Some preening in pride at the compliment to the rope, Renasci crinkles their face in a grin and lets their feathers flare out. Teeth stay hidden behind their lips, so it's an odd smile to most of us Western people but still cute, all crinkled nose and smile-lined glee around their eyes. After a moment, they shake themselves out and their expression returns to something a bit more neutral, but glee is clear in their eyes and perked, pointed ears.

"Yes, thank you. It's a pain to make. Blunts my claws, but is satisfying. Balance of good and bad to it." Their tail twitches behind them as they watch V-Onyx-Three consider the rope and think.

As for the deer- "It is hard. You have to catch the deer alive, get it to like you, then trust you, then figure out how to balance on it and convince yourself and the deer you're not gonna get hurt doing it." Said with the tone of someone who has only gotten part-way through the challenges and is dreading the rest. But there's no trace of not wanting to do it, just... some frustration of the understanding. "I'll teach you when I get really good, to make it easier. Maybe we can catch you your own deer."

The question about family makes all of their feathers sort of... droop. "I don't... know anyone else like me. I had my Mormor, a massive dragon-beast the great and horrifying, who lived in Leo, but they... they went to sleep and haven't woken up. I think I might be the only me," they harpy goes from borderline despondent to some forced cheer as they flex their arms and wings. "B-but that's okay! I'm perfect by myself! I can do lots of things!"


"When I speak"
When I think

"Maybe sometime you can hunt with me. Hunt on foot, and then hunt on deer. Work together, maybe. Might make geting food easier, and I can heat it so we can't get sick from it." A soft, happy rumbling noise that's very much more like a trill from inside their chest, and their tail wags once behind them.

Onyx-Three's logic is sound, but... Ren's too competitive to let that slide. And little does Ren know, technically Onyx-Three is wrong anyway. "I can't be the best with no competition," A shrug, but they seem thankful for the confidence. "Not everyone can do everything, anyway. That would make the caves boring. But... who is Sentinel? Is he the tall scary down the way?" Lifting an oddly gren-yellow scaled hand, thanks to the Voidlight, they point towards Draco.

As for sparring- Ren is always down to spar, but they would want to learn some spells that won't instantly turn their combat partner into Roast Beast.

"When I speak"
When I think

"No, not wrong. Just makes it less likely for us to get sick, sometimes if you put it in coals and ashes wrapped in certain leaves it even tastes better." They shrug. "I'll bring some sometime so we can try it."

Both ears and their crests of feathers twitch at the thumping from Onyx-Three's tail, and it makes them smile faintly. Watching the other describe Sentinel, and then promptly break the stick when trying to demonstrate what seems to the avide like an intimidation tactic, they cover their mouth and giggle.

"The quiet often hide something on purpose, makes them scary in a way one of the big deer in Pegasus is scary. Only if you mess with them." Their tone is warm, but they do take note of Onyx-Three's affection for the other gembound. "The dragon Dread does not scare me, he is loud and strong, sure, but he is normal to me. Small and quiet is dangerous, I do not know how to fight myself." Renasci is about as quiet as an Echoing Grey in the right company, but the point stands.

A tilt of their head, and they go to their stick and rope pile to pull their chrysalis-shard knife out. "You have hand-feet. Like me. I can hold with my bottom feet, but I walk on them to use my hands." They attempt to twirl the knife, and manage to get it one full revolution between their fingers before fumbling it, and having to grab it with both palms flat against the sides of the blade to hold it on place.

"This knife is mine. Maybe you can have one someday." Polishing the sharp-edged gem blade, Onyx-Three might realize that it's the same stone as what juts from their keelbone.


"When I speak"
When I think

"Sometimes it does, I know a certain tree if I eat it's bark it makes my injuries hurt less. I haven't done much more than that." A blase shrug, and they hum.

"Dread is the large black dragon that lives in Leo - you'll see him someday if you visit often enough."

They think for a moment. "Mice can chew through solid wood, and rabbits can kick hard enough to tear skin with their claws. Sure, not dangerous to us, but notable in their own right. Add intelligence behind it and you need to be wary. Never underestimate an opponent in any way, but do look for weaknesses you can use."

Another hum, and they tuck away their blade again.

"For example- I hunt deer by dropping on them from high up, and using my weight to break their back, but I'm too big and slow to hunt birds or lizards like that. I only manage to snatch them in smaller caves with denser forests, where they, and I, have a disadvantage in the leaves. When you get a weapon, and I'm sure you will, it will change what you can and cannot do. It's always a fun learning experience, at least to me it is." Their tone is pleased and excited.

"My blade is of my chrysalis, yes- it's the one thing I've kept all my Cycles here. At first I simply grabbed it because it was shiny, I... belive. But now I know it's utility, and it's helped me realize more ideas as the days have gone on."


"When I speak"
When I think