Chapter Twelve: Guardian

It was both interesting and underwhelming to see the inner workings of Dahngrest. The entire city perched precariously above the waves, so the smell of brine and rotting wood that he generally associated with harbours lingered throughout the entire city. It wasn't just the architecture that caught his eyes, though. Everywhere he looked, he spotted women in pants, women operating shop stalls, or women carrying heavy blades at their waists. No one commented on this or gave any of these women a second glance. It was something he would never see in the empire, but he couldn't exactly say he disliked it. It seemed unnatural compared to what he was used to, but maybe women he cared about, like Lady Estellise or Sodia, would be better off living in the Union where they could pursue their dreams without being held back.

At the same time, for the capital of the empire's greatest enemy, it was certainly very mundane. People just went about their lives, and the men looked for all the world like an ordinary imperial citizens. Flynn didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it certainly didn't feel like the stronghold of his enemies.

"Where are we going, anyway? You said there's something important you need to do."

"That's right," Karol said. "We're almost there, too."

"Yep," Yuri said with a smile. "It's just up ahead."

Flynn peered around the street, trying to pick out the building they were aiming for. A weapon store? A pirate pawn shop? Did pirates even have pawn shops? Flynn suddenly realized he didn't even know what pirates did with the treasure they stole. He wanted to ask Yuri but knew opening that topic of conversation was asking for an argument.

"Here we are," Yuri said, grabbing a door and swinging it open.

Flynn looked up in surprise to see where they were. When he saw the sign, he frowned in confusion. "A… bakery?"

"Yep!" Karol said, happily following Yuri inside. "This place has the best doughnuts in the whole world."

The shop smelled like sugar, so sickeningly overpowering Flynn thought it would make him sick. At the front, row upon row of frosted, powdered, sprinkled, or sugary doughnuts sat on shelves. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while Yuri and Karol excitedly picked out which ones they wanted. Flynn didn't know what he'd expected Yuri and Karol's 'important business' to be, but it certainly wasn't this.

"Hey, Flynn, do you want one?" Karol asked, looking back.

"Uh… no, that won't be necessary."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "What a square. Get him a powdered jam one, Karol."

"You really don't have to do that." Yuri and Karol turned their backs to him and ignored his protest. A few minutes later, Karol passed a handful of gald to the shopkeeper and they dragged Flynn out of the shop and to a bench about a block away. Behind the bench was nothing but ocean, which Flynn thought was a serious safety concern. These walkways did not have nearly enough safety rails for the children running around the streets.

"Here," Yuri said, holding a doughnut out to Flynn. "Eat it."

"But-"

He couldn't get any more words out before Yuri shoved it in his mouth.

"Mph?!" Powder flew down his throat making him cough and he reached up to grab the doughnut before it fell from his mouth. He coughed a few more times, certain he'd got powdered sugar in his lungs, and glared at a snickering Yuri. "Was that really necessary?"

"Just eat it," Yuri said. "You'll like it."

"I don't want to be forced to consume something I don't want."

"Well, now you have to. Your slobber is all over it so neither of us wan it. You eat it or it gets thrown away and wasted."

Flynn glared at him, cursing him for taking advantage of Flynn's inability to waste food. After growing up in the lower quarter, they were both aware that 'throwing out perfectly edible food' was listed somewhere between sloth and envy. With an angry glare, he grumpily bit into the doughnut. The fact that it was delicious infuriated him.

"See, it's good, isn't it?" Yuri said.

Flynn swallowed and said, "I'm certain it would taste better if it wasn't eaten under duress."

Yuri snorted. "Next time you try to be intimidating, wipe the powder moustache off your lip first."

In a fury, Flynn rubbed his sleeve across his face and wished Karol would stop giggling. It was just a stupid doughnut. "So, what's the deal with these doughnuts, anyway? Is this really your 'important business'?"

"That's right," Karol said, ceasing his giggling to grin. "The orphanage where Yuri and I grew up is nearby. Sometimes the bakery donated treats to the kids, or if we ever had some spare change they'd let us buy doughnuts at a discount. Their doughnuts are the best in Dahngrest."

"I see." Flynn had eaten many doughnuts before, since they kept well on long voyages. Packing the dough with citrus fruit was a good way to keep scurvy at bay, even if they did get a little stale. He didn't think these doughnuts tasted any better or worse than others, but he didn't have the same nostalgia for this particular shop that Yuri and Karol did.

