It crossed its arms, standing back up to its full height and looked away from the gathered with a snarl. It was fuming. It wanted to rage and tantrum and blast them all with fire and fury, but it knew that it would be pointless and stupid to do so. Only that need to prove itself, control itself, stop it from going down that path it feared more then anything else, kept it steadfast. That didn't mean that it liked any of this.

"I don't need suggestions," it retorted, sharply, and glanced at Scion. The wings, the tail, it loved those things and flaunted them like peacock feathers. "Hydra, we'll find prey in Hydra." Their own little trial. It felt like a mockery of what it was, but that couldn't be helped at this point. At least it would be a feat, to bring one of those dangerous beasts down. It would not go through with this and do anything but the most.

With that settled, it looked back up at Vargas. "Fine. Will there be anything else, Master Vargas?" It's voice dripped with faux respect, angry at him, hating him, hating all of this for what it was, hating the life that had been handed to it yet what was it doing to throw off its chains?

@V-Onyx-Three

A visitor? Who? Oh, of course. It must be Alek. They were supposed to meet in Fornax for Onyx-Three to take them to Draco, but those plans had fallen through. God it had been a stupid decision to chrysalize. Yet, they weren't sure if they were even ready to face the dragon after all that had happened. But it seemed he had come anyways, to see Vargas. Alek had done all this for them, and they couldn't even stay alive long enough to be there for the meeting. But a spark of hope arose-- had he been accepted into the Forge? "Of course."

So this was really happening. Hydra was a fine choice. They recalled how Vargas told them that he oversaw the Trials of Hydra, and thought it ironic. He had yet to visit the place, and so his curiosity compelled him to see what may live there. The prey they would find would surely be unique. They nodded at the decision, gaze returning to Vargas with the last phrase.

@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

A heavy hand would do nothing for V-Ruby-One; Vargas could tell as much. Respect was something it would need to work on--that he would need to work on--but right now the frustration at its chaos was truly something with which he could sympathize. He would guide it, and attempt to aid it toward control; in the meantime, rather than beat it down and demand a respect it could not truly feel, he turned and stared at it and led by example.

"A bold decision. Good!" he praised, at first. Let it taste that bit of approval, and see if it suited it; or if it would find it bitter on its tongue. "And no, there will not be anything else. Thank you for asking," he added, with loud, sharp emphasis. It was half a reprimand, but also made the point that the sarcasm was pointless; it had no effect on the Leviathan. He'd faced down much worse than to be bothered by a near-child's petulance, and he showed it, in his words and by then merely turning away. Nothing to stoke the fire, but nothing to feed it, either.

Let it choke.

Vargas turned, gesturing with the jerk of one arm for V-Onyx-Three to follow him. He strode away from the small gathering. Once he was a good distance away, out of the range of casual conversation, he turned back toward Onyx-Three and stopped.

"A creature visited here--a water-dragon, I believed. It called itself 'Alek.' Do you know of it-?" he asked bluntly, to begin with. There was no revisiting the conversation they'd just had, the misstep, or the punishment--to Vargas, it seemed, this was now already dealt with.

@V-Onyx-Three

They followed Vargas away from the others, already beginning to feel their heart beating faster. It was a quick transition away from what had come before, from the situation with V-Ruby-One to Alek. But they would not complain. It was not something they wanted to linger upon, though the topic of the dragon was an equally as stressful one. Perhaps even more. Alek. The name said in Vargas' voice made it all seem so much more real.

"Yes." They say after a pause. "He is my friend. I was to escort him to meet you here had I not chrysalized. He wanted to join the Forge." Onyx-Three didn't know where Vargas was going with this, but it was clear enough that the dragon had made the journey on his own despite their absence. But as to what part he wanted to talk to them about they weren't sure, and didn't want to make assumptions.

@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas lowered himself to his haunches, looking off as if gathering his thoughts. When he looked back to V-Onyx-Three it was with a calm, thoughtful expression. In fact, if anything, he seemed and sounded vaguely concerned.

"I will describe our discussion, and then I have a question or two for you. And allow me to start by saying that when dealing with others in the cave, you should be referring to me as Master Vargas," he added, glancing sourly to Onyx-Three. "He apparently did not know that. Now... His demeanor was-... I will not say concerning but there were decisions he was willing to make on your behalf, and I did not wish to allow that before consulting you. I do not know him well enough."

