"Trials of Gaia" is a choose your own adventure story starring an adventurer brave enough to attempt the perilous Trials of Gaia.  Our hero will gain the power of a demigod if they succeed, but most fail along the way and live the rest of their lives out in the realm of the trials.

(This series is released two months early on Patreon with Patron votes determining what happens in the next part! Sexy stuff starts in part 2; this one is mostly setup.  Our MC will get turned into a girl and various different monster girls and such throughout the story)

Read part 2 here!
[MTF, CYOA story series] - Trials of Gaia: Part 2

Read up to part 3 of Trials of Gaia two months early on Patreon!  $5 patrons also gain voting power in this CYOA series!
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Read stories, captions, CYOA stories, etc, two up to two months early on patreon!  See my public welcome post for details on my content an benefits!
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Trials of Gaia: Part 1 "Chalce the Healer"

Gareth plunged through the portal as a cacophony of multi-colored light enveloped him. "Ahhh!" He screamed out, feeling like he was getting stretched out and spun in all directions. All he could do was clench his fists and close his eyes, wishing it would end. He was a human mercenary of above-average height with short, messy brown hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. He wore basic but very well-made brown leather equipment.

He would earn demigod-like power if he could overcome the Trials of Gaia. Those who passed the trials and returned were revered as heroes, with many becoming great kings or scholars who profoundly impacted history.

As he traveled through the portal, he focused on the journey ahead to stave off the all-consuming vertigo. From what he understood, the Trials of Gaia took place in a seemingly endless labyrinth of interconnected dimensions or planes of existence. To pass the trials, one must find the dimension containing the home of the great deity, Gaia. The few who have returned alive have consistently refused to divulge too much information.

Once in a great while, seemingly at random, any sapient being can wake up with a glowing white rune depicting a great tree somewhere on their body. At that point, the mark-bearer has one year to start the trials before the rune fades, and they lose their chance.

Gareth suddenly felt the cold, sandy floor beneath him as he was unceremoniously deposited somewhere unknown. "Ugh..." He grunted, finding himself flat on his back. He shakily stood and straightened his brown leather greaves and tunic. 

Upon briefly scanning his surroundings, he saw floating crystals all around him and a starry night sky stretched across the horizon. Just as he comprehended that he was in a strange desert, he was taken off guard by sudden shouting.

"C-- Could my eyes be deceiving me? Another person!!" A high, feminine voice desperately cried.

Gareth turned to see a petite woman wearing a black, long-sleeved, button-up blouse with gold buttons and accents. She wore a short skirt, thigh-high boots, and a beret-like hat with black bows. "Miss, are you okay?" He asked, taking a hesitant step forward. The girl before him had bright orange eyes and hair, the latter of which was braided into two long twin-tails. She was trembling as tears fell from her face, so Gareth didn't get the impression she was dangerous. Still, though, he kept his hand upon the hilt of the short sword strapped to his hip. Those who didn't exercise caution during the Trials of Gaia would surely regret it.

The girl collapsed to her knees a few yards from Gareth and clutched the ground. She stared up with wide eyes, snot running from her nose. "I am almost out of food…  I barely reached a safe spot, but I'll die of starvation!" She yelled, biting her lower lip. "I-- I only have two potions left as well."

Gareth let out a low sigh and relaxed his grip on the sword. He scratched his brown beard stubble before taking off his leather rucksack and opening it. After a moment, he pulled out a small burlap pouch and removed something resembling a small cookie. "These are fairy-made. Just an ounce or two will fill your stomach for a day. Maybe you could answer some of my questions?" He suggested.

The girl immediately perked and stood to her feet, still trembling. "You're serious!? Etepan!?" She took several steps forward, reaching her hand out with wide eyes. "Let me see that-- please…" Etepan was an invaluable food source for travelers.

Gareth stepped back, ripping off a small piece. "Here. This should be enough to help you feel better. I'm Gareth, by the way."

She snatched the piece and downed it in an instant. After a few seconds, she stopped trembling. "I-- I can feel it! Energy is already returning to me!" She flexed her arms and let out a triumphant laugh. "Hahaha! I live another day!" Her hips cheerfully swayed as she spoke.

