Ten days later, the party stood at the northern docks in Donau gazing out at the vast ocean that awaited them. An unusual chill in the air had most of them in heavier clothing as they prepared to travel north while autumn fell across the continent. For a time, they waited, watching a great ship prepare to receive their "honored guests" who would be traveling with them for the next week.

The Queen Fury was a mighty ship unlike any Dart had seen before. Unlike the vast majority of the Tiberoan fleet, this ship was powered through coal and steam, though Dart was unsure of how that worked. Albert had been eager to explain it multiple times, but none of those monologues had really penetrated Dart's ears. Now, it was enough to merely watch it prepare for takeoff.

Great water wheels at the back of the ship waited to churn into the ocean and propel the ship forward. Countless sailors teemed around the ship's deck to make sure that everything was ready, their calls merging in a beautiful harmony with the seagulls who awaited floundering fish at the water's surface. Early morning sunlight glinted off the metal plates protecting the sides of the ship, though the hull had begun to rust closer to the where the waves now sloughed against it. Ringing the edges just under the deck railing were mighty steel spikes to discourage any ramming attempts from enemy vessels.

As he beheld the Queen Fury, Dart got the feeling that King Zior had ordered the finest ship in his fleet to carry them on their mission.

"I've never sailed before," he muttered nervously as they waited.

"It's so much fun!" exclaimed Haschel on his right. "There's nothing quite like the sound of the waves or the rocking of the boat. And then when you're in the middle of the ocean, it looks like the rest of the world just doesn't exist. Like it's turned into endless water around you."

"That sounds terrifying," protested Dart. "Who would want that?"

Haschel shrugged. "I grew up on the water. I used to go fishing with my dad all the time, every weekend, without fail. Sometimes we'd try to sail out to some outer islands that were uninhabited just to see if we could make it on our tiny little paddleboats." He grinned and sighed happily. "So much fun."

"I think you're the only one here who thinks that way."

"I bet Meru agrees with me. She would have had to sail here, you know." Haschel craned his neck to try to see her on the other side of Kongol. "Oh well. I'll ask her later."

"I have spent some time on ships," offered Albert. "Although I do not share the same attachment that Haschel does, I did enjoy the seafaring life, as sparingly as it came to me."

"We are in for such an adventure!" exclaimed Haschel, his voice rising in pitch until it became a squeal.

Dart and Albert laughed at Haschel's excitement, though they did not share the sentiment. The idea of falling into the ocean and being completely surrounded by water kept resurfacing in his mind, and it was deeply unsettling.

At long last, the Queen Fury sounded its horn, inviting them aboard. They each grabbed a pack and a horse and meandered down the stairs to the port entrance. The long dock ran across their path, and Dart led the group left to the delightfully wide access bridge leading onto the Queen Fury.

"Welcome aboard!" called a man dressed in the red and green denoting the Royal Tiberoan Navy. From the railing above them, he stood with a wide grin almost hidden beneath his thick, blonde moustache, arms held out in greeting, the wind tossing about a feather sticking out of his oversized cap.

At that moment, a light brown dog with short hair, floppy ears, and white socks rushed down to greet them, leaping about and barking in delight. She began to sprint the length of the dock, and Meru and Shana giggled at the dog's excitement.

The dog ran back onto the ship as the man rushed down the bridge and shook their hands furiously. "I am Commodore Puler, commander of this fine vessel and your hosts for the duration of the trip. And that's Nova." He waved toward the dog who sprinted past them again. "She's here for moral support." With vigor, he led them up onto the ship, whistling sharply to call several sailors to take the horses and their packs away to their designated areas. "Let's give a quick tour! We should be ready to pull out in about ten minutes' time."

After a crewmate led the horses off, the eager commodore walked them about with a spring in his step, Nova following excitedly behind, a dangerously thick tail wagging all the way. The Queen Fury was massive, at least in Dart's eyes, and he was astounded to see the space that was afforded them. The upper and lower decks were outfitted with occasional tables and chairs for the guests to enjoy the view of the ocean. The upper deck was home to the bridge, raised up and positioned for seeing far into the distance. A pillar reaching out of it reached into the sky, providing a crow's nest at the top and another smaller platform about ten feet lower that was designed for comfort and lounging of guests.

