The Far Edge of Fate (Final Fantasy XV)

CHAPTER 15 - TO LIVE FOR THE FALLEN

The sun had no reason to be this bright, Aaralyn decided, lifting her hand to shade her eyes from it.

Old Lestallum practically glittered in the early morning light as she stumbled out of the hotel, yawning and barely coherent. She'd slept in as late as her body would allow last night and awoke only after nearly everyone else. The only other one who was still asleep (to the surprise of absolutely no one) was Noctis, of which Gladiolus had been nominated to wake up.

Cassielle and Nyx were chatting over by the Sedan while Ignis and Autumn were working together to cram the boys' luggage plus Iris's into the Regalia's trunk. Ignis seriously looked to be considering throwing Prompto's enormous duffel in the front seat with him when Gladiolus finally emerged, herding a very sleepy Noctis with him by the arm. Aaralyn's traitorous mind immediately thought the way he was sleepily rubbing his eye was adorable and she had to stamp that out as soon as the thought occurred.

After a quick breakfast at the Crow's Nest, they headed back to the cars to get going. The seating arrangements were the same and, after making sure they were full on gas, they turned back onto the road to Caem. Nyx and Cassielle filled up most of the silence as they drove with chatter, following the winding, empty roads down out of Duscae and into Cleigne.

Autumn was even a little livelier as they drove, too. She engaged in conversation with the others and hummed along to whatever song was playing on the radio. It was nice to see her break out of her shell—it happened so infrequently that it surprised Aaralyn every time it happened.

About two hours out from Caem, Ignis suddenly slowed and made a right turn onto a dirt road. Cassielle trailed off mid-sentence to stare out the front windshield as Aaralyn followed. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What's he doing?" she asked.

"Beats me," Aaralyn shrugged. "I know there's some kinda thicket out here that the hunters aren't allowed into. Maybe there's something there Ignis thinks is worth looking into? I dunno."

The Regalia pulled into a parking spot off the beaten path that appeared to be in a state of disrepair. There were abandoned car supplies—gasoline canisters, spare, rotting tires, and whatnot—that littered the corners of it. Aaralyn drove in behind them, parking the Sedan and pocketing the keys. She stepped out of the car as everyone else started dramatically stretching their cramped legs from the long drive.

The scenery around them was a sight to behold, Aaralyn had to admit. The landscape was peppered with life, whether it be from plants or the wildlife she could see bouncing along the dirt paths. A river gurgled along, standing between them and a grassy hill on the other side. It was near crystal-clear water that ran over boulders and lapped gently at rock-covered shores.

"Why the stop?" Cassielle asked.

"Rumor has it that a Royal Arm slumbers somewhere within the thicket," Ignis explained and Aaralyn quirked a curious eyebrow.

"Royal Arm?" she repeated.

"Weapons infused with my ancestor's power," Noctis explained immediately. "Collecting them all will give us a real, fighting chance out there so...there's no reason to not go looking."

"Makes sense," Aaralyn agreed.

Gladiolus turned his head down to scrutinize Iris. "And you're sure you're okay with this?" he asked.

Iris let out a long-suffering sigh. "For the last time, yes, Gladdy," she said, perking up. "I don't mind a little danger here and there."

"Yeah, but this is the kind of danger that'll get you killed," Gladiolus rumbled. "Just stick close to me, okay?"