After leaving the Galya’s protection, it hadn’t even taken a day or a couple of hours to find trouble! Nor is it that they will seek them or was intentional, but they will expect something like that to happen. After all, the fact that they stopped walking around Elthea meant they should be safe somewhere, and it is not that there were many places at their disposal.

If they couldn’t relax at the Galya, it would be an impossible task once out. Neither the ghosts, as deadly as the leopards nor the wolf pack behind the so-called Braunah. It’s not that they were an army or anything compared to the Little Warriors or the Galya’s residents, but that didn’t stop him from being nervous. The leader expressed more calm than other wolves seemed to have, and although they had helped them in time of need, Finnian was still unsure if they could trust them.

“Any idea who was that hooded figure?” Aer said.

That elthean, whatever his identity, had disappeared as soon as the wolves made their appearance. The magic that summoned the ghosts vanished, allowing even the sky to recover its blue with which they began the morning. However, the harmful effect was still in the air, mixing a sweet aroma with the wild from the wolves.

“Our trackers are hunting it. We will soon know something,” Braunah said with some sympathy.

“Don’t you end up surrounded by candy ghosts as we did?” Finnian said, crossing his arms.

“Our strength lies not only in the number, Signer, even though you seem to have that too,” Braunah answered, looking at his colleagues.

First to Rune, then Leith and finally to Aer. All three kept their Champion form, ready for any setback. Having helped them did not mean they were on the same team, which was perceived without problems. Finding out who is your ally or friend is not as easy as looking at them in the eyes, but how they behaved with others. Although they would not be too long to reveal their intentions, the great wolf and her pack were as cautious as them.

“That elthean conjured others to reduce you. I suppose you were aware of it, and you pretended to attack him, even though we were faster,” Braunah said, bending his head.

“Thank you for your help. Better to have you on our side than not,” said Finnian.

Although it was not insinuation, Braunah looked at him with her amber eyes without expressing anything. They still remained in the same plain, bathed in sunlight. They did not even consider camping that soon, especially with all the land they had to cover in a short time. Besides that, however, they needed to attend to their ‘saviours’ and see how events progressed.

The rest of the pack was composed of the most diverse wolves they have seen, both in size, age and appearance as varied as their eyes but calmer and more cautious to what they talked about.

If he was nervous to talk in front of his whole class, that was a thousand times worse! But Finnian wasn’t going to let them see him lose his composure.

“Are you going to the Galya?” Finnian said.

“I thought I’d ask you,” Braunah said.

“We were just passing through,” Leith added.

“We have other places to go,” Rune said.

“Like everyone,” the wolf answered.

Just as they unveiled their journey to the east, Braunah and her pack were part of a group trying to undermine the influence of Calamity in the Hawell region. It was a challenging task because of how quickly he was moving, but they were not going to allow their home to end up in the hands of someone like Ariel. Then, their conversation was interrupted when one of the trackers, a blue and white fur wolf, made his appearance. Their prey had escaped, employing magic that went beyond their capabilities.

“He was not the Eroder,” Aer said.

“Neither the Lord of Calamity,” Finnian added.

“Although he has managed to disappear, such a power does not have anyone,” Rune said.

“In addition, he tried to dominate this area as soon as he appeared… and lost it when he left,” Ead intervened. “It might be some of them, but it doesn’t look like their way of acting.”

“Have you seen them before? Why haven’t you defeated them?”

One of the wolves near Braunah spoke with such determination that all ended up observing him. A look from her leader was enough to be silent, although not even she added anything about it, waiting for the answer.

“I didn’t have the power. That’s why we’re going east, for strengthening ourselves,” Finnian answered.

“A curious place to go,” Braunah said. “What has been lost there?”

“We’ll find out when we see it,” said Finnian.

Their mission belonged only to them, to no one else. All the elthean knew the purpose of the Signers, but the details were information they preferred to keep in their small circle. The less they knew the exact location, the better.

“And what about her?” Braunah said.

“Blanche?” Finnian said, feeling his partner behind him. “He has just fought against the Eroder and lived to tell it. That is more than many have achieved.”

“An empty victory in a world that falters.”

Braunah’s words, regardless true they were, could not come at a worse time. Perhaps Calamity had seized to attack them at such a moment, or their old and deadly enemy might be embracing other tactics to attack them. No matter what the answer was, they were not there to teach them what they should or should not do.

“All this world needs is for you to fulfil your mission,” Braunah said.

“Wait a moment, who is the Signer here?” Finnian said, stepping forward.

He spoke loud and clear with a confidence that he rarely had, but if he initially thought it was not a good idea to disturb that pack, now he should not allow it to go further. Ailfryd already warned him that, far from the Galya, the elthean would not be as gentle or sympathetic. Everything depended on the life they had or how they were now. In addition, the wolf might be twice as big as he was, but he wasn’t there to explain how he should do things. The distance between both was reduced while the tension rose, although neither of the groups had intentions of fighting.

“I understand that problems do not know rest, but it is we who have to take care of them,” Aer intervened.

“And we’ll do it our way,” Rune said.

Both were close, ready to protect them if that group became a hostile one. Leith did not need words because her impression was enough to remind them that they would need a lot of wolves to take her down if they came to something like that. Then, to their surprise, Braunah bowed her head as a slight reverence.

“I apologize. We have concluded too quickly,” Braunah said.

“They are not necessary,” said Finnian, imitating her in the gesture. “I’m… We’re here for a reason, but not for you to tell us what we have to do.”

They were intelligent beings, not puppets that served only one purpose, so he would not be content to obey everything they said. Finnian would ask questions, find out what was happening, and solve it in the best way possible. That’s how he had been educated, and he wouldn’t turn his back on something like that, no matter how much he wasn’t in his own world.

“Understandable,” Braunah said. “At least for the next few days, we would like to accompany you. I hope you don’t mind.”

Seeing a wolf smile was far from innocent, but it wasn’t the only one who was curious to see them in action. The feeling that all this seemed like an exam they had not asked for did not go away, causing the tension to become something different from what they had just witnessed.

“I think our paths have crossed for a reason, and I hope to find out,” she said.

Even when he couldn’t explain it or say it aloud, a feeling that even Finnian shared. But if they were going to be together over the next few days, they would find out.

“Will we not interrupt you in your obligations?” Aer said.

“There are more freedom fighters than we are, and they will want to know what the Signers that have come into our world are like,” Braunah said.

After an instant, Finnian released a sigh of relief as his partners went back to their Rookie level. While he could keep the evolution longer than before, there were still many hours left in the day to get tired too soon. Moreover, it was not the time or place to show weakness.

“Can you walk?” Finnian said.

“There will be no problems, though….” Blanche said, looking at the ground to add. “Do you think it’s reasonable to go with those wolves?”

“My enemy’s enemy is my friend,” Leith said.

A phrase that could define that, although alliances could change just like the air itself. For now, it aided them, encouraging them to learn what they could from the wolves. However, it could become a real problem if they opposed them at any moment. In addition, they would soon find out where they were going, and it would be that point at which they would know if they were trustworthy or not.

“Maybe we should join Blanche in this conversation,” said Finnian.

“Do you think she would do the same? “Aer pointed out.

“Let’s be careful… for now,” Rune said.

“Too many fronts are open. Not all people or elthean are trustworthy,” Leith reminded him.

But he won’t be excited to share that link with her. However, seeing a known face gave him some peace of mind, but there was a reason for them not being friends. However, just by seeing a smile on Blanche’s lips while looking at her partner, what happened before did not have to determine what they were now.

He was no longer the only Signer, which united them before a task that not everyone would understand.