Hello, everyone! Now that my fan fiction, The Hero of Spirits, is finished, I can move on to an original story of mine, The Dragonslayer Orphan! This story will be quite different from The Hero of Spirits. It will have a much bigger focus on character interactions and character development. Since the characters are so important to this story, there is going to be a lot of dialogue. Also, I won't have any specific chapter lengths for each chapter. With The Hero of Spirits, I tried to make each chapter between 9 and 11 pages long. But this time, the chapters will be as long as I need them to be. Whatever I want to cover in a chapter is what's going to go into it. So, the chapter lengths will end up varying greatly at times. This story will also be quite long; maybe not as long as The Hero of Spirits, but long nonetheless. Also, it should be noted that this story will contain more mature/suggestive content, themes, and dialogue than The Hero of Spirits did. It's not exactly "R-rated", but do keep in mind that it will probably be "+17" at times.
Alright, with that out of the way, it's time for the prologue! This chapter is mainly for the purpose of introducing some of the characters. The first few chapters are the same. They'll mainly be meant for introducing the characters and the aspects of the story. This story will start off somewhat slow, but after the first couple of chapters, it will begin to get more plot-heavy. Now then, I hope you enjoy The Dragonslayer Orphan!
"Yuri and Serah belong to a group of twenty orphans who have banded together into a family. They work together to make a living by taking on job requests for people in need, doing various things like gathering resources, or acting as guards for travelers, or even fighting monsters called 'Hades Dwellers'. They make use of 'Krystel Tools' to help them during their jobs. One such tool is called a 'Krystel Fairy'. The user can transfer his or her consciousness into the fairy, and act as a partner for the other person. This is how Serah helps Yuri as they take on jobs together.
When the King of the Krystel Kingdom begins setting more and more restrictions on resources, it becomes harder for the family to earn a living. One day, Yuri takes on a job that forces him to go against the Kingdom. As a result, the King labels Yuri, as well as the entire family, as criminals, and orders them all to be executed for treason. Will the King’s merciless laws put an end to the family of orphans, or will they manage to survive in a ruthless kingdom?"
Cold water splashed onto the boy’s face as he knelt at the bank of the stream. After washing his face, he opened his eyes and stared at his reflection on the water’s surface for a short while. He had a somewhat thin face and what could be called hints of feminine features. His rust-colored eyes peeked out between the gaps in the bangs of his fluffy flaxen-colored hair.
The boy sighed as if something about his appearance bothered him, and he started to rise to his feet. But just as he was halfway up, a pair of arms hugged him around the neck from behind, and the warmth of the body they belonged to pushed him back down as it pressed against his back.
“Hey Yuri! Let’s go get dinner together!”
The girl who said this perched her chin on Yuri’s right shoulder so she could see his face. Yuri respectively turned his head so he could see the face of the girl.
“No. I’ll be there in a bit. Go get dinner by yourself, Serah.”
Upon hearing Yuri’s stoic reply, Serah curled her lips into a pout. “You’re mean.” she teased.
Yuri watched the pouting face of his best friend for a bit. Serah was a beautiful girl, and one year older than he was at nineteen. She had smooth skin and very well-defined features. Her brunette hair was straight and silky, and her bright orange eyes were big and beaming. Her rosy lips, though currently pouting, warmed one’s heart when they smiled.
“Fine, then. Come and join us when you’re ready.”
After saying this, Serah released Yuri from her hug and stood up. He felt her body heat vanish, and he listened to her footsteps as she walked away through the damp grass. Yuri sighed, which was something he found himself doing often, and rose to his feet without any interruptions this time.
Instead of walking toward the campsite right away, Yuri took some time to stare up at the heavens. The night sky was dark purple and dotted with bright white stars all over. Various constellations were visible in the clear, cloudless sky. The large crescent moon had just finished rising beyond the tops of trees that lined the far horizon.
Yuri turned his back to this sight after taking it in for a while, and he began walking away from the bank of the freshwater stream. He marched through the grass towards the campsite, the location of which was signaled by the large fire in its center. The fire was surrounded in a large circle by various tents, although the tents on one side were accompanied by open-air stalls. The tents on the other side were fewer in number and had no such stalls to go with them.
The purpose of the stalls was to harbor equipment and other things, which the adults held onto. There were eight adults, and respectively, eight tents on their side. On the other side were only five tents, even though there were twelve kids. Many of the kids, such as Yuri, had to share a tent with someone else. In Yuri’s case, it was Serah.
As Yuri approached the noisy campsite, he headed straight for the fire in the center. Atop this fire was a large cauldron, and standing in front of this cauldron was the person Yuri was going to see. She noticed Yuri as he walked towards her, and a big smile spread across her face.
“Hello, Yuri dear. Tonight, we’re having beef stew with a dinner roll!”
