bakerstreet | Only you can make that change.

[When the long night finally ended with the return of King Noctis, most people were both thrilled and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of destruction requiring repair in their home cities. The sun might have risen once more, but the damage done by monsters over the past ten years remained.

Still, with such daunting tasks ahead of them, the former residents of Insomnia were more than inspired to work to take back their homes under the leadership of their hero king and his close friends.

Linhardt was no different in that regard.

His brand of 'assistance' was different from most, however. He wasn't interested in physical labor, but instead offered up his talents as a healer, as he had done through the long night. Imagine his surprise when King Noctis and his retainers personally requested his assistance with a very sensitive matter.

They explained the situation to him privately. Apparently there was a single man behind most of the chaos, a cursed man named Ardyn, who they were currently keeping captive after he survived a massive battle with King Noctis. The king was able to help cleanse Ardyn of his curse, but with his unexpected survival, no one knew what to do with him.

They wanted Linhardt to use his rare talents to find out if their captive was truly free of daemonic influence.

How? He had no idea. But Lin wasn't one to pass up an amazing opportunity to investigate such an incredible phenomenon.

They showed him into the guestroom where Ardyn was kept prisoner. Lin immediately took in every detail he could, from the man's appearance to the chains supposedly keeping him in check while allowing enough movement to not be overly cruel.

He didn't feel any evil presence straight away. Interesting.]

I'm Linhardt. King Noctis wants me to make sure you're completely free of daemonic influence.

[He's always been very forward and no-nonsense. Nothing will change that.]

[He hated this. Hated everything about this, from the fact that he was still alive right down to being a chained prisoner again. Admittedly the accommodations were a vast improvement, but the situation still had him in a foul mood. Gods forbid his brother’s doppelgänger, the chosen brat have the decency to murder him now that he was painfully mortal, that would be far too kind.]

Oh, and His Majesty hasn’t the nerve to face me himself? [As a result, the former chancellor’s falsely affable nature was burned to cinders, Ardyn snarling like a cornered coeurl—if admittedly a sarcastic one.]

And how exactly do you plan to determine that? Wait and see if wretched damnable Adagium rips your head from your shoulders or not?

[They did warn him that Ardyn would be less than friendly, but also reassured him that he shouldn't be able to escape his chains.

Lin had to remind himself to keep calm and ignore any threats or attempts to intimidate him. If he was able to succeed here, then he might gain royal favor. That would help him get his hands on much rarer books and artifacts to study.

Curiosity was always his biggest motivator. Right now, he wanted to know all that he could about Ardyn. Was he really two thousand or so years old? And from royalty as well? Did he have similar healing abilities?]

From what I heard, the King faced you himself not long ago.

[Most people didn't know what happened. Noctis seemed determined to keep it that way. Lin tilted his head slightly as he looked over Ardyn, as if trying to see something particularly evil about him. This man wasn't what he expected.]

That's a good question. [He wouldn't listen to the talk of violence. That wouldn't help anyone.] I have an unusual ability to heal others with magic. Hopefully I can use that ability to determine if there is any evil still present within you.

[The explanation only served to irritate Ardyn further, yellow-gold eyes narrowed harshly in Linhardt’s direction.]

Oh, I see. So dear nephew has elected to taunt me with the fact that the kingdom bothers to employ a healer in this day and age? How delightfully vindictive, I’m almost proud of him.

[Logically, Ardyn knew that wasn’t the case. Knew that Noctis, gods praise and revere their beloved king, didn’t have a ‘vindictive’ bone in his body unlike his ancestors. But logic be damned, he didn’t care in the slightest. Even with the looming madness of the Starscourge gone, there was a very human rage and resentment left that hadn’t fully seen the light of day in two millennia.]

I suggest you take the wiser course of action by leaving and and informing dear Noct that I have no interest in complying with such a thing.

Edited (damn phone keyboard ) 2021-04-09 17:29 (UTC)

Employ isn't the right word. I'm more of a volunteer.

[Money hadn't regained its usefulness just yet. Having a safe place to live and food to eat was much more valuable, and he was being provided those things for work he wanted to do regardless.

Ah, but Ardyn's response held more tidbits of information than expected. Fascinating.]

So you really are royalty from ages ago, aren't you? I wasn't sure I believed that at first.

[Wiser course or not, he wasn't going anywhere. Wisdom flew out the window when his curiosity was involved.]

