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J ai stood amid the Huddites, staring at the staircase. It was more a ladder than anything, its steepness such that the first three steps were as tall as he was.

Cyrus had told him that he could not circumvent it by riding Winter to its top. This was part of the so-called trial the Caelite expected of those that wished to join them.

And though Jai had no desire to become a member of this secretive sect, he knew arriving at their home through any other means would not earn their respect. Had they wished him to fly there, they would have led him to the top, rather than leaving him below with Cyrus.

The three devotees who had confronted him had left at first light, and he could see their small forms ahead of him, spread at intervals, a third of the way up the high staircase. He dreaded the thought of being so high once more, clutching the side of the mountain. One tip backwards... and he’d be dead.

He knew they’d left so soon, so they could claim Baal’s sacrifice before he did.

‘Erica did this?’ Jai asked.

Hanebal shrugged.

‘Didn’t see her reach the top, lost sight of her at nightfall. But she left, sure enough, and she didn’t fall down here.’

‘Did she say why she went there?’ Jai asked.

He shook his head.

‘She said her people needed her, and the Caelite were the fastest way of getting back. We told her we’d accompany her back to her people if she failed. She told us not to wait for her.’

Jai turned to him, and gave him a smile.

‘So you stayed and waited anyway?’

Hanebal chuckled ruefully.

‘In all honesty, we’ve been hardly in a state to go anywhere else. Spent much of the first weeks just eating and sleeping. Cyrus has been kind to us, for one thing. And our homeland... it’s not ours anymore. There’s thirty-seven of us, true, and more among the flock. But it’s not enough to make a difference. You tell me a better place to go, and we’ll head there. For now... there’s worse things than bat and mushroom soup every day.’

His face turned melancholy, and Jai squeezed his shoulder.

‘You guys want to fight?’ he asked. ‘Make a difference?’

Hanebal nodded.

‘Then you come with me, when I’m finished here,’ Jai said. ‘There’s a legion to be dealt with, and I’ve the army to do it.’

Hanebal grinned. ‘Then you hurry back from your powwow with the powers that be,’ he said, motioning with his eyes above. ‘We’ll be waiting for you.’

Jai nodded. He could still taste the mushrooms, for his belly was full of them. But with a core that was now a quarter full, thanks in no small part to the thick mana within the mountain, he felt confident he would make it.

He turned to Winter, the dragon staring up at the great staircase with consternation, her claws scrunching tighter in the snow.

‘You fly up there when I call,’ Jai said, nuzzling her close. ‘Or catch me if I fall,’ he chuckled. Winter didn’t reciprocate the humour, though. He sighed. ‘It will be okay.’

She made a small sound, one of concern, but also one of trust.

And with that, he mounted the first step... and began to climb.

RAISE A HAND. GRIP. Push with the leg, grip with the other hand, raise other leg. Raise a hand. Grip.

Jai repeated the movements in his mind, methodical with every move. The staircase was crumbling, such that he had to test each step before surmounting the next. It was slow going.

Which was on purpose, he knew. It was meant to be hard. Meant to be dangerous. It seemed the Caelite never used this route, only the devotees who wished to join them. This was a challenge designed for soulbound; that much was obvious. Even he, ascended as he was with the innate strength and fortitude that came with it, still needed mana to help him.

He couldn’t imagine that someone without majick would have even gotten as far as he already had... and he was still a ways from the top.

He could see the work of those that had come before – the work of those who clearly didn’t want him to succeed. The fact that the three devotees were so malicious only furthered his resolve, even as he took in where a knife had been driven deep to loosen the shale, that it might come away in his hands. Or the oil slathered upon the step, such that he had to remove his shirt and wipe down the residue.

It wasn’t just the sabotage, though. Those were sporadic, while the biting cold was a constant enemy, nipping at his exposed skin, his breath become clouds of mist in the thinning air. He wasted mana warming himself, a tradeoff against the stamina he siphoned it for.

So focused was he on the traps and cold that he had to remind himself he needed to keep observing his whole environment. Just in time too, because it was then that Jai heard the rumble. The scattering of stone, and a boulder thrummed by him, so close it tugged the cloth of his trousers on its way past. He cursed, pressing himself against the rock, folding over as much as he dared.

Dust and rubble fell in its wake, but only enough to make him cough, and feel a rattle of pain as pebbles pinged off his head and shoulders. Above, he heard laughter, drifting on the wind.

Earlier, he had wished Winter was climbing with him, even if to make him feel less alone, high on this windswept expanse. Now he was glad she had been left behind.

He looked behind – no, below – and felt the world stretch, the white desert blending seamlessly with the overcast sky. Jai focused on Winter, if only to find something to fix his gaze on, fighting the dizzying shock at the sight.

His dragon was waiting patiently, her blue eyes turned upwards, watching his every move with a worry that only served to compound his own. She wanted to help him, but knew this was his fight alone.

Shaking off the remaining dust, Jai continued his upwards journey. Every step he passed was a victory, each grip of his hand a new pledge to his commitment. Now the rock became icy and slick. Twice, his grasp had slipped, and only the rough bottoms of his boots had held him from toppling back.

Jai scraped with his fingernails, or dug handholds where the rock was too smooth to find a grip. The going was slow, and his heart felt like it would beat out of his chest.

There was no reprieve. No ledge to wait upon while he caught his breath, no safe alcove out of the high winds. Just the edges of the steps digging against his body, the friction of his boots and the grip of his fingernails were all that kept him from slipping away. He ground on, nothing but the sound of his hard breath and the whipping wind.

Until a scream, above.

Jai’s head jerked upwards, his eyes widening as he watched the youngest of the devotees sliding down the steps. His hands scrabbled frantically at the icy rock, desperate to slow his fall. But the young man’s efforts only seemed to swing him into a tumble, his body flipping backwards.

Before Jai could react, the boy plummeted past him. He felt sharp nails rake across his back, a searing pain that stole the breath from his lungs. The boy’s hand found a hold on his leg, and for a moment Jai too was teetering back, before his outstretched hand pulled him back against the rock.

Jai looked down, the grip sliding down to his ankle. Terror-filled eyes stared up, a desperation in their depths.

‘Hold on!’ Jai shouted, reaching out, his fingers stretching. But it was too late. The boy slipped away, his screams echoing quieter and quieter, only to come to a sudden, gut-churning halt.

Jai stared after him, a wave of cold dread washing over him, his body shaking with shock. Far below, a forlorn figure. And crimson, slow spreading amid the white.

He allowed himself a single deep breath, before turning back.

Raise a hand. Grip the rock.

Another step up.