a dangerous quest filled mission

What did I even do? I ended up doing the worst thing possible and it’s something that I could have made look pleasanter in my imagination.

It started the day I went to my secret haven. It was an exhausting workday. I needed to unwind. I could get away from things like Peter Parker in “No way Home”.

That place, of course, was the woods. I thought back on my day. I had climbed eight flights of stairs, then used a ladder for the last three to reach the roof. Doing all that in the afternoon heat while wearing my hard hat, architect boots, and backpack had completely drained me. Still, I knew it was worth it because architecture was my passion. School trips first sparked my interest, but my father, an architect himself, made it grow. When my brother and I were younger, he often took us to watch him work. My brother eventually chose a career in design engineering instead.

I’m Luke Wallace a 25-year-old architect from Charlottesville, Virginia. I majored in architecture at the University of Virginia. I wanted to continue living in my college town I wanted to construct buildings in the town and the neighboring towns. I lived in a small town called Kennethburg in West Virginia.

Today I was preoccupied with the making of a new building in my university. I was working on the building with some of my fellow alumni which would be used as the aerospace engineering building.

I had reached. Sunlight gleamed through the trees. It was evening. I walked a bit into the woods. I saw no signs of activity, no animals, people, nothing. It was usually like this. I got to my haven It was in the first path of trees, the fifth tree on the left.

I put my backpack on the opposite side of the trunk. I took out my bottle and took a sip. I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of nature the fresh pine, the fresh air. Several moments went by when suddenly there was a shout “OVER THERE” in the field in front of me a stag was running away from two hunters.

He burst through the trees the hunters in pursuit. He was slightly limping on his left hind leg

I took my backpack and jumped to the ground. I beckoned he slowed to a halt. I crouched on to the ground, and I held out my arms the stag he got into my arms. I turned and started running to the right. I could hear the hunters shouts of surprise they had seen me carrying it but that still didn’t stop them from catching their prey

I kept running. I couldn’t outrun the hunters even though it was easy to hold this baby stag. I turned to the left bursting through the trees to a clearing.

I saw a small opening between two leaves and then I came to a fork one path to the left, right and center. I went left. I heard the hunters going down the center path. I tripped over a fallen branch and fell face first. What a way to die I thought on a forest floor getting shot to death by two hunters while holding a wounded animal. HONK I saw another clearing I picked him up and went.

“There they are!” the hunters were on our path I burst through the clearing, but they had already seen me I was a goner I thought when I saw huge leaves from a tree spread out it was unusual, so I stumbled toward it. I extended my left hand and saw an opening and went through it. I heard the hunters bursting through the clearing.

“Where is he?” I just saw him “

“must’ve gone through. Come on we must get him”

I heard their footsteps. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was in a dark tunnel. I started to walk ahead. I couldn’t see my young companions’ face his blood had soaked through my shirt. Hopefully walking through the darkness would get my animal friend to safety. After walking a few meters two passageways stretched out in front of one to the left and to the right. I went right.

My foot hit a stone slab I let out a yelp. As I climbed dust came from the steps it was an ancient stairway.

The stairs started to get steeper. When I got to the top,  my back ached and my chest hurt. My nose still felt broken and bloody. My glasses had cracked slightly.

Ahead of me was a wall. There had to be a trapdoor. I reached out my hand and felt it soon enough. My hand was covered in dust. With my right hand I opened the front zip of my bag and rummaged for my flashlight. I put it in my shirt pocket and positioned the ladder in the trapdoor’s direction.

HONK HONK the stag woke up due to the noise and the glow of the torch.

‘Hey buddy ‘I removed the backpack and put it on the ground. I put the stag on my back. I could feel it laying its head against my back. I started to climb the ladder and didn’t feel sturdy. My hands felt sweaty as I climbed higher, it felt scarier. I butted my head against the door it opened. I hoisted myself outwards.

My body collapsed against the stone ground. The movement awoke the stag he gave a pained honk. I lay there for a few seconds with my chest heaving. When I looked up, I saw that night had fallen and I was in a stone alley. I looked behind me at the stag, that was in immense pain. I crawled toward him and took him in my arms. I got up using the alley walls as support and started walking. Suddenly I saw an old man walking into the alley. I hurried up to him ‘Please help him,” and I quickly shoved the stag into his arms. I collapsed on the pavement.

