Chapter Text
King Regis Lucis Caelum sat on his throne, marks of age and worry marred his face. For the last few years, he could sense the Crystal’s power weakening and he knew that the tragedy once prophesied by the Astrals would come. For that reason, he made the choice of sending his only son, Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, away. Now, he could only wait until Niflheim struck Lucis down.
Sighing, he waited, alongside his Glaive and Crownsguard, for the imperials. Closing his eyes, a single prayer repeated itself on his mind.
May you be under the Six’s protection, Noctis…
Steps echoed through one of the long corridors of the Hunter’s Association. Zero Kiryuu walked with long strides towards the president’s, his former mentor Toga Yagari, office.
Not long after returning from his last assignment, he had been requested to report back to the HA immediately.
Zero felt nervous for some reason. Since young Zero had learned to listen to his instincts and the dread pooling in his stomach was definitely not a pleasant feeling.
Something was going to happen.
And he probably wouldn’t like it.
His strides came towards an end as he reached the president’s office. Knocking twice on the wooden door, he opened it.
“You called for me?” Across from him sat an older man with curly raven hair, sharp steel blue eyes and a distinctive eyepatch over his right eye.
Wordlessly, the older man motioned for the young boy to sit on chair in front of the desk. After Zero complied, Yagari took a deep breath “Do you have any idea why you’ve been called?”
Recalling the events of a few hours prior, which involved a single summoning letter from the HA, he replied “There’s a new mission.”
Yagari sighed “Well, I guess I had to be the one to brief you about what’s about to happen.” Looking directly into his ex-student’s eyes, he continued “Zero. What do you know about the Great War?”
Zero raised an eyebrow at his mentor’s question, confused “You mean the war between humans and vampires that happened when the hunters first appeared? I know what all hunters learn at the academy.” He answered “Does that have something to do with the mission?”
“Yes— More than you think.” Putting his hands on the table, the older hunter stood “However, what you and most younger hunters do not know is the entire story of the Great War.”
Yagari wasted no time to continue “There is a reason why you youngsters weren’t taught the truth yet, but seeing that this knowledge is crucial for the mission, there’s been an exception.” Grabbing a book from a nearby bookcase, he sat down. He flipped the book open, turning a few old and yellowish pages over
“As you know, the Great War happened thousands of years ago. At that time, Earth was quite different from nowadays for one reason: the presence of a small continent on the Pacific Ocean. That continent was called Eos and it was inhabited by the only civilization in existence, the Solar Vampires, the Last Race.” Yagari paused and let Zero absorb the new information given “They established a city named Solheim and, as their name already says, they were vampires able to live under the Sun.”
The silverette’s eyes widened “That’s impossible,” He said “—I mean, sure Nobles and Purebloods can withstand the Sun, but even them can’t live under the Sun.”
“The leeches we’re used to can’t, but those were able to.” The elder sighed and turned back to the book “—At that time, the outside world for them was called ‘Gaia’ and people would often travel to it. Some would even settle down in Gaia. With time, however, those who went to live in Gaia lost their vampiric powers. We do not know why that happened, but we assume it occurred due to mutation.” He took a deep breath “Yes, they became the humans. Without a bloodsucker’s longevity and strength, humans had to reproduce earlier and multiple times to ensure their survival and soon enough, the human population surpassed the vampires. That’s where the war started.”
“For what reason though?”
“Those leeches saw the humans as a threat to their sovereignty. Hundreds of thousands of humans against few thousands of them.” He answered “What no one expected was the Climate Change. Some humans awakened their vampiric genes, thus becoming the Ancestors of the Gaia vampires. With a third party appearing, the war went into a stalemate. That is, until the Honored Grandmother created the Hunters.”
Zero frowned at what he had just been told. Sure enough he already knew of the tale of the great Grandmother of all hunters, the pureblood vampire who gave her life to protect humans. He also heard about the Last Race. But to think that they were actually bloodsuckers able to live under the Sun like.. like humans —
… Unthinkable.
