Escape

After a brief pause Ben raises three fingers again and Maxwell shakes his head " We don't have that much time left. Make the questions short. I can already feel the " adventurers " coming and they know I'm here too.

Ben starts to sweat " Where should I go? In case I end up in a village or something? You are the only person I can turn to. Secondly what is truth and what is lie from what you told me." Maxwell looks into the distance and replies "In your inventory card is a seal from my order. Show it to any guild whether merchants, adventurers or any other guild and we will send an agent to help you. To your second question, I have also placed a book in the card. There is the truth. The real truth. This should fulfill your quest." Maxwell smiles as he says the last sentence.

"How di..." "Ben I told you before you need to work on your face. You're easier to read than a book. All your thoughts and feelings can be read from your face. What's your third question?" Ben looks Maxwell straight in the eye and asks " What is a toilet and what do you need it for." The first time Ben looks at Maxwell stunned

"What? WHAT? That's your question. Argh that's right your body hasn't had solid food for years. I almost forgot about that. You should start with the white rations. Maximum 1 ration and 1 bottle of water a day. If you have too much you will get sick and die. Your body can't process this but back to the toilet when you eat and drink something it has to come out of your body and then you have to go to the toilet...." Maxwell continues to explain the details of personal hygiene to Max.

He just turns up his nose in disgust. "... Be that as it may your body gives you the signa ... They've arrived. We have no more time. Now it's all or nothing. Farewell Ben Allistar may our paths cross again and may the All Mother protect you..." before Maxwell finishes speaking everything distorts.

His face becomes long and everything seems to spin around him. The room seems to expand and contract at the same time. Ben tries to stay upright, but everything starts spinning until Max can't see anything and is lying on what was before the floor. Ben opens his eyes and sees nothing. It's pitch black and he's lying on a cold piece of rock. His arms hurt and Ben doesn't understand what's going on.

Suddenly there is a screeching sound that goes on and on. It is an alarm. Startled by the noise, Ben reacts. His brain tries to tell him something, but Ben can't seem to get a clear thought. But then a thought pops into his head "Maxwell" and then another one "illusion" and even more and more thoughts hit Ben until he understands what is going on. Maxwell was telling the truth.

Blinding light and the crunch of metal can be heard and voices, angry voices. Ben doesn't think and activates the teleportation card with all the mana he can channel. Again screams and then nothing. Ben has no idea how long this nothing existed, but then all of a sudden there is glistening light again.

Ben closes his eyes but even through the closed eyelids the light penetrates his eyeballs. It is too much for Ben and wherever he is, he collapses.

He wakes up a little later, his eyes apparently having become accustomed to the light of the outside world during his unconsciousness. Ben opens his eyes and finds himself lying in a clearing. Around him are trees and insects buzzing around him.

`Wait insects. I have never heard insects buzzing in Werchester and how do I know all this. Wait a minute, the illusion has not only manipulated me, but my memories as well?` The thoughts of this sends a chill down his spine. His stomach starts to growl. Ben decides to eat something

`Maxwell said 1 white ration and 1 bottle of water a day.` Ben pulls out the inventory card and calls out the ration and water from the void. He opens the ration smells it and starts to gag "What the hell is this stuff. Who the fuck is willing to eat this stuff."

Ben puts the ration away and is about to summon another ration when he remembers that Maxwell left a book with information and the truth. Out of the void, the book emerges. It is inconspicuous and with a plain cover. Ben opens to the first page.