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CYOA: The Dying Kingdom


DragonFlames
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I feel somewhat sick lately, but I wanted to get this out today. Enjoy!

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 5: Investigation

"I'll go to the tavern", you decide. "You go and ask around the village for more info".
"Right away", says Finley eager to get started. "But... be careful, okay?"
"What, are you worried about me?", you feign surprise.
Finley sighs and shakes his head. "Ugh, nevermind...", he says, frustrated. "I forgot I was dealing with the 'Merciless Woodcrusher'..."
"Oh, shove it, Fiffy!"
"Only if you stop calling me that!"

"We have a mission here, you know?", you scold him. "Stay focused, okay?"
"Way to change the subject..." Finley once again shakes his head, then smiles. "I'll be off then. See you!" He walks off to talk to the villagers. Meanwhile, you look around to see if you can find the tavern.

...

It is at this point that you realize that you never asked Finley which of the buildings here he identified as a tavern.
"Come on, Sophia, think! What does a tavern usually have to make people see that it is one?". You frantically look around while trying to remember the taverns in Fabunil, which Richard showed to you and your siblings when you were little. You recall that every one of them has a sign out in front, usually with an odd name written on it, so you go look for that. Luckily, the village is not too big, so finding a house with a conspicuous sign somewhere should not pose much of a problem. At the same time, you wonder what use a small village such as this would even have for a tavern. Tourism, perhaps? But there was nothing much to see here...
In your musings, you almost trip over a sign in your way.
"Village pub 'Drunk Eagle' - restaurant and inn", it says. Below the crudely scribbled words is an arrow that points to a rather large wooden building to your left. Embarrassed, you realize that you have almost walked right past what you were looking for.
Happy that your search has not taken too long, you enter the tavern and are greeted by a rather inviting dining room with many round tables surrounded by four chairs each. To your right, a staircase to the upper floors and on the other side of the room, you can see the counter, in front of which sits a tall, muscular, middle-aged man, downing a beverage of some kind.
"Gimme another one chief!", the man says, his voice gruff, but his tone is rather jovial.
"Of course! Right away, sir!"
You only now notice a corpulent man clumsily scurrying around the dining hall, cleaning the tables with a large towel. The man looks at you in kind and smiles.
"Oh, another visitor? Welcome to the 'Drunk Eagle', little miss!", he greets you in a friendly manner. "Please, have a seat! Is there anything you would like to drink? I am sorry to inform you, but lunch just ended. If you want anything to eat, you should return during dinner time".
"Um, actually, I came here because I was looking for someone...", you say.
"Looking for someone?", your hear the other man's gruff voice. He turns around and looks at you top to bottom. From his clothes, you can immediately tell that he is a traveler of some kind. You glance to the space next to him and see a rather large axe leaning against his chair.
"Never seen you around here before. Lookin' pretty fine for a village maiden. You're not from around here, I take it?"
"Um, no, actually..." You do not know how to gauge this person's intentions. His voice and word choice make him seem like a ruffian, but you feel no ill intent in his words.
"Ah, I get it. You must be from the castle, then?", the man asks.
"Wait, how do you know that?"
"Call it a mercenary's intuition", he says and winks, which makes you uncomfortable. Then it hits you.
"So you are the person father hired to help us find the missing villagers?", you ask him.
"Yup, sure am", he confirms your suspicion, then his eyes widen in shock. "Wait, did you just say 'father'?!? Don't tell me you're the Big Shot's little girl!?" He stares at you in disbelief. "Now, that's a lark! Name's John, but you can call me Johnny, if you want! Awfully nice to meetcha and all that!". He extends a hand to you.
"Um... likewise, Mr. John...", you hesitantly shake his hand. His grip is strong, but your training has made you able to withstand it. "My name is Sophia", you introduce yourself to him, unfazed by the strength of his handshake.
"I like girls with a strong grip!" He winks again. "But there's no need to be so formal, little lady. It's not like I'm anyone important".

