Pick Your Path: Book 1

93

You pick up the amethyst stone, holding it in your hands. The icy topaz dulled slightly as you placed it in your pocket. You turned towards Raven who didn't say a word as a path flickered in the dark forest, as if to guide you. You follow the path curiously, interested in where it lead. By the time you turned around to see if Theo was following, you saw no one. You were along on the path with the clearing before no longer in sight.

" Theo?" your call echos out with no response in return. You turn around in a full circle to see if there was any sign of either Raven or Theo. It only felt like a couple of minutes since you left the clearing, it couldn't have been longer that five minutes.. The clearing would have still been in sight.. You glanced at the glowing amethyst before eventually deciding to let it guide you deeper down the path. You spotted a pair of eyes watching before it vanished the instant you made eye contact. The path flickered faintly with a purple glow before changing to (F/c) and back. You continue the path which eventually lead to a dense path that was covered in bushes and foliage. An intricately carved stone monument sat in the end of the path, ringed with golden marigold around the statue. Moonflowers cascaded down the tails and crawled up the legs of the sculpture, turned silver in the moonlight. Upon closer inspection, the statue was identified as a nine tailed fox and a large wolf locked in an eternal embrace. You held the amethyst up to the fox, illuminating the facial feature of both animals. A pair of golden and a pair of amber brown gems stared back, glistening in the purple light. A sheer drop cliff opened up behind the sculpture, displaying a view of a view of what looked like a dense canopy. Bits of a garden poked out from the ground. Everything seemed well kept and recently visited. By whom? There was no evidence.. Turning back to the statue, you find a bit of writing carefully engraved on the stone that the two animals stood on.

Storm of red, a faithful daughter who stooped at none to save..
Follower of the day and secrecy..
White as snow layed amid her own kind.
Her fur stained with the marks of death brings the calls..
Midnight black stood alone, splattered in precious red of life.
Howling lonesomely for her return under the cover of night.
Golden yellow stands tall, fierce in battle and war.
Marked his pelt with the scars of war, never to be seen again.

You look over the writing again, slightly confused. Who wrote it and why? The place seemed to be a place a place of mourning and a memorial to the fox and the wolf.. You decide to move on and away from the place.

" A memorial.." as you spoke those words, the amethyst stone in your hand brightened. You held it up to the moonlight to see what was happening. The shadows from the forest surged forward, curling and swaying in the form of a black, shapeless form. Claws dragged against the ground as the creature lumbered towards you. You instinctively reach for where Dragon Tear was, only to find it no longer there. You felt the stone in your hand form something so you spared it a glance. To your surprise, a short short sword had formed there, glowing with (F/c) light. You instinctively got ready, watching the monster carefully.

' An opponent always has a weakness, find it. If the enemy is larger than you are, use your small size and make quick attacks. It'll make it harder to hit. When the opponent is faster and more agile, focus more on your defense.. Use your surroundings to your advantage..' Raven's instructions echoed in your mind, ' No matter the opponent, an assassin must be prepared to will at all costs. Give it your all, (Y/n)' your gaze scans over the creature again, seeing the mist curl off it as the glowing white eyes it had locked with yours. Your body freezes out of fear, like a deer caught in the headlights. Moments later, a pair of claws swatted you back into a tree.

"Agh!" You hit with a yelp, the freezing spell gone. You open one of your eyes again only to screw it shut and stand up slowly. You took several deep breaths, attempting to calm down.

' Fear is always going to slow you down. However, used in the right way, and it will help amplify your abilities.' Raven's words instructed quietly in your mind, ' Showing fear will only bring more aggressive attacks.' your head snaps up as you hear the creature practically breathing down your neck and bring the short sword down on it. The creature seemingly wasn't affected as you open your eyes to slits to see if it did anything. The sword had simply gone straight through the creature with no affect. You scramble back, out of reach of the claws. The creature seemed relatively fast and tall with no visible weakness. Your foot steps back into a pool of moonlight the claws swipe, just catching the edge of your arm and drawing blood. The monster walks after you, quickly retreating its arm as it passed through the moonlight. A small hissing and steam erupted from the arm.

" That's it.." you mumble before standing up straight. This creature wasn't something you could fight physically since melee attacks were all you had and they weren't doing any effect. Your best chance at defeat would be to find a patch of moonlight and lure the creature out into it. You turn around, taking off into the forest. You heard the creature chasing close behind. Your eyes scanned the forest for any moonlight of any sort before it clicks. The memorial sight.. You abruptly take a sharp turn, leaping over a stone.

' Speed and dexterity are your best assets, use them to your advantage..' Raven's quiet instructions whispered again as you burst into the path and clearing, tumbling close to the marigold that laid around the statue. The creature burst out behind you, giving a screech as the moonlight hit it. Black mist curled off it as the creature shrunk in size rapidly. You watch as a small, horned creature scampered forward and onto your lap with a squeak. A furred creature laid on your lap, fur puffed tail swaying. You watch it slowly as a flash of (F/c) light surrounded the two of you.

That encounter was a year ago.. You're now a rising assassin in the Kingdom. Raven isn't your mentor any more since she deemed you worthy of going out on your own. Even though she said that, you two have still remained close friends and often shared missions side by side. The creature you had met turned out to be your partner and you were a shapeshifter.

(P/n) stood beside you, horns and tail tip glowing with a bright (F/c) while floating beside you in the air. You were walking away from a recent target who was an aging general from the White Kingdom. He had plans for the upcoming battle and the enemies' battle tactics.

" Nice work, (P/n)." you praise as (P/n) landed on your shoulder for a split second, then jumped off.

" You did just as well, ( Y/n)." a familiar voice praised as Raven stepped out, probably just finishing from a kill herself. The two of you were assigned a list of people that you decided to split up between the two of you. " Let's move on, shall we? We've still got a couple of targets." you nod as you follow along, knowing a heavy weight of he fighting rests on yours and Raven's shoulder. (P/n) swayed along, circling around you. The assassins were the true silent fighters of this war, attacking from the dark to take down the important figures of the opposite team. Not only that, but also free the prisoners that have been captured as well.

Ending: Assassination's Oath

Raven: Someone who truly understands the path we tread on. Assassination isn't something that can be used for fun but a responsibility. It plays an important role in battles, especially in gathering information and taking down major targets. (Y/n) has truly learned that over the years she's spent learning. There aren't many left of our kind, we must preserve this role until we pass on. (Y/n), I hope you stay true to this oath..

Shadow: Well, seems Raven's finally opened up to someone, that's good. We have a new companion to walk the trail that we walk down.. Maybe she'll share the secrets of her garden to (Y/n) when she feels comfortable enough.. Just maybe..

Morphia: Sis finally trusted someone other than me.. That's good, (Y/n) you better make sure to stick to Raven. She's a wonderful friend if you get to know her and get past her normally prickly and cold demeanor. Good luck to you both.