Chapter 15
It was still raining heavily the next morning, and the leak in Velcia's room had gotten bad enough that some of the pooling water had spread out from under the door and into the hallway. Velcia was very thankful to have been able to spend the night in Ignis' room where it was dry and warm, though admittedly it was still not a very restful sleep. Her slumber was light and nervous, and her dreams kept turning to the Star inside the Station of Awakening. The sound of the morning alarms came as both a disappointment and a relief to her, but ultimately she found herself eager to get back on the road and return to Lestallum.
After breakfast, Noctis and Ignis left the little building and ventured out into the pouring rain. Noctis went to return the key and let the attendant know about the leaky roof, and Ignis began to ready the Regalia. With Prompto's help, Velcia moved her soggy bed aside to be out from under the leak in the ceiling, and once done she began using her magic to pull the water up and out from the floor and sheets; which she would direct into the tub with a splash. Prompto found a bucket to put underneath the leak itself while she did so, and by the time they heard the beckoning honk of the Regalia's horn the floor, though still quite damp, was a considerable amount drier than it had been.
"I guess that'll have to be good enough, huh Vel?" Prompto asked, head turning towards the door at the sound of the horn.
Velcia nodded reluctantly, glancing up at the crack in the ceiling. "I suppose so. It would take quite some time to get the rest of it… I hope they aren't too angry with us."
Prompto shrugged. "It's their roof that's leaky, it's not your fault."
Velcia glanced around the rooms quickly to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything as they made their way to the front door. "I suppose so, but still, it is a shame."
Prompto flung the door open to see that Ignis had pulled the Regalia as close to the entrance as he could, though he was unable to get too close on account of some short concrete barriers. Noctis was in the passenger seat, waving them over, and Prompto turned to Velcia with a chuckle. "Ready to go for a swim?" he asked, motioning towards the torrential downpour that awaited them.
Velcia stepped out onto the small covered porch, the rain spray soaking her legs as it bounced off the ground. The cold water made her eager for the warm interior of the car, but the thought of this stopped her. "Oh, that won't do at all. We can't get the inside of the car soaked as well."
"It'll dry! Besides, we don't have much choice," Prompto said, turning back to the vehicle and readying himself for a mad dash.
Velcia held a hand up, wrapping her fingers into a gently closed fist. A soft glow swirled around her forearm, and she swept her hand out and across, and a wind barrier formed around her and Prompto. The end of the barrier was outside the cover of the porch, and though it was hard to see past the foam of water crashing against it it seemed to be quite effective at keeping the rain at bay.
Velcia and Prompto began walking over towards the Regalia, Prompto looking up and around the foamy bubble as they went. He reached up gingerly and stuck his hand through the shear winds circling around them, then pulled it back inside dripping with foam and shivering with excitement. "Aw, man! That's cool!"
Once they reached the car, the wind barrier began to falter as the motion of the air was impeded by the metal body of the car, but it held up well enough for the two to scramble inside the car without getting too wet.
Noctis turned to Ignis with a wry smile, both of them drenched to the bone and shivering. "Guess we should've brought her with us, huh Iggy?"
Ignis ran a towel over his hair and pulled the stray strands back from his face. "It would seem so."
After a brisk shiver, Noctis turned back to see them. "Well, all ready to head back?"
"Am I ever!" Prompto replied.
"Yes, I am as well. I did my best to clean up the water while we waited - I hope they weren't too upset when you told them about the leak," Velcia said.
"Not at all, they were in fact very apologetic for it," Ignis told her.
"Yeah, tried to give us a big discount even," Noctis said, but shook his head. "We didn't accept that, though."
Ignis replaced his glasses and shifted the car into drive. "Yes, I would rather they have the money to put towards repairs."
Velcia smiled. "That's very thoughtful."
"I'm sure they'll appreciate whatever you did to help clean up the mess," Noctis told her, getting only a polite smile and small nod in response.
And so, with their IFF Beacon obtained and packed securely away, they began their drive back South to Lestallum. Noctis and Prompto chattered endlessly about any number of things, though initially mostly about the game King's Knight. Velcia quietly watched the rain outside with a comforted happiness as the lightning danced through the downpour in the distance.
It wasn't much time until Velcia found herself starting to doze off, her head resting in the bend of her elbow as she leaned against the base of the window. Nobody else seemed to mind at all, if indeed they even noticed, and she flitted in and out of consciousness as the Regalia purred smoothly down the road.
A loud crash of thunder broke out above them and Velcia's eyes shot open as she jolted awake again. She looked around the car and batted her eyes with a yawn, Prompto and Noctis were still talking without concern so she rested her head once more and looked out the window. As she looked around, she caught Ignis' reflection in the side mirror. His hair, which was usually styled high and proud, was decidedly more fuzzy and casual thanks to the hasty towel-drying he'd done earlier after trudging through the rain. Velcia felt that he somehow seemed much more personable now, as if it were some sort of glimpse into who he was beyond the professional demeanor he always presented. Velcia smiled to herself, thinking back to their last discussion. A sense of admiration came over her, and she felt happy for their kinship.