Below the bridge, a door on the main deck led directly to the mess hall, a bar on the left waiting for food that was being prepared by the kitchen staff on the other side. To the right was a door that led to a break room, laden with several chairs and tables, and through the break room was a door that led to a library. This small room had walls covered with an endless number of books, and Albert did a poor job of controlling his enthusiasm for such a hiding place.

After returning to the mess hall, Puler led them down some stairs that lay opposite the deck door, showing them the sleeping quarters. A hallway ran the length of the ship, and on either side were multiple doors that led to tiny rooms barely large enough to hold two bunkbeds. Two rooms had been reserved for them, a smaller one for Shana, Meru, and Rose, and a larger one for Dart, Haschel, Albert, and Kongol. The larger was so designated because within it, along with the two regular bunkbeds, was a massive bed designed to accommodate Kongol. The giant beamed to see that he had been considered.

Having deposited their packs, the commodore showed them the cargo bay, accessed by another staircase at the stern end of the ship. While it was fairly empty, the horses were there in makeshift stalls along the port wall, easily as spacious as any stable accommodations. Each of them dined happily on fresh hay, and two workers assured the travelers that the horses would be well tended to for the coming journey. The commodore also informed them that most of the cargo hadn't been deposited yet and was waiting assortment on the main deck.

Upon returning there, Puler pointed out the giant stacks of crates that many workers were attending to. But rather than stopping, they powered across the main deck and onto the stern deck, where a small maintenance room had been built around the exhaust system that sat above the engine room. Puler advised them not to enter this room without permission as the steam could be dangerous and cause serious burns. Satisfied at everyone's acknowledgement of this command, the commodore pushed them back to the main deck.

Now Puler led them into the engine room, accessible through a door under the stern deck. With pride, the commodore showed them around the complex steam engine that turned turbines that then turned the wheels of the ship. While the party watched, sailors began shoveling mounds of coal into the furnaces, and the engine rumbled to life.

"Fascinating," said Albert.

The ship jolted briefly as the wheels began to push against the water, and a bell rang out high above them as the Queen Fury took to the sea.

The group filtered back out onto the main deck to watch Donau fade off into the distance. The sun beat down on them from the starboard side of the ship, and Commodore Puler took his leave to return to the bridge, urging them all to make themselves at home.

"This is amazing!" trilled Meru, bouncing up and down in her excitement. "So many places to explore!"

And with that, she waved goodbye and ran off. Nova followed closely behind, easily keeping up with her thundering paws.

"This does seem pretty cool," admitted Dart, eyeing around to see where he might want to go first. Then he turned to address the rest of the party. "Meru's already gone, but I just wanted to say that nobody should feel like they have to do anything here. We've spent a long time traveling and holding responsibility, but think of this as a vacation. We have a week to relax before we have to get back to all our problems and stress out again."

Each of them heartily agreed, and an hour later, they had scattered themselves all over the ship. Having spent so much time together over the past week of travel, they were eager for time to themselves. Dart, too, took advantage, and he found a chair on the bow of the ship where he could sit alone and watch the ocean.

He'd always been intrigued by the sea, though he'd never had the opportunity to explore it this way. From shore, it was always peaceful; waves on the sand, or beating against rocks as they did in Fletz, had always brought him calm in their hypnotic sounds. Now, he tried to ignore what Haschel had said about being surrounded by nothing but water.

Still slightly nervous, he settled in and watched as the sun rose higher into the sky. Though not particularly spectacular, the sky still heralded a new day with a beauty that had Dart entranced. More than this, the glint of sun on the ocean drew his attention. It stirred within him a far distant memory that was overshadowed by grief. He frowned as he tried to make sense of it.

It was long ago, when his world was dark and empty, after his parents had died. He had leaned over the edge of that tiny boat, and someone had reprimanded him for his dangerous antics. The ocean had reflected the sun at that point, too.

He had been wrong. He had sailed before.

He sighed and looked down at his hands. He hadn't thought of his parents in a long while, and now he found himself missing them again. The pain could never be distant enough to disappear altogether.

The Black Monster, he considered. That fiend had brought about this entire journey. If not for the Black Monster, he never would have left Seles, and Shana might not have been taken. Or maybe he would have died in the attack on Seles. Either way, he was certain that leaving Seles almost six years ago was the decision that had led him here, to be sitting on the bow of a massive warship, sailing the ocean to hunt down a murderous wingly.

