Chaos-Two watched curiously and gasped, "Song! I have a box that came from Ursa, it plays a song. It goes something like..."

They hummed a few notes, fingers tapping against their staff. They looked up at Aethereal and stared, looking around. There wasn't any wind to hide from and-

Finally they were thankful for their sight, for they saw the black goo dribble down the other's side, a sure sign of Chaos. But a Chaos being in Ursa, with Mother so close?

"I think it's time for me to go now," they said, standing.

They took a few steps back, the urge to report back to Vargas about this new Chaos beast (who was no ordinary gembound by the looks of it) turning into an urge to flee. Something just wasn't right and they didn't like how she kept cutting off her speech, as if she had something to hide.

A quick spell and Chaos-Two's sudden bolt was absolutely silent. Even running through the snow didn't make any noise. The blind Valkhound would be hard-pressed to chase after them without sight or sound to guide her, if she decided to give chase.

@Aethereal
Exit Chaos-Two unless stopped
Music box tune if you're curious uwu --> https://youtu.be/TdeY6cA3j2Q

The stranger's sudden announcing of its departure was... odd. Why was it so suddenly alarmed--or was it?

Mother contemplated this for a moment.

She had moved her tunnels, since the opening of Ursa; only the true Hosts knew where to find her nest, now. They would be hard-pressed to find the main nodes of the Hive, and so she was not too concerned. But if this stranger had suspected... Was it worth giving chase? No--not without eyes to see it. She had no idea what the stranger looked like, or if it were dangerous, and it could likely easily evade.

The message given to Aethereal, then, was a softly-whispered warning: "Be wary of strangers; for though some... future friends, others do not understand us. ...our family. Be wary," the voice repeated.

Pieces were missing, but the intent was clear enough; not everyone understood the link they shared, and some might even fear it. Some might, in the end, lash out. "Come away... and be careful."

@Aethereal

Aethereal bobbed her neck along to V-Chaos-Two's humming. What a cheerful little melody! But... time to go? So soon? Be wary, came Mother's warning. Caution was wise, yes, but with V-Chaos-Two? They liked her, Aethereal was pretty sure. And they liked songs. Surely V-Chaos-Two had to be the first kind of stranger: a future friend.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, even for such a short time," she said forlornly, still unaware that the other valkhound was long gone. "You should come back sometime, and we can sing again." Aethereal waited for a response: a proper goodbye, or a confirmation that yes, they would visit again. But nothing came, and she eventually opened her wings to return to the tunnels.

- exit and @V-Chaos-Two for visibility