Death and Tide

[Mirach]

Death chuckled a little. "That was you? I wondered about it. Nothing dramatic happens to them, they keep their shape for a while and then just dissolve into the threads of being, like a leaf that falls from a tree becomes soil."

[VisAnastasis]

Their task was serious, so Death's chuckle seemed to elevate his mood unexpectedly, and he nodded with his words a little more softly than before.
" I was always a little sad and worried about them... They were the first little bits, and I was grieved to lose them like that, for lack of my own skill," he whispered wonderingly. " They adored being part of me, so I worried they might be suffering, struggling to take shape where they can not and feeling abandoned by me not coming back for them... But I could not. It's not like I could just walk up to you in the middle of the war and ask you to hand them back... But it's not that bad, it seems. So, they just... become part of the universe? " he smiled slowly. " I feel... they'd be happy, to end so, when they had to end some way... Thank you for telling me. It is comforting to know at last. "

[Mirach]

Death smiled a bit. "I am not only Death for Beings who can be reborn. I aid in that too. I help the dying, decaying matter and songs to become one with the universe again."

[VisAnastasis]

It was one thing to know that by rumours or in theory, another thing to hear Death himself say it, and feel the real weight and magnitude of it in his words, and magnificence behind it. It was another thing to connect the dots with his previous experience and really get it, especially now, that he had taken a deeper look into who Death really was. Tide seemed speechless as if from the task at hand, he was distracted, not by anything bad this time, but with an unexpected wave of admiration and respect.

" I... You... You can do such wonderful things... And yet, you.... you were silly enough to tell Erdel that you are boring. You're not boring at all," he whispered suddenly, as his eyes, eloquent as they were, while revealed like this, sparkled with childlike awe. He chuckled unexpectedly, adding with a certain loving gentleness. " You're such an amazing blob of life... "

[Mirach]

"I kind of though it was obvious I was doing it," Death bemused. "Why would I be otherwise called Death and not Rebirth or something like that?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I do not know... Because of the people that are easily scared and like to pin scary names onto things that scare them? " creature shrugged, but his expression wasn't confused, but with some wonder, as he took a bit closer look at Death, not as a healer, but as an observer this time. " Sorry if it's an offend, but it kind of feels to me that whoever named you so... was a colossal jerk. It suits you not at all. " he shook his head. " Your true name... is too abstract to be put to words and spoken. Yes, you're a force, but doesn't it sort of piss you off... that they named you not by who you are, but rather by your function as a force? That's a very impersonal way to name someone if you ask me. " he snorted. " That... That's like not knowing your baker's real name and just calling him Baker. I mean, don't you think it's a knee-jerk reaction? Morning Dew gets to be called so for her gentle nature feels like glistening dew when it lights up by the first rays of sunlight... Now that's a poetic, loving name, given from the heart. Meanwhile.. " he smiled a little bit more sadly for some reason. " You bake goods so they call you The Baker... No... Even the Baker is the gentler more soothing name. The Baker gives you warm soft bread. Yet they named you after the ultimate loss as if you give nothing... "

[Mirach]

"I find it fitting," Death shrugged. "If there were only one baker in the world, Baker would be a fitting and respectful name as well. But that's not so important now... Are you comfortable with the order that Tide suggested?" he asked Cernunnos. "If you would prefer the other way, I can hold the soul part so it does not slip away, it's not a problem to me."

[VisAnastasis]

" Any order would be okay. " the creature whispered thinly, seeming nervous, but doing its best to be brave. " You have only two hands, too, though... And you can ease the pain with your touch. It is more valuable to have that than the order of the process... Tide's hand is hurt too. I'd not feel at peace, if he would strain for me all the more, like that... But if you could touch him with one hand and me with the other, it seems like the perfect help. We wouldn't have to use any painkillers that way... "
" He is the best Mister Painkiller, alright. " Tide smiled a little. " It may be a better thing for you to focus on. I'd be quite grateful for it, at least, but if I'd have to choose, I'd rather pick you holding Cernunnos. " he shared his opinions. " But if he disagrees... We don't have to prolong this. It could be very simple. We cut off the leg, I eat it. I cut off my leg, and I weave and position it properly against Cernunnos's body. I hold it firm, while you heal the two parts as much as you are able to safely, Death... Then I sew up the rest so it can heal properly. Does everyone agree? Or do you have a better idea? " he asked the Spirit, appearing a little embarrassed before him suddenly. " Everything I do is self-taught... I... I am the only person I've ever known until this point that can touch the soul. Other than my friend Sage, of course, but I'm the one who taught him, and he's still learning the curve, so... I don't exactly have an experience of... you know... Having a... partner in this. "

[Mirach]

"I don't have experience with this either, I'm just asking to make sure that I know exactly what to do," Death said. "So I will hold both of you, and once you start sewing the leg, I will heal it, right?"

[VisAnastasis]

" No, I will put a leg against Cernunnos's body, and move fibers of his soul and my soul piece until they fit perfectly against each other - and you heal as much as you can then while I hold the two together." Tide explained." Then when you do so, I sew up all that you could not heal. Sewing requires pinpricking, pinching, literally sewing the soul as if you would a wound... It can be an invasive scary feeling. Less you burden soul with stress, the less traumatizing it will be and easier and better it will heal. You don't want to overwhelm the soul. That is just bad ethics... You need to be very careful and gentle to get a soul to accept a new part as easily as possible." Tide explained." I got skilled enough to make as few stiches as lightly as possible - but you can heal on spot, can't you? If instead of sewing up everything we can do this with only a few stiches on parts you can't heal, combined with your soothing of pain, it will be a breeze to recover from. " Creature seemed a little excited as it looked forward to it." He may run freely in a day or two already, instead of few. "

[Mirach]

"I think we should work in more coordination than that, otherwise I might heal a part that would prevent you access to a place that needs stitches," Death said. 

