Author's Note: Wow, you people seem to like this one. Good, cause I do too. Anyway, I don't have a problem with Dart being cast as the hero, just not the stereotypical hero, the kind that's all brawn and no brains. I just don't think that's fair to Dart.

Anyway, either someone didn't read the author's note, or they just weren't paying attention, cause I got a comment about Dart being out of character. For posterity, I will repeat myself. Some people may consider this out of character, but I don't. This is what I think Dart is like, or should have been like. If this bothers you, I'm sorry. But the entire point of this fic is to offer an alternate perspective. Which means that all of this sappy obsession with Shana will end. Sorry, but my idea of Dart is more morbid. Basically, this is what would have been the result of the game had I been given the same BASIC plotline and the same characters. Of course, I would have scrapped the crappy translations and rewrote them in real English. And Lavitz wouldn't have died, but that's something else entirely. I will hold a grudge against Lloyd and Sony forever for that. Meh.

Chapter 2

I left the burning Seles behind me as I headed for Hellena, as the now dead Serdian officer called it. Passing through a grassy prairie, I stopped by a travelling merchant and purchased some healing potions, and a few attack items, just in case. I enjoyed the cloudless sky and the bright sun while I could. Autumn was just around the corner, bringing with it the chill threat of winter. My thoughts of the weather were pushed to the back corner of my mind as I caught my first glimpse of my destination.

The dismal gray granite of Hellena Prison jutted out of the earth like a cruel mockery of some hellish mountain. The stench of dead decaying bodies hung thick in the air. Fires dotted here and there, as if someone had just stood above and hurled them haphazardly, not really caring where they ended up. Guard towers were posted in close intervals, deterring unwanted visitors. All in all, an imposing sight. But they wouldn't deter me so easily. I got as close as I could to the facility, then ducked into an area far out of the tower's line of vision. I was left with quite a dilemma on my hands. How to get in?

My solution came in the form of a merchant cart, bouncing and rattling over the uneven road. Probably delivering rations or something of that sort. I drew my blade and leapt silently onto the back of the wagon. I moved stealthily up to the front of the cabin. The merchant heard the sound of my boots clomping hollowly against the wooden floor, and turned around, giving a sort of muffled squawk when he saw me, nearly dropping the reins he held. His eyes darted to the unsheathed blade in my hands, and I shook it slightly, just to illustrate my point. "Just keep going and pretend I'm not here. I have business in the prison. Understand?"

The merchant nodded mutely, picking up the reins and urging the horses on. The guards in the towers scrutinized the wagon closely, but I was safely out of sight in the cabin, and apparently security wasn't tight enough for them to check the cargo. That was a relief. I didn't want to have to fight any more than I needed to. I wanted this to be a clean job, just like when I was back doing mercenary work.

Eventually, the merchant nervously pulled the cart to a halt. I slid out of the wagon silently, sword still in hand should trouble arise. The vendor followed, immediately seeking out a nice cozy corner where he could huddle in fear. When I approached him, he started shaking so violently that some of the metal objects in the pouches on various parts of his body began to rattle, making enough noise to arouse the attention of two nearby guards, who appeared to be switching posts. They glanced over to see what was causing the racket, then spotted me. Naturally, this was hardly the best time to be caught with a weapon in your hand.

"Hey, you!"

"Son of a bitch," I swore more out of general frustration than directed at the pitiful merchant.

Two wardens remarkably similar to the grunts I had dealt with in Seles dashed over, leveling crude spears in my direction. I sighed and tightened the grip on my hilt. I really didn't want to do this, but it appeared as though I had little say in the matter. One lunged in, the tip of his weapon gleaming in the firelight, seeking to impale me. I merely sidestepped and thrusted in, my blade sliding neatly through one of the spaces in his ribcage. The other soldier seemed like he was about to yell for assistance, but I ended that notion when my blade severed the fragile membrane of his throat. The guard gasped and clamped his fingers over his newfound hole, attempting to keep both his breath and his blood from leaving him. It was a foolish and desperate battle, ultimately a futile one as well, as he soon dropped to the ground, lifeless.

I took off for the inner caverns of the prison, when I was soon met with two more wardens. I finished them off in much the same fashion as the previous pair, one with a quick thrust to the gut, the second... well, let's just say that if he had lived, he would have found it extremely difficult to use his weapon. After having gotten rid of them, I took off into the actual prison. I was charging through the winding caverns when I heard the sounds of battle clashing ahead of me. The Sandorans must be a busy bunch to have aroused the wrath of two people who were actually brave enough to break into their precious jailhouse.

