Rushing through the busy streets of Lohan, Dart shoved his way past man, woman, and child. Although he noticed their agitated faces and could hear Lavitz's profuse apologies from behind him, Dart didn't care; he had to get to the clinic. He hadn't felt this tense since the night before they'd fought Feyrbrand.

The journey back had been swift, but to Dart it had seemed to drag on; the joy of finding a cure for Shana's condition was overshadowed by the great distance that separated them. His frustration with the slow passage of time must have been quite evident, as Lavitz had made several comments loosely directed at him regarding patience and perseverance. Although some part of Dart had appreciated the effort his friend had been making, he had mostly just been irritated.

One small comfort on the long ride had been the few training sessions among the three of them. He had enjoyed being able to let loose the power that had lain dormant since the dragon's nest. Dart was also amazed at Lavitz's innate ability to control his own power; it seemed to flow through him effortlessly. Had he been honest with himself, Dart would have admitted his jealousy. However, he also understood that Lavitz's extensive battle experience lent itself to his abilities as a dragoon. While Dart had been training with the sword for six years, Lavitz had known combat for over fifteen. Even so, Dart harbored a frustration at his own lack of magical mastery.

It was still clear that Rose's experience far outweighed either of theirs. Bending the darkness to her will was as effortless as breathing for her, and it had seemed as though she expected the same from them. She'd pushed them hard. Each time either he or Lavitz had flubbed a spell or exacted a sloppy technique, she had been harsh and merciless in her correction. He had begrudgingly admitted to himself that they'd learned much over the past couple days because of this unique training, but it was a sentiment that he would never share with her.

As they'd neared the edge of the mountains, Dart had urged them forward at a pace nearing that of the week before, when Shana had been slipping in and out of consciousness. As the city had come into view, his heart had begun to pound loudly in his ears.

Now, it would have been deafening if not for the excessive cacophony of people fidgeting about in the streets, incessantly blocking his path to Shana. It seemed like every person in Serdio had come here just to get in his way, and he felt a hot anger rising within him. He struggled to cool down before he accidentally burned anyone, tuning them out and focusing on nothing but his own footsteps and the path to the clinic.

At last, he made the last few strides and burst through the door. There, in the same bed as before, lay Shana's sleeping figure. Dart rushed over and examined her, paying no mind to anything else in the room. He was immediately struck by her pale, sickly complexion. He grieved to see her sunken eyes and hear her shallow breathing. She looked even thinner than he had left her only five days ago. After running his hand along her forehead, he reached under his breastplate to retrieve the dragoon spirits, spilling them both onto his hand in a hurry.

"You're back!"

Dart jumped violently at the sound of the doctor's voice as he emerged from a back room. Embarrassed, he tried to pretend that he hadn't been so surprised.

"I'm sorry," said Sanator. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Cursing silently at himself, Dart smiled weakly and said, "It's no problem."

Just as Sanator opened his mouth to speak again, Lavitz came bursting through the door, and Rose followed lazily behind. Absentmindedly, Dart dropped the white silver dragoon spirit onto the bed before turning to them.

"Did you find a dragoni plant?" asked Sanator hopefully.

Shaking his head, Dart said, "No. But we did find something else that may help."

"What is it?"

"It's… kind of a long story," interjected Lavitz. "But—"

He was cut off suddenly by a flash of light. Radiating from the bed was warm kindness along with the shining dragoon spirit, bright white as it illuminated the room. It now hovered over Shana's limp body, and a stream of light spilled into her chest. She began to glow, and Dart watched in amazement as color rushed into her cheeks, dark circles under her eyes lifted, and strength returned to her muscles. Slowly, Shana stirred and then raised herself up to sit on the bed, eyes wide at the sight before her. She reached out and took hold of the dragoon spirit, which continued to shine in her hand. Then, glancing around, her bewildered eyes landed on Dart.

"Dart…?" she said. "What's going on? What is this?"

A broad smile spread over his face.

"It can't be," said Lavitz.

"It is," responded Rose coolly. "The dragoon spirit recognized her as its new master. She purged the poison with her own power."

"What?" asked Shana. "I... I was sick. What happened?"

"We went to find you a cure," said Lavitz. "And we found that. Dart was going to pull the power with his dragoon spirit, but it looks like you did that all by yourself.

Stepping forward, Dart said, "You're a dragoon, too, Shana."

He thought his heart might burst within him. Not only was she healed – completely whole – but she now would be able to experience the same power that the rest of them did.

