For you, a tales of vesperia fanfic

"AS LONG AS YOU ARE ALIVE, I WILL CARRY YOU."

Chapter 1

Cloudy darkness.

He could feel a light breeze against his face.

Regaining senses, he listened to his own, steady breaths. Where was he? The blackness around him slowly blew away and the sky,

white with high clouds, took it's place. Slowly, dull, crystal blue eyes slipped open and shifted from side to side, taking in the landscape.

Bodies. Bodies lay strewn in the field. In the distance he could make out mountains. The smell of rain and blood hit him. Right, what seemed like moments

ago he had fought here, on the front lines, to protect the people, alongside his friend… his best friend, Yuri Lowell. Yuri. Something in Flynn Scifos mind snapped

as he remembered Yuri's name. Drenched in blood, mud and rain water he bolted upright with a horrid squelching sound. Pain and dizziness exploded

into his system upon the rapid movement causing him to sway. His nerves flared up and he fell onto his side into the thick, syrupy mud. The captain lay there and shivered

for what felt like hours, struggling to redeem his senses and consciousness. Then, at last his memory sparked once more. Where was his friend? Was he alive? And what

about the rest of his brigade? Had they all fallen? Taking care to move with caution this time, he shakily propped himself up and scanned the area. Not a person, nor a monster was left standing.

All there was to see was a seemingly endless expanse of dead bodies. "Shit…" he mouthed the words subconsciously. There was no way he would be able to find his friend here.

"Yuri…?"

His words came out as no more that a weak whisper. He could feel his throat stick for just a second as he spoke, and his immense parchment became clear to to him.

Several dry, hollow coughs fled from his tired lungs. He had to drink something, fast. The knights hand moved down to where his canteen sat on his belt. He felt for it for several seconds

before glancing at the nothingness that greeted him. Where was his canteen? Where was his armor? he was dressed in only the black, long-sleeved top that he wore under his armor and

his trousers. But the armor, his boots, his sword, and his canteen where nowhere to be seen. Scavengers. They had taken everything from him while he had been unconscious.

"Bastards." He hissed with venom. They would wait at a safe distance until a battle was over and then move in to steal their fill. As much as Flynn hated them right now, he knew better

than anyone that he would do the same if he had to. At least he didn't seem to possess and serious injuries.

The commander staggered to his bare feet which promptly sank up to the ankles in bloody mud and gritted his teeth in pain.

Creaking joints and stiff muscles made moving and balancing extremely difficult. Once again, his dull, azure eyes scanned the area.

Not too far away he spotted a body sporting ginger hair. Sodia? He carefully stepped over the bodies that surrounded him, paying attention not to step near any hands. Anyone may be a trickster.

Flynn approached his lieutenant carefully, and knelt down with a wet squelch, gently turning the limp body onto her back. He frowned at what he saw and bit his lip, hiding his horror. Amongst the scraps of flesh that could vaguely

be recognized as a face, amongst the violet colored eyes which proved her identity, larvae. Hundreds of them. They ate away at her from the inside, causing her face to churn a little, to crawl and shift.

He closed his eyes, and with respect, turned his loyal soldier back into the mud and swallowed hard. He had seen these things so, so many times, but when

the infestation contorts the face of one of your closest comrades, they feeling is so, so different. She was dead. Sodia was dead. No, Sodia had fallen in action. That was it. That sounded alot more honorable.

With dry eyes and throat, Flynn turned his back and scanned the area yet again. It had rained not long ago, and yet thirst constricted his veins. There where no puddles that where't a rancid cocktail

of blood, dirt and bile. Some monsters went for the stomaches of their enemies, bursting the organs after they had made their kill. Puddles of bile and acidic mud where the result.

His body was so stiff, cold and dry that he felt as though he might as well lie down and die alongside his men. To sleep now, and die a hero. No, that was no way to waste his gift of life. He was lucky.

Suddenly his eyes hit a familiar tone of purple. His heart almost leaped out of his mouth. With bright eyes the commander burst into an ungraceful, stumbling sprint.

His mind flew and poured liquid happiness and dread into his shriveling veins. Yuri. There, amongst the bodies, lay his best and oldest friend.

Please be alive. That was all the blonde could think and he closed the distance between him, and his potentially dead friend. Flynn threw himself to his knees and looked down at Yuri.

The swordsman lay on his side, facing away from Flynn. He had what looked like a deep wound to his upper back, but it had stopped bleeding. A thick, black

scab coated the region and a small pool of old blood sat underneath him. Yuri had always had fast clotting blood ever

since he had been a child. The knight took a deep but thoroughly quivering breath and laid a hand upon his friend's shoulder. It was stone cold and wet from the rain.

With a brief hesitation, he turned the limp body onto it's back. The eyes where shut. The mouth was shut. Everything about Yuri was so very shut. Flynn's body rattled with fear at what was to come,

he could hardly bear to take the next step. What if Yuri was dead? What if his best ever friend had died in the same battle that he had survived? What would he do then? Would he return to

the reserve camp? Would lie down and die alongside Yuri? The questions did nothing to encourage the young commander. He was in pain, alone, cold, dehydrated, and afraid. So very afraid.

He snapped and shook his head violently. "Come on!" He said loudly and stared at the horizon of the barren wasteland. "Come On!" He the roared horsely a the top of his lungs. Then, without thinking,

he dove down. He rested his ear on his friends chest and waited. Waited or a sound. Waited for a sign. Flynn waited for what seemed like hours. Hope flew past so much faster than time did.

His heart sank and sank and sank with every nanosecond that passed. Then time stood still.

Ba-Dum.

The knight's pupils contracted beneath dry, shriveled corenae.

Ba-Dum.

The brave unwavering sound of a beating heart. It wasn't the strongest or healthiest rhythm he had ever heard though. Now he hear two of them. The one of his friend and the one of his own, beating loudly in his ears. Yuri was Alive!

Luri Lowell and a pulse! Flynn's best friend had survived the battle, even if by a mere thread. He could be saved! The commanders expression was etched in the names of shock, surprise,

fear, happiness, joy. Ecstasy. That is what he felt. Moments he spent smiling, laughing to himself with the occasional dry, breathless hack in-between. Like a proud, happy baby that laughs for the first time.

Then, reality. The Swordsman was unconscious, and therefore as dehydrated as he was. Flynn searched his friend's belt for his canteen and wrapped his freezing fingers around the even colder metal.

His eyes widen with hope as he hastily unscrews the lid and peers inside. Only a drop. Please, only a drop would be enough. His eye rolled around the inside of the canteen.