He wondered if Mille Seseau would hold any answers for him. Since their revealing discussion with Fester, he had put his pursuit of the Black Monster to the side in favor of the crisis of Tiberoa. Now, he was approaching an opportunity to begin anew his investigation. If he could just learn what the creature was, he would be able to move forward with purpose. If it was merely a creature, a beast without thought, would killing it be enough? If it was a person, would he even want to kill it?

He had every right to.

But could he?

As the morning wore on, Dart found his mind slipping out into the distant ocean. Just as his stomach began to rumble for some sustenance, a loud crash rang out on the main deck, and Nova began barking. A few calls rang out, but then all was quiet, and Dart supposed that the sailors would be able to handle whatever had happened. A while later, he wandered down to the dining hall and grabbed some food, surprisingly delicious despite the small kitchen, and ate his fill in his chair on the deck.

That afternoon, Haschel came and found him, pressing him for any new and different opinion of sailing. When Dart could not promise one, uneasy as he still was to see the endless ocean, Haschel took it upon himself to convince him otherwise. They ran all over the deck, Haschel pointing out different things that sailors were doing and explaining what they would have been doing were the sails currently unfurled.

"Why aren't they unfurled now?" asked Dart as he peered up at the expansive system hanging above his head.

"We have an engine," said Haschel in a condescending tone. "They won't use the sails unless the engine fails."

A few minutes into their adventure, a loud bell rang out again, signaling the end of a shift, and the sailors took their leave as they were replaced by others. For a moment, Haschel watched the exchange of workers, but quickly shook his head and kept speaking. Haschel even went so far as to ask the new sailors to explain their craft to Dart so that he could be "properly educated in the art of sailing."

Dart obliged, paying attention as he should, nodding whenever expected, and was pleased to be able to pass Haschel's inane quiz at the end of the day. Satisfied, Haschel moved on to other quarry, and Dart found himself delightfully alone once again.

Returning to the spot he had decided to claim as his own for the next week, he sat down and relaxed, nodding off only a few minutes later. When he opened his eyes, he found that the sun had abandoned him while he had been asleep, and he sat up and wondered what time it was. Thankfully, he turned to see the sun still hanging low in the sky behind him, and he guessed that it was nearing dinner time. His stomach growled in agreement, and just as he was about to seek out food once again, he was startled to hear footsteps coming up the nearby stairs.

Shana approached him, watching him warily.

"Hi," he managed to say as he moved to the edge of his seat. She hadn't approached him for conversation since Bale.

She didn't respond but sat awkwardly in the chair next to him.

For a long moment, Dart bounced back and forth between wanting to ask her how she was doing and just making small talk. In the end, the latter won out.

"Are you liking the ship so far?" he asked.

"Yes, it's nice," she replied, eyes on the horizon.

He waited. She did not expound.

"Haschel was showing me around earlier," he chuckled. "Apparently sailing is his favorite thing."

Shana nodded and looked down. She seemed hesitant to say something. As Dart's heart pounded, he considered a thousand possibilities of what she might divulge. Maybe she never wanted to speak to him again. Maybe she had come to confess her love. Maybe she had found a sailor that she wanted to stay with when they reached Mille Seseau.

He nearly stopped breathing in anticipation, wondering if he should ask her what was wrong or just wait for her to speak.

"We haven't… talked in a while," she finally said.

Was this it? Did she want to talk to him about whatever was bothering her? He took a sharp breath. Maybe he would finally be able to help her.

"And I have something that I need to say," she added, closing her eyes for a moment.

Her nervousness was writhing its way into his soul, and he felt a need to vomit.

"You can tell me anything," he urged.

"We both know that we have had some… issues in the past."

But you want to work through it?

It took everything in him to hold in his thoughts and let her finish speaking.

"It's been difficult for me to deal with," she continued. "For a long time, I told myself that I would wait for you."

She's going to say it.

"I would spend every night hoping that you would come around."

I have!

"And you just pulled farther away from me."

His heart sank. Did she not know?

"So… I'm done waiting."

His brow furrowed and his jaw tightened.

"When we stop Lloyd, you're going on your journey to find the Black Monster. And I'm going to go on my own journey, too. I don't know what I am anymore, and I have to find out."

"I could come with you," he sputtered. "You don't—"

"No," she said firmly, turning to him at last, eyes cloudy. "You aren't what I need. I need someone who can be open and honest with me, and someone who can be there for me when I need them."

