Yuri woke to a door in the inn slamming shut, one pair of angry footsteps and two calmer ones indicating people leaving. Curiosity got the better of him, so he grabbed his stuff and followed far enough back that he couldn't see whoever it was, but he definitely recognized that voice. It didn't help that it was an almost-shout.
"-stays the same, I'm not an Imperial, I'm not a knight, I don't want to be a knight, I don't want a brigade, I don't want your Gald." Lloyd's voice was tight and annoyed. "I don't want to become someone to be ordered about. I prefer things this way."
"As a near penniless free-lancer?" It took Yuri a moment to place that low voice. "A warrior in the-"
"-I have enough Gald for my needs, and then some." Lloyd cuts him off. "I happen to like these clothes, these weapons, this armor."
"You're contribution to the empire shouldn't go u-"
"-I joined the war to stop people from dying." Lloyd didn't want Alexei to keep talking, despite becoming quite rude. "Obviously, people still did. I don't like wars, and that's what armies are for. My answer is still no." there was a pause.
"If you joined the knights, you wouldn't have to worry about people noti-"
"-If people haven't yet, then people likely won't. If anyone does, I'll just go hermit. It might do me some good." Lloyd's voice was struggling to rise, then fell to a forced calm, pleasant voice. "I would prefer it if you didn't think about my problems, Commandant. You should be focused on your people and their problems, not me and mine. May your day be interesting." There was a cloth-rustling noise, and then the still slightly angry footsteps came closer. Yuri pushed off from the wall, yawning and rubbing his eyes as Lloyd came around the corner, expressive face rather angry. He stopped short, spotting the dark haired swordsman, then sighed. "Think I woke the place up?" Lloyd managed not to sound as much angry as annoyed as he ran a hand back through his hair.
"If you keep stomping around like you're imitating an earthquake, you might succeed in that goal." Yuri points out. Lloyd blinks, frowning for a second, before releasing a great sigh.
"I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me." Lloyd mutters, rubbing his temples. "I know that. I really do." It was more like he was muttering to himself.
"Still not over the Aer-Sickness?" Yuri asks, frowning a little. Lloyd blinks at him under his hand.
"What? That?" Lloyd blinked again, his eyes flicking to the right then back to Yuri. "Oh, yeah, over that. Definitely. I was done with Aer-Sickness before we got to Heliord." Lloyd wriggled a finger in his ear. "I've just got this ringing in my ears that won't go away." Yuri raised an eyebrow, not able to hear anything himself, but Lloyd didn't elaborate for his lack of hearing. "I'll meet you guys downstairs. I'm only half-dressed." Yuri blinked, not quite seeing it beyond the lack of red coat, before noticing the lack of armor, the pants that weren't as loose as they usually were, and the bare hands and feet, a gold pendant visible over his shirt. Lloyd grin-grimaced at him. "Not that you're one to complain to." He says, commenting on Yuri's fashion of a half-open shirt, passing the swordsman to go back to his room.
"... Huh." Yuri blinks as the elder swordsman shut the door behind him, before returning to his room to make sure he'd gotten all signs of sleep from his face.
Lloyd was downstairs before him, carefully performing maintenance on the red blade, Karol watching a little avidly. This might have to do with the fact that Lloyd's cloth was smoking a bit as he ran it over the flame shaped blade of some sort of crystalline material that glowed a softer flame-shade than when the man was swinging it.
"Does it really need maintenance?" Yuri asks, watching as Lloyd crushed a small crystal in his hand before returning to cleaning. "It takes care of anything on it by itself, doesn't it?" Lloyd glanced at him, then at his cloth, grimacing at its state.
"More or less." Lloyd lifted the blade off his knees and the cloth ignited and vanished in smoke. "But a well cared for blade works better for its wielder." He grinned widely as he brushed the traces of ashes from the blade. "Besides, Flamberge would get jealous if I only paid attention to Vorpal Edge." Karol recoiled.