You don't really have a choice. [He shrugged a shoulder. That was a simple fact.]

I’ve noticed I have little choice in most things, in fact.

[It was starting to look like anything Lin said was just going to make Ardyn snap at him with increasing fury, barely restrained as it was. But all things considered, he didn’t have a lot of ways to vent immeasurable anger except to be confrontational and—in his mind, justifiably—livid.]

If not beholden to the will of the gods, then to the will of the heir to an illegitimate crown stained with blood. Whyever should I dare think my will ever factors in to such things? Believe what you will, child of a stolen kingdom, for I have no patience and even less tolerance for matters in which I am forced to have no say.

[He was, of course, warned that Ardyn wouldn't want to comply, but when Lin was excited about something, he rarely considered warnings beforehand.

He sighed loudly before Ardyn could quite finish speaking. It was a rude thing to do, but Lin was also short on patience.]

Working with you is going to be exhausting, isn't it?

[And just to punctuate his point, he went to sit on a chair on the other side of the room.]

I can't leave, and you want to choose what happens to you. Can we meet somewhere in between? Tell me what will make you more cooperative.

Oh, I hope so. If all that remains in my control is the power to be a problem until Noct decides it’s best to be rid of me, then I will endeavor only to excel in that.

[Briefly, Ardyn entertained the idea of what would happen if Lin were to go flying out the window, but without daemonic strength that was impractical. Shame. The look on Noctis’ face would have been hilarious.]

You really don’t fully believe your own precious king’s explanation, do you? Tell me, what is it he even bothered to explain to you before casting you like bait to a shark?

[Now that got Lin's attention. Did Ardyn want to die? He never considered the possibility.

There was a lot that King Noctis didn't tell him. Maybe he hoped this job would be a simple one.]

I know that you were behind the starscourge. And that you were immortal because of the curse of daemonic possession. I was also told that you were royalty.

[There had to be more, of course. No story was so simple.]

Do you want to die? [That was a hard question to ask. The look on his face should say as much.]

Behind it? Oh, whatever helps him sleep at night. I’m sure he would love for it to be so simple, but the plague that ravaged the land until recently precedes even me. This world was bound to rot beneath a blighted sky no matter what I did, but it’s certainly easier to shoot the messenger. I certainly didn’t stop it, in all fairness.

[Ardyn shrugged, with a harsh and cold laugh utterly lacking in humor.]

I died when your blessed Founder drove a blade through my chest. The fact that I am still here is no more than the cruelty of the gods and proof that worthless Bahamut cares nothing for keeping his word. If someone were to drive a stake in my chest just to be rid of the monster of legend, I would commend their initiative and perish cursing House Caelum and my own bloodline.

[That was a lot of information. The King and his retainers made no mention of the gods.

They probably hoped he would come in, do his job, and then leave. Maybe they thought Ardyn wouldn't want to talk to him.

He was definitely in over his head and he hadn't even begun to decide how to proceed.]

Maybe it isn't cruelty. The King wouldn't have asked for my help if he thought you didn't deserve a second chance.

[But what did he know? Not nearly enough. And, having spent his teenage years in the long night with hardly any friends, Lin hardly felt equipped to respond adequately. Yes, he knew depression and hardship, but this was different.]

Wouldn't you like to try living as a regular person?

I couldn't care less what he thinks I deserve. He presumes much and knows little, precious pawn of the Astrals that he is.

[Ordinarily, maybe he wouldn't have wasted his time. But in Ardyn's onw mind, if Noctis wanted a passive and cooperating prisoner then he was in for a nasty shock. He may have given up on most things, but bitter anger wasn't one of them.]

I am not a 'regular person', neither do I care to learn how to be one. Who and what I may be is irrelevant; whether as Ardyn Lucis Caelum or whatever horrific monster the Founder King chose to depict, I have no interest in 'living' whatsoever. Why should I, in a world made of naught but disappointment and rejection?

[Again, Ardyn hit him with stunning information. Lin's eyes widened and he was on his feet before he realized it.]

The founder king himself was involved in this?

[How much history had been lost of the ages? Ardyn could teach him so much!

...But he wasn't interested in that, was he? Maybe Lin could make him see his future prospects differently. That wasn't his job, but Ardyn was a person, not just a 'thing' to be experimented on.