When I reached the open cavern where the fighting was taking place, I got my first look at this second unwanted visitor to Hellena Prison. It was a man, older than I was, but not by much. His blonde hair was short and spiked, and he wore a full set of plate armor, bearing the insignia of a knight of Basil. He wielded a long spear, of much finer make than the pitiful ones used by the soldiers of Sandora, and with an admirable amount of skill, I noted as he brought the spinning weapon downwards, tearing a wicked gash along one warden's chest. He smashed the butt end of his spear against the second's chin, then, twisting his grip on the haft of his lance, plunged the head of the weapon into the unfortunate guard's stomach. When he turned to deal with the third and final soldier, he was surprised to see me removing my blade from the dead body.

I noticed he was nursing a wound on the right side of his chest. Typical of a knight, bold yet stupid. I held a great deal if respect for the Knights of Basil, but their concept of honor made them do the most idiotic things sometimes. I tossed him a healing potion, which he plucked out of the air with ease. He downed it in one gulp and wiped his mouth. His wound closed within seconds.

He turned to me, making a gesture of gratitude. "Thank you for your help. I am Lavitz Slambert, head of the First Knighthood of Basil."

Head of the First Knighthood. One hell of a position. "Dart Feld. But I suggest we save the formalities for later. I don't know why you're here, but we'll do a whole lot better together than we will apart. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say."

Lavitz nodded, and just then another guard showed up, drawn to the sounds of combat like a moth drawn to the flame that singes its wings. He, too, looked about to call for help, but he found that impossible once I had severed his head from his neck. Lavitz looked at me. "Well, Dart, you appear to be slightly... unorthodox."

"To hell with orthodox. I'm going to do what needs to be done, and if I have to slit a few stomachs in the process, then there better be someone left alive in this dump to mop up the fluids. Soa knows there's enough crap in here."

Lavitz raised his eyebrows at my response, but remained silent. We plowed deeper into the prison, eventually reaching a rock face with a shaft, a rusty steel platform laying dormant at its base. I was confused as to its purpose, but Lavitz appeared to know what he was doing. He motioned for me to step on top of the platform, then followed suit, pulling a lever as he went. With a grinding lurch, the platform began to slowly move up the shaft. I looked at the mechanics, curious to see how this was achieved. It appeared to be some sort of pulley system. I would have to ask Lavitz how it worked later.

Once the thing Lavitz called an 'elevator' completed its ascent, we got off, coming to a fork in the path. I spotted a tower to the right. We headed towards it, only to find that the entrance was locked tight.

Lavitz's brows furrowed. "This must be where they keep the important prisoners."

"Like Shana." I muttered grimly.

"Who?"

"The girl I came in here to rescue."

"Ah. The whole gallant knight after damsel in distress routine?"

I snorted. "Hardly. My title isn't nearly that glamorous, and besides, Shana's like a sister to me. She was abducted after those Sandoran bastards pillaged my hometown."

The knight lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry."

I shrugged. "No use crying over milk spilt twice." A lie and I knew it, but I didn't care. It was hardly his business anyway.

"What?"

I shook my head. "Nevermind. Let's try the other path."

The other path was swarming with guards, so we decided not to progress any farther in that direction unless we were left with no alternative. We were just considering our options when I noticed something glinting in the firelight. I kneeled down, taking care to keep out of sight, and scooped it up. It was a heavy brass key. "What kind of moron would leave a key lying around where anyone could pick it up?"

Lavitz shrugged. "A moron with faith in the security of this prison?"

"Still stupid, but that's not our problem. It will be theirs soon, however."

We reached the tower again and I inserted the key into the lock. As suspected, it fit perfectly, and we pushed the door open, wincing slightly as the rusted hinges squeaked. Making our way up the stairs, we spotted a cell with a figure huddled in one corner. Lavitz pulled the door open, only clench his fist until his knuckles turned white as the barred door made the most godawful creaking noise as it swung open, revealing nothing more than a skeleton. I heard shouts from farther up the tower, then the stomping of booted feet.

More guards. How monotonous.

Lavitz wasted no time, impaling one within seconds. While he was busy extracting the body from his weapon, I decided to take over, slamming my foot into another's chest, then lunging in and slicing downwards, taking off his leg in the process. No need to worry about him anymore. Lavitz got a nick in on the third's shoulder, but I finished him off with a blow to the chest. We continued up the stairs, finding about a half a dozen cells, all empty save two.

"Shana!"

A girl kneeling in the farthest cell looked up at the sound of her name. Her clothes were scratched and torn, her chestnut hair streaked with dirt and soot. But she was alive, and seemingly unhurt. "Dart?"

