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Upon entering the hut, the first thing that catches your gaze, is the three huge shelves that clutters the interior. There are wooden shelves leaning against the two walls to your left and right. A shelf in the middle block your view of the back wall.
Each of these shelves are filled with different knickknacks. You pick out several spears next to a plate armor that seems to be almost falling off. A pair of manacles and several empty flasks sits on a row above them, while a wide brimmed hat and several component pouches occupy the space beside.
As you crane your neck upwards, you spot several nets hanging from the ceiling. You note that a net, in particular, contain many ball bearings. While another seems to be supporting a skeleton of some quadruped creature. Further back, you notice a net seemingly contain many other rope-related items.
As you pause to take in the entire interior, a young voice pipe up.
"Welcome to Sara's General Goods Store!"
[[Take a step forward ->The counter of SGGS]]
[[Return greetings]]
[[Jump straight into business ->Browse wares]]As you follow the voice, dodging low hanging nets and pushing aside dangling items, you spot a rather peculiar sight.
In front of you, stands many small towers of books, they support a long wooden plank that is balancing precariously. There does not seem to be any classficiation system and you spot different languages, genres and sizes of books.
A globe sit on the wooden plank on your far right and a bust is on the far end, effectively pressing down the plank, making sure that it stay as flat as it could be.
Behind the counter, sat a patient goblin, waiting for you with a big grin on his face.
[[Continue ->Sara's generic greeting]]
[[Glance at the goblin ->Sara the Goblin]]"Come in, come in. I don't bite!" The same voice says.
[[Inquire after wares ->Browse wares]]
[[Follow the voice ->The counter of SGGS]] The humanoid behind the counter seem to be a goblin. At first glance, the goblin is orange skinned and wearing an oversized leather apron.
The apron's front two pockets, is overweighed with several items. Abacus, several sacks, a spanner and even a pair of glasses. You see a shock of white hair that lays messily on his head.
His mouth is curled into a wide smile and you observe that there are several missing teeth. Otherwise, his teeth is white and seems to be well-kept.
[[Continue ->Sara's generic greeting]] "Hi there, I'm Sara." Sara says, smiling widely. "How may I help you?"
[[Take a closer look ->Sara the Goblin]]
[[Ask a question ->Sara's question hub]]
[[Browse wares]]
[[Leave the store ->Outside the store]]
"Sure, I understand that you have many questions." Sara says.
He reaches behind him to pull out another tome. Without breaking eye contact with you, he manage to place it underneath him with a little hop.
As he crosses his legs to sit comfortably, he raise an eyebrow and leaned back slightly.
"So, what would you like to learn about?"
[[Ask about Sara's name ->Sara's name origin]]
[[Comment on Sara running the store single-handedly ->Mention of Joshton]]
[[Ask if Sara is a goblin]]
[[Ask for the nearest inn]]
[[That's enough questions. ->Sara's generic greeting]] "Sure, what do you wish to buy? We have aplenty."
After a pause, he continues, "I can't guarantee the stocks because a group of adventurers were in earlier but I would do my best to meet your needs!"
<<if visited ("Ask after a niche item") == 0>>\
[[Ask after a niche item]]
<<endif>>\
<<if visited ("Buy potions") == 0>>\
[[Buy potions]]
<<endif>>\
[[Inquire about fresh food]]
[[Ask other questions ->Sara's question hub]]
[[Greet him ->Sara's generic greeting]] Sara's smile softened and his expression became fond.
"It is a rather long and personal story."
Glancing at a picture frame across the shop, he ran a hand through his hair. "It isn't something that I would share with someone new."
He looked up sheepishly at you and offered, "Another time perhaps?"
[[Glance at the picture frame ->Sara's picture frame]]
[[Ask another question ->Sara's question hub]] Sara shakes his head as he reply, "Nope, this is a big store. I couldn't possibly run it alone."
He pauses and quirk an eyebrow, "Are you looking for Joshton?"
[[Inquire after Joshton ->Sara's Joshton]]
[[Ask other questions ->Sara's question hub]] He laughs.
"Definitely." Sara says as he stands up and mime, opening his arms and looking down with a mock surprised expression. "Don't I look like one?"
He grins as he sits back down.
"I jest. I'm a true orange goblin though."
[[Ask more questions ->Sara's question hub]]
A goofy smile spread across Sara's face.
"Jo? They are my partner," his grin grows even wider as he continues, "in life and business."
As he finishes his sentence, he whoops the air and did a happy dance. "Yes! It feels so good to finally be able to say that!"
After he dances a round on top of that unsteady tower of books, he turns and you can see his cheeks redden.
"Right, Jo. What would you like to know about them?"
[[Ask about their whereabouts]]
[[Question the word, "Finally"]]
[[Inquire after their role in the business]]
[[Ask other questions ->Sara's question hub]] Sara perks up and leans forward, as if he is telling you a secret.
"Oh, the nearest one? That would have to be," He pauses, tapping his chin before continuing, "the Sexy Lion."
He extends his right hand, "Firstly, exit my shop and take the road to the north."
His hand tipped in an angle as he continues, "Follow it till you hit a crossroad and then take a right." He pulls back his hand and resettles as he gesture his eyes. "Just keep your eyes peeled for a decoration that is supposed to resemble a lion."
Sara raises both hands to show the size of the lion and finish off with a "You wouldn't be able to miss it!"
[[Ask about the second inn ->Description for second inn]]
[[Express confusion about the lion]]
[[Ask more questions ->Sara's question hub]] "Good question!" Sara crows. "According to the decoration, it is something that resembles a flower. If you ask the owners, you will get a very different answer."
He scoots to the edge of his seat and whisper, "However, if you ask me, the lion seems to be a kind of sun."
"But what do I know? I'm a goblin!"
[[Is there another inn around? ->Description for second inn]]
[[Ask more questions ->Sara's question hub]] Sara sits back down before continuing, "Yep, that would be the Lushing River. It used to have a 'B' but that dropped off and well, the new name stayed."