She hadn't realized she'd been staring until Ignis glanced into the side mirror to check the traffic behind them, and the moment their eyes met in the mirror she felt a sudden rush of embarrassment and turned her gaze quickly towards the countryside with a blush. She felt her face warm and redden and her heart sunk with disdain - there was no hiding that. She cast a quick side-eyed glance to the mirror to see Ignis now turning his eyes to the road ahead, and breathed a quick sigh of relief. She chided herself for this childish feeling, but deep down couldn't help but feel happy the encounter ended without acknowledgement.
Prompto's stomach growled loudly, and he spoke up. "How much longer, Iggy?"
"Only an hour or so now," Ignis reported. "I'll make sure to prepare something extra hearty for dinner."
"Bet Gladio will appreciate that," Noctis said. "I wonder how he's doing, anyway."
"I'm sure Monica and Dustin are taking good care of him," Prompto said. "You think his arm's healed up yet?"
Noctis shot him a look of disbelief. "It's been one day, Prompt."
"Yeah I know, but Gladi heals up quick, you know?" Prompto said with an earnest sincerity.
Noctis chuckled and shook his head, then looked over to Ignis. An expression of curiosity came over his face and he turned around, looking at the road behind them. "See something back there, Iggy?" he asked.
"Ah, just keeping an eye on the highway," Ignis said, a hint of exasperation sneaking into his tone.
Velcia glanced back over in the side mirror to see the edge of his mouth turned up into an embarrassed smirk and quickly turned back towards the others, blushing slightly again. "Well, I do hope Gladiolus recovers soon," she said quickly.
"Well, it'll be nice for him to know everyone's so concerned about him, I guess," Noctis said, amused if not slightly confused at the peculiar atmosphere that seemed to be growing among them.
"Indeed," Ignis said with a gentle cough. "And let us not forget to check in with Cindy as well and see if she needs any assistance."
"How could I forget a thing like that?" Prompto said. "That airship is the first place I'm going once we get back to town!"
"Heh, glad you're so eager to help," Noctis said with a knowing chuckle.
They drove for a while longer when their attention was grabbed by a lightning strike that seemed to hit the road dead ahead. Ignis slowed the car but continued cautiously, and as they approached the spot where it had hit they saw the ground around one of the Niflheim power poles was burning slowly and the lines had melted.
Prompto whistled at the sight of the damage. "Serves them right!"
"A few more of those lightning strikes would be a welcome sight, to be sure," Ignis said. "As it is, I don't expect it will take long for them to repair the damage."
Velcia turned and looked at the fire as they passed. "The lines at the Substation were melted in the same way. I thought these wires were meant to carry electricity, how can it damage them so?"
Noctis gave a half-nod. "Sort of, yeah. They're made to carry electricity, but in controlled amounts. Put too much electricity through just about anything and it'll catch fire like that."
Velcia nodded. "I see. So the burning wires caught the ground on fire as well, then."
Ignis gave her a smile through the rear-view mirror. "In all likelihood the lightning was drawn to the metal in the power pole itself, and the fire on both the ground and the wires started as the electricity spread out from there."
Velcia looked back up to the sky, watching the distant flashes of the storm's power striking the earth. "The lightning in this world is so much more wild than back home. It's amazing, but a little terrifying at the same time."
Prompto laughed. "Well, that's lightning for ya. There's a reason it keeps people up at night."
Velcia nodded with an affirmative hum, and continued watching the weather. The rain was a little lighter now, though still very much present as far as the eye could see.
"Miss Velcia tells me it is something of a comfort to her," Ignis spoke up.
The others glanced over at her, a curious skepticism across their faces. Velcia shook her head with some amusement. "Yes, it's true. The ruler of my world, Zeus, is a god of lightning and thunder. They say that he controls all the lightning in our world, and none of Zeus' bolts will ever hit the innocent. Indeed… there's been very few stories of lightning harming anyone in Olympus."
"Woah! No wonder it doesn't bother you!" Prompto said, bobbing his head. "I wouldn't want to be a bad guy in a place like that!"
Velcia laughed softly. "It is a very poor place for villainy, to be sure. Zeus and the rest of the gods keep a careful watch over their lands, and Zeus' son Hercules is always ready to fight off anything that comes to attack Thebes."
"It sounds straight out of a movie," Noctis said, shaking his head.
"I've been told that, but I have not seen many movies," she replied.
Ignis raised an eyebrow. "From what little I've heard of your world, I'm surprised you've seen any at all."
