A golden glow infused the sky as the star shone bright over the distant horizon. Below the shining, white clouds speeding by above, the landscape was uneven and malformed, a rarity on the continent of Thericia. Tall, rocky slopes completely covered the landscape, many supporting fields and meadows full of wild flowers, isolated trees, and hints of wildlife. Though these mountains were large, they were nothing like the harsh, unforgiving landscape that Falador was!

                Wind moaned around Tearna as she continued to climb the slope alongside the others. All around them, tall grass billowed in the breeze, a few trees shaking while flocks of small, white birds drifted in the sky. Smiling up at them, Tearna turned her gaze to the horizon, “After traveling all around the world, we finally arrived at our final, official destination, the sprawling highlands of Altia!”

                Brushing off her thicker robe, Tearna carefully sat herself down on a rock as she pulled out her journal, “The Altian Highlands defines a massive region occupying the northwestern corner of Thericia. These stubby mountains are only half the size of what one might find on Falador, and their slopes are covered in far less jagged grey rock as well as meadows!”

                Smiling contently, she looked back up at the caravan as it continued to follow the mountain path weaving through the meadow, “These highlands are a truly interesting biome. Thanks to the rainfall caused by their proximity to the coast, life is able to flourish in these high altitudes. Many of these mountains are capped in green instead of white, and are quite flat. As a result, each of these mountain tops has the ability to support fields of grass, wildflowers, and even trees!”

                Tearna’s sandals crunched against gravel as she hiked up to the very top of the tall meadow, the stumpy peak of the mountain, and gazed out at the terrain around them, “For those experienced with Falador, one would expect these mountains to be similarly inhospitable, but that is far from the case! Each mountain is rife with nutrients, making for incredible lush terrain that is more than perfect for farming, but the type of farming in this area is incredibly specific!”

                Bells chimed as bleeting echoed, a fluffy creature lifting its head and chewing absently on grass. Farin nodded as he continued to talk with the shepherd they had stumbled across, the rest of the expedition taking a breather while Tearna squatted in front of the preet staring up at her, “Preet farming is incredibly popular within these highlands. With so many fields, this area is perfect for raising entire herds of these fluffy cottonballs, and when one meadow is mowed down, they simply move to another mountain.”

                Bells dinged throughout the flock of preet as they moved in a massive ball of fluff, “Another reason this area is popular is the lack of predators. In the past, this area was mostly barren in terms of wildlife, so nothing evolved to hunt in these high altitudes, meaning that the shepherds can rest easy knowing their flocks are more than safe!”

                One of the preet lying on the ground rolled its head back to look at Tearna as she ran her hand through its fluff, earning a laugh from her as it stared at her upside down, “The final reason is this area’s proximity to Orden. Shipping harvested wool is an easy process, and the trade guilds have established numerous routes to ensure the process never ceases. It’s this easy access to wool that allows us to have so many clothing options, though, wool has become less popular with the increased supply of silk.” Tearna smiled happily as she watched several other preet, “At the end of the day though, watching a flock of preet graze is surprisingly peaceful, and we ended up camping by them for a lot longer than we intended!”

                Bren’s teeth rattled as she shivered under layers of blankets, someone draping another blanket over her as she huddled as close to the fire as she could. Around her, the other expedition members had reclined for the evening, some already retired to their tents, leaving the rest to sit around the campfire. “How are you that cold?” someone finally asked. “It’s barely cold out!”

                “Maybe for you!” she snapped, glaring at the sheek heatedly. “F-For m-me it feels l-like I-I’m back in Fa-Fa-Falador!” She tightened herself more into a ball, “I want to go back to Garodar!”

                “There’s just no hope for you,” the sheek sighed as the others burst out laughing.

                A short distance away, Tearna and Farin were studying a map intently, “Judging from how far we’ve come today, I think it’s only going to take us a few days to get through this region.”

                “That gives us a little time to spare in a few other spots,” Tearna spoke up with a nod. She tapped the icon of a village just to their northeast, “We’re still planning to stop here, right?”

                “Unless something changed,” he said with a firm nod. “The Archon wanted to speak with us personally. I believe she intends to inform the council of our progress.”

                “The last stop,” Tearna said, a small sigh of disbelief escaping her. It was so surreal to finally say it after so long. A shiver ran through her tails as she chuckled nervously, “I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with myself when we’re done!”

