Giggle lowered her head, nosing over the pile. She was looking for a strong gemstone--the strongest she could find. Maybe one good stone would be enough of an "offering" for her to edge in on the Merchant's rewards--and far more importantly, the knowledge that would come with it. She felt certain that he would inform them of whatever it was--and regardless, the bones had spoken. She'd see to this, and then she'd look for Aure; or at least, whenever she saw him next, she'd have to cover what she'd seen.

It still troubled her. She'd had some vague hope, too, of returning life to these stones: but it seemed that they would need to remain dead, that death's hand, in this case, would not be shifted or stirred.

To her surprise, she found nothing at all in her bone pit.

...Was her magic simply not working? Puzzled, she stared down at the pit. Or maybe these ones aren't mine to take, she realized.

Quiet, she turned, pacing away--at a limp--to search elsewhere.

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ROLL THE BONES

Giggle made her way slowly--leaving the now-sleeping Omen behind, at the pit--back down toward the fortresses. As she went, she kept her eyes open, and her magic alert.

She found nothing, the entire way down there, and she began to wonder, again, at the dead stones here. Maybe I should've asked the bones about that, she reflected, thoughtfully.

There'd be time enough for that later. But not a single spark struck at her, and bewildered, she moved on--threading her way among the fortresses. She was still limping, the wound reopening and leaving spots and streaks of fresh blood behind her, but she didn't notice that. Instead, she was focused on passing the places where she'd already searched, looking for someplace new.

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Surely, at least one master of magic had to have died in Canis..? Where were all these stones?

Now past the areas she'd already hunted--and now aware that her paw was once more bleeding--Giggle stopped to lick her wound for a time. She sat, panting, and when it hurt a little less, she picked up and moved on.

She wondered, again, why the bone fortresses had ever been built--and by whom. What were they for? She'd have to test that, too, if through magic if nothing else, but right now she had another task. She threaded out her consciousness, head tilting--and... Ahhh.

Satisfaction spiked in her, and she strode over--well, limped over--and spent a moment digging among the bones close by. She paused twice, letting her magic guide her, and at length she pulled a stone--still firmly entrenched in a fairly large femur--from the pile there.

Part of her felt guilty: surely this was a life that would now never be reborn. But--again--the bones had reassured her on this front. She turned to go, bone firmly held in her triumphant jaws... and then paused, glancing briefly behind her.

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One last thing.

She set the bone carefully down, and then--with deep focus--she pressed her nose to the nearest fortress. Quietly she waited, dark eyes slipping shut, allowing magicka to flow through her--and into the bones.

Who made you? And why..? Show me, she murmured, in her mind--her thoughts a soft urging.

((gm tagging))

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The first seven of Giggle's stones all last belonged to Fledgling (+1) Gembound.

The first is a bright orange, raw chunk of Amber. This stone once belonged to a black-and-white Dall's Porpoise.

The second is jet black, polished Obsidian once belonging to a Coati.

The third gemstone is raw, rough, coal-like Jet which last belonged to a hybrid of Jerboa, Beaver, and Shrew.

The fourth is another glassy black Obsidian, though this piece is swirled and raw, with sharp lines and edges, like a curl of water frozen in stone. It once belonged to a Duck-Billed Platypus.

After these three black stones comes a bright, sparkling orange Topaz, which belonged to a rather odd four-way hybrid of Clownfish, Salamander, Moose, and Eurasian Eagle-Owl.

Next is a rough pink chunk of Spinel, almost looking like blood or meat in a small piece, left behind. The Spinel last belonged to a Blue Wildebeest.

The next is a shiny red-orange Jasper, like clay swirled with deeper reds, belonging to a hybrid between a domestic ferret, and a domestic horse.

The final gemstone, and the only one belonging to a master (+3), is a raw, rough hunk of translucent pale green-yellow Peridot. This stone once belonged to an Arctic Wolf.