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Ben Medinets / story2h

Chapter 8: Returning the Tools

The longest part of their task would be to return to the temple to give back the RUBY STAFF. The party boarded the Emperor’s own ship, HMS MURIELLE, crewed by Commander Smitty and four of his sailors. The boat was beginning to get crowded as Benny and Company boarded (Benny, Cletus, and their 4 escort guards).

It didn’t take long to cross the straight. They couldn’t sail directly to the other side because of oncoming winds, so they had to tack their way across.

Like it was already said, it didn’t take long to cross the water, and they anchored near the temple. Benny and his gang left the boat, and headed towards the temple.

There was nothing blocking their way this time, and they entered the temple. At the entrance, the Master Druid welcomed them, and he was still very thankful that they rescued him earlier.

So after a group hug, which consisted of Benny, Cletus, and the Master Druid, they stopped hugging and went to the Druid’s private study. The escorting guards were told to wait by the entrance.

Benny immediately gave the Druid back his RUBY STAFF and told the Master Druid how useful he found it. The Master Druid was glad that he was of some help. The Druid took the STAFF, brought it out of the room, and presumably secured it. He returned with another object.

The Druid said as he entered the room, “In gratitude for saving my life and for returning the RUBY STAFF, ensuring it didn’t get into the wrong hands, I offer this as a gift....call it a token of our friendship....here is the GOLDEN BOW. It is deadly accurate, but that is all I can tell you now. Perhaps, you will find out more about it in further training.”

Benny was deeply grateful for this gift. The string was extremely rigid and so was the frame, and the frame was quite light for being made out of stone instead of the traditional wood. It would make an excellent and deadly long-range weapon.

The Druid then offered for Benny, Cletus, and the guards to spend the night at the temple, but Benny gratefully declined, and said that they had to return as quickly as possible. They said their goodbyes, and hugged once more. Then they returned to the ship with the guards.

The return was much quicker because they were sailing with the wind, so it didn’t take that long at all. Then they had to go to the chapel to return the mirror and see the priest, Jean-Paul again. The royal ship was moured again by the Imperial Palace. and Benny and Company left the boat. They returned to the Imperial Palace.

Rather than returning to the festivities at the Imperial Hall, they went directly to the chapel. The guards returned to their barracks to await further orders.

Like the Master Druid, the Priest Jean-Paul was very happy to see them. He told them to put the mirror back on its stand. If anyone tried to steal it here, the mirror would prove quite deadly.

Then Benny went with the Priest to his private cabin, while Cletus stayed at the chapel. The Priest wanted to have a private chat about events that recently occured especially involving the mirror itself.

Benny described how he felt as he took the mirror. He felt a little discomfort but that was it. He then told that when the Prince just looked at the mirror, he started to convulse. Benny wanted to know more about the MIRROR’S power.

Jean-Paul didn’t want to overwealm Benny with too much information (especially at this point), so he told Benny that the MIRROR affects everyone differently, in regards to the manner of evil. If a completely evil person were to touch or even look into the MIRROR, he would most likely die an quick but very painful death. If a pure person did the same, nothing would happen. Since no one is entirely pure, but some manner of evil, the relatively “good” person is “cleansed” giving relative discomfort and then the MIRROR would allow itself to be touched.

Benny knew he was no angel but he knew that he wasn’t overtly evil. The Priest then asked him what he had seen in the MIRROR before being able to take possession of it.

Benny was extremely hesitant to say anything about it. With extreme nervousness, he said that he had seen himself in... in...in the Priest’s clothing of his office, more specificly, he seen his own face wearing exactly what the priest was wearing now.

The Priest was now speechless for a brief moment as he thought about this revelation....and then a grin grew on his face. He then hugged Benny. Before leaving, the Priest’s cottage, he said he didn’t know the exact meaning, but said Benny should see Soren again to see if he had any advice.

So they returned to the Chapel. Before leaving, Jean-Paul wrote on a parchment and sealed it. He told Benny to give it directly to Soren, and that it was meant for Soren’s eyes only.

So Cletus left with Benny and returned to the Main Palace Hall. They wondered if they were fine to travel to Soren’s Abode. They also wondered if they could dispatch a group of soldiers to escort them if it was deemed to dangerous to travel alone, and lastly, they wondered if Soren was even there at the Abode. So they thought it was wise to find out the Emeror.

They soon found out that the party was temporarily postponed and the Emperor was with his council again. So Benny and Cletus returned to the Royal Townhouses again, not knowing what to do next. As they went through, they were still let in with no difficulty, but what struck them as odd wast the doubling of the soldiers posted at the gates of the walls surrounding the townhouses.

As they went further in, they found more guards posted in front of the Deputy Mayor’s Townhouse, which was uncharacteristicly lighted up. It was generally known that the Deputy Mayor never slept at Royal Townhouses, since the Emperor constructed a new palace nearby for his deputy.

The guards stationed in front were Imperial Guards so Benny wondered if it had anything to do with the Deputy Mayor. So he walked up to the Guards. The Guards bowed to him and Cletus.

Benny told the Guards not to bow to him or Cletus, that he (and Cletus) were just as common as they were. The Guards just chuckled at this. Benny and Cletus were still being treated as honored heroes of the Empire.

But Benny wasn’t sure about to be ready to be hero-worshipped like this. He really wanted to know about all this extra security, especially for this “empty” house.

The one Guard explained, “oh, this is no longer empty. As a safety precaution, the Crown Prince is now staying here until further notice.”

The other Guard continued, “just after you masters had left, a strange woman entered the Great Imperial Hall, and was trying to see the Prince. The Emperor had the woman arrested, and she was found out to be the GREEN MAGE. She does not wish to disclose her purposes to coming here, and the Emperor does not wish to further enfuriate the MAGIC GUILD by torturing the MAGE for further answers, so he has ordered the MAGE locked up in protective custody until further notice.”

Just as he finished saying that, out of the Deputy Mayor’s window came a familiar sight. It was the eagle form of Soren himself. Soren landed on Benny’s shoulders and then squawked.

“Creepy bird....I think it likes you master” a Guard said.

I think so...” answered Benny. “I think its time to return to our temporary residence. Thanks for the information kind guards, and by the way, (I repeat) please do not further to bow to us or call us master. Thanks and Goodbye.”

“Goodbye. Kind Mas...Sirs”. the Guards responded.

Benny, Cletus, and Soren went to Leon’s Townhouse, and entered it. Once safetly inside, Soren change back into his normal human form.

Soren said, “I took the liberty of securing the SPECTOR’S BOX at my Abode. It is now safe and sound. Interesting events that have recently happened. Eh???”

“Yes I know.” Benny answered, “here is a scroll from the Priest Jean-Paul, it is still sealed as he wanted only you to read it.”

So Soren took the scroll and took a few moments to mull it over. Actually when he finished reading it, he asked to be excused, and told them to get their rest tonight. He would be back in morning to discuss the contents of the scroll.

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