The woman who greeted Yuri with the menu was Angelica, the family’s cook. She was a very kind-hearted woman in her thirties with sparkling blue eyes. Her dirty blonde hair was currently tied back under a hairnet, and she was wearing a white apron with a few brown stains on it. She was very motherly and helpful, and everyone went to her when they needed advice.
Angelica reached into a straw basket and removed a tin bowl. After pouring beef stew into it with the ladle she was holding, she handed it to Yuri. Next, she grabbed a metal spoon from a second basket, a paper napkin from a third, and a dinner roll from a fourth. She handed these items to Yuri consecutively.
“Thank you.” Yuri said.
“Oh my, it’s a rare day when you thank anyone for anything!” Angelica laughed.
“... Shut up.” he grumbled.
Yuri quickly walked away while listening to Angelica chuckle, and he joined the other kids on their side of the campsite. He sat down in the grass next to Serah without uttering a word, and began to shovel the steaming stew into his hungry mouth.
“Hi, Yuri!” Serah said to him cheerfully.
Yuri mumbled a hello as he swallowed a mouthful of stew. He looked around as he ate, watching the other kids engage in conversation. One of the older kids, called Raiza, was talking to one of the little kids, called Ana. They had the same kind of conversation day in and day out.
“And that’s how I saved the entire village from the legion of monsters! How’s that, Ana? Did you just now understand the depths of my greatness?” Raiza said in a grandiose voice.
“No, you’re still a weirdo, Raiza.” Ana replied like she usually did.
The other kids laughed as Raiza clutched his head in a very exaggerated display of frustration. Raiza was tall and lean with clean-cut blond hair and dark brown eyes, and the same age as Serah. Like Yuri, his face had hints of feminine features, but it wasn’t as thin. Raiza could be called quite handsome if one could stand his narcissistic personality.
“One of these days, I WILL get you to understand my greatness!” Raiza groaned.
“Making up stories isn’t gonna do the trick, Weirdo.” Yuri said.
“Shut up, Gloomy!” Raiza snapped at Yuri.
“Ha ha! He called you ‘Gloomy’!” laughed Maika, one of the other kids in Yuri’s age group.
Maika was a year younger than Yuri at seventeen. She had wavy cherry-colored hair and shining green eyes. She was a bit on the short side, like Serah. Maika was very cute, but her airheaded personality didn’t match her appearance at all.
While she was laughing, Maika spilled a bit of her beef stew on her pink blouse. “Oopsie.” she said plainly.
She removed her shirt right then and there, exposing her white and frilly bra to plain view without a care in the world. The boy seated in the grass next to her, Aeri, let out a surprised gasp. He quickly covered the eyes of the seven-year-old boy Leo, who was sitting next to him.
“Maika! Don’t take your clothes off around us like that!” Aeri cried, trying his hardest to keep from staring at her cleavage.
Aeri was a shy boy at the same age as Maika. He had light brown hair in a bowl cut and brass-colored eyes that were always filled with worry. His passive personality made it easy for others to walk all over him.
“Aeri, come on. She does stuff like this all the time. How could you not be used to it by now?” Raiza said in a somewhat condescending tone.
“I don’t see what the big deal is...” Maika said blankly.
“Of course you wouldn't, Streaker.” Yuri said.
“It’s a HUGE deal, Maika! You have to learn to be more modest!” Serah scolded.
“But I thought it was okay to show off your chest once in awhile. Aren’t girls supposed to make use of their assets or something?” Maika said.
“You’ve been spending too much time around Leyanne.” Yuri said.
Just then, a pair of crossed arms nestled themselves atop Yuri’s head, and at the same time, a pair of large breasts pressed against the back of his neck. Yuri knew who they belonged to without even having to ask.
“Just what are you trying to say, Yuri? You’re not implying that I’m sleazy, are you?” Leyanne asked.
“Get your boobs off me.” Yuri replied curtly.
He was trying to sound annoyed, but he couldn’t hide his blushing cheeks. Leyanne simply laughed at his response. She was the youngest of the eight adults in the family at twenty-two. She had golden hair and eyes of the same color. She was extremely beautiful, but she was also extremely shallow. There was nothing Leyanne loved more than using her looks and her body to her advantage, whether it was for personal gain or for personal amusement.
“My, what a naughty thing to say.” Leyanne teased.
“Shut up.” Yuri said.
The others around them laughed at their exchange, and there was one person whose laughter boomed louder than all the others.
“Ha ha ha! What’s the matter, Yuri? As a man, shouldn’t you be happy about having a woman’s chest pressing up on you like that?” his voice boomed.
“Marko, you shouldn’t say things like that!” said the girl next to him.
“Aw come on, Scheri! Don’t be like that!” Marko said in his usual loud voice.
“I-I’m sorry!” Scheri quickly apologized in her usual quiet voice.
