It had not been back to Chaos Forge in many cycles. Day by day it wasted in Canis, training its spawn as best it could. It could not decide what it felt of it - disappointment or pride or some strange mix of the two? It wandered, both of them did, and Helion hoped that it did not wander far. There was a reason it had made its cave so far from the Forge. It would be in trouble for this.

But trouble is what we want! True, very true. Trouble was more exciting then this bland existence. Each day apart from the visions felt like stretching something that was getting too thin. It had been broken and put back together, but now it was falling apart again, piece by piece, in the absence of CHAOS. It was time to reforge itself again.

It had purposefully avoided doing anything that Vargas had told it to do - it had not gone to see the Blacksmith, nor done any recruiting or scouting or really anything. But there was one thing it craved deeply to do, almost an instinctual need, that unfortunately also aligned with a task that had been long forgotten and abandoned - the foul, wretched Order that had taken over Eridanus needed to be cleansed. And in such a place where fire could so easily catch, it sounded like the perfect spot to, well...

BURN IT ALL DOWN
Drool dripped from its chin as it stalked towards the entrance, stomach roiling with the thought of the coming carnage. Black flames ripping away the white, the bodies of Lessers falling before it, helpless and afraid, the scream of birds in the trees as they fled the flames, only for black claws to rip them from the sky and devour them, the Greaters that would show up to stop it...

PERFECT. DELICIOUS. THERE WILL BE CHAOS!!
It did not wait long when it stepped into Eridanus. Maybe 10 seconds of walking into the forest before it could not wait any longer. It lashed out at a tree almost dripping with white, its claws scourging a deep mark in the wood that burst into dark flames. They seemed diminished in here, like it couldn't quite overwhelm the force of Order that coveted this room. Ah...well, that would change. Very soon.

@Esther

Esther had left the confines of Draco once again attempt removing the Hive from Eridanus. A task they'd thought would have been done cycles ago. It seems the Forge cannot keep it at bay alone - even the helpful gembound outside of the group seem to be struggling.

It's by design. Order wants to spread, Chaos wants to remove it. An endless battle that will only leave losses on both sides. Losses of which Esther will have to partake in. There is no room for middle-ground, not when the fungus is at risk for overtaking the caves entirely.

They focus, calling their magic forth to burn away at fungus infecting a tree. The cold flames are not comforting, but the removal of the fungus is. Eventually it will be quenched. They just have to work hard.

The call of chaos drives them forward. They move through the forest, eyeing up clumps of white fungus. Once upon a time they'd tried to burn this forest down, now they must save it. Esther is stopped in their tracks at a familiar purple sight. V-Ruby-One.

Esther had not spoken to, or even dared to show their face to the hybrid after their fight. Vargas' displeasure with them was enough, they don't want to fight again. They consider leaving. Removing themselves from the situation would be the right thing to do. The Chaos-Forge does not need more conflict within their own group, Esther does not want the punishment involved with that scale of conflict.

Leaving would be a loss. They could work together - ignore each other while working to a similar goal. Esther doesn't think V-Ruby-One will even entertain the thought of it.

Well. Esther did want to apologize. Perhaps now is a good time.

They dig their claws into the soil. Giving Helion the first shot sounds like a cowards' move.

Today, Esther is a coward. They wait to see if the other gembound will notice them, continuing on with their end-goal. Get rid of the fungus.

@V-Ruby-One

Helion did not, in fact, notice Esther at first. It was growing too excited by the prospect of burning this entire forest down. Not just the order fungus, but all the trees. The creatures, the plants and all. He remembered some time ago, when the forge had been petitioned to help with a controlled fire...but NO fire could not be controlled. CHAOS should not be controlled.

It had already started one cold fire, but it did not think it to be wise to get caught in the flames. There was no source of corruption here - if it wanted to burn all of Eridanus down, it would need to do so from the outside.

Its head swiveled, fire curling over its claws as it planned where it would truly begin...and then its eyes laid on the creature that had joined it here. The fire it held instantly went out.

Eyes narrowed to glare at Esther as the beast screamed in its head. The whimpering thing panicked, trying to wrench it away, because they had beaten it before, and because of their brawl, it had never been the same. It had been melted and ripped to pieces, it had suffered so much. It didn't want more of that, surely!! But no, Helion stayed. It stayed and stared at Esther for a moment, almost blankly.

