Hello everyone. First of all, I want to thank my two reviewers, Ana Paula92 and Xhayne. It really encouraged me to continue. I'll do my nest and I hope the future chapters will be well done. I'm trying to follow a script, but it seems to change as I continue to write, and I fear that I will loose the path I had chosen for the story.

Furthermore, I have some problems with Elucifer and Duke's relation, as the latter is an antisocial and emotionless guy, which is problematic in a future romance. I'm trying to work this out. And I hope Yuri is not too OOC, for I have difficulty to write about him in his careless and sarcastic attitude.

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Yuri had had no news from the war. There were just rumors, that one of the captain had returned two days ago, hurt and with bad news. He had heard it from the guards patrolling in the city. But he didn't know which captain had returned, and to what extend there were bad news. And so, he staid in the dark.

A part of him just wanted that the Empire was to lose the war, because maybe it would make them fall from their high horse. But he didn't know what an occupation by the Entelexia was like. It could be even worse than what he was enduring with the rest of the poorest quarters of Zaphias.

He tried not thinking about it. Because the victory of the Entelexia meant that Flynn would be dead, and as much as he didn't like admitting it, he didn't want his friend to die.

He thought of going to the castle, to try to have news, to try to know how was his friend, but he knew the guards wouldn't answer. Except if he sought his answers without the guards knowing.

"Hey, Repede, would you like to take a walk to the castle ?" he asked his dog, who looked at him with knowing eyes. How could a dog know this much ?

But the dog got up, as if to say "you won't be able to do it alone anyways", and left the room, followed by Yuri.

When they were about to leave the lower quarter, they were stopped by Hanks, who definitely knew Yuri too well.

"You want to know what happened, don't you ? And you'll get yourself in trouble again... Just try not to give too much trouble to the knights, or Flynn will be angry at you when he'll come back, okay ?"

"I'm just going to seek some informations. And maybe see if I can how much chance there is to see Blondie again. And for your information, I'm not searching for trouble, it's trouble which always cross my path." Yuri countered.

He walked past the old man, and joined Repede who was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs which led to the higher quarters. He had an investigation to lead.

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Flynn knew they wouldn't last long if the enemy found them. And they would eventually. With only four hundred men alive, and one hundred of them more or less heavily wounded, they would be crushed at the first attack.

But it wasn't his primary concern. They were nearly out of provisions. They had food for three or four days, but after that, they would starve. And with the Entelexia lurking near, he couldn't organize hunts (if only the men knew how to hunt). Water was not a problem, fortunately, as their camp was near a river. That was the only good thing, because the river proved itself to be almost devoid of any fish.

He almost regret retreating. At least, they would have died as soldiers, as heroes would defended their country. But now they would either starve to death or be massacred by the Entelexia when they found them. He sighted. He didn't know what to do anymore.

If Yuri was here, he mused, he would have just gone to confront the enemy, hot-headed as he was. At this time, he envied him. He didn't over think things, and always managed to pull through problems.

But he wasn't Yuri, and he didn't want to kill his men in an hopeless battle, like the one they nearly died on less than a week earlier. But there would be no fair battles, no fight they would be sure to win now. They would die.

He wanted to show the fear and the despair he felt, but it would crush his men more. He couldn't afford it. They looked up to him, the higher ranked soldier, and they wanted him to take a decision, to take their lives in his hands and to lead them to safety or victory.

Their only hope now was the arrival of Alexei's army, which could save them, but they didn't come. It was strange, because they should have show themselves nearly six days ago. Were they delayed by the enemy ? Or did they abandoned them ? He didn't want to think about the second possibility. And so he forced himself to reach a decision.

"Sodia" he called the young (and only) woman of their group. She immediately turned towards him and saluted. "I want you to take twenty men. You must go hunting. But be careful. If you see any trace of Entelexia, just come back here. I don't want anyone killed."

