Chapter 5

The Empty Throne

Despite the risks, Noctis insisted on driving the Regalia ahead of the bus that carried the civilian evacuees from Galdin. The Regalia's position was a given, the car was equipped with powerful headlights that would make short work of any daemons that strayed into their path. Noctis himself taking the wheel elicited some decided mixed feelings on the part of his retinue, not least because the prince was operating on so little sleep. The others had however made only token protests out of duty to their role as Crownsguard. All knew that Noctis was in no mood to be coddled, not after so many others had died for his sake. Still, they were as much the prince's guards as they were his friends, and so continued in their duty as surreptitiously as possible. Ignis sat next to Noctis in the Regalia, while Gladiolus and Prompto were in the armored SUV in the rear, the former at the wheel and the latter manning the machinegun. And so their little convoy plodded along north towards Longwythe, a beacon of light in the otherwise pitch black night.

The radio crackled and a voice called out through the hiss of static.

"Unknown vehicles approaching Longwythe, in the name of the Territorial Army, identify yourself, over."

Ignis picked up the unit and responded. "This is November Lima Charlie, authentication Bravo Zulu Six Six Victor, over."

"Switch to secure channel five-two," the voice instructed.

"Switched."

"Countersign Sigma Oscar One One Kilo. Is His Highness safe, over."

"Roger that, the prince is driving the lead vehicle," Ignis answered, satisfied with the response. "Is Longwythe still secure, over."

"For the moment, imperial forces seem focused on the Crown City."

Noctis' jaw tightened at that but he kept silent.

"We are escorting civilians, some of whom need medical attention," Ignis continued. "Have medics standing by, over."

"Wilco. We make you to be five minutes out. Immediate approach is clear of daemons, so you should have a clear run here."

"Acknowledged, see you there, November out."

The sentry's estimate proved to be spot on as the vehicles rolled into the outpost right on the dot. As outposts went, Longwythe was more a stopover than any sort of proper garrison, but its facilities were sufficient to at least see to the civilians fleeing from Galdin. And assuming the Empire did not strike in force, the platoon of soldiers present should be enough to also see them through the night.

"Your Highness," the lieutenant in command saluted. "Thank the gods you're safe."

Noctis grimaced but returned the courtesy. "What's our current situation?"

"Bad, sir. Contact with Insomnia's been cut off, but the last messages that got out reported at least a dozen dreadnaughts hitting the city."

The prince inhaled sharply. Those numbers, if true, represented a rather substantial chunk of the Empire's battle fleet. That meant Niflheim never had any intention of signing the treaty, or abiding by it. And with that much firepower, the Empire might actually be able to breach Insomnia's defenses and take the city, even if it cost them dearly in the end.

"What of my father?" Noctis asked.

"I, don't know, Your Highness," the lieutenant answered frankly.

Noctis took another deep breath, then looked over at his friends. "We need to get to Formouth, link up with the Territorial regiment there. Maybe we can muster the numbers to relieve the city."

That was not likely, but surrounding the prince with more soldiers was certainly worth doing in its own right.

"The regimental command net is still working, sorta, Your Highness," the lieutenant said. "If you get to Formouth, you should be able to link up with Colonel Auburnbrie."

"Sounds like a plan," Noctis said. "Let's gas up and get going."

"Your Highness, wait," Ignis said. "You haven't gotten any sleep since the night before. You should rest, while we're here in a relatively secure location."

"There's no time," Noctis protested. "What if the city falls while we're snoozing?"

"And what if you end up driving into a ditch because you can't keep your eyes open?" Gladiolus said. "Gotta agree with Iggy on this one, Noct. You look like you're about to fall over."

"I'm fine," Noctis insisted, though he did not sound convincing even to himself.

"Noct, we already took a pretty big risk getting this far during the night," Prompto added his own voice to the chorus. "You're not gonna do anyone any good if you end up as daemon chow."

The prince gritted his teeth, but let out a sigh instead of snapping further.

"Fine. We'll wait here until dawn, but the moment the sun is up, we're up and gone."

The three friends exchanged looks and then nods.

"By your will, Your Highness," Ignis spoke for all of them.

The new dawn should have brought a sense of satisfaction, of achievement, to Safay Roth, Lord Marshal of the Niflheim Empire's armed forces. He had after all achieved the impossible, breaking through Insomnia's formidable defenses and actually conquering the city. His name would go down in the annals of imperial history as the man responsible for completing Niflheim's dream of uniting all of Eos. He would be remembered as the greatest general since the reign of Solheim. And yet, looking at the debris strewn streets surrounding the Citadel, with the wreckage of the Empire's own dreadnaughts behind him, Safay felt only a sense of foreboding. Of anger even. Yes, this was a victory. But there was no glory to it, not when winning had cost Niflheim so much, and not when the rest of Lucis remained as yet contested.

