Chapter 4
The boat trip is as uneventful as Aranea was expecting. Once the four are on the ship and at least 50 miles out from Tenebrae the threat of MTs or anyone else attacking them is out of the picture for the moment. Bigg and Wedge are somewhere on the ship. Probably in the cabins below taking a nap or something. She’s grateful for the break away from them she doesn’t need another jab from Biggs abut Luna.
Aranea hums a bit as she looks over the railing of the boat out to sea. Luna, she thinks she is interesting. Different than what she was told oracles can do. She only thought they talked to the gods and wore dainty clothes and acted more like princesses in distress from seeing the slightest daemon. She scratches under the black neck collar and sighs. She really needs to find some oil or cream to place around her neck before it starts getting raw.
“Hello Aranea,” speaks Luna standing beside her on the boat. “The ocean is so vast. I’ve not seen so much of it at once.”
Aranea looks at her smiling, “well there’s a whole big world out there. Not just Tenebrae.” She rests her arms over the railing and sighs. “You sure about going to Insomnia? It’s a long way away and everyone will be looking for you.”
Luna purses her lips and nods her head. “I need to seek his help, Noctis…well perhaps this is already known but the Prince Noctis and I are pen pals. Have been for some time,” she beams. “I have faith that he will help us.”
Aranea holds up her hand, “hold on you know Prince Noctis” She asks as Luna nods her head. “The fugitive Prince, the one who was supposed to marry Prince Prompto but that plan went to hell. That guy is going to help us?” She turns shaking her head. “How can a fugitive grant pardons or help a runaway oracle?”
Luna stiffens, “he has his ways. I can not reveal them, but you must trust me.”
“Trust you,” she nearly shouts. A few people turn their heads towards their direction and Aranea lowers her voice. “Trust you? You just set us up for failure. I thought we were going to see the king of Insomnia not depend on his little brat.”
“Noctis is not a brat,” she says as Aranea crosses her arms. “He is not much of one,” she corrects. “Aranea I promise he will help us and this event, this was bound to happen, but I trust Noctis to survive.”
Aranea laughs, “right he survives, and we don’t?”
Luna huffs, “I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t,” she says sadly. “Becoming an oracle is an honor but it comes with a price. My actions are never my own. They are only for my people, and if I show the slightest weakness or failure in my tasks then all of them suffer. I am duty bound to defend them and currently as per my brother heading to Insomnia or seeking out Noctis for help is key,” she says crossing her arms. “I am sorry, but I can not offer anything more. I am trying my best Aranea. Now please just lead me to Insomnia, I am sure once I pronounce your good deeds you will get what you and your team wants,” she states before turning away down towards the bottom of the ship.
Aranea watches her leave and feels like a complete ass. It can’t be her fault. She didn’t choose Luna to be an oracle she was born into it. She just needs to suck it up and deal with the hand she was dealt with. There is no point in crying over what can’t be changed.
Aranea rubs her head and sighs looking where Luna left and begins to track Luna down. Luna may be wrong but…or maybe she was too harsh? No way she’s performing her duty, looking out for her team, being realistic. Still she needs to fix whatever wrong she might have made now before continuing the rest of the trip. She does not need a mopey oracle to deal with along with dealing with all of Niflheim and Insomnia after them for various reasons.
Luna may not know it yet but Noctis wherever he was had already sent out people to search for her. The glaives aren’t difficult to sniff out. Not with wearing all black in the heat of the day. It’s almost comical how hard they try to blend in with a city surrounded by shorts, tanks, and the occasional bare-chested tourist. Luckily, their ship had ported soon enough that Aranea had hide Luna from their sight. It’s why this ferry ride was not going to put her on edge. She’s worried about docking than the ship ride in at this point.
They might even have to act fast depending on if a glaive spotted them and alerted others across Cleigne of their possible arrival. It’s something they’ll deal with when it happens. Worst comes to worst they can disconnect one of the lifeboats a few miles from shore and travel around the area they need to port. It’s not an option Aranea is looking forward to but if it has to happen at least she’ll be prepared.
She’s made her way outside the cabin where Luna has entered. She knocks on the door before entering.
“Hey so,” she starts before seeing Luna reading her only book. She stops and walks in Luna glancing up at her. “So, I guess I wanted to say sorry?”
Luna closes her book and sighs, “you guess, or you know?”
“Both?” She asks, “look I’m sorry. I just don’t want anyone getting hurt or stabbed in the back.”
Luna tilts her head, “I wouldn’t back stab you. You are helping me.”
Aranea laughs, “right well you’d be the first to think so. Anyway, sorry I snapped and well all this oracle stuff has me confused. Like no one ever said beware of an oracle they can fight or use magic like you did. The general public doesn’t know that so dealing with that and the whole you can manipulate emotions to suit your needs,” she chuckles, “you’re kind of scary.”
“Oh was I not supposed to be,” she asks.
“Not really. You’re the oracle who can do no wrong. Who heals people from the scourge and is perfect.”
Luna smile softly, “hardly perfect…I couldn’t save my own people without fleeing,” she shrugs.
Aranea rolls her eyes, “don’t worry. Your people are tough, have to be living so close to Niflheim and not turning into them. So, you’re doing alright for a naïve oracle,” she teases looking down at the table. “So, what’s so important about that book? You guard it like it’s more precious than jewels.”
