Staring at the ceiling of the dark room, Dart waited impatiently until daylight. Even without windows, he estimated that he only had an hour to go. He began to wonder if the doctor would let him in to see Shana before sunrise. Nearby, Lavitz's breathing came through slowly and rhythmically, bringing a kind of musical peace to the room.

Deciding that he did not want to wait any longer, and that he could at least see the city with fewer people bustling about, Dart quietly got up and changed into some new clothes. Now that he no longer wore them, he was appalled at the stench wafting over from the garments he'd worn yesterday, and he threw them into the corner farthest from his bed. Then, leaving his armor on the floor, he strapped on his sword belt and stepped out the door, careful not to wake Lavitz.

Nothing else stirred as he walked down the stairs. It felt strange to feel the air moving over his torso, through his loose tunic, but he appreciated the extra freedom of movement. As he reached the dimly lit dining hall on the first floor, he was surprised to find Rose sitting alone in a corner, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea, a startling similarity to their first real conversation. Silence pervaded the rest of the room.

"Hello," she said, almost making him jump at the sudden sound.

"Hey," he muttered.

"Going to check on Shana?"

"Yeah… Couldn't sleep."

"I suspected as much." She dropped her eyes down to her mug.

"Are, uh… Are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied as she stared at him.

After giving a nod, Dart awkwardly walked past her and out the door.

The sky was just barely beginning to brighten, and Dart could still see countless stars. He hated how he had to crane his neck to see the sky; he longed to be out in the wilderness again. Turning right, he meandered down the street, now almost devoid of people, this time paying attention to the buildings around him. This seemed to be a residential district, as most of the buildings were unlabeled. Occasionally, a rare store appeared advertising the best selection of goods or lowest prices in Lohan.

As he walked down the street, his mind settled on Shana. Although Lohan had not impressed him yet, especially compared to Bale, he imagined that he would have fun exploring the city with her. He smiled weakly as he imagined her reaction to some new trinket in one of the shops. Despite the busy people and the cramped spaces, he would live the rest of his life in this city if she wanted, if only she survived.

Coming to an intersection, Dart turned left. A few more people were scuttling down this street, most of them carrying boxes of various goods as if they were in a great rush. He wondered how they could possibly be late for anything so early in the morning.

In the distance, Dart could just make out the sign advertising the clinic, and he picked up his pace. Arriving at the door, he knocked and waited.

A few moments later, he heard a bolt turn as the door unlocked and it opened, revealing the old doctor looking tired and perplexed, still wearing nightclothes.

"Oh, it's you," he said tiredly. "You can come in, although I'm surprised you came this early." He stepped aside, and Dart walked through the doorway, eyes instantly snapping to Shana's bed on his right.

"How is she?" he asked.

"A little better, actually," said Sanator hopefully. "It appears that the antitoxin I administered is helping her, although I don't think the change will last forever. Although I can't guarantee anything, she may wake up soon, if you'd like to speak to her."

Dart rushed over to the bed and gazed down at her sleeping figure. She appeared the same as the night before, although a slight color had returned to her cheeks. Reaching out, he ran his thumb across her forehead and was pleased to notice that her body temperature had elevated. He turned back to the doctor.

"Did you find anything that would help her?" he asked desperately.

"Not yet," Sanator answered, shaking his head mournfully. "As you can see, I was up well into the night searching for something." He gestured to a large pile of thick books resting on his desk. "But nothing yet. I will continue to search during my free time."

"Thank you," muttered Dart as he turned to face Shana again.

"Here," said the doctor, and he grabbed a nearby stool and dragged it over to Shana's bed.

Dart nodded in thanks and scooted it up to Shana's bed, sitting next to her and leaning forward on the soft mattress. Little could be heard in the small clinic except for the consistent breathing of several sleeping patients and the occasional turning of a page as Sanator flipped through his books. Dart watched and listened as Shana's chest rose and fell. Clean white sheets had been pulled up across her chest, and her arms lay exposed at her sides.

"Hey," whispered Dart, brushing her hair back behind her ear. He hesitated. "I…" He sighed. "We'll find a way to make you better. Whatever it takes…"

His eyes drooped and he felt his lack of sleep as he sat, finally near Shana. Somehow, he felt more at ease with her close by. His left hand moved closer to hers, and he began tracing her fingers and knuckles. Her hands were smooth except for a callous on the inside of her thumb where her bow usually pressed against it. Slipping his hand over hers, he ran his index finger across the small bump, recalling her impressive skill and regretting that he had never voiced his pride in her accomplishments. She had surely grown up over the last five years, learning far more than he had ever expected.