The redheaded saluted again with "sir" and went to find men who knew how to hunt. With luck, they would be able to bring back a deer or some rabbits. And then the little army could turn towards the other problem : hunt down the patrolling Entelexia, in a war of attrition.

If they were to die, they would bring as many enemies with them as possible.

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When he awoke, Duke found himself lying on the cold floor of a cell. Great, he had been captured. He would have preferred death to capture, but he really had no choice in the matter. He stood up, looking at the cell. It was the typical one, dark, dirty and small. He mused with irony that at least Entelexia and humans had one common point.

He sighed, knowing he hadn't be left alive just because he proved his valor against the Entelexia. He was to be "questioned", and if their methods were like those of humans, it wouldn't be pleasant. Not that he would surrender. But he would have preferred death over torture.

He didn't know if a part of the army had been able to survive. Maybe some had run away, but not much, most probably.

He didn't know how long he stay deep in thought. He looked up when he heard the sound of a door opening, but stood still and didn't let any emotion pass through his mask of calmness always present. A tall man stopped on the other side of the bars of his cell. His skin seemed tanned (or maybe it was just the darkness of the cell) and he had short dark hair which needed to be combed. He was rather muscular and his face was pleasant looking, with intelligent blue eyes. He seemed to be around thirty or thirty five, but with an Entelexia, who knew ?

"Hello" the man friendly said. "So you're finally awake. I had feared I hit you too strongly and put you in a coma."

So the guy was the white dragon, the Entelexia's king. Duke just looked at him, not answering. If he tried a little more, he could even pretend the guy wasn't here.

"Not very talkative, eh ? Well, I'm not pressed. By the way, my name's Elucifer. As you may have already guess, I'm the king."

Still no answer. Elucifer sighed.

"I could have kill you, you know. Just pretend to be thankful, please."

"Why would I thank you for letting me lived to be tortured and executed in the end ?" came the reply. Elucifer was taken aback by the deep voice of his interlocutor, who almost looked like a girl at the first sight.

"So you can talk ! Great. And just for so you know, I consider torture to be a primitive and horrible way of seeking answers. But humans like that, I don't why."

Duke shrugged, obviously not knowing either, or maybe because he just didn't want to talk anymore. He felt like he had already talk too much, and had encouraged the king to talk.

"Well, I know you won't talk. Not about the Empire, not about its plans, not about his weaknesses. But maybe you could just tell me your name. It won't hurt."

The white haired man looked at him with expressionless eyes.

"Duke" he finally said. Maybe the guy would leave after, if he already knew he wouldn't get anything else. But he wasn't that lucky.

"Duke, eh ? Strange name. Isn't that a title too ? Well, I suppose my name seems strange to you."

Duke staid silent. "Just leave me alone" his posture said for him.

Elucifer seemed to got the message, because he smiled and let go, not without the promise of going back to see him. Was it his method of torture ? Annoying him to death ?

Well, Duke decided, it won't work. He wouldn't talk to the man anymore. The king probably just wanted to manipulate him, but he wouldn't fall in his trap.

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Elucifer had been curious about the white haired human since a first saw him. With his long curly white haired and his androgynous face, he didn't seem at the right place in the middle of the battlefield. But he moved with so much elegance, cat like in his movements, and seemed to make one with his sword. This man was a sword master, a man who could kill many others without getting tired. He was a true warrior, terrifying in his way of moving and not showing any emotion. Truly, he interested Elucifer.

And then he had gone to see him when he had know he had awaken. The man had been standing in front of him, expressionless, without making a sound. He seemed to be analyzing him, maybe to see if he recognized some of his true form parts.

When he had tried to begin a conversation, Elucifer had been confronted to a wall. The man didn't say anything. He just stood here, and the Entelexia had to wonder if the man even listened to him, or just saw him. When the albino had finally answer one of his questions, he had been surprised by his deep voice, which didn't tally with his appearance.

He knew he wouldn't get any answers from this man. He would not speak, and torture wouldn't change a thing. He would prefer being tortured to death than talking and sell the Empire's secrets and plans. And he was too distrustful to be manipulated.