Empty. It was empty. Dizziness swept through his veins. Shining stars of all colours blotted out his vision

as the young knight swayed, held his head and finally collapsed into the thick, perfectly slimy mud. His body shivered uncontrollably and he struggled to breathe. His nerves where frazzled. Calm. Calm he thought.

the blonde tried desperately to still his body. He was in no state to handle such waves of emotions. With every breath he took into his sore, parched lungs, an invisible knife carved pain into his chest.

He was so severely weakened. Maybe it was a better idea to die here by choice than to be surprised by death further down the line. Maybe it wasn't a choice, maybe he was going to die here, inevitably.

Maybe this was exactly what was supossed to happen. Flynn smiled at the thought of death. of Relief.

All of a sudden, the image of Yuri flashed through his mind. The image of this friend wore its usual expression. That conceited smirk. The commander wanted to give him a through blow to the face for that look.

The dark eyes looked down upon Flynn condescendingly as the Swordsman spoke.

"So this is how the Great Commander Flynn Scifo bites the dust huh? Pathetic." Flynn flinched at the words. They hit him with a stab. his friend was right. This was

pathetic. With that pain, with that emotional stab, Flynn got a hold of himself. Yuri had slapped some sense into him. He didn't have time to sit here, he had to move before dehydration him takes him.

With an agonizing moan, dragged himself to his feet. He can't give up already. If your die, die trying to live? He wasn't sure.

but it was enough to satisfy him, as starved for reason he was. That was when he made his decision. Captain Flynn Scifo would return his best friend, Yuri Lowell, to the reserve camp, and he would be saved.

No matter what.

Chapter 2

Logic. The blonde had to think straight now. He didn't know when his friend would wake up, and he could not wast time waiting. Maybe carrying him was the only option? Would he head to the reserve line or

find a source of water instead? Walking through more bodies than he needed to was a bad idea. Also, Flynn remembered the map that he had used to illustrate

the battle plan to his brigade. It had shown that the closest spring was at the reserve line. He had to find clean water. Drinking dirty water would only make his chances of making it back

even slimmer than they where now. A little fleeting fear showed it's pale face again. The commander did his best to ignore it and shut his eyes to think harder. There was no

way that he would be able to carry the swordsman all the way, especially in his state. Yuri weighed the same as Flynn, or maybe a little bit less. But details of the weight didn't matter. Flynn shook his head.

There had to be a second option to use incase his back and arms would give in… That was it!

His eyes sprung open. A little too enthusiastically, Flynn bounded over to where Sodia lay and knelt down. Barely daring to look at her, he carefully undid her cloak and folded the bloody piece

of heavy fabric into a bundle. "Thank you, Sodia!" He whispered and smiled brightly and clumsily skipped back in Yuri's direction. He could pull him on this cloak! Perfect. The commander was so pleased

of himself that he lost his footing only for a split second. But that was enough to send him face down into the mud. Half on top of a dead monster, he pulled his face out of the mud with the

sickening sound of releasing suction and whipped his mouth and nose with his sleeve. Flynn drew a shaky breath. Why was he so happy. He hadn't got his friend anywhere. This was so hopeless.

It was at least 20 kilometers to the reserve. He didn't stand a chance in his current state. He, and Yuri would die.

"Pathetic."

The word came back to stab him for a second time. It hurt because it was true. All of this work, everything he had dreamed of ever since he had been a child, ever since his father had been a knight,

with Yuri, he had dreamed of changing the ridiculous laws which suppressed the poor of the lower quarter. He had dreamt to purge this world of corruption and injustice. And now, self doubt was going to kill all of this. Self doubt was

going to make all the rest of his life become irrelevant. No. He wasn't going to let that happen. Wiping the rest of his face with his other sleeve, the knight staggered to his feet. His eyes focused on the near-dead figure

of Yuri that lay ahead of him. They had to depart.

Flynn stumbled. With that same sliding sound, the limp body of his friend slid off his back and in to the mud with a beautiful face plant .

That was the fourth time he had tried to hoist Yuri onto his back, always bringing forth the same result. Quickly, Flynn grabbed onto his unconscious friends hair and pulled out his face, allowing him to breathe.

The captain wiped Yuri's face with his now mud drenched sleeve. Already out of breath, Flynn rolled up Sodias cape and tied it around the swordsman's waist. One more try. Carefully this time. At last the captain

was starting to revert to his usual, organized self. No more crazy emotions, he was going to succeed this time. Gathering his strength, he lifted and hoisted the heavy body onto his back and quickly tied

the loose ends of the cape around his own waist. There. He took a few staggering steps forward and released a violent cough from his lungs. His chest shook.

The dryness of his throat was making it very difficult for the knight to avoid coughing. Also, dizzy and wooziness made walking with a floppy man on his back no easier.

It was the least graceful piggy-back in history, but certainly one of the most essential.

His cold feet sank up to the ankles in the acidic, bloody mud. Wretched stuff. And it stunk. The young knight swayed and realized that he was about to loose his balance. In an instinctive movement he ripped his feet free from the mud

and stumbled to a stop. No time for shock. He placed one shaking foot in front of the other sand started his journey towards the reserve line. If he stood still or only a second his feet would disappear into the ground again.

His eyes focused to the mountains on the horizon. Under one of these mountains there was a secret tunnel. That would be his halfway mark. With a confident smile, he moved into the distance. Unconscious

and dying, Yuri's limp head nodded as his friend trudged on. To take them home.

Chapter 3

At last he was out of the field. No more dead bodies. Only silent Yuri, exhausted yet confident Flynn, and the mud. Always the mud. Sticky it was, the ankle-deep slime had stopped reeking of rotting flesh

and regurgitated material, however brought no advantages to Flynn. Besides maybe a small moral boost from being out of the stench. He looked up with dull eyes, his expressionless gaze fixed upon the

speck of a tunnel in the side of the mountain. A mere pixel of darkness within the field of his camera of vision meant hope to him. Hope. This word stuck with the young knight. Along with another.

Every time Flynn slowed for a break, every time he stumbled and fought for breath after every coughing fit which drained what felt like every last ounce of strength from his body, that other word would echo from one ear to the other.

"Pathetic."

He heard it again. Yuri's tone of voice still angered him. But that anger fueled his power, it gave him new strength. Lost in his thoughts Flynn closed his eyes. a Rock. For the split second that he wasn't looking at where he

was going, a rock decided to sprout from the ground exactly where he was going to place his cold, bare foot. Finally, the knight overbalanced. The mud, fatigue, the constantly shifting weight of his friend, all where to

blame for his fall. Quite dramatically Flynn went flying to the ground. He somehow managed to keep his face above water (or mud), but Yuri hit his back with all of his limp weight. The air from Flynns lungs flew out in a powerful woosh.

