A Tale Of 4 Scrybes (Inscryption but it's II)

3:Adventure Begins

I was overjoyed when this new challenger appeared. In fact, that may be an understatement. Finally seeing another face after over a year of pure and udder solitude was amazing. I liked this one too. They picked up the game quick. They must've played the trading card game. I could easily see them, although I prefer to keep identities secret. I do not usually call anyone by name, and I never wish to offend someone with incorrect pronouns. Even though I am one of, if not the most closed off of us, I still treat all with the highest respect. Having one of the very few that I know dislike me would be torture.

"You were lost in the woods, no civilization for miles. Your pack was void of anything. A single path revealed itself."

I pulled out the map, along with their playing piece. They moved it forward to the next space, a pack.

"You found an abandoned pack."

"You decided to search it for something useful."

I got a few simple items ready.

"You found a squirrel in a bottle. Break in case of emergency."

A squirrel card in a glass bottle floated over in front of the candlestick.

"Take another, just in case."

A second bottle followed the first.

"Another useful implement. I will allow you to tip the scales with these."

I placed a pair of pliers alongside the pair of bottles. These were simple, yet powerful items. They all were, yet some were more than others. The challenger would see them later.

They moved their piece to the next space after I unrolled the map again. This space was one of the easiest to understand.

"2 denizens of the forest approached you tentatively."

I placed 2 cards facedown on the table. They touched the one on the left.

"The caustic Adder. Damage from its poison bite is always lethal."

They reached for the card, but I interrupted their grab.

"Do you at least want to see your other option?"

Their hand instead moved towards the other card, flipping it over.

"The undying Cat. Sacrificing the poor beast does not kill it."

The challenger weighed their options carefully, knowing that either card could lead to an easy loss. After a few more seconds of thinking, they decided on taking the Adder. Now, they must hope that they draw their Stoat at the start of battle, or else they will have a much harder time with this. The Stoat...him...

I'm getting off track. The map says that another battle approaches. I shall not disappoint it.

The combat setup appeared at the flick of my hand, along with a few terrain cards. One boulder on my side, and one on theirs.

"You were ambushed while crossing rough terrain. You had best prepare."

The challenger held a card in front of them, seemingly listening to it. That Stoat must be trying to influence them. I know my intentions are not pure, but they are not malicious either. I only wish to play.

"Take your turn."

The card returned to their hand, as if it was pretending to be any other. I knew better than that.

The challenger had prepared the Stoat in an empty lane, dealing one damage to me. I did not worry about the scales being tipped in my direction, as there were many battles ahead. I only had to win twice.

I played a Bat in front of the Stoat, explaining the sigil on it.

"Do you see the wing on my card? That is a sigil. They inscribe abilities to cards. You may view their powers in the rulebook."

I passed the rulebook over, the challenger's hand cautiously reaching for it. They took it and immediately started flipping through pages. I would like this one.

After a few more minutes of reading, they went back to the game. They drew a squirrel and used it and the Stoat to summon a wolf in front of my bat. The bell rang, and the bat was killed. I now played a Bullfrog in front of that same wolf. I did not want to overwhelm the challenger this early. They are still learning.

Turns passed, bells rang, cards attacked. It went like this for a few more turns until the challenger had emerged victorious a second time. I smiled, hoping they could not see it through the shadows that concealed me. I unrolled the map, and the piece moved once more. Another card choice.

I pulled out 2 more cards, face down once more. They flipped them both over to reveal a Sparrow and a Bullfrog. They chose the latter, and continued to the next space. A sacrifice.

"You came across a set of stones within the wilderness. You were compelled to chose a worthy sacrifice, one that would be gone forever...maybe."

The challenger sat in thought for minutes, trying to choose whether to lose their Adder or Bullfrog. They decided that the Adder's price was too much to carry, so they set the serpentine card on the stones.

"Then, you chose a worthy host."

They placed the Stoat above the Adder. It must've influenced them already. After choices were finalized, the sacrifice ensued, and the Adder disappeared, its sigil of Touch Of Death being carried to the Stoat.

"A ghastly spectacle. But the soul of the Adder now lives in the Stoat."

I unrolled my map once again, having the challenger move to the next fight. I was excited for this one.