Death and Tide

[VisAnastasis]

It was a really warm and nice experience, as fire cracked, and the three of them huddled together under blanket. It seemed the fact that Spirit cleaned up the space helped  keep the demon calm, as surrounding looked familiar and safe and tidiness didn't remind him on all objects he has lost. He purred as he cuddled little creature with pleasure.

 It lasted for a while before a purring stopped all of a sudden - and Death realized why. There was a stunned expression on creature's face, and he froze in his caressing movement - looking little snake in the eyes, he realized they were violet, and it was a no mistake that they did not belong to the simple animal, and it seemed to have clicked for him.

[Mirach]

Death averted his eyes, looking embarassed like a child caught eating candies. "I'm sorry I'm not a real snake..." he whispered. 

[VisAnastasis]

Cernunnos was quiet and tense for a moment, before he shook his head, looking unexpectedly sad instead of just afraid.
" I... should have figured... " he whispered with grief." No snake would ever come to me willingly like that anymore..."

[Mirach]

"No, it wouldn't, with all the miasma around," Death said. "But that is gone now. You are very nice to snakes, if I were one, I would certainly come to you."

[VisAnastasis]

" I know you're only saying that not to make me sad... " creature smiled faintly and just as unhappily though, and took a deep breath, adding hoarsely and unsurely. " It is a nice trait... not wanting to make people sad. You... Are very sweet snake... "

[Mirach]

"If I meet a real one, I'll tell him to come to visit you," Death said. "Then you will see yourself." Inconspicuously, he continued healing Cernunnos while he wasn't called out on that as well.

[VisAnastasis]

Cernunnos didn't call him out, but he focused more on the snake, not daring to move yet, but maybe not being as deeply in pain and being safe with Tide has given him strength to keep the conversation going.

" Don't tell any snakes... Our woods are as dangerous to animals as this fortress... But you are here because you are running from far worse things...  aren't you?" He whispered quietly." Those hunters... They are after you, aren't they?"

[Mirach]

"Yes," the snake sighed. "I am sorry for the mess we caused to you by it."

[VisAnastasis]

A shadow of pain passed across creature's face upon it as he remembered his loss.
" It is so much. My children's tea cups... Clay miniatures I managed to scramble from the ruins of houses of people I loved. My wife's dresses... I preserved them for memory of her and they were so frail with such long time... Now they are torn and ruined... Clothes we wore... Chairs we sat down at lunch as a family... " his voice broke." It is... So much..."

[Mirach]

"I'm truly sorry..." Death said regretfully. "I know how it feels to only have a few treasured memories left of someone you loved. It took me very long to let go of it, so I won't tell you any bullshit about how it's just things and the real memories are in your heart. Let's salvage through it and repair what we can instead. And you will also have new memories, as your son will be able to come to you more often now without danger to him..."

[VisAnastasis]

Creature's lip trembled at that. His eyes watered down and he tried to suppress them.
" Still, you must think... I am pretty pitiful, am I not?" He sobbed, looking down." Crying over things, when at least I have my son. And oh yes, I love that child to hell and back.. B-but those were my wife's dresses, you see... I know I should thank you but... " He gulped." It still feels so... Unreal... It can not be that you are here. How could you, why would you? " He closed his eyes with pain." This must certainly be a dream, an illusion of some sort. When I snap out of it, I will feel cold and alone again, in an empty destroyed room... It can't be real, you see." He shuddered." Nights here, they...  They are living hell. Every atom of your body and mind burns. They are not... Nice, like this... "

[Mirach]

"I can imagine..." Death said with compassion. "But not today."

[VisAnastasis]

" If it is not an illusion, then..  Tell me the truth, please... Have I died?" Creature asked directly, with some sense of dread, what seemed to be a lingering suspicion. " I never died before, so I don't know how it feels... But it could be like this, couldn't it? It is night, and I am not hurting, and I am not loosing my mind. Have the creatues found me and killed me at last? Is this my final comfort?" He asked hoarsely and tensely." A little bit of compassion you wish give me... Before I forget who I am? Before I forget Xia, and little Svarik, and..." His lip trembled." My little boy?"
It seemed that even if his pain wasn't non-existent, the healing and dulling of the hurt felt as if there was no hurt at all in comparison to how much he suffered before - and that feverish creature trying to struggle to figure out what is going on had to consider if it perhaps died and is going to be reborn as a blank state, after being comforted for one last time.

[Mirach]

"Yes, it could feel like this," Death agreed. "But you did not die. Look, your leg is still hurt." He sighed. "I can't heal that wound..."

