Author's Note 9-28-09: I Return!!! A thousand apologies for not having updated in over a year. Personal life decided to demand more of my attention than I could spare between writing and work and all. But now I'm back and better than before. With luck and Heaven's Blessings, I'll be able to start posting updates at least once a month. A huge thank you to any who are still willing to read my works after my hiatus. Please, enjoy!

Chapter 20: Treacherous Trail

“I didn't want to say this before,” Skye commented to the others as they made their way out of the village, “but how exactly are we going to get back to Dregan? We don't have those ghost horses anymore to ride upon.”

Easy, Elfalon answered. Dregan developed a custom 'metamagic' a long time ago for situations just like this. It's why I went with you instead of staying with him to protect him.

“A custom metamagic?” Fox echoed. “What's a metamagic?”

A metamagic is an alteration on the spell being cast, such as turning a fireball into an iceball. That one's elemental substitution. This is similar though there are a few fine differences. I believe he called the technique Familiar Substitution. As long as I'm with you, Dregan can teleport me and anyone linked to me as if he were here teleporting them instead of me. You see, in normal teleport the mage casts the spell, and anyone touching the mage or touching someone else touching the mage is affected, as long as everyone is willing and he'd aware that they're coming along for the ride. The only restriction is how much everyone weighs, though I think two foxes and a Black Mage easily fall under the two ton limit. He gave a mewling laugh.

“So,” Vivi surmised, “it's like he's casting the spell through you, like a conduit?”

More or less. He's ready and waiting for the signal. Are we ready?

Fox nodded. “We're ready. Lets get to this volcano.” Each one of them lay a hand on the Nimpit's fur, and after a moment they felt a tingling pass through their bodies, almost tickling. Vision slowly faded to black, only a fade in with them all standing on a low mountainside pass, with Dregan, Elfalon having materialized in his arms.

“Good to see you again,” the ashen elf greeted with a smile.

“Is this it?” Fox asked. Dregan held out the scanner, letting them see it's screen.

“As far as I can tell, yes. I just only now found this pass when Elfalon said you were ready to join me. From what I've seen, it's the only way up into the mountain.”

“Then lets go.”

The initial segment of the pass was easy enough to navigate, relatively smooth and rising as a gentle angle. But then it became rougher, as if no one came up this far, or at least hadn't in a very long time. Fearing a fall, the four tied themselves together, and Dregan volunteered to take the lead, as long as Skye, in the second position, would give directions as to whether they were moving closer to or further away from their goal. The elf seemed extraordinarily sure-footed on the unsteady path, and called out warnings to them whenever he encountered a rough place. Vivi, in the third position, was less fortunate, however, and stumbled frequently causing Fox in the final place to catch him or steady him. For a moment it looked like their efforts were to go to waste when they encountered a vertical rock wall, but Dregan just looked it over, nodded to himself, and after a quick cast began climbing with easy grace, finding hand holds that the others could barely see and guiding the rest to them.

After about ten minutes of this endurance-testing climb, they reached a place where the walking was a little easier, albeit on the outer edge of the mountain. Sure, the view was spectacular – they could see for hundreds of miles – but one false step would send them straight off the face of the volcano!

“Phew,” Skye huffed. “This is hard, and I trained for things like this!”

“Ooh!” Vivi slid again, coming down hard onto one knee before Fox could reach out and grab his jacket.

“You okay?” Dregan called back. Vivi looked up and nodded, then stood.

“I've never been really athletic,” the Black Mage said ruefully. Dregan chuckled.

“I'm not really either, though I'm trying to improve myself. But this kind of terrain is what my people live in. I learned to walk and run in the mountains, and Dunedi have always been something akin to mountain goats.” He finished his statement with a chuckle.

“Wish you could pass the talent around,” Fox muttered as he skidded a bit himself. “This gravely footing is starting to get on my nerves.”

“Well... I may not be able to turn you into Dunedi, per say, but I think I can spare the crystals to do this.” Dregan turned to face them and cast a spell. Instantly Fox felt his shifting balance steady out, his tail twitching minutely in response to the shifting of the pebbles beneath his boots and his tensing leg muscles.

