Noctis awoke with a groan, as he rolled himself off the bed. He had rented a room in the inn space just above Teddy's, and for the first night in what seemed like an eternity, Noctis was able to rest well. It was still early and the sun had yet to fully rise, but it was something that Noctis had just become accustomed to over the years. Gathering his things and buckling his cape over his back, Noctis took the key to the room and proceeded down the stairs, handing it to the lovely barkeep, flashing a smile as he waved and made his way out of Teddy's.

With his plans set for the foreseeable future, Noctis' first order of business was to make his way back to the site where he had found Dane's symbol etched into the foundation. With his confidence in the arsonist's identities, Noctis was sure he could find out more in the light of day. With the distance from Teddy's to the Eighth District being a fair distance, Noctis figured he'd arrive at the building just as the sun came into it's full prominence in the sky.

The walk was far less eventful in the daylight, with people on the street paying Noctis little mind as he paced along. As he entered into the Eighth District, the atmosphere seemed to shift slightly. The people who were around seemed more shrewd; cautious and weary from the repeated attacks. Noctis made sure to keep moving steadily to limit their anxieties as much as possible. Any undue attention wasn't likely to help him in the slightest.

As he rounded the corner once more, the husk of the building came into view. In the light of day, it became more apparent just how targeted the attack was. The surrounding buildings were just as likely targets, but care was taken to avoid damaging them, rocks lined along the side of the building to prevent the flames from spreading along the ground, while ash and soot seemed to be caked onto the neighboring buildings, as if they had been wet before the arson. Just outside the shell of the facility was a short man, yelling at a pair of uniformed men. "Dammit! Dammit dammit god dammit! I was out of town for one night, and this shit happens. With the prince pulling his shit and now this... God fucking- FUCK!"

The men taking the brunt of frustration were stunned as they hastily attempted to divert the blame with whatever excuses were available. With it now clear that the angry man was the owner, likely a slaver, Noctis made his move. Approaching the group, Noctis got the attention of the slaver. "Ahem, excuse me... Did you also fall prey to those filthy arsonists?"

Surprised, the short man turned to face Noctis, frustration still plastered over his face. "No shit, sherlock. What are you blind? If you're not here to bring me their heads, get lost." The man began to turn back, dismissing Noctis' appearance, when Noctis reeled the man in.

"Actually, that's exactly what I was suggesting. I'm actually a upstart bounty hunter looking to get my name out there. I'd be glad to work with you, free of charge. All you have to do is spread the word." Noctis explained, being keen to skirt around his true intentions. With the man's interest piqued, Noctis continued. "After the job is done, of course."

It was an offer normally too good to be true, and most people would be quick to pick up on it, but manipulating the emotionally vulnerable was a skill that came into play far more often than most would realize. Blinded by his own anger and frustration, the man quickly grasped Noctis hand firmly and shook. "You got yourself a deal. You two, get lost." The man quickly waved away the pair who had been watching along, and they were eager to take the excuse to distance themselves. With a firm handshake, Noctis found himself a bounty hunter, hired to bring in his companions.

"Alright, you come with me. Name's Skrandt, by the way. Lemme give you what we know." the short man introduced, tugging on Noctis sleeve to lead him down the sidewalk. Only after about a block of walking, Noctis and Skrandt arrived at a small office-type building, likely where Skrandt did the more tedious and menial portions of his job. Papers were stacked atop the desk inside the lone room, and a small waiting or recreational room was placed carefully and neatly, not having been used in a fairly long time.

Noctis took a seat on one of the recliners and propped his long leg up and over his knee. Skrandt waddled over to his desk and began to furiously dig through papers before announcing loudly. "Gotcha ya' shit. Alright alright, read up. This is what we victims know about these animals."

Skrandt tossed Noctis a clipboard with a handful of papers pinned onto it. It was a fairly basic bounty sheet, even more so than what marines and the government put out. There were no pictures or artist renditions, and instead it was a list of bullet points of their characteristics and motives. Noctis stifled a smile as he flipped through the sheets profiling his companions. Whoever had done it was clearly blinded by bias and did no actual research. Even without the pre-disposition towards slaves, some things listed were just blatantly false and downright slanderous.

