Lavitz plopped down on the rough ground as angular rocks pierced him. A light breeze passed over him, and he felt a kind cooling sensation on his wet scalp. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, inviting the wind to dig deep through the thick blonde locks. He was grateful that he was not wearing any armor as the fresh draft passed through his tunic.

Around him, the others were taking seats as well, exhausted but content to be above ground once again. Lavitz supposed someone might think they'd just stepped out of a lake instead of a mountain, so soaked were they with sweat. The only exception was Dart, who had been unaffected by the heat of the magma. For a moment, Lavitz could not help but stand in awe of Dart's new abilities. Recalling the fantastic battle within the mountain, he shook his head; some part of him wished that he could be as gifted as Dart.

But Dart had not left the mountain completely unfazed. The hit he'd taken from the virage had left him shaken and weary, and his worry for Shana was not helping his situation. Even now, his sleepy eyes kept darting over to look at her, making sure that she was okay.

In truth, Lavitz wasn't sure if she was. He'd been bewildered by her reaction to the statue, but even more so at her passing out upon its death. Now, even after the danger had passed, she seemed drained, as if she could fall asleep in an instant if only she lay down. Something mysterious surrounded her, but he had no idea what it could be. First the snake and now the virage – Shana was being encircled by power and mystery, and such power had placed her in vulnerable situations. If Lavitz had not dragged her away by force, she would have approached the creature during the battle and put her life at risk.

And then there was the enigmatic Rose. Her eyes remained distant, even more so than usual. Something about the encounter had left her shaken along with the others, but Lavitz could not decide what it was. Was she puzzled over Shana's reaction to the virage? Was she upset that Dart had gotten hurt? Was it the virage itself that was causing her to recoil?

Rose's mystery had only deepened with each day that he knew her. Lavitz thought her to be an attractive woman, but unpleasantly aloof. However, he was wise enough to know that this combination was not just happenstance. Perhaps losing her old friends had made her hesitant to trust them. And yet, she followed them.

Lavitz frowned. Here they sat, each of the others unwilling to move, and yet, they had an important mission to carry out and no idea where their horses and supplies were. He could only hope that their steeds had exited the mountain the same way and that they were wandering around the forest. In the end, he decided to be helpful and search while the others recuperated. He stood.

"I'm going to try to find the horses," he announced. "I know I'm thirsty, and you all probably are, too. Waterskins would be nice."

Dart glanced up and nodded, and Shana gave him a small, thankful smile. Rose, however, did not react at all. Their silence was oppressive.

With a huff, Lavitz turned and walked away. Before him lay a lush green vale, filled with conifers. He hoped that the middle of the valley would hold a river or creek, and that there he would find the horses recovering from the heat. It seemed reasonable that they would have remained together after leaving the mountain, but he could not be sure.

Weaving through the pines and cedars, Lavitz spoke aloud to himself.

"What are you doing here, Lavitz?" he asked. "How is it that ancient history is just appearing everywhere you go? You join a war, get captured, rescued, and then, boom! " He ducked under a low tree branch and hopped over a fallen log. "First a giganto, which were supposed to be extinct since… what?" He thought back, remembering the wars of his father. "Wow, I guess it's only been twenty or thirty years... But still, that's crazy enough. Tack onto that that your new friend from a random town turned into a hero of legend from a war that was fought eleven thousand years ago. As if that were normal. Then, you traipse off with him and this random woman who also happens to be a dragoon… just for fun? Of course not!" He threw up his hands, then took a wrong step and sank ankle-deep into a mixture of mud and leaves. While working his foot out and consequently choosing higher, less muddy ground, he continued. "Oh, no, not for fun. We're hunting a dragon. A dragon! And what am I even supposed to be able to do against a dragon anyway?"

He sighed in frustration, remembering what Dart had said about the beast. So large and so formidable, with scales stronger than steel. He knew that his lance would be no match for it. He often worried that the dragon would overpower Dart and Rose, and that he would be helpless to stop its rampage through Serdio. He stopped and glanced up at the green needles above him.

