Lowell

Chapter 26

Yuri feels strange… so very strange. The voices from the blastia are still pounding in his ear and he feels like any minute his mood might go from barely okay to bursting in rage filled tears. Yuri's skin is on fire and he opens his shirt up even more. He isn't sick. Yuri is never sick.

He's forcing a cool demeanor on his face as he walks out. The people in the inn are looking at him with revulsion and whispering.

Krytian

Krytian

Inhuman...

Even Yuri isn't vain enough to pretend the words aren't cutting into him. His whole life he's been The Halfer. An insult labeling him as a muddied human and now he's even less than that. He's a Krytian. The world feels like it's spinning... Yuri sets a hand on the wall to sturdy himself... he wants to break something... Their voices are mocking him...

"I thought this was a respectable establishment." A patron says behind her fan.

"The age we live in! Where that thing can walk around in our city."

"Magistrate Raguo will pay a hefty sum for an unmarked one like that."

"They're not as strange as I thought they'd be. Still, disgusting all the same."

"How'd it even get on the continent?"

He goes into the rain to get away from everything and hides in the alleys. It's cold and when the rain pelts those things jutting from him there's a slight sting, but Yuri feels at peace for a moment.

"I'm normal!" He knows it's a lie. Yuri has never been normal, but he wants to pretend. He kicks at the crates and the trash. He thrashes his sword to try to get out the rage that's been festering in him since he woke up. Yuri throws his blade and decides the best use of his time is to furiously punch the wall.

He hears footsteps and hides in the shadows. Yuri thought he could get straight back to work, but he can't. He needs to be alone so he can sort this out. If he Flynn finds him Yuri just might bite off his fucking head. Yuri doesn't want pity or comfort.

He doesn't want to be hugged or told some bullshit about this being good. "Why now?"

He leans on the wall and just sits there. The rain is cold, but he doesn't care. Yuri's never sick so it won't matter if he sits there all day. His skin is so hot and Yuri realizes he's panting! Why? He's not moving or doing anything, but he's out of breath.

He groans because that heat is getting unbearable His breathes come out as unsteady puffs. The world is spinning, but he can't say why. He shivers, but his skin is still burning up. "What the hell?" Yuri's legs protest the moment he tries to stand and he collapses in puddle.

So hot

He shivers again and Yuri is terrified. What have these antennas done to him? He hears heavy boots walking on the ground and hopes it's Flynn. He can't move and his cry for help is broken moan.

"What are you thinking?" a voice hisses as the boot steps inches from his face.

"This for our son. We can easily use him as an extra bargaining chip." A man says and Yuri thinks he heard that voice before. A hand touches his forehead and Yuri tries to run. It's warm! Too warm! "Looks like he's sick too. I doubt he could fight back."