The only sounds Dart could hear were his heavy footfalls and his heavy breathing as he ran down the forest path. His brow was furrowed in anger and worry. He could not stop the memories flooding back into his mind, of death and destruction. They had seemed so far away for so long, but suddenly they were right in front of him again. Despite the temperate climate, he felt very cold. Steadily the trees began to thin, and the ground sloped upward. He ran up the hill, not slowing for a second. When he reached the top, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Beneath him lay what used to be a town, but was now nothing more than burnt house frames. Dart panted and found his breath unusually hard to catch, despite the fact he had just been running. He thought back to the last time he was here, in his hometown, almost five years ago. There had been children running, and their mothers calling to them. The face of a young girl appeared in his mind, his best friend at that time. He had always felt that her safety was his responsibility, and his mind raced with the possibilities of what could have happened to her in the attack. Looking down, he could see no movement.

Dart ran down the hill to the village. He jumped a fence and ran up to the nearest building, now only just intact. Just as he was about to turn the corner, he heard noises on the other side and instinctively pinned himself to the last remaining wall. Someone was laughing. He could not imagine what could make someone joyous in such a tragedy, but what he saw as he peeked around the corner turned his blood flaming with rage. Around the burned wooden pillar that was the corner to the house, he saw two soldiers. These were dressed differently from the soldiers he had encountered in the forest; they appeared to be of lower rank. Before them stood a man defending a young girl cowering in fear behind him. He had both his arms held out in an attempt to shield her from the two soldiers.

"Please..." The man begged the soldiers. "Please don't do this." Tears streamed down his face. His lower lip trembled.

"Aw, come on!" cackled one of the soldiers. "We just want to have a little fun." He put on a mockingly innocent face.

"I'll die before I let you touch her!" the man shouted.

The other soldier scoffed and said, "That's easily done!" Without hesitation he sliced across the man's throat. With a sickening gurgling sound, he slumped to the ground.

The little girl screamed and began to cry, pulling at the man's body as life left it. "Daddy! Daddy, help me!"

Without thinking, Dart stepped out from behind the wall, drew his sword, and shouted at them.

"Hey!" His voice rang out strong and forceful.

The soldiers turned in surprise and immediately began sizing him up. Dart watched their faces intently, waiting for any sign of movement. They seemed only mildly alarmed at his presence.

Observing Dart's offensive stance, one of them, his sword still stained with blood, said loudly enough that Dart could hear, "Don't worry about this, my friend." He clapped the other soldier on the shoulder. "I can handle this myself!" He stepped forward and readied his sword for battle. Dart didn't move, but continued staring intently at the soldier, his breath coming in fast and heavy.

Suddenly the soldier shouted and swung widely at Dart, leaving his left side wide open. The attack was fast, but Dart was faster. He deftly sidestepped, parried, then spun his sword around and cut into the soldier's leg. He screamed in pain, and while he was distracted Dart slit his throat. The scream was instantly muffled, and the soldier fell to the ground. Dart looked up at the other soldier, who was staring at him wide-eyed. As soon as Dart took a step toward him, he dropped his sword, turned around, and ran as fast as he possibly could.

Immediately Dart sheathed his sword and ran to the little girl. He picked her up, holding her close as she wept and buried her face in his neck. He patted her back softly. "It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay." He looked down at her father's dead body and felt his heart sink. He knew the pain in this girl's heart. His sadness quickly turned to anger, and he carried the girl further into the town with hope that the rest of the soldiers had already left.

As Dart made his way deeper into the town, he began wondering if anyone had survived the attack. As buildings slowly slid past him, his mind jumped to several people at once, friends he had had before he left on his journey, memories of a past that seemed so distant flooding back to him, but he dwelled most on that girl. If she was hurt, he would never forgive himself for leaving.

He had almost abandoned hope when he saw the town hall still standing - a work of masonry. A couple buildings in this area seemed to have managed to hold together somehow, although they were all very badly damaged. He knew that any survivors would have grouped together inside these buildings, and he carried the small girl, still sobbing, into the town hall.

