A cloudy night left the world in shadow except for the light of the fire, now casting its orange gaze warily on the seven companions surrounding it. The steady beating of the waves on the shore echoed around them, and Haschel's face grew serious.

"And then…" Haschel's voice dropped to a whisper. "The leaves rustled…" He imitated the sound of a light breeze. "A howl came over the wind." He paused for dramatic effect. "And when I looked up, I saw glowing eyes under the trees, staring at me. It was at that moment that I realized my mistake."

"There were no wolves in that part of the eastern wilds," inserted Dart, eliciting an exasperated sigh from Meru. "I know because I went there looking for them."

Haschel growled in irritation. "Were you there when I was there, boy? Your little field trip was five years ago, and I'm talking about many years before that!"

"Field trip?"

"Just shut up and let me tell my story."

Chuckles ran over them as they returned their attention to Haschel.

"Now where was I?" He took a deep breath. "It was only a matter of time before I'd be eaten. So, I turned and ran, only to see another pair of eyes standing in my path. Then I looked around. More eyes. And more. At least fourteen wolves had me surrounded, and I had no way of escaping them."

Dart shook his head.

"Luckily, I'm fast," grinned Haschel. "One of them charged at me, and I swiped up—" he stood in his excitement and imitated the motion "—punched it in the throat, and kicked it into a tree. Then I made a break for it. I ran for an hour before I finally decided to stop and see if they'd followed me." He sat once again.

"Did they?" asked Shana.

"Two of them did," nodded Haschel seriously. "But I was able to dispose of them. A quick jab to the right part of the spine will disable any creature."

"True," nodded Kongol as he stretched his shoulders.

"I once had a knight who was killed by wolves," interjected Albert. Attention turned to him, and he glanced around, now lightly nervous at the attention. "It is… not as grand of a tale, of course. He was a mere foot soldier who had decided to vacation for a weekend in the forest of the Western Mountains. He took someone with him…" Albert paused to think. "A woman, I think."

"Did she die, too?" asked Meru.

Albert nodded solemnly. "She did. Five days after they had left, several of his friends had reported him missing. A scouring of the woods revealed two mangled bodies, almost skeletons by the time we found them."

"Sheesh," said Meru. "What a day that must have been."

"Indeed," agreed Albert.

"Dart, you said you went looking for wolves in the east?" inserted Shana, turning to him. "What happened there?"

Dart chuckled. "Now, that's a fun story," he replied. "As you all know, I went to the east looking for the Black Monster, mainly because of this one traveler who came through Seles who told us all these stories about fantastic beasts that lived in the wilds."

"I remember him!" called Shana, pointing to him. "Mister… what's-his-name… I don't remember his name, but I remember him and his stories."

"Yeah, and they were really cool stories for a kid who was just given a sword and still held on to his dead parents. I had this big idea that the Black Monster was just some oversized animal or something that I could kill easily enough. You know, stupid teenager things."

Meru and Shana exchanged amused glances.

"Anyway, I came to this town called… something… and asked around about any monsters in the area. Someone immediately piped up and told me about this creature that the village had come to call the 'Darkened One,' which had reportedly been killing livestock and had even taken two children in the month before I got there."

"What was it?" blurted Meru.

"I'll get there!" dismissed Dart. "I spent around five days tracking this thing in the forest. It had strange tracks and left odd marks on trees. It didn't really seem to carry around dead animals, since I couldn't find any blood trails. But eventually, I found its den. It lived in a cave at the foot of the mountains, and when I found it, I camped out for a couple hours to see if it would appear."

"Is this how you supposedly know that there are no wolves in that area?" asked Haschel.

Dart scowled at him. "Yes, if you must know. For all the time I spent in those woods, I never once found evidence of wolf tracks or other behaviors. And I was looking for them, because that's kind of what I expected to find."

"Maybe we weren't in the same place."

"I was on the other side of the eastern mountains, probably fifty miles east and another thirty south of Seles."

Pursing his lips, Haschel narrowed his eyes. "Fine," he said.

"Can I finish my story now?"

"Yes."

"Did the monster come out?" asked Meru, eyes wide as she watched Dart.

Dart dropped his voice and spoke more seriously as he continued.

"The sun was going down, and I knew that if I didn't do something about it then, I might not make it through the night. I was tired, and I had only slept a few hours each night for the week or so before. I would be easy prey. Eventually, I heard heavy footfalls coming out of the woods, and boom!"

He exclaimed loudly while simultaneously magnifying the fire. Flames hurled into the air, executing a satisfying whoosh sound along with his exclamation, and to his great delight, everyone jumped.

"Up walked a huge bear!" he roared.

Laughing, he waited for everyone to collect themselves before moving on.

"It was a black bear, but an old and large male. A harsh winter had killed most of his food sources in the woods the year before, and the poor thing was only trying to survive. But it was also really old. There was gray all around his face, and all speckled on his back. He could barely move, honestly. So, I put him out of his misery."

"You mean to tell me that an old bear like that had killed two children?" challenged Haschel.

"Oh, yeah, when I got back to the village and told them about it, they said that the kids had wandered by themselves into the woods. They just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That's sad," mourned Shana.

"I know that its death was necessary, but I find myself mourning the loss of the bear," added Albert.

"I did, too," said Dart.

"Hey, Kongol," said Meru. "I bet you have lots of cool stories about wolves or bears or something."

The giganto nodded. "I have fought many bears, wolves, and lions in my time. But I'm not sure that I would say those stories are 'cool.'"

"Lions?" yelled Meru. "I wanna hear about lions!"

Dart laughed at Meru's enthusiasm as their attentions now turned to the earth dragoon. For several hours, they stayed up, circled around the fire, exchanging stories of their time before their journey together. While they had spent a night with each other in Fueno's inn, this first night around a fire had put them in a different sort of mood. At the base of it, they were happy to be on the road together again. For so many weeks now, they had traveled across Tiberoa with staunch purpose, and they were pleased that their urgency was now dimmed, at least for a time. While they hunted a dragon, none of them felt any strained rush to accomplish the task. Tonight, for the first time in a month, they were free to exist.

