Innocence flows in the veins of the aureate splashed youth. It draws his legs forth in play, brings the sparkle to his eyes that never seems to leave. Wind plays with tendrils of hair that bleeds from flaxen to frost. To the cherub it speaks only of play, encouraging him on to the south of the woods. Back to the loving embrace of his father. Red panda follows at a distance, and he knows he must feed her again. They are not fully bonded yet she follows, eyes never leaving his form. He feels something unknown inside him, something he will come to know as love. The message received from the wind that tickles his listeners is not the one whispered. It tries to herald the approach of a demon, frantically telling the babe that no longer is he safe in the world he views through rose colored glasses. Skill of detecting those approaching has not been learned, leaving the long legged child prey to any who approach. Vulnerable. 

What turns his crown he doesn't know. Perhaps he never will, even in the times he will relive this moment for the rest of his adolescence. Irises reflect meadows of impossible green, bright with joy as if the sun shines over nature's blades. Before the word even falls from the stallion's lips something instinctive sinks in his stomach. Telling him to run. Run, because something dark and sinister is roiling like a tempest in the eyes of the one who towers over him, cloaked in crimson blood. Even the little one that follows him is hissing in warning, clamoring for the colt's attention. But his sinking stomach keeps him from listening, eyes focused fearfully on the monster. Something drips from antlers that on any other occasion would have been comical. Cera has never felt terror before, the rush that is installed to save your life from such situations. But he feels it now. For a long moment, one that never seems to end, Cera's legs are locked. Hooves planted to the ground as if growing roots and keeping him there. Light dims with fear in his orbs, widening in horror as the stallion growls one word. 

Die. 

But Cera isn't ready to. His mind moves from silent to wild and a prayer goes out subconsciously to the Earth god he so dearly loves. Something inside him remembers his promise of safety, but knows there is a slim chance it will happen. This is something unforeseen. The rest comes too quickly for Cera to understand. The demon lunges, aiming for the softness of his throat. And Cera jerks away, eyes wild as he scrambles to get away from the monster that crept from the shadows. Pain flourishes in his chest, like fire as the tip slices through his skin from shoulder to shoulder. A garish line that soon spills blood over his chest. White wings push him away as hard as physically possible. Long pillars stumble, and fear has completely taken over Cera's innocent visage. 

Run!

But he can't. And instead as he yanks away from this assassin, his lips fall open. Air is sucked into his lungs, inflating skinny sides as he stumbles and nearly falls away from the demon. There is no running now. Chest burns with every heartbeat. Pain flourishes like a blooming flower on his breast. 

And he screams. A blood curdling scream that pierces the forest with the shrill whinny of a child in distress. This is it. His last chance. Even as he stumbles and half leaps away from the blood soaked shadow, Cera knows he cannot escape. Tries to run, but only gets a few lengths away before the pain seizes him. Bringing him to his knees, forcing him down relentlessly. The poison is spreading rampantly through his body, no longer enough to kill in the gash but enough to swamp his mind with agony. Deep inside he knows even if he hadn't succumbed he wouldn't be fast enough to outrun an adult, and his flight lessons haven't evolved enough to sweep him away to the skies. Tears are falling as if planning to drown him, and he collapses onto the earth like a puppet whose strings have been torn to shreds. Everything is going fuzzy, snowy wings spasming uselessly in a crumpled heap around him. Blood soaks the innocence of his white patches, pouring out faster with every beat of his heart. The pain is agonizing and he writhes on the ground as the scream takes shape, forming syllables until it becomes a word. A name. 

"DADDY!!!"