David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb by T.C. Crawford (tools of titans ebook .txt) 📕

“Shouldn’t be too long, maybe half a day’s march from here” replied Rex. “It’s not too far, but it’s a dangerous path so it takes longer to get there than it normally would in less hazardous conditions.”

The longer they walked the steeper and rockier the climb became. What before was a distinguishable trail with plenty of room before dropping off into a steep descent was now only a few feet wide with steep cliffs on both sides. To the left the sheer rock wall rocketed high into the sky and on their right, it shot down fifty feet or more in some places. The path was cut in a switchback fashion up the side of the mountain in an effort to not make the climb too difficult.

There were times they had to climb over fallen debris, while other times they had to jump over gaps where the trail had fallen away. They came across a few wooden bridges that spanned the gaps that were too far to jump, leaving David terrified as he crossed, the rushing wind causing the bridge to sway back and forth in an unsettling way. Fortunately, and much to David’s relief, they were built sturdy and the three companions crossed without too much trouble.

The companions stayed quiet most of the time, conserving their breath for the difficult task of keeping up with Rex. Despite his being away for so long, he still seemed to be part mountain goat. The thinning air and the monstrous climb didn’t seem to affect him much at all, while Orin and David were in the back panting and struggling to keep up. Several times Rex had to stop and let the others catch their breath before they could continue further up the mountain.

After what seemed an eternity the companions reached an area where the trail seemed to level out and open into a wider path. Despite it being mid-day, the temperature had dropped as they climbed up the mountain and the mist seemed to follow them rather than dissipate as the day waxed on.

Rex explained that it was the clouds up here fogging up the air and that some days it was clear, it just depended on the weather. Up ahead they could see a split in the mountain that led through two closely paired rock walls. David assumed the unusual structure was created from an earthquake of some kind. He knew it must have been a monstrous quake to cause the mountain to split like that.

“We’re almost there. Just through that pass lay the valley. Let’s keep going” said Rex.

David and Orin nearly cried with joy that their trek was almost at an end. They mustered up the last of their strength and followed Rex to the opening of the passage through the mountain.

When they reached the opening, David couldn’t believe the magnitude of the structure. It towered hundreds of feet above his head on both sides and was smooth in some places while jagged and patterned in others. The two sides didn’t fit together perfectly, so he assumed that whatever rock had fallen from the structures must have been cleared away to keep the passage clear for travelers. As he passed, David noticed some vegetation had found its way into little crevices and had grown up the sides of the walls in some places, while bunching up into bushes and small trees in others. David couldn’t wait to see what lay on the other side of the passageway.

When they neared the end of the corridor, they could see patches of sunlight breaking through the clearings in the clouds. They were finally dissipating and letting through the ever-blue skies beyond. David could see that beyond the passage the path seemed to open into what looked like a wide area, but he couldn’t tell much from this distance.

When they finally reached the end, David couldn’t believe his eyes. The tunnel opened into an entire crater-like valley filled with forests, rivers, and a large lake that was dotted with little fishing boats.

In the distance lie an enormous city bustling with activity. There was a wide cobblestone road running up the center and more narrow ones running like veins throughout the entire community, each dotted with pedestrians going about their day. Hundreds of large stone buildings clustered along the streets with people walking in and out, some busily and others quite leisurely. There were massive two-story structures that looked like inns and townhomes, and hundreds of smaller, cozy dwellings dotting the hillside that David could imagine living in peacefully for the rest of his life.

In the center of the city lay a bustling market that was dotted with people walking busily about.

Further in the distance on a lonely hill towards the back of the valley David could make out a large stone superstructure. It was surrounded by massive stone walls with towers in strategic positions around the stronghold.

Rex said that was once his father’s castle, but now was home to his Uncle Bastion. He said his uncle took his place when his father died, leaving him to govern over the city and ensure its safety during times of trouble, a duty that was once destined to be his before he left.

David and Orin, each sharing similar looks, decided not to press the issue further in fear of upsetting their friend. He had already told them why he left, but they hadn’t known he was set to be the ruler of his people.

“That’s where we need to go if we’re going to get their help” Rex said, pointing towards the castle on the hill. “I’ll need to speak with my uncle and request his help, and if we’re lucky, he’ll give it to us” he finished. He didn’t look very convinced, they noticed, slightly disheartened.

He started off down the road into the valley and the others followed closely behind. It didn’t take them long to reach the outskirts of the city as the descent into the valley was easy