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Your blow has ripped a hole in the creature’s silvery wing. The wound is not fatal, but the damage is enough to render the hungry creature incapable of ascending any higher. It emits a loud buzz of frustration which fades as it slowly spirals away towards a cluster of smaller dragonflies hovering near the centre of the gorge.
Several minutes elapse before your tireless mount reaches the apex of the cavern and soars into the light-filled vent. Upon entering this vast aperture you are buffeted by crosswinds which sweep you and your air-steed precariously close to its rocky lip. The shock of the unexpectedly violent wind causes your mount to circle around the lip and attempt to dive back into the cavern. Blind with fear, it no longer responds to your commands, forcing you to take drastic action to avoid being carried back into the gorge. As you swoop past a rocky outcrop, you leap from the creature’s back and abandon yourself to the crosswinds. Only your Kai Mastery and your lightning-swift reactions save you from being crushed to death as you are blown towards the jagged, volcanic rock.
Miraculously, you survive the impact and are able to haul yourself out of the vent and climb safely onto a surface that you assume is the roof of the cavern. Seeking shelter from the raging crosswinds, you squeeze yourself into a hollow in the porous rock from where you are able to take stock of your new surroundings. The sight makes you gasp, for it is a view that truly rivals the fertile wonders of the cavern below.
