Using a cloud as a means of transportation was different if Finnian compared it to flying over Rune or Leith. He could not speak of the comfort, for it was akin to sitting on a large mattress that was soft and solid at the same time. The scenery was also not among the things he could describe, for at first, there was nothing to attract attention, not even the temperature. However, as soon as they approached the storm, it picked up a dangerous speed if their journey started calm and hurried.

Before the electricity could reach them, Finnian relieved Aer in maintaining the shield that protected them. His friends were already too vigilant for any unexpected event to add more pressure, though creating that protective bubble was far from the best way to deal with it. After all, they weren’t just fighting electricity, but wind and rain that was starting to become a problem and whatever else was coming their way.

“Would it be foolish of me to ask how you are?” Finnian commented.

“Do you think this is the best time for such a thing?” Blanche said.

“Keeping my mind occupied with something other than a spell would be very helpful,” Finnian replied.

At that moment, it was not a matter of just a spell but of not breaking the connection of the magic that defended them. He had Ead’s, Leith’s and Nero’s support, although the latter had suddenly stopped talking since they started having difficulties. Neither words nor spells would be able to comfort him, not when they were trying to keep an eye on everything around them to survive this overly impromptu trip.

“What would you like to eat when we get a break?” Aer said.

“Are you seriously going to think about your stomach right now?” Rune replied.

“I’m up for a game like that,” Finnian said.

“Would you just rather focus on what’s in front of us?” Leith exclaimed.

“Sweets. By Titanus, what I wouldn’t give for some right now.”

It was Nero who let out those words almost like a howl. Perhaps the nerves and the situation affected him more than any of them, but he refused to close his eyes. Even the wolf knew he would only feel worse that way, so he stayed as close to Finnian as the others, picking up his tail in case any lightning or thunder came through the barrier.

“There are both sweet and spicy berries that are a delight called Blaze Strawberries,” Nero continued.

“What a combination. Don’t you end up spitting fire?” Leith said.

“Not at all. Anyone who eats them gets a temporary boost of strength, though they’re too tasty not to want to enjoy them any other time.”

Who had said so? Wolves appreciating sweet and spicy food, although a single dish did not demonstrate the full taste of their lupine companion. However, that he had intervened in such a way encouraged the rest to do the same. It didn’t take long for the image of fruit like strawberries to appear in their minds, although much larger and of a golden shade, which seemed tender at first glance. Would they manage to get some?

“I tried some fruits in the southern islands that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Spicy, making your tongue sensitive for hours if you ate just one. But they were delicious!” Leith exclaimed.

This time, the image of what looked like red almonds did not take long to come to them, and although he did not fancy feeling his own tongue like it was on fire, he would not deny that something like that would be interesting to try.

“Dawn’ Essence!” Ead added. “It is delicious in small quantities, although not everyone can appreciate it.”

With a coppery tone, like a cup of tea, that drink had such an intense flavour that it was recommended to enjoy it only in small doses. Aromatic, his eleven years had not given him enough time to try something like that, although it would wake up the sleepiest elthean in the world, according to the hummingbird.

“I’ll stick with the elffins in Galya Square,” Aer added.

“Uh, yes! Freshly baked,” Rune added.

“Of all flavours,” Finnian said.

They tried them while they were there, and it was as close to breakfast muffins as they would find in Elthea. Some were spongy and sweet, although their texture and flavour changed depending on who prepared them.

“A good bowl of cereal,” Blanche said, joining in the impromptu conversation to his surprise. “It’s what I miss most since I came here.”

Even Finnian was somewhat homesick at times, but Elthea had forced him out of his routine and from his comfort zone. Not only did he have to do things he never thought he would do, but adjusting to the circumstances. Personal hygiene made him value what he had at home, learning to survive in a world that was not entirely wild, but when it was their turn to walk from place to place, the home comforts disappeared almost instantly.