When Dart walked through the door he saw at least fifty people, most of whom were injured and receiving what crude treatment the people of this helpless town could supply. Few looked up when he entered, but a woman that Dart faintly recognized gasped when she saw him and cried out, "Madeline!" She quickly got to her feet despite an injury on her right leg and ran to the little girl, limping slightly. At the sound of her mother's voice, Madeline looked up and held out her arms. Dart gladly handed over the child, and his heart received a faint consolation as he saw the reunion of the family. The mother grabbed his arm and thanked him. He nodded with a weak smile and turned to look around the room.

There were so many people that looked lost and grieving. To think that anyone would possibly consider attacking a town such as this, that had no military or indeed any defenses at all, angered him. He could only imagine how many people had been killed in the attack the night before as the fire burned while they slept. He scanned the crowd, looking for a young girl with bright eyes and brown hair, but to no avail. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice shout across the room.

"Dart? Is that you?"

He turned to see an old friend and neighbor, the mayor, walking over to him, leaning on a walking stick. A smile broke out on Dart's face and he walked up and embraced the man.

"Plos! I'm so glad you're alright!" he said.

Pulling away, Mayor Plos looked Dart over and smiled, saying, "Well, most of me. My leg got a little burned, but other than that, I'm in one piece!"

The two men walked over to the edge of the room, and Dart helped the mayor sit down and knelt beside him, looking over his wound.

"What happened? I thought we were at peace with Sandora. Wasn't there a truce?" inquired Dart.

Plos looked at Dart, worry manifesting in the wrinkles on his face. "You've been gone a long time, Dart. There was a peace treaty, but it appears that something happened to make Sandora go on the offensive. I didn't imagine they would begin their revolt by attacking such an outlying little village." His face fell. "What could they hope to gain here?" Then after a pause, "If only you had come back sooner, maybe we wouldn't have been so badly outnumbered."

Dart felt his jaw clench as he felt guilt begin to writhe inside him, and he looked intently into the mayor's eyes. "I swear I will make this right."

As the mayor looked up at Dart again, his face took on the appearance of urgency. "I almost forgot!" he said, grabbing Dart's arm forcefully. "Someone said that last night they saw the soldiers taking someone away. Dart"-he paused-"they took Shana."

Something caught in Dart's throat. Not Shana, he thought. Of all the people in this village, why did it have to be her? "Where did they take her?" he said intently, his voice quivering slightly. Plos looked at him with nothing but sorrow on his face and shook his head ever so slightly. Dart leaned in closer and whispered, "I will find her. And I will bring her home. And I will slaughter every last soldier responsible for this."

Without any more hesitation, Dart stood up and walked out of the broken building. He heard the mayor calling him from behind, but he did not turn back. He began to wander around town, trying to find anyone else still alive. He found several men working together to dig through the rubble, probably looking for survivors. They eyed him suspiciously, but when he began to help they seemed to relax. After a few minutes, Dart heard a shout from behind him and turned quickly to see two soldiers, one pointing in his direction.

"That's him!" the soldier shouted. Dart recognize him as the soldier who had run away only minutes before. "The one with the red armor!" The soldier with him was clearly a superior rank. He bore a red crest on his shoulder guard labeling him a captain. Dart slowly walked away from the rubble pile and toward the captain.

"I believe you murdered one of my men!" shouted the captain.

"I guess that makes us even!" Dart shouted back. Then he added, "Oh, wait. I still have about a hundred soldiers to go before then, don't I?" Glaring at the captain, drew his sword and took up a defensive stance.

The captain chuckled and said, "Besting a private is no reason to be confident." Then he turned to the soldier and signaled him to step forward. The soldier looked at Dart in fear, but forced confidence into his face as he drew his sword and took two slow and cautious steps toward him.