"Shana, please—"

"Don't. Not again. I can't keep waiting for you to turn into someone else. You can't make decisions, Dart. So, I'll make it for you."

She paused. A tear fell down her cheek.

He stopped breathing, staring at her in shock. Surely, he had misheard her. Surely, it couldn't be over. Surely, she couldn't take away all hope like that.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't keep playing this game."

And with that, she stood and walked away.

Leaning forward on his knees, he began to weep. The tears came unbidden, but he was powerless to stop them. In his heart, he knew that he was responsible for this. He had pushed her away constantly while grieving Lavitz, and then he had nearly killed her in his own wrathful instability. And once she had recovered, what had he done to offer penance for his actions? Watch her from afar? See her struggle with her demons and do nothing to give her support?

He covered his mouth with his sleeve, desperately hoping to muffle the uncontrollable sounds that he made as he sobbed. So much hope he had given himself, and yet it had all been false hope. All the glances from Shana had been nothing more than steeling herself to tell him the truth.

She was leaving him behind.

Sleep was hard to find that night. After an hour or so of tossing about, Dart finally decided to get up and walk around. He wasn't sure where he was headed, but a snoring Haschel wasn't doing him any good. As he pulled on his boots and made his way out the door, he considered trying to find something to read in the library. It had been some time since Dart had been lost in a book, but he wasn't sure that now was the time. While he enjoyed reading, it had sometimes been difficult for him to focus for much longer than a chapter at a time; there would be almost no way for him to finish a tale before they reached Mille Seseau in just six more days.

With soft and quiet steps, he tiptoed his way down the hall and ascended the steps to the dining area. A few sailors were scattered about, munching on snacks during their breaks, but Dart marched past them and up onto the deck. He turned toward his spot on the upper deck, but stopped when he heard something. Listening carefully, he was able to pinpoint the voices of Rose and Shana, though he couldn't make out what they were saying.

Still, Shana's voice shot anxiety through his core, and he turned away from it toward the stern.

The vibrations of the engine were a little louder on this end of the ship, but Dart didn't mind the muffling noise as he hid behind a crate on the stern deck and turned to watch Rose and Shana. They were completely preoccupied with their conversation and hadn't noticed him. Shana was gesturing about, and Rose leaned against the railing, listening intently. Then Shana stopped flailing her arms, paused for a moment, and covered her face with her hands. To Dart's astonishment, Rose reached out and put her arms around Shana's shoulders. Shana leaned into the hug, and he supposed she was crying, although it was difficult to see in moonlight alone.

"Why are you hiding?" came a deep voice out of the darkness.

Dart jumped violently, falling and banging his left arm on the floor. Hissing at the pain that shot into his wound, he cradled his forearm as he slowly stood to address Kongol, who was sitting on the deck, leaning back against the engine room's exhaust vent, watching him.

"I, uh…" stammered Dart. He felt foolish to have been caught spying. "I was just…" He gestured vaguely toward the bow.

"I see," said Kongol, his brown eyes boring into Dart's soul.

Dart pursed his lips. Kongol was always so hard to read, with such little emotion ever displayed on his face. Right now, Dart couldn't decide if Kongol was judging him or merely amused at having caught him.

"Would you like to sit with me?" offered Kongol.

"Uh… sure…"

Dart stepped forward and sat on Kongol's left, leaning up against the wall and resting his head. As he gazed at the sky, he spotted several constellations that hailed the coming of fall. He sighed, recalling the early spring when their journey had started. Almost seven months later, his life was simultaneously calmer and more hectic, easier and more stressful. Part of him longed for the time when life was as simple as hunting down a Black Monster. But as he recalled the messy events of the past year, he knew that he wouldn't trade his experiences for anything.

The shift bell rang, and Dart heard the distant sound of scuttling shoes across the main deck as the sailors rotated to night shift.

"Have you ever studied the stars?" asked Kongol when it had grown silent once again.

"Um, not a lot," replied Dart in surprise. "I know some constellations because I needed to be able to navigate at night."

"Yes, they are very useful for that."

There was another awkward pause.

"My brother taught me about constellations," said Kongol finally. "When I was a boy, he would take me out into the forest. There was a special clearing that we called ours. We would sleep there often, and he would teach me about things. The stars were one of them. According to him, they tell the tale of the gods as they travel across the sky."

"The Tiberoans believe the stars are the gods themselves."

