~Running Blind~

I do own Tales of Vesperia or any of its characters.

Chapter 1 ~The conversation~

The sun rays danced across the sky, covering the earth of Tercia Lumireis with its warm golden light, the breeze blowing gently across the roof tops of Zaphias lower quarter.

The lower quarter was experiencing one of its rare times of tranquilly, little noise could be heard, save for the sound of heavy metal boots clanking across the stone pavement.

The blond commandant walked through the streets of the lower quarter enjoying the little reprieve from his work, sky blue eyes mirroring the cloudless sky as the breeze tugged playfully at his hair.

How he wished that was the only reason he was here. . .

Flynn, as well as all of the imperial knights were going for their yearly physicals, which Flynn was ashamed to admit he had skipped last year. . .

To be honest, Flynn would probably skip, again this year if his doctor hadn't sent him a note telling him she wouldn't cover for him again this year.

This brought Flynn back to the task at hand, in order for to reach the lower quarter's clinic he had to pass the tavern . . . and that meant Yuri.

He sighed, it wasn't that he didn't want to see Yuri. . . it wasn't that at all, the problem was that Yuri would ask him what he was doing down here, as he hadn't been seen in a while, he of course would have to answer that he was here for physicals which wound bring the next question: Why weren't you here last year?

Flynn could the conversation now and he didn't want to deal with it right now.

He could have had the royal doctor deal with his physical, but preferred to see his own.

Solstice Fane had been his doctor since-well since the beginning, and growing up he had come to see as a second mother, especially with his mother always working after the death of his father during duty as a knight.

As Flynn reached the tavern he said a small prayer that Yuri wasn't home before walking by. . .

"Well if it isn't the commandant himself"

Flynn sighed as he added his prayer to all the others that had gone unanswered.

"Hi, Yuri. . ." Flynn said half-heartily, he had really hoped to avoid this. . .

Yuri gave his friend a quizzical look.

"What's the matter? Someone die in the royal quarter or something?"

Flynn shook his head.

"No, just yearly physicals, nothing to painful."

"Oh yeah, forgot about the stupid physicals they make you get every year" Yuri said off-handedly.

"Yuri, you know that their there to make sure that we are at are best and in top condition." Said Flynn sternly.

Yuri couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh yeah? Then how come I didn't see you around last year?" Yuri asked eyeing his friend.

'I knew he was going to ask me that!' Thought Flynn.

"I was. . . busy." Flynn defended weakly.

"Busy? Doing what?" Yuri countered in return.

CRAP

"I was . . . uh, I was. . . Oh I don't know, that was a whole year ago!" Yelled Flynn angrily.

Yuri folded his arms, leaning against one of the old stone buildings.

"So you went against regulation and skipped huh? And I take it that Solstice covered for you since I never heard about it."

Flynn rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb in exasperation, how did Yuri always seem to do this to him? Flynn could be as cool as a cucumber when being yelled at by his superiors while rising through ranks in the imperial knights, he could stand in council chambers and yell his heart out against something he didn't approve of without breaking a sweat whereas most wouldn't have dared to speak, he didn't even hesitate fighting the former commandant Alexei Dinoia, so how come when Yuri questioned him (and not even very hard. . .) he seemed to get a migraine! Wanting to run for cover and knowing it wouldn't do him any good. . .

Flynn didn't get to think about it for long.

"Hey, Tercia Lumireis to Flynn! You still there?"

Yuri snapped his fingers together, barely two inches away from Flynn's face causing him to jump, how hadn't he noticed that Yuri had gotten so close to him? He had been nearly six feet away!

Flynn shook his head, blinking a couple of times as he focused on his friend.

"Good." Said Yuri putting his hand on his hip and relaxing his stance.

"You aered out for a minute there, good thoughts?" Asked Yuri causing Flynn to blush.

"Uh. . . Sorry about that, don't know where I was just now."

Yuri waved off the apology.

"That's alright, it's not like it's not something you didn't used to do a lot as a kid."

Flynn chuckled.

"Oh yes, I remember how much you complained that I couldn't keep my mind the current situation!"

Yuri laughed before a serious expression came over his face.

"Serially tough, you should go see that doctor, you look kinda pale. . ." Looking slightly worried.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

Yuri gave him a hard expression, the one Flynn knew all too well as: (I don't believe that for a second) expression.

"Flynn. . ." Was all Yuri said, but the message was clear, go to the doctor yourself, or have him carry you there. . .

"I have to go today anyway, and I promise to ask her about the fatigue!"

Flynn could feel the sensation of exasperation coming on again.

"Great, let's go." Said Yuri walking toward the clinic.

"What? No!" Yelled Flynn.

Yuri gave him a suspicious look.

"What's the matter? You said you're going today . . . unless you don't plan on going."

Ever since Flynn and Yuri were kids making Flynn go the doctor had always been difficult, as Flynn had become famous for being the only kid in the lower quarter that could hide from doctor Fane.

"It's not that! I. . . just have some paperwork to finish first."

Yuri gave him the same hard non-believing expression, but played along.

"Fine, I'll go with you." Said Yuri.

Flynn just didn't need this today. . .

"Have you nothing better to do then watch me do boring paperwork and get a physical?" Asked Flynn in one last attempt to get Yuri to leave as they walked to the entrance of the middle quarter.

"Well I'm afraid I don't have anything better to do, so why not?"

They continued on in silence, Flynn's mind going wild, he couldn't believe that Yuri would follow him around all day just to make sure he went to the doctor, he knew that Yuri had a very short attention span so he hoped that Yuri would get bored and look for something else to do.

Flynn looked at Yuri and then to the road ahead, Yuri wouldn't really follow him around all day just to make him go to the doctor. . . would he?