Storm Island Expedition

The Mountains High

The section of mountain I arrived on was a bit steep.  In fact, the drop-off that was practically vertical. Gently getting on my knees, I looked over the side to see if there were any good hand holds, but the section I was on was very smooth for as far as I could see.
I looked about the rest of the plateau, and saw the same kind of smooth open pass I had seen from the inlet.  With only one way to go, I followed it.
The winding path was as mundane as what I had found underground.  Only the smell of salts and some large worms were the only things keeping me company.  Along with a roaring wind.
By midday, I had reached the end of this path and upon a junction.  To my surprise, there were also long, thin white stone formations.  Each column, of sorts, came up from a large crevasse.  I poked my head into the crevasse and felt a strong surge of wind coming up into my face, along with a sudden dusting of salts.  After quickly wiping my face off and looking again, I could see the columns going down a ways, then into darkness.  I could also hear the distant sound of water.
Out of curiosity, I took off my gloves then wiped my finger onto one of the columns.  The column was coated with the thick white powder.  One quick taste revealed it was nothing but salt.
How in the world did salt from down there, end up all the way up here?
I poked my head over the side again, and was again hit by a gust of wind with a slight bit of salt in my face.
After dusting myself off again, I pulled out an empty flask, scraped some of the salt off a column.  It didn't take long to fill up the flask.  You never know when you can use salt.
I made my way down a northern pass around the chasm, but ran into a dead end.  I spent a few moments pushing on the walls and dusting off the layers of dirt and salt hoping to find something, but couldn't find a buried entrance or any more strange runes.
I doubled back and took the south path around the chasm.

The long walk paid off as I eventually got away from the scents of the area and into another passage through the mountain.  It was as smooth as the others I had seen.  A few hundred paces down and reached another dead end, covered in the same strange runes as before.
I could only think to myself, 'Yeah, I know what happens next.'
I was once again whisked away, this time underground next to the flowing water and to the east, the faint sign of sunlight.