Rose

It was a dark night, with only the rustle of the leaves and the soft breathing of her companions to keep Rose company. She sat in the cave entrance, carving a small statue of a dragon from a chunk of wood that she found on the mountain path. The moonlight shined down on the world, giving everything an eerie glow. Rose looked at the moon, the edges around it glowing orange. It wouldn't be long now till the Moon That Never Sets turns red.

"When the Moon That Never Sets turns red, the Black Monster and the Moon Child will walk the earth once again. The Black Monster will bring despair, darkness, hate and fire as it seeks the Moon Child's blood." Rose spoke softly, remembering a tale she once heard on one of her travels, "The Moon Child will bring bliss and good fortune to the earth, but if the Moon Child fell to the hands of the Black Monster, the earth would burn for eternity. The Black Monster would stop at nothing until the Moon Child's blissful soul was in its hands."

Rose heard a soft sigh coming from her sleeping companions and turned to face them. Shana was curled up like a kitten on her sleeping mat, looking as innocent as a kitten as her hair feel in her face, but Rose's eyes skipped over her and locked onto Dart. He slept a little ways away from Shana, something that made Rose think that maybe he didn't like her as much as he let on. Dart looked relaxed as he slept with a small smile on his lips. Rose smiled to herself. He looks like an angel when he sleeps; Rose thought to herself, he's so cute when he's not worried.

Rose looked out across the silent forest, the smile still shown on her lips. Her love for dart was so intense; she didn't know how much longer she could keep it a secret. It would be so much easier if he knew how she felt, but she didn't want to make things awkward between them, or make him hate her. Just the thought of Dart hating her broke her heart.

"Everyone thinks I'm so cold and tough, I wonder how they'd react if they knew the soft side of me" Rose whispered silently, a tear rolling down her cheek, "I'm just as soft as other girls, I care just as much, and I can't take much more of this hard heart, my heart and my love will be what kills me in the end."

Rose shook her head slowly and curled up by the cave entrance. She was starting to question her feelings, were they really for Dart of was it because she missed Zieg? Tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

Dart

It was dark out, people were screaming and the smell of burning flesh was in the smokey air. His mother pulled him along, past wounded neighbors and burning buildings. His father led the way through the town quickly. They had nothing but the clothes they wore on their backs and each others company. His father forbid anyone from grabbing anything on their way out.

"If we don't leave now Claire it will kill us" his father had said when his mother tried to pack up some stuff for the trip, "leave it all, let is burn, the Black Monster is upon us!"

His mother pulled him along quickly, so quickly it was hard for him to stay on his feet. His foot hit something and he fell, landing on the ground hard. Whimpering silently, he sat up and looked around, lost in the confusion, people rushing past and stepping on his fingers. Then he caught a glimpse of it, the Black Monster. It was down the side street, the one he use to go down when he went to church. He looked closely at the Black Monster, terrified but very curious as to what it was everyone was terrified of. It looked human, but it had wings, wings that looked like those of a demon. The whole form of the Black Monster was like a shadow, completely black, and smoke rose from the ground around it. He felt terror and hate radiating from the Black Monster and briefly wondered if the Black Monster had ever had someone care for it.

He felt a hand on his arm and suddenly he was lifted into the air and slung across a familiar shoulder. He looked at the man carrying him, happy to see it was his father before turning back to the Black Monster, wondering if it was a really small male or if that body was one of a female. Could the Black Monster be female? He wondered this, racking his young brain as his father carried him quickly through the burning town. Slowly, the scenery changed from the burning town of Neet to a forest. His father put him down and bent over coughing as his mother checked him for injuries. All that ran through his head was questions of the Black Monster. Why did it destroy his home? Was it a female or male? Was it fire resistant? What was it searching for?

"I have to go back and see if I can get anyone else out" his father said straightening up.

"Zieg please don't go!" his mother cried grabbing his fathers arm, "It'll kill you!"

"Claire I must go" his father kissed his mother quickly and patted his head smiling confidently before turning back the way they came and running back towards the burning town.

His mother watched his father leave then knelt in front of him, holding his shoulders. "I'm going to help your father" his mother said softly, "i want you to wait here until we get back ok?"

He nodded and his mother smiled and kissed his cheek before getting up and taking off after his father. He watched her leave, fear starting to creep into his mind. Maybe there were monsters in this forest, or maybe the Black Monster would come and get him. He was scared and alone, with nothing to protect him, and it was getting dark. He climbed into a log and curled up, praying his parents would be back soon.

He must have fell asleep because when he woke it was morning. He slowly crawled out of the log and looked for his parents but he couldn't see them anywhere. He looked down the path leading to his home and wondered if they might have stayed there. He slowly walked down the path, jumping hearing a crow in the distance. He walked slowly, looking at his feet wondering what happened when he was sleeping. Did the Black Monster get his parents? Are his parents hiding somewhere? Did they forget about him? Slowly the ground under his feet turned from grass to ashes and he looked up. This was Neet, burnt to nothing but ashes. His eyes filed with tears as he walked on, looking for his parents but the town seemed deserted.

"Mummy! Daddy!" his voice echoed and made him jump, "Where are you guys?"

Something glinted in the sunlight and he walked over to it, scared that it might be a dead body. He brushed away the ashes and there sat a small red stone, the same one that his father always kept with him. He held it as tears spilled down his cheeks. They were dead, theres no way his father would lose this stone.

"I will kill the Black Monster for killing Mummy and Daddy" he whispered crying.

"Dart..." a voice echoed through Neet, "Dart wake up"

"w-who's there?" he looked around scared, clutching his fathers stone tightly.

"DART!"

Dart woke with a start as a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over his head and he looked up to see Lavitz standing there chuckling, "Morning sleeping beauty"

Rose appeared in the cave, her face serious and Dart's heart skipped a beat. How beautiful she looked when she was serious and ready for battle. Dart slowly sat up, shaking water from his hair.

"Guys we have a problem" Rose looked at Lavitz when she spoke.

"What is it?"

"Its the Dragon Feyrbrand" Rose said, "He was spotted near here, and worst of all, he has King Albert with him".