Wide eyed he was hammered inches deeper into the mud. This is what felt like to fall harshly and be body slammed to the back by a grown man. Pain. Shock. The shock forced Flynn to open his desiccated throat. Desperately

trying to control himself, the knight submerged his face in the sludge. To no avail. He jerked violently as he hacked from beneath the mud. Tiny bubbles slowly rose and burst at the surface near his face, like the crater of a volcano.

Remnants of little air that was left in him from bing struck in to the back. It was a piteous sight. Even after there was no air left to cough, his chest lurched to no end. Minutes felt like hours and at last, his lungs settled.

He lay still. Slowly recovering from the trauma. His mind was slowly but surely returning to it's conscious state as Flynn finally realized that his lungs where completely empty.

And just in time.

Adrenaline surged through his body and the knight flinched rapidly, ripping his face free from the mud. His mouth hung open. The Suction from within him did the job.

Oxygen flooded through Flynns system. Ecstasy again. He relaxed and lowered his body, his version clouded with

shining stars. Slowly they faded. Flynn, breathing far too consciously, ignored his headache and brought his mud-bathed body to a kneeling potion and glanced over his shoulder at Yuri. He looked rather alot cleaner

than Flynn. He was almost jealous. But relieved too. Slimy mud oozed out from between his toes as he straightened up and rebalanced the weight of the swordsman on his back. One foot in front of the other. Step. Step.

Into the distance he trudged on.

How long he had walked, he could not remember. It would have felt like days where it not for the absence of night time. The knight's body was numb with exhaustion, and Flynn could have sworn that

his wheezing breaths could be heard a mile away. The mud had become far less deep, less slimy. At the foot of the mountain the sludge was much grittier and thicker. Although walking was easier, his soles now

bled from cuts he had received from sharp shards of stone and bits of broken glass. A winding path lay ahead of him. The trail led to the entrance of the tunnel

in a Zig-Zag pattern. It was rocky and slippery. Constant mud slides would make the journey perilous. Regardless, the blonde started up the mountain. His strained knees shaking and bowing as he climbed.

Step by step the knight advanced. Tiny specks of sweat dotted his forehead, his body wasting the last of it's water. Flynn grinned sarcastically as he wiped his brow. He was self destructing. He was a star,

shining brightly, though slowly shrinking, dying, because it was burning the last of it's own reserves. Ironic it was. Throbbing pain shot him in the back of the neck again. His muscles would tear

to rags if he continued to move. But Flynn was unfazed. He had to make it to the tunnel. He had to.

Step

He had entered auto walk. Unconsciously placing one bloody foot in front of the other, he made his way up the steep trail. At last, there it was: the Tunnel. The young knights heart

leapt and he broke into a dash. He stumbled, but with considerable speed toward the entrance. Only about 20 meters was a small, open fissure

in the rocks about 1 foot deep between the running Flynn and the tunnel. He ran. The fissure sat there. They met. The young knight passed over it and slid. The left leg, exhausted and cold,

plummeted into the earthen crack, twisting it at 90 degrees through the ankle. Flynn winced with great self control, and tried desperately to bring himself to a stop. Yuri, who's head lay limply

over his friends shoulder, was unconscious still, and unable to stop the movement. Thus, The young knight continued to fly, his left leg still jammed between the rocks. Momentum.

It all went so fast, time passed in a blur. Flynns head smashed into the rocky ground, foot still upright.

SNAP

The horrific sound of breaking bones. Almost like wood. But warmer. For a split second, his eyes stood wide open like globes. Agony. Just when he knight gasped to take in air in order to scream, the limp, heavy

body of the swordsman hammered him in to the ground again. The air flew from his chest. The same feeling paralyzed Flynn. There he lay, motionless. Every emotion of his was rewritten to Agony. Even his will to keep moving.

His paper-dry mouth opened slowly sucking in stale air. He held it for a minute. Not Thinking at all for a moment. Then he screamed. Flynn screamed. A wounded animal. But he didn't only scream for

his pain. No. Flynn screamed for Yuri too.

Chapter 4

His mind was redeeming itself. Out of breath from screaming. So much pain. That wretched mass of emotion. His fingers where hot and red as he moved the down to his waist, hastily undoing Yuri from his back.

The unconscious man slowly and gently slid onto the ground. Feeling a little relief, Flynn took in a deep breath and tried to control himself. Slowly and very, very gingerly did he sit up, making every effort

not to move that jammed leg of his. Minutes passed until he had finally reached an upright position. With concern and dread, the young knight peered down at the second knee he had just created for himself.

This was it. This was the end of the line. He turned and gazed emotionlessly at Yuri. He looked asleep… or dead. Flynn just gazed at his friend.

Hours passed. The landscape was falling into twilight. High clouds had fled, revealing a dark sky.

Pinheads of beady stars laughed at him from above. Oh how he hated them right now. The temperature was dropping like a rock.

This was going to be a very, very cold night. "Dammit…" the knight whispered to himself and looked back at Yuri. extending his arm in the direction of his yet unconscious friend, he gave him

a push. No, a knock. A few seconds he stared at the limp body that lay next to him. No. No, Yuri wouldn't survive the night… he was unconscious and his body temperature must be low.

Flynn straightened things out in his mind. He would do everything in his power to see him through the night. His thoughts where idealistic, but the knight

was so dehydrated and light-headed that he didn't even notice.

Flynn unrolled the cloak and laid it over his shoulders before going for the plunge. Carefully and incredibly slowly he inched that snapped lower leg out of the shallow fissure. the action was surprisingly painless.

Shuffling himself towards the rocky wall, he lifted Yuri beneath the arms and pulled him along until he reclined to the cliff face. The knight covered his friend with the tattered cloak and

drew him into his embrace. Slightly awkward, them being straight friends of the same gender.

Gosh, if Yuri had been awake he would have protested. But that didn't matter now. Basically, he was alone. Hopefully he would wake tomorrow morning. Hopefully Yuri would be alive in the morning.

The Night was deathly cold. Flynn shivered violently throughout, his breath like a ghost, hanging in the air.

The slack swordsman in his arms radiated extremely little heat, however it did an unbelievably good job at absorbing it. Flynn's

body was going dangerously numb. He drew Yuri closer and shut his weary eyes. Yuri was still alive. Te feeling of his weak, yet steady heartbeat was ever present. Flynn felt his dry throat. His lungs where raisins.

