Ivan felt the yank on his arm, the loss of balance, the heat from the fireball, but none of it quite registered until he was on the ground with a face full of gravel. The dust made him cough as he pushed himself back upright, disoriented. Laharl. Where was Laharl?

Automatically, he glanced back at the monster - my fault - but didn't see his friends right away, and then turned to the man who'd saved him, although he didn't quite realize what had just happened. Uncertainly, he got to his feet. "I have to - to -" to what? It was almost like forgetting where he was all of a sudden.