(Y/n) and Gladio enter the Crow's Nest. They spot Cor sitting at the bar with a cup of coffee. Hearing them approach, he places his warm beverage down. "'Bout time." He looked at the shield as he sat down, but his attention was diverted to the Horseman standing behind him. "Never expected your friend was a Horseman, Gladio."

"You two know each other?" The brute asked.

"We've meet a couple of times, nothing more." He turned around and gave his full attention to the redhead. "Nice to see you again, War."

"You as well, Marshal," (Y/n) replied.

One of the servers behind the counter walks over to take Gladio's order. "What'll it be?"

"Just a water's fine," Gladio said. "Thanks."

"And what about you, miss?"

"I'm fine," the Horseman replied.

The server walks away. Cor focuses his gaze forward, pushing his cup of coffee aside. "Allow me to ask you once more: are you sure you're ready to take on the Blademaster?"

(Y/n)'s eyes narrow as she listened to the conversation. She decided to keep her lips sealed, wishing to support his decision.

"I went up against the high commander and got my ass handed to me. I didn't stand a chance. And I never will unless I get more power," Gladio explained.

"Then answer my question: are you ready or not?" The marshal asked.

"You think I would've called you here if I weren't?"

Cor turns his head and looks Gladio directly in the eyes. "So you're ready to face death?" Both men are silent for a moment before the marshal continues. "Gilgamesh awaits challengers in the deepest recesses of those ruins. It's been thirty years since we uncovered the caves. We've sent countless expeditions, but all of our efforts have afforded us no rewards...and no survivors."

"Except for you," Gladio corrected. "You undertook the trial, and you made it back alive."

The marshal said nothing for a long moment. Finally, he casts his eyes down as he speaks, "Barely." He gets up from his seat. "Let's move."

(Y/n) and Gladio follow Cor out of the Crow's Nest. They left the rest area and headed towards the location of the path leading into the Tempering Grounds. During their trek, the marshal was the first to break the silence. "Never in my entire life would I see the one Horseman who hates mankind traveling alongside the king's sworn shield."

"(Y/n)'s been with us for a while now," Gladio explained.

Cor was perplexed at the name, having never heard it. "(Y/n)?"

"My name," the Horseman clarified. "I'm the only Horseman who refuses to let go of their true name. Guess I never told you that, marshal."

"You haven't told me much, War," Cor retorts. "Out of all the Horsemen I talked to the day before the empire attacked, you clearly didn't want to talk. I could tell how much you abhorred the idea when His late Majesty asked you and your sisters to help evacuate the city. You've changed."

"Good," she stated. "Change is what I was hoping to achieve."

Cor then changed the subject of the conversation, his next question being directed at Gladio. "Did you tell your friends why you were taking off?"

"Just said it was "business." Didn't want 'em getting all worried about me," Gladio said.

"Or knowing your pride took a beating," Cor remarked. "But you're fine telling a Horseman."

"Yeah, well, she would've found me whether I told her or not."

The crimson-haired girl lifted her head and glanced at him. "You seriously think I would've tracked you down?"

"No, but if one of the guys were to ask, you would've," he stated.

She looked away. "Can't deny that..."

Proceeding into the Tempering Grounds, they're almost immediately greeted by the sight of corpses of long-dead warriors littering the gorge. Some were impaled to the stone walls with weapons, hanging lifelessly. Walking past a few, they stopped for a brief second when witnessing smoke-like azure-colored energy float down into the corpses. As the strange aura flowed into the dead warriors, they slowly rose to their feet.

(Y/n) glanced around at the undead warriors as they stalked towards them. "My kind of people."

Gladio was shocked by the reanimated corpses. "They're alive?!"

"Not for long!" Cor leapt into action, cutting down one of the undead warriors. Gladio summoned his greatsword while War conjured her own crimson-bladed sword. They sliced through the reanimated corpses, continuing forward.

