Ben and Lucy: The Sunken Kingdom
Chapter 6 Adventure Begins

Parmesis caught Lucy in his talons as another large bird grabbed Ben. The two birds carried each child away from the forest and began to rise above the trees.

Ben and Lucy now saw the forest from above, smoke was billowing from the woods itself. Lucy began to cry as the wind blew into her face. Before the Ben and Lucy could get used to the height, a huge shadow covered them. Ben tried to look up but just as he did he felt the grip from the giant bird loosen. Ben was now falling from the sky. The bird had let go of him. As he fell he looked down and saw that he was now heading for a small pond. The water rushed up to greet him. He suddenly felt the cold water around him as he plunged deep into the wet landing. He scrambled to the surface just in time to see Lucy make the same journey into the pond. Ben reached for Lucy and helped her out of the water. At the edge Ben and Lucy gather themselves.

“What happened Ben?”

“I don’t know but I saw a huge shadow and then we were dropped.”

“I heard a load screech before Parmesis dropped me.” added Lucy.

“Let’s get over there by those hugs rocks and try to see where we are.”

The children once on shore made there way through the thick bushes that lined the water and up a small hill where large boulders formed what looked like a cave. As Ben climbed up he realized that there was only a small gap in the rocks and that there was no cave. Lucy followed and once the two were up in the crevice they sat down to gather themselves. Ben began to open his pack to see what Charnac had stored for them. Lucy looked on but left her pack intact. As Ben looked in he could see nothing but blackness. He was puzzled for he saw Charnac putting things in. Now he was trying to recall what he actually saw.

“This doesn’t make sense Lucy. My bag looks empty.” Ben then put his hand in the bag.

“What is this?” Ben said with a start. As his hand plunged into the bag he began to feel things inside. Ben grabbed what felt like a sheet of paper. Ben removed a rolled up parchment bond together with a leather tie.

“Let’s take a look at this.” Ben said with a look a dismay on his face.

“Ben, it looks like a note from Charnac”. Lucy added. Ben began to read the note.

“My dear children. I apologize for the quick escape. If you are reading this then you have found your way out before being caught. Thank goodness. Now you are now wondering about these bags.”

“Yes we are.” Added Lucy. Ben paused and shook his head in agreement. He continued to read Charnac’s note.

“These are special bags with magic that only works for each of you. Ben, you can only use your bag and Lucy hers. As you have noticed the bags appear light as if empty. You will also realize that if you look into the bag you can see nothing but darkness. This is the magic. As you place your hands in to pull something out, the bag will reveal an object that your are in need of at the time. Be careful the bag will read your thoughts and will reveal what it thinks you need. Sometime you will need to think about how to use the item and why the bag has revealed that article.”

Ben and Lucy looked at each other puzzled and excited at the same time. Now they we actually seeing the magic of this place that Charnac had alluded to back at his house. Ben continued with the note.

“Now that you understand the magic of these bags, you can now reach back in and pull out the next item. Hopefully it will be a map of your journey. Remember to always focus on what you need.”

Ben reached in and grasped another rolled up document. Again he pulled his hand out to reveal what the bag had given him. Indeed it was a map. Ben went back to the first note.

“Look at the map and see where you are. You will need to make your way to Eloise who lives in Lake Zhuluan.”

Lucy took the map and unrolled it on the flat ground next to her and Ben. “As you hopefully will see the path takes a few turns and you will have to make your way through some obstacles.”

Ben and Lucy examined the map. Indeed there were markers for Eloise and where Charnac’s house was. Charnac’s house was in the bottom left of the map, indicating that Charnac had been living in the Southwest area known as Partenia. By indications on the map Partenia was a wooded kingdom ruled by Parmesis. Eloise’s kingdom, Glarcorium, appeared to be in the Lake itself on the bottom right of the map.

“So Lucy we need to head due east. See here are the boulders that we are at.” Ben had already determined where the two were now located. The boulders were just north of the pond in which they had been dropped in during their quick escape flight with Parmesis.

“Ben it looks like we have to travel some distance to get there. Look at the mountains around the Lake. There seems like an open plain just to the east of us.”

“I see that but also there looks to be a warning as well, see the skull and crossbones?”

