Gladiolus Amicitia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sword_chocobro) wrote2022-06-01 05:35 pm
sword_chocobro) wrote2022-06-01 05:35 pm
Entry tags:
The Leville; Lestallum, Duscae (Eos); Wednesday Afternoon [06/01 FT].
"At long last, the Imperial blockades of Duscaean roadways have been removed," the Radio informed them as the Regalia smoothly slid down the roads of Duscae, on the way back to Lestallum. "The Imperial army has also demolished all related facilities erected around the region. The provisional government of Insomnia expects increased traffic congestion around most local highways and encourages all citizens to refrain from any unnecessary travel for the time being."
"So," said Prompto, not wanting to think about this little bit of news filtering through the dashboard in light of Ardyn's promise to remove the armies just a little bit ago, "help me figure this out. Who was that guy?"
"The High Commander himself," Ignis replied. "And Lady Lunafreya's brother. Wartime makes for quick promotions."
"Even a son of Tenebrae can rise to the top," Gladio added, with no small amount of disdain in his grumble.
"But why would he want to lead their army?" Prompto persisted.
"Who cares?" Noctis replied.
"Certainly formidable enough in his own right," Ignis pointed out.
"If Ravus wants power," Noctis sneered, tightening his hands on the wheel, "I'll give him a taste."
That anger would be maintained even after they arrived back in Lestallum, although it was going to be joined in with a whole mess of other emotions. They barely stepped through the doors of the Leville before they were greeted by a distraught and troubled Iris with very urgent news.
"Oh, Gladdy," she gushed, desperately, holding her hands tight to her chest and unable to look up at him, even as he rushed closer to her for comfort and reassurance….and with concern. "I let you down. I never made it to Caem." It was clear she was fighting to hold back her tears, but her voice dropped into a dangerous, almost frightened tone as she added, "The Empire came while you were gone…."
"Come on," Ignis suggested, immediately moving toward the stairs and gesturing for them all to follow, "let's continue this discussion somewhere a bit more private."
Once in Iris' room, they gathered around for her to tearfully fill them in on the events that they'd missed in the last few days. "None of us said a word about Noct," she promised through her sniffles. "They just…showed up and then…" She choked down a sob, barely able to get the next part out, "....poor Jared…."
"What do you mean?' Gladio stiffed, brow furrowed with the first sweeps of an incoming rage. "What happened to Jared?"
"There was nothing we could do!" Iris insisted, piggybacking on Gladio's words before he could even finish with a fervent shake of her head.
The heavy silence that hung over those words seemed to answer for Iris, and then, slowly, the door behind Noctis began to creak open. Talcott emerged, his head down, his tiny fists clenched to his side, breathing deep as if holding back his own sobs….though he didn't do as good of a job of it as Iris had been doing. Tears cascaded down his face, his whole body shook from them.
Noctis moved toward the door, kneeling down in front of Talcott. Lowered his head for a moment before looking up into the boy's tearful face. "It's….not right," he said. "We should've been here."
Sobs wracked out of Talcott before he managed to get out the words he was desperately searching for. "I…I couldn't stop them."
"But I won't let the Empire get away with it," Noctis vowed, flinching back slightly at the desperate feeling of failure in the small boy's words. Too young to have done anything, really, but determined to have tried. "They'll pay for what they've done. I promise."
"I…" Talcott sucked in a breath, trying to control the tears that just kept coming. "Believe in you, Prince Noctis." And, slowly, wracked with his sobs, he lowered his head a little more, his shoulders a little, into a bow.
And then, with that, still unable to stop his soft, gentle crying, he turned to walk away.
"I'm going to Caem" Iris said, looking up at Gladio, once the boy had left, with determination shining through her tear-glazed eye., e…we can't just stay here…and do Inothing!"
"Well, I can't let you go alone after everything that went down," Gladio told her firmly. "We go together. It'll be a squeeze in the car, but just for a while."
"In the meantime," Ignis suggested softly, "we've all have a very long day. I suggest we get some rest, replenish our supplies, and then set forth for Caem in the morning I'll get in touch with Cid; surely, he remembers something about the secret harbor from back in the day. Hopefully, the roads remain clear and we should have smooth sailing."
