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year 5, quarter 3
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[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius suggested that if the Regalia had meant that much to him, then it might be worth trying to get up the funds to acquire a car here on Zephon. “That’s true,” Noctis said a bit thoughtfully. “I’d like to have one again, and it would be handy to have around. Maybe if we manage to save up enough money between the four of us. You know, the worst part is that I probably still have a bunch of gil in the glaive somewhere. And all of it’s worthless here.” It would definitely take a while to fix up a car just doing odd jobs, but it was something to work for at least.
Caius’ old car definitely sounded like a fixer-upper, but Noctis could tell that he was proud of it anyway, and he didn’t blame him. A lot of time and money must have gone into it. “That’s true, you probably get around on Vordun just fine,” Noctis acknowledged as he glanced over at the blue dragon. “Actually, do you ever fly on him?” That sounded pretty awesome actually, though Noctis wasn’t exactly sure how you trained a dragon to not just throw you to your death. It probably helped that Caius had raised Vordun though.
Noctis perked up when the blond kingsglaive said that he had a beard in the future. Or at least…stubble. “Hey, it’s a start,” he said, grimacing slightly as Caius teased him about how small of a beard he’d had after coming out of the crystal. “Maybe the Draconian hooked me up with a razor. Sounds like the least he could have done after ten years.” It was a joke of course, but Noctis did still have to wonder about that whole decade. He hadn’t seen a trace of Bahamut since coming here. Was this how everything was supposed to go, or did that mean that he was in a different timeline entirely from what Caius had experienced?
Well that was something to keep him up at night.
“Somehow I don’t think a bit of stubble is enough to impress Gladio,” Noctis said with a faint smile, setting down his fork as he finished up his portion of fish. There was plenty left by the fire, but he was honestly stuffed. Somehow he didn’t think Caius would mind leftovers though when he had a dragon to feed.
“Thanks for the meal,” Noctis said, sitting back on his palms a little as he watched Vordun tearing into his own portion. “And for all the info. When I felt someone using Lucian magic, I definitely wasn’t expecting to meet a kingsglaive out of it.” He wasn’t complaining though. This had definitely been enlightening.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Mar 14, 2023 9:09:19 GMT -6
The Dragonblades
Had Vordun actually warped back there or had it just suddenly moved really fast to catch the food? Food can drive a man to amazing things after all, so Caius wouldn't be too surprised if that logic also applied to dragons. Noctis seemed to be in agreement however that building another Regalia would be nice. It would be a good way to get around, and it seemed like it would be a good comfort for him. It was just something he'd "like to have", he said.
A comfort, huh? Just doing something because you would like to? Caius had always done things for logical reasons, or just to keep himself busy. The idea of just doing something because he wanted to, or because it would give him some kind of comfort, hadn't really occurred to Caius. To act on impulse like that seemed... Impractical. But he couldn't deny that Noctis seemed to enjoy the prospect, and was able to find a practical use along with it.
"If that's the case, you might need to pick up a second job." Caius joked at that, trying to indicate he wasn't entirely being serious, buuuut... Maybe also that Noctis should consider it if a second Regalia was on the mind. Sorel's Rising Stones didn't sound super reliable. "You could probably trade your gil as an artifact since it's clearly foreign money that cannot be gained elsewhere for those in Zephon. There's bound to be a collector or two around" Caius mused aloud. "I did attempt that myself, but I hardly had any gil to my name at the time. The Crown didn't exactly have an excess of funds to go around after ten years. Hopefully you shall have more luck than I."
Of course, there was the construction too. "Ideally, you would be able to make the most of Sonora's tech to get it built, as they are more mechanically advanced. But I imagine you don't intend to stay in Sonora for long" Caius brought up then. Neither did he, for that matter. Though speaking of rides, Noctis asked a very interesting question.
"I do, in fact" Caius answered at that. "With a great deal of practice with Yuna's help. And a lot of bumps, bruises and near-death experiences, at that" he was sure to add. Because not even raising Vordun could prepare Caius for actually attempting to ride the dragon without dying in the pursuit of doing so. Vordun needed to be trained to take a rider, and Caius needed to learn to ride. It had been fun... In a cosmic sort of way.
