Branching Paths

Asterios and Minimus walked through the hallways of the building. Asterios walked in front and Minimus followed behind Asterios. As they both walked through the hallway they spotted various armored figures strewn across the ground. Some of the the armored figures wore black armor while others wore sand colored armor. 

Asterios suddenly stopped walking. 

Minimus looked at Asterios with curiosity as he thought. "Why did he stop?"

Asterios kept his gaze focused on the armored figures strewn across the ground.

Minimus continued to look at Asterios as he thought. "What is he staring at?" He looked at the armored figures strewn across the ground and noticed holes in their armor. He thought as he stared at the holes. "Are those from the projectiles?" 

Asterios muttered as he continued to gaze at the Armored figures strewn across the ground. "Is this the power of this world? Armor so weak it is so easily pierced by projectiles. How disappointing!" He began to walk toward the armored figures, strewn across the ground, as he said. "Or perhaps I am mistaken?" 

Asterios grabbed the strange weapon that lay beside the armored figure. He looked back at Minimus and said. "Your name is... Minimus, right?"

Minimus nodded as he thought. "Why is he asking me this? I told him earlier." 

Asterios tossed the strange weapon to Minimus. 

Minimus was unable to catch the strange weapon. The strange weapon clattered onto the ground. 

Asterios stared at Minimus with a confused expression. 

Minimus picked up the strange weapon from off the ground. The front of the strange weapon had a very long barrel. The back of the strange weapon had a trigger in the bottom half.

Minimus looked up at Asterios and said. "What do you want me to do with this?"

Asterios replied. "Shoot me!" 

Minimus said while taken aback with shock. "What?! Are you serious?!" 

Asterios said. "Why are you hesitating? Didn't you declare earlier that we are enemies? Shoot me, already!" 

Minimus looked at the weapon in his hands and thought. "Am I really supposed to shoot him with this? I don't even know how to use this thing." 

Asterios said angrily. "What are you waiting for?! Shoot me!" 

Minimus said while frustrated. "Fine! I will!" He pulled the trigger of the weapon.

A loud sound could be heard as soon as the trigger was pressed. A projectile immediately flew out of the weapon and struck the wall to Minimus's left. 

Both Asterios and Minimus turned to look at the wall which had been struck by the projectile. 

The black wall had a slight dent from where the projectile had collided with it. 

Asterios looked at the dent with interest and then looked back at Minimus. He said to Minimus. "Try again." 

Minimus nodded and thought. "Let's try this again." He pointed the weapon at Asterios's chest as he thought. "This time I need to aim at him." He pulled the trigger. 

The projectile flew over Asterios's head and hit the ceiling.

Asterios said. "Try again." 

Minimus nodded and thought. "My aim was too high." He pointed the weapon at Asterios's chest but pointed it lower than before as he thought. "This time I'll get it!" He pulled the trigger of the weapon.

The projectile flew out of the weapon and hit the ground by Asterios's feet. 

Asterios said. "Try again."

Minimus nodded and thought. "Dang it! It was too low this time." He pointed the weapon at Asterios's chest again but this time pointed it just a little bit higher than before. He then once again pulled the trigger of the weapon.

The projectile flew out of the weapon and once again hit the ground by Asterios's feet. 

Minimus looked at the weapon and thought. "How? How does it keep missing? Why can't this thing aim properly?" 

Asterios said. "Try using the scope." 

Minimus said with a confused expression. "Scope? What is a scope?" 

Asterios sighed and said. "The thing that lies at the top of the projectile shooter." 

Minimus thought. "A projectile shooter, huh? Is that what we are calling it?" He looked at the top of the projectile shooter and noticed a piece of the projectile shooter was sticking out. He thought as he stared at the top of the projectile shooter. "So I'm guessing this is the scope? But, what is it? What does it do?"

Minimus brought the scope up to his left eye to analyze it. He saw Asterios through the scope. He thought as he looked at Asterios through the scope. "I see. So, this is how it works. It's basically just a lens."

Minimus adjusted his stance. He put the scope of the projectile shooter to his left eye as he closed his right eye. He put his left hand on the trigger of the projectile shooter and his right hand on the long barrel of the projectile shooter. 

He thought as he looked through the scope. "So, I'm guessing this point in the center is the target, right?" He adjusted the projectile shooter until the scope showed he was aiming directly at the center of Asterios's chest. He smirked and thought. "This time for sure!" He pressed the trigger. 

The projectile flew out of the projectile shooter and struck the upper left side of Asterios's chest. Upon contact with Asterios's chest the bullet immediately bounced off Asterios's armor and hit the left wall. 

Minimus looked at the projectile shooter angrily as he thought. "Huh?! What is wrong with this thing?! How come it can't ever hit its target?!"

Asterios said. "It seems to have done the same thing as all the others. Perhaps the weapons in this world really are weak." He looked back at the armored figures laying on the ground and said. "Or perhaps stronger weapons exist."

Minimus thought. "Stronger weapons?" He looked at the projectile shooter and thought. "Would it be another weapon like this?"

Minimus felt the ground shake beneath his feet. He looked at Asterios who was walking away. He immediately began to follow behind Asterios.

Asterios and Minimus continued to walk through the hallway in silence until they eventually reached an intersection. 

Asterios looked forward, to his right, and then to his left. He said. "I'll head right. You go left." He began to walk into the hallway to his right.

Minimus said. "Wait! We are splitting up?!"

Asterios stopped walking and said with his back facing Minimus. "We can cover more ground this way."

Minimus said. "Cover more ground? Aren't we just here to fight people?"

Asterios remained silent.

Minimus said. "What if I run into the ranged warriors again?"

Asterios said. "Then fight them. You are a warrior, are you not?" 

Minimus said. "But, all I have is a knife and a projectile shooter." 

Asterios grabbed the hilt of his greatsword with his right hand and said. "Would you like to trade, then? My sword for your knife?"