I do not own Legend of Dragoon or any of the characters.


Searching For a Cure

Cade watched as Sanator, the best doctor in Lohan, leafed through one of his books quickly before nodding to himself and putting it away, walking back over.

"If we can get some Dragoni Plant, she may survive," Sanator said.

"Really!?" Dart asked, eyes wide and desperate, as they had been since Shana collapsed.

"I read it in a secret heirloom book," Sanator said. "The problem is, as with Dragons, the Dragoni Plant exists only in legends. I cannot say for sure if it really exists."

"Even so, we cannot wait like this, doing nothing!" Dart said. "Let's go look for the Dragoni Plant on our own! We at least might be able to find something in this town!"

Lavitz nodded in agreement. "Lohan is a commercial town where everybody is welcome! There should be some information here!"

"Though it may be temporary, I will try to stanch the poison," Sanator said. "I am not called the best doctor in Serdio for nothing! I will rise to the occasion!"

Lavitz and Dart ran out of the room and Rose pushed off the wall where she'd been leaning. However, before she turned to leave, she looked to Cade, who made no move to.

"Are you coming?" Rose asked.

"In a bit," Cade said. "I need to speak with him for a moment."

"About the poison that has yet to affect you, after a full day of travel from the forest to here?" Rose asked, eyes narrowing.

"That also, yes," Cade nodded. "But also something else."

Rose watched him silently for a moment before leaning against the wall again. "I think I'll wait for you."

Cade sighed, nodding. "That's fair. Sanator, are your hands still steady enough to stitch wounds?"

"They are," Sanator nodded. "Let me see it."

Cade nodded and pulled his dirty brown shirt over his head, exposing the bandages he'd applied himself and hadn't allowed the others to see. Rose stared at them as Sanator cut them off, then sucked in a breath.

"Reckless, Cade," Sanator said. "Just like the last time you wound up here."

He gestured to a chair with the back of it reclined off to the side. Cade sat back in it and Sanator used a clean bandage to slow the bleeding that had begun again when he took the bandages off, then got his needle and thread, pressing it into Cade's skin. Cade stiffened, squeezing his eyes closed and gritting his teeth, but remained silent as Sanator worked, slowly stitching the four gashes decorating Cade's chest closed. As he worked, the pain began to pile up and Cade's breathing began to grow more labored, but he still didn't make a sound otherwise. Finally, Sanator finished his work and secured the end, snipping the excess thread.

"Thank you," Cade said.

"Give it about three days to heal and you can take the thread out," Sanator said. "Normally I would say seven, but based on how quickly you healed last time you were here, I believe three should suffice. If they aren't mostly sealed by three, give it an extra day. In the mean time, keep them bandaged and try to keep them dry if you can. After you take them out, keep the wounds bandaged for about another day. After that, you should be healed. You got your wish, if nothing else. You'll finally have a nice pearly white scar."

Cade chuckled as Sanator finished bandaging Cade's torso for him. "Well, there's that, at least. What do you recommend for fighting with these in?"

"I don't," Sanator said. "But since you won't listen to me about it anyway, I'd say you should be fine as long as you don't twist too much and only use your right arm."

Cade nodded and thanked him, pulling his shirt back on, then walked out of the building with Rose.

"I thought you said they healed when you drank a Healing Potion," Rose said.

"I did say that," Cade said. "But the monster that put them there had a toxin that resists Healing Potions, so I just bandaged it."

Rose shook her head, and they walked along the raised wooden pathway they were on to the stairs leading down to Lohan's main street. Lohan was a crowded, bustling city packed in so tightly that they had to wind through the crowd. There were several layers of the city. The street-level stores and shops were generally the cheapest, though one street-side shop in the city was where Cade stole his sword from, the second layer included the more expensive stores, the inn, and Sanator's clinic, and the third layer included the town's one temple, a library, some high-class weapon and item stores, and Dabas's shop, somewhere.

Cade stopped at a street-side shop selling clothes and looked around, humming thoughtfully. He crouched down, picking up a black shirt and pants, a faded, light grey poncho, and a black scarf.

"What, are you trying to disguise yourself now?" Rose asked.

Cade smiled and shrugged. "I have a weird taste in clothes."

He payed for the clothes, as well as a second of everything, then stored it in his pack, deciding to change into it later. They made their way through the town together, asking about Dragoni Plant before eventually being directed to Dabas's shop. As they walked up to it, they met Dart and Lavitz outside the door.

