[ Setting his utensil next to his near-clear plate, he rests his hand upon the table in a casual, loose fist, sharing nothing else of his thoughts regarding the meal. It is then that Ignis posits his question.
Somnus inhales slowly through his nose, relaxing his hand further upon the surface as he leans back in his chair with squared shoulders and an even, expectant gaze. The seat is no throne, but he will listen to the the petition.
He turns his hand over, gesturing towards Ignis to proceed, but not guaranteeing he will answer. ] Your query, Crownsguard.
[ there is no time like now, when the founder king grants him an audience beyond the provision of a meal. stately and austere, it's easy to see why this man has spawned legends, lionised to lucians generations on.
it's also easy to see that this is a man who has no tolerance for small talk, which suits ignis just as well. so he takes a breath and begins. ]
I have seen the future. Lady Lunafreya -- the Oracle's messenger revealed everything that will happen to Noctis.
[ the chosen king, older and weary on that throne. ignis has replayed that vision over and over, obsessed over the details that are burned into his memory, the tragedy, the grief -- ] ...That he is to be sacrificed in order to banish the darkness. I saw, too, the kings who stood with him.
[ you. ] Has it come to pass in your time, Your Majesty?
[ because somnus knows who ignis is when they had first met. he's caught the brief glances, picked up on what the king does not say. and the enemy -- ]
[ It is this, at last, that elicits a shift in his expression. Briefly his brows raises; just as quickly, his eyes narrow sharply.
The Oracle's Messenger. Why-- is his initial thought, which is followed by a swift, internal dismissal. His lips press into a thin line. Any mortal who deigns to parse the divine's gifts oft finds their interpretation rife with errors. He will not slip into such hubris.
Somnus' back straightens against the chair, his attention now undivided upon the Crownsguard, allowing him to bear the full weight of a stony gaze. The dinner, the preparation, the presentation.... This is why Ignis had given him his time, then. ]
[ unfortunately, there is nothing left up to the imagination in that vision. no portents, no room for imprecision. ignis sees every scene, every image burned behind his eyelids, his consciousness, the terrible weight of oncoming loss and the truth of what is really demanded of noctis as the true king. the last king of lucis.
ignis bears somnus' stony gaze with deference, his head bowed. house scientia has served the royal family loyally for centuries, and ignis will not bring shame on their name. however, it is his deep love and devotion to his prince as the man who will become the hand of the king that simmers under the surface, that compels him to seek this audience with the founder king himself. somnus' surprise and subsequent stonewalling hasn't escaped ignis' notice. as does, unfortunately, the realisation that ignis had come to him with a reason. ]
It is as you say. [ even if something damnable in ignis' chest rails shamefully against it. his feelings for noctis, his desire for his prince to find happiness in this place, to live a life that has been denied him.
forgive him for his sentiment.
even so, ignis will not be derailed from his quest. the image of the chancellor's face has haunted him for days. ] The vision showed me the face of the Usurper, ravaged by the Starscourge. His name is Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Nifleheim.
[ but there's something much more, isn't there? ignis knows in his gut that there is more to this. ] I will face him with the ring when I return to our star, and I know the price that must be paid.
[ and i will pay it, a hundred times over. ]
I humbly ask for your enlightenment into who he really is.
[ the face of the darkness that has plagued their eos for millennia. perhaps the founder king, who had once banished the darkness along with the six, may know of this man's origins. and if ignis can destroy him before the vision comes to pass, if he can save noctis from his ultimate fate -- ]
[ He answered, and Ignis continues in a humbled manner, beseeching him for more. Somnus' eyes briefly lower as the other man utters his brother's name, but his stare remains severe while in thought.
Ignis, in time, will come to know some piecemeal truth of his brother on his own, and without the help of either his sight or Noctis during his tenure as a hunter amidst a world of ruin. It is not his duty to elaborate more than he must, and not before anyone's time of knowing... although, this island's temporal effects scramble the points at which anyone has been taken.
Nevertheless: ] For our Star's future, the Dawn reigns supreme. [ More than any single king, more than any kingdoms. Lucis, as it turns out, had been a lengthy means to an end to secure that future, with each subsequent King cultivating their divine-granted power into the Ring after the next, until its zenith could obliterate the darkness outright.
Ignis will pay a price, as well. He ought to console himself with the hope that light will prevail. Such is the nature of their sacrifice. ] Why do you need know more.
