Same disclaimer again.

"So you've been traveling with this bunch for how long?" Mac asked.

"Since about three days after I got here," I replied. "As you know, I met Rose just after I took my first head. I ran into Dart, Shana, and Lavitz in the Limestone Cave, just south of Bale. Then Rose joined us in Hoax, Haschel in Lohan, King Albert in Seles, just after I impaled myself, Meru in Donau, and Kongol in the Home of Giganto."

Mac shook his head. "You have the weirdest friends."

"Like I told Richie, coming back from the dead isn't exactly normal." I glanced around, inspecting our new surroundings. "Now this place, I like."

We'd arrived in Deningrad shortly after the encounter with Kamuy, minus Meru and Rose, who had left for reasons of their own: Meru to visit her parents, and Rose, being Rose, said only that she had an errand to run. As I told Mac, Deningrad was my kind of place. Having grown up in a relatively cold climate, I was able to tolerate Serdio, but Tiberoa was the next best thing to unbearable.

The capital of Mille Seseau thus came as a profound relief. From what Dart had told me, the snow was more or less permanent in this part of the world, lending Deningrad a sort of fairy tale quality. Adding to that effect was the Crystal Palace, home of Queen Theresa and the Sacred Sisters. I just might settle down here when our journey is finished.

"Reminds me of Norway."

I glanced at Methos. "Why am I not surprised to hear that from you, old man?"

The other shrugged. "I've been around."

"Whatever." I sighed. "Dart, where to?"

"We'll try the church. Maybe we can learn something."

We arrived just in time to hear the tail end of a sermon. "To prevent the world's end, we must rid ourselves of evil and live honestly," a bishop was saying. "It is our mission as children of the Divine Tree."

"The Divine Tree?" Richie muttered in disbelief. "Is he nuts or what?"

"I'm inclined to agree with you," I said, just as quietly. "At the same time, I'd like to learn more."

Apparently, the bishop overheard my comment. "Welcome, visitors. I am Bishop Dille. I serve the Divine Tree."

"Is this it?" Dart asked, indicating a bas relief on the wall.

"This is an artist's conception," Dille said. "We do not know what the real tree looks like, of course. No one has ever seen it. Do you wish to learn more?"

"Yes, please," Dart replied.

"Very well." The bishop began speaking in a voice I remembered from fire-and-brimstone preachers back home. "The Divine Tree, the Tree of Life. All life comes from this Divine Tree. In the beginning, nothingness filled the world. Then the creator Soa sowed a seed on the earth. The seed soon grew, and became a great tree. The tree bore 108 fruits, and thus 108 forms of life were created. The tree completed its work, but the legend says that it is still there, protected by the Signet of Soa."

"And I thought I wouldn't hear anything dumber than the Tiberoans' star worship," Amanda said under her breath.

Dille ignored her. "If you wish to know more, visit the library."

Albert was immediately excited. "The Mille Seseau national library!? I wonder if I can see it and remain calm." He pretended to consider. "No, I cannot!"

"Albert?" Dart sounded a little querulous.

"Is he always like that?" Mac asked.

"I'm afraid so," I responded ruefully. "Please, don't encourage him."

"I'll remember that."

Though I would never have admitted it, especially to Albert, I too was excited about the library. I have long had a craving for knowledge, though not to the same extent as my friend the King. The thought of having access to the most extensive library in Endiness was enticing, to say the least.

Getting in was simple enough, once we persuaded the rather snobbish librarian to unlock it for us. Once inside, I ignored everyone else and concentrated on my reading. It was, to put it mildly, fascinating. The first thing I came across was an in-depth history of the Dragon Campaign, missing only the identities of the Dragoons (not that that mattered to me, of course).

This is incredible! I thought, thoroughly absorbed. Stories of Diaz, descriptions of the capital Vellweb, a sketchy bio of Melbu Frahma, and if that's not a picture of Feyrbrand I'll break my staff. How do they get this stuff?

"Enjoying yourself, Belmont?"

