When Dart and Shana left the castle, Lavitz stayed behind; he needed to speak to the king without others nearby. After visiting the barracks and cavorting about with the young soldiers for a time, he joined the mess hall for dinner and struck up a rousing chorus over dessert before leaving to cheers and whistles at his safe return to Bale. Then he made for the quiet of the throne room.

As he stepped into the room, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. The sun had long set, and now the only lights were from two braziers and several candelabras dotted about. Even in the dim light, Lavitz could make out the short stairs on either side of the room that led up to the platform housing the throne of King Albert. He approached the wide platform and placed a hand on the cold stone, remembering the many years spent in this very room.

Footsteps approached, and Lavitz spun, expecting to see King Albert, but instead a man appeared with a long, hooded cloak entering from the hallway. He halted when he saw Lavitz.

"You're one of the king's advisors," said Lavitz, pointing at the man.

The man nodded, his face obscured by the darkness of the evening, and he took a step back.

"I don't want to intrude," said the man. "Forgive me."

Then he turned and left.

"No, I—" began Lavitz, but the man was already gone. With a shake of his head, Lavitz dismissed the peculiar event and turned away from the throne. The main doors leading to the courtyard were shut, but on either side were two smaller ones, and it was through one of these that Lavitz strode, clicking the butt of his lance on the floor as he walked onto a large balcony overlooking the city.

A thousand tiny dots of firelight could be seen across the canvas of Bale, and Lavitz smiled. Here before him lay his home and his peace, and for several minutes, he was content to simply watch it exist.

After some time, his reverie was interrupted by the footfalls of a king, and he spun to greet his old friend.

"Your Majesty," he said with a bow of his head.

"Ah, Lavitz," laughed the king. "Always so formal."

"A knight always should be."

"And what does this knight need from his lord this evening?"

Lavitz took a deep breath. "I have more to tell you of my journey. But it's… troubling."

"And the rest was not?"

"Fair," chuckled Lavitz. "It's about Hellena Prison. I was there for seventeen days. And sixteen of those seventeen days, they questioned me."

"Torture," whispered Albert as his face fell.

Lavitz nodded. "They wanted to know some things that I expected them to ask about: things about you, the locations of our armies, and all that. But the main thing they wanted to know was the whereabouts of the Moon Gem."

King Albert took a steadying breath. "So, it's true," he said.

"Yes," said Lavitz. "Doel wants your throne, and he wants to make it official. So that no one can deny his rule."

"You are right. This is troubling, indeed."

"He's going to make a move for Bale at some point."

"Yes." King Albert moved to the balcony and rested his elbows on the railing as a breeze drifted over the city, rustling the trees in their slumber. "This apparent peace is a mere farce. I fear not that we are on the edge of war, but that we have already been plunged into it. And with a giganto and a dragon opposing us, I am unsure that we will be able to stand against Sandora. Without defeating these two monstrous foes, Basil will be ended."

"I will fight to my last breath to ensure that that does not happen."

"That is also one of my fears. I had already begun to lose hope that you would return to us. We assumed your capture, as you were not among the fallen, but I could not have imagined that you would survive so long, much less escape. And now, I must send you out into the fray once again, this time with even more danger awaiting you."

"I am ready, Your Majesty," replied Lavitz.

"You always are," smiled the king. "Somehow you always seem prepared. Ready to lay down your life. Do you never stop to consider how your death would affect us all?"

"Occasionally, I admit. But as service demands, I fulfill. And that will always be true."

"Tell me, my friend. Are you really so unharmed as you seem? I see your bandages, but do not some wounds extend within?"

Lavitz paused as Albert searched him. Then with a sigh, he turned away.

"You know as well as I do, probably even better, that leadership requires sacrifice. In my case, that sacrifice is often my own emotions. But, yes… I feel the pain of the past month." He fidgeted with his lance. "I lost all my soldiers. And while I couldn't keep my eyes on all of them at once, I was a witness to the slaughter of many. When I was captured, I was forced to watch as the giganto finished off the rest. The physical torture in Hellena was much kinder. I would rather endure that a thousand times over than watch those men and women die like they did."