At least Noctis seemed to be cheered up a bit at the assurance he had a beard... Or the start of one, anyway. Even if it wasn't what he wanted in terms of impressing Gladio. "Fret not, big and bushy beards are overrated regardless. You can't tie them back and people just pull on them in a fight. Odds are you would have to trim and groom it to a smaller size. Both for combat, and for the sake of keeping up kingly appearances" Caius pointed out at that. Even his facial hair was well-kept and trimmed. Mostly because while he wasn't a king or anything, he did need to look professional for the job.
Oh, he should have said princely, shouldn't he? Well, too late to take that back now. Caius soon finished his own portions, and had already had seconds at this point. There was still a great deal of fish left, but he'd just have to cut up the rest and stuff it in the glaive like a big cooler. Caius glanced over at Vordun, whom after tearing through his fish had promptly returned to the campfire and curled up next to him, staring at the fish again. Caius leaned against Vordun then, seeming content to use the scaly beast as a great big pillow as he reached over to grab another portion and hand it to the dragon.
"I certainly wasn't expecting to meet His... Highness, out here" Caius admitted softly. "But I'm glad I did, if I am being truthful. I know you and the King I served are technically not the same, but... Getting to see you once more, is more than I could have ever asked of this world."
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius quipped that he might need to pick up a second job to pay for the car, which made Noctis crack a smile. “Yeah? Are you hiring?” He was mostly joking, so he quickly added a follow-up comment in case that made the kingsglaive feel awkward. “I’m sure that would be pretty weird for you though. All things considered.” Noctis being himself probably wouldn’t help that. He liked to think that attending a normal school and living on his own for a while had made him more laid-back than most royalty. Of course Ignis would probably say otherwise with the amount of times that he’d had to show up to clean Noctis’ apartment and remind him to eat.
It wasn’t a bad idea to trade some of his Lucian gil as an artifact, though Noctis had to groan a little when Caius said he hadn’t had much of his own when he’d first arrived on Zephon. “You’re kidding. I didn’t even pay you well? I need to have a talk with King Noctis.” It was a little weird saying those words even as a joke, which was probably a sign that he wasn’t quite ready to bear the title. That was alright though. If Caius was to be believed, then he still had a full decade to grow into it.
Noctis grimaced a bit at the suggestion that it would be easiest to build a car in Sonora. “True, but I think we’ll stick to Provo for a while. I don’t want to ever make Ignis or Gladio go back there until they’re ready.” Every comparison of Sonora to Niflheim just made him worry for their safety more. It gave him a pretty good idea as to the conditions inside of their prison.
Caius apparently could ride Vordun, and Noctis whistled appreciatively as he turned to watch the blue dragon finish his dinner. “Yeah, I bet that took a lot of trial and error. Er. And maybe some bugs flying into your mouth. But you have to see some great sights up there.” Air travel existed on Eos, but Noctis imagined that it was an entirely different experience when you were out in the open with the wind in your face and the whole world spread out below you.
And now he missed the Regalia again.
After a little more back and forth banter about beards, Caius seemed to finish up his own meal. He stopped to give Vordun another serving though because obviously the large animal needed more food than them, and it was honestly a little cute how he laid his head against the dragon’s scales afterward. Somehow Noctis didn’t think the other man would appreciate hearing that, but it felt like the kind of moment where Prompto would snap a picture of them framed against the fire.
What Caius said about seeing him again honestly blew Noctis away. He was still so used to his dad being the king that people respected and looked up to, while he was just the sullen prince off shirking responsibility again. He’d grown up a lot ever since Insomnia had fallen—he’d had to really—but he still didn’t know if he was ready to bear the weight of the crown or not. In some ways he still felt like a kid, especially as Ardyn made everything more and more hopeless.
