Saying goodbye to the pack was less bittersweet than expected. Even Nero was surprised at how events unfolded. They each had things to do, tasks they couldn't ignore until they shed light on so many shadows, and that day was covered with both. Besides, they would no longer have to put up with their snoring when they sleep!

Good weather accompanied them as they continued on their way south. Unlike at other times, the territories near the dorean were less travelled, although they encountered no weather problems as they advanced. They expected anything, but if the dorean was still there, they supposed they would have the same magnificence as the others or a similar one.

Their group was back to normal allowed them to make better progress than when they went with Blanche. As much as he loved meeting another Signer, this one had become a liability since they met again. Their relationship may have changed after their conversation following the desert incident, but it wasn't easy to forget the last few days.

"She's only been with us for a week! And it seems like an eternity," Aer exclaimed.

"Thank goodness she didn't wipe out our supplies," Rune said, shaking her head.

"I would have caught her eating my cookies, and she would have ended up with her ass toasted," Leith said.

"Nothing but your cookies? She gave that fairy my moon nectar!" Ead exclaimed.

They had not complained before, but so many fights affected them. However, now that they were farther from the Sea of Grass and closing their destination, dusk threatened to catch up with them much more quickly than expected. Would it have been better to make camp and continue with more light? Especially since none of those present had been to the Silver Orchid before to know if they were on the right path.

"I am following my mother's directions. Even now, we shouldn't have any problems," Nero said.

For although his friend did not know the dorean, his mother did. Braunah said they would have to continue on the main road until it became a rock path instead of earth. But before they could add anything else, the elthean caught a change in the air. Its aroma was far from the arid and rocky terrain in which they found themselves, being sweet yet fresh at the same time. Even the sounds of nature that had accompanied them changed, reigning in a calm that did not seem normal.

"We're closer than we thought," Ead said.

Even the frionach perceived that it was not chaotic magic spreading through that territory but an ancient and sacred one. They did not even remark it, for they were too attentive to their surroundings, trying to grasp what the lack of light did not offer them. On the plus side, the terrain was not difficult to traverse, nor did they have to climb, so it was almost always to continue straight ahead and upward, arriving at where Braunah had indicated. Thus they found a large stone frame that seemed to be part of the landscape, even though it was not.

"The borders of the Orchid are here," Rune murmured.

"Why has no one come to greet us?" Aer said.

Not that they expected a welcoming party, but at least someone to make them see that they weren't walking in the wrong direction. They had faith that their instincts were not deceiving them, especially since the Silver Orchid was not as easy to recognize as the Galya. After all, no large tree could be seen from miles away or from the sky.

Next to the stone structure, they found an elthean somewhat smaller than Nero but easily distinguishable. It was an elephant! Or it closely resembled those of his world. It was barely three feet tall, and on its greyish skin, white symbols were visible on the back. The elthean had glanced at the structure, only to stop when it saw them coming. It even backed up a few steps in fear.

"It's an elephant of the skies," Rune said.

"Do you recognize it because it shares the same element?" Finnian said.

"Sort of. It helps that this isn't the first time we've seen one. Isn't it, Aer? "

"But it's alone. Now that's weird," Aer admitted.

Sky Elephants were elthean with the power of flight regardless of their great size or weight. Like dragons, birds or wolves, these elephants also moved in groups, which made it strange that they would find one so young in such a place. Although its fear was evident, it tilted its head curiously when it saw that they did not attack.

"I smell blood. It must be injured," Nero informed them.

They didn't want to scare it more than necessary, so Rune was the first to approach, taking advantage of what they shared to try to connect. It stretched its big ears, more relaxed now that they had made contact, allowing the rest to come. However, as soon as it noticed him, it hid behind her friend this time.

"Why am I frightening it?" Finnian muttered.

"We just got here. Do you think I have more information than you?" Rune replied.

"This little one got separated from her mother and the rest of the group. She thought she'd find her here," Aer said.

"How long has he been waiting for her?" Leith said.

"A few hours before the sun was at its highest," Aer said. "She thinks she took too long to get here."

Who would have attacked them for the little guy to end up like this? The elephant was reluctant to stay close, let alone allow him to examine her wounds. He couldn't understand that fear, so he did the only thing he could think of in such a situation. Closing his eyes, he extended one of his hands forward, right in the direction of the elthean. He kept his breathing calm, listening to how agitated the elephant was by what she had experienced that day. Then, after waiting a little longer, he noticed how the elephant's trunk approached him, sniffing his hand and then focusing on him.

