Chapter 13: 40:00 (8 Hours Remaining)

"Anything?" Vivi asked as he peered at the orb over Dregan's arm.

"Nothing yet. We're nearly at the coast, too."

#Well,# Elfalon put in, #I guess that's about as far 'West' as you can get.# Dregan chuckled in agreement.

"How's our time doing?" Orko asked Kuja.

"We have about eight hours left."

"Trolly-Molly, that's not long!"

"It'll be long enough," said Zentarou.

"When you reach the coast," Kuja suggested, "I'd swing around to face the east again, and scan the edge. There were a lot of cliffs and caves, as I remember it."

"Will do, and there's the coast now." Dregan went a bit past it, and spun back to face the East, combing the edge. All of the mages were pushing their casting abilities to the limit, and another Black Mage, No. 37, had to sit down, exhausted. Ethinnis hopped up to take his place.

"I'm better now," he assured Mr. 288 when he looked over at his son.

"Everyone, focus," Zentarou said. "We gotta be quick but through." Vivi's heart contracted.

Just hold on a little longer, my son. We're nearly there.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

45:55 (2 Hours, 5 Minutes Remaining)

"I... can't hold on... much... longer..." No. 42 stuttered.

"Me neither..." from Orko, wobbling mid-air.

"C'mon, c'mon..." Dregan muttered, his eyes locked on the orb. "Where are you?" All were feeling the edge of desperation welling up. Time was running out!

Abruptly, Dregan jerked slightly in his seat.

"What was that?" He backed the image up, and moved across the cliff again. "There!" Everyone crowded around.

"What did you see?" asked Steiner.

"Watch." Dregan repeated his scan, and everyone watched as the cliff slowly passed by.

Then they saw it...

Skip?

"Did you see that?" Dregan asked, his voice growing excited. "That was my scry passing over some sort of anti-scrying field. Something's hidden there!"

"It's gotta be the Keep!" Zidane cheered.

"Can you get past their field?" Garnet asked. Dregan nodded, determined, and replied through clenched teeth,

"Knowledge may not be my primary casting discipline, but it is one of my strong suits." He began 'pressing' against the field, the others giving their energy as he did so. Vivi heard the Dunedi verbally challenging the field in whispers, as if it could understand him. "You can't beat me. I've broken every illusion ever thrown at me. Nothing can hide from my eyes once I decide to see it. Now give way! I command it!" Something about his choice of words set of a bit of alarm in Vivi, but he forgot it as, like shattering crystal, the scene clarified to reveal a cave, somewhat resembling the open maw of a fierce demon. But there were no shouts of jubilation from the viewers, namely because of what they saw in the cave opening.

They saw demons.

Thousands of demons.