Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Vesperia. That lovely right goes to Namco Bandai…for now… (*goes off to plot evilly in the solace of her make-believe cellar*)
Note: I'm alive! I know some people were beginning to question that; quite reasonably so, considering that I haven't been on in more than seven months. Work and school have kept me running all day (and often all night) long. To make matters worse, my computer just up and died. I sadly lost everything. So, if you've read any of my Hetalia stories and were waiting for an update, expect a long delay. I have to restart from scratch *sniffle*. For those of you unfamiliar with my writing style, I sometimes have problems with figuring the proper usage of words and sentence structure. It took me years to learn how to speak in a similar manner as my peers, rather than my original formal (more archaic as my brother just kindly pointed out to me) linguistic format. So if you see any odd word combinations, just let me know—it'd be much appreciated. Anyways, on to the main reason you're here: to read a Tales of Vesperia story. This is my first for the fandom. I'm quite excited about it; the game leaves a lot of room for interpretation—perfect fodder for fanfic writers. I plan on taking full advantage of that. Seriously, I had a ball writing this chapter. It was done in a few hours flat.
As a side note, chapters will be really short (ranging around two to four thousand words per chapter) that'll be posted at random. My schedule simply doesn't give me a lot of room to maneuver; if I'm not at work, school, or with friends/family, I'm off on an errand or doing homework/research (usually at the library). However you need not fear, my slightly stubborn nature demands that I finish what I start (it just doesn't require me to finish in a timely manner). If you have any questions, then shoot me a pm. Enjoy.
Blanket Warnings: This story is classified as an AU. However, a lot of the world and characters are similar to their original counterparts; but some significant events have been either altered or added/deleted. If this is not your cup of tea, then don't drink it. This story may also feature both heterosexual and homosexual relations. I cannot emphasize this more heavily: don't like, don't read. It's as simple as that. The main pairing will most likely be Flynn X Yuri (read: I don't really play into the whole 'seme' and 'uke' business that seems to have perforated fanfiction). Other pairings will develop as the plot unfolds. Mind, this story will not focus solely on romance (in fact, the pairing often takes a backseat to the plot). Also expect a dash of OOC-ness and a copious amount of action, blood, violence, and foul language—hence why it is rated M.
Chapter One: A Fateful Encounter
"Keep going, my lady! I'll hold them off," a man shouted into the chaotic nighttime air.
Estellise Sidos Heurassein, the crown princess of the Zaphian Empire, halted despite the direct command that was issued to her. Her green eyes pleaded with him; she had already lost everything. She couldn't—wouldn't—lose him too. "B-but, I won't leave you," she cried, fingering the plain hilt of her rapier. "I can hel—"
"No, just go!" The young man in front of her barked, shield deflecting what would have been a deadly blow to his neck. He shook his head briskly to prevent the warm liquid—be it sweat or blood, Estellise wasn't sure—from dripping into his fiery blue eyes.
Blond hair matted in sweat with shoulders hunched slightly; Estellise barely recognized her beloved knight. His navy-colored uniform and steel armor, usually impeccable and bright, were dull and heavy, coated with blood and grime from their flight through the capital city Zaphias.
The city which, once, was fondly called the jewel of the Empire. At least it was prior to that day. The invasion changed everything. The laughter that had once been abundant in the Citizen Quarter had turned to dreaded screams as people fled for their very lives. The houses and shops that lined the cobbled streets, once bright and colorful, were now nothing more than ash, as fire quickly spread from building to building. Zaphias was dying, stripped of everything that had once made her a beautiful utopia. Everything that Estellise had loved about the Empire vanished in a pillar of suffocating smoke and intense heat. The crown princess had lost her past and future. The only thing preventing the eradication of her present was the weathered knight who stood between her and death.
"Flynn…" she whispered, tears dripping down her face. She bit her tongue before any more words could escape her lips; there was nothing else to be said. Her weapon would be useless against this type of foe. If she stayed she would only be a hindrance. Biting hard on her lower lip, she tasted blood. Estellise understood why she had to leave, but understanding did not necessarily mean acceptance. She had to become stronger, needed to be stronger. One day, she'd be able to stand on her own; however, today was not that day. Estellise turned and ran down the alley, her boots clacking loudly down the path to safety.
