Jump to content

CYOA: The Dying Kingdom


DragonFlames
 Share

Recommended Posts

Eight chapters already. Time flies...

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 8: Rescue

"Where are the villagers you captured?", you ask the brigand. "And who is your leader? Where are they?!?"
"W-We keep our prisoners in the former storage hall...", he says, his voice still shaking with fear. "It's heavily guarded, though..."
"And where is that hall?" You threaten him with your staff.
The muscled ruffian flinches upon seeing your weapon. "It's down those stairs over there..." He turns his head toward a tunnel to your right.
"And what of your leader?", Melissa asks again. "Where are they?"
"T-The boss is in a room at the other exit", the brigand explains. "B-But you have to go through nearly all of our men to get to him!" He musters up the courage for condescending grin. "You don't stand a chance with just the four of you!"
"We'll see about that", says John cheerfully as your group begins to walk away, having every intention of keeping the bound brigand here.

Suddenly, Melissa stops in her tracks and turns around.
"One last question: Why are you doing this?"
The man stares at her.
"Why did you resort to joining a human trafficking ring?", she asks again.
"Because... I had nothing left", the man replies solemnly. "My... my village was poor from the beginning, but all of a sudden, roughly 21 years ago, the fields suddenly dried up. We couldn't harvest anything anymore. We asked the king for help, but he couldn't do anything, because he was busy waging war agains the eastern duchies. Then... during the winter, most of our folk just starved to death. I was one of the few survivors".
"Then let me guess: your boss found you and took you in, right?", asks John.
The man nods.
"I was a little kid back then", he says. "I... I didn't know where else to go!"
"And you expect us to feel sorry for you now?" The mercenary shakes his head. "Did you even for a moment think about what you did here?!? You kidnapped people and ruined their lives!" He readies his weapon, but is cut off by Melissa.
"Easy, John, easy", she says calmly, then she turns toward the bound ruffian. "You were desperate and saw no other way out, I understand that. As Princess of Vales, I take responsibility that your village did not get the help it needed. But your circumstances do not excuse your actions. You understand that, do you not?"
The man contemplates your sister's words. Then he nods.
"What will you do to me now?", he asks.
"We will leave you here and take you with us once we've finished our business here", says Melissa and begins to walk off. "You'll have to face the consequences of what you have done when the time comes. I won't kill you now".
"Why not? I'll die for what I've done during my time here, anyway, so why not end it now?"
"Because killing someone incapable of defending themselves without a trial is no longer Vales' way", Melissa replies.

'No longer'. You don't know why, but those words send a shiver down your spine.

You walk down the stairs leading to the lower floor where the prisoners are kept according to the ruffian you questioned. The stairs are made of old wood and time and humidity have done a number on them. They creak with each step and you pay extra close attention to every step you take. The caves are very dark and even with the torches to light up the area, you cannot see the bottom until you actually reach it after what feels like hours later. You can hear water in the distance. A waterfall, from the sound of it.

As you walk around a corner, John suddenly grabs you and pulls you back.
"Whoa, there, little lady! Do you want us to get captured?" Seeing your questioning face, he points forward. "Look there".
You follow his pointing finger and see fourteen men standing in a room in front of a large metal door. There are wooden barrels, crates, and tables here, most likely this is some kind of living quarters for the guards here. Two of the ruffians are playing cards at one of the tables, while the others look rather bored standing around.
"These guys aren't very smart, are they?", Finley asks. "I mean... they are focusing their entire forces on just two places. They'd have found us already if they were a little more spread out".
"If they're all like that other guy, they're probably not professionals", says John. "But look at these numbers. Fourteen people... that's going to be a doozy, isn't it?"
"Missy, can't you defeat them easily?", you ask.
"Theoretically, I could, but look around", she answers. "If I used my powers here, I could hit those support beams by accident".
"Yeah, better avoid that", John agrees with a nod. "I'd rather not die in a cave-in, thank you very much!"
"Then what do we do?", Finley asks.
"Beat 'em up the old-fashioned way?", John suggests. "The four of us together are no slouches in battle, even without the Purple Tempest's fancy Sword Magic".
"Alright, fine. We'll fight", Melissa finally concedes. "But be careful, and guard each others' backs like we agreed on".
"Do we capture these guys, too?", John asks.
"I would like to say yes, but... we are outnumbered here", says Melissa. "I am afraid we cannot afford to hold back".
"Alright, off the deep-end it is!" Looking forward to the fight, John pulls out his axe.

Finley readies an arrow to shoot at one of the brigands before he has a chance to act. As he falls to the ground, clutching his punctured arm, the other brigands raise their weapons and come rushing in the direction the arrow came from. Without any delay, Melissa and John rush the enemy, with you and Finley behind them. Your childhood friend stays behind, pelting those who attack Melissa with arrows, while you hold the enemy off of John's back. Melissa and Finey take on the left side of the room, while the mercenary and yourself take care of the right.

The sound of battle almost overwhelms you. After a while, everything becomes a blur of noises. The screams of your enemies as they attack and die, the clashing of weapons, the stench of blood permeating through the air... all these new impressions at once as your own body overflows with adrenaline.
You regain your focus just in time to notice that there was a brigand sneaking up on John, his club ready to strike.
"Not happening!", you shout and bring your staff down on the attacker's head, knocking him out instantly.
"Heh, thanks, little lady!", the mercenary smiles at you.
"It's nothing", you shake your head as you look at the man you just struck down. You are sure that he died from the impact. This is the first time you have ever actually killed someone. Before you can properly process and come to terms with that fact, another brigand comes rushing, axe raised over his head, eyes bloodshot, but John's own weapon delivers a swift end to him.
"Thank you", you say sincerely.
"Just returning the favor, little lady", the mercenary grins at you. "But be careful, there's still some left. Don't go droppin' your guard now!"
"Right", you nod firmly.

At the end of the battle, you look around. Fourteen bodies are strewn on the floor, bleeding from many wounds, some have arrows still sticking out of them.
"We did it", John wipes some sweat from his forehead. "Gotta say, that was easier than I expected".
"Just goes to show that we're a good team", says Finley with a smile.
"True... we worked very well together", Melissa agrees, heavily panting.
"Missy, are you okay?", you ask.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me, Sophia". She gives you a reassuring smile, but it is clear as day that she is very tired.
"You sure? You look like you're about to keel over", John says.
"I'm okay, really", Melissa sighs. "There is nothing to worry about".
"Well, if you say so...". The mercenary shrugs.