"I'm just a normal person," he protested. "But then again, how much death does a normal person see across his lifetime?"

He shook his head. His number was too high to count.

Remembering Hoax, he wondered if King Albert had already heard about his daring escapade to defeat a creature straight out of legend. Had he gotten word of Dart and Rose? Was he as worried now as he had been when Lavitz had gone missing a month ago?

"I'm sure he is," muttered Lavitz to no one. "He's my oldest friend, after all. I worry about him all the time, don't I?"

Even now, he imagined how the king would feel upon hearing of the Seventh Fort, and he felt a lump form in his throat.

"That's not why I'm here," he told himself, shaking himself into action and pushing forward.

The sloping earth was beginning to flatten, and Lavitz paused again to listen. In the peaceful silence, he thought he could hear a faint trickle of water coming from ahead, and he jolted forward with renewed vigor.

A minute or so later, Lavitz found his prize. A creek perhaps four feet wide wound itself through the vale, cutting into the black rock below. It rushed furiously, carrying runoff from last night's storm. Kneeling, he cupped his hands and drank deeply. The water was cold, rushing down from the snowy tops of the mountains nearby, and he splashed it over his head and face, savoring the sensation. Then he stood and began walking upstream, hoping that the horses were nearby.

An occasional breeze drifted past him, lifting the water from his face, hair, and neck, leaving behind a pleasant cool. He walked for another twenty minutes until he heard something ahead, and excitedly, he rushed forward. All four horses, together as he had hoped, stood next to the stream. Two of them were drinking, and as he approached, all four turned to face him with snorts.

"Hey, guys," he said warmly. His own horse whinnied and trotted up to him happily. Stroking her long nose, he said, "That's my girl. I missed you too, Luna."

He kissed her snout and scratched just above her shoulder – her favorite spot, and she bounced her head happily in response.

Lavitz was pleased to find that all their saddles and equipment were still intact and present, and he reached inside each pack to pull out waterskins and refill them at the stream. After this, he tied the reins of the other three horses together and mounted Luna. After patting her tawny neck, he urged her up the hill, leading them back to camp.

Now that he had cooled down, Lavitz, still wearing clothes wet with sweat, began to grow cold in the crispness; the mountain air had not yet recovered from the rain the night before.

"Luna," said Lavitz absentmindedly. "Do you think we can ever get Dart and Shana together?" Glancing down, he saw that she had no interest in such a conversation, but he continued anyway. "They have such an interesting dynamic. They're on the cusp of admitting how they feel, but they just won't do it. I think they both know it, too. Maybe Dart is the problem. Do you have any insights?" He looked down expectantly again. "You're right," he answered. "I should stay out of it. But that doesn't mean you have to. So, the next time you have the chance, be sure to push them into each other."

The horse continued to climb up the hill silently. Lavitz guided her through the trees, keeping them on a straight path back. He'd always prided himself on his sense of direction, and once again, they proved true, as only twenty minutes later, he emerged from the trees almost exactly where he'd entered. Up the hill, he saw his companions resting, although Dart stood at attention when he heard something approaching. Lavitz waved over at them, beaming despite their rugged demeanors.

As he approached, Dart moved closer and greeted his horse. "Thanks, Lavitz," he said, tired but sincere.

Nodding, Lavitz dismounted and grabbed the waterskins from Shana's and Rose's packs and handed them out to their respective owners. Rose took hers curtly and muttered thanks, and Shana grinned weakly up at him.

"Thank you," she said, proceeding to drink several gulps.

"It was nothing," said Lavitz, grinning.

"How did you find the horses?" asked Dart.

"Mostly luck," admitted Lavitz as he sat next to him. "I thought they might be as thirsty as we were, given the heat in that mountain. So, I found my way down to the middle of the valley where there was a creek. I hiked along it for a while, and there they were."