"There you are!" Dart said. "Where were you?"

"I had to get something tended to," Cade said. "I also bought some fresh clothes."

"There's no time for that!" Dart snapped. "We need to find a Dragoni Plant!"

"I know," Cade said. "That's why we were also asking around. Our best shot is Dabas. That guy from Volcano Villude."

"This is his store?" Dart asked.

"Should be," Cade said, opening it and walking in. "Hello?"

"Welcome!" Dabas said, sliding down a ladder on the far side of the room and turning, only to freeze. "Hey!"

"Glad to see you made it alive," Cade said.

Dabas ran over, slapping both hands on each of the males' shoulders as a greeting. "I'm glad you folks are here! Thanks for that Villude business, really! Now I can run my business! So, what are you looking for? You can find anything in Dabas' Antiques!"

"Do you carry herbs too?" Dart asked.

"Sure!" Dabas nodded. "I carry everything! From extremely rare medicine to secret magical medicine!"

"Have you heard of the Dragoni Plant?" Dart asked. "I've heard it's an extremely rare herb."

"Oh, the Dragoni Plant!" Dabas nodded vigorously.

"You have some!?" Dart asked excitedly.

"No," Dabas said, turning away.

"Dabas!" Dart shouted irritably.

"Hey now!" Dabas said. "Don't get mad! I was just kidding! Now, let me think for a moment. I remember hearing about it somewhere before." He frowned, reaching into his pocket. "Actually, I might have it..." he pulled out a notebook, leafing through it. "Yes! Here it is! It says, North of the poisoned forest. Past the troublesome plant. Observed Dragoni Plant in back of shrine."

"That reminds me," Lavitz said. "I saw a strange plant in the forest near where Shana took a rest."

"That fish-looking one," Cade nodded.

"The one that became a monster because of the Dragon's poison," Rose nodded. "You can't get past it unless you purify it with something."

"Fire?" Cade suggested."

"No," Rose said flatly.

"How about that spring underground," Lavitz suggested. "That might help the plant."

"That might work," Rose said.

"Great!" Dart said, spinning toward the door. "Thanks Dabas!"

"Hey, wait!" Dabas called after them. "What about shopping? That's it?"

They ignored him, hurrying back through the town, then on the road back toward the forest. Without having to carry Shana, it would only be a couple hours before they got there.


Cade looked around the ruin. A little under a day-and-a-half trip there in all. The ruins had a shrine at the top, but Cade could feel magic in the ruin. It wouldn't be easy to get there. And not only that, as soon as they had arrived, they'd found a dragon carved into the wall above the first door, and Rose had had Dart and Lavitz pull out their Dragoon Spirits. All three, plus the dragon carving, had shone blindingly, warning them of a Dragoon being present. Cade didn't like it.

"Hey, Cade," Dart called out. "We're heading this way."

Cade looked over at where they were all heading toward a door off to the left. He nodded, but as he turned to follow, a gargoyle to his right suddenly moved, one of its clawed fingers rising off its pedestal. Cade dove away just as the light grey stone shattered and the monster inside swiped at him. It missed by a hair's breadth, and as he stood, he spun toward it, drawing his sword. It was a four-legged reptilian-looking creature with a mostly white stone body, green stone over its body like spots, a pair of thin white horns on its head, two pointed tows on each back foot and two on the front two but with a thumb on the front feet as well, a pair of large, green, leathery wings, and a long, pointed tail. Cade stepped forward to attach it, only for Dart to tackle him out of the way just as a stone staff with a stone block in place of a spearhead smashed into the ground, cracking it. Cade looked to the spear's wielder and saw a moving granite statue with a stone beard framing its face, a stone toga, and a large stone shield.

"Great," Cade growled. "I'm going to have to sharpen my sword after this."

"Will your sword even work here?" Dart asked.

"We'll see," Cade said, then shot forward.

The Gargoyle leapt at him and he dropped into a slide as it passed over him, slashing its claws. He slashed along its underside, feeling his sword only barely manage to scratch its stone body. Then, as he stood, he spun around the living statue's spear head, which once again cracked the ground. A moment later, Rose passed him, slashing the statue across the torso, her blade splitting it deeper than his.

"How'd you do that!?" Cade gaped.

"My sword's obviously better than yours," Rose said.

Cade huffed, then spun in time to slam his sword into the Gargoyle's head and left shoulder, diverting it to the side and slicing another shallow scratch into it. As it landed, Dart passed, swinging with all his might and batting it away, his bastard sword carving a slightly deeper gash into the thing.

