She was bundled up like an infant in swaddling cloth, layers upon layers of it. Zets'Ki Cradle was the home of angels–like her grandmother. Her mother had told her the stories of a place white as snow and close to the heavens, where she and Naija's grandparents had lived before they left to live in Abed. Rajani, her mother, had only lived in that northern place for a short while and did not have many memories, but whatever she remembered she had passed on to her daughters. They remembered how she described their grandmother, an angel who was as divine as the kinnara of legends. With beautiful wings like a swan's, fair skin and a voice that only the purest could bring forth, they carried on that woman's legacy through them. It was apparent in their mother's white wings, and for Naija–her pale blue eyes. Ariesha and Priya had gold-hazel and sienna brown eyes, but they had fairer skin than their father. 

Now after so many years, Naija would finally be able to see the place of their grandmother and mother's birth. What she didn't realize beforehand was how harsh the bitter cold would be compared to the torrid humidity of Abed. It was an immense difference, and all the clothes she had were layered on in an attempt to keep the chill out. Even so the coldness still found a way through, and she did her best to keep moving. At last she was in sight of the Cradle, and she had never been so grateful for warmth. The Saljians were hospitable, though they likely were unaware that she was more closely related to them than they would realize. Once she was warmed up, she would search for any remaining family of her maternal grandmother.

She had wandered across the world back and forth, seeking and searching. With time her heart had grown weary, and finally she stayed in one place for longer than before. Zets'Ki was a land of ice and snow, and bitter cold. But, it was also filled with beautiful dreams. The dream of this land was gentle, soft, and quiet. A place where winged people like the peri lived, in their jeweled houses. After the beginning of the new year, Gale chose to stay behind once the festivities had ended. The half-angels who called themselves Saljians were kind and allowed her to help with them where she could. Here, she had no worries of using her fire. Sidra spent most of her time in the library or anywhere she could keep warm. Asha would follow behind wherever she went, keeping the chilling air from falling to freezing.

The young dream-walker's favorite place to dream was in the cathedral. She remembered how enraptured she was when she first saw it; the statues, the beautiful sky-colored ceiling, and the stories behind the creation of this world. The dream of Zets'Ki was swirling with blues, greens, and purples. Stars twinkled beneath her feet, and winged ones danced as they sailed through the air. Some brought new stars, and hung them in the sky. And throughout it all, was a song that put her heart at ease. An ethereal sound spiraling upwards, as all the winged ones looked to another being who resembled the statue of the woman surrounded by her children. It was as if the earth and sky became one.

Echoes of a long-forgotten time where things might have been simpler, more peaceful, and kind formed half-translucent figures showing a great tree, then two. Sadly, that was where the dream ended before she was roused from her slumber. "Come on, it's time to visit the greenhouses. How long were you in Reverie's Cathedral?" Opening her eyes, she rubbed them as she sat up to see the sphinx lying beside her. "It was a wonderful dream. I saw so many things there." The sphinx nodded and got up, stretching her large feathered wings. "You can tell me about it sometime. We should get going. Asha is waiting outside."

Her first place to visit was the famed cathedral. The buildings here were unusual yet beautiful–the stark contrast of dark stone against the pure white of snow. It was dazzling to see how all the architecture seemed to be carved straight from what would have been massive pieces of gemstones. She had never seen so much malachite at once. Zets'Ki was so quiet compared to the Blessed Isle. Perhaps the biting cold was part of the reason, but having only the howling winds and rustling of trees as company was something Naija had yet to grow accustomed to. There was no festivities in brilliant color, no parades, no fanfare. It was solemn and somber from her perspective. In such a constant state of peace and quiet, the minstrel wondered why her grandmother would choose to leave this all behind and start a new life in a land completely opposite of her own. 

Though the stories she heard as a girl held more truth than embellishment–this place was close to the heavens, and the snow certainly was accurate. However stories were not entirely capable of portraying things like severe weather and extreme climate. Being inside was far better than the outside, but it was still a bit too cold for her liking. All these new sights were so much to take in; her eyes couldn't pull themselves away from everything they fell upon. It was awe-inspiring, just the sort of wonder that bards could tell and retell to others for years to come. She stopped before the statue of Reverie, enraptured by the craftsmanship. It was so tempting to reach out and see if they were real, but she held back. 

So far her search for any distant kin to her maternal grandmother was slow. She had only a name and vague description to use as explanation, and finding anything after more than fifty years would prove difficult. Naija regretted not committing every detail she had heard from her mother's stories to memory. What if she had missed something that would bring one of the Saljians here to remember about her grandmother? There were many angels with golden hair and blue eyes in Zets'Ki. Her grandmother's name wasn't particularly uncommon, to further add complications. Asking whoever she met produced little progress, until a kindly resident suggested she take her search to the library.  If fate would be so kind, she might be in luck and find some records.

It was then that she came across a young fire-haired girl who didn't appear to have angelic ancestry. A sphinx was not far behind, and she halted to narrowly avoid a minor accident. "Oh–excuse me! I didn't see you there! If I had been less lucky, we would have knocked our heads."