[Secluded Desert]

"Kara is absolutely safe, Xeni," the wizard is reassured. "I made the mistake of not confronting the evil of that sword quickly and decisively enough. I won't make that mistake again. Kara will get the normal, carefree childhood she deserves. You're welcome to help, if you can find the time."

What's unspoken here is pretty obvious. Yezekiel isn't super-enthusiastic about Xeni's penchant for vanishing and leaving Kara alone to worry about him for months at a time. Even before adopting the little dragon, Zee provided most of the parental attention for her. Makes sense, given that she basically lived in the rafters at Trog's. Do better, Xeni! Kara believes in you! Zee wants to believe in you, too.

"Kara is still herself," the seraphim continues. "I'll admit, I had to use more than a little of me to rebuild her. There wasn't much left after everything she's been through."

Y'know.

That whole unnaming thing.

"She isn't exactly the same, but no one stays the same as they travel through life. She still loves you though, Xeni. And I think that's the part that truly matters."

Nothing like a child's love as encouragement.

"I'll probably be here for an hour or so. Enough time to get my fill. You should probably head back to town and get cleaned up, Xeni. You can use the showers in one of the upstairs rooms at Trog's if you want?" the giant celestial dragon offers.

And then... a shame they're unaware of a city...?

That gets a rapid and abrupt reaction from the seraphim.

"City, what city?"

It seems like a complete non-sequitur. Who said anything about a city? Xeni will feel the ground shake as Yezekiel draws herself up into a sitting position, craning her neck to scan the horizon.

There.

Just cresting the hills. Some kind of... giant three-wheeled vehicle?

Oh no. How did she miss that? She hadn't missed it. It was heading away from her chosen feeding grounds when she was scouting the area a few steps sideways in time. They must have reversed their course for some reason?

"No. Nonono they weren't supposed to come this way," comes a worried rumble from Yezekiel. Then she turns her attention back down to the wizard. "I can't just uproot myself. It takes time they don't have. Xeni you need to get to the town-truck over on the ridge. Find a way to stop them from looking at me. Get them to turn around and move away. GO!"