Story Arc #1: The Castle of Shadows

Jade’s Hidden Depths

A chapter of a ‘choose your own’ story.

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You push open the double door, wondering as you go how you are going to tackle the people on the other side. If they are dangerous warriors, what are you actually going to do?

How can you help Jade?

However, the scene that meets your eyes stops you in your tracks. You had expected Jade to be a captive, perhaps tied up by some grim and evil bandit.

Instead, you see your partner standing proudly near the centre of a long, rectangular room, a jewelled knife held in her right hand, while a bulky man kneels in supplication before her.

The man is what you can only describe as a medieval knight! He has chainmail shirt, boots and a metal helmet. You are sure his was the voice that you heard before.

Behind him is a non-human creature, a goblin. It must have been the source of the unfamiliar language. It is cowering near the site of the room, looking fearful, and you notice that its ankle is chained to one of the walls.

You obviously misread the situation and should have listened longer. It’s Jade who is in charge here!

“Jade!” you say, waving and smiling as you stop a couple of yards into the room. There is a matching double door on the far side of the long room, you notice.

She looks up, and the knight stands too. He is at least six foot six in height.

“Cosplaying gathering?” you murmur, looking the knight up and down.

“Ah — it’s you,” says Jade, shaking her head and frowning. “ I didn’t expect you to make it down here.”

“Down here? What do you mean?” You look around as you walk a little closer. It’s still not clear to you how Jade even got down here.

“I mean, you’re not supposed to be here!” Jade now speaks in a loud commanding voice that you are not used to, and you notice the goblin cowering even lower, shaking in fear.

You stop dead, but Jade now approaches you, still with the knife in her hand.

“But Jade…” you begin.

“Silence!” she snaps, and lifts the jewelled knife to your throat.

You gulp. “But if I… if you and I just stop this and chill out, we can continue our search for the sword, Jade. Work together. There is mountain village not far off, and I believe we will find all the clues we need there.”

Jade narrows her eyes and begins to circle you. The knight remains standing to attention a few yards back, hand on an axe at his hip, and you know that overpowering Jade is not an option. “I was never going to that village,” she says. “My sister Zyra lives there with the rest of my no-good clan.”

You feel stunned at this news. “Jade, you’re…. you’re from these mountains originally? You lied to me.”

She shrugs sullenly. “My family.” She practically spits the words. “They think that all the Celtic artefacts belong in the mountains. Idiots! I tried to tell them how rich our heritage could make them, but they cast me out.”

“Huh. Sucks to be you,” you reply sullenly.

“And so, I have returned for the Sword of Light myself. And I will get it, too, with my true allies. Not you, I’m afraid. You were useful for a while, and I learned what I could from you. But in the end you were very easy to deceive.”

To deceive.

You look back, realising that everything you have seen or heard from Jade over recent days has been a set up. She clearly has warriors and even goblins working for her — as unbelievable as that would have sounded a day ago. And she wanted you to fail — perhaps even to die trying.

“And now,” Jade continues, “your path comes to an end, which means one less rival for the sword from my perspective. I will move on from here to claim the sword, and you will never be heard from again.”

“Jesus — will this monologuing ever end?” you mutter, glancing off to one side.

“Fool,” she snaps back. “I have taken what I need from you. Perhaps I should kill you here, but you could still be useful for what you know.”

Now you glare at her again. “I won’t give you any more information,” you snarl. “Scientific ethics, you know.”

She raises her eyebrows, tossing the knife gently in her hand. “I think you might reconsider that after you’ve spent a day shackled beside Balorg here.”

You look sideways at the goblin, who has stopped shaking and is currently picking his nose. Even from your standing position a couple of yards away, his strong stench is not hard to detect.

With a wordless gesture from Jade, the knight grabs you roughly and forces you down beside the goblin. Soon, your ankle is being fixed into the metal shackles.

Then, Jade and the armored warrior move to the far end of the chamber and exit the other double door, their boots echoing on the stone floor.

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