Shriveled, dry pieces of semi-living matter on which the rest of his life relied. Flynn doubled over and hacked into his unconscious friends shoulder. Pain shook him. Tiny specks of blood hit the ground. Pain.

Shivering, he thought about the next day. Flynn would have to walk on. Maybe he'd have to crawl, and use that cloak to pull his friend. Would that leg of his be able to handle it? We'll see tomorrow.

Would he find and water? If he had to walk right now, he would not be able to go far with this hydration. He glanced at his leg in the darkness. There it hung in the air, swollen black.

His knee was straight, but there came the second kink. The lower half of his lower leg jutted grotesquely in to the air. Like a fishing rod. Disgusting.

The young knight averted his eyes. These where the worries of tomorrow. Future Flynn will deal with that. This is what he loved about night. There are no worries at night. He coughed breathlessly.

There are no worries at night.

No worries.

He coughed once more.

Only sleep.

Sleep.

Chapter 5

Daybreak.

His body felt so heavy. Listening to his heart beating in his ears. So loud.

Getting faster. He can feel gentle warmth from behind his back. Feels nice. He opens his mouth and draws a deep breath, slowly exhaling. Feeling the warm air. Murky darkness begins to

fade around him and is replaced by deep reds and yellows, dancing across the inside of his eyelids. He takes another deep breath. The numbness is starting to leave his body, slowly.

His numb fingers twitch. He can move. Dark eyes flutter open, only to be met by a glaring blue sky, rimmed by the torn contour of brown mountains. Yuri squints against the sunlight. Where was he?

Wasn't he… on the battlefield? Confused and tense he leans away from the warmth behind him. Oh yes, that was that warmth? The fatigued swordsman turns his head to see what was behind him.

There lay his friend. Eyes shut, tattered and torn, with dry tear ducts and lips, thin streams of dried blood down his chin. Unarmed. "Flynn…?"

Yuri questioned, dazed. His head was throbbing. The sudden movement of his sitting up was too much or his circulation to handle. He eyed his friend expressionlessly. His entire body was bruised and bashed. Pain.

Then his mind snapped. "Flynn?! What the hell?!" Awkward. With a swift twist Yuri freed himself from the knights arms.

"Dude. Are you asleep?" Yuri's features where etched into his usual smug grin. Like a cat. He grabbed his friend roughly by the shoulders and shook him hard. "Hey, Flynn! Man, you look like hell. Wake up!"

The swordsman's usual expression faded into suppressed concern when his friend slid limply onto his side, motionless. "Flynn?" He repeated, his mocking tone dying from one second to the next.

The he shook what would have been the life out of Flynn. "FLYNN!" Frostbitten fingers digging into the knights shoulders as he flew limply from side to side. A rag doll. Yuris dark eyes widened just a little.

Desperately out of breath Yuri, panting, leant back and stared athis friend who he saw in front of him. He gasped for air and shouted once more, "FLYNN!" No reaction.

Finally calming down a little, the swordsman brought himself to a standing position. Confused. What was going on? What the hell was with Flynn? With wide eyes he scans the area. By the looks of it,

they are high on a mountain. There in the distance, he could make out what must be the front line battlefield? That was where he had been before he fainted, right? Yuri could remember what happened.

He and Flynn had fought together. No real reason. Except that they had some kinda impressive combos together. Excuses. But it was true. There had been so many monsters. Constant close combat.

They had fought like that for two whole days and nights straight. By the last night they where burned out, and although Flynn had always been stronger that Yuri, he had fainted from exhaustion first. There weren't many monsters

left standing, nor where there many humans left standing, but the swordsman had protected his unconscious friend until his world had also plunged into darkness. Yuri swallowed and continued to scan the area.

A few paces away, that trap door… that was the mountain tunnel! Had… had Flynn carried him here? Damn, if he did, Yuri would seriously owe him.

He looked down at his friend.

He lay on his back, pale and dry, completely motionless. The swordsman's expression was something difficult to read. It often was. Whenever he was in pain, sad or experiencing any other unmanly

emotion, he would pull the same, expressionless face. As usual. His gaze shifted to his friends legs. That jutting lower leg caught his eye for the first time. He flinched a little and squinted in disgust.

Tibia and Fibula where definitely not supposed to bend in that direction. Had his friend sustained that injury in battle? Had Flynn carried him all the way here with that leg? Shit… He really owes his friend a lot of favors now…

If he was… still alive...

Yuri knelt down next to Flynn, bent over and roughly pressed his fingers to the side of the knights neck. Crack. His expression was breaking.

Breaking into fear. He waited. Crack. Pressed harder.

Crack.

Harder.

Crack.

Ba-Dum.

Spark.

Yuri's eyes lit up like fireworks. There it was. A faint heart beat from within his friend. He was alive…

That was something. A sigh of relief. Yuri wasn't so sure what to think, but he was happy. Happy and extremely relieved. If Flynn had died trying to save his life, he would never forgive himself. Ever.

But that didn't matter now. The young knight was alive. And he would stay that way as long as Yuri was around. "I swear." He whispered. Memories of the reserve line dotted his intentions.

"I swear you will live."

Chapter 5

They had to get moving. The glaring sun blazed relentlessly onto the two below. Yuri, determined, lifted Flynn into his arms and slowly made his way to the entrance of the tunnel, before realizing that he had to

set his friend down again to open he hatch. He grumbled swearwords to himself and groaned as he roughly dropped Flynn onto the ground again. Flynn was just a bit heavier and taller than Yuri. He had always been

a little stronger too. But Yuri was more agile. He was just naturally skinny and there was no way for him to carry the knight without his arms shaking.

The swordsman thought to himself. Flynn had probably had some trouble with him too, judging by the number of

bruises and the amount of crusty mud all over Yuris body. Maybe it was the broken leg? "Tsk." He emitted a cynical grunt and wrapped his blue, frostbitten fingers around the metal handle of the trapdoor

between the rocks. With a powerful tug, it sprung open. About two meters of ladder lead into the tunnel below. Yuri grinned, "After you, Captain Scifo." , and grabbed onto his unconscious friend, throwing him

violently down the shaft. So violently, one could have sworn that he had done it with killing intent. The limp body flew into the stone wall and hit the ground with a painful thud.

Yuri chuckled to himself. Of course he didn't feel sorry for Flynn, he was a tough one after all, and Yuri knew it. With a smug, cheshire grin displayed from ear to ear, Yuri slipped into the

entrance gracefully, the door flying shut behind him. The most important thing in times of war, is to keep the morale up, Yuri knew that. Even if it meant throwing your best friend down a hole for fun when he's dying.

He was so very proud of himself. For no reason whatsoever.

