SPIRIT ANIMALS FANS MUST READ!!! I created a idea for Spirit Animals series #3

Prologue: 12 years ago...

THE PATH TO POWER

A strong breeze blew past a large ship that rode over the churning ocean, its sails whipping back and forth. Waves as high as towers threw themselves against the side in an attempt to sink the vessel. A large moon glowed above, the sky bright with light, reflecting over the wooden structure.

A man with tousled hair and wearing a white cloak stepped out onto the deck. Two others followed him, their steps quick. "Where are we going?" Asked the blond haired woman, her short hair flying in the wind. "You have been silent for hours. What are we doing at sea?" She snapped. The man sighed. "Why do you ask so many questions, Mayi?" He remarked bitterly.

"Well, The Silver Revenge don't like to follow a weak leader like you, now do they Anakin?" She spat out.

Drawing his arm out with anger he touched a tattoo that held a striking snake. With a flash, the reptile curled up at his feet and drew its head up to meet her gaze. Its eyes challenged her, as if telling the woman not to challenge its summoner's word.

The woman drew back as the snake flicked out a black tongue, hissing a warning. Mayi stomped her foot angrily, pushing the creature aside as she went over to the railing. The man saw a flash of light as a gray dove perched on her shoulder, chirping softly in her ear. "Yes I know Qua, he can be mean. I only asked because he has sent us in the wrong direction several times before." She muttered, the bird rubbing against her cheek.

The man drew his sword and pointed it at her chest as she turned. "You may either join us, or we could drop you into the sea for the sharks." He yelled over a gust of wind. "I have a plan this time, have faith in me."

He stuttered on the final part, thinking back to the last mission they went on and how many people they had lost. It won't happen again! I have a plan! After we travel to this new place and strike a deal, I will be praised by everyone.

"Anakin's right." Remarked a younger man from Zhong, his hair white as the first snow. An owl flew above his head, its eyes large and dark, looking around with intense focus. "We have to trust him even if we don't know what's going to happen. But we do deserve to know where we are heading."

Anakin sighed and dropped his sword, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Shyaneo, I guess you should. You know that when I touch Zaynian that I get two small glimpses of the future. One path is good, while the other is not." He pointed his finger at the snake who was slithering over and staring at him as if saying, Get on with it. "So about two weeks ago, I got a glimpse of what I should do to keep The Silver Revenge alive and out of The Greencloaks' reach. Off the coast of-" He was stopped when Mayi put up her hand, her eyes becoming bright green. Suddenly the dove raised its voice and fluffed out its feathers. He turned towards the woman and looked at her carefully. "What does Que hear?"

Mayi closed her eyes for a moment then opened them. "The prisoner." She said with a sour tone.

Not again! He thought turning around and marching back across the deck. Anakin yelled sharply and stormed to the stairs, climbing down with Mayi and her bird close behind. Looking in a dark corner of one of the cells, where two figures were, he opened his mouth. "Why can't you be quiet!" He asked. The prisoner raised her head, looking at him, her gaze was tired and tear soaked, then returned to the child that lay in her lap. "He is sick and needs help." She cried. "I don't know how much longer he will last without the right medicine." The small boy had dark tousled hair and brown eyes that fluttered open when Anakin looked at him. But he lay still, feverishly shaking.

"Aidana, you were supposed to keep him healthy." Anakin remarked. "I expected my lover to be better than this."

"Becoming your love interest was a mistake and now our child is sick because you stuck us in a cell!"

"It is all so you will be safe. If you were above deck you could be swept into the water."

"Safe to you means torture."

"All good by me."

"He fell ill, and you have done nothing!" She stopped as her Raven perched on one of her shoulders, tears fell as it cawed.

Anakin watched as she hugged the boy to her chest and rocked, trying to forget where they were. A pain of sorrow hit him like a stone, causing him to lose his balance and grip the wooden bars for support.

"I'm dropping you off at our next stop before we head out. Concorba, there you can find help. I'm tired of keeping you on hand."

Aidana said nothing, only looked up at him to say Thank You.

"The only thing is that you must never speak of The Silver Revenge to others, if you do I will track down our son and he will pay for his mother's foolish mistake."

The woman nodded and brushed a lock of the boy's hair from his face.

"So what did you name him?" The man asked.

"Yeah, what did you name him?" Mayi snicked, her dove cooing a similar taunt.

Aidana answered sharply. "Rollan, his name is Rollan, and hopefully he will always stand up to tyrants like you all."

Anakin smiled, repeating the name in his mind. "Let's hope that he does then." Taking a blade from his pocket the man stepped towards the boy and took his arm. With a smooth slit he cut a line in the child's hand. The woman screamed and pulled the boy back in horror.

"Let that be his reminder that his father is still out here and he's a tyrant. So come find me." With a cruel laugh, the man led Mayi up the stairs, trying not to look back at his once-was family. He heard curses from Aidana, "Never! Never will he know who his father was! You don't deserve a place in his memory!"

Back into the moonlight he saw his spirit animal, its black body shining in the sudden light. "After Concorba, we sail to The Lost Lands where an enemy of Erdas will help us with our ambition. I'm ready for a change."

Mayi's eyes widened. "The lost lands!?"

"There was a myth my parents used to tell me and my brother when we were younger. I don't remember everything, but some bad things happened there in the past." Shyaneo muttered, his owl rounded its head. "But that was even before the Greencloaks, and it might not even be true."

"All I know is we have a good path we are following." He said.

"No one can stop us now! No one!" Mayi screamed to the sky.

"Yes, watch out Erdas, we are coming to get our revenge!" Anakin stated. "Our future is bright, we will rise on top and control everything. Nothing can stand in our way!"

Mayi cracked a chuckle and leaned her back over the side of the black water. "Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!"