Death and Tide

[VisAnastasis]

That didn't seem to appease Cernunnos though.
" N-no... " he shook his head quietly as if something felt wrong to him. He looked back at the snake. " You are staying in that form for my comfort, aren't you? You are not well, but you would rather make me more comfortable than make sure you get better. But you are not well, and.... " he gathered his resolve and finally said it. " I... am not comfortable anymore... finally, I can see well, and I can see how ill you are. "

[Mirach]

Death didn't answer that, seeing no point in talking anymore. "Don't be scared..." he just whispered and then changed into the human form.

[VisAnastasis]

For that brief moment of Death passing through the layers, the pain of his injured leg and other cuts returned sharply and creature screamed out, blinded by it, his eyes closed tight and teeth gritted. When Death returned in human form, almost by instinct he grasped his tunic for relief, breathing shallowly through the wave of pain to collect himself.

[Mirach]

Death grasped his hand immediately. "I'm sorry..." he whispered with regret.

[VisAnastasis]

Without thinking consciously of it, creature pressed his hand back tightly, breathing through the pain that slowly abated anew with Death's closeness. He needed a moment to recollect a bit, but despite he wished to respond to the words, the creature seemed a little taken aback suddenly, as, from the hand he was holding onto, he slowly brought himself to look up, and he appeared horrified - but not from fear, but guilt.

" You... You are burning up... " he stuttered with widened eyes, as only in human-like form, much more eloquent in features than snake's, by Death's sick appearance and feverish skin it could be seen his temperature was dangerously high. " You... you should have said something sooner! " he snapped a little, as it seemed through conflicted feelings he didn't know how to react, his voice getting really low with dread. " Your hands are so cold... "

[Mirach]

Death could not see himself, so he didn't know how bad he looked. "I'm just tired..." he murmured, unable to evaluate the situation too clearly.

[VisAnastasis]

" No, you're not! At this rate, you are barely able to maintain your form... You ate little, and you strained so much for me... you barely have any strength left to maintain even a tiny snake, least a human. You are burning away on the inside, like a raw egg in the desert heat.  You... you are... " Cernunnos gazed straight into his eyes, as one that is always close to it, knowing the line well, and seeming mortified enough to forget his fear. " You are dying. "

[Mirach]

Death looked a bit taken aback by that, but not alarmed or fearful. "Is that so?" he asked Tide quietly.

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, now that I take a better look at you... " Tide said slowly, as he was not inclined to being direct and hitting harsh truth and scaring people needlessly. " It's not great, but it doesn't have to be necessarily so. " he stuttered, knowing he has to keep a cold head. " It is true you got a little deeper into the mess... But it's not your fault, or yours, Cernunnos. It's mine. I brought him here, straight into the miasma. I was too focused on the threat looming over us... to make sure to feed you and treat you properly. " he whispered quietly. " If we do nothing your odds don't appear good, but if we lower your fever and you eat well, maybe we could get back to where we were before, where you are only dying only *slowly*, just like any rest of the mortal folk... Right now you seem a bit like... race runner of dying, heh... "
" We don't have time for pretty words! Have you lost your minds? " Other demon said urgently, confused, not seeming to understand why they are having a pleasant chat. " I m not a soul healer, but you need only be a Being with eyes to see how bad this is, " he said with dread. " If treating symptoms is all we can do, for goodness sake, please... Please, go, run to Emil first. Tell him to bring our best honey and what we have left of our meat and sweet goods. There's no point in lowering a fever if he passes out from exhaustion, he must eat to stay awake... "

[Mirach]

"Do that," Death breathed out, catching Tide's look. "But if you see it is needed... don't hesitate to cut off the limb, okay? It would only be just."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide wasn't really good to come to for figuring out vague wording quickly, and he wasn't sure what creature meant by the statement, suddenly throwing in a gruesome image in a discussion that was previously about food and conserving energy.
" What do you mean... " he asked a bit more hesitantly. "... It would only be just? What justice do you speak of? "

[Mirach]

"I mean the thing we spoke about before. The option to keep death as natural force without the things that make it me," Death said calmly. "Let's not lose time by discussion now, just go call Emil and keep that in mind if it comes to that."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide became speechless, as it must have been such far thought in his mind that he didn't even consider it right now, as it was the last desperate option his mind failed to consider at that moment. He didn't respond, as if the weight of what Death asked just could not allow a proper answer. He did not nod this time.
 
He just stood up and left the room right away, with a quickened pace, in a hurry.

[Mirach]

Death sighed, a bit calmed by the reassurance that if he dies, he won't take the world with him. He felt exhausted, but knew that he should't sleep. "I did look into the future before we put that plan to action," he murmured in a conversational tone, "but it didn't occur to me to look at my own line... Funny, I've been used to check it so thoroughly..."

[VisAnastasis]

After Tide left, Cernunnos was a little at the loss of what to do and how to feel, but Death's conversation manner seemed to encourage him a bit, as he decided to continue the conversation.
" When... little Erdel said that you were ill... I could hardly believe it. I never imagined you ever could be. Actually... " he suddenly smiled faintly, as if he realized something that saddened him. " I always imagined you tall and bigger than life, but... You are smaller than me. " his smile turned upside down as he added sadly. " You are... Tiny... " he whispered, as, despite Death wasn't little, passing as human easily, he was of average human height, where, compared to him, Cernunnos who was more beastly was quite taller, even if no other humanoid demon they met was as tall as Tide. The unexpected size must have appeared rather more approachable to the creature, than whatever horrifying deadly warrior he must have imagined. With a thumb with which Death held his hand, he caressed his knuckles hesitantly, as he added, with a lump in his throat. " As tiny and thin as a snake... "

[Mirach]

"You don't find me scary then?" Death whispered, his words a bit slurred.

[VisAnastasis]

" I... Am confused. I thought I would be so scared, but it's hard to be scared of someone.... Someone..." He gulped, and he pressed back Death's hand lightly as he added quietly." Someone you are grateful to... "

[Mirach]

"I'm just glad I don't scare you..." Death whispered.

[VisAnastasis]

" Glad? " creature repeated after him thoughtfully. " If you are glad, then... I wondered... How do you feel about *me* now then? " he whispered, with a little bathed breath, as if the answer held importance to him. " Now that you are no longer a snake... What do you... think of me? "

[Mirach]

"Think of you?" Death murmured, a bit confused. "You did not change in any way... and I only changed my form, not view..."

[VisAnastasis]

" If it hasn't changed, may you tell me, please... "the creature asked quietly. " What is your view then? "

[Mirach]

"You're nice..." Death said drowsily, not having the strength for a longer answer.

[VisAnastasis]

" If you really mean that... prove it to me then. Show me it's not different than when you were a snake... " Cernunnos said, and unexpectedly, he retrieved the hand he was holding Death's hand with suddenly - so he could embrace him. Since the creature was taller and Death smaller compared to him, Spirit found himself with his head on demon's chest, and he could feel creature's heart beating fast, and feel its bated breath beside its face as it waited for his reaction.

[Mirach]

Death was a bit surprised, not used to be handled like that in human body, as it felt different from the snake's, but Cernunnos's touch was the same and it was familiar to him, so he relaxed slowly, and made himself comfortable.

[VisAnastasis]

That was the only reply that creature needed - a direct, honest one, a truth needing no words to be obvious. It relaxed with it too, and slowly, it began passing across Death's back comfortingly, with its soft, light fingers, getting more encouraged with time to caress him gently and handle him as human just as he handled him a snake before - the only thing, a little comfort, that he must have felt he was able to give, while they waited for help.