Pick Your Path: Book 1

64

You dig the crystal shards out of your pocket and examine them. Maybe they light up? As the faint moonlight shone on the crystals, they emitted a faint glow of each color. Amethyst stone shone purple and the icy topaz shone blue. You hold the stones up, taking a look around you. The part of the forest you were in was very dense, trees were practically on top of each other. The undergrowth covered most of the trees roots, so it will be very hard to maneuver around the trees even with light. Nonetheless, you push forward and carefully begin to pick your way through the trees. You kept a careful eye for any more traps that Raven might have set. You've already gotten this far, there was no reason to turn around. You find a note hidden in the lower branches of a tree. It was too high so you couldn't reach it by jumping.

" Arf!" you turn around, holding out the crystals in search of the canine. A dark brown and black German Shepard stood amid the trees behind you. It bounded up to you, it's tail waving in the air behind it. It holds its tail up, similar to what a puppy eiuld do. Its mismatched eyes glowed int the moonlight, reflecting a sea green and an icy blue. You watch it, wearily as it sits down next to you. " Is there something up there?" he asked. So he's a half-breed. Why could he be here? " I think I see a note up there.. Maybe it's just me."

" No.. You're right, there is." you respond holding out crystals to illuminate the note that was wedged in a branch. The puppy walks up to the tree, placing his paws against the trunk.

" I'll get it!" he then leaps up, digging his claws into the bark of the tree. He claws his way up the trunk and onto the branch the note was on. He slides froward on his belly towards the note, reaching a paw out to snag the note. His claws catch the edge of the note and with a swift flick, he scrambled down from the tree with the note in his jaws. As his paws touch the ground, he changes into his human form with a faint glow of blue. A pair of large mismatched eyes shone, light silver hair fluttered over his sea green eye as he walked over with the note.

(Y/n),

Moonstorm's flight you shall follow.

Allied with an unlikely friend.

Amethyst or cobalt, may your choice be wise.

Follow courage and you shall find your way.
                                                                                            Shadow

" Moonstorm?" the boy behind you tilted his head to the side, " What's that supposed to mean?"

" Maybe it's a thing?" you recall the last note, " That's what happened last time.."

" Was that note from Shadow?" the boy asked, " By the way I'm Theo."

" I'm (Y/n)." you respond, " And no, it was from Raven."

" Then there's a good chance that it isn't a thing." Theo reasoned, " Raven tries to incorporate many things into her training. Shadow probably picked a place or a person." you nod, agreeing with him.

" Do you know any places called Moonstorm?"

" Um.. You see, I don't usually stay around this part of the Kingdom." Theo shrugged, " Sorry.."

" It's fine." you look around, using the light of the crystals to light the way. You think about the rest of the note, ' Cobalt or Amethyst? An unlikely ally?' wait is the unlikely ally.. " Hey Theo? Did Raven send you here to train?"

" She did and she told me to look for a fellow comrade." he responded.

" I think we solved part of the note.." you said, smiling slightly. " We found the 'ally'." he nods before stiffening, his puppy ears flicked forward as he heard something up ahead. A snowy white bird hooted from a nearby branch. 

" What's that doing here?"

" It's an hawk, it's supposed to be here."

" No it isn't. Most hawks in this part of the forest are dark colored not white." Theo reasoned. The hawk squawked again flapping it's wings, fluttering to a branch a couple of feet away. You spot something shiny attached to it's left foot, almost like a a tag of some sort.

" Theo.. There's a tag on the hawk's foot." you tap his shoulder.

" Do you think that's Moonstorm?" he looks at the hawk who was still sitting there, waiting.

" Possibly.." you follow the hawk with Theo trailing behind you, ears perked in search of a hidden someone. The hawk flutters from branch to branch until it arrives at a clearing, where it flies into the outstretched hand of a hooded figure. The hooded figure gently strokes the hawk's head feathers as it lands. You feel her eyes, hidden under her hood, watch you and Theo.

" What next?"

" We need to choose.." you bring out the amethyst and blue topaz stones. " Cobalt or amethyst.."

" Cobalt of amethyst?" Theo looked at each one of the stones. " How do we know who picks which stone?"

" I'm not sure.." you admit. ' Follow courage and you shall find your way..'. What was that supposed to mean? Follow courage? How is that supposed to connect to this choosing of the two stones?

Choose the icy topaz? Choose page 92

Choose the amethyst? Continue to page 93

(Y/n) and Theo have made it to the area. Theo's put a good act, I have to say I'm impressed with how much he's improved with his acting. Moonshine played her part exceptionally as well. She loves to be part of the training. ~R

I think (Y/n)'s doing well for her first training. She didn't immediately turn back when she stumbled through the traps, nor at the dark passage through the forest. I think she'll make a great apprentice with that determination to anyone. All we wait for now is what crystal she chooses. ~S