ShimmerQuill, (Interactive story, you decide, I write)

(This story will be interactive and the first one of you that suggest one of the alternatives will be the one leading the story forward. So at the end of each part I will add different choice like “Does he: A: Dive and take cover behind the bushes, B: Attack the goblins head on or C: Run for his life in the opposite direction of the attackers. So, you are the ones that decide the main characters faith. Thought this could be fun to try, so, hope you like the idea. Have fun)

The moon shines down upon the forest continent of Eistill, more specifically it shines down upon a forest, and to further progress our story, it shines down on a crackling fireplace. The same fireplace where our hero, Quill sits and wolfs down the rabbit he had caught earlier that very day. Quill is a young man, with piercing, curious green eyes and flighty, short black hair, with a shimmer of silvery grey. Quill is seventeen years old and has left his hometown in a quest to find his real parents. You see, Quill is not human like his mother and father he grew up with was. No, when he was just a youngling, he dropped from the sky with two silver-grey wings on his back that somehow didn’t work well enough for him to fly with them.
 
He still has some problems flying, and can only use his wings to volplane from a place to another. He had dropped down on a pile of hay that belonged to the farmer William and his wife Laida and since they always had wanted a son but never had been able to, they adopted Quill and made him a part of their family. Quill had been happy, and still was, but he couldn’t get the answers he wanted from his parents since they knew as little as he did. Not one book in the entire local library had taught him anything about what he was or where he came from; though it had taught him a whole lot about the magical world he lived him and its inhabitants. So, he had packed his bag and left with his meager supply of copper coins and food like dried jerky, bread and some cheese. 

And that’s what had led him to this dark forest outside his hometown, sitting by a fireplace only lit up by the blue moonlight shining down upon him. It hadn’t been easy to catch the rabbit but he had succeeded due to his affinity for:

A. Stealth and Subterfuge with a knife
B. Patience and Precision while shooting an arrow
C. Ferocity and Fierceness with a sword
D. Other (Your own personal suggestion)

Cool idea, and I'd go with B. Though the idea of using a sword to hunt rabbits is hilarious Btw, option D could be using a snare.

(Thanks. I just had to put the picture of someone running with a sword as a choice.  )

He had placed himself in a good spot where he had good view over a field and after a long wait, a rabbit had jumped out in the open and with a steady and practiced hand, had Quill released an arrow that pierced with an extraordinary precision into the rabbit’s temple.
   
But his proficiency for archery is not the only skill Quill has to his advantage. Recently he discovered an unstable force growing inside of him. He soon understood that it was an untamed and powerful magic; thanks to all the reading he had done on the subject. The problem is that he still has very little control over his newfound ability to use…
A. Elemental Magic, (Manipulating the four ground elements, and later on possible elements like electricity and ice.)
B. Energy Magic, (Being able to absorb any sort of energy, like heat, and use it offensively and later possibly defensively. Later on, being able to absorb life-energy from individuals for example)
C. Conjurer Magic, (Being able to summon entities to aid in different situations. Starting with small creatures and entities but later on being able to call forth greater beings.)
D. Healing Magic, (Being able to heal, first small wounds but then more lethal damage.)
E. Chaos/Necromantic Magic, (Being able to destroy and reanimate the dead, first to a small degree but then in a grander scale.)  
F. Illusion/Transmutative Magic, (Being able to make illusions and when becoming stronger making the illusions real and being able to temporary transform oneself or objects to something else)
G. Are you f-cking serious?! None of the above. (Your own suggestion)

A

Quill had noticed his elemental powers during one of his regular walks a couple of weeks ago. He had met some humans who would have been his classmates if he had gone to school. He hated them, they had always been a pain in the ass, but this time, when Quill had lost his temper, which he usually don’t over names like “Freak”, had a strong gust of wind surrounded Quill and had made him look almost intimidating, with his piercing eyes focused on the bullies and his clothes and hair which flared around fiercely. It had felt thrilling and scary at the same time. Something building up inside of him, like a wave of electricity waiting to be unleashed. Electricity that made his heart beat in an unsteady rhythm and left his limbs tingling as they were focused outwards. And on his unspoken command, had the gust attacked the group ahead of him and sent them flying backwards like a pair of pins from a game of “Schazzle”. (A little like modern bowling except that the pins are set in different patterns and to be able to hit them down, you have to roll the ball on a couple of barriers so that it bounces back and forth and hit down as many pins as possible.). 