"Hinata and her friends showed me several," Velcia said with a thoughtful nod. "Though… I came to learn later that most of them were of rather… hm, questionable quality."
"Oh yeah?" Noctis asked with an amused smirk.
Velcia pursed her lips and nodded. "It seems that they quite enjoyed watching bad films for amusement. It wasn't until later when they showed me one they thought was good that I really began to understand the difference."
"Heh, well, I can't say we haven't done some of that ourselves," Noctis replied with a chuckle.
It wasn't too much longer until the buildings of Lestallum came into view in the distance, much to everyone's joy. Prompto sat forward in his seat watching the side of the road like a hawk, and once he saw the start of the gravel trail up into the hills where their airship was parked he began to bounce up and down.
"Iggy, Iggy, stop for a moment and let me off here, will ya?" he asked.
Ignis pulled over to the side of the road smoothly. "Take care not to get too wet, Prompto," he cautioned.
"Ah whatever, it'll be fine," Prompto waved him off. He opened the door and quickly jumped outside, shivering as the rain began to pelt him. "On second thought, maybe I'd better hurry!" he cried out, closing the door and breaking into a mad dash up the hillside.
The three friends who remained in the warm confines of the car couldn't help but laugh as they carried on into the city. Ignis drove up the roundabout road leading to the front of the hotel and motioned towards the door. "I'll be along shortly, after I park the car."
Velcia shook her head. "I'll come with you, I can use my magic like I did earlier with Prompto so you don't have to get wet."
"You know," Noctis started slowly, "Maybe we should invest in umbrellas at some point."
Ignis laughed. "Indeed. Alright then, thank you for the offer, Miss Velcia. Noct, how about you meet up with Gladio and see how he's doing, and Miss Velcia and I will be along to start dinner shortly."
"Sure thing," Noctis said with a nod. "See you soon." Saying so, he got out of the car and dashed a few feet to the covered awning over the sidewalk. He waved goodbye and headed inside, and Ignis began to drive the car slowly to the parking lot.
Once they pulled into the spot, Velcia slowly twisted her fingers as she prepared the wind barrier spell. Her gently-closed fist glowed and swirled bright with energy, and as she opened the door she swept her hand out in the open air. The falling rain drops hitched in place momentarily, then began to spin around them before splashing off into the ground. Ignis looked around at the bouncing water drops with a look of delight at the edges of his mouth.
"Magnificent," he said quietly as he looked around their dry haven.
Velcia smiled shyly and waved her free hand. "It's not difficult. I would be glad to teach you."
"And I would be glad to learn," Ignis replied with a small bow, "But it is an endeavor best saved for another time."
"Yes, of course," Velcia said solemnly.
The two made their way across the road and towards the hotel, finding themselves something of a spectacle to the few outside who noticed them in their frothy, foaming bubble. Velcia couldn't help but nervously wave her fingers towards them with a quiet "Hello" when she realized, but she smiled and kept pace nonetheless. Though he didn't make much mention of it, Ignis himself couldn't help but watch the way the water spun around them and crashed into the ground.
"Hey, guys, wait up!" a shivering voice called out from the rain behind them.
The two turned to see Prompto dashing towards them, drenched through and through, and out of worry and some pity they turned back and began to quickly make their way towards him.
"Cindy wasn't at the airship," Prompto gasped, stopping just outside the air bubble. "I tried banging on the door for a while, but there was no answer. Boy, it's wet out here!"
Velcia giggled and motioned inside the bubble. "Why don't you join us in here where it's dry?"
"I can just walk through?" Prompto asked, walking slowly through the barrier. He shuddered and shivered as the wind nipped along his clothes and skin, and looked himself over with some amazement to see that most of the free-flowing water was blown away. "Man, you have any spells that can dry my clothes out?"
"Yes, Prompto," Ignis said with a shake of his head, "It's called the drying machine inside the hotel. Come, let's get inside and you can change into something dry before dinner."
"A great idea from top to bottom, Iggy!" Prompto said, rubbing his hands up and down his goose-bump riddled arms. "Sure hope Cindy ended up somewhere nice and dry."
"I would suppose she's probably in our hotel room," Velcia mused as they began to walk back towards the building. "We'll find out soon enough."
The trio entered the mercifully warm hotel and made their way up to the floor that hosted their rooms. As they approached, they could hear Noctis, Gladiolus, and Cindy talking. Gladiolus sounded like he was feeling quite strong, as his tone seemed to be almost playfully irritated.
Prompto promptly swung the door to the room open with a complete lack of preceding announcement or fanfare, and a somewhat more bashful and restrained Ignis and Velcia peered past him through the open door as the inhabitants turned to greet them.
