Maglins and the Infinite Quest

43

Hey loves!

Because the time passes differently in Maglins than in the Quest, it might seem a bit confusing but I'll do my best to try and avoid that confusion.

Anna Benett

I stood beside Lilith, my eyes fixed on one thing, and one thing only. The puzzle piece on the blue birds back.

I wasn't sure how I was going to get it without being severely injured, but it's keeping me from finishing this quest so I had to take the risk.

I took off my robe and held it in both of my hands. Once the bird with the puzzle piece swooped down, flying straight toward Lilith, I took the opportunity and jumped onto its back.

It was a struggle to not only wrestle it to give me an extra second to get on, but also to put my robe down underneath me. Hopefully the effects of being touched by the bird are either slowed down or less intense because of the thick barrier.

I held onto the bird the best I could, holding on to the sleeves of my robe as well as the rope that held the puzzle piece to the creature. I was holding on for my life.

My sweaty hands began to slip from the rope, causing me to grip my hands tighter.

The bird whipped around the large room, flying in circles and swooping down and flying up quickly, probably trying to find a way to get me off. I held on tightly as I tried to untie the rope, but it was tied too tightly.

I pulled out my applewood wand to cast a spell that could help me, but I don't know which spell to use.

"What spell can help me untie this?" I yelled to Lilith as the bird continued flying around the room.

"I don't know!" She screamed.

I brainstormed spells I had heard casted before as well as ones I had briefly glanced over in books at school.

No luck.

I tried to make up some weird word as I tapped my wand toward the rope, hoping at least one of my attempts could help.

One of them did.

The rope untied from the bird as I came crashing down to the floor, thankfully the rope with the puzzle piece and my robe came crashing down with me.

Lilith ran toward me and created a forcefield around us, this one lasting longer than the previous.

"Episkey!" Lilith spoke, pointing her wand toward parts of my body that hadn't taken the fall well or being on that bird and absorbing its ability to hurt me.

It didn't make me feel brand new or anything, but it should do the trick.

Lilith crouched down beside me as I laid, almost helplessly, trying to aid me.

"How did you get the rope untied?" She asked.

"I don't know-"

"You know how much fame you can get from this?" She asked, "You were fangirling over me, and all I did was invent one little potion. I think you have a gift Anna,"

I was flattered, "It was just luck,"

"I've known many lucky people in my time, and none of them have been able to do that on the spot like that. Takes years to come up with those things,"

All of the complimenting helped my body heal from the injuries and I pulled to my feet and brushed off my robe from the new dirt it acquired.

Once the forcefield started to deteriorate, Lilith and I ran through the room and toward the puzzle table. I had a wand in one hand, and the piece in the other, Lilith protecting me. She shielded me from the creatures as if she were my mother, shielding me from the outside world after my sister's death. Telling me the world is too dangerous and that I needed to be careful.

I guess being more careful could have helped me to avoid being here. To help me avoid being dead.

I don't even want to begin to imagine how she feels after my passing. She birthed two daughters, just for them both to die before their fifteenth birthdays. I was fourteen when I passed, I would have been fifteenth on June 19th, but I never lived to see the day.

For all I know, it could be a year later with how insanely fast time goes by while you're dead.

As I was protected, I placed the last piece into the slot on the table, securing it in place. The room went silent as the creatures began leaving us alone and going back through the doors they came from, doors latching behind them. The lights also came on, torches around the walls and on pillars that supported the building began to light.

We could see the entirety of the room now.

Our structure we built was on one side of the room, the puzzle table in the middle, and other junk and furniture thrown everywhere else.

From the puzzle table, a button protruded, similar to the one that got us into the quest, so we pressed it.

This was very similar to that button as it brought us to a new area, this one was a castle. A palace almost.

The sky was becoming dark, but was still fairly bright. It appeared to be in the evening or early in the night.

The two of us stood on the walkway, looking toward the palace, it was very symmetrical and elegant, almost as if royalty lived in it. The grass beside us was well kept as well as the shrubs and bushes that were dotted around.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, looking around us as an owl swooped toward us, sitting onto Lilith's arm that she held out.

It had a sealed letter for us. I reached for it before it flew away into the sky.

Dear adventurer,

You are back in the real world, temporarily. You are here to complete a quest which will grant you your life back.

The palace in front of you belongs to the royal family of Benari, built in 1735 and lived in by generations. Your task is to break into the palace and locate a green gemstones tiara as well as the matching necklace and earrings. All without being caught.

The house has many guards who will not hesitate to arrest or kill you if spotted.

Once you're done, make your way to the ministry and smuggle the jewelry into room 229A.

Any close calls to being caught will result in an extra year being missed from reality. If you can complete this quest, you will be freed to go back home or to school, far into the future from the time you died. If one close call occurs, you'll be allowed back, a year older than planned.

The two of us read and studied the letter.

"We have to steal some jewelry and not get caught?" I asked in astonishment.

Lilith stood, looking puzzled, "This is the last part of the quest though,"

We both sighed, both in astonishment of what we needed to do, but also how risky the whole adventure would be.