Both options sounded tempting – rob a bunch of creepy forest children, or rob a bunch of competent mystical-tech-savvie adults. 

On one hand, the Kith had all the important basics for survival like clothes, food, and weapons. Plus they might've had runes she could manipulate into her own and maybe study until she got the hang of the craft. The masks were a nice touch too, though honestly… they were more than a little creepy. The problem was she honestly had no idea what to make of the Kith. They seemed sort of demonic, and Artemis wasn't particularly fond of children to begin with. They weren't as predictable as adults were.

Her other option, the Pirates overall had less to offer her. She could probably get some food, maybe a few weapons, but she didn't know what sort of gadgets they had or if she could even use them. There was likely [i]something[/i] noteworthy there. And if they were in a state of chaos because their clockwork trees were eggless (and what a phrase [i]that[/i] was) then now was probably the best chance she had to rob them blind. She'd see about hitting the Kith after. If she didn't die.

[color=darkturquoise]"Guess I'll see what sort of treasure the Pirates have first."[/color] She couldn't help the crack of a smile at her pun. She began making her way out of the mouth of her cave, the runes wrapped around her feet quieting her footsteps. Nura eagerly followed behind her, eyes trained on the staff in Artemis' hand. Once they were out in the open, Artemis turned around to look at the gryphon.

She had no idea how to mount her. The first time had just been a lot of clinging and screaming. Artemis blinked at the gryphon – the very [i]large[/i] gryphon. What had Reckley said? Like riding a horse bareback. Artemis had never ridden a horse bareback. She stared a moment longer. Then she walked around to Nura's side to try and climb on her back – only for Nura to turn with her, eyes still on the staff. Artemis looked up to the night sky with a huff. She tried walking around again. Nura turned again. Artemis raised the staff and the gryphon immediately perked up after it. A twitch at the corner of Artemis' lips betrayed a smile. With her free hand she scratched above Nura's beak. Slowly, continuing the scratches, she lowered the staff down to the ground. 

[color=darkturquoise]"C'mon, [i]doooown[/i]."[/color] Nura's front legs bent and she lowered her head until it rested on the ground, her rear and tail still high in the air. Artemis' smile turned triumphant. She released her grip on the staff, still scratching Nura with her other hand, and crept along the gryphon's side. Nura didn't move, still focused on the staff a scarce inch away from the tip of her beak. It seemed the gryphon had completely forgotten it'd been the source of that terrible lightning just moments ago. 

Artemis hesitated before finally grabbing a fistful of her dirty skirts and hiking them up. Ungraceful as a seal on land, she swung her leg over Nura's back, behind the wings and tried to settle herself down without falling. The scratching turned harsh and jolting then, as Artemis tried to right herself. Nura… didn't seem to care.

[color=darkturquoise]"Ok, good girl,"[/color] Artemis said in a distracted voice as she leaned her chest forward to try and rest against Nura's back. This time she [i]did[/i] fall, her chest colliding roughly with Nura's spine, and it was all she could do to not slide forward over the gryphon's head, or fall sideways off of her back. This finally seemed to jolt the gryphon to attention. Nura brought her head up a few inches in surprise, stopping Artemis' forward momentum. On reflex, her hand shot downwards in an attempt to stabilize herself. Her palm hit the wood of the staff painfully and on instinct her fingers curled around it just as Nura finally jolted back up to her full height. 

Artemis was pretty sure she smacked the poor bird on the bottom of her beak with the staff when she lurched backwards at the movement, but it at least kept her from tumbling all the way back. Nura was shaking her head as Artemis finally got her bearings and managed to sit in a somewhat stable way. Her knees were locked probably too tight around Nura's side, she was hunched forward and low in a way that would make her stiff for hours after, and her hands were clenched, white-knuckled around the shining feathers at the back of Nura's neck in a way that had to be uncomfortable. But, she realized with a start, she'd done it.

Artemis was riding a gryphon. Granted, a stationary gryphon on the ground, but still. A startled, almost shy laugh escaped her. She straightened up a bit and forced her hand to unclench as she tried to smooth out the feathers she'd mangled. An idea came to her and she turned over her shoulder to look at Oseely

[color=darkturquoise]"How do I call you?"[/color] she asked. [color=darkturquoise]"Like how you called Reckley?"[/color] Artemis didn't have much faith that Oseely would actually be any [i]help[/i] if called, but it didn't hurt to ask.