Cindy and Gladiolus had been playing a card game. They both seemed rather mirthful, with Noctis amused as well in his understated but undeniable fashion. Gladiolus set down his hand of cards and waved to them. His other arm, the one that had been injured, was in a sling now and he seemed to be doing a good job of keeping it very still despite the energy in the room.
"Well howdy fellas, Vel," Cindy greeted enthusiastically. "Don't mind us much, I'm just whoopin' Gladi's ass at this here card game."
"That's what you've said the last three rounds," Gladiolus reminded her with a chuckle.
Cindy turned towards him, hands on her hips. "I've seen all yer sneaky tricks, Gladi, I ain't falling fer any of 'em this time. If you can somehow come back and win this, why I-"
Ignis stepped forward quickly and interjected. "I would recommend against hasty wagers, Cindy."
"That's what I've been telling her," Noctis said with an amused shake of his head.
"Just y'all watch!" Cindy bragged defiantly, sitting back down at the table. She sifted through her hand of cards and grabbed one eagerly, setting it down face-up on the table. Velcia stood on the tips of her toes, but couldn't make out what was on the card's face.
Gladiolus' face was awash with a series of emotions, first confusion, then a knowing smirk, and then something altogether more laced with suspicion. "Now just a minute, why would you play that?" he asked, thumbing quickly through his own cards and playing something that he seemed confident in.
Cindy snapped her fingers. "Ah shoot, Gladi, I was so sure I'd get ya this time…" she said sheepishly, drawing another card from her hand and playing it down. "And I reckon I may just've done it."
"What?" Gladiolus exclaimed incredulously, looking at the card. "How'd you learn a play like that?"
"Ya didn't really think you could bamboozle me all afternoon without me picking up somethin'?" Cindy asked, setting her cards back down on the table. "You got any more moves?"
Gladiolus tossed his cards across the table with a spin, the group watching as they knocked over the various other piles of cards that had been in play. "Nope, you got me."
Cindy cracked an enormous smile. "Well, it's about dang time!" she turned towards the others. "Why, you might not believe it, but this is the first game I've won all day!"
Prompto nodded with an excited smile. "I believe it!"
"Now just what in the blazes is that 'sposed to mean?" Cindy demanded, crossing her arms and tapping her foot with an exaggerated fervor.
"What?! No, I didn't-!" Prompto sputtered, raising his hands defensively.
"I'm just messin' with ya," Cindy said with a wave of her hand, bumping him lightly with her shoulder.
Prompto blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, yeah, right… I knew that."
Gladiolus leaned back in his seat with his legs crossed comfortably over a small stool as he watched this, and once the shenanigans subsided he spoke up. "You guys managed to get that IFF Beacon?"
"Indeed. It seems to be a rather simple device. Knowing Cindy's expertise, I don't imagine it should take her long at all to install it," Ignis said.
"Well, it's gotta wait until this storm passes," Cindy said with an annoyed huff.
"We are in no major rush," Ignis said calmly. "We'll rest tonight and see how the weather's faring tomorrow."
There was a series of nods and small words of agreement, and Ignis returned his attention to Gladiolus. "And how is your arm doing, Gladio?"
Gladiolus glanced down at his arm and rolled his eyes. "Doctor says I did more harm than good snapping it back in place like I did. Something about tearing a ligament. It'll be fine in a few weeks."
"A few weeks?" Prompto exclaimed.
Gladiolus shrugged. "Maybe sooner. He was surprised that it was as far along with healing as it was given how recent the injury was. I bet Velcia's magic helped speed things up."
Velcia nodded with a warm smile. "I'm very glad to hear that. I can continue to help with healing spells, if you would like."
"I'd appreciate that. The sooner I get back to full strength, the better," Gladiolus said firmly.
Noctis shook his head. "Gladio, don't rush it…"
"I'll be careful," Gladiolus retorted, raising a pointed finger towards him with narrowed eyes. "And don't think this means I'm sticking back here in Lestallum while you guys take another crack at the Adamantoise. I'll have to use a one-hander, but I can still battle."
"Gladio-" Noctis started.
Ignis shook his head. "There's little sense in arguing over it, Noct."
Noctis scoffed. "Fine then."
"Sheesh, don't act so excited to have me around again. I might think you missed me," Gladiolus joked dryly.
"You were the talk of the car on the drive back," Noctis chuckled, glancing over at Ignis. "Iggy sure seemed distracted."
Ignis shook his head. "Yes, we have all been eager for your recovery," he said, casting Noctis an annoyed expression.
Gladiolus cast Noctis a confused look, but a sudden series of glances between Noctis, Ignis, and Velcia clicked enough gears in his head that he realized something else was going on. "Iggy doesn't get distracted often,' he remarked with a thoughtful sigh. "Must have a lot on his mind."
"Just trying to stay aware of the road conditions," Ignis insisted before quickly changing the subject. "In any case, we did not stop for lunch and I believe it's high time for a meal. Gladio, Cindy, are you ready for dinner?"