When conversation finally died down, Dart shifted toward the ocean. As he settled onto the beach, leaving the firelight behind him, his eyes drifted across the dim horizon, searching for evidence of their quarry. Of course, he found none. His companions' voices bounced around behind him as they prepared to sleep, and his mind drifted into the churning waves.

"Would you like some company?" asked Shana quietly behind him some minutes later.

He turned to face her and smiled. "I always like your company," he said.

She returned his smile and took a seat next to him. Although he wasn't sure if she knew it, he was acutely aware that her knee was about an inch from his.

"I've come to really love the ocean," she said quietly. "It's so peaceful."

"I agree. I'm glad we're getting to spend more time with it."

"Did you ever visit the beach in Bale?"

He dropped his gaze. "No, I… never made it."

"We should go next time we're there. You couldn't see as much as you can here. There were too many mountains. But it was beautiful."

With a sigh, he turned to watch her. She waited a moment before meeting his eyes, and he was amazed that he didn't feel a need to turn away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered suddenly.

"For what?"

"Everything."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been so… stupid." He shook his head. "Ever since I came back, I've made every wrong decision."

"You made a lot of right decisions, too," she protested.

"Not with you."

Shana's expression softened.

"I don't know what I was thinking when I came back… I've liked you ever since we were kids, but then as a teenager, it just… I couldn't do anything about it back then. I left, and you were just thirteen. Then when I came back, I forgot how much time had passed. When I first saw you in Hellena Prison, it hit me all over again."

"It was the same for me," she replied. "I've always wanted to be by your side. But you grew up faster than me."

"The timing wasn't right," he whispered.

Nodding, she turned toward the sea.

"So why didn't you say anything?" she asked. "Before, in Serdio?"

"I think I had just gotten used to it. Pushing all that away. I wasn't allowed to feel those things when I was seventeen. So, I buried it. But it was there. Lavitz could see it."

"Lavitz could see everything," she laughed.

Chuckling, he said, "True." Then he drew a heavy sigh. "I didn't realize how I felt until after… what happened. After I hurt you."

"I wanted to tell you," she said, turning to him again with a degree of urgency. "I know you didn't mean for it to happen. I thought I was angry at you because of it, but I know now that I was just angry that you weren't there for me. And I'm sorry that I harbored all that against you for so long. I'm sorry. I forgive you for everything. I should have done that a long time ago."

Unbidden, he began to weep. The tears sprang up and fell so quickly that he was shocked by them, and he could do nothing but embrace her.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Several moments later, he pulled back, and they both wiped their eyes before smiling at one another. When they looked toward the ocean, Dart glanced down and noticed that Shana's hand now rested on her knee, mere inches from him. Had it been placed there on purpose? Was she waiting for him?

Almost laughing at himself, he realized that he didn't care. He reached over and slipped his hand over hers, squeezing tightly. He thought his heart might burst with joy as she squeezed back.

The sun hadn't reached its peak yet when the group of dragoons and Meru arrived at the northeast corner of the island. Upon reaching the expanse that divided the two larger Suncrest Islands, they stopped to watch and wait. They hoped that they would be able to sense the dragon, but after a half hour of nothing, they decided that they should continue on their way.

As they prepared to swim the small channel, Kongol began fidgeting, eyes flitting back and forth between the water and the far island.

"What's up, buddy?" asked Meru.

"I… cannot swim," confessed Kongol.

"I can teach you!"

"We don't have time for that," said Rose. "Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

"I didn't think it would matter," muttered the giganto.

"The channel isn't that deep," offered Dart. "Maybe fifteen feet at the deepest."

"That is still taller than me," protested Kongol.

"How long can you hold your breath?" asked Albert.

He shrugged. "A few minutes."

"Water dragoon would be great right about now," muttered Dart to himself.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," said Albert.

The king stepped up to the shore, a focused eye watching the water. After a deep breath, he reached out a hand and brought it down swiftly before him, and a blustering wind buffeted them as the air fell onto the water. Kongol threw his hands up, a sudden fear showing in his eyes, and Albert frowned. Moving with his other hand, Albert redirected the gale out and up, brushing past them harmlessly. What had felt like the blunt tirade of a powerful thunderstorm now felt like a gentle summer breeze.

However, what was more impressive was that as the air pushed down, the water moved out of its way. Two waves began to build on either side of Albert's downdraft, and Dart was amazed to see the surface move downward. Before long, the ocean floor was exposed, and only a couple feet of water remained in place in the deepest part of the channel.

"Impressive," muttered Rose.

"Your admiration is appreciated," called Albert over the gale. "But it might be prudent for us to cross quickly so that I can sustain this as long as we need."

Wasting no time, the group trotted toward the channel, Kongol and Dart in the lead, and they charged their way across. There was no escaping the wind in the tunnel, however, and Kongol cringed to feel the magic just as Dart cringed to feel the seawater seep into his boots. But to everyone's amazement, Albert managed to uphold the magic until they had all crossed to the other side and stood on the eastern shore.

"If your people could see you now!" called Meru as she clapped the king on the back. He smiled proudly.

They continued their trek along the northern reaches of the eastern island, Dart and Rose especially grateful for their waterskins that they now carried. Dart divided his attention here and there among the group, dispersing among them and discussing trivial matters. He wished that they could always remain this way, close and familial, but he wondered how a potential new dragoon could change their dynamic. Although he never voiced it, he hoped that the new dragoon spirit would choose Meru and round them out without mixing anything up.

It was near nightfall on the second day that they finally found a sign of what they were looking for. Meru had pointed out something odd in the sand, just on the edge of their vision. When they reached it, they found that the sand had been disturbed and torn on the beach, just past the reach of the waves that now worked to erase the evidence. As best as they could tell, a great beast had dug it claws into the sand, grabbing for some kind of prey. Although most of it had washed away, blood had stained the site a dark red.

"This dragon must be massive," remarked Haschel as he traced out one of the marks. "Was Feyrbrand really that large?"

"I mean, you saw him," said Dart.

"Maybe a little smaller than this, actually," added Rose, kneeling down and measuring one of the claw marks. "This fellow is older than Feyrbrand by a good number of years."

