As the Queen Fury sailed away from Donau, Kongol watched the city fade into the distance. He smiled as he watched the ocean grow into a vast expanse of blue and white. He remembered the old stories that his brother had taught him about the sea and its endless beauty, but he would never have considered himself so lucky as to have an opportunity to traverse it as he was now. Old tales of gigantos sailing from a far-off continent had been mere fairy tales to him until only a few years ago when Emperor Doel had let him see the ocean for the first time.

"Somewhere on the other side are worlds that we've never seen and never known," he'd said. "One day, I hope to reach them. I'll see the ends of the earth one day."

Kongol frowned at the memory. As far as he knew, the emperor had never been on a ship, much less sailed to the distant lands that he believed lay waiting for him.

How sad his end had been! And Kongol had been nowhere around to witness it.

Upon discovering him injured before the great doors of the throne room, the guards of the Black Castle had taken him to the infirmary. It had been quite the feat, but eventually when he had lain on the floor staring at a worried doctor, he'd come to a sense of peace that he could still not explain. Perhaps it was delirium from his injuries or shock from the defeat. But he'd given no resistance when the doctor had set his spine back in place, immediately relieving immense pain that had been shooting to his extremities ever since Haschel had struck him.

The commander had found him an hour later and warned him to escape the city as soon as possible. Upon learning of Doel's death, Kongol had wept even as he'd gathered his things – his fur armor and his axe – before fleeing the castle and climbing up over the mountains.

That night, Kongol hadn't dared build a campfire, but rather slept on the open ground, exposed and chilly despite his warm clothing. He had spent several hours mulling over what had happened but had come to no conclusions that made any sense to him.

Why would these people who had spared his life not done the same with the emperor?

Even now, sailing across Illisa Bay, Kongol had not yet determined the answer. With so much having happened, he had not wanted to distract the other dragoons from their tasks. Perhaps this trip was just the situation he had been needing to ask such questions.

Deep into his thoughts, he jumped upon hearing the thud and crash of crates toppling on the main deck. Hurriedly, he ran over, noticing a woman with pretty brown hair tied up in a bun who appeared exasperated to see the scene. At least fifteen crates, each of them three feet cubed, had fallen over, one having emptied its contents thanks to a cracked lid. Kongol meandered over and offered to help the woman and the several other crewmembers who stood staring and waiting for orders.

She nodded warily. "That would be really helpful. We had just begun to sort them and they're all really heavy. This is all that's left, though. That one can go over there because it's headed for the cargo hold. And this time don't stack them more than two high."

She shot an angry glance at one of the crew, who looked down abashed.

Though he said nothing, Kongol wondered how any of these puny people could have lifted these crates high enough that they would be stacked more than two high. Perhaps some kind of crane or other lifting mechanism had aided them while they were in the docks.

He merely shrugged the thought away and righted the crate closest to the commander and set it toward the door that led belowdecks. He worked this way for several minutes, and eventually he noticed Meru approaching as Haschel disappeared through the door. The old man seemed both amused and mildly irritated, but Kongol said nothing to Meru about it. Instead, he felt uncomfortable as she did little more than watch him as he shifted the crates around, moving them toward whichever door the woman directed. When he was finally done, the commander thanked him, and Kongol nodded kindly before Meru tried to drag him away.

On her insistence to "hang out," Kongol took the opportunity to entertain himself by trying to get Meru to be still and silent for a little while. She was always running amok and talking about something, and while he didn't mind, he now found it a personal challenge to get five minutes of calm out of her.

Ultimately, he failed, and she was soon scampering off across the deck once again.

He remained in his meditative spot for several hours afterward except for a brief break to get food. A hundred eyes stayed trained on him the entire time he was in the mess hall, but he didn't much mind. Instead, he took it as an opportunity to show the humans his kindness. As Shana had taught him, he smiled to the people who helped him, said thank you whenever necessary, and even helped someone pick up a dropped fork.

He liked being with these people. They were giving him so many opportunities to be kind.

In all his time at the Black Castle, he had never really known anyone to do such things for others. There had been occasions where a servant or doctor had shown sympathy for him, but it was something that he hadn't quite understood at the time. Now, he realized why he had been so drawn to those kinder people and wished that he had expressed his thanks more often.

