No one tells you how tiring it is to go on a tour. They may give you some tips, such as wearing appropriate clothing and shoes, along with a backpack with water, food and what you might need along the way. Reasonable, right? Even in a strange and new world like Elthea, the promise of a walk meant tiredness, one that he hadn’t known until he put his feet there.

They took advantage of the daylight to advance what they could, which meant walking at a good pace, listening to Rune occasionally that time was vital in their case. After all, a group as diverse as theirs could draw attention. Who would be around them in those hills?

“You’d be surprised,” Rune snorted, with her usual tone of concern.

Their path led them to mountains known as the Belpin Circle, where the city of Vallifall was. That would be their third challenge; although it was not a hostile place, it was the fastest way to get to Galya, but with lots of elthean noticing them. There, at the top, they would have a safe passage with their flying clouds.

“Although other mountains are surrounding our home, you don’t have to worry,” Aer said, widening his smile. “There are roads that will take us straight there.”

After looking at the map given by the alasdair, it could mean fewer days of walking if they make it to Valifall in time. The bright side? That everything seemed to go on wheels. Calamity and the Eroder had to be entertained hunting each other, so they could walk without feeling their neck threatened. But, most importantly, practical lessons on how to do magic took up his time.

“You need to concentrate,” Rune said with a snap.

“That’s what I do, but it’s not that easy for me either,” Finnian answered, crossing his arms.

Airbending, that was what they had asked him to do. After all, his encounter with the witch made it clear that he should have some affinity with that element. However, how their partners described how they channelled their magic confused him, mainly because they couldn’t be more different. After two days, he thought he was someone like the others and wasn’t confident enough to do what they asked with a couple of guidelines. And they had gone from creating a small sphere, like Aer, to generating a breeze. If they could not count those of the climate itself (a dry one, windy in those hills that rarely bothered them), he did not make any progress.

“Perhaps you need another approach,” Leith suggested after stopping to eat.

“Or someone who stops taunting because you are not making any progress,” Aer said, staring at Rune with bravery.

“I’m all ears,” Finnian sighed.

The dragons, as Leith explained, were no different from the rest of elthean. They were not born knowing how to expel fire if that was their kind of breath. In most cases, they create smoke, sparks, or attempts far from being a natural flare.

“Keeping a constant fire can be difficult at first, but you must take it out from your inside,” Leith said, patting her belly.

“In the most literal sense, isn’t it? “Finnian said, frowning his eyebrows as he imagined spitting flames like his companion.

“Of course. The magic is within you, even if you have discovered it recently,” reminded Aer.

“You just need to learn how to take it out without being always in danger, of course,” Ead said, flying around the group.

“No pressures, right?” Finnian said.

“Not at all. We have no enemies on our back,” Rune mocked once again, just as the rest stopped to look at her. “What?”

Apparently, he usually had to take the hard road, and even while moving forward without so much to worry, leaving aside their failed attempts to start any magical act, it was all like one more day. No danger, no one who was persecuting him. Only Finnian in a strange world with new friends. Anyone’s fantasy, right?

They did not stop much, not if it was not necessary, as the light was what would mark how much all could advance. And the more they approached the Belpin, following the road that would take them to Valifall, the city in the middle of a waterfall, Finnian wondered if it would be the same as in High Sword.

“Would you prefer to go another way?” Ead said.

“We’re on time. That would prevent them from knowing where we are,” Aer admitted.

“Although a quiet place to rest would not be bad for us,” added Rune.

After all, it’s not that all the sanctuaries they could go through appeared on their map, not to mention that they had nothing to pay for the night in an inn or similar. However, he was pretty far from what he was thinking of. After all, what if someone followed them up there?

“You can’t think like this. You’re not like a disease,” Aer said.

“Nor do you attract destruction,” Rune said.