"My brother thought they were only representations. But perhaps the giganto were wrong."

"You and your brother were close then?"

Kongol nodded. "Very. We spent much time together. He taught me many things and always pushed me to be stronger."

"Where is he now?" asked Dart, though he supposed that he knew the answer.

"Dead," replied Kongol. "Humans killed him."

"How much do you remember of that time?" asked Dart before he could stop himself. "Before Doel took you?"

"More than he supposed," admitted Kongol. "Giganto have good memory, I think. I remember as long ago as when I was an infant."

"That's definitely better than humans. I can barely remember my parents anymore."

Kongol eyed him for a moment. "Tell me what you remember."

Dart paused and smiled. "They were both kind. My dad loved people. More than anything, I just remember feeling safe with them."

"How did they die?"

With that question, Dart realized that he had never told Kongol about his past. With mournful and quiet tears, he told the tale with as many details as he could remember. Kongol listened intently, though his eyes were always on the stars, and when Dart was finished, he waited for some time to speak again.

"The day my home was invaded," said Kongol finally, "I was in the library with my brother. He had been teaching me to read. We had a big room full of big books just outside the city. He wanted me to be strong of mind and not just of body. One day, I was doing well and reading one of my brother's favorite books. But then we began to hear screams, cries of my people. I was… scared." Kongol looked down in shame. "My brother, who was next in line to be chief, commanded me to hide. I was four at the time and not yet able to wield weapons. He helped me into a closet and placed many books before me so that I would be hidden, and then he left to fight. The book title before my eyes while my people were slaughtered was The Legend of Wohali, a brave warrior who delivered his people from slaughter by killing a great beast that preyed on them." He paused and turned back to the stars. "I thought over and over that I should be like the great Wohali and save my people. In the end, I did not.

"Humans killed everyone, and it was hours later that Emperor Doel finally discovered me. He offered me sanctuary in his home. I feared for my life, and so I agreed to go with him. As he led me out of the village, I saw many slain giganto, my brother, father, and mother among the bodies."

"I'm… so sorry," Dart struggled to say. He was dumbfounded that humans had even been capable of such hatred and bigotry.

"We share this, you and I," continued Kongol. "Our lives began in grief and terror, and now we have risen above it to become strong and capable warriors."

Dart smiled at the thought. Unalike as they seemed, he and Kongol were not so different as he had supposed.

"Did you ever consider killing Doel for what he did?" asked Dart.

"He saved me. I only ever saw him as my savior."

"You must know that he led the regiment that destroyed your people. He 'saved' you to use you."

Kongol shook his head lightly. "No, there is… no way to know that."

"I guess that's true," admitted Dart, although Kongol's stubbornness did nothing to change his mind. "Maybe you should talk to Albert about Emperor Doel sometime. He knew him better than any of us."

"I have intended to."

"Don't forget that there's a library on the ship, too, if you're still interested in books. Albert will probably be there the whole week anyway."

"I cannot read human words."

"Oh." Dart hadn't considered a difference of languages. Suddenly, he was appalled that Doel had not taken the time to teach him to read the common tongue. "Either way, he might be there tomorrow if you want to talk to him." Secretly, Dart hoped that Albert could convince Kongol of Doel's treachery.

"Thank you."

Kongol continued to watch the sky, and Dart grew content to do the same. He was comforted to know that Kongol shared some of his own experiences, tragic as it was that he'd had to go through them. As they sat together in peace, Dart appreciating Kongol's presence for the first time, he recalled with a chuckle the time that they had nearly killed each other in Hoax. What a terrible battle that had been, and yet how grateful he now was for it! Kongol had been a catalyst of his discovering his dragoon spirit, and now six dragoons traveled together to confront a great evil together. Without Doel and his evil ways, Kongol would not have been there at the right time, nor would he be here now. With a sense of peace, Dart realized that some stories were better with all the tension, grief, and fighting than they would have been without. Even the death of Lavitz must have a purpose.

Lavitz himself would have insisted on it.

Then with a shock, he remembered what Shana had said only a few hours before. As his heart dropped, becoming heavier with every second, he wondered if it were possible that good could come of it. Right now, he didn't think so.

The next morning, Dart strode with purpose out of the dining hall. He was determined to talk to Rose.

