Chapter47: The Guardian

*River* The air shifts as we cross through the remnants of the barrier, its hum of magic dissipating behind us. For a moment, I can only focus on the ache in my legs and the burn in my lungs, the physical strain of the journey catching up to me. But as the path widens, my breath catches for an entirely different reason. Past the barrier Permiton’s just broken is a large, expansive grotto. It stretches before us, a breathtaking expanse of green and blue, shimmering like something out of a dream. A massive waterfall cascades from the mountain above, its waters glowing faintly in the dim light. The air is thick with moisture, cool and refreshing, and the sound of the rushing water drowns out everything else. A sound like rumbling rocks comes from behind us, and we turn to see that the barrier we’ve just come through is back up. My heart falls, crushed by the thought that we’ll have to go through that again. Though Permiton did most of the work, he still drew a lot of power from all of us.