Alright, so let's begin the trek of the third book. This is going to be quite different than the other two because I can't promise updates, especially not constant, past the seventh chapter. Also for this reason the updates will be spanned out more. Hopefully one update a month. I might forget and it'll be longer, idk. But that's a rough estimate.

So without further ado I present to you chapter one of Fate and Soul.

The sky was particularly blue as the Queen Fury sped along. The sea was just as calm and nothing like the day Rose and Dart had fallen overboard. In fact, barely a wave lapped at the sides of the ship. All was well and they all knew it. The feeling resonated in their very bones.

Shana was especially happy as they went along. She rushed forward to the bow of the ship where most everyone else was already standing. She wanted to see what was going on. Everyone else seemed intrigued. Once she was close enough she understood why.

Coming into view was the beautiful sight of land and a magnificent city. It floated on the water like an ancient city that should have been lost in legend. The white marble buildings stood tall and proud against the deep blue sky, they invited the travelers with a warmness Shana was fond of, and best of all it reminded her of Lavitz's home. The way it floated was so akin to Bale.

Shana stretched and yawned, clasping her hands in the air above her. Her eyes shined with eagerness. This place seemed wonderful already. She only wished Dart would come up there to share the moment of cheer with her.

Meru was watching Shana carefully. She had personally taken on being Shana's guardian when Dart failed her. She felt strongly toward the petite and innocent girl. She quite possibly had stronger feelings toward her than any of her group and most of the people in her hometown. There was just something about Shana that attracted her and her caring heart.

Haschel walked up then, his eyes floating to Meru. Like Meru had to Shana, he had strong feelings for Meru. He wasn't hesitant to admit that it had something to with her youth and attention toward him. However that was not all it was. Her spirit was as energized as his was and it excited him to know someone so unafraid of being themselves.

Meru noticed his gaze on her and smiled at him. Her face lit up like a light and her smile spread clear across her face. "Hiya." She nodded to him as she hopped up on a nearby box. Her feet swung as she sat, showing that even sitting she could not remain still.

Haschel waved absently at her. He then just as absently walked over to the boxes and took a seat beside her. Much to his surprise he didn't say anything after that. Something in him told him it was better not to. If she wanted to talk, she would talk. Then he would know it was ok for him.

Dart followed a minute or two behind Haschel. He walked up the center of the boat with the intent of stopping by Shana. She was his girlfriend now, perhaps even more when you considered how well they knew each other. But before he could get that close she was already there.

Shana perked and swirled around as she heard his familiar footsteps. Her eyes widened with eager surprise and she hurried over to him. "Dart!" She cried, stopping by him. She practically glowed with happiness. No one could have missed her feelings.

Dart nodded to her. "Hey Shana." He smiled warmly down at her. He kissed her gently on the lips, only a hint of embarrassment showing. He still wasn't used to acting this way in front of the others even though he knew they all knew. It was just some inkling of Shana as his sister that still bugged him.

Shana giggled happily. "See!" She pointed out to the approaching city. She pretended for Dart that it hadn't happened even though she was still spinning. "We're nearly there!"

It's pretty amazing, huh?" Dart noted. "Kind of like Bale." He said this under his breath. He didn't want Shana to think about Lavitz, especially when she seemed so happy now.

"Uh-huh!" Shana nodded firmly. Her smile continued to spread across her face. Dart didn't know if it could go any further without popping right off her face.

Rose stood with her back against one of the many crates near the bow. Her eyes were trained on the city before them. It had been a while. There were times she thought she'd never see it again. In fact, she almost swore not to return. Yet here she was. Fate conspired against her.

Albert watched both her and the approaching city. There was still a calm about her that had first set in after she returned from falling off the ghost ship. It made him feel more at ease to know someone so ever vigilant and stressed could relax. Who knows? Maybe this continent would offer less pain.

Kongol came up last. He preferred to stay below deck most of the time. He only came up now because Haschel had told him a few minutes ago that they were close to their destination. It was as amazing as all the other cities he'd seen in his time of travelling. It was second to Fletz however because this place seemed to float on the waves. He didn't like boats. If this city was anything like this boat, he knew he'd rather not be there. He came to the front, setting his hands on the railing. Then again, surely cities didn't move with the waves. Then how would they stay in one place? He shook his head. It all made his head hurt. So he'd just forget it.

