Chapter 72 – Fox Redux.

Ueana hadn’t thought it possible for the weather to get any worse, but it had. The heavy snowfalls of yesterday had been replaced by a brutal blizzard, the snow so thick that they had to fly close to the mountainside in order to have any hope of being be able to see where they were at all. Which was causing problems of its own. A sudden gust of wind shunted them off to the side, Callisto managing to recover before he slammed into the side of the mountain. Ueana looked back at the others, just able to make them out through the snow. Lily was having the most issues, being the smallest of the three familiars, Fleur holding on for dear life, head right up against her familiars back, while Coorie and her familiar seemed to be doing a little better but only just. She really needed to learn what Coorie’s familiar’s name was at some point. Normally they’d fly a lot closer together than they were at the moment, but after the first near collision they’d had due to the winds they’d spread out.

‘Has this just been a fools errand?’ It was certainly beginning to feel like it, and they were quickly running out of time.

‘No, I don’t think so. If anything, this is a positive sign. The winds are not natural in any way.’

‘Surviving them, or finding anything in them is a completely different story though.’

‘The cub seems quite content for the moment.’

That was a good thing, however Callisto was sensing it. And they’d managed to not squash it with any of their near collisions.

‘Are we still managing the same heading?’ She had no idea of what direction they were travelling any more, not that she’d had much of an idea in the first place with the mountains and the storms making any form of navigation difficult. The sun or clear night skies were needed for that if you didn’t possess a relevant magical ability.

‘As best we can be.’

She just had to believe she guessed. That there was a reason for the fox cub’s appearance, and that they’d find its home.

They continued their ascent through the Basat Line, progress much slower than she would have liked. If anything, the mountains were looking even more inhospitable than before, especially since they hadn’t encountered any more valleys since the cursed city encased in ice. Just snow and more snow, burying everything beneath it. They made a brief stop on the side of a mountain, on a section where the slope was a little less severe, giving their familiars a chance to rest while they consumed some food, sheltered as best they could be beside them. Then they were off again, Ueana wondering how much of an avalanche they’d caused by their departure.

Even up the peaks of the Empire the snow had never been this bad, and as a young child she’d actually enjoyed playing in it on the odd occasion the village she’d grown up in had been coated in it. An aspect of being a plains girl. She’d never look at snow the same way again. She also wondered if it ever got this bad in the Southern Peaks, given that’s what that kingdom was well known for.

‘Can you feel that?’

Callisto’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, the wind still howling around them, attempting to steal all their heat away. She went still, trying to work out what her familiar was referring to as he slowed down. The realisation dawned on her. Everything felt heavier, denser, just like it had at the palace but not to the same degree.

‘It’s the density of the magic, and it’s flowing.’

‘Let’s follow it then.’ Ueana couldn’t help but smile. It was as good a lead as any.

Banking, and feeling the wind push against them ever more, they headed directly up the mountainside. Ueana checked behind her, both of the other riders still with her. The last thing they needed was to be separated, and it was almost a miracle that they hadn’t thus far given the conditions. Now that she was aware of it, she could actually feel the flow of the mana, Callisto’s sense and direction true. She guessed that it was a leyline, something that she’d heard about but not something that people could normally sense, except when they bubbled to the surface at certain points.

The surface of the mountain changed as they climbed, jagged rocks protruding out of the snow, accompanied by large boulders that Ueana had no idea as to how they were actually staying put and hadn’t rolled down the mountain, as well as the skeletons of trees, thick, twisted, and gnarly. The incline relaxed a little, and then halted entirely as a plateau stretched out before them, ringed with stones that stood up straight and were a little too regular in their shape.

“Is this it?” Ueana voiced out loud as Callisto landed on the plateau, the other two landing beside her. The mana was still flowing, away from them and into the mountain itself, a craggy opening on the opposite side of the plateau, like a dark maw poised to consume them. Just like the surrounding stones, the rocks around the opening were a little too regular in shape, more noticeable the closer they got.

