Disclaimer: not mine
I summoned Leviathan from a puddle! Not sure how that happened. Seriously, the only water around was this little puddle, I figured it'd summon Garuda like normal and then she showed up to drown the enemy.
Chapter 9
Prompto left Noct's apartment, not sure what to do now. Usually, he spent the weekends with his best friend, but he had some new tutor that he would be working with this weekend. He understood his training was important and would never want to get in the way of it, he just hated going home to an empty house. He heard the ding of the elevator up ahead and put on some speed to catch it only to trip over his own feet, hitting something solid, firm hands grabbing him, shifting and steadying them both. He felt his cheeks go red in embarrassment, looking up into the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. Yeah, if he could just die on the spot that'd be great.
"Are you okay?" the stranger asked.
"Uh, yeah, sorry," he offered stepping back. He glanced down, seeing the black clothing marked with subtle skull designs, a Crownsguard?
"No harm done Mr Argentum."
It was weird, having someone who looked about his age calling him that. He hadn't realised there were members of the Guard that young outside of Iggy and Gladio, but they were special cases as Noct's Retainers. He turned at the sound of a door opening down the hall, sighing as Ignis left the apartment, great now he'd see the clutz attack.
"Prompto? Is everything alright?" Ignis called as he approached. "Ah, you must be Crownsguard Peverell. His Highness is in the apartment," Ignis offered, sounding….stiffer than normal.
"Thank you," Guard Peverell nodded. "Nice meeting you both."
Prompto followed Ignis into the elevator. "So who was that?"
"The newest member of the Crownsguard, Harry Peverell. A refugee from Galahd who arrived with the newest group. He originally joined the Kingsglaive but the standard medical revealed that he is related to the Marshal, so he was transferred. He's been assigned to work with Noctis on his training."
"Oh." Was he even allowed to know that much?! Then again, the Marshal having family would be big news and no way could it be kept secret.
"Would you like a lift home?"
"Nah, I'll be fine. See ya later Iggy!" Prompto waved and left the apartment building.
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Noctis sighed as first Prompto and then Ignis left. He honestly didn't know what to think. He had a ….cousin? They were so distantly related and yet the Lucii approved of him, did that mean…he could be King instead of Noctis? He hated lying to the others, but his Dad had made it clear, no one was to know who Peverell really was. They were hiding him as Cor's cousin to explain any 'special treatment'. He was a year older so at least they were close in age? Would they have anything in common though? He'd grown up in Galahd, was living in the refugee sector and apparently refusing to move to 'better' accommodations. Noctis volunteered in some of the refugee areas and he didn't think there was anything wrong with them, other than the shoddily built housing. They were real communities and sometimes he wondered what it'd be like to live somewhere like that, to have neighbours who treated you like family, where everyone pitched in.
Had Peverell even wanted to come to Insomnia? It wasn't like he'd known he was family.
He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration….right as someone knocked on the door. He took a deep breath and stood, walking over to open the door. Standing there was another teenager with hair just as dark as his own but eyes even greener than his Dad's, dressed in Crownsguard black.
He bowed, braids falling forward as he did. "Crownsguard Harry Peverell, your Highness."
Noctis nodded and let him into the apartment, locking the door behind him. "So…" he shifted, uncertain what to say after the very formal greeting but then his cousin relaxed and offered a small smile and his hand.
"Hi, so apparently we're related."
Noctis relaxed at that but he was confused, and it must have shown.
"There's surveillance in the hall, better safe than sorry. I'm Harry," he offered and Noctis reached to accept the handshake.
"Noctis. Do you want anything? Ignis left snacks and drinks." Iggy would kill him if he didn't offer refreshments to a guest.
"Only if you're having something."
He nodded and headed for the kitchen, Harry following him. They got some snacks and soda and Noctis decided to sit on the couch to try and not let things become formal. He'd never had family outside of his Dad and he wasn't really sure what he was meant to do.
"I'm not going to bite."
He looked up at the words and teasing tone to find Harry watching him as he munched on some chips. "I uh…"
Harry leant forward, making eye contact. "This is new for both of us, I thought I had no family, that I'd never learn anything about my Dad's side. The Royal family has continued to shrink over the centuries until only one child is being born per generation and it seems your Mother's family isn't around either."
"Why don't you want to be known as family?" Noctis asked and listened as Harry explained. He wasn't big on talking but Harry somehow made it easier. They spent hours asking questions and exchanging stories but eventually Harry needed to go.
"We've got a training room booked for every Wednesday after school. I'll see you then, but you can call whenever. I'll be out of the city occasionally, but I'll let you know before I go."
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Harry lay in his bed, not quite ready to sleep yet. Tomorrow, he'd be facing Cor in a sparring match because the man wanted to see what he could do for himself. So far, he'd been learning about the Crownsguard and what they did. They weren't a strictly combat orientated division like the Glaive so there was a lot to learn. They were more like the Aurors of the Magical world or one of the MI departments in the non-magical world maybe, they weren't just an army or something.
Meeting Noctis had gone well, once they got over the initial awkwardness. It had been surprising to see he looked quite a bit like Uncle Somnus when Harry had first met him, despite there being two thousand years between them, but genetics could be weird like that. He didn't like making things up or changing things to keep his secret, but he wasn't ready to just up and tell anyone. Gil agreed with him though the tone of his note had been rather amused over exactly how long he'd managed to keep his relation to the Royal family a secret.
He seemed like a rather typical teenager to Harry which was good, it was heartening to see that he had managed to live his own life to some extent. He went to a public school, had his own apartment away from the Citadel, and even a part-time job. Not even the British Royal children worked while at school so the King really was doing everything he could to give Noctis a normal childhood. He wasn't neglecting to learn what he'd need to be King one day either, he didn't envy him trying to balance all that out.
