There it was. Looming high above you in the clouds was the beautiful Mount Temperance. The sun was looming overhead with a warm but not harsh heat coming off it. From where you stand, you can see rocky cliffs, vallies, rope bridges, everything you had ever wanted out of a hike. Your friend Julia stands beside you, taking in the view in all of it's magnificnce. You two, with your walking sticks, backpacks, bandanas, and sunglasses, had talked about hiking the mountain for some years, since you had graduated from high school (hell, that was 10 years ago!), but you had never gotten around to it until now. So, with the sun and mid morning coolness still in the air, you two set off.
"I can't believe it's been ten years, but we're finally here." Julia said in awe. "Yeah, I can hardly believe it either." You say, but you're not really paying attention. There was so many things spread out below you as you climbed higher and higher that even Julia, the most talkitive person you know, was left speechless. As the trail got rockier and rockier, steeper and steeper, you wondered if this was a good idea. You and Julia certainly aren't unathletic, but this is a little more strenous than what you're used to. But you wouldn't have to worry for long. You round a corner and see a small resting area, with a tree to lie in the shade of. The view up here s magnificent.
"Oh thank GOD" Julia wheezed and threw her pack off her back. She plunked down under the tree's shade and began posting all the photos she took to Instagram and Twitter. Meanwhile, you are content to just walk around and take in the sights. They call Mount Temperance "Mount Biome" because it has one of every type on or around it. Surrounding the mountain on five sides was the sea, a lucious green forest, a swamp area, a desert, and a city, where you and Julia had started. Up ahead of you two were three paths: one labeled "Snowy Path, hiking level: difficult", another labeled "Unprotected Mountain path" and a third, the sign had been knocked down years ago and no one had bothered to replaced it. As far as you could tell, it led a little down the mountain and out of sight.
As Julia was still texting away, you spy a baggie of some kind of white powder lying, dusty and forgotten, on the side of the path. A short note was attached to it:
WANT TO MAKE YOUR HIKING EASIER? THEN TRY BERYL'S HIKE-O-MIN, A MEDICATION SURE TO MAKE YOUR NEXT HIKING XPERIENCE A WALK IN THE PARK. SIMPLY ADD THREE OR FOUR GRAINS TO YOUR WATER BOTTLE AND DRINK AS NORMAL. BERYL'S PATNETED FORMULA WILL MAKE YOUR BODY ADJUST TO MAKE HIKING EASIER! ENTERING A COLD AREA? WATCH IN AMAZEMENT AS A WARM MOUNTAIN LION HIDE GROWS ON YOU! ENTERING A ROCKY AREA? WATCH AS HOOVES GROW ON YOU TO MAKE HIKING THOSE TREACHOROUS CLIFFS EASIER! ALL EFFECTS WEAR OFF IN A MATTER OF HOURS! Disclaimer: DO NOT USE OVER RECCOMENDED DOSAGE OR... the note was torn off here.
"Hey, Julia, what do you think of this?" You call to her. She gets up and walks over. She snatches the packet out of your hand and reads the note. "It's probably some gag." Julia said dimissivley, but yo could tell she was curious. Suddenly, without warning, you pick up a few grains and taste them on your tounge. "Hey... thus stuff tastes like protein powder!" You call after Julia. "Here, let me try." She says, and takes some. "Hey.. you're right!" She cries. "Some twisted freak must have thought that note up. Here, let's dump it in our after bottles!" before you can object, she dumps half of it in hers and half of it in yours. Then she takes a healthy swig. "Tastes great! C'mon, let's go!" she hands you her pack and starts speedily walking toward her destination.
You yourself take a healthy swig. It does taste pretty refreshing, but under the taste you can detect a bitter medicinal note. Your stomach lurches and suddenly you feel very warm. "Well? C'mon, slowpoke!" Julia yells. Feeling uneasy about the powder you two have just consumed, you follow Julia down...