Magic in the Morning

Hey guys, it's been a while! This is a new story I'm working on, and it's definitely not finished! It's a fantasy set in an alternate dimension in a magic world. That's all you get! It's vague on purpose ;)Leave a comment if you have some suggestions for me!

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I woke with a start and immediately jumped up in bed. My heart was pounding. “Today’s the day!” I whispered to myself. I glanced at my horo. It was half past seven. Right on schedule. My little sister Harper was still asleep in the bunk below mine, but I couldn’t wait for her to get up to begin my day. I was too excited; I could feel my heart pounding right out of my chest.

I scrambled down the ladder to the floor as quickly as I could. I grabbed my finest cloak and a fresh tunic. I pulled my knee-high brown boots on as I hopped towards the door, trying to be quiet. When I finally pulled on my second boot and threw the scarlet cloak over my shoulders, I ripped the door open and bolted down the ancient marble steps. Before I even reached the bottom, I slapped my palm against my forehead.

“I forgot my wand!” I chuckled at my foolishness. On my big day, too! I ran back upstairs, snatched my wand from its resting place, and took a breath. I needed to calm down. I closed my eyes and felt the air fill my lungs. I slowly blew the air out. It wouldn’t do to make any more silly mistakes like that again today.

“Raven! Come on! You need to eat breakfast and then head to the market immediately! If you don’t get there early, all the good ones will be gone! And come see me before you go!” My dad called from the kitchen.

“Coming Dad! I was just grabbing my wand!” I knew that my father’s stature in town would ensure that I got a good Beast but I didn’t want to take any chances. I checked my satchel for my wand, my horo, my birth certificate, and Mom’s necklace before I finally rushed out the door. I was going to make a break for the courtyard before my father caught me.

“Raven, come here.” He insisted. I slowly slunk towards the kitchen. I hated it when my dad got sentimental. It only meant I would get sentimental and today I wanted to be happy.

“You’ve turned sixteen now, Raven. Today your Beast will choose you as their companion for the rest of your lives. You two will form a friendship that will last forever.” At that he reached back to stroke his own Beast, a red panda clinging to his shoulder.

I wondered what kind of Beast I would get. A raven, like Mom’s, would be nice. But honestly I would have been alright with anything that moved. I wasn’t picky.

“You’re moving on to the next stage of your life.” He sniffled and looked down at the floor. “Your mother would be so proud of the young woman you’ve become. I know she’s watching over us from wherever she is.”

I smiled at that. Mom would be proud of me, I think. I’d like to say I was just like her. But no one was as brave, headstrong, stubborn, kind, and understanding as she was. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her. I shook these thoughts away. I needed to focus right now. It was time for me to go.

“Thank you, Dad. I love you so much.” I told him, my eyes sparkling with salty tears. I wasn’t very good at expressing my feelings, but I think he got the message. I cleared my throat. “But now I really have to go, okay?”

“Go get ‘em, Raven. That’s my girl,” he murmured, his voice trailing off. I couldn’t stick around though, I really had to leave.

“Bye Dad! Tell Harper I’ll make her dinner tonight when I get home.” And with that, I rushed out the door before anything else could stop me.