Finnian was losing track of time, even when he could see changes in the sky with his eyes, offering more clarity than they had at the ruins. Perhaps it was because he had barely been able to sleep, maybe his body was still charged with adrenaline, but the reality was that he longed for the moment when they would reach that oasis for a well-deserved bedtime. However, they had business to talk about first, and even though they were separated, he could sense how Aer and Leith were focused on the story Rune and Nero were telling him.

“After Calamity left, he didn’t destroy the pack,” the wolf explained.

Sweet Serenade kept them pinned down, and the few minions who remained intended to give them a good beating. As they remarked, it was far more effective for other elthean to see how unsuitable the Signers were for their mission, offering them a new alliance that would change their perspective. However, as Nero assured them, the pack had its way of thinking.

“Although the damage was already done,” Rune continued.

Morale was low, especially given how their assault on Alder went and how things ended. As much determination as they had to deal with trouble from Calamity, the Eroder or anyone else, seeing two Signers as helpless as they were made their faith falter.

“Several wolves blame my mother and her error of judgment, although none of them dares to take responsibility when they all agreed on such an attack,” Nero added.

If they had seen how volatile some of them were, they did not doubt that anything could happen. Although Braunah quickly understood that they would not give up and would pursue Ariel to free them, Nero joining was something that many did not welcome.

“A closed-minded wolf, that’s the only nice thing I can think of about them,” Aer exclaimed, not holding back his thoughts.

Traitor. Deserter. Words like that came from Rune, even if his new friend didn’t want to express it. Despite having a reputation for being a loner and choosing to work at his own pace, hearing things like that was never pleasant. His mothers did not object to his leaving, though they were not thrilled that their son was the partner of the same Signer who had failed them.

“It was their comments, not mine,” Nero assured him.

“I wouldn’t have minded seeing the look on their faces,” Finnian admitted.

It would at least be like a puzzle, but time was not on their side to focus on something like that. Following their trail was easy, partly because Calamity didn’t bother to hide him unless he intended something, as happened in Alder, though also because of Finnian. The bond remained intact even in the distance, making them focus less on which way to go and more on not running out of energy. They didn’t give up because he didn’t, and even if they couldn’t communicate as they were doing, that didn’t make them lose hope.

Thus, they entered the desert, more aware of how dangerous the place was than Finnian himself.

“We found Pyla and Grannus by sheer luck,” Ead admitted.

“Not to mention the worm or the elementals,” Aer said.

Luckily, luck had little to do with it, or Leith merely added. The desert dragons, Pyla and Grannus, were part of a group not far from Calamity’s path, and they were not slow to intercept them either. Not all of them wanted to stand in the way of such an enemy, though they were far from helping him on his destruction.

“Besides, they know this place as well as its inhabitants. They sensed where you were headed and assumed Ariel was unaware of what was inside the ruins,” Rune said.

A civilization that lived beneath the desert to be more precise. The elementals were not there to help them but prevent an elthean like the lion from entering their domain. They survived their confrontation against Ariel, denoting a strength superior to many elthean. However, they were unaware of their abilities and would not want to know what they were capable of either. Besides their attempt to engulf their foe, the great worm was similar to the elementals.

“And yet, we are not out of danger,” Nero said.

The pack would not go in there, but they would deal with them in the not too near future, having an outcome they could not predict. The same could be said of the inhabitants of the Ikeleia, so unknown to them that they did not know whose side they would be on or whether they would help them get out of there, which led them to why they were going their separate ways.

“Do you know why Ariel left like that?” Aer said, though his partners soon hear his denial. “Because he sensed a burst of high-level energy.”

“The Eroder? Why couldn’t I feel it too?”

“We think it was because you were exhausted,” Rune explained.

However, there was hesitation in her words, almost as if she didn’t express what they were thinking. Even without doing magic as usual, picking up things like that should be as easy as breathing.

“Perhaps Ariel did something to you while you were captive,” said Ead.

