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The freezing cold enveloped the peaks of the mountains. Shivering through their protective clothes, the travellers climbed through the snowy pass in the middle of a flurry, having spent most of the day reaching these heights.

Among these travellers was a green scaled dragon named Tecwyn, who was using his skills and talents in the use of magic to make the road easier to travel. Two times already he managed to hold back a snowfall that would otherwise have taken one of his companions with it, but the path stayed treacherous still, with a long road ahead of them, since he knew they weren't even halfway through the pass.

The guide they hired noticed the exhaustion of the group. "I reckon it's best for us to find shelter for the day, we made good progress despite the weather, but going further would be suicide. There should be some caves nearby, so let's seek them out"

Visibility was hampered though, and some members were on the verge of passing out. Deciding keeping them stable was more important, Tecwyn made use of his healing spells instead of helping to find an entrance. While he was talented, he never was properly trained in these incantations, and the cold numbed his claws, making it harder for him to make the correct gestures. He just hoped keeping them awake long enough for the others to find a safe location.

Keeping his companions awake cost the dragon a large amount of energy, and passing out in this weather spelled certain doom for anyone here unless treated quickly, but he was only one of the two mages of this group. His energy nearly drained, he saw a signalling light. Someone had found shelter

Making his way there with the rest of the stragglers, they arrived in a large cavern, made specially as a resting place for those foolish enough to travel over Occra's peak. Once everyone was accounted for, a small part of the group took out hides and blankets, hanging them at the hooks near the entrance and tying them together to block most of the wind and snow from outside. The rest was busy setting up tents and building a fire so that everyone could warm up and prepare the food for the evening.

Exhausted from the journey so far, Tecwyn slumped down near a wall at the far side of the cavern, pulling the wet mantle over his head to block out noise. While the cold made him sluggish and had a few detrimental effects, Tecwyn himself never had major problem with the cold, or heat for that matter. He was the offspring of both flame and ice, one of the rarer double attuned dragons, being able to adjust his body to the extreme temperatures, especially with the aid of his magic. The trade-off for this advantage was that he couldn't rely on his breath to consistently be one element or the other, like most of his species could.

While the others were starting to talk and make conversation, warming up and celebrating making it this far, they left him alone, understanding that his power came at great mental effort, giving him the space to recover, for they would need his abilities for the rest of the journey as well.

Eventually, someone did come over, handing a hot cup of tea to the silent dragon. "Make sure you take good care of yourself, the road is still long" he heard a soft voice say. Tecwyn looked up and saw the other mage of the group, a well-built caribou whose gentle voice betrayed his appearance. He thanked the other by nodding, resting his gaze on the beverage. The tea was fragrant with a subtle aroma, and was slightly spicy as he sipped it carefully. "It's made with an imported herb, said to be good for the mind and soul. I usually drink it whenever I need to prepare for intense magical labor." He sat down next to Tecwyn "The name is Cecil, it's a pleasure to meet you"

Drinking the last of the tea, Tecwyn sluggishly turned his head towards the mage. "Tecwyn" was all he managed to say at this point. "Not used to the cold I see, don't worry, we will be managing to warm up here. In fact, by the looks of the storm, we might be here an extra day to be safe. Traversing these mountains is always quite risky, so it's best to take proper precautions" Cecil thought for a moment "I do believe we should plan which spells to have ready for the next parts. We can do this once you have recovered." "I appreciate it" Tecwyn said with a slight smile "I just don't feel focused enough to help" The caribou nodded as he got up "Rest well, I will talk to you later".

Feeling he had rested long enough, Tecwyn got up to join the others, casting off his drenched cloak and spreading his wings. It was painful to keep them furled up and they felt stiff, but it would have been more dangerous to expose them to the storm. He took a seat next to one of the fires, and observed the others that made the journey over the mountain with him. It was a varied group that he had not paid attention to up until now, having had no chance as he joined them at the last moment before they departed. Originally, his plan was to just cross the mountains, expecting it to not be harder than regular travel, just colder, but he was glad to have come across this group. Thinking back, he might not even have survived the first day if it weren't for them.

There was a casual air between them all, no need for formalities or titles, quite different from what he himself had known until now. Back home, status was important and failing to heed rules and customs would have harsh consequences. Out here, everyone talked so freely and happily with each other, that Tecwyn could not help but to observe it in wonder. As he looked around in amazement, his mind started to drift to his old life, in the city of Kriun.