                “You’ll figure it out, just like the rest of us,” Farin chuckled as he began to roll the map up. “It’ll be weird going back to normal life, but I know the academy will be eager to have its scholar back.”

                “I’m sure they’re going to be pestering me non-stop,” she sighed. Frowning, she looked off into the distance, admiring the star shining over the landscape. “It’s hard to believe that we came so far,” she finally whispered. “So much of this has felt like a weird dream, but… it was all real. We saw so many incredible things, and… and a part of me isn’t ready to let it go.”

                Smiling for a moment, the captain finally nodded, “I know what you mean, but all good things must come to an end. We’ve all got lives to go back to, and we’ll figure out how to settle back into normal routines.” A frown suddenly touched his face, “Well… maybe not what my normal routine used to be.”

                Blinking once, Tearna looked at him with a start. Eyes widening, she leaned over as she grinned massively, “Farin… Are you going to try and do what I think you’re going to do?” He looked at her fearfully as her eyes shone, “Are you going to ask her to bind with you?!”

                The next morning, golden light shone across the landscape as wind howled. Near the front of the column, Tearna was still grinning like an idiot, watching Farin knowingly as he walked alongside Theia. Snickering to herself, she forced herself to look away, “With so many distracting events, it was difficult to focus. With the end of our journey in sight, everyone was rushing to make exciting, life altering decisions, and while it very well could have been us getting caught up in the excitement, I think it’s safer to say that this journey simply changed us for the better!”

                She shook her head and grinned at the sky, “But I couldn’t sit around like a starry-eyed child! With our journey winding down, I needed to do my best to keep up with my journal, and that meant documenting the little puffballs I had been mostly ignoring.” Pulling out her journal, she came to a halt as she studied the birds floating on the breeze, “Since entering the mountains, we had been followed by a small flock of white birds common to this region called clouverals!”

                A haunting hoot passed onto the breeze from one of the birds as they seemingly floated in place. “Clouverals can be identified by their white plumage, fluffier bodies, long tail feathers, and, of course, the whiskers trailing off their heads just above their eyes!” Tearna wrote as she studied them carefully. “These creatures are known for gliding and tend to drift wherever the wind happens to blow. They spend most of their lives airborne and feed primarily on insects caught in the breeze, allowing them to remain constantly on the move.”

                Tearna closed her journal as she watched them bank away from the caravan, “These peaceful creatures aren’t as skittish as some of their cousins, and will frequently pester travelers for free handouts… if the wind isn’t blowing, of course!” Chuckling to herself, she turned to follow the caravan, “For the most part, our finds were few and far between, but we were able to find signs of life at lower altitudes!”

                Skidding down a slope, Tearna carefully shimmied her way up against an outcropping and peered down at the small lake nestled within the valley, “After traveling for a day or two, we happened across a shallow valley with a lake at its heart. It appeared to be the result of a few snowmelt rivers, but what captured my attention was the small herd of animals on its shores!”

                Long, violet tendrils floated on the water as a small, fuzzy animal bent its head to drink. “Nagrox are a mountainous herd animal native to this region,” Tearna wrote, watching the herd with a careful eye. “These small creatures are fairly similar to preet, but are smaller, not nearly as fluffy, and quite psychedelic!” Yellow and black swirls marked the fur of the various Nagrox, “These patterns have often been described as hypnotic, and to this day, researchers still fail to come up with a reason for them!”

                “Across our world, these creatures are some of the most alien,” she continued, another nagrox dipping its head down to drink. “They have massive, brazier-like ears and numerous tentacle-like growths dangling from the backs of their jaws. These tendrils have been observed to behave like whiskers for some other animals and give them an oddly city-like appearance!” She snickered, “I bet a few hair stylists would love to tackle these strange creatures!”

                Colder wind blew around the caravan as they marched up a gravel path. Grey rock poked out from the mountain just over their head, a few rocks tumbling down and plinking against the railing. “For several days, we journeyed through the untamed wilderness,” Tearna wrote, careful with her steps as she watched the slope. “There were few signs of civilization, mostly just homes, but there was some civilization on this frontier! Our goal was to reach the central city in the region, Caldia!”