Noctis might have made a mistake asking for his help. Lin was more loyal to himself and his own interests than to a king he hardly knew.]

I want to know everything. [No. He needed to know everything. History, knowledge, and maybe even the location of lost artifacts.]

There must be something I could do for you. Something that could change your mind.

Well...I suppose you could entertain me for a brief while. If it's information you seek, I can think of no other living who knows the truth of the kingdom's inception.

[Ardyn leaned his head on his hand, raising an eyebrow slightly. Was that genuine interest from Noct's newest little pawn on the board? Maybe he could use that, exploit a weakness to get himself the hell out of here and disappear off the face of the planet never to be seen or heard from again.]

[And all he'd have to do was speak honestly. What a deep hole the gods had dug for themselves in that respect.]

What do you say? Have you a bit of spare time to hear a story?

[He was interested and excited. This was beyond thrilling, and such a unique opportunity that he couldn't possibly pass it up.]

Of course!

[Lin looked over at Ardyn, then over to the door. He bit his bottom lip, wondering if he could find something to record this information, or if Ardyn would change his mind if he left.]

Would you mind if I brought something back to record this? I could bring something for you as well.

[He wasn't sure how well Ardyn was being treated. Lin understood the need for restraints, but was he being taken care of adequately otherwise?]

I suppose I could allow that.

[...This was paying off sooner than he expected. True, he was treated well enough apart from the restraint--bleeding heart Noctis was, that was to be expected. Still, he couldn't very well turn down the offer.]

A bottle of wine might not hurt, if you can find one.

[Lin smiled in his excitement, and readily nodded at Ardyn's request.]

If there is one to be found, I will find it.

[When he is determined, rare as it is, nothing can stand in his way. Hopefully King Noctis' retainers won't learn what he's up to and decide to take him off the case.

...Not that this is meant to be a case. He's supposed to be making sure Ardyn is free of daemons, not recording his stories.

Lin leaves the room and walks past the guards stationed at the door with purpose, hoping they won't question him. It takes some time, but he's able to locate a functioning tape recorder. Even more searching turns up a bottle of wine.

This might be rare, so he had better keep it hidden in his long coat.

When he finally returns, locking the door behind himself, Lin looks quite pleased. He puts the tape recorder down on a table and then retrieves the bottle of wine from his coat.]

Never doubt a scholar on a mission.

My, aren't you a clever one.

[Very brave, or very foolish. Ardyn hadn't quite figured out which one for certain, but he was leaning heavily towards the latter. He smiled in much the way a daemon would have 'smiled' at wounded prey, trying to measure just what he thought of this situation. Surely Noctis would hate it if everyone he sent to Ardyn ended up learning the truth of how he'd come to be there. They might end up doubting the king himself, and what a crying shame that would be.]

There should be some glasses in that cabinet, if you'd like to get us a pair. Then perhaps you can tell me where you would like me to begin.

I do what I can.

[Growing up in the chaotic world of darkness, brave and foolish often melded together. It was difficult to rely on anyone but oneself, with friends and family constantly concerned about their own survival.

Lin had to rely more on his wits and magic to get by- difficult enough with his mind and body frequently demanding sleep, even if he was trying to travel or even in the middle of a conversation.

He hoped he wouldn't fall asleep while Ardyn was talking.]

That sounds good.

[He found the glasses easily enough and placed one in front of Ardyn and the other on the table with the tape recorder. He poured himself just a little, then a more generous amount for Ardyn. He left the bottle within the man's reach, just in case he wanted more.]

The beginning. Where else?

We may be here quite some time if that’s to be the case, but if you insist.

[He’d planned on starting there regardless—maybe part of him was almost eager for some reason. Was it the desire to turn Noctis’ soldiers against him, the usual need for attention, or something else?]

[Well, that didn’t matter right now. Pausing only to take a drink and think his words over briefly, Ardyn began to speak.]

The particulars of the Astral War and fall of Solheim, I know little more than any other; if ever I was aware of detail that history is not, I have long forgotten. But the fact is this; following the civilization’s collapse and humanity’s slow reemergence into function, it was House Caelum that was charged with guardianship of the divine Crystal. This you surely know, as do you know the generation which began the monarchy was that of His Majesty Somnus Lucis Caelum.

[Just saying it warranted another drink to conceal an expression of disgust.]