Kriun was the capital of the western steppes, ruled by the Rec'nari clan of Dragons, who believed that magic was the highest form of energy and expression in the world, and devoted their lives to it in all aspects. Those dragons blessed enough to be able to tap into the mystic energies of the world were treated with the utmost respect and were guaranteed to get an important position after graduating. Having been one of these mages himself, Tecwyn knew that this also came at the cost of a lot of freedom, not being allowed to leave the academy without an escort, let alone the city. There was a certain irony in it, the mages being their most valued members, yet also their most precious commodity. Being both in power and powerless at the same time. Then again, most did not have any aspirations to leave a life of luxury behind, and until recently, neither did he himself. The reason they were so precious was because a lot of the city's infrastructure was made and maintained by magic, allowing the city to prosper and advance beyond other cultures, and to make sure it stayed that way, mages were obligated to repair and improve upon them.

This did not mean the ones without access to magic were unimportant. They fulfilled a supportive role within the culture, but the details escaped Tecwyn, as his own studies focused in the academic pursuits, the development of new spells and cants, and thus that information was deemed unnecessary for him.

Having been so lost in thought, he did not notice someone else taking a seat next to him until he suddenly saw a paw with a bowl of stew in front of him. "Hey there magic boy, bet you could use some grub as well" came a voice suddenly Tecwyn looked over and saw the owner of the voice, a widely grinning fennec that had seated himself next to him while he was lost in thought. His new conversation partner was dressed rather lightly, as befitting for the hot steppes he came from, likely having discarded the warmer clothes he used for travel. Fur did help keep some of the races warm, but Tecwyn could not imagine that it would keep them comfortable in this weather. "I advise eating it while its warm, tastes best that way...you don't mind hot spices do you?" He continues as he was practically shoving the bowl in Tecwyns claws. "I could definitely go for some good food now, so thank you, mister....ehm?" He felt awkward, feeling like he should know the other, even though they never met before, a result of his cultures upbringing. Without missing a beat, the fennec responded "Mikhail" before putting a large spoonful in his mouth, not at all fazed by formalities or decorum. It was quite refreshing to see to the mage. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance mister Mikhail, I--" He began, but was quickly interrupted. "Just Mikhail, I'm nobody special nor a fan for that stuffy talk" he paused to get the rest of the stew out of his bowl. "Anyway, if you don't mind, I want to ask you a few questions, most importantly, what's your reason to cross the mountains."

The question was blunt and direct, and as such, took the dragon by surprise "What else reason is there to get to the other side?" "Heh, that's cute. You know full well what I mean. The only people that travel this way are those desperate enough to risk their lives, and because they don't have legal means to use the seaway." Mikhail looked intently at Tecwyn, as if to study him. "If you don't want to tell me, answer me this. Is it true that Kriun mages are not allowed to leave the city alone?" Tecwyn remained silent. It was true he could not take the seaway. If they found out he was travelling without escort, they would bring him back, especially since they wouldn't understand his reasons for going. Still, the way Mikhail made it sound was that the act of going this way was inherently criminal. "Your silence is enough confirmation, but don't worry, nobody's judging, after all, we all have our reasons. For myself, well, I kinda need to get out the land for a while, thought I was stealing something valuable, but it only landed me with more trouble, and before you ask, yes, I am a thief. A professional at that" "I....am rather....speechless." Tecwyn stammered as he had trouble processing what was going on "Why are you telling me all of this? I mean, implicating yourself by telling of your crimes to a stranger?" A mix of confusion, fear and anger swirled within the dragon, unsure how this would play out or if his decision to travel was the right one after all.