"You should be able to find it at the outside of town. It is the tallest building at the entrance of the west gate." He says, stretching his right arm to emphasize the height.
"If you don't have a compass to guide you, I would be glad to sell you one!"
[[Ask other questions ->Sara's question hub]] You spot a picture frame hanging on the wall. From where you are standing, you can barely make out the details. But what little you can see, seems to be a kid's drawing that is done in paint.
There are four stick figures and you can see that two of them are taller than the other half. One of the taller one have three hairs sticking up from their head while the other seems to be sporting a yellow helmet of some sorts. They are holding hands with a smaller one and have big smiles on their faces.
The one that is close to the other two, follow the same colour scheme as the pair. While the last figure is drawn in orange paint and have black hair in a mess above their head.
Strangely, the last figure seem to be drawn in almost as an afterthought, as the position of the figure is to the far right, away from the three figures.
[[Ask other questions ->Sara's question hub]] Sara tilts his head and frowned, "You just missed them. They are out on a supply run. Hopefully on your next visit, I would be able to introduce them! "
He finishes with a grin.
[[Ask other questions about Joshton ->Sara's Joshton]] If anything, Sara's cheeks becomes a darker shade of red.
He gives two very quick nods. "We tied the knot a week ago. It still seems surreal to me."
[[Give your congratulations]]
"Yep! Jo handles the supply part of Sara's General Goods Store while I run the front-end stuff."
"I know, I know." He says, putting up his hands, evidently hearing the follow up question before. "I am a strange choice of figurehead for the store. But the last time Jo ran the counter when I was sick, the villagers actually scrounge up money to pay for a Cleric to heal me instantly!"
His expression soften and he has a dopey smile on his face. "Jo is great in so many things but handling people isn't one of their strong suit!"
[[Ask other questions ->Sara's question hub]] Upon hearing that, he ducks his head and you noted a big grin on his face.
"Thank you."
[[Ask more questions ->Sara's question hub]] A hut stands before you. It has stone walls and a strangely tall roof. The extension to the roof seems pretty well-made and sturdy, giving you confidence that it will not collapse under most circumstances.
There are windows on the double doors, giving you a peek into the shop. From this distance, you can see a shelf and several items on it. A wooden sign hangs over the door. The words 'Sara's General Goods Store' can be seen proudly displayed on the signboard.
The walls of the hut seems to be haphazardly painted. You spot about five different colors and it is like the owner can not make up their mind and started a different color each time.
Likewise, the decorations on the outside are from different seasons. It is rather impressive that they have a decoration for each important festival of the year.
All in all, the store seemed to be in good health, albeit a bit weirdly decorated.
[[Enter the store ->Interior of Sara's General Goods Store]]
[[Follow the road north]]As you head northwards, you could tell that a considerable effort was invested in the town. It is cleaner than the other towns that you have visited. There are hardly any litter and everyone is greeting each other with smiles and waves.
The architecture of the town is as charming as its inhabitants. It is clear from first glance that the houseowners did not try to present the same unified front. Yet, the mismatched houses only added to the charm of the town, instead of detracting from it.
There are tall houses, short ones, colorful ones, dull looking ones and one in particular having tons of plants growing at the front window. In fact, the only rule that they seem to follow was the same amount of space that they were all given.
[[Continue ->Follow the road north pt 2]]"Those are unfortunately one of the few items that I am running out of."
Empty tin cans rattles as he ducks underneath the counter to check something.
A short hum ending in a positive note floats in the air, following by a shout.
"Yes! I knew it that I have three more here."
He reaches out in your direction, glass clinking as he holds two potions by their necks.
"Here you go. That would be," he looks up, moving his fingers holding the potions, the liquid in them sloshing dangerously, "250 gold pieces please!"
[[Handover the gold and browse other wares ->Browse wares]] <<if visited ("Inquire about fresh food") > 1>>\
"You are going to wipe out my stocks at this rate!" He jokes, waiting expectantly.
[[Buy other items->Browse wares]]
<<else>>\
He hums for a moment before replying, "You are lucky that we take the word 'general' seriously. Sure, I do have some vegetables, fruits or meat. Is there any in particular that you are looking for?"
<<endif>>\
<<if visited ("Get some chicken") == 0>>\
[[Get some chicken]]
<<endif>>\
<<if visited ("Buy a litre of oxen blood") == 0>>\
[[Buy a litre of oxen blood]]
<<endif>>\
<<if visited ("Ask for a list of vegetables") == 0>>\
[[Ask for a list of vegetables]]
<<endif>>\
<<if visited ("Wrestle with a durian") == 0>>\
[[Wrestle with a durian]]
<<endif>>\
<<if visited ("Cool down with some watermelon") == 0>>\
[[Cool down with some watermelon]]
<<endif>>\Sara nods, like he surmise your answer. He asks, "Can you wait while I kill it?"
You had been travelling for a good amount of years but this is the first time, a question has surprised you. You are not used to this amount of helpfulness.
He tsks and says, "Give me details to work with. Don't just stand there with your mouth open. You will collect flies."
[[Reply with the amount that you require. ->Goes to backroom]]"Sure, just don't use it for any evil, alright?"
[[Give him a smirk ->Goes to backroom]]He blinks, seemingly taken back with your answer. His head jerks up after a few minutes, "Oh, a cook! You are a rare breed."
[[Hesitate telling him the truth ->Goes to backroom]]"That will cost you, is what I would usually say. Given the rarity. But Jo dislikes the smell, so good riddance!"
[[Sympathise with Jo->Goes to backroom]]His gaze shifts right. "Yeah, that seems like a fitting weather for it."
[[Agree->Goes to backroom]]The journey is peppered with life.
You hear shouts of neighbours checking in with each other, there are children of many different races running around and mingling with each other.
As you come closer to a foodstall, the scent of fried food made your tummy rumble. The sharp eyes of the Dwarf owner noticed your slight falter as the smell hits you.
"It is only 3 coppers
Taste better than rubbers
It is not lumber
And it doesn't crumble"
She yells, attracting attention.
