Chapter One

Welcome to Wood Shire

Five years later

Somewhere deep within Wood Shires National Park Mountain there are creatures so magnificent to be embraced by their presence is very rare. Tunnels circle in every direction, carving pathways in and out the mountain. Great happenings occur here some very old as the air and others as new as the sprutlings of grass. Soft padded feet walked along the tunnels looking for a certain inhabitance of the park.

"Gorba. I ask your attention," in a dim lighted cavern, a deep voice called to the figure lying on the ground.

"Osa my old friend. What is it that brings you here?" Gorba replied. Turning to face the one called Osa.

"I, as The Foreseer, have seen a danger that will happen." Osa explained.

"Calm Osa, tell me, what brings forth this danger you have seen." The old wolf stood on all fours and walked to The Foreseer.

"A boy. He is a Mundipup, and he is here I can feel his presence, a ways down the mountain. The danger he brings us is also warned for the mundanes."

"How are you to catch him?" Gorba's brilliant eyes sparkled even in the dim lighting. He had a thought of this himself but wanted to know what Osa was planning.

"What do you wish to do with him?" Osa kept his voice steady.

"I want you alone to find the Mundipup and see if he is fitting for an initiation and if not, and he's as dangerous as you say, then get rid of him." Osa kneeled then turn to leave.

"But," Gorba continued. "I want to learn from him. Follow him and see what he knows." The Foreseer inclined his head, and then ran off into the midst of the night.

In a smelly school, in a crooked chair. Jacob what did you do this time?

He started it.

Does it mean you have to end it?

Well yeah. Jacob Braché was having a war going on in his head. He was thirteen years old in the eighth grade; he wasn't terrific in his classes but still passed. It was the second day of school and he already landed himself in the principles office, with his parents.

"The school year has barely even started and Jacob has already been in a fight. I would like to have a year without any trouble from this young man but it doesn't seem as if that will happen. Three years he's been here. You think they would have taught him to keep his hands and feet to himself." Mr. Crafts complained. Mr. Crafts wasn't the type of principle to call up parents for a conference unless it was absolute, and he was really kind to the students and staff except when talking to parents about their kids. A face to face meeting was the worst thing to do to make him mad, but you were soon back on his good side afterwards.

"Yes well, thank you for telling us, we'll be sure to talk to Jacob. Thank you for your time." Mr. Braché was leaning forward to shake the principles hand, but Principle Crafts wasn't done.

"I hope this will be the last time I see him in here unless he is getting an award. Oh yes and I would like to mention that most of the fights do seem to start with mister Jacob here challenging his opponents of their strength, Mr. Braché, lets just make that clear." Principle Crafts stared directly at Mr. Braché then turned toward Jacob. "Get your head straight son please, before I have to go to the next step in consequences. If you land in one more fight in this school then you won't have to worry about community service anymore." Jacob looked up to the ceiling then back at the principle. Last years community service was picking up garbage all around the school everyday after school for three months, it wasn't what Jacob wanted to call a favorite pass time activity. "You won't have to worry about it because you'll be expelled. Is that clear?" Jacob felt a lump in his throat as he nodded.

"Good, now I think we're finished here. Yes? Good day Mr. and Mrs. Braché, Jacob."

After leaving the school and going home Jacob was grounded for two weeks with extra chores, no electronics or friends coming over and vise versa. Two weeks passed by slowly. Teachers didn't start handing out actual homework until the third week. Boy's football team tryouts were near and Jacob was being pestered by his best friend George every minute of the day about it.

"So are you going to tryout? You'd make the team for sure I know it. You could be the team star." George Whitman, being one not for sports was more interested in the supernatural. He believed in any myth there ever was except a few he would say were completely made up by some half-brain jokester. He could also point out any painting naming the artist, name, type of art, and when it was created. That still didn't make him an artist himself. George was two months older than Jacob, being born in May and had light brown hair that is never easy to comb, blue eyes of the sea and had a light skin tone.

"No I am not and you aren't making me either. Besides my mom said that I have to stay out of Principles Crafts hair or else face the music."

"Eww, you play in old man hair? And clean out your ears I hear no music."

"You know what I meant." Jacob gave George a playful shove when he stopped stone dead in the middle of the hallway. A group of girls stood near a locker talking. Jacob stared at one in particular. She had short tangled black hair, brown eyes that matched her skin tone. Jacob was completely lost for words and stuck in a trance he'd forgotten all about George being there.

"Umm hello, earth to Jacob. Mother board requesting you come back down." George waved his hand in front of Jacob. "Lover-boy wake up." Now he was shaking his shoulders making a scene as several students walked by snickering.

"Uhh oh, what?"

"You were staring at her again. It's been too long, when are you going to ask her out?"

"Never, at least not now and take her where? This place is so boring even counting the cracks in the pavement is interesting. And it has not been too long." Jacob said.

