I am back from the dead! Well recovered from surgery round 2 is January 15th. Tis the holidays so I might be getting hectic but I will try to keep writing meanwhile. I do hope you enjoy this chapter!
A single half-night of sleep hadn't been enough for Lunafreya's consuming exhaustion to be abated, compounded by the pain medication she had received. A spent ice pack wrapped in a pillow case was placed on her bedside table, and it had dulled the throbbing in the bruised half of her face. Some of the swelling had gone down revealing how bloodshot her eye was. In spite of a nagging anxiety over her locale being known, she had fallen into a deep dreamless sleep shortly after receiving the medication, and finally secure with her hand clasped within Noctis's. He was bent over her bed, his own eyes heavy and let himself rest with her hand within his.. Her fingers were woven with his, her grip loosened as she drifted to sleep. His thumb idly brushed across her knuckles, her perpetually cold hands felt so damned soothing and familiar within his. Sleep began to call at his beleaguered mind, but it didn't seem his friends could bear staying away for too long, their collaboration of voices jarring him back into a sitting position, and Lunafreya to blink away blissful sleep.
"Got coffee!" Prompto announced cheerily, holding a pair of cups in the air with Ignis and Gladiolus just behind him. The Shield crossed the room and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Ignis was shaking his head as he entered the room as well,
"None of that for the Oracle, I brewed up some Ebony for her. I say she's earned it." Ignis countered.
"When did you… how..?!" Prompto asked, crossing his brows as his eyes darted about when he tried to think about if he even saw Ignis step away. He held the second cup out to Nocits instead who accepted it with thanks, still a bit perplexed. He shrugged it off and instead started to fantasize about sleeping in one of Lestallum's hotels and not rushing off to go sleep on the ground for at least a week. His back was begging for a proper bed.
"Coffee?" Lunafreya mumbled before yawning, stretching her arms and arching her back. Withdrawing her hand from Noctis's got him sitting up and acknowledging the others entering the room.
"Fresh." Ignis confirmed.
"Still haven't explained how or when." Prompto argued.
"Either way she looks like she needs some coffee. And a month of sleep." Gladiolus added with a smile.
"Really know how to butter up a lady, remind me again how on Eos you're single?" Prompto teased.
"And remind me the last time you got laid?" He quipped back. Ignis sighed, rolling his eyes at his companions. He held out a cup to Lunafreya, who took it with a smile and grateful nod and brought the hot drink to her lips, cupping the paper mug with her hands enjoying the warmth against her cool fingers.
"Where is everyone else?" Lunafreya asked, a light blush painting her pale cheeks while she glanced around at them.
"Crowe got kicked out of the hospital, and Aranea decided to keep her company so she would not opt to pick a fight with wandering citizens to vent her frustrations. As for your brother, he decided to take a walk." she suspected that this walk was to spare the hospital staff the awkwardness of asking him.
"Does bring up the question through were we're all sleeping tonight." Prompto asked.
"I'm so tired I could pass out under a rock." Noctis answered, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing to ease the pressure headache he had been feeling since Myrlwood.
"I'm glad you could sleep like that, but I was thinking something more along the lines of... beds?"
"I must agree." Ignis nodded, Prompto smiling wildly and reached out to slap Ignis hard on the shoulder.
"Hotel?" he suggested, "maybe one with a complimentary continental breakfast? Oh man hot bacon and pancakes and bacon and some orange juice and bacon…" His rubbed at his stomach just thinking about such a hot meal.
"I am sure there is likely to be one in the area with vacancy." Ignis concurred.
"We need to leave Lestallum" Lunafreya answered, quickly bringing the paper cup to her lips again, eyes dipping down into the dark liquid. Nocits's brows came together and he sat straighter.
"You need rest!"
"Says the dude who could sleep under a rock." Prompto mumbled.
"Can't argue with a hotel and lots of bacon in the morning."
"Verstael will not suffer losing me for long. He will likely come to collect me soon, if not already on his way." She tried to explain, thumbs running along the sides of the cup, sitting up fully in the bed and one of her feet shaking restlessly. Noctis's face curled at her words, biting down hard on his bottom lip and taking a deep breath that he let out in one rough nasal exhale, his own fingers scratching at the stiff hospital sheets.
"Can't your brother cover for you?" Can you even walk yet? The question caught in his throat, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed to choke down the words, looking from her one restless leg, the sling and second strap of fabric around her chest to secure her arm in place. Her gaze caught his for a moment and he fixated on her bloodshot bruised and swollen eye. "He can tell Verstael you need rest."
"There's only so much he can do. And making me seem more inferm to Verstael will only convince him all the more that I belong back on his ship under his medical care. He does not place must trust in Lucis."