As they got closer still, Dart began to feel something. Next to Shana he wanted to think and feel of only her, but it was getting difficult. There was a presence here. It was not Lloyd, that's for sure. But it's something just as unsettling. It came in waves, reaching to his core and almost pulling him forward. He even felt a bit irritated all of a sudden. His thoughts are growing farther from Shana and are drawn to Lloyd, of all people. Lloyd…he'd get him. He shook his head. But right now this city was beautiful and there was no point thinking of it. Still…even with all his effort Lloyd and this feeling are still a dulled sensation, never truly gone.

Another ten minutes and they found the ship finally stopping and them able to leave it. Rose was the first to walk the ramp onto the smooth unmoving surface of the city called Furni. She gazed lazily around, her expression tensing slightly. "There is a smell of blood around this place." She breathed. She searched for any obvious signs of distress. Lloyd had surely been here after all. "But…" She gave a half smile. "It's not bad at all." She concluded, walking over to a set of stairs and sitting down to wait.

Meru was next. She sprinted out onto the land, bouncing with every step. "Ah, man!" She threw her arms in the air, crossing them behind her head as an afterthought. "It's been a long time!" She breathed in deeply, the familiar scent filling her senses. It had been years. Yet nothing seemed to have changed as she stared wide eyed about her.

Haschel came shortly after her. He walked with his hands behind his back. He heard her joyous cry and it struck a chord of his memory from what felt like so long ago. "That's right." He nodded faintly as he walked over to Meru's side. "You said you were from here."

Meru flipped her head over so her bright eyes looked at him. "Uh-huh!" She nodded with no less bounce than she did anything. "Mille Seseau is my home." An affectionate smile came to her face. Finally, she could see the people she'd left behind.

Haschel's brow furrowed as he thought of something. "Where in Mille Seseau are you from though?" He cocked his head ever so slightly. "Dart said he was from Neet. You never did say though. Is it here?"

The brightness evaporated from her face. Her expression was suddenly blank and almost afraid. "No." She said softly. She almost sounded like Shana. "Not here." Just as quickly as it was gone her pep returned. "But where's not important." She said with a laugh, waving her hands in dismissal.

Haschel eyed her strangely. He raised a brow. "Why can't you tell me?"

Meru laughed, but the sound was a little strained. "It's just not important." She grinned. No longer was her smile so genuine. His question had rattled her. "I'm me no matter where I'm from. Right?" Uncertainty snuck into her eyes with her last word.

Haschel didn't like the look in her eyes. He'd never seen it there before. It was too frightened. So he dropped it. "Of course." He smiled warmly at her. "It's just a tidbit. That's all."

Kongol's thundering footsteps resounded as he lumbered out onto the white concrete ground. He crossed his arms as he came to a standstill. "Kongol crossed sea first time." He nodded as his gaze wandered over the city. It seemed that the only way to get anywhere was by boat, just a smaller boat than the Queen Fury. He shuddered. Well, at least the city didn't move.

Albert hopped off and was quick to take in all the details he'd missed from afar. "Furni, the water city, it's beautiful." It made him think of Bale, only more magnificent. It wasn't just the city which rested on water, but the houses themselves. There were no doors, just wide openings for boats. It was amazing to him, from a place so littered with war. This place seemed comfortable with itself, no worries of theft or anything.

Rose glanced over at him. "Yes," She said coolly. She stood slowly and just as slowly made her way over to him. "This port is the front door to Mille Seseau too." She quirked a brow as the next words left her lips, "You're enthralled by it, aren't you?"

Albert smiled sheepishly. "Naturally."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You're far too easily pleased." Really it was actually a good quality. It made it easier for him to find pleasure in life. Of course she'd never admit it. That was harder than hiding behind disbelief. Besides, she'd learned long ago pleasure came with a price. For her now the price wasn't worth it, so she avoided any side of the equation.

Albert smiled in amused exasperation. It wasn't really time to kid around though. "Anyway, I wonder why Lloyd revealed his destination to us." His gaze hardened as he tilted his head to the side in question. Maybe she knew.

Rose slipped back into silence. She didn't know. She hated it, but she really didn't know. She crossed her arms to further block him out as well as dub their conversation over. As much as she'd grown to like him, she still couldn't admit she wasn't all-knowing, even if he already knew.

