The young boy shivered as the screams slowly gave way to the roaring flames. His hands clung to the top of his head, trying to drown out the sounds, trying to make things go back to the way they were before. All he wanted was his family.

Despite the great fire, he still shivered in the cold. Snow had worked its way into his short boots, and he couldn't feel his toes anymore. He remembered what his father had said. He needed to be strong. He needed to protect his mother. But where was she now? Tears pricked his eyes as he remembered her running from him, away from safety. She'd followed his father into the glaring red.

But they would come back. They had to. They wouldn't leave him. Not like this.

He looked up, but only darkness met his eyes. He'd hidden in a tree, felled long ago by disease or old age, hollowed out by time and various vermin. But right now, the log was frozen in the bitter winter chill of the north. Turning to his right, he saw the white snow beyond the entrance, and the orange light dancing around, like little floppy dolls in a ballet.

A loud boom rang out in the distance, and he huddled closer against the wall of the tree. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't leave. His mother had told him to stay safe. And nowhere outside the tree was safe.

He stayed there, shivering, muscles tight, until morning came. He grew numb as the fires died down and the cold fully overtook him. Although he dozed once or twice, he grew alert when the sun began to glint off the snow. He stayed quiet and listened; nothing stirred. Was it over? Crawling to the end of the log, he peeked out, but saw no movement. Slowly, he stood, his little feet crunching the snow. He turned to the right, saw the footprints leading away, and followed them. He didn't know where else to go.

As he made it over the hill, he stopped, and his bottom lip pouted as his eyes welled with tears. He knew that this was where his village was, but it didn't look like it anymore. Where there had been big buildings, homes, the church, the markets, there were now only blackened frames, a ghost of what was. He stumbled down the path, feeling as empty as the town looked, until he walked past the nearest building.

He recognized it, faintly. A little girl had lived here, one of his friends. They had played together only a few days ago. He sniffed, and wiped his nose on his sleeve. Moving forward, he tried to understand what had happened. But nothing made sense. Where were his parents?

"Mommy?" he called into the void. His voice sounded impossibly small. He took a few more steps forward. "Daddy?"

He could see their faces, but they weren't with him. But they would come back. They wouldn't leave.

Putting one foot in front of the other, he made his way to the center of town, wiping his face and nose on his sleeve. The church was a heap of ashes, but in the middle of the street lay a portion of the stained glass, somehow still intact. The little boy walked closer and saw the familiar shapes of the demon and the angel, perpetually at war. Was this destruction the work of the demon? If so, where had the angel been? Why hadn't it protected them?

Turning left, he walked toward the main entrance of town. The road was wider here. The stillness of the small town settled over him like a suffocating blanket, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. He began to sob, and ran forward.

Between breaths, he screamed, "Mommy! Daddy!" He cried out as long as he could until his foot caught on something, sending him tumbling to the ground. He lay there for several minutes, crying, wishing for the pain to stop. Not the pain in his arm, not the scratches from his fall. But the unknown, piercing pain that filled his heart. Whatever it was, he wanted none of it. But no matter how many times he called for his mother, she didn't come. She didn't wrap him up in her arms and kiss his wounds. She didn't come and take the pain away.

When the wound to his soul finally dimmed to a dull throb, he pushed slowly off the ground, lifting himself to his knees. Was it worth trying one more time, he wondered? Weakly, he called out to them: "Mommy... Daddy..." But no one came.

A glint of red light caught his attention, and for a moment, he feared that the fire had come back to take him, too. For a moment, he wanted it to. But the light didn't come from a fire. He looked down, and saw the glint again through the rubble. Crawling forward, he lifted some rocks and boards away, revealing a red gem. He recognized it, and snatched it up. His mind's eye saw it bouncing around in his father's hands or nestled in a pouch around his neck. Holding it tightly, he watched the red glow slowly fade until the gem was clear and colorless in his hands, reflecting the sunlight overhead.

He looked up at the sky, so peaceful and ignorant of the massacre surrounding him. And he realized: his parents weren't coming back after all.

