The Cloud Roost (Jekua Book 5), page 24
A few different shirt designs were on display in the shop window, and they all made Niona laugh. “I gotta get one,” she declared, ducking into the store while everyone else waited outside. When she re-emerged five minutes later, she was sporting her new shirt, so she must have changed in the bathroom. It was turquoise, with an illustration of the mountain range and text scrawled underneath that read What the Hike?
Balt guffawed at the sight of the shirt. That hadn’t been one that was visible from outside. “What is that even supposed to mean?” he asked. “That, like…it doesn’t even work as a pun. At all.”
She shrugged and said, “I dunno, but I love it.”
With that (definitely necessary) business concluded, they approached the outpost at the trailhead. A Royal Ascension employee in a bright yellow outfit and a brown, wide-brimmed sunhat sauntered over to them with a toothy grin on his narrow face. Externally, Balt reciprocated the kind smile. Internally, he was grimacing. He had hoped they could stroll right past and start their hike without having to talk to anyone and explain their mission.
“Howdy!” the man greeted them, pressing his clipboard to his chest. “Welcome to the Royal Trails. How can I help y’all today?” A nametag pinned to his shirt informed them his name was Yiro.
“We’re just goin’ up,” Balt said quickly and vaguely, praying that would suffice.
Of course, it didn’t. Yiro said with a laugh, “Well then this is the perfect place to be!” The only person to join in his forced laughter was Alani, who was far too polite, but even then, she could hardly muster up more than a chuckle. Undeterred, Yiro continued. “We have several trails of varying difficulty and can offer guides for each of them.”
“How’s one trail harder than another?” Niona asked. “One got more rocks to trip on?”
Yiro’s smile was unfaltering in the face of her sarcasm. “Our trail difficulty ratings are determined by a number of factors,” he said. “These include the level of incline, the mile length, and also the final destination’s elevation. Our most strenuous trail also includes some challenging terrain.”
Balt did not like how ambiguous the term “challenging terrain” was.
“Do any of them involve wild Jekuas?” Wasaaru asked, although they all already knew that the answer was yes.
Yiro nodded. “We do our best to ward off any stray animals, for the safety of our guests, but time to time a Jekua will make its way onto the trail. I assure you, however, that all of our guides are highly skilled Summoners and can handle even the toughest creature that calls the Vetteteo Mountains home.”
“Well, that’s cool, but we’re gonna skip the guide this time around,” said Balt.
The man looked at him like he was insane. Balt would have never guessed he could say something that would make Yiro lose his company-mandated smile. “I would really not advise hiking unattended,” Yiro said seriously.
“But you can’t stop us, right?” Niona said. “Royal Ascension doesn’t own the mountain, right?”
“Right,” said Yiro, “but again, we’d certainly advise you hike with one of our guides for protection. Both against the mountain’s natural hardships, as well as the Jekuas.”
Balt, Niona, and Wasaaru all raised their arms in unison to present Yiro with their kayets.
“I think we’re good on the Jekuas,” Niona grinned.
Yiro remained unconvinced. “I’m not sure you understand,” he said meekly. “The Jekuas who live here are highly dangerous. Apart from the Rindstones near the bottom of the mountain, there are also Sedipedes and Yissoons and—”
“With all due respect,” Wasaaru rudely interrupted, “we’re not novice Summoners, here. Did you see the Makanuele Rumble this Summer?”
“No,” Yiro replied.
“Well, she was one of the final four,” Wasaaru said, jerking his head toward Niona, who beamed proudly. “We can handle ourselves, no matter how many ‘ands’ you tack on to that sentence.”
Yiro appeared deeply disturbed by their bravado. It must not have been a common occurrence for somebody to hike the trails without a guide, which Balt found kind of surprising. Then again, it was surely not a common occurrence for someone to show up with the intention of imprinting Sawarestao. The Jenu was famously reclusive, and the mountain trails were known to be somewhat treacherous, so it was not a feat that many Summoners attempted.