Resting his chin on his right arm, he continued running his fingers over her hand, almost at peace if not for Shana's illness. Exhaustion finally caught up with him, and he fell asleep.

He was back in the forest with Shana. The creek bed where they had spent so much of their youth. He splashed at her, and she laughed. Then giant footfalls crashed through the trees, and he turned to see a lumbering green dragon rushing toward him. Roaring, it gave chase as Shana climbed onto his back and he sprinted through the forest. Trees came crashing down around him, but he was gaining ground.

But then Shana was gone. He turned and saw her standing before the beast, unmoving. He called out to her, but no sound escaped his lips. He tried to run to her, but each step was fruitless, and no matter how hard he pushed off the ground, he could gain no traction. He screamed in frustration, tears streaming down his face as he realized that she was going to die. One more step, and the dragon would have her. He collapsed in anguish.

His eyes snapped open. He was not in a forest, but the clinic in Lohan. People were speaking near him, and he thought he recognized the voice. Was it... Lavitz? Slowly, he lifted his head and realized that his right hand was completely numb. Looking down at his arm, he saw the blood rush into his skin where his head had deprived it, leaving a wide red mark. Trying to recover from the terror of his dream, he blinked rapidly and flexed his fingers on his right hand, willing the blood to flow back into them.

His left hand still rested on Shana's. He looked at her but was disheartened to find that she was still asleep. Wondering how long he had been dreaming, he turned lazily away from her toward the sound of Lavitz's voice.

The knight was standing near the door, in a plain tunic and trousers, speaking to the doctor. Behind him, Rose leaned against the wall, eyeing the floor. As Dart turned, she lifted her eyes to him and said his name. Lavitz spun around.

"Hey!" said Lavitz, stepping over toward him. "I just got here a couple minutes ago, but I didn't want to wake you."

"Thanks," muttered Dart. "How long have I been here?"

Rose pushed off the wall and joined them, the doctor following closely behind. "About three hours," she said.

Dart grunted in response and rubbed his eyes. His hand was almost back to normal, but it still felt prickly.

"I was just telling Mr. Lavitz here," said Sanator, "that I may have found something."

At this, Dart focused his attention. He stood abruptly before immediately regretting it as his head swam in dizziness. He placed a hand on the bed to steady himself.

"You alright?" asked Lavitz, concerned.

Nodding, Dart turned back to the doctor and asked, "What is it? Whatever it is, we'll try it."

"One of my books mentioned something about a strange plant with powerful healing properties." He walked over to his desk and retrieved a rather sizeable book with old, worn pages. "It is said that it was grown near the nests of white silver dragons, which had healing magic. Legend says that it could heal any type of poison or ailment, including dragon's venom. If you could get some of that, I believe she may have a chance."

"Where do we get it?" asked Dart.

"That's the problem," said Sanator, pursing his lips. "If it exists, I am not sure it is anywhere outside legend. But perhaps you could find someone in this town that knows more about it. It may be our only hope."

Turning back to Shana, Dart said, "How long do we have?" He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Fortunately, the antitoxin seems to be buying her some time. Either way, you should hurry as much as you can, but you probably have a couple weeks. But please remember that I have no experience with this ailment. It could be longer or much shorter."

"What is the plant called, exactly?" inquired Lavitz.

"Dragoni, named after the beasts that gave it its power." The doctor held out his book and pointed at a drawing of the plant. Dart and Lavitz leaned over it. In big fanciful letters at the top of the page was written "Dragoni Plant," and a sketch of the plant filled a quarter of the page. It reminded Dart of some of the broader-leaf plants that grew on the forest floor, where less sunlight reached them, but he had never seen a plant with such pronounced stripes.

"Very distinctive," muttered Lavitz.

"Yes, and the leaves are almost a silvery shade of green, except for the maroon stripes," said Sanator.

Dart gazed down at Shana, still unconscious on the bed. "I guess we had better go then," he said quietly. He hated the thought of leaving her again. Doing so in the past had only brought harm to her, it seemed, and he could not bear what might happen while he was gone. Stroking her hair, he sighed. "We'll be back soon," he told her, and he felt Lavitz's hand on his shoulder. Smiling weakly, he stepped toward the door, nodding to the doctor on the way.

"Thank you, Dr. Sanator," said Lavitz, placing several gold coins in his hand. "We'll be back with some dragoni plant, and we'll pay you whatever is left then."

