The picture is a flamelight. It will be explained in greater detail in a later chapter. It's Pinewatch's favorite kind of creature.
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   I walked through the maze of twisting caverns underneath Truz Mountain, the headquarters of the Draconum. The halls hummed with magic and every table and vase glowed with a dim, magical light that only I could see. Even the walls flickered with power. All of this was courtesy of Nightshade.

   Oh, Nightshade. What I wouldn't give to bring her back... She'd been dead for the last two years, or I assumed she was. Nobody had heard from her or her dragons since she'd left to return to the forest, even Flicker hadn't responded to any messages. That wasn't like either of them. Sure Nightshade was irritable and rather annoying to be around, but she always responded to messages sent by Rayn.

   I let out a long breath and broke into a run. I focused on the energy inside myself and the world took on a blue tinge. Everything froze around me as I entered the Timelock and I could feel my magical energy level slowly going down. If only I were back in Korvunjar. Everyone I knew there was probably dead, but I was homesick.

   I left the tunnels and looked up at the sky. A flock of geese was suspended in flight and the leaves on the trees to my right were in the middle of waving in a now unmoving breeze. I sat down, hanging my legs over the edge of the cliff that had been on my right. The waves of the ocean below were also frozen in motion.

   I leaned forward, resting my head in my hands as I looked at the blue-tinted world that lay frozen in time before me. The Timelock was my sanctuary. I could stay here for hours if I didn't move, seconds if I did. I probably had enough energy left to last me another half hour if I stayed here. 

   The blue tint made me feel like a ghost, but I enjoyed the tranquility that came with being the only one in all of Enzarna that could move inside the Timelock. Even the elves that always surrounded me couldn't enter with me even if I wanted them to. It was simply impossible for an elf to enter the Timelock. I guessed it was a human thing.

   My mind started ranting about everything it could think of, and I let it. The one that came up most and lasted the longest was the one that always bothered me. No matter what I said, did, or ordered, there wasn't a single soul in the world, other than Nightshade and my firebreath Garnet, that called me by the name Pinewatch. They never called me anything but Highborn. Despite the fact that I wasn't the one in the prophecy. 

   That hope had been crushed not long after I came to Enzarna. I had taken the prophecy out of my pocket to show Rayn that I had been sent, but the paper hadn't held the prophecy. Instead, it had read, "You are not the prophecy". After thinking about it, the meaning was obvious. I wasn't the one the prophecy spoke of and I wouldn't be a part of it.

   A ring of fire flared to life around me as the frustration that always came with my Timelock breaks caught up with me. I quickly got to my feet and started climbing up the mountain. I had to get away from the wooded part of the island before I got too furious. As I climbed the blue tint faded and everything returned to its normal color.

   I reached a part of the mountain that was blackened from fire. It was the same spot I always climbed to. My frustration exploded within me at the sight of the rocks. I didn't want this, any of this. It might be childish, but I wanted my life to be normal. At the very least I needed some action!

   A fire roared to life on the rocks around me, flickering through my clothes. I looked up at the sky through the smokey haze and shouted with rage. I shouldn't be stuck here.

   I should not be here.

   At. All.

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You have absolutely no idea how happy I am with this chapter right now. Pinewatch was my favorite before, but now that I'm actually developing his character? This is glorious! Absolutely glorious!

I hope you all enjoyed this and as always...

Hsssssss.