The Unknown Realm #4 (Waverly Stump and The 7 Realms)

XLVI

As the season of Fall assumed full domination over The Grand Ale, townsfolk progressively managed the disaster that had razed a portion of their beloved dwelling to the ground.

With every passing day, burnt residue was collected in barrows and transported to the far end of town for further disposal. Whatever wood tree that survived the fire was cut down and taken to the smithery to become fuel for the furnaces. Bricklayers and stonemasons from neighboring towns were sent for to help rebuild the damaged houses in Parliament Hill. For many days, great noises of reconstruction filled the air; from nails being hammered into wood to metal clanking, saws cutting, chains rattling, water slushing, and the occasional chitchat that accompanied such group work.

The messenger who was sent to the King to report the disaster had been gone for five days and was yet to return. Via horseback, it would take twenty days to arrive the King's town of Lake Borough, or lesser if one knew shortcuts and how to travel swiftly. The town hopefully awaited their messenger's return because with it help would come. The little restoration that could be done was only enough for a pitiful quarter, but with a King's aid, The Grand Ale would be back on its feet within a short time.

Waverly stood before the large window of the living room, watching as workers occasionally traipsed past; carrying bricks and blocks with them and wood; mixing concrete, or sawing lumber. She had spent half the day rooted to the spot and even though her eyes followed the movement of folk outside, her thoughts were strained far. Her father had forbidden her from traveling with Judson to the North.

It now made sense why their journey had been so tedious and lengthy.

The Mountain of Lore was considered a sort of mythological place by many. A superior equivalent to Enton. It was theoretically the home of Elementals; a realm so distant that it seemed non-existent. For thousands of years, Elementals were believed to have come from somewhere outside of the world itself, until a time in ancient days when rumors of the Great Mountain began to spread. Certain sea folk made claims that on a mysterious island, a mass of rock taller than any the world had ever seen had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the ocean, Turmoil. Over a thousand years later, a crew of sailing Outcasts confirmed the rumor, claiming to have spotted the mountain a long distance away. The baffling aspect of those tales was that each witness seemed to have sighted the mountain in different locations, yet still within the Ocean.

Eventually, the great mountain became lost to the world for many ages.

Through divination, a widely respected Gypsie priestess assured that the Mountain was not lost, but had moved to a place where none would ever reach it. She asserted that the mountain was home to all five primordial Godheads which was the reason why it was an unreachable landmark. When the Elves subsequently supported this, the seven realms were left with no options but to believe it.

A shudder traveled up and down Waverly's spine as she thought of the mountain. She had seen the Mountains of Ruphat up close, but it was apparent through word alone that those terrifying ranges could not compare in might nor age to the Mountain of Lore.

In spite of it all, it was a relaxing conviction that after so many seasons on the road, a final destination had at last presented itself.

If, by some exceedingly supernatural miracle, Judson arrived the mountain, he would find the answer they had both searched endlessly for. But the unspeakable dangers alone were enough to deter a man. Numerous tales tell of brave people who died even before sparing a glimpse of what the waters around the island looked like. Those who were lucky enough to espy the mighty mass of rock from great distances never dared go to it. They simply steered their ships in escape.

Waverly crossed both hands behind her, awaiting the results of the little errand she had sent Astraline on since day first broke. HalfHyde had not only rebuked her from traveling on, but also from leaving the Master House until renovations were complete. On her part, going outside was not much of a pleasure because all she received were disquieting stares. Nobody had totally forgotten about the incident with the magical border, and thankfully, the spectrum disappeared the next day.