Enemies fell one after another. Cor, Gladio, and (Y/n) used their combined strength to cut a path through the reanimated corpses. The moment War yanked her blade out of an undead warrior's chest, an unfamiliar voice rang out. "Have you come to prove your might?"

For a split second, Gladio ceased fighting to question the voice. "Who are you?"

"One of many who haunt these grounds, following our leader in death as in life. Naught but our souls remain, clinging to the vestiges of our past."

"Why?"

"To test those determined to become the King's Shield, and prepare them to inherit the power they pursue."

"The Blademaster's men have sworn their loyalty both before and beyond the grave, scaring off the unworthy," Cor stated, slicing another walking corpse in half.

"Then they'd better prepare for disappointment. I don't scare easy." Gladio swung his greatsword around, striking down a pair of enemies.

(Y/n) switched to a bow, finishing off the last undead warrior with a single arrow to the head. She dematerialized her weapon with a huff. "Looks like that was the last one."

"Keep on your guard," Cor warned.

They proceeded deeper into the Tempering Grounds. They made their way through a crevasse, where they soon came to a cavern entrance requiring them to crouch to gain entry. A short distance within, they come to a rapidly running brook streaming down a slope. Gladio stared at the rushing water. "Only way to go is down..."

Gladio gets into the water and lets it carry him down into the depths of the cavern, landing in an area filled with water slightly higher than ankle-deep. (Y/n) and Cor followed the shield and rode the water down the slope, landing beside him in the shallow pond.

Sensing a threatening presence from the water, War summoned her sword. "Prepare yourselves. We've got trouble."

Suddenly, an enormous snake called a brunnrsomr emerges from the water and targets the trio. Gladio armed himself, not frightened by the creature's size. "He ain't going down without a fight."

They faced off against the large brunnrsomr. The Horseman remembered her tactics when she fought against the midgardsormr in the Cleigne region. Although the snakes were different, their movements were nearly the same and she easily was able to slice off its tail. It wriggled around in pain, but it was soon silenced by Gladio and Cor.

"Well done, War," the marshal commented. "Your quick thinking made what could've been a lengthy battle a short one."

"Yeah, well, this isn't my first tango with a large snake," she stated. "Once you've fought one, you've fought them all. Only difference is their scale colors."

While the two were chatting, Gladio noticed the cavern began to take on an eerie green hue. He looks around when he could no longer hear (Y/n) or Cor to find himself alone. Then, he noticed a hooded humanoid silhouette materialize from azure smoke. The figure wields a katana in its right hand, its left arm missing. "You come to prove yourself worthy of my mantle?" The figure questioned.

"I do. I am here to undertake the Trial of Gilgamesh," Gladio replied.

"And what is it you hope to glean?"

He raises his hand and clenches it into a fist. "Power-and you're gonna give it to me."

Gilgamesh dispells his katana. "Is that so?" He replaces the katana with a large broadsword, then quickly charges at Gladio.

"Ready or not!" The shield shouts, conjuring his greatsword. He faces off against the Blademaster, swinging his sword and dodging attacks. However, Gilgamesh was powerful and easily absorbed the brunt force of Gladio's attacks. Nothing could stun him and he was able to knock the brute over time and time again.

Eventually, Gladio finds his sword locked with Gilgamesh's in a recreation of the position he was in when he fought Ravus. The Blademaster was unfazed as he looked down at the shield. "Brute force alone does little to impress. Only he who possesses both muscle and mettle of equal caliber deserves the honor of fighting beside the Chosen King as his sworn Shield."

Gladio briefly flashes back to his confrontation with Ravus before questioning the entity in front of him. "You saying I don't?"

Gilgamesh breaks their sword lock, knocking Gladio to the ground. "A great evil threatens the people of your world. It is but the King of Kings and his Shield who can safeguard their lives. All those unworthy or unwilling to rise to the task meet their end here, by my blade."

