Update(s):
1. Extended some of the dialogue between Noctis and Nyx.
2. Added a scene at the end with Lunafreya.
Chapter Five
The Battle for Insomnia
As General Glauca closed in on Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, she sent a glance at Nyx's unconscious body sprawled against a metal railing on the side of the road. In her left hand, she clutched the Ring of the Lucii so tightly the metal started to dig into her skin as she backed away from the bestial man. Glauca pointed his sword at Iris, who stood beside Lunafreya with a tiny knife produced, as though she had any hope she could take this man on. She considered her options. Leap into the car and hope she could drive away? It seemed fairly improbable she would make it inside in time and be able to drive away. She also didn't possess the keys, which were still on Nyx's unconscious person. Turning and running would be fruitless. There was nowhere to go and the Magitek Armor would nab her in an instant.
She wondered then why the general hadn't taken her down yet. The speed at which he had flung aside Nyx was so inhumanly fast it appeared as a blur to the naked eye. She supposed the empire still wanted her alive, and she wasn't going to pretend she wasn't a frail woman. At least physically. General Glauca was a beast of a man, and she knew he could tear her apart. Perhaps he wanted her to willingly come with? How was he expecting it to happen?
"Do not be foolish, woman," General Glauca growled. "Come with me, Lunafreya, or these two will suffer the consequences."
"You want to get to her," Iris cried out, "you'll have to go through me!"
"It would be like passing through a gentle stream," Glauca replied. "They do not need to die. Don't make them suffer."
"As though a monster like you cares if something is suffering," Iris said.
Glauca momentarily halted his advance. "I do not do what I do out of love for violence. I do it to protect what is mine. To reclaim what I have lost. I do it for those I lost in the homeland taken from me!"
"Oh, do abandon those sycophantic words!"
Lunafreya recognized the voice of her brother as it cut through the air behind the general. Glauca turned to see the man, clad in white, approaching them, rapier drawn.
"Ravus," the general growled. "Do your duty and subdue her."
"Unnecessary," Ravus replied. "She will come with me willingly, won't you Lunafreya?"
Lunafreya looked between her brother and the general. Then she looked to Iris and Nyx. She felt the ring pressing into her palm once more as she contemplated her next decision. Ravus extended out an open hand and nodded to her. There was an obligation she felt toward her brother, a man twisted and warped by the events from twelve years ago, when Niflheim invaded Tenebrae and killed their mother. She often wondered why he so willingly accepted the commands of the empire who took her away from them, but he did make it no secret he blamed King Regis for the affair.
"Ravus…" she began. "This is too important, dear brother."
"Enough of this madness, Lunafreya," Ravus hissed. He made his way past the general, sheathing his sword at his hip as he swiftly approached her. Iris made to swipe at him, but he caught her at the wrist and turned her away. Ravus grabbed Lunafreya by her shoulder. His voice became low, almost whispering. "Sister, I beg of you. Relinquish this madness, before it's too late."
"There are greater forces at play here, Ravus," Lunafreya replied, her voice soft, almost devoid of emotion. There were hints of sadness seasoning her words, but she kept it light. "This is more important than us."
Ravus's eyes narrowed. He swiftly grabbed Lunafreya by the wrist and twisted it until her palm opened, and he quickly caught the ring as it dropped.
"No!" Lunafreya shouted, but Ravus quickly turned from her.
He held the ring between two fingers and examined it. From his peripheral vision, he saw General Glauca stirring restlessly.
"The ring, Ravus," the general said. "Hand it over."
"The power of a king," Ravus muttered.
"Yes," Lunafreya said. "And only of a king who has been chosen to wield it."
"Ravus…" Glauca growled.
"And why can that not be me?" Ravus whispered, musing to himself. "After all, I do come from a bloodline chosen by the gods."
