Chapter 309: Cloudy with a Chance of Titans

Mynasha was impatient as we sat and were served by young orc attendants in drab, gray robes. The local cleric’s house was humble but cozy.

Woolasha sipped some pungent tea. “I will tell you what I can. It is a challenging climb, and the task the Elders have set forth is difficult. I suspect Fioasha might know a few places where he might find an artifact without summiting the Spire and confronting the Ancients.”

“Ancients?” I asked, puzzled.

The cleric nodded ardently. “That is what we call the oldest of the storm giants. They come here to live out their last days, even though that may be centuries. We do not know how long they actually live, though there is one storm giant that has been around since the founding of the Caliphate,” Woolasha replied instructively.

I interjected with a pertinent question. “What is the name of that storm giant?” If it became a FUBAR situation, maybe knowing the name would be useful.

“Khrusos,” the cleric replied earnestly.

That sounded familiar. “Kronos?” I questioned.

“No. Khrusos,” he said patiently, sounding out the name a few times for me. Perhaps the translation or passage of time had altered the giant’s name. Kronos was Latin, after all. He waited till I was satisfied before continuing.

“Now, the Spire has been called many things over the years: The Crown, due to the persistent lightning storms surrounding the summit; Death’s Holme, since that is where the storm giants go to die and most who venture to climb it never return; and Wisdom Peak by Supreme Annalasha, who centuries ago visited the Titans on more than five occasions. But the Titans call it Olympia, and you should use that name if you plan to converse with them.” My blood chilled. There were just too many similarities to Greek legends to be a coincidence.

Mynasha didn’t see or sense my unease. “Can’t we find an artifact without confronting the Titans?” Mynasha asked, a little distressed. At least she was smart in not wanting to risk an encounter with the giants.

Woolasha nodded. “That is probably wisest. You may come across some relics during your climb, but most will be too large to carry back with you. Fioasha used to climb the Spire as a youth. Not to the summit, but it was considered brave among the young men and women to explore the lower paths. Like I said, he most likely knows where artifacts are easily accessible on the lower slopes.”

Mynasha clenched her fists in frustration. What did she expect? The Elders probably consulted Fioasha before assigning the task. They likely required something sufficiently dangerous to announce to the assembled warlords and clerics. It was either admirable or naive that she still thought she had a chance to come out on top of the Choosing.

She regained her composure. “What do you suggest we do if we have to climb to the summit?” I clenched my jaw. She had used the word “we.” I did not want to climb to the summit. I could accompany her partway, but it was her task to convince the Titans to relinquish an artifact, not mine. I wondered if we could have cheated and just used one of the buttons we had uncovered in the plains. I wished I had thought about it before we left, but Glasha did say she registered them with her superiors.

“If you do summit, announce yourselves. Do not be foolish and try to sneak in and steal something. The last of the storm giants wield powerful magic, the likes of which can erase cities from maps.” I could attest to that, having seen a single storm giant excavate a massive crater in a swamp.

“We should go,” Mynasha said, standing determinedly. She was done waiting.

I stood slowly and handed the cleric a handful of silver and a bag of apples. “For my mare. One apple a day. If I don’t return, explain my fate to her.” He looked at me, perplexed, but took the coin and apples.

The walk to the Spire was a lightly worn path through the rocky grassland. A number of sheep paused in their meal to watch us, and I could read their minds. They were thinking we were idiots for heading toward the ominous tower of stone in the distance.

After trekking a few miles through rocky terrain, we finally arrived at the base of the Spire. The mountain loomed above us, its colossal form becoming more imposing with each step we took. When we stood at its base, we were met with an astonishingly sheer cliff that seemed to extend impossibly into the sky. It was an awe-inspiring sight that defied nature.

“This feels—artificial,” I breathed softly in the cold but humid air. Around us, massive blocks of stone were partially buried in the ground like ancient, fallen sentinels. The entire sight was reminiscent of Devil’s Tower back on Earth.

My companion dismissed my remark and veered onto the worn path to the right, each step echoing on the damp stone. A gentle mist drizzled down from the swirling clouds overhead. After a few moments of following the cliff, we found ourselves standing before magnificent stone towers that loomed on either side of the wide path. The ancient giants had clearly crafted these colossal structures themselves. The tower surfaces were adorned with faded pictographs—timeworn symbols that hinted at a long-lost language. The sheer size of the towers made me feel tiny in comparison. They were living testaments to a bygone era where the Titans ruled.

We paused briefly, taking in the breathtaking view. The uneven stone path before us wound upward, curling around the massive Spire that loomed overhead. Mynasha, determined, stepped forward, passing between the two tall structures. As we moved past them, the extent of the towers’ damage became obvious. Their once-imposing facades bore the marks of a fierce attack; large chunks of stone had fallen away, leaving gaping holes.

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I sent a few earth pulses out, hoping that perhaps an artifact would be buried within easy access to end this expedition early, but there was nothing. The abandoned towers appeared to be made primarily of solid stone, with space for defenders on just the top floor. I continued to pulse my earth speak as we climbed the path, hoping to find something.

