Chapter 3

Ashes to Ashes

The singular dreadnaught approaching Insomnia was flanked by a lonely pair of gunships, the bare minimum that courtesy dictated seeing as the warship was supposed to be bearing the Emperor Iedolas, sovereign ruler of Niflheim, to the ceremony that would seal the peace between his nation and Lucis. There was a certain degree of risk involved in permitting the imperial warships entry into Insomnia's airspace, but the crown city's defenses should be well adequate to deal with any treachery the Empire might attempt at so late a turn. Then again, if the intelligence reports held any merit, Niflheim obviously thought otherwise seeing as they seemed poised to pour over the border at any moment.

The Empire would undoubtedly claim that such positioning was mere contingency in the case of Lucian treachery, so rather than waste everyone's breath confronting Niflheim, Lucis instead elected to remain as vigilant as possible without appearing outright hostile. A delicate dance, this summit was. After all, there was still a chance a treaty would actually be signed the coming day. And a chance that the two signatories would remain bound by the terms long enough for the ink to actually dry.

An honor guard composed of Kingsglaive, handpicked and headed by Colonel Titus Drautos, the field commander of the Kingsglaive, stood ready to receive the imperial dignitaries. Regis himself was of course not present, the king did not come greet his guests personally, no matter how exalted they were. He would await them within the Citadel, as was only proper. As the dreadnaught touched down, taking up most of the landing strip at Insomnia's main airport, the guardsmen stiffened ever so slightly. The moment of truth was upon them.

The boarding ramp lowered and several figures descended with mechanical precision. The magitek troopers that formed the backbone of the imperial army were a sight to behold, their dark armor glistening under the field's lights. Behind them was a man wearing a loosely hanging overcoat and whose head was adorned with a dapper fedora. The smile he cast upon the awaiting soldiers was cheery, even whimsical. His tone was similarly tinted, even if there sounded like a hollow echo ringing within it.

"My, what a grand welcome this is," Ardyn Izunia said, "all these strapping young men and women lined up so neatly. The attention is enough to make one self-conscious."

More than one quizzical look crossed the ranks of the Lucian soldiers. A few even recognized the man now standing before them, the Kingsglaive having of course stayed abreast of the Empire's hierarchy. The confusion lay not with Ardyn's identity however, but in his presence. After all, the imperial chancellor was not the expected guest the dreadnaught was supposed to bear to Insomnia. That guest, the emperor, was however nowhere in sight.

"Chancellor Izunia," Titus nonetheless greeted as if nothing was awry. "Welcome to Insomnia. I trust your journey was a pleasant one?"

"As much as such things can be," Ardyn replied, "but now that I am here I suppose it is time to get to work. I trust all has been arranged?"

The general nodded. "Gathered before us are the most loyal of His Majesty's glaives. I trust that will satisfy?"

The smirk on Ardyn's face turned into something far more unsettling. "It does indeed."

Suddenly, without warning, the hull of the dreadnaught was torn asunder. The screeching sound of metal filled the air, only to be quickly dwarfed by a mighty roar. The Kingsglaive reacted instinctively, raising weapons and dispersing to avoid being caught in clusters. The magitek soldiers serving as Ardyn's guards however remained impassive, while the chancellor and Titus were similarly unperturbed. Despite the clear treachery on Niflheim's part, the glaives still did not have clear threats to target. Ardyn's guards after all had yet to fire, and the only damage thus far was to the Empire's own dreadnaught. It was therefore quite understandable why the glaives hesitated. That however proved a fatal mistake as suddenly a bright lance of light sliced through the hull and swept through the ranks of Kingsglaive. Those so struck did not even have time to scream, burnt to ash as quickly as they were. The survivors, finally faced with a tangible threat, opened fire.

The magitek troopers went down without even responding, while Ardyn simply stood there as rounds perforated his form. Titus on the other hand disappeared, or rather his form was enveloped by a massive armored hulk. The rounds from the Kingsglaives' weapons simply bounced off harmlessly, while Titus himself closed in with frightful speed upon his former subordinates. There was no hesitation as he drove his greatsword through one glaive, then another. By his own hand, a captain of the Kingsglaive was butchering those whom he was supposed to be responsible for. At least those men and women actually saw their deaths coming. Those felled by the beams of crimson lances were still blind as to what they were facing. Not that it would have mattered, as the platoon of glaives were soon either dust or bloody corpses staining the airstrip.

