Kai took a peek inside the black case he picked up before asking. "Before we leave, I'm curious - where the hell is that flying thing you rode in on? I want one," he said, half-serious.
Elara let out a sigh of relief. From the red-eyed man's body language, she thought it was going to be a much heavier question.
Her eyes lit up as if he'd asked for directions to the moon. She straightened, brushing a strand of wild auburn hair out of her face. "Oh, that one? I raised it from a chick. Took far too long and far too many chemicals and far fewer ethics than I'd like to admit." She grinned, suddenly sheepish. "I don't tame beasts. I… communicate with them. Nurture them. So it depends on the creature. Some will never listen to anyone but me."
"You made a flying beast from scratch?" Sven whistled. "You've out-Nyx'd Nyx."
"I didn't 'make' it," Elara snapped, then laughed at her own intensity. "I altered, yes. Helped. Guided. It's a big difference."