Hearing the echoes of fading footsteps, Flynn sighed. She was safe for now, but every second he was away from her was an opportunity for the enemy. He would have to finish this quickly. In order to reach her, to protect her, the blond would do anything—no matter the cost. Words whispered gently into his ear on ghost lips: 'a knight should never be separated from those he's to protect'. He couldn't quite place the memory, the voice holding only a vague recollection of the person who had spoken those haunting words. Shaking his head, he was brought back to the situation at hand, as an unbearable weight threatened to crush his left arm.
The knight struggled to keep his shield between himself and that very sharp-looking axe, but this enemy was no mere man. The brute before him was short, only about four feet in height, but was almost as broad as it was tall. Thick cords of muscle trailed down long barreled arms, connecting to an expansive stone-chiseled chest that was attached to thick short legs. However, that wasn't the most startling thing about the creature. The head, while square and adorned with heavily exaggerated features, looked similar to that of a human or krytian.
Brown eyes bore into blue. The creature smiled at him, teeth feral under its abundant facial hair. Unperturbed by the vulgar display, Flynn calmly assessed the situation. He was fighting a creature with a very low center of gravity, unfettered power at its disposal, and his shield was trapped between them. This enemy, unlike many of the monsters that Flynn had disposed of, was encased in armor to make matters even more difficult. The chest was covered by a strange type of metal plating, with a rough-looking material fashioned as breeches; short metal boots finished the ensemble. The odds did not appear to be in Flynn's favor. If only he could get his shield free…
The blond angled his shield arm, up and out, putting all of his might into it, growling low under his breath. The beast's smile only grew in mirth – it knew there was no way the knight could best it in a bought of strength. With no warning, Flynn lashed his armored foot out at the poorly protected knee. His effort paid off, as the stocky creature wavered, off balance. The weight that had once been so insistent on his shield disappeared. The rounded triangular piece of steel finally freed with a satisfying crack, as the axe was ripped from his opponent's hand. He watched as fear entered the creature's very human brown eyes, the last moment of reflection that awaited every living being before its demise. Flynn's enemy knew death when it saw it. The blond raised his blade and swiftly brought it down on his opponent's short unprotected neck.
The neck broke with an audible crack. Blue eyes watched as the creature swayed, blood seeping from its torn throat, and slowly toppled over. Finally. Now that that was done, he could catch up to the heir of Zaphias. However, fate didn't want to seem to cooperate with him that day. As soon as he turned to follow the direction the princess had fled, heavy clanks echoed off the remnants of houses long vacant behind him. Cursing, he readied his weapon. From the sound of it, there was more than just one creature this time. Princess, stay safe until I get there; Flynn silently begged as three large shadows stopped in front of him, teeth gleaming in the light cast off by the dancing flames. Taking a deep breath, the knight charged.
The smoke settled over the city like a thick smothering blanket as acrid fumes wafted from select burned houses – no doubt from homes where the people had not escaped in time. He frowned at the thought, dark eyes narrowing. Damn the invaders. Looking around wearily from his perch on a roof, it appeared that most of the Lower Quarter had already fled. Good, it was getting to risky to stay in the capital. It was no doubt better to flee, that much he acknowledged. However, where could he flee? That was where the real problem lay.
A low growl made the man look down. A large dog, with a long whip-like tail and steely indigo fur, sat by his side with his ears flats against his head. A chain loosely sat around his neck, a mahogany pipe lined with delicate golden inlay was clenched between his teeth, and a strangely angled dagger was strapped to his back. While most people would have been struck speechless at the canine's appearance, the man gave no sign of surprise.
"What is it, Repede? You hear something?" The man asked, dark eyebrows arched expectantly.
A lone piercing blue eye stared at something in the distance, something beyond the man's poor field of vision. Following the hound's line of sight, the figure noticed the shadows that raced through the narrow alleyways. Squinting, he attempted to get a better view. As the shadows swiftly approached, the picture became clear. A girl, hair the fresh pink of a young flower and eyes the color of a freshly misted field, staggered from the smoke. Despite her clothes being in shambles and her manner roughened in her haste, she still maintained the air of a noble. A noble in trouble. He resisted the petty urge to let the young noble fend for herself. While he was not fond of the aristocratic class, he couldn't let a person in need falter. Be it commoner or royalty, all people needed help sometimes. He, of all people, knew and understood that assertion in particular.
