Choose Your Own Adventure Short Story Day

[Nixuelle]

Drop a torch...but...wouldn't it be better to hold the torch over the side to see?

[Virmir]

Drop a TORCH!

[Selden]

If holding a torch was an option I'd say that, but as it is?  Bigger rock.

[Caprice]

Run for help

[Tvorsk]

Run.

[FrostedLights]

   Kalen stepped up to the well, torch in hand. “Quiet!” he hissed. “I'm trying to hear.”

   Baren grew silent as a grave, shifting restlessly from left to right. The three of them all huddled around the well.

   Kalen held the torch up, trying to get light deep enough to see what had made the noise. He was certain he had heard it. Certain.

   “I don't see anything,” Luclin muttered.

   “Shhh” Kalen said, craning his neck. He dropped the torch, listening to the flames roar like a flag whipped taut by the wind. A ring of light surrounded the torch all the way down. Briefly he saw several pairs of bright red eyes. They were moving up the well.

   “Run for help!” Kalen commanded. To his surprise it was Luclin, not Baren that first seized this opportunity and bolted away, spear forgotten.

   The Haldoren surged up out of the darkness, quickly surrounding the two remaining watchmen. Baren and Kalen stood alone in a ring of snaky Haldoren. They had pale green skin on beefy humanoid frames that gave way to long, serpentine bodies around the waist.

   Kalen's mind reeled. He needed a plan...

NO VOTING THIS TIME! OFFER A PLAN.

I'll be selecting a plan at RANDOM. Number your entries. I'll roll in the chat when I get back from dinner.

[Caprice]

GET REINFORCEMENTS

[Selden]

2
Have Kalen make a distraction while Baren darts for the nearest narrow passageway.  As a raccoonish person he's probably adept at squeezing through barriers, and should be able to get away and go for help.  If Kalen is lucky he can get away while the Haldoren are busy trying to catch Baren, too!

As for the kind of distraction, well... maybe that dropped spear can be useful.  Back towards the Haldoren nearest it, as if Kalen wasn't aware of the Haldoren at all, then charge it and try to make it step on the spearhead.  If they have boots, maybe go for the fake negotiations or 'if you get near me I'll scream' ploys.  Best case scenario: everyone is temporarily free.  Worst case: they're really no worse off than they were, unless Baren gets hurt trying to escape, and the noise might bring help.

[Virmir]

3

Stall for time.  "Now look here, guys, see you're looking for the east well.  Much better tactical advantage, the east well.  What you'll want to do is hop back in and hang a left at the first drainpipe..."

[Nixuelle]

4.

I think the proper response is to shout, "Snakes in the Water" to the tune of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M, as loud as they can. Surely the nearest guard post will hear.

Following this, the remaining pair, should search for environmental factors to their advantage. Grab that pot of lantern oil, toss it to the snakes, toss the one remaining torch to it, and run! Barring this, I feel, should make a rush to break through the surrounding ring of snake people. Notably, assuming the size of the well was not massive, the number of snakes emerging should not be enough to stop them if they act quickly, particularly given the snakes certainly cannot match their speak in running if they have to slither along. Using their spears/swords, if necessary, they should make a rush to break through the weakest looking part of the snake-ring and then make a run to the nearest source of reinforcements.

[FrostedLights]

Rolled a 3! Probably get back to this later tonight. Tomorrow at latest. Sorry for the delay! A few things came up.

[Virmir]

TOMORROW IS NOT FIVE DAYS

[FrostedLights]

I know @_@ I sort of got drafted into a few things. Essentially I thought I would be idle in the hotel. In reality I ended up working til 1 AM four nights in a row. Just got back home and found relatives waiting for me at my apartment @_@ CYOA resumes later today. Going to switch to a once a day schedule. Bigger, longer posts, more sustainable.