Dart heard Albert's question as he came out with Shana by his side. "I don't know." He said what Rose couldn't. "But whatever he wants, this will be the end of it." He said with a firm nod. His eyes were ablaze and his furious passion showed even more than usual. "I refuse to let this go on."

Shana nodded. "I agree." Her eyes became glazed with thoughts of the past. Lavitz – a flash of Lloyd impaling him. "For the sake of the victims so far," She managed to say without faltering despite the images passing through her mind.

"Yes." Albert solemnly agreed. He knew what she was thinking. There was only one person any of them could think of when they envisioned a victim.

Shana's expression hardened uncharacteristically. "It's not only that though." She insisted. "But in order to prevent there being new victims too, we have to stop Lloyd!"

Rose nodded almost imperceptibly. "The first step toward that is to get through this city." Her gaze wandered back to the waters below. "There should be some sort of boat rental around here somewhere. We need to find it to navigate Furni."

Dart peered over the edge. "You really think there's no way out without doing that?" If anyone knew, it was her. He wasn't disputing her authority. He had just never seen such a place. Even Bale with its underground water system had all main areas of the city accessible by means of walking.

"I know so." She'd been here many years ago. Nothing had changed. Nothing but the air. It told of bloodshed and hardship that had not been here before. "Come on." She turned away from the water, heading up a set of stairs branching off to the right. "It's this way."

Meru hurried over to them. "Hey! How about I be the guide? Huh?" She jumped in front of Rose's path. Her eyes were wide and sparkling with hope despite the odds. "I know this place like the back of my hand! It's like my home away from home."

Rose appeared to contemplate it for a whole second. She then flatly turned her down. "No." She shook her head. "You had your chance to guide us through the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. Now you can just follow behind." She admitted it was a bit cold, but that was just her way.

Meru deflated. She stuck out her lower lip and huffed. "Fine." She turned her nose upward. "I'll just stay back by Dart." She stomped over to him, a devious grin flickering across her face. She then hooked her arm around his and leaned on him. "So just go."

Dart made a face at Meru's action. He didn't have a problem with her, but he didn't particularly like her to be all over him either. This was especially so when she was doing it solely to irritate Rose.

It was nearly undetectable to the untrained eye, but the slightest twitch of the eye occurred. Rose made a soft displeased sound and quickly looked away. "Fine." She returned. "Just don't let Shana get ahold of you."

Meru knew she was only joking, but she couldn't help but peek around Dart at Shana. "You're cool with this, right?" She grinned tentatively.

Shana giggled. "Whatever. You're just trying to bug Rose. And besides," She let her gaze float up to meet Dart's. "Dart loves me." There was a possessive edge to her tone, but she was just as sweet and sincere as ever. She couldn't help if Rose was still a little threatening to her.

Rose was no longer listening. She was walking on with or without them. It wasn't like they could really get lost here anyway, not without a boat. She just wanted to hurry and find Lloyd. They didn't have time for these games.

Everyone quickly followed her. They made their way around curve after curve for a few minutes until they reached what appeared to be the center of Furni. The path widened slightly, lush plants appearing on the outer edges, and branched off two ways. One veered to the left and the other continued forward into the same open door house as the first they had seen. Only this one did not rest in the water.

They were unable to take either path however because of the many men standing in the way. They appeared to be gathering for something. Each and every one of them was a soldier. Some were swordsmen, a few archers, and others held axes or spears. No matter the way they were divided, there were far too many to count.

Rose grunted with aggravation as she saw plainly the dilemma they faced. She couldn't do anything about it though no matter how much she wished to. She wasn't dumb. Even with all seven of them they could not fight their way through once the hoard was rallied.

"Ooooh…!" Meru bounced away from Dart to get closer to the commotion. "What's going on here?" She said half to herself and half to anyone who was willing to listen and answer. "Looks like some kinda warrior meeting." She chuckled at the idea.

Haschel scanned the crowd. "I wonder if it means something is wrong here?" It wouldn't surprise him. Havoc and misfortune seemed to follow them like a shadow.

Rose stared intently at the fidgeting throng. "Didn't you feel it?" She directed at any of the members of her group. "When we got here. The air was…different."

Kongol nodded stiffly. "Kongol feels it." He crossed his arms firmly over his chest. "The smell of blood. Sadness too."

Dart hadn't really sensed anything. He'd never been good at that kind of thing. He relied solely on his eyes and ears. Maybe that was why he seemed to get in trouble a lot. Maybe being able to do as Rose and Kongol did would help.

