Sergei was staring at the wall.

It wasn't that he was in some sort of trance, or something. There were, in his defense, carvings on this wall. They formed some grand scene he couldn't quite make sense of. So maybe it wasn't strange that Sergei was just standing there, looking it all over.

What was strange was when he backed up a moment later, setting his spear at his side, to lift a spyglass to his eye. He extended it with careful paw-hands before putting it to his eye, staring at the carvings through the spyglass from a mere ten feet or so away.

There was really no need for it, yet he was very deliberate and studious about examining the scene, in its entirety, through the glass.

@Flower

She had been exploring, head tilted upwards to look at the carvings that spanned across the walls, her eyes widening as she took everything in. This is so cool. She spoke out loud, speaking to the creature wrapped around the back of her neck, laying across her shoulders. What do you think these things say? She looked up at Fernie as the creature cooed softly, pointing with its nose towards a figure in the distance.

Looking over, she smiled slightly at the sight of another, cocking her head to the side as she watched them examine the wall and its markings. Oh, hi there. Have you found anything interesting within these scratches? She walked up and glanced over at the wall they had been looking at, her walking stick making a bit of a clicking sound as she did so.

The click of the stick alerted him first, and the bear turned, heavy brow lowered over a puzzled expression. Puzzled, because there was someone else here! He hadn't expected that, somehow. A low huff escaped him, not an annoyed sound so much as, again, startled, and he looked his visitor over. She looked strange--bipedal, like him, but not at all a bear, and far, far smaller. But unafraid, and friendly.

Sergei's brief, typical suspicion (an ever-present fear of the Hive's presence) prompted a quick cast of magic, but he couldn't sense any of that mold clinging to her, so he dismissed that worry and turned his attention to her words. "Interesting?" he rumbled, his words slow.

A massive paw raised up, the pads pressing lightly to the carvings, and he shook his head and looked back at her, adjusting spyglass and spear in the other hand and arm. "No. I do not think so. There are... scenes. But I do not know what they mean. Or who made them," he added.

He studied Flower for a moment, then. "What are you?" he asked, straightforward. It wasn't a demand; Sergei just wasn't very good at conversation.

I'm ASSUMING Flower isn't fungus-ey, but correct me if I'm wrong! @Flower

She was quite unaware of him checking her for fungus, but she hadn't even crossed path with it, let alone been infected with it. Hell, she didn't even know it existed.

She came to a stop a few feet from him, turning to look at the carvings. He was much, much larger than her, her staff comically oversized at the current moment, but that didn't bother her. If anything, it was something for her to grow into. Scenes? She asked curiously. Are you able to pick out any specific, even if they don't make sense? She cocked her head to the side, one ear flicking as she looked, her eyes squinting slightly. She wanted to learn more about the carvings, wanted to understand them, but they were confusing to her.

She heard the question of what she was and turned to look up at the creature. Uh... a... cat? I think? She glanced down at herself for a moment before looking back up at him. What about you?

Sergei considered, and then shook his head, reaching up to touch the carvings again. "I did not learn--these," he explained, using one clawed finger to tap the words beneath the pictures. "Some others did that. Did learn them. Words, I think. Reading." His own 'words' came slow and clumsy, as though even speech was foreign to him--and in a sense it was. He rarely socialized with others, for a number of reasons, and he was out of practice even talking.

He shrugged and turned, blinking slowly at Flower. "I have seen... a cat, or two. They did not stand like you, but," he went on, and tapped his own chest, "I am a bear. We also walk like cats. On four legs. But I was hurt. I slept in my stone. I woke different, like this." He gestured between himself and Flower, indicating that--maybe--they were the same: two creatures of quadrupedal species, changed somehow to stand as they did.

In fact, now that he looked at them, they did have other similarities. They both... carried sticks. Admittedly his was much pointier. And she had cloth wrapped around her, something he wanted to ask about. But first...

His eyes settled on the creature wrapped around Flower's neck, and he squinted, eyeing it studiously for a moment. "What is... that?" he asked, gesturing lightly with his spear. "The. Animal?"

@Flower

She seemed to think for a moment, nodding slightly at his words. Do you think you'll ever learn it if you had the chance? Reading that is? She wanted to, the idea of learning such a thing was exciting to her, but she was curious what the thought process was for the creature before her. She understood that not everyone was as open and curious as she was, but someone who seemed to enjoy looking at the carvings, she would think would want to explore it further.

Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment as she listened to his words, hearing about his transformation. Huh, no I ... I came out like this. At least I think so. I don't remember any... injury or anything before I emerged. She lifted her hand to brush across her torn ear. My ear got ripped when I first tried hunting, but that was it. Back then she didn't know what she was doing and had gotten herself hurt, but it wasn't that bad in the long term of things.

Her attention turned to Fernie and she hesitating for a moment. I uh... I don't really know. When I woke up he was there and we just... had a connection. I named him Fernie. She turned to the bear for a moment. I've seen a lot of creatures around but none that look like him. I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is too. She didn't' want to lie and give him information that she didn't have, but perhaps this meant they could both search for more information together.

@Sergei

Sergei considered this, and nodded. "I have not seen things like him, too." Then he thought about her other question. He lifted a shaggy head to blink up at the carvings, and nodded slowly. "I would... maybe. I do not know if I'm smart enough." This was said with a sort of forlorn reluctance; he knew he wasn't the sharpest creature out there, but that was just how things went.

He regarded the scene for a moment longer, lifting a hand to prod at a carving. "Perhaps you... can learn to read. There is a place. In-" Sergei squinted, trying to remember. "Cepheus. I think it is called. With a white palace. They have... books." Not something he was very good with, but if Flower wanted to learn...

@Flower

Her eyes softened slightly and a small smile crossed her face, gentle and kind. Oh come on, don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you could do it if you tried. If you want, I could help you once I learn myself. She smiled warmly, wanting nothing more than to make him feel like he could do whatever he put his mind to. Because that's what she believed in her heart.

Her eyes lit up at his information and she nodded, clearly interested and excited. Thank you for the information! I will certainly take a look there. Maybe I can teach myself a bit and then show you what I learned. She was much more excited about this than she probably should be, but she was also more than happy to help him as well.

@Sergei

Sergei hesitated.

He wasn't entirely sure that Flower was right about him 'selling himself short,' but... he didn't want to argue the point. For one thing, it was embarrassing, having to assure someone of your own stupidity. For another--she was trying to be nice.

So he shook his head a little, but remained silent on that topic, aside from a mumbled word that might've been 'thanks.' Then he thought about things for a beat.

"Hmm. Do you know how to get to it? To Cepheus?" he asked, massive head tipping just a little to one side. He backed up, too--just away from the carvings, a little, clearing a space in case Flower wanted a closer look.

@Flower