Liberosis
"So," Prompto starts with a grunt, "we only have two more Royals Arms here, right?"
The droning of the Crow's Nest's air conditioning provides the group with comfort as they eat lunch. Since Gladio's return, the four had been taking on more hunts to support their funds.
Even Gladio couldn't complain about booking a motel out of Longwythe's heat.
And if their hunts so happen to have led them to Royal Arms not marked on the map - Noctis feigned innocence.
Noctis dips his fries as Ignis replies to Prompto.
"Yes, two confirmed Royal Tombs are left. One is located in the mines nearby, the other in Fallgrove."
Noctis pushes his empty tray away and stands, cracking his back with a stretch.
"Well then, you guys ready to go mining?" He quips lazily.
Lunch over, they pile into the car. Noctis takes his turn at the wheel, pulling the roof of the Regalia up as they drive into a dust storm.
Balouve Mines greet them a short while later, the creaking and clanking of its inner workings audible as the four step from the car. Noctis guides them to the entrance, listening as they banter back and forth.
The elevator, rusted and ancient, still sits where Noctis remembers.
Prompto gulps loudly, "Wow. That might be the oldest elevator I have ever seen. Think it will hold us?"
Opening its gates and stepping in, Noctis smiles, "Let's find out."
With a worrying shudder, the elevator starts its descent.
Pushing his friends conversation to the back of his mind, Noctis swallows his nervousness. Balouve was an eerie place, and he had no memory of the layout. The daemons were nothing they couldn't handle, aside from the sword-wielding aramusha.
That was a daemon Noctis couldn't afford holding back against.
With a groan that echoes through the mines, the elevator stops at the first floor. Carefully making his way out, Noctis takes them down the tunnels, avoiding the tracks in case of runaway carts.
The darkness of the mines were like a void, with no memorable features to spur his sense of direction. Noctis picks a path and sticks to it.
Daemons ambush them occasionally, weak ones with little intelligence, and Noct is content to let Gladio and the others deal the most damage. The goblins that jump from the carts or corners of darkness do nothing to hurt him as he phases or dodges, and the damage they try to inflict on his friends is minimal.
Up until the aramusha.
It stands as a black shadow at the other end of a trestle bridge - the first thing Noctis actually recognizes here. Noctis readies his sword.
A cart barrels at them, sending him to the side of the narrow track. "Watch it!" He calls to the others and swipes up at the daemon as it suddenly advances.
The rusted blade of the daemon reeks of old blood as Noctis parries it away from his face. Striking back, he cuts deep into the daemon's chest.
"Duck!" Gladio calls, swinging his massive sword over Noctis as he crouches low. A black spray of blood sends them jumping back and the daemon staggering, and Prompto fires multiple rounds in it.
Seeming to shake the wounds off, the aramusha dips its head and angles its sword back and to the side. Noctis whips his head to look at his friends.
"Get back-"
The attack happens in the blink of an eye - one moment Noct is preparing to parry the aramusha's attack, the next his feet are off the ground as he dangles from the edge of its sword.
"Noct!"
Noct ignores the screams of his friends, already focusing magic on healing the wound. He ignores the pain as the daemon lifts him higher.
It is nothing he hasn't experienced before - aramushas, yojimbos, and the like would always be able to strike as fast as he could. So, teeth grit, he forces himself calm as it flings him from the sword and into Ignis. Arms clutching him, the world instantly turns off-kilter as they fall and nothing rises up to stop them.
The edge of the bridge rises past his vision, and its only then does Noctis realizes they have been knocked from the bridge.
Before Noct can even summon a sword or cry out to Ignis, he feels Ignis summon his own lance and drive it into a wooden beam. Jerking harshly, the rotten wood gives way doing little more than slowing their fall.
With the ground rapidly approaching, Noctis clenches his eyes shut and wills his magic to pull Ignis with him as he phases. Crumpling to the ground mostly unharmed, Ignis is as swift as the daemon as he stands and applies an elixir to Noct.
"Noct - " Ignis gasps as he pulls Noct's shirt up to check. Aside from a blotch of blood, the wound had completely healed.
"I'm fine, Ignis." Pushing Ignis's probing hand away, Noct makes to stand. Anger replacing fear, Ignis forces him back down.
"Absolutely not!" He says, turning to look back up at the bridge.