The two stood in a thick silence, before the younger broke it “How... did the war end?”
“From the records that we have, it seems that the leeches, at the end of the war, had a powerful spell that separated Eos from Gaia. However, the entire continent disappeared and remained like that... Until now at least.”
“... What?” Zero’s eyes slightly widened.
Taking a cigarette from a pack inside his coat, Yagari leaned back on his chair “We’ve received reports of sun resistant level Es, as well as unknown energy sources. We assume that those sunshine bastards are planning something .”
“Wait a second Yagari-sensei!” The silverette slammed his hands on the desk, standing up “How do we know they are going to attack?”
The man stared at his pupil, not even flinching “We’re not entirely certain, but it is very likely.” He lit his cigarette and took a long drag “And that’s the mission. All hunters are to be prepared for a possible war.”
Zero clenched his fists. Strange. Eos didn’t seem to be in high alert. The people were… peaceful. He narrowed his eyes. Something smells fishy.
Zero stared at his master’s icy eyes “I don’t think I agree with this, Yagari-sensei.”
The man narrowed his eyes “Care to explain why, brat?”
Zero bit his tongue “I just... No, nevermind.”
The two stood still for what seemed to be long hours before the oldest of the two spoke “Alright, if that’s all, you’re dismissed. I’ll also have you move in to the Headquarters.” Before the silverette could protest, Yagari glared at him “That’s an order.”
Zero promptly shut his mouth. Quickly bowing, he exit the office. Walking back the way he came from, he frowned. Yagari-sensei is acting strange… He’d think twice before heading into an uncertainty. There’s something going on. He stopped on his tracks and pursed his lips, lightly biting into them and drawing droplets of blood. He needed answers. And fast. The only person with them, though, was—
Shit. Can’t believe I’m considering it, but I should find that fucking pureblood leech. Running a hand through his silver hair, he sighed “Fuck…”
—
Zero stood inside his room inside the headquarters. It was a small bedroom just like the others filling the corridor. Cream colored walls and a wooden floor. A simple bed on the left, a desk by its side and a wardrobe across it decorated the room. A single window provided a light breeze and natural light from outside.
I should leave as soon as possible.
Opening the wardrobe, he isn’t surprised to see common hunter gear neatly stored inside. Opening the drawers, he grabbed supplies - weapons, charms - and filled the pockets of a coat. When he’s satisfied with preparations, he drapes the coat over his shoulders and heads for the door.
Peeking outside, Zero expands his hunter senses and, not feeling the presence of others nearby, exits his room. It’s better to leave unnoticed. He thinks.
It’s hard to sneak through hunter filled halls, but they all seem to be concentrated with war preparations that the silverette soon finds himself outside.
With a single glance backwards, he proceeds to leave the HA grounds.
And he then disappeared.
—
After sailing for a bit longer than a day, Zero docked his small ship near a beach. Getting to Eos a second time was far easier than he imagined and way faster. Sailing more or less towards the same direction he had gone not too long ago, he eventually reached a small bay, where he could see a pier. Not wanting to attract too much attention, he left the ship a few meters away from the shore.
The water was shallow enough to only make it to his mid-thighs. Walking slowly, he eventually reached the sandy beach. He then went towards the pier. Passing through the parking lot, he caught a glimpse of a board. “Galdin Quay” was painted in yellow.
Nearing a shop, Zero hesitated. This is a bloodsuckers’ country. He reminded himself. I should avoid trouble and— He made a disgusted face. Ugh, act like one.
“Hi there, welcome!” The young man chirped “I’ve got some nice snacks and drinks on sale here! Or maybe you’re looking for ingredients—”
“Actually—” Smile. Be natural. Don’t rip off his head “I was wondering if you have a map I could use?” He asked.
The other man simply smiled “Oh, of course! Here,” He reached for a pamphlet behind him “You can have that if you want.”