The tunnel was horribly dark once inside. It was about two kilometers long, with only three dim lights along the way to illuminate it. The darkness surprised the swordsman, and he stumbled aimlessly, accidentally stepping onto

Flynns back with some force. Still no guilt. He turned around and crouched down. Then Yuri, with a groan, lifted Flynn into his arms once more, and started down the tunnel. It was straight, and led right through the

heart of the mountain. The sound of his footsteps bounced off the walls. The Swordsman's pupils dilated to their maximum, yet his vision was limited in the low light. The hair on the back of his neck pricked.

Something strange. Something was off. What was off. He thought hard. Darkness.

That same expressionless face.

Tap.

His footsteps rang like sonar.

Tap.

Yuri swallowed. Something was coming. Instinct felt it. After making it as orphans on the streets, his and Flynns instincts where sharp. They both relied on it during battle. And it was burning now.

He was under attack. Under the silence.

Click.

A stone moved somewhere in the tunnel. Yuri froze. His heart thumping violently in his ears. Fear. Terror. His breaths got faster. The swordsman tried desperately to hear where the sound had some from, to no avail.

It had long been replaced with silence. He drew Flynn a little closer and took another step forwards.

Tap.

Yuri froze once more and pricked his ears. Nothing.

Tap.

His pace increased. Unnerved and spooked. His arms where shaking already under Flynns weight. Had he not been this weary, Yuri would have had to set him down for a break. But adrenaline kept him going now.

Tap.

CLACK.

Yuris breath ceased. He shook.

His pupils dilated over their limit.

CLACK.

A solid echoing sound of claws against the stone floor.

He turns his head over his shoulder to see what was there.

Clack.

Clack

Clack.

Clack, Clack, Clack CLACK-CLACK.

Acceleration, the footsteps where gaining on him! Petrified, the swordsman stared in to the light of the nearest lamp. Shaking terribly. Ambush.

then into the light it came: A monster. A tattered looking Lizardman. Upon swift feet did it storm with its jaw wide open toward the paralyzed Yuri. Then, The swordsman moved.

He turned toward the exit and exploded into a mad dash. Fight or flight? Flight. Fast flight. The weight of unconscious Flynn in his arms made his movements a little sluggish, but

the additional momentum carried his exhausted body forward. It was gaining on him. His breaths flew in and out of his chest like wild birds. He heaved, eyes almost bursting from his scull with fear.

He was unarmed and in a weakened state. This Lizardman looked vicious and extremely hungry. It must have spent several days down here in the dark. It would show no mercy.

There it was, the exit, only about 20 meters away, but Yuri felt no relief. His foot came down upon a loose patch of gravel on the ground and slid backwards. The swordsman emitted

a labored gasp as he went down.

Hitting the ground hard with his elbows he stopped himself from falling onto his unconscious friend. Flynn had enough broken ribs form earlier and before that.

Yuri grunted in pain and turned his head, only to be met by the shining, aggressive eye of the monster. Reacting without thinking, He used his arm to block it's bite. Teeth like dagger sunk

into the swordsman's flesh, warm blood flowing from the fresh wound. The venom of the monster pulsed through the swordsman's veins.

Yuri roared and turned away from Flynn, pushing him behind himself. Then he brought back his fist and sent it flying to the face of the Lizardman. The blow was enough to force the monster to release it's bite

and sent it about three feet back. Yuri gritted his teeth and clutched his arm in agony. The monster skidded to a stop and pounced a second time with a piercing screech. Claws extended, dripping with poison,

It swiftly twisted around Yuri. It was going for Flynn. The swordsman's system was flooded by adrenaline. What happened next was unexplainable. As fast as his body would allow, Yuri headed for Flynn. Just before

the monster could land the fatal blow, it was Intercepted. The Swordsman was above Flynn, arms of either side of him, and used his own body to shield his friend. Time stood still.

Pain shot through Yuri's back as the toxin-drenched talons plowed through his flesh, reopening the old wound on his upper back. The hot fluid of life poured from the gash. The swordsman would have screamed

in agony as the toxin flooded his body. But he was in action. His instinct drove him. He collapsed onto his friend for a second, before lashing out violently, promptly ramming his fist into the Lizardmans

gut. The monster gasped for air and staggered backward. When it reopened its eyes, it was met by the blazing Yuri. He was an animal now. The swordsman's hand, like talons, collided with the

exposed neck of the helpless creature. With strength that he didn't know he possessed in his state, he constricted the throat, the very bloodstream of the monster. It tried to hack.

It tried to fight him off. Useless. Within under a minute, It lay slack against the wall.

Yuri fell to the ground. The monster was dead. The bleeding from the swordsman's back was starting to cease. His strained breaths echoed in the new silence of the tunnel. Weakened

lungs fought against the limited space of his chest cavity. Two wild animals, struggling, compressed and dying in an ever shrinking cage. Pain. It flows through his veins in the the form of venom.

Trying very, very hard to think straight, Yuri remembered the analysis of this monsters poison. the venom would take his life within about 1 hour at the dose that he had received.

He had to move. He had to get up and walk on toward the reserve camp. Once he exits the tunnel, there's a chance that the guards would spot him in the distance. He had to move. But he could not.

He was paralyzed. He needed Oxygen. He needed to breathe. However the more he breathed, the weaker he became. Yuri was so helpless. There he lay, chest heaving,

next to his best friend. Both where dying.

Then, an image flashed through his mind. A memory? There was Flynn. He was frowning. Disapproval. "Weak piece of shit." The image of Flynn spoke with resentment.

The knight swore very rarely, but when he did, he shot the words with unmatched aggression. He meant it. The words dug into Yuris heart. A stronger pain than what he was feeling before.

A different pain. Then the image of Flynn moved, and swiftly sent his hard fist into Yuris face. A very heavy blow. The swordsmans

eyes sprung open.

"Weak piece of shit."

Determination. He wasn't going to let Flynn walk all over him. Yuri's entire body shook. Slowly, very slowly, he sat up, only to fall back to the stone ground.

He breathed heavily. Pearls of sweat dotting his face. That wretched poison. Again.

He had to get up. Once more, the swordsman raised himself. He sat up. Shaking violently, and this time, unable to pull his expressionless face in order to his agony. Yuri gritted his teeth as he fell down onto

his hands and knees. There lay Flynn in front of him. He looked Asleep… or dead. Then pain flooded the swordsman's body relentlessly once more. Yuri collapsed to the ground again, his head hitting

his friends chest. He lay there.

Ba-Dum.

