The smell was terrible and Attie had decided to try to surprise her natural senses as much as possible but since she could smell like a bear, the smell was dreadful. She did her best to ignore it as she moved with Chyrs out of the house. Relief flooded through Attie as they were out of the dark and small house. Like Chyrs, her magic worked better when she didn't have to worry about her surroundings and had free range to move. Attie realized that their plans would have to adjust as they needed to get the baby to safety as quickly as possible. 

"Yeah. And this IS a baby. The longer we have it the more that it…he or she will bring monsters to us." Attie said, "I kept the clothe in the baby's mouth in hopes that will help muffle its sobs but I bet these monsters can smell it. We can't safely go anywhere until it is somewhere safe and away from these monsters."

The baby was still sobbing but its voice was muffled by the clothe in its mouth. Attie carefully took a blanket out of her bag and wrapped it around the baby, trying to ensure that it was warm. She began to think for a moment. There was a safe zone that had been developed for the healers and escapees that was to the north. The path there would be long but they would be able to get there fast enough if they flew…

"Chrys I have an idea." Attie said, "I'm going to need you to take the baby and my backpack tho. We are going to want to get to the safe zone for healers as fast as possible to drop off the baby. And the fastest way there would be to fly. So.."

Attie attempted to hand the baby and her backpack off to Chrys. If she succeeded, she would take ten steps back and hold out her hands. Her hands began glowing with a soft blue light that grew more and more every second. Suddenly, the light swirled from her hands and began surrounding Attie until it covered her like a cocoon. Then the magic faded away, revealing a Hippogriff in the place of where Attie used to stand. The Hippogrif had the front of an eagle, backside of a horse, but most importantly, she had wings. Attie lowered her head to Chrys, to indicate that she was friendly and still Attie. 

Chrys didn't have to ask to know if it was a good idea. "Sure thing." Taking the backpack and then the baby, she watched as Attie began to use some sort of magic. She had an inkling as to what it was, then she saw it. Shapeshifting–just like her older brother was able to do. Though his was a bat, not something as rideable as a hippogriff. "Attie, that's perfect! Let's go! Oh but before we head to the camp we need to make a slight detour. Strelitzia is still waiting for me, she's a flier like what you are now but a lot bigger. I just need to tell her to fly ahead and we'll catch up with her. I think you'll like her a lot!" With how enthusiastic Attie was when it came to learning, Chrysanthe figured seeing one of the biggest Bakulaw beasts up close would be a real treat. Also Attie's hippogriff form was much more agile than the kalangitan, better for a quick escape. Using her memory, she directed Attie to the large winged beast's resting spot in the midst of the marshland. She wasn't hard to spot, as there weren't many patches of solid land stable enough for something of that size.

She threw one last glance at the village, taking note of any landmarks and the general distance of them from this area. They would be back soon, hopefully before the golden time of rescue was up. Looking down at the little baby she did her best to hush its crying by gently rocking it as she held it close. "Shh, don't cry. You're safe now, and we're going to have you meet people who'll love and care for you soon." Maybe she should bring the child to the Rosenites. When it came to children, there wasn't any race who treasured them more than the proud people of the northeastern desert nation.  

After ensuring that Chrys knew it was her, Attie bend down to allow Chrys to get on her back. She listened to Chrys explaining that they needed to make a detour to a friend who was waiting. Attie was unable to speak human words with her beak so she chose to make a chirping noise to indicate that she understood and was excited to meet whoever this creature or person was. The hippogriff stretched out her wings and began to trot to give herself some speed. In a matter of seconds she had taken off into the skys, far above the trees and land. However, Attie was careful to follow any directions that Chrys would give. Attie couldn't communicate with Chrys easily so she would have to listen intently to everything her friend said. She flew right above the trees, looking for any sign of Chrys' friend. The hippogriff's wings and eagle side was a mixture of brown and auburn while her horse side was a pitch black. This form was strong but agile and although she couldn't carry over two people, she knew that there was strength in this form that many other forms didn't have. Attie gave out a small inquisitive chirp to Chrys to ask her if this was the correct direction. 

"We're almost there! Look, there she is!" Chrysanthe pointed straight ahead, at a very large creature with leathery wings. Her 'friend' was also her mobile camp and transportation, as the massive wingspan of a kalangitan made its point. Attie's hippogriff form was like a mouse next to a dog in comparison. Once they landed, Chrys was careful to secure the bundled infant to Attie's back before sliding down. She sprinted up to the great Bakulaw beast, and it lowered its head. Patting Strelitzia, she whispered instructions to the great flier, giving it another reassuring rub. Backing away to give some space, she returned to Attie as the kalangitan began to lift its wings. "Alright, I've told her to fly ahead to the safe zone she and I came from before we landed here. And if that area isn't safe, I told her to find higher ground and stay away from monsters. Hopefully she'll find my brother and stay with the healers, otherwise it'll be harder for us to find each other until the world is safe again."   

