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[sylvernyght]

Chapter 22

They all were soon asleep. Benji couldn't get to sleep at all. He stayed up for half of the night, thinking. "What shall happen at the fork that's about to come up in our path? Shall go right or shall we go left? Shall we be killed and the Evils win the fight for the control of this world? I wish I knew. Shall any die before we get there or shall any die on the road? Will we meet any more of people who need to go with us? What shall happen after we get past the Fork?" Benji thought. None of the questions were answered before he finally fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning they got ready to leave. They were soon out on the open road again and they were making all the speed that they could make toward the Fork Sword. After three days of riding, the group came a dank and foul forest. It looked as if it had been killed by some evil force of magic, for everything stank and was rotting. Angus could tell that the forest had once been green and healthy only a few days before, but now it was a waste land.

"We must get to the Fork soon." Brian said.

"It's right in front of us!" Benji said.

"Holy cow! Where'd it come from?" Nate said.

"It didn't come from anywhere! It's been right here for years!" Benji said. "Are you blind?"

"Oh! Hey look at the shape of the Fork! It's in the shape of a sword!" Nate said. It was true. The "fork" was really a big earthen sword that had been somehow drawn into the ground and been made deep enough to stay where it was.

"Now where?" Benji thought.

"Which way now, Angus?" Brian said. He looked expectantly at him and then Angus turned to look down the path. He looked at the branching parts of the hilt. The hilt of the earthen sword was the fork. Each side going off a different direction.

"Right." Angus said.

"Something wrong, Benji?" Ilonton asked. Benji looked into her eyes and saw that there was a twinkle of danger for him in her eyes. He saw treachery, deceit, evil, darkness, cruelty, death, pain, hatred, but most of all, the one thing he feared, the one thing he saw was: betrayal.

"Nothing." Benji said and they again rode on in quietness. Benji's heart ached to know what Ilonton had really been doing when she wasn't present at Moetons' meeting with the company that he rode with now. He wanted to know everything.

"Benji?" Ilonton asked.

"What? Oh. Yes?" Benji said. His thoughts scattered at the sound of his name.

"You seem to be troubled by something. Is there anything that I help you with?" Ilonton asked. Benji glanced at her and then shook his head no. He had again seen the same word written on her eyes. They soon made camp and Benjis' face was a mask of coldness. He couldn't let Ilonton know that she was begining to worry him about the safety of his friends.

"Is something wrong?" Ilonton asked.

"No. I just thinking of my life upon Earth. I guess I miss it." Benji said.

"You miss the way things were at your home. I can sence that the sadness of leaving your parents and your home has slowly been taking a toll upon you, your brother, and Brian." Ilonton said. They soon made a camp. After they had a good fire going, they set up a small dinner. Within an hour almost everyone had driffted off to sleep.

In the morning, the group set off again. This time they were headed a bit to the north. Soon they turned again and went for a long time to east. At about dawn the next day they had gotten out of the foothills and were at the feet of the Omarin Mountains. "We must cover our ears while we go through these mountains." Benji said. "There are Gitons here and their noise will drive all insane."

"Well then, let them try it to me and I'll rip their dirty necks off!" Tobockin said.

"The same here!" Irookon said.

"You guys are nuts! They're twenty five times bigger and stronger than a human! They've got the strength of five hundred elephants!" Benji said. Nate took something out of his horse's saddle bag and then handed it to Benji. He knew the material. It was cotton. Benji took two little balls and handed the stuff to Ben. Soon there were no more cotton balls. The group moved off again. They entered the dense forest and were soon overshadowed by the tree's great branches. There was no light. There was only darkness.

"Bitter, cold darkness. Painful darkness has come." Benji said.

"Hey Benji?" Nate said.

"Yes?"

"Grandps Phillips never told me about the Gitons in these mountains. Why is that you know about them." Nate said.

"If you'll recall correctly, he never told each of us the same thing that the other knew. Don't ask me why he did that, because I have no idea." Benji said. All of a sudden there was a great flash of light. It was at first blue, then dark blue, the color of the sea when its just had a river full of mud pour into it and never stop until the very last drop of water was in the sea, it then went back to the first color, then to the second, then to the third, then to a blinding white light. The same light as in the warp the first five members of the quest used to get to Zadonkon. Before them stood a man upon horse-back. He was about six feet three inches, but it was hard for any, to tell his real height.

"Who are you?" Nate asked, his hand was upon his sword ready to strike if needbe.

"I come in peace." The man said turning toward Benji. "My name is Mr. Tolkein."