"And here I thought we only had bad luck left."

The irritation in Dart's voice did not escape Lavitz's attention. He sighed and looked down at the dark rocks and picked one up, examining it for a moment before tossing it down the hill.

"I honestly don't think any of this is just luck," he offered. Dart gave him a skeptical look. "I've always felt that there was some kind of guiding force leading us in the right direction. I mean, what are the odds that you would be breaking into Hellena at the same time I was breaking out? Not to mention everything going on with dragoons. The odds of you running into Rose at the same time you ran into that dragon, and then she happens to be a dragoon, and happens to know how to make you turn into one, too...?" He shook his head. "That kind of stuff doesn't just happen randomly. So, because of all that... I think that the whole incident with the snake in the cave – and that weird thing in the volcano – happened for some reason, even if we're not sure why yet."

While delivering this speech, Lavitz noticed that Shana was listening, and although she didn't physically react, he thought that Rose had as well, and he was pleased to see Shana's strained expression relax slightly as he spoke. Dart, however, seemed unconvinced. Upon Lavitz's mention of the snake, he'd glanced over at Shana, but now he stared fixedly on the valley before him with a thoughtful expression.

They remained silent for several more minutes. Although Lavitz typically preferred conversation, he had learned quickly while traveling with Dart and Shana that they did not. Quite often over the past several weeks, he had deferred to their desires for silence, and still, he occasionally feared that he talked too much. Now, he sensed that the trio of introverts still needed time to process the events of the day, or maybe they were simply too exhausted to speak freely.

Surprisingly, Rose was the first one to prod for a change of pace. She stood suddenly and announced that they should be moving as it was still so early in the day. As they made for their mounts, they searched for evidence of the dragon's path, and Dart eventually found it twenty yards southeast. Then they followed the prints into the forest.

After a half hour of silence, Lavitz finally decided to poke around for a conversation. Leading Luna to fall into step next to Dart, he spoke up.

"So, Dart, have you put any more thought to the Black Monster?" he asked, hoping that their distance from the women would encourage Dart to speak about it. It appeared to work, as he responded almost immediately.

"Not since Bale, no," he said. "I guess I've been… distracted."

"Do you ever think you'll figure out what it really is?"

Dart sighed and shook his head, dropping his gaze to his hands as he fidgeted with the reins. "I don't know… I spent so long chasing down that thing and came up empty-handed. I got more information from Minister Noish in five minutes than I did in five years."

"Perhaps we'll find some more treasure troves of information as we travel about," reassured Lavitz. "There have to be more people who know about it."

"Maybe," said Dart. A sour look crossed his face.

After a moment, Lavitz asked, "What will you do when all this is over? The dragon defeated, the war over, everyone's safe again? Will you go back to hunting it?"

"I guess so. Maybe. I've been east. It would make sense to try to go west."

Lavitz nodded. "There's a lot out there."

"I just don't understand why it would do something like that," said Dart. "What was the point? Why only my town?"

"They call it a monster for a reason," said Lavitz. "You'll find it one day, Dart. I have faith in that."

"Thanks," he muttered.

For a while, they ruminated over their respective quests for vengeance. Lavitz could still remember the moment that the young King Albert had appeared at his door and given him the news of his father's death. Such pain had taken over his life that he'd thought that he would never find his way out of it, and he wondered if Dart had felt the same after his own parents' deaths. Surely it was true, although Dart had been much younger. Perhaps his youth had spared him the haunting memories that plagued Lavitz on his worst days. Even now, he could still hear his mother's sobs through the walls of her bedroom. He would never forget the first time that she had tried to go through her husband's things to donate them to those in need. In the end, they'd given up, resigned to try again another day.

Upon hearing about the circumstances of his father's death, Lavitz had spiraled into a bout of obsession with finding the culprit. For a month or so, he thought of little else, and once he'd discovered his name, he set out on a mission to find and kill him. In the end, he'd achieved nothing and returned home to a mother who had been fighting through her overwhelming grief alone.