A shout from Gladio is the little warning they get before the aramusha collapses to the floor next to them, flung to the floor below by a devastating blow from Gladio.
"Ignis, I swear." Noctis pulls his legs under him, frustration building as Ignis forces him back down once again. The aramusha ascends to its own feet, only kept at bay by Prompto's rapid fire.
"No - Highness, do you not understand the injury you just sustained?!" Ignis asks in disbelief.
"Get out of there, you two!" Gladio calls, looking ready to jump from the bridge himself. A whispering screech lets them know that the daemon had had enough of being stalled, and Ignis growls out as well.
Noctis props himself up with the help of a support beam, eyes daring Ignis to stop him again. Rather than making a move against him, Ignis turns on his heel and sneers.
"That's quite enough!" Ignis says fiercely, standing and calling his daggers into existence. He forcefully brings them together, inciting his strongest technique - sagefire.
Noctis watches in awe as Ignis charges for the daemon, the flames alighting his daggers trailing his way.
The daggers come together against the daemon in an explosive end - and Noctis doesn't need to see through the flames to know that it is dead. Fire billows from the spot, licking the damp walls and staining the ceiling black.
The wall of flames act as a backdrop to Ignis as he straightens his posture. Sweat beads at his brow and he forcibly calms his breathing before turning and fixing Noct with a look.
"We're retreating."
Noctis grips the damp wood supporting him tighter and swallows, "Okay."
He doesn't resist as Ignis guides his arm over his shoulder and leads him away from the beams. Looking up to Gladio and Prompto, Ignis calls out, "We are coming back for the Royal Arm at a later date. Meet us at the end of this tunnel!"
Gesturing to a tunnel leading up and away from the area they were in, Ignis waits for their response. Prompto watches Noctis, his nervous fidgeting indicating he hadn't been paying attention.
Gladio bumps a fist against his shoulder, drawing his attention and calling back down, "Got it."
Prompto watches him walk away before turning back to them.
"Is Noct okay?" Genuine fear and concern thicken his voice, and the need to reassure Prompto nearly overwhelms Noct.
"I'm fine." He says and lifts his shirt up, unsure if Prompto could even see it through the darkness and the distance, "Won't even leave a scar, see?"
Prompto bites his lip and looks back up to see how far Gladio had moved, "Okay... be safe."
Turning to chase after Gladio, Prompto leaves them. Ignis adjusts his grip on Noctis and they hobble their way to the tunnel.
Despite just having been impaled, Noctis was certain he could walk on his own - but at the moment, he didn't feel daring enough to argue with Ignis about it.
The was also a certain sting at knowing they were so close to the Royal Arm and would have to leave without it. If it were up to him, he would have continued.
As it were, Ignis was with him - and by the looks of it - was simmering.
Noctis wisely kept his mouth shut about his protests.
No daemons spring up on them, instead leaving them to climb the damp, rocky tunnels of the mines. Nevertheless, they keep their ears trained for any unusual sounds.
White noise, with the occasional drip of water, is the only sound they pick up.
Noctis exhales slowly as he keeps his feet from dragging, not wanting Ignis to do all the work.
"When did you get so strong, anyway?" He asks. Ignis slows their pace as they come to a puddle expanding the width of the tunnel. No way around, they step into the dark water.
Ignis remains quiet the entire way through, only sucking in a breath to answer once they clear it.
"I'm not really all that strong. I'm just trying not to be left behind."
Noctis feels it like a punch to the gut. Stunned, his grip on Ignis loosens, leaving Ignis to shift him higher.
Blinking rapidly, Noctis readjusts his grip and tilts his head forward to get a better look at Ignis's face.
"You know that's not what's going on." Noctis denies. Ignis doesn't look at him, the thinning of his lips Noct's only response. Light moves at the edge of the tunnel, drawing both their gazes to the end.
Prompto and Gladio hurry towards them, their footsteps loud in the void of the mines.
"I'm not going to pry - not like what Prompto wants." Ignis whispers, the fleeting look of sorrow in his eyes enough that Noctis knows he is sincere, "I don't care what's going on. Just as long as you are safe and happy."
Noctis opens his mouth to reply and is instead nearly toppled by Prompto as the other checks him over. Gladio takes him from Ignis, Noctis grumbling slightly at being treated as if he were a fragile chocobo egg.
