Chapter 12
***Recap: On a mission with Velcia to Eos, Hinata has issues with killing creatures on hunts. After a heart to heart from Gladiolus, she is ready to take them on. After a few days, Velcia begins teaching Hinata how to sense magical energies around her and Hinata is picking up on it rather quick, almost ready to move on to more advanced techniques.***
Hinata took in a deep breath of the refreshing morning air as she emerged from the tent, with Ben and Jack floating beside her. The sky was colored with pale pinks and blues as the sun was just barely beginning to peek up on the horizon; and cool wind brushed around her. Hinata yawned as she stretched her arms, patting Chica on the head as she went past her and climbed down from the haven. With a sleepy Kweh, Chica perked up and followed after Hinata.
Ben hummed, spinning around and taking in their surroundings, "Hard to believe we're leaving this little place today! I wonder what this Lestallum place will be like!" Jack barked in agreement.
"Hopefully it will have beds," Hinata commented, stretching her sore back before she came to a stop. "Ok Ben, would you mind calling Riku?"
"Oh, yes!' Ben chimed, his screen brightening as his face faded and a ringing sound chimed around them.
Within a couple rings, the screen flickered to show Riku laying on his side in his bed. His hair was tousled around his pillow and face, and his amber eyes reddened with exhaustion. Letting out a yawn accompanied with a tired smile, he greeted with a groggy voice, "Good morning…"
Hinata smiled warmly, her tattoo dimly glowing, "Good morning."
They smiled at each other for a moment, before Riku cleared his throat and asked, "What was it you wanted to show me?"
"Oh! Right," Hinata laughed at herself, pushing her hair behind her ear. "It's our last morning in Alstor Slough, so I wanted to make sure to show you a couple things since we usually only talk in the evening." She held up her hand, summoning Chica to her. "I know you've seen her in some pics, but- oof!" She stumbled back as Chica sprinted into her, knocking her back a couple steps.
Riku stifled a laugh, watching with a wide smile as Chica flapped her wings and let out a joyous Kweh. Hinata ran her hand along Chica's beak, laughing while softly scolding Chica for ruining her entrance.
"Ahem, anyway," Hinata turned back to the screen, "I wanted you to meet Chica."
"She's amazing," Riku sat up, his smile only growing as Chica came incredibly close to the screen and stared back at him.
"I know!" Hinata gushed, squeezing into the frame beside the chocobo. "We have to come here together sometime! You'd love riding a chocobo and there's so much I want to show you."
Riku blinked in surprise, his ears beginning to warm. "I-I'd really like that."
"Oh, and I can't forget-" Hinata grabbed the sides of the tablet, turning and walking towards the lake, completely oblivious to Riku's reaction. "You have to see these things, the-uh-"
"Catoblepas," Ben chimed in before disappearing again.
"Yes," Hinata pointed to the screen with a grin, before turning the tablet to show the giant creatures in the lake. "Aren't they huge? Pictures don't even begin to do them justice."
"You sure love it out there." He chuckled, watching the Catoblepas in near-awe. His smile grew when he heard her laugh.
"I really do… It might be my favorite world I've ever been to." She turned the tablet back to face her, a softer smile on her lips. "Well, other than the island." She glanced away for a moment, before laughing softly, "Sorry, I was getting way over excited. I've just been looking forward to showing you everything."
Riku smirked, "Don't worry about it. It was actually really, uh…" His voice trailed off, not letting the next word he wanted to say come out. Taking in a deep breath, he changed the subject, "So-uh, you're heading off to Lestallum today?"
Hinata looked back at him, momentarily considering to press him on finishing his earlier sentence. Instead she decided to drop it and nodded, "Yeah, it might take a day to get there. Ignis mentioned that we might have to stay in a hotel tonight. I hope we do, my back's been killing me from sleeping on that hard rock for two weeks straight."
He chuckled, "I can only imagine… It sounds like you've come a long way with your training."
Her eyes lit up, "Yeah! Actually, it's been going surprisingly well. Velcia is surprised how fast I'm picking it up. DiZ apparently thinks it's because he's really strong with magic, so I should already have an affinity for it."
Riku gave her a look, "DiZ… why would it matter how strong he is with it?"
Hinata blinked, the realization that Riku had no idea that DiZ was her dad dawning on her. "Oh-uh, it's um, nothing, I guess. For right now…"
"For right now?" He asked, leaning back against the wall and pushing back his hair. He stared at Hinata as she averted her gaze, her face gradually warming. "Is… is DiZ related to you or something?"
She closed her eyes, licking her lips from nerves as she nodded quickly. "Y-yeah, he's, uh, he's my dad."
"Oh…" Riku looked past the tablet, trying to make sense of it. "You didn't mention that in your journals at all."
"Yeah, I just found out about it recently." She admitted, shaking her head, "Sorry, this wasn't exactly how I wanted you to find out."
"No, no it's fine… I think." He let out a long sigh, still unable to look back at her as his eyes drifted to the ceiling. "That sort of explains a few things…"
"Heh, yeah, probably," she cleared her throat. "Um, there's a journal in my room across the hall from yours. It's right by the model of the Highwind… that should explain a lot of things. It's DiZ's journal."
Riku darted his eyes to hers, "A family of journalists, huh?"
Hinata cracked a sudden smile, the tension breaking, "Yeah, I guess so." She chuckled. "Sorry I keep having you read all of them."
"It's fine," he shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around DiZ being her dad. "Lucky for you, I actually don't mind reading… and they explain a lot."
"That's good." Hinata's smile grew, "But-uh, anyways, moving on from dropping that big piece of info on you out of nowhere-" She giggled when she heard Riku laugh. "Training has been going great." She let go of Ben's tablet, allowing him to float on his own. Holding out her hand towards the haven, a bright blue mist zapped around her hand, her blade appearing in her grasp. She beamed a rather proud grin to Riku, making him chuckle.
"Great job," he smiled warmly, trying to ignore the way his heart was swelling.
"Thanks!" Hinata chimed, sheathing her blade. "I can't summon it out of thin air yet, I can only call it from wherever I throw it. But Velcia said that we'll start working on that once I get new weapons."
"You won't have to worry about losing your blades anymore." He mentioned.
Hinata scoffed, "Yeah, seriously."
Riku smirked before continuing to ask her about her training and asking for demonstrations since he was unable to see them when they talked at night. The sun rose higher into the sky and the rest of the group woke up from their slumber, noticing Hinata chattering away with Riku. She was leaning against Chica, who was curled up on the ground around her.
"You should have seen the look on Prompto's face," Hinata recalled, having a hard time not laughing as she spoke, "He -"
She was cut off when the tablet was swiped from her hands. With a gasp, she looked up to see Noctis and Prompto staring back at Riku.
"H-hey!" She squeaked, scrambling to her feet, but tripping over Chica as Noctis stepped back out of reach.
"So this is the infamous Riku, huh?" Noctis surmised, smirking and giving a nod towards Riku. "Nice to finally put a face to the name."
Riku stiffened, his smile disappearing. He considered cutting the call, but with everything he knew that Hinata had told them, he was curious to meet them as well. "You must be the Prince…" He replied with a straight tone.
"That's me," Noctis smirked.
"You look different than I thought you would," Prompto admitted, crossing his arms as he glanced over Noctis' shoulder.
