Disclaimer: None of this is mine.

"So what do we do now?" Chris asked.

We were taking a rest break near the desert, having left Burmecia some hours earlier. Zidane and his friends were looking rather subdued; it turned out that just before Beatrix met with us, she'd given Zidane's group a severe beating. Quina was still nursing a wound in his right shoulder, courtesy of the good general's Thunder Slash attack. Zidane himself had come through the fight largely uninjured, possibly because of his unusual body.

"Good question." I glanced at our Burmecian comrade. "Freya, what are the chances that the king and his people made it to Cleyra?"

"If they could get through the sandstorm, quite good, actually." Freya shrugged. "Cleyra may have severed ties with Burmecia, but they would never deny those in need. If anyone got through, the Cleyrans would welcome them."

"Then we go to Cleyra as planned." I nodded.

"What about the Alexandrians?" Dari asked. "Would they attack Cleyra directly?"

"Brahne is capable of anything," the Dragon Knight snarled. "And with Beatrix in charge of the troops, I doubt the Cleyrans would stand much of a chance."

I refrained from comment. Freya, there is much you don't know, I thought. While you may not believe it, Beatrix is in fact our ally. I had already decided that telling Zidane and company about our meeting with Beatrix would be a mistake. Freya in particular would be very angry indeed, so better to avoid the whole issue.

"And the Black Mages," Vivi murmured, sounding even more nervous than usual. I didn't blame him; after Dali, he was probably questioning his own existence. "What are they? Why is Brahne using them. And who was that man we saw in Burmecia?"

I sighed. "His name's Kuja. He's the one behind this insanity."

Zidane eyed me suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

"Derrick." I winced. "We had an abortive fight with him in the city. He told us that it was Kuja who enabled him to defeat the Blood Dragon, which does not bode well." I got to my feet. "We'd better get moving. We don't know when Alexandria will strike."

For the next few hours we traveled in relative silence. I was grateful; I was in a foul mood, for reasons that were only in part due to the Blood Dragoon, and had no desire for idle conversation. The only sort of terrain that irritates me more than a swamp is a desert, which meant I was not enjoying the trip to Cleyra in the least. As if Qu's Marsh wasn't bad enough.

The other Dragoons had varying attitudes on the subject. Given how warm Mille Seseau isn't, Seria and Dari shared my opinion, add to that the young Wingly's dislike of sand in general. Zack didn't seem to care, except inasmuch as he kept getting sand in his boots. Laura and Indora evidently had no problems; not a surprise, really, since Tiberoa is just east of the Death Frontier. When Seria asked how he could stand the weather, Chris's only response was something about a Rouge Master being able to handle any environment.

"You know, you're not what I expected."

I turned in surprise. Dari had caught up with me while I brooded. "And just what do you mean by that, Miss Darkness?"

She shrugged, ignoring the "Miss Darkness" bit. "Rose and Seria both told me that you're a cold-blooded guy, and that you keep to yourself."

I bisected a giant scorpion. "And they were right. What's your point?"

"You've been pretty friendly with us." Dari folded her arms. "Why the change of heart?"

"It isn't a change of heart." I sheathed my blade. "From the beginning, I knew that it would be a mistake for me to adopt my usual standoffish ways when dealing with my team. How am I supposed to be a leader if everyone but Zack and Seria is afraid of me?"

"You have a point." She gazed at the huge tree for a moment. "How did you find us so quickly, anyway? I know Zack's your best friend, but what about the rest of us?"

I caught a glimpse of Zidane waving us forward. "We'd better start climbing. Good thing this tree has steps." I drew my sword again, just in case. "As you said, Zack is my best friend; we've known each other for a very long time. Chris I found via the Hero Competition in Lohan. As for the rest, it gets a little strange." To put it mildly. "It's been said that Dragoon Spirits attract each other. I don't know precisely if that's true, but I wouldn't be at all surprised. Something led me to Tiberoa, and later to Mille Seseau." I shrugged. "I don't really know anything beyond that."

"Makes sense." Dari smiled. "By the way, I think you're doing a great job."