Nonetheless, they seemed to have convinced him they wouldn’t be swayed. He said, “One moment, then. I need you all to sign some consent forms that say I explained to you the dangers of hiking alone. Stay here, please.”
He scrambled into the outpost to retrieve the paperwork while their group waited patiently. It took less than a minute for him to return, looking more harried than ever as he passed each of them a short form. There were no tables outside, so one person was able to use Yiro’s clipboard to sign their form while the rest of them had to write using each other’s backs. Wasaaru was the lucky one who claimed the clipboard first, and Balt slapped his own form onto his cousin’s back to scribble his signature and a few other minor details.
All the while, Yiro looked upon them with a deep frown. Every other Royal Ascension employee around them, chatting with other hikers, had a bright smile plastered on their face.
They handed over the consent forms, which were pretty standard from what Balt could tell. While Royal Ascension did not own the mountain range, obviously, they were responsible for maintaining the three trails that led upward from Zutteps. Their signatures relieved the company of any liability in the event that they were injured or died while hiking the trails, in addition to affirming they were informed of the potential danger beforehand.
“Thank you,” Yiro said, accepting each of their forms. Surely they’d be filed away somewhere in the outpost in the event of an authority stumbling upon their broken bodies in the mountains.
There was one more piece of information they didn’t have that Balt wanted. He asked Yiro, “How long does it take to hike to the top of the mountain? I know it’s different for everyone, but do you have a rough estimate?” They had procured plenty of supplies, enough to last them over a week. If these trails were meant to be completed in a day, then that was overkill, but he didn’t actually have any clue how long it might take to reach Sawarestao.
“No one hikes to the top,” said Yiro. “Our trails don’t go that high. Our most difficult trail, Sawarestao’s Trail, reaches our highest elevation. It’s a two-day hike, with some camping areas along the way, ending at a plateau with an elevation gain of six thousand feet. There is a gondola station there that will return you to Zutteps. It is our most gorgeous view, and we like to call it the Top of Kou Tekkis.”
The Top of Kou Tekkis didn’t sound all that high, in relation to where they expected to find their Jenu. There was also a ton of mountain higher than the so-called top. Sawarestao’s Trail was not very aptly named.
“Is it possible to go off the trail?” Balt then asked.
“I…uh, well, yes, it is possible,” Yiro sputtered. “There are offshoot paths, both natural and man-made, but we at Royal Ascension highly, highly advise you stick to the designated paths. We certainly cannot guarantee that you won’t encounter wild, aggressive Jekuas if you veer off our trails. Plus, we have specially curated our views to be the best you can find on the mountaintop.”
They weren’t there for the pretty vistas. As long as they could separate themselves from the official trails and wind their way further up the mountain, that was good enough. It was disappointing that they couldn’t be sure how long the hike might take, though.
And then Wasaaru stupidly asked, “How long’s the hike to Sawarestao’s roost?”
Balt wanted to kick his cousin. It wasn’t like there was a problem with them seeking out the Jenu, but he didn’t particularly want a bunch of people knowing their business.
All Yiro did was laugh at the question, not even deigning to answer it. “Like I said, you’ll love the view at the Top of Kou Tekkis. It’s the most beautiful view of the island you can get. That’s the Royal Ascension guarantee.”
“Great,” said Balt before anyone else could jump in and continue the conversation. “Thanks for your help.” He stepped past the man, heading for the trailhead marked by Sawarestao’s Trail signage. He figured that even if the name was a misnomer, it was likely that the company’s most difficult trail would be a good jumping off point for their journey.
For the past fifteen minutes, Balt had been able to set aside the dread he felt at finally commencing this hike, but now it returned with a vengeance. His entire body tensed more and more with each step he took, and he felt like soon he would crumble to dust.
You’re not ready, he reminded himself, fully aware that if he kept repeating those words, he would only psyche himself out and they would come true. He needed to be confident.
