After their exploration of the gardens, her adventure with Mercury had led them westward. The wildflowers gave way to plains similar to what lay in the bounds of Hallows territory, however, the further they went in, the more drastic the ridges became. With taller crests, came lower valleys. But then something peculiar cropped out. A massive boney figure was sunk into a divet where the grass had been worn away. It looked like an oversized rib cage, but what kind of animal was that large? Talyssa's pale blue gaze found her travel companion's, with clear question etched in her features. "Do you have any idea as to what those bones belonged to?" She asked softly, before returning her widened gaze to examine the paleo carcass.

The day wasn’t over yet, and Mercury was more than happy to escort his young charge further. Taking them in a wide arc around the castle as they made their way from the garden to the ridge. There was a stark change in scenery, as beautiful and bountiful gardens gave way to mounds of grass and burrows that held the dead.

As they stopped before a particularly large fossil, the Vanguard shook his head. Stepping forward to touch the sun bleached white with a careful paw. “I don’t. If this is a rib cage, then the creature that it had belonged to would have to be… magnificent. An elephant, perhaps? Though I've never seen them in Auster before.” Then, anticipating her next question, he continued. “Elephants are large herd animals. Think of a buffalo, but huge, and mostly hairless.”

"Mercury"

As Talyssa's gaze scanned the ivory artifact, she hadn't once thought of reaching out to touch it. Maybe subconsciously she didn't want to disturb the remnants of the resting beast. However, as she watched Mercury reach out to touch it, she suddenly couldn't resist the urge either. The girl reached out a paw to feel for herself. It was a strange sensation. Hard as a rock, but weathered by time. Though as Mercury went on to describe an elephant, she did her absolute best to imagine it. Withdrawing her paw from the bone as if it would help her to concentrate. But what her mind made up, wasn't exactly the most attractive creature. "Elephants sound kind of ugly." She responded jokingly.

Glancing around the valley, something else caught her attention. "Oh! Look at that one!" She said enthusiastically. She didn't wait for recognition. Talyssa drifted off towards the profile of an impressive-looking skull.

Mercury travelled further down the ribcage, glancing back at her to grin at her assessment. “They are an acquired taste.” He agreed, baring his teeth to give it a double meaning. Elephants were a rare and exotic creature for him, and a completely new concept for her. Between the two of them, they didn’t have a grand knowledge of them.

At Tally's excited discovery, Mercury made his way around to see what she had found. He titled his head, looking at it from a different angle. The ivory remains were difficult to identify, and after a moment he shrugged. “Alright, what do you think this one is?” He asked, indicating towards the skull. He was curious to see how her mind worked.


"Mercury"

When Mercury followed her over to the skull she had found, it was her turn to answer for what the creature had been. She pondered the request with deep consideration. Of course, she didn't actually have the slightest idea, but she thought by looking at it ... there were some details that could be inferred. Based on the size alone, the beast had been massive. And judging by the pointed teeth, it was a predator. "Do you see how pointy the teeth are?" She asked, gesturing with a paw to one of the few intact incisors left. "I bet it was a giant monster that ate the elephants!" She proclaimed, looking up to her friend to see what he thought it might have been.