Chapter 51-Mount Gaia

Once arriving at the base of the mountain, we're greeted by someone who actually IS a tour guide, who's wearing a classic tour guide dark tan button up shirt and shorts, black belt, and cap.

"Are you five here to climb Mount Gia?"  The smiling tour guide asks as she approaches the five of us.

"Err…sure," I answer, "Is Rocky Eats at the top?"

"You bet it is!"  The tour guide answers, "It's the number one tourist attraction in the Land of Earth!"

"Great, so how do we get up to Rocky Eats?"  I ask, "Is there a ladder, or a staircase, or…?"

"You climb!"  The tour guide answers, interrupting me.

"E-excuse me?"  I cough.

"You have to climb Mount Gia here if you want to eat at Rocky Eats!"  The tour guide explains as they turn around and motion to the huge mountain behind them.

"You see, the food at Rocky Eats is SOOO good that it's WORTH the climb," the tour guide explains, "And customers climb up and down Mount Gia in order to work off all the food they consume!"

"I-I see…" I answer, before turning around to face my friends, "What do you guys say?"

"WE'RE CLIMBING!"  Khione and Ana boom, causing me to flinch.

"Whatever happened to saving the world, no matter what, Noah?"  Mary sighs with a shrug.

"EATING AT A FANCY RESTAURANT IS NOT HELPING US SAVE THE WORLD!"  I snap.

"Don't worry, this should be easy, using our E-Charges," Old-Man F says as he takes a step up.

"Oh, Old-Man F, you're back?"  I ask.

"Yeah," Old-Man F answers, "Apparently…I get incredibly motion sickness when falling from great heights.

"Y-you don't say?"  I reply.

"So what's the verdict?"  The tour guide asks.

"We'll climb," I sigh as I turn back around to face the tour guide.

"Great!"  The tour guide exclaims as they thrust a bundle of papers into our hands, "Sign this!"

"What's…this…?"  I ask as I hold the bundle of white papers up to my face, which is covered with squiggly black lines.

"It looks like a newspaper, but without any pictures!"  Mary adds.

"Ah…you five don't know how to read, do you?"  The tour guide asks, "Well…that's a contract.  Basically…it means that if you, um…FALL TO YOUR DEATH while climbing Mount Gia, us tour guides aren't liable."

  Mary shrieks.

Khione and Ana take one look at the papers, then back up to the tour guide.

"HOW DO WE SIGN?!"  They boom.

"Write your name on the black line," the tour guide answers as they hand all of us out a strange yellow stick with a black tip.

"What…is this…?"  I ask as I place the stick to the papers, and when I do, it leaves a black mark.

"WOAH!"  I yelp, "Cool!"

"Just scribble whatever you want on that black line, and we'll call that your signature," the tour guide sighs.

"I'm gonna draw a tiger!"  Khione exclaims.

And so, after signing the papers, we thrust them back to the tour guide.

"Thank you for your patronage!"  The tour guide exclaims, "Try not to die!"

And so, the tour guide begins cackling as they walk away from us.

I gulp as I stare at Mount Gia before us.

"What's wrong?"  Khione smirks as she elbows me in the rubs, "Scared?"

"Yeah, kinda'!"  I answer.

"Oh," Khione replies, "I didn't…think that you would admit that."

"Why WOULDN'T we be scared…?"  Mary shudders, "That mountain is HUGE!"

"As I said, we can simply use your E-Chargers to aid us," Old-Man F says as he enters his Charge Stance.

"Sand Charge, Level Four: Sand Whip!"  Old-Man F exclaims as a torrent of sand begins to rise out of the ground below Old-Man F, lifting him up into the air.

"Well not everyone is SURROUNDED by their element like you are!"  Khione snaps as she stomps her foot to the floor.

"Wind Charge, Level Three: Cloud Haven!"

Khione then hears a shout come from behind her, and turns around, seeing that Ana has lifted herself off of the ground using her Wind Charge, as well.

"Well I am!"  Ana smirks.

"OH COME ON!"  Khione cries as she throws her hands into the air in frustration.

"Well…the three of us are going to have to find a different way to climb the mountain," I say.

