So far, Aer and Rune’s life was not significantly different from his, although that did not prevent him from appreciating it. Far from inhabiting an enchanted castle, the Glaedr school respected the esthetics of the forest, although the exciting thing came as they crossed its doors. With its magical extended physical space, what on the outside would seem like a cabin of considerable proportions, inside it was a whole school.

Simply decorated, a large bulletin board was close to the entrance, perfect for learning about any news regarding the school. They were all charming touches from warnings on extracurricular activities, other on the cafeteria menu, or weekday curfew reminders. The halls and classrooms, now empty, showed that the classes had ended, although that did not prevent them from perceiving movement. However, that visit was interrupted as soon as someone caught their attention or Rune in particular.

A small group of elthean threw themselves at her, not in the literal sense, but they were delighted to have their partner back there. So, after a brief explanation from Aer, he soon found out how popular she was.

“We have not even two minutes and is already surrounded by friends,” Leith said, shaking her head to get a better look at the scene.

Because, unlike in other places of the Galya, his presence had gone almost unnoticed. Yes, they watched them, but they were too busy talking to Rune to focus on them, which was a relief. They even greeted Aer, someone they shared a course with, despite being younger, but it was not the same treatment, but a cordial one. And before they knew it, Rune said goodbye, promising that she would meet with them later, as she wanted to catch up with her friends.

“Wow,” Finnian whispered.

“She’s been fast,” Leith said. “She has not doubted a second.”

“Didn’t you want to join her?” Ead asked Aer, even though he limited himself to deny with his head.

“They are more her friends than mine. I am considered to be just a classmate.”

His words did not trigger resentment but something he had already accepted for quite some time. Leith and Finnian looked at each other, and although they had no need to add anything, they felt that the previous conversation was not far from the problem. It was ironic and sad the treatment that some might receive because they were different. Did they not look to the face and see that no one was identical? What would it take to leave such disputes behind? It did not matter what world he was in because there was always something that served as discord among those who lived in it.

The sightseeing was quiet and without much disruption. Aer showed him the meeting rooms, where most spent their time, and provided they were not in their bedrooms. The various groups of people who chatted or studied were scattered, none joining them to introduce themselves and even listening to Rune’s voice at the bottom, being the focus of attention. It had to be a pleasant change because of the last few days, not to mention that it would be part of his usual routine.

“It’s strange,” Finnian murmured, rubbing his arms from a chill caused by the discomfort. “It’s not very different from my school.”

“For the students?” Leith said.

“For being unnoticed,” Aer replied.

It was a gift and a curse, as it were, something that even Leith understood. Her twin was the popular, charismatic one that attracted the attention of the present. His partner couldn’t care less, as that allowed her to focus on other issues of interest. But that was the tip of the iceberg of problems that resulted from something like that.

“You hadn’t mentioned it until now,” Aer said.

“I didn’t think it was important either,” she admitted, looking at her paws. “The hunter took him away. The past cannot be changed.”

“True, but the present determines the future,” Ead reminded them.

“Did you send a message to them?”

After explaining the situation to Ailfryd, he suggested that they use messengers, elthean with magic arrows that allowed them to send letters from side to side. Mail traffic may have been affected by the growing influence of calamity, but that did not keep them isolated.

“I haven’t even written it. For what?” Leith said. 2We will have been left for dead or captured, and when it comes to a dragon hunter, you rarely know what has happened to his victims.”

Fight and survive. He listened to three words too often and still did not like them. As far as he was aware, the armoury of dragon hunters was diverse, although everything was dedicated to hunting them. Bending to be at her height, he put a hand on one of his legs, just as if it were a shoulder, ignoring what to offer that could help to relieve her distress. She decided to stay with them rather than find her family, and that kind of value could not easily be compensated for.

“Do you want us to go with you?” Finnian whispered.

“You may not get out of your words, but we will be there to help you,” Aer said. “Knowing that you are still unharmed will give them hope, Leith, and that was something they might not have before.”

Although first, and at her insistence, she wanted to see what had been Aer’s home. So, after leaving a library of considerable proportions where Finnian hadn’t cared to get lost, they came to the residences, where that other school life took place.

