Chapter 13: Fire and Ice

David and the others set off in winter gear traveling on a high frosted-over precipice in search of the red dragon. Eddy is bundled up tightly, shivering, "H-hey, when did it s-s-suddenly get so c-c-cold?"

"Princess Bubblegum did inform us there would be a major climate change on our travels." Double D stated. "It's a good thing she supplied us with these clothes to wear."

"Nice and cozy..." Ed uttered.

"Aren't you cold, David?" Twilight looked over to him.

"Huh? Oh, I am fine. So far, the clothes I have on are keeping me warm. Probably didn't realize the temperature changing."

"Still, you should try to keep yourself a little warmer." Twilight recommend. She uses her magic to pull out a black scarf and wraps it around the young man's neck. "There, that will keep you warm enough."

"Thanks Twilight."

"So... how do you know this dragon again?" Rainbow Dash curiously asks.

"He's from this video game I use to play from my childhood called Drakan the Ancients' Gates."

"Whoa…!" Mordecai and Rigby let out astonished.

"So we're actually going after a video game character?" Mordecai said. "That's cool."

"What's a video game?" Applejack asked bewilderedly.

"Ah man, you guys don't have video games back where you're from, huh?" Rigby mentioned. "We gotta show you after this."

"Any ideas on what you're going to do once we find this dragon?" Dipper questioned.

"Are you gonna slay it like a heroic knight?" Mabel said marveling.

David replies, "When we catch up, I want to talk to him and see if he'll join us on our journey."

"WHAT...!?" Everyone exclaimed.

"Are you crazy?" Rainbow Dash retorted. "That dragon attacked the Candy Kingdom and you want it to join us?"

"That's why we need to talk. Hopefully he'll give us answers for what he did and what he meant."

Rainbow Dash leans in to Twilight, "I don't know about this Twilight, it seems like a crazy idea."

The purple unicorn sighs and responds, "As crazy as it may seem, David has trust in this dragon. Let's just hope he knows what he's doing."

"Hey guys! Look!" Pinkie Pie shouted up ahead. The party follows her and arrives at an elaborate ice palace centered around a hexagonal shape of a snowflake with a flawless staircase leading to it.

"Whoa..." Some of the group let out in awe.

"It's so magnificent." Mabel said slapping both her cheeks.

"Who in the world would have a palace all the way out in the cold?" Double D puzzled.

"Do you think that's where the dragon lives?"

"No way Ed," Eddy remarked. "Dragons don't live in ice castles."

"Still, let's go check it out." David proposed. "I'm eager to see what's inside."

"Wait, you want us to go in there?" Fluttershy said nervously.

"Why not, it looks like it'll be a lot of fun." Pinkie Pie enlightened.

"I-I don't know if that's really a good idea." Fluttershy quivered. "What if someone lives there?"

"Ooh... like an evil ice wizard and his army of ice mutants." Ed blurted making the shy pegasus gasps.

"Sure whoever lives there won't mind if we stop in just to get out of this cold."

"What makes you think it'll be much warmer inside, Eddy?" Double D proclaimed.

"Come on Fluttershy, stop being such a scaredy cat." Rainbow Dash noted.

"Yeah, maybe the people who live there are actually nice." Mordecai calmly remarks.

"Or maybe there is an ice wizard…" Rigby says hysterically.

"Rigby...!" The blue jay glares at his friend.

"Don't worry, everything will be just fine." David encouraged her.

"Okay... if you say so." She showed a slight smile.

"Let's go!" Pinkie Pie cheered hopping all the way over while everyone else staggers the rest of the way through.

"She sure has a lot of energy?" Eddy commented on the pink pony's actions.

"That's Pinkie for ya." Applejack said nonchalant.

They climb up the stairway leading to double doors at the front. Ed bangs on the door very loudly, "Is anyone home?" There is no response; instead, the doors open themselves leading into the palace.

"Well, looks like we'll just walk right in." Without further ado, Eddy enters with the others following.

Inside, the group is stunned at the glorious interior of the palace with a beautiful frozen ice fountain, two curving staircases along the sides joined on a platform above and across from the entrance and a small crystal hanging in the center of the roof.

"Woo-wee…" Applejack let out amazed. "This palace sure is amazing inside just as it is outside."

