Rita set the core carefully back into the blastia, checking the control panel. Raven had run ahead to see the Don regarding the events at Ghasfarost, but Estellise, Karol, and Flynn waited with Rita to make certain that the barrier was returned to a good, working condition. They watched quietly as her fingers moved across the green glyph, muttering formulas under her breath. "Well, everything looks normal. I'm just going to check to the blastia' formula configurations and make sure that it's conducting aer effectively."
Estellise watched closely, pressed close to the genius mage. Everyone else gave the prickly mage plenty of room to work in peace, but she didn't seem to mind the close proximity of the pink haired princess. Flynn wasn't sure why every time Rita looked at Estellise, her face became a little flushed as if she was suddenly feeling ill.
"The sooner we get the blastia fixed, the sooner we can get these monsters out of town and everyone will be safe again!" Karol said.
"Shut up, so I can work!" She swatted at him, hitting him on the crown of his head with a stiff chopping motion before throwing both her hands back onto the display.
"Ow..."
"Looks like things are going pretty well here." Yuri walked up, Repede close at his side. He seemed strange to Flynn, eyes tired and looking overall pensive and withdrawn. He didn't look at them as he spoke, but instead up at the barrier, almost as if avoiding them. He walked with a heavy, but steady step.
"Rita should have the barrier as good as new soon!"
"That's great." Even his smirk was halfhearted at best, but no one else seemed to notice.
The blastia suddenly started humming loudly and Flynn could hear the sound of gears grinding together. He turned back to see Rita's face having grown incredibly grave, her fingers moving across the screen of the control panel faster than ever. She was mumbling once more, her brow knitted in concern. "No. This isn't good! Those idiots!"
"Rita, what's wrong?"
"Something's wrong with the blastia core! The idiots who stole it must have done something to damage it!"
"Can you fix it?"
"I'm losing control of it!"'
The aer all around them become thick and heavy, tinging red like blood as it began to flow faster and faster out of the blastia. It settled hard like a weight on his body, urging him to his knees. As hard as he tried, he was unable to move to rush to their aid. He knew from experience what could happen if a blastia started to go out of control. Even Karol, who had been at the bottom of the steps by a nearby crate was forced down.
"Rita, what are you doing?!"
"I can't leave him like this!" She cringed, but bore through the dangers of her chosen field of research. "I just need another- GAH!"
The glow of the blastia increased, pushing both her and Estellise back, but Yuri fought through the pain and the pressure to move forward, shouting to them. As unbelievable as that was, Estellise seemed to be moving fine, and didn't seem strange at all until she started glowing, a soft silvery pink like she had once before, when she had revived the Tree of Halure. Flynn knew that her power was something amazing, but he didn't know just how. Just as the great tree before it, the barrier blastia began to glow as well, the soft wavering of it synchronizing with Estellise.
"Rita!" The glow surrounding Estellise grew brighter and brighter as she threw herself against the genius mage.
The light threw Yuri backwards, sending him skidding across the cobblestone and slamming him into a crate. He struggled to this feet as the light grew blindingly bright and forced Flynn to close and cover his eyes.
The light popped and dissipated, and above them, the rings of the barrier shone against the purple-red sky. His eyes felt like they were no longer searing in his skull and he was able to open them. He found Estellise on her knees, trembling. With every breath, she was casting, the green and gold halos continually covering Rita. Yuri was on his feet in a second, trying to pull her away.
"Rita... We need to get Rita somewhere safe... She's hurt..."
"Hey, take it easy! You're not in such great shape either."
"Rita." Estelle pulled away from his grasp, kneeling over the mage. "Rita, please be okay."
Flynn struggled to his feet, an effort aided by the weight of the highly dense air no longer threatening to crush him. His footing became more sure as he scrambled up, dashing to their aid. He managed to pull Estellise back, her own strength fading from the ordeal, and Yuri scooped up Rita cradle style in his arms.
"Karol!"
"Yeah?" The boy had been a further distance away and had suffered less of the ill effects.
"Go open up the girls' apartment. We need to get them up there now."
Karol nodded and ran off in the direction of the Sagittarius as fast as he could.
"Yuri, is Rita okay?" Estellise clung to Flynn's side, fighting to make her wobbly feet hold her weight up.
Yuri pressed his ear against Rita's sternum and held it there for a long moment. "She's alive. That's a start."
"Oh, thank goodness." Her grip on his shirt slipped a little as her consciousness waned. She recovered herself and tried again to stand without his support.
"Lady Estellise, are /you/ all right?" What she had done had obviously taken a lot out of her.
"I-I'm fine, Flynn." She tried to smile.
"Let's get you two somewhere where you can rest. Come on." Yuri shifted Rita a bit in his arms and a short jog later, they arrived at the apartment adjacent to Yuri's that Estellise and Rita had been occupying.
They laid the unconscious mage in one of the beds and ever caring Estellise insisted on sitting beside her. Even Yuri's attempts to convince her to rest did not sway her from her seat in a wooden chair beside the bed, holding one of Rita's hands. Eventually, they gave up trying to change her mind.
In time, Yuri sent Karol to tell the Don that the barrier was repaired and that they would stop by later to fill in the details. The boy eagerly rushed off to fulfill Yuri's wish. Flynn and Yuri watched and waited. Repede also sat beside them like a watchful guardian.
