This is part 2 in a series in which Chaos-Two is searching for a gardener (or multiple).

Part 1 is here --> Job Interview: The Sentinel

Chaos-Two had been here before. Once, when the whole of the Forge was journeying from the tunnel just outside Hydra to Draco, where they resided now. And again with Khavur during their brief 'vacation', hunting for the item their sibling called 'mangoes'.

But today they were alone, having traveled a while to get here, to this garden.

"Hello?", they called out, afraid to walk among the plants lest they weren't welcome, "My n- my designation is V-Chaos-Two, may I speak with you? I believe you bear an onyx stone."

They fixed their sling and made sure their music box was secure in it, having used it instead of Khavur to soothe the constant anxiety they felt about being alone. Going out into Pegasus was normal, was fine, but out here? With no backup should anything happen? It made their stomach twist just thinking about it.

@Oliver

His grove was not the most amazing place in the caves, but it was lovingly tended and impressive for what it was: a little garden walled in by a V-shape of crumbled bone walls. The carpet was of grass and ferns, the roof of an arching canopy of several carefully grown full-sized trees, and the entire middle of the garden was a vibrant slash of green. Wildflowers sprinkled dashes of color here and there; vines of melons twined along the ground; fruits and berries grew on bushes and shorter, stubbier trees. Bushes tangled across narrow grass pathways that curved around pools of pure, clear water--quite unlike the rest of Canis's stagnancy. And the bone walls themselves were hung with ivy.

He spent a great deal of time here: his scent--feathers and fur--was evident, and a single woven basket was perched atop a rock near the grove's center. At Chaos-Two's call, he glanced out from the thicket in which he'd been resting, blinking.

He welcomed anyone here, of course--as long as they were friendly; but he'd never had a hostile intruder barge on in. Not here, at least. Elsewhere--yes--and the scars still remained with him, mentally if nothing else, but here-? Here had always been safe. Even when Orthoclase-Alpha had visited. And "V-Chaos-Two?" He knew the naming scheme--might have even heard the name, somewhere, some time. If so he didn't recognize it, but he knew the pattern.

"Um--who are you looking for?" he called out softly, even as he pulled himself fully into the open--brushing leaves from his fur, and setting off toward the voice. He knew he had a greenish-black stone; the name "onyx" didn't immediately ring any bells. Oliver pushed through a tangled curtain of vines, and then spotted the stranger ahead: tall, horned, with the typical acid eyes of Vargas's clan--but that was no surprise, given its "designation." "I'm Oliver," he offered, and paused a wary, but inoffensive, thirty or so feet away. His demeanor was gentle, but shy, like some harmless wild beast with at least the common sense to know it might be in danger--but with the faint optimism that maybe here was a friend, instead. Earnest blue eyes peered out, and he waited, nose working to catch Chaos-Two's more distant scent.

@V-Chaos-Two

Chaos-Two stumbled for a moment, clutching their spear in two hands as they looked down at the small creature (compared to their massive thirteen foot height, at least). When they heard 'dog', they expected something like Sentinel, larger than... well, Oliver.

"Er... you, I think," they said, lowering themselves onto all fours and setting their spear across their back instead, "Uh... I've come to make a request, on behalf of... um... m-myself?"

They were asking Oliver to assist them, technically, so all their normal speeches about helping the Chaos Forge would really only be by extension. They looked back at Oliver and found kind eyes waiting for them, and they faltered, expecting impatience, perhaps even annoyance.

"... I-I'm looking for a gardener," they said, averting their eyes, avoiding Oliver's gaze, more afraid of it than they were of Vargas'. At least they knew why Vargas looked down upon them when they stumbled over their words, but not this creature.

Chaos-Two caught sight of a flower, ears perking forward as a small butterfly crawled over it, seeking the bloom's sweet nectar. They hadn't really seen the insects since Pegasus, and they were a sight sorely missed.

While Oliver was gentle and shy, Chaos-Two was anxious, afraid to step into such carefully made beauty in case they stepped on something and ruined it. They were terribly aware that they were a monster, a thought that hadn't really crossed their mind until now, standing before this very normal gembound. They felt terribly out of place and it made them uncomfortable.

@Oliver

Oliver peered, black-feathered ear tufts perking forward at the odd phrasing. 'I've come to make a request on behalf of... um... m-myself?' Was this stranger shy, neurotic, or just unsure? They reminded him of him, at times, but the size was... incongruous, with it. Orthoclase he could understand--the frustration and confusion lashed out in massive violence. But the sight of something so big nearly cowering was--odd, to him.

