In the afternoon, the royal retinue was informed by Talcott of a legend about a sword behind a waterfall. The group figures it was another royal arm and decided to find the waterfall Talcott mentioned. Luckily, they found the entrance and entered greyshire glacial grotto. Fighting daemons and the cold, they trudged through the convoluted layout of the frozen grotto.

After two hours of exploring, it felt as if they were going in circles and hitting the same dead ends. Seeing their pattern, Ignis spoke up. "Noct, if I may..."

"Don't ask," Noctis hissed.

"Yep, we're lost," Gladio confirmed.

"Don't answer!"

"Don't know where we came from, don't know where we're goin'," Prompto said.

Continuing to explore, the royal retinue tried to make sense of their surroundings before proceeding forth. They continued to fight packs of daemons and traverse dangerous terrain while searching for the royal tomb.

Deeper inside greyshire glacial grotto, Prompto noticed a black blur dash by in the corner of his eye. His head snapped in the direction it disappeared in and swallowed nervously. "Wh-What was that?!"

"Jumpin' at shadows again?" Gladio inquired.

"N-No, I saw something! It ran that way!" Prompto pointed in a random direction.

"I didn't see anything," Noctis chimed in.

"I'm not crazy!" The blonde shrieked.

"Then go and take care of it," the shield retorts. "You know where it went."

"No way!"

"Then stop complainin'."

"B-But... Ugh!" Prompto glanced back in the direction the black blur vanished, praying to the Astrals whatever it was it would leave them alone. "We should've brought (Y/n) along..."

"Why's that?" Gladio asked.

"She slew a behemoth by herself!"

"So?"

"So she could help us! I mean, this place is crawling with daemons."

"You gonna make a lady do all the dirty work?" The shield grinned.

"What? No!" Prompto denied.

"I think her attitude is colder than this place," Noctis commented.

"Come now, Noct," Ignis chided. "'Tis possible she has a reason for acting in such a manner."

"Now I wanna ask her..."

"C'mon, Your Highness, get movin'," Gladio said, shoving the raven-haired boy forward.

Noctis shrugged the shield's hand off and proceeded across a narrow icy ledge. He watched each step carefully to avoid slipping with Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis following suit. When the blonde was halfway across, he glanced down. What he saw caused him to become petrified. A lump formed in his throat when noticing the creature's eight eyes were focused on him. "I-It's back!"

Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis followed his line of sight and saw the black creature.

"The hell is that thing?" Noctis murmured. "Is it a daemon?"

"I've never seen such a daemon," Ignis replied.

"New species, perhaps," Gladio said. "Just keep movin'. It can't get up here."

The four watched the unknown creature until they all were safely on the other side of the ledge. Leaving the creature be, they headed deeper into greyshire glacial grotto.

Another hour passed by. They were finally in a new area and closer to the royal tomb. While making their way across an icy ledge, the group was ambushed by five ronins. In the middle of the fight, two of the ronins tried to ambush Noctis from behind. Ignis warned the prince, but it was too late. The daemons leapt at the raven-haired boy with their blades aimed at him.

Before the daemons could skewer Noctis, a figure pushed him out of the way. The boy fell to the ground, dropping his sword in the process. When hearing someone cry out in pain, he looked up and his eyes widened in horror. In his place stood (Y/n). The ronins' blades pierced her chest and abdomen. The two daemons, seeing who they impaled, turned and fled the scene.

"(Y/n)..." Noctis murmured the girl's name.

The redhead glanced down at the prince for a split second before coughing up blood. She stumbled backwards, but kept herself from falling. Grabbing the hilt of the sword embedded in her abdomen, she met Gladio's horrified expression with her stoic one. Yanking the blade from her flesh, she let out a faint chortle as her wound healed in mere seconds, "Now do you believe me?" Tossing the bloodied blade aside, she wrenched out the second sword plunged in her chest. The second injury was healed just as quick as the first one.

Prompto pointed a shaky finger at the girl. "Y-You were just skewered by two swords and you're okay?!"

"Magic," she blandly replies. "Next thing you know I'll be pulling a chocobo out of a hat."

"Wait, really?"

"No." (Y/n) glances down at her attire and noticed the holes were also mended. "Thank the gods for magic-infused clothing..."

"Thanks for the save, by the way, but... You're gonna explain why you're still alive, right?" Noctis asked as he got to his feet.

"No," she remarks. "It takes way too much explaining and I don't have time."

"I believe I've an answer," Ignis spoke.

The girl crossed her arms. "Oh, please, do share. Maybe if you do, the others will believe you."

"You are one of the Four Horsemen. His Majesty once spoke of your presence on Eos a few months prior the city's destruction. He only spoke of you by title, not name."

