Nate’s  Quest  

By  Thomas  Benfell  

Nate’s Quest By Thomas Benfell Bang! Nate woke with a start. His head connected with the wood headboard behind him. “Ah, Sheesh,” he thought. he sleepily got out of bed. He walked downstairs to find a package sitting at the bottom of the stairs just sitting there. since every body else was still asleep Nate opened it. Inside was a box with it’s edges protected by metal. The box was very old with a keyhole that looked ancient. The box had a lock on it. Nate wondered if maybe, just maybe there was gold inside because the box probably weighed thirty of forty pounds. Nate whispered to himself, “Who would send a box within a box that had a lock on it and with no key?” As Nate was carrying the mysterious box upstairs he noticed something else, a card. When Nate got to his room he put the wooden box, and the old box down and opened the letter.

To Nathan

If you are reading this letter it means you have found the box and your quest has begun. This box contains things that even I, the creator of this not know what is in it. I lost possession of it quite a long time ago and now it is supposed to hold a great treasure. I got hold of it again and sent it to you. You must search for the key and open the box if you want the treasure that lies in side. When you have completed your quest you will find the key where I hid it hundreds of years ago.

Sincerely,

• Alver Nathan thought to himself, “Hundred of years ago? What does this guy mean?” He flopped down on his bed to think about the box and the letter. He looked closer and found little ancient pictures and characters. Nate tried to tell himself, “This is trash,” still he just couldn’t get out of his head the part in the letter that said, “This box is supposed to hold a great treasure.” Nate put the box in a box with a lock and then into a safe with a lock and finally in a cupboard with a lock. Just to keep it safe. nobody was up and he was already outside in the garage picking around for his dad’s tools for something that he

could use to cut open the box. Nate found an electrical power saw that didn’t need a wire. he took the saw up to his room, very secretly darting around corners to make sure nobody saw him with the saw. When he grasped the box in his hands he realized his family would definitely hear him so he crept downstairs outside and walked about for two or three miles because this was an area he didn’t recognize. Soon he came to a little forest which He figured would be the perfect place and powered up the saw. Just as he was going to cut through the box a small little leprechaun jumped out of the trees and surprised him as the leprechaun said, “Hello how are you doing and what are you doing?” he jumped and the saw came a millimeter away from his face. Nate was embarrassed from being scared so bad until he saw the leprechaun he almost jumped again. Nate was so astonished that he blurted out, “Who are you?” the leprechaun was dressed all in green and had very pale and white skin, “Oh sorry I’m from somewhere far, far away. I don’t know what the placed is called though because in my early childhood you humans took me and my family on a big floating object on the water then we got thrown into a huge chamber with a bunch more of us and the next thing I know I’m thrown onto this trail! Then a long time later this human came dressed in a long black cloak and told me to memorize this riddle and told me the answer,” Nate felt sorry for the leprechaun and “I was kidnapped and brought aboard a ship with my cousins and friends we were all carried to different places and so here I am.” “Um… I didn’t really think leprechauns existed, ever,” Nate replied. “Oh well, they do, and well, they still do.” Nathan tried to say politely, “Um… can you get lost?” “Not until I give you my riddle,” the leprechaun replied, “Here it is: If trash is garbage then garbage is near.” Nathan saw a candy wrapper near them and asked, “that?” “No,” said the leprechaun. “Can you repeat it?” the leprechaun paused, “Fine though this is the only time, if trash is garbage then garbage is near.” Nathan thought than randomly guessed, “this box?” “Correct! How did you get that?” the leprechaun requested.

“I just guessed.” “Well then go on your way.”

Nathan turned on the power saw and was just about to carve through the box when the saw bounced off. “Ha!” the leprechaun chuckled, “I knew you would fail! That box is magical and can’t be cut! But go deeper into the forest if you have accepted the quest!” Nathan felt nervous that if he went deeper he wouldn’t make it back home.