“I appreciate that,” Noctis said a little quietly, looking across the fire at him. “I know I’m not who you wanted to find, but…I hope I can be that man someday. And…thank you, really. For everything you did for him. I’m glad we met. ”
This was usually the part when Gladio would grumble about them being sappy, but since his shield wasn’t around, Noctis just cleared his throat self-consciously. “I guess maybe I should get a move-on if I have any hope of catching Prompto up in Sonora. If you need me though, I’ve been staying at the Rising Stones in Provo. I came to Zephon really recently, so I don’t have my own place or anything. I was just lucky Alex found me.” He probably would have either been arrested or frozen to death in the Sonora wasteland otherwise.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Mar 22, 2023 11:20:27 GMT -6
The Dragonblades
"We don't discriminate on your previous status. And with everything that gets thrown our way, any fighters with strong sword hands and stronger hearts are welcome" Caius clarified when Noctis jokingly asked if he was hiring. He seemed partial to the Stones, so Caius had no real thoughts of recruiting Noctis. But he would at least give him the necessary information. Though that did leave one thing he should mention... "I mean that literally with things thrown our way. We've provoked the ire of a criminal syndicate, called the Original Sin. They're strong, and wicked enough to slaughter an entire village just to use magic to allow them to impersonate its civilians for ambush robberies" he brought up at that, his brow furrowing at the memory. "We stopped them from running a human trafficking ring in Provo as well. They put collars on you that restrict your movements and keep you from using magic. They've put out hits on us. They want me dead especially. It's the price of what we do."
Would it be weird were Noctis to ever join up? Absolutely. But Caius wouldn't say no if the offer ever came. He would rather Noctis be at his side in the fight against threats like the Original Sin.
Noctis complained about the fact that King Noctis didn't pay him well. Caius scratched his head sheepishly at that. "You paid me more than I ever made barely coming back alive from trying to take out hunting contracts on daemons on my own. Enough to eat more than just dry rations, monster meat and cup noodles as I'd been for the better part of eight years. Considering how bad off things had become, I didn't mind that I wasn't exactly living life in the lap of luxury. Nobody was at that point."
He motioned to the fire, then. "I don't really do so now, either. But I have no reason to want for it. I am content with the life I live now. It is more than I ever could have asked for."
Noctis preferred to do everything in Provo, which was understandable. "Provo's technology has some aspects from Sonora, but for something as advanced as the Regalia. I think you'll need higher grade Sonoran parts. I would try to find ways to procure some while you're there to take back to Provo. You have your glaive, you should be able to fit some things in there at least" the kingsglaive recommended at that. "Once we leave Sonora, I imagine none of us will be interested in returning anytime soon. Take your opportunities where you can get them."
The Prince brought up the bug eating, which Caius made a face at indicating he didn't like to think about it. He did however, nod in agreement regarding the heights. "It's an experience like no other. When Vordun is more awake, I'll show you sometime" he offered then. Speaking of, Vordun had already finished the next helping and seemed ready to take a nap. Meanwhile, Caius had admitted the significance of Noctis being here. Though while Noctis thanked him, he shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm just glad to see a Noctis here and alive" Caius admitted softly at that. "I needed to know. While you are not the same man, your being here in the form you're in, and not as a deceased King, at least tells me the chances you survived are pretty good."
It was about time they got a move on, though, he agreed. It was getting late, and Caius nodded at that. He noted that Noctis was lucky that Alex found him. He supposed he owed Alex one for that... But that tolerance favor would be used up very soon, it turns out.
"Before we part, Your Highness. I have a request" Caius brought up as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off. His expression suddenly turned serious. "I want to test my power. You have been the benchmark for my training for years. While there may be a difference in your experience between now and back then, a Power of Kings wielder, especially a Prince, will still be incredibly formidable. In case things go wrong in Sonora, I want to see how far I have come, and if I am still a fit to protect His Highness."
It was a strange and sudden request, he knew. But it had been on his mind since meeting the wayward Prince.
"It will be short. I have no intentions of causing you injury before the trip to Sonora. But I do not want you to hold back, either. Use every weapon at your disposal."
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius was nice enough when Noctis asked about membership in the Dragonblades, and he smiled slightly when the man added that they didn’t discriminate based on someone’s former background. “I’ll keep that in mind if I need to start applying for jobs in Torensten. If all goes well, then I guess I’m about to have three other people to support.” Somehow he didn’t think Ignis or Gladio would be in the best shape, so he honestly might need two different mercenary jobs for their medical bills alone. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it though.
Caius went on to explain the trouble the Dragonblades were currently in, and Noctis frowned at the list of everything the Original Sin had done so far. “I’d say if you’ve made enemies like that then you must be doing something right. It sounds like they don’t really care what they do as long as they can make some gil.” Far from being dissuaded, Noctis really wanted to help Caius out with that if the group was after the kingsglaive’s head. He’d wait until Ignis and Gladio were out before he volunteered the four of them though. They were stretched a bit too thin at the moment, even if the Original Sin sounded like the worst kind of people.