"Why don't we hide out in the city? Last place Verstael will think to look!" Prompto offered, but Lunafreya shook her head.
"You underestimate him. You discovered that I was here at the hospital under my brother's custody. This means that Verstael shall know as well, and in all likelihood is coming to collect me knowing I am unlikely to be in fit condition. The sooner we flee the better." Noctis wished his friends had waited just a little longer to return. "Do we have a way to reach out to Crowe and Aranea?"
"Agreed to meet up at the Regalia to talk about food and sleep at seven." Prompto answered. She grimaced at that answer, and flinched slightly to fight the urge to turn and look out the window for sign of an airship. Noctis turned and tried to catch her eye seeing this, and turned to Ignis,
"Talk to someone in charge to let Crowe back in, Prince's orders. She is a royal Shield afterall. With everyone back we can try to figure out what we're going to do." Noctis suggested.
"Find two women in all of Lestallum? Oh man yeah piece of cake!" Prompto declared, waving a hand in the air.
"Just have Ignis go wander around and Aranea will appear out of thin air." Gladiolus smirked, laughing when Ignis flinched and righted himself, staring back at him over the rim of his glasses. Lunafreya pressed her coffee to her lips to sip at it to help cover up her own smile, but neither Prompto nor Noctis bothered to hide their amusement.
"We merely find that we have certain things in common."
"She does like thsoe sexy glasses. of yours!"
"Be mindful that of this pathetic lot I am the only one who knows how to cook." He threatened.
"Glad I saved up some gil to go get myself a nice hot bacon-filled breakfast tomorrow." Prompto said. Ignis sighed and sipped at his coffee.
"Please don't count me in amongst these ruffians." Lunafreya joked.
"I shall always be pleased to offer my best to you, my Lady." He bowed his head.
"Please just call me Luna." She corrected, eyes dropping for a moment. He merely smiled, not having caught her expression and corrected himself.
"So for getting Crowe and Aranea back here?" Noctis suggested again.
"Doubt we can track them down in the whole city." Gladiolus objected. "Get some sleep we'll meet up like we said." Lunafreya opened her mouth to object, but stopped, brows knitting together as she tried to think of a way to recall Crowe and Aranea. It was a short debate to decide that unless the pair returned early they would wait.
Lunafreya refused suggestions to sleep, insisting that the coffee Ignis provided had reinvigorated her. To pass the time Noctis turned on the small television mounted on the wall, and after flickering through some channels found a movie channel. She had never seen, nor heard of, the movie that Noctis assured her was only just passed the beginning. Prompto had whined about being hungry, so him and Ignis left to get something to eat but Gladiolus refused to leave his charge behind.
"Lunafreya?" She looked up, flinching as her brother's voice startled her.
"Ravus, you gave me quite the startle!" she admonished, pressing her hand over her chest and tapping.
"You always did tease me as children that I should learn to wear a bell." He smiled down at her, crossing the room.
"I'm glad you're back." She let out a sigh, her heart rate starting to slow from her startle.
"You need to leave Lestallum. I received a call from Verstael, he's heading into Lestallum first thing in the morning. That was all the time I was able to buy you." Her smile dropped and her gaze with it.
"Not a moment to rest." She agreed. "Noctis, Gladiolus, please allow me a moment with my brother." She requested. She looked up to catch Noctis's gaze as he jerked in response to her request. "Please." She repeated in a whisper, reaching out to place her hand atop his, her fingers stroking the back of his hand.
"Come on, let's get a drink." Gladiolus clapped hard on Noctis's back and he shook his head and got to his feet.
"I'm not leaving her alone with a Nif again." Ravus's fist impacted the side of Noctis's jaw before Gladiolus could grab his wrist. The Shield turned his hips and rolled his shoulder to punch Ravus in return, Lunafreya's shout preventing an all-out brawl.
"Stop this madness! I've had enough of it!"
"I am not a Nif!" Ravus bellowed, wiping blood and spit from the corner of his mouth. His words were slightly slurred, the bite on his tongue and split in his lip already beginning to swell. "You forget yourself Caelum. You forget what your father's failure cost us! We lost everything while you got to cower behind your wall!"
"Stop this!" Lunafreya pleaded. She threw back her sheets, swinging her legs over and jolted to her feet, immediately falling back with a gasp of pain. The men turned, Ravus's chest heaving and Noctis clenching and unclenching the fists by his thighs. Ravus's eyes were wide and wild, and he brought his hands up through this hair.