You'd think by now, he'd have learned to stop saying things like that, really, but at least, it might actually be true this time. For a little while, anyway.
[[ you probably know the drill by now. NFB, NFI, a brief conclusion to Final Fantasy Chapter 5 - Dark Clouds ]]
"So," said Prompto, not wanting to think about this little bit of news filtering through the dashboard in light of Ardyn's promise to remove the armies just a little bit ago, "help me figure this out. Who was that guy?"
"The High Commander himself," Ignis replied. "And Lady Lunafreya's brother. Wartime makes for quick promotions."
"Even a son of Tenebrae can rise to the top," Gladio added, with no small amount of disdain in his grumble.
"But why would he want to lead their army?" Prompto persisted.
"Who cares?" Noctis replied.
"Certainly formidable enough in his own right," Ignis pointed out.
"If Ravus wants power," Noctis sneered, tightening his hands on the wheel, "I'll give him a taste."
That anger would be maintained even after they arrived back in Lestallum, although it was going to be joined in with a whole mess of other emotions. They barely stepped through the doors of the Leville before they were greeted by a distraught and troubled Iris with very urgent news.
"Oh, Gladdy," she gushed, desperately, holding her hands tight to her chest and unable to look up at him, even as he rushed closer to her for comfort and reassurance….and with concern. "I let you down. I never made it to Caem." It was clear she was fighting to hold back her tears, but her voice dropped into a dangerous, almost frightened tone as she added, "The Empire came while you were gone…."
"Come on," Ignis suggested, immediately moving toward the stairs and gesturing for them all to follow, "let's continue this discussion somewhere a bit more private."
Once in Iris' room, they gathered around for her to tearfully fill them in on the events that they'd missed in the last few days. "None of us said a word about Noct," she promised through her sniffles. "They just…showed up and then…" She choked down a sob, barely able to get the next part out, "....poor Jared…."
"What do you mean?' Gladio stiffed, brow furrowed with the first sweeps of an incoming rage. "What happened to Jared?"
"There was nothing we could do!" Iris insisted, piggybacking on Gladio's words before he could even finish with a fervent shake of her head.
The heavy silence that hung over those words seemed to answer for Iris, and then, slowly, the door behind Noctis began to creak open. Talcott emerged, his head down, his tiny fists clenched to his side, breathing deep as if holding back his own sobs….though he didn't do as good of a job of it as Iris had been doing. Tears cascaded down his face, his whole body shook from them.
Noctis moved toward the door, kneeling down in front of Talcott. Lowered his head for a moment before looking up into the boy's tearful face. "It's….not right," he said. "We should've been here."
Sobs wracked out of Talcott before he managed to get out the words he was desperately searching for. "I…I couldn't stop them."
"But I won't let the Empire get away with it," Noctis vowed, flinching back slightly at the desperate feeling of failure in the small boy's words. Too young to have done anything, really, but determined to have tried. "They'll pay for what they've done. I promise."
"I…" Talcott sucked in a breath, trying to control the tears that just kept coming. "Believe in you, Prince Noctis." And, slowly, wracked with his sobs, he lowered his head a little more, his shoulders a little, into a bow.
And then, with that, still unable to stop his soft, gentle crying, he turned to walk away.
"I'm going to Caem" Iris said, looking up at Gladio, once the boy had left, with determination shining through her tear-glazed eye., e…we can't just stay here…and do Inothing!"
"Well, I can't let you go alone after everything that went down," Gladio told her firmly. "We go together. It'll be a squeeze in the car, but just for a while."
"In the meantime," Ignis suggested softly, "we've all have a very long day. I suggest we get some rest, replenish our supplies, and then set forth for Caem in the morning I'll get in touch with Cid; surely, he remembers something about the secret harbor from back in the day. Hopefully, the roads remain clear and we should have smooth sailing."
You'd think by now, he'd have learned to stop saying things like that, really, but at least, it might actually be true this time. For a little while, anyway.
[[ you probably know the drill by now. NFB, NFI, a brief conclusion to Final Fantasy Chapter 5 - Dark Clouds ]]