Their concern was unneeded, and Noctis tried to fight back how uncomfortable their attention made him feel. Why did they act like he was dying if he had been through so much worse?
Noctis reminds himself that they hadn't yet seen how much worse it could get.
"Let's get out of here." Prompto's request seems to spur Gladio on, and Noctis tightens his grip around his Shield's broad shoulders.
Biting his lip, Noct murmurs, "I can walk on my own."
Gladio scoffs and tightens his own grip, "Princess, you didn't see what we saw." He sounds strangely subdued.
Frown pulling further, Noctis repeats a little stronger, "I can walk on my own."
He pushes from Gladio with little more than a stumble, holding his hands out to keep from being immediately grabbed again.
"I'm fine. I don't hurt - the wound had healed before I had even hit the ground." Noctis turns his head slowly, meeting all three of his friend's gazes in turn. "I don't need any help walking."
"Stubborn ass." Gladio blurts. Ignis looks ready to either faint or explode, but as Noctis walks passed him without so much as a limp, he follows passively.
Together they make their way to the exit of the mines and to the car. If Ignis cuts someone off while driving back to the motel, Noctis doesn't comment.
...
Tossing his bag on the floor, he idly listens as his friends settle into their motel room. Prompto sinks into the couch and turns the television on. A garula appears onscreen, holding a dandelion - Noctis vaguely remembers watching the movie as a kid. Gladio plops down next to Prompto, letting Noct take the shower first.
Ignis keeps to himself, his posture sagging enough to tell Noctis that Ignis wasn't mad with him. Noctis avoids him regardless and shuts himself into the bathroom.
His shirt was ruined - torn and bloodied, Noctis works to peel it off him. Stepping into the shower, he reconsiders how much his friends' concern was warranted as he sees the amount of blood that swirls down the drain.
Maybe they had a right to be as worried as they were.
Grabbing his clothes from the tacky tile flooring, he dresses. Noctis dabs his hair dry as he steps from the bathroom, nearly bouncing into Ignis.
"Iggy?" he asks as Ignis raises his hands to steady him. Noctis lets the towel fall from his hair as Ignis studies him.
"Are you really sure you are okay?" He asks just low enough so Gladio and Prompto can't hear him from their spot in front of the T.V..
"Of course," Noct replies, eyes softening, "You really don't need to worry so much."
Ignis huffs, "Telling us that is like telling a fish not to swim. It is hard to forget you are strong. But..."
Noctis holds back the apology, and waits patiently for Ignis to continue. Seconds tick by as Ignis collects his thoughts, Noctis glances at Prompto and Gladio to see them still immersed in their movie. Flashes of action - the garula being caged, the dandelion torn from its grip - cross the screen.
"Lately, you've been building such an untouchable presence that I forget you are still human."
His focus snaps back on Ignis. Ignis watches the ground, clearly not looking for an answer from Noct.
"And that is why I hope you know that we will always worry."
Sounds from the movie drift through the room - "We are here! We are here! We are here!"
Shifting, Noct lets his own gaze fall to the floor. Ignis cranes to look at the other two before looking back down at Noct.
"Every day out here is increasing our chances of something going wrong - and we have been fortunate that nothing has gone wrong yet. You can't ask us not to worry."
His face burns - and Noctis isn't sure if it is shame or overwhelming gratitude that causes it so.
"So, as your Crownsguard and as your friends, let us worry a little and keep you safe."
...
His groggy body complains as he steps into a dark kitchen he had never seen before. Noctis turns as Ignis greets him with toothy smile, his body seeming to stretch all the way to the ceiling.
"Welcome."
Noctis looks up at him, wondering how he had grown so tall. The black stove before him looks old and rusted, something Ignis would never use in real life.
Ignis brings his blades up, striking them above the stove in an explosive display. The flames glint off Ignis's glasses, adding to his now menacing appearance.
"Fire science!" Ignis laughs.
Noctis wakes with a quiet gasp. Running a hand across his face, he takes a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dark and shifts to kick the blanket off.
Had the A/C turned off?
Steady breaths from his friends indicate he is the only one awake, but their sounds of sleep relax him regardless. Sweat beads at his brow, so with a hushed moan Noct stands and creeps his way to the bathroom.
The metal of the facet screeches as he turns it on, and the water does nothing to cool him as he splashes it onto his face.
Noctis slows the run of the water, leaning over the sink and splashing some over his neck. Closing his eyes, he rubs his hands against his face to remove some of his grogginess.
