Avira was straightforward: she would not open any portal for them. The group that travelled with her had magical energy to create a new one if they needed a quick return to Aurean, so they would have to walk. Nothing to complain about, not considering the bad experience he had with Kali, which he had no intention of repeating.

“I want you to go to the Silver Orchid and give this to an elthean named Anwil.”

The princess held out to Finnian what at first appeared to be a circular pendant, austere but with symbols around it. It contained magic that was unknown to him, not to mention that he could not activate it either. She explained that it had been designed to react with the receiver, though someone strong enough could break the lock.

“The message is inside, as you can imagine.”

“Is that all we have to do?” Finnian repeated, overseeing the object.

“Not many want to visit that dorean, even when it’s regaining its former lustre,” Avira said.

“The comments we’ve received have been...” Leith began.

“Various,” Rune said.

“Rather so exaggerated that we didn’t even know what to think,” Aer admitted.

“You’d better judge with your own eyes when you’re there,” Avira said.

“Why don’t you go?” Blanche said. “You have the means to do it.”

That assignment was personal, while her work there was not. Besides, even if they had the resources to move from one place to another, it was not time to do something like this. Instead, they had already revealed they would be near, and it wouldn’t alter their mission too much, which led them to their next step.

“Cinder talked about the naga cave, didn’t he? Do you think he would have some control over them?” Nero said.

“Probably. They’ve stayed in the mountain for generations, only attacking travellers passing the territory,” Avira said. “Even if Cinder had a deal with Calamity, it’s not unreasonable to think they were allied.”

“I’m going to say something stupid, and I’ll regret it later....”

“That’s not news, Finnian,” Blanche replied.

“Their numbers would be worrying, wouldn’t they?”

And she furrowed her eyebrows, looking at the other Signer. He was right that their numbers could become a problem, but their location made them a threat. They might inhabit the Everground tunnels, but the mountains covered significant ground, so even their roads were considered by many to be their domain.

“Only a group of elthean of considerable strength would dare to go that way.”

“Like the one you came in, Princess Avira?” Ead said.

“Indeed, Master Frionach.”

The relationship between the pair was most curious. In Aurean, they respected the work that sensitive eltheans like Ead were doing, even though they treated each other as equals.

“You should let us take care of Everground,” Finnian said.

“I’m not thrilled about going that way, but at least it’s better than the clouds,” Nero admitted.

“Besides, they still haven’t heard anything about Cinder’s imprisonment,” Aer said. “They won’t expect anyone to intervene, no matter who it is.”

Once again, time was running against them. The princess watched him for a few seconds, still with her eyes as hot as fire sapphires. Finnian didn’t know what she was thinking, as the conversation they had been having was more about damage control (or what was to come) than his presence. Each had different positions, and they focused on other aspects.

“You offer yourself to a task without knowing the plan I prepared to contain them?” Avira said.

“As I see it, someone must go to find out whose side they are on,” Finnian said.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to keep them from joining the Lord of Calamity’s ranks,” Rune nodded.

“They are not peaceful like us. A dialogue will mean that you will end up in their stomachs,” Avira said.

Slow digestion, though if they were numerous, their small group would not be enough to feed the nagas living in Everground. The very thought sent shivers down his spine, something his friends shared as well. Even Nero, who was more than happy with the idea of going over the mountain, would instead take a detour and avoid those snakes rather than face them.

“Anyway, you’re in luck. You will only need this,” Avira said, making an iron marble appear in her hand. “Don’t let your eyes deceive you. It’s a dangerous artefact if you don’t know how to use it.”

She called it a timeless orb. It was an object that would trap any elthean within its reach, holding them inside for an indefinite amount of time until the magical energy fueling it ran out.

“An idea like that sounds great, but we’d have to lure them all or most of them, wouldn’t we?” Finnian said.

“With our luck?” Aer said, looking his friend up and down and both nodding. “They will.”

“We’ll set foot in there, and they’ll come out of the ground,” Rune said.

“That, however, is the easy part,” Avira said.