Meru frowned deeply as she turned to face them. "Nah!" She waved a hand dismissively. She quickly brushed off the slowly setting in gloom. "It's alright. Nothin' too bad! Maybe just some pesky monsters or something. But you don't have to get all gloomy about it." She flashed a bright smile to try and prompt the rest of them into doing the same.

Rose shook her head. "You're wrong. This is serious."

After the words left her lips a man appeared from the house directly in front of them. They could just see it through the crowd. He was a knight. He also was the leader. "Alright!" His voice boomed. His eyes scanned the crowd. He had no way of counting, but he guessed, "This seems to be all of us!"

Loud sounds of agreement erupted from the crowd. They just wanted to get on with whatever was to be spoken of. Most of them had other things to do.

The knight nodded. "Right, so you all know about the trouble that's been going on recently. It's all because of that wolf!" Anger flickered across his face. "So we have no choice but to overcome Kamuy – the white wolf that lives in the Evergreen Forest!"

Dart inched closer as there was word of a beast running lose. His instinct was to help whenever he could, so he wanted to be sure to be close and fully aware of the situation. True, Lloyd was top priority. Still, if they did it on their way surely it would be alright.

One of the soldiers snorted loudly. "Did you call us just for that!?" He sighed in disbelief. He threw his arms into the air to further his displeasure.

A couple of others mimicked him. A few others rolled their eyes. This topic was something that didn't need discussing in their opinions. It was well known and people were trying to do something about it all the time. If they were going to be called at such an annoying time then at least make it worthwhile.

The leader lifted his arms and motioned downward. "No! It's not only that anymore!" He waited until they were mostly settled. A boy from the village, Teo, disappeared in the Evergreen Forest only a few days ago!" There was a collective gasp. "It has become top priority to deal with this mess and rescue the boy. That is why you are here."

They all nodded in agreement. Even the most unruly of them did not argue.

A faint smile passed the knight's lips as they all came to a consensus. "The strategy is simple!" His eyes wandered away from them as he pointed out in the direction of the forest. "All of us will beat the bushes all over the Evergreen Forest!" His gaze slowly shifted back to them, a new light to his eyes. There was even an almost sinister smirk present. "And I promise a five times larger prize for the one of you who saves Teo!"

This got all the warriors buzzing. They started murmuring to themselves about all the possibilities and almost completely tuned the knight out. Only as another promise was made did any of them return to reality.

"I promise the same for the one who slays the beast!" He nodded firmly. "It's up to you men!"

A warrior near the back of the group started chuckling darkly. He turned about swiftly and swung his ax around in his greedy anticipation. "It's gonna be me!" He beat his chest with a hand.

Another man cried out, "I'm itching to do it!"

The axman might have challenged the other man if he hadn't caught sight of Dart. His eyes narrowed as he took in his strange appearance. "Who are you?" He and the group around him didn't seem to be native to this area or even to Mille Seseau. "I've never seen you before." He pointed his ax threateningly at them.

Rose's hand flew to her stiletto. "Then let me warn you." While it was not in their best interest to start a fight, if there was going to be one she would gladly stand up for her friends. "You don't want to mess with us."

The axman scowled darkly. He gripped his weapon tighter. He wouldn't put it past this woman, even if she was just a woman, to attack him. Attack him well? That was another story.

Albert grimaced. "Rose." He tried to pull her farther to the back of the group. He only managed to move her a little though. She ground her feet into the dirt and refused to move.

Dart hurried to help. He stepped in front of her and waved his hands. "Wait." He hated how he was almost pleading.

The axmen nodded to himself. "Hm. Yeah." He lowered his weapon. "You look like you have a chance." He smiled. His cheer quickly transformed to anger again. "But I'm getting the prize!" He warned. "Don't even think of taking it from me!"

As Rose opened her mouth to bite back, Meru jumped into focus. "Chillax you crazy dude!" Meru waved her finger in his face. "We weren't gonna mess with you or this problem at all. But now," She glared heatedly at him. "Now we're gonna get the monster and the boy just to take em' from you!"

Rose rolled her eyes at Meru's childish reaction. She also smiled despite herself. The way Meru stood up for her and the group as a whole was rather endearing. She really did like the stupid kid.