"You swords can get jealous?!" Karol stared at the red and gold blade at Lloyd's side as the man stands.
"Nope. I was joking." Lloyd grins at him again as they met up with Rita, Repede shifting a little anxiously.
"... What's the matter, Repede?" Yuri asks, noticing. Lloyd was rubbing his head again, while Karol glanced about.
"Do you guys hear a strange sound?" Karol asks. Lloyd blinks, while Rita tilts her head.
"Now that you mention it, yeah..." Rita says.
"Oh, thank the Tree..." Lloyd sighs, giving up on his head rubbing. "I thought I was the only one."
"Oh, I've been hearing that the barrier Blastia's been acting up lately..." the Inn keep says, overhearing them and distracting them from Lloyd's strange set of words. Rita blinks, turning and heading quickly for the door.
"Hey, hold your horses!" Yuri says quickly, stopping Rita.
"I can't!" Rita does stop, but it's clear she really wants to continue.
"Commandant Alexei is there, isn't he?" Yuri asks a bit rhetorically. "He should be able to take care of it."
"Rita, if we let you go out on your own, it'll just be another repeat of Ehmead Hill." Karol says. Lloyd blinks, looking between them then giving a tiny shrug.
"Well, if you want, we could at least let Flynn know about it." Yuri concedes, and they left the inn at a respectable quick walk. Lloyd held his ears as they passed the Barrier Blastia, looking a bit pained and sticking with Repede on the other side of the party from the Blastia. The twin-blade pointedly ignored the pink themed knights that were scattered around town and in the Chevaliers HQ they entered to find Flynn. In the makeshift Interrogation room they found Flynn and Estelle.
"The barrier Blastia's been making some odd noises. Do you think it's okay?" Yuri says as way of hello.
"Painful, high pitched noises." Lloyd adds, wriggling a finger in his ear.
"You came all the way here because you were worried about that?" Flynn asks, shaking his head. "As always, Yuri, you can't leave well enough alone if you see anything amiss."
"Hey, it's not me!" Yuri protests. "She was the one that-" when Yuri went to indicate Rita, the mage was behind him on the way out again.
"It's obvious that something's not right with that Blastia." Rita says, stopping to look at Flynn. "Let me have a look at it!"
"This Blastia is currently in a state of repair." Flynn says. "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to examine it."
"Why!" Rita demands. A sudden shaking sets them all off balance as Lloyd holds his head again and Repede remains crouched.
"Don't tell me that was the Blastia..." before Flynn can finish saying that, Rita was out the door.
"Fine. We won't tell you." Lloyd says, following the mage.
"Maybe something's happened to the Blastia!" Estelle puts it together.
"Let's get outta here!" Yuri says. Repede turns and follows, shouldering the door open enough for him.
"Your Highness, you must stay here!" Estelle said nothing in reply to Flynn, or what she said was covered by the remaining three exiting. Flynn, Karol and Yuri caught up with Rita, Lloyd and Repede before the 'town square' as the mage stared at orange glowing Blastia. Rita darted forward, but Yuri caught her arm.
"Rita!" Yuri held on and caused her to stop.
"Let me go!" Rita demands, turning to glare at him. "I can't just leave him like this! The aer is just pouring out of this thing! At this density it might kill someone!" As Rita said this, several townsfolk collapsed from the glowing ring that was slowly spreading.
"And what about you?!" Yuri demands, refusing to let go. A sudden shake and shot of glowing Aer knocked them down and Rita away from Yuri. Rita got to her feet first and ran to the Blastia, while Yuri paused, holding a hand before his eyes as the Aer stopped him.
"Dammit! That girl's Blastia crazy!" Yuri grits his teeth. Rita worked her way to the Blastia, pulling herself up its frame so she could pull the seal and keys into existence.
"It's okay, I'll just readjust the volume of Aer." Rita says. "You'll be just like new!" Lloyd twisted past Yuri.