Ravus quickly put on the ring. Glauca leapt at him, but before he could reach him, Ravus quickly fell to his knees, screaming. He removed the ring as quick as he could, but his arm had caught fire and he gripped it, rolling and screaming in anguish. The ring rolled away, too quickly for the general to see as he finished his leap, dropping over Ravus's body. Growling, the general looked around, but the ring was nowhere in sight.
Nearby, Nyx Ulric returning to his feet. The Glaive straightened himself up and stared the general down, who tilted his head as he studied him. Nyx raised a closed fist, and gradually opened it. With two fingers, he revealed the ring.
"You've seen what it does, Ulric," the general said, pointing at the now moaning Ravus. "Hand it over."
Nyx scoffed. He turned his gaze to Lunafreya and put on the ring. As he did so, the world around him slowed and slowed until it halted completely. He looked over to see General Glauca in mid-leap, rushing toward him, blade drawn high above his head. Lunafreya's expression was difficult to read, somewhere between shock and sadness. Ravus was frozen in his self-inflicted pain. Iris had yet to recover from being thrown aside by Ravus. The world then began to dim, darkness slowly closing in until his surroundings had been completely covered in shadow. Nyx looked up at the sky, cloudy and stormy.
From high above, several glowing orbs descended from the clouds and came to a stop near the skyline of the city. As they stopped, the glowing pulsated and grew in size, until it started taking a different form. The light expanded in several directions and took the shape of people in unique armor, and Nyx immediately recognized their shapes as matching those of the various statues built around Insomnia. The kings and queens of Lucis.
The first who spoke had a deep male voice. Nyx recognized his armor as belonging to the statue of the Founder King himself, Somnus. "You call upon the wards of this world's future, mortal. And if you come lusting for our power, you must first stand in our judgement."
Nyx, sweating and panting, replied, "How long will you do nothing whilst Insomnia burns?"
Somnus replied, "You do not command us. Yours is not even royal blood. It does not fall to us to guard your city."
Another royal spirit said, "Man is a fool creature, clinging to his past and cowering from his future. Wasting his strength on bygone days."
Nyx gritted his teeth. "And what future are you wards of?"
Somnus replied, "So shortsighted, and cursed never to rise above it."
Nyx scoffed.
"Wait," another said. Nyx looked over at the armored king, recognizing the voice immediately. "I have seen what this brave soul is prepared to do. He, too, seeks to safeguard the future."
"Your majesty..." Nyx gasped.
The first king replied, "Very well, young king. We will weigh your warrior's worth. But our boon does not come cheap. The cost is a life. Whose do you choose?" He pointed at Lunafreya and Iris.
"No," Nyx quickly replied. What sort of kings and queens were these? "To hell with your power. I'm not here for it." He sent a sneering smile at the visage of the Founder King. "I only came to tell you that you are no kings."
There came a growl from Somnus. "Your worth has been weighed and found wanting. Now burn."
Nyx let out a scream as flames suddenly poured from the ring, enveloping his arm. Then, to the surprise of the rulers, it morphed into a laugh.
"You're going to lose your precious ring," he mocked. The smile faded. "But it's not too late to save it."
"You mean to barter for your life," one of the king's said.
"No, no," Nyx quickly replied. "My life is nothing. Giving a future to those who want to see it... is everything."
"Hmm," replied Somnus. "You do not fear, even if that future is doomed."
Another king, one in armor large enough to rival General Glauca, said, "If that sentiment is not false, perhaps you are worthy."
"We will grant you our light," Somnus said, "but know it will set when the sun rises. And the price for it will be your life."
A smile crept to the corner of Nyx's mouth. "You guys drive a hard bargain. Where do I sign?"
Time returned to normal, and Nyx quickly raised his arm, projecting a magical shield and stopping General Glauca's sword. The general bounced back, and Nyx caught him in mid-air with a bolt of lightning he fired from his hand. The general flew back and collided against the barrier on the other side of the road. Nyx leapt to Lunafreya, appearing in a blue flash, and took off the ring, handing it to her. He gave her the keys to the Star as well.
