In the end, Albert knew that it was better to leave. The ship was sinking – of that there was no doubt – and all he could do was ensure that Shana and Meru were safely aboard the Queen Fury when it happened.

As he helped Meru and Shana over the railing, he threw innumerable glances behind him, waiting to see Dart and Rose appear. He caught a glimpse, only for a moment, before they moved out of his view.

Together, they waited several agonizing minutes before watching Dart fall into the water and Rose leap after him only a moment later.

Shana screamed.

Meru gasped.

Haschel called out.

Kongol ran to the edge of the deck in a panic.

Albert felt his heart fall through his chest and into his abdomen. His breaths were all but normal, coming to him in short gasps. For what felt like an eternity, he could do nothing but watch as the phantom ship slowly pushed its way under the disturbed waves, burying his friends beneath the surface.

All at once, his senses returned to him as he forced himself to breathe. Shouts rang all around him as sailors scrambled for a lifeboat. Shana collapsed on the deck and began sobbing, and Meru hugged her while she began to do the same.

"Albert, what happened?" asked Haschel frantically, swatting at Albert's arm to collect his attention.

"It was all I could do," he replied, his voice hollow in his ears. "Dart stayed behind because Rose was injured."

"Hey, listen." Haschel placed both his hands on Albert's shoulders. "Nobody's blaming you."

"Yes, of course..." Albert looked toward the shaking sea before noticing a half dozen crewmembers carrying a lifeboat to the edge of the main deck. "We must help with the search efforts."

Haschel eyed him closely before tapping him on the shoulder, summoning Kongol, and leading them down to the main deck. There, they worked with the sailors to lower the lifeboat into the ocean. As they worked, Albert cast several glances to Shana, who had stopped weeping and now worked to provide what light she could for them. Her breathing was uneven, her eyes puffy, and she was consistently wiping her face of fresh tears, but she did her part until the boat was ready to receive rescuers.

Albert, Haschel, Shana, Meru, and Kongol all stepped forward to take their place on the boat, but Commodore Puler blocked them and held up his hands.

"I can't have all of you going out there," he said.

"And why not?" challenged Meru.

"You are all emotionally charged. My crew is more level-headed, and they are all trained for this sort of thing. We will head up the search."

"They're dragoons! They can—"

"Meru!" scolded Albert. "The captain of the ship has spoken. We will abide by his demands."

"You guys can all help!" she protested. "Who better to send on a search?"

"And what would we do? None of us is equipped for searches in the water. We can bend earth, wind, electricity, and light to our will. Not water. Not people. How would we help?"

Meru pouted and crossed her arms, though it seemed that Albert's point had been made. The king nodded to the commodore, who began choosing which men and women would descend to search for Dart and Rose.

For sixty long minutes, the lifeboat, and then another, searched the surrounding sea, and the dragoons and Meru could do nothing but pace about the upper deck. Eventually, someone informed Commodore Puler that the two breached rooms had been sealed and that they would remain afloat at least until they could return to Donau for proper repair. As it was, they would have to make port in the city of Fueno, a market town on the banks of the Suncrest Islands in the heart of Illisa Bay. Puler informed them that they should reach Fueno by nightfall the next day, unless they had been blown far off course by the storm. This they would not be able to determine until the clouds lifted or the sun rose.

At long last, the search and rescue was put to a halt. A haze of sorrow settled over the group after being informed, and they could do little more than sit together in silence.

Albert ran the scene through his mind time after time again. The ceiling falling in, Rose being struck by a stray board, and then himself helping Dart dig her out of the rubble. What had he done in their moments of danger? Instinctively, he had saved himself. What could have happened had he just protected them both from the collapse? What if he had been the one to help Rose off the ship? Would he have suffered Dart's fate? Would he have been able to save himself and Rose?

"Dart and Rose are strong," said Kongol suddenly, making several of them jump. "They will not die."

Albert looked to Haschel, and they shared a meaningful stare. Had Dart been conscious, he would have used fire to alert them to his location. An unconscious fire dragoon submerged in water did not bode well. But neither spoke aloud.