"Will you give that back?" Hinata grumbled, grabbing the tablet from Noctis. "Seriously, I thought you were supposed to be royalty! Why are you taking things that aren't yours?"
"Aw, come on Hina!" Prompto objected, "We just want to meet the guy!"
Hinata shot them a glare, before looking back to Riku, "Sorry about that. I should probably get going."
Riku smirked, albeit uneasily, "It's fine."
"What's his number?" Noctis called after her, "We'll just text him ourselves."
"I don't think he has one," Hinata told him with an exasperated tone. "And even if he did, NO! You'd just send him embarrassing pictures of me!" Her face warmed when she heard Riku snicker in response. Letting out a sigh, she looked back at the screen to see him staring back at her with an amused expression. "I-I should go…" She sent him a smile and cut the call, allowing Ben to float on his own again before planting her face in her hands with a groan.
"There, there, Hina," Prompto put his arm around her, "everything will be better after breakfast."
Hinata grumbled as she walked along with him, Noctis following close behind, letting out a long yawn. They made it back to the haven, everyone wishing the other a good morning as Ignis made breakfast. Prompto pestered Hinata with questions about Riku, to which she vaguely responded until she could see he was genuinely interested. It wasn't until Gladiolus and Ignis were telling them to clean up that they had to stop their conversation. The entire campsite was packed up and whisked away by the blue mist. Hinata took one last look over the area as she climbed onto Chica's back, following the others back to their vehicles.
The morning air was humid and cool as they brought their chocobos to a stop at the station. Hinata gave Chica a hug, before sending her away with the other chocobos to head back to their farm until they needed them again in Lestallum. With a heavy sigh, she climbed into the truck and closed the door, slumping down in her seat. The engine roared to life, purring as Ben reversed out of the parking spot and followed the Regalia to the road. Velcia chatted politely with Ben, running her hand along Jack's back as he was snuggled up in her lap. She laughed at the stories Ben told her, glancing over at Hinata, who was staring absently out the window as they world passed by.
"Everything alright, Hinata?" Velcia asked, causing Jack and Ben to fall silent.
Hinata blinked out of her daydreams, looking back to the others, to see them staring at her. Her lips tipped into a smile. "Yeah, sorry, just lost in thought." She sat up in her seat, sighing. "A lot has happened in the two weeks we've been here."
"I agree," Velcia nodded, allowing her gaze to go towards the window and the forest passing by. "And you've certainly learned a lot since coming here."
"I've tried, at the very least." Hinata shrugged, looking back to the window and tracing her fingertips along the raindrops that were falling on the glass. "Still have a ways to go…"
"Are you feeling discouraged?" Velcia pried, allowing Jack to float out of her lap and onto the dashboard.
"Not discouraged, maybe more… overwhelmed by it all." She admitted. "What if it doesn't help us against Thaanix?"
"I think it'll help out a lot," Velcia chuckled.
"Yeah," Ben added, "I've seen everything Thaanix can do, Hina! She can't do any of the things you've been learning. Plus you'll have all of us with you. We're a team, remember?"
Her lips quirked upwards from his words, but soon fell back to a straight expression. "Yeah... "
"If nothing else, the skills you're learning here will help you build your confidence as a capable fighter." Velcia pointed out, making Hinata look back at her.
"You don't think I'm a confident fighter?" She asked.
"Definitely not as confident as Sam tries to be." Ben quipped, making the girls chuckle in response.
"I wouldn't say you're lacking confidence completely," Velcia brought her hand to her chin, trying to decide how to phrase her words. "But you're quick to put yourself down don't always believe in your abilities. That can prove to be dangerous, especially when dealing with magical elements."
"Hmm," Hinata hummed in thought, looking out the windshield towards the boys piled in the Regalia ahead of them. "I guess I hadn't thought of that… Is that why you haven't talked with me about light and Dark magic?"
Velcia's eyes widened in surprise, darting her attention to Hinata. "I didn't realize I was being so obvious with avoiding them."
Hinata laughed softly, "You haven't, they are just the elements I'm interested in learning about the most. And everytime I've brought it up, we've switched lessons or changed subjects entirely."
Velcia sighed, leaning back in her seat. "They are some of the most difficult and delicate elements to master. With you learning about magic through what I would call shortcuts, I think it would be wise to properly master the more basic elements before moving onto the Light and Darkness." She looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap, "And I think Riku would agree with me that you should stay away from Darkness as much as you can."
"Yeah… that makes sense," she nodded slowly, letting the conversation fall to a lull as she thought it over. "I think I've felt it though… the Darkness." She could feel Velcia looking up at her as she continued. "I've been able to like, smell and sense it before when it was really concentrated, but at night at the haven, sometimes… I think I can actually feel it from those creatures the guys told us about."
"The Daemons?" Velcia asked, getting a nod from Hinata. She swallowed, "It makes your heart feel a bit heavy and powerful at the same time?"
"Yeah, exactly." Hinata pointed to Velcia. "That is the Darkness then."
Velcia frowned, "Yes, but you should make sure not to focus on it. It can be hard when you are surrounded by it but... while Light magic is difficult to sense yet easy to control, Darkness is the complete opposite." She turned in her seat to face Hinata, her expression concerned, but stern. "It's very easy to get carried away and lost in it. It feels simple, and strong - but it's so very hard to remain its master."
Hinata swallowed, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "That would make sense with what happened with Riku…" She averted her eyes to Jack slumbering on the dashboard.
"That also makes sense with what's happened with Thaanix!" Ben pointed out, Hinata furrowing her brow in response.
"Do you think… without so much Darkness inside of her, Thaanix would be different?" She asked with a slow, quiet voice.
Velcia was silent, her frown deepening with a tinge of worry as Ben spoke up. "I bet she would! She might be a lot more like you without all that Darkness in her."
Shaking her head, Velcia told them, "It's impossible to say. I don't know anything about who she could be as a person, underneath it. It could be that she's evil to the very core - but I suppose it's also possible she's very much like you, just fallen deep into the thrall of Darkness."
"Is there a way to remove Darkness from someone?" Hinata asked, looking back to Velcia.
Velcia opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I… I'm not sure… I've never attempted it. It's possible to absorb and transfer magical energy, but it's difficult if not impossible to do with something that's actively working against you. Darkness should technically be able to be moved around..." She shook her head, "I would never suggest trying it, though. There's no telling what absorbing someone else's Darkness would do to you, or what they might do if you tried it. Connecting to another person's magic directly like that… it makes you incredibly vulnerable."
Hinata nodded in thought, looking back out the window as their conversation faded. Hours passed before the forest began to thin out, replaced with rocky hills and cliffs that were still covered in greenery. The truck rattled as they went under a blockade and were suddenly on a long bridge reaching a tunnel. Velcia grabbed the dashboard in surprise as they entered it, until her eyes adjusted and she instead leaned forward with excited interest. Hinata couldn't help but smirk from her reaction, also looking out at the brick walls and lights in the long tunnel.
As quickly as they had entered, they exited into the bright light on the other side, making them squint their eyes. Velcia gasped at the sight of Lestallum before them. Tall buildings lined the street, large signs and neon lights adorning them and attracting any potential customers. Pale pink and blue umbrellas shaded tables at a roadside cafe, that appeared quaint, yet lively as every chair was filled. Vehicles of all types were parked along the street, none of them nearly as rusted or broken down at the ones they saw in Hammerhead.