"Luna I…"
"Noctis leave me with my brother." He hesitated at the commanding tone, clearing his throat and wiping at his own face, wincing at how tender it was. He licked his lips, blinking several times as his eyes darted around the room and he forced his hands to relax.
"Yeah. I won't be far." He answered and walked out of the room. Gladiolus throwing his shoulder into Ravus, and leaving the room with a middle finger in the air.
"I still don't see-" Ravus started, watching the two Lucian men leaving the room and taking a step towards the doorway.
"Enough!" She shouted again, squinting her eyes as the tears burning her eyes finally rolled down her cheek. "Why must always we fight?" She asked, her brows pressed together, her face lined by her frown. Ravus took a breath, halting his steps and turning to her with his mouth open. She held up her hand, shaking her head.
"I understand what we lost that day Ravus. Trust me. I fully appreciate the consequences of that day. You are not the only one. Since that day I have never been allowed to live as I please. I beg of you, at least allow me to love as I please." Her words broke as a sob made it through her throat. She squinted, swallowing hard to try and regain her composure.
"I wish nothing more than for you to do just that." He sighed, biting his tongue to keep his remaining marks silent. He looked down at her, and his shoulders dropped. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, leaning on one arm with the other wrapped to her chest. the tears seemed to only roll down one half of her face. Her fingers curled around the bed sheets and she was shaking her head. "Go with Noctis." he sighed, working his jaw. "Just get out of Lestallum. And I owe that Shield of yours a broken jaw." He grumbled.
"She's a good woman, Ravus. She's my friend. They all are. Gods… I. I have friends." She looked at him, lifting her arm and dropping it against her thigh for emphasis. "I… I had a cup of coffee today, quite good coffee, simply because one of them thought of me." She mused, her head tilting slightly to the side.
"But they can't keep you safe." He argued.
"Nor can you! Nor can I! No one can!" She shouted. Ravus flinched, staring at her. "I will never be safe, until my duty is complete. You know this!"
"All because you bear mother's curse."
"Because I bear it." She agreed. "Join us, if you so worry for me. Help protect me. You lose custody of me so I can flee this place the damage will have already been done. Defect!" She pleaded.
"You are safer if I stay within the Empire." he reached into his pocket, shaking his head to keep her from countering. "Here," He held out a small phone, and she knit her brow.
"But they can track patterns in the cell towers, it's how they found us before." She argued.
"It's a burn phone. Keep it off except to check it a couple times a day. I'll send you messages about movements of the Niflheim fleet. Keep you one step ahead of them."
"But won't they notice your messages?"
"I got myself a burn phone too. They might figure it out eventually. But if it can keep you safe…"
"And what about you? Ravus… you're all the family I have left. I can't lose you too." She bit her lip, the sobs threatening to come back.
"I'll do everything I can to stay safe. If they sniff me out I have an airship, remember? I'll fly somewhere safe and then join up with you then. But you're safer if I stay within Niflheim to manipulate things from the inside." He reached down for her hand, picking it up to squeeze. He opened his mouth and shut it again, Lunafreya suspecting he was trying not to admonish Noctis or her friends further. "Stay and watch a movie with me? Nocits found a channel on the hospital television." A smile appeared on his lips for a moment and vanished, her brother shaking his head.
"You need to leave immediately."
"But Crowe and Aranea." Ravus sighed, trying to think.
"Set out ahead of them, I'll get a message to them when they return to where you're headed." he suggested. She wondered, for a passing moment, if it would be wiser not to tell him. But she wasn't sure where they needed to go. How many arms were left? They had four more covenants ahead of them. Her breathing was starting to quicken until her brother's voice jarred her out of the spiral of thoughts. "Lunafreya?"
"Hammerhead." She decided, hoping her retinue would agree. She thought of Regis and momentarily felt saliva rushing to her mouth and she tasted bile in the back of her throat, her heart began to race again. But she took a deep breath, letting it out long and slow to cause the sensations to fade. "I wish we could just catch our breath." She lamented. She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "By the Six Ravus. I jumped from an airship, broke what feels like half my body, and oh what I wouldn't do to sleep for an entire day."
"Are you in much pain?" He asked.
"Only when I move too much. They gave me some medicine earlier, though I feel it may be wearing off." She admitted.
"I can get something off my airship," he offered.
"The hospital is likely to provide a prescription." Ravus quickly shook his head. He saw Lunafreya's face sour and held up his palm,
"A prescription requires visiting a pharmacy, which is trackable. Verstael does not trust Lucian medical facilities and will wonder why I allowed you to fill a prescription. I will get you something." She strained to think of something to delay him, to hold him here a bit longer. Always fighting. Always arguing.
"Please just… stay a while?" She pleaded.
"The sooner you leave the safer you are."