"Well, that went rather well," Ardyn said, dusting off his hat and apparently none the worse for wear.

Looking over, Titus collapsed the helmet of his armor so that he might regard Ardyn unimpeded.

"And here I thought this entire plan of yours daft," he said snidely. "It seems the imperial chancellor does have a few tricks up his sleeve."

Ardyn chuckled dryly. "Oh I assure you, it's more than just a few. Well then, shall we get this party properly started?"

At those words the hull of the dreadnaught finally gave way to reveal what had been inside. A massive, ebony construct that looked as if its carapace were made of skulls pulled free of the destroyed ship. In the now dimming light, the glow of its eyes and its chest cast an ominous glare. With a might roar, the Diamond Weapon declared its presence to all of Insomnia.

"That's let the cat out of the bag," Ardyn said flippantly. "Think old Regis has any idea what's headed his way?"

"It matters not whether the king knows what fate awaits him," Titus sneered. "He dies this night."

"Someone's certainly eager," Ardyn said. "I suppose you'd actually be disappointed if your fellow traitors manage to plant the knife before you get to him?"

"I am no traitor," Titus snapped. "It was the king that betrayed me, betrayed all of his glaives. He abandoned our homes to the mercy of the Empire and the daemons, holing up in his precious crown city all safe and cozy. What I do now is no more than the dispensing of long overdue justice."

"Whatever floats your boat," Ardyn said with a shrug. "Best we make for the Citadel, then, lest the late fee grows too large for even you to afford."

From the broken hull, more forms emerged. Countless magitek troopers, held back until the Kingsglaive were dealt with, formed up into neat ranks. Diamond Weapon itself was already advancing deeper into the city, burning and razing everything in its path. Insomnia's defenders might yet be able to bring the creature down, assuming they could concentrate without further surprises being sprung on them. Surprises like the imperial fleet now racing towards the city, and the additional daemon constructs that they ferried. Ardyn let a self-satisfied smirk cross his face. The night was still young, and he was here to play.

"Ahh, home sweet home at last."

The Citadel was possessed of thick, sturdy walls, one consequence of which noise from the outside needed to be spectacularly loud in order to penetrate into its halls. The distant explosions at the airport were not quite that big, but even if they were they would have been drowned out by the alarms now blaring. Regis came to a halt, his entourage doing likewise.

"Report," he ordered.

Instead of responding, weapons manifested in the hands of several of the glaives. The next moment, they lunged for their liege. Despite his aged and weary body, Regis' reflexes had not dulled and the king drew his own sword to deflect. The first blow was knocked aside, the next Regis managing to block and deftly parry.

"GAH!"

The third however drew blood, grazing his side with a shallow cut. It would have been deeper still, but one of the other glaives, one whom had been taken aback by the treachery of his fellows, had managed to knock aside the assailant. In the fleeting moment, Regis could make out which whom amongst his glaives had turned traitor, and whom yet remained loyal. The odds were regrettably not in his favor. That did not mean Regis intended to go down without a fight however, and these traitorous glaives would do well to not underestimate their liege.

A wet thunk sounded, along with a pained gurgle, as a spear impaled one of the traitor glaives. The weapon disappeared, only to reappear alongside several others, all of which looked to be dancing about the king, making approaching him all the more perilous. That did not stop some of the traitors from trying, even at the cost of their lives. One glaive tried to rely on sheer momentum and speed to carry him through the whirlwind, only to be neatly decapitated by a falling axe. Another was more clever, actually paying attention to her surroundings to avoid being suddenly impaled or dismembered. Finally, seeing an opening, she slipped through to skewer Regis. The king parried the thrust, and a trio of blades immediately fell upon the glaive. The warning was clear enough, anything short of a mortal blow would simply see one delivered unto you.

Even so, the effort required of Regis was clearly taking its toll. The king grunted as he weathered attacks from all directions, the surviving glaives all of traitorous ilk. They were warier now, not rushing in like before. Instead they probed and feinted, allowing the fight to draw out to wear Regis down. That did not take long at all as the king's movements grew sluggish. Here, a glaive was able to attempt a thrust and yet withdraw without limb chopped off. There, another actually nicked the king, a shallow cut be one that still bled. Death by a thousand cuts was still death, and his glaives were closing in. And then, a boom sounded.