"Excuse me." Lloyd says, avoiding Yuri's grab on his way to the downed townsfolk. Rita typed furiously, ignoring the golden-orange-red glow about the Blastia and directly below her while Lloyd moved almost unhampered to the downed civilians to pull them back to Yuri.
"It's too dangerous!" Flynn shouts, getting back up from his shock-wave-fall. "You've got to get out of here!"
"Sorry Knight boy!" Lloyd shouts, setting another civilian down and darting back through the thick Aer.
"... Lead the civilians out of the city, as well as the Princess and the others." Alexei arrived on the scene and gave Flynn orders.
"Yes sir." Flynn straightened and turned to do the commandants bidding.
"The Aer is completely out of control." Alexei says. "There's no telling what it will do."
"...No!" Rita shouts. "The flow of aer has outstripped his capacity. At this rate, it'll either swallow the city or even explode."
"E-explode?" Lloyd pulled the man awake to his feet. "Did you hear that?!"
"Everybody, get out of here!" Another townsman says, staggering. "Hurry!"
"I'll help. This should help!" Lloyd shouts, crackling lights running up his arms, he stepped back into the thick of the Air, not quite so near as Rita but still quite close to the glow. "Release Thor's Hammer!" he thrust his hands up, the orange glow lessening about him for a second as violet raced up his arms.
"What are you doing?!" Yuri demands, before spotting the flare of runes that indicated a spell spiraling about Lloyd.
"Indignation!" Lloyd casts the high level spell backwards, placing himself and his hands just below the spark from which the bolt of lightning cast itself from – and in true with Lloyd's spells, it was several times larger than it should have been. The twin-blade was knocked to the ground with the shock as the bolt loosed itself into the sky, the thunderclap knocking people down and making the city shake.
"What are you thinking?!" Alexei demands, stopping behind Yuri as Lloyd laughed, sprawled on his back.
"Getting rid of Aer!" Lloyd shouts, remaining on his back as he keeps laughing, but raised his arms once more. "Burn to oblivion!" He started laughing hard, almost enough not to seem to be able to breathe as red flared up his arms and into the runes for a spell about him. "Infernal Prison!" just above Rita's head flared a large red and orange seal, the runes etched into it in yellow. Flames shot out and up in four plumes, then in rings to the sky.
"Lloyd...!" Rita seemed aware of what the man was doing after this spell faded from the sky as he continued laughing.
"Always wanted to say that!" Lloyd gasps out, half covering his face with his hands as he continued laughing. "Always! Want a jolt?!" his hands went up again, violet crackling in the air and in the runes about him. "Volt Arrow!" Three orbs of lightning formed high in the sky above him, crackling over Lloyd's laughter as Estelle left the HQ. They formed a triangle of lightning as a great bolt struck the center.
"Rita!" Estelle shouts, spotting the mage before the laughing Lloyd and rushing for the town square.
"Ya'know..." Lloyd almost gasped it out through his laughter. "Always... wanted to say sommat else, too!"
"Princess?!" Alexei shouted as the pinkette passed him.
"Gah!" Yuri's exclamation was most like a yelp as Estelle passed him.
"Your Highness!" Flynn shouts.
"Burn baby!" Lloyd cackles, raising his hands again as fire wreathed his fingers and red runes sprang into the air. "Infernal Prison!" Estelle covered her head as the seal formed in the air again, but larger than before.
"What are you doing?!" Whether it was to Lloyd or Estelle, Yuri didn't specify.
"Rita! I'm here!" Estelle was glowing just as brightly, if not brighter than the Blastia. Rita straightened, looking startled.
"...Estellise..." Rita says, staring.
"... Commandant?!" Alexei's Krityan companion moved to his side. The white haired man nodded as Lloyd continued laughing, not even trying to move anymore.
"How is this stuff bad?!" Lloyd asked the air, laughing fit to burst, his arms about his chest now rather than on his face. Rita began typing furiously once more.
"There, got it..." the Blastia began glowing even brighter, then flashed, exploding. "Aaaah!"
