Jintaro 3.0

Providence, Rhode Island Early 1900s... ***Lightning Flashes*** Your eyes slowly roll open. ***Thunder Roars*** You awaken, slumped against a bookshelf in a dimly lit, home library. A window to your left, rain raps loudly against the glass pane. You've a book in hand. "The Great North: Creatures and Landscapes" [[What? -> Books]]

Another text lies next to it. "An Introduction to Atlantic Flora and Fauna" Huh. You hunch over, exhausted. Head in your hands. The candle to your right flickers and dances in the quiet darkness. You remember coming upstairs, to the library of your grandmother's massive home. A relative mansion compared to yours, she's maintained a vast book collection for years. You wanted to read, mainly to curb your boredom. After all, there's not much to do here in Providence. Especially not in mid-April. Woof! Woof! You hear a dog barking outside. [[Look out the window? -> Stormy Night]]

You look out the window, the tree branches flailing. ***Lightning Flashes*** The wind howls hungrily. Coldly. ***Thunder Roars*** [[Look again? -> Suddenly!]]

Suddenly, you see that the tree has been set aflame! ***SNAP!*** ***CRACK!*** ***SMASH!*** The tree snaps in half, falling onto the roof and tearing open the wall of the house! ***WHOOOOSH!!!*** The window shatters, branches whip and cut your face! The bookshelf falls! Books fly everywhere! You collapse as the shelf hits you! Everything catches flame as the floor creaks beneath the weight! As if in a sigh, the rest of the tree gives way! ***CREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAK*** The wooden boards beneath you give out as it slams into the floor ***BOOM!!!*** and you plummet into a pool of cold, dark water. [[***SPLASH!*** -> Harsh ash]]

Harsh ash fills your lungs as you try to breathe. The water pours in as you cough and splutter. A garbled mess. Your vision fades, and you freefall into the black. ***THUD*** ***siiiigh*** ''Welcome. To [[Jin-Taro-> Rebirth]].''

''"Get up! GetupGetupGetup!"'' [[^^Where am I?^^ -> Open your eyes!]]

''"Open your eyes! Come on! You're almost there!"'' [[Crack open an eyelid. -> Fading Voice]]

The voice begins to fade. ''"I'll be back soon. Don't run off too far!"'' ***FLAP*** ***FLAP*** ***FLAP*** As your vision clears, you feel your heart throb slowly. Blue sky, open above you. <div></div> <img src="https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/clear-blue-sky-background-2207348.jpg" width ="600" height="400" alt=""> The wind whistles by. [[Empty. -> This place.]]

This place feels empty. You're lying on your back, sprawled out like you've fallen right out of the sky. That crisp, cloudless, blue expanse. Endless. [[Stand up? -> You stand up.]]

You stand up. Slowly. Strangely, you feel no pain. The air is crisp and clean, a cool but comfortable temperature. [[Look around? -> Taking a glance.]]

You take a glance around you. You see stark white walls in every direction. Like a giant labyrinth, with a barricade all around you, 10 feet in height. <div></div> <img src="http://il5.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/149413/thumb/1.jpg" width ="" height="" alt=""> Behind you, a wall blocks the way. Ahead the, the path splits in only two possible directions. [[Left. -> Hang on!]] And [[Right. -> Hang on!]]

"Hang on! Don’t go anywhere just yet!" Hoo! An owl flaps over to you, resting atop the wall on your right. [[Look up at the owl? -> The Black Owl]]

The owl is all black, except for 2 huge eyes. Dark orange, and daunting in their steady stare. [[Who are you? -> Me?]] [[What is this place? -> This place?]]

Me? The owl turns its head around, and around, and around as it speaks. I’m Koal. I’m here to welcome you! Hooooo! I promise, you’re going to love it here! The owl smiles at you, if that’s even possible for a bird. [[Whatever, I’m outta here. (walk away) -> You Walk Away.]] [[Well Koal, what is this place? Why am I here? -> That’s not my place to tell you human.]] [[Please, just give me an answer! What’s going on?! -> That’s not my place to tell you human.]]

"This place? This place is here. And here is your new home, it seems." Hoooo! The owl smiles at you, if that’s even possible for a bird. [[Whatever, I’m outta here. (walk away) -> You Walk Away.]] [[Well Koal, what is this place? Why am I here? -> That’s not my place to tell you human.]] [[Please, just give me an answer! What’s going on?! -> That’s not my place to tell you human.]]