The glaive about to run Regis through jerked aside, his eyes wide in shock. All of the combatants reflexively looked towards the source of the sound, to be met with the sight of over a dozen Crownsguard charging forth.

"Your Majesty!"

More gunfire erupted, the Crownsguard more reliant on firearms than their Kingsglaive seniors. In this instance however that proved to be a considerable boon, as the intensity of their barrage forced back the traitor glaives. The magical shields that wreathed their bodies could withstand bullets, for a short while, so only the most drained of the glaives went down from the barrage. The survivors however now found themselves on the other side of the numbers game, and though many of the Crownsguard were less adept at manipulating the royal magic that was imparted upon them, others stayed amongst their ranks in preparation for when the crown would sit atop a new head.

One such veteran had now closed upon the traitor glaives, letting her rifle swing to the side while a spear manifested in her hand. The glaive she set upon managed a single frantic step backward before tip touched flesh, with the latter giving way. Carrying through, Captain Monica Elshett skewered the traitor before swinging her rifle back up and perforating another. A third glaive tried to come at the woman from behind, but his approach had not gone unnoticed. Monica twirled about, using the fixed bayonet to parry and then launch a thrust of her own. The single burst afterward was more than enough to put down the traitor.

The other glaives also fell, though not with getting some of their own back. Traitors though they might be, they had represented the elite of Lucis' armed forces. But the Crownsguard, even if they stood after in the order of precedence, were of similar caliber. How could they not be, when they were charged with protecting the king's most beloved treasure, his son.

"Your Majesty," Monica reached out to support Regis.

"Captain," Regis greeted with a relieved sigh. "Your timing was impeccable."

"What happened, Your Majesty?" Monica asked as she lent a shoulder for Regis to lean upon.

"I do not fully understand myself," Regis admitted. "What I do know however is that the city is under attack, and my own glaives tried to strike me down. Were it not for your timely intervention, they would have succeeded."

"But, how could they do this?" the woman gasped.

"I know not, but such answers can wait," Regis said. "For now we must secure the Citadel itself. Take me to the command center."

Monica grimaced but gave a curt nod. "At once, Your Majesty."

"Gah!"

The thunk of metal through flesh sounded as a spear punctured the glaive's chest. The wound was fatal, but death was forestalled long enough for the man to level his pistol at his assailant. There was no hesitation as the trigger was pulled, the man's motions as much instinct as conscious initiative. The attacker's head jerked back as the bullet found its mark. Two more corpses joined the others strewn about the corridors of the Citadel, all wearing the colors of the Kingsglaive.

"Report!" Cor shouted.

"We've lost control of the internal security systems," the glaive responded. "The traitors are overriding all of the lockouts, including the vault." He slammed the console in frustration. "They've also cut off communications with the rest of the garrison, we can't even call for help!"

Cor looked out the window, at the orange glow suffusing the cityscape. Even if they could make the call, he could not be certain there was anyone that could answer. The attack on Insomnia had taken on a form unlike anything they could have imagined, the imperial dreadnaught supposedly ferrying Emperor Iedolas actually carrying some heretofore unknown daemonic creature. It had burned through the airport and the surrounding district with contemptuous ease, and the battalion of magitek infantry following in the creature's wake struck with swift precision. Their targets had been the amplifiers that helped maintain the barrier around the city, obviously to clear the path for the dreadnaughts even now bombarding Insomnia. If those shots made it through the shield, there was no telling what carnage they would wreak.

"Cor!"

Turning about, the Kingsglaive commander blanched at the sight approaching him.

"Your Majesty!"

Regis was leaning heavily upon Monica as he entered, the king's raiment colored with blood.

"Worry not," the king said. "Only some of it is mine."

"That is far from reassuring, Your Majesty," Cor said as he examined his liege.

The cut was shallow, thankfully, and already sealed thanks to Regis' magic.

"What happened, Your Majesty?"

"My own glaives," Regis said grimly. "Several attending to me suddenly drew their arms and tried to run me through. Had not a contingent of the Crownsguard happened upon us, they might have succeeded."

Cor's face twisted in despair even as he gave an approving nod to Monica. "To think, that the rot would have run so deep. Other traitors have compromised the Citadel's defenses."