Their admiration was short lived as Ben followed the Regalia on an off ramp that led to a parking lot that was just over a gorgeous outlook, where dozens of people were gathered to admire the landscape of Eos. After pulling into a spot beside the Regalia, Ben shut off the rumbling engine and unlocked the doors, allowing the girls to hurriedly get out.
Hinata paused in surprise as soon as she opened the door, a rush of heat instantly warming her skin. Sticking out her tongue in dismay, she unwrapped her long scarf and stashed it away in the truck before shutting her door. Velcia was fanning herself with her hand, also taking off her jacket and tossing it into the truck, as the boys got out of the Regalia.
"Welcome to Lestallum," Gladiolus greeted them with his arms stretched out.
"A bit warm, but a lovely place." Ignis added with a soft smile as he stopped in front of the girls.
Noctis let out a long yawn, stretching his arms, "Yeah, yeah, it's great. Let's check in to the hotel?"
"Ah yeah," Prompto agreed, "I could really use a proper shower."
"That would be wonderful," Hinata agreed, readjusting her sore back.
Ignis sighed softly, looking up at the reddening sky as the sun was just beginning to set. "I suppose that would be wise. We can resume our training and hunts tomorrow morning."
With a weary agreement, the group went back up to the main street and entered the city. Savory scents of assorted food stands caught the attention of Noctis and Hinata, but with a quick reminder from Ignis that he would handle their dinner, they were quickly back to following the others.
Wide stone staircases let further into the city, but Ignis led them down a narrow alleyway off to the side, bypassing the multitude of people that were wandering the streets. The alley led to a plaza, with tall stone fountain in the center. Hinata dipped her fingertips in the cool water as they passed, looking up as they reached what appeared to be their hotel. The building itself was rundown, but not nearly as old as the other buildings in the city. Stone columns lined the front of it, with cloth banners hanging from every available space, reading The Leville.
Hinata looked around as the entered, noticing the brown and bronze tile floor that clashed with the blue and green tiles along the wall. The entire lobby had a regal, yet mismatched feel to it, but it still brought a smile to her as she took it all in. Ignis went to the receptionist desk, ordering the rooms they would need as the others already made themselves at home.
Prompto and Noctis sat along the cushioned seats in the center of the room, Noctis lay back, already threatening to fall asleep as Prompto typed away on his phone. Gladiolus lightly smacked Noctis' head to keep him awake as he also looked down at his phone with an almost concerned expression. Velcia simply stood by the desk with Ignis, completely silent as she took everything in with Ben clasped at her hip and Jack snuggled on her shoulder, while Hinata wandered around the entire lobby.
"Gladi!" A young female voice caught their attention.
Looking towards the tall staircase that led to the other floors, they saw a girl rushing down to greet them. Her hair was short and the same brown hue as Gladiolus', framing her petite face that wore a bright grin.
"Iris," Gladiolus chimed, chuckling heartily as Iris rushed into him for an embrace. "I was wondering where you were."
She giggled as he ruffled her hair, swatting his arms away as she scrambled back. "I was waiting down here, but was starting to think you guys wouldn't make it here today." She sent Noctis a pointed look, placing her hands on her hips. "Even though you were supposed to be here a week ago."
Noctis peeked an eye open, sending Iris a slight smile as he sat up. "Not my fault we got occupied."
Iris huffed playfully, looking back to Gladiolus. "So, what was the holdup?"
"Uh," Gladiolus rubbed the back of his neck. "Picked up a couple newbies that needed our help." He motioned his head behind him.
Iris peeked around her brother, just then noticing Hinata and Velcia. Her amber eyes lit up as she rushed towards them. "Hello! I'm Iris." She beamed a bright smile that made the girls smile right back.
"It's wonderful to meet you," Velcia chimed, placing her hand over her chest. "I'm Velcia, and this is Hinata." A soft bark made her add. "Oh, and this is Jack and Ben." She motioned to Jack on her shoulder and the tablet.
Iris giggled as Jack floated up and licked her cheek. "I'm glad they finally brought on a couple girls to the group. How did you all meet?"
"It's uh, a long story." Hinata spoke up, looking up towards the guys.
"One that should be explained over dinner." Ignis interrupted, jangling the room keys in his hand. He handed a key to Velcia, explaining where her and Hinata's room would be located before adding. "We should get situated in our rooms first."
"Well I'm sharing a room with the girls tonight." Iris announced following them upstairs and sending a smile to Velcia and Hinata. "If that's alright?"
"It's certainly alright with me," Velcia smiled, looking to Hinata.
Hinata smirked, chuckling as well, "Of course, I wouldn't mind."
"Perfect," Iris grinned, rushing forward and linking her arm with Noctis' as she filled him in on everything she did since she saw them last.
Hinata let out a breath of relief as they entered their room. The walls were a dusty blue, white marble columns lining the wall with tasteful carvings along them. Two queen sized beds were along a wall, a striped comforter along both of them that just seemed to be singing Hinata's name. She face planted into the first one she saw, sighing wistfully as she sunk into the plush mattress. She rolled onto her back when she heard Velcia giggle at her and watched as she passed and sat in one of the black leather chairs that stood beside a round glass table. Jack floated around the room, sniffing and investigating every new thing as Ben detached from Velcia and joined him in his search.
"This is lovely," Velcia broke the silence.
"Mmhmm…" Hinata hummed in response, yawning. "I think… I'm just going to rest my eyes until dinner."
If Velcia had responded, Hinata didn't hear it, as she was already falling into slumber the moment she shut her eyes. It was a dreamless sleep as all of her nights in Eos had been, no doubt an effect from the tea Velcia had been giving her every night.
A soft hand on her shoulder caused her to stir. With a sleepy grumble, she squinted open her eyes, seeing Velcia standing over her with Iris and Prompto behind her. "I wanted to let you know that dinner is ready." Velcia told her with a soft voice.
"Yep, and wait till you see what Iggy whipped up!" Prompto chimed in, grabbing Hinata's arm and pulling her to sit up.
Hinata's head spun. She blinked a few times as her clouded thoughts cleared, looking around the room and noticing through the window that the sun had completely gone down. Without replying, she simply nodded in response, looking back to the group with a sleepy smile that caused them to snicker.
Iris helped her up and they made their way to the other room further down the hall where dinner was waiting for them. Hinata was surprised by its size as they entered, two queen size beds in the first room, but it led to a kitchen through an arched doorway where Ignis was still cooking away. Savory scents wafted through the entire room, making Hinata's stomach rumble with hungry anticipation. Gladiolus was leaned against the counter of the small, yet full kitchen, talking with Ignis as Noctis sat at the table, his head buried in his arms.
Velcia led them to the table, pulling out a seat for Hinata. She sent Velcia a smile as she sat, taking in everything that was happening around them. Jack flew wildly through the kitchen, excitedly watching Ignis cook in an actual kitchen as Ben floated right above the counter, retelling his stories of a chef he knew from when he was in Captain Flynn's crew. Hinata smiled at the scene, before looking over to Prompto and Iris, who sat at the table with her. Prompto shook Noctis awake, chuckling when he was only swatted away. They struck up conversation with each other, occasionally including Hinata as she grew more awake.