Glancing over, he hoped that Dart would find a different path. His anger had driven him from his home for five years, and now he had a chance to make things right with the one he'd left behind.

Eventually, conversation eased back among them, and the four spoke light-heartedly for a time, though Rose remained reserved in her contributions. Still, Lavitz was pleased to see that she was back to her old self, and that Shana and Dart were able to discuss and laugh together again. Although he always felt the weight of their monumental task, Lavitz did his best to hide this from the others, trying to keep them in high spirits. Thankfully, the only person that knew for certain what dangers were going to present themselves in their coming battle was Rose.

As dusk began to fall, they decided to stop for the night; none of them was fond of happening upon a dragon in the dark. With the sun setting, the warmth of the air had fled, and as dew settled around them, they each began to feel a chill. Finding a small clearing, they dismounted and let the horses graze. After gathering some firewood, Dart created a small flame with which to light it, and they all sat around the warm glow.

Silence fell as their shifting ceased and the horses fell asleep. The only sounds now were the hooting of a nearby owl and the crackling of the fire. Even the crickets were silent in the cold night air. Lavitz could feel the tension creeping into the camp as they each considered what must be done soon, potentially the very next day. The only one not putting off an air of trepidation was Rose, who maintained her normal vacant stare at the fire. Lavitz wondered if she was as calm as she appeared to be, or if she was simply adept at masking her own emotions.

In contrast, Dart's face was contorted with worry and apprehension, transparent as he ever was. Normally, Lavitz would have found it amusing that Dart, who fought so hard to hide his feelings, was as easy to read as an open book; but at this moment, Lavitz only felt compassion for the great burden that Dart was carrying. While Lavitz had been dealt hefty amounts of responsibility over the years, he knew that none of it could compare to the intense pressure that Dart felt. He was one of two people in all Serdio who could hope to defeat the dragon, and he felt wholly unprepared for it. Lavitz struggled to comprehend the weight of such a dilemma.

Thinking back to this morning, he almost felt guilty having laid the lives of all the people of Serdio on the vanquishing of the monster, but he tried to remind himself that Dart had needed the push. Though Dart had said nothing, Lavitz could always tell when a soldier was having second thoughts about a battle to come. He couldn't count the number of times he'd had to give the same kind of speech to his own troops.

Now, he struggled for half an hour to come up with some words of encouragement, or at least something to calm them enough to sleep. He recalled many speeches he'd heard in the past from men like Kaiser or even King Albert trying to build morale before a big fight. But he was ashamed to find himself at a loss for words.

Soon, the darkness was complete. Rose, who sat just outside their small circle, began to flicker, as if she herself was a shadow being cast by the flame. Lavitz had noted such behavior before, and he found it most curious. Just as he was beginning to ponder it, she suddenly stirred, becoming more coherent, and scooted forward slightly.

"We need to talk about the coming fight," she said, her tone serious.

"About the dragon?" he inquired.

Rose nodded. "We need to discuss our plan, since we have enough time to make one now."

"How do you plan to fight a dragon?" asked Dart cynically.

"At the end of the day, a dragon is still an animal," she replied. "You use its instincts against it. Now that we won't be on a battlefield, things will be a little bit easier."

"What are you saying?" asked Lavitz.

"If a male dragon is nesting, that means he's waiting for a female to impress with the home he's made. Somewhere in the forest, he will have dug tunnels and built a nest within them where the female can lay her eggs. This spot, the nest within the tunnels, is something that he'll protect with his life. If he's out and about, he'll come back to the nest if we invade it, and that will keep him out of the air."

"Which gives us an advantage," surmised Dart.

"At least, it will keep him from gaining one," nodded Rose.

"It's a male?" said Shana. "But there aren't any females, are there?"