"Perhaps you can spirit us to Hammerhead?"
"They track the location of all their airships. Even the puppet ships. They would know I went there."
"But how shall you explain my disappearance?" She asked.
"Verstael does not command me, I'll merely explain that I have you in my custody while you recover due to the severity of your injuries, and after what happened to you under his care I don't trust him." She let out a short laugh, shaking her head.
"Once I finish these covenants…"
"We can watch all the movies you want." Ravus promised. "I'll go get those pills." She stood on her feet again, ignoring his attempt to protest. She stepped closer and wrapped her good arm around his middle and rested her head against his chest, squinting away the newest burning tears.
"Even if I pick the longest, most boring fantasy movie I can find?"
"Isn't it a little sister's job to drive her older brother insane?" He responded, returning her hug. He bent down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"As it is an older brother's to be overprotective." she gave a sad laugh, letting her arms drop by her sides as he let go of her before he parted from the room. She let her shoulders drop once he was out of the room and the smile vanished from her face. She sat back down on the bed, trying to turn herself back onto it so she could lie back and gather what little energy she had left to their latest attempt to run from the Empire.
"Hey." Noctis greeted as he returned to the room some minutes later. Despite having been given a cup of coffee by Prompto, Gladiolus convinced him it was wise to go get another one anyway. Not wanting to feel jittery he decided to buy some snacks from the vending machine, and returned to Lunafreya's room with a packet of cookies and a candy bar for her, an empty candy bar wrapper in his pocket and a package of chips for himself.
"Hello to you." She smiled, shifting in the bed to sit herself up a little bit with the bed's control.
"You and your brother talk about how much sexier I look with this manly bruise?" He asked, pointing to his cheek before walking to her bedside, handing her the packet of cookies. She pressed her lips together and sighed, reaching to brush his cheek with her fingertips.
"Is this enough yet to convince you to cease these fights with him? I'm realistic, I understand that he will never gain sense… but I have more hope for you my dear scruffy Prince." Her lips twitched into a half-smile.
"He definitely knows how to throw a punch." His brows lifted while he nodded. "He manage to be a human for five minutes or was he a complete prick to you too?"
"I have had enough of arguing with the two of you about this." she snapped, making Noctis flinch at her tone and she continued before she could hear another apology. She could feel a headache building behind her eyes that echoed the throbbing in the rest of her body. She told him of Ravus's suggestion, and as expected Noctis and Gladiolus immediately opposed the idea. The fact that now Ignis and Prompto were also separated from the group complicated the plan to flee.
"Why don't I just find a rocket launcher and blow his ship to hell." Gladiolus grumbled, rubbing his face before running his hands through his hair.
"Would allow me the best night of sleep I've had in months." Lunafreya replied, despite the lurch her stomach did at the thought of cold murder. She blinked away the image of Nettmann being pushed off the airship, and wondered what became of his corpse. The thought of Verstael got her heart rate to pick up again. "We perhaps should heed his advice and flee this city. Give ourselves a head start against him."
"And just leave Crowe and Aranea behind with nothing but a note to catch up to us?" Gladiolus quested, then rubbed at his chin. "Maybe Commander Assshole is onto something." Lunafreya just sighed, and ignored the jab at her brother hoping the pair got it out of their systems.
"Can we even trust someone with a message like that?" Noctis asked.
"No." Lunafreya answered immediately, shaking her head. She stared down at the sling holding her arm, her brows tightly knit as she let out a slow sigh. "People are growing desperate." she elaborated, looking up to meet Noctis's concerned frown.
"So what do we do?" Gladiolus asked.
"I suppose that in spite of risk we are forced to wait for Crowe and Aranea to return." Lunafreya responded.
"Why don't we watch a movie," Noctis started, pointing his thumb at the television, "while we wait for Iggy and Prompt." Noctis and Lunafreya ate their snacks, Gladiolus was eating a container of cup noodle he got from the vending machine with hot water from the coffee machine while they waited for the said pair to return.
"Lunafreya?" Ravus knocked lightly on the door. Noctis and Gladiolus both flinched, the Shield jumping to his feet.
"Please." she pleaded, shaking her head. Gladiolus cursed under his breath and sat back down, tipping his styrofoam cup into his mouth to down the salty broth before tossing it across the room into the small wastebasket.
"Here… these should help." He grumbled, crossing the room. "You should leave shortly." He instructed. She shook her head, passing her doubts about trusting anyone with passing the message of her location to anyone in Lestallum. It was only two more hours to the expected meet time, but even this left her brother feeling on edge.