Dart had traveled this path before, albeit hidden in the back of a wagon. Now, he thought it a great comfort to have his friends by his side. Glancing up at the massive structure before him, his heart beat just a little faster as he considered what they were walking into. Hellena Prison was notorious for its evil treatment of its inmates, and Dart had seen much of it firsthand the last time he was here. Still, he'd managed to escape with two of the prisoners. How hard could it be to snatch one more?

Leaving their horses in the cover of the nearby trees, the group of five dismounted and eyed the prison.

"Not to be the downer in this situation," said Haschel, "but that place looks completely impenetrable."

Indeed, it seemed so. There was only one way into the prison, and that was through the front gate. Even from this distance, Dart could make out two dozen guards keeping the metal bars safe, not to mention the dozens more guards probably waiting for them inside. No doubt, after his escapade a couple months prior, they had increased security on every level of the prison, only strengthened by their knowledge of someone approaching. And their prize would likely be kept at the top, through all that extra bloodshed.

"After what Lavitz did back there, I'd say we have nothing to worry about," interjected Rose.

"She's right," Dart admitted to Haschel, who looked back at him, slightly skeptical.

Lavitz's forceful demonstration was enough to scare anyone, and if the guards at the prison had seen it, they may already be willing to surrender. But even if they hadn't, Lavitz was just one of four dragoons in this group, and Dart knew that nothing would stop them from reaching the top of the prison.

"The plan is simple," said Lavitz sternly. "Get to the top, and kill anyone who gets in the way. King Albert will not spend another day in this hell."

Everyone nodded, and they left the cover of trees and marched toward the prison, weapons at the ready. Despite the darkness, they were spotted a moment later, and a shrill whistle rang out. The grinding of gears sounded, and the great wooden bridge connecting the prison to the mainland began to rise.

"It's a drawbridge?" exclaimed Dart, but Lavitz was already sprinting ahead. They followed after him.

As Lavitz approached the edge of the drawbridge, it was already too high to reach. Dart skidded to a stop, but just then Lavitz leapt into the air, a gust of wind lifting him slightly until he grabbed the edge.

"Lavitz!" called Dart.

"It's nothing!" he replied as he effortlessly swung over, dropping out of sight. His heavy footsteps thudded on the wood, followed by sounds of battle. Wind gusted to the prison gate, and soon all fell quiet. For a moment, Dart dreaded the worst, but then he heard a crackling snap, and the bridge came crashing down before them. Across it, they saw Lavitz standing among the dead guards, gesturing for them to join him.

They ran across the bridge, meeting him at the gate as he bent down to try to undo the lock.

"I can't get it," he said, frustrated.

"Hang on," said Dart, easing forward. He cast a worried glance at Lavitz as he sheathed his sword, grabbed the lock, and pulsed heat through his hands. Concentrating, he held nothing back, willing the metal to give beneath him. Eventually, the bars began to glow red, and then yellow, and he jerked back hard. The entire locking mechanism was removed from the door, glowing white-hot in his hands, and he cast it over the side of the bridge. Then after tentatively testing the gate, he swung it open.

"Shall we?" he grinned to Lavitz. Flashing a toothy smile in return, Lavitz charged through the door, Dart following closely behind.

They were back in the large main hallway, ceiling towering above them. The black stone beneath them had been worn by years of heavy carts running over the floor, and was now rough and grayed. The tracks led off the main hallway, through the chained doorway into the room that Dart had first stepped into all that time ago. Clearly, Lavitz remembered the layout of the prison as he charged ahead toward the stairs, still just out of sight.

Just as they were about to bound out of the main hall, six guards appeared before them, forcing them to a stop. Drawing his sword, Dart raised his left hand to summon a flame as Lavitz bared his lance. Behind him, Dart heard the stretch of a bowstring and the slide of metal leaving a sheath.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" said a voice behind them.

