[Sitara]

She laughs at Sebas's pouting. "I know so. You'll blink and suddenly you'll be a full grown kuhna or lakundra." Neo adjusts Sebas on her back. "Now just put your paws over my shoulders and hold on. If you feel like you're going to fall, use your claws to get a better grip. Don't worry about accidently scratching me. Trust me I've dealt with much worse." Neo starts to hear a faint buzzing noise coming up from behind them. Not a good sign at all. "Alrighty, let's get up this thing. Hold on." She goes to where the mountain side and boulder meet wedging her hiking boot in between the space pushing herself up. She gets just enough lift to grab the top of the boulder with her fingertips. Quickly she grabs on to the edge with her other hand pulling herself up a little more. She continues to slowly wedge her way up until she is able to get to the top. "See, not so bad. I have to jump down from here though, so make sure you hold on good and tight. I don't want you to fall off." with that she jumps down to the backside of the boulder.

[D.A.T.A.]

---

_{Ailer van-Leoht
level 1, posts 4}

_{Sebas
level 2, posts 9}

---

<sup>Sebas's claws weren't sharp enough to hold on to anything with any real strength, and they wouldn't puncture skin, and he tried his best not to use them on Neo, but by the time he couldn't help it. He sealed his eyes shut, just waiting for them to be mince meat down on the other side-- oh, they were down on the ground already? That hadn't been so bad, actually.

Sebas, no longer focused on the rock-climbing-thing, was now realising that the buzzing wasn't just in his head like he had thought -- he was actually hearing it with his ears now as well. He didn't know what it meant, but it couldn't really be that bad, right?

Ailer realised with a start that there was a fresh boulder in the middle of the trail the kuhna had been travelling along. She spotted the hatchling and a human (shape-changer?) on the other side of it and then... there was a disturbance in the air. She cursed, softly. That boulder looked fresh. Either it was natural or someone had put it there, and either way you looked at it a shock wave like that was bound to get some attention from the local wild-things... particularly the ones that nested close to the ground or under it.

Ailer didn't waste time in swooping down, landing on the boulder with practiced ease, ignoring the hatchling's shriek. "I would wish you good day, but I think that there may be more pressing issues at hand," she informed the human-shaped-creature with her mind-speak. "May I be of assistance?"</sup>

---

-~-~-~-

---

^{OOC: Trying to cut down my word count is harder than it should be. >->}

[Sitara]

Neo jumps back several feet in surprise "Holy Hallowheart!" As the hallowheart introduces herself Neo takes a minute to try any get her heart rate back to normal. "You know that's the third time today that someone has scared the living daylights out of me. Obviously someone upstairs wishes to kill me by heart attack." She exhales sharply. "Now why would be experiencing more of a pressing issue here than random boulders and lost children." She looks up at the hallowheart's face "You haven't seen another small kuhna around have you?" She looks back at Sebas. "Could you give a description of your sister to this hallowheart?"

[D.A.T.A.]

---

_{Ailer van-Leoht
level 2, posts 5}

_{Sebas
level 3, posts 10}

---

<sup>Ailer felt somewhat unimpressed with herself for managing to scare both kuhna and human-kuhna so badly, but there really wasn't much to be done about it now. Sebas, when asked to give a description of his "sister" to Ailer, managed only a small string of gibberish followed by a squeak. It was obviously a little too soon to be expecting coherency from the poor little hatchling, she had apparently managed to scare him quite a bit more thoroughly than she'd first thought.

Ailer hummed a deep note, choosing her words carefully. <No,> she thought-spoke, <I haven't seen the Lena-Kuhna since she asked me to drop her and the hatchling off.> The hollowheart cut off, staring at the human-kuhna. <And I imagine that this boulder would cause a disturbance to the indigenous creatures here. It may have caused them to flee. It may have caused them to anger. Lena-Kuhna will be hard to find. It may be best to seek shelter in the nearest settlement. So I offer my help.>

"No flying," Sebas finally managed to blurt, his voice pitched much higher than the usual. "Please no more flying... please." His voice degraded to a barely-audible mumble. "...th-thanks."</sup>

---

-~-~-~-

---

[Sitara]

Oh so this was the hallowheart who caused the incident to begin with. This whole situation is just a pickle and a half. She looks over to Sebas the poor thing was so scared that he could barely string together a coherent sentence. The Hallowheart was right though, they shouldn't be in the area if angry natives were around. Heaven knows they were not to be messed with. "It would be much faster to just fly down with you. However, I don't know if you'll ever be ever to convince the little one to go with you." What on earth were they going to do?

