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Ben Medinets / story2g

Chapter 7: Return of the Prince

Benny and Cletus had a couple of choices. They cold try to fight their way past the guards which would be close to futile since only Cletus had any real combat experience. Benny did have some limited fighting instruction but not in the heat of battle, so that plan wasn’t viable.

What they did have was the SPECTOR’S BOX and the RUBY STAFF. The SPECTOR’s BOX would release the SPECTOR which, hopefully, would scare away the guards and any undead opposition. The RUBY STAFF should break-down the walls, and also add additional fright to the guards.

So Cletus would hold onto the SPECTOR’s BOX and Benny would weld the RUBY STAFF and call out its enchantments to be performed.

Benny raised the staff, pointed it to the GUILDHOUSE, and called out “LOCAL QUAKE”. A ray of energy shot out from the STAFF, and shot into the ground by the wall of the HOUSE. Next, the ground began to shake. The guards were startled but then quickly braced themselves for a potential attack.

The shaking of the ground intensified until the wall began to crack, and a nice sized hole developed. Once the hole was large enough to walk through, Benny called for the end to the quake, and Cletus opened up the BOX, to release the SPECTOR.

What the SPECTOR could do that the QUAKE could not do was to put panic in the guards. What happened next was completely astonding, especially to Benny and Cletus. The guards weren’t really human. They were actually undead skeletons wearing “skins”. Like the skeletons at the temple, these were quickly dispatched by the SPECTOR. These skeletons also became “bony” statues.

With the guards defeated, and the hole in the wall large enough to go through, Benny and Cletus could enter the GUILDHOUSE unimpeaded. so they both entered the HOUSE and decided to split up. Cletus would take the left side, and Benny would take the right.

The Hall, itself look largely empty, even the SPECTOR was starting to look rather bored. So when he returned to Cletus, Cletus put him back into the BOX. Being faster on his feet, Cletus was able to make it to the other side of the HOUSE faster, and then decided to double back to ensure he didn’t miss anything.

Not knowing that Cletus doubled back, Benny, after finishing his side, entered the main hall from the rear. A mysterious figure was waiting. As flames shot past his head, Benny knew this was no ordinary guard captain, but was the RED MAGE.

As he ducked back out of the main hall, and as he dodged the flames as best as his reflexes would let him, the RED MAGE began to persue him. When the RED MAGE began to start going after Benny, and his back was turned to Cletus, Cletus began to run towards the RED MAGE as quickly and quietly as he could.

Cletus’ speed and agility let him catch up to the RED MAGE without drawing any attention to himself. Cletus had the choice of tackling the RED MAGE from behind or knocking away the FLAME STAFF. He quickly reasoned that if he tackled the MAGE from behind, the MAGe might still get off an attack, which at this range would most certainly be successful and deadly.

The other option would be to knock away the staff, which looked like it was the center of the MAGE’s power much like the RUBY staff was the center of Benny’s current power. Cletus still had the element of surprise. He blindly swung his arm at the staff, and managed to knock it away from the RED MAGE.

What surprised Cletus was that the RED MAGE made no noise like it was muted or else had something up its sleeve. The RED MAGE went for the staff again. With the STAFF out of his hands, Cletus was now able to try and overcome the RED MAGE with his superior stength.

While they were struggling with each other, Benny took out the MIRROR and Cletus was soon able to momentarily subdue the RED MAGE. The MAGE was forced to look into the MIRROR for just a mere moment, but even that momentary glance made him go into convulsive seizures. Cletus took the opportunity to bind the RED MAGE, and they packed up his STAFF.

Just before they revived him, they removed his hood. What they saw was the most unsettling thing they had seen yet. It was even more unnerving than even seeing the Sketetons with the “Skins” or even the initial shock of having to go against the Mage. Under the hood was the very person they were looking for. The RED MAGE was no other than the Emperor’s own son. The disappearance of the crown prince and the new addition to MAGIC GUILD were more than just coincidence.

The Prince must have been kidnapped and then put under an enchantment so he could be controlled by the GUILD. Finding out he could control the Fire Crystal and be the RED MAGE was pretty surprising for Benny and Cletus.

They woke him up, and he no longer resisted them. He followed them since he was no longer under the direct influence of the GUILD. They knew that the Emperor was still busy with the rest of the GUILD. So they went to see Soren back at the abode.

In a matter of no time, they made it to the abode, and Soren let them in. Soren was excited to see the Prince alive. When he found out that the Prince was the RED MAGE, he was even more excited. What was once a bitter enemy to the Emperor, was now a dear ally.

The Prince still didn’t talk or made any vocal noise. This was strange to Benny and Cletus, until Soren explained that the Prince was cursed at a very young age, and has been muted ever since. But that was all Soren would tell them at this point.

Sorent turned back into his “eagle” form and flew immediately to the Imperial Council Hall. When Soren told of the news, the Emperor was very happy, while Claus, the BLACK MAGE and current GUILD MASTER, on the other hand, was extremely angry and left with the other 2 MAGES. He would soon find out that his GUILD HALL was trashed. The GUILD would go into hiding to plot revengeful strategy.

When Soren returned to the abode, he was followed closely behind by an armed escort. The escort sent was none other than the entire force of the Emperor’s Elite Guards. There were 3 extra horses. There was to be a feast in honor of the Prince’s return. Benny and Cletus would be rewarded, and during the feast, the two would be hailed as heroes.

As the Prince entered the Palace there was great noise, first as shock as the subjects across the Empire were finally disclosed about the Prince’s disappearance, and then it was immediately followed by happiness as they found out about his return.

The Prince hugged his father, who then was close to tears. Benny and Cletus approached this welcoming party, bowed to the Emperor, and then also received warm embraces from the Emperor also.

The Emperor and the others entered the Grand Imperial Hall inside the Palace, where the feast would be held. Halfway into the feast, Soren returned and pulled Benny and Cletus aside, and told them that their adventures weren’t over. They had to return the items back to their owners, and that this was just the beginning of their adventures and dangers.

Their new task after returning the items was that they were to keep diligent watch on the GUILD. So with Benny and Cletus with him, he announced that there was still unfinished business to attend to.

So after a bit of disappointment in the crowd, the heroes were hailed again, and then were bade farewell. A detachment of Imperial Guards were dispatched to escort them on their next tasks.

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