You walk away. Who cares what a bird has to say anyway? Do you go [[right? -> Fox]] Or [[left? -> Elk]]

"That’s not my place to tell you, human. I leave that to the others. Goodbye! And enjoy your stay!" Hoooo! The owl flaps away. And you’re left standing there, alone. Do you go [[left? -> Elk]] Or [[right? -> Fox]]

You turn right, keeping a steady pace but looking around curiously. “Well hello there.” ***Thump.*** A fox hops down off the wall to your left, and begins to walk towards you. Smirking. He’s all black, just like the owl was. With piercing, dark orange eyes. “Howdy doo buddy. How’s it hangin?” [[Another talking animal?! -> Haha I like you human]] [[Yes, hello. Maybe you can answer more of my questions than that last guy? -> Who, Koal?]]

You go left. You feel like it was a good decision. Though you can’t really explain why. Up ahead, you hear the clip-clopping of hooves. A great black Elk steps slowly and deliberately around the corner ahead of you. Its eyes are that same, maddening orange colour. The Elk reaches you, towering above you in stature. His antlers look sharp. “Greetings.” The Elk snorts, gruff and deep voiced. “I was told you needed a lift. Care to hop on?” [[Hang on a second, a lift where? -> To the King]] [[A lift? Sure that sounds great! -> You get on the Elk]]

''"Siiiigh. Well this is special, isn't it? Get up human. Get up."'' [[^^Who is that?^^ -> Get up!]]

“Haha. I like you, human. You’ve got pizazz.” The fox circles you, looking you up and down as if assessing your appearance. “Hmmm…Yea…I see what he meant now, you’re one strange lookin fellow huh?” He stops, his back turned to you. “I’m Kuno. It’s been requested that I take you to the King.” He jolts his head to the left, glancing at you sidelong with those shifting, fiery eyes. “Wanna come with me?” [[Wait, I have a few questions first. -> You ask Fox]] [[Alright, why not I guess? -> You go with Fox]]

“Who, Koal? The bird wasn’t even supposed to speak with you yet.” The fox sighs. “I was only a couple of minutes late, great. Now Kade’s gonna have my head on a stick.” You stare at him in a questioning posture, eyebrows raised. “Pfffft. Well alright, wadya wanna know human?” [[How did I get here? What is this place? -> Well for starters, King Kade says this place is where people go when they move on from a past life.]] [[How do I get out of here? -> The fox chuckles.]]

[[How did I get here? What is this place? -> Well for starters, King Kade says this place is where people go when they move on from a past life.]] [[How do I get out of here? -> The fox chuckles.]]

[[Walking -> Walking.]]

“Well for starters, King Kade says this place is where people go when they move on from a past life.” The Fox (you know his name, but cmon, he’s still a fox) turns to face you. “I guess your old life was over. And this is your new one.” “As for how you got here, I’m not sure. Nobody here really knows.” He pauses, as if buried deep in thought. “Look, all I know is I saw you drop out of the sky and now you’re here. The King told me to come get you, so that’s what I’m doin. Cmon, we gotta get to The Tree.” [[Alright, why not I guess? -> You go with Fox]]

The Fox chuckles. (you know his name, but cmon, he’s still a fox) “Oh man, if I told you how many times I’d heard that you’d think I was crazy. Or lying… Or really damn old. Keh keh keh He snickers a strange click with his teeth. Either way…” The Fox, (fine, Kuno) looks you up and down. “I’m gonna call you Legs. Cause yours are so long, ha! Anyway Legs, there ain’t any way out of here. Unless you move on to a different life again or… something. I’m no expert, but all I know is nobody’s ever really left. They just kinda, disappear…all magicky like… it’s kinda spooky actually. He turns suddenly. Grins a wide grin. “Well. Shall we?” [[Alright, why not I guess? -> You go with Fox]]

“To our King. He requests your presence at The Tree.” The Elk snorts and stamps his right hoof three times. ***Tap*** ***Tap*** ***Tap*** "Let us take our leave." The Elk kneels down for you to get on. [[Get on? -> You get on the Elk]]

You get on the Elk. [[To the King -> Walking.]]

The two of you continue walking for what seems like forever. Minute after minute. Hour after hour. Day after day. You can’t really tell anymore. [[Keep walking -> Still walking]]

Still walking. Still. [[Bored -> Still bored]]

The two of you don’t speak. It’s just you, and the animal. No answers to your questions. This is a huge maze. [[Almost there? -> Almost there]]

You’re almost there. You’ve got to be. Is this [[hell? -> Hell]]

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, you glimpse a huge black tree ahead of you, just outside of an opening in the maze walls. It looks like an oak, but with all the same darkness of the other creatures here. Its sap, you don’t doubt, must be that sickly orange colour. As you approach, you see a glint out of the corner of your eye. Glancing downwards, you see a thick, serrated black knife. It’s just lying there. Menacingly. [[Pick it up? -> You pick up the knife]] [[Leave it -> You don’t pick up the knife]]

You pick up the knife and put it in your pocket. Who knows, maybe it’ll be of some use? [[Walk up to The Tree? -> The King]]