Dart whirled and saw another fifteen armed guards herding them together. This complicated things, but not by much. Casting a knowing glance toward Lavitz, they shifted their feet and prepared to attack.

"Where is King Albert?" Lavitz stalled.

The guard laughed. "Why would I tell you that?" He then nodded to another guard, who placed his hand on a lever protruding from the wall. A sinking feeling caught Dart's chest, and he glanced down; they were standing on the drainage grate.

"Wait!" he cried, but it was too late. He shot an arc of fire toward the guard, but he had already pulled the lever. A click came from below them, and all five fell into darkness.

Dart's stomach lurched, and he braced himself for impact. A powerful blast of wind blew into his face, and a moment later, he heard five hard thumps as each body slammed into the floor. He opened his eyes, and his heart raced when he saw nothing. All around them was empty black. Craning his neck to look up, he could see the distant torchlight through the hole above them, now at least fifty feet away.

"Is everyone alright?" called out Lavitz's voice.

Shana and Rose acknowledged him, but Haschel only grunted. Holding his hand high, Dart conjured a flame, casting an orange light about them and letting it hover over their heads.

"And I see Dart is alive and well," said Lavitz.

Looking around, Dart saw all his companions, bruised and aching, but alive. About them their weapons lay scattered, and Dart said silent thanks that none of them had been injured or killed by them.

"You slow our fall?" he asked Lavitz breathlessly.

"I tried," he shrugged. He seemed tense and nervous, glancing around at the walls as if he were being trapped and suffocated. Surrounded by earth, Dart noted regretfully.

"Oh, it worked," said Haschel, struggling to his feet. "Otherwise, we'd have quite a number of broken bones among us. Thanks." He nodded to Lavitz.

"Shana," said Dart. He couldn't help but step nearer to her, to make sure she wasn't injured. He eyed her in the dim light and asked, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she nodded, touching his arm lightly.

He smiled gently before turning around to look about him. "Where are we?" he asked. "Or more importantly, how do we get out?"

As he peered around, he found that he could only see for about twenty feet in any direction. It appeared that they were close to a rough-hewn rock wall, very different from the polished stone in the rooms above. He couldn't see far enough to make out the edges of the room, but it felt like they were back in a real underground cave.

Great, he thought.

"Shana," said Rose, her voice echoing about them. "You can make a light for us to see by. It would be much more effective than Dart's fire."

"How?" she asked doubtfully.

"The same way you healed Dart. You can do it."

Shana glanced around nervously before closing her eyes to focus. Only a few seconds later, a white ball bloomed high above them, showering them with a blinding light. Laughing, Shana opened her eyes and held out her hand, feeling the rays, before allowing the light to partially dim.

"Nice job!" exclaimed Dart. Now, the entire cavern was illuminated, almost as if sunlight itself flooded through it. Letting his flame die, Dart walked around, searching for anything suspicious along the walls. A large boulder that appeared to have fallen from the ceiling lay on the far side of the room, and he stepped around it before stopping short. What he saw made his heart stop. Before him was a pile of bones, stained red and pocked with teeth marks. The wall and floor had been colored a deep crimson.

"Guys," he said breathlessly.

"What is it?" asked Haschel and Lavitz simultaneously.

"Bones... There's a... pile of bones over here. All human, I think."

"What?" breathed Shana, and the light wavered for a moment.

Tearing himself from the gruesome sight, Dart marched back over to them and said, "They didn't just send us down here to trap us. They want us to be killed. To be eaten."

"That's horrible!" said Shana.

"Makes sense, though," inserted Rose. "Too bad they sent a bunch of dragoons down here."

"But where is this mighty beast that we now have to defeat?" asked Haschel.

"Must be down here somewhere," muttered Rose. "If it was sleeping, we would have woken it by now."

Quickly, Dart grabbed his sword off the ground and waited. Only a moment later, something heavy slid across the stone floor just out of sight, and Dart's eyes darted around, trying to pinpoint the sound as it echoed about them. Shana tapped his arm and gestured behind him, and he turned to see a dark passage at the far end of the cavern. A low growl issued out of it as heavy footfalls sounded. Shana knocked an arrow, and finally the beast became visible.

