The Goddess had exacted a price. A hefty one.

Macius, in his pursuit of his duty, had killed the Children without pause. In his anger, he had destroyed an eon-old altar.

The Goddess disliked that.

On the other hand, his later actions proved that he had a good soul.

The Goddess considered that.

She chose not to destroy the puny human.

However, she would strip him of all he considered his, but his mind. She would teach him the true power of the Mountains. He would learn the value of Life. And the Children... they too deserved a lesson.

They shouldn't have invoked her anger. They should have brought softer, more subtle powers in play.

She locked the whole area away from their sight. For years to come, they'd be blind to this part of the mountain. The Goddess smiled. The frustration that her Priests and Priestesses would feel was sure to make them more cautious in the future.

Higher, trees started growing, forming an impenetrable barrier. No party of scouts would bother the valleys and the cave for a long while...