Choose Your Own Path Story

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Fate

You saunter into the forest, hearing the twigs crack underneath your feet. A bee buzzes around you and you skedaddle away as fast as you can. Glancing at the piece of paper in your hand, you wonder how you are going to find this city. If there even is a city. The realization of how ridiculous you are being hits and you scold yourself for being impulsive. This wasn't the first time you've gotten yourself in interesting situations.

You check your phone and see you've been out for over an hour. Leaning against a tree to rest, you notice a bird fly out of the bush, calling loudly. A squirrel in a nearby tree chitters before climbing higher. Turning back to your phone, you see a quick flash of brown before something barrels into your side. Your phone flies out of your hands as you hit the ground. A large weight pins you to the dirt. Four golden eyes and a snarling jaw with needlelike teeth bears over you. Shouting, you jab your fingers into the animal's snout. It reels back and you roll away. Scrambling to your feet, you dash through the trees. You can hear the animal thunder through the underbrush after you. Up ahead is a sudden drop-off. You can see the top of the trees swinging in the breeze. The animal is gaining on you fast. Instinct takes over as you leap over the drop, flailing for a tree branch. The impact knocks the breath out of you. You look over your shoulder to see the animal unfold two long wings as it rears to jump. Rolling off the branch, you let yourself fall.

The ground gives you a harsh greeting. Looking up, you see the animal climbing down the tree, claws scraping off the bark. Its sleek body was feline and its eyes remained locked on you. It growls, low and sinister. Its legs crouch, preparing to pounce. You brace yourself. A bright light comes from behind you and hits the animal in the head. It screeches and convulses before falling down beside you. It doesn't move. You scramble away with a yelp.

"You are very lucky I happened to be in the area. Abyss cats are known for their relentlessness," a female voice says behind you. You whirl around and then freeze. Your eyes rivet on the pair of delicate, pearly white antlers growing out of her head. She tilts her head with an amused smile. Her movements are elegant and her warm brown skin almost glows. Shiny white hair is tied in an elaborate bun and dotted with sky blue flowers that match the flowing blue dress she is wearing. In her hand, she holds a small orb of light. "You are very deep into the forest. Your kind doesn't often come here and with good reason. Why are you here alone?"

You stammer before muttering something incoherent about an eagle and a note. When she sees the drawing, her eyes widen. She opens her mouth to say something but a voice interrupts her. "

You've been visited by the Fateguider." You turn to see a nimble figure hop down from a nearby tree. He also has horns, but his are akin to those of a ram. His shoulder-length black hair is messy and tangled. The plain shirt and pants he is wearing are covered in dirt, along with his pale skin.

"Aurelius," the lady beside you says. She doesn't seem amused.

"Evelynn." He gives her a big smile. "It's been a while. And like usual, we meet under the most unusual circumstances."

Evelynn frowns. "You have a way of appearing at the most inconvenient moments."

He chuckles. "You're the one inconveniencing me." He turns his attention to you. "Someone sent by the Fateguider. I wonder what the plan is for you."

You blink. "What are you talking about?"

Evelynn answers before he can. "The Fateguider is an eagle that, as the name suggests, guides certain people to their fates. Sometimes drastic things are in plan. Sometimes very little can happen. Now, judging by the drawing on that note, your fate is to come with me to my city. That's what's meant to happen." She then gently tugs you to the right.

Aurelius smacks her hand away. "Don't listen to her. She knows nothing about what your fate is. No one knows anything and don't let anyone tell you differently. I wouldn't go with her though. She's not a good person."

Evelynn's eyes spark. "You're the traitor, Aurelius."

He narrows his eyes. "I highly advise you not to go with her. You should probably come with me. Evelynn will likely kidnap you if you don't."

"Aurelius is lying to you. I'm not the bad one here."

You take a step back before saying...

-"I'm not going with either of you." (WIP)
-"Evelynn saved my life, I'll go to her city."
-"I'm going with Aurelius." (WIP)

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Wandering

The two of you decide to head upriver.