It lumbered into the bright light as if it had never seen before. Its tiny eyes blinked rapidly at them from its great head, armed with four giant tusks framing its mouth. Standing on two legs, it hunched over, holding two big clawed hands close to its body, hobbling forward. It sniffed the air, eyeing them warily.

"What is that thing?" asked Haschel.

"A jiango," said Lavitz. "I knew they kept a monster here, but I had no idea that's what it was."

Then it let out a great roar and charged forward.

An arrow whistled toward the creature, piercing its chest deeply and eliciting another cry. As it tumbled through their group, they darted to either side to avoid the charge. Leaping aside, Dart attacked and slashed into the creature's leg. It swung wildly at him with its arm, but just then Lavitz and Rose stabbed it from the other side. Taking advantage of the distraction, Dart lobbed a heavy ball of fire at the creature just as another arrow pierced near its eye. Next to him, Haschel struggled to find an opening for his fist to make a connection. Dart continued to slash as Lavitz and Rose did the same.

Edging to the left, Dart found his way to the back of the jiango and called for Lavitz to join him. Holding a large flame in his hand, he gestured to Lavitz, who immediately understood. Thrusting forward with his hand, Lavitz pushed the fire onto the enemy, working in tandem with Dart like a human-sized blowtorch, burning the creature alive with dragoon flames. Shrieks of pain filled the cavern. After several seconds, they dropped the magic to see its brown hide scorched and blackened. As the jiango cried out, flailing about madly, Rose leapt up onto its back, grabbing hold of its arm to pull herself up, and perched above its neck. Then lifting her sword high, she imbued it with dark power and brought it down into the creature's skull.

With a loud cry and heavy thud, the jiango fell, casting Rose to the ground beside it.

"Rose!"

Dart, Lavitz, and Shana all cried out to her and rushed to her side. She limply got to her feet, glancing around at them, and dusted off her armor.

"I'm fine," she said, but Dart could see several scratches on her leg, arms, and face.

"Let me heal you," said Shana insistently, wrapping her bow around her torso and moving forward before Rose could protest. Then calling forth a healing light, she dragged her hand just above Rose's skin, healing each of the cuts. During the process, Rose seemed intensely uncomfortable, but afterwards muttered her thanks, and they turned their attention back to the great creature.

"So much for their trap," said Dart, stepping up and retrieving Shana's arrows.

"The jiango wasn't the only thing, though," pointed out Lavitz. "We're still trapped down here."

"Think you could buoy us up on a gale to get us up there?" asked Dart, gesturing to the ceiling.

"Not that high..." he said regretfully.

"There has to be another way out of here."

"No doubt," said Haschel. "We just need to find it. Maybe it's through the creepy passage where the beast slept."

Sighing, Dart replied, "It's worth a shot."

The group moved toward the dark passage silently, still at attention. Shana carried the light with them, but it only slightly alleviated Dart's fears. The silence was almost complete when someone spoke.

"What if there's a nest full of baby jiangos?" whispered Haschel.

"What?"

"I'm just saying, would we still kill them? They're only babies, after all. Seems kind of cruel if you ask me."

"And let them grow up to murder and eat more people in the future?" asked Shana.

"They're just babies!" protested Haschel. "They don't know any better!"

Rolling his eyes, Dart whispered loudly, "There's no nest of jiango babies! So just relax!"

"You don't know that," muttered Haschel, but Dart ignored him. Lavitz chuckled.

They creeped into the passageway, ready for something terrifying to jump out at them in the dark. When nothing came, Dart relaxed slightly and pressed forward. As Shana's light moved into the wide tunnel, he was better able to see the walls and noted that they were covered with various claw marks. The sight unnerved him, and he tried to ignore their existence as they came up to the end of the passage. Before them was little more than a pile of rubble.

Sighing, Dart announced, "Dead end."