[[Check out the foodstall]]
[[Continue walking ->Crossroads]]
You take a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling like an unnamed burden has just been lifted. Looking around, you spot a nearby bench and take a seat. You trace a finger along the wood grain, marvelling at the condition it is in.
Leaning back, you observe the kids, a feeling of nostalgia welling within. It has been awhile since you have seen such a sight. What with your travels and the state of the country. Yet, it seems like the troubles have not reached the village in this corner.
Your only hope is that it will last.
<<if visited ("Chase after the half-orc girl") == 0 or ("Break up the argument ") == 0>>\
A flicker of movement catches your eye and you observe as a kitten pop their head out of the nearby alleyway. It gives a pitiful meow and catches attention of the three nearby kids.
The human boy reaches for his plastic sword, seemingly brandishing in the kitten's direction, almost taking a step intimidatingly before a Dwarf girl elbows him. She steps in his path and turns to confront him, seemingly chatising him for his behaviour with her quick actions and words that are lost to the ambience.
The last kid, a half-orc girl, ruffles through her pockets and gives a toothy grin as she holds something in a small fist. She starts to approach the kitten as the other two devolve into an argument.
She creeps up on the kitten slowly, taking measured steps and keeping her hands low, seemingly to be muttering something under her breath. The kitten fluffs up and hisses but the kid is not dissuaded. Before she could get into petting distance, the kitten swivels and flees down the alleyway.
The half-orc girl look around quickly, to see if anyone noticed, before taking off after the kitten.
[[Chase after the half-orc girl]]
[[Break up the argument]]
<<endif>>\
[[Take a closer look at the store ->Approach the store]]/*(There is (Luke's Hideyhole) ) - Magic shop whose entrance appears and disappears at times. Something to do about the door's temperemant.) */
As you approach the door, it seems to have a layer of shimmer. The door itself is pretty ordinary. It is made out of a darker wood, one that you recognise as mahogany wood. Two engraved boxes adorned the door, seemingly seperating the door neatly into half. A brass doorknob sits at the left side of the door, inviting your hand to reach out and open the door.
[[Continue ->Interior of Luke's Hideyhole]]As you follow the road north, you come across a group of kids that are comfortably playing together. There are several ropes around and some of them are dressed up as knights. Observing it for a few minutes, you surmise that the group activity seem to have started out as a version of 'rescue the kidnapped person' but morphed into a tea party.
Or it might have been a dress up tea party to begin with. You are not sure either way.
Across the tea party kids, a store catches your attention. It has several books piled against the dusty window. While the window pane look like it has several layers of glass decoration on it. The words "L_'s Hi_y_le" can be discern and a very sad, crooked but shiny "Welcome!" sign hang on the door.
[[Stop and bask in the group of kids playing]]
[[Approach the store]]
[[Follow the road and continue until you reach the crossroads]]As you approach, the two kids were in their own world squabbling away and did not register your presence.
"Sam! That is not the right way to treat a kitten!" say the Dwarf girl.
"Is it not?" Sam reply snippily, flicking his sword and almost losing his grip on it.
The girl clenches her fists and invades Sam's space "No!"
Sam's eyes widens and he takes a step back, one palm out and another fumbling around, unsure of what to do with the sword. "Alright, jeez, it is too small anyways. Would have been an unworthy kill."
At those words, the girl get even angrier, seemingly fluffing up like the kitten.
"A knight is meant to protect the small and weak." She lifts her chin and jabs his cardboard chestplate repeatedly after each word.
Sam, to his credit, stands his ground and had a soft smile at her antics. "You do know that you hardly reach my shoulder right?"
He ruffles her hair and gave a small sigh, "Alright, since I'm meant to be the big brother of the group. I shall protect everyone okay?"
The girl nods enthusiastically and gives a wide grin. "Yes, Sam!"
[[Approach the store that you had spotted earlier ->Approach the store]]
[[Chase after the half-orc girl]]
[[Follow the road and continue until you reach the crossroads]] <<if visited ("Interior of Luke's Hideyhole") == 1>>\The chime of a bell greet you as the door swing open. <<endif>>The first visual information that came to you, is an alarming amount of books. You take a step forward and to the right, hoping that the only spot clear of books would save you if any of these stacks topple.
You are unsure if one stack of books falling would not unleash a domino effect and bring down the entirety of the store's contents.
Disaster averted, for now.
You choose to focus on a stack of books, your neck crane as you try to spot the very top on the stack. It is an unsuccessful attempt. You are unsure how can the seemingly infinite height of books is something that can be enclosed in this tiny shop.
You could have sworn that the shop was barely two stories high on the outside. Maybe you require eyeglasses.
Looking about, there were two paths you could take.
[[Reach out to caress a stack of books]]
[[Continue and stubbornly attempt to read the very first book of the same stack]]
[[Follow the path forward]]
[[Follow the path to the left]]
[[Go back out ->Exterior of Luke's Hideyhole]]Running your hand against the nearest stack of books, wary of the amount of strength that you used, you realise that the titles were connected. Not by subject or genre but rather they are arranged according to the first letter of their every second word.
There are a lot of books in the Ts section.
[[Try to parse out the sorting mechanics of a few other stacks]]
[[Choose a path ->Interior of Luke's Hideyhole]] Eyes squinting, you can barely make out the words of the first book. "Amelia's 124 ways to polish a dragon's scale"
Absent-mindedly, you file away the information that this stack organises the books based on running numbers that can be found in the title.
Even "A tale of fifty-three cities" can be found in the stack.
[[Try to parse out the sorting mechanics of a few other stacks]]
[[Follow the path forward]]
[[Follow the path to the left]] Many more book stacks greets you as you advanced forward. Somehow, the ones further in does not seem to be as preciously unbalanced as the ones in the front.
Pausing to think about it for a bit, you are a bit confused why would the more stable ones be at the back. Maybe the owner is afraid of being buried under these books?
[[Continue forward ->The counter of Luke's Hideyhole]]
Scuttling across to get to the left path, the first thing that you noticed was the glass cabinets that line the left wall of the shop. A green light seemed to greet you the moment you cleared the stack that was blocking your view.