That accident had also helped with the decision to leave the village, but Quill still wondered what he was capable of. If he could do that, even though it had drained him and left him with a fever for a week, what else could he do with this epic new ability to use wind to his advantage. 

He finished the rabbit and looked at the still lit fireplace. He now needed to make a choice before sleeping. He could put out the fire and try go to sleep but the temperature was dropping quickly and soon all the heat would be gone. And though Quill had been out camping a few times and had succeeded nights without heat, he still needed some good sleep if he wanted to be alert and ready for another day of travelling. But leaving the fire burning could attract unwanted attention from bandits or other creatures that he didn’t want anything to do with. So, should Quill…

A. Leave the fire burning and hope for the best. 
B. Put out the fire and try to sleep without it.
C. Continue walking without sleeping until he finds a better resting place.
D. Other? (Your own suggestion)

A again, lets risk some chaos

(Good choice. )

Quill thought some time and then shrugged to himself, like he was even too tired to care. Besides, he should be able to handle some bandits if they dared to attack. He is Quill after all. He smiled tiredly to his inner monologue. So Quill took his bow and arrows that he had made himself from the materials he had found during his walks and a string from an animal Quill couldn’t pronounce that he had bought from the greedy, local butcher. He also took his small dagger that he hadn’t used yet, possibly because he had never had a reason to. He placed himself near the fire, warm and happy that he had chosen to keep the fire alive. After all, what would life be if you didn’t live it.

Quill awakens when he hears some noise and when he turns his head to the right, his eyes meet another pair, but these are blue. Quill jumps back, his dagger already in position to defend himself. That is when he see from the glow of the still burning fireplace, that the person with the blue eyes cannot be older than eleven years old, possibly younger. The boy doesn’t have anything except old rags on his body and he is crouched beside Quill’s pack, his hands fumbling inside of it. His face shows an expression of dread, but he still seems to be handling the situation pretty good, considering that he has a dagger drawn towards him. What will Quill do? Will he…
A. Put down the dagger and comfort the boy? He is just a boy after all.
B. Ask why he is going through his stuff? 
C. Threaten the kid? He needs to learn a lesson. 
D. Put down the dagger and give him some bread from his pocket? If he want food, all he needs to do is ask for it.
E. Attack the kid with the knife? Who do he think he is, trying to steal your stuff!?!
F. Other? (Your own suggestion)

B

Quill first seems a little taken off guard but then his face hardens slightly.
 
“Why are you going through my bagpack?” he asked, trying to sound harsh but at the same time not too judging.

The boy’s lips tremble for a moment as he looks down, but when he looks back up it seems like the boy try as hard as Quill not to react the wrong way.

“He made me. My…” The boy becomes quiet for a moment and his face turns grim. “…master.” 

How does Quill respond?
A. He waits for the boy to continue talking. He doesn’t want to push him further.
B. He has heard enough. He searches the kid’s body for his stuff and then sends him away.
C. He has heard enough. He tells the boy that he will help him flee from his master, whoever he is.
D. He asks who the boy’s master is. 
E. He attacks the boy with the dagger!! Enough of this nonsense.
F. Other? (Your own suggestion)

F - Ask who the master is and where he is, but also why he wanted something from the backpack etc.

Quill got way to few answers with that answer and way more questions. 

“Who is your master and why does he want something from my backpack?”

The boy squirms a little at the questions and at first it doesn’t seem like he is going to answer, but then he sighs and answers reluctantly. 

“My master is Neville, a blacksmith in a town not far from here. Duskwood is its name. And he doesn’t want something from your backpack specifically, but from all adventurers’ I can find.“

“And how did Neville become your master?”

“I offered myself as a slave so that he wouldn’t marry my sister. And I am not the only one; he has more kids like me who help him with different stuff. Some has to work in the mines so that he can get materials for his real work, as he calls it. And some just steals, like me.”

How does Quill react to this?
 
