausted, dirty, and overheated, it turned into a long walk back to the rest area. But by that point, all Noctis's internal gripes and complaints faded, and he fell into step next to his friends without paying much attention to their surroundings.
For a short moment while they were fighting together, he forgot about everything. He forgot about his father, about the weight on his shoulders, about his "calling"... but now the threatening intrusive thoughts were back in his head, and all he wanted was to run and hide.
He knew deep down that that was one thing he could never do.
Suddenly, a hand on Noctis's should pulled his out of his thoughts. "A word, Noct?" Ignis murmured, slowing them both down to let their friends go on ahead.
Noctis raised his eyebrows curiously as he regarded Ignis. "Sure, what's up?"
Looking away for a few seconds as if considering his words carefully, Ignis let out a small sigh. After some deliberation, he said, "I know this hasn't been easy on you. You have a huge weight on your shoulders—and everything has happened so quickly."
"I'm dealing with it," Noctis said. "You don't have to worry."
Ignis nodded in understanding, although he didn't seem wholly convinced. "I just want you to know that you don't need to bear this burden alone. I am here for you as I always been—and always will be, no matter the challenge or the outcome."
This was the support and reassurance Noctis had so craved hours ago. He could barely remember a time when Ignis hadn't been standing by his side, guiding him, advising him, protecting him. But now that he heard the words, he just felt guilty. Noctis was supposed to be King—when would he step up and become the source of reassurance and support his people needed? Was he even capable of it?
Instead of voicing these fears, however, Noctis simply smiled and said, "Yeah. Thanks, Iggy. Don't know what I'd do without you."
His friend's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Eating from Gladio's stash of cup noodles every night at camp, I'm sure."
"Bold of you to assume he'd share."
They both laughed, and Noctis let out a sigh of relief as he watched Longwythe Rest Area come into view. Finally.
"Time to collect our prize and get some grub!" Prompto rejoiced up ahead, lighting a little extra fire in everyone's steps as they made their way back toward the diner.
It's a long road ahead, Dad, just like you said... but at least I know these guys are with me.