Finley meanwhile checks the tabe two of the brigands were sitting at.
"I found a key!", he calls to you. "Maybe we can use this to open the door over there". He points to the large metal door on the other side of the room.
"Only one way to find out". John takes the key from him and indeed, the large door opens. A very loud, shrill creaking noise that almost deafens you echoes throughout the tunnels and you find yourselves in a large hall with many prison cells distributed over multiple floors, connected by wooden planks and ladders. In the middle is a lake, formed from a large stream of water that falls steadily through a hole in the ceiling.
Despite the large number of cells, only one of them, one near the entrance, actually has people in it. There are a total of ten people in that cell, five boys and five girls, all of them match the age range of the missing villagers.
"Who are you?", asks one of the older boys as you approach the cell. "Are you here to take us away?"
"In a sense, yeah", John confirms. "I'm guessing you're the kids that went missing from the forest village near here?"
"Yes, but... how do you know about us?", one younger girl asks.
"We're here to save you", says Finley as he uses the key he found to open the bars. "You're free to return home now".
"Thank you!", immediately, the prisoners get up and come rushing out. They have incredibly pale skin and are slightly gaunt.
"We thought we would die in here...", says a young boy, his voice shaking. "Thank you for coming to save us!"
"Are there any others like you here?", you ask.
"Yes, there is a girl in the cell right next to ours", says one of the girls and points to the neighboring cell. There, you can see a young girl dressed in quite elaborate and colorful clothing, staring at you with pleading eyes.
"Hey, um... Can you maybe help me out, too?" she asks. You surmise she must be roughly around the age of the former prisoners.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?", you ask her.
"I... uh, didn't want to interrupt you guys, I guess", she smiles sheepishly. "Anyways, I'd like to get away from here, too, if it's not too much trouble".
"Of course not", says Finley and unlocks the door.
"Thanks a million!", the girl says and happily skips out of the cell. You take note of her rather bright-colored clothing. It was teal with some green highlights, and the fabric seemed like nothing you've seen before. Though you do feel a strange sense of familiarity when you look at it.
"Are there any more people here?", John then asks.
"The others have all been taken away somewhere", one of the girls informs you. "They're all gone somewhere..."
"Taken by whom?", Melissa asks, but the girl shakes her head.
"We don't know", an older boy answers for her. "But... when we got sent here, there were many other people here, too".
"'Sent'?", Finley's eyes widen in shock. "What do you mean, 'sent'?"
The former prisoners keep quiet.
"Maybe we shouldn't ask them too many questions", you suggest. "They must be tired".
"I want to go home now...", another particularly young boy speaks up. "Please... can we go home now?"
"Of course. We'll take you home, I promise". Melissa offers the youths a reassuring smile, upon which their faces light up.

"Are you from the village, too?", you ask the brightly-dressed girl.
"No, she actually came to save us first", one of the boys says. "But then she got captured, too".
"Yeah... sucks to be me, I guess". The girl slumps over with a sigh. "But seriously, those idiots were a tough crowd. I could avoid them for a while, but then I tripped and fell... And to make matters worse, I lost my lockpick, too!"
"Your lockpick?" You look at the girl, who gets startled.
"D-Did I say 'lockpick'?!? I meant... um... my... professional door-opening-device... yeah..." She laughs nervously.
"So, you're a Thief, then?", John asks.
"I prefer the term 'Spy'", the girl answers. "Anyhow, thanks for saving me! I'll be off then!"
"Wait", says Melissa. "I am Melissa von Vales, princess to the Valessian kingdom. This is my younger sister Sophia, and these two are Finley and John. What is your name?"
"You can call me Jenny, if you want", the girl cheerfully introduces herself. "Nice to meetcha!"
"Nice to meet you, too, Jenny", you give the a friendly greeting.
"But... why did you ask, princess?", Jenny stares at Melissa with a puzzled look.
"I'm sure she wants you to join us", says John. "The thing is, after we save these kids, we want to take down the leader of this joint. I think someone with your talents could be useful to us".
"Um... I'd rather get my tailfeathers out of here really quick, but you did save me, so I guess I owe you one, huh?". Jenny contemplates the offer.
"Sophia, what do you think?", Melissa asks. "Should we let Jenny come with us?"
"Um..."

Let Jenny join?
Choice 1: Yes
Choice 2: No

Whew, this one was a bit tough due to weather and health stuff, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless.
As always, vote for your preferred option in the poll and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 174
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

On 6/11/2020 at 6:52 PM, DragonFlames said:

"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.

Hahahaha!

23 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

'No longer'. You don't know why, but those words send a shiver down your spine.

I'm guessing that there's some history there that the Royal Family of Vales would like to forget.

26 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

"Your lockpick?" You look at the girl, who gets startled.
"D-Did I say 'lockpick'?!? I meant... um... my... professional door-opening-device... yeah..." She laughs nervously.
"So, you're a Thief, then?", John asks.
"I prefer the term 'Spy'", the girl answers. "Anyhow, thanks for saving me! I'll be off then!"
"Wait", says Melissa. "I am Melissa von Vales, princess to the Valessian kingdom. This is my younger sister Sophia, and these two are Finley and John. What is your name?"
"You can call me Jenny, if you want", the girl cheerfully introduces herself. "Nice to meetcha!"
"Nice to meet you, too, Jenny", you give the a friendly greeting.
"But... why did you ask, princess?", Jenny stares at Melissa with a puzzled look.
"I'm sure she wants you to join us", says John. "The thing is, after we save these kids, we want to take down the leader of this joint. I think someone with your talents could be useful to us".
"Um... I'd rather get my tailfeathers out of here really quick, but you did save me, so I guess I owe you one, huh?". Jenny contemplates the offer.
"Sophia, what do you think?", Melissa asks. "Should we let Jenny come with us?"
"Um..."

Reminds me of the first time I tried out Path of Radiance. I didn't know Volke was a recruitable unit and thought that hiring him might cause something bad to happen (based on Titania's warnings), so I refused his services. What I also didn't know was how awful Sothe is in comparison, especially since he starts ten levels behind and can't promote.

----------------

Really good past two chapters and a fun action scene to boot! Looking forward to the next chapter!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, twilitfalchion said:

I'm guessing that there's some history there that the Royal Family of Vales would like to forget.

😉

1 hour ago, twilitfalchion said:

Reminds me of the first time I tried out Path of Radiance. I didn't know Volke was a recruitable unit and thought that hiring him might cause something bad to happen (based on Titania's warnings), so I refused his services. What I also didn't know was how awful Sothe is in comparison, especially since he starts ten levels behind and can't promote.

Yeah, Volke's an odd case. In my first playthrough, I wasn't sure what to do when he showed up, either. I think I refused him, too, actually. XD
Though, to be absolutely honest, if all you want is someone to open doors and treasure chests for you without you having to buy a crapton of Door and Chest Keys, then it doesn't really matter which of the two you use. In such a case, I'd even say Sothe is better, because at least he doesn't ask for Gold every time he does it.

1 hour ago, twilitfalchion said:

Really good past two chapters and a fun action scene to boot! Looking forward to the next chapter!

Thank you! ^^
I'm actually not too sure about the first half of Chapter 8. I feel like I could've handled that a little better, but I am happy that you enjoyed it all the same!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

'No longer'. You don't know why, but those words send a shiver down your spine.

Hmmmmmmm. That's an interesting little piece of history there...

5 hours ago, twilitfalchion said:

Reminds me of the first time I tried out Path of Radiance. I didn't know Volke was a recruitable unit and thought that hiring him might cause something bad to happen (based on Titania's warnings), so I refused his services.

I remember 14 year old me playing that and thinking, "Maybe this is a bad idea" but then did it anyway because I thought he was kinda hot 

I hope we get to see more of Jenny. She seems like an interesting character. 

Great job! I'm getting more and more invested in this story, I love it! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Shrimperor said:

*Together we ride intensifies*

To this day, my favorite theme in all of Smash.

That aside, to me, Together we ride is THE Fire Emblem Theme, even moreso than the actual one.

9 hours ago, CustardPudding said:

Great job! I'm getting more and more invested in this story, I love it! 

Thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry that I couldn't put up a chapter yesterday. I felt a bit drained, so I couldn't write anything substantial.

Enjoy Chapter 9!
(thanks to @Shrimperor for giving me the idea for the title)

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 9: Together we fight

"Of course! I'd be happy to have you with us, Jenny", you answer, giving the best smile you can muster to the brightly dressed girl, who smiles back.
"Alrighty! Guess I'll be hanging with you guys for a while!", she says gleefully.
"Welcome to the group, Jenny", says Finley.
"The more the merrier, I always say". John smiles as well.
"Right, now that we have that all figured out, how about we think of a plan now?", you suggest. "If we're going to find and capture the one responsible for all of this, we can't take them with us". You look at the former prisoners as you say this. "And having them go back to the village on their own would be too dangerous", you add. "What do we do, Missy?"
"One of us will have to escort them back home", your older sister replies. "We cannot afford to leave them here and, as you say, it would be too dangerous to send them back on their own".
"Then I...", Finley starts, but Melissa quickly interrupts him.
"I will go and escort them home", she says. "In the meantime, you can go and apprehend the leader of these brigands".
"But, Missy, why?", you ask her. "You're the strongest one here! We need you!"
"No, you do not". Melissa shakes her head and gently pats yours. "You've become stronger, Sophia. You don't need me to watch over you anymore". Her smile is as soft and gentle as it usually is when she says things like that to you, but you can see sadness in her eyes. "I can rest easy, because I trust you, my little sister".