Barely minutes passed before Ignis and Velcia were bringing over plates of what Ignis had titled Lestallum Stewed Tripe. Hinata's mouth was instantly watering as it was placed in front of her and the group wasted no time digging in. Before long, Iris brought up wanting to hear the story of how the girls met up with the guys and a long retelling began as everyone cut in to fill her in on the details. She took everything in with stride, excitedly asking questions and making comments about what they told her. Over an hour passed before she felt she had been filled in on everything.
"That's incredible!" She beamed to Hinata and Velcia. "What made you decide to come here of all places?"
"A lot of things, I guess," Hinata shrugged, running her finger along the glass rim of her cup. "The powers and skills I could learn from here seemed like they'd be the most versatile against Thaanix. And… at the time when I was reviewing the different worlds with Di-... I-I mean, my dad, it seemed like the safest place to learn new techniques."
"We certainly weren't expecting what we found, though." Velcia added with a smirk, making Hinata chuckle.
"Yeah, definitely not." She agreed. "But… it's all worked out, and I'm really thankful we came."
"Me too!" Prompto chimed in with a grin. "It's been a lot of fun having you two around."
"Even if Hinata can get sulky and whiny." Noctis remarked snidely, sending her a wry smile.
She whipped her attention to him, Wha - I do not!" She objected, balling up her napkin and throwing it at him.
Noctis snickered as he shielded his face, readying his own napkin to throw, before Ignis cleared his throat and sent Noctis a warning glance.
"If anyone sulks around here, it's you." Hinata pointedly replied, crossing her arms.
"Ain't that the truth?" Gladiolus chuckled, leaning back in his seat and stretching his arms.
"I sulk the proper amount," Noctis defended with a smirk, lacing his hands behind his head. "Thank you very much."
Prompto let out a long sigh, interrupting the conversation as he finished typing something on his phone and went limp in his chair. "Uuugh, I'm like, majorly bored and so not ready for more hunts tomorrow…" He glanced up pleadingly at Ignis and Gladiolus. "Can't we take the day off tomorrow?"
Gladiolus rolled his eyes with a scoff as Ignis shook his head. "We are far too busy to take another day without fulfilling a hunt. Hinata still has much to learn about our powers before we are to head into Costlemark again."
Prompto sighed wistfully, sitting up in his seat, dejected. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"We could still hang out tonight though!" Iris pointed out. "Maybe show Hinata and Velcia around Lestallum since you'll be busy the rest of the week!"
"Great idea," Noctis agreed, yawning as he got up from his seat.
Prompto jumped up as well, loving the idea, "Yeah, what do you say, Hina? Up for a night on the town?"
Hinata looked between them rather amused, before nodding, "Sure, sounds like fun!"
"What about you, Vel?" Prompto asked.
Velcia smiled, but shook her head, "Thanks, but I think I'll stay behind to help Ignis with the dishes." She looked to Gladiolus and Ignis, "Plus, I'd like to discuss our plans for the week."
"Do you need me to stay for that?" Hinata asked, getting waved off by Velcia.
"No, no, I can handle it." Velcia assured her. "You should go have some fun."
"Well, alright," Hinata smiled back at her, getting up from her seat to follow the others. "We won't be out too long."
"Better not," Gladiolus spoke up, "We're starting bright and early tomorrow."
Jack and Ben floated after the group, leaving the hotel room and making their way back to the lobby. Hinata stayed mostly silent, simply listening to the others chatter away as they went outside. Strings of white Christmas lights were hung from the tall, bright street lamps, casting a golden glow to the darkened city. Despite the time, the plaza was filled with people and a live band was playing the corner, giving the entire place a lively atmosphere.
Several shops were set up in the plaza, many of them in the center of everything with thick, bright fabric over their booths to attract customers. Iris linked her arm with Hinata's to make sure she wouldn't get separated and led her to a souvenir booth, admiring and showing her all the little trinkets. Hinata chuckled at a green cactuar figurine, its expression bringing her a great deal of amusement. She paused when she heard the familiar click of a camera, glancing over to see Prompto snapping a shot of them with his phone.
"He'll love that one," he mumbled to himself with a goofy grin, typing away on his phone.
Hinata blinked, before laughing as she asked, "Who will love that one?"
"Oh, Riku," he replied with a nonchalant tone and shrug.
"Oh…" Hinata turned back to the booth, before jumping, "Oh! Riku? Wh- how -, how are you talking with Riku? Have you been sending him pictures all day?"
"You can blame your tablet robot," Noctis informed her, smirking when Ben hid behind his back when Hinata glared at him.
"Don't blame me, Hinata!" Ben quickly spoke up, "DiZ gave me a number and told me to give it to them!"
Hinata ran her hand over her face, sighing heavily, "Why would he even want them talking with Riku…?"
"Yeah, well he's not exactly the most interesting person to talk to." Noctis told her, absently looking at some jackets and shirts hanging off a rack. "Kind of has an attitude problem"
With a twitch of a frown at her lips, she quipped, "Coming from… someone who doesn't have an attitude problem?"
Iris giggled from the glare Noctis sent Hinata, before all of them started to chuckle.
"No, I know," Hinata sighed, "He can be a bit rough around the edges…" She glanced over at a crepe stand further in the plaza. "You two haven't been bothering him much, have you?"
"I haven't," Noctis assured her, motioning his head behind him, "Prompto on the other hand…"
Hinata internally groaned as she looked over at him, surprised to see his phone turned towards her so she could see the texts. Prompto scrolled through them with a flick of his thumb, noticing that ninety percent of them were sent from Prompto himself until he finally got a single reply of: Will you stop?!
She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of it, but shook her head regardless. "He's not much of a talker."
"Oh, he's warming up to me." Prompto assured her, turning his phone back to him. "I can feel it."
Hinata stared at him, knowing he was already texting something else to Riku. Letting out a breath, she decided to drop it, leading the way over to the crepe stand. "Just… don't bother him too much."
"No promises," Prompto replied, snickering at Hinata's groan in response.
As Hinata ordered herself a strawberry crepe and the others followed suit, Iris spoke up. "So Hinata, is there anything you want to see or buy while we're out tonight?"
Hinata mulled it over as she watched the chef prepare her order. "Yeah," she nodded, "Riku's birthday is coming up this week." She looked to Iris with a smile. "So something for him."
"Sounds like a plan!" Iris chimed, "I think I'd like to get him something, too! If that's alright."
"Oh, sure," Hinata smiled, "I think he'd really appreciate that."
"Count us in, too!" Prompto added, putting his arm around Noctis and pulling him into their conversation.
Noctis scoffed, "I'm sure I can find something suitable for that grump." His smirk grew at the look Hinata sent him.
They set off on their mission after receiving their crepes, Ben filling the others in on things Riku enjoyed and Hinata occasionally added in her own details and suggestions. They went through every shop, occasionally stopping to take a rest or listen to the live band playing. It took a couple hours, but by the the time they were heading back to the hotel, every one of them had purchased a gift for Riku. Prompto and Iris chatted excitedly over everything they had seen and bought, as Noctis trailed behind, his tired legs dragging.
Jack was perched on Hinata's shoulder fast asleep as Ben had gone quiet and attached to her hip when DiZ had summoned his attention. Hinata let out her own yawn, glancing in the paper bag that held their chosen gifts, smiling fondly at them. She followed everyone back up the stairs in the hotel, saying goodnight to Prompto and Noctis before she and Iris entered her room.