"That's because my sisters have thrown away their true names and only desire to be called by their Horsemen titles. I, on the other hand, still rather be called by my birth name, (Y/n)."

"If I may ask, which Horseman are you, (Y/n)?" Ignis inquired.

"War," she replied, placing a hand on her hip. She then glanced toward the shield. "So, believe me now? Or do I need to summon a dagger and stab myself again?"

"I'm pretty convinced," Gladio admits.

"Hold on," Noctis spoke up. "How come I've never heard of this from my dad?"

"Because our presence on Eos is supposed to be known by as few people as possible," War replied. "Death, Famine, and Pestilence have their own monsters to hunt. Speaking of, have you four seen a black creature with eight eyes? It also walks on all fours."

"That thing looked like it wanted to eat us!" Prompto wailed.

"So you have seen the bunyip. Where'd it go?"

"It ran off that way," he answered, pointing to the way they just came.

"Thanks, blondie. I appreciate it."

"Wait!" Noctis shouted, stopping her. When he realized he had her attention, he asked, "How can you use the Crystal's powers? We saw you use it while you were fighting Deadeye."

"What you saw was not from the Crystal you speak of. Let's just say..." War locked eyes with the prince. "You and I are quite similar." Summoning a crimson-bladed sword, she began heading in the direction Prompto pointed.

"The same...?" The raven-haired boy muttered. He wanted to ask the Horseman what she meant, but she was already gone. With a sigh, he grabbed his sword and dispelled it. "C'mon, we've gotta be close to the tomb."

<-------------<<<<<

War trekked through greyshire glacial grotto with her crimson-bladed sword in her grasp. Because of her presence, the daemons fled in fear and made her job easier. However, she was growing more annoyed as minutes ticked by and she'd yet to locate the bunyip. She was unfazed by her frigid surroundings, continuing to wander through the icy labyrinth.

More time passed by and (Y/n) still had yet to locate her target. She gritted her teeth, clenching her hand in a tight fist. Taking in a few deep breaths, she tried to calm herself down. While trying to do so, her attention was drawn to a black blur out of the corner of her eye. Swiveling on her heels, she turned around just in time to see the bunyip dash away. Quickly taking chase, she ran after the monster. She followed it out of greyshire glacial grotto and toward the stream.

War tossed her sword and her body dissolved in a cloud of crimson shards. Her body warped to where her blade pierced the ground in front of the bunyip. Yanking it out of the ground, she faced the monster. It hissed at her, flaring its frill and showcasing its sharp teeth. She glared at it with disdain. "So, where's the rest of your pack? They must be nearby."

The bunyip leapt forward. (Y/n) believed it was going to attack and lifted her blade to block, but stopped when seeing it vaulted over her head and landed in the shallow stream. She watched in annoyance as it easily propelled through the water and escaped. With a heavy sigh, she ridded herself of her crimson blade. Turning around, she froze when seeing Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis a few feet away. She glanced around at the boys, noticing their flabbergasted expressions. "What now?" The Horseman hissed.

"You just warped!" Prompto bellowed.

The (e/c)-eyed girl placed a hand on her hip. "Like I said, Noctis and I are quite similar. That's all I'm telling you."

"Oh, come on!" A cheerful voice chanted. A girl with golden locks and emerald eyes appeared out of thin air beside the redhead. She sported a bright smile as she poked War on the cheek. "You can tell them a little more. I mean, it's not like it's a big secret."

(Y/n) glowered at her. "What the hell are you doing here, Famine?"

"Just checking on my favorite sister," Famine giggled. "I was in the area and sensed your presence."

War rolled her eyes. "Whatever..." She walked past her sister and vanished into a puff of crimson smoke.

The golden-haired girl sighed before casting her smile in the boys' direction. "I'm so sorry about her attitude. She isn't the most pleasant person to be around."

"If I heard correctly, you are the Horseman of Famine," Ignis stated.

The girl nodded. "I am. A pleasure to meet you all. I hope you'll forgive War for her short temper."

"Any reason behind the fiery temper?" Gladio inquired.

Famine clasped her hands behind her back with a melancholic gaze. "In her previous life, she was betrayed by the man she loved. Ever since awakening as a Horseman, she's been ill-tempered and refuses to show her true emotions. She's not very fond of mortals and she tends to be even more short-tempered around them."

"Mood aside..." Noctis began. "Maybe you can tell us. How is she able to use the Crystal's power?"

"That is something only War can tell you. I've already told you too much. She'll have my head if she learns I told you about the betrayal." Shaking her head, the smile from earlier returned. "Anyway, please show her kindness and that she can trust mortals. Give her time and I know she'll open up to you all." Famine waved at them before vanishing into thin air.

