11. Exchange

Off to Union HQ for an "important meeting." Karol and I have it covered. You boys have fun! -Judith

Yuri held the slip of paper between his fingers, smiling as he passed it to Flynn. The blond scanned the note and then turned it around, pointing at the bottom with an incredulous expression.

"Is this…a sketch of her own face, winking?"

Yuri chuckled. "That's Judy for you. I guess we should go in."

The building that Brave Vesperia operated from was relatively quiet for the moment. They were between jobs as much of their time lately had been spent on the protecting-the-city conflict, so most of the members they had acquired in the past few months were elsewhere. It was still a pretty small guild; they wanted to keep it that way, but four official members had been simply too few to sustain a viable operation. Guilds, as Kaufman of Fortune's Market would be quick to point out, are ultimately a business, after all.

Flynn and Yuri made their way through rooms empty but for one person at the desk near the door. They found Lucas in the HQ's lounge area, sprawled out on the floor with Repede seated nearby. The boy rolled over when they approached, grinning.

"Hey, welcome back. Let me tell you, this dog can run. I chased him all over the place and I don't think he ever got tired."

"I can see that," said Flynn, picking up a book and setting it back on the pile from which it had toppled. Hand on his hip, Yuri regarded Repede with open amusement.

"Playing hard, eh, Repede?" The canine let out a low, dignified woof, looking off to the side as if he had nothing to do with any of this. Lucas laughed and reached out to scratch him behind the ears. Before his hand could make contact, Repede slid away from the youth, sitting down again several feet away. Lucas looked over at Yuri, who could only shake his head.

"It's okay, Luc. I think I just hurt his pride a little."

"Oh. Uh, wait. What did you just call me?" The teen's brow furrowed slightly, and Flynn sighed.

"He does that to everyone. It's a bad habit of his."

"Hm? What is?" Yuri smirked, pretending not to know what his friend was referring to and getting one of those patented looks of exasperation in return.

"Not everyone likes getting nicknames from people they barely know, Yuri."

"You just don't like yours," he countered.

Lucas was watching them with obvious curiosity. "What's his?"

Flynn exhaled, defeated. "Sometimes he calls me 'the great Flynn'—"

"That's not the one I'm talking about, and you know it," said Yuri.

At that, Flynn remained silent, his features suddenly gone very still. Lucas leapt to his feet, dark brown eyes darting between them.

"What is it?" he asked insistently.

"Yuri!"

Everyone turned at Karol's voice as he rushed into the room, skidding to a stop in front of the two men. He placed his hands on his knees and panted for a moment before straightening, eyes bright and excited.

"Both of you have got to come with me back to Union HQ. It's really important."

"Woah. Slow down, boss," said Yuri. "What's this all about?"

Karol sucked in a breath, then let the words out in a rush.

"The guilds want to help Flynn get back his rank as Commandant!"


The stunned look on Flynn's face was one that Yuri wouldn't forget any time soon. The blond had worked his mouth, skin gone even paler than usual, but seemed to lack a coherent response to Karol's news. So they had followed the youth back down the streets that they had walked together just minutes before, nodding to the guard in front of the Union headquarters before they entered. Several paces ahead of them, Karol stepped up to the heavy double doors of the Don's Chamber and cracked one of them open. He nodded sharply after a moment, swinging it the rest of the way and ushering Flynn and Yuri in.

About twenty people turned their heads in unison as the two men stepped into the chamber. Yuri had been able to hear voices faintly through the doors, but now an unsettling silence had fallen over the meeting. Despite Karol's enthusiasm, few of the faces looked particularly cheerful—many, in fact, were downright hostile. Yuri kept a neutral expression, though his nerves were screaming for someone to say something, for something to happen. It didn't matter if it was good or bad.

At the end of the long chamber, Harry stepped forward. Abruptly, Yuri realized that the room's occupants were not making use of the mats and pillows that lined the walls. Everyone stood, most tensely, indicating the type of conversation not meant for leisure or comfort.

"You've come. Good." Harry's voice was becoming more confident each time Yuri heard him. He still had a long way to go to earn the full trust and respect of the guilds, though. "I realize this is unconventional, but I hope to benefit everyone with what we do here today."

There were some mutterings down the lines of people, some tossing unfriendly glances at Flynn, others at the Don's grandson. Harry held out his hand in an attempt to quell them, gaze moving around the room.

"Flynn Scifo," he said, "I want this to be as plainly spoken as possible. We in Dahngrest need you to be Commandant."

Flynn's head jerked back a fraction in surprise, unable to prevent a frown from pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Why?"

Harry smiled, a little. "And a plainly spoken response. Also good. The simple answer is that we're accustomed to you."

"The devil you know," Flynn said dryly.

"Yes, exactly. But it's also more than that. As newly promoted as you had been, it's my feeling—mine and others in the Union, though not all—" Here his mouth twisted, almost imperceptibly, "that in memory, you are one of the Commandants least dangerous to Dahngrest and her interests."

Flynn inclined his head, still clearly suspicious. But Yuri, who knew him better than anyone, could also see the spark of hope in his eyes.

"We don't want a Commandant that the Imperial Council can sway," Harry continued, standing in front of the Union flag with hands clasped behind his back. "Alexei was a problem, but he was also arrogant—he thought himself better than the Council, and moved according to his own ambitions. Someone that they can control could actually be far more dangerous."

Yuri suppressed a smirk. Harry was no fool, but those types of observations were unlikely to be his alone. He could see Raven's hand in this—he'd been instrumental in grooming the young man to become a worthy successor to his grandfather. The former knight captain might act like an idiot sometimes—okay, most of the time—but his political acumen was sharper than most people would guess.