He had spent his waking moments fighting against his grief over Shana, and instead turned his attention forcefully to the idea of the Black Monster. Though Rose had never offered any information of her own accord, Dart knew that she was the type to withhold until it was asked for. Why he had never considered asking her beforehand, he was unsure, but now it was his mission to discern whatever Rose might know about the beast that had stolen his life from him.

To his surprise, he found her sipping on some tea in a corner sitting area by the kitchens.

"Can I talk to you about something?" he asked without preamble.

"I suppose," she replied without looking at him.

Taking a seat, he wiggled until he was comfortable and folded his hands together on the small table.

"What do you know about the Black Monster?" he said.

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I've been chasing the thing for years now, and the closest I've gotten to knowing anything about it was what Fester told us about it hunting down the Moon Child. I didn't think of it until this morning, but I never asked you anything about it, and you're the one who would know."

"And why is that?"

He paused. "You know everything."

She quirked an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure about that." She paused and studied him. "Let me ask you a question in return."

"Okay…"

"What will you do with it? When you find it."

"Umm."

"Kill it? Will that satisfy you?"

"I… don't know," he admitted. "I guess for a long time, that was all I wanted. But now, I just want to know what it is. Why did it kill my parents? I've never had an answer to that question."

"I see."

Dart waited, but she didn't seem ready to say anything else.

"Does that mean you don't know anything?" he prodded.

"Unfortunately, no," she replied. "I have nothing to offer you."

Dart sighed in frustration.

"Thanks anyway," he said glumly. He stood and walked toward the door.

"Dart," she called after him, and he stopped and turned expectantly. "You have a lot yet to go through."

"What?"

"If Lloyd really is planning on creating a world crisis, as you believe, then there are undoubtedly difficult things ahead of you. You have a lot of growing to do. If… When you meet the Black Monster, you might have a difficult decision to make. Killing is not in your nature, but it is in a dragoon's. I hope you'll be strong enough to make the right decision."

He smiled awkwardly. "Me, too."

For the rest of the morning, Dart had trouble deciding what to do. Where he had entered the Queen Fury believing that they had endless possibilities of entertainment, the opposite was quickly proving true. There was nowhere to go where he could be completely alone, and yet everyone was constantly preoccupied. Haschel was meditating on the main deck, of all places, and Albert had claimed the library as a writing space and wished not to be disturbed. Meru ran around everywhere and couldn't sit still, and Rose was constantly hidden away somewhere that Dart still couldn't really find. And anywhere that wasn't occupied by his friends was occupied by a dozen sailors doing their jobs and talking amongst themselves.

He almost welcomed the distraction that came that afternoon. An hour or so after the shifts changed over, there was a deep rumble in the belly of the ship, almost like an earthquake. A few minutes later, a female sailor ran up to him frantically begging for his help in the engine room. When he arrived, he was aghast to find a quarter of the room ablaze with three workers scattered about unconscious. Hurriedly, he told the sailor to find Shana and bring her, and while she did that, he worked to contain the fire.

It was an unruly blaze, irritated by his attempts to contain it. In the end, he was forced to carry it to the high exhaust vent and channel it outside into the open air. Just as he was finishing with this, the sailor returned with Shana, who quickly addressed the unconscious workers and assessed that each merely had a concussion and some minor burns, which she healed within seconds.

Two engineers arrived soon thereafter and began studying the boilers for signs of the malfunction. Dart stayed to monitor the situation in case any more fire or explosions happened so that he could protect the workers and engineers. Shana also stayed close by, though she refused to look at Dart. Twice, he tried to spark a conversation, but she did not respond well. His heart ached, and he said nothing more.

That evening, Dart knocked on the door of the bridge, the only place he could think of that might be devoid of his party. He was granted entry, and he cautiously stepped forward. Commodore Puler was studying a map of Illisa Bay with a star chart nearby.

"Greetings, Dart!" he called heartily. "Welcome to the bridge!"

"Thanks," said Dart. "I just wanted to see how things were done, if that's alright."

"Alright? That's more than alright! That's fantastic! Let me show you around."

With gusto, Puler walked Dart around the bridge and showed him each of the contraptions. Then leading him to the map, he showed their relative position and where they were headed.

"Here's Donau," he explained. "And here's Furni, the main port for Mille Seseau. We are somewhere in this region." He circled an area between Donau and some islands in the middle of the bay.

"Why are we so far east?" asked Dart.

