Death and Tide

[VisAnastasis]

" I do not know what will be tomorrow, either. We don't even know what will be tonight. For all I know, your pursuers might decide we are guilty to have helped you and kill us all. You are right. Maybe I won't be here, either, to grow flowers for you, tomorrow." Emil replied quietly." I forget sometimes how words are important for Beings. Let us rather say, maybe... If you live, and are well enough, will you promise to have a visit in mind?" He smiled a little faintly, despite his previous words that he shouldn't, indeed not able to hide some hope." Nobody honorable could ever blame you for not keeping a promise if you are dead, sweet snake, and I hope you wouldn't blame me in death, either. I didn't seek for unbreakable vow or binding promise of a Being. " He winked a little." Just a little promise between a small honorable human and a small adorable snake, that's all... "

[Mirach]

"Alright... we can do that, I think..." Death agreed carefully.

[VisAnastasis]

" Why do you speak... so cautiously? There's no catch to this. It's not like I'm binding you under some spell. " At last, Emil couldn't help be a bit bemused, a firm composure a bit broken by the wonder at unexpected behaviour. " You know what? I'd like you to come to visit anew... But come anew or not, still, I'd like to feed you now. We can't guarantee for tomorrow, sure, but if I could do that, I'd be happy now, at least, and you want your host happy, do you not, sweet sir snake? " the boy grinned a little bit as he stood up. " If we both put on a grim face about tomorrow, we'll both be miserable today for no reason. And why be miserable when we can be merry?  So please, do tell me sincerely, sweet little snake, for I bid thee - how much more honey and bread would you enjoy? "

[Mirach]

"I don't know..." Death said. "I really don't want to deplenish your supplies. I can get more food by the sea, so let's just say two jars of honey."

[VisAnastasis]

" Well... It's your choice what you decide to do, but... If you're worried about eating our food and feel guilty about it, you can always bring some food as a gift in return. If you wish to. It may not be magical honey, but my father doesn't like honey anymore, so having any fresh meat would really make me happier than just having some more of the honey I already have. I'm happier when father eats well than me. And I'm happier when cute little snakes that worry too much needlessly, eat well, so, please, give me a moment... " he smiled. " I'll bring you more right away. " he nodded his head lightly and then went to pick out more.

[Mirach]

"But what if I'm not a cute little snake?" Death asked when Emil returned, not touching the food. "What if I used to be a demon hunter? Would you still share your food so readily?"

[VisAnastasis]

Emil, who has just sat down and begun to cut down the honey cubes on smaller parts, froze in a movement for a moment. He looked a little unsure, as it was something he didn't expect. He looked at snake a little unsurely.
" We all... have a tough choice to make, don't we? And you've made a tough choice, didn't you? You have helped a demon. " he repeated Death's words from the moment they met. He shook his head lightly, not daring look away from snake now, a little tense. " I'd not deny hospitality to weary travellers that called upon it... you would not be first demon hunter I let through my doors, so the night wouldn't take them. But I can welcome... someone that helped my kin, despite it puts him to such danger. These are your friends hunting you, are they not? " he whispered quietly. " The things in the water also used to be my father's friends, before they betrayed him. Everyone in this war betrays each other... It's okay if you didn't always use to think we were worthy of life... At times it seemed no one did. It's just important that you don't think so anymore... right? "

[Mirach]

"I'm not sure if it's enough," Death whispered. "That's why I'm reluctant to eat your food..."

[VisAnastasis]

Emil understood that this was a matter that won't be solved over one sentence, so he put down the food and knife for a moment, seeing Death won't eat before they talk it through. He licked his fingers of excess honey and sat down before the snake, looking at it thoughtfully.

" I think... I can see what this is about, " he suggested slowly, but to the point. " You aren't comfortable having my hospitality, because you fear it'd be revoked if I knew more about you. That's why you can't relax, right? " he whispered. " Because you feel guilty about it? Because you feel you're taking advantage of us where you don't deserve to, after whatever way you've lived up to this point? "

[Mirach]

Death was quiet for a while. "Yes... that's about it..." he said finally.

[VisAnastasis]

Emil nodded. He was quiet for a moment too.
" Hesitation can save one's life sometimes. It's a natural reflex... It's just that, life is too short to hesitate all the time. Otherwise, we'll never get to do anything we might enjoy. " he whispered, and asked suddenly then, unexpectedly so. " May I ask something of you? I hesitate because I know it's not really a polite thing to ask of a stranger and of Being. But I haven't handled a snake for a very long time, and I've missed that... May I touch you? "

[Mirach]

Death instinctivelly withdrew a bit, nervously tasting the air with his forked tongue. "Touch... touch is alright," he said. "But no lifting or touching the neck, please."

