A foul odor and taste brought sense back to Flynn. His throat closed as he gagged, suddenly sitting up as his awareness blazed to life. Breaths rasped harshly as everything felt so much it hurt, then died back to its usual level. Except the ache in his chest, that stayed. Long fingers curled around his shoulder, and he looked up at Judith's unhappy mien, the rising sun behind her.

"We're going to have to have a long talk about what it means not to worry your friends," she told him seriously, standing slowly from her crouch. Her fingers fished out an Apple Gel, passing it to him. "Is there a reason why I had to use a Life Bottle just now?"

That would explain the taste and smell. Flynn took the Gel, apple overwriting the taste of the Life Bottle and easing the wound in his chest. "Catherine's here." His simple words made her eyes widen, and he nodded before starting to stand. "Apparently whatever is here has a grudge against her and is possessing people of the town to attack her." A hand rose to rub the healing wound, grunting as fingers encountered a sore spot. "If we don't find them, there will more caught between them, and I don't think they'll wait for any Knights or guilds to show up. Catherine's already-" Memory hit him, and he turned towards the treeline. "Damn!"

"What-" Judith followed him as he dashed back towards where Sodia had been left. He had no idea how far he had wandered, but considering that he had heard the stream when they had stopped- Flynn looked around, pausing as he got his bearings. It looked familiar, and if he was right, then she should be right this way. A hand on his shoulder made him stop, and he looked over at Judith. "Flynn. What is it?"

"Sodia. She's the one running packages for the town, and she was with us when Catherine- She was attacked." He set out again, trying to determine if it looked familiar because they had walked towards that direction, or from it. "Catherine had called her a snack."

Judith let out an angry noise from behind him, her heels slamming into the dirt as she followed. It wasn't anything to pay mind to, he had to find Sodia- until she spoke up again. "Are you sure that's something you want to do? After what Sodia did?"

That made Flynn stop. "She did something unforgivable," came the answer, voice tight and controlled. "And the fact she's responsible for what Yuri is now isn't something I've forgotten. But that doesn't mean we can just let her die here."

A breath was let out as Judith nodded. "You've been acting strange," she told him mildly. "Leaving in the middle of the night like that, and wandering the woods all day with Sodia, finding you bleeding out with a stab wound..."

"I was possessed," he said softly, almost too quiet for her to hear. "It used me to get to Catherine this time. I-" Flynn broke off as a glint of copper hair caught his attention, Sodia slowly standing up. Her legs buckled, and she had to grab the tree to keep standing. Flynn rushed over to her, ready to catch her if she fell. "Sodia."

"Sir?" She looked up, eyes dazed. "Sir, I didn't- I could fight her off, but I didn't realize what she did-" Sodia looked over at Judith, then back at Flynn. Her eyes sharpened when she realized what was splattered across his chest, and looked over at the other woman again. "Did Lowell get away?"

That made Judith blink, and Flynn nodded. "It wasn't Yuri." His hand massaged the wound again, hissing as he found the sore area. "At least who did this. And... what you saw as well." He looked between the two of them, and let out a breath. "What you saw was a vampire, Sodia. A dead body reanimated by a desire so strong it brought him back from death. And he's..." The word didn't want to come. "Feral. It was Yuri that caused all the animal and monster bodies six months ago around Zaphias. He's only gotten worse." He looked at Judith, nodding at her. "Which makes it something that concerns me. He seems to be fixated on Catherine after what she's done. The one that stabbed me..." Flynn just resisted touching his chest again. "Was Catherine."

Sodia's lips parted as guilt rose to her face. "Sir, if I had known, I-"

"You would still be here like this." Judith took a few steps forward, her eyes scanning the woods around them. "I've seen her. She wasn't even trying when I saw her and she nearly caught me. Unless you just have no sex drive, you would have had no chance." That last bit was directly slyly at Flynn, a slightly flush coming to his cheeks. In her own way, she had, as he had seen how she held herself, how she moved with animalistic deadly grace and yet his mind twisted to make her seem harmless and a good friend for Estellise.

But- Judith had professed an interest in women. Had Sodia... he looked at her, wondering. Sodia was able to break out of what Catherine had called a fascination, though Judith had just been slightly wary. "The town's still in danger," he told them instead, looking behind him. "Yuri's killing townspeople for blood now that his mind is gone, and the- lady in white-" If he knew her true name, not the one used to rile up Catherine, or what she was... "and Catherine are using the people as tools against each other. We can't wait for the Knights or guilds to get here."

