Here we go with chapter five. So, I'm not sure how many of you have noticed yet, but I'm still building up Prompto's reputation with others. He actually ends up being pretty famous (or infamous depending on it) for just being a MT, though most people just kind of refer to him like his Noctis's pet. He's actually going to be pretty well liked by all of the characters around his age, including eventually Ignis and Gladiolus. That'll take some building up though. Oh, and of course, a story like this wouldn't be complete without people thinking their friends were dead, now would it.
Poor Prompto just keeps getting beat up, and he will continue to keep getting beat up as the story goes on. You guys will see plenty of that as time goes on, and its part of the reason why you need your tissues. Anyway, I hope you all continue to enjoy the story so far! Oh, and who would like some mentions of an old prophecy?
Chapter Five: Storm Beast
Prompto was used to the almost stuffy atmosphere that seemed to surround most of the Citadel, which was more or less the palace for the Royal line of Lucis. Everything seemed cramped, uncomfortable, at least to the young MT. Noctis seemed right at home here, so Prompto attempted to at least act like he felt the same way. He was far used to the stares and glares that he got from people when they thought he couldn't see them, and the way that people talked about him. Today was made even worse by the fact that he was now standing in the middle of the courtyard, where various members of both the Crown's Guard and Royal Hunters were milling around.
The pup didn't make any move to acknowledge anyone other than Noctis and Cor. Iris, Yvis, Mitos and Halia were also going to be training to be in the Royal Hunters, while Ignis, Gladiolus and Gavin were all joining the other students training to be members of the Crown's Guard. A few other various students were milling about the area, all older and having completed far more training than the new group that had recently joined. Many gave Prompto long and calculating looks, as if wondering the best way to tear him apart.
Those were the kinds of eyes he had quickly grown accustomed to, yet these people were far more dangerous than the usual kind of people he came across. The air here practically reeked with power, and it made him nervous. His face betrayed no emotion, but Noctis noticed immediately when Prompto stepped closer to him. Noctis became far more alert, noticing the way people were looking at the pup, and quickly shot glares in the directions of those looking at him. They all adverted their gazes without a complaint, but Prompto did not relax.
Cor was quick to make his appearance however, and the young MT was glad for it as he motioned away the various people who had been training. One of those people paused just a moment to look over the group, before nodding to himself. Prompto had met him a few times before, considering his close proximity to the king and this man's involvement in the ruling council. He had dark blue eyes that seemed to reflect many things, and his hair was white and cut extremely short. His name was Clarus Amicitia, Gladiolus and Iris's father.
The man paused a moment to speak with Cor, whispering something to the man, before hurrying off in whatever new mission he had to do for his king. Cor shook his head before turning to look at the group thoughtfully, eying them all. Many of the children shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, though both Noctis and Prompto had little trouble holding their ground under his scrutiny. Cor made his way over, looking up and down the line before seeming to make up his mind and making his way over (naturally) to Noctis first.
"Your highness," he greeted with a nod. "Prompto." Noctis and Prompto both nodded back, and the man turned to look at the rest of the group. "All right, listen up. I'll be sending each of you to meet your teachers. Yvis and Iris will receive the same teacher, and Mitos and Halia will also be sharing a teacher. The rest of you will have private instructors. As for me, I'll be teaching Noctis and Prompto. Any questions?"
It was clear to Prompto by the way that several members of the group were shifting that they had plenty of questions, most of which were aimed at why Cor was teaching Prompto and the Prince, and why Prompto was paired with their young Prince at all. Most of them still saw him as a dangerous beast and didn't want him anywhere near Noctis. Gladiolus and Ignis looked indifferent to the subject, and Iris seemed to like him. The other four however all winced visibly when Cor looked at them, as if daring them to say something about it. They didn't, and the silence elapsed into several long seconds. Seeing there was nothing, the man nodded and motioned the others to a room off to the side.
"Head in there," he instructed. "And you'll all meet your instructors and head off for your first day of training. If you're still here after that, well, things will get a lot more hectic for you."
