Chapter 77: 'Lord of the Rain, go calmly...'

Chapter Seventy-Seven: ‘Lord of the Rain, go calmly...’

The rain finally ceased as Zeff neared the decadent mountain town of Rheinhal. It was one of the oldest settlements in Sair, but it hardly showed. A building older than ten years was a rare sight here, and the lush greenery combined with the first sunlight he’d seen in weeks gave the city a lively glow. It was something of a tourist trap, this place. Hotels, casinos, amusement parks, shopping malls, movie theaters, and more than a few out-of-season ski resorts sat under the immense shadow of the Waress Mountains.

They were the more impressive sight to behold, Zeff felt, living well up to their status as the fourth largest range in the world. Harsh silver-gray cliffs occasionally poked out from the otherwise high-reaching forests, only to be capped by snow at their peaks. They were the great dividing line, these mountains, between much of the continent and particularly between western and eastern Sair. The Wetlands and the Drylands. The Rainlords and the Sandlords. Ancient enemies turned modern rivals and kindred spirits.

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