"I sincerely hope to see you soon," he replied, and Lavitz and Rose followed Dart to the door.

After one last glance at Shana, Dart hesitantly stepped outside.

The sun had risen, shining brightly on the busy city. As early as it still was, the streets were already brimming with energy as people ran to and fro. Dart silently cursed everything about this town, wishing they were still in Bale.

"So where do we start?" asked Rose.

"I'm not sure," admitted Lavitz. "I guess we could just systematically go to each store and ask about it? It wouldn't hurt to be thorough."

Dart and Rose agreed, and they started down the street, keeping their eyes peeled for any shops.

The next several hours dragged by slowly. Dart hated every second of it, getting his hopes up every time they entered a store and then being disappointed each time. After the first several stores, he decided that just assuming that nobody had any dragoni plant would be easier, and from then on he maintained a sullen state of melancholy. Several times, he noticed Lavitz giving him concerned looks, but he ignored them. He didn't care if he was happy, as long as they found something to help Shana.

Afternoon approached and slid past much the same as the morning. They stopped briefly back at the inn for some lunch, which Dart thought was severely overpriced, and then headed back out. This time they decided to tackle the merchant district, which was uncomfortably full of people and noise and loud advertising. Dart grew irritable as they continually asked for the same thing over and over, and each time were denied any information. As they walked out of what seemed the thousandth store, Dart clenched his jaw and paused amid the throng of busybodies.

"I'm going back to the clinic," he announced, turning and walking down street, not bothering to see if they were following.

Lavitz called out after him. "But Dart, we-"

"Just go on without me!" he shouted over his shoulder without breaking stride.

Stomping down the streets, he mourned their hopeless situation. He had been sure that they would have found something by now. He rounded several corners, ignoring the sounds of the city, until he came to a dead end. He stopped, bewildered, and examined his surroundings. There were no more people, although he could hear them bustling about from the street behind him. Several doors led into residences near him, but he was sure that he had never been to this part of Lohan. Exasperated, he turned around and punched the wall of the nearest building.

He was alarmed to see that he had broken the board in front of him, leaving a fist-sized hole in the siding. Even more surprising was the black charring on the edges of the hole where he had burned the wood in his anger. Breathing heavily, he turned and slid down the wall, holding his head in his hands. Sitting on the cobblestone, he was overcome and began to weep.

More than anything, Dart hated feeling helpless and hopeless. Right now, he could see no way out of their situation. Shana's fate was to die, and he could do nothing to intervene. He hated himself for it, and he hated himself for letting his emotions get the best of them, as they did now. Sometimes he envied Lavitz, who always seemed so in control and so in tune with his own emotions that he wore them proudly instead of hiding them in shame.

As the tears began to ebb, he wiped his face and leaned his head back against the wall behind him, staring into the sky. The moons, ever bright, shined in their places above the city, two white orbs on a background of blue while the sun remained hidden behind the tall buildings that Dart so desperately wanted to escape. He sighed heavily, wiping his eyes, knowing that he must get moving and either continue with the search or go back to Shana.

Slowly, Dart got to his feet. His lack of sleep was beginning to affect him, and he felt sluggish as he walked toward the alleyway entrance. As he met with the larger street, he glanced around, realizing that they hadn't visited any of these stores yet. As frustrated as he was with their fruitless search, he knew that dragoni plant was their only hope, and that searching for it here was the best chance they had. After a moment of gathering his strength, he stepped toward the nearest store.

He wasn't sure how this town could possibly have so many different places to buy things. Back home, they'd had perhaps ten people throughout town that sold a variety of goods, some specializing in herbs and vegetables, some in meats, and some in metal goods or woodwork. Here, each store was unique, selling only a minutia of options. The store that Dart now entered appeared to sell exclusively wooden plates and bowls.

Walking up to the counter on the left, Dart eyed a young girl, perhaps sixteen years old, who wasn't paying him any mind, preferring to focus on a book instead. She read avidly, and Dart had to clear his throat to grab her attention. Without looking up, she asked if he needed anything, quickly dismissing him upon hearing a query about plants.

Rolling his eyes, he left the store and moved to the next. He was treated in much the same manner in the next four stores he visited. He remembered now why he had been so frustrated before and decided that he would ask only two more stores before he gave up and went back to the clinic, if he could find it from here. Perhaps the next day would bring better luck.