At first, I was confused as to why we had been told to leave our mounts. But after we had ascended a few hundred feet, we saw that a large portion of the path had fallen away, and a fresh, narrow path had been carved into the cliff at specific points. I needed to turn sideways to walk the ledge, and the horses would have stood no chance of making it past. I guessed that the Titans had done this on purpose to prevent large forces from scaling the Spire en masse.

When we reached the far side of the Spire, the ocean was hundreds of feet below us. It felt surreal, as the clouds that circled the tower were still so far above us, making a persistent mist that made the stone slippery. It would take hours to reach the top of the tower, judging by the gradual grade of the spiraling path.

An hour later, we encountered a second portion of the path that had fallen away. The carved-out walkway was even narrower this time. I briefly wondered if the storm giants could just leap the twenty-foot span of the missing path. Shortly after passing this section, we encountered another tower centered in the path. This tower had mostly crumbled with time or from an attack, and we had to scramble over the rubble.

On the other side was water runoff from above, and the muddy sediment on the path clearly showed four sets of footprints. “Why don’t we just wait here and take whatever artifact one of the others recovers?” I asked Mynasha.

“That would not be honorable,” she said dismissively. I wasn’t joking, though. We had stolen a pixie. What was different about an artifact?

I suddenly got a little angry at the convoluted orc honor. I might have yelled a little in my retort. “And setting up this Trial so Fioasha has all the advantages is honorable? You must realize that you have no chance of assuming the mantle of the Supreme and leading your people. This is all just a dog and pony show to make it look like there was a selection process.”

Mynasha winced at my verbal assault but didn’t back down, showing some spine. “I understand what you think.” She pointed to the prints in the mud. “But that is proof Fioasha is ascending the Spire. That alone tells me he has honor. He may be better prepared for this Trial, but he is not dishonorable. If you do not want to stand by my side, just return to town and feed your horse apples while you wait for me to return!”

“Okay.” I spun and started to scramble back over the rubble. I slowed when I reached the top of the pile and looked back. Mynasha was gone. She had continued without me. Did I feel guilty? Maybe a little bit, but following her seemed foolish. Adrian had once told me: “You cannot save everyone, Eryk,” which felt applicable now. Then why did I turn around after fifteen minutes and follow the cleric? Mynasha was the best way to get Maveith’s sister back without a fight.

I walked slower than I needed to, hoping to come to my senses, but it never happened. I climbed over two more ruined towers before entering the misty clouds that contained crackling lightning. With my earth speak, I could walk forward confidently without having to worry about falling to my death if I encountered a portion of collapsed trail. That was probably why I caught up to Mynasha, who was hugging the cliff face and testing the path carefully with each step as she traversed the mist.

I stayed fifty feet back, not announcing myself. When the mist cleared for her, she resumed walking. I waited in the mist to let her get ahead again before following. The halo of clouds was now below me as I circled the tower, and it looked like I was not far from the top. At least, it didn’t look like the cliff went on forever above me. The air was definitely a lot colder, and my manticore cloak was soon draped on my shoulders.

My earth pulses picked up the coming summit before my eyes did. Mynasha had stopped at the end of the winding path. It had taken most of the day to climb, and Neptune’s Tear was coming out with the fading sun. It was a little disconcerting that neither of the other candidates had passed us, returning with their artifacts. I had seen other signs that they were ahead of us: piss and shit on the path, scraps of discarded food, a discarded empty waterskin, and footprints in soft mud.

Mynasha was frozen and didn’t move around the bend for a long time. I was curious about what had made her pause. I silently edged forward until I could see her. She stood between two smaller pillars, gazing out at the summit. I walked slowly to stand by her side. She didn’t acknowledge me, as if she had expected me to join her. She was still mesmerized by what she was seeing.

“Thought you might be hungry,” I said, handing her a meat pie. Mynasha took the offered food, as she had not been carrying any supplies. I handed her a canteen next, as it had been a strenuous climb and she had to be dehydrated.

I finally got to see what had given her pause. A shallow green valley extended across the caldera. It was maybe three miles across to the far side, but a few white buildings could be seen among the colossal trees. It didn’t look like paradise, but it definitely felt out of place in its surroundings. Even the cold air that had dominated the last hour of the climb was gone, replaced with warm, moist air coming from the valley below. Mynasha was obviously hungry. By the time I had taken in the view, she had finished the bun and drunk the entire canteen.

“I saw two of the storm giants in that clearing there not too long ago.” She pointed to an open space in front of one of the white buildings.

“Did you see either of the other candidates?” I asked.

“No, but Woolasha said we shouldn’t try to sneak in. I was waiting for one of the storm giants to come to me.” I didn’t have a response, as he had indeed advised that. I pulled my spyglass to my hand and scanned the valley slowly. At least four clearings had four large white stone structures that reminded me of Greek architecture. “Do you see anything?” she asked.

“Just a few aurochs in the far field,” I replied after scanning again to make sure.

“Maybe we need to announce ourselves,” Mynasha said.

“Don’t go doing anything drastic …” I started to say, but she had already extended her hands toward the sky. Two thick bolts of lightning extended into the sky, followed by a crack of rolling thunder. Well, she certainly knew how to announce herself. It didn’t take long before a giant emerged from one of the buildings, paused, turned toward us, and then started to walk in our direction. I doubted it would take him long to cover the distance…

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