Mikhail looked him straight in the eyes before speaking again. "First of all, I fancy myself a good judge of character, which is important in my line of work. There was something out of place about you, silent, distant and aloof(?). So, I thought it best to clear up the situation, making sure that nobody hear means harm." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Yes, I am a thief, but I won't steal from this group. About half of us are not really on the good side of the legal system, but right here, we look after one another." There was more to this explanation, but his voice sounded sincere. Tecwyn thought about it, and spoke that which Mikhail left unsaid. "So, in order to survive here, the 'criminals' don't ply their trade here is what you are saying, mentioning it so I would not freak out if I would discover it otherwise" "I knew you were a smart one, comes with the territory I guess" he said with a laugh, glad that he did not have to spell it out. This was understandable, if someone reaches a conclusion on their own, they are more likely to understand it after all. "So what does the other half of the group consist of?" "Mostly people like you, longing for freedom they don't have back home, or simply looking for a new life." "Everyone has their own reasons, and it's best not to pry." He stopped there, before explaining "I only shared because upsetting people is the last we want here, and you deserve to know what kinds of folk you are dealing with." With that, Mikhail got up and disappeared in the mass of tents, leaving Tecwyn with only his words to ponder. The night passed uneventful even as the storm raged outside. At this height, nature was their only threat, and even that was well under control within the cave. At breakfast next morning, Tecwyn decided to seek out Cecil, to discuss their focus for the day, hoping he could pick up a new technique or two. After all, while he had studied most conventional arts, the best teacher was experience.

Before he could however, the convoy leader was signalling for all to pack up and get ready to leave. Sighing because he did not expect this to happen so soon, he started channelling a few protective spells, he had few with him after all. Taking a scroll and a quill in his claws, he quickly traced the symbols on the paper, imbuing them with his own focus and energy. It did not take long for the parchment to start crackling and glowing with an ethereal light, before it burned up in front of him. As it did, the energy swirled around Tecwyn, granting him clearer vision and protected his glasses from fogging up or getting wet. Ever since he was young his eyesight had been subpar. Sure, with temporary enchantments there was a good way around that, but having to cast them every few days was quite the annoyance, losing precious focus for a while. That is, until he got a gift from someone. Glasses were a relatively new invention, officially seeing-eye lenses, but once he put them on, he saw just as clearly as with magic. As such, he quickly enchanted them so they would not come off unless he took them himself.

"Using scrolls? That's beginner level magic" He heard from one of the travellers that was too bundled up in clothes to discern who it was. "It's useful for quick enchantments, when you don't have time to prepare" Tecwyn responded, slightly annoyed at being criticized. "Well, as long as you know what you are doing" the other said before leaving him alone. It wasn't worth arguing in the end, people were just tense because of the dangerous environment, but he still could have said it differently. Tecwyn never could stand criticism well, having learned the importance of impressing the people around him, especially when it came to magic, the skillset he was practically born to do. Instead, he just turned and finished his preparations and wrapped his wings around his body again, before putting on his clothes once more.

The winds still howled outside as it stung his face with the cold, but at least the snowfall was light today. The convoy leader approached him to take point, while Cecil would bring up the rear as a supportive role. Tecwyn just nodded as he together with the convoy leader and another walked in front through the icy path, the fresh snow crunching under their steps. As dangerous as it was up until now, they always did mention this was the relatively easy part of the journey, for the mountain held secrets and was engulfed in magical energy. Occra's peak used to be a site for the mages of Kriun to experiment as well to gather minerals for the city. However, at one point they dug too deep, releasing a strong flow of magical energy into the mountain, making the weather patterns unpredictable and unsafe for habitation in the middle of it. From outside observation, as well as the outer reaches itself, the mountain seemed normal and was traversable. The core of the mountain however was extremely hard to navigate due to treacherous terrain, low visibility and tricks the magic played on the minds of people. That's where the guides came in. Protected by charms and using quality compasses to keep their bearings in the middle of the storms, they would navigate through even the most confusing of passes. If it hadn't been for Mikhail's explanation, Tecwyn would have never guessed that these guides were more often used to help people escape the country, rather than a regular service. Then again, he only had heard of this group in passing as he left Kriun, and there was much of the world he did not know, to his own embarrassment. Reflecting upon it, he only knew matters of magic, and had only managed to make it this far through luck. As such, he resolved himself to prepare himself better once he had crossed the mountain, otherwise he would never reach his goal.

Since they could not talk over the wind, they used signals and gestures to communicate, but they managed somehow. Things got harder whenever they had to climb walls, since some pathways were too dangerous, where the snow and ice could easily make one slip and fall a long way. At least with the walls they climbed they would just fall down in the snow where they started, which still would hurt, but at least would leave them alive.

