“The Mount Tahan Chronicles” is an ongoing entry that weaves its way between reality and fantasy. The second part of the Chronicle deals with the treacherous march up Mount Tahan, in which along the way there are tales of Amir stumbling over roots in the Forbidden Forests, the Battle of Lata Luis in which members of the Fellowship face the Beast of the River, the Maddening of a King, the slow march across the rocky plains of Botak, the Song of Kubang, and the expected meeting with the dragon of Mount Tahan.

I: From Here to There

II: Zaidi

III: Amir in the Water
There it was, yet another river to cross.
On slippery rocks we had to walk,
but this river a rope had been strung across.
Lightly holding onto the rope, Quin Jean
walked a straight line to cross it with ease.
Not far behind was Meng Chwen. With feet cloaked in sandals,
He stamped his feet into the waters;
In perfect balance, he strolled across the river.
Once on the other side, she spied for others
treading slowly from the other side
while he scouted the nearby lands
‘Till Meng Chwen heard Quin Jean’s shout,
“Quick! Amir wants a photograph!”
In two quick moves, he released a compact camera
t’was strapped on his rucksack;
In three quick steps, he stood on higher ground
and snapped away at Amir wading in the water.
To us on land, nothing seemed amiss;
But after Meng Chwen snapped yet another picture,
Only did he realize poor Amir struggled
To keep from being pulled into the water.
Burdened with weight strapped upon his back,
His left hand holding tightly onto the rope
With a tenacity peculiar to those fighting to survive,
The other hand fluttered frantically as if to keep a balance.
Amir lost his footing—not once but twice—
And into the water splish-splash he went.
Ikhwan, who followed a few steps behind,
Was near yet too far to reach poor Amir.
Speedily, Meng Chwen laid down the camera upon a rock.
Rushed he into the cool slow running waters.
So soon and a rescue must be done?
By then Amir had recovered some composure.
He raised his feet for one final step and stood assuredly
That he had overcame the fall in the water.
Then he lost it all again as he spoke unashamedly,
“Whatlah you. I’m falling in the water
and asking for help, and you take photographs of me.”
All that were done were indeed necessary—
For such sights of misery preserved for posterity
Reveal simple moves of great audacity.

IV: The First Sting
Zaidi expressed the need to rest for a moment
Once all had crossed the river that near swallowed Amir.
The Fellowship concurred; Each took bites
of energy bars to replenish what’s been used.
With all at ease, no one noticed
A threat that lies therein that place.
A sneak attack from our enemy was launched;
Little black wasp-like beings shot through the air;
But a lousy shot the enemy was!
For none in the Fellowship was stung with fatal venom
Except Meng Chwen.
Meng Chwen winced in pain, but held from letting out a scream.
Meng Chwen fell to his knees and nearly swooned;
Thoughts of ancient days filled his mind.
For in his youth some twelve years agone
On Mount Ledang a wasp had struck the left forearm;
and for seven moons he was bestowed the arm of Popeye.
‘Ere now a wasp too had stung, but on the right forearm.
‘Tis too early in the journey to fall,
From too small an inflicted wound!
So squeezed he the venom from his body
and an antihistamine administered to him.
Alas, it was a little bit late; for two mounds had formed.
Zaidi took a look and surveyed the wound.
With a quick eye, he then scanned the area
and searched the wet ground.
Meng Chwen knew not what Zaidi found,
But in his hand was a pinch of wet soil.
Zaidi covered the wound, and spread it around.
‘Haps to control the blood from coming to a boil.
Ere long, Meng Chwen stood, gathered the Fellowship
And picked up the march to the peak of Mount Tahan.
In his mind, Meng Chwen screamed:
No wasp will stand in my way!
For I’m destined to face the dragon of Mount Tahan!

V: Battle of Lata Luis
Step after step the march continued on.
Before long, minutes had summed up to hours;
The journey into the Forbidden Forest continued.
In the distance, a mighty thunderous roar was heard
Surely the dragon know of our presence!
A long shadow soon loomed over us—
Surely the dragon soared high above,
studying each and every of our little moves.
Shadows danced along the path we took
With each flap of the dragon’s wings.
A mighty gust of wind shook the trees.
The dragon accelerated to a speed
Unbeknownst to human-kind;
Thrusting through canvases of dark clouds.
‘Ere long, a torrential rain came upon us.
For two hours heavy droplets pelted hard.
Yet the Fellowship, now in cloaks of varied colours,
walked steadily on through the forest,
Bah! Is this all you can do?
Our cloaks do repel thy assault!
The dragon raged!
A thunderstorm brewed!
Along came the BeastOkutaresama!1

There was one river more to cross
‘fore we reach Kem Kor.
The choice site to wind down for the night.
Okutaresama, the river spirit and ally to our enemy,
Now misled, made rivers boil with uncontrollable rage.
When calm, one crossed the river with ease.
But now, cold waters smashed hard upon boulders.
Currents rushed. Our passage hindered.
We stopped an hour long; some distance off
from where we were to cross the river.
Drinking coffee and tea.
We wondered when our crossing will be.

