'He wants you to agree with him. I know you do not want to, but please Maximus-- I fear the punishment if you do not.'

Khavur's worried words, their panic apparent.

Their mouth snapped shut and they shook with fury, trying to hold back frustrated tears. Immediately they reached for Khavur, seeking comfort, knowing that they'd been observing this whole time.

’I've never felt such a thing as this,' they thought to Khavur, hatred bubbling up from within, ’I hate him, Khavur. I HATE HIM! When he does not talk in riddles he acts like this. He silences me, treats me like I am dirt beneath him. Fairness? He speaks of fairness and then turns around and treats me this way?!’

There was anger, hurt, and betrayal in their heart, roiling around like a storm cloud.

’He compared me to you, said that you earned your treatment,’ they thought, turning to leave before Vargas could see their watery eyes and think them weak again. They tried to stifle their sadness, their grief at being compared to who they thought was the strongest of all.

They would cry when Vargas wasn't around, when they were safe to be weak.

’He spoke of my will being admirable and then called me 'carefully molded metal that shattered when the fire grew too hot'. Does he think I am despicable or not? I genuinely cannot tell.’

Silence for a moment, only the clicking of Chaos-Two's hooves as they walked away.

'Never think you are less than me. Never allow any such implication to exist in your mind. You are a part of me; without you, I am nothing. This is one reason that I cannot lose you, and why I beg you to follow his lead, even if you hate him. We can discuss further after you make it out of this unscathed.'

’Okay...’, Chaos-Two thought back, refusing to look back at their cruel master as they stilled their shaking hands, "... Have I failed you?"

'No. It is impossible for you to fail me.'

There seemed to be more they wanted to say, but they bit their tongue and waited, instead. At least Chaos-Two had some comfort in their words.

Exit
@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas merely observed, his gaze as acidic as his very eyes as he watched the Oilstone struggle. He could see it shaking, tears welling up in his eyes, and he waited with predatory patience to see what it would do.

He was pleased, at least, that it gained control of itself, this time: no spat words of retort, no argument. But one thing had become clear: it was spoiled. If it did not immediately get the answer that it wanted, it was close to resorting to tantrum: as it had been with Draconua. It did not matter how much it thought it was offering reasonable phrasing; the childish anger itself was evident. It did not know how to handle its own emotions.

This was not good. But it did explain a lot. Chaos-Two would need help learning to deal with frustration. That was its problem, he judged; it was spoiled. He had always told it "yes;" he had never told it "no." He had helped and supported it, but it had not yet truly been taught discipline--the self-variety.

He could work on that. He'd just have to think of something. Were its complaints valid? They were, in a sense; but it was a matter of how to present them. Next time they spoke, he could address exactly this, and perhaps teach it to communicate more effectively. What it had done now was the opposite of diplomatic, though it clearly thought that it had been reasonable.

But-! Now he had a starting point; and now, at least, he could see that with firm authority, it at least obeyed even when it did not wish to.

"Remember to find me again if you wish to continue this," he called after it, and then turned, himself, to go. He'd see if it managed with a less argumentative attitude, or if it only simmered and festered; either way he could work with what he had.

exit Vargas
@V-Chaos-Two for visibility