The plan would work. That was why they were doing it. They wouldn’t have committed all this time and energy to it if they didn’t think it had a chance of working.
He had to believe.
They had to save his grandparents and the rest of Pakree Island.
As they walked away from Yiro, Niona turned around to wave at the man and shouted, “Don’t lose track of those forms, now! You might need ’em!”
In spite of himself, Balt laughed.
25
An Utter Mess
Niona was already exhausted, which did not bode well for her. They had only initiated their hike about two hours earlier—probably not even that long, come to think of it—and she was ready to take a break.
“I would really love to be done with all the walking,” she complained, breathing heavily. She was slightly embarrassed by how much the hike was getting to her already, especially since she never had any real issues while traveling across the islands. It had to be due to the steep incline on Sawarestao’s Trail.
At least Wasaaru was on her side, complaining with her in lockstep. It might only be because he wanted to hook up with her, but still, she would take an ally wherever she could get one.
“I have to agree,” he grumbled. “This is awful already.”
“We’ve got several more days of this to go, probably,” Alani said. “If it’s a two-day hike on the regular trail to reach that plateau, and we’re going higher than that…” She trailed off, leaving the rest to their imaginations. The thought made Niona shudder.
“Does Royal Ascension rent out, like…some sort of all-terrain vehicle? Something we could drive up there?” Wasaaru wondered. “We should’ve asked before taking off.”
“If they do, there’s probably not anything that would fit all of us,” said Balt.
Alani added, “And I bet the insurance on it would be exorbitant, since we’re going off-trail.”
“They wouldn’t need to know that,” said Wasaaru.
Balt said dryly, “You’ll be alright, I’m sure.” Wasaaru mumbled something else that Niona couldn’t hear from her position farther back, to which Balt replied, “Sorry that it’s a hike and not a resort spa package.”
Wasaaru muttered indignantly again, which made Alani laugh. Niona wished she could hear what it was. She picked up the pace a little to catch up with the others.
Sweat poured down her face and her thin shirt stuck to her skin, wet with moisture. She was lagging behind the others, lamenting her lack of physical fitness, but she never expected to find herself hiking up a mountain like an idiot. Niona Daneo was not the type of person who climbed mountains. No. She was supposed to be a Summoner; it was her Jekuas who did the physical activity, not her.
That was a decent point, actually.
She clicked to prime Celeste’s memory card and channeled mana into her kayet, summoning the Lightbloom Raptor. Then she clambered onto the big lizard’s back and mentally urged the Jekua forward.
Celeste’s enormous claws clacked on the hard earth as she speedily reached the rest of the group. Alani turned to see what the new noise was and let out a scream at the unexpected sight of the Raptor. Her reaction made the others jump, with Aeiko screaming too, and Niona laughed heartily to herself. When they all regained their composure and realized it was just Celeste, Niona said, “If there ain’t an ATV to rent, I might as well summon my own.”
“Hell yeah,” Wasaaru grinned.
But Balt asked, “Is that the best use of your mana, really?”
“Wow,” said Niona. “Look at the pupil questioning the master.”
“I’m not sure that’s what our relationship dynamic is.”
“It is. But to answer your question, yes, it is the best use of my mana. Thank you for asking.” They sure as shit weren’t going to find Sawarestao today, so she’d have ample time to recover her mana. And even if they did find that big-ass, glorious bird in the next hour, she did not see herself being the one to imprint it.
“What if something attacks us?” Balt asked.
Niona laughed. “Then I’ll be more ready than you are, huh?”
“You’ve got me there, I guess.”
The next hour sailed by much more pleasantly for Niona. It still took some concentration to control Celeste’s body while she sat atop the beast, but it was far less exhausting than walking herself. It was nice being able to focus less on her muscles screaming at her and more on the view of Zutteps below, as well as the expanse of forest stretching beyond it.