"If you say so." I still had some serious doubts about Albert choosing me to lead this little band, but it had worked out all right thus far, with perhaps one exception. I can't afford to lose my temper again the way I did with Steiner. If that happens in a combat situation it could get a whole lot of people killed. Thankfully, that particular incident was unlikely to repeat itself; my self-control was legendary back home.

Despite being perched on top of a giant tree, Cleyra wasn't all that hard to reach. The trunk had ramps and at least one staircase leading up. There were two reasons we took so long: the first was the sheer size of the tree, the second was, of course, a healthy monster population, if "healthy" is the right word. I was nearly devoured by something that looked like a giant caterpillar. Quina once again demonstrated his effectiveness by feasting on the creature.

I got up, dusting myself off. "Thanks, Quina. That was a little too close." Movement to the left caught my eye. "Dari, look out!"

"Whoa!" She dove out of the way, just barely avoiding a huge sand monster.

"Blizzarra!" Vivi shouted. He rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just a little shaken up." Dari glared at the corpse. "What in blazes was that?"

"It's called a Sand Golem," Freya said, brushing even more sand from her red jacket. "For obvious reasons, they are quite common in deserts."

"Yeah, well, I'd like for them to be less common," Zack muttered. My royal friend was far from his usual self. He had no objection to deserts per se, it was just that the sandstorm had made a mess of his clothes.

Zidane looked at us. "Why do you guys bother climbing? I've seen that armor of yours. You could just fly up."

I barked a laugh. "In this? You've got to be kidding. Leaving aside the fact that it would be best for us to arrive in the company of an armed Burmecian, so that the Cleyrans and their guests don't mistake us for allies of that maniac Brahne, or worse yet, Derrick, even a Dragoon would have to be insane to fly in the middle of a sandstorm. The chances of running into a tree are pretty high, and Dragoon Armor doesn't protect the wearer from a broken neck."

The thief winced. "Ouch."

It was a moot point by then anyway. After one last flight of stairs, we came to a small ladder with a sign next to it. Not needing any more incentive, we climbed the last few feet with a sense of profound relief.

A pair of Cleyrans met us at the top. "Lady Freya?" one asked. "The King asked us to meet you."

Freya straightened. "Long live the king! Please take me to him."

"Of course. This way, please."

The other one turned to us. "While you are waiting, perhaps I could show you around."

Zidane thought for a moment. "Sure. What about you guys?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'll go, too," Vivi said.

"I go look for yummies." With that, the Qu departed.

For varying reasons, we Dragoons all declined. Laura and Seria wanted to rest, Indora said his axe needed sharpening, Chris said something about needing a bite to eat, Zack wanted a change of clothes, (inevitably), Dari wandered off in search of a space in which to practice, and I left on my own, looking for a place to brood.

After strolling aimlessly for about half an hour, I settled on a bench near a magic pool. The events of the past few days had left me more than a little out of sorts. Why did Albert want me to command this mission? I shook my head. What made sense to the King of Serdio was its own subset of reality. However strange he might have been, I trusted his judgment. That was the only thing that kept me from refusing when Zack dropped his little bombshell.

I sighed, firmly reminding myself that there was no point in mulling over that incident. What's done is done, Jason. You're here, deal with it. Besides, with Derrick running amok, this journey had given me some added problems. If this Kuja had given him such immense power, it would explain why even all seven of us had failed to defeat him. How did Derrick meet Kuja? Did one or the other of them find that portal between Gaia and Endiness? I jerked upright as the implications hit home. This isn't a battle for one world, but two. Kuja might not be in the same league as Magician Faust or Melbu Frahma, but he's obviously dangerous. We have to stop him here.

I don't know how long it was before I had company. "Going all introspective again, eh, Jason?"

I glanced at her through the corner of my eye. "Seria's been telling tales again, I see," I said mildly.

Dari shrugged. "Actually, I heard this one from Rose. She's known you pretty much since Dart and Shana took you in, right?"

"True enough."

She gazed at me expectantly, and I sighed. "All right, what do you want to know?"