"Is it really you or you just the ghost of the famed man?" Benji asked.

"I am who I just said I am. The wizard Moeton has summoned me to your aid."

"Well we could use all the help we can get." Nate said.

"Good idea." Mr. Tolkien said.

Within a moment, the groupwas off again through the forest. Benji rode up to Mr. Tolkiens' right and then he asked him if he could speak with him. Benji told the man of what had been happening with Ilonton and what he had seen in her eyes. Mr. Tolkien said not to worry. He said that he would know by a few more signs if she would betray them or not.

"So........by looking at the next, let's say, three signs, I can tell whether or not she'll betray us?" Benji said.

"Yes. By the way, what's with the "us" stuff? I really haven't joined you yet, have I?" Mr. Tolkien said.

"Oh, that. I think you have joined us. I thought that from the moment you spoke. You don't have to stay with us and ride to your death if you don't want to." Benji said. Then he added: "There is always a choice."

"So there is. So, I choose. I choose to stay with this quest and help you all in the best way that I can. That is with magic!" Mr. Tolkien said. He cast a spell and a white bird appeared in front of Benji and then flew off into the forest.

"Wow!" Benji said.

"Good am I?"

"Very!"

"One of the best. Not only in writing, but in the arts of magic as well."

"If you know so much magic, can you tell me where Ghosty came from?"

"Yes."

"Well?"

Chapter 23

"He came from the Two Evils, though that is not the proper name for them. They should be called: The Evils." Mr. Tolkien said as the two of them rode behind the others.

"They have many names." Benji said.

"I know."

"I wish I knew what happened to that ghost. I think he might be a spy for the Two Evils."

"That ghost was killed. You killed him. In your dreams. You fought with sword and armor and he fought with magic. Iron prevailed. You stabbed him in the chest and then gave him a proper burial, one that he had wanted for thousands of years. He then thanked you and is now sleeping. He shall trouble your sleep no more."

"You seem to know much of myself and of my friends."

"The wizard filled me in on the details of this quest and then gave me a complete history of everyone in the group."

"Come. We are lagging. Let us make a bit of speed and then we shall speak latter." Benji said. They rode onward and were soon with the party of friends. Ilonton began to help lead the group to a safe place that she knew of. They got to the place that she had wanted to go to. It was nearly dark and the group was tried. Even Benji was tired, though he usually was the one who would stay up in the night and practice his karate with his brother and Brian.

"You've practiced a lot since the last time you and I fought each other, Nate." Brian said after he had walked back over to the dying fire.

"Now that we've gone through every single thing that we know, what should we do now?" Brian asked Benji.

"Go over it again." Benji said. He began to practice the whole workout from the very first thing that he had learned.

"He's crazy!" Nate said. Deep down inside he really liked Benji's way of dealing with his problems. He never spoke to anyone about what he felt before that long ago day when they set foot upon Zadonkon. He knew that he might not live to see another day once this whole ordeal was over, but he knew he just couldn't let them come and watch them die in the Palace of Death.

"In Deathskull, the final fight shall be. I shall not let the Two Evils get away like they did those last two times. No! I shall stay and fight and let my friends fight for themselves, I have no choice. It was because of my love and bondage for them that the Evil had left." Benji thought. He knew that this would not be the way things would work out to be, but he did not wish it to be. He wanted his friends to leave him and let him fight alone. He didn't care if he died, or if they didn't want to leave, he just wanted to see to it that he got them all to safety, that way he'll be able to go on without the thought in the back of his mind: I shall see my friends die one by one.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Nate asked.

"Yes. I don't want to say this, but too me, I don't really want you on this quest Nate. I don't want anyone on this quest, but me. You see, I don't want to see you all die one by one." Benji said.

"I understand, but you said that we could go with you if we wanted to, didn't you?" Nate said.

"I may have said that, yes. But, I just want you to know that I shall not be able to fight along side of you and the others. I shall be fighting with the Evils. It is me they want. They want revenge and I shall show them what revenge is!" Benji said. He lay down and was instantly asleep. Nate lay down and was also asleep in a few seconds.

In the morning they got ready to leave their camp again. Benji and Ilonton were yet again near the end of the party. They had somethings that she had wanted to talk about. "Benji?" Ilonton said.

"Yes?" Benji said. He had some trouble trying to hide to puzzlement from his voice. He hoped that she didn't see it and he was glad that she didn't.

"I have been wondering...........do you think we'll be able to defeat the Two Evils or will they trick you by playing dead or force you to leave their bodies in order to help us?" Ilonton said.