Scheri was a timid girl of seventeen. She had light blonde hair and beautiful silver eyes. She was rather pretty, and her tendency to apologize for anything she said or did added something to her charm. If you were to describe her in one word, it would be “wallflower”. Marko was a brazen boy of eighteen, the same age as Yuri. He had short black hair and bronze-colored eyes. He was tall and somewhat muscular. If you were to describe him in one word, it would be “jock”.
“Ha ha ha!” Marko continued to laugh.
“Ha ha ha!” the eight-year-old Ben mimicked.
“That’s the way, Ben! That’s my Apprentice of Coolness! Now, laugh together with me! Ha ha ha!” Marko bellowed.
“Shut up. You’re too noisy.” Yuri remarked.
“Yes. You’re scaring poor little Arin.” Leyanne said.
‘You’re still here?” Yuri said to Leyanne.
“How rude.” she replied.
Arin was a seven-year-old girl who looked up to Scheri like a big sister. However, she was frightened by Marko’s loud voice, so she clung to Scheri’s arm in fear whenever he laughed. And he laughed a lot.
“There, there. It’s okay, Arin.” Scheri said as she gently stroked the little girl’s hair.
“That girl needs to have some more courage! Hey, maybe she could become my Apprentice of Coolness like Ben!” Marko said.
“No way! She’s too scared of you, Marko!” Scheri protested.
“That’s exactly why I suggested it! So she can face her fears like a man!” Marko said.
“I-I’m sorry...” Scheri apologized.
“She can’t face her fears like a man if she’s a girl, dummy.” Serah joked.
“Oh, that’s right! How could I have forgotten? It appears the Master of Coolness has made a grave mistake!” Marko said dramatically.
“Well, if that’s the case, all she needs to do is become a man, right?” Maika said.
"You’re an idiot.” Yuri said.
Yuri finished his stew and placed it next to him in the grass. He then took a bite out of his dinner roll. As he gulped down the delicious dough, a six-year-old girl called Mary scurried up to him and tore her roll in half. She presented one of these halves to Yuri, making a face that indicated she wanted him to have it.
“No. Go away.” Yuri said to her.
“Yuri, stop being so cold to Mary!” Serah chastised.
“What, I’m the bad guy because I don’t like kids?” Yuri replied.
“Don’t pay any attention to that grouch, Mary.” Serah said.
“Grouch...?” Yuri muttered in annoyance.
Despite Serah telling her not to worry about it, Mary shook her head defiantly and continued to present half of her roll to Yuri. Mary was very attached to Yuri, and she was always trying to get on his good side. However, this made Yuri feel very uncomfortable. He didn’t understand what this uncomfortable feeling was, so he did everything he could to avoid it, even if it meant being cold-hearted to a little girl.
“Here.” Mary insisted as she tried to push her roll into Yuri’s hand. “Please, Big Brother?”
Upon being called “Big Brother”, the uncomfortable feeling Yuri felt reached its peak. He wanted to escape from that feeling so badly that he spoke without thinking.
“I’m not your brother!” he shouted.
“Yuri!” Serah snapped at him sharply.
Yuri quickly became aware of the huge mistake he’d just made. He looked around himself, and the entire campsite had gone deathly quiet. Everyone was staring at him. Yuri felt like an idiot, and he remained silent and stared at the ground.
“Yuri.”
The rough and powerful voice that called out his name gave Yuri a jolt. He slowly raised his head and looked behind himself, towards the source of the voice. Their eyes met, and Yuri felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole.
“... Han.” Yuri said the man’s name.
Han was a big man with a big heart. He had fierce scarlet hair and striking brown eyes. At thirty-six years old, he was the oldest in the family, as well as its leader and father-figure. Everyone admired him and respected him, including Yuri.
“You just broke the Number One Rule.” Han said sternly.
Yuri knew this. He was aware of what he’d done. This one rule that should never be broken, the Number One Rule, the Golden Rule, the Ultimate Taboo; no matter what it was called, it was always the same absolute rule. “Never, ever mention the fact that none of us are family.” Yuri had engraved this rule onto his heart, just like everyone else. Yet, he’d spoken without thinking, and in turn, broke that rule.
“Geez, Yuri. Even you should know better than-” Raiza began to say.
He cut himself off the second Yuri gave him a death glare. He whispered an apology and remained quiet.
“Yuri.” Han said as he stood up and approached him. “Even if we’re all just orphans living together out here, we still have to treat each other as family. That’s how we’ve made things work all these years, and that’s also the ideal I had in mind when I brought us all together. I know you of all people should understand that. Out of all of us, you are one of the ones most grateful to be a part of this family. So make sure you think before you say something like that again, okay?”
Han ruffled Yuri’s fluffy hair with a warm smile, and Yuri buried his face into his arms. “... Shut up.” he squeezed out.