Instead, Albert turned toward the east, where the faintest flicker of light could be seen pushing through the clouds.

"It is nearly dawn," he announced. He stood, then turned to the others, eyes lingering finally on Shana. "The night has been long. We must rest."

When no one moved, he stepped in front of Meru and held out his hand. Puffy eyes looked up at him, and she slowly reached out. After pulling her up, he moved to Haschel and did the same, and then to Shana as Kongol stood without prompt.

Shana did not look at him. She sat, hugging her knees, watching the waves just beyond the ship.

Albert nodded to the others, indicating that they should leave, and they hesitantly did so. It was clear that they were all worried for Shana, but Albert knew that she did not need their numerous glances and questions. Kongol, Haschel, and Meru slowly made their way downstairs, and Albert knelt before Shana, urging her to meet his gaze.

"Shana," he said softly.

Her lip began to tremble.

"Do not do this to yourself," he urged. "We all feel this—"

"No, you don't," she retorted, refusing to look at him.

"They may not, but I do."

She shook her head slightly.

"I know what you must be thinking," he continued, sitting now, "for I am thinking the same things…" He paused, but she didn't respond. "You are wondering if there was anything you could have done. You are considering that, had you made a different choice, things may be different. You are reliving your last real conversations with them, thinking about the things you may have said incorrectly or too harshly. You are wondering if, perhaps… this is all your fault."

Her big, tear-filled eyes turned to him in despair. He could see that he was right.

"And, above all," he added, "you are wondering if you will ever have the chance to make it right."

"I broke his heart," she whispered.

"You cannot blame yourself."

"I convinced him to go back on board the ship."

"As did I. As did Meru."

"I didn't even let him speak or say his piece. I refused to hear anything he had to say."

"Shana—"

"No!" she cried, standing abruptly and backing away. "You don't understand!" She began to weep anew and now fought to speak between sobs. "I broke his heart! And now, he's gone! He's probably dead, and if he is, he died with a broken heart. Because of me."

He stood with her, inching forward as she walked back and forth in short paces, wailing in her anguish.

"He may yet live."

"Don't lie to me," she snapped through her tears. "You know as well as I do that if he had been alive, he would have shown us where he was."

"Shana!" he shouted, and she finally paused to look at him. His voice turned low and calm. "It is not your fault. You could not have known what would happen." He reached out and took her shoulders gently. "You did not cause this."

All at once, she fell into him and renewed her grief. She buried her head and wept, and Albert joined her. Despite all his words, he could not help but share in her dread that he himself had played a part in their separation. He could not deny that Dart may have been lost to them, although he refused to allow himself to believe it. And although Rose may have had a better chance in the watery darkness, he knew that there was no guarantee of her safety, either. Acutely, he mourned their loss.

He recalled Dart's joy at their games of cards only the night before. He recalled Rose's unlikely openness with him on their first day at sea. Their hearts were something he had come to treasure, and now, despite his own reason, he feared that they may be gone forever. Now, suddenly, he realized that Dart had become his closest friend, one on whom he could rely in any situation. Albert had grown proud watching Dart blossom into a man worthy to lead dragoons and do it well. He had always been eager to submit to Dart's authority, as he had on the phantom ship.

With a deep breath, he recalled Dart's command to take Shana and Meru and get them off the ship. In the same way that Albert had taken responsibility for his incarceration in Hellena Prison, the suffering of his people, the loss of the First Knighthood and the Seventh Fort, and the deaths of countless other soldiers, Dart had taken responsibility of the group that had ventured onto the phantom ship. In the end, the decision had been Dart's. He had assumed the role of the leader, and it was only courteous and respectful to allow him to do so.

Why did that not make Albert feel any better?

Around noon that day, Albert, Haschel, Kongol, and Meru sat encircling each other in the mess hall. Heads were bowed or resting in hands, food sat untouched on the table, and their melancholy had spread across the ship. Conversation throughout the room was muted, as though the crew was afraid to speak while they were present.