[ there is no meaning in a peace obtained by sacrificing noctis.
ignis is silent, his head lowered even as his jaw sets. the founder king gives nothing away, and he fights down his frustration. it is not in his power to demand things of the monarch, but he will continue to petition to the best of his abilities. ]
To carry out my duty as Hand to the Chosen King. [ tasked with supporting him, watching over him, protecting him until the time comes to fulfill his destiny to banish the darkness. however, ignis will never accept that noctis' death is his destiny. is it selfishness or incompetence that the prophecy should command noctis' life? if the six cannot fight off the darkness without demanding blood sacrifice, then perhaps they are better off finding another way without the gods.
ignis says nothing about this, understanding the blasphemy of his own thoughts. yet, the strength of his will cannot be underestimated. instead, he only says: ]
The Kings of Yore, have they not all sacrificed their lives for him? [ ignis has seen all of them, summoned from the ring, imbuing noctis with the power he needs. it probably is a dangerous thing for pryna to gift ignis with this vision, and for this island to give a man like ignis enough reprieve to think long and hard about it without the traumatic burden of his blindness. ]
As his servant, I seek only to advise him on the way forward. Knowledge is imperative so that he will not fail to banish the darkness. The fate of our Star [ as well as noctis' own, ] hangs in the balance. [ he pauses for a moment, choosing his words with care. ] The future is not promised.
[ and ignis will do everything within his power to save noctis from it, including opposing the gods themselves. ]
[ Ignis first extends his empathy towards the Kings, then follows with seeking his purpose. It is a tactic Somnus recognizes immediately, and one by which he knows not to be swayed. However, the most troubling implication of all of what Ignis says is this: the future is not promised, and he is correct. It has yet to come to pass, which makes any deviation all the more risky. What damns him is the implication behind it, that Ignis would think his potential proposition better than that of the gods'.
He speaks slowly, voice deep as if push the weight of a warning upon the table between them. ]
You would risk our entire Star for one. [ Is this the critical decision making all the years serving as Council liaison instead of Noctis has led Ignis to conclude? It is presumptuous. Dangerous, even.
Regardless, it ought to be the opposite. The kings understood this. Regis understood this, too, sacrificing the Crown City to allow safe passage for his son beyond its borders. One city pales in comparison to their world, as unsavory as it is to think of all innocents who had been lost. The Kings did not sacrifice their blood for Noctis alone, but for Noctis with the belief that the all would be saved.
Compared to his silence on Noctis' fate before, something now clouds Ignis' judgement. What could it be. Somnus looks over the man with added scrutiny, as if he could discern the answer from observation alone. ]
that somnus can see right through to his intentions despite ignis' carefully chosen words is jarring -- but perhaps there is an inherent flaw in this consideration of ignis. after all, almost everything that he is and all that he has strived to excel in is borne from his devotion and love for noctis.
ignis might be a gifted child, a prodigy even amongst the elites of the citadel, steeped in cold, rational logic and ruthless practicality in all things befitting a king's chief advisor. after all, to be a king is to make decisions that can be cruel in the eyes of many. to be a king is to not be overcome by compassion, but to keep moving forward for the sake of the people. and yet, ignis' childhood promise had been made not to regis, but to the little boy who so shyly took his hand in both of his and smiled, bright as the sun. he thinks of him now, the one person whom ignis would check his deadlier instincts for -- for the sole reason that noctis is noctis, gentle-hearted despite his sullen prickly moments, a boy he has sworn to protect.
i will tear apart destiny itself if it means saving noctis.
ignis' loyalty is not to lucis, but noctis. and in this, his purpose is crystal-clear. there must be another way that they can save both noctis and their star. who are these gods, that they should demand the true king's life? if they are truly so mighty, then why can they not rid the starscourge by themselves? the gods demand worship and fealty, and yet take only as they wish.
ignis bears the weight of the king's warning, aware that there would be dire consequences should he step wrongly -- a lesser man might have quailed underneath the severe scrutiny, but ignis remains steadfast. he doesn't raise his head. surely the kings did not sacrifice their blood only for the true king to die before he has a chance to rule.
after all, what comes after the dawn? surely, somnus must know. kings are made to lead and serve their people, and not be sacrificial lambs on the altar. ]
No, Your Majesty. I merely wonder if there is another way to save our Star, and have the True King lead his people out of the dawn into a new day for Eos. As you have done, Founder King.
[ "Another way", he suggests, and spoken so casually. The gods merely exist to serve their Star, primarily, with the whole of humanity being their second charges. Following the destruction of Solheim and the war against one of their own to save humanity, all Six fell into more or less a state of stasis and slumber. This left their Star vulnerable to the Scourge that followed at the worst possible, defenseless moment. Such eternal beings, while weakened from a great war that predates even Somnus' time, then foresaw the Prophecy. They could only impart their magic to two families: that of the Oracle and House Caelum. This is how Somnus understands the plight of their world.