Kongol sighed as he watched the ocean. A bell rang out somewhere over the ship, and the crew members began meandering belowdecks, only to be replaced a minute or so later.

Interesting, he thought.

These humans were strange. They took shifts. As far as he had known, the workers in the Black Castle had only stopped working when they went to bed. The servants and guards often labored fourteen hours a day.

As his mind drifted back to that time, now so far away in his memory, he felt sadness wash over him. The life he had known for two decades was now over. Dart and the others had killed Emperor Doel. And yet… they claimed to have done the right thing.

The two ideas did not work together in Kongol's mind. Shana had said that being kind meant helping others whenever it was possible, and yet she had been an accomplice in an assassination. Killing didn't help, did it?

He shook his head. He knew better. Killing helped sometimes, and sometimes it helped a lot. Kongol had killed for Emperor Doel, killed many people who fought against his ideals of freedom and harmony among all races. Their deaths had brought them closer to that reality. And yet, Kongol couldn't understand how killing the man who had saved him and who had constantly fought for such ideals would have helped anyone.

"Hey, Kongol!"

Haschel's obnoxious voice broke him from his reverie, and Kongol turned to see the old man and Dart trailing behind him.

"What are you up to?" asked Haschel.

"I am spending time in nature," responded Kongol. "The ocean is soothing."

"You want to join us? We're learning about sailing."

The old man seemed excited. Dart's expression did not mirror this.

"No, I think I will stay here," replied Kongol.

Haschel shrugged. "Suit yourself."

And with that, they continued to the stern. Kongol watched them for a time. Haschel pointed about animatedly, and Dart nodded politely.

As his mind drifted again, Kongol moved closer to the railing and watched the waves upon the ocean. So small and fragile they were, breaking as soon as they touched the hull. But Kongol had heard of great waves, so powerful that even houses could be thrown around by them. He wondered which type of wave the dragoons were causing by inserting themselves so completely into the affairs of kings and queens. Would they be strong enough to change the course of the future? Or would they merely shatter upon the first obstacle that came their way?

Rose approached him suddenly and offered to train him in the ways of dragoon magic. Though he doubted how he could do that in the middle of the ocean, she carted him away to the engine room and appropriated a pile of coal for him to practice with.

"Magic should come easy to a dragoon," she was saying. "Since coal comes from the earth, you should be able to move these bits around. Maybe even help those guys over there and place it in the furnace for them."

"Why not just go place it there with my hands?" asked Kongol.

"Because that's not the point," replied Rose.

In truth, Kongol was worried that he would disappoint Rose. Though she had a tough exterior, Kongol could see the brokenness that lay within. Furthermore, Shana had told him all about Rose and her aversion to sunlight, emotions, and friendship. If he failed, he would only be adding to her emotional stress and frustrating her deeper into her shell.

With a shaky hand, he reached out to a piece of coal and tried to focus on it. Although it would have been difficult for him to put into words, he could feel the chunks of rock in his mind. They were present to him as if they were spirits, and he smiled to feel this new connection to nature. Then as he stared, he imagined the coal lifting into the air, as he had the pebble a couple weeks ago.

And yet, there was no response.

"Feel the power of the dragoon spirit," instructed Rose. "Stop trying to rely on yourself."

He shifted his weight before pulling his tiny dragoon spirit out of his pocket and holding it tight in his fist. But… could he crush it accidentally? He opened his hand to check; the gem was undamaged. Satisfied with its structural soundness, Kongol returned his attention to the coal.

He could just take the coal and throw it into the furnace. The roaring flames were thirty feet from him, several workers sweating away before the heat to add more fuel, and Kongol knew that he could make that throw with precision. In fact, he was tempted to do it and see how Rose reacted. But he didn't want to incur her wrath, and so he imagined the coal lifting again.

After several failed attempts, Rose's irritation became evident.

"I'm missing something," he finally said.

"Clearly," she replied, then put her hands on her hips and glanced around as if trying to come up with another idea. At last, she spoke again. "Okay, let's try this. Go stand over there."

Kongol obliged and took a place about fifteen feet away.

"Now I want you to keep this from hitting you," she instructed as she lifted a piece of coal.