"Better late than never, right?" I inserted the key into the lock and twisted it, pulling open the door. I gestured towards Lavitz, who bowed in a formal fashion. "This is Lavitz, a Knight of Basil. We've come to get you. Just stay behind us and we'll blow this joint."

She shook her head as she picked up a bow and quiver that sat in her cell. Apparently the guards had not considered her enough of a threat to take them from her. "I don't think so. I'm going to fight too. I'm nineteen, Dart, not a child anymore."

I decided not to waste time arguing. We hurried down the stairs. I was sure someone would have noticed the trail of dead guards by now. Sure enough, when we exited the tower, we found a welcoming committee waiting for us.

Two guards stood, their weapons ready, but what had me more concerned was the man that they flanked. He was enormous, dressed in tooled leather and crude fur. A dirty, scraggly beard hung over a portruding stomach, but I knew that this man was no pushover. He spoke in a booming voice. "I am Fruegel, master of this prison, and I was informed there was a break-in."

I couldn't resist a bit of sarcasm. "Really? Which brilliant minion tipped you off? They must have seen the dozen or so bodies we left behind. Damn, and I thought we covered our tracks well, too."

His dark eyes glittered dangerously, but there was no more time wasted speaking. Lavitz and I nodded to each other, and Shana drew back her bowstring, arrow taught. Then the tension snapped. Lavitz and I lunged in simultaneously, Lavitz running his opponent through, mine left without a head. Shana released an arrow, which sailed through the air and embedded itself into Freugel's thick leather armor with a thud.

Freugel raised a hand, and two more grunts appeared almost instantly. However, these appeared of higher rank due to their more elaborate equipment. They wore chain mail and leather and wielded spears, just as their lowly counterparts, but the workmanship was so much better it made a world of difference. Freugel hefted a gigantic club and levelled it at us. For crying out loud, he might has well have just swung an entire damn tree, that club was so big.

The two cronies lunged in, eager for blood. I blocked the thrust, then twisted my sword, slashing upwards, taking most of the guard's chainmail with it. He blocked my next stroke, but I had expected as much. I lashed out with my armored foot, catching him in the gut. I sped forward and thrust my blade through the exposed portion of his chest, blood spurting forth, covering my armor and exposed face. Damn it, and I was hoping that wouldn't happen today. Now I would have to spend all night cleaning the armor so the blood didn't clot.

Elated by andrenaline and victory, I was not paying attention to my other opponents. I glanced up just in time to see Freugel's giant club. "Oh shit..."

Pain. A necessary burden of life, but an unpleasant one nonetheless, so unpleasant that many spend their entire lives doing everything they can to avoid it. I've always accepted pain as an inevitable consequence of combat, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I swore loudly and colorfully as red-hot pain shot through my body. I heard my left arm snap. I was knocked around, but still standing.

Shana saw my plight and tossed me a healing potion. I gulped it down gratefully, feeling the intense pain being washed away and my bones knitting. By this time, Lavitz had finished off his own opponent, and had attacked Fruegel to buy me time for recovery. I lunged back into battle, my sword flashing in the firelight. I swung carefully, each stroke only grazed the hulking giant, and I always had time to dodge the huge club. Lavitz realized what I was doing and followed my lead. We each drew grazing lines across him, Shana's arrows rythmically thunking against him. We wore him down, slowly but surely, and eventually, when at least a dozen gashes oozed blood down his front, he toppled.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust and delivered a sharp kick to the fallen foe. Lavitz raised his eyebrows in shock, surprised that I would show such callous treatment of the dead, but I merely rolled Freugel over and indicated that the giant was not yet. The blows were grazing ones, so he would have a goodly while before he bled to death. Against my better judgement, I sheathed my blade, leaving him alive. I had my own concept of honor, and while it differed substantially from Lavitz's, not even I would kill a helpless man. Some lackey would come by and give him a potion before he died. If they didn't reach him in time, then the fool would die. I felt no sympathy, it wasn't my problem. He lost, he had to pay the price. That was battle, pure and simple.

I turned to Lavitz and Shana. "Right. Time to go."

They needed no more provocation. We left as quickly as we could, having no particular wish to stay in the accursed place any longer. Naturally, by the time we had reached the front gate, we practically had an entire Sandoran divison on our tails. We passed through the guard towers, arrows raining down around us, embedding themselves in the earth. We swung around to the north, knowing that the Sandorans would have surely set up a roadblock, hoping to prevent us getting back to Seles.

So, with soldiers hounding our footsteps and arrows whizzing through the air like angry hornets, we left the oppresive presence of Hellena Prison behind us.

Author's Note: I TOLD you people first chappy this story would be morbid and gory. Guess what? It'll get worse. Mwahaha. I be evil.