The group of adventurers rode in silence as rain began to fall from the sky. Ever since entering the marshes, Dart had been able to taste the humidity in the air. For the last couple hours, he had been strangely uncomfortable breathing it in, as it set his teeth on edge. He had ignored the feeling for some time, especially given the intensity of the events at the Seventh Fort. Now, however, as raindrops plopped into his hair and onto his arms, this discomfort intensified drastically. He was acutely aware of each drop of water oozing its way across his skin, digging itself into his scalp, fighting to get into his very soul. He continuously wiped his arms to remove the excess, which seemed to help a little bit, but he winced every time his hands touched the liquid. He longed desperately for shelter and a warm fire. Several times, he actually considered recommending going back to the fort until the rain passed, so great was his discomfort, but he understood the callousness of such a request and refrained from making it.
Eventually, they made it out of the massive trees into the open marshes at the foot of the mountains. The rain fell freely here, quickly soaking Dart through, even beneath his armor, and making him almost scream at the sensation. At last he could take it no longer; he had to say something.
"Guys, we have to get out of this rain," he said loudly, speaking over the downpour. He gritted his teeth and fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Is something wrong?" asked Shana. Rain had already soaked her hair and clothing.
"I don't know," said Dart irritably. "I just can't stand being wet like this. I feel like I might go crazy if I stay out here much longer."
"Since when? We used to play in the rain all the time."
"Probably since Hoax," interrupted Rose, cutting Dart off from a response. Shana and Lavitz turned to her questioningly. After a moment, she explained. "The red-eyed dragoon is the master of fire, which is one of the seven elements. Its opposite is water. It's grating on you because you hold fire within you now, and it feels like the rain is trying to snuff it out. We would probably do well to find shelter before Dart accidentally explodes."
"Yes… that," muttered Dart. He understood what she meant. It felt as if the rain were trying to wriggle its way into his very being, and it was a feeling he never wanted to have to withstand again.
"Alright then," said Lavitz. "There should be somewhere closer to the mountains. Let's hurry up and get over there." He turned east and accelerated to a trot, despite being difficult to maintain in the muddy terrain. Shana cast Dart a worried glance and followed. Dart sighed heavily and tried to remember what it was like to be dry and comfortable as the mountains sluggishly drew nearer.
After a time, Rose found her way next to him and said, "In the meantime, you may be able to stay some of the irritation through magic."
"What?" said Dart, a little more sharply than he intended. "I thought I could only use magic in dragoon form."
"We have a limited control over our elements in human form as well. I said there was a fire within you. Use it to heat yourself."
Dart sighed heavily and tried to focus. It seemed impossible to block out the water, and instead he tried to think of flames. He imagined sitting next to a blazing fire, in the heat of the day, the warm sun beating down on him. He tried to step closer and closer to the fire, until it was almost burning his skin. Finally, warmth rose within him, holding back the cold of the water, at least in part. He looked down at his arms and watched in alarm as steam radiated from him, drifting into the atmosphere.
"There you go," said Rose.
The discomfort had not completely dissipated, but he felt more at ease than before. "Thank you," he said through the rain.
"It's nothing," came her curt reply.
Embracing the warmth now swirling within him, he thought over the brief training that Rose had given him. He wondered how much more about dragoons he did not know, and how much more he was actually capable of. It was frustrating that he could not take the time to learn more with their constant travel. Perhaps when they stopped for the night, he and Rose cold practice some more - if the rain stopped. The thought of trying to transform in the middle of this deluge almost made him feel nauseated.
After what seemed an eternity, they reached the roots of the mountain. The ground began to climb sharply upward, though a narrow path had been cut up the side. To Dart's delight, the sides of the mountain had been slowly worn away, leaving many large indentations that were just large enough for a small party to rest out of the rain. They piled inside, slightly cramped, but more than willing to sacrifice space for dryness. Dripping all over the floor, Dart moved as far from the rain as possible and immediately removed his armor, maintaining his inner warmth all the while in an attempt to dry off as soon as he could. The others were not so lucky.