King Albert said nothing but extended a hand to Lavitz's shoulder.

"I will fight to make sure that you don't have to experience the same," added Lavitz, his lower lip quivering. Then all at once, his emotions spilled into tears, and he began to weep. The cares of the last few weeks overtook him, and he was grateful for the comforting presence of his friend, who drew him into a hug while he mourned the loss of over a hundred souls.

In time, Lavitz was able to turn his eye back to the horizon, where the Serdian Mountains left a dim silhouette against the night sky.

"You are strong," said King Albert. "Stronger than most others I know. Often, I feel a sting of jealousy to realize it."

"I wasn't the one with a kingdom thrust on my shoulders at ten years old."

"Perhaps not, but you are one of the reasons why the weight was such that I could bear it."

Lavitz smiled. All he'd ever wanted to be was someone that others could rely on. In his efforts, he'd achieved a position where a few too many now saw him as some form of salvation, and he couldn't decide whether to be proud or overwhelmed. Still, he knew that he would see it through. No matter what, he would protect Basil until his dying breath.

"What will you do now?" he asked the king.

"I am unsure. There is much to be discussed. Understanding Doel's intentions could change much of how we progress, but I fear that our troops are simply too few. Perhaps I should tell the other advisors of the Moon Gem."

"Is that wise?"

King Albert shook his head. "I do not know what is wise anymore. Is anything wise in war? At least, when formulating plans, they will be fully aware of the situation."

"True. It might be for the best."

"I wish you could be here to sit in on our meetings."

Looking out at the city, Lavitz had a sudden desire to stay. Part of him wished to defy orders and sleep in his mother's house until the worst of it all was over. But he could not. He must leave. He must fight.

Shana lay staring at the ceiling. She was wrapped in comfort, finally resting after several long days of travel, and yet sleep eluded her. She tried to calm her mind, but the thoughts of their future kept twisting their way in and out. Any moments that she would slip into dreams, she would see herself back in that cave, feel that odd whisper in her mind, and watch as the beast was destroyed.

Then she'd jolt awake again.

Dart was right, she thought. They took me because they knew… somehow.

With a huff, she turned on her side and tucked an arm under her pillow. The same question had plagued her for days: how had Sandora known about a power that she herself had never encountered?

Now she remembered what her father had said moments before the soldiers had burst through the door.

They're here for you.

Her parents had known. It was the only conclusion that had made sense. Somehow, when she was a child, she must have demonstrated this power, scaring them into a secret mania to keep her hidden from the world. They'd always been so protective of her.

"Then why didn't they tell me?" she whispered to herself.

Even after she'd returned from Hellena Prison, they had said nothing about such powers. Perhaps they'd believed that her escape had avoided any manifestations.

Flinching again, she remembered Hellena. She remembered the eyes of the guards, the straying hands, the sounds of anguish. Suddenly, she felt as if she were back in that cell, lying on that cot, and she pushed herself off the bed in defiance. With short breath, she looked around. But the world was normal. She was in Bale.

In frustration, she stood and fought tears. She wanted this all to end.

Through the quiet house came the sound of a door closing, and she turned her ear toward the hallway. After several moments, she heard shuffling downstairs, and she left her room and walked down the hallway until she reached the balcony overlooking the sitting room. There, she just caught a glimpse of Lavitz as he disappeared into the kitchen.

With a soft smile, she crept down the stairs, and a moment later, he returned holding a glass of water.

"You're back," she said.

"Gods!" exclaimed Lavitz, jumping and sloshing water onto the floor. Then he laughed as he put a hand on his chest. "It's you," he chuckled.

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm just a little surprised that you're still awake."

He strode over to the couches and set his glass down on a table before taking a seat before the low-burning coals.

"I'm having trouble sleeping," she explained, sitting across from him. Though the night was not particularly cold, she found comfort in the heat emanating from the fireplace.

"Oh?"

She hesitated. "Do you?"

Lavitz sighed and nodded. "More often than I'd like."