Velcia was already sound asleep in the nearest bed to the door, fluttering her eyes open at the sound of them coming in, before falling back to slumber. Iris giggled, softly tiptoeing to the other bed and sitting on the edge of it. Hinata looked towards the bed, tempted to snuggle into it and fall right asleep, but the yearn for a proper shower won her over.
"I'm going to take a quick shower," she whispered to Iris, who nodded in response with a smile.
She emerged from the steaming bathroom about twenty minutes later, towel drying her damp hair and wearing a pair of pajamas she had bought during their exploration of Lestallum. Jack was slumbering beside Velcia on the bed, his ears perking up when he noticed Hinata coming out of the bathroom. She ran her hand along his back, smiling at him as she made her way to her own bed, surprised not to see Iris there. With a pause, she looked around the room, noticing Iris standing at the balcony outside.
Hinata tossed her towel on the bed as she went towards the glass door, pulling it open and enjoying the warm breeze that greeted her. She carefully closed the door behind her, smiling at Iris when she glanced back at her.
"Sorry if I made you wait up for me." Hinata spoke up, leaning against the railing.
"No, no don't worry." Iris shook her head, sending her a soft smile before she looked back out at the city.
The plaza was finally beginning to empty as the booths and shops were shut and locked down for the night. The lights in the city remained on as the streets became desolate.
"It's always weird to see the city late at night." Iris mumbled, getting Hinata's attention. "So empty and silent."
Hinata looked out from the balcony, "It's kind of nice."
"Yeah… I guess so." Iris agreed solemnly, downcasting her gaze. "I don't think I like it when it's so silent. Being around a place that's filled with so much life, sort of makes you forget about everything else. Even if it is only for a little while."
"I'd… never thought of it like that." Hinata leaned against the thin black railing, glancing up towards the stars.
They fell to a comfortable silence, until Iris shook her head with a breathy laugh, "Sorry, I don't know where that came from. Just overtired, I guess."
"It's fine," Hinata assured her with a sad smile. "I get it… I've been learning that it doesn't matter what world I'm on… a lot is going on for everyone. I don't think anyone gets to have it easy."
"Gladi would say that we aren't meant to have it easy." Iris remarked, a fond smile tipping her lips. "That those trials make or break us into the people we're meant to be."
"You brother never really beats around the bush, huh?" Hinata asked.
Iris chuckled, "No, he's a lot like my dad in that aspect. Guess it's from how he was raised to be the King's shield."
"That's amazing…" Hinata muttered, shaking her head. "I bet your dad's really proud of him."
"Yeah… I know he was," Iris mumbled with a soft voice, her hands running along her arms.
Hinata's heart sank, her eyes going towards Iris as she realized the implications. "I'm sorry."
Iris shook her head, taking in a deep breath and straining a smile. "I-It's alright. Like King Regis used to say, no matter what, we walk tall."
"Continue moving forward," Hinata added on, "Don't let whatever happens keep you from doing what you need to do." She smirked, "That's what Gladiolus keeps saying to me, anyways."
Iris chuckled, "Sounds like something he'd say."
Hinata tried to smile back, but broke into a long yawn. "I should probably head to bed. You can share my bed with me, if you'd like."
"Thank you," Iris sent her a sweet smile. "I'll be there soon. Just thinking through some things."
"I feel you," Hinata nodded, opening the glass door to head back inside before she paused. "By the way, if you have trouble sleeping, Velcia makes me this tea-potion thing that puts me to sleep without dreams. I think I noticed it on the coffee table… If you need it, I'd be happy to share it with you."
Iris was silent for a beat, before replying softly, "I think I'd like that. Thank you."
"Of course. I'll leave half the cup for you whenever you're ready." Hinata told her before heading back inside and closing the door behind her.
She quietly made her way to the coffee table, picking up the ceramic cup Velcia had left out for her and being somewhat disappointed that it was nearly ice cold to the touch. She held it in her hands, remembering the heating spells she had seen Noctis and Velcia use over the last two weeks. Closing her eyes, she focused on the heat around her. The hot, night air from outside sneaked in through the cracks in the ceiling and the space of the door, mixing with the otherwise cool room. Taking in a deep breath, Hinata concentrated on the heat, feeling it swirling into her and centralizing in her palms. She opened her eyes when she felt the hot ceramic on her skin, realizing that she had managed to heat the tea.
With a triumphant smile, she took a slow, gratifying sip of the tea, savoring its flavor and the way it instantly relaxed her body. A few more gulps, and she placed it back on the table, glancing out at Iris on the balcony before heading to the bed. Even with the smaller dose of the tea, she could feel her mind slowing and ready for sleep. Within minutes of getting snuggled under the blanket, she was fast asleep.
Velcia was awakening her the next morning, her soft hand on Hinata's shoulder as she spoke with a comforting voice. "Hinata, it's time to start getting up. We have a lot to do today."
Hinata rolled to her back with a sigh, opening her eyes to look up at Velcia's sweet smile as she stood beside the bed. "So I take you, Ignis, and Gladiolus figured out a schedule for the week?"
Velcia's smile grew as she nodded, "Yes, we'll be heading with Gladiolus into the city to buy you some new weapons."
"Oh, no way?" Hinata spoke with interest, sitting up in the bed before she heard the sleepy groan of Iris still slumbering beside her.
"Maybe we should talk outside the room." Velcia suggested with a whisper.
"Good idea," Hinata agreed, pushing back her blanket and getting out of the bed. "Let me get ready and I'll meet you in the lobby?"
"Perfect," Velcia nodded, waving towards Jack and Ben to follow her as she left the room.
Hinata scrambled to get ready, getting down to the lobby in barely over ten minutes. Her hair was tied up, falling over a well fitted black shirt that Iris had insisted on buying her the night before. Faded silver roses were stitched into the comfortable, breathable fabric, a nice contrast to the thick top Hinata had been wearing before.
"Sorry for the wait," she spoke up, getting the attention of Velcia and Gladiolus in the lobby.
"Ready to get some real weapons?" Gladiolus asked with a smirk, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Definitely," Hinata came to a stop in front of them, an excited glow in her eyes that matched the grin on her lips.
Velcia chuckled, leading the way out of the hotel. She shielded her eyes from the bright sun as they left, before glancing back at Hinata and explaining. "We were thinking of getting two different types for you and figuring out a way to be able to summon both."
"You really think I'd be able to do that?" Hinata asked, matching her pace with them.
"Noct can summon up to four different weapons." Gladiolus pointed out. "If Vel's able to really replicate the power, then… no reason you can't do the same."
"And I have finally found a method that should work." Velcia added, glancing at her journal where she had been writing endless notes on possible spells. She looked back to Hinata with a smile. "So we'll have to see how it goes when you try it!"
Hinata smiled, looking back forward as she began getting lost in daydreams. "That would be something… I don't even know what sort of other weapons I'd want to summon." She thought it over, having to be pulled out of the way of a walking couple by Gladiolus.
"You still with us?" Gladiolus asked, knocking on her head and chuckling when she waved him off.
"Yeah, sorry," she assured them with a nervous laugh, a flush of embarrassment on her cheeks. "Got distracted."
"I already have an idea of the other weapon." he informed her, smirking when she darted her eyes up to him.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Just wait and see," he told her, him and Velcia snickering at Hinata's scowl in response.
Hinata sighed, looking back ahead, "Well, if I'm able to summon these weapons… Would I be able to get another plasma gun from Montressor and summon that, too?"
