~Zodia's POV~

Finishing breakfast, we head back to the Leville. Iris and I giggled together as she told me a short story of the time Noctis tripped down the steps of the Citadel. Entering the lobby, we saw everyone was gathered near the entrance. Prompto smiled at me and then flipped his attention back to Talcott.

"Hey, look who's back! Talcott, go on and tell 'em what you told me," the cameraman beamed at the young boy. Talcott nods and responds in a cheery voice. "You got it!" Hearing his grandson's energetic response, Jared sighs a little. "Oh, come now, show some respect."

"Whoa, no need to respect me-I'm not royalty," Prompto insisted. I couldn't help but smile at his response. Talcott suddenly looked at Noctis and me as he began to tell us what he told Prompto. "So, there's this legend about a sword. And the sword's supposed to be behind a waterfall nearby. The legend also says that strange ruins are hidden behind a sealed door. The door has strange carvings on it and no one dares to go near it, not even the daemons."

Noctis and I exchange glances, both thinking the same thing. "It may well be one of the lost tombs and zodiac ruins," Ignis implies. "Two birds with one stone," Prompto said.

"Check it out?" Gladio asked.

"For sure. Thanks for the tip, Talcott," Noctis smiled down at him. "You're welcome! I'm sure the sword's there. I'm sorry if it isn't," He responds.

"No need to apologize for something you have no control over," I sweetly spoke to him. Talcott's chocolate brown eyes meet with my aquamarine ones. "When I'm older, could I become your second knight?" Kneeling down to his height, I grab his hands. "I'll be looking forward to it, Talcott." The young boy cheered happily as he returned to his grandfather's side.

Walking out of the Leville, Gladio began laughing. "Seems you've got competition, Iggy." Glancing at said man, I watch as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It appears so." I bit my bottom lip to contain my laughter. Turning my head, I look into his emerald eyes. "Only one holds my heart and we all know who that is."

When my words registered with Ignis, he froze in his tracks. Noctis faced his royal advisor and chuckled. "Well, never have seen you so frozen before, Speccy."

"Zo's the only one who knows how to stump Iggy. She has some weird power over him," Prompto smirked.

"And I seriously doubt it has to deal with the fact that she's a princess," Gladio adds.

"You make me sound like a witch who can control people," I said, placing my hand on my hips.

"Eh, close enough," Noctis scoffs. I elbow him in the stomach and he doubles over in pain. I stuck my tongue out at him and spun on my heels, heading to the Regalia.

~3rd Person POV~

The four men watch as the Princess of Lucis crosses the street and heads to the car. Noctis runs a hand over the spot where Zodia elbowed him, another groan escaping his throat. "Kinda deserved it, dude," Prompto sneers.

"If the marshal is right, you're luckily she only elbowed you," Gladio said with crossed arms.

"Hey, my own sister would not use her powers against me," Noctis defends.

"Wanna test that theory?"

"... Hell no..."

"Thought so," Gladio scoffs and walks passed the prince.

"I'm really curious to see what kinda magic she's able to use," Prompto said.

"As am I. The marshal prattled of her capabilities. But, do not push her. If she is unable to wield her magic properly, our job is to protect her from harm," Ignis chimes in.

"Way ahead of ya, Specs," Noctis said.

The four follow after Zodia and spot her looking at the map. She fiddled with the pendant Cor gave her in one hand while examining the map closely. Sensing their presence, she turns and faces them. "Our next stop is Burbost Souvenir Emporium. From there, we can access the waterfall on foot."

"Brilliant, Zodia. I know a few who could learn from your abilities to help," Ignis said, eyeing Prompto and Noctis. The two pouted like children and began to protest against Ignis as the five of them got in the Regalia. The bickering brought a smile to Zodia's face as the two high school friends argued with the royal advisor. Both went silent when Ignis told them to name a time where they helped without being told. A smirk spread across the princess' face when neither Noctis nor Prompto could reply.

"Iggy-one; Noctis and Prompto-zero," she giggled. The two sunk in their from defeat and stayed silent until the five reached their destination. Leaving the car at the Emporium, they walked down the road a little ways and descended two flights of stairs.

~Zodia's POV~

Trudging through the muddy path, thanks to the small downpour earlier, made our trek a little difficult. Gray clouds loomed overhead but refused to release more droplets of water upon us.

"At least it stopped raining," Prompto said, looking on the bright side.

"Watch your step," Ignis warns.

Following his advice, we carefully reach the river without anyone slipping. Suddenly, I felt the ground underneath us shake violently. Gladio quickly grabbed Noctis while Ignis had snatched me up and took cover behind a few boulders located away from the river.

"What the hell was-" Noctis was silenced when the shaking grew more intense. Peering pass our hiding spot, the place where Noctis and I were just standing was occupied by a Midgardsormr. "No longer need an explanation," I mumble.

"We should be able to sneak around it," Gladio states. Letting the shield lead, Noctis and Prompto follow closely behind. Ignis gently took one of my hands, guiding me away from the huge snake. Not far down the river bank were a few Shieldshear crabs. "This'll be easy," Noctis mused. Ignis let go of my hand in order for him to summon his daggers. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio followed suit and called upon their weapons.