Catching a few words on the closest book's titles, you realised with a jolt, that you are looking at grimories.
It took you longer to realised that you didn't see a light source producing the green glow that backlit these spellbooks.
[[Read the closest book's title]]
[[Reach out for the closest book]]
[[Continue forth and ignore the books ->The counter of Luke's Hideyhole]]The store has a large but dusty windowfront. Within the window, you see several books piled against it. Several layers of glass decorations can be seen on the window pane, coming across as a controlled chaos. You can barely make out several letters on the name of the shop. "L's Hiyle". On the door, a crooked but shiny "Welcome!" sign hangs on the door.
[[Approach the store]]
[[Find a seat ->Stop and bask in the group of kids playing]]
[[Turn left ->Follow the road and continue until you reach the crossroads]] The stack beside you is categorised by the colors of their spine. Looking around a few other stacks, it seems that whoever is categorising them is not doing it in the usual manner that you are accustom to.
Instead, your mouth drops as the amount of work, that went into doing this, occur to you.
One short stack is sorted by the size of the animal featured in the title. It was strangely precise.
Another seems to be organised by the first letter of the name mentioned in the title. There are a lot of 'Joe's in the stack.
Looking further in, you notice another that seems to be in descending order based on the thickness of the book.
[[Choose a path ->Interior of Luke's Hideyhole]] After several minutes of wandering about, the stack of books finally gave way to smaller stacks of magazines and piles of newspapers.
Treading carefully to not disturb or worse, topple any stacks, you made way to the back wall.
Many chairs decorate the back area. There are beanbags, wicker chairs, rocking chairs, couches, stools and a rather huge variety of furniture tha can pass for chairs.
[[Continue ->Luke's description]]It is a beautiful book. The book has a turqoise base color but there are patches of brown decorating the book, giving it an earthen feeling.
Green leaves, that are almost like tiny ferns, adorn the cover. The author or designer took great pain in not hiding the title of the book. The binding remind you of the hardcover books that you are used to seeing in libraries.
The title reads "The Wonders of Azn's Druidic Spells" in loopy handwriting. There is something about the ink that the words are written in.
It seems to be moving?
[[Take a closer look at Azn's Druidic Spells]]The book 'moved' as a response to your hand reaching out. What was once a vibrant green on the book gave way to the turqoise textured cover.
Slotting your fingers at the spine of the book, you prepare to lift the book up for a closer look.
"Thief! Thief, we have a thief!" A bird squawks.
Surprised, you let go of the book immediately, glancing up for the source of the sound.
[[Continue ->Reg the cockatiel]]
As you draw closer, the leaves shrink. Almost as if they was folding in on themselves, leaving only the stems.
With the leaves out of the way, you can see the title clearly. Your first observation was not wrong, it is alive!
The 'ink' are actually tiny plants. They are like the crawler plants that you often see, hanging onto walls and clinging stubbornly to life.
As you observe quietly, you realise that it is slithering upwards, like it has a destination to get to. You are unsure where it goes or disappear to but magic will never stop marvelling you.
[[Reach out for the closest book]]
[[Continue onwards ->The counter of Luke's Hideyhole]]There sits a small bird with wickedly sharp talons clutching onto the beams that is at the ceiling. It has a light gray plummage with dark brown tail feathers. The look is completed with a bright orange beak and two beady eyes, staring straight at you, like it is wishing for your death.
The beak opens and once again you hear it utter the same sentence.
You wonder absently if that is the only vocabulary that it has. Shaking yourself out of your stupor, you tilt your head curiously at it. Wondering if it has more to offer.
Before you could try to tease more words of the bird, it took off, flying towards the front of the store.
[[Continue ->The counter of Luke's Hideyhole]]He grunts back a greeting, not lifting his gaze from the book to look at you.
[[Wait patiently->Luke's question hub]] "Hmm? This book? It is great so far. I do not really like the protagonist but the side characters are fantastic." He replied, not even looking away from the book.
The orc does not react.
[[Cough louder]]
[[Try another way ->Luke's description]] Most notably, an orc is sitting in the smallest chair. It looks like a deliberate choice, as he is surrounded by other larger chairs.
The orc has light gray hair that is pulled neatly into a ponytail, keeping his hair out of his face. Big round spectacles sit on top of a crooked nose that did not heal well. The orc holds up a fiction book in one hand, while the other hand moves ocasionally to turn the page.
He is dressed in a simple cloth tunic and shorts, like many other locals that you have came across.
Standing there for a few minutes, you realise that he is a rather quick reader.
[[Greet the orc]]
[[Cough]]
[[Leave the store ->Exterior of Luke's Hideyhole]]After a few minutes of silence, a small smile made its way on his face. You notice that his left fang is left with a jagged base, while the other is chipped off at the tip.
"Good, you know patience," he says, "She is an old friend of mine."
His voice rumbles like a slow-moving train. It is rare to see Orcs that are usually this old. Judging from the wrinkles on his face and graying hair, he seems to be about 40.
He places his book aside, patting the cover lightly as he turn his focus towards you. His eyes crinkles warmly and the smile remains.
"How may I help you?"
[[Ask about the stack of books]]
[[Question about the displayed grimorie]]
[[Express an interest to know more about him ->Luke's personal question hub]]
[[Thank him for his time]]
The smile grew wider and he leans in closer at your question.
"Notice that didn't you?" He say happily.
"Well, I had too many books and limited space to show them all. Stacking 'em is the answer and yeah."
He gesture towards the store. "That is the result."
[[Wonder about the heights that he would have to go to create them.]]
[[Muse aloud about the categorisation.]]
[[Ask more questions ->Luke's question hub]]He folds his arms and stares at you cooly. "Alright curious cat, what do you wish to know?"
Absently, you note that his arm muscles are toned, probably from all of the books lifting. You do not spy a weapon around but his shoulders are held rigidly.
You felt a smidge of remorse for causing him to be guarded.