He took a breath, then tried as best he could to condense the conversation he had held with the aquatic dragon. "First, he will not join the Forge, but he may be somewhere here in Draco. He informed me that he would not be willing to fight his old family should it ever come to that. I doubt that it would, but they are not friendly to us and I cannot risk betrayal from within, nor having to sit about and number on my fingers which of the Forge I can count on, or not, for any given battle. It is not that his form would not be useful to us," he added, "but a Forge member's loyalty must be to the Forge first and foremost, and he already has other loyalties that come first. This is not a mark against him," Vargas added. "It is simply not... suited to us. What else-..." He trailed off, then grimaced, struggling to remember every detail. "Let me think. He spoke far more than he listened," and there was mild aggravation in this still.

"Ah, yes. He told me that he was in love with you. -I hope this does not come as a shock," he added, glancing to Onyx-Three. There was no judgment in the words; it had occurred to him that he might not be the best person to profess someone else's love to Onyx-Three, if Alek hadn't already said as much. But he had to be clear, here. "He did say that he doubted you felt the same. This is what brought me part of my concern with his next request."

He took a breath: clearly, given his faint fidgeting here, this was the part to truly concern him.

"He wished to create a child to join the Forge and serve as your guardian and assistant, in his stead. I pointed out that it would put you in a difficult position! One where you might need to choose between his child and the Forge, or your own responsibilities or the like. I had to insist that he wait until you awaken, and discuss it with you, before doing so. He then asked if he could leave that child here secretly, and not tell you, though he and I both agreed that it would be a lie--I do not lie to any of you--and in any case, I am fairly certain he did not consider that his own child would share obvious features with him. Now, I would like to ask you first, directly, before you speak to this dragon. Given Alek's..." Vargas paused, searching for the right word. "Bond to you, I need to know if it is a case of mutual affection. Or if it is not, if this dragon is troubling you. If his attentions are unwelcome, or too aggressive, I will deal with it on your behalf. You have but to ask. If his company is welcome, I will not interfere, of course."

A wild change of topic from the fight with Ruby-One, but it had to be addressed.

"That is my question, then: are Alek's attentions unwelcomed, or acceptable? Do you need him asked to calm them, or leave off altogether, or should I--what do the modern creatures say... 'butt out?'" he asked.

At some point while speaking, he had attempted, too, to activate that magic the Wish had given him. It wasn't a matter of dishonesty or distrust; but in trying to be a better leader, he simply wished to keep tabs on how his own behavior affected the Forge members' opinions of him.

@V-Onyx-Three

Perhaps it had been an oversight, or perhaps they had been unsure whether the title of 'Master' applied only to those within the Forge such as the title of 'boss'. It always seemed harder to think when they were around Alek, but now they understood the further meaning of the title. "My apologies Master Vargas. I will not make the same mistake." There was a questioning gaze upon the mention of 'decisions', which implied more than one decision? Onyx-Three had thought it was only about joining the Forge, what else could there be? And why did they have to be consulted if it was about Alek? But all of these things would soon be learned, and they listened intently to him speak.

Alek wouldn't be joining. Disappointment flickered in their eyes before they suppressed it. It was not that Onyx-Three had thought it was guaranteed, but it still hurt. But he would be allowed in Draco. They wondered if the dragon would even want to stay here if they weren't part of the Forge considering the lack of water. They shouldn't have made promises they couldn't keep, even if it hadn't been a promise. No, they shouldn't have offered something and gotten his hopes up only to have it broken in such a way.

But they had to admit that the reasoning Vargas provided for this rejection made sense. They had not known of the conflict between the two groups. And it was now that they were realizing that it had been in a way kind of stupid to agree to visit Alek's family without taking proper precautions. If they had revealed their alignment, would Cadenza have smited them out of existence? Though the dragon had seemed too friendly to do that. Yet, it was from that same meeting that they had learned of how close the bond of family was. He could not imagine Alek ever choosing the Forge over his family. How complicated such things could be. Choices. But perhaps they had made a choice as well. Even if they didn't want to think of it as one. Choices were such a conscious decision, it was easier to believe that it had been a result of obligations.

Speaking more than he listened. It was clear Vargas did not take as kindly to this as he did. Perhaps that was why their own friendship with Alek turned out so well. One who spoke more, and one who listened.

"Love?" the word slipped out of their mouth before they could stop it, even though they knew they shouldn't interrupt Vargas. It was a clear expression of shock. It wasn't that they hadn't known this information. Well, they did, but they didn't think the dragon would actually tell Vargas about it, though he luckily didn't seem to have any negative opinions on the matter. The entire situation seemed strange, as if their two worlds were blending together, colliding, and it only made everything so much more messy. But why had Alek chosen to lay out such feelings in the open? It had felt like something shared between just the two of them. A secret. Yet one he was glad to keep for fear of needing to confront it.

