...“The Isles themselves, well, they’re beautiful. Peaks that pierce the surface of the water, reaching higher than the clouds. Water as clear as crystal, teeming with reefs housing creatures you humans couldn’t imagine. High above on the mountains the gryphons hunt from their caves, and on the highest peak of all lives Saylo.”

“Saylo?”

“The Cloud Empress. A golden bird with tail feathers that flicker like fire. I think she would like you. You’re both clever, but perhaps not wise. She’s a brave bird, though I don’t think it’s hard to be so when you’re a hundred yards tall.”

“It sounds like a place I’d want to visit.”

“It is dangerous, just like the Frontier. Magic runs wild there. Still, I’m sure I could give you a tour.”

"I think I'd like that."