(10)

[D.A.T.A.]

---

_{Ailer van-Leoht: 6 posts -}

^{- Sebas: 11 posts}

---

<sup>Ailer gave a flustered shuffling of her wings. She had no idea. How could she convince a young, terrified little Kuhna-hatchling to fly with her when his first experience flying with her was one of pure terror? She was at a loss. Maybe she could invoke Lena's name, the child might respond well to it or fall into an even deeper puddle of anxious worry.

<I... could perhaps circle the area. Keep an eye out. Try to scare off threat-creatures,> she offered. But it sounded unconvincing, unconfident. She didn't know how to calm the Kuhna-hatchling, or get him to trust her enough to try for a less breakneck pace.

Sebas' ears flattened against his skull. Oh no, he was inconveniencing everyone again! But... but flying with that Hollowheart had just been so scary. He swallowed hard, looking between Neo and the Hollowheart guiltily.

"...May...Maybe you...you could j...could maybe not do the...fast shiny flash...thing," he mumble-stutter-squeaked, not at all sure that the very large dragon towering over him could hear him when he could barely hear himself. He swallowed again, trying to become smaller than physically possible so as to not get eaten. Oh gods, he was so gonna die or get eaten, Lena Lena Lena WHYYYY?! "Donteatme," he squeaked in panic, hiding behind Neo.</sup>

-~-~-~-

---

[Sitara]

Fast shiny flash thing? Neo figured he meant that the hallowheart was going at its fastest speed in the sun, but wasn't exactly sure. At least he was willing to compromise, poor thing was so scared. She had to respect him for being brave and facing his fears. Neo crouches down next to him stroking his fur to try and relax him. "I'm sure that she won't do anything to scare you this time." She looks up at the hallowheart "How did you know his sister, anyway?" True it may not be the best moment to ask, but the more information she had about this situation the better. Plus, if the hallowheart knew this Lena well she might know how she would handle this kind of situation which could help them find her faster.

[D.A.T.A.]

---

_{Ailer van-Leoht: 7 posts -}

^{- Sebas: 12 posts}

---

<sup><Fear not,> Ailer said with a kind smile in her 'voice', <I do not have power enough to travel at such speeds until the 'morrow, little hatchling.>

Ailer felt a small well of amusement as she was asked how she knew Lena. <Since she, too, was a hatchling,> thought Ailer with a chuckle, sharply calculating eyes fixated on the kuhna-human. <I had not seen her in a great many years until recently, though I see that she has not changed much.>

Sebas wasn't comforted by any of this... much. He was still terrified of the hollowheart, true, but less certain that he was going to be eaten now. This hollowheart knew Lena, though... he didn't really know what to think, anymore. Lena had never mentioned this... this... uh, what was her name..?

...He decided that he wasn't going to ask. And also being patted was nice. Sebas resolved to spend more time around humans after this crazy mess finally got itself sorted out.</sup>

-~-~-~-

---

[Sitara]

"Oh I see." Neo had guessed that Sebas and his sister were about the same age. Now she guessed that she was quite a bit older. Hopefully that meant that she had a good enough head on her shoulders to not keep wandering after she was lost. "Well, I suppose if you're not going to go into some super hyper hallowheart speed catching a ride down would be alright. Got to admit that I've never done anything like this." She walks up closer to the hallowheart to examine her scales and see how sharp they are.

[D.A.T.A.]

---

_{Ailer van-Leoht: 8 posts -}

^{- Sebas: 13 posts}

---

<sup>Ailer dipped her head, shuffling into a position that she had learned seemed to help small beings such as kuhnas as humans actually get onto her back. Thankfully, the fact that her scales were tightly packed meant she didn't have to worry about her charges cutting themselves.

