I shivered, a strange idea considering I had spent the better part of my life locked away in winter's frozen grip, as I slipped away from the shattering glass walls I now called home. As a child this place had been nothing more than a prison, I a ivory crowned captive behind the glittering walls. Even now, a little less than five years later, I was just as captivated by the way the light shone off of the fractured glass. The Edge of the world was a beautiful place when the gentle glow of the moon's light, I could only imagine how breathtaking it would be to see in full color. Ivory topped skull shifted over my shoulder for a glance back at my new home before moon eyes drifted skyward to make sure the kite wasn't following me on this adventure.

Satisfied that I wasn't being followed on my short trek to the Groves, I turned back around and focused on the path at hand, monochromatic motion picture played out before me as I carefully judged each step. My mind drifted away to all of the happenings in the last year that I had decided to remove myself from the icy cavern I had nestled into in the Steppe. Most of my family had been discovered as dead, I had thought my twin to be deceased as well, only to find out from the spotted ghost of my sire's friend that he was alive and well just living in the Edge far away from the desert isle of the Throat where I had last seen him. Dark tipped ears flicked back into the thick, tangled ebony mane as I wondered what my brother had thought happened to me in my disappearance. Although, me playing a twisted game of hide and seek was nothing anyone close to me should be surprised by. When shit hit the fan, I found a cave.

Lost in my thoughts I didn't noticed the gnarled root of the swamp bred trees, a snow dipped limb caught the irregular root. "Shit!" The curse rushed between ink stained lips as I stumbled, knees hitting the ground harder than I expected, the mud squishing up around kneecaps as a now broken twig dug into the flesh. Mumbling profanities under my breath I slowly pulled myself back on all fours and pushed thoughts of my family to the back of my shadowed mind so I could focus instead on the path so I wouldn't find myself on my knees for Mother Earth again. Shaking my skull, I grew irritated as I felt warmth trickle from my knee down my leg. What an unforgiving bitch Mother Earth was.

Clenching my jaw shut tight I sent out a couple mental curses to whoever might be listening near by, and I set my eyes on the moon reflecting off of the body of water that many Helovian couples consummated their feelings, no matter how fleet, for each other by. Lucky for me, judging by the sound of crickets rather than pleasure filled moans, I was alone on this night. A cringe of pain, as the water entered the now stinging wound on my knee, cross my bloodied features as I strode out into the moon soaked water. Sighing I closed my eyes, waiting for the sting to ebb and the wound to be washed clean until I could get a better look at the damage I had done.


"Speech."