Wind whistled through the snow-capped peaks of Arcden, whipping the travelers cape about him. The White Cathedral looked close—close enough to hit with a stone’s throw. But the traveler knew that appearances were deceiving and it would probably take another three hours at least to reach the sacred building. If he could make The Ascent, that is.

Gabon took a deep breath, hoping it would calm his trembling nerves. For the hundredth time he glanced at the paper clenched in his fist.

“With confidence, the first step take

Trod on wind, for ground mistake,”

No matter how many times he read it, the words remained the same.

“Could it be a miswrite on the writers part?” he thought, “why would wind be where I walk and not the ground? There’s a perfectly good solid path that appears to lead straight to the White Cathedral, but the paper calls it a mistake?”

For a few more moments he dwelt upon the decision. Finally, with a little trepidation, he lifted his foot to walk on the path before him.

Just then, a mouse leapt ahead of him, but with a squeak of dismay it fell through the seemingly solid ground as if it were dust.

Gabon sucked in a breath, horrified at the thought of what could have happened. At least his decision was now made. With his eyes squeezed shut, he took the first step of faith.

The wind howled around him, seemingly mocking his decision, but where he expected thin air, his foot met on solid ground! He took another step, looked down, and gasped. He was standing upon the giant scaly back of a dragon. With a whoosh of its enormous wings, the dragon ascended up the mountain. Gabon clung fiercely to the dragons back as it made the ascent.

Suddenly a strong voice surround him. “I am Wind. I am The Ascent.”

Somehow that voice, those words, made him feel safe and protected. As the White Cathedral loomed before them Gabon knew everything was going to be alright.