[[Ask other questions ->Luke's question hub]]
[[Ask for his name]]
[[Make an estimation of his age]]
[[Ask the directions to an Inn]]
[[Inquire about the whereabouts of the provision store]]He tilted his head upwards.
"It is a pleasure speaking with you."
[[Express an interest to visit again ->One last advice]]
[[Exit the store ->Exterior of Luke's Hideyhole]]He jab his right thumb backwards.
"That is the ladder's job. Can't have a freeloader after all."
He chuckles at his own joke.
"I used to be a crafter in my tribe, I am very good with my hands."
After a pause, "No, that is not a eupheism."
[[Inquire more about him ->Luke's personal question hub]]"Oh, that?" He says, flipping a hand palm up. "It is my favourite part of the job."
His eyes shift, focusing on something behind you.
"It allows folks to find a new book much easier than Dewie ever did." He says absently.
When you turn around in response, you do not spot anything.
Giving a small frown, he continues, "I should find a day to write to that old woman."
He trails off, giving a little head shake before sliding his focus back to you.
He seemed to be waiting expectantly.
[[Ask more questions ->Luke's question hub]] He squirms on the chair, seemingly burrowing further into the chair, almost like he is seeking warmth.
[[Try another way ->Luke's description]] His browline deepens and he raises his right hand. A surprisingly cool hand rest on your forehead for a moment.
"Well, looks like you are not running a fever." He sits down and withdrew his hand, still regarding you with concern.
"Kid, my name is literally in the store name." He emphasize 'in', blinking as he continues. "You may call me Luke. No nicknames, nothing. Just Luke."
He sticks out a hand, "Nice to meet you."
[[Shake his hand and ask more questions ->Luke's personal question hub]] As you made your way out of the store, feeling no less intimidated by the stacks of books, Luke's voice rang out.
"Feel free to come back, kid. Do not worry if you cannot find the door." You can hear a fond note entering his voice as he continued, "She loves to play hide-and-seek. Give it a few hours and she might show herself."
"Else, visit me another day!"
You nodded before remembering that Luke would not be able to spot you behind these stacks of books.
[[Exit the store ->Exterior of Luke's Hideyhole]]"Azn's Druidic Spells?" He asks, after listening to your question.
Your eyes widen as you marvel at his memory.
A lop-sided smile appear as he tease, "Do you think I do not know my own books?"
He chuckles at your reaction to reassure him that you meant no isult. " A disclaimer, Azn is a close friend of mine. A fierce Firbolg and a fiesty druid. I highly recommend that book if you are looking to learn nature magic."
[[Ask more questions ->Luke's question hub]] Roaring laughter fills the air as you utter your first guess. "Oh kid, you are a riot. I am flattered but no, I am definitely older than that."
His shoulders shook with laughter as he struggles to recover.
Favouring you with a large grin, he reveals, "60 Summers, at the end of this month and I am proud of it."
[[Ask Luke about Orcs lifespans]]
[[Ask Luke more questions ->Luke's personal question hub]] "Which one? We have two in town. The Sleeping Lion and Lushing River."
[[Sexy Lion]]
[[Lushing River]]
[[Ask another question ->Luke's personal question hub]]"Sara's?", He says.
"Right. Sara's General Goods Store is the store's full name."
He offers a crooked smile, "Jolly fellow. A great head for business but an even better conversationalist. Tell him congratulations if you are heading that way."
"To get there, take a right after exiting the store and follow the path all the way till a T-Junction. The store sits at the junction perfectly in the middle."
[[Ask another question ->Luke's personal question hub]] He eyes you inquisitively. "We can live longer than that but we do not usually see that many summers. I mean," he exaled noisly, " we are often warring with everyone and have several life-threatening customs."
"When fighting is the only way you know how to show power, it makes for rather short lifespans."
He pauses, "Don't quote me on that though. I know several orcs who are smarter than you and me combined."
[[Ask more questions ->Luke's personal question hub]] "The Lushing River can be found at the west gate. You probably have passed it, most travellers enter the village via the west. You cannot miss it, it stands a metre taller than any other buildings, in that area."
[[Directions to the west gate]]
[[Ask about the other inn->Sexy Lion]]
[[Ask more questions->Luke's personal question hub]] "Huge lion, you can't miss it. Take a left when you exit the store. Follow the path until you reach the crossroads. Cross over and you should be able to spot the lion."
[[Question about the lion.]]
[[Ask about the other inn->Lushing River]]
[[Ask another question ->Luke's personal question hub]]"A lion, kid." He scrunches his eyebrows and leans in curiously. "Have you not seen one before?"
He frowns for a moment before glancing around, seemingly muttering to himself as he stands and made way to a stack of books on the left. He trails a hand down the spines until he got to one. With an exclaimation, he carefully remove the book.
As he makes his way back, you manage to get glimpses of the book. It is a thick maroon hardcover book. The frayed edges spoke of constant use while the great condition of the book, made it well-loved.
Luke props the book up with his left hand as he uses his right hand to flip the pages. He stopped about halfway through the book and flip the book around.
"Here," he gestures, "a lion."
Looking down, you see a four-legged creature. It has dark brown skin and cotton candy hair, except that it is not in pink but in yellow. The creature is baring its fangs against an unseen creature that is not illustrated in the picture.
He grins as you took it in. "Majestic, ain't it?"
[[Ask more questions->Luke's personal question hub]] "Take a right after exiting the store. Follow the road until you come across a T-Junction. Take another right and you should be able to see the gate."
[[Ask another question ->Luke's personal question hub]] The Dwarf's focus swaps to you as she notices your approach.
"Hey there traveller, fancy a bite?"
She extends her right arm and raise her left eyebrow, as she waves the fried food tantalisingly. The fried food in question, seem to be of a light brown color on the outside, it is elongated and you can see the stick running through it.
"Oh, this?"
You startle, only realising that you were staring at the food for an extended period of time.
"It is a fishcake, a delicacy from further north. Not easy to cook, mind you. But it is worth all the effort."
She smiles and gesture with the stick. "You will see it when you take a bite."
