The Glassford Mountains loomed ahead like jagged teeth biting into the horizon. Their peaks, capped with glittering frost, shimmered as though imbued with magic itself. The air grew thinner and colder as Kalem and Lyra began their ascent, leaving behind the rolling plains and the relative safety of the wilderness.
"This place feels... different," Lyra murmured, clutching her cloak tighter against the biting wind.
Kalem nodded, his eyes scanning the uneven path ahead. "It's like the mountains are alive. I can feel something—like a hum in the air."
"That's raw magic," Lyra explained, her voice tinged with awe. "The kind that hasn't been shaped by human or elven hands. It's unpredictable. Dangerous."
As if to prove her point, a gust of wind howled through the narrow pass, carrying with it a faint shimmer of light. The glow seemed harmless at first, but when it grazed a boulder nearby, the rock cracked and splintered as though struck by an invisible force.
"Right," Kalem muttered, gripping Onyx's reins tightly. "Let's be extra careful."
The journey through the mountains tested them both in ways they hadn't anticipated. The weather was as volatile as the magic that infused the land. One moment, they were trudging through a freezing blizzard; the next, they were drenched in sudden downpours of warm rain that steamed off the icy ground.
Kalem's resourcefulness shone as he crafted devices to help them navigate the harsh terrain. Using spare materials from his cart, he fashioned crude but effective snowshoes for Onyx to prevent the bull from slipping on icy patches. He also constructed a collapsible windbreak from treated cloth and metal rods, providing them with a portable shelter against the relentless gales.
Lyra, meanwhile, worked tirelessly with her alchemical kit. She brewed salves to protect their skin from frostbite, concocted warming potions to stave off the cold, and even managed to create small vials of glowing liquid that acted as makeshift lanterns in the dim, overcast light.
"I have to admit," Lyra said one evening as they huddled in their makeshift shelter, "your knack for building things is impressive."
Kalem smiled faintly, wrapping his hands around a steaming cup of tea Lyra had brewed. "And your potions are keeping us alive. I'd say we make a good team."
It wasn't just the weather that posed a threat. The Glassford Mountains were home to creatures unlike any Kalem had encountered before.
One morning, as they traversed a narrow path, a low growl echoed through the cliffs. From the shadows emerged a pack of creatures that resembled wolves, but their fur shimmered with an eerie, spectral light. Their eyes glowed faintly, and their movements were unnervingly silent.
"Spectral hounds," Lyra whispered, her voice tight with fear. "They hunt in packs, and they don't stop until they've taken something down."
Kalem gripped his spear, his muscles tensing. "Do they fear fire?"
Lyra nodded. "Most wild magic creatures do. But they're relentless. We need to scare them off, not fight them."
Kalem nodded, his mind racing. He quickly rummaged through the cart, pulling out a bundle of dry cloth and soaking it in a vial of oil Lyra handed him. Wrapping it around the tip of his spear, he lit it with one of her glowing vials, creating a makeshift torch.
As the flames roared to life, the hounds flinched, their growls turning to low whimpers. Kalem stepped forward, waving the flaming spear in wide arcs. Slowly, the pack backed away, their spectral forms melting into the shadows.
"That was close," Lyra said, exhaling deeply.
"Too close," Kalem agreed, extinguishing the flames. "Let's keep moving."
Not all of the magic in the Glassford Mountains was threatening. Amid the danger, Kalem and Lyra found moments of breathtaking beauty.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky above the mountains came alive with ribbons of light—auroras that shimmered in hues of green, blue, and violet. The magical energy in the air seemed to amplify the display, creating a spectacle that left them both speechless.
"This..." Lyra whispered, her voice filled with wonder. "This is why I became an alchemist. To understand things like this."
Kalem nodded, his gaze fixed on the sky. "It's moments like this that make the journey worth it."
For a while, they simply sat in silence, letting the beauty of the mountains remind them of the rewards that came with perseverance.
As they pressed on, the challenges grew steeper, the air thinner, and the stakes higher. But with each passing day, Kalem and Lyra grew more confident in their abilities and more attuned to the dangers of the Glassford Mountains.
The road to Arcathis was still long, but they were determined to see it through—no matter what the Divide threw at them next.