It was still dark when Leander urged him to train, at least so he wouldn’t have another accident with his valiant. Maybe something like that would have saved them a few hours ago, but they were not going to be so lucky, rather the opposite. They told him of their encounter with the yuan-ti, the portal that went nowhere they could at least see, causing the guardian to reaffirm his intentions.

“You never stop learning. The more alternatives you have in your inventory, the more you can do.”

And something like that would influence their chances of getting out of almost any confrontation alive. They were at a point where fights could not be avoided, but if they managed to overcome this crisis, more than one would think twice before challenging them. Finnian wanted to add something, especially since he happened to be the target of mockery by many in his world because of his height. However, in Elthea, he had been shown that appearances could deceive, no matter one’s appearance or abilities.

Materializing a valiant seemed similar to magic or any spell he used: strange at first, though a sense of comfort did not leave him during the process. The crystal reacted to more than just his amulet, as imagination helped it take physical form. It took several minutes, but at least he managed to hold a staff like the one he had lost, though different at the same time.

“I hardly find it heavy to move, but....”

“The pressure on your magic is constant,” Leander finished.

Different from maintaining an evolution, comparable to carrying a heavy backpack with one hand. The staff, instead of wood, appeared to be made of the same material as his amulet, of an opaque gold and silver that did not reflect light, or not if he didn’t want it to. Although he could modify its appearance, it was the only one he was comfortable with, primarily how all the events unfolded. However, there was one quality that he soon discovered to his amazement, for from within could spread tiny wings with grips.

“A glider?” Leander said.

“My buddies are always helping me. I thought it might be useful to have something like that,” Finnian admitted.

He wasn’t about to try it out, though, not in too much darkness. There were still a couple of hours of night left, enough to rest their bodies and minds, something they needed now more than ever. Continuing to practice would only exhaust him, preventing him from giving the best of his abilities when he needed it. And although sleep seemed like the worst thing they could do, even Finnian wasn’t sure when he got it or how long it had been before he woke up.

“I hope I don’t have another useless jump this time,” Finnian muttered, rubbing his face.

“It’s only been a few hours. I wish it had been more.”

While Leander’s tone may have been neutral, even he sensed his concern. It was enough to see through the window that it was still night, although the sky was beginning to threaten with a clarity that would soon increase. However, the time for rest was over, mainly because of the sentries’ news. Their vision was coming to fruition more shortly than Finnian preferred, and Calamity was heading straight for where they were. His motives? They were yet to be seen.

“You must let us deal with Ariel,” Aer said.

“If he’s determined to attack us or make our lives more difficult, I’m not going to stand back,” Leander said.

“It’s not like you’re in a position to choose, is it?” Rune pointed out.

His friend was on the right track. They sensed more than just fatigue in the guardian, if not that magic that affected him, especially as dawn approached. To show himself to the Lord of Calamity at such a time would reveal a secret he would not be well advised to know but to see that dorean with an exploitable weakness.

“Did you send the message to the other Guardians?” Leith said.

“As agreed,” Leander nodded.

They were waiting for an answer if any of the dorean knew of Blanche, Ark or Kali’s location. Now more than ever, they had to keep an open line of communication, as they did not know what they might need.

“The guards will obey you if a fight becomes unavoidable,” Leander said.

“Order them not to intervene,” Finnian said.

“They will, and it is non-negotiable.”

Their seriousness could be comforting after glancing sideways at his companions; he understood why they did not back him up in that situation. After all, they were protecting the best chance they had of keeping Elthea from ending up in chaos, and that was something he could not avoid. No one would enjoy the circumstances, and they wouldn’t until they could finally catch a break.

“I was thinking...” Finnian began to say as they walked towards the north exit, “How powerful are Blanche or Kali to interfere with my visions?”

“Don’t even think about giving them that much power, okay? Because they don’t have it,” Rune exclaimed with that explosive character that characterized her.

“Maybe it has nothing to do with their strength but what they represent,” Aer suggested.

No one can control the actions of others. His visions were a way of warning him of the danger he had to face, but how they came to them varied. According to Ead, some events had to happen, no matter how hard one fought to avoid them. In that case, it was very much connected with Blanche’s intentions. She wanted to bring him to her side, and while she was unaware of how to achieve this, she also did not hesitate to study him to understand the extent of his abilities.

“That should make things easier,” Nero said. “Whatever she says, we’re no longer part of her plans, or not until she gets what she wants.”

“And we won’t let her,” Finnian said.

The egg was still safely tucked away in his mark, though it remained as close as it had been for the past few years. He tried to do what his friends recommended: rub it gently and give it some of their warmth, but nothing would get it to open. The only thing he knew for sure was that it would be his partner.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to go out because what he knows is waiting for him outside,” Leith said.

“Or he may be enjoying a long nap,” Aer said.

He just nodded; a slight smile appeared on his lips, sensing the positivism in each of them. Even after a defeat, they knew how to keep their composure, and they continued to hope everything would get better. Perhaps they were not their partners only because of Fate, but because their connection made them fight in the face of the worst circumstances and conquer them. They left the populated area with a determined step, seeing how the guards patrolled the roads and even the inhabitants of the Silver Orchid were preparing to fight.

“They’re fighters. There’s no denying that,” Ead said.

