Chapter 13: The Living Mountain

The three of us stood high on a ledge on the mountain behind the Citadel. Felix, Mande, and I were spaced evenly a few mitres from a wall of rock. Galen and Iletus stood behind us.

“This is Mount Vivamo,” Galen said. “She is the legend of the living mountain. The elder elves believed she gave birth to one of the gods and became the foundation of the Kryan Kingdom, what is now our great empire.”

I hadn’t slept well, even though I read until the candle burned out, and I lay in the dark for most of the night. When I began to hear more movement out in the passageways, I roused, taking that to mean morning was upon us.

Mande and Felix already sat at a table in the cafeteria when I arrived, Galen and Iletus a few minutes later. I hadn’t missed the dawn. With few words, the five of us made the trek out a back entrance of the building, through the complex, and started the steep climb to the mountain.

Now here we were on a flat shelf of stone staring up at the massive peak. We each wore only thin breeches that extended down past our knees. Barefoot and bare-chested, the cold winds made me shiver.

“Your first obstacle is to climb to the next ledge above,” Galen continued. “There you will find the mouth of a cave. You will enter the cave and find your way to the other side of the mountain. The first two of you to make it will continue with the next test. One way or another only two of you will survive.”

Galen paused, and I fought the urge to glance back at the elf or the other boys.

“If only one survives?” Felix asked.

“This is the first of two tests,” Galen said. “Even if only one survives, then he must still face the second quest.”

My jaw tightened. “If none of us survive?”

“Then we keep searching,” Galen said. “This first test is the same for all those who train to be Bladeguard.”

Felix caught my eye before he peered over his shoulder. “And the second?”

“Worry about this test,” Galen said. “For today, nothing else exists.”

Felix scowled and faced forward once more.

“When I say the word, you will start.” Galen hesitated, and I took a deep breath, my gaze searching for my initial hand and footholds. “Begin.”

All three of us leapt forward to separate parts of the wall. I needed to jump to find purchase with my right hand, straining to lift a bit for my foot to find a good spot.

Long ago, as a child with my father, we lived near the base of the mountains. Da had taught me to climb a bit over rocks and ledges when the time allowed. But that had been years ago.

As physical or athletic as I thought I was, climbing up a wall of stone exhausted me within moments. One hand and foot at a time, straining to lift and make it the next mitre, sweat covered my body, and there among the whipping wind, the almost continual shivering didn’t help.

With a glance, Felix was ahead of me and Mande behind. Our grunts echoed off the mountain, sounding distant, however close we were.

My toes were wedged in a crack, then slipped, and due to the sudden extra weight on my left hand, I lost that hold. I reached and snagged a horn of rock above my head with my right hand, and I dangled there for a split second, my feet scrambling for purchase. My left foot found one, and I had to stretch out with my left hand to grab the original hold.

Freezing in the cold and open air, I paused with heaving breaths, my heartbeat pounding, my eyes closed.

Once I opened my eyes, my slip had cost me. Both boys were ahead of me now, and gritting my teeth to keep them from chattering in the chill, I hauled myself up and onward.

Felix reached the edge first, swinging his leg up and over while the rest of the body followed. Mande was next, pulling himself with both hands to his waist and scrambling to safety above.

I was only a few seconds behind, and I found a nice hold for my left foot, my toes grasping well, and with my hands on the ledge I tumbled up and onto the flat, rocky area there.

Felix and Mande already approached the mouth of a cave ten mitres away. I paused on my hands and knees for a moment, trying to catch my breath, then jumped to my feet and followed. While I moved, my legs and arms felt weak and fluid.

Great, I thought. I’m only at the beginning, behind, and it hurts to move.

Once in the cave, the sun provided some light, but that quickly diminished. As my eyesight adjusted, Felix held a burning torch up ahead, Mande grabbing one, too. I rushed forward to latch onto the third one, but Mande grabbed it with his other hand and tossed it off to his left, into the shadows and away from me.

“What the shog’re you doing?” I screeched.