"No one will hurt you, see?" Rune said.

She was a beautiful creature, and Finnian didn't say that because of the resemblance he found in her, but her innocence. Who would want to hurt something like that? Although she did not communicate like the rest, contact with that elephant revealed more information as they checked her wounds.

"Azure, that's what they call me."

Her group was flying from the north, fleeing from new problems in that area. The Issey region could be cold, but the sky elephants were used to moving through the most diverse climates, so it wasn't a problem. However, when an unusual storm overtook them, that was what separated them. Azure made it there, just as they intended. However, she was the only one in their group who had arrived.

After sniffing Finnian's backpack, hungry, they made a deal. She could satiate herself while they healed her wounds, something she thought was great, especially since her scratches couldn't have been more superficial. That gave them time to understand why no one had come out to greet them or the reason for the entry to have interfering magic when trying to pass through it.

"A blockade? Why would they put up something like that?" Finnian said, feeling the magic.

They counted on it being more protected and even hidden, but not that it would be that hard to get into. Finnian moved his hands in front of it, trying to feel something that was not in the air or plain sight, but it escaped him every time he tried to focus on it. That energy they sensed, so soft and calm, resembled the water's reflection.

"Could it be the Guardian's work?" Aer suggested.

"It is possible. If Ailfryd was strengthened, it is to be expected that something similar happened in the other dorean," Ead said.

Ailfryd may have evolved, but they didn't know what the others were capable of. Appearances were deceiving, and the door was one of those. At that instant, a pair of eyes appeared on that surface, none matching their group's. He swung his hand forward, and a rush of air managed to put some distance between him and the door, at which point someone emerged through it.

"I guess I took too long to show up, didn't I?"

It was a dark-skinned man with purple tattoos on his face, brown eyes and short white hair. He wore a blue sleeveless T-shirt and simple dark pants without patterns, while from his neck hung not only a purple scarf but a pendant that he couldn't make out with precious ones. His arms, marked by white tattoos, denoted strength, and between them, he held a large light wooden staff that glowed as he pointed at them.

"There are few travellers who dare to cross the roads at this hour, let alone come here after an attack," his voice, though low, was melodious.

"Attack? What are you talking about?" Leith said.

It was enough that he referred to the elephant for the pieces to fit together.

"Nothing has happened, or not the way we came," Aer said.

"It makes sense. The storm was several kilometres away from you."

"Do you think we were responsible for it?" Nero said.

His friends were getting impatient, especially since staying out in the open was not their best interest. This new elthean possessed an inner strength, so they couldn't be sure how dangerous it would be to face such an opponent. However, it had come from the dorean itself, which must mean something.

"He's testing us," Finnian said, "If no one came to greet us, it's because they'd be on the lookout for chaos coming, right?"

"Smart boy."

"Then put the staff down, Silver Orchid Guardian," Finnian said.

No other had what it took to stand before them like that. He kept his gaze and staff in the same position until he used it to support, letting the glow escape from it.

"I was expecting your arrival, though not so quickly."

"Our journey has been... full of changes," Ead admitted.

"Still, it is dangerous to walk in at this hour or fly," the Guardian said. "My name is Anwil. Perhaps we should take this conversation to a more private place."

"Anwil? You are Leander's second in command?" Aer said.

"The one Avira wanted to contact?" Rune said.

Saying those two names added different levels of surprise in Anwil's eyes. He didn't know what their story would be, though it wouldn't take long to find out. However, instead of going inside, he was asked to wait a few minutes to stay there.

"We must send a message," Aer said.

"We have messengers and skilled people who could help you with that," Anwil said.

"Not for what we're about to do," Finnian said.

As soon as Aer and he high-fived, the elthean evolved before those present. There was no danger, but instead, they picked up a scroll on which Azure wrote to her family. It was enough for the elephant to tickle it with her trunk for letters to appear in a language foreign to eltheani. After winding it on his arrow, Aer made a bow appear, though not golden, but ghostly, in shades of blue, similar to when they did this last time.

"May the stars guide this arrow. May they find their family soon," Aer said.

After firing, a light beam struck the sky, turning that sunset into a rain of multicoloured stars that few would have enjoyed in those times. Anwil watched them patiently and without adding anything, even when it only took a few minutes.

"You don't see that every day," Anwil said.

"It's a new way of sending messages," Rune said.

"That's not all I meant," Anwil said, smiling. "Let's go inside. There's a lot to talk about and not much time to do it."