"Get out of here, princess," he said. Nyx looked over at the general, who was stumbling back to his feet. "I'll take it from here."
Lunafreya nodded and ran over to Iris, who was sitting on the ground, slowly picking herself back up. She grabbed her by the hand and helped her to her feet, leading her to the car. Iris nodded and got in the passenger seat. The general looked over at Lunafreya, seeing the ring in her hand. He leapt at her, aided by Magitek, but was met in mid-air by a warp strike from Nyx. The two collided, and spiraled down to the ground, where Nyx quickly launched another bolt of lightning at the general, to pin him down long enough for the princess to begin driving away.
Lunafreya briefly looked over at her brother, who had crawled his way to the metal barrier, and sent him a remorseful look, but he refused to look her way as he gripped his smoking arm. Then she sped down the road, and disappeared around a turn.
"I always knew you were special, Nyx," General Glauca said. "But to wield the ring... even I didn't see that coming. It won't be enough, however. Even the king couldn't stop me."
"I don't need to stop you," Nyx replied. "All I have to do is slow you down."
A roar ripped through the air, and Nyx looked over to his left. Across the rooftops, the gigantic monster had begun to move again.
"The Diamond Weapon will level the city," the general said, pointing at the creature. "They will not make it out alive."
"Now is as good a time as any!" Nyx shouted to the sky. The action confused the general, but he quickly felt the ground rumbling. He looked to his right, at a statue of one of the kings of Lucis, and staggered when he saw its head beginning to turn.
Noctis's endless rage had taken him once more to the roof of an airship, where he delivered a kick to an imperial soldier, sending him flailing to the street far below. As he moved from airship to airship, taking out whomever occupied them, Noctis moved closer and closer to his actual target. Several blocks away, the gigantic beast continued the barrage of energy from its shoulders. It rained fire on the city, and Noctis intended to find a way to put it down.
It was then that something most unexpected happened. Noctis warped from an airship to the shoulder of the statue of a king of Lucis, Calmentis the Clever. The statue of the king with the massive crossbow suddenly started rumbling, and Noctis was stunned as he gripped a groove in its shoulder, and watched the head of the statue turn to look at him. And then, he was struck with a realization.
The Old Wall! Noctis thought. But that must mean... could my father...? Noctis remembered that his father didn't have the ring when he died. What was it the general had said? Lunafreya! She has it!
The statue of Calmentis raised its massive crossbow and aimed it at the giant daemon. It fired a bolt the size of several buses, and as the bolt connected with the beast, causing it to reel back and let out a massive roar, Calmentis warped toward it. Noctis found himself falling toward the ground, so he flung his sword and rolled onto the roof of a tall business skyscraper. Noctis dashed forward and leaped onto a railing attached to a massive neon sign that read Insurance Insomnia. The monster was engaging with two of the statues of the Rulers of Yore, as Crepera the Rogue flashed in from behind, spinning and slicing with her massive shuriken. A large chunk of the beast's back was knocked off, and crashed onto a small building below, leveling it. The beast stopped a blow by Calmentis, grabbing the statue by its arms. It lifted it up and spun, throwing the statue clear over several buildings, straight at Noctis.
The prince flung his weapon and warped onto the body of Calmentis as it ragdolled through the air. Noctis then flung his sword again, impaling it onto a rooftop that he appeared on shortly after. He heard a great roar and looked out at the giant daemon, which had swung its massive arm and knocked over Crepera. The statue of the queen attempted to quickly return to its feet, but the daemon grabbed it by the head and twisted it. The stone cracked and shattered. The daemon raised its prize and threw it near Noctis. The prince braced, but it passed over the building he was still hanging from.