Though Nathan said, “I guess I will,” And then calmly walked deeper into the forest holding the box. As he picked through the trail with a stick he could see the landscape changing around him. He noticed light starting to seam through an archway of the trees. Soon enough he was dripping with sweat as he heaved and heaved. He had never walked this far before. Finally the path came to a end at a very long stretch of field until in the distance he saw mountains. Nate looked around and saw nothing but bison and deer. He saw something appear then dart underground. He cautiously walked to where he saw the animal and found a huge hole. he decided to crawl through the hole. All of a sudden he heard a herd of bison roar above him he. Quickly advanced deeper into the tunnel as deer thundered overhead. he thought “What is it that’s making these animals run?” All of a sudden he felt the ground was shaking as if something big, something huge stomped over him. Dirt fell and hit the floor, the ceiling started to cave in. Nathan screamed, “AHHHHH,” and ran deeper into the tunnel. He came to a crossing. One way he could make out some tiny little creatures so he headed that way in case they were hiding and huddled curling up into a ball next to them. He heard something loud, extremely loud. All of a sudden the ceiling started to crack right above he screamed, “A,” but his scream was muffled by a hundred furry hands. They grabbed him and threw him backwards away from the cracks. He woke up in some sort of a lighted chamber. Then somebody said in a gruff voice, “He’s alive.” “Oh thank goodness!” said a high shrill voice. Nate rejoiced. He thought, “I’m home! It was all a dream!” he was just about to call “Mom?” until something furry touched him, Nate screamed once again, “AHHHHH” “Boy, you are a screechy thing.” Nate jolted up to find himself in a huge chamber lighted by candles surrounded by lemurs. He was so surprised he almost fainted again.

“Where am I?” he asked. “You are a crazy thing,” said one of the lemurs, in a quite annoyed response, “We saved you from the beast and you wake up screaming at us thinking we are weird talking lemurs and then you start asking us questions.” “Sorry that’s our mind reader. He read your mind. You are in Iceland.” “Iceland? I am not in Iceland. I live in the United states and I know there are no plains in Iceland!” “Well, you’re not the first one to say that.” “Oh yeah and also there aren’t any lemurs in Iceland they live in Africa or somewhere like that.” The lemurs ignored him and went on with their reply “Nobody has run from the beast though I guess you did.”

Nate stuttered, “So… some people… never,” he swallowed. “come… back?” one of the smallest rather loudly said.

“Yeah how would they survive?” A different lemur which Nate guessed who was the little lemur’s mother pulled him back and he could hear scolding. Still Nate was surprised. “But we know about Iceland it’s supposed to have volcanoes and rain forests and ice!” Nate just couldn’t believe them. One of the older lemurs replied, “There are if you cross the beast’s realm in the mountains and see majestic volcanoes and mighty forests.” Nate asked “How do you know, don’t you hide from the beast, or what ever it is?” “Well I wanted to see if it was just endless mountains and I journeyed through the mountains, the part that is absolutely barren and I came to a stop over a steep cliff. I could see everything, even the ocean.” “I came here because of a little leprechaun.” “Oh, my friend Salay,” said a lemur, “Then I think that you are the one who is here to slay the beast, and save us from an endless life of horror and fear.”

Nate stared blankly. They had to be joking. He was sent here by a leprechaun named Salay, and there were talking lemurs, a so called terrible thing called the “The beast” was terrorizing lemurs, and he was supposed to slay that thing somehow.

Nate asked, “Is there a name for this beast? Like the ice mammoth or the stomping horror?” “Well,” replied one of the lemurs, “I’ve heard of one.” “Well,” Nate asked, “What is it?”

the lemur paused, “Sorry I forgot it.” Nate suspected that the lemur just didn’t want to say because of fear of the name or something but he just went along with it. When Nate woke he crawled over to an entrance and peeked out. It was still dark. He quietly crept out and started walking towards the mountains. He still had the box with him and also a spear which was more of a sharp stick because it had no tip. The end was a little pointy thing at the top of the stick, more of a branch. Nate walked quietly while he could see no one else out. Nate thought, “It must be three” He finally got to the gray mountains he turned around to get a look. He noticed that some animals were up and trying to look for food. It was cold, dark, misty, and mysterious. As he hiked up the steep, narrow, and rocky path he could hear a roar in the distance. For second he saw smoke. He thought great the beast thing was up now what was he going to do?

