dev 4 - confronting the killer

Wasn't she kidnapped? Wasn't the whole reason why Actaeon disappeared one day and never returned, after he had gone to confront certain people according to what he's been told.. it's Remei?

"What are you doing out here?"

"What did Yuri or Cameo do to you?"

It's rather clear he doesn't particularly look pleased. If anything.. he seems awfully suspicious.
(Nerin)

They didn't look too good. Dark bags colored beneath their bloodshot eyes, and their usually ragged hair- It was straightened, but still unkempt. Dirty. Blood stained the rag they were slowly cleaning their hands with. Worse still, were the plants coiling out from underneath their skin. Roots were plainly visible beneath her flesh.

Sprigs of alessa, sinka, and.. Coffee shrubs? Soothe reed? So many different plants that they very well looked akin to a living, walking garden.

Seeing him there, a twisting sensation curled in their stomach. The weight of Actaeon's cloak on their shoulders tugged a bit more heavily. Their gaze dropped to the cobbled path.

"I.. I w-wath brought here. A.. reward? For lithtening t-to them. Doing what th-they thay." The little drakanite shifted in place, their weight unsteady on the cobbled stones. They took a small step backward.

One clawed hand reached for a pocket, pulling something free from within. Something that was probably recognizable to him. A badge of the order. They offered it out toward him. "They.. they k-killed him."
(Remei)

He knew it to be true all along. Ever since seeing the blood splattered chapel, and the words coming from Holly that he went to confront Yuri and Cameo over disappearance of Remei.. and the fact that he hasn't returned for months..

It all aligned.
And his heart ached for it.

For where his gaze judges silently, his hand stretches out with a strong frown on his face, one which suggests that he would be most displeased to hear this. If anything, when he sees Yuri walk out of chapel.. the azure flames are already conjured upon his fingertips.

"...Yuri."

There's no trust to her. No trust that she could really cooperate or work in any way possible, and yet.. the love for his brother was strong. He still remembered the childhood the two of them shared, the happy memories when they were so little. For Yuri, this could perhaps be yet another kill, someone who just stood in the way of her master, or lover, or worse - Cameo.

But for him?
It was his brother.

"I'll give you one single chance. One chance before you're permanently banned from Osrona- before you'll fall with Moonfall as we march."

"Why did you kill my brother? Where is Cameo? How do I get to him?"

For he deemed him guilty. Yet.. having no faith in the woman's cooperation, already the azure flames consume his hands. Already they point slightly downward, as if preparing for something.

Already there's a threat of Reckoning.
(Nerin)

This wasn't expected. Not at all. Just as Remei and Yuri had finished their business within the old church owned by the little Drakanite, Nerin had appeared to knock on the door.

What was expected was the reaction form him that came next. Perhaps he saw most in the Order as his brethren, or maybe it was particularly those in the Valero squad?

Whatever the case was it didn't matter right now. What mattered was dealing with the situation.

"Nerin."

"I will explain nothing to you, but I will say one thing."

"He shouldn't of threatened Melora."

Had that threat never occurred, he might still be alive today. Many things in fact would be far differnt from as they are now.

But what ifs are just that. What ifs. There's no point in dwelling on it now.

As those azure flames would begin to rise up on Nerin, Yuri would draw forth blood from the scratches and cutsthat still plagued their body. It was a good thing they weren't healed up in fact.

"Back off now and you can still walk away. Don't do what Actaeon did."

"Someone still has to get rid of that fake Jasper."
(Yuri Dojin)

Anger welled up within.

If only for the fact that this is the murderer of his brother, right infront of him.. and no matter the excuses, it couldn't stop a single fact - one that Actaeon is gone, and nothing could return that. Nothing could bring him back.. and when she remarks of getting rid of fake Jasper?

"THIS WAS MY FUCKING BROTHER, YURI! MY ACTUAL BROTHER!"

Can't she tell that much? This is no simple Knight that has died, because in truth.. he never really cared that much about the deaths of Solon, of the fact that Zachary seemingly disappeared, or really any other Knight unless they've been personally acquainted.

