We finally find N who is covered in dust while carving in stone. I tilt my head looking them over.
"Oh, you're back!"
N smiles proudly
"What do you think? Majestic, right?"
A gargoyle? N is a weird guy. I glance at Effie who looks confused
"Uh… that is one word to describe it, without a doubt. But… what is it?"
Sunny's not even trying to hide it. I notice Kai almost flinch at just how little sunny is hiding the confusion.
"What do you mean? It's me! A monument to me, that is. I have decided to grace the generations to come with a vision of my matchless beauty. They deserve the privilege of witnessing it, as well! Who am I to devoid people of such blessing?"
He glances back at the statue then at us with a sheepish expression
"Of course, I, uh… might have failed to grasp a couple of nuances of the sculpting art, just yet. This one is really not too bad, but it is just the first attempt. Luckily, I have plenty of these slabs to practice. Hmm… seven should be enough to reach perfection. Well... maybe fourteen… or twenty..."
Sunny looks at the statues not very entertained
"Good for you. Meanwhile, we have retrieved the Ruby Knife. So… what comes next?"
N frowns, thinks for a while then finally responds in a almost disappointed tone
"I guess it's time to take a break. Come, let's have something to eat… and drink, of course… and discuss the future. Now that the knives are in our possession, the future will surely be upon us soon enough…"
I keep my foot out keeping effie away from my food. I draw as I eat while still trying to keep effie away. She bites my leg and I start shaking it up and down trying to throw her off. Sunny reaches over finally removing her from my leg. She scoffs crossing her arms.
"You must be curious about what happens next."
We all glance over to N.
"Well, to be honest… nothing much. By now, the other Chain Lords already know that I am collecting the knives. The death of the One in the North would have distracted them for a bit, but at the same time, it would have made my actions look much more suspicious. So, they will hold a council and decide how to act."
He takes a sip of wine. I feel kinda bad, I did help free prince.
"However, getting Solvane and Sevras into one room is not an easy task. It will take them some time to come together. After that, predictably, they will send a herald to give me some sort of an ultimatum. And only then, after their polite request is denied, will they act, joining forces to invade my lands, capture me, and make me bitterly regret the fact I am immortal."
May they try. I'll maul them, ill maul them both for even trying. He laughs shaking his head.
Sunny seems more on edge and kinda very scared.
"Is this really something to laugh about? How are we going to repel an attack of three Transcendents?"
N goes silent and shakes his head.
"Ah, well. Simple, really. We won't."
Oh, oh I get it, we hit before they do. Devious, very devious, can't wait to beat that dragon to a pulp. He takes a long drink of wine then he looks at his flying ship.
"...Instead, we will attack them first. We will lay siege to the Ivory City."
I grin, everyone else stays stunned. N looks at us then laughs.
"Ah, children… you are so fun to talk to! These expressions are priceless. However, even younglings like you should have learned by now that having more power doesn't always mean achieving victory. The three Lords that oppose us are very powerful, indeed… but they are not without weaknesses."
I nod sage advise really
"To tell you the truth, neither Solvane nor the Sun Prince concern me that much. The only one worth being scared of… the only one who can defeat me… is Sevras, the Ivory Lord. That dreadful dragon. Because between all seven of the Chain Lords, only he and I belong to divine bloodlines. Only the two of us trace our lineage to gods."
That makes a lot of sense. It seems it will be harder then i thought to beat that dragon but it will die.
"Wait… aren't Sevras and the Sun Prince brothers? How come he is the only one with a divine lineage?"
Their brothers? When did I miss that?
"All kinds of strange things happen when it comes to gods. Who knows? In any case… he is the only brother who inherited the Fire. And he is formidable for it, beyond words. So we won't be able to defeat Sevras, unless we strike at his Flaw."
I'm not shocked he knows their flaws. The cohort all knows eachothers flaws and we've been a team for far shorter
"...You know his Flaw?"
I glance at sunny, of course he does?
"Of course! We immortals spent more than a thousand years bound together. I know all of their Flaws, and they know mine. But Sevras… that guy is rather special. In a sense, he actually has three."
He takes a drink, when he lowers it N looks into it like he's remembering things, odd things no doubt
"One is his actual Flaw. The other... is his brother. And the last one, the direst of them all, is his city."
He glances at the garden, his face shifting to almost hate in a way
"By using all three, we will destroy him."
Effie leans over and tugs on N's sleeve
"Uh, care to elaborate... Grandpa Noctis?"
He looks down at her flinches his face twisting in what I can only call disgust. He wipes his sleeve off like something dirty touched it.
"G—grandpa? Who are you calling a grandpa, you critter?!"
He slides his chair away shooting her a mean glare. Pfft he hates kids! Hah! He looks at sunny with a hurt expression. Sunny shrugs with not a very entertained expression
"You are a thousand years older than her."
He gets a truly hurt expression like he's been shot. He looks at me i just snicker.