"I want to know what's bothering you." The Dark Dragoon leaned forward slightly. "Ever since Burmecia, you've been even more withdrawn than usual. Something's eating you."

I sighed again. "If it was indeed Kuja who gave Derrick the power to defeat the Blood Dragon, then it's not just Gaia that's in danger. In order to pull that off, one or the other of them had to have found the portal between Gaia and Endiness."

Dari winced. "And since they know about it, they could attack through the Forest of Winglies."

I nodded grimly. "Giving them immediate access to Mille Seseau. From there, it would be a simple matter to head south and hit Serdio and Tiberoa. And since Derrick's from Seles, he would take great pleasure in annihilating my home. Dart, as the Divine Dragoon, would be the only one with a realistic chance of stopping him. And Shana, of course, would insist on fighting by his side…" I broke off; the subject was becoming too painful.

Dari laid a hand on my shoulder. "You really love them, don't you."

I swallowed. "Yes. Most people don't realize it, but I'm not just a cold-blooded killer. Dart and Shana took me in when no one else would."

"Because of your Wingly heritage." It wasn't a question.

I nodded. "Hard though it may be to imagine, given the publicity Meru's gotten as one of the heroes who took out Melbu Frahma, prejudice against Winglies was quite common when I was little. The fact that my grandmother was a Wingly meant that most people saw me as a monster. Dart eventually convinced them otherwise, but it took time."

"And that's why you keep to yourself so much." Dari grimaced.

"That, and the fact that I simply don't like being around people, for the most part," I agreed. "Our team is an exception, of course, as are the elder Dragoons, and those close to them. Lavitz's mother, Guaraha, the Sacred Sisters, Queen Emille, Lloyd, you get the idea."

"Yep." She lifted an eyebrow. "Speaking of Lloyd, why'd he have Beatrix deliver the Dragon Buster? You'd think he could do it himself."

"He was probably in a hurry." I gazed contemplatively at the ancient Wingly sword. "Soon I will put an end to Derrick Sands, and then I'll find a worthy master for his Dragoon Spirit."

Dari smiled mischievously. "How about Beatrix? She'd make a good Dragoon."

I burst out laughing. "Beatrix of Alexandria, a Dragoon, now there's an interesting thought. Steiner'd probably flip out; he's always complaining about Beatrix trying to 'one-up' him."

"So much the better." My companion chuckled. "He deserves it."

"Better not tell Freya, at least not yet. She'd be one hundred percent guaranteed to be very angry." I casually drew my sword. "What do you say to a quick one-on-one? It's been a while since I was able to practice against a truly skilled opponent."

Dari grinned and drew her rapier. "Thought you'd never ask."

We sparred for the next hour. Watching Dari's moves, I could easily see Rose's influence. While I was somewhat stronger, Dari was significantly faster, catching me off guard more than once. She moved like a dancer, each attack flowing from the last. My fighting style was something of an amalgamation of Dart and Lloyd, combining Dart's punishing slashes with Lloyd's lightning-quick cuts and teleportation dodges.

As usual, sword practice took my mind off of everything else. It was just Dari and me, crossing swords again and again. Neither of us was truly able to gain the upper hand; we were almost perfectly matched. My broadsword would come down in a vicious chop, only to be parried by Dari's rapier.

In the end, it was my superior endurance that won out. Dari missed an attack, leaving herself open. Seeing my chance, I used the same move that won the Hero Competition, Lloyd's infamous launcher strike.

Dari slowly got to her feet, wincing a little. "Good match, Jason. You're even better than I've heard."

I raised my eyebrows. "And where would you have heard such praise regarding my skill in a fight?"

"Rose, of course." She looked at me as though I should have known that.

"Of course." I inspected my blade. "Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I'd be able to tell that Rose trained you. That fighting style is unmistakable, especially to someone like me, having known Rose for as long as I can remember. You are easily one of the best fighters I have ever seen. If that had been a serious battle, I might well have died."

"Maybe." A slow smile spread across her face. "Why don't we go Dragoon, hone our skills in the air?"

I grinned. "You got it."