"You." Its snarl was devoid of the full hatred it had once mustered in the wolf's direction. "Are you following me? Want to finish what you started?"

@Esther

At first, Esther is certain the two of them will be able to go about their business without even interacting. They muster up their magic to burn out more of the white fungus, feeling a delight in the quick burn the Chaotic Flame pulls forth.

It does not warm Esther, but it destroys the danger it needs to.

When Helion finally notices Esther, they stare blankly at the growl. Helion seems tired of fighting - Esther is not sure the conversation it must have had with Vargas. They can't bring themselves to be upset. Vargas had told them to be an example.

They don't think Helion needs an example, but the idea of fighting makes Esther's stomach twist. They are both part of the Chaos Forge, they should at least pretend to get along, yes? Esther isn't so sure beasts born of Chaos can be contained in the way Vargas wants.

"I don't want to fight." They can't even be mad at Helion, just themselves. "I'm here to clear out the fungus."

They let their words sit for a moment. Should they offer to apologize, or just do it now? Would Helion even accept one? What's done is done. The avoidance can't be done forever.

"And apologize, if you'd let me. What's done is done, but I should not have let things get that far. I am sorry." Esther could have left and let Helion burn in anger, Helion could've left before the burning started.

There is no controlling Chaos.

@V-Ruby-One

Why were they staring at the ground? Daring to speak to it and not even giving it the dignity of eye contact? Looking oh so very pathetic, with no DEFIANCE. With no CONFIDENCE. They had beaten Helion, yet they were acting like a kicked puppy.

It could guess why - they'd gotten in trouble with Vargas as well. Something something, came to their senses and realized killing someone from the Forge maybe wasn't a good idea. But that still did not excuse it, and Helion wouldn't let it pass. Their lip curled and they snarled sharpy, "Quit looking at the ground! It doesn't suit you!"

No, not a corrupted beast, a hound of the Creator with the level of strength that they carried. Vargas may demand blind servitude but it did not.

"Apologize?" How strange. How emotional and bold of this creature, to come and simply say "I'm sorry" after the life-changing, madness inducing weeks that they had subjected it to. Perhaps they didn't fully understand what had happened to it, or didn't even know. They don't know. Ha! They don't know!! The GIFT we've been given! There was nothing to apologize for.

"I don't need that," it hissed, instead, turning away to start the fungal burning with a swipe of its claws, but it was too distracted. No fire appeared. "We fought. You won. The only one that needs your apology is Vargas and his shit rules. I should really be praising you for fighting so well - and thanking you."

It snorted, turning back. "I won't, though. So don't expect it. Consider the fact that I'm not killing you to be my apology." It spat the word out, like they disgusted it to have so much as touched its tongue.

@Esther

Esther should've expected things to go bad.

They look up at Helion's orders despite the defiant beast within screaming out to not listen. Esther is a follower, not a leader - dragging themselves back to Vargas after leaving was confirmation of that. They don't have the fight to refuse.

Helion is right, though, that groveling does not suit them. They did not grovel to Vargas when threatened with punishment - accepted it and moved on - just as they should here. Just as Helion should. Things are not so simple when dealing with Chaos.

Esther had not known the madness Helion went through. They simply had never experienced it - did not know about the agony involved with Helion's chrysalis demise. If they did, perhaps they would be groveling more. Making things worse. Instead, Helion's words sit with them. Thanking does not feel right.

What Esther had done was direct harm against a groupmate. Something that could - and should be faced by death. Perhaps the forge could do without more death. Esther still wonders what Helion's decided punishment for them was, but now is not the time to ask. Nor did they face... Any repercussions at all.

The fear of getting squished like a bug. They had lived with that.

"Alright." They reply.

Helion's threat of death does not unsettle them. The risk of death is high every day in these caves, one just learns to defend themselves. If Helion tries... Esther could win again, right? Would Vargas sew their stone back within Draco to create something new, or would the stone live and die in Eridanus, forced to compete with the Order?

Being left behind is a worse fear than death.

Esther takes time to decide what to say. Instead of speaking, they pull their magic forth and burn another spot of fungus. The fire is small this time, but enough to clear the small spot.