"Wait," said Lavitz suddenly. "Shana, turn off your light for a moment."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I have an idea."

She complied, and darkness swept over them. Blinking, Dart tried to let his eyes adjust, but they fought back stubbornly.

"Rose," said Lavitz, "can you see any light through the rubble?"

Dart felt someone shift past his left arm and heard Rose's soft footfalls as she neared the boulders. A moment later, her voice drifted out from somewhere before him.

"Actually, yes." She actually sounded mildly impressed, and Dart practically heard Lavitz's chest puff out from behind him. He felt a spark of envy, but quickly dismissed it. "We just need to move these boulders to get out," added Rose.

Shana's light flooded the room once again, dazzling Dart for a brief moment, and the group immediately went to work. One by one, they shifted the rocks away from the wall, revealing more and more torchlight from the other side. At last, they had enough space to move through, and Lavitz once again headed up the charge, Dart close behind.

They emerged from the cavern into a narrow hallway barely big enough for two people to walk astride, and lit only by a few waning torches lining the walls. Almost immediately, the path curved to the left, leading to a set of stairs. Lavitz charged up them until they came to a landing, when he turned right and followed a narrow hallway butted up against another stairwell. At the bottom stood a single guard, who had frozen, pale-faced before them as he watched their approach.

"Stop," he squeaked, but Lavitz had already attacked. A second later, the guard crumpled in a heap on the floor, and they were moving once again.

Climbing up the spiral staircase, Dart suddenly realized that they were beneath the center of the prison and that these same stairs would take them all the way to the top. They just had to keep going up. As they came to the next landing, he recognized it as the first level and saw the main hallway off to the side. However, all the guards that had trapped them before were milling around, and as soon as they were spotted, a shrill whistle rang loud against the stone walls.

A flurry of activity erupted around them, and they were forced to forego their route and protect themselves. They were surrounded almost instantly, and Dart, Lavitz, Haschel, and Rose put their backs to each other, surrounding Shana so that she could still fire off arrows. Three guards rounded on Dart at once, and he was almost overwhelmed as he parried blow after blow. But he was faster and better disciplined than these Hellena fools, and he was the second most powerful warrior in Serdio. A perfectly legitimate competition had declared it to be so. The third guard jabbed as the first swiped toward his leg; Dart blocked the attack and leapt off the floor simultaneously, then brought his sword down on the first guard, cutting across his neck and sending him to the ground. A moment later, another took his place.

Lifting his left hand, he spouted a fountain of flame, pouring it over all three enemies. They shrieked as their garments caught fire, burning their flesh, and Dart took advantage of the distraction and killed each of them in turn. Their bodies continued to burn, slowly catching the clothes of others around them, building a wall between Dart and the rest of the guards. He glanced around, noting that each of his companions were still intact, and saw a white-faced guard slowly back away toward the stairwell and hastily run up them. Dart cursed and looked for a way out in the chaos, but there was none. They would have to finish this battle first.

"Lavitz!" he called out, and a second later a hasty gale swept down the hallway, starving the growing flames of air and leaving Dart's path clear. He set his eyes on the two remaining guards, who eyed him in terror, and leapt over the fallen bodies, charging toward them. In two clean swipes, he relieved one of his head and the other of his innards, and they fell in sickening thuds.

Turning back to his companions, he saw Shana's eyes grow wide as she tried hastily to ready an arrow, and Dart followed her gaze to his right. He barely registered the oncoming attack before a lance pierced the guard directly through the heart, killing him almost instantly. Dart's heart beat rather quickly as he turned to Lavitz, who grinned at him while coming to retrieve his lance.

"What would you do without me?" he asked.

Dart shrugged. "I'm sure I could manage."

With a heavy yank, Lavitz pulled free his weapon and said, "Yeah, but you'd probably lose a few more limbs. How many times have I saved your life now?"

"Not as many times as I've saved yours."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Lavitz innocently.

Rose suddenly interrupted and said scathingly, "Can we stop comparing sizes and move? We have a king to save."

