That feeling. Shock, numbness, pain... it almost felt like when he saw Yuri's body fall from Zaude, when he saw the dagger lay between him and Sodia, when he saw Yuri's mouth stained with wolf blood-

Yuri, what are you doing here? Why are you here? Flynn looked down, a thin hot streak of surprise racing through his veins as he noticed his fists clenched tightly. Slowly, he drew in a deep breath and forced his hands to relax. A part of him wanted to give Yuri the benefit of a doubt - there really was no reason for him to be here. If he was still hunting Catherine, there had been no reports of the dark haired seductress anywhere in this area. But the logical part, the part of him he had failed to listen to the first time around, reminded him there really wasn't anything like the attacks pulled off by an undying bloodsucking corpse. And since Yuri was the only one he knew of, thanks to Sodia... Flynn took in a deep breath, not quite expecting the stab of pain and betrayal at the thought. No matter how much he missed Sodia, he couldn't deny that one murder.

Gradually, he became aware of someone on the edge of his vision, white clothing with long expanses of skin, long blue antennae and upswept purple hair. He blinked a few times, his eyes turning slightly, then his entire head when he felt Judith's soft touch on his arm. "Hey," came her voice, just as gentle as her voice.

"Yuri," he told her, the word slipping unbidden from numb lips. Her eyebrows swept towards her hairline, and Flynn remembered Judith had never actually seen Yuri when Zaphias was in upheaval. Not to mention a drowned man had no relation to the bodies torn to shreds from before. "Another death, before we came here. He was ripped apart, and there was almost no blood. I haven't found anything else that kills like that and leaves so little blood."

Her hand flattened against his arm as he realized how urgent his voice was. "Flynn," Judith started, her body shifting around him. To shield him from the body, he realized. To make him not see it, not think about dead bodies and solving what had happened. "You're not on duty right now. This literally isn't your problem." She didn't address Yuri; she probably didn't believe him. Or didn't think Yuri would be here either. "Let them deal with it, and if they want help, they can ask someone properly. We're on vacation."

Flynn reached up, his hand covering hers. "I can't just let these people get hurt. And if this is Yuri-" He took a deep breath, looking her directly in the eyes. "If it's Yuri, I can't let him continue like this. He killed someone back in Zaphias." He tilted his neck, her eyes instantly dropping to the mound of scars lining his throat. "He could have killed me. As it is, he's already proven he's a threat to others, and is killing without cause. If we leave, we could lose him, or these people could end up in more danger."

Judith looked around, her face blank. But not unreadable, Flynn realized. He could see her thoughts flickering behind her eyes, watching the villagers disperse from the scene now that they knew it was just a suicide by drowning. He could see when they slipped to the past, remembering old events. Remembering how Flynn almost died, Catherine almost succeeding in assassinating him until Yuri and Estellise interrupted her, the control Estellise had in her own mind- She turned back to him, a decision made. "We have been traveling at a fast pace. Ba'ul needs a rest."

Flynn smiled weakly at her, nodding. Even if she didn't exactly believe him, she agreed. She- had faith in him. "We should start in the woods. If it's like last time, he'll be less active during the day and spend most of his time outside city borders."

She just nodded once, then frowned at him. Flynn frowned back, opening his mouth when she leaned into his face, studying him carefully. Concern crossed her mien, then, deliberately, "You didn't eat breakfast."

Nonplussed, he stepped back, spluttering and his face hot. "I don't see how that relates to our current situation!"

Judith tapped his nose with a long finger. "It relates perfectly. You're going to be grumpy if you don't eat, and if you're grumpy you won't perform well. So go get something to eat and we'll head out."

A sneeze built as he stepped back, and Flynn wrinkled his nose to try to keep it in, to not get it all over her. "I'll keep that in mind," he started before she tapped his nose again, dislodging the sneeze. "Damn it, Judith!"