Elucifer, after leaving the human, went to his apartments. They had been built for his human form, for his true one couldn't enter it. The small human form had always interested him. It was more practical for most things, whereas his dragon form was more efficient in battle. He could transform at will anyways.

Entering his apartments, he took off his coat, and went to his desk. He had a war to continue,

and he knew the war had just begun. The enemy had just used the albino general (Duke, was it ?) to evaluate their strength and weaknesses. And maybe take advantage of it to get ride of some people who could have been troublesome. Humans were like that.

Furthermore, he was worried. Apart from the attack of the two thousand men of Duke, there had been no battle. The rest of the Empire's army must be preparing for something. And he wasn't sure he wanted to know what. Humans could be so twisted it became frightening.

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Yuri was near the castle when two guard caught his attention. They were talking animately to each other about the war's progress.

"Did you know ?" one of them said. "I heard the general Pantarei's army had been defeated. The captain Oltorain had returned alone to let the Emperor know of it."

"That's crazy. The general was the most powerful warrior in the army, and he couldn't defeat the Entelexia. What can we do ?"

"We're safe here. The war won't reach Zaphias."

Yuri lost interest in the conversation when they begun talking about their dear wives. He wasn't really much more advanced in his search. He didn't know if there were survivors, and if Flynn was part of them.

He had to go into the castle. Maybe he could find this Oltorain guy and try to seek answers. It was the best plan he could think of.

Getting into it wasn't that difficult. He just had to get arrest, broke out of jail and search the castle. After all, as the guards knew him on sight, getting arrested would be easy. He chuckled to himself. Since when did he want to be arrested ? Flynn would pay for it and for making him worried.

He asked Repede to go back to the room he was renting, for the dog couldn't help him in his plans. His partner in crime growled a little, but finally complied.

Yuri then ran towards the guards he was listening to earlier and jostled one of them, awaiting the reaction. It didn't take long, as the guards chased him through the noble quarters for daring enter it. He finally let himself be captured after making fun of them (you were sarcastic or you're not), and was thrown in prison before long. It would have been fun if he hadn't been beaten up, he thought.

Now to get out of the cell...

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The young Krytian knew she would most likely killed on sigh if she was discovered. She had been able to pass the guards at the entrance with a little of flirt and good luck, as they had been distracted by a strange guy who was pursued by guards.

But now she had to find the thing she had been send to find. And the castle wasn't a small place. Asking for the way being out of the question, because the place she had to find was far from being a public place, she decided to follow the first path she saw, hoping to heard something interesting or even better, finding the place she was seeking.

There were many guards in the castle, but she passed them as if it was completely normal for her to be here, and they must have assumed she had been invited. Then she saw it. The door guarded by two knights who seemed to be bored to death but still watched dutifully the hallway.

She couldn't pass unseen. She would have to dispose of the guards, but the noise would attract others guards, and if she could knock them out without noise, then their body would attract as much unwanted attention.

Just when she was about to walk towards them, she had to stop herself as a gray haired man dressed in a red outfit entered the room, after getting saluted by the two guards.

"Shit" she murmured. She couldn't enter the room while the other was within it, and she couldn't stay here, watching the door for who knew how long. The guards would eventually see her.

"Do you need some help, lovely lady ?" ask a voice behind her. When she turned around, she saw a knight in an orange outfit. She put her best smile.

"Well, I seem to be lost. Care to help me, my knight ?"

"And where did you intended to go ?" asked the guy.

"Towards the jail" she improvised. "I have a friend here who had been unfairly put to jail" she continued while thinking about the black haired guy she had seen being arrested. He would be thankful she helped him.

"Well, you should have asked a guard, beautiful lady. Not that I complain, for it is not always I see such a beautiful person"

With that, he guided her to the prison. She was glad : now, she knew where was the place she had to find, so she could return later, maybe at night.

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Next chapter : Judith and Yuri meet. They are too fun together. Flynn is in trouble.