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Ben Medinets / story2e

Chapter 5: Journey to the Temple

At the break of dawn, there was a loud noise from outside the house. It was obvious to those around, it was a noise of distress. It definitely woke up Benny and Cletus out of their night-time slumber.

Like an annoying Alarm Clock, Soren’s bird, an eagle, was screaching. In its talon’s held the very important artifact necessary for success on Benny and Cletus’ mission, it was none other than the SPECTOR’S BOX.

Finally they had their ticket to leave. Fastened carefully to the box, was another parchment with further instructions from Soren. The letter contained a brief apology for not giving the artifact at the abode, it also contained the request to venture out and immediately obtain the RUBY STAFF.

Benny and Cletus quickly pondered the current events of the early morning. They both packed up for their journey, got the horses ready and then began to set out, ensuring they had possession of the BOX.

The eagle stayed until they set off. It gave one more screach goodbye, and then immediately flew off.

“Creepy Bird!” said Cletus as he shuddered nervously.

“Yeah!” replied Benny, “I don’t know what’s worse having a creepy bird constantly watch me or having to wait for an absent- minded, elderly, out-to-the-pasture wizard. Last night I thought things were going fine. This morning, with Soren forgetting to give us the BOX last night and having that creepy eagle watch us until we set off, gives me the impression that things aren’t or will be so honkey-dory.”

“We’ll just see,” Cletus said, speaking with more confidence now than Benny Brave did.

They rode out to the western part of town and to the coastline. They needed to cross the bay. There was an old pauper by the beachhead with a conveniently placed row boat.

“Do you think its safe?” asked Benny.

“I don’t think so, but that’s all we have.”

“What about the horses?”

“Hopefully, they’ll find their way back home,” replied Cletus.

So Benny went up to the stranger and asked him how much to rent the boat. The stranger quoted him 20 RIALs. So Benny took out a gold coin from his satchel and paid the stranger, who took the coin most greedily.

Just as the figure went on his way, Cletus was having second thoughts about the safety of the boat. This was due to the fact that he saw some long hair, which was none other than the color green. This stranger was definitely NOT a old man as they had originally thought, but a young female, most likely one of the very knaves they were trying to stop. Cletus was about to say something to Benny when a loud screach filled the air again. The familiar eagle came down.

Both gentlemen groaned about the presence of the watchful bird, who was belonging to their patron, Soren. Then the unexpected thing happened, Soren transfigured himself from the eagle to his normal self.

“Who did you borrow this boat from?” Soren asked.

“I don’t know, but the boat looked sound and the price was reasonable” Benny answered.

“Let’s hope your voyage across the bay is successful, for your sake. I won’t be there to rescue you if the boat sinks, as I will be bringing your horses back home. Good luck crossing the bay.” Soren said.

So Benny and Cletus moved their packs from their horses to the boat they had just recently obtained. Once the horses were unpacked, Soren spoke softly to each horse, and led the horses away towards home.

Benny and Cletus pushed the boat off the shoreline, and headed towards the temple. They both prayed that the newly acquired boat would keep them safe. Unfortunately, half way across the bay, in the deepest part, water started gushing in. It was as though the pins on the boat itself pulled apart. With quick thinking, they grabbed their packs, and secured the SPECTOR’s BOX, and then abandoned ship.

So now they were forced to swim. Lucky for them the water was relatively calm. So they were able to swim despite their gear, which they put on their backs. Both, eventually, were able to make it to shore.

While they looked for a bite to eat, they were slowly drying off. Near the tribal Temple, there was a marketplace. They ordered a couple of ales and some soup, in order to prevent getting pneumonia. After they ate, they were not only satisfied, but also starting to get dry and ready to go see the Druid of the Temple.

So they asked where the temple was situated. They found out it was now very dangerous because the patch to the temple was spooked by a gang of undead Skeletons.

Both of them grinned at each other, and thought about an immediate use for the Spector’s Box on the skeletons. However, Soren had not given them thorough instructions on how to use the BOX, but Benny surmised that all they would have to do was open it, much like Pandora’s Box, and hopefully “help” would come to them. This should release the SPECTOR, which would then take on and put the undead creatures under its control.

