The Wrathful Mountains by Lana Axe Read Free Book Online

face.
    “We’ll be through this in a few minutes,” Kaiya
quietly reassured him. Though she was not yet able to fully probe the elf’s
complex mind, she could read his body language quite well.
    To Galen’s relief, the trio emerged unscathed only
a hundred yards from where they had entered. Gone were the green grasses of the
previous landscape, replaced by black rocks and dirt with only sparse patches
of greenery. The sun had nearly disappeared from view, its pink rays barely
able to reach so high in the mountains at this hour.
    “We might as well make camp,” Raad said. “It’ll be
dark in a few minutes.” Without waiting for the others to concur, he removed
his backpack and tossed it to the ground. “Nights are cold up here, but I
expect a sorceress can fix that,” he said with a grin.
    Kaiya nodded. Arranging some loose rocks into a
neat pile, she projected silver sparks at their center. A white flame glowed to
life, providing far more warmth than a fire of such a small size should have
been able to produce.
    Raad nodded approvingly. “That’s a handy trick,”
he commented. Looking to Galen, he asked, “Don’t all elves do magic?”
    “To some extent,” Galen replied, taking a seat
near the fire. “I’m not much of a wizard myself.”
    Filling a mug with the ale from his cask, the
dwarf asked, “What do you do, Elf?”
    “You can call me Galen,” the elf replied. “And I’m
apprentice to a rune carver.”
    “Overpriced baubles,” Raad grumbled before
pressing the mug to his lips.
    “The price reflects the quality,” Galen explained,
unfazed by the dwarf’s words. “A master rune carver spends countless hours on
each creation, imbuing the item with its power.”
    “I’ve never had that kind of money to spare,” Raad
said.
    Rolling her eyes, Kaiya cut in, “You might if you
didn’t spend all your coin on drink.”
    Raad scrunched his face, hurt by the accusation. “This
cask is a rare find! It’s finer than any you’ll find up north, and alcohol is
guaranteed to work its magic better than enchanted swords and axes.”
    “That’s not all rune carving is,” Galen explained.
“Yes, there are weapons, but there are practical items as well. Take mining
picks for example. One inlaid with runes would carve rock faster and with less
effort than what you’re used to.”
    Shrugging, the miner replied, “I’ve never worked
with one like that, but Foreman Daro would probably agree with you. He wears a
runed trinket on a string around his neck. Says it brings him luck.” He paused
to take a swig out of his mug before asking, “You think it actually works?”
    Galen shook his head. “It’s impossible to say
without examining it. Most runed items have a specific purpose, so ‘luck’
wouldn’t necessarily be its intention. Perhaps it makes the Dwarf’s Heart
easier to detect.”
    “He’d be richer if it did,” Raad said, chuckling.
“Daro’s a strange one. He likes to spend good money on charms and magic items.
He claims to have quite a collection at home. I suppose all that believing in
spells and enchantments is why he sent me to fetch a sorceress.”
    Rosy cheeked, Raad checked the stopper in his cask
to be sure it was secured. Glancing at Kaiya, he joked, “Wouldn’t want to lose
any.” Rolling his backpack into a makeshift pillow, he lay back with his feet
nearest the fire.
    With an amused smirk, Kaiya realized that Raad had
consumed only one mug of ale. Apparently he was capable of controlling himself,
if only to save the drink for a more jovial occasion.
    Galen scooted closer to Kaiya. “Are you cold?” he
asked.
    “Not at all,” she replied honestly.
    “Me neither,” he said, looking toward the fire.
    A silence passed between them, neither of them
sure what to say. Kaiya rested her hands on her knees and turned her gaze to
the stars. Galen decided it was best to give her some space, and moved away
before stretching himself out on the ground. The rocks made for