"Awww, ain't that just adorable?", John says, half-sincere, half-mocking.
"Buddy, you're killing the mood over here...", says Jenny deadpan, then she perks up again. "But don't worry! If the gameplan is to beat up the fool that leads this joint, then count me in! I owe that guy a beating for throwing me in the brig like this!" She energetically pumps her fists.
"Wait, you actually met the leader?", you ask her.
"Well, not exactly..." The girl smiles sheepishly. "But... I mean, as their leader, he's responsible for what his goons do, right? Anyway, I just wanna go beat him up!"
"No objections here", says John, cracking his knuckles.

"Alright, then we have a plan", says Melissa. "Sophia, Finley, John, and Jenny, you four will go and capture the boss of this place. Meanwhile, I will head back to the village, bring these children home, and then send word to father about what happened here".
"Then you should take this with you", says John and hands her the papers you found earlier. "I'm sure the king will be more than happy to have these as evidence".
Melissa nods and takes the papers from him. "Thank you, John", she says, then she turns to the villagers. "Okay, everyone. Follow me. I will take you home!"
"Okay!" Obediently, the prisoners you rescued follow after her. You and your group bring up the rear in case the brigands decide to ambush you. You still have second thoughts of doing this without your older sister. But you also do not want to betray her trust.

As you exit the tunnel that leads to the prison cells, your group separates from Melissa and the villagers. Your older sister goes to collect the brigand you captured earlier and heads off in the direction of the exit.

"It's better like this", John mumbles to himself.
"What do you mean?", you ask.
"Huh? Oh, nothing! Just talking to myself. Nothing for you to fret over, little lady!". He whistles innocently.
"You do know that makes you seem even more suspicious, right, old man?", Jenny asks.
"Did you seriously just call me an old man?" John stares at the girl, unable to believe what she just said.

"Come on now, we have an important job to do", Finley reminds them, then he looks at you. "Are you good to go?"
You nod, then you make your way further into the abandoned mine. You recall that the leader's room is at the other exit of the mine, but you have no clue as to how to actually get there.
"And that is what I am here for!", Jenny declares proudly. "I can get us the location of their boss' room no problem. Just leave it to me!"
"And how are you going to do that?", Finley asks skeptically. "It's not like you can smell him, can you?"
"I'm not a dog, dummy!". Jenny pouts, but then immediately smiles again. "But I have some other tricks up my sleeve. Just you wait and see!" She winks.
You cannot help but wonder what she could possibly be referring to as you continue onward. After a while, Jenny suddenly stops you and pushes you behind a boulder to hide. You look out from behind the large rock and see a guard patrolling the tunnel before you.
"This is a good opportunity", Jenny whispers.
"For what?", you ask.
"I'm pretty sure I overheard them saying that every guard carries a map of this place around when they captured me", she replies. "I'm going to... borrow one from this guy".
"Isn't that too dangerous? He'll see you."
"Not when I do this!" With that, the girl suddenly vanishes from your field of view.
"Wait, what?!", Finley blinks, confused. "Where did she go?"
"I'm still here, silly", you hear Jenny's voice from right in front of you.
"An Invisibility spell is it?". John laughs a little. "You're certainly full of surprises, girlie".
"How do you even do that?", you ask her.
"We can talk later", Jenny replies impatiently. "There's a time limit on this, you know? I'll be back in a flash. Don't make a sound until I become visible again, okay?"
You nod.

Nothing happens for a while. You know it has only been a few minutes, but you start to worry that something might have happened to your new traveling companion. Just as you think about going to look for her, Jenny suddenly reappears again and proudly presents a folded piece of moldy paper to you. "I'm back!", she says. "Here ya go!"
You take the paper from her hands and unfold it. And indeed, you are looking at a map of the mines, detailing every tunnel and pathway very closely. The exact way to the leader's room is even drawn in with bright red color.
"So that guard really did carry a map", Finley says and looks at Jenny.
"I told you", she says triumphantly. "Luckily, the guy didn't notice that I was rummaging through his pockets... Teehee".
"I knew bringing you along would be useful, but damn... I didn't expect this", John says, impressed.
"I did cut it pretty close, though", she says, obviously relieved that her plan went off without a hitch. "I told you, my Invisibility doesn't last forever. I barely made it back here before I ran out of juice".
"Still, it's impressive you were able to get this", you say. "Thank you, Jenny".
"Aw, don't mention it!" The girl blushes slightly and scratches the back of her head.
"Alright, now that we know where to go, we should be careful", Finley suggests. "I'm pretty sure that guard is still out there". He peers out from behind the boulder.
"Why didn't you take him out while you were at it?", John asks.
"If it doesn't benefit the completion of my objective, then I don't kill", Jenny replies. "It's a personal rule of mine. Besides, I can't fight while I'm invisible, because maintaining the Invisibility takes too much focus. We can sneak past that guy, no problem. No need to just off him like that".
"If you say so". The mercenary shrugs.

Carefully, you sneak past the guard and further into the tunnels, avoiding other patrols as much as possible in order to save your strength. You are surprised by how few of them there are, even as you get closer to the leader's room.
As you reach the other exit, the sun already rises, illuminating the tunnel entrance. To your left, you spot a large door.
"This is it. Are you guys ready?", you ask, reaching for the handle. Your companions nod. Weapons drawn, you open the door. You find yourself in a very fancy office. Red carpet covers the floor, elaborate furnishing all around you, almost as if you walked into a nobleman's room. At the other end, a fairly young-looking man sits in an armchair, chin resting on his hands, elbows propped up on a large, polished desk. He is clothed in a very expensive-looking tailcoat, the kind not even the noblemen of Vales can afford.
"Welcome, visitors!", the man says in a very polite voice. "I hope this morning finds you well?"
"Are you the one who abducted the villagers and pawned them off?!?", you ask, angrily.
"'Abducted'? 'Pawned off'? My, my, what crude words". The man laughs a bit. "I did those children a favor. I gave them a future".
"Hmph, that's rich!" John steps forward, axe at the ready. "But you can tell us all about yourself and what you've been doing here in the capital. You're coming with us, buster!"
"Not much for smalltalk, are you?", the man sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. "What a shame. People have no manners these days." He rises from his seat and you carefully watch his every move. "But with four against one, I guess I have no choice but to surrender, do I?", he continues, shocking you for a moment, but then he snaps his fingers. "... Not!"
You suddenly find yourself surrounded on all sides by brigands.
"What?!? How...?!?"
"You called, boss?" You recognize the sword-bearer's voice immediately. He is the one who threatened the elder of the village.
"Restrain them", the man orders and immediately, the brigands attack you, leaving you no time to process what just happened.