He heard a loud crash, followed by an even louder one that shook the building he was dangling from. His arm lost its grip and he started to fall. Noctis looked skyward and aimed his sword above another rooftop. He appeared there in a flash and tumbled through the air, grunting as he hit the rooftop. He quickly returned to his feet, and saw Calmentis returning to its feet as well, the crumbling remains of Crepera's head rolling off of its chest. The statue let out a roar and aimed its massive crossbow. A flashing streak of energy shot out of the weapon, passing over Noctis's head. The prince watched as it struck the monster, which reeled back, falling against a skyscraper for support. The building proved incapable of handling the pressure, and it collapsed, with the monster flailing as it roared and fell to a heap that sent out a shockwave so great it smashed several windows on nearby buildings.
For a moment, there was little noise but the crashing of buildings. Thick clouds of dust consumed the monster as it seemed to fall still. Noctis looked back at the statue of the king, and as they met eyes, he found himself dipping his head forward in respect. To his surprise, the statue returned to gesture. A small smile crept into the corner of Noctis's lips. He looked around. With the beast quelled, he wondered where to head next? He had lost track of his friends in the chaos. Noctis made to pull the phone from his pocket, but a familiar flash of blue caught his eye in the skies above a distant building. The Royal Magic.
Noctis squinted. Two figures were dancing through the air, but he couldn't really make out their details. One looked like he was warping around, but the other seemed to be aided by flashes of red light surrounding their body. It looked much like the energy that poured off of General Glauca before he leapt to the skies. Noctis called his sword again and reeled his arm back, tossing it toward the two combatants. It took several warps across several rooftops before he was close enough to make out their details. Noctis was right about one of them being General Glauca, but he didn't recognize the other. Only their garb, which belonged to the Kingsglaive. Yet, despite the death of his father, he was using the magical gifts of his royal line.
Noctis rolled onto the roof of a nearby skyscraper, the blue flash of the Royal Magic dissipating off of him as he stood and walked to the edge, wondering how best to enter this fray. He didn't need to wonder for long, as he saw General Glauca look his way, his bestial helm seeming to double-take as it turned toward Noctis. A flash of anger threatened to burn through Noctis's chest as he looked upon his father's killer. He readied to warp at him. The general then immediately diverted his attention from the Kingsglaive to the prince. Glauca kicked off of the side of a building, and used the momentum to leap toward the prince, sword raised high. The Magitek energy fired out from engines on his back in a crimson explosion, and it increased his momentum tenfold. Noctis called his sword, but feared he hadn't the time to bring it up as the world seemed to slow. His arm rose slowly. Too slowly. He gritted his teeth as the general came so close Noctis could feel the heat from his presence.
There was a flash of blue. General Glauca's sword had been stopped before it could fall upon Noctis. The Kingsglaive soldier had appeared and stopped the attack, blocking the massive sword with a small curved kukri knife. The man grunted, and somehow managed to avoid dropping to his knees. All the while, the blue energy pulsed and engulfed his body. The magic was strengthening him. He shoved the general back and raised a free hand, firing a solid bolt of lightning that struck the general square in his chest plate, pushing up and over the edge of the roof. The general roared as he fell several stories.
Noctis took several steps back. Residual bolts of electricity snaked along the Kingsglaive's arm before crackling away into nothing. The soldier turned and looked at the prince, quickly recognizing royalty as he dropped to a knee.
"Your highness," he said.
"Who are you?" Noctis asked.
The soldier slowly stood back up. "Nyx Ulric. Kingsglaive."
"Nyx..." Noctis said. "You saved my life. How are you doing all this?"
Nyx held up a hand and showed Noctis a finger, which looked charred. "Your father's ring. It was with the Lady Lunafreya. Actually, it hopefully still is. I asked those old kings of yours for some temporary power."
Noctis looked around, eyes falling upon several of the statues of the rulers of yore, as they stood like sentinels, awaiting another attack.
"Luna… is safe?" Noctis asked.