"I don't like this place," Cade said.

"I agree!" Lavitz said, holding the living statue's spear back with his own.

Cade turned, stepping past him and slashed the statue down across the side, noticing his sword cut through it easier than the gargoyle. As he slashed it, he knocked it back a step before Lavitz lunged forward, ramming his shoulder into it and sending it staggering backward. It staggered tot he edge of the stone floor where the floor gave way to the lake the ruin sat in, and Cade charged, ducking aside from the stone spear before jumping and slamming his feet into the statue's shield, knocking it backward into the water, Cade landing on his left side on the edge of the floor. He stood, looking to Dart and Rose just as both of their swords tore through the Gargoyle, splitting it in half. He sighed. He needed a better sword. Or he needed to get it enhanced.

"Did you kill the other one?" Rose asked.

"As long as it can't swim, it's dealt with," Cade said.

"That should work," Rose nodded. "Now let's go."

They all nodded and headed through the door they'd been heading for before. On the other side, there was a stone pathway to their left that headed for a broken bridge, which led to a raised stone pathway over the water with a chest at the far end. Dart, for lack of a better idea, reasoned that the Dragoni Plant might have been made into medicine and stored in a chest, so he headed for it. As he did, Cade looked around. There was a lower level, though he couldn't see how to get there and it was too low to get back up from, but the only thing down there was a gold angel statue off to one side with a plaque on the stone pedestal it stood on.

"What the..." Dart said, staring into the chest.

"What?" Cade asked.

"It's empty," Dart said. "There's just a sign saying there's no treasure here."

"Someone must have put out empty chests to try and deter anyone who came looting," Cade said. "Come on. There's no Dragoni Plant in this area, and I think I remember Dabas saying something about it being at the back of the shrine."

The others all nodded and they headed back through the door they'd come from before looking around. Before they headed toward the stairs at the back, they headed across the room to the only door on the right side. Once again, Dart decided to check the chest there, finding it empty, while Cade noticed that there was a silver angel statue, but that the plaque was to its right side.

"I wonder why that statue's plaque is on the wrong side," Cade said.

"I don't know," Lavitz said. "Maybe it's supposed to be facing left?"

Cade shook his head, shrugging, then looked over at Dart as he walked over, shaking his own head.

"Empty again," Dart said.

"Right," Cade nodded. "Let's head toward the shrine and see how it goes."

They all nodded and headed back inside, then for the stairs leading up the mountain. As they neared the base of them, however, the ground suddenly began to crack, massive blue crystals beginning to rise up through it. They all backed away as a Crystal Golem rose in front of them, a crystal head attached to the front of a massive chunk of crystal with spikes along the top, the head having holes surrounded by cracks in place of eyes and a mouth filled with pointed crystal teeth, then a pair of crystal arms extending from the front of its body.

"Dart, Rose, your weapons seem to cut through things better," Cade said. "Maybe you should handle this."

"I don't think my sword can cut that," Dart said.

"Time to find out," Rose said, streaking forward.

Cade sighed, then followed her, Dart and Lavitz just behind him. Rose ducked around the golem's fist, slamming her sword into its front, then dove aside from another. Cade stabbed at it, gritting his teeth and grunting when the impact jarred his entire skeletal system. Then, he spun around a downward punch and slashed at the thing, his sword once again doing nothing to it. As soon as he was out of the way, Dart's sword crashed into the golem, a crack spreading a few inches. He spun out of Lavitz's way instantly and Lavitz drove his spear into the crack, deepening and widening it before ripping it back out and leaping backward. Dart slammed his sword into the golem several more times, cracking it more and more before Cade shot forward, driving his sword into one of the cracks, then twisted and yanked to the side. The crack split the golem instantly, removing the left third of its body, along with its arm. Then, he leapt away just before Rose passed, slashing the golem across the face. As her sword hit its face, the section of crystal between its eyes shattered and the golem roared in pain, managing to finally land a punch on her, throwing her backward, only for Cade to catch her. Then, Dart's sword slammed into the golem's face and its head shattered. The cracks in its body began to spread rapidly before the entire body crumbled into a pile on the ground. Cade sighed.

"I fucking hate this place," Cade said as Rose stepped away from him. "My sword's so dull now."

"Let's go," Dart said. "We need to find the Dragoni Plant."