Mentally figuring the quickest route to the girl, he signaled his canine companion. "C'mon, let's go," he urged, sprinting along the edge of the rooftop as he shouldered a weathered rucksack. Repede barked in agreement, following the young man further into the smoke.
Jumping from the second story, he hit the ground running, dog by his side. Recalling the route he had mentally mapped out, he turned a sharp corner steeling himself for yet another tough encounter. The night, while young, was looking to be a long one.
He nearly collided with the girl, barely stepping to the side in time. Her green eyes widened, surprise clearly evident on her face. The man ignored her in favor of the foes that lurked behind her, tossing his leather pack off to the side. Two of the blasted humanoid creatures ran at him; surprisingly fast for their short stocky stature and bowed legs. The first creature, dark skin and hair contrasting starkly with his fair-skinned ally, charged him, crimson-hued eyes aglow. These guys sure enjoy the fight, the long-haired man thought wryly as he drew his katana, a smug grin plastered on his face. But so do I.
Dodging a large battle-axe, he whirled around the first enemy scanning for a weakness in his opponent's armor. The legs were barely veiled by a strange type of cloth, a perfect weakness for him to exploit—except for the minor fact that his opponents were also aware of this information. As he aimed his sword for the back of the first enemy's legs, his other opponent smiled victoriously. The light-skinned creature had approached him at the same time that he did, swinging the axe towards the man's exposed torso. There was no time to dodge the blow. The long-haired male grunted, as he was forced to drop his very thin steel sword, in order to block it. The man staggered, hands wrapped tightly around the metal haft, nestled between his opponent's giant pale fists and the head of the dual-bladed battle-axe. His sword clattered loudly to the cobbled ground. Damn. He wavered, close to buckling under the immense pressure the creature applied to its weapon, struggling to keep his distance from the wicked looking edge on that axe. The darker creature turned around swiftly, prepared to strike the human who was trapped in a stalemate with its ally.
Its world came tumbling down though, as it fell heavily to the ground, mouth opened garishly in a cry of pain. Repede leapt lightly from the fallen dark humanoid, a dagger, glistening with a red liquid, firmly clenched in his mouth. The creature attempted to get up, but failed as its tendons had been skillfully cut. It was now defenseless, unable to swing the axe from its current position. The canine quickly put the creature out of its misery, with a simple flick of the head, the cold steel of the dagger easily severing its neck open.
The man noticed the scene from the corner of his eyes, grateful to the faithful hound, but quickly refocused his attention on the abomination in front of him. A contest of strength was out of the question; he could barely keep the axe at bay as it was. Perhaps a different method would be required.
Instead of fighting, he simply fell back, keeping a firm hold on the haft. Surprised by the shift in weight, his opponent over-balanced; the battle-axe hitting the ground with a loud screech above the man's right shoulder. The creature managed to stay afoot, but just barely. The long-haired man saw his chance, quickly letting go of his grip on the haft, and instead wrapped his arms around the creature's bulky forearm. Securely latched on, he hefted himself off the ground and used the added leverage to land a powerful kick on the pale humanoid's strong jaw. The creature lurched back, a cry of pain leaving its lips. The man then let go, dropping to the floor, before rolling towards his forlorn katana. Grasping it in his left hand, he ran towards the reeling beast. Pale blue eyes opened in surprise when a long sharp blade pierced its neck. A gurgling noise erupted through its mouth, blood slowly collecting at the corners only to trail down its throat, mingling with the sea of red that bled from the wound. The pale humanoid collapsed, the last signs of life fading with the fading rays of moonlight that had struggled past the suffocating blanket of smoke.
Repede left his master to finish his task in peace as he sought out the strange girl who was hiding behind scattered debris from the nearby burned buildings. As the dog approached, the girl shifted, attempting to burrow further back. Repede ignored her efforts to escape him and padded up to the pink-haired human. He sniffed her, tasting metallic blood, sweet sweat, and the bitter tang of fear. Satisfied, he turned around and sat next to his master's belongings, patiently waiting for the young man to finish his deed.
