Pick Your Path: Book 1

32

" This is it." you and Lauren emerge from the bushes to the Half-Breed border. The trees were definitely denser on the half-breed side, but other than that, there was no main difference between the two sides of the border.

" Hey." Morphia emerges from the undergrowth a few feet away from you. Raven wasn't with her. 

" Maybe it's for the best..." you thought, " She's the type of person to be silent but deadly, so it's probably good not to have her around at all times." she makes you slightly nervous, after you saw what she was capable of.

" Raven's not coming today?" Lauren asks, she didn't seem to care though.

" No, she isn't." Morphia responds" Well.. Uh, she didn't exactly return home yesterday.." Morphia hesitantly responded, " To be honest, I'm not sure where she is right now.. I'm planing on looking for her maybe later today."

" She didn't return?" Morphia turned to greet a light pink and white fox who was emerging from the opposite side of the border.

" So you decided to come after all." the fox greets you and the others. " And you brought company." her indigo eyes turned to you. " The person wants to see you is just beyond the trees." Nan flicks her tail to the trees behind her. 

" Wait, (Y/n), are you sure about this?" Lauren asks, reaching out to grab your hand, " You never know if this is a trap.."

" I'm sure." you gently move her hand away, " I'll be fine." you walk past Nan and continue forward. You hear Morphia and Lauren follow you but Nan stops them.

" Only (Y/n) may go." you hear her growl.

" That's not fair!"

" Why?!" you hear Lauren and Morphia protest but somehow, Nan was able to keep them back. You pick you way around the trees, continuing deeper into the dense forest. After picking your way through the forest for a while, you come across the shadow of a person leaning against an alder tree. So she was right, a person was waiting for you. He turns as you approach.

" You're (Y/n), I presume?" his ashy red hair swayed as he gets up from where he leaned against the tree. You notice a glowing necklace hanging from his neck. The figure on it looked similar to a cross between a fox and a coyote.

" I-I am.." you respond, " And you're..?"

" Sori." he quickly replies, " From what I've heard about you, you seemed to be a decent choice."

" A decent choice?" what did he mean by that? Maybe it was for a job? But you weren't a professional of any sort...

" An appren-"

" (Y/n)!" you hear running as Lauren yells your name.

" Don't go with him!" Morphia growls from behind Lauren. A pink and white fox leaps on top of her.

" Sori, get out of here. Now!" Nan snaps, knocking Morphia to the ground. " GO!" you feel Sori begin to drag you away by your hand. Nan had stopped Lauren and was fighting her, Morphia was a heap of fur a little away from the fight. She didn't seemed injured though... Maybe Nan knocked her out?

"Pay attention to where you're going, (Y/n)." you feel Sori tug your hand as you two pick up speed. You narrowly avoid crashing into a tree, but get slapped by a dangling branch. You yelp in surprise as it hit. Your foot catches a stray root as you try and regain balance. A flash of fur slides underneath you and races off with you on it's back.

"( Y/n)!" you hear Lauren run through the undergrowth and Nan hurriedly chasing after her. You look behind you to see Nan jump in the way of Lauren, her light pink and white tail bristling with anger. You quickly race away from the scene.

Sori stops as noon came and the sun's rays heated up the forest. He drops you at the base of a tree and lays down, a little away from you, next to a river.

" You still haven't answered the question."

" What?" Sori looks up, a drop of water drips down his muzzle.

" A decent choice for what?"

" Oh, that." his ashy red tail brushes the ferns behind him as he pads over to you. " An apprentice."

" A-apprentice?!" why would you make a good choice for an apprentice?! " W-why?!" he didn't answer that..

" Hey Sori?" a pink and white fox walks out of the undergrowth, she had a small cut on her ear. Other than that, she seemed okay. " Done here.. Where to next?"

 " We stay here until sunset. Then head back to the camp." Sori responds. " I'm not sure how well Don will react to (Y/n) though.."

" Who cares what he thinks." Nan retorts, " His opinion doesn't matter. He's the worse leader you could ever meet anyway." she settles across to you, against another tree, and curled her tail over her forepaws. She yawns and tucks her muzzle behind her tail.

" Here." Sori passes you a piece of meat, venison. " Eat, we'll be staying here for a while." You quietly munch on it, wondering where he got it from. Maybe he prepared it ahead of time?

" Where did you get-?"

" A friend." he interrupts, tossing a piece of meat over to Nan " A friend stopped by earlier to give it me."

" Thanks." Nan catches the food and begins to gnaw on one end of it. Wonder who could this friend be? Maybe he or she is a rogue of some sort? It didn't taste like it was from any of the kingdoms.. You close your eyes and let your thoughts wander. Who knew you would end up in this situation..?

Continue to page 48

Sori's got his eyes on an apprentice.. Whoever it is, I hope they do well. Stopped by to make sure he had everything prepared and ready to go. If he was to keep this apprentice, he would have to get past Lauren first. Nan wanted to come along too, so that makes the work so much more easier. Good luck with your apprentice, Sori.. ~S