Just then, Dart felt that same tingle in his chest that he had felt while swimming. He, Rose, Haschel, Kongol, Albert, and Shana all turned suddenly toward the ocean, their vision waning with the sun, and strained to see what lay in wait.

"What is it?" asked a nervous Meru.

"It's out there," explained Dart, though he could see nothing.

"Right now?"

"Is that what we felt?" asked Albert.

"Yes, that was our dragoon spirits alerting us to one of our own kind nearby," said Rose.

"Did that happen when you met Feyrbrand?" asked Shana.

"It did for me."

"I was too new back then," muttered Dart.

"Never mind the history lesson," spat Meru, eyes scanning the ocean in fear. "Where is this thing?"

"Probably swimming in the deep," said Albert.

"Waiting to eat you!" added Haschel.

"That's not funny!" protested Meru.

"Wait, is that another island over there?" said Shana.

They all strained to see across the great distance as the sunlight continued to wane, but there at the very edge of the horizon, Dart thought he could make out some dark shape resting on the surface of the water.

"Makes sense," said Dart. "There are three major islands in the bay."

"I'll bet that that's where we need to go," sighed Haschel.

"I do not believe I have the ability to make a path across," inserted Albert.

"There has to be a way over there," said Dart.

"Yeah," added Rose. "It's called a boat."

Shana and Haschel laughed.

"And how do we get a boat?" pressed Meru. "Do you see a boat?" She put a hand up to her forehead and pretended to search. "I don't see a boat."

"Lidiera is no more than a day's journey east of here," offered Albert. "Perhaps the people there would be willing to lend us one."

"Worth a shot," shrugged Haschel.

And so, they pressed east.

It was not until late the next morning that they finally stumbled upon the small fishing village. The homes were ramshackle at best, and Dart was no longer surprised at Pete's finding Fueno "fancy." Upon their arrival, they saw a group of men playing some type of card game at a short table, a dozen people digging for clams in the wet sand, and far out on the ocean, four boats were hard at work searching for fish.

Despite its casual nature, Dart found himself drawn to the place. A line of cliffs, no doubt the same stone that had served as shelter for Dart and Rose a few days before, ran along the far side of the village until it formed a wall barricading off the rest of the island. A long tunnel had been dug through the south side, and Dart now saw a man and a woman walking through carrying baskets. Thanks to this cliff, Lidiera was home to its own small bay, sheltered from the wilds within the jungle.

It did not take the dragoons long to garner attention from the locals, but it took mentioning Mayor Linde for anyone to grant them any request. Once they found someone who seemed ready and willing to speak with them, he invited them into his small home, far too small for Kongol to fit, and in the end, only Dart and Albert entered the dwelling. Even so, Dart felt cramped in the tiny space.

"At the request of Mayor Linde," began Albert, "we have come in hopes that we could borrow one of your fishing boats so that we may sail to the northern island."

"The Prison Island?" exclaimed the man. "Why on earth would ya want to go there?"

"Our mission is to help with the fish problem," said Dart. "We think the creature eating all your fish is probably on that island."

"Why is it called the Prison Island?" asked Albert.

"There used to be a prison there," explained the old man. "Now it's a bunch of ruins, said to be haunted by the souls of those who died there. It is said the spirits take revenge for their imprisonment on whoever sets foot on the shore."

"That's something we have to risk," said Dart.

The man eyed them carefully. "Very well," he said at last. "As soon as a boat gets back, you're welcome to it. Might be a tight squeeze with all them people you got."

"That will not be a problem," smiled Albert.

An hour later, they sat shoulder-to-shoulder on a small fishing boat that sailed north. At Haschel's behest, they had not brought along a navigator, and he was now running around and stepping over them to urge the vessel in the right direction. For the first ten minutes of the trip, he had attempted having everyone help, but in the end, his exasperation with their lack of knowledge had forced him to take on all duties himself.

Dart now sat awkwardly between Shana and Albert, Meru and Rose behind them, and Kongol in the rear. The boat was notably leaning in his direction.

Still, their general path trended northwest, toward the Prison Island, now becoming more and more visible on the horizon.

"Any sign of the dragon?" asked Meru.

"None," replied Albert.

"I should've stayed in Lidiera," she muttered.

Shana chuckled softly and shook her head.

"You ready?" asked Dart quietly, nudging her with his elbow.

"I suppose," she smiled. "My job is easier than yours."

"I wouldn't say that."

"I get to hang out in the back and heal people." She shrugged. "You're on the front lines all the time."

"As long as I know you have my back, I'm fine with that."

They smiled at each other, and he felt an urge to take her hand again. But he knew that he would never hear the end of it from Meru. So, he turned his attention back to Haschel, who now stood before them with one foot on the floor of the boat and one on the railing, hanging on tightly to a rope attached to the large sail that billowed behind Dart's head.

"How's it going?" asked Dart.

"Great," replied Haschel, though he seemed distracted.

"Are we going to make it?"

"Absolutely."

"Maybe I should have paid more attention to his teaching on the Queen Fury," whispered Albert. "He seems strained. But I am at a loss as to how I could help."

"I think doing nothing is the help," replied Dart.

"I do not see how providing a breeze is such a sin."

"You know that if he found out, he'd be sad the entire trip back."

"This is true. Haschel is quite… pouty when he does not get his way."

Dart snorted at Albert's use of the word pouty and silently vowed to tell Minister Noish one day.

It was late afternoon when they finally made landfall. Haschel appeared quite pleased with himself as he leapt from the boat, but his smile turned to a frown as soon as he tried to pull it onto shore. Thankfully, Kongol joined him, and together, they dragged the boat into the sand. A few minutes later, the dragoons and Meru stood on firm ground, taking in the sights.

The Prison Island had a mountain for a core, but it was notably steeper than the one forming Fueno's supports. A deep jungle had fashioned itself across the landscape, thicker and more imposing than that of the eastern island. As they now stood, they could see a long shore extending northeast, but much of their left was veiled by dark trees.

"Do we have a destination in mind?" asked Haschel, huffing lightly. "Or do we just start walking?"

"I guess… that's all we can do, really," shrugged Dart.

Haschel nodded, and they began their journey north along the beach. Despite their earlier confidence, Dart could feel a dim sense of apprehension that moved across the group. They traveled in silence, eyes darting here and there, hoping that something would reveal itself to them.