"We must agree to disagree on this, as we do many things. Please, watch this movie with me with the time i have left." She asked. Ravus paused, and she repeated her request, looking up at him with wide eyes that often had him sneaking into the kitchen for cakes as a child. The damned kicked-puppy look that led to him getting grounded on endless occasions. He sighed, letting a small smile crack his face.
"I guess I can suffer a movie. What is it?"
Noctis's fervor to collect the royal arms during Lunafreya's abduction had Ignis pouring over maps during downtime trying to help plan their routes. When Hammerhead was suggested as their next destination, Ignis countered suggesting they head to Thommel's Glade instead. Noctis was disappointed at not being able to consult his father, but lacked any strong argument for passing by a Royal Arm. Prompto bemoaned the lost opportunity to talk to Cindy, Gladiolus lamenting the lost opportunity for a large plate of deep fried foods from Takka's.
Lunafreya was surprised that she was allowed to simply check out of the hospital, and wondered what her brother had said to the nurses to make this happen. But it made getting everything down to the Regalia simpler. They climbed into the car, realizing that a trip to Hammerhead was going to be extremely necessary.
"Gods I miss my bike." Aranea lamented. She was in the middle seat in the back. To her right was Noctis, Lunafreya sitting on his lap. To her left Crowe was sitting on Prompto's lap. Gladiolus had declared shotgun the moment the car was in sight earning the luxury of the passenger seat, leaving Ignis sitting in his usual chair.
"Yeah not everyone appreciates snuggling as much as those two." Prompto grunted as Crowe tried to shift her weight.
"Don't wanna cuddle?" Crowe whined, pouting her bottom lip and tilting her head. "My ass too bony for your chicken legs?"
"Don't mention chicken legs, damn… now I'm hungry." Prompto pouted. The trunk of the Regalia had been packed with several bags of nonperishables. The price of fresh vegetables at the market had been prohibitively high, forcing the picky chef to pick from a limited selection of dried or canned vegetables. Even meat wasn't plentiful; instead relying on canned beans to provide the group's protein.
"I'll pull over if I spot a cockatrice." Ignis replied to the complaint, and thought about the stew he'd be able to make with such a catch. He shifted gears and pulled the car from its parking lot as dusk settled over Lestallum. He twisted the knob to activate the lights, and questioned their decision to flee at night.
"So none of us thought out this whole… running away during daemon o'clock thing did we?" Prompto asked, drumming his fingers on the seat, and trying not to bounce his legs.
"In the Myrlwood nothing came into the tomb, I was going to suggest we sleep there." Ignis offered.
"What about the car? It's pretty recognizable and Verstael will be hunting around the area for Luna." Nocits asked, his arm around her waist hugging her closer to him.
"Once we arrive we can see if there's a more subtle place to stow the car."
"Wonder if Cid's garage can repaint the car." Noctis half-mumbled, wincing and reluctantly looking up to Ignis, the man gripping the steering wheel hard.
"I… That may be a prudent decision." He sighed, and took the next turn harder than usual to pull onto the main road out of Lestallum.
"Oh man gonna paint the car? Pick some cool color!" Prompto encouraged.
"The point would be to make it blend in." Ignis answered. There were a few suggestions coming from the group. White from Lunafreya, red from Aranea, green from Crowe, Prompto suggesting blue while Ignis and Gladiolus remained quiet on the subject. The sky was deep crimson, and lines formed on Ignis's brow that Lunafreya could make out when she glanced up at the rearview mirror. Her gaze went back outside. Her hands were folded in her lap but felt Noctis grip her tighter and released her hands, the white skin flushing back to pink while she placed them over his, her thumb idly brushing against the back of his knuckles.
Clouds were arriving from the horizon, likely bringing shadows or rain during the night and she hoped that it would make the land darker and harder to find the black car. They turned off the main road after some time, the sun having dipped behind the horizon. Ignis flicked the car's highbeam headlights on, and Lunafreya closed her eyes and focused on hear breathing and tried to tap into the light residing within herself to keep the daemons away from the car. In, out. One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Her mind fell away from her fears hiding in the darkness and a serenity settled into her chest.
"Luna?" She flinched and opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. "You fall asleep?" Noctis asked, worry creasing his brow.
"No. Merely… meditating." She countered. "We've arrived?"
"Yeah, found some trees to park the car under so you probably can't see it from an airship." He answered. She nodded, following him out of the car. The clouds she had seen had indeed rolled in, obscuring the moon and the stars leaving everything dark. There was growling and hissing around them, and everyone gathered just in front of the car, and Lunafreya found herself unable to suppress a flinch when the headlights were turned off and Ignis joined them.
"How far to the tomb?" Noctis asked.
