Firestorm Mountain

by Raymond L. Weil

  “Are you going to awaken more of your people?” asked Lynol as they prepared to leave the stasis chamber. They had talked about that the day before.

  “Yes,” replied Jacob. “We’re going to awaken six more of our people as well as fourteen of our technicians. That will ensure if Adam’s people show up here we can easily deal with them. One thing I’ve learned about Adam’s group is most of them are quite ruthless. If this is Karl and Joshua they’re very powerful and will show no mercy.”

  “By reviving more people from stasis it will also allow us to begin reactivating the complex and start some repairs,” added Eva. “We have a lot to do.”

  Lynol nodded. She was curious to see the complex when it was fully functional. “How soon before you wake everyone up?”

  “We’ll awaken people as we need them,” replied Jacob. “It’s going to take us awhile to get the complex back to the point we can support everyone currently in stasis.”

  Lynol had one more question she needed to ask. “What are we going to do about Gilmreth? I’m certain he’s already feeding on people on the far side of the mountain.” This greatly concerned Lynol, she knew how deadly the dragon could be.

  “We’re going to have to put him down,” answered Glen determinedly. “Gilmreth’s just too dangerous to keep around. He might have been one of our greatest achievements but he is also one of our biggest mistakes.”

  “Is it even possible to kill the dragon?” asked Kalvin. “Lynol could only put him to sleep and that was using both her mother’s amulet and her own. It nearly killed her in the process.”

  Jacob and Glen looked at each other. “We won’t know until we try. If necessary we can always permanently imprison the dragon. It wouldn’t be the best solution but it could be done.”

  Cathy slid into her backpack and looked over at Lynol with a nervous smile. “Let’s go see your father. It’s time he and I had a little talk about who I really am.”

  Kalvin couldn’t help but grin. “This should be interesting. I’ve never seem Damon surprised by anything.”

  The group left the stasis chamber and began making their way through the complex back to the entrance on the side of the mountain. Kristi and Braedon both made comments about the condition of the complex as they walked through the empty and quiet corridors.

  “We have a lot of work ahead of us,” commented Kristi as she paused and looked into a long abandoned room. “Even our abilities are not going to be able to repair all of this.”

  “We can get everything back into shape with the help of the technicians and the rest of our people,” said Braedon. “It will take some hard work but it can be done.”

  A few minutes later they arrived at the tunnel entrance and stepped out into bright sunlight. Kristi took a deep breath and smiled. “My first breath of fresh air in over three thousand years.”

  “It’s damn cold out here,” said Braedon as he looked at the snow covered landscape. “Let’s get down off this mountain where it’s warmer.”

  “The road’s pretty much gone,” said Cathy as she pulled her coat tighter around her. “We may have to work on that when we have the complex running again.”

  “Let’s head down the mountain,” said Lynol. “We can camp at some boulders which offer shelter and should be able to make it back home by noon tomorrow.”

  -

  The group began following the narrow snow packed trail down the mountain with Lynol and Cathy pausing occasionally to clear snow blocking their path.

  The trip down the mountain was slow and they had to stop several times to rest. It was mid-afternoon before they finally reached the boulders and warmer temperatures.

  Braedon slid out of his pack and sat down on a small boulder. “I didn’t realize how out of shape I am until now. I’m definitely going to have to start working out again.”

  “Me too,” said Kristi as she sat down near Braedon. “I don’t think we’ve regained all of our strength after being in stasis.”

  Cathy stood looking around. She remembered her first trip down the mountain and then finding Damon. It only seemed like yesterday, not over twenty-five years ago. Her right hand was on her amulet which was glowing with a blue radiance. “There are not any dangerous animals around that I can sense.”

  “Dangerous animals!” said Kristi, her eyes widening. “Like what?”

  “You should see what’s happened to the mountain lions,” replied Cathy, grinning. “They look more like a saber toothed tiger. I’m sure it’s a mutation caused by the radiation from the nukes.”