The others nodded and followed him up the stairs. At the top of it was a small landing with a low pedestal in front of them, two rotating rings around a rotating circle in the center of it, the numbers one through five on each, and a small notch at the top of the rotating plat showing where to align the numbers.

"We need a specific order of three numbers, each between one and five," Cade said, standing and looking over the shoulder-height ledge to the next area where the only other path was a hole in the wall with a wooden beam up the center, wooden rungs on either side to block the opening. "It probably opens that path right there."

"So, how do we find the code?" Lavitz asked.

"It's gotta be written somewhere," Cade said.

"Well, while you figure that out, I'm going to go check the chest on the next level," Dart said.

"Really?" Cade asked. "Again?"

"If I find Dragoni Plant in there, we won't need the code," Dart said. "And if it is in there, I want to find it now. Shana doesn't have enough time left for us to sit around guessing numbers."

Cade sighed, waving him off, ad Dart walked away quickly. However, after a moment, there was a loud crash and Dart swore loudly before speeding past on a cart, following a railway past them, wrapping around the mountain. Cade had seen the rails running through the main section of the ruin at the base of the mountain, raised over them. It hadn't looked structurally sound.

"There he goes," Lavitz said.

"That's what he gets," Cade said, just as a behemoth of a humanoid with blue skin and studded leather armor crashed down to his left, a white stone pillar over its right shoulder. As he turned to it, another crashed down on the other side. "Where the hell did they come from?"

"Doesn't matter," Lavitz said. "Come on!"

He turned left, charging that one as Rose headed for the other. Cade turned, following Lavitz and as they neared it, the creature swung its pillar down at them. They both stepped out of the way, allowing it to crash loudly to the ground before Cade slashed it up the front and Lavitz stabbed it in the side, then ripped his spear out. He spun, slashing it across the back with his spear's head, and Cade jumped, slashing it up the back, then flipped and landed in front of it as it crumpled to the ground behind him. In front of him, Rose's target was lying with a half dozen gashes on it and Rose was watching them silently.

"I'm guessing yours was dead before we reached ours," Cade said.

Rose simply stared at him, so he sighed, shaking his head. He turned back to the rotating dials just as Dart stepped up to the top of the stairs, soaking wet.

"What happened to you?" Cade asked.

"The cart ejected me into the water out side the ruin," Dart said. "But I found the code, I think. It was on signs hanging over the rail. Three five two."

Cade aligned the numbers, starting from the outside, and as soon as he did, he heard the tell-tale clack of the wooden gate falling outward and becoming a ladder, or maybe a ramp. They all headed up the stairs off to the right, then climbed the new ladder, following the tunnel to the base of a set of stairs with a gold angel statue o the left side of the base and a silver one to the right. However, when dart went to sprint up the stairs, they suddenly lay down flat, sending him skidding back down to the others where Cade and Lavitz managed to catch him.

"What the fuck?" Dart asked.

"There's got to be some way to turn the trap off," Lavitz said as the stairs returned to normal.

Cade looked to the two statues and frowned. The silver one was facing to the right, and the gold one was facing away.

"I think I know what it is," Cade said, moving to the gold statue and trying to turn it, finding that it was able to spin, though it was heavy. "Lavitz, spin that one to the left."

Lavitz nodded and moved to the statue, spinning it. Then, Dart charged up the stairs once again. Cade sighed, shaking his head, but when the stairs didn't immediately drop Dart again, Cade and the others followed him up. At the top, they found a pair small flat section, then a pair of curved staircases leading to a large, open, oval-shaped platform, the right-hand staircase broken. They all headed onto the platform, only to stop as several knives stabbed into the ground at their feet. Then, a man wearing purple pants, a sleeveless purple jacket, a large, round-brimmed, pointed, purple hat with a yellow feather sticking up from the side, a white scarf hanging behind him in a pair of tails, several gold necklaces, and a pair of purple vambraces landed behind the line of knives, pulling them free of the cobblestone.

"It's amazing you made it through the traps, but your luck is over, 'cuz I won't let you go any further!" the man said. "Come on! Draw your sword!"

"Wait!" Dart said. "We're just looking for the Dragoni Plant! We don't want to fight!"

"Our friend was poisoned and we were told the plant can save her," Cade explained.

"You expect me to believe that!?" the man scoffed. "You must be after the treasure, aren't ya!?"

"That's not it!" Dart argued, only for Rose to draw her sword.