Noctis nodded slowly when Caius explained that the crown paid him a lot more than he had been making in the world of ruin that Ardyn left behind. “Maybe I just still can’t picture the state of the world at that point…But I guess in my timeline, things would be getting that bad right now.” That was a sobering thought, but a true one. If the sun had stopped rising after Noctis had gone into the crystal, then well. Here he was. He didn’t like to think about what could be happening on Eos right now.
Noctis nodded at the suggestion that he stock up on car parts in Sonora and just store them in the glaive. It wasn’t a bad idea assuming he had the time, money, and a mechanic to work on a car for them. Just another thing to think about once his retainers were safe. Caius also offered to take him for a flight on Vordun sometime when the dragon wasn’t half-asleep, and Noctis was entirely down for that. He wasn’t likely to take a ride on a dragon again in his lifetime, so he hoped they’d make good on that sometime. Yet another thing to add to his list for after they rescued Ignis and Gladio. The list was getting insanely long.
Talking to Caius really had given Noctis more confidence that he could be a worthy king someday. Hearing that he was looked up to, at least in another timeline, was pretty comforting. At this point, he was all too aware that he wasn’t ready to be more than a prince, but with time…maybe anything was possible.
Caius stood up when Noctis announced that he should get going, and the mercenary made one final request of him. It wasn’t an unusual ask from a kingslaive or crownsguard, and Noctis had in fact been trained by several of them ever since he was a kid. While he usually made every excuse not to spar with Gladio (or anyone else who tried to make him), he could see that this was really important to Caius as a test of his skills now. Nodding back at the blond man, Noctis decided that Sonora could wait a few more minutes. “Absolutely. I haven’t really had to fight since I came to Zephon, so it might be good for both of us. I don’t want to go into Sonora rusty.”
Caius said he was free to use every weapon at his disposal, and Noctis grimaced slightly as he glanced down at the Ring of the Lucii on his middle finger. “Well, Alterna might be a bit much, so I promise not to throw you into any voids. But I’ll make everything else game.” Come to think of it, where did all the daemons from Gralea that he’d used that spell on end up? Did that piece of magic even work on Zephon when they were so far from the crystal? The ring’s magic was certainly unique, but that was something to puzzle out another time.
Getting into a ready stance, Noctis summoned the engine blade to his side. “Let’s see what you got.”
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 7, 2023 9:18:21 GMT -6
The Dragonblades
It had begun, then. This actually was happening. Noctis accepted Caius' challenge and materialized a sword he hadn't seen in action properly (he didn't count the fish) since it was in the hands of the King. Caius slowly nodded as he made his way further down the beach, so as not to accidentally crash into Vordun, the fish or the fire. Thoughts of whether he could stand up to Noctis when he was using just about everything at his disposal worried Caius, but he did his best to shake those doubts from his mind. Noctis made it no better when he said he could use Alterna, something only heard of in legends that the Ring of the Lucii could do.
So he had the ring even now. When Noctis mentioned it, his gaze went to the Prince's hand. There it was, just as it was when he was King. The Ring of the Lucii.
Then he already had the right to call himself King. The power of a King. Which meant that Caius was in serious danger here if Noctis abided by his request. Once they had made suitable distance, Caius turned to face Noctis. "Of course. One moment" he spoke up as he held out a hand. Suddenly, a flash of blue light materialized around Caius as his casual garb was replaced by, of all things, the armor of the Kingsglaive.
... Except the jacket, which had wrapped itself upside down around his head. Caius began flailing, holding a hand up to motion for a moment.
"Blast, I remembered seeing you do this once as King and have been trying to emulate it. I haven't perfected it yet" Caius managed out, muffled under the jacket as he pulled it off. This usage of the glaive might come as a surprise, but how else did Noctis and his bachelor trope manage to hold onto so many outfits during their journey and switch on the fly? Unfortunately, this was not something that Caius had mastered quite yet. He hadn't needed to until recently, since he normally just wore his armor. Claire's antics had necessitated having to try and learn this usage of the glaive.
