Despite the fact that Gandalph said very little, the three had decided to travel together until they got out of the freezing mountains. Gandalph didn’t seem to know anything about the surrounding area any more than they did. He was now wearing a gray cap and gloves that matched his tunic and had cut off the flame patch he had on earlier.

Viper became very curious of the continued rumbling. He saw Gandalph pull out a few small, yellowed notes and began chanting. A spell! Gandalph finished the chant, which allowed him to levitate up.

“So you’re a wizard.”, said Viper.

“If the fates are willing.”, he answered, replacing his notes. Viper could tell by his eyes that Gandalph saw something.

“What is it?”, he asked.

“Uh, I’d take some cover if I were you.”

“What is it?”

“Looks like an avalanche.”

Viper frantically looked around. The only possible way was up a tree, but these were huge pines, with its lowest branches some fifty feet up!

“You’re going to have to carry us up to one of these trees!”, replied Viper.

Gandalph did as Viper bade. Marina grabbed hold of him as he levitated once again, taking her to the closest branch. The avalanche was too close! Gandalph could now see that it look like something different than snow.

Viper could hear it now. It sounded like the advent of a storm. Viper jumped and grabbed a hold of Gandalph as soon as the spell caster got within range. They made it up just seconds before the gaseous river rolled directly under them. Gandalph and Viper began coughing as they noticed the lack of oxygen.

“What is that?”, asked Marina, bewildered.

“I don’t know.”, coughed Viper, looking down at the speeding fog, which disturbed him since he was knowledgeable in almost all kinds of natural occurrences.

Gandalph came within range of a different branch than the one Marina was on. Viper tested his weight on it. “I’m not sure about this…”, he said. “Oh, just get off me!”, retorted the mage. Viper did his best to sit on the tree branch and keep his hands on the bark of the tree. Gandalph moved to sit next to him on the same branch. “No!”, cried Viper, but then realized that Gandalph put no weight on the branch itself as he sat and crossed his right leg over his left. Viper tried to stand up to see how long this strange disaster was. He realized his folly when he shifted his weight wrong, breaking the branch he tried to stand on.

The branch fell, and so did Viper. Viper reached out as much as he could and grabbed a hold of Gandalph’s leg, which was still crossed over the other in the same sitting position he had before. “Help me!”, cried Viper. Gandalph was casting. He finished the spell and then turned to Viper saying, “Let go of me!”. With that, Gandalph kicked Viper’s hand, breaking the barbarian’s already loose grip. “Viper!”, cried Marina.

“Damn y- uh!!!”, Viper cursed as he fell, and hit a magically floating disc just a few feet below him. Viper got up and tested his weight on the red-glowing circle. It was fine. He then looked up to Gandalph, who was relooping his belt.

“I hate this island.”, said Marina. She wasn’t the only one.