Dawn broke across the mountains. It painted the peaks in shades of gold and deep shadow. Beautiful and harsh at once. Kael extinguished the flame carefully. He resumed his climb as the first light touched the path.
The way grew narrower with each step upward. Snow lined the stones now. Not thick. Just enough to make footing treacherous. The wind rushed past constantly. It sounded almost alive. Like a spirit beast's breathing. Constant and cold.
Twice during his climb, he passed broken weapons embedded in the cliff face. A rusted spear stuck deep into solid rock. Its shaft corroded by time and weather. A shattered blade wedged in a crack. Only half of it remaining. Their energy had long since dissipated completely. Just mundane metal now.
Relics of cultivators who had dared to tame this unforgiving range. And failed. Their bones were probably scattered somewhere below. Picked clean by scavengers or buried under snow.