They had traveled for a half hour before someone spotted something.

"What's that?" asked Meru, looking off to the west.

Their eyes followed hers, but Dart could see nothing but trees.

"What's what?" asked Haschel.

"There!"

Meru pointed through the trees, and they each craned their necks this way and that to make out what lay beyond the fronds. At last, Dart could make out what she'd spied – a building: old, dilapidated, and apparently abandoned. It was nestled near the feet of the mountain, its stonework peeking out above the tree line. It was hard to tell, but Dart guessed that it was twice as large as the inn in Fueno.

"What is that?" asked Shana.

"I would surmise that is the old prison that gave this island its name," offered Albert.

"Our dragoon might be up there waiting for us," said Dart.

"It is the best place for shelter on the island," agreed the king.

"Let's go," urged Dart, leading the charge into the forest.

The ground was soft and mossy as it sloped gently upward toward the mountain. Every footstep was padded into near silence, and Dart was pleased. Not only was he allowed another chance to explore the untouched wilderness, but they would have the element of surprise should they need it. Still, he couldn't deny the anxiety that now crept into his belly, and he wondered if the others shared in that. No one spoke, and it wasn't long before they approached the old prison.

Scanning for footprints and finding none, Dart softly stepped up to the stone wall. The bottom few yards were coated with moss, though several stones were missing, and Dart craned his neck to see that the corner of the roof closest to them was crumbling. Many stones and wooden slats had fallen to the earth and were succumbing to the decay of time.

"Do we have a plan?" whispered Haschel behind him.

"I guess… find a way in and find the dragoon?" suggested Dart with a shrug. "I didn't think this far ahead."

"You need to get better at planning things," muttered the old man.

"We should aim for diplomacy before violence," said Albert.

"Agreed." Dart nodded. "Meru, if anything happens, just get out of there, and we'll handle it."

Suddenly Rose swore, and they all turned to her.

"Kongol hasn't transformed," she explained. "And I've never taught him how."

"We don't have time for that now," dismissed Dart. "Kongol, you stay with Meru."

The giganto nodded seriously, and Meru scooted closer to him.

"Let's find a door," said Dart before edging around the corner.

Thankfully, there was a patio of sorts on the front of the building, and Dart was able to jump onto it easily. And there, to the left, facing the ocean, was a heavy wooden door now rotted from its exposure to the elements.

Saying nothing, Dart stepped forward and gently tugged on the door, but the creak of the hinges forced him to stop. Shaking his head, he began to burn the door, emitting only a faint sizzle and occasional crackle that he hoped would be dismissed to general wildlife. Only a minute or so later, the door was a pile of ashes, and they stepped inside.

Once they had all huddled into the dilapidated foyer, they paused to listen. The room was eerily silent. Old furniture was dotted about but had been warped by its long exposure to the humidity. Rooms were open to them on either side, and two hallways ran behind them. Before them and dotted with windows along the wall was a staircase that turned on itself and ran up to the second floor.

Dart tried not to jump when the sound of a light rustling came from above, followed by faint footsteps. Not bothering to wait and see what happened, they flew up the stairs but paused when they came to a landing on the second floor. Past a large doorway, a hallway ran in each direction. There, they waited again.

For several moments, they only heard their panting breath, loud and obnoxious in the dark paths before them. But then came another noise, again above them – the sound of voices. More than one.

With sudden confusion, Dart looked to Albert only to see his unease reflected in the king's curious eyes. He hadn't considered until this moment that there could be more than one person here.

As silently as possible, they crept up the next flight of stairs, listening to the ongoing conversation with a fear that did not befit their power. When at last they arrived on the third-floor landing, once again facing a hallway on either side and one before them, they could hear the voices coming from ahead. With caution, Dart inched forward, straining to hear the words.

He thought he recognized one of the voices, but he couldn't place it. A woman was speaking in low tones, as if she were close to the other person. The replying voice was deeper.

As they came to the end of the hallway, they faced a broken window looking toward the east. Now on the third floor, they could see above the trees all the way to the horizon, the blue of the ocean twinkling at them in the sunlight. To either side was a closed door, and two people spoke behind the one on the right. Dart pressed his ear against the wood slats and listened.

"You promised we would leave today," said the woman. "There's no reason to linger."

"And what of Regole?" asked the man.

"I can call him to me whenever I want."

Someone tapped Dart on the elbow, and Dart turned to see a wide-eyed Albert grabbing for his attention.

Lloyd, mouthed the king.

As Dart's memory collided with his hearing, he realized with sudden horror that Albert was right. In this room, now having a casual conversation, were Lloyd and Lenus. The man who had murdered Lavitz and the woman who had imprisoned Emille. Dart was unprepared for the rage that flared within him, and he was surprised to see something similar reflected in Albert's eye. The king motioned Dart to the side, and he quickly stepped toward the window. As Albert raised his hands, Dart placed his hand on his sword hilt. Rose followed suit, and Shana slowly withdrew an arrow as Haschel clenched his fists.

An explosion of air ripped into the silence, and the door was blasted off its hinges. Lenus's surprised yelp could barely be heard over the crash as splinters shot into the room. Dart and Albert charged in, drew their weapons, and brandished them. Everyone else was forced to wait in the hall.

The room was surprisingly large for a prison cell, and Dart's peripheral vision saw a bed, desk, and chair of modern design. But all his focus now remained on the two individuals in front of him, their platinum hair disheveled from the blast, shock and fear in their faces.

Dart reveled in their terror, even if it only lasted for a moment. They had both been pushed back against the far wall, and now, as they recovered from the surprise, their faces contorted into stalwart anger.

"You," spat Lloyd even as he cradled his left bicep. A thick shard had pierced him, and blood began to dribble down toward his hand. As he regained his footing, he stepped toward the dragoons, full of wrath.

Despite all his determination, Dart could not fight the sudden fear that filled him at the simple motion. Instinctively, he took a step back, and Lloyd sneered.

"So, you found me," he said. "And what is your plan?"

The wingly ripped out the splinter, cast it aside, and drew his sword – the fiery sword that had slain Lavitz. It glared at Dart now, and he could not help but eye it with terror and resentment.

