The Power of a Promise

Driven by a promise, through the dark and twisted tunnels of the Dewar and the misty mountains of the Jian, through shrouded wood of the Elhu and the gray hillocks of the Hob, I have come. Step by heavy, faltering step I have traversed such distance and been thrice imprisoned for being a stranger. I've come far and still the last and hardest part of my journey lies ahead.

At the base of the Exiled King, the highest mountain my eyes have ever seen, I stand looking up at its gross majesty whose jagged and hungry silhouette eats the sky. In its shadow, my warmth disappears and I feel smaller than the tiniest grain of sand. How can I challenge such a beast? What right have I? It is the undisputed king and subjugates every part of the land around it.

Aching stiffness in my arms draws me back. I'm cradling the urn now, its smoothness cold. No. I'll not go yet. I promised to deliver my friend's ashes to the highest place and loose them like black and fertile snow among the face. And my promise is not yet complete.