As Safay approached the Citadel's entrance, out from the gates emerged Ardyn, his clothes slightly frayed but his hat somehow still wholly intact.

"Ah, Marshal, come to take a tour of your grand trophy?"

Safay regarded Ardyn with scant favor. "Where are the traitor glaives?"

"Dead to the last, I'm afraid," Ardyn said, sounding almost as if he meant it. "It would seem your concerns about their efficacy was well founded, Marshal."

That saw Safay's eyes narrow. "Then they failed to keep the vaults open?"

"Alas that is so," Ardyn said.

Safay bit back a curse. Bad enough that the Empire had suffered such materiel losses this day, but to fail in one of their primary objectives.

"And what have you to say to that, Chancellor?" the marshal demanded.

"A regrettable misfortune of war," Ardyn responded flippantly.

"Misfortune!?" Safay began, only to be abruptly cut off by a raised finger from Ardyn.

"Indeed so. But the greater fortune was still won, would you not agree, Marshal? Insomnia is ours, and we have all the time in the world to pry open the vault to claim our prize."

Safay restrained his urge to scream at Ardyn. Being yelled at only seemed to amuse him, and the marshal suspected Ardyn to intentionally act in this manner to get a rise out of others.

"I think you underestimate the task yet before us, Chancellor," Safay said instead. "The Crown City may be ours, and the Lucian king dead," the marshal paused, "Regis is indeed dead, I trust?"

"Oh yes, very much so," Ardyn said, and this time a chill ran down Safay's spine at the smile that accompanied the answer.

"Good," the marshal said, trying to mask his unease. "Even so, the bulk of Lucis' army is still at large, and the Prince Noctis is known to have departed the Crown City before the attack. If he were able to rally Lucis' remaining forces, they could make any attempt to extend our control to the rest of the country extremely difficult, especially with the losses we suffered taking Insomnia in the first place."

A mild understatement, that. Of the thirteen dreadnaughts deployed for the operation, five had been destroyed outright while a sixth was so badly damaged it had been written off. Three others suffered enough damage that they would need to spend at least a few months in the yards for repairs, leaving him with only four dreadnaughts still combatworthy. Four dreadnaughts, to exert control over an entire country. While Safay could attempt to transfer more ships from the Empire, doing so risked leaving critical regions underdefended. He dared not risk that, not with how unruly so many of Niflheim's newer subjects remained.

In addition, the three Diamond Weapons deployed against the city had all fallen to the massive statues that came to life. Just what those statues were Safay had little inkling, only that they were almost certainly tied to the Lucian royal family's magic and their crystal. Combined with the losses of so many magitek troopers and armor, he would be hard pressed to just to keep Insomnia's populace from revolting once the initial shock of their defeat passed. Taking and more importantly holding the rest of the country, could not be achieved with the immediate resources at hand.

"And yet is it not within the Empire's means to make good these losses?" Ardyn responded. "Is that not why you maneuvered the Third and Sixth Legions so close to Lucian territory?"

"You know as well as I that the loyalties of the Sixth are suspect," Safay countered. "A pack of mercenaries and auxiliaries at best."

"But is their courage and skills not beyond reproach?" Ardyn asked rhetorically. "Have they not served admirably, defending the Empire's realms from the recent outbreak of daemons and the like?"

"Do not play the fool, Ardyn," Safay said. "You know well the difference between the duties they performed in the past and what would be demanded of them in any occupation of Lucis."

Ardyn chuckled and gave Safay a pat on the shoulder. "Nothing I'm sure our illustrious marshal could not handle."

"Your confidence is ever reassuring," Safay retorted with uncharacteristic sarcasm.

The chancellor smirked again. "I must return to the capital, to deliver my report to His Majesty. Any words you wish me to convey on your behalf?"

Safay considered it for a moment, but ultimately decided Ardyn could not be trusted to actually carry out any such request.

"See to your duty, Chancellor," he said instead, "and make sure the Empire is prepared for the challenges ahead. I will not see this victory be turned against Niflheim on account of any slackness back home."

"Oh my dear Marshal, I assure you, our final victory is an inevitability," Ardyn said, a chilling laugh echoing from his throat as he walked off.

