High above the noise and commotion of the village below him, Ko climbed his way higher and higher up the craggy heights of the mountain. He'd heard tale of interesting sites and curious things, above the clouds and close to the ancient monastery devoted to the worship of Raiden. Truly this was His domain, nestled above the cares of the world with only heavenly thoughts and the universe to ponder on. Ko wasn't quite there yet—he could still see the clouds above him, marking the threshold between the earthly plane and the heavenly one. He wasn't far though, and so the young child would press on. He was lucky that the winds were not strong today, or else even the bundled layers of jackets would be insufficient to keep the young shinobi warm. It certainly would be poetic to say that his ambition, his drive, and his passion were what truly kept him warm, but when you face the possibility of a snowstorm coming your way at any moment you tend to put your stock into warm clothes rather than flowery words.
While the young boy had been musing over such fanciful thoughts, he approached the cloud line. "This is it," the child thought to himself. He was practically bubbling with excitement. One foot in front of the other, the young child walked head first into the clouds. His vision was obscured, and his could feel his clothes dampening. He couldn't see two feet in front of himself, but still he kept going. It was almost like some sort of heavenly test, to see whether he was worthy or not of gazing upon the magnificence that was sure to be awaiting him. He kept going. He shivered from the cold, but pressed on anyways. He kept pushing. It was a long task, but eventually Ko knew it would all be worth it. Eventually, though, would come sooner than the child thought.
His next step was breathtaking. He exited the cloud, and was met with a sight that was even more beautiful than he could have possibly imagined. The one thing you don't expect, having lived in a village where the sun didn't shine nearly as often as you'd like, is just how bright it is above the clouds. It makes sense, as there's nothing left to obscure the sun's marvelous rays, but it still caught the young boy off guard. The brilliant beams of light where casting their warmth over everything before him, illuminating the world in a way that Ko hadn't thought possible. The snow shone with a beautiful pureness to it, accentuating the darkly colored rock of the mountain's peak. The clouds drifted past, almost as if the peak were an island in a vast ocean. The wind had died down up here, creating a stillness that brought with it the weight of the world's magnificence. Ko could hardly breathe. He took a few steps forward, and with it the sound of crunching snow sent shivers down his spine. It was almost a religious experience, witnessing nature in all her naked glory. All the young child could do was whisper out a faint, "Wow," before falling silent again.
Ko let it all sink in as his senses slowly found their way back to him. He spotted the monastery that he'd heard about earlier up a bit further along the path. He was considering visiting the people who dwelt there, but wanted to first try and locate the Nimbus Springs that he'd heard about. They were said to contain water so pure and crystalline that Raiden himself visited them once in a while to admire their beauty. It was for this reason that the cave that contained the springs depicted carvings of the great god of lightning, honoring Him and his exploits. It seemed like a fascinating place, which was what had sparked Ko's interest in the first place. It was his mission for today, assigned by himself: find the Nimbus Springs, and uncover whether the rumors surrounding it are true.
[Word Count: 673]
[Waiting for Tsukino Nanami]
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