He takes a seat with you at one of the tables.
"Chief, bring the little lady a drink, will you? It's on me!"
"Wait, what?!?"
"Of course, sir!" The corpulent bartender leaves through a door in the back.
"B-But I'm--"
"Don't worry too much about that madness, little lady!", John laughs heartily. "It's an honor for a man to invite a girl of your beauty, even if her family's loaded and you're dirt poor!"
You feel exhausted all of a sudden as the friendly bartender places a glass of water in front of you. "Please, enjoy it! It's fresh from the well". He then goes back to his post behind the counter and starts cleaning glasses.
"What, none of the good stuff?", the mercenary asks, slightly disappointed.
"I am sorry, but the midday rations have been used up already", says the bartender. "You can have alcohol again at dinner".
"Ugh, fine, fine", he leans back in his chair. "Damn cheapskate..."
You had heard that villages have to ration food and drink before, but this is your first time experiencing it up close. Is this the reason there is a tavern in this village...?

"Anyway, we were talkin' business, weren't we?", John snaps you out of your thoughts. "How much do you know about this request?"
"Well... just that some people from this village went missing suddenly", you reply. "We just arrived here, so I don't know any more than what father told us".
"'We'...?", John stares at you.
Before you can answer, Finley and Melissa enter the tavern, the former looking incredibly tired.

"There you are, Sophia!", your older sister greets you.
"Melissa, Fiffy!", you greet them back.
"Stop... calling me that..." Finley is gasping for air as he takes a seat next to you. "And... who's that guy?"
"This is John, the mercenary father hired to help us out on this mission", you introduce him. "And John: this is my older sister, Melissa, and this is my friend, Finley".
"So... you're the famous Purple Tempest, I take it?", completely ignoring Finley, John glares at Melissa. "Thought the rumors about you being a hottie were all just yarn, but damn... I'd like to see if the stories about your strength are the real deal, as well!"
Silently, Melissa returns John's gaze.

"W-What is going on?", you start trembling. "I can almost imagine a fire erupting between them..."
"This is what happens when two experienced fighters meet". Finley looks impressed. "That John guy must be pretty strong himself if he stands up to Lady Melissa like that..."

"Please, no fighting in my tavern!", comes the warning from the bartender.
"There is no need to worry", Melissa replies with a friendly smile, then she sits down.
"At the moment, we have more important things to do. We can have ourselves a duel once all of this is over, however. Of course, it will have to be elsewhere".
"Hey, I was only joking!", John says, his hands shaking. "No need for coming to blows. We're all friends here, right?"
"Ah, so his bravado was just show after all...", Finley says completely deadpan.
John clears his throat, his face red with embarrassment.
"What did you two find out?", you ask the two of them.
"The village elder basically told me the same thing we already knew: some of the villagers here went missing. Nobody really seems to know why", says Melissa.
"I learned that those who went missing are mostly young men and women between the age of 14 and 18", Finley adds. "Some of the villagers were really distraught that their children and siblings just disappeared all of a sudden".
"Yeah, that about matches with my findings, too", says John, sighing. "This case is going to be a doozy..."
"By the way, Sir John? How long have you been here?", Melissa asks.
"Me? Well... I arrived here this morning. Your old ma---, sorry, His Majesty, hired me to look into the missing people's case last night. No rest for the wicked and all that".
"I see..." Melissa furrows her brow.
"Something wrong, Missy?", you ask, confused.
"No, nothing", Melissa shakes her head. "I was just wondering how father could have already hired someone to help you out on a mission when he hasn't even given you that mission yet".
"I see". You nod, becoming worried for your father's health. Then again, you yourself pulled an all-nighter last night.

"So, basically, we only know that there are people in this village who have gone missing. Nobody knows who or why. Is that it?", Finley asks.
"Well that, and we know how old those who went missing are", John adds. "Still, that's not really a lot to go on".

