In late morning the next day, the party departed Bale. Compared to the day before, the group's attitude had changed drastically. Before, they had been hopeful, excited, and exhausted. Now they felt refreshed, and yet full of the heavy trepidation and solemnity of their task.
Along with giving Lavitz the sizeable commission that had accrued from his time away, King Albert had also granted each of them a fine steed able to carry the weight of all their supplies. Shana and Lavitz each now had their own packs, no longer having to rely upon Dart's, and all three were filled to the brim with useful items. They each carried a length of rope, a bedroll, blankets, and substantial rations that were mostly provided by Lavitz's mother. Dart had ensured that they restocked their herbalism supplies and bandages, as he secretly worried about what injuries may befall them either on their journey or in Hoax. Earlier in the morning, Dart and Lavitz had spent time in the smithing room tending to their weapons, and Shana had purchased more arrows; her quiver was now full, and extra arrows were stowed away in her pack. As usual, Dart's sword hung at his waist, Lavitz's lance clung to his back, and Shana's bow wrapped around her chest.
Despite their heightened level of readiness, Dart could not shake the doubts that plagued his mind.
They traveled wordlessly, only speaking up when discussing directions and other less important things. Dart was grateful for the silence, as it allowed him time to ruminate over the past several days. He still could not quite believe that he had agreed to this, much less that Shana could accompany them, but the strong attachment he felt to this group strengthened his resolve.
The farther south they went, the more Dart worried about what lay waiting for them. Although they believed the attack would not begin for several days, he could not help but wonder what they should do if they approached the town and the dragon was already razing it.
As the day wore on, the sun traveled over their heads and began to lower behind the mountains to their right. When the light began to wane, they turned off the road and set up camp, taking turns keeping watch. Despite Dart's protest, Shana insisted that she have a round, and he reluctantly agreed. During his time on watch, Dart replayed that day in his mind, now so long ago, trying to remember every detail of the dragon in hopes of finding a weakness. Nothing helped. After a few hours, he woke Lavitz and lay down, trying to sleep. He found himself listening to the night owls for an hour or so before he finally drifted off.
The next day passed by just as solemnly as the one before. Several times, Dart thought he saw Lavitz open his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Conversation was finally struck as they stopped for a short time around noon.
"Listen, guys," began Lavitz. "I know that we're all a little tense. Things could… go very poorly." He paused and dropped his eyes. "I just want you guys to know that I appreciate all you've done for me. I would never have imagined what great and close friends I would find in a prison. You're like my family now."
Dart smirked and said slyly, "Careful, old man. Don't go getting soft on us." Much to his pleasure, his comment elicited a smile.
"I'm not that much older than you," laughed Lavitz. Then growing serious, he said, "Am I?" He looked to Shana.
Innocently, she shook her head and asked, "How old are you?"
A moment of realization hit Lavitz and his mouth dropped open. "I'm thirty-four." He placed his head in his hands. "Aw, man… Shana, I'm almost twice your age!" Dart laughed as Lavitz's face grew more and more horrified.
"Like I said," laughed Dart. Then after a pause, "Old man."
Lavitz turned cross and said, "You know what?" But as Shana giggled, Dart joined her, and Lavitz's frown disappeared.
A few minutes later, they mounted their horses and continued south, feeling much more light-hearted. Though little was said, they simply sat enjoying each other's company. However, the longer they journeyed, the more the mood soured. Once again, the sun sank toward the western mountains, but Lavitz thought they could make it to Hoax by nightfall. So they pressed on.
As the sun was setting, the small town became visible. They approached, unconsciously slowing down. A tall stone wall, looking somewhat haphazard in its construction, encircled the city, with only one small gate for an entrance. Riding up to the gate, they were stopped by a single guard who demanded to know their business. Lavitz explained who he was and that they had been assigned to Hoax, handing a letter sealed by the king, and the guard let them pass.
Dart took in the sight of the city as they walked through the gate. It seemed that change had come rapidly to Hoax. There were fewer buildings than he expected, and they seemed to lack any layout pattern. The wall, more easily scrutinized from within, looked like it had been built as quickly as possible to provide a meager amount of protection for the town. Dart fancied that they had finished cementing the last stone in place this morning. Tall, wooden structures around the edge of town provided lookout stations along the wall, which was not thick enough to support any guards walking along the top, like the wall surrounding Bale. Most noticeable to Dart, though, were the countless soldiers milling about, making whatever last preparations they could in the waning daylight. They eyed the newcomers suspiciously, and Dart could see the weariness on their faces; these men hadn't slept well in days.
"This place is like a fort more than a real town," he remarked.
"The war certainly changed it," agreed Lavitz, eyeing his surroundings. "I came through here once on my way to Lohan, and back then it was just a quaint little town that happened to have a quaint little inn for me to stay at. This… this is completely different."