Ignis is human, with scant two decades of his life. His loyalty serves the Prophecy to protect Noctis, but it also blinds him more than sacrificing to the power to protect him ever would. Somnus' eyes do not darken, but instead they adopt a degree of solemnness. ] Temper your hubris. If you cannot...
[ There are two thousand years in the making to relieve their world of blight. Slow to humans, but a blink to the immortals. So close to the end, a potential deviation based upon one person's wants, now apart from his world, would wager the salvation of all. The risks are simply not in Ignis' favor. Somnus's gaze is grim, and he does not speak lightly. ]
Envision your Brothers. [ The Shield's Sister. The Mechanic. More, of course. All. ] Should you fail, are you prepared to lay them beneath the True King's feet as he turns to ash?
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no subject
Somnus inhales slowly through his nose, relaxing his hand further upon the surface as he leans back in his chair with squared shoulders and an even, expectant gaze. The seat is no throne, but he will listen to the the petition.
He turns his hand over, gesturing towards Ignis to proceed, but not guaranteeing he will answer. ] Your query, Crownsguard.
no subject
it's also easy to see that this is a man who has no tolerance for small talk, which suits ignis just as well. so he takes a breath and begins. ]
I have seen the future. Lady Lunafreya -- the Oracle's messenger revealed everything that will happen to Noctis.
[ the chosen king, older and weary on that throne. ignis has replayed that vision over and over, obsessed over the details that are burned into his memory, the tragedy, the grief -- ] ...That he is to be sacrificed in order to banish the darkness. I saw, too, the kings who stood with him.
[ you. ] Has it come to pass in your time, Your Majesty?
[ because somnus knows who ignis is when they had first met. he's caught the brief glances, picked up on what the king does not say. and the enemy -- ]
no subject
The Oracle's Messenger. Why-- is his initial thought, which is followed by a swift, internal dismissal. His lips press into a thin line. Any mortal who deigns to parse the divine's gifts oft finds their interpretation rife with errors. He will not slip into such hubris.
Somnus' back straightens against the chair, his attention now undivided upon the Crownsguard, allowing him to bear the full weight of a stony gaze. The dinner, the preparation, the presentation.... This is why Ignis had given him his time, then. ]
It is imperative that we return to our Star.
no subject
ignis bears somnus' stony gaze with deference, his head bowed. house scientia has served the royal family loyally for centuries, and ignis will not bring shame on their name. however, it is his deep love and devotion to his prince as the man who will become the hand of the king that simmers under the surface, that compels him to seek this audience with the founder king himself. somnus' surprise and subsequent stonewalling hasn't escaped ignis' notice. as does, unfortunately, the realisation that ignis had come to him with a reason. ]
It is as you say. [ even if something damnable in ignis' chest rails shamefully against it. his feelings for noctis, his desire for his prince to find happiness in this place, to live a life that has been denied him.
forgive him for his sentiment.
even so, ignis will not be derailed from his quest. the image of the chancellor's face has haunted him for days. ] The vision showed me the face of the Usurper, ravaged by the Starscourge. His name is Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Nifleheim.
[ but there's something much more, isn't there? ignis knows in his gut that there is more to this. ] I will face him with the ring when I return to our star, and I know the price that must be paid.
[ and i will pay it, a hundred times over. ]
I humbly ask for your enlightenment into who he really is.
[ the face of the darkness that has plagued their eos for millennia. perhaps the founder king, who had once banished the darkness along with the six, may know of this man's origins. and if ignis can destroy him before the vision comes to pass, if he can save noctis from his ultimate fate -- ]
no subject
Ignis, in time, will come to know some piecemeal truth of his brother on his own, and without the help of either his sight or Noctis during his tenure as a hunter amidst a world of ruin. It is not his duty to elaborate more than he must, and not before anyone's time of knowing... although, this island's temporal effects scramble the points at which anyone has been taken.
Nevertheless: ] For our Star's future, the Dawn reigns supreme. [ More than any single king, more than any kingdoms. Lucis, as it turns out, had been a lengthy means to an end to secure that future, with each subsequent King cultivating their divine-granted power into the Ring after the next, until its zenith could obliterate the darkness outright.
Ignis will pay a price, as well. He ought to console himself with the hope that light will prevail. Such is the nature of their sacrifice. ] Why do you need know more.
