On reaching the site they all disembarked. They walked to face the glowing pass while the wizard Faegan levitated his chair on wheels, following along behind. The entire mountainside had been scorched black and barren. Even now, warm cinders crunched beneath their boots. There were no trees, no brush, and no grass-just the strange pass, shimmering brightly against the face of the granite mountainside. Because their habitats had been decimated, all the forest creatures had fled.

They’ll never return, Gaius thought as the group approached the strange phenomenon. The craft is at work here, and somehow they know it.

When they saw the group coming, the six warriors guarding the pass came to attention. At first no one spoke. As everyone stood before the pass’s wondrous presence, it was almost like there could be nothing left to say.

The deep gap was barred by a brilliant azure wall, its aura so bright that it hurt everyone’s eyes. It stretched silently from one mountain sidewall to the other-a distance of about twenty meters. Looking up, they could see no limit to its height, for it disappeared into the dense fog that always crouched atop the mountain peaks.

The pass’s flat surface was smooth as glass. As the visitors gazed into its depths they could see white shards of light shooting to and fro, as if begging to be released to the outside world. It was a wondrous, awful thing. No matter how many times Gaius came here, he was stunned by its majesty.

Knowing that his place was with his troops, the captain stayed behind as he watched the inspection party approach the glowing wall. He saw the wizards point at it and speak anxiously to one another. Tristan said something to the wizard in the chair, and the mystic nodded.

Gaius watched theJin’Sai unsheathe his dreggan. As the blade cleared its scabbard, for several moments its unmistakable ring filled the air. With another nod from Faegan, the prince walked closer.