Gray raced to the edge of the roof. 

"Em!" she screamed, searching the alleyway below.

Nothing- nothing, nothing, she had let this girl kill herself...

Gray blinked.

As if a veil had been ripped away, Em snapped into existence. She was hovering- no sitting, a few feet below Gray. Sitting on a giant turtle.

"Adults are supposed to be brave," the little girl repeated, grinning up at her.

Gray let out her breath. "Never do that again!" she snapped, then eyed the turtle. At least, it looked like an over sized, proportional turtle.

It had long, thick legs that stretched up from the ground, too tall to be natural. A long neck, too, that stared down at Gray, blinking sleepily. Both were layered in greenish, leathery folds of skin- scales? -that made it look about a hundred years old. Em sat atop it's shell, where a box had been built, enough space to comfortably hold five people. Reins slunk back to sit in the box, among Em's bags of what Gray hoped were food and water and supplies.

"This," Em said, patting the space next to her. "Is Baltizara Echo Hosanna Devani the Third. You can call her Baltizara. She's perfectly friendly."

"Em." Gray said, trying very hard to remain calm. "Where on Alcazar did you find Baltizara?"

"Oh, she's not from here." Em assured her. "Just like I'm not from here." She tilted her head. "A little different, but much the same."

Gray sighed through her nose. "Look, kid, let me help you out of there-"

"No!" Em shied away from Gray's offered hand. "This is my mission. You want answers, you come with me."

Gray closed her eyes and tilted her head back to the sky. "Fine. Fine fine fine fine. I do not like heights."

She stepped up onto the ledge that separated her from certain death. Her breath rattled her chest.

"Come on, improper adult." Em prompted.

"I'm not technically an adult." Gray said through her teeth, not focusing on the cement sidewalk far, far below.

Em rolled her eyes. "One, two, three, go!"

Her ankle wobbled as she pushed off and she flung her arms out as she cut through the air. She landed next to Em on her stomach, feet caught on the edge of the box.

"Improper indeed." the little girl giggled.

Gray pushed herself, flushing from the sudden rush, to tell Em exactly what she thought of her improper-ness, but doubled over before she could get the chance.

Em blinked at her, then down at the blood speckled Gray's arm. "Baltizara!" she barked. The giant turtle slowly turned her head to look at the girl. "Take us to Miso."

"Where are we going?" Gray asked, trying to move toward the front of the box, but Em pushed her back amongst the bags. 

"Try not to move too much." Em said, taking Baltizara's reins. When Gray opened her mouth to repeat the question and she added, "We're going into the Woods."