“I know, which is why I won’t bite him,” she said with a wicked grin. “But he makes me quite hungry.”
Kira shot a worried look at Jaewon. Not that she believed Nara would eat him, but it troubled her that her only two friends in the world were at odds with each other. It left her feeling distressed, right at the very moment she needed to focus on this most dangerous task before her. She hoped that they would try, for her sake, to work things out. Otherwise, she would have to leave them behind.
8
It was almost midday when they finally reached the valley of Tiger’s Nest Mountain. Before them loomed the otherworldly vision of the mountain, with its high cliffs soaring toward the heavens. The obsidian cliffs reflected shimmering lights that gleamed like jewels set within the sinister walls. Nothing grew on the mountain. Its only purpose was to lift the temple up into the sky. The pristine white-and-gold architecture of the temple was set deep into the rock of its highest cliff, and there was no discernible way of climbing the mountain.
Gently sloping green mountains surrounded it, making it an incongruous sight—a raven set within a flock of sparrows.
“It doesn’t look right,” Jaewon said. “It looks completely out of place.”
“That’s because it’s not real,” Nara answered. “The monks built that mountain themselves with magic. It’s not of this world.”
“Are the monks even human?” Jaewon asked.
“Yes, but they have a magic that even I don’t recognize,” Nara said.
“The bigger question is whether or not that thing is even climbable,” Jaewon said with an uneasy expression on his face.
But Kira was not listening. She was too busy assessing the face of the behemoth, analyzing where she should start climbing and what her trouble spots would be. No matter how long she looked at it, the mountain stumped her. It seemed impossible to climb. Only a bird could reach the temple. The enormity of the task before Kira left them all speechless.
It was the eighth day since Fulang’s kidnapping of the prince and Gom. Kira was too close to fail now.
As they walked through the green valley, Nara halted. Her amber eyes rolled up into her head and down, then became vacant and turned inward. She became lost in a vision. “Wake the dragon and speak the truth,” she whispered.
“Speak what truth?” Kira asked.
“Who is the true thief and who is the Musado,” Nara answered. “At the highest point of the temple, combine the treasures and stab the dagger into the heart of the mountain. It will wake the dragon.”
“But the dragon will try to kill me,” Kira said.
“It is the only way,” Nara said. Her eyes refocused and she blinked.
“What did I say?”
Kira quickly explained and let Nara think about her words.
“Then that is what you must do,” she said.
“Wait a minute! The jade dagger’s magic is the ability to cause earthquakes, right? So won’t it bring down the mountain also?” Jaewon demanded.
“It is a possibility,” Nara responded. “But it may be the only answer to the riddle she faces.”
They were now close to the foot of the mountain.
“I can go no farther,” Nara said. “Their magic is impenetrable. This is where I must wait while you complete your task. Your friend must stay also.”
“What do you mean? I have to go with her!” Jaewon was furious at Nara.
“To survive this sheer cliff, she must concentrate on nothing but the climb.”
“I will do it with her,” he said.
“You will weaken her resolve and she will die,” Nara responded. “I have foreseen this. You cannot make this climb, but she can. If you go with her, she will spend the whole time worrying about you. And when you fall, which you will, she will fall with you. But if you stay down here and help me, she might make it into the temple without getting killed.”
Jaewon’s face was a confused mix of anger and fear. He threw his bag on the ground, pacing angrily, and then turned to Kira.
“I would never do anything to hurt you,” he said. “But the thought of letting you go in there by yourself fills my heart with despair.”
Kira felt his panic. She leaned forward and held his hand. He clung to her, raising her hand to his cheek.
“If anything were to happen to you . . .”
She covered his lips with her free hand.
“I will return, and I will bring Taejo and Gom safely out of there,” she said.
“You carry my heart with you, Kang Kira,” he whispered.
“I promise to bring it back,” she replied.
With a grim nod, he let her go.
“You must go now, Kira,” Nara said.
Kira handed her bag and her bow and arrows to Jaewon, taking only her sword and water bag.
She took a step toward the base of the mountain, when Jaewon stopped her. He turned her around and gently cupped his hands around her face, kissing her. He tasted salty like the sea air and sweet like candied ginger. She closed her eyes and let the kiss overtake her until it was too much. Dragging her lips away, she put up a hand between them.
“You worry too much . . .”