Rayne Drops (FFXV)

XXII: The Runes of Ramuh

            The next morning the skies are clear and the sun is shining brightly. I'm a bit sore, but it's nothing too terrible. The only thing that's really bothering me is that smell. I hate the smell of chocobos- can't stand it. And yet here I stand, watching Prompto and Noctis coo at their birds, stroking their beaks, and hugging their feathered necks. Gross. Ignis looks over at me with a sly smile.

"I do hope you won't be thrown off this time."

"Ha, ha," I retort dryly. "You're so funny, Iggy. Not my fault the bird didn't like me."

"You were being kinda rough with it," Prompto points out, whipping out his camera to take photos.

"That doesn't surprise me," Gladio says, shaking his head. Upon seeing my scowl, he shrugs. "What? You being rough? You want me to be shocked or something?"

"Shut your mouth," I mutter, though it's not very threatening. "Are we gonna get going?"

"Just a minute," Noctis calls, lifting up a handful of gysahl greens for his chocobo.

"I thought he was getting married to Lunafreya," I scoff, earning a low chuckle from Gladio and a small smile from Ignis.

"Well, people change," Gladio teases, crossing his arms. "Stop spoiling the birds and let's go!"

"Fine," Noct huffs, pulling himself up onto his chocobo's saddled back and patting its white feathers. "Hey Prompto, what should I name him?"

"Hmm..." Prompto hums, climbing onto his own chocobo. "How 'bout Vinnie?"

"Vinnie it is then," Noctis nods, looking back at the three of us. "Y'know, for how pushy you were being, I don't see you guys ready to go."

"Yeah, okay Princess," I call back, taking the reins of a free chocobo from one of the farm hands. I carefully run my fingers across its golden feathers before pulling myself up, leaning down by its face. "We're gonna be friends and you're gonna like it, you hear me?"

"And that's how you and Iggy became friends, right?" Gladio teases, climbing onto a larger bird, one that will hopefully be able to sustain his weight.

"Definitely," I nod.

"Absolutely not," Ignis scoffs, mounting the last bird. "Shall we head out? I believe we should reach the first by following the main road, for the most part."

"Sounds good to me," Noctis shrugs, pushing his bird into a trot. Gladio grins, his chocobo taking off in a sprint.

"Keep up if you can!"

"Sometimes I wonder..." Ignis sighs, hurrying to catch up with the rest of the group. I laugh, shaking my head as Gladio and Noctis race down the road with Prompto at their heels.

"Me too, Iggy."

"Perhaps we should go after them?" he suggests, watching Gladio's chocobo nearly skid into a rock. "They're going to kill their poor rides."

"And then I'll kill them." Ignis raises an eyebrow at me in question. "For Prompto's sake."

"Of course."

"First Titan, and now Ramuh," Gladio muses once we've caught up, the birds slowing to a trot. "Chasing down deities is hard work."

"Think of how Lady Lunafreya must feel," Prompto replies, slowing his chocobo just a bit.

"If the strain of the rites is as Gentiana suggested, I fear she's far worse off than we are," Ignis adds.

"Always the Debbie Downer," I tease, laughing when my ride pecks at his.