Never lose the North
Hi everyone, here is a little OS about Tales of Vesperia.
Beware, there is some boys love inside. (Nothing really explicit though.)
I do not own anything but the plot. The rest is properties of Namco Bandai.
Enjoy!
That day wasn't a casual one for Yuri Lowell, for he wasn't feeling really well – which was extremely rare – and on the top of that, he had to accompany Flynn on a very special mission. It wasn't one a Commandant should be handling though, and it rather looked like a job for a botanist or an apothecary. "Why on earth have you been required to go and search for specific vegetables?" The blonde didn't answer his friend first when he was asked this question, and "It's not your concern" was the single piece of answer the dark haired male got.
Thinking about it now, the swordsman shrugged with his usual nonchalance. He was certain he would get Flynn to answer him anyway. Patience was just not part of his main qualities, for he was better at making people let the cat out of the bag by getting on their nerves, than at waiting quietly for a response to come. That is what Flynn qualified as "his childish side". The pouting face Yuri made when he heard the expression gave another proof of his childishness to the blonde, whose radiant smile showed his amusement. It didn't amuse Yuri as much though, and the ebony haired male left the room, pissed off. A few hours later, his friend was forgiven already. It was certainly another aspect of his childishness.
"Ahhh..." Yuri yawned, stretching on the doorstep of the inn he was staying at, followed by his faithful dog, whose yawn was even louder than his master's one.
"Wow, nice one Repede!" The man exclaimed, surprised by the dog's presence.
The beast glanced at him with his single blue eye open. Yuri bent and scratched the dog's head. How much he loved the animal. Even when he felt lonely, he wasn't truly alone with Repede by his side. It was even more comforting now that his best friend had been appointed Commandant and didn't have time for him anymore. All the paperwork and the knight's training had to keep him busy constantly, but today, for some reasons, he was sent on a mission into a forest. And for even odder reasons, he had asked Yuri to go with him. The latter could have refused saying it wasn't his business as a former knight or a member of a guild, but the temptation was too high. It had been a long time since he last went on a stroll with Flynn, so be it a Commandant's mission or not, they would enjoy themselves. However, Yuri couldn't have foreseen he would feel a bit sick on that day. But, as he wasn't the type to complain about it, he decided to pretend to be fine.
He was on his way to the castle where he had to meet with the blonde before departing to the Quoi Woods. There were not really far from the Capital, so they would go there by feet, at least, they were supposed to do so, before Yuri looked at the sky. It was of a deep gray, and the more he stared at it, the more it seemed to darken. Suddenly, a huge shadow covered the rooftops of several old houses of the city. Puzzled, Yuri blinked. When he opened his eyes again, the shadow had disappeared, but he heard a peculiar sound behind him which made him turn round. He should have known.
"Hi Judy." He greeted.
"Hello Yuri." The Krytian woman replied with her mischievous smile. No one, except her friends, could have guessed she had just landed after a high jump from a flying Entelexeia.
"What brings you here?" Yuri asked before resuming his way to the palace, knowing that both her and Repede would follow him.
"Oh, I don't know, just a sudden urge to see my favorite guild mate." She answered with a condescending tone. Her expression couldn't be read easily, but she wasn't really good at lying.
"Oh yeah? Karol would be jealous, you know. Seriously, am I the reason why you're here?" He questioned.
"I said it already, I just came for you!"
"How nice of you, but I find it hard to believe you Judy."
"You're too suspicious." She stated, overtaking Yuri heading to the castle. "You'll be late if you don't hurry up a little, though." She added, turning her head to the side, revealing one of her usual grin to the man.
Yuri shook his head of exasperation. He knew something fishy was going on. Eventually he caught up with the woman and they arrived at the rendez-vous point.
"Hi Flynn." Yuri greeted, his voice was a bit hoarse.
"Good morning Yuri. Oh, you're here too, hello Judith. Thanks for coming!" The young Commandant said, without picking out his best friend's state.
"You're very welcome. I thought I was late, but I ran into Yuri and Repede while coming here, so I guess I wasn't in the end, or rather, I wasn't the only one!" She kidded on the raven haired male who tried to ignore her sarcasm. Punctuality wasn't his main quality either, for he had difficulties to get up in the morning.
"Don't worry, I know he isn't an early bird so I asked both of you to come sooner so that we would not waste too much time. Pretty smart, isn't it?" The blonde smiled, looking at his best friend.
"... Well, excuse me for not being as reliable as you, Mr Perfect!" Yuri retaliated, now offended.
"My, my, what am I hearing... Looks like a pairing bickering, if I may say so!" Judith giggled, winning the attention of the two men who seemed outraged. An awkward silence fell in the room and Flynn broke it, coughing a bit before speaking:
"Anyway, it's time for us to go. En route(1)!"
"Hey, are you miming Yeager or something?" Yuri asked, making fun of the blond's cheerfulness.
"No I'm not, and it's not my fault if you can't even listen to an idiomatic expression coming from a foreign language without laughing at it. You're hopeless." The Commandant retorted, worsening the other man's mood.
"Now now, calm down boys, we are leaving! Ba'ul, if you would!" Judith said, looking up at the sky. Again, a shadow darkened the place, and a rope ladder fell just in front of their eyes.
Judith glanced at her comrades, inviting them to follow her on board of the Fierta. They didn't need a word to go up.
The weather doesn't lend itself to a walk in the woods... Yuri thought, noticing some heavy clouds in the horizon. He expected the rain to come any minute. They would be lucky if they go back from the forest before being soaked to the bone. Flynn however, didn't seem to care much and was already standing at the forest entrance. He turned round to his friends.
"Now, I'll explain. I was sent here to find some really rare plants for someone important... You may think it is weird for me to do such a job, but actually, that is not, since the plants I'm searching for have huge side effects. Their harvest is very strict and limited, and you need a royal permission to pick them up. That is why the places where they grow are hidden, and only a few people know about their existence or localization. Most of the apothecaries think they are a legend." Flynn stated. Yuri raised an eyebrow.