Estelle sat up, spotting Rita sprawled next to her and Lloyd crumpled at the base of the wall, but still laughing, albeit weakly. Rita was still, however, so Estelle crawled over to her.
"Rita! Hang on!" Estelle glowed yellow and then it flowed into Rita. The sky, which had been shot full of lightning and fire, finally let it rain fall while Estelle gasped for breath. "...Please ... get a room ready... for Rita..."
"Do you even hear what you're saying?" Yuri asks. "You're just as worn out as she is."
"Prepare rooms at once!" Flynn orders, half crouched near the pair of females. "I'll take her there myself." Flynn gathers up Rita.
"Karol, can you stand?" Yuri turns to the guildsman.
"Y-yeah..." Karol takes his eyes away from Lloyd with a shudder, getting up.
"Come on, we're going too." Yuri turns and walks over to Lloyd, who was still laughing weakly against the half-wall. "... Can you stand?"
"I think so." Lloyd says, and struggles to get his feet under him. He doesn't get further than that, falling on his side with more laughter. "Guess not."
"Were those Advanced spells?" Yuri pulls him up.
"Yes, oh yes, yes they were." Lloyd laughs a little, barely able to keep up even then.
".. You're mad." Yuri says flatly.
"Likely, very so very likely." Lloyd almost laughs it, before suddenly cutting off with a choked noise. "... I feel like shit." He moans it, drooping.
".. About time the Aer sickness kicked in." Yuri says, keeping him up. "If you're gonna spew, don't do it on me."
"I'll try to warn ya." Lloyd groans, staring at the ground as he tried to keep his feet working in the right direction. They managed a few paces, behind Sodia who supported Estelle, before Lloyd made a gagging noise. ".. warn-" Yuri turned and pushed Lloyd to the stone edge, the twin-blade stumbling, but getting his head over it before he threw up. Yuri watched as Lloyd half collapsed on rail, sounding thoroughly miserable while he emptied his stomach.
"You all right?" Yuri asks as Lloyd stops spewing and his breathing stables again.
"... No." Lloyd mutters, still draped half over the rail. "I... can't... think." He mumbles.
"Can you walk?" Yuri passes him a cloth usually used for cleaning whatever weapon he currently wielded, which the twin-blade used with a thanking mutter to wipe down his face, then his mouth.
"... Maybe. If I can get to..." Lloyd was talking slowly, as if he had to put the words out carefully. Yuri watched as he blinked, glancing at him with still heavily red eyes. "... I lost that sentence."
"... I'm going to take that as a no then." Yuri sighs, and pulls the taller male to his feet. "Walk."
"... Right." Lloyd mutters, and stares firmly at the ground and his feet in order to keep them working. Yuri still has to help him back into the inn, where they were directed to the room on the end of the upper corridor. Yuri knocked while Lloyd struggled to remain standing, and heard Estelle.
"..C-come in." She sounded exhausted yet. But, invited so, Yuri opened the door and made sure Lloyd didn't face plant on his way to one of the free beds.
"... You can't keep using your healing Artes on her forever, Estelle." Yuri says, walking over to the princess. The Mage on the bed before her was either asleep or simply unconscious yet, a towel over her eyes. "Come on, let's let her rest for now."
"Yes..." Estelle released the golden glowing seal about her.
"I can't believe she had to go and do something like that." Yuri says, watching the mage. "On that thought, what were you thinking?" Yuri turns to look at Lloyd.
"Big spells use... a lot of Aer..." Lloyd says slowly, muffled by the pillow. "So, if there's... a lot of Aer... use a lot of ... big spells. And... I .. my head hurts." Lloyd groaned, holding his head.
"And you..." Yuri pokes the twin-blade back on track.
".. Use... too much for spells... so..." Lloyd trailed off in defeat.
"... You thought using Advanced Spells would make the Aer go away." Yuri puts together. ".. Didn't Rita say that wouldn't work?"
"... Did... she?" Lloyd mumbles. "... I can't think."