It wasn't more than half an hour before Rita began to stir, and they were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
"Rita, are you feeling okay? Don't get up." Not that she could even answer between being bombarded by Estellise's concerned questioning. "It's just when you think you've recovered that the worst happens.
Rita sat up, pulling her hand out of Estellise's and pushed her hair back with it. "Just calm down, Estelle. I'm fine."
"I'm so glad that you're all right! We were so worried!"
"Don't worry so much about me. I can take care of myself." The mage scoffed. "But more importantly... you don't have to pretend to use that blastia anymore."
Estellise blanched, one hand instinctively covering the blastia on her wrist. "W-What do you mean?"
Flynn stepped forward. How had Rita known? How long had she known?
"She's right. We know that you're not really using that trinket to cast," Yuri added and Flynn's gaze snapped over to look at him. "I've known ever since you first healed me. I'm guessing that that's the big secret that the two of you have been keeping."
"It's a matter of national security. No one outside of the royal family and the Council is supposed to know."
"So, I suppose that's why Alexei's looking for you."
"I'm afraid so. I really don't know why though. What could my power possibly mean to him?"
"It probably has something to do with the formula you use." Rita reached for her book off the edge of the bed, but Estellise passed it quickly to her.
"Formula?"
"Yes. The way that you conduct and use aer when you use your ability. Blastia all has an inscribed formula to direct the flow and shape of aer. Your formula is different than that of a typical blastia," the mage explained, but it seemed to go over their heads. "Did that kid Ioder have this power, too?"
"Not that I know of."
"I see." She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"It is imperative that this be kept in the strictest of confidence. If people at large were to find out, then-" Flynn started, but Rita cut him off with a glare.
"I know. I won't let anyone abuse Estelle's power."
Flynn looked over to Yuri, who seemed lost for all the talk of science. Yuri returned his glance after a moment, calm and serious. "Don't worry. Secret's safe with me."
An ominous silence settled over them and finally Yuri turned and Repede stood. "I've got some things to take care of. Head down to Gramps's office when you're feeling better."
"Thank you, Yuri."
He waved this off, and they watched him leave.
That afternoon, when Estellise was willing to let Rita out of bed, they ventured down to the Don's office in the Sagittarius. It was half an hour before Yuri and Repede arrived behind them. He was quiet and calm. His demeanor hadn't changed from earlier and he said nothing to them when he entered the Don's office and flopped down on the sofa. They had already returned the barrier blastia core and finished clearing the remaining monsters out of town.
"Ya kids did good."
"I'm afraid that we were not able to get Barbos to surrender."
"Not surprised. Last thing he would have wanted was to appear before the rest of the Union on charges of treason. As long as the barrier blastia core was returned safely, I couldn't care less what become of that traitorous scum."
"What took you so long, Yuri?" Karol turned, whispering behind one his hands.
"No big deal. I had to find my wallet."
Flynn had difficulty believing him. Yuri wasn't careless, even if he acted that way. Why else would he have returned though? And how had he gotten to Ghasfarost so far ahead of them? How had he known before all of them that the barrier blastia core was missing? And what about what Barbos had said? He had called him a 'death hound', and while he had been livid that they had gotten into his tower, his main focus had seemed to be Yuri.
"I'm just glad that Dahngrest is safe again." Estellise breathed a sigh of relief.
"We appreciate what ya've done, but I'm afraid that the Union's still deliberating about aiding your cause. We should have an answer for ya tomorrow morning."
"We understand that it is a big decision, considering the difficulty of the years of war between the Union and the Empire, and thank you once more for being so kind and listening to our cause."
The Don waved a hand at her in lighthearted dismissal, but the look in his eyes as he glanced over at Yuri, betrayed a calm and contained sort of sorry that Flynn was unsure if anyone else noticed. It was a little startling, but Flynn said nothing and merely observed the body language as Don Whitehorse stood. "All right. Go get yerself some dinner. Come by Union headquarters in the morning."
They exited, Flynn watching out of the corner of his eye as Yuri lagged behind a moment before joining them in the main room of the tavern. His demeanor was unchanged as he sat at table with them, downing a pint of ale before the waitress brought their dinner. He didn't eat much, only managing a few bites of curry when Estellise questioned if everything was all right.
"Yeah. Everything's fine. I'm just not really hungry." Flynn knew it was likely that the dark haired guildsman hadn't eaten all day if he had been running around the Tower of Gears looking for the barrier blastia core. He stood, stretching his lean form in a way that made Flynn ache. "I'm going to hit the hay. I'm beat." His shirt shifted and below his collar, Flynn could see a purple-yellow bruise dotted with teeth prints.
Had something happened at Ghasfarost that he wasn't telling them? From the bites, could it have been something indecent? One of Barbos's men had said that Yuri had been arrested that morning. Had he resorted to his usual tactics to get out?
Yuri left in a slow pace, his steps lacking their normal energy.
Flynn jolted out of his chair like lightning. He was angry once more, and perhaps a little worried. He fumbled for an excuse as Estellise, Rita, and Karol started up at him in confusion.
"I-I'll be right back."