And now here was the part that truly hit him. A child!? Cue the internal 'what the hell is happening' and 'this can't be real' and a million other emotions surrounding this that they really couldn't comprehend and was somehow even more hard to understand than the whole concept of 'love'. It was a somewhat endearing thought that Alek would have wanted to give him an assistant, but the concept of children as a whole and needing to raise and care for another being was daunting. Not to mention, Onyx-Three didn't even think they were ready to handle both tasks at hand. Time was valuable when you had a job, and if they were going to have a child, they would do it correctly. As in, put in as much effort as he could to ensure they could grow up well-adjusted and driven without feeling the pangs of loneliness should he be unable to dedicate enough time to them due to his work.

And whoa, secretly plant a child here? It wouldn't have been wrong for Onyx-Three to feel betrayed by this. All of this had happened out of their control, and they could see now why Vargas had been concerned. Alek making such decisions without consulting him hurt in a way he did not want to linger upon, and they were glad at least that the dragon and Vargas had in the end decided not to lie. Their body was tense without them realizing it, but it was with these words that they allowed themselves to relax. Nothing had happened yet. He was glad Vargas consulted him on this matter without going ahead with anything.

And now it was their turn to speak. Starting from the top, in order, that would be the best way to go about this complicated mess. "I have met his family." Yes, start with a fact. That was much easier than diving into feelings that compromised more of this than they liked. "They were kind and friendly to me. But they did not know I am with the Forge." Though they wondered if it would have been possible to tell either way, considering the group had a rather distinct theme going on. "Alek is always loyal to family. I understand the decision."

Love. "'In love'? He taught me familial love. It is what I feel for the Forge." And the Sentinel and their mother, but it didn't feel right to say that directly aloud to Vargas. "I told Alek I love him. But I will always place my responsibilities within the Forge above it." Onyx-Three felt the need to clarify, even if they felt guilty in saying so. Not that it was a lie-- it was not. But they felt ashamed that if it came down to it, if they had to make a choice-- the Forge would come first. They did not want to hurt the dragon's feelings, so they would just had to hope no conflict would ever happen. "I do not understand why he has doubts. I have told him my feelings." And it didn't cross his mind that perhaps 'in love' was not the same as familial love.

Now for the child issue. They were actually, what was that word, touched that Vargas was willing to support them with whatever decision they chose. "He did not tell me about children." All of it was so completely out of the blue, at least to them, that they were still attempting to wrap their mind around it. "I do not think I am ready. I want to focus upon my work. Perfect it." they paused here, in thought. "I should be at least as skilled as my parents before I care for a child. After the punishment I wish to attempt transcendence."

"He is welcome... but I wish to carry out the hunt before speaking to him. There is a lot to comprehend." Onyx-Three felt another wave of guilt at basically ghosting their friend, but there was way too much for them to put any of the jumbled emotions into proper speech and communication at the moment. "I hope he understands I need time. Could you tell him? While I am gone?" He knew this was going to disappointment. That it was going to hurt. But would it not hurt more if he said the wrong thing? Rambled without understanding his own words? No, that would be far worse. This bond could not be damaged more than it already was. There was still that burning sensation inside of them, the need to see Alek, but it was greatly overwhelmed by the guilt and shame and confusion.

@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas had not realized the extent, nor intensity, of V-Onyx-Three's emotions. Somehow he had assumed that a shape like The Sentinel's would not lend itself to such things. More than that, Onyx-Three had always been controlled. Mature for their age. Reasonable. He had not known of these roiling tides just beneath the surface. Though perhaps they are only this intense now because of the current situation. Situations, he corrected himself. Still, he discovered a newfound respect for them in that moment; the fact that they could parse all of this... from confusion to shock, to blinding emotions he could not even describe, to gratitude and guilt... At least, these were how Vargas could best interpret them in the ongoing tides that seemed to wash through him.

It took him a moment, staring, to tamp all that down, as the magic faded.

He struggled to focus on what Onyx-Three had said, rather than felt, so that he could appropriately respond. But even so he was sinking to his haunches, as though he'd been battered by some brutal winds and could no longer stand beneath them.

