With the wind rushing against my cheeks, I plug my trusty staff into the ground and allow it to carry me higher up the steep rockery. My bones ache for the memories of what they used to be, the power they used to have.

But that is all I am now, a hollow memory, a faint echo of the man that came before.

It is as magnificent as they said. The winding limestone peaks around me, tell intricate stories with their wondrous shapes. Above, I see the rocks that have married to make a perfect archway. Emerald trees line the cliffs like faithful servants, reaching up towards the darkening sky in frozen prayer.

The steely caw of birds overhead almost shake me from my rapt state of awe. I need to drink this in, every part of it, the sheer sharpness of the air, the sparkle of the waves, beaming in the distance, the sound of my breath, as steady and constant as the sun that rises, sets and shines overhead.

The Ascent must come now, I know this. This world is not mine.

It never was.

Taking another step, I allow my shaking legs to carry me higher, towards the light that beckons me.