Dart watched his every move carefully. He always felt his senses heighten as he entered battle. Every move of the enemy was information to him. This soldier was clearly afraid, and his hesitation would be his downfall. As the soldier quietly eased toward him, Dart saw the burned houses, the grieving families, and the young girl Madeline pulling at her father's lifeless body. Using those memories as fuel, he lunged forward so quickly that the soldier could not react in time; Dart's sword found its way straight through the soldier's stomach. Dart watched as life left the man's eyes, and he removed his sword as the soldier slumped to the ground. He stepped back and looked up at the captain. "So it's two privates then," he said, flashing a false smile.

For a split second, the captain looked down at the dead soldier in surprise, but quickly regained a look of confidence as he smirked at Dart. "That's all well and good," he said menacingly, "but how do you fare in a real fight?" He drew his sword and stepped over the soldier's body.

"What have you done with Shana?" Dart asked, stepping backward to keep distance between them.

Laughing, the captain replied, "Oh, is this about a girl? I should have known."

Dart gritted his teeth and asked again, this time more slowly, "What have you done with Shana?"

"Oh, relax!" the captain taunted. "She's probably receiving the many courtesies and abundant hospitality of Hellena Prison by now." He gave Dart a challenging look.

The captain laughed as Dart inadvertently showed his surprise and frustration. Collecting his emotions, he focused on the man in front of him. For a split second, the captain's defenses fell, and in that moment, he attacked.

The tense moment turned into a flurry of motion. Dart and the captain danced back and forth, attacking and blocking, filling the street with the sound of clashing metal. But it quickly became apparent that Dart had the upper hand. He was faster and hit harder, and the captain's eyes grew fearful as he realized his disadvantage. Dart advanced, pushing the captain down the road away from the amazed onlookers. Finally the captain made a mistake and hesitated with a return blow; Dart seized the opportunity and beheaded him in one swift motion. The captain's body fell to the ground. Panting, Dart turned around and walked back toward the men. They looked at him with astonishment and jumped slightly when he spoke.

"Are there any horses left?" he asked, panting slightly.

After a short pause one of the men answered fearfully. "Uh, maybe. They said the stables didn't burn because they were on the edge of town. Should still be a couple good horses left, if they didn't all get out. Feel free to take one. You've earned it." He looked at Dart with profound respect. Dart nodded in thanks and walked away toward the east side of town, following his memory to the stables. The men called after him, wishing him good luck.

After making it to the stables, Dart approached a magnificent golden mare. She was nervous to meet him, but he reassured her calmly and began to stroke her face and mane. Then he removed a saddle hanging on the wall, attached it, and then fastened on a traveler's pack. He removed his own bag and stuffed it inside, mounted the horse, and took off.

The next few hours were long and harrowing for Dart. He pushed the horse much harder than he should have, but he only had one thing on his mind: he had to get to Shana. As he galloped southwest across the fields which slowly turned into forest, the sun began to set. He watched as the light dimmed around him and the world fell into shadow. Just as the sun was becoming a nuisance to his eyes, he found the main road and turned along it toward the south. He persisted for a couple more hours, but his steed began to falter. He knew that neither of them could keep going through the night without rest, but he was reminded of the horrors being inflicted on Shana at that very moment. Rumors about Hellena were not kind. The most horrible thoughts plagued his mind, and although he slowed to a trot, he did not stop.

Darkness fell, and the animals of the night awoke. The light from the bright moon overhead lit his path, and he was silently grateful for the clear skies. After several hours, he slowed his pace to a walk and began to contemplate sleep; his eyes were growing heavy. Cursing his tiredness, Dart pulled off the road and guided the horse into the trees. He thought he could hear the sound of water nearby and suddenly realized his tremendous thirst. He turned toward the sound, eventually finding a creek winding its way through the forest.

He made sure he was out of sight of the road and dismounted, his sore legs almost collapsing under the weight. After he tied the mare to a tree near the creek, she quickly began drinking her fill. Dart reached down and pulled his knife out of the small sheathe on his right calf, using it to cut a notch into a tree to the east. He then reached in the traveler's pack attached the saddle and removed his waterskin. Opening it, he drank the remains and refilled it at the creek. Staring down as the water flooded the skin, he looked at his left forearm and the deep gash he had gotten from the dragon-beast much earlier that day. With all the events that had happened, he had forgotten about the wound entirely.