You don’t like weapons, especially not random, dirty knives lying on the ground. You leave the knife where it is. After all, it’s emanating some kind of weird aura. [[Walk up to The Tree? -> The King 2]]

Cautiously, you walk up to the great oak tree. Beneath sits a huge Bison, big enough to gorge you easily with his two massive horns. He grunts at you, steam spouts from his nostrils. “Human.” He calls to you. “Come towards me.” ***Grunt*** “Kneel.” As he says this, you hear the roughness in his tone. He sounds like, what… a father? Or maybe… ***TAP*** [[Look up at the King? -> You look up]]

King Kade stares into what feels like the back of your skull. That orange. It melts through your mind. The cold black of his fur gives you goosebumps. “I said… Kneel.” [[Kneel? -> You kneel]] [[Keep staring back-> You don’t kneel]]

Highly aware of the danger you’re in, you fall to your knees. King Kade chuckles heartily. “Goooood, good. Now that we’ve gotten that formality out of the way.” He clicks his giant, bison teeth together. ***Click-Click*** As if right on cue, orange blossoms begin sprouting from the tree branches above you. Small bulbs of fluorescent orange light, some float up into the air and down into your palm. “Welcome to Jin-Taro human. Welcome to your new [[home -> Death]].”

You choose not to kneel. Instead, you stare Kade straight in the eye. Nobody has given you any answers since all of this started, and you deserve far more respect than this. You remember the knife. [[Use it? -> You attack!]] [[Don’t. -> You don’t attack]]

You spend the next thousand, no... Ten thousand? Forever then, in Jin-Taro. You don't resist the King, or try to get home. You kind of like it here. You still don't remember how you got here though... The End

Quickly, you whip out the blade and plunge it straight into Kade’s neck! He stares on at you. Unflinching. “Well.” Kade clears his throat. “It appears as if we were wrong. You don’t belong here. Kaleo!” An enormous black bear comes padding out from behind the tree. “Follow me.” She says. You look back at Kade with an eyebrow raised. “Farewell human. It appears you’re meant for greater things than our Jin-Taro!” His voice fades into an echo as you enter an extremely long hallway. You can’t see the end, only darkness. “This is where I leave you, human. Goodbye.” With that, she turns and pads away slowly. The gentlest bear you’ve ever seen. Or have you ever even seen a bear? [[Walk down the hallway? -> A Door]]

"Then I'll ask you one last time human. Will you kneel?" [[Kneel? -> You kneel]] [[Don't kneel. -> Forced to kneel]]

First you walked through the light, now you walk through the dark. Your footsteps echo through the black. You walk for what seems like, well, you get the picture. Until… [[A door. -> The Door]]

You turn the handle, and crack it open just slightly. You’re immediately blinded by a flood of white light. You step through the door. ***GHASP!*** <div></div> <img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Life-Japan/i-vqHQsJL/2/X3/DSC_121003_182249%20night.%20rain.%20shinjuku.%20umbrella.%20%28Kabukicho%29%20%28ps%29-X3.jpg" width ="700" height="665" alt=""> The End

Koal flies over to you, landing on your shoulder. "It would be best for you to kneel now, human." He shudders. Ruffling his feathers. An enormous black bear walks out slowly from behind the tree. She's got you directly in her sights. Your heart leaps as she gets closer. Closer. Close. "Human." She says, her voice gentle. Soothing even. "Do you really want to start a fight? Or will I have to make you kneel?" You're taken aback by the bluntness of her words. She rears up, places a paw on your shoulder, and pushes down slowly. You fall to your knees almost instantly. [[Kneeling. -> You kneel 2]]

Cautiously, you walk up to the great oak tree. Beneath sits a huge Bison, big enough to gorge you easily with his two massive horns. He grunts at you, steam spouts from his nostrils. “Human.” He calls to you. “Come towards me.” ***Grunt*** “Kneel.” As he says this, you hear the roughness in his tone. He sounds like, what… a father? Or maybe… ***TAP*** [[Look up at the King? -> You look up 2]]

King Kade chuckles heartily. “Goooood, good. Now that we’ve gotten that formality out of the way.” He clicks his giant, bison teeth together. ***Click-Click*** As if right on cue, orange blossoms begin sprouting from the tree branches above you. Small bulbs of fluorescent orange light, some float up into the air and down into your palm. “Welcome to Jin-Taro human. Welcome to your new [[home -> Death]].”

You choose not to kneel. Instead, you stare Kade straight in the eye. Nobody has given you any answers since all of this started, and you deserve far more respect than this. King Kade growls at you, baring his flat bison teeth. "Kaleo!" He shouts, his voice a booming echo. From behind The Tree an enormous black bear comes running toward you! She lunges for your neck, claws rip into your body and tear out your intestines. None of it hurts, but you're being eaten alive. You feel her take a bite out of your neck, and then... Nothing. The End