[VisAnastasis]

" Okay, how do you feel about this? Is it alright? " the boy asked quietly, and slowly, so Death could see his moves, he reached for his back, way below the neck and on a safe distance from it, and caressed it. He did so lightly and slowly, in direction of the scale growth, and it felt rather reassuring, as if by someone who knew how to do it well. He smiled a little. " I almost forgot how nice it is, " he whispered as he shyly kept caressing him, in slow and soothing pace, glancing at him to see if it is alright. " We used to have a little temple in the eastern city, you see, dedicated to snakes. Did you know that when I was young, snakes used to be worshipped as bringers of wisdom and healing? Their priests used to keep couple snakes in the temple, and I loved playing with them and feeding them. " he sighed a little bit wistfully. "  Father used to have a snake familiar too, but that one didn't like to be handled by anyone but him because it loved him above all else, so it'd only let me touch it on special occasions, like when we would be taking its poison, to use it for medicine. It was a nice memory... All were. "

[Mirach]

Death was relaxing only slowly, by little bit. "This is fine..." he murmured. "I know that snakes were worshipped. If you are able to use the healing properties of poison, I could give you some, if you want."

[VisAnastasis]

" You would? " Emil suddenly looked a bit thoughtful, as if he remembering something long not needed, but that gave him an idea. " I am not in bad health, and neither are any of my men, but actually... There is something that comes to my mind. There might be something nice I could make for *you*. " he smiled slowly and hopefully. " All snakes that we managed to salvage during the attack on the cities died in next decades when their time came, so I no longer could make it without poison, but there's a nice balm I used to make back then for the father to help him recover from his wounds. It's not anything almighty, it's a humble little recipe, but if you give me enough to make a dose for father, I could make you a little package, too. "

[Mirach]

"I think there should be enough," Death said. "My poison is quite potent, but I think I don't need to remind you to be careful."

[VisAnastasis]

" Is it? If it's strong, I can make more balm." Emil's face lit up." It's not healing one, not directly, I fear, but it might be something useful to you, actually, if you would like to have some." He said, and explained timidly." It's father's recipe... He taught me how to make it, with poison and special plants combination. It is good for application, but it's even better for massage.  Your soul was hurt around your neck, right, and it is streches thin to manifest that part well? " He inquired gently." Father used to have same problem. His soul was chewed up all over, and his soul was streches thin, manifesting in feeble body that hurt with every move. Everything was inflamed and he was barely holding on. " He shook his head to chase away the memory. " Balm helped. Deep soul injuries manifest in nerve damage, and the balm affects nerves  and muscles. It seeps deeply into tissue and paralises the nerves and relaxes muscles so there's no pain from moving, and plants in it promote soul to relax, which enables it to rest properly.  Generally longer you rub it down the nicer it feels and less maddening the pain is, you just have to be careful with how you handle inflamed parts. It's not healing balm, I fear, but it still helped father a lot to handle pain and not lose any limbs to rotting. I don't know if his mind would stay intact without it. Maybe it could help you a bit too... "

[Mirach]

"Yes, that sounds like it could help..." Death said, daring to sound just a little hopeful. "Would you maybe share the recipe?"

[VisAnastasis]

"Share the recipe? " Death could see how from just enthusiastic, child's eyes widened with glimmering feeling that could only be intherpreted as joy." Well, well... I think we could arrange something." He grinned slowly."  How about I share it in exchange of you eating all this up, deal? " He said innocently." In fact, if you're up to it, I have all ingredients here in the garden. While you eat I can gather them up, and then I can show you how to make it first-hand! What do you say?" He blushed a little, realizing he raised his voice in excitement, so adding more politely." I just think it will be fun..."

[Mirach]

"Alright, you convinced me," Death smiled a little.

[VisAnastasis]

" That's the spirit!" Emil chuckled and clapped his hands, in that moment really appearing like he was as old as he looked." Let me just first cut this out for you, and then I'll gather the ingredients!" He proclaimed, and he took the knife and cut bread and honey to tiny pieces easy to swallow like last time, before he stood up to gather the ingredients.

[Mirach]

Death started eating again, and while doing so, he watched Emil.

[VisAnastasis]

Emil indeed seemed rather merry, as if he has unexpectedly been gifted a tasty treat after a long time of scarcity. He hopped around and seemed rather excited to be making this again and sharing it with someone that could benefit from it. He was picking the needed plants and flowers, but still doing so gently and mindfully, and everything about him just seemed so soft and tender, as if he was but a lovely porcelain doll not made to exist in the sharp world - breakable, but also compassionate to breakable creatures, so much so that he was careful even when picking flowers. After a while, he gathered a little heap of various small field flowers and plants both common and rare, and gently put them on the piece of cloth beside Death, before bringing his tools for mixing and making medicine.

[Mirach]

Death watched the plants that Emil prepared, not needing to be told their names.

[VisAnastasis]

" It doesn't take long to make, half hour for smaller, maybe hour for bigger amount. It's not hard if you do it right, I just didn't have the poison to make it anymore. Let's do this!" Emil explained with a bubbly voice, and they got to it. Boy didn't know how much Death knows of those plants, so as he worked, he was speaking, having rather soothing voice when discussing something he clearly loved deeply, as much as having a student. He spoke of plants he handled, and how it's easier to process them, he spoke of where in his time they were able to be found and how it's easiest to recognize them... All the while, slowly, with his work, with tools build for speed, the plants were turning into thick paste instead.