[ Pryna did not reveal who Ardyn was. ]
no subject
ignis is silent, his head lowered even as his jaw sets. the founder king gives nothing away, and he fights down his frustration. it is not in his power to demand things of the monarch, but he will continue to petition to the best of his abilities. ]
To carry out my duty as Hand to the Chosen King. [ tasked with supporting him, watching over him, protecting him until the time comes to fulfill his destiny to banish the darkness. however, ignis will never accept that noctis' death is his destiny. is it selfishness or incompetence that the prophecy should command noctis' life? if the six cannot fight off the darkness without demanding blood sacrifice, then perhaps they are better off finding another way without the gods.
ignis says nothing about this, understanding the blasphemy of his own thoughts. yet, the strength of his will cannot be underestimated. instead, he only says: ]
The Kings of Yore, have they not all sacrificed their lives for him? [ ignis has seen all of them, summoned from the ring, imbuing noctis with the power he needs. it probably is a dangerous thing for pryna to gift ignis with this vision, and for this island to give a man like ignis enough reprieve to think long and hard about it without the traumatic burden of his blindness. ]
As his servant, I seek only to advise him on the way forward. Knowledge is imperative so that he will not fail to banish the darkness. The fate of our Star [ as well as noctis' own, ] hangs in the balance. [ he pauses for a moment, choosing his words with care. ] The future is not promised.
[ and ignis will do everything within his power to save noctis from it, including opposing the gods themselves. ]
no subject
He speaks slowly, voice deep as if push the weight of a warning upon the table between them. ]
You would risk our entire Star for one. [ Is this the critical decision making all the years serving as Council liaison instead of Noctis has led Ignis to conclude? It is presumptuous. Dangerous, even.
Regardless, it ought to be the opposite. The kings understood this. Regis understood this, too, sacrificing the Crown City to allow safe passage for his son beyond its borders. One city pales in comparison to their world, as unsavory as it is to think of all innocents who had been lost. The Kings did not sacrifice their blood for Noctis alone, but for Noctis with the belief that the all would be saved.
Compared to his silence on Noctis' fate before, something now clouds Ignis' judgement. What could it be. Somnus looks over the man with added scrutiny, as if he could discern the answer from observation alone. ]
no subject
that somnus can see right through to his intentions despite ignis' carefully chosen words is jarring -- but perhaps there is an inherent flaw in this consideration of ignis. after all, almost everything that he is and all that he has strived to excel in is borne from his devotion and love for noctis.
ignis might be a gifted child, a prodigy even amongst the elites of the citadel, steeped in cold, rational logic and ruthless practicality in all things befitting a king's chief advisor. after all, to be a king is to make decisions that can be cruel in the eyes of many. to be a king is to not be overcome by compassion, but to keep moving forward for the sake of the people. and yet, ignis' childhood promise had been made not to regis, but to the little boy who so shyly took his hand in both of his and smiled, bright as the sun. he thinks of him now, the one person whom ignis would check his deadlier instincts for -- for the sole reason that noctis is noctis, gentle-hearted despite his sullen prickly moments, a boy he has sworn to protect.
i will tear apart destiny itself if it means saving noctis.
ignis' loyalty is not to lucis, but noctis. and in this, his purpose is crystal-clear. there must be another way that they can save both noctis and their star. who are these gods, that they should demand the true king's life? if they are truly so mighty, then why can they not rid the starscourge by themselves? the gods demand worship and fealty, and yet take only as they wish.
ignis bears the weight of the king's warning, aware that there would be dire consequences should he step wrongly -- a lesser man might have quailed underneath the severe scrutiny, but ignis remains steadfast. he doesn't raise his head. surely the kings did not sacrifice their blood only for the true king to die before he has a chance to rule.
after all, what comes after the dawn? surely, somnus must know. kings are made to lead and serve their people, and not be sacrificial lambs on the altar. ]
No, Your Majesty. I merely wonder if there is another way to save our Star, and have the True King lead his people out of the dawn into a new day for Eos. As you have done, Founder King.
no subject
Ignis is human, with scant two decades of his life. His loyalty serves the Prophecy to protect Noctis, but it also blinds him more than sacrificing to the power to protect him ever would. Somnus' eyes do not darken, but instead they adopt a degree of solemnness. ] Temper your hubris. If you cannot...
[ There are two thousand years in the making to relieve their world of blight. Slow to humans, but a blink to the immortals. So close to the end, a potential deviation based upon one person's wants, now apart from his world, would wager the salvation of all. The risks are simply not in Ignis' favor. Somnus's gaze is grim, and he does not speak lightly. ]
Envision your Brothers. [ The Shield's Sister. The Mechanic. More, of course. All. ] Should you fail, are you prepared to lay them beneath the True King's feet as he turns to ash?