Lucius shrugged loosely in return. He hadn't been angry at all yet and that was something right? But the scowl was far more telling. Granted, Feo did have far more experience with mythical beings than Lucius did. Asgard was probably full of all sorts of different creatures and beings. But Atlas seemed to be fairly down-to-earth and nice in a way that Lucius hadn't really been expecting.

His sapphire eyes looked down toward their hands before he nearly reached for his hand. Well he had reached for it, but Feo had moved and gripped his shoulders. Lucius furrowed his eyebrows before raising one. "See--okay, cool, this... totally isn't weird at all--"

Lucius gave Feo a rather smug and teasing smirk of sorts. Of course he was grabbing a knife--that made sense and honestly, Lucius felt a little bit safer knowing someone was armed.

"I mean, careful is always good," Lucius agreed, looking up toward Feo's face again. His hands were soft, along his neck but the blink said everything and Lucius couldn't help himself. "I get that I'm impossible but do you think you could strangle me somewhere cool? I'd rather not get to the afterlife saying I died in Kansas."

He gave him another teasing grin and moved forward to keep following the cow-taur. Was that even the right word?

The beast glanced back at the pair before tilting his head. "I've offered a few items myself, just stuff that I've dug up from the fields. He don't seem too interested in fossils. But the spearheads, oh he enjoys those," the beast waved one hand as he ambled forward. "I believe he's a son of Clio."

"Clio," Lucius echoed the name. "That's the Greek goddess of history--no wonder he has a private collection of historical artifacts. It's in his blood."

Atlas let out a loose chuckle, the type of rumbling chuckle that shook his shoulders. "Quick young man, aren't ya?"

"We're looking for a Cestus," Lucius explained with a loose shrug. "School history projects and whatnot. Our library didn't have an accurate description of what this one looked like and it's extra credit if we can find out."

Lucius let out a short laugh. "Get out of class for free, get extra credit and a little bit of extra money? Why not, right?"

Atlas tipped his head to the side and then to the other before shaking his head. "Bah, school is useless. They fill you with useless knowledge. Go to a trade, that will do you much more good."

Lucius shrugged, keeping half an ear out for the train. A part of him was hoping that the train was running earlier than the cow-taur man thing had said. He could only keep this up for so long before something slipped out.

Lucius noted the amusement. That was part of what he wanted to see. The cracking of that hard exterior and getting him to lighten up just a little bit.

Keep a knife on him? Well, that... would involve actually having a weapon in the first place. That was not something that Lucius usually did. Or owned. He was far more likely to talk his way out or in and then usually, when he had the chance, fly out of the way.

History types loved old shiny junk. Lucius couldn't help but admit that sometimes history was alluring in a way. There was something exciting about the old ways, how they used to do things that seemed so simple to them now.

He glanced toward Feo for a moment or two, almost trying to ask him subtly what he was doing. "Yeah, but could we not try and piss off the thousand pound beast before the train gets here?"

Atlas waved one hand. "The farm is all the future I need," the beast rumbled lightly. "Besides, the common folk aren't exactly the most welcoming to my kind."

"... how exactly did you come to exist...?"

"Centaur and a cow--ages ago. There's not a lot of us but there's a good number at the very least," Atlas explained loosely and paused.

His eyes flicked back to the pair. "What exactly... are you two?"

"... demigods?" Lucius shrugged.

Lucius shook his head. Staying prepared, that was something at least. But the backstory wasn't too surprising. He wasn't terribly surprised at least. Lucius had more experience with actual centaurs... and they were... rather interesting beings at best.

He nodded briefly, it did explain a lot.

Lucius glanced up briefly toward Feo as he murmured about leaving this thing behind.

"I can try and fly us out toward Garden city but I'm not making any promises," Lucius murmured in return, brushing his hand with his own. "But I don't plan on sticking around for farm chores either."

That was not his agenda for the day nor was it part of his overall plan to get tangled up in farm chores. But he could keep talking and chatting away, that was when he felt the most at ease.

"How long have you been in Kansas?" Lucius spoke up again. The cow-taur rambled on about how he had grown up in Kansas, taken over the farm from his father who had gotten it from his father, and so forth. He rambled about old winters that had been particularly rough, flooded summers and a few falls where the tornados had torn through his crops.

This year had seemed to be fairly okay, all things considered. The dry spell of the previous decade hadn't been as bad in Kansas but it was still fairly bad. But it was starting to look up.

Lucius bobbed his head along, adding a few comments here and there. But nothing more than small notes and the usual 'ah' or 'mmh hmm' to show he was at least listening along.

The rumble of the train finally broke the stillness of the fields and Lucius paused to stop and look back toward the distant train. A small wash of relief swept through his chest. Thank heavens. He didn't know how much longer he could keep talking or keep Atlas talking.