His attempt to keep their mind occupied and not think the worst had worked. He sensed the reassurance of his friends, the wolf included, as they approached the point of descent. The very instant, they would get their cloud off the path to follow the one they wanted. They opted to take the direct route to Everground, looking to make the most of their time. Then, their somewhat uneventful journey took a sharp downturn as soon as Aer and Rune made a descent, leaving the safety of the Cloud Road and finding out in the worst possible way just how complicated that storm was.

The rain was more than copious and, together with the strong winds, made visibility worse than before. Keeping up that protective dome was far more complicated if Finnian considered the external factor they were exposed to.

“Who would have told me a few days ago that I would be here fighting a storm?” Nero said.

That was worse than fighting Ariel for one simple reason. A fight could be short even when it didn’t seem so, but the minutes standing there keeping his concentration felt like an eternity. Every gust that threatened to blow them off course, every bolt of lightning that sought to penetrate their barrier sapped their energy. And that was only the beginning.

“Give me your hand!” Blanche exclaimed.

However, her voice did not reach him as usual, but through a mental link Blanche had opened. Even though in the past he had no hesitation in refusing to do so, in that situation, she did not doubt to use it to try to help him. Without adding much more, they both held on, strengthening their defences as they descended with the cloud, almost as if it were a roller coaster. The twists, turns, arcs and acrobatics they performed to avoid being volatilized made him regret what he had eaten hours before. At last, they could see the very mountains that were so important. It was significant that it made them feel tiny, even when several of them could grow quite large. The storm prevented them from appreciating it better, and then, the worst-case scenario began to happen.

“The cloud... It’s dissipating!” Aer warned them.

They were designed to operate at a certain altitude, the same they had lost in a matter of minutes. Their shield could not withstand something like that, so soon it would begin to fade what had been keeping them in the air until now. That, however, is where the next part of their plan came in.

“Come on, it’s time to move,” Finnian said, pulling Blanche with one hand and tapping Nero on the back.

Although Nero was not as big as Leith, those present did not have as much trouble getting on his back, especially since the dragon did not fit inside the passengers. The cloud would soon vanish, so Aer and Rune had plotted a direct route to the Everground. Anyone who lived there would see them without trouble, but they couldn’t risk waiting any longer either. Then, the same cloud that had so far been firm and held their weight began to lose density, bringing the importance of the wolf and all those it carried as passengers too close to the void.

Leith jumped, leaving the barrier just as it broke. Their journey through the cloud path had come to an end, but they weren’t going to end up landing as if they had become meteorites. Stretching out both arms, a sphere more minor than the previous one surrounded them, keeping them in the air by controlling with its own hands and preventing them from approaching the ground in harmful ways. The dragon evolved, catching the wolf between her powerful paws.

“See, I told you I wouldn’t let you fall,” Leith said.

“I never doubted you, but I don’t want to see you pissed off either,” Nero replied.

Neither did he, or anyone else, for that matter. The storm hadn’t stopped for them, so staying that way would be synonymous with attracting danger. Without wasting any more time, they landed at the base of the mountain, at a point that, although it was not the agreed one, was the closest thing they had within reach, given the circumstances. As soon as he put his paws on the ground, Nero made a hole in the mountain with enough space for everyone to take shelter.

“That’s better,” the wolf said, shaking off the water enthusiastically.

“At least we’re in one piece,” Finnian admitted.

Given the circumstances, this was a lot to ask, but it was going according to plan. As Avira had told them, Everground was made up of all kinds of tunnels where the nagas lived, making it a complicated place to pass through. After connecting with the ground, a glimpse of their surroundings confirmed that they were right. However, the constant vibrations of the land revealed the very thing they feared.

“They’re getting closer,” Aer said.

“That’s what we were looking for, isn’t it?” Blanche said.

Everything would be fine as long as they didn’t go out from under them. Such a sight was all Finnian needed to make falling asleep for the next few times a Herculean task. Then, far from their fears coming true, the floor of their small shelter opened up, creating a hole that took them all the way down into the mountain.