Only an hour or so after sunup, the trio was leaving Lohan and headed east.

After waking early, Lavitz had quickly written a letter to send to Bale, notifying King Albert of their success with the dragon. He had wanted to make sure that the king was fully aware of anything pertaining to the war, especially something so important.

Although they had left Shana's horse behind in the care of the inn, they had decided that it would be best to take along her supplies; the extra pack had been strapped onto Lavitz's horse. It now bounced noisily next to his left leg.

As they crossed the distance between the city and the mountains rather hastily, question after question burned within Lavitz, and he could think of almost nothing but when he might be able to speak to Rose. He wanted to know more about dragoons and what led a dragoon spirit to choose someone. He wanted to understand his new power that he felt rushing through him even now. What were the odds that all three of them would be chosen?

And in the back of his mind, in the silence forced on them by their hurried travel, he could not help but replay that moment in the dragon's nest over and over. He had successfully avenged his father, but he couldn't tell if he really felt any better. What had he truly accomplished? His father was not alive again. He still lived with the pain of his death.

As they reached the foot of the mountains, the sun was climbing higher before them and shining brightly into their eyes. Lavitz was grateful for the shade of the mountains and trees as they approached the steep slope that they had climbed down a couple days before. Urging their horses forward, they ascended their way into the mountains, being forced to slow as they left the grassy terrain behind them. They turned northeast.

Traveling more closely to each other now, Lavitz took the opportunity to try to get in a few words. He subtly tried to maneuver himself over to Rose, but his plan was routed as Dart found his way over and spoke up first.

"Hey, Lavitz..." he said, his face contemplative. Patiently, Lavitz waited for more. He tried to sense out how Dart was feeling, but it seemed that Dart was so focused on something else that not even Shana plagued his mind. Lavitz thought it curious. Whatever he was thinking on must be important.

Dart finally managed to get out, "Are you okay?"

Shocked and almost amused, Lavitz replied, "Yeah, I guess. Why? Do you need to talk about something?"

"No," said Dart hastily. "It's just, with everything that's happened... with Greham and everything..." Lavitz's chest tightened. "I just wanted to make sure that you're doing okay. Because I know that everything happened really fast."

Lavitz realized the depth of effort Dart was exerting and felt profoundly grateful that he was checking in with him. His urgency to speak to Rose vanished in favor of his friend's kindness.

"Yes, it certainly did," said Lavitz. "I'm still not sure how I feel about everything, since there was just no time to sit and think about it, like you said. I never expected to meet him there, this man that I've sworn to hate since I was only eighteen. I've never been so blinded by anger before..." Regretfully, Lavitz recalled his brash, aggressive actions.

"Do you feel better now that he's dead?"

Shaking his head, Lavitz said, "No... I don't. I am only grateful that the dragon will no longer plague my people. I thought for so many years that killing Greham would satisfy me, and that somehow everything would be better once he was dead. But-" His voice caught in his throat, and he paused. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "My father is still gone. He'll never come back, no matter what I do."

They fell silent, and one glance over to Dart told Lavitz that he was considering his own situation with the Black Monster. However, he also was quite confident that Dart would not want to discuss it. So instead, he let the conversation die.

A lonely breeze picked up and ran through the trees, and Lavitz breathed it in deeply. He felt strangely rejuvenated by the flow of air and was sad to feel it pass. As the air grew still once more, he found himself longing for a powerful gale, as if that would bring even more life to him. The still air grated on his nerves. He wanted to feel the wind tousle his hair.

Suddenly the air stirred before whipping up into a gust, rustling the trees mightily and tossing Rose's long hair about.

"What was that?" asked Dart concernedly, eyeing the trees around him as the wind died down.

"Magic," said Rose simply. Without turning, she added, "Lavitz, I'm impressed that you were able to do that so quickly."

"I did that?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"That's amazing!" said Dart.

Before the topic changed again, Lavitz spurred Luna forward and fell into step with Rose. "Can I talk to you about all that?" he asked as Dart came up along her other side.

Raising her eyebrow, Rose asked, "What would you like to know?"

