Cricket Creek Bog fragile stuff, all show

for a small moment he hesitates before responding to bronco; tiny. like a small skip in a record player — probably not noticed by someone who was only paying partial attention. well, ridgeback draws with gusto, intent to gloss over it. my name is styx but i go by ridgeback; and i'm from a place in the far west of here called ridgeback spire. it was ran by a man named spartan and he had interest only in producing heirs and soldiers. as such, i can hold my own in a fight and i'm a skilled scout. of course words were only so good — ridgeback realizes that he would have to be willing to back it up with action.

it's the first time, he realizes, since leaving the spire that he's referred to himself as styx in any sort of capacity. he tells himself that it's because he believes in transparency at the borders. he just found it ostentatious to be named after a mythological being. he wasn't trying to hide anything from his past. he only wanted to try to look to his future ...a future that had never included ridgeback spire or the family he left behind there.