Pick Your Path: Book 1

42

You decide to follow Raven in her path. You carefully slip out of the window and slide down the oak tree to the ground. You walk for some time, not sure which was Raven went. A dark shadow leaped overhead, a purple cloak fluttering in the wind as she landed in the branch of a nearby tree. The full moon above illuminated her dark grey tail tip as it swayed behind her. She leaped to the next tree branch. You follow her from the ground.

" Hopefully Morphia won't mind me leaving.." you thought, losing sight of Raven for a heartbeat. She reappeared on a branch, lit by the full moon. Her tail hung off the branch as she looked back to the house, which was pretty far away by now. It barely visible from where you were.

" Good.." an icy voiceeeping over the area like a chilly breeze. " We should be far enough from the house."

" Alright" you hear Raven whisper before she changed into her wolf-fox form. Her dark grey ears shone a shimmery silver as she walked out of the shadows of the leaves and canopy. Her tail swayed behind her as her head tilts skyward sending out a chilling and haunting howl. It was enchanting but at the same time, it held a hint of fierceness to it. 

" It should come at any second, now.." the ice voice instructed once Raven stopped. As the voice spoke, a loud roar echoed through the forest. " Yep, there it is. Go on, it should work if we've done it correctly." Raven's tail arched gracefully behind her as she walked toward the edge of the branch. Amethyst and lilac energy slowly coiled, traveling up from her paws to her shoulders as she padded to the edge, fully in the moonlight. The energy stretched out in the rough shape of feathered wings, flaring open as the energy faded away. A pair of dark, deep amethyst wings swayed lightly in the breeze, glowing a pale silvery lilac in the moonlight. They looked slightly transparent, but at the same time solid.. A loud roar sounded again from somewhere in the forest. " Well done.. I see it works quiet well." the ice voice came back, " Now we can go meet him." Raven leaped, lightly off the branch and fluttered elegantly into the sky. You follow her from the ground, careful not to be spotted by her watchful eyes.

Raven's POV

I skimmed over the tops of the trees, feeling the cool leaves snag my paws. 

" Want to try some stunts, Raven?" Shadow's voice whispered in my mind.

" Why not?" I responded, telepathically and flexed my wings. I soared above the trees before diving back down into the leaves. I dove past the canopy and in between two branches, weaving in between the branches, leaving a faint streak of lilac behind. The trees gradually cleared as I approached a clearing, the scent of fresh water lingered in the air. Flaring my wings, I changed my flight and soared up into the open air. I hovered in the air, taking in the scene before me. A crystal clear lake sat in the center of a clearing. The grass rippled like a sea of green. I closed my eyes as I felt the night wind ruffle my fur. A familiar scent entered the air as I spotted a pale feline climbing his way to the top of a large boulder overlooking the lake. His white fur swayed in the wind as he leaped to the top. Emerald green eyes shone with warmth and affection as he spotted me hovering in the sky. His leopard patterned tail swayed as he took his human form with a glow of green. I tucked my wings in and plunged towards the lake. My paws skimmed over the water as I flapped twice to fly upwards, past the boulder.

 " Alistair!" I landed gracefully on the boulder in human form, wings disappearing into shimmery dust, before jumping into his arms.

" Whoa, hey, Purrincess..!" he purred wrapping his arms around me, " I see someone missed me dearly."

" Where gave you been..?!" I asked " You've been out of contact for several months..!"

" Just completing a mission. Nothing to worry about, Purrincess.." he purrs, his leopard tail quietly twined with mine. " I just had to go somewhere out of the kingdom." 

" But why haven't you've been answering the messages?" I tipped my head up to gaze at his emerald eyes. So he was being honest? We sat down at the edge of the boulder.

" Where I go, there is no message that can reach there." he responds, " Also, I have something for you."

" Sure, what is it?" he holds out a gift, tied and wrapped with a purple ribbon. I glance at him with confusion before opening the gift. " Oh, Alistair...! You didn't have to..!"

Back to your POV

You spot Raven hovering above a lake, as you go to investigate, you find Raven landing elegantly next to another half-breed. Her wings dispersing in a cloud of lavender dust. A silvery white leopard half-breed with emerald eyes greets Raven with a purr. The two of them sit down at the edge of the boulder before Alistair, the leopard, brings out a gift for Raven.

" Oh, Alistair...! You didn't have to..!" Raven's gift was a shiny silver flute. It shone as the moonlight reflected off it's wooden surface. A lilac charm dangled of the end of the flute, but you were too far away to make out what it was.."

" You like it?" Alistair asked, " Why don't you give it a test run?"

" Alright.." Raven closes her eyes, nervously brings the flute to her mouth and begins to play. ( The video is the song..) As she plays, the shadows around her and Alistair shift and begin to form the shapes. The shadows formed the black shape of a beautiful dragon that flew around the two of them. It dived into invisible waves, leaping back out. Three other bird like shapes joined the dragon. They flew around chasing each other and the dragon, fighting with attacks of what looked like elemental attacks. All of the shapes faded as the song came to an end. Alistair shakes his head as it comes to an end. Raven stared at the flute in shock and surprise.

" That's what makes it so special, Raven. " Alistair purrs, his tail gently twined around Raven's tail. " It fuses with the owner's specialty and it can be used in combat and attacks." Raven looked up to meet his gaze, " Do you like it?"

" I... I love it, Ali.. Thank you." the gap between the two started to close..

" The're going to kiss..?!" you thought, failing to stifle a surprised yelp. Alistair's ear twitches as you yelp. He pulls away from Raven.

" It appears we have an eavesdropper." he growls before picking Raven up in his arms.

" H-hey..! A-Alistair, put me down..!" Raven protests as he carried her.

" We're going to go somewhere else, Purrincess.." he growls before the space around the two half-breeds becomes distorted and warped. Both half-breeds disappeared as the space stopped being distorted.

" What was that about..?" you wonder out loud, " Who's Alistair and why did the space where he and Raven stood become distorted?"

Continue to page 62

A/n- I'm assuming that the majority found the reference to an anime in this chapter.. It's really not that hard. Think you know where the reference if? Who they are?