Before they reached the next realm, Helio asked her to stop. In the distance, a reddish glow rose and fell above the horizon.

“The first creatures you meet can be very destructive,” she warned. “They like to show how powerful they are, and they lay waste to anything in their path.”

“What do they want?”

“To feel stronger than everyone else. They think that will keep them safe.”

Skyblue thought of the dragons. They, too, needed to feel important, though they preferred to prove it by hoarding treasure. She was about to say that at least they didn’t go around destroying everything. Then she remembered a few fights in her village and said nothing.

Helio spoke without the contempt Skyblue already felt for these creatures she had never met. The dragon lowered her eyes. She hadn’t even arrived, and she was already judging them.

“You’ll find other ways of living in this realm, too,” Helio continued. “Don’t stop at the first one you see.”

Skyblue nodded.

“Here, you’ll need to take particular care with your own power. The danger won’t all come from outside. You may end up using your strength to do the very things that hurt you most when others do them.”

The dragon frowned.

“I don’t want to control anyone.”

“I know. But the desire to control can wear other faces. Sometimes it looks like justice; sometimes, the promise that no one will ever hurt you again. Pay attention.”

Skyblue hugged the satchel holding the dwarves’ torch against her body.

Helio came closer until she stood directly in front of her.

“I’ll be with you. Even if you lose your way in this realm, I’ll still be within you. Ask for my help when you need it.”

“What if I don’t know how to get out?”

“Call me. You don’t have to find the way out before you can do that.”

Skyblue began to breathe a little more easily.

“Look after your flame and your innocence,” Helio added. “They’re the most precious things you carry.”

Skyblue still couldn’t see why she would want to control anyone. She was surprised to find herself thinking exactly as she had on entering the Orange Realm. This time, she kept quiet.

The eagle’s form dissolved into golden light. Skyblue felt a gentle warmth enter her chest. She stood quite still, cradled by that presence, until she decided to rest before crossing the border.