[VisAnastasis]

" I see... Generally, as I manipulate souls with my mind, access is not such big problem to me, but more you need to manipulate and stretch soul, more it is stressed out and traumatized, and that's what we're trying to avoid, so I get what you're saying... Least invasive, easiest access is what we need. " Tide nodded lightly, and thought about it, before adding wonderingly. " You can't heal around the sixth layer you lack... But you can still touch those layers, right? If you could touch minimally, or at least explain to me as I work thoroughly what layers you cannot touch - I could maybe first do the sewing around those parts unavailable to you, and then you could heal what is possible for you, with me doing minor adjustments in the end if needed. How does it sound? "

[Mirach]

"Alright, I think that would be a good way to do it," Death agreed.

[VisAnastasis]

Tide nodded, seeming pleased and more confident with the plan they had come up with. He turned his attention to Cernunnos then. He asked him if he's ready and okay. When the demon nodded shyly, he asked him how he'd prefer his leg be cut off.
" I can cut it off with my power over the soul. That's how I do it most of the time when I can, so I don't have to do anything more traumatic, like bite it off, or tear of the limb by hands. That's messier. My power over the soul is like a sword, and I need not weapons... But we actually do have one right now. " he whispered and looked aside on the Death's sword, that was laid on the table now. " It can cut through anything... Would cutting the leg with a sword be easier for you to deal with? "
" It sounds less scary than using powers for it, to just cut it... That way I can at least watch what you are doing... " creature murmured faintly in turn. " If Death is holding me, it'll just feel like pressure, not pain, right? I think the sword may be quickest then... It looks sharp... "

[Mirach]

"That would be fast and painless, yes," Death said. "But it would be a straight cut without regards to actual anatomical structures. Tide might be able to do it more slowly, but respect them. The problem is mainly the bone, that the sword would cut instead of just removing it from the socket..."

[VisAnastasis]

Cernunnos nodded, understanding it better.
" Can you do it like that? Without needless damage? " he whispered, appearing little ashamed. " When I think about it... I.. Do have very brittle bones... It could create more trouble for you if the sword shatters them... "
" Yes, Death gets it right. " creature nodded. " I could remove it from the knee downwards, removing it physically there at the joints, instead of having to cut somewhere down or above not to shatter something important. The only difference is time. Instead of a couple of seconds, it would take a couple of minutes, I fear. I could rush it, but if I do it slower, it will be easier healing later and better match... "

[Mirach]

"I would recommend that way," Death said. "I will hold you so you won't feel any pain, and you don't need to look at all. We can talk through it."

[VisAnastasis]

" Not looking... would help a lot... Please... " he gulped, and turned to Death, pressing his hand back nervously. " Speak to me. I... I feel like throwing up, imagining it. It is easier to deal with a quick way than a slow one. It feels frightening to be awake during such a thing, to do it with no painkiller, with one's mind this clear... It does not feel normal to not be hurting and feel fine while having something like this done to you. I would welcome a distraction... "

[Mirach]

"Hey, it's not without painkiller," Death said. "I'm an ultimate painkiller... Come then," he took his hand. "Are you ready? Look at me..."

[VisAnastasis]

The creature still instinctively gritted its teeth to prepare itself mentally for what was to come and pressed his hand, looking up to him for comfort.

[Mirach]

Death pressed his hand gently. "Emil told me you had a snake familiar," he said. "What kind of snake was he?"

[VisAnastasis]

That was one sure way to get Cernunnos's attention. A bittersweet smile sprung upon his face with a memory.
" She... was most beautiful little thing in the world. She was an albino. I found her, wounded by some predators, half her skin torn, curled and lashing out at me in her pain. She was a rather dangerous, venomous kind... People of the time used to call her kin Death Adder, actually. " he smiled faintly. " But I loved snakes, and I felt pity for her. I captured her. I nurtured her to health. I wanted to release her after she gets better, but we grew too fond of each other to part... I loved taking care of her, and she loved giving me her strong venom to make into medicine for my humans. We... found each other. She was a good girl... " he whispered, holding Death's hand firmly, as he spoke of her, gently and with love, as he remembered her, despite the memory was painful for her loss. He spoke so, and he only tensed up a little when Tide rolled up the fabric of his clothing above the knee, but he did not dare to look, and he kept talking about his beloved snake thinly.

[Mirach]

Death kept him talking about snakes, medicines that could be made from poison, and ways of its extraction, while Tide worked.

[VisAnastasis]

Cernunnos kept speaking to him thinly, not looking away from his soft violet eyes as they spoke, focused on them so he would not look away at what Tide was doing.

It was a clear discomfort to a weak trembling soul, unused to being touched and handled so closely. Even Death felt a little unnerved in observation. As if it was nothing, under creature's touch and thoughts, the threads of Cernunnos's body and soul we're disentangling, parting bones, ligaments and all else in its path. It took couple of minutes, but when he was done, he just took the leg below the knee as one would remove a loose hand or leg of a doll - with no resistance or tearing, all parts detached beforehand.

[Mirach]

Death didn't look either, holding Tide's look. "We are doing great," he assured him.