"Yeah… That was easier than I thought. It's good to know that not everyone here is 'anti-visitors' like Bellicus." Ben told himself in his mind, relieved .
- I saw you met the Elder. She told you visits around here are rare, right? Elena asked, snapping Ben out of his thoughts.
- Yes, she said. That bunch of eyes hovering over me was already making me feel like a celebrity. Ben replied in a joking tone, although what he said was kind of true, at least where he came from. Ben's answer made Elena laugh a little.
- With those clothes, anyone here would think you were an artist. Elena commented, in a teasing tone as she noticed the sweatshirt Ben was wearing. Those brown cargo pants and that green All Star made a set of clothes whose style was unknown to Elena.
- Are we going to your house? Ben asked, trying to find out more about the girl he was having a rather pleasant conversation with. - In truth no. We are going to my friend's house. If I know her well, she never refuses to extend her hand to help others, and I think she still has room in her house for a guest. Elena answered. Ben felt good hearing that, as he also enjoyed helping those in need and lending one or even "four hands" if needed.
- She should be an amazing person. Ben made his comment about Elena's supposed friend.
- Yes. Mother Miranda bless her. This got Ben's attention a little. Would this Mother Miranda be a kind of Saint or someone very important in that place, to be exalted in that way?
"She could be a saint like the Virgin Mary, or whatever." Ben deduced in his mind.
- Do you have any beliefs or devotions, Ben? Elena asked a rather personal question this time and Ben should think carefully before giving his answer, after all, could a boy who can transform himself into an almost omnipotent being believe in saints or have any pagan beliefs? It's a question that popped into Ben's mind due to Elena's question.
- Uh, it's okay if you don't… Elena feared that maybe that question was a little too personal, and that maybe the boy was Christian, or even an atheist. Ben turned his attention to Elena and answered her question.
- Oh no, I'm okay. This Mother Miranda, is she a saint or something? Ben was curious about this important figure in the village, and it could be vital information. Elena sighed lightly before saying.
- She's just magnificent. She is our protector and our source of light in this world. You need to meet her and witness the greatness of her power, Ben. Elena was a little excited to say that, piquing Ben's curiosity even more.
"Apparently it's still out there somewhere, and it must be pretty powerful." Ben thought.
- Maybe later. And where could I find her? Ben asked.
- We usually worship her in church, and also her Lords. Elena answered.
"Lords? They must be subjects or something." Ben thought as he listened intently to Elena's words.
- These Lords, they are also important people here, right? Ben asked.
- Yes. They are the ones privileged to receive Mother Miranda's greatest blessing, and she has made them her children and the greatest living witnesses of her majesty and glory. They tend to come to the village sometimes.
"If this Miranda person has a power and has 'blessed' others, they must also have something that makes people be loyal to them in some way." Ben thought.
- And how many are there? Ben asked.
- Four. Elena answered.
- I understood. Ben nodded.
"An isolated village ruled by a Saint and her four children... Interesting so far. Now I want to hear the part about the monsters and man-eating beasts." Ben learned and gathered good information about where he was and wanted to delve even deeper into this sinister plot.
- Well, we're here. Elena said, before she and Ben stopped in front of a large wooden gate, framed in blue iron with sharp spikes on top. Perhaps it was to prevent thieves from entering.
- Luiza! Elena called, knocking on the gate. A short time later, sounds of the lock opening could be heard on the other side of the gate, so that even if it opened and someone came out of there.
A female with the color of skin and hair like Elena, and appearing to be older. She wore a black embroidered dress with long sleeves and gold buttons. She was also wearing a white apron and had flour and yeast on her hands. Maybe she was making a chocolate cake or homemade cookies, making Ben think that his luck was going to increase by the minute.
- Hey friend. How are you? Elena greeted her friend, before hugging her tightly.
- Hello dear. Good to see you. Said the lady who just walked out the gate and hugged Elena.
- What brings you here? The lady asked Elena.
- Well, this boy is not from the village, he came from far away and is lost. I thought maybe you had a place he could stay until he can come home. Elena said, referring to Ben, for the lady in the apron to look at the boy in the sweatshirt. You cannot help but notice the somewhat different style the boy had in the clothes he wore. Regardless of that, the lady decided to greet him.
- Hello boy, what's your name? The lady asked the boy.
- Hi, my name is Benjamin Tennyson, but you can call me Ben. Nice to meet you. Ben introduced himself to the lady formally.
- My name is Luiza, and you can call me by my name. It is also a pleasure to meet you. Luiza also introduced herself to the foreign boy, friendly.
- You're in luck, boy. There's still a spare room inside. You can stay there as long as you need, on me. Luiza gave Ben her invitation, a friendly smile on her face. Elena was right about Luiza being a helpful person who doesn't refuse to help someone.