"I can't say for sure," Nyx said with a sigh. "She left with your old car, and I've managed to keep Glauca away from her. I'm glad you're still alive, highness."
Glad wasn't something Noctis was currently capable of being. He nodded all the same and pulled his phone from his pocket, signaling to Nyx that he would be making a call. Noctis found Ignis in his list and dialed him.
"Hello?" came Ignis's voice, faint.
"Iggy," Noctis said. "Where are you guys?"
"Not far from you," Ignis replied. "We saw you warp to a rooftop and are nearly there ourselves."
"Alright. I'll come down to the street and we can rendezvous. I found a member of the Kingsglaive."
Ignis's voice went low. "Noctis. The Kingsglaive have betrayed us." Noctis looked at Nyx, who returned a sideways glance. "We found Cor as well, engaged in a duel with the Glaive. Some of them have been working with the empire."
"Got it," Noctis said. He hanged up the phone and looked over at Nyx. He might have doubted the man's intentions, but to use the power of the ring must have meant that he obtained the trust of the kings. Nyx had yet to prove he wasn't to be believed. "My friends are down at the street below. I'm going to join them."
Nyx nodded. "I'll come with you."
Noctis walked to the edge of the roof and looked down at the street. Among the various pieces of building and car, Noctis saw three figures waving to him. Noctis waved back and called his sword, which he tossed at the street. He appeared before them in a flash. Nyx flashed in shortly after, and the three friends nearly fell back from shock.
"Royal Magic?" Ignis asked. "How?"
"The Power of Kings," Noctis said. "The Kings of Lucis deemed him worthy."
"Temporarily," Nyx said. "When the sun rises... well... I've done my service."
The four were silent as they looked Nyx in the eyes. But Nyx was not afraid. He returned a determined gaze. Noctis turned his gaze back to his friends, and then tilted his head when he noticed someone was missing.
"I thought you said you found Cor?" Noctis asked.
"We did," Prompto replied. "He and Monica both. When the giant monster and the statues were fighting, we ended up getting separated. Haven't been able to find him since."
"Right," Noctis replied. "We should hurry out of here."
"Wait," Gladiolus said. He looked at Nyx, his expression hard. "Where is my sister?"
Nyx sighed. "We were attacked by General Glauca," he replied. "I had to hold back the general to keep her and Lady Lunafreya safe. They took the prince's old car and got away. I haven't seen them since."
"Right," Gladiolus said. "I... wouldn't have done any different."
Bang!
The five looked down the street, a few feet ahead, where General Glauca landed, growling as ever. He swung his massive sword above his head and slammed the edge into the ground, where it cracked the street.
"Prince Noctis," the general growled. "My blade is still stained with the blood of your father. When I have cut you down, I will have severed the line of Lucis once and for all."
"If you cut me down," Noctis growled back.
"Are you ready for this?" Gladiolus asked. "This man is no joke."
Noctis responded by calling forth the Armiger. The swords of the Rulers of Yore spun around him, shimmering in the air. Nyx flashed his kukris into his grip. The other three called forth their weapons as well.
"Let's do this," Prompto said.
"For my father," Noctis growled.
As they charged, Glauca spun the sword over his head again. Gladiolus charged past the group and raised his greatsword, in time to block a tall slash. He pushed the sword back and used the momentum to spin and deliver a kick to the general, but the man didn't fall. He took a few steps back, but his composure remained. He laughed beneath his bestial helm.
"A paltry attack, Shield of the King," he said.
"I will avenge my father," Gladiolus replied, swinging his blade again. It was stopped completely by the general's sword. The two pushed their swords against each other.
"You will avenge nothing," the general growled. Red energy poured from his back and he used the power to push Gladiolus back, who tumbled to the road.
Noctis dashed past his shield and tossed his sword, warping to the general. Glauca knocked the sword aside with his own and caught Noctis as he appeared by his throat. He lifted the wriggling prince and slammed him into the ground. As he lifted his blade to bring it down on Noctis, the floating Royal Arms appeared and attacked the general, knocking him back.