"Sure am!" Cindy exclaimed excitedly. "All the work repairing that airship this morning worked me up an appetite somethin' fierce!"
"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit peckish," Gladiolus said with a nod.
"Splendid. I'll go see if our membership still allows access to the Kitchen," Ignis said, adjusting his glasses. "If not, I suppose there are many choices for food in town."
Velcia nodded. "I'll go along with you, so I can help with the food."
Ignis bowed gently and motioned towards the door. "Allow me, then," he said, opening the door and following her out.
Gladiolus watched them go, and as the door began to close he spoke up conspicuously loudly. "So Noct, what was going on with the roads today?"
Ignis' face cringed in annoyance.
"Don't know, Gladio. You'll have to ask him yourself," Noctis chuckled back.
Velcia felt herself breathing a quiet sigh of relief as they walked down the hall, and cast a side-eyed glance towards Ignis who seemed to be somewhat relieved himself. She wasn't quite sure why she was feeling this way. Her chest felt warm and her stomach felt flighty, and as a stream of thoughts ran through her mind she brushed them all aside with a subtle shake of her head.
"I'm quite glad it's nearly dinner time," she said out loud. "I'm starting to feel faint with hunger!"
Ignis nodded. "It's been a busy trip. Let's see what we can figure out."
She glanced over at him again, noting his stoic demeanor had returned. Business as usual once again, it seemed.
The special membership Noctis and his retinue had for the Leville Hotel afforded them many special amenities, one which Ignis had been quite pleased to learn about was access to one of the establishment's nicer kitchens. After quickly verifying that this option was still available, Ignis and Velcia made their way to the kitchen to begin preparations for dinner.
Despite the Leville's wide variety of available utensils and cookware, Ignis nonetheless opted to stick with his own supplies. This was just fine with Velcia, as well, who had found herself quite confused and perplexed at a great many of the things she'd found organized around the space.
She settled down at a stool by a long countertop, and had been peeling potatoes quite contentedly when a door coming in from the alley behind the hotel swung open a bit. Both she and Ignis turned to see who was coming in, a gust of cold and humid air blowing across their faces, but from where they were situated they could see nobody. The door swung back closed and a rhythmic set of gentle clacks could be heard; footsteps of some clawed creature calmly walking through the kitchen.
Ignis raised his eyebrows and set his ladle on the countertop, Velcia too pausing her work and slowly lifting her hands in preparation for spellcasting. At last the softly-clacking beast rounded the counter and came into view, and both Ignis and Velcia chuckled with breathy sighs of relief at the large black-and-white dog.
Velcia smiled warmly and held her arms out towards him. "Hello again, Umbra."
Ignis picked up his ladle once more, and returned to stirring. "It is good to see you back again, Umbra. Noctis is in a room on the third floor, we would be happy to bring you to him once we've finished here."
Umbra lowered his head, pawing gently at the ground, then turned and made his way over to Velcia. Their eyes met, and the dog's gaze passed between her and the countertop, and after a small amount of wiggling left and right the great dog stood up on his hind legs, front paws resting against the countertop as he rolled his head playfully towards her.
Velcia laughed and rubbed his head. "Goodness me, you're so tall!" she exclaimed.
Umbra let out a gruff, but quiet, woof and began to motion his head towards the satchel on his back. The noise caught Ignis' attention and he turned to look, nodding with understanding as he saw the gesture. "I believe he has a letter for you, Miss Velcia," Ignis told her.
Velcia cracked an enormous smile. "Is that so?" she asked, slowly moving her hands to open the satchel. Umbra lowered his head permissively, and with a bolstered confidence she reached into the satchel, finding both a book and an envelope. The book, she remembered, was how Noctis and Lunafreya communicated, and so she took only the envelope.
She turned it over, inspecting the writing. 'To the Lady Anthes' was written on it, and inside it she could feel a small, hard object with what seemed to be a chain bundled up beside it. Whatever this was, it was quite clearly infused with a magic she could sense through the paper envelope. "Well, thank you very much," she told the dog, rubbing his head again.
Umbra dropped down to the ground and walked a short way to the base of an empty stool, wiggling once more and then leaping up on top of the seat where he sat down. His demeanor seemed quite noble and dignified, and to Velcia he was not at all out of place.
Velcia glanced back down to the potatoes, and quickly went to wash her hands. Though she had the utmost respect for their virtuous messenger she knew that the hygiene of the kitchen must be preserved.
"I take it the Lady Lunafreya has responded to you, then?" Ignis asked as he began adding extra ingredients into his pot.
"Yes, indeed," Velcia replied as she washed up. "She's addressed me as 'Lady Anthes' on the envelope, it makes me feel quite special to see that."