"No, his nest will never be filled with eggs," frowned Rose. "But he will still protect it. Dart and I will be leading this attack, as we're the only ones who can pierce its scales. Lavitz and Shana, your job will be to distract him by attacking the nest."

"What?" interjected Dart. "Isn't that what it wants to protect the most?"

"Yes," nodded Rose. "If it's not paying attention to us, we'll have a better opportunity to attack its head. If we can pierce under the scales at the base of its skull—" she demonstrated by touching the back of her neck "—we can sever the spine and kill it almost instantly."

"Without pain," remarked Shana, and Rose nodded.

"That's not happening," snapped Dart. "You said that dragoons can resist poison, not them. We should be the ones to put ourselves in harm's way because we can resist it."

"And how are these two supposed to attack from above when the dragon towers over them?" challenged Rose. "We are the only ones who can kill it. It must be this way. Otherwise, the dragon will never give us an opportunity. It knows its own weak points as surely as you know yours."

"We should still be the ones to do it. I'll distract the dragon, and you can attack it. Lavitz and Shana can wait outside the forest."

Rose gritted her teeth, but not out of anger, and Lavitz sensed that she was hesitating. There was something else, something that she didn't want to say. Something that would ruin Dart's optimistic plan. Something that Dart had forgotten.

"There's another variable," he said, eyeing Rose closely as she looked down. "Isn't there?" She didn't respond. "Dart said a long time ago that they could control the dragon because he heard a voice commanding it in the forest. And you said that a dragon doesn't leave its nest, and yet this one did so to attack the Seventh Fort. There must be something or someone controlling it. And you think you know what it is."

"What could possibly control a dragon?" asked Shana with fearful eyes.

"That question would have been impossible to answer two weeks ago," muttered Lavitz. "But we all know the answer."

"Yes, I suspect that there is another dragoon," replied Rose.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Lavitz gently.

"I wasn't sure. If there isn't one, this battle will be easier. But if there is, one of us will be occupied with it and the other with the dragon. Dart, you've never fought a dragon, and you're certainly not experienced enough to fight a seasoned dragoon. Dragons are powerful and quick. Without a distraction, you may not come out of the battle alive."

"It's not happening," said Dart suddenly, turning to glare at Rose. "If you think we're putting them in harm's way just so we can get in a couple good shots, then yo-"

"That's exactly what's going to happen," she returned, meeting his gaze sternly. "This battle is determining the fate of Serdio. Have you already forgotten the Seventh Fort?" Dart broke eye contact and huffed. "You are a dragoon now, Dart. That isn't something that can be ignored. The last time the dragoons were called into history, it was to change the world. Why do you think you've been called now? This is bigger than you, and it's bigger than them. It's about time that you start acting like you know what you are."

Standing, Dart's voice rose into a yell.

"Don't make this about me! You're throwing them into the line of fire like they're worthless!"

Now Rose leapt to her feet and shouted at him over the fire, her eyes lit with a fury that had Lavitz shirking away.

"Don't count the cost of war to me!" she roared. "What victory can there be without sacrifice?"

"I don't care!" returned Dart. "I can't lose them!"

It was Lavitz's turn to jump up, and he stepped forward and held his hands out between them.

"We need to calm down," he urged, but they had no interest in such a suggestion.

"We're outnumbered, Dart! We need their help! If the dragon is not stopped, thousands of innocents will die. And I can't do this by myself."

The fire jumped suddenly, flaring up another two feet in height, and Lavitz stumbled backward as shadows flickered around Rose, threatening to engulf Dart on her command.

"That is enough!" he shouted, and the magic receded while the two stood glowering at each other. "No matter how we go into this battle, I know for certain that we need to do it together. Fighting like this isn't going to accomplish anything but make it more difficult to win. Rose is right, Dart. This battle is bigger than us. I don't like the odds any more than you do, but there isn't anyone else who can do it. And you do need us."