[VisAnastasis]

"Yes, you are right... It is hurt still. " creature murmured thoughtfully, and Death never seen someone is so morbidly happy that he is still injured - but being injured also meant that he was alive and would see his son and new friends like Xia again. It seemed only with that knowledge did Cernunnos began putting more perspective into things and didn't fear it wasn't real anymore. " I don't know if I can walk well on it again, though... It's... worse than I remember last time... " he looked at snake anew, trying to capture its gaze, as if thinking of something, and now that he knew he is alive, asking more timidly. " When you said you'd like to stay and help me figure out what I can salvage and what not... did you really mean it then? It wasn't just comfort? "

[Mirach]

"Of course. It's my fault that your things got damaged, so I owe it to you. We can see what we can do tonight, because I think that we will need to leave tomorrow. But I promised Emil I will return when I can, so we can continue them if we don't manage it now."

[VisAnastasis]

" You promised Emil you will return?" Creature asked a little thoughtfully, as it seemed surprised." Do you really wish to return here? I don't think we have much to offer you. " He bit his lip." I see you feel guilty... But to come to visit out of guilt... You don't have to make yourself do that." He looked down." You wouldn't have to brake my things if I weren't such a... Terrible host. If this wasn't such unhospitable fortress, you wouldn't have done it. It.. It hurts to lose things I loved, but... It wasn't an act in malice... " His eyes filled with tears." It's my fault this place was so filled with such sharp suffering and sadness, and... You don't look too good, either. You hurt both myself and yourself more to clense my home. You don't owe this to me. You owe nothing you don't want to do. We passed equally badly,  little guest... "

[Mirach]

"I wanted to return for Emil's garden. He said I could have a part of it to grow my own herbs... And I like to talk about herbs with him..." Death said.

[VisAnastasis]

" He doesn't know, then... " Cernunnos realized. He was quiet as if the information sank in slowly in his fevered mind before he spoke up quietly. " I just want... Emil to be happy. He is always so distant with other people. Nobody is really his age, you see. They can't understand him.  And when he came to explain to me our guests are doing something, and it's so his new friend can be safe from miasma here... He spoke with such hope and worry, and of you, then. " he shook his head quietly and added slowly. " I don't like... Dishonesty. But we are ruining all the norms today, anyway, aren't we? You are a guest that broke my things, and I am a host that couldn't protect you in my home... " he smiled faintly. " I'd rather wish you be honest with him. But if the truth would make you both sad, and if Emil would be lonely again, I'll... keep your secret... The world is full of enough sadness already, for me to bring more into it...  "

[Mirach]

"I saw no way that the truth would make anyone feel better," Death sighed. "I know it has to be revealed eventually, and then there will be regret for not revealing it sooner, but dealing with it now is over my strength. Being a snake is more pleasant... and maybe it is more truthful than what I have been before..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I see... " Demon whispered, and slowly and unexpectedly so, perhaps encouraged by the little thing's misery and honest words, he seemed to try something out... a leap of faith. He reached with his hand to it again at last again, and lightly caressed its head. " If... If it means something... I think you are a lovely snake. I think I would... be afraid of an enemy with a sword demanding sanctuary, even if our common enemy is chasing him... " he dared to smile a little bit as he acknowledged he understood why he's suddenly so at ease, and maybe felt more trustful with it. " But I think... that I can not be afraid of a healing snake. Especially when it's so lovely... " he stroked his head with his fingertip, hesitantly and slowly, as if trying to really see if it is wanted or pretence.

[Mirach]

Death leaned into the touch that felt pleasant in this form - not like a healing procedure, since it didn't touch his injury, but a simple caress for a simple creature.

[VisAnastasis]

It seemed that was what Cernunnos needed as well - a breather, an outlet for his thoughts that was not full of fear but gentleness, and some way to communicate with and understand Death that did not require heavy reflections on past and suffering. Encouraged by his reaction, he kept caressing him lightly, and now that he was a little stronger and could think more clearly thanks to the healing, he was able to pay better attention to his responses and be more mindful with it. It was almost the opposite of Emil's tending that had to treat the wound in mind - for creature caressed it along its body and head freely, however avoiding the neck it realized was hurting. Since it wasn't bringing him additional pain, Death could feel all the more how skilled and how natural handling animal came to this creature and those of his blood, now all the more so. It seemed that what he fought to express with words, demon found easier to express with caresses, and his touch indeed expressed some timid offer of warmth, as now, those caresses were not just for the little snake, they were for him.

[Mirach]

At one point, Death suddenly tensed. "One of the hunters died..." he whispered.

[VisAnastasis]

Both tensed up a little too, Cernunnos a little bit more.
" Wasn't that what you hoped for? " he whispered, sounding a little confused and unsure. " ... Isn't it a good thing? For us, I mean... Or should I have told you when they entered the forest? " creature bit his lip, feeling a little unsure. " I felt them a while ago... I was just... too distracted to note it. I thought your plan to lure them has worked, and that I don't have to since we're safe here... "