Book excerpt: Martial arts was one thing that Shawn, a 15-year-old boy from a small California town was good at and he knew it. But, it was his misguided anger from his parent's separation that got him into trouble. When Shawn's Sensei found out that he had been starting fights, he rallied to set Shawn straight giving him two choices, to either quit the arts that he loved so much or to take him and his friend on a quest into the wilderness. It takes a fight with persistent bullies to encourage Shawn to choose a quest into the heart of the wilderness, a place he has never been before. The deeper they traveled into the shadows of the ancient forest the greater the mystery became. With the help of a spirit guide, he pushes himself beyond his wildest dreams. The solitude only seems to make his imagination come alive as he challenged his mind, body and spirit. Despite all he has learned, felt and seen, he finds that his hardest challenge was yet to come.