[[Take one]]
[[Introduce yourself and chat with the Dwarf]]
[[Follow the road and continue until you reach the crossroads]] "Do you have a death wish?!" The horseman cries out as you barely dodge his carriage.
After stumbling and doing an odd dance to avoid falling flat, you recover your balance. Deciding that the safest place would be the curb, you dust off your pants and move towards it.
You turn your head to look back at the road you took to get here. It is strange, they are both cobblestone pathways but traffic seem to take place in the horizontal part of the crossroads exclusively.
Wooden one-storey houses have given way to stone squared looking ones. The once warm and welcoming vibe is now cold and impersonal, almost clinical in nature.
Across the road, you make out something largely yellow but is unable to see the details from the angle that you are at.
[[Wait for a good time to cross the road]]
[[Breathe in slowly]]Rocking back on your heels, you settle in, keeping your eyes peeled for any signs of a pattern.
It is like playing the childhood game, where you have to tease the frog with a bait to cross a small stream by only landing on sticks.
A few minutes passes and you are about to give up on any semblance of a pattern when you hear a sharp whistle.
Twice.
A third time.
[[Continue ->Cross the road]]For a busy path, the smell is surprisingly subdue. It is not at any rate, a pleasant smell but neither is it unpleasant. Instead, you can swear that you smell herbs, much like the ones they use to mix potions.
You are bumped from the back, thankfully not enough to topple you. As you turn around to catch their identity, the end of a blue cloak disappearing into the alleyway is all you can see.
At the same time, a shrill whistle grabs your attention.
[[Check belongings]]
[[Cross the road]]Crouching down in a runner's position, you took off the curb. As you did so, you felt a hand grabbing your wrist and yanking you backwards. You took a few steps back, hoping to regain your balance.
To no avail, as you feet found no purchase and with the hand brutally pulling you backwards without a care, you landed hard on the unforgiving stones.
Your assaulter barely even noticed and you felt yourself getting dragged backwards. Your hand pat your belt, making sure that everything is where it is. With a sinking heart, you realise that one of your pouch is no longer hanging.
You snarl and look back at the road, you notice that people are starting to cross it. Indecision strikes you. You are not sure how frequent it is but it might be awhile before you are allowed to cross the road again.
[[Cross the road]]
[[Chase the thief]]As the last note faded, you hear a clap ringing out and to your amazement, all of the carriages on the road begin to slow down. A dome of compressed air expands from across the street.
As you look forward and over your shoulder, tracking its progress, you realise that it is forming a huge dome that seems to encompass the entire road.
It is strange but sounds are muffled and drawn out. Hoofsteps, talking, neighing, any and all sound. That is not the weirdest part as you realise that one sound which had been constantly buried, is ringing out loud and clear.
Footsteps. The sound of footsteps is prominent.
As you continue staring, you realise that people are beginning to make their way over to your side of the street. There are tieflings striding confidently, halfings dodging legs and giving hooves a wide berth, elves that are taking measured walks, dwarfs that are plodding along and even kids that are playing a game of tag as they dive and out of people, carriages and horses with familiarity.
--To be continued--
[[Back to the beginning->Outside the store]] You curse and turn around, rounding the corner which you have last seen the cloak. Your left hand trails against the wooden walls, providing a grip as you take the corners.
Thankfully, the alleyway has been pretty straightforward. Giving only one option to follow. The rest had been blocked by items or fences.
Your eyebrows scrunch up as you hear the street sounds filtering in. Up ahead, between two walls, you see a crowd of people, seemingly going on their everyday life.
[[Exit the alleyway and continue the search]]
[[Accept defeat and head back to the street]]You hand over the coppers and pull it closer. At this distance, you can see the light brown and rough texture of the exterior. As you bit into it, warm and flavourful juices fills your mouth.
The Dwarf laughs at your reaction. "Delightful, ain't it?" She says, smiling and offering another.
[[Grab another before leaving ->Follow the road and continue until you reach the crossroads]]
[[Learn more about the Dwarf ->Introduce yourself and chat with the Dwarf]]"Charmed to meet you! I'm Lisi." She says as she turned back to handle a contraption laid behind her. "How are you doing on this fine day?"
"It is a good day for a fishcake, try one, you wouldn't be disappointed" She tempts, waving the fishcake in your direction.
[[Take one]]
[[Leave ->Follow the road and continue until you reach the crossroads]] As you exit and look around, you realise two things. Firstly, you surprised a red Tiefling lounging beside the exit and secondly, there seems to be several blue cloaks of varying shade in your immediate vicinity.
[[Start on the blue cloaks search]]
[[Approach the red Tiefling]]
[[Accept defeat and head back to the street]]Sighing, you decide to give up, marking the pouch as a loss. As you retrace your steps from before, you come across a small 'meow' on your right.
Turning your head, you see that the alleyway to your right and a ratty wooden fence. There seems to be several bushes laid before the fence. With another 'meow', you concluded that there is a shy cat in one of them.
The meowing sound seems to be quivering and soft, making it hard to pinpoint where exactly is the cat.
[[Approach the bushes]]
[[Ignore and continue ->Wait for a good time to cross the road]] As you approach, a kitten's head pop out. The kitten keeps their eyes on you. They crouch down, lowering their head, muscles tensing as they keep their limbs loose.
[[Approach it slowly]]
[[Wait for them to relax]]
[[Meow at them]]
[[Head back to the street ->Wait for a good time to cross the road]] Their hackles raise even higher and a threatening hiss fill the air as their ears folded close to their skull.
It would be unwise to continue approaching.
[[Try another option ->Approach the bushes]]
[[Ignore the warning->Kitten flees]]You take a step back and the kitten look on warily. As minutes passes, the kitten visibly relaxes, realising that you are not going to approach.
You offer a smile and squat down to make yourself small. Raising your left hand, you clench it into a fist and wait patiently.
[[Continue ->Kitten approaches]]A soft meow floated over. The kitten did not relax but they observe quietly as you took a tentative step forward.
Noticing that your tone seem to reassure the kitten, you cast about for a topic to fill the quiet.
