[center][h2][color=F0E68C]Asteria[/color][/h2][/center][hr][hr]
[color=F0E68C]“No, we are definitely not Undead,”[/color] Asteria answered, amused. [color=F0E68C]“Alright, good to know, our transaction is complete, then,”[/color] she concluded. She would still try to get information from the gnome, however.

She listened attentively as he explained about Tamed creatures, Familiars, Summoned beings, and Contracts. [color=F0E68C]“Hmm, so that water spirit I met was most likely Contracted. It had been dormant and bound to a sword until I gave it some of my mana,”[/color] she explained, hoping to get the gnome’s opinion on it. [color=F0E68C]“Think that one was contracted like you are, but restricted to an object instead to a location?”[/color] she asked for clarification.

[color=F0E68C]“Oh, so you get a boost from the mage? Neat. What exactly do you mean when you say that he gets a carryover, though?”[/color] she wondered.

The conversation soon turned to matters of language. [color=F0E68C]“Hmm…There is definitely something weird going on, then. Because so far, we have been able to understand and converse with any being with a developed language. Such as goblins, and humans. However, when our fellow dire rat – and she is just a regular dire rat, by the by – chitters, we can’t understand her in the way we do you,”[/color] Asteria stated. 

[color=F0E68C]“So, when Ed and I just talk to each other, which language do we speak in? You said you overheard us, so you must have understood us, but maybe your presence changed which language we spoke in,”[/color] she hypothesized. [color=F0E68C]“Let’s do an experiment, ok? Ed and I will try chatting about something involving only us, and you try and eavesdrop and afterwards tell us if there were any changes. It might not even work as long as you are in the same room, but still,”[/color] she trailed off, and turned to Ed. The smell of the food was starting to distract her, but she had more important matters to take care of, first.

After her companion was done with his part of the conversation with the gnome, Asteria nodded at him to move away from the barrow-guardian a bit. [color=F0E68C]“Ok, let’s test this out. What would we talk about that we wouldn’t want him to know yet wouldn’t be too bad if he ends up learning? Let’s see…let’s go with something mundane. I don’t know if I ever told you this, but you kinda remind me of my younger brother. You aren’t similar at all; he’s older, and you’re smarter and a good kid besides, but…I don’t know, you just have a little brother vibe, if that makes sense.”[/color] Asteria told him. Her muzzle twitched with the desire to smile at Ed's reply, and she nodded at him. [color=F0E68C]"Yeah,"[/color] was all she said, though, before returning to the gnome.

[color=F0E68C]“So, did you also understand that? It was sort of a private conversation between us, so I wonder if that changed whether we were still speaking Gnomish while you were able to hear us or not,”[/color] Asteria asked.