Their new day was not rainy, neither cloudy nor with gusts of wind that cut the breath. Just as they saw that disturbance on the horizon, it was enough for them to keep forward, and once the sun arose, that presence disappeared, though not wholly. After leaving the mountains that marked the Galya's territory, they were barely an hour's walk to see what had to be a battlefield but empty at that moment.

Earth removed, ground burned with a couple of fires still to be extinguished what they saw, letting their nose be flooded by that scent, but also to something else. His ears barely captured movement, which should be expected in a place like that, but they still transmitted information to him. Tiny, not the usual thing when you were outside, but as if they had entered an open bubble that affected a minimal part of their senses.

"Why does that happen?" Finnian said, stunned by that interfering buzz.

"It is for the energy used when fighting. By employing so much, it is possible to leave waste," explained Ead.

And that essence remained there until it faded was what distracted them. However, a presence remained close, only that they could not see it accurately.

"You really felt someone?" Rune repeated for the third time. "Because as much as we walk, we find nothing."

"It's not something I can do on my own. Weirdly, you're the only one to complain about," said Finnian, rolling his eyes.

"It may try to hide if it is injured. No one would look right where it has just fought," Aer added, twisting a smile.

At first, Finnian came to think that perceiving magic would be simple in Elthea, but he soon realized how wrong he was. Just as in his world, there were all kinds of details wherever he passed; it was a Herculean task to be aware of every aspect that happened around you. With magic it was comparable, and although he was still beginning to comprehend his abilities, locating exactly an elthean who wanted to hide was as complicated as looking for a needle in a haystack.

Ead shone for a second; Finnian raised his hand and clicked his fingers, initiating a quick magic scan together. They repeated it on two more occasions, aware that the waste from that area was too recent to find the trace of someone injured easily. However, after insisting on their search, an earth's veil vibrated in front of them, and the illusion was broken seconds later, revealing something they did not expect.

"She doesn't smell like an elthean," Leith mumbled.

"He doesn't move like one either," Aer added, tilting his head.

It wouldn't be necessary to lick her to assure everyone was thinking. It was a human, not like Lelile but much more like Finnian. Lying on the ground and with an arm above who should be her partner, a kind of pink teddy that looked as ill-hurt as she was. It moved, rubbing its eyes and then looking at them with amazement and back, all without separating itself from their elthean.

"You are... Are you a human too?" she said with a tiny voice as she sat up.

It was taller than Finnian, although it looked dirty and wounded as if it had gone through hell. Of brown hair above the shoulders and light skin, the Earth was removed from dark green shorts next to a white t-shirt and a matching jacket that he was wearing well fastened. However, there was more than the gem hanging from his neck than what surprised Finnian.

"Blanche?" Finnian murmured, checking that he wasn't hallucinating. I knew who she was! "Are you also a Signer?"

"Finnian? Is it really you?" she replied.

And to the boy's surprise, the hug he received was so spontaneous that he closed his eyes, surprised by that reencounter. How likely were there for someone He knew to have ended up in Elthea as well?

"Chill, Kali. He's a friend," Blanche said as they separated, but she wasn't talking to his partner.

Someone had come out of her pendant and fluttered next to her, although at any moment, Finnian would have thought it would have been Ead. It was actually a fairy as tiny as the hummingbird but with black, purple, and green butterfly wings. She flew around to release bright powders that vanished in seconds.

"She is Kali, in case you were wondering," Blanche said as the fairy flew gracefully around her. "And this little one is Ark."

"Ead," Finnian said, pointing to the hummingbird, "and they are Aer, Rune, and Leith."

Another Signer? Someone he knew from Earth? It might be a mere coincidence, but they should share the same mission if they were at the same time there. Anyway, why didn't they come to Elthea simultaneously and closer? None knew it, but seeing a friendly face had encouraged them both.

"Who would have imagined that we would be here?" Finnian said.

He does not, of course. Although Blanche was a year older than him, they shared school and class. They were more schoolmates than friends, especially because she had her intimate group, and Finnian used to go on his own. The few times they matched together was for the typical group work he hated. They might not be intimate, but a new ally was always well received.

After a bit of time, he pulled out of his backpack something to heal their wounds. Most of them were superficial, nothing profound, or that was what their eyes indicated. Blanche had arrived in Elthea just over two weeks ago, albeit south of Hawell, so it took quite a long time to reach the Galya after finding out that another Signer was seen in that area.

"Rumors fly," Blanche said.

"In the literal sense," admitted Finnian, and although she frowned without understanding him, it was not the best time to get out of the subject. "What has happened to you to finish that way?"

He could tell her that he was safe; that was the easy thing, although his instinct shouted at him that was not that way. Why focus on the negative when something good had happened with their encounter? It should have been a horrible experience because she wasn't comfortable talking about it. Not even her pink-haired partner with yellow eyes spoke, staying next to her and Kali until she finally shared some more details.

The fairy was like Ead, a frionach who found Blanche when she appeared in Elthea, from a different group than his friend. Other tribes or clans existed worldwide, so their aspects and capacities were equally varied. They had been together since then, moving forward and being lucky to meet some allies who helped them in the process, all to get closer to them. After all, the strength of two Signers would make their mission less complicated. However, as they advanced in their search, the Eroder found them not long ago.

"He was too powerful. He defeated us without a scratch and left here before he ended us," explained Blanche. "Kali has been taking care of us ever since, begging for Calamity or no other elthean to come here while we recovered to continue our journey."

"We are not far from the Galya. Strangely, he appeared without anyone noticing." Aer said.

"It appeared in a wink as if it could disappear," Blanche said.

"That would explain why it's so complicated to capture him," Ead said.

"And did the Eroder ignore you? Just like after beating you up?" Rune said.

"Why?" Leith added, shaking her head.

"That was going to ask. Thank you, Leith," Ead said.

"For him," Blanche said.

Sensing their power was one thing, but running away was strange, coming from the Eroder. After all, he had had the daring to reach the boundaries of the Galya and try to kill Theri and the others since they left High Sword. Although it was true that they preferred to avoid him for the time being, as those who were on his way ended up in terrible shape, that did not mean that they were next. Perhaps he began to change strategy when he saw how they strengthened.

"I doubt we would scare him in the distance," Finnian said, raising both eyebrows.

"I think the same thing, even though you're not as weak as before," Rune said as he looked at him.

"You were hiding them; I'm wrong?" Ead said, heading toward the fairy. "It has been difficult for us to find you, but at least now, you should not worry."

"Don't be so sure about that. Look," Aer said, pointing up.

The clear morning was covered with grey clouds, staining the sky with its darkness once again. The air became more oppressive, which they noticed when entering the battlefield minutes earlier. The previous buzz flooded his ears again, causing him to clench his jaw because of the sudden change that had happened in just an instant. Even the land was affected! Losing the brightness, almost as if the energy had been taken away, or rather trying to claim it. Someone wanted to acquire the reign of that area, and in a much more wicked way, they saw in the Ellery.

"This is bad. This is very, very bad," Ead muttered without turning away from him.

"We're not alone, don't forget that," Rune said.

"Stay close," Leith said while she and the rest of the elthean were standing around, ready to protect them.

"Whatever it is, let's remind them who we are," added Aer, as tough and focused as others.

Together, as a team, one that increased for moments, although that very fortuitous encounter made him see that he had gathered them in one place for one reason: To put an end to the two Signers and to prevent them from fulfilling their mission.