"I ain't meeting mine any time soon. This "trial" hasn't even begun," he spat.

"If you do not fear death, then go forth with reckless abandon and prove your worth." The Blademaster turns and vanishes in a cloud of azure smoke. The lighting of the cave returns to normal.

After a silent moment alone, Gladio speaks aloud to himself, "You are ready for this."

"In that case, let the trials begin," Cor said.

The shield turned around and found both the marshal and (Y/n) standing a few feet away. He walked over to them, amber eyes focused on the man. "So, the Blademaster..."

"He's a master of blades," Cor responded. "What-were you expecting something profound?"

Gladio looked over at the Horseman. "You've ever heard of him?"

"These caves were discovered thirty years ago, right? There's no way I would know anything about Gilgamesh. This is the first time I've heard of him," she said. "Thinking back, I never even read about someone named Gilgamesh in the books Vanaheim had to offer. But who knows? Maybe my people did know of his existence."

Cor's brows knitted together in bewilderment. "Vanaheim? The last time I heard that name was years ago. How do you know about it?"

"We have one helluva story to tell you, marshal," Gladio said. "Let's find a place to rest before we go into any details."

The three continue on, scaling a small ledge and ascending a stone stairway that begins to lead them up out of the cavern. Before long, they come to a campsite. They sat down and decided to rest for a short while.

"You wanna tell him?" Gladio asked the Horseman. "Or should I?"

(Y/n) met Cor's gaze. "Vanaheim was my kingdom and I was once its queen nearly a millennia ago. Of course, my title of queen rings hollow and holds no meaning. You mentioned an expedition. What was King Regis hoping to find?"

"The Crystal," Cor answered. "Our hopes were to locate it and bring it back to the city. However, our expedition team never returned."

"Hate to break it to you, but no one will be able to find Vanaheim or the Crystal," she said. "Not even the empire."

"So it isn't a myth..."

"No. If it was..." She summoned a dagger, admiring the scarlet crystal shards that appeared. "I wouldn't be able to use its power. Even if you were to find Vanaheim at the bottom of the ocean, there's no way you'd be able to extract the Crystal. It remains in the throne room of my palace, untouched by the erosion of the current and time. It shall forever remain out of grasp. Not even the Tidemother would help."

"Sounds to me like it's safer at the bottom of the ocean," Gladio chimed in.

"It is."

"The damned soul of a queen accompanying the soon-to-be King of Lucis," Cor chuckled. "Not even the craziest person could make that up. Even I'm having difficulty believing that."

"Whether you believe it or not doesn't change the fact that it's the truth," (Y/n) remarked.

"I'm sure you'll have me believing before this trip is over with."

The three rested for a little while longer at the campsite before deciding to continue their trek. Cor warned Gladio and War to be wary of their surroundings as they left the campsite located in the Alcove of Reprieve.

Continuing to make their way through the cavern, the disembodied voice they first heard when facing against the undead warriors projected its voice once again to Gladio. "Your skill is impressive. You may have the strength to defeat the darkness...but do you have the spirit to survive these trials?"

"For a departed soul, it sure has a lot to say..." (Y/n) mumbled.

"You mean like you?" Gladio smirked.

The Horseman was silent for a few seconds before replying, "...I walked right into that one."

The shield guffawed at her response. "Couldn't pass up the opportunity."

Deeper into the cavern, they encountered more enemies. They fought against the powerful adversaries, but they proved to be more challenging than the previous battles. Cor and Gladio remained on the front lines while (Y/n) backed away to provide healing. It was minimal and only healed the minor scrapes and bruises from the fight. She remained on healing duty for a time before switching to offensive magic. Using a fire incantation, she fried a few enemies that were trying to attack her allies from behind.

With the way now clear, they proceeded forward. They come to a wall made of rock formations curved inward on one another. It also appeared to be sealed by a magical talisman consisting of a sword stuck in the ground with several ropes tied to it. What caught their attention the most was the blade of the sword radiated with cerulean energy.