"Why do you all doubt them?" asked Kongol. "They are both strong. They will not die."

"I don't think we doubt that," replied Haschel slowly. "For me, it's mostly that I know that water affects Dart differently. It's almost like it steals his life force or something."

"That is my fear as well," agreed Albert. "And had Dart been conscious, we would have known."

"Rose will help him," said Kongol.

"One can hope…" muttered Albert.

After a pause, Haschel turned to Meru. "How's Shana?"

Meru shrugged. "Inconsolable is the only word I can think of. She won't eat, and she barely speaks."

Albert nodded, and Haschel sighed.

"I think she feels responsible. And when I try to talk to her, she just keeps saying that she's not feeling good."

There was silence for another long minute. Albert considered what Shana had said early this morning, and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"I am afraid that we have to discuss some difficult things," he announced, turning to look at each of them.

Haschel appeared to be aware of what he would say, but Meru was dreading it. Kongol appeared mildly interested.

"We have two paths now set before us," he said. "And as much as we do not like to speak of them, I feel that we must. Commodore Puler tells us that we will arrive in Fueno this evening, though perhaps later than we had anticipated. From there, we must decide… do we press forward?"

"What do you mean?" asked Haschel.

"Two possibilities await us. The first, that Dart and Rose are alive and well. If they are, it is safe to assume that they will meet us in Fueno. However, we must recognize that they might not—" Albert's throat caught, and he paused. He swallowed and took a deep breath. "They may no longer be alive. If this is the case, we must decide whether we will continue without them."

"You're not serious," said Haschel.

"I mean no disre—" began Albert, but Meru put out her hand and stopped him.

"I think Haschel is saying that we can't believe that you think you have to ask us that," she said, a small smile on her face. "What makes you think we're just going to turn around now? After everything you've told us about Lloyd, and everything he's done, we know he's a threat. And we know that dragoons are probably the only ones who can stop him."

Albert paused. "I… Are you sure?" He turned to Haschel and Kongol.

"Yeah, of course," said Haschel. "It won't be easy, but it's become our job to see this through. Did you think you were going to deal with it alone?"

The king was speechless. In his heart, he realized that he had decided this very thing – should Rose and Dart be gone, he knew that their purpose would have to be carried out, whether or not the others would have been willing to join him in the endeavor. The risk was now too great.

"We will see it done," nodded Kongol.

"I can't speak for Shana, but I'm going," said Meru. "Even if I'm not a dragoon. I can't know what I know and just step aside."

"Thank you," replied Albert even as his eyes filled with tears. "I, uh…" Meru patted his arm kindly. "I will plan on that. Then, how long should we wait in Fueno?"

"That sounds like a 'you' question," smirked Haschel. "You're the only one who's studied geography enough to have any idea of how long it could take Rose and Dart to find us there."

"Fair enough."

He tried to remember the map of Tiberoa that Fester had shown him. That day now felt so long ago. The memory was elusive, batted away by the pain of the previous night. But a shadow of the map appeared before him, and he decided to hazard a guess.

"I would estimate that if they reached land on any of the islands in Illisa Bay, they should be able to reach Fueno within a week. They are resourceful, and I am sure that they could find a way to make it happen."

"If they're alive," said Haschel.

"If they're alive…" mumbled Meru.

"Yes," nodded Albert somberly. "I will discuss this with Commodore Puler. Perhaps after we make port, he can give some insight with how long the repairs will take."

The rest of their journey was decrepitly lackluster compared to the previous three days. Try as he might, Albert could not bring his mind to focus on any novels. He attempted to write in his journal three separate times, but each time, the pages stared blankly at him before he finally set the book aside. In the end, he found himself on the deck of the Queen Fury. He was soon joined by his companions, save Shana, and they sat together once more, sadly awaiting their fate in Fueno. To Meru's delight, the friendly dog Nova joined them and settled next to her. She lay on her side and began to snore softly.