"You know," Alexis starts. "I wouldn't mind living here when I'm older. Ideally, the town would be bigger but otherwise, it's quite nice. The people are friendly and the town is in a beautiful spot. There's a lady by the fishing docks that has the cutest cats. She's nice enough to let me come over and pet them. I've been wasting a lot of my time there." She continues talking as you walk. You discuss everything from peppermint candy to the end of the world when you point at a bird singing in a nearby tree.

"Unusual bird, isn't it?" The bird has deep red feathers with purple flecks. Its long, golden tail seems to glow in the light as if it's made of real gold. The bird stops singing and flies away when it spots you. You then notice the trees. They aren't too unusual, but the leaves aren't your typical leaf shape either. They're diamond-shaped. The classic, geometric diamond you see in math class. More and more peculiarities start to show. Little red beetles crawling up a tree and leaving tiny trails of yellow glitter in their step. The faint metallic sound coming from a patch of flowers hidden behind a rock. You start to wonder if Alexis isn't wrong about the dragon. You hear the sound of water up ahead and come to a waterfall. A flock of birds, normal-looking ones, fly away as you approach. They chatter in the bushes, waiting for you to go away.

"I don't know about you but my feet are tired. I'm going to stick them in the water," Alexis says. You decide to join her. She shuffles over to make room. You sit in silence as light glitters on the rippling water. The babble of the river is accompanied by the drum of the waterfall. Cool mist sprays your legs and face, a nice relief from the summer heat. You lean back and enjoy it.

Having rested, the two of you decide to see if you can find a way over or around the cliff that suspends the waterfall, so you can continue upriver. Nature has other ideas, however, throwing briars and mud patches in your way. The two of you find yourself mildly lost. Only mildly. Alexis is certain she can find her way. You check your phone and see it's almost time to head back. Alexis asks if you want to walk a bit farther or return home.

-Turn back
-Keep going

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Just the Usual

You take her advice and keep far away from the forest and whatever lives in it. You spend the rest of your summer fishing, boating and getting to know the people of the town. The monster never appeared again. You would have been able to forget about it entirely had it not been for the occasional glimpse of impossible things as you kayak across the lake or walk back to the house. When you return home, the shell you found sits on your desk, still turning colors. A reminder that while you had fun, you can't shake the feeling that there's something about Woodlake you missed out on. Something mysterious and unique. Maybe next year you'll return and find it.

The End.

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Splash

You walk up to the log and step on it carefully. It doesn't move. It's stable. You begin to walk across, carefully stepping over the slick patches of moss. Droplets of water blow up from the rushing water and you welcome the cool touch. Just before you reach the end, you hear Alexis yelp. The log wobbles. You turn to see Alexis waving her arms as she desperately tries to regain her balance. You reach out to grab her but your hand closes around air as Alexis falls.

-Jump in the water
-Chase her on land

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: The Rivergliders

You jump in and are instantly knocked aside and pulled around by the current. In a blur, you collide with rocks and swallow gulps of water, setting your throat on fire. The water is clear but all you see are bubbles and blurry grey-blue as the rushing water carries you along. You choke and splutter on small gasps of air before going under again. Your head crashes into a rock and you feel a slight ache start to spread from the back of your head. The black spots in your vision grow until you see nothing else.

You wake up deeply exhausted. A rough nudge jolts you back to consciousness before you can fall asleep again.

"Come on, you must eat. You can not sleep any longer." The voice was almost musical. It only nearly lulled you back under.

With enough poking, you manage to keep your eyes kind of open. The voice speaks again. "Do not say anything. A single sound and you'll kill us." You nod, too tired to question anything. Through half-shut eyes, you see a plate with some sort of bread. It's pale pink and squishy. You eat it anyway, too hungry to care or really taste it.