Shana studied the still-shining gem in her hands. Her expression wavered somewhere between curiosity and fear before finally giving way to determination.

"I can feel it…" she said slowly. "The… power of the dragoon spirit. But it's different than how I would have imagined." She looked up at Dart. "It's… gentle. Kind and soothing."

"It's the white silver dragoon spirit," said Rose. "It's unique among the dragoons, in that its combat role is greatly supportive. The magic of a fully transformed white silver dragoon can cure almost any ailment or injury. It's no wonder it chose you, Shana."

Shana shot Rose a small smile before tucking the dragoon spirit into her pocket, cutting off the light. Dart realized that his fatigue from their journey was gone and noted the stirring of several ill patients in the surrounding beds as Shana pushed back the sheets and stood.

"It seems my services are no longer needed," muttered Sanator, glancing warily among them.

"Right…" said Lavitz as he felt around in his pockets. Pulling out a sack of coins, he counted out several and handed them to the doctor. "Is this enough to cover it?"

"Oh, no, you can keep your money. This… This was a unique circumstance."

"Please, doctor, you saved her life," said Dart. "She wouldn't have been alive long enough for us to save her without your help."

"He's right," said Lavitz, waving his outstretched hand.

Sighing, Sanator reluctantly accepted the payment before counting out half and handing it back to Lavitz. "I have a feeling that my efforts will be well repaid without this. It seems that you all are… Well, let's just say that I expect you to go far. These past few days have been… enlightening."

Pursing his lips, Lavitz placed the money back in his sack.

"Thank you," said Shana warmly, stepping forward and taking the doctor's hand.

"You're more than welcome," smiled Sanator.

"Look," said Lavitz. "I can't do much to explain this—"

"There's no need," replied the doctor. "I doubt I would understand if you tried. Just... do what needs to be done. End the war."

A knowing look passed between the two, and Lavitz nodded somberly.

Dart and Lavitz shook the doctor's hand in farewell, and the group filed out of the clinic into the busy street. It felt like a different world, bustling with excitement and opportunity rather than oppression and annoyance. Even the air smelled fresher than it had only an hour ago. As they proceeded toward the inn, Lavitz cutting his way through the crowds, Dart could not fight the boyish grin that now adorned his face. Probably too often, he glanced behind him at Shana, who was watching the world around her in wonder, and he laughed.

Every curve of her face, the lips curled into a smile, the light behind her eyes, the blush in her cheeks, the smoothness of her hair – everything about her brought him joy. She was alive. It was everything he had been hoping for since their journey through the dragon's nest, and the world was better for it. Even the sun felt warmer on his skin, now high in the sky and just beginning its slow descent toward the western horizon.

Eventually, they entered the bustling inn and stepped up to the counter to secure rooms that they assumed had likely been transferred to other patrons by now. However, as they weaved between tables and past bellowing patrons, Dart saw that every table was filled. He worried that every room would be full.

The innkeeper greeted them heartily as Lavitz inquired about their lodgings, but Dart couldn't hear them over the bustle. Just past noon, the boisterous men and women eating lamb chops and honeyed bread clamored above the conversation, and he instead turned to Shana. As their eyes met, he opened his mouth to speak but was instantly distracted by the soft brown of her irises. A smile tugged at his lips; he reveled in her presence.

"What?" she laughed. The music was contagious, and Dart chuckled.

"Nothing, just…" He hesitated, and then he held her face in his hands. For a long moment, he watched her eyes and felt the warmth of her skin. Then he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad you're back," he whispered into her ear.

"Me, too," she returned.

Releasing her, he turned toward the sound of Lavitz, who was shuffling his way back over to them.

"They kept our rooms for us," he called over the noise. "Let's go up and talk there."

They nodded and followed him as he turned and bounded up the stairs.

As they filed into their room, Dart noticed fresh linens set out for them and quickly made his way to the soft bed. With a flick of his wrist, he lit the candle on the table midstride before sinking onto the mattress. It still irritated him that there were no windows in their room, but right now he was just grateful for something softer than the ground. He stretched his tense muscles as the others found places to sit. Lavitz took a seat on his own bed, but Rose and Shana preferred the table.

"So how long was I asleep?" asked Shana.

"Five days," said Lavitz. "We were really worried about you."

"How bad was it…?"

"Doctor gave you two days, but he had some kind of medicine that worked for a little while. Kept you alive long enough for us to get that dragoon spirit."

She reached into her pocket and drew it out. It no longer glowed as brightly as it had, but a soft white light still radiated from its core, filling Dart's heart with warmth.

