The Island of Destiny
"Um..sure, I guess," you say, unsure if you really want to go with Bura to his "village".
Bura nods his head and says "Excellent choice. You will feel right at home with us warriors."
Warriors? For the next twenty minutes, Bura leads you across the beach. He never sets foot in the jungle. Then, the beach seems to widen to the point where you can't even see the ocean anymore. You're surrounded by sand. And the sun keeps beating down upon you, making you feel sticky, sweaty, and miserable.
Another forty minutes go by and you're still trekking across the sand with Bura. Then, about fifty feet ahead of you you see some outlines of what looks like tents. You rub your eyes, is it a mirage?
As you edge closer, you find that it's not. It's a small village, mainly comprised of yurts and large tents. You see men, women, and children all with the same dark skin and ruggedness as Bura. You realize that this must be Bura's village.
A tall, bald-headed man with a large scar on the left side of his face walks up to you both and eyes you suspiciously. The man is a couple feet taller than Bura, making him almost giant-like.
The bald man waits a minute, sizing you up and then turns to Bura. "Who is this?" he asks.
You decide to speak for yourself and you tell the bald man your name, along with what you've been through on this island so far. The man's expression doesn't change at all once you've finished. He looks back at Bura, who nods in confirmation that you're telling the truth.
The bald man then asks Bura "What would you recommend him for?"
Bura shrugs and says "He seems very capable of being a good warrior with his fighting skills. He was able to take me out pretty quick, and I'm sure you remember, Tern, that I haven't been defeated in over five years.
Tern nods his head. "What a skilled person for being so small and meek. Yes, perhaps you could be a good warrior. However, there is another possibility. Maybe you could be a chosen arbiter."
Bura gapes. "Are you sure? This one, an arbiter?"
Tern shrugs. "There's always that possibility." He then fixes his gaze on you. "But I'll leave the choice to you. Do you want to train as a warrior or get tested to see if you can become an arbiter?"
Bura nods his head and says "Excellent choice. You will feel right at home with us warriors."
Warriors? For the next twenty minutes, Bura leads you across the beach. He never sets foot in the jungle. Then, the beach seems to widen to the point where you can't even see the ocean anymore. You're surrounded by sand. And the sun keeps beating down upon you, making you feel sticky, sweaty, and miserable.
Another forty minutes go by and you're still trekking across the sand with Bura. Then, about fifty feet ahead of you you see some outlines of what looks like tents. You rub your eyes, is it a mirage?
As you edge closer, you find that it's not. It's a small village, mainly comprised of yurts and large tents. You see men, women, and children all with the same dark skin and ruggedness as Bura. You realize that this must be Bura's village.
A tall, bald-headed man with a large scar on the left side of his face walks up to you both and eyes you suspiciously. The man is a couple feet taller than Bura, making him almost giant-like.
The bald man waits a minute, sizing you up and then turns to Bura. "Who is this?" he asks.
You decide to speak for yourself and you tell the bald man your name, along with what you've been through on this island so far. The man's expression doesn't change at all once you've finished. He looks back at Bura, who nods in confirmation that you're telling the truth.
The bald man then asks Bura "What would you recommend him for?"
Bura shrugs and says "He seems very capable of being a good warrior with his fighting skills. He was able to take me out pretty quick, and I'm sure you remember, Tern, that I haven't been defeated in over five years.
Tern nods his head. "What a skilled person for being so small and meek. Yes, perhaps you could be a good warrior. However, there is another possibility. Maybe you could be a chosen arbiter."
Bura gapes. "Are you sure? This one, an arbiter?"
Tern shrugs. "There's always that possibility." He then fixes his gaze on you. "But I'll leave the choice to you. Do you want to train as a warrior or get tested to see if you can become an arbiter?"