Cor crossed his arms and watched the group slowly make their way away from their young Prince and towards the room he had motioned to. He didn't move until the door had shut behind them, leaving them free from prying eyes and listening ears, at least from the children. He then turned his gaze back towards the pup and prince, smirking a little at Noctis's nervous expression. Prompto, seeing how he was now only around people he was more comfortable with, finally let his shoulders relax and blinked up at the man.
"Don't worry, your highness," Cor chuckled. "I know your back is still healing. We'll take it slow. First, I want to ask you a question. Would you want to make Prompto one of your three Swordsworn?"
The question seemed to make Noctis become more thoughtful, and Prompto couldn't help but blink a little at the suggestion. He had heard them mentioned before, people who were about as famous as the kings and queens they had served themselves. Since Noctis was of the line of Lucis, he could store and summon weapons and some other various items into a pocket dimension of sorts.
The Swordsworn could use this same magic to summon their own weapons, and they were treated not only as guardians of the king, but also as their trusted advisers and close companions. It was a right of passage for the young king, when he turned sixteen, to travel the world with all three of his swordsworn at his side. It was a pretty big deal.
"I'd love to," Noctis said, sounding reluctant for the first time. "But...I don't think people would like it much. I don't want Prompto to get hurt anymore because of me."
"I'm not so sure you have a choice," Cor said quietly, looking at the two of them seriously. "You are aware, of course Noctis, that you are the chosen king of light, said to be chosen by the gods at birth to help them rid the world of the Starscourge. And in the same prophecy, there is something known as the Storm Beast. After Lady Lunafreya's warnings for you to keep him close, as well as how the crystal of Lucis itself acted...I think we may have found it."
That was something that got Prompto's attention nearly immediately. He'd heard of the prophecy of the chosen king several times, but he'd never really heard it spoken before. The Empire treated it like it was something to be feared, and it was kept quiet here in Insomnia. Almost like it was too sacred. He wasn't sure if it was sacred or frightening himself, having never heard any of it spoken at all. Even Noctis didn't seem to truly know what the prophecy itself said. Cor, thoughtfully sighing, finally nodded and turned to them.
"I've heard it before," he explained. "and I'll tell it to the two of you. However, you must never speak of it to anyone. It is a terrible knowledge, but perhaps a necessary one. Follow me."
Cor turned and quickly began making his way down another hallway, hurrying to the elevator. Once making sure the two of them were safely tucked inside, he pushed a button and waited patiently as the machine took them to a floor Prompto had never been allowed on before. As the door dinged and opened, Prompto immediately noticed that this place smelled old, forgotten. There was no one here, and though the place was clean their footsteps seemed to echo mournfully in the chambers beyond. Rooms with doors unlike any other in the palace lined the various hallways, but Cor continued directly into the heart of the floor.
In the middle of the hallways, a large circular room connected all of them. There were no furnishings in the dark and foreboding halls, and Prompto felt the hair on the back of his neck beginning to stand up, as if he wasn't welcome here. Noctis shuddered, no doubt feeling the same, and cast the area a quick glance. Prompto understood why. He felt like he was being watched here, like something unknown was lurking just out of reach. He didn't want to turn around, afraid to see what specter haunted these walls. Here, Cor finally stopped.
"Do you know where we are?" he asked. Noctis and Prompto shook their heads. "It is called the hall of mourning. It was once the floor that the royal family and their extended family lived. However, it is said that a great evil was unleashed here, destroying the branching families until only the king and his immediate line had survived."
"I-Is that why the royal family is so small?" Noctis asked with wide eyes.
"So says history," Cor muttered.
The hall of mourning...it had a chill to the name, as if something was lingering here. Being a daemon, he was far used to the supernatural and powerful beings that most people either couldn't see or wrote off as legends. Spirits and ghosts were some of those things. Perhaps the people who had lost their lives were lingering here, watching them and perhaps demanding they leave. They were not attempting to speak, if they existed here. As if they were passing silent judgment on them for coming here. No doubt, if they were here, they were pained by whatever had happened.