Wall after wall, they managed to climb up safely, until they reached the bridges of ice. Climbing on the side of the wall, a loud voice could be heard. Someone had fallen down and screamed in pain, but her voice echoed loudly in their surroundings, causing a rumble above them. Before they knew what happened, large clumps of snow were falling, hitting several of the travellers and hurling them down. He could not worry about them for now, as the rumbling gained in intensity, making him and the others near him look up. A massive clump came down, threatening to wipe off at least half of the climbers, and with this amount, they might just be carried off beyond the ledge.

There wasn't any time to prepare a spell before they would hit, but he knew he had to do something if he wanted to save them, even if it meant revealing his secrets. Making up his mind, he held tight against the wall as he raised his left claw to the sky, his palm aiming at the centre of the avalanche. Within moments, he felt energy surge around his wrist, where he had hidden an artefact. Using minimal focus, his mind connected with the powers stored within, releasing them in the shape of flames, spouting out of his palm as they climbed towards the snowfall. The forces of fire and ice let out a sharp hiss upon collision as they merged to become steam, but this was not enough to stop all the snow. It did however, give Tecwyn enough time to cast a quick cantrip, slowing the bulk of the snow and trapping it in the heated steam. Remnants of the avalanche fell down as small clumps of ice and droplets of water which, while unpleasant and dangerous in the cold, was widely preferred to being knocked off the mountain.

The danger passed, the dragon mage allowed himself a moment to rest as he steadied his breathing while the rest of the group was checking if those that fell were all right. He did not have to look to notice that some of the travellers were staring at him for procuring such a powerful spell out of nowhere, but he could explain that later at camp. For now, it was more important that they got there safely. After all, secrets are bound to come out sometime, right?

His rest over, Tecwyn resumed the climb upwards, where he saw the true majesty of Occra's peak for the first time. Before his very eyes, he saw bridges of ice creating themselves slowly, spreading out in various directions, forming the most amazing patterns on them. He had read all about this back home, but no words could describe the sheer beauty of this natural phenomenon. Strangely enough, the wind here seemed to lie still, even though at the wall he just came from it raged fiercely. "We have now arrived at the hardest part of the journey, follow the guide with the flag carefully, for she knows where the weak spots in the ice bridges are" One of the guides took out a bright red flag, almost impossible to miss when seen in their current surroundings. "Now, let us go and find the second campsite, it's across the other side of this abyss."

Having stared at the natural magic all this time, Tecwyn had not seen what was below them, a rather steep drop down into an cavernous system, a remnant of the old settlements. Nothing would survive falling down there, and magic would be highly unstable in this environment, or so he had read. He decided to not take any chances regardless.

As expected, the bridges were rather slippery, but they were prepared for this. Most either used their foot claws or specialised spikes added to their boots to stay on it, splitting themselves up into three lines to not stress the same path too much. Occasionally, the guides warned where the weaker spots are, although some still managed to step on them, making holes in the floor, with a few of them in danger of falling. Luckily for them, the others were vigilant and managed to catch everyone, although they were quite wary and more careful after that.

This part of the traversal seemed so short when they talked about it, yet it was a momentous undertaking and much slower than anticipated. The day seemed to pass quickly as the sun already started to set before they made it halfway. As they feared, it was well into the night when they took a short break on solid ground. Luckily for them, the snowfall had already stopped, allowing them to breathe easier and enjoy their surroundings. The land below was bathed in moonlight and was unlike anything Tecwyn had seen in his life before. He could see the outlines of Kriun in the distance, as well as the road he had taken to the mountain. At this point, it began to truly sink in how far he had already come. He felt like it hadn't been such a large distance, that it was going to be a short journey, but he had already spent almost two weeks travelling from home, following his own dream. As the rest of the group rested their feet, he pondered on what he truly was trying to accomplish. It all happened fast, leaving the city without preparation due to another reason.

One day, a city wide alarm went off, signalling everyone to seek the nearest shelter. The city was not under attack, but nobody told any of the fledgling mages what was going on, just to gather at the designated safe zone. While the evacuation was in progress however, the headmaster took three of the students aside, instructing them to hide in the lower districts of the city, in case something happened to the academy. At this point, Tecwyn was instructed to hide in the worker's district. Having never left the academy before however, he got distracted by the crowds around him, and bumped into a group of civilians that he did not see in time. Recognising him as a mage, they understood that he was not paying attention to where he walked, making jokes about him, but still in a friendly manner, and invited him to join them at the pub. To Tecwyn, this seemed like a safer spot, to be amongst others, so he joined them, talking to his new friends about life at the academy, sharing stories and having a good time. During that stay, he overheard talk of guides helping people travel over Occra's peak to the kingdoms of Velden.