"Well... Once Rita chooses to do something, she won't listen to anyone else..." Estelle says.
"Sounds like that applies to Lloyd too." Yuri says, before turning his attention back to Estelle. "And you're one to talk! You were just as bad as she was." Estelle blinked away from him and back to Rita.
"... I'm sorry." Estelle says. Yuri moves behind the princess so that he was between the bed that held Rita and the empty one between the mage and the twin-blade.
"I'm going to stay here. You should go rest." Yuri says. "Aren't you tired from using your healing Artes so much?" Estelle shakes her head, then makes an abrupt topic change.
"I'm jealous of Rita." Estelle admits. "She has something he cares about so much..."
"And so can you, if you spend enough time looking for it." Yuri says. "But you need to go and get some sleep now." He sees through her topic change.
"No, I'm fine." Estelle doesn't look at him as she says this. "Yuri, you should get some sleep, yourself."
"Flynn will get mad at me if you pass out." Yuri says, trying a different angle.
"So let him get mad at you." Estelle says. The pair were abruptly reminded that Lloyd was still aware by the way he laughed a bit at Estelle's retort, before cutting off with a pained noise. Yuri watched the princess, amused, before sighing and turning to leave.
"Look, don't come asking me to take your place when you collapse from exhaustion!" Yuri says.
"I can't ask you to take my place if I've already collapsed, can I?" Estelle retorts again, earning another weak laugh from Lloyd, while Yuri shook his head and sighed, leaving at last.
Yuri knocked on the door some hour or so latter, and Rita invited him in.
"Glad to see you're awake." Yuri says, walking over. Estelle was collapsed near the mages feet, asleep on the bed. Lloyd was still sprawled on the bed he'd claimed, looking less miserable but still quite a bit unhappy. Yuri stopped behind Estelle, who managed to stay half on her seat even while half on the bed. "... And after I told her over and over to call me before she collapses."
"You didn't think she'd really listen to you, did you?" Rita asks.
"Uuh..." Estelle mumbles in her sleep.
"... heh, she looks happy." Rita notes, watching the princess. She blinked, then looked at Yuri. "Hey so..." she looked away. "What do you think Estellise thinks of me?" she blinked and glared at Yuri as his expression shifted into comic surprise complete with a half crouch. "Why are you making that face?" Yuri straightened, wiping his expression back to his normal 'poker face'.
"I just didn't think you were the kind of person who cared what other people thought." Yuri says, turning toward the large window.
"F-forget it." Rita turns to look out the window as well. "You can go now." Yuri decided he'd teased the teen mage enough for now.
"Compared to those formulas of yours, she should be easy to figure out." Yuri says.
"Uhhh... Huh?" Estelle mumbles, and wakes. "Rita!" She sits up. "You're awake!" She reaches out her left hand. "But be careful! It's just when you think you've recovered that you're in the most danger." She glows golden and her First Aid flows into Rita.
"It's all right, I'm fine." Rita says, before tilting her head. "Also, you don't need to pretend to be using that Blastia anymore." Estelle's recoil is a visible, and hastily caught and cut off.
"I... What do you mean?" Estelle stammers and plays confused.
"It's pretty cool that you can use Healing Artes without a Blastia." Yuri says, which caused Estelle to blink and jump a bit.
"Mmmhn." Lloyd mutters. "Is nice. You can't break it and... yeah..." Lloyd drops his head back on the pillow and gives up.
"B-but.." Estelle dropped her head forward. "How did you...?" Lloyd jerked, sitting up too quickly by the way his face tinged green as a roar reached them while he gagged. In the large open window dropped the dragon rider.
"What the?" Yuri demands, crouching.
"Hey, it's that dragon freak!" Rita shouts. The Rider indicated forward with its lance, the dragon rearing its head back. Estelle grabbed onto Rita, Yuri flinging his sling away on his way in front of them, while Lloyd struggled to keep whatever was left in his stomach there. The dragon breathed fire in while Estelle pulled Rita away, into the space between the bed Lloyd had claimed and the middle one, Yuri guarding and managing not to get singed too badly. Yuri rushed to the rail as the dragon turned away.
