The Book of Mountain and Sea

Notes of the ancient adventurer Leonard, very old. Mona used astrology to read the incomplete text and restored the book's contents.

…

Thanks to Vanarana and…'s help, I was able to cross… and reach this peak…

This mountain is unspeakably tall and treacherous—forgive my poor words. From its shape, I might as well call it "Pointy Hat Peak." After a simple survey, one might slowly climb from the east with ropes and pitons, then use the wind to swing a rope-hook to… and then…

…

The young men will not climb this peak with me. Even those who itch to try are scared off by the old adventurers. "An unconquerable nightmare," they all say. Their predecessors' failures have aged their hearts; they have grown soft. But I am not old yet. My limbs and mind are still fully enough. Pointy Hat Peak is only another high mountain waiting for me to challenge.

…

Good news—Alrick is willing to go up with me. I knew I was not alone!

…

I underestimated this mountain. Only when truly on its body did I find almost no path—like one whole carved wondrous stone, abrupt and grand… I hope the dry rations my people prepared will last until the summit.

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Injured again. My leg is badly hurt, and two fingers of my left hand are frostbitten, but luckily the right hand is fine. I fear I must rest for months—but it is not yet time to give up.

…

Bad news—today Alrick could not hold on. He was too old; his body could not bear the mountain's bitter storm and rugged ground… I held a small funeral for him and buried his favorite old wine beside him. Now only I remain. The wind and snow have not stopped. I must keep climbing before the rocks freeze over…

…

Broke my leg again—luckily only a slight fracture. I nearly was blown into the abyss by a gale full of ice crystals, but thank fortune I still live. I clutched sharp rock and struggled for dear life until I climbed the wall again and barely found a way down…

Had I struck the ice wall or jammed in a crevice then, I would likely have been doomed… This tore open old wounds; I fear I cannot climb for more than a year…

…

The sky is very blue; these days there should be no wind and snow on the mountain. I saw a falcon shoot straight into the clouds, almost into the high air of the peak—a height I cannot reach.

If only I could fly into the high sky like a falcon…

Like the young eagles that learn to fly on the summit in childhood stories…

…