Yuri heard it. The life of Flynn, beating inside of him. Just beneath these broken ribs. Just beneath these withered lungs, which still solemnly slaved away to support his body, for one last chance.

They worked to the bloody end, in the hope that there was still a chance to save him. In hope. Hope.

"Weak piece of shit."

Yuri's arms shook even more when he got up again. With all of his remaining strength, he pushed his arms underneath his friends knees and shoulders, then he lifted. Before the swordsman

realized that he was still alive, he was upon his feet. Yuri staggered forward. His trembling arms and chest could not withstand any more stress, nevertheless he went on. There it was: The door.

The exit. Without taking any notice, he walked into the door, using his unconscious friends body to push it open. Glaring sunlight burst through his lenses, burned his retina and frazzled his optic nerves.

Before Yuri could see the blue sky, his face was in the ground again. The world spun. Shining stars flew across his field of vision. He wheezed. They had made it.

They had made it through the tunnel. The threshold that Yuri thought would take less than then minutes to traverse. The swordsmans

face was hidden beneath long, purple strands of hair. He smiled. He chuckled a little. Now, they might just be saved.

He might just keep his promise.

Chapter 6

There he lay. Motionless for minutes on end. Breathing, or trying in the distance, snuggly against he rocks on the other side of the valley sat the reserve camp. It was completely impossible for

him to make it any further. Numbness started to gnaw at his legs and arms. How could he get the guards at the camp entrance to see him? He needed something colorful, something bright,

something big, something… That cloak that was around him this morning! It was a rich tone of red which shone even through the crusty mud that it was drenched it. The swordsman's arms

quivered from weakness and pain as he somehow brought himself up to a sitting position. He pulled the cloak from his shoulders and waved it in the air. Perfect: the SOS colour.

Once every five heart beats Yuri let it soar to the sky. A red eagle.

Wave.

He had about half an hour left.

Wave.

Already out of breath. Arms can't take it…

Hurry up and see me…

Wave.

Karol released a gaping yawn and blinked slowly agains the glaring sunlight. Gosh, was daytime watch a drag. Nothing ever happened at daytime. Scavengers only attack at night, and the enemy

monsters are so obvious when they come storming over the mountains. He ran his fingers through his hazelnut hair and took a swing from his canteen, setting it down with a clunk. He sat just outside the camp on top of his bag,

half bored to death. There hadn't been much news from the font lines since their forces where wiped out yesterday night. Today they were going to send scouts to look for survivors.

The fifteen year-old sighed as he remembered Yuri. The two had started their guild two years ago. Everything was so nice at the beginning. Now his fellow guildsman was lost in action. He'd done his crying yesterday.

Alone. He was too proud of cry in public of course. Karol whipped a brass telescope from his pocket and extended it, held it to his eye. He scanned the horizon. Nothing.

Nothing. Rocks. Nothing. He sighed and scanned it all backward for a second time. Nothing, Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing,

Red.

Nothing.

Red?

He snapped to attention and focussed his vision to the point. Red. Flashing in timely intervals by the tunnel entrance.

Red. Red was an SOS colour. Someone was there! he squinted into the tube which he held to his eye. Blonde hair? Maybe?

Did they come from the front line? Someone was back! Karol threw down the telescope and took to his feet.

He flew through the gates of the camp, which where noting more than a camouflage curtain, and yelled: "SOS SIGNAL AT 10 O'CLOCK!"

A call in the distance answered him with a faint "Roger!"

The men at the main outlook searched for, and spotted the red signal. Yells where heard from the tower as they communicated with the commandant below.

"Definitely human, commandant!" I suggest to send some scouts, and signal back." The Leader of the outlook post spoke, and dropped down a map on which the location of the signal was depict.

"Roger that." Commandant replied, and turned around. "We need a scout and a mage." He announced to the small crowd that had started to accumulate around the action. He eyed karol sternly, like

a teacher. "Karol. You." The fifteen-year-old nodded sharply and commandant handed him the map.

"Good. Choose a mage to take with you and check that signal out. Take a horse, an extra canteen of water and first aid." "Yes Sir!" Karol almost shouted,

a little scared by the commandant gaze, and ran off to collect the first aid kit and fill a spare canteen. Whispers broke out amongst the crowd. SOS signal? This was seriously rare. Usually such commotion

was only a sign of attack. Who was there?

The men at the outlook post prepared the lights and shone a powerful beam back to the source of the SOS signal. The beam flashed a brilliant red. With that, the signal from the tunnel exit stopped.

"RITAAA!" the fifteen-year-old yelled from outside ladies tent 6. Several moments later the aggravated face of the young mage popped out from the entrance. "What the hell Karol? Have a chill pill." "Ah! Rita,"

Karol completely ignored what the brunette had said, "There's an SOS signal outside I'm supposed to check out. I'm meant to take a mage. You're my mage. We gotta get going!" "What?" Rita spat. Seventeen

and with a serious temper, "Don't you mean: "Rita, do you want to come and check out that SOS signal with me? I have to take a mage."? Seriously."She was so Sarcastic. "Cool, you're coming then. Five minutes at the gate!"

With that, Karol sprinted off to collect a horse. There stood Rita at the entrance of ladies tent 6, dazed and pissed off. She had no choice.

Yuri dropped to the ground. Out of power. Even willpower. There was a rock on his chest. Breaths heaving in and out. Somehow… somehow his lungs where still going. Like Flynns.

Oh right, Flynn…

He was lying across the knight. How could he not have noticed?

Yuri tried to move.

No.

He couldn't. Body going numb. Sorry Flynn. Hang in there.

We've been spotted. They're coming.

"I have 15 minutes."

he whispers.

"What the hell took you so long?!"

Ritas voice rang aggressively from the gate. He was late. "Horses don't lead themselves." Karol walked right past her and stopped several paces in front of her. "You ready?"

"Always." She replied. The fifteen-year-old swung himself into the double saddle upon the horses back and offered his hand to the mage. "Cut it out." She scoffed and refused, mounting on her own.

"You're not my dad or something." Karol was just a bit afraid of her. Everyone was. But everyone knew too that she had a pure sense of justice and kind heart. One only had to reach it. These horses where

fit for war, and could carry more than one warrior. Careful not to accidentally bump into or touch Rita in any way, Karol turned his head to see whether she was ready.

There she sat, casual and relaxed, perched like a hawk. Ready as can be. "What?" She snapped lazily.

and licked her lip. Karol swallowed and turned away from her as fast as possible. "Lets go then." His voice was shaky. Scary Rita. She wasn't always this scary. Maybe she was still sore from the way Karol

talked to her in front of the tent. He shivered. Or maybe she was… afraid? Just a bit? No, Karol thought. Afraid Rita looks different.

