Teaming up with Ariel was strange. Although the Lord of Calamity could evoke some sympathy depending on the mood in which he was caught, it was difficult to forget past actions or what the future held. After all, who would look kindly on someone who tried to turn him into a generator to power his army?

"Let's learn what we can. It's not every day you get to work with someone like him and live to tell about it," Ead reminded them.

Aside from his imposing appearance, he could pass for just another elthean. However, what was hidden behind that fiery gaze was to perceive the chaos that lived inside him. No one was entirely sure how the Calamities arose, and although they had managed to access first-hand information, there were still many questions. Why were they always different? Why did they appear? And how?

"Really?" Ariel said, clicking his tongue. "Of all the things you could ask me, would you go for that?"

"Would you prefer me to be interested in your favourite band? Because I'm sure there will be quite a few," Finnian said.

"And he could talk about it for hours," Aer replied, rolling his eyes.

Did they know how the eggs emerged in the dorean? Just as they were ignorant of such a peculiarity, Ariel would not reveal a piece of information that went with his kind, though perhaps it was because the details escaped him. Or that each Calamity was unique in its way.

Inside the trailer, they saw that it had fewer henchmen than Finnian remembered, which was both strange and not since Ariel would not need a watchdog. According to his new ally, after Blanche attacked him without restraint, he preferred not to put the lives of any of his soldiers at risk.

"There are very talented elthean I don't want to lose. It would take too long to find acceptable replacements," Ariel said.

"I don't know if that's heartwarming or as cold as ice," Leith muttered.

And even though Kali gave him a good shock, his technology was intact, though not all of it was on. While his mainframe could give him near real-time information on what was going on around the continent of Mithra, he'd had to reboot his systems was slowing him down.

"Is it normal for eternal like Kali to behave like this?" Ead said.

"Is it normal for a Signer to destroy everything in her path?" Ariel replied.

As he explained to them, eternal ones like her did not have unlimited power and were created to help them fulfil their goals. It was an attempt by former Calamities to emulate the Signer's and elthean relationship, even if it had not gone as well as their intentions. After all, this one had managed to get a Signer to share her more macabre ideas.

"It takes a lot of energy to transport. Why do you think I move like this?" Ariel said, raising his arms to point to his trailer.

"Because of the style?" Aer suggested.

"Maybe it's vanity. Who would want to get that coat or hair of yours dirty?" Rune added.

"Because you like to advertise yourself," Finnian said, "but you're making sense."

And it explained why the Eroder was moving so fast from place to place, even when Blanche travelled with them. Kali's absences, though convincing, allowed her to act unsupervised to maintain that lie. Finding them would not be so complicated, especially since the anger she would now have would take away any hiding thoughts. Catching her off guard was a somewhat different matter.

"We can't set her up," Finnian said.

"She'd see it coming. She expects a move like that," Leith said.

"That's why we have to go forward," Nero said.

"Altogether, as if that would make it any easier," Ariel commented. "What happens after we fight? Will you let me take care of her, or will you?"

"We won't hurt her," Finnian said.

"She betrayed you, and she's a threat. She's been trying to take you down since you came to Elthea," Ariel spat.

"How do you know that?" Aer exclaimed.

"High Sword was attacked twice in such a short time. That sparked my interest and that of anyone with a brain. Her partner went once purely by chance to create chaos and a second time to get rid of someone in particular."

That was the reason for his arrival. Perhaps Blanche assured him that she wanted to have him on her side, that they would collaborate to change that world. But that she had been trying to end him from the day he arrived in Elthea was worse. How had his classmate changed so much without him noticing? His partners looked at him, aware of what he was thinking.

"When the time comes, we'll see. Finnian won't have to make that decision alone," Aer said.

"And we will support him whatever he decides," Ead said.

"Interesting," Ariel smiled, "but it will be his decision, not yours."