He dips his fingers back under the facet - and its not water.
Blood greets him as his eyes snap open. It slides thickly between his fingers and coats his hands all the way up to his forearms.
A yellow flash catches in his eye as he whips his head to the mirror. For a second - he hadn't seen the familiar blue of his eyes, instead -
He was met with hellfire.
"No."
He stumbles back and pulls a stained hand over his mouth. Fire engulfs the mirror.
Noctis cries out and rushes for the bathroom door, recoiling as the doorknob sears his hand. "No!" He shouts this time, ramming a shoulder against the door in adrenaline-fueled fear.
The door rattles, but doesn't give.
Noctis leans back against it, cradling his hand as the temperature rises and haze obscures his vision. The facet rattles, molten lava spewing forth from it.
More sprays from the shower, pooling into the tub. Noctis kicks away, eyes wide and banging once more against the door.
"O' sinful, woeful prince. Why do you continue to fight?" Ifrit's voice(thousands of screams, an inferno of the damned) burns through him, hotter than the sun and far less divine.
Wallpaper melts in thick clumps and when he looks down, the mortar between the tile floor glows red hot. Their fumes sting his eyes and chokes the breath from him. Noctis shakes his head, trying to force out the piercing voice.
"You are not welcome here!" Noctis grimaces in fury and fear. "If you want to fight - I will not hesitate!"
"Hesitate? You are indecisive and weak. And just like every other mortal - waiting for a higher being to tell you what to do. No will exists within."
Reaching for a sword proves fruitless - nothing comes to his aid.
"You are dead, you just haven't realized it yet."
Noctis clenches his eyes shut, desperately trying to block out the Inferian's words.
"That's not true!" He cries out, "I'm doing everything I possibly can to make things right!"
"And what of your beloved father? Had you really tried like you say you do, then he would be alive and well."
"Lies." Noctis hisses out, crouching to the ground and covering his ears. His feet burn against the tile.
The echoing boom of Ifrit's laugh physically makes Noct sick, "The only lies are the ones you tell yourself. Tell me - one corrupted soul to another - does it make it easier?"
Noctis screams against the hellfire, clutching his head and curling inward.
"Or have you simply forgotten all those slain by your hand?"
Eyes flying open, Noctis finds himself back in bed - rapidly gasping and too petrified to move. His eyes trace patterns in the dull ceiling, and he pulls a hand over his mouth to stifle his loud breathing.
Curling inward and wide eyes dampening at the corners, his breath hitches.
A 'ting' from his bedside draws his attention - his phone - and he recognizes the sound as having pulled him from the nightmare. Swallowing, he extends a shaky hand to grab it, ignoring how the time read a bleak 4:32am.
Two unread texts.
Noctis looks over his shoulder, checking to see if the others had been woken. Their quiet breaths reassure him, so he looks down at his phone and opens the first text.
'Wake up.' was all it read. He scrolls to the next, his eyes trailing over a chain of bright emojis.
Chocobos, hearts, and a ruby.
Noctis rubs at his eye, voice cracking as he whispers out, "Thanks, buddy. We -"
His voice catches in his throat and he clutches the phone close to his chest.
"Please, we should talk soon."
...
With the aramusha gone, retrieving the Bow of the Clever became leagues easier.
Noctis guides his friends from the mines, to tired to argue about his sullen demeanor that day. Mercifully - they don't question his quiet responses nor the bags under his eyes.
In fact, their worried looks and easy comments led Noct to determine they were concerned and were trying to lighten him up.
The upcoming drive to the Fallgrove would be long and miserable - Noctis considered forcing one more night at the motel on his friends.
He frowns and waits for Ignis to catch up to give him the keys, even if they left early next morning, it would still be dark before they got there. It would be better to break up the drive by staying in a motel or haven halfway.
"Do you think we have enough money for another hotel tonight?" He tosses. A bone-deep exhaustion had eaten away any motivation of setting up camp.
Gladio shrugs, jumping over a couple of cinder blocks and opening his mouth to answer.
Something suddenly jumps from behind the rubble wall next to him, nearly knocking down Prompto.
"Whoa! Did you guys see that?"
Noctis had. Apparently his friends had too based on how they eagerly readied their weapons.
