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Two hours later, Gem followed closely behind Ross. They were making good time and hadn’t encountered any unnatural obstacles, though the tremors were happening more frequently now, so they were finding toppled trees on the path.
The trees became more sparse and widespread as they neared the rocky passage in the canyon. Gem had always loved the canyon. It made her feel a sense of awe and wonder that such a barren place could be so beautiful, colorful, and unique.
Her mother used to tell her when she was a child that the Goddess had made the Isle of the Elementals by mixing the sands of time with the ocean, leaving this chasm of exposed sandstone as a reminder of their origins. The brilliantly colored sediment running through rocks sparkled when the sun hit them a certain way. The wall