For it to work, they needed something from the nagas, even if it was a scale or a drop of blood. The orb could absorb it, and then only elthean who shared those characteristics would end up inside. It proved to be a compelling enough prison, although it was not within reach of every realm to be used in every confrontation.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” Leith said, rolling her eyes. “Won’t they starve to death?”

“Time inside is different. What will be a matter of minutes there would be months or maybe years outside,” Avira said.

“Enough to keep them from joining our enemies,” Nero said.

“That’s the key. Because I wouldn’t want us to end up locked in such an artefact,” Ead admitted.

Neither the hummingbird nor anyone else! For a moment, the possibility of such a thing ending their lives gave him such a feeling of rejection that he pressed his lips. And although Finnian would not trust the princess blindly, for he would prefer to analyze the orb as soon as no other eyes were watching them, it was the closest thing to a plan they had ever had for such a quest.

“Why are you helping us? I have to ask,” Finnian said.

“Many things have been changing in Elthea, and now we need your help more than ever,” Avira said.

As sincere as her words might seem, there was a hidden message that he did not perceive, nor did he understand. It all revolved around the amulet Avira had given her, the same one they were to give to the one called Anwil. It reacted to the recipient would make the delivery more straightforward, especially if someone tried to trick them.

“Maybe that’s why she’s interested in us solving this,” Aer said.

“She made it clear, didn’t she? Using us as messengers was personal,” Rune said.

“Whoever this Anwil is, he must be important to her,” Leith said.

Could it be a trap? Were the Aurean Kingdom toying with them, just as Cinder tried to do? Had they taken out a tyrant and decided to help others they had just met? They may have trusted their instincts, but that didn’t stop them from being wrong, no matter how calm Aer, Rune and Ead were about her.

“There’s something I want in return,” Finnian said, getting Avira to raise an eyebrow.

“I’d expect nothing less.”

“And it’s within your reach,” Finnian remarked before the princess could add anything else.

More than just information. Aureans had been among the few to stand up to the Eroder and survive in the process. Their kingdom was intact, if not more so than all the demolished cities now marked on his map.

“There is little I can tell about it, especially since I was not there in person,” Avira said.

“But there will be other eltheans who can give us useful information,” Nero interjected.

“But that’s not the only thing we’re interested in,” Finnian added. “We want access to Aurean. We don’t want to be treated as enemies if we pass through there.”

They were Signers, but Kiyeira showed that not everyone was willing to help them. Having the support of Hawell’s leaders could make things easier for them if things went wrong, something none of them could guess. Avira agreed though they would only get it once they delivered their message.

“As for the information... You have faced that monster,” Avira said.

“We haven’t reencountered it, but and as far as we know, it’s continuing its attacks for a reason,” Finnian said.

Strengthening. Assimilating other elthean would weaken the territories and even Ariel and anyone who tried to stand against him. He sought power at any cost, but they should know what others learned from that experience.

“His power for one at the Champion level is high. I would almost go so far as to say that if he continues at this rate, he will reach Master level when we least expect it,” Avira said.

“Although he’d have to kill a lot more elthean to get it,” Ead admitted.

“And that will force him to move,” Finnian said.

The big cities would have more means to prevent from being destroyed. He would be changing his ways, but sooner or later, he would do something as crazy as his failed attempt to wipe out the Aureans. There were still territories and places he had not touched, and they would not hear about it either. He was damaging Elthea in such a way that it would take a long time to recover, and for that reason, they had to stop him as soon as possible.

“That’s easy to say, but...” Blanche began to mutter, “No matter how hard we work together or how strong you get, we’ll never be able to keep up with them.”

“There are always alternatives, even if we can’t see them now,” Finnian said.

His friends might not be able to evolve any further, or not at the moment, but he doubted it would be that simple. However, their biggest problem was surviving in a snake-infested territory. The best place to go on vacation! If they were able to get there in time, of course.

"Speaking of which, maybe we shouldn't turn down the Cloud Road," Aer said.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret all this?" Nero said, shaking his head.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking? " Rune said, high-fiving him almost instantly.

What would be so wrong about using such a route and altering it without anyone else knowing?