"Thank you, then," Garrus says. "Where is this temple?"

"You can't see it from this angle, but if you fly up above the city the rooftop is a square-ish garden," he makes a shape with his fingers, "you can tell for the yellow-golden flowers."

"I can work with that."

Garrus takes out the block of plastic and fabricates a basic video drone. Purely mechanical, no eezo; he doesn't want to waste any resources, even if he'll probably just defab it afterwards anyway.

"Fly, birdie, fly," he says in untranslated Turian as he releases the drone to capture an overhead view of the city.

Someone shouts to keep the thing away from the balloons, possibly unnecessarily so.

"Wow, that thing is amazing."

Presumably, the drone will easily send back the overhead view. The temple is easy enough to spot. Some people fly closer to the drone, but no one disturbs it.

The drone stays well away from the balloons. It sends Garrus an overhead minimap of the town for his HUD, then returns to him for defabrication.

He folds the drone back into the block of plastic and returns it to his pack. "So, how would I get passage on one of those balloons?"

"Not sure, do you have any coin? They might just let you cling to one if you're not too heavy," he says this looking at Garrus' heavy self.

"My skin is made of metal. I'm very heavy. Um... do you value gold?""

"Yeah... wow, you must be from very far. A golden coin would be overpaying it though. Uh, hold a second," he turns ald calls. "Ciru!"

Ciru, a winged fellow, comes closer.

"Do you know how much a ride to the city would cost in gold?"

"Gold? I guess this much." Ciru gestures a minute amount. "Unless, you can't fly and it's getting dark. They will have someone fly you up."

Garrus notes the stated amount. His supply of gold is extremely limited, though; there's only so much circuitry in a hoverbike. "I could always climb up instead. Would they mind?"

They blink startled. "You can't fly?" Ciru asks.

The unnamed purple-guy is looking uncomfortable and trying not. "It would be a good idea warning someone first, but I don't think they would shoot you down. If there was an easy way to prove they would absolutely give you a ride for free."

"I can't fly," Garrus says patiently. "I mentioned I don't have biotics, right? And I don't have any wings. Unless there's somewhere I can rent a pair."

"They don't have anything to rent," Ciru says, "but the mage guild controls a Ventari pool if you want to put in the work. And assuming you didn't lose your Ventari form."

"Lose my - what is a Ventari? Are you saying I could grow wings?"

"Where did you find this guy, Bal?" Cirus asks.

The finally named Bal replies with a shrug. "He just show up. Ventari is this kind of shape." He points at Cirus. "If you get it gives you wings, yeah. How... they don't fly without help where you are from?"

"No! So- you can change shapes, is what you're telling me?"

They have a reaction similar to when they realize Garrus can't fly, but more. The guy that was watching Garrus from behind comes closer to hear better, but does not do more than that.

"Yes," Bal finally says. "Wow, this is explains some things. I guess."

"No one back where you are from can change shape... do they just... get old and die?"

"Yes, Cirus, that's what happens when you only have one shape."

"...yes, they do. Spirits. If I ever somehow get home I'll be the biggest accidental hero since Shepard. ...unless everyone got eaten by the Reapers. Whatever. I want wings, where's this mage guild?"

Directions, pretty much right in the village's center. Bal can point it in Garrus' map. They are still being awkward around him but Ciru says. "I can be your guide. Partially, because I want to see this through even if it turns out you're pulling our leg."

"The guild is going to demand some kind of pay," Bal warns. "It's not a matter of walking in and coming out bewinged half a day later."

"I'll pay a pretty significant amount of gold for wings. Or a diamond, are diamonds valuable here too?"

They nod slowly, like they find that question weird. "Uh, gemstones in general, silver, platinum..."

"They would pay a lot for that thing you used," he points where the drone was consumed.

"I have both gold and diamonds, but I can actually get more diamonds much easier than more gold. I could give them a drone, but it wouldn't be much use to them with your general technology level, I don't think. I'll probably just give them a diamond, it's easiest that way."

"Neat." Ciru declares. "If you have a spare diamond I wouldn't mind."

"Heh, I will come along if you are going to. Just give a second to tell my uncle where I am going and to shift."

"I do still need to try to conserve my resources," Garrus says drily.

He turns to face his observer. "Are you going to want to come along too?"

"As long you keep not being my problem, no."

After a minute Bal reemerges from around a corner, he is putting his shirt back on and his hair is a bit damp.

"I am ready to go."

Garrus heads off towards the mages' guild, humming under his breath. (He's going to get wings!)