Felinis: Here is very long chapter that managed to not break my rule of no chapters over 5k words. I know that's a weird rule, but I personally think that when a chapter is over 5k it can be hard to on the reader if they can't take breaks while reading. Also, yes, the next chapter is pretty much halfway done, because this was originally 6k. Enjoy this chapter it was fun to write.

The two hid in an abandoned town for a long time. It was safe. Or at least safer than large cities where everyone could see them. Hanna hated the abandoned town though. It scared her. The fear of monsters was ever present. Lowell always tried to assure her that nothing could hurt them. That all was fine.

But, that couldn't be true. Not when monsters were so close.

Here in this small abandoned town in the middle of nowhere, they were safe and that was all that mattered. Living in a city was dangerous. Not even guild cities were guaranteed. It exhausted Hanna living without people. "Lowell..." She whispered as she leaned against the wall of a building. He was lying in front of her like a readied shield. "Can't we just go to one town. Just one?"

Lowell looked at her in she assumed was confusion. Sometimes his face was hard to read. Lowell was used to solitude and quiet. To him this was nothing, but Hanna was a social creature. "You know why we can't. People will recognize us. Remember our faces." He leaned into her. "We're safe here. I've been speaking with Kronos. It won't be much longer."

"You keep saying that!" She yelled. "You keep saying it! But, how true is it?" Tears started welling in her eyes and Lowell panicked. He was never sure what to do when Hanna cried. "I'm so lonely here!"

Lowell became hectic and tried to think of anything to say. "I'm here! Doesn't that count for something?"

She glared at him through her teary eyes. "No. It doesn't!" Hanna curled on herself. "I want to talk with others. You may be fine staying here, but I'm not."

Lowell knew it was a bad idea to take her into town. They were only here because at this time they had no direction. But, maybe it be best. If they stayed low and left quickly nobody would know. "Capua Torim isn't too far from here." And it would make her happy. All Lowell ever wanted when he looked at her was for her to be happy. "We can visit and then figure out where to go." He kissed her tears away and she smiled. Deep down though he knew it was a mistake. He could have left her side in the city. If he did that then nobody had to know.

The rain poured down and fists collided in fury. The two boys tussling in the mud furiously. Yuri throttled at Flynn's throat and looked for the first time felt without any doubt hatred. "This all your fault!"

Flynn turned back and forth before finding himself on top of Yuri's small body. "My fault! How is any of this my fault?" He punched the halfer furiously. "You're the one who got us into the mess in the first place."

Yuri kicked his shin and the two flipped again. "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been stupid."

Flynn punched Yuri's gut and used this as a chance to stand up from the mud. "You're just mad that I'm right." Flynn spat a mix of saliva and blood out into the rain. "Stupid halfer." Yuri looked up at him from the mud. "I hate you! It's all your fault we're stuck out here." Flynn looked out at the surging river and hissed. "You're such a loser. No wonder your parents left you."

He smirked for second before reacquainting with the grown. "Take that back!" Flynn got up from the mud again and lunged for Yuri's waist, but the boy held strong and hit Flynn's back repeatedly in rage. Flynn fell and stayed down. "My Mom loved me! I know she did." Yuri recomposed himself. "Olive said so." Flynn panted and Yuri held out a hand that he denied. "Whether we like it or not we're stuck out here. I hate you, but if we don't get back home Miss Norien will cry." Flynn continued to glare. "I don't want that. So, let's work together."

Flynn smacked the hand away and stood up. "Fine, but I still hate you."

"Fine by me." Yuri spat staring out at their surroundings. "Any idea where we are?"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Why would I know?"

Yuri followed the river upstream through the mud. "I forgot you were an idiot."

Flynn holds himself from resuming their fight. Right now, they need to focus on getting home. Wherever that happened to be.

To grasp this moment one must look back a bit further to the event that lead to our two heroes trapped outside the barrier in freezing rain. This was a memory the two both looked back at with fondness and distaste. Both, having similar, but different reasons.

Flynn played with the children of the Lower Quarter happily. The group played with a makeshift ball stitched together with old rags. As they kicked it about they talked about things they'd heard from adults. Sven looked to Flynn and let out a toothy grin. "Do ya really have the halfer staying with ya?"

Flynn nodded. Much to his displeasure his mother still hadn't gotten rid of Yuri. "Yep."

A red-headed girl named Irene kicked the ball that was thrown her way back to the blonde. "Is he weird? He looks weird."

