Gauntlet (Old)

Part 2: Chapter 6

Getting out of bed the next day, I noticed the same small metal cylinder as was on the table, now on the floor with a piece of paper underneath it. I moved the cylinder and picked the paper up. In the same bad handwriting as the note for the nutrition balls, it read The door is unlocked, bring the checklist to me.

I couldn't think of a plausible reason why I hadn't tried to open the door before now, so I gave up on that thought and grabbed the cylinder, assuming it was the checklist mentioned. There was a light leaking through the gap between the door and the rest of the building, which had been my only source of sunlight for the past two-and-a-half weeks. There was a small wooden handle on the door, which I grabbed onto and pulled on, preparing for the relief of the outside world. The door stayed closed.

After a little confusion, I tried to push the door open instead. As it opened, an overwhelming brightness consumed my vision and gave me a minor headache. My eyes began to adjust. I don't know what I was expecting to see, maybe some conveniently timed flying creatures presenting the vibrant landscape to me, filled with many beautiful and unique animals feeding on the strange flora. Instead, I found a small wooden porch and some glowing grass a few metres below me, with a forest further on.

There was a gap in the middle of the railing, where a rope ladder dangled. It had never occurred to me that I was above the ground this whole time. Deciding not to think about the logic behind Corru hanging a rope ladder a couple metres down, I walked to it and put the cylinder in my pocket. As I turned around, preparing to step on the top rung, I could feel my knees shaking.

Clinging on the railing, I gradually placed my foot on the rung. The ladder immediately swung the rung underneath the porch, slowed by the rope following close behind. My foot slipped off and my grip tightened on the railing, putting the 'slip' in slip resistant boots. Despite this, my hands still slid down the railing, taking as many splinters as they could with them.

Not wanting to just hang there, I stepped on the lowest rung I could comfortably reach, and put my bodyweight on it as it wobbled around. My hand released the railing and grabbed onto the same rung as had betrayed my foot. My other arm followed, gripping the second rung while the opposite leg descended another rung. The ladder didn't seem to like that rung being stepped on, and so snapped it.

This unexpected and unwelcomed event made me lose my grip. Everything slowed down drastically, but by extension, so did my actions and brain function. By the time I had processed what happened and prepared to grab onto a lower portion of the ladder, the ground hit me with a fiery passion. It was a blunt pain, as one would expect, but I was glad I at least still felt something.

I feel bad for the grass I fell on, so I'll stay by its side to comfort it, even though I can easily get up and continue on my way. I told myself to cover up my substantial loss of ego. Further covering it up, I told myself that it needed more comfort, so I slept by its side.

I felt someone poking me, bringing me back to consciousness and being met with an unamused Corru.

"At least there was an attempt." she said, shortly before quickly shaking her head and adding, "But it was not much of an attempt." I presented her with an unimpressed frown, which was ignored.

"Why would you build a rope ladder so high?" I asked, annoyed.

"It keeps the Tvoveps out." she replied, as if I was supposed to know what she was speaking about.

"The what?"

"Did you consider staying inside when you read my note?"

"Didn't cross my mind." I was uncertain whether I was lying or not, as trying to remember if I even thought about it was a deceptively difficult thing to do.

"Good. Give me the checklist." She reached her hand out. I quickly reached into my pocket and pulled it out.

"Couldn't you ask a little nicer?" I asked as I gave it to her. She didn't seem to take a liking to my suggestion, grabbing the Gauntlet and shoving the cylinder through the palm. It reacted to this, sucking the cylinder in through an appropriately sized hole in the top face of the wrist.

"Shake your arm violently." she said. I was happy with this command. I raised my arm high and swung it down with as much force as I could. Green energy grew from the slit on the Gauntlet to a couple inches high. On it was a checklist, which read as follows:

- Staff II

- Blaster II

- Teleporter II

- Telekinesis I

"Why's there only one new thing?" I asked, disappointed that I only had one goal.

"More will come later," Corru started, "For now, tap on telekinesis." I poked the solid wall of energy where the gaps carved Telekinesis I, causing the gaps to reposition:

- 50 dorrals

- 1 sunplant leaf

- 5g blue crystal

"These are the resources you must bring me if you wish to gain the upgrade." Corru started, "I will help you with the telekinesis upgrade, but you will be on your own for later upgrades." I thought this a fair proposition and nodded.

"So, what do we find first?" I asked, trying to hold back my excitement.

"The first item will be earned, not found." Corru began walking away as if we weren't having a conversation. She walked along a path to the left of her hut. The path wasn't particularly special, simply being a wobbly line where grass was not, but it sufficed. I followed behind her, as little as I wanted to.

She didn't seem to be particularly talkative, but neither was I. I could use some time to be with my own thoughts while walking down a road letting me see more of the environment, like the ocean I saw far to my right and the glowing trees to my left.

After about fifteen minutes, the trees on the left cleared away to reveal a massive black castle around the same distance away as the ocean. I pointed to it.

"What's that?" I asked, breaking the silence I hadn't noticed until it was broken.

"That is a place you won't go anywhere near." Corru replied.

"Why not?" I asked, hoping for an interesting reason.

Corru sighed, "The place we are going to is this country's first settlement, and its only one. Three humans showed up one day and pioneered new concepts to the city, and eventually had a child with the queen after a successful plot to kill the king. The child looked different than both parents, having purple skin and black markings. He had some abilities no-one had seen prior, and he eventually escaped and made the city's castle collapse, killing the royal family and higher class. Since then, he's been taking over more and more of Prunc. Everyone calls him Voyd." She paused and looked up to the sky, "It sounds like the opening to a badly written story, if you ask me," and the ground shook for a moment. I decided not to question it.