Inner Daemons (Final Fantasy XV Fanfic)

Chapter XXIII

Ignis carefully laid Angelica onto a bed. Now with her whole body paralyzed, she couldn't move at all, aside from her eyes and mouth. Alongside the numbness was a searing pain in her left shoulder where the arrow had pierced. Ignis cracked a potion over her wound, causing it to rapidly heal up. But her paralysis would have to wear off on its own.

Angelica sighed in frustration, thinking back on her battle. "Those two cowards." Everyone looked at her. "That was supposed to be a one-on-one fight."

"Never mind that," Noctis said. "How did they recognize you like that? You don't know them in any way, do you?"

"Of course not," she replied. "They only recognized me by clan."

"Clan?" Prompto echoed, ignorant to the ways of an assassin.

"Assassins are divided into clans, which are normally made up of one or two big families," the girl explained. "My mom told me a bit about it."

"Interesting," Ignis muttered in thought.

"So, it's basically a job you're born into," Gladio concluded.

"I have a question though," Prompto interrupted. "What happens if two people from two separate clans have kids of their own or something?"

"The assassins have very strict rules on who you can intermingle with, that's part of why my mom left, or so she said. But if that does occur, apparently the children are placed into whichever clan they share the most traits with."

"But that still makes you a Solani, right?" Iris asked.

Angelica attempted to shrug her shoulders, but forgot that they wouldn't comply due to the paralysis. "I guess so. I never knew my dad or what clan he was in. But according to those two back there, I'm definitely a Solani."

"How many clans are there?" Noctis asked this time.

"Counting mine..." Angelica took a moment to remember everything her mom had told her. "Ten? Twelve? Somewhere in that range. Their numbers had lessened over the years." Noctis slowly nodded in understanding.

"I believe I remember taking notes on the assassins," Jared suddenly spoke up, now flipping through his notebook.

"Do you know where their village is?" Angelica inquired.

Jared hummed in thought. "Information on them was scarce. But I believe their village, Secreta, was said to be hidden somewhere in Niflheim or Tenebrae."

(Secreta has kind of an odd pronunciation: seh-creh-tuh
Sorry if it sounds kinda weird, it was tough finding a word that fit and I spelled out the pronunciation as best I could.)

"That's helpful," Angelica sarcastically replied. "It's just difficult to imagine that other assassins are still out there. It was so long ago when my mom told me about her village, I thought it had all but vanished by now."

"My sincerest apologies I couldn't be of more help, Lady Angelica," Jared said.

"It's alright."

After a short while longer, nearly everyone was finished eating. Jared and Talcott left for their own room for the night. That's when Angelica began eyeing the extra bowl of stew that had been meant for her. Her stomach growled in hunger. She tried to move so she could get up and eat, but her body just wouldn't comply.

"Am I supposed to starve or what?"

Ignis stood, setting his own empty bowl aside. "Apologies, Angel, but I didn't know if you wanted anything, seeing as how you can't move at the moment."