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Abstract

rd to the nearest small cave, kneel, and look inside. No — this can’t be it. It narrows quickly, and doesn’t go more than a couple of yards back. You’re looking for an entranceway of some kind…</p><p id="2091">…unless it’s a <i>concealed</i> entrance, like the one in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit"><i>The Hobbit</i></a>?</p><p id="fecb">Dismissing this worrying thought, you systematically move along the cliff face. You reject three more small caves. But the next one is different. Its entrance is small, yes, but it has been chiselled into a passageway. And after a yard or two it opens out into something much larger.</p><p id="527a">You crawl inside, making your way up the small tunnel, and then stand up, raising the stone, ready for a fight.</p><p id="f8cb">What you see shocks you. You had expected that the goblins would have used this as some kind of guard house, and that it would lead to a deeper cave system. At a guess, you would have assumed that there might be a single goblin guard, some supplies… perhaps a door.</p><p id="ce41">Instead, all four of the goblins that you saw now lie dead at your feet. Black blood is sprayed around on the ground and cave walls, and all four of the creatures show grievous wounds. Something has killed them quickly, brutally and mercilessly.</p><p id="e3ec">But who, or what?</p><p id="11ed">Surely it wasn’t Jade, because if so, she would have emerged from the cave and come to join you…</p><p id="9f79">You look closer. The bodies are blood soaked. You don’t really want to touch them, but you can see that the wounds are deep, as if from an axe or sword… or claws? You drop your stone, and slowly circle the area, trying to figure out what can have happened to kill the goblins so quickly.</p><p id="a0cc">Stepping back, you catch yourself. As if any of this is normal! <i>Goblins!</i> You can barely believe you are even thinking the word.</p><p id="2754">What are these creatures, and how did they get here? Could they have any connection with the pixies and <a href="https://ericwedwards.wordpress.com/2013/12/08/bogles-bugbears-and-boggarts/">boggles</a> of Celtic myth?</p><p id="f9fa">Yo

Options

u move further to the back of the cave, wishing you still had the backpack — Jade would surely have packed a torch. Only a little light is coming through the stony tunnel that leads back outside, and the back of the cave is darker still.</p><p id="0cdc">So dark that you nearly stumble and fall down a hole that leads down–deeper into the mountain. Catching yourself at the last minute, you pause at the edge and look down the shaft. It looks very steep — not far from vertical. You <i>could</i> try to make your way down, but you are lacking a torch or any proper equipment…</p><p id="479e">…and while Jade could be down there, so is whatever killed the goblins.</p><p id="e3c4">So, what now?</p><h2 id="81c6">Will you:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://jfdanskin.medium.com/to-the-mountain-village-9d089a0950f2">Give Jade up as lost, and head back to the village to look for the Sword of Light? (click here</a>)</li><li><a href="https://readmedium.com/into-the-depths-96f36f1cc964">Try to scramble down the shaft and hope for the best? (click here)</a></li></ul><blockquote id="a303"><p>Want to add the next chapter? Come join us at <a href="https://medium.com/choose-our-own-adventures"><b>Choose Your Own Adventure–Collaboration</b></a><b> </b>to contribute to this and other stories. <i>New to Medium? <a href="https://jfdanskin.medium.com/membership"><b>You can sign up for membership here, and support me at no extra cost</b></a>.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote id="d442"><p>And for some inspiration for the next chapter of this story, check out my writing prompts below!</p></blockquote><div id="8a38" class="link-block"> <a href="https://jfdanskin.medium.com/list/391d8ba50cef"> <div> <div> <h2>JF’s writing prompts</h2> <div><h3> </h3></div> <div><p>writing prompts jfdanskin.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*72143a6cb8a115b06662efd56e9fa927f88b89f7.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Story arc #1: The Castle of Shadows

Into the Stony Tunnel

A choose your own adventure story

This is an ongoing story that starts here.

Want to go back one chapter? Click here for the ‘Mountain Path’ story, or here for ‘Warrior and her Sister’ story.

And please check out this article to find out how you can to contribute to this and other ‘choose your own adventure’ stories in this publication!

There’s no question — Jade is your friend, and your partner. You’ve had your disagreements, sure, but now she needs your help.

You sprint back down the path and then stop near where the goblins dragged her from the path, stones and scree rattling to either side as your feet skid to a halt on the rough surface.

Panting, you scan the cliff ahead of you. The goblins have now disappeared into the cave with Jade. There are several small openings, and you are not entirely sure which one they entered.

Picking up a hand-sized rock to use as a makeshift weapon, you approach more cautiously, listening. Surely Jade will yell out? You thought you could hear further yelling or screaming a minute ago as you were running. But now, there isn’t a sound, apart from the whistling of a breeze against the nearby cliffs.

You step forward to the nearest small cave, kneel, and look inside. No — this can’t be it. It narrows quickly, and doesn’t go more than a couple of yards back. You’re looking for an entranceway of some kind…

…unless it’s a concealed entrance, like the one in The Hobbit?

Dismissing this worrying thought, you systematically move along the cliff face. You reject three more small caves. But the next one is different. Its entrance is small, yes, but it has been chiselled into a passageway. And after a yard or two it opens out into something much larger.

You crawl inside, making your way up the small tunnel, and then stand up, raising the stone, ready for a fight.

What you see shocks you. You had expected that the goblins would have used this as some kind of guard house, and that it would lead to a deeper cave system. At a guess, you would have assumed that there might be a single goblin guard, some supplies… perhaps a door.

Instead, all four of the goblins that you saw now lie dead at your feet. Black blood is sprayed around on the ground and cave walls, and all four of the creatures show grievous wounds. Something has killed them quickly, brutally and mercilessly.

But who, or what?

Surely it wasn’t Jade, because if so, she would have emerged from the cave and come to join you…

You look closer. The bodies are blood soaked. You don’t really want to touch them, but you can see that the wounds are deep, as if from an axe or sword… or claws? You drop your stone, and slowly circle the area, trying to figure out what can have happened to kill the goblins so quickly.

Stepping back, you catch yourself. As if any of this is normal! Goblins! You can barely believe you are even thinking the word.

What are these creatures, and how did they get here? Could they have any connection with the pixies and boggles of Celtic myth?

You move further to the back of the cave, wishing you still had the backpack — Jade would surely have packed a torch. Only a little light is coming through the stony tunnel that leads back outside, and the back of the cave is darker still.

So dark that you nearly stumble and fall down a hole that leads down–deeper into the mountain. Catching yourself at the last minute, you pause at the edge and look down the shaft. It looks very steep — not far from vertical. You could try to make your way down, but you are lacking a torch or any proper equipment…

…and while Jade could be down there, so is whatever killed the goblins.

So, what now?

Will you:

Want to add the next chapter? Come join us at Choose Your Own Adventure–Collaboration to contribute to this and other stories. New to Medium? You can sign up for membership here, and support me at no extra cost.

And for some inspiration for the next chapter of this story, check out my writing prompts below!

JF’s writing prompts

writing prompts jfdanskin.medium.com