"So I control wind?" he asked.

"Yes."

"What are all the elements? You said once that there are seven."

"Yes, I did. And seven dragoon spirits to match." At the opportunity to share her knowledge, Rose had almost imperceptibly raised her shoulders and held her head slightly higher. "Fire, which Dart controls with his dragoon spirit. Darkness, which I control, and which also spawns fear. You have control over wind. There is also water, earth, light, and thunder."

Dart butted in, obviously just as eager as Lavitz. "And they have opposites, right? Like water and fire. That's why the rain bothered me so much."

Rose nodded and said, "Exactly. Water and fire, earth and wind, light and dark: these are all opposites. Dragoons of a certain element typically feel more comfortable around that element and uncomfortable when surrounded by its opposite. Your strong desire for wind is probably what summoned that gust a moment ago," she told Lavitz.

"Wait," said Dart. "If I got that uncomfortable when getting rained on, are you uncomfortable when you're outside in the sunlight?"

Interesting, thought Lavitz. He had never considered it before, but he suddenly felt guilty that they consistently traveled during the day.

"To an extent," said Rose, stoic as ever. "I've been a dragoon far longer than you and have grown accustomed to the feeling. And the level of irritation dwindles as you become more skilled and experienced. Also, if it ever becomes overwhelmingly irritating, I could shield myself from the light if I chose to."

"But you feel better during the night, don't you?" asked Lavitz precariously.

"Yes. Darkness... comforts me," replied Rose.

Feeling momentarily satisfied with this level of information, Dart and Lavitz fell silent as they ruminated over it. Lavitz considered his weakness to earth and tried to imagine what could possibly happen to make him uncomfortable like Dart had been in the rain. He wasn't fond of the idea of getting covered in dirt, but that had been true since joining the military. Then he recalled the two times he had been completely underground, and he almost screamed as the memories resurfaced. He remembered how they had gone six or so hours without being able to see the sky in the cave, and then being in that dark tunnel in the mountain. He was surprised at the powerful aversion he felt toward just these memories, and instantly realized that Rose spoke truth.

As time passed, Lavitz began to feel his stomach rumble, and he bent down to pull some food out of his pack. He didn't feel tired at all, and he was sure that Rose and Dart felt the same, as they made no mention of taking a break. Lavitz was surprised by his increased stamina. His military training and experiences had left him accustomed to long journeys, but now he felt as if he could travel hundreds of miles without rest. Part of him wanted to have a duel with someone who wasn't a dragoon to test his new capabilities. But above all, he wanted to learn how to transform, enabling him to fly and become one with the wind itself.

A short while later, they reached the edges of the dragon's nest. Although the beast was dead, the plants in the immediate area were still trying to shrug off the effects of the poison. Lavitz mentally recoiled as the shades of green darkened and the light started to fade in the deepened shade of the trees. The air grew stale, as he had remembered, but new to him was the intensely oppressive feeling that the stale air carried with it. He made note of this and asked if the others had noticed the change.

"It feels the same as before," said Dart quizzically.

"It feels different to you because of your dragoon spirit," said Rose. "You're more sensitive to changes in the air than the first time we came through. You may not have noticed last time because of the newness of your power, or perhaps your concern for Shana."

"Let's get out of here as quickly as possible," he muttered in response, eyeing the dark trees around him. Glancing up, he could not see the sky through the leaves, and he felt his heart quicken. He imagined flying up through the leaves and soaring through the sky, and a moment later a gust of fresh air blew over them, rustling the leaves rejuvenating him as he breathed deeply. But in an instant, it was gone.

"Whoa, was that you?" asked Dart. "That smelled like… roses."

"I guess…?" replied Lavitz. He was utterly unsure of how this worked, and his ignorance frustrated him. "Rose," he asked, "when we get out of this forest, can you teach me how to use this power, like you did for Dart?"

"That… would be wise," she said thoughtfully.

He wanted to fly forward, to escape the blanket of darkness, but he thought of Luna beneath him. Already her breath had become ragged. "I had forgotten that the poison affects the horses, too. How long until the forest is clean?"