"And why do you think we'll be able to find them, whereas we neither know what they're looking like, nor if there are truly some of these here? And besides, doesn't it look fishy to you to be sent here to pick some up, if they really have big side effects?" The dark haired male asked.
"Don't take me lightly, I thought a lot about it. And that's exactly because they are very special that no one beside us could go. I couldn't tell my knights about the existence of these flowers. And if you're wondering about the reasons which enticed me to accept this task, it's because someone is terribly sick, and these plants are the only way to cure the illness. There exists an ancient remedy whose recipe is composed of these said "legendary flowers". The emperor was asked for help and agreed to co-operate. Ioder couldn't give up on this person's life." Flynn replied. "So here are some old pictures of these flowers, and there are three maps too, leading to three different places of the woods where we might find them. No one can guarantee that we'll be able to find some. But we have to try, for this person's sake."
Yuri and Judith nodded, a bit dulled because of Flynn's long speech. However, the swordsman came back to reality a few seconds later. Wait, did his buddy just say there were three maps? Aw man, it'd mean they would have to split up... It didn't sound too good to Yuri's taste. But he'll have to accept it eventually.
"Alright, so let's check this wood quickly before we get drenched by the incoming showers." Yuri said, taking a map from Flynn's hands. The Krytian woman did the same, silently.
"One last thing before we go, I would like to take Repede along with me, if you don't mind." Flynn added. Yuri shrugged.
"Okay..." He replied, not really sure it was the right decision to make.
In fact, he did know it would be a bad idea. Yuri had always had a terrible sense of direction and he had already got some troubles in these very same woods. Even Estelle had been able to tell him he wasn't good at making his way through the forest, and it seemed to the man that she – whom had never left the castle's walls – was managing better than him. The maps didn't help him much either, and he willingly let Karol lead the way. But even when he was lost, or most likely, Yuri could always rely on his dog to find a way out. That is why he didn't feel at ease to let Repede go with Flynn. Geez, I'm stupid, I should have refused... The ebony haired man swore before sneezing. He tried to think calmly while watching the map.
"I'm right here, and I have to go there... Well, it should be easy..." He told himself, walking carefully according to the map's details. He looked at the flowers painted on the picture he was given. Curiously, it seemed to him he had already seen one once, but where... Suddenly, Yuri froze. The path he was walking stopped abruptly, contrary to the map where it seemed to go on on a great distance. The man peered across the branches blocking his way, to see if the road extended further, but all that he saw was just other bigger trees and too many thorny bushes. He couldn't have mistaken, could he? Or maybe the map was too old and the path was poorly maintained? Or else, since the flowers were hidden, maybe the road depicted on the map was not real? He had to make a choice. After a second of reflexion, he decided to ignore the woods and followed the map. Then, he disappeared into the dark side of the forest, where the sun hardly shone.
Despite her carefree behavior, Judith had always been a clever woman, who could easily read other people's spirit. She wasn't really talkative, but today she felt she should have spoken her mind. She didn't like this weather at all, and if it wasn't for saving someone, she would have given up on the job. Besides, she saw she wasn't the only one to be reluctant. Yuri did show apprehension before entering the woods, which was understandable given his state. For a moment, Judith wondered if Flynn had noticed that his best friend wasn't in a tip top shape today. Never mind girl, the faster you find these flowers, the sooner you'll be out, she thought, resuming her way through the forest.
On his side, the Commandant didn't ask himself so many questions. He had a mission to fulfill and he could count on his friends to help him. This single thought made his day brighter as he walked rapidly to the harvest point. Repede was following him silently. Flynn had taken the dog along because he had a sample of one of the flower's fragrance. He could use the animal's sense of smell to find some, once they got in the area where the plants were supposed to grow. The blond looked at his map and stopped in an undergrowth. The flowers shouldn't be far now... He thought, taking a handkerchief from his pocket to make Repede smelling it. The dog glanced suspiciously at him first, but he soon obeyed, sniffing the white fabric. Then, he went onwards, passing through the dense vegetation, followed by Flynn who had more difficulties than him to go on.
Hardly fifteen minutes later, the first raindrops showed up, soon replaced by torrential showers. Shit. Yuri swore, not wanting to be sicker than he already was. He quicken his pace, trying to be closer to the trees to shelter himself from the rain. There may be a storm too... He thought and he didn't like the idea. He would go out when the first roll of thunder could be heard. There was no way he would stay in this cursed hell when the lightning would strike the trees. Cursed hell... He remembered Estelle told him these woods were cursed. Yuri had never believed in this kind of superstitions, but somehow, he knew he should have, since everyone repeated him he had a terrible luck. And as one might expect, a rumble resounded over the forest.
"It's definitely not my day!" He shouted, before turning round to retrace his steps. Then, he banged into a tree. "Ouch! Hey, there wasn't a tree here before!" He grumbled, massaging his forehead. He reopened his eyes and couldn't believe them. The path he had taken before had literally disappeared, replaced by a bed of firs. How weird, he hadn't seen firs in this forest... He didn't understand what was happening, and he touched his forehead again, to verify if he hadn't a temperature. For a second he thought fever made him delirious, but he knew he wasn't that sick. He decided to close his eyes once more and to open them again, wanting to convince himself it was just an illusion, but the landscape remained the same. Impossible! Yuri looked everywhere around him, unable to know where he was coming from. Panic began to seize him, which was awfully rare too, since even putting his life on the line while fighting didn't frighten him much.
"Hold on Yuri, you're just tired and annoyed by this ugly weather. Pull it together!" He tried to comfort himself, glancing at every element near him. He wasn't able to remember a landmark that could help him to find his way back, for he didn't pay attention to these details. Another proof of his poor sense of direction. He stopped a moment to think.
"... That's not funny at all... Am I dumb or what? I just need to march onwards. I was there on the map, so to exit the forest, I just have to go this way!" He exclaimed, walking eastward with determination. He knew there was an exit there, near Deidon Hall. The flowers didn't matter to him anymore, as he blindly crossed the woods, ignoring the fact he was streaming with water and that everything was getting dark and silent.