                Surmounting the small hill, Tearna came to a slow halt as her eyes widened slightly, “And after only a few days, we found it!” Nestled in a small valley in front of them were numerous buildings of a small city. They were built in a fashion similar to what they had seen back in the Glass Lakes, but this motif was more green. There were numerous roads and pathways carved into the mountain, buildings built at all sorts of different elevations to give the city a strangely vertical appearance, and with night’s arrival so soon on the horizon, the city was already illuminated!

                “Our first impression was truly spectacular,” Tearna continued as they approached the gates. A massive smile touched her face as she admired the timber fencing, “It was a lot more rustic and homely feeling than most villages, but it was far more metropolitan!” Wagons rumbled along the mostly dirt roads as travelers came and went, the caravan slowly making its way along while Tearna stared up at the buildings looming on the cliffs, “Even though the buildings weren’t nearly as tall as the towers of Orden, they felt just as tall simply due to the height of the terrain!”

                “The main road was carved into a tight valley and had numerous shops and businesses on either side,” she continued, sitting on a bench as she stared up the cliffs. “There were numerous offshoot paths, some leading to stairs while others to elevators, each of them leading to the higher levels where homes appeared to be located. I was able to see all sorts of local citizens going about their lives and the atmosphere was surprisingly calming.”

                A smile rested on her face as she slowly walked down a small side alley, “It seemed that every section of the city had some treasure just waiting to be found! Even the side alleys had cozy cafes and shops, and the locals were quite friendly! If one wishes to enjoy the life of a city without all the hustle and bustle, then Caldia seems like the perfect choice!” Stepping onto the main road, she peered towards the back of the city, “Of course, there was another reason why Caldia is so prominent!”

                As the city proceeded into the mountain, it slowly tapered off entirely as the valley disappeared, a massive field visible that rose higher into the sky, but it was what was perched atop the mountain that was so eye catching. Torches and braziers glowed brightly across the walls of the Archon’s palace! Wavy, green tile covered the rooftops of the numerous, stacked towers rising from the sides of the palatial structure, the palace built more vertically up the cliff with a massive, stacked tower dominating its heart.

                “Standing as the city’s shining jewel, the Archon’s palace was near impossible to miss,” Tearna wrote, sitting on the front step of the inn the expedition was staying at. “From where we were staying, it was hard to truly appreciate the structure’s immensity, but its silhouette was stunning. It had a mostly stone and timber motif with a predominantly golden exterior, and it became a little clearer why gold had been chosen after we finally met the Archon!”

                Cold wind blew through a large courtyard. A tree in the corner rustled while flowers bobbed around it, numerous birds chirping in a fountain as they bathed themselves. “I’m glad that you were all able to make it here in one piece,” a voice echoed. Near one side of the courtyard, numerous expedition representatives were sitting around a stone table. They were smiling respectfully as another figure made her way around the table, “I admit, I was skeptical that you would be able to make it this far without any accidents, but it seems that my concern wasn’t warranted.” Smiling happily, she sat in the chair at the end of the table, “You have all succeeded in ways that we didn’t dare to imagine!”

                Sitting at the table was none other than one of the five Archons, Tandera. She was adorned in a resplendent golden robe complete with golden wristbands, several necklaces, and a thick cape that trailed down from around her shoulders. She had her hair pulled back with several curls across its top, allowing the white patterns on her face and shining green eyes to stand out. Though she was a bit young, she was undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings on the planet.

                “That success belongs to everyone in our expedition,” Farin spoke up with an appreciative nod. “Truly, I couldn’t have asked for a better crew.”

                “Nor could we have asked for a better expedition,” she responded with a warm smile. “We cannot possibly express our appreciation for your efforts. What you have managed to achieve will help us fully heal the wounds of the Crisis. That is a blessing that cannot truly be weighed, and it is not an effort that we shall ever forget.”

                “We were just happy to be able to do our jobs,” Tearna spoke up with a respectful bow of her head.

                “A sentiment we all share,” Tandera said with a chuckle. She sat forward with a more curious look, “I know the council will be thrilled to hear of your success this evening. I imagine that the officials in Orden will be quite abuzz once you return to the capital.”

                “It’s something we’re planning for,” Farin nodded with a slight frown. He gestured at Tearna, “Our vice-captain has been working extra hard to catalogue everything she can, and I fear it may take several years to full dissect her notes.”

