Introducing the crew.

Emirie groans as she shakes the pain from her head and forces her eyes up.
Blurry shapes move around her as her eyes adjust to the light. "Nghn..." she
moans as the shapes slowly start to morph into coherent forms.

"Hey everyone. She's waking up. Come quickly." There's a rush of new shapes
that circle around her from all sides. Emirie's eyes scan the room and rest on
the most familiar of all shapes.

"Nghn... mom?"

"Yes, I'm here." The blur finally fades, and Emirie's mother becomes clear in
all her damaged glory. "I came as quickly as I could when I heard that you had
crashed."

Emirie nods slowly and resumes gazing around. Several familiar faces from the
times she'd spend in Estelbar greet her. Mrs Trundle, Yojimbo Buntz and Delatini
Pufftail all watch over her, and in the doorway, she spies Bebe and Bobo looking
at her with wide eyes. Yojimbo looks over Emirie's body before he gives a
satisfied nod to those present. "She seems to be in good health. Her wounds have
healed up nicely."

"Thank you Yojimbo." Kristen says with a soft smile. "And thanks to the rest of
you for taking care of her for me."

"Ah, don'tcha mention it." Delatini says with a smile. "We all help each other
out here. I'm just glad she's okay. Now, Trundle, where did ya want me to put
those bags of flour you requested."

"Oh those, yes please follow me." Delatini, Trundle and Yojimbo all depart,
leaving Emirie and Kristen alone.

"How did you know that I was here?" Emirie asks as she tries to focus on the
world around her.

"Trickle saw your ship when it fell down, so he knew the general area where we
could find you. The two of us left Ista and Ester at home and set out to search
for you. Luckily it wasn't hard to find people who could tell us where your ship
had landed. And when we came here, everyone was working hard to take care of you
while you were unconscious." Kristen smiles softly as her eyes gaze out of the
room. "Oh, that reminds me."

"Hmm? Trickle?" Emirie climbs out of bed and totters unsteadily for a few
moments before she regains her balance. "Reminds you of what? And where's
Trickle now?"

"He's outside with the guy who found you. A Magnagoran rat furrikin called
Thunkin. Thunkin's also an inventor, so he has been trying to repair your ship
ever since it crashed."

"Really? I'll have to thank him then." Emirie takes her mother's paw and
strokes it softly. Still it bears marks from that horrible incident that almost
killed her mother... but such thoughts... "But... mother are you sure that you
are fine travelling so far?"

"Oh of course my dear." Kristen strokes her daughter gently, as if to feel that
it really is her she is speaking with. "You underestimate me. I'm stronger than
I seem."

Emirie shakes her head. "If you say so..." Emirie loves her mother dearly, and
she is certain that she is loved back. "But when you love someone, you can do
stupid things..."

"What did you say Emirie?"

"Oh nothing. Come on, let's go out and meet Trickle and this Thunkin guy."
Kristen yelps slightly as Emirie leads the two out to the pastures, where she
can spot two shapes climbing up and down her ship. "Hey guys." Emirie yells as
she walks up to the machine.

"Hmm? Hello ms Emirie. I am glad to see that you have attained consciousness."
Trickle responds as he jumps down from the machine to stand before the two
smaller Furrikin. Trickle is... Emirie isn't quite sure what he is. He hails
from the same distant aetherbubble as Saria does, and comes from the stock of
intelligent elemental animals that inhabit the place. Appearance-wise, he could
be described as a bipedal blue hyena with white and ivory spots along his back
and forepaws. Almost like a Loboshigaru, if it weren't for the fact that his
eyes seem to be made entirely out of deep-blue pupils. Emirie always found that
slightly unnerving. As a person though, Trickle had proven to be exceptionally
calm and kind, and she couldn't help but like his formal attitude.

"And you... you must be Thunkin!" Emirie exclaims to the rat who has his back
turned to the people below him.

"Hmm?" The rat looks up from what he's working with, and down on Emirie and
Kristen. "Ah yeah. And you're Emirie." Thunkin waves his wrench with a smile.
"This is quite a machine you've got here."

"Thank you. So what are you guys doing?"

"Mr Thunkin proclaims that he is capable of repairing your ship for you."

"Proclaim? I don't just proclaim it." Thunkin objects loudly. "I actually do
it. This baby's going to fly very soon. I just need to make some small
adjustments and then all we'll need is some aether energies. I don't have any
though."

"Yeah, me neither." Emirie says as she walks up to stroke the hull of her ship.
"That's what happened when I crashed. I didn't have any power with me, and I
didn't pay close enough attention to the energy gauge." Emirie sighs loudly.
"Such a stupid mistake."

"Do not berate yourself ms Emirie. I have power enough to bring the ship back
to our base of operations."

"Thanks Trickle." Emirie watches Thunkin make some adjustments, before he
loudly proclaims his victory over the machine.

"Okay, I did it." Thunkin jumps down and nods towards Emirie. "You should be
able to fly home now."

