Author's Note: Yes, Regrem, I did change the beginning events slightly, but I don't think either of those changes could be considered 'major mistakes'. I think that it makes Rose slightly more mysterious if Dart is saved by her, then leaves her behind to go find Seles without even letting her tell him what's going on. Furthermore, I think that he could figure out that Feyrbrand was a Dragon on his own. And finally, the commander that Dart killed in Seles and the commander that was ordered by Lloyd to attack Seles in the first place AREN'T THE SAME PERSON. The commander that Dart didn't kill does help them in Kazas by giving them the stone, but the one that Dart fought was just some flunkie Sandora didn't know what to do with. K? Oh, and by the way, if I remember correctly, Dart is 24 during the game, and Shana's 19. I'm almost positive that's right, but I know Dart is 5 years older than Shana, because he's 5 when Neet is attacked by Rose when Shana and Louvia are being born.

Aer, I'm sorry, but the whole 'Lavitz started it' excuse is total bullshit. Anyone who makes that excuse overlooks one crucial factor. Lavitz is a knight, right? I'm assuming there's no disagreement there. Well, if you were a knight, and some guy in a black cape and hood were reaching into your king's (who also happens to be your close childhood friend, I might add) back and pulling out a goddamn GEMSTONE, what would you do about it? You wouldn't stand there like a moron, you'd change to uber-kick-ass-Jade- Dragoon mode and impale the bastard. At least I would. Besides, Lloyd could have just as easily teleported out of there with his Wingly magic, which you would expect him to do anyway, because he's done it millions of times in the game because he's a sissy who can't fight for beans. He had the Moon Gem, why bother hanging around?

Chapter 4

I had been to big cities before in my travels searching for the Black Monster, but I had never been to a capital, and the sheer size of Bale blew me away. The homes seemed to stretch on forever. People buzzed through the streets in flocks, like herds of migrating animals. Shana, who had recovered from the bizarre episode at the caves, was just as amazed as I, gaping in surprise at the gigantic city.

Lavitz, however, wore the sorrowful smile of one returning to his home after far too long. If only I could have had such an expression when I returned to Seles. But my thoughts of homecoming were interrupted by the strange incident with the monster in the woods and the strange black-clad woman, and then discovering that Seles was being ransacked, so I had not been given Lavitz's privilege. Despite whatever remorse I might have felt for Seles, it was gone now, and there was no changing that. My musings were interrupted by a shrill voice shrieking Lavitz's name.

"Sir Lavitz, Sir Lavitz!"

A girl no older than ten in a paint-spattered smock rushed towards the knight, panting breathlessly. A childish grin was bright on her face, and she lifted something from underneath her arm, holding it up for him to inspect. It was a portrait of Lavitz in full armor, leaning on his spear. "It's finally finished."

"Thank you. I shall treasure it always." Lavitz gingerly stowed away the picture in his pack. The girl scooted back to her home, beaming.

I watched her go with cynical amusement. "A little young for you, isn't she?"

Lavitz laughed and shook his head. I then noticed a bronze plaque marking off the area in which we stood. I read aloud. "Slambert Plaza." I looked questioningly at Lavitz. The effect of those two words caught me off guard. The melancholy homecoming joy on Lavitz's face vanished, he suddenly seemed as though a great unseen weight was resting on his shoulders.

He sighed, and spoke, his voice filled with sorrow. "Servi Slambert, my father, former head of the First Knighthood, nicknamed 'The Lance of Serdio.'"

"Quite a title. But I noticed the 'former'. What happened to him?" Of course, I already had guessed the answer, but what was the point in backing out? He was obviously expecting me to ask anyway.

"Dead. Betrayed and murdered."

Shana looked as though she was about to say something comforting, but I shot her a glance and shook my head. No need to dwell on anything that obviously was still eating at the knight.

The spasm of mourning passed, and Lavitz had returned to his previous cheerfulness, although one could still detect a hint of sadness buried deep in his eyes. "We'll go to the castle now. I have important military matters to catch up on, and I'm sure the king will be very pleased to meet you."

Indels Castle was an imposing structure of granite, with guards marching in ranks along the bastions with practiced rigidity. Lavitz, however, did not appear intimidated and headed towards the main gate with confidence. The grizzled, weather-beaten face of the gatekeeper broke into a grin once he saw Lavitz. He motioned to the young recruits who worked the opening mechanism, and the heavy portcullis rose with eerie grating creaks. I hesitated for a moment, letting the knight take the lead. This was his home, he knew what he was doing.

Indels was much more hospitable from the outside. Plush red and blue carpets lined the marble floor, and magnificent tapestries hung from the walls. Still, at every doorway, a guard or two stood, and a blind man could sense the tensions of civil war radiating from these people, weighing heavily on their minds, oppressing their thoughts. But Lavitz seemed oblivious to this, and his bright optimism appeared to rub off on some of the depressed soldiers, causing them to smile and stiffen to attention, and a few of the more audacious ones shouted greetings to the famous knight. He acknowledged these with a polite wave of his hand, which only increased my feelings of being out of place among these people. Small wonder I had chosen mercenary work over knighthood. Loyalty and honor were traits I respected, but my views on those subjects were hardly consistent with the strict codes of conduct the knights lived by, and I doubted I would have been able to stand being chained to something like that for all of my life. I enjoyed what freedoms I was able to possess.

