An outcast. That did explain quite a bit. Travellers like Amadan, as far as Drae knew, tended to travel in groups rather than alone. Of course, it had been very possible that this one had simply branched off for the day to earn a few dollars, but he imagined he would have seen some trace of the others in days prior. Other street performers, perhaps, or day laborers. Amadan's explanation told him all he needed to know. His family hadn't wanted him and whatever the reason was, Drae was not going to ask. His association with the other spider would be brief, he decided, and anyway, it wasn't his place to ask after his business.<br/><br/>It occurred to Drae, however, that whatever this man was, he hadn't yet come to terms with it. He was of the "eight-legged variety," as Amadan had so eloquently put it, but perhaps of a different sort than the Hex'ras. A shifter, he assumed, as he possessed no visible traits of his other self - and a fairly new one, at that, which sent up a whole mess of red flags. Shifters could be unhinged, dangerous creatures, as they relied more heavily on base instinct and urges than beings like Hex'ras. They attracted trouble, yet there he was, entertaining one in his shop. What had his life come to?<br/><br/>At the other man's query, Drae finally put his book down, and unlike before, his voice took on a slightly softer tone, apparently no longer frustrated. "A Hex'ras is a sort of half-breed," he explained, setting his elbows on the counter and propping up his chin on the backs of his bony knuckles. "A cross between man and arachnid. This form," he nodded down toward his frame, "is the one I chose to wear on the surface." Such would indicate his capability for magic, although that was not a subject he cared to broach. He wore illusion to ease his way into the surface world, simply because his kind were not readily accepted by those above ground - or indeed, most below ground.<br/><br/>Drae regarded the man curiously; whatever apprehension he had harbored before seemed to have fallen onto the back burner. As such, with his wall lowered just a bit, he was able to pick up the subtle yet persistent vibration of the other spider, followed shortly by a distinct scent unique to his species. Had he not been so willing to shut the other man out before, he might have sensed them before, for Amadan's was the distinct scent of a young spider searching for an indication as to what he could expect from Drae. He tasted his caution, and the bitterness of his potential for violence - an aggressive breed, then.<br/><br/>"You are a shifter, no?" he ventured, golden eyes narrowing slightly upon the younger man. "And, from what I can gather, not accustomed to others of your -<i>our </i>- kind. What is it that you want from me? Aside from being paid for whatever work you get out of me, that is."