The flag of Basil - forest green split across its length with a white stripe - flapped weakly at the door of a small two-story building just off the main path. It was to this building that Lavitz led them before dismounting. A soldier immediately stepped forward to retrieve the reins of each horse and assured them that their belongings would be delivered to their quarters within the hour. As the soldier led the horses away, Lavitz led Dart and Shana into what appeared to be the quaint inn he had spoken of a moment ago.
Inside, a man just shorter than Dart, adorned with armor similar to Lavitz's, was poring over a map with several other soldiers. His hair was short and black, and he sported a well-trimmed thick beard. Hearing the door open, he turned to see them enter, and immediately walked over to greet them.
"Lavitz," he said, not so much happy as relieved. "It's very good to see you again. We received word of your arrival this morning." He gestured to some chairs, offering them a seat.
"Kaiser, these are my good friends, and strong warriors, Dart and Shana." Lavitz gestured to each of them in turn as Kaiser smiled briefly and shook their hands. Then sitting, he continued, "We were in Bale only two days ago, and when King Albert told me about what was going on, I had to come and help. These two brave ones offered to join me."
"We're all very grateful," Kaiser said, leaning back against the table. "These are unsure and threatening times, what with a dragon on the horizon that we know nothing about." He eyed them carefully, but his gaze lingered on Shana. His brow furrowed and he said, "We're in the middle of a war zone. This is no place for a lady. Why did you come along?"
Dart turned to Shana, surprised at the straightforwardness of the question. From her expression, he surmised that she was as well. But she quickly adopted a determined look and answered forcefully.
"I am here to help the people of Serdio. I have substantial archery skills, as well as skills in first aid. I daresay both of those will be helpful in any war zone." Her gaze hardened as she looked at Kaiser, almost challenging him to give a rebuttal, which he decided to avoid.
"That's fair, I guess," he conceded. "But seeing as you have no armor, and we're short on medical personnel, why don't you set up shop in the triage center upstairs. Any expertise you may have will be useful to us."
Shana nodded shyly, recovering from her show of force, and sat back in her chair as Kaiser turned to Dart and Lavitz. "Now, you two will also serve us well. Many of my men haven't had a good night's sleep for some time, and you both look fresh. We're going to need you to take watch tonight along the south wall, make sure we're not surprised."
"No problem, sir," said Lavitz. Upon reaching the inn, he had adopted his formal soldier persona once more. His voice rang out just a little more deeply than normal, and he sat with his back a little straighter. Dart was slightly amused at this involuntary change
"We've been expecting an attack for several days now," continued Kaiser, "and they will most likely come from the south. You two will be our first line of defense. You see anything, you raise the alarm as quickly as possible."
Dart took a deep breath as Lavitz confirmed the orders. Strangely, he was looking forward to a night of keeping watch with Lavitz, despite the imminent danger. At least Lavitz would not be alone up there.
Kaiser pushed off the table. "In about five minutes I got a debriefing waiting for me, including an update on the nearest sightings of the Sandoras. Sir Lavitz, of course you can join us if you wish, seeing as how you outrank me and all, but I will have to ask the two of you to leave." At this, he looked at Dart and Shana.
Slightly perturbed that he did not get a chance to hear the debriefing, Dart nodded stiffly before standing and walking toward the door. Shana followed him but turned around when Lavitz approached.
In somewhat hushed tones, he said, "I'm going to stay for the meeting, but you two go and settle in, make yourselves comfortable, get associated with the town, and all that. We'll meet back here in an hour."
Dart nodded and stepped out the door, closing it behind Shana. For a moment, he watched the soldiers milling about, all of them weary and disheartened, when his reverie was broken by a particularly young soldier approaching him. Dart thought that he couldn't have been older than sixteen; the crest on his armor indicated that he was only a private. He glanced nervously at Shana before walking up to Dart.
"H-hello, sir," he stammered. Then shooting an awkward glance at Shana, he said, "Ma'am. I've been instructed to take you both to your quarters. You, sir, will be staying with us in the main tent. Ma'am, you will be staying in the upper floor of the inn, where medical is currently set up."
"Thank you so much," said Shana, smiling. The boy's cheeks grew red, and he nodded shyly before turning away, leading them further into town.
Noticing the boy's reaction to Shana, Dart pursed his lips. "Lead the way."
From the corner of his eye, Dart could see Shana shoot him an angry look.
"What?" he asked, turning to her.
"That was rude," she whispered. "He's just trying to help us."
Reducing his voice to a whisper as well, he answered, "All I said was 'lead the way.' What's wrong with that?"
"It wasn't what you said. It was how you said it."
