The Dragon's Descent (25 page)

The path was more crowded than it had been when they had first started climbing with Nora. They had lost a few hours while taking Nora back down the mountain, and then waiting for the doctor; it was now nearly two in the morning, and most pilgrims had begun their ascent. Despite the path being well lit, Vero and Tack had put on headband flashlights. They would be ready should the lights unexpectedly go out again.

Kane, Adrik, and Clover climbed a few steps ahead of Vero and Tack. Vero's legs burned as he climbed. Oh, how he wished he could fly to the top! Vero looked over to Tack, who seemed exhausted. Sweat dripped down Tack's forehead over his headband. A Sri Lankan man giving his young son a piggyback easily climbed past them.

“Really?” Tack said as he watched the father and son begin to fade from view. “Why doesn't he just climb two at a time?”

Then Tack watched as the man climbed two steps at once.

“Show off . . .” Tack groaned.

“Are you feeling anything?” Vero said in a low voice to Tack.

“Yes. Pain.”

“I mean which way to go.”

Tack nodded. “Higher.”

After climbing another twenty minutes, they reached a tea stall. The group took off their backpacks and sat on a bench while Adrik brought them cups of hot tea to help defend themselves against the frigid night air. The black tea tasted harsh without sugar, but Vero was grateful for its warmth. They relaxed for a few minutes. Clover moved to sit down next to Vero.

“Anything?” she asked in a low voice.

“Not yet.”

Tack suddenly stood. Vero watched as he walked from the bench onto a dirt path. Vero could tell that his friend had picked up on something. Tack turned on his headlamp as he walked farther into the brush. Vero got up and followed him.

“Where they go?” Adrik asked.

“I think nature calls,” Clover quickly answered.

Vero followed Tack for a few minutes, until Tack abruptly stopped and spun around.

“It's this way.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I think so.”

“How far away?”

“I don't know,” Tack said, his eyes fixed in the distance. “But it's far enough away that Adrik will never let us go there.”

“We have to ditch her,” Vero said.

“Ditch who?”

Vero and Tack turned and saw Kane walking up to them, his flashlight beaming.

“We need to go this way,” Vero told Kane. “We're sure of it.”

“So we need to ditch my aunt?” Kane asked.

“Yeah, though we're worried she'll never let us leave the pathway,” Vero said.

“So let's just go now,” Kane said.

“We need Clover,” Vero said.

“Then let's climb a little higher, let my aunt take the lead, and we'll duck out when we can,” Kane said.

“Okay,” Vero said, nodding. “I'll clue Clover in.”

The group climbed for a few minutes longer with Adrik ahead of them all. The path was now teeming with pilgrims, as the sun would rise in less than three hours. The large crowd seemed like another divine coincidence, as it made sneaking away much easier than if they'd followed Adrik's original departure schedule.

Vero eyed Kane; he could not wait any longer. Kane dipped his head in agreement. It was time. Vero threw his arm out in front of Clover and Tack, stopping them. He waved his head to the right. Tack and Clover nodded back in understanding. All four let a group of pilgrims pass and then slipped behind a wooden food stand. Vero peered out from the stand; Adrik was lost in the sea of travelers. He did not see her anywhere.

“Let's go,” Vero whispered. “Tack, lead.”

Tack turned on his headlamp. “Stay close behind.”

Tack took them through a forest so dense that even the moon's silvery rays could not penetrate the canopy above. Although they all had either flashlights or headlamps, it was of little comfort in the utter blackness. Every crunch of a twig or dead leaves underfoot echoed forebodingly into the thick night air. Clover suddenly stopped.

“I just remembered something,” she said with fear etched across her face.

“What?” Kane asked.

“Leeches,” Clover said to Kane. “You said they're all over these woods.”

“Yeah, but you're wearing long pants and a long shirt. If you get any, they'll only stick to your clothes.”

“And that's supposed to make me feel better?” Clover said.

Kane shrugged.

“Tack, how much longer?” Clover asked.

“It's a ways still.”

“Are you still convinced it's a blue sapphire?” Kane asked Vero.

“Yeah, that's what Rahab said.” Vero noted the discouraged look on Kane's face. “What?”

“This mountain is supposedly loaded with sapphires. Sri Pada and some of the surrounding peaks are considered one of the richest gem-mining areas in the world—and not just for sapphires, but rubies, emeralds, and topaz too.” A puzzled look came over Kane as he just put two and two together. “Now that I think of it, they say that the footprint is actually a blue sapphire.”

“What do you mean?” Vero asked.

“The rock footprint at the top, the one you can see, isn't the real one.”

“What?” Clover looked outraged.

“The real footprint, the sacred one, is actually protected underneath it. And supposedly, the sacred footprint is imprinted on a large sapphire.”

“You don't think that's the Book of Raziel, do you?” Clover asked.

“I hope not,” Kane said. “The visible footprint is always under the careful guard of the monks.”

Vero's heart sunk. He'd never be able to get to it.

“That may be,” Tack said. “But I'm feeling that it's this way,” he said, pointing straight ahead.

“Doesn't sound right.” Kane's voice was hesitant.

“I know what I'm doing,” Tack said, unwavering.

Vero looked from Kane to Tack as he tried to decide.

“We follow Tack,” Vero said.

Kane nodded.

As they made their way through the woods, Clover yelled. She thrashed around, entangled in something. The others shined their lights on her. Clover had walked right into a tree heavy with moss.

“Clover, chillax, it's only moss,” Tack said.

