Nearly everyone in the small town of Ahkerrin had been in The Bronze Spigot, so the Healing House was swarmed with the wounded. Injuries ranged from a minor bump on the head to a broken foot to severe bleeding. One man's arm had to be amputated because of a paterin's beak.

Zelenia, with the other healers, became busy moving from one patient to another. Helian and Pica stayed to offer help, but the other Elementals ducked out as soon as they could to free up space in the crowded building—Tegen himself took up the width of two-and-a-half Rovaneim and was twice as tall. Just by himself, he took up the most room.

They lingered near the entrance; three uninjured waitresses from the tavern brought them the drinks and food they had ordered. Even though finally being able to eat and drink replenished them, Aeris' color still didn't improve much. Tegen had noticed her face pale as she looked around the Healing House, and she had slipped out faster than the others. He figured seeing all the blood reminded her of Heela.

But deep down—perhaps intuition—he felt it was also because of something else. Out of all of them, Aeris was the most intriguing: being so talented and famous, only to run from it without a word. He had been exiled from his own people for punishment; she exiled herself either for protection or out of fear. The only reason that would drive someone to do that was pain.

Renuo and Kalisa sat next to each other, him asking her to fill him in on what he missed while he was unconscious and her checking him out herself. Those two would eventually realize their feelings for the other; it was obvious with their constant closeness. On the other hand... His eyes drifted over to Aeris and Geryon, both separate; they were the opposite. Not in that they would not fall for each other, but in their insistence on being apart. Tegen could not tell what made them distant from each other. Yes, they were accelerators, but there was something more... The air grew too heated and active when they got close for something not to develop between them.

"Aeris," Geryon began, gaining all their attention, not just hers. "I hope this doesn't become routine, but thank you for saving my life... again."

Fire was a prideful man, but he knew to show gratitude when needed. The easiness in how he said thank you surprised Tegen, though—this was not his first time thanking Aeris.

"I don't think it will, but you're welcome," she said.

"All of us—including Ahkerrin—owe you our lives," Tegen added. "More injuries would have been severe if you had not taken down that paterin. I am sure some would have died."

For a while, Aeris didn't respond, then just nodded.

Time slowly ticked by as they waited for Zelenia, Pica, and Helian to come out of the Healing House. The Kemiji had always been fine with the quiet, but as evening fell and the Sun, Moon, and Light had yet to show up, heat rose—a sign of Geryon's irritation. Planning what to do next would distract them.

"Since it will take hours to reach Haapavetsi, we should stay the night," Tegen suggested.

"No," Geryon bluntly said. "The Nylanine is not known to be treacherous. We reach Haapavetsi tonight and go into the Emeri in the morning. We will lose a day by staying here."

"What if there is another ambush by Paterins? We cannot locate them in the dark, and we will be too exhausted to fight."

Renuo put in his thoughts. "I'm with Tegen here."

Fire glared down at him. "You stay out of this, Water. You doubt your own decisions, so how can your suggestions be taken seriously?"

The fisherman winced.

"Geryon! No need to be so harsh!" Kalisa yelled.

"I spoke the truth. And if you choose to take up for him, you're just as weak as him. He will never learn to stand for himself."

Geryon's eyes passed over all of them. "Actually, you're all weak. I don't know why I even bothered to come."

Tegen stepped up to Fire, trying to portray assurance. "We all have strengths. Our Elements will reveal them when we reach our temples."

He scoffed. "Are they strengths, or weaknesses?"

With the way he worded it, Tegen wondered what Fire has experienced in the past quests. "Strengths. Our Elements would not have chosen us just to see us fail."

His persuasion was not firm enough to sway Geryon. "Keep telling yourself that. The Elements know us better than we know ourselves. They know what we are capable of, and what we can't do."

"So, is that why you're here, Geryon?" Aeris began. "You want your Element to reveal who you really are?"

He turned. "From the past Elementals, I know we are all here for the same thing, and it's not for the good of Ethea. The world be damned—we're on this quest for selfish reasons. Hoping your Element tells you to believe 'your flaw makes you whole'?" he mocked.

Aeris' eyes flashed; the nonexistent wind picked up and dark clouds formed as Fire and Air faced off. Thunder rumbled.

"What's going on?" Zelenia asked.

The Sun and Moon arrived at the exact moment. Immediately, the wind died down and the rising temperature returned to normal, with their presence calming the Elementals. Tegen released a sigh of relief—he knew Fire and Air were accelerators, but he had not planned on their disagreement to fuel their elements to a frightening level.

"A discussion," Geryon said.

"Looked and felt like a heated one," Helian retorted.

Fire shot his eyes over at the young Sun in warning but did not comment—Helian's sarcasm did not bother him. If any of them said something snarky to Fire, they would be burned alive.

"But seriously, what were you talking about?" Helian asked.

Tegen turned. "Spending the night here."

"That sounds like a good idea!" Pica said. "It's already late and I'm pretty tired."

No one argued, thanks in due to the Provider of Light's cheerfulness and the presence of Helian and Zelenia. They went in search of the inn, and in thanks for assisting the Rovaneim against the Paterins, they stayed the night for free.

***

The Elementals slept in some before heading out onto the Nylanine. As they walked, nothing really changed other than it growing hotter and the landscape turning drier as they got closer to the Emeri Desert. Pica still chatted to Zelenia, Helian asked Tegen about the world, Renuo and Kalisa carried on their own conversation, and Aeris and Geryon maintained a distance between them and remained silent. He had hoped them somewhat working together at Ahkerrin would help them bond, but then that argument sprang up. More would have to happen for them to find cohesion.

The sun was setting when they arrived at Haapavetsi. The town was not as foul-smelling as Kefa with its many factories—this one was more of a shanty town with different sheets of metal welded together for homes and businesses. Most of Haapavetsi was wide open to the sky and in the center, a large 24-hour bar and grill ran by robots. Built on the very edge of the vast Emeri Desert, solar panels stole energy from the desert's nearly constant sun.

After locating the store with camels for purchase, and like every other business ran by a robot, they paid for rooms in the vacant inn and stayed the night; in the morning they would set out for Nyan, in hopes they could take a big chunk out of their day's travel before the sun would heat the desert.