"Thank you." Emirie nods towards Trickle, who lifts Kristen up in his paws and
quickly climb into the cockpit. Emirie and Thunkin watch in silent anticipation
before a humming buzz can be heard through the machine, and it hovers out of the
crater and lands on firmer ground, and Trickle climbs out with a satisfied nod.
"Wow... you really did fix it." Emirie exclaims in astonishment.

"Eh, it was nothing. I like fixing on stuff."

Emirie walks towards the ship, when something hits her. She smiles and turns to
Thunkin. "Say, would you want to join us? We could use a good mechanic like
yourself."

"Eh really?" Thunkin ponders the proposition for a moment. His eyes turn
towards Trickle, who give a curt nod of approval. "Oh why not. It beats milking
cows at least."

"Great. I just need to say thank you to those who helped me here, and we're
off."

"Of course." Thunkin nods. "I have some goodbyes to say myself." This response
elicits a smile from Emirie, before she turns her gaze back on Estelbar and sets
of to thank her caretakers properly.

Later that evening, Trickle carefully navigates the ship to land outside
Emirie's home. Ista and Ester, two Startail girls who had arrived along with
Trickle, stands ready to welcome Emirie home. "Welcome back. Good to see you
fine Emirie."

"Thank you Ester. But honestly I'm surprised that you were worried. I'm made of
tougher stuff than that."

"Hmm." Ista, the more quiet Startail utters as she examines Thunkin closely.
"Who is that?"

"Oh this, this is Thunkin. He is going to be working with us from now on."
Emirie glances up at the ship and watches Trickle carry her mother out. A look
of concentration passes her face as an idea hits her. "Actually... since we're
all here I guess it is time for a round of introductions."

"Those two creatures there are called Startails. I'll tell you more about them
later, when I tell you about the adventure where I first met these creatures.
For now, they are called Ista and Ester. Ester is the one responsible for all
our paperwork, while Ista is our secondary gunner and emergency mechanic.
Trickle, who comes from the same place as Ista and Ester, is our main gunner,
while my mother, Kristen, is going to try her hand at Empathing for us. I
disagree with that, but you'll soon learn that you can not disagree with mother
for very long. Finally, I'll be piloting the ship."

"Well that was... nice and simplistic." Thunkin replies at the quick
invitation, acceptance and now introduction. "Are you in a rush or something?"

"As a matter of fact I am." Emirie looks at the ship, then at Thunkin. "The
first race begins in only a few days." Emirie ponders Thunkin's frame. "And I...
I have plans to win this thing.

Emirie groans as she shakes the pain from her head and forces her eyes up.
Blurry shapes move around her as her eyes adjust to the light. "Nghn..." she
moans as the shapes slowly start to morph into coherent forms.

"Hey everyone. She's waking up. Come quickly." There's a rush of new shapes
that circle around her from all sides. Emirie's eyes scan the room and rest on
the most familiar of all shapes.

"Nghn... mom?"

"Yes, I'm here." The blur finally fades, and Emirie's mother becomes clear in
all her damaged glory. "I came as quickly as I could when I heard that you had
crashed."

Emirie nods slowly and resumes gazing around. Several familiar faces from the
times she'd spend in Estelbar greet her. Mrs Trundle, Yojimbo Buntz and Delatini
Pufftail all watch over her, and in the doorway, she spies Bebe and Bobo looking
at her with wide eyes. Yojimbo looks over Emirie's body before he gives a
satisfied nod to those present. "She seems to be in good health. Her wounds have
healed up nicely."

"Thank you Yojimbo." Kristen says with a soft smile. "And thanks to the rest of
you for taking care of her for me."

"Ah, don'tcha mention it." Delatini says with a smile. "We all help each other
out here. I'm just glad she's okay. Now, Trundle, where did ya want me to put
those bags of flour you requested."

"Oh those, yes please follow me." Delatini, Trundle and Yojimbo all depart,
leaving Emirie and Kristen alone.

"How did you know that I was here?" Emirie asks as she tries to focus on the
world around her.

"Trickle saw your ship when it fell down, so he knew the general area where we
could find you. The two of us left Ista and Ester at home and set out to search
for you. Luckily it wasn't hard to find people who could tell us where your ship
had landed. And when we came here, everyone was working hard to take care of you
while you were unconscious." Kristen smiles softly as her eyes gaze out of the
room. "Oh, that reminds me."

"Hmm? Trickle?" Emirie climbs out of bed and totters unsteadily for a few
moments before she regains her balance. "Reminds you of what? And where's
Trickle now?"

"He's outside with the guy who found you. A Magnagoran rat furrikin called
Thunkin. Thunkin's also an inventor, so he has been trying to repair your ship
ever since it crashed."

"Really? I'll have to thank him then." Emirie takes her mother's paw and
strokes it softly. Still it bears marks from that horrible incident that almost
killed her mother... but such thoughts... "But... mother are you sure that you
are fine travelling so far?"

