The course included exasperating coded directions to find the path. Only the experts who had experience in mathematical code could make any sense of it. The others gathered strength for the climb by resting, meditating, and stretching. The recruits knew they would not all be able to make the ascent to the peak. Some would not be in physical condition for the rigors of the steep hike. Others could not resign themselves to the idea that only a few of them would survive the attempt to scale the sacred solo rock.

It was said that the surviving members of the party would be initiated into the noble society of knights of the vast horizon. This powerful, yet underground fraternity required extreme loyalty as well as full secrecy from the membership as well as their families. Sons usually followed fathers into the lodge. Often the young disappeared during the testing phase, never to be found. The most powerful worked hard to assure their progeny had the power and the accomplishments to inherit command upon death of a leader.

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