“Wonder what that means.” Lucy added.

“How are we going to know which way we are moving?”

“Why don’t you reach into your bag and think of a compass? Maybe the bag will give that to you.”

“Great idea Lucy.” Ben excitedly responded.

As Ben reached back into the bag he began to feel around for something that would be a compass. Suddenly his hand came across a square maybe four inches on each side. He pulled out the square and was revealed to see that in fact it was a compass set in a wooden box.

“Look Lucy, it is a compass and I was right the compass is set to show where North is, just like back home.” As Ben said this both children grew silent. The impact of being away from home now hit them. Lucy began to tear up. Ben reach over and the two hugged each other. Nothing was said for a few moments as both felt the other for comfort. They both now understood that they were together alone in a strange new world and they had no idea of when they may ever return home. Ben was the first to pull away. Wiping the tears from his own eyes, his attention returned back to the map. He began to study it more closely. Ben noticed that the map only had the areas marked where they needed to go in bold print. The other areas to the north were not. It was if the map knew what their journey was and created the map as such.

“What do you see?” asked Lucy.

“Well it seems the map knows where we need to go. It has highlighted our path for us.”

“That must be the part of the magic of the bags as Charnac said.” Lucy added.

“Yeah. I guess it gave us a map of where we need to go.”

“Well we need to start heading out and make some progress before it gets dark.” Ben said as he stood up.

He looked over the map and the compass, then started to led Lucy and himself in a eastern direction. The two started off slow, making their way through the brush. As they continued the brush seemed to thin out. The vegetation was gradually becoming a grassy plain. The trees also dissipated, soon the two found themselves in an open field that stretched to the horizon. The sun now beat down on the two as the midday sun began to heat things up. Lucy stopped, concentrated for a few seconds. She closed her eyes and then reached into her bag. She smiled as she pulled out a water bottle and began to drink. The water was cold and fresh tasting. She passed it over to Ben without a word. Ben took the bottle and took a long drink as well then passed the bottle back to Lucy.

“Thanks” Ben said

“This bag is going to be very valuable.” replied Lucy. “I wish we had this back home. Maybe we can take this back with us.”

“If we ever get back home. “ Ben said gloomily.

“Come on Ben. We can do this. We have to see this as an adventure.” Lucy tried to be upbeat.

“Let’s stop for lunch soon.” Ben suggested

“Maybe the next time we see a tree.”Lucy added.

“Fat chance on that. The map indicates that this continues for sometime.”

“There has got to be a tree somewhere around here.”

“Ok, we will try, but don’t hold your breath.” Ben concluded.

The two then stopped talking and continue marching through the tall grass. The two trudged along for the next few hours or so, the long blades occasionally slicing their skin about the arms and face. There were no trees along the way. They decided to stop in a clearing. The two set their bags down and concentrated on food. Each reached into their bags and withdrew something different. Lucy pulled out fruits and veggies. Ben pulled out a large sandwich with lots of meat and mayo. Ben grinned at Lucy. She rolled her eyes. Ben was always eating a sandwich back home if when their mother would insist he ate his veggies.

“Ben we should probably share our food. That way we each get enough of the required food groups.”

“Oh Lucy, give it a break. We are here out in the wilderness. I want to eat what I want.”

“Ok, but don’t tell me you are getting a stomach ache later.”

“Sure.” Ben dismissed his sister’s concern.

After the break for foo and water, the two continued again for the newt few hours. Plains continued for as long as they continued.

“Lucy, this is ridicules.”

“I know, we must be in Kansas.”

“Ha, ha. I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore!!”

The two both laughed at this little joke and then quickly grew silent as they realized this was no fairy tale they were in. Thankfully the sun was warm but not hot, the temperature was just right for their journey. The two were slowly getting worn out. Ben knew his sister had to rest soon. Just as he was getting convinced that all the trees in this land had been removed by nature, Lucy spotted one in the horizon.

“Ben!, look a tree!”

“Oh right, let’s get going. We need to get there quickly.”

The sun had begun to fall in the sky and Ben know that he did not want to be in the tall grass at night. He did not know why but something inside him knew that things would come out at night looking to feed and he did not want to be one of them.