It was not a long journey to reach the king, merely a trip up a couple of intricately carved stone staircases, past a few pairs of bronze doors. The guards were more than happy to get out of Lavitz's way, many beaming at the sheer luck of coming face to face with a celebrity. Indeed, one of the younger men had been so eagerly exuberant to move aside he had tripped over the ornate rug, falling to his knees at the side of the staircase, his spear shooting unceremoniously out of his grip and over the banister, scaring a pair of passersby witless as it plunged to the floor. I smiled, but not at the soldier's misfortune, but at the concerned look on Lavitz's face as he stooped down to help the boy up. I was not the type of person who normally warmed up to someone right away, but I couldn't help myself in this instance. I liked Lavitz.

Lavitz pushed open the final set of bronze doors and strode into an enormous throne room, where three people stood conferring. Two looked up at our approach, while the third did not appear to be looking at anything at all. The young man in the middle smiled in welcoming. "Sir Lavitz! Well, it certainly is high past time you returned."

Lavitz bowed stiffly. "I am eternally at your service, my liege."

I raised my eyebrow at this. This was the prodigious King Albert? Lavitz had mentioned he had grown up with this royal, so I was expecting someone young, but I had assumed that a friend of Lavitz would be a hardened man of action. Needless to say, I was surprised by what I was presented with. The king had a very studious look to him, with hazel eyes that radiated calm intelligence, and his ash blonde hair swept back into a short ponytail, as if he didn't know quite what to do with it. He was dressed in armor, although I suspected most of it was ceremonial, and a jade green cape spilled over his shoulders and down his back.

He waved off the show of respect for his station, as if it annoyed him. "Please, Lavitz, spare me the formalities. Who might these two be?" He indicated Shana and I.

"This is Dart and Shana, two friends I picked up during my absence. Dart helped me infiltrate Hellena Prison, where Shana was being held captive. Their village was ransacked during a Sandoran attack."

At the mention of the jailhouse, the young sovereign's face turned grim. "I see. Were you able to learn anything?"

"Little, Your Majesty."

"Very well." He turned to the two men he had been speaking with earlier. "I hope you will excuse me, gentlemen, but I must speak with Sir Lavitz on military matters."

One of the men, a short, stout, purple-clad elder who I assumed was the advisor Lavitz had referred to as Minister Noish nodded his approval, stepping back out of the way of the pair. The mysterious man on the king's left, however, made no indication he had even heard. Something about that man bothered me. He was dressed in a black hood and cape, his face invisible, and he never spoke once since we had arrived. But Albert appeared to take the man's silence for affirmation, and left with Lavitz, the friends speaking in low voices amongst themselves.

Minister Noish turned to Shana and I, his voice jovial. "Well, is there anything I can help you two with?"

I cleared my throat before speaking. "I have been told that Bale has a very large emphasis on ancient history. I was wondering if I could learn anything on the fabled Black Monster."

Shana's cheery face faded at the mention of the creature, and she left abruptly, as she always did when the Black Monster came up in conversations. The subject was very uncomfortable for her. I paid this no heed. I needed to know anything I could. The minister coughed once, as if he too was unsettled by the topic, but he began to speak anyway. "Very well. The Black Monster has always been shrouded in mystery, and all we know has been gathered from assorted legends and has no factual basis. Every one hundred and eight years, the Moon that Never Sets glows red in the evening sky, signifying that the divine being known as the Moon Child has been born. Soon after, the Black Monster appears, destroying all surrounding the child, murdering the baby in infancy before it can grow and, supposedly, teach us the secret of a true utopia."

I noticed the black-clad stranger visibly straighten at the last sentence, which only proved to deepen my growing dislike and suspicion of the enigmatic advisor. I wondered why the king would submit to keeping such an obviously shadowy character in his court, but I let the matter drop. After all, it was Albert's business, not mine. At this point, Shana returned from her brief excursion to the balcony, as did Albert and Lavitz, their business apparently finished. Minister Noish intercepted the king immediately, while the knight turned to the two of us, grinning. "Well, what do you say we stop by my home before heading out again."

Shana nodded enthusiastically, while I merely shrugged. As Lavitz marched out the door, Shana bobbing behind him, I could still sense the veiled eyes of the shadowy enigma on me. Even as I turned to leave, I felt his gaze, gauging me, calculating.

I didn't like it at all.

Author's Note: Yes, I know this chapter sucked, but gimme a break, there was no action in this part. Meh. If I messed with the whole Black Monster spiel (I love that word. SHPIEL!), cut me a little slack. I don't remember everything that happens in the game. I don't own LoD, I don't even have a Playstation. I played it at a friend's house, and it became my writing obsession. Anyway, I'll try to get a comedy updated on Wednesday if I have enough time before I start working on Chapter 68 of Rebirth of a Legend. I hope you're all happy now. I really need to start catching up with other people's stuff, I've been so damn busy lately. .-;