Luna smiles, “well it has lessons or information on how to be a stronger oracle. Most of the ones at home are about how to be a proper oracle as in when to use a spoon for tea.”
“There’s rules for that,” Aranea snorts.
“Yes, lots of rule,” she says adjusting her dress. “Anyway, this one has no such rules. Lists basics of how to use an oracle’s powers. It’s where I found out about how I can manipulate emotions and have the same done to me vice versa if in the wrong hands.” She rubs her ear, “the point being none of this was explained or offered in my oracle courses or well how to be a proper oracle. There’s even rituals in here of summoning the gods, not just speaking to them but actually summoning them to my aid,” she says excited.
Aranea first thought through her head is ‘oh shit this oracle wants to summon the Astrals’. Aranea clears her throat, “sorry summoning the Astrals?”
“Yes, summoning them and having them do my bidding or so it says here,” she points excitedly at the text. “Of course, it’s not without consequence. I have to be near death in order to do half of these summons or in a very weaken state, but it is possible.”
Aranea clasps her hands together in prayer position. “Please don’t summon the Astrals while we are on this rinky dink of a boat.”
Luna laughs brightly, “of course did you think I would?”
“You were excited enough,” she glances at her worried. “It is weird though. How all this information was never brought up to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well an oracle able to summon the Astrals. You’re more powerful than the Lucis line if you are able to do that. They can only talk to them if you allow it right?”
“Yes, and I don’t understand?”
Aranea sighs, “Luna this means no one in Niflheim knows about the extent of your possible powers or Insomnia. You could use it as a bargaining chip if you need to. I mean why would you offer a Prince of Niffheilm and Prince of Lucis to come together if the oracle can do all this,” she waves her hands around. “Doesn’t make sense does it,” she raises an eyebrow. “I just wouldn’t say all of what an oracle can do. Not even to me…well especially not to me.”
“I suppose so,” she sighs. “However, you have taken care of me when you didn’t know who I was,” she says touching Aranea gently on the wrist. “You do have some kindness I can’t ignore but I won’t speak anymore of it.”
Aranea nods her head, “yeah that might be best…also memorizing that book as fast as possible. Someone might try to steal it,” she grins.
Luna quirks her lips, “hmm I suppose so,” she says as the ferry blasts it’s horn. “Is that our stop?”
Aranea nods her head, “I think so.” She motions her head towards the exit. “Come on gather your things and let’ get moving. Gotta see what sort of transportation we can use since we lost ole reliable.”
Luna chuckles, “yes old reliable ridden with bullet holes?”
Aranea snorts, “hey it got us part of the way. Who knows what’ll be able to find? Come on let’s get to the top of the boat princess. We have to move quickly.”
Luna nods her head and follows after Aranea climbing the steps up towards the deck of the ship. The breeze shocks her feeling warmer than before but still cool.
“It’s a bit warmer here,” she asks as Aranea looks over the top of heads of people.
“Oh yeah wait til we go through Lestallum. That place is a literal boiler due to the fact there’s an actual star there,” she laughs before spotting Biggs. She grabs Luna’s hand and begins to push through the people taking pictures off the side of the boat as they come to port.
“Update,” she asks Biggs Luna standing behind her.
Biggs looks over at Luna and smiles, “no changes noted at this time. Doesn’t seem to be any followers or straggler from the last port.”
“Stragglers,” asks Luna looking over at Aranea.
Aranea scratches her neck underneath the collar. “Just some people looking to capture you. Not a big deal.” Luna’s eyes widen like saucers. “I don’t think they saw us get on the boat so we might have some time before they find out our next spot. But if you see anyone dressed in all black or out of place don’t run just get prepared for a fight.”
Luna nods her head, “then those people are part of Niflheim?”
“Yes,” Aranea lies, “they’ll say they are glaives or Crownsguard, but they’re disguised as them. We can’t trust anyone in uniform until we get you to Insomnia.”
Luna nods her head. “Ok I understand,” she says as the ship begins to back into the port. “What do we do now?”
“Now,” she says looking over at the port seeing a familiar golden sparkling . “And we got the perfect transportation. No cars,” she tells Biggs seeing Wedge arrive with two packs of gear. “They’ll be expecting it. I mean it’ll take longer to get there but-”
Wedge beams, “no car meaning chocobos!”
Biggs nudges Wedge, “hush don’t shout it for all to hear,” he grumbles as the announcer projects on the microphone to gather all belonging and make a way to the wooden railing.
“Chocobos? I don’t understand aren’t they wild?” Asks Luna as Aranea grins.
“Have you never ridden one,” she asks.
“Not exactly,” she says following the crowd of people keeping up with Aranea.
“,” she states with a straight face watching Luna turn into a blushing disaster. Yes, she still has it. So, what if it makes Luna look cute that’s not the point.
Luna sighs, “yes well wouldn’t know much about that,” she says waving her hand. “But I suppose you do, unless it’s all for show,” she smiles at her. “Yes, I can see it now trying to compensate for something are we,” he teases.
Aranea sputters before looking away, “alright good one let’s just finds our rides and get moving.”
“Oh, pinched a nerve,” she teases as they make their way to the chocobo rental post. Maybe once they get the chocobos and the fed for the journey the trip will get better. I mean how bad can it be. They don’t look too suspicious. Who is going to pull over a group of people riding helpless chocobos down the street? Doesn’t seem likely. This is going to be the perfect disguise.