When finally, Zaidi said, “Let’s go.”
All arose and began the journey.
At the bank we watched the river raged.
Some seized with fear; some with excitement.
Zaidi raised his hands. All stood waiting.
There seemed no way. Zaidi took to the waters.
Searched he long for a passageway.
In circles he went, testing currents.
Grabbing branches. Balancing on rocks.
Long he surveyed, but there seemed no way.
Meng Chwen said, “Let us all wait
’till there are less risky ways.”
Zaidi, unaffected by those words
persisted in his pursuit to find a way.
The fellowship grew restless.

Meng Chwen stepped into the waters,
and faced Okutaresama, the river spirit.
His first step was the worst. Unaccustomed
To rushing currents and the cold, his legs froze.
Unable to move one step forward, Meng Chwen
was forc’d to withdraw from battle.
Determined to have evr’yone cross the river before
light turns in after a hard day’s work,
Meng Chwen let down his arms and
struggled to stand against a boulder.
He looked Okutaresama in the face,
and roared, “We will not fight you!
Let us pass. Our war involves you not!”
Stronger currents rushed down.
Meng Chwen, a footing he missed and so slipped.
Blood flowed from his shin and knee.
He pulled himself up, lock’d his foot amongst the rocks.
and braced against the strong currents.
We will not fight you!

Zaidi balanced on boulders above running waters.
Meng Chwen stood firm in the raging waters.
Together a chain was formed. The sole aim
To aid others to cross the mighty river.
Ikhwan was first. Not burdened by his rucksack
he used the chain to cross with success.

Quin Jean with her rucksack still strapped
attempted the pathway next.
Okutaresama watched and grew crossed.
Okutaresama blew and sent forth rapids.
A sudden push of water flung her sideways.
‘Fore her next step complete, she was swept!
Okutaresama struck and heartbeats quickened.
Fear struck the hearts of men should
One such as she would perish at such moments.
Quick as lightning, Meng Chwen stretched out his hand
and only barely managed to grab her royal hand.
Not you! I will not lose you! Not here! Not now!

Her clothes and rucksack now full of water.
With added weight, she scarce weigh Meng Chwen down.
For though he would have jumped into the rapids
To save those her should she be swept away,
He held his footing, standing solid like a rock.
With one Herculean yawp, he pulled her in.
Not one in the Fellowship of Ten crossed
With weights strapped behind their backs anon.
Meng Chwen guided arms and legs against waters
While Zaidi took to task the ferrying of heavy rucksacks.
When all had passed, and Okutaresama had seen
the determination of the Fellowship of the Ten
Okutaresama relented and rushing waves subsided.
Zaidi and Meng Chwen, both exhausted, paused for but a moment.

The journey to Kem Kor continued.
Guided by moonlight and hand held torches,
All walked deep into the Forbidden Forest
‘Till all reached the site of choice.

That night, Quin Jean sang of her experience:
To die in the water, I knew I would not.
Fear entered my heart, not at all.
For Death is but still a distant call.
My experience, so exciting it was!
Meng Chwen shook his head and sought comfort by
Sending messages to his beloved Queen and to Firewurkz.

VI: Knock Knock Knock
Squish! Squash! Squish! Squash!
See us march on the muddy path!
Squish! Squah! Squish! Squash!
We approach the muddy pond!
Shoe Suckers! we name them.
Squish! Squash! Squish! Squash!
See us cross the the muddy pond!
We step on branches!
We step on leaves!
We balance on roots.
And when we miss:
We ploop our feet in the muddy pond.
“Eeewww!” we go!
All else laugh a hearty laugh.
Squish! Squash! Squish! Squash!
Pleep! Plop! Ploop! Plop!
We have marched across the muddy path!

Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
See us go through obstacles!
Obstacles of horizontal branches and trunks!
We squat! We bend down!
We walk like overweight ducks.
Once through obstacles,
We stand straight and we march.
But listen carefully. You’ll hear:
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
“Ouch!” we go.
All else laugh a hearty laugh.
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
Someone stands up too soon.
The head goes knock knock knock on a tree trunk.
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
We see stars! We see swirls!
We see whistling birdies!
We see pink elephants dancing!
We see such stuff whenever our heads go
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!