Rose shook her head. "Some months, probably, but it's hard to tell."

They continued weaving through the trees, Lavitz's skin crawling the entire time. The only thing that made him feel better was recalling the scent of the fresh air in Bale right after a heavy rain. To cope with the irritation, he focused on a memory from his youth when he had jumped around in fresh puddles on the way to the castle. He remembered his father trotting alongside him, chuckling as Lavitz had greeted each and every passerby.

As the horses began to pant and struggle, Lavitz grieved that they had to come back through this forest. Patting Luna on her neck, he wished her all the strength he could.

They trudged on this way for some time, and each of them began to wish desperately that they could leave. The only one who drew any comfort from the eerie trees was Rose, who clearly preferred the shady dark under the broad leaves. Despite the weariness of the horses, they continued for several more hours, doing their best to head northwest, until finally the dark grayish leaves gave way to brighter greens. Smelling the difference in the air, Lavitz's spirits lifted, summoning another breeze. Breathing in the fresh scents, he felt rejuvenated.

From then on, travel was much easier and faster, and conversation flowed. Dart and Lavitz chatted for some time about their days traveling the countryside, exchanging their most interesting or humorous stories. However, Rose only listened, never contributing, never laughing. This bothered Lavitz, and as their chatter died down, he decided to try to include her.

"Rose, do you have any stories you want to tell?" he asked cautiously, studying her face for a reaction.

Obviously shocked by the request, she reflexively declined, but was cut off by Dart.

"Yeah, you had old friends, right? Tell us a story about them," he said. Lavitz pursed his lips; he feared this request was too personal for Rose. Her reaction had confirmed Lavitz's suspicions that her past was not a topic she enjoyed discussing. He had planned to leave out specifics and let Rose decide if she truly wanted to share, but Dart seemed to have decided otherwise.

"Our lives weren't interesting," said Rose curtly.

"There had to have been something interesting that happened," prodded Dart.

Catching his eye, Lavitz shook his head slightly, warning him to stop, as Rose's temper flared. Her eyes flashed as she gritted her teeth.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said.

Lavitz was amazed at Rose's self-control. If he hadn't visibly seen her reaction, he would have assumed that she was completely unperturbed by her simple reply, for her voice remained steady and calm. Even so, Dart caught the hint and said no more on the subject, but looked down awkwardly for the next several minutes.

Lavitz considered the implications of such a reaction. He knew that Rose was reserved and cold, but it appeared that her old friends were at the center of what had made her this way. Perhaps over time, she would come to trust Lavitz and Dart, and he could finally learn her history and motivations. However Rose felt about the rest of them, Lavitz had come to think of her as a friend. Perhaps not as close as Dart or Shana, but he was confident that they could get there some day.

They traveled in silence for a time, picking up speed as the horses recovered from the effects of the poison. As the sun began to set, Lavitz expected them to slow and come to a stop, but they pressed forward. Mountains slid past them as darkness surrounded them, Rose becoming eerily shadow-like as the light left. They continued on for a couple hours past sunset before they finally stopped near a stream.

Dismounting, Lavitz tied Luna up by a tree where she could drink from the small creek. He patted her nose, and she snorted and shook her head defiantly, obviously still irritated at their long day of travel through the poisoned forest. He held up his hands in surrender, and she nuzzled him gently. He laughed, stroking her long mane, although he still regretting putting her through all that he had. Whispering an apology, he rested his forehead on her snout. She seemed to accept it and almost immediately stepped over to the creek to take several long draughts. Lavitz removed his bedroll and turned back to see Rose standing alone.

"Dart went to get firewood," she said simply. "You and I have some work to do."

Lavitz cringed at the ominous statement. She drew her sword and waited expectantly, and he hesitated before readying his lance. He recalled the impossibly fast and vicious attack Rose had brought down on Dart during their training, and he was afraid that he would fare no better.

"Can we at least… move away from the horses?" he asked cautiously.

