Chapter 10: The Climb

Maleki:

I’m not upset that Kallen left, although the company was welcomed. This journey is mine and Miko’s alone, and I never expected anyone to take us this far. My poor brother, with no social skills, seemed to be finally warming up to him. A shame, I guess. Maybe Nomen can provide some decent conversation on the way, but he doesn’t necessarily strike me as the talkative type.

The mountain’s foot would be the easiest part, requiring more sloped walking than actual climbing. I hadn’t spent the time to figure out how we would even be getting around. I just knew I would figure it out when the time arose, and at the very least, I’ll carry him and pull the cart for later use.

“So, is this mountain a volcano?” I asked in Nomen’s direction.

Miko spoke behind me, cutting Nomen off, “This volcano is extinct.”

“Not exactly; magma still flows through Mons Interitus. However, the mountain has lied in dormancy for a very long time.”

“The book I read didn’t say that. How do you know?”

Nomen laughed. “I would be careful what you read in those books. I have seen the magma with my own eyes, and I doubt many others alive have ever made it far enough in and back to write a book about their findings.”

Miko didn’t respond. He returned to the books he picked up from the stall in the outer city of Quavoris. Probably to find the sentence he read about the mountain.

The path up was rocky, but the grass hadn’t abandoned us yet and allowed us something less solid to walk comfortably on. I could tell that further up the ridge, this would go away, but I was trying to enjoy it while it lasted. I had a feeling that we wouldn’t see a lot of green very soon unless we turned around to reflect on how far we had come. The cart would bump back and forth here and there, but it was otherwise easier to get around than I had expected. I did find it challenging to look around me and pull out of fear of being too focused on pulling to see in front of me. Miko wasn’t too heavy, so I was able to lurch my shoulders forward and pull with my arms behind me. There weren’t gnarly roots or fallen trees in the way, so I could confidently move forward without fearing the cart might hit something my foot didn’t first. At least in this phase, Miko can protect himself from the impact of being jolted out of the cart, but I’m more scared of the cart slipping on a loose rock with the weight and him plummeting back toward where we were started. He’s about as strong as an egg, so I can just imagine what I would find at the bottom. Well, I guess I better be cautious then.

We hiked up the trail for a couple of hours until the whistle of the wind became more apparent. The sun was setting, and we wouldn’t want to be climbing in the dark. There’s still quite a lot of light to see around, but the path ahead would start to get more challenging to predict from the looks of it. I had to pay attention towards the end of the thirty minutes of walking since the trail was tightening around the cliff face. The darkness would constrict how far I could predict ahead of us, and much of my attention was directed to taking the path most traveled for safety and spinning my head around now and then to check in on Miko. He stuck to his books pretty much the whole time. Pulling for so long had exhausted me, but the air wasn’t getting too tight yet. I only had to stop for a couple of breaks, but Nomen never really seemed to get tired. He must do this a lot. I guess kids like him have to stay resourceful. In fairness, I guess I’m doing twice the work, so I should be tired twice as fast. I’m not sure if that calculation is fair to me, but it is what it is.

I set up our spots for the night, and Nomen started the fire. Fairly quick, too, as the air on the mountain was a bit more chilly than when the woods protected us. I smothered myself in blankets and looked to the moons. Miko fell asleep quickly, claiming to be sick from the shakiness of the cart. However, I did warn him of trying to look at the tiny letters so intently while in motion like that. He insisted he was ‘immune’ to such effects after being drug in the cart through the hilly farmland and woodlands for so long, so I let him figure it out himself.

I love sleeping outside. It’s a reminder of how insignificant we all are. The struggles of everyday life, Miko’s sickness, missing Mum and Da, and being exhausted from the extra weight all seem irrelevant when I look up there. I like to pretend I’m on the surface of one of those moons. What it’s like and what I’d see are all up to the imagination. Miko says there’s no air up there to breathe, so I would die pretty quick, but to me, each of the moons are a different story. A different life I can live in my head whenever I feel alone. All the stories I’ve heard can be real up there. On one of those moons, maybe Miko and I got to run around and play together when we were little, exploring like there was no tomorrow. Maybe on another, our parents were with us again, and we got to go on a trip with them to see all the kingdoms. On all the moons, Miko and I are brothers; I know that for sure. There’s nothing wrong with pretending for a while, but I don’t ever voice that stuff out loud. It would be worthless anyway. It’s not my life right now, but there’s power in being able to escape your circumstances, and if we make it to the end of this trip, I might not need to pretend anymore. We can find our parents and run around together. We deserve a happy ending after all we’ve been through.

