With that, the deal had been made. He'd smile and then look up at the same time as Balthazar at the crow. It was the same one he'd traded his feathers and fur for. Matthias didn't have the same appreciation or fondness as the vampire did; he considered the bird a nuisance, and a part of him wondered with worry if the avian had decided it didn't like the exchange they'd made and was coming to take the chain back. But it just sat there on the tree and cawed at him, and he decided to dismiss it once he realized it intended on staying there, turning his body slightly to keep it in his peripherals. Poor Matthias did not know yet, that the bird definitely intended on following him around until he left the mushroom grove. "Right," he'd say dismissively, more because of the bird than because of what Balthazar said.
"Right this way, my good friend," he'd say, that automatic charm back once more, and begin to make his way to the nearest transporter in the grove. It was how he'd gotten here, after all. The trees were a bit too dense to fly through, and he didn't mind walking and talking with Balthazar anyway. Besides, his newfound companion probably wouldn't mind it if it meant he wouldn't have to fly in the sunlight, "Did you know that in every location in Argaia, there're these monoliths that can teleport you anywhere else on the continent?" he'd say, allowing space for an answer, "That's where we're headed. My gem's not on me, so I have to retrieve it. Then after that, we can visit Paradise Isle. If we're lucky, there might be some purple glass there, or somewhere near it. Say, how does your vampirism work anyway? Do you need to drink blood and the whole sha-bang too?" he'd ask, that usual casual and humorous tone in his voice, as if anything he ever talked about was no big deal, like life was just a game.