Rose sighed and nodded. They walked a short distance away, and Lavitz peered through the darkness at Rose. Luckily, there were few clouds, and the moon was just enough illumination so that Lavitz could see her and the occasional glint of moonlight off her sword. He knew he had a slight advantage because of the reach of his lance, but he still couldn't quite imagine that this could go very well. He readied himself, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh and crisp night air.

"So to transform, we have to be in combat," he said. "And somehow I need to just focus on it?"

"More or less."

He nodded. "Very descriptive…"

Lavitz leapt forward to attack, holding nothing back. As he lunged at her with his lance, she quickly sidestepped and attempted to knock his weapon up, leaving him open to attack. But he managed to keep control and deflected her blow before spinning and bringing the butt of his lance toward her leg. Rose jumped over it and swung at him from the left, and he barely managed to lift his lance to block it. He cringed as he heard her rapier cut into the wooden shaft, and spun the lance up to hit her wrist in an attempt to knock the sword out of her hand. This proved fruitless, however, as Rose effortlessly lifted it out of harm's way.

Heart beating fast now, Lavitz took a step back. It was clear to him that they were almost evenly matched, although Rose was indeed faster. He needed an upper hand. Suddenly recalling the purpose of the sparring session, he breathed deeply of the night air and tried to summon an inner strength - a strength that had lain impatiently dormant since his fight with Greham. Wind whipped around him, picking up leaves and tossing them to and fro, causing the branches of the trees near him to bend and sway. Suddenly a bright green light pierced the darkness. He could feel the power rising within him, like a powerful gust heralding a vicious thunderstorm.

An instant later, all was calm, although all was not the same. Lavitz looked down to behold armor almost exactly like Dart's, but green like Greham's. The lance in his right hand was no longer plain, but covered in intricate carvings, the details of which were hard to make out in the dim light. Upon seeing his success, Lavitz laughed joyously and returned his attention to Rose, who appeared somewhat taken aback. Her left arm slowly lowered from her face, having protected herself from the wind. But she recovered quickly, returning to her stony demeanor.

"Impressive," she said coolly. "Your extensive military training is apparent." Then she transformed before him, casting off that strange, dark light once again. The two dragoons stood in silence for a brief moment until they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

Feeling a sudden whirl of anxiety, Lavitz faced the sound, readying his lance and accidentally sending a gust toward it.

"Whoa!" came Dart's voice over the rustling branches. Stepping forward, he glared at them and demanded, "You couldn't even wait for me to get back? I can help."

Lavitz frowned. He hadn't considered that Dart would want to join them. He felt guilty for his thoughtlessness and turned to Rose in the hopes that she would explain for him. Instead, she ignored the issue altogether.

"Now that you're here, transform," she ordered. Without waiting for a response, she created a ball of dark energy and hurled it at him. Lavitz watched in fear as it drove straight for Dart's chest and prepared to intervene. However, just before he was about to move, Dart's chest flashed red, flames briefly surrounded him, and he deflected the ball with his hand. It bounced off harmlessly and collided with a nearby tree, wrapping around it like a snake before dissipating into the air. Lavitz was surprised at the lack of effect, but just as he was diverting his attention, the needles on the pine shriveled to brown. The tree was dead.

"Now we can begin," said Rose. Her wings began to beat, and she rose high into the air, followed by Dart.

Closing his eyes, Lavitz focused on the wind. A light breeze danced by him, and he imagined himself riding upon it into the night sky. Looking up, he saw Dart and Rose waiting expectantly only thirty feet above him, and he jumped off the ground, willing the wind to carry him forward. A great gust blew behind him, and he found himself rising among the trees, feeling freer than ever before in his life. Laughing, he met Dart and Rose in the sky and then flew straight past them, savoring the feeling of the wind on his skin. He stopped a hundred feet off the ground and stared in awe at the sights sprawled beneath him.

Below him, mountains sprung up in a line, many of them higher than he was. To his right lay the forest and plains that he had traveled through when fleeing Hellena. Turning around, he could almost make out the city of Lohan on the edge of the horizon. He smiled.

An instant later, Dart and Rose were before him.

"You seem to need little instruction," said Rose. "But there are some things you should learn. Some elements interact with each other in special ways, and as fate would have it, two of those are fire and wind. Dart, create a flame."

