Benton

Through the dirt path, Benton rode on his grey stallion. His lean body and brown hair jerked to the trot of the horse. Green grass and pebbles scattered the road. Benton saw a cherry tree on his left, birds and squirrels fought for its fruit.

His destination was Chesterfield, a village on the border between Dihel and Rahib. The village from where Zephrine and Lauren went missing.

Benton saw the rising smoke and heard the voices of men from afar. He entered through a wooden fence and saw houses made of wood and dirt. As he got closer to the centre, he saw houses made of mortar and stone. He saw a couple of kids playing tag. People were buying and selling in the middle of the village.

From the centre to the west, he saw the temple. It was made of roasted clay bricks, stacked neatly and fitted with mortar. Its red wooden door stood welcoming to visitors. On the door, there was a burning lizard, its scales like heated glass, its eyes yellow and narrow. Benton felt its eyes gazing at him.

Across the long hall, Benton saw statues sculpted out of red stone. Worshipers were sitting on benches and praying with their eyes closed. Benton slowly walked to the front.

On his left, he saw the statue of a being which embodied what is the peak of human strength. His muscles were rounded and swollen. He held a sword, a hammer, a bow and a shield in his four hands. He had flowing garments and luxurious jewellery. He was Detruass.

To his right, he saw a woman brimming with mother's love. Her eyes looked into his soul and brought back memories of his childhood. She held her hand out, palm forward as if she was gracing the ones in front. Her robe was loose and flowing and her cleavage was visible. It was Edith.

Benton was a follower of Zoarism, but strength and children were needed for life so he closed his eyes and prayed.

Benton felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and turned around.

There was an elderly man with white hair and red peppered on to it. His hair was long and died behind, his beard thick. His eyes were red and kind. He wore a red robe with white stripes. In his right hand, he held a golden painted staff.

"I am sorry, are you new here?" The man asked smiling.

Benton was a little startled. He retained his composure and spoke.

"Sorry for the trouble. I am here in regard for sister Zephrine," Benton said.

His eyes widened. "Thank you for coming. My name is Lucius. I am working as the head priest of this temple."

"Come with me," Lucius led Benton through a door on the left, outside.

In front of him, Benton saw a double-storied red building.

"It is the dorms for followers of the church," Lucius said.

Inside the building, Lucius talked with a nun and came back.

"I was the one who reported the missing. She was a kind girl... No, she is a girl. I don't want to give up hope. I hope you can find her," Lucius' eyes showed worry.

"Don't worry father. We will do everything we can," Benton consoled him.

Lucius nodded to that answer. "I think you should talk to Zelene. She was her roommate."

Soon, a woman came. Her hair was not visible due to her red headwear. It was strapped onto the forehead using a white cloth. Her eyes were crimson, like her dress.

"Welcome good sir," she said.

"Can you explain what happened?" Benton asked.

"Well, Zephrine went to the toilet during the night. I was tired and so I didn't care much. I didn't notice that she didn't return," Zelene said regretfully.

"Did she go out often?"

"Sometimes, she will go outside, saying that she wanted to look at the stars. She was weird in some ways," Zelene replied.

"One more question, did you notice anyone weird around that time?" Benton asked.

Zelene pursed her lips, thinking.

"Actually, there was this weird guy who came into the temple and threw paint all over. He had this crooked nose and pimples on his face," Zelene replied.

"Is there anything more you can tell?" Benton asked.

"Sorry, no," Zelene said.

"Thank you, sir, I will be leaving now," Benton bowed to Lucius.

He took a few steps and stopped thinking. "Can you tell me where the launderers take their clothes?"

Lucius pointed further south to the village. Benton saddled to his horse and trotted off.

He came across a pond. Its water reflected the sun in his eyes. A banyan tree stood on its bank. Its roots hung from its branches to the pond. A hummingbird sat on it, looking vigilantly.

Two women were soaking, scrunching and beating clothes in the pond. Benton went up to them.

They were both in their mid-thirties. The first one had yellow-golden hair and brown eyes. She had a mole below her lower lip. She wore a yellow sleeveless maxi dress.

The second one had blackish-brown hair and black eyes. She wore a black sleeveless maxi dress.

Water spread and splattered from their hands. It soaked their clothes making them stick to their skin, showing their figure to Benton. The women were bent over and Benton could see their cleavage and part of their nipple. He felt his temperature rising, but he had to remain professional. He went to them and bowed.

"Excuse me, I am extremely sorry," Benton said.

The two women covered their chests in panic. They looked at him, disgusted.

"What the heck are you doing you, pervert," they shouted.

"I am sorry, I will close my eyes. Please, I just want to ask some questions. It is about Lauren," Benton said apologizing.

The two women looked at each other and nodded.

"You can open your eyes. We trust you," the women said seeing Benton's actions.

"So, what do you want to ask?" The first woman said.

"How long you have known Lauren?" He asked.

"My house is near hers and she didn't have any friends, she came from outside Chesterfield. We didn't ask about her circumstances since she would dodge questions about them," the first woman answered.

'So not much to go on,' Benton thought, his eyes moved against his will.

"Did anything else happen that might help?" Benton asked.

The second woman replied to that question. "Well, there was this weird guy who got kicked out of the temple. We caught him peeking here. He ran away calling us art defilers when we screamed."

'Could he be the same man?' Benton thought.

"Thank you for your time and sorry again," Benton said blushing.

The women went back to their job and Benton saddled, returning to the capital town.