Without any more preamble, she hurled it directly toward his face as hard as she could, which ended up being surprisingly fast. Still, Kongol lifted his hand and caught it with ease.

"With magic," she retorted in a condescending tone.

"What if I fail? What if it hits me?"

"You're a big guy. You can take it."

"Very well."

She threw another stone, and it struck Kongol square in the chest before rattling to the wood floor. He frowned.

"You have to stop it," she repeated before hurling another, which again fell to the floor. "Are you even trying?"

Kongol nodded. "I cannot feel the rock. Not like the pebble from before."

"Maybe coal won't work until you're stronger," she muttered. "Still, you caused a minor earthquake in the giganto city. Where is that power?"

"I did?"

He had been completely unaware of any such tremors, though he had been distracted in his wrath.

Rose paused and peered at him, trying to discern something.

"How could you not know about that?" she demanded. "Are you too stupid to be aware of your surroundings?"

Kongol felt slighted at the attack and frowned again. This outburst was unlike Rose, and he felt a level of indignance rise in his chest. He had been called stupid many times, but Emperor Doel had always assured him that the naysayers were wrong, that Kongol had a keen mind attuned to war. Still, his inability to read human words had always led others to believe that he lacked intelligence, despite the dozen giganto books that Doel had acquired for him across the years. These he had read avidly, and many times over since he had come to the Black Castle.

"I am not stupid," he insisted.

"Are you sure? Because your performance has me thinking otherwise." She crossed her arms and approached him with a casual gait. "Everyone else caught onto magic so quickly, and here you are, apparently chosen by that dragoon spirit, and you can't even use it. How do I know that you're even a dragoon?"

"You said it yourself. I lifted the pebble."

"And yet you can't lift these!" She threw a lump of coal that bounced harmlessly off his left bicep. "All that strength, and for what? What good are you?"

"Do not say these things to me."

"And what if I do? You couldn't hurt me anyway. Even Dart, the baby dragoon he was at the time, was able to defeat you in Hoax. I am far more seasoned than he is."

"I was… unprepared. The battle was mine until that moment."

"Which means you hadn't considered every possibility. What kind of a warrior are you? What would Emperor Doel think of you? He was a dragoon, and a strong one. He was able to command his magic. He would be so disappointed."

Kongol blinked, surprised at the sting of tears in his eyes. His throat felt tight, and he took a sharp breath.

"Why?" he asked quietly. "Why say these things? You do not believe them."

"What makes you think that? You don't know me."

"I have seen you with the others. I know who you are. You pretend to hate others, but in your heart, you are kind."

And there, a crack. He had pierced her armor, whatever façade she was placing over her eyes so that she could try to pierce him. Rose's face turned from rage to defensive surprise, and she halted her approach. There, Kongol could see the broken young woman for what she was – tired, dejected, lonely.

In an instant, she was back to normal and meandered back to her place by the crate of coal.

"Not in training, I'm not," she said as she went. "If you won't get angry, then we'll have to try another approach."

Without warning, she threw yet another piece of coal, but this one went sailing toward one of the engine workers, hard and fast.

"Wait!" sputtered Kongol, stepping forward too late.

The coal struck the worker on the shoulder, and she exclaimed and turned to face Rose in anger.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"Maybe you should stop it," said Rose to Kongol as she lifted another stone.

"No, you mustn't hurt them!" he called as he placed himself squarely between Rose and her target.

"What are you going to do about it?" She hurled the stone at a different worker, and once again, Kongol was too late to stop it.

"Ma'am," called a blonde woman from a corner. Kongol thought he recognized her from their tour with Commodore Puler. "We can't have you disturbing our workers like this."

"She is right," muttered Kongol, approaching Rose as quickly as he dared so that he could prevent any more flying rocks.

Even with him imposing over her, she still drew back her arm, which he grabbed and held fast.

"We can continue this another time and place," he whispered to her.

"Fine," she conceded. "Maybe we should scale back to sand grains anyway."

Ignoring the disdain in her voice, he took the rock from her hand and placed it back in its bin before apologizing to the engine room staff and leaving, Rose trailing behind him.

She ran off toward her perch with a huff, and Kongol paused to watch her go. He had just begun to turn around when Albert approached her from the side, and Kongol left her to his intentions.