"Why, my stars..." Rarity marvels, "Just who would have such a wonderful palace out here in the mountains for no one to see?"

"Probably someone who doesn't want to be bothered," Twilight stated, "but you have to admit, this castle sure is worth admiring."

"I know right? You can even slide on the floors in here." Pinkie Pie said doing just that.

"Now that you mention it, the floors here are kind of slipper." Applejack remarked trying to maintain her balance while at the same time, the Ed's, Mordecai, Rigby, and Dipper struggle with the icy floors.

Rigby bumps into Mordecai irking him, "Hey, watch where you're going!" He gives him a nudge.

Rigby snaps back, "You watch where you're going!" He shoves Mordecai into the Ed's knocking them over then slips and falls tripping Dipper in the process.

"Rigby...!"

"What! You pushed me."

"Yeah, but you knocked everyone down."

"Seriously, you guys need to get it together." Eddy muttered.

"We have fallen, Eddy."

"Yeah, I can see that, Ed."

Rainbow Dash chuckles at the view, "Good thing I have wings to keep me off the ground." She says assertively floating above.

"Having some trouble boys?" Mabel slides in around them using her advantage to skate on the floors.

"Real funny, Mabel..." Dipper said sarcastically.

"Ooh... that looks like fun." Pinkie Pie cooed. She joins Mabel skating on the floor with elegance.

The two delightfully and playfully help the others up, forming a train and later joined by the rest of the group with David at the end. They make the most of it until all of them fall over this time with everyone laughing.

"That was fun!" Pinkie Pie called out. "Let's do that again."

"As fun as that was, we should probably look around and see what's inside this place." Twilight suggested.

"Cool... we get to explore." Rigby said ecstatically.

"We'll check things down here; you guys go on ahead upstairs and see what you can find."

"You can count on us." Mordecai acknowledged determinedly turning to his friend with the usually nod.

"Hopefully it's not so slipper on top." Dipper mentioned.

The mane six wonder the first room just as David and the others climb up to the platform above with the two groundskeepers and the Pines twins going opposite directions, David leads the Ed's through another curving staircase branching off from the platform to an upper portion of the palace. They wonder around before starting a conversation.

"How far does this staircase go?" Eddy questioned.

"Think they'll be ice mutants up ahead waiting to freeze our bodies into solid ice?" Ed said randomly.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions, Ed." Double D begged to differ.

They arrive at a doorway leading out to the rooftops of the palace.

"Whoa! Check out the view!" Eddy exclaimed.

"It sure is windy up here." Ed said.

"Impressive..." Double D admired. "You can see everything from up here."

"With no one else around, we can easily have this castle all to ourselves." Eddy comments.

"That's something I can agree on." David responds, "Wouldn't you say, Double D?"

"I think my current residence is more than enough for me, thank you David." Double D said. "But I wouldn't mind staying to do some research on this ice castle."

Ed then shouts out to the distance, "I... AM... ED...! RULER OF THE ICE MOUNTAINS...!"

"Ed... keep it down, you're making too much noise." Double D tried simmering his friend.

"I'M KING OF THE WORLD!" David then shouts out after.

"Hey, I wanted to say that." Eddy remarked.

"You guys..." Double D frowns.

Suddenly, there was a roaring out in the distance, "Did you hear that?" Eddy perked. "That sounded like..."

"Hey you guys... I see the dragon." Ed pointed out from far away. The others look out into view for a glimpse of the red dragon soaring around the mountains. It appeared to be under attack as it fires its fiery breath all around.

"He looks like he's in trouble…!" David fretted.

"What the heck is it fighting all the way out here?" Eddy asked.

"Looks like a giant robot." Ed remarked.

Double D pulls out a pair of binoculars to get a better view. "It's defiantly the dragon alright." He said watching it blast fireballs all around as a tall red lanky mobile suit rises up into his sight attacking the dragon with beam daggers. Double D then shrieks with terror. "It's fighting a GNW-20000 Arche Gundam!"

"Ah what...?" Both David and Eddy uttered.

"An Arche Gundam, it's one of HOLY's armaments. The dragon must have drawn its attention. We have to warn the others." Double D slurred putting the binoculars away.

They hurry back inside when suddenly, the floors gives way as the boys scream crashing into another room. David quickly grabs onto another platform with the Ed's holding onto him.

"Nice catch, David." Double D commented.

