As much as those present wanted to leave that place, Ariel had no intention of letting them go. His gaze was severe, abandoning the games they had played so far and only exuded conviction. He would not turn around or run away to fight another day, though Ariel would not sing them a Sweet Serenade to disable them either. Did they want to leave? Then they would have passed over him.

“Finnian, you want to leave so fast?” The lion roared.

Perhaps that was not the place for his vision, and although it had been a while since he had one, it was not the occasion to show weakness. They had already been defeated hours before, and there was the opportunity to turn the situation around, or at least send him a clear message, in case his little trip had not exposed his convictions.

With the dunes similar to the swell of the sea, the dragons of the desert ensured that Ariel’s minions did not bother them, while the elementals of the ruins fought against them, preventing them from gaining ground. The sand whirlpools reduced the space of movement of anyone, for wherever the great worm passed, there it left its mark.

“They agreed to help us rescue you, but we didn’t want to involve them any more than necessary,” Ead said.

The frionach’s idea was to call on the desert dwellers, although not all responded to their help. The summarized version was that, after their abduction, they continued with the pursuit as soon as they could get up, not wanting to lose even one more second that he was giving them. They soon understood Ariel’s intentions and that the strength of the four of them at that moment would not be enough to face the Lord of Calamity.

“That’s the thing about travelling. You meet other eltheans and bond,” Leith said.

Although different in appearance and powers, the dragons were part of a clan her companion had had contact with. Few dared to stand up to Ariel, even if they only needed them with their connection to that place. The elthean there connected with the desert similarly to the Regrowers with the land, an advantage they used to get out of Ariel’s clutches.

“Is this the best thing you can do?” Ariel exclaimed, beating his chest with both hands. “Are you so unwilling to stand up against me?”

Ariel wanted to provoke him, a confrontation. He was aware that this could slip through anyone’s hands, and time was a factor that worked against those present. His agility was superior to that of his companions. Although both had slight advantages within their reach, a mistake was enough for them to find themselves in his clutches again, or worse, in fact.

Making a feint to get on top of Leith, Ariel took the lead and made a considerable leap that kept him in the air for an instant, dodging one of the giant whirlpools that were between them and reducing the distance. His friends were more than willing to fight him. They don’t lack motive, but not in that scenario where too many variables could alter the balance.

Aer clenched his fist, giving off a whitish aura as Leith’s throat lit up. Then, both evoked their magic, the angel expelling a shower of gold that was soon engulfed by the dragon’s flames. Fiery meteors flooded the battlefield, being swallowed up by the sand and turning that place into one that few would want to visit. Seeing that his chances of movement had been reduced, he emitted two black and green spheres in each of his claws that Ariel hurled at them without thinking. Then, Nero’s fur glowed, generating around him a ring of rocks that blocked the Calamity’s attacks, creating smoke wherever they hit.

“We need your help!” Finnian exclaimed to Blanche. “They’re trying so hard for both of us. You could make a difference.”

But she didn’t even answer him. She clutched Ark as if her life depended on it, looking all around him as if he was capable of expressing any words. Finnian shook his head, trying to focus and bond with them to give them more strength, though failing catastrophically. Maintaining the evolution for so long was draining him, not to mention other spells he had cast. Even he had limits, and it was a wonder they were still fighting.

However, Ariel did not advance or counterattack. Instead, he let out a laugh as he saw that her intentions could not have been more dashed. Ariel had not lured the Eroder but had disturbed the sleep of a desert that wanted no disturbance.

“I could go on with this. It has been a lot of fun this reunion,” said Ariel, helping himself with his microphone so that they could hear him better. “I’ll give you the victory for today, but the next time we meet will be the last.”

“Are you planning to go on vacation? Have we left you that tired?” Aer mocked, smiling confidently.

“In your dreams, winged bug. But other enemies seem to be doing their own thing,” Ariel said. “Besides, I’ve bought enough time for my people to leave. We all win! For now.”

Had it been a distraction? Really? He even took off his hat to say goodbye, adding a touch of drama to the unique abduction. After a great leap, he avoided the swirling sand once more and left the place, leaving them with a bittersweet feeling about the whole thing while his trailer followed him. Why did he think that he missed something every time Ariel was around? Were his intentions so evident that the Eroder didn’t want to appear because of the lion? Then, snapping him out of his thoughts, Nero nudged him with his nose, then moved closer to him.

“Climb up. You look like it won’t take long before you fall to sleep,” Nero said, making him use him for support.

“Thank you, it’s good to see you too,” Finnian said, not wanting to reply and doing as he instructed, using him for support.

“There’s an oasis not far from where we are,” Rune said.

Something like that sounded too cool, especially since dawn would soon break, and with it, the temperature would rise to levels they would quickly find out. However, as lost as he was during his first days, even such a journey seemed too great. Or maybe it was his tiredness talking.

“Not very far at your present size, is it?” Finnian said.

“Can you keep the evolution going for a little longer?” Aer said, his smile widening, confirming what he already feared. As exhausted as he was, his friends were worried but with a steely conviction to get them to safety.

“I think so,” Finnian nodded, aware that he had no other options. “Shouldn’t we thank them?”

Except for the giant worm because it followed Calamity. Nor of the elementals who went back into the ruins. Only the desert dragons remained there, majestic creatures but different from Leith. More extensive and with wings that matched it, their scales were camouflaged by the sand. They were not creatures of the skies, not unless they had to be. But in the Ikeleia Desert, their strength was not to be questioned on earth and there. A pity they could not be with them longer!

“There’s no need,” Leith said, shaking her head. “They have done their job.”

Making that express rescue possible, even in such uncertain circumstances. Before they knew it, the pair went on their way, whichever way it was, away from the ruins and their small group. After that, they finally split up to head for their new location. Blanche would fly above Leith and accompanied by Aer, who would watch from the sky for any possible surprises, while Nero and Rune (now that he had moved back a level) would go along the ground. The other Signer barely nodded, still too stunned by what had just happened to complain.

“It sounds like a plan,” said Finnian, unable to hide his smile. Now that his magic was under less pressure, he could breathe, though it was still too early to enjoy such an outing.

“Did you think we’d show up against Calamity empty-handed?” Ead said, flying intermittently without turning away from him, as excited as the others. “Not that we had much time to prepare, but under the circumstances, I don’t think this intervention went too badly.”

“Intervention?” Nero said, shaking his head. “We’ve chased the Lord of Calamity in the middle of the night. We’ve damaged his trap and rescued the Signers without getting killed.”

“Looking at it this way, it’s a miracle that everything turned out all right”, Aer replied, rolling his eyes.

“Where is the positivism that characterizes you so much?” Rune said, looking at his friend.

“It’s gone to sleep. Maybe when we’re more rested, it’ll come out,” said the angel, shrugging his shoulders.

Because he wasn’t the only one who had been in survival mode, but for the moment, that crisis was over. On the other hand, he supposed that the reunion would have to wait. However, there was one note that didn’t quite click for him. Why did they decide to go their separate ways?

“There’s something I want to talk to you about. But just between us,” Rune said, connecting with his mind, maybe answering what his face was thinking.

“Did something happen while we were apart?” Finnian said.

“You didn’t see what happened when Ariel left,” said Nero, as serious as the others.

Although there were more details, his friends preferred to share calmly with him. Even with the stress and fatigue, the Signer’s work and their partners were rarely endless. They might sleep and need an accumulation of things, but as long as there were dangers that upset the natural balance of that world, none of them could relax completely. That was their summer vacation, one they would never forget.