ORIGIN

The other creature's confusion only made this more hilarious. Audland was so enthused that when he said "Awh," in response to Brother's distaste for blood, he didn't really manage to look all that disappointed.

Bounty was an interesting answer. That likely meant the creature knew of the tavern in Scorpio. Audland somehow had no trouble imagining himself sitting at the chairs in the tavern, talking business with the bartender and the tavern visitors. But when he tried to imagine Brother doing the same, he couldn't help but wheeze like a smoker of 40 years. What kind of bounties do dent-headed idiots chase after?

From the island, indeed. Audland wondered what they ate over there. For sure, it wasn't just bugs and skinny deer. Ah, but that wasn't all this tunnel had in it, was it? Audland started looking around the floor. Crusted, dusted, rusty piles of broken bits, bobs, bobs and bits. Lots of metal and old gear made by people with hands, for people with hands. Maybe not exactly of interest to Brother, but Audland liked what he saw.

"You eat metal?" Audland's question sounded more like an offer as Audland plucked a tiny piece of iron off the ground. Questions. Audland never seemed to run out of them. He somehow didn't put it together for himself that someone who dislikes blood would probably not like eating literal iron. Audland didn't know chemistry. Shush.

Audland would pop the iron bit in his mouth and chew aggressively on it for a little while as he sifted through piles of junk for cool stuff. "What kinda bounty?"

He looked and he looked, but it was like they were both cursed. Audland's precious foot met the same fate as Brother's, but instead of roaring about it, Audland went crashing head first into a pile of junk on the floor. When he resurfaced, the metal bit had gotten itself lodged down Audland's throat. He started to gag while he tried desperately to swallow it. Guess he didn't really eat metal either—not properly, anyway. I hope you got your tetanus shot Audland.

Audland just barely managed to get the iron bit down with a pathetic and wet "Guhh... gugh." It was a terribly embarrassing display that unveiled Audland's secret undercover identity of being just as much of a clown as Brother was—and yet the island reptile didn't seem to care. That, or it wasn't making a big deal out of it. Either way, not a peep in his direction. Maybe it was smarter than Audland had first assumed...?

He watched it hunt for something he couldn't see. He watched the funny way its whole body had to sway in order to balance its simple motion. He watched, for a moment, how the dent made Brother's head look from a new angle.

...No. No, they were both dumb. And they were going to be dumb in this cave together.

What a beautiful thing, to finally understand the situation. An enlightened position, which Audland would almost certainly not share. All the better. He saw the mouse running from the rock, and hunter's instinct kicked in. He'd let the questions float in the air unanswered if it meant seeing what the dinosaur could do to that little mouse.

FREEZE. The command would run up the red mouse's spine and straight through it's brain, just as Brother had experienced. A full body freeze. Only the mouse's eyes would move to look in horror at the monsters lurking in the dark, Audland's will for it to meet its makers superimposed upon its own. Audland would then look at Brother expectantly. Anticipating a show.

Audland watched in silent delight as the dinosaur slaughtered the mouse with enough drive and conviction to kill an creature ten times the size. It was truly a marvel that this thing could read. A double threat, one might think—but Audland wondered how intelligent the beast truly was. How far beyond a Lesser could it be? Now, he could just take a little peek under the hood himself, but... where's the fun in that?

Brother didn't seem to question how the rat had stopped moving even as he chased it to its demise. Brother still hadn't approached Audland about the voice he had surely heard in his mind when Audland commanded him with a spell.

Perhaps, if their goals aligned, Brother wouldn't notice how far Corruption's fingers had snuck up into his veins? If Audland was just subtle enough... and how subtle did he really need to be?

Audland smiled. "Good on you. That all ya need?" He imagined there was about a fifty percent chance he'd get a voiced response. Not a problem for Audland; he would watch the spinosaurus with great interest. And, he would steal the occasional glance around the tunnel for anything that caught his eye, be it inanimate or organic.

He would just barely manage to find a spot of motion to Brother's left. He'd point a finger. "Somethin' that-a-way, if yer interested."

Audland's little dino toy was prancing around again, bringing Audland delight in the shrimplicity of it all. A good and normal hunt, and he didn't even have to do any of the real physical labor. Audland felt so gratified from the accurate prediction of every move. The trills, the funny walk, the single-minded dedication to a task. And hey, he hadn't lied (just yet)—the spino was good at what it did! When you were that good at killing little rats and stuff, maybe you didn't need to be any good at thinking. Maybe someone else could do that for you.

Speaking of which, the predicted behavior had come to a pause. Audland would refrain from going over to deal with it himself, but would crane his neck to try and see what Brother was seeing. "What's up, buttercup?" He couldn't quite make it out. " 'Nother mouse?"

It was not, in fact, another mouse. Or a rat, for that matter. No, by warmblooded standards, this thing was alien: a silly little slime belly with a sweet smiling face. It came creeping out of its hiding place, somewhere amidst the junkyard of tunnel J.

Audland saw an opportunity, and attempted to take it. You should skip on over there... With a firing of corrupted synapses, the thought would coalesce in Brother's otherwise empty mind. The first time Audland had ever tried to be subtle with it. He wondered what little dino toy would do.

Brother's propensity for violence and simplistic mind was a gift that kept on giving. Apparently literally. He didn't think to question like... any thought ever. Even one that was not remotely his own. He slaughtered the cute little slime belly without hesitation, and brought it back. Audland hadn't even asked for that. Good doggy.

A twisted smirk drew across Audland's face. "Oh, you are a treasure." He accepted the slime belly graciously, with all the subtly overacted pomp of a mafia godfather. This dino toy was becoming a favorite.

He would sling the dead slime belly over his shoulder. It was, as the name suggested, slimy. His furry shoulder would hardly feel a thing. Audland had a plan to treat the dead lizard and turn it into a feast they could both enjoy. Maybe a soup. But first, they'd both have to get out of here; and that was going to happen a lot faster now that Audland had decided: "I'm gonna help you get more. As many as we can get." In order to do that, they needed a method. A trap of two parts: an attractor, and a quick and efficient killer. Brother played the second role perfectly.

How was Audland going to go about this?

He thought for a while, looking around at all the litter. Where do these rats hide? What do they come here for? Perhaps there was food, somewhere in this tunnel... Audland would look to Brother and attempt to send a thought: Bring him a living rat, of the kind you are looking for... Keep it alive...

If the dinosaur couldn't do that, a few more options remained. He wouldn't be distressed with Brother's performance either way, though a failure might become a learning opportunity for them both.

Audland would pretend to look around the litter himself, collecting shiny bits and bobs and quietly watching Brother all the while.