"What've we got?" Noctis said as he entered what passed for the command center at the Longwythe outpost.

"More reports are reaching us from the Crown City," Ignis said matter-of-factly, "along with other parts of Lucis. We're getting a clearer picture of what's happening." The young man pursed his lips. "Little of it good, I'm afraid."

"Not surprised," Noctis said as he surveyed the map spread out over the table. "Damn it, they're hitting Cape Caem and Lestallum too?"

"They are," Ignis confirmed, "though not with as much force as what they employed against Insomnia."

That was hardly comforting considering the number of red pins that dotted the two cities. Then again if the density of those pens around Insomnia was any indication, the Empire might not have had much left for the other attacks.

"How are they holding out?" Noctis asked.

"The Cape Caem garrison has already been forced out of the city," Ignis said. "Lestallum, they still hold, but the Territorials might be forced to withdraw just to avoid letting the city be wrecked in the fighting."

Even if such a retreat was part of the contingency planning done by the Lucian government, it never felt good to just abandon places and people to the enemy. But the Lucian army was far from strong enough to fight the Empire's forces head-on across so many fronts. The Territorials needed to be able to consolidate, to bring forth overwhelming strength against a specific target, if it was to have any chance of victory. If a particular position looked to be untenable, then the wisest course of action was indeed to fall back before even that became impossible. No matter how much any of them hated running.

"What about Insomnia?" Noctis asked quietly.

"We received word from the marshal," Ignis said with equal softness. "He has extracted the bulk of the Crownsguard and is headed towards Formouth to rendezvous with the regiment."

Noctis' fist tightened as he met Ignis' gaze.

"And," the bespectacled youth continued, "according to the marshal, the Citadel has fallen."

Noctis said nothing for several long moments. Indeed a still silence seemed to descend upon the room despite the shuffling of bodies going about their work. All of that faded from Noctis' awareness however as his thoughts focused on a singular point. The Citadel had fallen. And with its fall, it was a certainty that his father had also fallen. So long as Regis drew breath, the king would have never allowed his house to suffer Niflheim invaders. But, now it had to be swarming with the Empire's soldiers. The king was dead. Long live the king.

A blue light flared and suddenly a long, curved blade was smashed through the table. The others scrambled back at the sudden crack, some even reaching for weapons. When the light faded and the sword went with it, a gapping hole was left behind where Insomnia had been on the map. A hole that Noctis glared at with smoldering intensity.

"Noct," Ignis said carefully.

The prince blinked and looked up at his long-time friend. There were traces of anger in those eyes, but Ignis did not flinch or look away. He returned Noctis' gaze and simply waited. After a seeming eternity, Noctis look a deep breath and shook himself.

"I'm fine," he said, not entirely convincingly, but he at least tried. "Let's get to Formouth, link up with the marshal. Maybe we can come up with a plan on how to kick the Nifs out of our home."

Ignis nodded. "Very well, Your Highness."

Just as Noctis stepped back from the table, one of the other soldiers spoke up.

"Your Highness!"

Looking over, Noctis saw it was the man manning the radio that had spoken up.

"Marshal Leonis has just issued new orders to all Territorial units in Leide," the operator announced. "All units are to fall back to Duscae and converge upon the Forlane ranch."

"What?" Noctis said in mild puzzlement. "Get confirmation of that order."

"Yes, Your Highness," the operator said and started speaking into the radio.

"Cor is calling for a retreat from Leide?" Noctis said to his friend.

"He may be intending to focus our efforts on defending or retaking Lestallum and Cape Caem," Ignis suggested. "Any place in Leide would be too close to the occupation force in Insomnia to be easily fortified, but securing either of the provincial capitals would provide us with a base from which to operate."

The two cities in question, Lestallum and Cape Caem, were respectively the third and fourth largest cities in Lucis. Both also possessed strategic value beyond those two qualities. Lestallum, the provincial capital of Duscae, housed the single largest electrical generation plant in the entire country thanks to its access to the heat emitting meteorshards. Some of that power even made it all the way to Insomnia, helping keep the Crown City's lights on.

Cape Caem on the other hand was a port city on the southern tip of Cleigne, which also served as home to the small Lucian navy. Granted the few ships in the navy tended to be on the small side, more gunboats than battleships, but they were adequate enough to patrol the coastal waters and keep some semblance of order in Lucian waters. They were most certainly not intended to go head-to-head against Niflheim's flying fleets. While the city did possess some defenses, again it relied on rapid reinforcement to fend off any serious attacks. With so many places being hit simultaneously, the Territorials simply could not respond quickly enough to fight off all the incursions.