"Oh, so you're ones who came to fulfill our request?", suddenly, the bartender speaks up. "Sorry, I couldn't remain silent".
"It's alright", says Melissa. "If there is anything you wish to say, then tell us".
"Well, for one thing, the kids disappeared at night", says the bartender. "Each morning, someone would wake up and panic that a family member was missing".
"So... we know that young adults go missing and that they disappear at night, usually", Finley summarizes. "Now the only question is: How and why do they vanish in the first place?"
"Were there any traces of kidnapping?", Melissa asks.
"No, not that I recall", the bartender shakes his head. "Some said it could be, but they also said the rooms of those who went missing were neat and tidy when they did. My own daughter disappeared two days ago... and her room also had no traces of someone else being there aside from her".
"That certainly complicates things", says Melissa.
A though occurs to you. "Could they have just run away on their own?"
"One or two, maybe, but never all of them in such a short amount of time", your older sister replies. "That would be too big of a coincidence".
"And my daughter would never run away!", the bartender shouts. "She was so happy working here... she wanted to inherit the business, too..." He starts crying.
"I... I'm sorry", you say sincerely, handing him a handkerchief.
"It's fine, it's fine", he shakes his head, tapping away the tears in his eyes. "She was such a good kid. Pretty popular with the boys, too...", he continued. "Oh, where could she be?!?"
"I'm sorry, but I have to ask: did you notice anything strange when your daughter vanished?", asks Melissa as gently as she could. "A letter, an out of place object, anything?"
"Now that you mention it... The door was unlocked on the day she disappeared!" The sobbing bartender calms down a little.
"Do you usually lock the door?", you ask.
"Yes, I always lock the door when I go to sleep after work", he answers. "But on that morning, it was unlocked. It was so strange, so I went to ask my daughter about it and..."
"That's when you noticed she was gone, right?" John completed the sentence for him.
"Yes, exactly". The bartender nodded.

"So, basically, people vanish, doors are unlocked in the morning after they do, but they couldn't have gone away on their own AND kidnapping is also out of the question. Do I have that right?", John shakes his head in disbelief. "Man, what is UP with this mission? Here I thought it was gonna be easy, but NOPE!"
"If investigating doesn't help any, then there is no choice but to take action", says Melissa. "Can we stay the night?"
"O-Of course, but... what do you wish to do?", the bartender asks.
"I want to see if anything happens during the night that would explain this", your older sister replies. "There is something going on here and I am planning to find out what that is".
"Then please, stay as long as you wish! For free, even!" The bartender perks up. "We are all desperate to find our missing family. If this helps you find them, then please, be my guests!"
"That will not do", Melissa shakes her head. "I will pay you the normal price for rooms".
"I... I... Thank you, Your Highness", the bartender bows his head.

Later that night, you lie awake in your bed. You are incredibly tired, but you cannot sleep. Staring at the ceiling, you wait for something to happen. Finley is sleeping in another room, while Melissa and John are patrolling the village for anything unusual. Melissa coerced you into resting, since you had just pulled an all-nighter, but here you are, still awake.
Sure enough, you suddenly hear a strange noise. It almost sounds like... voices? You strain your ears and try to listen.
And indeed, you can hear faint voices. Someone is having a conversation outside and it is assuredly nobody you know. You try to concentrate, but you cannot make out anything they are saying. All you know is that somebody is talking outside.

What will you do?
Choice 1: Investigate.
Choice 2: Stay put.
Choice 3: Wake up Finley.
Choice 4: Look for Melissa and John.

Vote for your preferred option in the poll!

---

This chapter underwent like three rewrites, because I couldn't think of a way to end it.
I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!

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Best not to face potential danger alone. She should probably wake up Finley.

7 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

This chapter underwent like three rewrites, because I couldn't think of a way to end it.
I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!

John seems like a pretty interesting and fun character. Pretty lax for a mercenary too. Enjoyed the chapter. Looking forward to the next one!

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2 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

John seems like a pretty interesting and fun character. Pretty lax for a mercenary too. Enjoyed the chapter. Looking forward to the next one!

I confess, he was at least partially inspired by Saber from SoV.

Thank you!^^

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6 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

I confess, he was at least partially inspired by Saber from SoV.

Yeah, I kind of had the thought reading it too.

I just want to imagine a blonde beefcake of a man with a lantern jaw instead, just because Johnny sounds like he'd look like that.

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39 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

John reminds me of Echoes' Saber

He was the inspiration for him. Perhaps I overdid it a little and just made Saber with a different name. Reference for the future!

7 minutes ago, Dayni said:

I just want to imagine a blonde beefcake of a man with a lantern jaw instead, just because Johnny sounds like he'd look like that.

You're free to do so, if you want! It'd make future scenes with him funnier, I imagine.
Honestly, that is exactly why I rarely describe in detail what people look like unless some aspect of their appearance is important to the plot somehow: I want my readers to imagine it to make the experience feel individual.
That, and I just plain suck at it and I needed some kind of excuse to avoid doing it. XD

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John sorta seems like if Saber and Jesse from SoV merged together and became a character. I like it. 

Getting Fiffy seems like the best option. (I also realized today just how fun it is to say "Fiffy" out loud. It's a fun nickname) 

I'm really enjoying the story so far!