Bang!
Noctis looked up and saw the monstrous Diamond Weapon had returned to its feet. The statues of the Rulers of Yore sprang to life again and began their assault on the monster. Chaos filled the night. All around them, the streets were torn apart by the titanic battle between the statues and the monster. The five attacked General Glauca, Noctis and Nyx flashing in and out with the aid of Royal Magic while the others swung great swords, weaving around with sharp knives, and fired their pistol from a distance. The general was holding his own against all of them in an impressive display of power.
"The hell is with this guy?" Gladiolus shouted through gritted teeth.
"The Magitek Armor is protecting him from all manner of attack," Ignis shouted after flipping backwards to avoid a large horizontal slice. "We need to get behind him. The energy is released from his back. If we can cut off the engines, he will be slowed considerably."
"And just—ahh—how do you plan on doing that?" Prompto shouted while avoiding a large chunk of building that crashed near him from either a statue or the great monster. He couldn't tell.
"Noctis!" Ignis shouted to the prince still warping back and forth across the street. The prince warped to a light post and hanged off of it, looking at his retainer. "Get behind him. Cut off the engines to his suit."
"And just how do you expect me to do that?" Noctis asked. "He is very fast!"
General Glauca leaped from the street to the side of a building, and then kicked off, landing on the roof forty feet up. He looked down at the five of them, resting his sword on his shoulder.
"Damn!" Ignis shouted. "He wants us to come to him. Only Noctis and Nyx can get up there."
"Well, you can't call him stupid," Gladiolus muttered.
Noctis landed back on the street and looked over at his friends.
"Iggy, get the Regalia." He took the keys out of his pocket and tossed it to his retainer. "It's parked near Caelum Via, hopefully in one piece."
Ignis caught the keys and asked, "What will you do?"
Noctis looked over at Nyx. The Kingsglaive warrior was twirling his kukri knife, and he nodded at Noctis as he tore his gaze away from the general.
"We are going up, of course," Noctis replied. "We'll take care of the general. You guys get our ride out of here."
"I'm not leaving you," Gladiolus barked.
"What are you going to do from down here, Gladdy?" Noctis asked. "Help them get there safely. I'll be fine, trust me."
With that, Noctis warped to the roof along with Nyx. Gladiolus growled and turned to the other two, and they nodded, running off to find the car. On the rooftop, Noctis rolled as he finished his warp, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as he watched the general do another leap back, landing without bending his knees as though the laws of gravity need not apply to him. Nyx stood beside the prince, both of his weapons tight in his gloved hands. The two nodded at each other.
"I saw we engage from both sides," Nyx said. "I'll attack from the front, you move behind."
Noctis nodded, and the two engaged the general.
Several blocks away, the statues warped around. Five of them battled the Diamond Weapon, swinging the stone replicas of their royal arm to break chunk after chunk off of the beast. Daemonic energy surrounded the monster as it unleashed blast after blast that leveled nearby buildings. It was inevitable. Insomnia would go out in a blaze of glory.
From between these titanic figures, three small figures commenced in their own battle. Noctis, Nyx, General Glauca; The three of them leaped from sword to shoulder to rooftop to street to sky. Every strike landed like cracking thunder, flashes of blue and bursts of red igniting the large plumes of smoke that erupted around the colossal beings battling around them.
Surrounded by the arms of his ancestors, Noctis deftly blocked every swing of the general's sword, but the general never faltered in his guard. Their strategy of getting behind him wasn't working as he was too well aware of his own weaknesses. Instead, it had become a battle of attrition. Piece by piece, they knocked off chunks of the general's armor. Parts of his face were becoming exposed. An eye. His chin. The general's rage increased two-fold with every nick he received.