Kneeling, the dark-haired man drew his sword out of the dying creature, wiping the blade on the strange cloth material of its pants. That taken care of, he sheathed his sword in the loose scabbard he had tossed to the ground before the conflict. He looked at his and Repede's handiwork; both appeared to be deathly still. Satisfied, he turned around to see what Repede was up to. A flash of light in his peripheral vision stalled him though. Curious, he went to investigate. The strange double-bladed axe lay on the ground, stained with the copper-toned pigment of dried blood. Picking it up, he gently probed it. The metal was of a kind unlike anything he had ever seen before. While it was larger in stature than most axes, it was still relatively light weighing in at only eight pounds. The haft, made of the same material as the head, was shorter than average, averaging around two feet in length. All in all an interesting variation of a standard weapon; this could be useful, he thought wryly, as he wandered towards his canine companion and his gear. Digging around in his pack, he pulled out a leather thong and quickly tied it around the handle before attaching it to his rucksack. Finally finished, he faced the girl.
Her large green eyes were wide, face ashen under the splashes of grime. The formerly blue dress she wore had been ripped and torn in places that would have been considered highly indecent if they had been under different circumstances. Pink hair that had once been tied into a proper knot at the back of her head was scattered roughly, stiff with sweat. The girl looked like she had been to the brink and back.
A sliver of sympathy pierced his heart. Regardless of her rank in society, she was still just a youngling—not appearing a day over eighteen. She was simply a lost child. Slowly kneeling to the ground, so as to not startle her, he allowed a soft smile to morph his face.
"Are you okay there, miss?" He asked gently, voice barely audible against the cacophony of noise that had engulfed the city. She blinked once, twice, before nodding stiffly. Satisfied, he stood firmly gripping his pack and turned away from her towards the eastern mouth of the alleyway. "Good," he stated quietly, back as straight and unwavering as his voice, "then you should hurry and get away from here as soon as possible."
Biting his lip, the man took his leave. As much as he couldn't bear the thought of leaving her behind, too many people—as it was—relied on him. He had a responsibility to get back to them as soon as physically possible. That wouldn't happen if he had to coddle her to safety. Anyway, most of those strange creatures had been focused in the Noble and Citizen Quarter—no doubt making their way to the castle. She should be able to escape the city just fine on her own.
As he began to walk, followed by his canine companion, she leapt up, her stunned mind seemingly functioning again. Stumbling over her worn feet, she grabbed the back of his dark cloak before falling ungracefully to the ground. The man, unprepared for the sudden action, was yanked backwards narrowly missing crushing her for the second time that day. He gasped as the stranglehold the cloak had around his neck loosened, allowing him to breathe properly as he lay sprawled on the cold stone beneath him. The girl, for her part, bushed furiously, muttering apology after apology that was steadily rising in volume. Repede looked on in amusement, tail twitching as he sat down to watch the spectacle.
The man sighed, blowing long dark bangs away from his face. He really should be used to this type of stuff by now. Nothing ever went the way he wanted it to. Sitting up, he waved off the girl's apologies. At the rate she was going, she'd alert every enemy in the vicinity as to their whereabouts and be blue in the face while doing so. "It's fine," he interrupted. Righting himself, he eyed her once more. "Tell me, what's your name?"
Startled, she hesitated slightly before answering. "I'm Estellise Sid— Um, sorry, I meant sir."
That startled a laugh from the man. "I'm no 'sir', Estellise. The name's just Yuri, Yuri Lowell." Yuri turned and motioned to the dog, whose had been vigilantly surveying the surrounding with his one eye. "This here's Repede."
She nodded politely, though the corner of her mouth twitched sporadically. "Please, sir," she pleaded, bright green eyes widening with unshed tears, the dam close to bursting. "Yuri. I need your help."
On the outside, he took all of this in stride, merely raising an eyebrow at her genuine appeal. Inside his head was another story. She needs help. That much's obvious, but… He mentally shook his head. One problem at a time. The others will just have to fend for themselves for just a little longer.
Yuri sighed, shoulder slumping. "Fine. Just tell me what's the problem."
I'll be there soon, Hank. Just keep them safe until I get there.