[[Coo at how cute they are]]
Patting your pouches and checking it, you turn up triumphant. You cupped your loot and lifted up your hands. Peeking at it, you are impressed with what you see.
[[Use the loose string]]
[[Do cats eat dried jerky?]]
[[Throw a rubber ball]]
[[Give them some greens]]
Lifting it above the kitten, you shook the string, hoping that the kitten would not have learnt the phrase, 'Curiousity killed the cat'.
The kitten piqued at the bright red string. They used their powerful hindlegs to lunge and reached out with their paws in an attempt to grab it.
[[Pull the string away]]
[[Remain where you are]]Double-click this passage to edit it.The ever curious kitten came up to your outreach hand, sniffing it as you held still. They went for a quick bite.
Just as you thought you gained their trust, they spit it back out. They wrinkled their nose cutely.
The kitten bolted. They pushed off with their hindlegs as their front paws scrambled to find purchase. They took to your right, crossing your front, as you had slowly begun gravitating to the left, getting closer to where they were.
Before you could decide, they have ran past you and disappeared into the alleyways.
[[Continue ->Sigh and continue back to the alleyway]]The kitten stands up proudly, as if they understood your words. It is likely that they were responding to your tone.
They preen.
[[Continue ->Watch the kitten disappear into the brush]] You sigh and hope that you have not traumatise the kitten too much.
You retrace your steps and continue your journey.
[[Continue ->Wait for a good time to cross the road]]Their eyes do not leave yours, wary even as they begin approaching you. You feel a thrill of happiness as they break eye contact to brush their head against your knuckle.
You hold still, waiting for the kitten to finish their greeting before unclenching your fist.
Slowly as not to spook them, you cautiously reach out for the kitten's head.
[[Lightly pet them ->Pet the kitten]]
[[Scratch the kitten's ears]]
Their ears flick, brushing against your hand as you pet them twice. As you go in for the third, they ducked, avoiding your hand as they back out slowly.
As soon as there is a respectable distance, they blink slowly in thanks before heading back.
[[Continue->Watch the kitten disappear into the brush]]The kitten butt their head on your fingers. As your fingers repeat the motion, they nuzzle even closer and close their eyes, enjoying the free scratches.
After five minutes of doing so, they drop their head, out of your reach, before licking their left paw and reaching up to rub it against their ears.
They look up and give a small "Meow!".
[[Continue->Watch the kitten disappear into the brush]] The kitten turn around and flea.
You marvel at the lack of noise once you lost sight of them in the brush.
A warm feeling nested in your chest, thrilled at the encounter with the kitten.
[[Return to the road ->Wait for a good time to cross the road]] Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it."You are a strange one!"
You give a small smile in response and quirk an eyebrow. Sara's grin grows at the sight.
"Don't worry, I got your back." He says.
He hums a jaunty tune as he hops from the tower of books and ducks below the counter.
After several minutes, the sounds of rummaging ceases.
[[Continue ->Sara collects money and hands over the item]]"Be back in a jiffy!" He leaps off his seat and makes his way past a curtained entryway.
[[Wait patiently]]
He bustles out after a few minutes and makes his way over to his seat.
[[Continue ->Sara collects money and hands over the item]] As you lean over the counter, you spot Sara holding the requested item. In a fluid motion, he pulls out a bo with his left hand and pushes several books down.
You brace yourself, expecting to hear a clatter of books. Upon hearing nothing, you blink and tilt your head to see past the tower. The books had landed on several cushions and surprisingly, they are still stacked nicely.
He leaps up onto the stack neatly and handed the item upwards.
"That will be 20 gold pieces!"
[[Hand over the gold and browse other wares ->Browse wares]]You curse, the good vibe spoiled as you started down the alleyway, worried for the little girl.
"Kitty, come back!"
You can hear her shouts somewhere in front of you. You grit your teeth and extend your stride. As you ran, you noticed that the alleyways are a maze. Part of you do worry that you will not be able to find your way back after.
Lost in thoughts, you did not realise you found the little girl until your run into her. Instinctively, you reach down and manag to support the girl before she fell down.
"Sorry!" You exclaim.
"It's k." she wisp as she takes a step away from you. Turning to you, her eyes brighten. "Have you seen a kitty?"
[[Shake your head]]
[[Nod your head]]
The girl deflates.
"Aw. I thought I saw a kitty cat."
Your heartstrings are tugged at her expression. Looking around, you realise that there were ways to distract her.
[[Ask the kid if she could lead you back]]
[[Offer to search for the kitten with the girl]]She brightens up. "Where?"
[[Confess that you lied ->Shake your head]]
[[Offer to search for the kitten with the girl]]
[[Point to a random direction]]"Okay! It's," she hums, turning in a circle "this way!"
She points and almost take off running again, before you managed to grab her. She looks up, puzzled at your actions.
After hearing your explanation that you do not want to be lost, she nods and choose to hold on to your hand, swinging it as she leads you through the maze.
[[Continue ->Symbal talks about the group]]She nods and says distractedly, "Maybe we can find some tracks! Papa has been teaching me about them. He is a huntar!"
Looking down at the hard dirt floor, you privately doubt the idea but decided to encourage her instead.
Unfortunately, your search turn up empty. There was nothing to be found, although the girl's spirits were raised. A marked difference from her previous demeanour.
As more time passed, both of you agreed to make your way back.
[[Continue ->Symbal talks about the group]]You point to a random direction and she takes off running. The girl grew visibly more distraught as a kitten did not turn up around either corner. Her forehead creases deeply and you realise that this could not continue.
[[Confess that you lied ->Shake your head]]
[[Distract the kid with a request ->Ask the kid if she could lead you back]]The cat seems to eye you before grabbing it out of your offering hand quickly.
Your memory is not the best, especially since you are working off a glance. There are three blue-adjacent cloaks mingling around in the crowd.
[[Cloak #1]]
[[Cloak #2 ->The correct blue cloak]]
[[Cloak #3]]
The red Tiefling smirks as they notice your approach. They are wearing a sleeveless cloth tunic that show a silver of skin and tight brown leather pants. They hold a half-eaten bread with their right hand and has tuck their left arm behind, propping themself. Their arms are bare and you could see the subtle play of the muscles underneath.