"Do you have a camp set around here? Also, I still don't have a name." Gareth scanned the horizon in every direction. Far to his left, he saw the entrance to an immense crystal cavern in the distance, which gave off an eerie orange glow. To his right, he saw a body of water a mile or two away, which also had a similar orange glow far out and beneath the surface. The sand around him glistened with a pale blue and purple luster, each floating crystal giving off a faint light and a hum.

"I'm the great fledgling alchemist, Chalce!" She immediately replied, placing a hand on her hip as she flashed a peace sign. "I set up a camp right over here," she insisted, gesturing for Gareth to follow.

He nodded and trailed behind Chalce, keeping his hand to his sword hilt and his senses fine-turned. The words' great' and 'fledgling' seemed contradictory, but he kept his mouth shut. They walked to a nearby area with massive crystal spires jutting from the ground. After maneuvering around them, they reached a clearing with a campsite. A tent was pitched, along with a campfire and a few supplies. 'She must have brought conjuring scrolls with her,' he mused. With enough money, one could pay a skilled mage of spatial magic to seal away objects into scrolls; this girl must have had deep pockets, connections to someone with prestige, or the ability to make such scrolls herself. She might prove to be helpful.

"You can sit here…" She sat down on a crystal spire that had toppled onto its side. It was the perfect size to function as a bench.

Gareth nodded and sat next to Chalce, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to guess that you're also taking the Trials of Gaia." One of the few positives of this ordeal was that you weren't competing directly with other trailers. Anyone who made it to the end would pass and gain great power. While rare, there had been reports of two or three people simultaneously emerging as victors.

"Uh-huh!!! I'm going to pass and bring glory to my family!" She beamed, nearly hopping in excitement as she pumped her fists.

Gareth raised an eyebrow, not wishing to match her energy. "Tell me what you know. Where are we? Have you figured anything out?"

Chalce was eager to elaborate. She had been undergoing the trials for a few weeks and ended up separated from a companion. After that, she lost most of her supplies in some kind of monster attack. After a period of wandering, she found an exit that led to this strange crystal desert. She wasn't much of a fighter but was a talented alchemist in her own right who specialized in transmogrification.

She went on to explain she had scouted three potential exits for the crystal desert. Apparently, that orange glow strongly indicated the existence of a portal that would allow them to continue their journey. To the west, a great crystal cavern extended underground. Chalce attempted to delve into its depths, but the air quickly grew too cold for most mortal beings to withstand. She also made it to the lake's shore but would have had to dive into the water to look for the entrance, leaving her susceptible to monster attacks and drowning.

"Finally, if you look up, you'll see a small island floating in the sky, way above us," Chalce added, glancing upward as she pointed.

Gareth followed her finger and saw it; a fractured, floating island with an orange radiance. It was impossible to see what sat atop the island from his angle.

"Okay, so we have three choices. A cave with dangerous, frigid air, a lake of unknown danger, and an island in the sky." Gareth put a hand on his chin and furrowed his brow. Which option was best?

"I have two potions left…  I was saving them for a last resort since I'm not sure if they'll even work, and I could die if I tried and failed to make it to an exit," Chalce said quietly as her demeanor grew severe. "You're strong, right? I can tell-- you kill monsters all the time, don't you!?" She demanded, clasping her hands around Gareth's as she gave him a pleading look.

Gareth frowned and pulled his hand away. "I'm pretty confident in my abilities, yes. Tell me about these potions of yours." He had been taught to remain calm and logical in all situations.

Chalce giggled, hopping to her feet as she pulled out a tightly bound scroll. "I have them saved right here. If you're as strong as I think you are, there's one path, in particular, I think we might be able to handle with the help of my potions’ transformative effects!"

Gareth wondered if good luck or fate brought him to Chalce. "Fine. Let's hear your plan, Miss Chalce," he said politely, wishing for her to get to the point.

"With pleasure!" Chalce quickly replied.


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Read part 2 here!
[MTF, CYOA story series] - Trials of Gaia: Part 2