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7 minutes ago, CustardPudding said:

John sorta seems like if Saber and Jesse from SoV merged together and became a character. I like it. 

Getting Fiffy seems like the best option. (I also realized today just how fun it is to say "Fiffy" out loud. It's a fun nickname) 

I'm really enjoying the story so far!

Thank you! ^^

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This is the first time you guys voted unanimously. Awesome!
I hope you enjoy today's chapter!

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 6: Secret Schemes

You practically jump out of bed to investigate the strange voices. Maybe they are somehow connected to the missing villagers. But as you grab your staff and rush out the door to your room, you realize that, should there be danger involved, going alone may very well lead to your death. Recalling Richard's lesson to never go at such things alone unless you can be absolutely sure that it is safe, you decide to bring your childhood friend along, who is currently sleeping the room opposite of yours. Somewhat hestitantly, you open the door and find him sleeping peacefully. You feel bad about waking him up, but you are left with no choice if you want to guarantee for your own safety.
"Fiffy, wake up!", you call out to him. "Please, wake up!"
He moans, annoyed at the disturbance, and pulls a blanket over his head.
Getting impatient, you pull the blanket away and start to shake him. "Come on, Fiffy! Wake up!"
This seems to have the desired effect, as he groggily rises from his slumber into a half-sitting position. His eyes halfway closed, he looks at you, blinking a few times. "Mm... who...?", he asks, his voice barely audible.
"Fiffy, come on now!", you call out to him again, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him again and again.
Suddenly, his eyes snap open. "SOPHIA?!?" He shouts your name and almost falls out of bed in surprise, making you almost fall into the sheets with him. "What in Heaven's name are you doing here?!?"
"Not so loud, you idiot!" You silence him by putting an index finger on his mouth, to which is eyes widen even more.
"I heard voices outside and I wanted to see what's going on", you finally explain to him after he has calmed down somewhat.
"Voices? I haven't heard anything", he says with a sigh. "Did you have a nightmare or something?"
"I know what I heard!", you protest. "Please, Fiffy, you have to come with me!"
"Even if there is someone outside, why would you wake me up?"
"Well, you know... it could be dangerous, so I wanted you to come along".
"What, so I can be your meat shield?", he asks, sarcastically.
"Fiffy, you're the worst".
"Come on, I was just joking. I'll go with you". He stands up and picks up his bow, arrows and his dagger before following you downstairs.
Luckily, the bartender left the door unlocked for Melissa and John to return, so you can leave the tavern with no issue.
Once outside, a cold breeze blows across your face. The wind carries the voices you heard earlier quite well. There really are people talking to each other!
"Now I can hear it, too", whispers Finley. "It's coming from the entrance..."
"Let's go", you instruct and head to the source of the voices. You hide behind a nearby building and peer out toward the village entrance to see the village elder, whom you saw at dinner earlier, talking to three intimidating men, one of them armed with a sword, the other two with axes. You decide to listen in on their conversation.

"I haven't told them anything, I swear!", the elder says, his voice desperate. "Please... Please don't hurt them!"
"You better tell the truth, gramps", says the sword-wielder, whom you suspect to be the leader of the three. "The boss is very... particular about keeping promises. If he finds out you've ratted us out to the knights, he won't hesitate. You know that, don't you?"
"Of course... of course... I know that, but... can you really guarantee the children are safe?" The village elder is on the verge of tears.
"As safe as can be, don't worry". The sword-wielding man grins. "And they will stay safe, provided you keep those fools from finding out about us. Got that?"
"I... I..."
"Well?!"
"I got it!"
"Consider this a warning, old man", the stranger pulls his weapon and points it at the elder's throat. "One wrong move... and every last one of those kids is dead. Though..." He throws a glance at his companions. "I imagine we'd have some... 'uses' for the girls". The three cackle in unison, before the sword-wielder turns back to the elder.

"I can't watch this anymore!". You jump to your feet and want to rush out to help the village elder, but Finley grabs your arm and pulls you back into your hiding place.
"No! Don't!", he warns, voice subdued. "If you go out now, who knows what they'll do to you. We should stay hidden and wait".
"For what? For the elder to die?". You get frustrated. You want to do something, anything. But deep down, you admit to yourself that Finley is right. This is precisely why you brought him along. Had you really gone out right now, you would most assuredly be dead.
"These people are probably the ones who are responsible for all those villagers going missing", Finley explains. "If we wait for them to leave, we can follow them. That way, we might find out where they keep the people they've taken. If we do that, we can surely save them".
You have nothing to argue against that. Nor do you really want to.