"Anyway… as I was saying, Sevras has three weaknesses. The first one is his Flaw — he is incredibly powerful during the day, but nearly powerless during the night. The second one is his brother… surprising, I know, considering what he did to the poor guy. But the Ivory Lord still genuinely cares about his younger sibling. In fact, that is probably the only thing he cares about anymore, apart from his duty and principles."
His tone switches to one that's almost sad
"And the third one is his city. That… Sevras loves his people. But he also hates them. They are a burden that weighs heavily on his soul, one that he cannot escape. Their relationship had long been perverted by Hope, and by his own stubborn unwillingness to give up. Noble, righteous Sevras… he might seem like the sanest among us, but in reality, he is the closest to utter madness. All it will take to send him over the edge is one push."
He sighs and shakes his head
"That guy… ah, truly, he has always been too serious. You can't survive in this place without a sense of humor… even if you are immortal."
He laughs at his own joke that nobody else gets
"So, we will attack at night, when the Ivory Dragon Sevirax is at his weakest. And we will kill his younger brother before dawn. That will be the push that sends him into the abyss, and dooms him."
I shake my head
"You forgot something"
He looks at me confused
"That would be?"
I scowl probably i really dislike the guy
"Prince. That idiot is in the ivory city. He doesn't do things for no reason. He's planning something."
N's face sours at the mention of prince
"You're sure?"
I nod
"He's in the ivory city. I'm well aware that he's likely taken the body of someone close to the dragon and is using it to manipulate him"
I glance at sunny who's face shows hes considered it but really was hopping i wouldn't confirm it
"You think he will be a threat?"
I wave my hand
"Of course, the neverending thorn in my side is a threat. From what ive gathered, he has the divine lineage of war god"
He nearly spits out his drink
"I'm sorry what."
I nod solemnly
"Thats why he wins in soul battles so much."
He stands
"And you're sure he's at the ivory city?"
I nod
"He only tried to speak to me when I was close enough to the ivory city. He even mentioned it, after laughing at me of course."
He sighs
"Flaw?"
I shrug
"Nobody knows, only he does and I doubt prince would tell us"
He sits back down leaning back. Sunny looks between us
"...Is it wise, to drive a dragon insane?"
N looks glad at the topic change
"Of course! Sevras the Ivory Lord is fearsome and dreadful, but Sevirax the Dragon is just a mindless beast. Killing a beast is not too difficult, for a cunning hunter. And while I might not be as righteous and as noble as Sevras…"
The smile on his face is wiped off as he gains a serious expression
"...I am blood of the Moon, Beast God... the God of Hunters."
He leans back taking a drink trying to lighten the mood
"Granted, I have not hunted for a while… the wilderness is just so ghastly, you know? The dirt, the insects… the fashion. Oh, the horror!"
He sighs, i notice his eyes glance at Effie.
"What is your Flaw, then? I know that it is not the kind of question people ask, or answer… but our lives will be depending on your fight with the dragon. I think we have the right to know."
N waves his hand dismissively
"Oh, it's nothing much. More or less the exact opposite of his. I am at my strongest under the moonlight, but grow weak in the sunlight. No reason to hide it from friends."
He thinks for a bit
"Solvane's Flaw is perhaps the most cruel… she is cursed with beguiling beauty. Being with her slowly drives people mad with longing and lust, like an insidious drug. The more someone spends time with her, the more they want to possess her, eventually giving in to irresistible desire. A terrible fate, no doubt, but… not exactly something we can use. Unless, of course, one of you… no, let's not think about that!"
Not sure what that last part meant but okay. He grins at his own joke
"The Sun Prince's Flaw… well, it doesn't matter anymore. Now that he is encased in that steel monstrosity and almost mindless, we won't be able to make use of it, anyway. We will just have to kill him in a straightforward manner. So… do you guys have questions?"
Well, if I'm on the right wavelength then we will fight the army.
Kai speaks his... mangled voice hoarse
"Yes, Lord Noctis… just one. When we attack the Ivory City at night, and you are fighting the Sun Prince and Solvane… what, exactly, are we four supposed to do?"
He looks at us confused, it seems im probably right i grin
"Why, is it not clear? While I am preoccupied with the Chain Lords... you will simply have to destroy the Sun Legion and the army of the Red Colosseum."
N thinks for a bit trying to assess our power
"Well, if you somehow fail to destroy them, at least keep them away from me for a while. Solvane and the Sun Prince… yeah, shouldn't take me too long… I think you will manage…"
I sit on the walls at night looking out at the kingdom of hope. It will turn into the Chained isles i know.
"Hey ■■■■"
I look over seeing a small girl, effie. I nod to her and she sits on the walls with me.
"So a divine aspect?"
I nod
"Yeah"
She stares out
"What kind of first nightmare did you even have to get such a aspect"
I shrug, I reach up adjusting my helmet
"A bad one, being hunted by a awakened tyrant and all that"
She nods
"Thats sounds pretty bad"
we stay silent for some time before she speaks again
"I'm sorry I thought you where a spy. Or that we didn't tell you Caster was a assassin"
I shake my head
"I get it. We were changing stars personal cohort. That comes with a lot does it not?"
She nods
"Yeah. I guess it does"