[center][h2][color=F0E68C]Asteria[/color][/h2][/center][hr][hr]
Even though she had planned on knocking the skeleton down, Asteria only managed to fracture one of its legs. She tried getting to its skull despite that, but the skeleton raised up its arms to protect itself. That only made Asteria more determined to crush the skull, but while she was planning how to do that, the zombie-skeleton lashed out at her. She saw the blur of movement and made to move away. She was hit nonetheless and, somewhat surprisingly, thrown back. The monster hadn’t actually struck her hard, however, and had managed to throw her away only because she was unbalanced. [color=F0E68C][i]I could be getting better at these confrontations after everything[/i][/color], she noted the slight improvement in reflexes to herself, satisfied with the development. 

Suddenly, the skeleton turned towards the entrance to Jason’s tunnel. Asteria followed its gaze until she saw what it was focusing on, and found Digbie. Rather than contemplating what the skeleton’s reasons for seemingly hating one of them were, Asteria regained her balance, and approached the skeleton once again. She moved in its peripheral vision, but it didn’t react. When she was close enough, Asteria grabbed its damaged leg, wrapping both paws around it and poised her teeth at its kneecap, intending to tear it out. Briefly, she remembered to activate Mana sense, curious whether she could kill the skeleton by draining its mana completely. Before the latter became relevant, however, a shimmering aura appeared around her and right after, the skeleton was dropped by a magic bullet of an attack.
 
Asteria was still holding onto the skeleton while trying to sense its mana, but after its skull was crashed, that was probably unnecessary, so she let go of the skeleton. As for sensing mana, she concentrated on feeling her own magical energy, then tried drawing it out of her body and get it to touch the shimmery aura – a shield, if her previous experiences were to be trusted. There was nothing physical to touch, but she [i]could[/i] see the magic in effect, so Asteria continued fiddling with her attempt to touch the foreign-but-slightly-familiar mana with her own until the shield dissipated. Then she blinked her eyes several times, rubbing at them carefully with her paws to dissipate the itching sensation. She knew she’d have to go sleep soon, but before that, someone had helped her once again. And if she was correct in her assumption…She peered up above, and the shiny pixie was impossible to miss. [color=F0E68C]“Oberon? Is that you?”[/color] she questioned, using Monster analysis on him to find out what he had evolved into.

Just then though, Asteria was distracted by a gurgling bubbling sound, and almost got whiplash from how swiftly she turned her head towards the sound. She was torn between relief and concern upon discovering the small stream forming. [color=F0E68C][i]How…? Wait, lake, water underground, line straight to Jason’s tunnel…Just Rain then, maybe, not an enemy.[/i][/color] Nonetheless, the black-furred Dire Rat approached the creek cautiously, put a paw in, and prodded at her magical energy to get it to discern whether there was anything magical at all about the lake water. Regardless of what she found out, it was at this time that Jason finally arrived with the group he had taken from whatever they were doing. [color=F0E68C]“Yeah, they appeared pretty much right after we killed the goblin boss,”[/color] Asteria commented after Jason’s mention of the killed skeleton. She then listened to his telepathic message, once again drawing on her mana to get it to centre at her head, aiming to somehow sense the psychic energy she assumed Jason had to project for them to hear anything. As Jason finished his “explanation” she couldn’t help but wonder what the bitch comment was all about. [color=F0E68C][i]An actual traitor? Or just his paranoia kicking up? He had even admitted being affected by the dungeon core not that long ago.[/i][/color]

Asteria then proceeded to observe in fascination and wonder as Jason chanted, and his earth-based magic answered almost eagerly, burying the skeletal remains. [color=F0E68C][i]So…speech, maybe language in general is useful for magic. Will have to try that out.[/i][/color] She certainly agreed with sleeping and evolving in a safe spot, though whether Jason’s tunnel was truly the optimal location for that was a different matter. And yet… [color=F0E68C]“Thank you, Oberon, but I don’t want to leave Mother Rat alone here, and she’s already sleeping. Perhaps in the morning. Especially with all these zombies popping out,”[/color] she sighed. Simply put, she was also dead-tired. She just wanted to curl up and sleep. And not travel who knows who far to do so. Maybe she should simply dig herself a hole and any zombies would mistake her for one of their own…? [color=F0E68C][i]No, no, no stupid ideas. Why do we have to have these weak youngling bodies, can’t even function after a day without sleep…[/i][/color]

Even as she continued grumbling to herself, and while Jason was searching for Rain, Asteria took care of another concerning matter – the creek. As small as it was, she wasn’t about to risk a flooding, even if that was an irrational concern. So, Asteria chose a spot on the ground decently away from both the stream and the fresh grave, and began digging, searching for large rocks, yanking any she found out of the earth and put them aside. After finding two decently sized ones, she lugged them both to the creek, dragging one by her tail - after having looped the appendage around it - and pushing the other in front of her with her paws. She pushed both rocks into the muddy creek floor in a make-shift dam, reinforcing the structure by digging some earth and mud on top of it hastily. She then lay down a meter or two away from the stream, not to sleep, but to check whether overflowing was going to be a problem or not.

[hider=Action summary]
Stands up after being thrown away.
Notices the lack of serious injury, approaches skeleton from behind.
Grabs skeleton’s leg firmly with both paws.
Activates Mana sense. May or may not notice the change in mana as it dies in her grip.
With the help of Mana sense tries drawing out her magical energy to “touch” the incorporeal shield while it’s around her.
Addresses Oberon, uses Monster analysis II on him.
Notices new stream, puts paw in, uses Mana sense on it.
Addresses Jason.
Tries manipulating her mana by sending it to her head.
Attempts to get a feel for the psychic mana while Jason uses his telepathy (again).
Observes Jason’s magical burial, notes effectiveness of the chant.
Explains to Oberon that she can’t leave MR behind.
Digs a hole, finds two rocks.
Drags rocks to creek.
Makes a simple dam.
Lays near to the stream, resting her body while watching the stream in case anything weird/unwanted happens.
[/hider]