Neither would stand a chance against Blanche or Ariel, unlike them. However, his companions were more than willing to go toe-to-toe with the lion, primarily since how he kidnapped him or left them in the middle of nowhere. And while it is true that they managed to rescue him in record time, it remained to be seen why he went there, apart from him, of course.

After crossing the area’s boundary, they remained in the same place where they faced Blanche. Even when he seemed distant and close, rest and decisions made him look at him with less uncertainty. It was not long before they perceived how the earth trembled, warning them that something was approaching at great speed. As soon as they heard his distinctive rock, his trailer stopped as the elthean clapped his hands slowly, laughing.

“You made it good,” Ariel said, making a pronounced whistle. “But a great one, kid.”

“Excuse me?” Finnian said, having little understanding of this strange function.

“You come back from the dead just when things are getting out of hand? Now that’s a Signer with style!”

“Cut the crap and tell us what you’re doing here,” Aer said decisively.

“You’ve got some guts, dwarf,” Ariel snapped. “A week ago, you disappeared. Puff. Your energy was gone; your scent too. It was almost as if you had left this world, or so I thought until I found your little friend.”

“When was that, to be exact?” Leith said, rolling his eyes.

Not to mention what had happened. Ariel’s story was short, and for once, he wasn’t mocking those present. It could almost be considered a civilized conversation, except that Blanche and Ark found him a couple of hours ago and tried to cut him in two as soon as they crossed paths.

“That fairy can teleport them,” Ariel continued, still looking at them.

“We know,” Rune said, crossing his arms. “They escaped us a few hours ago.”

“So she’s finally shown her true colours,” Ariel continued, letting out another hiss. “Since when did she become a rebel?”

“Aren’t you thrilled about this?” Leith exclaimed.

“Doesn’t it help you in your plan for domination?” Rune added.

“You disappoint me. Didn’t you tell him what I’m after, Finnian? You were so focused on all my screens,” Ariel smiled.

Of course, he told them, but they wouldn’t trust him because he saw it in his trailer. What’s more, he expected Ariel to alter whatever he had planned to catch him off guard. Regardless of the outcome, having him there talking to him with such condescension would irritate anyone.

“I’ll say it one more time. What are you looking for?” Nero said, letting out a growl, tired of his games. He had re-adopted his Champion level as soon as he could eat and rest a bit, so his cuddly little wolf look was left behind.

“Patience? A better attitude? Or maybe you want to end up like your mommies? Although I wasn’t the one who beat the crap out of them,” Ariel teased, rolling her eyes, “Do I have to tell you all the local gossip?”

It was because of their collision and the last thing they did with the pack. Before they parted, Braunah decided to take care of Blanche, keeping an eye on her from a distance as much as possible. They did not know how their mission went, although Ariel confirmed that there had been a confrontation near the Sea of Grass.

“Do you think we will take your word for it?” Nero exclaimed.

“You can do with it what you want, but it’s the truth,” Ariel replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“And as strange as it sounds, I believe her. On this occasion, at least,” Finnian said.

Ariel’s bravado was interrupted by his intervention, finally showing him to be serious and determined but not as evil as he appeared to be. In his trailer, he had technology that allowed him to control his environment, and although Finnian did not know the extent of what he could do, he did not doubt that he could gather information more easily. For that very reason, he was able to surprise them in Alder. He knew the pack’s essence well enough to track their movements, let alone his own.

“Maybe you don’t need your computers, but I’m sure it’s part of your network to control Elthea,” Finnian said.

“I knew I’d put my interest in the right Signer,” Ariel said, rubbing his claw hands together. “And why do you think she did something like that just now?”

It was a message to them. They may have teleported to safety, but Blanche wanted to provoke them. Attacking the pack was one way to do it because they would come to their aid or seek her out, trying to stop her from continuing on her path of destruction.

“Did you come here just to tell us that?” Finnian raised an eyebrow, smiling at what he had just realized. “No, you came to ask for our help.”

“And why do you think that? You’re very cocky, Signer,” Ariel said.

“Because you know you’d lose to them if you went alone.”

He didn’t need to get close to him to see for himself. There were no other henchmen except those towing his trailer, which indicated that Blanche was giving him a hard time.

“What are you proposing?” Finnian, ready to listen to him.

“What makes you suppose I’m not trying to trick you again?” Ariel said.

“Because you didn’t see it coming,” Finnian replied.

“And, as typical as it sounds, my enemy’s enemy is my friend,” Ead said, stepping in for the first time since their meeting.

“She must be stopped,” Ariel said.

“We agree on that,” Aer said.

“Are you considering working with me, or is this a ploy on your part to betray me when my back is turned?” Ariel said, more suspicious than ever.

“You already know the answer, but I’ll repeat it. This is not a joke or a trick,” Finnian said. “Blanche has taken her path, one we will not follow.”

“What you’re looking for is not wanted by almost anyone, dwarf,” Calamity replied. “All right, we’ll join forces on this. And then?”

“One day. We’ll give ourselves a day to get away, recover, or do whatever we need. After that, we’ll fight again.”

He didn’t try to trick him or come up with an alternative that favoured him more. Ariel maintained eye contact and silence too. He had been told how the other Lord of Calamity were, but he was different.

“The world is getting crazier and crazier. Since when did a Calamity and a Signer work together?” Ariel said, letting out a laugh that was more than just nerves.

“Since never. But there’s always a first time for everything, isn’t there?” Finnian said.

And just as easy as that came to him, the best and wildest idea he had ever had so far.