ORIGIN - farewell... to all the earthly remains

Chaos-Two was more lost than they thought if they were resorting to this, but the only other people who had the same amount of... life experience either wanted to kill him (Drac) or stick them into their stone and forcibly change their personality for the worse. Neither option sounded very suitable to what they themselves were looking for.

A failed spell (they thought the trial was supposed to fix that) and they ended up looking for Vander the old fashioned way. With their eyes.

"Desert-Rose?", they asked, finally, coming upon an orange figure, "Could we speak for a moment, please?"

They had no idea if they and Vander were both Hounds or not, so it was just better to treat someone with respect first and worry later. Not that they wouldn't even if the other person's ranking was beneath their own, but... you know.

After a moment they bared their teeth at nothing, trying for their fiercest grimace, only to look like they were struggling to force out a shit. After a moment they stopped before Vander saw and they embarrassed themselves. Maybe some other time...

@Vander

Desert Rose had been curled over, eating. It looked like the remains of some sort of mouse- something he'd pulled apart and ate bit by bit, extracting it with his front teeth. It was old food- he'd caught it some time ago, and only gotten around to eating it now, and he wasn't going to choke on it on the way down.

His ears flicked when his designation was called. Ah- nevermind about not eating so fast. Leaning in more, he quickly scarfed down the rest of his meal and swallowed it back like some overgrown lizard, bobbing his head to let gravity do the work.

Meaning, he missed Chaos-Two's wonderful 'grimace'. Ruffling out his scales with a small layer of dust pluming off of him, Vander stood to his feet and kicked away the inedible remains of the mouse, turning his bright eyes onto the younger Valkhound.

"Chaos-Two," he greeted, dipping his head. "What is it?"

He knew of the being's first trial, the one against Draconua, and from what he knew of them they seemed too polite. It was a neutral look now, but- well, he did say he wanted to speak with them eventually, right?

"Wait. Let me get higher." Turning his head to the side, he looked for something to perch on to get to Chaos-Two's eye level. Hm- there. Not too far away, at least. Launching up, Desert glided towards a jutting rock and landed on it with a click of his claws, ending up just below the Valkhound's natural eyesight.

With that over with, he looked to them expectantly, tail flicking twice. There was no malice in the gaze, nor much emotion- just a blank conversational expression.

@V-Chaos-Two

Chaos-Two straightened when Desert Rose turned to them, almost at attention. They were about to speak when the other told them to wait, watching as he found a perch to sit on that allowed them to be even. It saved Chaos-Two some neck problems, at least.

"Er... I wished to speak to you about... um..."

How could they even start this conversation? 'Hey Desert-Rose I'm a huge baby and I want to know how to not be.' No, that wouldn't do. They needed to present their predicament with tact and in a way that didn't garner ridicule.

"I've found myself... softening, as of late," they said, "Perhaps it is stress, or trauma, or perhaps it is simply my nature, but I'm struggling, to say the least. I'm sure you heard of my trial and how... how awful it went. I've come to you because I thought your wisdom could help me find a way to focus. Do you have any advice? I am supposed to be a fierce, loyal valkhound who can face any challenge, but I don't know how to actually achieve that."

Chaos-Two paused for just a moment and turned, making sure no one was near enough to hear them speak.

"Since my reformation, I fear that I've been lacking an actual reason to keep pushing for more," they said softly, "I had a stubborness to be more than my weakness out of spite, I think, but now that is gone and I'm exactly how I was meant to be, I have nothing to drive me forward. How do I reclaim that drive?"

Surely Vander had advice, something to tell them.

@Vander

The Champion was patient, then, as Chaos-Two found their voice, his face blank to the point that he unintentionally looked disinterested. It wasn't exactly true- he was interested in seeing the fellow Forge member for himself, and he was even somewhat surprised at the admittance they came to. Wisdom, then- he had enough of that, he figured.

As Chaos-Two paused, Desert Rose slid down on the rock, laying his body down and folding his paws over one another casually. How could he start with advice, then? He took a moment of shuffling his wings, working with words in his mind. 'Don't care about what you're supposed to be', but he cared about what he was supposed to be. Raising his head to stare at the ceiling, Desert let out a soft huff.

"You need to find motivation, then," he diagnosed. He brought his gaze back down to Chaos-Two, ears forward. "Your goal should be your motivation- train, find security in your position, become a better you. Even if you have been reformed, you'll still have weaknesses- I have my weaknesses, even our Master has weaknesses. Keep that stubbornness to overcome them. Even if you're how you're meant to be physically, are you sure you're comfortable with all of yourself?" He stretched out his digits, letting his wings droop onto the rock below.

"I thought I was made to be a messenger, long ago, but I more pulled myself to that position. I found my purpose and it became me. If you want to be some fierce Valkhound, find your purpose in it and push yourself to that, refine yourself and take on your own responsibility." His head tilted gently as he looked over Chaos-Two for a moment, studying them. "Even if you don't see a future yet, you should keep yourself ready for one. Strive to thrive."

In truth? It was a long ramble, a bunch of ideas he'd thrown together- but it was a valid enough concern, he supposed. It's what he'd come to understand anyways- he had found his purpose, and he slotted into it well. That's what this Valkhound needed then, right? Purpose, just as Desert wanted one for himself.

Just like anyone should want.

"Find yourself in your challenges, and find your purpose there, if you haven't yet," he continued on. "You may find out that you aren't meant to be some warrior seeking fame. Perhaps you're a guardian, or a communicator. Try and see what fits you and your niche, your body, your mind. Then find your drive in refining that purpose into something only you can do." Desert nodded once, gently. "Find the niche that will help you survive." The dragon's icy eyes levelled into Chaos-Two's own, his expression solid and serious as he spoke.

That is something to strive for. Purpose. Something to keep them present in this life, something to keep them here, a niche for them to fill that they were comfortable with.

They just had to find it, first.

@Maximus

Chaos-Two listened intently, ears swiveled forward. They were disheartened at first at the Champion's apparent disinterest, relieved when it appeared to be something else.

"... I want to be a healer, of sorts," they said softly, "But being soft and weak is what made me so unpopular in the first place. I cared for the young of the Forge because there was nothing else I could do. I was blind, crippled, I still don't know why Master Vargas kept me alive."

They were still bitter, both because he was constantly forcing them to live this miserable existence and because he spoke in such convoluted riddles they couldn't figure out why.

"... I am good enough at healing," they said softly, "Not fighting or anything like everyone else seems to be. I'm certain I could fight a rabbit and lose."

Out of bad luck, maybe.

"... But I am good at healing and supporting those who need it. That's something no one I've met can do consistently, at least," they said, "But what if my purpose doesn't fit with the Forge? All I've wanted is approval f-from someone and everything I do seems to make such a thing grow further and further away!"

@Vander