When the storm began, Flynn knew it would be dangerous to stay there. Moreover, the dog started to be disturbed by it and was running everywhere, whining and barking at the thunderclaps. It was becoming hard to make Repede obey, and the blond had to hold the chain leash tight to prevent him from escaping. The Commandant resigned himself to stop seeking for the flowers. Maybe Yuri and Judith had found some, after all. Still keeping the dog in lead, he went back to the wood entrance.
The Krytian woman was there already, peering into the forest, to see if her friends were coming back. She was glad to hear Repede barking, which showed Flynn shouldn't be very far.
"It was time you exited this stinky wood! I was beginning to think you would stay in there until you found the flowers, even if the forest was on fire because of the lightning." She said with amusement.
"In fact, I would have stayed a little longer if Repede wasn't that anxious. I had forgotten he was a bit afraid of thunder. It was impossible for me to keep on searching with the dog being that nervous, and Yuri would have killed me if I had." He replied, moving aside to let the animal shaking himself.
"By the way, Yuri is late again. I hope he will get back soon though, it's not as if my clothes suited the rain. I don't want to catch a cold, and he shouldn't push himself too far either today."
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh, you don't know? Yuri wasn't feeling well today. I thought you'd have noticed."
Flynn was at a loss for words for a while. Why did the black haired male come if he was sick? He felt suddenly angry against Yuri and himself. He had always borne a grudge towards the swordsman for his carelessness. His state will worsen with all this rain! As for him, how couldn't he notice his friend wasn't doing well?
"... I didn't know... I hope he's alright, let's wait for him here." He finally said.
"Okay, but we should find a place to shelter from the rain a bit." Judith answered.
Flynn nodded.
The more the blond waited, the more he felt guilty for Yuri. About half an hour later, the black haired male hadn't returned yet, and Flynn's legendary patience was running out.
"Why doesn't he come back? It's weird, knowing him, he would have been the first out with such a weather..." He stated.
Judith didn't add a word but "Maybe."
In a second, the Commandant was already at the wood entrance, bringing Repede, ready to go and get his friend. Judith stared at him, wide-eyed. She lifted her hand to say something, but before she could find her words, the blonde had disappeared with the dog. The Krytian remained silent and motionless a while. For once, a little concern could be read on her face.
"Come on Repede, you have to find your master! Damned, I don't have anything belonging to him that you could smell... Try hard to understand, Yuri is missing, and you have to get him back... Please Repede..." Flynn didn't know how to make the dog understand, and he felt a bit silly to beg the animal. Mostly because the blond knew the rain and wind would have covered Yuri's tracks already. However, incredible though it may seem, Repede began to dash deeper into the woods, without barking or whining out of fear like before. The Commandant had to hurry to catch up with him. Could it be that the animal got a clue?
And indeed, the dog was smelling everything around him, stopping at some points and running to other places a second later. Then, they arrived in a really dark undergrowth, where the dog froze. He seemed completely lost, whining in every direction. Flynn raised an eyebrow.
"Yuri?! YURI! If you can hear me, then answer me!" He yelled, but he only heard an echo of his voice resounding in the distance, before a veil of silence fell again on the grove. It was as if the time had stopped. Even the leaves seemed to retain themselves from falling.
"How weird... What!?" Flynn stopped all of a sudden and opened his eyes wide in lack of understanding. Something went through him. It was like something cold just passed trough his body, and the whole feeling gave him shivers, as he sensed Yuri's presence for a second. The dog began to growl aggressively behind the blond, before chasing after something the latter couldn't see. Astonished, the Commandant followed the animal, his heart was beating fast. "Where are you Yuri?" He whispered to himself, hoping everything was alright from the bottom of his heart. And yet, he knew something wrong was going on... Mostly when he found his friend, unconscious under an imposing old oak covered with ivy, whose dark leaves hid any sun's ray of light.
Yuri was there, lying down on a moss blanket, his eyes closed and his face expressionless. Flynn rushed towards the raven haired man, and picked him up. He called his name several times to wake him up, without a success. The blond took his hand and noticed he was frozen. His hair and clothes were completely drenched. Without thinking more, Flynn held the other male in a piggy back way and hurried up to the exit, where Judith was waiting for them.
"Oh my, what's happening?" The woman asked, truly anxious this time.
"I don't know, we found him unconscious back there! He's soaked, I think he passed out since he wasn't feeling well already. It's all because of this dirty weather! Let's head back to Zaphias, he needs some rest!" The Commandant exclaimed.
"What about the flowers?" She questioned.
"We can't keep on searching for them with the thunder. Please, call Ba'ul!" He replied.
Judith nodded and executed the orders. They were soon flying on board of the Fierta, carried by the huge Entelexeia who brought them to the Capital.
It had been a whole hour since they arrived at the castle, waiting for Yuri to wake up. Judith was standing against a wall patiently, and Flynn was sitting on a chair, next to the bed where Yuri was lying. Then, the door slung open.
"Yuri!" A high pitched voice shouted, before its owner broke into the room.
Estellise ran towards the bed and knelt down. She took the raven haired male's hand in hers, her face's features reflecting a deep anxiety. She had just been informed about the situation during a meeting with the council, and she rushed there as soon as she could to check on Yuri's state.
"How did this happen?" She finally asked, never letting go of her friend's hand.
"Judith and Yuri came to help me for my mission into the Quoi Woods. He was a bit sick today but he still decided to accompany us. Not long after we entered the woods, it began raining a lot and thunder soon followed, so Judith and I exited the forest because it was becoming dangerous out there. However, Yuri didn't. I thought he was lost, so I returned into the woods to find him back, and when I did, he had collapsed already." Flynn answered with concern in his voice.
