The Witch's Apprentice: Chapter 24
Into the Rannoc Ranges
Hello and welcome back to The Witch’s Apprentice. if you’re new here, I recommend starting from chapter 1. Otherwise, welcome back!
In the last chapter, Radley was searching The Stygian Library for a powerful spellbook but found a strange clockwork orrery instead. After some research, he believed that the orrery might be a way home, but before he could set his plan in motion, he was attacked by a giant bookworm and had to flee. When he had finally escaped the bookworm, he found himself in an old crypt where an ancient wizard lay buried. Tempted by the magical robe in the sarcophagus, he was caught red-handed by one of the librarians, and we left him collapsed on the floor.
Today, we return to Sarah, Lix, and Henry as they journey into the Rannoc Ranges in search of components for a cure for poor Radley’s untethered state.
Chapter 24: Into the Rannoc Ranges
Lix darted ahead, wings a blur as he zipped along the winding merchant trail, then circled back with a dramatic sigh. “You’re slower than a sleepy toad,” he called, hovering impatiently before flitting off again.
Sarah wiped a sheen of sweat from her brow, her boots slipping slightly on the uneven stones. The path climbed steadily into the Rannoc Ranges, each step pulling them farther from the noise and bustle of Heatherholm. The air grew cooler with the ascent, carrying the scent of moss and stone, but the steep incline set a burn in her legs. She adjusted the strap of her broom across her back, glancing at Henry, who walked beside a sturdy mule laden with bags of food and equipment. The beast plodded along without complaint, its ears flicking lazily at the occasional buzz of a fly.
Lix finally settled onto her shoulder, his claws gripping her jacket as his wings flicked every so often to keep balance. Sarah tilted her head back, taking in the peaks ahead. Their pale, weathered slopes glowed softly under the sun. Some were jagged as filed teeth, others rose in smooth arcs draped in green moss. Mist clung to the upper ridges, swirling in the breeze, and the scent of pine drifted past. She tugged her jacket tighter, letting her gaze wander over the quiet beauty of the mountains stretching before them.
“Did you know some people think these hills are made from giant bones?” Henry’s voice broke the quiet, his boots crunching softly against the dirt path.
Sarah shot him a skeptical look. “Giant bones?”
“Yeah. Supposedly, there was a battle between titans here ages ago. When they fell, the earth swallowed them up, leaving the peaks behind.” He nodded toward a distant ridge, its jagged outline resembling a spine against the sky.
Sarah scoffed, but hesitation crept into her voice. “Do you really think it’s true? I mean, it sounds like something a bard would make up. Maybe even Lix.”
Lix huffed from her shoulder. “Excuse me, my stories are highly reputable.”
Henry only grinned. “Maybe. But look at that ridge.”
Sarah followed his gaze. The jagged peaks did resemble a spine, rising from the earth as if some enormous thing had been buried beneath the mountains. She wanted to dismiss it outright, but then again, she’d seen too much since waking up in this world. A few months ago, she would have laughed at the idea of a talking pixie dragon, yet here she was, carrying one on her shoulder.
She pulled her jacket tighter, frowning at the distant peaks. “I guess… stranger things have happened.”
Lix’s wings flicked excitedly. “And if they are giant bones, maybe there’s treasures hidden under all this moss!”
“Or maybe it’s just rocks,” Sarah said with a wry smile, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She turned to take in the sweeping view of the valley below, its mossy slopes dotted with the occasional scraggly tree. The quiet beauty of the Ranges was mesmerizing, the distant peaks fading into the haze, their shadows stretching long in the afternoon light.
Suddenly, the tranquility was broken by a low rumble that seemed to rise from the ground itself. Sarah froze, the vibration traveling through her boots.
“What’s that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The mule brayed in alarm, and Henry quickly pulled it off the path. “Get down!” he hissed, motioning toward a thick cluster of bushes nearby.
Sarah crouched low, Lix clinging to her shoulder as they ducked beneath the foliage. The rumble grew louder, a deep, resonant sound like distant thunder. Then, through the haze, a colossal figure appeared.
It was enormous, a giant made entirely of stone. Its body was a patchwork of rough boulders, smooth obsidian, and jagged flint, with moss draping from its shoulders and ledges like a natural cloak. The creature moved slowly, each step shaking the earth beneath them.