And even if he was not enthusiastic, Ariel was right. Finnian had to face a problem that he could not solve by approaching it from another angle. Anyway, their conversation changed as they focused on their task: finding Blanche or at least having a location as close as possible. Ariel's scans possessed a more excellent range than any of his spells, partly because he strategically used conquered territories. He may not have bragged about his accomplishments, nor did he show them a map of the Mithra areas he controlled, but they were getting information from his corners, proving his effectiveness.

"Interesting," Finnian said, moving closer to one of the screens. "Am I getting it right?"

"What do you see?" Ariel said, arms crossed.

A combination of spells that worked in harmony with that technology. The ones they used to scan worked almost individually, always focused on whatever they didn't pick up. Perhaps a sound of someone approaching, a scent of something hidden. Like most things in life, Magic was most effective when you were very specific. They had only cast it by making double combinations, but Ariel barely missed a detail.

"I've entered information about her and her friends, her appearance and scent, and her magic," Ariel nodded.

Although such a thing was not infallible, no matter how much information was provided, anyone with the means could alter what its network picked up, which was just the tip of the iceberg. Ariel couldn't pinpoint their exact footsteps because they had learned to cover their tracks, but it was enough to appreciate the gaps to find a trail to follow, though it would take them a while. However, before returning to the Silver Orchid, they noticed a new presence. Several, in fact, for a pack of wolves that they knew very well was running towards their position.

"This is not good," Nero said before they arrived. "My mothers are not with the rest of the pack."

"It has your friend's style," said Ariel.

They went from bad to worse. After leaving the trailer, Ariel hid it while continuing to work, as he did not want anyone or anything to delay them any further. That allowed the wolf group to surround them, leaving some safety distance. A glance was enough to find that their numbers had declined, and their condition was worse than ever. Their fur was dirty and lacking the lustre of before, while around their eyes, he could not only perceive what must have been battle fatigue but a signal new to them: a fury that was taking its toll on the surface.

"Where are Braunah and Flicka?" Nero said, moving toward them until a growl stopped him.

"Dead. It's their fault," Sköll said, pointing at Ariel and Finnian himself, "and yours, Nero. You abandoned us."

"No, he didn't," Rune interjected, also approaching.

"We've settled this, remember?" Ead said.

Though he doubted they were now referring to the wolf circle. They may not have spent too much time apart, but the events happened in a flash. Quick and so forceful that they couldn't assimilate what had happened.

"He followed his destiny, just as we did," Leith added, supporting his friend.

"And ours was to lose to that elthean you treat as an equal? First, he defeated us in Alder, and then they after days of constant tracking."

"Braunah supported us by splitting us up," Finnian said. "Now you blame us?"

"You could have helped us... And you abandoned us! We were following her when you disappeared and came back."

"And then she attacked you," Aer whispered, though they heard him quickly.

"She told us that the world would change and that only by joining her would we achieve our purpose. But your mothers refused. After days on her trail, we knew she was hiding something. Did she think we were stupid?"

Several of them snarled; others howled. Part of the pack had fallen, while the remainder were there with him. Blanche's double-cross affected not only Finnian but also the very wolves they had travelled with. Was she so loosed that she had no problems finishing off anyone who didn't play along? Was he coping with the tantrum of a wayward child?

"We were looking for shelter, and we found you with him!" Sköll roared, being joined by the rest of the wolves. "You have given up your mission; you don't care about us! You will pay for this and all the others who have fallen."

"Sköll, come to your senses. Blanche has betrayed us; that's why we work together. To stop her from hurting anyone else," Finnian said.

"Don't insist, kid," said Ariel, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They won't listen to you, not anymore. "

The wolves were changing. His eyes, once yellow, acquire a bright red hue and not only the rest of his body but also his surroundings. The semicircle the wolves formed caused, with all that pent-up fury and frustration, a dome of darkness to surround him. The clearness of the sky disappeared, enclosing them in a blackness that seemed to have no end. His vision had come true, though once again, not as he imagined.