This chapter was mostly written to and from an extracurricular event. I like this chapter.

Side note, I now have an email and twitter for this account. They're linked on my profile if anyone's interested. Twitter will mostly be used for updates as well as random facts about the stories. Or basically whatever I want. I've never had a twitter before.

Have a good day/night!

-Laurel

My brother and I spent the rest of the day gathering resources. The mined-out area seemed to be a fairly good temporary home.

The passive day mobs didn't seem to mind us either.

There were sheep with an odd symbols on their blue wool and large, crossed eyes. White rabbits with a blue swirl on their sides. Pale brown cows and pink pigs, both sporting large, golden-yellow wings that didn't seem to fold very well. The cows bore the unusual symbol as well, though the pigs did not. Their wings bent in half and just stayed like that, right above their backs, and it looked unnatural to me.

And I would know, seeing as I had wings myself. But maybe it was just my personal experience, because their wings were more bird-like, while mine were dragon wings. But even birds folded their wings more elegantly than these animals.

I got the feeling that the wings had evolved solely by necessity, for crossing between islands. Even though some mobs didn't even have wings, such as the sheep and the rabbits, though the latter seemed able to float.

Of other mobs, there were the moas, who for the most part ignored us. There were also the zephyrs, who were very annoying in the way they were constantly trying to knock us off the island, even after they saw that we had wings and it didn't affect us. Once, I even saw an odd blue plant that swayed on its own, even with no breeze.

Ty was downstairs, fixing up our little mine hut, while I was up on the surface, observing the animals, collecting wood and even managing to collect some of the white apples that stopped the cockatrices' poison. Although I was also fairly sure that poison did not affect us.

I soon wandered down the stone staircase we'd made, going through the wooden door. Skyroot was apparently the name of the wood in the Aether.

My brother was busy building up walls, creating rooms.

"Do we really need all this?" I asked, looking around, "It's just a temporary base. You said we'd only be here a few days to a week or two, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but what if we ever need to come back here? We have time, Krystal. We can't go out looking for Notch until tomorrow. Might as well spend our free time fixing this up, just in case we someday have to come back, and don't want to find everything missing or rotting"

I sighed, "Fine. If that's what you want. Makes no difference to me. Want me to help, or can I keep watching the mobs and learning their behavior?"

"Do whatever you want, Krystal. I don't particularly need any help, not unless I get to some heavy lifting. I'll call for you if I do need your help"

"Okay then. Good luck with building"

"Good luck with your observing"

(Time skip)

The next morning, my brother finally let me go out searching. Since neither of us quite had our bearings yet, he elected to stay behind at the base, since I was able to find him anywhere. Therefor, I could find my way back.

As I flew, my thoughts wandered about the environment around me. The air was very clean here, above the clouds. Also, all the plants always seemed healthy, even though the trees were a yellow color, it seemed natural. The animals, also, seemed extraordinarily healthy. Not one living thing was hurt or ailing.

I rather liked it, but just like before, it seemed unnatural, fake. Like I was walking around in a child's fairy tale play-set, and like I hadn't yet realized everything around me was not real.

And that feeling I didn't like.

I flew across many gaps and islands, feeling a bit downcast, missing the difference of the Overworld biomes, the vivacity of the struggle for life down there. This place was too unnaturally strong in life.

(Time skip)

I was far away by the time I finally found something. Out of the range where I could telepathically speak to my brother.

I'd been listening to the Wither and the Eldar Guardian arguing over the Guardian's neutrality on the matter of us, I had nearly missed what I'd just found, and had nearly been caught unaware.

A single bird-winged woman, flying around above a particularly large island, on which was built a structure, like a castle.

I was pretty sure it was one of the most dangerous of the Aether, the mysterious people known as the valkyries.

The valkarie wore light metal armor, and carried a spear. She must have been a guard of the castle.

But what sort of castle was it? Was it the residence of the valkyries? Or was it exactly what I had been searching for...?

I was still far off from the winged woman, observing with my enhanced sense of sight. I was fairly sure that she had not yet seen me, which was good.

I dropped down below the treeline, as my dark wings were pretty easy to see in the pale dimension.

Observation seemed to be my best tactic here, where I knew only what the book I'd found had told me. By observing, I could understand their behavior and sometimes how they would react to some things.

So I observed the valkyrie.

One thing I noticed was that she actually didn't spend too much time in the air. Though she had wings, they weren't large and powerful like mine and Ty's. They seemed only just large enough to keep her in the air.

Instead, she patrolled in front of the castle, on the ground. She flew up in the air only about every ten minutes, and then only a quick loop to make sure there were no enemies anywhere around. Then she returned to the ground.

From that, I assumed that the valkyries must not have been the strongest fliers, which was a hint of weakness to one gifted with flight such as me.

She never saw me. I was sitting in the upper branches of a tree, ducking my head under when she flew because, once again, my black hair would be too easy to spot.

I guessed that she was a young valkyrie, with light blonde hair, pale skin, and white-beige wings that made her fit right in to this dimension, especially compared to me. If there was any dimension I was suited to, that I fit in to, it was the End. Naturally.

I sighed, perhaps a little too loudly, even if she didn't hear. I didn't like this place. Already I missed home. Home in the End with Mother. Home with my hybrid family, wherever we were.

After a while, I had found out about as much as I could.

It was time to do something.

I knew I was a good fighter, so I decided to give her a fair chance, even though the book had said they were good fighters as well, which would explain why she was a guard.

I lifted my wings, making it very obvious. Holding up my violet-membraned and darker-violet-scaled wings, I held them there for a long moment before actually pumping them and catching air. I lifted myself up into the sky.

