( Slightly Haunted ):

I'm sorry, I was unable to write a chapter on Monday. College can suck. Anyways, here is a very….interesting poem I happened to remember when I thought about the last chapter I wrote. Enjoy ;)

Crazy, crazy,
I was crazy once!
They locked me up,
It was cold.
I died.
They buried me.
The worms,
They drove me
Crazy, crazy,
I was crazy once!

Anonymous Children's Song/Poem


Raider loved fighting.

It had once been the sole reason, he believed, for his existence.

When he fought, he focused on the battle alone. Nothing else mattered. Every fiber of your being is worked to the max. Focus, adrenaline, a sense of domination, the excitement of knowingly risking your very life, all in a matter of a few moments or minutes. Now, however, the champion ogre wolf was distressed. Emotional fighting was not his forte.

The charcoal beast walked slowly ahead of the young dragoness in his charge. She hadn't spoken all morning, but the air between them had lost the comforting silence. Now, a cloud hung over the pair, both waiting for either the storm to commence or pass over.

Last night she bandaged my paw…maybe she's ok now…Two blue eyes turned to look at the mythical serpent that trailed behind.

Eyes of a deep rust hue matched his gaze for a heartbeat before quickly looking down at the ground.

The wolf froze.

Putting a large gap between them, Chihiro kept her pace and moved around the gaping brute.

"Raider, I'd like to be there as soon as possible."

She heard him sigh, noting how his ears flattened against his head, invisible in his thick mane as he took the lead once more.

The day dragged on. Raider kept the lead, staying within sight of the river, but far enough away that if something was to come out of it they would have time to escape. Finally, however, the wolf altered their course away from the river and towards a bright white light.

"Chihiro, this only your second time in the spirit world, right?"

"Yea, I spent most of it at Yubaba's bathhouse and traveled on the train to her sister's house. I have to ask, what's up the weird landscapes? I mean, the trees are definitely not from the human world and the climate changed from ocean paradise to lush rainforest to dark forest and…." She paused, "is that snow?"

Now it was Raider's turn to give his own version of a smile, "Yes."

Chihiro stood stock still, orbs wide, eye-ridges raised, and jaw dropped. It was funny how she kept her human expressions even in the form of a dragon.

"Powerful spirits, Lords/Ladies/Gods/Goddesses, whatever you may call them, typically control a portion of the spirit world, a territory. Based on what type of spirit it is, they can manipulate the type of climate their territory is- to an extent."

"So we were in the territory of a Griffin and the snow is another spirit's territory?"

"Yes."

"What happens to the Griffin's?"

"Another Griffin from its family will claim it, unless another spirit acts first."

"Oh."

"Whose territory is this?"

"Mara's."

The expanse of snow was endless. Crystallized water covered the edge of the forest only a few inches deep, but looked more intimidating on the several mountains filling the dragon's vision. Ivory reflected off the bare slopes with only a few scattered pine-like trees. Satisfied that some sort of normalcy was again restored between them, Raider focused again on the route to Kohaku's birthplace.


( Slightly Haunted ):

AmI#3: I'm glad to see that you're still reading! How was your soccer game? Anyways, I love any criticism, my little spirit dragon can take any flames. I hope that I've answered at least some of your questions about my version of the SA universe. I wasn't sure if you meant the landscape or how about the spirit world is itself. Either way, I'm still working on it. I've really been struggling with my writing lately.

LadyRainStarDragon: Unless whatever force (nicknamed the 'little spirit dragon') decides to turn 180° in mid-flight, I believe I'm going to make Chihiro's home in the USA. If nothing else, at least I'll be unique. Thanks for you comments :)