Noctis rubbed his chin. "That's true. And taking Caem back would open up the way to Altissia."

That saw Ignis' eyebrow quirk upward. "Your Highness intends to still try getting to Altissia?"

The prince looked down at the map again, or what was left of it.

"We're not going to be able to beat the Empire by ourselves," he stated frankly. "We're going to need help, and our best shot at finding that help is still to get in touch with Stella."

To that Ignis slowly nodded. "We should see what news we can get from Altissia itself. If word is that the Princess Stella has remained in the city despite what has unfolded, that could be further confirmation that she too sought an alliance against Niflheim."

"Dino might have some way of getting that info," Noctis said. "Or he'll at least know who else could."

"Shall I have a word with him before we depart?"

Noctis nodded. "Yeah." He looked down at the table again, then at the gathered soldiers. "Sorry about the table."

A few wry chuckles sounded while words of assurance were also offered. Seeing as the platoon was preparing to pull out in accordance with Cor's order, it was not like the broken table would be much of an inconvenience for much longer.

As Noctis and Ignis emerged, they were greeted with the sight of a steady flow of vehicles all heading west. Most looked to be residents of Leide, fleeing the fighting around Insomnia. Only a few people had the air of Crown City residents lucky enough to escape the city before the Empire locked it down. A few more might yet make it, but they would be doing so with less and less help as the general area around Insomnia thinned out.

"Hey, does that look like?"

Case in point, a most familiar looking yellow truck was presently parked off the side of the road.

"We could do with a bit of good news," Ignis remarked.

"That we could," Noctis agreed as the two hurried over.

The two entered the garage where the Regalia was stowed to avoid drawing unwanted attention and were quickly greeted by some familiar faces.

"Takka, Cid," Noctis greeted.

"Your Highness," the dark-skinned man greeted with a wide smile. "Already knew you'd made it out okay, but still, glad to see it with my own eyes."

"Same to you," Noctis said, giving the man a pat on the shoulder. "Where's Cindy?"

Cid actually snorted at that. "Your friend needed reassurances that she's alright, so they're having a little chat. Least that's all they better be doing. Boy better learn to keep his hands off my granddaughter."

"Sure, I'll tell him that," Noctis said, without any attempt at earnestness. "Has the entire outpost been evacuated?"

"We were the last ones that pulled outta Hammerhead," Takka said, "though there might have been some more Crown City folks that showed up afterward." The man gave Noctis a careful look. "And, I'm sorry about what's happened, Your Highness."

"Lots of that going around," Noctis said. "Don't worry, we'll beat the Nifs back, and get everyone back home where they belong."

"Home ain't some place, kid," Cid responded. "It's the folks you're with, that stand by ya through thick and thin. How many of them are you gonna lose, trying to take 'home' back?"

"Cid," Takka tried, but the old man paid him no heed.

"Folks're gonna look to follow you, on account o' your name," Cid continued. "If you go off all half-cocked, the ones that'll pay for it won't just be you, but all them that came along with you. Think hard, son. About what sorta promises you want to be making hereon. Cause trust me, you don't wanna be coming up short when the bill needs settling."

As harsh as Cid's words were, Noctis could find no fault in them. With his father gone, the role of king fell to Noctis. It did not matter that there had been no coronation, or that he did not have a throne upon which to sit. The responsibility still remained, to his kingdom and his people.

"The only promise that I make today," Noctis said, "is the same one I made when I first picked up the royal arms. I will fight for my people's sake, and I will never forsake them in their time of need."

Cid gave a snort. "Maybe you got some o' your old man's dignity after all."

Coming from the surly old man, that was high praise indeed. Any further opportunity to bask in said praise was abruptly interrupted however a loud bang sounded.

"What in tarnation?" Cid growled.

"Sorry, my bad!" Prompto's voice called out. "This thing's heavier than it looks!"

"Perhaps we should lend him a hand," Ignis suggested.

"I'll go," Noctis said. "You go find Dino, get what we talked about earlier."

"Right away, Your Highness."

Parting from Ignis, Noctis found Cindy, Prompto, and Gladiolus clambering over one of the Territorial jeeps.

"Don't wanna be dropping a fully loaded MG, Prompto," Gladiolus chided his friend.

"Well that's why we unloaded it first," Prompto responded as he hefted the big chunk of metal. "Here."

