The Red Phoenix

by Alex Carter

  After a couple of hours of walking and scrambling we get our first sight of the Inaccessible Pinnacle. It looks just like the photos in the book that Arty showed me. The vertical outcrop of rock itself is just over two hundred feet high but is situated at the top of a ridge with sheer drops on either side. This makes the climb more daunting and precarious. We walk in silence as we make our way to the base of the ‘In Pinn’. As we get closer it looks scary and dangerous. I have never completed an outdoor climb of this difficulty before and I can feel a nervousness creeping up inside me.

  “Ready dear?” Arty says as we reach the base of the intimidating rock structure. She takes her backpack off and starts unloading her climbing equipment.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be” I reply as I take off my pack and follow her lead.

  “Put your windcheater on dear” Arty says as she finishes putting her own on.

  “I don’t need to, I’m really hot” I reply.

  “You’re in Scotland now Angel; just put it on” Arty says authoritatively.

  “OK, but I’m going to boil” I mutter to myself as I pull the windcheater out of my rucksack and slip it over my head.

  After zipping up our jackets we put on our harnesses, strap on our helmets and we are ready to go.

  “OK, I’ll go up first and you can follow on behind me” Arty says as she passes a rope through the loop on her harness and hands the end of it to me. I feed it through two of the loops on my harness and tie the end securely.

  As I am securing the rope, I suddenly remember that Arty is almost seventy years old. I have been worrying about my ability to complete the climb without even considering whether she will be able to do it. Since she announced last night that we were going climbing together I haven’t given her age or physical condition a second thought.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be OK doing this?” I ask, although as we are standing in our climbing gear at the base of the In Pinn it’s probably a little late to be asking this question.

  “Oh yes dear, I’ve done this climb lots of times before” Arty replies confidently as she checks that her harness and helmet are firmly secured.

  “Right” I say with a nod as I continue to check my equipment. “Out of interest, when was the last time?”

  “Ooh let me think. I’m not sure of the exact date but it was probably about twenty years ago” Arty replies with a nod of her head to confirm that she thinks her estimate is roughly correct.

  “Twenty years ago? That’s before I was born Arty!” I say in shock. As I look up at the daunting vertical climb above us, I can feel my heart starting to beat faster and my breathing starts to quicken. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

  “Oh, it’s just like riding a bike dear; you never forget” Arty replies nonchalantly.

  ‘It’s nothing like riding a bike. For a start it is lot further to drop if you fall off’ I think to myself but decide that this probably isn’t the time or the place to start this discussion.

  At that exact moment the weather takes a dramatic turn. Thick black clouds roll in around us. I watch as a dark menacing blanket completely obscures the previously clear blue sky in less than a minute. An ice-cold wind comes whistling in from behind us and as I look up towards the top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, I can feel spots of rain hitting my face.

  “That’s just perfect” I mutter to myself sarcastically.

  “Here comes the Scottish weather dear. I bet you’re glad you put your windcheater on now” Arty says as she turns to me with a smile.

  I attempt to smile back but can only manage an unconvincing smirk as it starts to rain heavily. Arty takes two pairs of gloves from her backpack and hands one to me.

  “These will keep your hands warm and will make it easier to grip” she says as she puts hers on.

  I can already feel the cold starting to chill my hands and quickly put the gloves on.

  “Do you think it’s still safe to do this climb?” I ask as the rain increases in intensity.

  “The rain will make it a bit greasy but I’m sure we’ll be fine” Arty replies as she places her foot onto a lump of rock at the base of the climb. She grabs a hand hold above her and sets off, using her legs to propel herself upwards.

  “At least it’s not snowing” she shouts back to me with a chuckle as she starts making her way up the rock face.

  ‘Don’t tempt fate’ I think to myself as I watch Arty climb. She covers the first fifty feet without any problems. She was right when she said it never leaves you. She stops as she reaches a section with a small flat ledge. She takes a bracing stance, waves to me and shouts down for me to start making my way up.

  I am an absolute expert on indoor climbing walls and regularly go with my friends. Standing at the foot of this huge basalt rock feels very different. The rock face is smooth, cold, wet and difficult to grip. Unlike on man-made climbing walls there aren’t any conveniently located, brightly coloured hand grips or footholds to reach out for. Arty made the initial part of the climb look easy so I decide to follow her route. I put my right foot onto the same lump of rock that she started on and begin my ascent.

  There is nothing above me to grip so I force my fingers into a crack just above my head. Although I am wearing gloves the rock still feels ice cold. The rain has made the rock face wet and I’m worried about slipping. As I pull myself up, I remember my indoor-climbing instructor’s mantra that you must climb up from your feet. I embrace that thought and focus on pushing rather than pulling. I need to find my rhythm and start moving my weight and momentum from one side to the other. As I move upwards and find somewhere for my right foot, I immediately start looking for a foothold for my left foot.

  ‘I should have paid more attention to where Arty put her feet’ I think to myself as I struggle to find the next foothold. The only option on my left side looks too far away but I’m going to have to reach for it. I swing my leg in an all-or-nothing move and my foot lands exactly where I need it to. Bingo! I feel the rope attached to my harness pull tighter and, as I glance up, I see Arty above me taking up the slack as I progress up the rock face.