Rounding a corner, Dart stopped at a store that sold antiques. Every item he saw in the window appeared to be old junk, but as Lavitz had said, it was better to be thorough. He grabbed the door handle and stepped inside, instantly assaulted by the smell of dust and wood.

The many tables and shelves in this store were lined with even more junk, ranging from chairs to cups to strange wooden carvings. He couldn't believe some of the prices on these items, and he wandered through until he found someone. A dark-haired man, slightly shorter than him, but much older, came out from a back room and greeted him heartily, his powerful voice echoing across the merchandise.

"Welcome, welcome!" he said too loudly for Dart's comfort, given their confined space. "I'm Dabas, and I sell all sorts of antiques. You can find anything in this store!"

"Yes, well…" began Dart awkwardly. "I'm not looking for antiques really, but do you know where I could find some dragoni plant?"

"Dragoni plant, dragoni plant…" Dabas ruminated on the phrase, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I could have sworn I've heard of it before…?"

Dart's heart skipped a beat. For the first time, someone had recognized the name. Dabas turned and weaved around some tables to the far wall, which was covered with old dusty books on high shelves. Carefully navigating the precarious displays, Dart followed. Running his finger over the spines, Dabas searched for a specific title, and after a minute or so pulled out a book entitled Tales of the Old World. A price tag demanding four gold pieces dangled from the spine. Thumbing through the book, Dabas finally stopped about halfway through and read a few lines, his lips moving silently.

"Ah!" he exclaimed suddenly. "Here we are." He leaned over to point out a paragraph to Dart and read it aloud. "However, nothing could match the fabled healing power of the Dragoni Plant. This magical plant, growing only near the nest of the white silver dragon, could heal any calamity. Adventurers have been seeking it for millennia." He skipped down several lines. "Centuries later, it is rumored that the plant remains extant. One adventurer with whom I spoke believed he saw several of the plants growing near a strange shrine in the forests of the Serdian Mountains."

Dart's pulse quickened, and he looked at Dabas hopefully. "What shrine?" he asked desperately. "Where is it? Is it still there?"

Dabas shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure," he said. "But I've heard rumors of a shrine east of Mount Villude, only a few days northeast of here. Maybe it's talking about that."

Grabbing his arm, Dart said, "Dabas, you're amazing. I'll buy this book." And he grabbed it, leaving Dabas slightly bewildered, but happy to be moving merchandise. Before he could say anything, Dart dug into one of his pockets and pulled out four gold pieces and slapped them into the merchant's hand.

"Thank you very much, sir!" called Dabas as Dart ran out of the store, feeling a sliver of hope for the first time.

Still not entirely sure where he was, Dart asked a passerby how to get to Sanator's clinic. With the directions, he almost sprinted away, determined to get there as quickly as possible. Several minutes later, he burst through the door of the clinic, expecting to see Lavitz and Rose waiting for him. Instead, he saw a very startled Sanator spinning around to look at him while leaning over a patient. Not bothering to explain himself, Dart strode over to Shana's bed while the doctor resumed his work. After setting the book down on the bedside table, Dart grabbed the stool and sat on it. He decided that it would be better to wait here for his companions rather than trying to find them in the city.

Shana seemed the same as she had that morning. He was comforted by the regularity of her breathing, and his hand lifted itself onto hers. She stirred at the sensation, and he watched her hopefully. Her eyes opened, and she blinked slowly at him, as if she were trying hard to process him.

"Dart," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'm here," he whispered back, lifting her hand and holding it close to his heart. "We're going to make you better. I promise."

Her eyes closed, and her head nodded slightly, and she drifted back into slumber. A few moments later, Sanator approached him.

"Did you find a lead?" he asked.

"Maybe," said Dart, keeping his eyes on Shana. "I'll wait to explain until Lavitz and Rose get back."

"Very well," mumbled the doctor before walking away.

Holding Shana's hand, Dart waited impatiently for his companions to return. He knew he shouldn't have left them like he had, and he would apologize when he had a chance, but he also knew that his leaving was what had led him to their first and only clue. Bouncing his leg on the floor, he allowed hope to rise within him as he had not dared for a long while.

"So, what do you think?"

Dart stood expectantly, hands on his hips, before Rose and Lavitz, who were studying the paragraph intently.

"I've never heard of any kind of shrine in the mountains…" said Lavitz skeptically.

"That doesn't mean it's not there," answered Dart frantically. "We have to at least try!"

Lavitz paused, sighed, and closed the book, handing it back to Dart. "I agree. We can't just do nothing. But before we leave, we should find a local map of the area. If we go out there blindly, we could lose precious time just trying to find it."