Gladiolus accepted the weapon and as he turned about caught sight of Noctis.

"Hey, we're just getting the car ready," he said.

"The car?" Noctis said quizzically, glancing over at another vehicle. "What about the Regalia?"

"The Regalia's not exactly an outback vehicle," Cindy said as she dropped the hood of the jeep. "It's mighty conspicuous too, anyone that spotted you'd know it was Crown City make. And, it's good to see you, Highness."

"Thanks Cindy," Noctis said. "Suppose you got a point about the car. Though, not sure I'm happy about leaving the Regalia behind."

"Don't worry about that," Cindy assured him. "We can hitch the Regalia up on my truck and cover it with a tarp. Thataway we can get it out of here without anyone being the wiser."

Considering everything that had happened, feeling relieved over a car might seem irreverent. One should not underestimate the sentimental value of inanimate objects however, especially when such an object might be all that was left as a memento of those gone.

"So we're taking this jeep then?" Noctis inquired.

"That's right," Gladiolus said. "And having a gun mounted on it'd just draw the Nifs' attention if they spotted us. A jeep though? Lots of those around, and probably'll have even more headed west like we are."

Noctis nodded. "First north, then west."

"North?" Gladiolus said, head cocked aside.

"Cor pulled out of Insomnia with most of the Crownsguard," Noctis said. "The sooner we hook up with them, the better."

"Wouldn't mind a few more eyes watching your back," Gladiolus agreed.

"And I wouldn't mind a few more blades at hand," Noctis responded, his eyes hard as cold steel.

Again Noctis was at the wheel, and again his friends did not try to dissuade him. What they did do however was keep a watchful eye about. While the sound of a gunship reached them intermittently, none thankfully came into view. Indeed the quartet had the roads more or less to themselves. The road going in the north-south direction between Longwythe and Keycatrich was bereft of any other vehicles for much of the way, which was just as well. When they drew closer to the northern city, the amount of cars turned traffic into a standstill.

"Oh man, I'd hate to think what Cid'd do to us if we had done this with the Regalia," Prompto said as he bobbed along with the rolling vehicle.

"As smooth a ride as it is, it wasn't designed to go off-roading," Gladiolus agreed.

"Should be another ten minutes before we reach Formouth," Ignis said as he checked the map.

"Ignis, get on the radio, let them know we're on-" Noctis began when a muffled blast cut him off.

"Whoa, what was that!?" Prompto exclaimed.

Heads snapped in the direction of the explosion, due west of their location.

"Get on the radio," Noctis repeated, "and try to see what the hell is going on."

"On it," Ignis said. "This is November Lima Charlie to Formouth Base, we are approaching due south and just heard a blast to our west, please advise, over."

There was a pause before an answer came. "November Lima Charlie, this is Formouth, please authenticate, over."

"Bravo Zulu Six Six Victor, awaiting countersign, over."

"Countersign is Foxtrot Sierra Eight One Lima," the response came promptly this time. "Imperial forces have deployed a blocking force at the Norduscaen highway junction in at least platoon strength backed with air support. Marshal Leonis took a contingent of Crownsguard with him to break through the blockade to allow for further evacuation."

Noctis was already turning the wheel. "Then that's where we're heading."

"Noct," Ignis began.

"Cor and my Crownsguard are already fighting," Noctis cut him off, before another explosion interrupted the prince himself. "I'm not leaving them hanging."

In the rear seat, Prompto and Gladiolus were already checking their weapons. Ignis gave a weary sigh.

"Perhaps so, but we need to determine the best way in which our aid would turn the battle," Ignis said. "Charging in headlong would simply add another liability for the engaged Crownsguard to cover."

Noctis flashed a cheeky smile. "That's why you're here, Iggy."

"So it seems," Ignis replied dryly as he got back on the radio to get more information.

By the time the noise from the battle was no longer merely distant, the quartet had a pretty good idea what they were getting into. At least two platoons of magitek infantry along with a pair of supporting gunships had taken up position at the junction that marked the border between Leide and Duscae. Considering the caliber of troops Cor had taken with him, along with the marshal himself, the advantage lay with the Lucian forces. Indeed the two explosions they had previously heard likely came from the downing of the two gunships, since nothing could be seen in the air on their approach. For this reason if nothing else, it was arguable whether Noctis' presence was even required. There was however one significant advantage that would come from the prince's presence.

