When I had pictured Talon's Pass in my head, it was a vast and desolate canyon between the towering mountains of the yet unnamed range that split my lands down the middle. At least, none of the monsters have told me the name of the mountains, them being so good with names and all. Though, to the north, the nation of dwarves shared the range with us, so I assumed that they had a name for them.

In any rate, my inner image of a Grand Canyon like land formation could not of been farther from reality.

The first hint was about a day out from the home of the Harpies. I noted that the weather, though still in the throws of winter, had become some what warmer, and there was a clinging dampness to the air. When I brought it up, Margund cut off the answer Lagdon was about to provide and said simply: "Let her see for herself when we get there." With that coy smile he so often wore, in stark contrast to the serious, blank look, that Lagdon often sported.

The sentiment made me smile, and I did like surprises so long as they were good ones. So I did not press the issue, and I was glad that I hadn't.

Soon, the woodlands I was accustom to began to change. The soil was becoming richer and wetter, and the trees started to grow a little closer together, the conifers fading away to be replaced by broad leafed trees, most of them still holding their leaves. It wasn't like it wasn't cold any more, but it was above freezing now.

The earth beneath my feet was so spongy that if almost felt like a mattress and was covered in vines and moss, even the boulders were covered in the stuff. At first I had thought that this was going to be a swamp, like the one in the Dark. But that wasn't it. If I had to pick, I would call it a temperate rainforest, sort of like the redwood forests back on earth, but with out the massive red wood trees.

This had already been fascinating enough for me, but my mind was completely blown when we crested a hill, the trees opened up, and I found myself gazing out over a truly magical sight.

"Its beautiful!" I gasped, seated in the saddle on Kishi's back.

Before me was a grand delta of sorts, a multitude of little streams and rivers branching out around and between trees at the base of the mountains, the call of strange birds dancing on the cool breeze.

As my eyes followed the little rivers to where they all met, I was that the originated from one very large, slow moving one. And that river wound it's way, not through a desolate canyon, but a wide and verdant valley. It was like the two sides of the mountain range opened up to a vista of blue skies and vibrant greenery. Spires of stone reached upwards, some needles of rock nearly as tall as the rocky monoliths themselves. And upon their slight, flat surfaces, grew more greenery.

I think it was the first, truly, magical scenery I had seen since arriving mysteriously to this world.

Margund and Brixie chuckled. "I thought you might like it." Smiled the goblin king.

"I have only been this way once before, myself." Stated Brixie as Luxana stood, awestruck, at her side.

"I am surprised it's so warm here." Stated Brillum, his red fur sticking out vibrantly amongst so much green and grey.

"It's due to the mountains and the valley." Said Margund. "Or so I am told. The weather does get cooler here in the winter, but it tends to rain more than snow. There is also, quite often, a lot of fog. Especially early in the mornings."

"It must be hard on the harpies wings..." I said, thinking that water and feathers did not mix well. Unless they had oily feathers, like ducks?

"I am sure they have ways of dealing with the weather, Lady Enna." Smiled Brixie. "They have been living here far longer than any of us, after all."

"That's true..."

The next leg of our trip was a little unpleasant. Mainly due to how wet everything was. Apparently it would get even worse in a month or so, when the rainy season started. Though, from what I was told, it rained a lot here, regardless. I was right in thinking that this was a rainforest, after all.

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We had to locate old, dilapidated, wooden bridges to get over the larger streams, and wade through the smaller ones. It seemed like there was yet another construction project to be had, come the nicer weather. Probably once the rainy season passed. Though, I would have to remind the goblins to be careful of the environment when they did. I didn't want them to just start ripping up the rainforest and damning up streams, just for the sake of a straight road.

Still, we eventually made it out of the delta, and to the mouth of the valley, where the large river branched out. This was the most life I had seen since arriving in this world. There were animals and monsters a plenty, most I knew nothing about, in and around the river mouth and in the trees. They were all so colorful and eye catching.