"Thanks... first time I've ever done something like that."

"That was a close one." Eddy added looking around the room to see a grand ice chandelier.

David tries to pull himself up when he gazes upon a young woman in a shimmering ice dress staring down at him speechless. "Uhh...hi." He says. She screams terrified startling him as he loses his grip and drops down to the floor along with the Ed's.

Eddy moans with stars circling his head, "What was that all about?" He looks up to see the young woman rush down and encounter them.

She was tall and slender build, had long platinum blonde hair, blue eyes with a shiny purplish-pink eye shadow, rosy cheeks, thin pink lips, a small nose and very pale skin with a light dusting of freckles. She wore her hair in a loose French braid swept over her left shoulder and wisps of her bangs slicked back on top of her head with a smaller piece resting down on her forehead. She wore a crystal-blue off-the-shoulder dress with a right knee-high slit, crystallized bodice, translucent powder blue sleeves, ice-made kitten heels and a long transparent floor-sweeping cape.

"Who are you?" She asks. "What are you doing here?"

Eddy beams his love-struck eyes at her and gets up to introduce himself, "Hey good lookin', you chillin'..."

Before he could go near her, the young woman makes a violent sweep of her arm, causing a barrier of sharp icicles to appear nearly striking Eddy. He panics and retreats back to the others. "SHE'S GOT ICE POWERS!"

"Ed, your assumptions amuses me." Double D commented backing away.

"Leave now at once..." The young woman demanded.

"You just had to smooth talk her, didn't you?" David muttered sarcastically.

"Hey! It's not my fault. I didn't know she was some kind of Ice Queen." Eddy exclaimed.

"I'll try talking to her." David steps forth to calm her down, "Hey! We're not here to cause you any trouble." He then goes on to introduce himself, "My name's David. These are my friends. We're just travels on a mission…"

She does not listen, instead forms a wall of ice to shove the young man back. "I won't tell you this again... leave!"

"Excuse me, ma'am," Double D politely tries speaking with her, "but if you could just listen to what we have to say..."

She grows frustrated and starts using the ice wall to shove him, David, Ed, and Eddy out on and almost off a balcony.

"Wait... WAIT!" David once again tries calling out to her, "Just listen! ...We're not here to hurt you."

"David!" Twilight and the rest of their friends show up just in time to witness what is happening. "There in trouble. We have to help them."

"I'm on it." Rainbow Dash said trying to rescue them but immediately blocked off by another ice barrier. "Whoa!" She looks at the Ice Queen holding out her hand. "You have ice powers!?"

She halts her magic and gazes at Rainbow Dash, "You can talk…?" She said surprised.

"Whoa! Who knew there really was an ice sorceress living in this castle?" Mabel exclaimed.

"Hey Miss Ice Queen, do you think you could serve us up some ice cones?" Pinkie Pie suggests lightheartedly.

"Pinkie Pie, this is serious?" Rainbow Dash exasperates.

"How is this possible?" The young woman questioned, "Your ponies, you aren't supposed to talk?"

"Excuse me," Rarity intervenes, "But we'll have you know, us ponies are far civilized as you may think."

"Hey we talk to." Rigby added.

Twilight then steps forward and pleads to her, "Please, forgive us for intruding your castle, but we're just looking for shelter from the cold."

She settles down a bit at Twilight's words and brings down the ice wall blocking David and the Ed's allowing them back inside to rejoin the rest of the group.

"That was a close one." Eddy said with relief.

"Thanks for listening." Twilight said gratefully.

"It's Elsa." The young woman introduces herself. "And all of you need to leave."

"Leave, but we just got here." Mabel uttered.

"Actually, we've been here for awhile now." Dipper stated.

"We can't leave just yet." David informs.

"Why not...?"

Double D proceeds to explain, "Well you see, there's actually a couple of reasons for that really…"

"We're searching for a dragon..." Ed blurted out.

"A dragon...?" Elsa responded with a bored look.

"Yeah...!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, "A huge. Big. Red. Fire breathing. Dragon!"

"Think you might be exaggerating a bit there Pinkie." Applejack deadpanned.

"You can't honestly expect me to believe there are really such things as dragons?" Elsa said doubtfully.