"Well, at least we know why (Y/n)'s so hotheaded," Gladio commented.

Prompto nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Being betrayed by someone you love must've really hurt..."

"Tis a wound not even time can mend," Ignis said.

"Let's head back to Lestallum. I think we need to talk to (Y/n)," the shield stated.

"Yeah, gotta report to Talcott too," Prompto said.

The royal retinue headed back to Lestallum. When arriving back in town, Gladio separated from the group to search for the hotheaded War. Like before, he found her at the outlook. He grinned as he sauntered over. "You must really like this place."

"And you must really like stalking me," (Y/n) snapped. "What do you want this time?"

"C'mon, can't the kitty put her claws away for just a minute?"

Her eye twitched. "I am not a cat. Now tell me what you want or I'm walking away."

"You're pretty good at walking away. You make it look like an artform."

She gritted her teeth. She was tempted to punch him, but she kept her fists down at her sides. "You're really asking for an ass kicking right now..."

"I'm not here for that. Your sister said something that caught my attention," Gladio said.

"Oh, dear Astrals..." War pinches the bridge of her nose. "What could she have possibly told you that got your attention?"

"That you don't trust mortals because of what happened to you in your previous life. She also said it's the reason why you're hotheaded and give everyone the cold shoulder."

"Yeah, well, I think it's a plausible reason to not trust mortals..."

"But weren't you a mortal yourself?"

"Of course I was. Even if I was still mortal, I wouldn't trust anyone."

"But you trust your sisters, don't you?" The shield pried.

War's nails dig into her palms as she clenched her fists tightly. "Is this some kind of interrogation? What's with all the questions?"

"You're a mysterious girl who slew a behemoth, got stabbed twice, and healed within seconds. And now I know you're some mythical being from a story I used to tell my own sister to freak her out on occasion. You could say you've piqued my interest," he grinned. "I'm hoping to change your mind about us mortals."

(Y/n) held out her hand and conjured her summoning orb. She glanced down at it, recalling the small conversation she had with Death before returning to Lestallum. "Trust someone, huh...?" She whispered to herself. Sighing through her nose, she held out the orb toward Gladio. "If you really want to earn my trust and change my mind, take care of this for me. If you lose it, you can bet I'll never trust mortals ever again."

The brute gazed at the scarlet orb with a perplexed expression. "What is it?"

"My summoning orb. All the Horsemen have one. Call my name when you hold it and I'll be there to help...if I feel like it."

He chuckled, accepting the orb. "I'll take care of it for you, firecracker."

"Stop calling me that!" The Horseman inhaled deeply before trying a calmer approach. "Please, stop using such a ridiculous nickname."

"But it suits you so well."

Her shoulders shook with rage, but she kept from lashing out. "Fine. Whatever. I don't care. Call me whatever you want. Just make sure you don't lose my orb or I'll definitely kick your ass."

"Someone's wishy-washy," Gladio murmured under his breath.

"I heard that," (Y/n) growled. Taking more deep breaths, she continued. "I'm leaving to search for the bunyips. You know how to contact me whenever you need me. Good luck, Gladio." Walking a few steps away, she was gone in the blink of an eye.

Hearing his name fall from her lips with a hint of gentleness made him smile faintly. He looked down at the orb entrusted to him with a determined glint in his eyes. "I'll be seein' you soon, (Y/n)."

<-------------<<<<<

After departing from Lestallum, (Y/n) found herself back at the waterfall. In order to continue her investigation, she killed the midgardsormr slithering near the water's edge. Following the river downstream, she looked for any signs of the bunyip or its pack. Because the water masked their potent and pungent odor, it was difficult to track where the monster had gone or if the pack had even wandered around the area she was searching. The only information she had to go off was bunyips lurk in swamps or riverbeds. However, it would take her years to search every riverbed and swamp across Eos.

"There has to be a quicker way," (Y/n) mumbled. Continuing to trek down the water's edge, she kept her eyes focused on the river. With how clear the water was, it made it easy for her to spot any abnormalities underneath the surface. She thought she saw a large black blur in the river a few feet away, but she groaned in disappointment when it was only a school of fish.

Opting to change her tactics, War returned to Lestallum. She asked the many folks who called the town home if they'd seen the bunyips. She was hoping at least one person could provide an inkling to where she should search next. However, no one was familiar with the creature she described.

Walking through the marketplace, (Y/n)'s eyes glanced at the various products on sale, but her mind was filled with the possible areas she could find the pack of bunyips. There were many lakes and rivers on Eos, only focusing on the ones in the Duscae and Cleigne regions.