"He's right," said Rose. Walking past Dart toward the door, she added, "You guys go find us a map. I'll head back to the inn and start preparing for the journey." And with that, she left.

Turning back to Lavitz, Dart nodded, and the two left the clinic, Dart throwing one more glance back at Shana.

"Now where will we find a map...?" asked Lavitz distractedly as he examined the nearby buildings.

"I think I remember a maps and chart store on this side of the merchant district," said Dart, and they headed that way at once.

After several minutes of walking in silence, Dart begrudgingly spoke up. "I'm sorry for running off like I did earlier..."

"It's okay," replied Lavitz, "We knew that you would have your limit when we started out this morning. We were surprised with how long you lasted, to be honest."

"You were expecting me to just give up?" demanded Dart.

"No, no!" exclaimed Lavitz. "We thought that you would go back to Shana while we continued to look around."

"Oh."

"We're your friends, Dart," said Lavitz. "Even Rose, believe it or not. We know when you're upset about something, and we care enough about you to try to help. Why do you think Rose continues to follow us?"

Dart considered this thought for a moment. He knew that she had initially joined them out of interest for Dart's dragoon spirit, but he couldn't reason why she had decided to stay with them this long. Was it still out of interest for dragoons? Now that Lavitz had received a spirit as well, it made sense that she would want to remain with her own kind. But perhaps there really was more to it.

"She cares about us, even though I'm pretty sure she would never admit to it," Lavitz said. "I could see it in how she treated Shana in the dragon's nest. I think we're the first friends she's had in a very long time."

They rounded a corner, entering the merchant district, and took an immediate left. Climbing a set of old wooden stairs, they reached a second level where a boardwalk had been attached to the buildings to give easier outdoor access to the shops. As people rushed past them, they were forced into single file. They continued like this for several minutes until they turned left and entered an old, dusty shop.

Three or four people were already examining the wares and digging through endless stacks of parchment. Fanciful maps depicting the continent of Endiness or its various regions lay about on shelves or hanging on the walls. Dart and Lavitz marched up to the counter.

"Do you have any maps of the nearby mountains?" asked Lavitz.

The man behind the counter mumbled some response and pointed over to a small corner with folded maps piled up on a shelf. They approached and began unfolding the parchment. Finally, Dart found the right one and showed Lavitz. They searched the mountain range for any sign of the shrine, first finding Mount Villude, which Dart now recognized as the volcano through which they had traveled, and then they followed it east. Dart's heart leapt when he saw a strange, unnamed symbol on the map, just in the place Dabas had described earlier. They hurriedly bought the map and made their way back to the inn.

As they walked along, Dart realized that the day was already waning away. Night was nearly upon them, and once again, he felt the drain of missing a full night's sleep. He yawned several times on the walk back, and Lavitz noticed.

"I think we should spend tonight in the inn and head out first thing tomorrow," he said.

Reluctantly, Dart agreed, deciding not to protest, for he knew that he would soon be convinced. They reached the inn, which was now noisy with people eating dinner. After grabbing a quick bite themselves, they hurried upstairs to meet Rose and explain their plan. She nonchalantly agreed to it and proceeded to hide herself away in her room. Upon reaching theirs, Dart discovered that someone had come in during the day and washed their old clothes, leaving them folded neatly on the table.

"I told you this was the place for good service," said Lavitz as he proceeded to pack away all his things.

Dart followed suit, stuffing his freshened clothes into his pack, which he then dropped in the corner. As he removed his sword and placed it on the table for the night, he asked, "When did you come through Lohan before?"

"Last time was probably... eight or nine years ago." Lavitz's face was thoughtful. "Ever since Sandora's secession after King Carlo died, we've been keeping a close eye on them. They incited a few skirmishes here and there, usually along the border just north of here." Dart nestled into his bed as Lavitz sat and continued. "Lohan is technically in Sandora territory, but it declared itself neutral long ago to maintain its status as a trading capital. So, under the guise of a merchant, I traveled here quite a bit to see how things were going. I even delivered goods to Kazas a couple times. Never to Hellena, though. Sandora is quite picky about who goes out there."

"You were a spy?" asked Dart incredulously. The thought of Lavitz trying to be stealthy made him laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. But when I got promoted to head of the First Knighthood, that job was given to someone else."

Dart chuckled at the thought of Lavitz pretending to be anything but his stalwart, knightly self.

