Ouroboros Spine Black as Soot, Cold as Ice

Her concern was for naught as the young man splashed into the water, his laughter muffled by the liquid as he paddled towards the island. Realizing that she had given him a head start, the princess dove headfirst into the water, swimming with all of her novice might towards the shore of the small island, kept pristine from the fires that destroyed the land surrounding it.

She reached the shore, exhilarated, her chest rising and falling as she looked about rapidly, her eye taking in the preserved island. The few trees that dominated the island were pines, large and brooding as pines often were. She looked up at them, marveling at their size. This forest must have been old if pines this tall could grow isolated on an island. Like grew like when it came to plants. The surrounding lands must have been covered in pines as well.

Her naturalist tendencies had distracted her from the young man who had plopped onto the shore. Realizing her negligence, Potema trotted over the Charon, her head tilted in a bird-like manner. "Are you alright?"