<It's not a speed most of my kin are capable of,> Ailer admitted, sparing a glance at the pitifully wilted Sebas. <We will determine how best to seek out your... sister... once we are in a safer location,> she assured the multi-coloured kuhna. Sebas dipped his head in a meek nod, unable to meet the eyes of the gigantic dragon. He didn't trust himself to speak right now.</sup>

-~-~-~-

---

[Sitara]

Neo scrambles up the hollowheart as best she can, which is not graceful at all, and somehow manages to sit on her. The slick feeling of the scales against her legs was a bit concerning. He had no idea how Sebas managed to hold on for as long as he did. No matter, she would make it work, especially since there were no alternatives at this point. She manages to get a firm grip of one of Ailer's massive spines along her back. Hopefully this would work. "I know this is scary kiddo, but it's for your sister." She gestures for him to follow her. "The sooner we get down, the sooner we can find her."

[D.A.T.A.]

---

_{Ailer van-Leoht: 9 posts -}

^{- Sebas: 14 posts}

---

<sup>Sebas clambered up onto the Hollowhart’s back. She wouldn’t go as uncontrollably fast this time around, he reminded himself, turning it into a sort of mantra in his head. He hunkered down, digging his stubby little claws into the grooves between her smooth scales as best he could.

Ailer quickly gave the kit and shapechanger a one-over, making sure they were on properly before proceeding. <Hold on tight,> she cautioned. Stretching her massive wings, she launched into the air. Finding a good spot to hover, she tilted her head to glance back to the shapechanger woman.

<Where to,> Ailer asked. She’d follow this woman’s directions for now.</sup>

-~-~-~-

---

[Sitara]

(I'm going to skip over the flight scene. Hope that's ok with you. If not I can change it I'm also going to bring in one more character)


Neo jolts forward so hard as they land she almost fall off the Hollowheart. That flight was certainly a once in a life time experience and she fully intended to keep it that way. She climbs off and lands on the ground with a slight "oof" noise. Well, they were alive, and that was the important part. Neo looks up to Sebas "I'm going to see if I can corral anyone else into helping us look for your sister, okay?" She is about to stand running around the town when a familiar voice calls out her name. She turns to look and it's her old friend Lila. Of all the opportune moments for her to show up this would be one of them. "Neo! Why the heck are you flying on the back of a Hollowheat. You have gotten crazier as you've gotten older." Neo laughs and reaches out to hug Lila. "The same can be said for you, you know." They both laugh together as they hug. After they break apart from their hug Lila stints with her hands on her hips "Seriously though, what the heck are you doing something so dangerous for." Neo sighs "Well, long story short. The boy up on the Hollowheart's back has lost his sister and we're trying to find her. You in?" Lila smiles at her "Of course I'm in. I can't say no to a kid in need,"

[D.A.T.A.]

---

_{Ailer van-Leoht: 10 posts -}

^{- Sebas: 15 posts}

---

<sup>Ailer watched in interest as the shapeshifter greeted what appeared to be an old friend of hers, and payed as much attention to the exchange as possible without coming off as overly nosy.

It took a minute for Sebas to realise that the hollowheart was no longer airborne and he didn’t have to hold on tightly with his eyes squeezed shut anymore. A little too gleefully, he catapulted himself off of the shiny dragon, flapping his tiny wings wildly so he wouldn’t just be diving face-first into the dirt.

“H-hi,” he exuberantly greeted the new person (new person!). “I’m Sebas! Nice to meet you!”

<If there are to be introductions, then you may call me Ailer,> commented the hollowheart in a somewhat off-handed manner.</sup>

-~-~-~-

---

[Sitara]

Lila pats Sebas on the head. "It's very nice to meet you Sebas." Neo chuckles at him "He's a good kid." Both women look up at the hollowheart trying not to squint as sunlight scattered off her scales. It was rather blinding. Lila speaks up first "Alier huh? Have to admit I've never met one of your species before, and even after talking to you, still kinda scared of you." Neo shakes her head "It's true that she is a lot of creature to take in, in one go. However, I think we can trust her. I mean she did fly me and Sebas down here without a hitch and I'm sure she could have thrown some of those in our way if she wanted to." Lila shrugged her shoulders "I suppose that's true. So where should we start looking for this lost girl?"