ⁿᵒ ˢᵘʳʳᵉⁿᵈᵉʳ ✧ 𝙵𝙵𝚇𝚅

XI

What felt like hours, was only thirty minutes, Bella hears a bark, she turns and sees a black dog running towards them. The dog then stops a little way from them, raising a brow, Bella looks at them as they began walking towards the dog, Bella follows behind them as the dog, known as Umbra, guided them a little way from the Post.

The men stop and gasp. "Gentiana," Noctis breathes out, shocked.

"Oh, hear me King of Stone." She began speaking. "By the Stormsender's blessing will the path to the stone that opened." Gentiana's voice spoke softly. "The Oracle goes hence the King's name."

Noctis gasps quietly. "Luna – where is she now?!" he asks impatiently, worried about his love almost shattering Bella's heart, but she knew she couldn't fall in love with him. He was getting married. It would be wrong.

"The eye of the storm," Gentiana pointed into the distance. "When the covenant stone is forged the Oracle and the ring shall await their King at the walls of water." Her voice was so soft, Bella could barely hear her if she wasn't listening too intently. "Stray not from the path," And with that, she disappears.

Bella was shocked, ready to ask who she was, but Ignis beat her before she could. "She's a messenger of the Gods."

"For real!?" Prompto is shocked at what he has learned.

Gladio chuckles, crossing his arms a little bit. "We're going beyond real, pal,"

Bella looks at Noctis as he looks at his book that he and Luna share, and he writes back sending Umbra off once more. The young woman barely smiles at them, feeling some jealously towards someone she hadn't even met before... Feeling the rainfall from beyond the skies, drenching all of them. She felt her clothes cling to her skin, she looks at Kirara who shakes her fur from the rain jumping off Bella's shoulder and changes into her bigger form as Bella jumps on.

"Let's go," Bella states with a smile. "We can never keep a woman waiting," Bella winks at them as four Chocobos run their way with saddles on them. The men chuckle getting on. "Into the storm, we go,"

"Another day, another deity," Prompto laughs as his Chocobo rushes off behind Kirara.

Bella, on Kirara, was following Noctis towards the Runestone, thinking about everything that is happening throughout this journey, glancing at the King when she can without the others looking. She couldn't become jealous of someone she doesn't even know or just met. Sure, the gang and her only been together for what? A couple of months, if that? But – she can't help the way she feels. Her big brother taught her that when he had free time to help her learn about herself. Cloud kind of did the rest with Tifa's and Aerith's help after her brother passed away.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she quieted the thoughts by leaning down on Kirara's drenched fur, feeling her clothes sticking to her body, her hair as well. Her bright eyes looking through the distance of the plains they were traveling. When Kirara stopped abruptly, Bella jolts up looking at the King touching the first Runestone; it was silent. Too silent. She didn't like it. Kirara grunts a little bit, taking a step back looking back seeing no one behind them.

"What's wrong, Kirara?" asks the young woman, touching her partner's head gently. She looks up and widens her eyes, wondering if that was...

"Bells?" snapping out of her thoughts, she turns her head seeing Gladio looking at her worriedly, she waves her hand gently. "Everything alright?"

Bella pinches her lips a little bit. "Um, if you don't mind, I'll catch up with you, I have something to take care of,"

The guys didn't question it, they heard it in her voice. Something was up, but they knew she would tell them – eventually. They nod as Kirara takes off quickly towards the figure in the distance. With the little spurts, she has told them, it wouldn't be hard to piece together what she has told them. Especially about... him.