The Wrathful Mountains Read Free Page A

channeled her magic
throughout her body, encasing herself in a soft, white glow. Within minutes the
glow subsided, and the sorceress fell asleep.
    A hazy vision of
her parents’ farm played out before her eyes. Two of her brothers tended the
flock, having returned home to aid their ailing father. Kaiya watched idly from
her seat beneath an oak tree, leaning against its wide trunk. Lazily she turned
a sphere of silver magic over in her fingers, its light dancing upon her skin.
Turning her gaze toward the mountain’s summit, she glimpsed a darkened figure,
its arms spread wide to the sky. As she pondered who this person might be, it
sank back into the depths, disappearing within the rocks.
    Before her eyes,
the farmhouse disappeared, and she found herself standing high in the
mountains, her feet buried deep in snow. A wild wind blew around her, but it
carried no snowflakes nor the frigid chill of a mountain winter. Instead, tiny
pebbles drifted on the breeze, pelting her face and forcing her to shield her
eyes. Again a dark figure appeared in the distance, but as she stepped forward
to approach it, it sank into the stone.
    Kaiya looked up to
the stars, but there was only darkness. A layer of dust and clouds hid the
light of the heavens from her view, and she strained her eyes to see past it.
Reaching out with magic, she felt only emptiness, and a chill ran through her
body. The ground beneath her feet groaned, a rumble becoming louder and more
intense as it continued. Without warning, the ground gave way, a deep chasm opening
in the mountain.
    Down she fell,
grasping desperately at the edge of the rift. It was a futile effort. Her
fingers found only loose rock, and she slid, her breath stolen away in a single
gasp. Instinctively she called upon the wind, attempting to bend it to her
will. But she found nothing. There was no wind, only stillness.
    A sense of panic
overcame the dwarf woman, her mind racing with spells she could not cast. How
could this happen? How could her magic fail her? She should be floating upward on
the air, not plunging deep inside the earth.
    Crying out, Kaiya
tried to call upon the air, but her voice would not project. Instead, she heard
nothing but the beating of her own heart, thumping wildly as she continued to
fall. Dizziness came over her, the air escaping her lungs. All around her was
darkness, the mountain itself closing in on her. Bracing herself for what she
might see, she turned her eyes downward to peer into the abyss. Below was only
more darkness.
    Never one to give
up, the sorceress continued to call upon her magic. Perhaps she could force the
air into this forbidden space. Pulling at the magic stored inside her, she felt
herself weakening, as if something were draining her powers, feasting on her
life force. Steeling her mind, she refused to be prey to the unseen entity.
There had to be a way out of this.
    As she fell deeper
into the crevice, the rumbling grew louder. The walls trembled, shaking loose
bits of rock and dust that coated her face. Clawing at her face to wipe the
dirt away, she felt herself suffocating, buried alive within the rubble. Yet
still she continued to fall.
    Flailing
desperately and nearing unconsciousness, Kaiya’s eyes spotted a tiny glint of
light. It took on a familiar shape, but she could not put a name to it. Forcing
herself to stay awake, she stared at the light as it came closer. It shone brighter
but still eluded her. If only she could grasp it, perhaps she would be saved.
Struggling to lift her arm, Kaiya found it far too heavy. Her arm had become a
part of the rock, and it would not obey her command. She stared at the light as
her eyes slid shut, her final sight that of its fading silver glow.
    Bolting upright,
Kaiya woke from her dream and stared into the fire. Looking up to the sky, she
stared upon the same stars she had seen before falling asleep. The ground
beneath her trembled, and she braced herself, fearing the opening of the chasm
she had