Autharyx stood stiffly at the mention of a handstand, a frown creasing his brow as he shifted his weight uncertainly. He was spared the indignity of having to answer with a question, though the laughter of his host was hardly any better. He really wasn't used to people being so... comfortable around him. It wasn't even that he [i]liked[/i] the fear that humans projected when dealing with him in the past, but at least he had understood it. Now he just felt constantly off-balance. "Yes, I feel so much more comfortable now," he muttered when Viltez turned his back. He still sat himself down, though, and soon a delicious scent came floating his way, followed by Viltex carrying the food. Autharyx was surprised to find his stomach rumbling again. Mortals must have such tiresome existences, scurrying after food for most of their brief lives. But he couldn't deny that hunger gave an extra treat to the food that he'd never really experienced before. He kept an eye on the other as he ate, following his example as close as possible. It was... stickier than he would have preferred, but thankfully that did not detract from the taste of the food. It was even sweeter that the fruit from earlier had been, which was a definite plus in his book. He was too preoccupied to do much talking himself, but thankfully Viltez seemed content to fill the silence. The first mention 'up river' sent a thread of anxiety coiling in his stomach, but it quickly switched to pride when the mortal started to reverently describe the lake he called home. He stopped eating for a bit so he could study him as he talked. The bit about gemstones was a really nice image, and if he could he would be preening at the praise. "It is indeed a beautiful place," he said with a small smile, "On clear days it looks like the bottom of the lake is just within your reach. People have tried to swim for the bottom only to find out too late it was beyond their reach from the start," he continued with a touch of pride in his voice before realising that was probably an inappropriate reaction to those events. To him, they had been just another sacrifice, albeit more involuntary than they usually were. He quickly went on, trying to cover for his momentarily lapse in judgement. "The shrine is not nearly as impressive as it once was, though. The ruins stand on a small island in the middle of the lake, but no one goes there or looks after them any more. Most people that travel there, come to visit the town at the northernmost end. It sits close to the river and a frequent stop for traders of all kinds." His interest perked up at the offer to answer questions. He had many, even though he had no idea how many he could ask without seeming like the outsider he was. After thinking for a moment, he settled for satisfying his curiosity rather than try and ask about things a human should probably know already. "What are the landmarks in the woods like? Are there any shrines, or is it just villages and towns?"