"Reckless and unhygienic, with little to no care or consideration to others or their property. Likely tribalistic, or feral at worst. Likely targets temporary slave holdings looking for others to fulfill their cannibalistic desires." Noctis nodded along as he read the descriptors aloud. "Yep, sounds about right."

"Of course, I did it myself. I am an expert, after all." Strandt announced proudly before handing Noctis one final sheet of paper. "Here's where some of my colleagues figure their next target is. Too bad for those apes, all the cargo's been moved."

Listed on the paper was an address on the other end of the Eighth District. Whoever had pinpointed this location was clearly more competent than Strandt, as it actually made sense. It was far enough away that the attacks wouldn't seem locally concentrated, keeping their resting location secret. "Excellent. With this, I should be able to catch them in the act. Last night was uneventful. They should strike soon."

Noctis stood from the chair folding the address and shoving it into his pocket. Looking back to Strandt, he gave his farewells. Noctis knew this would likely be the last time he encountered him, but Noctis reassured the man regardless. "Next time you see me, I'll be back with their heads." With his final farewells out of the way, Noctis opened the door back into the streets of Baltigo and began to make his way to the address.

By the time Noctis neared his destination, dusk had rapidly approached. Yet, even as the sunset, the sky was still alight with a flickering orange glow. Immediately, Noctis understood what it meant, the flames had already been set ablaze, and he was late. Breaking into a run, Noctis hastily shoved pedestrians out of the way as he neared the scene, the smell of smoke growing with each step, and the panicked screams of the public coming closer. Afraid he might not get a second chance at reuniting with his friends, given the outrage the slavers held against them, Noctis leaped up onto the roof of the building in front of him rather than navigating around. From the higher vantage point, Noctis could see the inferno. But more than that, Noctis could see the commotion around it, it was more than simple panic. People were fighting, dying as the rather large building burned.

Noctis' initial thought was that Doce and Three had bitten off more than they could chew, and so he hopped off the roof and continued his charge towards the struggle. The street was littered with debris from the fire, as well as the bodies of those who were fighting. Slaves, underdressed and underarmed, constituted the majority of the casualties. Yet, among them were people Noctis didn't recognized. Well-dressed and ornately armed, those who fought and slaughtered the slaves looked as if they were pulled directly from a time long since passed. Quickly scanning the faces of those left scrapping in the streets, he didn't recognize anyone, including the standout Doce who was larger than even Noctis himself.

In his moment of concern, Noctis heard further commotion coming from within the burning building itself. Whoever was left inside was surely insane, as the building could collapse at any moment. Yet as Noctis gave it a second thought, he realized that brand of insanity was exactly the type of recklessness Doce often had. Against his own better judgement, Noctis barreled his way into the blaze, moving quickly to avoid the more concentrated fires.

The inside of the building was unbearably hot, and Noctis felt as if he could barely breathe. Yet pressing further into the building, the distinct sounds of fighting became clearer through the crackling and groaning of the structure. Covering his mouth, Noctis found himself at the entrance of a much larger room, double doors blocking his view and path. With a strong kick, Noctis blew the doors off their hinges as he was met with a most gruesome sight.

Doce, bloodied and motionless, was held almost effortlessly off the ground at the blade end of a scythe. The man at the other end was dressed much like the unidentified faction outside, but rather than seeming out of place in the attire, it seemed natural. His old skin and features indicating that it might actually be clothing from his life. With a swift yank and spin, the blade was pulled from Doce's torso causing him to fall lifelessly to the floor, his blood being spattered along the floor as the elderly man turned to face Noctis.



"Well, you don't look like the rest of the lot. Go on, get out of here... It's dangerous, you know?" the old man warned, slowly revealing his firearm that was hidden underneath his cloak.

Enraged at the sight of his companion being murdered, Noctis was beyond the point of recognizing that the man was issuing a threat rather than a warning. Rushing towards the killer, Noctis was quick to outpace the older gentleman physically, but experience and intuition gave the man the wherewithal to quickly fire his blunderbuss to slow Noctis down. With the firing of the buckshot, Noctis was just barely able to react to avoid taking the brunt of the spread, though several pellets found their way into his extremities, it wasn't a catastrophic wound by any means.