- Really? I don't want to cause you any trouble. Ben was surprised at how immediate that invitation was, and he even expected there to be some questions to be answered before anything else.
- And why would you be a nuisance to me, Benjamin? It's been a while since I've had guests, and if my friend thinks you're a good guy, I do too. Luiza said, while looking into Ben's green eyes and seeing a slight smile appear on his face in thanks, inducing Luiza to do the same.
- I would even invite you to my house, but you know my father. Elena said.
- I know. That curmudgeon never trusts anyone. Luiza said, before the two friends laughed, enjoying the conversation.
- Come in, I have hot coffee and nut biscuits in the oven almost ready. You must be hungry, aren't you, Benjamin? Luiza asked, making the boy a little excited.
- Now you spoke my language! uh, I mean, yes I am. Ben replied as he scratched the back of his head, letting his excitement show a little too much, causing him to blush in front of the two women, prompting a few giggles.
- All right, let's go to my room. Luiza said, as she entered through the gate, Elena and Ben soon after.
- Uh, Ben, how old are you? Elena was curious about the boy's age, perhaps because of the almost childlike animation he displayed at certain moments.
- Seventeen. Ben answered. Luiza was close enough to hear reveal her age. "Seventeen-year-olds in the village aren't as excited about nut biscuits. Or maybe he really is hungry." Luiza thought.
….
It didn't take long for the subject of an outsider boy to be making the rounds among the villagers and peasant women of the village, especially among teenagers between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. They knew that the daughter of a grumpy old man had taken the boy to Luiza's house, known for her willingness to want to help others.
The adults found it odd that the boy had apparently arrived at the village of someone older in charge of him, literally alone.
The boys and girls, on the other hand, expected to see the boy walking around again to see if they could get closer or have a chat with him… including the girls.
This is common in places where the population is smaller: news spreads fast.
….
Back at Luiza's house, Elena and Ben were in the living room, while Luiza was still in the kitchen. It was a relatively large living room, with a table and upholstered chairs; two sofas on each side of the room; a wall-mounted china plate rack; a fireplace hung with bunches of garlic; a large chest of drawers parallel to the lit fireplace, and a carpet that covered almost the entire floor of the living room.
Ben decided to sit on the couch next to the window, but he noticed a small painting where there was a woman with a strange golden mask on her face. He walked over to the painting to get a good look at the picture.
-It's her. Elena's voice took Ben by surprise.
- Mother Miranda? Ben asked.
- Yes. Isn't she amazing? Elena did her rant as she stared at the photo.
"She must have been in a Carnival parade when she took that photo". Ben thought, referring to the eccentric mask the woman wore in that photo.
Once seated on the sofa, Ben patiently waited to be served coffee and pecan biscuits. He was already feeling a little warm with that sweatshirt and decided to take it off, revealing a black mesh shirt with short sleeves, with green details on the edges of the sleeves and around the collar, which went down forming a square with a white 10 printed on it in the center.
The boy had an athletic build in proportion to his height of 1.78m. The boy placed the sweatshirt on his back and tied the sleeves to the front of his chest, keeping the garment secure with him.
The sweatshirt was no longer covering Ben's arms, which meant his odd watch was exposed to all kinds of stares.
"I've never seen a watch like this before. How does this kid tell time if there are no hands and no numbers on there?" Elena noticed the clock for the first time and already had her questions about the device.
- I like your watch. Elena made a positive comment about the device, a faint smile of approval on her face. This got Ben's attention to respond to Elena's comment. -Thanks. Ben said, also smiling slightly. The outline of the bright green hourglass on that black bezel gave the watch a nice charm, as well as its shape and color scheme.
- Our watchmaker would love to take a look at this. Elena said, still keeping that smile.
- I'm sure so, if he's an excellent professional. Ben said, with a hint of sarcasm, finding Elena's comment a little funny and rightly so.
- Everyone here provides a different service, right? Ben asked, remembering the men carrying tools on their shoulders and guessing what their trade was.
- We have lumberjacks, a baker, farmers, we even have a luthier. Elena answered. The last word Elena quoted confused Ben's mind as to what the term "luthier" meant.
- Luthier? Ben asked.
- Yes. He makes and repairs musical instruments and is always busy.
- I understood. Ben nodded, now knowing what a "luthier" is.
- I suppose there are hunters around here, right? Ben asked, but noticed Elena's face slowly change from happy to neutral, almost sad. Elena seemed to have her mind immersed in some not very pleasant memory, and Ben cleared his throat so that the girl could hear him, bringing her back to the present moment.
- Oh, sorry about that. I was… Elena started to speak, to which Ben cut her off gently.
- Having a flashback? Ben asked.
- Yes. Elena replied, pulling herself together and bringing back the same smile that had been on her face before Ben asked about having hunters in the village. Ben was obviously aware of this detail.