Clearing his voice, Cor began to speak. It was softly at first, as if he feared being overhead and didn't want to speak it too loudly. Even in this hushed and dead place, things seemed to fall impossibly silent, as if the words he was saying were sacred. Even as the man started the first few versus of the prophecy, Prompto felt himself bristling as a sense of dread fell over him. There were hints of hope, of light among the darkness, but each word held a weight that Prompto had never before been aware that noises made to communicate could possibly hold.
Child of light, born among the darkness
will rise to take his throne on high.
But evil chases him through his path
and brings upon a terror, nigh.
Crystal of kings will in its sight
crown the king of everlasting light,
but beware the scourge of stars today
for the line of kings has a price to pay.
King of stone, seek out the six;
gods on high, hear us pray.
For their power will aid you still
when darkness has come to stay.
Eyes that see souls as they die
gather an army to face the night.
Sworn to the sword, three will rise
to aid you in your coming fight.
One, the keeper of knowledge held long,
will give you wisdom you will need.
Two, the shield of the king held high,
will be your strength when you fall to your knees.
Three, the Storm Beast appears in wrath,
to aid the king in his glorious path.
And forth, the Oracle brings her song,
to awaken the gods who have slumbered long.
But fail your path, and darkness comes;
a terrible night will fall, eternal.
The crystal shattered, the ring destroyed,
and all of man kind left to the inferno.
Forgotten sins of gods and man
upon the king rest their hands.
For none shall ever truly be free
until the blinded man can see.
Ancestral kings, grant you power;
their weapons become your solemn vow.
Ancient line, unleash your strength,
until darkness is banished from every bough.
Then you may gain the power you need
to see the undoing of terrible deeds.
Then arise once more, glorious sun,
for man no longer shall have to run.
Cor fell silent for a long moment, making Prompto shudder at the absence of his words. He was too young to understand much of it, and Noctis no doubt was as well. However both boys could understand the gravity of it and took a long while to commit as much of it to memory as possible. Prompto, being a MT, had no problem with the simple task. Still, he couldn't help but frown. Everlasting night? Who was the blinded man? What ancient powers were they talking about, and who were all the people mentioned in the prophecy? Even more ominous in his mind however, was the thought that gods had to be forgiven of sins at all.
"That," Cor said after a long while, finally breaking the silence. "is the prophecy as we know it."
"Who spoke it?" Prompto asked, but the man just shook his head.
"No one is sure," the man replied. "The record of it was lost at the same time that the Hall of Mourning was blasted with fire."
"There was a fire?" Noctis finally asked, glancing around. Prompto followed his gaze. It didn't seem like this place had been touched, ever.
"There was," Cor confirmed. "It destroyed most of the Royal Family left after the incident, and was remodeled some fifty years later. What that incident was, well, no one really knew much about it or was too scared to talk about it or record it. Soon afterward, a mysterious fire swept through this part of the castle, destroying everyone but the time's king and his immediate family. Some people think that Ifrit caused the fire himself, if you'd believe the stories."
The thought of a wrathful god causing a fire with the full intention of destroying the royal line of Lucis made Prompto very uneasy, especially if the Noctis was supposed to be this "Chosen King of Light" and needed the help of the six. He of course had heard the stories of Ifrit betraying the gods and leaving the citadel of the gods, but no one had ever known why. It was only rumors and stories long forgotten, but this place certainly seemed uneasy and dead. If it was Ifrit who had caused the fire, it would explain why the gods were so furious. The line of Lucis had a long history of being involved with the gods of this land. Even he, a daemon at birth, knew those tales.
"Well," Cor said, much to the relief of both the pup and prince. "We should go. We've spent enough time here. You'll understand what I meant in time, perhaps. Most people think the king and I are wrong in suspecting that Prompto is indeed part of this prophecy, but there's no telling until the time comes. Anyway, we've got more immediate matters to deal with, like your training."
