Chapter 1 of Fire Season

FIRE SEASON: The Morrigan’s Children - Book 1

by T E Marts

© 2025 T E Marts

Introduction to Fire Season

The world of Fire Season is one of danger and urgency. In this thrilling tale, T E Marts takes readers on a journey through a landscape engulfed in flames and chaos.

Chapter 1

Smoke formed a black cloak that billowed and stretched from horizon to horizon. Orange and red light splashed across the dark shroud as flames danced across the forest below. The mountain stood above it all, the highest in the range of hills that rolled from North to South—a line of hills reaching the sky, now clouded in darkness.

Far above the smoke-wrapped mountain, stars sparkled and glinted in an otherwise clear sky. The full moon gleamed brightly on the grey, attempting to beam the hope of its presence to the land below, but nowhere did it find a gap in the soot-laden haze.

Below the shroud, a small tornado of flame twisted through the eddies of smoke. It swirled as heat rose from the fires, lifting and shifting the smoke. A hole formed in the dark billowing blanket, and a thin beam of moonlight speared through to bathe a small patch of the mountain below.

A figure ran through the beam of moonlight, its feet trampling the pristine snow on the mountain's glacier-covered peak. The trail of footprints behind it led to a small stone hut amid melting ice.

The figure bolted down the glacier, arms and legs pumping urgently. Its breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, each step a frantic attempt to distance itself from the hut—or perhaps to reach the fires below. It barely hesitated as it plunged off the snow-covered edge of the glacier, the icy ground giving way to uneven terrain beneath its frantic stride.

Intent on its destination, the figure didn't slow as it dodged around an outcrop of rock and into thick brush. The thorn-laden branches tore at the figure's clothing, slowing it momentarily. But the figure was resolute, tearing through the foliage as it reached the tree line.

It barreled into the thick forest of pine. It turned and looked back. Panic burst over its bearded face as it turned to continue down the mountain, the urgency of its flight palpable. The forest erupted in chaos. Branches snapped and shattered as something massive pushed through the treeline; its sheer weight and power sent vibrations through the ground. The crack of splintering wood was replaced by a bone-chilling roar reverberating through the mountainside. The sound echoed across the peak as if the mountain roared in anger. Panic surged through the figure. The roar carried the promise of death itself.

Without hesitation, the figure sprinted toward the fires below. The destructive flames offered a far more merciful fate than the horror that pursued him. His heart threatened to burst from his chest. Heat and smoke stung his lungs, but the fear pounding in his chest drowned out every sensation except the primal urge to flee.

Heart racing, he leaped over rocks and roots, every step bringing the creature's thunderous approach closer. Yet the black smoke and crackling flames ahead felt like salvation compared to the monstrous force tearing through the woods behind. To avoid dodging trees, he moved to the ridge line. His calves screamed as he raced up the slope. The far side of the ridge was free of trees, but the rock and ash-covered slope was too steep to risk heading down.

He followed a jagged crest, a ridge etched into existence millennia ago when shifting tectonic plates collided with a force that reshaped the earth, forming starfish-like protrusions radiating outward from the central peak of the mountain. Its volcanic rock now softened by a thin layer of snow that gleamed under the pale moonlight.

As his boots crunched over the icy terrain, the mountain's backbone stretched before him in sharp relief, its ridges cutting against the horizon like the spine of a dormant giant. His gaze swept the expanse, following the winding descent until something caught his eye—a glint, almost out of place. On a distant crest, half-concealed by a thinning line of frost-covered trees, the angular roof of a structure broke the natural symmetry.

The ski lodge. He froze momentarily, his breath fogging in the cold air as he realized where he was. He knew this place—the ridge, the slope, and the faint sound of rushing water far below. His eyes scanned the horizon, gazing out from beneath a black strip of asphalt that cut through the tree-covered landscape. It was the campground parking lot. Relief surged through him. He had regained his bearings and a flicker of hope, a feeling that washed over him like a wave, filling him with renewed determination.

He adjusted his path, heading directly toward the parking lot. Maybe I can lose it at the river, he thought. Can it track my scent through the water? The idea spurred him on. His steps grew quicker and more deliberate. Each step sent up snow and loose rock as he pushed his body harder.

Behind him, the creature continued to follow, its relentless pursuit like a shadow given substance. The sound of its heavy steps crashed through the stillness of the mountainside. He didn't dare look back—he didn't need to. The snapping of branches and the thud of displaced rocks told him it was closing the distance. The realization filled him with a deep, gut-wrenching dread.

Its presence was a constant, oppressive weight pressing against him, driving him faster down the slope. His breath came in sharp, ragged gasps as his legs burned with exertion, but he couldn't afford to stop—not for a second. Each moment felt stretched, the sound of pursuit growing louder, sharper. It wasn't just following—it was hunting. And it wouldn't stop.

Overview of the Book

Fire Season is a gripping tale of survival against overwhelming odds. T E Marts masterfully weaves a story filled with tension and excitement. If this excerpt piqued your interest, please purchase a copy through the pervasive shop https://www.pervasive-art.com or grt the ebook on Amazon.

Thank you for sampling this chapter of my latest work.