A Crown of Broken Runes (ACOBR)

A Deadly Choice

Here it was. The final trial. The last set of signs stood before each door.

There was no poetry, no riddles or tricks. The one on the right read:

One shall live, if the other shall perish.

And on the left, it was written:

One shall perish, for the other to live.

Two signs. Two choices.

"Let me." Impulse started, stepping towards the doorway on the left.

"No! Remember the false lava? And the maze? I would have been stuck there forever. Look, whatever comes next, you deserve to get the final reward." He grasped Impulse's shoulder and pulled him back, beginning to take his place.

Impulse frowned as his friend opened the door, "No... no this isn't right..."

Bdubs turned and smiled, "I'll see you on the other side, ok? We'll share the prize, whatever it is!"

The door swung closed of its own accord, the latch clicking with a sinister finality.

Impulse turned away. His footsteps tapped across the dusty wooden planks. The right door lay open before him. Impulse reached out and touched the gnarled wood. The whorls of a knot entranced him, and for a moment he became distracted by the natural detail in the wood. He shook it off, and pulled open the door.

Inside, he was met with a foreboding sight.There was glass between them, making it easy for Impulse to see Bdubs in the other hallway. He waved cheerily, unaware of the sobering sight Impulse beheld. Looking above the stone near Bdubs' head, he saw a tunnel, filled with sand. He knew that if the rock was removed, it would mean a long and painful death for his friend.

He spun around, inspecting the compartment. Behind him sat a chest. He peeked inside cautiously, finding an odd amount of levers in the chest. He grinned, placed one on the wall and almost flipped it.

What if there's redstone in the wall... what if it drops the sand?

He glanced back at his friend. Bdubs' normally cheery face was shrouded with perplexion. He gestured at the lever Impulse had placed and mimed pulling it.

Impulse pointed at the ceiling and wiggled his fingers in the air, trying to symbolise sand falling. It took a few tries, but eventually Bdubs caught on. The blood drained from his face and he slid to the floor, leaning against the locked iron door.

After a moment. Bdubs straightened. He looked over at Impulse, and smiled sadly. He nodded, pretending to pull the lever again. Impulse shook his head again.

No. I am not going to be responsible for killing my friend. Not after we came all this way together...

As if reading his mind. Bdubs put his hand against the glass, and pointed at the lever again. He breathed on the glass, and used his finger to write out a message.

Go win for me, ok?

The cool of the glass seeped into Impulse's hand as he too placed it on the glass. Bdubs removed his hand and leaned against a wall, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that he was about to suffocate. He took out a torch and inspected the flickering flames absentmindedly. Impulse grasped the lever. Its smooth cloth-wrapped handle pressed into his hand as he shoved it downwards. With a soft click, the stone slid open, and the sand cascaded down onto his friend.

Impulse turned away as the sand reached Bdubs' middle. He didn't want to watch this. The path ahead lay open to him now, the iron door unlatched.

Impulse let go of the lever, and strode slowly into the final area. As he did, he thought he faintly heard the yells of his dying friend. He didn't turn back.