Another hour was spent fighting, this time in the sky. We had to keep to fairly low altitude, lest we get caught in the sandstorm, but that wasn't much of a problem. There was more than enough room for a pair of Dragoons to soar. This battle was far more spectacular than our earlier match, for obvious reasons. Bright red clashed against deep purple, sending sparks flying in all directions. I caught a glimpse of some Cleyrans far below, staring at us in awe; apparently Zidane hadn't gotten around to explaining about the Dragoons yet. They looked frightened, until Zack showed up and calmed them down.

"Jason, look!" Dari yelled.

I stared down, shocked. "What the…what is that!?"

"I don't know, but it's got a kid in its jaws!"

We swooped in, almost colliding with the Burmecian youngster as he was tossed free. "Oof! What it, ya stupid jerk!" he snarled, glaring at his assailant.

Zidane and friends were there in seconds. "Whoa!"

"The antlion," Freya said grimly. "We'll have to destroy it."

"I'm way ahead of you!" I yelled. "Final Burst!"

"Astral Drain!"

"Reis's Wind!" Some sort of regeneration spell, apparently, courtesy of Freya.

"Mighty Guard!"

"Blizzarra!"

"Gaspless!" Zack had seemingly popped out of nowhere.

The antlion countered with a miniature sandstorm. Zack, Dari, and I were too high up to be affected, but Zidane and his friends were hurt badly.

"Gates of Heaven!" Laura arrived with a timely healing spell.

Zidane pushed himself to his feet, glaring. "I've had enough of you! Scoop Art!"

To say that the antlion was injured by the attack is akin to saying that ice is cold. The hideous creature writhed for a few seconds, then fell over, dead. Another ugly monster bites the dust, I thought. Do I want to know what we'll face next? Probably not.

Once everyone was cleaned up, we assembled in the heart of the city, I don't know what to call it, really. As it turned out, the young Burmecian the antlion had attacked was the king's son, Prince Puck (and isn't that an odd name for a prince). He'd left Burmecia shortly after Freya did, and hadn't been heard from since. Vivi seemed to know him, though.

"And who are these?" the king asked, turning to me.

I stood tall, looking him straight in the eye; I'd spent too much time with King Albert to be overawed by a monarch. "We are the Dragoons. We are the Dragon Knights who have the power to rule Dragons."

"They learned of impending danger on Gaia, and came to help," Freya explained.

"I see." The Burmecian king looked us over. "They carry themselves like warriors, even the young girl." That last was directed at Seria, who just smiled.

One of the Cleyrans approached Freya. "We will now perform a ceremony to strengthen the sandstorm. With the assistance of a Dragon Knight like yourself, it should grow even more powerful."

Freya nodded. "The ceremony from the time Burmecia and Cleyra were one, I see. I will gladly help."

"This should be interesting," Indora muttered.

The Giganto understated it by a wide margin. A Cleyran across the room from us began playing a large harp, while four more Cleyrans joined Freya in a bizarre dance. I never thought I'd find myself watching five humanoid rats perform a dance, but I was beyond surprise by this point. Music filled the air for just over a minute, and then there was a high-pitched snap.

"The strings have snapped," the harpist said worriedly. "A bad omen, this is."

I was about to ask why, but I got my answer easily enough. The sandstorm which had protected Cleyra for a century slowly faded, leaving the giant tree open to attack. This is not a good sign. Beware of Black Mages. I gazed out at the surrounding desert. We may well have to face Beatrix in combat.

"This is gonna get ugly," Zack murmured. "I guarantee you Alexandria's going to show up very soon."

"I think you're right," I murmured back. Then, switching to Wingly in case we were overheard, "We'll probably have to face Beatrix in person. How do we make it convincing without doing any permanent damage?"

"We're Dragoons," Laura put in. "We'll think of something."

"I hope you're right." I turned to the king. "Your Majesty, we'll scout from above. If the Alexandrians try to come up the trunk, we'll spot them."

He nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

I transformed. "Come on, guys, let's move."

Author's note: I decided to split the events in Cleyra into two parts because I thought the story was moving a little too fast. Next will come the first appearance of an eidolon.

Not much else to say, except thanks for reading and please keep it up.