"Ah, a perceptive eye!" praised Puler. "We must follow the current. It flows from here—" he put his finger near Donau "—up to here—" he swirled over toward the islands "—and then back here." He ended back at Donau. "If we went against the current this way—" he moved counterclockwise up the path that Dart had supposed they were following "—we would not only move much more slowly as we would be fighting the current, but we'd use too much fuel, run out, and take an extra week or two to reach Furni. So, we'll swing around this way and go right past Fueno." He pointed to the western end of the island chain.

"Will we stop there?"

"Not unless we need to. I was under the impression that you lot are in a hurry?"

"Kind of, yeah," admitted Dart.

"Then we'll charge past. We have plenty of fuel. Then we can follow this current—" his finger slapped the map just north of Fueno "—all the way to Furni."

Dart chuckled. "You love this, don't you?"

"Of course!" boomed Puler. "I am a seaman! I was raised on the ocean, as I raise my daughter on the ocean!"

"Your daughter?"

"Yes, you've met. She is the commander in charge of the engine room. Amazing technician, been on board since she was an infant. Her mother died in childbirth, you see, and I took care of her from there. She's pretty, just like her mom, blonde hair, striking in my opinion, though I am very biased."

Grinning to see the commodore so animated, Dart shook his head, recalling the sailor who had come to grab him earlier. "I talked to her earlier today," he said, and Puler beamed. "What's her name?"

"Kayla," he replied. "My pride and joy."

"Next time I see her, I'll tell her you said that."

That night, Haschel was curiously absent from their quarters, and the next morning, he joined Dart and Albert while yawning and stumbling into the dining hall. Dart and Albert made a silent pact not to discuss it, as they were hesitant to know the details, and Haschel seemed content with not explaining himself. However, despite Haschel's lethargy, Dart did notice a certain spring in his step that he hadn't seen for quite a while.

Over a light breakfast and then out on the decks, the three of them chatted, happily content for some peace and quiet. Together, they mused about what was awaiting them in Mille Seseau. Dart was excited at the prospect of learning more about the Black Monster, but Haschel was clearly nervous about any prospect of finding Claire. Albert diverted them from the conversation that Haschel clearly did not want to have and expressed his interest in visiting the Mille Seseau National Library, something he described as "a treasure trove of knowledge so vast that my heart palpitates to consider what I may learn there." Haschel and Dart stifled laughter after this statement, but Haschel couldn't help but tease the king over his zeal.

During this conversation, Meru ran up from below deck – followed closely by Nova, who frolicked about with her tongue flopping about joyously – and then proceeded to run in wide circles, deftly skipping around the sailors who were working. She let out a continual cry of irritation as she did so, and the three men turned to watch in amusement.

She stopped suddenly and leaned over to catch her breath. At this, Nova stopped and pressed her chin against the deck, her haunches lifted to the sky in a request to resume their play. When Meru did not respond, Nova began barking at her.

"We've been playing for hours!" protested Meru. "Aren't you tired yet?"

The panting Nova sat, waiting expectantly before barking once more.

Dart, Haschel, and Albert laughed together, and Meru snapped her head to look at them with narrowed eyes. Her wrath turned to wonder when she saw them, however, and she ran over to them, still panting, though Nova was happy to chase her. The dog began sniffing at their feet, and Dart reached down to pat her head.

"Dart! You're here!" she exclaimed. "And Haschel and Albert, too! Looks like I hit the jackpot for coolness. Wanna hang out with me?"

"Not if you're going to be running around in circles like that," chuckled Haschel.

"Oh, so now you're not too busy to talk to me, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

Meru scoffed and turned back to Dart. "Come on, please hang out with me. I'm going crazy on this ship! And we're not even halfway there. We have to come up with something fun to do."

"Like what?" asked Dart. "We're already dealing with the same thing. We don't know what to do, either."

"Ugh!" cried Meru, throwing her head back in despair.

"I have already suggested reading to you," interjected Albert.

"And I want to do it now just as much as before," replied Meru as emotionless as possible.

"It would take your mind off the boat," said Haschel.

"Screw you guys," she spat. "You're no fun."

Nova sat again and watched Meru.

"I'm not doing it anymore," she complained to the dog. "I don't know how, but you have more energy than me."

Nova tapped her front feet angrily.

"Why don't you go find someone else to play with? Go!"

Meru pointed off into the distance, and Nova waited for several seconds before finally walking off sadly.