I jumped. "Methos! Don't sneak up on me like that! Anyway, 'enjoying' is far too mild a word. This is like nothing I've seen before. See this?" I showed him the Dragon picture. "That, Methos, is a remarkably accurate rendition of Feyrbrand."

"Very pretty." The old man waved at the door. "We need to get going. Dart wants to be ready when Rose and Meru return."

"Got it."

We didn't need to find Rose, she found us, and she brought some friends, five of them to be exact. The girls in front were clearly two of the Sacred Sisters, their three companions obvious knights. How would Rose have met up with this bunch?

"Rose, who are they?" Dart asked.

"These are Luanna and Setie. I met them in Neet," Rose said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Neet? And you came back with them?"

Rose shrugged. "I just happened to be there."

Luanna turned her blind gaze to Dart. "Excuse me, but you seem to have had some changes in your body recently."

Dart nodded. "Why don't we go to the inn. We'll talk there."

Once everyone was settled, I spoke to Luanna. "Setie tells us you can see people's souls?"

She nodded. "Correct. Yours is very unusual, even more than your friends'.

I sighed. "I'd hoped to avoid revealing this here so soon, but it's no use. I ask, though, that you tell no one except the Queen of this."

"Of course."

"Thanks." I took a deep breath. "I am immortal. I cannot die, unless you take my head. Same for them," I added, waving at my fellow Immortals. "What you sensed is called the Quickening, which gives us strength."

The Second Sacred Sister was not easily rattled, but this was an obvious shock. "I have never heard of such people, but I sense no falsehood. This is amazing."

"The reason you've never heard of us is that we're from another world," Methos put in. "And even there, we tend to keep a low profile."

"Understandable."

Dart abruptly keeled over. "W-What is this!?" At the same time, the whole area started shaking.

"Something that has influence over you has awakened!" Luanna said. "You may be able to learn of it now!"

I dashed outside, the others close on my heels. Overflying Deningrad was the largest monster I had ever seen, so large that it dwarfed both Virages we'd fought. The thing was hideous, with a long neck, seven wings, seven eyes, a gaping mouth, and what looked suspiciously like a cannon on its back. In the corner of my eye, I saw Regole tense up. This is not good. Anything that can make a Dragon nervous is very nasty indeed.

"What is that!?" Setie gasped.

Rose looked even grimmer than usual. "'One who glares through seven diabolical eyes, and crosses the sky on seven wings.' It's the king of Dragons, the Divine Dragon."

"The Divine Dragon!?" Meru had rejoined us without my noticing.

"Then it is true, that the ancient Winglies sealed him away in the Mountain of the Mortal Dragon long ago," Luanna breathed.

"We'll have to deal with him," Dart said grimly.

Luanna turned to him, blind eyes wide. "How can you do this?"

He squared his shoulders. "We are the Dragoons. We are the Dragon Knights who have the power to rule Dragons." Dart nodded at Regole. "That's Meru's Dragon."

The Sacred Sister gasped. "Please, see Queen Theresa! If you are truly the Dragoons, then surely you can stop him!"

"This should be interesting," I muttered as we entered the Palace. In contrast to the clamor outside, the Crystal Palace was relatively peaceful, even in the face of a Dragon's assault. Either they always act like this, or they have no idea what they're up against.

"So what was it!?"

The voice belonged to a blond woman, early twenties, dressed in red and white. I quickly identified her as the First Sacred Sister, Miranda. My first thought was that the blue-eyed archer was attractive, my second was that she was a more outspoken version of Rose. Cold-blooded Darkness and abrasive Light. She'll be trouble.

"It was larger than a horse and too fast for us to follow!" the unlucky knight replied. "It is impossible for such a creature to exist!"

"How can you be so sure of that!?" Miranda demanded.

"It is impossible for such a creature to exist!" the knight repeated.

Miranda slapped him across the face. "You idiot! Are you going to risk your men's lives on a mere assumption!? You are dismissed, Commander!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The knight braced to attention and made good his escape.

Queen Theresa spotted us about then. "Please, Miranda. You are in front of guests."

The Sacred Sister noticed us for the first time. "Who are you?"