Estelle didn't say a word as he spoke, strongly hoping that Yuri would wake up. The Krytian woman, who had remained silent since their arrival, withdrew her back from the wall she was resting on before talking:
"I don't like that. I didn't feel at ease back there. There was something very unusual in addition to the stormy weather that made me run away. I can't explain why, but the woods seemed different today. I had a clue I was right when I saw the dog's behavior. We shouldn't have gone there."
Silence settled in the room after Judith's weird statement. It gave shivers down Estellise's spine for she knew the Krytian wasn't the kind to complain or to be scared. Besides, she couldn't warm Yuri's hand up and that worried her more.
As for the Commandant, he realized he did felt weird too. Mostly when he sensed something cold going through his body, when he sensed Yuri just before finding him.
"You're not thinking about the curse, are you?" Estelle asked, pulling the blonde out of his thoughts.
The curse? No way.
Flynn shook his head in disapproval.
"No, I'm not... There is no curse anyway. Yuri got lost and passed out of exhaustion since he was sick. He just need some rest now." He replied.
Judith glanced at him.
"Maybe." She whispered.
"Maybe" again... The blonde remembered she said that when she didn't agree with him. She couldn't believe in the curse, could she?
"Say your mind now, Judith, you won't be helpful if you keep it for yourself." He finally stated, knowing she was a secretive woman.
She only answered a short while later.
"Yuri might not wake up."
What? If it was a joke, Flynn didn't find it funny at all, neither did Estellise whose face became livid. The Commandant clenched his fists and stood up from his chair.
"What makes you say that?!" He nearly shouted.
Again, she took her time before responding:
"There is an old tale which tells that whomever sleeps into the Quoi Woods shall never open the eyes again. This is part of the legend about the forest, which was later considered as cursed. It is said that if you get lost in the woods, you shall end up petrified."
Blank.
No way. There was no way he could believe her. His friend would wake up at any second now and she would see she was wrong. And yet, his heart sank. According to the curse, did that mean that if you fell asleep in the woods, you would not awake, and then you would be like "petrified"? He felt like a year ago, after the events of the enduring shrine of Zaude, when he thought he would never see Yuri again...
He looked at Estellise. She didn't seem uneasy, but rather thoughtful.
"I don't think you wouldn't be able to wake up in the woods... Yuri had already slept there, Rita and Karol told me. He was planning to come to Zaphias after the catastrophe due to Alexei's horrific use of my power..." The princess affirmed.
Incredible. So she still had hope. Flynn felt weak compared to her.
"I don't want to be pessimistic but several people were found unconscious back there, and they never woke up." Judith added, throwing a blank in the conversation again.
Unconscious... Asleep... Coma... Flynn knew there existed differences between the three states, but he didn't know which. In his state, it was more probable that Yuri collapsed because of fever than that he fell asleep. It would be the main difference with the last time, when he took a nap before going to the Capital. Does that mean you fell in a deep coma if you get lost and pass out in the woods? It has to be related somehow. Wait...What about Repede's behavior?Thinking about it now, he did chase after something invisible when I sensed Yuri's presence...
The blond broke the silence:
"Judith, you told us you felt the woods were different today... Could you try to explain why?" He asked.
She seemed ill at ease with the question.
"Well... It was like something was following me... I didn't know what it was, I couldn't see nor ear anything, but I felt weird... I felt someone..."
Bingo.
"I did feel the same." The Commandant added.
Suddenly, Estellise stood up and spoke:
"That's too much, we have to do something! If what you both said is true, then Yuri might never wake up! If the curse is real, we have to find a way to remove it!"
"You're right Lady Estellise, but we don't have a single hint to begin with..." Flynn replied.
"That's why I'm leaving right now! I'm going to search in the books of the royal library."
Without a word more, she left her friends, dashing as fast as when she entered the room.
Judith and Flynn stared at each other, clueless.
"Well, what do you suggest, Mr Commandant?" The Krytian questioned.
"I don't really know, but I think we should focus on the presence we felt, it may be important to understand what the curse implies." He answered.
"Seems fine to me... But I told you everything I knew about it already. I think we should ask Halure's mayor, he might be of some help."
"Let's give it a try. Do you mind calling Ba'ul?"
"Not in the least. Let's go."
They rushed towards the Mayor's residence, trying to avoid the heavy raindrops that flooded the city. They broke into the town hall, completely wet. Flynn regained his composure and greeted the man. The latter wondered about the Commandant's presence but he soon was briefed about the situation.
"I'm afraid I won't be of any use... You seem to know as much as I do about this curse... Wait... There may be something more to say... A long time ago, someone made some research about these woods! But I can't remember the name... My father was the mayor at this time, I'll go and ask him. Please, stay here meanwhile."
They didn't have to wait for long. But what they learned bewildered them. Of all the people on earth, why him?
Now they had to go back and tell Estellise about their discovery.
The pink haired girl was standing on a ladder - pointing a finger at every book's title written on the edge - when the door opened, which nearly made her fall of surprise.
"Lady Estellise! I have some news about the woods..." Flynn shouted.
"Oh really? That's great! I only found a paragraph concerning the Quoi Woods... So, what is it about?" She asked, obviously overjoyed.
"We learned that someone had made an investigation on the curse. However, it's going to be hard since Duke Pantarei is the man we'll have to deal with."
Estelle opened her eyes wide.
"Eer... Indeed, it won't be an easy task to find him and make him talk... But we should have thought about it... Duke is a font of wisdom after all... He has a lot of culture thanks to his travels and his interest for the Entelexeia..." She finally said.
"Judith has already taken off to get him... For now, we have to keep on searching in the books. I will help you." The blond stated.
Estelle thanked him and they both began selecting some manuscripts.
Tearing the clouds apart, Judith was flying on Ba'ul's back, after she got ridden of the Fierta in the harbor, which was a real brake to the Entelexeia's speed. Like in the old days... She thought, though this time she wasn't searching for Hermes blastias but for Duke Pantarei. Knowing the man, he could be everywhere, and mostly where you could expect him to be the least. Besides, it was hard to find a man from a bird eye view, and the Krytian had to stop several times to check the areas, asking the people if they hadn't seen him. The answer was always the same... "No, I'm sorry I didn't." It was harder to find him than the legendary flowers.
