Waking from a head injury never got any easier. It hurt, a throb that rivaled the headache that came after overextending himself when trying to control fire. Flynn kept his eyes closed, keeping still as he tried to remember what happened. The room, a mess. Repede- he felt his jaw tighten at that. Jonah, the gaping gash across his throat. And the sword, the pommel knocking him out, the image of a snapping braid before his vision blacked out.
Damn. Flynn slowly started to stretch various parts of his body. Just as he suspected, his arms were tied behind him in a very uncomfortable position, behind him with fingertips pointed up. His legs were tied together as well, ankles and knees. Escape was going to be difficult. His eyes opened with care, not wanting to alert his kidnapper to his awakening.
It was not needed. The empty room held a few pieces of charred furniture (had they been the first arson casualties as the lust for fire was realized?) and two unconscious bodies. Both of them had been tied, though- "Lady Estellise," he hissed, trying to wake her without the sound exiting the room. "Yuri. Wake up. Lady Estellise!"
Her eyelids twitched, but didn't open. He hissed her name one more time, only to have Yuri shift instead. He was bound similarly to Flynn, which didn't make him feel hopeful. Lady Estellise was the simplest bound, which raised a snort in him. Someone didn't realize just how dangerous she really could be. Yuri started to roll over slightly, looking blearily at Lady Estellise before shifting to look at Flynn. "Your Knights suck," was all he said before trying to sit up. "Hey. Estelle. Estelle!"
She still didn't respond. Flynn let out a long breath as he tried to wriggled into a sitting position as well, looking at Yuri. "This isn't good."
"Really? I was going to go with 'this is the fucking pits what the hell Flynn.'" Yuri managed to lean against a nearby table, a measured look focused on Lady Estellise. "I notice our lovely captor hasn't come to gloat yet. What's up with that?"
Flynn propped his shoulder against the wall, feeling his arms ache with the movements. "I don't know. Yuri, is Lady Estellise-"
"Her head's bleeding." The short words made his stomach twist. With a little help, she would easily be able to at least get her legs free, and that by itself increased their ability to fight back. But if she was badly injured, and she wasn't waking... "Your men are pretty good at lying, you know?"
That caused a snort as Flynn carefully tested his own bonds. "You didn't see them before," he muttered. "Yuri, what happened? I would have thought one Knight would be nothing to you."
Yuri looked pained at that, one shoulder shifting as he tried to get into a better position. "That one guy came in, all shifty and weird, and wanted to talk to Estelle. Both of us said no, and he kept pushing in, saying he knew who the arsonist was. Then he started babbling about family and loyalty and crap and the next thing I knew, my ears were ringing and my eyes were readjusting from a damn grenade of some kind, not helping the headache. Then some kind of rag covered my face and-"
"A stun grenade and drugs." Flynn wanted to rub his face. That would explain how very easily. Lady Estellise had to have been knocked out with a physical blow, or maybe the concussive blast. Repede- he could only imagine the yelp he made when the grenade went off, and swallowed. "The Knight, Jonah, was killed. The arsonist he was talking about killed him before taking the both of you." One thing still stuck out to him, where Lady Estellise was- "How did no one notice all the activity?"
Yuri laughed a little at that. "Did you know your men are really scared when it comes to ice suddenly appearing on the walls and Estelle not being concerned?"
After his own experiences with the revelations of his own abilities, it didn't surprise him. He would have to have a talk with them about staying at their post even if supernatural-seeming things were happening. "Is-" he started, cutting off when the door opened. Both Flynn and Yuri looked over, wary as footsteps came closer.
A booted foot slammed into his chest, knocking Flynn over as harsh laughter sounded over him. "Even after your little speech, it was depressingly easy to make them believe you had lost control." A dark braid came into view as Liam bent down, eyes gleaming with fevered light. "I should have just let you sabotage yourself. Would have been a lot less trouble for me." Something settled on the floor next to him, making Yuri curse and fall over as he tried to make his way over. Liam's hand tangled in Flynn's hair, yanking it back to look down at him. "All those stupid plans Maria made, all that time playing along with her small game," he mused as he shoved Flynn's head down, grinding it into the floor. "And all we needed to do was wait and let you do all the work for us."