"It's quicker to beat him," Rose said.

"Rose stop it!" Cade said. "We're not here to fight, so there's no point in starting one for no reason! Just because it's quicker doesn't mean it's the right thing to do!"

"You've revealed your true colors!" the man was shouting. "Prepare yourselves!"

He hurled his three knives from before at Rose, but Cade stepped in front of her, slashing and miraculously hitting all three and knocking them out of the air. The man leapt away instantly, and Cade sighed.

"Fine," Cade said. "I guess we don't have a choice."

"No, wait!" Dart said. "We don't have to fight!"

"That's right!" the man said, pulling a stone out of the ground and revealing a chest. "You can just stand there while the great Drake blows you away!"

He hurled three massive bombs onto the ground, all three being massive black balls with white skulls painted on the front of them and burning wicks, all of them rolling toward them, one for Rose and Cade, one for Dart, and one for Lavitz. Everyone dove away just before they exploded, Dart escaping his blast, Lavitz only barely being ht and sent skidding a couple feet, and Rose being shielded by Cade. Cade, however, was sent ragdolling off the platform into the water around it. He groaned, surfacing, and looked up as he heard the telltale sounds metal clashing and the others shouting in effort as they fought Drake, as well as a couple more explosions.

Cade stabbed his sword into the side of the platform and pulled himself up, pulling it free once he had a grip on the edge. He pulled himself up in time to see Drake slash Rose's arm with a knife, then hurl it at Dart, stabbing it into his right bicep as he leapt away from Rose's sword. He pulled a small brown ball from his jacket and hurled it, the ball exploding when it hit the ground between Dart and Lavitz, hurling both way. Then, he turned, hurling two pairs of knives with wires attached past Rose, the wires hitting her and wrapping around her, dropping her to the ground. Drake leapt at her but Cade caught him by the leg and turned, hurling him away. As he landed on the ground, the shaft of Lavitz's spear crashed into his chest, hurling him backward. Cade turned, kneeling beside Rose and carefully slipping his sword under the wires.

"You'll dull your sword," Rose warned.

"You're vastly more important than my wires," Cade said. "No point in you wasting energy transforming for no reason."

He yanked his sword back and pulled up at the same time, cutting the wires, which swung away from Rose instantly, freeing her. She stood, stepping past him just in time to finally slash Drake across the chest as Drake was moving to kill Cade, Dart and Lavitz both busy pulling a knife out of their legs.

"He was surprisingly fast," Cade said.

"Not anymore," Rose said.

Cade sighed, shaking his head. "You really are cold, aren't you?"

"Should I be sad for killing someone who attacked us?" Rose said.

"We might not have had to kill him at all," Cade said.

Rose looked away. "One needless death is nothing after..."

Cade frowned, looking over to Dart and Lavitz, Dart currently kneeling beside Drake.

"I have to...protect Shirley, or..." Drake coughed up blood, gasping for breath.

Light suddenly shone from off to the side and they all spun, seeing a translucent woman with an extravagant blue robe with a cape bearing spikes along the bottom, red gemstones embedded in the rose and cape in several places, gold highlights, and reddish-brown hair just past her shoulders floating off to the side. Cade's eyes widened as she gave Drake a sad, sympathetic look.

"Drake, it's okay now," Shirley said, floating forward. "People with Dragoon Spirits, why are you disturbing my quiet moment?"

"What are you!?" Lavitz demanded, spear pointed at her.

"Put it away, Lavitz," Cade said. "She's a spirit."

"We're not here for that!" Dart said, his desperation back now that the fight wasn't distracting him. "We're just trying to save our friend's life!"

"Save your friend's life?" Shirley asked.

"Do you remember me?" Rose asked, stepping forward, Shirley turning to her.

Shirley floated a little closer before gasping and backing away, eyes wide, only to slowly circle her, gaze growing confused and analyzing as she inspected Rose. "You are...Rose, aren't you? Oh, I understand. You have been on your sad journey since then."

Cade's brow furrowed as he stared at Rose. Sad journey? He wondered what had happened.

"I could say the same for you, it seems, Shirley," Rose said.

Shirley nodded as Dart stepped forward.

"Please, can you spare me some Dragoni Plant?" Dart asked. "Shana is suffering from a Dragon's poison!"

"Dragon?" Shirley asked. "Oh, so they are still clinging to life." She was silent for a long while. "Unfortunately, I don't have any Dragoni Plant."