Dart nodded and held out his hand. A moment later a bright flame appeared, harsh to Lavitz's eyes that had adjusted to the darkness.

"Lavitz, send a gentle breeze across it."

"What will that do?" he asked.

"Try it and see," replied Rose simply.

Watching the flame closely, Lavitz imagined a wide shaft of air moving slowly past him, and a moment later a warm breeze tickled his ear and sauntered toward the flame. He gasped as it flared up, fueled by the fresh air in the wind. He was reminded of billows heating a smithy's fire.

"Wow!" exclaimed Dart. "So he can help me?"

"Yes," said Rose. "But he can also do the opposite. Lavitz, now send a quick burst of air, like when you blow out a candle."

Focusing once again, Lavitz summoned a strong gale that blew over them with such force that Dart and Rose threw their arms up against it and were pushed back slightly, although Lavitz felt no pressure. The flame instantly disappeared.

"Man… you're a fast learner," said Dart.

"Faster than you, for sure," said Lavitz, smirking. "All that flailing about you did on the road from Hoax was just sad."

Dart chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, you had the advantage of seeing my training session before yours. I had no idea what was going on back then."

"I guess… we'll never know who's the better dragoon…" Lavitz spun his lance ostentatiously before aiming it toward Dart and feigning a thoughtful look as he fingered the intricate carvings. "It's not like I used magic before I ever transformed…"

Dart opened his mouth to respond, but Rose interrupted him.

"While you two battle it out, I'm going to go get some sleep," she said, not attempting to hide the scorn. "We can practice some more later." She descended quickly, and Lavitz could just see the flash of her dragoon spirit as she returned to human form.

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Lavitz, "Rose has the right idea. Dragoons we may be, but we still need sleep, and tomorrow will be an early day."

Dart nodded, and Lavitz saw the reminder of their true purpose slide back into his mind. Dart's brow furrowed, his expression sour as he thought of Shana, left behind in Lohan. Lavitz sighed quietly before easing his way toward the ground. He did not enjoy this part as much as leaping into the air, but he landed nevertheless. Dart soon joined him.

"So to get out of this…" said Lavitz.

"Just kind of… I don't know," struggled Dart. "Try?"

"Try what?"

"Being human…?"

Lavitz shook his head and laughed softly. Dart took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and a moment later he was back to normal.

"See?" he said, extending his arms to showcase his success.

Stifling laughter, Lavitz closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He felt the wind rush about him once again, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that he, too, had returned to human form. Moving his lance to his left hand, he placed a hand on Dart's shoulder, gathering his attention.

"You'll always be the better dragoon," he said warmly. And he meant it. Dart's innate sense of battle was sure to surpass his own in a short time. What Lavitz had achieved over eighteen years of battle, Dart was close to achieving in five.

"Thanks," said Dart with a small smile. "I don't really believe you, but… thanks."

They turned and walked toward the distant orange light of the fire that Dart had started several minutes earlier.

"Someday, though," announced Lavitz, "we really will have to duel it out. I've never actually fought you before, unless you count the whole thing in Hellena, which I don't."

"Deal," laughed Dart. "One day, you and I will fight to see who's really the better dragoon. After we heal Shana and everything calms down."

Arriving at the campsite, they found Rose already lying on her bedroll with a blanket draped over her.

Lavitz pursed his lips, still puzzled at the mystery of Rose, and began removing his armor as Dart did the same. Appreciating the evening breeze as it tossed around the loose fabric of his tunic, he took a seat leaning against a tree. Luna snorted from behind him in greeting.

"You go sleep," he said to Dart. "I'll take first watch."

"I'm not actually all that tired," said Dart as he sat near Lavitz.

"Crazy how much a little gem can affect you, isn't it?" said Lavitz. He reached down to his waist, where a tiny leather pouch hung from his belt. Untying it, he reached inside and pulled out the dragoon spirit. He studied it in his palm, marveling at its deceptive simplicity. It appeared to be no more than an emerald, albeit a massive one at an inch across, but the power it possessed was beyond fathom. Rubbing his thumb across it, he felt the tiny facets decorating its surface. He knew that it was the reason for his lack of fatigue despite the long day of travel.