"Slow down there young blood, don't you know it's bad taste to not even introduce yourself? That fellow there was just like you, I swear. Those in the League call me the High Huntsman, but you can just call me Dex, just an old hunter doing his job." Dex elaborated, giving a short bow to Noctis who had been stopped by the earlier gunfire.

The old hunter was smart to create more distance as he fired the first time, understanding that he was at a physical disadvantage at his age. But this wasn't just something he alone understood. Noctis, who had grown up fighting, knew very well what Dex was doing. While his rage had blinded him for a moment, it was Noctis' discipline that would allow him to do Doce the greatest justice. Narrowing his eyes, he stared down Dex as the fire grew in intensity. The fight would have to be brief, neither party wanted to be inside any longer than necessary. With smoke now beginning to obscure vision even within the more open room they were in, Noctis made his move.

Running at a standard pace, Noctis approached Dex, ready to activate his Nagare the moment he raised his blunderbuss to fire. The sudden acceleration would allow Noctis to not only aim dodge the shot, but close the distance and finish the old hunter quickly. As predicted, Dex raised his gun to slow Noctis' advance. As his trigger finger tightened, Noctis pressed off the ground with Nagare, clearing the smoke briefly with his speed as Dex fired off into empty air. Now within striking range of the man, Noctis sent his heel straight into the elbow of the hunter's arm that held the firearm. With a crunch, Noctis removed the elderly man's ability to raise his gun to keep him at range. Yet despite the injury, the High Huntsman didn't seem to mind too much.

"We in the League don't fear death, son." Dex said, raking his scythe across Noctis arm, tearing into the skin before Noctis could pull his leg away fully. "But you do."

Dex's words struck a cord as Noctis pulled his body away from the hunter. A chill was sent down Noctis spine as he did fear dying, even if it was for a brief moment during their exchange. It was a feeling he had mostly rid himself of at a young age, but here, against this wizened and fearless man, Noctis was reminded. Almost in retaliation, Noctis thrust his arm up and into Dex, who was not fast enough to avoid the blade of wind from Noctis' technique. Yet again, Dex grasped Noctis' arm, pulling it deeper into his chest, and looked the longleg dead in the eye. "Wouldn't you believe it...? The hag was right. Least now I know for sure... I can leave this nightmare."

Noctis wasn't sure what the cryptic words meant, but it was more than the ramblings of a dying mad man, and it caused Noctis to recoil away, leaving Dex's dying frame to fall to the ground. Gripping the wound on his arm, Noctis turned to go find Three as soon as possible, only to see another of the Hunters standing at the other end of the room, stifling his laughter from behind an eyeless mask.


"Ahh... now that was satisfying. How envious am I, Dex? I can only imagine the relief." the masked hunter remarked, as if Noctis was invisible to him. Then, with sudden clarity, the man abruptly directed his attention to Noctis. "You'll find your prize there. We'll see each other again, so long as you have it. For tonight, I'm simply Tracker Lletz. Tomorrow though..."

It was as cryptic as everything else, but Lletz gestured to the open doors behind him and disappeared into the smoke with a crazed laughter. With no other clues to go on, and his time literally burning away around him, Noctis ran through the open doors. Three was all he had left, and he wasn't going to lose her too.

As Noctis ran, he couldn't help but shake the foreboding feeling that Lletz had given him. The hallway beyond the doors was short, but at the other end was a second set of doors, these more decorated than the previous. Smoke was billowing from the walls as they neared combustion, so with haste, Noctis reached to open the door, his hand snapping back as the handle had become too hot to touch. Again, Noctis was forced to use his alternative method, a firm foot placed squarely in the center of the door.

With a loud crack, the door was pulled from the wooden frame before falling with a loud thud. Rather than breaking the door, Noctis had simply torn it off. Smoke flowed out from the room and into the hall, forcing Noctis to cover his mouth and nose with his cloak before proceeding. The room was small, so it didn't take long for him to find himself at it's center, his sight completely obscured by the smoldering wood around him. Noctis took a step towards the back end of the small room, when his leg ran into an object just over shin height. Leaning down, he was able to cut through the smoke to see a human figure hunched over.