The man growled loudly. His body shook visibly and he looked as if he might attack Meru at any moment. "You brat!" He erupted. He shoved her roughly. "You should know when to be scared and when to hold your tongue!" This was the last warning he'd give them.

Meru fell back on Rose. She grunted softly. A scowl flickered across her face as she looked up at the man. "You…" She grumbled, trailing off.

Rose bristled. She lifted Meru up and back on her feet.

Before anything could escalate further the knight leader interjected. "Cut it out!" His sharp voice cut through the air. "We have to cooperate or we cannot overcome Kamuy!"

The axman growled deep in his throat. "Humph!" He thrust his nose in the air. He did however back off of them. He knew better than to defy the leader.

The leader nodded at Dart. His words however were directed at everyone. "I'll let you know when we will start!" He let his eyes wander over them all to make sure they were still listening. "Until then, you can do as you please!" He waved them away. "You are dismissed!" He turned on his heel and trod back into the house from which he had come from.

The group of warriors slowly dissipated. The way was cleared and Dart and the rest were finally given a way to proceed. "Finally." Rose shrugged out of Albert's hold. "We can go that way." She nodded to the path leading up a short set of stairs to the left. "The boat rentals should be just inside."

"She's right!" Meru piped up. She grinned at them as she peeked around at them all. She hurried to face away however as her expression fell with the realization of how long it really had been for her. "Well…at least it was a few years ago." She mumbled this under her breath. She hadn't really given serious thought to what changes could have actually occurred. Just because she left didn't mean time stopped for them. Maybe boats weren't even necessary…

They entered a large building at the end of the stairs. The area was spacious and seemed to be a combination boat rental and bar. Not many people were there. Of course not, it was still early. The few people present seemed to be working. Dart only noted most of their existences because they were not who he needed.

As they walked further into the bowl shaped area Dart saw a counter down by the water. A light came to his eyes as he surmised the person to be the one they were looking for. "There!" He pointed down from their higher position, leaning against the tall siding. "Looks like they've got some boats."

Shana nodded. "Uh-huh." She leaned over the side to get a better look. There were many of the small boats held up behind a water gate. "So we just have to ask right?" She stood back up. "Or does it cost money?" She tilted her head. Her mind flashed back to Hoax. That was the last time they'd spent money on something that wasn't food. That was also when Lavitz was alive.

Meru didn't hesitate. She gripped the siding and flipped herself over it.

"Meru!" There was a collective outcry.

Meru couldn't have stopped even if she wanted to – which she didn't. She was flying through the air fluidly. She landed just as perfectly. A small smack on impact was the only sign that she had been so high up and so very likely to hurt herself. "Ha!" She spun around. "See!?" She waved. "You worry for nothing."

They all sighed. There was one however who couldn't help but copy her. There was a blur of purple as he went by and in an instant he too flipped himself over. He couldn't help it. He even did a couple of flips to show off. "Yes!" Haschel cried as he landed smoothly enough. His legs shook slightly for the amount of force exerted, but he managed to smile up at them through the tiny aches. "I still got it!" He stretched his arms out above his head.

"Well, anyone else want to try?" Rose said in exasperation. "We might as well start selling tickets while we're at it. 'Come, watch the idiots jump and break their necks.'" While her comment was dripping with sarcasm she couldn't help but be amused. The old and the young – both could have just as much fun as the other.

"Kongol too big to jump." He shrugged. He didn't see the question as rhetorical.

"Come on Rose." Dart half laughed. He hit her lightly on the shoulder. "Let them have their fun." He started to walk around to the set of double stairs. "Besides," He grinned. "I honestly thought you'd be all for the shortcut."

"Oh ha ha." Rose made a face. "I may jump like an animal, but I don't do it to show off." She followed shortly behind him.

Albert considering vaulting just to get her attention, but his better judgment told him otherwise. As funny as it would be to see her reaction it wasn't worth it to break his neck or cause a rise that turned to fury. So he followed the trail of four down to the other two.

Dart went up to the counter and rested his elbow on it. "Is this where we can rent a boat?" He quirked a brow.

The man behind the counter nodded with a bounce. "Yes! Of course! I'll be right with you." He spun around and headed to the back. He riffled through the things there until he pulled out a card. He then hurried back to them. "Here you are." He held the card out. "It's the license for the boat. The mayor gave us an order to rent the boat to warriors for free."