"How do you stop thinking about everything?"

"Sometimes I don't. Sometimes, the fear and regret are far away, and sometimes, it just holds me captive for hours."

"Is it your knighthood?"

"And a thousand other things," nodded Lavitz. "I've been a soldier for a long time. You don't easily forget the things you see on the battlefield."

Shana nodded, and silence fell over them. Lavitz took a sip of water before tossing another log on the fire and stirring up the coals. Soon enough, the log lit, and a warm glow cast over the room. Shana found herself mesmerized by the dancing flames, and for a time, she fell into its gaze.

"Are you afraid of battle?" asked Lavitz suddenly.

She glanced at him and then down at her hands and nodded.

"But it's not just fighting itself," she said. "I know I could die, and… that's not what has me worried. It's everyone else."

"Seeing people die?"

"No, it's more than that. Everything that's happened so far… It feels like it's all my fault." Lavitz opened his mouth to interrupt, but Shana hurriedly added, "I know it's not really. But it feels like it. There's… something inside me. And I don't understand what it is. I don't know where that light came from any more than you do. But I do know that Sandora wants whatever it is."

"You're afraid that they'll kill everyone else to get to you," concluded Lavitz.

"Yes."

With a sigh, Lavitz frowned and pondered this idea. Then, he said, "I can't promise that that won't happen. But I can promise that I'll be right next to you if it does. As long as I'm alive, I won't let them take you. And I know that Dart feels the same."

"That's what I'm worried about," she whispered. "I don't want either of you to sacrifice yourselves for me."

"Like it or not, that's what friends do," grinned Lavitz. "I know you would do the same for us."

She smiled.

"You know, you never mentioned Dart while we were in prison," said Lavitz suddenly. "Do you… I mean… Did you expect him to come for you?"

With a chuckle, Shana said, "No. He was gone for five whole years. I wasn't sure if he was ever coming back."

"Did you forget about him in that time?"

Sha paused. "No," she admitted. "I couldn't ever forget him."

"Forgive my forwardness, but we've been dancing around this for some time. Shana, do you have feelings for Dart?"

Frowning, she looked down at her hands. Now that the words were spoken out loud, she knew them to be true. She had loved Dart for many, many years. But could she admit to it now? She closed her eyes and imagined him – rugged, strong, more than that child that had left Seles so long ago. His blue eyes flashed in her mind, and blood rushed to her cheeks. Turning her eyes to Lavitz, she saw that he already knew her answer.

Rather than speak, he merely nodded and flashed a powerful grin.

"Tomorrow, we have a long way to go," he said happily. "We should probably get some rest. As much as we can, anyway."

"Right," nodded Shana, and they stood together.

"And, uh… Separate rooms," he said, tapping her playfully on the arm. "No cuddle time for you."

Blushing, she shook her head and huffed, but it did little to deter him as they marched up the stairs.

"Mom has a rule, see. No overnight snuggling for unmarried people. If you want to snuggle Dart—"

Shana turned and struck his shoulder with as angry a face as she could muster. He recoiled with laughter as they walked down the hallway, and as she opened her door, she pointed forcefully at him.

"Not another word," she said.

"My lips are sealed," he grinned. "And, just to ease your mind, I won't tell Dart about our conversation, either."

"Thank you," she replied. "And just to be clear, I didn't admit to anything."

"Is that the story you want to go with?"

"Yes, it is. He's… different. I have to get to know him again. What if he's different enough that I can't stand him anymore?"

"All that giggling on the way to Indels Castle suggests otherwise, but who am I to judge?" He shrugged as he walked backward down the hall. "Maybe you really do hate him, and you just haven't figured it out yet."

Rolling her eyes, she closed her door and leaned against it. In her solitude, her laughter was instantly replaced by introspection. How did she feel about Dart?

She closed her eyes. How many times had she dreamed about him while he'd been gone? In how many daydreams had she imagined his return home just to sweep her up in his arms?

With a sigh, she scolded herself. The Dart that had left was not the Dart that had returned. She had to give him a chance to speak for himself.