When I woke up, I found myself in a bed. The sun blazed through a set of curtains. It was morning when I got up. I looked around and caught the eye of a woman.

‘Ah you’re awake’

‘Where am I?’ ‘Where’s –‘

‘you’re safe and your deer is in the infirmary’

‘He’s in the infirmary then I have to go there right now!’

‘Not yet it’s ok he’s ok they have treated him you stay right here’

‘No, I have to see him… where’s my glasses?’

‘Right here ‘they were on a bedside table at the foot of the bed. I put them on.

‘Where am I?’

‘You’re in Civita di Bagno Regio village, Italy’

I was so confused. ‘How’ I asked dumbfounded

‘I came from Charlottesville that’s very far away so -

‘Marzia Is he awake?

The old man from the alley had returned. He looked rather exhausted.

‘How is he? ’I asked him

‘He’s recovering.’

‘Thank god’ I fell back against the pillow relief coursing through my veins.

‘Thank you so much, can I see him now?’

‘In sometime how are you? ‘

‘Fine, you fixed my glasses’

‘My son did ‘

‘I got your backpack from the tunnel’

‘Oh thank you I wasn’t expecting that’

I ate toast with scrambled eggs. Then I traveled to the infirmary. As I walked, I noticed the cobblestone streets, the stone houses draped with ivy with small wooden window shutters and balconies with flowers overlooking the streets. In one of infirmary beds lay my companion. He was sleeping in wool blankets. Next to him on a wooden stool was a man.

Mateo, how is he? ‘The old man asked

‘He is recovering ‘He said standing up

‘This is my son Mateo. He stayed the night with your pet’

‘I’m Luke Wallace and he’s not my pet. I rescued him from two hunters though.’

‘It’s a long story ‘ I said seeing their faces

‘Well, it’s good you ended up here. Our healer really knew what was best to save your animal’

‘He really did,’ Mateo said

‘How?’ I asked

‘First, he used moonshine to wash the blood away then he smeared a mix of raw honey and crushed green herbs into his injured leg. Then they wrapped his leg.’

I looked at the stag. He looked peaceful sleeping with his left hind leg resting on the mattress while his two front legs were on a pillow at the foot of the bed. The mattress was coarse linen sheets.

‘Could you excuse me for a minute? I want to sit with him’

I sat on the stool.

I stroked his face. ‘I’m sorry about your injury. ‘

He was a baby stag. Looking at him snuggled in the blankets made it easy to feel pity. At the sound of my voice the stag woke up his eyes flickered with recognition.

‘ I name you Dylan; it means a loyal companion.’ The stag gave a sleepy smile and drifted off to sleep once more. I removed my hand from his face and stayed sitting there by his side for some time. Suddenly Mateo came into the infirmary.

‘Hey Luke I found your phone I heard it ringing. There have been a lot of messages and missed calls.’

My family and friends must be worried sick. I took my phone there were missing calls and texts from my brother Ethan, my roommates Suraj and Hayley and even my parents though they lived in West Virginia. How was I to tell them I was in a small, medieval village in Italy of all places? I started to panic, Mateo must have noticed since he rushed over and steadied me before I fell to the floor.

‘everything’s gonna be okay. You don’t have to talk to them yet’

‘I must’

I called mom, I thought she was going to have a heart attack or be furious with me but when I told her that I’m in Italy she started laughing first out of nervousness then out of actual amusement. My father thought I was being ridiculous too, but I swore to them I was in Italy. It was already afternoon here I would have to get back. I texted my brother and told him to tell my roommates. I went out the door I saw a kingdom located on a hill. I took my backpack and hurried through the trapdoor. He offered to come with me, but I declined. I raced through the tunnels and ended up back in the clearing. I hurried out of the woods I didn’t stop till I got to my apartment and opened the door. It was unlocked.

‘Where the hell have you been?’ Hayley said

‘Italy’ I said

‘Yeah, Ethan told me he came this morning and I had to tell Suraj ‘

Suraj was behind her on the couch and at this he rushed over to me and hugged me, telling me he was so glad and grateful I was safe. Hayley refused to hug me because she was furious with me. I patted Suraj’s back and looked at my brother. He looked furious but when I really looked at him worriedly, He softened and rushed over and hugged me too.

‘We were so worried about you. You should’ve called. ‘

‘I know I’m sorry. Dylan was in danger and I passed out’.