She smiled to herself sadistically.

Off they went, straight across the immense, flat plain that lay between them and Yuri. Not long it would take them.

"I … have… 5 minutes I… I think…"

Breaths slowing.

Vision blurring. The worlds was fading.

His body was gone. It had separated itself completely from the swordsman's mind. So numb.

Can't breathe…

Can't see… Can't hear…

But as long as I…I can feel the warmth of the… the… … the sun…

...

Flynn…

…

Flynn…

Hang… in there, man. For me.

…

Please… hurry…

All he could do was think his words.

Chapter 7

At the foot of the mountain, the horse slowed to a stop. The young mage promptly slid off the back of the horse and

landed upon her feet with a firm tap. She turned to look at Karol, piercing green eyes, like a cats. The fifteen-year-old didn't waste any time and jumped off the back of the horse. Without a word, the two

started up the foot of a mountain, Karol walking ahead. The entrance to the tunnel wasn't high above valley-level.

Had Yuri had the strength to draw a breath deep enough for him to speak, he could have been heard.

The first-aid kit made a follow clunking sound in as they moved.

Clunk.

Who could have sent that signal…

They're just up ahead…

What if it's the enemy…?

Karol felt a faint fear pulse through his system. Would Rita get hurt because of him? He swallowed.

No. He wouldn't allow it.

The two peered around the corner of the path, hesitating, keeping low. What they saw shocked them.

"YURI!?"

Karol sprinted for his friend. He lay in a pitiful heap on the ground, his face hidden by his long hair, almost motionless. The deep red cape scrunched on the ground next to him.

Underneath the swordsman's limp body, lay unconscious Flynn. Completely motionless. The fifteen-year-old skidded to a stop and dropped to his knees next to his fellow guildsman, Rita just behind him.

eyes wide with worry, Karol flips Yuri onto his back. His eyes are open by only a crack, he is tattered and torn, crust of blood down his back and shoulders.

"Yuri-" "What happened here?" Rita interrupted him, Her face creased with worry. The swordsman opened his mouth a little,

but nothing more than a weak sigh could force itself out. Rita frowned and brought forth a magnifingglass-like lens. A magic lens. "Where did you…?" "First aid kit." She interrupted Karol again.

Rita was definitely concerned. She could sense that there wasn't much time, and her hands moved quickly. The young mage held the lens to Yuris chest and whispered a short spell sequence.

Then, a flash of green light burst from the lens. "Poison." the said to herself.

"Which poison? Do we have an antidote?" Karol questioned, in a hurry. He eyes Rita, for a moment she said nothing,

Looking down and evidently thinking hard. "We can't say for sure… I'll have to use artes…" Karols expression hardened a little. "But Rita…" "Yuri is dying." With that,

the fifteen year-old took a step back. Not physically of course, he was holding Yuri. But with a tiny gesture, he gave her the emotional space that she needed to do what was right.

Rita wasn't an idiot.

Nor was she selfish when things got serious.

The young mage withdrew to herself and whispered gently. "Oh holy power, come to me." Karol looks away. She placer her hand on to Yuris shoulder and finished the spell, "Recover."

Karol held his breath.

A faint green light engulfed the near-unconscious swordsman for several seconds. And with a final flash, it dispersed. Rita sunk a little lower and exhaled quickly, obviously exhausted,

and obviously not willing to show it. She was too proud.

The swordsman's throat slid open and fresh air gushed into him. Flooded his system. The rock from his chest had dissolved into the air.

Still shaking and terribly weak, the swordsman brought himself to a sitting position. Gaze unfocused, but set on Rita. "Rita…" He hesitated, "Karol…"

The he smiled a little "You…" "Everything'll be alright. What happened" Rita said gently. Yuri didn't reply. He only frowned and gestured to Flynn, who was still

motionless on his side with that horrible leg jutting into the wrong direction.

Karol snapped to attention. How could he have forgotten about Flynn? His condition looked far worse

than even Yuris. The fifteen year-old quickly sprang to turn Flynn onto his back. Yuris expressionless eyes followed the movement. Meanwhile, Rita was helping Yuri to stay upright

after he had almost fallen backwards again. Karol frowned. The knight looked dead. Very dead. Yuri watched. He took an almost deep breath and

said quietly, "There's a pulse." Silence answered him. Karol turned his head and looked at Yuri. Somewhere beneath that calm facade, he was worried. Uneasy. Even scared?

The fifteen year-old lowered his head onto Flynns chest and listened. Waited. Nothing… Nothing… Nothing…

Ba… -Dum.

There it was. Karols eyes lit up. He sprung back and examined the rest of Flynns body. No serious external damage… Except that. That's a complicated break. But

that couldn't cause his current condition…

"Let me try." Ritas harsh voice was only a forewarning that she was going to push him out of the way and take his place over the unconscious knight. "How can you not see this?"

She spat and landed a playful, but heavy punch to Karols head. He knew this was coming. But if he dodged it she would get even more pumped. "Look."

Karol peered at where Ritas finger was pointing. "D'You see that?" "Umm… No?" Another punch to the head. Yuri snickered from where he was lying on the ground. He

could only hear what was going on, but it sounded like the good old guild days. "This guy is completely dry!" Rita almost yelled at Karol. He went wide eyed.

That was obvious? "We've got to get him on infusion fast. This is serious." She continued, less sarcastic, and made her way back to assist Yuri, who's facial expression was all blank again. "Don't you think we

could wake him with some water?" Karol replied, almost argumentative. "You can try?" Rita tossed him the canteen.

The fifteen year-old unscrewed the metal top of the container and tilted it slowly above the unconscious mans face.

Drip.

Drip-Plip-

Carefully he dropped dashes of water. Then he frowned. Then he smiled. Then he grinned.

And finally, he poured a torrential stream of water down onto Flynn. Splash. His blonde hair was drenched as the puddle spread over the ground.

Yuri, who was upright once more, was clearly surprised and amused. He'd never get to see that again.

But that was just the facade. Subconscious Yuri was crying with worry and fear for the life of his friend. He didn't show it.

Had it worked?

Tension. Everyone waited and watched as the knight didn't react.

Then movement. So subtle.

A breath.

His body rose as it was filled with air again, as it should.

Dull, crystal blue eyes fluttered open.

Desiccated.

Weak.

But alive.

Alive and at least somewhat conscious.

Rita's features lit up with relief. "Flynn!" She beamed. He couldn't reply. He couldn't even smile.

The mage had expected a little move "aliveness" from the knight. Everyones

heart sank a little. All of a sudden the atmosphere changed.

