Several hours later, with every powerful beat of his enormous wings, the Storm Griffin King, Baofeng, sent the scenery below rushing backward.
The rugged gray-black of the Black Stone Mountain Range was gradually replaced by vast swathes of dense green.
The air lost the cold bite of mountain rock, gaining a dampness and the fragrance of vegetation.
Raylo gazed down at the winding Black Water River below. It looked like a dark ribbon flowing from north to south, nourishing the lands on either bank.
At the edge of his vision, a vast body of water shimmered with a peculiar light under the sun. That was Amber Lake.
The water wasn't the usual azure but a warm, shifting shade of amber, as if it were molten gemstone flowing from deep within the earth.
That was how Amber Lake got its name.
A round castle stood quietly on the lakeshore. Its white walls and spires were striking in the sunlight. That was Amber Castle, the heart of Amber Territory.