The fox cub poked its head out of the saddlebag, stared at the dark cave, then gave Ueana a happy yap as it wriggled fully out and jumped onto the ground.

And then got blown away by the wind.

Ueana dashed after it, diving to catch it before it smashed into the stones at the edge of the plateau or over the edge.

The fox cub looked at her with it big cute eyes, and then snuggled gratefully into her.

“Okay, I guess it is then. But how on earth did you ever get down to the pass.”

“Perhaps it got blown all the way down?” Fleur half joked as Ueana trudged back to the dragons, the wind likely to have tried throwing her off the plateau as well if not for the natural barrier that their familiars made.

“That would be one hell of a journey, and take a miracle to survive,” Coorie stated, looking at the pup, “unless it’s hiding some unfathomable power...”

The fox cub gave her an innocent look.

“I don’t think we’ll ever know. But since we’re here, let’s have a look.” Ueana felt weary, the winds having stripped most of her strength during the day. Yet she couldn’t hide the excitement that they were finally at their destination. Hopefully. All that they could see at the moment though was darkness.

They made their way across the plateau and into the opening, the snow that had been swept into the cave stopping a short distance in and giving way to a deep black stone that seemed to have a faint sparkle to it, as if there were flecks of gems embedded in it. With the fox cub still in one hand, Ueana pulled out the mana lamp, holding it in front of her and illuminating the cave. It was large, their familiars already able to fit inside it, albeit only two abreast, and no signs that it was going to narrow anytime soon. It stretched out in front of them, worming its way into the mountain.

“If this is its home, there really isn’t anything going for it...” Fleur stated, standing beside Ueana.

“It follows the leyline, doesn’t it?” Ueana mused out loud.

‘Yes, it appears to.’

“It’s real home must be further within then...”

It very quickly became apparent that the tunnel went in a lot further than they’d anticipated, Fleur and Coorie also pulling out mana lamps and illuminating their path. While it was comforting having their familiars with them, they also blocked much of the light that the lamps produced. The density of the mana quickly increased, the familiar sensation of having to push through the air returning as they progressed. Coorie gave her a questioning look at one point, to which Ueana just nodded, their passage quiet apart from the sounds of their footfalls and breathing, the sound of the wind long having died away. At least the density seemed to be effecting them all and not just her.

After around half an hour of walking, the air started to get significantly warmer, the gentle slope of the tunnel changing into a steep set of stairs, a faint glow visible from the top. Ueana all but ran up them, well, as best as she could, Coorie and Fleur close behind her, certain that they were finally at their destination. Stairs were not a dragons forte, but she was certain that their familiars would be able to scale them well enough.

Reaching the top of the stairs, a very much out of place forested grove greeted them, bathed in thin rays of sunlight that sneaked in through cracks in the sloping ceiling of cave. A cave still it certainly was, the rocky wall clearly visible on all sides, rising up and over from the tunnel edge that they had just exited from, the ceiling higher on the right side, with the series of jagged cracks near its centre. A soft carpet of short grass covered the entirely of the cave floor, a ring of lush green trees around the outside, all varieties that were unfamiliar to her. Smaller shrubs and flowers were planted in a ring inside them, a small stream of water trickling weaving its way along the left side. A cobblestone path cut through the middle of the cave, ending in what Ueana could only identify as a shrine, a shallow and open structure with stone pillars and walls whose style was just as foreign as the trees here. Reminiscent of neither the modern architecture of the Empire or Avaraline, nor the ruins from before the Shattering.

In the centre of the shrine was a large statue of a fox, sitting with its head held high, staring straight at her, a series of small offering bowls arranged in front of it, long empty.

A rather cute fox too.

A fox with seven tails.

Yapping happily, the fox cub squirmed out of Ueana’s arms and scampered across the path to the statue, sitting in front of it and looking up at it.

“Looks like we found it,” Coorie commented, “but where is the rest of it’s family? I don’t see signs of any other life here at all...”