He didn't move much, just settling where he was, a quiet distance off--feathered rump lowering into the grass.

"I grow plants," he confirmed, voice soft. "I was with... Rift? The Kingdom of Eridanus. But-" But Rift fucked up, and I never want to see him again. "...Not anymore." Oh, but maybe this stranger didn't know who that was-? "We were--all of us were--gardeners. Some of us still are, but we aren't--the Kingdom anymore. We work with the Seven, now. What is it you need a gardener for?" This last question was asked as an almost abrupt change of topic, the bird-dog shifting his position slightly, head cocked curiously to one side. But his demeanor was still distant, gentle, as if his mind were half elsewhere--but welcoming nonetheless.

@V-Chaos-Two

Chaos-Two didn't know the names Oliver gave them, but they nodded anyway, "I see... well I am searching for a gardener because I'm going to become a medic for..."

Should they tell them? Honesty was best, right?

"For the Chaos Forge," they said, peering around the garden curiously, "Master Vargas sent me to find people willing to grow and tend a garden outside of Draco in Pegasus, the cave with fields and forests all throughout it. As a medic I will have too many duties to care for the garden, but I will have need of the herbs that I wish to have grown, so..."

Slowly, Chaos-Two sat down, clearing their throat and hoping their heart wasn't beating as loud as they thought it was.

"There is something else," they said, "The Sentinel- he is dog-like, and black in color, like yourself. He shares the same stone you do and he says you have met. He would like it if you were to come to Draco to meet him."

@Oliver

He wondered, at first, why a medic could need a gardener--but Chaos-Two's elaboration widened his eyes a fraction in realization. Too much to do, he realized--too much multitasking. Got it. He listened to the rest in quiet attentiveness, his entire body gently motionless, soft blinks punctuating his quiet. It was only at the end--the mention of Sentinel--that Oliver's eyes widened in surprise.

"He... wants to see me?" he asked, in some surprise. The Sentinel hadn't at all seemed like the sentimental sort--quite the opposite; even young, he'd seemed cold and utterly indifferent, if at least unthreatening. Oliver wondered why he wanted to see him now, of all times--surely he hadn't suddenly started caring about family..? Or was he planning something... dark, something grim? Instinctively, subconsciously, Oliver's taloned forelimb dropped to the stone on his other 'hand,' clutching it. He didn't want to kill Oliver, did he--to take the stone-? He hesitated, and cleared his throat quietly before replying.

"That's--weird, but thanks. I'll maybe visit him--is he dangerous?" he blurted.

Then he pushed on, to other topics. "I'd need to talk to whoever wants the stuff grown. Um. Vargas, if it's him." A name and persona he knew, if only from brief encounters. "I need to know what he wants grown, but--I can do it. That cave is good for plants," he added, voice nearly whisper-soft, and with a sort of warm thoughtfulness to him. Pegasus was nice. He liked that cave; he wouldn't mind spending time in it, again. "Um, do you need any help learning--uh, medic-stuff? Too?" he asked, one tufted ear flicking back forward again. His forelimbs rested in the grass again, settling there, no longer clutching the gemstone at his toe.

@V-Chaos-Two

"It's surprising, but yes," Chaos-Two said, "I don't know his intentions, but I don't think he means any harm. And if he does, then I'm certain that he would not be allowed to carry through with it, as unlikely as such a situation would be. He is tasked to protect, and so long as you do not threaten Draco, then you have nothing to fear."

They shifted and raised a hand, flashing a rather derpy smile, one that hadn't been used in far too long, "Ah, that would be me. Vargas simply wanted me to find a gardener and tell him when that was done. A gardener or multiple, it doesn't matter."

They shed their sling and spread it out, setting their music box aside and nearby so they could present the herbs they'd gathered on the way, "I want each of these grown. They are all useful, some more than others."

Their head snapped up and they grew attentive, eyes widening, "... You would teach me? I know a little from a vulture called 'Doctor' and an owl called Kethri, but not as much as I'd like..."

If they came back with a gardener and a mentor, Vargas would surely be happy with them.

"Y-yes!", they said, enthusiastic, their small tail shaking with excitement, "Um- thank you! Ah... does this mean you will come to be a gardener?"

@Oliver

Surprised, pleased and a little wary, Oliver tucked this information away for later. He could slink up to Draco and visit the Sentinel... carefully... another time, then.

'Ah, that would be me...'

