Another continuation of my Fantasy AU! There was going to be 4 characters, but this part of the story got me rambling :’D
The Story; Part 3. Ardyn!
Previously:
Meet the Bros - Designs for Gladio, Ignis, Prompto and Noctis.
The story; Part 1 [by @moonraccoon-exe] - featuring the tale of how Gladio found Ignis and helped him on his road to recovery.
The story; Part 2 - featuring Gladio meeting Noct and Prom, Ignis dealing with shedding and a trotting Gladio!
Part 4 coming soon with a new character! And check under the read more for the story!
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ARDYN.
Life is comfortable for a while in the forest. The humans are staying out for now, there have been no sign of any traps in a few weeks and our boys are settled comfortably now that Ignis is fully healed and independent.
Gladio is out on a patrol when it happens; the roaring fire that begins to consume the forest in mere minutes. Of course he wants to run back to the lake to ensure the safety of his friends, but he has to help a small family of wounded Satyr’s first.
Prompto noticed the fire first; he was up a tree at the time, enjoying the breeze when he got a face full of smoke. He had never climbed down a tree so fast in all his life.
Their best bet is to head south towards the ocean. It’s the safest place when a fire is raging. Prompto and Noctis grab Ignis by an arm each to lead him around to the other side of the lake; an area Ignis had only explored a few times.
It’s important to mention here that Ignis is not totally blind. He can see shadows, which is how he usually avoids walking into large objects.
But in a fire? There are strange shadows being cast that are very disorientating for Ignis. He has to rely on Noctis and Prompto to lead him.
They make good distance; but the fire is spreading faster than they can move and before they know it, it’s caught up to them. A burning branch falls from over the heads, and Prompto only avoids it by letting go of Ignis and leaping out of the way.
It wasn’t a problem. Until the rest of the tree came down too. Noctis was able to tug Ignis to safety but they were separated from Prompto.
“Keep going! We’ll rendezvous on the beach!” Prompto shouted over the roaring flames.
Noctis knew the way, so he continued to lead Ignis as best as he could; but losing Prompto wasn’t the last of their problems.
Ignis didn’t fail to notice Noctis slowing down; coughing more and stumbling as they carried on.
Noctis’ senses are stronger than the others. Sure Prompto’s hearing could match, but Noctis had the most sensitive nose. And all that smoke was becoming too much. Ignis only just managed to catch him before he passed out.
Ignis’ legs aren't built to carry extra weight; the only way he could carry Noctis was by taking his arm around his shoulders and wrapping his other arm around Noctis’ waist to lift his feet off the floor and carry on as best as he could.
He walks into more than one tree. He’s just glad no one is there to see it.
A few more trees slam to the ground in front of them and he’s forced to stop; the shadow before him is huge and definitely not natural.
Ardyn is easily as tall as the trees in his dragon form and it’s him who just took down several trees upon landing before the Cervitaurs and the unconscious Werecat.
He shifts before them, long robes flowing behind him and fire burning at the hems.
“Well, well, well... what do we have here? A little lost deer and his kitty cat?” He drawls, walking towards them at a languid pace, knowing he has them trapped.
Ignis can guess what has happened. Such a large, imposing shadow must have been the infamous dragon that often roamed these lands. A most deadly threat; a creature who gave no consideration to the common law of creatures not to eat each other. And they were his next prey.
Ignis had very little time to come up with any idea of what to do. But when he felt that imposing presence in front of him, he did the only thing he could do.
He turned, and he kicked out with his hind legs. He nailed Ardyn right in the face.
Even in a human form, the dragon was able to create fire in his hands and threw it at Ignis, catching him directly in the face in return.
But Ardyn was furious and shifted back into his dragon form and unleashed a torrent of fire upon the ground with a mighty roar.
Ignis was in so much pain and the flickering shadows were replaced with pure darkness when he couldn’t bare the pain of opening his eyes. He tried desperately to carry Noctis further away and somehow, by some small act of the gods, he was able to tuck them both behind a boulder.
With a beat of his wings, Ardyn was gone. Ignis was careful to lay Noctis down and did what he could to cover the younger man with his own body and try to protect him from the flames roaring around them.
He couldn’t carry on; his own consciousness was fading. He didn’t know if his actions would save Noctis or not. His last thought was a plea to whatever gods were listening that at least Noctis would be safe.
Gladio hadn't thought twice about running through the fire to find them. After he had made it to the beach and found Prompto, he knew he couldn’t stand around and wait. Prompto knew roughly which direction they had likely gone.
It was an utter miracle that he found them. But the situation was bad. Although the flames had lost some intensity, Ignis was hurt badly; the flames had licked at his skin across his human back and singed away fur across his deer body. Noctis, miraculously, was unharmed.
The worst of the damage was the terrible burns across Ignis’ left eye, and some of Ardyn’s blind attack had caught him across the chest and up the neck too. Hell, it was hard to find a part of him that wasn’t burned.
Gladio expected moving him to cause so much pain, but Ignis didn’t even react as Gladio managed to sling him over his horse back and haul Noctis up into his arms.
The only thing he could do now, was take them to safety and pray that they would be okay...