"It's possible," Velcia nodded, "but it all depends on if this is successful in the first place." She met her gaze with Hinata, "But hopefully!"
"Here's hoping," Hinata smirked, about to get lost in daydreams again before they arrived at the weapon shop.
There was no obvious entrance to go inside, just a man standing at the front of a small window, weapons lined behind him. Hinata tried to peek over Gladiolus' shoulder as he talked with the owner. Within a couple minutes, the owner nodded and opened a side door, allowing the group in. Hinata was in before the others, taking in the sight of the dozens of weapons lines against the walls. The store went much deeper than it seemed outside, and Hinata was taking every little bit of it in.
She was instantly drawn to the dao blades along the furthest wall, rushing to them while Velcia and Gladiolus went towards another section. The blades were polished and new, each of them with unique designs that Hinata had never seen before. Her eyes were drawn to a pair of blades, made up of gold and silver, with blackened metal details. The hilt was curved and silver, engraved with ancient black markings and thin gold veins. A carving of a golden wing came off the side of it, intricate and shimmering as it wrapped around the guard and led into the actual blade. It was curved and silver, with the blackened metal going down the center, matching the runes along the hilt with golden veins spreading through it. She picked them up, loving the way they felt in her grasp.
"Those the one?" Gladiolus asked, startling her as she whisked around and saw him right behind her as he watched with a smirk.
Her heart calmed as she looked back down to the blades, nodding with a soft smile, "Yeah, these are the ones.
"Good choice," he patted her shoulder before holding out a tall shield. "This is what Vel and I were thinking for you."
Hinata stared at the shield, blinking in confusion for a moment. It was relatively large, yet didn't appear to be incredibly heavy. It was the same color scheme as her new blades, with a silver base and gold and blackened medal around the edges. It was round near the top, before going down to a point by Hinata's knees, the design of two bird's wings etched into it with the gold and black metal. Gladiolus held out his hand taking Hinata's new blades and handing her the shield.
It felt oddly comfortable in her grasp. The handle was smooth and easy to hold, making it easily maneuverable. Hinata lifted it up, looking it over and surprised at how light it was, given how thick the metal appeared.
"Is this enchanted somehow…?" She asked, looking up when Gladiolus scoffed.
"You don't miss a beat," he nodded, "Yeah, it's light for whoever wields it, but is made of the strongest metals from Insomnia. So -" He knocked on it, "nothing can penetrate it."
"And," Velcia added, coming up beside Gladiolus, her hands clasped in front of her "The metal is submissive to magic, meaning I can teach you to have it absorb magical elements for you without having to use nearly as much effort as it would be to absorb it yourself."
"Then it can build up and you can fire it back." Gladiolus added.
"Are you serious?" Hinata asked, looking between them.
"You said you needed something that other girl didn't have, right?" Gladiolus asked. "Well I guarantee she won't have this."
Hinata looked back to the weapon, "A shield though… I've… never trained with one of these. At least not one of this size."
"That could be to your advantage," Velcia pointed out.
"True…" Hinata's lips tipped into a frown, but taking in a breath she nodded. "I'll try it."
"And don't worry, I can train you with it." Gladiolus rustled her hair, getting a grunt of annoyance from Hinata that made him laugh as they exited the shop.
They paid for the new weapons, Gladiolus carrying them in the fabric wrap the owner of the store had provided for him. Hinata followed them silently back to the hotel, still unsure about the possibility of the shield. Everyone was ready and awake when they returned, eating a breakfast Ignis had prepared. They joined the group, everyone eating and talking about what they were going to be doing that day.
Ignis explained that after breakfast, they were going to be heading to a nearby haven, where Hinata was going to train with the shield with Gladiolus and attempt to learn to summon weapons. While everyone else was going to be taking on nearby hunts and preparing for Costlemark at the end of the week. Iris begged to come along, if for nothing else than to get out and watch the training. The others quickly agreed, despite Ignis' hesitance to bring her along, and within the hour, they were back to their vehicles.
The haven was barely an hour away. They parked in a nearby parking lot, allowing Gladiolus and Iris out of the Regalia, before Ignis drove the others away. Hinata watched the Regalia leave, before following Velcia across the street. The haven was surrounded by hills of vibrant grass and rocks, with a few trees speckled out around them. Hinata had little time to admire as Gladiolus wasted no time in summoning his shield, ready to start training.
Hinata grabbed her shield, still feeling unsure about it as she went to the haven to train. Velcia watched with Iris, while also working with the dao blades in order to enchant them in such a way that would allow them to be summoned in and out of existence. The training was long and brutal, Hinata ending up with dozens of bruises and cuts as Gladiolus showed how versatile shields were for both combat and defense. He explained that while her dao blades could be used for agility and quick attacks, the shield was always a heavy blow. It was slower and took more effort to use, but the effects of it could be devastating for enemies.
It didn't take long into the training for Hinata to throw away any preconceived notions she already had about shields. She fully focused and listened to every word Gladiolus told her. Getting right back up, ready for more whenever she was knocked down or defeated. Gladiolus didn't take it easy on her, helping her grasp the basics, but throwing complicated techniques at her to show that she still had much to learn.
Hours passed before Hinata finally fell to her knees, completely exhausted as her shield fell beside her. She looked up at Gladiolus, sweat slicked on her skin, making her hair stick to her face. "I-I think I need a break."
Gladiolus laughed, making his shield disappear in the blue mist before he sat down beside her. "You earned it." He summoned a water bottle, tossing it to her before summoning another one for himself. "You didn't do half bad."
"T-Thanks…" She breathed out, undoing the lid and drinking the entirety of the bottle of water. She took a few minutes to capture her breath, closing her eyes and focusing on the breeze cooling her heated skin. "I think… the shield's growing on me."
"Had a feeling it would," Gladiolus chuckled, picking up her shield and looking it over. "It was weird for me at first, too."
"Yeah?" She looked over at him, still trying to regulate her racing, exhausted heart.
"Yeah, but figured since I'm technically the King's shield, I should learn to fight with one." He smirked, making Hinata laugh in response.
"I thought I had seen you with the shield during hunts," she told him, bringing her eyes down the rock of the haven and tracing the markings with her fingers. "But you'd switch between that and your two-handed sword so often, it was hard to see the techniques."
"That's one of the nice parts about summoning them," he told her. "You can switch between them any time."
"That will be nice," Hinata smirked at the thought.
"You did great, Hina!" Iris cheered her on from the sidelines beside Velcia, waving over at her. "You'll be as good as Gladi in no time."
Both Hinata and Gladiolus scoffed in response, but with fond smiles towards her. "I highly doubt that." Hinata told her, pushing herself to her feet with a groan. "But, I'd like to learn as much as I can while I'm here."
"That's the spirit." Gladiolus patted her back as he also stood, going over to his sister and Velcia. "So, how's the enchantment going?"
"Very well, I think," Velcia replied, holding up the blades that had a light shimmering sheen to them. "We can give it a try after you've both rested for a while."
Hinata came and sat beside her, looking over the blades and grabbing them from Velcia. She chatted with Iris and Gladiolus as Velcia got up and went to the truck. She came back with Ben and Jack floating at her side, informing them that Ben had been talking with DiZ and Jack asleep. She also pulled out a large satchel and placed it in front of her as she sat back down. Searching inside, she pulled out some herbs, potion bottles, and herbs, mixing a concoction together and handing it to Hinata. It was a blue liquid with a sweet, but sour scent that made Hinata crinkle her nose in response.