Caius was able to pull the jacket on the right way around, catch his breath, then begin to take stance.
"I had long retired this garb. But recently, I had started to sense something familiar, albeit faintly. On a whim, I've been holding this in the glaive, just in case. But I never thought that presence would be you, Your Highness" Caius had to admit. "Though I can admit. Wearing this before you again feels right."
With that, his gunblade materialized in his hand and they were set to begin. Noctis had bade he make the first move, and Caius wasn't planning on disobeying the orders of His Highness. He began to charge forward at a jog, memories flashing through his head on seeing the King fight. He knew it wouldn't be entirely the same, but...
Blue sparks trailed behind Caius and something dropped just before he reached Noctis, feinting an overhand swing of the longsword -- stopping at the last moment as he made a prediction. Taking a risk after predicting that Noctis would either Phase or guard, Caius moved again after that hesitation in a quick and sharp boot forwards that was aimed for his gut with some power thrown behind it. If he recalled correctly, Noctis was a speed fighter, utilizing his smaller size alongside the Power of Kings to outmaneuver his opponents. Caius had always fought with power, carving a path for the King to race through.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] As they got ready to spar, Caius asked for just a moment to prepare, so Noctis took a relaxed stance as he waited to see what the blond man had in mind. He definitely hadn’t expected to see him materialize his kingsglaive armor. It gave the prince a start, and he was honestly grateful that the jacket got caught around Caius’ head. That gave him permission to laugh instead of getting emotional. “God, I haven’t seen that outfit since Lucis. It’s a good look for you.” Or at least it was once it was on properly. “Don’t worry, I’ve seen Prompto nearly kill himself trying to do that before.” Hopefully his best friend wouldn’t mind him sharing that little tidbit. He could almost picture a protesting ‘Noooct!’
Apparently Caius had been storing his kingsglaive armor in the glaive ever since he’d sensed a new presence arriving in Zephon, and Noctis was honestly touched when he said that it felt right to wear it in front of him again. “...Really, thank you. I know I’m not a king yet, but…I hope I can be worthy of your respect someday.” It felt a little odd to face Caius in his usual black jacket when the kingsglaive was being so formal, but it would have felt weirder for Noct to change. He probably had some more formal clothes in the glaive, but it didn’t feel right to wear them. Not until he was ready to face Ardyn and return to Lucis. So his usual outfit would have to do.
Caius summoned his sword to his hand, and Noctis kept a careful eye on it, remembering what he’d done to the monster fish with it. He’d have to be careful not to get on the wrong end of the blade since it seemed to double as a gun.
The blond man ran towards him, and Noctis bent his knees to get ready. Caius wasn’t as bulky as Gladio, but he was extremely tall and probably hit like a truck, so the prince wanted to do his best to not get backed into a corner. A single blow from Gladio could be enough to end a spar if his greatsword landed in the wrong spot, so Noctis usually had to warp around like an annoying fly and use his speed to his advantage. It was probably best to use a similar strategy here.
Caius raised his sword overhead, so Noctis threw up his engine blade in an attempt to guard since a strike from that high would do some damage. It turned out to be a feint though, and Caius tried to smoothly kick him in the stomach instead. Noctis might have whistled if he’d had more than a split second to react. He appreciated when people were down to fight a little dirty.
Since it caught him off guard, he only barely managed to phase through the attack, which he turned into a dodge roll forward in an attempt to get behind Caius. Popping to his feet, he summoned one of the Zwill Crossblades into his free hand and swung it forward to either parry if the man turned around in time or to attack if he didn’t. Really, Noctis was still testing the waters at this point. Caius might have known his fighting style, but he wasn’t sure of Caius’ quite yet.
Post by Caius Dragelion on May 1, 2023 16:33:56 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Caius simply smiled when Noctis complimented how he looked in the outfit, and pardoned his misstep. However, he was never going to lose the visual of Prompto trying to do the same thing now.
Noctis claimed he hoped he could be worthy of his respect one day, though Caius shook his head at that.
“Rushing headlong into a Sonoran gulag to rescue your fellows? You already are” Caius pointed out. Noctis already had some of the essential qualities of a leader, in his view. Compassion, and a drive to selflessly risk even himself for those that served alongside him. That was the signs Caius saw of the man that he wouldn’t become.
