The Shaman’s Apprentice: The Yellow PathPending
Self-Published
Community Rating
Description
I never believed in spirits.
Sure, I grew up surrounded by my uncle’s shamanic rituals, drawing talismans, memorizing formations, but it was just tradition. Nothing more. Or so I thought.
Then, a strange death brought us back to a small town for an old friend’s funeral.An unexplainable paralysis.A lingering grudge.A forgotten talisman.
And suddenly, what I had dismissed was the only thing standing between us and something far worse.
A supernatural mystery steeped in folklore and the unseen.
Information
- Status
- Completed
- Year
- 2025
- Author
- InkBottle&Quills
Royal Road Stats
- Rating
- 4.8/ 5.0
- Followers
- 1
- Views
- 1,620
Chapters(7 total)
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Community Reviews(1)
- cgstoriesRoyal Road★★★★★ 4.5The story is told through the lens of a teenage boy whose parents have died when he was just six years old, leaving him in the care of his uncle, who's a traditional shaman. At first, the boy plays along with the spiritual training, not taking it too seriously. But the real conflict lies in his gradual loss of faith in what seems like superstition… until tragedy strikes, and he’s forced to confront a truth he never expected.
What stood out to me the most in this story was learning something entirely new: Yellow Spirits. I don’t know much about shamanism, so I found this intriguing. These spirits take the form of weasels, bringing small fortunes to those who treat them kindly, but playing tricks or even exacting revenge on those who mock them. One scene that stuck with me was a flashback where the main character recalls the story of a boy who laughed at a weasel and was later punished. He skipped class thinking it was canceled after being told by his teacher, only to realize the "teacher" he passed was a Yellow Spirit. That moment was amusing and almost whimsical but then later on you find out that these Yellow Spirits also have a capacity for cold revenge.
The overall tone of the story carries a mysterious and slow-burning tension. The boy feels increasingly frustrated and confused as his shaman uncle, who becomes both caretaker and mentor, keeps telling him “it’s not time yet.” That’s a phrase teenagers hate to hear.
I especially appreciated the relationship between the uncle and the nephew, which felt sincere and believable. The uncle takes on the dual role of father figure and spiritual guide, and there’s warmth in that dynamic. If anything, I wish the story had gone a bit deeper into the boy’s emotional state, especially surrounding his parents’ death. I wanted to know how it affected him and shaped his openness (or resistance) to the world his uncle introduces him to.
Overall, this short story is both enjoyable and compelling. It blends spiritual folklore with