Ch 87: More Dormancy

The days stretched on, and the valley's uneasy stillness grew more profound. The lava still flowed sluggishly, carving new paths through the charred landscape, but its once-ferocious roar had quieted. Ash clouds continued to linger, though they were thinner now, allowing pale sunlight to dapple the ground in fleeting patches.

The dormancy of the Galgameth and Lava Worms weighed heavily on everyone in the Ironworks. For a region accustomed to chaos during the Season of Fire, the silence was more unsettling than the calamities they had braced for.

Kalem stood at the edge of a deep crevasse, his focus core dimly glowing in the overcast light. Below, the lava bubbled sluggishly, its energy muted. He frowned, gripping the hilt of his axe as he scanned the horizon.

"I don't like this," he muttered.

Tharic, who stood beside him, spat into the crevasse. "No one does. This silence isn't natural."

Behind them, a group of scouts from the Ironworks surveyed the area, their enchanted weapons glinting faintly. They were searching for signs of movement, tracks, or anything to explain why the creatures had gone into hiding. So far, they had found nothing but barren rock and cooling lava flows.

Vornar approached, his brow furrowed. "Anything?"

"Not a damn thing," Tharic grunted. "It's like the valley's holding its breath."

Kalem looked at Vornar. "Do you think the Augury's right? That something's scaring the creatures?"

Vornar sighed. "He's rarely wrong. If he says there's something out there, there probably is. The question is, what?"

Back in the Ironworks, the tension was palpable. The workers, warriors, and craftsmen gathered in small groups, sharing theories and speculations.

"It could be an even bigger creature," one miner suggested, his voice hushed. "Something so massive it doesn't need to fight—it just makes everything else run."

A smith shook his head. "If it's that big, we'd have seen it by now. No, it's something else. Maybe magic. Something deep and old."

Nearby, a pair of magic researchers from one of the outsider groups discussed their own observations.

"The mana flows in the valley are erratic," one of them said. "It's as if something is distorting the natural balance."

"Could that affect the Galgameth and Lava Worms?" the other asked.

"Possibly. Creatures like them are deeply tied to the earth. If the flows are disrupted, it might explain their retreat."

Kalem listened from a distance, his thoughts churning. The more he heard, the less he understood, but one thing was clear—this was no ordinary season.

That evening, the Augury called another meeting in the plaza. His presence alone was enough to draw a crowd, but his grim expression silenced the usual murmurs and chatter.

"I know the dormancy of the creatures is unsettling," he began. "It is not a natural phenomenon. Something is at work here, something beyond the patterns we've come to know. We must remain vigilant."

A noble, one of the more outspoken ones, stepped forward. "If the creatures are gone, isn't that a good thing? Less chaos, less destruction."

The Augury fixed him with a stern gaze. "Do not mistake absence for safety. The Galgameth and Lava Worms are forces of nature, integral to the balance of this region. Their withdrawal signals a disruption far greater than their presence ever could."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, and the noble fell silent.

Kalem stepped forward, his voice steady. "What do you suggest we do, Augury? We can't fight what we can't see."

The Augury nodded. "You're right, Kalem. That's why we must prepare for the unknown. Strengthen defenses, forge new weapons, and send scouts to every corner of the valley. Knowledge will be our greatest weapon in the days to come."

In the days that followed, the Ironworks and the outsider groups worked together to map the dormant valley. Kalem joined one of the scouting teams, traveling to areas he had never seen before.

The landscape was a mix of destruction and rebirth. Rivers of lava had carved new paths, while cooling flows created jagged rock formations that shimmered in the faint light. Fissures and caves had opened where there were none before, revealing veins of ore and strange crystals that seemed to hum with energy.

Despite the beauty of the transformed valley, the silence was oppressive. The absence of the creatures was a constant reminder of the unknown threat looming over them.

At one point, Kalem and his team discovered a massive cavern filled with the remains of Galgameth. Their massive, skeletal forms lay scattered, as if they had fled here only to die. The sight sent a chill through the group.

"What could have done this?" one of the scouts whispered.

Kalem crouched beside one of the skeletons, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Something that even these giants couldn't escape."

Back in the Ironworks, the unease continued to grow. The smiths worked tirelessly, crafting weapons and tools for the battles they feared were coming. The merchants bartered for supplies, their usual haggling subdued. Even the nobles, who had initially come seeking glory, began to realize the gravity of the situation.

Kalem spent his evenings in the forge, perfecting his weapons and experimenting with runes. The memories of the cavern haunted him, driving him to push himself harder.

Vornar and Tharic often joined him, their camaraderie a small comfort in the midst of uncertainty.

"We'll get through this," Vornar said one night, his voice steady. "Whatever's coming, we'll face it together."

Kalem nodded, his resolve hardening. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he knew he couldn't afford to falter.

As another day ended, the valley was bathed in an eerie glow. The ash clouds had thinned further, revealing a blood-red sky streaked with gold. The lava's sluggish flow cast long shadows, and the distant mountains loomed like silent sentinels.

Kalem stood at the edge of the Ironworks, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The dormancy of the creatures had brought them a fragile peace, but it was a peace that felt like the prelude to something far worse.

He tightened his grip on his axe, the faint hum of its runes resonating through his hand. Whatever was coming, he would be ready. They all would be.

But as the shadows deepened and the valley grew quiet once more, a nagging thought lingered in his mind: Was their readiness enough to face what lay ahead?