He hadn’t hurt them, and he hadn’t even stayed with those magical handcuffs they had put on him in the first place. Finnian wanted to believe he would have noticed, though they could never be entirely sure, could they? Separating them would be one way to find out, something Aer and Leith had already explained to Blanche, who was looking as exhausted as he was. They would all need to recover to determine if they were spell-free or not.

The desert would have become more open as they advanced, leaving the ruins behind, though not as much as Finnian would have liked. The atmosphere was no longer as fresh as before, warning them of what the sun would offer them once it came out ultimately. The wind, mixed with the sand, made it difficult for him to focus on other sounds, not even when his friends stopped talking to pick up the pace and show him a new vision.

As lost as if his inner compass was broken, that oasis managed to take his breath away. Palm trees and the most diverse vegetation could be seen in the distance, offering a refuge that anyone in that sandbox would see as a real treasure. However, what was most interesting were the grey stone monoliths at a prudent distance from the interior, indicating the limits of the oasis and the sanctuary’s protective shield.

“The others are waiting for us inside. Come on, let’s go,” urged Rune, jumping off Nero’s back, seeing how Aer and Leith had already broken through the barrier.

That didn’t make him react, though. He stood there in front with his feet sunk into the sand, appreciating more than just the desert’s aridity. That moment was not just one of calm where no one was looking to kidnap him, attack him or ask him for anything, but one where he could finally breathe. Nero advanced following Rune’s footsteps then tilted his head and looked at him:

“Enjoying the moment?” the crimson-eyed wolf said.

“More or less,” Finnian admitted. “It’s the first time I’ve been in a desert... and an oasis.”

“Me too, but... Don’t be fooled by appearances and go inside.”

They both crossed the barrier after a quick exchange of glances while the wolf did not leave his side. What he saw so far of the oasis changed, leaving behind that mirage of something that looked like, but was a thousand times better. Large palm trees with golden leaves were the protagonists that shone with the sunrise, offering a vision as beautiful as Galya itself. However, what most caught his attention and enchanted his senses was the large blue crystal in the centre of the oasis. Above the water, the cerulean glow didn’t hurt the sight, and as soon as he approached it, he saw that it was from it that the fluid element was emerging.

“Do all oases look like this?” Finnian muttered, unable to contain himself.

They weren’t going to know, and at this point, they didn’t need to. The calmness of the place was fascinating, and if he added to the sight of Aer and Leith changing shape, the pressure on him finally melted away. They hugged him so eagerly that even he did the same, feeling more than tiredness taking its toll.

“I could sleep for a week,” Finnian muttered as soon as they parted. Sitting there was different from staying in the trailer, though maybe because he was no longer trapped.

“You’re not the only one,” Aer admitted, letting out a nervous laugh.

“Are we safe? Really?” Blanche said, still not entirely convinced. “Neither the Ariel nor the Eroder will be able to get in here?”

“It’s a sanctuary. Nothing bad can happen as long as we stay inside,” Ead reminded them.

“Besides, we met Calamity when we were in another one,” said Rune, “and it won’t be any different here.”

They hoped so, for the universe seemed intent on proving them wrong. Enough trouble they had had without seeing themselves in more, and at least there, after putting their pieces of history together, they could breathe easy as they made a breakfast far too early for what they were used to.

“Then, as soon as Nero was able to get up, he shouted, ‘We have to rescue them, whatever it takes,” Aer said in a deep voice, pretending to be the voice of a wolf.

“I don’t talk like that,” Nero complained.

“Of course you do,” Rune added, laughing with the others.

“Of the four of us, you’re the biggest,” Leith said, pointing out the obvious.

“But I don’t talk like I have a cold!” Nero said, shaking his head, then giving in to the laughter that had become so contagious among them.

Such an epic moment that he would have loved to see it, though not at that point. He didn’t even know the exact moment he ended up lying down, allowing himself to be enchanted by sleep, making his only concern whether he would be comfortable there or not. For the moment, nothing was going to disturb him, not even a tiny ant.