Flynns chest contracted violently. He threw himself to his side and curled up as he coughed and hacked his lungs out.

He lay in his puddle, fighting violently with himself. Yuri shut his eyes with respect.

No honorable man deserved to be seen like this. Shocked, Rita took a step back.

Karol replaced her and placed a soothing hand on Flynns shoulder. "Horrible…"

He whispered. Specks of warm blood splattered to the ground as the knight continued to tear himself up.

Everyone was becoming increasingly worried. There didn't seem to be an end to it. Karol just stayed there, trying to calm the knight a little. The others only watched.

Then, slowly, it seemed as if the fit was going to cease. The concerned faces of the others didn't change when,

at last, Flynns coughing had reduced to wheezing as he tried to get his breath back. He had turned a suffocated shade of violet. He shook as

he tried to calm his body. Minutes later, silence had returned again. Karol swallowed. Awkward. Very Awkward. Somebody had to say something. Then the exhausted Flynn brought out a hoarse whisper.

"Shit…"

Yuri grinned. Like a cat. Arrogant. Condescending. Like Yuri should.

"Shit indeed, man."

Chapter 8

Somehow, Yuri managed to stand up with Ritas help. He even took a few shaky steps while Karol was busy with Flynn. "What kind of poison was that anyway? That wound on your back looks nasty too." She questioned him

cynically. "Well…" The swordsman began, "There was this crazy Lizardman down the tunnel. We kinda… beat each other up." Ritas eyes widened, "So that enormous canyon of a claw mark

on your back is Lizardmans work? Jeez, you're damn lucky we came, Idiot." With that, she smacked him across the face. "Jeezs…" Yuri retaliated, "You're damn lucky I can't strike back, Rita."

He used Ritas name as a synonym for an idiot. She noticed.

For once, Rita Mordio accepted defeat. Yuri was still so weak, and already so sharp and argumentative. They took another step.

Then, they heard a scrambling sound.

The two turned their heads and peered at Karol, who had somehow managed to lift the much taller Flynn into his arms. He was shaking like a madman, but holding up. Karol grinned with pride.

Wide eyed, Rita and Yuri said nothing. It looked incredibly inappropriate. "Wow…" Rita said finally. Flynns eyes where shut with embarrassment. Awkward. His pride was in great pain. "We tried a few times,

but there's no way for Flynn to stand in his state. So I'll carry him!" He announced and smiled. Flynn blushed wildly. What the hell. God. Please. No. Be over soon.

And that is how the group, one way or another, made it to the foot of the mountain. Karols arms collapsed and Flynn went face first into the hard ground. He didn't make a sound though.

"You alright?" Yuri asked over his shoulder. Just when Flynn wanted to whisper an answer, Karol interrupted, "Yeah! Totally!" "Not you. Flynn." Karols heart sank. Embarrassed. The knight drew a breath to speak,

"No." He whispered. "I figured as much." The swordsman chuckled. "You look like hell, man." Flynn didn't respond. He drew a breath and contracted a little. "I wish I …

I could drink something…" He shut his eyes and coughed deeply, once. Twice. He wasn't going to last long. Yuri knew that if Flynn drank now, his dry throat would crack and bleed. And he knew that Flynn knew.

Yuri turned to Karol. "Hurry." Karol nodded and led the horse to the group.

they'd set off.

Flynn stared expressionlessly, yet intensely at the needle as it slid under his skin. His dull eyes did not shift when he exhaled and sunk down against the mat. The

medical mage took a step back, then left the tent. Respectfully leaving the air to the two friends. Yuri, heavily bandaged, sat next to him and held

the infusion bag in his hand, gazing lifelessly at the air in front of his friend. Silence. Silence and the quiet moans and whines of the injured.

Silence and the sound of voices outside the field hospital who where spreading the news that the SOS signal

had been the leader of Brave Vesparia and Commander Scifo. Survivors from the front line. Probably the only ones.

The intensity of the atmosphere was unbearable for anyone except Yuri and Flynn, as the infusion bag emptied itself into the knights system, drop by drop. The silence was a knife. Then Yuri spoke,

"What happened?" The silence wasn't broken by his words. Seconds passed. Flynn blinked in slow motion. "…I woke up on the front line.

and everyone was down" Yuri listened intently. The knights voice was a little less horse than it had been earlier. His hydration was slowly returning.

"I was thirsty as hell, but I got up and looked for you… I found Sodia… without a face." "Without a face? Monsters?" Yuri was very curious. "Maggots." Yuri frowned and shut his eyes.

Horrible. His friends weak voice droned on, "Then I found you… You where still alive. So I tried to carry you back to the reserve camp. When…" The knight

stopped to draw a shaking breath which he finished in a rough cough. Yuri opened his eyes again. "…When… I was nearly at the tunnel… We where moving quite fast and I got my foot stuck

in this gap in the rocks. I could have stopped the falling, but you fell on me." Flynn chuckled and let his eyes slide shut. Yuri's eyes widened a little, "And then your leg…"

"Yeah." Flynn cut his friend off. Yuri smiled too. Then he chuckled a little "I must have been a hell of a burden." Both laugh quietly. "Did you cry?" Yuri smirked. Flynn grunted cynically and turned away

from his friend. "Damn close." Yuri's smirk faded a little. "But not for me. For you."

Silence returned. It had never left. The two didn't look at each other for minutes. No, hours. But it wasn't awkward. Neither of them

wanted to be anywhere else but here. Yuri was starting to understand what had happened. Understand what his friend had been through the day before he woke up.

Flynn had carried him for at least 20 kilometers on bare foot. He was grateful. But afraid. But grateful.

Flynn was thinking hard. He had probable made Yuri feel extremely guilty now, after the story with the broken leg. But he was happy.

They where both safe. He hadn't failed his task… in a way. Then Flynn finally asked. "And after that?" Yuri looked up again and thought for a moment.

"I woke up that morning. You where unconscious and all, and I thought that you might have carried me to the entrance of the tunnel… at first, I thought you where asleep."

Flynn listened closely. "… So I went through. In the tunnel we where attacked by this Crazy Lizardman… and he got me in the back pretty bad when I blocked for you. But we got out."

He paused for a second and reflected on the battle. "Then I waved this SOS signal and Rita and Karol came to get us." Flynn cocked his head and finished the story off, "And then Karol drenched me

and I made my dramatic entry…" Yuri laughed heartily. The knight continued, "You where damn close to getting yourself killed from poison, weren't you?"

The swordsman smiled and shut his eyes once more. "I guess so. But I kept waving. Not for me. But for you."

END