"They will not trick me like they had done to my great grandfather, nor shall they even trick the others into that game. I shall tell them everything that I know about them. I shall be saying a lot, for I know a lot about those creeps." Benji said. He couldn't help keeping his hand from crawling towards the hilt of his sword. Ilonton eyed him with secrecy in her eyes. Benji saw it and put his hand on his horse's reigns.

"I thought that something was up, but I really can't judge who is the one acting and who is the one who shall be the victim, not until she makes another mistake." Benji thought.

"I can tell that you're worried. What is it?" Nate said that day when they stopped for a rest.

"Nothing. I'm just scared about the next few days. I am wondering what shall happen when we get out of this forest. The next three miles or so are the ones where we must use the cotton you gave us." Benji said. He then told everyone to put the cotton in their ears and make sure that they wouldn't come out. Since Mr. Tolkien didn't have any, he used his magic to make some. Then they rode on. Soon they could see a change in the trees. They had little marks upon them, like little cat marks when it sharpens its claws upon the couch. Benji got off his horse and looked at the marks. They were Gitons alright. Benji told the group of his findings. He said that they were just in time. The Gitons had left the area and wouldn't be back until the end of the Tine, which was their long, twenty years, of hibernation.

Then they would come out in swarms and they would kill anything that they wished to kill. There was a slight problem that Benji also told them about. When the sun went down and the land became dark, it would be the end of the Tine for the Gitons. They had to make it out of the woods before then or they'd be killed.

"The problem that we shall face now is that by the time we reach the half way point of this forest, the Gitons will be out and about." Benji said.

"Shoot!" Brian said. "We shall have to be on our guard tonight."

"There is no way of getting around them, they attack in packs and they never let go once they bite. If we are beset by them, then don't let any bite you." Benji said. "They like fire, but they only like a certain amount of it."

"That gives me an idea.........what if ol' Sapphire were to give them a lesson in dragon fire?" Mr. Tolkien said.

"Yes! That's it! Sapphire will you....?" Benji asked.

"Of coarse I will! I'll show them all what fire can do!" Sapphire said.

"I hope beyond all hope that they won't come here." Benji thought.

"Benji?" Nate asked.

"Yes?" Benji said. He was tired of watching the darkness by himself. He thought that Nate had come to him to take over.

"Just wondering if you'd like me to take over?" Nate asked.

"Sure." Benji said. He got up from where he was sitting and it happened then and there. A Giton of about one hundred and ninety-nine pounds jumped out of the darkness and took hold of Benji's right shoulder. Benji's eyes were wide with fright. He screamed his highest pitch. Because of the weight of the Giton, Benji was knocked off balance. He fell to the ground. He screamed again and then punched the Giton in the side of the head with his left fist. The Giton didn't mind at all about being hit.

"Benji! Son of a...............that thing is huge! What do I do?" Nate shouted.

"The teeth! Hit the teeth! Break the darned thing's teeth!" Benji shouted. Nate grabbed a stick and hit the two front teeth of the Giton. The teeth were about six inches long and were about three inches thick!

Nate brought the stick down on the teeth and the stick broke in two. By this time the others were already fighting their own Giton. Benji was left alone to be killed by this deadly predator, but then again Benji and his friends were deadly prey. Benji then took hold of the teeth and smashed them in his hand. The Giton let go for a second and Benji then was able to get away from the grip of death. The Giton was then ready for another attack. Benji was also ready. He got into a fighting stance and the moment the Giton sprung and him, Benji punched him in the face. The Giton fell and then bit Benji's leg. Benji just shook his head. He had already put a metal plate on his legs and he kicked the Giton the throat.

"Take this you smelly..............!" Benji said. He hit the Giton in the face again and then once in the back. The Giton howled with pain. The Giton screamed aloud with death on its breath. It jumped................and...........struck Benji in the face with its one foot long claws. Benji's face was a bloody mess. He brought his hand up to the blood and then tasted it. His eyes gleamed with wrath. They were afire with death.

They burned so brightly that they could have been clearly seen in a pitch black night. On a night without stars. On a night without the moons. On a night without any light at all, they could have been seen so brightly that any who looked at them would feel scared, frightened. Terror would grip their heart and take it out of their body and tear it up into shreds.

The Giton leaped for the final round. Benji took hold of the beasts' neck and gave it a sharp twist. He dropped it to the ground and it lay there dead as a doorknob. Benji then fell and the fighting was over......for him at least. Four more Gitons began to work on his lifeless body. When Benji awoke six days latter. He was shocked to find he was in a bed with sheets. He at once remembered the battle and thought he had died.