"It would be nice if we had some dry wood to start a fire," murmured Shana. She sat down, wrapping herself in her arms. Her hair and clothes were soaked through, and Dart shuddered at the thought. He joined her in sitting on the cold stone floor.
She shivered as the rock sapped the heat from her body. Worried that she may fall ill from being so cold and wet, Dart offered, "You can sit next to me if you want." She looked over at him with an expression he couldn't quite identify before slowly sliding closer. Gingerly, he placed his arm around her shoulders, wincing as his wounded arm touched the soaked cloth, and pulled her near him. He could feel the coolness of her skin pull the heat from him, and he fought to maintain it.
"Better?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, thank you," she responded.
Dart cast a glance over at Lavitz, who, he was irritated to find, was watching them intently with a smirk. Upon meeting his gaze, Lavitz quickly spoke up.
"That's all well and good for Shana, but what about the rest of us? Rose and I are freezing!"
Rose scoffed and said under her breath, "Speak for yourself."
"I don't know what to tell you, man," said Dart apologetically. "There's no way we could light any wood that's been out in this downpour. And I'm definitely not going out there to find any."
Sighing heavily, Rose stared out into the rain and said, "You can make a small fire without much effort and sustain it for maybe two hours before it becomes a struggle. It may be long enough to dry out Lavitz."
"What? Without any fuel?"
"Yes. It is magic, after all."
"How much can I do in human form, anyway?" asked Dart as he moved away from Shana to focus, resting on his knees.
"Creating small fires is about the extent of it," replied Rose. "They will never burn quite as hot or as long as the fires you create in dragoon form, though."
Dart nodded, although Rose still hadn't turned from watching the rain to see it, and held out his hands to facilitate his focus. He closed his eyes, imagining himself warming his hands in front of a simple campfire. He could feel the warmth rise in him, and Lavitz laughed. Opening his eyes, Dart saw that he had been successful. Before him, hovering six inches off the stone floor, was a small flame just big enough to fit in both his hands. He smiled and sat back carefully, reveling in its heat, and put his arm back around Shana.
"Wow, Dart," said Lavitz jovially. "You never cease to amaze." He removed his wet armor and tunic, laying it out to dry, and sat close to the flame. Rose did not seem to feel a need for any sort of comfort, but remained sitting with her legs crossed, staring out across the marshes, while drops of water occasionally fell from her long, black hair.
Over the next several hours, the sky grew darker, and the rain continued. The horses fell asleep, grateful for the dry shelter, and after a while Shana did as well. Lightning began to flash in the distance, and rolls of thunder fought their way toward them. Dart's flame persisted, working well enough to dry Lavitz in only an hour. As time crept on, Dart found it more and more of a struggle to maintain his focus on the fire, and it began to dwindle. For the first time since his recovery in Hoax, Dart felt drained of energy, and he suspected that the fire was to blame.
An hour or so later, he found himself drifting into sleep. He fought it, trying to maintain their heat source, but eventually he was overcome. After a moment, he jerked his head up, having dozed off, and found that they were in darkness. Lavitz had sprawled out in the limited space to his right, and Shana still leaned against him, dozing quietly on his chest. He looked to Rose and was startled when he could not see her. But a moment later, a flash of lightning illuminated her silhouette, still sitting at attention at the edge of the shelter.
He found it curious that she blended in so well into shadows. Recalling the courier's meeting in Hoax, he remembered mistaking her for one. His exhausted mind struggled to think through possibilities to explain this phenomenon, but finally arrived at her dragoon abilities. She had said earlier that she was the dragoon with control over darkness. It only made sense that she would blend in so perfectly into her own element. He decided to ask her about it tomorrow, if he remembered.
Still feeling the fatigue of magic, he leaned his head back against the rock and allowed himself to fall asleep.