"Ooh, fancy," (Y/n) blandly stated.

Gladio admires the sword. "What's this?"

"A trial chamber," Cor explained. "The hand-holding stops here-good luck."

Without wasting a second, Gladio grabs the grip of the sword. The ropes vanish in a flash of light and he pulls the blade from the ground. The entire weapon then vanishes in a burst of light. The rock wall crumbles away, revealing a small cave. He enters, leaving the marshal and the Horseman behind.

Cor watched Gladio enter the trial chamber before turning his gaze towards the redhead. He crossed his arm with a stoic expression. "So tell me-what do you hope to gain by traveling with His Highness?"

She glared lightly at him. "You make me sound like I have an ulterior motive. Do you believe I'd hurt Noctis or any of his retainers?"

"His late Majesty believed you and your sisters were trustworthy and I would never second-guess his judgement," the marshal responded. "I only want to know why you made such a decision to travel with them. You're clearly capable of handling anything or anyone that comes your way."

"My sisters brought up a couple good points. Speaking honestly, they're the ones who convinced me to travel with His Highness. They said it could possibly help my hunt and they were right. The bunyips are dead and the only monster that remains is the dullahan. They also mentioned I could teach Noctis a thing or two."

"And how'd that go?" Cor asked out of curiosity.

"Well. He's a fast learner, I must say. I thought it would've been a pain in the ass to teach him."

"Never expected a Horseman to aid His Highness on his journey. I know whatever you teach him will be invaluable."

"Let's just hope he took my teaching to heart. I'm not the best of teachers..."

Their attention was drawn to the trial chamber when they heard a strange sound. Entering the chamber, they follow after Gladio when the stone wall recedes, revealing a hidden path.

"Stand tall, for the Shield of the King must kneel in subjugation before no man," the disembodied voice said to the shield.

"Thanks for the advice-and for the pick-me-up," Gladio remarked. Making his way down the passageway, he came across the campsite located at the Cliffs of Calm. There, Cor and (Y/n) regrouped with him.

"Well, you made it out alive. Your first trial may have ended, but many more await you on your road to an audience with the Blademaster. Prepare yourself," Cor said.

Due to their recent battles with powerful enemies and Gladio facing his first trial alone, the trio needed to recuperate their strength. They opted to rest at the campsite for a short while before heading to the next trial chamber.

While Cor and Gladio chatted with one another, (Y/n) got to her feet and wandered to the ledge near the campsite. Her eyes focused on the darkness of the deep abyss below. The deeper they delved into Taelpar Crag, the less sun that reached the lower levels. Haphazardly, she stepped closer to the edge. The top of her shoes hung over the ledge as her upper body tilted forward. Her entire body began to fall forward, but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the ledge.

Turning her head, War saw Gladio had been the one to keep her from falling. She blinked in surprise at seeing him glare at her, staring into his amber eyes. "What's with the scary look?"

"You weren't seriously expecting to fall, were you?" He questioned, his voice lower than usual.

She casted her (e/c) eyes down at the ground. "Maybe I was. I'm no stranger to the cold embrace of death. Sometimes I even prefer it. Why stop me? You know the fall wouldn't kill me."

His grip tightened on her arm. "You may not be bothered by death, but I am. Seeing your lifeless body every time I close my damn eyes is too much for me. And don't even get me started on when you died from blood loss that day in Malmalam Thicket. If you think I'm gonna let you fall to your death by throwing yourself off this cliff, you've got another thing comin'."

She freed herself from his grasp. "You just need to focus on the trials. You're here to get stronger, not deal with my issues. I can handle those myself." She stepped away from the cliffside and walked toward the pathway leading up. "If you're done resting, we should head out."

Gladio didn't want to spark an argument with the Horseman in such a dangerous place. He decided to drop the subject and focus on the task ahead. "Right... Let's get going."