Chapter Text
It was the day after a week’s worth of snow finally melted. Noctis had been walking around in a half state. If asked, he would’ve said he was feeling sick. The few times that he threw up would’ve gladly assisted with the illusion of some type of virus taking hold. But he wasn’t asked, confined with the one person who didn’t talk to him even after a week of white hell trapping them inside. Which meant he was forced to confront the truth of what was going on every time he tried to justify- to lie- to himself.
He was tearing himself apart.
As soon as the snow was melted enough that he could walk out without ten layers, Noctis headed out. The cold made him shiver, the snow made him shudder, but he just walked. There was so much of the land he hadn’t walked upon. There were so any possible paths that he hadn’t taken. If he were to get lost, he needed to be able to find his own way back.
He knew any saving that would be done for him had to be done by him.
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The first day, he found a little cave. After cautiously checking out if there were any living beings in there that would kill him for disturbing him, he found a small Radiant Flutterbun. The thing scampered away from him at first sight, disappearing into the ground meters away. Noctis shrugged and put one of his socks into the cave. He’d need something with more of his scent on it to keep animals away. But that was a later thing, as there was no way in hell he was leaving one of his nice, warm jackets in a cave.
(Ten minutes later, the feeling of walking around with just one sock on was too distracting. He walked back and took the other one off to throw it with its twin.)
The second day he found what probably would be a stream. The water was still frozen, though what interested Noctis more were the pebbles underneath the ice. Carefully, he pried one out, feeling his skin stick slightly to the cold, but smooth surface. It was the prettiest light blue. Like a certain dragon’s eyes.
He pocketed it. It’d look good decorating his cave.
The third through twelfth days were filled with the same kind of small discoveries. More pebbles. Some nests of animals. A couple damp bird feathers. Every day Noctis explored until his legs started to hurt, or he saw the sun starting to go down. He taught himself to read time in the shadows just so he wouldn’t be caught out in the dark, so he would know exactly when to start jogging- or one memorable occasion, sprinting- back home.
And every day he would make a map of his journey. Several, actually. Most of them were copies of each other, excluding the location of his cave. He wasn’t sure he’d ever want to share the location of that with anyone else.
Every day he would come back home, and he would be greeted with silence that felt so much better when he knew he was too exhausted to do anything but eat and fall asleep. His travels let him pick up firewood, and he’d gotten good enough at hunting small game that he could bring it in to cook for himself.
Sawyer didn’t question, didn’t look over.
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On the thirteenth through sixteenth days, Noctis took a break from exploring to go and find someone in the town who would be willing to help him learn to sew. He had skinned his meat before cooking it; maybe he could make socks?
He ended up being helped by Minnie and Ewar. Ewar also ended up giving him a stuffed mith, saying he had no use for it. Minnie sighed, and Noctis stayed by her for the majority of the time, but, overall, he learned the basics fairly quickly. Having a photographic memory was definitely proving to be useful these last couple weeks.
It was on the twentieth day that Noctis fell head over ass into a pit. Not like a little hole from a tree rotting or a squirrel digging up their buried food, but a hole that was at least twice his size height-wise.
Noctis was more than 6 feet tall. This was an extremely big hole that he did not appreciate being trapped in. Especially with the way he had landed on his wrist when he had fallen. He winced as he pushed himself up, trying to remind himself that he shouldn’t use it even as he automatically went to balance himself with it.
Luckily, the problem of trying to get himself out was solved by a rope being thrown down. Unfortunately, that meant that someone was there to throw the rope down at him. Noctis sighed. Either it was going to be insults (Sawyer) or a lecture about not falling into holes and watching where he was going (anyone else). He tied the rope around his waist and gave it a small tug, his feet lifting off the ground seconds later.
Instead of finding anyone from his little village, he was greeted by the sight of a huge Serthis. ‘Huge’ as in the hole looked just barely big enough to fit him.
One of his teeth, the ones that stuck out past his lip, were chipped. Noctis gulped a little at the sight of it. What could such a creature eat that would damage it like that?
“What the fuck are you doing in my trap?” A smart man would give an honest answer, or maybe try to reason with the Serthis that was clearly physically capable of murdering him, if not just completely eating him.
Noctis is not a smart man.
“Uh, I’m not doing anything in your trap. As you can see, I’m actually-”
“Ha ha ha, very funny.” The Serthis had a lisp. Noctis very wisely chose to ignore pointing out how well his image of Serthis actually fit with the real deal.
“I’m glad you think so.” Noctis paused for a second, gathering his thoughts before he realized that he’d already made an idiot of himself, and there was no real point in attempting to salvage his image. “Hopefully funny enough to not eat?”
“Oh, gross, of course. I don’t eat things that can communicate with me.” That’s really all that Noctis needed to get as confirmation that he could turn his back on this guy. He untied the rope wrapped around his waist, and then realized that, hey, his wrist was bleeding. And he bled on the rope.
Oh well, might as well ignore that for now.
“Uh, sorry about the falling in your trap thing. Are there any more I should know about so you’re not pulling me out of another one tomorrow?” The Serthis snorted a laugh, rolling up his rope with practiced ease.
“I’ll tell you, if you part with some of that jewelry.” Noctis shrugged good naturedly. He had at least three more body parts he could sprain. At least it would keep him occupied. “Oh, fine. There’s some splattered around the island. A snake has to eat.”
“Thank you.” Noctis looked up at the Serthis to smile at him but ended up realizing the sky was darker than he was comfortable with. He’d definitely be hauling ass to get home. “See you around?” Noctis gave a wave. It probably looked as if he feared for his life, but again, he couldn’t bring himself to care. Cold and dark night? He’s running. Giant Snake person? Fine whatever.
The Serthis’ answer is nearly lost, but Noctis smiles to himself as he hears a rumble of ‘maybe’ come from behind him.
(When Noctis gets home, his arm hurts a lot more than it did before. He goes to ignore it when he’s stopped by Sawyer looking at him. The thought that it stops him because it’s become something of a commodity is saddening But Noctis has no time to think of that, because Sawyer is already grabbing an old shirt to help wipe off his arm.
“I don’t know what you’re doing but you should be careful.”
Noctis wants to tell him, wants to show him the little things he’s collected. To show him the little home he’s made for himself. To tell him that there’s a huge Serthis that could very easily demolish the village. But the words get caught in his throat in the tender way that Sawyer cleans his cut.
Noctis can feel the ghosts of fingertips removing rocks from his skin long after they’ve gone to bed.)