Still, her words had struck something in him, false as she may have intended them to be. He moved to the stern, hiding behind the wall of the engine's exhaust vent, and settled in to think and meditate. After dark fell, he saw Dart crouched in the shadow of a wayward crate and peering off into the distance.

The poor, broken, scared man, as Dart appeared to Kongol. He called him over, and Kongol enjoyed learning about Dart's past. Sad though it was, it explained much about the man's behavior, and Kongol was more than happy to share some of his own grief. Indeed, none of them were free of it, but Kongol knew that it had shaped each of them in ways that they may never fully see.

After his conversation with Dart, Kongol eventually found his way down to the sleeping quarters and settled into his appropriately sized bed. Sleep came faster than he had expected, and he awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. And yet, thoughts of his home plagued him, and he reclaimed his area of the deck that morning to remember as much about his brother as he could.

When lunchtime came, he was nearly attacked by Meru in the mess hall demanding that he eat with her. He agreed, and he spent over half an hour nodding and shaking his head during pauses in her discussion before she finally got bored and left to go do something else.

As evening fell, Kongol decided to stop putting off a discussion with Albert. Darkness fell over the Queen Fury, and Kongol sneaked his way into the library, tight though it was squeezing through the human-sized door frames. The king was there, lying on the couch, holding a book above his face as his eyes darted back and forth across one of the pages. So engrossed was he that he didn't notice Kongol as he entered despite his towering presence, and Kongol politely cleared his throat to announce his arrival.

"Oh! Kongol!" exclaimed Albert as he quickly righted himself. Kongol almost felt guilty disturbing him; Albert had gotten comfortable in the library to the point of removing his shoes and outer vest. In addition, his tunic was untucked, and his hair flowed freely. "Forgive me! I am reaching the climax of the story and I almost forgot where I was."

"I'm sorry that I pulled you away from such a tale," remarked Kongol awkwardly.

"Do you need something?" asked the king.

"I have a few questions."

"About?"

"The emperor."

Albert's demeanor shifted to discomfort and sadness.

"I see," he said. "Please, sit, and we can discuss whatever you like."

As none of the chairs were an appropriate size for him, Kongol sat on the floor and crossed his legs. Even so, his eyes were even with Albert's as he remained on the couch.

"What would you like to know?" asked Albert.

"Shana told me that he was your uncle."

"Yes," nodded Albert. "I spent many years around him."

"What is his story? How did he become an emperor?"

With rapt attention, Kongol listened as Albert told the tale of Emperor Doel. He had once worked alongside his brother Carlo to build a better Serdio, but once he saw a difference of opinions, Doel killed his brother and escaped, leading to the secession of the southern state of Sandora and eventually claiming the kingship for his own. For twenty years, a tense peace existed between the two states, but Doel spent that time building an army that he believed would be strong enough to end Albert's rule. Albert continued to describe the arrival of Lloyd and his being a catalyst for Doel's warmongering, and then he told of the attack on Seles and Shana's kidnapping.

While Albert made it clear that Fruegel was behind the burning of the village and the slaughtering of innocents, Kongol was appalled to learn that someone like Shana had been imprisoned thanks to an order from Emperor Doel. Dart had seemed to believe that Doel was evil, and Kongol was beginning to understand why.

After describing their encounter with Emperor Doel in the Black Castle, Albert held out his hands to signify the completion of his story.

For some time, Kongol was silent. Albert's story and his own experiences were at war with each other, and he could not sort out what he believed.

"He saved me," protested Kongol. "I was left for dead, but he saved me."

"And why did he do that?" asked Albert. "The giganto raids happened during the process of secession, and already he was plotting to take the throne from me. War seemed a possibility at every turn in those days, something exhausting to consider having lost so many to the mighty giganto. I would not doubt that seeing a giganto child, one hidden away as you were, scared and hurting, was an opportunity for him to acquire a tremendous power for war. What did he do with you, once you were at the Black Castle with him?"

"He kept me in a safe room where he promised nobody would harm me. He told me to stay there because the people were afraid of the gigantos and seeing me might cause problems."

"Did he train you?"

Kongol nodded. "Shortly after my arrival, he began teaching me to fight. We would wrestle at first. But I was very soon stronger than him, and he gave me an axe and taught me to use it. I was only his height at thirteen, and the axe was much smaller than the one I have now. As I grew, he would see how I'd fare against different enemies… wolves, bears, things like that. They were almost no challenge for me."