"Yeah." Flynn kicked it to Irene who passed it to Sven. "Yuri growls and stuff. Plus, he won't sleep on the bed."

Thomas, a boy from the orphanage nodded as he took his turn. "He's weird that way." Thomas stopped and idled through his thoughts. "But, he's not that bad."

Sven heckled and gave the ball a stern kick. "You do something to him, Flynn? We haven't seen him around."

Flynn shook his head and Thomas butted in. "I know why. He's probably hiding from Merlwe. If I were him that's what I'd do."

"Why would he do that?"

Thomas shudders. "Merlwe…" He looks around as if expecting the woman to come out and berate him. "Merlwe is mean." Slowly the other children begin whispering among themselves about some of the things that the woman did. About, certain things that nobody could talk about with adults. All listened, but because they were children didn't understand the graveness of these things. As Flynn kicked the ball he heard his mother calling for him.

Flynn came running despite his burning desire to go play. His mother stood with Yuri in tow. "Would you boys mind doing some quick shopping for me?" It wasn't a request, but Flynn asked if he could refuse all the same. His mother handed him the list along with some funds and pushed the two along. "Have fun!"

Before either child could protest the woman was gone and the two glared at each other.

"This is all your fault." Yuri pouted as they walked together begrudgingly. "I could have done it on my own."

Flynn snorted. "Can you even read?" Yuri stayed quiet and glared at the blonde viciously. So, what if he couldn't? Most the Lower Quarter didn't know how so it couldn't be that important. Flynn though took the silence as a chance to gloat. "Dad says people who read are smarter. So, that makes me better than you."

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

As one might figure this conversation went exactly where you expect it. Nowhere. The boys did grow tired of their arguing and while they were out shopping Yuri felt the back of his hair standing. Someone was watching him. He peered out the corner of his eyes at the tanned skin and disheveled hair.

Yuri might have been young, but he was already well aware that bad things could happen to kids in the Lower Quarter. He didn't know what those things were, but he knew they must be bad. He tapped Flynn's shoulder and the blonde looked with pure disdain. "What?"

Yuri made a small gesture to hint at being quiet. "I think we're being followed."

Flynn tried to look around Yuri at the individual, but Yuri stepped on his foot. "Ow! Why'd you do that?"

"Shh." Olive had told Yuri what to do at times like these. "Don't let him know we saw him. Let's just head home and tell Miss Norien." Adults could take care of someone like that.

Flynn nodded his head and the two walked uneasily from the market space towards home. "Is he still following?" Yuri glanced over and nodded. "Should we run?"

"No. Olive always says running let's 'em know they've been caught." Yuri glanced at the unsettling icy stare he could catch in the distance. "Just keep walking." Yuri looked again. The man was still following. Rain started to drip down and the boys took measures to try and protect the groceries. "Okay, now we run." They skittered along towards the safety of their home and Yuri could still see the man. He was still following now keeping speed. "Keep running." Flynn nodded and the two ran, taking a sharp turn till they were along the edge of the canal that ran through the city. They could still feel that the man's eyes and they both kept moving quickly.

"Hey, wait!" The man called and they panicked. They tried to hurry even faster, but on the wet ground, Yuri found his foot sliding and he crashed into Flynn. The blonde was terrified as the man got closer and the two scrambled to move. "I just wanna talk. No need to get hasty." They both looked at each other wearily, noting that they had accidentally ended up in a dead end. "Hey, you." The man looked to be addressing Yuri. "Ya don't have parents, right?" The man stopped when he noticed the panic in the children's eyes. "I promise, I'm not a bad guy. I just wanna have a nice chat." The silver eyes flicked over to Flynn. "Ya friend can come too if ya like."

The small child shook in terror and clutched Flynn's sleeve. "Flynn, do you know how to swim?"

The blonde gave him a puzzled look. "Sort of."

Yuri looked to the canal and smirked. "Great." Before Flynn could get any explanation, Yuri pulled them both into the canal to be swept by the current. The blonde screamed as he struggled to stay afloat in the dirty canal water. While appearing, soft and still the waters of the canal were often swift and relentless. Yuri had a decent idea on how to float and tried to help keep them both aloft while the call of the bad man faded into the distance.

The children hadn't known though the great length the water would carry them. Now, the two were somewhere on the bank of the river the canal fed into outside of Zaphias. They stopped and collapsed for a long time. They were so tired. Staying afloat had been hard, but fighting each other afterward had left them drained. They were cold too. Soaked to the bone with rain and river water.

