The Rules:
1. Each person may submit one piece of writing. Feel free to edit the story as many times as you want until the deadline date.
2. Please remember to break down the paragraphs. We don't want to be stuck trying to read a wall of text.
3. There's no limit to how long your story can be, but try to keep the length respectable. AKA no novel writing.
4. No collaborating. One story must have one author.
5. Please post all your entries in the
Tea House thread. This thread is for questions and comments only.
The Story
The Crystalline Caves were said to be a remarkable sight, clustered with crystals of various colors from blues to greens to reds, and sporadically placed all over the walls and floors of the deep passages so that one could venture into them without a light of their own. This is where you find yourself, carefully stepping over rocks and squeezing through tunnels.
It’s not long before you hear the echoes of gentle tapping. Upon rounding a bend, you find who you are looking for. A woman is beating at the surrounding crystals with a pick. She’s dressed in brown trousers, heavy boots, a loose tunic and leather jerkin with a multitude of a tiny bags and pockets wrapped around her waist and legs. Atop her head is a mass of curly brown hair. You clear your throat to gain her attention, and she stops in mid-swing to peer at you from behind large, circular goggles. She lifts them from her face and smiles.
You’ve heard of this woman from time to time in the Keep. Anita the Accumulator. Or, for those less inclined, Anita the Pack Rat. She often sends magi out into the world to collect samples of her discoveries, and in return she’ll award them with creatures. However, she is not what you expected.
“Hello, mage,” she says quite cheerfully. “Here for the journey, I wager?” You nod. “As I tell many of your folk, it’s not a pleasant journey if you’re not careful, but I give you creatures to help you with the trials. You keep them, too…long as you survive it in one piece.” You hesitate, staring at her warily with thoughts of whether or not this is a good idea after all.
She smiles wider and says, “Having a bit of fun, is all. You magi are so serious.” She wipes a handkerchief across her face, succeeding only smearing dirt. “It shouldn’t be so bad, and you get my little lovelies in the process. So,” she leans on the handle of the pick, smirking, “are you willing to go on the journey?”
Path A
“Ah, your journey will require you to seek things far and wide. To aid you I’ll give you an Etainian Quetzalcoatl who can soar through the sky and show you things you might not see.”
Path B
“You will be sent underground where the caves are enclosed. The Naureaun Quetzalcoatl will help you the most, for they can burrow small holes and reach depths you otherwise could not get to.”
Path C
“Seems your journey will lead you to a sweltering, hot place. For your companion I’ll give you a Hellhound, for no other creature’s powers thrive in such heat. Just remember to keep away from its temper.”
Path D
“The chilly caverns of the north will be your destination. For this quest I’ll give you an Icist, the kings and queens of the cold. Pack warmly.”
Path E
“Your journey will lead you to mysterious and unknown lands. Take the Crystalwing who can fly with great speed and take you across the world in the blink of an eye.”
Path F
“The frosty mountains await you, as does great danger. Not only will the White Elk lead you through the snow, but they have the power to bring peace to your soul.”
Path G
“While it seems your journey will lead you close to the Silva Forest, it is best if you take with you a Noctis Enox. No other creature will protect you so viciously. Take care when riding them.”
Choose which path you'd like to take and write about what occurs and how it ends. If you have any questions, please PM me or post here. I look forward to reading each entry!
-- NellaFantasia
Thanks, Nella! 
He's also closer to my magi self here than anything else.