Han laughed upon hearing that, and he went back to eating his dinner. Yuri almost expected some sort of punishment, but he knew that such a thing was not something Han would ever do. However, despite the lack of consequences, Yuri did not feel relieved. He’d ruined the cheery mood everyone had, and he felt awful for it.
Yuri stood up silently and carried his dishes over to Angelica by the cauldron. Without a word to anyone, he retreated to his tent. He closed up the entrance behind himself and allowed himself to drop right onto the two-person sleeping bag. He buried himself under the covers and rested his head on his pillow. He shut his eyes and let his mind wander off.
He thought about what Han had said about him being one of the ones most grateful for being a part of the family. Up until the age of ten, Yuri had been living an isolated life on the streets. He had to fend for himself and struggled to survive everyday. He very rarely had any human interactions. He was convinced he would spend his entire life like that, until he was discovered by Han and Serah.
The two of them found him sitting all alone in an alley while they were in town buying supplies for the family. Seeing that he was an orphan, they took him in. Yuri was brought to live with the family, and since he and Serah were the only kids in the family at that time, they quickly bonded with each other. Yuri finally found a place to call home. He was no longer alone. This was why he was so grateful to Han and the rest of the family. He deeply cared about everyone, even if he didn’t know how to express it properly.
Yuri’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the tent’s door being zipped open. He listened without opening his eyes as another person entered the tent and zipped the door back up. He knew who it was immediately. There was no one else who would come into this tent, after all.
“Don’t lecture me, Serah.” Yuri said, without opening his eyes.
“Too bad!” she replied. “I can’t believe you sometimes, you know? This wouldn’t have happened if you would just open up to Mary! Why do you insist on shutting her out like that? Don’t you know how much it hurts her?”
“I just don’t want to act friendly with her. What’s wrong with that?” Yuri said, continuing to keep his eyes shut as he turned onto his side.
He heard Serah sigh. He could hear her lay down in the sleeping bag next to him. Maybe it was because they’d been close for the past eight years, but Yuri felt nothing about sharing sleeping quarters with her, despite the fact that she was a girl.
At first, Yuri thought she was done talking, but then he remembered how stubborn she was. There was no way she’d be satisfied with the answer he’d given her. Just as he wondered what she was going to do, he felt her wrap her arms around him from behind. His eyes sprang open and his body flinched from surprise as the warmth of her body invaded his space.
Serah’s chest pressed up against Yuri’s back as she hugged him tightly, and her forehead gently touched the back of his head. He could tell by the feeling of her breathing that her lips were in very close proximity to the back of his neck. Her body heat engulfed his body, and he experienced a strange sensation that he couldn’t understand.
Yuri was so surprised, he couldn’t even say “Get off me!” like he usually would have said. If anyone else had hugged him so intimately, he would have struggled like a madman to escape. But instead, he held as still as he possibly could, and remained quiet. This was the first time Serah had ever done anything like this to him, and he couldn’t understand why. He also couldn’t understand the feeling he had at that moment, but strangely enough, he didn’t hate it. In fact, for reasons he didn’t understand, he wanted it to last.
This feeling was similar to the uncomfortable feeling he experienced many times since coming to live with the family. He had this feeling any time someone tried to get close to him or had any personal contact with him, such as a hug. Perhaps it was a result of his isolated youth, but he didn’t know how to respond to such things. And so, he avoided any and all situations that would cause him to experience that feeling.
Serah was the only exception. Even when she hugged him, the uncomfortable feeling he would have gotten from anyone else was different. He couldn’t explain it. He didn’t mind being close to Serah, and he didn’t mind it when she had any personal contact with him. He didn’t understand what this feeling was, and he desperately wanted to know. But he couldn’t bring himself to talk to anyone, not even Serah herself, about it. And so, he could do nothing but suffer because of this as he closed himself off from the world.
Yuri wondered why Serah hadn’t said anything since she began to hug him like this. But, he found his answer when he felt her steady breathing as she leaned against him. She’d fallen asleep. Yuri sighed, and decided he may as well try to fall asleep as well.
While quietly laying in her arms Yuri had a lot of time to think about her reasons for doing this. He knew Serah very well. Both of them could easily tell what the other was thinking. Because of this, he had a feeling that Serah knew what he was thinking when he said what he did to her about Mary. It was also because of this that he was able to figure out what Serah was thinking when she embraced him so intimately like this.
“I know what you’re feeling, Yuri. It’s not that you dislike Mary. You just don’t know how to express kindness properly. I’ve known you for a long time now, so I can understand you. But it’s okay. You don’t have to try if its hard for you. You can just let the others express kindness. All you have to do is learn to accept it. And I'll be your support.”
That was the meaning behind Serah’s actions. Yuri understood what she was trying to say, but he could still do nothing but shut himself away. He desperately wanted to open up, but something made him too scared to do that. He didn’t understand why, and that only made him want to close himself off even more.