Three hours riding after, that's when she noticed him, in the half-light of a setting sun. He was walking lonely to nowhere. His look and walk were still the same, so full of grace and elegance. In this wooded landscape, he could be compared as a crimson rose in the garden of shadows. He was such an enigma... Judith was glad he wasn't the kind of man to hold a grudge to his former "foes", for she wouldn't like to struggle with him now that she didn't have her bodhi blastia anymore.
She was sure he had sensed her even before she landed, even if she was in his back, for he had stopped moving. She jumped off Ba'ul and walked towards him. She didn't have to say anything since he spoke before her in a straightforward way:
"What do you want from me?"
His harsh tone destabilized her a bit, but given his formulation, she knew he would agree to speak somehow, which was a chance itself. He certainly still didn't trust humankind at all, but she was a Krytian.
"I shall explain... I learned you had made some research on the Quoi Woods a few years ago, and I need to know what you discovered about them. It's an emergency, and I have the feeling your knowledge might save us time." She answered.
The silver haired man slowly turned his head to the left, as he was still from behind. He coldly glanced at the woman.
"Who did awake the curse?" He asked in a way you would not dare to lie.
"Yuri did. He collapsed in the forest this morning."
"... Then he is still there."
Judith didn't understand right away the meaning of Duke's words. As she pondered over them, the man resumed his walk. She hesitated before asking him:
"Wait, what do you mean by "still there"?"
He ignored her and continued his way to nowhere. The Krytian didn't know what to do to retain him, therefore she could only try to convince him by talking.
"Please, we need your help! If you know something, you have to tell us! You do know he might die... Would you like to have his death on your conscience? If I remember well, he's one of the only persons, if not the only one, you would choose to believe in. He promised you he would try to make things change, so that the Catastrophe never happens again. How would he keep his promise once dead?" She sharply retaliated. It wasn't like her at all to talk this way.
At her words, the silver haired man turned slowly and silently. As usual, his face depicted no expression as he stared at the Krytian woman. He didn't want to deal with these people anymore... However, the last part was true. If Yuri died, there was no way he could achieve his goal and there was no guarantee someone else could take his place. Allowing his death would lead him to face humankind's mistakes all over again. Nonetheless, Duke was not naïve enough to think a single man could prevent the world from being injured by humanity's power thirst. He was now facing with a dilemma: letting the man die because it was in the natural order of things since he dared to provoke the curse, or helping him, knowing that though he promised to make things evolve, it was only a matter of time before mankind repeats the same schemes as their ancestors. His crimson gaze was really piercing; it was like he was looking at something behind Judith, but the latter knew she was the one being analyzed. Maybe he would agree to help her, after all, they did have things in common, like an Entelexeia friend...
After a long while, Duke finally broke the cold silence:
"...And what exactly are you expecting from me?"
Great. She knew she had won.
"Tell me everything you know about the curse."
Flynn didn't hesitate a single second when he heard Judith's report. He had made up his mind; he had to help Yuri, no matter how twisted this story could be...
"If I got it right, Yuri's soul is trapped into the woods because when you pass out, you become unconscious and then, your spirit is out of your body for the time being. And in the Quoi Woods, you're unable to wake up, since your soul is lost in the depth of the forest and can't reach the body back." The blond sum up and the Krytian nodded. "...And according to Duke, the one who collapses doesn't know he's wandering in his "slumber"... It's like a living nightmare where you're lost forever without knowing that your body is lifeless somewhere... Damn, what can I do to save him?!" He shouted in despair. Estellise patted his back in comfort, though she wasn't in a better mood.
"Calm down, Flynn... I'm sure we'll find something..." The pink haired girl said, not really self-confident. "...If his spirit is lost, maybe we have to guide it back to his body?" She asked innocently.
Even if it was a silly suggestion, the Commandant couldn't blame her. How was he supposed to lead a soul? The princess could be so simple-minded at times... Wait... Maybe it wasn't a bad idea after all! The blond stood up abruptly and exclaimed:
"I know! If I collapse there, then I'll be able to reach Yuri's soul and I'll help him to get out of the forest... I guess we'll wake up when we find the exit."
The two women glanced at each other in wonder. Estelle said:
"But it's dangerous for you to go! We don't even know if you will wake up once you have made it through the woods!"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that though... I don't think Duke would have wasted his time talking about the Quoi Woods, if he knew it was impossible to get rid of the curse. Flynn must be on the right track. The only thing I'm not so sure about is that you can find your way out easily." Judith contradicted.
"Fine, then I'll go, and I will only come back with Yuri." The Commandant stated as he hurried towards the door with determination, ignoring the girls' warnings.
I don't care to wander in the woods eternally, if it's with you... I don't care to die there, if it's for you... He thought, glancing a last time at his friend's lifeless body.
Great, and how am I supposed to pass out now? Flynn asked himself in the middle of the dark forest, just where he found Yuri unconscious. He had a clue about how to proceed, but he was a bit reluctant... he looked at his sheathed sword... He could knock himself out with it...
"Well, I guess I have no choice..." He said before hitting himself violently.
He fell on the ground covered with moss and cracking leaves.
When he came back to himself, it seemed to him that the landscape had changed... It was way darker than before, with endless trees which entirely hid the sky.
"YURI!" Flynn yelled his name, expecting an answer in vain. "Alright, you want to play hide and seek? I'm on, I've always won this game... And I'll find you... I promise." He said as he began to walk.
