Part 9 of "For Havenkeep", my Patreon interactive story. Poles are posted to my patreon for patrons to decide on outcomes. The story is updated shortly after poles end. The story is free to the public - but is posted first and foremost to my patreon. If you like what you see and want to see as its made, please join or follow my Patreon. My Patreon can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/springfallendeer

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The choice is made: You pick up the staff


Your curiosity inevitably gets the better of you, leading to you reaching for the staff. Alisra offers nothing but a curious hum as you lean over to wrap your free hand around the wooden object. You do so with the intent on taking a better look at it. What you do not expect is the rush of energy that rushes through your system as soon as your fingers meet the wood. This is not energy in the typical sense. Not like a sudden rush of adrenaline that might make you feel as though you could outrun some wild beast. The closest means of describing the sensation is being electrocuted. You wrap your hand around the wooden staff and suddenly every muscle in your body goes rigid as if you had just grasped at an electric eel.

The sensation does not cause you any physical pain. Really the sensation is more alarming than anything else. For a few solid seconds your entire body goes rigid and you are unable to move - or even actually breathe for that matter. Then, just as abruptly as it started, the sensation stops. You suck in the breath that you had been unable to take, your heart now racing from the shock of the situation. Instinctively, you let go of the staff as soon as you can move again. To your shock and horror upon catching a glimpse at the palm of your hand, you notice that the staff appears to have wounded you. One of the glowing rings on the staff seems to have burnt you in some way. The red ring is obvious enough.

As of now the mark is not hurting you, which is odd all things considered. The ring left behind by the staff strongly resembles a burn, though it does not feel like one. After a moment you feel Alisra dramatically tugging at your arm to catch your attention. Only then do you snap out of your little daze to realize that you had been unintentionally ignoring her. She must have panicked when the staff shocked you. Apparently the jolt had temporarily stifled your ability to hear her at all.

“Mei! Mei! Are you okay?!” Your sister stammers out, her eyes wide with worry as she stares up at you. Much to her dismay, you do not immediately respond. You stand there for a moment, struggling to wrap your head around what had just transpired. For a few seconds it seems as though you cannot find your voice at all once you actually begin to open your mouth.

“I-I don’t know... I think so?” You eventually manage to utter the words, though they clearly bring your sister no more reassurance than you would expect. Unfortunately, though, the words that you spoke were honest. As of now you are not entirely sure whether or not you’re actually alright. The strong jolt of energy that ran through you when you touched the staff was alarming, but not painful. You weren’t in any pain right now. The only damage that had been done took the shape of an alarming but painless mark left behind on your hand. You think that you are alright. The issue is that you are not entirely sure. Cautiously, you allow your eyes to shift back to the staff. Now you find that it has changed somewhat.

The peculiar rings etched into the wood are still there, though now their mystical glow appears to have vanished. Some color still resides in them, but they were very faint. Alisra tugs at your arm again in an attempt to get your attention, but you ignore it for now. As you stare at the staff, the mark on your palm begins to tingle. A sort of indescribable urge begins to pull at the back of your mind. Without thinking you reach out to wrap your hand around the staff once more; much to the dismay of your sister. This time when your fingers grasp the wood, nothing happens. There is no jolt of energy. You do not go stiff to the point of becoming unable to breathe. You simply pluck the staff from the ground to bring it to a proper standing position.

As you do so, the rings resume glowing once more. Just as vibrant and full of color as before. This only prompts you to stare more intensely at the object. Your mind races with all manner of questions and the speculated answers to them. Ultimately you conclude that the staff was - or is - most definitely magic. By touching it you had just triggered something. You know not if it is a blessing or a curse, but the fact remains that the staff has definitely done something to you. You may very well have been bound to it in some way, but even of that you are not certain. You know nothing to be certain - you only have your speculations and the understanding that you must seek out guidance. Again you look to Alisra, who continues to stare up at you with wide, worried eyes.

“Meira...” She mutters your name quietly, looking at you as though she fears you may keel over in agony at any second. You do your best to muster a smile to reassure her.

“I’m fine, Ali.” You speak in turn, hoping to quell her fears. While you yourself are not certain that your words are true, you would rather utter a half lie for the sake of your sister’s comfort. Right now you are fine. If that changes later, then you will have to sort the problem when it comes. If the staff is to be held responsible for any problems which come your way, then that too will have to be dealt with. But as of now you are fine. You are uninjured and free of pain. That is all that matters. You watch as Alisra offers an uncertain but incomprehensible mumble in response, before she proceeds to move closer so that she might wrap her little arms around your leg. You respond in kind by running your fingers through her hair in hopes of putting her mind more at ease.

Whilst you do you, you allow your eyes to aimlessly wander. As you look between the pair of trees which miraculously bloom out of season, you notice a rather peculiar looking shadow. Curious, you coax your sister into freeing your leg so that you might inspect the abnormality unencumbered. Behind one of the trees you find a travel pack - a hefty looking one at that. Based on its shape alone, there is definitely something in the pack. Many somethings most likely. Again, curiosity begins to eat away at you.

Should you inspect the contents of the pack, or just leave it? Or should you just take the pack home for now? You don’t know what’s inside of it just yet, but it was found near the staff. Perhaps whoever left it, left some sort of clue as to what might have just been done to you.