A slow, thoughtful inhale rasped along his throat, and he studied the leg, looking for any visible sign of injury. Was it sore, or just broken-? Would there be a shattered point, a twisted bone? He spoke, regardless, gradually pushing for his magic again. "The body... is a weapon. A weapon... must be cared for. Polished, and sharpened. Repaired, when it is damaged. Do not... break it further, by pushing it too hard. Respect... your limbs," and that, perhaps, was some particularly strange if well-meaning advice. 'Respect your limbs.'

He reached for his magicka again, ready to pull away if it proved to be something detrimental--but he did not expect what actually happened.

His entire body abruptly erupted in black pustules with an audible pop: an outward burst like a pufferfish, black dripping fungus exploding from every square inch of flesh. There were soft squelch sounds as some erupted inside his armor, bursting from the confinement there, leaking long sheets of black sticky liquid down his limbs.

For a moment he simply knelt there, a huge cluster of black mushrooms, glowing eyes barely visible beneath the ebony carpet of goop. Then a long, rattling sigh escaped him. "Magic... is unpredictable." Well, it didn't outright help, but... maybe it would distract or even entertain the child.

@V-Onyx-Three

They tried their best to keep still as the Sentinel examined the leg. There was no blood, though the area around the knee was starting to swell. However this was not enough to hide the fact that the knee cap was displaced from where it should have been, bulging out towards the side. It was dislocated, but Onyx-Three didn't know that. He just knew that this was not a normal way for your leg to look. Would he be able to help? They knew that the Sentinel was good at many things, but they were unsure if treating injuries was one of them.

The advice was a welcome distraction from the pain. It was much harder to tolerate when there was nothing else to focus on. But wasn't the best way to improve to push yourself? How did you know when to stop and when to continue? There were times when it hurt. It hurt their lungs when they ran too much, but that was how you increased your endurance. Though that was recoverable with time, with something as simple as taking a break. This- this injury did not seem like something that would get better. At least not as easily. "I will." they breathed out. They would not attempt to stand until this issue was resolved, as it seemed that only cause more pain.

And suddenly there were popping sounds, accompanied by what looked like some sort of black stuff dripping from everywhere on his body. It was so unexpected that it distracted Onyx-Three completely from their knee, four eyes gazing at the usually seriously looking Sentinel who was now covered in very not-serious and actually rather funny looking fungus. "Are. Are you okay?" their voice wavered, trying very hard not to laugh because that would not be a good look. Also because if they started laughing they knew it would then transition into crying. That would be an even worse look than how the Sentinel appeared at the moment.

Onyx-Three decided it would perhaps be best for them to try using a spell to resolve this issue too, despite the unpredictability of magic. But it was worth a try, right? There was a tingly feeling in his stone. So something had worked. But then, he watched in horror as he saw bone spikes emerge from his skin. It did not help. In fact, it hurt. Not to mention it didn't even help because what he needed was not more bone, but for his knee to be pushed back into place. Magic was certainly unreliable. And now Onyx-Three was left with more spikes than he had started out with as well as pulsating pain throughout his body. They flattened their ears, but it did nothing to deafen the beating of their heart. "Magic. Hurts." a voice tinged in slight regret but edged in worry.

@The Sentinel

The Sentinel hesitated.

This wasn't his specialty. He broke people; he did not repair the damage. He could see that the joint was wrong--misplaced, even--but aside from just... jamming it back into place oh and now there were bone spikes-

He jolted a little, and blinked. "It is fungus," he rasped in absent response, as he tried to figure out what the hell had just happened with the bones. The poor child spoke of pain, and Sentinel's gaze darted from his fungus to the spikes. He repeated, then, a little sardonically: "Magic is... unpredictable."

He hesitated again. If he could not fix this now, he'd bring Onyx-Three to Vargas. Surely the Master would know what to do-? Because, for once, The Sentinel felt rather out of his depth. "Be still," he advised, reaching for the knee.

Would it harm it, to just--put it back where it was meant to be? He could not tell if something under the surface had been split, shattered; perhaps it would just slide away again the moment he let go. But if it were bones out of place, it might just snap back where it was meant to be. It was worth a try, anyway.

Assuming Onyx-Three allowed it, he would reach forward to push the kneecap into place, bending the joint a little after. With luck he would not completely botch it.

@V-Onyx-Three

There was a reason he chose not to use magic, and this only further reinforced the belief that it was certainly a fickle thing, one that should only be used when completely out of other options. And even then, in cases like this one, it seemed to be rather unhelpful. At least for the Sentinel it had only been fungus. And notably not the ordered kind- that would've been bad.

Onyx-Three nodded and held still as he reached forward to fix the dislocation, wanting to but unable to look away. There was a spike in pain and- it subsided. The area still throbbed, but a considerably less amount. "It is better." He seemed surprised by this, but reminded himself that it was the Sentinel after all. Their father was skilled in many things. Though in something like this? He could not have expected it. Perhaps it is something they should learn too.