The battle raged on for what felt like hours. Days. Years. The Diamond Weapon crashed, finally defeated, its body dispersing into black and red miasma. The statues of the Rulers of Yore gathered around a building, watching the battle between the three humans.
Nyx warped in, finally managing a strike to the general's back. The general roared as a line was cut, and red liquid sprayed out. His engines were damaged. He was grounded. Nyx's attack ended with a roll, and he collapsed against the edge of the roof, exhausted. Noctis was limping. He had been pushed as far as he could go. The Royal Arms, incorporeal as they might have looked, had started to feel heavy. Keeping them in the material world took a great deal of strength.
He raised an open palm he aimed at the general and sent his Royal Arms. The general swung, but he was slowed. He managed to knock all but one weapon aside, the blade of Noctis's father, which cracked the general's bestial helmet apart. It fell apart into two pieces, which crashed to his feet. His face was exposed and Noctis looked into the blue eyes of his father's murderer. His eyes flared as a rage boiled through him, strengthening his aching muscles.
"Captain Drautos," he spat.
The captain chuckled, but it was humorless. He nodded and looked over at Nyx, who stared back at him in horror.
"Indeed, your highness," Drautos said.
"You betrayed him!" Noctis shouted. "After we took you in and... you killed Lunafreya's mother and..."
"These are all true," Drautos said. "My loyalty is to my homeland, Noctis. You father threw my homeland to the wolves, as it did yours, Nyx." He turned to his former soldier. "I wanted you by my side, Nyx, but I knew your loyalties had changed."
Nyx shook his head as he returned to his feet. "No, captain. I am loyal to my homeland. It was Niflheim that invaded and killed our people."
"When you have seen what I have seen, Nyx, you will know that Niflheim is the lesser of both evils," Drautos calmly replied.
"Lesser!" Nyx shouted. He waved his arms around at the burning city. "This violence? These innocent people lost today? I held you in the highest regard once, captain. A figurehead of strength. Look at you now!"
"I fight for a future, Nyx," Drautos growled.
"So do I," Nyx replied in kind.
He threw his kukri and Drautos raised his sword to block it. Nyx threw his second knife behind the general and warped behind him as the general stopped the first. The Kingsglaive leaped onto his back and stuck the knife into the side of the general's neck. Drautos gurgled. Nyx dropped off, falling backwards. Drautos stumbled forward, gripping his throat. Blood seeped through his fingers as he looked at Noctis. The prince's expression was unforgiving. And thus, Drautos collapsed and died.
Above the skyline, the sun had started to rise, its crimson glow piercing the receding darkness as a funeral pyre erupting in the horizon. Nyx looked over at the light and smiled. Noctis approached the man and crouched over him as the Kingsglaive soldier sat back and rested on his elbows. His skin started to crack apart, and Noctis gritted his teeth, grasping his shoulder.
"It's okay, highness," Nyx said, coughing a small plume of dust. "I know what I signed up for."
"You are a brave soldier," Noctis replied. "You fought valiantly until the end."
"Listen, highness," Nyx replied. He coughed. "I've had a taste of the power of your ancestors. I've seen a trace of the future to come. You are the key to a new dawn, highness."
"I'll remember you, Nyx Ulric," Noctis swore.
"Good," Nyx replied. "Go, highness. You have to live. You can't let them get away with this."
"They'll pay." Noctis stood back up and nodded. "That is for damn sure. Thank you, Nyx."
Nyx smiled. He groaned as he held up his hand to the prince. Noctis tilted his head, confused.
"Take it," Nyx groaned. Noctis looked at his hand. A kukri knife was clutched in his shaking grip. "It's very well made. It will serve you better now then it'll serve me. Be sure to bloody up some imperials with it, eh?"
Noctis nodded and took the knife. "I'll be sure the empire will get their due."
Nyx smiled and Noctis watched as he completely faded from the world. His ashes danced into the air. The prince looked over at the statues of the rulers and lamented as he saw them crack apart and crumble. A silence fell over the air, haunting. The dust had settled, and the Battle of Insomnia was over.