The word "hunters" seems to have messed with Elena's mood a bit to the point where she lets it show in a certain seriousness and sadness, or maybe fear.
Ben has had his problems with bounty hunters like Sunder; SixSix; SevenSeven; Kraab and Tetrax (who is now Ben's friend). Khyber and his "Nemetrix Holder Dog" were also a pain in the ass, but Ben managed to throw Khyber in jail at the Plumbers' base.
If Elena had or has a problem with hunters in any way, he kind of understood that, and was willing to help her in any way possible.
- Elena and Benjamin, sit at the table, you will be served. Luiza left where the kitchen should have been and invited her friend and her guest to have coffee and some walnut biscuits. She had a tray full of fresh-baked homemade pecan cookies and a full carafe of coffee.
- Wait, I'll get the cups. Luiza said as she walked back to the kitchen. Elena and Ben were sitting in their seats and feeling that smell of nut biscuit attacked their nostrils.
- Damn, this smells really good. Ben said, almost letting his "inner Upchuck" take over. - She never fails when it comes to cooking. Elena backed up what Ben said with a positive comment.
- I'm back, sorry for the delay. Luiza said, smiling friendly as she placed the cups on the table and filled them with coffee.
- All right, we're not in a hurry. Elena told her friend, also smiling.
- Uh, without further ado? Ben asked in a joking tone, drawing a few chuckles from Elena and Luiza.
- Yes, Benjamin. Luiza replied, before sitting down at the table. Now that the three of them were comfortable, they could talk about how Ben got there, and obviously, he would have to come up with a convincing lie about it.
….
-So, you and your friends were on a vacation trip and passed through a city close to here? Elena asked, listening carefully to the case Ben was telling.
- Yeah. It was supposed to be a peaceful trip, where we could have fun and enjoy the moment. Until one of them decided to stuff himself with vodka mixed with beer and make the others in our group hell, including me. We had a fight and I decided to go home alone. I walked down the road hitchhiking to see if I could find an American embassy nearby, but that didn't happen and I ended up here. Ben replied, before taking a small sip of his coffee.
- Some people do stupid things when they drink. A neighbor of ours cannot see a full Whiskey bottle that already wants to spill it all in one gulp. Luiza made her comment.
- That asshole Anthon doesn't even need to drink a lot to turn into a fool. Elena said, as she took another cookie from the tray.
- He is not the same after his wife is gone, and he thinks that drowning his sadness in alcohol will appease his pain. It's a shame he still hasn't gotten over his loss. Luiza said something that made Ben remember when he fought Malware and lost Feedback when he was eleven years old, and he knew that losing something or someone you care about is not easy, even more so when it comes to something that you can no longer bring back. return. Ben may have gotten the Feedback back, but this guy Elena and Luiza were talking about couldn't see his wife anymore... ever again.
- You are right. He needs help, but he's looking in the wrong place. Elena said, a serious tone in her voice.
- Exactly. Mother Miranda bless him. Luiza said the same prayer that Ben heard Elena say, and wanted to know if he could meet this Mother Miranda person in person.
- And you, Benjamin? What do you believe? Do you have any devotion? Luiza asked, as she took a last sip of her coffee and looked at Ben.
He remembered when Elena had asked a similar question and he hadn't answered, and she too wanted to know what or what the boy believed.
Ben was of Tennyson lineage. His grandfather Max Tennyson was Magistrate of the Plumbers, the largest intergalactic police force in his universe, and he was also the one who taught Ben about what it means to be a hero.
Ben has carried these principles with him since his childhood, making Ben fight for what is fair is in the Tennyson DNA. With that in mind, Ben knew how to answer Luiza and Elena's question.
- To be honest, I was never the devout or religious type. But I'm sure of one thing... Ben paused briefly, Elena and Luiza were attentive to what he was about to say.
- We all have choices. We all have a right to who we want to be and what we want to do. We have free will and knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, and for me, there is nothing wrong with doing what is right. Ben gave them the answer that was on his mind, because of everything he'd done, learned and lived up to that day. He was his world's greatest hero and famous from north to south, loved by all his fans, yet he did it all out of a thirst to do good and fight for what is right that resided in every Tennyson's DNA, and he does not give up until he has accomplished his mission.
- Wise words, Benjamin. Luiza said, giving Ben an approving smile.
- Thanks. Ben nodded, with a satisfied smile. Elena had the answer to her question right there, and she liked how the boy thought about everyone being responsible for their choices. She smiled as she helped herself to more coffee and cookies.
….
Ben no longer feels like a stranger in the crowd thanks to the good and pure conviction of helping others that Luiza had with her, and he wanted to be able to repay that in the best way he could, and not only that, he wanted to know why Elena didn't seem very fond of hunters.
...