It was weird, he thought while watching Karol and Yuri happily munch on doughnuts and chat about places around town they used to hang out. Until running into the Brave Vesperia, Flynn hadn't given Yuri much thought for fourteen years. In Flynn's mind, Yuri might as well have died when he moved away. Imagining Yuri having a whole other life, a whole other childhood home to be nostalgic for, was just weird.

They might have sat on the bench eating doughnuts all afternoon if a woman carrying shopping bags hadn't stopped and stared at them. "…Karol?"

Yuri and Karol stiffened, Yuri's mouth frozen open with a doughnut halfway to his face. Flynn looked between them and the middle-aged woman in confusion.

"Yuri Lowell," the woman said. "It is you."

"Time to go," Yuri said, jumping up. He grabbed Karol's arm and took off running, leaving Flynn and the remaining doughnuts abandoned on the bunch.

"What?" Flynn leapt to his feet and took off after them. He didn't know who that woman was, but if Yuri and Karol were willing to abandon their doughnuts, this had to be dangerous. He darted around confused passersby and caught up with them easily, because Yuri's running quickly turned into a slow jog. "What's going on?" he demanded, easily running alongside them.

Yuri panted for breath and Karol answered, "That's the matron of the orphanage."

"Is that a problem?" Flynn asked, glancing over his shoulder. His heart skipped a beat when he saw police officers shoving past people on the streets to catch up to them. Apparently it was a problem. "Uh-oh. Hurry up!" He picked up the pace. He didn't know why police were after them, but he knew he didn't want to get arrested.

Yuri growled in frustration and then shoved Karol forward. "Flynn, take Karol and get going." He slumped against the wall of a shop, clutching his gut. People on the street stopped to stare and the shouts from the police kept getting closer.

"What!?" Karol looked at him in alarm and then to the police quickly catching up to them. "No way, Yuri! I'm not leaving you behind."

"Go!" Yuri shouted. He gritted his teeth and forced out, "I can't run."

"Karol, we should do as Yuri says." He wondered if this had to do with their pirating. Flynn had been under the impression that sort of criminal activity was legal in Dahngrest, but it was the only reason he could think of that Yuri and Karol would be chased by police.

"No!" Karol grabbed Yuri's arm. "Come on, Yuri, we're escaping together." He pulled, and Yuri reluctantly started moving again.

They weren't going to get far. Flynn didn't even bother running, because Yuri staggered forward, one arm clutching his gut while Karol glanced frantically between him and the police. Karol could easily have escaped by now if he wasn't so concerned with sticking together.

The police were on them only seconds later. "Yuri Lowell," one of them said, planting a hand on his shoulder.

Yuri shoved him off and twisted around. "What, is eating doughnuts a crime now?"

"Karol!" the woman from before pushed past the police, out of breath from running so hard to catch up to them. She had lost the bags of groceries somewhere along the line, and replaced them with Karol, pulling him into her chest. "Oh, Karol, you're alright! We've all been worried sick about you!"

"Ma'am, this is Yuri Lowell, correct?" one of the cops said.

She nodded quickly, while Karol scowled and tried to pull out of her hug. "Yes, that's him." She frowned at Yuri and added, "Yuri, I cannot believe you. I never would have thought you'd stoop this low."

Flynn watched the entire confrontation, baffled. This didn't seem like a piracy thing, but who was this woman and why was Yuri in trouble?

"Who are you?" one of the police officers demanded of Flynn.

"Uh, I'm… a friend, sort of. What is going on?"

"He's just a passenger on our ship," Yuri said, clearly unhappy with the cop standing right behind him and preventing him from running off. "He's got nothing to do with this. Only been around for a couple of weeks."

"Alright," the cop behind Yuri said. "We'll want him to come with us until we get this all sorted anyway. Yuri Lowell, you're under arrest for abduction of a minor."

Flynn shot his eyes to Yuri in alarm. He didn't need to vocalize his surprise to get his message across. Yuri rolled his eyes and gave him a look that said, 'I'll explain later.'

"Stop!" Karol pulled away from the woman while one of the police officers handcuffed Yuri. "You're making a mistake. Yuri didn't kidnap me - I went with him willingly!"