"That hissing is getting louder…" Prompto complained.
"We'll be quick, it isn't far. Less than half a kilometer." Ignis explained, and glanced at Lunafreya.
"I can feel them, I don't know how well able I am to fend them off." she answered the way he locked eyes with her. He nodded, dropping his eyes to the ground.
"I apologize." He said quickly, and in the darkness he saw her smile and shake her head.
"I fear my light may be dimmer until I find proper rest. So it is I who should apologize to you." He shood his head but before he could open his mouth to counter her she turned her attention to a mumbling Aranea. "Pardon?" she asked her.
"I was wondering if it's smart to leave the car there." Aranea pointed to the trees, "Fuckin' things aren't going to turn into some deep-sea nightmare?" Lunafreya's brow creased and she looked between Aranea, to Noctis, and back to Ignis.
"Whilst you were captured, my Lady, we thought it prudent to find more royal arms and sought one in the Myrlwood. It seemed the blight seeped into the ground itself. The trees were blighted." Lunafreya grabbed arms as chills rolled goosebumps across her skin, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She tried to glance around for any sign of the parasitic disease but it was dark and every shadow sent her heart rate increasing.
"I don't see the trees moving, except for a little wind. But I'm still sure as hell not staying with the car again!" Prompto shouted. They could hear his voice echoing earing a hiss of shh from his companions before he mumbled a reflexive sorry.
"Your leg okay?" Noctis asked.
"I'll hop if I have to I'm not staying with the car again." He refuted.
"Yeah I can't blame you…" Noctis agreed.
"We need to move with the headlights off things might grow the balls to come after us." Gladiolus interrupted, stepping up beside Noctis and giving his shoulder a light push. The Prince started to walk, keeping his pace slow until Lunafreya was beside him and Ignis took point to lead the way with Aranea at his side. As they walked away from the car the hissing started to grow louder. Noctis looked around trying to see in the dark, his eyes now better adjusted he could make out better detail than a sheet of black anywhere further than a foot from his face. To his right he saw a large ball moving rapidly towards them,
"Oh shit!" He cursed, backing up quickly. It was a large shaggy ball that rattled as itdmoved sounding like brush in a windstorm. Long limbs stretched out from the central body in a spider-like creature. It hissed when it jumped towards him. He felt Engine Blade's hilt in his hand but two long legs impacted his shoulders, two more pairs wrapping around his middle while the final pair pushed into his upper thighs. Mandibles made of thorn-coated branches snapped at his face as he twisted his neck and arched his back, his curse vanishing into a scream.
There was a flash of blue as Lunafreya called her trident, managing to bring it level with her face as another shadow lunged at her. The long leg-like branches had more joints than any animal Lunafreya had ever seen, wrapping around her shoulders in jerking motions, thorns digging into her skin as the trident kept the mouth from biting her, two thick mandibles snapping millimeters from her face. Her arm strained, her muscles burning as her trembling limb tried to hold the heavy weapon up with one hand. The once-plant's roots whipped below it, and with a twist of its thorax it managed to turn itself so the tentacle-like branches could tangle around hers the thorns pricking through her denim pants. She gasped as thorns dug into her thighs and she fell backwards. She let go with her trident to cushion the impact with the ground, tensing in anticipation of the pain of the impact. She grunted as the air was nearly knocked from her, rolling onto her side to try and protect her face from the thrashing branches.
"Fuck off!" Crowe snarled and the hissing turned into a screech. The branches tangled around a long heavy stick she had picked from the ground and swung at the living shrub. Thin red cuts appeared along Lunafreya's body as her Shield forced the arachnoid shape off of her. The brunette grunted and turned, the daemon releasing the stick before trying to whip at Crowe with the jointed tentacles that dragged from its former roots, "Oh fuck no!" She snapped, feeling the chill vanish from her palms as fire ignited and she wrapped her fingers around it. She smirked, backpedalling to draw it further away from Lunafreya and cast the flames just as they began to grow too intense for her skin. The small ball nearly exploded on impact.
"Hell yeah, Trogdor!" Gladiolus cheered, grunting when he brought the greatsword down but the thing scuttled away and only lost the distal joints on three of its legs, leaving it skittering lopsided.
"It's not enough alone!" she snapped, flexing her palms and wondering what the hell was wrong with this area. The arachnoid daemon screamed as the last of her flames went out, leaving it shivering, legs jerking rapidly twisting and for the barest moment Crowe thought the damn thing looked like it was in pain.
"What the hell are these things?!" Noctis grunted as his Engine Blade hacked at the daemon that had been pinning him. Gladiolus had freed the Prince from the arachnid daemon, and the two were now hacking at its legs to try and immobilize it. For each branch they managed to snap off another one grew, jerking and twitching as knots formed in the once-wood where new joints were.