Dart's face fell and his shoulders slumped, his gaze falling to the ground. "Then...what about Shana?"

Cade stared at the ground, chewing the inside of his cheek. He glance at Dart again, two halves of his mind fighting each other over their choice.

"There is a way to save her," Shirley finally said.

"I'll do anything!" Dart nearly yelled his his desperation. "Just tell me how!"

Shirley held out her arms, her sleeves extending past her hands, and a white Dragoon Spirit appeared from one of her sleeves, shining instantly. Dart and Lavitz both tensed, readying themselves for an attack, only to relax. As they did, Cade and Rose both stared at the Dragoon Spirit calmly.

"A Dragoon Spirit?" Dart asked.

"A Dragon's poison can be removed with the spirit of a White-Silver Dragon, which is filled with healing magic," Shirley explained, before the Dragoon Spirit sank back into her sleeve. "Now I will challenge you to see if you deserve this Dragoon Spirit. Shall we begin? Try to overcome me. If you cannot, the girl's fate is to die." She spread her arms and began to drift forward and Dart grabbed the hilt of his sword, only for Cade to catch his arm.

"It's not that kind of a challenge," Cade said.

Dart hesitated before nodding.

"Dart, Lavitz, why do you fight?" Shirley asked.

"To protect those we love," Dart said, Lavitz nodding in agreement.

"Dart, bear your heart to me," Shirley said.

Suddenly, a shining gold sphere of light appeared above her before flattening into a disk and expanding as it sank, Shirley vanishing as it passed over her. Then, as it hit the ground, it stopped, then rose again, leaving Shana behind and fading above her. Cade sighed, already guessing who Shirley would become during his turn. He knelt, setting his hands on his legs and settled in to wait.

"Dart, I waited for so long," Shirley said in Shana's voice. "Why did you leave without saying a word?"

Dart winced. "To pursue the Black Monster."

"The Black Monster?" the Shana replica asked. "What will you do after you find it?"

"I'll get revenge for the destruction of my village and the death of my parents," Dart said.

The fake Shana frowned. "Revenge?" She fell silent for a few moments, staring at the ground. Finally, she shook her head. "No. I can't accept that. Please, forget about revenge and stay with me. You have to choose. The Black Monster or me, Dart?"

Dart hesitated, obviously struggling with his answer before nodding. "Okay. I'll stay."

"Really!?" the fake Shana smiled. "That makes me so happy!"

Then, Shirley transformed back to herself. "Lavitz, show me what you believe."

Again her transformation spell passed over her, this time leaving her as a dirty blond man with a gleaming white cuirass over a long-sleeved green shirt, a green cape around his shoulders, cuffed leather gloves, leather boots, off-white pants, and an entirely metal spear with a small gold ball at the base of the spearhead and the base of the shaft. Cade recognized him as King Albert of Basil.

"Lavitz!" the man snapped with a commanding voice and the tone and bearing of a leader, pointing his spear at Lavitz. "What are you doing here? Forget Shana and go back to Basil!"

"My king would never give such an order!" Lavitz said firmly.

"Are you disobeying my order!?" Albert demanded. "Are you seriously choosing one life over the lives of all of Basil?"

"Shana needs help," Lavitz said. "I cannot abandon her."

"Well said," Albert nodded. "That's the renown knight of Serdio. Life is precious whether it's one or many. Help Shana however you can."

Lavitz bowed slightly, and Shirley once again transformed back into herself, turning to Cade, who stood calmly. A moment later, the spell faded, leaving behind a young woman with silver hair swept over her left shoulder, a silver dress, and a rapier hanging at her waist on the left side, disrupting the otherwise peaceful and kindly appearance.

"Mother," Cade said, bowing his head.

"Why did you leave, Cade?" his mother asked. "Why did you abandon your home for no reason?"

"I felt a shadow slowly covering the world," Cade said. "It dominated my every dream, and it set my teeth on edge every waking moment. I couldn't ignore it, so I left to investigate it, and to stop it, if I could."

"Oh, another of your shadows!" she said. "You always feel shadows! You feel a new one every other week, and nothing bad has happened before!"

"It was different this time," Cade said. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay, and that I couldn't ignore it, but you're the one who taught me to always strive to do the right thing for everyone, even if it means that I have to risk my life. Because you taught me to always help those in need, I couldn't sit by while something terrible happened. Not if there was any way I could stop it, or at least help to. I had to try."