Dart ignored her. "Your Majesty, we are here to fight the Divine Dragon."

Miranda snorted derisively. "How are you going to do that!?"

In answer, Dart held out his Dragoon Spirit. "We are the Dragon Knights who rule Dragons, the Dragoons. There is no one but us who can stand up to him."

"Are you saying that you are the Dragoons of legend!?" Miranda asked in disbelief.

Annoyed with her attitude, I took a step forward. "That's exactly what he's saying, Sister Miranda. And the five of us," I waved at my fellow Immortals, "have another advantage."

She snorted derisively. "What kind of advantages?"

Even more annoyed, I slashed my arm, then held it out so she could watch it heal. "We are Immortals," I said in a voice of frozen helium, "people who can only die by beheading." With the Sacred Sister cowed for the moment, I turned to the Queen. "Your Majesty, we came here pursuing a man, but the Divine Dragon is a more pressing problem. We will gladly help."

"The ancient Winglies made two objects to fight Dragons," Rose said. "One was a sword to kill Dragons, the Dragon Buster."

"Don't I know it," I said ruefully. "I was impaled with it."

"Lloyd has that however," Rose went on, "so we must rely on the Dragon Block Staff." She turned to our resident Wingly. "Do you know where it is, Meru?"

Meru hesitated, then nodded. "We keep it in my home forest. I'll take you there."

"Very well." Miranda went to one knee before the Queen. "Your Majesty, I am heading to the Forest of the Winglies with these people."

Dart frowned. "You're coming, too?"

Miranda looked at him as if he was dense. "Of course. I can't let you handle it alone."

Oh, boy. This is not a good thing. This wacko is guaranteed to irritate Rose, and there's no telling how the others will react. Our journey just got a lot more interesting.

We were about halfway out of the castle when Dart stopped. "Where's Shana?"

I frowned. "Did she get left behind?"

"We'd better find her," Miranda grumbled. "We don't have time for this."

We found Shana in a chamber just off the throne room. The chamber had a disturbing atmosphere, different from the rest of the palace, unpleasantly so. Judging by Meru's reaction, the place was charged with Wingly magic.

Dart gripped Shana's shoulder. "Why did you come here?"

Shana looked blearily around. "I don't know. I woke up and found myself here."

"Miranda, what is this place?" Albert asked.

She frowned. "I don't know exactly. It's connected to the Winglies, somehow."

Shana moaned. "It's burning…I can't feel…the Dragon's power…" There was a brilliant flash, and the Dragoon Spirit of the White Silver Dragon landed gently in Miranda's palm. Shana, meanwhile, dropped in a dead faint.

Dart stared in disbelief. "You are a Dragoon too!?"

"Ah, the plot thickens," I muttered. "We need to get her out of here."

Shana awoke about an hour later. "Are you alright?" Dart asked anxiously.

She nodded. "But…I don't think I can go with you anymore."

I laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Shana. We'll be back."

"Get some rest," Kongol advised. "I should do some good."

Shana looked at the newest Dragoon. "Miranda, please take care of the rest."

"I know."

While the others went on ahead, I pulled Miranda aside. "Before we leave, I need to make sure you understand some things. First, if one of us Immortals gets into a duel, stay out of it. Such battles are strictly one-on-one. Clear?"

She nodded. "Fine."
"Secondly, try to tone down your smart remarks. You may not realize it, but being a Dragoon carries with it very special obligations."

"Don't lecture me," Miranda snapped. "I know my duty."

"Last, don't knock Rose around. She knows more than you can imagine, and she seldom takes kindly to that."

"Fine, whatever." Miranda stalked off, forcing me to hurry to catch up.

"Why," I asked no one in particular, "do I have the feeling that she's going to plague me for a long time to come?"

Author's note: Not exactly action-packed, but I decided I could use a bit more detail. MacLeod and company are going to be along at least long enough to deal with the Divine Dragon. As regards Richie's death, this is indeed set prior to that, but I intend to disregard it in any event. I have not seen the episode in question and have no desire to; sad endings always irritate me. Please read and review as usual. D.S.