The blond boy…Prompto Argentum…that scent was unmistakable but how? He looked fully human, nothing like an MT and he hadn't sensed any trace of the Scourge within him. What was he? Did the King know? Did Noctis? Did Prompto? Was he a spy or assassin waiting for the right time? He could be a sleeper agent and not even know it. There were way too many questions and only one way to get the answers. He'd have to find out where Argentum lived and then make a trip one night to see what he could learn. If the boy was a threat…he'd do what he had to. Depending on what he found, hopefully nothing too drastic would have to be done.
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It was easy to fall into the pattern of days learning the ropes and training with different members of the Guard, working with Noctis every Wednesday, and then using what little free time he had to explore the city or read more.
So waking one morning three weeks later to a message saying to pack a bag for a four day trip was a surprise. He messaged Noctis to cancel their training session the next day and then packed what he thought he'd need, making sure to have extra supplies in the Armiger just in case.
When he arrived at the Citadel he found Cor waiting for him, following him to the waiting beat up looking car. The way the engine purred when it was started proved the appearance was the only bit about it that was old and worn. "Where are we going?" he asked as they drove into the city.
"The Prairie Outpost north of the Three Valleys, it's a Hunter Outpost. There are two Royal Tombs just beyond but there's also an Imperial Base nearby so we're sneaking passed, the Hunters won't give us away."
"Right, tombs," Harry murmured. He'd talked with Regis about them once since their first meeting. Thankfully, Somnus' Tomb was considered lost so there would be no need to try and fake gaining the blade there.
"Nervous?" Cor asked as they cleared the checkpoints.
"Maybe?" he shrugged slightly. "Not really of the tombs, they're the same ones that are in the Ring right? And it accepted me."
"The tombs have denied Royals their powers before, but no one has ever been harmed," Cor assured him.
Between the Rings acceptance and Uncle Somnus speaking for him, he very much doubted he'd have any trouble claiming the Arms. "Why are the Tombs so spread out?"
"Kings or Queens used to be buried in the lands they claimed for the Kingdom. It is said the Mystic's Tomb was originally within Insomnia but vanished one day, no one now knows where it is. The last several generations have all been buried within the city walls."
"One hundred and twelve rulers, so why so few Arms?"
"We don't know why some weapons become Royal Arms and others don't. King Mors never favoured a particular weapon and hadn't fought in years, perhaps that is why he does not have an Arm."
Harry nodded, that made as much sense as anything else. When the sun began to set they parked and walked to the nearby Haven, setting up camp and Harry cooked a simple meal.
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Cor unlocked the doors and stepped back to allow the young Prince within. The Tomb of the Wise was the best to start with, the Conqueror's was within the old mine which was filled with daemons these days. Regis had decided that since the Lucii accepted him, Harry's title should also be Prince as he could inherit. Though whether he'd told him yet…
He stayed back, keeping an eye on the path for safety, as Harry approached the sarcophagus. He took an obvious deep breath before holding his hand out over the weapon and Cor's head snapped around again, eyes scanning the canyon as he heard something. By the time he looked back the light was fading around Harry who was rubbing his chest.
"That was…disconcerting," the teen admitted, and Cor smirked slightly.
"Let's move, we need to be in and out of the mine before nightfall," he said and Harry nodded, following him out.
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Harry lay in his sleeping bag, staring up at the tent. He really did not like daemons, they had been one thing he definitely hadn't missed while back on Earth. Goblins were nasty little things but the almost spider-like lady ones….well they always brought up memories of the weeks prior to his leaving Earth the first time, though thankfully they didn't speak, unlike Aragog.
He now officially had two of the Royal Arms plus one unofficial one, which he was trying to find a way to keep from appearing when he gained a new one. So far, Cor had been distracted into looking away, the first time by Harry magically knocking some rocks aside and the second time by a legitimate daemon attack in the mine. who put a Tomb in a mine?
Cor wasn't the most talkative of companions, but he'd managed to get a few stories out of him on Regis' Pilgrimage and even Noctis when he was little. He'd even managed to glimpse Argentum's address in his memory when he mentioned how they'd met. He could finally check up on him and see what was going on there once back in the city. He kind of missed travelling by Chocobo like he had with his Dad when they left the city, but the car was faster, if limited to sticking to roads.
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Noctis checked his phone and grinned at the message, Harry and Cor were back from their 'mission'. Which meant training was back on for the coming Wednesday. The more time he spent working with Harry, the more he liked his cousin. He didn't try to suck up to him like so many did and why would he? The guy had turned down any public acknowledgment of being related to them. He had no reason to try and get on Noct's good side or anything. He was serious in training, but he also made things fun where possible. He really listened too if Noctis talked. Maybe one day, when Noctis was King, Harry would be his Cor?
He shook those thoughts off and went back to his homework, wanting it all done before Prompto came over for the weekend.
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Harry slipped into the house, silent and unseen, looking around curiously. The master bedroom was empty and had been for some time, although there were still personal belongings present. Argentum was seventeen, old enough to be left home alone for a while but this felt…like their absence was the norm and not an occasional thing.
He found Argentum in the second bedroom, sprawled all over his bed, fast asleep, and a little magic ensured he would stay that way. Pendragon stirred and Harry knew his eyes had shifted, giving him night vision so that no one would see an out of place light from the room. He glanced around, seeing photos and posters everywhere, camera equipment stored carefully. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, rolling Argentum onto his back, placing a hand on his chest and reaching out with his magic to take a deeper look. He hoped for Noctis' sake, he found nothing.
TBC….