"Guess we're doing this old-fashioned way, after all!", says John gleefully and parries one of the brigands' wooden clubs.
"Provide cover for Finley!", you call out your battle plan. In that moment, you see Jenny jump high above you, reaching into her sleeves.
"Can you withstand this?!", she asks and a flurry of throwing knives rains down on two brigands who were about to attack your childhood friend. Finley's arrows finish them off.
While the girl is busy recollecting her weapons, you defend yourself against two enemies, both taller and stronger than you are. You manage to hold your own, remembering the many rough sparring sessions you had with your older siblings and Richard. You manage to strike the ribs of one of the brigands, making him fall over in pain and leaving him for Jenny to dispatch. The other manages to hit your left arm with the broad side of his axe, sending a sharp pain through your body. Before your enemy can take advantage of that, an arrow pierces his forehead.
"Are you okay, Sophia?", Finley comes rushing to your side.
You clutch your injured arm, cursing yourself for your inability to use healing magic.
"I... I think so", you say, voice strained. "Thank you".
"Think nothing of it", Finley shakes his head and shoots another brigand. "Can you still fight?"
"Yeah. It's not too bad", you say. You are probably lying, but the adrenaline in your body dulls the pain to the point that you almost can't feel it anymore.

Due to the overwhelming numbers, your group is forced to stay on the defensive, as you are driven out of the leader's office and into the tunnels behind you. Amidst the chaos of battle, you spot the fancy-dressed man watching the fight and smiling, obviously getting amusement from it. This makes you angry beyond measure and you hit a brigand with all the strength you have square in the face. You see Jenny jumping to and fro, strategically throwing her knives at precisely those brigands that John, Finley, or you are about to attack. Her diversions help you keep up with them, even as they have you severely outnumbered.
She lands next to you.
"There are too many of them", she says, panting.
"Yeah...", you feel fatigue catching up to you as well. Your entire body aches, especially your arm. But you cannot afford to focus on that. Their assault is relentless. You have lost count of how many there are left, all you see is a veritable flood of enemies.

All the while, the man still stands on the sidelines, a condescending smile on his face.
"Do you like my little present for you?", he asks. "How foolish of you to just barge into my office like that. You should have at least expected some kind of trap".
"Shut up, you blowhard... We're not done yet", says John, gasping for air and bleeding from a wound on his leg. "If you think you could beat us down with some peons like these, you've got another thing comin'!" He swings his axe and cuts down another brigand. Jenny throws one of her knives at another's throat, jumping after it and catching it out of the air as it flies past its target. In the blink of an eye, the knife was flying at another enemy's chest. Finley shoots an arrow at another brigand about to attack you, and you finish him off with a clean hit to the  skull.
It seems like a miracle to you, but you can finally see the enemy lines clearing out. Only a few of them are left. None of you is uninjured. All of you are on your last legs, but you stand your ground, even against still overwhelming odds.
As the last of the brigands, the sword-bearer that threatened the village elder, falls to your staff, you collapse to your knees.
"We... we did it...", you say in disbelief, gasping for air.
"I'm all out...", Finley, who supports the injured John, says, pointing at his quiver.
"Hehe, that was... certainly a fight". Despite his fatigue and pain, the mercenary is still smiling.
"No more... That was... too much..." Jenny collapses to the ground next to you.

You hear clapping, as the man steps towards you.
"Impressive!", he says. "I'd never thought you'd be capable of overcoming all of my men. I see now that I underestimated you. Congratulations!"
"And not even a hint of sadness..." You can feel the seething rage in every word of John's. "Do you feel nothing for them?!?"
"Indeed, they were dear subordinates. Quite obedient, too", the man runs a hand through his hair. "They will forever remain in my memory, I guess", he adds, clearly not caring.
"You little..." Finley looks at the man, disgusted by his words.
"Anyway, the jig is up!", says John. "You're coming with us, pal. Whether you want it or not!"
"Haha, indeed, I have lost", the man laughs heartily. "But this was quite entertaining. I will give you that: I had a good time".
"Why do you still act so... smug?!?" Even through your fatigue, every word out of his mouth makes you mad.
"I'm not, truly. I meant what I said". The man sighs. "I truly thought I could offer those children a brighter future, and make some money on the side...", he says, lamenting his defeat. "But I see now that it was not meant to be... My dreams were shattered all to quickly".
"'Quickly'? You've been at this for over 30 years at least!", says Finley.
"I see you've seen the receipts. I should have figured. You are a smart bunch", says the man, smiling. "But even that long a time feels fleeting for one such as myself..."
"What do you mean by that...?", you ask. "Come to think of it... you look a little too young to be leading an organization for more than 30 years... Who are you, really?"
"Very well, I shall enlighten you on what truly transpired here", he says. "On the nature of my business, myself, as well as those who bought those children off of me... As a reward for overcoming my trap and apprehending me".
"Are you serious...?", you ask, staring at the man in disbelief.
"I am many things. A liar is not one of those things", he says.
"Fine then, you're coming with us now", John says as he approaches the man with Finley's help.
The former leader of the bandits extends his hands to be apprehended, but suddenly, his eyes widen and his face goes pale.
You all freeze in shock as you suddenly see a jagged, slim blade extend from the man's chest. Blood drips to the floor from its tip. As the blade retreats back through the hole it struck, the man's lifeless body collapses, freeing the view at the assailant: a ghostly figure, cloaked in white. You cannot see its face or its body. The sword with which it silenced the man you were about to take prisoner vanishes into its sleeves.
"N-No way..." Finley takes a few steps back in shock, his eyes fixated on the figure.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee".
The figure laughs in a shrill voice, then it vanishes in front of you. Suddenly, you feel the ground shaking as the mine around you starts to collapse.
You hear the figure's laughter again and you barely manage to escape the cave-in.

Outside, you can only look back at the collapsed tunnels in disbelief. You fulfilled your mission, but you were unable to apprehend the one pulling the strings, unable to find the truth behind what transpired here for at least three decades. Left with no other choice, you take a moment to rest, then start to head back to the village to meet up with Melissa and have your wounds taken care of. Since you used another exit, your group is forced to take the long road back. Nobody says anything as you walk, though you notice that everyone has troubled faces. Maybe you should talk to someone?

Choice 1: Talk to Finley
Choice 2: Talk to John
Choice 3: Talk to Jenny

Vote for your preferred option in the poll!

---

A longer one this time to make up for the fact that it's a bit late. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

And the Dark secret group makes it's first appearance

So it does.
Tbh, originally, I was tempted to pull a CS2 at the end of that battle there, but then common sense took over and I decided that was the better way to end it.

I also just realized I did a bad in the poll there. That third option's supposed to be Jenny, not Melissa. Oops!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"Then I...", Finley starts, but Melissa quickly interrupts him.
"I will go and escort them home", she says. "In the meantime, you can go and apprehend the leader of these brigands".
"But, Missy, why?", you ask her. "You're the strongest one here! We need you!"
"No, you do not". Melissa shakes her head and gently pats yours. "You've become stronger, Sophia. You don't need me to watch over you anymore". Her smile is as soft and gentle as it usually is when she says things like that to you, but you can see sadness in her eyes. "I can rest easy, because I trust you, my little sister".

Splitting up the party: still a bad idea.

Plus Melissa getting out that death flag too I see.

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"Not when I do this!" With that, the girl suddenly vanishes from your field of view.
"Wait, what?!", Finley blinks, confused. "Where did she go?"
"I'm still here, silly", you hear Jenny's voice from right in front of you.
"An Invisibility spell is it?". John laughs a little. "You're certainly full of surprises, girlie".

So they can just do that?

Oh boy nobody's safe, we're getting a bad ending out of this.

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

You see Jenny jumping to and fro, strategically throwing her knives at precisely those brigands that John, Finley, or you are about to attack. Her diversions help you keep up with them, even as they have you severely outnumbered.
She lands next to you.

Ninjenny.

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

You all freeze in shock as you suddenly see a jagged, slim blade extend from the man's chest. Blood drips to the floor from its tip. As the blade retreats back through the hole it struck, the man's lifeless body collapses, freeing the view at the assailant: a ghostly figure, cloaked in white. You cannot see its face or its body. The sword with which it silenced the man you were about to take prisoner vanishes into its sleeves.