I had chosen a time when the valkyrie was in the air already, so that she would see me easily. And she did.

Her head snapped around to face me the moment she caught the color and movement out of the corner of her eye. Her blue eyes followed my flight, and she readied her weapon as I approached.

"Who are you?" She demanded, "State your name and business here!"

I almost laughed. That would be a simple question down in the Overworld, but here? Where humans could not easily go? Where there were hardly ever any strange faces?

But then again, maybe she thought I was just a strange valkyrie from far away, from another group or colony or whatever they were called.

"My name is Krystal. I'm here to see who this castle belongs to" I responded, a not-so-kind grin on my face, showing my fangs.

The valkarie gulped. Well, she certainly knew I wasn't either a valkyrie or a human now. "I cannot allow you to do that. I protect this castle, and I must battle any who threaten it"

"That depends on who it belongs to"

"Enough!" With a screech, she charged at me.

I easily dodged her attack. She wasn't too fast.

We hovered there, about fifteen blocks apart, caught in a staring contest.

"Light and dark..." The valkyrie said, barely loud enough for me to hear.

"I am not darkness. Just as you are not light. You may be Aetherian, but that does not mean you are pure and right" I said in reply, which seemed to irk her a bit.

She let out another screech, making me glad my brother wasn't here, but did not move. Her blue eyes started to glow, letting off a pale light.

I felt the next part a moment before it happened.

In a burst of light and energy, I saw the valkyrie's form shift. Her wings doubled in size, and grew whiter.

So like a combat mode of some sort, I assumed. A way to make it easier for them to fight and fly at the same time, and give them an aerial advantage. But it must also have been temporary. Otherwise they wouldn't fly around with those small, barely adequate, wings.

I grinned, "This should be interesting"

In response, she charged at me again. This time, much faster.

I could still dodge, but just barely. Her spear got uncomfortably close to my wing.

"Bring it on" I said quietly, now in full battle readiness.

This time, I went for her, which she wasn't expecting. I crashed into her, and she barely managed to regain her flight, keeping herself from smacking into the ground.

A lot of this aerial battle so far had been just charging at each other, which the valkyrie was doing now, going for me with her spear.

Instead of just dodging, I moved aside at the last moment, grabbing her spear by the wooden handle. With a good grip on it, I shoved it forward into her stomach.

It was only the handle, but with the force I'd used, I'd bet it did some damage, especially hearing the gasp she had let out.

Grappling over the spear, the valkyrie looked pointedly at me and asked in between grunts, "Why don't... Why don't you use your own blade?"

I pumped my wings back, releasing my grip on her spear and moving backwards, away from her.

In response to her question, I pulled my obsidian blade a few inches out of the sheath, far enough so that its violet glow could be seen. "It wouldn't be fair. The same reason I don't do this" I lit my hands up with fire, then extinguished it. "My magic and weapon against only a spear would not be fair"

She looked at me again, this time calculating. Scrutinizing. But I saw her eyes lighten slightly.

She moved, as though to throw her spear aside as well, but I raised my hand to stop her, "No, keep your weapon. I have my own that I cannot be rid of" Meaning my claws, which were clearly visible.

The valkyrie nodded, gripping her spear again, "Very well then. My spear against your... claws..."

I smiled, "That's more fair"

She agreed.

I was sure that if anyone was watching, we were quite a sight. Her feathery white wings, my webbed violet wings, together consuming all the space in the air above this clearing.

I charged her again, but instead of just slamming into her of grabbing her spear, I clung to her, digging my claws into her pale skin, raising blood for the first time. I tucked my wings in slightly so they were at less risk.

She screamed, and somehow managed to quickly grab the handle of her weapon right behind the spear point. She stabbed downwards with it, catching me on my upper arm.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to cry out. I dragged my claws on one hand down her own arm, and use the other hand to knock the spear away from me when she pulled it out of the open wound on my arm.

The valkyrie's armor was light, only a chest piece and skirt of metal. It left her arms, legs, part of her abdomen, head, and neck exposed. Not the best design.

All of a sudden, I pushed off of her, giving her an accidental scratch on the arms. I spread my wings and quickly flew up.

When I was what I deemed high enough above her, I tucked my wings in again and dropped like a rock.

I fell right on top of her, purposefully, and grabbed her by the shoulders, dragging her down with me.

She was so surprised, I didn't think she even though about flying.

A few blocks above the ground, I let go of the valkyrie and flung out my wings, feeling the strain as they caught the air and halted my fall so that I landed on the ground a little ways away from where she'd crashed to the ground.

From what I could see, several bloodied white feathers had come out, but I didn't think her wings were actually broken, thankfully. They were shrinking back to their original size as well.

She was coughing, and not even trying to sit up. She'd dropped her spear during the fall, and it lay broken at my feet.

I walked slowly over to her, crouched beside her, and set my claws lightly on her neck, not piercing the skin. And that was where I stopped.

The valkyrie opened one of her eyes weakly and looked at me. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Go ahead..." She whispered, her voice a bit wheezy, "Kill me. You have... won..."

I felt a wench in my gut, "I won't" I said, pulling away my hand and stepping back.

"Why not...?"

I looked at her, my violet eyes with not the slightest hint of malice in them. "I thought the valkyries were honorable. Why do you want me to kill you?"

"I have... failed... I am not honorable, not worthy. It is honorable for the victor to take the life of the loser..."

"It is against my honor to kill. I do not follow your rules of honor. Now, come on" I couldn't let the valkyrie know that I was afraid of killing.

I held out my hand for her, to help her up, but both of us froze when we heard a sound from not too far away.

I slowly turned, to see a familiar figure, his hands raised and in the motion of clapping.

"Bravo" He called to us, to me.

Notch.