As Dart slowly came to consciousness, he became vaguely aware of an object resting against his right thigh. The air had turned cold, and he felt condensation under his hand as he moved it across the stone floor. Opening his eyes, he saw before him the opening of the rocky alcove, the sun cresting over the distant mountains and shining brightly on his face. Lifting his head from the wall behind him, he looked down and saw Shana still asleep, her head resting in his lap. He was startled to find his right hand resting on hers, but did not move it for fear of waking her. The morning sun shone on her face, lighting up the strands of her hair. She seemed supremely at peace.
Dart's eyes lingered on her delicate features for several minutes. He watched the beam of sunlight crawl across her skin as it rose higher into the sky. His left hand lifted from the stone and alighted on her forehead, brushing her hair to the side and feeling the smoothness of her skin. She stirred slightly, and he jumped, pulling his hand back.
To his right, he heard a soft chuckle and turned to see Lavitz smirking again, arms crossed, staring out across the marsh. Dart narrowed his eyes but looked back down to see Shana turning her head before opening her tired eyes. He quickly removed his hand from hers.
She met his gaze and gave a small smile before sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"How is your arm?" she asked, gently touching the bandage on his right arm. It was stained a pinkish color across the length of the wound where the blood and rainwater had mixed.
"Honestly, it just really itches," he realized, fighting to keep from scratching it.
Shana carefully unwound the cloth and exposed the long cut. Dart was surprised to see that it was already mostly healed, despite the painful depth he had remembered.
"It would seem that you really do heal faster now," said Shana. "I was going to change out the bandage, but it seems there's no need."
Dart smiled proudly and fingered the thin line where only the previous day it had been sliced open.
"Where is Rose?" asked Shana suddenly.
Dart looked to where Rose had been sitting last night and found no one there. Puzzled, he stood to get a better view, only to find that his legs had lost circulation at some point during the night. He felt thousands of tiny stars explode in his feet with each step he took toward the edge of their camp.
As he walked, Lavitz said, "I don't know. She was gone before I woke. But her horse is still here, which means she's probably coming back."
As Dart reached the edge of the rock wall, he gazed down at the marshes. After the downpour from the night before, the water level was noticeably higher, and he was grateful they were already above it. Remembering the night before, he shuddered. His eyes drifted further to the north, to the forest wherein lay the remains of the Seventh Fort.
"I don't see her," he said flatly, sitting down. "I guess we'll have to wait until she comes back."
Lavitz stood and walked over to the horses, withdrawing some bread and cured meat from one of the packs, and came to sit next to Dart. He offered Dart some food, which he gratefully accepted.
For several minutes, they ate in silence, until Lavitz spoke.
"So what do you think will happen when we face this dragon?"
Dart thought for a moment. He remembered its impenetrable scales and bewildering strength. He remembered the soldier in the Seventh Fort who warned of the dragon's poisonous breath, and his disheartening death. It filled him with fear. But he also remembered the raw strength he felt as a dragoon when training with Rose only the day before. Could the dragon be overcome with such strength?
"I honestly don't know," he finally said.
"But we have two dragoons," said Lavitz. "People chosen to rule dragons, as the legend says. People who can rule dragons can fight them, right?"
"Maybe..." mumbled Dart. He may have been able to transform and use magic, but he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and underprepared for the battle ahead. He remembered how fast and powerful Rose was, and next to her, he felt entirely incapable of helping at all against the dragon.
There was a pause as Lavitz turned his gaze to the forest, toward the Seventh Fort. His cheerful demeanor turned somber.
"His name was Malcolm," he said. "We all called him Mal. He was the head of the Tenth Knighthood, an amazing soldier, and a good friend. I actually trained him a few years ago. Couldn't have been much older than you."
Dart recalled the scene in the fort, the young man dying before his eyes. He remembered Lavitz's grief.