The dining room was ample in view, o so it seemed because it was empty at that time. However, the bedroom area could not be more different, comparable to the meeting room. It was not limited to noise or movement but to the very life that all his senses could capture. Sweets scent’s kissed his nose, next to the sound of conversations that some were having at that moment. The elthean’s eyes were on them, curious to find out what would have been doing there until someone approached them.

Similar to Rune, it was an elthean with bird characteristics, although it resembled a disguise. Of yellow and red feathers, striking even by forest standards, his legs were more developed than his friend’s as if he had trained for something like that. The heat radiated, along with a slight smell of something burned, made him understand that elthean, as much as it seemed to be able to fly, its element did not move away from the fire.

“I already knew that your disappearance was not because you had escaped,” said the elthean named Keahi. “No one else believed me, but here you are, the Signers partner.”

“I’ve also glad to see you again, Keahi,” Aer said, just as he passed a hand through his head.

A friend, a close one. Fate united them despite not having much in common, except that the rest will rarely meet with them for being different. The group that formed Aer at the time was not numerous but diverse. Although He did not unveil details at first, he captured various, such as the fact that he was always under the attentive gaze of the rest of the students, even receiving such a treatment.

“Everyone talks about how you evolved to fight Ailfryd and survived,” Keahi said.

“They keep treating me as usual.”

“You have broken their schemes. What did you expect?”

They had great expectations of Rune, but Aer’s was different. When someone looks at you from above, always thinking that you are less critical, something happens that shows how wrong they were; those same people have to eat their words. The fear that others will change and they will not be able to achieve it never goes away, and remembering what Ead said, feelings like this aroused more than just envy. The fear that others will change and they will not be able to achieve it never goes away, and remembering what Ead said, feelings like this aroused more than just envy.

After a short talk with Keahi, who could be more significant than him but had a heart comparable to a cinnamon roll, he left them as they headed toward Aer’s bedroom. As a single one, it had as a bed a wall hammock, of those that they could swing in if they wanted to. At first glance, it didn’t seem comfortable, but he soon found that it fit his back when lying or how comforting it was to swing.

“Although I don’t know how you can sleep so quiet at this height. Don’t you have the feeling that at any time, you could fall?” Finnian said, even without standing up.

“You get used to it in time,” Leith replied, jumping over the hammock and settling on her too.

On the walls were bookshelves, some belonged to those of his course, but so many others were for pleasure. He also saw posters on the walls, some of his own harvest, Aer admitted, while others belonged to friends or even places he wanted to visit. With bluish-green walls, similar to the sea near High sword, the room smelled like it had been closed for a few days, just like Aer took a weekend trip. It was cosy, the home he had only known so far, worth it to get back. And after Aer jumped on his bed, joining them, he knew he was more than happy to have them there.

“It’s like you to want to go out and see the world,” Leith said, letting out a laugh.

It’s not that their group was curious, but it kept them awake at night with anything they could imagine. Even on the ceiling, where his head rested while sleeping, they could appreciate what the constellations in Elthea should be, but the magic was only activated when the night fell.

However, the most striking thing was the photos. They might not be many, but he found they had methods to put specific images on paper. Some remained static, while others were moving, showing a few seconds of what happened at the time.

“What are you doing lying like that?”

Rune, emerging from the hallway, observed them all turning her eyes blank. How was she able to appear at the time indicated? He didn’t know, but it was time for the next idea they had in their hands. Taking one of the unique papyrus, those who were used to create photographs stood in front of him, each with a more funny face than the previous one.

Seconds later, letting the magic soak him and take shape, soon appeared the image of his group, as smiling as making clowns. Because not everything was to be work or sad, and there were many times in which they also had fun, more than they would reveal to others. Then, everyone left something more than his face.

“In Aer’s bedroom, making bougies,” Finnian said as he wrote about that picture, seeing how his handwriting appeared in gold.

“With Leith enjoying her bed,” she added, making melodious purple handwriting, like her voice.

“With Rune grumbling in the background,” Aer said, showing neat yet energetic blue letters.

“With Aer close to receiving a good slap,” Rune added, achieving the same in red.

His mark, his moment, something that would pass to posterity for those present and no one else.

“And Ead, of the frionach, whose photo does not do it justice,” the hummingbird replied, causing some silver letters to appear. “Why do I appear as a blur?”