Watching Nero advance in that wolf’s circle reminded him of his school.

“You’re making a funny face,” Blanche said.

“Really? Just now?” Finnian said, raising his arms to point out the obvious.

“I remember that fight you ended up in, too. Against Mario, right?” Blanche said.

Mario the insufferable, even if he had called him out to his face. He had gone from being nice to him to annoying him whenever he had the chance. Finnian never quite understood why he did something like that, sharing hobbies and becoming an absolute nightmare.

“He tried to take your lunch, didn’t he?” Blanche said.

And he refused to give it to him. As anxious as he was to be bothered every day, he wouldn’t play his game.

“If he lost his mind, it was not my problem,” Finnian mumbled.

“That’s right! That’s what pissed him off. Although... How did you end up without a scratch and him on the floor?” Blanche said.

“Luck, I guess. Besides that, I didn’t want to fight,” Finnian said.

He always thought it was the work and grace of luck. Those random moments in the day where the clumsy Finnian would manage to dodge a blow, the insufferable Mario would step wrong and land with a thud, only to have him put a foot down and not let him move. Of course, someone like that tried to fight back, but a teacher soon appeared.

“But you saved me,” Finnian said.

“Your hands were shaking. How could I let them punish you when you hadn’t done anything?” Blanche said.

“What’s this all about?” Finnian said.

Remembering the past was not a good thing, especially moments like that, which did not serve to make him any more nervous than he already was. However, she shrugged and gave him the usual innocent smile of having done nothing wrong.

“For someone who doesn’t like fights, you could have avoided this one,” Blanche said.

“That’s where you’re wrong. This is a matter that had to be settled, sooner or later,” Finnian said.

What would happen if they accomplished their mission was still a big unknown, although he assumed they would return to their world. The lives of his friends would return to the usual routine, or almost. Just as their day-to-day life would not be the same as before, the same would happen with the elthean. The pack’s problems would not be solved quickly, but he did wonder what would happen to Nero if he could not return to it.

“Focus on the duel,” Leith reminded them.

Sure. There would be another time to concentrate on something like that!

As soon as the wolves were in position, the rest of the pack let out a howl, activating their magic. It was a protective spell that would prevent anyone outside from intervening, not to add that whatever they did in there would not affect those nearby either, as long as they did not move from their place. Silence took on importance, for no one but the fighters could intervene. They could not even encourage them with their words.

Nero and Sköll did not move in circles but remained static in the same place. Their breathing was calm, leisurely, just as usual, while their gaze and all other senses were focused on each other. Sköll made the first move, sinking his paw into the ground to create some giant monoliths that went in a straight line. However, Nero did not pretend to dodge it as on other occasions.

“It’s because he’s earth. To control it, you have to have a firm and determined attitude to withstand its power,” Ead explained.

Then, just as one of the large rocks was about to hit him, Nero made a considerable leap, positioning himself on top of them and using the last one as a platform. After a quick grunt, he generated energy around his tail, and then a circle of rocks appeared, which he hurled at his opponent. Sköll used the monoliths as a defence, covering himself with them while the avalanche of stones generated noise and smoke with each impact they made.

The ground shook, the monoliths disappeared, sinking into the earth and making Nero lose his balance. That instant was taken advantage of by Sköll, who launched himself against him at great speed. How could they move like that in a space where they could not gain momentum? Because of their connection to the land and magic, plus how they used it to their advantage, of course.

Once again, Nero did not dodge it but faced it with all his being. Squeezing energy from his feet, he withstood the blow while both wolves growled until it was Sköll who emerged victorious from that clash. His buddy hit against the barrier. Although such a blow would stun anyone, the wolf would not give up.

“Feel the earth, feel its strength,” Nero said.

Words that reached out to those present, almost as much as what happened next. A rock no bigger than Finnian emerged from the centre, sparkling with shades of white and brown. It rose into the duelling field, then spread around Sköll in the manner of a prison avalanche. However, using his own body as a weapon, he shattered that magical act as quickly as it had appeared.