The magical power which members of the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard channeled was in many ways them manipulating magic that their respective liege drew from the crystal. For the former, Regis acted as the conduit to their power. For the latter, it was Noctis, though in truth either man could serve as a conduit if the need arise. While it was also possible for the guardsmen to call upon this magic even when separated from their liege by significant distances, close proximity did impact the ease with which they did so. As such, having Noctis directly in their midst could only bolster the effectiveness of the engaged Crownsguard, assuming they did not have to spend too much effort keeping the prince himself safe.

Noctis brought the jeep to an abrupt halt and hopped out, the others right behind.

"Your Highness!" a Crownsguard officer exclaimed at sighting them.

"Monica," Noctis greeted, having enough sense to at least get under some cover. "We're here to help."

"You should not have come, Your Highness," Monica chided. "We can handle this."

"Probably why the others didn't drag me back kicking and screaming," Noctis said. "What've got left?"

Monica gave a weary sigh but answered nonetheless. "Most of the magitek troopers have been neutralized, along with their two gunships. We're pretty sure they got out a call for help however, so we're maintaining a perimeter-"

"Enemy gunships inbound!" another Crownsguard called out. "Counting three!"

"Take aim but hold fire until they're within two kilometers!" Monica ordered. "Your Highness, you really need to get somewhere with more cover."

"I'll be fine," Noctis assured her. "Sides, I'm surrounded by my faithful Crownsguard."

The woman's expression still remained that of weary resignation, but nonetheless she again answered. "Yes you are, Your Highness."

The sound of the incoming gunships grew louder and Noctis actually humored his guardsmen by moving to a less exposed position, albeit one from where he could still get a good view of what was going on. With the clear desert sky, the incoming gunships soon became visible. Either through good fortune or dumb luck, the gunships did not open fire on their approach. That was their mistake however as multiple missiles suddenly erupted from the ground as they crossed the threshold Monica had designated.

The gunships immediately tried to dodge, with the guardsmen having waited until effectively the last minute each one took at least one hit. The leftmost gunship began careening through the air having lost all control before slamming hard into the ground. The center gunship actually struck its wingman on the right, causing the other gunship to start spinning. Even as the second gunship made a rapid and certainly terminal descent, the center gunship somehow managed to keep gliding along. Its landing would be hard, but with how hardy the Empire's magitek troopers were, they probably would still be combat capable.

The last gunship scrapped the ground, bouncing once or twice, with each contact further bleeding away its momentum. When the craft came to a rest, its frame was thoroughly buckled and the ship would likely never fly again. That probably spared its occupants any hesitation in further wrecking the thing while forcing their way out.

"Enemy armor!" came a cry.

Indeed out from the wreckage a long mechanical arm was prying through the metal shell of the airframe. A large bipedal mech stepped out, its form oddly reminiscent of a two-legged praying mantis. A praying mantis that was mounted with more than scythes upon its form.

"Look out!"

The pod mounted on the mech's back glowed for a brief moment before a swarm of missiles erupted, showering the Crownsguard with fire. Even before the smoke cleared the roar of machinegun fire could be heard as the MA pressed the attack. The gunfire the Crownsguard answered with paled in comparison.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAH!"

Leaping through the air, the black robed figure spun about and cleaved through the walker's right arm, severing it outright and putting to an end the barrage of machinegun fire. Rolling as he touched down upon the ground, Cor kept his momentum going as he moved to hack off the other arm. The MA reacted with unnatural speed however, spinning aside and swiping at Cor, bursts of electricity coursing off its right arm. Quickly skidding to a halt, Cor jumped back to avoid getting stun by the pulsing charge.

"C'mon, we gotta help him!" Noctis shouted.

Without waiting for agreement, probably because he knew it would not be coming, Noctis manifested a blade and threw it at the MA. It struck the circular shield mounted on the mech's right arm, moments before a blast of blue light exploded from a warp strike launched by the prince.

"Highness!" Cor called out in alarm as he registered the sight.

The mech flayed about, trying to strike Noctis as he summersaulted away. As he landed however the MA began stomping the ground, the force of its steps causing tremors to reverberate. Noctis barely managed to avoid following flat on his ass, but so imbalanced was unable to launch any further attacks or effectively defend himself.

"Noct, down!"

Trusting in his friend, Noctis obeyed and was spared being speared by the MA's arm when a large shield interceded. The shield held, even if Gladiolus was forced onto a knee. The shaking was subsiding however so Noctis rolled away to get an angle for another strike.

"Noct!" Ignis could be heard shouting. "Fire!"

A blade flew past Noctis, marking the ground. Looking down, the prince saw a viscous fluid pooling around the MA.