"Yeah!" Yuri said. "It's not like I abducted him. I said, 'Hey, Karol, want to get out of here?' and he followed me."

"You should know better than that, Yuri," the woman said, glaring at him. "Don't tell me you had no idea a twenty-year-old man can't simply sneak into an orphanage at night and run off with an eleven year old boy!"

The pieces of the puzzle began clicking together in Flynn's mind. "It seems this is a misunderstanding."

"It's no misunderstanding," one of the cops said. "Yuri Lowell ran off with Karol Capel without the permission of his legal guardians. That's abduction, plain and simple."

Karol seemed on the verge of tears. "Please, it's my fault. I'm the one who left with Yuri. You can't put him in jail for that."

The woman sighed. "Alright… why don't we all go home and we can work this out."

Fifteen minutes later, Flynn sat next to Karol in a short hallway. The orphanage itself seemed friendly enough. They were obviously low on funds, but an effort had been made to paint the old wooden walls in cheery pastel colours and children's crayon-drawings had been tacked to the wall. This didn't actually make Flynn feel better about Yuri, because rescuing Karol from an abusive children's home could be justified. Whisking him away from a perfectly friendly home that treated its children well was a little harder to forgive.

"I don't want Yuri to get in trouble because of me." Karol leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands. Across the room was the door to the orphanage matron's office. All they could make out were shadowy silhouettes through the frosted glass door and muffled speaking, but they seemed to be arguing.

"Yuri did break the law," Flynn pointed out. "What if you had gotten hurt after running off with him? They're only trying to keep your safe."

"I know that, but it's still frustrating."

They spoke in low voices because a cop stood not too far away, making sure Flynn and Karol didn't run off while his partner was dealing with Yuri and the matron in her office. As they waited, a pair of girls walked down the hall and paused in front of Flynn and Karol.

"Is that you, Karol?" the auburn-haired one asked.

Her companion, a girl with bright green hair, said, "Wow! We haven't seen you in ages."

"Oh, hi."

Flynn glanced between them. "Are these friends of yours, Karol?"

"We know each other. This is Gauche and her sister Droite."

Flynn stood and nodded his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ladies."

"What brings you back here, Karol?" Droite asked. "Didn't you run off to be a privateer or something like that?"

Karol stood as well so they weren't quite so much taller than him. "Yeah, and I'm captain of my very own ship."

Gauche glanced to the cop by the door and raised her eyebrows. "You didn't get in trouble with the Don, did you?"

"There's been some confusion over custody," Flynn explained.

"It's a huge mistake," Karol insisted. "They want to arrest Yuri for kidnapping me, but I left with him on my own! He didn't kidnap me at all."

Droite laughed. "I always knew that idiot would get himself arrested one of these days, though I didn't think it would be for something like this."

"We have to go," Gauche said to her sister. "Yeager is waiting for us."

"'Kay. See you later, Karol. Good luck getting Yuri out of the slammer."

They left, and Flynn and Karol sat down again. "They didn't seem too concerned about Yuri."

Karol shrugged. "We were never really friends. Their parents died during the Great War and then they came here, but they were a few years younger than Yuri so they didn't hang out much. A few years before Yuri left, they got adopted by Yeager, who's the leader of Leviathan's Claw."

"Oh, I've heard of them." Flynn frowned. "Don't they deal in illegal weapon smuggling?"

"Not all of it is illegal."

"But some is."

Karol crossed his arms and glared at him. "Yeager is a good guy. He's donated a lot of money to this orphanage."

"Really? Why?" He was honestly confused, because illegal cannon smugglers and orphan-loving philanthropists were not categories he thought had much overlap.

"Just because someone breaks the law doesn't mean they aren't a good person."

Flynn thought about this, looking to Yuri's silhouette in the door. He wasn't sure if Karol was entirely right about that, but he did feel that Yuri at least was trying to be a good person, even if he did partake in a life of piracy.

Karol saw his gaze and sighed heavily, reminded of exactly why they were here. "I don't know what I'll do if they lock Yuri up."

"You'll spend the rest of your childhood here, with people who love you, away from danger." He knew Karol enjoyed commanding the Brave Vesperia, but he was still only fourteen, and he'd left home when he was only eleven. He had the opportunity to have a happy, peaceful childhood and Flynn couldn't say he thought this was a bad thing.