"Lady Lunafreya has a way of doing so," Ignis said with a knowing smile. "I hope she has some insight into your problem."
Velcia, now returned to her potatoes, resumed her duty with a renewed vigor. "I believe she has. There seems to be some sort of magic charm inside it. I am quite excited to see what she has to say."
Ignis turned back towards her, seeing the potatoes were nearly finished with their peeling. "If you would like, I can take over with the potatoes from here."
"No, I can at the very least finish them," Velcia said. "I may be excited, but helping with dinner is my first priority."
"Very well, then. There is little left to be done but stir the pot once they are added into the soup," Ignis said, holding his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Although, perhaps I shall try a simple bread as an accompaniment."
Velcia couldn't help but smile as Ignis began murmuring thoughtfully to himself on the subject of quick breads, and set to work dicing the potatoes into cubes. It was easy work, though she did find she had to put some effort into focusing on the potatoes and not the letter beside her. As she chopped she set the cut cubes into a small bowl beside her and, once done, brought the bowl over to Ignis who'd managed to find himself nearly elbow-deep in a floury dough he'd begun to work across the countertop.
Ignis glanced over into the bowl of potatoes and nodded his head with a satisfied hum. "Splendid. Could you please dump them into the pot and give it a stir for me?" he asked, gesturing briefly with his dough-encrusted hands.
"Of course." Velcia did as requested, smelling the savory comforting scents of the bubbling broth as the potatoes plunked happily into the mixture. She grabbed the nearby ladle and stirred it gently, watching as the potatoes and several other vegetables danced around the bubbles; popping up from the slightly foamy surface only to slide down the bursting bubbles and sink into the delectable froth once more.
She shook her head free of this enticing trance, and made her way to the sink to wash and dry her hands once more. Now, finally finished with her part of the cooking, she returned to the curious letter on the countertop. She picked this up gently, her gaze lingering with a warm smile on the considerate inscription on the front before she carefully opened the envelope.
Inside was indeed a small charm, made of a beautiful polished white stone and a long silver chain. It seemed to be a very masterfully crafted emblem or symbol of some sort, one which Velcia did not understand the meaning of. Regardless, the precision of the work spoke very well of the value of the piece and Velcia couldn't help but feel honored to have it, enchantment or no. Velcia, being so dedicated to the study of magic, would normally have found herself inspecting the magic attributes of such a thing well before her mind would let her eyes have a turn to experience it; but today the beauty and thoughtfulness of the gift tore past her usual impulses and it wasn't until after a few heartfelt moments of appreciation that she began to try to suss out the enchantment on the gifted piece.
Ignis looked over his shoulder with curiosity as he kneaded his dough. "Ah, is that the charm?" he asked.
Velcia didn't respond immediately, focused as she was on the magic energies. She opened her eyes slowly, running her fingertips across the sides of the charm. "Yes, it is. It's got such a warm, unique sort of magic in it. I wonder if she will explain it in her letter."
"That is quite likely," Ignis confirmed.
Velcia ran her fingers along the chain, then carefully brought it over her head and hung the charm around her neck. She pulled her hair free of the silver links and picked up the letter, unfolding it.
"Lady Anthes," she read quietly to herself, eyes locked to the words as she slipped into an enraptured silence. Her cheeks grew red with a blush of appreciation as she read the letter, and she couldn't help but smile as she did. At one point her free hand reached up slowly, clutching the smooth charm as she nodded in understanding.
Ignis observed her quietly through occasional quick glances, but daring not to interrupt. He knew well that the Lady Lunafreya's letters were thoughtful, loving, and almost therapeutic heart-to-heart messages. The Oracle of Eos was tasked with the power and responsibility to banish the darkness of the Star Scourge from the land, but Lunafreya understood well that the strength of a generous and loving heart had a wider and more powerful impact on people's lives than her magic did on its own.
After a few moments, and a couple times re-reading the letter, Velcia lowered the page slowly, fighting a tear that had come to her eye. "She's… she's a remarkably thoughtful person," Velcia said softly.
"Indeed she is," Ignis agreed.
Velcia folded the letter gently and put it back into its envelope, which she placed carefully inside the satchel on her hip. "She uh…" Velcia stopped for a moment, then grabbed the charm again. "She told me that this charm has a magic very much like what she uses to help people afflicted with the Star Scourge. She's struggled with Heartless in her land as well and, with the help of someone named Gentiana, has tried to modify her magic to be able to free the trapped hearts inside of a Heartless."
"Has she?" Ignis asked, patting his bread lumps and glancing down towards the oven door. "Has it worked for her?"
"She says she doesn't know, but from what she said in her letter… I believe it is indeed helping. Freeing the hearts from Darkness doesn't on its own restore the person, but it does save them from the torment of the Darkness. I've never heard of someone being able to do this without the power of a Keyblade."