What you do not know that this generation was not one, but two. Somnus was the younger of a pair of brothers, and it was his elder which was blessed by the gods to carry out a calling most sacred. A healer, much like you. Before such powers dwelled mainly in the line of Fleuret- [the corner of his mouth twitched, as if consciously repressing another vicious snarl] -such responsibilities also laid with the noble house that had yet to be true royalty.

[After turning the recorder on, Lin listened intently to Ardyn's words, quickly drawn into the story. It was far too exciting to hear someone who lived two thousand years ago talk about such ancient history from personal experience.

Of course he was fascinated to hear about Somnus' older brother. Out of everything, he definitely did not expect that.

And a healer as well? The surprise must have been clear on Lin's face.]

So you are the founder king's older brother.

[It feels so strange to say that out loud.]

Please, continue.

I am indeed. Three years his elder, and a fair bit taller. [...Even after an eternity, some things were still a competition.] Ardyn Lucis Caelum, at your most humble service.

[He smiled in a way that didn't reach his eyes, which were locked directly on Linhardt. Evaluating his reactions, weighing exactly what words to use even if none of them were truly dishonest.]

Dear brother and I rarely saw eye to eye on how best to contend with the scourge. For though my power was granted by the very gods, it was limited by mortal hands. I was but one healer, and no matter how tirelessly I worked, the afflicted were beyond measure. How was it he phrased it...

'As you save one, how many others fall ill? When the land is full of daemons, will you continue to try to treat them one by one? Better to end them all now and stay ahead of the scourge, before it brings ruin to us all.'

[Ardyn spoke his brother's words with a mocking chill to them; disgusted less by the intent these days and more just the concept of Somnus in general. Which of them had been right or wrong no longer held meaning, especially with dawn returned to the star. It changed nothing, least of all how much Ardyn hated him.]

He preferred to see full settlements put to the flame, he and Gilgamesh alike. Better dead than a bloodthirsty monster, I'm sure he thought. Some of us would sooner have salvaged what we could, but gods forbid I try to do something kind.

[It really was no wonder that King Noctis wasn't prepared to kill Ardyn. They were family, then, if extremely distantly so.

Quite a few things seemed to make sense upon learning that information, even if Lin still only knew a small portion of the story.]

You tried to heal the scourge, and yet you were still cursed.

[Another person might not have made a connection right away, but since Lin's healing magic was not the 'pure' sort of the oracles, he wondered if Ardyn's magic was more like his own.

Did he take the pain or sickness into himself when he healed another person?

Lin wouldn't have even thought to do something like that with the scourge. He wouldn't have thought it was possible.]

Did you realize what that would...

[No. His own voice didn't belong on the recorder, and he had a limited amount of tape. So he pressed pause.]

Did you know what would happen if you cured those people?

Oh, you are a bright one, aren't you? I'm quite impressed, actually.

[That sounded surprisingly genuine. No one else had ever questioned the potential consequences of what Ardyn was doing back then, and yet it sounded as though Linhardt had puzzled it out after the fact with no issue. Sure, he knew there was or had been some deep corrupting force within Ardyn, but given that he was sure most were too damn stupid to guess without being told, seeing the alternative still managed to catch him off guard.]

[Maybe...no. Surely the gods wouldn't curse someone else with such a blessing when the Oracle line was right there with a similar and yet improved power. No point to it but cruelty, even if Bahamut was not above cruelty in general.]

At first? Not at all--one tends to be quite stupid when they think they're charged with a higher calling. But it was hard not to figure it out after a while--it wasn't as if I were immune entirely. Once the symptoms began manifesting, I took great pains to conceal it at all costs while I continued my work.

Even then, of course I couldn't imagine I would turn into some fabled monster. I rather assumed I would merely die in a handful of years and aimed to bring the scourge to an end before then.

It's not that.

[Lin didn't know much about the gods. He heard stories, of course, but they weren't an important part of his life. There is so much that passed him by thanks to the ten years of dark, where only survival mattered.

At least he had most of his childhood to look back on. Even if his relationship with his parents was never very good.

He frowned while listening to Ardyn continue. He understood parts, but plenty of other details weren't fitting together. Instead of explaining their similarities and asking more questions, he chose to reach out and press 'play' on the recorder again.]

So you used your healing abilities to cure scourge victims. What happened after the symptoms manifested?

Only you can make that change.

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