The Unseen World (Preview)

Chapter 5: Realm of Familiars

On the opposite side of the portal there was a small clearing surrounded by trees on all sides and a mountain in the distance, towering over the tops of the trees in front of the portal. William stepping out of the veil drew Sophie's attention to her right where, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small stream, trickling through where the clearing and forest met.

After a quick scan of the area, William said, "If you look closely it looks like there are paths that others have taken to find their way around. It seems like following the stream is the most popular route."

Taking a closer look at the ground near the stream Sophie realized that William was right. The grass was worn flat as if it had been walked across often and some spots had lost their grass. "You're right about this area being walked across often. However, any of the creatures here could have done this to lure others into a false sense of security. Remember, not all of the creatures here are friendly."

William's eyes, now shining with worry, widened a little bit, "I didn't take that into consideration. If you hadn't said something, I would've suggested we follow the stream."

"I know, that's why I brought it up," Sophie replied.

Opening the same pouch from before, Sophie pulled out a purple crystal. Lightly kicking off the ground, Sophie hovered in the air just over the treetops. The canopy of the forest between them and the mountain gradually got denser before it turned white and was covered in snow about a third of the way through. The snow-covered area covered the other two thirds of the forest before the forest and the snow abruptly stopped at the base of the mountain. With how far away she was Sophie was unsure if the small dark areas dotting the mountain's sides were caves or simply shadows from jagged rocks jutting out the mountainside.

Lowering herself to the ground Sophie said, "Let's head to the mountain. If we get there fast enough the elevation can give us a better view of the area if we come here again."

"Sure. Straight through or are we going to risk following the stream?"

"Straight through will be faster and give us more time in case we run into anything."

"Then let's go and not waste anymore time," William responded, and they headed into the forest.

About five minutes into the forest the canopy became so thick and the trees so dense the only light they could see was in small patches that were few and far between. Suddenly William grabbed Sophie's arm and jerked her to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Sophie asked.

"See that patch of light? I thought I saw something move out of the corner of my eye," he responded. Then Sophie heard William take a deep breath and as he let it out she felt a shift in the air around them. "We're not alone. Who's there?"

What Sophie thought was a branch moved and she realized it was actually a pair of antlers attached to a large black caribou with dark grey markings. "My name is Panzer," a male voice answered. "Who are you?"

"My name is William, and this is Sophie," William introduced.

"You wouldn't happen to be the same Panzer that was part of the Silverthorne pack are you?" Sophie asked.

"You mean the pack that betrayed me and sold me to the people who throw criminals in here, just because I'm a rare black were-ibou?" Panzer asked angrily. "Then yes I'm the same one."

Sophie was horrified by what Panzer said, and William was worried Panzer might attack her for being part of the Silverthorne pack. "What are you talking about? My dad runs the pack, I'm pretty sure he would've told me."