Hearth and Home

Chapter Seventeen

The boys watched as a bright visage of a four-legged creature rose from the grave of the previous Queen, It rested on the grave for a few moments before climbing down, It took in its surroundings and when its eyes fell on Kiara, it seemed to weigh her soul. to the boys, It looked like some kind of large fox-like creature, but it had different details to be just a normal fox. It circled the whole room before it came to pause by the chamber doorway, looking at the boys beyond the barrier and then turning back to face Kiara head on. 

Its eyes stared at her for a few seconds, sizing her up before running straight at her, disappearing within her chest like Noctis's weapons do when collected, the only difference was the ear-piercing screech of pain that Kiara let out and it didn't stop there, more creatures of the same likeness - save for the size of the first one - appeared and disappeared within Kiara's chest. 

As the last creature threw itself into the heart of the Queen, Kiara collapsed to the ground, her screams dying down to nothing. ''Pidge!'' Nyx called out in worry, bolting through the chamber door much to the surprise of the others, who still could not get through.

Nyx dropped to her knees and pulled Kiara into his arms. ''Come on, Girl wake up. Wake up, Libertus is waiting, in Galahd remember?'' 

Green should have been what Nyx saw when she opened her eyes but no, when Kiara's eyes opened they had him speechless. they were bright red, the whites and pupils were overtaken by the same colour, but he could still see the iris, outlined by a darker red colour than the rest of her eye, darting all over his face to look at him.

From Kiara's point of view, she was seeing far too much all at once. She could see the way Nyx's skin glowed, the little hairs that normally were unseen by human eyes at such a distance away. she could the connection between the healthy skin and the crystallised scars on his face of which, faded to normal, scarred skin the moment she touched him 

Blue eyes were far more intense, she could see the small lines and bubbles that filled his iris's 'This will not last long.You must learn to control it'  

''Prompto.'' She whispered out and immediately, Nyx lifted her and took her to the chamber doorway, placing her down on her knees. Prompto barely got in a word before Kiara placed two hands either side of his face and yanked him down to eye level. He was startled and entranced by the eyes she held for a short time, seeing the way the darker red iris darted about his face as they had done to Nyx's.

Kiara's thumb ran over the freckles, she was seeing far more than she ever had done before. Freckles so tiny, so adorable. Away from Prompto's face but still holding it in her hands, she looked at the others. 

Ignis seemed a little uncomfortable under her gaze, but she didn't care. ''How have I never noticed. I'm surrounded, by hot men. Very hot men. Ignis! You're beautiful!'' 

Ignis cleared his throat, still very much uncomfortable. ''Why, thank you-''

''It's ridiculous!'' she interrupted him. ''Gladio and Noctis are so very hot. Nyx, you know you're sexy, I don't need to tell you. But I'm seeing everything in 4k. It's overwhelming. I can see that spider moving on the wall from here.'' 

''What happened?'' Prompto asked, so confused as to what just made its home inside Kiara. 

She groaned as she returned her gaze to Prompto. ''You are so pretty.'' She avoided the question. The pink returned to Prompto's and Kiara giggled lowly. ''I can see that. You're my favourite to look at.'' 

''I find that offensive.'' Nyx chuckled, joking around with the girl who was suddenly acting like a tired drunk. 

''I'm tired.'' Kiara yawned, her hands falling from Prompto's cheeks and curling around his neck. ''Take me to a warm comfy bed. I want this.'' She tugged on the sleeveless jacket Prompto wore. '' I wanna wear it. Can I wear it? I'm tired.'' 

Yawning once again, Kiara dropped her head into the crook of Prompto's neck. ''Nyx can get us out. Its blood magic, he has some of mine.'' She held out the scarred palm of her hand as an explanation before falling into dreamland. 

''It seems whatever just happened, took all of the energy out of our dear friend.''

''Yeh, no kidding.'' Noctis huffed as Prompto lifted Kiara from the ground. ''It was like she was drunk.'' 

''It was eerily similar, believe me.'' Nyx chuckled, leading the way out of the underground cavern. ''Drunk Kiara was more fun until she ran out of energy, then she becomes more like that.'' 

''is she always so ....affectionate?'' 

''Only when she's tired,'' Nyx replied to Prompto, side glancing the man. They reached the area where the staircase was supposed to be, To his left, Nyx cut his finger on a sharp rock and placed it onto the carved visage of the creature. 

As Kiara had said, it did indeed open for him. He had to remember to ask her what that was about.  ''I thought only Royal blood could open that? Well, I assumed.'' Prompto murmured the last three words. 

''It must have something to do with the scar she showed us.''

''I have the same scar.'' Nyx started to explain as they climbed the spiral staircase. ''Kiara and I made a promise on her eighteenth birthday. She was a little dramatic back then, demanded we 'seal the deal with a blood pact'. It was creepily adorable.'' 

''Explains how the stairs dropped for you,'' Ignis stated, ''doesn't explain how she knew it would work for you.'' 

''Think it's got something to do with that creature?'' Prompto asked, looking down at her chest, where the creature had seemed to have entered. 

''Could do.'' 

''Kiara's a queen,'' Prompto whispered to himself with a small soft smile, Though it was heard by all of them anyway. It was funny, Prompto was so bothered by the idea of losing his chance with her when Nyx was found alive, now she was a Queen of an entire Kingdom; there was no chance now. 

Prompto laid Kiara down on the bed in her parent's room, where the blue dress still lies on the end of the bed. He removed her shoes and debated removing her trousers but thought against it. ''She doesn't care, you know'' Nyx's voice made Prompto jump, not expecting anyone to have been watching him fight with thoughts about undressing Kiara further. 

''I just-''

''She hates sleeping in tight clothes.'' Nyx cut Prompto off, walking into the room and taking control of the situation. ''So she doesn't mind being undressed if she's unable to do it herself. Grab me a nightdress from the wardrobe, would ya?'' 

Prompto bounced on the balls of his feet for a second before darting to the wardrobe, slipping the nightwear off the hanger, surprised how Nyx just slipped off Kiara's clothes without so much as a blink, despite knowing that the man probably harboured feelings for her still.  

''She mourned you,'' Prompto told him, handing the dress over. ''She sat all night staring at your image on her phone.''

''I was dying. I couldn't just disappear on her.'' Nyx replied, tucking Kiara into the blankets of the large canopy bed. ''If I could have visited I would have. But with no way off the island, how could I have done that?'' 

''You should have swam.''  Prompto left the room after this remark, leaving Nyx to raise his eyebrows in surprise, finding it hard to miss the feelings that were all but thrown in his face. A smile grew on his face as he turned his attention to a sleeping Kiara. 

''That's a good one, right there.'' 

As if hearing him, Kiara hummed in her sleep and turned on her side, snuggling deeper into the warming blankets. 

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I was watching Pokemon when I wrote these chapters so just think 'Ninetails' XD Anyway, another chapter, yay... I suppose maybe. depends on how much you like this.