"My friends love me. It's not miserable here, but it's not home, either." Karol shifted in his chair and stared glumly at the ground. "When I was little, I lived with my parents. They were fishers, but one day there was a terrible storm and… their boat never came back in. I ended up here because I didn't have anywhere else to go, but the other kids made fun of me because I was scared of everything and I cried a lot. Then Yuri came over and told all the other kids to knock it off. I started following him around, and even though I was just a little kid, he didn't mind. My parents died when I was really little, and I don't even remember them very well. When I think of family… I just think of him."

Flynn looked between Karol's sad face and Yuri's agitated silhouette through the door. He remembered how miserable he'd been as a child when Yuri went away and wondered if separating Karol from Yuri really was the best thing for him. Everything he'd seen of Yuri indicated he really did care about the kid and did his best to look after him, and taking Karol away from the closest thing he had to family was cruel.

The door to the matron's office opened and she said, "Karol, Captain Scifo, could you come in here, please?"

Karol nervously looked to Yuri over her shoulder and then entered the office. He sat in a chair and scooted close to Yuri while Flynn stood off to the side. The cop in the room turned to Flynn. "Captain Scifo, I'm given to understand that you're largely impartial to this relationship. Mr. Lowell tells us you've been on their ship purely as a passenger for about one month."

"That is correct."

"So, in you unbiased opinion, do you feel that Mr. Lowell has done great harm to Karol by abducting him?"

Karol gave him pleading eyes while Yuri just stared evenly, daring him to say anything negative. Flynn was a bit offended that Yuri seemed to think he could threaten him into saying something nice, and if he was a more petty person he'd say Yuri was an awful influence out of spite. But, his disagreement with Yuri was unimportant to the question of what was best for Karol. "Honestly, I think Yuri was incredibly foolish to take Karol without any kind of permission, but I can't say that Karol has come under any abuse, as far as I've seen. Karol seems to be perfectly healthy and happy."

The matron nodded. "I see, I'm glad to hear that. Karol, would you are agree? Are you happy?"

"Yeah!" He nodded as enthusiastically as he could. "I love being with Yuri. You can't arrest him for this - you can't. I ran away because I wanted to be with him. Yuri is family to me."

"Hm… very well, then." The matron looked to the cop and said, "I'm not going to press charges against Yuri. Thank you for your help, officer."

"Yeah!" Karol pumped his fist in the air. With the charges dropped, the police officer left the room.

"I know you're a good person, Yuri," she said to him. "But you need to stop making decisions so recklessly. Karol could easily have been hurt because of your actions. Yuri, you can go back to your ship, but I'm going to need Karol to stay here."

"What?" Karol gaped at her. "You can't do that. I'm the captain!"

"You're fourteen. I can't allow you to run off into danger."

The door opened again and a man strode in. "Hello, Frau Harris. I heard there was a problem here, ja?"

The matron smiled. "Oh, hello, Mr. Yeager. We've mostly gotten it wrapped up."

"No we don't," Yuri said. "I'm glad you're not sending me to jail, but you can't keep Karol here against his will."

Mrs. Harris dropped her smile. "I can and I will as long as I'm Karol's legal guardian. He is a child, one that I am charged with keeping safe."

"Actually, I'm afraid I need to interfere." Yeager stood by the desk and looked around at the group. Addressing Karol, he said, "Gauche and Droite told me the situation just as I got back from talking to the Don. He's sending you on an important mission for the Union, ja?"

"That's right," Karol said. "We need to go after Ioder."

"You see, Frau Harris," he turned to her, "Herr Captain Capel is needed for a mission from the Don. You're going to need to let him go back to his ship."

Mrs. Harris crossed her arms. "You tell the Don that as long as Karol is under my custody, he's staying here until he's old enough to go adventuring."

Yuri glanced between devastated Karol, adamant Mrs. Harris, and frustrated Yeager, and then said, "What if I adopted him?"

They all looked to him in surprise. "I beg your pardon?" Mrs. Harris said.

"I'll adopt him," Yuri said like this was the simplest thing in the world. "If I'm his legal guardian, there's no problem with him coming with me. I'm twenty-three; that's old enough."

"Hey, that's a great idea," Karol said.

