all we are is all so far; elysium, any

[Elysium]

watch your tongue or have it cut from your head,
save your life by keeping whispers unsaid.

   There had been many times in his life when others had shied away from him, avoided him or mocked him. It no longer defined him. He had come to know adoration, affection and companionship, all in spite of his strangely obtrusive compound eyes and feathery antennae, which danced along in the current breeze - a last wisp of summer as autumn settled into the land. It was these experiences that spurred him forward and allowed him to keep out the dark thoughts that had so often plagued him in his youth. 

   He was Elysium; he was himself and nothing more - and there was little he could do to change it, even if he had wanted to. He was beginning to sink into his realization as the years dragged on, and it was becoming a comforting understanding. Alas, his mind still drifts to the other, at times more interesting, creatures he has come across - and Karris always lingers at the very top of the list. He had recognized something extraordinary in her when he had first met her; but oh how little did she realize she was not alone. There were many unusual creatures in all of the land - he was not the most unusual, nor was she. For her to think otherwise spoke of her experiences. Negative ones, to be certain, which he too shared. 

   He does not linger on these thoughts today though - instead, he is thoroughly enjoying the gentle waft of air as it crawls up along the delicate curves and edges of his wings, and the warmth of the sun is not so painfully strong today. He lopes along the riverbed, his six legs moving forward in a lazy tandem - graceful, and yet slightly eerie in their movement. His gaze is unfocused, for the most part, as he wanders towards the massive tree that looms in the midst of their meadow. He often spent time beneath it, shielded from the light of day and soothed by its shadows. Today was no different.

   Or was it?

   Something catches his eye - a drifting movement along the pliable surface of the water. He pauses, breath held tightly in his chest as he observes carefully. His compound eyes piece together a more vivid image than any simple equine's could - and her motions were entirely aquatic, yet her form was unusual in and of itself. He recognized her immediately and yet did not understand why, or how. 

   Perhaps it was wishful thinking.

    "Karris?"

elysium

no mercy from the edge of the blade,
dare escape and learn the price to be paid.