Despite this, he was fine with the way things were now. Even if he was suffering deep inside his heart, shutting himself away from everyone was easier for him. To Yuri, this was for the best. Still, he appreciated what Serah had done for him just now, and so, before he drifted off to sleep, he whispered something to her; something he didn’t say often.
“Thank you.”
Alright, with that out of the way, it's time for the prologue! This chapter is mainly for the purpose of introducing some of the characters. The first few chapters are the same. They'll mainly be meant for introducing the characters and the aspects of the story. This story will start off somewhat slow, but after the first couple of chapters, it will begin to get more plot-heavy. Now then, I hope you enjoy The Dragonslayer Orphan!
* * *
"Yuri and Serah belong to a group of twenty orphans who have banded together into a family. They work together to make a living by taking on job requests for people in need, doing various things like gathering resources, or acting as guards for travelers, or even fighting monsters called 'Hades Dwellers'. They make use of 'Krystel Tools' to help them during their jobs. One such tool is called a 'Krystel Fairy'. The user can transfer his or her consciousness into the fairy, and act as a partner for the other person. This is how Serah helps Yuri as they take on jobs together.
When the King of the Krystel Kingdom begins setting more and more restrictions on resources, it becomes harder for the family to earn a living. One day, Yuri takes on a job that forces him to go against the Kingdom. As a result, the King labels Yuri, as well as the entire family, as criminals, and orders them all to be executed for treason. Will the King’s merciless laws put an end to the family of orphans, or will they manage to survive in a ruthless kingdom?"
The Dragonslayer Orphan
Prologue
The Family
Prologue
The Family
Cold water splashed onto the boy’s face as he knelt at the bank of the stream. After washing his face, he opened his eyes and stared at his reflection on the water’s surface for a short while. He had a somewhat thin face and what could be called hints of feminine features. His rust-colored eyes peeked out between the gaps in the bangs of his fluffy flaxen-colored hair.
The boy sighed as if something about his appearance bothered him, and he started to rise to his feet. But just as he was halfway up, a pair of arms hugged him around the neck from behind, and the warmth of the body they belonged to pushed him back down as it pressed against his back.
“Hey Yuri! Let’s go get dinner together!”
The girl who said this perched her chin on Yuri’s right shoulder so she could see his face. Yuri respectively turned his head so he could see the face of the girl.
“No. I’ll be there in a bit. Go get dinner by yourself, Serah.”
Upon hearing Yuri’s stoic reply, Serah curled her lips into a pout. “You’re mean.” she teased.
Yuri watched the pouting face of his best friend for a bit. Serah was a beautiful girl, and one year older than he was at nineteen. She had smooth skin and very well-defined features. Her brunette hair was straight and silky, and her bright orange eyes were big and beaming. Her rosy lips, though currently pouting, warmed one’s heart when they smiled.
“Fine, then. Come and join us when you’re ready.”
After saying this, Serah released Yuri from her hug and stood up. He felt her body heat vanish, and he listened to her footsteps as she walked away through the damp grass. Yuri sighed, which was something he found himself doing often, and rose to his feet without any interruptions this time.
Instead of walking toward the campsite right away, Yuri took some time to stare up at the heavens. The night sky was dark purple and dotted with bright white stars all over. Various constellations were visible in the clear, cloudless sky. The large crescent moon had just finished rising beyond the tops of trees that lined the far horizon.
Yuri turned his back to this sight after taking it in for a while, and he began walking away from the bank of the freshwater stream. He marched through the grass towards the campsite, the location of which was signaled by the large fire in its center. The fire was surrounded in a large circle by various tents, although the tents on one side were accompanied by open-air stalls. The tents on the other side were fewer in number and had no such stalls to go with them.
The purpose of the stalls was to harbor equipment and other things, which the adults held onto. There were eight adults, and respectively, eight tents on their side. On the other side were only five tents, even though there were twelve kids. Many of the kids, such as Yuri, had to share a tent with someone else. In Yuri’s case, it was Serah.
As Yuri approached the noisy campsite, he headed straight for the fire in the center. Atop this fire was a large cauldron, and standing in front of this cauldron was the person Yuri was going to see. She noticed Yuri as he walked towards her, and a big smile spread across her face.
“Hello, Yuri dear. Tonight, we’re having beef stew with a dinner roll!”
The woman who greeted Yuri with the menu was Angelica, the family’s cook. She was a very kind-hearted woman in her thirties with sparkling blue eyes. Her dirty blonde hair was currently tied back under a hairnet, and she was wearing a white apron with a few brown stains on it. She was very motherly and helpful, and everyone went to her when they needed advice.