"You see now what we need," said Harry, spreading his hands before him. "I imagine you're curious about how we intend to accomplish it. Obviously it's no simple matter, but we hope that our interests can align."

Flynn's eyes narrowed. The business language was beginning to come out—only natural, considering the source.

"I assume you have terms, then," he said. Harry nodded, slowly. "Name them."

"Alright, then. First, what benefits you. We hear that you are seeking the origin of attacks carried out within the Imperial capital. The influence and reach of the guilds are deep-rooted. There is information we possess that may well give you a significant edge into that search. Perhaps even manpower, guides. If it will help you regain your former status, we will do everything we can to aid you."

Yuri lifted an eyebrow at Flynn, who remained impassive. Regardless of what Harry and the Union wanted in exchange, they needed this. Other than hints and rumors, Lucas didn't know any more than they did, and that was where their trail ran out.

"And in return?"

Harry shifted his weight to the other foot, the only visible sign of nervousness that Yuri had seen in him that afternoon. After a moment, he spoke again.

"A detachment of knights posted outside the city gates to help protect against attacks is the first thing, of course. There are some who trust you to keep the boundary clear between the Empire and the Union's interests. Many others do not. For a safeguard, the knights will have to be under the direct jurisdiction of the city for as long as they serve there. They'll receive orders from their captain, but the captain must answer to the Union's needs."

"What—" Flynn's eyes flashed angrily

"Please, let me continue. They would be there to protect the city, nothing more. This is to ease doubts, not to give us more influence over the knights."

Flynn's lips tightened into a grim line, but he nodded. "Go on."

"The opposition to this proposal is strong. While Dahngrest does not typically welcome Imperial involvement, there may be other things we need ask of you, should you be in your position of power once more. You must be willing to cooperate with us one additional time, as long as it does not endanger the wellbeing of the Empire's citizens. I believe that this is fair."

The blond's jaw clenched, and Yuri knew that look. His friend was pissed, and now was not the time for most of the Union's leaders to be on the receiving end of that mood. In the rare cases where he was truly riled, Flynn was not beyond saying things that he'd regret. They needed this deal to go well.

"Excuse us for a minute," muttered Yuri. Not waiting for Harry's assent, he grabbed Flynn's arm and pulled him out of the room, ignoring how undignified it probably made the blond man look.


They were halfway down the entrance hall when Flynn pulled them up short, cursing so loudly and vehemently that Yuri nearly jumped out of his skin. The word seemed to echo off the hall's high ceiling, lingering in the air like smoke. Yuri cleared his throat after a moment, noting that the handful of other people in the room had scurried past them with nervous expressions. Trust Flynn to scare the crap out of everyone when he decided to swear. The blond man's knuckles were white where he clenched them tightly, leaving crescent-shaped nail marks in his palms.

"This," he said, "is impossible." Flynn's voice was too controlled and cool, now. Yuri's hand was still gripping the blond man's upper arm, and he could feel muscle tense beneath it. He released him, watching him carefully.

"I can't do this," Flynn finally said, meeting his friend's gaze. "They ask for things I cannot give them."

"The way I see it," said Yuri, crossing his arms, "we don't have much of a choice. This is the Union, Flynn. They'd sooner spit in your face and feed you to the wolves."

"If it's so important to them, then why stoop to bribery? They're practically holding my position for ransom, Yuri. No better than the shadow organizations run by crime families in the capital. Damn them." He spun away and paced at the head of the stairs, running a hand over the top of his head as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Okay. Do you have a better idea?"

"We negotiate."

Yuri laughed, shortly and humorlessly. "If I know Dahngrest, Harry's barely keeping the guys that hate your guts at bay. Say you won't do it, and you may never get an offer this good again."

"Good?" Flynn turned to face the dark-haired man again. "They scorn the Empire, and then expect me to hand them authority over Imperial soldiers. They're crazy if they think I will allow that."

"Flynn, listen to me. Right now you have nothing." The blond man's fingers twitched. "You're being given a better chance than you've had of getting it back, and I've got a feeling that things would be a lot uglier if the old man wasn't behind the scenes pulling strings for us."

Yuri was surprised by the raw anger in his friend's eyes. "And tell me, Yuri. Why should I trust them? Raven—wasn't he the one who betrayed you, delivering Princess Estellise into Alexei's hands?"

"And weren't you the one," said Yuri, voice low and even, "who stood by and allowed Alexei's ambitions to go unchallenged?"

Flynn's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. It was a low blow, Yuri knew, but these were desperate times. Appealing to the man's sense of guilt could be effective.

"I will not stand by and let the knights become pawns in this conflict. And I am not enough of a fool to make deals without knowing what it is that I am promising."

Yuri shrugged. "Fair enough. I wouldn't expect you to."

"Well—wait. You're agreeing with me?"

"Sure. You don't have to take the deal."

"No," said Flynn, firmly. "I don't."

"Okay, then." Yuri smiled, clapping Flynn on the shoulder. "That settles it."

Flynn lifted an eyebrow, but nodded. "Right. I suppose we had better go back in there."

They walked together back up to the doors, the sound of conversation beyond them even more chaotic than before. It stilled once again when they entered, as Flynn strode up to where Harry waited, with Yuri not far behind him. The Union leader looked at him expectantly.

Flynn opened his mouth to speak, but Yuri stepped forward.

"He accepts the Union's terms," he said, confidently and loud enough for all in the chamber to hear. He tried to ignore the look in his friend's blue eyes, stabbing into him as sharp as knives.


A/N: Oh, Yuri…Yay, I got a chapter up in a week, this time. :D