  ‘How did she make it look so easy?’

  The rain is now coming down heavily and is swirling around in the wind. I feel more confident now that I am off the ground and reach up for the next hand grip. I keep trying to remember not to pull myself up with my arms and to only use my hands for keeping my balance. It is difficult as my instinct is to pull myself up. I start to find my rhythm and eventually reach the point where Arty is waiting.

  “How are you doing?” I shout up to Arty as my head comes level with her boots. She gives me a thumbs-up and nods her confirmation that she’s doing fine. Arty holds her right hand out, palm down, to indicate that it’s my turn to rest. Then she turns back towards the rock face and is off again.

  As she sets off, I turn and look down below me. I am only around fifty feet from the base of the Inaccessible Pinnacle but below the Pinnacle is a sheer drop. I am now standing directly above the near two thousand five hundred feet fall to sea level. I suddenly feel vulnerable and a little dizzy.

  I can’t help but think about what will happen if I slip and fall. Instinctively I move closer to the rockface and take a tighter grip on my handholds.

  “OK Angel, you can come up now” Arty shouts down as she reaches her latest resting point.

  I take a deep breath and set off. After my initial rusty start my climbing starts to flow and I manage to locate the holds easier. Some of the rock on this section is loose and small pieces come away in my hands as I make my way upwards. I can hear the stones bouncing down the mountain and falling away into the chasm below. I try to put this out of my mind and focus on continuing up. I am soon at the point where Arty is waiting.

  “OK love, we’re about halfway now” Arty says as she indicates that she wants me to hold my position again. Arty doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of fatigue. I’m glad that she’s leading me rather than the other way around. My fin
gers and arms are starting to ache. I’m still not using my legs enough. I stand and watch as my sixty-nine-year-old Grandmother starts to scamper up the rockface above me again. I hope that I have enough energy left in my tank to get me to the top. Arty makes it to the next vantage point and waves at me to start again.

  After a deep breath I swing my right leg up and land my foot on the next foothold. I put my full weight onto my right foot and simultaneously swing my left leg up towards the next foothold. As I do this my right foot slips out of its hold and the world falls away from beneath me. I feel myself plummet. I’m sliding down the rock face. The shock sends my mind into panic and I lose my bearings. All I can think about is the size of the drop beneath me. The rock face is smooth and slippery and I’m unable to grip it. I’m spinning and falling. I have no idea where I am, or which way is up. I slam into the rock face which disorientates me further. My helmet takes most of the impact, but the bang is loud. I feel dazed. My body bounces into the side of the rock a couple of times before I realise what is going on.

  I’m spinning. Not mentally, but physically. I’ve stopped falling but I’m spinning on my rope.

  I look up and see Arty desperately holding onto the other end of my rope. She’s grimacing and looks like she might not be able to hold on for much longer. I glance down involuntarily and see the massive drop beneath me. Arty is tied onto me and the image of both of us plunging headfirst to the bottom of the chasm flashes through my mind. My hands and feet start frantically feeling the rock for something to stand on or grip. The surface is smooth and wet, but I find a stone knuckle with my right foot. I press down on it. At the same time the fingers on my left hand find a crack large enough to squeeze three fingers into. I quickly manage to find holds with my left foot and right hand. My heart is beating so fast it feels as though it’s about to explode. I can hear the blood pumping loudly in my inner ear. I realise that I have been holding my breath and I now take in a large gulp of air. I follow this up with three of four deep breaths to calm myself. I look up at Arty who is still gripping the rope with all her strength. She’s grimacing.

  “I’m OK” I shout up as I give a thumbs-up signal. I take another deep breath and check whether I have sustained any injuries. There is a large black stripe on my windcheater where it scraped against the rock and the knees of my trousers are scuffed but I can’t see any blood or bones sticking out of my clothing which is good. I wiggle my fingers and toes, bend my knees and elbows and flex my shoulders and back. Everything feels fine. I look down and realise that I’m only around fifteen feet below the point where I slipped. Arty must have halted my fall soon after it began.

  Overall It could have been much worse. It’s a good outcome.

  “I’m OK” I shout up Arty. “I’m going to carry on.”

  Arty gives me a thumbs up sign and signals to me to start climbing.

  ‘What are you doing clinging to this stupid piece of rock at the top of a mountain in the rain with your Grandmother?’ I think to myself as I look down and once again catch sight of the cavernous drop beneath me. I close my eyes and try to think positive thoughts about making it to the summit.

  ‘If Arty can do this at her age then so can you’ I think to myself as I look for the next foothold. I spot a large nodule of rock and move my right foot up. For the next few minutes I focus solely on the position of the next hand and foot hold. The fear gradually starts to leave me. I eventually make my way to the point where Arty is waiting.

  “Thank you Arty, you saved my life” I say once I am close enough for her to hear me.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t put it as dramatically as that dear” Arty replies in her usual nonchalant manner. “At least we now know for sure that this old rope is strong enough to hold your weight” she continues with a chuckle.