Suddenly, the double doors on the balcony burst down as a badly injured and unconscious red dragon slides in on the floors right in between of the party and Elsa. Everyone gasped in shock but Ed who dimwittedly blurts out, "Hey, we've found the dragon."

Elsa initially could not believe her own eyes upon seeing the creature. She then looks up back to David, questioning him next, "And the other thing you were mentioning?"

Shortly after, the Arche Gundam barges through the smashed wall towering over everyone inside the castle. Covered completely in armor plating, had long slender arms, two large armored side skirts protecting its legs and thighs while holding its GN Fangs, four eyes as its camera, and wielding a GN Buster Sword and GN Shield docked on its arms.

"Uh... does anyone else here see the giant robot?" Mordecai nervously pointed.

"W-what is that thing?" Twilight horrify asks as she, her friends, and Elsa grows shocked and scared.

"Well now, if this ain't a sight for sore eyes?" The pilot inside commented.

David stares at the Arche Gundam shocked when he hears the pilot's voice and recognizes it. "That voice, it can't be? ...Ali al-Saachez?"

"Hello kid... it's been awhile. We have unfinished business. Personal business..." He examines the area and notices something different, "...Hmm, where those brats run off to?"

"Is he referring to the Kids Next Door?" Double D questioned.

"We split up." David sternly answers.

"What a shame, I was looking forward to handing you and those pesky punks over. No matter, I'll just make do with you...!"

Without any hesitation, Elsa traps the Arche Gundam's arm and sword in a block of ice.

"What the hell?" Ali cursed. He turns his attention over to Elsa, "An Ice Queen, huh? What other tricks do you have under your sleeves?" He manages to break free with ease.

Elsa soon uses her abilities to create a giant snow creature that would take on the Gundam. It lets out a menacing roar to intimidate the pilot; however, Ali seems to be rather bored. "Seriously... is that the best you can do?"

He proves to be superior over the snow creature revealing beam sabers from the Arche Gundam's feet and slices its body in an X shape. The snow creature grunts in shock before plummeting into four pieces.

"Well that escalated fast." Eddy made a sarcastic remark.

"Now where was I? Ah yes..." He aims his Buster Sword at David, which splits open in the middle to reveal a gun barrel. "Time to die, you rebel punk!"

Before he could fire, the red dragon emerges from off the floor and jumps right onto the Arche Gundam catching Ali off guard. As they grapple each other, damage is being done all around the castle by fireballs and Fangs causing the building to shake.

"They're going to destroy the castle." Elsa dreaded.

"We need to get out of here." Twilight cried.

"We can't leave without Arokh." David proclaimed.

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow Dash nagged.

"David, there's no way we can help the dragon now. It's too dangerous." Double D cried.

"I gotta at least try." He rushes into fray without any thought.

The others stayed behind worriedly calling out his name with Twilight yelling the loudest, "David…!"

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Mabel shouted out after.

The dragon is able to hold the Arche Gundam off until David arrives calling out to him. "Arokh…!" It glances over to the young man upon hearing its name. Ali takes the opportunity of grabbing the dragon by its throat and slamming its head down to the floor. "No…!" David screamed. Afterwards, the dragon is thrown out of the castle and into the chasm below.

Ali, now infuriated turns his attention back onto David, "It's time you rebel punks die...!" He aims his Rifle Mode at the young man and prepares to shoot. However, before he could comply, part of the building gives way and falls right onto the Arche Gundam, along with the entrance to escape.

"There's no way out!" Eddy panicked.

"What do we do now?" Double D asked worriedly.

Twilight looks around the room for another way out before spotting the opening through the damaged wall. "This way..." She led.

They rush over to where the balcony once was and gazed down a cliff in shock, seeing where the ice stairs attached to the castle are now gone.

"What now...?" Eddy then asks.

"Looks like we're going to have to jump and make the best of it." Twilight said doubtfully.

"It's too high up from here, what if we don't make it?" Mordecai worried.

"We'll have to go down slowly each at a time."

"Who's going first?" Rigby asked.

"You go first, Rigby." Mordecai said.

"What… why do I have to go first?"

"Because you're smaller than everyone else here so you'll probably land the lightest."

"No way... you're lighter than I am."

"You guys now's not the time to be arguing." Rainbow Dash chimed in.

Rigby pushes Mordecai, then Mordecai pushes Rigby only to accidently push him off but the raccoon snags the blue jay's hand pulling him down. Rainbow Dash quickly tries to snag Mordecai around the waste but falls down with them screaming.

