Breeze Scorchwind's Arc

Chapter 6 of 6

Breeze circled the summit, checking her stone circle one last time before diving toward the eastern face. Halfway down, a gust caught her left wing wrong. She tumbled sideways, scraping her shoulder against jagged rock. Pain shot through her wing as she fought to regain control. She landed hard on a narrow ledge, breathing fast. Her wing throbbed where it had hit the stone. When she tried to lift off again, the joint wouldn't extend fully. Flying back to the summit would be dangerous like this. The highest peak stood above her, so close but suddenly impossible to reach. Her confidence cracked as she realized what this meant—her domain wasn't truly hers if she couldn't even fly to it safely. She pressed against the cliff wall and waited for the pain to fade, wondering if she'd claimed too much too soon. After an hour, the throbbing dulled enough to try moving. Breeze folded her injured wing close and began climbing down on foot, using her talons to grip the rough stone. The descent took twice as long as flying would have. By afternoon, she reached the desert floor and spotted a strange rock formation rising from the sand. The wind-carved hoodoo stood tall among scattered cacti and small flowers, its surface worn smooth by years of harsh weather. She stopped beside it and ran her talon along the grooves cut deep into the stone. Even something this strong had been damaged over time. The mountain had tested her today and won. Her wing would heal, but the lesson remained—claiming a peak meant nothing if she couldn't hold it when conditions turned bad. She looked back up at the summit, barely visible through the heat waves. Her stone circle waited there, but she couldn't reach it yet. The highest peak would have to wait until she was strong enough to face the wind again. She needed shelter to rest and recover. Walking further into the desert, she found a sandy blanket stretched across the ground, held down by rocks at each corner. The fabric concealed something underneath. Breeze pulled one corner free and discovered an entrance beneath—a hidden bunker dug into the desert floor. She climbed down the ladder inside, grateful for the cool darkness. Her wing ached as she settled against the wall. Above ground, the harsh conditions continued, but down here she was safe. She thought about the weathered hoodoo and the wind that had knocked her from the sky. Her claim on the highest peak had seemed solid just hours ago. Now she understood—the mountain could take everything back in a single gust. She closed her eyes and let her body rest, knowing she'd have to prove herself all over again once she healed. Two days passed in the bunker. Breeze's wing felt better, strong enough to try the climb back up. She emerged into harsh morning light and began the long walk toward the mountain's base. A narrow canyon appeared ahead, its walls steep and close together. A rope ladder hung down the far side, old fibers wrapped tight around the red stone. She crossed the gap and grabbed the first rung to pull herself up. The rope snapped under her weight. She fell backward, hitting the ground hard. The ladder unraveled and dropped in pieces around her. Her only safe path up had just collapsed. She stared at the cliff face and felt her goal slip further away. The summit wasn't just out of reach—now she couldn't even find a way to start climbing toward it.