Regis immediately understood. "The crystal. They must be seeking to hand it over to the Empire." His fist tightened. "We must not allow that to happen."

"The traitors have thoroughly entrenched themselves at key positions throughout the Citadel," Cor said. "The only way to the vault is through them."

"Then through them we must go," Regis said, with just a hint of regret. "The rot seems not have spread to the Crownsguard. How many can we rally to our side?"

"Clarus left to do just that," Cor answered. "With our communications cut however, I know not whether he has succeeded."

Outside a crimson fireball blossomed, adding yet another glow to the backdrop of night.

"The barrier," Regis whispered. "They've broken through."

Cor's face tightened again. "The city, its defenses cannot hold against the firepower the Empire is bringing to bear." He looked at his liege gravely. "We need help. Their help."

Regis' grimace deepened. That there was the rub, their help. To call upon the kings of yore to do battle, to bring to life their statues that lined the Old Wall. Such was meant to be Insomnia's final line of defense when all else had failed. Only the one bearing the Ring of the Lucii could animate them, the ring that Regis even now bore on his hand. But the strain of doing so, it would kill any lesser man. And while none could ever accuse Regis of such failing, he was far, far from the prime of his vigor.

"If I call upon them," Regis said, "I will not be able to maintain the New Wall. The barrier will be down in its entirety, and the rest of the city exposed."

"And yet what choice do we have, Your Majesty?" Cor said softly. "The Empire is already within the city. If we do not stop these new weapons of theirs, they will as surely tear down the barrier on their own."

"Yes," Regis said grimly. "Yes, they will. Then let it be so, that the kings of yore will hear my plea."

The silvery ring upon Regis' hand began to dimly glow, its light soon quickening in intensity. Soon none could look upon it without being blinded, and from atop the Citadel a beacon was ignited.

"Report."

"Two of the amplifiers are down, the shield has weakened substantially."

Safay nodded in mild satisfaction. The marshal was aboard one of the dreadnaughts waiting beyond Insomnia's walls, several of which were already firing upon the city to test its shields. The forces already inside the city were far from substantial in number, but the amount of firepower at their disposal should have been adequate for the assigned task. Still, the fact that they were relying upon traitors and an unpredictable wildcard to gain the necessary advantage would never sit well with the marshal.

The Empire had committed a total of thirteen dreadnaughts to this operation, a rather substantial portion of their combat ready fleet. Three were already downed, one as part of the poly to insert Ardyn and the Diamond Weapon into the city. Two others had been felled by Insomnia's gun batteries before they were neutralized. Once the shield was down however the city would be exposed to bombardment, which should be enough of a threat to induce a surrender. And right on cue, the shield flared once more its blow glow disappeared. The shells already fired sped through the air, blossoming into fireballs as they impacted upon the urban environment.

"Move in the fleet," Safay ordered, "and deploy the-"

Before the marshal could finish his sentence, a brilliant light erupted from the center of the city. The intensity was of such magnitude that even shielding his eyes, Safay could see light leak through his fingers and closed eyelids.

"Report!" he shouted once the light receded, enough to at least open his eyes once more.

"Massive energy spike coming from the city," came the response. "The epicenter looks to be the Citadel!"

Safay frowned. "What are you playing at, King Regis."

The answer was not long in coming, as suddenly one of the descending dreadnaughts saw its bow shattered.

"By the Gods!"

Whom had so exclaimed Safay did not know, the marshal himself too stunned by the sight before him. Upon the destroyed bow of the warship, a giant stone statue was wedged deep within the ruined superstructure. Pulling itself free, it proceeded to slam down a similarly sized mace, crushing the armor and caving in the interior. Then, in a feat just as impossible, it leapt into the air before plummeting down, smashing right through the spine of the dreadnaught. The warship snapped like a twig under the weight, its broken halves raining down upon the city below.

"Sir!"

A pair of massive bolts shot past Safay's flagship, slamming into a warship on its port. The aim was true, blowing out two of the dreadnaught's engines and causing the ship to quickly lose altitude. As it tried to make a controlled descent, yet another bolt sliced through the air and pierced the window of the bridge, now exposed due to its dipping form. All semblance of control was lost as the ship tilted sideways and dropped like a stone.