Velcia giggled, "It will help you rebuild your strength. It tastes…" She brought her hand to her chin, trying to think of how to describe it, "like a sour candy."
"Of course it does," Hinata sighed, taking a reluctant sip and making a face at the taste. "You'll have to make this for Riku when we get back." She gulped the rest down, sticking out her tongue after she handed the empty bowl back to Velcia. "Thank you, though."
"Of course," Velcia smiled, grabbing it and making it for Gladiolus as well.
Hinata felt her energy completely replenish as if she had just awoken and was ready for the day all over again. It was more thorough than the magic potions she had made in Atlantis that simply gave her a jolt of adrenaline. She leaned back on her hands, listening to the others talking and the birds singing around them.
Velcia stood up, grabbing the dao blades she had enchanted. "If you're ready, we should get started."
"Definitely!" Hinata jumped up, following Velcia to the center of the haven.
"Alright," Velcia handed Hinata the blades. "From my research and talks with Ignis and Gladiolus, it seems like there are pocket dimensions that store their weapons and supplies until they are summoned by them personally." She pulled out her journal, going over her notes. "You should be able to send these to your own pocket dimension based on the spells I worked into them."
Hinata nodded, spinning the blades in her hands. "Alright," she simply replied, not bothering to ask questions since she knew she wouldn't understand half of what Velcia would say in reply. "So… what should I try focusing on to make them disappear?"
"That's where it gets tricky," Velcia admitted, bringing her hand to her chin. "In the past, you've been able to focus on a certain element to help you hone in and complete the spell. With this, however, you'll have to focus on two things: the spell I've infused into the weapon, and your own power, since you're the one triggering it."
"Okay…" Hinata replied with a drawn out voice. "Will I get exhausted by using my magic to summon my weapons over and over again?"
Velcia shook her head, "No, don't worry. The spell in the blade should take care of that."
Hinata nodded, looking to her blades, "Alright then. I think I have an idea of what to do."
Closing her eyes, she focused on her blades, imagining them gone from her grasp and disappearing completely. A spark tingled in her palms, feeling a concentration of some sort of power and in an instant it was gone, her hands closing in on themselves as there was nothing there to grasp. She gasped along with the others, looking to her hands to see them empty and the remnants of a blue mist sparkling around her wrists.
"Ah!" Velcia squeaked, clapping in delight. "Hinata, you did it!"
"That was amazing!" Iris agreed, jumping to her feet.
"Where did they go?" Ben asked, floating over and looking between her hands.
"Hopefully to my own little storage dimension," Hinata told him, hearing Velcia laugh in response. "Do I bring them back the same way?"
Velcia nodded, "You should be able to."
Taking in a deep breath, Hinata closed her eyes once again, focusing in the same way she had before and imagining the blades back in her hands. The same spark tingled around her palms, before she felt the cool metal of the blades in her grasp. She grinned as she opened her eyes, tempted to jump up and down in excitement, before she remembered she had sharp weapons in her hands.
"This is crazy!" She exclaimed, getting a laugh from the others. "Seriously! I never thought I'd be able to do this!"
"I'm so glad you can!" Velcia beamed. She rushed back to the sidelines where she had been sitting before. "I'll get started on your shield, right away."
"Sounds great," Hinata replied with a distracted voice, making her blades disappear and reappear over and over again. "I could get used to this."
"You picked that up so easy, warp striking should be a breeze." Gladiolus told her, making Hinata whip her attention to him.
She laughed nervously. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"I don't know," Gladiolus shrugged, "We were planning on having you still practice the summoning thing tomorrow, but maybe we should just get an early start on the warping."
"Ehh-" Hinata began to object.
"That sounds like a great idea!" Ben chimed in. "Hinata will have that mastered tomorrow!"
A choked laugh was all Hinata could muster out as the others went to talking excitedly about the day and Hinata learning how to warp. She sat beside them, mostly ignoring their words as she continued to summon her blades over and over again, a smile permanently on her face.
It wasn't long before the others returned from their hunts, joining them at the haven. Iris excitedly filled them in on what they had missed while Prompto showed off the pictures he took while they were gone. Just as the sun was beginning to set, Velcia had finished enchanting the shield, having Hinata test the spell before they left. It took a bit more concentration to dissipate the shield than with the dao blades, but after a couple tries, she had figured it out.
After the success, they all headed back to Lestallum and the Leville hotel to eat dinner and rest for the night. Hinata escaped back to her room before everyone else to call Riku and show him her new tricks, while also profusely apologizing about Prompto and Noctis endlessly texting him.
The following two days went similarly. They'd eat breakfast at the crack of dawn, before heading back to the haven. Hinata trained with the shield every day, occasionally sparring against Velcia or Noctis to get a better feel of combat with it. Afterwards, Noctis would help her with warping. The entire idea was daunting to Hinata as she nervously watched him the first day, refusing it actually try it herself. As the second day rolled around, Gladiolus demanded she grow some courage and do it.
She begrudgingly agreed, going out to the field with Noctis and mimicking his motions to throw her dao blade. It stuck in the top of a hill, its hilt glistening in the sunlight. A part of her could sense it, and she held out her hand, knowing that she could summon it back to her grasp in an instant. She focused on that feeling, imagining her entire body going to the blade, rather than it to her. Something sparked in her chest, spreading through her as a blue mist surrounded her and with a ZAP, she was whisked away and reappeared beside the blade on the hilltop.
"Now you just have to do that like ten times faster!" Noctis called out to her, before throwing his blade and reappearing right beside her, blade in hand. "You should be able to go from enemy to enemy with warp striking."
Hinata took in a shaking breath, still feeling the spark of energy tingling throughout her body. "A congratulations would have been fine." She muttered, sending him a weak smirk.
Noctis scoffed, "Yeah, yeah, great job.
"That was great, Hinata!" Velcia called out, walking towards them on the hill. She stopped in front of them with a beaming smile. "You have a knack for these sorts of things!"
Hinata shook her head with a laugh, making her blades disappear. "Nah, I know I'm taking the shortcut to all these things. I'm just lucky to have people to teach me right."
Velcia giggled, before telling her, "I did want you to know though, that warping will take your energy. So make sure to use it carefully."
"I usually just warp up to a tall rock or light post to recover in the middle of battle." Noctis informed her.
Hinata gave him a look. "I'm guessing you're not in a lot of one-on-one fights."
He shrugged, "I always have the guys with me. Why?"
"That wouldn't work one-on-one." She told him with a laugh, before looking back to Velcia. "But thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
"Of course," Velcia smiled. "With that same energy that you felt before you appeared to your blade, you should be able to warp yourself short distances as well."
"Like without throwing a weapon?" Hinata asked, getting a nod.
"Yeah, like how I sidestep on hunts," Noctis disappeared in a blue mist, reappearing a few feet away. "Doing that doesn't use a lot of magic, either."
"Good to keep in mind." Hinata strained a smile. "I have a lot to practice."
"Yep," Noctis grabbed his blade, throwing it perfectly straight to a tree on the other side of the field. As he reappeared in front of it, he yelled, "Better get started!"