"Can I cast a vote for just running past these things?" Prompto asked, backing up until his back collided with Gladiolus and screamed at the contact.
"Gotta put some some Valium in an aeresol can." Aranea teased, thrusting her polearm into the jointed tentacles of the shrub Crowe was struggling with to pin it down, the two women working at hacking off the ever-reappearing legs.
"Like you're so badass?" Crowe snapped.
"I said aerosol can for a reason, spray that right in my face so I can sleep for a week the memory of these things are going to haunt my dreams for a month." She quipped back. She bit down onto her bottom lip,patting at her hips for a sidearm wishing she had made carrying one a habit but her polearm was holding the jerking arachnoid in the soft soil. She looked over to Lunafreya who had managed to get to her feet, crossing the short distance to her.
"Give me your trident," she asked, holding out a palm. Lunafreya hesitated, looking between her sling and her good arm. Her brow came together and she let out a hard puff of air through her nose, gaze turning back up to the daemon. It was once a fern, wider than it was tall. What would have once been tapering green leaves were shriveled black, wiggling like short limbs from the branches of varying lengths. Without its thick green leaves Lunafreya could make out the red thorns poking from the wood. It stood up on eight of its longer branches that contained enough joints to give it a very unnatural jerking motion where one would expect a smoother tentacle.
Aranea took the Trident, letting out an oof when it was dropped into her arms, startled by its weight. But she was quick to correct herself and rush back to Crowe. She held the weapon above her head and brought it down, feeling the tipped prongs tear through the branches of the arachnoid and bury into the soil beneath. It squealed, blackened roots waving wildly and spraying a tar-like substance around it. Aranea felt it against her face, madly spitting as an intensely bitter taste filled her mouth to match the scent assaulting her nose. She rubbed hard at her skin, cursing and backpedaling away from the thing while Crowe side-stepped around it, calling more fire.
"Luna, think you can manage a shield?" she called. The Oracle stared at the trapped and screaming once-fern, chewing the corner of her lip while she nodded. Crowe threw her fire, Lunafreya her shield, and the three women squinted and turned away from the intense light that flashed. The fire burned intensely, and aware of the sticky substance still coating her cheek Aranea stepped further away from the fire while she watched the dome glow white before the flames vanished. Lunafreya grunted as she dropped her shield, and fell to her knees. The trident vanished, but the smoldering arachnoid fern didn't move.
"Shit she overdid it, never should have asked her to do that!" Aranea rushed to her side, placing a palm on her back. Crowe cursed,
"Help them I'll watch her." She countered, nudging Aranea. The dragoon hesitated for a moment before standing, gathering her polearm and joining Noctis and Gladiolus. The daemon had shrunk, hissing and dancing around the ground littered with its twitching severed branches, the shriveled leaves crawling across the ground like leeches in the bottom of a pond. Despite the intense damage it had taken it still moved too quickly for either Nslipe or Gladiolus to cleave it clean in half. She was able to use her polearm to pin it in place, though she missed the dead center and the daemon was able to wrench itself away, sacrificing more limbs and leaves in the process.
Noctis let out a hissed breath, cursing and dropping his focus. One of the black leaves had attached itself to his leg. He reached down, trying to grab it but its slick tissue caused his grip to fail and he cursed again as the bite burned, then started to grow numb. He took several steps backwards, looking at the ground and the two more leave-leeches attached to his boots.
"Shit guys watch out!" he called, stomping on his own foot to try and kill them. They squealched beneath his boot and he curled his nose as an intensely bitter scent assaulted him causing him to cough from the intensity. The others took notice of the leeches and also backed away from the daemon.
"Uhhh… guys… might be time to run." Prompto suggested again. He held his pistols in his hand, and had hesitated in firing them out of fear of hitting his friends during the chaotic close-range battle in the dark. But the startle from the leeches had everyone clearing enough space that he fired, the sound echoing all around them and he winced. A few leaves were shed, but the arachnoid showed no other signs of noticing the bullet. "Seriously guys," he looked around him and tried to put himself closer to where Crowe knelt beside Lunafreya.
"Don't tell me there's more of these freaky things!" Noctis called.
"More than that, dudes just look!" he called. The others risked glances around, and could see their situation. Bombs had started emerging, which explained Lunafreya's ability to make out detail on the still smoldering arachnoid. There was a scraping signifying a nearby Iron Giant. The sounds of battle had drowned out the hissing they could now hear while they tried to evaluate their surroundings. They could see long black tentacles reaching for them from the nearby trees, and further scraping.