"What do you propose?" Even now, Sodia deferred to him. Judith nodded at him, having made her own decision. He looked between them, mind going between options. Yuri was a threat to everyone, no matter what. And he had no idea what would happen if he focused on taking Catherine and the lady out first. But the two unnatural women had proven their feud directly involved the town, and had even almost killed him. A chill wormed its way down his back at the idea that maybe that had been the lady's plan. That she had wanted to kill him specifically.

"I don't know where Yuri or Catherine are," he finally admitted. "Both of them escaped into the forest. The lady did as well, but she escaped into the river. It'll be easier to find her if we stick to the river. There's also a chance by finding her, we find Catherine, and possibly Yuri."

"And if Yuri gets away?"

Judith's words made his hands clench. That possibility always existed, and it seemed more likely with each passing moment. "Then we'll look for him afterwards. We need to take care of this now."

"I agree." Sodia flexed her own hands, frowning. Flynn felt a pang of sympathy, remembering the numbness he had felt when Catherine had sipped at him. "What are our supplies?"

Flynn moved to check, fingers brushing over the meager amount of Lemon and Apple Gels. Judith and Sodia didn't have much either, causing all of them to look uneasy. "We have a very narrow margin of error." He counted again, not liking how everything added up under ten. "We'll have to do this fast."

To that, Judith just grinned. "I don't think that'll be a problem."

The river stretched longer than Flynn remembered.

"She's hiding well," Judith murmured, coming up by his side. "Or..."

Sodia nodded, catching on to her thought. "Or she's targeting the Commandant directly." She looked at Flynn, thinking quickly. "We might have travel separately and listen for when the other group is attacked."

The thought made him uneasy. After the fact she had possessed him so easily (and the peace he had felt at her possession, the feeling that everything was right) meant that perhaps they wouldn't hear it. "I don't think-" Flynn started before he shook his head. "She's not human, and how fast she was able to posses me..."

"It looks like our only option, Sir."

Flynn rubbed his head, trying to come up with something else. If he was possessed again, or if it was Sodia or... He looked at Judith, not wanting to think about that possibility. "No," he told them firmly. "We're not taking that risk. If she wants me, then she has to-"

A shout interrupted him, throaty and angry. Two swords pulled free of their sheaths at the same Judith lowered her polearm. It sounded further up, and slightly familiar. Flynn nodded at the other two, and started out at a run towards the yell. If it wasn't, it was still someone in trouble, someone they needed to help.

Flynn pulled himself up short just as a dagger embedded itself next to him. It had gone wide enough that it looked as if whoever had thrown it had missed their target, not aiming at him. His spine crawled at a feminine laugh, one becoming very familiar, punctuated with the sound of a body hitting the ground. Even before breaking the trees to the river, he knew he'd see Catherine levering herself off the ground, twisting her body to force a kick, her leg still resisting full movement. The Lady staggered, her wounds still bleeding water, a few starting to stain red.

While it wouldn't bother him if they killed each other, something seemed off about it. Something about what had happened the last time, about Catherine's reaction. Her face now was a mask of rage and- As the Lady backhanded her with a casual swat of energy, he could see it. Grief.

"They would do our job for us if we leave them be," Sodia muttered behind him.

Flynn shook his head. No. This wasn't right. The name the Lady was using, Catherine's reaction to it, and now the grief on her face... "Liliya." He knew the two were looking at him oddly, but he couldn't help it. Liliya had been someone to her, and this creature using her face and name hurt Catherine. They needed to be stopped... but not like this. Catherine didn't deserve to die because she was blinded by anger and grief. "We'll fight Catherine alone. Until then, help her take down the Lady."

"Sir?" He could feel Sodia's surprise, and he turned slightly. Judith wore the same expression, not quite trusting him.

"We can't fight them both at the same time, not with our supplies and how strong they are. We need to decide who to take down first. Catherine at least has been shown to be willing to fight beside us." Flynn looked back at the two unnatural women, keeping the rest to himself.

"He's right." At those words, Judith's spear flashed as she dashed forward, catching the Lady from behind. The first strike surprised her, opening a line of bright red blood on her pale dress. Catherine pulled up short and glanced at them, honest surprise pulling her face into startling youthful lines. Had she truly not known they were there, as long as she was in her rage? Judith turned to one side as the Lady attacked, Sodia's sword swinging in the unprotected side as Flynn and Catherine took the measure of each other.