"Incredible," Ignis said, shaking his head. He closed the bread inside the oven and turned around, leaning against the counter thoughtfully. "Is it a similar magic to what the Keyblade already provides you?"
Velcia shook her head. "I don't think so. I've never felt anything like it before, and I'm not entirely sure what it will do. I suppose, if we find a Heartless, I can try to use the spell to learn how it works before I confront the Bear."
Ignis nodded, turning once more to stir the soup again. "That seems a wise id-"
He was cut off by a sudden high-pitched scream, and the two turned to see a member of the hotel staff standing in the kitchen doorway with her eyes locked on Umbra, who was still sitting rather contentedly on the chair. The staff member's expression jumped between confusion and anger, and once she found her words she began to shout.
"What is this beast doing in the kitchen?!" she demanded, daring not to approach. "Don't you two know that animals are strictly forbidden from the kitchen?"
Velcia looked between the angry woman and the calm dog. "No, I'm sorry, I didn't!"
"How did you sneak him in here, anyway?" she demanded.
Ignis shook his head. "The dog came in through the back door of his own accord and has been sitting peacefully since. I'm quite sure he'll leave, if you simply ask."
"Simply…! Just ask it?" she asked incredulously. "I ought to have the both of you thrown out, bringing your monstrous mutt into the kitchen like this!"
Velcia shook her head. "It's so cold and stormy out, and he's not hurting anything. He really is quite a nice dog."
"And, if I may be specific, does not belong to us," Ignis pointed out.
The woman's face only grew more irate, but as she opened her mouth to speak a crack of thunder from outside interrupted her and she stood silently for a moment. "He cannot stay in the kitchen, no matter how well behaved, it is against both our service conditions and local code. If you are quite insistent on keeping this… thing indoors then you may bring it to your room; with the understanding that the room charges will be modified with a pet fee."
Ignis bowed softly. "Thank you, ma'am, we will happily comply with these conditions. Please feel free to apply the charge. Miss Velcia, would you please escort our guest to King Noctis' room?"
"K-king Noctis?!" the woman repeated. "I… very well. I cannot change the conditions, but I will see about removing the pet char-"
"Certainly not," Ignis interrupted her. "We are very grateful for the services we are being provided already and are happy to compensate for them fairly. I apologize for the infractions."
The woman nodded, and watched as Umbra hopped down to the ground beside Velcia and calmly began to follow her. "Just came in the back door, you say?" she asked.
"Indeed," Ignis replied.
"Hm. Pretty tame dog for coming in off the street," she said.
"A quite wonderful dog, I say," Velcia said, rubbing his head.
The staff member shook her head, and opened the door for Velcia and Umbra to exit the kitchen, turning and following them out slowly. "Yeah, seems okay I guess."
Velcia looked down to Umbra, holding her charm in her hand once more. "Well then, let's get you up to see Noctis then, shall we?"
Umbra barked softly, and followed alongside Velcia through the hall and up the stairs. There were not many people along the way, but the few who did see them invariably found their attention locked on the large, wolf-like dog. Umbra paid them no mind, and kept his head high as he marched with a regal air.
Once they made it back to Noctis' room, they could hear the group inside talking loudly and mirthfully. Velcia knocked on the door, softly at first but more firmly again once she realized nobody inside had heard her. Still they were given no notice, and Velcia began to eye the door handle wondering if she should simply enter.
Umbra had no such reservations or hold-ups and, standing up on his hind legs, pawed at the handle and opened the latch. He looked back and up at Velcia pridefully, then pushed the door open with his nose and pressed on inside. Velcia, shaking her head, followed in amusement.
Umbra snapped a quick bark in greetings, and everyone turned to see him and Velcia entering the room.
"Well, look who the cat dragged in," Gladiolus said with a smirk.
Prompto motioned towards the large beast. "Uh, Gladi, I'm pretty sure he's a dog."
Gladiolus rolled his eyes. "Thanks, bud, glad you cleared that up for me."
Prompto cracked a confused half-smile, muttering to himself. "How could anyone think Umbra's a cat…?"
Noctis stood up, smiling hopefully. "Hey Vel, I take it this means you got a response from Luna?"
Velcia nodded. "I did. I don't have all my answers yet, but I feel like I've got a good start on finding them. Lunafreya is so very sweet and thoughtful."
"Yeah, she is," Noctis said dreamily. "I'm going to step outside with Umbra for a bit and take care of a few things."
Saying so, Noctis and Umbra quickly made their way outside as everyone waved a quick good-bye to the two. Once the door was closed, Velcia found herself unsure of what to do next. Fortunately for her, Gladiolus had questions.
"So Velcia, Noct says you learned a new spell that lets you create explosives, huh?" Gladiolus asked, leaning back in his seat once more.