Zero faked a smile of his own “Oh, really? Thank you.” He bowed slightly and went back to the parking lot. Leaning on a railing, he unfolded the map. Galdin Quay… I’m inside the territory of the Lucis Kingdom. He blinked at the name and snorted. That leech did say he was royalty.
“To the capital Insomnia, then…” He muttered. Going to the capital was probably his best chance at finding the pureblood. Once there, he could always gather information and track the pureblood’s aura.
But first I need money. He thought. Sighing, he went towards the building — a hotel? — on the pier. He approached the circular bar, where a middle aged woman worked. She simply looked at him and smiled.
“Welcome to Mother of Pearl, I’m Coctura Arlund.” She introduced herself “Would you like anything to eat or drink?”
The hunter smiled back “No, I— I was looking for a job.”
“Hm..?” She crossed her arms “Well, you do look like you can fight. Are you by yourself?”
“Yes.”
Humming, she took some paper sheets from under the counter “Then I guess you should go for easier hunts. Here,” She handed him one of the sheets “This is a rank one hunt. You just need to eliminate some rubyshears that have been attacking guests. Witnesses said there are three of them, so just finish the task and come back here.”
Rubyshears? The silverette wondered as he grabbed the request paper. What the hell is this thing…?
Although he had never encountered a creature like that, the hunt went fairly quickly and he received the reward. It probably wasn’t much, but at least, he’d be able to ensure a place to sleep for the day and, maybe, a way to get to the capital.
He just hoped he would make it in time.
“Food’s great as always, Iggy!” Prompto cheered as he took another bite of a croque madame. The other man, ‘Iggy’, nodded and thanked the blonde for the praise. Beside him, Gladio and Noctis also ate their dinner “So… What time are we gonna wake up tomorrow?”
Ignis adjusted his glasses “We’d better be up by sunrise. The sooner we finish Dave’s request the better.”
Looking up from his plate, Noctis stared at his advisor “What was the target again?”
“Mm…” Ignis took out a small paper “... A Dualhorn with red horns. It’s been nicknamed ‘Bloodhorn’. A fitting name, might I add.”
Noctis nodded in thanks and turned back to his food.
After the four finished their meals, they retreated to the tent. Squishing one another inside the cramped space, they slept.
—
Morning came rather quickly and all of them were already up and about. Ignis made all of them a simple breakfast and soon enough they were ready to continue their hunt. Finishing the last preparations, they set out for their target.
The scorching sun shined brightly over the dry landscape of Leide and would have burnt their skin if they weren’t vampires. The four eventually found the Bloodhorn the hunter talked about. The beast towered over all of them. Its dual, red horns would be a pain in the ass to deal with, but nothing too difficult.
They moved together. Gladiolus attracted the Bloodhorn’s attention while the others attacked its flanks. Striking its legs, the beast’s movements slowed, but it still prepared to charge at Gladio. Running as fast as possible, the Bloodhorn aimed its horns at the bulky man, but was intercepted by Noctis, who warp-struck and broke the horns. Taking advantage of the opening that the prince created, Gladio readied his technique.
“Now Gladio!” The prince shouted as he warped to a safe distance and the other man brought down his greatsword in a sweeping motion— Tempest, a technique he was taught during his training days. Noctis followed suit and also struck the beast, killing it.
The Bloodhorn fell, causing a small shockwave. Putting their weapons away, they approached the carcass of their target.
“That was quite easy~” Prompto said with a laugh. “Shall we go back to that hunter now?”
“Wait just a second.” Ignis kneeled by the dead beast’s horns and inspected them. “What an uncommon coloring for a Dualhorn… I’m taking some examples with me.”
Red horn obtained
“Alright, let’s go.” Noct said and turned around, heading back.
They quickly reached the place where Dave was waiting for them and informed the hunter of the successful hunt. Just as they were ready to leave, a cell phone ringtone rang. Cindy’s cheerful voice came through the phone and she let them know that the repairs on Regalia were were done.
