Page 59 of Sightwitch
MEMORIES
The first doorway is complete.
I did it.
I cannot believe it, but the magic path stands directly before me as I write this, sitting on the cold floor in Saria’s carved hall.
The Rook King was the first of the Six to get me a boulder. Less than a day since our meeting, and the monolith arrived on a wagon hauled by twelve horses. We set it up in the meadow west of the river, where the earth dips low and Sirmaya’s power rises up from the soil.
It was simply too awkward to get the stone into the mountain itself, and just as I had speculated, I didn’t need to. The spell worked fine aboveground, and all the Threads bound exactly as they should.
From Goddess to boulder to doorway.
Now the question is: Do I dare walk through?
1/2 hour(?) left to find Tanzi
Our landing was not as graceful as our takeoff.
The ledge and door that the map led us to were easy to find—exactly where I’d pointed, and, like before, sconces whuffed to life at our approach.
An approach that was not slowing down. The light from the lanterns flared into six orange lines.
“Too fast!” I bellowed over the winds, but either Captain didn’t hear or didn’t care. “Too fast!” I tried again, shrieking now. We were going to hit that rock at full speed. “Too fast, too fast, TOO FAST—”
We slammed to the ground. My ankles crunched, my knees buckled. I crashed forward, hands catching me for the second time that day in a wrist-popping finish.
But there was no time to notice the pain. No spare thought to waste on it. I staggered to my feet and aimed for the door that had been marked on the map.
Identical to the entry into the Crypts and the workshop, a knife-sized slot waited just ahead. Vaguely, I was aware of the Rook joining us—with a far more graceful landing—and of Captain behind me, laughing, clapping, and declaring, “I did it! Did you see, Ryber? I just flew us over that chasm!”
Captain and the Rook were unimportant, though. Dim and distant. Nothing mattered but opening this door.
And praying that time had not yet run out.
Breath held and hand shaking, I slid the knife in. A rasp of metal on granite. Then a click, a shudder to ripple outward, as the doorway split. A pale glow sliced down the center and two panels swung back.
Ice met my eyes.
More cursed ice.
I don’t know precisely what I’d expected. The map had saidSUMMONING, so I’d envisioned something vaguely glorious. Something to make all this horror and heartache worth it.
Instead, there was simply more ice like we’d seen throughout, with shadows and black webs hovering inside. Fog skated across my boots.
Unlike before, however, the passage that cut forward was a mere crack in the cold. So narrow and low, I would have to walk with head bowed and shoulders angled sideways.
“That’s a tight fit,” Captain said, and I flinched.
I’d forgotten he was here.
Frowning, I sheathed my knife. “You don’t have to fit,” I told him. “You can leave now, Captain. You flew me here, and now … You can leave this ‘nightmare place’ and find out where you came from.”
Eyes thinned, he glanced from me to the door. Then back to me again. “It doesn’t look very safe in there. What if you get hurt?”
“My Sisters will help,” I said, though I had no idea if it was true. Nor did I care. Time was moving forward while I stayed still.
“I can take care of myself,” I added, lifting my arm. “Come on, the Rook.”