Sense and strength begin to return. Your eyes come to rest on the person beside you. You open your mouth to yelp but she firmly places her hand over your mouth, silencing you. "Do not speak." You give her a nod and she takes her hand off you. You stare at her. You blink rapidly, thinking your eyes are playing tricks but the light grey scales on their face don't disappear, and neither do the long fins running down her back, sides, and arms. Her stormy grey eyes are narrowed but relax when it's clear you won't make a sound.

"The Caves do not like you earthwalkers. I'm risking quite a bit by bringing you here. If they hear a single peep out of you, they'll kill anyone in the room." You nod along, your head void of thoughts before something clicks and you realize you have no idea what she is saying.

She notices your confusion. "I forget how isolated you earthwalkers are from the Enshrouded World. You probably have no idea what I am or where you are."

You shake your head.

"I'm what they call a riverglider. We are aquatic beings that live in freshwater bodies. There's not too many of us left nowadays but there's a fair population in the rivers and lakes surrounding your little town. There are also some other beings around here but they're pretty rare. You are currently in the lake, in a series of underwater caves that are, in a way, alive. They have great healing power but for some reason, but also have centuries-long grudge against your kind. No one knows why. That's why you can't speak."

It was still bizarre but you went along with it.

"My name is Ayla if you want to know." She moves over to another human lying on a stone not far from you. You recognize the shape as Alexis. She is still asleep.

With Ayla's attention elsewhere, you look at your surroundings. It's a small cave lit by glass bottles filled with a glowing liquid. You are laying on a flat stone connected to the wall and when you look at the floor, you see deep water. The world spins and you lay back down, sleep claiming you again.

You awake again to Ayla poking and sit up, feeling alert but still hungry. She offers you more of that bread. You look over and see Alexis is awake and she waves at you.

"Glad to see you're alive," you say. Ayla freezes and you realize your mistake. There's a slight tremor in the stone beneath you. It builds in strength. The water starts to splash violently.

"Jump into the water!" Ayla screams. You glance at Alexis who is paralyzed with shock. You hesitate before...

-Jumping into the water
-Grabbing Alexis

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Struggle

Lunging over to Alexis, you grab her arm. She snaps out of her terrified daze. The stone beneath your feet splits from the wall with a thunderous crack and you're plunged into ice cold water. Your hand releases Alexis' arm out of shock and she disappears as raging water sucks you downwards. Stone collides with your back as you are pinned into a wall by the current. You claw and thrash as a torrent of angry bubbles pelts your face. Inky black tendrils of seaweed whip toward you and your fingers clamp around it. The plant recoils with a violent jerk and you're flung into stiller waters. There's an angry rumble and the current readjusts. You don't get far before you are being dragged down again.

Your lungs heave and you take a breath of water. Something slams into your side. Vision blinking out, the last thing you see is blurry blue.

You awake with a splutter at the lake's edge. Alexis' anxious face hovers above yours. Your throat is raw and each breath is fire. When you manage to sit up, you find a scowling Ayla.

"It'll be forever before those caves calm down again," she says. "Stay away from this lake or the connecting river. The forest too. You're not welcome in the Enshrouded World. We keep you earthwalkers oblivious for a reason." She doesn't look back as she dives back into the water, leaving only ripples. You close your eyes. You just want to go home.

The end.

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Request

Evelynn beams. "The human has made their decision, Aurelius. You better go before someone notices you're past the boundaries. I'll be notifying the authorities too... but since we used to be such good friends, I'll give you a head start."

Aurelius begins to walk backward. "Don't believe a word they say. They're all liars. They don't care about you. You're just a pawn in their eyes. Disposable and worthless. Be careful human!" He disappears into the trees, not even leaving behind the snap of a broken branch.

Evelynn shakes her head slowly. "I'm sorry about that. Don't listen to him. He's an old friend who got caught up in the wrong group and got filled with wild conspiracies. It's complicated but I assure you, I'm not the bad one here." She points in a direction.
"My city is just ahead."