VII: The Maddening of a King
It was three hours before midnight;
For eleven hours long the Fellowship of Ten
Had marched and trudged through mud.
Walked on dead leaves, branches and roots.
Weaved along winding paths.
Slowly ascended steep slippery slopes.
Squeezed through narrow ways.
Light shifted from from dim misty mornings
To bright lights flickering through the dancing canopy.
When it rained, our eyes grew accustomed
To the grayish shadows all around.
Ev’n when the sun had served it’s stay,
And passed the reign to the Moon,
The Fellowship of Ten steadily moved on still.
Under the pale moonlight, and silvery lining of clouds,
Anon, the Fellowship of Ten reached Bonsai.

Bonsai was but a small site along the trail.
Barely big enough to for all our tents.
Botak Hill offered more open space
and a steady supply of water;
But that was some two to three hours away.

A decision had to be made:
To stay the night or to move on ahead.
All were made to make a choice.

Quin Jean who’d rather suffer within a day
Than to face hours of eternal torture
Was prepared to walk the way.

Rita, when asked, upon careful thought
Said she would walk should evr’yone walked.

Aloy’s wrinkled feet caused by soaking shoes
braced herself and said she, too, would walk on.

Thus, three there were who were ready to go.
But what of Amir, Ikhwan and Hamed?

Amir said, “I don’t know. Anythinglah”
That brought the wrath of Meng Chwen upon him.
So hid he no more of his weakness, and
revealed that he would rather not go.

Ikhwan sighed and sat upon a rock.
Tiredness overwhelmed him.
Weights upon his back he could no longer bear.
So he, too, chose not to go.

Hamed complained of unbearable pain.
He showed the broken blisters on his toes.
He asked for mercy and spoke of a hunger so great.
Then he pleaded that we should stay.

Zaidi would have want us go on;
In his heart, he had a slight fear.
Who knows what passes through in the dead of night?
But a compassionate heart he had.
So bid he that we stayed the night.

The heart of Meng Chwen
which was on fire was now quenched.
He look’d around and saw tired faces.
Pleading expressions. Battle-worn looks.
Finally a royal nod of understanding countenance.
For though Meng Chwen was prepared to walk the way
He said that all would stay.

Once a choice was made Zaidi disappeared.
Some celebrated. Others unaffected. And
Meng Chwen wondered if it was a choice well-made

…
…

All of a sudden, a sharp pain struck from within.
Meng Chwen grimaced in pain.
He shut his eyes; He focused his thoughts;
He forced himself to ignore the pain
‘Till he began to feel faint.
He asked for candies and food to ease
the rising discomfort. Yet he swallowed none.
Meng Chwen fell to his knees.
Dragged he his feet to his bed.
Noises overcrowded his hearing
‘Till all he heard just one voice
that of his queen’s sweet voice.
A calm descended upon him.
Sleep came over him;
and the world rested.

VIII: Animals Animals Anywhere?

IX: The Rocky Plains of Botak
It has been two hours since we left Bonsai
And we have reached the plains of Botak.
The early dew gathered in mists and arose
in swirls in a column towards the heavens—
joining its brethren clouds on high—
before a reigning Sun.

The Fellowship has finally caught up with Amir.
He who would often wait for command
left camp near an hour before ev’ryone else;
For in the night he must have heard the muses’ lure
and succumbed to ill delusions of grandeur.
But blessed was Amir for no evil befell him;
He was jolted from his dream-like walk.
He too stopped at the rocky plains of Botak.
All by himself he waited; he had nothing
to do but to find ways to syok sendiri.2

At the rocky plains of Botak,
a spring did the Fellowship find.
Here there is water to quench a parching throat.
Here there is water to melt caked mud on toes.
Here there is water to clean tomato-stained tins.
Here there is water to replenish empty bottles.
Here there is water to use with potato powder.
Once rejuvenated. Once refreshed.
Our sights were set on the final stretch
that will lead us all to fame or doom at the Dragon’s lair.

