Felinis: Oh boy! I've been waiting to write this chapter as much as you've been hoping to read it! Now for angst ending in humor...
Yuri snaps awake from his quick doze and wipes the sleep away. He's refrained from rest the past three days as much as he can. Nightmares lurk in the corners of his dreams when he shuts his eyes. It's better to ignore it and focus his mind elsewhere, but he can't. The full dinner tray is sitting there on the table mocking him as bile starts to rise. Yuri can't eat. He's beyond ravenous but any food he takes in leaves him vomiting revulsion.
That chest is still talking about Yormgen. Still singing in his head! "Shut up!" He yells throwing it to the ground in rage. There's a loud murmur from his bodhi blastia and he tosses it away too. "Shut up! Shut up!" A soft knock comes on the door and Yuri rolls on his side on the bed. "What is it?"
Karol sheepishly opens the door with a smile. "We're about to make port. You should come up and see there are fireworks and everything! Please…?"
"…Fine." Yuri sighs grabbing his bodhi blastia from the floor. They can see the coliseum and fireworks from where they are on deck. It's a beautiful night as the Fierta rocks upon the ocean waves into port. Please let something go right with Belius! If there really is a goddess watching over him then for once make things go easy.
There are so many Krytians milling around the city when they dock. Yuri finds their eyes bearing in as a Krytian man whispers in his ear. "Lady Belius is waiting for you in her chambers in the coliseum." Yuri nods as they make their way to the coliseum. Out front is an old statue of a demi-goddess that's head is missing. The man at the door tells them they can't enter until the new moon and the group leaves in frustration.
Not you. Wait here and you'll be let in shortly.
Yuri lingers and double back over where the gruff man looks harshly at him. "Lowell? Yuri Lowell?" Yuri nods. "You don't look special to me, but the Duce wants to see you for some reason. Count yourself lucky, the Duce is not known for making exceptions." He's almost afraid to walk up the steps as his padded feet fall down. Will she try to kill him? With his luck that seems like the path things will take.
He stands nervously at the door debating what to do when a woman's voice interrupts him. "Come in." The door thrusts open and Yuri brings himself inside. Calmly sitting in the center of a giant room is a monster far different from Ba'ul or Phaeroh. She's more like a beast than anything with a face like a fox with human like arms and four navy pawed legs. Her fur is a beautiful gold with greens and reds flecked in. Belius is beautiful and he bows his head respectively refusing to look up. "Rise, Yuri Lowell." He stands still keeping his distance. "Come closer." her finger beckons. "I wish to get a better looks at you." Yuri stands below her giant body looking up at her dark eyes. "You're face… It's so much like his."
"I'm curious what you think of my old man. Do you hate him or-" He's not able to finish as Belius grabs him with her giant hands. Yuri starts to struggle when he realizes that he's been pulled into a tight hug. "Huh?" Her soft hands cup his face and as she looks him over.
"It's good to finally meet you."
Yuri breaks away and steps back. "Wait… you aren't mad at my old man?"
There's a chuckle from her throat. "Lowell was a fool, but I could never hold a grudge."
"Who was my dad to you?"
She thinks a moment her large ears flicking. "Entelexeia are solitary creatures by nature, but he was one I would call family. I helped to raise Lowell till he started to live in the mountains of Temza so in a way he was my son."
"Should I call you granny then?" Yuri jests and Belius flicks his antennas. Ow!
"I am Belius and you will remember my name thusly." She stands to go to another large looming door. "Hurry along, we have much to discuss and I'm certain you'd prefer to do so in comfort." She opens to reveal a corridor with a large stain glass window portraying the goddess and a giant mat covered in ornate cushions. "Sit." Yuri hesitantly takes a seat and forces himself not to feel comfortable so he can keep awake. "I was surprised when I received word you were coming. I thought you must have died in birth so I never expected to meet you."
Yuri's not sure where to start as he tries to sort through all his questions. He pulls off his glove and shows her his left hand. "Can you fix this? It just keeps getting worse…." Yuri hadn't even had an episode, but fur was starting to coat his hand. Yuri starts to tell her but Belius raises a hand.
"No. This is irreversible."