Safay ground his teeth at the sight. With two dreadnaughts down, that was two battalions of magitek troopers lost. Not that he particularly cared for the mechanical constructs, but every ship that failed to disgorge their cargo meant that many fewer troopers to take the city.

"Priority target for the Diamond Weapons," Safay said. "Destroy those, whatever they are."

Statues though they appeared to be, it was obvious they were something else entirely. While there were rumors aplenty about Insomnia possessing some sort of arcane line of defense, Safay had presumed them to be more myth than fact. Even so, the marshal had presumed the new daemonic weapons at his disposal would be sufficient contingency.

The gaping maw of one of the Weapons opened, red energy coalescing within. The blast that erupted slammed into a statue and Safay was gratified to see a shoulder and arm blasted into rubble. Satisfaction quickly turned into astonishment however as the statue did not stop its charge, hurling its axe through the air. It flew true, cleaving into the Diamond Weapon and actually causing the construct to scream in pain. And then, in a blue flash, the statue itself was upon the Weapon, adding its weight to dig the blade deeper. When it wrenched its weapon free, so too did the Weapon's own shoulder come apart. Ichor dripped from the gapping wound, and more began to flow as the statue slammed its axe down upon the daemon's head. So grievously wounded, the Diamond Weapon teetered and came crashing onto the ground.

"They're powered by the crystal," Safay said as realization struck him. "Deploy the crystal jammer!"

"But sir, at this range we'll only cover part of the city!"

"So long as we can neutralize the statues, it'll be enough," the marshal snapped. "Now do it!"

The flagship accelerated its descent, and once it was almost scraping the roofs of the building below opened up its bays. One good thing about the magitek troopers was they were fairly robust, so the drop down did them little harm. The large piece of machinery they were dropped to guard required a bit more care in handling, but in expectation of its use in combat the Empire's engineers had rigged up some armor and lines to allow its quick deployment.

When the machine touched the ground, the box within which it was enclosed fell open and the dish at the center unfolded. Pulsating waves of energy began flooding the area, spreading until they covered a substantial portion of the city. Not all of it, but enough. Another dreadnaught suddenly shuddered as a curved blade sliced through its hull. Or perhaps not.

"Why isn't it working!?" Safay grabbed hold of an engineer and demanded.

"We-we've only ever tested the jammer on captured Kingsglaive or Crownsguard!" the man said frantically. "We've never had a chance to test it on the Lucian king himself! These statues, if they draw power from the crystal directly like the king, the jammer might not affect them!"

With a disgusted sneer Safay shoved the man aside.

"All dreadnaughts, deploy troops immediately! We're approach the Citadel from the ground. Gunships are to keep those statues off of our ships!"

The surviving dreadnaughts obeyed and soon thousands of magitek troopers rained down upon Insomnia's streets. As they marched towards the Citadel, the fires engulfing the city continued to spread. How many more would be consumed by the flames, only the Gods knew.

From his vantage point, Ardyn smiled as the night sky was rendered as unto day by the light suffusing the city. Black ash seemed to waft off his body as he stood in the light and a burning sensation tickled his skin. The pain was easily bearable however, and a minor inconvenience to the boon he was about to receive.

"The Old Wall," Titus growled. "To think they'd go so far as to activate it."

"And why not?" Ardyn responded lightly. "Their city has been set aflame and the Citadel itself besieged from within. If this is not the time to call upon the kings of yore, then when would they ever?"

The traitor glaive gave a dissatisfied grunt but did not argue the point.

"This will make receiving reinforcements more difficult," he said instead.

"I suppose so," Ardyn said. "Though that just makes it all the more vital we complete the tasks set us."

That earned Ardyn another wary glance from Titus. Since witnessing more of the chancellor's powers, the treacherous glaive had adopted a far more suspicious demeanor towards the former. The doubts that were initially elicited when it became known that the imperial chancellor himself would be spearheading the beachhead of the imperial invasion was turning into something far graver. After all, who could have imagined a mere politician possessing the sort of powers Ardyn had displayed this night. Powers that seemed outright daemonic. Then again, much of the Empire's military prowess came from their ability to harness the power of daemons. For all Titus knew, Ardyn could merely be another product of their research. Or perhaps something else entirely.

