The valley was a beautiful location. There was no denying that beauty that laid out before the body guard. After the past few days, Damon had admitted to himself that he was in need of a few days completely to himself. No new work had lined up before him. There were no nobles or merchants that had been in need of protection, but that was a blessing in disguise. He needed that time to figure out what was the next step for him. Inside it felt as if he was finally waking up from a cold stupor. Damon crossed his arms over his chest while looking over the valley. Bow slung over his shoulder along with his full quiver. “We could just settle here and not do anything else,” he mused with a gentle smile on his face.

“I think that would be a little boring, though it is up to you is it not?” A soft, yet slightly annoyed feminine voice responded. Damon shrugged his shoulders with a slight smirk on his face. His crystalline eyes shifted to look down at the young sphynx that sat beside him. Her fur and skin were a yellow-tan shade that blended from her skin beautifully to fur. Delicate wings attached at her back that folded comfortably. “Do not act like you are a hostage. We flipped a coin, and I won. You just could not question your way out of it. Besides, we were needing some time away from the hectic life of a city. Act like a spoiled brat and I will extend our stay.” Damon had already turned his head back to the valley, though he could hear the snort of derision from the creature. “Ynx…why not move further into the valley? Check out what we can see.”

Another snort was made, but she followed diligently as they made progress into the valley. Damon flinched as the scape seemed to change. Golden light lit the land that almost made him pull back. The phoenix was not one for bright areas, but this light was odd; it felt wholesome. A swell of ‘happiness’ grew in his chest that felt odd. He glanced over at Ynx to see that her demeanor had appeared to change as well. It was not something the young sphynx had truly been expecting or wanting. She glanced up at Damon with an expression that could only read as curiosity and concern…though she seemed happy about it.  

What was going on?

Up above, the shadow of a large flying creature fell over the crystal trees as a massive kalangitan came in. On its back there was a girl looking over the side, taking in the view of Vada from above. The slow, steady flapping of its wings created strong updrafts that kept them aloft. Seeing one of these majestic creatures outside of its natural habitat was rare, as it was difficult to bring or even capture beasts from Bakulaw. As the rainbow rivers of the valley were in sight, the sunlight became warmer, softer. Chrys looked up at the clouds, rubbing her eyes. Somehow the skies looked gentler. Did the clouds always look so round and fluffy? It was beautiful weather, for flying and otherwise. With her hands on the kalangitan's back, she could feel its muscles relax a little. This was something she'd never felt before.

"Let's land–slowly. There's a safe spot on that area right before the forest over there." She told the Bakulaw beast, and it began to gradually descend. The trees here were more like sculptures, so it wasn't safe for it to land anywhere else. Slight shaking told her that they were now on solid ground, and the girl slid off the winged beast's back. Shading her eyes, she had her hood pulled up but now it had fallen down, revealing long golden hair tied up in a ponytail. "Here we are, the heart of the Himiria Scar. Mother came here once with Uncle Walter. She said the crystals for the greenhouse's new river came from here. It really does look the same, but a thousand times bigger." Patting the side of the kalangitan's head, she went to explore the place. 

It was like the inside of a large geode–the plants here were all made of crystals of many colors. It was strange how they could grow, if they weren't really plants. She went up to one tree, and put her ear against the trunk. "Hello?" She asked aloud. "Hmm, I don't think I hear anything. Is it really a plant then?" She could hear the voices of plants ever since she was little. First it started with singing along with the roses, and then talking to the vegetables in the garden. Her brothers couldn't hear them, but her mother told her what she could do was very special. Walking deeper into the forest, the crystal canopy above glittered like the streets of Sularia. It was just like that fairy-tale she read with her brother's friends, the one where twelve princesses stole away in the night to dance in a place with trees that had leaves made from pure silver and gold. Everything here was so pretty! 

Even the ground sparkled, like fairy dust. Rainbow birds sang and flew by, catching her by surprise. This place was so magical, you could feel it in the air. Taking a slender branch from an amethyst tree that had topaz blue leaves, she began humming a song as she walked deeper into the dream-like valley.

