Death and Tide

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes, stale miasma is the problem... It's gathered up there in layers over centuries, like invisible toxic dust. Cernunnos still oozes it, but that amount wouldn't hurt you that much even if you wouldn't be on the inside of me, that's true. So, if we could do that, it'd really be as ideal as something can be. For him, too. He is cracking under the weight of his own miasma, that's been drowning him for centuries. It's just that, well.. " he sighed, sounding rather apologetic. " I can't say I have... any idea. I am sorry. Nothing that comes to mind to cleanse that huge fort in twenty or so minutes we have left. I never was in the chance to develop such strategies, I fear. When I encounter places of stale miasma, it's usually around Demons that were trapped in some ditch and couldn't get out, contaminating everything around them. When that happens, my priority is always a rescue mission, to get a Demon out of there to a safe place. This is a very different specific situation, where, in his frail health, getting this Demon out of fort would do nothing but kill him. Do you... have any idea, perhaps? " he asked hopefully. " If there's anything I could help with, I will, eagerly so. I just don't know what could I... My Spirit friend always knew how to use me as an asset better than me... " he smiled sadly. " Half the time, I forget I can warm things up and drink cold tea, or pick up a jug of water by hands instead of levitating it to me. I am... a bit dense sometimes... too forgetful... but... I've heard you are pretty smart... everybody always says so, at least... "

[Mirach]

"Just how much can you warm things up?" Death asked thoughtfully. "And how much can you cool them? There should be a certain temperature by which miasma burns. But it is close to the temperature in the centre of the earth, I fear."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide paled at the thought. " I think... That's far, far beyond my power of warming up. One part of me was but a little fire demon, little and tiny. I can't channel that much firepower. Same for ice. I can do many little things, but not too many big ones. Waterbending is a big speciality that comes from all parts of who I am combined, not a specific power that came from one part of me. " Tide shook his head, appearing thoughtful, as he tried to figure out if he can do anything with information Death gave. " I didn't know miasma burns... I kind of just... Never really thought too deeply about it, physically wise. Those are matters I mostly consider from an emotional perspective. " he paused to think. " Miasma burns, okay, it's weird but I can digest that... But can it become liquid? " he asked. " I never knew if there was any process that could turn miasma into liquid, only form I've seen it was gas, invisible, or even visible under certain conditions and light. If you knew some way to turn it liquid, maybe I could waterbend it out? It'd be extremely concentrated and toxic, so we'll have to see where to dispose of it, as far away from the fort as possible in time limit we have, but I think it'd be possible for me to move it like that. Burning miasma wouldn't help us much, anyway, if we had to reach earth core temperature - such high temperature would, like, melt down all the rocks around us, all fort walls, burn down all paper, all trees, like... If there was some process that could turn miasma liquid, that would be more useful, though I've never heard of such conditions. Maybe you have... "

[Mirach]

"That's why I was asking how much you can cool things as well. We would need someone who could light the muasma on fire and cool the fort walls enough to not be destroyed. But a liquid? I don't know... Maybe there is a way to dissolve it in some liquid, so it becomes trapped there. Do you know of a liquid that would have high affinity to getting corrupted? Oh, right... other than blood?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Actually, you may be onto something... Blood is the very best liquid. Miasma is very tightly tied to it, not because of its phisical makeup, but because it's a part of a living creature, lingering strongly with it's emotions. But we couldn't do it without vast amount of blood. " He bit his lip and he slowly added." I know this might be extremely foolish and risky suggestion... And it wouldn't work with anyone else, but it may work with your help. You said you could be continiuosly healing me so I would stay alive even with mortal wound? What if I, hear me out.... Take on biggest warm blooded form I have... And you spill as much of my blood as we can without killing me. More blood we can spend without killing me more miasma we would be able to tie to it, I hope. But biggest form I have is now unsustainable for too long. I could only maintain it for some ten minutes at most, I think, so we'd have to be quick..."

[Mirach]

Death looked at him thoughtfully. "Just how big is that form?" he asked. "Do you think we could get enough blood in ten minutes to bind all miasma?"

[VisAnastasis]

" It is... Ugly but of considerable size." Demon said, as even is serious situation, appearance was something he'd instinctively note of."  It could get us enough blood if we could keep me alive for that time. I have to not quite be in agony enough not to be able to water bending. " Tide whispered." We would have to work fast to do it on time. Small slashes wouldn't do to have me bleed out in time... So maybe you could be slicing down my main veins and arteries? You could be healing them and slicing them as you see most fit from a healer point of view, and I could collect it in that time - so we can do a quick big swoosh through the fort with it. I could maybe drag blood along walls and floor - all would be bloody and we'd have to clean it up from the inside later, and it's creepy, yes, but we can clean it up once we inside, there's an inside well that drawn water from different source that the river. It'll just have to be really lot of blood, in order to have it act like a proper sponge - so it would soak up everything easily instead of getting soggy and unable to take in more. "

[Mirach]

"I could do that, from my part," Death said slowly. "But I don't want to push you into it. If you would rather swallow me, I will manage. Now it is your choice and boundaries..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I know. But our time for thinking is limited, if we're doing this, we should do it right away.  I don't need to think hard, though. It's not just you, it's Cernunnos. I wouldn't sacrifice my life for it, but if we can do it without killing me, then... His chances of survival get stronger, and he may have less sad life. His son may be able to come visit him again more often, if there's less miasma around, and he'll be happier, and there'll be less and less of new one layering up if he's happy... And tonight, we would be safe, and together, so.." He gulped, despite his jesting words, getting a little choked up " Just don't kill me, okay? I conscent to being hurt, but I do not conscent to being killed... "

[Mirach]

"I won't kill you," Death promised seriously. "And I think we could have more time. You say your heart can't sustain such a big form for long. But I would heal your heart as well."

