It was only three days later that he saw an end to the Rainwing jungle. In front of him, huge peaks soared. Snow capped lumps of rock stretched as high as the eye can see, and even in the darkness of the night, he could see the bursts of flames lick the tops of them. Skywings. Spectro had learned that they were fast, grumpy, and very dangerous. But most of what he learned were lies. Why wouldn't this be one? Maybe they were kind, and generous, and most of all could help him on his way north. But he never knew. They might be out to get him, there might be a bounty. So he continued in the shadows. Spectro did not hear much more about him for quite a few days.
Then his food ran out.
He did not mean it, it seemed like a lot yesterday. He helped himself to an extra apple a couple nights and poof! The bags were empty and horribly light. Even his flasks, which were full of clear glistening water yesterday were bone dry. He dipped those in a spring and refilled them easily. But food would prove to be harder.
Spectro tried leaves and grass, but spit them out quickly. He tried wild roots that proved a little easier to swallow, so washed those and put them in a bag. He found berries that tasted similar to the taste of a blackberry, though they were red. They were nice, and he put those in a reinforced small bag. But Spectro craved meat. He started digging pit traps, in hopes of catching a deer or something. He caught rabbits that he found just by accident. Then he checked his pit again. He found a faun with a broken leg whimpering at the bottom. Spectro looked at it, sad that he would have to kill and eat this creature. It would be worse if I let it go with that broken leg he thought to him self and cradled the soft tiny creature with his claws. Then he killed it.
Soon, however, even the sights of food got less and less as winter approached. On a good day, Spectro would find a doe or a ground ptarmigan that broke it's wing on the way down. Then he relied on squirrels that teased him in the trees, unaware that he had wings. Then all of it stopped, and Spectro left the area. He traveled steadily north, every so often meeting some kind of prey. The mountains stretched all around him now. But as the days went on, he got hungrier and hungrier. He resorted to even the leaves and underripe berries of the brown shrubs. He walked for days with a growling stomach, then came upon the most magnificent structure he had ever seen.
Queen Scarlet's palace.