Chapter 37: Inside the Mountain
Surprisingly, getting into Mordyn isn’t the difficult part. The city isn’t guarded, not like the borders of Alyris are, and the five of them enter without anyone stopping them. Jigen and Aisling have been inside the mountain before, so they continue walking without hesitation once they realize that the coast is clear, but Byrin, Selmas, and Gwynfor stop in the entrance of the cave, dumbfounded.
Mordyn is lit by fire, just like the stories had said. Selmas had expected the inner part of the mountain to be dark, with torches placed in strategic areas to provide light, but instead, there are waterfalls and trenches filled with a slow, orange-glowing sludge that emits enough heat and light to make sweat prickle on Selmas’ skin. It’s as if the sun has melted and filled the gaps in the darkness. At the back of the city, Selmas can see a cascade of molten rock slipping down the walls, warming the city from the inside out.