Lavitz turned to him and continued. "Men like that are why we fight, Dart. We have been given a great responsibility and a great honor, having been chosen to protect them. But it's still a choice we have to make. The lives of so many people depend on us... on you, to defeat the dragon. If you don't, the Seventh Fort will only be the beginning. Bale will be a pile of ash as Sandora's wrath spreads." Lavitz paused and swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment as if fighting off some emotion. "You are capable of so much more than you believe. I saw your potential the first time I ever met you, and still you have been astounding me ever since. Only twenty-three, and already you are more skilled and powerful than most of the seasoned soldiers I've fought with."
Lavitz placed a hand on Dart's shoulder, but Dart avoided his gaze, preferring instead to watch the sun illuminate the marshes. "You have everything you need. You just need to realize it."
A strange mixture of guilt and pride whirled around inside Dart. Such a compliment from Lavitz warmed his heart in a way that no fire ever could, but he felt sharply the shame of having wished to circumvent the battle. As Lavitz removed his hand, Dart struggled to fight off the fear that rose within him. He knew that without Lavitz, Shana, and Rose with him, he would have turned back long ago. His cowardice would have wrought the ruin of many.
Once again, he marveled at Lavitz's ability to read people. He had tried to hide his own fears and worries, but Lavitz had seen them anyway. He was almost irritated at this piercing and somewhat invasive skill, feeling laid bare to the whole world. Suddenly he became acutely aware of Shana's presence behind him, and he mentally cursed himself for letting her see this side of him. He felt weak and afraid, and wholly unworthy of the loving companions surrounding him now. And yet Lavitz, perhaps the greatest man he had ever known, thought that he possessed the strength and skill to defeat a dragon. He felt a lump in his throat as tears threatened to flush through his eyes, and he swallowed.
"Thanks, man," he managed to say after a long pause. "I hope I can live up to your expectations."
"You will," said Lavitz simply, and a smile crept onto his face as he turned to watch the sun continue to rise above the mountains.
They sat in silence for several minutes, appreciating each other's company. Dart held a profound respect for Lavitz. His strength was something Dart could only ever hope to have.
Just then, they heard footsteps to their left and turned to see Rose walking down the path toward them. As she approached, Dart asked, "Where have you been?"
"Scouting ahead," she said with a scowl. "Whoever cut this path seems to want us to pass over the mountain, but I found a way through it instead."
All three of them recoiled. Dart glanced back at Shana, who had a fearful expression, and said, "Another cave? Can't we just go over the mountain?"
Eyeing each of their reactions, Rose seemed slightly irritated. "Yes, but it would add perhaps a day to our journey." Her eyes rested on Dart, and he shrank under that stern gaze. "Going over the mountain requires us turning north and walking around the peak. We can get to the other side in a couple hours if we take my path. It goes almost directly southeast, which is where we want to go. The dragon's nest is in the forest on the other side of the mountain."
"The 'dark forest'?" asked Lavitz.
Rose moved to sit in the same spot as last night and said condescendingly, "Yes, of course."
"Wait," interjected Dart. "What kind of a passage is this through the mountain?"
"That particular mountain," replied Rose, "is a volcano. It hasn't erupted for maybe six hundred years, but when it did, it left a long, narrow cavern where the lava flowed out. That's where we're going."
Falling silent, Rose resumed her unmoving watch of the marshes. The rest of them sat feeling uneasy. Dart knew that time was of the essence, and that taking that extra day to stay above ground was counterproductive to their cause. But he also knew how much he had hated going through the cave before. Six or seven hours of complete dark and cold, and Lavitz had almost died, not to mention the incident with the snake. He was worried about what might happen this time around, and he vowed to keep Shana close to him for every second they were there.
After a few tense minutes, the group packed up and made ready to leave. They carefully climbed up the winding mountain path, becoming more and more treacherous with every step. All were silent as they felt trepidation for the journey ahead.
Author Note: I hope you guys like my interpretation of dragoon powers! I spent a lot of time thinking about this, and I think it's going to work out well.
Also, that extra name is homage to the greatest firefly captain in the galaxy.