                “Excellent,” the Archon said with a smile as Tearna beamed. “That data will go a long ways to restoring the archives of Orden, and I’m sure that the knowledge we’ll be able to distribute will be greatly appreciated.” Squinting in thought, she regarded Farin, “And I assume there were no complications with the permits for the Eclipse Capital?”

                “No, Archon,” Farin said as he bowed his head, Tearna raising her brow slightly. “We were able to make it to the city and explore without any issues.”

                “And nothing appeared out of sorts?” she asked, raising her brow more pointedly.

                “None that we could find.”

                Tearna squinted at the Archon slightly. Although Tandera had only been selected around forty years ago, she was definitely just as much an Archon as Dai’Khan. Just what about the Eclipse capital was she so curious about? After a moment, she finally smiled, “Excellent! Although it was cleared out, we’ve never been perfectly certain that we got everything.”

                “Everything seemed stable,” Tearna spoke up. “I don’t know what we could have possibly stumbled upon there that could be a problem.”

                “It never hurts to be safe, and after all that happened there, that area continues to be a lingering source of anxiety.” Frowning in thought, she finally shook her head, “But enough of that! You all achieved an incredible thing by making it here! Though my mentor, Techalna, is no longer around, her tendency to celebrate with wine certainly continues!”

                Darkness hung heavy over the landscape as the sound of gentle activity drifted around the city. Crimson light glowed in windows while torches and lampposts illuminated the streets, stars twinkling on the horizon while the moons remained shrouded behind clouds. Near the back of the city, on one of the upper levels, a small sigh stirred the air at the top of a tower.

                Tearna swirled her drink absently as she watched the horizon. Ever since their meeting with the Archon, she had been filled with a strange sense of… finality. While part of her was glad to finally have their long journey finished, the other part of her was sad. She didn’t want to stop exploring, but… She knew she couldn’t keep this life going forever, so she was just going to enjoy it as long as she could.

                “Wow, you really are feeling it still, aren’t you?”

                Tearna closed her eyes as she let out a small snort before finally looking across the table, “Yeah… I’m still not sure how to feel.”

                “You’re not alone at least,” Kai said with a small shrug. “This journey wasn’t what I expected it to be, and… I think that’s part of why it’s hitting us so hard.” Frowning in thought, he looked at her, “I mean, was it anything like what you thought it would be?”

                “No,” she said, letting her eyes fall shut. “The twists and turns it ended up taking were things I never had planned for.”

                “But what about as a person?” Raising her brow, she looked at him curiously as he continued, “I mean, when this started, I just saw it as a job, but as it went, I got attached. I don’t know how to say it, but the person I am now… he’s not the same one that I started as.” He looked off at the horizon, “I never expected so much to change, and knowing that this journey is almost over… it’s making me really reflect on the long path we took to get here.”

                Tearna stared at him quietly, the glow of a nearby torch illuminating the side of his face. Slowly, a smile touched her face as she watched the stars reflect in his eyes. “It is a little overwhelming to think about,” Tearna whispered as she lowered her gaze. Kai blinked and looked down as she rested her fingertips on his hand. She smiled back at him as she tilted her head, “But you were right. At least we aren’t alone…” Kai stared back at her quietly, searching her eyes as she continued to smile.

                “Sorry about the wait!” Tearna flinched and leaned back with a start as a girl in a cleaner-looking outfit stumbled up to them with two large platters on her arms. “I hope I’m not interrupting, but your food is ready!” Steam wafted from the top of a large flank as she set one platter in front of Kai before setting a tray of fish and various fruits in front of Tearna. “Is there anything else I can get you?” the waitress asked as she regarded them.

                “N-no, I think we’re good!” Kai said awkwardly as he smiled at her.

                “Let me know if that changes!” the waitress responded cheerfully, bowing her head before turning and striding away.

                “So much for getting the chance to be philosophical,” Kai muttered, Tearna snickering with amusement as he prodded his food. Shaking her head, she looked back out at the horizon, her thoughts still dwelling on all that had changed…

                A colder breeze wafted over the vast meadow stretching over the flat mountain. Tearna’s hair danced around her shoulders as she leaned into the breeze, the rest of the expedition marching along dutifully. “With Caldia behind us, our course was finally set for home, but getting back to Orden meant getting out of the highlands. On our way south, we were beset by harsh winds and colder temperatures, making the going slow. Despite the slight delay, such fierce winds did provide new opportunities!”