Suddenly, without warning, a colossal four-pointed star hurtled through the air and slammed into the Diamond Weapon. The daemonic construct roared in pain as its carapace was punctured, ichor splattering out from the wound. Another roar sounded as a lithe figure, if one could use such a word to describe the giant that appeared, rammed into the shuriken and pushed it clear through the creature's back. The cleaved arm fell with a loud thud as a black mist evaporated from the exposed flesh. Turning about, Diamond Weapon roared again, this time a challenge against its assailant.

"Gods above!" Titus shouted. "That thing dismembered the daemon as if it were nothing!"

"They certainly live up to their reputation, these kings of yore," Ardyn remarked nonchalantly. "I wonder though, can even they stand up against the power of the Starscourge?"

"The Starscourge?" Titus was not so shaken as to miss Ardyn's rambling. "What do you mean by that?"

"Pay it no mind," Ardyn said with a shrug. "You had best hurry along to the Citadel, before the way is cut off by more of these guardians."

Titus frowned. "And what of you?"

"I think it's time for a family reunion," Ardyn said, plucking his sword out from the unfortunate he had buried it in.

Before Titus could press him further, Ardyn disappeared in a flash of reddish light. A light so oddly reminiscent of the magic wielded by the Lucian king and his supplicants, yet so very different at the same time. As Kingsglaive, Titus knew far more Lucian secrets of state than the average royal subject, but the foundation of the royal bloodline's magic was still something denied him. In those moments when his resentment bubbled over, the former glaive believed wholeheartedly it was because he was not one of the king's favored, like the line of Amicitia, despite having sacrificed so much in service to the crown. All Titus could claim to know about the magic that he himself wielded, by the benighted blessing of his king, was that it was supposedly originally a gift from the gods, which allowed the Caelum family to draw power from the crystal in their charge. This crystal was not the only one that existed on Eos however, each of the other great nations possessed one. Perhaps Ardyn was of a similarly blessed line from the Empire, one with some common lineage with the Caelums.

Off in the distance, had Ardyn been aware of Titus' musings, the man might have found it darkly hilarious. Dead wrong on all the points that mattered of course, but still good for a laugh. All of the statues that lined the Old Wall had separated from their stony abodes and were carving their way through the imperial forces besieging the city. One statue threw its colossal sword skyward, impaling a dreadnaught, before disappearing in a blue flash only to reappear upon the already faltering warship. The sudden added weight caused the ship to careen downward even more quickly, but still not quickly enough for the statue. Wrenching its sword free, the construct managed to tear asunder the dreadnaught entirely, leaving two burning hulks plummeting to the ground.

With such destructive methods, the kings of yore were arguably causing a great deal of damage to Insomnia themselves. Still, they were carving a bloody swath through the Empire's troops. Or at least they were turning a lot of ships and troopers into scrap. Indeed the losses Niflheim had suffered thus far already eclipsed that of the past year of skirmishes before the ceasefire was declared. That might have some long-term ramifications, especially if the Empire could not muster the resources to quickly replace these losses. That was the future however. Right now, the Empire still had enough forces locally to take the city. Assuming something could be done about the kings of yore, which was where Ardyn entered the picture, along with his little friend.

"Now, where are you, brother?" the chancellor wondered aloud.

In the distance came a crashing sound, and from amidst the dust and debris rose a tall, armored figure of regal bearing. With the majestic, flowing horns spreading forth from its helm, the statue cut an imposing stride. To Ardyn's eyes however, there was no grandeur to behold, only the visage of a murder, liar, and thief. Time to dispense some long overdue divine justice.

"Yoohoo, over here," Ardyn began with his usual jovial tone, before a shadowy timbor reverberated through his last word, "Brother."

As if responding to the word, the Founder King's statue shifted and gazed in Ardyn's direction. Rearing back, it hurled its massive sword in the chancellor's direction before disappearing in a blue flash. Then, another flash erupted as the statue reemerged, its weight crashing down upon Ardyn's position.

"Oopsy-daisy," Ardyn said, hopping aside. "A fine reunion this is turning into." A smirk creased his expression. "But that's just fine with me, Somnus."

The figure rose, casting a shallow shadow over Ardyn from the flickering embers that burned around them.

"Brother," a loud voice sounded.

Ardyn's face light up in an almost jovial manner. "Somnus! It's been so long, little brother!" His head tilted upward to get a better look. "I see you've grown a bit in the two thousand years since we last met." The man's expression darkened into a sneer. "And you even went to the trouble of erasing me from the histories. That ashamed of wearing a stolen crown?"