Mrs. Harris looked between them with a frown. "I don't know…. I'm not sure if I would approve of giving Yuri complete custody."

"It seems like the logical decision to me. Give Yuri guardianship of Karol and they will be free to do the Don's work." Yeager's gaze turned cold and he added, "If you hinder the Don's work, I will be highly displeased."

He and Mrs. Harris maintained and angry glare-off, and Flynn recalled that the orphanage relied on Yeager's monetary contributions.

Finally, Mrs. Harris relented. "Oh, all right. But standard adoption fees apply."

"Fees?" Yuri asked.

She looked at him disapprovingly. "Yes, there are fees to be paid if you want to become Karol's legal guardian. My word, if you can't even afford this, how do you expect to provide for him?"

"Yuri doesn't need to provide for me," Karol said. "He's in charge of provisions for the ship, but that has nothing to do with his own pocket-money."

"We're a bit low on cash right now," Yuri said. "We're going to get a lot of money soon, but something came up."

"No money, no adoption."

Yuri looked to Yeager for help, but Yeager held up his arms. "I'm sorry, my lad, I cannot help you there."

"Would you take something as collateral until we get the gald?" Yuri asked.

Mrs. Harris nodded. "That is acceptable. What do you have?"

Yuri glanced to Karol. "Er… actually nothing."

The situation was quickly getting out of their control. Flynn had to wonder if the sad story Karol had told him outside was made up to get him on their side, but whatever the case, it had worked. He didn't want to see these two separated, because being with Yuri and the others truly seemed to make Karol happy. Before actual arguing could flare up, he said, "My cufflinks are made of silver." He carefully undid the clasps and pulled the four studs from his wrists. They were shiny and engraved with the emblem of the Imperial Navy, and should be worth at least a few thousand gald. "Would these suffice as collateral?"

Yeager snatched them out of his hand and smiled. "Oh, ja, these would be quite sufficient."

"No," Yuri said. "I don't want to be in your debt."

"Yuri!" Karol kicked his shin. "Flynn, if you're willing to part with them, we'd be very grateful."

Flynn nodded. They were expensive, but they were still just cufflinks. He could hardly keep them out of greed and separate a family instead. "Take them."

Yeager handed them to Mrs. Harris. "Wunderbar! I think that covers everything here. I'll be by with another donation in a few days, Frau Harris."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Yeager."

Yeager, Gauche, and Droite left, and Mrs. Harris rifled through her drawer. While she was distracted, Yuri gave Flynn a quick look. Yuri was clearly conflicted on whether to be happy with Flynn for saving Karol, or upset with him for putting Yuri in his debt. Mrs. Harris produced the adoption papers before he could settle on one.

"All right, Yuri, initial all the spaces along this column and sign at the bottom."

"You will remember to read the papers before signing them, yes?" Flynn added.

"Yes." Yuri glared at him, and then hunched over the desk to read the long form. With a quill, he carefully scratched his initials in a few places and then added his sloppy signature at the bottom.

"There you go." Mrs. Harris pulled the forms back. "As of now, you are Karol's legal guardian. That means he is completely and legally your responsibility, Yuri. If anything happens to him, you will be held responsible."

"Yeah, I did read it."

"It'll be fine," Karol said. "We're more like partners anyway."

Mrs. Harris didn't even bother answering, just gave Karol a look. Flynn had been impressed with how mature Karol was for his age, but the matron had a point and he hoped Yuri wasn't getting in over his head. Yuri was still young, reckless, and immature himself, and he hardly seemed old enough to be adopting a child.

"You don't have to worry about any more trouble regarding Karol's custody."

"Great." Yuri stood and smiled. "Mrs. Harris… thanks. I promise I'll look after him."

She smiled genuinely. "I know you'll try, Yuri. Just… please take care."

She walked to the door with them, and hugged them both before leaving. She pulled Karol against her chest and murmured some words in his ear, and then wrapped her arms around Yuri's shoulders quickly. "I suppose you have at least partially grown up, Yuri. Be good, take care of each other, and don't hesitate to come back and visit whenever you're in Dahngrest."

Yuri tried to look irritated at her affection, but Flynn could tell he secretly liked it. "Yeah, yeah, but we can't leave if you never stop hugging me."

