Hi, my name is Edward, Edward White. I thought I was a normal teenager, like others, but everything changed after the last summer holiday. When I turned thirteen, I went to my grandfather's in the countryside. I was really happy because I rarely saw him. I could say I hardly knew him. He was always travelling somewhere and doing things I knew nothing about. When I asked my parents where grandpa was, they always answered in unison, as if in a choir:

– On a business trip.

Then, when I asked where this “business trip” was, they replied much the same:

– Very far away.

I spent over a month in the countryside. It was the best time of my life. I found out that my beloved grandfather was a famous treasure hunter. He travelled the whole world and had thousands of adventures. He fought with werewolves, befriended pharaohs, and learned magic from real wizards. At first, when he told me about it, I didn't believe him, because who in their right mind would?

– What werewolves? What wizards? I'm thirteen. I don't believe in such things anymore.

Grandpa looked at me strangely, furrowed his bushy brows, and scratched his gray, bushy beard.

– I see, Edward, that you are already prepared – he said firmly.

– Prepared for what? – I asked, bewildered.

– Prepared for the adventure of a lifetime – he replied, smiling broadly.

He went to the room next door and started looking for something in the wardrobe.

– Where did I put it? – he wondered aloud. – Ah, I remember!

He came out of the room, nodded at me, and told me to follow him to the attic. Beneath the window stood a dusty wooden chest. The old man took a key from his neck and unlocked it. When I saw the green leather backpack taken from the chest, I knew immediately that it was no ordinary backpack. We went to the garden, where he showed me its contents. He pulled out a small, red wooden plane, a large yellow beach towel, an old dusty metal slingshot, an ordinary compass, and an empty cage. At least, it looked empty. Grandpa placed a silk scarf with symbols reminiscent of runes on it and said:

– Close your eyes and put your hand inside.

I felt a slight resistance, but I did it.

– Now listen to the beating of your heart – he added.

I felt warmth in my stomach, and then throughout my body. I also felt something gently settle on my hand. I pulled it out of the cage and saw a large white eagle with blue eyes in front of me.

– Don't be afraid – he reassured. – From today on, this is your friend. He will protect you always and everywhere.

– H-how did he appear? – I stammered.

– This cage senses what kind of person you are and presents you with an animal that matches your heart. Apparently, you are brave and courageous, which is why you received a snowy eagle. I got a chameleon.

As he said this, a rainbow-coloured chameleon emerged from his Santa-like beard, climbed up his face, and settled on grandpa's head. With its long tongue, it caught a fly ten meters away and slowly ate it.

– His name is Strongman because he has the strength of ten elephants. Don't let his appearance deceive you, because with his tongue, he can crush rocks. In addition, he can blend so skilfully into his surroundings that he becomes completely invisible.

After these words, as if on cue, the chameleon turned a shade of gray and disappeared into the hair.

– This snowy eagle is now your friend and will be so for the rest of your life. Stroke him on his shiny feathers, and give him a name. This is how you seal your friendship – he added.

He's beautiful, I thought, as white as snow, as majestic as the grandest statue. I reached out towards him with trepidation, and then his eyes began to glow blue.

– Don't be afraid. He feels every emotion of yours. You must relax – he whispered, not wanting to startle the bird.

– I'll name you Storm – I announced, stroking my new friend. He immediately soared into the sky and disappeared into the clouds. The gust caused by his wings knocked us to the ground. Grandpa quickly got up and started laughing.

– You gave him a perfect name, completely in line with his nature. You should know that Storm has one more ability: with his beak, he can turn anything he touches into ice.

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– Where did he fly off to? – I asked out of curiosity.

– Storm is a wild creature that needs freedom. But don't worry. Whenever you need help, he'll appear like a guardian angel.

Then he showed me how to shoot the slingshot. It wasn't a normal toy, but a dangerous weapon made of titanium, with ends that split into a Y shape. Attached to the ends was a flexible, strong, gray rubber, with a leather cup in the middle. When the slingshot was pulled, a glass sphere with a blue lightning bolt inside appeared in the cup. Anything hit was shocked and turned into dust. Using it wasn't easy, as it took a lot of strength to pull it taut. During practice, I turned countless bottles to dust. Although I couldn't hit any at first, I gradually got better. You need a good eye to hit such a small target. Afterward, my hand hurt a lot.