The journey towards the end tho short seemed long.
Nothing’s changed but Meng Chwen’s thoughts
Were burdened by tricks played upon his mind.
The air was thin; every step a delayed stomp.
Ahh. I’ve been once been forewarned.
These are but trappings of the Dragon’s mind tricks!
He closed his eyes and called to Windy3
Hoping for a ride upon this wondrous winged bird.
Instead help came from a nearby voice.
He was urged on to remove the camera from his pack
to take his mind off the imprint so set on the Dragon.
He was told to capture the passing moments of the land
less he should regret and come away with shattered memories.
Meng Chwen agreed and in a few swift strokes,
A camera was in his hands.
The focus shifted from that of the Dragon
to the the surrounding and the present.
The rolling hills. The encompassing green valley.
The lifting mists over the slope of trees.
A wild orchid. A monkey’s pot.
A little flower. A little seed.
Little buds spreading roots on edges of rocks.
Twisted branches of bonsai.
Thick leaves of tropical plants.
The red-baked ground. The snow white rocks.
Quin Jean’s steady walk.
Ikhwan’s striking yellow cloak.
Hamed and his potion of 100Plus,
Steps and time moved in synchronized tandem.
‘fore long, Meng Chwen was quick approaching
the Dragon’s lair at the peak of Mount Tahan.

X: The Race to the End

XI: A Conversation with the Dragon

XII: Go Far Far Away!

XIII: The Dragon’s Last Assault Final Cry
This time unarmed, we sat in a circle, recounting the day,
When all of a sudden the dragon soared in the air sublime.
It started with little droplets rattling upon the ground.
Then rain poured down fast and hard.
The dragon spitted forth forked sparks,
blinding even the moonlit eye.
Though seem the same as assaults of days past,
This rain bore no sting.
For the dragon’s rage was no more.
Meng Chwen gazed up the sky
and saw tears from the dragon’s eye.
Though never in danger, all retreated
and sought shelter from the crying sky.
Aloy, singularly took command of the blue tent
and saved her belongings from a coming deluge.
All else floated and sank by their own weight.
Hamed, soundly asleep in his dome, took no notice;
He still snored to smother the noisily sounds.
Zaidi, walked calmly into his own tent
and waited for the passing of the storm.
Five—Rita, Ikhwan, Amir, Quin Jean and Meng Chwen—
confined themselves to a two-man tent.

XIV: The Flood
The rain poured long and hard.
Meng Chwen knew the dragon’s final cry would bear no sting.
For though our belongings were thrown about asunder.
There was no need for us to run helter skelter.
The King stands firm in adversity
Tho the dragon breathes fire and winds howl
I, like mountains before me, yields not a nanometer.
So, still I, do I reside in mine humble abode.

Anon Meng Chwen warned:
“If this rain be longer,
This tent be flooded.”
The rain poured relentless.
Water flowed in trough holes seen and unseen.
Five persons in a sinking two-men tent.
All got wet and now needed to work
Do what is needed to save the sinking tent!
Ikhwan and Rita, fast, built a mountain
By piling things one atop another.
Meng Chwen and Amir submerged cloths
in building puddles of water.
Once full of water, those cloths were passed on
To Quin Jean who wrung them dry.
Again and again all worked together
To save the sinking tent.
‘Ere long, the dragon’s cry ended and the rain subsided.
Quin Jean, nearest to the doorway,
Put out her head and looked around.
“Land ahoy! We’ve ran aground!”
So seemed our tent was not wrecked by the storm.
It had simply anchor itself firmly to the ground.
Once in safety, each disembarked
And to each one’s own tent returned.

Alas, the blue tent was rendered useless
With waters reaching high above two inches.
Things floated and sank by their own weight.
With a heavy heart, Meng Chwen sacrificed
His homely humble abode—now all dry—
To the three maidens.
Haish. Such are things I do for others.
Thus, traded he his spacious home
for a little corner in Hamed’s dome.

XV: Starlight Starbright or The Dragon’s Gift
In the dead of night; not long after Meng Chwen
Closed his eyes when he was abruptly woken up
by the violent shakings of Ikhwan’s body.
It would seem the midnight cold of Mount Tahan
Had seeped deep into Ikhwan’s core.
Meng Chwen, now awake, kicked at Amir,
“Hey, Ikhwan’s dying of cold.
Let him have your blanket!”
It was not a request.
Meng Chwen ripped the cloth from Amir’s grasp
He pulled it over and covered Ikhwan.
Meng Chwen held Ikhwan’s fists to keep him still
Stop shaking. You need to survive the night

‘Twas only now an hour passed midnight,
A long way more ‘fore the sun takes the rein.
Meng Chwen tried to go back to sleep.
But Quin Jean came and rattled the tent.
Meng Chwen wanted so much to strangle her
I want my sleep. Why are you here?”
“Hey! Does anyone have dry clothes?
Rita and Aloy are shivering in the cold.”
So you’re here not for your own needs.
Meng Chwen reluctantly rose.
He sacrificed his jacket and his T-shirt
So he alone suffered the pangs of cold
While others may be warm.