Nomen’s voice carried over from the campfire as if my thoughts were floating up towards the sky, and he could read them from his flat spot a few feet away. “You should cherish these moments while you have them.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Pretty ominous to say out of the blue.”

“It is easy to become so concerned with the destination that you sacrifice the journey. There is much to learn ahead, and rushing blindly to the finish line will only embed the lessons you should have seen rather than felt.”

“I appreciate the advice, but I’ll do whatever I have to, to cure him.”

He let out a laugh that he contained in his chest for the most part, “You and your brother both act so rashly. There is a lot you share in common.”

“What’s so funny? Why do you speak in circles like that?”

“It will be some time before you realize. If it’s any consolation, I know what it’s like — to have siblings and the weight you shoulder.”

Everything he says confuses me; Miko’s better at deciphering nonsense. He seemed like the only child type, so that at least intrigued me. “Oh, really? When do you see them? This job seems like it preoccupies you for a long time. Actually, is this even a job? How do you get paid for this?”

“This is not a job. I simply serve The Garden, and it provides all I need. You are correct, though; this is very time-consuming. However, I haven’t seen my siblings in a very long time.”

“Oh, you have multiple? What’s that like?”

“I cannot say my love was divided. Even in our differences or disagreements, I loved each of them as if they were the only sibling I had. The burden of family is not a weight I am unfamiliar with, but if you want to succeed, you must undertake the cost of the actions you take on this journey.”

“You’re quite the fountain of cryptic knowledge. Thank you, though. I know what you’re sharing is with good intentions, but my heart is on the right track.” I think he’s trying to help me in his own mysterious way.

“I would not persuade, but do know that your brother is more than capable of understanding the pain your heart possesses.”

“You gotta be strong for your family, right? That’s what I was taught, at least.”

“Of course, but I know well the burden of responsibility, and it wears the soul so very much if unattended.”

We didn’t talk after that. I just let the words air out into silence. I wasn’t sure how to respond, and I didn’t start the conversation in the first place. To be honest, it was kind of random. I was just minding my own business, looking up at the stars.

We slept till the sun peaked over Quavoris’ side of the ocean and started climbing further up the mountain. After three hours of walking or sitting for some, I decided to take a break and analyze our surroundings. “Nomen, how long is the walk around this mountain?”

“Xhorae will rise fourteen times.”

Miko exasperated, “That’s what — thirty suns of walking?”

I retaliated back. It’s not like you are doing most of the walking! Actually, can’t you walk today? Why am I pulling you in the cart?”

‘Well, what if I trip again? Not like I can really stop my fall, can I? Probably safer in here.”

“Convenient excuse.”

“Why go around the mountain?”

“Nomen’s the one guiding us. Why don’t you ask him?”

“We are not bound to this path if you are able to find another. There are many paths that all lead to the same intersections. This is simply the path most traveled, making it the most viable for me to guide you through.”

“Maleki, what if we climbed to that ridge up there? It’s a couple more hours’ walk, but it looks like there’s a path with the mountain range rather than up and around the whole thing.”

He was right. A couple of hours’ walk and there was a slope that disappeared out of view and could save us a lot of time. However, climbing that would be really difficult, and we weren’t well equipped for climbing at all. “I don’t know, Miko. That’s a difficult climb for me alone, and you wouldn’t be able to. The only way it would be possible in your current predicament is if you were blind and had full access to everything else. Even that is too risky, though, because there’s no way you’re going to be able to climb in your current shape. Er — not to be negative — I mean, you haven’t built the strength necessary to climb. You haven’t even climbed a tree since you were four, much less a mountain. I haven’t climbed a mountain either, to be fair….”