Climbing back up onto Attie's back, Chrys did her best to keep her smile. Even when things were so grim, they had to keep their hopes up to weather through this storm. When the winds were turbulent and thunderclouds were raging all around, the only way was to fly through. That was what flying taught her, and she was sure with everyone's efforts they would be able to protect Revaliir. "Ready for takeoff!" She said, signaling Attie that she was ready to go. The baby was in her arms, safe and sound. It had quieted down, probably tired from crying. Strelitzia took to the air and cast a large shadow over them until she disappeared behind the clouds. Chrysanthe swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. It was hard to watch her good friend go. The pathfinder held on tight as her new hippogriff friend carried them to the northern camp.

Attie spotted the large leathery winged creature and dove towards it from the sky. She didn't realize that the friend mentioned was a lot bigger than what Attie first thought off. They landed and Attie maintained her Hippogriff form as the bundled infant was secured on her back. Attie waited for Chrys to finish speaking to the beast and watched as it lowered its head to hear the instructions. It was clear that Chrys and the kalangitan had been close friends for a long time, as they were able to trust one another. Chrys came back and explained to Attie what was going on and Attie gave a nod in response.

Thousands of questions were building up in her mind but she was unable to ask any of them. The questions would have to wait for later. She waited for Chrys to get on her back then began to flap her wings and runt o build up speed for the takeoff. Attie flapped her wings and kept her eagle eyes out for any threats. But she could also sense Chrys' uneasiness since animal forms were far more sensitive to the emotions of others. Having to focus on flying, Attie couldn't do much to cheer her friend up but she did have an idea. Attie continued to raise their height until they were above some of the clouds. The sun was shining and the sky was a shade of bright blue, showing that even in the darkest of times that there was still light. 

Once the wind slowed to a gentle breeze and they were above the clouds, all her worries seemed to evaporate. This was why she chose to fly, even when most Rosenites were deathly afraid of being separated from the ground. It was something you had to experience in order to understand. The weightlessness, the freedom, feeling like you're lighter than air. Feeling better, she gave Attie a hug from behind, and then saw the baby was now asleep. 'Prepare for the worst but hope for the best'–that was her motto in life. They had a moment of peace while they navigated through the air, a much-welcomed break from what they would have to return to once they had the child in good hands. Chrysanthe now was focusing on memorizing as much of the landscape below them as she could. Knowing the relative distances of places was vital in path-finding, and it would give her a mental map in case they were forced to travel on foot. The most she could put to memory would be details on terrain, climate, and potential resources. Your chances of survival were tied to knowing what you had to work with.

Attie followed the air currents and flapped her wings to keep altitude. The air was a nice break from all of the fighting below. It was also a nice reminder of the peace and happiness of what would soon come again. Attie didn't know for certain if they would win this war. There were many beasts and many foes in their path, some that even the gods and goddesses feared. There was no guarantee that it would turn out well but Attie hoped for a better future. However, if they did their best and kept fighting she knew that they could do anything. Even defeat an Eldritch monster that wanted nothing more than to destroy the world. Suddenly, Attie received a hug from Chrys. The hug was a small comfort to Attie and she couldn't help but smile. Then she realized something. This was the first hug that she received from a friend! Attie's happiness increased. A few moments later she spotted the safe zone. It was a large encampment with hundreds of different species. The camp had high protection and was far enough from the battle to not worry. Attie landed at the front of the encampment and waited for everybody to get off her back. Once they did, she would transform into her original form and wait to go through security. There were soldiers at the entrance who had to check to see if anybody had gotten bitten by an infestor and check if anybody was a Chomper in disguise. 

There were so many people outside, trying to get in. Soldiers were everywhere with weapons of all types and in full armor. She understood the desperation from both sides; after all they were trying to keep as many people alive as possible. With the baby in her arms, Chrysanthe casually looked around to know who was nearby. Aside from Attie and the baby, she couldn't be sure that anyone wasn't a Chomper or Corrupted. Tensions were running high as people were trying to force their way in, only to be blocked off by shields and magic. But also there were people who didn't seem worried or upset at all, so it was hard to guess who was dangerous and who wasn't. Trying to calm herself down, the girl was being alert for all three of them–after all didn't they say Chompers were only in disguise until your back was turned? As long as one of them was paying attention the hidden Chompers wouldn't act just yet…

When it came to their turn to step forward in the line, they were all inspected through a large group of people one by one. A pair of mages took the baby from her and carefully checked, causing it to start crying. It was hard for her to watch as they cast a sleeping spell on it, knowing they were just doing their job. It didn't make things any easier though. "Can you use magic?" A guardswoman asked her. "Yes, I can. I can make plants grow more quickly and understand what they are saying." The woman then motioned to her, replying: "Please give us a demonstration." While some might find the interrogative questions offensive, Chrys knew it was just part of the routine. Chompers couldn't use magic, that was one of the ways you could tell if someone was replaced by or turned into one. Taking out a pocketful of seeds, she tossed them on the ground and cast a spell. Small sprouts began poking their way out of the earth, growing into mature flowers within seconds. A look of relief came over the guardswoman's face. "Thank you for your cooperation. You can enter." The infant passed the checkpoint as well, and was handed back to her. She met back up with Attie so they could search for Rosenites or other people willing to adopt the orphaned baby. 