"I can leave if you want." They'd rather leave the hybrid to its own doings than be here for another fight that seemingly will not come. "Or we can clear this out together."

Esther does want this fungus gone. Eridanus is their favorite cave - even with the stupid tree that wont let them in. They will leave if Helion wishes to be alone - or move to a different spot to clear it out away from eyeshot.

@V-Ruby-One

Helion frowned. Alright? ALRIGHT?! Was that all they had to say? For everything, for what Helion had offered? Something in it wanted Esther to ask, to say "so what even happened to you after all of that?" because surely they knew. Surely they KNEW what their fight had led to.

They probably just didn't care.

Maybe Helion should kill them. If only for this slight. But that was what had happened before, right? It had attacked out of anger and had been brutally defeated. If it happened again, there was no promising that it would survive at all.

...of COURSE it would. It was stronger now. SO much stronger. Stronger then Esther could ever DREAM. WE HAVE SEEN THE CREATOR!! WE HAVE SURVIVED HIS WARS!!! WE LEAVE HIS STONE IN OUR WAKE AND OUR MAGIC IS STRONGER THEN ESTHER HAS EVER SEEN!! Yes, yes, if it so desired, it could kill Esther. No problem.

But it didn't. Even though it hated Vargas and hated his rules, the threat of death still hung heavy over its head. If it ever lost control again, attacked another Forge member, it would surely be remade. And the memories it carried, of Rrevalk's ghost and the nightmares he blessed it with, would be gone.

So it turned away with a snarl and instead ignited more of the fungus, watching the black fire overtake the order. "Do what you want, I don't care. I don't care about you. I will be burning this forest to the ground.

@Esther

Esther considers using a spell to read into Helion some more. Corruption despite its faults has its uses - it has saved them more than once. The snarl the other hybrid lets out has them thinking twice about it, instead they have to hold themselves back from rolling their eyes.

No one asked you to care.

Esther doesn't think Vargas even expects the Chaos Forge's members to truly care for one another. They are a means to an end, a way to train powerful gembound to get results. Esther knows this and still came back to them. Despite the group's obvious faults, this is their home.

"Do what you want." they nearly snap back, Esther is just here to finish removing the fungus. It's about time the stuff was completely burnt away. If Helion has to burn the whole forest down, so be it. Burning all of the trees would be far more interesting than trying to placate Helion.

They turn away, stalk to more fungus. Esther pulls on the corrupted nature of their power - nothing.

Of course. They think angrily. Magic doesn't always work.

@V-Ruby-One

As Esther walked away, Helion could not help but watch with eyes boring holes in the back of their head. They were still failing. Still didn't have the same grasp of chaos that it did. YET THEY BEAT US. WE SHOULD HAVE REVENGE!!! Shut the fuck up. If either chrysalized here, they were dead.

Around its feet, black corruption spilled out in its frustration with itself - and with Esther, withering the bloom of fungus in a radius. It snarled and whipped around to face the creature. They should talk. It should say something. Because even though it hated them, it wanted them dead, it wanted a rematch so it could prove itself STRONGER, there was still some kind of gratefulness. A twisted one, for they had put them on a path to Purpose.

"I saw things." It spat out. "After our fight. I returned to Draco, all fucked up - THANKS FOR THAT, by the way. And the Creator picked me up and thrust me into Chaos." Its eyes glittered with its own madness as it remembered the wars. "Do you know? Do you know our Purpose? Or are you as blind as all the others?"

@Esther

Esther's goal to leave Helion alone does not take them far. They should've chosen a different cave to cleanse. Eridanus - their birth cave - seemingly can't be a place of peace for them anymore. Perhaps after the order is gone Esther will have their place back. Today is not that day.

They ignore Helion's spells. Let Helion get its anger out as long as it doesn't attack Esther. One of their ears tilts back, in Helion's direction.

Saw things?

Esther should not humor this. Instead of doing the right thing - walking away - they turn back to Helion. They don't know a lot. They don't know the Creator, their Purpose. Esther only knows what they have been told. Which is not a lot, really.

"One person can't know everything." They respond. "If you want to tell me about it, I will listen."

Esther wants to know things. What did Helion see? What of their purpose?

@V-Ruby-One