Verstael (M.E. 744)
Ardyn's return to Minister Besithia's primary Magitek research facility had a bitter taste to it, like an insidiously poisoned meal that takes its full effect only after it has been swallowed. The more of the stolen memories faded from Ardyn's mind, the more he began to reflect on the events of the last few years, and the less he liked them. This included his stay at the research facility not long after his release from Angelgard. He did not intend to be used by Verstael as easily again, but that was not what his visit was about anyways. He would get his retribution another day.
Ardyn stood in the open doorway to Verstael's office and announced himself by rapping his knuckles on the doorframe.
The minister, who was in the process of reorganising some old documents on his desk, turned to face him. His hairline had receded further. New lines of age marked his face. The irregular intervals at which Ardyn saw him since his appointment as chancellor made it seem as though Verstael was ageing in a time-lapse. He hated it because it reminded him of his immortality, a trait exclusive to the accursed monster, not the man. No matter how much Ardyn tried to embrace the darkness within, some small part of him still longed to be human.
"Ardyn. It has been a while."
"Do you have time right now?" Ardyn asked. Why, he did not know himself. It was not as if Verstael could stop him from starting a conversation, even when he was busy.
The minister cleared some space on his desk and sat down behind it. "I always make time for you."
"Of course you do."
Ardyn dropped into one of the visitor's chairs and lifted his feet onto the edge of the desk. His behaviour was merely noted by Verstael with an irritated look.
"I heard you joined the fleet to Festala Manor to oversee operations," Verstael mentioned instead. "Seeing how Regis and his son are still alive, I assume you failed to find them."
"They must have escaped among the smoke and debris," Ardyn lied effortlessly. "The general overdid it a bit with the bombardment of the manor."
"But this is not the reason why you came here, am I right?"
Ardyn sat his hat down on a pile of folders and documents.
"Would it be possible to kill a god?"
"For you, my friend, anything is possible. Certainly I needn't remind you that you already have Ifrit under your control?"
"Sometimes I actually forget he is bound to answer my call. We don't exactly talk much."
There was not much use for a fire god in everyday life, and Ardyn knew Ifrit loathed him for the corruption he had infected him with. It was making their cooperation a little difficult, to say the least. Destruction was usually the only thing they agreed on.
"I thought less of Ifrit and more of Bahamut."
"So you met Bahamut in Insomnia," Verstael concluded, smiling smugly. "I've suspected for a long time he is hiding there. Is that also why I had to go and get you out of Angelgard again eight years ago? A fight gone awry? Have you forced Bahamut's hand?"
"And what if I have?" Ardyn replied.
His words made it clear he was not going to share further details with Verstael willingly, which, of course, was also Ardyn's way of prompting the minister to offer something in return. Verstael retrieved a wine bottle and two glasses from the cupboard behind him. He always tried bribery. Not that Ardyn ever minded. Some of those bottles were the best vintages he had ever tasted. A complete waste on a madman like Verstael, really.
Ardyn took his feet off the table and leaned forward, accidentally touching the stack of documents. His hat fell into the wastebasket next to the desk, along with the topmost documents.
While Verstael poured for them both, he retrieved the Fedora. Underneath lay a half-crumpled lab report, of which a phrase immediately caught his eye: "observed an unexpected decrease in the Plasmodium concentration of the test solution".
He heard the minister push a glass towards him and reacted almost instinctively, making the discarded piece of paper disappear into his armiger with a flick of his wrist. As if nothing had happened, he put his hat back on the pile, took the glass and raised it to Verstael, smiling.
"Let us have a look at the facts," Verstael said, taking a sip. "Bahamut is the god of war. If we are to believe the stories, he may very well be the strongest god in the Hexatheon. He has found a way to hide himself from the world, and he has, apparently, banished you from Insomnia more than once. Since you have gone specifically after Regis, we can safely assume that Bahamut protects the kings of Lucis."
"Tell me something new," Ardyn prompted him.
"Why not daemonify him just as you did with Ifrit?"
"Because of his armour, many blades, and, most importantly, his ability to send me back to just about any place on Eos."
Verstael thought about this for a few seconds. In the meantime, Ardyn emptied his glass and let him top it up again.
"If my research into the use of daemonic energy as a foundation for Magitek armour and engines continues unabated, I am confident that Niflheim will soon be able to defeat lesser gods without your help. If nothing else, I have not given up hope that Solheim may have already been researching weapons to fight the gods. When we're ready to take Insomnia, we'll see if Bahamut can withstand an entire army."