Once the skin was full, he stood wearily and went over to the horse, who was still drinking in the cool water. He opened the traveler's pack and removed some bandaging and healing herbs. After rinsing his arm in the fresh water, he crumbled the herbs and placed them on the wound. Then he bound it with a cloth bandage and tied it off. After gathering a small pile of leaves for bedding, he lay on the ground and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

He awoke at the sound of birds chirping. It took him a moment to realize where he was. After looking around at the trees, the creek, and the mare, he suddenly remembered. Realizing how late it was already, he cursed and mounted the horse quickly. Turning toward the notched tree, he set out until he found the road. Then turning south, he hurried into a gallop.

As the countryside slid past him, the sun continued rising on his left. In the light of the new day, he was able to see a vast mountain range on his right, running parallel to him. It was difficult for him to pinpoint his location, but he was fairly certain he was nearing his destination. The air was notably warmer, and whenever he crested a hill, he thought he could see the glint of light on the ocean far to the east.

Steadily, the terrain grew tougher, and he had to slow his pace as the horse beneath him struggled to find the proper footing in some places. The soil became thinner, and grass gave way to shrubs. Eventually, as Dart came to the top of a particularly tall hill, he was finally able to see the prison. Far in the distance was the tiny silhouette of a tower.

Hope flooded his heart, and he spurred the horse on just a little faster.

A half hour later, Dart found himself very close to the prison. The tower sat at the southern tip of the continent, just offshore enough that the only way in or out was across a drawbridge. This bridge sat fifty feet above the water, where waves crashed into a rocky cliff side. The tower itself was austere, dark, and ominous. The black stones that formed the sheer face reached up another hundred feet before forming a roofed balcony at the top.

Still a mile away from the tower, the sun beating down on him, Dart led his horse off the road. On his right, the mountains had curved toward him, until the roots were less than a mile away. A thin forest lay just off the road, and Dart took refuge within the trees. Dismounting, he tied the horse to a strong oak tree and turned back to face the prison.

Hellena seemed truly impenetrable. There was only one way in, undoubtedly watched closely by both guards at the gate and watchmen standing on or in the tower. Dart could see that the cliff face was much too tall to try to climb down, and the side of the tower much too sheer to climb up. The distance between the cliff edge and the mountains turned into a narrow strip leading right up to the door of the dark tower; there was no maneuvering around. He sighed in frustration and sat down in the shade of the trees. The sun was almost directly overhead, and he knew that any attempt to approach the prison now was pure folly. So he waited, watching from the thin trees, until the sun was beginning to set beyond the mountains.

Leaving his horse tied, he began creeping south, staying as close to the trees as possible. The closer he got to Hellena, the more he felt a sense of dread. Evil seemed to ooze out of the very rocks that formed its walls.

Eventually, he was close enough that he could almost make out the gate. It became clear to him now that the road leading to Hellena Prison curved along the edge of the land to head west; apparently there was a small mountain pass at the south tip of the mountains. He tried to remember what major cities, if any, lay to the west of Hellena Prison, but it had been far too long since he had seen a map of Serdio.

He came to the southern edge of the thin trees. He knelt down behind the thickest tree he could find and eyed the gate, maybe a thousand feet from him. He thought he could see at least four guards. Muttering to himself, he said, "I wonder if they ever rotate out... That could be a time to sneak in." He watched for several minutes before admitting to himself that, even if the guards did all rotate at once, it might not happen until sunrise. He punched the tree in frustration before immediately regretting it. Several scrapes along his knuckles began to ooze bright red liquid. He regretted leaving his pack, and his healing kit, with the horse almost a mile away.

