Chapter 3

Author's Note: Hello again~! I'm really sorry about the delays on this (and all) of my fictions. I've moved recently and there is currently no internet. I haven't actually had much writing time anyway but I did manage to complete this chapter so here it is. I will try to update as frequently as I can but it will probably not be often until I get back to University. Thanks to my reviewers. Your efforts in making me feel better are exemplary! Thank you. Sorry again for the wait but stay with me! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I've reposted this chapter for my blatant mistake of Captain Nylen's name. I had him down as 'Captain Garosa' until I could remember his name and then I forgot to change it before I posted it! Sorry to the readers who picked up on it and I hope I've managed to change them all now.

Flynn looked behind him to see what he should be running from but there was nothing there. Yuri was still looking at him and, for a moment, Flynn wondered if he should run anyway. It was not often that Yuri was wrong and while he was a bit of a joker, Yuri appeared to be dead serious on this one. Perhaps there was some kind of invisible beast after Flynn? Flynn glanced around but there was still nothing. Nothing there, nothing coming and nothing moving. There was only himself, the nurses and Yuri.

"R-run," Yuri whispered; eyes still fixated on Flynn.

Flynn moved forwards and grabbed Yuri's hand.

"What am I running from?" he asked.

Yuri was slipping away. Flynn could see his friend's eyes glazing over. Yuri was shaking, his entire body racked by fever. Dark eyes looked up to meet Flynn's sapphire.

"He's gone." Tears started to brim in eyes that had once been so strong. "They t-took him."

"Who?" Flynn asked, desperate to glean some information from Yuri before he fell unconscious.

The question only made the tears fall faster. Yuri's grip was weakening. There wasn't much time left.

"Yuri, tell me anything. I need to know what happened."

Yuri was shuddering pathetically as slim shoulders shook with sobs. Flynn toughened his will and shook Yuri hard. It wasn't hard considering that Flynn had never seen his friend like that before. He was almost like a different person. Yuri was so stubborn, so carefree. The person who had dissolved into tears now was not a Yuri Flynn knew. Still, feeling his friend's body jar by his own hands was disconcerting but Flynn knew it needed to be done.

"Who did they take?" Flynn demanded.

A single question was more likely to make it through than a general one. Yuri looked up and the tears fell away like diamonds.

"Flynn." Strength returned and it became Yuri's turn to grip Flynn. "How am I ever going to explain it to the Captain?"

Flynn felt his tone gentle. Yuri had apparently delusioned himself into believing Captain Nylen was still alive.

"What do you need to tell him?" Flynn asked, playing along with the delusion.

Yuri's grip tightened and the tears started to form again.

"It's Repeade. They took Repeade."

Flynn stopped in shock. Repeade was Yuri's most prized companion. As far as Flynn knew, Repeade was Yuri's only companion. Since the death of Captain Nylen, Flynn hadn't seen or heard from Yuri but he heard the stories of a young man with a dog. It was hard for Flynn to even imagine Yuri without the puppy. Repeade was probably more dog than puppy by now. It had been a year after all. But who would want Repeade? The dog was clever and any working animal was expensive these days but no one would want to buy a dog that was loyal to only one owner and Flynn was certain that Repeade would only respond to Yuri. So what point was there in stealing a useless dog?

A groan interrupted Flynn's thoughts.

"What am I going to do?" Yuri whispered to Flynn.

Flynn couldn't answer. He looked down at his friend, trying to find something comforting to say but those eyes were almost gone again. Flynn watched, tortured by the pain and horror in his friend's expression until the hand he was holding went limp. He gently replaced the hand under the covers and turned to the nurses.

"Take good care of him."

The nurses nodded, all in no position to refuse him anyway. Flynn resigned himself to leaving Yuri in their hands.

He left the tent to find a band of five soldiers and the driver waiting for him. Flynn located the soldier who had gathered the men into one place and gave him a nod of thanks. The man nodded back and Flynn turned to the driver.

"I am Flynn Scifo. Yuri Lowell is an acquaintance of mine. I would like you to take me to where you found him."

The driver put out his hand for Flynn to shake.

"Fred Clirik. I'm glad to hear that the boy's doin' ok but are ya sure ya want ta go to that spot? Wha'ever did that ta the boy's likely still there."

Flynn looked the driver dead in the eye as they released the handshake.

"I hope that it is. I've got some business with whatever did that to Yuri."

Fred smiled at Flynn.

"God save it if it's still there 'en."

Flynn let himself smile back and then his expression fell into seriousness as he addressed his men.

"We will follow this man until he tells us to stop." At 'this man', Flynn gestured to Fred. "Keep an eye out for anything dangerous. We return when I say so. Move out!"

Flynn and his small band mounted their horses and the driver his carriage. Flynn didn't look back as they left the castle. He would be back with the thing dead or in chains before the sun rose. It was a promise.