"Shh, easy now. You almost hit your head last night." Valerie woke up and rubbed a hand over her eyes.
"What happened?"
"You were frantic," the doctor replied. "Running around and yelling Forte's name. Wait, hold on—" Valerie ignored Dr. Jones's warning and sat up, pressing a hand against her forehead.
"Just tell me how to get to her."
"Well, hey, just a minute now! I can't answer that, and you need to stay here a while."
"I need," she said, cold certainty turning her voice hard, "to get to Forte."
"But you don't even know what happened!"
The portal closed, the black around its edges disappearing into the air…the last syllable of Forte's scream fading and echoing, echoing, echoing—
Valerie closed her eyes. "I remember enough." She forced herself out of the doctor's care, stopping only so he could press some recovery potions and bandages in her hand. She walked to the Native Dragon a bit unsteadily and asked her for advice.
"But you are scared, aren't you?" The girl took a deep breath and stared at the dragon.
"I have to be a knight now. I cannot be scared."
"Forte is a knight, and she is scared sometimes. Even if she will not admit it. She has admitted it to you, I believe." Valerie shook her head to dispel the memories of Forte's uncertainty. They were always the most painful to relive.
"Of course I am scared! But I have to get rid of that now." The dragon sighed and directed the girl to get a few provisions and ended with a flamboyant shout.
"Aw, Valerie! I'll miss you."
"Enough with the affection," the girl said, but warmth seeped from the edges of her voice. "Just tell me what I need to do." The dragon pulled a stone from under her wing. It glowed with a dark energy that crackled when Valerie reached out to touch it.
"Careful! It's dangerous." She snatched her hand back, but just barely, as if hesitating in her retreat.
Valerie eased her feet into a more secure stance and shifted her fingers on her sword. She swung it at the stone and clenched her eyes shut.
"I'll save you, Forte!" She disappeared in flash of light, and the portal closed, leaving the first rays of sun the job of making Selphia a little more illuminated.
The dragon shook her head sadly. "Forte won't be the Forte you know when you get there, Valerie." She shifted her wings and revealed an identical stone, barely letting out sparks. "I just couldn't tell you yet."