"Now," came the mild response, and Flynn grumbled, stepping around her back to the inn. Out of the corner of his eyes, a flash of red gold made him stop, gone when he turned his head. Flynn scanned the crowd milling around their normal business, almost hoping he was right before he felt Judith's hand between his shoulders.

"I'm going," he told her, voice distracted as his eyes darted around. No... no one with that shade of hair anywhere. He was just missing Sodia too much, that's all.

It might have been a little too generous to call it a forest. The trees were sparsely placed about, and barely any shrubs. Anyone hiding here should have been easy to find, revealed by the lack of cover. It was maddening to find that wasn't true, and the only things he and Judith had found were animals and monsters. Judith wiped a spray of blood off her forehead as she leaned casually, the butt of her spear against the ground. "If we're going to fight, at least have monsters that are a challenge."

He eyed her, watching the boredom cross her face. There had been nothing, wasting her time. Wasting the vacation time they had set aside. "I'm sorry, Judith," Flynn told her, looking around. There was still something out there, something watching. But where, in such sparse cover? "I'll keep looking, if you wish to return to the village-"

"That sounds lovely," she interrupted him, and bent down as she shoved her shoulder into his torso, wrapping her arms around his legs, and grunted as she lifted him over her shoulder. "Let's return, and you get some rest like this vacation is supposed to do for you."

Without thinking, he broke out of her grasp, hitting the ground at a roll and half reaching for his sword before he realized what he was doing. She only stood there, watching him warily, waiting for him to make the next move. But her grip on her polearm, he noticed- that was not casual at all. Slowly, his hand relaxed, the one on the sheath slipping away as his right dropped back to his side with the motion of him standing. "I apologize." His gaze turned away from her, knowing his cheeks were blazing red. All that work relaxing, all the work healing, destroyed. "That- that was not called for, not for the simple act of you picking me up."

Her hand on his cheek made him jump, but Flynn only looked at her. The sun shining high filtered through the little coverage in a way that created unique shadows across her hair and skin. Worry covered her face, little changes he wouldn't have noticed before. The silence held the two of them together, glued her hand to his face, his arms to his sides. He wanted to say something, but- what could he say to her? What could he do? The touch on his cheek shifted as she leaned in, and his mouth opened, a slightly click escaping his mouth as his tongue dislodged from the roof of his mouth. The sound stopped her, then Judith slipped back, her face guarded once more. "Don't stay out too long," she told him breezily, turning away easily. She slipped away quickly as he watched her leave, his hands shaking. He kept losing something here. Flynn closed his eyes, frustrated at that thought. He could feel something just on the edge of his awareness, something important, but he kept losing it. Just when he thought he had it, she would slip away, taking his thoughts with her. Why was this woman so frustrating, why did he-

No. Flynn shook his head, trying to throw the thoughts out of his mind. He had a job to do. He knew Yuri was in these woods somewhere. He knew- what could he do? Talking to him didn't seem to work. If he took him in, Yuri seemed stronger than before, not to mention officially he was listed as dead. It would open the door for more deaths if he had gone feral again. The only way would be what one would do with any feral animal. The thought of killing Yuri for good made him queasy and his heart lurch. He- couldn't. Flynn pressed his lips together, heading deeper into the woods. One more hour. If he didn't find anything by the time the sun started to set, then he'd return.

After half an hour, that seemed like the true possibility. Not even monsters could be found anymore, only woodland creatures. Flynn wiped the sweat off his forehead as he looked around, thinking. He could hear a river nearby. The one the suicide had happened at? It might be worth looking at, if so many had happened there. It could be possible it was just a string of accidents caused by how the land was shaped. He started in the direction he heard the rushing water, then stopped, looking up. That feeling, the one of someone watching him. It was back, stronger than before.