“What now, Noctis?” Ignis asked “We can still do some hunting requests, but I think that we should head to Altissia as soon as possible.”
The prince sighed “I shouldn’t keep Luna waiting.”
“To Galdin Quay it is then.”
“Thank you for the lift.” Zero said, hopping off of a man’s truck. The guy had been very kind to offer to drop him off inside Insomnia, which helped Zero arrive at the capital in less than a day.
The city in question was enormous and the walls around it made it an imposing sight — which made Zero question its security, since he managed to get inside easily. He was an armed man without documents and nobody checked him.
Oh dear.
At least it saved him from the unnecessary work of creating a backstory.
Walking through the streets, he could help but notice how similar to the rest of the world everything was. It was far more technologically evolved, that’s for sure, but the rest… It felt just like a normal human city. Perhaps more peaceful than a human city.
Passing by a newspaper stand, he looked at the headlines and stopped.
‘Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum to be wed in a few days
The Lucian prince is expected to marry Lady Lunafreya a week from now on. The wedding will happen at the city of Altissia, capital of Accordo, a neutral territory between Lucis and Niflheim. Prince Noctis will be soon boarding a ship in Galdin Quay and…’
… What? He stared at the newspaper in disbelief. Are you kidding me? He huffed. Well fuck. I should at least gather some information while I’m here.
After asking around, he eventually reached a library. He went straight to the history section and pulled out several books.
Setting the books on a table, he proceeded to open the first one.
‘Lore of Solheim, the Original Civilization
At the beginning, only the Astrals existed in Eos. Ethereal beings, capable of shaping the world. They were the ones who created the Original Civilian of Solheim, the city of the Sun. Its inhabitants were the ancestors of today’s vampires. They were blessed by the Astrals with overwhelming strength and beauty and lived in peace—’
“Astrals…?” He wondered aloud.
‘—At first, the Astral Ifrit ruled over Solheim. However, the ancestors wished to be ruled by someone who was equal to them, which led to a war between Ifrit and the ancestors, who had the support of the remaining Astrals. Ifrit eventually lost the war and was exiled.
The family chosen to govern the kingdom was also blessed by the Astrals and received the power to make covenants with them. Their rule lasted until the Grand War, which brought not only the death of the Royal Family, but also the destruction of Solheim itself.
Beyond the lands of Eos, across the ocean, there existed another continent, Gaia. Several of the ancestors chose to travel to and settle down in Gaia. However, those that went away lost the blessing of the Astrals and became humans.
Without their previous longevity and strength, human population grew exponentially and soon surpassed the ancestors’. Both civilizations lived in peace and prospered for centuries. However, that peace was broken with the return of Ifrit.
After years of exile, his hatred for Solheim grew. Using his powers, he controlled the humans and made them fear the ancestors. Such fear led to the start of the Grand War.
The clash between both civilizations also involved the Astrals. The fight between Ifrit and Shiva caused a drastic change on the world, the Climate Change. It was then that some of the humans went through a mutation and awakened their dormant vampire genes, thus becoming a third party. At the same time, humans with the power to easily kill the ancestors appeared and changed the tides of the war.
Knowing that the war would destroy Eos, the Last King of Solheim sacrificed his life in order to isolate Eos from Gaia and, with the help of the Astrals, created the Crystal of Lucii. With the death of the Last King, the Astrals entrusted the Crystal with the Caelum noble family, which became the Lucis Caelum. Somnus Lucis Caelum, the first Lucis King defeated Ifrit and ended the war.
Survivors of the war fled Solheim and founded the four nations that exist today—’
Zero closed the book.
Astrals… God-like beings… Ifrit… The silverette sighed and opened the next book.
“Cosmogony…” He muttered aloud before reading it. However, he only had time to read the first paragraph as tremors shook the library. Bookshelves swayed back and forth, books fell from the shelves.
Clutching the book, Zero ran towards the exit.
He only managed to reach the middle of the street before the library blew up.