"He was grooming you for war," interrupted Albert, though his voice was compassionate.

"He told me that he was proud of me."

"I cannot say that he did not care about you," said Albert carefully. "I only know of my own experiences. We knew him as someone ruthless and evil, drunk with power and always desiring more. For many years, I had hoped that the secession was some misunderstanding, but when he confessed to me that he had murdered my father, I could no longer believe that. Doel shaped my life in a dark and horrid way. Whatever evil desires had been lurking within him were brought to the surface by Lloyd, the flame fanned by the power of the dragoon spirit that he received. The morality surrounding his death could be debated for years, but in the end, we believed that it would spare the suffering of thousands of people throughout Serdio."

"Did it?"

Albert shrugged. "It brought an end to the Serdian War. For me, that is enough."

Kongol's mind swirled as his perspective resisted a dramatic shift. If what Albert said was right, then he had been a mere tool for Doel's use in staking a claim to the Serdian throne. But if that were true, then his life was a lie. He had spent two decades in service to a man who killed indiscriminately and taught him to do the same. How many of those he had killed were innocent? Who had been right?

"Thank you," grunted Kongol as he lifted himself to his feet. "I will… consider these things."

"You are our friend now, Kongol," said Albert. "We fight these battles with you. Whenever you need to hear more, feel free to ask any of us."

"'Friend,'" repeated Kongol. He'd heard the word before. Dart had called him that once. "I don't know… what that means."

"You have not had friends?"

Kongol shook his head. Albert was pensive for a moment.

"A friend is… someone who walks through life by your side. You share things with them. Hopes, dreams, fears… And when life becomes too heavy a burden to bear, friends come alongside you and help you carry it."

"You… carry my burden?"

The king smiled. "Yes. Any of us would gladly help you. All you need to do is ask."

"Thank you," said Kongol again. "I will ponder this."

And with that, he left.

As he meandered aimlessly toward the deck, his head swam with a thousand thoughts that he could not sort out. Part of him felt shame at his contribution to the Serdian War and his blindness to Doel's true intentions. He could see now that what Doel labeled as protection for Kongol was really the protection of a valuable asset. He had been as much a prisoner as Shana had been, though more comfortable in the dungeons beneath the Black Castle. Doel wouldn't have wanted to scare him away.

As grief overtook him, Kongol collapsed onto the deck, barely aware of his location, and wept. He fell prostrate, forehead pressed against the wooden slats as he mourned the life that he thought he'd lived. He mourned the friend he thought he'd had in Emperor Doel. He mourned the innocents that he had slaughtered in his years of service.

Footsteps approached him from behind, but he could not turn to see who it was. A tiny human arm stretched over Kongol's shoulder.

"It's alright," whispered Dart. "You're not alone anymore."

Kongol wept anew. It was as Albert had said. The burden had become too heavy for him to bear, but now he had a friend to help him carry it.

The third day of their journey found Kongol mulling over his past. With tedium, he processed twenty years of his life, year by year, moment by moment, separating moments of manipulation from moments of kindness. It was not an easy task, and he found himself frustrated more than once, turning to distractions.

When lunch came, he realized that what he really wanted to do was destroy something with his axe, but it was tucked away safely in his sleeping quarters, far from the fearful judgment of others. Besides, there was nothing on this ship that was expendable anyway.

After lunch, he traipsed down to the engine room, where he found the same people lurking and working as before. They eyed him with suspicion, especially the one who had received Rose's fury, and he nodded and waved politely to allay their fears. Furthermore, he approached the commander and planted himself next to her, waiting until she was done communicating with one of her workers.

"Can I help you?" she asked, eyeing him up and down.

"I was hoping to borrow a few pieces of coal," he said. "I know that there was an incident the day before yesterday, but I wanted to assure you that no such incident will occur today."

"Listen, as long as you stay over there—" she pointed toward the far corner "—or above deck—" she pointed over her head "—I don't care what you do."

"Very well," nodded Kongol. "And thank you. I will stay out of your way."