In a rare moment of spontaneity, Tecwyn grabbed his money pouch and all that he had on him, the artefact and his spell book, and headed to the gates, hiding anything that indicated him as a mage within his cloak. While he wasn't used to travelling far, his daily routine of going up and down stairs in between lessons had prepared his legs for walking, so the initial part of his journey was not that difficult. He stopped for the night in the three villages he passed on the way, but rose early since he did not want to miss the guides. He arrived mere hours before they were set to leave, giving him enough time to get warmer clothes, as well as other supplies, which had proven helpful, though inadequate.

As the start of his journey replayed within his mind, the group reached their destination, another cavern, though this one was hewn with more care. Perhaps the previous one had not been a frequently used stop? The same as before, each member started setting up the camp, with Tecwyn helping this time, preparing some of the tents, as he was approached by both Mikhail and Cecil. Together they worked on the tents, talking about the trip today and everything that transpired. They did both show interest in the magic he had performed so suddenly, so they volunteered the three of them of sorting all materials for the next leg of the journey. Once they were out of earshot of the others, they stared expectantly at the green dragon. Knowing he could not get out of this, he sighed before starting to talk. "Allright, you two want to know how I did magic without channelling or preparing it first right?" He beckoned them to come closer, so they huddled together, where he pulled back his sleeve, showing them a silver bracelet. The bracelet itself was made out of one piece, with a dividing line where it clasped together, but had ornate inscriptions on it, in a language unknown to them. Socketed in the bracelet, three crystals glimmered in the light, two of them exuded an magical aura, colors swirling over their surface, while the third one had a dull sheen, a certain emptiness. "I found this artefact a long time ago at the academy I studied. It was in possession of the headmaster, but he had hidden it behind a bookcase, in a box, untouched for years. Maybe he had forgotten it, but I was left alone and could not help but rummage around the office. I was young and bold, and I felt something calling to me. Once I put it on, I could not get it off anymore and I was too scared to admit it, but he never found out." "At any rate, over time I found out the gems in the bracelet can store magic, seemingly amplifying it and allowing me to cast it instantly when I want, or even change the shape and effect, all based on the element stored. I have to focus and prepare it in order to store it of course, but in times of need like today, it comes in very handy. That's why I prepared two fire spells and one ice, to melt it or create an emergency bridge." "I hope that satisfies your curiosity, I trust you both with this, but I really don't want to use it again if I don't need to. It can draw unwanted attention." Mikhail spoke up: "Why do you trust us though? You just met us a short while ago, and this sounds pretty big. You trust me of all people? A thief?" Tecwyn nodded "True, but I did not have much choice. And besides, you warned me in advance of the company, and Cecil is the other mage here. I think you both won't risk anything for this. It took me years to figure out how to use it. I guess if I have to trust people, you two are it." Cecil let out a friendly laugh and slapped Tecwyn on the back "Don't worry about it dragon, you are right about one thing. Neither of us has much use for it, and if you really took it from the headmaster of one of the biggest magical academies in the land, then it's definitely not something we want to be seen with." The tension now gone, the three laughed, finished their tasks and headed to the centre of the camp, where food was being served as they celebrated another day well-travelled.

Once again, the group repacked everything they could, the damage to their materials a lot less heavy due to the milder weather, and set out on their journey. Tecwyn looked around and noticed they were walking around the tallest peaks, opting for a safer journey rather than a quick one. He started to feel bad for those forced to take this route, no matter the reason they had for not being able to use the boats. "We need to take a detour" one of the guides yelled out "The shortcut has not formed here, so we need to take the usual way, at least its good weather for travelling." After speaking, he led the group down a small path, going deeper and deeper, until they came to the entrance of a hole in the wall. "The old mines are perfect to travel through, but there still lingers old magic. It might not happen, but it can play tricks on your mind if the concentration is high enough One of the guides took out a lantern. Upon closer examination, it seemed to be a specialised tool made and enchanted by Tecwyn's own clan, visible through the deepest fog. "This lantern is enchanted to be visible no matter what and dispels illusions around it, keep following this light and you won't get lost."