"I do believe I agree with Prompto, running may be the most prudent choice."
"Not sure Sparkles here can run." Crowe countered.
"I am all right." The woman quickly argued, pushing against one knee with her good arm. She gasped as she stood, pressing her hand against her ribs and biting hard on her tongue to restrain her voice. Her face was curled, brows knit tightly together as she breathed carefully in and out of her nose.
"No arguing." Noctis told her as he vanished his blade, walking over to her. She righted herself quickly, catching his eye but seeing Gladiolus taking another swing at the once-fern tried to swallow her pride. Noctis lifted her into his arms, and with Ignis taking the lead everyone broke into a run towards the tomb. Noctis had his Shield on one side, Lunafreya's on the other; Ignis ahead and Prompto behind forming a circle around him that caused him to tense his jaw. A dull shadow, hardly discernible from the surrounding darkness became more detailed. A stone dome, coated in moss of various shades, the darkness preventing any color from being visible. Please don't let the tomb be blighted. He prayed.
More once-ferns had tried to attack, but were held back by flashes of pentagonal light as they impacted a shield Lunafreya was holding around them. It would shatter with each minimal impact, but the Oracle would bring it immediately back in disregard of all the warnings the others were giving her to stop. The soft thudding of feet on soil became higher pitched as they reached the stone platform surrounding the tomb.
"Whoa look, they stopped," Prompto pointed out while Ignis struggled to open the tomb door with his trembling hands. The others looked, seeing that the daemons that pursued them had halted at the edges of the stone, stalking around the perimeter.
"I ain't risking it, get us inside sexy glasses." Aranea asked a slight quiver in her voice. He managed to get the door opened, and stumbled as everyone rushed inside pushing at each other. Gladiolus was the last to enter and closed the doors behind them, both palms against the stone and panting for breath as he leaned his weight, pressing his forehead as he tried to gather his senses.
"Is every tomb going to be like this?!" Prompto asked. He too had sunk to the ground quickly, massaging his leg and wincing at the soothing ache it caused, the sharp throbbing already beginning to dull, the sole of his foot intensely itchy as sensation returned and he wondered at what point it had even gone numb.
"The Blight grows." Lunafreya offered in answer. Noctis had set her down so he could sit beside her, and she rested her weight against him as she heaved to catch her breath. Crowe sat beside her, and Aranea leaned against the stone platform to be across from the Oracle, and Ignis sat down beside Prompto.
"So… that means it won't have to bother with small fry like us anymore and the rest of this crazy adventure?" Lunafreya chuckled at Prompto and nodded.
"Like a six year old trying to pick a fight with a heavyweight boxer, just ain't gonna consider it anymore." Gladiolus agreed, a humorless laugh punctuating his words as he too sank to the ground.
"Quite the five-star you've booked for us tonight Iggy." Prompto looked over to his friend.
"As ever I find it wise to balance our comfort and budget." he nodded.
"You okay Luna?" Noctis asked, feeling her weight against his arm. She nodded, but her face was tense, and he saw her fingertips on her good hand scratching against her pants. Aranea too noticed her tension, and reached inside her jacket, patting around it. She found the small metal box she was searching for, and undid the zipper to slip it out.
"I should have something here to help the pain so you can sleep." She offered, setting the tin on her knee and lifting the lid. It was a small med-kit, standard issue to most Nifleheimer soldiers. While merely a mercenary for their army, she had been given a med kit, survival kit that was stuff somewhere back on her crashed airships with the MREs that had formed most of her meals. "And don't you dare go pulling some holy Oracle shit on me saying something you can bear the pain you'd rather let me keep it in case I get mauled by a flying ursa." she lifted a pre-filled syringe and twirled it for a moment, grunting as she got up to walk the two steps to sit back down again within arm's reach, "need me to give it to you?"
"What is it?" Lunafreya asked in place of the protests that filled her head. Casting her shields had sapped what little energy she had. It was merely pain throbbing in her face, her arm, her ribs, radiating throughout her body that was keeping her from falling unconscious.
"It's a low-dose morphine."
"Morphine? How did you obtain morphine?" she lifted her brows at the other woman.
"Ancient military policy in Niflheim, some old war forever ago they would give it to their soldiers in a standard med kit thinking it could help them keep fighting after being shot since dragging them out of the trenches they fought it was pretty impossible and every finger on a trigger was important." she explained, half trying to recall what little history that managed to stick in her brain, and half making it up.
"Only half." Lunafreya agreed when the dragoon asked her again if she would accept the dose. A pinch, a slight burning at the injection site, and fell asleep to the feeling of Noctis brushing his fingers through her hair.