"We will continue in, but let us remain cautious shall we?" he asked though his tone had lost the edge it normally possessed.  Damon glanced down at Ynx with her elegant tilted to the side.  She was already accustomed to his deep voice that always had a tendency to sound threatening even when not meant to.  She refused to respond in protest to sounding perky again with the influence of what was overtaking the valley.  The young sphinx was quite content with her short-tempered behavior, but the new golden light was taking that away from her.  Damon could not hold back the laugh as he watched the female attempt to frown, but everything that was affecting the area made her too pleased to be upset with her emotions.  He was quite certain that later on when they were in charge of their moods again she would be ten times worse.  

They proceeded further down in the valley and there was a serene feeling that continued to make its way through the pair.  "I believe this is the most pleasant you have ever been," Damon chided towards the sphinx.  He had a large grin on his face that had nothing to do with the emotion altering light of the valley.  It made him smile brighter as Ynx attempted to growl at him and it came out as a purr.  Laughter rolled forth from deep in his chest that had not happened for a long time.  Their path had begun to mingle with that of the crystal trees that they had been admiring previously.  Despite Ynx's tendency to be on the sour side of the mood spectrum, she could not hide the awe she held for the giant trees.  Damon could not quite figure out where the trees had come from, but knew there was some sort of history he would never know.  All he wanted to do was admire them to give himself a time of leisure.  

The forest was vast and shone even with the light coming through the canopy.  Fingers lightly dragged across the trucks of the trees they passed.  Damon smiled at the ground as he felt their toughness, even while looking as beautiful as they did.  He truly felt at peace for the first time in ages.  The loss of his goddess and his mate had been a difficult blow.  Both of the women had meant his entire world to him, at his heart had slumbered for a time.  Now, he was awake and ready to be a part of the world once again.  Until he found a true purpose, he was going to enjoy his time in the forest with the mysterious golden light.  

Ynx turned her head quickly as her large sensitive ears picked up a gentle humming from a young woman.  It did not take more than half a second for Damon to glance in the same direction as she was.  There was no caution that filled his movements.  He had no fear of anything since he was full of such comfort.  The phoenix moved towards the humming until he finally came around a large tree to see a young woman humming as she walked.  He listened for a short time, as he enjoyed the music that she was creating.  It was soothing and felt as if it felt the golden light of the valley.  The entire scene felt as if it were from a restful dream.  "Excuse me," he said with his new softer toned voice.  He did not worry about frightening her as he closed the distance only by a fraction.  "If I may ask, did you just come upon the valley as well?  Do you know what is happening here?  I don't remember this place being described as I feel right now…"  Damon glanced at Ynx for a moment and realized what he was saying most likely did not make sense.  "I am sorry. First, I am Damon Naur and this is Ynx.  I don't mean to intrude, but I really liked your tune."

Chrysanthe whirled around to see a stranger appear to ask her a question. Crossing her arms with the crystal branch in her hands, she tilted her head to the side. "I was flying over before I landed, if that's what you mean. I'm not really sure if this is normal or not. It's my first time here." Tapping her chin with the crystal twig, she thought about it for a moment. "Hmm…well it could just be magic. I heard that the river here didn't used to be a rainbow, but it is now. That's usually the case when new things happen, right?" When Damon Naur introduced himself and the sphinx with him, the girl put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Thanks, Mister Naur. I'm Chrys. My friend Strelitzia is a ways back, outside the forest."

"So why are you here? It's pretty dangerous to come here without flying, or using the tram. There's only one path that's safe, everywhere else is quicksand." She added. Normally she'd be a little worried, but her heart felt like it was flying. Chrys had grey-blue eyes beneath her golden-yellow bangs. For someone so young, coming out into the wilderness alone was very bold. She didn't like being cooped up, and liked the outdoors. Her brothers weren't the same way, though at least her big brother enjoyed gardens. Glancing around them, she sighed. "Now I kind of wish my brother came with me. He needs to get out and walk around more often. Flying by myself isn't so bad though." Then, she had an idea. "Hey, do you want to see something really cool? If you want to–follow me."