Dart's angry eyes turned to him, and there behind his wrath, Lavitz could see his fear. It had pervaded him, swallowed him up, and he could do nothing but mask it with fury.

"I know that you're afraid," said Lavitz gently, taking a step toward Dart, who looked away and retreated. "I am, too. Yes, it's true! I'm terrified. But if we don't do this, who else can? If we don't kill this dragon, it will wreak havoc on Basil, and our homes will be destroyed. Seles, Bale, Indels Castle… it will all be gone. King Albert, my mother—" His voice caught, and he shook his head. "Your parents, and Shana's parents – they'll all be slaughtered. Just like Mal."

"My parents already were slaughtered," returned Dart with a fierce eye. "And now, I have to watch you and Shana put yourselves in harm's way? You don't know how that feels."

Lavitz smiled softly. "I know exactly how that feels. You're afraid that you'll have to go through all that pain again. You're afraid that if you do, you might never find your way out of it. But the harsh reality is that you can't control everything. Whether or not we follow this plan is not yours to decide, but mine and Shana's. I, for one, will do whatever it takes to see my people and my kingdom safe."

"So will I," added Shana as she stood and watched Dart with a worried eye.

"So, it's decided," replied Rose smugly. "Shana and Lavitz will join the battle."

Dart took a small step back. Quietly this time, he said, "There has to be another way."

Reaching out to him, Shana placed a hand on his arm.

"What if there isn't?" she whispered.

Dart stepped away and rubbed his face. When Shana attempted to follow, he waved her away and then escaped into the trees.

"Dart!" called Shana, but he didn't stop.

"Don't," instructed Lavitz. "He needs some time to process. We can talk to him about it tomorrow."

Hesitantly, she returned to the fire, and the three sat dismally, watching the flames dance.

"I wish I could help him," said Shana.

"So do I," replied Lavitz.

"Do you really think it will be that dangerous?"

"Yes," answered Rose. "If we had more dragoons with us, I wouldn't think so. And if it is just the dragon, we might be able to use Dart's plan. That will make things simpler, at least."

"And if it's not? How are we supposed to help fight a dragoon?" asked Lavitz.

"I'm not sure you can."

"But you lot can't be impervious, right? There has to be a weakness somewhere."

"Dragoons can die while transformed, if that's what you're asking. We heal faster, but that doesn't mean we can't bleed out. It's just more difficult because we can replenish it so much more quickly than in human form."

"Will arrows do anything?" asked Shana.

"That depends on how good a shot you are, I suppose," conceded Rose. "The hide of a dragon is thick, but if you can manage to hit between the scales, you'll do some damage. And as for the dragoon… Our armor is as hard as dragon scales. Just aim for open skin. A shot to the throat would do the trick nicely."

"Go for the eye," grinned Lavitz.

Shana offered a small smile before glancing toward Dart's void. Then she hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees.

"And what happens if we do breathe in the poison?" she asked in a small voice.

"Honestly…" Rose hesitated. "I'm not sure if there's anything that we can do."

The thickness of her statement fell over them like a blanket, and Lavitz took an unsteady breath. He'd leapt into battles before, several of which had seemed impossible to win. He'd seen an entire knighthood murdered, and he'd fought a giganto that had nearly killed him. But something about this fight seemed different.

Despite Rose's words, he wasn't sure if his presence or Shana's would make any sort of difference. They'd left Hoax in such a hurry that he hadn't even considered bringing his own bow. How else was he to effect any change? One toss of his lance, and he would be left defenseless in the face of a danger that he couldn't even imagine. Perhaps Dart was right, and he and Shana were just cannon fodder in the larger fights of legendary beasts and their masters. Perhaps they had no place here, and they were kidding themselves into believing that they could enact a change.

In time, Rose and Shana lay down for sleep, and as the hours slid slowly by, Lavitz kept watch over their camp, hoping that Dart was finding his resolve somewhere among the trees.