Haschel let out a bark of laughter, but Dart cast her an angry glance before following Lavitz to the stairs. Alarm bells began to sound in the distance as they made their way to the next floor, and Dart felt a wave of nausea as that horrid smell greeted him. Somehow, it seemed even worse than it had been during his first visit. Part of him wanted to stop and let loose all the prisoners, but he understood that King Albert was the greater prize. Perhaps, after they had secured the king, they could stop by on their way back.

At the second floor landing, several guards met them, only to be cut down in mere seconds. Almost without breaking stride, they were making their way to the third floor and beyond. They didn't stop to make sure that all the guards were dead, although several tried to slow them down as they made their ascent. But everything changed when they reached the sixth floor.

A shrill whistle echoed about the tower, and several others rang out in reply. The group stopped for a moment to listen, Haschel's heavy pants filling the relative silence. The crashing of many footsteps and creaking of metal sounded as a hundred cells were opened. Dart drew in a terrified breath as a dozen screams rang out, bouncing between the levels. His eyes connected with Lavitz's, seeing his own horror mirrored in them. The guards were slaughtering the prisoners.

Just as Lavitz was about to turn away from the stairs, Rose called out behind them.

"We have to keep going! The king is more important."

Lavitz hesitated and looked to Dart for guidance. As much as Dart hated it, he knew she was right. They couldn't save all the inmates, but they had to get to the king before the worst happened. He nodded, and Lavitz clenched his jaw.

"They're already dead," muttered Rose behind them, and Dart turned to see her speaking to Shana, whose eyes spilled over with tears. As she turned to him, his chest tightened.

The screams continued as they hurried up the next several flights of stairs.

Reaching the eighth floor, Dart had expected clearer air, as it had been the first time he was here. As Lavitz had explained, these cells were regularly cleaned out, and each one had a barred window to help fresh air sweep through. However, it seemed that Hellena had grown lax with its maintenance routines, and neglected this business since his last visit. Flicking out his hand, Lavitz summoned wind to move through the prison windows, and Dart breathed deeply of the fresh air. No doubt, the staleness had been bothering Lavitz even more.

Six guards tried to make a final stand before them on the ninth level, but Lavitz blew them back easily, allowing him and Dart to pick them off. A moment later, they emerged on the tenth floor, a natural wind buffeting their faces.

They stood clustered together on some sort of balcony looking out over the plains of Serdio. No railing protected from a deadly fall of over a hundred feet, but seven wide pillars supported a ceiling to protect from rain. In the far distance, the first rays of the morning sun could be seen peeking out over the vast ocean.

Immediately before them, however, was a much less pleasant sight. Three guards stood to the side, watching them in trembling fear. One of them, Dart recognized as the man who had escaped their fight on the first floor. And to the left, the great brute Fruegel stood, holding a battered King Albert before him, pressing the sharp blade of a knife against the king's throat. The king looked much worse than when Dart had seen him briefly in Bale. Instead of the healthy, regal man he remembered, he saw a weak, bruised man, tossed about by evil. He was shirtless, wearing only trousers, which were bloodied from a wound on his left thigh. Cuts and bruises adorned his skin, and his hands were bound to a heavy chain behind him. His hair, which had been well-kept at the castle, was now disheveled and frayed, beat about his face.

The instant Lavitz saw the king, Dart recognized the seething rage that took hold of him. He was reminded of facing Greham in the dragon's nest, but this was something much worse, and far deadlier. This was the wrath of a knight and a dragoon.

"Release him," he said, baring his lance, his voice a threatening calm.

Behind him, Dart felt the rustle of Shana as she reached for an arrow and knocked it.

"You got it?" he muttered.

"Yeah," she whispered, flexing the bowstring.

"Now why would I do something like that?" asked Fruegel, grinning widely. "I hold all the cards in my hands. Just one little slip-" He twitched his wrist, and a shallow bead of blood appeared on the king's neck. "-and your precious king is gone."