So they followed the villager’s directions despite the repeated warnings of extreme danger. Armed with only the SPECTOR’s BOX, they soon met up with an interesting sight. Near the gates of the Temple, 4 walking Skeletons were guarding near the entrance. There were no living humans around.

Benny opened up the BOX for the first time. The SPECTOR popped out much like a genie popped out of a lamp. It almost immediately grew to the size of a normal-sized man but had the very appearance of a ghost. It then looked at them for instruction. It would neither move nor engage the dangerous, undead Skeletons, which were now alerted to their presence.

Benny saw that the BOX did come with some simple directions. To control the SPECTOR, you tell him a command, and then shut the BOX. To change orders or to summons him, you open the box again. If the mission is over and you no longer require the services of the SPECTOR, you shut the BOX immediately after summoning the SPECTOR.

As soon as he finished reading this, he shouted to the SPECTOR, “engage the Skeletons!!” and immediately closed the box. The SPECTOR sprung into action and began to fight the 4 Skeletons. He soon overcame them and then had the 4 return to the guard houses in front of the Temple. When they were in place, he exorcised their souls from their Skeletal bodies. Upon being exorcised, the Skeletons became like bony statues.

Without being summoned, the SPECTOR returned to Benny and Cletus, and looked at them for further instructions. Benny opened the BOX once more, told the SPECTOR to return to the BOX, and then proceeded to shut the BOX. Just before the BOX was shut completetly, the SPECTOR quickly changed back into the small creature they had seen when the SPECTOR was first released, and then almost instantaneously got sucked back into the BOX.

Since there were no guards (they were most likely dead), Benny and Cletus were able to enter the Temple without any further resistance or problems. They went into the main hall, and still didn’t see or hear anybody. They went into the ajoining study, and then heard some movement under a desk.

They found out that this was the Master Druid of the Temple. Here he was scared like a little child, covering his eyes, and was frightened beyond belief. Besides being very scared, the Druid Master was also very hungry due to the previous “siege-like” conditions that the 4 undead Skeletons were putting the immediate area of the temple under.

The Druid Master, however, was not entirely surprised that they had come. The Druid had sais that Soren, himself, had come and told him of their imminent arrival. With the driving off of the undead pests outside the Temple, the Druid Master was even more sure that these were the men to be trusted.

“With the blessing of our Tribal Patriarch, Prince ACHOO...” the Druid began speaking.

“Bless you.” Benny interupted.

“No...that’s the name of the Tribal Elder,” the Druid said disappointingly, “I present you this RUBY STAFF to aid you on your journey. I wish you very good luck. You are welcome to stay, but unfortunately, our storehouses are empty here at the Temple.”

Benny first blushed with a mild embarassment, but then soon grinned when he was given the RUBY STAFF. Both of them thanked the Druid Master, and Cletus said, “That’s fine!! We can eat tomorrow.”

After presenting them with the RUBY STAFF, he led them to an adjacent room, and let them rest for the remainder of the evening and night. Both Benny and Cletus took several turns guarding the artifacts. They took 2 hour shifts, to make sure that no one would steal the important tools of this mission.

Benny was curious about their room. There were at least several books. This included books on the tribal history and religion. The books on both of these topics bored him greatly, and he put the books away.

In the morning, the Druid Master had told them to use the Ruby Staff just outside the gates to the Guildhouse. Benny was to hold up the STAFF, point to the wall of the Guild House, and say “Dissapate”. The other use for the STAFF was to point it to the water, and use the STAFF to part the water, so they could safetly and easily cross the bay. To part the water, all he would need to do is point to the water, and shout out “Part”. This would create a small path on the floor of the bay, that the two would cross in relative safety. After they were finished crossing, Benny would point to the water again, and then say, “Resume”

The STAFF was quite powerful magically. There was much more to the STAFF than the Druid Master was willing to talk about. After this, there wasn’t too much else that Benny and Cletus needed to know from him, so he sent them on their way. Before crossing the bay again, Both of them stopped to find a nice place to eat, as they hadn’t eaten for a whole day.

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