The Spirit Wilds: Magic of the Green Sage (Fall of the Sages Book 1), стр. 51

A miserable two weeks, but she’d feared she was too weak to go through the portal. A part of her was just tired, however, and just wanted to rest, away from any form of responsibility. Now that her demons were dropping, though, she couldn’t hold off any longer.

Miles and miles, she went, hiking barefoot, shivering and tired and hungry, until the ancient black rock ruins loomed in the mountains ahead. Bishta smiled when she saw it. Soon she’d go through the portal within and be gone from this place. The Forgotten Continent was too cold and lifeless for her liking.

The third demon died when she was maybe a few miles from the rocky slopes of the shallow mountains.

Bishta cried out and fell to her knees. Her staff clattered against the ground as her arms shook, tears welling up in her eyes. She seethed. I hate this! She hated feeling so weak and vulnerable. There was nothing around, no danger near to take advantage of her in this state, but nonetheless, it wasn’t a feeling she enjoyed. When the ritual had been performed, she’d accepted the risks. That didn’t mean she had to like the repercussions.

It took another hour for her to recover. This time, she was even weaker, but she couldn’t wait any longer. She was shivering and hungry and her feet ached, but she had to get through that portal.

The climb through the black mountains was agonizing. Her hands and feet blistered and ached as she climbed, until she couldn’t any longer. Under normal circumstances, she would have used some spells to help her, but she feared she was much too drained for that. Any magic at all would have left her immobile. No, for this last bit, she would need to get by on sheer strength and willpower.

The portal would then be a trial all on its own, but Bishta had to overcome it.

She almost cried when she climbed over a steep lip of rock and saw the first row of crumbling black obelisks. They were ancient, as old as this land, and no memories within her vast sage wisdom could tell her what they were or who built them. Much like the ruins at the Fields of Despair. Perhaps the Great Library held some answers, but for now, it was unimportant.

Strolling amidst the crumbling structures, she brushed a hand over one of the obelisks. The stone was rough and warm, like volcanic rock, but it had been shaped and fashioned in a way that regular volcanic rock could not be. Impressive work, adding to the mystery.

The columns ended at an archway and two statues carved into the mountain. They were humanoid in shape, but they were so weathered that Bishta couldn’t make out any details. No matter. The arch and the statues surrounded the mouth of the cave. Within, she could feel the portal, pulling at her gut and beckoning for her to go deeper.

The sage went down and down, through twisting narrow passages, dry as a desert, the air musty and stale on her tongue. This cave was different than the one in the Land of Scales. This one had runes carved into the walls—the language of the old gods. She could read some of it, but not enough to understand why it was carved into the stone.

When she reached the bottom of the cave, the tunnel gave way to the large portal, looking much the same as the other. With a gulp, she crossed the room and stood in front of the dormant gateway.

As she stood before the portal, her body suddenly convulsed again. She was being crushed, as if being squeezed by a giant hand intent on wringing out every last ounce of her life. She dropped to her hands and knees, fighting to stay conscious.

This wave passed faster than the previous. Maybe she was getting used to the feeling of her demons being defeated. A bitter pill to swallow, in any case.

She had known that killing them all was a tall task. This was just the first effort, the first step. Bishta had hoped that at least one would fall in her first attack, but no matter. She had more in store. Much more.

She had a plan to cut the lines of the sages permanently, but it would be difficult. Very, very difficult.

One step at a time, Bishta thought, centering herself.

Forcing a grim smile, she activated the portal. It hummed to life and glowed with blue and purple light in the darkness of the cave. No telling where it would take her, but it hardly mattered. There was no turning back now.

Find out what happens next in Realms of the Dead.

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