He barely made it to the peak, where he climbed a rock covered by a white mantle of snows. He looked at the great circular line of the horizon and saw only mountains and more mountains; the view was sharp and clear. He was amidst of the summits of the world, and that mountain which had been so hard to climb was only one among many others that, though distant, displayed even greater height.

The snow-covered summits seemed ageless. He looked towards the Valley, almost hidden between the mountains that surrounded him; the truth was that he really missed it, but he was also enjoying his time in the heights. He thought about how strange humans are, wanting everything and nothing, seeking recognition and anonymity, wanting to be alone so as to value company, craving disciplined wisdom in order to rest the mind in the placidity of free digression. He wondered if he was ready… if he was ready to leave the warm refuge of what is known, to plunge into the uncertainty of a journey to the unknown? Would he be ready to go, or better said, to return to the outside world?”

–from The Legend of the Mmulmmat, by Asanaro

photograph by Yemado