"Maybe because you're not just dealing with humans," replied Lavitz. Dart had never heard him sound like this before. His voice had either been kind and unwavering, or wild and angry like it had been with Greham. This was something entirely different; he was calm, collected, almost aloof, but entirely threatening. Dart was actually reminded a little of Rose.

"What is that supposed to mean?" mocked Fruegel. "You all look pretty human to me. One fearless knight and his merry little band don't scare me."

"We should." Lavitz raised his hand and pushed air toward the three guards, causing them to stumble backward. Then he shouted, pushing harder, and the gale lifted them off their feet and flung them over the edge of the tower, sending them screaming to a painful death.

"What... what was that?" cried Fruegel, glancing between Lavitz and the empty space where the guards had stood a moment before, shifting about on his feet. "What did you do?" Even King Albert's eyes grew wide as he watched the display of power, but he dared not move or speak.

Shana's bowstring drew tighter, but Dart waited. This was Lavitz's mission, and he wanted him to lead it.

"You just witnessed the true power of a dragoon," said Lavitz coolly. "Do you really think you can make it out alive?"

"You fool!" cried Fruegel, but Dart heard the fear in his voice. "I hold control of this situation! One more move from you, and I cut his throat!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it."

"Now," breathed Dart, and with one swift movement, Shana raised her bow and let loose the arrow. It whistled past Dart's ear and landed in Fruegel's arm, forcing out a scream as the knife clanged to the floor. Albert took the chance and stumbled away from his captor, but in his weakness tumbled to the ground.

Rushing forward, Lavitz screamed a charge and attacked Fruegel with his lance as Shana rushed over to help the king. Lavitz's attacks were wild and uncoordinated, and Dart leapt forward to aid him. Fruegel swung around his great club, but they were far too fast for him, easily moving out of his way. In a desperate attempt to regain some leverage, Fruegel reached out to grab Lavitz's arm, but Dart brought his sword down and detached Fruegel's hand. With their enemy distracted by pain, Lavitz sliced the back of his knee, sending him to the ground, and thrust the lance through Fruegel's heart. With the strength of a dragoon behind him, Lavitz's lance pierced through to the other side of Fruegel's massive body, and he collapsed, lifeless.

Just as Dart was about to relax from their victory, a shrill cry rang out behind him, and he whirled to see a sight that gripped him with fear. The king was kneeling down, his hands still bound, but his face contorted in pain. Shana had been pushed to the ground near him, but behind him stood a man that faintly registered in Dart's memory as the hooded man who had stood behind Albert all that time ago in Bale, one of his advisors. Now, the man's hand appeared to be plunged into the king's body, and Dart's mind struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. A second later, the man retracted his hand, and Albert fell forward, barely conscious. In the man's hand, a fist-sized object glowed. He peered out from under his hood, but Dart could not make out his face.

Lavitz screamed in rage and yanked Dart's sword out of his hand, leaving him bewildered. Running forward, Lavitz leapt into the air, wind whipping about him as a green flash lit the tall balcony. Fully transformed, he hovered for a moment before diving, calling forth all wind to him and forcing it toward the hooded man. Arms flying up to protect his face, Dart squinted, eyes barely able to see the hood fall backward, the man's cape flapping in the wind, his silver hair dancing about. Just as Dart was about to call out, the storm settled, giving way to the steady breeze that had greeted them when they'd arrived.

Dart's heart stopped. Lavitz was still in midair, but the man was not dead. The man with silver hair. Dart finally recognized him. With a sickening sound, Lloyd ripped a sword made of flame out of Lavitz's body, letting him fall to the ground.

The world spun slowly as Dart tried to move forward. He heard nothing but his own heartbeat, slow and sluggish within his body, as he pushed off the stone floor and lunged forward. Then the thud, Lavitz slamming into the floor as Lloyd disappeared. But Dart didn't care about Lloyd. His best friend lay in a pool of his own blood.

He was vaguely aware of King Albert struggling to his knees. Metal clinked somewhere, and the king's hands came free as he reached for Lavitz.