Interesting that the boss seemed a bit young, I thought reading this that the stabber was him covering his tracks initially.

Now I doubt that, but as for this guy, it seems the Assassins got into the ghost aesthetic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Dayni said:

So they can just do that?

Jenny can, at the very least.

33 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Oh boy nobody's safe, we're getting a bad ending out of this.

Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?

31 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Ninjenny.

Nice one. XD

32 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Interesting that the boss seemed a bit young, I thought reading this that the stabber was him covering his tracks initially.

Now I doubt that, but as for this guy, it seems the Assassins got into the ghost aesthetic.

All will be revealed in due time.
I hope.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Together we fight

d8y7oq7-dc77d5aa-c8e6-469a-bca2-10f6a5093a9d.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi83MThkMjg5Zi1jYWJhLTQ0MzgtODk4Ny0zNTMzYzllYmUyY2MvZDh5N29xNy1kYzc3ZDVhYS1jOGU2LTQ2OWEtYmNhMi0xMGY2YTUwOTNhOWQucG5nIn1dXX0.BBEZZScOBxM5odmEkqnz5KkLa1lY8BfsjcEA0v78gF0

together we ride and fight, yo

5 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"It's better like this", John mumbles to himself.
"What do you mean?", you ask.
"Huh? Oh, nothing! Just talking to myself. Nothing for you to fret over, little lady!". He whistles innocently.
"You do know that makes you seem even more suspicious, right, old man?", Jenny asks.

Hm. raw Of course not. Nothing to see here.

5 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Teehee".

*teehee intensifies*

5 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"N-No way..." Finley takes a few steps back in shock, his eyes fixated on the figure.

I'm guessing the villain from the gaiden chapter has returned?

5 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

though you notice that everyone has troubled faces. Maybe you should talk to someone?

Somebody's got some explaining to do.

---------

There's quite a few questions that I'm looking forward to seeing be answered. I guess I'll just have to eagerly anticipate the next chapter, huh? Great work!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

d8y7oq7-dc77d5aa-c8e6-469a-bca2-10f6a5093a9d.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi83MThkMjg5Zi1jYWJhLTQ0MzgtODk4Ny0zNTMzYzllYmUyY2MvZDh5N29xNy1kYzc3ZDVhYS1jOGU2LTQ2OWEtYmNhMi0xMGY2YTUwOTNhOWQucG5nIn1dXX0.BBEZZScOBxM5odmEkqnz5KkLa1lY8BfsjcEA0v78gF0

together we ride and fight, yo

I was this close to just calling the chapter "together we ride", but then I included that fight scene at the end.

18 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

Hm. raw Of course not. Nothing to see here.

*John sweating nervously in the distance*

18 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

*teehee intensifies*

I had to do it. I just had to.

19 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

I'm guessing the villain from the gaiden chapter has returned?

Yes.

19 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

There's quite a few questions that I'm looking forward to seeing be answered. I guess I'll just have to eagerly anticipate the next chapter, huh? Great work!

Thank you! ^^

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great chapter, though it seems that Melissa is getting death flags, John has a few secrets, Jenny is secretly a ninja, and Finley is still my favorite character.

Theory: Jenny will be one of those "Surprise! I'm Important" characters. Maybe she's like...a secret assassin or something. (If she is, brownie points for me I guess)

So, the evil organization is here...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. They seem interesting. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, CustardPudding said:

Great chapter, though it seems that Melissa is getting death flags, John has a few secrets, Jenny is secretly a ninja, and Finley is still my favorite character.

Thanks! ^^
So Finley is your favorite character. Interesting! This does give me an idea as to what to do once this is over.

12 hours ago, CustardPudding said:

Theory: Jenny will be one of those "Surprise! I'm Important" characters. Maybe she's like...a secret assassin or something. (If she is, brownie points for me I guess)

We shall see!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Albeit a bit late, here's the new chapter! Enjoy!

CYOA Chapter 10: Aftermath

You cannot decide who to talk to first. Jenny is quietly skipping along at the front, Finley and John are trailing a bit behind due to the mercenary's leg still being injured and your childhood friend supporting him, and you bring up the rear, still exhausted from your prior battle.

But a question is on your mind. Ever since that white-cloaked figure appeared, his face has gone pale and he has not said a word. At the same time, you are worried about John's injury, and you want to know more about Jenny.
"Hey, why aren't you guys saying anything?“. Jenny suddenly and unexpectedly breaks the silence. "Still tired?“
"A little“, you admit. "What about you, John? Is your injury okay?“
"I think I'll have to get it looked at after all“, he says, trying his best to maintain his usual jovial smile. "Thanks for lending me your shoulder, kiddo“.
"It's alright“. Finley says, nodding. He smiles for a brief moment, then he falls silent again.

"Man, what a fight that was...“ Jenny crosses her arms behind her head. „I haven't exhausted myself this much in forever“.
"Tell me about it“, you sigh.
"This was your first real battle, wasn't it, little lady?“, John asks you.
You nod. "Yes, it was“.
"What a way to start your career“. He laughs. "Still… I didn't think we would actually win that“.
"Yeah, I fully expected the older princess to show up and save us at the last second“, says Jenny. "But, we did it and we should celebrate our victory, don't you think?“
"Was it a victory, though?“, says Finley. "The one we tried to capture was killed, after all. We don't have any clues as to what has really been going on there…“.

"Finley, I need to ask you something!“, you blurt out.
"Hm?!“, taken aback that you used his real name, he looks at you. "What is it, Sophia?“
"You… knew what that was, didn't you? You know who killed that man“, you say.

Finley falls silent for a moment, his eyes wandering to the ground beneath him. John and Jenny also look at him with curiosity.
"If you know anything, then tell us“, the mercenary says. "Anything that might be useful“.
"I've seen that before“, Finley says with a sigh. "That white-cloaked, ghostly figure… and that weapon… I've seen it all before, five years ago“.
"You don't mean…?“ Your eyes widen in shock as it hits you.
"Yes… When Prince Elliot saved me and lost his left eye in the process… it was a group of those things that attacked us“, Finley confirms your suspicions.
You recall the reports about the incident. You know that mysterious, otherworldly figures were responsible for what happened. But you never knew any of the finer details… until now.

"What are you guys on about?“. Jenny gives you a confused look.
"If I'd be a bettin' man, I'd say it has to do with that catastrophic incident that wiped out an entire platoon of knights and almost killed the crown prince“, says John. "I heard about it through rumors. So you were there when it happened?“
"Yeah… I was still just a recruit then“, Finley nods. „We were supposed to investigate rumors of sinister movements in the Dragon's Maw, but that was a trap. Those… things ambushed us. Lord Elliot, a priest and myself were the only survivors“.
"Makes you wonder why the king would send a recruit on such a mission“. John says with a disapproving look.
"The royal knights were short on troops then, because of worsening relations with the other nations“, you reply. "And my father considered it necessary for recruits to gain practical experience, too“.
"I… owe my life to Lord Elliot. After we came back, I doubled my efforts to finish my training, so that something like that doesn't happen again. Also...“ Finley trails off and his gaze shifts to you.
"What is it?“, you ask him.
"I still have to make it up to you“, he answers, the seriousness in his eyes and voice almost overwhelming you.
"What do you mean by that?“
"Because of me, your brother almost died“, he explains. "If… if he actually did die, I would never have been able to forgive myself for it. That is the reason I...“ He trails off again.
You can say nothing in return. As you look at Finley, expecting him to continue talking, you can see a plethora of emotions flickering through his eyes, as he tries his best to avoid making contact with yours.