"Are you going to kill me?" taunted Lloyd. "Kill me for your revenge?"

Clenching his jaw, Dart summoned a fire in his left hand.

"We have come to end this," said Albert, somehow calm despite his previous ferocity.

"'End'? End what?" Lloyd let out a chortle. "You have no idea what has begun. Even you don't have the power to end it!"

"I can end you!" shouted Dart as he rushed forward recklessly.

But then came a blinding light, and Dart gasped and stumbled backward. He heard a crash to his left as a magical darkness from Rose buffered the white rays, and as the magics dissipated, Dart saw a giant hole in the wall where a window had been. Without thinking, Dart sprinted toward it, only to crumple in pain as something grabbed his left forearm. He screamed as he fell to his knees, and his sword clattered to the floor.

"Not so fast," whispered Lenus. She wrenched him onto his feet and spun him around so quickly that he could hardly tell what had happened. Then cold steel pressed against his throat, cutting him slightly as her left hand maintained a vice grip on his deathly wound.

When at last he could see, Dart saw his friends standing before him, the light from outside illuminating shock and fear in their faces. In vain, he tried to get himself to think of something to do. But the pain was blinding.

"One wrong move and he's dead!" shouted Lenus. "No one's following Lloyd anywhere." Then her voice dropped to a whisper as her lips brushed against Dart's ear. "And you might want to get this checked out." She squeezed his arm, her nails digging into the rotting flesh.

Struggling to breathe, Dart locked eyes with Shana. Her arrow was drawn, but she was hesitating in her fear. Then Haschel whispered something to her, and she took a slight step to the right. At that instant, an arc of lighting erupted from Haschel's fingertips, striking Lenus in the arm before she could react, and she screamed as she was flung out the window. Her blade drew across Dart's neck as he was pushed into the crumbling wall, and then he collapsed to the ground, holding his stinging throat.

Everyone rushed toward the open wall, and Shana quickly knelt next to Dart and shined a light over his bleeding neck. The soothing feeling extended beyond the wound, invigorating and restoring him, and he quickly stood and thanked her, snatching up his sword even though his left arm still throbbed. All eyes were now focused outside as a flying Lenus rose above the trees, fireball in hand.

"Move!" shouted Dart as he planted himself firmly before them. As he had at the Twin Castle, he prepared to absorb the impact of Lenus's attack, foreign and out of his control as the wingly magic was. But the instant it left her fingers, it was intercepted by a streak of lightning, a tendril of darkness, and an illuminated arrow. The magic exploded, and Lenus was driven away from them. Instead of fighting it, she moved with her momentum and took off toward the ocean.

"After her!" yelled Albert as he leapt out the window, transforming in midair. A series of flashes heralded more transformations, and soon five dragoons were flying over the trees.

Dart grinned to feel the power that now rushed through him. It had been so long since his last transformation that he'd nearly forgotten the feeling. Now, as they charged ahead after Lenus, he felt as though nothing could stop him.

When they were only a hundred feet from shore, Lenus spun and hurled a fireball at them, but they easily dodged above it. Reaching out a hand, Albert summoned a gale, forcing Lenus to throw up her hands before her face as she was suddenly dragged backward. But just before she collided with them, a blue flash dazzled their eyes, and a jet of cold air washed over them. The brilliant blue of dragoon armor now shone at them, and a different kind of wing sprouted from Lenus's back.

However, they had little time to process what had happened, as at that moment, a swath of ocean suddenly lifted into the air, over Lenus, and crashed into them with tremendous speed.

The line of dragoons was blown backward by the force of the liquid, and Dart sputtered and sizzled to taste the water. By the time they had regained their balance and vision, Lenus was nowhere to be found.

Then, he felt the presence of a dragon again, this time much more profound than before. All eyes turned to the ocean, where they could see a line of waves uncharacteristically large now beating against the shoreline. Two hundred yards away, the source of the waves lifted its reptilian head, breaking the surface of the water as it turned its bright red eyes on them.

For a moment, Dart froze. The beast was massive, far greater than Feyrbrand, and he wondered how much of it remained beneath the surface. As it stood, its head was level with them, a hundred feet in the air, leathery wings pinned against its back.

"Can it fly?" asked Dart.

"Yes," replied Rose on his right. "And it's just as deadly in the air."

"How do we kill it?" asked Haschel on her other side.

"Same way you kill anything, I suppose," she shrugged.

"Not helpful, but I'll take it," said Dart.

With one mind, the dragoons fanned out around the beast as it roared, a mighty sound that would have left a human Dart trembling. Then it pushed out its wings and flapped them once, splashing into the water and sending up fountains of spray.

Before Dart could react, the dragon dove into the water, revealing its long, whip-like body as it snaked into the sea. For a moment, there was peace. The ocean sloshed below them, but nothing else could be seen.

Then a spout of water erupted, dividing into five and shooting out like arrows toward the dragoons. They whipped about to avoid them, and as he swept down, Dart spotted a shape on the beach. Focusing, he saw Kongol and Meru at the edge of the trees, hanging onto each other as they watched the battle.

Something sharp suddenly pierced his thigh, and he screamed as he was forced to refocus. A bolt of ice had embedded itself in his leg, and he instinctively pushed heat through it to melt it away. It did so almost instantly, but not before another spear made for his heart. He dipped down to avoid it and scanned below him to search for the source, but he saw only ripples as the dragon moved about in the deep. Then he spotted another bolt, hurled at him from the left, and this time he surrounded himself with such heat that the ice blade melted and boiled away harmlessly before it had come within two feet of him.

As the air around Dart wavered, water crashed about as the dragon resurfaced, fixing its red eyes on Haschel as they began to glow. Beams of light shot out at him, but Haschel was too quick and dived below their reach. Then he, Rose, and Albert converged on the dragon, striking it with fist, sword, and spear. Dart created a ball of fire as Rose stabbed its neck and Haschel jolted it with an electric punch. Shana fired an arrow hurried along by Albert as Dart hurled his magic.