The five ponies gasped, "Rainbow Dash!"

"Mordecai… Rigby…!" David cried out.

"What do we do now?" Dipper called out clutching his hat on top tightly.

"Don't worry bro, I got this." Mabel said assertively. She grabs onto her brother ready to jump with him.

"Wait, Mabel, what are you doing?" Dipper asks.

"We're gonna jump... with my grappling hook!" She then cheerfully pulls out a grappling hook gun and jumps right off with Dipper holding on tight screaming.

"MABEL…!"

"I think she was supposed to fire that before jumping." Double D commented.

Applejack wraps her rope around Rarity's wastes without her noticing until pulling on it. "W-what are you doing, Applejack?"

"Just wrapping this rope around you for safety before jumping off the mountain, least that way you'll be secured."

"Applejack, you can't honestly expect me to just jump off here and…"

The cowpony hurriedly bumps Rarity off plummeting her down screaming. She then looks over to Fluttershy holding the rope in her mouth. "Grab on, Fluttershy."

"Oh, um... okay." She listens and grabs onto the rope as requested.

The two ponies tried holding on tight but soon yanked right off. "Whoa!"

"Wait for me!" Pinkie Pie jumps screaming joyfully all the way down.

"Guess I'm next." Twilight said nervously. Without any hesitation, she jumps right off screaming leaving only the Ed's, David, and Elsa behind.

David looks over to Elsa who looks nervous. "Grab onto me."

"What?" She reacted.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't let-" Before he could finish, Elsa wraps her arms around his neck tightly baffling the young man.

The Ed's gawked at the sight before David asks, "You guys ready?"

Ed wraps both his arms around Double D and Eddy ready to jump. "Ed! Wait, stop!" Eddy was beginning to have second thoughts. Ed jumps without any concerns as his two friends cling onto him screaming.

Finally, David carries Elsa in his arms and jumps right off after holding onto her tightly down below as the castle falls apart.

The Arche Gundam emerges from underneath the snow as Ali pants heavily inside his cockpit. He examines the area around him seeing no sign of the others. "Hmp, looks like those rebel punks have met their end, now to report back to command." He soon takes off into the air.

Down below in the gorge, David, Elsa, the Ed's, the groundskeepers, the Pines twins, and the mane six poke their heads out one at a time from underneath the snow having survived the fall.

"Is everyone alright?" David asked his team as they recover from their landing.

"We're fine." Twilight answered.

"What about you, Elsa?" He said offering his hand.

"I'm alright." Elsa replied solemnly.

"Sorry about your castle."

Fluttershy shrieks, "Guys... I see the dragon here..."

David rushes on over, seeing where the dragon, Arokh, was lying in the snow.

"Be carefully, David." Double D warned.

The young man cautiously approaches reaching his hand out as if he were to trying to pet it. The dragon slowly opens its eyes glancing at the young man before releasing an intimidating roar startling him to fall to the ground. The rest of his team gasped with terror.

"You, boy...! Explain yourself. How do you know my name?" The dragon demanded.

"How do I know your name?" David uttered. "I know your name, because…" He looks over his shoulder to Double D, Mordecai and Rigby who shrugged in response. He then looks back at the dragon thinking of something to say and has an idea. "...because I've heard of stories about a dragon of the Elder Breed... a hero of the Order of the Flame who drove back the forces of the Dark Union. That dragon was you, right?"

"Is that really all true?" Rigby asked leaning to his friend.

"Beats me," Mordecai replied. "I don't know much of this stuff."

"I thought by now, the Order would been forgotten after all these centuries."

"Huh, guess that stuff he said was all true." The blue jay remarked.

"Hey dragon," Rainbow Dash furiously flew up close, "you have some serious explaining to do. Why did you attack the Candy Kingdom?"

"Settle down, Rainbow Dash," Applejack tried calming her, "I'm sure he'll give us a good reason for his actions."

"My apologies..." Arokh acknowledged, "I didn't mean to cause any of you harm. My battle was with someone else who I've encountered."

"Who...?" Twilight asked.

"He was a powerful foe, one capable of summoning me from my slumber. He went by the name, Darigan."

"Darigan...?" David said puzzled. He looks back at everyone else, "Does anyone know him?"