Should Meng Chwen return to slumber
in the bitter cold, he too would shiver.
Anon he came out of his tent and
Roamed the campsite grounds—
now disarrayed by scavenger rats—
Meng Chwen settled beside a stove.
Brewed he some tea to warm his body.
All this while, Rita and Aloy
watched silently in their tent.
Quin Jean stood nearby watching the sky.

Oft Meng Chwen, too, would tilt his head
and watch the night-time sky—
Not a single puff of cloud floated by.
On such a clear night, Meng Chwen watched
Stars shimmering and dancing,
Stars flying horizontally by.
On such a clear night, clearer thoughts filled his mind.
Such moments of beauty on Mount Tahan’s peak
Meng Chwen knew of none that could compare.

Such was the dragon’s gift he spoke of
When we, with lowered arms, surrendered to one another.

Meng Chwen’s thoughts traveled afar, reaching
Those whose names were etched firmly in his heart:
If I could I would my love for you
Will shine so bright,
And stretch so far and wide,
Like the countless stars
spreading across heavens’ canvass
as I see on such a night.

The mist slowly slided in;
The drawing of curtains.
The moment over.
Meng Chwen shifted his thoughts.
What’s the measure of one’s love
That stretches forth to so few so many?
Again he felt the chill the night presented.
By then, it was near four past midnight.
‘Twas time to sleep;
To survive the cold.
To survive the night.
And in that sleep, let the world be at rest.

XVI: The Gifts Presented

XVII: Descent or From Last to First to Last Again
these are notes only; to be written soon
…waited till all has left
…checked to clean up the site
…ran from peak to Botak stopping occasionally
to take pictures of landscapes and the trail
…walked and waited at the back
then it started
MC couldn’t help himself
quickened steps from the back to the first
at Botak the rest did stop
But MC ran on ahead
from 18 to 1
QJ followed a bit but something compelled her to turn back
MC ran on till he felt something amiss
He unloaded his pack and saw his Tevas has slipped

Waited at open space
hoping someone with sandals
Nothing to do so he watched bees buzz about
till he noticed a pattern
and so without a clock MC counted time
of when bees come and go.

Finally Ikhwan and Amir came; they did not have sandals
and they ran on ahead to catch the first
and to mark our place at kem kor
MC waited some more
one by one each one passed
Alas no one had it
Till at last Zaidi came
In his hands were sandals
By the MC had waited more than an hour
and from 1st he is now last
He walked a bit with Zaidi and few at the back
Then gaining momentum he ran on ahead
Alas at the end he finished 3rd after
walking runnning, jumping edging trees
all in some 9 hours

…
in river
return to trail for our so called rescue
distracted by this man from UITM
aged 52, truly an inspiration
was offered coffee
MC and Ikhwan stopped and chat
‘Fore long Amir came.
gave command to Amir
Ikhwan and MC resumed their aim
to rescue fair maidens on the trail

saw torches in the jungle
MC told Ikhwan
women may not want aid
true enough all three wanted to tahan
and bear the weights upon their back
to complete their return to kem kor.

Luck has it that Quin Jean drops her sandals
Ikhwan picks it up. He takes one side
MC takes the other.
Just so we our effort does not seem wasted
should we return empty handed.

And in not so long a while all in the Fellowship of 10
reached kem kor for the night.

XVIII: The Final Night-time Wait and the Song of Kem Kor

XIX: The Journey Home

XX: Epilogue

—————
Notes
1 Okutaresama is the River Spirit seen in Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi.
2 syok sendiri kinda means “doing compulsive acts mainly for narcissistic self-satisfaction” in the Malaysia language. What he did at the rocky plains of Botak was that he photographed nothing but himself. Click here for a larger-sized composite picture.
3 Windy is a fictional character created by Shieh Jeanne. It’s a mythical bird that is known to be able to change it’s size. It was told that it first learned to change when it was injured on a volcano. Windy was about the size of a canary, and it was perched on a rock with red hot lava flowing around it. The Prince and the Blue Cow had come to its rescue via a magical rainbow bridge, but in turn got trapped instead. Fearing that harm would befall the Prince and the Blue Cow, Windy took to the skies to call for help. Alas no one responded. In desperation, Windy swooped down, wanting to catch both the Prince and the Cow in its claws to save the. Fighting against the heat and rushing wind, Windy transformed and grew in size—taking the size larger than any mythical giant Eagles. And so a favour had been returned; Windy who was first saved saved its saviour in turn. After that, Windy the size-changing bird took part in many other Prince and the Blue Cow adventures.