"Where did you get it?" she asked, eyes fixated on the small gem.

While Lavitz described their journey to and from the shrine, Dart removed his breastplate before casting it aside and pulling at his shirt to force the air against his trapped skin. As Lavitz recounted the appearance of Shirley, Shana's eyes grew wide.

"A ghost?" she said.

"I guess?" said Dart. "She was all… shimmery and stuff. I don't know, Rose, was she a ghost?"

All heads turned to Rose, who had been sitting silently and studying a single spot on the wooden table. At this question, she stirred slightly, but did not look up. "A spirit," she stated simply. "Not a ghost."

"But you knew her, right?" pressed Dart.

"I have… visited the shrine before."

"Was she one of your old friends?"

For the briefest of moments, Rose's eyes connected with his. Behind them was a fiery hatred he had never seen before, so deep and intense that his breath caught within his chest. He couldn't tell if her anger was directed at him or her memories, but he knew that he had touched a nerve.

"Sorry," he muttered, almost too quietly.

Rather than acknowledging him, she murmured, "Yes," her eyes distant and unfocused. A moment later, she abruptly stood and walked out the door.

As it closed behind her, eyes darted around the room.

"Did she really say yes?" asked Shana incredulously.

"It appears so," said Lavitz. "I hoped that she might open up eventually, but I didn't expect it so soon."

"You call that opening up?" asked Dart.

Shrugging, Lavitz said, "She hasn't told us a single thing about her except that she had friends once. She's been holding so much in ever since we met her, and I suspect that she hasn't trusted us enough yet to tell us about her past. Acknowledging that she actually knew Shirley was a big step."

Shana nodded in affirmation.

"She must have gone to the shrine a lot if they were close enough to be friends. Shirley said that she'd been there for centuries," Dart thought aloud.

"It's true. There again, something about Rose that she doesn't want us to know."

"So, what happened after that?" prompted Shana. "After Shirley appeared, what did she do?"

"She talked to us," said Dart, "and then told us about the dragoon spirit when she said she didn't have any of the plant. Then she… I don't really know what happened. She tested us or… something."

Lavitz nodded. "Yes, I believe that's what happened. As far as I could tell, she presented each of us with a difficult choice and based our worthiness on our decisions."

"What did she make you choose?" inquired Shana eagerly, sitting on the edge of her seat with wide eyes.

Dart looked down. He'd hoped to keep his visions secret, and he scrambled to find an explanation for them that would not be quite so detailed. Thankfully, Lavitz answered first and gave him time to think.

"She showed me some of the old times I'd spent with Albert in Indels Castle," he said. "Then I saw Greham and Feyrbrand, and then you, Shana. She told me that I could either continue helping with you and abandon Serdio or go back to Bale and thwart Doel's plans."

"That sounds dire," remarked Shana.

"It felt dire. She showed a vision of Bale burning, and…" Lavitz shook his head. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do to keep that from happening."

"Do you want to go back to Bale?" asked Dart.

"No, I…" Lavitz sighed. "I sent a letter to King Albert when we left. I'm sure one will come any day now to tell us what his next orders are. I knew it was a risk coming here, but that's the way of it. I had to make sure you were okay." He offered Shana a small smile, and she returned it.

"Thank you, Lavitz," she said. After a pause, she added, "What about you, Dart?"

"Oh…" Avoid the details. "Kind of the same. Choosing between coming back here and finding the Black Monster." Close enough. "I… couldn't leave you behind."

"I'm glad you came back," said Shana.

"Me, too," he said quietly, watching her carefully.

"It was an interesting experience, to say the least," said Lavitz.

At this, they continued with their story until all had been said. During the entire conversation, Shana continuously ran her fingers along every surface of the spirit, either absentmindedly or through a thankful adoration.

Eventually, the chatter died down. Rose had still not returned, which unsettled Dart. He wondered if he had really made her angry, and a twinge of guilt came over him, but he brushed it aside. Rose had always been a little sensitive when it came to her past, and he decided that it was her own problem that she had to work through.

"What do we do now?" he asked several minutes later. He had lain down on his bed, arms tucked under his head, eyes staring unseeing at the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" asked Lavitz.

"Like, where do we go? I mean, do we even know what's going on in Serdio? We've been out of the loop for a week now."

"True… I'll send another letter to Bale tomorrow morning. I'm sure something will arrive in the next couple days. In the meantime, we'll have some time to kill around Lohan."

"How long?"