"Where am I? I can't be........dead......can I?" Benji spoke to himself aloud. He was shocked to be answered by a voice that he knew not of.

"You are not dead, my friend, you were close though." The voice said. Benji looked around and saw that his sword was sitting near him. He took hold of it and took it out of its sheath. Benji then got out of bed.

"Where are you? Show yourself. If you want to fight me then at least show yourself to make it a more fair fight." Benji said.

"Put that away! I mean you no harm." The voice said.

"Yeah right! If you mean me no harm, then why hide?! Coward is what my father would call you if he were here!" Benji said.

"Coward? That's a new one. Come! Come! Put that darn thing away. I say again I mean you no harm." The voice said.

"Then show yourself! I shall not put my only weapon away until you come out!" Benji said. Benji turned around and saw that there was no one with him. He looked all around and saw nowhere that the voice could have come from. He wondered if he had been dreaming or if he was really dead. "Where are you?! What are you? Where am I? Answer me or I shall start cleaving this room, if it be a room, into little pieces!" Benji shouted. Then he heard a small door open and Angus walked in.

"Angus? No! I will not believe it! Angus was a little bigger than you! Who are you?" Benji said.

"I am Angus. I have just shrunk with hunger and am now just beginning to put weight back on these old bones." The wolf said.

"Prove it to me that you are the wolf that you said you are!"

"It was I that took you here after you fell from the Gitons. They are all dead-------at least for now." Angus said.

"I don't know you so get out and bring me the real Angus." Benji said. The wolf left. Benji took a seat on the bed. He had somethings to think about. While the wolf was leaving Benji saw where the door was. He threw he sword at the door just as it was about to close.........it stopped the door just a little. Benji hoped that the wolf wouldn't know that he had done what he had done. He didn't and so Benji was able to keep an eye out for trouble. Outside Benji heard something that did surprise him a bit, but he got over it soon.

"That's right. He won't trust any of us." The wolf said.

"May I go see him?" Ilonton asked.

"No. He has drawn the sword and so by it he will not trust anyone of us. I mean he doesn't know anything that happened after he fell six days ago. He has changed in those last six days. A change that will be the death of him. I hope that soon he'll recover and then trust us again. We have really tried to do all we can. It's up to him now. It up to him now to make a choice. One that may be the death of everyone that is good and pure in this world. He must choose to trust us and let us go with him to the end of the quest or he must forget about us and go alone. If he goes alone, we will not follow him." Angus said.

"I have an idea. If I go and visit Benji, he may begin to heal his mind." Ilonton said.

"That is an idea and the only one we've got. Make it so." Ben said. "You know, I wonder, why isn't this taking effect upon Benjamin and me?"

"You two have been with us for a long time. Therefore you are two different people. You are young and are a part of Benji, but not enough of that part is still within you two so that if he gets hurt you shall feel it. What I mean is that by coming with us, you have declared yourselves two different beings and that's what may also be taking a toll on Benji's mind. It was from there that you were born." Tobockin said. Ilonton entered the door and Benji was ready to fight he had to.

He still kept the old ways---as it were---within him. He would not attack unless he was physically attacked. Benji didn't really want to hurt anyone, but he would if he was forced to. "Hello Benji, do know who I am?" Ilonton said.

"No. Who are you and what am I doing in this prison?" Benji demanded.

"Don't you even remember the quest?"

"I......wait. Yes. Yes, I do remember about the quest." Benji said. He shook his head and then looked up at Ilonton. He sheathed his sword. "I'm sorry if I didn't trust you and the others at first. I didn't know who you were because I couldn't remember anything for a moment." Benji said as he walked over to face Ilonton. They went outside. He talked for a long time with Angus. As the two spoke to each other, they walked trhough the woods and Benji went over his karate katas and fighting moves. Soon they came back and Benji had a knowing look in his eyes.

"We shall have to leave in a few seconds. Is everyone ready to go?" Benji asked.

"Yes. We have been ready for you so that if you ever awoke from the grip of Death, we'd be able to continue the quest." Nate said.

"How are you feeling?" Cilth said.

"Fine now." Benji said. They got on their horses and were soon off riding through the forest. They had gotten out of the Giton's home lands and were now riding along at a great pace. Mr. Tolkien, Brian, and Nate spoke to one another for a while as they were riding.

"Benji, do you think you'll be able to fight any and all evil we may meet this day?" Mr. Tolkien asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

"I wish I knew what had happened the day after I was brought to the town." Benji said. His mind was still, as yet, unclear on what had happened. He was sure that something had happened to him, but he had no idea.