The Explorer's Quest

The Great Mountain

The balloon rose higher and higher into the sky. Johnny watched as the group of armored soldiers slowly grew smaller. The group scattered suddenly. They began to look like a bunch of ants moving away from an invisible child about to step on them from the height that Johnny was at.

"You think we'll get to the temple first?" asked Hugo.

Johnny turned to Hugo. He knew that there was only a slight chance they were going to make it to the temple before CLOVER. They both did.

"I take it that they are the reason for you three coming here?" a voice said from behind them.

The trio turned and faced the two brothers. "Well, yes and no," Johnny answered.

"We are trying to get to the temple, and they just happen to have something that we need," Hugo said.

"Ah. My name is Choden." He extended his hand and Johnny, Grant and Hugo shook it. "This is my brother Cheng. He doesn't like to speak to people very often, so don't bother trying to talk to him."

"Okay, sounds good. Uh, do you-"

"We've been told that this place is very dangerous. What makes it so unsafe?" Johnny asked, cutting off Hugo before he could finish.

Choden looked away from the men and towards the white, snow-covered mountain.

"It was 1919, fifteen years ago, when we first went up the mountain. Cheng, Lobsang and I were working with CLOVER, or more like working for CLOVER. There were about twenty men counting us that all went up the mountain.

"The leader of the expedition, Simon Ghirardelli, hadn't given us much instruction, nor did he tell us why we were doing this. The only thing he told us was keep your eyes open for a temple and shoot anything that's threatening to you.

"Well, we never found the temple. We were attacked by giant beasts. The beasts killed more then half of the men that ventured up the mountain. Only five or six of us escaped death that day." Choden turned back around and looked at the trio in a way that kind of seemed like he was expecting applause.

Johnny, Grant and Hugo were all unsatisfied by the story Choden just told them. They each felt that there was more to it.

"What did the beasts look like?" asked Hugo.

Choden thought for a minute, then answered, "I never really got a great look at them. All I remember seeing were large brown and white figures jumping through the air and clawing the guts out of their victims."

It was Grant's turn to ask a question. "How come you aren't afraid to go back up the mountain again if you nearly escaped last time?"

"Then I was a young boy, too immature to handle what was happening. Now I am a grown man, and I feel that I am ready to handle the situation."

Johnny turned to Hugo and whispered, "Why do you suppose Cheng isn't saying anything?"

"He doesn't like to talk much, remember?"

"Oh, right."

Suddenly, the wind began to blow faster. So fast, in fact, that it kept the balloon from moving towards the mountain a little. Hugo's hood flew off, his greasy black hair blowing in the wind. They all three had very greasy hair, as not one of them had showered since the adventure started. In fact, Grant couldn't wait to get home safe and away from the dangers of treasure hunting and take a nice, steaming hot shower.

The wind grew stronger and stronger as they grew closer and closer to the mountain. It was almost as if the wind was a supernatural force, intentionally keeping them away from the mountain. Johnny felt that the wind was alive. So very, very alive. The wind howled loudly and blew intensely.