The sphere exploded on impact, sending a shockwave that knocked Rose, Haschel, and Albert off balance and pushed the dragon down to crash into the sea. A sizeable burn had taken shape on the edge of its head, and multiple blue scales had been sent flying. The dragon arose quickly, however, snapping its massive jaws at Rose, who flitted off to the side. A bolt from Shana struck it in the eye, and it squealed. Then its jaws opened, and a jet of water streamed toward Shana faster than she could react. The spray hit her arm, and she cried out in pain. Even from his distance, Dart could see the burns on her shoulder where her skin was exposed. The water was scalding.

An ice dagger appeared and pierced Rose, but this time, Dart was able to spot its source. Without waiting to see if Rose was hurt, he dove toward the water, flames erupting around him. As he neared, he could see movement just below the surface, and he prepared to wreathe Lenus in fire. But then like a geyser, the ocean spat at him with such force that he was thrown backward into the air. The stinging pain of cold seawater struck his face and arms, and he blinked rapidly to recover his vision. Before he could, someone rammed into him as a dagger sank into his side, expertly placed between plates of his armor. He hissed in response, and he felt the burn of water over his skin, that irritating feeling as it tried to seep into his very bones. Then a hand closed around his neck.

Instinctively, he created fire all around him, and at last he opened his eyes to see Lenus's slightly panicked face as she was surrounded by flame. As his body heated, her hand began to burn, and Dart took the opportunity to swing at her with his sword. She drew the dagger from him and parried his blow even as her wings began to singe.

As they fought, the flames grew hotter and hotter until parts of it began to twinge blue, and Dart could see Lenus's panic growing despite their sustained combat. But then she pushed away from him, removing herself from the fire, and held her hands out to the side. Within a second, masses of seawater came to her and surrounded her, far more in volume than the fire that Dart had summoned, and suddenly he was walled in by her magic. It pressed in on him until he began to drown, and Lenus hovered outside with sickening joy on her face.

Dart screamed in vain at the surrounding water, and he grew hotter and hotter until it began to boil. But as much as boiled off, Lenus replaced it with more. Dart tried to fly forward, but she and the water moved with him. Just when he thought he might suffocate, a shaft of light pierced Lenus's shoulder right before Shana's heel struck her across the jaw. As Lenus's concentration broke, the water fell away, and Dart breathed deeply.

Lenus then charged at Shana, bringing a wall of water with her before grabbing Shana's wrists and holding them tightly, again surrounding the light dragoon with water. Though Dart had little time to appreciate it, he marveled to see the ball of liquid begin to shift to ice, freezing Shana within. Shana flashed brightly, and Dart flinched, but not without charging forward himself. As Shana's light began to dim, Dart grabbed Lenus's shoulder and thrust his sword into her back.

She gasped. Red blood began to leak out of her, staining the bright blue of her armor. Dart withdrew his sword, and she clung to her abdomen as she fell to the sea.

Quickly, he melted whatever ice remained, and Shana was free once more. They then turned their attention to the dragon that now flailed about, spitting steam, firing beams, and summoning jets of water at the three other dragoons.

The dragon's head was now bloody, marked with many wounds, and one eye was closed from Shana's earlier arrow. Dart and Shana joined the fray, contributing fiery attacks and soothing lights, and the dragon began to retreat. They pursued it out to sea, and then it plunged beneath the surface.

For several moments, they waited, watching the ocean warily. Then the surface began to move.

The water churned and roiled and seemed to draw itself up. With some mixture of horror and amazement, they watched as the water near the shore was pulled away, exposing a massive swath of sand previously hidden, and a mountain of water formed underneath them.

All at once, the water began to move. At speeds that Dart hadn't thought possible, the wave pushed toward shore, now over fifty feet high. With sickening terror, Dart's eyes fixed on the tiny dots of Meru and Kongol near the tree line.

Together, the dragoons shot toward them, moving with all speed, aided by Albert's winds.

We're not going to make it, realized Dart.

The wave was now a hundred feet from shore.

Fifty feet.

Something struck Dart's arm, and his sword flew from his hand. Then it grabbed his wrist and wrenched him downward. In a panic, he spun to see Lenus dragging him toward the ocean, but he had to see if Kongol and Meru were safe. Trying to pull himself free, he focused his eyes on the beach.

Just before he was pulled under, he saw a flash of yellow light as something flew into the air, carrying something else with it.

Kongol had transformed.

No sooner had Dart grinned at the realization than he struck the surface of the water.

That itching feeling took over his whole body as he turned his attention to the wingly that pulled him deeper into the ocean. He burned her hand and tried to fly upward, but a current of water pushed him back down. Reaching deep within the dragoon spirit, he fought for a calm mind as he summoned more fire to him. A boiling ball of heat formed in his hand, and he thrust it at Lenus before forming another ball around the hand that still clung to his wrist. She flinched and released him, and he tried to kick her, but the water fought against him and stopped his foot short.

He threw fire after fire at her, but she easily batted aside any projectile with a current. Flashing an evil grin, she held out her hands, and shards of ice formed in each. She threw them at him, and he tried to push out of the way, beating his wings against the water, but Lenus's magic held him in place.

One glanced off his dragoon armor, but the other pierced deeply into his right forearm. He screamed, but only bubbles of precious air escaped to flee up to the sky.

As Dart came to realize the danger he was in, he called out to his friends. Through his dragoon spirit, he reached out with his mind and tugged on its connection to the others.

Help me, he cried.

Then with all his might, he heated the water around him. Another ice shard pierced his knee, but he tried to ignore it. Another just above his hip, but he focused on his magic. Although Lenus tried to hold the water in place and form an icy grave for him, Dart's magic overpowered hers, and soon the ocean was boiling. Thousands of bubbles obscured Dart's vision, and he pushed the heat out, trying to overtake Lenus.

The water before Dart began to move, and the magical pressure of the ocean lessened. With sudden freedom, Dart pushed up and out and took great gasps of air as he looked around. Albert, Rose, and Shana were now with him, and he panted, blood dripping from his multiple wounds. The dragon had reappeared, but this time it was Kongol who was attached to its head, driving an axe even larger than normal deeper and deeper into its burned skull as it screamed in pain. Haschel consistently fired lightning into its wounds.

