On Sapphire Wings and Jade Scales

Chapter 4: Hiking Mount Reilu

The first two days at the resort went by as expected, with the family skiing, playing, and sledding in the snow alongside other guests, and enjoying the sights. The weather, however, was not the 'clear skies' predicted by the weather report for the week, as the area surrounding the mountains had a lot of snowfall during the nights and was cloudy during the day. Mrs. Diderot chalked it up to 'lousy weather people' and unpredictable weather changes. Since during the daytime they still got much sunlight, it was all good for the twins.

Once the third day at the resort arrived, the Diderot family woke up around 4 a.m. to prepare for the three-day hike up Mt. Reilu, which was to start early in the day at 6:30 a.m. They all filled their bags with warm clothes, blankets, and snacks. The guests' main meals and tents would be provided by the resort.

For the trip, Mr. Diderot wanted to bring Ari along, thinking she could provide warmth with her fire-breath and extra protection against possible obstacles they might encounter. And since Ari is a blue dragon, which naturally live in cold and aquatic environments, she should resist the frigid temperatures just fine, he thought.

As for Nino, being the lazy cat he is, the family needed to find someone to take care of him for the three days they would be up in the mountains. Fortunately, the resort had an area dedicated to caring for the guests' pets while they go on the hike up Mt. Reilu or the surrounding mountains.

After the family had breakfast and made final preparations, they headed to the lobby downhill. Once there, they met with a group of 11 other people of all ages, all headed to climb Mt. Reilu and visit the temple there. There would be 16 people total in their group, including the guide.

Among them, there was one couple who also owned a miniature dragon: a yellow dragon, smaller than Ari and the twins, who had three horns on his head and one row of spikes running down his neck, back, and ending in a very pointy tail. At the tips of his wings were brown claws, matching with those on his legs. 

He was very fidgety and skittish, running circles around his owners, flicking his tongue at guests near him, and quickly retreating whenever a stranger got closer. This did not stop Eila from trying to pet him, though. Ari, on the other hand, approached other guests and lowered her head to them, expecting pets on the snout from them.

Shortly after the Diderot family arrived, a dark-skinned, curly-haired brunette with hazel eyes walked in from the reading room up the lobby stairs. She wore a red jacket, black pants and gloves, light brown boots, and a pair of goggles atop her afro. She was a very fit woman in her early-to-mid thirties and had a very enthusiastic yet knowledgeable aura about her. 

She looked around the room as she came down the stairs, and once near the group, she put her hands to her hips and smiled, "Well, good mornin' everyone! My name's Joanne, and I'll be your guide for the next two days while we climb up Mount Reilu, alright? Hope y'all had a big breakfast and packed lots of water, cuz today we'll mostly be walking up the forest and climbin' up the snowy roads to the temple up Mt. Reilu."

After a short pause, "Now, before we set off, lemme tell y'all about myself, then we'll go over the most important rules while hikin' and campin' here. First off: I've worked here as a guide to and from Mt. Reilu and the temple for about 8 years now, though I also participate in competitive skiin' from time to time. If there's anything you wanna know about the creatures that live up the mountains or about the temple itself, don't be shy about askin' me. Lastly, I've got lots of good stories from previous hikes too, and I assure ya this trip won't disappoint!"

Afterwards, Joanne explained the major rules to hiking the mountains: do not abandon the group nor leave the tents at night unless you notify her first; follow her and the group closely or risk getting lost or injured; do not feed the wildlife; take photos of wildlife from a safe distance; finally, contact her in case of an emergency.