home

search

Decision Tree

  A large ship, full of goods and some passengers, is readying to go up the Nile River.

  Soldiers are around, watching and inspecting.

  Wild exotic animals and goods and poor passengers trying to get away are in queues and lines and groups.

  Amen and Aziza watch as Ziyad is trying to barter their way on to the ship.

  The display over Amen's eyes floats an endless amount information. XP points for grabbing this or that, side missions, weapons to steal and conversations

  to listen to. Various routes of getting to Cairo start to light up around Amen, all with approximate arrival times, and percentages of survival.

  The boat was the only option to make it alive.

  Aziza turns towards Amen.

  His display shows multiple angles of her, so he flicks it all away and turns towards her.

  "Is this all going to plan, Amen?"

  "What plan?"

  "Please tell me you have a plan. You always had a plan."

  "My plans have not been working recently."

  "What HAVE you been up to, Amen?"

  Amen pauses.

  "I did not run away from you," is all he gets out.

  Aziza does not respond.

  Ziyad runs over.

  "They won't take us. Even with the camels and everything. I even offered Aziza.'

  Aziza slaps Ziyad.

  "I'm better looking than any woman here!" Aziza fumes.

  "Tell that to them!" Ziyad snaps back. "It's me. The problem is me."

  "Why?" Amen asks.

  Ziyad lifts his stump.

  "Thief," Ziyad gently says. "But we can WIN our way on to the ship."

  "How?"

  Ziyad points. A small but vicious young fighter is wrapping his hands in the corner.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  This FIGHTER could beat anybody. Not an ounce of fat or fear.

  He starts to glow in Amen's eyes. He sees past fights, his childhood, everything.

  "You or me?" Ziyad asks.

  Suddenly, Amen's world freezes, and a decision tree floats before him. This had only happened once before.

  ZIYAD FIGHTS.

  AMEN FIGHTS.

  Amen looks at the fighter, and briefly sees some of his combinations and finishing moves. Amen and the fighter would both

  die in a match against each other.

  Guilt and shame come over Amen, looking at his cousin, who had given everything for him.

  Amen waves his arm briefly over ZIYAD FIGHTS.

  The world unfreezes.

  "I got it," Ziyad says.

  "He could kill you, cousin."

  "We all die."

  Percentages of survival and success rates flash all around Amen. His guilt rises more.

  Ziyad walks back over towards the fight.

  A small crowd forms.

  The FIGHTER chuckles to himself, while throwing his fists back and forth.

  Ziyad punches his stub and his hand out in front of him.

  "I can't watch this," Aziza says.

  The fighter starts circling Ziyad.

  "Can you stop moving for a second? Thank you."

  The crowd laughs at Ziyad.

  "Snack break?"

  The crowd laughs more.

  Amen smiles.

  Win the crowd.

  The fighter swings. Ziyad moves out of the way. Takes another swing.

  Ziyad jumps out of the way again.

  The fighter fully attacks.

  He jumps. He punches and kicks Ziyad over and over, knocking him back, but Ziyad takes his stub and slams it into his throat.

  The fighter falls back. Ziyad grabs him and THROWS him into a wall of goods and boxes. Chickens and fruit are smashed.

  The audience laughs.

  The fighter hops back up, bloody, and runs at Ziyad full speed.

  Ziyad stands firm.

  This is going to hurt.

  The fighter slams his body into Ziyad and his weight, and hits the ground hard.

  Ziyad then picks him up and throws him...AGAIN.

  The fighter flies high into the air and hits the hard desert ground with a brutal thump.

  The crowd laughs and cheers.

  The fighter’s wranglers grab him and take him away, embarrassed.

  Amen and Aziza come back to Ziyad.

  "Use what you got, right?"

  Amen's displays change color as the ship is welcomed to them, and a new journey opens.

  His survival expectancy climbed as well.

  What does NPC stand for?!

Recommended Popular Novels