Into the cave
“Oh good... I’ve always learned to just go into caves when I find them!” You think bitterly, gripping the hilt harder. “They must be hiding in there, huh?”
Baal shuffles behind you, following right behind. “Lead the way!”
You both head forward, lunging into the dim light of the cave initially is unsettling as the sunshine’s light from above is entirely cut off, save for the slightest fade of light from the mouth of the cave. Yet, even that light starts to fade with every step deeper into the beckoning darkness.
“Why are we even doing this?” You think to yourself, picturing the tavern once more. “I bet that ale was good. I bet I could have been entirely comfortable just sitting there, enjoying myself. What happens if I die, huh?”
You mind flashes once more to that man from the bar, the one just staring into his ale as though he didn’t want to see anything else. You realize he probably thought exactly how you were moments before, except he actually did it and where did it put him? Exactly there, staring into nothing for eternity.
“God...” The mere thought of you existence fizzing out still trapped in this game sends chill down your spine, but then you realize that could be from the cave which is getting colder with each step further inside.
“Brrr!” Baal blurts appropriately, glancing over at you.
For the first time, you’re a bit glad for the fur covering your body because without it your skimpy, female armor would leave the cold air of the underground biting at all of your bare skin.
Finally, you spot a torch on the wall, left flickering. You grab it down, glad to be able to see in the five foot circle around where you walk, but quickly you realize that won’t be enough as you arrive to a fork in the cave’s path.
To the right, the path has several more torches spaced down the length of wall that you can see before it curves out of your line of vision. You squint, trying to see a clue about what lays beyond, but all you can see is those streaking circles of light on the dirt path for some 300 feet before it arches and the wall blocks you.
The other path, to the left, is much darker. A single torch is visibly, barely illuminating its own stand, yet you already do hold a torch, so you would have something.
“Which way to go?” Baal asked, looking to you for guidance now. You stare at him for a second, wishing that he wasn’t such a typical companion with nothing helpful to actually say.
“What do you think?” You ask him, thinking that maybe he’ll break the mold of uselessness.
“Well, perhaps we should take the road less traveled,” he joked, cracking a half smile with a hopeful glimmer in his eye.
You just sputter out a sigh.
“I gave him too much faith...” You grumble, shifting from foot to foot as you consider the choices. The left or the right? The bright or the dark?
Written by Picklessauce69 on 12 July 2017