  “Lynol fought several of them off a few years ago,” commented Kalvin, recalling the horrifying incident. “I thought they were going to kill us.”

  Cathy looked over at her daughter. “What happened?”

  Taking a deep breath, Lynol proceeded to tell the group about their search for the sacrificial altar and their encounter with the two large cats.

  Cathy looked over at Kalvin. “And that’s when you found out Lynol was a sorceress?”

  Kalvin nodded. “It was a shock but it explained a lot of unexplained occurrences when Dresdia and I were around her.”

  “It was a relief they found out,” admitted Lynol who was sitting across from her mother. “I finally had someone I could talk to about what I was going through.”

  “The sacrificial altar and the paintings on the wall sounds intriguing,” said Kristi. “I would like to see them some day.”

  “It’s a hard trip through tight canyons but we can go there,” replied Lynol. It wouldn’t be so bad with other sorcerers with her.

  Kalvin stood up and spoke. “I’m going to start gathering firewood. It’ll be cold later tonight.”

  “I’ll help you,” said Braedon, getting up. “I was starting to get stiff sitting on that boulder.”

  The two men walked off and began gathering firewood.

  “So what’s it like living nowadays?” asked Kristi with interest. “I can’t imagine being without all the modern conveniences of our time. It must be like constantly camping out.”

  Lynol laughed. “It’s not bad at all. At least it doesn’t seem so to me. My father and I have a good home, we have plenty to eat and we’ve adjusted to not having some of the conveniences of your time.”

  Kristi nodded. “Do you have running water?”

  Lynol nodded. “We have a well and hand pumps for use in the house and a windmill for the animals.”

  “How do you cook your food?”

  “It varies. Some homes have cast iron stoves with a cooktop and others still cook over open fires in the fireplace. We do both depending on what I’m preparing.”

  “The people do a lot of canning as well,” added Cathy. “Almost everyone has a large root cellar for storing food for the summer and winter. In Galvin most people use bartering to make their purchases. The common currency is still gold but gold coins are few and far between. Most families keep the few coins they have for emergencies.”

  Kristi nodded. She took out a few gold coins from one of her pant’s pockets. “That’s why you had all of us bring coins.”

  “Yes, we may need to purchase some supplies in Galvin before we set out for Draydon. Gold coins are also more widely used in Draydon since it’s a much larger town.”

  “Over a hundred thousand people,” said Lynol. “Adam forced many of the surrounding villagers to come to Draydon. He rebuilt the entire town to his liking.”

  “Why didn’t they refuse to come to Draydon?”

  Lynol looked at Kristi. “If they did he sent Gilmreth to either kill them or force them to obey. Most chose to obey rather than become food for the dragon.”

  “I see,” said Kristi, shaking her head. “All of this sounds so much like Adam. I never understood why he acted the way he did.”

  “It was power,” explained Cathy. “He enjoyed his powers and using them to force others to obey his will. Even when he was younger he was always picking on the younger kids.”

  “Unless you were around,” re
plied Kristi. “I can remember you numerous times standing between Adam and some kid he was trying to intimidate.”

  “Someone had to stop him. He was careful when Jason or some of the others were present not to be caught.”

  The women continued to talk while Kalvin and Braedon continued to bring in firewood. After awhile they had enough for the night.

  “I’m famished,” said Braedon, sitting down and leaning against one of the large boulders.

  “We have plenty of food,” said Cathy as she dug into her pack and handed everyone a small container. “This is a high protein stew. Just unscrew the lid and it will automatically heat up.”

  Kalvin did as instructed and his face lit up with pleasure when he took a sip. “It’s warm and it tastes delicious.”

  “Better than mine?” asked Lynol, with a threatening smile.

  “No, not that good. But for sitting out here at the base of Firestorm Mountain it’s pretty good.”

  Lynol nodded and begin eating hers. It did taste good. It was also another reminder of all they had lost since the end of the Golden Age. She wondered how much life would change around the mountains with the awakening of the sleepers.