Looking out at Kou Tekkis, she was growing excited about the prospect of checking out some of the mountaintop’s views. In her childhood, her father had instilled in her a great appreciation for nature, which was easy since he was always taking her to such beautiful and exotic locales. Somehow, they had never scoured the Vetteteo Mountains together. Her father tended to prefer leaving the archipelago for his vacations, wanting to see something truly new. As beautiful as each island was, a lot of the scenery was similar. To him, the Volukho Isles were old hat.
The group pressed on, with Aeiko commenting how surprised they were that thus far, they hadn’t encountered any other hikers on the rocky path.
“We’re doin’ the hardest trail, after all,” said Balt, sounding a little out of breath. “Might not be many people attempting it.”
“You startin’ to feel it now?” Niona asked from up high on Celeste’s curved, scaly back.
“I am,” Balt confirmed.
“Me too,” said Alani.
The only person who wasn’t winded was Wasaaru, much to everybody’s annoyance. Their irritation only doubled when he began bragging about how fine he felt.
“Don’t even think about summonin’ a Jekua to ride at any point, then,” Niona warned him. “If you do, I’m gonna Plasma blast the shit out of it.”
“Noted,” Wasaaru said with a sly grin, looking way too pleased with himself.
Did he think they were flirting?
Nasty.
She ignored that line of thought and kept on up the trail. The steeper the incline, the trickier it was to maintain her Lightbloom Raptor’s footing, but she managed to stop herself from stumbling and embarrassing herself in front of everyone else. She drank some water from her bottle as the sun beat down on them and sweat continued to drench her clothes. The worst part of this days-long hike was going to be the inability to shower every night.
Another hour had passed, and everyone was about to drop. Niona suspected Wasaaru was too, although he was pretending like he was perfectly fine. They agreed to stop and take a break within the next ten minutes, hoping that in that time, they would stumble upon the first of the trail’s rest areas.
Before they could rest, however, Niona heard a scuttling from above and to her left, up on the cliff face. She craned her neck and spotted a green blur racing down the side of the mountain, heading straight for them.
“Yo, something’s comin’,” she called out to the others, but nobody reacted.
In fact, she couldn’t even hear herself say it. It was only then that she realized she could no longer hear the wind blowing or the group’s footsteps either. It had been so quiet before, she didn’t realize that the Jekua had deafened them. She must have gotten lucky and heard its approach just a second before the thing used its Sonic magic on them.
Oh well. Even if she couldn’t warn the others, at least she could blast this thing to hell.
Niona rotated Celeste’s body and swung her tail, releasing a slash of solar energy that flew through the air and impacted on the side of the mountain just ahead of where the Jekua was running. The sudden show of force dislodged it from the side of the mountain, sending it careening downward.
While it tumbled through the air, Niona was able to better make out its shape and realized that it was one of those Bobbols that Mr. Jonwo had so desperately warned them about. Thankfully, for Summoners of their skill level, it would be more of an annoyance than a real threat. Especially since it was acting alone and not in a group.
A second later, the Bobbol collided with Wasaaru’s head, immediately sending him sprawling on the ground. Niona burst out laughing though she still couldn’t hear herself, nor could she hear her friends’ reactions to the abrupt assault on Wasaaru.
The Bobbol righted itself, shaking off the fall. It was an ugly little animal, although it kind of reminded Niona of her Toolu. It had distinctly feline features, but was covered in a green exoskeleton like a bug, with a trihorn at the end of its flat face.
Pops was cute, though. If someone asked her, she couldn’t explain the difference between the two Jekuas that made Pops cute, but he just was. He had a certain panache.
Unfortunately, the not-cute little mammalian bug creature was now situated smack-dab in the center of all her companions, so she could not safely fire off another Radiant-fueled swing of the tail or a beam of Plasma energy. She wanted to yell at them to get out of the way, but it would be sadly ineffective. So instead, she watched as the others silently scrambled away from the Bobbol, with soulclay now pouring out of Balt and Wasaaru’s kayets. Waiting for the opportunity to strike.