"You were tainted," Somnus responded, raising his sword once more. "Unfit to sit the throne."

The statue thrust its sword downward, trying to smear Ardyn into a bloody pulp. A shame the chancellor did not possess any blood to spill.

"Please, Brother," Somnus actually pled. "Return to the darkness whence you came."

Ardyn chuckled, dodging another swing by the massive construct. "Now? But I'm having so much fun! To think I'd get the pleasure of killing you myself!"

A thud sounded and Ardyn was sent flying back as Somnus managed to strike him with the flat of the blade. The chancellor slammed through a pile of rubble, kicking up a pillar of dust as the concrete gave way under the impact. Despite his transformation, Ardyn's physical manifestation was still that of a man while Somnus was now a giant, stony statue. Such discrepancies probably made being bounced around inevitable.

"Oof, I'll be feeling that in the morning," Ardyn said as he dragged himself out. "Well, if you want to play hardball, I'm more than happy to oblige." With a flourish, Ardyn raised his hand. "Now, let the fireworks begin!" And snapped his finger.

Despite being made of stone, Somnus actually seemed to tense up as if in preparation for whatever Ardyn intended. After a moment passed wherein the only sound was of distant gunshots and the smoldering of closer embers, both beings looked about quizzically.

"Huh? Oh come now," Ardyn said in befuddlement.

The confusion did not last long however as another sound was soon heard, and felt. A block or so away, heavy footsteps fell upon the paved road as another giant stepped forth. Looking back over, Ardyn regarded the horned creature with weary resignation.

"Oh, cursed be the wavering whims of the gods."

Somnus' reaction was nowhere as subdued however.

"Brother, what have you done!?"

Indeed the shock the Founder King felt saw his statute rooted to the ground. Before him, bearing a mighty broadsword wreathed in flame, with horns flowing from atop its head, stood not a man or a mortal, but a god. The Infernian however was far from his noble, brilliant visage. Instead what was visible of his skin was a pasty ash, while darkened, necrotized flesh scarred much of the rest. A god, this was. What he was now, was an abomination.

A wide smirk crept across Ardyn's face. "Not even the gods are beyond my retribution. Let us see how you fare, Somnus."

With a crazed roar, Ifrit's lumbering form broke into a wide stride, then a run, and finally an all-out charge as he swing his flaming broadsword at Somnus. The statue actually towered above the fallen god, but the Infernian seemed considerably less inconvenienced by the differential than Ardyn. When their blades met, it was Somnus that found himself sliding back from the force of the blow, and indeed continued to be forced back as their swords ground together.

A red mist suddenly dashed between Ifrit's legs before zipping upward, clocking Somnus under the chin and sending the statue rearing back and causing its sword to slip. Left exposed, Ifrit's blade came crashing down but Somnus vanished, leaving a blue flash for the Infernian's sword to slice through. When the statue reappeared, embers flickered across its stony chest piece along a shallow groove. Somnus' retreat had apparently not been enough to completely save him. Stepping forward with his own sword slung across his shoulder, Ardyn chuckled.

"What's wrong, 'dear brother,' or is your fancy toy not living up to all the gold sunk into it?" Ardyn pointed his sword at the statue. "Perhaps you'd like to come out and face me directly, or are you too much the coward?"

Somnus hunched over, preparing himself for another charge.

"I was right to have sealed you away."

The statue erupted in a flash, its blade slamming into the Infernian and bursting through the creature's back.

"You truly are a monster, Brother!"

"Don't be facetious," Ardyn sneered, dashing up along Somnus' back before slamming his own blade down its right shoulder. "The only monster here is you!"

The crimson blade glowed as it cleaved through the stone, carving a long gash as Ardyn slid down the statue. More rock crumbled and cracked, causing Somnus' grip on his sword to weaken. When the Infernian grabbed hold of the statue's hand, it was with little effort that he snapped it off and kicked Somnus away.

"This is preposterous," Somnus exclaimed. "How could one so impure possess such power!?"

Ardyn gave a wry cackle. "Oh dear brother, you have not yet seen true power."