No.. this isn't about Order business.
This is about his actual family.

"I don't care whom he threated. I don't care what twisted obsession you have with Cameo or whoever you want to protect. If he was really that bad - then you could've restrained him and kept him alive!"

"Why did you have to kill him?!"

It hurt, it stung bad. This heartache, this feeling of loss.. and yet he's not unfamiliar with it- for this makes a second brother that he's lost, alongside with his close friend. If anything.. he wanted to get to the bottom of this - to get behind the orchestration that is made.

"You--"

"You will lead me to this fake Jasper. You will lead me to Cameo - and someone is going to be responsible for Actaeon's death."

These azure flames extend forth. Where the contradiction of blue against the blood's red is found in how he reaches out to her- in how the hands intend to disable her magical efficiency. Already, it seems that he shifts to offense.

"Surrender, or you'll make it worse."
(Nerin)

As one who has had yet to lose anything close to her- at least to to death...

She couldn't relate. She could only feel a empty pity for Nerin as her expression would begin to harden.

"Him dying was the best possible outcome for him if I won."

"What do YOU think would happen? What do YOU think will happen if I drag him off to Moonfall? To the Syndicate?"

"Do you want another fake sibling? Do you want another public executioning to end in the summoning of a demon?"

Yuri would then proceed to slip on a mask before pushing Nerin back with a burst of wind, blood in the air hardening and collecting into glass-like shards; ready to pierce.

Offense would only be returned with offense.

"I'm not surrendering."

"You want the fake Jasper? He's already in your city, wandering around who knows where still pretending to be the purple-haired boy. Still pretending to be Cameo's brother."

After that she'd go silent. If he chose to come at her once more? Then it was a fight, no question.
(Yuri Dojin)

"Get out." Two words. Before anything further could happen. The little drakanite spoke up, finally, their quiet voice atremble. It'd been a long while since they got to visit this place. A long time since they got to tend the graves.

They'd be damned before they let anyone fight here again.

The little drakanite stepped up between them. They put a hand out to either side, trembling though they were. Uneasy though they were. Weak as they were. Damaged and just about broken from the torture they'd been through.

They were still ready to bleed for this place. "You two c-can fight if you have to. I don't.. I d-don't like it, but.. but that'th on you t-two, that'th fine.

Don't f-fight in the graveyard. Don't dithrethpect the d-dead like that.. The graveth have a-already been broken a f-few timeth.." Their steely gaze focused on Nerin, for a few moments. Then past him, toward the newest grave among the lot. They stared, for a time, toward that tombstone.

Then their attention returned to the duo. A faint hiss escaped their lips as they spoke. "Get off the themetery groundth. Fight elthewhere."
(Remei)

There's truth to this rage. And even now, when she intends to push him back, it's rather evident that he does not relent- for when he grasped onto this idea, he would not let go so easily. For all that he knows, she's taken his brother, his actual brother, the man with whom he shared so much throughout the years. And now..

Now he's gone. In time, she would know this pain too..
When someone valuable to her is lost.

"I WANT MY BROTHER ALIVE!"

It's futile to say such things. To say that he was 'necessarily killed', when Yuri had clear choice to either keep him alive or actually end him here and there. If anything.. this reveals her alignment entirely- the fact that she would not bother to work with any of them.

None of these reasons linger with him.
None of it makes sense.

For if she at least 'pretended' to be compassionate.. then she would understand that she had a clear choice to keep him alive or even let him go, even with injury.. yet, she chose none of that. She chose to end his life, and for that..

The azure flames seek to consume her.

Unfortunately for Remein, the aching heart of a brother does not pay attention to her pleading- instead, it is entirely disregarded in attempts to bring down Yuri; he did need her to reach out to Cameo, he did need her in order to grasp out at those still within Moonfall.

One way or another, he would get it.
(Nerin)

She was right. Even Yuri hated fighting on the grounds of the buried dead. To do so was disrespectful and wrong.