The anxiety of Rose's and Dart's fates had left each of them with a poor appetite, and Albert felt the mild nausea rise within him again as they awaited arrival in Fueno. Each of them worried about the same thing, but none voiced it aloud. Each of them desperately hoped that Dart and Rose were alive, and each of them understood the pain and angst that awaited them if the two did not appear within the allotted time.

Was it better never to find them? Was it better to live on with false hope?

As much as Albert despised the idea, as much as it filled him with dread, he supposed that finding their bodies would be better than living within the unknown. Not only would they be able to reclaim their dragoon spirits in hopes they could gather others to their cause, but the group would also be able to find some sense of closure for such a tragedy.

He nearly wept anew to imagine what Shana would feel if that were to happen.

The sun sank below the horizon, and still, no one spoke. An hour later, they were collectively surprised when Shana emerged from belowdecks, pale and holding onto her belly. They exchanged glances and decided not to pester her with attention, and as Shana slowly approached, Albert felt his heart lift slightly. She took a seat next to Meru, waking Nova. She wagged her tail thrice to see Shana before laying her head back down and drifting off again.

"Do you know how far?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the ocean.

"We're not sure," replied Meru. "We haven't asked."

"But it should only be another few hours," added Haschel. "Based on what he said last night."

"You feeling okay?" asked Meru.

Shana shook her head slightly. "Seasick."

And they left it at that. No words could help her pain. No comfort could ease her heart.

Darkness slowly began to attempt its takeover of the Queen Fury. Sailors strode around, but as before, they left them to their gloom as they lit torches here and there, leaving just enough light for them to see. Eventually, even Nova left them, content to chase around the crewmembers for a time.

The approach of night brought a strange apprehension to Albert. With an nervous spirit, he reached out with his mind to feel the night air around him. He sensed the slight movements all about him, air tossing to and fro as it bounced around above the ocean. A steady breeze came in from the south, refreshing him, but he detected no instability around him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Reaching farther, he felt no disturbances in the wind's direction, save the Queen Fury itself. They were alone on the ocean. Nothing was approaching. Nothing was endangering them. The spotty clouds above drifted along in their calm manner, undisturbed by the tension of colliding air masses.

He sighed to feel it, though it only slightly alleviated the tension between his shoulders.

Several hours after sundown, someone heralded the approach of land. The group returned to their rooms and gathered their things – and Dart's and Rose's – before returning to the deck to await disembarkation. Lights gleamed in the distance, tiny pinpricks in the dark landscape before them. Albert's heart rejoiced to see the safe, firm earth now within reach.

It took another hour before the commodore would let them leave the ship. He handed Albert a sum of money to put toward their stay at the inn and promised that tomorrow by noon, he would have more information for how long it would take to be able to take off once more. Albert received it kindly before leaving the ship with his friends and walking into the port city of Fueno.

His heart was sad at how little he was able to pay attention to their reception. Meru's eyes were wide and attentive as they moved from the port into the city proper, but Albert and the others could barely glance around enough to find direction to the inn. At long last, after moving up several flights of stairs and through a small park, they arrived at the Flapping Pelican.

The inn stood tall with two stories, and they entered the main double doors into a large seating area, complete with a bar across the room. A small desk stood just to their left, and they waited awkwardly until someone came to attend to them. After ignoring terrified glances toward Kongol, they paid for two rooms for three nights, hopeful that they would be able to leave earlier and that Dart and Rose would show up the next day.

They were led up the stairs on their right that opened onto the large second floor. A long hallway stretched to their left and ran the length of the large inn, and at least a dozen doors spotted both sides. The attendant led them to the third door on the left and the last door on the right, and they thanked her before she nodded and headed downstairs.

At long last, each of them settled into beds, although Kongol's legs hung awkwardly off his. Albert felt some regret when Kongol decided to sleep on the floor, but there was nothing that he could have done. Instead, he lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling.

The previous day felt like a blur. His mind was aflutter with worry. It was several hours later that he finally was able to drift off into an uneasy sleep.