It was a gamble, he knew. Catherine could very easily take advantage of them being distracted, given how fast and strong she could be even injured like this. Something passed in her face as she readjusted the grip on her remaining dagger, something cold and hard. So she had chosen this. Flynn readied himself for her attack, acutely aware of the pain from his stab wound, watching her warily.

He underestimated her speed, he realized. Before he realized it, she had leapt at him, her boots coming down. There was no time to dodge as they came down on his shoulders and- jumped again, using him to gain more height as she launched herself into the main fray. Flynn turned, surprised as she came down, just barely catching the Lady's arm. She rolled awkwardly out of Judith's way, nodding to Flynn. He nodded back, using the Lady's dodge to press his own attack. Then his back hit a tree, the feeling of claws raking across his body. These kind of strikes- if they had a bow user, like Raven, they could distract her but like this-!

How had he not realized it before? Flynn regained his balance as he watched her almost casually backhand Sodia, snarling as she bled. They could injure her, but she was more powerful. They had to take her out quickly, not wear her down like this. Judith looked over at him, panting as her eyes had the same awareness. Sodia had the same awareness as she stood, an Apple Gel almost furtively slipping into her mouth. If they could- he made a gesture with his hand, flicking to the two of them. Sodia nodded, shifting to one side as Judith moved to the other. As if on a cue he couldn't see, they attacked the Lady at the same time, angling just so that her dodge forced her back towards Catherine, towards that rage-

And sent her flying. She had known. Without thinking about it, Flynn raised his sword to her side, knowing she'd see it but if he moved fast enough he could-

Silver flashed through the air as the Lady's body fell, dissolving into water. Her head dropped at Judith's feet, the spell broken to show green-tinted wet hair framing scaly skin over almost fishy facial lines. It happened so suddenly that the silence after the battle roared in his ears, looking almost dumbly at the severed head. Dark fingers then tangled in that green hair as Catherine picked it up in one good hand. The other arm had broken in the battle, and her leg was back to no longer working. Black blood streamed down over her burn scars, making the stony look she gave them even more demonic. Sodia and Judith didn't lower their weapons, but Flynn didn't move. She wasn't attacking. There had to be a reason, right?

Finally, she turned away, staggering off towards the woods. Flynn followed her, ignoring the shouts behind him. There had been something in her face, something he wanted to talk about. What had that all meant, who Liliya was, and- and an idea that had just blossomed in his mind.

"You're taking a risk coming after me like this." Catherine looked up from the fire she was building, her eyes unreadable.

"I had a few questions," Flynn told her, his voice sharpening. "Who is Liliya?"

Catherine stopped her movements, her body tensing. It was almost as if she was to attack him right there before her clipped voice came out, "Someone I knew."

"She had been someone you knew well." Flynn took a half-step back as she stood, her face alight with anger.

"And you should shut up about her!" Catherine closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "What's past is past, Commandant Scifo. She's dead, and that is all that matters to you. And to this water bitch as well," she added. "Do you know if she were to come in contact with any amount of water, she could regrow her entire body? And if her hair were to dry out before then, she wouldn't be able to? Quite fascinating." Casually, she lit the stack, throwing the head into the blaze.

"You're avoiding the subject."

Catherine laughed, her voice rich and full. "And now you get it." She tilted her head, pursing her lips. "But that wasn't it, was it. You have a more important question."

Flynn nodded, watching her. This, this was the stupid thing. This was the thing that made the voice in the back of his head, the one that had told him not to go out when Yuri had been seen at first in Zaphias, start screaming at him. "You used us, didn't you. To find her."

That made her pause. Surprise crossed her face, then she shook her head. "I had no idea you had been targeted by her," Catherine told him, her voice open and honest. "She took men that felt they had cheated on their lovers in some way, which meant that you must have done something that made you feel that way. By the time you came across me, you had already been taken by her." She shook her head. "If you're asking if you were a trap for her, the answer is no. Never for her."

The wording stuck out in his head. "For-"

Pain radiated from his shoulder, breaking off the rest of the sentence. He looked down, seeing her dagger embedded there. Catherine pulled it free, grinning. "There was more than one thing hunting that town, dear Commandant. And the second is rather attached to you. If I keep harming you, well, the vampire is sure to show up at some point, isn't he?"

Yuri.