"I will respect your wishes regardless of what they are, of course. I will speak to him." He considered. "No doubt it will be difficult for him to hold back, to not interfere with your hunt alongside Ruby-One. I will stress that this is your wish, as well as the fact that this punishment involves only the two of you, with no outside aid. Perhaps it is best," he added, thoughtful, "that I simply inform him you have a task to perform for the Forge and will speak to him after the fact, so he does not... worry, overmuch." Vargas didn't care about Alek's feelings; rather, he cared that Alek might try to interfere. "I am glad that I asked you. Your reasoning is... mature, and--well, reasonable. Your focus on advancement in your chosen path in life is admirable. As for that family; I would not call them our outright enemies. If they were I would have killed them by now."

Vargas shook his head.

"There were those who awoke before I did. Before the Trials resumed, and the Forge was formed. They established their own way of life. When Master Astraea informed them that it was time to begin contributing once more, those spoke up vocally and there was a new threat of rebellion. Astraea backed down, for now. But there has been conflict, now and then, between us." The white stag's ill-fated attempt at placating Vargas still lingered, a sour taste in his mouth. "They are a group to be wary of, not to fully trust, but we may ally with them or come into conflict with them depending upon the situation." A pause, thoughtful. "I did not know that they had dragons." Vargas wondered, briefly, if those dragons that had been present at the forum meeting--the one where Astraea had argued, where Vargas had been elevated to Master--had joined with Pride's family in the end. The dragons had been the other group vocally opposed, to the point of making threats. If they had joined, that could be a serious threat to the Forge in the future. He made a mental note to feel that out later on.

He shook this thought away and looked back to Onyx-Three. "Perhaps I misunderstood what this dragon meant when he said 'love.' It is not exactly my specialty," he admitted dryly, trying for some little scrap of humor. "But for now, I will tell him that you need time. Tell me if you have any further questions before you depart. And--Onyx-Three. Try not do die during your hunt," he added, but again it was almost warm, a genuine and amused remark rather than a mockery.

@V-Onyx-Three

Though Vargas had a visible reaction, Onyx-Three did not seem to notice, or at least not give any indication that they did, too burdened by their thoughts to maintain focus on the present. Then Vargas spoke in response, pulling them out of their thoughts running over their own words again and again that seemed incorrect now that they had said them, or at least in the sense that they weren't as precise as they could be and they wished they could be. It had been enough to convey their meaning without exactly expressing the feeling behind them. Something to work on, they noted, then thought with a pang of sadness that it was Alek who had taught them anything about feelings at all.

"That would be best," they agreed. Vargas always knew how to put things the right way, they thought. It was the best way to express to Alek how they felt without actually getting at the actual reason. A half-lie, a half-truth. He could imagine the dragon worrying already, and it wasn't hard at all to imagine Alek trying to follow after them if they knew where they were going and without Vargas' instructions not to. Even if there had been no such rule in place, Onyx-Three would never let him come along, a water dragon in a place with barely any water, or at least that's what he knew about Hydra. It was an unnecessary risk when it was their punishment to undergo, and much too dangerous. Even if he was avoiding the inevitable conversation now, Onyx-Three promised themselves that they would speak to Alek for sure after this.

Their ears perked up at the compliment. "Thank you." This had all been a whirlwind of emotions, and now there had been a quick turn from Vargas' disappointment in them to praise. It wasn't that the two were contradictory, but rather, it was hard to take in both sides of everything in such a short timespan.

Onyx-Three listened to the information presented about the family. This all went further back than he expected, and he was realizing now that though Alek had merely introduced him to his direct family, there was extended family beyond that that he had never considered. "That is unfortunate." They wondered how different everything would be if there wasn't the entire family conflict. If Alek had been allowed to join, what would've changed? But no, there was not point lingering upon such things. Not to mention, if a fight to occur, Onyx-Three could only imagine what could occur if they encountered dragons like Cadenza who were actually violence-prone. Would the Forge be able to hold up?

The joke flies right over their head, or at least, they are still too preoccupied on thinking about love to catch it. "I won't." he promises, a faint smile drifting across his lips. And this would be one promise they wouldn't break. They had so many things they wanted to do. And they needed to talk to Alek. Death wasn't an option, for they feared it would cause pain to others beyond themselves. It was strange, to think that. Was that what love was? A kind of pain. Was it even worth it? He almost moves to leave, but the question forces its way into open air. "Have you ever loved, Master Vargas? Is it... worth it?"

@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Oh, now that was a question. Vargas sat back a little at the weight of it. "No," he answered bluntly, but then continued. "I was not made for it. I will give you my opinion on it. From the outside, as it were."