"Yeah, well, don't really see what the whole point of this was." Yuri's voice cut between them, burning coldly with each word. "There's a thousand different ways to get someone out of their position. Why the hell did you pick arson?"
Laughter, too controlled to be sane, escaped Liam's lips. "Maria's idea at first. Put the Commandant in a position that he couldn't recover from, that he couldn't find the perpetrator and prove he's incompetent. Then it came to me- why not make it seem like he was the one doing it?" Flynn's head came up, yanked only to be slammed back down. "She didn't like that very much, but the idiot always thought small. She never thought about taking the office herself."
"Maria?" Flynn tried to turn his head to look at Liam, incredulous. If anything, the next person they would put in would be Sodia. She was just as good as he was, only held back by the thought a man had to head up the army. But Lady Estellise would be a driving force behind changing that, and His Highness knew as well as he did-
"Are you kidding me? She's an idiot." Liam let go of Flynn, picking something off the ground. "No. I'd find you. I'd be the one."
"It doesn't work like that, you-" Yuri's words were cut off as Liam kicked him casually. As he coughed, the Knight turned back to Flynn.
"There's only one thing left I need to do." The scent of gasoline filled the air as the liquid poured over Flynn, shockingly cool. "Three bodies, don't you think? And when they hear one is yours, well, your freakish power just got out of control. And as a hero, I came to put it out, too late to save the princess."
At the threat to Lady Estellise and Yuri, Flynn started struggling harder. If he was right, the fire wouldn't harm him. But his friends- "Damn you," he growled, feeling the tight bonds give little. "If you wanted to get me out of the way, then do so, but leave them alone!"
For a moment, Liam paused. Then, the sound of a match lighting heralded the next word out of his mouth. "No."
And he dropped the match onto Flynn.
It didn't hurt. Fire arced across his skin, licking hungrily across the accelerant splashed across him. His clothing fed the hungry flame as it curled around him, flickering along his eyelashes. Dimly, he could hear Yuri's instinctive curse and the sound of something being hit, as well as Lady Estellise's groggy voice and her own horrified cry. The scent of burnt hair tickled his nose as the flame cradled him, almost comforting in the touch. It felt freeing, to be held by the flames as it voraciously consumed all touching him. He slowly opened his eyes (when had they closed?) to see Lady Estellise sitting up in a panic, and a gas can-
The fire sliding across his skin grew warmer as he watched Lady Estellise fight her bonds. He knew she could get free, Liam had underestimated how cunning she could be, but she couldn't do it in time- Flynn rolled over, flexing his arms. For a moment, the rope held before the fire greedily ate into it, the ones binding his arms and legs breaking as he tackled Liam. The flame, so comforting before, now licked his skin in armor and weapon, protective of him as he straddled the Knight, punches aimed down at his face. Fire rolled up his arms to his fists, leaving burns as the blows came down. Not Yuri. Not Lady Estellise. It could be him, but never them. Never-
Icy lance of pain across his throat snapped him back to reality. Flynn paused, a spike of ice stained red resting against his throat. A sharp cold crack added to the sound of the fire roaring on Flynn's fists as Yuri snapped his own frozen bonds, the hand with the spear of ice barely shaking with the panic that created it. "Don't, Flynn. For the love of everything you've tried to do so far, don't you dare kill him." A small laugh escaped his lips as he slowly stood, the ice rolling against his throat. "That's what I'm for, when this asshole escapes your justice system."
Flynn turned his head slightly, his chin brushing the spike. Liam had threatened to hurt Lady Estellise, Yuri... he met Yuri's steady dark eyes, burning with cold purpose and yearning for him to listen. Slowly, Flynn stood, feeling the ice melt down his body as the fire wisped out of existence, his fury unable to keep it going any longer. The fingertips that touched his throat came back tinged with red, blood, but that was expected. As he heard Yuri untied Lady Estellise, a numb thought, the thought that he could have killed Liam if Yuri hadn't nearly speared him, knocked at his consciousness. He raised a hand to run it through his hair, pulling it back in shock as he felt burnt stubble. His skin didn't burn, but his hair, his- Flynn felt his face warm as he realized the scorched rags his clothes had been barely covered him now. At least he was-
An arm pressed against his throat as Liam roared up behind him, the tip of his sword against his cheek. "Abomination," came the hiss, so hateful Flynn couldn't even classify it as human anymore. "Things die when they're set on fire!"