"Got it!" Noctis called back. "Everyone get clear!"

Flames ignited in Noctis' hand and once he was certain no one else would be caught in the blast the prince let the blaze sweep over the leaking oil. The fire immediately traveled along the liquid trail right back into the mech itself. The MA's motion became noticeably stiffer as its motors and gears strained under the scorching heat. It was not yet out of tricks however as the box on its back popped open again.

"Oh no you don't!" Prompto said, letting loose a barrage from his pistols.

The metal, already weakened by the heat, cracked to let the bullets strike the remaining missiles housed in the pod. An explosion ruptured the MA's back, forcing the mech onto its knees. Before Noctis could launch another attack, Cor sailed through the air and brought his blade down upon the mech's head. The katana sank clean through the armor, producing a deep gash as Cor slid down. When he pushed back and yanked the sword out, the MA toppled outright with a decapitated head.

"Damn, Cor's really busting out the moves today," Prompto remarked.

"The marshal's reputation is entirely deserved," Ignis said. "It accords well with his sense of duty."

Noctis knew a backhanded warning when he heard one. While Cor was certainly not one to coddle his charges, in light of what transpired the past night he was not likely to be pleased with Noctis endangering himself like this. The prince however was prepared to bear that displeasure, and more of it in the future if need be. He was a prince of Lucis, and the royal family did not abide idlers within its ranks. It certainly would not abide one upon the throne.

"Cor," the prince spoke first. "I'm glad to see you made it."

"I as well, Your Highness," Cor said in an oddly subdued manner.

Noctis regarded the man. "Is something wrong?"

Cor's lips thinned. "As Your Highness been informed about Insomnia?"

To that Noctis' own expression darkened ever so slightly. "Yeah. The Citadel fell. And considering you're here with all the Crownsguard, that can only mean one thing." The prince took a deep breath. "Did, did my father walk tall?"

If anything Cor's own face seemed to twist further in grief. The man actually bowed his head.

"So you don't know."

Noctis blinked. "Know what?"

Raising his head and meeting Noctis' gaze, Cor answered. "Your father walked tall, Your Highness. But so many others did not. My humblest apologies, for having failed you and your family so."

"What are you talking about?" Noctis asked, a growing consternation in his voice.

"Your Highness," Cor began softly. "The Citadel fell not merely because of the Empire's assault upon Insomnia. It fell, because a contingent of the Kingsglaive turned traitor."

The world seemed to freeze around Noctis as he heard those words. Headless of the gasps and cries that sounded about him, Noctis simply stared at Cor.

"But-the Kingsglaive are supposed to be the kingdom's finest!" Prompto protested seemingly reflexively. "How could they turn against the king!?"

That last word stirred Noctis from his shock, his eyes blinking once more.

"I do not know the full of it," Cor said, "but of those that I confirmed had foresworn themselves, all were originally from beyond Lucis' borders, lands all too often ravaged by imperial aggression."

"So they turn against the king that took them in?" Gladiolus said. "The hell kind of sense is that!?"

"I do not pretend to understand the emotions that drove those men and women," Cor stated bluntly. "I obviously failed to sense the regrets and enmity that drove them to such actions. What little they revealed when we crossed blades however suggests that many resented Lucis having, abandoned, their homes."

"Abandoned?" Noctis whispered.

Cor made no response, and in doing so let it be known he did not agree with such an accusation and would make no attempt to further justify it.

"Abandoned?" This time the word was a hiss, not a whisper. What came next was a roar. "If they thought Lucis had abandoned those other lands, then what the fuck were they doing hiding behind Insomnia's walls in the Kingsglaive!?"

"Noct," Ignis began, but that was as far as he got.

"If they wanted to fucking help, then why weren't they out here with my Crownsguard!? What the fuck were they doing sitting around on their asses while my guard was out here fighting and dying!?"

The rage that was barely contained upon learning of the death of his father now erupted in full force. Noctis' anger was far from unjustified seeing what had transpired the past day, with the slanderous rationale of the traitor glaives pushing the young many well past his limits.

Despite the similarities between the two organizations, there were also some clear demarcations that resulted in some very differing responsibilities being shouldered by each one. The Kingsglaive were responsible for the personal security of the king, along with the general defense of the Citadel and to a certain extent the Crown City, with the regular army units stationed in and around Insomnia subordinated to Kingsglaive command. The Crownsguard on the other hand was responsible for the personal security of the king's children, and especially that of the crown prince. That meant accompanying the prince wherever he might go, both within and without Lucis' borders.