As Somnus struggled to remain standing, Ifrit let out another roar and charged again. The Founder King parried the swing, landing a solid kick against the Infernian's chest. While the creature staggered, it was far from falling. Even the gashing wound previously inflicted upon it did little to slow Ifrit down. Indeed, every blow Somnus struck seemed to simply further enrage the beast. With fire enveloping his fist, Ifrit caught hold of Somnus' sword and shattered the blade. Again Somnus tried to warp away, but instead of a momentary reprieve the statue emerged only to impale itself upon the Infernian's blade.

"GAH!"

The very air ignited as Ifrit summoned forth its primordial flames and the heat began to outright melt the stone from which the Founder King's statue was carved from. Even so, Ardyn seemed remarkably uninconvenienced as he hopped over to land upon the statue's chest.

"Fret not, Brother," he said, "you will not be alone for long. Soon all of Lucis will be engulfed by these very flames, and the false kingdom you erected will be ash to the wind."

"Brother," Somnus said, his voice a mere whisper now but still clear as ringing bells to Ardyn's ears. "What I did to you was unforgivable, but I did it for the future of our people-of our kingdom."

Ardyn snorted. "So I was a small sacrifice for the greater good? How noble."

"Our line has done everything to protect our people," Somnus persisted, trying to rise despite the continued melting of his form, "just as the gods bade. I was merely fulfilling my calling."

"Oh? And here I thought I was the blessed one," Ardyn responded with a snide smirk. "Are you saying it was you all along, Brother?"

At that Somnus actually hesitated. "The gods did indeed bless you as their chosen; the people adored you as their savior. I was neither powerful nor popular, just envious, perhaps…"

Upon hearing those words, Ardyn's expression darkened until his face was of ashen complexion, veins of darkness peeking out from beneath.

"Perhaps!? Don't make me laugh!" Ardyn roared. Reaching forth, his hands sank into the now molten stone. "You stole everything from me! Ripped it from my arms!"

And as those hands withdrew, along with them came a glowing blue form, a form whose neck was gripped by Ardyn.

"Brother," Somnus gasped, the light of his soul causing Ardyn's skin to sear away. "I dare not ask your forgiveness, but I do ask your understanding."

"You shall see neither from me," Ardyn said acidly, "Brother."

And then, a scream sounded that swept through the entirety of Insomnia. The light from Somnus' form turned from a brilliant blue to a sickly red, before extinguishing outright into darkness. In place of that soul stood an armored figure, one whose shape matched perfectly the statue celebrating the Founder King. A statue that was now melted slag splashed across the streets.

Stepping back, Ardyn beheld the stooped over form and watched as the shadowy tendrils of the Starscourge seeped in through its cracks. Once they were all drawn in, the figure shuddered and rose. Ardyn leaned up on his toes.

"Still in there, Somnus?"

No answer came, at least none that could be heard by mortal ears. Ardyn however gave a wide smile.

"Good."

End of Chapter 3

The Kingsglaive movie plot, was convoluted. Thematically, the idea certainly was interesting. Logistically, there's a problem with having Lucis' guard-captain also be the supreme commander of the Empire's magitek infantry. Namely, the workload associated with the two positions is not something that can be easily handled by one person, if only because that person has to physically be in disparate locations to do the job. Also the entire thing with Lunafreya being in Lucis. Again, logistically and sequencing wise, it's all very messy. Hence why I jettisoned all that and am trying to present a more coherent timeline of events.

So, this chapter in some respects is a major spoiler for Episode: Ardyn. And also for the FFXV novel, Dawn of the Future, that basically summarizes the unreleased DLCs. In a lot of ways I really like the story the novel told, and I really wish it was what made it into the game originally. There are still quite a few consistency issues, namely things only have consequences to the extent the scenario wants them to have, but the core idea actually feels more coherent than that of the original XV story. My own story will not follow Dawn, I have a different story I want to tell. But there will be a few story beats that I'll certainly borrow as appropriate.

The switching back and forth between different pronouns for Somnus and Ifrit is a consequence of the, ambiguity, of the two's respective statuses. One is the soul of a man and also a statue, the other a corrupted god. So, yeah.

One more chapter detailing the fall of Insomnia. This was originally all supposed to be one chapter, but then a few scenes dragged on long enough that I decided to break it up. That means I should hopefully get at least one more chapter out before I get distracted by other stories. Hopefully. Anyway, drop a review if you're enjoying this thus far or have questions.