"Oh of course my dear." Kristen strokes her daughter gently, as if to feel that
it really is her she is speaking with. "You underestimate me. I'm stronger than
I seem."

Emirie shakes her head. "If you say so..." Emirie loves her mother dearly, and
she is certain that she is loved back. "But when you love someone, you can do
stupid things..."

"What did you say Emirie?"

"Oh nothing. Come on, let's go out and meet Trickle and this Thunkin guy."
Kristen yelps slightly as Emirie leads the two out to the pastures, where she
can spot two shapes climbing up and down her ship. "Hey guys." Emirie yells as
she walks up to the machine.

"Hmm? Hello ms Emirie. I am glad to see that you have attained consciousness."
Trickle responds as he jumps down from the machine to stand before the two
smaller Furrikin. Trickle is... Emirie isn't quite sure what he is. He hails
from the same distant aetherbubble as Saria does, and comes from the stock of
intelligent elemental animals that inhabit the place. Appearance-wise, he could
be described as a bipedal blue hyena with white and ivory spots along his back
and forepaws. Almost like a Loboshigaru, if it weren't for the fact that his
eyes seem to be made entirely out of deep-blue pupils. Emirie always found that
slightly unnerving. As a person though, Trickle had proven to be exceptionally
calm and kind, and she couldn't help but like his formal attitude.

"And you... you must be Thunkin!" Emirie exclaims to the rat who has his back
turned to the people below him.

"Hmm?" The rat looks up from what he's working with, and down on Emirie and
Kristen. "Ah yeah. And you're Emirie." Thunkin waves his wrench with a smile.
"This is quite a machine you've got here."

"Thank you. So what are you guys doing?"

"Mr Thunkin proclaims that he is capable of repairing your ship for you."

"Proclaim? I don't just proclaim it." Thunkin objects loudly. "I actually do
it. This baby's going to fly very soon. I just need to make some small
adjustments and then all we'll need is some aether energies. I don't have any
though."

"Yeah, me neither." Emirie says as she walks up to stroke the hull of her ship.
"That's what happened when I crashed. I didn't have any power with me, and I
didn't pay close enough attention to the energy gauge." Emirie sighs loudly.
"Such a stupid mistake."

"Do not berate yourself ms Emirie. I have power enough to bring the ship back
to our base of operations."

"Thanks Trickle." Emirie watches Thunkin make some adjustments, before he
loudly proclaims his victory over the machine.

"Okay, I did it." Thunkin jumps down and nods towards Emirie. "You should be
able to fly home now."

"Thank you." Emirie nods towards Trickle, who lifts Kristen up in his paws and
quickly climb into the cockpit. Emirie and Thunkin watch in silent anticipation
before a humming buzz can be heard through the machine, and it hovers out of the
crater and lands on firmer ground, and Trickle climbs out with a satisfied nod.
"Wow... you really did fix it." Emirie exclaims in astonishment.

"Eh, it was nothing. I like fixing on stuff."

Emirie walks towards the ship, when something hits her. She smiles and turns to
Thunkin. "Say, would you want to join us? We could use a good mechanic like
yourself."

"Eh really?" Thunkin ponders the proposition for a moment. His eyes turn
towards Trickle, who give a curt nod of approval. "Oh why not. It beats milking
cows at least."

"Great. I just need to say thank you to those who helped me here, and we're
off."

"Of course." Thunkin nods. "I have some goodbyes to say myself." This response
elicits a smile from Emirie, before she turns her gaze back on Estelbar and sets
of to thank her caretakers properly.

Later that evening, Trickle carefully navigates the ship to land outside
Emirie's home. Ista and Ester, two Startail girls who had arrived along with
Trickle, stands ready to welcome Emirie home. "Welcome back. Good to see you
fine Emirie."

"Thank you Ester. But honestly I'm surprised that you were worried. I'm made of
tougher stuff than that."

"Hmm." Ista, the more quiet Startail utters as she examines Thunkin closely.
"Who is that?"

"Oh this, this is Thunkin. He is going to be working with us from now on."
Emirie glances up at the ship and watches Trickle carry her mother out. A look
of concentration passes her face as an idea hits her. "Actually... since we're
all here I guess it is time for a round of introductions."

"Those two creatures there are called Startails. I'll tell you more about them
later, when I tell you about the adventure where I first met these creatures.
For now, they are called Ista and Ester. Ester is the one responsible for all
our paperwork, while Ista is our secondary gunner and emergency mechanic.
Trickle, who comes from the same place as Ista and Ester, is our main gunner,
while my mother, Kristen, is going to try her hand at Empathing for us. I
disagree with that, but you'll soon learn that you can not disagree with mother
for very long. Finally, I'll be piloting the ship."

"Well that was... nice and simplistic." Thunkin replies at the quick
invitation, acceptance and now introduction. "Are you in a rush or something?"

"As a matter of fact I am." Emirie looks at the ship, then at Thunkin. "The
first race begins in only a few days." Emirie ponders Thunkin's frame. "And I...
I have plans to win this thing."