"What do you mean?! Everyone kept saying you could help me with this!" Yuri screams and holds out his other hand that's completely covered his fingers stubbier than before. "Look at this! Three days… Three fucking days! I can't eat even though I'm hungry… I have blackouts- I-I- just- Please help me!"
"There's nothing that can be done." Please… "Half-breeds have never lived more than a few decades lose themselves."
Yuri feels his heart drop like a stone. "Lose themselves…?"
"Entelexeia and human blood rarely mixes well. If the child even survives infancy the two will either cancel out leaving the child deformed and frail till they die or one will try to destroy the other. Usually the Entelexeia half will consume the other destroying the mind in the process. Or you could have been born feral and mindless. It's rare but there are cases where the child is healthy, but I've only heard of that in passing fairy tales."
"I'm going to die?"
Belius shakes her head. "No. You will not die, instead your brain will lose higher cognitive thought and you'll be for all extensive purposes a monster." Yuri keeps shaking from exhaustion, fear, and every negative emotion in the book. "I'm sorry, Yuri Lowell. Nothing can help you."
"Why did he let me be born?" Yuri whispers without thought. "He must have known that I…"
"By that point it was too late." Belius sighs. "Lowell never wanted you to suffer, but he also wanted you to live." Yuri looks at his hands growling. If this was how his life was going to be then he'd rather he'd never been born. His nightmare was coming true after all this time…
"How long would you say I have?" Yuri croaks.
"A year at most given the stage you're in. The fact you've exposed yourself to the Child of the Full Moon has sped the process up immensely." Yuri doesn't even bother asking because there's only one person she could mean. There's no anger in him towards Estelle. Yuri knows that she was unaware of everything and only had good intentions in her heart. But, still… a year? Belius pulls him close to her furry body stroking his head in a comforting manner. "If I could I would help. Lowell ran from the war because he wanted you to have a good life. He wanted you to be happy. I will not say what he did was right or wrong. He abandoned much of his kind in a time of crisis for his own selfish needs so many resent him, but I know he was good at heart." Yuri feels nothing but blistering anger towards his father. That man let his mother die and made sure Yuri would have a cursed life. Belius's four tails rap around him and her face nuzzles his as she croons in a soothing fashion. Yuri nuzzles back and to his disgust gives into the want to whine like a beast. It's disgusting, but his body does it on his own. Yuri is exhausted and his head is hurting- Please don't! He feels his thoughts cloud over as his eyes start to water.
He wakes up groggy, alone on the pillows. Yuri is slow to look at himself. The fur has climbed up his arms almost consuming them except for a few spots. He groans in pain as he sits upright stretching his legs. At some point his boots must have fallen off because he can see similar phenomena with his feet. A pile of clothes sits beside him that he looks through, a black long-sleeved coat and a scarlet cowl the same color of his horns. Yuri tosses aside his vest and slips them on. It looks like it covers everything up and it's no uncomfortable. How long before Yuri can't hide what's happening? Flynn is going to pissed when he sees Yuri. He'll probably be even more upset than he is… Yuri knows he should find Belius because there's still more he needs to ask, but he's too mad for that. Yuri doesn't need any more bad news.
Yuri walks out into the coliseum halls keeping to the shadows bitterly. He doesn't want to go back so he avoids heading near where he catches Estelle's scent. Yuri tries to get breakfast, but he gags and tosses it aside in frustration. He needs to eat soon, but he can't.
"Get out of here! I don't want Aifread's granddaughter in my shop!" Yuri turns to see a man pushing Patty to the ground. The people walking by whisper as they look down at Patty who brushes herself off calmly.
"You okay?" Yuri asks walking over to lend her a hand. "What was all of that about?"
Patty just smiles casually. "Oh, I'm Aifread's granddaughter, probably. It makes folks a little uneasy."
Yuri nods. "Yeah, I get that. My dad was apparently a scoundrel."
"Then all the more reason for us to get married."
"Maybe when you're older." Yuri chuckles rolling his eyes.
Her eyes linger over him curiously. "It's not my place to say, but you really should eat something."
"I can't."
Patty holds out a lemon candy. "Here." Hesitantly, he places it in his mouth and tries not to grimace. Yuri has always loved sweet things but he can barely find this palatable. The candy barely has any taste other than ash with a twinge of sweetness and the texture going down his throat is awful. Yuri forces it down and tries not to vomit it up, but he can't. "Are you okay?"
