Felinis: hehe... sleep is for the weak
Yuri crashes in pain looking up at the monster staring down at him.
You… You aren't Lowell!
Yuri grips his sword and stands at the ready. "No, I'm not." Then creature seems to judge before letting out a furious roar.
You're his son! The abomination. You... You should never have been born!
Its neck lunges for Yuri and he moves out of the way holding his sword as he lets out an Azure Edge. Never been born, huh? Didn't need to tell him twice on that.
Where is he? Where is the traitor?
Yuri backflips over the neck and winces as is blade idly skids on the scales. Shit! "Look, I don't know anything!" The tail trips him up and Yuri rolls past an oncoming arm and turns himself back up. "I never even met the guy!"
And yet, you're the spitting image!
Yuri feels Repede as he watches Repede jump from the rubble and land on the beast's back slashing his sword back and forth. He hears Estelle calls for him followed by Rita as they both run in. Rita launches fireballs while Estelle casts forth a photon and the monster steps back.
The monster!
Yuri stands still in shock. This thing is calling Estelle a monster? Estelle a girl so pure she'd make the snow feel ashamed is a monster? The thing back up and seems to actively run from her spells. The monster stop fighting and stands still gazing down at Yuri and Estelle.
If you know what is good for you kill that girl. Or do you intend to follow the same foolishness of your father?
Huh? The monster turns and leaves and above the firing from the dragon has ceased. It fly's through the air breaking the lake and everyone looks with horror as the water above them starts falling down in chunks. He hears calls from the hunting bales to pull out and Yuri is searching the rubble for Karol. Where is he? Where? There's not time though and they run out for the sake of themselves. As they're making their way up the stairway Estelle stops and places a hand on the railing.
"What is it?"
She her eyes narrow as she looks upward. "I've been thinking… Karol said this town was destroyed ten years ago… And these buildings are from the late Ellicasm civilization meaning this must be an old town."
"Yeah, so?" Rita huffs with feigned disinterest.
"So… Karol said the town was destroyed ten years ago, yet most of the building are intact and very old. A town this old would normally have at least something written about it, but I've never heard of it before. Not once!... Most of all if the town was abandoned years ago why were so many books and papers left behind. We haven't seen any sign that in the past twenty let alone ten that this town was any form of a residence. Then there's the monster that should be dead if this town was truly abandoned. Something is wrong here!"
Yuri nods. "There's no doubt about that. I want look around, but we need to find Karol."
Once out of the building they hear Nan talking in the distance. "Something comes up, and it's just poof, you're gone! Always, always running away by yourself!"
"It-It's not like that!" Karol shouts.
"Not like what?" She spits and they see the two talking.
Karol looks down at the ground and rubs his foot. "Like I said, back in Halure..."
"I'm not talking about Halure!" Nan shouts. "If you're not ashamed of anything, then shouldn't you hurry back to your friends?"
"It's just that..." Karol tries but she brushes him off with the cold shoulder.
"No need to explain to me. I think you've got other people who'll listen to you." Nan gestures her head towards them and Karol looks ashamed.
"Karol, I'm so glad you're safe." Estelle says pulling him into a hug.
"Where the hell did you go? We were really in a jam back there." Rita lectures, but there's genuine worried laced in her tone.
"I'm... I'm sorry..." Karol mutters clenching his fists as Estelle lets him go.
Yuri rubs his head with a smile. "Hey, at least you made it out in one piece."
Nan tsks and turns away. "I'm leaving."
"Wait!" Karol says lunging for her hand and she just looks down at him with shame.
She pulls her hand away. "You think long and hard about what you've done. That's all I have to say to you." With those words Nan runs off.
Karol pushes Yuri's hand from his and stands stall. "Hey, cut it out!"
Yeah, might have been a bit too much coddling. Boy's at his age were weird. "Let's get going, Karol. We're all tired."
Rita sighs. "Man, we were way off. The Blood Alliance was nowhere to be seen."
Yuri grits his teeth. "No kidding. We'll have to take any information that guy gives us with a grain of salt." But, he as answers… Yuri knows that Raven has to know something about who and what he is... Yuri's almost tempted to consider that this was some form of information being given, but it's too far a stretch.
"Guy...? You don't mean...?" He nods and Rita is furious. "Ooh! I am gonna roast that deadbeat the moment I see him."
Estelle laughs and places her hands on Rita's shoulders. "Let's...let's take it easy on the way back." Everyone heads off as Yuri sees Karol crouched miserably in the rain.
"...It's not like I..." Yuri pulls him up with a smile.
"Hey! You're gonna get left behind!" Yuri says and Karol follows with quick step.
As they head out, Karol turns to Rita. "So aer is more than just a handy substance for making blastia work, huh?"
