Shemaru

"I think we should get new weapons, maybe some supplies and food. We won't survive too long without food. And say we lose the first battle if we attack them now, and we only have three guys left. They'll all be poorly equppied and without food. We should get food and weapons." You feel proud of yuorself, you expressed your reasons quite eloquently.

"Fine," Janis responds. "We'll go get some food. I know a good place east of here. If you take out your maps and-"

"Wait!" a boy with auburn hair and eyes of the same color cuts in, "Why should we go get food? We could end this now! Sure, it'd be a risk, but that'd be the easiest way to clinch this competition. I say we go attack now."

"Who are you?" Janis asks him.

"Stuart Ingorian," the boy replies cockily.

"Well, I'm sorry Stuart, but I told this boy he'd be be able to make this decision. We'll stick with what he said. Perhaps next time we'll listen to your opionion. For now, shut up."

Stuart listens to this, and takes a step back, finding it harder to regain his composure this time. "Fine," he says dully. "We'll get some food."

"That's right," continues Janis, "So now, if you'll all please take out your maps. Zoom in on the green dot, that's where we are now. Our base camp."

You retrieve your electronic map and zoom in on the dot specified. You are surprised to see your map totally change, you're now looking at a large green dot and the surrounding countryside.

"As you can see, we're surrounded by forests. Now, we'll simply make a straight line east. That's where an orchard and a store is. We'll get all our food from there."

Janis leads the group as you begin to trek east. For the most part, the trip is silent. The eight of you travel in a single-file line, gripping your swords in case the enemy attacks.

You enter a deeper part of the woods. The vines seem to enclose you, the forest appears to swallow you up. Within only a few strides, your few of the sun is obscured. Darkness enshrouds you and your companions.

Suddenly, out of the nearby brush, a huge beast jumps and assaults your group. The monster is a minotaur! In the very faint light, you make out horns and the body of a bidepal bull.

The minotaur takes a swipe at Janis, who nimbly dodges out of the way. However, the boy behind Janis is not so lucky. The minotaur's club catapults him gruesomely into the air, tossing his dead body onto the ground.

You have to do something! Your team will be decimated!