"Rita, are you all right?" Estelle asks.
"Don't you ever learn?" Rita asks back.
"It sounds like the sky's falling in here." Karol shouts as he runs in. "What's going on?" the dragon made another pass, roaring. "... Huh? Aaaah!" the Dragon Rider didn't return after that, flying away. "W-what was that thing?"
"Just when the conversation was getting interesting." Rita says, as a sort of 'look what the cat dragged in' sort of comment about Karol.
"That's enough talk about Estelle's healing Artes for now." Yuri picks his axe-sling back up.
"Fine by me." Rita says. "I've pretty much figured it out, anyway." Estelle watches Yuri, who noticed, and glanced her way.
"Don't look at me like that." Yuri complains. "Do I really look like that much of a bad guy to you?"
"Yes." Rita crossed her arms firmly, and Estelle giggles.
"Not.. really." Lloyd shook his head – he'd just dunked it in the little pool behind the beds. "If you lightened up your wardrobe, then you wouldn't.." he cut off again with a choked noise and covering his mouth to avoid spewing.
"...Hey wait." Karol looks between the mage, healer and swords-axe man. "What's going on you guys? Come on, tell me!"
"Lloyd's getting over Aer Sickness." Rita says, indicating the twin-blade, who was green-faced and miserable.
"... I can see that!" Karol is annoyed.
"In anycase, it's time to sleep." Yuri gave Estelle a meaningful look. "All of us." Estelle smiled a little.
"Well, take care on the way back to the capital." Yuri says to Estelle. Lloyd wasn't green-faced anymore, but he still blinked and came back from la-la land occasionally.
"Okay." Estelle says.
"Do you have everything?" Yuri asks. "Wouldn't want to have to come back later."
"If I forget anything, you'll bring it to me, won't you, Yuri?" Estelle asks with a smile.
"Hah, yeah right." Yuri says. "Okay, let's go find Flynn. I'll take you that far." Yuri makes a subject change.
"U-um, what are you all going to do after this?" Estelle asks.
"Hmm. Well, we did lose track of the Blood Alliance..." Yuri says, tapping his chin in thought.
"That's easy, we can just go to Dahn..." Karol started out enthusiastic, then it faltered. "grest. Or not." Karol deflated a bit. "Man, if I go back there now, they'll all just laugh at me..." the boy mutters.
"Dahngrest?" Yuri glances down at Karol, pretending not to hear the last line. "That's the guild city, right?"
"Y-yeah." Karol looks up again. "I thought we could find out about the Blood Alliance there..."
"What direction is it from here?" Yuri asks.
"Well, it's to the west I guess, but..." Karol trails off.
"Let's check it out, then." Yuri says, before smiling a little. "Might be helpful for anybody thinking of starting a guild, too." Karol blinks, then grins.
"Huh? For starting a guild?" He nearly jumps for joy. "Well let's go, then!" Rita sighs.
"Lloyd?" Estelle asks. The twin-blade blinks, blinking again as he noticed attention on him.
"Huh? Oh, me. Right." He rubbed the side of his head, and pushed wet hair out of his face. "I'm looking for several things... And the Empire..." Lloyd grimaced. "I've gotten nothing on any of the three there, so Guild City sounds like a good way to go..." Lloyd pauses, staring off, then blinks and looks back at them. "Hope you don't mind me tagging along till then, at the least."
"Nope." Yuri shrugs, before turning toward the Blastia and the 'town square'. Despite the heavy rain, there were still several people toiling, and a pair inspecting the Blastia.
"It doesn't seem like that Flynn character is around here." Rita says, as there was no blonde in blue in sight.
"Does that mean you're staying with us for now?" Karol asks of Estelle.
"Well, I..." Estelle trailed off, then clasped her hands. "Would that be all right?"