Taking a deep breath, I hold out my hand and watch as white crystals gather in my hand and form the staff I was given. Prompto stood by my side, firing round after round. Thinking back to what Cor said, I search my mind for any spells. Nothing came to mind until I remember reading a small book in the Citadel.

Memorizing the shadow spell hidden in the pages, I tap my staff on the ground and watch as black tendrils scatter all around us, targeting our enemies. When each tendril reached its mark, it split into multiple spikes, impaling the Shieldshears. The spikes were enough to wipe out all of them in one blow. Counting down in my head, I waited for the shock expressions. "And there they are..."

The four looked at me with wide eyes full of shock and surprise. Prompto's mouth hung open like a fish out of water and tried to comprehend what happened. Finally finding his voice, the blonde speaks. "That. Was. So. Cool!"

"Damn, sis. You barley let us get a hit in," Noctis states, dispelling his broadsword.

"Honestly, I didn't know it was going to be that powerful. I knew the effects, but not how high the damage ratio was," I honestly reply.

"Where'd you learn that one?" Gladio questioned.

"A book from the library."

"Geez, what book did you pick up?" Prompto asked.

"The book was hidden behind a few others. It was pretty small and dusty. When I opened it, I read the spell and... I remembered it in no time."

"Did this book have a title?" Ignis joined in. Thinking back to when I first saw the book, I never did see a title on the cover or on the first few pages. "No, not at all. It was just filled with nonsense and that one shadow spell."

"I would not be surprised if it were a foreign spell book," Ignis states.

"Yeah, that library had some weird and strange books everywhere," Noctis adds.

"Well, I'm just glad I could help," I smile. They all smiled back at me and we continued forward.

Feeling the mist from the waterfall as we drew closer made my whole body cool down, relaxing me after our short battle. Though not long, the battle was something I'm not used to. 'Hopefully, I'll get used to the fighting soon,' I thought.

"The legend says to look behind the waterfall," Prompto informed. Ignis turned and faced the blonde. "What does the waterfall say?"

"I think it says, "Come in."

Trekking up the side of the waterfall proved to be a little difficult because of the jagged rocks in our path. The five of us arrived behind the waterfall and spotted a small entrance. "Wouldn't you know it-an entrance!" Prompto chirps.

"Looks like the legend checks out," Gladio's deep voice rumbles.

"All we need now is to find the royal tomb," I state. Entering the cave, our surroundings dropped tremendously in temperature. "This place gives me goosebumps. Double back for our coats?" Prompto asked, rubbing his arms to keep himself warm. "What's the point? Little chill won't kill ya," Gladio mused.

"Well, look on the bright side..." Prompto started. "Maybe the cold keeps the daemons at bay?"

"Yeah, because monsters like warmth."

"Ah. Sarcasm. Hmm... but what if they're frozen?"

"Encased in ice... waiting for something warm to pass by..."

"And then they jump out!" Prompto hollers, his voice echoing all around us. Listening to their small banter made a small smirk play on my lips. Turning to look at the blonde, I placed a finger on my chin. "Now that I remember, there is a monster attracted to the color yellow and they love warmth."

Prompto whimpered as he covered his hair with his hands. Gladio bursted into laughter and smacked him on the back, joining in on my teasing. "Better keep on your toes, Prom." The cameraman ran over to me and hid behind my back. "I-if it does show up, could you use the same spell as earlier?"

"Sure, Prom." I pat his hand that laid on my shoulder. Sighing in relief, he stayed behind me until a few Flans appeared. "And there's our warm welcome," he said with a slightly shaking voice.

"Easy targets. Flans are vulnerable against any elemental attack," I stated.

"Indeed they are," Ignis said with a smile. Noctis glanced at me as he summoned his javelin. "You a walking encyclopedia now just like Specs?" Rolling my eyes at my brother's question, I try a small fire spell. A sphere of fire shoots from my staff, killing a Flan that was sneaking up behind him. "Noct, seal those lips and pay attention. This "walking encyclopedia" just saved your ass."

Noctis let out a small groan while Ignis chuckled lightly at my comeback. The fight was short as the Flans were weak and easy to slay. The air around us became more frigid as we delved deeper into the cave. Sliding down a slightly steep slope, we ran into a horde of Imps. "Lovely," I sighed.

"Any warnings beforehand, Zo?" Noctis asked.

"Just... try not to get poisoned. I have yet to learn a spell that cures such ailments and we have very few antidotes," I cautioned.

"Also, a reminder to stock up on curatives once our mission is accomplished," Ignis chimes in.

"Let's get rid of these bastards as quickly as possible to avoid wasting any items." Gladio swung his broadsword around and killed a couple of the Imps. As usual, Prompto stood next to me so we could keep our distant from the daemons. Noctis and Ignis combined attacks, wiping out a handful of them.

Killing the last one with a tiny lightning spell, I smile as I realize no one was hurt or poisoned during the fight. My smile vanished when I sensed another presence close by. "Take a step back, now," I command. Prompto glanced at me with worry. "W-what's wrong?" Not answering, I placed a finger over my lips to silence everyone. They nod, following my instructions. All four of them took a few steps back, listening closely to our surroundings.

"We've got company."