They are unsure now, of whether to continue. He wanted to get more practice in, but recalled the Sentinel's advice not to push his body too far. And the knee still hurt, it would take some time to recover fully. "Hard to keep practicing. I am sorry." Onyx-Three was notably disappointed in themselves. What a stupid injury too. Self-inflicted. It better heal soon so he could get back to training.

@The Sentinel

He pushed up, and offered one hand down to Onyx-Three, though showed no signs of being in a hurry to get the child to stand. It was just... there. You know, for whenever.

Then he inhaled, a deep rasping breath... and began to speak. As usual, he held no tone; nothing that could be discerned from his empty inflection or equally blank stare. The words themselves would have to serve to define his purpose in whatever story he was about to tell.

"When it was very young--no older than V-Onyx-Three--it travelled. It travelled, to learn. The place of glowing stones and Spire: there was a snake." He paused, staring down, as if trying to emphasize just how important this snake was. "It was very small." His other hand shifted the halberd, slowly, under one arm--and then his hand raised, to show the span of thumb-to-finger-claw. A foot long, maybe-? "The Sentinel engaged it in spar. Practice. Combat. He could not touch it. Each time he stepped forward, its magic tumbled. Threw him. Lifted, into the air. Held. Stones lifted by magic, and thrown at him. He could do nothing," he explained. "The serpent was very small." A reiterated point, again for emphasis. "But it taught the Sentinel much: to prepare against magic. That a first strike, will be a decisive one."

A shift in position, a breath taken, and he continued. "In the cave of bones, he found the spawn of his stonegiver. Winged dog, black. There he found another hard to even strike. Magic to blind, to fling objects once again, and water to slide underfoot. There were many battles with others. The Sentinel struck few blows," he admitted. The hand, still, was offered out, unless it had been taken, as he finished: "A failure is not a failure, if one gains knowledge from it. It is a success. It is learning. Without falling to very small snakes, the Sentinel would not have learned how to fight them."

It wasn't exactly inspirational, or even motivational, but he was trying his best to at least be encouraging. "If it wishes, we will speak instead. The Sentinel will teach of first strikes, and magic. Then... perhaps, a meal." This was an offer, spoken questioningly; if the child wished to rest, so be it. But he clearly had no intention of giving up on them, or declaring them a failure, or anything along those lines. This was simply a step on their path to success.

any conversation can be offscreen!

@V-Onyx-Three

Onyx-Three knew it was impolite to keep their gaze on the ground, but they could not bring themselves to meet his eyes. They could no longer physically train, but there was further knowledge offered through words. He listened in silence.

It was strange to learn that Sentinel had been their age once. Strange to imagine someone who they looked up to and was so powerful- almost undefeatable in their eyes, had once been young and inexperienced. He realized that he had never sparred against anyone with magic before. It had not crossed his mind that one might need to change their strategy when fighting such gembounds. From what he said, it seemed magic could bring strength to gembounds who were physically unassuming. He nodded, noting that if he were to come across a magic user it would be important to try and get the first strike in.

Cave of bones? Onyx-Three had not been there yet, perhaps they will in the future as it sounded interesting. He wondered what gembounds lived there. From what the Sentinel was saying about magic, they felt like it was incredibly powerful. Why would anyone choose to train their physical strength when magic could overpower it? Yet- magic was not reliable. Magic dwindled. And as seen earlier, it was unpredictable. There were drawbacks no matter what path was taken. Consistency, he thought, was most important. He would continue training, just like the Sentinel did, until he would be able to beat magic users as well. It was all about learning.

But the last part was more directed. Failing was okay... if one learned from it. But he had failed in a rather dramatic fashion without any learning. Well, maybe he learned not to chuck a rock in such a fashion. And even though earlier he had not quite succeeded in every attempt, he had improved as well. It was not quite failure then, was it? Onyx-Three found themselves feeling just a bit better about the whole situation. They found the strength to look up, finding a hand offered to them. They took it, pulling themselves onto their feet. He kept most of his weight on his good leg to take the pressure off the knee. It would not be good to dislocate it again so soon- not that he doubted the Sentinel's talent in repairing such things. "I failed. But it is also... success." those words felt strange to say, but if the Sentinel had said it, it must be true.

"I will learn. I can not train but I can listen." it was making the best of the situation, but he also found the knowledge helpful in its own way. It was not something that could be learned from practicing unless he went out to spar against the magic users mentioned. A hand reached for his stomach at the mention of a meal. "Meal. Yes." He had almost forgotten about eating due to his focus on the training. But he knew not to skip meals because that wasn't healthy, and it also made it harder to practice in turn which was not good for progress. Onyx-Three was already starting to seem less dejected and instead looking forward to more words of advice.

@The Sentinel

The Sentinel's face was a rigid skull, emotionless at almost all times. He had very rarely shown any expression on its thin-skinned features: no snarl of frustration, or narrowing of his many eyes. Yet as his son repeated his words:

"I failed. But it is also... success."