As the commander ordered around something about pressure gauges, Kongol meandered over to one of the containers of coal and opened it. Reaching in, he grabbed three pieces in his hands, shut the door, and stepped out onto the deck.

Rose had been too forceful, he decided. Now, he would train using his own methods.

Sitting in his spot at the stern, Kongol held the coal before him. Taking one, he studied it closely.

The black rock was crumbly, several pieces coming off in his hand as he ran his thumb over the exterior. Some surfaces were shiny, and he split the rock in two to reveal a relatively smooth surface within. He smelled a hint of sulfur on his hands, and he set the piece down before retrieving another.

To his surprise, this piece was different. Where the other had been wholly black, this appeared a very dark gray. In addition, it reflected the light on a thousand curved surfaces instead of flat, broken ones. Nor was it as brittle; he ran his thumb over it, and all he felt was the smoothness of its surface. Holding one in each hand, he hefted them, eventually determining that the shinier one was also heavier.

He frowned. Though he had learned something, he felt no closer to the rocks than he had before.

After setting the rocks on the deck, he retrieved his tiny dragoon spirit and set it in their midst. He smiled at it, happy as it seemed to be so close to the earth. Then he closed his eyes and listened.

The same sounds now surrounded him as when he had tried to have Meru commune with nature, but Kongol tried to listen past the sounds that his ears could hear. Within the hubbub of the ship and the cutting of water was something else entirely. With his mind, he sensed the stones, but not distinct from the rest. A curious energy seemed to run through everything around him – the wood, the water, the metal, the stone. He smiled as he realized a truth that the giganto had held to since time eternal: the world is all connected.

This energy bounced between all objects, back and forth, leaving residue with every contact. As he attuned himself to its flow, he realized that on some bands, he could poke it with his mind, and it would respond. Here, he poked the ribbon, and it bowed away from him for a moment. There, he tugged, and it diverted closer to him before bouncing back into its position. Simultaneously all states of matter, the ribbons of energy ducked and turned here, there stood immovable and stalwart, here escaping its confines and flowing into the sky.

Could the others feel this?

Amazement took over his mind, and he nearly collapsed in his appreciation of this moment. To feel the very thing that binds the universe together…

Opening his eyes, he found that the energies made more sense to him. Dull and distant were the energies in the water, and only slightly stronger that within the wood. But it was the metal adorning the hull of the Queen Fury and the rocks that sat before him that boomed out in their attempts to capture his attention. With a smile, he prodded the energy of the stones and watched as they responded. So dense they were, containers of their energy, the shiny one compacted at least half as much more than the brittle ones. The power sat ready to be dispersed, but try as he might, Kongol could not figure out how to release it.

Tugging once more, he watched as a piece of coal followed his command to rise into the air, and it hung level with his eyes, as if presenting itself for his inspection.

Satisfied and somewhat overwhelmed, Kongol withdrew his mind, the energy bands disappearing from his sight, and the coal fell back to the deck.

With a spring in his step, Kongol returned the pieces of coal to the engine room, though not without feeling at the energy again. Within the giant furnace, he could sense vast reserves being released dramatically into streams of energy that shot into the boiler with unprecedented force.

Shaking his head in amazement, he thanked the commander before leaving.

The rest of the day, Kongol spent most of his time trying to comprehend this new gift. At some point, he would have to ask the others if they could sense the same thing, but for now, he was content simply to watch the ebb and flow. That evening, when the storms rolled in across the ocean, the directions seemed to change, though only outside in the air and water.

As the crew and travelers gathered in the dining hall, he purposefully ceased this newest sense so that he could focus on his friends. With a happy heart, he watched Dart, Meru, Albert, and Haschel have a good time as they taught him how to play their card games. Multiple times, Haschel complained that Kongol's oversized hands were an unfair advantage, given the number of cards he could hold comfortably, and Kongol merely chuckled in response as he beat the old man in his third match.

It was late when everyone decided to head off to bed, and Kongol lay there content, listening to the others snore while he watched the water's energy cascade about the hull of the ship. As he drifted off, he dreamed of distant lands covered in forest, tall statues dedicated to ancient heroes, and the beaming power of the sun on the barren wastelands of Tiberoa.

Only a few hours later, he awoke with panic in his heart as everyone on the ship exclaimed in worry. Something had hit the Queen Fury.