"I don't think he cares enough about Insomnia to reveal himself during an invasion. Did you see the destruction I caused ten years ago?"
"It makes no difference. If Insomnia falls, the royal family will go down with it. He will be forced to intervene lest they be killed."
"I get the feeling you underestimate the Draconian's power."
"Not at all. I merely hope for your support. The Starscourge is tailor-made to fight the gods with. We may not be ready to defeat a god like Bahamut today, but we will be eventually."
Ardyn groaned in exasperation. "Eventually!" he repeated. "Eventually is an empty promise."
"Patience, Ardyn," Verstael said. "I don't have unlimited resources, nor unlimited knowledge, so time will have to do it. Let us hope that I will live long enough to have researched all that remains to be researched."
With a heavy sigh, Ardyn rose from his chair and began to pace about the room. Though he did not know what answer he had hoped for, this was not it. His eyes fell on a black and white copy of the painting that showed the True King, the Oracle and the darkness.
"What about the prophecy?" he asked.
"An abrupt change of subject," Verstael observed.
For Ardyn, however, the mental leap from Bahamut to the prophecy was never far.
"Prophecies are for the people of Lucis," Verstael declared with conviction. "We in Niflheim forge our own fate. Why do you ask? Are you afraid the True King will annihilate you?"
That helpless little boy? The thought made Ardyn chuckle.
"Hardly. I was merely wondering what would become of Eos if the Starscourge spreads unchecked."
"Are you feeling quite all right?" Verstael raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You didn't grow a conscience all of a sudden, did you?"
"What? No! Not at all!" Ardyn replied, feigning offence. "I am merely contemplating some theories regarding our star's future."
"Our star faces a glorious future, once we stop seeing the Starscourge as a threat. It is perhaps the greatest opportunity for mankind to evolve. You are the best example that we can achieve immortality and unimaginable powers through it."
"I assure you, being immortal is nowhere near as great as they make it out to be."
"You've already told me that, Ardyn. Several times, in fact. And if I'd been locked away for 2000 years, I'd probably feel the same way. In the future, however, immortality will allow us to achieve all that a single human life is too short for."
Ardyn dismissed the idea of asking him about the lab report. He already knew why Verstael was about to destroy it and did not want him to check whether said document was still in the wastebasket.
"I'd be surprised if Aldercapt was not interested in immortality himself. Let me see if I can't squeeze some more financial support out of him."
He put his hat back on and moved towards the door.
"You know, I'd appreciate it if you still contributed to my research every once in a while, too."
"Too bad I'm in such popular demand, then. The work of a chancellor is very time-consuming." Ardyn grinned. "I believe, I can make time for you on February the 30th, however."
"If you are trying to fool me, at least put some effort into it."
On his way out of the research facility, Ardyn called the document back into his hands and smoothed it out. Verstael's choice of words was unmistakable. Unfortunately, he understood only some of the technical terms, but even with his limited knowledge, he was relatively certain that the minister was describing the unintended side-effect of an experiment in which the plasmodium was destroyed instead of cultivated. This meant that there might be a way to treat the Starscourge medically, and that in turn made the entire prophecy and all its sacrifices pointless.
The thought was overwhelming.
This paper proved that mankind was not at the mercy of the gods. Bahamut's machinations served no other purpose but to entertain the Draconian himself, or worse, to keep men from freeing themselves from the Astral's influence. Furthermore, this meant Ardyn had a lot more potential allies than he ever imagined. Everyone affected by the prophecy was toyed with by Bahamut - sacrificial lambs led to the slaughter, all of them.
And yes, this included Regis' kid, whose life Ardyn had saved on a mere whim.
For the first time in decades, perhaps eons even, he felt a flicker of hope within his blackened heart. He hated the Draconian with a passion that was barely outmatched by the hatred for his brother. Every time he had tried to infiltrate Insomnia and kill Somnus' descendants, Bahamut had made him feel like a pawn on a chess board, putting him back into his place. Every time, it had fuelled his anger, but the Draconian's power had made it seem like the Astral was untouchable.
Ardyn had never even considered taking up the fight against the old dragon until recently, yet now, if he could only trick the Chosen King and the Oracle into defying the prophecy, a world of possibilities opened up before him.
Times were about to change.
Remember to clear out your wastebin regularly.
Also, Ardyn POV. Didn't want to use it, but I could not bring myself to write from Verstael's perspective.
2022-11-05: Reworked the first and last paragraph and smaller sections of the dialogue