A. He doesn’t believe the kid. He just wants to play on my emotions. Send him away after checking so he hasn’t stolen anything.
B. Further question the kid about more details, risking breaking the kid’s composure. 
C. He believes the kid. He decides to try and help this kid and if possible, the others as well.
D. He admires this blacksmith, very smart to take these kids as slaves. He threatens the kid into becoming his own slave instead.
E. He admires this kid. Giving his own freedom away for his sister. Quill tries to comfort the kid and help him by giving him some food before continuing his own journey.
F. Other? (Your own suggestion)

C

hi, great. my suggestion will be F- He asks the kid to take him to his master so he can question the master.

(Nice that you want to play Rajan.   But Lowri was first on this one, it is the first person who says an alternative that choose the path of Quill's actions. But next time.  )

Quill look down at the kid and realizes he still had the knife pointed at him, so he puts it away before kneeling down so that he and the kid are on the same eye level. His hard face now showed a more friendly side.

"I will try my best to stop this Neville, so that neither you nor your sister needs to worry about him again, okay?" Quill said reassuring. 

A flicker of hope entered the boy's clear blue eyes but left as quickly. As if he couldn't allow himself to hope. But the kid still nodded, determined.

"Okay."

Quill smiled at the kid, but inside ran all these questions and feelings.  He is so young, but so mature. How horrible, to have not only your freedom taken away, but your childhood as well.
  
“So, let’s start over with you handing over whatever you took before I caught you and introducing ourselves. I am Quill. What’s your name?”

"I am Bran." he said while taking his arm inside his sleeve and pulling out some cooking equipment made of metal. 

He then reached in his pockets and pulled out a smooth black-blue stone. A stone that Quill had found a couple of years ago when wandering the forest. It had just caught his attention and so, he had taken the stone and kept it as a good luck charm ever since.
The kid looked at the stone with the same fascination as Quill had shown as he first saw it. Should he…

A. Ask to get the stone back. It is your good luck charm and it means too much for you.
B. Tell the kid he should keep it. After all, the kid needs more luck than he does and you have other things to remind you of the past.
C. Wait for the kid to hand him the stone, he knows in his heart it is the right thing to do.
D. Other? (Your own suggestion)

B

Agreed, B. And our choices were pretty similar in the other one, anyway.

()

(Yeah so it is not that big of deal. Great choice you two by the way.   )

The kid named Bran looks up at Quill like if he is a saint and then looks back at the stone. He can barely say “Thank you” without his voice breaking. It is obvious that no one has done anything nice to him for years and that this token of generosity has created a bond between them. He realizes it is no idea to go back to sleep so he take his equipment and put out the fire before moving on with the kid leading the way. Time to time Bran looks at the stone and for a moment, he looks exactly like a younger Quill, which just warms Quill’s heart. Right now Quill feel like a real adventurer, helping those who can’t help themselves.  

Soon the trees become sparser and you can see a town appearing in front of you. Bran seems to be getting more nervous, but by putting a comforting arm on his shoulder, he seems to calm down and with determination they both walk towards the city.

When they reach the gates, two male guards guard the entrance and with a dark and powerful voice, one of them asks:

“What is your business here in Duskwood?”

Now Quill stands with a dilemma. The guards could be bribed so telling the truth could be dangerous depending on how corrupt the city is. But Quill doesn’t know how good of a liar he is and getting the guards suspicious is not a good way to start this quest. What should Quill tell the guards?

A. He tells the truth about everything. The guards should know what kind of corruption goes on in their city and hopefully the guards are to lawful to be corrupt. And who knows, maybe the guards can help them with getting rid of this Neville.
B. He tells them something general like “visiting a friend” and hope the guards accepts that answer.
C. He tells them that he is here to sell the boy as a slave. The guards might not like it, but slavery is after all legal in this continent and it seems likely seeing how different he and Bran are dressed.
D. He attacks the guards and storms the gates, now are not the time for words, it is time for action.
E. He tries to bribe the guards discretely. 
F. He lets Bran talk. Sure he is a kid, but I don’t know what the heck I should say to these baboon-looking guards. The kid is the one living in this town after all, not me.
G. Other? (Your own suggestion)

(not sure between C or F, let's see lowri's choice)

I'd go with C. I've a feeling the entire town is corrupt including the guards.

