Felinis: I finally got to beat tales of Xillia for myself Friday! I have still yet to figure out how to do a snap pivot or mystic arte... I never figured out fatal strikes or mystic artes in Vesperia either

The Krytian woman descended from the window into the room staring at the young man growling at her in shock. Truly, she had not expected this to be the reason Yuri Lowell had never shown up to her meeting. "Hello, Yuri."

His face is scrunched into a snarl that slowly relaxes once he sees her. "Do you recognize me?" Yuri doesn't answer instead lurking towards the Krytian with curiosity. "You really don't." She kneels in front of him and holds out a gentle hand. "Come little brother, there Is no need to fear." He seems to perk at the words. "Yes, come and let look at you."

Yuri sits om front of her examining her features and scent. It comes out garbled and she almost doesn't recognize the word. "Sister." Blood calls to blood even in half-breeds as the man has immediately pushed his face in front of hers. "Sister!"

She shushes him and looks over his face… He does look human enough and much like his father, but more feral. At a glance, you'd assume he was a common Krytian, but if Alexei was to be believed these additions were recent and that worried her. If his body was going to change it should be whole and at once not slow like these horns suggested. Red, just like Lowell… "Where is your mind little brother?"

Yuri merely tilts his head in confusion at the words. He looks to the door and stares mournfully at it. "Out."

Yuri, where is your mind?

He winces backing away from her.

Where are your thoughts?

He hisses at her bearing his teeth. The Krytian woman is old enough to recognize what this state of mind is and takes the base of his antennas and pulls at them. He cries and she growls back. "Respect your elders." Yuri nods ducking his head low as she ponders why or how this has happened. He might as well be in a waking dream the way his mind is. "That girl…" She notes his claws and starts to think… "Oh, you poor dear."

Yuri just stares at the door whining. "Out." She hugs him dearly and pet his hair.

"Not now." She ponders what to do for him. A solution or a method for helping him must be out here somewhere. This changes things… Staying here is no longer an option and she must leave at once.

Yuri wakes up to the usual routine of horns and frustration. It's still raining as he heads to meet with everyone. Estelle had said she'd be setting out early so they all figured it be best to see her off. Estelle is the only one there when he arrives and he stands next to her awkwardly. Last night her secret was revealed despite them knowing and he know Estelle is in on his.

"Hey, how much do you know?"

She fiddles her hands together. "Not anything really. I have some guesses, but neither you nor Flynn would tell me. What do you know about me besides… that?"

"I just know the aer around you is always red… and that you have an odd scent."

She looks at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Just that." Yuri shrugs as Estelle looks him over. "What is it?"

"Did you leave last night because of those?" Her hand brushes over the stubs as he jerks backwards. "Oh, don't worry! You can't see them… I found them when you were sick…"

Yuri isn't sure if he's mad or not, but it certainly puts a damper on things. Yuri can't have the whole world knowing he's a bigger freak than they already think. "You promise not to tell?"

"I won't! I swear on my life your secret is safe with me!" She says giving a knight's salute. "I may not look it, but I'm very good with secrets."

He chuckles. "No. I believe you." Karol and Repede come running to greet them and sometime later Rita joins. She's there's a stiffness in her walk and Yuri wouldn't be surprised if there was a little pain leftover from yesterday despite Estelle's constant healing. After a quick breakfast Estelle stands bitterly in front of the knight headquarters. "Well, take care on the way back to the capital." She nods morosely. "Do you have everything? Wouldn't want to have to come back later."

"If I forget anything, you'll bring it to me, won't you, Yuri?" She smiles.

"Hah, yeah right. Okay, let's go find Flynn. I'll take you that far.

"U-um, what are you all going to do after this?"

Yuri clutches his chin. "Hmm. Well we did lose track of the Blood Alliance...'

Karol puffs out his chest grinning. "That's easy, we can just go to Dahn...grest. Or not." His posture falters. "Man, if I go back there now, they'll all just laugh at me..."

"Dahngrest? That's the guild city, right?"

Karol nods. "Y-yeah. I thought we could find out about the Blood Alliance there..."

"What direction is it from here?"

He pulls out the map and thinks. "Well, it's to the west I guess, but..."

