Seth Astill: Church without the pope

Xenia! Nathan! where are you...

“Can’t the people enter through other ways, if the ground is open?” Seth asked doubtfully.

“They can’t, the whole perimeter of the sanctuary is lined up with fences, to keep those peoples out and even if they manage to get in, they would require the ticket to go into the museum, shelter and the eagle’s point” Nathan explained while expertly navigating the road.

Soon they reached another structural building, they stopped in front of it and all got down.

“This,….” Nathan said pointing to it “…. Is the museum.

They all went past the wooden hut outside, into the museum. Seth presumed that the hut must be the ticket counter. Seth was amazed as soon as he set foot inside the room, it was like entering ten years ahead into the future.

The lights Nathan explained were automatic and there were cases that held the anatomy of different species of eagles. Taxidermy of eagles hung from the ceiling of the wall above. The cases had lights too, there were plates attached beside each case, telling information about the specimen in the case.

There were buttons at the corner of each plate. Seth clicked it and a female voice started ‘this is the claw of the peregrine falcon, a close relative of eagles…..’

“The switch activates a pre-recorded audio, that speaks the information written on the plates to the people who aren’t able to read” Nathan explained.

“Cool, I have never seen this in any museum that I have visited before,” Seth said impressed by the technology.

“Isn’t this awesome” Xenia exclaimed a little awed herself.

“Wait a minute, have you never visited here before” Seth asked shocked to see her amazed like him.

“I have visited the sanctuary before many times but, the museum is a recent addition” Xenia answered.

“Come with me if you are done here” Nathan ordered and walked to the stairs at one corner.

Both of them followed him and they all went up the stairs into the room above.

The room was just like below the only difference was the absences of the cages instead there was a huge table screen in the middle of the room covering the entire length. There were also many charts that covered the walls.

Seth went to the nearest chart and saw that it had an image of a white eagle with black wings, Seth read the name that was written below ‘Bonelli’s eagle’, there were other information too that was given below it.

According to it, Bonelli was one of the biggest prey birds found across southern Europe.

“This floor has all the information about the various types of eagles, these charts that you see has an image and information of a specific type printed on it. And not only that…..” he moved to the table screen and pressed a button, a portion of the screen lit up.

“….. here you can search the name of the type of eagle you want to know about and a video documentary will start playing”

A documentary on Bonelli eagles started playing. They roamed at that places for some time, Seth took pictures of the charts that he found interesting. Soon, they were out of the museum in the car driving to the eagles point.

“The eagles point is at the very top, as the eagles like to fly high. We will see many of them there, clearly. If we are lucky we could even find a nest” Nathan said excitedly. At first, the car was driving on a fairly open dirt path but soon Nathan turned into the overgrowth, expertly driving it between the trees.

It was a tiring drive, because of the uneven roads, the jeep jumped at ever holes and stones. They were all relieved when they came out. From there Nathan just drove for few minutes and then stopped the jeep.
They all got down and looked up. There were hundreds of eagles flying above them, all of different types.

Seth could see some of them diving at the mountain a little ahead. Maybe they caught a mouse or snake Seth thought. He took out his smartphone and started clicking photos.

“This looks so great, doesn’t it zee…..” he asked still clicking the photos, he didn’t get any answer so, he looked down only to see that nobody was around.

The jeep was still there but, neither Xenia nor Nathan could be seen.

“ZEE….ZEE, where are you” Seth called out a little anxious, still he heard no reply.

“XENIA” he called out worried now.

“What is it, why are you shouting,” Xenia said from behind him.

“How did you come there, where were you,” Seth asked turning around surprised.

“I thought I saw an eagle, there,” she said pointing behind her “So, I went there to see it up close. where’s Nathan anyways” Xenia asked looking around.

“I am over here” Nathan shouted from the right.

“Where did you go, leaving us alone,” Seth asked as soon as he reached them.

“I went to see if there was any eagles nest around. I found one, come” he signaled with his hands to follow him.

He took them in the direction, where he had come from, and soon enough they saw the nest, just after a little walk. An eagle was flying just above the nest, Seth could see that there were two eggs in the nest.

Xenia tried to go ahead to have a better look, but Nathan caught her and pulled her back.

“Are you crazy, Zee. You should know, the eagles are very protecting parents, they don’t like it when someone goes near their eggs” Nathan shouted.

“ You are right, sorry,” Xenia said a little sheepishly and turned to look at the nest.

After they had seen the nest, they went back to the jeep and got inside, Nathan started the engine and they drove ahead.

“Will we have to go through the overgrowth again?” Seth asked dreadfully.

“No, there’s a way from here to go to the training facility.  A road from there goes to the entrance” Nathan answered.

Seth sighed in relief and started looking out of the jeep. He felt good as the wind sped past him, he took a deep breath and smile contentedly.

“Seems like you are enjoying your stay here,” Xenia said looking at him and smiled.

“You bet” Seth answered truthfully.

Nathan stopped the car after some time at a fenced shack and got down, Seth and Xenia got down too.

“This isn’t the training facility,” xenia noticed.

“Nope, this isn’t” Nathan agreed and started going in, Xenia and Seth didn’t follow.

“Why did you stop here, if this isn’t the training facility,” Xenia asked defiantly.

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Game time:

My big di whom I respect the most?