"Especially me…" Mary shudders, "If I did what Master Grandpa and Ana are doing with their elements…I'd faint from blood loss and fall to my death…"

Khione and I shudder.

"Here, Noah, make some water, I'll freeze it," Khione orders as she enters her Charge Stance.

"Ah, I see what you're getting at!"  I smirk as I enter my Charge Stance as well.

"Water Charge, Level Three: Squirt Gun!"  I shout as I thrust both hands into the air, and fire off a squirt of water.

"Ice Charge, Level One: Permafrost!"  Khione shouts as she swipes both hands outwards, freezing my water, which takes the form of an icy staircase, leading a few feet into the air.

"Awesome, Khione!"  Mary and I cheer.

Khione smiths as she places bohd hands on her hips.  "By doing this, Noah and I can create an easy staircase to the stop!"  She says, "We'll beat that wretched Ana there!"

"I-it's…not a race…?"  I reply.

"Come on, let's go!"  Khione orders as she takes a step forwards, but the second that her foot touches the ice, Khione slips!  Khione falls to the ground with a girlish scream.

Mine and Mary's eyes widen as we stare at Khione.

"That was…almost cuter…" I blush.

"What a girly scream…" Mary blushes.

"WILL YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP AND HELP ME!"  Khione snaps.

And so, the five of us climb Mount Gia.  Old-Man F and Ana use their Sand and Wind Charge respectively to propel themselves up the mountain, stopping every so often at footrests and checkmarks, while Khione and I continue creating and freezing our ice staircase to get to the top, which melts behind us once passed.  Mary even uses her Blood Charge to keep mine and Khione's stamina up.

"Ahh…ahh…ahh…"

The five of us pant heavily as we finish climbing the final stretch of Mount Gia.

"Almost…there…" I grunt as I slowly reach a weak arm up and grab onto the rocky ledge above me.  And then, with one final strain, I hoist myself onto the top of the mountain, and collapse to the ground, panting heavily for breath.

"We did it…" I pant, "We climbed the mountain…"

"Thank goodness…" Old-Man F heaves.

"I am NEVER doing that again…" Ana pants.

"My fingers…" Mary whimpers.

I hear some heaving and gagging from behind me, and it sounds like Khione is about to puke.

"Wow, you guys made it fast, huh?"  A voice asks.

I look up to where I heard the voice, watching as our tour guide from before makes their way over to us.

"How did YOU get here?!"  I cry.

"What do you mean?"  The tour guide asks as they cock their head at me, "I used the stairs."

Our eyes widen.

"THERE ARE STAIRS?!"  The five of us cry.

"Yeah, but only for employees," the tour guide answers.

"Either way, you guys made good time!"  The tour guide continues, "It usually takes people DAYS to climb Mount Gia!  It only took you guys a few hours!  Now THAT'S an E-Charger, for ya'!"

I look up towards the sky, and indeed, it's sundown.

"I've been too focused on climbing," I groan, "I didn't notice how late it got."

"Same here," Old-Man F adds.

"DOES THAT MEAN?!"  Khione and Ana cry, sparkles in their eyes.

"Yes, it's time," I sigh, "Let's head to Rocky Eats!"

"WOOO-HOOOO!"  Khione and Ana cheer as they throw their hands into the air.

Khione and Ana then turn to one another, blush, before turning away and crossing their arms.

"Skank."

"Witch."

"Just what is their problem?"  Old-Man F asks as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know," I sigh as I turn away from the group and look off intot he distance, where at the edge of the mountain top, lies a shack, with a line leading out the door.

"Is that…Rocky Eats…?"  I ask.

"It is!"  The tour guide answers.

"It looks…SMALL…" I reply.

"Who cares, let's go?!"  Khione and Ana cheer as they take off towards Rocky Eats, QUITE LITERALLY leaving Old-Man F, Mary, and myself in their dust.

The three of us cough as we wave away the dust.

"Well then…shall we follow?"  I ask as I look back and forth between Old-Man F and Mary.

"Yes, let's go," Old-Man F answers, and the three of us set off after Khione and Ana, towards Rocky Eats.