The rustling of the trees stopped once he did, his hand going to his sword as he realized how little wind there was. Then a little further up, it started again. Of course, he had forgotten to look up. That Yuri had enjoyed climbing even while alive, and he could be stalking him right now from up there. Steel scraped leather as he pulled his sword free, listening as the sound started to move away from him. There was something up there, moving steadily through the trees. And- yes, faster now. Flynn sprang into action after it, something telling him it was running from something. From him. Logical thought babbled in the back of his head, trying to get him to stop as he chased whatever was fleeing. He had to catch it, find it- then a gasp, light and feminine, and a splash caught his attention. Flynn pushed himself into a sprint, the image of a maid's throat ripped to ribbons coming to the fore of his memory. The river was just ahead, if he was fast enough he could stop-

Silver. That was the first thing he could see, a swirl of silver floating around a youthful face. Then pale, almost white legs trailing off the bank, modesty barely covered by a white tunic with half her body in the water. She was breathing, a band of tension releasing around his chest as he heard her groan. But he could see the rend in her fabric, stained red by the deep wound across her chest and arm. Slowly, light lashes lifted, showing ice blue eyes. She was, Flynn realized uneasily, almost colorless except for the blood. With pained motions, she tried to push herself up, and only managed to shift further into the water. He stepped closer to her, fingers fumbling for an Apple Gel. "I'm not going to hurt you," he told her, voice pitched low and soothing. "I'm here to help. You need to be still. Can you swallow an Apple Gel right now?"

"Who...?" The word was forced out, as if her lips were not made for the word. Her eyes darted about, trying to focus on what she heard. Flynn forced down the instinct to touch her, something telling him she would not take it well, that she was more dangerous than she appeared. Finally, the ice landed on him, and her breathing quickened. Her arms slid under her, slipping as she tried to get away from him before she fell further into the water, her head dunking under before Flynn scooped her out. "D-don't-"

"I won't harm you. I have an Apple Gel for your wound." Flynn pressed it into her hand, and her fingers fumbled around it for a moment before she finally got a hold on it and she lifted the mangled Gel to her line of sight. She looked at it as if she had never seen one before, distrust in every part of her, and he wondered what had happened to her. He hadn't seen any head injuries, and after what had happened half a year ago he remembered how they influenced how the mind worked at the moment. "It's a healing item. If you eat it, your wound will close."

Slowly, she put the Gel to her lips, licking it. Was this how he looked, the distrust he had for everything? It hurt him to see, and how she wolfed down the Apple Gel once she was certain it was safe. No wonder Estellise and Judith were so worried about him. The gash started to close, enough that the blood loss stopped, and he let out a breath. "There's a village nearby," he started to tell her before he lost his grip, her limbs thrashing with all her strength.

"No!" She submerged again, and Flynn lifted her up, worried her wound had reopened. "No. Not there." Her eyes held fear as she looked up at him as she thrashed more, and a small worm of sympathy inched in. What had happened that she was afraid to go to the village? She started to fall limp in his arms, exhaustion closing her eyes. He did need to get someone - there was little he could do alone, like this - but her fear of the village could ruin any help he would get. Another Gel would speed her healing, but the blood loss coupled with whatever was in the water with the fact she was awfully cold with wet hair would negate that. But he really had little choice. Slowly, he lifted her out of the water and set her carefully in brush near the river. Her hand gripped his shoulder as her back touched dirt, ice eyes opening. "Still there," she whimpered. "Still hunting."

And the world stopped. Hunting. Something was hunting her. "What did it look like?" Flynn managed to choke out, and her head rolled slightly.

"Dark hair. Fast." Her voice faded as her arm dropped, sleep invading every part of her. "Hungry."

Yuri. He was here. Hunting people, people who couldn't fight back. Slowly, Flynn let her go, sleep letting him do so. Her lips easily took another Apple Gel as she slept, easing his mind. If he could get her safe, she could be out of his mind while he finished what he should have done six months ago. Unbidden, a hand brushed his throat, across the scars, and the familiar painful sharp pleasure scraped through his veins. No, he couldn't- that night was a mistake. Carefully, he marked a nearby tree so he would know where she was hidden and started back to town. Hopefully there would be someone there she didn't know willing to help her.

Hopefully she wouldn't be another casualty at Yuri's hands.