"Karol, don't fill the princess's head with ideas." Yuri says, leaning against the stone wall.
"Your cannot simply do as you wish." Alexei joined them. Lloyd grimaces and turns to watch out of the city. "Your highness must return to the capital." Alexei stopped next to Estelle, his Krityan companion stopping two paces behind him. "Flynn has already set out to tend to other business." Estelle looks down, and Alexei turns and walks to Rita. "Now then, Rita Mordio, we would like you to investigate yesterday's Blastia malfunction."
"... That's pointless." Rita says, shrugging her palms up. "I looked at him this morning, but I couldn't figure anything out."
"No, we would ask that you go to the forest of Keiv Moc." Alexei says.
"... Keiv Moc, huh?" Karol mutters. "Oh yeah, the plants affected by the disaster here look just like the ones in that forest." Karol says, smiling.
"We have reports of tree mutations and of monsters increasing in both number and aggressiveness." Alexei explains. "Messangers have gone to the capital, but much time will be wasted finding a gifted mage."
"I specialize in Blastia." Rita says, wrapping hair about her fingers. "Plants are out of my league."
"Consider their connection to the Aer." Alexei says. "I imagine that is within your league."
"Besides... I..." Rita looks down. "If Estelle is going back to the capital, I want to go with her." The Krityan aide looked at the princess before Estelle looked up.
"What do you mean?" Estelle asks, looking about.
"You are a researcher in an imperial Blastia laboratory." Alexei reminds the teen mage. "You must undertake the tasks assigned to you." Rita looked up, eyes narrowed, but Estelle darted between the mage and the white haired commandant.
"Um... Then there should be no problem if I accompany her to the forest, right?" Estelle asks. Alexei looks like he'd like to sigh, but was too proper to do so.
"Princess, please, do not make suggestions that are simply out of the question." Alexei says.
"If this does have something to do with Aer, then my healing Artes would prove useful." Estelle says.
"Yes, they would..." It didn't quite sound like Alexei was agreeing with the same thing that Estelle had said.
"Please, Alexei! Let me do my part to help." Estelle says.
"Your Highness, I simply cannot allow you to go to such a dangerous forest." Alexei manages not to quite sound like he's protesting while protesting.
"Well, what if..." Estelle said a bit slowly, obviously thinking, before she turns about. "Yuri, would you come with us?" Yuri blinked.
"Me?" He asks, startled.
"If Yuri were to come, you wouldn't be worried right?" Estelle asks. Alexei looks down, thinking.
"Young man, please escort the Princess." Alexei says, looking at Yuri. "I ask this of you only because you once sought to join the Imperial Knights."
"... Of all the underhanded..." Yuri mutters, shoving off the wall. "I didn't ask anybody to count on me. You're pushing me into this." Yuri grumbles.
"Lloyd Aurion-Irving." Alexei looked at the brunette twin-blade, who frowned up at him. "You too, I would ask to escort the princess. As –"
"I'm not one of your men to order about, Commandant." Lloyd cuts him off. "I'm not one of your citizens, either. I'll go with them, because I want to go with them."
"It seems I can take your reply as indication of your agreement." Alexei gives a tiny smile.
"... I stepped right into that." Lloyd mutters, crossing his arms. Yuri turns to face the knight.
"But there's something I have to do as well." Yuri says. "We go to the forest after Dahngrest."
"Very well." Alexei says, turning to leave.
"Your Excellency.." the Krityan sort of asks, sort of reprimands the Commandant.
"It seems Flynn foresaw this outcome." Alexei says. Yuri overhears.
"Huh? He did what?" Yuri turns toward the commandant. The Krityan moved off while Alexei turned back to the party.
"He left this message for you: 'Take care of Her Highness'." Alexei says. Estelle bows to Alexei.
"All right then, it's the forest of Keiv Moc by way of Dahngrest." Karol says.
"We've got everything for that trip?" Lloyd asks, starting for the western exit.
"Yeah."