“Sure? 'Cause it felt like a giant spiderweb,” she said as she pulled a chunk of green moss from her hair and flung it to the ground.

“You gotta toughen up, because we're not there yet,” Tack scolded Clover.

As if on cue, Tack began to scream at the top of
his
lungs. A face appeared before him in the trees. It was ugly, with deep-set eyes, a pink, wrinkled snout, and a whorl of hair on its head.

Kane put his hand on Tack's shoulder. “Dude, it's a monkey.”

Tack stopped screaming.

“They're all over Sri Lanka.”

Clover grabbed Tack's arm and dug her nails into him. “Where there's one, there are more,” she said.

The monkey ran back up high into the tree.

“They won't bother us if we stay out of their way,” Kane said. “Just keep your knapsacks on your backs or else they'll steal 'em!”

As Tack continued walking, Clover held on to the back of Tack's shirt. They walked a few feet ahead, until Clover
pulled Tack toward her. “Look where you're going, bozo!” she yelled, reminding Vero of Greer. How he wished Greer could be here right now to toughen everyone up, himself included.

Tack looked below. They were standing on the edge of a steep cliff.

“Thanks for the heads up.” Tack nervously smiled to Clover.

“Be careful,” Clover chided him.

“Now which way?” Vero asked.

“Same direction—straight ahead,” Tack said.

Vero shined his light out in front of them. On the other side of the deep ravine below stood another steep cliff, about a hundred yards away.

“We need to get over there.” Tack pointed.

“It'll take forever to climb all the way down and up the other side,” Kane said.

“Not to mention dangerous,” Clover added.

“Looks like it's our lucky day,” Vero said as he illuminated a rope suspension bridge to their left that stretched high above the ravine below.

Kane walked over to the bridge. Wooden planks lined the floor of the bridge while rope railings on either side supported it. Kane tapped his foot on the first wooden plank, testing it.

“Is it sturdy?” Vero asked.

“Could probably hold us,” Kane said.

“I'll go across first,” Vero said. “If I make it, then you guys follow me.”

“Sure you can't fly us across?” Tack asked.

“Do you think I would have walked up all those stairs if I could fly?” Vero answered, feeling aggravated.

Vero stepped onto the bridge, holding tightly to the rope. The raging river sounded below, and his headlamp caught a glint of the water. Vero realized he was already more than halfway across.

Clover turned to Tack. “Somehow, I don't think this is what my mom had in mind when she agreed to let us come here.”

Tack sighed, nodding.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack. Vero's foot had broken through a wooden plank.

“Vero!” Clover screamed.

Never letting go of the ropes, Vero managed to regain his balance.

“I got it!” Vero shouted.

“Come back!” Clover shouted. “It's not safe!”

Vero didn't answer. He walked ahead, his foot testing each plank before he placed his weight upon it. Finally, he made it across to the other side. He waved to the others.

“It's okay, you just have to be careful where you step! There are a few planks missing,” Vero shouted across the ravine. “Better go one at a time. Don't want to put too much weight on it!”

“I'll take your backpacks across for you,” Kane said. “It'll make it easier.”

“You have your own to deal with,” Clover said.

“I can handle them,” Kane said, his hand outstretched.

“Thanks,” Tack said as he took his backpack off and tossed it to Kane.

Clover also handed Kane her pack. Kane held one and strapped the other to his chest. He grabbed the rope rails and stepped onto the bridge. Vero watched from the other cliff as Kane easily traversed the bridge.

“Ladies first,” Tack said to Clover.

Clover placed her hands on the rope, but hesitated. Her breathing became quite rapid and her hands shook.

“I can't do it,” she said, her face completely pale. “I mean, even in daylight I'd have a problem with it, but when it's pitch dark . . .”

“I'll go right behind you,” Tack said.

“But Vero said it may not support the weight of two people . . .”

“Kane plus those backpacks, with the way your mom packed 'em, was easily the weight of three people.”

Clover managed a brave smile. “Okay.”

From behind, Tack gently put both his hands on top of Clover's. He then placed her hands a bit farther ahead on the ropes, and she took her first step onto the bridge.

“I'm right behind you,” Tack said.

Clover tentatively took a few more steps. Tack stayed with her.

“You know, it might be better to do this in the dark,” Clover said. “It's probably a good thing that I can't see down.”

“You're doing great,” Tack said. “We're halfway across.”

Clover took a few more steps before a freak gust of wind shook the rickety bridge. She screamed, white-knuckling the rope. The winds intensified, jostling the bridge.

“Clover!” Vero shouted as he ran toward the bridge.

Tack grasped Clover's arm to steady her. He looked her square in the face with a serious yet stern gaze. “You can do this.”

Clover swallowed hard then took a step forward. Tack kept a tight grip on her arm. Vero and Kane walked out onto the bridge.

“We're almost there,” Tack said in a comforting voice as Clover walked. “A few more feet . . .”

The bridge swayed in the wind. Clover's face turned completely pale as she made her way across. When she neared the other side, Vero clasped his hand around hers and pulled his terrified sister off the bridge and onto solid ground. Kane grabbed Tack's arm and also pulled him to safety.

“I am never doing that again,” Clover shouted, catching her breath.

“Me either,” Tack said, completely ashen faced.

“You seemed okay out there,” Kane said to Tack.

“Are you kiddin'? Tack's totally afraid of heights,” Vero said.

“He was just being brave for me,” Clover said, smiling gratefully to Tack.

Tack actually blushed.

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