Quill tries to quickly come up with a fake reason to be there, since he have a feeling that the guards aren't as lawful as guards should be. Then he remembers why he was here in the first place and took a chance. He grabbed Bran in his rag of a shirt and jerked him violently back and forth a little, like if he was a fish he had caught while out fishing. Forgive me Bran but I have to sell it.


"I am here to sell my latest capture." Quill said as proudly and arrogantly as he could with a wicked grin, at least he hoped the grin was wicked, on his face.

The guards looked at each other in what felt like several excruciating seconds. Then they smiled a little. 

"Give us some of the profit on the way out will ya, then you can pass."

Quill held up the facade as good as he could. 

"You guards are going to be my downfall, you know." Quill said, with his grin still on his face.

The guards chuckled at that.

"We must also make a living you know. But remember, this is the only way out and in, so don't try to fool us, now. Al'right?"

Quill chuckled with the guards, still holding Bran in a tight grasp, worried that he would take all this seriously. Hopefully not. 


"Would never cross my mind." Quill lied as the guards opened the wooden gates, big, but not as gigantic as some towns had and let both Quill and Bran inside.

When out of eavesdropping range, Quill told Bran but Bran already seemed cool about the whole thing.

"You did what you had to do to sell it."

Quill knew that was why he had done it, but he still felt bad over it. And a child, like Bran, shouldn't know what you have to do to "sell" anything. 

The town they entered was filled with people, mostly filled with people who weren't dressed much better than Bran and Quill immediately wondered how this town could even survive. People begging to right and left, two people fighting over bread in an alley and further in that very alley, Quill swore he could see a non-moving body. This was not a town with slaves, this was a town consisting almost solely of slaves. Should Quill...

A. Give money to the people begging.
B. Stop the fight between the bread. 
C. Check if the non-moving body is alive.
D. Focus on the task on finding the blacksmith.
E. Trying to create an uprising consisting of the slaves against the authorities right here on the town square.
F. Other? (Your own suggestion)

Definitely E!!!

definately

What kind of sick people could let this happen? Can’t they see that their own people is suffering? Quill was sickened by the sight of all of this. He had do to something, and wondered why nobody else hadn’t. Maybe they didn’t have someone who could lead them, someone strong. Someone who could protect them. 

Quill couldn’t just save some slaves when practically the whole town was slaves. Quill suddenly left Bran’s side and ran towards a copper statue in the middle of the square, representing a man on a horse holding a spear high up in the air. Quill climbed averagely up on top of the statue until he stood on the man’s head with one foot. With a powerful tone of voice that he didn’t even knew he had, he spoke.

“People!” 

Attentions were turned in Quill’s direction immediately as this was a change from their normal day rhythm. 

“You have been wronged. Nobody should have to walk this earth without a place to call home. Nobody should have to live on the thin line of the veil (the line between life and death) , barely having enough to get by. To have to fight for bread.” 

Quill points towards the fighting men who now just stands and listens, like everyone else in the entire town square.

“Or have to rely on others to help them get through the day.” Quill points at a group of beggers on the east flank of the town square.

“And where are your leaders in all this? Where are those persons who are supposed to keep order and justice?” 

Quill was suddenly interrupted by a soft, poisonous voice beside him.
 
“You called?” 

Quill quickly turned around and on the other flank of the town square, a dark and purple-clothed, beautiful woman appeared on a horse together with a group of obsidian-armored knights, nothing like the guards he had met outside. Quill knew that black and purple was the most expensive colors and the entire way that woman moved, showed how rich and powerful she was. That and the fact that her entrance in the town square made everyone fall down to their knees.
 
On the sight of this woman and her clearly powerful knights, Quill decided to.

A. Ignore the woman and continue with his speech.
B. Run like hell and hope he can get away.
C. Stand up against the woman and question her, despite the terrifying risks.
D. Try to charm the woman, to possibly become her ally, or possibly something more  
E. Try to charm the woman to persuade her of her wronging’s
F. Attack her and hope for the best, at least he is positioned on a high statue and you have your bow and arrows. 
G. Continue with his speech, using this woman’s appearance as another valid point for standing up and fight
H. Other? (Your own suggestion)

G