"You broke the poor thing's heart," teased Dart.

"I have an idea!" exclaimed Meru suddenly. "Let's pretend that we're off on an adventure."

"We are on an adventure," Haschel pointed out.

Meru ignored him. "I can be like the captain or something and you can be a guest on my ship and I can show you around!" Her eyes pleaded with Dart.

"Why me?" he asked.

"You're the coolest one here!" she cried.

"Wow," said Haschel flatly. "We're nothing to her," he added to Albert.

"Haven't I already seen the ship, though?" protested Dart.

"I guarantee you that I've seen more of it than you," replied Meru pointedly. "And besides that, it won't be like a normal tour. We can spy on people, and I'll come up with scenarios to pretend that everything is all magical or something. Oh! I should make a scavenger hunt for later!"

"Are you sure that dog has more energy than you?" asked Haschel.

"Yes. I'm dying." She seemed very serious, but she was no longer panting.

"Fine," sighed Dart, and Meru squealed before grabbing his arm and dragging him away.

And so began his adventure with Meru. She immediately adopted a captain-like persona as she led him around the deck, walking with her shoulders back and her hands folded before her chest. She even adopted an odd accent as she described the various locations to him. Most of her descriptions included mermaids, murder chambers, magical dragons, or hellish beasts, and it was all Dart could to do keep himself from running away when she wasn't looking. They eventually came across Kongol, who amazingly played along with Meru's false description of his bloodlust and monstrous tendencies. It was the most entertainment Dart had on the journey. Just before they went below deck, Meru pointed out Rose high above in the crow's nest.

"How did I miss that?" wondered Dart to himself. "I've been wondering where she was this entire time."

"Maybe you should use your eyes occasionally," said Meru in a falsely deep voice.

They made their way below deck and found Albert back in the library, but he was less apt to play along with Meru's antics. Rather, he did his best to ignore them and keep reading despite the racket that Meru was making as she stomped along. Dart apologized briefly before they continued, and it was another painful hour before they finally came to a halt.

"Are we done now?" asked Dart.

"You are such a whiney butt," complained Meru. "But yes, we are done. Feel free to abandon me again for the next four days."

"You should hang out with Kongol. He seemed to like your little charade."

"I've already hung out with Kongol! I'm running out of new people to hang out with!"

"Then I don't know what to tell you," shrugged Dart. "You'll have to find something to do without me, at least through tomorrow."

She pouted and left him alone in the sleeping quarters.

With a huff, he collapsed to sit on a bed.

What was he to do without Shana? The thought crashed on him, forcing his head to bow forward as he remembered. Was moving on even a possibility for him? It didn't feel like it.

A low rumble ran through the air. At first, Dart thought it was the engine again, but when it came again a few minutes later, he realized that it was thunder.

Great, he scorned. Rain and storms on a boat in the middle of the ocean.

For several minutes, he lay on the bed that he thought was Haschel's while the sounds of the approaching storm grew louder. With a shudder, he realized that the wall next to him was the only thing keeping all that water from drowning him. His mind imagined what he would see on the other side of the wall – a dark abyss of endless ocean teeming with creatures that would see him as their dinner. The boat began to rock as the wind whipped up higher waves outside, and Dart thought he might panic as he considered how easily he could drown should the hull breach.

He sat up, torn between his desire to stay below deck and his need to be able to reach the air. Just as he was about to decide, he heard footfalls on the stairs outside.

"Dart!" called Haschel's voice from the other room. He burst through the door with a wide grin on his face. "The whole crew is setting up a game night in the dining hall on account of the storm! You should come play with us."

Fighting to mask his anxiety, Dart nodded and smiled. "That sounds like fun!"

"Let's go!"

And with that, Haschel bounded back up the stairs.

The next several hours, Dart, Haschel, Albert, Meru, and even Kongol joined the crew of the Queen Fury for a night of cards and dice. Sometimes the group played together, and sometimes they disseminated among the crew. Commodore Puler even made an appearance, all too thrilled to see his people finding some enjoyment despite the harsh thunder that rattled their tables periodically. A few rounds of ale went around, and Dart found his anxiety melt away.

As the storm raged on, the crowd began to thin, though it was several hours later before the game night was over. Still, the group headed to their quarters content and happy, and they each found sleep soon.

That is, until something rammed into the side of the Queen Fury and jerked them all awake.