"Beat's us." Mordecai responded shrugging along with Rigby.

"Can't say I have..." Dipper replied uncertain.

"That name does sound kind of familiar." Double D pondered. "I can't say I know for sure. Who is he?"

"I could sense he was full of darkness, something not of this world. As soon as I realized his true purpose to why he summoned me, I immediately tried to destroy him but it was not enough. He fled to the kingdom where our battle took place. That's where your troops gagged an attack so I did what I could to defend myself before Darigan strike me down."

"So you weren't the one who attacked the Candy Kingdom then." Pinkie Pie chirped.

"Thank goodness." Fluttershy said with relief. "It's a good thing David was right about you being a good dragon."

"Is that so?" Arokh responded turning his attention to David.

"Yeah, he wouldn't stop talking about you." Rainbow Dash joked.

David chuckled sheepishly, "Heh, heh... what could I say. You are my favorite char- I mean... hero from my childhood."

The dragon chuckles back, "Heh, but I believe there is another reason why you've come to see me?"

David nods his head in serious response, "There is. My friends and I are members of a rebel group facing off a powerful threat known as HOLY. We're banding together to find new allies who will join forces with us in putting a stop to HOLY's tyranny. I was hoping you could assist us."

"Hmm..." Arokh thought for a moment then responds, "Very well, I will aid you, but on one condition. In order for me to be loyal to you, we must undergo an ancient ritual known as the Bond."

"That sounds easy enough."

"However, once bound, we are as one. Whatever hurt I suffer you will share. And if I die, you will also share the same fate."

David pauses for a moment before answering, "I'll do it..."

"David wait!" Twilight cried. "Think of what you're doing. If you bond with him, there's no telling what will happen if either of one of you gets hurt."

"Or worse…! You could die!" Pinkie Pie added.

"Pinkie...?" The unicorn scowled.

"She's right, David." Double D agreed. "If you agree to this, there's no telling if you'll ever go back to your normal life again."

"Hey, at least if we have a dragon on our side, we'll be unstoppable." Rigby enlightened.

"Dude, this is serious." Mordecai retorted. "He's putting his life on the line doing this."

"Yeah, cut him some slack will ya." Eddy chimed in.

David makes a deep sigh, "Even if this may cost me my own life, we still need Arokh on our side if we're to have any chance defeating HOLY. I already put you guys through too much getting here. I don't want this to go to waste."

"David..." Twilight said deeply concern. "...If you go through this, just promise you won't get yourself hurt."

"Yeah, we don't want to see anything happen to you after this." Rainbow Dash sternly remarked.

David smiled, "Thanks you guys, I promise I won't let anything happen to us." He turns back to face Arokh, "Alright right. I'm ready. What do I have to do to make this bond?"

"Say by fire and by blood I join with thy in the order of the flame."

David takes a deep breath and sighs, "...By fire and by blood I join with thy in the order of the flame." David's body floats up into the air surprising everyone as he underwent the ritual of the Bond with Arokh, lightning striking through both their bodies uniting their souls together. After the Bonding Ceremony, David's body lands back on the ground.

"Well... anything?" Eddy asked.

"I don't know." The young man said feeling his chest. "I don't feel any different."

"Let's see if that spell worked." Eddy walks up to him and punches his arm. "Feel anything?"

"No."

"Let me try." Rigby suggested taking a hit at him. "How bout' now...?" The young man shakes his head.

"You can't hurt him Rigby." Mordecai said. "You can't even hurt me in punches."

"Stop talking…!" Rigby shouted.

"Here, let me try." Mordecai swings his best to hit David on the shoulder. "Anything...?"

"C'mon you guys." David grew annoyed, "Could we stop trying to hurt me to see if the spell work-" He screams suddenly in pain as Ed slams a large boulder on top of his foot.

Arokh, also feeling the pain, made a powerful roar of agony shaking his back foot.

"Ed! What the hell." David retorted to him.

"It worked you guys." Ed grinned ridiculously.

"Good, don't do that again." Arokh sneered at him then faces back to David. "Now that we know the ritual worked, what do you wish for me to do?"

"We'll need to find a way out of this gorge. Could you fly up to lead us out?"

"Of course," Arokh nodded, "Stay close and follow my lead." He takes off into the air searching for a way through as the party sets off to follow.