She finally let him go, and they were able to leave the orphanage. "Well, that was a pain in the ass," Yuri grumbled when they were on the street again. He rubbed his abdomen and said, "If she'd hugged me any harder, she might have popped this open again."

"She really does care about you, Yuri," Karol said. "I was really worried I'd have to stay, but it's nice to know someone cares about me that much."

"Well, you're a free man now, Karol. Here." Yuri handed him his copy of the papers. "You're the captain - you keep those."

Flynn had to laugh. "You might be the only child in Aque Lumireis in possession of his own adoption papers."

"And, Flynn…" Yuri hesitated while looked at him. "Thanks. You didn't have to do that. I'll pay you back as soon as we have the money."

"It's fine. Although, my cuffs are falling down, now." He glanced at his wrists with annoyance. "I suppose this shirt looks weird on its own, anyway. It's supposed to be worn under my jacket."

"Why don't you wear it, then?" Yuri asked.

"Don't you remember? It's covered in blood now."

Yuri frowned. "Remember what?"

"Flynn used his jacket to staunch the blood after you got stabbed," Karol reminded him.

"Oh. To be honest, I don't remember that whole ordeal very clearly. I guess I owe you for the jacket, too. How much was it?"

"More than you can afford. Don't worry about it; the Navy will supply me with a new one once I return to the Endurance."

"I will pay you back, you know," Yuri said stubbornly.

"So eager to give me your money?"

"I don't like being in people's debts."

They were now past the doughnut shop and venturing further into the city. Flynn had no idea where he was going, but it was interesting to see the city. "What about that Yeager character? You're more indebted to him than me. He's the one who got this to be allowed in the first place."

Yuri waved his hand. "I don't even want to start worrying about my debt to Yeager. This may be the first time he's helped us directly, but it's his donations to the orphanage that kept Karol and I fed growing up."

"He seems like a nice enough man… if you ignore the illegal arms dealing."

"That illegal arms dealing put food on our table, so I can't complain."

This was going to turn into another heated argument about ideals and morality, and Flynn didn't feel like getting into it again. Instead, he asked, "Karol, what's that building over there?"

"Oh, that's the headquarters of the Thundering Masts. They're one of the biggest shipwright guilds in Dahngrest." Karol continued with a lengthy discussion on the history of the guild and how influential ship building was as an art in this town, while Flynn did his best to follow along. Yuri gave him a quick glance to let him know he knew exactly what Flynn had done as a diversion, and also that he appreciated it. He didn't want to get into a fight on this lovely day either.

Dahngrest was a city unlike any Estelle had ever seen before. She'd spent the whole day dragging Rita around and marvelling at all the sights. They strolled through the fishing district and Estelle gaped at the massive fish hanging from hooks, covered in sharp teeth and skin rough as sandpaper. Closer to the heart of the city, she spent over half an hour admiring the tide pools that formed in the ruins of a collapsed building that was just high enough above sea-level. Rita made a big fuss about wasting time doing nothing all afternoon, but more than once Estelle caught Rita enjoying herself.

When evening came, they made their way back to the cathedral. There was a large room set up as a cafeteria, and Estelle spotted Yuri, Karol, and Flynn eating dinner at one end of a long table. The girls grabbed plates of fried fish and joined them.

"Good evening, Lady Estellise. Did you have a nice day?"

"Oh, yes!" Estelle launched into a description of everything they'd done that day, while Flynn smiled and nodded along. Karol and Yuri watched with amusement, but Estelle just wanted to share all the wonderful things she'd seen today. The city was so vibrant and full of life, and it seemed to grow organically out of the sea like a reef. "…and then we came back here!"

The others stared at her for a few seconds and then Yuri said, "Well that sounds fun."

"It's such a wonderful city." She beamed at them. "What did you do today?"

Yuri shrugged. "I'm Karol's father now."

Rita wrinkled her brow and stared between them. "What the hell?"

Karol rolled his eyes. "You don't have to phrase it like that, Yuri. We just went to our old orphanage and Mrs. Harris wanted me to stay. Yuri signed the papers to adopt me so I could leave."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Estelle said.

"She let you do that?" Rita raised her eyebrows. "You told me she was pretty protective."

"Yeager helped," Yuri said. "He showed up and convinced her to let us do it, since Karol and I need to go after Ioder."

"That was nice of him."