“Hey!” Skye laughed. “What'd you do, Dregan? I don't feel like I'm about to fall anymore.”

“It's a spell that enhances a person's physical dexterity and agility. It should help a little.”

“Thanks, Dregan,” Vivi replied. “I was getting tired of bruising my knees and hands.” Dregan smiled, clearly pleased that he could help them, and they resumed their hike.

Two more vertical climbs met them before they reached a section that for some reason felt vaguely familiar to all but the elf. It was as Dregan was rounding a bend ahead of them that they realized why.

“Hey! Dregan, hold still!” Vivi called. Dregan instantly stopped walking, though he looked over his shoulder.

“What's wrong, Vivi?” he asked.

“I just want to see something. Look back forward.” Dregan obeyed, looking ahead of them.

“I see it,” Fox agreed. “Dregan, I think we're close. You look like the image we saw of you in the cave, only from behind. At that angle you wouldn't be able to see us, and your robes are hiding the rope.” Dregan looked around, then pointed.

“I do see something ahead. It looks like a cave!” Eagerly they hurried forward...

And it was almost the end of them.

Just as the cave came fully into view, the stone beneath their feet cracked and slid, sending them all lurching painfully off-balance. Dregan twisted and scrambled, his feet almost dancing from stone to stone as he struggled to get sure footing. Skye, Fox, and Vivi were less fortunate, for even with Dregan's spell on them, they just couldn't find any solid place to set their feet. First one, then the other two, stumbled and fell off the edge with cries of alarm.

Dregan quickly drew Thorn and jammed the blade deep into the rock he was standing on, bracing against the jarring that shook him as the others jerked to a stop, freely hanging beneath. Feeling himself starting to slide from their combined weight, the Dunedi dropped lower to the ground, trying to make himself harder to pull down. The small rock slide rumbled to a halt, leaving the four in a very precarious position.

“Everyone – ngh! - okay?” Dregan called down, already feeling the strain on his arms and legs.

“I'm okay!” Skye called up. “Vivi? Brother?”

“I'm fine,” Vivi replied, looking down in concern. Fox was hanging limply at the end of the rope, and Vivi thought he could remember a rock hitting him in the head. “I think Fox is hurt!”

“Fox! Brother!” Skye yelled, then they gasped as the rope slid a couple of inches.

“I can't hold it – much longer!” cried Dregan, arms trembling. “Whatever you're – going to do – I'd advise doing it – soon!”

“Hold on, Dregan!” Skye encouraged. “I'm going to try and climb up the rope!” Skye twisted his body around so he could grab hold of it and grip it between his feet, and began to pull himself up. Dregan grunted in pain as the jerking his climbing caused pulled on the elf's arms, but gritted his teeth for the time it took Skye to reach him. Then the white vulpine helped hold the rope and pull up first Vivi, then the unconscious Fox. For a moment once all were safe they simply lay sprawled on the mountainside, panting for breath. Then Skye went to his brother's side and examined him.

“There's a small gash on his head,” he reported to the others. “It probably knocked him out.”

“Hey! Where's the scanner?” Dregan suddenly asked. It was no where in sight.

“We probably lost it,” Vivi deduced, “when we fell.”

“Aw man,” Skye moaned. “Slippy's gonna kill me. It was one of his inventions.” The attempt at levity was meek at best. Not only had they lost their tracker, but Fox was injured and the path behind them was partially collapsed. There was certainly no going back for them, at least by that method.

Skye made a bandage from some of his supplies and bound it to his brother's head, then looked around.

“Seems the cave is the only way to go,” he commented grimly. “We'll have to hope that there's another way down in it, because I'm worried about Fox's injury. He needs to get back to the Great Fox II.”

“Well then, lets go.” Dregan stood and began casting, and after a few seconds Fox slowly rose into the air about three feet, a disc of soft blue light beneath him. “This will hold him for about an hour or so, or until I dismiss it.” They moved to the cave, Dregan leading, Skye walking next to the disc holding Fox, and Vivi cautiously bringing up the rear. The mouth of the cave was smooth, as if worn by water... or fire. There was definite heat emanating from it.

With a brief look to each other for courage, the four entered the cave.