Evelynn asks a few more simple questions about who you are and the eagle you saw. You pass by a tree with a triangle carved into its trunk, and a sudden coldness sweeps into your bones. Spiraling wooden towers appeared where there were only trees. Bridges and stairs connect the various towers. The walls are smooth and bare, spotted with small oval-shaped windows. The area is clear of plants, and stone paths cover the empty expanse. Only an occasional bush adds a splash of life to a desolate-looking city. The place is dead silent and you wonder if anyone is even here.

Evelynn guides you to one of the larger towers and opens the door. You are greeted with the sound of idle chatter and footsteps. Horned and antlered beings walk around, seemingly without reason. There's an uneasy tension that's only magnified when everyone stops and stares at you. Evelynn notices your discomfort and gives you a weak smile. She stops in front of a set of heavy wooden doors. She takes in a deep breath before knocking five times. The doors open slowly and the two of you walk in. An older man is sitting at a desk, eyebrows raised and head tilted. Wavy brown hair sweeps over a pair of light grey horns that curl backward and behind his ears. The doors close behind you with a thud, shut by a person dressed in armor. Evelynn bows her head. You stare, not moving.

"Who is this?" he asks. "Why have you brought a human here?"

Evelynn hesitates before speaking. "This is Adrian. I saved him from an Abyss cat. He was visited by a Fateguider and left a drawing of our city. I thought it meant he must be brought here."

The man leans back in his chair, scrutinizing you. Your eyes drift to the floor. "Interesting," he says finally. "Perhaps they're the solution to our little problem. We do need a human."

"You believe they could be the one?" Evelynn asks. He shrugs.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's worth a shot. We aren't in a position to be picky."

This seemed like a good place to intervene before something important got decided for you. "I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

A muscle in his jaw twitches. "How rude of us, assuming you would agree without context. Evelynn, will you explain?"

"Lately, we've been having issues with these monsters, we call them sludge creatures. They destroy our towns and kill our people. They've become unusually bold and we've been stuck in our towers in fear of attack. Unfortunately, we are nearly defenseless as the slime they leave behind is highly toxic to my kind, but not yours. This is why we need a human to help us solve this issue."

The person behind the desk speaks. "We'll be forever grateful if you decide to help us. What do you say?"

-You will help (WIP)
-You say no (WIP)

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Chase

The river is clearly stronger than it appears; you're not risking it. You leap across the log and bolt after Alexis. Roots and bushes ensnare your feet and you are repeatedly sent stumbling. The faint stings from the scrapes on your hands and knees are barely noticeable. There's no sign of Alexis, only the sparkle of sunlight and scattered leaves flowing downstream. You slow down. It's no use, you've lost her. You need to go back to get help.

You run upriver, passing tree after tree. A nagging feeling twists in your stomach; you should have reached the log by now. Did you miss it somehow? A bird screeches in the tree beside you, a high-pitched and shrill whistle. You glance at it and it takes off, four grey wings flapping rapidly. You blink. The bird has four wings, and it's flying straight at you. Ducking, it flies over your head. It swerves to try again and you bolt. The bird chases you deep into the forest, leaving sharp scratches on your face and neck when you slow too much.

When the bird finally leaves you alone, you realize with horror how far from the river you must have run. Leaning against a tree, you try to catch your breath. Something nudges against your side. You find a large furry snout. A bear. It shakes its thick brown fur and nudges you again. You stumble away but the bear gently pushes you again. You start walking deeper into the forest, hoping to get away before it becomes aggressive. The bear follows, lumbering behind you and encouraging you to keep walking with little shoves when you slow.

The trees break away to reveal a small, grassy clearing. A familiar whistle comes from the tree behind you and the same four-winged bird fly down. The bear shoves you forward with a huff. An old woman is sitting in the grass, back facing you. The bear pushes you towards her with a huff. The woman turns and stands up. Large deer-like ears sprout from the side of her head and yellow eyes do a quick survey of you. She smiles, the wrinkles around her eyes turning upwards.

