Vargas had learned a lot in recent cycles.

One of the things was about giving stones.

One was not about handshakes.

He continued to ignore it; if she wanted compliments on her limb, well, he'd already complimented the rest of her and he hadn't taken her spear or anything. But, back to the stone. From what he understood, it should work for her even if she was an older creation, or a descendant of one.

"You magic off a bit of stone," he explained matter-of-factly, "and hand it over. It is painless, don't worry." Not that she seemed so weak to care about pain. "Though you seem tough enough to not care," he added, putting thoughts to words.

@Elyon

It was as simple as magic?

Well, shucks - she couldn't do any of that. Elyon gritted her teeth and shook her head, "ah, well, I'm not a very good magic-user, bud. Or at all." She raised her hand to scratch at the square-shaped yellow orthoclase, digging deep into her fuzzy fur-feathers again. "It'd probably be easier to lop it off, y'know?"

But, she couldn't argue with the point that she was too tough to care. "But that doesn't matter to me, not at all! I could do it. What happens after that? Something just comes out of it?"

Yes, dear. Just like you.

@Vargas

Vargas peered. Lop it off-? he thought.

"I think that would cause you harm. Best to try it magically, first. Just-... will it to fall off, or something," he suggested, with a wave of his six-fingered hand. He wasn't really sure, but that sounded right.

"We ought to go through Canis to the other tunnel for that, though," he added, musing. It'd be best if any chrysalis were left with the servants to watch after, anyway.

@Elyon

Elyon ground her beak again. Willpower was definitely something she had a lot of, but - just think it off, huh? Vargas made it sound like it was a real easy job. Best case scenario, she touched it and it just came off. Worse case scenario, she just broke it off.

But, y'know, apparently they'd need to go to Canis, first. The centaur would've followed him precisely up to that point, if he hadn't mentioned the bone room. Her mane bristled, elbows itching again. Before her hands could start to pick at the scabs, she trotted mechanically to her dropped weaponry. She slung the shield's strap across her back and slung her spear's haft over her shoulder with both hands.

"Yeah - uhm, I'll do that but, uh... we gotta be quick and I don't wanna see whats-his-face," Elyon chattered, seemingly now hugging her spear, "tall, scary, black, beady little fuckin' eyes." Plus, she didn't want to be seen strolling back into her birthplace, giving stone or whatever to this big fella, and then getting the hell outta dodge.

@Vargas

Vargas considered, studying her for a moment. He was excited, a little, truth be told. Her build was good, her strength was good, she held courage and spirit both. The Masters would be pleased to know that her design would not go to waste!

He hesitated, then. He had a feeling she'd been built along the new cultural style, at least, and it felt as though she might consider her cooperation more fair if he offered something in return.

"Meet me in the tunnel at the western wall of Canis. I will bring meat, and share it as payment--I assume you eat meat?" He paused for her affirmation*, and then grunted. He was hungry, too, anyway. "Make haste, then. I will not be long."

Vargas turned, quickly stalking off, head already raised high for the scent of deer--or, at the very least, cave rats.

@Elyon
*with permission

Offering meat in exchange for a party trick seemed a bit like treating the sentient (but not very intelligent) centaur like a dog — but she was buying into it. There was nothing bad about meat, other than when it was bad and spoiled. But, there was a presumption that Vargas would be catching it himself, which was awfully nice of him. She'd grown a little too top-heavy to be leaning down and snatching up prey, so she had to stomp on anything if had a hankering for meat. It was messy.

So, Elyon chirped "sure, I do," before being left to pussyfoot about entering the bone room, all by her lonesome. The food was a very tempting offer, at least.

;exit to putter around in tunnel k by her lonesome
@Vargas

Vargas stalked off with the full intention of finding prey. He knew vaguely where they hid, and it didn't take long before he was in Canis, flipping boulders just near the tunnel entrance. Not HUGE boulders, of course, but shoving against ones small enough to topple when the Overseer's bulk threw itself behind them.

When the rats scattered, he'd charge after them.

He got them, too--a few of them, enough of the hook-toothed furry beasts for himself and Elyon both.

With a few swift cracks they were dead, and Vargas was left holding the cave rats by their tails, stalking across Canis toward Tunnel P.

exit Vargas