“I guess you’re right. Maybe there’s another path further ahead that we can try.”

We walked for the rest of the daylight and slept along a ridge with a single small tree to cover us. It crept over us like a hunched old man with small green branches. It wouldn’t be blocking much wind, but it is the thought that counts. I looked to the stars again and recounted my conversation with Kallen about the moons. I wonder where he is right now. Probably on his carriage heading back to where we were started, or maybe he will post up in Quavoris and take the first traveler heading back to Korvast to make it more convenient. I’m glad he didn’t go with us, even if the company would have been nice.

I woke up before sunset to eat some of the provisions we had with us and offered to share some with Nomen as I prepared Miko’s, but he declined and said he had his own and that we would “need all we brought.” Miko was sleeping heavier than normal, and his normal is pretty abnormal. I prodded him several times to wake him up but with no success, then resorted to screaming his name several times. He was asleep pretty hard, but Grandma could always wake him with a more soft and silent approach. I laid my hand on his chest as she did and said his name softly, “Miko, you have to wake up.” His eyes started to flutter, but several moments passed before his eyes fully opened. “Miko, are you okay?” He tried to sit up but made it only to his shoulder blades before resting his neck back.

“I can’t move my arms or legs.”

“You can’t move both? It’s usually just one pair. Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure. I can feel everything like usual, but I can’t move my legs if I try.”

“Damn! It’s getting worse, faster than we thought. We have to find a way to get to The Garden sooner.”

“Brother, is it going to be like this from now on? Usually, it trades off, but what now if both are being affected?”

I propped him up where he could sit up against this cart. “I don’t know, Miko. I’m sorry.”

Miko seemed not to be holding it together anymore and was shutting down. I needed to console him, but there was nothing to say or do. “I’m gonna go scout ahead and see if there’s a shortcut we can use.”

Nomen was quiet as usual.

“The cliffs ahead. If we climb one and follow the ridge, will it save us time?” I asked aloud.

“I can’t say. There are many possibilities, so I cannot give a confident answer.” Nomen replied.

“Nomen, if we climb the cliff, will it decrease the time it takes to get wherever we are going compared to our current route based on walking speed alone? Yes or no?”

“Hypothetically, yes. You could speed up the journey, but..”

“Thanks, that’s all I need to hear.” I interrupted. I turned around without looking anyone in the eyes, unwilling to let the moment settle in. “I’ll be back, Miko.” Just hold on a little longer.

As I walked away, I could piece together words. “Can you hand me one of my books, Nomen?” Miko said in a depressed tone.

“Of course; I will flip the pages when you are ready.”

Good, Miko needed someone to keep him floating for now. Perhaps they will end up in conversation, and the time will fly till I return. I walked for around thirty minutes to see if there were any shorter cliff faces ahead that I could climb more easily. There was a flat cliff near our current campsite that was almost out of eyesight with the way the ridge hilled up and down. I took a big bite from some of the dried meat we brought to give me some energy and started feeling the rocks to find some good holds for my hands. I took two small stones and crushed them against each other to form a pile of rock powder, which I then rubbed into my hands to help with gripping the stone.

Just like climbing trees, Maleki.

All right, here we go. One hand and foot at a time. I pushed off the ground for the first move with the top bridge of my foot, giving me the most height available, and then shot up for a hold with both my hands. One of my hands made it, but the stone wasn’t sloped enough to hold both, so I slipped a little and held all my weight with one hand for a short time until I could bring my left foot up to a different spot. Bringing my right foot to a jagged area below me, I found my footing and shifted my weight. This process continued for around twenty feet until I approached a sloped portion that seemed impossible to climb unless I climbed back down and moved over right. A crack in the stone vertically rose up the side of the mountain about ten feet, and after that, there were twenty feet of easy-looking climbing to go. I wasn’t exactly sure how to do it, but I leveraged all my weight on my heels and then swept my palms and the bottoms of my fingers aggressively against a rock next to me, protecting my hands from the sharper rocks that had been tempered by time.