Flashbacks of fighting swarms of cactuars flash through his mind, and before he can say out loud that this a bad idea, the cactuar moves.
"Wait, let me take a picture before it becomes our funding!" Prompto shouts out.
"Let's-" Ignis starts, his legs being swiped from under him as the cactuar dives at him.
The cactuar spins, the empty voids of its eyes peering at them as it lets loose a barrage of confusion-laced needles.
Ignis takes the brunt of the attack, with Prompto receiving a minor splash-back.
Warping well out of range, Noctis looks back on the battle from the rock he sits on. Gladio repels a barrage of needles with his shield, Prompto stands behind him, shaking his head as he recovers. Ignis attacks a bush in confusion.
Noctis stands back, content to watch the scene unfold.
Sitting on a rock and rubbing his tired eyes, Noctis waits for his friends to abandon the fight. They don't.
Eventually cleaving off its leg as the semi-sentient succulent comes too close, Gladio effectively stops its rapid movements. It collapses to the ground, disturbing dust and sand.
Ignis ambles over to Noct. He tenses, only relaxing when he sees that Ignis is no longer confused enough to mistake friend for foe.
"Mind if I join the astute side?" Ignis asks as Noct hands him a remedy. Confusion cleared, Ignis sits next to him and waits for Prompto and Gladio to finish.
The cactuar trembles as Gladio raises his sword, its empty, black eyes seemingly pleading up at the tall man. Before Gladio can bring his sword down, Prompto jumps in front of him.
"Wait, wait, wait - " He says, and Noctis can't tell if its the mild confusion or Prompto's on natural clumsiness that causes him to stumble. He holds his hands up until Gladio lowers his sword.
"Prompto, what?" His gruff response forces Prompto to look down on the whimpering cactuar.
Prompto chews his lip, "We can't kill it."
"You're kidding." Gladio makes to move around Prompto only to find him standing in his way once again, "I'll be picking needles out of my ass for weeks. And you said so yourself, we need the money from selling what we get from this guy."
"I know I said that," Prompto looks back up at Gladio, his puppy-dog eyes doing half the work, "but look at him. He's real, he's can feel, just like us!"
Gladio looks over Prompto's shoulder, tension draining from him as he meets the desperate eyes of the cactuar. Noctis wonders when Prompto had become so good with words - and why he had decided to stand up for a bounty in the first place.
Gladio looks ready to just leave it when Prompto speaks up again, "A person's a person, no matter how small."
"Ugh." Gladio gags and shoves Prompto aside.
Springing to life, the cactuar catches both of them off-guard, spraying them with projectile needles.
Noctis, having had enough, warps in with a shield and a remedy. It's enough for Gladio and Prompto to catch their breath, and Gladio seizes the opportunity to slay the cactuar.
Prompto rubs the back of his neck, wincing as he brushes a needle embedded there. Ignis pinches the bridge of his nose and turns to Noct.
"Longwythe tonight, and make our way to Fallgrove tomorrow?"
Noctis moves behind Prompto, plucking a few more needles from his back, "Looks like it."
He slows his help and Gladio takes over, covered in needles himself. Noctis swallows, a frown pulling at his features and tensing his muscles.
Costlemark was just a day away.
And the last Royal Arm in his kingdom - the Sword of the Tall - was waiting.
Thank you very much for reading!
*rollerblades in like I'm not late for my fics own anniversary* Look. Life is hard, and my computer doesn't make it easier when it freezes and requires a manual reboot everytime it falls asleep or restarts.
Anyway, this chapter came out waaaay longer than it meant to be ~sorry about the last scene with the cactuar (although, from here on, its going to be 95 percent dreary with a chance of rain) so no more light-hearted moments really. We're getting in deep. Speaking of deep, I hope you guys are excited for next chapter, I know some of you have been waiting for this since chapter 1. ;) (As have I).
Also, when Ifrit said Noctis was dead, he was meaning in both that Noctis is dead inside and that he has literally died before. (Noctis isn't dead right now, in case people were scared that this was one of those stories where the protagonist was dead the entire time and was really a ghost. :/ He's alive, even if he sometimes wishes otherwise.)
Big things next chapter, I hope it won't take me too long, but my computer and Uni/thesis are going to argue otherwise.
Happy holidays everyone! Have an absolutely wonderful New Year, I hope 2019 is the best for you!
Thank you very much for reading and commenting, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!
Until next time! :D