He paused, gathering his thoughts, studying this poor emotion-wracked being, descendant of dogs. What had they been-? Little social creatures, no doubt; pack predators driven by instinct and chemical surges. And this one, here, in modern times, was still burdened with all of that.

He sighed.

"I believe in survival. You know this. All that matters in the end is who is alive; who can impose their will on what remains. If you are dead, nothing matters any longer. You may sacrifice yourself for something you believe in but that is with the hope that that thing lives on. The death of one weak creature leaves the stronger to survive. -I am getting to a point here," he added. "Let us take the cave deer. They feel fear. A chemical rush in their brains, driving them from danger. This keeps them alive. One with too little fear will die to a predator while the others flee, most likely. Anger provokes them to keep what is theirs, so they do not lose their resources to a competitor, and die of starvation or the like. 'Love' is yet another of these, one that bonds social creatures, ensuring they care for their young and keep their social networks intact long enough to raise the next generation, and beyond. That is all it is," he went on, "a chemical flicker in a brain. That isn't to say it may not be enjoyable or desirable. Hunger is a chemical flicker but we enjoy eating. It is important, though, not to allow it to overwhelm your good judgment. That beast-brain does not know what is best for you. It drives only for survival by instinct, because those without that 'love' chemical failed and died."

He studied Onyx-Three for a beat. "When I say I value survival: I will not judge a creature whose entire evolutionary path was dictated by success, even when that success required the guidance of mindless emotion driven by chemical impulse. But I will warn you not to let it take you over. No emotion lasts forever. Not fear, not love, not anger. Do not let it destroy what might last longer."

One might have thought he was (blessedly) finished, but after a moment he went on yet again. "There is, however, something beyond that that I have come to believe in. To care for something in a... selfless way. Unattached. But valuing its essence, believing that it is worthy of existence simply for its own sake. That is a more... pure and wholesome thing, I think. But I am not the best to speak of such things. Perhaps the Blacksmith; he strikes me as a philosophical sort. Unfortunately, you ask for advice from a monster made to kill."

And unfortunately, you bear the burden of both: a knot of animal and monster and chemical 'love' and yet somehow, you have managed to stay sane. A minor miracle, Vargas thought.

@V-Onyx-Three

He felt, for a moment, some strange sense of pity for Vargas. It was one thing they never thought they would feel towards him, but then again, perhaps it was not something to pity. After all, looking at how he was now, perhaps love was not a very necessary emotion. But what was meant by 'not made for it?' Could he not feel it, or did he choose not to?

Survival... yes, that made sense. It was just like how they were willing to give their life for the Forge if necessary, in the fight against Order. It was the one thing they knew for sure could live on, if only because they could not imagine Vargas failing. To hear emotions talked about in a detached or distant way was strangely effective. It made it easier to analyze how and why they worked. It too, made him realize they were not something that simply existed, but rather, something selected for among generations for what favored survival. He wondered how far back his ancestry went, and if they had felt this kind of love for anyone before.

And yet-- 'no emotion lasts forever.' So this love would fade. But would it? It was hard to believe, in the moment, even if they accepted the rest of Vargas' words. It burned so strongly that it was impossible to imagine it becoming nothing in the future. Yet this was not something they had to worry about. They already had the strength to rein it in control, to prioritize their duty to the Forge, what might last, over what might not. He hoped Alek would forgive them for this. And in a way, Onyx-Three thought that the dragon had made his choice as well. He too, had chosen family. If only there were some other world where the two would not be in conflict. They would enjoy what they could have with Alek, ignore what they could not, and that would be enough. Feel what they felt before they died, or it became impossible to be on the same side.

Perhaps as a mixture of a monster and something more feeling, it was right that they should ask for advice from both sides of their being. He did not show affection as freely as some others, reserved and controlled in this manner, yet his other side enabled him to feel it if not express it. "Thank you... I believe I understand 'love' now. I will live by it-- what lasts over what does not. And visit the Blacksmith. I have no more questions." It was a few words for so much information, but it was more than enough for them to mull over for some time.

They did not want to keep V-Ruby-One waiting too long, and there was much to think about. So here he paused, waiting a beat in case Vargas had any last words before they left. And then they would have to see how the rest of the group was doing, if they had left, or if they were still there. He wondered if Scion and V-Ruby-One had been arguing in the meantime, and what the Sentinel was up to. And in addition, who it was that Vargas would be sending to check up on them.

@Vargas