  -

  Early the next morning they set out for Lynol’s home to see Damon. Lynol couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction would be to seeing Cathy was still alive. She hoped it wouldn’t be too big of a shock to him. It had been a big enough shock when Lynol had explained to her father that his long dead wife had been a sorceress from the mountain. It took Damon days to accept that and he had been full of a thousand questions, some of which Lynol couldn’t answer.

  For a number of hours they traveled and finally came to the small crystal clear pond Lynol and Dresdia swam in during the warmer months.

  Cathy stopped and smiled, looking at the sheltering trees and the calm water. “Damon and I spent a lot of time here when we first met. We both liked to swim and it was so peaceful. It helped to take my mind off Adam.”

  “Why did you never find him?” asked Braedon. “He should have stood out like a beacon.”

  “He hid behind Jalene,” answered Lynol. “From what I understand from several of the priests and temple guards on top of the temple the night I confronted him, Jalene was Adam’s daughter.”

  “Adam’s daughter!” exclaimed Braedon, his eyes widening.

  “And he still fed her to Gilmreth,” uttered Kristi in disbelief.

  Lynol nodded. “Without hesitation. All Adam was concerned about was controlling Gilmreth. He had constructed an elaborate ceremony around the dragon and fed him young virgins to keep him under control. He even used a drug so the girls sacrificed themselves willingly.”

  “Adam was insane,” stated Braedon. “I always felt there was something wrong with him.”

  “Power,” replied Cathy. “Everything in Adam’s life revolved around his desire for power. It was that desire which finally caused him to lose his life.”

  Braedon looked over at Lynol. “What did you do with the Stone of Loraine?”

  “It’s back in the vault where it came from. It seems to be dead or drained of power.”

  “Loraine can probably restore it once she’s awake,” said Kristi. “She’s a genius about those kind of things.”

  “Let’s get on to the house,” said Cathy, feeling impatient to see her husband. “I really need to talk to Damon.”

  “If he doesn’t faint,” said Kalvin with a grin. “I know I probably would.”

  “Dad will be fine,” replied Lynol, elbowing Kalvin in his side. “He might just be a little shocked at first.”

  -

  An hour later the five stepped into the yard of Lynol’s home.

  Kristi came to a stop, eyeing the large rambling farmhouse. “I wasn’t expecting something so big and solidly constructed.”

  The house was made out of thick stones and had stood for generations.

  Hearing voices outside Damon came out on the porch and stood frozen, staring at Cathy.

  “Kathryn?” Damon said in a weak voice.

  Cathy nodded. “Yes, it’s me. Lynol found me in Firestorm Mountain where I’ve been sleeping these past years.”

  Damon came down from the porch, his eyes wide with shock and his face full of confusion. “I don’t understand. Lynol told me you were a sorceress but I remember you dying.”

  Lynol stepped closer to her father. “She went to the mountain to try to find a cure for her disease. She did but it took the machines in the mountain a long time to cure her.”

  Cathy stepped up taking Damon’s hand. “Let’s go inside. This is going to take a lot of explaining.”

  Damon didn’t reply but let Cathy lead him up the steps and into the house.

  “I think we should give them some time alone,” suggested Kristi.

  Lynol nodded. “Let me take the two of you to meet Malcon. I think you will find his crypt interesting.”

  “Who is Malcon?” asked Braedon, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

  “My teacher,” replied Lynol with a mysterious grin. “Follow me.”

  “I’m going to go check on the animals,” said Kalvin. “I might also go fetch Dresdia. She’s going to be really interested in this.”

  Lynol nodded as she led the other two sorcerers to the hidden crypt. Lynol couldn’t wait to see Malcon’s response.

  -

  Inside the house, Cathy and Damon sat at the kitchen table across from one another. Damon was still staring at Cathy as if he couldn’t believe she was actually there.

  “So you’re a sorcerer?” Damon managed to say with his heart still racing. She didn’t look a day older than when he had last seen her.