"Attie! Now that we're all back together, let's see if someone can keep this little one safe for us." She didn't forget they still had to return to the marsh to continue their search of the village for survivors. The inspection at the gate took much longer than she had expected.

Attie could see everybody was tense due to the Chompers and the other Eldritch beasts, along with the war. There was a line of refugees waiting to get through the guards and each one of them were clearly scared of what may come. There was an elderly woman with a bag of supplies, a father cradling a baby, a few injured soldiers, and many others who needed to get through. Attie looked around, curious of who might be a monster and who might be real. She also hoped that they would allow the baby through, as it was only a baby and wouldn't be able to use magic. They approached the gaurdswoman and Attie let Chrys go first, as she was first in line. When it was Attie's turn, she walked up to the guardwoman. 

"Can you use magic?" The guardswoman asked. 

"Yes." Attie responded

She didn't even need the guardwoman to ask for a demonstration, as her hand was already on fire. The guardswoman saw the fire and allowed Attie to go through the checkpoint. Attie stopped her flames and searched to find Chrys. It didn't take her long to find the girl and the baby. Their next step was to find somebody to take care of the baby. Finding a Rosenite or somebody like a Rosenite would be in their best interests as Rosenites were more likely to help a baby. 

"Yeah. Lets find somebody." Attie agreed with her friend. 

Attie had not forgotten that they still had to return to the marsh to continue looking for survivors. Suddenly, Attie spotted something in the distance. Next to a camp was a small group of children with an older man who was busy handing out coats to them. The man looked up to Attie and Chrys with a smile then called out something. 

"Orphans are to come here!" He called out, "If there are any orphans let me know. Our group is meant to help bring them to safe orphanages away from the war." 

Attie looked to Chrys to see if she was thinking the same thing. 

Chrys wasn't one to think badly about someone on a first impression, however you could say her Rosenite instincts were strong. Rosenites were known to be protective of their children and didn't take kindly to others getting too close to their mates, though the second bit varied on the person. This baby was completely dependent on her and Attie since they left the village; who could say that other people would treat this little one kindly despite not being blood related? There were people out there who took in abandoned children and used them, sold them, or even worse. Unless she was absolutely sure this man wasn't one of them, she wasn't going to let the baby go. "Attie, let's find some of the guards and tell them about the village we found. It's not too far away from here so if they hurry they might be better equipped to help anyone left or take care of any remaining Twisted. After that, I want to ask the man over there a few questions." Giving a small smile, the blond girl hid her internal worries well. Once they were far enough away she would tell the other girl more about her concerns so they could come up with a plan to check that man's credibility.

Shifting to hold the baby more comfortably, she went to find people who looked like they were part of the camp's scouting group. "Hello sir–are you part of the camp's defense? My friend and I just came in from the marshlands down south. There's a village that was attacked by Twisted recently in a small grove of mangroves surrounded by the water. We almost didn't make it out from a Chomper attack, and we found this child all alone. There might be more survivors still there, do you think you could dispatch a unit to check and see? We would've done so ourselves but we wanted to bring this baby here as soon as we could." The person they were speaking with was a tall Mamlak woman with leather and chitin armor, dressed for agility and ease of movement. Her dark skin was patterned with bright war paint, drawn in crisp lines. "South you say? About how far south? We can't overlook any possible rifts that might have opened nearby, so we'll gather a party to investigate. You can never be too careful out here, especially now."

Chrysanthe pulled out her Wayfinder's Widget and brought up a map of the area she had recorded before helping Attie escape the jaws of the Chomper they killed. "Here, this is just the general area of the marshes around the village, but I can tell you of the landmarks and geography we passed on our way here." She went on to give a more detailed description of what she observed during Attie's flight, which helped the Mamlak woman narrow down where the village's location was. After thanking them both, the woman went to inform others to begin their preparations. Then Chrys took Attie aside, whispering in her ear. "Attie, I know it's a terrible thing to say, but I think we need to check if the man giving out coats is really helping on behalf of an orphanage. Since he's already seen both of us with the baby, maybe we should split up and go ask him individually to see if he's telling the truth. Either you or me will go first, and then we can compare information. When you go I'll hold the baby out of sight, and when it's my turn I'll hand the baby to you."