"Maybe we should stay and wait here? My Mom will come find us." Flynn wheezed on the shore. He felt so weak.

Yuri shook his head in refusal. "We're outside the barrier. If we stay here, then monster could come." He sat up in annoyance. "We need to head up the river."

Flynn looked out and tried to see the town. "How long do you think we have to walk?"

He looked as well and shrugged. "A lot." The two grumbled in annoyance and kept onward despite their aching feet. The rain just kept on and Yuri was struggling not to shiver. "Come on, I don't wanna be lost in the dark." They pressed on and on. They got lucky and spotted a few groceries that had drifted ashore. Not much, but enough. Eventually, found an outcropping where the land had risen big enough to hide under. The two sat under in silence, staring off into the grey rain.

Yuri broke the silence with an awkward laugh. He didn't feel like laughing, but he was not going to let Flynn know he was scared. "Guess, we're pretty far."

Flynn laughed as well because he didn't want Yuri to know he was about to cry. "Yep." He looked to Yuri who was shaking from the cold. "It's still your fault."

"Stop." Yuri sighed and tried to pull himself tighter for warmth. "I don't wanna fight right now." Flynn didn't either. "Ya think they're looking for me?"

"Mom's probably looking everywhere."

Yuri pouted and rubbed his shoes into the ground. "For you." Nobody looked for Yuri. "I bet your Dad would be out looking if he was here too." Yuri laughed again. "Everyone would probably be glad if I disappeared."

Flynn leaned back as much as he could against the earth behind them. "Yuri…" he paused and it felt weird. The whole time they'd known each other they'd never called the other by name. "Why do you always… say mean stuff about yourself?"

Yuri started scribbling patterns in the mud to distract himself. "What da ya mean?"

Flynn scribbled on the other side out of boredom. "Is it 'cause that Merlwe lady is mean?" Flynn watched the boy stiffen. "Thomas says she always says bad stuff about you." The blonde swallowed his pride. "My Mom really likes you. So, I think if you didn't come home Mom would be sad."

Yuri huffed. "Whatever, stop pretending to be nice already. It makes you look dumb."

Flynn shoved Yuri out into the rain and the fighting resumed all over again. The fighting was short lived this time and the two leaned back against the wall even worse for the wear than before.

The dark-haired boy shivered and he took out one of the apples they had found. "Let's stop fighting." Flynn gave him a speculative scene. "At least, until we get home." He took a bite of the apple and handed it to Flynn.

Flynn reluctantly took the apple and bit into it. "Fine." The blonde boy handed the apple back, thoroughly grossed by Yuri's saliva. "It's really dark."

Yuri nodded and the two flinched when they heard something howling in the distance. The halfer looked out into the night and scooted closer to Flynn. "We should probably stay here." Flynn nodded in agreement as the howl repeated.

Flynn jumped and curled tight next to Yuri. "Maybe if we get real close the monsters will have trouble seeing us."

"Yeah." Despite their both mutual dislike of each other, the boys latched on tight. Fear kept them awake much of the night until exhaustion finally took them both. Flynn slept until the first rays of light shown feeling a large weight on top of him. Yuri had curled on top and his long hair had felt almost like a makeshift blanket. "Hey, wake up!" He didn't stir. Flynn shoved him. "Yuri, wake up!" The long-haired boy continued to cuddle into him and Flynn grumbled in annoyance. Flynn thrust upright knocking Yuri form his makeshift pillow.

"Five more minutes," Yuri grumbled. He was annoyed that the soft squishy thing he was sleeping on was gone but flopped on the ground all the same. Flynn continued to barrage him with demands to wake up. "Too early."

"Yuri, we have to get back home." The halfer remembered yesterday and got up and started walking off. "Where are, you going?"

He wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Bathroom." Flynn not wanting to be left behind and also needing to relieve himself ran after. After taking care of their much-needed business, the two resumed their walk onward. It didn't take long before Yuri grew bored of walking for hours straight with still no clear view of Zaphias.

"This sucks."

"Yeah."

"I'm hungry."

"Yeah."

The two hadn't much in the way of food and the chance of finding any that was sitting on the side of the road was unlikely. Yuri looked at the river and stopped. "What if we caught a fish?"

Flynn's eyes lit up. "That be good." The blonde ran to the edge of the river and stopped. "Do you know how to fish?"

Yuri shook his head. "No." He removed his shoes and crouched in the water. "But, it can't be that hard." Flynn rolled his eyes and sat on the bank. He watched to his amusement Yuri's many vain attempts to lunge for a fish all while laughing. Yuri stood up and walked over to Flynn dripping wet. "What's so funny?"