Then Caius grew serious as the battle began. In truth, Caius had only seen the King in action a few times at best. Noctis had presumably been busy with administration after the Scourge was beaten back, with the bulk of the work fighting the remaining daemons falling to the Kingsglaive. That, or Caius just wasn’t picked for whatever assignments involved the king, he didn’t quite remember.
But that was where his training came in.
Noctis had phased, exactly as predicted. Unfortunately, Caius wasn’t able to predict when it came and because of that, he missed.
While this was his first time sparring the king himself, Caius had spent a lot of time training with other practitioners of the crystal’s power — the Kingsglaive. From the first day he was blessed to share in its power by the king, he was constantly being pushed in his training to use it. No level of skill was good enough, not when the king they were serving was the Chosen King, the one whom had saved their world from its scourge. The one whom had delivered them from a decade of darkness, who now stood to guide Lucis into a new and brighter future. Glaives were pushed to their limits in battle against one another, to be strong enough to help this great saviour king achieve his vision for Lucis and the world at large. For Caius, this meant fighting against users of this power the same as him, with different shapes and sizes that contributed to different fighting styles… Some fought by using their abilities for speed as Noctis just did, while others combined it with pure power to make their openings. Others used them for versatile utility purposes.
But there was always one golden rule when fighting one with the power of kings.
They always have a second weapon.
Caius turned just in time to block the Zwill Crossblades with his gunblade, his expression coldly calm as could be. Even if the force of the weapons being brought down was something serious, and Caius couldn't imagine the matter of beast Noctis would have had to fight to get his hands on those. He had been expecting the Royal Arms, but these didn't appear to be them... And yet, they weren't lacking in power either. They were clearly being wielded by a skilled swordsman as well, it seemed even the younger Noctis was a force to be reckoned with.
It was clear Caius couldn't waste any time.
------
”You might want to move, kupo”
This was all the moogle would say on the matter, the only other warning Caius would receive on the matter being the rather loud sound of energy gathering on the other side of the door. After that? Well… A volley of magic arrows would pierce through the door, flying wildly forward.
Though this would not be the last of the troubles the Dragonblade leader would face. A pinkette would come out with a flying kick, right towards Caius. "Take that Caius you purple haired jerk! That’ll teach you to mess around with my sister!” they had cried...
Caius only had enough time to get the glaive shield up before a volley of arrows began shooting at him, one by one. What Caius hadn't expected though, was for the arrows to be laced with magic, and eventually they forced him to drop the shield. But this still left a bunch of arrows flying at his head. And not a whole lot of options considering how close they were. Caius wasn't really thinking, he just... Did.
He couldn't focus enough to warp away, but his mind spurred his body in those split seconds and he utilized his warping to move just an inch as the first arrow came at him. Then again, and again, and again. To the onlooker, it was like he was phasing through the arrows. But for Caius it was a dangerous game of warping just a step at the right moment. Small warps didn't use too much energy compared to the big ones, but using them so consistently was definitely starting to build up fatigue. But it was enough to get him through the barrage. He heard footsteps, and out the door came a flying set of feet. Seeming at least somewhat conscious now to his capabilities, Caius phased at the last second.
------
An ability that Caius had never quite been able to nail down during his time in Eos. It wasn't taught as part of the standard course, most Glaives preferred to just warp around the battlefield. But some had, and he knew from the battle in Insomnia that Noctis just so happened to be one of them. For a time, Caius had not. But now, thanks to his experiences in Zephon... Because of people like Claire and Serah...
Caius quickly Phased himself, moving through the blades and Noctis, stopping just behind him as he quickly dug his heel into the ground, turned and fired.
Fortunately, if it did hit, he had made sure to dull the potency of the magic ammunition that his gunblade used before the battle started. At the worst, it would just have Noct him down.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Noctis was a little embarrassed when Caius said that he’d already earned his respect. It was good to hear of course. He was just still learning how to handle people looking up to him when he’d always been known as the aloof prince who had his own apartment and avoided the citadel. He hadn’t been ready for his fate then. He wasn’t even sure if he was now, but he had been doing his best to take responsibility for Lucis. At least until he’d woken up here.
Best to focus on the fight though.
