Part 2 – Dugo’s Dilemma
While Barin and Najen slept below deck, Dugo watched as white curls disappeared among the black sea. The morning dawn provides warming rays of light, but the chill ocean breeze quickly counters the warmth. Hours pass, and the Black Isle, along with promises of imminent doom, approaches beyond the horizon.
2 PM
The Dark Prowler
En route to the Black Isle
Dugo: <I don’t know what to make of all of this. Why would anyone want to kill me? I couldn’t have been that dangerous or powerful in a past life, could I? Now I’m just blindly wandering, leaving a swath of destruction behind me. Belatcern… The Element.. who knows what will come next? I couldn’t go on if I was responsible for any of their deaths. I need to find out what’s going on before it’s too late…>
Barin: Time for you to get some rest, chief.
Dugo: Did you sleep well?
Barin: I got enough.
Dugo: Well then. I suppose getting a little shut eye wouldn’t be a bad idea. Who knows when the next time we have some peaceful time to ourselves will be?
Barin: Have a good one. I think we’ll arrive at the Black Isle in about five hours. I’ll get everyone up before then.
Dugo descends the narrow stairway into the interior of the ship. He brushes shoulders with Najen near the bottom, but they exchange no words. She continues up, presumably to speak to Barin, and Dugo reaches the door to the bunks. Apul’s snoring can be heard from the far side of the room, although the darkness shrouds him from view. A tiny lump gives away Naelroe’s location on the bottom bunk near the door. Almost collapsing from exhaustion, Dugo pulls himself up over Naelroe and immediately falls asleep.
~Dream World~
Barin: How many ARE there?!?!
Najen: Thousands…
Apul: I’ve heard rumors of this island…
(Silence…)
Apul: I forget…
Najen: You would do well to avoid my blade… Dugo.
Dugo: Why is that?
Najen: I’d hate to kill… family.
<CRASH>
Dugo awakens on a beach of black sand, beams of wood strewn in disarray all about him. Confused as to how he got here, he stands up and surveys his surroundings… and only then he realizes that he is alone.
Which Gate Do You Choose?
I Like Long Walks on the Beach
Four sets of footprints lead down along the coastline, disappearing into the distance. The smooth black sand will make this path relatively easy.
Into the Darkness
Only two sets of footprints lead into the interior of the island, but it seems that there are also two sets of smoothed out sand, like something very large was drug by whatever caused the footsteps. Hard, cracked earth and jagged boulders will make this path more difficult.
This poll ends on November 7.