...he smiled.

It was faint, yes; but it was there, the faintest upward curl of jagged jaws. His tug to help the child stand was gentle, and then he kept his hand offered, in case the joint was still weak. Despite his size and horrific appearance, despite the Chaos swathing his form and halberd, his words and movements were both gentle and firm. A rock, really, that V-Onyx-Three could lean on, if he wished to.

"Good," he rasped, tipping his head in faint acknowledgment. "Then--let us go."

He turned, to lead the way to a lesson--and to food, each step cautious to ensure his child would not stumble or fall.

Or that he, at least, would catch him before he hit the ground. How very metaphorical.

He angled for the rear of the cave, and pondered, for a moment. "Does it know the role it would wish to play. A guardian, or a soldier. Or something other." He didn't immediately explain why he was asking, but given the context, maybe it'd influence the lesson, somehow?

@V-Onyx-Three

Onyx-Three almost didn't catch the slight change in the Sentinel's expression. They were not great at reading emotions in both words and expressions, but he could see the smile was there. It surprised them- he almost never showed a change in his features. But this surprise soon gave way to another feeling that they couldn't quite name. He had made the Sentinel... proud? Happy? A warm and light feeling spread through his body, and Onyx-Three couldn't help but fold his ears back and smile even wider in return, fangs just barely poking out from his mouth. Even his pain seemed to fade just a bit more. They would continue to make him proud! They would learn and they would train and they would one day feel like they met the expectations that came with being the child of champions. They had to.

He continued to hold the Sentinel's hand for support after trying and failing to walk on their own. They tried not to make the limp seem too pronounced, but gave up on doing so after finding it was already taking enough effort to just get somewhere.

What role? Truth was, he hadn't quite thought about it all too much. Onyx-Three did not know exactly what role he wanted, but he did have enough of an idea about what he wished to do. "I want to fight." Yes, that was the first and most important criteria. He greatly enjoyed training and spars, and it was something that was simply engrained within him due to how he wanted to take after both his parents in terms of talent in battle. "I also want to travel." Draco did not see very many visitors outside of the forge.
Onyx-Three wanted to be able to explore other caves, to meet more gembounds to continue to improve, even once his training was deemed complete. He could always do better, have new goals to reach and more ways to make the Sentinel proud of him. "I do not know more what I want." Onyx-Three wondered if such a role existed, even though he was vague about it.

@The Sentinel

A strange noise escaped the Sentinel. In any other Gembound it would have probably been a hum of thought, but in him it sort of sounded like large beetles scraping their legs together: a hollow rasp.

"It is easy enough... to gain the right to travel." He strode slowly, rather easily, for the tunnel. "We will go... and find rats. The Sentinel will hunt... if the child cannot run." An offer given with reassurance in his tone: the limping youngster would not go hungry. Back to the point: "To serve the Forge is to be rewarded... the Sentinel has been rewarded many times." He could, had he wanted, earned his own name. He had never bothered, keeping instead his title, as had his first child The Warden.

"You will train," he declared abruptly, as if coming to a decision. "The Sentinel will aid. In time... you will find what you wish." He went silent, then. Not only because there was little more to say--but because for a moment, the void had taken him.

His child was gone. He walked alone, the tunnel ahead yawning and empty, blue-gray with dim light and flecked with drifting motes of dust. His steps were both echoing in the emptiness and yet muffled, and he felt--he felt--the approach of some great creature, prowling, stalking him.

To Onyx-Three, it would appear merely as if he stuttered in his step--and turned, looking behind them as though he'd heard something. His hand tightened around his halberd, and abruptly he looked down at Onyx-Three, and then back ahead.

"Chaos ever beckons," he said simply, and pressed on.

@V-Onyx-Three

(wanna close off soon? we're bout to hit that mythical 30)

Onyx-Three hadn't considered yet that the right to travel was something that he could gain. A part of them had assumed the Sentinel would be around forever, and would always be watching over them. They hadn't looked far enough into the future to realize that one day they would be able to do all these things without their father around. Even though he wanted to prove his independence, it was still a scary thought. He did not think he was strong enough yet to survive on his own. Training was important. And so was earning rewards, which he really hoped he would be able to do. Not so much for the rewards themselves, but to show that he was capable.

"I will train and be good. Earn rewards." Onyx-Three wondered what role he would find fitting. But something like that was so far in the future, he decided it was not important to worry about it just yet. Training came first and foremost.

They kept up with the Sentinel at a steady pace, coming to a sudden stop as they felt a momentary pause in his step. Onyx-Three followed his gaze and looked back as well, but saw nothing behind them. Was something wrong? But the only explanation given was that of 'Chaos'. He only nodded, and felt himself cling a bit closer to the Sentinel's arm. Even if there was something there, they felt quite invincible whenever their father was around. Yet, he could not help but continue to glance backwards as they proceeded. There were rats to hunt.

Exit to go get those rats