Another plate hit the table next to them and Judith sat next to Yuri. "Hello."

"Hey, Judy. You have fun today?"

"Mm, Dahngrest has the best bars."

"Is that really all you did today?" Karol was almost done with his dinner now and looked to her with confusion.

Judith smiled lightly. "Oh, it's been a while since we made port in a big city like this. Besides, I wanted to see if anyone else from that man from the dock's ship was around. I'm very interested in that shadow he mentioned."

Rita rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you actually believe that crap."

Judith just smiled and started eating her fish. "It's certainly interesting."

"Well, did you find anything?" Yuri asked.

Judith frowned. "Unfortunately, no. I don't know what crew that man came from, but nobody I spoke to had anything but overheard rumours."

Yuri finished his dinner and set his knife and fork down. "Probably because it doesn't exist. I think I'm gonna head to my room; I'm feeling kind of tired."

Estelle nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. Rest is still important as long as you're healing."

"'Night, guys."

It was past midnight, and Yuri couldn't sleep. Laying in a dark room with no sound but the rhythmic swells of the ocean left him with nothing to focus on but the throbbing ache in his gut. Elsewhere in the room, Karol and Flynn were fast asleep on the other beds while Repede snored at the foot of his own. Yuri was jealous, because he couldn't get himself to relax even though he was so tired his limbs felt heavy.

I need drugs, he realized, staring at the stone ceiling. He'd drunk laudanum before bed every night for weeks, and now getting to bed without it was next to impossible. He needed something to numb the pain, because how was he supposed to go to sleep with it? He needed laudanum, and carefully rolled out of bed with one hand over his stomach. Repede looked up at him as he went to the door, but he held his finger to his lips and slipped into the hall. Flynn's warning about becoming an addict whispered in the back of his mind, but for now he didn't care and lightly knocked on the girls' door before stepping in.

To his surprise, Estelle was still awake. She sat on the lip of the windowsill, staring out at the city. She turned her head to him when he walked in, and though it was hard to make out the details of her face with only the moon behind the window, he could tell she frowned with concern. "Are you alright, Yuri?" she whispered.

Yuri closed the door and crossed the room as quietly as he could so as not to wake Rita or Judith. "Can you give me some laudanum?" He leaned against the wall and held one hand over his sore abdomen.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I left my medicine chest on the ship. I could go get it if you really need it."

Yuri shook his head. "No, don't go all that way. It's not an emergency."

"I'm sorry. I should have thought to bring it."

"It's fine." Yuri looked out the window to see what she'd been staring at. Dahngrest spread out below them, lit by endless flickering lights from the round windows of buildings. "Dahngrest is pretty great, huh?"

"It's such a beautiful city."

"I don't know if I'd call it beautiful." The city was haphazardly pieced together in a rush, with hasty patch jobs and buildings thrown together out of old ship parts. It had nothing on the stunning architecture of Zaphias' upper areas, or the delicate beauty of the Halure tree.

"It is, though. Maybe not in a traditional way, but it looks… lived in." She smiled at him. "It's amazing how creative people were to put the city together like this, and it's like a symbol of how resourceful and durable people can be. I don't think something has to line up with conventional expectations to be beautiful in its own way."

"Huh. Well, I guess I can see that."

"When I first saw that the cathedral had been converted into a guild office, I thought it was terribly disrespectful. But now I think… it's like a hermit crab."

Yuri frowned. "Uh… I'm not sure I follow."

"Hermit crabs find empty shells and make them their home. I can't deny that Altosk has done great things for this city. The priests abandoned this building and Altosk made it their own, and now they use their influence to help others. I think that's very much in the spirit of the goddess' teachings. Maybe they aren't religious, but… I think She would be pleased with the way they're using her temple."

"Well, I'm sure they'd be glad you approve." Actually the Don probably didn't give a rat's ass what imperial royalty thought.

"I'm really glad I'm on this ship with you and everyone. I'm sorry that you had to get hurt for me to be here, but I've already had so many great experiences."

"Yeah, it's been fun so far, but tomorrow we're heading out after Barbos. It's not going to be fun and games anymore."

Estelle nodded and set her face with determination. "I know. I got through the battle with the Blood Alliance already, and I'm prepared to face Barbos again. We have to rescue Ioder."

