As soon as Valerie stepped into the castle, the air around her picked up and turned dark. It was as if the dirt on the floor had sewn itself into a curtain—a living, breathing, flying curtain. She ducked as the darkness approached. It flew over her head with a whistle and sealed the entrance, puncturing the sound of wind with a slam. She turned her head and instantly wished she didn't. There was only darkness behind her. Forward wasn't much better; a seemingly endless corridor stretched until it narrowed to a point.

It was calm for a moment. Small ghosts began to ooze out of the tiles, and Valerie readied her sword. Her pace picked up at the thought of fighting such slippery enemies, but she swallowed her fear and loosened her stance. These ghosts were small—and visible. They would not be hard to beat.

She jumped and swung her sword through one of them. It dissipated into white particles and the rest shrank back. Valerie let half a smile creep over her face. Sure, she didn't know what the next room of enemies would hold, but she could handle these. She twisted and slashed her sword through two of them and chased the last one down with a jab.

"Who's next?" She asked, her breathing only a little strained. The ground started to shake and she took a step back. "Who's there?" She shouted, pushing her voice to reach the edges of the hall. She spun, feeling the pressure of being watched. There appeared to be no source until she felt a bolt of magic scrape her side. "Where are you?" She cried out. She heard the creature that attacked her take a gulp of air. The room was silent for a moment, save Valerie's quick footsteps as she shifted her position and anticipated another attack.

"Where—"

The monster cut her off by releasing a howl. The tips of Valerie's hair that escaped her helmet flew back at the sheer pressure of the wind. Valerie felt her heart sink. She knew what her enemy was. It was a ghost, and she couldn't even see it.

Nevertheless, she had to try.

Valerie straightened her helmet with one hand and narrowed her eyes at the source of the wind. "You can't defeat me!" She screamed. The girl fought valiantly, but the ghost had an edge. It shot magic at her and teleported to different places in the room; as soon as Valerie felt she knew where to attack, something would strike her from behind and she would stumble, disoriented.

The magical attacks kept wearing her down. None of them were big enough to stop her, but she couldn't be sure she was even hitting the beast. She sliced at the empty air, panting. If she could just hold out long enough, she would make it…

A bolt of lightning hit her in the back and she fell to the floor. Her sword clattered a few feet away; Valerie frowned. She couldn't remember letting go of her sword. She rolled onto her stomach and inched toward it. Magic started to crackle behind her and she knew she wouldn't get there in time.

A wave of purple light streamed through the room, dissolving the attack and pushing against the ghost. Valerie felt her energy and health refill, and she was back on her feet with the sword in her hand in an instant. Its RP drained, the ghost let go of its invisibility, and Valerie could see its shape.

It was huge, at least ten feet over her head—and Forte lay motionless at its tip.

"Forte!" She gripped her sword and ran at the ghost. "I'll protect you!"

The purple stone by Ventuswill's claws sent a wave through the room. It collided with her scales and she let out a small groan. Arthur burst into the room and reached for the stone. The dragon held out a wing and stopped him from coming any closer.

"Lady Ventuswill! Are you OK?"

"Of course I am!" She gritted her teeth against the unpleasant feeling of having her energy drained. It wasn't enough to harm her, but it wasn't easy for her to relinquish her strength when she spent so much time guarding it. "You certainly shouldn't try to take this burden." Arthur took a step back, then motioned to her surroundings.

"Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help?"

"Yes, I am fine. I'm sure you have paperwork to do." He hesitated. "Go! We need to keep the town running." He bowed slightly and retreated. Ventuswill shifted herself slightly. "Work fast, Valerie," she whispered, looking at the cold, black stone. "Forte doesn't have much time."