CHAPTER 5 – THE WAY OF LIFE

"Everything is turning."

— the philosophy of the stone trolls

It was time.

The waiting in the dark was over. The call of life echoed across the infinity of creation. Therein in its endless dance was the Way. The Fire Eternal was alight once more.

Stolen novel; please report.

The strain of clenched muscles. The push against hard, protective shell. The seeking of motherly affection. Cracks. Splinters. A quiet, vast ocean of new sensations. Partly outside. Getting more and more limbs out. Tail erupting outward with a triumph. Soon after, all the rest following.

Freedom.

Cool wind enveloping the body gently. Blissful sunlight caressing the skin. Wings stretching, catching the elements with delicate membranes. A deep breath, inhaling the taste of pristine clarity. Reaching out, feeling every fibre of being. Becoming alive.

Then the eyes lifting, and sinking into a vast, grey expanse – the gaze of another.