I told them everything. Hayley was skeptical and my brother was a bit too, but Suraj believed me. He had always been my closest friend. We have known each other since high school.

After that I changed my clothes and took them all to the woods. But when we went past my spot, we ended up turning right instead of left. We were in a clearing with a cave in it. In the cave there was a woman on the couch. She was blank and looked lifeless. Her eyes were staring into nothingness. When Hayley nudged her green smoke fell out of her mouth.

‘Four shall go into an ancient land

One shall put one’s reputation in peril

To prevent the ruler from being killed

At four bandit’s hands

Fear not since though you may succeed

You will part ways with thy dear friend’

Then the green smoke dissolved. Her voice which sounded possessed quietened and her head slumped down and her eyes closed.

There was silence for a few seconds then we all started talking over each other

‘We are going to an ancient land that’s Italy ’ Ethan said

‘We must prevent the ruler from being killed by four bandits’ Hayley said

‘That’s the king of Italy ‘Suraj pointed out

‘One will part ways with their friend’ They all looked at me

‘What? I don’t know about that’ I said helplessly

‘You went to Italy’ Hayley said accusingly

‘That doesn’t mean I should know plus it wasn’t on purpose’

‘You went through the tunnel’

Guys, not now ‘Suraj said ‘Let’s get going’

So, we went through the tunnel and went to my friend’s house. We got bows and arrows and even daggers. They had no guns. Mateo offered to come to the palace. I told him we needed his help to sneak us in. He took us to the main square. He found a trapdoor under a bookstore. We went down.

After walking for a while we turned right and ahead, we saw the bandits there were even more of them, about eight. We couldn’t let them get away. I aimed at my arrow. Hayley charged into battle with a roar stabbing the nearest bandit in the gut with her dagger. I shot the one standing next to her in the chest. The remaining charged. Ethan began sword fighting with one. Suraj used his crossbow to shoot another, but it was slow. He lunged at me, forcing me to physically fight him. Ethan was cornered fighting two at once. Hayley was dagger fighting one, but her dagger was small. While using my bow to hit one Hayley let out a cry she had been stabbed in the leg. I kicked the one I was fighting in the stomach. He fell and I rushed to her.

‘Stop fighting, I told the bandit

‘It’s over you’re outnumbered’ He pointed at my friends Suraj was held with a dagger against his neck he was bleeding on the side of his face while the other one put him in head lock. Ethan was on the ground a sword aimed at him by one bandit while the second bandit held his sword and Ethan’s.

‘Let them go,’ I said

I hadn’t noticed the leader had slipped away up a trapdoor.

‘No, you’re outnumbered five to four, give it up’

‘It’s nine to five now’ Mateo had come back with four of his friends They charged in through the left passage. The bandits let go of my friends and started fighting them.

‘Go ‘Mateo said ‘We can handle this.”

Suraj and Ethan hurried towards me we picked up Hayley and gave her a lift the trapdoor. Then Suraj and me. Ethan was about to jump when one of Mateo’s friends came to him. A bandit lay dead on the ground behind him. He hoisted him up.

We were in the palace. We somehow found the king’s room. He was pointed at with a sword by the leader.

‘Let him go’

‘No, they will both die’ The queen was a few feet away terrified.

‘Your friend is injured and look there are your other friends ‘

The bandits walked through holding Mateo and his friends in headlocks.

‘We came through another passageway.’ He spoke

‘Let them go’

‘Fine but him first’ and he took the king, throwing them both out the window. Everybody rushed toward the window. I ran out of the room I had to save the king. I hurried down two flights of stairs he was dangling from a first-floor balcony. I rushed to it and pulled him up. I asked him where the leader was and he told me he used a parachute.

I ran out of the palace. I saw him and three of the bandits jump from the window using parachutes. When they saw me, they started running toward me. As I ran down a Cobblestone Street down the hill, I saw a trapdoor I jumped through it. The bandits were following me. I ended up in the main tunnel. After a few meters I was at the entrance to the tunnel. I ran out and landed on a bridge. I crossed it. The bandits were still in the tunnel. I thought they shouldn’t cross. I reached into my backpack and pulled out a lighter. I threw it on the bridge. As they got on the bridge fire lit up, they tried to turn around but the fire was fast it burned the bridge. They fell screaming into the canyon below. I didn’t know it then, but the prophecy was right I would put my reputation in peril. I would go on the run soon after and be parted with my deer friend Dylan.