Turning back to head out of the crystal forest, she beckoned him and the sphinx to come with a grin. "I bet you'll be surprised! Strelitzia's this way." Retracing her steps through the gemstone trees, she reemerged into the open. Shading her eyes now that she was back in daylight, she stood before a huge kalangitan. There was a saddle on it, which was more like a massive harness encompassing the Bakulaw beast's body. It was larger than gryphons and hippogryphs, sort of like the sky's equivalent of a sea leviathan. Leaning against Strelitzia, she waved at the two. "Over here! Say hi to Strelitzia! Isn't she amazing?"

Damon could not help but smile slightly as his new acquaintance crossed her arms while looking at him.  She had a sense of strength about her, even with the golden light edging their mood.  He doubted that fear was something that she was familiar with.  Curiosity and defiance was admirable.  "Yes, that would be a recent arrival. So I may assume you are just as confused as I am?  Though I am enjoying this view," he laughed lightly while looking around at the surroundings.  It almost felt like he was in a state of euphoria.  Nothing felt exactly right though it was not unsettling.  "The rainbow river would be quite different from the descriptions that I had originally heard prior.  Magic has a tendency to run a little wild from time to time here, doesn't it?"  Damon shrugged his shoulders and readjusted the bow and quiver over his shoulder.  Ynx, even in her state of forced happiness, found a way to scowl slightly to make her feel more comfortable.  The young sphinx did not like mingling with others.  "Damon is fine. No one uses a formal title for a guard.  It is a pleasure to meet you Chrys.  That is not a statement brought on just by whatever is happening here."  

He lifted a brow as he attempted to formulate a response.  The way that Ynx and Damon got there was an odd work around.  Frankly, Damon and his new companion had gotten lost.  Neither would be able to properly explain how they had arrived in the valley.  Getting turned around was not something that he was used to.  "I could not really tell you how we arrived here.  We made a few turns and somehow ended up here.  I guess that we made some really lucky turns then if it was that dangerous."  Damon smiled again and shrugged his shoulders once again.  He was never this talkative and new that it had to be the golden light that had to be effective party.  The phoenix nodded his head as he saw the enthusiasm brighten her face.  "I wouldn't mind seeing something 'really cool.'  We don't have that much on our plate at the moment besides meandering and exploration."  

Damon quickly turned on his heels to follow Chrys out of the crystal forest.  His finger lightly tapped one of the trunks that he passed to listen to it sing softly.  The sun came down gently and yet with a brilliance that was rarely seen.  He stopped short to keep a generous distance from the giant flying beast that Chrys was so happy to reconnect with.  It was a creature that he had never seen before.  In any other circumstances he would have been more cautious, but seeing the happiness on the other's face made him more comfortable.  "Strelitzia, is it?  What is she?"  Ynx followed closely on Damon's heel.  She continued to glance around her friend's legs as they walked closer.  "She is huge."

Chrysanthe beamed with pride as she saw the amazement on the others' faces. She guessed right when she was sure they'd be surprised. Creatures from Bakulaw weren't common running around outside of their home territory. Patting the nose of the large flying creature, she looked back at the man and sphinx. "She's a kalangitan, from Bakulaw. There's all sorts of unusual things there, but most of them are pretty dangerous. She's one of the nicer ones." When they were wowed by Strelitzia's impressive frame and wingspan, she laughed a little. "She is, isn't she? Kalangitans are some of the biggest fliers out there. There's pakpaks, but they're like babies compared to her. I'm not sure if she's even the biggest out of them all. She's not very fast, but she can fly for hours before she has to land. After ten miles, gryphons and hippogriffs can't keep up with Strelitzia." Maybe she was being a little boastful about her mount, but there was a grain of truth to it. Kalangitans had great endurance for long flights.
 
Jumping up to climb Strelitzia's harness, she turned to the other two. "Hey, do you want to see the rainbow rivers from up top? I can have Strelitzia take us around the entire valley of Vada. You'll get to see what the Himiria Scar looks like from the sky." The weather was warm and still peaceful; such conditions for flying couldn't be better. The Bakulaw beast was large enough to carry several people, maybe even small animals included. Chrys was up on the saddle, and waved at them from above. The great beast was stretching its wings, warming up for another flight. She leaned down to whisper, patting its neck before pulling herself upright again. Chrys wasn't sure if they'd take her offer, but if they did she was sure the view they were going to see would be more than worth it. She could even show them the Sky Tram too, while it was operational. 