The beast also had paused and tipped his head. "There it is. About fifteen minutes early, looks like. Must've had a good crew on the unloading."

Lucius bobbed his head and rested his weight back on one foot. Atlas glanced toward him and smiled faintly, extending his hand to shake. "Well, I think it was a downright pleasure to meet you two."

Lucius stepped forward, more than happy to return the small display of kindness. Unfortunately, the kindness was only a masquerade.

Lucius took the hand and went to shake but the beast pulled him closer and raised a blade of sorts to his neck. Lucius couldn't quite see what it was but he could sure feel it.

"N-now look," he protested. "If you--"

"I can hear the little jingle jangle of money," the beast growled lowly. "One of you has gold--I can smell it. Cough up a few pieces and chatty Charlie here gets to go in one piece."

Lucius was far more surprised at the fact that Feo could multiply. That was new. There... if he could figure out... there looked to be like five of him all moving in a rhythmical manner.

"Wait--" Lucius swallowed and winced, almost waiting for the feeling of a knife hitting him. Instead, it sank into the hand of the beast. The cry rumbled in his ears, stumbling backward.

Lucius shook his head lightly as he tried to figure out what to do next. That was answered for him, wrapped in the arms of Feo as they stepped backward. Somehow, he knew he should've been more prepared for something like this. But Atlas had seemed so aloof and yet kind at the same time. He hadn't seemed to care that much but there they were.

"Just--don't kill him," Lucius pleaded quietly, his hands lifted up to hold onto Feo's arm, steadying himself. "We don't have to--"

Atlas did his best to push back, swinging his head and arms, kicking out when he could and bucking. It was a rather odd look if Lucius was being honest with himself. But even still, it... he wasn't sure he really wanted to see anything... quite like that.

His sapphire eyes winced closed, hesitating to listen and wait to hear. He hesitated, largely, before tilting his head to the side as Feo hissed out the statement.

"The train is coming," Lucius whispered quietly in return, "we-we can just leave."

The rumbling and distant whistle was growing louder. The ground shaking beneath their feet. It was slowing, nearing the next 'farmer stop' on the route.

"Feo--" Lucius protested weakly, "the train conductor will see... just... let him go. He's probably learned a lesson. We need to get on the train."

His eyes were still shut, unwilling to open his eyes yet. That was something he just couldn't make himself do. He didn't want to see it, he didn't do well with blood in the first place... and the last thing he really needed was to get sick right before he jumped on the train. That was a pair of events that would never end well.

The beast had landed at least a few couple kicks but even he was slowing down. Atlas snarled, scowling back at Feo as he glanced up toward the train. Oh he made a mistake?

It would be far more of a mistake to let the conductor see--he knew the conductor and he could easily wave him down and ask for help. The man almost always carried a pistol on him.

Lucius shook his head, his heart racing in his chest. He hadn't... expected it at all. Maybe Feo was right but, then again, who knew?

A little bit longer. A little bit longer. Lucius echoed the words in his head, his eyes still shut. The train was almost there, the train was right there and Lucius could almost hear the way his heart was pounding in his ears.

No, but realistically, he hadn't wanted to hear it either. He didn't really want to know what exactly death sounded like and he really didn't want to explain that to the train conductor either. He could only confidence his way out of so much. But eventually, it would become far too unbelievable.

If he tried--if Atlas tried anything more, Lucius couldn't say he wouldn't blame Feo for finishing the job. But the beast seemed pretty wary of the train as well, bruised, bleeding sluggishly and looking worse for wear.

"I know, I know," Lucius said quietly, his eyes finally sliding open to look up at Feo. "I'm fine. I... I don't think I was hurt at least--I can't feel anything if I was."

He brushed himself off with a slow few breaths as the train slowed. The engine rumbled past, stopping a good hundred and fifty or so yards away. Atlas ambled off toward the conductor but the man didn't even come out of the engine, just kept the door closed, the windows up. Lucius pulled Feo onto one of the empty cars and sat down, tucked into the corner, with a small breath.

The car was just an empty box-like car, the remnants of hay and some corn from sacks that had been in the car previously littered the wooden floor.

He shook his head lightly and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "... you were right," Lucius finally said, quietly, "he... he didn't mean anything good. I should've figured it out or at the least... y'know, trusted you more."

His hands lowered to pick up a piece of hay and tear off pieces of it. Just something for his fingers to do, something to try and sway the ebb of adrenaline and rush of emotions in his chest.

He really didn't know that the beast was going to pull something like that. He had seemed so nice, so happy to talk. It didn't match the usual behavior of things that usually wanted to do harm.

He hardly moved much as the train shuddered into motion again, the clacking of train cars echoing in his ears as the rumble of the train moved forward at a much quicker pace than they had done while walking.

"I'm sorry," Lucius finally added, looking down at the shredded remnants of hay in his hands. "I... I really need to do better."