"That's not… entirely the issue…" said Dart.

Pulled from his reverie, Lavitz hurriedly replaced them gem and the pouch and gave Dart his full attention.

"Shana?" he asked simply.

Dart nodded solemnly, toying with a bit of grass before him. "I just…" he began. Recognizing Dart's struggle to explain his feelings, Lavitz waited patiently.

"I just feel like this is all my fault, you know? Like, if I hadn't left her all those years ago, I could've been there to stop the soldiers from taking her, and we wouldn't be here to begin with. Or if I had just made her stay in Hoax…" He violently ripped up a tuft of grass and tossed it away from him.

"Dart-" said Lavitz, but he was interrupted.

"I know I told you all this before, I know that she made the decision to follow us, and that she can do that now and everything, but I should have been able to protect her better than this! I…" He faltered as his voice caught. Then quietly: "It's not worth killing even a thousand dragons if she dies."

He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Ever since my parents died, I've been alone," continued Dart. "Except for Shana. She was the only person who I felt truly cared about me. She gave me a reason to keep going. When I was fifteen, I started learning how to fight because of her. I needed to keep her safe. And it was always just me and her… And then I left, like a fool. And when I came back, I had failed at the one thing I had always promised to do. I wasn't fast enough to save her... What if I'm too late this time?"

All this spilled out of Dart, like water bursting through a broken dam. Lavitz grieved for Dart and at once wished that he could lift the burden from Dart's shoulders and take it as his own. But he knew that he could do no more than shoulder the weight.

He paused for a moment as he searched for the right words. Finally, he spoke.

"There is no one in this world better suited to taking care of Shana than you. You have everything it takes to do that, and you have done it well. And none of this is your fault. But even so, that doesn't mean you have to go it alone anymore. You have us now. We didn't just send you on your way and hope you'd get it done. We hunted around Lohan with you, and we're traveling with you. I know that nothing could ever replace your parents. Trust me, I know. But we're family now, and you can't get rid of us."

Dart's jaw tightened as he stared off into the forest.

"And together, we'll find a way to save her," added Lavitz. He placed a hand on Dart's shoulder. "We'll find the shrine, get a dragoni plant, and make it back to her in plenty of time. She'll be ecstatic when she wakes up and sees your face."

"How do you do that?" asked Dart, laughing even as he reached up to wipe his eyes.

"Do what?"

"Always know the perfect thing to say."

Lavitz chuckled and said, "I think it's a thing I inherited from my dad. He always did that to me, too."

For several moments, there was silence. Only the crackling of the fire and the sounds of the forest met them. Realizing how chilly the evening had become, Lavitz was suddenly grateful for the warmth of the campfire and leaned forward to get closer to it. After a minute or so, Lavitz could sense that Dart was preparing to speak again.

"I wanted to say thanks… for everything," he said slowly. "You're the first real friend I've ever had, besides Shana. I guess… I never let myself have friends before. At least… not good ones. You know, ones you can talk to about stuff like this."

Grinning, Lavitz replied, "My pleasure. And the same to you. You're the best friend I've ever had, Dart."

"And you're even friends with a king," said Dart, smiling.

"That's true!" said Lavitz. Briefly, he wondered how King Albert was faring so far away in Bale. He wondered if they had received his letter yet, giving news of the defeated dragon, or if Sandora had discovered the body. Surely, it would soon be well known. If they arrived back in Lohan with no letter awaiting them at the inn, he would send another as soon as they returned. After Shana was healed, of course.

Dart and Lavitz chatted for several more minutes before Dart finally decided to sleep. Lavitz settled in, entertaining himself with summoned breezes and tiny whirlwinds that fit in his palm. Grabbing a stray leaf leftover from last fall, he blew it into the air, managing to keep it aloft for several minutes before becoming bored yet again. Finally, when it felt like three hours had passed, he woke Rose and settled in to sleep, quickly drifting off and dreaming of flying high above the mountains.