Quickly leaning down to get a better view, Noctis did his best to wave away the smoke. Immediately his eyes were drawn to the injuries along the person's back, which had been cut and burned. Then his eyes were drawn to the figure of the person, a figure he could recognize anywhere. Three. Quickly scanning her neck, he found the identifying brand that Dane had given her. From the outside, it was a scene that would have seemed off-putting and suspicious from the start, and deep down Noctis knew it as well. Three was motionless and unresponsive to Noctis' touch, and she was left in a position as if she were covering something. Still, Noctis reasoned that it was simply because of the heat, his denial and his heartache working against his mind.

Firmly shaking her by the shoulder, Noctis called out to Three. "Hey, c'mon. We gotta get out of here..."

Silence.

Again, Noctis tried to rouse her, his voice breaking as he spoke. "Three, we need to go. I'm gonna pay you back for what you did for me back then..."

Silence.

One more time, Noctis cried out, his tears quickly drying up as the flames intensified around him. "I'm gonna repay you Three. So please..."

With Noctis' once gentle shakes now becoming increasingly desperate, Three's body fell to the side, her eyes closed and her smile bright on her face. At the sight of the last of his companions smiling even in death, Noctis broke down, doing his best to avert his eyes from the truth that he didn't want to see. And in doing so, he found himself looking through blurry eyes at that which his friend died to protect.

A small, frail dwarf in the palm of her hand, unconscious but alive and breathing. Her face was troubled, as her surroundings became increasingly dire, but there was something serene about the dwarf that brought Noctis calm. Perhaps it was her pale skin or moonlight white hair, or maybe it was enough that his friend had not died entirely in vain. The dwarf's innocence resonated with Noctis and the drive to protect his friends and the final efforts made by Three to protect this girl found their way to him, and were made manifest in his honest desire to see this dwarf to safety, even if it cost him his life.

Gently, Noctis scooped up the small girl, and tucked her into the pocket in his shirt. Touching Three's hand gingerly for the last time, Noctis gave his final farewells. "You were a person in this world, not property, not a slave, but someone who meant more to me than you could have ever realized... Goodbye."

Standing up, Noctis made his way out of the small room that would become Three's funeral pyre and into the hallway. The building groaned loudly as it gave it's final breaths, the crack of imminent collapse echoing throughout the structure. With little time to think, Noctis acted on instinct, sprinting in the direction he had entered from, using Nagare not only to accelerate himself, but to keep the injured dwarf safe from further smoke inhalation as the drag around him tore through the air and peeled away the smoke. Passing Doce and Dex, Noctis ran through the doorway he had kicked in earlier, the sound of structural collapse roaring behind him. There was no time to mourn, or analyze the situation. The only thing that mattered was protecting what needed to be protected.

In this way, Noctis felt a strange connection with Three one last time. Perhaps this is how she felt in her final moments, giving her life for the sake of another. While Noctis appreciated the feeling, it was quickly washed away by the danger, and he had no intention of dying if he could help it. Lengthening his strides to their max, Noctis tore through the falling building, flying into the street like a fireball that was quickly extinguished. Just behind him, the building settled violently, covering the area in ash and smoke.

While the life threatening danger of the inferno was both figuratively and literally behind him, he and his dwarf companion weren't much safer in the Eighth District, surrounded by bodies and an ex-slave, Noctis had to distance himself from the site of a slave-driven arson and attack as quickly and discreetly as possible. Luckily, the collapse of the building had given him the perfect shroud to move undetected. Even if others had seen him leave, they couldn't see him through the cloud that had followed. Quickly, Noctis entered into an alleyway and continued down it's connecting side paths until he couldn't run any longer. At that point in time, Noctis had made his way out of the Eighth District and into the Ninth, and the moon sat firmly in the sky.

Resting along an abandoned alley, Noctis managed to sit against a wall. His eyes tired and pained from tears and smoke, he found himself asleep with a new companion.

[Complete]