Daylight offered a new view of the mountains. The temperature did not change much, being as cold as they found when leaving the tunnels, although they did not doubt it would increase in a couple of hours. Picking up their camp after breakfast, just as there was still some time before sunrise, they slowly reminisced about how tiny they felt flying from Kiyeira. They would not know all that Everground hid, or at least not for the moment, but down there, they saw twin mountains, so colossal that none of them could grow to match them. The sun illuminated the grey and brown tones of the land, offering a most striking set. A pity that the higher elevations were lost to their view. “You’re not thinking of climbing, are you?” Blanche said on one of the occasions when she caught him looking at the mountains. “Time is against us, remember?” Finnian said. They all knew it, and although they occasionally took the liberty of resting, something as necessary as their mission, they were not travelling for mere vacation. That is why they continued without looking back, following the main road until they found a wooden complex a little more than an hour later. Walls, gates, barricades and towers were all built of wood. It must have been part of the guard post to ensure Kiyeira’s protection. However, Cinder’s influence and the nagas’ problem made other less friendly elthean take advantage of such places. “Who could live here, knowing what’s down there?” Blanche said. “Bandits won’t care, as long as they don’t intrude on Ethereal territory,” Leith said. “This is why many choose to avoid the mountains rather than cross them. They would rather spend more time travelling than risk being captured, or worse,” Aer said. The results were not the most encouraging because of snakes or bandits. However, Nero was quick to warn them that they should not worry about something like that, as it was empty. Or at least, that was the impression he gave. From the ground, they could not perceive any changes, nor any movement of anyone living there. There were no protection spells, no alarms to become a pain. It was abandoned, with all its letters. “It looks like they left without worrying about anything else,” Rune said, looking around carefully. “Even if they took anything of value, they weren’t fools,” Aer said. How long had that place been abandoned, another of Cinder’s lies? Walking around, not stopping, was the only thing they could do, although it didn’t take away a sense of unease since they found the site. The desolation and intensity of the last few days would not leave them, even in a place where no one was there. Or would they? “What is that thing?” Blanche mumbled. They found an open portal for a short distance away, just ahead of them and where they intended to go. It was like a circle of darkness bigger than them that disturbed their surroundings. A change in the air caught the attention of their companions, who held their position while they found the source of whatever it was they were picking up. They were not alone, even if their normal senses told them otherwise. Unfolding his staff, he channelled a light spell at its tip, turning it into a star with which he did not intend to alert anyone who might see them but to reveal whatever was hidden. Different aspects conditioned invisibility or camouflage capabilities. If they could not hear, smell or listen to them, it was because they had done something to avoid it. Nothing happened; nothing changed until a new elthean finally came into view. “Look who has come to bid us good morning,” Finnian exclaimed. It was large did not surprise them, although it was not as colossal as other elthean they had faced. At first, it looked human because it possessed a torso and arms like those of a male adult, though the rest of its characteristics did not match it. Covered in scales, below the waist, it had a snake-like tail instead of legs, similar to the nagas they had seen, while its head possessed features of such an animal. It was strange to deal with such a contrary version, and it could camouflage itself with its surroundings without being easily discovered. On the other hand, its eyes exuded black and red energy, showing that it would not be as civilized as the inhabitants of the deep. “A distant relative?” Blanche said. “I doubt it,” Finnian admitted. “It is a corrupted yuan-ti, to be more precise,” Ead said. “Who sent him? Ariel?” Rune suggested. He had his doubts that Ariel had such a resource and decided to waste it to attack them in that way. He didn’t give the impression that he belonged to the Lord of Calamity, but the chaos the yuan-ti was giving off was not far from his wickedness. Before they could act, the elthean slid towards them, impacting the ground and managing to separate them. It was not holding back, and they would be no less. After a flash and a quick evolution, the four elthean were more than ready to stand before the new creature. “Can you clear a path for Ark?” Blanche said. “That’s likely. Why?” Finnian said. “Maybe