  I laugh involuntarily as the stress of the last few minutes starts to fade away.

  “Only one more section to go” Arty says cheerfully as she starts the final assent. I watch in awe as she makes her way effortlessly to the top. There is a small ledge at the very top. She scampers over this and disappears out of view momentarily as she climbs up onto the summit. A few seconds later she peers back over the edge and waves down for me to follow her.

  I take the final section of the climb slowly and methodically. I manage to complete it without any problems and a wave of elation sweeps over me as I scramble up onto the top.

  I am now on the summit of the Inaccessible Pinnacle.

  Arty is sitting cross legged admiring the view.

  “Wow, this is truly amazing” I say as I sit down next to Arty.

  “Come on Angel, stand up” Arty says to me as she stands up.

  The surface area of the summit is quite small. I feel nervous about standing upright.

  “Come on” Arty says as she reaches down and offers a hand to help me up.

  I slowly lift myself up. There is nothing of equivalent height anywhere near us. It is a weird feeling trying to stand on the top of something that is higher than everything else around it. It feels like the whole rock is swaying in the wind, even though I know that it probably isn’t. I feel a bit unsteady on my feet. Arty keeps hold of my hand as I push myself up into a standing position. The panoramic view is incredible. The weather has now cleared and we are surrounded by blue sky. I can see the whole world around us stretching out for miles and miles. I have just climbed to the peak of one of the highest mountains in Great Britain. I feel genuinely elated.

  “We are on the very top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle!” Arty shouts out as she stands with her arms outstretched. “Not many people have stood on this part of the Earth’s surface, Angel. Welcome to the club!”

  “I did it!” I shout out. “This is the best thing ever! I love it!”

  “This is exactly how I felt that very first time I climbed here with your Grandfather. You can’t beat the combination of the challenge, the danger and the sense of achievement. I don’t think there is anything that compares to this feeling” Arty says as she gazes out into the distance.

  I nod in agreement and we stand in silence drinking in the view.

  Chapter 13

  Our Hunters arrived in Haiti and set about their mission to find the rumoured last remaining copy of The Legend of the Albedo Prism. They engaged with the locals and tried to establish whether the ancient manuscript really existed. This exercise proved to be challenging as the Voodoo culture was unlike any other that we had previously encountered amongst the humans. It soon became clear that all the followers of Voodoo were aware of this book and believed it to have magical powers. It was revered and was deemed to be a sacred relic by the Haitians. Our Hunters pressed hard to discover the exact location of the book, but the locals were fiercely loyal to their beliefs and refused to divulge any information. Eventually our Hunters lost patience and ran amok, slaughtering every human they could find.

  News of the violence spread rapidly. The Voodoo elders declared a time of religious reckoning. Wild stories circulated around the island about ferocious beasts and evil spirts cleansing all before them. The Haitians sent their warriors, but they were no match for our Hunters. After significant bloodshed and loss of human life we eventually found the information we were looking for. One of the humans informed our Hunter that the book was rumoured to be buried along with the ancient leaders of Haiti in a mausoleum beneath the dungeons of the Citadelle. Imparting this information did not save his life but it gave us the lead that we needed.

  The Citadelle is a mountaintop fortress located on the northern part of the island, at the top of the mountain known as Bonnet a L’Eveque. Our Hunters made their way to the mountain and stormed the Citadelle. The human guards provided little resistance. After further human bloodshed, the Hunters found their way to the dungeons. These large, dark, cold stone rooms were filled with prisoners, many of whom were chained to the walls and floor. None of these humans proved to be of any worth to us and were despatched in short order. After much searching our Hunters eventually located a s
ecret trapdoor, hidden in the floor under a giant cannon. The trapdoor revealed an ancient stone staircase carved out of the solid rock that the Citadelle was built upon. The staircase led to an underground vault containing three tombs. Each of these tombs appeared to be the burial site for important humans. Their flesh had disintegrated but the skeletons that remained wore impressive cloaks and gowns and had gold crowns upon their heads. All three tombs were filled with gold and jewels. Each one of the three skeletons was laid out on top of a mass of treasure and was clutching a large ornate book to its chest. The books in the first two tombs had no meaning or worth to us. The book in the third tomb had the work ALBEDO in gold letters down the spine and when our Hunter removed the tome from the bony fingers of the bejewelled skeleton the front cover revealed the words The Legend of the Albedo Prism in bright gold lettering.

  We had found our Holy Grail.

  The locals were extremely unhappy that the resting place of their gods had been desecrated. They believed that we were thieves intent on plundering their sacred tombs. They raised an army to stop us looting the tombs. The army came angry and ready to fight. High on the elation of their find, this army provided welcome sport for our Hunters who took great delight in massacring every single one of the alien warriors. After the fight, our Hunters removed everything of value from those tombs and returned triumphant to our underground headquarters.

  We now had the only copy of The Legend of the Albedo Prism left on Earth.

  Chapter 14

  The view from the top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle is truly inspiring but after a short spell of silent contemplation it was time to get on with the task at hand.

  “Do you have any idea what we are looking for?” I ask, breaking the silence.