"Who knows? Maybe two days, maybe two weeks."

"That could be fun!" exclaimed Shana.

"But what is there even to do around here?" asked Dart. He didn't relish the thought of spending several more days in this stuffy town.

"We could always walk around and see what we can find," said Lavitz. "I think they have an annual fighting tournament coming up soon. If it times out right, that could be an interesting thing to watch. Depending on how much it costs, of course."

"Yeah, that could be cool. We could check it out today, too. It's only early afternoon."

"It's a done deal. We can grab a late lunch downstairs and ask around for directions."

Dart and Shana nodded their agreement, and they burst into movement, splitting up and changing their clothes out of their travel-worn attire. Somewhat refreshed, they reconvened downstairs a few minutes later. Some of the crowd had dispersed, as the general lunch hour had passed, but the room was far from empty. They ordered food and ate it thankfully as the rest of the inn's patrons clamored around them, and they chatted lightly about what they may find in the city. Just before they finished, Rose joined them, still wearing her ever-present armor with her rapier at her side, and they explained their plans. She accepted them without comment. Then after flashing a grin to Shana, Dart stood and ushered them all out the door.

As they made their way toward the north side of town, where an excessive number of posters directed them toward the tournament, Dart couldn't help but watch Shana. She gazed in wonder at the many stores, the strange clothes of the people, the other-worldly merchandise being thrown at them every second. Dart had grown weary of it within minutes of entering Lohan, but it seemed that Shana would never tire of it. The light in her eyes, her smile, the joy that radiated from her – everything captivated him.

Her hair was tied back and braided, running from the top of her head down to the middle of her back. Something about it made it almost impossible to keep his eyes off her. The braid had pulled her hair away from her neck, usually hidden behind the chocolate strands, and constantly Dart's eyes rested on that gentle curve. Once, when she had excitedly run up to a stand to look at some foreign jewelry, Dart had to fight the urge feel her soft tresses and the pale skin beneath.

He knew that it was strange and irrational behavior. He blamed it on his excitement over her recovery.

At long last, they arrived on the north side of town, where a large gate lay wide open, leading into the largest tent that Dart had ever seen. He thought that it was probably as big as all of Seles, and he stared in awe.

"How did I not notice this when we came in?" he asked.

"You were a little distracted," replied Lavitz, a slight hint of amusement behind his voice. "Both times, actually."

Dart ignored Lavitz's slight chuckle as he clapped Dart on the back.

They continued forward into the tent, walking under a grand banner that read 231st Annual Hero Competition, and into a disappointingly small room. Where Dart had expected to see a grand arena, there was only enough space for three tables, two at the end and one on the side. Giant maroon curtains served as walls, blocking Dart's view. Behind the two tables at the end were large white letters spelling out Tickets, and behind the table to the left Registration.

"We can't walk around or anything?" he asked, disappointed.

"No, the competition doesn't start for two days," said Lavitz. "They're probably still setting up."

"Will we even be able to watch any matches?"

"I guess we'll find out."

With that, Lavitz stepped forward to the ticketing tables, indicating that they should follow. They joined him in line behind several crazed people who obviously hailed from southern Serdio. Their expensive-looking clothes matched the style of the Sandora capital, Kazas. Dart was suddenly very grateful that Lavitz was not wearing his Basil-emblazoned armor. The man and woman were speaking excitedly about the Hero Competition.

"Have you seen some of the contestants this year?"

"Yeah, a few. It'll be a good show!"

"We'll have to pay close attention to the brackets."

"And we have to watch every one of the first-round matches to see who we want to root for the rest of the tournament."

Dart leaned in and whispered to Lavitz, "This seems like a pretty big deal."

"Oh, yeah," he answered. "This has been going on for a really long time, and every year it gets grander and pulls more people from all over Serdio. I think in the past few decades they even started getting people from Tiberoa."

Tiberoa, thought Dart. He wracked his brain to try to remember where that was. He knew that he had heard of it before but could not quite place it on a map.

"Where's Tiberoa?" asked Shana, saving Dart the trouble of asking.

"To the west of Serdio, over the Western Mountains," replied Lavitz. "They have a much warmer climate over there, and the people are typically dark-skinned. If you see anybody like that around Lohan, chances are they're from Tiberoa."

"What's the big deal about the tournament?" Dart prodded.

Lavitz shrugged. "Something about seeing a bunch of people fight each other is entertaining, I suppose."

"Isn't that dangerous?" asked Shana.