"What are you talking about? I said it just like normal!"
Shana rolled her eyes and stepped ahead of him. Sighing in frustration, he followed her.
The boy showed them around the town: the large tent barracks nestled up next to the church, the mess hall, and the many lookout stations near the wall. He then relinquished them to some free time before they had to meet back with Lavitz.
They wandered the small town together, feeling oddly confined within its walls. It was very busy for being so small, easily as small as Seles; soldiers teemed around outside while the citizens fearfully watched them from the safety of their windows. Though neither of them were very religious, they visited the church, and Shana marveled at the construction. Dart thought it mildly impressive, but when he saw the stained glass at the front, he became uncomfortable, like there was something unsettling about it just on the edge of his memory. He was glad to leave.
Around time to meet Lavitz, as the sun's last rays peeked over the mountain, they made their way back to the inn. With the door still closed, they sat on the step before the small porch.
After a moment, Shana spoke.
"What do you think is going to happen?" Her voice was quiet and shy.
"I think we're going to win," he said simply.
"Are you saying that because you believe it, or just to make me feel better?"
Dart's mind drifted back to his encounter with the horrid green monster. It had been far too strong for just him to fight, but what about an entire army? The words of that strange warrior from so long ago flitted through his mind: The key to surviving a dragon attack is to outwit it. They aren't very intelligent. Clearly, the beasts were powerful, but stupid. Maybe, just maybe, the men guarding this town could fight it off. But he couldn't be sure of the full capabilities of a creature from legend. Could it fly? Breathe fire? Then he recalled his sword glancing uselessly off its hard green scales.
He sighed deeply and said, "I'd like to say I believe it. But…" Frustrated, he let out a sharp breath. "I just don't see how it's possible to fight that thing. I tried once, and the only reason I survived was because I hid and it lost interest. If Sandora really has a way to control it…"
Looking down at the dirt between his feet, he felt hopeless and vulnerable. He didn't like that Shana could see his doubts and fears, and he liked it even less that she was somehow able to see them through his façade. He knew he had to protect her, but how could he do that against a dragon? It seemed an impossible feat. His mind began to swim with regret and ideas of how he could have avoided coming into this situation, but he was brought back as Shana put a hand on his shoulder.
She said nothing, but she didn't have to. Dart knew that she was at a loss for words, because he was, too. From her hand emanated that strange force again, the force that picked him up, dusted him off, and refueled his vigor. It was a force that reminded him that as long as she was there, everything was okay. Even though he could feel her fear, he could feel her strength as well. He knew that he would fight to protect her, and all of Serdio, until his dying breath. Even against a dragon.
Moments later, the door opened behind them. Turning, they saw Lavitz standing in the doorway, ushering them inside. Kaiser stood on the far side of the room, speaking to a soldier in hushed tones, while they watched Lavitz expectantly.
"So here's the deal," he said in a low voice. "Dart, you and I will be on the south wall, like he said." Dart nodded. "Shana, since we don't have any wounded yet, Kaiser and I were hoping you'd be willing to work in the mess hall for tonight?" He seemed somewhat reluctant to ask her about it, but she seemed nonplussed.
"No problem," she said quickly. "Should I head over now?"
"Yeah, that would be best." Then with a smirk, he added, "Just don't kill anyone, okay?" Dart laughed at the joke; he had had Shana's cooking enough to know that it was Lavitz's mother the other night who had made their meal delicious. However, Shana's face instantly turned sour, making Lavitz's smirk vanish.
"I'm not that bad at cooking, you guys," she said defensively, mostly directing her comment at Dart. "Lavitz's mother gave me a nice compliment."
Trying to fix the situation, Dart spoke up. "Ah, don't worry, Shana. Just throw on a little salt and I can eat anything."
To his dismay, his statement did little to calm her down. She turned to him, still upset, when Lavitz placed a hand on Dart's arm to silence him and said quickly, "Ha… I was just making a little joke. I'm sure it will all be perfectly edible."
At that moment, Kaiser walked up and asked, "What are you all going on about over here?"
"Talking about Shana's cooking," said Dart immediately, instantly making Lavitz close his eyes and let out an exasperated breath.
Looking at Shana, Kaiser then remarked, "Well, as long as you make a lot, I think we'll be alright. Tired soldiers will eat anything, you know."
Shana hung her head and pursed her lips.
"Kaiser!" exclaimed Lavitz. "Why are you making this worse?"
"I thought I was helping!" he said frantically.
Shana held up her hands to stop any further comments and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll just head on over and start cooking. You boys enjoy yourselves." And with that she walked out of the little room.
Crossing his arms, Lavitz rubbed his forehead as Kaiser said, "Well, at least she isn't mad," and walked back over to the map.