"So, are you a fully-fledged knight of Vales, kiddo? Should I call you 'Sir' Finley instead?“, asks John with a mocking tone.
"No“, Finley shakes his head. "I'm not a knight yet, but I'm working on it“.
"Your skill with the bow is impressive, though“, says Jenny. "You'd give some Archers back home a run for their money!“
"Speaking of which… where are you from?“, Finley asks the girl, who freezes up immediately.
"Come to think of it, he's right“, says John. "Your style of clothing and especially the way you fight… nothing about you says Valessian to me“.
"Well, er… you know…“ Jenny nervously looks around. "A… a spy should never reveal her place of origin! Secrecy and all that, you know?“
"And yet you have no problem blabbing about being a spy...“ John shakes his head, clearly amused by the girl's antics.
"Ugh...“ Jenny starts sweating.

"Guys, leave it be“, you say. "She helped us out a lot, so I think we can trust her for now, even if she's not from Vales“.
"You know what, you're right“. Finley nods in agreement. "Sorry, Jenny, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable“.
"Water under the bridge!“ The girl offers a bright smile. "So, this place is called Vales, huh…?“, she mumbles to herself and suddenly has a troubled look on her face again. "Oh, boy...“
"Is something the matter?“, you ask her.
"No, nothing at all!“, she hurriedly replies, waving her arms around. "I'm just… still winded from our battle earlier, nothing more! Yeah… I can't wait to hit the hay and grab something to chew on...“
"Why is everybody keeping secrets from me?“, you think to yourself and sigh.

The sun is blocked out by rain clouds as you approach the village. Through the trees, you see something that troubles you: a sea of black armor posted at the village gate.
"The knights are here?“, you ask, surprised, as you approach the soldiers, who greet you. As you make your way through the troops, you spot a familiar steed at the front, upon which sits a man whose jet-black armor bears golden adornments. In his right hand, he holds a blood red spear.

"Uncle?“, you stare at him in surprise. He turns his head to you, his taciturn expression unchanged.
"So, you have returned“, he states, matter of factly.
"Who's this guy?“, John asks.
"I do not believe we have been introduced yet“, says the rider. "My name is Aldric von Harmun, younger brother to Queen Lucille“.
"Nice to finally meet you“, says John with a grin. "Words of the Dark Storm reach far, you know? They say you're the best rider in all of Vales and that your skill with a lance is second to none“.
"Do they now?“ Aldric seems unfazed by the praise heaped upon him.

Meanwhile, Jenny looks between you and Aldric, then she whispers something to Finley, who shrugs.
"I don't know“, he says.

"Uncle, why are you here?“, you ask him. "And… where is Missy?“
"Princess Melissa is currently talking to the village elder“, Aldric explains. "She sent word to King Gwendal about your situation. He sent me and a platoon of knights to aid you. But I see you did not require my assistance, seeing as how you are back already“.

"That was fast...“, Finley says.
"Though we were in there the entire night“, says John. "And now it's nearly afternoon again“. He looks at the sky.

It is cloudy, but you can tell that the sun has reached its peak despite that. You peer past the general atop his black horse and see the villagers happily celebrating their reunion with their loved ones. When one of the children spot you, they happily wave at you and voice their thanks. You hesitantly wave back, before Jenny nudges you.
"You should go to them“, she says. "I'm sure they want to thank you for saving them personally!“
"But I didn't do it on my own“, you say, shaking your head. "We all did it together“.
"Come on now, don't be humble, little lady“, says John. "Are you their princess or are you not?“
You sigh. Sometimes you forget your own standing within Vales' society.

Before you can decide to go to them, Melissa appears before you.
"Well?“, Aldric asks her.
"He confessed to everything“, your older sister says, her face stern. "To think the elder knew all along...“
"What do you mean, Missy?“, you ask her.
"The village elder supported the bandits' shady business and has done so for years“, Melissa explains, shocking you and your companions. "Granted, he was pressured into it, but still...“
"He led you all on the wrong trail, because he didn't want anything to happen to our children“, says the bartender, who arrived along with her. "„The bandits told him that if he ever opened up about what he is doing and what they are doing, they'd kill our children they held hostage“.
"But… but why?!? Why would he do that?“ You stare at the two of them in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Aldric gives the command to his men.
"Apprehend the village elder and bring him in“, he orders. "Valessian law will decide what to do with him“.
"Yes, General!“ Two of the soldiers salute and head towards the elder's home.

"Apparently, he was a member of a group of assassins that got disbanded long ago“, Melissa explains. "He escaped judgement and fled to his village under an assumed identity“.
"I get it now!“, Finley suddenly says. "One of the bandits, maybe even their leader himself, knew about that and pressured him into handing over the village children in exchange for silence, correct?“
"Exactly“. Melissa nods. "Later on, the guaranteed safety of the children was used as additional leverage for his silence as to their actions“.
"So basically, they threatened the children's lives to shut him up, and they kept quiet about him to be able to hold the children hostage. Do I have that right?“, you summarize.
Melissa nods again. "That is what he told me after I presented the evidence we gathered, at least“.

"We could find out the whole truth if you managed to apprehend their leader“, Aldric says. "That is why you infiltrated their base, right?“
"That's true, but...“. You hesitate.
"Did something happen?“, Melissa asks, concerned.
"Well, you see...“ you tell her about what happened after she left with the abducted children.

"So he was silenced before he could say anything?“, asks Aldric.
"Yes, that is what happened“, you confirm.
"To think that one of those things that nearly killed Elliot would appear...“, Melissa looks troubled. "We need to be extra careful from now on“.
"Yeah“. Finley agrees. "Who knows what they'll do“.
"We don't even know who they are, to say nothing of what their goal is“, says John.
"I swear, this stuff is too complicated, it's making my head spin...“, Jenny holds her head in frustration.

"I shall take my leave now“, says Aldric, as his men return with the village elder in tow.
His fellow villagers look on in confusion, but some of them seem to be able to guess why he is currently being arrested by the knights.
"So soon?“, you ask, a bit disappointed.
"I have other matters to attend to“, Aldric says. "You should return to the capital soon, as well. King Gwendal wished to discuss something with you. It concerns another mission“.
"I see“, you nod.

"Speaking of which, what are you two going to do from now on?“, Melissa asks.
"What do you mean?“.
"As far as this mission is concerned, you have fulfilled your contract, John“, she continues. "If you wish, I can give you your payment right here and now and leave you to your own devices. As for you, Jenny, you can go wherever you please, too. You are not our prisoner“.
"You make a good point“, John admits. "I was only supposed to help you find the missing people. That I did. And the girlie here wasn't even part of the plan in the first place“.
Jenny nods. "Yeah, that's true. But I'm super grateful that you saved me!“, she says. "And it is fun to be around you guys!“ She smiles brightly at you. "So… if you want, I'll stick around for a while!“
"Same here“ John nods in agreement. "Even with the mission over, I kinda want to see this whole thing through with you. And besides… I'm still kind of injured here, so… I can't exactly go anywhere, now can I?“. He laughs.
You nod, relieved to know that the two of them wish to stay with you.

"You can use my tavern to rest!“, says the bartender. "I am so grateful that you saved my daughter, it would be my pleasure to welcome all of you as my guests!“
"I think we'll take you up on that offer“, says Finley with a smile.
"But… the mission“, you remind her.
"I'm sure father can wait a bit“, your older sister says. "You must be tired, too, Sophia, right?“
"Well...“ You look at Aldric.
"It's your decision“, the General says.

Choice 1: Go back to Fabunil.
Choice 2: Stay here and rest.

Vote for your preferred option in the poll!

