Tanner woke with a start. Clearly, in his mind, a message formed. “We will see you today.” So it was today. The test that would determine the path for the rest of his life. It was going to be a hard day.
Living on the outskirts of their village, Hitestle, Tanner and his mother live over her shop in small rooms. His mother is a weaver, like her father before her, and she didn’t like Tanner’s lifelong obsession with magic. But at least it had kept him out of trouble and out of the army after he turned eighteen this year. She had told him was thankful for that.
Tanner dragged himself out of bed and dressed. He stuffed a few things in is knapsack and headed downstairs. In the front of the shop he found his mother already at work.
“I have somewhere to go today, but I don’t know when I’ll be back.” Tanner said, turning his back to her and pretending to look around the store.
She looked up from her work. “Does it have anything to do with magic?” she asked suspiciously. More than once had he used some excuse to get out of working in the shop. He hated weaving and she knew it.
“Sorry mom, I have to go. It’s unavoidable.” He moved to give her a hug. Half-heartedly she hugged him back and returned to her work. Now she would have to work even harder today since she would be by herself.
Without another word, Tanner hurried to the backroom to grab his cloak. Looking at the back door, he remembered, Jack. Jack had been Tanner’s best friend for years. Ever since they had met as boys playing down by the riverside, they had always done everything together, they were closer than brothers. Only Tanner knew Jack’s secret. That he was a shape shifting red dragon. Tanner was to meet Jack out back but he did not know that the test was going to be today. He was unsure of what to do. Should he leave by the back door and meet Jack before the test, or leave out the front of the store and straight to the test of a lifetime?
CHOICE A1 – Go out back door and met Jack.
CHOICE B1 – Go out front door and takes test.
