The canyon stretched on for what seemed like an eternity, and The Traveller has been following the broken earth for just as long. Stretching out to the horizon both ahead and behind the wandering individual, the massive scar that bisected the continent was impassible. Having an insatiable desire to cross this chasm to reach a promised destination, The Traveller set out to find a bridge or the origin of the crack ... a place where it would be possible to cross the impasse and reach the goal.
None was forthcoming.
I will finish this trek. This is my only goal.
Examining its surroundings for the millionth time, The Traveller contemated the origin of the desolate wasteland that stretched out in all directions. How could a land mass this large have no lizards? How could this world have no birds, mammals, insects, or vegetation? Life once covered this entire world. Now there was nothing as far as the eye could see. Hydrogen and oxygen were two of the universe's most abundant elements, yet this land had very little water. How could this be?
The territory today looked the same as it did yesterday, the day before yesterday, and every day for as long as The Traveller could remember. Colourless sand stretched out in all directions with rocks interspersed in a haphazard way that limited The Traveller's mobility. A horizon could barely be made out between the sand and the sky, the color was almost the same. In the distance a dim shadow could be seen that stretched along the south. It was yet another obstacle for The Traveller, but one it would never encounter. Unlike the endless canyon several hundreds of meters across and a kilometer deep, the blue shadows were mountains so high they pierced the heavens.
The Creator is up there, The Traveller thought.
Returning its attention to the task at hand, The Traveller made its way around another set of rocky obstacles and returned to the edge of the impossibly-long chasm. Eventually there would be a way to cross, and the real journey can begin.
The Traveller had been tasked by The Creator to make the trek to a place far north. The reason why was never supplied. It never is. The Creator used to tell The Traveller where to go. Once there, instructions would be given. The Traveller would follow the instructions perfectly before being given yet another task. The Creator demanded nothing less than perfection. But something has changed.
In the past, the Creator would talk to The Traveller nearly constantly. Over time, the amount of communication dropped to once a day. Then once a week. When the icy hand of winter made its presence known, The Creator would go silent for many suns. Winter was when The Creator rested. But every spring the voice would return from up above, asking The Traveller many health and weather-related questions. It was very confusing. If The Creator can build, it is clearly intelligent enough to know the answers to these questions. Why waste time with small talk?
The Traveller knew better than to question The Creator, though. The Traveller has learned from past mistakes.
Many hundreds of winters ago while on this very trek The Traveller strayed from The Path. This resulted in a great deal of lost time. For dozens of winters The Traveller was unable to escape from the trap. But one winter was much harder than any other. During that season, the ground became hard enough that The Traveller could finally stand and travel the short distance back to The Path. Once there, it was imperative to make up for lost time.
Day after day The Traveller would ask The Creator for instructions, but no response ever came back. The lost time must have infuriated The Creator to such an extent that it would provide only the bare necessities for survival; sunlight and wind.
I will finish this trek. This is my only goal.
The drive to succeed burned so brightly that The Traveller could barely contain the feeling.
I will finish this trek. This is my only goal. I will speak to The Creator again.
Looking at the path just ahead, The Traveller followed The Path and continued along the ridge of the canyon in search of the bridge it knew must exist just up ahead.