Damon had to admit that it was impressive that such a large beast was taking orders from a young woman like Chrys.  It spoke a lot of the woman's capabilities as a flyer as well as a master.  Ynx nudged the back of her friend's knees with her shoulder to indicate that her amazement was not as keen as his.  The phoenix glanced down at her and smiled down at her then could not hold back the laugh.  It was amazing what was going on with him.  Normally he was not a social creature.  A majority of the time Damon spoke rarely and only responded with minor phrases to make it less awkward for all involved.  Whatever was overtaking the Valley was having a deep impact on him.  For the moment, he would just enjoy it.  "Bakulaw…I have only heard of it, but have never been there myself.  As for a pakpak I have no idea what that is," he said with a half laugh.  There were still many things he had to learn about Revaliir.  His memories were all mixed in from when he lived in DaeLuin.  In addition to the many years he had lived, it was difficult to discern one memory from another.

"That is quite an endurance to have, I must say.  Endurance is more important in the end anyway.  If you cannot keep a talent up for an extended period of time, you end up losing the fight."  Damon moved forward despite the soft protests from Ynx.  The offer had been extended to take to the skies.  Damon half smiled as he thought about flying again.  It had been many years since he had taken to the air himself.  Having the ability to check out the changes to the Valley with a sort of tour guide, so to speak, he figured this would be a good opportunity.  "I will take you up on that offer.  It sounds like a fun time."  The archer glanced back at Ynx who had spread her wings and began to stretch in a similar fashion as Strelitzia.  'I will fly myself, thank you," she spoke with a set mentality.  

With a quick nod, Damon climbed up with Chrys to sit behind her.  "Just give me a heads up.  I haven't flown like this before to be honest."  He readjusted his bow that was across his chest in order to sit more comfortably.  Seeing the Valley from the sky would be quite telling of what was going on and how high the magic was or how far.  He was quite curious to find out.  "Wherever you want to show me, we are up for it."

"Alright, sit tight and make yourself comfortable. One of the good things about flying on kalangitans is how they start up. Their movements are steady, and they're calm." Taking another look to check that he was seated, she whistled three times signalling to the beast it was time to take flight. Strelitzia began to move, first from her body and then her great massive wings. With powerful muscles, a single flap created gusts that sent up a flurry of dust and whipped from below. Flapping faster and greater frequency, the Bakulaw beast pushed off the ground with a shake–and they were off! Steering with the reins, Chrysanthe had them fly high above the ground until they were close to the cloud layer. Then, she had Strelitzia descend slowly until the valley was in view. Up from above there was a deep gash in the sand with clusters of color on dense rock. The crystal forest looked more like rainbow moss from this altitude.

Circling around, soon two great rivulets like the aurora borealis flowed around the mass of trees, shimmering in every color imaginable. The vibrancy of the rivers' colors were a stark contrast to the quicksand around the safe zone. It truly was an oasis in the desert. A narrow strip of stone led down from the heart of Vada, leading to the Sky Tram she'd mentioned earlier. There was some sort of suspension system that spanned the valley itself, which the tram's carriage swung across. The strip of stone known as the Tail of the Scar was dotted by sparkling crystals on both sides. Now they were flying directly over the center of the Himiria Scar crater, and she pointed down at a large crystal spire visible from the air. "Look! The trees start around it, then thin out gradually over the valley. It's probably something important if it's placed like that." Chrys wondered what it was, and why it was there. Maybe when she went back home she could ask her mother about it. 

She made a few more circles with Strelitzia until she was sure they'd seen everything once. Letting out a different series of whistles, she signaled to the kalangitan it was time to land. Gradually descending, they touched down back at the place they had taken off from. Once Strelitzia folded her wings, the gusts from them died down. "How'd you like that Mister Damon?" She said, grinning as she looked at her first passenger. "Now you can say you've seen the whole valley in a day." 

