The Path Before Us

Approaching the abandoned village

## Trophies

*Château d'Ombrage... It's amazing...*
Amicia, in awe of the castle

"**The Path Before Us**" is the seventh chapter of *A Plague Tale: Innocence*. Major elements in the lore are explored as well as more means to combat rats and humans alike.

## Plot

### Synopsis

>  The Inquisition paid the English garrison a ransom to get to Hugo and Amicia. Luckily, Amicia and the boy managed to escape the camp with the unexpected help of the two young raiders they met earlier: Mélie and her brother Arthur. He stayed behind to create a diversion.
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### Summary

The sun is beginning to set over the forest several hours after Amicia, Hugo, and Mélie escaped from the English Army's camp. Breathless, they stop for a moment and learn that their friend Lucas is alive and waiting for them near the Château d'Ombrage, their final destination. Hugo expresses joy at this, having taken a liking to Lucas. When Amicia voices concern for Mélie's brother Arthur, who got separated from them at the camp, Mélie jokingly warns that she should not develop feelings towards him and that he would break her heart.

Following the young thief, they continue down the forest trail along a stream, crossing through an abandoned water mill. They catch sight of the aqueduct they were following the day before and come across the remains of a village that Mélie says was destroyed in a single night some years before, stating the area is cursed and that the castle is probably in little better shape. Hugo suffers another headache, stating that it feels like something is growing inside him, and Amicia carries him while trying to explain to Mélie what is going on. The thief guides them to a lair hidden underneath one of the ruined buildings where she and Arthur have been staying. She explains a little about her and her brother's past, both having run away from their abusive father and turned to their trade to survive. She is surprised to learn the children are bereft, informing them that Lucas had gotten them to rescue Amicia and Hugo with the promise of payment, but accepts the situation and offers them a place to rest and wait for Arthur.

After a short nap, they are awoken by the sound of Inquisition soldiers searching the village above and try to sneak away but are blocked by an enemy wearing a helmet. Mélie shares a trick with Amicia: Devorantis, a corrosive mixture of alcohol and saltpeter that burns on contact, forcing the enemy to remove his helmet and exposing his head to a killing blow. Like Ignifier, it can either be shot from the sling or thrown by hand.

Further along, they come across a soldier having captured Lucas waiting to send him to the town Bastion to be interrogated, but Amicia takes out the soldier, they are all reunited and continue towards the castle's location. The children find a crashed Inquisition cart and a small swarm of plague rats blocking their way now that the sun has gone down, but Lucas reveals a new creation: Luminosa, a byproduct of Ignifer using saltpeter, alcohol, and leather that creates a searing flash of fire, killing the closest rats and scattering the rest. It does not need an existing flame and can be used anywhere, although it burns out quickly.

Following the aqueduct's channel, their path seemingly comes to a dead end, but Mélie uncovers a carefully hidden tunnel that opens into an enormous underground cavern and lake. Man-made structures like wooden walkways and a reaction ferry indicate people once used this area. While crossing, Amicia and Hugo bond a bit, with Amicia joking about sea monsters and both recalling that their mother, Béatrice, once said: "*monsters are those things to which we have never given a name.*"

Passing a door, they come across a curiously designed trap with a sliding brazier and a trench with a pitfall in the middle. Using the light, rats can be forced into the pit where they get stuck, eliminating them as a threat. Lucas points out that it looks ancient, meaning that the rats may not simply be a recent phenomenon. The trap works perfectly, allowing the children to proceed down the tunnel past another door which opens into the outside, revealing, in the distance, the Château d'Ombrage at long last. They follow a cliff-side path pocketed with groups of rats, but the flashes of lightning from the storm overhead drives them into their holes temporarily, and the children finally reach the castle. Although in a state of disrepair, areas appear dry despite the storm and the courtyard contains a number of functional traps, rolling braziers, and a large pit which the children use to clear the area. Building a fire in the living quarters, the children have a well-earned rest, finally able to enjoy some peace in their new home as the scene fades to black.

Navigation

* I – The de Rune Legacy
* II – The Strangers
* III – Retribution
* IV – The Apprentice
* V – The Ravens' Spoils
* VI – Damaged Goods
* VII – **The Path Before Us**
* VIII – Our Home
* IX – In the Shadow of Ramparts
* X – The Way of Roses
* XI – Alive
* XII – All That Remains
* XIII – Penance
* XIV – Blood Ties
* XV – Remembrance
* XVI – Coronation
* XVII – For Each Other