The Call of the Dragons [Quest]

“Thank you for telling me the truth Reo. I saw you sneak the scroll out that night, but it is not such a valuable artifact that I felt the need to stop you. We would have allowed you to read the scroll, if you had asked. While I cannot retrieve the scroll as it has already been read, I will tell the Clan Elders about this incident and leave your punishment up to them.” Monk Godrusai said as he stood up and walked over to a bookshelf across the room. “Now, I believe you said you were looking for the Temple of Ryu? It is quite an old temple and I am afraid I do not know why it exists, but I do have a book which mentions it briefly. If I can only…ah, yes. Here it is.”


[Post 10: 138 Words]

Monk Godrusai sat down with the book and flipped through it silently. Reo, however, squirmed.

“Master Godrusai. Is that all you have to say about the scroll incident?” Reo asked nervously, palms feeling itchy from the stress of worrying about it.

“Hmm? Oh. Yes. I have nothing more to say. I had hoped you would return the scroll safe and sound so I wouldn’t have to report the incident to the Elders but I will let them deal with it. In the meantime, I do not believe that it is my place to punish you until they hear your case. Now, the Temple of Ryu. This book contains a little bit of information. Largely, it mentions that the last written record of the temple mentions its fall – perhaps its destruction. It does, however, have a map of where it was said to have existed at one point. This is a very obscure Temple that I believe very few within our order would know about. Do I dare ask why you wish to know more about it?” The Monk spoke calmly and steadily – as he always did.

[Post 11: 186 Words]

“This is very helpful information, Master.” Reo said putting the hand-drawn map leading to the Temple of Ryu next to the well-drawn picture in the book. There were a few differences that Reo noted immediately. First, the location of the temple seemed to be off by quite a bit. Maybe a hundred kilometers to the right of the picture in the book? That much difference would lead to most explorers being unable to find it. Who would think to look that far off from where their most updated maps showed the temple to be? “I found this hand drawn map to the Temple of Ryu and – I can’t explain it very well, Master – but I felt drawn to pick it up and believe that it was meant for me to find.”

[Post 12: 131 Words]

“I see. Well, I won’t dissuade you from this course of action if it is a route you truly wish to take – but I will warn you that no explorer or scholar has been able to find that temple. Your map seems to place the temple far to the right of our most accurate drawings. Perhaps you will have more luck. I urge you to take some water skins -though if your map is correct I assume you will be back by this evening.” The Master said handing Reo his hand-drawn map and closing the book. Reo stood up on unsteady legs and pictured the more accurate map in his mind. He imagined overlaying the map details of it with the one he held in his hand. The details of that map told him where he needed to go.

[Post 13: 139 Words]

The walk to the Temple of Ryu took more energy than Reo thought it would. It was far, according to his hand drawn map and the calculations he did in his head based off the scaling of the real map – he had walked roughly thirty kilometers today. That left his feet feeling sore and his head pounding from the constant sun exposure. This far into the desert, one did not benefit from the shade of buildings and thus it was a level of heat that even the dark-skinned monk was unused to. However, he eventually made it to the temple and it was unlike anything Reo had ever seen before.

[Post 14: 110 Words]

The temple itself was made out of sand and appeared to be crafted in the shape of a dragon’s head – only the entire right side of the face appeared to have been smashed by something extremely large and extremely heavy. The eyes were made out of some kind of black gemstone, of which the right eye was cracked from whatever force had smashed the dragon’s head. The maw of the beast was gaping wide open and the teeth appeared to be rocks expertly carved into the shape of teeth and pushed into the sand. The tongue of the dragon was forked at the end and was made of sand – though Reo could not guess what the creators did to the sand to cause it to solidify and not collapse upon its own weight. Of course, that could be said for the entire structure.

The mouth appeared to be the entrance into the Temple. Reo took one long look at the paper in his hand before he began to walk forward. The words of the Shopkeeper of the Odd Tree Library echoed in his mind. That was a test. This is a test.

Reo entered the belly of the beast. The tongue turned into stairs before long and Reo walked down them gently so that they wouldn’t collapse upon himself and leave him stranded in the giant sand dragon. As Reo walked, part of him wondered whether the inside of the creature was shaped as a dragon as well or if only the entrance was dragon themed.

After what felt like hours, Reo reached the bottom of the stairs. He arrived in a grand room made out of what appeared to be marble. The entire room seemed to be in ruin. Pews were knocked over and chairs smashed against walls. One table distinctly had burn marks on it. The marble walls even had large gashes in them, as if a giant beast had mawed them and torn through the marble as it were paper.

However, one thing stood out to Reo. In the middle of this room, there was a pedestal with a glass case on it. This case held a scroll – much larger than the scroll he had taken from his own clan. This one was large and ornately designed with what appeared to be golden dragon’s claws clasping it shut.

Reo walked closer to the pedestal and – upon inspection – discovered that the scroll appeared to be in perfect shape. The pedestal itself bore no marks or other indicators of damage. The glass case even stood – perfectly unmarred by time and whatever destruction bore itself upon the room. Reo gently lifted the glass case up and placed a hand on the scroll beneath. He could feel…something coursing beneath his hand. This scroll was valuable. It could do the world only good if he brought it back, but he should take it to the Odd Tree Library before opening it or showing it to the monks. The shopkeeper would know if it was dangerous.

Reo prepared to leave the room but took one look around before doing so. Every other doorway in the room had been completely collapsed. With a shrug, Reo turned and walked away.

[Post 15: 535 Words]
[QUEST COMPLETED]
~ Rewards ~
+ Ryu Caller - Take to Odd Tree Library + Staff Interaction
+ Ability Points: +500
[Total Words:2,555]