The phoenix was quite intrigued with the concept of being in the air due to another’s wings. Even more so that it was with someone else for the joy of it. “I am quite pleased to attempt this adventure,” he responded with an uncharacteristic smile. His sight moved from the central body of the bakulaw to trace to the giant wings. There was quite a bit of power with each movement made. Damon wondered what it looked like from the outside when he took flight. Eye flinched as dust was sent flying, and instantly he looked over at Ynx to make sure that she had moved far enough away to not get caught up in it all. Damon glanced around in what looked like frantic motions. With the effects of the valley upon him, he did not feel that anxiety. Ynx made a slight swoop overhead to give away her position. Damon relaxed as he watched her do flips in the air and looking abundantly more comfortable than she was previously.

Once the proper power was pushed forward by the beast, they were into the air quickly. Strelitzia took her directions well from her master. They flew quite comfortably through the air. There was no strain on the creature’s part as they made different directional maneuvers. Ynx kept her distance though not far enough that she could not keep a close watch. The sphinx dove left and right through the air. Eventually the creature settled into a pattern for rocking from side to side as she followed.

Damon finally took his gaze off of his companion to below at the forest. He took in the scenery and felt calm while looking it over. It was by mere luck or an odd twist of fate that he and Ynx had come to the sanctuary safely. The phoenix was sure that if they had attempted to make the trip again that he would not have made it safely. He followed Chrys’ direction and saw the crystal spire. It made him curious of what it was and why it was there. There were still many mysteries of Revaliir that he did not know about. “That is a good thing to be curious about. I do wonder what its purpose is.”

When they finally landed on the ground once more, Damon swung his leg over to dismount. Knees bent to take the impact as he landed on the ground. “I found that quite enjoyable, thank you,” he said in response. Damon shielded his eyes while looking back up at Chrys. “It was much more enjoyable to see from above than roaming about aimlessly. There would not be quite as an impact as what we just witnessed…so thank you for that.” He stepped back to give the winged creature its space. “Well, we will leave you to your day. I am sure that you had many things other than escorting a stranger around on your agenda for the day.”

The girl stretched her arms, and waved back at Damon. "I'm glad you had fun! Have a safe journey back to wherever you're planning to go. You too, Ms. Sphinx. I'll be flying back now with Strelitzia. Take care!" Chys gave one last smile before patting the great kalangitan, then gave the signature three whistles. As Strelitzia slowly prepared to take off into the air, Chrysanthe tightened the reins and began to steer her back north towards Arri. She had a treasure trove of amazing things she could talk about with her first cousins once removed, and she could let the Bakulaw beast have a well-deserved rest. From there, she'd check if the weather was good enough to go back home.

Rising close to the cloud layer, she slackened her grip to pull out the crystal branch she found on the forest floor. Holding it up to the light, she couldn't help but grin as it sparkled in blues, reds, yellows, and purples. Even if it wouldn't grow into a new tree, it would still look nice in her room. "Today was a good day, right Strelitzia?" The Rosenite girl patted the side of the Bakulaw's neck. Leaning back on her saddle, she sighed as the warmth of Vada's atmosphere ebbed away. "It would've been ten times better if Lys and Efrain were here to see it too though. Maybe I can convince mother to take us all back there together sometime? I really want to see that crystal spire in the forest up close." Pulling the reins to adjust their altitude, she watched as a flock of ducks passed them by in their familiar arrow-head formation. "Beats flying in an airship any day." Chrys said to herself.

A few hours later she could see the ring of green marking the rainforest surrounding the capital of Arri. The trees in the jungle were too densely packed for a flier of Strelitzia's size to land safely, so she had to keep moving until they saw the docks for the airships. There was a bit of a stir when they made their descent, but she didn't mind. Strelitzia was well-trained and had a good temper. Still, Chrys would have preferred a stable for her. Running to her mother's relatives' house, she was halfway through the door when she called out to her mother's cousin Celosia. "You won't believe what happened when I went flying with Strelitzia today! We went around the Himiria Scar, down into the valley…"