The beginning of the week passed uneventfully. Wearing a sleeveless, floor-length, bright red magician's robe, Arminio travelled through the state of Minas Gerais every day, using countless portals. Then he moved on to ever wider circles in the neighboring area. Emerging from the blue-violet light, he moved as little as possible so as not to cause any vibrations. Before opening the way to the next location, he magically searched the surrounding kilometres for signs of life. The hours passed and he became increasingly bored.
On Tuesday, he stepped out of the portal near an emerald mine. The mindless work tired him, so he needed a moment to concentrate before switching to his magical vision. He heard a rustling behind him and saw blue-violet light filling the square. Arminio spun around as fast as lightning, but saw only a bare foot disappearing into the portal. "Merda," he cursed. He had no choice but to analyse the footprints. Even the individual toes were visible, and he estimated the narrow foot to be twenty-four centimetres long — the same length as Lorelia's. The residual heat enabled him to clearly see where the mage had been crouching. Dark bedrock fragments were interspersed with green stones, and the way they had been arranged showed that the person who had been there knew a thing or two about emeralds. Arminio was certain: it was Lorelia who had stepped into the portal.
The captain decided to observe the area from a distance. Only when the sun had long since set and the rain was becoming increasingly bothersome did he give up.