"Welcome back, Adrian. You've grown so much."

Your eyes go wide. "How do you know my name? Who are you? What are you?"

Her smile changes, growing wistful and sad. "Come with me."

-Refuse
-Go without question (WIP)

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Memory

Alexis is still out there, you don't have time to go with this strange person. You stay in your spot as she walks away. Noticing you aren't following, she turns and gives you an annoyed look. "That wasn't a question." The bear behind you snorts and pushes against your legs with their head. Refusing the old lady you have no problems with, but ignoring the bear? Maybe not. You get moving.

"You don't know anything about this place, do you?" she says. You shake your head. "I suppose I shouldn't expect anything else. I'm surprised you've been allowed to return here at all. Though for them not to tell you anything..." she trails off, "is rather foolish of them." Temporarily forgetting about Alexis, you ask her what she means. She stops and gestures at the bear. "It will be easier to show you." She climbs onto the bear's back. She motions for you to do the same. You hesitate before doing so, barely having time to grab a good fistful of fur to hang onto before the bear takes off.

You are carried through the forest for what seems like hours. The trees start to change, rough bark turning obsidian black with scraggly leaves becoming a deep crimson. Other plant life becomes sparser and sparser before almost disappearing entirely, except for the occasional withered flower, bent over and brown. The bear stops and the old lady gets off. You waste no time doing the same.

"Do you remember anything? Maybe as a faint memory or dream?" the old lady asks.

You shake your head. "I'm not sure I'm not dreaming right now."

"Yes, this would be very unusual for you then. I'm not sure an explanation will make more sense to you but the quick version is there's a one-way portal to another world close by. Things sometimes stumble into your world and get stuck here. The townsfolk let us be if we let them be."

"And why do you keep asking if this place is familiar?"

"You used to live in Woodlake until you were 7. Your parents were very fond of this place but were forced to leave when Rohan took over. They tried to stop him but failed of course, or the trees here would be green and full of life."

You frown. "I think I would know if I lived here for 7 years."

She smiles sadly. "Your parents' opposition put a target on your back. They left for their safety but if you stay away from this place too long, your memories fade to nothing." She pulls out a bottle of pale blue liquid and hands it to you. It's warm. "If you drink that, your memories will return. You might be able to help us restore this place." She places a hand on your shoulder. Her grip is steel. "But think carefully. You have a life elsewhere that will be better off if you forget this place. You can walk away and your memory of this conversation will eventually fade. Everything will return to normal."

You turn the bottle over in your hands and...

-Give it back (WIP)
-Open it and drink it (WIP)

[bluebudgie]

The Town Of Woodlake: Swim

You jump into the water, plunging into the cold depths. Thick walls of bubbles obscure your view. The faint shadow of something black and rope-like whips towards you. It wraps around your ankle, cold and slimy. It tightens and drags you down. You thrash. The light of the surface winks out as a figure appears above you and grabs your wrist. Pain blossoms in your joints as a tug-a-war between Ayla and what is dragging you down ensues. Ayla heaves and you are launched forward. She swims you to the surface only long enough for a quick breath before she pulls you underwater again. Alexis collides with you and she grabs onto your arm. Water streams by as Ayla propels you and Alexis out of the caves and into the lake. You glimpse clusters of small, flat buildings through the blue haze before you ascend to the surface.

You gasp air. Water surrounds you, the shore a faint line in the distance. Your heart drops. Ayla drags the two of you through the water and an eternity later, your feet hit solid ground. Aquatic plants squish under your feet. Stumbling towards the shore, waterlogged clothes weighing you down, you collapse onto the edge. Alexis falls beside you. Ayla gives you a concerned look from where she is in the water. "Are you okay?"

You nod.

-"I just want to go home." (Wip)
-"Thank you, for saving us." (Wip)