we can find out where he’s coming from if Ark can get hold of some of his energy, can’t we?” the Signer suggested. That her partner could absorb the power of his opponents, or part of it to be precise, was a double-edged sword. He had to expose himself almost as much as any other fighter. However, his friends were quick to react to offer the multi-tailed fox a way to crash into the yuan-ti. “Watch out for the mountain. Any large explosion could cause a landslide. Even here,” Finnian said. Perhaps that place was protected, but they could not rely on their defences, especially if something like that had appeared to welcome them. Rune was above them, offering a view from the sky. That elthean may have shown itself only to attack them, but that would not stop it from learning what it could while they fought. Once again, the yuan-ti thrust at him. Finnian intercepted it with his staff, creating an airstrike that managed to deflect it. Aer made magical chains appear that imprisoned him for the time necessary for Ark to make a tackle. Then, a greyish aura enveloped him, though there was no apparent change in the elthean. “Did it work? Finnian said. “I’m not sure,” Blanche replied. They wouldn’t have time to find out either. Yuan-ti struck Ark, causing him to crash into one of the barricades, knocking it down instantly. After a signal, the Signer went to find her partner while the rest focused on that creature. Aer and he blew hard, not to control the air, but to change the temperature there and generate fog. Not dense, not potent, but enough to make it more difficult for his opponent to adapt to the environment. “Can anyone find him?” Nero exclaimed. “Why are we playing hide-and-seek now?” Leith said. Couldn’t they have a quiet day’s hike? Strolling, the connection of the five of them grew stronger even in such circumstances, but the team’s collective senses had their limits. That mutant was moving fast, so it was so difficult for them to spot him. “Create light again,” Aer asked him. “It’s not like it did wonders to break his cloak before,” Finnian said. “That’s where you’re wrong,” Ead said. The light could weaken that ability, especially now that he was in a chaotic state. Though his friends had a plan, they were covering him to give him the opportunity for it. Once again, tracing a twist with his staff, he released a quick flash that would succeed in blinding anyone but them. Leith’s sense caught the yuan-ti right behind him. This one lunged at Finnian as Nero quickly grabbed him, being propelled upwards for Rune to catch him with her claws as the dragon lashed out with her powerful tail at the enemy. Aer then formed a golden sword that he used to cut him in half, causing the creature to disappear instantly. “That was fast,” Rune said as soon as they descended. “And strange,” Aer admitted. He had no choice but to finish him off. Finnian had sensed from his mates how he sought him out, that way of lunging to finish him off without holding back. Unlike their other enemies, this one would not have stopped even if he was knocked out. The dark portal he had entered lost consistency but did not vanish completely. It was a strange way to travel, not to mention the awful feeling of being close. “It’s as if someone was using it to watch us,” Leith admitted. Although no other creature emerged from there, this could be true, let alone managed to find out the reasons for such an attack. Ark was in one piece, with a good bruise and many wounds from the blow he received, but he would survive. “His energy is strange,” Ark admitted. “It’s as if he drank from a container with nothing but dirt in it.” That he couldn’t even make himself invisible, an ability that even they could have used on occasion, showed that he had his limitations. “You’re a magnet for trouble. You know that?” Blanche said. “We are. We’re in this together, remember?” Finnian said. One more mystery to add to the list. Only someone of great power would accomplish such a feat. Why go to the trouble of attacking them to send an elthean? “They were testing us,” Nero said. “Our way of reacting and fighting,” Rune added. “The strength we possess invites challenge, especially because of our numbers,” Leith said. “That someone wants to study us so he can defeat us,” Aer said. “We won’t wake up another day without a new enemy,” Finnian said, shaking his head. “You look too calm,” Ead said, flying in front of him. “Especially when a mutant has tried to rip your head off several times,” Blanche said, her words bringing a forced smile to his face. Were they studying them? Did they want to know how they fought? Perfect. Because they weren’t the type to settle for little, and it wouldn’t take long for them to change their fighting style. The elthean could evolve, but the abilities they all shared would make them adapt to new circumstances. It didn’t matter how they met or who they had to face. “So... Shall we get out of here before someone wants to pay us another visit?” Finnian suggested, pointing towards the exit.