---

Sorry that this came a bit late. Migraines got in the way of writing these past days.
As always, I hope to see you in the next chapter!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"I… owe my life to Lord Elliot. After we came back, I doubled my efforts to finish my training, so that something like that doesn't happen again. Also...“ Finley trails off and his gaze shifts to you.
"What is it?“, you ask him.
"I still have to make it up to you“, he answers, the seriousness in his eyes and voice almost overwhelming you.
"What do you mean by that?“
"Because of me, your brother almost died“, he explains. "If… if he actually did die, I would never have been able to forgive myself for it. That is the reason I...“ He trails off again.
You can say nothing in return. As you look at Finley, expecting him to continue talking, you can see a plethora of emotions flickering through his eyes, as he tries his best to avoid making contact with yours.

And there we have it, Finley's been guilty the whole time.

I still don't feel this is enough of a death flag though.

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

"Water under the bridge!“ The girl offers a bright smile. "So, this place is called Vales, huh…?“, she mumbles to herself and suddenly has a troubled look on her face again. "Oh, boy...“

So Jenny was captured beforehand then and tried to break out herself and the others?

Or how did she end up there to begin with?

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Choice 1: Go back to Fabunil.
Choice 2: Stay here and rest.

Calling it now, heading back right away leads to an ambush.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Interesting chapter, my suspicions of Jenny are seriously starting to make more sense. She won't tell us where she's from, so maybe she's spying for someone else on us? Who knows. 

Finley is feeling guilty, oh no. John is still a pretty enjoyable character, but with secrets. Let's hope we find out what those are! 

Great work, I'm looking forward to see where this will go. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Dayni said:

And there we have it, Finley's been guilty the whole time.

I still don't feel this is enough of a death flag though.

Everybody gets a death flag, apparently. Haha!

21 hours ago, Dayni said:

So Jenny was captured beforehand then and tried to break out herself and the others?

She tried to save the villagers, but was then captured herself.
As to how she got there, well... we'll see!

20 hours ago, CustardPudding said:

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Interesting chapter, my suspicions of Jenny are seriously starting to make more sense. She won't tell us where she's from, so maybe she's spying for someone else on us? Who knows. 

Finley is feeling guilty, oh no. John is still a pretty enjoyable character, but with secrets. Let's hope we find out what those are! 

Great work, I'm looking forward to see where this will go. 

Thank you!

4 hours ago, Shrimperor said:

let's take a break.

And  Jenny Jenny, hmm.

she is giving me a teehee impression

Teehee

---

New chapter will be sometime tomorrow. I'm currently working on a rough outline for it, but progress is slow at the moment. Blame the stupid, ever changing weather.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/18/2020 at 3:46 PM, DragonFlames said:

"He confessed to everything“, your older sister says, her face stern. "To think the elder knew all along...“
"What do you mean, Missy?“, you ask her.
"The village elder supported the bandits' shady business and has done so for years“, Melissa explains, shocking you and your companions. "Granted, he was pressured into it, but still...“
"He led you all on the wrong trail, because he didn't want anything to happen to our children“, says the bartender, who arrived along with her. "„The bandits told him that if he ever opened up about what he is doing and what they are doing, they'd kill our children they held hostage“.
"But… but why?!? Why would he do that?“ You stare at the two of them in disbelief.

I'm sensing something suspicious here. Something deeper than the explanations given.

On 6/18/2020 at 3:46 PM, DragonFlames said:

"As far as this mission is concerned, you have fulfilled your contract, John“, she continues. "If you wish, I can give you your payment right here and now and leave you to your own devices. As for you, Jenny, you can go wherever you please, too. You are not our prisoner“.
"You make a good point“, John admits. "I was only supposed to help you find the missing people. That I did. And the girlie here wasn't even part of the plan in the first place“.
Jenny nods. "Yeah, that's true. But I'm super grateful that you saved me!“, she says. "And it is fun to be around you guys!“ She smiles brightly at you. "So… if you want, I'll stick around for a while!“
"Same here“ John nods in agreement. "Even with the mission over, I kinda want to see this whole thing through with you. And besides… I'm still kind of injured here, so… I can't exactly go anywhere, now can I?“. He laughs.
You nod, relieved to know that the two of them wish to stay with you.

It'll be interesting to see how these two develop as the story progresses.

On 6/18/2020 at 3:46 PM, DragonFlames said:

"I'm sure father can wait a bit“, your older sister says. "You must be tired, too, Sophia, right?“
"Well...“ You look at Aldric.
"It's your decision“, the General says.

I'm not so sure whether that is a safe option or not. Hm.

____________

Another great chapter. Looking forward to the next one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gaiden chapter time!
Your decision to rest unlocked a Gaiden chapter! Congrats!

The next chapter is still in the works, so I wrote this to bridge the gap. You have to forgive for not being as regular with these as I used to be. I have some health issues right now that prevent me from being at 100% for writing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 10x: A mercenary's oath

“Let's rest here”, you say. “I'm tired from everything that's happened”.
“Alright. I'll go and get my wound patched up, then”, says John.
“Right this way, sir!”. The bartender leads him away. “The rest of you can go ahead to the tavern. It's lunchtime soon, so you can eat along with us!”
“Thank you for the kind offer”, says Melissa with a smile.

“I will be off then”, says Aldric. “I will let His Majesty know that you will rest here for a bit”.
“See you later, uncle. Say hi to Sir Richard for me!”.
You say your farewells and he heads off, while you make your way to the tavern.

Before you are able to rest, however, you are immediately surrounded by the villagers, who wish to express their gratitude for saving their loved ones, as well as said loved ones thanking you for saving them.

---

After lunch ends, you are approached by Finley.
“Hey, Sophia”, he greets you. “You doing okay?”
You nod. “Why do you ask?”
“Just… you know… I was a little worried, since that was your first battle and all”.
He is uncharacteristically shy, you notice. You feel like teasing him for it, but at the same time, many things still eat away at you, so you leave it be for now.
He smiles and takes a seat next to you.
“I can tell something is bothering you”, he says. “You can talk to me about it. I'll listen”.
“I'm just… I still can't believe that the village elder was really connected to all of this. Something about this whole thing just doesn't feel right”.
“Yeah… there is more going on. I'm convinced of that, too. But right now, we don't have enough information. All we can do is hope that General Aldric can find out more from him”, Finley says.
You nod again, but say nothing.
“Still… that was quite the fight, wasn't it?”, he asks and stretches his limbs. “I'm still winded”.
“I'm just glad everyone made it through okay”.
“Same here. I never thought we'd work that well together. John and Jenny really were a big help. Imagine if it was just the two of us”.
“Oh, we would be so dead”. You shake your head. “I'm happy that they helped us out”.
“On second though, you could probably have crushed them all on your own”. He says with a grin.
“What makes you say that?”, you ask him, confused.
“Well, you'd have unleashed your true power as Sophia Skullcracker!”. Finley chuckles.
You silently raise your staff as you glare at him, making him laugh.
“Point proven!”, he says.
“Could you stop with those stupid titles already?”
“Only if you stop calling me 'Fiffy'”, he retorts.
“Never!” You cross your arms and pout. “Fiffy is Fiffy and that's final!”
“Now there's the Sophia I know!”, he says with a smile.
“Huh?”
“That melancholic expression doesn't suit you”, he continues.
“And me being angry does?”, you ask, getting increasingly agitated at him.
“It's better than seeing you sad like this”, he says, his voice soft. “They say tears can be beautiful, but… I like it better when you're happy”.
“What kind of third-rate romance novel did you get that one from?”, you ask him mockingly.
“None at all, I just made that up on the spot!”, he replies.
“That would explain a lot...”.
He sighs in defeat. “… I walked right into that one, huh?”
“Yup, you sure did”. A triumphant grin makes its way to your face.
“Well, at least you're smiling again”. He seems satisfied and he gets up from his seat. “I'll go to my room and rest up a bit”, he says. “I'll see you later, Sophia”.
You nod. “See you, Fiffy!” He cringes at his embarrassing nickname before leaving the table.
“And… thank you”, you whisper after him as soon as you're sure he's out of earshot.

