Zodiac (Final Fantasy XV)

|•XXIII•|

~Zodia's POV~

When I asked Ignis how long we've been in Costlemark Tower, he told me four hours. I groaned in disbelief at the amount of time we've been here and how deep we've traveled.

The shadows grew more sinister as we descended a spiral walkway into a large room with strange rock formations near intricately designed cubes. The first observation I made of the strange structures was the number of columns.

"Guess we should go in order," I said.

Noctis eyes the stone square once we stand atop it. "I don't like this..."

"I don't think any of us like this," I correct. Kneeling near the center of the cube, I spot what seems to be a tiny switch within one of the grooves carved into the cube's surface. When I flipped it, the cube started to descend into the ground.

Prompto stood next to me, peering over my shoulder. "What'd you do?"

I got to my feet and met his gaze. "Just pulled a small switch."

When the cube ceased moving, Noctis pulled the same switch. The device clicked once again, moving us further underground. The process of flipping the switch became a habit as we carved a path through the labyrinth. Daemons appeared after clearing the first puzzle as we entered an vast, open room. Though a Red Giant was present among the Gelatins and Ereshkigals, it proved to be no major feat in the long run. Moving to another cube, the strange structure carried us to the room we started in.

"Now, for the second one," Ignis comments. We head over to the next cube and repeat the same task until we end up in the same room again with two Red Giants and the normal smaller daemons. "You've got to be kiddin' me..." Gladio groans.

"My magic doesn't deal much damage on them. I'll concentrate on healing and attack the smaller daemons. Noct, the royal arms are the most effective on Red Giants. Use them, but do not wear yourself out. You know your limits. Do not push them."

"Understood, Sis."

Ignis agreed with my strategy, helping Noctis and Gladio with the Red Giants. Prompto stood back with me and assisted in killing the lesser daemons. I casted a spell on Prompto, allowing him to use elemental bullets. He fired a lightning one, frying the Gelatin to a singe in one hit. "So cool~! You should use that spell more often!" He chants.

I smile with laughter at him. "I'll keep that in mind."

With the daemons finally vanquished, we headed back to the upper floor to descend with the third cube. This time, we had to choose either to go straight or diverge to the right. Noctis was about to touch the right switch, but I nimbly grabbed him and pushed the switch to go straight.

"What was that for?" Noctis asked in bewilderment.

"You didn't hear the Naga?" I answer his question with one of my own. He shook his head and so did Prompto and Gladio.

"You're the only one who heard it, Princess," Gladio replied.

I glared at him for the use of the nickname before proceeding forward. "It was crying. I heard it and a few Red Giants. If we would've gone that way, I'm positive we would've ended up in that horrid room again with not only Red Giants, but a Naga as well."

Ignis stood next to me, trying to hear if I was correct. After a few minutes of silence, he glances at me. "It is, indeed, a Naga."

I praised the gods that I hadn't gone crazy and started hearing things inside my head. Prompto wiped away a bead of sweat at Ignis' words. "Glad we didn't go down that way. I hate those things!"