  Cathy nodded. “Yes, when I first awakened and came down from the mountain I was looking for Adam but I found you instead. I never regretted that and our daughter is both beautiful and intelligent. She has inherited my powers and is a very powerful sorceress.”

  Damon slowly nodded his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “There were no sorcerers around anymore. I wasn’t sure how I would be received so I decided to keep it a secret. I used my powers discreetly to help the people around Galvin whenever I could.”

  “Then you came down with the fever which was killing everyone. I thought you had died. I remember you dying.”

  “I made you think that,” admitted Cathy, feeling guilty about the deception. “I knew there was only a slim chance I could find a cure in the complex. This disease was something I was totally unfamiliar with. I fully expected to die before I reached the mountain.”

  Damon reached across the table and took Cathy’s hand. “You still should have told me. I could have taken you there.”

  Cathy shook her head. “It was too dangerous and I needed you to stay home and take care of Lynol.”

  The two sat at the table for nearly an hour talking with Cathy doing a lot of explaining.

  -

  Lynol, Kristi, and Braedon were in the crypt talking to Malcon. Kristi and Braedon were amazed at the knowledge on the shelves and what the simulacrum was telling them.

  Kristi looked over at Braedon. “Who could have built this?”

  “It could have been the people who stayed with Jason,” answered Braedon. “There were some pretty good scientists and technicians with that group.”

  “Do you know?” Kristi asked Malcon.

  “No, I have no memory of that.”

  “It will probably remain a mystery, unless we find something in the computers back in the complex,” said Braedon. He was walking around the room examining many of the items on the shelves and benches. “There are items here from almost every age since the Worldfire. There are people in the complex who will be very interested in what’s in this crypt.”

  “Bring them,” said Malcon with a smile. “I would enjoy telling them what I know of history and of the Sylvar family. There are many unique items here in this repository. As you know, there is also a stasis field in operation when I’m not activated. It
is one of the reasons everything is still in pristine condition.”

  Braedon looked over at Kristi. “A stasis field. That pretty well indicates the simulacrum was built by Jason and his people. We need to have some of our technicians examine it. There might be a message hidden somewhere for us.”

  “You won’t damage Malcon, will you?” asked Lynol with concern in her eyes.”

  Braedon laughed. “No, we’ll be careful about that. Malcon has a lot he can tell us.”

  “Do you think it’s safe for us to go back up?” asked Kristi, looking over at Lynol.”

  “It should be,” Lynol replied. “I think my dad’s just going to need some time to adjust.”

  “We all are,” replied Kristi, standing up and stretching. She had been thumbing through some of the sorcery books on the large desk where Lynol did her studying. “This world is much different than our own.”

  The three made their way back up to the surface and Lynol closed the crypt. They then walked past the garden toward the house.

  “At least I still recognize what’s in the garden,” commented Braedon with a measure of relief in his voice.

  They reached the house just as Damon and Cathy stepped back out on the porch.

  Lynol looked questionably at her father. “Did the two of you get everything worked out?”

  Damon grinned and nodded. “Yes, the biggest thing I’m going to have to get used to is calling Kathryn by her real name.”

  “Cathy or Kathryn is fine with me,” Cathy replied with a pleased smile.

  “Cathy says Gilmreth is on the loose again.” Damon looked worriedly at Lynol.

  “He is,” replied Lynol. “But this time I’ll have some pretty powerful help. We’ll deal with the dragon once and for all.”

  Kalvin came walking up carrying a pail of milk. “I thought I’d milk the cows while I was waiting.”

  Lynol had to laugh. “Let’s all go inside and I’ll fix us something to eat.”

  “I’ll help,” said Cathy. “We all need to spend several days getting our full strength back before we set out for Draydon. Some good home cooked meals should go a long ways in helping with that.”

  The group went into the house. They knew in Draydon Adam’s people would be waiting and somewhere along the line they would have to face Gilmreth and end his deadly depravations once and for all.