[VisAnastasis]

" Oh... Yes, I guess you can." Tide said, as he didn't think of that." This is a form I wasn't comfortable sustaining ever since I had all of my heart, so you will have to put effort into it, but if you do that continuously  I should be much less prone to dying of my heart failing." He smiled faintly." And we are short on time, not only because of my form maintainance, but also sun. It will set soon. Any moment longer we stay after sun sets is a moment we are putting us and Cernunnos in danger from the shadows in waters. He says it's always a gamble where they appear along river, but they always appear each night, expect sometimes not on summer solstice nights, when years are good. "

[Mirach]

"Right," Death said. "I we are decided to do this, we shouldn't delay. But to heal you, I will have to change to my usual form. Won't Cernunnos be afraid of me?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I don't think I can fit inside the form comfortably in my big form. I was thinking we could do the blood collecting before the door, so you wouldn't have to go in, either, in your state, before it's cleared off miasma. So Cernunnos won't have to see you until we go in, and Emil could go in inside the fort and explain to Cernunnos what we're doing while we drain blood from me. Emil doesn't know how Death looks, so he will just see a pretty Being, I hope. " Tide noted. " Besides, we need somewhere to get rid of all the blood filled with miasma after we cleanse the fort. I was thinking, maybe I could just... throw it down the river downstream? It's suffocating and heavy, maybe those things would be either drawn to it or weakened by its presence, either of the two? And feeling so much miasma and the stench of so much blood in the stream will certainly be perfect bait for demon hunters, too... So our unexpected cleansing could as well be a perfect trap that would bring both our enemies close to each other... "

[Mirach]

"Yes... alright, that could work..." Death said. "Then we should go and explain it to Emil on the way."

[VisAnastasis]

" Alright. Let's go right away, and let's make an explanation extra brief to have more time to focus on saving our lives and all. May I? " he asked and reached for his cloak, so he can carry him along with it, and when he gathered the creature in his arms gently he rushed down with quick step, so they'd not lose any moment.

[Mirach]

Death agreed to that, and let Tide explain it quickly.

[VisAnastasis]

Emil indeed, as Tide said, seeming a little withdrawn and unsure about what happened before, but he noticed urgency when they came to him, and he got serious and listened to Tide's extra brief explanation that barely included basics, like, we have the plan to clean fort of as much miasma as we can so we can be there safely through night, it will require a lot of blood that Tide will provide, and we need you to tell Cernunnos. Emil put his feelings aside as he nodded right away, caressing fox demon that was with him currently.
" Then we have no time to waste. Xia, come girl... We'll go warn father to hide in some further safest corner he can find, while you try to see if your plan works. We must not waste any moment, the sun will be setting soon. " he said seriously, taking the keys to the fort quickly.

[Mirach]

"Take some of that balm for your hand first," Death adviced Tide. "It won't hurt with the form change."

[VisAnastasis]

" I don't know if we have that kind of time. If it's that jar in the field, we have left it upstairs. " Tide bit his lip as he turned to the door, through which Emil, flying on Xia, already went out to reach the other fort fast. " It hurts anyway, I can keep up with it for a while longer... How about later?" he negotiated. " If we have time to grab it, you can help me put it on after all this, when.. "he brought himself o smile hopefully. " When we get rid of miasma and can have a breather, okay? "

[Mirach]

"Alright," Death sighed, agreeing for the lack of time. "Tell me which spot you find best for capturing the blood."

[VisAnastasis]

" There! Right beside other fort, where there is clearance on the shore, so we can be close by." He said, and didn't waste time going across bridge - he just made a big leap with bundle of Death tucked in his arms and cloak, and he floated down to the spot he picked.

[Mirach]

"I don't like the rush of this," Death sighed, but he right away transformed into his human form, holding his sword. 

[VisAnastasis]

Tide stopped then, though, not changing forms just yet, standing before him.
" Do you have a bad feeling about this?" he whispered then, looking at his sword a little uncertainty." I do wish to do this... But if you think it's too little time and you don't like the rush, we could do it in the morning, as thanks to our hosts. I will trust your gut feeling if it tells you something is off... It was my idea, so it could be stupid in some way we didn't predict, after all... "

[Mirach]

"It could be," Death sighed. "We had no time to think it through properly. I give you my word that I won't let you die, but I have no idea if what we are going to attempt will actually work against the miasma. That's your estimate to make..."

[VisAnastasis]

" It is rushing. But the alternative is keeping you in my belly with a string tied against your face like I am your jailor, not your ward. " Tide shook his head quietly. " What choice is that, when neither of us wants it? You have some future sight, don't you, though? It is tiring, I know, but you'll rest whole night either way. Can't you take a glance? Maybe we don't have to go all the way tonight, we could just try to lessen it a bit at least. Any less miasma is better for us all, even if a tiny one. "