I squeezed my fingers against each other and grabbed the slit in the stone, pulling as hard as possible against the rock. In my mind, I pictured trying to rip open a shirt, but without being able to close your fingers into your palm. Using this strategy, I pulled my weight slightly and had almost all my body weight between my fingers and outstretched foot. My fingers ached, so I pressed my palms harshly against the stone to alleviate some of the pressure. The hard part now was finding juts in the rock to stick my feet and push higher. After much deliberation, I found a comfortable spot in the crack where my feet held a good angle and rested my fingers to push through to the ridge above me. After I rested, I found the top of the crack and continued the climb fairly easily using the fundamentals I had established initially. My hand grabbed the top of the ridge, and I pulled all my weight above my arms until l had dragged myself unto my belly. My lungs let out a strained but much-needed fresh breath of air, and I decided to lie flat for a while until I felt like sitting on my butt again.

During the walk up the foot of the mountain, I hadn’t spent much time looking out from where we had come from, but now I could see everything. Even from here, Quavoris’ walls could be seen, and the forest we traveled through shrouded into a large mass of bumpy shades of green. It was beautiful, but I would need to practice this route a few more times to feel confident. I climbed as much as possible until the sun started to set, making passes on the more difficult parts and preparing the shift in my footing and finger holds so that I had them down to muscle memory. I had prepped as much as possible with the time I had and felt confident overall, but there was nothing to predict how it would be climbing with my weight and Miko’s. Still — as much as I thought about it — this was the only way. To speed up this journey, I would need to be able to climb this entire ridge with Miko on my back. If we don’t get there sooner, I fear whatever is happening to him cannot be reversed.

I walked back in the dark, wishing our planet didn’t spin so damn fast, so we could enjoy the sunlight. When I returned to the campsite, Nomen had prepared tea, which I devoured after assisting Miko to sip his.

“So, what’s the plan?” Miko asked.

“We’ll climb tomorrow. I’ve paced the route and made the ascent three times.”

“You think you can do the climb with my weight too?”

“I’ll have to.”

“You can’t climb up there and throw a rope down?”

“Miko, do you have fifty to sixty feet of rope in your bag?”

“No…”

“Me either. Either way, we’d have to do the make with you.”

He paused to think about what I had planned. “If we wait till the blindness returns — which should be soon based on the cycle — I can climb ahead of you, and you can just tell me where to put my hands and feet.”

He knew what I had planned was improbable at best, but it was our best option. “Screw the cycle, Miko. We can’t predict it anymore. You can’t climb ahead of me, and the route is too difficult in your condition.”

“You can’t climb with that much weight, Maleki! What about our bags and the wagon?”

“I left my bag already, so we only have to worry about you, your bag, and the wagon. I’ll have to make multiple trips.”

“I know it was my idea in the first place, but are you sure this will work?”

I smiled to convince him of my assuredness. “Of course. Big Brother is going to make this work! Take a nap. In the morning, we will have to make some decisions and prepare, depending on what is wrong with you.”

With that, Miko fell back onto his side, looking out over the cliff, and I walked over to the fire and joined Nomen for some more tea. I waited for Miko to fall asleep before starting a conversation. “So, what are my odds?”

“They do not favor you. Yet, you exist in that area of defying odds, so your chances may be higher than expected. Nevertheless, you are trying to attempt something experienced climbers would find difficult, and that’s under the presumption that they are adults, which you aren’t.” He responded plainly.

“That’s fair, but I am big for my age, and Miko’s, well, he’s small for his age. Not like he’s building many muscles and adding pounds in his predicament. That has to count for something, and I’m used to carrying him around, so I’m basically adjusted to his weight.

“You speak so casually of a feat most will not attempt under the premise that it would almost certainly be deadly. One slip is all it takes for your journey to end here.”

A bit plain, but he is right. Just in case, I’ve planned all my steps and a few backups. “Wait, was that first part about me defying the odds already?”

He sipped from his cup before nodding his head in realization of my question. “Ah, you do not know. Almost all life Maji are infertile. The price of unnatural power is indeed great.”

“You’re saying our mum didn’t expect to have us? I’m an accident?” I laughed.

His intelligent way of speaking faltered. “Haha, indeed. Though the process is purposeful….”