Rita scoffs. "The questions amateurs ask, I swear… Aer affects everything in the world. That's why it's impossible to be allergic to it. It even affects the weather. That's why Yuri's supposed condition is so outlandish. To be allergic to aer is basically to be allergic to life. Sure young runts like yourself have a sensitivity, but it hardly warrants what the claims."
"I just knew it was everywhere and powered blastia. I didn't think it was so important."
Rita closes her eyes and creases her brow. "Idiot. Aer is everything."
Just as they're at the edge Repede growls. "There are people and the exit."
"We should turn around." He suggests and when everyone asks why he struggles for a good answer. "I just think we should camp there. Maybe we could find something to clue us in."
Rita just walks on. "No way I'm staying. I've had enough of this rain." She stops as she sees knights pointing spears and swords at them. Out walks a man that Yuri hates with every bone in his body.
"Ah, the common rabble. So I've finally found you. That's far enough." Cumore sneers holding his sword out to Yuri's face. "And look here! Looks like Yuri Lowell finally stopped walking around in that fake human skin. Or have your sins finally bled out."
"You lackeys must have had a lot of time on your hands if you crossed the ocean just to see us." Yuri spit at the knight.
"Humph... You're in no position to talk down to the likes of me." Cumore holds a hand to Estelle who steps back. "Now, Princess, right this way."
Karol stares dumbfounded and Yuri is impressed by how dense he is. "Huh? What does he mean, 'princess'?"
"The princess standing right here in front of us." Yuri says as Estelle bashfully turns to them.
"Y-Yuri... But how did you...?" Oh, come on! It's not that hard to guess given everything. Girl trapped in a castle whom Flynn seems extremely concerned for the safety for… the weird thing going on with both her and Ioder… Yeah, totally a princess.
"What? ...Estelle's a princess?" Karol's shock is now turning amusing.
"I suspected as much myself."
Estelle is also surprised and Yuri is wondering just how she thought she was hiding her heritage. "Rita...You, too?" Karol is still in shock as Estelle walks up to Cumore proudly. "...And what will happen to my friends?"
Cumore smiles a grin as sick as the one on Ragou's face. "Why, they'll be drawn and quartered for abducting a member of the royal family, of course. The Krytian executed for corrupting your mind with his foul ways.
"Please wait. I wasn't abduc-"
Cumore Yanks her and places a hand over Estelle's mouth and Yuri gets ready to attack. "Ah, what a mouthy young lady you are. This way, please!" His sword is pointed at them as he grips Estelle close to his body. Yuri growls and thinks of punching the man's smug pretty boy face. "Now die like the flies you are!"
The troops are ready to march on them when a call comes from the distance and all eyes turn to the call. "Arrest the culprit Yuri Lowell and his accomplices."
Running from behind are the three buffoons that Yuri never in his life thought he'd be happy to see. "Gah...you. The Schwann Brigade...! Just a minute! This prize catch is mine! I won't let you take him from me that easily!" Cumore has released Estelle and is pointing his blade at captain Leblanc.
"Catch? Our duties are not to be carried out in the fashion of a hunt." The man says furiously as Cumore just pouts bitterly. "Did I not also hear someone mention 'dying' earlier...?"
"You did. What is wrong with condemning criminals to their deaths?" Cumore says with all the innocence of a hungry wolf.
"Should not criminals be captured and judged in accordance with the laws?"
Cumore puts away his sword. "...Humph... I suppose I can let you have these little worms." He walks away looking at the brigade in utter contempt. "If it isn't Schwann, it's Flynn. These upstart commoners are so full of themselves...Even that Commandant."
Leblanc smiles bowing with a wink. "This way please, Your Highness. Do watch your step." The tweedles happily escort her forward as she looks back at them worriedly. "Arrest them in the name of Captain Schwann!"
They move from her to him everyone grabbed and Rita yells punching one of the tweedles. "What do you mean 'gang'! Hey, get your hands off me! Do you know who I am?" As they pull her along and Karol cries.
"B-but I haven't done anything!"
Estelle pleading looks at Leblanc as the man places a hand on Yuri. "Don't hurt them! I beg you!"
He's pushed, but it's not violent and doesn't even have much force. Yeah, these guys never change. "Estelle, don't worry." A yank comes from his antenna and he yelps. "Ow! Hey, watch it with the pulling!"
Leblanc looks up giving a salute and Yuri's eyes trail to a somber looking man with shaggy brown hair and tanned skin. "Sir Schwann, we shall take these undesirables to Heliord."
The man silently waves him and they're pushed into a carriage. Yuri finds himself moved alone from the others and stuffed in trunk and drugged for a reason he's not quite sure of. He knows Leblanc apologizes and claims it's just protocol, but the whole thing seems unnecessary. Yuri's pulled out from time to time and to eat and piss, but he feels more needles then just the sedatives prodding him… It's just how the empire does things… He needs get used to it since he's a Krytian… But, it doesn't seem right.