The Wrathful Mountains Read Free

orange fire disappearing on the horizon.
Perfecting her circular arrangement of stones, she closed her eyes and focused
her magic to the south wind. Pulling its heat through her body, she placed a
hand upon the stones, spreading silver magic across their surfaces. A fire
roared to life—yellow at first, then deepening to red.
    Hours of meditation
left Kaiya unable to sleep. She lay back, looking up at the stars. Silver
windows into the past shone down upon her, their secrets stretching back to
eternity. What had their eyes seen? Reaching out with her magic, the sorceress
attempted to find out. No matter how hard she tried, they remained elusive,
refusing to allow her entrance into their consciousness. They held fast to the
void, defying all worldly magic. Someday… she thought to herself.
    This wasn’t the
first time Kaiya had attempted magic beyond her abilities. Growing up with no
magical being to guide her forced her to push her own limits. There was no one
to tell her she couldn’t.
    Dwarves were not
known for their magical talents. With the rare exception of metalsmiths who
could carve the ancient runes, no dwarf practiced any sort of magic. Kaiya was
born different. She had a natural affinity for the element of air, and it had
shaped her entire life.
    For many years,
Kaiya was an outcast among her kind. They thought of her as a witch, one who
would cast evil magic upon them should they allow her to live among them.
Unconcerned, Kaiya had pursued her magical studies on her own, learning from
the wind itself. She was content to live with her parents in their country home,
tending to the sheep and playing with her dogs.
    The thought of her
beloved mother and father brought a tear to her eye, as did the thought of the
dogs she loved as her own children. All would perish in time, but Kaiya would
remain. Her magic was a gift, one that imbued her with the power of the
Ancients, blessing her with the gift of long life. She would live thousands of
years, until she chose to leave this world. Assuming, of course, she was not
killed by some other means. Disease and age could not harm her, and mundane
weapons were no match for her skills, even if she were attacked while sleeping.
Only magic posed any sort of threat, but there was little of that to encounter in
the mountains. At least that’s what she’d come to believe.
    Kaiya had grown complacent
over the years. She practiced her skills daily, always eager to learn new
spells and perfect the ones she already knew. But there were no troubles in her
homeland that required her special attentions. For that, she would have to
travel the world, an ambition she held onto for another day. Until her parents
were gone, she had no desire to leave the mountains. Unless, of course, she was
summoned. Her elven friends in the Vale below might require her assistance, and
she would go happily. But beyond that, she hoped not to travel away from the
mountains. There would be many years ahead and plenty of time to see the world.
For now, she was content staying close to home.
    Over the years,
most dwarves had come to look on Kaiya with respect. Some still had their
reservations, but she had proved herself helpful on many occasions. Her magic
could help bring much-needed rain for their crops, and she had been of great
assistance when a magical plague descended on a nearby village. Word had spread
of her talents, and she’d even had the pleasure of an audience with the king.
Not that Kaiya cared much for royalty. Politics didn’t interest her in the
slightest, and she had no desire to join the ruling family.
    As the moon made
its path across the sky, sleep still eluded the sorceress. She could not forget
about the presence she sensed in the mountain, a nagging feeling ever creeping
into her mind. Refusing to stand back up and try reaching out to it, she forced
herself to remain on the ground. I have to get at least a few hours’ sleep ,
she told herself. Drawing energy from the air, she