Thursday 13 June 2075 1015 Isla's Apartment Seattle
What little you truly know about initiation is barely enough to get you started, but you feel more ready right now than any time earlier. The sleep you have had was the most restful that you can remember and the massage has left you feeling ready for the journey into the unknown that you are about to undertake. Closing your eyes you let yourself slide into a meditative state, not really knowing what to expect. The smell of the coffee on the altar, the feel of the cloak on your body, and the sounds of life outside in the streets are all links to your present.......................until they are not. The smell of dirt and trees replaces the coffee; a light breeze on your skin lets you know that you are unclothed; and the rustling of leaves above you and the tinkling of moving water replace the sounds of the street. Opening your eyes you see that you are sitting naked in a small glen in a woods. From where you are sitting, there is grass stretching out for perhaps thirty feet to your sides and front. The glen seems surrounded by trees of some sort of broadleaf variety. A narrow creek runs across the glen in front of you, coming from the trees to your left and disappearing into the trees to your right.
Looking around, you see that the glen also extends behind you, but there is a difference. There are two paths leading from the rear of the glen. The one on the right is perhaps five feet wide and moves in a fairly straight line from the glen. The trees are neat and orderly, the ground covered in the same grass you are sitting on, and the way is open to the sky. The path on the left is narrower and you can only see a few feet in due to the crowding of the overhanging trees and you can see vines and roots breaking the surface of the earth. The air shimmers in front of each path and a woman two women appear.
The woman on the right is as naked as you are and her stance and appearance make you desire her. "I am the servant of your Mistress, she who should be desired, and I am here to guide you on your journey. The way is clear for those who seek knowledge of magic and power over others."
The other woman is Sian, or at least it looks very much like her. She is dressed in clothing that you do not recognize. "I am a servant of Power itself and I am here to guide you on your journey. The path is far from clear to those who seek knowledge of themselves first and magic after. You must choose your path, Isla, for you can only take one at this time."
The other woman laughs. "You do not need to go down that path and your Mistress does not desire you to do so. Remember who you owe."
Sian nods and looks at you with a bit of sadness. "You can break the chains and the soft words that bind you and seek a different way, but it is ultimately your choice which path you choose. Such choices are not meant to be easy and there is a price to pay for either path you choose."
"Quiet, demon. You have had your say." The woman turns to you. "Yes, there is a price to pay. Should you choose the path not offered by your Mistress and follow this demon, you may put yourself beyond where you can be saved. Is what she offers enough that you would risk the displeasure of your Mistress?"
The naked woman moves her head to look behind you and you feel a presence there. Turning you see nothing more than a slight swirl of leaves where the breeze is playing, but you hear a soft voice. "Isla, I am with you when no one else can be. For you, I could defy my own mistress, though it means my doom. Our meeting in that club was never coincidental. I was searching for you because I could feel your presence. I am holding you now to protect you on whichever path you choose. Look into your heart when you despair and find me there."
Neither of the women at the paths seem to hear the voice and the seductress shrugs her shoulders as if she had thought she had seen something. "Come, you must choose. And be cautious who you displease."
Sian nods. "I am not here to convince you which path to take, only to guide you if you choose this path."