"A good plan, kiddo!" John's voice and sudden appearance startles you.
"Indeed", Melissa agrees with a nod. "We will wait until those three leave. Once they do, we will follow them". She then turns and smiles at Finley. "Well done, Finley".
"Umm... thanks". His face goes red with embarrassment.
"What are you two even doing here?", you ask.
"We were looking for anything suspicious in the forest outside the village and were on our way back when we saw you leave the tavern together", Melissa explains. "I got worried, so I followed you".
"And it seems like you guys hit a hot trail right here", says John proudly. He glances over at the village elder, who was still being threatened. "To think we've been played for fools all along..." He makes no efforts to hide his anger at that fact.
"We can sort that out after we uncover the whole story", says Melissa calmly. "For now, we should follow Finley's idea. That gives us the biggest chance of saving the villagers who went missing".

You can see the three men leave the village and the elder returns home shortly afterward. Once you are sure he does not notice you, you sneak out of the village in hot pursuit of the ruffians.
The sky is clear for once, allowing the light of the twin moons to illuminate the forest path as John and Finley look for the tracks the ruffians left behind. All of you make sure to make as little noise as possible as you carefully  and painstakingly make your way through the thickets.
"This way", instructs John. "Man, those guys seriously suck at covering up their tracks!", he sneers. "A blind person in a black-painted charcoal cellar in a moonless night could find them!".
"That's right", Finley says, equally bemused. "They leave traces everywhere. It's almost as if they want us to follow them..."
"And it is for that reason we should be extra careful", warns Melissa. "This may well be a trap. Be on your guard, everyone".
You nod as you take notice of the tracks Finley and John find. Obviously, John was exaggerating, since you could not see any traces of the ruffians. Impressed with the work of the two men, you remember that tracking was part of Finley's training and that, as an Archer, it is natural for him to have good eyesight. But you are surprised at John's ability to do the same.
"You pick up all sorts of things if you live out and about", he says after you bring it up to him. "Life's rough when you're a lone mercenary, so you gotta be prepared for all kinds of stuff that comes your way".
Wondering what kind of life he's led, you come across a large opening in a rock wall. You can hear the roaring of wind inside, indicating a large system of tunnels.

"Is this it?", asks Melissa.
"Yes", Finley confirms with a nod. "The trail ends here".
"Yup, they're in there. No doubt about it", says John. "To think I hadn't thought of that..."
"Thought of what?", you ask. "
"This here is an old mine that was abandoned quite a while ago", John explains. "An ideal hideout if you have shady thoughts, wouldn't you agree?"
"Well, I don't have shady thoughts, so I wouldn't know". You shrug.
"Says the girl who barges into a boy's room in the middle of the night...", Finley mutters.
"Could you not say weird things, please?!?".
"In any case, we should head inside", Melissa suggests. "The sooner we find the villagers, the sooner we can uncover the truth of his whole situation. I think there is something more to this story and I want to know what that is..."

Unanimously agreeing on your next course of action, you head inside the opening and find an expansive system of caves, held up by old wooden bars and pillars. There are torches on the walls that illuminate the path ahead and you can spot some old mine carts that are strewn around here and there.
Not long into the mine shaft, you come across a fork in the road.
"What now? Do we split up?", Finley asks.
"Judging from the size of these caves and the fact that it is an old mine, I think it would be more efficient if we did", says Melissa. "But on the other hand, we don't know who or what awaits us in here".
"Little lady, what is your opinion? Should we split up or stick together?", John asks you.
"Why do I have to decide that?!?", you ask, shocked.
"Because we trust your judgement", says Finley, smiling. But you can easily tell that he is teasing you. He probably seeks revenge for his rude awakening earlier...
"Fine then...", you turn around, facing the two paths ahead. "Two ways to go, either together or separately... We should probably..."

What will you do?

Choice 1: Stick together and go right.
Choice 2: Stick together and go left.
Choice 3: Split up and go right with Melissa.
Choice 4: Split up and go right with Finley.
Choice 5: Split up and go right with John.
Choice 6: Split up and go left with Melissa.
Choice 7: Split up and go left with Finley.
Choice 8: Split up and go left with John.