They started to walk into the old mines, and Tecwyn recalled the lessons he followed, about the folly of the settlers here, noticing magical energy flowing and digging despite the warnings. Still, the resulting mountains looked rather beautiful after all this years, and the tragedy was a great inspiration for many works and theatre. It was quite ironic how terrible situations could give rise to art and beauty. Before long, the room clouded up with magical energy like a fog, inhibiting all vision, forcing them to slow down and follow the lantern through the diminished visibility. There were holes in the ground, but they were easily spotted, making them more an annoyance. Some of the others seemed to be spooked by something, though by the sounds of it, they were illusions and fears brought to life in the magical fog. Magic and the mind were connected in strange ways. He stopped at one of the larger holes, it seemed that it connected to another tunnel below, likely one of the older tunnels dug out when the mine was in use.

He heard screams around him, other travellers reliving their fears it seemed, and he already was used to it. One voice however seemed to be getting closer fast, a voice familiar to him. It sounded like Cecil, was he panicking as well? Before he could find out, someone crashed into him from behind, making him lose his balance and instinctively hold on to the other person, dragging them both into the hole as they fell.

The landing was painful by itself, but the other person fell on top of Tecwyn as well, bruising the left side of his body, as well as his wing, making him wince in pain. The other person got up easily, seemingly less harmed by the fall. Tecwyn got a brief glimpse of the caribou before he winced again. "Oh no" Cecil exclaimed and tried to help the dragon up, making sure to not hurt him more. "This is not good, we can't get back up" Tecwyn looked up to the hole, it was too far to reach, and a spell wouldn't help them here either due to interference. "Then we need to follow the tunnel and see if we can catch up, it's an old mining network, the tunnels should connect somewhere." It wasn't the best idea, but it was the only one they had, as they set off on the dark path.

Before long they saw a light in the distance and headed towards it, hoping to get their bearings. As they approached it, the sound of howling wind became clear, mixed with another sound, one that Tecwyn had not expected, that of water. The light was an opening in the mountain, formed by the old miners, but led nowhere, leaving them to speculate themselves what it had been used for.

Tecwyn turned to walk back to the path, but Cecil blocked him instead. "Can you let me pass?" he questioned his fellow mage, whose gaze was still focused in the distance. "I don't think so." Were his only words as he pulled out an inscribed knife. The dragon could not believe his eyes as fear crept up on him. There was no way out for him. In front of him was Cecil, threatening him, behind him a cliff and his wings wouldn't work in their current state. His only protection, magic, would have failed him, since the knife was in fact a magical ward, it was clear to sense. 'But if he has a ward, that means this wasn't an accident' He suddenly realised. "What is it that you want, Cecil" "Simply put, your bracelet there, and your silence of course." "Why? I thought you mentioned it was useless to you. I trusted you." "Clearly a mistake then. An artefact that allows magic to be cast quicker and more powerful? I would be a fool to pass this up" "Listen, we can-" Tecwyn tried to reason with him, but felt a sharp pain between his ribs as the knife slipped between his scales and into his flesh. "Talking costs too much time, I will just say you tripped and fell, a lot easier." Cecil responded calmly as he grabbed Tecwyns bracelet before retrieving his knife. Panicked, the dragon mage did one thing he could think of, throwing his weight backward and falling off the cliff. He could not let Cecil get hold of the bracelet. This time however, Cecil was prepared, holding his arm tight and causing him to smack against the cliff. "You should really just work with me here, it will be less painful" Try as he might, the bracelet wouldn't come off no matter how Cecil pulled on it, making him sigh in frustration. Before Tecwyn could enjoy this small victory, he pulled out his knife again, intent on cutting his arm off. Was this the end of him? Was this how it would go? Nobody would figure out what had happened, and that scared him the most. A gust of ice cold wind howled, making his wound hurt even more. The cold did not seem to harm the caribou, but it did give Tecwyn one last spark of an idea. He did not think of it before, since he never needed to use it, but his breath would be a last resort. Breathing deeply, he expelled both of his elements at once, too weak to harm someone, but it did create a cloud of steam, surprising Cecil and causing him to drop Tecwyn below.

The wind cut around him as he fell down, but Tecwyn felt strangely at peace. At the very least, he made sure this artefact was not in the hands of a madman. Below him, the water approached quickly as he rushed towards it, its embrace the last thing he would ever feel...