Although by her tone of voice, one who was far from his usual mockery, she was not entirely sure. Signers had to fight the “Big Bad”, and that meant destruction, damage. He remembered the exact image of the castle but now repeated it elsewhere.

“Really, where is your positivism?” Leith said, releasing a snore.

“Valifall is a big city,” Aer said. “At least they will have good defences.”

“Also, how are you supposed to be helpful if you can’t live a little?” Ead added.

How accurate he was, or that was what he thought after couldn’t do anything else but nod. How should he be helpful in Elthea if he couldn’t see a pinch of such a world? Would he have to arrive, learn to use his magic and defeat Calamity and the Eroder, and then leave? With a more positive change, they advanced the afternoon as they did the morning, with hardly any mishap while walking as he practised, much more relaxed than Finnian would have imagined. Then, when they were going to mount their camp, it happened what he had been waiting for all day.

A flame, or rather an explosion. The warmth that was born in his hand instantly changed, producing noise as big as if two cars had collided. The force threw him to the ground, leaving him stunned and even a little bit painful. Having no trees nearby was most opportune, but the grass and vegetation around it suffered the most. The flames began to spread, although their fellow elthean prevented them from going further. Aer jumped, manipulating the air to remove the earth and avoid the worst of the scenarios with Rune and Leith’s help.

The damage was not significant, far from it, but he would never forget that sudden fear.

“What was that ?” Finnian mumbled, rubbing the palm of his hands. Where that explosion was born, it had not left a mark beyond the scratches from the fall.

“I was afraid something like that could happen,” Ead sighed.

“It’s your magic, Finnian,” Aer said, calm as he approached him and touched him on his chest. “You have a lot of energy. And after trying that hard, it has come out with little control.”

Having no experience, he was not aware of all his potential. And although Ead confirmed to him that he never finished learning, for he was part of life, pressure had been somewhat counterproductive.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Finnian murmured, not as excited as a few hours ago. “In Ellery, I mean.”

“Not at all,” Leith said, denying firmly.

“Neither a bit,” Rune assured him.

“Why?”

“Perhaps we’re used to that kind of change,” Aer admitted, “and you have just started.”

Could it be like riding a bike? How many times had he fallen down until he learned to use it? Or even walk! He was handling something that was part of him and had no idea about it in nearly twelve years. It would take a while to learn how to get carried away, wouldn’t it? But while he would love to see what was like an explosive victory, something else got their attention.

A scream or a roar, but it was not entirely clear, except for how powerful it was. So much that they ignored where it came from. Ead, after a few seconds, glittered while “scanning” the terrain with its magic. They had been doing it from time to time to see if someone was following them.

“This is not good, nothing good,” the hummingbird murmured, still not looking at them.

A pressure grew within them, and not because of the surprise of its explosion, but for something releasing a high magical power that resembled a threat lurking them. Even Finnian perceived it, and he was not as used to it as others.

“Calamity?” Leith said, not entirely convinced.

Aer and Rune looked at each other without adding anything, and even Finnian understood what it was.

“The explosion. Could he have felt it from so far away?” Ead murmured.

“It’s not Calamity,” Finnian said.

“It’s the Eroder. Wherever he was, he had found us,” Rune said.

“We have to rush. Valifall is very close,” Leith said.

“No, we must go to the Esendil river,” Aer said.

“It’s farther away, Aer,” Rune said, as nervous as the rest. “We would be risking too much.

“Trust me, I have a plan. We must only get there.”

The other road, the same one they considered taking if they preferred not to pass through the city. The protection that civilization could offer was tempting, but his companion’s emerald look was reliable. He expected that he would accept his proposal, even without knowing the details, but he would rely on them as often as necessary, especially at such times. Because that was the world he lived in now, one with magic and dangers that could appear in any corner, even when he was thinking in dinner before everything started.

They had to flee and have faith that hell-ish elthean failed to reach them in time. By the way, Ead began to whip them up; he was moving determinedly to hunt them. And they would not make it easier this time!