“They must’ve known before Miko was born. Why would they have another kid knowing what was waiting for them in the world? Apparently, people like us are pretty despised.”

“Unfortunately, yes. Majikless children are resented, sometimes even by their own families. Not the noblest of the arguments, but your children are an extension of yourself, of your hopes and desires, and to think that your child can accomplish little to nothing due to their position in life could be disheartening for some. However, maybe your parents knew that it would be lonely and wanted you to have something to hold onto even when the rest of the world would kick you down.”

“Perfect, they doomed two of us and Miko even more. Poor kid can’t even move anymore.”

“True, but Miko’s sickness is not bound to nomajs. It is a byproduct of the use of majik, a curse for the children of those who stole it.”

“Lucky. He’s born with no majik and a sickness that affects him for majik he doesn’t possess.”

“You should sleep. If you are intent on doing this tomorrow, you will need to rest your body and mind from today’s work.”

He was right. I was pretty tired from all the climbing, but not exhausted. I fell asleep quickly, which told me my body was telling me, not asking this time. Miko shook me awake, and I stretched my arms wide, feeling refreshed despite the previous day’s activities. Wait, Miko woke up? This never happens. “How long did I sleep?”

He didn’t respond and squeezed my wrist tightly, which didn’t indicate whether he could hear me. His eyelids were closed, and he didn’t speak, which told me he was clearly blind and mute at this point. Damn it! This has never happened before. Him being mute is a totally new symptom. “Are you deaf?” He shook, which indicated he heard me. So, he can hear me…

“Several new symptoms at this stage means the curse is worsening rapidly. We’ll ascend today, okay?” He nodded his head. I can’t imagine what it’s like to start losing your senses, but he’ll have to hold for as long as possible till we can get to The Garden, and if Nomen is right, shortcuts will only save us so little time. I asked in Nomen’s direction, “What the hell is wrong with this mountain? It’s speeding up his illness, and even I feel more tired than usual.”

He sighed, sounding depressed about the answer. “This is accursed ground. Moving forward, Majik is useless here, and you two have none, so it will take what you have left.”

Damn it. Damned mountain! As if this wasn’t hard enough, my stamina will be drained even without acting.

I started packing up the campsite, told Miko the short version of the plans again, and loaded him into the cart. Didn’t want his blindness guiding him off into the rocky depths.“Stretch your arms, legs, and back while you’re in there. We have to use the advantage of you having full mobility when climbing. We’ll tie ourselves together with the belts in our bags without restricting my movement, but if you can hold onto me with your arms and legs, this will lessen the impact on my mobility. I’ll need all I can and more to even get up this, especially since I’ll only get more tired the longer we are here.” He gave me a thumbs up, which was enough to move forward with our walk. I checked my head occasionally and saw him stretching his legs and arms, which would be necessary for them not to lock up while I’m climbing the cliff. We would have the belts as a fallback, but those would be a last resort of hoping for the best.

Nomen didn’t know the route but said he was familiar with climbing and should be able to do it if he watched where I went. He looked a lot like if Miko had all my traits and age at his size, so I trusted he could do it, but I also couldn’t concern myself with him; I needed to dedicate all my energy to Miko and staying moving. I flipped the cart over to prevent it from rolling and then set Miko’s bag on the ground in front of the cliff face. I took our two belts, looped them together, and tied them as tight as possible, right above the middle of our spine, which would hopefully give us a little cushion and stop him from slipping and then falling to his death. In order for this to work, I would essentially be climbing while playing piggyback. Which I had a lot of experience doing, so hopefully, I have an advantage here. However, Miko will be locking his palms right below my chest and his heels together. This will give me maximum range while being obstructed because I will still need to be able to outstretch my legs while having enough power in my heels and arms to pull myself up.

Looking up, I felt nervous. The cliff seemed more extensive than before, and the weight of my passenger and the consequences added on in a way that stirred my stomach. I swallowed a big gulp of water and closed my eyes to imagine the route one final time. After a minute of preparation, I locked eyes with Nomen, nodded my head in a self-convincing manner, and found the holds as before.