"Very," he answered grimly. "Every year, somebody gets hurt, and one or two have died in the past decade or so. The contestants are encouraged to yield before they get wounded too badly, but some just won't let go of their pride long enough to do it. They keep several doctors on hand to tend to them."

As they talked, they shuffled forward until they came up to the table. A young woman stood there, around Shana's age, and although she greeted them with a smile, hidden behind her eyes was fatigue and irritation.

"How much are the tickets?" asked Lavitz.

"Fifty per day, or a hundred-fifty for the week." The response sounded well-rehearsed.

"Per person?"

"Yes, sir."

"Um…" Lavitz seemed hesitant, but Dart was flabbergasted. Fifty gold was a week's pay, not something to be thrown about at such trivial entertainment.

Grabbing Lavitz's shoulder, Dart said, "We don't have to watch the tournament. We can find something else to occupy our time."

Sighing sharply, Lavitz turned back to the girl and said, "Is there any way to get a discount of some kind?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but we discontinue all discounts a week before the tournament starts. However," she said, eyeing Dart's sword hanging at his waist, "if any of you are interested in competing, you can register over at that table. Family and friends of competitors are allowed into all events for free."

"Thank you," said Lavitz, nodding courteously. Then turning, he guided the group to an open area where they could stand and talk. Once they were huddled, he said, "Well, I don't think we'll be able to see the show. I'm really sorry. I just can't afford it."

"Well," offered Shana. "She said that if one of us entered the competition, we could see it for free."

"Yeah, if one of us enters, but we just talked about how dangerous that is."

"I could do it," interrupted Dart. "I'm good with a sword, and I'll be smart enough to yield if things get too ugly."

"You could seriously hurt yourself," said Lavitz pointedly.

"That's why they have doctors."

"Shana could heal you," inserted Rose. Dart jumped slightly; he had almost forgotten that she was there.

"That's right!" exclaimed Shana, as her eyes lit up with excitement. "My dragoon spirit uses healing magic!"

Smiling at her enthusiasm, Dart said, "Exactly. See? It'll be fine."

Sighing, Lavitz rubbed his forehead and considered the options. Except for his training sessions with Lavitz and Rose, Dart hadn't fought without the imminent fear of death for quite some time. The thought excited him, and his eyes drifted over to the registration table and then back to Lavitz, waiting expectantly.

"Okay," he resigned. "Let's get you registered."

The group filed over to the other side of the room and approached a much more friendly-looking woman, closer to Dart's age. Her bright orange hair bounced about in all directions as she greeted them with a big, toothy grin.

"What can I do for you today?" she asked. "Somebody looking to register for the competition?" Her energetic eyes darted back and forth among them, trying to discern who would be the lucky contestant.

"Yes," said Dart, stepping forward proudly. "I'd like to compete."

"Alright then! We have two slots open, if anybody else would like to consider entering!"

Turning to Lavitz, Dart asked, "How about it, Lavitz? We could end up facing off against each other!"

"No, I'm not technically eligible to fight in these kinds of competitions."

"Rose?"

"Definitely not."

"Why?"

"I would win too easily."

Sighing, Dart turned to Shana. One look told him that she wouldn't compete, either. Of that, he was truly grateful. He didn't want her in harm's way.

She smiled at him, and his mind went blank. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. All that filled his mind was her soft brown eyes and gentle voice. His heartbeat slowed, or maybe sped up, and for a moment he forgot where he was.

"So," interrupted Lavitz. He stepped forward, knocking Dart purposefully on the arm while he approached the table. "Is there a fee to register for the tournament?"

"Yes, sir, fifty gold."

Nodding, Lavitz counted out the money and handed it to her.

"Thank you, sir," said the girl. Then turning to Dart, "Sir, if you would please sign your name on this sheet of paper and list the weapon you wish to fight with?" As he stepped forward and picked up a quill, she added, "You do have your own armor, correct? It's required to compete."

Dart nodded as he finished writing his name on the thirty-first slot. Many other strange names adorned the list, but he did not take time to read them all. Many were scrawled furiously, some printed simply, and one delicately carved onto the parchment.

Standing, he asked, "So when will I fight?"

"Excellent question!" she responded jovially. "But I don't actually know. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, all the contestants are required to meet back here for a pre-tournament informative meeting. By then, all the fights will be scheduled, and we'll be able to give you the exact times." She beamed with pride at having accurately dispensed information, and Dart nodded awkwardly.

"I'll be there," he said, excited at this new prospect. Who knows? he thought. I may even pull out a win or two.