Cheered up a little at the thought of a tangible problem that could be solved quickly, rather than an ancient mystery that no one was completely sure of, the two boys were quick to follow their tutor as he made his way to the elevator again and pushed the button to let them inside. Once the door closed, and they were making their way back towards the courtyard again, the air became less oppressive and Noctis shot Prompto a grin. Prompto managed to send one back, and they both turned their attention back to Cor.
"What are you going to teach us?" he asked, making the man chuckle because of his excited tone.
"We'll start with some basics," he replied. "Since Prompto is going to be one of your three Swordsworn, we'll need to teach you first how to use the pocket dimension I mentioned before. Then, Prompto has to learn to tap into it to pull out his weapons, and after that we should focus on some basic training, maybe how to warp strike." The man gave Noctis a hard stare after this, making the prince wilt just slightly under his gaze. "But THAT will wait until you're ready, got it?"
"Got it," Noctis said, unable to keep himself from sounding happy at the thought.
The elevator soon let out another ding to announce that they had again arrived at the floor with the large courtyard, and Noctis was the first one off, looking happy and not at all concerned with the prophecy he had just heard. Maybe his young mind had just suppressed it for now, being far more excited for training. Prompto however, knew it wasn't something he was ever just going to forget. Sometimes, it really did suck having the mental capacity of a small super computer. He was grateful when Cor promptly distracted him by sitting him and Noctis down to explain how the pocket dimension worked.
"It's an extension of yourself," Cor began. "Think of it, like a light just out of your reach. Its always there, you have to learn how to feel it though. Swordsworn have a harder time reaching this dimension, because they have to be perfectly in sync with their king to even pull the weapons through the dimension, and they have to learn to, in a way, connect to their king's mind without thinking about it. Its more complicated than it appears to be. Though, traditionally, the king only has three Swordsworn, it is possible to expand the dimension and those who can reach it until you can arm a small army with it. And as long as both the king and the Swordsworn are alive, the dimension can be reached despite distance between them, and the king will always be aware when a weapon is removed and put back. Keep in mind though, only a living Swordsworn can return a weapon."
Cor busied himself with trying to explain to a confused Noctis how to reach the dimension that the Lucian kings were able to use in battle, and Prompto looked around the room. Other teachers were busy trying to teach their various students to wield weapons, testing their endurance, or any number of other various things that could be happening at the moment. He couldn't exactly tell with half of his mental power focused on listening to Cor. He did notice however the looks that several of the teachers were casting in their direction, as if they knew where they'd just gone.
Some of them looked angry and others interested. They all turned their attention back to their students however when they saw him looking, as if they were caught doing something they weren't supposed to do. Shaking his head, Prompto turned back to Cor, who was patiently coaching Noctis through the process of reaching this secondary dimension and hadn't noticed the disturbance at all. The pup was surprised however, to see a man standing behind Cor.
He was pale, as if he'd never seen any sun, and he was covered in a black cloak. His hair was hidden under the hood, as were his hands. In fact, the only thing Prompto was truly aware of was the sneer on the man's face. He raised his head, and Prompto saw glowing orange eyes, which seemed to be made of living flame itself. The man met his gaze, pausing just a moment, before growling like an animal. Prompto's eyes flicked around, trying to see if anyone else had noticed him. How could he be the only who heard and saw a man standing there in plain view? As he looked up again, the man was gone as if he'd never been there.
This did nothing to settle his unease, or the feeling of being watched by unfriendly eyes that was crawling all over his skin.
So there was chapter five. Sorry for the delay, but I have anxiety and finally have my dog ready to be my Emotional Support Animal. In other words, I'm getting out more and happy to be doing it, instead of hiding in my room scared all the time and not sure why. That's good news for me, but not so good news for you guys because it means I have less time to write. Anyway, sorry for that huge information dump, but I hope it was interesting.
I tried writing a Prophecy, but we'll see how that turned out. I gave you guys tons of hints through out that chapter about some things that are going to happen, and some pretty important events and characters that are going to pop up. I guess, if you guys really want, you can theorize who that last guy was in the scene, and why you think only Prompto noticed him. As a matter of fact, you can totally theorize about all of this chapter and see if you can figure some things out. I'll let you know if you get close later. ;)