Caius managed to turn around in time to parry his sweep of the dagger with his own sword. Noctis stepped forward to do a follow-up attack with the engine blade in his other hand while the kingsglaive’s weapon was occupied. But that was when Caius vanished in a blue shimmer of magic. Noct knew what had happened of course, but he hesitated for just a split second purely because he wasn’t used to fighting other people who could phase. The crownsguard had similar abilities to the kingsglaive, but the two weren’t exactly the same, so witnessing the blue after-image for himself was a little strange. Thankfully his instincts kicked in, because he knew where he himself would warp to in this situation.
Behind him.
Noctis spun around with his dagger up to find Caius raising his sword level with him. It seemed like a strange attack, and the prince hopped back lightly to easily avoid it, but a soft click told him that he’d miscalculated. He really needed to ask later what kind of sword doubled as a gun.
The bullet struck the prince in the shoulder, but the gun must have been specialized in some way because it didn’t actually pierce the skin. He guessed that meant that he wasn’t strictly shot, but the force still knocked him back a couple steps and he was left blinking at Caius in surprise. Oddly enough, he didn’t think that anyone had ever shot him before. Though they’d certainly tried.
Come at me with everything you’ve got.
And then Noctis, who usually groaned when Gladio tried to drag him out of bed early to train, actually grinned. Maybe that’s what he got for starting the fight out slow. “Nice shot.”
The prince banished both his dagger and the engine blade in a flash of blue sparks. In their place, he summoned his newest royal arm, but also the one that meant the most to him—the sword of the father. Using it would definitely drain him faster, but it also packed a lot more damage than his other weapons, and Caius had shown that playing it safe wasn’t a good strategy here.
“Round 2?” Noctis asked, before he chucked the sword straight towards him and sped after it in a flash of blue as he attempted a warp strike. He planned to pull back a little if it actually struck though, since he obviously didn’t intend to stab Caius.
Post by Caius Dragelion on May 9, 2023 10:13:37 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
To Caius’ surprise, he managed to score a direct hit that noct the young prince a good ways. But while surprised, Caius didn’t find joy in this accomplishment. Because he knew that from a battling psychology standpoint? That wasn’t a lucky shot he’d hit again.
Emphasized by the fact that Noctis immediately summoned a sword that Caius recognized by its glow. One of the Royal Arms, in particular a blade that once belonged to King Regis. Caius took calming breaths as he immediately prepared to go on the defensive, knowing full well that he was about to be in a world of trouble. Noctis shot forward at blinding speed, and Caius knew he was going to have to try and block it with how much more quickly Noctis could move than him. He brought his gunblade up, but…
The sheer force of the Sword Of The Father was more than even Caius had expected, and the blade was struck out of his hands. The mercenary grit his teeth, his mind focused solely on the fight at hand. But even Caius knew that this was most likely a losing battle. He’d figured it was from the moment he had challenged Noctis, but…
Already, a decade before he became King, Noctis could already utilize the Royal Arms to their seeming fullest. Caius had figured from the beginning that he’d potentially be outmatched by someone professionally trained in these abilities for longer, even if Caius had the overall advantage in experience. But to already have power on this scale… An almost perfect blend of speed and power between his magic and the Royal Arms? Without knowledge of the drain the weapons caused, Caius had the impression he was in a tough spot here.
Caius immediately jumped back to try and clear some space to prevent being hit by another attack, but to his surprise, Noctis had chosen to refrain. Taking a deep breath, Caius re-summoned his sword. It was there that he had the room to speak, at least.
“As expected from His Highness.”
After a moment to recollect himself, Caius rushed forward again. This time, he would change his approach, utilizing the air-step ability of the Kingsglaive, but doing so in order to instead slide across the ground with only minimal use of magic. This allowed him to move quickly to and fro, as he sought an opening. As soon as he thought he saw one, Caius attacked with a flurry of strong blows. What was clear to him was that he needed to keep Noctis on the defensive. If Noctis put Caius on the defensive again, he was going to be in hot water. Here and there, his gaze stirred away from Noctis, but only momentarily as they soon shot back towards the Prince, his strikes aggressive yet precise, aiming to batter the Sword Of The Father away. While Noctis could summon it back, that took time. Caius was larger and likely physically stronger. This might be the only chance he had.