He had been walking for hours... The entire day actually... Or so he was feeling. He couldn't tell what time it was, for the lighting had remained the same since the beginning of his forest stroll. And there he was, exhausted, sitting against a tree trunk, with black locks hiding his face painted with distress. Yuri was completely lost, tired, cold, hungry and thirsty... He couldn't think about anything else than going back home... But he couldn't... No matter how many paths he tried, they would always end here, in this grim undergrowth. Everything was quiet around him, and he could only listen to his jerky respiration, for he had difficulties to breathe because of his cold. He coughed several times before silence fell again on the woods... It was becoming heavier and heavier... Just like his eyelids. His limbs were numb and he felt the urge to sleep. That's when he heard his name for the first time. Am I dreaming already? He thought. Second call. I'm definitely not. He answered himself.
"Over there!" He tried to scream, but his voice couldn't sound louder. Fortunately, it was enough for Flynn to hear.
"YURI!" The blonde shouted, rushing towards the raven haired male who was hardly standing up. Without a second thought, the Commandant embraced his friend tight, which made the latter tense a little.
"Yuri! Finally... Wait, you're so cold! How are you feeling?" He asked while pulling back to look at the swordsman with concern. His friend tried to avoid his gaze, ashamed by his situation. It wasn't really glorious to be lost...
"I'm a bit better since you're around..." He replied lowly, his face turned to the ground. He looked like a child being scolded.
"Hey, look at me." Flynn said, still holding Yuri's shoulders. The long haired man slowly turned his head towards him, but his eyes averted the blonde's ones. "What with the long face? I'm not telling you off or anything! Come on, look at me when I'm speaking to you!" The Commandant ordered, lifting Yuri's chin to force him to focus his gaze on his. As one could expect, the trick worked and the swordsman swiftly glanced at him. The expression Flynn read on his face worried him. Tiredness, fever... Even though their souls were supposed to be away from their bodies, the blonde could swear their general state was the same as their body's one, and vice versa... It meant that they could die even more easily... But dying wasn't an option. They will get away from this hell. Suddenly, the Commandant hit the back of Yuri's head.
"Ouch, hey, what was that for? You said you weren't angry at me!" The raven haired male complained while massaging his head.
"I wanted you to react, you need to cheer up! I must tell you what happened with the woods first, and then we will exit the forest. It all began because you were silly enough to accompany Judith and me here carelessly, even though you were sick. Then you collapsed but you didn't know it, for it seemed to you that you were still walking the woods back and forth. It is how the curse works. When someone passes out, the soul is trapped here and it can't reach the body back." As Flynn went along explaining, Yuri's skin color became livid and his eyes opened in bewilderment. "... Is something wrong?" The blond interrupted his story, aware of the other man's angst. But before he knew it, Yuri was already lying down on the ground. "... Great, I didn't know one's soul could faint too... Hey, sleeping beauty, get up! I'm not done explaining!" The Commandant exclaimed while picking his friend up. The latter reopened his eyes and jumped at the sight of Flynn's face closeness.
"Damn it, stop it already Flynn! If you know how to get out from here, say it right away, or else just shut up!" The swordsman grumbled as he stood up and turned round to avoid the other man's gaze, for he was blushing with shame and frustration. His attitude amused the blond very much as he laughed in his back.
"At least you're back to your normal self, I was worried by your lack of repartee. However, I'm afraid I have no idea about how to leave the forest. But we'll manage, that's for sure." Flynn replied. It annoyed Yuri to no end to hear his friend claiming that they would find a way just because he was here now. It made him feel like he was kind of stupid, unable to manage by himself.
"Don't you understand yet?! We are TRAPPED here! But I guess that as you're way more perfect than I, you will find something!" The long haired male shouted sharply.
The Commandant looked at him, stunned. How come could his friend think that he had come to look down on him?
"... Listen, I'm sorry, I didn't want you to feel scorned at all! But you look so distressed that I didn't mean to sound pessimistic. And I'm not lying when I say WE will find a way. We just need to stick together and to analyze what is surrounding us." He stated. It was Yuri's turn to laugh before Flynn's words, but not out of amusement. Rather out of despair.
"As if I didn't try already! Do I look that dumb to you?! Do you think I would have walked for hours, until my feet hurt, for nothing?! Do you think I didn't try EVERY single path of this rotten forest before I understood it was useless? You don't get it! No matter what you do, you will always end here. It is like the woods turned into a huge endless loop! And besides..." The ebony haired male couldn't finish his sentence, taken by a strong coughing fit.
"Yuri!" Flynn yelled as he came closer to his friend.
"Stay away from me!" The swordsman articulated between two slight coughs. "Damn it!" Other coughs. "I'm so sorry..." Heavy breathing. "I'm so deeply sorry!" His voice was shivering with pain and – what Flynn wouldn't have expected – sobs. "You will die by my fault! I… I..." He wasn't able to add another intelligible word as warm tears ran on his too cold cheeks. Remorse could be read in his feverish eyes and the sight hurt the blond in a way he couldn't have even thought possible. He remained frozen and wordless before this heartbreaking scenery.
A short while later, as Yuri still hadn't regained his composure, Flynn couldn't help but take his friend in his arms again. The other man didn't try to resist, and the blond's shoulder was soon completely wet by tears. The Commandant embraced Yuri tighter and tried to comfort him, softly caressing his long hair.
"Calm down, Yuri... You don't have to apologize. I've chosen to come, even though I knew it would be risky... But I couldn't give up on you! We've always been there for each other, and there is no way it will change someday. So Yuri, please, trust me... We won't die." Flynn whispered and pulled back to glance at his friend who wiped his last tears. He looked so exhausted... The blond gently took his hand, ignoring the fact it wasn't how two best friends should behave.
"Now come on... We have to get out of here." He finally said. The raven haired man nodded, and they started to walk, hand in hand.
Just like Yuri stated , the Quoi Woods had turned into a gigantic maze in which any path led to square one. They had walked for about an hour now, but they still were at the same point. Yuri sighed a lot of times, as he followed the blond who wouldn't give up.