Looking down, Dart pulled out his knife and reached under his breastplate. Pulling his tunic out from under it, he cut off a strip of cloth and wrapped it around his right hand knuckles tightly, tying it awkwardly with his left. After flexing his hand, he was satisfied with his knot and resumed his watch.

Multiple ideas for entry flitted through his mind over the next hour or so, each more impossible than the last. Finally, he buried his head in his hands and sighed heavily. Once again, he thought of Shana, alone in such a hell-like place, likely being mistreated in too many ways. The thought of this made anger well up inside him.

He thought back nine years to a time free of worry, when he was only fourteen. Although he hadn't heard it in five years, Shana's clear voice could be heard in his head as if she were standing in front of him.

He and Shana had been playing together in the woods for hours. They had found their favorite spot, right next to a creek to the north of Seles. Her laugh had sung through the trees. But that day, a lone wounded wolf happened upon them and began to threaten Shana, small as she was back then. He remembered jumping in front of her without hesitation and telling the wolf to do its hunting elsewhere. Disliking the odds against him, the wolf had turned away.

That same passion and drive to defend her burned inside him now, only much stronger. Dart lifted his head and looked up at the prison as fury built inside him. From deep within, Dart felt something that he hadn't before. A strange power was lending him strength. Suddenly he felt that fate had guided him here, and he realized that he must succeed. He was the only person who could save Shana now. He stood, ready to storm inside the tower and kill every guard in his way, when a distinct sound started drifting toward him from the road to his right.

His eyes darted toward the sound as he tried to determine its source. It sounded like a wagon being drawn by a hoofed beast, coming down the road from the west. Dart quickly shifted his position to hide behind a tree and peered out. Slowly, an ox came into view, followed by a covered wagon holding a short man humming to himself. The sunlight was almost completely gone, but he thought he saw an opening in the back of the wagon. Instantly he devised a new plan far less likely to get him killed than any he had invented before now.

Moving silently, Dart crept toward the wagon as it slowly moved along the road. Reaching the back without being seen thanks to the waning daylight, he jumped into the wagon, grateful for the sound of the wheels on the rocks that masked the heavy thud. Inside were many wooden crates, but toward the front of the wagon was a rather large stack of hay. As quickly and quietly as possible, Dart climbed over the crates and buried himself in the hay, as close to the wagon's walls as possible.

Thirty seconds later, his heart stopped as the thought crossed his mind that this merchant might not even be heading for Hellena Prison. Frantically, he tried to remember if he had seen any indication otherwise, that it had planned to turn left and follow the road north, and then decided that no merchant would come this close to such an evil place if that was not their destination. Even so, his apprehension did not entirely disappear. He strained to hear every sound outside the wagon.

The creaking sound of the wheels did not slow. Thinking back, Dart tried to recall the distance between the wagon and Hellena when he boarded, but he couldn't be sure of the exact distance. Surely they would have arrived by now... but maybe not. He was just about to give up on his plan when the sound of the wheels changed. Instead of hitting rock, they were now rolling across wood. Dart sighed with relief, trying not to breathe in too much of the hay.

The wagon came to a stop, and Dart unconsciously held his breath. He could hear voices outside, but could not make out what they were saying. Then he felt the wagon jolt slightly and heard a thud as someone jumped up into the back of the wagon. A rough voice called out, "Looks like it's just food and hay, like normal!" A muffled reply came, and the guard stepped heavily toward the front of the wagon. Dart's pulse quickened, and he heard the distinct sound of metal striking wood as the guard plunged a weapon into the stack of hay, narrowly missing Dart's leg. "All clear!" the guard shouted, before moving back and jumping out of the wagon. After some more muffled voices, the wagon began to roll forward. Dart could faintly hear the sound of the metal gate opening and then closing behind them.

Author Note: Thank you for taking the time to read this story. It's just a beginning for me as an author, but it is something that I am very passionate about. Keep checking back for more chapters like this one - filled with emotion and the inner thoughts and fears of your favorite characters in this game. I have a lot planned, and I thank you for being here for it!