Dart stared blankly at the man. "Warriors? You mean like the ones that were gathered outside?" While they were indeed warriors by the broad definition, he suspected there was another meaning for those in this city at this time.

Rose jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "Ow." He hissed. He glared at her.

The man's expression clouded. "Well," His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized them. "You are the warriors who came to overcome the wolf, aren't you?" He drew his hand back. Every second that passed he became more and more distrustful of their strange group.

Dart glanced at Rose. He knew what she would want him to say and what she herself would say if he didn't speak fast enough. So he quickly gave the honest response. "No, we are not." He shook his head. He ignored the heated gaze Rose was giving him and added, "We are just travelers. We've just arrived from Tiberoa today."

The man's face transformed in an instant. His jaw dropped and his eyes bulged from his head. "F-From Tiberoa?" He gasped. "In that huge boat?" A smile stretched across his face.

Dart nodded. "Yes. It's the Queen Fury."

The man was bouncing slightly from the pure excitement. "Wait a minute…" He started pointing his finger at each of them. "One, two, three...seven!" He let out a sound close to a squeal. "Could you be the famous Dart and companions who conquered the Sea Dragon in Illisa Bay?" He held his breath in anticipation.

Dart chuckled. He rubbed the back of his neck as if he was embarrassed by his fame. "I guess the story has traveled all the way here." He looked back at the others.

"Of course!" Came Meru's cheerful cry. "We're totally popular now." She giggled fitfully.

"Oh Meru." Haschel rolled his eyes. He smiled all the while. "Although I will admit the recognition has its perks." His grin grew wider as he remembered all the things he'd been given in Tiberoa and all the things he was sure to get here.

"You both are ridiculous." Rose scolded. "It isn't for that. We do it because," She faltered. She knew why they did it. Lavitz had said it when he was first chosen as a Dragoon. Justice. She could still hear his voice. But her? Maybe now because of them it was some sense of justice. But really, it was all just to prevent a great cataclysm. "Because it's right." She finished, only a slight pause in her speech.

The man jumped a little in his excitement. "Hun!" He called to a woman behind them. She was sitting by the boats and looked up quickly at his voice. "Let the mayor know about this! He'll be happy to hear about this!"

The woman nodded once and jumped to her feet. She scurried over to one of the boats and hopped inside. The boat teetered with her movement but it didn't capsize. She knelt down and grabbed an oar from the bottom of the boat and set off. It would take only a few minutes to reach the mayor.

The man watched her go for a minute before turning his attention back on them. "Well, here it is!" He extended the card to them once more. "The license for the boat! Take it!"

"Thank you." He took it. As he did so his eyes wandered to the boats. They were exactly small, but they weren't big either. There was no way all seven of them could fit in one. "But, um, we might need two."

"Ah!" The man nodded fervently. "Yes! Of course!" He went around the counter to the corralled boats. He opened the small gate, leaned over, and gently pushed an extra boat out. "You can tie the two together!" He grabbed a sturdy water proof rope and handed it to them.

Albert took it. "Again, thank you." He gave a half bow out of instinct.

"Oh, it's my pleasure!" He bobbed up and down. "Anything for the great heroes of Tiberoa! I mean, I should be the one thanking you if anything. You all are amazing! You-You did so much for us!" He smiled in an almost infatuated way. "Because of you we can go fishing and go to Tiberoa again! It's like a dream come true…" He sighed.

Rose took the rope from Albert. She exited the conversation and knelt down by the two boats. She quickly tied the two together into an inseparable mass. "Alright, we're ready to go then." She stepped carefully into the boat at the front. "So come on." She held her hand out to any one of them.

Albert stepped forward and placed his hand in hers. He let her pull him in next to her without saying a word. He settled down beside her.

Dart and Shana came next. Dart took his place not next to Rose like it would have been only a few weeks ago but behind her. It was a little strange not being first as any leader should. Then again, there were prices to pay for love. Rose had a permanent place at the front. He would just have to settle for being second.

Shana sat next to him. She leaned her head over against his shoulder and sighed in soft content.

Meru jumped into the boat in the back. The force in which she entered made both boats rock disconcertingly but it managed to stay right side up. "Woah…" She swayed with the boat for a moment before plopping down. She laughed heartily once the danger had passed. "It's all good!"