Angelica reached into a straw basket and removed a tin bowl. After pouring beef stew into it with the ladle she was holding, she handed it to Yuri. Next, she grabbed a metal spoon from a second basket, a paper napkin from a third, and a dinner roll from a fourth. She handed these items to Yuri consecutively.
“Thank you.” Yuri said.
“Oh my, it’s a rare day when you thank anyone for anything!” Angelica laughed.
“... Shut up.” he grumbled.
Yuri quickly walked away while listening to Angelica chuckle, and he joined the other kids on their side of the campsite. He sat down in the grass next to Serah without uttering a word, and began to shovel the steaming stew into his hungry mouth.
“Hi, Yuri!” Serah said to him cheerfully.
Yuri mumbled a hello as he swallowed a mouthful of stew. He looked around as he ate, watching the other kids engage in conversation. One of the older kids, called Raiza, was talking to one of the little kids, called Ana. They had the same kind of conversation day in and day out.
“And that’s how I saved the entire village from the legion of monsters! How’s that, Ana? Did you just now understand the depths of my greatness?” Raiza said in a grandiose voice.
“No, you’re still a weirdo, Raiza.” Ana replied like she usually did.
The other kids laughed as Raiza clutched his head in a very exaggerated display of frustration. Raiza was tall and lean with clean-cut blond hair and dark brown eyes, and the same age as Serah. Like Yuri, his face had hints of feminine features, but it wasn’t as thin. Raiza could be called quite handsome if one could stand his narcissistic personality.
“One of these days, I WILL get you to understand my greatness!” Raiza groaned.
“Making up stories isn’t gonna do the trick, Weirdo.” Yuri said.
“Shut up, Gloomy!” Raiza snapped at Yuri.
“Ha ha! He called you ‘Gloomy’!” laughed Maika, one of the other kids in Yuri’s age group.
Maika was a year younger than Yuri at seventeen. She had wavy cherry-colored hair and shining green eyes. She was a bit on the short side, like Serah. Maika was very cute, but her airheaded personality didn’t match her appearance at all.
While she was laughing, Maika spilled a bit of her beef stew on her pink blouse. “Oopsie.” she said plainly.
She removed her shirt right then and there, exposing her white and frilly bra to plain view without a care in the world. The boy seated in the grass next to her, Aeri, let out a surprised gasp. He quickly covered the eyes of the seven-year-old boy Leo, who was sitting next to him.
“Maika! Don’t take your clothes off around us like that!” Aeri cried, trying his hardest to keep from staring at her cleavage.
Aeri was a shy boy at the same age as Maika. He had light brown hair in a bowl cut and brass-colored eyes that were always filled with worry. His passive personality made it easy for others to walk all over him.
“Aeri, come on. She does stuff like this all the time. How could you not be used to it by now?” Raiza said in a somewhat condescending tone.
“I don’t see what the big deal is...” Maika said blankly.
“Of course you wouldn't, Streaker.” Yuri said.
“It’s a HUGE deal, Maika! You have to learn to be more modest!” Serah scolded.
“But I thought it was okay to show off your chest once in awhile. Aren’t girls supposed to make use of their assets or something?” Maika said.
“You’ve been spending too much time around Leyanne.” Yuri said.
Just then, a pair of crossed arms nestled themselves atop Yuri’s head, and at the same time, a pair of large breasts pressed against the back of his neck. Yuri knew who they belonged to without even having to ask.
“Just what are you trying to say, Yuri? You’re not implying that I’m sleazy, are you?” Leyanne asked.
“Get your boobs off me.” Yuri replied curtly.
He was trying to sound annoyed, but he couldn’t hide his blushing cheeks. Leyanne simply laughed at his response. She was the youngest of the eight adults in the family at twenty-two. She had golden hair and eyes of the same color. She was extremely beautiful, but she was also extremely shallow. There was nothing Leyanne loved more than using her looks and her body to her advantage, whether it was for personal gain or for personal amusement.
“My, what a naughty thing to say.” Leyanne teased.
“Shut up.” Yuri said.
The others around them laughed at their exchange, and there was one person whose laughter boomed louder than all the others.
“Ha ha ha! What’s the matter, Yuri? As a man, shouldn’t you be happy about having a woman’s chest pressing up on you like that?” his voice boomed.
“Marko, you shouldn’t say things like that!” said the girl next to him.
“Aw come on, Scheri! Don’t be like that!” Marko said in his usual loud voice.
“I-I’m sorry!” Scheri quickly apologized in her usual quiet voice.
Scheri was a timid girl of seventeen. She had light blonde hair and beautiful silver eyes. She was rather pretty, and her tendency to apologize for anything she said or did added something to her charm. If you were to describe her in one word, it would be “wallflower”. Marko was a brazen boy of eighteen, the same age as Yuri. He had short black hair and bronze-colored eyes. He was tall and somewhat muscular. If you were to describe him in one word, it would be “jock”.
