Chapter 25 The Crucible Of Spirit

• The Sentinel Peaks rose before them like jagged teeth against the horizon, their snow-capped summits piercing the perpetually overcast sky.
• They were colossal, ancient, their slopes a brutal expanse of sheer rock faces, treacherous glaciers, and deep, silent ravines.
• The air grew thin and bitingly cold, carrying the faint, metallic scent of ancient stone and untouched ice. This was the final crucible, the place where, as Anya had warned, "only the truly pure of spirit can pass the trials."