Don't Look Back

Chapter I: Journey’s Beginning

The changeling opened his eyes to the sight of two armored guards peering down at him. They immediately picked him up by the forelegs with magic and dragged him through the tunnels and passageways where they would eventually reach outside. The queen waited impatiently at the entrance. The imprisoned changeling remained impassive as the queen spoke.

“Due to his crimes against the Hive, Icarus,” the name rolled off her tongue like a bad taste, “is hereby banished from any changeling hive, outpost, or settlement.” Chrysalis then motioned for the guards to release the convicted changeling.

He fell into the dusty gray soil, and without looking back, he began walking north, towards the distant mountains. Icarus looked around at the barren wasteland around him. No plants were visible, no clouds were in the bleak monochromatic sky, and no wind brushed the open plains. It was utterly, completely empty. Nothing moved. Nothing changed. Nothing existed. Icarus let his eyes roam about the dreary landscape, and then, after a few minutes of this, fell into a meditative state, not paying attention to anything else but the steady rhythm of his hooves impacting the dust covered ground. This continued for a while, seeing as there weren't many things in his way. Stuck in the brutal heat, Icarus's black chitin absorbed almost all of the solar radiation, making it unbearable for the changeling.

He needed to find shade.