"So you're--the one who picks what gets grown? You're, uh, in charge of the garden?" Oliver asked, seeking clarification. His tone, his demeanor, was quietly professional, as he tried to get a more precise handle on the situation. When Chaos-Two looked up from the spread seeds, Oliver--realizing they'd laid something down--finally crept closer. It was a cautious movement: again the motion of a wild creature, shy, though not agonizingly slow. Each step was carefully-placed, those shy blue eyes flicking up to watch Chaos-Two a little warily, but not so much, now. Chaos-Two seemed nice enough.

He made his way to the seeds, eyeing them carefully over. "What do each of these do?" he asked. "Do you want me to grow one here? Like--to show you that I can?" This gentle suggestion was coupled with another glance up at Chaos-Two's face.

Oh, and as to the training--Oliver blinked a little. "I already am a gardener? Sort of. But I can help you, sure. I just need to know for sure who I'll be like, working with. Uh. Who's organizing the plants and the area, and so on. I might need to change the weather, and sort out--distances between the plants--some need more spaces, or... special dirt, things like that," he went on. Subtleties and complications like crop rotation and soil acidity would likely forever elude the Gembound--such science was far beyond his technology--but he knew the basics, at the very least. And he seemed to think nothing of mentioning "changing the weather," as if this were an everyday occurrence; his mind was half on the next topic already. "As for, um, teaching-? I'd be happy to," he said, and his expression shifted, a beaming 'smile' as best a bird-dog could manage. It was bright, warm, even reassuring. "We could... plan that? Like--I'd need to go over what you already know, first, I think. And then see if I know anything I can teach you. Maybe there's stuff you can teach me, too," he added, voice still soft, his gaze trailing back to the seeds beneath him.

@V-Chaos-Two

Chaos-Two nodded and tapped their fingers together, "Mhm. Master Vargas put me in charge of it. But as for the plants..."

They pointed at a sprig of Cormint and held it out, "This is Cormint, it's a pain reliever and a plant I relied on heavily in the past due to an... injury. It relaxes the muscles, too."

When Oliver went on about the garden and the plants, they paused, holding the small flowers close to their chest and looking rather... unsure.

"Erm... you can do whatever you'd like to ensure the healthy growth of all of these plants," they said, "But we can talk about healing later! Perhaps on the way to Draco? I'm experienced enough with my spells, I think."

They carefully laid out the plants and lay down on their belly, their hind legs sprawled behind them as they pointed at each plant.

"This is Taumusen, it's also a painkiller, the leaves of an Iceberry Bush bring down inflammation and fevers and ward off infection," they explained, pointing to each plant as they went along, "This Domire Flower makes you go to sleep, it'll be useful in case of a gembound who is in too much pain. Honey Reeds soothe sore throats, Spiny Salvebrush soothe burns and encourage healing, Creepvines are excellent for bandaging and closing wounds with, Iceleaf brings down swelling and cures headaches, Azure Blueflower cures nausea and vomiting, and Dusty Chamomile helps with anxiety."

Chaos-Two pushed forward an Iceberry towards Oliver, "And um... perhaps you can start with this? It'll look nice in your garden and the berries are rather delicious to eat. I-I'd like to see your magic in action, if possible."

They seemed more comfortable, their fluffy tail flicking excitedly and their ears perked forward attentively. Honestly if you just ignored the knife hands, sharp quills, and menacing tusks, you could probably call them cute in that moment.

@Oliver

He took the "iceberry" in silence, clasping it in crow's foot forelimbs and drawing it in against his thick-furred chest. It vanished between taloned fingers. He glanced up, eyeing Chaos-Two where they lay there bright and childlike on their stomach, tail flicking.

He blinked.

"-Are you, um--a kid?" he asked, suddenly uncertain. It occurred to him that he had zero way to gauge such a creature's age; how did one--when looking at a Valkhound--decide if it was young, or not? He couldn't quite tell from Chaos-Two's proportions, and its demeanor was abruptly so innocent that he wasn't sure. "No offense," he added, though he didn't seem to mean any offense anyway. He glanced down at the berry. "I wouldn't mind, like... samples of those. To grow. I'll never remember them all otherwise," he added wryly. He'd have to familiarize himself with the plants--both seed and full-grown--to remember what did what.

The berry, gently planted, grew: a faint tinge of green light illuminated the patch of earth he'd pressed it into, and then sprouted first into a little green shoot, and then--weaving skyward--twisted up into a darker, full-grown plant, with its large and clustered leaves, and the flowers that would eventually become its fruits.

"There," he said quietly, and rocked back on his haunches to regard it. "I don't think I've seen this one before," he added, reaching a claw back out to carefully lift a leaf.

@V-Chaos-Two