"Three years staring at one girl and only ending up being her friend and haven't even once invited her over to your house yet. I do so believe that it's been long enough."

"Two years, I've only seen Amber once in sixth grade." Jacob objected.

"Then its time to see her again," George pushed Jacob from behind toward Amber. Jacob dug his heels into the floor but there was nothing to help the friction between. Amber looked up and saw the two boys coming toward her. She smiled and waved her friends off.

"I uhh-hi Amber." Jacob stuttered.

"Hi Jacob, hello George." Amber grinned. Her smile is really pretty, like her. Jacob just stood there admiring Amber's hair and eyes. He would have stood there forever if George hadn't come to his rescue.

"Well I guess we'll see you in class then?"

"Okay. See you later, bye Jacob." Amber waved to them then walked across the hall into a classroom.

"You know, I think she likes saying your name. Jacob, oh Jacob let down thi hair." George mimicked in a girls voice with one hand to his chest and the other rose to the air.

"Shut up George."

"Don't let me do all the talking then. You know what? I know where you can take her on your first date. If you ever learn to speak when she's around." George murmured then fought back giggles. "I'm going to have a Halloween party!"

"What? No! The Halloween maze you planned in the school gym last year didn't even scare a two year old. And besides its September."

"Harsh, but I've looked up some new things to add and this time its going to scare the pee out of someone." Jacob snorted, even though he's into vampire and goblin creeps, he still wouldn't scare himself.

"Good luck."

"No good luck to you champ, because you're taking Amber whether you man up or not."

"Wha-" before Jacob could even protest George had dragged him into the first class of the day.

A few classes later Jacob was sitting next to Amber in science. The teacher asked them to get in groups of four to five. Jacob immediately stood up and faced Amber.

"Do you want to-"

"Sure."

"But you don't even know what I was going to ask."

"You and George are always in a group together and you were asking me to join you two."

"Oh, yeah right."

"Atta boy, Jacob the bacon, you are burning up," a voice from the other side of the table called. It was in fact true that Jacob's face had gone beet red when he looked at Amber. Sam came over.

"Hey Sam want to be in our group? We have room for one more, and besides I think those two are busy." George snorted.

"We are not busy. We're just talking." Jacob said almost shouting.

"Staring is more like it." Sam muttered. George coughed a laugh.

"Well if it isn't the three idiots and the ugly duckling. How you doing? Still as stupid as ever I hope."

"Arthur if you like Amber you mine as well tell her now how you really feel." Sam said.

"Dead meat!" Amber hissed at him. Sam raised his hands and gave an I-was-only-trying-to-help grin.

"Leave Buttnick. At least then we no longer have to inhale your stench." Jacob said.

"One of these days Braché, you're going to be road kill."

"Want to go now?" Jacob responded.

"Jay, don't make him mad." Amber said, Jacob only allowed her to call him that. Jacob and Arthur stared at each other until someone said;

"Why aren't you all with the others by the lab table?" the teacher stood eyeing over them. They eye balled each other one last time when Sam answered.

"Sorry teach we'll get right on that." Sam walked over to everyone else and the rest followed in suit.

School ended and Jacob who would have been happier if he could stay outside for some hours but had chores today. His house wasn't so far from the school as it was he walked or rode his bike depending on his mood and the day. Today he walked home carrying his bag over his shoulder and crossed the back of the school grounds. Five minutes passed, Jacob enjoyed the breeze. The grounds needed to be raked; leaves covered the grass and brushed by Jacob's feet.

"Hello I'm home, is anyone here?" Jacob said, closing the door shut behind him.

"We're in here." Jacob walked to the kitchen and saw his mother washing the few dishes in the sink and his father sitting down eating toast.

"How was school today?" Mr. Braché asked.

"It was alright." Jacob said he slipped off his bag to his hand and eyed his mom suspiciously. His mother never did the dishes. In fact, he bet in five seconds she was about to tell him to clean up the rest of the dishes.

"Good, I have to leave for work, so don't get on your mothers nerves." Mr. Braché's job was a night guard at South County Airport two hours away to and from home.

"Okay."

"Jacob, I have to finish up on some papers. You don't need anything do you?" Mrs. Braché was a lawyer that worked from home most of the time but would sometimes be called into the office.

"No I'll be in my room." As always.

Jacob's father got up and kissed his wife on the cheek and Jacob on his forehead. "Gotta run." As he brushed passed him he shoved in Jacob's hand a twenty dollar bill then went out the door. Jacob went to his room and put away the money with the rest of it that he so occasionally 'earned' from his father. He never really questioned his dad why he would give him money. Jacob just took it as a bribe to get along with his mother while he wasn't around. He never asked for any, or ever suggested he put it in a bank. He got out a text book and started on his math homework.