As he edged closer the roars got louder. Pretty soon he could even smell smoke. For a second he thought he saw a wisp of fire. Nate thought, “Oh great now the thing must be already energized from demolishing little mountain villages.” Nate edged closer and closer, he had hiked what seemed forever. All of the sudden the thing stomped and roared. The earth shook and his ears almost went deaf. He was advancing in smoke so thick it was like trudging through snow. Nate thought, “It has to be a dragon,” then he wondered, “Why am I doing this?” but he was so close he just decided to try. He got to the very top of the mountain and saw a cave over the next peak, which was about a foot away. He realized it he found himself preparing to make probably the last jump of his life. He turned around to look into the view and was staring at the beast mouth. He was swallowed. As he got his last few breaths of life he realized, “HEY I’M STILL ALIVE!!!!!” Nate screamed, “It’s a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!” He was in the beast’s belly. He poked around with his stick and thought, “What if I jab really hard at his stomach maybe he might throw up.” As he raised the stick above his head he glanced around and noticed the box he had carried all the way here. He picked it up firmly and with one hand he struck the beast’s belly as hard as he could. All of a sudden a huge wave of the beast’s insides rushed at him. Nate thought, “Oh no.” as he was picked up with the force of a tsunami and rocketed up the beast’s throat, and out of its mouth he tumbled to the ground. Nate scrambled to his feet as the beast was released of his moment of shock. Nate shouted, “HA yes! I am a genius!” he gripped the box and realized the branch thing was still in the beast’s stomach. He looked at the beast. It was a three-headed dragon. The dragon was red and yellow while it’s eyes where pitch black. The dragon drooled so much that beneath the dragon a small pool of saliva was gathering. Nate threw the only thing he had, the box. It went in one of the dragon’s mouth’s. The dragon threw up again and covered Nate was covered in a gooey substance. Nate guessed the dragon had had enough he charged Nate. Nate noticed the stick nearby he grabbed and held it in front of him. He got knocked over with the force of a train. The stick rubbed against the bottom of the dragon’s belly and it got cut the dragon gave a gargantuan roar. The dragon was slit in half and collapsed right behind Nate. He saw a key right in the leg of the dragon. Nate thought, “Eww.” it was covered in little meaty bits but he carefully picked it up. Nate had no energy

left. The lemurs heard the roar and practically sprinted up the mountain to see what had happened. They saw Nate lying on the ground with the key and the box. They picked him up and the lemurs charged down the mountain through the plains and the forest and picked up the power saw and ran to his house. It was still early in the morning and nobody was up they dropped him off with the power saw the key and the box. The lemurs immediately opened a sewer lid in the street and one by one climbed down the ladder. Nate suddenly woke up the power saw was next to him and he was holding the box and the key. He walked into the garage put the power saw away and jumped into his bed. Nate swallowed took the key and opened the box. The box glowed. He felt like the greatest thing ever had happened to him, though the contents were not as he suspected but Alver was right, it was a very great treasure. in fact it was and even greater treasure than Nate thought. Surprisingly on Sunday there was another letter for Nate. Nate opened to find something rather interesting. A letter it said,

To Nathan, The lemurs have reported to me that you have slayed the monster and recovered the key. You may find this surprising but I created the monster to protect the key. Have you opened the box? The treasure inside was something that will make you quite happy I think I’m not sure, but I bet the reward was wonderful. According to the legend and unhappy boy named Nathan who was very brave and who could go through a very weird experience. I have sent the box and many letters to many boys named Nathan but they have all failed except for you Sincerely, The great wizard Alver.