It was why she couldn't kill Actaeon in the Graveyard. She had to drag him elsewhere to do the deed. A peaceful end if anything.

When Nerin sought to consume her form with his flames, she chose to flee. To run off towards the forests whilst bits of Crimson would be thrown out towards Nerin; carefully aimed at his torso moreso as a distraction than anything.

She was trying to respect Remei's wish.
(Yuri Dojin)

There's decadence of violence that he could not experience before. The decadence in which he fights not only for himself, but for his family member- for the loss of his brother, one in which he was not only disgracefully put down before he could truly bloom in his life.. but also in a way that would rip away one of the most precious things from Nerin.

One of the things that tied him to old, innocent self..
Rather than this wretched machine that seeks out blood.

It isn't to say that it's not justified.. for losing a family member, then a close friend, then another family member.. it tends to get people terribly, terribly jaded- so much so that they're ready to commit heinous acts and even lash out with their pain against another; here, where Yuri puts out the skilled combat with the blood and water magics alike..

He finds himself in the absolute.
Pushed to the limits never known before.

He finds himself combating against the crimson that stains not only her, but also the entirety of his self- in a way that could suggest that one of them would no doubt walk out of this place heavily injured, if at all.. and here, where his palms are set on azure flames, he finds an opening in the Ookami's defense, one which he could utilize.

It is a sudden lunge right against her core.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.. all of the hints are delivered with intent that showed the welling up anger within- with the rage that could surpass just about anything in this world. Here, where she finds herself terribly weakened.. this mess of a man, covered in blood - suddenly grasps upon the features of her face with two hands.

"I SCORN YOU!!"

It burns. It burns so much that it leaves a mark on her face.. it burnsso much that the blue hue spreads throughout her veins, as if she were struck by thunderbolt- as if she was set ablaze from inside out. Here, where she's locked in this grasp, it lasts ten seconds, twenty seconds, half a minute..

And only after the horrible sting, the burn is delivered.. she's finally let go. For it takes toll upon Nerin as well, but.. while he takes a moment to recover..

"--You will pay. You will lead me to Cameo."

He walks to her..
But it is a chance to flee.
(Nerin)

Pain. Nothing but blazing pain. She had instinctively closed her eye the moment that his hand had closed in on her face. And it was fortunate she did, yet also unfortunate. As it burned its way into her veins and mana circuits, it'd melt the skin around her eye and essentially shut it closed permanently; left in nothing but incomplete darkness as she'd reel back once he had finally released the Ookami.

Searing, agonizing pain that far exceeded what Remei had did ot her bones. The blood in her veins sizzled and evaporated as she'd hold a hand close to her face.

Blood that she couldn't properly take a hold of was pouring down, bubbling as it slid down her face to drip into the grass below.

We need to leave

While Nerin was weakened? Now was a better time than any to flee.

After adjusting to the slowly dimming pain, the Ookami'd look through their one good eye around for Remei; locating the Drakanite and quickly running to snatch them up before quickly darting off as the boy shrouded in azure flames recovered.

The Drakanite's vacation time was over.
(Yuri Dojin)

She could escape like this. And yet, despite wanting to keep Yuri, if only to bait Cameo to show up and ensure that he could actually get to the man.. now, he could only hope that during their march on Moonfall he could eventually show up. But to digress, as much as she runs to snatch up Remei.. he doesn't seem to pay much heed.

If only because his gaze is settled onto Ookami.
Besides, if the drakanite really wanted to escape..
Then she would've done so already.

Instead, the azure flames swiftly recharge, the palms pointed together to unleash a single barrage that could intend to stop them- here, it is fired along with the bones towards Yuri, with a single shout- no, demand given.

"GET BACK HERE!!"

But..
It missed.

It's all in vain. As much as the technique used upon her was searing enough to cripple her perhaps for life.. there's something about this which he couldn't help but frown at- something about this which promised to him that they would meet again.

At least, soon enough.

For now.. he clutches onto his own wounds. He knew that he would eventually recover, but for now, he could use some rest..

He walks away, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
(Nerin)