The gold tinted left half-moon, made its appearance over the jagged peaks to Sumunguru’s right. The trail he rode upon was narrow and looked down upon a bend in the boulder strewn rushing stream. Across the canyon on a lower yet wider road, that led to the old stronghold, were a party of men. Most were afoot, though there were two mounted ahead of them and the two animal drawn carts in the men’s midst. The path Sumunguru and his steed were upon seemed more appropriate for the small bushy tailed animals in the trees about them. After a short while, under the bright light of one mountain star, Sumunguru left the path and started to descend the slope on an even narrower trail. The roan was surefooted; not a large stone did it send tumbling nor did it lose its footing. At the bottom of their descent they crossed a rivulet on its way to join the stream. Sumunguru dismounted at the juncture of the two, leaving his horse hid by a large boulder dislodged in a long ago avalanche. On the height above to his right loomed the mountain fort. Once built by the Romans to guard the mountain roadway. From its interior there rose a large citadel. Near the citadel’s summit, a single light radiated outward. From a pouch he had placed within his clothing, Sumunguru pulled an ancient silver chained medallion and placed it about his neck. Circe had called it “The Tear of Echo”. It would aid him in penetrating any ward placed about the fort. As Sumunguru began to mountain goat like ascend the rock strewn slope, he remembered he must ask Circe who this Echo fellow was. The sensation of going through the ward felt to Sumunguru as if he had gone through a spider’s web. The medallion had flared up red and had begun to shake and jangle on its chain. It then returned to normal once he had completely gotten through the ward. If such as the medallion could be considered a normal item. Sumunguru noticed neither sentries on the ramparts or a light from the square tower’s one narrow window to his left. He walked the narrow pathway to the base of the tower. Sumunguru then traced a section of the tower in a distinct pattern. He pressed his shoulder in the midst of that pattern till he heard the ‘click’. Pressing harder it appeared he was attempting to bowl the tower over. There was another, louder ‘click’, and an outline of a doorway appeared, then the door swung inward, silently. Sumunguru drew his sword and entered.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 06:00:44 +0000