Vote for your preferred option in the poll!

Now that this chapter is done, I can tell you that the "Investigate" option from last chapter would have led to a bad ending.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!

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1 minute ago, Shrimperor said:

Bad ends are very fun to write, ngl xD

Maybe my moment will come somewhere down the line.
I think that last time was probably too obvious for anyone familiar with the genre.

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11 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

"Well, you know... it could be dangerous, so I wanted you to come along".
"What, so I can be your meat shield?", he asks, sarcastically.

"I'm just lucky I didn't end up one for your brother before."

13 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

"A good plan, kiddo!" John's voice and sudden appearance startles you.
"Indeed", Melissa agrees with a nod. "We will wait until those three leave. Once they do, we will follow them". She then turns and smiles at Finley. "Well done, Finley".
"Umm... thanks". His face goes red with embarrassment.
"What are you two even doing here?", you ask.

My question exactly. Are they able to teleport?

15 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

"Well, I don't have shady thoughts, so I wouldn't know". You shrug.
"Says the girl who barges into a boy's room in the middle of the night...", Finley mutters.

200.gif

As for choices, I'm there thinking if they have to split up might as well not have the least two experienced together. Screw it, 3.

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4 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"Well, you know... it could be dangerous, so I wanted you to come along".
"What, so I can be your meat shield?", he asks, sarcastically.
"Fiffy, you're the worst".

giphy.gif

4 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"Fine then...", you turn around, facing the two paths ahead. "Two ways to go, either together or separately... We should probably..."

Not split up because nothing good ever happens when a group splits up.

---------

Well, this was an interesting chapter.

giphy.gif

Seriously, another great chapter. Looking forward to the next one. 👍

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Great chapter! I'm loving all the characters, but now I'm going to constantly be afraid of getting a bad ending so I'll likely overthink each choice...

I suppose we should...go with Fiffy to the right, perhaps? But after picking it I'm now got myself convinced I should've picked the group...gah...

Loving it! 

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7 hours ago, twilitfalchion said:

giphy.gif

Not split up because nothing good ever happens when a group splits up.

---------

Well, this was an interesting chapter.

giphy.gif

Seriously, another great chapter. Looking forward to the next one. 👍

Glad you liked it! ^^

5 hours ago, CustardPudding said:

Great chapter! I'm loving all the characters, but now I'm going to constantly be afraid of getting a bad ending so I'll likely overthink each choice...

I suppose we should...go with Fiffy to the right, perhaps? But after picking it I'm now got myself convinced I should've picked the group...gah...

Loving it! 

Thank you! ^^

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It makes me really happy to see that you guys are enjoying this. I know I say thank you a lot, but that's because I really mean it.
Anyway, on to today's chapter!

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 7: Underground Hideout
[here's a good song to listen to while you read this]

"We should probably stick together for safety", you suggest and look around. At the entrance to the path leading right, you find a wooden board with barely legible letters on it. It is a fairly old sign, you think, but this might be a hint as to the right direction. Glancing over at the left passage, you find a similar sign lying on the ground. Both pique your interest, but ultimately you make your decision: "Let's go right".
"I have another idea", says John suddenly. "Since there is four of us, we should partner up".
"What do you mean?", Melissa asks.
"Well, you and I are obviously more experienced than these two youngsters here", he explains. "So it makes sense that we give them some backup in case things get hairy. But if we both try to watch over both of them at all times, we might be too distracted, so if we focus our individual efforts on protecting only one of these two, we can keep them safe and fight with much greater ease!"
His sudden shift in word choice catches you off guard, but you decide to keep quiet for the moment. Maybe he just wants to impress Melissa.
Your older sister agrees to the plan after mulling it over, then she turns to Finley. "You'll stick with me", she says. "I can keep enemies away from you, so you can safely shoot them from a distance".
"A-Alright", Finley nods hesitantly.
"Then I guess it's you and me, little lady". John gives you a friendly grin and a thumbs up. You can only nod as the mercenary walks ahead of you and beckons you to stick close to him. Melissa then follows with Finley close behind her.

With this formation, you head down the path on the right. John walking close to you, always keeping you in arm's reach behind him. You glance at Melissa and Finley. Melissa has her sword unsheathed and Finley has his bow at the ready. Clutching your staff, you mentally prepare yourself to fight should it come to that. Though the prospect of putting Richard's lessons to use makes you anxious.
The only sounds reaching your ears as you traverse the seemingly endless tunnels are the crackling of torches as well as the occasional water dripping from the ceiling onto the rocky floor. It is damp and the air stagnant.