Hinata smirked, summoning her blade and following Noctis' lead. She trained with Noctis the rest of the week, getting used to warp striking and teleporting from side to side. Two days before they were to head off to Costlemark, Gladiolus and Ignis decided it was time to put Hinata's new skills to the test on hunts. She struggled at first, realizing it was much different to use the powers in the middle of battle than it was in practice, but by the third hunt, she was keeping up with the others.
Soon it was the night before they were leaving for Costlemark. They were all eating dinner at the hotel, Iris lamenting that she wouldn't be able to go with them, but thankful she got to spend the week watching Hinata train. The evening was nice, yet there was a looming tension over the group, everyone knowing they were going on a dangerous mission as they tried not to think about it.
Hinata snuck away from dinner to call Riku, going out to the balcony to talk with him. Their privacy didn't last long as Noctis and Prompto found Hinata and joined in on the call. Riku had finally begun letting his guard down around them, occasionally texting them back and being amicable with them when they bombarded the calls. They talked until the sun had completely gone down and it was time for them to be heading to bed.
Noctis and Prompto said their goodnights to Hinata and Riku, leaving them alone on the balcony as they went back to their own room. Hinata leaned against the railing, looking out at the surrounding city with the tablet floating beside her.
"Everything alright?" Riku asked, his voice soft and nearly endearing.
Hinata glanced over at him, before looking at her hands clasped together over the railing. "Yeah…" She muttered. "A little anxious about tomorrow, I guess."
"I am, too." Riku admitted, getting Hinata's full attention.
"What are you and Sam doing tomorrow that's got you worried?"
He shook his head with a breathy laugh, "Nothing new, I meant… I'm worried about you."
The corner of Hinata's lips twitched upwards into a smile. "You are?"
"Of course I am." He told her, glancing away.
Hinata's smile grew and she reached up to her locket hanging around her neck, running her thumb over the key engraving. "I'll be alright." She assured him. "It's going to be tough, but I know that I'll be able to handle it if I'm with the others."
"They really seem to like you." Riku noted, Hinata laughing softly in response.
"I don't know why they do, but… I like them, too." She admitted, looking back to the city. "I'm sad Velcia and I will be leaving soon, but, I'm also really looking forward to being back."
"Yeah?"
She met her eyes with his, her tattoo dimly glowing as she smiled and nodded. "Yeah… there's someone I'm really wanting to see again."
Riku blinked, his ears warming as he got the sense that she was talking about him. Looking away, he told her with a quiet voice. "I'm... really looking forward to seeing someone again, too."
Hinata's cheeks warmed, her eyes looking over Riku's face as he kept his gaze averted. The entire time she had been in Eos, his attitude towards her had been changing. He was rarely short or distant, instead seeming sweet and occasionally lovestruck when they spoke. It took everything in her not to press him about it every night they talked. The fear of him running away again always kept her from speaking up. She instead took the moments as they were, enjoying them as much as she could.
Their conversation fell to silence as Hinata looked back out at the city, her thoughts on Riku's new demeanor. Riku stayed on the line, however, used to the comfortable silence during their daily calls as he opened the last journal Hinata had given him to read.
Hinata let out a breath after a few minutes, speaking up. "I… should probably head to bed."
Riku looked up in surprise, their calls usually lasting longer since she had arrived in Lestallum. "Oh, yeah sure. Did… I say something wrong?"
She shook her head, swallowing the words she wanted to say. "No, you're fine. I'm just… tired, I think."
He frowned, knowing she was keeping something to herself, but he dropped it and nodded. "Alright. I hope you sleep well, Hina."
Hinata blinked, looking over at him to see the smirk on his lips. "Don't you start calling me that, too." She told him with a small laugh.
"You let them call you that." He pointed out.
"Yeah, 'cause they don't give me much of a choice." She retorted, laughing. "Besides, if you start using a nickname for me, I'd rather it be something special." Her mouth snapped shut after the words left her mouth. "I-I mean-" She looked over at him, his face fully warmed but eyes soft. "Just... forget I said that." She mumbled, glancing away again.
"Don't worry about it," Riku assured her. "I still hope you sleep well."
She softly smiled, nodding, "You too, Riku." She looked back at him. "I'll call you tomorrow."
He sent her a smile before she cut the call, Hinata sighing as she grabbed the tablet and headed back inside. She placed Ben's tablet softly on the table, careful not to awaken anyone else in the room before she drank her half of the tea potion Velcia made for her nightly.
They slept in the following day, Ignis telling them that Costlemark could only be entered at night. Around noon, they said their farewells to Iris and were off towards the dungeon. The drive took hours, Hinata dozing in and out of sleep as the landscape passed by outside. The sun was setting as they neared their destination, parking off the side of the road in front of a thick forest. Wild flowers covered the ground with a winding dirt path between them, leading further into the dense trees.
Old, crumbling ruins and columns were scattered, towering over them as they went further in. Velcia and Hinata looked up at them in awe as they followed after the group. They soon reached the tallest ruins of all, coming to a stop as Ignis mapped out where their entrance was.
"This reminds be of the Coliseum back on Thebes," Velcia whispered to Hinata. "Well, what it might look like in a couple hundred years, anyway."
Hinata chuckled, looking up at the building, before requesting Ben to come over and taking a quick picture of it to send to Riku. Ignis led forward, everyone else following up a steep set of stone stairs, rocks scattered across them. The stairs led to an arched doorway that went inside the towers. As they passed through the doorway, Hinata was quickly grasping the stone railing of the bridge they found themselves on. It was the only thing between them and an incredibly dark, seemingly endless chasm. They carefully crossed, Hinata rushing through to the other side and entering a stone plaza of sorts, leading to a stairwell that went back down to a stone wall.
"This is the entrance." Ignis explained, motioning towards the stairwell. "Once the sun has fully set, it will alight and the path will open."
"Why only at night?" Hinata asked, getting a shrug from Noctis.
"To make things difficult for us." Noctis replied, leaning back against a column. "Good thing we got here so late in the day. I'm already bored."
"Yes, we should only have to wait an hour at the most." Ignis agreed. "I suggest we take a rest until then. We will likely be up throughout the night."
Hinata frowned, glancing over at Velcia as the anxiety bubbled back in her gut. Velcia sent her a reassuring smile, grabbing Ben and handing him over.
"Maybe you should message with Riku until we go in." She suggested to Hinata. "Might calm your nerves."
Hinata chuckled as she took Ben's tablet. "Yeah, maybe I will." She went to the column Noctis was already leaned against and slid to sit on the ground. Bringing her knees to her chest as she began typing away.
The hour passed swiftly, the others gathering around Hinata and Noctis, but rarely a word was shared. Everyone waiting with anticipation for the path to open. A rumble around them caused everyone to get to their feet. The wall that had once blocked off the bottom of the stairs had vanished. Replaced with long stone slabs with blue, glowing engravings in the centers.
"Shall we then?" Ignis simply asked, already walking towards the entrance with the others following suit.
Hinata swallowed hard, saying a quick goodbye to Riku before releasing Ben and heading further into the dark dungeon of Costlemark.
***Author's Note: What's this? I said we'd be done with Eos within three chapters? You all knew I was secretly lying? CurryFury can't use brevity to save her life? Yes, yes you're all right! I admit it! That being said, we'll be starting with Costlemark next chapter and I need to learn to stop making promises.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I've been having a lot of fun on Eos, but I am SO ready for what's coming next. I've been itching to get there, so I'm really excited. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you have a great week! ***