After an hour of aimlessly wandering around Lestallum, the Horseman felt herself being summoned. She rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Already?" She couldn't believe Gladio was already trying to summon her after giving him her summoning orb only a few hours ago. Heeding the shield's call, she teleported to the orb's location.

Arriving at the Cauthess Coernix Station, (Y/n) came face-to-face with Gladio. She then looked around in bewilderment. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"You want the full story?" He asked.

"Yes, but leave out the small details. I can't stand lengthy stories."

War listened to Gladio as he explained what happened to Noctis after claiming the royal arm from the tomb located in greyshire glacial grotto. The raven-haired boy had been experiencing headaches and now was seeing visions of the Disc of Cauthess. Before leaving Lestallum, they were approached by a mysterious man named Ardyn. Now, he and his companions were reluctantly traveling with the suspicious individual.

(Y/n) crossed her arms in annoyance. "Why summon me here? What does this have to do with me?"

Gladio gestured to an injured man who was curled up outside the convenience store. "That guy jumped in front of our car. He was clearly frightened 'bout something and kept mumbling to himself while we gave him a lift."

This grabbed the Horseman's attention. "About what?"

"Some strange horde of black creatures. Figured you might be interested in hearing what he has to say. Hopefully you can get more out of him than we could."

(Y/n) stalked towards the injured man and kneeled down in front of him. She noticed his torn clothes and the deep gashes along his legs and arms. Carefully, she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. A pale green light consumes her hand as she tried her best to heal his wounds. She was able to heal some of his wounds, but not all. While she could use healing magic, Pestilence was known to be the Horseman to be well-versed in healing incantations. The ivory-haired Horseman had taught War the basics, but she would never be able to heal like her sister.

Keeping her temper in check, (Y/n) asked, "How're you feeling?"

The man noticed most of the pain was gone and so were his most severe wounds. He looked up at the girl and stared into her (e/c) eyes. "B-Better. Thank you."

"Good." She dropped her hand from his shoulder. "Tell me exactly what happened to you."

"I-I was fishing in the Alstor Slough and was attacked by these black creatures. They had eight eyes a-and there was a whole horde of them. They tried to drown me, but I managed to break free. They chased me for miles down the highway before eventually giving up." He then pointed to Gladio, who was watching the conversation from afar. "That's when I found those guys and they gave me a lift."

"You're lucky you managed to escape with your life. Hell, you're lucky to have all your limbs." (Y/n) stood up. "You said these creatures were in the Alstor Slough, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah." With shaky legs, he stood up. "Are you going after those things?"

"Yes. You better tend to your other wounds. Wouldn't want them to get infected."

War turned away from him, only to be stopped by another man who exited the convenience store. By his appearance, she assumed this was the person Gladio described to her. Ardyn smiled at her, causing a chill to creep down her spine. "Ah, a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

She glowered at him. "I doubt it..."

He strolled towards her with an outstretched hand. Sensing a strange, menacing intent in his aura, she unconsciously took a few steps back. Never in her time since resurrecting as a Horseman has she ever been consumed by fright.

Before Ardyn could reach her, Gladio stepped in between the two. He nor any of his friends trusted this man. Crossing his arms, he scowled at Ardyn. "The lady clearly doesn't wanna be touched."

"I merely desire to shake her hand," Ardyn smiled innocently. "Being in the presence of such beauty is quite the honor. But seeing as she is apprehensive of my presence, I shall leave her be." He turned around and walked away, heading towards the caravan where Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis were waiting.

(Y/n) glared daggers at the man's back. "What a creep..." She then looked down at the ground. "...Thanks for the help."

Gladio turned around with a shocked expression. "Damn, never thought I'd hear you say that."

She rolled her eyes. "Just because I act cold doesn't mean I don't have any manners."

The shield smirked before looking away. "So, you headin' out?"

"Yeah. Alstor Slough is my next destination. Hopefully the bunyips haven't relocated yet after failing to kill their prey." She took a few steps forward before stopping. Glancing over her shoulder, she stared into Gladio's amber eyes. "Be careful around Titan. He has quite the temper."

"Like you?" He grinned.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." (Y/n) placed her fingers in her mouth and whistled. A strange fog rolled in as the sound of hooves could be heard. From the fog emerged a horse with a fiery mane and tail.

The horse neighed, coming to a stop directly in front of War. The redhead climbed onto its back with a huff. "Nice to see you again, Ares."

"Never knew you had a ride," Gladio commented.

"Trust me, there's a lot about me you don't know." Commanding her steed, (Y/n) left Cauthess Coernix Station.