Aries Thorgard's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Aries Thorgard knelt by the crystal fireplace and read the flames. The fire pulled sideways, then snapped back. He felt it in his chest before his mind named it. He was the firekeeper here, and he meant to be the one people trusted first when the mountain turned. He stepped outside. A tall quartz formation had risen overnight near the ridge, silver veins humming under the frost. He had never seen the mountain grow such a thing. The air smelled of stone dust and cold metal. Avalanche. Bigger than any he had logged. Aries gathered the guests in the main hall. He held up a shard of opal ice he had chipped from a new pavilion forming at the tree line. It shimmered, splitting light into uneasy colors. "The mountain is shifting," he said. "We need to leave tonight." Faces tightened. Someone laughed. The manager waved him off. A child asked if the pretty stone was a gift. No one moved. Aries lowered the shard and set it on the mantle beside the fire. He had given them the warning. They had refused it. He pulled on his coat and went back into the cold alone, already counting how many he would have to carry out himself.