Alright how can I tell this guy what's up? Mia stared at her kidnapee, or well, rescuee? She's sure she'd count it as rescuing if she were in their situation. So yeah, Mia stared at her rescuee. Even as they tried to walk away from her and back towards the battlefield. Though she supposed they couldn't really help it, they were at least walking slowly unlike some monsters. So clearly they were trying!

Alright, Riftwalker says "any language" so I'm just gonna hope that it also counts languages from another wooorld? And write something in English... If they're actually a Riftwalker they should understand it. And provided they have claws, they can carve something else into the ground in response... Or at least once the pull stops, well, pulling. Till then I can just ask them to do something if they understand. Being compelled to move in one direction shouldn't really stop them from taking certain actions! Besides well, moving backwards.

Mia dashed a little bit ahead of her acquaintance. Basic common sense that they wouldn't be able to stay still to read what she would write, so she needed to go write where they'd be arriving momentarily. Just one small issue, I really underestimated the difficulty of writing with my claws... This might take a little longer then I've given myself.

Mia wanted quality literature here, she knew that Riftwalker automatically translated things, but what if something wasn't said or written properly? Actually, that brings a thought to mind, what if it only translates spoken word?... I sure hope that's not how it works. Regardless, what if something wasn't said or written properly? It might just not count and not even translate the attempt, instead only being ineligible nonsense or a gibbering mess.

So after about... A hard minute of work, she'd managed to get out a whole "Are yo". Yes, five letters. And it was at that point that the cat got into the picture. No, I'm not ready for you yet. Uhhhh, hate to treat you like a kid when you might be older then me buuuuut... Uh.

Mia took a few quick steps over to them, once more grabbed them by the scruff. And reset them to about where she'd first dropped them off. Ran back to where she'd written. finished the "you" and started on the "human" that came after. After another minute, she just barely managed to finish up the letters for it. Took a quick step back aaaannnd... Yikes, not my finest work. I'll admit. But hey, legible! At least by my standards. So, any moment now... Ah there they are! What in the world are they doing? Mia stared at the cat as it strained backwards, it's neck craning back even as it's legs took it forward one step at a time.

That's... Literally exactly what I was doing a few days ago. They've gotta be just like me! There's no way they aren't human. Mia looked at them, took a few steps back. Then quickly moved over to behind her writing, staring intently at her quarry. Though she also figured, they won't really have a way to tell me yes or no will they? Eh, they'll figure something out.

She studied it's eyes closely, it wouldn't be able to do much in the way of physical movement. But if this was something it could read, it's gaze should be moving between the words. So she waited, and waited. And waited... And then it's head tilted downwards. She looked closely, and, wow, lo and behold. It's eyes began to move from left, to right. Clearly looking over the message. The question remained however, did it understand? And more importantly, was the question correct?

Even as they continued to trot forward, Mia could see the light in their eyes brighten a little bit. Understanding dawning on them after a short moment. They didn't stop, they didn't even look back at the words as they stomped over them, but Mia knew they'd understood them. Now she just felt bad though, it had only been so long since she'd had to deal with this exact same issue. With the confirmation that this was, in fact, a conscious thinking being similar to her, a deep sense of pity formed at her stomach.

So, what can I do to help? I could just... Drag them really far away? But it's not like that'll help in the long run... I can't explain why they might want to go and just... Deal with this either. Plus I don't really want them to go either? I could just, hold them away from it. But it's not like I could go to it myself while leaving them, because then I might just end up losing them. Maybe I could just... Take them with me? Have them hold onto my back maybe? They're a little smaller then I am, I could definitely carry them around. I'd just have to be conscious of where I'm going, don't make any movements that are too tight, and be aware of arrows. Nothing that'd go to wrong, right? Just gotta uh, let them know to grab on, somehow.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Mia zipped back around the cat-human, facing them eye to eye. So I could throw them into the air and like, catch them on my back. But that holds risk of error and or injury. I don't really want to well, kill the first person I've met that's like me? That'd be... Yikes. So, communicating is the move here. How am I going to tell them to grab on though? I'm just gonna, go for the simplest answer first. No need to overthink it if they just instantly figure it out, right?

Mia turned around right in front of them, then sat down and held themselves close to the ground.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

And trotting right by me they go. Alright, they clearly didn't get it. I'm standing in the direction they need to move, so climbing aboard shouldn't conflict with the pull. So the issue here is that they simply didn't understand the task at hand. Which is understandable. I wouldn't climb over somebody out of common courtesy too. I don't have any real way to tell them to get on, so maybe brute force it? I'm just gonna...

With another nip, Mia dragged them back to their previous point. Sitting down in front of them yet again. And they walked past them again.

Mmmmgh... This is frustrating. Alright, new idea. I'm just gonna write "climb on". That should work right?

One attempt at writing later, and the words were scrawled into the ground. Mia sat herself down right behind the words, and waited. She heard the sound of something approaching behind her and-wait a second, that's definitely a heavier step.

Mia turned around, and came face to face with a larger beast that was most certainly not the cat. And just a few steps away from her too! With it's claws extended towards her too! In a flash of claws and teeth she eviscerated the offending beast, right in view of the cat. If they were intimidated, they didn't show it, or more likely couldn't as they kept walking forward. Luckily for Mia, her writing was unmarred by the short fight, the blood pooling away from it. So it was still legible.

Sitting down right behind the writing once again, she waited. Their little footsteps got closer, and then she felt a touch on her back. Success! Mission accomplished! Viva la-nope, wrong, that's not a... Well, I guess it is a declaration of success? Viva la communication!

Mia glanced around herself, saw the cat latching onto her back. Then stood up, leveling them out. Slowly, she reached over and tapped on her shoulder blades twice each, intending for her passenger to grab on. Though she wasn't sure how clearly that'd get through the communication barrier. Mind proficiency is sounding real nice right about now... I mean, provided it does what it says and lets you do mind-actually, why did that come to well, mind, when I saw it? That it'd just be communication? Mind magic could very well be mind domination as well... Might be both, but... Ewehhh... Mind domination doesn't sound pleasant.

She started at a slow trot, or at least, slow for her. Letting her passenger get used to the rate of travel. Then she gradually began to speed up, and speed up, then a little more, then she could feel her passenger slipping.

Ah come on man! I'm barely going at two thirds of a run! You're gonna have to hold on tighter then that if you wanna stay on me. I can't feel any pricks in my shoulders, so you're clearly not holding on via claws... You're just holding on, not LATCHING on. You should be doing the former. I'll be fine. I know you can't hear any of this, but seriously, you shouldn't be concerned about me. You saw what I did to that monster just now.

After a short moment, Mia slowed down and ground to a halt. Before reaching a paw around her shoulder, (dexterity) and flexing her paw. Showing off her claws, before setting them down on her shoulder. Alright, don't sweat it you've had worse injury. Then she sunk her claws in, gripping onto her own flesh. Then she immediately let go, because holding her leg like that was EXTREMELY uncomfortable, dexterity be damned. The minor injury she'd inflicted on herself didn't even bleed. Which somewhat surprised her, but was also something she was quite satisfied with. All the work she'd done for constitution was paying off.

Come on, I know you can get this, it's really not that difficult to understand... Ayeee there we go! Mia felt a tiny little prick in her shoulders, the claws of her passenger... Not really digging in, they didn't appear to be sharp enough to even do so. Regardless though, gripping onto her, hopefully holding on tighter then they were beforehand. Mia sprinted forward for a moment, felt her passenger dig in a little tighter. But no give! Wonderful! Alright then! Let's get going, I'll get to my class advancement and then we can go. Hang on tight!