He wipes the corner of his mouth in shame. "I told you, I can't eat. Everything just makes me want to vomit."
Patty hums. "Well that can't be good. A strapping man like yourself should be well nourished." She knocks on his chest with a grin. "You're too pretty just waste away."
"Thanks. So, what'll you do now? More treasure hunting?"
"Yes. The quest continues on and so we must tragically part for now." She says as she starts to walk away but stops to leer at him. "Unless, you'd like to join me?"
"Sorry, but no thanks. I have to deal with things." Patty shrugs and winks as she walks away. Yuri decides to make his way back and ignores everyone fussing him. It's the standard concern and Yuri just doesn't care much till they bring up a conspiracy from the knights to overthrow the coliseum. Some uppity knight has been fighting in the coliseum in an attempt to overthrow Belius and everyone is discussing who should fight in the ring. He doesn't volunteer to fight; no Yuri demands it. He needs to take his rage on something. He isn't thinking as he fights in the ring as the rounds go by. It's only when the announcer calls for the champion he actually looks at his opponent.
"It's the heartthrob with the steely gaze! Flynn Scifo!"
Flynn's eyes go wide. "...Yuri? What are you doing here...?!"
"Huh, so you're the evil villain who's trying to take over the coliseum." Yuri snarks. "Man, this isn't my week."
"Very funny. Want to tell me what you're talking about?" Flynn huffs. "And what's with the clothes?"
"Heh, so we're being used."
"It seems that way." The announcer calls the battle into motion and Yuri jumps to slash his sword at Flynn's face that he throws off with his shield. Yuri strike again and Flynn holds steady with his shield. "Aren't you cutting it a bit close?"
"Hey, these people didn't pay good money to see a rigged fight." Besides Yuri needs a fight right now.
Yuri's jumps back avoiding a swing before countering with his own swing and finding Flynn's back pressed to his. "You could at least ease up a little." Flynn smiles playfully and it lights a fire in him.
"Like you're having any trouble blocking me." Yuri breaks away and starts lunges quickly with his blade. He's always loved fighting Flynn. It's exhilarating and it sends him into a thrill as their swords dance around each other. Yuri ducks under a swing with a grin. "So, care to explain what you're doing here?"
"You know, knightly duties and such. Afraid that's all I can say!" Flynn smiles and Yuri smells bullshit. Somethings going on here!
"Since when is becoming the champion of the coliseum a duty? Especially for a captain of the Knights."
Flynn shakes his head after jumping at him. "I'm not at liberty to say."
Yuri brings his sword in a harsh swing as Flynn back steps and their swords are taught they wait to see which of them will give. "I think it's great you're taking your promotion so seriously, but be careful you don't bite off more than you can chew.
Flynn chuckles not letting up an inch. "You're the one taking this seriously. It's been a while since I've seen you enjoy anything this much." Yuri hadn't even noticed the euphoric grin on his face that always seems to come from fighting Flynn. "When this is over I need to talk with you about something important. I'd also like to know what's wrong with your hands. And don't you think it's about time you returned Her Highness?"
"Worried I might steal her away?" Yuri smirks. "You'll have to take that up with the lady herself. As for a chat I think that depends on how things go here."
"Her Highness tends not to listen to the things I tell her." Flynn says pressing more force in. "But, then neither do you."
Yuri chuckles his feet sliding the barest amount. "Yeah, she's stubborn. I can see why you like her." They finally back of and go back to dancing around each other's strikes.
"Yuri, I mean it!"
"Flynn, I promise I'll return your girlfriend in one piece." The knight falters slightly and Yuri takes advantage of the brief weakness.
Flynn's face is flushed as he parries Yuri off. "Wh-what are you talking about!? Lady Estellise and I- We're- What the hell are you talking about?! That's it, let's put an end to this! We really need to talk."
"How? If we quit now, they'll boo us out of the building." Yuri says gaining some distance between them. It's then a scream for Yuri breaks through the crowd and descending from above is the last person Yuri is expecting.
What the fuck, Zagi!?
Felinis: I don't want to do bad things to Yuri, but if he doesn't suffer the plot won't progress. It's such a dilemma.