Albert had been conjuring a swirl of energy, and wind whipped the water about, drawing it up until a tall, wobbly waterspout formed. Shards of ice were thrown at him, but Dart flew in their way and heated them to melting.

As Albert moved the waterspout toward the source of the ice, Rose dove into the water, Shana following closely behind. There was a bright flash, and then sudden darkness engulfed them. A blue figure was thrust out of the ocean but was quickly caught up in the spout, and with a surprising speed, Albert pulled her out, throwing her toward shore with a gust of air so forceful that even Lenus's magic could not keep up.

The dragon let out a pained, mournful cry, and Dart saw Kongol's axe break through the skull. With a final jolt of electricity, the dragon grew limp and crashed toward the sea as Kongol leapt into the air.

With no time to consider this tragedy, Dart and the others rushed after Lenus as Albert pushed her forcefully away from the ocean. She slammed into the sand, and her head struck the trunk of a tree. Her body fell limp, and after a flash of light, she returned to her normal, wingly self.

The dragoons landed next to her, and Meru ran up from the side, eyes wide as she took in the sight.

Dart took several steps forward, the pain of his wounds distant thanks to his dragoon spirit. Even so, he appreciated the light Shana cast over them all, and he sighed to feel his skin stitch together once more.

The light caused Lenus to stir, and now Dart realized that the wound he'd given her had all but disappeared. Only a red mark could be seen on her skin, and he wondered at it. Had Shana inadvertently healed her just now?

He shook his head; there was no blood on the sand.

Lenus's eyes fluttered open, and Dart held his hand out toward Rose, who passed him her sword.

Fear took over Lenus as she gazed at the six dragoons, and Dart couldn't help but smirk in response. The dragoon in him desired vengeance. Vengeance for Emille and Tiberoa and vengeance for the dragon she had misled to its death. He wanted to claim the dragoon spirit that she carried and make sure that it never ended up in dangerous hands again.

"Now, hang on," she said, sitting up and scooting back against the tree.

"Where's the Moon Dagger?" asked Dart, placing Rose's blade on Lenus's collarbone.

"You don't think I would have kept something like that, do you?" sneered Lenus.

"So, Lloyd has it."

"It doesn't matter anyway. He's long gone. You'll never find him."

"How did you get the dragoon spirit?"

"Why would I tell you anything?"

"Then I'll ask one last question. Why shouldn't I kill you?"

Lenus smiled. "You have no reason not to. Think of all I've done. Deceive a nation. A king." She eyed Albert. "Two kings, I guess. And to think that if I'd played my cards right, I probably could have gotten you in bed with me."

"Preposterous!" snapped Albert. "I would never have done such a thing."

"Don't pretend you didn't want me the first time you saw me."

"Don't answer her," said Dart, holding Rose's sword out to silence Albert. Then he whipped it back to point at Lenus's heart. "Any last words?"

Lenus chuckled.

"You forgot one thing," she grinned. "I may not be a dragoon right now, but I am still a wingly."

Her face contorted in rage, and she shouted as she thrust her hand forward. A fountain of flame exploded from her hand, and for just a moment, Dart almost shouted in fright. He knew that wingly magic was not something he could control.

But maybe… that wasn't completely true.

The fire that now faced him was different and unnatural, of this he was certain. But as a fully transformed dragoon, he could feel it.

With sudden urgency, he dropped the sword and threw up his hands even as the massive explosion began, something that was surely powerful enough to cast them all into the ocean and give Lenus time to escape. But at the last moment, he grabbed hold of the fire and drew it back to himself. He redirected it, channeling it into his hand, and then thrust it downward. As his fist made contact with Lenus's abdomen, he let loose the wingly fire.

A moment later, Lenus lay dumbfounded, a massive, charred hole in her stomach.

She began to convulse even as she watched Dart, an odd fear in her eyes. Light began to leave them, and they closed as she fought her impending death.

"At least…" she gasped. "I loved him." She coughed. "To the – end."

She exhaled, and her body grew still.

A somber air came over them, and Dart exhaled as he transformed. Several others did the same, and Meru approached with a peculiar sadness in her eyes.

"So, it's over," she whispered, gaze locked on Lenus.

Dart knelt next to the wingly and investigated her pockets. He found her dagger – not the Moon Dagger, but something decorative just the same – and a tiny pebble that gave him pause. He shifted it in his hand; it appeared to be no more than a pebble. He set it on the ground and checked further and finally found his prize: the blue sea dragoon spirit.

As he held it aloft, it sparkled a bright blue before the color vanished, leaving the clear stone resting in his palm. But just as he was about to pocket it, it flashed twice. He cocked his head, and then he had a foreign urge to hand it over to Meru, who now stood just a foot or two to his left.

Standing, he turned to her, and her wide eyes turned to him, flitting back and forth between him and the dragoon spirit.

"I think, this is yours," he said, smiling as he held it out.

She gasped and reached out her hand, and Dart placed it in her palm. With amazement, she held it up to her eyes when it flashed brightly once again.

A blast of cold air washed over Dart, and he threw up a shield of heat in response. Then it dissipated, and the stone, now blue again, shined happily in Meru's hand.

Joy overtook her face, and she began jumping up and down.

"Omigosh, omigosh, I'm a dragoon!" she cried before beginning to run around in tight circles. "Wait." She stopped abruptly and turned to them. "That is what this means, right?"

"Yes!" laughed Shana, and she threw her hand up, showering Meru with ribbons of colored light in celebration.

"Yay!" squealed Meru as she resumed her excitement.

"That's about what I expected to happen," chuckled Haschel.

"As did I," grinned Albert.

Dart reached down and retrieved Rose's sword before handing it over to her. She nodded in thanks and sheathed it, and he took several steps toward the ocean. Hidden out there somewhere was a dead dragon, a creature that had not deserved to die.

"I can feel him," said Meru as she came up to stand next to Dart. "His name was… Regole." Melancholy was thick in her voice. "Does that mean he's still alive?" she asked Rose.

"No," she replied. "You can still feel him even after death… for a time."

"It makes me sad," mourned Meru.

"The death of a dragon is no small thing," said Rose. "They are tied to us in a way that I can't explain very well. This connection you feel may be the only time any of us feel a connection to a dragon again."