Noctis leaned on the metal railing of the overpass. The sun had risen over the horizon, its beams revealing the smoldering ruins of the once shining city. A teardrop fell from his cheek to the grey steel of the railing. Behind him, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto looked out at the pyre. The burning ruin of their home. Within all four was a singular thought.
"They will pay for this," Noctis growled.
"A hundred thousand-fold," Ignis replied.
In the distance, he saw several people marching in a daze as they left the city. Their homes lost, their futures a mystery. No place left in this world. All the feelings Noctis currently experienced himself.
Noctis pushed off of the railing and turned to his three companions. They entered the Regalia and drove out of the city, to face the coming tides of darkness and violence.
The rays of the sun broke over the distant skyscrapers of Insomnia, the beams fighting to push through the thick plumes of smoke rising from the burning remains. On the outskirts of the city, the people gathered, many searching desperately for loved ones. Children cling silently to the arms of their parents, their faces speckled with dirt and dust. In utter shock. Many now homeless. Voices whispered amongst them.
"What the hell is happening?"
"How could this have happened?"
"Where do we go now?"
"Is the king alright? The prince?"
"Has anyone seen a short teenage girl with red hair?"
Among them, Iris moved in a trance, the dirt smeared on her cheeks stained with dried tears. Walking beside her, Lunafreya was herself silent. She contemplated what this all meant. How it could have gone so terribly wrong. What she was to do next. As a child, her destiny had been made quite clear to her, and even then, she saw the visions of the many futures to come. Such was the destiny of the oracle. And yet, the time was upon her now to embark on the quest she had been given so long ago, and she found herself wondering how to accomplish this obelisk of a task. But she had to, not just for the sake of Noctis. Not for the sake of the late King Regis, or her own late mother. No, now it was for the sake of Eos. The figure that lay asleep in the fantasy.
Things were different now. They would not continue as they once did. No, this time, it would turn out differently.
"Where are we gonna go?" Iris asked, breaking Lunefreya from her trance.
Lunafreya looked down at the young lady, her brown eyes stained with tears. Lunafreya gave a weak smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm afraid we will be parting ways, Lady Iris," she said.
"W-what? Where will you go?" Iris asked, panic rising in her voice.
"I have a duty to uphold," Lunafreya sadly replied. "Where I'm going is dangerous, and I can't bring you with."
"But where will I go?" Iris asked, her voice shaking.
Lunafreya looked around at the crowd, searching for an answer. All she could see around her were the marching masses walking like zombies. As she looked around, she caught eyes with a bespectacled man dressed in black. The man noticed her and quickly began to head their way.
"Lady Lunafreya!" the man said as he approached. He saw Iris standing next to her and he raised his eyebrows. "Lady Iris, as well! It is good to see you are both well."
"Dustin!" Iris cried. "The Crownsguard are alright?"
"Indeed," Dustin replied with a bow. "Monica and Cor have both made it out, among a few others."
"Good," Lunafreya said. She turned to Iris. "You can go with them, then."
"Lady Lunafreya," Dustin said. "You don't intend to come with us? Cor means to search for the prince."
Lunafreya shook her head.
"I'm afraid I have my own duty to uphold. No, take Lady Iris to safety. I will be departing at once."
"Of course, Lady Oracle," Dustin said, bowing.
Lunafreya made to leave when she felt something grab her from behind. She gasped and looked down at the arms wrapped around her.
"Thank you for getting us out, Lady Lunafreya!" Iris said, her voice muffled as she shouted into her back. "I'll never be able to repay you."
Iris released her hold and Lunafreya turned to the girl. She gave a warm smile.
"Repay me by staying safe, Lady Iris," she said. "May we meet again someday."
And with that, Lunafreya left the ruins of Insomnia, to begin her quest to awaken the gods.
END OF PART ONE