"It seems there is no logic at all... As if there weren't any cardinal points anymore... I'll climb and have a look!" No sooner had he spoken than he was already climbing on the branches of a huge tree whose top was invisible. Yuri stared at him from below, hoping his friend wouldn't fall. Once up there, what Flynn saw bewildered him. Trees... Trees... Trees again, and trees everywhere. His eyes couldn't perceive the end of the forest which spread endlessly around them. "Oh my God..." were the only words which came to his mind. Hopefully, he was too high and the raven haired male couldn't get it. The Commandant didn't want to worry the other man, but he couldn't lie neither... What should he do? He had to think wisely... He had noticed they had walked for a longer time on some roads than on others before they ended up in the same undergrowth. Maybe there was a precise order to follow? Maybe the cardinal points were all mixed up in this weird dimension? How could they stay on the same way if at some point, they would always make a U-turn? Flynn wondered...
He carefully climbed down the tree, still pondering over what to do, when he noticed this side of trunk was covered with lichen. Wait... He had heard something about it one day... He could swear it was during the survival lessons given to the knights... Got it! Lichen was supposed to grow on the most shaded part of the trees, which meant, where the sun couldn't light up. In other words, lichen was mostly found on the northern part of the trunks. The blond grinned with pride. If they followed the lichen, they would be able to find the north. If they carried on northward, they would surely exit the forest. Overjoyed, Flynn took Yuri's hand in his and exclaimed:
"I know how to get out! Come with me!"
"Wait! Have you seen something over there, or what?" The swordsman asked, puzzled by the Commandant's attitude.
"Well... Yeah, something like this!" He shortly replied, turning round and leading his friend by the wrist. The latter had troubles to move at his quick pace, still stunned by the too sudden happiness.
Flynn's discovery seemed to work fine, as they walked a long time on what looked like unexplored roads, without ending in the undergrowth Yuri was stuck in. Little by little, the long haired male began to think there could be a chance for them to escape from this cursed dead end. Or so he hoped until they found a crossroads where both paths had trees with lichen on their bark.
"Uh oh... Didn't expect this one..." The blonde said, frowning.
Yuri stopped to sit on a stump. His legs wouldn't support him any longer. He had to take a break and a breath too. He was so thirsty that he didn't dare to speak and the blond was so serious that he wouldn't say a word while walking. The only sound they could hear was the crack of the withered leaves under their feet. All this silence was eery and Yuri was sure it wasn't a good omen. Something in his mind enticed him to ask a question to Flynn. He had an odd premonition.
"Say Flynn, do you know why it is called Quoi Woods?"
The Commandant raised an eyebrow at the unusual interrogation. He responded after a short while.
"Because it means the Woods of Silence."
Blank.
"How do you know that?"
"I read it in a book I found with lady Estellise back at the castle. It is based on the pronunciation of a word from an ancient language... "Coi"(2) means silent. But why do you ask? That's not like you!"
"Because I had a clue about it. I just wanted to see if I was right... But it means that its name had been given according to the curse. Someone in the past knew how it felt to be trapped here, and it implies he had survived to talk about it..."
The blond saw that his friend was trying to comfort himself, therefore he didn't want to tell the official explanation to the name.
Quoi Woods, the Woods of Silence... The silence of those unable to wake up... The silence of the dead... The thought gave him the chill. The faster they would be out, the better. Flynn decided to turn his attention back to the way to take and then noticed something important. He would have missed it if Yuri hadn't stopped to rest a bit. They had already seen the stump the man was sitting on and it was situated in the left part of the crossroads. Does that mean we will retrace our steps if we walk this way? I'd better not to know...The Commandant blindly headed to the path on the right. His hypothesis was true. Before them, a new road extended. He was sure about it, for a new kind of firs stood on the side of now on, they would have to be very careful to any landmark in order not to choose a path they would have already walked.
"Hey, Yuri, come over here, I know the way." He stated.
Yuri jumped on his hurting feet and reached him without complaining. He just hoped his friend knew what he was doing.
After what seemed to last for an eternity, they arrived in a clearing. Much to their liking, they could see a ray of light piercing through the leaves. It was the first one they noticed, since the sun was completely hidden. Both of them sighed in relief. They would take another break here. Even Flynn started to feel pain in his legs. They had walked for kilometers and Yuri was more thirsty and hungry than ever. The men lied down on the grass, side by side. They were close enough for Yuri to shyly slip his hand in the blonde's one. The latter turned his head towards his friend, surprised.
"I hope this won't become a habit." He teased.
The ebony haired man flushed and pouted. It was weird to admit it, but it reassured him to sense Flynn. It gave him the feeling to exist, for what they were living looked too unreal.
"Sh... Shut up! It's not like I loved you or anything!" He tried to defend himself. He was about to withdraw his hand, from Flynn's, but the grasp tightened. It was Yuri's turn to be astonished.
"That's alright, I was just kidding, I don't mind holding your hand when there are just both of us, because as you said, It's not like I loved you or anything." The blond repeated mockingly, waiting for the other man to retaliate.
But he did not.
Oddly enough, Yuri didn't say anything. He only stared at the blond, expressionless. He didn't know why, but he felt his heart sank at Flynn's words. You said it yourself, why does it bother you now? He thought and blushed even more at it. Feeling stupid, he stoop up and freed his hand. He couldn't let his friend see his reddened face. Friend...Yeah, that's what he his... He needed to convince himself.
On his side, Flynn wondered if Yuri was mad at him, because he wouldn't have cared usually and he would have found something to retort. But that was not the case and he feared he had hurt a soft point. The mere thought froze him. I can't be right, can I? We are just tired... He too wanted to persuade himself. He jumped on his feet and went to Yuri.
"Are you sulking?" He asked in his back.
The long haired man tensed.
"No, I'm not!" He answered drily.
"Really? So what with the aggressive undertone?"
Yuri turned round and glared at the man. His gray eyes showed his bad mood. He didn't like being picked on by Flynn who knew it very well, but it was so tempting. Now, he would have to apologize if he hoped to be talked to again.
"Sorry, I guess. But you needn't stand up angrily if you weren't sulking." He tried.
"I'm not sulking, damn it! You're just annoying!"
He definitely was brooding.