"Should I have tried to communicate with it?" asked Kongol, stepping up next to Dart.

"It wouldn't have done any good," replied Rose. "Besides, death awaits all things, in the end."

They stood for a moment, somber in their reverence, and Dart's eyes drifted over the low waves. Suddenly, he realized the lack of weight on his hip.

"Ah!" he cried. "My sword!"

He took a few steps forward.

"How are we supposed to get it now?"

"Maybe our new water dragoon would be willing to help," offered Rose, looking at Meru.

Meru's eyes lit up at the possibility, but Dart did not suppose that a fledgling dragoon would be able to magic his sword back to him from a hundred yards out. He glanced around, looking for other options, and then noticed that Kongol's wings were still in place. He had not yet transformed.

"Hey, Kongol!" he said. "You still have wings. Can you go get my sword for me? It's…" He turned toward the horizon. "… out there somewhere."

"How is he supposed to find something that small?" chided Meru. "Just let me do it! I can figure it out!"

"There is no need," said Kongol, eyes distant as he stepped toward the crashing waves. "I can feel it."

"You can feel… my sword?" asked Dart.

"Yes. It's making an impression in the sand."

The golden dragoon spirit in his armor flashed as Kongol held out his hand. With amazement, the others watched as the water formed an arrow, as if Kongol were dragging a fishing line toward him with amazing speed. A moment later, it reached the shore, and Dart's sword appeared among the waves, carried by a thousand grains of sand. Like a giant mole digging through the beach, the sand carried the sword and then dropped it at Dart's feet.

In amazement, they turned to Kongol, who now grinned widely.

"It is a good thing that I don't know how to turn this off," he said, gesturing to his armor.

Laughing, Dart retrieved his sword, heated it to dry it, and then sheathed it. Albert and Haschel moved forward to try to explain the transformation process to Kongol, and Dart turned his attention back to Lenus's body, now lying dead on the beach.

"Wait!" he called, and the others turned to him. "Before you go back, can you dig a grave for her?" He gestured to the wingly.

"Of course," nodded Kongol.

With compassion across his face, Kongol stepped forward before kneeling next to Lenus and placing a hand on her forehead. Then he bowed his head and whispered something before standing. Turning to the side, he stretched out his hand again, and a block of sandy dirt lifted from beneath the trees. He set it aside, picked up Lenus, and gingerly laid her in the grave. Then he put the soil back in place.

"That stone," he said, pointing to the small pebble Dart had dropped in the dirt. Dart snatched it and placed it in Kongol's hand. The giganto held it before him and watched it for a moment. "This stone comes from… the north. Far away." Then he knelt by Lenus's grave and placed an outstretched hand on it. He lifted the dirt up, creating a small pedestal, and then clenched his fist. Instantly, the dirt was compacted into a small, hard platform, and he placed the pebble on top. Satisfied with his work, he stood, backed away and bowed his head.

There was a golden flash, and then Kongol was a giganto once more.

"You caught onto that pretty quickly," muttered Rose.

"When I transformed," he said quietly, "I could feel the earth itself breathing. It was… overwhelming. I was able to focus after a few minutes, but…" He sighed lightly. "I felt the wingly's life force disappear. And the dragon's. Is that normal?" He spun suddenly and looked at Rose.

She nodded. "I remember—" She stopped suddenly and looked down. "I remember hearing it somewhere." She lifted her head again. "The golden dragoon is so in tune with the earth that it can feel what the earth feels. Some say that you are the strongest dragoon because of it. Of all the magics, yours will be the most impressive and terrifying, once you have it fully harnessed."

Dart thought Kongol's shoulders stood a little straighter as he nodded back to Rose.

"Magic!" cried Meru, running up to Rose and grabbing her arm. "Teach me magic!"

"You know, literally all of us can teach you," said Dart.

"Yeah, why not ask me?" added Haschel.

"Shut up, we all know Rose is the best dragoon here," replied Meru, rolling her eyes.

They all exchanged glances, but Meru did not seem to notice.

"We need to head back soon anyway," inserted Dart. "We need to tell the Queen Fury that we can head out."

"Just five minutes!" begged Meru. "Please?"

Rose and Albert sighed.

"Fine," Dart conceded.

Meru squealed and all but dragged Rose to the shore, and the others took a seat to watch the show.

"How long do you think it will take her?" asked Shana, who had sat on Dart's right.

"She's definitely more eager than the rest of us were," shrugged Dart.

"I think it depends on how easily it comes to her. How many of us used magic before we were taught?"

Dart began counting on his fingers. "Lavitz did on the way to the shrine. Haschel did when he saw the dragons in the Black Castle. And Kongol did when he attacked Gehrich."

"That's half," laughed Shana. "I guess you, me, and Albert are just lacking in something."

"I like to think we just lacked the right motivation," he replied with a grin.

"Like this?" said Meru loudly, and they turned back to her. To Dart's amazement, Meru swept up a tendril of water and held it aloft over her head.

"Wow," said Dart. "Maybe we are just bad at being dragoons."

Rose nodded at Meru with a somewhat amused face and stood back as Meru began playing with the water. She splashed it around, bounced it back and forth between her hands, and then threw it into the air, where it scattered into a light mist and showered down on them. Dart threw up his hand and evaporated the water that threatened to touch his hair.

"I think you and I are just fine," said Shana, standing and offering him a hand.

He smiled as he took it, and she hoisted him off the ground.

"I guess it's time to go back now that Meru got it on her first try," scorned Haschel as he stood. "That's just ridiculous, you know it?"

"I don't think so!" said Meru as she flicked her fingers at Haschel. A spray of water splashed onto his face, and he recoiled while sputtering.

"You little—"

"Perhaps you are right," interrupted Albert, placing a steadying hand on Haschel's shoulder. "We should head back to Fueno."

Haschel agreed, and they all began marching south. Despite the dragon and Lenus, Dart felt a profound joy within him as they walked. Even if Lloyd had gotten away again, he hadn't managed to take any of Dart's friends with him this time. They were together now, and they were all dragoons. They felt power and security in each other's presence.

They would be able to stop Lloyd. And they'd do it together.