Chapter 9: The Forking Path

Chapter 9: The Forking Path

Andrew O'Kelley

andrewokelley.com

I ran away into the dark without giving much thought in regards to where I was going, anxious to leave the grisly and terrible scene behind me. Hoping that the killer wouldn’t pick up my trail and follow. I will survive. I promised myself as I stumbled back on to the road.

My sense of direction was a bit turned around from panic. I know Fel wants me to head towards the lake under the waterfall, but I don’t even know where to go, and the Wisp isn’t helping. If the Wisp heard the thoughts, it didn’t say anything. I’m on my own then. I thought as I looked up at the night sky to try and navigate the only way I knew how, by following the North star and going from there.

North wasn’t a bad option either, it was where I wanted to go anyways —North, North, towards the tall mountains illuminated against the night sky by the moon. “I’ll go the way of the miner since it seems that’s where the path is going to take me. I’m not stupid I’m going to need some way to protect myself or I’ll die just like that guy around his fire, I’ve been in fights before but this is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before. I can’t survive this without some kind of weapon and armor, and I can craft those North.”

On an instinctive basis, I knew it was the right decision, and for a brief moment, I felt rather than heard a murmur of agreement. It was an odd sensation and I hesitantly looked around to see if I was actually being followed, the feeling was intense enough that I was certain I was being watched. That feeling of vulnerability further urged me onwards towards my goal of securing a way to defend and protect myself

“Just the night playing tricks on me.” I muttered, more to myself then anything, though I was hopeful Fel would chime in and put my mind at ease. “I need to stay focused or I’ll end up died and murdered like that guy.” It was a harsh truth and I didn’t have the time or desire to try and convince myself otherwise. I can process this after I survive it. A moment of pure panic hit me as I realized somehow I’d lost track of the barely visible path and the stars had retreated behind cloud cover.

You need to be more careful to not get lost in your thoughts young Christopher, chided Fel as I frantically looked to recover my trail, pushing tree branches and bushes out of the way as I ran around looking for the road.

“The road is gone,” remarked the Dark God as he materialized from within glowing shadows in front of me and I to my credit did not immediately turn around and try to run. “I’ll create another though. It’s only night one and you’ve already needed my gift. This doesn’t bode well for you, or for your wisp.” As he spoke, the Dark Lord moved his hands and power radiated from his fingertips. Beckoned by his command, the very land erupted in front of him shifted and molded itself to his desires.

“Heed my words well,” The Dark God’s words are loud and echo into the night. “Once you stand at the base of the Northern Mountains, you must head East. Head East until you can travel no longer. You’ll find a clearing in the woods full of ore nodes to be mined. This quarry is magical, whatever you deplete will restore itself within seconds of having been destroyed. It is an inexhaustible resource to be exploited.”

“Have a care, though, first you must travel through the blighted marshlands. Lands full of the long and recent dead. Withered trees and fallowed Earth in an almost endless bog. You will hear what sounds the whispering of the damned but never see them. Know that should those sounds ever come close, run, run as you have never run before least the monsters in that land feast upon you. But more then monsters, you must also contend with the gases that will rise with noxious fumes to churn your stomach and dull your thoughts.”

I nodded, knowing better than to not acknowledge the Dark God, a lesson learned in the Courtyard at the cost of someone else’s life. “Thank you for the guidance. Isn’t this unfair, though, you helping me like this?”

The Dark God smiled dryly? “Fair? Hardly, nothing is fair. The desperate, the losers, the downtrodden, they use words like fair. I care nothing for their opinion, its only the winners I care about, but since you must know. All of those who play my game are offered the same guidance according to their decisions. This is no favor I'm doing you, merely an option and opportunity presented. My favor has been sending the man who would have killed you down another path.”

!Alert!

//A Player (Jessica Zane) Has Been Eliminated//

//Error - Not enough playtime to be granted the status of “Undead” //

For those who will fall, the only thing that awaits you is the dark of the abyss.

My stomach felt queasy as the Dark God smiled at the notification. “Ah, there it is, the thing I put upon your killers path. Now let us continue.”

Do not offend him. Put whatever thoughts you might have of horror away for now. You will not have this chance again. Hissed Fel as the Wisp tried to guide my thoughts.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking if you were in my position, what would you do?” I asked, generally curious and hoping for insight and wanting to get my mind off of the woman that might have been condemned because of me.

“Ah, one of those are you? Well then, when I was in your position, I took another path.” The Dark God drew a rune in the air, a rune that lingered in deepest blue as yet another road formed in the woods. “If I where you I would take this road, it is full of danger, and while you’re likely not to survive as you are, it is the quickest way to the power you need to survive. Should you manage to overcome the obstacles that await, you’ll find a piece of power to make your own, even more so than any sword you could forge.”

I looked at the forking paths, one leading towards the mountains were I had wanted to go, and the other lead further into the dark where no light penetrated. It was a far deeper darkness . A darkness I doubted even Fel could light.

The Dark God leaned blinked out of existence and instantly teleporting right next to me and leaned in close enough that I could smell that he reeked of death and the grave, just like dirt at a graveyard. “Choose carefully. Always consider what you must do, what is the purpose of the armor you wish to craft for yourself, the purpose of the sword you wish to forge? What is it, tell me.”

The answer danced in I mind, much more than just the path to go on was answered by the question, it was deeper, a challenge, and I knew it. Without hesitation, I responded, I had my answer, “They share the same purpose, to help me survive.”

“Well then,” laughed the Dark God as he began to fade. “Let these forests be the grindstone by which you sharpen yourself to hunt the monster I’ve hidden among you, and to slay the monsters of this realm that await you.”

In a flash as a blinding light, the Dark God disappeared and where he had been, there remained a message lingering within the rune he had been left behind.

The Dark God's Challenge

Two Paths Stand Before You

The Eastern path takes you through the blight marsh and leads into the Northern Mountains where you may craft and forge armor and weapons from the iron ore.

The Western path is unknown. The only promise is that whatever lay at the end of the path will help you in your quest to survive.

Which do you choose?

The Easter Path or The Western Path

"It’s been decided, an alternate path would never have been presented to me," I reasoned as I felt the Wisps approval of the thought. "A God doesn't just appear out of nowhere and suggest a new path unless he wanted me to take it. So that's what I'll do, I'll take The Western Path Has Been Confirmed."

The Western Path Has Been Confirmed

A Blizzard Has Been Summoned. All alternate paths are currently blocked.

As soon as I made the choice, dark and heavy clouds moved towards the Northern Mountains and began to snow in a hellish flurry. The effect was on-going and instant as snow piled up feet deep, preventing further travel down that route in the meantime. Christopher sighed, "Ok, it looks like I'm doubly committed, I already selected the Western Route.” I muttered out loud, thinking the Dark God probably couldn’t hear me. “No need to snow in the other road."

Don’t be stupid, Falanor can be fickle. You do not tempt fate and gods. Fel yelled in my mind as I felt a disapproving aura fall over me.

With the sudden change in the weather, I walked on, hugging myself close as the air rapidly cooled, the thought of needed warmth soon not far from my mind, but as I started to walk down the newly formed path created by the Dark God, the sound of Wolves’ baying in the night disturbed whatever plans I might have envisioned, sending a chill down my spine. I knew without being told they were coming for me.