"Yes, I did. I don't know if they'll be strong enough to break through the Adamantoise's shell, but it's worth a try," she said hopefully.
Gladiolus nodded, crossing his arms. "Tomorrow you should meet up with Monica and show her your new magic. She's got some experience with explosives, breach charges in particular, and might have some insight into how to use them more effectively."
Velcia's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Oh! That would be quite appreciated. Is she familiar with magic?"
"Not to the same extent as you are, but she's pretty well familiar with it as a part of the Crownsguard. Still, there's more to dealing with explosives than just magic you know," Gladiolus told her.
Velcia tilted her head, holding a hand to her cheek thoughtfully. "Well, they are magic explosives…"
Gladiolus chuckled. "Heh. You're used to changing the physical world with magical energies, but there's a lot of ways you can use the physical properties of the environment and get just as strong of an effect."
"Oh! You mean with something like Magitek?" Velcia asked excitedly.
"No, I mean just taking advantage of the physics of nature and the world around you. Talk to Monica tomorrow about explosives; you'll see what I mean," Gladiolus said surely.
Cindy nodded. "Why, there's lotsa stuff I seen folks do with magic that you can do right fine with using technology and machines; even discountin' Magitek. Just take a look at how any ol' car works and you'll see something right perty."
Velcia crossed her arms. "I don't really know how cars work, to be honest. Perhaps someday you can show me?"
Prompto cracked a grin as he looked over at Cindy, who herself was smiling ear-to-ear and nodding enthusiastically. She held out her hand, gesturing vaguely towards Velcia. "You bet! I reckon I can teach ya all the basics inside an afternoon."
"And there's nobody better to teach you either," Prompto interjected. "Except maybe Cid, of course."
There was a gentle knock at the door, and Velcia quickly made her way over to open it. Outside the door stood Ignis with a large tray, and she moved quickly aside to allow him to pass. The tray was filled with many large, round bread bowls filled with a steaming, peppery, creamy potato soup that smelled amazing.
"Dinner is served," Ignis announced proudly, looking around the room. "Ah, where are Noct and Umbra?"
Prompto stood up quickly. "They went outside for a minute so he could read the journal. I'll go get them!"
"Do be sure Umbra returns as well," Ignis said, motioning towards a small plate with a steak. "I've prepared something for our canine companion as well."
Prompto eyed the steak hungrily. "Man, it's a bad day not to be a dog."
Ignis raised a questioning eyebrow. "I'm sure you'll find your own food to be satisfactory as well."
"Oh, right! Yeah, just, you know… steak's kinda distracting sometimes!" Prompto said awkwardly. "I'll go get Noct, huh?"
He waited for no-one's answer before darting out the door, much to the amusement of the others. Ignis shook his head with a smile and began passing out the bread bowls.
Late that night, Velcia startled awake in her bed in the dark room she shared with Cindy. She sat up straight, breathing softly as she shivered. Memories of the Bear circling around the small Star in the Station of Awakening played through her aching head. She knew that playing it safe for now was the best way to proceed, but actually doing so made her very upset.
She turned towards the window, hanging her legs off the side of the bed and wrapping a nearby blanket around her shoulders.
"It's so disheartening to have a Keyblade and still be stuck doing nothing," she said under her breath, sighing.
She reached up slowly with her hand, feeling the charm that Lunafreya had sent still hanging around her neck. She clutched it tightly, feeling the magic energies that enchanted it. She still wasn't sure what exactly the spell was meant to do, but there was something about it that she found comforting.
As she considered this, her thoughts turned to Ignis and she glanced towards the door, wondering if she should try to speak to him.
"No, Velcia," she whispered to herself, "You're fine. He needs his sleep."
She lay back down, pulling the covers up close under her chin and nestling into the growing warmth; hand still holding the charm. She decided that tomorrow, after her meeting with Monica, she would go searching for a Heartless and find out exactly what this spell from Lunafreya was. That, surely, would let her take some step forward towards being able to help the little Star.
She closed her eyes with a sigh, hoping to get some sleep but finding that she was really feeling quite alert. The storm outside had passed sometime after dinner, so the sounds of the rain and thunder were gone. Now she could hear the tires and engines of passing cars, some late-night chatter of Lestallum's night life, and faintly in the distance the roars and shrieks of the various monsters of darkness with which Eos was afflicted.
Velcia found herself focused on these monsters now, wondering how far away they were and whether there were any Heartless among them. Perhaps… just maybe… she could go find them, and learn about the charm's enchantments now.
A quick shake of her head and the gentle smack of her open palm coming against her face quickly dispelled this consideration. She chuckled to herself. "Oh, how ridiculous," she chided. "I really must be quite tired to consider something like that."
Certain now that her impulses were not to be trusted, she closed her eyes once more and took a deep breath, hoping that it would not be too long until she could get back to sleep.