As the gap closes between the two of you, you spotted dried paint in several areas. Most notably, a stubborn patch of bright green on their left cheek.
Their eyes tracked you on the entire journey and they wait expectantly for you as your feet come to a stop.
[[Greet them ->Art's generic greeting]]
[[Talk about the paint]]
[[Ask if anyone else have exited recently]]
[[Accept defeat and head back to the street]]
"Hello. Charmed to meet you." He says all of those straight-facedly, taking bites of his bread in between the sentence.
You notice there is a patch of dark blue paint on the underside of their right hand.
[[Introduce yourself and ask for their name.]]
[[Talk about the paint]]
[[Ask if anyone else have exited recently]]
"These paint smears?" They give a warm laugh and continue, "I create art in my spare time and this is the consequence. Do not worry, it is not toxic."
[[Compliment the colors]]
[[Introduce yourself and ask for their name.]]
[[Ask if anyone else have exited recently]] They stand still for a bit, looking up into the sky and furrowing their brows. Knocking their fist onto their palm, the sound startles you out of your quiet observation.
"Havrik exited this alleyway before you."
Excitedly, you ask if he was wearing a blue cloak and which way did he went.
They swiveled gracefully and pointed, "That way."
You thank them and started chasing the person in the blue cloak.
[[Continue ->The correct blue cloak]]"I am Art." They finish their bread and dust off their hands. "Pardon me asking, you looked like a person with an aim. May I be of any assistance?"
[[Ask if anyone else have exited recently]]
[[Talk about the paint]] Running to catch up with the blue cloak that is fleeing, you push yourself as the culprit turn and realised that you are gaining on them.
Both of you weave through the crowded area, bumping and apologising to the people that got in your way.
This continued for a few more minutes until the culprit starts to visibly slow down. As you close the gap, you leap and tackle the person. Both of you skid on the ground and ended in a mess.
You sit up and use your body weight to prevent the culprit from escaping. All around are confused pedestrians who have paused to judge the situation.
You yank a familiar looking pouch from his waist and his ears folds back as he hissed at you.
"Give it back!"
A snarl crosses your face and you taunt the male Tabaxi underneath you. He shies away from the truth when you lay it out plainly for him. Ultimately, he seems perfectly cowed and you roll your eyes before making to your feet.
He accepts your offer to pull him to his feet and he offers apologies once again before leaving.
You leave with a feeling of relief that you did not have to lose your pouch.
[[Continue ->Go back to the road]]
"Thank you for the compliment, it is greatly appreciated."
They grin and wait, not offering other words.
[[Introduce yourself and ask for their name.]]
[[Ask if anyone else have exited recently]] You reach out to grab the person's shoulders and are surprised to be met with a hold of an iron gripping onto yours. Yanking you forward, you stumble in surprise. The next thing you knew, the brown ground is above and you fall with a heavy thud.
A face comes into your view upside down and it frowns before a hand entered your peripheral.
"Don't you know it is rude to wrench someone's shoulder without warning?" A nasal voice says.
You roll onto your side before making to your feet. Giving a groan, you study the person who flipped you over. She has elfin features and her rounded ears show off her half-elven heritage. She carries herself well and there is an air of quiet confidence around her. Studying further, you notice two swords sheathed at her hip and you shift slightly to be in a better stance if the situation escalates.
A twinkle in her eyes and a small smirk informs you that she catches your intention.
To your mortification, she does not seem to be carrying a bag and your distinctive pouch is not by her side.
As you apologise, she glowers and lifts two fingers to the front of her eyes, making a 'watch out' gesture before leaving.
[[Search for a different cloak ->Start on the blue cloaks search]]
[[Approach the red Tiefling from before ->Approach the red Tiefling]]
[[Accept defeat and head back to the street]] You lengthen your stride to catch up to the person's slow pace. A touch to the person's shoulder had them turning around. A weathered face of an elderly Fire Genasi greets you with a confused expression.
"How may I help you?"
He was dressed simply, with a cloth tunic and cloth pants. His entire body bear scars that hints about his adventuring days but the slow shuffle of his feet speaks of his retired status.
He accepts your apologies graciously and turns to continue his way down the street.
[[Search for a different cloak ->Start on the blue cloaks search]]
[[Approach the red Tiefling from before ->Approach the red Tiefling]]
[[Accept defeat and head back to the street]] As you retrace your steps from before, you come across a small 'meow' on your right.
Turning your head, you see that the alleyway to your right has a ratty wooden fence and what seems to be several bushes before the fence. With another 'meow' being sounded, it seems like the cat could be in the bushes, too afraid to come out.
The meowing sound seems to be quivering a bit and it is rather soft, making it hard to pinpoint where exactly is the cat.
[[Approach the bushes]]
[[Ignore and continue ->Wait for a good time to cross the road]] Symbal, as introduced, trails her hand along the wooden fences as both of you made your way back.
"There is big brother Sam! He is the bestest as he takes care of us." She stretches her arms wide, showing just how big he is.
"Sally is his second-in-command, she is smaller than me but fierce." Symbal lifts her right hand and is in the action of sticking her third finger out. "There are others. Ninja Fleq, Lady Lise,"
She trails off as she continued listing all of the nicknames for the children. As the ambient sounds of a crowd start to filter in, she explain haltingly that their settings were whacky, it ranges from mermaid rebellions to a fish party.
Before long, you were surprised to find yourself near a familiar exit. It has been a delight hearing Symbal chat about her group.
With uncanny timing, Symbal turns around and pulls your hand slightly to grab your attention. "Come and play next time, okay?"
You nod with a smile and she runs to join her friends. <<if visited ("Break up the argument") == 0>>\A human boy and dwarf girl<<else>>\ Sam and Sally<<endif>>seemed to sigh in relief at her appearance. She turned and punched the boy's shoulder as he laughed loudly.
[[Continue->Stop and bask in the group of kids playing]] http://catn.decontextualize.com/twine/