Flynn didn't try to hide his laughter and kept giggling. "You look so stupid." Yuri kicked water in his face and returned to attempting to catch a fish.

"Like you could do better." Yuri stuck out his tongue and Flynn took this as a challenge. Flynn waded into the water and made a jump for a fish, but only grabbed water. "See."

Splash!

Yuri glared at Flynn and splashed water back in his smug face. Deciding to be mature for a change Yuri went back to his fishing. He stared at the water and watched the silvery fish while Flynn continued to fumble upstream. Yuri felt gears tick into place as he reached a hand and snatched a fish. "I got one!" Flynn looked from the water and watched Yuri carry the fish to shore. The halfer looked to the fish and then to Flynn. "How do we eat it?"

Tried to think of a solution, but didn't know. Mom just made fish on the stove. Flynn didn't understand how a stove worked or the process of how things cooked. "Maybe, we just bite it?"

The fish flopped on the ground. "That sounds gross."

Flop

"Yeah, really gross."

Flop

Flynn shoved the fish towards Yuri. "You caught it. You eat it!"

Flop

Yuri looked at the fish and grimaced. "I bet you're hungrier than me. You have it." Yuri pushed the fish toward Flynn.

Flop

Flynn rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not that hungry! You can have it."

Flop

Yuri growled. "Eat the fish!"

Flop. Flop.

The boy picked up the fish cringing from the slimy texture and the wriggling feel in his hands. "Ew." He bit at the scales and immediately dropped the fish and ran to the stream to wash his tongue. "Ew. Ew. Ew!"

Flop.

"Oh, come on." Yuri picked up the fish. "It can't be that bad." Yuri bit at the fish breaking the scales and taking a chunk of flesh. Yuri kept it in his mouth for no more than ten seconds before he was joining Flynn at the stream. "Uck! I'm never eating fish again."

"Me neither." And, it is because of this moment Flynn developed a hatred of seafood. "Next time, let's just look for berries or something."

"Agreed."

The two decided wasting their time on finding fish was pointless and chose instead to press onward towards home. It was still a long way off, but they now could see Zaphias in the distance. They'd be home in no time. The distance was still far and the boys walked till they found some trees to rest under for night. Yuri had run up to Flynn proudly holding a rabbit he caught. "We could try and eat this?"

Flynn looked at the rabbit and felt green. "No thanks. I think I'll just eat the berries."

Yuri looked at the rabbit and agreed setting the poor animal down. "I didn't want to eat it either." Flynn ate a handful of wild berries he found growing on a bush before spitting them out. "What's wrong?"

"Sour." Flynn squeaked. Yuri let curiosity get to him a took a bite, spitting out as well. He needed to stop eating random things.

They stared at the stars from underneath their tree. The glow of the barrier could be seen even from where they sat. The beautiful lights shined and Yuri looked in both in a mix of wonder and boredom. Stars were cool, but at the same time ordinary.

"Dad says, the stars have names and stories." Flynn pointing to the stars and naming some. Yuri was sure that he was making up most of what he said. But, he listened earnestly. The stories were cool. "That one's the giant monster that lives across the world."

"What's the monster look like?"

Flynn scrunched his face and tried to remember the details. "I think he said it looks like a giant wolf, but bigger."

"Did he ever fight it?"

Flynn shook his head. "No. He says the monster stays hidden and stuff."

"I bet it's really dangerous."

"Yep."

They stayed silent till Flynn spoke again. "Why do you hate me?"

Yuri curled on his side away from him. "Why does it matter?"

Flynn pulled at the grass. "I just wanna know."

"You wouldn't get it," Yuri muttered under his breath. He didn't like to talk about it, but he figured it must be one of those 'halfer defects'.

The blonde leaned over till his face was hovering over him. "You sure?"

He swatted him away and pouted. "Yes!"

"Tell me."

Yuri ignored him. Flynn shook his shoulders and repeatedly said: "Tell me!"

"Alright, shut up!" Yuri looked at the ground and muttered under his breath.

"What ya say?"

"You smell funny!" Yuri shouted. "You smell like cake and stuff and it's really weird!"

Flynn paused unable to grasp that this entire time Yuri was bothered by the fact that he apparently smelled like cake. "You hate me 'cause I smell funny?"

"I get it. I'm weird," Yuri huffed.