---

I still feel exhausted. It was just one battle. Why do I feel like this? And even now, after recovering a bit, I still feel like I fought an entire army all on my own, even though it was just a few brigands, nothing like the huge numbers my sister and the others had to deal with after I left them.
My hand is shaking. I feel hot and cold at the same time.
Yet the time for a cold or other such sicknesses is already passed.

Why now of all times?

“Excuse me, Lady Melissa. Do you have a minute?” I hear John's voice outside of my room.
The sun is about to set. What could he want from me?
“Come in”, I call out. The door opens and the mercenary steps into the room with an expression I cannot quite read. He looks concerned as well as curious. I can already see where this is going.
“Is there something you wish to talk to me about?”, I ask him, even though I already know the answer.
“Yes, there is”, he confirms. “Mind if I sit down here?” Without waiting for an answer, he sits down on the single chair in the guest room. “Why did you decide to escort the kids back here?”, he asks.
I knew it. Back in the mines, I could already feel his gaze on me as I volunteered to do so. And yes, it was a hard decision to leave Sophia behind like this. And yet…
“Someone had to do it”, I answer. “And I knew you would be fine without me”.
“I expected that answer from you”. He puts on a smile, but it does not reach his eyes. “You know, I'm not as dumb as I look. I can tell there's more to that story. Why not open up about it”.
“What makes you think this way?”, I ask him. I have to gauge his intent first. I know next to nothing about him after all. Back in the caves, I didn't have much choice, but… can I really entrust Sophia's safety to him? This is a prime opportunity to find out.

Who is that man sitting across from me right now?

“Well, I grew suspicious the moment you were much more exhausted than the rest of us after that one battle we fought before we freed the villagers”, he explains. “If you were completely new to battle, I wouldn't have suspected a thing, but you are the famed Purple Tempest. After everything I've heard about you, that battle should've been a cinch for you. But there you were, gasping for air as if you just fought off an entire army. And you even refused to use that special Sword Magic of yours, when there was really no reason to do so. Those beams were made to last. They would have withstood a little wind blade here and there”.

This man really is quite sharp.

“So you've noticed.”
“Well, when you're in my line of work, seeing through lies like that is kind of important”, he says flippantly. “Still, though, why hide it? If there's something wrong, I'm sure your little sister would like to know about it”.
“I don't want her to”, I tell him.
“Well, if it is what I think it is, she'll find out eventually, anyway”, he says, chuckling slightly. “I know how the former queen died, you know?”

He does what?

“How do you know that?!?”
“You pick up on some things when you travel around”.

A vague answer. Just what I expected from him.

“You know, I didn't know her very long, but I'd hate to see the little lady cry for you”, he continues.
“Why?”
With that simple question, his face falls. I think I hit a sore spot for him. He immediately puts his smile back on, but I finally caught a glimpse of the truth.
“She… just reminds me of someone I knew long ago”, he answers. “That's all there is to that. Actually… it's kinda scary how much she resembles her”.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Well, I unearthed your secret, so… I guess it's only fair to let you in on one of my own, right?” John's face lights up again. This time, I can tell his expression is genuine. It really does not seem that he bears any ill intent towards me or Sophia. “When I was still a little brat, I had an older sister. Our parents died early due to a famine, so… we only had each other growing up. But then, one day, she got scouted into some nobleman's house, where she worked as a maid. I wasn't allowed to visit her after that. And our letters… well, they only rarely, if ever, reached the other. The last time I heard from her was almost nineteen years ago. I don't know what became of her after that or… if she's even still alive”.
“Have you never tried contacting her after that?”
“I did, but there was no reply”.
“I see...”
He searches his pockets and pulls out a really old piece of paper.
“This was the last letter she sent to me”, he says as he unfolds it. He then hands it to me. All that is written there is “I'm sorry”. Nothing more. For some reason, reading this makes my heart sink. I hand it back to him.
“It's the last thing I have to remember her by”. John continues as he carefully puts the letter back into his pocket after folding it. “I tried enlisting as a knight in the hopes of seeing her again, but… I wasn't accepted into the academy. And so, I became a mercenary instead”.
“I see… I'm sorry you had to go through all that”.
“Eh, it's fine”, he says. “Life as a merc is not too bad. You get to travel around and see all kinds of places”.
“One thing… what is the name of the nobleman your older sister was employed by?”, I ask him.
“Why do you want to know?”
“I can find out if she still works for him and arrange a meeting”. This time, I smile at him. “I am the princess of Vales, after all”.
“Heh, I'd be awfully happy if you did that”, says John. “Fine, the guy's name is Mordred von Ladon”.

“The Royal Advisor?” Hearing that man's name is a shock. I had no idea he counted orphans among his servants. Mordred von Ladon, the Strategist of the Royal Army and father's right hand man. I never would have thought his name would pop up here of all places.

“Yes, exactly”. John nods. “I know he's a big name in the kingdom. That's probably why I wasn't allowed to go see my sister and why only few of our letters ever reached the other person...”
“I will make sure you can see her”, I promise him.
“You really are kind”, he says. “No wonder you mean the world to the little lady”.
He gets up from his seat. “I can promise you one thing: I won't betray the little lady. I'll stick around for as long as she seems fit. After that, I'll go quietly without complaint. I know you can't exactly trust my word, but… I give it regardless”.
“I have little reason to doubt your intentions for now. But know this, should you go back on your word, the Purple Tempest's blade will strike you down”.
“Alright, it's a deal”. He leaves the room, his face showing visible fear.
As soon as he does, I immediately start writing a letter requesting the Royal Advisor to let John see his older sister. Though something tells me my efforts will prove fruitless.

---

You can think of that talk between Finley and Sophia as their C-support.
Since there is no decision to make today, I'll make a preliminary survey: you can vote for your favorite character so far.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/20/2020 at 3:20 PM, DragonFlames said:

“It's better than seeing you sad like this”, he says, his voice soft. “They say tears can be beautiful, but… I like it better when you're happy”.
“What kind of third-rate romance novel did you get that one from?”, you ask him mockingly.
“None at all, I just made that up on the spot!”, he replies.
“That would explain a lot...”.
He sighs in defeat. “… I walked right into that one, huh?”
“Yup, you sure did”. A triumphant grin makes its way to your face.
“Well, at least you're smiling again”. He seems satisfied and he gets up from his seat. “I'll go to my room and rest up a bit”, he says. “I'll see you later, Sophia”.
You nod. “See you, Fiffy!” He cringes at his embarrassing nickname before leaving the table.
“And… thank you”, you whisper after him as soon as you're sure he's out of earshot.

d5b758070aad1306a9564bbd15e396eb3743876d_hq.jpg

I see a ship-worthy ship and I ship it.

On 6/20/2020 at 3:20 PM, DragonFlames said:

“So you've noticed.”
“Well, when you're in my line of work, seeing through lies like that is kind of important”, he says flippantly. “Still, though, why hide it? If there's something wrong, I'm sure your little sister would like to know about it”.
“I don't want her to”, I tell him.
“Well, if it is what I think it is, she'll find out eventually, anyway”, he says, chuckling slightly. “I know how the former queen died, you know?”

I think I know where this is going. And it's quite sad to read.

____________

Great gaiden chapter! I'd have to say my favorite character at this point is either John or Finley, but I voted John because I really like mercenary characters. Looking forward to what comes in the future!

On 6/20/2020 at 3:20 PM, DragonFlames said:

I have some health issues right now that prevent me from being at 100% for writing.

Sorry to hear that. I hope things get better for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...