avatarJF Danskin

Summary

The provided text is part of an interactive web-novel titled "The Castle of Shadows," where the protagonist is fleeing from Master L'Roche and must choose between escaping through a green flickering doorway or crawling into a dark tunnel.

Abstract

The narrative unfolds in a 'choose your own' adventure format, inviting readers to participate in the story's progression. The protagonist, having lost their mace in a skirmish with Master L'Roche, is on the run and must make a quick decision to evade capture. The story takes place in a castle setting, with the protagonist navigating through a room filled with supplies and encountering unexpected entrances and exits. The tension escalates as the protagonist weighs the risks of two escape routes: a mysterious green door that may lead to safety or a dark tunnel with hints of previous occupants. The reader is prompted to choose the protagonist's next move, with each option leading to a different continuation of the story. The text also encourages readers to contribute to the collaborative storytelling project and provides resources for new writers seeking inspiration.

Opinions

  • The narrative emphasizes the collaborative nature of the web-novel, encouraging reader participation in both choosing the story's path and contributing new content.
  • The story's interactive format is praised as a unique way to engage readers, offering a personalized experience based on their choices.
  • The author suggests that the protagonist's decision is a matter of personal courage and survival instinct, leaving the moral judgment of cowardice or heroism up to the reader.
  • The inclusion of writing prompts and an invitation to join the storytelling collaboration indicates a community-focused approach, aiming to foster creativity and shared authorship.
  • The text implies that the protagonist's journey is not only about the immediate escape but also about personal growth and the potential for future heroism.

Story Arc #1: The Castle of Shadows

The Archway to the Left

A chapter of a ‘choose your own’ story.

Photo by Brunno Tozzo on Unsplash

This is a collaborative web-novel. You might want to start the story at the beginning, here, or go back to the previous chapter.

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

You flee.

However, you underestimate how rapidly Master L’Roche can move, even in his armor. He tries to block your path, then slashes out with his sword. Somehow you parry the attack, but your mace is knocked from your hand.

You twist past the knight, and keep going.

You glance over the shoulder to see whether Jade and her lackeys are coming for you. But then you notice that someone else has entered the room while you were running. Why, it’s the villagers — Jade’s family. They are confronting her and the goblins.

But you are still being pursued by Master L’Roche. Hoping that in a sprint, you have the upper hand against the man in heavy armor, you decide to forget about the struggle behind you and sprint for the arched entrance to the left.

Through the archway, you find yourself in a room full of boxes and crates. Someone has been setting up supplies here — a lot of supplies.

You hurdle one of the crates, and move towards the far side of the room, where there is a further door. As you approach it is glowing green, then switches to red. Then, as if by magic (which it probably is), the glowing stops.

For a moment, you wonder if the green door will lead you to the nearby mountain village — the villagers came from this direction, after all. In truth, though, you have no idea where either exit will go, but one thing is for sure — you need to get out of here, and fast!

Now you see that as well as a door that is still flickering green from time to time, there is also a small tunnel, that you could potentially crawl into… It looks more ‘normal’, and although there is a pitch black void inside, you think you see movement. Did a cowardly villager escape down that way to avoid the battle?

Well, you could hardly blame them…

This adventure was too much for you, and when it came to the crunch, you weren’t willing to risk your life fighting for the Sword of Light. But that’s ok.

Maybe next time you will be the hero.

Where to next?

This is a collaborative story. Want to add a chapter, or a story of your own? Come join us at Choose Your Own Adventure–Collaboration to contribute. New to Medium? You can sign up for membership here, and support me at no extra cost.

And for some inspiration for your next piece of creative writing, check out my writing prompts below!

Fiction
Creative Writing
Choose Your Own Adventure
Writing
Fantasy
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