After mastering the slingshot, it was time to learn how to operate the miniature red plane, which could only accommodate two small mice. However, when it was thrown to the ground, and the words “time to travel“ were spoken, it instantly transformed into a huge, real plane. It was an old, sturdy biplane with two seats. Grandpa pointed out the pilot's seat and instructed me to start the engine. Initially, I thought that such old planes were started with a hand crank attached to the propeller hub, but grandpa quickly corrected me. Despite the numerous buttons on the dashboard, it turned out that all it took to start the plane was to press two buttons: first PROPELLER to start the propeller, and then START. I had no trouble with the controls since a regular car steering wheel served as the flight control. When we took off, I felt like a bird and even tried to spot Storm to have a little race with him. It was an incredible feeling, the wind in my hair, breathtaking views, and immense satisfaction from flying. I named the plane the Red Rocket because it soared like a true missile.

After mastering the art of flying, I learned how to use the compass. It was one of the easiest things I had done so far. All I had to do was squeeze it tightly and state my destination. The compass would open and display a holographic map indicating the destination. It turned out that the compass was compatible with the plane's control system, so there was no need to manually set the flight path. Everything happened automatically.

Finally, it was time to learn about the yellow beach towel. I draped it over my shoulders, and... guess what? I disappeared! I didn't expect that at all! Grandpa explained to me that the towel was made of the most advanced material used only by the military. Octopus DNA had been added to regular cotton, causing a mutation in its gene and giving the thread woven from this cotton incredible power. But I'm not sure if I can talk about it, after all, it's strictly confidential.

I also learned that the backpack could hold as many things as I wanted, and there was still plenty of space inside. Most importantly, I didn't feel its weight at all.

On the last day of my visit, grandpa told me about the Golden Sphinx Mask – a beautiful and mystical work of art – that he had been searching for for many years. Unfortunately, he hadn't found any leads to it yet. He had discovered various treasures, such as the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail, but not the Mask he had been most interested in for the past twelve years. He wanted it because according to legend, it granted the ability to communicate with the deceased. He wanted to speak with his wife, who passed away a year after my birth. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet her. Grandma had accompanied him on all their adventures throughout their marriage. She was his best friend, and when she passed away, he travelled even more and searched for relics from the past, especially one. Grandpa was tired of constant travelling, he had aged, and he decided to return home.

– Edward, I have a request for you – he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. – I would like you to find the Golden Sphinx Mask.

I felt moved, especially when such an experienced treasure hunter believed that I could find this precious item.

– We can find it together! – I exclaimed enthusiastically.

He smiled and replied:

– I'm getting old, and I would only be a burden to you. Unfortunately, my time of adventures is over, but I'm very glad that yours is beginning. – As he spoke, a tear welled up in his eye.

– If anyone is going to find it, it's you, but you need to know that it will be a very dangerous adventure, so if you refuse, I'll understand, and I won't be upset.

I wanted to say that it was an adventure for an adult, not a teenager, but then I remembered Storm, the slingshot, the plane, the compass, and the towel, so I held back. With these magical items, I should succeed. The compass would show me the way, the plane would take me to where I'd find the Mask, and if anything threatened me, I could hide under the towel or use the slingshot. It seemed straightforward.

– Agreed, I'll do it! – Although I wasn't afraid, my voice sounded uncertain.

Grandpa's face lit up with such a big smile that all his teeth showed, and for a moment, I thought his dentures would fall out. He hugged me tightly and whispered:

– Someday, you will be the most famous treasure hunter in the world. Everyone will talk about your adventures.

Little did we know that these were prophetic words. That same evening, grandpa prepared everything for the journey and gave me final instructions. He told me what to watch out for and what rules to follow. He talked about vampires, evil witches, and orcs who liked to eat raw meat. That's when I started to feel fear. I realized that this was a serious undertaking, but there was no turning back. With a hundred thoughts in my head, I started the engine of the Red Rocket, put on goggles and a leather helmet, said my goodbyes, and flew straight into the darkness. I soared above the clouds. The moon was full and shining brightly. It seemed like I could touch every crater on its surface. I took out the compass from my backpack, squeezed it tightly, and said: “Lead me to the Sphinx Mask!“ A hologram with a map appeared above the compass. There were some strange symbols, pictures, a river, a desert, little people, mummies, statues. What could it mean? Egypt! Why wasn't I surprised? I had always wanted to go there. Suddenly, from the left, Storm flew in. He sensed that I needed company. His presence gave me courage, and the thought that someone was by my side who wouldn't let anyone harm me was incredibly reassuring. As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared into the clouds. I ate the sandwich prepared by grandpa, activated autopilot, reclined the seat, and went to sleep. I was very tired, and a long journey awaited me.