It moved with a slow, deliberate grace, each step sending vibrations through the ground. Its sheer size was staggering. The creature towered at least forty feet tall. As Sarah’s eyes traveled upward, she spotted something glinting near its head. A sword. Not a massive blade, but one sized for a human that had somehow gotten embedded into the giant's head.
“Is that a sword?” she said, pointing.
“I think so,” Henry said, squinting to block out the sun.
Meanwhile, Lix was nearly bouncing off her shoulder. “That’s one of the relics my father told me about!” he whispered excitedly. “One of the relics needed to fight the elves of the Wild Hunt!”
Sarah stared, her mind racing. A relic, right there in front of her.
“There’s a rope ladder tied to its leg,” Henry said, pointing.
Sarah followed his gaze and saw it—a thin rope ladder trailing down from the creature’s waist, swaying slightly with its movements.
“But why use a ladder when you can fly?” she muttered, her heart racing.
Before she could think twice, she grabbed her broom and leapt into the air.
“Sarah, wait!” Henry whispered sharply, but she was already too far away to hear his warning.
The broom’s hum filled her ears as she darted through the air. Lix followed close behind, his wings buzzing frantically. The wind whipped against her face as she ascended, the ground falling away beneath her. The colossus didn’t seem to notice, its gaze fixed on the horizon.
She hovered near the sword, her heart pounding. The blade gleamed, its hilt wrapped in worn leather. It looked almost ordinary, save for some faintly glowing runes.
“Almost there,” she murmured, reaching out for the hilt.
Just as her fingers brushed the leather, the colossus froze. For a terrifying moment, all was still. Then it moved. Its head tilted slightly, and one massive, moss-covered arm swung up with surprising speed.
“Sarah, watch out!” Lix yelled.
The colossus’s arm caught her mid-air, sending her tumbling. She spiraled head over heels, her broom spinning out of control. Wind rushed past her ears, and the ground came hurtling up to meet her. She hit the earth with a jarring thud, rolling to a stop in the mossy undergrowth.
“Sarah!” Henry’s voice rang out as he sprinted toward her.
Dazed, Sarah sat up, her head spinning. Lix fluttered nervously above her, his voice high-pitched with worry. “Are you okay? Did you break anything?”
“I’m fine,” she muttered, though her limbs felt like jelly. She glanced back at the colossus, which had resumed its slow march, the sword glinting mockingly in the sun.
Sarah sat on a patch of moss, brushing dirt off her jacket while her head still spun from the colossus’s swat. Lix fluttered nervously around her, his wings humming as he inspected her for injuries.
“That was a bit reckless, don’t you think?” Henry said, crouching nearby. His brow furrowed, but the corner of his mouth quirked in a barely contained grin. “I didn’t know witches could fly without a broom.”
“Well, we can’t,” Sarah muttered, rubbing her sore arm. “I mean, at least I can’t.”
Lix landed on her knee, his tiny claws digging in just slightly. “You’re lucky you weren’t squished. That colossus had a temper. But the sword is still up there. It’s an ancient relic. We can’t just leave it.”
Sarah looked up at the colossus, still trudging across the rocky terrain ahead, its massive footsteps shaking the ground with every step. “Well, I’m not going up there again, but if you have a plan, you’re welcome to try.”
Henry stood, brushing dirt off his pants. “Maybe flying isn’t the way. If I can just grab hold of that rope ladder, I think I can climb it.”
“Climb?” Sarah blinked at him. “You want to climb the giant rock monster that swatted me out of the air like a fly?”
Henry shrugged, his expression calm but determined. “It didn’t seem to notice you until you got too close. If I’m careful, it’ll barely notice me.”
Sarah stared at him, incredulous. “You’re serious.”
“Absolutely,” he said, adjusting his belt and tightening his gloves. “I’ll go slow, stay out of its sight, and grab the sword before it knows I’m there.”
“I think it’s a terrible idea,” she said, standing up and brushing off her pants. Her broom hung slightly askew on her back. “But if you think you can make it, be my guest.”
Henry offered a quick grin, glancing at the colossus. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Lix flitted up to Sarah’s shoulder, muttering, “I think he’s mad. But it is the Sword of the Colossus. It might be worth a try.”
Sarah sighed, crossing her arms. “Fine. But if you get yourself killed, don’t expect me to explain it to Karmora.”
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