Her determination was endearing. Yuri found he really liked Estelle, and he was almost glad Ioder had been kidnapped because it meant she was sticking around on the ship longer. "Yeah. If that piece of crap thinks he can just waltz off with our passenger, he's got another thing coming."

Estelle looked to her bed. "I should probably go to sleep, since we have to get up early tomorrow to depart. You should try to sleep, too."

Yuri grimaced and pressed his hand against his stomach. "I'm trying."

"I'm sorry I can't do anything for you. If you really need it, I can go get medicine for you."

"No, no, it's fine." He forced a smile. "I'll get some sleep. See you tomorrow."

The Darting Arrow was a small sloop that bobbed against the dock. It had only one mast and one lower deck. It was part of the Altosk fleet, and its normal crew would be manning it on the trip to Caer Bocram. Meanwhile, the crew of the Brave Vesperia would be hard at work on repairs, with supplies bought from the Don at a discount.

Yuri was glad they were taking care of this, because he honestly didn't think he had the energy to prepare a ship for departure. He sat on a barrel and clutched his aching abdomen while trying not to fall asleep. He'd barely gotten a wink of sleep last night, and he usually got a break from pain overnight which gave him new energy to deal with it the next morning. He hadn't gotten that last night, and it had been all he could do to not throw bacon at Flynn's face this morning when asked him how he was feeling today.

"It's so cute and little," Estelle said as they stood on the dock and looked up at it.

"It's meant for speed and agility," Flynn said. "It has cannons, but it would only engage in battle against a larger ship as a last resort. This sort of ship would usually be used for reconnaissance, sending messages, or espionage."

"How long will it take to get to Caer Bocram?" Rita asked.

A newcomer answered. "Bit under a week, I'd guess."

Yuri looked over to see the pipe-smoking sailor from the day before strolling toward them. "You need something, Old Man?"

"Ol' Man? I think ya oughta be addressin' me as 'Captain' from now on."

Rita crossed her arms and stared at him with annoyance. "You're kidding."

"Not at all!" He put his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest. "Cap'n Raven, at your service!"

"You are the captain of this ship?" Karol looked at him skeptically.

Raven's face fell. "Why d'ya have ta say it so surprised? The Don specifically asked me ta take y'all ta Caer Bocram."

"You're a member of Altosk?" Estelle asked.

"Sure am! Which one of ya is Captain Capel?"

Karol stepped forward. "That's me."

Raven stared at him. "And ya gave me flack for not lookin' like a captain. Anyway, she's about ready ta set sail, so all aboard!" He led the way up the gangplank onto the ship, with Yuri and the others close behind. "There's only one cabin, which the darlin' princess here can make herself at home in."

They all looked to Estelle, who blushed and shook her head. "Oh, no, I couldn't take the room. Yuri, you take it."

"Hey, I'm fine sleeping on a hammock."

Estelle frowned. "It would be better for your wound to sleep somewhere more stable."

"What's this?" Raven turned his eyes on Yuri. "The kid here is injured?"

"It's nothing." Yuri waved his hand.

Estelle put her fists on her hips. "It is not 'nothing'." To Raven, she explained, "Yuri was stabbed in the stomach recently. It was very nearly fatal and he's still recovering."

Yuri would rather she didn't explain the details to someone they'd just met. He didn't know yet if they could even trust Raven, and now the man knew exactly what his greatest weakness was. Of course, he was so exhausted and sore this morning, it was pretty obvious he was injured. As soon as they were underway, he was going to take some laudanum, lie down in a dark corner, and take a much-needed nap.

Raven swung an arm around Yuri's shoulders. "Oh, the poor lad. Why don't ya take my bed?"

"No, thanks." Yuri pulled away and wrinkled his nose from being so close to Raven. He may not have the pipe in his hand at the moment, but the scent of something smoky and herbal lingered on him and Yuri didn't even want to imagine how tightly it must cling to his bed.

"Fine, don't accept my hospitality. Well, you lot make yourselves comfortable. My crew's got everythin' under control."

"Thank you, Captain Raven," Estelle said.

He grinned lecherously at her. "Anythin' for a darlin' lady. Don't you worry, Miss, we'll rescue your prince in a jiffy."

Raven left and Karol exchanged an unpleasant look with Yuri. As far as first impressions went, Raven's left much to be desired.