But it was his fault. If the king hadn't let himself be captured, everything would be fine. Finally reaching Lavitz, Dart forcefully shoved King Albert in the chest, knocking him back down as Dart fell to the ground beside the dying dragoon.

"Lavitz," Dart said, his voice trembling. Why wasn't he moving? Dart turned him over, pulling him onto his lap. His chest still moved; he could still be saved.

Somebody said something, but Dart didn't hear it. Lavitz's eyes flitted open and connected with his, and Dart felt the tears threaten to let loose. Glancing down, he saw the wound, wide and gaping, spilling fresh blood every second. He felt the hot liquid soaking his trousers as it oozed from Lavitz's back.

"Hey, hang on," he said, touching Lavitz's face.

"Dart," said Lavitz weakly.

"Yeah, it's me, buddy. It's me."

"Is he safe? The king..."

"Yes," said Dart, a lump in his throat threatening to block his words.

"Dart," said Shana gently, voice wavering, from somewhere beside him. She knelt down, placing her hands over his wound, and said, "I can-"

"No." Lavitz placed a weak hand over hers and smiled. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," she pleaded as her tears fell. "I can save you."

"You did that a long time ago," he said quietly. His breath was leaving him. Shana broke into sobs as Rose pulled her away. Lavitz turned his head slowly back to Dart, taking a shallow breath. "No matter what," he struggled to say, "it's not... It's not your fault. I made-" He coughed once, spilling blood onto his lips. "I made my choices." He smiled. "You're my best friend."

"No, no, no," muttered Dart as Lavitz's eyes began to close. He wasn't sure that he could keep breathing without Lavitz, and he shook him slightly, grabbing his gloved hand. "Lavitz, you stay with me." The flames of his youthful memory leapt up around him once more. He felt helpless, struggling to hold his reality intact as his entire world was consumed by fire.

"Dart... End the war. I know you can... You're... strong." He squeezed Dart's hand. "It's not your... fault."

"No!" shouted Dart. He tried to will his own life force into Lavitz's body, to give him strength to survive. He wished with everything in him that they had never come here, that they had left the king to die. Lavitz's grip faltered, and his eyes closed once more, never to open again. The body hung limp in Dart's arms, and he shook his head once. He tried to pull in air, but it wouldn't come. He sat, unmoving, watching Lavitz, waiting for him to stand. To get up and say that it was all just an elaborate prank. To hug him and celebrate their victory over Hellena Prison. To laugh and talk. To live.

But he did not stir.

"Lavitz," Dart said quietly, placing a hand on Lavitz's sleeping face. Dart's lip trembled, andhe jumped when a light started to glow from Lavitz's chest. A glimmer of hope rose in him, but was crushed a moment later as the jade dragoon spirit rose into the air, leaving nothing but a lifeless corpse behind. He watched it hover for a moment, just a few feet above Lavitz's body, before moving to rest before King Albert. The king reached out his hand, his face covered with tears and confusion, and grabbed hold of the dragoon spirit as it flashed brightly before him. Realization gripped Dart, and rage flared dangerously inside him in response.

King Albert gripped the gem tightly and looked back down at the body, and whispered, "Thank you, Lavitz."

Dart wanted to punch the man, to throw his limp body off the tower, to burn him with a hot fire. That dragoon spirit did not belong to the King of Serdio, but to Lavitz. But grief overcame his anger as he looked down at the lifeless body once more.

"No," he whispered, tears blurring his vision. He blinked, and they fell, only to be replaced by fresh ones. "No," he said again, touching Lavitz's chest. Without his dragoon armor, he seemed more at peace. He wanted him to wake up.

"Lavitz, please," begged Dart. "Please, don't... don't leave me. Not like this."

He bent down, hugging his dearest friend, swallowed by his own agony. Sobs broke through his staggered breaths, and his body shook with grief. Rocking back and forth, clinging to what remained of Lavitz, he wept as his heart shattered.