On these trips the guardsmen might be called upon to fight in the prince's defense against would-be assassins and predators. Or they might fight alongside the prince himself as Noctis worked to secure the kingdom's lands from dangerous animals, brigands, imperial incursions, or even the odd daemon or two. Not all such journeys ended up with the Crownsguard taking up arms, sometimes they would also help provide manpower for distributing supplies and tending to the ill. The House of Caelum would not abide idlers upon the throne, nor amongst their most trusted retainers. Thus those whom sought to be come Kingsglaive usually served a tour or two in the Crownsguard, as much to learn how to use their liege's magic as to demonstrate their sense of duty.

A contingent of Regis' glaives were an exception however, and as recent events demonstrated a mistake. After the last great campaign the king partook in saw the ranks of his glaives depleted, Regis had been forced to make good the lost glaives in whatever way he could. While a portion of the Crownsguard could be transferred over, doing so too liberally would have deprived his own son of adequate guardians. The king instead offered those individuals whom showed an affinity for the crystal's energies a chance to migrate to Insomnia if they agreed to join the Kingsglaive. While a few bad apples were discovered in the initial crop of recruits, over time the king and his senior commanders had thought the worst of the lot sufficiently weeded out and the reconstituted glaive ranks wholly reliable. That however was obviously not the case.

Bad enough that so many of the newer glaives had indeed turned out to be so fickle with their loyalty, but what truly galled was their apparent blindness to the efforts Lucis took to indeed do right by their lands. While Regis might have been forced to remain behind Insomnia's walls, and thus also keep his Kingsglaives close at hand, Noctis had traveled far and wide as crown prince to bring what aid the kingdom could. That aid had cost Lucis not just treasure but also blood, for fending off monsters and imperials and even daemons carried with it no small amount of risk. But spend that coin Lucis did, and that blood. And it was the blood of men and women Noctis himself held dear, for the Crownsguard had been with him since birth. To have their sacrifice so besmirched, that was beyond Noctis' capacity for forgiveness.

"Your Highness," Cor spoke up. "Many did remain loyal. Nyx and Libertus, I witnessed holding true to their oaths. They understood, even if the others did not, the weight upon the royal family."

"Nyx," Noctis murmured. "Libertus. From Galahd. The Empire attacked the islands after they refused to surrender, even with the wall drawn back." The prince closed his eyes, letting memories of his own visit flicker through his mind. "The people, were kind. And proud. And damn well deserved better." He opened them once more to look at Cor. "Did any of the true glaives make it out?"

"I don't know," Cor answered frankly. "None has as of yet surfaced since Insomnia's fall."

Only a day had passed since the city's occupation, so there was still a chance. All they could do was wait and be patient, not exactly Noctis' strong suite. The prince however nodded.

"Then we continue on," he said.

Cor nodded. "There is, one final matter, Your Highness."

Noctis regarded Cor warily, wondering what more could yet be said, and what other terrible news it might be. From his pocket Cor pulled something out, extending his closed fist towards the prince. When he opened, therein upon his palm was a silver ring. Noctis looked at it, his face tightening once more.

"The Ring of the Lucii," Cor said. "Your father's final order to me, was to ensure you would receive it. Your Majesty."

The king is dead. Long live the king. Noctis stared at the ring for several long seconds before reaching out and taking it up. He did not put it on however, not yet at least.

"The throne is empty," he declared, "but I cannot sit upon it. Not when the Empire's troops occupy the very house the throne sits in. Only when Insomnia is freed and the Citadel returned to the House of Caelum, will I be king. Only then, and not a second before."

End of Chapter 5

This chapter, was a pain to write. I went over at least three different drafts before settling on something I was finally happy with. For that matter this entire story has been much more difficult to craft than many of my previous works. At this point, don't expect updates to be very rapid.

I'm playing around with the geography a bit, slicing off Lestallum to be part of Duscae instead of Cleigne. It hasn't physically moved or anything, just moved the borderlines around a bit. I've also beefed up Cape Caem to be a city instead of an abandoned outpost. The main rationale is my version of Lucis has been a bit more successful in keeping hold of its territory than in canon, and so there are actually cities dotting the country instead of basically what amounted to two cities on an entire continent. I have the luxury of having a larger scale than the game, since I don't have to create all of the media assets to represent that scale.

Loqi was not the one at the Norduscaen highway blockade. I have a different use for him later on that would have been made more complicated by his presence at the blockade.