After a pause, Lavitz spoke up once again. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Dart."

The overwhelming compassion that laced this simple statement took Dart by surprise.

"Me, too," he muttered in response, staring at the ceiling.

Lavitz took a deep breath and continued. "I know that this is difficult. Nobody cares for Shana like you do. But... you're not alone anymore."

Dart swallowed. He tried to say something in response. He wanted to tell Lavitz about his worries and how helpless he had felt for so long. He wanted to explain that he didn't think that he was up to the task, and that he'd always felt as if he were alone ever since his parents had died. But all he said was, "I know."

But did he really know? He understood that Lavitz and Rose were traveling with him tomorrow, and that Lavitz, at least, cared about him. But he couldn't shake the thought that one day they might leave him, too. After all, it seemed like all anybody ever did.

He mentally cursed himself for his simplistic response as Lavitz blew out their tiny candle and crawled into the other bed.

Unlike so many others Dart had met, Lavitz did not think of emotions as a weakness to be fought and hidden away. For Lavitz, they were a powerful force that could end wars. Dart wished that he could come to the same place of confidence, and that he could for once explain all that he was feeling. So much emotion had built up in him over the past week that he had cried twice - twice - in two days.

He tried to remember the last time he had cried. It felt like so long ago as his mind drifted back over the years. In an instant, he relived all his time with Shana when they were both so young, and finally came to rest on a day perhaps two years after the attack on Neet. Hikari and Agnea had taken him outside to play in the snow – strange weather for that area of Serdio, to be sure. But Dart had been quite familiar with it, as the ground had always seemed to be blanketed with snow in Neet. The more he'd played, the more he'd remembered his real family. Suddenly running away, he had hidden in a closet, sitting on the dark floor and weeping for hours before anyone found him.

He had always been afraid to let others see his weaknesses, and the deep wound of his parents' deaths always threatened to show itself, turning him back into that fragile little boy from sixteen years ago. And yet, he had perfected the ritual of explaining the narrative of Neet to others, as he had done to Lavitz and Shana: detached, emotionless, aloof. More than anything, he had hidden his insecurities from Shana because he wanted her to feel safe with him.

And yet Lavitz had this uncanny ability to have his emotions laid bare for all to see. How could Lavitz see so easily through his façade? Every time Dart had begun to feel overwhelmed by the pressure of being a hero from legend, Lavitz had perceived and tried to address the issue. While Dart found this irritating, it was also admirable. Truly, Lavitz was never one to run from a battle, even one of the heart.

As Dart lay awake, eyes watching but not seeing the dark wooden boards above him, he wondered what it would be like to discuss his feelings with someone else. The only person he had ever shared with was Shana, and then only limited information. He never could bring himself to talk to her about his parents or the Black Monster before he'd left Seles. Would it make him feel better to talk things over with Lavitz? If Rose overheard, would she laugh at him? Would Lavitz really care enough to listen to his worries?

He scolded himself for this last question; of course, Lavitz would always listen.

Dart glanced over at his friend, who had fallen asleep quickly facing the opposite wall. Over the short time that Dart had known Lavitz, they'd become so close. He remembered their meeting in Hellena Prison and the impressive combat skills Lavitz had demonstrated. Something about Lavitz had made Dart trust him so quickly that it was almost disconcerting. The genuineness of his demeanor and the kindness he'd shown to the other prisoners and Shana had bewildered him. And yet, now that he knew Lavitz well, Dart understood that this was how Lavitz treated all those around him. From the endless greetings he had received upon arriving in Bale to the depth of caring that had carried him to the Seventh Fort, Lavitz consistently displayed such kindness that Dart had never seen.

As inescapable as ever, reminders of Shana's condition threatened his small moment of peace. He lifted his hand and covered his eyes as he sighed. Although he knew that they had a lead that might take them where they needed to go, he could not help but worry about her. Her life hung in the balance, completely dependent on the success of their quest. It was not an easy burden for him to bear, and he rolled over, as if the change in position would take the weight off his chest. Forcing his eyes closed, he tried to focus on other things, like the new dragoon spirit that Lavitz had received.

Suddenly he remembered the fight in the dragon's nest. Dart recalled Lavitz's reaction, the pure rage that had seethed through his being, and his brazen charge to confront Greham. Lavitz had killed Greham as well, finally avenging his father, and yet he had not said a word about it since they had left the nest. Shana had immediately become the priority.

After all the times that Lavitz had been there for him, Dart vowed to at least try to repay the favor tomorrow on the road.