“Ha ha ha!” Marko continued to laugh.
“Ha ha ha!” the eight-year-old Ben mimicked.
“That’s the way, Ben! That’s my Apprentice of Coolness! Now, laugh together with me! Ha ha ha!” Marko bellowed.
“Shut up. You’re too noisy.” Yuri remarked.
“Yes. You’re scaring poor little Arin.” Leyanne said.
‘You’re still here?” Yuri said to Leyanne.
“How rude.” she replied.
Arin was a seven-year-old girl who looked up to Scheri like a big sister. However, she was frightened by Marko’s loud voice, so she clung to Scheri’s arm in fear whenever he laughed. And he laughed a lot.
“There, there. It’s okay, Arin.” Scheri said as she gently stroked the little girl’s hair.
“That girl needs to have some more courage! Hey, maybe she could become my Apprentice of Coolness like Ben!” Marko said.
“No way! She’s too scared of you, Marko!” Scheri protested.
“That’s exactly why I suggested it! So she can face her fears like a man!” Marko said.
“I-I’m sorry...” Scheri apologized.
“She can’t face her fears like a man if she’s a girl, dummy.” Serah joked.
“Oh, that’s right! How could I have forgotten? It appears the Master of Coolness has made a grave mistake!” Marko said dramatically.
“Well, if that’s the case, all she needs to do is become a man, right?” Maika said.
"You’re an idiot.” Yuri said.
Yuri finished his stew and placed it next to him in the grass. He then took a bite out of his dinner roll. As he gulped down the delicious dough, a six-year-old girl called Mary scurried up to him and tore her roll in half. She presented one of these halves to Yuri, making a face that indicated she wanted him to have it.
“No. Go away.” Yuri said to her.
“Yuri, stop being so cold to Mary!” Serah chastised.
“What, I’m the bad guy because I don’t like kids?” Yuri replied.
“Don’t pay any attention to that grouch, Mary.” Serah said.
“Grouch...?” Yuri muttered in annoyance.
Despite Serah telling her not to worry about it, Mary shook her head defiantly and continued to present half of her roll to Yuri. Mary was very attached to Yuri, and she was always trying to get on his good side. However, this made Yuri feel very uncomfortable. He didn’t understand what this uncomfortable feeling was, so he did everything he could to avoid it, even if it meant being cold-hearted to a little girl.
“Here.” Mary insisted as she tried to push her roll into Yuri’s hand. “Please, Big Brother?”
Upon being called “Big Brother”, the uncomfortable feeling Yuri felt reached its peak. He wanted to escape from that feeling so badly that he spoke without thinking.
“I’m not your brother!” he shouted.
“Yuri!” Serah snapped at him sharply.
Yuri quickly became aware of the huge mistake he’d just made. He looked around himself, and the entire campsite had gone deathly quiet. Everyone was staring at him. Yuri felt like an idiot, and he remained silent and stared at the ground.
“Yuri.”
The rough and powerful voice that called out his name gave Yuri a jolt. He slowly raised his head and looked behind himself, towards the source of the voice. Their eyes met, and Yuri felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole.
“... Han.” Yuri said the man’s name.
Han was a big man with a big heart. He had fierce scarlet hair and striking brown eyes. At thirty-six years old, he was the oldest in the family, as well as its leader and father-figure. Everyone admired him and respected him, including Yuri.
“You just broke the Number One Rule.” Han said sternly.
Yuri knew this. He was aware of what he’d done. This one rule that should never be broken, the Number One Rule, the Golden Rule, the Ultimate Taboo; no matter what it was called, it was always the same absolute rule. “Never, ever mention the fact that none of us are family.” Yuri had engraved this rule onto his heart, just like everyone else. Yet, he’d spoken without thinking, and in turn, broke that rule.
“Geez, Yuri. Even you should know better than-” Raiza began to say.
He cut himself off the second Yuri gave him a death glare. He whispered an apology and remained quiet.
“Yuri.” Han said as he stood up and approached him. “Even if we’re all just orphans living together out here, we still have to treat each other as family. That’s how we’ve made things work all these years, and that’s also the ideal I had in mind when I brought us all together. I know you of all people should understand that. Out of all of us, you are one of the ones most grateful to be a part of this family. So make sure you think before you say something like that again, okay?”
Han ruffled Yuri’s fluffy hair with a warm smile, and Yuri buried his face into his arms. “... Shut up.” he squeezed out.
Han laughed upon hearing that, and he went back to eating his dinner. Yuri almost expected some sort of punishment, but he knew that such a thing was not something Han would ever do. However, despite the lack of consequences, Yuri did not feel relieved. He’d ruined the cheery mood everyone had, and he felt awful for it.