Suddenly, John holds his arm out in front of you, stopping you in your tracks. He peers around the corner. "There is somebody over there", he whispers. "What do we do?"
"Is anyone else there?", Melissa asks.
"No, just that one guy. He... seems to be guarding something", John explains.
Curiously, you peek around the corner yourself and see a heavily built man standing guard in front of an old-looking, moldy door. A torch in one hand, a wooden club in the other, he watches the corridor with vigilance. His rugged clothing reminds you of the brigands you followed here from the village.

"This is a bit of a mess", says John. "There is no other way to go besides this tunnel right here, so going through that guy is our only option, but... if we attack him now, we could alert the whole gang".
"Not if we take him out quickly", Melissa says, sword at the ready. "Finley, can you do this?"
"I'll try". He nods and readies his bow. A split second later, an arrow hits the guard's shoulder, giving Melissa and John the signal to jump out from behind the corner.
"What are you-- GAH!" With a single stroke of Melissa's blade, the man falls, forever silenced.
"Damn, you're fast". John smiles at your older sister. "I didn't even have the time to pull out my axe".
"I didn't want to risk him alerting his friends", says Melissa calmly and she sheathes her sword.

You can only stare at her. There was no hesitation in her movement. No sign of her holding back. Your eyes wander to the now corpse of the ruffian. A clean cut across his chest was all it took to take his life. He did not stand a chance. You clutch your grandmother's staff tightly as your hands begin shaking.
"Are you okay, Sophia?", Melissa asks you, gently putting a hand on your shoulder.
"I'm fine, yes...", you say with a hesitant nod. "It's just... um..."
"This is the first time you saw me kill someone, right?", Melissa says with a worried tone in her voice.
You nod again, upon which your older sister pulls you into a soft embrace, gently stroking your hair. You feel her familiar, reassuring warmth that has managed to calm you down so many times in the past.
"I'm sorry I made you witness this", she says quietly. "But... this is the kind of thing me and everyone else in the royal knights, Elliot included, is trained to do. You will have to get used to it sooner or later yourself. This is what it means to pick up a weapon. But... you can rest assured that I did not do this because I liked it".
"I know...", you say, feeling a little calmer now. "Thank you, Missy..."

Finley also looks at you with worry, but seeing you calm down turns his focus instead on the door the now dead brigand was guarding.
"What do you think is in there?", he asks.
"Well, there is only one way to find out, is there?", John asks with an eager grin, looking at Melissa and you.
"Maybe we will find some kind of clue as to what is going on here", she surmises.
"Whatever is in there, we'll at least have a hiding place for this one", says John and points at the body of the brigand. You wonder how many dead people he must have seen in his life to be able to speak so nonchalantly about this. You then glance at Finley, who also appears to be rather calm about the prospect of just hiding the corpse in that room. You then recall that he is one of the only survivors of the incident five years ago that nearly took your older brother's life. He is probably used to this sight, as well.
You quietly sigh at your own inexperience.

You enter the room with your companions and find it full of shelves with multiple stacks of paper in them. The room was well lit with torches, making it rather easy to see everything.
"What is all this?", you ask as you look around.
"Some kind of... library?", Finley wonders aloud as he inspects the shelves.
"No, nothing like that. Check this out", says John as he hands everyone including you some pieces of paper.

Your eyes widen as you skim through them. Written on these pieces of paper is data on various people, including their names, gender, age, and physical condition. On the first paper you read through, which shows the data of a 15-year old boy, there is a text that reads: 'Subject sold for 500 Gold. Sale conducted on the 4th of Late Spring, H.Y. 327 - Goods ready for collection'.
"That's last month...", you think to yourself. You cannot believe what you are reading.
"These are receipts for conducted sales", Melissa quickly confirms your fears.
"And the 'goods' sold are people", John adds with a disgusted expression.
"Look at the ages of these people", Finley points out as he goes through several receipts. "14, 16, 18, 15... These all match the ages of the missing villagers we're searching!"
"Which means... they really were kidnapped by somebody and then sold off?", you ask in shock. "But to whom? And why?!?"
"Good question", says John. "Of course, there are no buyers listed here... Would be incredibly dumb of them to do that, though."
"Indeed it would. After all, the purchase of humans has been outlawed by the International Labor Agreement from 250 years ago. Breaking it is punishable by death".
"Which would leave us with the 'why'...". Finley furrows his brow and searches another stack of papers.