Ueana glanced around the cave. Coorie was right. There was no visible wildlife, nor any of the signs that you’d expect them to leave. This place was isolated, and there wasn’t anything for them outside of the cave entrance. Not too mention that the mana was also really dense now. Well, not as bad as at the palace that night, but still much more than anything else she has experienced. Something wasn’t quite right.

‘I can’t sense anything alive either,’ Callisto confirmed, the familiars making their way into the cave as well, their forms dwarfing the trees at the edges. At least, just as it had been for the tunnel, there was still plenty of space and height for them.

Looking around, Ueana carefully made her way along the cobblestone path to the statue of the shrine. It was larger than she had first thought, a good couple of heads taller than she was, the fox looking down at her. Making a meowing noise, the fox cub turned around and rubbed itself against her legs, happily hopping into her arms when she instinctively bent down to give it a pat.

Child of Dragon,

Daughter of Pyre.

Ueana stiffened, the voice clear and audible, coming from both everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Familiar, yet not. She’d heard that said before, that night not so long ago.

“Who are you?” Coorie hissed as she bumped up against Ueana’s back, weapon manifesting in her hand.

You made your choice,

that your paths would intertwine.

The changes irreversible,

yet still incomplete.

Fleur made to summon her weapon, Ueana holding her hand out to stay her. She could feel the movement, she knew who they were this time. “Ancients...” she said quietly.

“Oh #@%$,” Coorie whispered, dismissing her weapon.

Young one,

who are these to you?

Ueana blinked, surprised. Beyond the fact that they were actually hearing their voices, she had never expected to be asked a question by these beings, things far beyond her understanding.

“Lover and bondmates.” Her answer came quickly, and with certainty, reinforced by the thoughts in her mind. She knew that for them there was more to it than that too, but as to what the Ancients could gleam she had no idea.

Bond of power,

bond of path,

bond of dream,

bond of need,

so it shall be.

In time,

manifest.

For now,

Daughter of Pyre,

bonded of three,

sleep.

There was a finality to that, not a command, but a statement, a fact. She could still feel the movements around them as the mana density seemed to intensify even further, as if it was bubbling up from the earth and pooling around them. A pull on her consciousness, the fatigue of the days catching up on her like a flood. As to what was actually going on, she had no clue, and she was uncertain if she’d even be able to resist even if she wanted, but she had unfinished business here. Ueana summoned her own magic, pushing as much into herself as possible. She could feel Callisto rapidly tiring, and see the other dragon familiars starting to lower themselves down.

“Which one are you?” she tried, nearly shouting, her senses feeling off.

No answer. The magic kept on swirling around them, the air taking on a reflective hue.

“Where is the cub’s family?” Another attempt, and the reason they’d ended up here in the first place. She’d answered them, surely they could answer her, even if they beheld to nothing, forces of existence.

You are the family.

That was not the answer she had been expecting at all. What did that even mean. It didn’t make any sense at all. How could they be it’s family. Though it was really cute.

“Manipulative Ancient... just like a fox...” Coorie muttered, as she collapsed to the ground.

‘It’s been watching us since then, hasn’t it. We just never noticed...’

Ueana watched as all of the others dropped to the ground, her body and mind heavy, her magic raging around her, as she resisted as best she could. The familiars were the last to fall, the sense that Callisto was sleeping strong in her mind as he closed his eyes.

Rest,

Daughter of Pyre.

The last thing that she was aware of as she felt herself slip to the ground and curl up, was the fox cub snuggling itself into her arms.

mogust

They've finally reached their destination, both what they thought it would be and yet not. With the added bonus of something that they weren't expecting at all.

It's a cliff, and yet also not. They're in no harm here, the real question is actually about what has the Ancient done to them. What is this bond...

The wait won't be long though. The next chapter (73 - Unveiling) will be out in the next couple of days ^^

As always, thanks for reading. Comments very much welcome :)