The blond thought it was to time to redeem. He knelt and put a hand on his heart, saying:
"Well, excuse the humble knight I am to be so irritating. I may leave, if it is his majesty's wish. Am I dismissed?" He couldn't help but doing it with a broad smile on his lips. His apologies had turned into a provocation. The other man's outraged expression was too much and Flynn burst out laughing. It earned him to get hit on the head.
"Don't you dare doing that again, Flynn!" Yuri warned. His crimson cheeks were burning out of shame. The threat didn't stop Flynn's hilarity though. When he was finally done giggling, the Commandant stood up and said:
"You should have seen your face, that was too funny."
The raven haired male pouted even more.
"What's wrong with you?! I don't recall the Quoi Woods to be the woods of madness! You're acting like a perfect jerk!" He spat.
"Hey, watch your mouth! I didn't mean to be insulting, so I'd like his majesty to be a bit more respectful, if I'm not asking too much of course." Flynn retorted.
"You'll have asked for it!" Yuri shouted.
He raised his left fist to punch him, but the blond was expecting it, and he grabbed his wrist, preventing Yuri from harming him. His other arm was already blocked before he could move. He tried to struggle a bit, but it was useless since his friend was stronger than him. He glanced at his captive wrist and didn't foresaw the Commandant's next move. He was soon dragged closer to Flynn and not so gently turned round. His back collided against the blonde's chest, and his own was firmly maintained by Flynn's right arm, which was still holding his left wrist tight. The odd and sudden embrace shocked him. It went too fast and his heart started to beat like a drum. Given their position, the Commandant could feel the fast pulsations. But he didn't say anything. On the contrary, he decided to remain silent as he pulled the other man even closer. He put his chin on Yuri's shoulder and closed his eyes. The latter wanted to protest, but he was too bewildered to find the words and his heartbeat wouldn't slow down. Unable to move, he hadn't any other choice than to try to calm down. That's when he became aware of the blond's own heart race.
No sound but their breathing and synchronous heart rhythm could be heard. It felt so weird... They didn't need to say anything, for it seemed that they both shared the same feelings. Little by little, Yuri's uneasiness vanished, replaced by a warm comfort. At this very instant, he felt at peace, as if nothing mattered anymore. His wrath was gone, but Flynn's proximity began to drive him crazy. He needed to free himself from this awkward embrace for he felt shivers running down his spine. He feared he could long for more, and he couldn't allow himself to feel this way towards his best friend.
"Th... That's enough, let go of me, Flynn!" He said lowly, but the latter wouldn't move.
"And why would I?" He whispered at his ear.
The long haired man flushed. Damn. His resolve threatened to melt at any second... It was so hot!
"Stop it, please!" Yuri begged, but his tone wasn't really convincing. His cheeks were on fire.
"What if I don't want to?" The blond asked softly, but he still began to release his hard grasp.
Somehow, the raven haired male was a bit disappointed it could end so easily... But he also knew it was better like this.
"Then, you'll just have to get used to it." He replied, hoping it was harsh enough for Flynn to understand what he meant. How much he disliked having to say it...
As expected, Flynn let him go, but Yuri didn't have the courage to face him, for he new that he would regret his words, once he would see the saddened sapphire eyes.
Flynn felt so empty. How could he have mistaken so much? He didn't even know what he had hoped for exactly... And he didn't understand why either. He just felt like doing it, aware it wasn't a really good idea to do so. He should have known Yuri wouldn't like it, for there were only best friends. He should be grateful that the latter stopped him... He could have ruined everything. He cursed himself for having thought the raven haired male would return him some feelings he wasn't even sure to hold...
"I'm sorry Yuri... I don't know what has gotten into me... Could you forget about it?" He asked imploringly.
The hell?! Forget this? How could he, now that the feelings he held secret so many years had been all messed up in this mere moment? That was impossible. Yuri wasn't even sure he could act as if nothing had happened now, though he knew he had to. But to forget, it was too much. He wanted to turn round and tell Flynn he had loved every single touch... More accurately, he wished he was able to confess him his love. But he couldn't. It would be their biggest mistake, for a Commandant couldn't allow himself to have such a relationship. That's why they had to end it here, before it even started.
With his usual poker face, Yuri turned round to answer the blond.
"Don't worry. I think you shouldn't be the only one apologizing. I'm sorry I lost my temper. Now, we should get going." He said, determined to exit these woods once and for all. Actually, he wanted to run away from Flynn. He needed to be alone for a while.
They both resumed walking, when the Commandant exclaimed:
"Yuri! Before you!"
The latter jumped and looked at his feet.
The legendary flowers...
There were everywhere, glowing in a mysterious way... But the men weren't in the good mood to admire their beauty. They bent down and picked some up. The scent definitely wasn't one a flower should have and it was telling a lot about their medicinal properties. Yuri glanced at Flynn, incredulous. How could they grow here? His eyes widened even more when he noticed Flynn was standing before the forest entrance, for he could perceive the sunlight in his back. Without a word, he ran towards the exit, silently followed by the other man.
When they woke up, they were lying on the same bed, in Flynn's room. They were sweating and panting, still not truly realizing what was happening. To tell the truth, they never did.
Yuri opened his hand where a few pink petals were nestled.
They later learned that this kind of flower had not been registered yet, and that they didn't go to the Quoi Woods, for the Commandant had never been sent there to save anyone. As for Estellise and Judith, if they remembered the events, they would never mention it.
But Duke knew.
FIN
(1) En route = Let's go in French
(2) Coi = Silent in old French
Author's comment:
It's over! I hope you liked this weird OS =D I had a lot of fun writing it. Did you expect it to end like this?
Time for explaining the tittle! It is also based on a French expression, and it means "not to get confused". It was perfect here since it was dealing with the sense of direction and the difficulties to know where reality is.
And I'm sorry I didn't let our two birds confess their love. (I'm sure most of you wanted them together, so I feel like a dream breaker )
Anyway, every comment is welcome! Feel free to correct the possible (probable) mistakes, English is not my first language.