Kongol sat in the very back of the second boat. He was afraid too much weight in the center would cause both boats to tip toward each other and then capsize. The odds weren't good even with sitting in the back. So he felt extremely lucky when nothing bad happened.

Haschel entered the boat more carefully than Meru. He took his place beside Meru. He also drew an oar from the bottom. "We'll need one of these right?" He asked Rose more than anyone. She was sort of the unofficial leader now. He couldn't help but agree, Dart had halfway forfeited the position in choosing Shana.

Meru put her whole body into her nod. "Yep! We'll both need to us them!" She swiveled her head around to the group in front. "So grab one!" She ordered.

Dart did as he was told. He took an oar from beneath their feet and prepared to row. "We have to be in sync." He reminded. "So don't be going the opposite direction or too fast." He turned his head and looked directly at Meru.

Meru started. "What!?" She held her hands up in question. "What are you looking at me for? I didn't do anything. I'm not gonna do anything either." She made an aggravated sound and put her nose in the air.

"Just go." Rose instructed. She pointed forward.

"Oh!" Came the man's cry. He ran over to the edge of the footing. "When you leave here you'll want to go north. The mayor's house is the first one you'll see!"

"But we don't-" Rose tried to protest. She was cut off by Dart.

Dart slapped his hand over her mouth without a second thought. "Alright." Dart nodded his appreciation. "That's good to know."

Rose pulled roughly away from him. She scowled darkly. Yet again they were going to make another side trip thanks to him. Why couldn't he just let things go? Did justice really matter so much to him? She almost felt ashamed in comparison to him.

"Then let's go there." Shana suggested. Even if Rose got to lead them around, Dart still made the decisions. And with her new relationship with Dart her proposals held the most power. Even Rose could not hold the same sway over Dart anymore.

Dart nodded. "Sure." He hugged her gently. "Maybe we can find out more about what's going on here." He eyed Rose carefully. He wordlessly sought her approval.

Rose refused to look at him. He knew what she thought. Of course she wanted to move on. It was these little side quests that no doubt made them always one step behind Lloyd. Dart had to know it too. It was like he didn't even care that this man killed Lavitz.

For once Dart ignored her silent words. He spoke to the others. "Ok. Let's go." He nodded.

He and Meru rowed in tandem. They left the building which somehow floated on water to find themselves just below the area which all the warriors had been gathered not long ago. North, Dart looked that way. It was where the mayor lived. So they shifted the boat around and gently floated beneath the stairs they had crossed minutes before.

Another minute or so and they were coming up on the first house. They also saw to their right a means to leave the city. Dart watched Rose carefully as they came within jumping range of it. He saw the intense look in her eyes. She was seriously considering it. So he started to reach out for her as if to hold her in place. Only he stopped as he was beat to it.

Albert smoothly shifted his hand over to hers. He wrapped his fingers around her palm and squeezed gently. "Don't even think about it." He whispered in her ear. As he did so he caught Dart's eye. He saw the wistful look in them and Albert smiled painfully at him. Rose was still Dart's more than anyone's. Still, now there was more room for others to fill the gap he was leaving. For now Albert would play that part. He kind of had been anyway ever since that night out in the Barrens.

Dart looked away. At least she wouldn't be leaving. He supposed that was worth something. Yet he felt the twinge of jealousy deep down within him. It wasn't jealousy like it might have been with Shana. It was a jealousy of having the person he'd come to love most as a dear friend and even as a support beam pushed toward another. Yet with these differences it almost hurt more than anything Shana could have done.

Rose felt bad for Dart. His place really was at her side, platonic or not. Albert couldn't replace him. But when you only had the width of two people to share space with, choices had to be made. Dart made his just as she had made hers. Once they got to walking again perhaps it would be better for them all – three or four in a row. Until then though this was how it had to be. Dart…she peeked back at him. Despite all he had he still looked so sad. So much like Zieg. Always like Zieg.

They then entered the open doorway of the mayor's house. They wondered what awaited them there and if it would somehow link up with their own quest. It wouldn't surprise them. But really, there had to be a point where occurrences happened just because they happened. Not everything could be because of them. Right…?

So what do you think? It's pretty close to the same as the style near the end of the second book. I'm pretty sure the style shifts near the end of the second chapter, so watch for that. Other than that I can't say I remember what this chapter is really about (the things I added). This was probably done at least a year ago. Most of the rest of the story was done over the past few months, so I hope it comes off as different than this chapter.