POV Dawkin:

I exit my meditation trance, slowly opening my weary eyes. How long have I been here? It feels like it was just yesterday that I stumbled onto this mountain peak half dead. I was so weak back then. Struggling to live each day, fighting for my life. It all seems so inconsequential now that look back again. I’ve become stronger, but is this amount of power enough? Every time that I look at Zohn and the amazing feats that he can accomplish, I feel like a small ant.

My one year of training is coming to a close and it’s almost time for me to finally return home. With the winter’s snow starting to melt and day’s heat increasing, it’s almost that time of the year again. That dreaded time that every single person in my village, since young, has learned to fear. But this year will be different, I’ll make sure of that.

When I was a child and I heard about the legends of this place, I imagined something completely different than what I found. Still, this place is truly strange. Even in the deepest part of the freezing winters when snowfall is at its heaviest, this mountain peak remains untouched. The ice-cold snow would pile up over two meters on the surrounding mountainside, but not a single snowflake would ever touch my head when I’m here.

This place contains many mysteries. Like how mountain peak, that should be barren, harbours a sprawling forest. Or, how the harsh elements seem to be avoiding this place. I’ve explored most of the mountain, since my stay here, but there’s still one place where I’ve never visited. I still respect Zohn’s rules, thus I’ve never been able to explore the mountain peak’s centre.

On one particularly windy day, when the cold winds battered the mountain peak, the dense cover of foliage and trees, that covers the peak’s centre, blew open. This allowed me a glimpse at what the peak’s centre contained. Back then, I was confused by what I saw, who wouldn’t be? What I saw was a giant granite statue of a person’s head. Now I’ve got no idea why that’s there, maybe it’s Zohn’s personal project that he works on in his off time? It wasn’t anything too weird so I decided it’s better to never mention to Zohn that I saw anything.

After a long day’s hard work, it's always fun to look back at how far you’ve come. I look over at the descending sun off in the distance and a long sigh escapes from my mouth. Looks like it’s time to head back again before darkness consumes my precious daylight hours and I’m left blind to wander this precarious mountaintop. I should really install some sort of lighting system here, but with Zohn forbidding any forms of fire, even just for light outside of his home, I fear that it will never become a reality. I won’t burn down the forest I promise.

I slowly stand up, stretching my stiff body. Meditating for hours on end really isn’t as glorious as it sounds. The sweet smell of nature always brings a smile to my face, even in these dark times filled with endless strife. I carefully make my way home, darting between the trees and the thick undergrowth that completely covers the mountain peak. In less than a minute, I arrive in front of Zohn’s home. The high granite walls and endlessly flowing moat never ceases to amaze me.

Walking to the courtyard, at the centre of Zohn’s home, I find Zohn relaxing on his giant chair and carelessly sipping on some tea. Today must be a special occasion. Zohn rarely drinks tea just for enjoyment. “You’ve trained hard this past year Dawkin,” Zohn states in his deep voice. “I’ve followed your teaching every day, how could I ever dare to slack?” I respond, prompting a small laugh from Zohn.

“You’ve come far this past year, but you're still at the first step towards the road to greatness,” Zohn speaks, ending in a small sigh. “I know that your time here has come to an end and it pains me to see you go before you’re ready. You’re at least two times stronger than your previous self, but it’s insignificant compared what you could potentially achieve.” Zohn continues and I could sense a small hint of pain in his voice.

“When you first arrived here, a full year ago, you told tales about the threats that plague your village. I know that you’ve trained hard this past year to be able to protect your village, but I want to provide you with an alternative.” As Zohn continues, my eyes widen in surprise.

“This past year you’ve grown on me and I would hate to see you fight needlessly against the untold horrors that infest this world, so I’m going to extend you a courtesy. When you return home, to your village, tell your people tales of this place. If you bring them here, to the area surrounding the mountain, then I’ll protect them. I won’t protect them against a stray wolf or bear, like some personal guard, but I could protect them against the very worst monsters that roam this world. Monsters that you can’t even dream of ever facing.” Zohn concludes and I’m blown away by his generosity.

I’ve been living here for a year and my safety has never been threatened, so I can trust in Zohn’s protection. I’ve only seen a little bit of Zohn’s strength this past year and I can’t imagine anything that would be able to beat him. He’s taken the initiative to offer his help and turning him down would be stupid. “I’m humbled by your offer and I’m in no position to refuse it. When I return home, I’ll convince my people to come here, just keep a lookout over the horizon for my return” I finish, incomparably grateful for being able to know Zohn this past year.