Broken Path, Starless Tail - 6. Chapter 6

“That’s it?” Beckett said when Parallax didn’t say anything else. “I’m just going to find it. Where? How? Who took it? Why? What do they want with it? What does it look like?”

“It’s a star. Look, do you see my tail?” Parallax stood.

“Um, no?” Where he usually had a long, fluffy tail with a bright white tip was nothing but a tiny wisp of darkness.

“Exactly. So find my star.” The light around him began to brighten, and he hissed. “No more time. This is our only chance. You have to go into the portal and follow the path. I’ve asked for someone to help you, but beware of betrayers.”

“Someone? Who? Colby? This is soooo not helpful,” Beckett whined. But hadn’t he already said he wanted out of the cold? And that he wasn’t going to fight the dream? Maybe he had a fever. That could be why he felt cold and why this all felt so real. He just had to get through it.

It being a shining blue, purple, red and pink swirl of light with white sparks that lit up the dark opening in the tunnel of trees that Parallax crouched on top of. “Just go!” he yowled. “I can’t hold it.”

He was going to die. Couldn’t a person die if they died in their dreams? “I better not die.”

“You must have confidence as my chosen champion. I would not have picked you if you were not the right human for the job.” Parallax’s entire body shuddered. “Now go!”

“The right human. Riiiight.” Beckett took a deep breath and plunged into the lights, his eyes closed tight. The dirt and rocks under his sock-covered feet changed to thick, ropy limbs. He slipped and slid, barking his toes and wincing. “Ow!”

He opened his eyes. He expected to be in a psychedelic tunnel of nausea-inducing shifting colors but it was all white, and he was already near the end of the tunnel after a few steps. There was snow under his feet, but it was much lighter than the forest outside of the tunnel.

A light shone near the ground through the trees, golden like the sunrise, and Beckett could see small green buds on the branches nearest the metal ring on the tunnel edge.

A metal ring? He paused. “Fuck!” It was freezing cold, the metal tinged green around the edges of the black but still colder than anything he could ever remember feeling. He blew on the fingers of his hand, huffing until the sting faded.

He carefully stepped through the ring and onto the dirt path. Where was he? He looked around, but it didn’t look like anywhere he’d ever been before on a hike. The trail was unfamiliar, and he didn’t recognize the trees either.

Not that it was easy to recognize tree leaves when they were furled in buds and barely opening.

At least the light made it easier to see than before, and maybe Beckett was just imagining it, but was he walked down the path it seemed to get warmer. The path smoothed out, which was much easier on his feet which were already aching.

A break in the trees allowed Beckett to see the sun, and it was fully rising above a valley. The valley stretched as far as his eye could see up toward a green mountain that had a white-tipped peak. Trees of all different sizes and types swayed in the distance, and bushes, shrubs, plus a glittery waterway completed the picturesque view.

He’d never seen anything like it outside of a painting or photograph. Tropical but not, he wasn’t sure what to call any of it. “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.”

“Who’s Toto?”

“Ahh!” Beckett screamed, then jumped back. A fox sat on the path in front of him, his tail curled around his feet, watching Beckett scream like a little child. And he was amused.

Or he was planning to take a bite out of Beckett, because there was no other reason for him to be sitting with his mouth open and all his teeth showing with the light gleamed in his eyes for all the world like he was laughing silently.

“Are you Toto?”

It wasn’t in his head. The fox actually talked, his mouth moving and everything. Just like Parallax. This was one loopy fever dream. Or coma.

“No.”

“What’s Kansas?”

“Not here.” Beckett cleared his throat. “I’m, uh, Beckett. Who are you?”

“Paerus. You’re the human Parallax asked me to watch out for!” Paerus stood and swished his tail. “You took forever to get here. Are all humans so slow?”

“Um, no. But I didn’t know I was supposed to come. Uh, I’m here now. Why are you watching out for me?” Parallax did say he was going to have a guide but to watch out for betrayers.”

“I’m to take you to your guide.”

“Wait, you’re not my guide?”

“Of course not. I’m a fox.” Like that meant he should know exactly what that mean, or why a fox couldn’t be his guide. “Now come on. It’s not that far, but we can’t stay here any longer without attracting their attention. That’s what I’m supposed to prevent.”

The fox took off down the trail. Beckett followed him, trotting to keep up. “Whose attention?”

“Shh, keep your voice down. The blue clan. And they don’t like people using the portal without permission.”

“I needed permission?” Who controls a magical portal? “Is it like a toll gate? I thought Parallax opened the portal.”

“Well, he did. But he also opened it up on their land, using their ring. He had his reasons. Plus I’m here to take you to your guide.” That tail flicked again. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you there, and you can pick your dragon.”

Beckett reared back. “A dragon?” he squeaked.

“Who else could be a guide?”