I wasn't afraid. One, I was a god and doubted anything here could do me any serious harm, but also because none of the others looked worried. I could only assume that these creatures actively avoided monsters like the foxes and goblins.

"Mistress, I see a road." Kishi's voice broke me from my gawking, where I was staring quite avidly at a flock of brightly colored birds the size of swans, soring above the water.

At her statement, however, my eyes darted back to the path ahead. I didn't see the road she spoke of at first, given there were several beefy hobgoblins a head of me. I really had no clue how Kishi had seen it, to be honest. But, after a moment longer of walking, I did notice that the path we had been traversing became more hardened, and used.

It was a man made- er, monster made?- dirt road, and it wound its way close, but not too close, to the large river. It lead farther into the valley and out of sight, though, I could just make out buildings of some sort on the opposite bank, making me think there was a town or settlement of some sort there.

"That's Sky Keeper." Margund stated, pointing toward the town. "We should make it there in about a day."

"The Harpies live there?" I asked, curious. It some how seemed wrong for beings with wings to be stuck to the ground...

"In a sense. The Harpies are migratory, and move from one side of the pass to the other throughout the year. Sky Keeper was once a human city, built by a civilization that has faded out of any living mind. It is merely used by the harpies for a short time each year. And, even then, they do not live in the town too much. "

"How do you mean?" I wondered, also, what this ancient civilization of humans were. I some how just thought that this had always been a hub for monsters. But, I guess, before Aeros, it was probably a little more diverse.

"They have their own constructs up on the cliffs and between the spires. I'm sure you can imagine that they much prefer to live far above the ground, rather than on the ground. But, Sky Keeper has been where these summits have always been held. It keeps the other monster races out of the Harpy's nests, and also lets us all have shelter down on the ground, where most of us are more comfortable."

That made sense.

But I was even more eager to get to Sky Keeper now. It would be the closest I had been to humanity, aside from the short visit of the adventurers not long ago. It would be interesting to get an idea on how they lived in this world. Though, I supposed that an ancient settlement would not provide an accurate gage on current affairs...

"If you plan of exploring, be sure to take guards with you." Stated Lagdon, knowing far to well.

"Who?" Asked Margund, looking innocent.

Lagdon narrowed his eyes on his older brother. "Both of you."

Brixie chuckled just ahead of us. "We would all do well not to wander alone. There has never been great relations between the races, and I am sure that- present company exempted- has not changed too much either. Especially where the Ogres are concerned."

"Will they really be that opposed to us?" I asked. Not that I saw it as there being sides either way. That didn't mean that the others didn't see it that way, however.

Margund sighed, adjusting the reins of his rohgek. "Even compared to us goblins, the Ogres are beyond prideful, and domineering. They respected Aeros' power in ages passed, but even then, they did not bend to the old god's will so easily. Not that Aeros cared to interfere one way or the other. So long as what minimal commands the dragon made were met, anyone could do just about anything. And the ogres did not let that lax oversight go to waste."

Brixie nodded. "As poor as our relationship had been with the goblins, it was down right deadly with the ogres. They despise weakness, and the foxkin could hardly have been described as powerful in any sense. The Goblins once kept us as slaves, but the ogres would hunt us for sport if we dared ever pass into what they saw as their territory."

Scary... I was, suddenly, not as eager to meet these monsters. Not so much due to fear of them harming me, but rather in that we may not ever see eye to eye. I was really hoping not to have to banish anyone else from these lands. Though... If the ogres were as aggressive as Brixie and Margund claim, exile may not be an option. I could not simply set such beings loose on the human population, after all.

I really, really, did not want to have to be forced into genocide. Humans might not see the mass destruction of an entire monster group as anything more than a bad Tuesday, but to me it would leave a very unsavory taste in my mouth. Monsters were people to me, not just slightly more intelligent animals.

I could only hope that it never came to such a drastic conclusion.