“That’s all you know how to do? A couple of days with the Signer, and you’ve forgotten what we’re capable of?” Sköll exclaimed.

“I’ve only just begun,” Nero said.

This was not a fight to prove his strength but how strong his convictions were. Both wolves had stopped fighting in the middle distance to shorten it. The fact that Sköll was bigger than Nero did not make the confrontation easier, although it offered him an advantage that the brown wolf did not possess. His friend’s speed was incredible since it allowed him to dodge the blows at the right moment to attack him with his shiny claws. There where Sköll fought with fury and destruction, Nero used precise movements to counterattack until something like that stopped being so valuable for him.

Sköll didn’t need to match their speed, get close enough for their blows to collide. Then, as soon as a new setback knocked them back, the brown wolf laughed.

“Haven’t you learned any new tricks? We’ve trained together, Nero. I know how you move. I know how you fight.”

“You think you know everything, don’t you?” Nero said.

No matter how much time they had spent together, in their case, it was not the factor that would determine victory or defeat. From the instant the fight began, the barrier would prevent them from acting, but their bond remained intact, and that was something Sköll hadn’t counted on. Nero let out a great howl as multiple rock monoliths erupted from the earth, not as large as the previous ones, but fast and straight towards the other wolf. With his prominent claws, Sköll destroyed them, demonstrating once again his physical superiority, although that had been nothing more than a distraction.

Leaping onto one of the rocks, Nero was enveloped in blue and golden energy, just like the sky and the sun that accompanied them at that moment. His fur reacted, almost as if it gave off electricity. Such an act was enough for several wolves to notice them, perceiving a sudden change that they could not foresee.

Then, Nero launched himself against Sköll, giving off a fire with the same colours as his current aura. The wolf did not counterattack but received the blow to then be thrown to the limits of the barrier.

“That’s cheating. No one else can intervene in a duel!” one of the wolves exclaimed.

“Didn’t Sköll want to see a new trick?” Aer interjected, pointing to the fighting field.

“We haven’t done anything. Come and confirm it if you want,” Finnian said.

They gave their word that they would not intervene, but they did not count on the fact that their connection strengthened them, even when they were not fighting together. Several of the pack did as they suggested, confirming that they hadn’t done anything and didn’t break the rules either, though they also sensed the same thing they didn’t shout.

“Our bond cannot be broken, not even for something like this,” Rune said.

“You would have to kill us to prevent it,” Leith said.

“This undermines the validity of the circle,” said the same wolf as before.

“And what about Sköll!” Ead exclaimed, so small that he could be eaten in one bite but braver than many of them.

“Sköll gets strength from the pack by belonging to it; Nero gets it from us. How does that undermine the validity of the circle? Because we’re not wolves?” Finnian shouted, letting himself be carried away by that frustration he tried to keep under control.

Those questions, however, went unanswered. They did not have what they needed, perhaps because appearances were deceiving. Indeed, Sköll had his followers, but Nero had more supporters than he had thought at first. The latter made it clear by their silence and how they nodded at such a revelation that they expected a fight on equal terms, even if they were not part of the pack.

Nero’s energy, instead of fading, had increased to the point where Sköll began to avoid direct contact and play defensively. However, his partner would not allow him such a thing. Quick and determined, he rammed into the other wolf without holding back, both using all their strength without either giving in. Then, on this occasion, it was Sköll who took the blow.

He did not get up, although he made the pretence of trying. His convictions were too strong for him to give up, even when Nero proved that there was much more inside him than others wanted to see.

“I am Nero, partner of the Signer Finnian, and Aer, Rune and Leith.

“Hey, don’t I count?” Ead exclaimed, so loud that no one could ignore him.

“What happened in Alder is in the past, but you will never again question what we, or Braunah, do. Understood?” Nero said.

Because he had been the victor, and whoever didn’t like it, let them suck it up.