"Man, look at this crap. Here is an 'inventory list', listing all the people they've 'acquired' with dates", says John, getting increasingly angry as he reads through the paper he found. "Some of these go as far back as Heavenly Year 290... Man, these guys've been at this for a while now."
"Seriously? That's over 30 years ago!" You do nothing to hide your shock and anger.
"I cannot believe that something like this went undetected for so long". Melissa shakes her head in disappointment. "How did we not notice something like this?"
"These papers have places of origin for some of the folks they took", says John. "They're from all kinds of places. And not just from Vales, either".
"Which means they're probably operating on a larger scale", says Finley.
"Heh, I kinda figured this'd be a doozy, but damn... I didn't expect this!". You silently agree with the mercenary. You can see in his face that he seems to be enjoying himself.

The more you read, the angrier you get. "We have to stop them", you say. "Whoever is behind this, we must stop them immediately! We can't let this go on, right?"
"Sophia is right!", Finley agrees with you. "If we let this go, who knows how many more people will be sold to Heaven knows whom..."
"Well, one thing's for sure... whoever goes through the trouble of breaking a quarter millenium old agreement can't really have any good intentions, can they?" You find yourself agreeing with John again.
"I agree", says Melissa with a nod. "If we find another guard, we will capture and question him".

With a new goal in mind, you exit the room, taking some of the incriminating documents with you as evidence.
It doesn't take too long before you run into another guard. Before he can go and alert his companions, John hits his back with the broad side of his axe, bringing the ruffian to his knees. John tries to tie him up, but he puts up quite the struggle despite the surprise attack.
You decide to help him, firmly grasping your staff, you make your way over to the struggling brigand. With a dull noise echoing through the tunnels, your staff strikes true and the brigand falls to his knees, unconscious. John thanks you as he ties up the guard and drags him into a corner so as to hide him and your group from anyone who might pass by.
It takes a while for the brigand to come back to his senses. When he does, he immediately freezes up in shock as he finds himself bound and at the mercy of no less than four deadly weapons.
"W-Who are you? What are you doing here?!?", he asks, panicked.
"We're the ones asking the questions", says John threateningly. "So spill the beans, friend. We've got you dead to rights here!"
You are now convinced that he is indeed enjoying himself.
"W-What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything! Just... just please, don't hit me no more!!!", he pleads, pointing at your staff.

"Well, little lady, seems you made an impact on him". John laughs at his own joke.
"We can promote you from 'Woodcrusher' to 'Skullcrusher' now", Finley quips, laughing as well.
"Oh shut up, you two!", you snap back at them.

But if the brigand really is as scared of you as he appears, maybe it would be wise if you were the one asking the questions. With that in mind, you take the initiative.
"What should I ask...?"

Choice 1: Where do you keep the villagers?
Choice 2: Who is your leader and where are they now?
Choice 3: Who bought the people you abducted?

As always, vote for your preferred option in the poll and I'll see you next chapter!

Edited by DragonFlames
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13 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Your eyes widen as you skim through them. Written on these pieces of paper is data on various people, including their names, gender, age, and physical condition. On the first paper you read through, which shows the data of a 15-year old boy, there is a text that reads: 'Subject sold for 500 Gold. Sale conducted on the 4th of Late Spring, H.Y. 327 - Goods ready for collection'.

Slave bureaucracy, yay! /s

13 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"W-What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything! Just... just please, don't hit me no more!!!", he pleads, pointing at your staff.

"Well, little lady, seems you made an impact on him". John laughs at his own joke.
"We can promote you from 'Woodcrusher' to 'Skullcrusher' now", Finley quips, laughing as well.

Maybe Skullcracker?

Hmm, tough call. I feel we'll find the villagers still here eventually and there's a good chance this guy doesn't really know details about the buyers. The boss is more likely to get the others, so 2.

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20 hours ago, Dayni said:

Maybe Skullcracker?

Nice! I'm using that one, if you don't mind!

13 hours ago, CustardPudding said:

Great work, as always! I've been quite bored lately, so something like this has been quite interesting :). 

Thanks! Glad I can contribute to alleviating your boredom! 🙂

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