                Tearna looked over with a start as she stared at what looked like an oddly smooth rock. Slowly tilting her head, she jumped slightly as it moved again, sliding a bit to the side before stopping. Curious, she stepped over and squatted. Very carefully, she began to lift it up, but jumped as it suddenly hissed and scuttled backwards. Blinking in surprise, Tearna began to smile eagerly as she pulled out her journal, “While fighting the winds, I noticed what appeared to be a rock moving slightly from the strong breeze. Upon further investigation, it was revealed to be a snuffler!”

                Another angry hiss rang out as Tearna grabbed the underside of the rock, very careful with where she had her hands as she finally lifted it up to reveal what it had been hiding. Tiny claws swiped at the air as large eyes stared up at her, the little animal attached to the rock flailing around as it curled its flat tail over its belly, “Scufflers are a rather unusual creature reminiscent of a turtle, at least in terms of silhouette. Without their shell, these creatures look like fat mammalian frogs, having a thin layer of fur, small limbs, and a wide head, but their shells are what ultimately defines them.”

                “These creatures grow an immense shell that curls down like a dome, hiding their bodies from potential predators, but, most importantly, helping them avoid getting blow away!” Smiling, she set the creature back down and watched as it scurried away, “Scufflers are an incredibly difficult creature to find because of how well they blend in, but they can most easily be identified thanks to how smooth their shells are! While they are docile, keep in mind that they are skittish, so if you want to meet one, you had better be sneaky or quick!”

                Wind howled fiercely as the expedition made its way down a slope. Tearna shivered even under her robe as she hugged herself tightly, looking at the rockier terrain ahead of them as the mountains turned less green, “The further south we went, the less vegetation we encountered. Based on my findings, it seemed that most of the lush terrain is predominately on the western side of the highlands, whereas the eastern side is mostly dry on behalf of the Karasi. Despite its proximity to the desert, however, it shared none of its warmth!”

                Snow billowed over the ghollon as the expedition trudged through an open tundra. The handlers bowed their heads and shielded themselves, the ghollon letting out loud, rumbling calls while others in the expedition shouted at each other to try and keep track of themselves. “Our journey through the heart of the highlands was far more perilous than we had been anticipating,” Tearna noted as she trudged along. “As luck would have it, a snowstorm had enveloped the heart of the highlands, and our progress was effectively halted.”

                “ACHOO!” Bren sniffled and rubbed her nose as she shivered under layers of blankets. A few barricades had been setup around them, trying desperately to ward off the fierce wind, but there was no hoping for the safety of a tent with wind this fierce. The expedition members huddled together tightly as they waited for the snowstorm to die down, many using their powers to buy some reprieve as the wind howled.

                The next morning, light glittered across the now frozen slopes. Bren shivered as she walked with bleary eyes, letting out another loud sneeze before sniffling once again. Watching her with a worried frown, Tearna finally sighed and looked ahead, “After a sleepless night, the snowstorm finally came to an end, and we were blessed by a rather peaceful, sparkling landscape.” Light glittered across fields of snow blanketing the mountains. “Thanks to the snowstorms, the mountains were completely drowned in snow, and while the temperatures were cold, the wind had stopped. While I felt bad for Bren, so much snow did at least present us with another opportunity!”

                Bren suddenly let out a shout of surprise and fell backwards as the snow erupted. Hurrying over, Tearna blinked in confusion as she looked at what had startled her. A white furred face cocked its head as it stared at them, the long, noodly creature sticking up like a parascope. “Ouch,” Bren muttered, rubbing her head. “What i-is that t-thing?”

                “I believe we’ve been ambushed by a feasel,” Tearna said with a small smile. “Give me one second to catalog this,” she continued as she pulled out her journal, Bren rolling her eyes.

                “On one particular mountain, we had the rather unexpected surprise of meeting a feasel,” Tearna wrote, the creature suddenly disappearing straight back into the snow. Tearna watched curiously as a moving mound of snow wove its way back and forth, “Feasels are long, narrow mammals native to the colder areas of the highlands. They are roughly three feet long and have a notably noodle-like shape with small limbs, a small snout, and tiny, furry ears.”