"But, cake smells nice," Flynn said as he smelled his armpit. As far as he was concerned Flynn smelled mud and river water. "Do you hate cake?"

Yuri rolled his eyes. "No. Why would I hate cake?"

"Because you hate me."

"I hate you cause you're weird."

Flynn pondered the logic and came to an answer. "So, because I smell like cake even though I shouldn't smell like cake… which is weird… so you hate me." Flynn digested the sentence and looked over at him perplexed. "That's a really stupid reason."

Yuri grumbled under his breath. Well, Flynn was a stupid person! "Well, why do you hate me?"

Flynn just stared at him as if to say 'I can't believe you felt the need to ask that'. "You bit me eight different times."

"Well, you called me a girl." Yuri huffed still bitter over that subject.

"And, I'm the stupid one here?" Flynn muttered with drenching sass. "I'm gonna sleep."

"I knew you'd think it was dumb." Yuri sighed and tried to get comfortable on the ground.

Flynn laughed. "It's not that stupid. You're just weird."

Yuri grasped at the grass bitterly. "I get it. I'm a freak."

He stiffened when he felt Flynn's hand on his side. "When you caught that fish today it was pretty cool." Yuri looked up at that beaming face. "And, you're good at chores." Flynn twiddled his thumbs in embarrassment. "Plus, you fight really well. Almost better than me."

Yuri held back a retaliation that he did fight better than Flynn. "So what?"

"So… you're weird, but you're also really cool, Yuri."

Yuri laughed from the ground. "Of course, I am! I'm awesome!" He felt his cheeks go a little red and curled to hide his embarrassment. "You can be cool too, Flynn." Yuri swallowed again. "Thanks."

The two didn't have to walk far in the morning. Now that it was morning the two could see they were only ten miles out from the city. They ran once they were in the home stretch and a traveling caravan saw the two boys and welcomed them on for the last leg of the journey.

"Ya kids got lost outside for two days?" the man driving the carriage said in surprise.

"Yep. We followed the river back home." Flynn said as he sat on one of the wooden benches inside.

The burly man smiled. "Good thing we found you."

The woman with her hair wrapped in a headscarf handed them a loaf of bread. "You boys must be hungry." They nodded eagerly and Flynn grabbed the loaf to split it two. Yuri looked at the woman whose green eyes made him feel uneasy. The couple asked questions about them. Nothing big, just little questions.

The woman smiled at Yuri. "Can you hear me?" He looked for the voice, but he couldn't tell where it came from. What was that? "So, you can." Yuri narrowed his eyes at her. "I promise not to tell." What was there to tell?

The carriage came to a halt at the gate as the knights inspected the cart. Once through the couple looked to the small children. "Do you need us to take you home?" The man asked.

"We can make it," Flynn said as the two disembarked. Yes, they'd go to Flynn's home. "Thanks for everything."

"Happy to help."

"Yeah, thanks," Yuri muttered and looked at the woman again.

"If you have no home, you could come with us." Yuri shook his head "We'll be here for a few weeks if you change your mind."

Flynn ran home with glee and relief through the late-midday sun. He flew through the long streets and across the way till he saw the tired form of Norien. The woman looked exhausted and tired as she asked a neighbor if they had seen her children. She felt like crying in her distress as walked down the street.

Norien felt herself pushed back as a sudden weight hugged her. "Mom!"

She looked down to see her children standing in the street. Disheveled and alive. Her face twisted in frustration and Yuri stood between them. He knew this was coming. Yuri had messed up and gotten them in this mess. When he messed up he knew what to expect. "I'm sorry!" he shouted and balled his hands at his side. "It's all my fault. So, please don't be mad at Flynn." Yuri felt his vision blur and wiped at tears that had started to form. He blubbered out broken apologies and waited for that hand to extend.

Norien pulled the two children into a tight hug and tears of relief spilled down. "I'm so happy you're both okay." Yuri stiffened and wondered why he hadn't been hit yet. Norien held them tighter and smiled. "Thank the goddess you're both alright." Through his tears, Yuri asked why she wasn't mad. "I am mad, but I'm so happy to see you." She let them go and smiled. "Let's go home."

Felinis: I hope that chapter was good. I loved writing bonding moments, but I'm worried that some of it came off as a little forced. The fish scene might be my favorite thing, because I can almost see this happening with as adults. Also on my profile there are links to my youtube channel where I covered the opening of tales of zestiria the x and a site where I sell anime themed t-shirts. If you want some go check it out.

P.S.- Reviews make me happy.