I pressed the button to call Hilgarda. 'Set us down here; if we want to beat this thing, we'll need to go on foot anyway.'
The carriage lurched once more, and as if on queue, winds began to batter us from every angle, with hail so thick it cracked our window in several places. Meanwhile, the fields below continued to fester; nothing would grow there again if we didn't hurry.
When we eventually touched down, the swath of terrain we occupied began to convulse. Sections of the rock bed suddenly sunk as a circular crevasse opened up around us, and I didn't even have to think before dragging Cali to her feet. We banged our fists against the door, but Hilgarda wouldn't open it.
A few seconds later, the Uvaaaru took flight, daring to face the prospect of storms over a frighteningly long fall to the bowels of the Vale. 'Get back in your seats!' She yelled from the forward carriage.