Yuri stood up silently and carried his dishes over to Angelica by the cauldron. Without a word to anyone, he retreated to his tent. He closed up the entrance behind himself and allowed himself to drop right onto the two-person sleeping bag. He buried himself under the covers and rested his head on his pillow. He shut his eyes and let his mind wander off.
He thought about what Han had said about him being one of the ones most grateful for being a part of the family. Up until the age of ten, Yuri had been living an isolated life on the streets. He had to fend for himself and struggled to survive everyday. He very rarely had any human interactions. He was convinced he would spend his entire life like that, until he was discovered by Han and Serah.
The two of them found him sitting all alone in an alley while they were in town buying supplies for the family. Seeing that he was an orphan, they took him in. Yuri was brought to live with the family, and since he and Serah were the only kids in the family at that time, they quickly bonded with each other. Yuri finally found a place to call home. He was no longer alone. This was why he was so grateful to Han and the rest of the family. He deeply cared about everyone, even if he didn’t know how to express it properly.
Yuri’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the tent’s door being zipped open. He listened without opening his eyes as another person entered the tent and zipped the door back up. He knew who it was immediately. There was no one else who would come into this tent, after all.
“Don’t lecture me, Serah.” Yuri said, without opening his eyes.
“Too bad!” she replied. “I can’t believe you sometimes, you know? This wouldn’t have happened if you would just open up to Mary! Why do you insist on shutting her out like that? Don’t you know how much it hurts her?”
“I just don’t want to act friendly with her. What’s wrong with that?” Yuri said, continuing to keep his eyes shut as he turned onto his side.
He heard Serah sigh. He could hear her lay down in the sleeping bag next to him. Maybe it was because they’d been close for the past eight years, but Yuri felt nothing about sharing sleeping quarters with her, despite the fact that she was a girl.
At first, Yuri thought she was done talking, but then he remembered how stubborn she was. There was no way she’d be satisfied with the answer he’d given her. Just as he wondered what she was going to do, he felt her wrap her arms around him from behind. His eyes sprang open and his body flinched from surprise as the warmth of her body invaded his space.
Serah’s chest pressed up against Yuri’s back as she hugged him tightly, and her forehead gently touched the back of his head. He could tell by the feeling of her breathing that her lips were in very close proximity to the back of his neck. Her body heat engulfed his body, and he experienced a strange sensation that he couldn’t understand.
Yuri was so surprised, he couldn’t even say “Get off me!” like he usually would have said. If anyone else had hugged him so intimately, he would have struggled like a madman to escape. But instead, he held as still as he possibly could, and remained quiet. This was the first time Serah had ever done anything like this to him, and he couldn’t understand why. He also couldn’t understand the feeling he had at that moment, but strangely enough, he didn’t hate it. In fact, for reasons he didn’t understand, he wanted it to last.
This feeling was similar to the uncomfortable feeling he experienced many times since coming to live with the family. He had this feeling any time someone tried to get close to him or had any personal contact with him, such as a hug. Perhaps it was a result of his isolated youth, but he didn’t know how to respond to such things. And so, he avoided any and all situations that would cause him to experience that feeling.
Serah was the only exception. Even when she hugged him, the uncomfortable feeling he would have gotten from anyone else was different. He couldn’t explain it. He didn’t mind being close to Serah, and he didn’t mind it when she had any personal contact with him. He didn’t understand what this feeling was, and he desperately wanted to know. But he couldn’t bring himself to talk to anyone, not even Serah herself, about it. And so, he could do nothing but suffer because of this as he closed himself off from the world.
Yuri wondered why Serah hadn’t said anything since she began to hug him like this. But, he found his answer when he felt her steady breathing as she leaned against him. She’d fallen asleep. Yuri sighed, and decided he may as well try to fall asleep as well.
While quietly laying in her arms Yuri had a lot of time to think about her reasons for doing this. He knew Serah very well. Both of them could easily tell what the other was thinking. Because of this, he had a feeling that Serah knew what he was thinking when he said what he did to her about Mary. It was also because of this that he was able to figure out what Serah was thinking when she embraced him so intimately like this.
“I know what you’re feeling, Yuri. It’s not that you dislike Mary. You just don’t know how to express kindness properly. I’ve known you for a long time now, so I can understand you. But it’s okay. You don’t have to try if its hard for you. You can just let the others express kindness. All you have to do is learn to accept it. And I'll be your support.”
That was the meaning behind Serah’s actions. Yuri understood what she was trying to say, but he could still do nothing but shut himself away. He desperately wanted to open up, but something made him too scared to do that. He didn’t understand why, and that only made him want to close himself off even more.
Despite this, he was fine with the way things were now. Even if he was suffering deep inside his heart, shutting himself away from everyone was easier for him. To Yuri, this was for the best. Still, he appreciated what Serah had done for him just now, and so, before he drifted off to sleep, he whispered something to her; something he didn’t say often.
“Thank you.”
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