Yuri smiles. That's two birds with one stone. "Let's check it out, then. Might be helpful for anybody thinking of starting a guild, too."

"Huh? For starting a guild? Well let's go, then!" Karol cheers as they head inside the headquarters. Yuri smells about as they enter, but there's no trace of Flynn. They go about looking for him in the city, but it seems that he's not here.

"It doesn't seem like that Flynn character is around here." Rita notes.

Karol looks at Estelle hopefully. "Does that mean you're staying with us for now?"

"Well, I... Would that be all right?" Estelle pleads, but Yuri shakes his head.

"Karol, don't fill the princess's head with ideas."

"You cannot simply do as you wish. Your Highness must return to the capital." A voice calls from behind as the commandant and the Krytian woman approach. "Flynn has already set out to tend to other business." He claps his hand. "Now then. Rita Mordio, we would like you to investigate yesterday's blastia malfunction."

Rita rolls her eyes. "That's pointless. 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."

Karol thinks a moment and his eyes widen. "...Keiv Moc, huh? Oh yeah, the plants affected by the disaster here look just like the ones in that forest."

"We have reports of tree mutations and of monsters increasing in both number and aggressiveness. Messengers have gone to the capital, but much time will be wasted finding a gifted mage."

"I specialize in blastia. Plants are out of my league." Rita says crossing her arms.

"Consider their connection to the aer. I imagine that is within your league." Alexei says sternly.

Rita's face turns red as she struggles to say. "Besides...I... If Estelle is going back to the capital, I want to go with her."

"You are a researcher in an imperial blastia laboratory. You must undertake the tasks assigned to you." Rita huffs at his words.

"Um... Then there should be no problem if I accompany her to the forest, right?" Estelle blurts meekly.

Alexei narrows his eyes. "Princess, please, do not make suggestions that are simply out of the question."

"If this does have something to do with aer, then my healing artes would prove useful." Estelle reasons.

Yuri watches a glint form in Alexei's eye. "Yes, they would..."

"Please, Alexei! Let me do my part to help."

"Your Highness, I simply cannot allow you to go to such a dangerous forest."

Estelle goes quiet trying to think of a way to convince the commandant. "Well, what if..." Her eyes drift to Yuri's. "Yuri, would you come with us?"

"Me?" He blurts.

She nods and turns to Alexei. "If Yuri were to come you wouldn't be worried right?"

A grin spreads over his face and he dips his head. "Young man, please escort the Princess. I ask this of you only because you once sought to join the Imperial Knights."

It's forged and cruel. If he says no he'll let Estelle down, yes means he's playing somehow into Alexei's hand. "...Of all the underhanded... I didn't ask anybody to count on me. You're pushing me into this."

"It seems I can take that reply as indication of your agreement."

"But there's something I have to do as well. We go to the forest after Dahngrest."

Alexei nods. "Very well. It seems Flynn foresaw this outcome." Yuri's eyes widen. "He left this message for you: Take care of Her Highness."

The Krytian woman coughs. "Your excellency…"

"Hmm, that time already. If you'll excuse me." The woman is nervous as they walk away.

Find a Krytian in Dahngrest. They should be able to help you.

"I'm glad that Commandant Alexei turned out to be so reasonable." Karol chirps.

Rita nods as well. "Yeah, I thought he'd be more of a stubborn jerk myself."

"Had you met him before, Yuri?"

Yuri nods. "Yeah, I knew him… He stood up for me when I was recruiting and they wanted to toss me out for being a halfer."

Karol's eyes light up. "He sounds cool!" More like a creep.

"He can be very formal at times. But in a way, he's something of a symbol for the Knights. Many who are in the Knights now were inspired to join by Alexei's example." Estelle recites and Karol seems thoroughly impressed. It still didn't change the fact that the man seemed to only let him in because whoever his father was. Yuri wouldn't be surprised to learn about more dark motives and agendas. As they were at the edge of town Estelle's eyes light up and she runs to hug the back of an elderly knight. "Master!"

"Princess… what are you doing in a place like this?"

Estelle let's go and laugh's awkwardly. "…There's something I have to talk to Flynn about, so…"

The man crosses his arms sternly though still amused. "I heard about you slipping out of the castle."