                Another burst of snow erupted as the feasel popped back up a distance away, parascoping once again as it turned all the way around, “These playful and curious creatures have long since been the fascination of many people. Their large eyes and luscious white coats have made them quite appealing, and after meeting one in person, it’s easy to see why! Between their long bodies and cute expressions, it would be hard to resist wanting one as a pet!” Tearna let out a laugh as it disappeared straight back down, “I will also admit that watching it move around was humorous! It was almost like a game of trying to guess where it would popup next, but it didn’t take long before it wandered off.”

                Tearna continued to stare after the creature with a small smile. “T-Tearna,” Bren suddenly moaned, making her snap back to attention. “Can you p-please h-help me out of t-the snow?!”

                A hint of warmth rolled over the otherwise cold slopes as the expedition slowly began to descend into what appeared to be a rocky valley. Rocks shifted beneath her feet as Tearna picked her way along carefully. Coming to an outcropping, she stopped and peered ahead, “After a few days at the top of the mountains, our path finally began to lead downward. We soon found ourselves amongst rockier terrain, specifically in a rugged valley. While this certainly didn’t seem like a place to hope for a reprieve, we were fortunate enough to happen across a small outpost called Palnia!”

                Various flags whipped atop the tall polls sticking up around the buildings as the caravan slowly clambered up to where the outpost was perched. “Palnia turned out to be what some would call a village, but was effectively a trading post,” Tearna wrote as she stood near the edge of the cliff, looking up at the few buildings across from her carefully. “The outpost was positioned near the top of a valley flanked by two massive cliffs and was built with a vertical layout. Some of the buildings were built on the cliff face below us while some we had to climb to reach, but what struck my interest the most was how the outpost spanned both sides of the valley.”

                Wind moaned around the rope bridge as it swayed slightly, Tearna gripping the rope tightly as she looked around nervously, “Palnia was connected by a single large bridge that was a little less secure than I would have expected. Nevertheless, life in this outpost seemed relatively peaceful.” Tearna sat herself down with a sigh before looking around at the space she found herself in, “The architecture of the outpost was more rugged and barebones. Most of the buildings were made from timber, had tan, stone motifs, and all seemed to have parts of their infrastructure relying entirely on ropes. It wasn’t exactly what I would call modern, but the residents appeared to be getting along just fine!”

                Tearna frowned as Farin pointed at the map laid out on the table, a gentle glow illuminating the dim interior of the inn, “In order to get a break from the weather, we rented some rooms in the inn and made plans for the remainder of our trip. We were able to restock on supplies, Bren was able to get some medicine, and everyone was able to warm back up for the final leg of our journey!”

                Morning light shone down onto the outpost as the expedition marched along the top of the cliff, continuing in a southernly direction. Tearna looked back at it briefly, but finally turned to follow the others, “I never expected a rugged town to be such an oasis, but what could I have expected in an environment like this? It makes me wonder just how many others we missed out in areas like the Karasi or in the southern jungles…”

                True warmth rolled around the expedition at long last. Sighs of relief escaped the cold explorers as they finally were able to take off their thicker robes. Tearna shook herself off roughly, breathing a sigh of relief before stuffing her robe back into her pack, “After a few more days, the temperature was finally returning to something more familiar, which meant our time in the highlands was nearing its end.”

                Tall grass blew in the breeze rolling around them as they made their way down a slope. “It was a bit sobering to realize just how close to an end our adventure truly was.” Tearna let out a small sigh as she kept her head tilted back, basking in the warmth rolling around her, “We were within days of finally being finished with our journey, and the further we went into warmer, greener lands, the more and more reality settled in.”

                Tearna smiled contently as she watched several crimson wildflowers bob in the breeze before her. Lifting some of their petals, she finally pushed herself back up onto her feet and looked ahead, “Despite our reservations, we had to keep pressing forward. Although we were sad to be putting our adventure behind us, we knew that our duty would not be complete until we once again stepped through Orden’s mighty gates.”

                A content smile settled onto her face as a green horizon reflected in her eyes, “And so, it was once again time to bring another piece of our journey to an end. Our last destination on our expedition, the city of Caldia, was firmly behind us. As promised, almost every piece of our world had been catalogued, and now one last final adventure was sitting before us.” Taking a deep, but nervous, breath, Tearna resituated her pack and began to walk after the expedition, “With our heads held high, we marched forward into what would be the final step of our journey, the great, sprawling landscape of the Windswept Plains.” As far as the eye could see, fields of green grass blew gently in the breeze like a vast, green ocean, storm clouds hanging on the far-off horizon as thunder rumbled…