His mother watched him for a few moments before nodding. "That is the son I raised. I am proud of you."

Shirley transformed back into herself once more, looking to Dart once again. "Dart, the path you are on will bring many truths, but also many trials. Knowing this, will you still walk it?"

"No matter what, I will continue," Dart said.

Shirley nodded approvingly. "Brave young people, what you'll see is all the truth. Never gaze away. Only total acceptance will allow you to see your path clearly." She looked to Lavitz. "Lavitz, I ask you, who is the most important person for you to protect?"

"The most important person in my life is my mother," Lavitz said.

"It is human nature to care for one's parents," Shirley nodded. "You are human before being a knight. Parents care for children, and a child yearns for its parent. Bonding makes a human strong. Don't forget you have somebody waiting for you."

Lavitz nodded, and Shirley's gaze drifted back to Cade.

"Cade, what is it you search for?" Shirley asked. "Beyond wanting to stop the shadow, what do you seek?"

Cade opened his mouth to respond before frowning and hesitating. "Acceptance. My entire life it was just me and my mother. We weren't welcome in my mother's home, and we weren't welcome in any of the towns we passed through. I suppose if I seek anything, it's a home. Somewhere I belong."

Shirley nodded. "Being shunned is never easy. You did well to remain who you are despite that." She turned her gaze to Rose. "Lastly, Rose, I ask you. What does life mean to you?"

"I've never thought about it," Rose said calmly.

Shirley's expression softened in sympathy. "Rose, I see the end to your agonizing journey. The young man there will awaken the old you and lead you to the future. Now, allow the light of my White-Silver Dragoon Spirit to light your way through the darkness." She held her arm out, and the Dragoon Spirit floated from her sleeve to Dart, shining as it did before the light faded. "You have pure hearts. My Dragoon Spirit is yours, as I promised, but I first have one favor to ask." She looked to Drake. "He has protected my peace from countless attempts by bandits. He only stood up to you for my sake. Please, save Drake. I no longer have a corporeal form, so I cannot draw on the power of the spirit."

"But I don't feel any power from it," Dart said.

"Hold it out along with the spirit of the Red-Eye Dragon," Rose said.

Dart nodded and held out both Dragoon Spirits. Both shone for a moment before the light of the White-Silver Dragoon Spirit intensified, washing over all of them. Cade felt the dull ache in his chest's wounds start to fade as the others small injuries shrunk out of existence, as did Drake's wound.

"This is..." Dart trailed off as he watched Drake's wound fade.

"Your Red-Eye Dragoon Spirit draws out the power of the White-Silver Dragoon Spirit," Shirley said.

As the light faded, Drake stirred, groaning before pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"Am I...alive?" Drake murmured, staring at his completely healed chest.

"Good," Shirley smiled. "I'm glad."

Drake instantly grabbed a knife from his jacket and stepped in front of Shirley.

"We can save her with this!" Dart smiled excitedly.

"Dart, gazing at the truth sometimes brings pain," Shirley warned. "But you will be able to overcome it."

Dart nodded and Shirley turned to Rose, giving her one last smile before nodding in farewell, beginning to drift upward, fading slowly. Then, she shone blindingly.

"Goodbye Rose," Shirley said as they were all blind. "I'm looking forward to the date our paths cross again."

Then, the light faded and she was gone.

"Shirley?" Dart called out.

"She's headed to the place where she belongs," Rose said.

"Right," Dart nodded. "Let's go. Shana's waiting."

He turned, running off and Lavitz followed after a moment. Cade turned to follow, only to stop as he saw Rose staring up at the spot Shirley had been before she disappeared, a melancholic look on her face, bordering on sad.

"Are you alright?" Cade asked. "She was your friend, right?"

"That was a very long time ago," Rose said. "Let's go."

Cade nodded and they turned, following the others.

"You lied about why you were on a journey," Rose said.

"They would have been even less inclined to allow me to travel with them if they thought I was some crazy man who had delusions of sensing shadows blanketing the world, as opposed to doing it for my mother's sake," Cade said. "But as soon as I saw them, I had to travel with them, because the shadow can't reach them. I don't understand it, but I can feel the shadow everywhere, and yet all I can feel from the three of them is light."

"What about me?" Rose asked.

"You're harder to read," Cade said, smiling. "It's a part of why you're so beautiful."

Rose rolled her eyes. "This conversation is over."

Cade chuckled and nodded, the two of them catching up to Dart and Lavitz.


Leave a review.