"Let him go!" Lady Estellise stepped forward, her back straight and eyes steady. She had found a stray table leg, and held it with familiarity as if it was a mace. "Under the authority of the Crown and Estellise Sidos Heurassein herself, you are under arrest. Don't make this worse on yourself!"
Flynn could feel Liam's laugh rumble against his back as he tightened his arm, choking out the air through his throat. "And what are you going to do, princess? Slap me with that piece of wood? I know you rely on your artes." Behind Lady Estellise, Yuri lifted his arms behind his head casually, a grin crossing his face. Flynn found himself echoing it as Liam tossed him aside, his sword pointed at the woman. This should be over very quickly, and if could get enough air to talk to Yuri-
Lady Estellise dodged the first swipe easily, her feet moving expertly under her dress. If she had been ready to go back out and was in her travelling outfit she would have been even better, but she had learned very well to move in any outfit. She knew her strength lay in her artes, but if she could find a good opening- Her arm moved suddenly, and Liam staggered as the table leg caught him across the face with more force he was expecting. Not enough to keep the opening, though, as his free arm came back, returning the favor and sending her reeling backwards. His face set into concentration, realizing he couldn't underestimate her. Lady Estellise turned back to him, blood bubbling from her nose as she raised the leg again, ducking under his next attack to return it. Liam staggered again, going to one knee as her arm moved again, knocking him still to the floor. She looked over at Yuri and Flynn, pride and concern beaming through every movement. "Are you two okay? Flynn, your neck-"
"I'm fine." His voice came out hoarse but steady as he stepped closer to Liam. "Under the authority of-"
Flynn's words were cut off as Lady Estellise was caught from behind, Liam grabbing her and pulling her down to him, his dagger against her side. "One more step, abominations, and I will gut her," he hissed at Yuri and Flynn. "You never should have been Commandant, you inhuman lowborn piece of-"
The crash of the door and a growl interrupted him before Repede slammed into him, head shaking so the knife clamped in his sharp teeth swiped across Liam's face. Lady Estellise pulled herself to her feet as Sodia came in behind Repede, sword drawn. "Just try it again," came her own growl, fury dripping off each word. "If he moves, tear his arm off."
Repede made a noise as if he wasn't about to take orders from her, but he watched Liam carefully as Sodia turned to them. "Lady Estellise. Sir." Her eyes turned to Yuri, and her lips curled. "Lowell. There's a unit outside ready to take this filth to jail. We've already arrested Private Lapin when she confessed." Sodia suddenly paused, her eyes flickering down across the scrapes of burned cloth barely covering Flynn's body. A flush covered her face as she cleared her throat, eyes focusing past him. "A-anyway."
He could hear Lady Estellise squeak as she realized what Sodia had seen, and Yuri whistle when he saw it. An embarrassed blush rose to his own cheeks as he fought the urge to cover himself. "Yes. Take him away." He met Sodia's eyes as she looked him over, still blushing but critical. Noting the burned clothing, hair, but untouched skin. Her eyes followed down to the floor, and he looked as well, seeing the puddle that stretched back to Yuri, the water that covered his hand. She looked back at him, lips tight, saying nothing as the question rose to her face. Flynn shook his head as his men came in to take Liam away.
Before anything could be said, Flynn felt the gentle warmth of Lady Estellise's healing artes, and the sting on his neck faded. Silence stretched between the five of them, pressing against them in its smothering embrace before Lady Estellise's voice broke it. "Sodia, Repede, thank you."
"It was nothing." Sodia pressed a hand against her chest in a salute as Repede snorted, going to Yuri to check him over. "Thank the dog. He found the scent. And now, Sir." She turned to Flynn, stern resolution setting her face. "I think I'm due that explanation."
Flynn paused, his mouth open as Yuri snickered. And then that was all he could do, the stress finally releasing in the sound of wild laughter.