CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MOUNT KOLTS

It was high summer when the travelers began the cruel ascent of Mount Kolts. From the time they set out from the hermit's house to their arrival at the foot of that now seldom-traveled road, almost a month passed. More than three weeks of long rides and longer marches.

Terra looked upon Mount Kolts with awe and fear. From a distance it had almost looked unreal, like a painting, but as they approached on weary birds it took on the character of hard fact. They must overcome this mountain or die in the attempt. They could not turn back now, with the Empire on their heels; it was a miracle they had gotten this far.

A sense of dread had been growing in Terra's heart over the last week, when they first entered the wide valley between two gigantic mountain ranges. Since that time the valley had grown narrower and narrower, so that Terra wondered whether the sides might not finally come to a point and crush them.

Terra could see that the forest reached a long way up Mount Kolts, which, before the clouds blocked her view, turned white with snow. It had an uninviting look about it for those who were not sure they could prevail.

"Don't worry, kid," said Locke, who had apparently noticed her daunted look, "His bark is bigger than his bite."

"Easy for you to say," said Terra. "You must be used to the climb, living in Narsha."

"We'll take it slow, my dear," said Edgar. "It is either this or go back to South Figaro and take a ship to Nikeah. And you can be sure Kefka is watching the ports."

"I know," said Terra, a little annoyed with the direction the conversation had taken. She did not want them to exaggerate her weakness. Now that she thought about it, it was not merely the tremendous physical effort that she dreaded. There was some ominous and indescribable quality about the mountain, perhaps some faint association with the mountains on which she had encountered the Esper, perhaps something else. Mount Kolts seemed to speak to her with the voice of command and thunder, a pent up immensity that she would eventually have to come to terms with—or be reconciled to? Terra could not put her feeling into words.

And so the party started up that road which time had almost forgotten, walking their Chocobo. At times there was no indication that there was a road at all, or none that Terra could see. But Locke was more confident now than when they had gone by untrodden routes through the forest. Either he saw a path that Terra could not or he was leading them by memory.

For the first hour's march the slope was gentle and kind, though Terra's calves began to burn a little. The sun was high and a light breeze kept her from sweating. Then suddenly it grew steep, and Terra and the others made the climb easier by pulling themselves up by the roots of trees, which on this incline were partly exposed. Now their legs really burned, and the party took its first break. They had already reached an impressive height, and the forest far below looked like a bed of broccoli.

The exertion had taken Terra's mind off her apprehension, unless it had merely been a warning to weed out those who were unworthy of the mighty Kolts, or, more likely, because she no longer had the full view of it. She still had no view of the summit due to the wreath of clouds which clung to the sides, and consequently no idea of Mount Kolts' true height.

Terra leaned against the slope with her feet on a tree which shot out from the earth a few feet before suddenly curving upwards. Now that she had time to think, her dread of the mountain started to come back to her. It was filling up inside her with alarming heaviness. But how could she come to terms with something unknown? What exactly was it she must be reconciled to? This momentous feeling was unaccountable, and Terra felt that she must find some way of distracting herself, or else she didn't know what would happen. Thankfully they soon took up the climb again.

When they resumed the hike (a little reluctantly), they found that the grade of the incline soon leveled off again, or nearly, and for a time the going was tolerable. Nevertheless, the ascent was dreadfully taxing for everyone but the Chocobo, which, being birds, were more surefooted and agile and altogether more suited to the elevation. But Terra, Locke, and Edgar started taking shorter marches and longer rests until sunset, which brought with it a sudden chilliness and a cold wind that descended the mountain.

Luckily, Locke had spotted a goat just before the light failed and shot it. Later, wrapped in a thick fur, sitting a couple of feet downslope from the campfire over which the goat was cooking, Terra really noticed the cold. They made camp that night on a level place, like a broad platform, beneath a precipice that offered some shelter from the descending chill.

That night Terra tried to go to sleep as quickly as she could, but as everyone knows, trying to get to sleep is the surest way to keep it away. Her dread kept her awake (to her misery), and when she finally dropped off to sleep—sure enough—her nightmare returned. Once more she was caught in the terrible gaze of the frozen Esper.

Dawn found them considerably sore, and Terra especially was tired, not having slept well. Nevertheless she couldn't help but take in the magnificence of the morning. From this altitude, the world lay like a green clay model, and all sense of height was lost in the stillness of that seeming miniature. Only the slope beneath her gave Terra a sense of peril. It was an awesome feeling.

The day seemed longer on Mount Kolts: dawn came sooner, and the sun lingered longer before hiding his face from them.

Now they were climbing among forests tipped with snow. The snow fell slowly in large flakes. Terra was surprised how quickly the temperature changed during the course of the day. When the sun was out it was warm, but if by chance it went behind a cloud, the air seemed to drop by ten degrees. The difference was even greater between night and day.

Then, all at once, the trees fell away. They had passed the timberline, beyond which there was little on the mountain other than falling snow and snow fallen, and a few scattered shrubs. It was about this time that Terra began to get short-winded. Locke and Edgar had not yet begun to feel the effects of high altitude, and Terra didn't want to mention it. But if she pushed herself too hard she would get lightheaded, and so she frequently had to stop to catch her breath.

Their food was almost gone, though they had water aplenty by melting snow. They had a meager lunch that day, which didn't bother Terra much, for she was nauseous and had no appetite.

Now Edgar looked sick, though he didn't complain of anything. Terra noticed that he talked more slowly and looked tired, occasionally opening his eyes and shaking his head, as if trying to throw off the stupor of sleep. Only Locke seemed not to be affected. But he showed his awareness of his friends' condition and slowed his pace, though not in an obvious and proud way. Terra saw his considerateness as a bit of a change in him, and wondered if she'd had anything to do with it.

By mid afternoon they reached the clouds, and the alpine slope grew foggy and the air moist. They could see no further than a few feet in front of them, which was a frightening thing on a mountain: a misstep could be fatal. But Locke never lost his way.

Finally they emerged from the fog into air that was at once clear and dry and pure. For the first time, Terra got a view of the summit, which appeared almost as high above the clouds as the clouds were above the ground. It was a daunting sight, though Terra knew that the pass would not lead them to the top.

"The hostel is just up ahead," said Locke. "We can probably afford to rest there till morning." Terra was delighted to hear it. If she'd been told about a hostel, she had forgotten. Now the prospect of food and shelter filled her with relief. At the mention of it, Edgar's expression turned to one of apprehension.

"Are you okay, Edgar?" said Terra.

"Fine," said Edgar. When he finally looked at her, he added, "Here: take this, my dear," and handed her his handkerchief, indicating that it was for her nose. She wiped her nose and found blood on the rag. She was a little embarrassed. Terra looked at Edgar again and wondered why the hostel made him uneasy.