Estelle stutters for an answer, but is interrupted as Karol raises a hand. "Who's this guy?"

"I apologize for not having introduced myself sooner. My name is Drake Dropwart." He's a refined man and someone who calls for respect.

"He was the previous emperor's swordmaster, and is also my teacher." She smiles eagerly.

Yuri's mind drifts to Finnath's old stories and a flash of recognition hits. "Ah… the knightly patriot, Drake."

Karol tilts his head in confusion and Yuri doesn't blame him. It's not something a guild boy would actively know about. "Master Drake has served the empire with his sweat and tears for decades."

"In the Imperial Knights, Drake Dropwart is thought of as a model for all knights to follow." Flynn used to ask for stories about Drake all the time. It was something they loved to hear from Norien and Finnath before bed.

Estelle nods proudly. "He's now an advisor to the Imperial Knights, you know."

"Wow! Really?" Karol says looking at the man with newfound respect.

Drake chuckles with some embarrassment. "I'm really an advisor in name only. These days I'm pretty much retired. My only real duty of late is teaching the Princess swordsmanship."

"But didn't you come here with the Commandant as an advisor?" Estelle asks.

"Yes… I've heard everything that's happened so far." Estelle looks nervous like she might get scolded by Drake, but he only asks. "How was it, setting into the outside world for the first time?"

Estelle seems surprised by his question, but recomposes herself in an instant. "Well, we've had a lot of bad things happen to us, but all of it's been a fantastic experience."

He strokes his beard. "A fantastic experience… I see."

Estelle twiddles her thumbs nervously. "Is something wrong?" Before Drake can answer Leblanc comes running telling him that his presence is demanded. He leaves telling Estelle to stay out of trouble that Estelle eagerly agrees to. Yuri recognizes that eagerness and wonders just what Drake is to her.

"You must really respect your teacher." Yuri smiles and Estelle blushes. "Were you worried about him being mad?"

"Well… I… I really don't like disappointing him." Yuri understands, because he was the same way with Norien. "Yuri, I want to go back to Caer Bocram and look for clues."

"So do I." He looks to the others knowing that it's a detour. "What about you guys?"

Rita shrugs. "I'm not against it. From the looks of it that was a research lab anyway so we might find something." It is a far out of the way detour made shorter by hitching a ride on the back of a wagon. They look around at the books and papers that Rita is disappointed by. "These are rudimentary blastia formulas and theories. Absolutely nothing noteworthy…"

"But, then why did it look like they were working on something with that monster?" Karol says leafing over the words. "Maybe they were just developing new combat artes?"

Estelle tosses a book aside in frustration. "Locking up a monster that powerful just for some spells seems a bit much. There has to be another reason."

Yuri looks at a paper and how random tangents seem to appear in the margins. "Maybe it's coded?"

"If that's the case we're never going to get anywhere with this." Rita yells tossing the book near Repede who looks over it carefully. "Ugh! This pointless!"

Yuri sighs. "Then, we should move on. There's no point sticking around." As they leave they hear someone outside and they freeze. Yuri peeks over and seeks the bone white hair and red clothes. "Hey, Estelle isn't that the weird guy from Deidon Hold?"

"I think it is."

They walk over slowly and here him mutter the ends of a sentence. "Traces left behind by the flow of aer…" He looks at the plants at the edge of the lake twisted larger by aer density. "But, where is it flowing…?"

"That monster here might have something to do with it." Yuri says and the man turns to look at him. His eyes are blood red and his skin is pale.

He seems surprised to see Yuri and then notes his words. "Monster?"

"Yeah, that big, rough, spiky, huuuuuuuge monster." Karol gestures the large size of the creature.

"So… He was here after all…" His eyes burn at Yuri's skin. "And now you're here…"

Estelle tilts her head. "He? You mean the monster?"

He scoffs. "Monster…" He walks forward bitterly. "It matters not what humans call them, but… Such a name does them disservice. You should know that." Yuri walks after him quickly, but the man has disappeared and Yuri is more than confused. Was the man looking at him, because he knew Yuri or because he was a Krytian? There's no way to know and that's what's frustrating!